purchase you and might justly condemn you upon the first denial or demur behold I stand this is the Suitor 2. His posture and action I stand at the door and knock the word is in the Preter Tense I have stood but being here joyned with another Verb of the Present Tense it is fitly translated I stand yet so as that it notes a continued action I have stood and do still stand with unwearied patience I once stood personally and bodily among you in the days of my flesh and I still stand spiritually and representatively in my Ambassadors at the door i. e. the mind and conscience the faculties and powers which are introductive into the whole soul. The word Door is here improperly put to signify those introductive faculties of the soul which are of a like use to it as the Door is to the House This is the Redeemer's posture his action is knocking i. e. his powerful essays and gracious attempts to open the heart to give him admission The word Knock signifies a strong and powerful knock he stands patiently and knocks powerfully by the Word outwardly by the convictions motions impulses strivings and instigations of his Spirit inwardly 3. The design and end of the Suit it is for opening i. e. consenting receiving embracing and hearty accepting of him by faith Acts 16. 14. The Lord opened the heart of Lydia i. e. perswaded her soul to believe implying that the heart by nature is strongly barr'd and lock'd up against Christ and that nothing but a power from him can open it Secondly The powerful Arguments and Motives used by Christ to obtain his Suit and get a grant from the Sinners heart and they are drawn from two inestimable benefits accrewing to the opening or believing soul. viz. 1. Union 2. Communion with Christ. 1. Vnion I will come in to him that is I will unite my self with the opening believing soul he shall be mystically one with me and I with him 2. Communion I will sup with him and he with me that is I will feast the believing soul with the delicates of Heaven Such comforts such joys such pleasures as none in the World but Believers are capable of And to set home all these special benefits are proposed by Christ to all sorts of Sinners great and small old and young if any man hear my voice and open the door that so no soul might be discouraged from believing by the greatness or multitude of his sins but the vilest of Sinners may see free grace triumphing over all their unworthiness upon their consent to take Christ according to the gracious offers of the Gospel The words thus opened afford many great and useful points of Doctrine comprehending in them the very sum and substance of the Gospel The first which ariseth from the solemn and remarkable Preface Behold will be this I. DOCTRINE That every offer of Christ to the Souls of Sinners is recorded and witnessed with respect to the day of account and râ—ckoning Here we shall enquire into three things 1. Who are Gods Witnesses to all Gospel tenders 2. What are the object matters they witness to 3. Why God records every offer of Christ and takes witness thereof First Who are Gods Witnesses to all the tenders and offers made of Christ by the Gospel and they will be found to be more than a strict legal number for 1. His Ministers by whom he makes them are all Witnesses as well as Officers of Christ to the People Acts 26. 16. I have appeared unto thee for this purpose to make thee a Minister and a Witness Here you see Ministers have a double office to propose and offer Christ and then to bear witness for or against those to whom he is thus offered They are expresly called Gods Witnesses Rev. 11. 6 7. Their labours witness their sufferings witness their solemn appeals to God witness yea the very dust of their feet shaken off against the refusers of Christ turns to a testimony against them Mark 6. 11. Every groan and sigh every drop of sweat much more of blood are placed in Gods Book as Marginal Notes by all their Sermons and Prayers and will be produced and read in the great day against all the refusers and despisers of Christ. 2. The Gospel it self which is preached to you is a Testimony or Witness for God for or against every one that hears it Iohn 12. 48. He that rejecteth me and receiveth not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken the same shall judge him in the last day And this is the sense of Christs words Matth. 24. 14. And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the World for a Witness to all Nations and then shall the end come Ah Lord what a solemn record is here Every Sermon you hear yea every reproof perswasion and conviction is a Witness for God to cast and condemn every Soul in Judgement that complies not obediently with the calls of the Gospel So many Sermons so many Witnesses 3. Every mans own conscience is a Witness for God that he hath a fair offer once made him the very consciences of the Heathens that never saw a Bible that had no other Preachers but the Sun Moon and Stars and other works of Nature yet of them the Apostle saith Rom. 2. 15. That they shew the work of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witness and their thoughts the mean while accusing or excusing one another Certainly if such vigour and activity was put into the consciences of Heathens who could only read the will of God by the dim Moon-light of natural reason how much more vigorous and active will conscience be in its accusing office against all that live under the bright beams of Gospel light Their consciences will be swift Witnesses and will ring sad Peals in their ears another day You shall know that there hath been a Prophet among you Ezek. 2. 5. This single Witness is instead of a thousand Witnesses for God. 4. The examples of all those that do believe and obey the Gospel are so many Witnesses for God against the despisers and neglecters of the great Salvation Every mourning trembling Soul among you is a Witness against all the dead hearted unbelieving disobedient ones that sit with them under the same ordinances Hence it is said 1 Cor. 6. 7. Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the World They shall be Assessors with Christ in the great day and condemn the world by their examples as Noah did the old world and thus Matth. 21. 32. John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not but the Publicans and Harlots believed him and ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might believe him q. d. What shift did you make to quiet your consciences and stifle your convictions when you saw Publicans the worst of men and Harlots the worst of women repenting
The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Matth. 11. 12. Why should other Mens Souls be dearer to them than yours unto you What discouragements have you which other Men have not Or what encouragements have they which you have not Say not we have no assurance our pains shall prosper or our strivings be made effectual to Conversion if there were any promise in the Gospel that such endeavours should be seconded from Heaven and made available to Salvation then we would strive as long as breath and life should last but all this may be to no purpose we may be Christ-less and hope-less when all is done But yet remember it is possible God may bless these weak endeavours and come in by his Almighty Spirit with them Nay it is highly probable that he will do so and is a strong probability nothing with you Do you use to do no actions about your civil callings without an assurance of success When the Merchant adventures his Life or Estate at Sea is he sure of a good return Or doth he not adventure upon the meer hopes and probabilities of a gainful voyage When the Husbandman plows his Lands empties both his bags and purse upon it is he sure of a good harvest May not a blast come that shall defeat all his hopes Yet he ploweâ—h and soweth in hope and ordinarily God maketh him partaker of his hope but without such industry his expectations would be vain Away then with vain excuses up and be doing in the use of all appointed means and the Lord be with you Third Vse for Tryal Before I dismiss this Point let us try our selves by it whether God have opened our Hearts to Christ broken these Bars of Ignorance Unbelief Custom Prejudice c. and the Will stand wide open to receive Christ Jesus the Lord. This is a solemn Use the consequence of it great Oh that our faithfulness and seriousness in the trial might be answerable Try your selves by these following marks I. Mark. If your Eyes be not opened to see sin in its vileness and Christ in his glory suitableness and necessity then sure your Hearts were never yet effectually opened by the Gospel I confess Mens Eyes may be opened to see sin and yet their Hearts at the same time shut up by unbelief against Christ but no Mans Heart can be opened to Christ whilst his Eyes are shut Iohn 6. 40. This is the will of him that sent me that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him may have everlasting life The work of Faith is always wrought in the light of Conviction the cure of the Heart begins at the Eye of the Mind Acts 26. 18. To open their Eyes and turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. God opens Mens Hearts by shining into them 2 Cor. 4. 6. If therefore any Mans Eyes be still blinded with Ignorance Prejudice c. so that he apprehends not his own guilt and misery nor sees the worth and necessity of a Saviour that Mans Heart is still under Satans Lock and Bar sin is shut in and Christ is shut out of that Mans Soul. II. Mark. No Heart opens to Christ by Faith till it be first prickt and wounded by Compunction and Humiliation this Heart-wounding work is always antecedent to the work of Faith. I doubt not but your thoughts fore-run my Discourse to that famous Scripture Acts 2. 37. where Peter preaching to those that had crucified Christ and bringing up his Discourse close to their Consciences in the application of that Sermon convincing them not only what an horrid and atrocious crime the crucifying the Son of God was in it self but also charging it home upon them Whom you have taken and with wicked Hands have crucified and slain When they heard this they were pricked at the Heart and cried out Men and Brethren what shall we do Upon this outcry three thousand Souls opened in one hour to Christ Now consider whether your Hearts have been thus prickt and wounded Hath sorrow for sin pierced thy Soul Vain sinner that frothy Heart of thine must be made to bleed under Compunctions for sin or there will be no room for Christ in it Come Souls t is in vain to flatter your selves in your own Eyes reflect upon the frames of your Hearts call back the days that are past and say When was the Time and where was the Place when thou layest at the Foot of God sobbing and mourning upon the account of thy Sins Did ever God hear such a cry as this from thy Soul Ah Lord my Soul is distressed I rowle hither and thither for ease and comfort but find none O the insupportable weight of guilt Oh the bitterness of sin My Soul fails under it Lord undertake for me I do not say The degrees of Compunction and Humiliation are equal in all Converts neither their sins nor abilities to bear sorrows for them are equal but this I say Thy Heart must ake for sin or it will never open to Christ he binds up none but broken Hearts Isa. 61. 1. III. Mark. If Christ be come into thy Heart then the love and delight of every sin is gone out of thy Heart Christ and the love of sin cannot dwell together what Christ said to the Soldiers that apprehended him in the Garden the like he saith to every Soul that comes to apprehend him by Faith If you seek me let these go their way away with the sin thou most delightest in Christ cannot come in till these be gone Isa. 55. 6 7 8. Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Here be the terms of your Acceptation and Salvation plainly laid down forsake thy ways and thoughts the way notes the external acts of sin and the thoughts the internal acts both of contrivance and delight in sin both these must be forsaken and that 's not all for this makes up but a negative holyness Let him return to the Lord and he will have mercy It is in vain for Men to make the door of Salvation wider than God hath made it we cannot bring down Christs terms lower than he hath set them if we will not come up to them Christ and we must part And this makes the great struggle the sharp debate in the Souls of Converts Oh t is hard to give up pleasant and profitable lusts but away they must go a Bill of Divorce must be signed for them or you cannot be espoused to the Lord Jesus This will be found to be a harder tug than to part with all externals for Christ sake IV. Mark. No Heart can open truly to Christ that is not made willing upon due deliberation to receive
see Christ from the Cross casting forth a threefold cord which is not easily broken to draw the Hearts of sinners to him Fourthly to Conclude What mighty Demonstrations of the desires of his Heart towards us did our Redeemer give at and since his Ascension into Heaven As the whole Life of Christ upon Earth was a perswasive Argument to draw sinners to him so his Ascension to Heaven hath many things in it which are mighty attractives to the Hearts of Men. I will only mention two 1. The gifts he bestowed at his Ascension 2. The ends and designs of his Ascension 1. The gifts he bestowed on Men at his Ascension for this very end and purpose whereof the Psalmist gives this account Psal. 68. 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast received gifts for Men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them He alludes to the Roman Conquerors who in the day of their triumph did Spargere missilia scatter their largesses among the people Thus Christ at his Ascension shed forth the gifts of the Spirit in various kinds qualifying Men for the Work of the Ministry to enable them to plead with your Souls and carry on his suit when he should be in Heaven These gifts were extraordinary in the first Age as the gift of Tongues and Miracles c. and ordinary to continue to the end of the World Eph. 4. 8 9. To some he gives depth of Learning and Judgment to others a mighty Pathos a melting influence upon the Affections but all designed to win over your Hearts to Christ. This shews what care he took and what provision he answerably made for the success of his great design to draw the Hearts of sinners to him 2ly The ends of his Ascension as they are declared in Scripture plainly speak the vehemency of Christs desire to draw Souls to him Now the declared ends of his Ascension were 1 to make way for the Spirits coming to Convince Convert and Comfort the Souls of all that come unto him Iohn 16. 7. Nevertheless I tell yon the truth It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come to you but if I depart I will send him unto you And when he is come he will reprove the World of sin and of righteousness and of judgment Without the Conviction of these things no Man can come to Christ and no such Convictions can be wrought upon the Conscience of any Man without the Spirit and the Spirit could not come to effect these things upon Mens Hearts if Christ had not ascended Iohn 7. 39. But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Iesus was not yet glorified Thus Christ provided for the carrying on of his great design upon your Hearts when he was entring into his own Glory The thoughts of that Glory made him not to forget his great design upon Earth 2 Another end of Christs Ascension was to make Intercession with the Father for all and every Soul that should come unto him that their future sins might make no breach of the bond of the Covenant betwixt God and them A Privilege able to draw the Hearts of all sinners to him 1 Iohn 2. 1 2. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not Mark it the intercession of Christ must incourage and embolden no Man to sin that would be a vile abuse of the Grace of God. But if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins i. e. If sin surprize and deceive any gracious Soul the bent of whose Heart is against it let him not be discouraged he hath a potent Advocate ascended into the Heavens to continue the peace betwixt God and that Soul. O what an encouragement is here to gain the consent of a sinners Heart to embrace Jesus Christ 3 Another declared end of Christs Ascension was to lead captivity captive as in the forecited place Psal. 68. 17. that is to captivate and triumph over Satan as a conquered Enemy who led us captive in the days of our vanity He conquered Satan upon the Cross Col. 2. 15. but he triumphed over him at his Ascension And without such a conquest and triumph no Soul could come to Christ. 4 In a word Christ ascended into Heaven to prepare Mansions of rest and glory for every Soul that should embrace him in the way of repentance and faith in this World Iohn 14. 2 In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you q. d. It satisfies me not to enjoy my glory in Heaven alone all that come unto me by Faith shall be with me where I am let them know for their encouragement that the glory which God hath given me I have given them Iohn 17. 22. All these things loudly speak the fervent desires of Christs Soul after union and communion with poor Sinners which was the thing to be demonstrated 2ly Having proved the Point that Christ is an earnest Suiter for union and communion with the Souls of sinners we next come to shew the marvellous and admirable Grace and Condecension of Christ that it should be so And this will appear five ways to the astonishment of every considering Soul. 1. Though Christ be thus intent and earnest in his suit for your consent yet he gaineth nothing by you when you do consent the gain is to your selves but not to him He is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. above all accessions from the Creature What doth the Sun gain by enlightning and animating the lower World Or what doth a Fountain gain when Men drink and are refreshed by its Waters If any Soul that heareth me this day should presently resolve henceforth to break asunder all the tyes and engagements betwixt him and sin to subscribe the Articles of the Gospel to give away himself Soul and Body to Christ to live henceforth as an hallowed dedicated Creature to the Lord Jesus this indeed would turn to the infinite and everlasting advantage of such a Soul but yet Christ cannot be profited thereby 2ly And that which still encreaseth the wonder is this that though Christ makes no gain or profit by our Conversion yet hath he impoverished himself to gain such unprofitable Creatures as we are to him He hath made himself poor to make us rich so speaks the Apostle in 2 Cor. 8. 9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich He expends his riches makes no advantage unto himself his incarnation impoverished his reputation Phil. 2. 7. How poor was Christ when he said Psal. 22. 6. But I am a worm and no man a
