there and goes away and that draws them and when they grow wet they return back again Now the sea ebbs and flows not from any principle in it self but by vertue of the Moon so the heart of a poor creature is like the water unable to move towards heaven but the Spirit of the Lord doth bring in its beams and leaves a supernatural vertue by them upon the soul and thereby draws it to it self Hence an Use of Instruction This may shew us that the sins of the faithful are grievous to the blessed Spirit not onely because of mercies bonds and engagements which the believer hath received but because a man is come so neer to Christ and the Spirit to be one Spirit with Christ Should a wife not onely entertain a whoremonger into the house but also lodge him in the same bed with her husband this were not to be endured and wilt thou receive a company of base lusts and that in the very face and sight of the Lord Jesus Christ What lodge an unclean spirit with the clean Spirit of the Lord the holy Ghost cannot endure this Let no filthy communication come out of your mouth Ephes. 4. 29. What if there do you may say what a Christian and a Lyar a Christian and a Swearer O grieve not the holy Spirit of God because by it you are sealed unto the day of Redemption The good Spirit of the Lord hath sealed you unto Redemption and knit you unto himself and will you rend your selves from him and grieve him O grieve not the holy Spirit 2. For Examination If thy heart be therefore estranged from such as walk exactly before God because they are humble and faithful it is an ill sign when they are made one spirit with Christ wilt thou be of two spirits with them I confess a godly heart wil have his fits and excursions now and then but all this while this is poyson and the soul of a godly man sees this and is weary of it and is marvellously burthened with it and saith O vile wretch that I am what would I have and what is he that I cannot love him Is it because the good Spirit of the Lord is there shall I resist the good spirit of the Lord and so commit the sin against the holy Ghost away thou vile wretched heart I will love him Thus the soul labors and strives for that exactness and would fain have that goodness which he sees in another Secondly as there is an Vnion with Christ so there is a conveyance of all spiritual grace from Christ to all those that believe in him If you would know the Tenure of this Covenant and how Christ conveyeth these spiritual graces unto us it discovers it self in these Particulars 1. There is fully enough in the Lord Jesus Christ for every faithful soul 2. As there is enough in Christ so Christ doth supply or communicate whatsoever is most fit 3. As the Lord doth communicate what is fit so he doth preserve what he doth bestow and communicate 4. As the Lord doth preserve what he communicates so he quickens the grace that he now doth preserve 5. As the Lord quickens what he preserves so he never leaves till he perfects what he quickens 6. As the Lord perfects what he quickens so in the end he crowns all the grrace he hath perfected And now may I read your Feoffment to you You poor Saints of God you live beggarly and basely here Oh! if you have a Savior you are made for ever it is that which will maintain you not onely Christianly but Triumphantly what you want Christ hath and what is fit Christ will bestow if you cannot keep it he will preserve it for you if you be sluggish he will quicken it in you what would you have more he will perfect what he quickens and lastly he will crown that he perfects he will give you an immortal Crown of Glory for ever and ever Hence we see whether the Saints of God should go to fetch succor and supply of whatsoever grace they want yea increase and perfection of what they have already Christ is made all in all to his Servants why then away to the Lord Jesus he calls and invites I counsel thee to buy of me eye-salve if thou be an accursed man buy of Christ Justification if thou be a polluted creature buy of Christ Sanctification With thee is the well-spring of life saith David and in thy light we shall onely see light it is not with us but with thee it is not in our heads or hearts or performances 't is onely in Christ to be found onely from Christ to be fetched I deny not but we should improve all means and use all helps but in the use of all seek onely to a Christ with him is the well of life away to Christ wisdom righteousness c. all is in him and there we must have them You will say What are the means to obtain these graces from Christ I answer First eye the Promise daily and keep it within view Secondly yield thy self and give way to the stroak of the Promise and to the power of the Spirit for instance Imagine thy heart begins to be pestered with vain thoughts or with a proud haughty spirit or some base lusts and privy haunts of heart how would you be rid of these you must not quarrel and contend and be discouraged No but eye the promise and hold fast thereupon and say Lord Thou hast promised all grace unto thy Servants take therefore this heart and this minde and these affections and let thy spirit frame them aright according to thine own good will by that spirit of wisdom Lord inform me by that spirit of Sanctification Lord cleanse me from all my corruptions by that spirit of grace Lord quicken and inable me to the discharge of every holy service Thus carry thy self and convey thy soul by the power of the Spirit of the Lord and thou shalt finde thy heart strengthned and succoured by the vertue thereof upon all occasions For conclusion to dart this use deeper into your hearts If every believer be joyned with Christ and from Christ there be a conveyance of all spiritual graces unto every believer then above all labor for a Christ in all things Never let thy heart be quieted never let thy soul be contented until thou hast obtained Christ Take a Malefactor on whom Sentence is passed and execution to be administred suggest to him how to be rich or how to be pardoned how to be honored or how to be pardoned he will tell you Riches are good and honors are good but O a pardon or nothing Ah but then should you say he must leave all for a pardon he will answer again Take all and give me a pardon that I may live though in poverty that I may live though in misery So it is with a poor believing soul Every man that hath
