true the Saints of God are sometimes discontented and discouraged but when they see it they are content that the Word should worke upon them against it and they complaine of these wretched hearts and when they finde this discontentednesse they quarrell with themselves for it and a good man would even pull out that heart which quarrels against the Word of God and he saith is not this the Word of God by which we must be saved and is not this the power of Christ and shall I be angry with it God forbid But these distempers are naturall in a carnall man and though he be reprooved for a foolish fashion yet hee will hold his corruptions still he puls and the Minister puls the Minister would pull downe his proud heart and take away his corruptions but he will have his pride and foolish fashions and his corruptions still then keepe them and perish with them and know that thou art a wretched man the humble heart contends with his corruptions and sinfull distempers and hee is not quiet therewith As it is with a treason If it be revealed to a Traitor and a good Subject the Traitor keeps it secret but the true Subject reveales it and complaines of the Traitor and the Treason and calles for justice against them so it is with a gracious good heart Hee seeth these cursed distempers and sometimes finds bublings of heart against the Word of God and this shakes his Free-hold yet when a good heart seeeth the Treason he doth not joyne with it but he complaines to the Lord of it and saith Oh treason Lord this vile heart will bee my destruction good Lord reveale it yet more to mee and take away all these corruptions take thou the possession of mee that I may serve thee here and be with thee for ever hereafter Thus much for the use of Examination Vse 3 Is it so that the heart truly humbled and prepared for mercy is content to be at Gods disposing as you have heard then what shall wee say of those that lift up themselves against the Almightie this discovers the fearefull condition of every such Soule It is certaine the haughtie Soule is furthest of all from Salvation how proove you that hee that is furthest of from Humiliation he is furthest of from the beginning of grace here and from perfection afterward the gate of grace is meerely here for except you become as little children that is except you be humbled you cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven a proud heart is farre from grace now and from happinesse in the end of his dayes For the discovery of this mans misery let mee lay open foure particulars and I would have my selfe and you to consider them that our proud hearts may be puld downe First Foure degrees of a proud mans misery Pride is professely against God and is the most directly contrary to the whole beeing of God and that in the whole man Indeed Pride opposeth God all sinnes are nothing else but a kinde of crossenesse to the Lord of Hosts and a kinde of thwarting of some Attribute or other in God As falshood crosseth the Truth of God impatience crosseth the patience of God and injustice crosseth the Iustice of God So that these sinnes goe against the Almightie in their measure some against one Attribute some against another but a proud heart smites at the whole Essence and Being of God Nay he doth as much as in him lyeth labour to take God out of the world and he would be God himselfe and have no God but himselfe The Lord doth principally Attribute two things to himselfe which can bee in none but himselfe God is the first of all causes and the last End of all All things were created by him for himselfe He made all by his Will and Wisedome and by his Wisedome and Providence he governes all for himselfe Before any thing was God was and all must returne tribute of praise and thankesgiving to God A man may be like God in Mercy and in Iustice though not so perfectly yet sincerely and a man may be like God in other of his glorious Attributes but God onely is first and last If it bee a creature then it was made but here is the venome of a proud heart he would be first and last He doth all by his owne power and hee will promote his owne praise in all that he doth As the great King Nebuchadnezzar saith Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babel that I have built by the might of my power I built it there is the first for the honour of my Majestie there was the last So it is not the wisedome and pleasure of God that must stand but his owne proud heart it must not be what God commands but what he would have all of a proud man is against the Almighty The Saints of God have wondered that the Lord is able to beare a proud man that thus out braves God in regard of his speciall prerogatives it is a wonder that God sends not some lightning from heaven and even stamp them to pouder and send them downe packing to hell suddainely I take this to be the sinne of the devills that are now chayned up in eternall darknesse untill the judgement of the great day nay I take this pride of a mans Spirit of his minde his reason his will and affections to bee an other old man of sinne Drunkennesse is a lymme of this old man and so is adultery and other sinnes but pride is as it were the old man it selfe This is the broader the Spawne and the very mother from whence the sinne against the Holy-ghost growes and there wants nothing but the illumination of the truth to come in upon the heart when a mans understanding is enlightned and this Illumination comes upon the heart and hee is violently carried against the truth with indignation this is the sin against the holy ghost 2. Pride opposeth the covenant of grace Secondly as Pride is opposite to God himselfe so it is opposite to the covenant of grace beleive and live for the truth is that which wee call infidelitie and the ingredients of it are pride as the Apostle saith Rom. 3.7.7 Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law by the Law of workes no but by the Law of faith If there be beleeving then away with carnall reasoning and with pride Therefore I may say by collection if faith exclude all boasting then pride or boasting opposeth the covenant of faith Faith is excluded by this pride of a mans Spirit and by this swelling of heart and the holy Prophet Habakkuk saith Habak 2.4 the Soule that is lifted up himself is not not upright within him hee that swells and bubles up in his heart and puffes up himselfe against the word of God hee hath no upright Spirit within him but the just man shall live by his faith above all see that place in Esay hearken to
of an adulterer or of a blasphemer are an abhomination to the Lord Hee cannot abide them they are such unsavory dead stinking prayers that the God of heaven abhors them I would to God you were perswaded of it I would have a man to reason thus with himselfe and say This is just my condition How many gracious commands have I sleighted and despised How many precepts have I trodden under my feete therefore even my best prayers are abhominable to the Lord and if my prayers bee such then what is my person and all my sinnefull lusts Looke what wee doe with a dead body we may pitty him and bury him but we cannot quicken him So wee may pity a poore drunkard and pray for him and bury him with teares but we cannot save him Nay all the meanes in the world will not save him except the Lords mightie power come from heaven to worke upon his heart Three degrees of our misery Thirdly the sentence of condemnation is now already past upon him and one foot is in the pit all-ready Ioh. 3 18. Hee that believes not is condemned already Hee doth not say he may be condemned but the sentence is already past upon him his hard heart was never soundly broken and his proud heart was never content to part with it self and all for Christ and therefore he goes to endlesse torments for evermore Every naturall man is an unbeliever and therefore stands under the sentence of condemnation So that unlesse the Lord bee pleased to open his eies and to breake his heart and to draw him from that estate he is like to perish and goe to hell for ever Fourthly and lastly if this be not enough The fourth degree of our misery hee is not onely deprived of all spirituall good and dead in sinne and stands under the sentence of condemnation though this were enough to lay out hearts low before the Lord. You see the sinner in the pit But will you see him sinking into the bottome I am loath to speake the worst Nay I durst not have thought it had not the Lord Christ spoken it in his Word Therefore see what hee saith Ioh. 6.70 Have not I chosen you twelve and one of you is a Divell Who was that It was Iudas Why what did he What a dead man and a damned man and a divell too What will become of such a poore forlorne creature It is said of Iudas that the Divell put it into his heart to betray Christ out of a covetous humour to get money and the Divell entred into Iudas Thus the divell puts it into his mind Ioh. 13.27 and suggested it into his heart to devise a way how to compasse his end nay the Divell entred into Iudas not by a corporall possession but by a spirituall kind of rule which the divell did exercise over Iudas that is when the divels counsell and advise tooke place with Iudas to betray his Master this is not Iudas his condition alone but it is the condition of all men by nature That looke as it said of the Apostles They were inspired with the Spirit of God Act. 1.4 and as it is said of all sound Christians They are led by the Spirit of God So on the contrary the wicked are led by Ephes 2.2 and with the spirit of the divell He rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience The divell casts wicked thoughts into their hearts and carries them into the commission of those evils which formerly he had suggested The divell rules in them he speakes by their tongues and workes by their hands and thinks and desires by their minds and walkes by their feet Revel 2.10 The divell shall cast some of you in prison saith Saint Iohn All men are naturally under the power of Sathan and therefore Saint Paul was sent to preach the Gospel that he might deliver them from the power of Sathan to God Acts 26.18 You thinke your selves brave men and you can despise the word and the grace of God and abuse his Ministers Alas the divell hath power over you as it is with a dead sheepe all the carrion Crowes in the Countrey come to prey upon it and all base vermin breede and creepe there So it is with every poore naturall sinfull carnall creature under heaven a company of divels like so many carrion crowes prey upon the heart of a poore creature and all base lusts crall and feed and are maintained in such a wretched heart Now brethren thinke of all these and search seriously It is better to know this now then to know it when there is no remedy I say no more for pitie is it so with thee and mee and all of us by nature Then judge the case clearely and passe the verdict Doest thou thinke that a few faint cold prayers and lazy wishes and a little horror of heart can plucke a dead man from the grave of his sinnes and a damned soule from the pit of hell and change the nature of a divell to be a Saint No it is not possible and know that the worke of renovation is greater then the worke of thy creation and there is no helpe in earth either goe to Christ or there is no succour for thee We can pitty poore drunkards and sorrow for them but we are as able to make worlds and to pull hell in pieces as to pull a poore Soule from the paw of the divell Nay he is a divell and a damned divell as you have heard if this were well considered it would dash in pieces all those carnall conceits of a great many which make nothing of turning a divell to be a Saint Secondly consider seriously the infirmitie The second meanes and feeblenesse and the emptinesse of all meanes that we enjoy and all duties that we doe it were argument enough to perswade a poore broken-hearted sinner not to relye upon a poore broken reede that will deceive him when he hath most need therefore since they cannot succour us let us draw our hearts from resting on them This is a matter of great weight also for the Soule being thus broken for sinne sets a great matter of excellency and sufficiency in holy duties Nay people hang all their hope of eternall life upon what they have and what they can doe Come to a poore broken hearted sinner and tell him of his sinne that he stands guiltie of Marke what his reply is I confesse saith he it is true I have beene so and so but the world is well amended I meddle not with my sinnes and I have reformed all those base courses Nay the Lord knowes that my corruptions have cost mee hot water my heart hath beene exceedingly vexed with them I hope I have had my hell here and I shall no hell hereafter Alas poore wretch is this the hooke that upholds thy heart and is this all the ground that thou goest upon it is good that thou doest repent and amend
