from him Or otherwise as is said by a good but ungrounded conceit of thy self and of thine own estate being alive before the Law come closer and neerer home to thy conscience thou thinkest thy self safe and in good estate Rom. 7.8 and apprehendest no danger or judgement as belonging to thee but onely to others But in a word know and remember that though thou be thus partiall towards thy self yet God is not as hath been said though thou hide cover and conceal thy bosom sin neither searching it out thy self nor suffering the word to search thee yet God will search thee and finde it out Thy safest way were to judge and condemn thy self that thou mayst not be condemned and judged of the Lord and to imitate the poor and humble Publican who smote on his brest and heart confessing and craving mercy for his sin and to beware of the proud Pharisee his self-justification 5. Flattery of soothing Prophets 5. And as part cause of the former beware of smoothing and flattering teachers who howsoever sometimes they may make a flourish and declame it may be against sin and tell of Gods judgements yet they will have a care that they come not so neer as to offend thee or to touch thee in thy speciall sin if especially thou be one in place or who mayst come even with them again These men heal before they hurt and what stings others the faithfull servants of God have left in the mindes and consciences of any they seek to pluck out and to heal the wound with their oyly words being like the false Prophets of old of whom and of the Priests it was said They have healed the hurt bruise or breach of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there is no peace Jer. 6. v. 14. And when Gods deerest servants tell the people of particular judgements belonging to them and so by wounding and pricking their consciences bring them on in a good way towards repentance these flattering Prophets strengthen their hands that they should not return from their wicked wayes by promising them life Ezek. 13.22 onely wounding and making sad the heart of the righteous whom God hath not made sad In this case I must say to you if you would be pricked and savingly wounded for your sins as the Lord in another case said to the Kings of the Nations Therefore hearken not ye to your Prophets nor to your Diviners c. for they prophesie a lie unto you to remove you far from your Land and that ye should perish Jer. 27.9 10. and Jer. 29.8 6. Lastly 6. Vnbelief take heed of unbelief want of faith to beleeve Gods true Prophets when they tell you of the danger of your sin keeps you from applying the threatnings of God to your selves so that you reap no fruit by the word but though fairly warned and called to repentance with hope of mercy perish through your own unbelief in his wrath as it was with those of the old world whereas Noah himself by faith being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house Hebr. 11.7 So wee read of Enoch Jude v. 7. though but the seventh from Adam and in the beginning of the world who yet set the end of the world or the day of judgement before him prophesying thereof whereas secure men through their unbelief never humble themselves if then till judgements be upon them being herein like such as hearing thunderclaps far off are not moved till they be as present over their heads and some hurt in their sight be done then with Pharaoh they tremble but not till then So want of faith in Christ keeps men from being sensible of their sin and from being pricked in conscience for it When was it that these Converts in my Text were pricked in heart It was when they heard and withall beleeved that Christ whom they crucified was the true Messias So it was foretold Zech. 12.10 that when they should look upon him whom they had pierced they should be pierced themselves and mourn bitterly and be sensible of their sin which shall be fulfilled especially at the conversion of their Nation but then they must no longer abide in unbelief Rom. 11.23 Seeing then faith is the gift of God we must earnestly pray for it and carefully attend to the ministry of the word by which it is begotten To withdraw from the hearing of the word either in regard of presence of body or attention of mind is to keep our selves out of the sphere and compasse within which onely the word of God that sword of the Spirit is active and operative and will reach and pierce us SECT 2. Le ts removed which make the soul senseless And first Sensuality and worldliness 2 Lets keeping the soul from being sensible of pricking BUt men who cannot avoid the stroke of the word the scorching of that fire the smiting of heart and conscience having such teachers as smite home and will not suffer them by their evasions shifts excuses and extenuations to put by the blow yet as experience sheweth shew themselves little sensible of the same neither are they truely made sorrowful thereby being like Jacob or Israel Mens senselsness for blindnesse deafnesse incredulity senselessness and stupidity on whom it is said the Lord poured the fury of his anger and the strength of battell and it set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Isa 42.25 or like the drunkard who may say They have stricken me and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not Prov. 23 25. being past feeling Ephes 4.19 and of cauterized consciences 1 Tim. 4.2 Now there are divers things which bereave men of all spirituall sense and pain which accordingly if we would become true mourners for sin we must carefully beware of and see that wee give no way unto them Men have ways and means by which they for the while especially become insensible of pain by pricking Divers things bereaving men of the sense of bodily pain As Deep sleep Searing burning bone-setting incision cutting off a member and the like as by the use and application of narcoticall or stupefactive medicines and potions by being cast into a deep and dead sleep by which all their senses even that of feeling are bound up so by searing and burning whereby the part is mortified and the inward humidity dried up So I have heard and read Bewithching how in the body of witches in covenant with the Divel in the place where by sucking or otherwise he sets his mark or Sacramental signe the place is so benummed and deaded that a pin of a great largeness and length may be thrust in to the head without the grief or any sense of the party by which means if that mark or bewitched place can be but once found out
little time may seeme to be left unto us and accordingly labour and see that what we want in time we may redeeme by our zeale that as Peter directs 1 Pet. 4.2 3. we should live no longer the rest of our time in the flesh to the lusts of men but to the will of God That the time past of our lives may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles Especially considering our many sinnes so long continued in and the great dishonours done to his name thereby together with the greatnesse of Gods love in pardoning and receiving us at length to mercy Let this enflame our love and zeale to him let this love of God constrain us and teach us to love him much Luke 7.47 with that repenting woman that is zealously because much or many sinnes are forgiven us Vse 5 5 Lastly Let this teach us all now living in this our Nation to admire Gods goodnesse to us and ours To be thankful for being kept to these blessed times yea to all converted or not converted and to be thankfull that God at length hath had mercy on us and reserved us to these blessed times of the Gospel and peace withall 1 Tim 1.17 Rom. 11.30 33. c. Let us make use of this blessed time or otherwise this great mercy will turne to our greater condemnation CHAP. 2. Concerning the persons converted their quality number SECT 1. That some devout men need conversion 2 The persons coverted They. For quality 2 THe persons who They When they heard this they were pricked They are not named but onely noted generally and indefinitely first for quality to be some of them devout men vers 5. that is 1. Devout men such as generally acknowledged they expected the Messias promised but knew not neither were convinced that Jesus whom they persecuted and put to death was he Others to be meere scoffers and deriders of the Apostles vers 13. however generally to be such as by wicked hands took crucified and slue the Lord of life verse 23. 36. at least to be impenitent persons unbeleevers and in state of damnation as may be gethered from verse 38 39 40 47. Whence we first observe as concernes those devout men That Note Many devout men stand in need of repentance Ioh. 4.27 Outward profession of Christ devotion and formes of godlinesse are not enough to mens salvation or to make men true Christians Such may and usually doe worship they know not what as the Samaritans Athenians Acts 17.23 as the Jewes to this day who professe Faith in a Messias yet acknowledge him not but serve God as they think and are devout in their kinde Blinde devotion is not to be rested in Yea Papists generally adoring Christs body in the Sacrament which they know not to be present And common Protestants who seem to shew much devotion in frequenting the Church in publick prayers and hymnes and hearing yet rest in the outward performance and take up with the duty done though it be in them only a lip-labour without true knowledge faith humility and obedience 2 Tim. 3.1 2 3 4 5. as Isa 1.12 66.3 Jer. 7. having only a form of godlinesse but denying the power of it as being still lovers of themselves and of pleasures more then of God without all life of Religion or power of godlinesse standing in as much need of true conversion nay it may be more then open deriders and persecuters of Gods truth and people who will sooner be convinced then they To these I commend the care of attending diligently to the word of God preached in power peradventure with these here they may be wrought upon and be convinced of their sinnes of unbeleefe impenitency yea of hatred of Christ and his people c. as being yet wiâ—h these devout Jewes till now in a damnable condition even as the Pharisees persecuting Christ ignorantly Acts 26. Phil. 3.9 2 Scoffers Secondly As concerning the rest or themselves it may be who some were scoffers all persecuters and crucifiers of Christ we observe from their attentive hearing now and conversion The power and wonderfull efficacy of the word of God faithfully and wisely taught Note The power of Gods word 1 Sam. 19.28 Acts 9.20 preached and applied Here we see how men are changed by it of Wolves made sheep of persecuters true penitents even as King Saul intending to take and kill David fell a prophesying and was changed or as that other Saul hastening to persecute the Church by Christs voyce was made a preaching Paul or as those stout Souldiers who were sent to apprehend Christ Joh. 7.45 46 47. But of this anon when we speake of the act of hearing as also the duty of good hearers SECT 2. God freely singles out some of many of whom his Church consists 2 They for number 1 Many And those of all sorts of men 2 THey are noted from their number or quality discrete to be of the multitude verse 6. and those of every nation under heaven vers 5. Parthians and Medes c. vers 9.10 11. they were both of Israel and Judah who by Gods providence were gathered together to that gerat feast of Pentecost out of all nations or who dwelt in Jerusalem of these three thousand now and afterwards many more Acts 4.1 2 3 4 were converted by the Apostles preaching Whereby might seeme in part at least fulfilled the prophesie and type concerning the two sticks VVho make one Church for Judah and for Joseph joyned together Ezek. 37.16 17 19 20 21 c. noting that the effectuall calling of Jewes and Israelites as also Gentiles and their union in Christ or in the hand of the Lord Christ being the Fathers hand and arm whereby they became one Kingdom under Christ or David their King partaking of the same benefits by vertue of the communion of Saints as in the following verses in Ezekiel may be seen So that there is but one only Catholick Church not many and Christ the onely King Pastour and Head thereof 2 Yet not all having no generall Vicar here on earth Now to this Communion none belongs or yet truly come but such as the Father drawes who though here they are many yet all that heard beleeved not they were but some of the whole multitude who received the word gladly vers 41. yet those were gathered out of all sorts without difference of sex age calling countrey and nation or condition And this notes the Freenesse of Gods grace As he excepts not any one sort or calling of men so hee by effectuall calling Note The Freenesse of of Gods grace in singling out some from among all 2 Thes 2.12 13. singles out from the universality of men and sinners and adds to his Church such as shall be saved as here verse 47. Who are those Onely such as he hath elcted from eternity unto salvation through sanctification of the spirit and beleef of
the Almighty hath afflicted me Thus the good woman was humbled in Gods sight who had deprived her of her husband and two sonnes in a strange land and that doubtlesse in sight of her sin and unworthinesse and acknowledgement of Gods just hand upon her 2 To joyn with God 1 By justifying him 2. Secondly when God by afflictions humbles and bruiseth thee joyn with him in humbling thy selfe 1. Justifie God in his chastisements confesse him righteous and thy selfe the sinner and justly met withall this is one main end of Gods chastisements Levit. 26.41 that our hard and uncircumcised hearts be humbled and that we when his hand is upon us accept of the punishment of our iniquity and condemning our selves Do thou then follow home the affliction lament thine own unto wardnesse and if especially his hand lie long on thee or that his strokes be multiplied say Lord what an hard heart have I and senslesse that needs all this hammering and melting this battering and bruising that none of this could be spared Thus at length by Gods mercy thy hard and unrelenting heart shall be bruised softened and humbled 2. 