most hardly converted what is Humiliation but the emptying of the soul from whatsoever makes it swell the heart must not joy in any thing nor rest upon any thing but onely yield to the Lord to be at his disposing and carving now these parts and gifts and abilities and means are great props and pillars for the heart of a carnal man to rest upon and to quiet it self withal whence the Apostle Not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty men not many noble men are called Indeed blessed be God some are but not many few that have so much of themselves are brought to renounce themselves and no wonder for a rich man to become poor and a noble man to be abased and a wife man to be nothing in himself this will cost hot water and yet this must be in all that belong to the Lord not that God will take away all these outward things and parts but that they must loosen their affection from these if they will have Christ 2. That an humble heart makes all a mans life quiet and marvellously sweetneth whatsoever estate he is in indeed sometimes he may be tossed and troubled yet he is not distracted because he is contented as it is with a Ship on the Sea when the billows begin to roar and the waves are violent if the Anchor be fastened deep it stays the Ship so this work of Humiliation is the Anchor of the soul and the deeper it is fastened the more quiet is the heart when Job in time of his extremity gave way to his proud heart he quarrell'd with the Almighty his friends and all but when the Lord had humbled him then Behold I am vile and base once have I spoken yea twice but now no more And this Humiliation quiets a man both in Fiercest Temptations Heaviest Oppositions 1. In fiercest Temptations when Satan begins to besiege the heart of a poor sinner and lays battery against him see how the humbled heart runs him out of breath at his own weapons Dost thou think says Satan to get mercy from the Lord when thy own conscience dogs thee nay go to the place where thou livest to the chamber where thou liest and consider thy fearful abominations sure God will not respect the prayers of any such vile sinners True saith the poor soul I have often denyed the Lord when he called upon me and therefore he may justly deny me all the prayers I make yet thus he hath commanded that seek to him for mercy I must and if the Lord will cast me away and reject my prayers I am contented therewith What then Satan What then saith the Devil I thought this would have made thee to dispair but this is not all for God will give thee over and leave thee to thy self to thy lusts and corruptions and thy latter end shall be worse then thy beginning thou mayest call and cry and when thou hast done be overthrown God will leave thee to thy self and suffer thy corruptions to prevail against thee and thou shalt fall fearfully to the wounding of thy conscience to the grieving of Gods people to the scandal of the Gospel to the reproach of thy own person To this answers the humbled soul If the Lord will give me up to my base lusts which I have given my self so much liberty in and if the Lord will leave me to my sins because I have left his gracious commands and if I shall fall one day and be disgraced and dishonored yet let the Lord be honored and let not God lose the praise of his Power and Justice and I am contented therewith what then Satan What then saith the Devil I sure thought now thou wouldst have despaired but this is not all for when God hath left thee to thy sins then will he break out in vengeance against thee and make thee an example of his heavy vengeance to all ages to come and therefore it is best for thee to prevent this untimely Judgement by some untimely death To this replies the Soul Whatsoever God can do or will do I know not yet so great are my sins that he cannot or at least will not do so much against me as I have justly deserved Come what will come I am contented still to be at the Lords disposal what then Satan and thus he runs Satan out of breath The want of this Humiliation many times brings a man to desperate stands and sometimes to untimely deaths Alas why will you not bear the wrath of the Lord it is true indeed your sins are great and the wrath of God is heavy yet God will do you good by it and therefore be quiet In time of war when the great Canons fly off the onely way to avoid them is to lie down in a furrow and so the bullets fly over So in all Temptations of Satan lie low and be contented to be at Gods disposing and all these fiery Temptations shall not be able to hurt you 2. In heaviest oppositions when Satan is gone then come Troubles and Oppositions of the world in all which Humiliation will quiet the Soul A man is sometimes Sea-sick not because of the Tempest but because of his full stomack and