and reforme thy wayes and blessed be God for what hee hath made thee able to doe but this I must tell thee If thy repentance and reformation be all thy hope and thou relyest upon them as the Iewes did upon their Legall righteousnesse thy Soule and all will sinke everlastingly if thou looke no further for helpe for all these cannot procure thy acceptance before God in that great Day of accounts nor give any satisfaction to Gods Iustice Now the weakenesse of all these priviledges and duties may appeare in five particulars First Thou canst not do that which God requires of thee Rom. 8.14 in all this that thou so much braggest of Thou hast a hard heart and canst not repent If thou canst doe what God requires of thee then why doest thou not breake that hard heart of thine It is a heart that cannot repent The Saints of God finde this though they see their sinnes yet their hearts will not breake Thou art as able to rend the rocks in pieces as to breake thy hard heart The good that I would doe saith Saint Paul Rom. 2.5 I cannot doe and the evill that I would not doe that I doe The Church complaines of it and saith Why are our hearts hardened from thy feare Therefore God may justly take exception against thee Secondly Thou art not many times carefull to doe what thou canst sometimes thou lettest passe opportunities and if thou takest the occasions it is marvellous slightly and hoverly though God have put power and abilitie into thy heart to performe holy duties so that thou seest the occasions yet thou slightest them over most shamefully Iam. 3.2 In many things we sinne all saith the Apostle Saint Iames and the Prophet Esay saith Esa 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy name neither stirreth he up himself to take hold of thee It was the common fault of the wise Virgins they all slumbred Matth. 25.5 this befals even those that are the most beloved of the Lord. Thirdly Doe what thou canst in the best of all thy services when thou commest to the highest pitch of the holinesse of thy heart and to the most ferventest prayers that ever thou didst make and the most broken heart that ever thou haddest and the most exactest way of godlinesse I say in the very best of all thy duties there is still some imperfection and for which God may in exact rigour frown upon thee now Iudge this can that service save thee in which there is enough to condemne thee that 's impossible in the best of thy duties there is enough to make God frowne upon thee And therefore the Priest that was to offer Sacrifice Heb. 7 27. Was to offer Sacrifice for the sinne of his offering Where we see that even the holiest service that ever the Minister puts up to God and in the best care that ever he exprest he hath need to offer Sacrifice for his offering and so it is in all your services You little thinke that God may condemne you for your Prayers and Sacraments and Fastings But I will make it cleare to you for this is a common rule we all beleeve in part we know in part and we love in part so that though our hearts are renewed yet they are but renewed in part there is some hatred mixed with our love some unbeliefe with our faith and some ignorance with our knowledge And as the Apostle saith Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh so that these two are contrary the one to the other There is so much corruption in thee so that when thou wouldest doe good thou canst not doe it with that readinesse that thou oughtest thou canst not doe it with all the whole streame of thy heart The Law requires that wee should love the Lord with all our hearts and with all our strength So that we have no hangings backe in our duties but in all our prayers and hearings and readings there is flesh that opposeth the spirit and corruption that crosseth the worke of grace So that we are not able to performe any service as God doth require of us how backward are we to duties and how weary in duties what wandring thoughts what privy pride and what seeking of our selves have we in them You know nothing if you know not this but whether you know it or no it is so There is much corruption opposing and thwarting the worke of the Spirit and therefore you had need pray for the repentance of your repentance and to begge the pardon of all your prayers and whereas you thinke that you will repent and amend and heare and pray and the like I tell you that though it be commendable to pray and heare yet there is so much sinne in your amendment and repentance and duties that in exact justice God may curse all that you doe and execute his Iudgements upon you for the same therefore these cannot save you He that heretofore hath prophaned the will now Sanctifies it and soe he thinks all is quit but I tell thee that in all thy sanctification of the same thou hast neede of a Saviour Fourthly Were it graunted and let it be supposed which I confesse will not nay can never bee but Imagine it were so that after God hath opened a mans eyes and broken his heart he should never commit the least sinne in all the world and never have any failing in holy duties nor any distemper in his Soule though this cannot bee but Imagine it were so that he did never sinne after his repentance yet even the sinne of his nature which he brought into the world with him were enough to make the Lord take the advantage of him for ever and to cast away all that ever he doth as abhominable from his presence Our repentance and our exactest performance of duties though we could doe them even to the uttermost it is a duty that we are bound to doe and the doing of that which we owe can never satisfie for that which hath beene done amisse by us but our repentance of sinne and our reformation is a duty which the gospell requires and therefore will not satisfie for that which is done amisse before our conversion As a Tennant that is run behind hand with his Land-Lord soe many hundreths and at last he begins to consider with himselfe what hee hath done and he bringes the rent of the last halfe yeare when his lease is out will this man thinke that hee hath now satisfied his Land-Lord if he should say now Land-Lord I hope you are contented and all is answered and have fully paid all that is betweene you and mee you Land-Lords would be ready to reply thus and say this satisfies mee for the last halfe yeare past but who payes for the odde hundreths so it is with a poore soule be it so that after those arrerages that thou hast run upon the score with God after
some theife that is taken for a robbery and the sentence of death hath past against him he should not neglect the using of meanes for to save his life and to get a pardon and yet if he cannot get a pardon he must not murmure against the Iudge for condemning of him because he hath done nothing but Law This theefe should use means for a pardon but if he cannot get one he should be contented though the sentence passe against him So wee should not be carelesse in using all meanes for our good but still seeke to God for mercy yet thus we must be and thus we ought to be contented with whatsoever mercy shall deny because wee are not worthy of any favour and the humble Soule reasons thus with it selfe and saith my owne sinne and my abhominations have brought mee into this damnable condition wherein I am and I have neglected that mercy which might have brought mee from it therfore why should I murmure against mercy though it deny me mercy and if mercy leave me in that miserable estate which I have brought my selfe into A Sillogisme I have but the reward of my owne workes Marke this well He that is not willing to acknowledge the freenesse of the course of mercy is not worthy nay it is not fit to receive any mercy but that Soule which is not content that mercy deny him what it will hee doth not give way to the freenesse of the Lords grace and mercy therfore that Soule is not fit for mercy I conclude all thus Iudge with your selves whether this bee not a marvellous hideous pride of heart or no that the sinner doth murmure because the Lord will not dispence of mercy as hee will himselfe either the sinner thinkes that he hath deserved mercy and therefore he is angry with God because he gives it not or els he thinkes himselfe wiser to dispose of mercy then God both which are most devilish pride of heart and arguments of a haughty heart that is not yet fit for mercy nay if this be in the heart and if the heart allow of this and continue in this distemper the Soule cannot receive mercy Object 2 But some may object Can a man feele this frame of heart to be content that mercy should have him in hell doe the Saints of God finde this and can any man know this in his heart Answ To this I answer Many of Gods servants have beene driven to this and have attained to it and have laid open the simplicitie of their Soules in being content with this But the secret passage of the Soule is most subtle here and hard it is to finde this and clearely to discerne this frame of spirit this way but the best way to guesse it and to be able to discern it is this For this end you must know these three things First that the Soule out of the nature of it and in nature cannot but desire the preservation of it selfe and it is a rule that God hath stamped in the creature and therefore we must not thinke that nature must or should or can goe further then nature and it is not the fault of nature that it is carried in this kinde But secondly the Soule being humbled cannot but yield it selfe to be disposed of by the Lord as he will yea if the Lord will bring destruction upon it Thirdly though the Soule sometimes finde a secret rebelling against God and a grudging against the Lords dealings and the sinner begins to say these are my corruptions and still my sinnes prevaile against mee and I shall one day perish and the Lord seemes not to looke at mee and with that the Soule sometimes grudgeth and repines at the providence of God yet the heart that is truly humbled grudgeth at himselfe because he hath such a quarrelling heart against the Lords dealing with him in this kinde Nay I have knowne many in the anguish of heart when they have thus quarrelled with the Almightie they have falne into a desperate extremity and thought they had committed that sinne against the holy Ghost Insomuch that it hath made them to walke more humbly before God all their dayes but I say when the Soule finds these distempers it labours to undermine them and it dares not quarrell against God it dare not but yield and this is an argument that the Soule is content Secondly The Soule that is contented comes to be well apaid with this that mercy shall take away from him what it will friends and meanes and ease and liberty and credit and whatsoever it is that the heart hath loved most It is content that God should strip him naked of all And hence it is that we shall observe it in experience and in practice A broken battered Soule that hath beene long overwhelmed with the weight of his corruptions the Lord brings him to a marveilous desperate low ebbe You may see a man sometimes in the torment of Conscience that nature and naturall parts begin to decay his understanding growes weake and his memory failes him and he growes to be marveilously distracted and besides himselfe so that the partie which was before a man of great reach and of able parts and was admired and wondred at for his wisedome and government he is now accounted a silly sot and a mad man in regard of the horror of heart that hath possessed him in so much that the husband saith Oh my wife is undone and the father saith my childe is undone he was a fine witty childe before but now hee is a very sot Yea the mercy of God will not leave a man before he be content to be a despised man that hee may finde mercy and be saved and mercy will plucke away all those parts and gifts from him and make him glad to have salvation and all in another And in conclusion when God cheeres up his heart againe hee is more wise than ever and more able than ever both for temporall and spirituall affaires Ioh. 5.44 How can you beleeve saith our Saviour that seeke honour one of another Without this dealing of God no man would ever come to heaven though the Lord sometimes abates some measure of it It may be before this worke the Soule saith if I may have honours and ease and libertie and credit so it is I care not whether ever I have drop of mercy or no But the text saith How can you beleeve which seeke honour one of another and not that honour that comes from God onely Mercy will bring you downe upon your knees and you shall not be content with the honours of the world No no mercy will make you content to be fooles and to take that honour onely which is from God though you be abased and hated and persecuted in the world It is against reason that the Soule can beleeve except this be in the heart An humble Soule is content that mercy shall rule him As the humbled soule is content