the sincerity of Christ in those gracious offers he makes unto coming Souls Be satisfied he speaks his very Heart in them to thee the Devil labours to sow jealousies and beget suspicions in the Hearts of poor convinced sinners that they will not find such a welcom entertainment with Christ as he seems to promise them in those encouraging Scriptures Matth. 11. 28 29. Iohn 6. 37. But that something else lies hid in those Scriptures as a mystery which they understand not and so by shaking the assenting act labours to hinder the accepting act of Faith this is a case as common as it is sad the Lord help poor Souls to avoid this snare lest in stead of honoring Christ by a resolved adherence to him they make him a lyer and impute insincerity to the God of truth For he that believeth not hath made him a lyer IV. Direction Fourthly Look up to God for power to enable you to come to Christ in this supernatural and difficult work of Faith. Dont think Faith is of the growth of thine own Heart No Man can come unto me saith Christ except my Father which hath sent me draw him There is a legal Spirit working under Evangelical pretences in many Souls they look within them to find that which is quite above them the Apostle points you to the fountain of Faith in Eph. 2. 8. It is not of your selves it is the gift of God. 'T is one of the greatest difficulties in the World to believe For if the power of God must be owned as the cause of every new degree of Faith in the greatest believers in the World as is plain Luke 17. 5. The Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our Faith. How much more is the production of Faith it self and the first vital act thereof to be ascribed to the Almighty Power of God V. Direction Fifthly Keeping thine Eye of Expectation upon that Almighty Power pray and plead with the Lord assiduously and importunately for the exerting of that Power upon thy Soul and give not over thy Suit till thou feel that Power coming upon thee The time of believing is a time of earnest pleading thine own danger and necessity and the Spirit of the Lord improving them will abundantly furnish thee with Pleas and Arguments to enforce this Suit. Such as these 1. Lord I have thy call and invitation yea I have thy command to encourage me to believe it is not presumption therefore in thy poor Creature to come after thou hast invited and commanded me hadst thou not encouraged me I durst not have moved towards thee Lord whose Word is it 1 Ioh. 3. 23. is it not thine own This makes my Faith an act of obedience 2. Yea Lord I have thy promise as well as thy command made upon no other condition but my coming to thee blessed Jesus hast not thou said Iohn 6. 37. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out An invitation is much but thy promise is more 3. O my God I have not only thy command making it my duty to believe and thy promise to encourage me to that duty but I have the examples of other sinners that came unto thee long ago and thou didst not reject them nor do I abuse those examples in drawing incouragement from them for it was thy very design in recording them that they might be so many patterns to all that should hereafter believe on thee 1 Tim. 1. 16. 4. O my God I am shut up under a plain necessity I have no other way to take thus stands the case with me I am beaten off from all other refuges there is no help for me in Angels nor Men in duties or self-righteousness in thee only my Soul can find rest I am shut up to thee as to the only door of hope Gal. 3. 23. here I must speed or perish my Soul is burthened and wearied I know not how to dispose of it but into thy Hands nor where to lay the burden of my guilt but upon thee if I miss here I am gone for ever 5. Lord I am willing to renounce and abandon all other hopes refuges and righteousness and to stick to and rely upon thee only Duties cannot justifie me tears cannot wash me reformation cannot save me nothing but thy righteousness can answer my end I come to thee a poor naked Creature saying as the Church Hos. 14. 3. Asshur shall not save us c. for in thee do the fatherless find mercy Thus plead it with God and still remember you are pleading for Life yea for your eternal Life VI. Direction Sixthly Labour to make a resolved adventure upon Christ amidst all those encouragements let the issue be what it will resolve to venture though you have not the least degree of assurance that you shall be accepted and pardoned This is that brave and noble act of Faith which carries the Soul to Christ much as Hester came to the King Yet will I go in to the King and if I perish I. perish Hest. 4. 16. It pities me to think how the saving act of Faith is grosely mistaken in the World the generality think it is enough for them to believe that Christ died for sinners and therefore for them as well as any other but you see Faith is another matter O there are great difficulties and mighty wrestlings in the Work of Believing 't is a great matter for a poor convinced sinner in the face of so much guilt and viâ—eâ—ess and amidst such manifold damps and discouragements from Satan to cast and adventure himself upon Christ and that upon such self-denying terms but the pinch of necessity will bring the Soul to this for now it reasons with it self as the Lepers did 2 Kings 7. 4 5. If we go to the Camp of the Assyrians we can but dye and if we abide here we must certainly dye thus here if I sit still in the state of Nature and still continue demurring and delaying my damnation is unavoidable to Hell I must go and if I cast my self upon Christ I can but be rejected but he hath said He will not cast out those that come unto him in this way of Faith there is a possibility of Salvation yea there dawns from it a strong probability this therefore is my only way To him I will go and if I perish I perish VII Direction Seventhly Never measure the grace of God nor the mercy of Christ by the rule of your own narrow conceptions and apprehensions of him but believe them to be far greater than your contracted and narrow understanding represents them to you Our casting of the pardoning power and mercy of God into the mould of our own thoughts disfigures and alters them so that they look not like themselves but with a very discouraging aspect upon our Souls by this Satan keeps off many a Soul from coming to Christ the Lord knows how to forgive thee though thou scarce knowest how to forgive thy self for the
see that dou don't despise them I think no Age was ever deeper drencht in the guilt of this sin than the present Age is III. Inference What a fearful Judgment is the removing the Gospel from a Nation seeing it is in and by the Gospel Christ speaketh life to the Souls of men The Spirit of God and the Word of God usually come and go together when therefore these are gone no more Conversions are to be expected Dreadful is the case of that people Prov. 29. 18. Where no Vision is the people perish Those are direful Menaces Isa. 8. 16. Bind up the Law seal up the Testimony among my Disciples And Rev. 2. 5. I will remove thy Candlestick out of its place Better the Sun were taken out of the Heavens than the Gospel out of the Church O England provoke not thy God to execute upon thee the Judgment here threatned Think not God hath made such a Settlement of the Gospel that it shall never be removed however you use it Your advocate in Heaven hath obtained it for you for a time upon trial if you bring forth fruit well you and the Generations to come shall be happy in it if not this blessed Tree which hath brought forth so many Mercies to you and yours must and will be cut down Luke 13. 8. yea and even now is the ax laid at the root of the Tree Matth. 3. 10. 'T is an allusion to a Carpenter that throws down the Ax and Saws at the root of the Tree he intends to cut down The only ground of hope which remains with us this day is that there are some Buds appearing some Fruits putting forth and if there be a blessing in the Bud the Lord will spare it according to Isa. 65. 8. But these hopes are balanced with many sad symptoms which may make us tremble to think what God is about to do with such a sinful Nation IV. Inference Those that have heard Christ's voice and call in the Gospel have no reason to be discouraged from going to Christ in the way of Faith. Christ's Call is a sufficient warrant to believe Many poor Souls are stagger'd in their work of Faith by the fear of Presumption an ugly Objection which they know not how to clear themselves of But certainly this above all Considerations in the world enervates this Objection of Presumption Then men presume when they act without a Call or Warrant but if Christ have spoken to your hearts by the voice of his Spirit you have the best warrant in the world to go to him What though you know not the Issue yet your Obedience is due to his Call. By faith Abraham when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an Inheritance obeyed and he went out not knowing whither he went Hebâ— 11. 8. So must you It is not necessary to your going to Christ that you must be ascertained before hand what the Event and Issue thereof shall be Your believing is an act of Obedience to the voice of Christ that calls you When therefore Satan shall object What such a wretched Soul as thou go to Christ canst thou imagine to find entertainment with him whom thou hast so abused and deeply wronged Thy answer should be ready 'T is true I have been a vile wretch and have deeply wronged the Lord Jesus but Christ hath spoken to my heart he hath called me and therefore it can be no presumption in me to go at his Call but contrariwise it would be flat Rebellion against his Soveraign Command to refuse to believe and come unto him yea it would be a greater sin than any of my former sins have been Beside had the Lord Jesus no intention of mercy as thou maliciously insinuatest towards my Soul he would never have spoken to my heart by conviction and perswasion as he hath done V. Inference If no Soul can open to Christ until it hear his powerful spiritual voice then the change made upon men by conversion is wholly supernatural The rise of Faith is from this power of Christ not from the nature of Man Iohn 1. 13. Proud Nature arrogates this power and honour to it self but without any ground for though some things may be done by men in their natural state which have a remote tendency to conversion and spiritual life yet it can never open to Christ savingly without a power communicated from himself There is a total impotence in Nature to produce such an effect as this The Scripture speaks it roundly telling us The Natural man cannot of himself know the things that are of God 1 Cor. 2. 14. Cannot believe for Faith is not of our selves it is the gift of God Iohn 6. 44. Cannot obey Rom. 8. 7. The carnal Mind is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Cannot speak a good word Matth. 12. 34. Cannot think a good thought 2 Cor. 3. 5. What a poor impotent thing then is the Natural man who can neither believe nor obey speak a good word or think a good thought by any natural power of his own Say not 't is against Reason for God to require men to do what they cannot and then damn them for not doing it For 1. though man hath lost his ability to obey yet God hath not lost his right to command for at that rate any man might shake off the yoke of God's Soveraignty by disabling himself through his own sin for the duties of Obedience 2. Though man hath not a sufficient power yet there is in him an intolerable pride which puffs him up with a conceit that he hath what he hath not and can do what he cannot The Command is therefore of great use to check this pride and convince man of his impotency Rev. 3. 17. 3. Every man can do more than he doth towards his own Conversion And therefore it is good for men to be urged by the Commands to all those Duties in the use and observance whereof Christ ordinarily comes into the Soul by a supernatural power II. Vse for Exhortation This Point gives a loud Call to all that are within the sound of the Gospel especially to such as begin to feel some power accompanying the Word to their hearts diligently to hearken to the voice of Christ and obey his first Call without further delay Rev. 2. 7. He that hath an ear to hear let him hear 'T is a dreadful and dangerous thing to turn away the Ear from him that speaks from Heaven Hebr. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not that refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaks from Heaven See that ye refuse not the Caution implies the Matter to be very weighty and a neglect or refusal in this matter to be highly dangerous Turn not away your Ear be not guilty of the least aversation sleight or neglect in so great and
or that Minister time or place yet he hath tyed us to a diligent and constant attendance upon them Rom. 10. 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher I confess it seems a very unlikely means a weak and foolish method according to the dictate of corrupt humane wisdom yet by the foolishness of preaching it pleases God to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1. 21. That which the wisdom of Man derides God makes effectual unto Salvation And oh how many are there that will have cause to bless God to all eternity for gifting and sending such Ministers among them whose Doctrin the Lord blessed unto the conversion of their Souls Fourthly In the next place let us consider the scope and intention of this great design wherein these instruments are employed There are no great designs in the World but aim at some end to be accomplished by them Now there are two things in the Eye and intention of this design which are worthy of it 1. The exaltation of his own grace and the riches of his goodness before Angels and Men to all eternity The Name of God is never made so glorious in this World as it is by bringing over the Hearts of Men and Women to believe God reaps more glory from the faith of a poor creature that comes to Christ empty and weary than he doth from the other works of his Hands He hath not the like glory from the Sun Moon and Stars as from such poor creatures whose Hearts open to Jesus Christ under the Gospel call Thus they are fitted to manifest the glory of his grace Eph. 1. 5 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace c. God will have his rich and glorious grace praised and admired by Angels and Men for evermore and every converted Soul is as it were a monument erected unto the praise of his grace Heaven will ring with praises for ever that the great God would humble himself to come into the Heart of a vile sinner and dwell and walk therein as the expression is 2 Cor. 6. 16. O this is admirable that the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity will take up his dwelling place in a poor contrite sinner that trembles at his Word Isa. 57. 15. 2ly The eternal Salvation and blessedness of the Soul so opened to Christ is also the design and aim of this work of opening the Heart Luke 19. 9. When the Soul of Zacheus was opened by faith This day saith Christ is salvation come to this house You do not only believe to the glory of God but to the Salvation of your own Souls Heb. 10. 39. The opening of our Hearts to Christ now is in order to the opening of Heaven to us hereafter This is both the finis operis operantis the end of the work and intention of the worker 1 Cor. 1. 21. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that do believe It presently puts them into a state of Salvation though they be not yet actually and compleatly saved There is a necessary connection betwixt Conversion and Salvation though betwixt Conversion and compleat Salvation there may be many groaning hours sick and sad days and nights but full deliverance from sin and misery is secured to the Soul in the work of Faith Col. 1. 27. Christ in you is the hope of glory Fifthly Thus you see this great and glorious design projected and managed and that this is the very scope aim and intention of the whole Gospel even the opening the Hearts of sinners unto Christ by faith will evidently appear by considering the several parts of the Gospel which have a direct aspect upon this design and the declared end of the Spirit who is sent forth to make it effectual to this very end and purpose 1. To this the commands of the Gospel look it lyes full in the Eye of the preceptive part of the Gospel 1 Iob. 3. 23. And this is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ. And it is a very great encouragement if rightly considered that faith is constituted a duty by a plain Gospel precept for this cuts off that vain pretence and plea of presumption What such a vile wretch as thou saith Satan presume to believe in Christ But this cuts off the plea. Here 's a command from the highest Sovereignty the contempt whereof Men shall answer at their utmost peril 2ly This also is the declared end and scope of the Gospel promises and threatnings whereby the Souls of sinners are assaulted on both sides As for Promises how are all the sacred pages of the Bible adorned with them as the Firmament with radiant Stars Amongst which that in the Text seems to excel in glory If any Man open to me I will come in to him Like unto which is that Iohn 6. 35 37. I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Such rich and excellent encouragements to faith had never been put into the promises but for faiths sake and then for Gospel threatnings though they have a dreadful sound yet they have a gracious design what a terrible thunder-clap is that Iohn 3. 36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him To which another Threatning echoes with a like terrible voice Mark 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned There be dreadful things you see threatned in the Gospel against unbelievers but what is the intention of those threatnings but to scare Men out of their unbelief and carnal security unto Christ And thus both the promises and the threatnings though of far different natures conspire and meet in the self same design even to open the Heart to Christ by faith 3ly For the sake of this design all Gospel Ordinances and Officers are instituted and appointed maintained and continued in the World unto this day Why did Christ at his Triumphant ascension shed forth such variety of gifts upon Men but that God might dwell among them Psal. 68. 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for Men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them The whole frame of Gospel ordinances is declaredly set up for this purpose to bring Men to Christ and build them up in Christ Eph. 4. 12 4ly All the Scripture records of converted sinners whose Hearts God hath in any age opened were made for this very purpose to encourage other Souls by their examples to believe in or open unto Christ as they did For this purpose that famous and memorable conversion of Paul was graciously recorded 1 Tim. 1. 16. Howbeit for this