2 By taking advantage of the occasion and time Take the advantage of the time when Gods hand is upon thee Men of the World both know and are carefull to observe the fittest Seasons for ploughing and breaking up of their grounds and God lookes that we do the like for the breaking up of the fallow and hard ground of our hearts Jer. 4.3 which he expects from us as a duty Eccles 3.4 There is a time to weep and a time to mourn God by his judgements on us by crosses and afflictions softens bowes and masters our stout stomackes brings down our high lookes and thoughts when we finde him stronger than our selves which perhaps we thought not on before and to take from us such stayes and props whether wealth friends health c. as on which we rested our selves more than on him Seeing men commonly under cresses are somewhat softened Job 23.15 16. Now hereby God workes in men more selfe deniall at least remorse and some more fitnesse and pronenesse to repent then at other times Thus saith Job I am troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him for God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me And in regard of troubles and distresses David complaineth to God saying I am poured out like water Psal 22.14 and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels And thus in some measure the unregenerate finde it with them in their troubles and feares whereby they finde themselves more disposed to pray and more disposed to pray and to repent and to repent as the Israelites though unsound and unconstant when God slew them they sought him and returned Psal 78.34 Isay 26.16 and Lord in trouble have they visited thee saith Isay they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them At such times the hearts even of hypocrites become more remorsefull as we see in men in their sicknesse and distresse Now as Ministers should take such opportunities to worke upon mens hearts Job 33.22 so should they themselves especially as the iron when it is hot is soon bowed and fashioned by hammering and as the Wax when it is warme and soft may better be wrought and formed as we please which opportunity would be followed home My advice then to thee who desirest this pliable and sensible heart is to take the oportunitie of thy deep afflictions and crosses to follow home this worke Is any afflicted Let him pray saith Saint James Let him humble himselfe in prayer Jam. 5.13 confesse heartily his sin and seek mercy Art thou affected with sorrow upon the death suppose of some dear Friend Parent Childe or Associate Husband or Wife Whatsoever the occasion of thy grief be yea or if a secret sadnesse or pensivenesse come upon thee so as thou findest thy selfe disposed to weep omit not such a fit season now that thy countenance is sad the heart is made better Eccles 7.3 that is more soft and yielding to good impressions and our sorrow turned the right way the Lord thus softens and inclines thy soul to fresh sorrow for sin and would have thee to turne the stream of thy natural sorrow or melacholicke pensivenesse into the right chanel from the out ward or inward occasion from the known or unknown cause of thy heavinesse to sorrow and mourning for thy sin from the effect to the cause seeing nothing is truly to be sorrowed for but sin which is the onely true cause of all our other sorrowes and afflictions Blessed is such a crosse losse or affliction as bereaving us of earthly if not sinfull comforts and confidence sends us to seek our comfort and to place our trust onely in God by seeking our peace with him with true teares of godly sorrow sor our sin by which he was offended 3 To come 3. Thirdly for evils to come and judgements threatened or feared in this life or at and after the end of it Death it selfe Hell and the last Judgement the dreadfulnesse and terrour of which should make us afraid and such fear will or should worke sensiblenesse and tendernesse in us as apprehension but of temporal judgements made Josiahs heart to melt though there was in him some mixture also of love to God and zeal to his honour howsoever As 1. Temporal judgements threatened it made him with teares seek peace with God for himselfe and his people for the aversion of his judgements from them If an earthly Prince should threaten us how would we fear and by humbling our selves seek to make our peace again with him How submissively did Jacob carry himselfe toward his brother Esau when he came towards wards him as an enemie Thy servant Jacob and Let me finde grace in the sight of my lord Gen. 32.20 33.15 How much more should we fear and humble our selves Amos 38. when the Lord God hath spoken when this Lion roares who will not fear and humble himselfe before him How also did the thought of death humble not onely a good King Hezekiah but an hypocrite King Ahab 2 Death Isay 38.1 2 3. 1 Kings 21 19-21 27.29 Jon. 3.5 c. and the Ninivites Let the living then lay death to heart Eccles 7 2 and apprehend it as near that as men in apparent danger of death both by sea or land on their death-beds or as men condemned to die they may be humbled sorrowfull and penitent Let us thinke often also of Hell and of that place of torments 3 Hell and how it is prepared as for all impenitent sinners so also for the secure and voluptuous livers Luke 16.27 c. 4 The last judgement such as was Dives and his brethren so of the dreadfull
though they pretend they do well in rejecting of them is to be sorrowed for Yet doublesse some do too much please themselves in it thinking now they have just cause to cast off these precise preachers and Doctours of despaire who do all they can to shame men and drive them to despaire and to hearken to such as will not make the way to heaven so narrow 3 Naturall sorrow grounded on naturall causes is not saving sorrow 3 There is naturall sorrow proceeding from naturall causes either more inward and lesse discerned as from melancholy sadnesse of disposition heavinesse of heart and naturall feares and terrours whereby they dare hardly be alone especially in the dark and are often heavy and dejected but they can scarce tel for what Not that which is from occasions which are outward by which we are not to measure our sorrow for sinnne or more outward palpable and known as from crosses and losses in estate friends health liberty name and from toyl labour trouble and vexation in their callings and conditions of life Such sorrow as this causeth mistakes in judging of true sorrow divers wayes some finding their sorrow excessive and that they can shed plenty of teares for worldly occasions Evcesse in such sorrow causeth some doubtings in the godly of the truth of their sorow for sinne as if it were as losse of wife husband child friend c. but that they cannot so sensibly mourn for their sins do hereupon question the truth of their sorrow for sin as not sufficient or enough because not so great as they conceive as worldly sorrow is in them but without just or sufficient ground seeing 1 worldly sorrow runs with the stream of nature which it hath to help it not enough But it should not Why whereas spirituall sorrow runs against the stream of nature and is meerely from grace which often receives resistance and abatement from the opposition of nature and carnality 2 Sorrow would be considered as in the will well guided and led by soundnesse of judgement and not so much as it is in the sensitive part of the soul and so sin is most hated and abhorred and in gods account and acceptance most sorrowed for whilst it is by true judgement acknowledged a greater and truer cause to deserve and procure sorrow then any wordly losse or crosse whatsoever 3 sorrow for sin may be and is in Gods deare children greater in vertue though the other seem greater in quantity as good corn in time will overgrow the weed which for the present is higher and as the small spring or fountain and still stream fed by a spring will outrun and outlast the violent land-flood which though for the present it run over its banks and make a greater noise yet when the great rain that caused it is done It soon runs it self dry but the other still keeps its tenour and constant course An affection then whether of Joy or grief is not to be measured by the sudden indeliberate passing motion of it How we are to judge of the affection of grief and joy but according to the setled habit in the judgement and estimation and as is said dislike in the will for as on the one hand a man sometimes laughs and cannot but laugh at a toy in which he yet joyes not so much as in many other things concerning which he doth not for the act of laughing so lively carrry himself so on the other hand a man may be more stirred and moved whether with anger or with sorrow for a trifle or a thing of lesse concernment in the main then for a greater matter and spirituall losse for which yet more solidly truly and lastingly he mourns Lighter sorrows make men cry out Difference betweeen naturall and spirituall grief in regard 1 of causes when greater do more deeply affect and are thought on more in silence As then there is great difference in the cause of sorrow wordly grief being caused by worldly and nnaturall causes but true sorrow is wrought by the word and is for sin so also in the continuance naturall grief pain and sorrow wears away with time as who grieves now for the pain sorrow sicknesse or losse he suffered many years ago whereas true contrition 2 Of Continuance even after pardon will and ought to be renewed for our further humbling all our life long in remembrance of sinnes of youth Caveat long since repented of Onely to such I say let this serve to humble you the more when you find your selves so excessive in worldly losses greater sorrow for natural causes then for sin should more humble us but not dishearten us and so remisse in the other be hence excited to mourn the more for sin to check your hearts for this inordination and to turn the stream of your tears into the right channell and if such a crosse or losse be so bitter cry out oh bitter sin of mine which hath caused all this sorrow Howsoever measure not thy sorrow for sin as not by other mens scantling as is lately said so not by thy own greater sorrow as at least thou thinkest in and for temporall evils But far be it from thee to mistake sorrows labour toyl and suffering in and for temporall things for or in stead of saving sorrow and such as will bring thee to heaven Bodily sorrow is not godly sorrow simply as is mistaken 1 By Papists in their sufferings 1 Voluntary as yet divers do who having as yet never shed one tear or so much as fetched one hearty sigh for their sins either all many or yet any one yet perswade themselves that their sorrows sufferings are to salvation Such are the Popish sort generaly who ascribe so much to their sufferings whether voluntarily inflicted on themselves by hard usage of the body by whippings scourgings fastings pilgrimages the like where they take penni worths on their skins but their sins souls are no whit touched or mortified but increased rather a superstitious conceit of merit and satisfaction made thereby to Gods justice or justly inflicted on them by the hand of justice for their disloyalties 2 Inflicted treasons conspiracies poysonings or attempts to destroy their Soveraign Liege Lords Kings which just punishment of theirs they will falsely call martyrdome and a Baptisme of blood washing them from all their sins without any other sorrow for their evil deeds in wh ch they rather glory rejoyce standing in stead of all other punishment to them either in Purgatory or yet in hel which by this means they hope and suppose they do escape prevent 2 By common Christians who acknowledge no other sorrow for sin then such as is outward Others there are who through their ignorance or rather as they are leavened with Popish principles conclude with themselves they need no more sorrow then such as they have found for if sorrow be good they have had
wounding and pricking was not meerly Legall with respect to punishment only but Evangelical tending to true contrition and Repentance and therefore not wholly an effect of the law but in part also of the Gospel and a work of the saving spirit of God CHAP. XVIII SECT 1. Signes of true sorrow from the true grounds of it And first that it is and must be for sin TRy we our sorrow then henee whether it be wrought by the Gospel Other Tryals of our sorrow from the grounds of it or only by the Law If it be true and saving sorrow it is grounded 1. On some sight and sense of sin 2. On some glimpse of mercy and goodness in God True sorrow is procured 1 by the sight of sin and is for sin 1. He that savingly sorroweth seeth his sin and miserie by sin and groanes under the burthen of both Matth. 11.28 he is sensible thereof his heart is become like his eye tender and sensible of the least sin as it is of the least mote in it he looking on his sin mourns and that heartily and secretly If then the sight of sin be not the procurer of thy sorrow thou hast cause to suspect it Yea but how shall I know whether my sorrow be for my sin and fault or for the punishment of it either felt or feared This is a needfull quaere Herein many deceive themselves seeing men are commonly more sensible of the evill of smart then of the evill of fault and of sin and if their sorrow be either only by sorrowing more for the punishment then for sin or more for the shame and punishment of sin in this life or in hell then for the fault it is unfound howsoever it may seem or be pretended to be only for the sin Many herein being like one Polus an Actor who being to act a sorrowfull part on the stage to move him thereunto had secretly conveyed into a corner of the Stage his fathers or some dear friends Urne in which were the ashes of the deceased on which whiles he looked his sorrow was so much the more excited only with this difference he being to fain sorrow came thus to act it truly and truly to mourn these while they pretend to sorrow truly for their sin do it but in seeming for sin but truly for the punishment of it on which their eie is chiefly set Howsoever it is a good sign when men grieve when Gods hand is upon them or threatned It is not denied but that men may and ought to shew themselves sensible of and grieve for the punishment of their sin be it present and incumbent whether it be publike or private and personall or imminent and only threatned Nay it is an ill sign for men not to be moved in such case but to give themselves to feasting and jollity when God by his judgements calls to weeping and mourning Jer. 5.3 as Isai 22.12 13 14. where God threatens the want of it and elsewhere complains by his Prophet that though he had stricken them yet they grieved not And the best men in such case fear and tremble most and shew greatest humiliation The best do it as David in time of pestilence 2 Sam. 24.17 Jehoshaphat when God threatned an invasion 2 Chron. 20.3 4. and generally the godly in their own and the Churches miseries So true converts do mourn even in respect of the evill and miserie which their sin threatens them withall as reverencing his Word and are made to fear the falling into the like sins again as Job 31.23 The reason hereof is Because they reverence Gods Word and fear all signs of his anger And this God pleaseth to sanctifie as a beginning of saving sorrow as in these converts in my Text. So that we here conclude as formerly we have shewed that it is a sign of an ungracious and hard heart that is not some way humbled under the tokens of Gods wrath on or towards our selves or others and that such come short of many Reprobates To tremble at Gods word and judgements a good sign as of Pharaoh Ahab Jehoram c. 1 Kings 21.29 and 2 Kings 6.30 And on the other hand it is a good sign of true sorrow indeed and such as God doth accept of when men tremble at Gods word and at the tokens of his displeasure Isa 66.1 2. so do hearts truly humbled which howsoever before they were stout and stubborn against God and relented not at his judgements yet now an angry word of God humbles them And when it is so as it was with good King Josiah Such as are not humbled at Judgements and at the word are not sound 2 Kings 22.10 11. its a good sign of a heart truly compunct contrite and humbled Let such look to this as hearing of Gods judgements with Ahah doe quarrell with the Minister as he with Micaiah as never speaking good unto them far are they from the humble spirit of good K. Hezekiah who though he had sinned through pride yet soon humbled himself for it when Isaiah so sore threatned him saying 2 Chro. 32.26 Isai 39.8 Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken A heart truly humbled for sin and hating it can be content to have it searched out by the word discovered and reproved Yet such sorrow is not enough Psal 139.24 Yet though it be a thing needfull that in reverence to God to his Word and threatnings men do humble themselves under Gods hand and stroke and in apprehension of his dipleasure befalling or otherwise due for their sins unlesse it be also and chiefly for sin yet this is to be taken as a sign of true contrition and saving sorrow when withall or chiefly their sorrow is for sin and upon the sight thereof as it was in Josiah and Hezekiah more then for punishment who formerly had tasted of Gods goodness and now finding God displeased upon the breach of his Commandments and by reason of the dishonours done unto him melt into teares and sorrow and in true grief of heart for their own and peoples sin seek to appease his wrath by humbling of themselves If then we would know whether our sorrow be sound and good we must try and consider whether it be for sin or for the punishment of sin and that first when Gods hand of correction is upon us for our sin Hypocrites may then humble themselves as is said but true converts only mourn and are humbled for sin as cause of those judgements yea more for the sin then for the judgement Such was the sorrow of David who was willing to endure punishment The judgement and evill inflicted they are most willing to undergoe but the sin procuring it is intollerable as we see in David when for his sin the Pestilence devoured his people in whose multitude and strength he trusted too much and gloried Lo saith he I have sinned and I have