that mercy shall deny him any thing and take any thing from him so it is content that mercy enjoyne what it will and make what Edicts and Law it will So that the Commands and Precepts of the mercy of God in Christ may take place in his heart When Iohn Baptist came to prepare them for Christ and the hearts of the people were humbled the Publicans came to him saying Master What shall we doe Luk. 3.13 14 and so the souldiers said Master what shall we doe and he said Doe no man wrong but bee content with your wages The question is not now covetousnesse and crueltie what shall wee doe No the souldiers came now and said Thou art our Master the Spirit of God and the Spirit of wisedome is revealed to thee in the Word command and enjoyne thou what thou wilt and they are content with whatsoever hee commands them The humbled heart is content that mercy doe what it will with him not onely that mercy shall save him for so farre a reprobate and a carnall hypocrite may be content The hypocrite is marveilous willing that mercy shall save him but his lusts and corruptions must rule him still You are content that mercy should save you from your peevish heart and yet your peevish heart must rule you still and you are content that Christ should save you from your drunkennesse and prophaning of the Lords Day but these lusts must rule you still A drunkard that hath gotten some dangerous surfeit is content that the Physician should cure him not because he would leave his drunkennesse but because he would have his health and therefore being up hee returnes to his drunkennesse againe And the thiefe that is condemned to die cryes for a pardon not because he would live to be an honest man but to be free from the halter and therefore when he is freed he goes to the hie way and robs againe it is not for honesty that he desires a pardon but for libertie Deceive not your selves mercy will never save you except mercy may rule you too Here is a heart worth gold and the Lord delights in such a Soule that falls into the armes of mercie and is content to take all from mercy and to be at mercies disposing and to have mercie sanctifie him and correct him and teach him and to rule in him in all things This the heart of a truly abased sinner will have and it will say Good Lord do what thou wilt with me rule this Soule and take possession of me onely doe good to the Soule of a poore sinner If the Lord give any thing he is content and if the Lord take away any thing or command any thing he is content You that are ruled by your lusts think of this When the Lord hath awakened and arrested your Soules and you are going downe to hell Oh then you will crie Lord forgive this and that sinne it is true I have hated and loathed the Saints of God good Lord forgive this sinne oh that mercie would save mee then mercy will answer and say When you are out of your beds you will returne to your old courses againe no he that ruled in you let him save and succour you I will save none saith mercy except I may rule them too Thirdly The last degree of contentednesse is this The Soule is willing that the Lord should make it able to take what mercy will give This is a lower pegge that the Soule is brought unto The sinner before had nothing of his owne in possession nay he can challenge nothing of the other but meerely to doe what hee will and hee is not able to take what mercy will give and bestow And therefore hee is not onely content that mercy provide what it thinks good but also to give him strength to take what mercy gives The beggar that comes to the dole though he have no meanes to help himselfe withall and though he can challenge nothing of the man yet hee hath a hand and can receive the dole that is given him but a poore sinner is brought to this low ebbe and this shewes the emptinesse of it that as hee hath no spirituall good at all and can challenge no good neither is hee able to take that good which mercy provides The hand of the Soule whereby it must receive mercy is faith and the humbled Soule seeth that he is as able to satisfie for his sinne as to beleive in a Saviour that must satisfie And hee is as able to keepe the Law as to beleeve in him that hath fulfill'd the Law for him In Saint Iohn beleeving is call'd receiving Ioh. 1.16 and therefore the poore sinner seeth that it is not onely mercy and salvation that must do him good but hee seeth that if mercy and salvation were laid downe upon the naile for beleeving and receiving of it hee could not doe it of himselfe and therefore the Lord must give him a hand to receive it with You know the Apostle Paul saith Phil. 1.29 The naturall man cannot receive the things that be of God And the same Apostle is plaine to you it is given to beleeve So that faith is a gift and a poore sinner is as able to create a world as to receive mercy of himselfe The want of this is the cause why many a man that hath made a good progresse in the way of happinesse hee falls short of his hopes Many a sinner hath beene awakened and his heart humbled and the Soule comes to heare of Christ and thinks to lay hold of mercy and Christ out of his owne proper power and thus he deceives himselfe and the faith that he dreamed to have was nothing else but a fancie a faith of his owne framing it was never framed by the Almighty Spirit of the Lord in heaven hee never saw need of the power of God to make him able to beleeve as well as to save him and therefore his faith and all came to just nothing Now the broken hearted sinner saith All that I expect it must be from another and I am content to take what mercy will give and that mercy shall deny me what it will and give me what it will and I am content that mercy rule in me nay that mercy must give me a heart to beleeve and to take mercy or else I shall never beleeve Now you see what it is that the Soule must be contented withall The manner of Gods dealing Now I come to shew the maner of Gods dealing with the Soule for the Soule must be content with this too as I told you before The manner of Gods dealing may appeare in three particulars First the Soule stoopes to the condition that the Lord will appoint be it never so hard it is content to come to Gods termes be they never so harsh and wearisome As sometimes when the soule finds that the heaviest hand of the Lord hath laid long upon him that the sharpest
before I goe any further Object 1 The discouraged sinner begins to justifie himselfe in his course in the apprehension of his owne insufficiency and he saith I see by daily experience that I am not fit for the place where God hath set mee and it goes of marvellous heavily the Lord takes away the hand of his providence in strenthening mee and the hand of mercy in comforting mee what would you have a man to doe is it fit for a man to beare up himselfe in a kinde of senselesnesse of the hand of the Almightie or is it not rather fit to see the hand of God in his displeasure and to sit downe and licke the dust and to be so farre from venturing upon the worke as to let it alone This is the plea of a discouraged sinner and therefore he thinks he doth well to sit downe Rachel like and not to be comforted but to let his Soule fall in sorrow Answ I confesse it is true The heart truly humbled ought to be Nay it cannot be brought to see it selfe in every kinde so that it judgeth it selfe unworthy of the least mercy and worthy of the heaviest judgements it cannot but be contented in abasement but yet there is a great difference betweene a heart truely humbled and a discouraged heart And the difference appeares in two things The Soule thinkes he doth marvellous well to be thus discouraged and that there is no other Humiliation but this Know therefore this double difference First The differences betweene a heart humbled and a heart discouraged This Humiliation leaves the Soule more calme and better able to under-goe a light blow when it hath borne this Whereas after discouragement the Soule is more full of trouble and more unable to beare any trouble because it hath sunke under this If the Lord denies to the humble Soule that which he would have it makes him more able to beare the want of any thing but the discouraged Soule flyes off and is lesse able to beare the hand of God in the want of any thing Humiliation seasons the vessell and makes it more wide and more fit to hold liquor but discouragement crackes the vessell and makes that it will hold nothing at all And humiliation is like the Tentures that stretcheth the cloath and makes it more smooth and plaine humiliation stretcheth the Soule and makes it more humble and meeke but discouragement rends the heart and makes it more unfit to undergoe that which is laid upon it As Saint Paul to the Hebrewes saith you have forgotten the exhortation which saith Heb. 12.5 My Sonne despise not thou the correction of the Lord nor faint when thou art rebuked of him The Word faint that is discouragement is spoken of by our Saviour When he was mooved with compassion towards the people because they fainted Matth. 9.36 and were as sheepe scattered abroad having no Shepheard So I say doe not suffer thy selfe to be so farre scattered with these troubles that thy heart be unable to gather up it selfe againe As it is with some stubborne childe when his father comes to correct him he snuffes and falles into a fwoune with griefe whereas an other childe is quiet and takes the blow quietly and goes away contentedly without any manner of fainting So the heart truly humbled is like the childe that takes the blow quietly but the discouraged Soule faints and is not able to beare the hand of God in this kinde The second difference Secondly the second difference is this As Humiliation ever leaves the Soule calme and quiet after the hand of God hath beene upon it so it makes the Soule more ready and puts a kinde of abilitie and cheerefulnesse in attending upon God in any service without any hankering after his owne ends and without this quarrelling and this drawing backe from the Lord. So that because hee hath borne the hand of God therefore it is much more ready that the Lord should dispose of duties and the successe of them seeing it hath found God going out with him heretofore and he saith the truth is sometimes the Lord did deny mee that mercy which I desired and blessed be God for it for by this meanes I found my proud heart humbled and brought downe therefore if God will have mee doe any dutie I will doe it and if he cast shame and disgrace upon mee in it I am contented This is a heart truly humbled but the discouraged Soule not receiving that strength and assistance in his duties that he would have he is marvellous untoward and unwilling to come to the like service any more For feare hee want successe and shall not be able to beare the want of it Humiliation as it were levels the heart that the Lord Iesus may take place there but this discouragement delves the heart and makes it more unfit for Christ Iohn Baptist was sent to prepare the way for Christ that every valley might be fild and every mountaine and hill brought low The high way wherein Christ went is the heart and the ditch or valley was the desperate discouraged heart and this fainting of heart unfits the way for Christ Luke 3.4 as well as the mountaines and hils As Humiliation levels the heart and makes it fit for Christ so this discouragement delves and unfits the Soule to be quickned and to give way to a Saviour and to entertaine him Humiliation takes off the knottinesse of the heart and makes it runne faster in the way of Gods Commandements but discouragement hangs a backe byas upon the Soule that as a backe byas holds a boole that a man cannot make it run right to the marke so this discouragement is like the backe byas and that 's the reason why a discouraged heart comes so awkely to holy duties as to conference fasting and the like If a man goe to fasting and prayer privately if God give him not that successe that he would and he cannot doe it as he desires oh how hardly is he drawne to it againe but the humbled Soule saith blessed be God though I had not that strength and that successe that I desired yet if the Lord shall call mee to the like dutyes I will goe againe though I cannot doe as I would So then know that there is no ground for discouragement that 's a sinne be contented yet for ever humbled Object 2 In the next place the discontented person thinks his way reasonable and it is warrantable for him now and then to bee discontented and therefore he saith what would you have a man doe you know it and I find it that God hath denyed mee many abilities in those duties which hee calls for at my hands others have gifts and power and abilities but I am weake and feeble and can any man nay should any man be contented with this would you have a man content with his sinne I cannot beleive it thus because they see such deadnesse and untowardnesse of heart therefore they
to live of another but we would faine be as able to doe duties as Adam was And it is with every naturall man as it was with Sampson he had once Sacramentall haire and therefore when any temptation came hee did shake himselfe and was able to breake strong cords and to overcome his enemies and when his haire was gone hee went out as at other times and thought to doe as he had done but the Spirit of God was gone from him So because Adam had power of himselfe to yield exact obedience and to please God a naturall man makes an offer of this still and would be doing and he goes out and shakes himselfe and saith cannot my wit and my prayers and my good meanings and my priviledges save mee and satisfie divine Iustice must the guilt of sinne still lye upon mee Thus the soule would give content to God by his owne strength as it is with a man that hath beene a rich Chapman and hath had a faire stocke but is now decayed it is hard to bring downe the pride of this mans heart he is loath to be a Iourney-man againe he will be trading though it be but for pinnes So the Lord put a stocke into Adams hand and hee turned bankrupt and yet wee will be trading here for a company of poore beggerly duties dead prayers and cold hearings and we thinke this will be sufficient This is the disposition of the soule naturally So the issue of the point is thus much if the soule through the guilt of sinne dare not appeare before God and it knowes not yet how to come to God in and through a Mediator and in regard of Adams innocency it needed not to goe out to another for any power and strength hence it is that the soule will invent any way and take up any course rather then come to Christ but all the former truthes are true and therefore still this turnes the heart to deale with God in this manner Vse 1 Here you see the reason why that opinion of some men prevailes so much and why they rest upon their owne good works because their hearts give such entertainment to it it is old Adams nature and every man seekes it but if ever God draw you home to the second Adam Christ Iesus hee will draw you from the first Adam You wonder to see a company of poore wretches build all their