Psal. 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce restore unto me the joys of thy salvation vers 12. I cannot here omit to detect a great mistake here even amongst Gods own people many of them understand not what communion there should be with God under the manifestations of his displeasure for sin they know that the affectionate meltings of their Souls into love praise c. to be communion with God but that the shame grief and sorrow produced in them by the manifestations of Gods displeasure I say that even in these things there may be communion with God they understand not But let me tell thee that even such things as these are the choice fruits of the Spirit of Adoption and that in them thy Soul hath as real and beneficial communion with God as in the greatest transports of Spiritual joy and comfort O'tis a blessed frame to be before the Lord as Ezra was after conviction of thy loosness carelesness and Spiritual defilements the consequents of those sins saying with him O my God I am ashamed and even blush to lift up my face unto thee Ezra 9. 6. Shame and blushing are as excellent signs of communion with God as the sweetest smiles Lastly There are representations and special contemplations of the omniscience of God producing sincerity comfort in appeals and recourse to it in doubts of our own uprightness And this also is a choice and excellent method of communion with God. 1. When the omniscience of God strongly obliges the Soul to sincerity and uprightness as it did David Psal. 139. 11 12. compared with Psal. 18. 23. I was also upright before him The consideration that he was always before the Eye of God was his preservative from iniquity yea from his own iniquity 2. When it produceth comforts in appeals to it as it did in Hezekiah 2 Kings 20. 3. Remember now O Lord that I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart So Iob 10. 7. he also appeals to this attribute Thou knowest that I am not wicked So did Ieremiah Chap. 12. 3. But thou O Lord knowest me thou hast seen me and tryed my heart towards thee 3. When we have recourse to it under doubts and fears of our own uprightness Thus did David Psal. 139. 23. Search me O God and try my heart prove me and see my reins see if there be any way of wickedness in me In all these attributes of God Christians have real and sweet communion with him which was the first thing to be opened Communion with God in the meditation of his attributes Secondly The next method of communion with God is in the exercise of our graces in the various duties of Religion In Prayer Hearing Sacraments c. in all which the Spirit of the Lord influences the graces of his people and they return the fruits thereof in some measure to him As God hath planted various graces in regenerate Souls so he hath appointed various duties to exercise and draw forth those graces and when they do so then have his people sweet actual communion with him And 1. To begin with the first grace that shews it self in the Soul of a Christian to wit repentance and sorrow for sin In the exercise of this grace of repentance the Soul pours out it self before the Lord with much bitterness and brokenness of Heart casts forth its sorrows which sorrows are as so much seed sown and in return thereto the Lord usually sends an answer of peace Psal. 32. 4 5. I said I will confess my transgression and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Here 's a voice of sorrow sent up and a voice of peace coming down which is real communion betwixt God and Man in the exercises of repentace 2ly As there are seasons in duty wherein the Saints exercise their repentance and the Lord returns peace so likewise the Lord helps them in their duties to act their faith in return whereunto they find from the Lord inward support rest and refreshment Psal. 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed And oft-times an assurance of the mercies they have acted their faith about 1 Iohn 5. I4 3ly The Lord many times draws forth eminent degrees of our love to him in the course of our duties the heart is filled with love to Christ. The strength of the Soul is drawn forth to Christ in love and this the Lord repays in kind love for love Iohn 14. 21. He that loveth me my Father will love him and we will come and make our abode with him Here is sweet communion with God in the exercises of love O what a rich trade do Christians drive this way in their duties and exercises of graces 4ly To mention no more in the duties of Passive Obedience Christians are enabled to exercise their patience meekness and long suffering for Christ in return to which the Lord gives them the singular consolations of his Spirit Double returns of joy The Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon them 1 Pet. 4. 13 14. The Lord strengthens them with passive fortitude with all might in the inner-man unto all long-suffering but the reward of that long-suffering is joyfulness Col. 1. 11. This is the trade they drive with Heaven Thirdly Beside communion with God in the contemplation of his attributes and graces exercised in the course of duties there is another method of communion with God in the way of his Providences for therein also his people walk with him To give a taste of this let us consider Providence in a fourfold aspect upon the people of God. 1. There are afflictive providences rods and rebukes wherewith the Lord chastens his children this is the discipline of his house in answer whereunto gracious Souls return meek and childlike submission a fruit of the Spirit of Adoption they are brought to accept the punishment of their iniquities And herein lies communion with God under the rod this return to the rod may not be presently made for there is much stubborness unmortified in the best hearts Heb. I2 7. but this is the fruit it shall yield and when it doth there is real communion between God and the afflicted Soul. Let not Christians mistake themselves if when God is smiting they are humbling searching and blessing God for the discoveries of sin made by their afflictions admiring his wisdom in timing moderating and chusing the rod kissing it with a childlike submission and saying it is good for me that I have been afflicted that Soul hath real communion with God though it may be for a time without joy 2ly There are times wherein providence straightens the people of God when the waters of comfort ebb and run very low wants pinch if then the Soul returns filial dependance upon fatherly care saying with David Psal. 23. 1. The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want It belongs to him to provide and to me to depend I
the Gospel at Macedonia there Lydia was converted but how Not by their Skill or Eloquence but the Spirits influence Acts 16. 14. The Lord opened the Heart of Lydia The Church could not be propagated without Conversion Conversion could never be wrought without Christs Influence and Spiritual Presence So that this Presence is of absolute necessity the Church cannot subsist nor the great ends of Ordinances attained without it The first Inference Is Christ really Present in all Gospel Administrations how awfully Solemn then is every part of Gospel Worship We having to do with Christ himself and not with Men only in Gospel Ordinances Happy were it if under this Consideration all our People did receive the Word we Preach as the Thessalonians did not as the Word of Man but as the Word of God 1 Thes. 2. 13. then it would Work effectually in us as it did in them But alas We have loose and low apprehensions of the Word we come to Judge the Gifts of the Speaker not to have our Minds informed our Consciences searched our Lusts mortified and our Lives regulated But oh that Men would realize the Presence of Christ in Ordinances and seriously consider that Word of his Rev. 2. 23. All the Churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the Reins and Hearts and I will give to every one of you according to your Works How would it compose vain and wandering Hearts unto holy seriousness Oh if Men would but consider that they are before the Lord Jesus Christ as Cornelius and his Family did Acts 10. 33. We are all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. If they would consider the Word as the executioner of Gods eternal Decrees which returns not in vain but accomplishes that whereunto God sends it Isa. 55. 11. and eventually proves the savour of Life or Death eternal to them that sit under it 2 Cor. 2. 16. In a word were it but considered as the Rule by which its hearers shall be judged in the great Day Ioh. 12. 48. then how would Men tremble at the Word What mighty effects would it have upon their Hearts How would it run and be glorified But alas as Iob speaks Iob 9. 11. He goeth by me and I see him not he passeth on also but I perceive him not Few realize the Spiritual Presence of Christ in Ordinances Second Inference If Christ be really present with his Churches and Ordinances how vain are all the attempts of Enemies to subvert and destroy them That promise Matth. 28. ult supposes the continuance of a Gospel Church and Ministry to the end of the World else there would be a Promise without a Subject as de Iure there ought to be a Church so de facto there shall be a Church with Ministers and Ordinances let Satan and Antichrist do their worst I do not say this Promise secures this or that particular Church or Nation for the presence of Christ is moveable from one place to another but still the Church is safe And there are three things that secure it against all hazards First The invaluable Treasures God hath lodged in the Church viz. his Truths his Worship and his Elect such a precious Cargo secures the Vessel that carries it what ever Storms or Tempests may befal it Secondly The Covenant and Promise of God with the Church is its abundant security Matth. 16. 18. Vpon this Rock will I build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it The faithfulness of God is pawned for his Peoples security If the Church fail God's faithfulness must fail with it Thirdly But above all the Presence of Christ in the midst of it puts it out of all danger of miscarrying In that Promise Lo I am with you alway are found all munitions and fortifications whatsoever Here we have his Eye of Providence his Hand of Power and whatsoever else is needful to support and secure it God accounts his Presence our safety Isa. 41. 10. The Enemies of God and his People account it so too Exod. 14. 25. and shall it not be so in our own account Provoke not the Lord Jesus to withdraw his Presence and fear not the consultations and oppositions of Hell or Earth Third Inference From this Spiritual Presence of Christ all his faithful Ministers should draw incouragement amidst the manifold difficulties and discouragements they dayly encounter in his Work and Service Christ is with them they Work in Fellowship with him let them not be dismaid The difficulties and discouragements the Ministers of Christ meet with are great and many and the more faithful and successful any of them are in their Masters Work the fiercer opposition they must expect Besides all the discouragements rising out of their own Hearts which are not a few they must encounter First The opposition of Enemies from abroad Secondly The obstinacy and stubornness of the Hearts they work upon Satan is a jealous Prince and will raise all manner of outcries and oppositions against those heavenly Heraulds that come to Proclaim a new Prince in his Dominions and withdraw his miserable Subjects from their cursed Allegiance to him What is it to Preach the Gospel said Luther but to derive the fury of the World upon the Head of that Preacher But this would be easily supportable did our Work but prosper upon the hearts of our hearers but this alas is the killing consideration of all we know the worth of Souls and how great a service it is to save them from death Iames 5. 20. We also know the terrors of the Lord which excite our utmost endeavours to perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. We feel the compassions of Christ stirring in our own bowels which makes us long after their Salvation Phil. 1. 8. We preach we pray yea we travail again as it were in birth until Christ be formed in them Gal. 4. 19. And when we have done all we find their Hearts as Iron and Brass Ier. 6. 28. We mourn in secret when we cannot prevail and oft times our Hands hang down with discouragement and we are ready to say with the Prophet We will speak no more in his name Jer. 20. 9. But here is our relief under all discouragements from abroad and at home the Work is Christs the Power is his he is with us and we are Workers together with him There was a time when Three thousand Souls were born to Christ at one Sermon it may be now Three thousand Sermons may be preacht and not a Soul Converted Yet let us not be discouraged a time of eminent Conversions is Promised and to be expected in these latter days Ezek. 47. 9. when the living waters of the Gospel shall make every thing to live whither they come And when the Fishers i. e. the Ministers of Christ shall not fish with Angles as now they do taking now one then another single Convert but shall spread forth their Nets but inclose multitudes at
Ah sinner how canst thou grieve and dishonour that God that thus feedeth clotheth and comforteth thee on every side Do you thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Yet all will not do neither Judgments nor Mercies can affright or allure the carnal Heart to Jesus Christ. T is his Spirit his Almighty power alone that opens these everlasting Gates and makes these strong Bars give way and fly at his voice I. Inference Behold here the dismal state of nature the woful condition of all unregenerate Souls Christ the Redeemer shut out Sin and Satan shut in This is the horrid state of nature shut up in unbelief Rom. 4. 32. Ah Lord what a condition is this We should certainly account it an unspeakable misery to be shut into a House haunted by the Devil where we should be continually scared and frighted with dreadful noises and apparitions but alas what is an apparition of the Devil without us to the inhabitation of the Devil within us Nay what is the possession of a Body to Satans possession of the Soul Yet this is the very case of the unregenerate Luke 11. 21. The strong Man armed keepeth the Palace till Christ dispossess him by Sovereign victorious Grace Poor wretch canst thou start at a supposed vision of a Spirit and not tremble to think that thy Soul is the habitation of Devils There is a twofold misery lying upon all Christless unregenerated persons Satan is 1. Their Ruler in this World. 2. Their Tormenter in that to come 1. He is their Ruler in this World the Spirit that now worketh in the Children of disobedience Ephes. 2. 3. Look as the holy Spirit of God dwells and rules in sanctified Souls walks in them as in hallowed Temples guiding and comforting the Souls of the Saints so Satan dwells in unregenerate Hearts actuating their lusts inflaming them with his temptations using their faculties and members as instruments of unrighteousness And then 2ly He will be their Tormenter in the World to come He that Tempts now will Torment then Matth. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels Flee therefore and escape for your lives sleep not quietly another Night in so dismal and dreadful estate If the Son make you free then are you free indeed II. Inference What a glorious and admirable effect of Sovereign omnipotent grace is the effectual conversion of a sinner unto God! If every Heart by nature be secured for Satan under so many Locks and Bars then the opening of any Heart to Christ is deservedly marvellous in our Eyes You all acknowledge that the opening of the Graves at the Resurrection will be a glorious display of Almighty power and so it will it will be a wonderful thing to behold the Graves opened and the dead raised at the voice of the Arch-angel and the trump of God but yet give me leave to say That the opening of thy Heart poor sinner to receive Christ is a more glorious work than that of raising the dead It is therefore deservedly put into the first rank of the great mysteries of godliness that Christ is believed on in the World 1 Tim. 3. 16. He that well views and considers Christ may justly wonder that all the Hearts in the enlightned World do not stand wide open to embrace him and he that shall consider the frame and temper of the natural Heart and how strongly Satan hath intrenched and fortified himself in it may justly wonder to hear of a work of Conversion in an age Oh Brethren consider the marvels of Conversion the wonderful works of God upon the Soul that opens unto Christ by Faith. 1. There 's a new Eye created in the mind The Son of God is come and hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true 1 John 5. 20. Oh that Eye That precious Eye of Faith which shews the Soul as it were a new World a World of new and ravishing objects Eph. 5. 8. All the Angels in Heaven Ministers and Libraries upon Earth cannot create such an Eye give such an Illumination t is only he that commanded the light to shine out of the darkness that thus shineth into our Hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Iesus Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. 2ly And what a glorious supernatural Work is the conviction of the Conscience by the powerful stroak of the saving beams of light upon it Now the Conscience that lay in a dead sleep begins to startle and look about it with fear and horror Life and sense is got into it and now it cries ah sick sick sick at the Heart for sin sick for a Saviour 3ly And no less marvelous an effect of the Almighty power is the bowing of the stuborn Will so efficaciously so congruously and so determinately and fixedly to the Lord Jesus The Will is efficaciously determined so as no power of Hell or Nature can resist or frustrate that Mighty power which worketh effectually in all them that believe 1 Thes. 2. 13. Yet it works not by way of compulsion but in a way congruous and agreeable to the nature of the Will Hosea 11. 4. I drew them with the cords of a Man with the bands of love Satan bids for the Soul Christ infinitely outbids all his offers Eternal Spiritual and unsearchable Riches instead of sensitive perishing enjoyments which determin the choice of the Will in its own natural method by the sight of the excelling glory of Spiritual things And thus the mighty supernatural power of God opens that Heart which Satan had secured so many ways against Christ. III. Inference Hence it also follows that Man hath no free will of his own to supernatural good The Will cannot by its own power open it self to receive Christ by faith When it doth open to him it is not virtute innata sed illata not by its natural power but by the power of God upon it The admirers of Nature talk much of the Sovereignty Virginity and Liberty of the Will as if it alone had escaped the fall and that no more but a moral swasion is needed to open it to Christ that is that God need do no more to save Men than the Devil doth to damn them But if ever God make you sensible what the work of â—aving Conversion is you will quickly find that your Will is lame its freedom to Spiritual things gone you will cry out of a wounded Will as well as of a dark Head and a hard Heart You will quickly find That it is God alone that worketh in you both to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. That the birth of the new Creature is not of the Will of Man but of God Iohn 1. 13. IV. Inference Learn hence the necessity of Conversion in order to Salvation Christ and Heaven are shut up against you till your hearts be savingly opened unto him