done wickedly but these sheep 2 Sam. 24.17 what have they done Let thine hand I pray thee and of Job be against me and my fathers house Job 1. Levit. 26. So Job in his sore affliction was content to receive evill at the hand of God as well as good thereby accepting of the punishment of his sin as true converts do who are sensible of their own ill deservings and others and are humbly patient under Gods hand Thus the mournfull repentance of them that escape in the finall desolation of Israel is described But they that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountaines like doves of the vallies all of them mourning Ezek. 7.16 and 18. every one for his iniquitie as for the rest when destruction is upon them horrour covers them and shame is upon their faces The King shall mourn and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled but what they shall seek peace what peace not with God but with man that is ease from their troubles but there shall be none and 26 27. Then they shall also seek a vision from the Prophet in hope God will give them ease and deliverance such as their seducing and flattering Prophets did promise them but the Law shall perish from the Priest and counsell from the ancients there shall be none to give them any hope from God Psal 38.3 4. c. So David again being in a pitifull case in regard of some grievous sicknesse inflicted on him because of his sin which he confesseth though his sorrow which was increased by reason of the insultations and snares of the wicked was continually before him yet that troubled him not so much as his sin the cause thereof therefore saith he and vers 18. I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin So that when hee is sensible of Gods judgements and afflictions yet his sin is his greatest sorrow The troubles of mine heart are inlarged Psal 25 17 18. look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins They were his sins which most troubled him Now I ask is thy sorrow when Gods hand is upon thee Application or upon the Church or nation and place where thou livest such as this If so thou mayest have comfort of it when thou canst turn the stream of thy worldly sorrow into the right channell and make thine eyes run down with rivers of teares because of sin Psal 119.139 thine own and others because men keep not Gods Law and canst with those in Ezekiel mourn for the sins of the place Ezek. 9. and for all the abominations thereof more then for the evill fruits and effects of sin which thou canst in all humility accept of and submit unto heartily bewailing the one and humbly submitting to the other as it was with good Nehemiah chap. 1.4 5. compared with 5 6. and with Daniel chap. 9 5 6 7 8 c. 14. But if it be chiefly for the evill effects of thy sin either felt or feared thou hast cause to sorrow afresh lest thy sorrow being only for punishment prove but the beginning of everlasting sorrow and torment to thee as to Pharaoh who when Gods hand was heavy upon him and his people shewed himself more affected with the evill he suffered then with the evill which he did and therefore cried not out to God as David did I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly but to Moses and Aaron 2 Sam. 24.10 Exod. 10.17 Intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death only True sorrow is for sin as sin and as it is an offence of God True sorrow then is more for sin as it is sin and an offence of Gods Majesty and a dishonour done unto him then for any evill consequent of sin hurt perill or danger it brings men into It is therefore called a godly sorrow or sorrow according to God respecting him more then our selves being more for the object of our sorrow which is sin 2 Cor. 7 9. and 10. then for any Act of sorrow caused by sin whereof sorrowing aright for sin as sin we may have much comfort it being repentance not to be repented of and not worldly sorrow working death It is such a sorrow as wherby we lament after the Lord as they did Such is not the sorrow of hypocrites Zach. 7.5 1 Sam. 7.2 and not such as the Iews in their captivity performed concerning which the Lord bids Zacharie aske the Priests saying when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh moneth even those seventy yeares did you at all fast unto me even to me Nor such as the Israelites formerly made shew of and of which the Lord complaineth saying They return but not to the most High Hos 7.14.16 they are like a deceitful bow And saith the Lord they have not cried unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds they assemble themselves for corn and wine and they rebell against mee The meaning is what shew soever they make of sorrow for sin it is not in sincerity nor from the heart Whose sorrow meerly respects themselves and that chiefly in things of this life It is not for their sin as it is sin against me and my honour but it is for their adversity captivity want through dearth and famine give them ease libertie and let them have corn and wine and their sins against me will never trouble them Nay when thus they howl and cry unto me they rebell against me how much rather then would they so doe if they had their desire they seek as worldlings usually do Psal 4.6 7. not my face and favour whom by their sins they have offended and dishonoured but corn and wine the blessings of my left hand and so in their howling fasting and sorrow they have not regard to me whom by their sins they pierce and wound but to themselves and that not to their soules but to their bodies in the things only of this life Now hence it is that God having threatned his people with grievous evils for their sins against him calls on them to return and to mourn sincerely in these words Therefore also now saith the Lord Joel 2.12 13. Turn you even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And rent your heart and not your garment c. Where the Emphasis would be observed turn you to me even unto me till ye come and reach unto me Vsque ad me shewing that our repentance and sorrow comes short of God if it be chiefly for worldly wants crosses and losses and not in sincerity of heart sorrow for sin as it is sin against God SECT 2. How to know when our sorrow is for sin as sin if
hid I said I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Psal 32.3 4 5. These here in effect do the same by these words of theirs confessing as hath been said their sins and finding like mercy ver 38. On the other hand Cain being pricked in heart and conscience for his bloody sin and in Cain doth also speak and utter and some other Jews but what words of despair so those Acts 7.54 being cut to the heart gnashed upon Stephen with their teeth and uttered words of desperate rage and madnesse crying out with a loud voice and stoning him v. 57. And howsoever in affliction the tongue sometime belie the heart Hypocrites may counterfeit Psal 78.34 35 36. as in the grosser hypocrite yea also self-deceiver who when God smites them enquire early after him as did the Israelites in the wildernesse Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues Yet I say in true grief the tongue truly sympathizeth with the heart and expresseth the affections of it truly as in the Parrot Yet they bewray themselves by their words c. which being beaten cryes like it self with its naturall voyce and not as at other times like a man artificially And though Pharaoh Judas and many like unto them seem to shew by their words and confession some compunction of heart yet both their words being well weighed at least their after-deeds do shew the hypocrisie or deceit of their hearts and that their grief was not true and genuine for their sins but for the punishment and through legall terrours or meer naturall conscience within them Contrariwise a good heart being smitten of God will either be silent unto God and not dare to mutter or murmure against him or withall it will utter onely good words as we see in Job chap. 1.21 22. and chap. 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Thus it is constantly with it though perhaps in a fit it may forget it self and utter words of discontent as we see in the same Job and Jeremiah and others The reason of all this is that sincerity and integrity which is in the heart of those whom God doth soundly touch Reason which is a single heart not a heart and a heart or a tongue and life different from the heart which it seems Nature it self would teach us all seeing Anatomists teach that the heart and tongue hang upon one string Dr. F. ibid. so that when the heart is moved with any passion or perturbation the hammer as in the former resemblance beats upon the bell and the mouth soundeth and answers the motions and affections of the heart Vse 1 In our sorrows to shew our sincerity by our words and by the nature of them Let us therefore when Gods hand toucheth us shew by our words and deeds also sutable that our hearts are inwardly well affected and truly humbled under his hand for our sins truly desirous how to pacifie him and to procure true peace to our consciences It s a signe the hearts of many are but lightly pricked or touched with remorse for their sins they do so little complain or make their moan to others who may afford them ease by their counsell and good directions As on the other hand such as most complain out of an inward feeling of their sins and who accordingly move doubts and questions concerning their estate of soul are none of the worst Christians at least they are in a good way 2 And so generally For more general Vse It were to be wished that men by their words and language as also by the nature and quality of their discourse and speech did shew the soundnesse holinesse and integrity of their hearts within more then they do The heart will be venting it self by the tongue and commonly according to that abundance which is in the heart the mouth will be speaking A reproof of such as pretending good hearts yet are tongue-tied Many talk much of their good hearts to God ward but if their hearts within were so good holy hearts believing hearts humble hearts hungering hearts zealous hearts as they pretend they would not be so tongue-tied as they are either to God-ward or towards others If Gods word were in the heart of many Ministers 1 In Preaching at least as a burning fire they would soon grow weary with forbearing to preach and to speak in his Name Jer. 20.8 9. though his word should be made a reproach to them and a derision daily So if the hearts whether of many Ministers or others 2 In Prayer were truly pinched with sense of their own and peoples wants they could not take up with bare generall forms of words in their seeming prayers or with a generall invitation of others to pray or at best to joyn with them in rehearsing more then praying the Lords prayer The heart truly touched with a sense of its own guiltinesse and of Gods displeasure or of its own wants could not take up with forms of words framed by others or at least long rest in them but would vent it self by words at least by sighs and groans sutable to its condition Such as complain that for any expressions of their own they are tongue-tied in Prayer let them strive to get better hearts sensible hearts sanctified hearts hearts full of the spirit of God which is a spirit of grace and of supplication Zech. 12.10 for were they full of it they would otherwise vent themselves then they do whereas now they draw neer to God onely with the mouth and with their lips honour him but have their hearts removed far from him Isa 29. ver 13. their hearts are more tyed and shut up then their tongues and so in effect both are tyed to God-ward So many are and some complain that they are not so profitable in discourse and in private conversation with others by holy conference as they should be 3 In speaking of good things by instructing exciting and for God exhorting encouraging of others yea admonishing and reproving them for their vanity oaths reviling of Gods people and his people and for their speaking evill of Gods good ways But if these would look into the true cause hereof they would finde that either the Law of God is not at all in their hearts for then they would speak wisdome and their tongue would talk of judgement or that their hearts are not so holy so charitable and compassionate towards others so zealous for God and his honour and such beleeving hearts as they should be or for time of profession calling and means might be But for a tongue that straitens it self to speak of better things then are in the heart A dissembling tongue reproved c. either in matters of God and of profession of godliness or in duties and profession of love towards others this is
COMPUNCTION OR Pricking of Heart With the Time Meanes Nature Necessity and Order of it and of Conversion With Motives Directions Signes and Means of cure of the wounded in Heart with other Consequent or Concomitant Duties Especially SELF-DENIALL All of them gathered from the Text ACTS 2.37 And Fitted Preached and Applied to his Hearers at Dantzick in Pruse-land in Ann. 1641. and partly 1642. Being the sum of 80. Sermons With a POST-SCRIPT concerning these Times and the sutableness of this Text and argument to the same and to the calling of the Jews By R. J. Doctor of Divinity LONDON Printed by Ruth Raworth for Thomas Whitaker and are to be sold at his Shop at the Kings Armes in Pauls Church-yard 1648. To the Right Worshipfull Mr. THOMAS BVRNEL Governour the Worshipfull Deputy Assistants and whole body of the Right worshipfull Company of East-land Merchants residing in London and in other parts of England AS ALSO To my loving Hearers here at Dantzick of the same Society R. J. prayeth and wisheth to you all and each a Share and Partnership in that Society and Communion of Saints whereof Christ Jesus is sole Governour and Head THat I do prefixe your names and make choise of you Right worshipfull c. before all other in this Dedication and publication of these Sermon-notes is not done without good ground and reason First I account it very sutable to my duty to give you this taste of my labours and thus to render an account unto you in part how my ministeriall pains have been imployed here for the spirituall good of your sons servants factors and friends respectively seeing your prayers and desires attested under so many of your hands at first were that my ministery might prevail mightily in these parts and that those of our Nation here might walk answerable to the profession of the Gospel I have to these your good desires joyned not my prayers only but my best indeavours that by the good fruit and efficacy of my ministery here you may have no cause to repent you either of your choice of me or cost on me and them but that you may by Gods mercy reap the harvest of that your seed and fruit of your expectation and desires You by this taste may perceive the method and manner of my plain teaching which is framed not to tickle the ear but by Gods mercy to touch the heart and not to please any man in his sin and security but only in that which is good My indeavours I say tend this way the blessing and success is from God of whom it is still and ever to be sought Again I should be unthankfull both to God and to you all by whose desires votes and good liking I was called to this imployment if I did not by some more then private acknowledgement take notice and give testimony of Gods good hand of providence towards me by making you his instruments to call me to this place and meanes of imployment at such a time when through the malignancy of some degenerate spirits sensualists and time-servers and through their hatred of the truth power and life of religion and godliness they by false reports defamations and accusations without proof got their lies if not credited and beleeved yet made use of though under other pretexts to my unjust deprivation yea and banishment from mine own dwelling house and native home by procuring letters in his Majesties name whom by like mis-reports they mis-informed and abused not only for the setling of another in my place and means but to require my removall from Newcastle by which means I was cast meerly upon Gods providence who yet in the riches of his wisedome and mercy to me I say not to yours in these parts who yet had been so long destitute but to my self who desired nothing more