comfort upon what they can doe and they will patter over a few prayers it may be in their beds too it is easie to consider it Nature makes a man thus give way to himselfe in it and no wonder though his heart is prepared for this way when it comes But for instruction for our selves An use of instruction Doth the soule seeke out every where before it come to the Lord God and to the Lord Iesus Christ and will the Lord Iesus spare and succour a poore sinner when he comes then heare and see and admire at the goodnesse of the Lord that ever the Lord should vouchsafe to give entertainment to a poore sinner when hee hath made so many outs If hee come home never so late the Lord receives him when he comes Is not this mercy that when we have beene roving and ranging here and there and wee have coasted this way and that way and never thought of Christ nor mercy nor of his blood I say is not this admirable mercy that the Lord Christ should receive us when we come yea though we come to him last of all He may deale with us justly as he did with the people in Ieremy Where are thy Gods saith the Lord that thou hast made thee Ier. 2.22 let them arise if they can helpe thee in the time of thy trouble for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods oh Iudah The people made Idols and served them and when the time of trouble came and all their gods failed them then they come for succour to the Lord and would faine shelter themselves under his wings Nay saith the Lord goe to your gods that you have loved and let them helpe you as if hee had said unto them doe you come to mee in the day of your distresse have you honoured and worshipped your Idols must they have all the honour and I have all the burthen get you home to your Idols and let them succour you Oh thinke of it and wonder So the Lord may justly deale with us we that rested here upon our good prayers and our hearings and fastings and yet when all these prevaile not but the guilt of sinne remaines and wounds the conscience still and at last we are forced to looke up to the Lord Iesus Christ and to say except the Lord Iesus Christs blood purge these filthy hearts of ours we shall never have helpe and good Lord be mercifull to us Did you rest in these because there was no God in Israel and no mercy in the Almightie that you have rested upon your priviledges Goe then may the Lord say doe you come to mee to be saved and succoured goe to your meritorious works now let them cheere your hearts and pardon your sinnes and comfort you for I will not succour you at all It were just with the Lord to deale thus with us because we give him the leavings and come last to him But here is the wonder of mercies that whensoever we come hee casts us not of yet if we would but come to him and leave these broken reeds Ier. 3.1 he would receive us Yet returne to mee saith the Lord as if the Lord had said you say that all that you can doe will not succour you you have plaid the adulterers with many lovers yet at last come home to mee and beleeve in mee and settle your hearts upon my mercy and whatsoever your weakenesse and rebellions have beene I will save and succour you Vse 2 The second use is for Exhortation seeing it is so that wee are ready to seeke for succour and reliefe from our selves then let this make us watchfull against this deceit of our hearts Yet I doe not dishonour these ordinances but I curse all carnall confidence in these You cleave to these poore beggerly duties and alas you will perish for hunger the divell knowes this full well and therefore he will sinke your hearts for ever Iudas did so and hell is full of hearers and dissemblers and carnall wretches that never had hearts to seeke unto Christ in these duties and to see the value of a Saviour in them The divell slides into the heart this way unsuspected and unseene because he comes under a colour of duties exactly performed but now in that the divell labours to cheat us of heaven and salvation we should be so much more watchfull This is the stone that thousands have stumbled at yea many that have gone a great way in the way of life and salvation For howsoever the soule that is truly broken cannot be satisfied
Soule shall never bee accepted and my sinnes will never bee pardoned and the heart begins to reason thus with himselfe and saith I have had as good meanes as ever any poore creature had and many gracious friends have counselled mee and yet the guilt of my sinnes is ever before mine eies and my Conscience is not yet quieted Nay these sinnes this blind mind and this hard heart will not bee subdued but the Lord Iesus Christ can doe more then thou and the world too The Lord will make thee see that thou and the world can doe nothing that Christ may take away the guilt of sinne and quiet thy Conscience and subdue thy corruptions for thee thus much hee seeth from his owne experience The second passage is this as his owne experience makes the Soule confesse that there is no hope of good in himselfe so the example of others doth confirme a broken hearted sinner in this that all the creatures in the world and all the duties under Heaven without Christ cannot purchase salvation to the Soule because the Soule now seeth and considers in the Scriptures that many thousands have had all these priviledges and done many duties and yet come short of perfection Many reprobates have had these priviledges as well as Gods people and the Soule thinkes thus with it selfe If beautie or honours or riches might have purchased eternall life then Pharaoh Absolon and Nebuchadnezzar should have beene accepted of God therefore What have I that many thousands have not had and What doe I that reprobates have not done and yet for ought I know it never did them good Isaac was circumcised and so was Ishmael too Abell offered Sacrifice so did Cain too and the stony ground received the Word with joy and many there were that waited upon God in the use of his Ordinances as you may see in the Prophet Esay Ahab fasted and Iudas repented Esay 58.2 3. and yet he is a divell now in hell this day Psal 130.3 And the Prophet David saith If the Lord should marke what is done amisse who could abide it there was enough in Davids praiers to condemne him and if all these did thus and much more then I can doe Then why should I thinke to find more helpe in my praiers then they did thus the Soule seeth that Gods people never had Iustification from any priviledges that they enjoyed nor from any duties that they did without relying on Christ Thirdly the greatnesse of the evill which now the Soule seeth and the desperate misery wherein it is is so great that now it finds an utter in-abilitie that all the creatures under heaven should ever remoove the evill of it For the soare that is made and the wound that is given by sinne is broader then all the salve that the creatures can apply is able to cover The Word Sacraments Prayer and duties cannot reach the evill that lyes upon the heart in this particular and this is considerable the meanes that must comfort and quiet the heart in distresse must be able to beare the wrath of God and to take away the venome and poyson of the wrath of the Almightie Now the Soule seeth that no creature can doe this no creature can beate backe Gods wrath but it will fall and hence it is that the Lord saith hee hath laid salvation upon one that is mightie there are mightie corruptions and mightie indignation and mightie guilt and therefore the Lord hath laid salvation upon the mightie It must be more then a creature that must beare or remoove the wrath of the Creator As the text saith There is no other name under heaven whereby you can bee saved but only by Christ Prayer saith there is no salvation in mee and the Sacraments and Fasting say there is no salvation in us there is salvation in no other but in Christ The other are subservient helps not absolute causes of salvation As the holy Prophet Ieremy Ier. 3.23 shewing the peoples desperate condition and there misery therein saith In vaine is salvation hoped for from the mountaines hee had said before in the 22. verse Returne againe oh disobedient children and I will heale your rebellions and they answered behold wee come Lord for thou art the Lord our God and in vaine is salvation hoped for from the mountaines By salvation in the mountaines is meant the Idols set up in the hilles which the poore people worshipped and thought they were able to succour them but in the day of trouble they said wee come Lord for in vaine is salvation hoped for from the mountaines So if thou trust in thy praying and hearing and good works though thou hadst a mountaine of them they can doe thee no good unlesse with the eye of faith thou lookest upon Christ for acceptance but in the Lord our God is salvation for evermore Then gather up all if the Soule seeth by experience that no good will come by these and if examples shew so much and if the greatnesse of the evill shew that it is impossible for any comfort or pardon to be brought home to the Soule barely by these meanes then the heart concludes thus and saith these will not doe the deed I may have all these priviledges and performe all these duties and yet salvation is not in these if I trust in them there is no pardon in them and no hope of redemption from them saith the Soule The Soule doth not despaire of all good in Christ but the Lord is compeld as I may say with reverence to weary us from this confidence in our selves and from seeking any succour from our selves that he may make us goe to Christ Vse 1 This is a word of Exhortation You see that apoore Soule finds nothing and he hopes for no saving succour from any meanes enjoyed or duties performed therefore we ought to have our desires quickened that since we see the way and the duty required we must not rest upon any thing here below Since our hearts must be brought to this and we must not rest upon the bare performance of holy duties though I doe not dishonour these duties but onely speake against resting upon them Oh therefore strive to come unto this it will make you ready for the riches of Gods mercy and goodnesse in Christ Iesus Let us have our hearts raised up from our owne bottomes and let us plucke downe the foundations that we have had in priviledges or any service done by us at any time This is that which above all things we must doe all the Saints of God have found this from day to day after search made then why should we seeke for succour from these I say we must not neglect these duties but we must not rest upon them Bee perswaded to pluck off the handle of hope from of any thing that we doe or any priviledge that God gives us Let us doe what we may but yet goe beyond all that we can doe in this case
when your hearts are hankering after these crazie holds stay them and deale by your hearts as the Lord sometimes did with the people of Iuda In their distresse they did not goe to the Lord but they went to Egypt and Nilus â—eremie 2.18 and therefore the Lord saith unto them What hast thou to doe in the way of Egypt to drinke downe the waters of Nilus c. When they were thus ranging for their owne reliefe in the time of their trouble the Lord as it were cals after them and saith you will downe to Egypt what have you to doe there Deale so by your owne Soules when thou findest thine heart hammering helpe from itselfe and catching it out of the fire thou seest thy sinnes and art troubled and now to quiet all thou wilt heare and pray and performe duties and thus thou thinkest to forge comfort out of thine owne shop therefore call upon thy owne heart and say what hast thou to doe to rest upon these broken staves upon thy praying and hearing and professing these if not accompanied with faith in Christs merits will lay thee in the dust and if thou makest Gods of them the Lord will plucke them away Iudas prayed and preached and heard and received the Sacraments too and yet hee is a divell in hell this day and except thou have more then he had thou wilt be no better then he was and therefore thinke thus with thy selfe what have I to doe to stand here in these duties I may be deluded by these but saved and comforted by them I cannot be therefore use these I will but rest upon them I will not If I could looke up to heaven and speake to Abraham and Paul and David and say how were you saved they would all make answer and say oh away to the Lord Christ it is he that saved us or else we had never come here and he will save you too if you flye to him Therefore brethren bring backe your hearts from these and dreame not to receive any saving succour from what you have or what you doe unlesse you relye on Christ But mee thinkes I heare some say Oh Question it is marvellous difficult and hard wee hang upon every hedge and we are ready to thinke that it is enough if wee can but take up a taske in holy duties How shall we pluck our hearts from resting upon them Answer For the answer to this question suffer mee to answer two things First I will shew the meanes whereby wee may find all these hopeles and helpelesse resting upon them Secondly I will shew when these meanes drive the heart truly to despaire of all succour in them Now that we may find these meanes to bee so to us as they are in themselves and that our Soules may be able to say It is true these are the holy Ordinances of God but it is in vaine to expect any salvation or justification from them alone I say the meanes are mainely foure and I will handle them something largely because if I bee not deceived here is the maine sett of a Christian and herein appeares the root of old Adam we will not part with our selves the meanes