Verily verily I say unto you you must be born again Iohn 3. 5. O sinner that hard Heart of thine must be humbled thy stubborn and refractory Will must be bowed all the powers of thy Soul must be unlockt and opened unto Christ he must come into thy Soul or thou canst never see the face of God in peace It is Christ in you that is the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. Till thy Heart be opened Christ with all the hopes of glory stand without thee And if hopes from the death of Christ without us without the application of his person be enough to save Men then why are any damned Consult 1 Cor. 1. 30. Adams sin damns none but only such as are in him and Christs righteousness saves none but those only that are by faith in him the eternal purposes of the Father the meritorious death of the Son puts no Man into the state of Salvation and happiness till both be brought home by the Spirits powerful application in the work of saving conversion T is good news good indeed that Christ died for sinners t is good news that Christ is brought to our very doors in the tenders of the Gospel and that the Spirit knocks at the door of our Hearts by many convictions and perswasions to open to him and enjoy the unspeakable benefits of his death these things bring us nigh to Christ the next door to Salvation and yet all this may be eventually but a dreadful aggravation of our damnation and will certainly be so to them whose Hearts are but almost opened to Christ. V. Inference See hence the necessity of fervent prayer to accompany the preaching of the Gospel Without the Spirit and power of God accompanying the Word no Heart can ever be opened to Christ Alas such Bars as these are too strong for the breath of Man to break Let Ministers pray and the People pray that the Gospel may be preached with the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven 1 Pet. 1. 12. It greatly concerns us that preach the Gospel to wrestle with God upon our knees to accompany us in the dispensation of it unto the People to steep that seed we sow among you in tears and prayers before you hear it and I beseech you Brethren let us not strive alone joyn your cries to Heaven with ours for the blessing of the Spirit upon the Word How doth Paul beg of the People as a beggar would beg for an alms at the door for their assistance in Prayer Rom. 15. 30. I beseech you brethren for the Lord Iesus Christ sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me For want of such wrestlings with God in prayer there is so little efficacy in Ordinances Martha told her Saviour Iohn 11. 21. Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died and I may tell you that if the Spirit had been here your Souls had not remained dead under the Word as they do this day Oh when the Sabbath draws near let fervent cries ascend from every Family to Heaven Lord pour out thy Spirit with thy Word make it mighty through thy Power to open these Gates of Iron and break asunder these Bars of Brass Second Vse of Exhortation Seeing the Case stands thus that all Hearts by nature are barr'd and shut up against Christ let every Soul do what it can and strive to its uttermost to get the Heart and Will opened to Christ Strive to enter in at the straight gate Christ is at the Door Oh strive with your selves as well as with God now to get it opened now that Salvation is come so near to your Souls Object But have you not told us that no sinner can open his own Heart nor bow his own Will to Christ Answ. True he cannot convert himself but yet he may do many things in order to it and which have a remote tendency towards it which he doth not do and so he perisheth not though he cannot but because he will not Divers things may be done by poor sinners with their own Hearts which are not done and though in themselves they are insufficient yet being the way and method in and by which the Spirit of God usually works we are bound to do them As for Example 1. Though it be not in your power to open your Hearts to Christ yet it is in your power to forbear the external acts of sin which fasten your Hearts the more against Christ Who forceth thine Hands to steal thy Tongue to swear or lye who forces the cup of excess down thy Throat 2ly Though you cannot open your Hearts under the Word yet it is in your power to wait and attend upon the external Duties and Ordinances of the Gospel Why cannot those Feet carry thee to the Assemblies of the Saints as well as to an Ale-house 3ly And though you cannot let the Word effectually into your Hearts yet certainly you can apply your minds with more attention and consideration to it than you do Who forces thine Eyes to wander or closes them with sleep when the awful matters of eternal Life and Death are founding in thine Ears 4ly Though you cannot open your Hearts to embrace Christ yet certainly you can reflect upon your selves when the obvious characters of a Christless state are plainly held forth before your Eyes God hath given you a self-reflecting power The spirit of a Man knoweth the things of a Man 1 Cor. 2. 11. When you hear of Convictions of sin compunctions of Heart for sin deep concernments of the Soul about its eternal state hungerings and thirstings after Christ restless and anxious Days and Nights about Salvation others have felt you can certainly turn in upon your selves and examine whether ever it were so with you and if not methinks it were not hard to aggravate your own misery to take your poor Souls aside and bemoan them saying Ah my poor Soul canst thou endure everlasting burnings What will become of thee if Christ pass thee by and his Spirit strive no more with thee Why can't you throw your selves at the Feet of God and cry for mercy Prayer is a part of natural Worship distress usually puts Men upon it that yet have no Grace Ionah 1. 5. Do but this towards the opening and saving of your own Souls which though it be not in it self sufficient nor puts God under any meritorious obligation or necessity to add the rest yet it puts you into the way of the Spirit And is not thy Soul sinner worth as much as this comes too Have you not taken a great deal more pains than this for the trifles of this World And will it not be a dreadful aggravation of sin and misery to all eternity that you perished so easily Dont you see many striving round about you for Christ and Salvation whilst you sit still with folded Arms as if you had nothing to do for another World
him with his cross of sufferings and his yoak of obedience Matth. 16. 24. Matth. 11. 29. An exception against either of these is an effectual Bar to thy Union with Christ he looks upon that Soul as not worthy of him that puts in such an exception Matth. 10. 38. If thou judgest not Christ worth all sufferings all losses all reproaches he judges thee unworthy to bear the name of his Disciple So for the duties of Obedience called his yoke he that will not receive Christs yoke can never receive his Person nor any benefit by his Blood. V. Mark. Every Heart that opens sincerely and Evangelically to Christ opens to him in deep humility and sense of its emptiness and unworthiness all self-righteousness is given up as dung and dross thus Abraham came unto him as to one that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. Now unto him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness Yea here 's the true way of Justification indeed where the imputed righteousness of Christ comes all self-righteousness vanishes before it By him that worketh not understand not an idle lazy believer that takes no care of the duties of obedience no no an idle Faith can never be a saving Faith but the meaning is he worketh not in a Law sense to the ends and intentions of the first Covenant to make up a righteousness to himself by his own working to cover himself-with a robe of righteousness of his own spinning and weaving a home-made Cloth no not a rag of that Thou must receive Christ into an empty naked unworthy Soul or not receive him at all Blessed Paul heartily rejected all his own righteousness cast down that House-Idol to the ground that he might be found in the imputed righteousness of Christ Phil. 3. 8. cast that Idol out of door it stands in the way of a better righteousness There be diverse ways wherein sinners maintain their own righteousness to their own ruin there is a gross and more refined self-righteousness the one more palpable and easily liable to conviction the other much harder to be discovered and cured Ask some Men upon what their hopes of Salvation are grounded And they will tell you they are just in their dealings with Men and constant in their prayers to God that 's all and therefore they doubt not of their Salvation Thus they substitute a righteousness of their own in the room of Christ's blood and are their own destroyers by seeking this way to be their own Saviours But then there is a more refined way of self-righteousness drest up with such pretences of humility that Men are hardly to be convinced of it I pitty many poor Souls upon this account who stand off from Christ dare not believe because they want such and such qualifications to fit them for Christ. O saith one could I find so much brokenness of Heart for sin so much reformation and power over corruptions then I could come to Christ the meaning of which is this if I could bring a price in my Hand to purchase him then I should be in couraged to go unto him Here now lyes horrible pride covered over with a vail of great humility Poor sinner either 〈◊〉 naked and empty-handed according to Isa. 55. 1. Rom. 4. 5. or expect a repulse for Christ is not the Sale but the Gift of God. VI. Mark. Lastly Whatever Soul opens savingly to Christ it opens finally and everlastingly to him the Heart once opened to Christ must stand open for ever to him never to shut out Christ any more And here is a very observable difference betwixt a Man that comes to Christ in a suddain fright of Conscience and parts with him again when that fright is over and a Man that receiveth Christ not to sojourn but to dwell in his Heart by Faith Eph. 3. 17. when Christ comes into the Heart he saith Here will I dwell for ever and Lord saith the Soul So I receive thee this is the day of union O let me never know a day of separation let it never be in the power of Life or Death Angels Principalities or Powers things present or to come to make a separation between thee and me Soul saith Christ thou shalt be mine whilst I am in Heaven and Lord saith the Soul I will be thine whilst I am on Earth I will never leave thee nor forsake thee saith Christ Oh my Lord saith the Soul hold me fast in thy Hand that I may never leave nor forsake thee my Estate Liberty and Life may and must go but it is in the fixed purpose of my Heart never never to let thee go The espousals betwixt Christ and the Soul are for ever Hos. 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea for ever and here lyes another great difference betwixt the Hipocrite that takes Christ with a politick reserve that will venture with Christ at Sea no farther than he can see the shore and the upright Heart that imbarks it self with Christ without reserves come what will that saith to him as Ittai to David when perswaded to go back in a time of danger nay saith he where my Lord Jesus Christ is whether it be in Liberty or in Prison in Life or in Death there also will I be Flesh may perswade to a retreat nay saith the Soul I cannot retreat but where-ever the truths of Christ the interest and glory of Christ are there also must I be for upon these terms I first received him and opened the door of my Heart to him These things are no surprises to me Christ and I have debated them long ago he delt fairly with me and I must deal faithfully with him Now Brethren view over these six Tryals Have your Eyes been opened to see sin in its vileness Christ in his beauty and necessity Have your Hearts been prick'd and wounded with compunction and sorrow for sin Are the loves and delights of sin gone out of your Souls Have you no exceptions either to the cross or yoke of Christ Have you given up all your own righteousness whether gross or refined for dung and dross and received Christ for ever Then thy Heart is savingly opened to him Fourth Use. The last Use that closeth this Point will be Consolation to all those whose Hearts the Lord hath thus opened to receive Christ at his knocks and calls of the Gospel Hath God indeed opened any of your Hearts and made you sincerely willing to receive Christ then there are ten sweet Consolations like so many boxes of precious oyntment to be poured forth in the close of this discourse upon every such Soul. And I. Consolation The first shall be this the opening of any Mans Heart to receive Christ is a clear solid Scripture evidence of the Lords eternal love to and setting apart that Man for himself from all eternity I do not say that every Man whose Heart is opened by Faith is thereupon immediately assured
the Earth bringing Pardon and Salvation with him to stand so long unanswered let who will cry up the goodness of Nature I am sure we have reason to look upon the vileness of it with amazement and horror You could not have found in your Hearts to have made the poorest beggar wait so long at your door as you have made Christ to wait upon you VII Exhortation Seventhly and Lastly Let us all bless and admire the Lord Jesus for the continuation of his Patience not to our selves only but to that whole sinful Nation in which we live We thought the Treaty of Peace had been ended with us many good Men looking upon the iniquities and abominations of these times considering the vanities and backsliding of Professors the Heaven-daring provocations of this Atheistical age concluded in their own Hearts that God would make England another Shiloh Many faithful Ministers of Christ said within themselves God hath no more Work for us to do and we shall have no more opportunities to work for God. When lo beyond the thoughts of all Hearts the merciful and long-suffering Redeemer makes one return more to these Nations renews the Treaty and with compassions rolled together speaks to us this day as to Ephraim of old How shall I deliver thee Look upon this day this unexpected day of Mercy as the fruit and acquisition of the intercession of your great Advocate in Heaven answerable to that Luke 13. 7 8 9. Well God hath put us upon one Tryal more if now we bring forth fruit well if not the ax lyes at the root of the Tree Once more Christ knocks at our doors the voice of the Bridegroom is heard those sweet voices Come unto me Open to me your opening to Christ now will be unto you as the Valley of Achor for a door of hope But what if all this should be turned into wantonness and formality what if your obstinacy and infidelity should wear out the remains of that little strength and time left you and that former Labours and Sorrows have left your Ministers Then actum est de nobis we are gone for ever then farewel Gospel Ministers Reformation and all because we knew not the time of our Visitation What was the dismal doom of God upon the fruitless Vineyard Isa. 5. 5. I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden down I will also command the Clouds that they rain not upon it The hedge and the wall are the Spiritual and Providential presence of God these are the defence and safety of his People the Clouds and the Rain are the sweet influences of Gospel Ordinances If the hedge be broken down God's pleasant Plants will soon be eaten up and if the Clouds rain not upon them their Root will be rottenness and their Blossom will go up as dust Our Churches will soon become as the Mountains of Gilboa therefore see that you know and improve the time of your Visitation III. Vse of Consolation I shall wind up this Fourth Doctrin in two or three words of Consolation to those that have answered and are now preparing to answer the design and end of Jesus Christ in all his Patience towards them by the compliance of their Hearts with his great design and end therein O blessed be God and let his high-praises be for ever in our Mouths that at last Christ is like to obtain his end upon some of us and that all do not receive the Grace of God in vain And there be three Considerations able to wind up your Hearts to the height of Praise if the Lord have now made them indeed willing to open to the Lord Jesus I. Consideration The Faith and Obedience of your Hearts makes it evident that the Lords waiting upon you hitherto hath been in pursuance of his design of Electing Love. What was the reason God would not take you away by death though you passed so often upon the very brink of it in the days of your unregeneracy And what think you was the very reason of the revocation of your Gospel-liberties when they were quite out of sight and almost out of hope why surely this was the reason that you and such as you are might be brought to Christ at last Therefore though the Lord let you run on so long in sin yet still he continued your Life and the means of your Salvation because he had a design of Mercy and Grace upon you And now the time of Mercy even the set time is come Praise ye the Lord. II. Consideration You now also see the Sovereignty and freeness of Divine Grace in your vocation your Hearts resisted all along the most powerful means and importunate calls of Christ and would have resisted still had not Free and Sovereign Grace over-poured them when the time of Love was come Ah it was not the tractableness of thine own Will the easie temper of thy Heart to be wrought upon the Lord let thee stand long enough in the state of Nature to discover that there was nothing in Nature but obstinacy and enmity Thou didst hear as many powerful Sermons melting Prayers and didst see as many awakning Providences before thy Heart was opened to Christ as thou hast since yet thy Heart never opened till now and why did it open now Because now the Spirit of God joyned himself to the Word victorious Grace went forth in the Word to break the hardness and conquer the rebellions of thy Heart The Gospel was now preached as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1. 12. With the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which things saith he the Angels desire to look into Ah Friends it is a glorious sight worthy of Angelical observation and admiration to behold the effects of the Gospel preacht with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven to see when the Spirit comes along with the Word the blind Eyes of sinners opened and they brought into a new World of ravishing objects to behold Fountains of Tears flowing for sin out of Hearts lately as hard as the Rocks to see all the Bars of Ignorance Prejudice Custom and Unbelief fly open at the voice of the Gospel to see Rebels against Christ laying down their Arms at his Feet come upon the Knee of submission crying Lord I will rebel no more to see the proud Heart centered and wrapt up in its own righteousness now striping it self naked loading it self with all shame and reproach and made willing that its own shame should go to the Redeemer's glory These I say are sights which Angels desire to look into Certainly your Hearts were more tender and your Wills more apt to yield and bend in the days of your youth than they were now when sin had so hardned them and long continued custom riveted and fixed them yet then they did not and now they do yield to the calls and invitations of the Gospel Ascribe all to Sovereign Grace and