then imployment had provided as those here to desire supply so your selves upon the recommendation at first of a private friend without my privity seconded by the approbation and recommendation of a worthy Divine to pitch upon my self and to put me otherwise an ancient born and sworn-brother of your Company into imployment again by the free and unanimous vote of your Generall Court procuring me also a warrant from the Councel for my transportation and so to provide for me not only a competent yeerly maintenance and minervall but a convenient dwelling house as also to be at further cost for a place of our asembling and meeting This I acknowledge as a great favour and providence 〈◊〉 God who till he again gather the outcasts of Israel provided you to give me a call as once he commanded the widow of Sarepta to sustain the persecuted Prophet Elijah 1 Kings 17.9 sending him in like mercy to her only as me now a Prophet not accepted at least generally in mine own countrey Luke 4.24 25 26. to your friends here when yet there were many widowes in Israel as then were many places destitute of faithfull Pastors in England Thus it fared here in some proportion with me and many other in England as once when the Jewes in envy and opposition against Paul and Barnabas Acts 13.45 46 did put the word of God from them and so judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life whereby those servants of the Lord turned to the Gentiles God so commanding who hearing it were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. The Gentils we see with the woman of Canaan were glad of that which the Jewes did surfet on and of those Crumbs which fell from the richer but loathed table of the Children Even as many now who loathing the homely Manna of the Word in the simplicity of the Gospel and longing after such teachers as are according to their own minde humour and heart find as those in the wildernesse who had other meat according to their lusts given them indeed but with a curse both of body for while their meat was yet in their mouths Psal 78.30 31. the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them and of soul too for he gave them their request but sent leannesse into their soul Psal 106.15 3. By this not undesired by some here my desire is by penning and printing to water that seed which at first was sown by preaching Joh. 14.26 and as neer as I can to become a Remembrancer this way also as well as by prayer at the throne of grace to my hearers here even after my departure and decease by stirring up that spirit in them which as a Remembrancer is promised to them in due time and season to bring to their remembrance what hath by Christ and his Minister been said unto them 2 Pet. 1.15 that so they may either reap that good which was and is intended by me or that this may prove a testimony on Gods behalf in time to come against them that hee hath not wholly been wanting to them And thus with hope that my
see the glory of that calling 2. To magnifie the preaching of the word 3 To prefer Christs spiritual presence in the word and Sacraments and are hence taught all of us first To magnifie the preaching yea also the faithfull Preachers of the Gospel though they be men like to our selves and of like infirmities as instruments of Gods power in the conversion and saving of soules as also secondly not curiously to wish or dreame of Christs bodily presence either by conversiing on earth againe as do the Chiliasts or to thinke he cannot be effectually present in the Sacrament unlesse corporally either by Transubstantiation or Consubstantiation No his spirituall presence both in Word and Sacrament by his blessing is more profitable to us c. 2 Cor. 5.16 SECT 3. Why mens conversion is often so long delayed Question 2. Why doth God often defer the conversion of men Quest WHy doth God so long deferre the conversion of his Elect and suffer them to go on so long in sinne before they come to faith and true repentance Answer 1. For his own glory Answ I answer This he doth first for his own glory For the glory 1. Of his power first of his power in so easily subduing the obstinacy of mans will which hath so long hardened it selfe in sinne which will appear wonderfully in the conversion of the Jewes And so he sheweth it is only in his will not in mans will that men are converted otherwise it is most likely that these converts in my text should have repented when Christ preached to them himselfe Secondly of his Freedome and to shew his Spirit is not tied to persons 2 Freedom nor times but like the wind blows and workes freely when and how it listeth Joh. 3 8. Thirdly and especially of his mercy 3 Patience his long-suffering and patience which is more resplendent in and toward such See 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Rom. 11.30 31 32. Answer 2. For their humiliation 2 God thus often doth for the deeper humiliation of such Converts as 1 Tim. 1.15 16 17. And that they might have their mouthes for ever stopped See Rom. 3.19 20 c. 25. Vse 1 Vse 1. It refutes the conceit of such as think it in their power to repent when they will To refute mens practice And to confute the opinion of such as thinke men may accept or reject grace at their pleasure who accordingly deferre repentance upon presumption that at more couvenient time they will convert and return to God Yea it confutes the opinion of such as think the power to accept or reject grace is in themselves Indeed I may say the power to reject grace is in them when God leaves them to themselves as often as he doth leave these presumers otherwise not as in these Jewes But I cannot say that to accept of grace is in mans power till God work it effectually in him though even then for the subject it be man that doth accept of it onely the power yea and will nay the deed and work is from God and his effectuall grace No means prove effectuall or availeable till Gods appointed time doe come no not the preaching of Christ himself why else were these why we no sooner converted why are not the Jewes to this day as yet converted and many of us who have lived long under the means not at all Vse 2 2. This yet teacheth us not to despair of any sinners conversion in this life To despair of no mans conversion here on earth God suffers many long yea some till the very last as the Thiefe on the Crosse and then and not till then shewes them mercy seeking or intending his own glory by that means Thus we doubt not neither question the conversion of the Jewes in Gods fit time we have his promise and he can and will in his own time graffe them in again Rom. 11.23 And we conclude the like concerning such particular persons among our selves as he within himself purposeth to call though we have it not made known unto us who they are therefore we will despaire of none while they live Vse 3 Not to neglect the present time 3. It may yet excite all not to neglect Gods time so farre as we know it or any opportunity of hearing the word by which God converts There is greatest likelihood of conversion where the word is preached for now in the time of the Gospel is the accepted time and day of salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 Other times God may winke at as he pleaseth Act 17.30 but now he commandeth all men every where to repent Know we then our time which is the present and leave we the rest to God Let us take the first next or rather the present opportunity step we in when and so soon as we see the waters troubled John 5.4 which being but at a certain season let us not lose the opportunity seeing there is much time in a little opportunity Luk. 19.42 34. Oh that we would but know then the time of our visitation which many or most of the Jewes did not know though these here in my text did Oh that young men would know that their best and fittest time now that they enjoy the Gospel is the time of their youth Eccles 12.1 That such as have lost so much time of the Gospel and of their age would now at length know the time Rom. 13.11.12 that now it is hight time for them to awake out of sleep The night is far spent the day is at hand said Paul to the Romans but I may say to many Christians among us The day is far spent with them and the night is at hand the night of the Gospells removall from us or at least of death Verse 13. Let us therefore cast off the workes of darknesse and put on the Lord Jesus Christ Luk. 19.13 Revel 1.1 23. Pro 1.14.10 28 Let us know also that there is a time when God will shew no mercy when he will leave men in their hardnesse In a word a period of his patience when no prayers will be heard Vse 4 4 If any have been late commers in as these here who neglected Christs preaching a long time For late commers in 2 Cor. 7.11 Acts 2.41 42 45. let us learne with the Corinthians to be more zealous and of these here likewise who continued stedfastly in the Apostles doctrine and fellowship and conversed devoutly and charitably together selling their possessions and goods parting them to others in the zeale of their love as every man had need To redeeme their time by greater zeale Let us think how much time we have lost how long we have done service to our lusts and to Satan how far we are cast behinde others how much holy knowledge and good experience we might have gained if our time had been better spent how much glory we might have brought to God and withall how
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
the streams when the fountain and spring is muddy In a word it is the next way to hypocrisie in conversion it s but an acting of humility not a being humble a shew onely of humility and devotion not the having of the grace of the same in the heart I say then Humble your souls and hearts before the Lord if ye would enter into the Holiest Heb. 10.19.22 draw neer with a true heart and have your hearts first sprinkled from an evil conscience and then your bodies washed with pure water first be renewed in the spirit of your mindes and then shew your reformation without as Ephes 4.23 with 24 c. and 28. Let him that stole steal no more This is the right order This is the right order first to change the heart and then the life first to hate sin in heart and then to leave it first to fear an oath and then to forbear swearing rashly first to loath drunkennesse in heart and to be touched with remorse of soul for it and then withal to give over drunkennesse Till this be done that the conscience inwardly be pricked and convinced of the vilenesse of every or any sin the life will never be thorowly or constantly reformed otherwise sin will break out again Simil. if then It is but as with the hand to hold down the water in a spring which will ever be springing up or as by force to hold a blown bladder under water which will be bolting up again whereas if it once be pricked it will with little ado be kept under or sink of it self This is the reason why we Preachers who truely intend and seek your true and thorow conversion in our applications and otherwise do still aim at your hearts it is the mark the butt The heart the butt and white which godly Ministers chiefly aim aâ— yea the white which we chiefly shoot at and direct the point and edge of the sword of the Spirit the Word of God against till we pierce and hit that we think we have done nothing Though when we do onely civilize you and that you through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2.20 escape the common pollutions of the world it be also the work of our Ministery and tend to much outward order peace and comlinesse yet alas this makes little for your inward peace and comfort when thus by the over powering force of the Word you are curbed kept in and constrained as it were through fear or shame to bite in your sins where this is onely you will be ready to be again intangled and overcome and so your later end will be worse then the beginning Therefore our aim is still at the heart as knowing that unlesse it be pierced and wounded sin still lives in you and like a bitter and venemous root or corrupt spring will ever be sprouting and sending out bitter fruit and muddy waters but if the heart once be savingly wounded mortified cleansed we know the outward man and conversation will soon be reformed as when the root is deaded the fruit and leaves fall of themselves and the branches wither if the fountain be once stopt the streams soon dry up which makes them not so eager against the outward carriage and fashions of men always Will you then know why wise and discreet Preachers do not in their Reproofs insist so much and so long and frequently at least in inveighing against mens wearing of long hair womens cut locks men and womens garishnesse in their attire and fashions gestures and outward unseemly behaviour some kindes of sports and abuse of lawful sports Is it because they allow and applaud you in such things Nothing lesse make not that ill use of our silence or more sparing reproofs But know the true reason hereof is because we are assured that if these things were outwardly reformed and yet the heart not touched or pricked they like Samson's hair once clipt would soon grow again the heart not mortified all vice would be sprouting again yea to cry out against such things and not to convince the heart of the sinfulnesse and danger of them would never have any good effect Nay we may I know as well hope to rob a bear of her whelps as to make you leave such fashions so long as your hearts are set thereon experience shews it No arguments perswasions disswasives threatnings though out of Gods Word will prevail with men to leave such fashions and customs till the heart be wounded and pierced And when this is done all these will in great part fall of themselves and people will not be ashamed to be out of the common and corrupt fashions and customs of the time Give us leave then to preach such Doctrines and make such Applications as may be as hammers shall I say yea as goads and nails as pricks and the point of a sword to prick your hearts and to touch you even in your best beloved sins that so we may take your hearts from off them and make them bitter and loathsom to you The heart must indeed first be humbled and then there will follow moderation in outward things and reformation of life and conversation and the outward behaviour will suit well with the inward disposition of the humbled heart the heart as the first or master-wheel in the clock being well set will order both the tongue as the bell and conversation and outward behaviour as the hand and pointer there will be a consonancie among them Let no man then deceive himself and tell me he thanks God his heart is good to God ward and he hath a good heart and meaning howsoever he outwardly frame to the times and common customs of the world if the heart were so good as is pretended the hand tongue eye and generally the whole outward conversation would not be so dissonant at least so much and so constantly as is in many who yet brag much of that which few sees of their good hearts Now as saving Conversion must begin at the heart so it would not be much out of our way to observe that it and all the consequents of it all the comforts of a regenerate condition and all the happinesse of heaven All Comforts begin with some sorrow as All Sin ends in sorrow begins with pricking and wounding with sorrow and compunction Wherein God is contrary to the devil the world and sin which make offer and promise of much pleasure gain and honour at the first and men finde some such like thing at first as gives content to their sensual desires and corrupt taste but all at the last ends in bitternesse and sorrow endlesse and easelesse Neither do such things long enjoyed See this in Dives and Lazarus Luke 16.25 give that content they promised as on the other side such as make trial of the ways of God finde much more content in and comfort from them then they could have