are foure First consider seriously with thy selfe and bee convictingly settled and perswaded of the unconceiveable wretchednesse of thy naturall condition If thou canst but see this throughly it will make thee see how vaine it is to look for any succour from thy selfe labour to see the depth of thine own misery because of thy sin and to see how thou hast sunke thy selfe into such a desperate gulfe of misery that all the meanes under heaven will bee short to succour thee unlesse the Lord Iesus come downe from heaven and his infinite power bee let downe to plucke up thy Soule from that misery wherein thou art there thou lyest and there thou art like to perish for ever if God in mercy succour not Now that I may pul down the pride of every vile wretch give mee leave to discover the depth of our miserie in these foure degrees Foure degrees of our misery by nature First consider that by nature thou art wholly deprived of all that abilitie which God formerly gave thee to performe service Whatsoever is borne of the flesh Ioh. 3.6 Rom. 7.18 is flesh saith our Saviour and therefore the Apostle Paul saith I know that in mee that is in my flesh dwells no good thing All men by nature are flesh and therefore thinke thus with thy selfe and say there was never good thought in my heart nor good action done by mee for in mee dwells no spirituall good thing there may bee morall good in us but though we are good morally yet we are nought spiritually howsoever you pranke up your selves and thinke your selves some body yet there is no spirituall good in you unlesse God worke upon your hearts whatsoever you have thought or done is all in vaine Secondly thou art not onely deprived of all spirituall abilitie 2. Degree of our misery Ephes 2.1 but thou art dead in trespasses and sinnes What is that a man is wholly possessed with a body of corruption and the Spawne of all abhomination hath overspread the whole man and it leavens all the whol lump of body and mind You often read this phrase in Scripture but you perceive it not as it is with a dead body being deprived of the Soule which did quicken it and enable it to doe the workes of a reasonable man there comes a kind of sencelesnesse and after that all noysome humours breed in the body and all filthy vermin come from the body and therefore a man may bury it but hee cannot quicken it any more Iust so it is with the Soule that is deprived of the glorious presence of Gods Spirit and grace which Adam had in his innocency For looke what the Soule is to the body the same is the grace of Gods Spirit to the Soule When the Soule is deprived of Gods Spirit there followes a senselesse stupidnesse upon the hart of a man and all noysome lusts abound in the Soule and take possession of it and rule in it and are fed there and appeare in a mans course in this kind There is no carrion in a ditch smels more loathsomely in the nostrills of man then a naturall mans workes doe in the nostrills of the Almightie There are some workes of a dead body it rots and stinkes and consumes so all the workes of a naturall man are dead workes nay all the prayers of the wicked are an abhomination to the Lord. If you can but say over the Lords Prayer you think you do a great piece of worke but though thesr are good in themselves yet because they come from a corrupt heart they are dead and loathsome prayers in the nostrils of the Almightie as the wise man saith Hee that turneth his eare from hearing the Law Prov. 28.9 even his prayer is abhominable The prayers of a drunkard
for necessary uses When he had spoken of free Iustification through his grace then the Text saith teach a man to maintaine good works for necessary uses and in the 4. and 5. verses Verses 4. 5. hee saith After that the kindnesse and love of God our Saviour towards man appeared not by works of righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration Now least any man should say if God doe not save a man for his works then why shall we doe good works and the like See what he addes Let us learne to maintaine good works c. There are many necessary uses of the meanes though they be not meritorious and of absolute sufficiency Were not he a mad man that should say what shall I doe with my money if I cannot eate it and what shall I doe with my boate if I may not dwell in it A man may buy meate with his money and row with his boat So you must use all meanes and improve all importunities and if ever pray and fast pray and fast now in these dayes of trouble but thinke not to bee saved nor justified by the worth and merit of them yet use them for some necessary uses and the uses are three Vse 1 First We must use all the meanes that gives us as guides Of the means to leade us by the hand to the Lord Iesus Christ and as lights to shew us where life is to be had Iohn Baptist professed plainly that hee was not the Messiah but he pointed at him and said Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the sinnes of the world So I say all the ordinances of God which are honourable and commendable and comfortable they all professe that they are not our Saviours onely they point us to a Saviour even the Lord Iesus Christ the Word reveales Christ and Prayer goes to a Christ and the Sacrament presents Christ to us and therefore they all say with one accord let us goe to the Lord Iesus and looke up to him When your hearts are troubled and disquieted all your duties knocke at your hearts and say would you not have mercy and power against corruption and some evidence of Gods favour Oh say you it is that which we want and it is all that we desire in this world Come then saith Prayer and the Word we will goe to Christ with you there is all fulnesse in him this is the end of all the holy ordinances of God not to make them Saviours but to lead us to a Saviour Vse 2 Secondly as they are guides to lead us to a Christ soe they are meanes to convey grace Of the means mercy and comfort from Christ to our soules Though they are not meate yet they are as dishes that bring the meate They are the meanes whereby salvation hath beene revealed and is conveyed to you There is a fountaine of grace in Christ but the word and prayer and Sacraments and fasting these are the conduites to convey this water of life and to communicate this grace to us You doe not use to drinke the conduite but the water that the conduite bringes Aske that your joy may be full saith our Saviour and so the Lord speakes by the Prophet Esay Esay 55.3 incline your eare and come unto mee heare and your soules shall live As if he had said waite upon God in his word and ordinances and your soules shall live Though the meanes are not life it selfe yet life is conveyed by them In Christ are hid all the treasures of wisedome and knowledge Colloss 2.3 If you would have any grace and holinesse the treasure of it is in Christ The word is as the Indenture or great will of God whereby the treasure of Gods favour is made knowne to your Soules The bond or will is not the treasure but conveyes the treasure to us and makes us have a right and title to it our Saviour saith my peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you and all the promises in Christ are yea and Amen yea that is truth it selfe and Amen that is confimed now you must receive the tenure of all these in Christ And the holy Sacraments are as the broad seales whereby the Covenant of grace is confirmed made authenticall and ratified to your Soules When a man hath much goods and lands and would make an other his heire he passeth his lands or goods over to him by will and if the will is not onely drawne but also sealed then though this will is not the treasure it selfe yet it is a speciall meanes to convey this treasure to the heire that must have it So the Word is the will of God and the Sacraments are the Seales of it and all that mercy and goodnesse in Christ is made knowne to you by the Word and made sure to you by the Sacrament the Word and Sacraments are not this treasure but they are blessed meanes to convey this treasure to your Soules Therefore when your hearts are dead weake and heavy and you begin to breath for some consolation saying who will tell mee how I may have my dead heart quickned and my heavy heart refreshed as David once breathed for the water of Bethlem then mee thinkes the word and prayer and Sacraments doe all say we will goe to the Lord Iesus Christ for all these for you and then Christ will sanctifie you in his word and if you have strong devils hanging upon you fasting and prayer will fetch power and grace from Christ and cast all these devils out So then you see their good use of all these Thirdly the last use of the meanes is this Vse 3 that by the exercise of our selves in them Of the means and by the improvement of our times and meanes we may glorifie the God of grace that hath given us all these meanes and that we may waite upon him with feare and reverence and honor God in his word and come to his table and there partake of the dainties of life and salvation and expresse the virtues of him that hath cald us to this marvellous light that we may see Gods grace in prayer and in professing and delight in the duties of his worship These are all very good uses so then the conclusion is this you must not thinke that your duties can pardon one sinne yet they must be used and blesse God for them and if ever now is a time to improve all these for they are a meanes to leade us to Christ and to convey grace and life from Christ into our soules and thereby we may glorifie the God of grace that hath beene so mercifull to us When we doe despaire of all help in the meanes The second thing that I mentioned is this When shall wee know that our hearts are brought to this passe that the meanes of grace do worke so kindly that our hearts may bee brought to this holy
that you may chat and parlee a little with Christ Our Saviour saith Matth. 24.28 Where the carkasse or the dead body is there will the Eagles be This is the nature of an Eagle shee will not goe to catch flies that 's the nature of the hedge Sparrow but shee will prey upon the carkasse So this is a good heart that will not prey upon dead duties but upon the Lord Christ who is the life of the Soule If thou art of a right brood thou wilt not fill and glut thy Soule with a few duties like a hedge Sparrow still mistake me not I doe not dispraise these duties but I say they are nothing in the way of justification if faith in Christs merits be not joyned with them Therefore if thou hast a dunghill heart of thine owne thou may'st goe and content thy selfe with profession and with a few cold dead duties but if thou art an Eagle and a sound hearted Christian and one that God hath beene pleased to doe good unto thou wilt never be but where the Lord Iesus is and where his grace and mercy is As we doe at a Feast the dish is greater then the meat yet wee reach the dish not for the dishes sake but that we may cut some meat So the ordinances of God are as so many dishes wherein the Lord Iesus Christ is dished out to us Sometimes Christ in his merits is dished out in the Sacrament to all the sences and sometimes he is dished out in the Word therefore as you take the dish to cut some meate So take the Word that Communicates Christ to the eare and Prayer Communicates with Christ and the Sacrament Communicates Christ to all the sences cut the meate and let not the Lord Christ goe whole from the Table and no man looke after him fill your hungry Soules with Christ When a poore travelling man comes to the Ferry he cryes to the other side Have over have over his meaning is he would goe to the other side by a Boat he onely desires the use of the Ferry-man to convey him over So Christ is in heaven but we are here on earth as it were on the other side of the river the ordinances of God are but as so many Boats to carry us and to land us at Heaven where our hopes are and our hearts should be Therefore you would be landed Have over have over saith the Soule The Soule desires to bee landed at the Staires of Mercy and saith Oh bring me to speake with my Saviour Mary came to the Sepulchre to seeke for Christ and therefore when the Angel said to her Woman why weepest thou shee made this answer Oh they have taken away my Lord. Ioh. 20.13 So it is with you if you be not hypocrites Is there ever a Mary here is there ever a man or woman that prizeth a Christ and seeth need of a Christ and that comes weeping and mourning to the holy ordinances of God whom seekest thou saith the Word and Prayer and the Sacrament Oh saith the broken hearted sinner they have taken away my Lord Christ Oh this sinfull heart of mine oh these cursed corruptions of mine if it had not beene for these Christ would have comforted my conscience and pardoned my sinne if thou seest my Christ and my Saviour reveale him to my Soule that I may receive comfort and consolation by him This is the frame of a Christian Soule when the Ferry-man hath carried the traveller over hee stayes not there but goes to the house of his friend and saith is such a man within he desires to speake with him and to receive some good from him We heare and pray and reade till we are weary we doe not cry Have over let mee come to enjoy a neerer Communion with my Saviour that I may dwell with him and have a neerer cut to the Lord Christ I would have way that I may receive grace and mercy from Christ according to my necessities When a man hath gotten so many hundreth pounds he not onely tels that he hath met with the Ferry-man but he shewes the money that he hath gotten So you come to Church and goe from Church and you have your hearing for your