therefore when he hath emptied his stomack he is well again So it is with his Humiliation of heart if the heart were emptied truly though a man were in a sea of oppositions if he have no more trouble in his stomack and in his proud heart then in the oppositions of the world he might be very well quieted Cast disgrace upon the humble heart causlesly and he cures it thus He thinks worse of himself then any man else can do and if they would make him vile and loathsom he is more vile in his own eyes then they can make him O that I could bring your hearts to be in love with this blessed grace of God! Is there any Soul here that hath been vexed with the Temptations of Satan oppositions of men or with his own distempers and would he now arm and fence himself that nothing should disquiet him or trouble him but in all to be above all and to rejoyce in all O then be humbled and then be above all the Devils in hell Certainly they shall not so disquiet you as to cause you to be misled or uncomforted if you would but be humbled What remains then Be exhorted as you desire mercy and favor at Gods hands to this Humiliation And for Motives consider the good things that God hath promised and which he will bestow upon all that are truly humbled I shall reduce all to these three following Benefits First by Humiliation we are made capable of all those treasures of Wisdom Grace and Mercy that are in Christ Secondly Humiliation gives a man the comfort of all that good in Christ Many have a right to Christ and are dear to God yet they want much sweet refreshing because they want this Humiliation
Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ doth thus he gives a peremptory charge to keep watch and ward and gives a charge to hope and desire and love and joy and the minde and all not to grieve and molest the good Spirit of God Let there be no motion but to entertain it no advise but to receive it and do nothing that may work the least kinde of dislike unto it 4. He that truly entertains Christ rejoyceth in the good and glory of Christ When Mephibosheth had been wrongfully accused to David and when David who had taken away all the inheritance from him was returned in safety Then said David to comfort him Thou and Ziba divide the land nay said Mephibosheth Let him take all forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in peace it matters not for inheritance and for my self and my life I pass not sith the King is returned in peace it is enough that I enjoy thy presence which is better to me then goods life or liberty So it is with a kinde loving heart which cannot endure to see Christs honor and glory layed in the dust but if his praise be advanced then is he glad Lord I have enough saith the soul that Christ is mine and that his honor and glory is magnified whatsoever becomes of me it matters not let the world take all if I may have Christ and see him praised and magnified Let this try any mans spirit under heaven and labor to bring the soul to this pitch A Minister in his place and a Master in his place and every Christian in his place let it be our care to honor God not our selves and let it be our comfort if God may be better honored by others then by our selves This is our baseness of spirit we can be content to lift up Christ upon our shoulders that we may lift up our selves by it but we should be content to lie in the dust that the Lord may be praised and if any of Gods people thrive and prosper more then thou let that be thy joy 5. He that welcomes Christ truly covets a neerer union with Christ Love is of a linking and gluing nature and will carry the soul with some kinde of strength and earnestness to enjoy full possession and fellowship of the thing that is loved it cannot have enough of it Nothing saith the soul but Christ still I desire more of that mercy and holiness and grace and love in Christ Jesus As it is with parties that have lived long together in one house and their affections are linkt together in way of marriage they will ever desire to be talking together and to be drawing on the marriage so the soul that loves Christ Jesus and hath his holy affection kindled and his spirit enlarged therein when the Lord hath let in some glimpse of his love he thinks the hour sweet when he prayed to the Lord Christ he thinks the Lords-day sweet wherein God revealed by the power of his holy Ordinances any of that rich grace and mercy of his it is admirable to see how the heart will be delighted to recover the time and place and means when and where the Lord did reveal it Oh this is good saith the soul Oh that I might ever be thus cleared and refreshed Or as the spouse contracted thinks every day a year till she enjoy her beloved and take satisfaction to her soul in him So the soul that hath been truly humbled and enlightened and is now contracted to Christ Jesus Oh when will that day be saith it that I shall ever be with my Jesus he takes hold of every word he hears every promise that reveals any thing of Christ But oh when will that day be that I shall ever be with Christ and be full of his fulness for ever And now let me prevail with your hearts and work your souls to this duty Love the Lord all ye his Saints whom will you love if you love not him Oh you poor ones love you the Lord for you have need and all you rich ones love you the Lord for you have cause and you little ones too if there be any such in the Congregation he knocks at every mans heart and perswades every mans soul Love ye the Lord The means are these 1. Labor to give attendance daily to the promise