so for other duties 5. Spiritual joy will exceedingly It will exceddingly facilitate the way and work to heaven facilitate the way and work for heaven It is our facundus Comes which is pro Vehiculo As the fear of the Lord is our treasure Isa 33. 6. So the joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8. 10. An heavy dull sad spirit is a burden ofâ— it self and is very apt to make every thing else a burden Now spiritual joy it takes off dulness and deadness and enables us to run the way of Gods Commandments and to run the race that is set before us Amanti nihil difficile it makes our spiritual work to come off the Wheels run if oyled Quest This is true will some reply but what should converted What should converted persons do to walk joyfully persons do that they may walk joyfully Sol. There are two sorts of converted persons Incipientes who are newly called newly wrought on newly brought home and these ordinarily are full of fears of doubts of temptations of conflicts of heaviness Proficientes who are long standers in the wayes of grace Will you favour me to speak a few words to either of these 1. To persons newly converted I would humbly present Directions To persons newly converted these directions as proper means or Conduits of joy and comforts to their souls 1. Draw up your spiritual condition to some issue Do not live with a doubtful suspition perhaps you are converted perhaps Draw up your Spirituall condition to some Issue you are not converted As ignorance is an enemy to grace so doubtfulness is an enemy to comfort That man who is still in suit whether his Conversion be true will not dare to lay claim to the joyes which result from Conversion If I fear my grace I shall much more fear my comfort Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Therefore do this bring thy souls estate to the word that is the rule that is the fire that is the touchstone if the Word of God will approve and decide for thee bless God and maintain the truth of thy spiritual estate against all the suggestions of Satan and cavils of thine own heart when once that doth say truth of grace is in thee conscience will say truth of comfort belongs unto thee 2. Get a little more faith one dram more would turn the the scale and settle thine heart Faith trades with the Fountain Get a little more saith with the God of Comfort and of Peace and with Jesus Christ It is Faith that lets you into Christ and it is Faith which lets comfort into you The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15. 13. There are five priviledges of Faith It hath the first look of Mercy it hath the first kiss from Christ it hath the first news of acceptance unto Life it hath the first answer of Peace it hath the first draught of Joy Oh get a little more faith a little more faith would weaken the grounds of thy fears quell the motions of thy doubts clear thy way to the fountains of comfort imprint on thy heart a most joyful Communion with thy God and Christ no life of joy but that of faith 3 And Learn to live by faith and then you will have more Learne to live by faith joy and comfort Four things would make a mans life very joyfull and comfortable 1. If he were eased of all burthens 2. If he were secured from all prejudices 3. If what he had were good and enough 4. If he were assured that whatsoever good he should need of that he should not fail but be supplied with it in due time Now the life of faith 1. Easeth you of all your burthens There are but two burthens upon us 1. The sinfull Faith sees this taken off by Christ He bare our sins 2. The earthly of cares Faith sees Gods providence taking that off The Lord is a Sun c. Psal 84. I will never leave thee Heb. 13. Bread shall be given to him his waters shall be sure Isa 33. 16. Cast your care on him for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. 2. Secures you against all prejudices and hurts Faith finds us still in Gods hands and in a safe custody Though there be evils in the world yet they shall not come nigh you and his work goes on though ours do not God is with you who can be against you There 's a Deluge but Noah's in the Ark a storm but you are in an hiding place He holds you in his hand and covers you under his wings makes all things to work for good Faith sees the Trouble and the Sanctuary both Occurrences and Providence both ruling carrying on observing watching preserving If Earth won't keep you safe Heaven shall 3. It renders the present possession as good and enough Your portion is so For what is a Christians portion Is not God is not his favour And is not God enough is not his favour better then life He who cannot be contented with a God and a Christ and a Covenant of Grace and Heaven will be satisfied with nothing You have but little of Earth Aâ— but you have God and Christ If a man have but a little Garden yet if he have a large field c. A little of Earth and much of Heaven makes a fair Estate 4. It assures you of supplies universal and seasonable Vniversal I shall not want Psal 23. 1. No good thing will he withhold Psal 84. 