hearing and your professing for your professing and the like but you should labour to say I have gotten the pardon of all my sinnes and the assurance of Gods love to my Soule I have beene with my Saviour and thus graciously and mercifully hee hath dealt with mee All that I have said is but a speech of a little time but it is a taske for all a mans life Oh thinke of it and say what have I gotten by all that I have done and what would I get when I goe to prayer I would have a Christ and mercy from him This is not in our minds I tell thee what thou must ayme at and labour for heare and pray for a Saviour See a need of Christ in all and see greater beauty in Christ then in all and be lead neerer to Christ by all or else you get nothing by all that you doe If there were no gold in the West-Indies the King of Spaine would not care for his Ships nor for that place Schoole-boyes care not for the Carrier but for Letters from a Father So now raise up your hearts higher towards heaven All holy duties are but as Ships and Carriers but the golden Mines of mercy are all in the Lord Iesus Christ It was a sweet speech of a man whether he was good or bad I know not that a man should loose the creatures in God So I would have you doe loose your selves and all ordinances and creatures and all that you have and doe in the Lord Christ How is that Let all be swallowed up and let nothing be seene but a Christ and let thy heart be set upon nothing but a Christ As it is with the Moone and Starres when the Sunne comes they loose all their light though they are there in the heavens still and as it is with rivers they all goe into the Sea and are all swallowed up of the Sea and yet there is nothing seene but the Sea So all the ordinances and creatures are as so many rivers from that Ocean of mercy and goodnesse in Christ and they all returne thither therefore onely see a Fountaine of grace goodnesse wisedome and power in Christ When a man is upon the Sea he can see no fresh water it is all swallowed up So let it be with thy Soule when thou wouldest finde mercy and grace The ordinances of God are good in themselves yet loose them all in Christ That wisedome in Christ is able to direct and that grace and mercy in Christ is able to save when all other helps faile and that power of Christ must support the Soule in the time of trouble There is some comfort and sweet and some refreshing in the Word and in the Sacrament and in the company of Gods people
and that suddenly Oh let us pitie them will you not yield now but you will stand it out to the last man The Lord comes out in battell aray against a proud person and singles him out from all the rest and when the vyalls of his wrath are poured out upon all wicked ones mee thinks the Lord saith Let that drunkard and that swearer alone a while but let mee destroy that proud heart for ever You shall submit in spite of your teeth when the great God of heaven and earth shall come to execute vengeance and doe not think to scarre God with your mocks you that wil sweare a man out of your company Consider that place in Iob and see how the Lord comes with all his full might against a proud man Iob 15.25.26 27. It is good to read this place often that God may pull downe our proud hearts For he stretcheth out his hands against the Almighty saith the text and strengtheneth himselfe against God and he saith I will do it though my life lie at the stake for it he strengthens himselfe and will doe it Surely God is afraid of him he comes so well mann'd the Lord must deale some way with him to overthrow him Mark what the text saith The Lord runnes upon him even on his neck upon the thick bosses of his bucklers because hee covereth his face with his fatnesse and maketh collops of fat upon his flankes the Lord comes upon him not at the advantage but in the height of his pride and in the rage of his malice the Lord will come upon him and ruinate him for ever Those that now stand it out and cast off all carelesly throwing away the commandements of God I would have them at the day of their death to out-stand the curse of God The Lord God commands to sanctifie his Sabbaths and to love his truth and his children yet you will not but you will strive against all I would haue you to out-stand the curse of God in the day of judgement and when the Lord Iesus shall say Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire stand it out now and say I will not goe to hell Lord I will not be damned No no you broke the cords here but the Lord will binde you in chaines of darknesse for ever remove those chaines if you can No Esay 2.17 the haughtinesse of men shall be brought low and the loftinesse of men shall be abased and the Lord shall onely be exalted in that day Vse 2 The second Use is for instruction to shew unto us that an humble Soule is mervailous teachable and tractable and is willing to yeeld unto and to be guided by any truth it submits and there is no quarrelling against the commandements of God one word of Gods mouth is enough If the Lord reproves it takes the same home to it selfe if the Lord promiseth it beleeves and if the Lord threatens it trembles It is easie to be convinced of whatsoever it is informed if it have no good reason to gaine-say it It is not of that wayward and pettish disposition that it will not be satisfied though all his reasons be answered and all objections taken away It is not led by his owne humours as many a man is though his conceits be against reason and opposite against God and his grace Nay it is content to yeeld to the authority of the truth and to take the impression of every truth it heares and yields Iob 34.32 and obeyes and frames it selfe answerably As Iob saith That which I know not teach thou mee and if I have done any iniquity I will doe so no more The humble Soule is content to confesse his ignorance and to submit to any truth that may enforme him and it is content to receive that mercy and grace that is offered by what meanes soever God seeth best to Communicate it Nay the heart that is truly submissive is as willing to take comfort when it is offered upon good grounds as it is to performe dutie enjoyned By a foolish pettishnesse the divell withdrawes the hearts of Gods owne people from much comfort that God hath dished out of purpose for their benefit For howsoever the Soule of a poore sinner be truly touched yet for want of this lowlinesse and this teachablenesse and submission it refuseth that sap and sweet that it should take and receive from the Lord. Take a poore sinner that hath many sinnes burthening of him and hee is crushed with them and that in truth he desires comfort but receives none Let the Minister of God come and answer all his arguments and satisfie all his quarrels that he can make and set him on a cleare boord and tell him that the work of grace is cleare and mercy is appointed for him Now marke how he flyes of through that sullennesse and untoward peevishnesse and pride of Spirit hee casts away the mercy and yields not to the comfort offered though he is content to yield to the duties enjoyned and so he deprives himselfe of that mercy and comfort that is offered and thus when all is done time after time the Soule saith I see it not and I perceive it not and all the world shall not perswade me of it Why what are you wiser then all the world what a pride of heart is this Oh saith he another man may be cozened and deceived but I know my owne heart better then any Minister doth But you tell the Minister what your condition is and so what you know hee knowes and hee hath more judgement to enforme you then you have of your selfe Then saith the Minister all your cavils and objections are answered and remooved and all that worke of grace that God hath wrought you have made it knowne and revealed and all this is made good by the Word of God now if all these quarrels be answered and if all the reasons and evidences of the worke of grace be made cleare that you cannot deny them then why may not you take comfort Downe with that proud heart of yours that will not beleeve whatsoever the Minister saith Oh the height of pride and haughtinesse of heart in this case I speake to you to whom comfort and mercy is impropriated downe with those proud spirits I say It is not because you cannot but because you will not It is said in Esay God prepares the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse When the Lord seeth the soule prepared and humbled Esa 61.3 he takes measure of it and disheth out a comfort answerable he prepares a consolation as fit as may be and yet the Soule will not put it on nor be warned and refreshed with it as it is with some way-ward untoward childe who when his father hath prepared a suit of cloathes fitting for him because he hath not such and such a lace hee will not put it on but throwes all away Oh it is marvellous pride of spirit a rod
Nay the Soule finds no end in pleading and therefore he reasons thus with himselfe and saith that God cannot doe more against him then he hath deserved but be sure he thinkes that God will not lay more upon him then hee is worthy of Nay it is sure the Soule cannot beare nor suffer so much as he hath deserved and pluckt upon himselfe if God should proceed in rigour with him For the sinner that will deale plainely and discernes his evill exactly it is easie for him to number up all his abhominations and the Soule thus reasons with it selfe and saith I onely deserve eternall condemnation for the wages of all sinne is death being committed against an infinite Majestie and against a Divine Iustice and then what doe all these my sinnes deserve committed and continued in and maintained against the light of Gods Word against all corrections and all checks of conscience and all the Commandements of God hell is too good and ten thousand hels is to little to torment such a wretch as I am In truth I begged mercy but what I mercy I am ashamed to expect it and with what heart can I beg this mercy which I have troden under my feet Shall that blood of Christ purge my heart that blood that I have trampled under my feet and accounted it as an unholy thing and when the Lord hath woed mee and his wounds were bleeding and his sides goared and his hideous cryes comming into mine eares My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee yet this Christ have I slighted and made nothing of his blood and can the blood of Christ doe mee any service indeed I doe crave grace but how doe I thinke to receive any All the pillars of the Church can testifie how often grace and mercy hath beene offered to me but I have refused it therefore how can I begge any grace And as the text saith They shall see their sinne and acknowledge their wayes and Iudge themselves worthy to be condemned So the Soule confesseth that it is worthy of nothing that is good it is not worthy of Gods love nor of Gods preservation nor any other priviledge only he confesseth that he doth loath himselfe and saith Oh this stubbornnesse and villany and this wretchednesse of mine what I mercy no I am not worthy of any it is more then I can expect I am onely worthy to be cast out for ever As the Prophet Ezechiel saith That thou mayest remember Ezech. 16.63 and be confounded and never open thy mouth more because of thy shame that is they shall remember the evill that they have committed and the Lords kindnesse and mercie that they have opposed and they shall be confounded and not open their mouthes any more So now his tongue cleaves to the roofe of his mouth and he saith I remember my evill and am ashamed to expect any mercy I sought for mercy before but now I see I am unworthy of any and worthy of all the judgements that God can poure upon me The Soule confesseth clearely that hee hath deserved more then God will lay upon him for if God should poure all his wrath upon him he must make him infinite to beare his infinite wrath and therefore the Lord onely layes so much upon him as hee is capable of Secondly the Soule acknowledgeth the equalnesse of Gods dealings be they never so harsh in this kind He confesseth that hee is as clay in the hands of the Potter and the Lord may deale with him as he will Yea the Soule is driven to an amazement at the Lords patience that hee hath beene pleased to reprive him so long and that God hath not cast him out of his presence and sent him downe to hell long agoe It is the frame of Spirit that the poore lamenting Church had Lament 3.22 It is the Lords mercy that wee are not confounded because his compassions faile not When a poore drunkard seeth how hee hath roared in the Alehouse against God and his truth and how he hath plotted against the Saints hee wonders that ever God could beare with such a wretch and that the earth hath not swallowed him up quick And when the Lord hath humbled the heart of an adulterer or adulteresse hee begins to think thus with himselfe the Lord saw all the evils that I have committed and all my plottings and all my inveighings and allurings to this sinne and my delight in it then the Soule admires that ever Gods Iustice was able to beare with such a monster and that God did not confound him in his burning lusts and cast him downe to hell Oh saith hee it is because his mercies faile not that my life and all hath not failed long agoe Nay the Soule concludes that the Lord should not save him As Nehemiah saith Howbeit Nehem. 9.33 thou art just in all that is brought upon us for thou hast done right but wee have done wickedly as if hee had said It is righteous that every man should lye under his owne load and therefore thou mayest justly condemne us Nay the Soule saith That God cannot but plague him for ought that hee perceives in Iustice as Daniel saith Dan. 9.14 Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evill and brought it upon us for the Lord our God is righteous in all his works which he doth because we obeyed not his voyce Hee speakes there of the 70. yeares captivity So the Soule saith Because the Lord is just and righteous and doth not onely punish but he cannot but punish and therefore he justifies the Lord in all the plagues that ever can be inflicted upon him And hence it is that the Soule will not maintaine any kinde of murmuring or heart rising against the Lords dealings much lesse doth he hide it in the Lord. But though nature and corruption will be stirring and sometimes the heart will be grudging against the Lord and say Why doth the Lord thus and why are not my prayers answered such a Soule is humbled and such a Soule is comforted and why not I as well as hee yet when any such matter riseth in the heart hee stifles crusheth and chokes these wretched distempers and doth abase it selfe before the Lord saying What if God will not as the Apostle saith speaking of the rejection of some and the receiving of others so the Soule saith What if God will not heare thy prayers and what if God will not pacifie thy conscience nor shew any mercy to thee thou hast thy owne and doth the Lord doe me any wrong vile hell-hound that I am I have my sinne and my shame wrath is my portion and hell is my place I may goe thither when I will it is mercy that God deales thus with me Now the Soule comes to cleare God in all his providence and saith It is just with God that all the prayers which come from this filthy heart of mine should be abhorred and that all my labours in holy duties should