without pain ere ever it consent to marry to Christ Now can there be a divorce wrought between loving couples otherwise most loth thereunto without sorrow ask Phaltiel who being married to Michal when David her first husband sent for her 2 Sam. 3.16 went with her along weeping behind her 3 From the nature of Conversion which is such a change as a man cannot but be sensible of it first or last 3 This brings us to consider of the nature of conversion which implyeth as much as I intend which being a change from darknesse to light from bondage to liberty in a word from one contrary to another how should a man discern of his contrary new estate without feeling in some measure the horrour of his former condition under darknesse and bondage at least he can have no comfort in his Conversion unlesse he find and feel a difference between the one estate and the other which cannot be felt without some shaking and affrightment as he apprehends the greatnesse of the benefit of his deliverance by Christ so is he touched with a proportionable fence of his danger either imminent or passed as we have heard of some who having at first in their sleep drink or otherwise ignorance passed some very great danger as over some narrow or broken and crackt bridge pit or the like being brought after to see their danger they have quaked trembled been amazed if they have not wholly expired and given up the Ghost Thus such as perhaps at the very first are not so sensible of their dangerous condition or yet of their change as others are Christ being truly in them yet afterwards when they come to better consideration and deeper apprehension of their wayes and former dangers they find a proportionable measure of inward trouble terrour yea and grief for such their hainous offences whereof they were not so sensible before and so they have their portion of terrour first or last in lesse or greater measure Lastly whom doth Christ call to Repentance 4 From Christs calling of such Matth. 9.13 Even of such onely as are sinners and laden and 11.29 Lost enemies 2 Cor. 5 Isa 27.5 in bondage Rom 8.15 2 Tim. 1. he came to call sinners to repentance such as in their own sense are sinners and if Christ call none but such to repentance who can have repentance but such yea but such as are heavy laden with sin and sense of Gods wrath for sin for these and such onely he calleth also to come unto him And as he came to call such so to save the lost sheep but who are these but such as feel themselves to be lost Christ calls and sends his Ministers to call us to be reconciled to him and to make peace with him but who will ever thus do that doth not first find and feel himself under his displeasure and can a man find that and not be troubled he calls us to liberty and must we not then first be under the spirit of bondage that unto fear In a word how can any either hunger after Christ or prize him aright as a Saviour and Redeemer till they through fence of misery and of their hopelesse helplesse worthlesse and desperate condition see their need of him or who will ever fly to him till by the Law as by a Schoolmaster discovering their fearfull condition to them they be whipped and scourged and so forced to go out of themselves to him This Law then must go before and as the needle by pricking doth pierce the cloth and make way for the threed to follow and sow so it must prepare the way for faith to follow by which we are knit to Christ otherwise we would prove but loose Christians and break off when we list as we know many Libertins to do who tell us much of comfort and joy they find in and by Christ and his Spirit but neither they nor any other can tell us of any sorrow wounding or pricking going before I shall ever suspect that joy yea that Conversion which issues not in some measure out of true sorrow pricking compunction and contrition for sinne It s but a dream of joy and a false conception and birth This point yet further cleared and it shewed that though all be wounded yet not all alike Here then for the further clearing of this point of doctrine we must know that all who are truly converted do not suffer trouble and terrour of conscience in the same measure or yet manner neither doth God deal with all alike some are pricked onely as with a Pinne others as with a spear yet all pricked There are three degrees as in divers Resemblances and all of them saving by Gods mercy 1 A pricking as in my text wherein were some grudgings of conscience and such a hurt as was presently healed again and they filled with the holy Ghost 2 A wounding or a wounded spirit and who can bear that such as was sometime in Job and David from whom God seemed to withdraw himself by forsaking them c. and in such as wrestle long with God yea and with diffidence in themselves even many yeares before they can out wrestle their sorrows which at length they do And 3 there is a killing whereof Saint Paul speaks Rom. 7.9.10.11 Sinne revived and I died and the commandement which was ordained unto life I found to be unto death for sinne taking occasion by the commandement deceived me and by it slew me and yet lo Paul alive to God so All are shut up under the spirit of bondage as in a prison Gal. 3.23 before faith come we are kept under the Law shut up unto faith some as Jeremy let down to a dungeon Jer. 38.6 some as Paul put into an inner prison and his feet fast not in the mire in which Jeremy did sink but in the stocks some onely as Joseph who though a prisoner yet found favour and had more liberty Gen. 39 20.21.22 And so all being locked up under infidelity some are more easily set at liberty and their hearts sooner opened being like new and fresh locks easily opened whereas others are like old rusty locks which the key hardly and with much ado opens if at all so that they must not be broken by force and violence such is the difference of mens hearts some kept clear from rusting by restraining grace good education and example others are old rusty and cankered in sin whose doores must be broken open by strong hand and consciences awakened by terrours All hearts are hard naturally as we have heard but some as stones some as mettal which must not onely be broken but molten and as among stones some are softer then others and soon crushed some are harder as the flint without seams and sutures so is it with hearts some sooner humbled and made to relent then others some are more hardy bold crabbed and crooked then others an angry word or look will work more upon
zeal Yet if thou goest no farther and out-strippest them not in sincerity Dike of Deacif ch 10. honesty and goodnesse of heart as one well sheweth by inward renewed good qualities as good never a whit as never the better At least thou wilt come short of salvation But I must remember my self that I am speaking to and of such as are sensualists senselesse sinners livelesse blocks muddy worldlings in a word such as think it folly to trouble their heads or themselves with any serious thought of their sin or of Gods wrath due to them for the same who love to be at ease to enjoy their false peace and their pleasures of sin without interruption or molestation and in a word who are loth with the Devil to have their sins cast out or to be tormented before the time to these I must now Lastly or Fifthly say that this their secure estate is a fearful signe that all wil not end well with them 5 Sensualists and secure ones have most cause to morn this their calme will end in a fearful tempest Such as now never dream nor wil be told of the necessity of this trouble of conscience are the only men that have most cause to mourn who indeed are by all that know their estate and love them better then they either know or love themselves to be pitied and prayed for and to expect a storm as Job did for his children in after their feastings For these are they who being merry and light-hearted and spending their days in wealth and mirth suddenly go down to the grave or to hell Job 21.13 as those secure ones of the old world Mat. 24.37 38 39. And as the Jewes concerning whom Jeremiah doth pitiously complain and lament The young men have ceased from their musick The joy of our heart is ceased Lament 5.14.15 our dance is turned into mourning c. So wil secure sinners finde it either here or hereafter And yet alas that they who have most greatest cause to weep and mourn in the midst of their security should be as they would seem the only Jovial merry men of the world These feast and make merry but never think of the house falling upon their heads as once upon Jobs children and on the Lords of the Philistines when they sported themselves with Samson or of the point of the sword hanging by a small threed over their heads as once over the head of Damocles or rather of the hand writting on the wall as in Belshazzars case or of Gods writing of their sins in his book which will be opened at the day of judgement These jolly fellowes never think how their sin which they delight in lieth and that their sin will doe them in the guilt and punishment of it at the door as Cains did that is neer to seize upon them as dogging them continually at the heels like a bloodhound pursuing them and never ceasing till it overtake them and fly in their faces when the iniquity of their heels shall overtake them finde them out Numb 32.23 and in their hunted consciences meet with them and finde them out if not before yet on their death-beds perhaps where the guilt of their sin shall present it self unto them as that black dog which appeared to Cornelius Agrippa at his beds-feet whilst he lay a dying pursue them to death or like Brutus his ghost which standing by him as he was writing left him a while to hell telling him he should see it again at Philippi where in battel he was slain 1 Sam. 28.19 20. or like Satan appearing in Samuels likenesse and telling Saul saying to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me at which speech Saul fell straitway all along on the earth and was sore afraid and there was no strength in him and judgement Little think secure sinners how soon their sin will overtake them and bring them to their graves yea as their bones were full of it lie down with them in also the dust Job 20.11 c. Ezek. 32.24.27 and be upon their bones and if so it will rise with them too stand at their heels yea elbowes in judgements to accuse and condemn them so that their judgement is not far off and their damnation sleepeth not 2 Pet. 2.3 Their end is come at least it watcheth or awaketh against them Ezek. 7.6 These things being so a man would wonder that any should under the noise of such canon shot and thunderings sleep quietly Their security wondered at over such traps dance so merrily and being so neer hell perhaps as till to morrow morning or sooner if the threed of their life be cut off sooner to secure and blesse themselves in their vain hope of heaven their only grief on earth is to have such ministers or others as shall tell them of their sin and danger and check them in their courses and that they cannot sinne so freely as they would without controule otherwise no sorrow at all for sin appeares CHAP. XIII Containing a large Exhortation to the Secure and Motives urging them to be afflicted and to mourn for sin WEll let me now make use of a word of Exhortation to such and speake to them in S. James his language 3Vse Exhortation seriously to confider of our cause of mourning Jam. 4.8.9 10. chap. 4.8.9 10. Draw nigh to God cleanse your hands ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double-minded Be afflicted and mourn and weep let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to heavinesse Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up Ah dearly beloved And accordingly to mourn let us learn at length but yet in time to take our sins and Gods curse and wrath due to them into deep consideration and withall to be affected with true and hearty sorrow for the same sin you see will have sorrow here or hereafter this hath partly been considered before We see here the elect of God true converts such as God shews greatest love unto seeing the elect of God are not saved without it in converting and saving their souls are at least and must be pricked and wounded and that in their tendrest part the heart what will become of thee then and of all others who sinning as deeply as any yet never mournest for thy sin in all thy life or at least to little purpose neither hast thou yet any will purpose affection or disposition thereunto Surely if such dear Saints Servants yea Sons and Children of their heavenly Father escape not without finding and feeling some bitternesse from their sin yea even when Christ in whom they trust and to whom they fly hath indured the hot wrath of God for them what mayst thou think will be thy portion hereafter if now thou beest such an enemy to godly sorrow and so averse from it as thou art being also by thy
softened with the milke of this love of God! ye stout-hearted sinners and be moved therewith be moved and affected with grief to consider and thinke how ye sin against the bountie of God expressed to you in all temporal blessings which you enjoy and they are well nigh infinite in his patience towards you not cutting you off and sending you to Hell in your sinnes but chiefly in his gracious and morcifull disposition to wards you in offering himselfe more willing and ready to be reconciled to you than you are by true repentance sorrow and submission to seek it at his gracious hands O base hearts who by living still in your sinnes and without all sorrow taking pleasure in the same do seek his dishonour Do ye so requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Deut. 32.6 7 c. Doth not this stab thy heart O my people may God now say to us and much rather than to his unthankfull people of old What have I done unto thee and so in Micah 6.3 4 5. John 10.32 Many good workes may Christ now say to us also have I shewed you from my Father for which of those workes do ye stone me How should you answer but with more humilitie sinceritie and selfe-deniall as it followeth in Micah Verse 6. Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe before the high God Yea and instead of all other sacrifices there mentioned offer that of an humble and contrite spirit and resolve to walke humbly or humble your selves to walke with God O that I could hear your relenting hearts as overcome with his free mercies and offers of his grace to sound and eccho out such voices and to say What any mercie or hope of mercie for such a vile Wretch bold sinner base Varlet as I Might not God many yeares ago in his just displeasure have sent me from the wombe to Hell O Patience Would any man have put up such injuries at my hands as God hath done dishonours or would I my selfe shew like kindnesse to any who had multiplied wrongs against me O it grieves my soul that I have so grieved him beast that I am O how have I been besotted not to see better to answer his love Men and brethren what shall I do to purchase his favour whereof I have made my selfe so unworthily I resolve therefore to wallow in ashes and to repent in dust and ashes and not for a world to offend him as I have done SECT 5. Gods Majesty thought on would abase us 4. The serious thought of Gods high Majesty will humble us HEre again I might direct you to a meditation also of the high and glorious Majesty of the high and holy God of his greatnesse excellencie power wisdom glorie and all other Attributes of God that so we may no longer harden our hearts against him Psal 95 3-8 9. Deut. 10.16 17 18 -20 21. that the immutabilitie of his decrees Job 23.13 14 15 16. and his excellency may make us afraid Job 13.11 37.23 24. that his mighty power may cause us prepare to meet him by repentance Amos 4.12 with 13. as we see in Rahab Josh 2 10.-12 13-18 And that we may at length learne with Job to acknowledge our vilenesse and to abhorre our selves and repent in dust and ashes Job 38.2 3 c. 40.2 3. 