11. No good for soul no good for body you have his Bonds for both and this is for life Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Psal 23. Nay for everlastingness I will marry thee to my self for ever Hos 2. 19. 2. Seasonable In an acceptable time c. In the mount God will be seen 4. Get a little more understanding and judgment about your converted Get more understanding and judgment about your converted condition and gracious condition Shall I help thee a little with a few Considerations and Informations Know then 1. The great Fountain of thy Joy lies more in thy Justification then in thy Sanctification Thou hast not so much Holiness as another but thou hast of Christs Righteousness thou canst not apprehend so strongly but thou art apprehended as strongly Christ lays as fast hold of thee 2. That Grace and Weakness may dwell together It may be very true though very weak the smoaking flax and the bruised reed and the grain of mustard-seed A Father hath one Child in the Cradle and another in the Shop a Shepheard hath Lambs in the flock as well as Sheep the Gardiner hath Plants as well as Trees and Christ hath Babes as well as strong Men belonging to him 3. That the least Grace and the great Love of God do go together The little drop of Grace comes out of the Ocean of his great Love
there take forth directions for your lives how contrary soever to your own conceits and delights 4. A faintness of spirit If you make the work absolutely impossible A faintness of spirit you do but cool and quash resolutions There is a need of bellows not waters for tender sparks for no man will attempt a hopeless work or that which he knows will certainly prove fruitless Do not side with such thoughts as these I shall never be able to get victory over such strong sins and long corruptions Or I shall never be able to do what the Lord requires so much and with such affections nor shall I ever bear such reproaches losses disgraces indignities Never consult with flesh and bloud in a case of holy Resolution nor credit Satan about the leaving of sin but if thou wilt consult with what may fear and dishearten thee consult also with what may encourage and quicken thee Though thy sins be strong yet they are conquerable onely true Grace is invincible It is possible for a sinfull nature to be altered and renewed and therefore it is not impossible for any sin to be subdued Though thy own strength be insufficient yet Christ's is not He who hath commanded thee to combat with Sin hath likewise promised to conquer sin if thy duty be active he is able to work in thee both to will and to do if thy duty be passive he can give thee not onely to do but to suffer for his sake if thou must not be less then a Sufferer he can make thee more than a Conqueror Thy helps are far greater than thy discouragements there are more with thee than against thee Therefore fear not to resolve 't is a vanity to talk of another or fitter season you will be more unwilling to leave sin the more time you take to commit sin II. There are some things which you must in some measure Labour for possess if ever you would be brought to a penitential Resolution 1. Get as distinct a knowledge of sin as clear conviction as Clear Conviction you can It is our blindness which keeps us in service and the Will is usually perverse because the Judgment is greatly dark Did we know sin aright truly fully experimentally you have attained to Reasons enough why you should resolve against it Sin carries its own condemnation with it Sometimes the particular effects of sin do half perswade us to be Christians to leave the service of sin a stroke or two upon the Conscience do thus far prevail as to pause and stop If then we knew sin in the latitude of its bitter effects and in the intensiveness of them beyond all thoughts for bitterness and perpetuity as also that extreme vileness in the formal nature of it which is the vast womb and Ocean out of which these bitter waters do flow if we did know sin as the darkest blot and loathsome blur opposite to the truest Glory of purest Holiness and as the most deformed and highest Rebellion to the most equal Laws and Rules of Divine Soveraignty and as the very Eclipse and utter Inconsistence with all real Happiness and as the infallible and unavoidable Precipice of our intollerable and eternal Damnation At least this would be an occasional excitation if not a strong foundation upon which to raise a Resolution to quit and forsake it Sure I am the defect of this that men know not sin makes them bold and venturous obstinate and tenacious they will not desist from the practice of sin because they know not the evil of sin 2. You must get an hatred of sin else you will never truly and Cordial detestation effectually resolve against it All the actions of our lives are fed by the affections of the will these are in morals principia immediate vincentia and of all the affections as the Anatomists observe in the body two master-Veins Vena cava vena aorta so in the soul there are two which are Soveraign and bear sway one is Love and the other is Hatred that bears sway in matters