of grace and Christ drive away all other suitors from the soul and let nothing come between the promise and it forbid all other bands that is let the promise confer daily with thy heart and be expressing and telling of that good that is in Christ to thy own soul If all things be agreed between parties to be married and there wants nothing but mutual affection the only way to fix their affections upon one another is to keep company together so as they meet wisely and holily So let the soul daily keep company with the promise and this is the first way 2. Labor to be throughly acquainted with the beauty and sweetness of Christ in the promise Now there are three things in the promise we must eye and apprehend that our hearts may be kindled with love in the Lord 1. The worth of the party in himself Christ is worthy of it 2. The desert of the party in regard Christ deserves it 3. The readiness of the party in himself to seek our good Christ seeks it 1. Christ is worthy in himself if we had a thousand hearts to bestow upon him we were never able to love him sufficiently as Nehemiah said The name of the Lord is above all praise will you let out your love and affections you may lay them out here with good advantage what would you love wouldst thou have beauty then thy Savior is beautiful Thou art fairer then the children of men Psal. 45. 2. Wouldst thou have strength then is thy Savior strong Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty Psal. 45. 3. Wouldst thou have riches thy Savior is more rich if it be possible then he is strong He is heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. Wouldst thou have wisdom then thy Savior is wise yea wisdom it self In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2. 3. Wouldst thou have life eternal Christ is the Author of life and happiness to all that have him and he hath not onely these in himself but he will infeoff thee in them if thou wilt but match with him 2. Christ deserves our love in regard of benefits to us be man never so worthy in himself yet if he have wronged or exprest the part of an Enemy a woman saith I will not have him though he had all the world this takes off the affections it is not so with the Lord Jesus as he is worthy of all love in himself so he hath dealt mercifully and graciously with you In your sickness who helped you in wants who supplied you in anguish of heart who
THE Doctrine Directions But more especially The Practice and Behavior of a Man in the act of the NEVV BIRTH A TREATISE By way of APPENDIX to the former By ISAAC AMBROSE Minister of Christ at Preston in Amounderness in Lancashire LONDON Printed by J. F. for Nathanael Webb and William Grantham at the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard MDCL AN APPENDIX Containing both the Doctrine and Directions but more especially the Practice and Behavior of a man in the act of The Second Birth The occasion of this TREATISE HItherto I have given the Doctrine and Application of the Soul-saving Second Birth but some there are whose hearts are so steely that all this cannot work upon them If any such desire yet any more and desire they must or there is no remedy for them I have for their help in the practice brought a Practitioner afore them It was Cesars great praise that he bade his Soldiers still Come and if men had but many Cesars or leaders in these practical points I suppose there would be more followers A plain Doctrine may win some and a particular Direction may win more but a good Example wins most Howsoever then concerning the New Birth I have delivered the Doctrine in the Sermons and Directions in the Appendix yet one thing is wanting which may help more then either to wit the Practice of some Saint in this one necessary thing And what Saint what man that hath writ more on this subject then T. H it was said of blessed Mr. Bolton That for himself he could profess to his comfort on his Deaths-bed That he never taught any godly point but he first wrought it on his own heart the same do I more then probably think was the practice of this man Now therefore I thought fit not onely to contract his Books in this Appendix which some without his privity have unskilfully put out but also and that more especially to set afore you whosoever you are those prime powerful pathetical expressions of his Soul-pangs in the New Birth as matter for your imitation These expressions indeed are they I most especially aym at which if you observe are always delivered in the first person I and I verily believe they were not fained but feeling from his own heart and soul What needs more if either Doctrine in the first part or Direction in the second part or Practice in the third part of the Book which consists most of Practice can work on your souls I hope some of these or all of these will help you on in the way from Corruption to Christianity and from the state of Nature into the Kingdom of Grace CHAP. I. The Souls Preparation BEfore the Soul can share in Christs Merits to speak in the Authors stile or language without any alteration two things are required 1. A preparation to receive and entertain Christ 2. An implantation of the Soul into Christ That there must be a Preparation is the first ground we lay and herein observe we The Matter Maner Means of this Preparation 1. For Matter The soul of a sinner must be prepared for Christ before he can entertain him When Kings go to any place they send to make readiness their Harbengers afore them if Christ the King of Saints come into a Soul there must be a Preparation before he enter