42.3 with 6. But I will hasten to the last Direction without which all the rest will be used in vain and it is prayer 〈…〉 SECT 6. Earnest Prayer a means of Humiliation 5 Withall wee must earnestly pray to God who onely can humble us LAstly Seeing God onely as hath been said can humble and soften the hard and stony heart of man wee are if wee truly desire to have tender pliable sensible and humbled hearts most earnestly to seek the same by prayer of God 1 By others 1. If thou canst not through weakness of gifts or distractions pray of thy self desire the assistance of some godly and compassionate Christian to pray with thee and for thee that God would graciously and powerfully work in thee what thou desirest In such case yea howsoever send for the Elders of the Church when thou feelst thy heart any thing hardened or thy self to be in any distress of soul or body that they may pray over thee James 5.14 2 By our selves But 2. Is any among you afflicted or would any of you be indeed truly afflicted in conscience and come to some remorse for his sin Let him pray saith Saint James himself It s hard if any man who hath a true and inward desire of any thing he wants or would have If I say he cannot breathe out one sigh and some way or other though brokenly express himself to God Broken prayers oftentimes shew a broken heart and spirit which God will not despise But as thou art able beg earnestly daily and constantly an humble soft and relenting heart with godly sorrow for all and every sin It s no easie thing to break the pride and stoniness of the heart it requires help from heaven and power from above If God do it not it will never be done Wee have Gods promise But now we have his promise for it if we will earnestly seek unto him for it as for all other things freely promsed Ezek. 36.26 32 37. Beg earnestly that God would melt and soften thy heart and must be earnest be importunate with him till he hear thee his word is past and if thou faint and weary not it shall in Gods fittest time and urgent with him and in that measure and manner which he thinks good be accomplished and fulfilled Challenge God of his promise of powring upon thee the spirit of grace and of supplications that looking upon Christ thou maist mourn c. Zech. 12.10 God as hath been said must by his Spirit breath in before thou canst breathe out by thy spirit one sigh for thy sin And in thy prayer complain to God of thy hardnesse and say Lord why hast thou hardened my heart from thy fear Isa 63.17 Lord I have an hard proud and stubborn heart it is too hard for mee do thou take it down break and humble it If thou art not heard for the present yet cry still give not over yea and constant wait on him for an answer in due time who hath long waited for thee Rom. 10.21 Deut. 22.26 and for thy Repentance Cry aloud to God for help as the virgin was bound in case shee were forced else lost both her reputation and her life Cry to God before for help and after for pardon so shall not thy hardness of heart be imputed to thee or be thy ruine That which unfainedly thou desirest might be done and grievest if it be not done that shall by Gods mercy in Christ be accounted to thee as done And with our prayer wee must joyn 1. Fasting Now to make thy prayer more effectuall
all self-respects unto those four generals which formerly have been but onely named they being such and the onely things for which we are to deny our selves and which respectively we are to admire and in our thoughts Four things especially to be admired and sought above all without which no self-denyall estimations and endeavours to prefer before all things else And these are 1 God in his Perfections and Glory 2 Christ in his Excellency and All-sufficiency 3 Our own souls in the excellency and salvation of them 4 The Church of Christ on earth in the whole and in the particular members of it Instance first in these Jews who being convinced did see and acknowledge And first let us see here whether these here in my Text whilest they denyed themselves were not the rather moved and enabled thereunto by being first or at least withall inwardly convinced and also made to see and in heart to acknowledge all these Not doubting but that they diligently attended unto the things which were spoken by Peter and the rest without which no conversion their hearts were 1 God in his glory Ver. 16. and 2 3 4. without all question opened to see 1 The glory soveraignty and truth of God who now according to what was so long before spoken by the Prophet Joel did shew wonders in heaven and from heaven by the rushing mighty wind appearance of fiery tongues sitting upon each of them and especially by their speaking of so many and diverse languages on a sudden now they are told and are convinced that the wonders and miracles of Christ were wrought by God that God by his determinate counsell did deliver Christ into their hands and Ver. 22 23 24.33 34. and now had raised him up and by his right hand exalted and set him on his right hand and made him both Lord and Christ 2 Christs glory and excellency 2 Withall they could not but see the excellency and glory of Christ now sitting at the right hand of the glory of God and made both Lord and Christ and now according to the promise of the Father shedding forth this even the holy Ghost and all such things as they did now see and hear Vers 33 c. yea sitting also as Judge over all his foes till they be made his footstool 3 Their need of being saved Ver. 23.36 3. Now also being convinced that they by wicked hands had crucified him their Saviour yea and Judge they see their souls in a damned condition that nothing in themselves or on earth could be given in exchange for their souls as equivalent thereunto unlesse it were this blood of Christ which they had shed whereof being yet somewhat doubtfull and yet seeing a necessity of saving their souls they preferring their souls now before the whole world cry out Men and Brethren what shall we do and as the Jaylour in like case Sirs What must I doe to be saved 4 The worth of the Apostles and Disciples of Christ 4 And thus they also both highly account of these Apostles seeking direction from them and of those other Disciples with them not regarding any longer as not their own so not the wisdome authority or favour of their Priests and learned Scribes and holy Pharisees as they would seem to whom they joyn themselves yea also they joyned themselves unto the Church and preferred the communion thereof before and their carnall friends saving themselves from that untoward generation admiring onely among men the saints of God delighting now onely in those that were excellent on earth looking on all others as the foes of Christ and such as shortly after should be made his footstool Verse 35. seeing no more any thing in any of them for which they should deny Christ as formerly they had done Matth. 27.20 Acts 3.14 but such baseness in them and such worth in Christ as for whom they resolved to deny themselves and all others whatsoever and for whom they deny all carnall friends and to prefer one Saint or true Christian before all ungodly ones and enemies to Christ how great wise learned noble otherwise howsoever they be Therefore let us who are taught and cannot but know what especially to chuse and prefer as excellent Hence let us learn to subordinate all and that the rather by their example highly esteem only of those four things named subordinating our own desires judgements affections and whole selves and all things else thereunto especially whilest withall we compare and consider our own and the creatures vileness weakness inferiority and unworthiness striving and indeavouring to be nothing in our selves or in the creature but all out of our selves especially in God and in Christ 1. The Name of the Lord alone is excellent or exalted his glory is above the earth and heaven Psal 148.13 1. To God and his glory Only admiring him in his perfections as Let us then only admire him and not our selves or any thing else but only in him and let his glory be dearer to us then all the world besides He is wise in heart and mighty in strength Job 9.4 Touching the Almighty we cannot find him out he is excellent in power and in judgement Job 37.23 24. 1 In his wisedome that we may deny our own wisedome and reason 1. Now considering first his wisedome and learning once to admire it who can or ought stand upon any wisedome of his own who should not deny his own thoughts Isai 55.7 Who dares reason dispute or reply against his doings or bark against his word who should not tremble at it and confessing his own darkness of heart Rom. 1.21 ignorance 1 Cor. 2.14 and blindness of mind Eph. 4.18 2 Cor. 3.14 Who should not cry out thy judgements are a great deep Psal 36.6 Thy footsteps are not known Psal 77.19 O the depth of the riches both of the wisedome and knowledge of God! c. Rom. 11.33 34 With Job Who is he that hideth counsell without knowledge therefore have I uttered that I understood not things too wonderfull for me which I knew not wherefore I abhorre my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42.3 4 5 6. 2 In his power 2. I know saith Job again Thou canst do every thing Job 42.2 He taketh away who can hinder him If God will not withdraw his anger to humble us that we stand not out against him either the proud helpers or helpers of pride or strength do stoup under him If I speak of strength lo he is strong saith Job also ch 9.12 13. 19. Now who thus acknowledging will not but humble himself under his mighty hand 1 Pet. 5.5 6. Who dares harden himself against him 1. By impenitency Or 2. by presumption either by impenitency and not rather upon this consideration of his power prepare to meet God by repentance as Amos 4.12 with 13 or by presumption and fighting against this mighty King and
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
own private and particular cause of joy should not be thought on but laid aside when it goes not well with Jerusalem and Sion as it was with the Wife of Phinehas as in divers examples Phinehas his Wife who for grief to hear that the Ark of God was seized on by the Philistims fell in labour and would not be comforted in a son which she bare she set not her heart to that neither did she regard it But to shew what she most laid to heart she named the childe Ichabod that is Where is the glory or There is no glory saying The glory is departed from Israel for the Ark of God is taken and so she died 1 Sam. 4.20.21 22. Nehemiah The like we see in that worthy Nehemiah Neh. 1.3 4. who understanding the misery of Jerusalem though he himself was in great favour with Artaxerxes the King and that it was well with himself yet sate down and wept and mourned certain days and prayed before the God of heaven on the behalf of his distressed brethren The like I might shew in Abraham interceding for Sodom Abraham and specially for Lot and in all likelihood not sleeping the night before Gen. 18. Ezekiel Moses Paul Joshua Josh 7 5 6 9. So in Ezekiel and the mourners Ezek. 9.4 8. In Moses and Paul of whom before And in Joshua and the Elders sorrowfully complaining in fear the enemies should environ them round and cut off their name from the earth so that God should not have a Church on earth to serve and honour him And thus by Gods blessing and mercy the care of our dread Soveraign Our own Land at this time and of this our Nation hath shewed it self concerning the distressed estate of Gods Church and people in Ireland not onely by and in the monthly exercise of prayer not sparing either Prayers fasting and supplication for them to draw down a blessing from God upon them and themselves but by supplies made both of money Money or munition and men who to represse those Popish and Romish Rebels and inhumane monsters have hazarded their lives Lives for Ireland yea many of them for the publick good and peace of that Church and people and re-establishing of the true Religion among them and securing it to our selves have already spent their best blood and lost their lives and as we see it in nature Thus in the humane Body the hand will expose it self to save the head and the whole body yea in Nature and in the Vniverse the water and fire will forsake their own proper motion and nature fire will descend and water ascend rather then there be any discontinuity or vacuity in the whole Yea every creature is ordained of God to be serviceable to the more superiour and not for it self alone The Earth is for the corn wine and oyle and these for Gods people Birds beasts bees are fruitfull not for themselves but for us men neither is every man born for himself but for others also and for the more publick good of State and Church Every good man is a common good and of a publick spirit for the good of many This makes such an one a Man among men one of a thousand Let us thus conceive as of the naturalnesse and necessity so of the excellency of this publick spirit Private interests to be denyed for publick persons Example in the Galatians once that so for the publick good of many especially of those that are good and publick persons we may be content to deny our selves in our own particular interests as the Galatians were once so affected to Paul that to have done him good or that it had been possible they would have plucked out their own eys and have given them to him they had him in such love and estimation in Priscilla and Aquila Gal. 4.15 as also had Priscilla and Aquila who for Pauls sake laid down their own necks Rom. 16.4 so ingaging in acknowledgment of thankfulnesse not onely him but also all the Churches of the Gentiles whose Apostle he was However as the need of such requires in an high estimation of them as publick good things and profitable to many let us be willing so far to deny our selves for them as in our wealth and that is but duty to contribute to them and communicate to them in all good things or in all our goods Gal. 1.6 and afford them double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 and in our names by answering for them in our lives if need be by speaking or pleading for them as did Queen Esther Thus to do namely to subordinate a mans self to the more publick and generall good of the Church Signes of self-denyal gathered from the four generall things named cause and people of God is an evident expression of one that denies himself truely as is also the practice of those other things formerly mentioned as Greater care to gain a mans own soul then the world High estimation of Christ of his excellency fulness and All-sufficiency with a true sence of a mans own emptiness worthlessness folly especially an high estimation of Christ with a mean conceit of our selves impotency wretchedness basenesse or in want of the sence of these with a true desire to know the worst by a mans own self as in Eli 1 Sam. 3.17 18. Job 34.32 and Psal 139.23 and by being well-affected to the means of discovery of him to himself and not willingly and willfully ignorant of what may debase him and advance Christ and respect to Gods glory Lastly Subordination of a mans self and all unto Gods will and glory of a mans wealth liberty name yea life rather then deny God in his truth glory worship as wee see in Daniel Dan. 6.10 and in the holy Martyrs of Jesus Christ not being ashamed to confess Christ and to advance Gods glory in any company or upon any occasion The conclusion of this point of self-deniall But now it may seem high time to leave this discourse of self-deniall in this place where it is not so directly and by way of precept taught as gathered and presupposed in these who were so savingly touched by the word and driven out of themselves so as to cry out Men and brethren what shall we do But as I have said the uncertainty of my long abode with you and of having occasion more purposely to handle the argument together with the exceeding great usefulness and profit as I hope of the duty have drawn me on to be so large This if it seem to be prolixity shall be recompenced with brevity in the dispatch of the third and last observation concerning the qualification of those whom God doth save with which all shall be finished CHAP. XXXVII SECT 1. Shewing thirdly that such as God converteth and saveth must be willing and pliable to Gods will and ready to submit to him in matter of 1. Salvation 2. Religion and