never be blessed for I have had these ends and by respects in all my duties it is I that have sinned against checks of conscience and against knowledge and therfore it is just that I should carry this horror of heart with mee to my grave it is I that have abused mercy and therefore it is just and righteous with God that I should goe with a tormenting conscience downe to hell Oh that if I be in hell I might have a Spirit to glorifie and justifie thy name there and say Now I am come downe to hell amongst you damned creatures but the Lord is righteous and blessed for ever in all his dealings and I am justly condemned Thirdly Hence the Soule comes to be quiet and frameable under the heavy hand of God in that helplesse condition wherein he is so that the Soule having beene thus framed aforehand it comes to this that it takes the blow and lyes under the burthen and goes away quietly and patiently hee is quiet and saith not a word more oh this is a heart worth gold He accounts Gods dealing and Gods way to bee the fittest and most reasonable of all Oh saith he it is fit that God should glorifie himselfe though I be damned for ever for I deserve the worst whatsoever I have it is the reward of my owne workes and the end of my owne way if I be damned I may thanke my pride my stubbornnesse my peevishnesse of Spirit and all my base corruptions what shall I repine against the Lord because his wrath and his displeasure lyes heavy upon mee let mee repine against my sinne that made him do it Let me grudge against my base heart that hath nourished these adders in my bosome shall I bee unquiet and murmure against the Lord because this horror of heart doth vexe mee oh noe let mee blesse the Lord and not Speake one word against him but let mee repine against my sin as the holy prophet David saith Psal 39.9 I held my tongue and Spake nothing because thou Lord haddest done it So the Soule saith when the sentence of condemnation is even seazing upon him and God seemes to cast him out of his favour then he saith I confesse God is just and therefore I blesse his name and yeild to him but sinne is the worker of all this misery that hath befallen mee The holy Prophet Ieremy pleading of the great extremity that had befallen the people of God saith woe is mee for my hurt Ier. 10.19 my wound is grievous but I said truly this is my griefe and I must beare it This is the frame of a heart that is truly humbled it is content to take all to it self and so to be quiet saying this is my wound and I must beare it this is my sorrow and I will suffer it thus you see what the behaviour of the heart is in this contentednesse Hold these well for they are of marveilous difficultie and great use Quest But what is the dealing of the Lord that the Soule must be contented with Answ The behaviour of the Lord towards the Soule in this kind discovers it selfe in two things First In what hee will do to the Soule Secondly in the manner of his dealing how hee will deale with the Soule and the heart must bee contented with both these Sometimes a man will beare a thing but not the manner of it that kills him but God will make a sinner wayt upon God for mercy and beg againe and againe and bee content with the harshest of his dealings and glad he may have it so too The first thing that God will have the Soule contented with 1. First thing that God will doe to the Soule and which the Soule must be contented with is that salvation and happinesse and the acceptation of a mans person now must be no more in a mans own hands nor in his owne abilitie the Lord hath taken the staffe out of his hand and salvation must bee no more put in his owne power Here is a wonderfull height of pride exprest before the Soule will yield to this When Adam was created in his innocency the Lord put a faire stocke into his hand and hee might have traded for himselfe and he had libertie of will and power of grace so that he might have gotten the favour of God by that which he could doe if hee would have done hee might have lived But when Adam had betrayed that trust which God committed to him in the state of Paradise because hee had forfeited this trust the Lord tooke all away from him and nothing shall be in him or from him any more in the point of Iustification or acceptation as any way meritorious Adam in his innocency might have required mercy by vertue of a Covenant from God but Adam shall now have nothing in his owne power any more but he shall have his Iustification and acceptation not in himselfe but in another even Iesus Christ So that the reason why any Soule is justified and accepted with the Lord it is meerely in an other not in himselfe It is a great matter to bring the heart to this for the Soule to see nothing in himselfe but all in and through Christ Oh this is a difficult worke The Lord will not trust him with a farthing token There are two passages marveilous usefull this way and therein you shall see the exceeding pride of a mans heart and it is very common One passage is in the Romanes Where the text saith Rom. 9.31.32 The Iew and the Gentiles sought for righteousnesse that is how they might finde acceptance and righteousnesse in the sight of God The Iew sought this by the works of the Law that is by himself by his sacrifices and washing and the like and he thought these would have acquitted him in the sight of God But the text saith Israel which followed after the Law of righteousnesse hath not attained it that is they have not attained it because they sought it not by faith and from Christ but in and of themselves and therefore they never came to attaine it But most pregnant is that other place Rom. 10 2 3. where the Apostle saith I beare them record that they have the zeale of God but not according to knowledge for they being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to Gods righteousnesse the cause why any man is acquitted of God it is not because of any thing that he hath or doth but it is from anothers righteousnesse But what a great matter is this The text faith That going about to establish their owne righteousnesse they have not submitted c. here in this place there is this remarkable They thought to establish their owne righteousnesse that is their owne duties and services their owne parts and abilities and because they thought to find acceptance for what they did they did not submit Submission argues
for the other haply they come to quicken up their hearts and to renew that which they knew before What swayes our Reasons First Let us try whether we submit in our judgements or no Here is a maine breach contrary to this submission is a mans carnall reason and that marvellous height of our conceits when we raise up our owne carnall reasonings as so many holds and we maintaine them against the truth of Christ and wheresoever this frame of minde is there this worke of Humiliation was never wrought And this is in too many When a man swels in his owne conceits against the truth of Christ That 's a sweet place to this end in the Romans Where the text saith The Wisedome of the flesh or as it is in the Originall The carnall minde is enmitie against God Rom. 8.7 for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be The carnall minde and all the reasonings and wisedome of it is not onely an enemy but it is enmitie against God The Apostle doth not say that a carnall mans wisedome and reason doth not obey but he is not able to beare the truth he as it were sets himselfe in battle aray against it it cannot be subject to the Law of God This is a maine wound in all the sonnes of Adam That a man as it were deifies himselfe and his owne dreames and devices and makes his owne conceit a line and levell to all his conversation So that the carnall minde will bend the truth to his minde though he breake it Here is the marvellous pride of a mans minde Hence it is that the Apostle adviseth us to be wise with sobrietie Rom. 12.3 As if he had said a man may be drunke with his owne conceits as when a drunkard hath gotten his braines well steeped in Wine and Beare then whatsoever he conceits in his minde must needs be as true as Gospel So it is with a carnall minde Though arguments be never so plaine and Scriptures never so pregnant yet a carnall wretch will carry himselfe against all and say it is not my Iudgement I am not of that minde This is the height of our minde as if he did say I doe not thinke it let the word of God and his Ministers say what they will to the contrary they shall not perswade mee of it Doest thou finde this in thy selfe then it is an undoubted argument thou never hadst a heart truly humbled See what the Apostle saith If a man thinks that hee knowes any thing 1 Cor. 8.2 he knowes nothing as he ought to doe You thinke you are as wise as you need to be and you are not children yet You that thus lift and set up your selves in your owne conceits whatsoever you bee you know nothing as you ought to do And therefore the Apostle speaks of some that were puft up in their owne conceits Colloss 2.18 intruding into those things which they have not seene vainely puft up in their owne minds You conceive and imagine thus and thus and will not beleeve the Minister of God whatsoever he saith therefore you are puft up and this is not a heart truely humbled and kindly wrought upon A carnall man presseth into some imagination as to his owne propper possession As the old proverbe is The foole will not leave his bable for all the Citie of London So a carnall heart saith I cannot be otherwise perswaded I say then the case is cleare is it so with thy judgement and carnall reason then as yet thou wert never under the power of this truth thou shuttest up doores against Iesus Christ he cannot come in to informe thee thou art so full of thy selfe Object But some will say how doth this carnall reasoning lift up it selfe against the truth of Iesus Christ Answ To this I answer the lifting up of my carnall reason makes it selfe knowne in three particulars and by these you shall know when your conceits carrie you aloft from the truth of Christ First A carnall reason being thus puft up it is not willing to know the word of God nor his truth especially those truthes that are troublesome and tedious to him preach and speake what you will but preach not that Hee either wisheth himselfe deafe that hee could not heare or the Minister dumbe that hee could not deliver those truthes The Lord sent the Prophet Esay to preach to the people and yet to seale them downe to eternall destruction Esay 6.9 10. and therefore the Lord saith Goe tell this people heare but understand not see but perceive not make the heart of this people fat they winke with their eyes As it is with a bleare eye that is not able to looke against the Sunne but shuts for feare the Sunne should hurt it So a carnall proud minde is not able to looke into the truthes that may trouble it and that would awaken his bleare eye And in another place the people doe intreate the Prophet Esay to goe out of the way and to turne aside out of that path Esay 30.11 cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before us As if they had said We cannot endure this holinesse wee cannot brooke this exactnesse you bid us to be holy or else God will destroy us get you out of that path they were weary of those blessed truthes A double example we have of this distemper of spirit in holy Scriptures As in Iob Where the wicked say to God depart from us for wee desire not the knowledge of thy wayes The drunkard desires not to heare of any horror of heart for his sinne and the hypocrite desires not to heare that he must be sound and sincere and keepe touch with God in every thing and so all vngodly men goe against the truth of God which crosseth their lusts and corruptions And in Timothy it was the tange of a cursed distemper of spirit in a company of wretches in this age The text saith The time shall come when they shall not endure sound doctrine Tim. 4.3 And here it is to be noted that a company of carnall Gentlemen and base refuse people of other degrees are come to this passe that let a plain searching truth be discovered they turne away from it and cannot heare it with patience but if any man will tell them some fine stories Oh this pleaseth them admirably they cannot endure sound doctrine that searcheth the heart and awakens the conscience they cannot brooke that now an humble heart is of another minde it is willing to heare any thing from the Lord and any message from heaven and the humble Soule saith Speake on Lord thy servant desires to heare the word never so troublesome and the truth never so much crossing his lusts hee is well content to heare it Nay hee desires that especially and hee is calmed with it Marke what Eli said Sam. 3.17 Keepe not back from me but let mee heare whatsoever