and good Reason he is not a meer man an ordinary person but a King a King of Glory David in this case could call upon his Soul so we may expound his Gates and Doors Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in as who should say Be enlarged Love Joy Hope set open give way for the Lord is coming But who is the Lord it is the Lord of Hosts the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battel And with that he knocks again Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in as if he should say What shall the Lord knock shall the King of Glory stand open suddenly and make all preparation 2. The Maner of this Preparation consists in these three passages First the Soul breaks that League which formerly it hath had with Corruptions and reserves it self for Christ And secondly the Soul is most willing to give way to Christ Jesus and to let him overthrow whatsoever shall oppose him Thirdly the Soul is content that God should rule all not onely the eye or hand or tongue or heart but the whole man it opens all the Gates and desires Christ to come and take all the Keys of the house upon him 3. The Means of this Preparation is the powerful Ministery which God hath appointed for this work and it is discovered in three particulars First in a particular Application of the Truth to the Souls of men with courage Secondly in a confirmation of the Truth by soundness of Argument and plain evidence of Scriptures Thirdly in a kinde of Spiritual heat in the heart and affections of the Minister answerable to that which he communicates to the people And this powerful Ministery works on the soul 1. By discovering what is in a mans heart so that the soul seeth that it never saw before and so is driven to a stand 2. By driving the soul into an awe of sin so that it dares not now meddle with sin as formerly it hath done If any soul that hath enjoyed these Means any while is not yet fitted and prepared it is a fearful suspition that God will never confer any good to that soul Go home then if there be any such and reason with your own souls and plead with your own hearts saying Lord why not yet am I humbled and prepared will Exhortations never prevail with me will Terrors and Reproofs never break my heart into pieces I have heard Sermons that would have shaken the very stones I trod on that would have moved the very seat I sate on the very fire of Hell hath flashed in my face I have seen even the plagues of Hell and if any thing can do me any good why not then those Exhortations Instructions Admonitions and Reproofs that I have often had I have had as powerful means as may be which never yet did me good The Lord be merciful to such a poor soul the Lord turn the heart of such a poor sinner that he may lay hold of mercy in due time CHAP. II. SECT. 1. The general Circumstances of Preparation on Gods part BUt for a further distribution which shall be our method In this Preparation two things are considerable The General circumstances Substantial parts The general circumstances are twofold some on Gods part Mans part On Gods part they are these 1. The offer of Christ and Grace 2. The condition of this offer 3. The easiness of this condition On Mans part two things are considerable 1. That corruption doth oppose this
in some measure To be truly humbled is the next way to be truly comforted The Lord will look to him that hath an humble contrite heart and trembles at his word The Lord will not onely know him he knows the wicked too in a general maner but he will give him such a gracious look as shall make his heart dance in his breast Thou poor humbled Soul the Lord will give thee a glimpse of his favor when thou art tired in thy trouble when thou lookest up to heaven the Lord will look down upon thee and will refresh thee with Mercy God hath prepared a sweet morfel for his childe he will revive the humble O be humbled then every one of you and the Lord Jesus who comes with healing under his wings will comfort you and you shall see the Salvation of our God Thirdly Humiliation ushers glory Whosoever humbles himself as a little childe shall be greatest in the kingdom of heaven He shall be in the highest degree of grace here and of glory hereafter for as thy Humiliation so shall be thy Faith and Sanctification and Obedience and Glory And now me-thinks your hearts begin to stir and say Hath the Lord engaged himself to this O then Lord make me humble Now the Lord make me and thee and all of us humble that we may have this mercy See how Everlasting happiness and blessedness looks and waits for every humbled Soul Come saith Happiness thou that hast been vile and base and mean in thy own eyes Come and be greatest in the Kingdom of heaven Brethren though I cannot prevail with your hearts yet let Happiness that kneels down and prays you to take mercy let that I say prevail with you If any man be so regardless of his own good I have something to say to him that may make his heart shake within him But Oh! Who would not have the Lord Jesus to dwell with him who would not have the Lord Christ by the glory of his Grace to honor and refresh him Me thinks your hearts should yearn for it and say O Lord break my heart and humble me that Mercy may be my portion for ever nay me thinks every man should say as St. Paul did I would to God that not onely I but all my children and servants were not onely thus as I am but also if it were Gods will much more humbled that they might be much more comforted and refreshed Then might you say with comfort on your deaths-bed Though I go away and leave wife and