grace from whom is both the will and the deed the power and the act Phil. 2.13 Even speciall and effectuallâ— It was Gods effectuall work on the heart of these converts that they were so willing to obey and so desirous to be directed what to do by such as they now judged able and faithfull to direct them aright even as it is with others both in and after their first conversion Such desire onely to know what to do that is pleasing to God and they are ready to do it yet do they not ascribe the power to themselves but to Gods grace and the effectuall work of his Spirit so David Cause me to know the way wherein I shall walk and teach me to do thy will as in David It seems then he was willing ready and resolved to walk in that way and to Gods will when once the one or the other should be made known unto him But what will he do this by his own strength though now converted no for besides the force of the words cause me to know and teach me to do which imply more then a generall direction even an effectuall knowledge and practice he hereunto craves the speciall help and effectuall assistance of Gods holy Spirit or as some read the words is assured of the same Thy Spirit is good lead me or thy good Spirit shall lead me into the land of uprightness quicken me O Lord for thy Names sake Psal 143.8 10 11. Howsoever thus it is with true converts and in these Converts as with these here who as they were willing and ready to follow good direction given which was to repent and beleeve so this readinesse as also the act and performance after was Gods work in them As on the contrary the high Priest and whole councell of Elders and Scribes being in like manner charged and convinced by Stephen as these here by Peter to be the betrayers crucifiers and murtherers of Christ opposed and stoned him Acts 7.51 52 c. and the doing thereof was the work of the Divell in them and of their own wicked and obstinate wils whereby being stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears they resisted the holy Ghost and became the authours of their own hardening and damnation But we rather hasten to the Vse of the former Point and to an end of all By what is said wee see what to judge of disobedient and refractory sinners Vse 1 and of all such as being convinced of their sins as these here were and called to repentance Of reproof of such as resist the work of grace and withstand their own salvation proudly withstand God without any trembling at his word Isa 66.1 2. and are ready to say with proud Pharaoh Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce and with those citizens by whom such as I speak of are meant wee will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19.14 And Our lips are our own who is lord over us Psal 12.4 These very Jews both more anciently as also Gentiles Pilate and Herod and others that rejected and persecuted Christ are meant by David therein a type of Christ in his sufferings when he brings them in Acts 4.27 28. saying Let us break their that is the Fathers and the Sons bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Psal 2.1 2 3. These bands Jer. 27.2 3 -6 7. and cords Job 39.13 Ezek. 4.8 were signes of subjection and restraint yet though these bands of Christ be also bands of love Hos 11.4 and his yoake be easie Matth. 11.29 30. these proud and disdainfull ones refuse to serve Christ and will none of him Such are also their scholers who now being called upon and now in and by the ministery of the word to repent convert and turn from their own evil wayes and to be subject to Christ as their Prophet Priest and King will none of Christ will not deny their own wisdom that they may be wise onely by his word will have as an hand in the meriting and work of their own salvation so other Priests and Intercessours then he whether refusing to take on them Christs easie yoak and in a word will not submit themselves to him as their King to be guided by his word to repent and beleeve on his name or to forsake any sin for which they are reproved and of which convinced being ready to say Who is the Minister what saucy and bold fellow is he who thus reproveth us As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth Jer. 44.16 17. This if it be not so openly said of all yet is done by all such as answer not Gods call when they are invited to repent and told of Gods heavie judgements if they repent not yea also by such as by outward profession and seeming repentance have been thought to have taken Christs yoak upon them but are such as have revolted or casting it and his cords off after a seeming profession and played the Apostate from him by making defection to Popery Antichristianisme Arminianisme Lutheranisme and to other errours and to the doctrine at least practice of Libertinisme by imbracing this present evill world in the lusts of it and by licentiousnesse of life being such as the Princes of Judah of old were Hos 5.10 who were like them that remove the bound as not willing to be kept within the limits of Gods word and like those great men to whom Jeremy did speak Jerem. 5.5 and of whom he saith But these as well as the poor and meaner sort of people have altogether broken the yoake and burst the bands Their doom But their doom there follows ver 6. as also the like or worse doom of all disobedient impenitent and refractary sinners elsewhere not onely a lion out of the forrest shall slay them but God himself will be as a lion unto them as he threatned Ephraim saying I will be unto Ephraim as a lion and as a young lion which is more fierce to the house of Judah I even I. the great glorious and mighty God will tear and go away Hos 5.14 15. not tear and heal unlesse timely repentance follow Hos 6 1. but tear and go away and leave them for ever unlesse in time they in sense of their guiltinesse acknowledge their offence and seek my face But of these mens doom more hereafter We are hence taught and instructed Vse 2 when God calls us to repentance Of Instruction and exhortation especially by his Ministers and messengers sent of purpose to that end not to harden our necks not to be stiff-necked as we and others formerly have been but to give the hand or yeeld our selves unto the Lord c. 2 Chro. 30.8 to humble our selves to walk with our God to tremble at his
word and presently to yeeld our selves in obedience to it offering our selves ready to obey God according to his word and will to shew our selves ready to obey God in the matter and businesse 1 Of salvation as especially in matter of salvation so also of Religion and generally of Obedience both active and passive 1 For the great businesse of salvation we are to deny our selves as is said in all our own works and worth and in all humble acknowledgement of our guiltinesse to be content to be directed by the word and to follow cheerfully the directions of the same totally submitting our selves to obey God in all things even to the cutting off of hand and foot and plucking out of the eye and parting with all even with every lust for Christ where especially we are to take heed of hypocrisie and self-deceit and that sincerely such as might seem to be in him that said Lord I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest and in those other who would follow Christ but upon conditions Luke 9.57 58 59 c. and more especially in that young man and Ruler not as the young Ruler who in all haste to shew his readinesse came running to Christ and in all humility as it might seem Mark 10.17 c. Matth. 19.16 c. Luke 18.18 c. kneeled to him and said Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have and inherit eternall life Herein in shew like these sincere Converts in my Text and like the Jaylour What must I do to be saved All of them seeming ready to offer themselves ready to obey and follow direction in all things that young man being directed by Christ of all others seemed most ready as having done already as much as Christ now directed him unto saying All these things have I done kept and observed from my youth up And as if like another Hercules it had been more easie for him to do then for Christ to bid him do What lack I yet who wanted sincerity and would keep his bosome sin saith he But the truth is he lacked the main of all and that was sincerity and a good heart and honest his heart was glued and wedded to his wealth and to the world which he truely and heartily loved more then Christ or yet his own soul and the salvation of it if he could enjoy and have both well and good he liked Christ well and salvation well if he might have had them upon his own conditions but when Christ touched and tryed him in his beloved sin his covetousnesse which he well hoped he might have by way of surplusage in the bargain and bade him sell all and give to the poor though he were promised better treasure in heaven yet he went away from Christ sorrowful for he had great possessions Of this stamp at best are our begging Friers who build their Order upon this personall command which yet was onely for conviction of this forward mans hypocrisie and all such as pretend they can do all that Christ commands them yea more in and by their works of supererrogation and by following Councels more then commands of perfection in effect with their Ancestours and Predecessours of old asking of God the Ordinances of justice Isa 58.2 as if God had been wanting to their readinesse to obey him But these here in my Text which these converts did not onely ask what they shall do being truly willing and sincerely resolved to do that even to forsake all and every lust for Christ and yet presumed nothing on their own strength but hoped as for direction from his Apostles so for power from him to do accordingly being otherwise pinched in heart and poorer in spirit then any proud hypocrite that either in love to some lust or open presumption of his own worth or power of wel-doing shall deceive himself nor Paul who sincerely submitted himself to God in all things Such a sincere convert was also Paul who though he was going on a wicked errand and upon a malicious designe against the faithfull people of God yet when Christ met with him by the way humbled him and convinced him of his sin of persecution he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.4 5 6. And this he said out of an honest and good heart with a true and stedfast purpose to perform accordingly which he also fully and constantly did even unto the end Which his sincerity will better appear if we compare and consider it with Balaams deceit of heart who whose sincerity is compared with Balaams hypocrisie riding on with a like wicked intention and purpose of destroying the lives of Gods people and being also met withall by an Angel in the way and reproved for his sin so directly against the charge given him Numb 22.12 Thou shalt not go thou shalt not curse the people seemed to relent and repent I have sinned and to offer himself ready to get him back again saying Now therefore if it displease thee I will return back again yet for all this his heart carried him secretly on in the way of his covetousnesse and of cursing Fain he would go on such was his love to the wages of unrighteousness yet seeing apparent danger if he did he faintly offereth to turn back with an If it please thee He could not be ignorant that his evill intent to curse Gods people for his own promotion was most evill in the Lords eyes and the cause why the Angel came out as an adversary against him yet he conceals that and makes a fair shew of repentance and obedience which his hypocrisie God in wrath punished by giving him his desire and leaving him to his own lusts which he followed to his destruction a just reward of such as not hearkening to the expresse and known will of the Lord are given up by Gods withdrawing of his grace to the perverse intendments of their own hearts to walk and perish in their own counsels Psalm 81.11 12. Here then we see that there must be true and hearty submission of soul to God and a totall resignation of our wils to Gods will with a readinesse to obey both heartily and totally in all things made known to us No lust may be reserved without reservation of any lust whatsoever no true conversion without this universall obedience and hearty willingness and readiness to obey in all things as it was with these converts here and with Paul but not with the young man nor with Balaam nor with Herod who though when he heard John preach which he did gladly he did many things yet keeping in his heart the love of his whore by an incestuous marriage of his Brothers Wife he could not when he was reproved for it obey John or God in that and so with the other and with all such hypocrites came short of Christ of God and of salvation 2 Of Religion and worship
wilt thou have me to do so receiving his direction from the Lord both then and afterwards he did punctually and constantly follow and observe the same unto the end So that when he was ready to be offered and that the time of his departure was at hand he could boldly with comfort and much assurance say I have sought a good sight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day And lest he should in a singular manner ingrosse and challenge all to himself as an extraordinary person and servant of God he adds not to me only but to all them also that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. This boldness he had though he elsewhere cry out of his infirmities and weakness notwithstanding the infirmities of his life either to do the good he would or to withstand the evill he would not Rom. 7.18 19 and 24. Which is yet more comfort to such as with Paul shall truly indeavour to do their duty when to their hearty grief they cannot do as they would With what comfort may such die and how willingly and confidently resigne their souls with Stephen into the hands of Christ So in Stephen Simeon who now have him in their hearts as old Simeon when hee imbraced him in the arms of his body so of his soul also Luke 2.25 26 -28 29 30. Such onely can be truly willing to die as Paul Phil. 1.23 and may be comforted in and at their death Ki. Hezekiah and John as Hezekia Isa 38.1 2 3. yea may long and pray for Christs second coming as did John and say Even so Come Lord Jesus Rev. 22.20 for such onely are blessed Behold saith Christ I come quickly Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophesie of this book my reward is with me to give every man as his work shall be Blessed are they that do his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life c. Rev. 22.7 -12 -14. This should excite us so to be doing How should this teach and excite us all ever to be doing that or those things which we desire or could wish that Christ when he comes to us by death or judgement should find us doing Oh what an Euge or well done good servant might we so expect from him who else can from the heart or dares say Come Lord Jesus that is not resolved to keep his sayings and to do his Commandements Nay who when he so saith is not working the works of Christ This would be thought on by all sorts of men according to their callings generall and particular Kings and Magistrates that we according to our several callings may be found of Christ 1. In peace 2 Blameless Ministers Masters and all others in their places that they may be found of him at his coming 1 In peace that is justified and reconciled to him 2 Without spot and blamelesse 2 Pet. 3.11 12 -14. yea so and in such sort blamelesse that God and Christ shall at that day judge us so So as God shall approve of our obedience otherwise doubtlesse some will then be found to justifie and flatter themselves and say as Saul to Samuel I have done the commandement of the Lord 1 Sam. 15.13 or to plead their good and great works Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name done many wonderfull works Matth. 7.22 23. And when saw we thee an hungred or a thirst or a stranger or naked on sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee Matth. 25.44 45 46. To whom God will answer as Samuel to Saul what then meaneth the loud cry of your sins unsorrowed for and unpardoned Depart from me ye workers of iniquity and so whilest the righteous shall go into life eternall these shall go away into everlasting punishment 2 Terrour to the rebellious impenitent and disobedient Ah deer Brethren and you especially to whom by preaching this large Discourse of Conversion hath been addressed Consider what ye have heard and meditate on these things and the Lord in his rich mercy give you understanding in all things And know that God who will not be mocked or dallied withall will require an account of you concerning the things you have heard Now advise and see what answer you will return unto him what accounts you will give unto him when either now in your consciences or at death or the last judgement he most certainly wil call you to give up the same who have not yet begun to do well If yet you have not been so pricked and wounded in conscience by what you have heard or now read as to be made plyable to Gods will and to say what shall we do to your work again Consider the helps you have had to humiliation pray hard and from the heart desire that God would make them effectuall to you or to obey the Gospel But if through your negligence or love to your sins and vain wayes or through self-deceit and flattery you be yet to begin think seriously of your danger lo now you are again warned and lose no more time but to day hear the voyce that hath called you and no longer harden your hearts against his call yeeld your selves in obedience to the Lord. And take heed that Christ will come against them when Christ comes by death or otherwise you be not found in a posture of disobedience and rebellion against him or as the Scripture phrase is walking contrary unto him for so you will finde him to walk contrary to you and that in fury Levit. 26.21 -24 -28. You that now break his hands asunder and cast away his cords from you shall finde him to speak unto you in his wrath as he hath in great love and gentlenesse spoken to you in his word and to vex you in his sone displeasure crush them He shall break you with a rod of iron and dash you in pieces like a potters vessell Psal 2.3 4 5 -9. You that will not now have Christ to reign over you when he returns which to you will be in death and after at the last judgement shall hear him calling you forth after he hath rewarded others and saying But those mine enemies lo how Christ even when he comes to judge the world accounts of such as now are disobedient to his Gospel which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Luke 19.27 punish them everlastingly Now that slaying is a punishing with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1.9