elegible and practicable this in matters sinfull and declinable Resolutions against sin not rooted in hatred will slack like a deceitfull Bow and Resolutions to a better course not raised from love will be but as the morning dew It is hatred which makes us bent and peremptory againct evil and it is love which makâ—s us resolute and stedfast for good Hatred hath three properties in it against an evil Object Enmity Flight and Irreconcileableness And Love hath two properties in it Union and Adhaesion Ruth clave in love to Naomi and was seâ—ed in it never to leave her And Ephraim was strong in detestation and therefore peremptorily in resolution What have I to do any more with Idols 3. There must be Faith and then there will be Resolution Faith Faith 1. To believe the Word of God discovering and threatning an evil condition and course 2. To believe the excellency of a good Condition and Life and Rewards If thou didst indeed believe that sin would damn thee wouldst not thou resolve against it if thou didst indeed believe that the holy life were the happy life couldst thou by Faith see him that is invisible and the beauties of holiness which are hid from the World and those great consolations and rewards reserved for a pious heart and conversation thou wouldst quickly turn the Scale mâ—ke the choâ—ce and resolve 'T is true I must leave my sins but I shall gain my God their pleasures but I shall gain his delights I may forfeit the love of Friends but I shall find kindness of God I quit Earth but I shall get Heaven I leave but filthiness but guilt but misery but Hell I shall get holiness and peace and Christ and Comfort and Heaven I am insufficient but God is sufficient 4. Vehement Prayer that the Lord would give a heart willing Vehement prayer to forsake sin and willing to choose him and his ways For the purposes of our hearts are from him Resolution should be a Posâ—e of Prayers steept in prayer blown up by the breath of Heaven Psal 119. 5. O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes v. 8. I will keep thy statutes O forsake me not utterly What you undertake without prayer you will forsake without câ—mfort All resolutions are best made which are made upon the knee of prayer Secondly The means to maintain and keep up this Resolution The means to maintain this resolution Let it not be presumpâ—uous but humble If you would attain to a solid and permanent Resolution then 1. Let your Resolution not be presumptuous but humble If you raise your Resolutions upon your own strength you will shortly quit them by your own weakness No spiritual frame or work is safe or strong which is reared upon it self alone it must not be less than a rock higher than our selves upon which we must build The wings bear the body of the
demand what are become of the many sick-bed resolutions of those that you made when the hand of God was upon you you vowed much unto God as he did in a storm c. but as the King said of Mordecai What hath been done to Mordecai for this so what have you done to make good your resolutions I believe your hearts are speechless your consciences do condemn you that health hath been the time of more sinning though sickness was the time of more resolving The same may be said for others whose consciences have been more actively and fiercely stirring Oh! if the Lord would abate that wrath and cool that inflamed spirit c. yet what are the fruits of many such resolutions As the Divel said of Job But now stretch forth thy hand and he will curse thee of thy face so here on the contrary as soon as the Lord takes off his hand these are as ready to continue and proceed on in their sins as the Israelites were when they were delivered out of the Land of Egypt from the fiery furnace Yea and of others is it not manifest that they are fare enough from present executions when they voluntarily defer the acting part of Repentance to old age Hereafter is time enough c. 2. Others perhaps do act and execute presently yet they are exceedingly out For 1. Though it be presently yet it is partially they act resolutions as Saul did his Sword upon the meanest and poorest not upon the greatest they do not answer their resolutions to the full Deal kindly with the young man for my sake said David So when many persons come to execute their Resolutions against sin they fail they falter they do not execute Agag some pleasant corruption which will mar all finds favour 2. Though it be presently yet it is but presently the present execution of the purpose is but a present a transient execution an hanging down the head for a day or for a week a busie and earnest reformation for a while but this Assize like ours here is but for a few dayes it breathes away the heart turns again to sin and the next convenient occasion is too prevalent it carries away the Soul 2. But to draw nearer to our selves however we have been defective Vse 2. Let us set upon a present execution to answer our manifold resolutions by present executions and practices yet now let us for the time to come as he said of words so I of purposes vertere proposita in