so others have found who have had the very same fears you have I say the question is not whether you be able but whether you be heartily willing Christ asks but your Will he will provide Ability the greatest Believer in the World cannot say I am able to suffer this or that for Christ but the least Believer in the World must say I am willing the Lord assisting me to endure and suffer all things for his sake and this is the Second thing included in opening to Christ. 3ly The Third thing which perfects and consummates the whole act is an entire choice of of Jesus Christ upon all those terms prescribed by him the entireness of the choice without halfing or dividing excepting or reserving makes the consent full and effectual There is a twofold consent of the Will to Christ. 1. One partial and with exception 2. The other entire and without any reservation I. There is a partial consent which is always hypocritical defective lame and ineffectual thus the hypocrite consents to the offer of Christ he is really willing to have the pardons of Christ and the glory purchased by Christ but to part with his beloved lusts and to give up his earthly enjoyments that his Will cannot consent to II. There is a full and entire consent of the Will called a believing with all the Heart Acts 8. 37. Now this integrity and fulness of the Wills choice is that which closes the match betwixt Christ and the Soul and frees a Man from the danger of hypocrisie And there are three things which make the consent to and choice of Christ compleat and full 1. When we give up all we are and have to him 2. When we derive and draw all we want from him 3. When we are ready to deny any thing for his sake 1. We do then heartily consent to be Christs when we give up all we are and have to him so that after this choice of Christ we look upon our selves thenceforth as none of our own but bought with a price to glorifie God in our Body and Soul which are his 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. Soul and Body is all that we are and both these parts of our selves do now pass by an act of our own consent into the Redeemers right we are not to have the dispose of them that belongs to him that purchased them You know in all purchases property is altered you did live as your own followed your own Wills Lusts Passions were under the dominion and at the beck of every Lust but now the case is altered Titus 3. 3. We our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures So many Lusts so many Lords but now the case is altered we have given our selves to Christ no more to be swayed this way or that against his Word and the voice of our own Conscience Thus our Souls and Bodies are his hallowed dedicated things to Christ Temples for God to dwell in and then all other things follow of course if I am the Lords then my time my talents and all that I have is his 2ly As we must give up all to Christ so we must derive and draw all we want from him else your choice of Christ is not entire and full God hath stored up in Christ all that you want a suitable and full supply for every need and made it all communicable to you 1 Cor. 1. 30. Who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness sanctification and redemption All the believers fresh springs are in Christ Have I any difficult buisness to do that requires counsel Then I must repair to Christ the Fountain of Wisdom Am I under any guilt Then I must repair to Christ for righteousness Is my Soul defiled by corruption Then must I go to Christ for Sanctification Do I groan under troubles of Soul or Body temptations afflictions c. then must I relieve my self by the Faith and Hope of that compleat Redemption and final deliverance procured by Christ from all these if you consent to be Christs you must not look for Justification partly upon his Righteousness and partly upon your own Graces and Duties but must make mention of his Righteousness even of his only If there be but one Conduit in a Town and not a drop of Water to be had elsewhere then all the Inhabitants of that Town repair thither for Water In the whole City of God there is but one Conduit one Fountain and that is Christ there 's not a drop of Righteousness Holiness Strength or Comfort to be had else where Then do we fetch all from Christ when we live upon him as the new born Infant doth upon the Mothers Breast 3ly Then is our consent to and choice of Christ intire and full when we are ready to deny give up and part with any thing we have for his sake reckoning nothing to be lost to us which goes to the glory of Christ how dear soever our Liberties Estates or Lives are to us if the Lord have need of them we must let them go thus you read Rev. 12. 11. They loved not their lives unto the death These three things shew saving Faith to be another manner of thing than the World generally understands it to be and it is impossible for any Mans Will to open to and receive Christ upon terms of such deep self-denial as these until there be 1. A Conviction of our sin and misery 2. A Discovery of Christ in his glory and necessity 3. The drawing Power of the Spirit upon the Soul. 1. Conviction of our sin and misery makes these terms of Religion acceptable poor sinners stand huckling with Christ excepting and objecting against his terms until the Lord have shaken them by Conviction over Hell made them to see the dreadful danger they are in and then the next cry is Men and Brethren what shall we do Acts 2. 37. q. d. Prescribe any means impose upon us the greatest difficulties we are willing to comply with them 2ly Nor will Souls ever comply with these terms of the Gospel until a discovery have been made to them of Jesus Christ in his glory and necessity when a Man feels his wants and sees a compleat remedy his Will then complies and bows readily and freely the convinced sinner sees a full and suitable supply in Christ for all his wants a compleat Saviour in whom there is nothing defective but in all respects according to the wish of a sinners heart 1 Cor. 1. 24. 3ly To all this must be superadded the powerful drawings of the Spirit in the vertue whereof the Will comes home to Christ Iohn 6. 44. No Man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him When these things are past upon the Soul then it hears Christs voice his powerful call which breaks asunder all the ties and bonds betwixt a Man and his Lusts a Man and his Earthly enjoyments and without these things the Will is
to plead it to the same end the Devil doth to lay a confederacy and joyn with your mortal enemy in a plot against the honour of Christ and Salvation of your own Souls take heed what you do seal not Satans conclusions do you think it is a small matter to be confederate with the Devil Certainly this is his design he magnifies your sins on purpose to discourage you from faith while you were secure and carnal the Devil never aggravated but diminished your sins to you but now the Lord hath opened your Eyes and you are come near to the door of hope mercy and pardon now he magnifies them hoping thereby to ham-string and lame thy faith that it shall not be able to carry thee to Christ. 5. If thy sin be really unpardonable then God hath somewhere excepted it in the Gospel grant He hath somewhere said The Man that hath committed this sin or continued so many years in sin shall never be forgiven but now in the whole Gospel there is but one sin that is absolutely excepted from the possibility of pardon and that such a sin as thy sorrows and desires after Christ do fully acquit and clear thee from the guilt of this sin indeed is excepted Matth. 12. 31. But the sin against the Holy Ghost shall never be forgiven This is that which the Scripture calls a sin unto death Let Apostate Professors transformed into Persecutors Scoffers and Haters of godliness and the Professors of it look to themselves the dreadful symptoms of this sin seem to appear upon such But the humbled thirsty Soul after Christ stands clear of the guilt of that sin 5. If there were no forgiveness with God for great sinners then great sinners had never been invited to come to Christ. The invitations of the Gospel are no mockeries but things of most awful solemnity Now such sinners are called and invited under the encouragement of a pardon consult Isa. 1. from vers 10. to 17. and see the horrid aggravations of that peoples sins and yet at vers 17 18. you may read the gracious invitations of God with conditional promises of a plenary remission so in Ier. 3. from 1. to 13. what a sad Catalogue of sins with their horrid aggravations do you find there and yet it said vers 12. Go and proclaim these words towards the North and say Return thou backsliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful 6. If thy sins had not been capable of remission God would never have given thee conviction and compunction for sin nor have drawn forth the desires of thy Heart in this manner after Christ. He hath tact remission to repentance Acts 5. 31. a blessing to gracious desires and hungerings Matth. 5. 6. There is therefore hope that when God hath given the one he will not long withhold the other This very wounding of thy Heart by compunction and drawing forth thy Will by inclination shew that remission is not only possible but even at the door 7. And lastly Let this be thine encouragement whatever Satan or thine own Heart suggests to discourage thee that great Sinners are moving in the way of repentance and faith to a great Saviour who hath merit enough in his Blood and mercy enough in his Bowels to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Heb. 7. 25. The Lord open to the Eyes of your Faith that rich Exchequer of Free Grace Exod. 34. 6 7. and give you a sight of that plenteous Redemption and forgiveness that is with God Psal. 130. 4 7. that you may not at once cast reproach upon the most glorious Attribute of God impeach the precious Blood of Christ and stab your own Soul with a death-wound of desperation which is that the Devil designs and the whole strain of the Gospel designs to prevent III. Inference If the vilest of sinners stand as fair for pardon and mercy upon their closing with Christ by faith as the least of sinners do then certainly the pardon and salvation of sinners is not built upon any righteousness in themselves but purely and only upon the Free Grace of God in Iesus Christ. Dont think God hath set the Blood of Christ to sale and that those only are capable of the benefits of it who have lived the strictest and soberest lives No no though sobriety morality and strictness in Religious Duties be things commanded and commended in the Gospel yet no Man by these things can purchase a pardon for the least sin Rom. 11. 6. And if by grace then it is no more of Works otherwise grace is no more grace but if it be of works then is it no more grace otherwise work is no more work See how these exclude one another thus Titus 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us No Man can satisfie God by any thing himself can do or suffer not by doing for all we do is mixt with sin Iob 14. 4. and that which is sinful can be no attonement for sin all we do or can do is due debt to God Luke 17. 10. and one debt cannot satisfie for another Nor yet by suffering for the sufferings awarded by the Law are everlasting and to be ever satisfying is never to satisfie So then by the works of the Law shall no flesh living be justified in his sight The Saints in all generations have fled to mercy for remission Psal. 130. ult the two debtors Luke 7. 43 44 45. though there were a vast difference in the debts yet of the lesser as well as of the greater it s said they had nothing to pay nothing but the satisfaction of Christ can quit your scores with God. IV. Inference If the grace of Christ be thus free to the greatest of sinners then it is both our sin and folly to stand off from Christ and draw back from believing for want of such and such qualifications which we yet find not to be wroâ—ght in our Hearts Poor convinced Souls think O if they had more humility tenderness love to God spirituality of mind this would â—e some encouragment to believe but because they have no such ornaments to dress up their Souls withal they are not fit to go to Christ. Now to remove this great mistake let two things be considered 1. That such a conceit as this crosses the very stream of the Covenant of Grace where nothing is sold but all freely given this is the very Spirit of the Covenant of Works fain we would find something in our selves to bring to God to Procure his favour and acceptance but the Gospel tells us we must come naked and empty handed to be justified freely by his grace Rom. 2. 24. We must be justified as Abraham was who believed in him that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. But to him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is counted
are ordained to eternal Life shall believe and feel the power of Gods truths upon their Hearts Acts 13. 48. And methinks it should be of a startling consideration when you shall see others struck to the Heart cast into fears and tremblings by the same Word that doth not in the least touch your Hearts It may be you think this is but fancy and melancholy that very thought is an artifice of Satan to blind your Eyes I am sure Christ makes another use of it when he told the secure and self-righteous Jews Matth. 21. 32. John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not but the Publicans and Harlots believed him and ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might believe him q. d. What shift did you make to quiet your Consciences when you saw other poor sinners so humbled and bronght to Faith under Iohn's Ministry 'T is strange there should be no reflections in your Consciences upon your own state and condition but thus it must be one shall be taken and another left to some it shall be the savour of life unto life and to others the savour of death unto death O who can look over so great a part of a Congregation without melting bowels of compassion Considering that unto this day the Lord hath not given them Eyes to see nor Ears to hear They have heard multitudes of Sermons they have heard also what effects they have had upon other Mens Hearts but none upon theirs O that such poor Souls would cry to the Lord Jesus in such Language as that Cant. 8. 13. The companions hearken to thy voice cause me to hear it Lord let me not sit under the Word any longer deaf to the voice of thy Spirit in it Open and unstop the Ears of my Soul that I may hear thy voice and feel thy power otherwise the external ministerial voice will be ineffectual to my Salvation 'T will be but a Rattle to still and quiet my Conscience for a little while and a dreadful aggravation of my misery in the issue II. Vse of Information Secondly The Point before us presents five other Truths with equal clearness to ous Eyes I. Inference In the first Place hence it follows That we have this day before our Eyes a great Seal and confirmation of the truth of the Scriptures No miracles can seal it firmer than the events of it do which are visible to all that will observe them What you read in the Word you may see every day fulfill'd before your Eyes you read 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish To the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life And again Acts 28. 24. it is observed that when Paul in his lodgings had expounded and testified the Kingdom of God to the people and perâ—wading them to believe from morning till-evening it is observed I say that some believed 〈◊〉 things that were spoken and some believed not Here you see the different yea contrary events of the preaching of the Gospel according to the Scripture account of it it quickens some and kills others it brings some to Faith and leaves others still fixed in unbelief Compare this account with what is daily before your Eyes do you not see Souls differently influenced to contrary effects under the same word One melting and tender another hardned and wholly unconcerned Tell me you that are apt to ascribe all to nature how comes it to pass that men exercising reason alike men that have the same inbred fears and hopes of things eternal who have the same passions and affections and are in the self same condition and state with others yet one Mans Heart shall be wounded and go away trembling from under the self same word which affects the other no more than if it had been preached among the Tombs to the dead that lye there Say not some have more courage than others or clearer understandings for it is most certain the Word hath convinced as rational and courageous persons as those upon whom it hath had no such effect I doubt not but the Jaylor that was cast into such tremblings and astonishment Acts 16. 30. was as stout and rugged a person as any to whom Paul usually preached his very office bespake him such a Man wonder not what it is that makes Men fright at such a sound which you hear as well as they but it affects you not The Lord speaks in that voice to their Hearts but not to yours and so it must be according to the account the Scripture gives us of the contrary events of the Gospel upon them that hear it which is I say a fair and firm Seal of the truth of the Scriptures and highly worth the due observation of all Men. II. Inference What dignity hath God stampt on Gospel Ordinances in making them the organs and mediums through and by which Christ speaks life to dead Souls This greatly exalts the dignity of the Gospel and deservedly endears it to all our Souls I deny not but God can convey Spiritual life immediately without them but though he hath not tyed up himself yet he hath tyed us up to a diligent and constant attendance upon them and that with the deepest respect and reverence to them Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Behold how the sin is graduated and aggravated to the hight of sinfulness The contempt of the Gospel runs much higher than Men are aware of We think it no great matter to neglect or contemn a messenger of Jesus Christ but that contempt flies in the very face and authority of Christ who gave them their Commissions yea in the very face of God the Father who gave Christ his Commission Christ speaks in and by his Ministers they are as his mouth Ier. 15. 19. Moreover the sin sticks at our own Souls and we injure them as well as Christ For the Word preached is his appointed Instrument to convey spiritual life the best of Blessings to our Souls Upon which account it is called the Word of life Phil. 2. 16. and the power of God to salvation Rom. 1. 16. We then militate against our life and salvation when we despise and neglect the Ordinances of God. 'T is good for men to lye under them and continually wait on them who knows when the Spirit of God will breathe life to your Souls through them What if yet you have found no such benefit from them the very next opportunity may be the time of life the appointed season of your salvation Bring your carnal Relations to them as they did their sick and diseased Friends in the days when Christ was on Earth laying them in the way he was to pass Christ will honour his Ordinances