the Lord hath said unto thee An humble Soule comes to this passe and saith If there be any sinne or any wickednesse in my heart good Lord discover it and if there be any duty to be done Lord let me know it And as Cornelius said Acts 10.33 Wee are all here present before the Lord to heare whatsoever thou art commanded us of God So the humble Soule saith Whatsoever trouble it brings I yield to the truth and desire to heare it Thirdly As the carnall reason shuts his eye and will not looke upon the truth so in the second place if it be so that it must heare that which it would not what is the next shift that it hath hee will not suffer himselfe to be convinced by the truth but when the truth comes in with plainenesse and power he labours what hee can to gather up objections and cavills against the truth that he may oppose the power of Gods word that sith it is so that he must heare it he labours to make it false This is considerable Rom. 2.8 Vnto them that are contentious and doe not obey the truth but obey unrighteousnesse shall be indignation and wrath Who are they that are contentious not onely they that contend with their neighbours but they that contend against the truth for so the words following doe import so much Which obey not the truth One man heares a close point and then hee goes away and saith I will not beleeve it I know reason and I will be bound to confute it and all this is nothing but a smoake and he deales by the truth as men doe with an enemie in this case First they labour to keepe him out from their confines and if they cannot doe that then they leavie forces to drive him out from their land So it is with a company of carnall men they would not looke upon the truth to be enformed by it Well Heare they must and heare they shall if they live under the power of the Gospell but if they must heare it they are contentious and advise with this carnall friend and that carnall Minister and if they can get any man to plead for their lusts that they may arme themselves against the blessed truth of God they think themselves happy men If a Minister come home to the heart of a carnall wretch that will buy and sell upon the Lords Day and say to him Remember that thou keepe holy the Sabbath then hee goes to some carnall man that buyes and sels as well as himselfe and then he will have an army of forces against the truth of God As the Apostle saith 2 Tim. 3.8 As Iannes and Iambres withstood Moses so doe these men resist the truth men of corrupt minds and reprobates concerning the faith how is that When Moses came to Pharaoh to deliver the people of Israel and when Moses shewed some signes and wonders Pharaoh would not yeild to the Miracles and therefore he called for Iannes and Iambres and they made some appearances of Serpents as Moses had done and so Pharaohs heart was hardened even so When the Word of God is plaine and the evidences of it are uncontrolable then a carnall minde sends for carnall quarrels and pleas and objections and this hee doth to oppose the truth of Christ and to make an army against the blessed ordinances of God They count it a matter of favour if any man will deliver and rescue them from the truth As when this truth comes You must not buy and sell upon the Sabbath but you must be holy as God is holy c. If this truth bee troublesome oh they cannot beare it and they would faine be rescued they account this truth an enemy to them and if any man will deliver them from the truth they thinke him a God and they admire at his judgement and say such a man is wise and a deepe Scholler and hee saith thus and thus hee will defend this as well as I thus a man is fortified against the truth But an humble Soule will not doe thus After the Word and Truth of God is revealed in this kinde and all reasons answered The understanding of this humble Soule gives way and opposeth not the truth Give an humble Soule Scripture for that you say and hee hath done and lets all carnall counsels passe and all matters objected and he saith I am fully perswaded of it the truth is plaine God forbid that I should quarrell with it This is for the understanding Thirdly If the truth be so cleare and plaine that he cannot gaine-say it then he turnes aside from the authoritie of the truth and will not suffer it to take place in his minde This is the last shift which a carnall heart hath As when a debtor is arrested at first hee grapples with the Serjeant but when hee seeth the Bailiffe or Serjeant is too good for him he labours to make an escape and trusts to his feet rather then to his hands So it is with a carnall wretched heart When hee cannot but confesse and yeild that the truth is plaine and that hee cannot grapple with the truth then hee falles flat against it when his Serpent is eaten up by Moses Serpent and all carnall pleas are eaten up by the truth then he is faine to withdraw himselfe from the authoritie of it From hence comes all those shifts we tell people they are miserable and in a naturall and damnable condition Oh say they God is mercifull oh but say we the mercy of God is such that as he pardons men so hee purgeth them and if mercy will save you mercy will purge you too and make you forsake your sinnes doe you thinke that mercy will carry you and your peevish proud lustfull hearts to heaven No he will not then say they we will repent hereafter and then we tell them againe harden not your hearts to day if you will heare his voyce take mercy now while it is cal'd to day God requires repentance now and now you must humble your selves and repent Yet the Soule goes on and saith we blesse God we doe repent and when wee sweare we cry God mercy and though wee have beene and are sometimes drunke yet we are sorry for it then we make them answer and say you say you are sorrowfull but sound sorrow is ever accompanied with sound reformation As the Apostle saith This same thing that you have beene sorrowfull what carefulnesse hath it wrought in you 2 Cor. 7.11 what clearing of your selves what indignation and the like And as the wise man saith He that confesseth and forsaketh his sinne shall finde mercy Pro. 28.13 Then the sinner replyes no man can doe thus What would you have us without sinne we must be content to doe as we may Thus you see they yeild to the truth and cannot but confesse that it is plaine but they take away the power of the truth and the command of it You may
in at the straite gate c. This gate or this entrance into life is Humiliation of heart When the Soule is loosened from and bids farewell to sinne and himselfe then the gate is opened And as it is in other wayes If there be but one way or gate into an house and the traveller misseth that gate he looseth all his labour and must goe backe againe but if he once get in at this gate he is safe enough then So it is here There is a most narrow way of Gods Commandements and there is but one way or gate into this happinesse it is narrow and a little gate and a man must be nothing in his owne eyes and if you misse this gate you loose all your labour and shall never come to Salvation If a man could heare and pray all his dayes yet if his heart be not humbled he and his profession shall goe to hell together In Saint Matthew the conclusion is very peremptory when the Disciples were contending who should be highest Christ set a childe in the middest of them and said Except you become as little children Math. 18.3 you cannot enter into the Kingdome of heaven You may doe any thing with Infants and all that they have to doe is to cry Vnlesse you have humble hearts you cannot enter into heaven Hee doth not say You cannot be great men or you cannot goe farre into heaven but he saith You cannot enter So then the danger being so great and the mistaking so full of hazard and seeing it is possible to have it therefore let us use all diligence to make this worke sure Thirdly 3. Motive consider the mervailous good that God hath promised and which hee will bestow upon all that are truly humbled And let all these be as so many cords to draw us to looke for this blessed frame of heart Wee have need of all the motives in the world I know it is a hard matter for a man to lay downe himselfe and his parts and all his priviledges in the dust I say it is mervailous irksome and tedious to the nature of a carnall man but it will quit all his cost in the end When wee shall tast of those sweet benefits that come by a humble heart and have gotten Iesus Christ and mercy from him then it will never repent us that wee have spent so many teares and made so many prayers and used so many meanes to pull downe the pride of our hearts Oh brethren thinke of it See and consider the admirable benefits and the exceeding great good that will come to you thereby The good things that come by a heart that is truly humbled they are specially foure and with those the truth and substance of whatsoever the heart can crave and desire The first benefit of an humble heart is this by this meanes wee come to be made capable of all those riches of the treasure of wisedome and grace and mercy that are in Christ and not onely of the blessings for a better life but of all things in this life so farre as they are good for us First wee are made capable of all those treasures of wisedome grace and mercy that are in Christ and for this cause was Christ sent to preach glad tidings to the meeke as you heard before all the Gospell and all the glad tidings of it doe belong to an humble soule And the Prophet Malachy saith Malac. 3.1 Behold I will send my messenger to prepare the way before mee and the Lord whom you seeke shall suddainly come into his Temple Iohn Baptist was Christs harbenger and hee made way for Christ and when the way was prepared Christ came immediatly Wee are the Temple of the holy Ghost saith the Apostle Now if the heart bee once prepared and humbled looke then immediatly for Christ Are you not content to have Christ dwell in your hearts If you will be humbled and so prepared there is neither want of love nor speed on his part This should mervailously lift up the heart of every man to seeke for this blessed grace If thou art truly humbled care not for the love of men the love of Christ will satisfie thee And though thy father and mother cast thee out of doores and thy husband tumble thee out of his bed yet if thou be truly humbled Christ will be in stead of father and husband and all comforts to thee God hath but two thrones the humble heart is one So the Text saith Esa 57.15 I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit c. If the Lord Iesus come to dwell in thy heart and that hee will doe if thou be truly humbled then certainly hee will provide for thee all needfull comforts for this life See what Zephany saith Zeph. 2.3 Seeke yee the Lord all yee meeke of the earth which have wrought his judgement seeke righteousnesse seeke meekenesse it may be you shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger When all things threatned desolation and destruction see who they were that had safety promised onely the meeke Object But some will say Is it not better for a man to be proud with the proud and to play the Beare amongst Beares and the Lyon amongst Lyons and to shift for one Answ No saith the text seeke meekenesse The humble Soule may take this to himselfe as his part and portion If there should be desolation amongst us as there is in Bohemia in the Palatinate and in other Countries the humble Soule shall be hid When the mightie tall trees are blowne downe by strong winds the little shrubs may be shaken a little but they stand still they are safe and sure when the mighty Oakes are either horribly shaken or puld up by the roots So if ever you will seeke safetie and deliverance seeke meekenesse and then you shall be hidden When the proud heart shall be weltering in his blood the Lord will provide a shadow to succour and to comfort you If Christ dwell in your hearts he is bound to all reparations 2. Benefit Secondly as Humiliation of heart doth estate a man into Christ and his merits and all provision in this kinde so it gives him the comfort of all that good which hee hath in Christ There are many that have a right to Christ and are deare to God and yet they want much sweet refreshing that they might have and as the Proverbe is They never see their owne because they want this Humiliation of heart in some measure To be truly humbled is the next way to be truly comforted The Lord will looke to him that hath an humble contrite heart Esay 62.8 and trembles at his word that is an humble Soule a poore Soule a very beggar at the gate of mercy the Lord will not onely know him for he knowes the wicked too in a generall manner but hee will give him such a gracious looke