children behinde me poor and mean in the world yet I leave Christ with them when you are gone this will be better for them then all the beaten gold or honors in the world What can I say but since the Lord offers so kindely now Kiss the Son be humble yield to all Gods Commands take home all Truths and be at Gods disposing Let all the evil that is threatned and all the good that is offered prevail with your hearts or if means cannot yet the Lord prevail with you the Lord empty you that Christ may fill you the Lord humble you that you may enjoy happiness and peace and be lifted up to the highest pinacle of Glory there to raign for ever and ever CHAP. V. The Call on Gods part for the Soul to close with and to relye on Christ HItherto of our first general to wit The Preparation of the Soul for Christ The next is The Implantation of the Soul into Christ and that hath two parts 1. The putting of the Soul into Christ 2. The growing of the Soul with Christ As a graft is first put into the stock and then it grows together with the stock These two things are answerable in the Soul and when it is brought into this then a sinner comes to be partaker of all spiritual benefits The first part is The putting in of the Soul when the Soul is brought out of the world of sin to lie upon and to close with the Lord Jesus Christ and this hath two particular passages The Call on Gods part The Answer on mans part The Call on Gods part is this When the Lord by the Call of his Gospel and work of his Spirit doth so clearly reveal the fulness of Mercy that the Soul humbled returns Answer In which observe the Means Cause whereby God doth Call 1. The Means is onely the Ministery of the Gospel the sum whereof is this That There is fulness of Mercy and Grace and Salvation brought unto us through the Lord Jesus Christ Hence the phrase of Scripture calls this Gospel or this mercy A treasury All the treasures of wisdom and holiness are in Christ not One treasure but All treasures not Some treasures but All treasures where the Gospel comes there is joy for the sorrowful peace for the troubled strength for the weak relief seasonable and suitable to all wants miseries and necessities both present and future If then sorrow assail thee when thou art come thus far look not on thy sins to pore upon them neither look into thy own sufficiency to procure any good there It is true thou must see thy sins and sorrow for them but this is for the lower Form and thou must get this lesson before-hand and when thou hast gotten this lesson of Contrition and Humiliation look then onely to Gods Mercy and the riches of his Grace in Christ 2. For the Cause The Lord doth not onely appoint the Means but by the work of the Spirit he doth bring all the riches of his grace into the soul truly humbled if you ask How First with strength of evidence the Spirit presents to the broken-hearted sinner the right of the freeness of Gods grace to the soul And secondly the Spirit doth forcibly soak in the rellish of that grace and by an over-piercing work doth leave some dint of supernatural and spiritual vertue on the heart Now the word of the Gospel and the work of the Spirit always go together not that God is tyed to any means but that he tyeth himself to the means Hence the Gospel is called The power of God to Salvation because the power of God ordinarily and in common course appears therein The waters of life and salvation run onely in the channel of the Gospel there are golden mines of grace but they are onely to be found in the Climates of the Gospel nay observe this when all arguments prevail not with corruption to perswade the heart to go to God one Text of Scripture will stand a man in stead above all humane learning and inventions because the Spirit goes forth in this and none else This may teach us the worth of the Gospel above all other things in the world for it is accompanied with the Spirit and brings salvation with it What if a man had all the wealth and policy in the world and wanted this he were a fool What if one were able to dive deep into
the secrets of Nature to know the motions of the Stars to speak with the tongues of men and Angels and yet know nothing belonging to his peace what avails it Why do we value a Mine but because of the gold in it or a Cabinet but because of the Pearl in it O this is that pearl we sell all for Wouldst thou know whether thou art carnal or spiritual observe then if thou hast the Spirit it ever came with the Gospel See then how the soul stands affected with the Gospel and so it stands affected to the Spirit Is it so may every soul reason with it self that I will not suffer the word to prevail with me then shall I miss of the Spirit then will Christ none of me O remember the time will come when you must dye as well as your neighbors and then you will say Lord Jesus forgive my sins Lord Jesus receive my soul But Christ will answer Away be gone you are none of mine I know you not Any man whether noble or ignoble let him be what he will be if he hath not the Spirit he is none of Christs His you are to whom you obey but Pride and Covetousness you obey Pride therefore will say This heart is mine Lord I have domineered over it and I will torment it Corruptions will say We have owned this soul and we will damn it You therefore that have made a tush at the Word This wind shakes no corn and these words break no bones little do you think that you have opposed the Spirit What resist the Spirit me-thinks it is enough to sink any soul under heaven Hereafter therefore think this with thy self Were he