important a Concern And truly this Caution is no more than needs for Satan is never more busie with the Souls of men than when Christ gives them their first Call to himself O what a thick succession of Discouragements do impetuously assault the Soul at this time Art thou young then he insinuates that it is too soon for thee to mind the serious things of Religion This will extinguish all thy pleasure in a dull melancholy thou maist have time enough hereafter to mind these matters This Temptation Augustine confesseth kept him off many years from Christ. But certainly if thou art old enough to be damned thou art not too young to mind Christ and Salvation There are Graves just of thy length and abundance of young Sprigs as well as old Loggs burning in Hell flames Besides all those godly young ones which turned to the Lord betime as Iosiah Abijah Timothy and many more will be your Judges and condemn you in the great day Never any repented that they opened to Christ too soon Thousands have repented that they kept him out so long Art thou old then he scares thee with the manifold sins of thy youth and rouls them as blocks in thy way to Christ. And whether young or old he will be sure to present the Sufferings Reproaches and Persecutions of Godliness to discourage thee from hearkning to the voice of Christ. But what are the Sufferings of Christ here to those Sufferings from Christ hereafter what are the pains of Mortification to the pains of Damnation Besides all the Promises of Christ promises of strength comfort success c. go along with the Command of Christ to believe and shall surely be performed to the obedient Soul. See therefore that thou refuse not his voice III. Vse for Trial. But you will say All that hear this spiritual voice of Christ are said to live Iohn 5. 25. Now I am much in the dark whether ever this vital voice of Christ hath founded unto my Soul. Alas I feel little if any thing of the spiritual life in my Soul. I am dead and dark By what means doth the Life of Christ discover it self in the Souls of Men I Answer There are divers Signs of spiritual life and blessed is the Soul that finds them First There is a spiritual sense and feeling flowing from and accompanying the spiritual life I speak not only of the sense and feeling of comfort for many a Soul that is in Christ feels little of that but certainly there is a sense and feeling of the burthensomness of sin Rom. 7. 24. And 't is well that we can feel that for there are Multitudes in the world that are past feeling Isâ— 6. 9. 10. 'T is a sign Christ hath spoken to thy heart if sorrows for sin begin to load it Secondly Spiritual Motions towards Christ are a sign of spiritual life at least that God is about that quickening work of Faith upon thy Soul Iohn 6. 45. Every man that bath beard and learned of the Father cometh unto me The effectual voice of God sets the Soul in motion towards Christ the Will is moving after him the Desires are panting for him The voice of God makes the Soul that hears it restless As for others their Wills are fix'd there is no moving of them Iohn 5. 40. Now consider how it is with thee Reader Art thou one that art weighing and pondering the terms of the Gospel strugling through discouragements and temptations to come to Christ upon his own terms lifting up thy heart to him for power to believe crying with the Sponse Draw me I will run after thee This is a comfortable sign Christ hath spoken to thy heart Thirdly A Spirit of Prayer is an Evidence of spiritual life as the effect of Christ's voice to thy Soul. Assoon as ever Christ had spoken effectually unto Paul's heart the first effect that appeared in him as a sign of spiritual life was Prayerbreath Acts 9. 11. Behold he prayeth God hath no still-â—orn Children Measure thy self by this Rule Time was when thou couldst say a Prayer and wast very well satisfied with it whether thou hadst any Communion with God in it or no but is it so still Is there not an holy restlesness of spirit after God since the time that his Word came home to thy heart Surely thou eanst remember when it was not with thee as it is now Fourthly There is a spiritual relish a divine gust resulting from the spiritual life which is also evidential of it Omnis vita gustu ducitur If God have spoken life to thy Soul there will be in it an agreeable pleasure and delight in spiritual things Psal. 63. 5. My Soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness c. Now thy thoughts can feed with pleasure upon spiritual things which they nauseated before Fifthly Spiritual aversations as well as spiritual inclinations speak spiritual life Every Creature hath an aversation to that which is noxious and destructive to it Now there is nothing so destructive and dangerous to the spiritual life as sin that 's the deadly poison which the renewed Soul dreads Psal. 19. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins It cries out as a man that finds himself upon the brink of a Pit or edge of a Precipice Keep back thy Servant Such aversations to sin and tremblings under temptations tending thereunto are comfortable Sign Christ hath spoken life to thy Soul. Lastly Heavenly tendencies and propensions after God are an excellent Sign thy Soul hath heard his voice and been quickned with spiritual life by it Sanctification is a Well of water springing up into everlasting life Iohn 4. 24. If thou hast seen the beauty felt the power and heard the voice of Christ thy soul like an uncentred Body will be still propending gravitating and inclining Christ-ward When thou hast once heard his effectual Call Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me thy Soul will be continually echoing with the Spouse Rev. 22. 17. Come Lord Iesus The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that heareth say Come A sweeter Sign of thy hearing Christ's voice can hardly be found in the Soul of man than restless longing to be with Christ in a state of perfect freedom from sin and full fruition of the beloved and blessed Jesus SERMON IX Revel 3. 20. If any Man hear my voice and open the door THE powerful voice of Christ is the Key that opens the door of the Soul to receive him The opening of the heart to receive Christ is the main design aimed at in all the external and internal administrations of the Gospel and Spirit The Gospel hath two great Designs and Intentions One is To open the heart of God to men and to shew them the everlasting counsels of Grace and Peace which were hid in God from Ages and Generations past that all men may now see what God had been designing and contriving for their happiness
world to hear of it The very same power that wrought that must also be put sorth to work this or else it would never be wrought So again Eph. 2. 8. By Grace are ye saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God not of your selves You are no more able to believe in Christ than you were to raise him from the dead No more able to come one step towards him by Faith in your own power than Lazarus was able to unbind himself in the Grave and come forth Yea in Eph. 1. 18 19 20. the work of believing is ascribed unto the exceeding greatness of the power of God Nothing but power can do it no other power but the Almighty power of God can do it It exceeds the power of Ministers yea of Angels Three things will evince the difficulty of this work Viz. 1. The Nature of it 2. The Subject of it 3. The Enemies of it First The Nature of the work of Faith which is wholly supernatural it is no less than the gaining over the hearty and full consent of the Will to take Jesus Christ with his yoke of Obedience Matth. 11. 29. and with his Cross of Sufferings Matth. 16. 24. And how far these will carry a man into outward dangers losses torments and sufferings who can tell and all this upon the account of an unseen happiness and glory dearest Lusts and Corruptions must be mortified sweetest Pleasures and Profits in the World abandoned and forsaken all Reproaches Losses Pains and Penalties the Devil and the World can lay upon us for Christs sake must be embraced and wellcomed and can it be supposed that any power beneath the Almighty Power of the Lord any voice except the efficacious voice of Christ can prevail with the Will to give its firm explicite consent to such difficult and self-denying terms as these Secondly Consider the Subject wrought upon viz. the dead hard obstinate heart of a blind perverse sinner an heart harder by Nature than the nether Millstone It is as easie to melt the most obdurate Rock into a sweet Syrup as it is to melt the heart of a Sinner into penitential forrows for sin What! to bring a dead heart to life To make that man bitterly bewail the sins that were his pleasure and delight more than ever he bewailed the death of the nearest and dearest Relation in the world To make a proud heart renounce its own self-righteousness which it so dotes upon and take all shame and reproach to it self upon the account of sin This is wonderful You would think it a strange thing to see the course of the Tyde stopt with the breath of a man but O what a marvellous thing is here that at the preaching of the Gospel by a poor worm the Lord should turn the Tyde of the Will and thus work about the Soul to a ready compliance with his most self-denying terms and proposals Thirdly And that which farther encreaseth the difficulty of believing is the fierce and obstinate opposition made by the Enemies of Faith All the powers of Hell and Earth Devils and Men without us are confederate and in league with the Corruptions within us to resâ—â—t and hinder this work of believing Never is the Devil more busie than when Christ and the Soul are treating about Union Oh the Discouragements Objections and Difficulties that are rowled into the way of Faith One while it is the highest Presumption another while it is impossible and utterly too late Sometimes blasphemous injections like fiery Darts are shot reeking hot out of Hell into the Soul Otherwhile the invincible difficulties of Religion are objected all Losses Torments c. opposed unto this work The Tempter casts himself into a thousand shapes to hinder the Souls passage out of Nature unto Christ. Sometimes objecting the greatness of sin and sometimes the lapse and loss of the proper season and opportunity of mercy together with the want of due qualifications to come to Christ. Thus and many other ways he endeavours to rap off the fingers of Faith from taking hold of Christ. And as every Devil in Hell opposes this work so every Carnal interest we have in the world is an Enemy to Faith. We have Enemies enough within us as well as without us both conspiring together to obstruct this work All things increase the difficulty of believing Thirdly We are next to speak of the instruments imployed in this great design and these are 1. Principal or 2. Subordinate 1. The Principal instrument in whose efficacy the Heart is opened is the Spirit of God without whom it is impossible the design should ever prosper neither Ordinances Providences or Ministers can successfully manage it without him If the Lord will make use of any Man for the Conversion and Salvation of anothers Soul he may rejoyce in it but withal must say as Peter to the Jews Acts 3. 12. Why look ye so earnestly on us as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk So may the ablest Minister in the World say when God blesses his labours to the conversion of any Soul look not upon me as though by the strength of my reason or power of my gifts I had opened thy Soul to Christ this is the work of Gods Spirit in whose hand I am an instrument 1 Cor. 3. 7. He that plants is nothing and he that waters is nothing Nothing in himself the very first stroak of conviction which is introductive to the whole work of conversion is justly ascribed to the Spirit Iob. 16. 9. The Spirit when be cometh shall convince the world of sin He is the Lord of all sanctifying and gracious influences Ordinances are but as the sayls of a Ship Ministers as the Seamen that manage those sayls the Anchor may be weighed the sayls spread but when all is done there is no sayling till a gale come We preach and pray and you hear but there is no motion Christward until the Spirit of God comparded to the wind Iohn 3. 8. blow upon them till he illuminate the understanding with divine light and bow the Will by an Almighty power there can be no Spiritual motion Heaven-ward Now the Spirit of the Lord is a free agent tyed to means time or instruments but as at a certain time an Angel came down upon the waters of Bethesda and put a healing virtue into them so it is here Therefore never come to any Gospel Ordinance without an Eye to the Spirit on whom all their blessing and efficacy depends Oh lift up your Hearts for his blessing upon the means as ever you expect saving benefits from them 2ly The Subordinate instrumental means by which this blessed design is effectually managed in the World is the Gospel-ministry 1 Cor. 3. 5. Who then is Paul and who is Apollo but Ministers by whom ye believed This is the ordinary stated method of begetting Faith and though God hath not tyed himself to this
cause I obtained mercy that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them that should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting Never was any Mans Heart bolted and made fast with stronger prejudices against Christ than this Mans was yet the Spirit of the Lord opened it O how flexible was his will Lord what wilt thou have me to do This gives great encouragement to other sinners to come in to Christ as he did and therefore when Men shall see other sinners receiving Christ and themselves continue still obstinate and unbelieving those very examples which God hath set before their Eyes put a dreadful aggravation upon their unbelief as you may see Matth. 21. 32. Iohn came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not but the publicans and harlots believed him and ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that you might believe him q. d. Though you saw Publicans reputed the worst of Men and Harlots the worst of Women convinced humbled and brought unto faith yet these fights no way affected your Souls you never had one such reflection as this Lord have not I as much need to fly from the wrath to come and mind the Salvation of my own Soul as these Will it not be a dreadful aggravation of my misery that such as these should obtain Christ and Heaven and I shut out 5ly To conclude The opening of the Heart to Christ is the very end and errand of the Spirit of God upon whose concurrence and blessing the success of all Ordinances depend upon this design he is sent expresly from Heaven to open the understanding and consciences of sinners by conviction Iohn 16. 9. For it is not in the power of the Word alone to produce this effect thousands of excellent Sermons may be preacht and not one Heart opened by conviction He is expresly sent to this end and purpose What remains is the Application of this Point I. Vse of Information If the opening of the Heart to Christ be the great and direct intention and end of the Gospel How are they deceived that bless themselves in the attainment of some lesser ends and intentions of the Gospel whilst the great end the effectual perswasion of the Will to Christ is not at all effected upon them There are some collateral stroaks some by effects as I may call them which the Gospel hath upon Men. It would pity a wise considerate Man to see how poor Souls hug themselves with a conceited happiness in these lesser things whilst they still stick fast in the state of unregeneracy I would seign undeceive such mistaken wretches who bow down under the power of self-deceit and that in so great and important a Point in which their eternal Salvation is concorned There be two things which are excoeding apt to deceive Men in this matter viz. 1. Partial convictions on the Understanding 2. Transe it motions upon the Affections In these two things multitudes deceive themselves as if the whole design of the Gospel were accomplished upon them therein 1. Partial Convictions upon the Understanding light and knowledge breaking into the mind producing orthodoxy of Judgment this seems to be the effectual opening of the Understanding to Christ though alas to this day they never saw sin in its vileness much less their own special sin nor Christ in his suitableness and necessity People that live under the Gospel can hardly avoid the improvement of their Understandings by the light that shines upon them Knowledge grows Parts thrive these inable them to discourse and desend the Points of Religion excellently Yea it may be from the strength of these Gifts they can pray with commendable variety and largeness of expression these things beget applause from Men and confidence in your selves whilst all the while no saving influences are shed down to quicken change and spiritualize the Heart 2. There are transcient motions and touches of the Gospel upon the affections which give some Men their melting pangs and moods now and then under the Word though it never settles into a spiritual frame an habitual heavenliness of temper of such the Apostle speaks Heb. 6. 5. And this is the more dangerous because they now seem to have attained all that is essential to Religion or necessary to Salvation For when unto the light of their understandings there shall be added melting affections a Man now seems to be compleat in all that the Gospel requires unto the being and constitution of a Christian as a great Divine speaks for thus poor Souls are apt to reason If I had only light in my mind and never found any meltings of my affections I might suspect my self justly to be a hypocrite but there are times when my affections as well as my understanding seem to feel the power of the Gospel And yet these things may be where the Heart never effectually opens to Christ all this may be but a morning dew an early cloud that vanishes away as is plain in Iohn's hearers Iohn 5. 35. and in Paul's hearers Gal. 41. 14 15. For except the convictions upon the understanding be particular and effectual and the motions upon the affections setled to a heavenly habit and temper the Man is but where he was before as to the real state and condition of his Soul. Were thy understanding so convinced of the evil nature and dreadful consequences of sin and thy Affections and Will thereupon so effectually determined to choose and embrace the Lord Jesus upon a considerate and thorough examination of his own Terms and Articles propounded in the Gospel then thou mightest conclude the great design of it were accomplished upon thy Soul but to rest in general convictions and transient affections without this is but to mock and deceive thy own Soul. Alas this comes not home to the main end of the Gospel II. Inference Learn from hence the prodigious stubornness and hardness of the Hearts of Men living dayly under the Gospel which still resist it though it bear upon them in part of it You have heard how all its commands promises threatnings and examples bear directly and joyntly upon the Hearts of sinners to get open the Will to Christ. And yet how few are there comparatively that obey and answer this great design of it All these are like Heavens great Artillery planted against the unbelief and stubornness of the Hearts of Men to batter down their carnal reasonings overthrow their vain hopes and open a fair passage for Christ into their Soul 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. For the weapons of our warfare are niot carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts it self against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. If a mount be raised and many Canon planted thereon and all play'd against the wall of a Fort thousands of shots