Opera Not be like Clouds seeming to be full of Water but to pour down Let us act the parts of Penitents as the Prophet said to the hovering Israelites if God be God serve him so here if Repentance be a necessary duty to be performed let us then act it act it presently For this I will only propound two things 1. The Motives 2. The Means for a present Execution 1. The Motives 1. A present Execution is the truest part of Repentance At the Motives A present execution is the truest part of Repentance best you are but in a preparation in a meer disposition towards Repentance until you act it it is not so much what you would be as what you are what you intend as what you practise that will give the most real testimony of your Repentance 2. A present execution it is the safest part of repentance Of the two he is in the more sure condition who resolves to leave a wicked And the safest part of Repentance life and doth indeed forsake it and resolves to lead a holy life and doth indeed enterprize it than he who resolves on both but practiseth neither The doer of good is a thousand times more sure then the resolver something in some cases may be said to stay a person from his resolutions yet if nothing comes of the resolutions I assure you the scales will hang trembling but action doth more fully determine the estate and the Scripture is more clear for the spiritual estate as it lies in practise then as it lies in purpose 3. A present execution it is the comfortablest part While repentance lies only in resolution it is but as a Tree in And the comfortablest part of Repentance the Winter perhaps well rooted but it lives dry but when repentance breaks out into action it is as a Tree in the Spring well rooted well flowered and well smelling too There is more comfort to do then to intend to do indeed to cease a sinful course and indeed to walk an holy life this opens all the comforts of of the promises draws down the favour of God assures us more of interest in Christ excuseth more in the conscience reviveth more in all occurrences 4. A present execution it is the wisest part we cannot say what we shall do to morrow when we cannot assure And the wisest part our selves what and where we shall be to morrow He is wisest for Divine Glory and for his own happiness who acts an immediate duty of salvation upon present terms There are four things which declare wisdome One to sow in season Another to sail in season A third to accept and receive the Word of Grace in season A fourth to act repentance in season even now while it is called to day 2. The means If we would execute our penâ—tential resolutions then we must 1. Take heed of the impediments of this Meanes present Execution 2. Make use of the helps and furtherances of it 1. The impediments of a present execution are many Take heed of the Impediments Imbâ—cillity of Resolution 1. Imbecility of resolution Debile fundamentum fallit opus if the foundation be weak how can the building be strong the house which was built on a Rock did stand but that which was erected on the Sands fell down Where resolutions are either weakly raised on strong grounds or suddenly raised on weak and mutable occasions there is either no execution or uncertain for no effect doth exceed the virtue of his cause Thou hast almost perswaded me to be a Christian this left King Agrippa still in Heathenisme You will never go through with the work if you attain not to a thorow resolution when you have an heart that goes and comes you will have only fits of repentance which will come and go Of two things be sure if ever you would penitentially act to purpose One that you see strong and prevalent reasons to change your course of life such as may not be over topped by any arguments that sin may suggest hereafter they are the spirits in the brain which confer to motion in the Hands and Legs Another that you resolve not on deceitful and fallible grounds If your resolutions be upon Motives either mutable or conditional you may be troubled with much temptation but you will never advance in much penitential actions 2. Servile fear When we so exalt the opinions of men and their Tongues and their Power what will they
causes in Christ to accept of him and to resign up to him rather than to sin or world or any thing else and when the Will is wrought upon so as to accept of Christ in his Person and Offices and Estates the soul is now matched or married to Christ by Faith It bestows it self and gives Christ all the right and cleaves unto him in an indissoluble bond of affection and service Quest 3. The third resolveable is concerning the Subject of this The subject of this faith faith who hath it The Text resolves that by telling us that the Ring was put on the returning Prodigals finger so that the penitent person is he who wears the Ring i. who is an espoused The penitent person is onely married unto Christ or married person by Faith unto Christ You may be married to your Lusts and to the World though you be impenitent yet none but Penitents are married unto Christ by Faith Not that Repentance goes before Faith in