prophesie falsely witness the Arminian and Popish doctrine taught by many and the Priests bear rule for whose demerits Princes are left to themselves and are strengthened by their meanes and that the people also love to have it so what will we doe in the end thereof Jer. 5.30 31. What can be expected that good is It is said The anger of the Lord was first kindled against Israel and then he moved or suffered Satan to move King David against Israel to say to Joab though unwilling go number Israel and Judah and all to the end that a plague might come upon Israel 2 Sam. 24.1 Now our people have besides all their other provocations so generally complied with their Priests for so in a more Popish sence they will be called and with their Prophets and strengthned them by their readiness to entertain their opinions superstititions and new Ceremonies and are yet such enemies to Reformation yea and yet so generally senceless of our present sufferings in the true causes thereof that we have just cause to thinke that his Majesty whose Throne ever be guiltlesse is what by the demerit of their ill deeds what by their ill counsell and instigation moved to say go number England and Wales array as many as you can c. and all that the deserved wrath may at length fall upon themselves as the first and chief procurers of these evills and that withall the better affected among them may be further tried humbled approved and prepared for after mercies Yet good hope upon our humiliation and reformation Howsoever our good hope is that upon our more solemn yea and daily humiliations in compunction of heart for our own sins and the sins of the land and times God after some triall will graciously be pleased to crown the pious laborious and constant indeavours of this present Parliament with an happy end both for our selves with a peaceable and blessed conclusion and happy Reformation now to be begun and in due time further to be setled according to his word in our own Churches of great Brittain and Ireland other nations and as our hope is to be followed in his good time also by others in other Countries by degrees and so long till the great stumbling block and main hinderance of the Jewes conversion and calling again in and by the downfall of Rome be removed out of the way and especially the Jewes Now that the Iewes shall be called and again received as from the dead and graffed into their own Olive-tree their sins according to Gods election and love taken away and the vail of their ignorance removed we need not doubt whose calling and conversion we expect See Rom. 11 12.-15-23 24. to 29.2 Cor. 3.14 15 16. And for the occasions and grounds thereof we may more then probably conclude when they shall be pricked in heart upon like grounds that by Gods blessing they shall be the same for effect and in the general which they were by the same grace working effectually to these in this my Text where that old prophesie of Zachary only began to be fulfilled God having on that day of Pentecost in outward and visible signs and otherwise poured upon them the hearers as well as teachers the spirit of grace and supplications And saith the Lord Zach. 19.9 10 11. they shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and shall be in bitternesse for him as one that is in bitterness for his first born Now when was it that these were so pricked in heart and mourned as were these Jewes here in my Text but when they were convicted first of Christs glory and that Jesus the son of Mary being now advanced to glory at the right hand of the Father was made and declared of God to be both Lord and Christ Secondly or withall of their own sin and unworthy carriage towards him whom they were truly charged to have crucified as appeares by the close of Peters Sermon in the words immediatly preceding my Text Acts 2.36 And when shall the body of the scattered Nation of the Jewes mourn and convert to God but when they also shall be convinced namely first of the glory and power of Jesus Christ and withall of their own wicked blasphemies and sins against him so loving a Saviour Vpon conviction and fight 1. Of the glory of Christ 1. Christ to their conviction will at length even here on earth though I will not say by a bodily appearance and residence amongst us shew himself King of his Church and deliver as once the Israelites from Pharaoh and the Ark from the Philistines and himself out of the power of death and the grave so it from the tyranny of Antichrist and from all yokes of superstitious ceremonies and of his power and victory over Antichrist and other enemies spirituall and bodily and tyrannicall government which hath so long and that in part even since the time of Reformation lien upon the necks of his people as also from all licentious doctrines and practises The Kings of the earth and of the world whom those three unclean spirits coming out of the mouth of the Dragon Beast and false Prophet shall gather to the battell of that great day of God Almighty into a place called Armageddon to make war against Christ Rev. 16. or as he is called the word of God King of Kings and Lord of Lords who sits on the white Horse and against his Army Rev. 19.11,12 -18 19. those Kings I say by their ill successe shall at length see and acknowledge as the power of Christ against whom they warred so their own madness in opposing him and his people and how they have been deluded and so not knowing what to do or how to be saved in their own Religion and way shall at length abandon the same embrace the truth and way of Christ and submit to his Scepter Then shall they hate the whore and see the abominations of poperie and so shall Euphrates be dried up that is as a good Author doth interpret the succours Mr. Cotton on the sixt viall supplies and revenues of Rome that the way of the Kings of the East whom the best Interpreters make the Jewes may be prepared Revel 16.12 13 c. for then also by the same successe of the battel in Armageddon shall the Jewes see the mighty power of Christ in rooting out all Idolatry and superstitions and prophanenesse of Professors which have so long kept and hindred them from comming to the knowledge and acknowledgement of their Messias 2. Of their own sin in crucifying and rejecting him 2. Then also upon conviction of their sin against their Messias and King now acknowledged by them there shall be great mourning but in a godly manner as at the mourning of Hadadrimmon upon the death of good King Josiah in the valley of Mageddon unto which this Armageddon may allude Which mourning shall be in compunction such as this in my Text was and with contrition of heart not only because Jesus now acknowledged their Messias and the King of glory was crucified by them but also for them and his blood shed even for them that spilt it Yet their sin in crucifying and rejecting him so long yea of cursing the name the Lord Jesus in their Liturgies praying that it might perish from under these heavens and from above this earth shall be their sorrow also as having so long brought them and their fathers under the curse of Cain Gen. 4.14 and made them no better then fugitives and vagabonds in the earth Thus when the enemies of the Church and that man of sin shall as well by the mouth â—f the sword as by the sword of the mouth be destroyed Rev. 19.21 these Jewes convinced by them both shall mourn and come to true repentance After which Christ shall reign in the purity and power of his Ordinances here on earth and in due time after make his appearance as a glorious King and judge of quick and dead and come to wipe all teares from the eyes of true mourners according to his gracious promise Joh. 14.3 I will come again and receive you unto my self that where I am there may yee be also Rev. 22.20 Surely I come quickly Amen Even so Come Lord Jesus Dantzick October 30. 1642. FINIS
tender humble soft and relenting hearts and when we have got them to keep and preserve them so in and by the frequent use of the same and other like means and keep them so How and holy exercises of prayer meditation hearing reading conference with such as have been humbled through neglect of which we shall find ovr hearts insensibly to grow hard and through cold performance of duty to freez again Even as the water in the cold of winter soon freezeth into hard ice which once broken in some parts of it that cattell may drink thereat or for other uses is kept open by daily breaking of it which care being for some few dayes neglected requires greater pains to break and open it again Simile So a soft heart and Gods Spirit once had are easily kept by daily care but hardly recovered when through negligence we have lost them CHAP. XXIII Where is shewed what these Converts said and that the heart being once affected sheweth it self by words and thereby may be discovered It followeth And said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren The second effect of Peters Sermon or What these Converts said What shall we do IT hath already been considered what these Converts heard and what they suffered we must next consider what they said And said unto Peter c. where me thinks I see them framing into true Christians and becoming like a well set and tuned clock where the heart which in them was pricked and moved is like the master-wheel They are compared to a clock moving by the weights of their own sin and of Gods wrath not without some sense allurement and hope of mercy their tongue like the bell on which the hammer after the moving of the first wheel doth strike which truely sheweth the inward disposition of the heart and how it is affected and then their hand like the pointer shews it self ready to do and put in execution whatsoever it according to Gods word shall be directed unto as being right in heart tongue and hand as we should be in all other duties as of thankfulnes for they being pricked in heart said What shall we do here is heart tongue and hand agreeing in a sweet harmony together in this first work of conversion as indeed they do and should do in all other parts and particulars of Christian practise and duty as in our thankefulnesse towards God where the heart must begin Non sola vox sonet sed manus consonet verbis facta concordent Aug. in Psal 149. and in the inward acknowledgement of Gods mercies and Attributes love God Psal 116.1 and the soul yea all that is within understanding memory will and affections must praise him Psal 103.1 Then accordingly our mouths must speak of and shew forth his praises Psal 51. and our hands work and shew us really thankfull which is the end of all mercies temporall Psal 105.43 44 45. Deut. 10.12 13. and spirituall Luke 1.74 75. So God would have us perform duty to men even to our enemies much more to himself as Matth. 5.44 45. where you will finde both a Diligite of the heart and of love of enemies Love your enemies a Benedicite of the tongue Blesse them that curse you and a Benefacite of the hand This their behaviour is a signe of the sincerity of their sorrow Do good to them that hate you And so here It was a good signe that they were rightly and savingly pricked in heart when in this humble and loving manner they spake unto the Apostles sought direction from them and offered themselves ready and willing to do accordingly Others being pricked are more hardened then before and kick against the prick hating that word and those persons that do rebuke them as those other Jews did Stephen Acts 7. which puts a manifest difference between such as are savingly pricked and such as are not Four particulars to be spoken of here by which we may and should examine and try our selves 1. Who thus spake and said Such as were pricked Here we will consider 1 Who thus said or spake 2 When. 3 To whom 4 What said they 1 Who Such as were pricked in heart No marvell if thus by the tongue they shewed the grief and sorrow of their hearts It s a signe they were now sensible of their own hatefull sins and of Gods just judgements due unto them of both which formerly they were insensible as indeed the greatest evils always are such as men are least sensible of as the heathen Philosopher instanceth in ignorance folly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. 2. injustice c. Now that Gods word and grace began secretly to put some life into them and that they began to be at some distance with their sin having it now not so much in them as before them they become sensible of the same and shew so much by speech Where the heart is truely and inwardly affected in any kind especially where it is inwardly wounded and in anguish Doctr. The heart shews it self by words and thereby may be judged it shews vents and bewrayeth it self by the mouth and by words Words will burst our like fire which cannot be hid David resolving to keep his mouth with a bridle Psal 39.1 2 3. while the wicked was before him yet when by holding his peace his sorrow was stirred my heart saith he was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue So in matter of joy where the heart rejoyceth Acts 2.26 the tongue will be glad so where faith is in the heart there wil be confession of faith in the mouth Rom. 10.10 where the heart boyleth bubleth up or as we English it enditeth a good matter there the tongue will be the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdome and his tongue taketh of judgement Why The Law of his God is in his heart Psal 37.30 31. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evill for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh Luke 6.45 This here appears in the passion of sorrow where being pricked in heart especially in sorrow and anguish the tongue expresseth truely the sorrow of it as the stroaks on the instrument or voice of the singer answers the notes that are prickt in the rules Dr. Featly So that by the quality and nature of the speech or words uttered the inward condition the sincerity and soundnesse or unsoundnesse of its sorrow is commonly discovered as we see differently in David David's conscience being inwardly troubled for sin whilest he kept silence he found Gods hand still more heavie upon him Then said he I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquitie have I not