Satan to God. So Luke 11. 21 22. When a strong man armed keepeth his pallace his goods are in peace But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted and divideth his spoil Fourthly Thy present vileness and unworthiness can be no bar to Christs entrance into thy Soul because Christ never yet objected to any man his unworthiness but his unwillingness to come unto him Iohn 5. 40. You will not come unto me that you might have life And again Matth. 23. 37. How oft would I have gathered thy Children and ye would not Indeed you find something like a repulse from Christ to that poor Canaanitess Mat. 15. 24 26. Lord help me said that poor distressed Soul but he answered and said It is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs However harshly and discouragingly these words sound yet certainly it was none of Christs intent to damp and discourage her faith but to draw it forth to a more excellent and intense degree which effect it obtained vers 27. Fifthly Neither would Christ have made the tenders of mercy so large and indefinite had he intended to have shut out any Soul upon the single account of personal unworthiness provided it be but willing to come unto him Cast thine Eye poor discouraged Soul upon Christs invitations and proclamations of grace and mercy in the Gospel and see if thou canst find any thing beside unwillingness as a bar betwixt thee and mercy harken to that voice of mercy Isa. 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat come buy wine and milk without money and without price i. e. without personal desert or worthiness So again Rev. 22. 17. The Spirit and the bride say come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Here you see personal vileness and unworthiness is no obstacle in the way of Christ. Once more see Iohn 7. 37. In the last day that great day of the feast Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Thus you see what Christs coming into the Soul is and what evidences there are that when once the Soul is made truly willing Christ will certainly come into it and no former vileness or present unworthiness shall be a bar to obstruct his entrance Thirdly In the next place I shall shew you That when Christ comes into the Soul he will not come empty handed 'T is Christs marriage day and he will make it a good day a festival day bringing such comforts along with him as the Soul never tasted before he spreads as it were a Table furnishes it with the delicates of Heaven I will sup with him saith the Text What those Spiritual mercies are which Christ brings a long with him to the opening willing Soul comes next in order to be spoken to And 1. When Christ comes into the Soul of a sinner he brings a Pardon with him a full a free and a final pardon of all the sins that ever that Soul committed This is a feast of it self good cheer indeed Christ thought it to be so when he told the poor Palsey-man Matth. 9. 2. Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee He doth not say Be of good cheer thy Palsey is cured thy body recovered from the grave but be of good cheer thy sins are pardoned O how sweetly may the pardoned Soul feed upon this And this is not any peculiar mercy designed for some special favorites but what is common to all believers Acts 13. 43. By him all that believe are justified from all things Christ and pardon come together and without a pardon no other mercy would relish no feast no musick no money or honour have any favour or comfort with them to a condemned man but the comfort of a pardon reaches to the very Heart Isa. 40. 1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord Speak comfortably to Jerusalem or as in the Hebrew Speak to the heart of Jerusalem But what are the ingredients of that cordial that will comfort Ierusalems Heart Why Say unto her that her iniquities are pardoned that carries along with it the Spirit of all consolation And there are four things in the pardon of sin that make it the sweetest mercy that ever the Soul tasted comfort which is impossible to be communicated to another with the same sense that the pardoned Soul hath of it Rev. 2. 17. First That which makes the pardon of sin ravishingly sweet is the trouble that went before it The labourings and restless tossings of the troubled Soul which were antecedent to this pardon make the ease and peace that follows by it incomparably sweet As the bitterness of Hell was tasted in the sorrows of sin so the sweetness of Heaven is tasted in the pardon of it Secondly The nature of the mercy it self is incomparably sweet for it is a mercy of the first rank Pardon is â—uch a mercy as admits no comfort to come before it nor any just cause of discouragement can follow after it If God have not spoken pardon to the Soul it can have no fetled ground for joy Ezek. 33. 10. And if he have there can be no just ground for dejection whatever the troubles be that lye upon it Isa. 33. 24. The inhabitants shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquities Thirdly The third thing that makes this mercy delicious and ravishingly sweet to the Soul are the properties of it which are four 1. God writes upon thy pardon frank 't is a free mercy which cost thee nothing Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace Thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with money yet I even I am be that blotteth out thy transgression for my own names sake 2. God writes upon thy pardon full as well as free the pardon extends to all the sins that ever thou committedst Acts 13. 43. By him all that believe are justified from all things The sins of thy nature and practice the sins of thy youth and age great sins and lesser sins are all comprehended within thy pardon Thou art acquitted not from one but from all Certainly the joy of Heaven must come down in the mercy of remission O what a feast of fat things with marrow is this single mercy a pardon free without price full without exception And then 3. its final without revocation the pardoned Soul never more comes into condemnation Thine iniquities are removed from thee as far as the East is from the West as those two opposite points of Heaven can never meet so the pardoned Soul and its pardoned Sins can never more meet unto condemnation Psal. 103. 12. 4. God writes upon the pardon another word as sweet as any of the rest and that is sure 'T
is a standing mercy never to be recall'd vacated or annulled Rom. 8. 33 34 35. The challenge is sent to Hell and Earth Men and Devils Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect 'T is God that justifies who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died c. Who can arrest when the Creditor dischargeth Who can sue the bond when the debt is paid 'T is Christ that died The Table is spread and the first mercy served in is the pardon of sin Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Now the labouring Conscience that rowled and tossed upon the waves of a thousand fears may drop Anchor and ride quiet in the pacifique Sea of a pardoned State. What joy must stream through the Conscience when the sweetness of that Scripture Rom. 8. 1. shall be pressed into thy cup of Consolation The pardoned Soul may speak and think of Death and Judgment without consternation yea may look upon it as a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord Acts 3. 19. This is heavenly Manna the sweetness of it swallows up all expression all conceptions no words no thoughts can comprehend the riches of this mercy II. And yet this is not all behold another mercy in consequence unto this brought in to refresh and cheer the consenting Soul and that is peace with God. Pardon and peace go together Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God. Peace is a word of a vast comprehension peace in the language of the Old Testament comprehends all Temporal good things 1 Sam. 25. 6. And peace in the New Testament comprehends all Spiritual mercies 2 Thes. 3. 16. the blessings of Heaven and Earth are wrapt up in this word The Soul that opens to Christ hath peace of reconciliation in Heaven the enmity that was betwixt God and that Soul is taken away through the blood of Christ Isa. 12. 1 2. O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me This must be an invaluable mercy for the purchase of it cost the blood of Christ Isa. 53. 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him He made peace by the blood of his Cross Col. 1. 20. and this peace of reconciliation is setled by Christ upon a firm foundation His blood gives it a more firm and steady basis and foundation than that of the Hills and Mountains Isa. 54. 10. And that which makes it so firm and sure is the Advocateship of Jesus Christ in Heaven 1 Iohn 2. 1. 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father There is also peace in the believers Conscience peace as it were by Proclamation from Heaven and this is built upon the peace of Reconciliation We cannot have the the sense of peace till we are brought into a state of peace the latter is the result of the former And this is a special part of that supper Christ provides to entertain the Soul that receives it How sweet this is is better felt than spoken A dreadful sound was lately in the Ears of the Law-condemned sinner but now his Heart is the seat of peace And this peace is 1. the Souls gard against all inward and outward terrors Phil. 4. 7. The peace of God shall keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the word is guard your hearts and minds The persons of Princes are secured by guards of armed and valiant Men who watch while they sleep Thus Solomon had his royal guard because of fear in the night Cant. 3. 7 8. This peace of God Christian is thy life-guard and secures thee better than Solomons threescore valiant men that were about him Time was when thou wast affraid to sleep for fear thou shouldst awake in Hell Now thou maist say with David I will both lay me down and sleep for thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety Now come life come death the Soul is safe the peace of God is its royal guard 2. This peace is ease as well as safety to the Soul 'T is heart-ease no sooner doth God speak peace to the Conscience but the Soul finds it self at ease and rest Heb. 4. 3. We which have believed do enter into rest It is with such a Soul as it was with the Dove Noah sent out of the Ark that poor creature wandred in the Air as long as her wings could carry her had her strength fail'd there was nothing but the waters to receive her O how sweet was rest in the Ark 3. This peace is news from Heaven and the sweetest tydings that ever blest the sinners Ear next unto Christ Heb. 12. 24. The blood of Christ speaketh better things than that of Abel And you are come to this blood of sprinkling the same day and hour that Christ is come into your Souls This is the voice of that blood Thou hast sinned I have satisfied Thou hast kindled the wrath of God And I have quencht it The Angels of Heaven cannot feed higher their joys are not more delicious than those prepared for believers are whereof this is a foretast whatever circumstances of trouble a man be in this effectually relieves him Paul and Silas were in sad circumstances shut up in the inner-prison their feet made fast in the stocks their cruel keeper at the door their execution designed in a few days God did but set this dish upon the Table before the prisoners and they could not forbear to sing at the feast Acts 16. 25. At midnight they sang c. III. After these two royal dishes Pardon and Peace a third will come in viz. Ioy in the Holy Ghost this is somewhat beyond peace 't is the very quintessence and Spirit of all Consolation The Kingdom of God is said to consist in it Rom. 14. 17. 't is somewhat near to the joy of the glorified 1 Pet. 1. 8. 't is Heaven upon Earth All believers do not immediately attain it but one time or other God usually gives them a taste of it and when he doth it is as it were a short Salvation O who can tell what that is which the Apostle calls The shedding abroad of the love of God into the Heart by the Holy Ghost which is given to us Rom. 5. 5. It is a joy which wants an Epithet to express the sweetness of it 1 Pet. 1. 8. Ioy unspeakable and full of glory It hath the very scent and taste of Heaven in it and there is but a gradual difference betwixt it and the joy of Heaven This joy of the Holy Ghost is a spiritual cheeriness streaming through the Soul of a believer upon the Spirits testimony which clears his interest in Christ and glory No sooner doth the Spirit shed forth the love of God into the believers Heart but it streams and overflows with joy Joy is no more under that Souls command and this will evidently appear if you consider the matter of it it arises from the light of
Gods countenance Psal. 4. 6 7. the heavenly 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen we love c. The Soul is transported with joy ravished with the glory and excellency of Christ. Didst thou ever see this Christ whom thy Soul is so ravished with No I have not seen him yet my Soul is transported with so much love to him Whom having not seen we love But if thou never sawest him how comes thy Soul to be so delighted and ravished with him why though I never saw him by the Eye of sense yet I do see him by the Eye of faith and by that sight my Soul is flooded with spiritual joy Believing we rejoyce But what manner of joy is that which you taste why no Tongue can express that for it is joy unspeakable But how are Christ and Heaven turned into such ravishing joys to the Soul why the Spirit of the Lord gives the believing Soul not only a light to discern the transcendent excellency of these spiritual objects but a sight of his interest in them also This is my Christ and this the glory prepared for me without interest Heaven it self cannot be turned into joy My Soul rejoyceth in God my Saviour Luke 1. 47. We read Luke 13. 28. of some that shall have a sight of Abraham Isaac and Iacob and all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God and yet a sight without joy a dreadful sight to them for want of a joint interest with them in that glory They shall see and yet wail and weep and gnash their teeth But an interest sealed gives joy unspeakable Now as to the excellency of this joy it will be found to be the pleasant light of the Soul light and joy are Synonimous terms in Scripture Psal. 97. 11. 'T is as the cheerful light of the Morning after a sad and dismal Night You that have sat in darkness and the shadow of death you that have sat mourning in the dark without one glimpse of a promise you that have convers'd with nothing but dismal thoughts of Hell and Wrath O I shall be cast away for ever What will you say when after all this darkness the Day-star shall arise in your hearts the joy of Heaven shall beam upon your Souls Will not this be a glorious reward for all your self-denyal for Christ and fully recompense for the frowns of carnal relations for giving entertainment to Christ This joy of the Lord if there were no other Heaven is an abundant recompense This joy of the Lord shall be your strength Neh. 8. 10. Let God but give a man or woman a little of this Joy into his heart and he shall presently feel himself strengthened by it either to do or to suffer the will of God. Now he can pray with enlargement hear with comfort meditate with delight and if God call him to suffer this Joy shall strengthen him to bear it This was it that made the Martyrs go singing to the stake This therefore transcends all the joys of this lower world There are sinful pleasures men find in the fulfilling their lusts There are sensitive joys that men find in the good creatures of God filling their hearts with food and gladness There are also delusive joys false comforts that Hypocrites find in their ungrounded hopes of Heaven The joys of the Sensualist are bruitish the joys of the Hypocrite are ensnaring and vanishing but the joys of the Holy Ghost are solid sweet and leading to the fulness of everlasting joy This is the third heavenly dainty you may expect to feed on if you open your hearts to receive Christ by Faith else you have all the consolation that ever you must expect IV. We read in Scripture of the Sealings of the Spirit a choice and blessed Priviledg of Believers consequent upon believing Eph. 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed c. This then may be expected by every Soul that opens to Christ how rich soever the comforts of it be The Spirit indeed seals not before Faith for then he should set his Seal to a Blank but he usually seals after believing and that as the Spirit of promise Note here the Agent or Person sealing the Spirit he knows the counsels thoughts and purposes of God 1 Cor. 2. 10 11. He also is authorized to this work and being the Spirit of truth he cannot deceive us There is a twofold Seal spoken of in Scripture one referring to God's eternal foreknowledge and choice of men 2 Tim. 2. 19. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth who are his i. e. the Lord perfectly knows every Soul that belongs to him through the world But now what comfort is this to a poor Believer that God knows who are his Therefore there is another sealing referring to the Spirit as his act upon Believers to make them know that they are his The first is general The Lord knoweth who are is But this is particular The Lord knoweth thee to be his This is joyful news indeed the former makes it sure in it self the latter makes it sure to us Now this is a most glorious priviledge a work of the Spirit which hath a most ravishing delicious sweetness in it and that which makes it so is 1 The weightiness of the matter sealed to which is no less than Christ and the eternal Inheritance purchased by his Blood. This Seal secures our Title to Christ and to the eternal glory We are sealed to the day of redemption The sealed Believer can say Christ how great how glorious soever he be is my Christ the Covenant of Grace and all the invaluable promises contained in it are mine 2. The rest and quietness which follows it makes it an invaluable mercy this brings the anxious solicitous Mind and Conscience to rest and peace O what a mercy is it to have all those knots untied those objections answer'd those fears banished under which the doubting Soul so long laboured and which kept it so many nights waking and restless God only knows at what rate some poor Creatures live under the scarings of their own Consciences and frequent fears of Hell And what an inconceivable mercy it would be to them to be delivered at once from their dangers and fears which hold them under a Spirit of Bondage Open to Christ and thou art in the way to such a deliverance Come unto me and I will give you rest saith Christ Matth. 11. 28 29. 3. This sealing of the Spirit which follows upon believing will establish the Soul in Christ confirm it and settle it in the ways of God which is an unspeakable priviledge 2 Cor. 1. 22. Now he which establisheth us with you in Christ is God who also hath sealed us Mark how establishment follows sealing New temptations may come great persecutions and sore afflictions may come but how well is that Soul provided for them all that hath the sealings of the Spirit unto the day of redemption Yea