Christ for no Grace habitually considered is in time before another though in operation it be Nor that Repentance is the cause of Faith for it is a most improper Assertion to make one Grace to be the cause of another Grace when as every Grace doth come onely from the Spirit of Reasons Christ as the cause But because 1. The penitent person is only the The penitent person onely hath faith subject of Faith which doth marry us to Christ no person is a believer who is not a penitent person The Prodigal while onely a Prodigal he hath neither Garment nor Ring but when he is a returning Prodigal then he hath both and not till then 2. Onely penitent persons can evidence their faith and espousal unto Onely penitent persons can evidence their faith Christ Another who is impenitent can no more evidence his interest or title to Christ then an Alien that never heard of this Land can evidence or conclude his title and right to any Goods or Chattels of yours The title to Christ is proper onely to the Penitent for them he lived and for them onely he died Now if any should yet further demand Why the Lord should Why will the Lord give this to penitent persons To convince the world there is no loâ—s in leaving sin To support the soul of the heavy laden give unto penitent persons a precious faith to espouse them to Christ I conjecture briefly that these may be the Grounds or Reasons 1. To convince all the world that there is no loss in leaving of sin Abjice tectum tolle coelum said one The repentant person forsakes his sins but presently finds a Saviour he is divorced from that which would damn him and by faith is espoused unto one that will save him 2. To support the soul of the penitent which of all other is most sick and heavy laden It is most sensible of sin and guilt and Gods displeasure on all which it cannot long look alone If the penitent person had not faith to see a Mediatour he would not long have an eye to look upon his transgressions It is a truth that Repentance could never act it self unless the penitent person had faith to act it self too The sorrow in Repentance would infinitely sink into despair and the forsaking of sin would turn into a forsaking of God if Faith saw not a Mediatour for Transgressions and a mercifull God through him 3. Lastly The Lord intends singular mercy to the penitent God intends singular mercies to the Penitent persons to perform many precious promises of pardon and grace and comfort unto them and therefore gives them Faith unto which all the Promises are made The promises may be considered two ways either in respect 1. of Intention so they look unto the Penitent of Application so onely Faith is the Hand in the Penitent which actively applies the Promises Again you know that the Promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ i. they are all sealed by him and made good unto us by him so that first we must have Christ before the Promises made good unto us by Christ And therefore God gives unto the penitent person the Grace of Faith to espouse him unto Christ that so he may settle upon him all the Dowry upon the Marriage of the rich mercy and good in his precious Promises The main Use which I will make of this assertion is To try our selves whether we have this precious Ring of Faith a Ring Vse Try our selves whether we have this precious faith A necessary trial if we consider The paucity of true believers more precious than that of Gold put on our fingers yea or no. It is as necessary a demur as ever you were put unto all your dayes whether you consider 1. The paucity of true believers All men have not faith saith the Apostle All men nay very few Who hath believed our report said the Prophet We preach we offer Christ unto you we beseech you to accept of the Lord of Life to give up your hearts and lives unto him but who believes our report We tell you that Christ is better than all the world his bloud is better than sin it 's better to love and serve him than world or sin but who believes our report Men care not to know the excellencies of Christ they prize him not they care not to hear him speak in his Ordinances they will in no wise consent and yield to his terms and conditions 2. The Vtility The utility of it of it To the Sacrament of the Lords Supper if we come without our Wedding-Ring it will be as sad a day to us as to him who came without his Wedding Garment We do not onely receive no good at the Sacrament for we have neither hand nor mouth to take and eat if we have not Faith not title at all to the intrinsecal benefits by Christ if we have not faith in him Nay we occasion much evil and Judgment upon our selves we adventure to eat and drink our own damnation not discerning the 1 Cor. 11. Lords body And righteously may the Lord judge us for coming to his Sacrament without Faith for as much as in so doing we do not onely presume against an express prohibition that we should hold off but also we do at the least interpretatively assay to make God a Liar and a favourer of all villany as if he would put his Seal of Pardon and mercy and for all the good of his Covenant in Christ to a wicked impenitent and unbelieving sinner 3. The Hypocrisie of our hearts so apt to deceive themselves with shadows in stead of substances not The hypocrifie of our hearts considering that Satan can delude a man with the shew of any grace Every Ring is not a Ring of Gold nor is every Faith a precious and unfeigned Faith There is a thing called Presumption which is bold enough but it is not Faith and there