but a man that speaks yet would I not despise him but that is not all there goeth Gods Spirit with the Word and shall I despise it There is but one step between this and that unpardonable sin against the holy Ghost onely adding Malice to my Rage I oppose the Father perhaps the Son mediates for me I despise the Son perhaps the holy Ghost pleads for me but if I oppose the Spirit none can succor me CHAP. VI SECT. 1. The Answer on mans part for the Soul to close with and to relye on Christ HItherto of the Call on Gods part now we are come to the Answer on mans part No sooner hath the Gospel and Gods Spirit clearly revealed the fulness of Gods mercy in Christ but then the whole soul both the Minde that discovers mercy and Hope that expects it and Desire that pursues it and Love that entertains it and the Will that rests on it gives answer to the Call of God therein Mercy is a proper object of all these of the Minde to be illightned of Hope to be sustained of Desire to be supported of Love to be cheared Nay there is a full satisfactory sufficiency of all good in Christ that so the will of man may take full repose and rest in him therefore the Lord saith Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden Come Minde and Hope and Desire and Love and Will and Heart they all answer We come The Minde saith Let me know this Mercy above all and desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified Let me expect this Mercy saith Hope that belongs to me and will befal me Desire saith Let me long after it O saith Love let me embrace and welcome it O saith the Heart let me lay hold on the handle of Salvation here we will live and here we will dye at the footstool of Gods Mercy Thus all go Minde Hope Desire Love Joy the Will and all lay hold upon the Promise and say Let us make the Promise a prey let us prey upon mercy as the wilde Beasts do upon their provision Thus the faculties of the soul hunt and pursue this mercy and lay hold thereupon and satisfie themselves herein SECT. 2. A sight of Christ or of mercy in Christ BUt for a further discovery of these works of the soul we shall now enter into particulars And for their order First the Lord lets a light into the minde for what the eye never seeth the heart never desireth hope never expecteth the soul never imbraceth If the soul then seems to hang afar off and dares not believe that Christ will have mercy on him in this case the Spirit lets in a light into his heart and discovers unto him that God will deal graciously with him It is with a sinner as with a man that sits in darkness haply he seeth a light in the street out of a window but he sits still in darkness and is in the dungeon all the while and he thinks How good were it if a man might enjoy that light So many a poor humble-hearted broken sinner seeth and hath an inckling of Gods mercies he heareth the Saints speak of Gods love and his goodness and compassion Ah thinks he how happy are they blessed are they what an excellent condition are they in but I am in darkness still and never had a drop of mercy vouchsafed unto me At last the Lord sets a light in his house and puts the candle into his own hand and makes him see by particular evidence Thou shalt be pardoned and thou shalt be saved The maner how the Spirit works this is discovered in three passages First the Spirit of the Lord meeting with an humble broken lowly self-denying sinner he that is a proud stout-hearted wretch knows nothing of this matter it opens the eye and now the humbled sinner begins to see like the man in the Gospel some light and glimmering about his understanding that he can look into and discern the spiritual things of God 2. Then the Lord says before him all the riches of the treasure of his grace no sooner hath he given him an eye but then he lays colours before him the unsearchable riches of Christ that he may see and look and fall in love with those sweet treasures and then saith the soul O that mercy and grace and pardon were mine O that my sins were done away the Lord saith I will refresh them that are heavy laden then saith the soul O that I had that refreshing you shall have rest saith God O that I had rest too saith the soul And now the soul begins to look after the mercy and compassion which is laid afore it 3. The Spirit of the Lord doth witness or certifie throughly and effectually to the soul that this mercy in Christ belongs unto him and without this the soul of an humble broken-hearted sinner hath no ground to go unto Christ what good doth it an hungry stomack to hear that there is a great deal of cheer and dainties provided for such and such men and he have no part therein Take a Beggar that hath a thousand pounds told before him he may apprehend the sum of so much gold and so much silver but what is all that to me saith he if in the