the exercises of our grace in Religious duties 3. In his various Providences In all these the Saints have communion with them First There is a sweet and sensible communion betwixt God and his people in the contemplation of the divine Attributes and the impressions God makes by them upon our Souls whilst we mediâ—ate on them As for instance 1. Sometimes the Lord discovers and manifests to the Souls of his people his immense greatness the manifestation of which Attribute makes an awful humbling impression upon the Soul makes them seem as nothing to themselves Thus when Abraham that great believer considered the greatness of that God with whom he had to do that sight of God seemed to reduce him to his first principles to crumble him as it were into dust and ashes again Gen. 18. 27. I that am but dust and ashes have taken upon me to speak unto God. He now looks upon himself as an heap of vileness and unworthiness so David Psal. 8. 12. When I consider thy Heavens the work of thy hands the Moon and the Stars which thou hast made from whence he inferr'd the greatness of the Creator Lord what is man that thou art mindful of him q. d. When I consider what a great God the Creator of the World is I am justly astonished that ever he should set his Heart upon so vile a thing as Man. When men compare themselves among themselves and measure themselves by themselves their Spirits are apt to swell with pride but would they look up to God as these holy men did they would admire his condescension And this is communion with God in the meditation of his immense greatness Secondly The representations and meditations of the purity and holyness of God working shame and deep abasement in the Soul for the pollutions and sinful filthiness that is in it This is communion with God and an excellent way of fellowship with him Thus when a representation of God in his holyness was made unto the Prophet Isa. 6. 3 4 5. There were the Seraphims covering their faces with their wings and crying one to another saying Holy holy holy is the Lord God Almighty the Earth is full of his glory The effect this produced or the return made by the Prophet to this manifestation of God in his holiness was deep abasement of soul for his unsuitableness to so holy a God vers 5. Then said I wo is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips c. And this is real communion with God in his holiness Thus Iob who had stifly defended his own integrity against men yet when God enters the lists with him and he saw what a great and holy God he had to do with cryed out Iob 40. 4 5. Behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further q. d. I have done Lord I have done I could answer men but I cannot answer thee thou art holy but I am vile Thirdly There are sometimes representations of the goodness and mercy of God made unto the Souls of his people When these produce an ingenuous thaw and melting of the Heart into an humble thankful admiration of it and an answerable care of pleasing him in the ways of obedience then have men communion with God in his goodness The goodness of God runs down to men in a double channel his goodness to their bodies in external providences his goodness to their Souls in spiritual mercies When the goodness of God either way draws forth the love and gratitude of the Soul to the God of our mercies then have we real communion with him Thus Iacob Gen. 32. 9 10. And Jacob said O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isaac which saidst unto me Return unto thy Country and to thy kindred and I will deal well with thee I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which thou hast shewed unto thy servant for with my staff I passed over this Jordan and now I am become two â—ands Ah Lord I see a multitude of mercies round about me and the least of them is greater than I So David 1 Chron. I7 I6 I7 And David the King came and sat before the Lord and said Who am I O Lord God and what is mine house that thou hast brought me hitherto And yet this was a small thing in thine eyes O God c. what can David speak more to thee You see in these instances what effects the goodness of God even in inferiour outward mercies useth to produce in sanctified hearts But then if you come to spiritual mercies and ponder the goodness of God to your Souls in pardoning accepting and saving such vile sinful creatures as you have been this much more affects the heart and overwhelms it with an holy astonishment as you see in Paul 1 Tim. 1. 16. The grace of our Lord was abundant I was a persecutor a blasphemer yet I obtained mercy So Mary that notorious sinner when pardoning grace appeared to her into what a flood of tears into what transports of love did the sight of mercy cast her Soul She wept and washt her Saviours feet with tears of joy and thankfulness Luke 7. 44. No terrors of the Law no frights of Hell thaw the heart like the apprehensions of pardoning mercy Fourthly Sometimes there are special representations of the veracity and faithfulness of God made unto his people begetting trust and holy confidence in their Souls and when they do so then have men communion with God in his faithfulness Thus Heb. 13. 5 6. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee There is a discovery of the faithfulness of God and what follows upon this See vers 6. So that we may boldly say The Lord is our God we will not fear what man can do unto us Here 's faithfulness in God producing trust and confidence in the believer This is that reciprocation that sweet fellowship and communion betwixt God and a believer with respect to his fidelity Behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid Isa. I2 2. And truly friend this is what the Lord justly expects from thee even thy trust and confidence in him thy steady dependance on him in return to all the discoveries of his faithfulness to thee both in his Word and Providences Fifthly There are manifestations of the anger and displeasure of God by the hiding of his face from them and the frowns of his providence when these produce repentance and deep humiliation for sin an unquietness a restlesness of Spirit till he restore his favour and manifest his reconciliation to the Soul even here also is real communion betwixt God and the Soul Psal. 30. 7. Thou hidest thy face and I was troubled Nor will a gracious Soul rest there but will take pains to sue out a fresh pardon
his paths are peace Prov. 3. 17. Now you know where to go and unload any trouble that presseth your Hearts whatever prejudices and scandals Satan and his instruments cast upon Religion this I will affirm of it that that man must necessarily be a stranger to true pleasure and empty of real comfort who is a stranger to Christ and the duties of Communion with him 'T is true here 's no allowance for sinful pleasures nor any want of Spiritual pleasures Bless God therefore for converting grace you that have it and list up a cry to Heaven for it you that want it V. Inference Lastly If there be so much delight and pleasure in our imperfect and often interrupted Communion with God here O then what is Heaven What are the immediate visions of his face in the perfect state 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor Ear heard neither have entred into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him You have heard glorious and ravishing reports in the Gospel of that blessed future state things which the Angles desire to look into You have felt and tasted joys unspeakable and full of glory in the actings of your faith and love upon Christ yet all that you have heard and all that you have felt and tasted in the way to glory falls so short of the perfection and blessedness of that state that Heaven will and must be a great surprize to them that have now the greatest acquaintance with it Though the present comforts of the Saints are sometimes as much as they can bear for they seem to reel and stagger under the weight of them Cant. 2. 5. Stay me with flagons comfort me with apples I am sick of love Yet I say these high tides of present joy are but shallows to the joys of his immediate presence 1 Cor. 13. 12. And as they run not so deep so are they not constant and continued as they shall be above 2 Thes. 4. ult Ever with the Lord. And thus much for Information I. Vse for Exhortation The last improvement of this Point will be by way of Exhortation 1. To Believers 2. To Vnbelievers First Is the privileged state into which all believers are admitted by Conversion Then strive to come up to the highest attainment of Communion with God in this World and be not contented with just somuch grace as will secure you from Hell but labour after such an hight of grace and communion with God in the exercise thereof as may bring you into the suburbs of Heaven on Earth Forget the things that are behind you as to satisfaction in them and press towards the mark for the prize of your high calling 'T is greatly to your loss that you live at such a distance from God and are so seldom with him Think not the ablest Ministers or choicest Books will ever be able to satisfie your doubts and comfort your hearts whilst you let down your Communion with God to a so low a degree O that you might be perswaded now to hearken obediently to three or four necessary words of Counsel I. Counsel Make Communion with God the very level and aim of your Souls in all your approaches to him in the Ordinances and Duties of Religion Set it upon the point of your compass let it be the very thing your Souls design let the desires and hopes of Communion with God be the thing that draws you to every Sermon and Prayer Psal. 27. 4. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may see the beauty of the Lord and enquire after him in his Temple That was the mark David aimed at And Mens success in Duty is usually according to the Spiritual aims and intentions of their Hearts in them both sincerity and comfort lye much in mens ends II. Counsel In all your approaches to God beg and plead hard with him for the manifestations of his love and further Communications of his grace Hear O Lord when I cry with my voice have mercy also upon me and answer me When thou saidst Seek ye my face my heart said unto thee Thy face Lord will I seek Hide not thy face far from me put not thy servant away in anger Psal 27. 7 8 9. How full and thick of pleas and arguments for Communion with God was this prayer of David Lord I am come in obedience to thy command thou saidst Seek ye my face thou bidst me come to thee and wilt thou put away thy servant in anger Thou hast been my help I have had sweet experience of thy goodness thou dost not use to put me off and turn me away empty III. Counsel Desire not comfort for comforts sake but comforts and refreshments for service and obedience sake that by it you may be strengthned to go on in the ways of your duty with more chearfulness Psal. 119. 32. Then will I run the ways of thy commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart As if he should say O Lord the comforts thou shalt give me shall be returned again in chearful services to thee I desire them as Oyl to the Wheels of obedience not food for my pride IV. Counsel As ever you expect to be owners of much comfort in the ways of your Communion with God see that you be strict and circumspect in the course of your Conversations 'T is the loosness and carelesness of our hearts and lives which impoverishes our Spiritual comforts A little pride a little carelesness dashes and frustrates a great deal of comfort which was very near us almost in our hands to allude to that Hosea 7. 1. When I would have healed Israel then the iniquity of Ephraim was discovered So here just when 〈◊〉 desire of thy heart was come to the door some sin stept in the way of it your iniquities saith God have separated between you and you God and your sins have hid his face from you Isa. 59. 2. The Comforter the holy Spirit is sensible and tender he hath quick resentments of your unkindnesses and offences As ever therefore you expect comfort from him beware of him and grieve him not Secondly In the last place this Point speaks necessary counsel and advice to Vnbelievers to all that live estranged from the life of God and have done so from the Womb Psal. 58. 3. To you the voice of the Redeemer sounds a summons once more Behold I stand at the door and knock Oh that at last you might be prevailed with to comply with the merciful terms propounded by him Will you shut out a Saviour bringing Salvation Pardon and Peace with him Christ is thy rightful owner and demands possession of thy Soul if thou wilt now hear his voice thy former refusals shall never be objected If thou still reject his gracious offers mercy may never more be tendered to thee there is a call of Christ which will be the last call and after that no more Take heed what
3. 10. And if God remove the Gospel from among us as our delays and triflings provoke him to do then the Treaty is ended and there 's little probability that any thing further will be done betwixt Christ and you Luke 13. 25. 3. Bring this matter to an issue with all due speed because you are not capable to give one sound reason for a moments delay of so great and weighty a concernment can you be safe too soon Can you be happy too soon Certainly you cannot be out of the danger of Hell too soon and therefore why should not your close with Christ upon the terms propounded be your very next work For certainly if the buisness the main work and buisness of every Mans life be to fly from the wrath to come as indeed it is Mat. 3. 7. and to fly for refuge to Jesus Christ as indeed it is Heb. 6. 18. Then certainly all delays are highly dangerous in such a buisness as this the Manslayer when flying to the refuge City before the avenger of Blood when his Heart was hot within him did not think he could recover the City too soon and now set all your own reason to work upon this matter put the case as really it is I am fleeing from wrath to come the Justice of God and curses of the Law are closely pursuing me is it reasonable that I now sit down in the way to gather flowers or play with trifles For such are all our other concernments in this World compared with our Salvation 4. Bring this Treaty to an issue with all due speed because most Souls that perish perish by delays Men think they have time enough before them and that to morrow will be as to day and so Satan gets part by part what he had not confidence to demand in the whole lump Most that perish under the Gospel had convictions upon their Consciences and vain purposes in their Hearts but not 〈◊〉 them to a speedy execution that was their undoing Iames 1. 24. He beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straight way forgetteth what manner of person he was It is an allusion to a Man that looks in the morning into a Glass where he discerns a spot upon his Face and resolves with himself anon to wash it off but some diversion or other falls in other matters take up his thoughts and so the spot remains all day and he carries it with him to bed at night O these delays are the undoing of millions 5. Delay not to close this Treaty with Christ because all delay increases the difficulty and the longer you neglect the more will your Hearts be hardned by the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3. 13. Continuance in sin and quenching of convictions do sensibly harden the Heart and stiffen the Will Under the first convictions the Heart is tender the affections flowing O if this advantage were apprehended and pursued how soon might the work come to a comfortable conclusion but after a while those Soul-affecting words Sin Christ Heaven Hell Death and Eternity will become words of a common sound 6. And lastly Beware of delays in this matter because you can never expect a fitter and fairer opportunity and season for the dispatch of this great concernment than by the special indulgence of Heaven you enjoy this day 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. Now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation You have now the Wind and Tide with you if you will not weigh Anchor now you may lye Wind-bound to your dying day what advantages can you reasonably expect which God hath not furnished you with at this day You have the means of Grace among you you have liberty and freedom to attend on those means without fear Say not I have such or such troubles and encumbrances in the World for you must never expect to be without them except you only shall find the World another thing than all others find it have you health O what a precious season and advantage is that Art thou sick O what a spur is that What is to be done must be done quickly III. Vse for Direction But it may be some Souls will plead ignorance that they know not how to manage and transact so great a concernment with Christ and therefore set not about it and it is very likely there may be much truth in that plea. For the help and assistance of such Souls I will gather up the sum of what hath been and ought to be further spoken about this matter in the following Directions so that nothing but your unwillingness and slothfulness shall remain to hinder you I. Direction First If ever you bring the Treaty betwixt Christ and your Souls to an happy issue and conclusion you must as before was noted sit down and count the cost Luke 14. 28. 't will be in vain else to engage your selves in the profession of Religion it is not Christs design to draw you under a rash inconsiderate engagement and so to reap more dishonour by your apostacy and hypocrisie than ever he shall have glory by your Profession No he would have you to foresee and seriously bethink your selves of all the outward troubles and inconveniencies you may afterwards meet with for his sake You are to embark your selves with Christ and abide with him in storms as well as halcyon days you must follow the Lamb whether soever he goeth Rev. 14. 4. There 's no retreating after engagement to Christ If any Man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 38. 'T is eternal death by that martial Law of Heaven to run from Christs colours in the day of battle Well then retire thy self into the innermost closet of thy Soul sit quiet and patiently there till thou hast debated this matter fully with thine own thoughts and hast ballanced the good and the evil the profits and losses of Religion for want of this the Church is filled with hypocrites and Hell with inconsiderate and rash Professors the more we deliberate the better we shall conclude II. Direction Secondly Having debated the matter over and over in thy most sedate and serious thoughts let not Satan discourage thee from casting thy Soul at Christs Feet with an hearty consent to all his terms for want of such and such qualifications as thou canst not find in thine own Soul 'T is usual for Satan to suggest at this time the want of greater sorrow and humiliation for sin that the Soul hath not layen long enough under the humbling work of the Law that the aggravations of its sins have been such that there is no hope of acceptance free thy Soul from these snares of Satan by the consideration of this unquestionable truth That Christ expects from thee no more humiliation than what produceth such a hearty deliberate consent as thy Will is now to give and such a consent once gained no aggravation of sin is pleadable against the duty of believing III. Direction Thirdly Distrust not