step one step towards Heaven then go to him who is able to work this desire in thy soul It is the complaint of a Christian O they are troubled because they cannot fetch a good desire from their own souls and one falls another sinks a third shakes and they are overwhelmed with discouragement What a wretched heart have I faith one I grace No no the world I can desire the life of my childe I long for and I say with Rachel Let me have honor or else I dye but I cannot long for the unconceivable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ and will the Lord shew any mercy upon me Is it thus remember now desires grow not in thy garden they spring not from the root of thy abilities O seek unto God and confess In truth Lord it is thou from whom come all our desires it is thou must work them in us as thou hast promised them to us and therefore Lord quicken thou this soul and inlarge this heart of mine for thou onely art the God of this desire Thus hale down a desire from the Lord and from the Promise for there onely must thou have it The smoaking flax God will not quench flax will not smoak but a spark must come into it and that will make it catch fire and smoak thus lay your hearts before the Lord and say Good Lord here is onely flax here is onely a stubborn heart but strike thou by thy Promise one spark from heaven that I may have a smoaking desire after Christ and after grace SECT. 5. A Love of Christ VVE have run through two affections Hope Desire and the next is Love A possible good stirs up Hope a necessary excellency in that good setleth Desire and a rellish in that good setled kindles Love Thus is the order of Gods work If the good be absent the understanding saith It is to be desired O that I had it then it sends out Hope and that waits for that good and stays till it can see it and yet if that good cannot come then Desire hath another proper work and it goes up and down wandring and seeketh and sueth for Christ Jesus After this if the Lord Jesus be pleased to come himself into the view of the heart which longeth thus after him then Love leads him into the soul and tells the Will of him saying Lo here is Jesus Christ the Messiah that hath ordered these great things for his Saints and people The Motive or ground of this Love is Gods Spirit in the Promise letting in some intimation of Gods love into the soul thus Psal. 42. 8. The Lord will command his loving kindeness in the day time This is a phrase taken from Kings and Princes and great Commanders in the field whose words of Command stand for Laws so the Lord sends out his loving kindeness and saith Go out my everlasting love and kindeness take a Commission from me and to go that humble thirsty and hunger-bitten sinner and go and prosper and prevail and settle my love effectually upon him and fasten my mercy upon him I command my loving kindeness to do it Thus the Lord doth put a Commission into the hands of his loving kindeness that it shall do good to the poor soul yea though it withdraw it self saying What I mercy will Christ Jesus accept of me No no there is no hope of mercy for me indeed if I could pray thus hear thus and perform Duties with that enlargement and had those parts and abilities then there were some comfort but now there is no hope of mercy for me We demand Is this your case is it thus and thus are you thus humbled and have you thus longed for the riches of his Mercy in Christ Lo then the Lord hath put a Commission into the hands of his loving kindeness saying Go to that poor soul and break open the doors upon that weary weltering heart and break off all those bolts and rend off that veil of ignorance and carnal Reason and all those Arguments Go I say to that soul and chear it and warm it and tell it from me That his sins are pardoned and his soul shall be saved and his sighs and prayers are heard in heaven and I charge you do the work before you come again Here is the ground of Love Gods love affecting the heart and setled upon it it breeds a love to God again We love him because he loved us first The burning-glass must receive heat of the beams of the Sun before it burn any thing so there must be a beam of Gods love to fall upon the soul before it can love God again I drew them with the cords of a man even with the bands of love God lets in the cords of love into the soul and that draws love again to God He brought me into the banqueting-house and his banner over me was love stay me with flaggons comfort me with apples for I am sick of love When the banner of Christs love is spread over the soul the soul comes to be sick in love with Christ Now this love of God doth beget our love in three particulars First there is a sweetness and a rellish which Gods love lets into the soul and warms the heart with you shall see how the fire is kindled by and by As when a man is fainting we give him Aqua-vitae so a fainting sinner is cold at the heart and therefore the Lord lets in a drop of his loving kindeness and this warms the heart and the soul is even filled with the happiness of the mercy of God Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth saith the Spouse in the Canticles for his love is better then wine The kisses of his mouth are the comforts of his Word and Spirit the soul saith O let the Lord refresh me with the kisses of his mouth let the Lord speak comfort to my heart and this is better then wine Secondly as that sweetness warms the heart so the freeness of the love of God let in and intimated begins even to kindle this love in the soul that it sparkles again God setteth out his love towards us seeing that while we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us This commends the love of God the Lord sends to poor and miserable sinful broken-hearted sinners and saith Commend my mercy to such a one and tell him That though he hath been an enemy to me yet I am a friend to him and though he hath been rebellious against me yet I am a God and Father to him When the poor sinner considers this with himself he saith Is the Lord so merciful to me I that loved my sins and continued in them had it not been just that I should have perished in them but will the Lord not onely spare his enemy but give his Son for him O let my soul for ever rejoyce in this unconceiveable goodness of God! Be thy heart never so hard