any one of them it is a sign that thou livest if the child doth not go yet if it sucks this shews life if it doth not speak yet if it cry it is alive if it doth not cry yet if it breath it is a sign of life If there be groanings under the burden of sin and â—ighings for help for grace for Christ c. they are a sign of life O Christian the spiritual life is sometimes more open and full and lively and quick in actions and sometimes it is reduced to desires to a will to a complaint to a tear to a sigh to a groan O that I could pray O that I could believe 2. Dictinctly to the particular Cases Obj. 1. Thou fearest that thou art not alive because much Distinctly to the particular cases I am not alive because much sin is living in me Answered sin is yet living in thee To which I answer 1. It is with the Christian made alive by Grace as it was with Lazarus made alive by Christ who had for a while his grave cloathes on him and he was bound hand and foot and yet he was made alive so there may be many sinful corruptions yet cleaving to that soul which is indeed quickned with spiritual life Nay if thou didst feel no sinful corruptions I should question whether yet thou werâ— made alive for spiritual life or grace doth give unto the soul 1. The clearest sense of sin 2. And the greatest grief for sin 3. And the strongest combate and conflict with sin 2. There is a difference twixt a feeling of sin still stirring in us and of the life of sin still ruling in us Thou feelest sin living in temptation but dost thou feel sin living in thy affection Thou feelest sin molesting of thee as a Tyrant but dost thou acknowledg sin ruling over thee as a King 3. And what doest thou when thou findest sin thus working Dost thou dye daily If thou feelest sin as if it were alive doth not this humble thee and doth not this hasten thee by Faith unto Christ for more crucifying virtue Obj. 2. Thou fearest that yet thou art not alive because thou There is much duâ—ness and deadness in my affections and operations Answeâ—ed discernest mâ—ch spiritual dulness and deadness in thy affections and operations Sol. I answer 1. Even the living have soâ—nd too much spiritual deadness in their hearts Davids soul was heavy and cast down and indisposed and a deadness possessed him and he prayes of enâ— O Lord quicken me 2. But is there not a difference twixt deadness and death death is the total privation of life where there is spiritual death there is not so much as the habit of grace but deadness is some diminution or some damp upon the habit of grace that it steps not out to its acts with that liberty and that alacrity as it was wont and such a deadness may be in a living soul And thirdly Thou feelest this deadness and thou dislikest it and thou bewailest it and thou prayest how often how earnestly Lord quicken this dead heart of mine Is it thus where death prevails do dead men do thus 4. The actions of life are various Let the action for the quantity be what it will greater or lesser quick or dull free or checked and interrupted yet if what thou dost be done in the strength of Christ if it be wrought with an humble and an upright heart assuredly thou art not a dead sinner but a living though perhaps troubled Christian Obj. 3. But I have no power to do any good I cannot believe I cannot pray I cannot mourn Sol. 1. What no Power at all I have no power to do any good Answered never any power no power from thy self nor any power from Christ no power perhaps to this work but what no power to any spiritual work no power perhaps at this time to an eminent act but then is there not a power to pray for power Though power appears not in the work doth not power yet appear in the will and desire Rom. 7. 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but to perform that which is good I find not I cannot do it but I would do it 2. If there be a power living in the will it is the best sign of life A wicked man doth often the good which his will is against and the good man often doth not the good cannot do the good which his will is yet for Now God looks upon the will more then upon the work If gracious acts be couchant in the will life is in thee 3. However although thou hast not power sometimes let down for spiritual work yet thou hast so much power still remaining as to lifâ— up weak hands for more power Though thou canst not believe nor repent nor mourn as thou thinkest yet there is an heart to seek unto God in Christ for this power to believe c. Obj. 4. But my old lively affections are gone my old estimations My old lively â—ffâ—ctions are gone Answered my old hungrings and thirstings my old delightful communion with God in prayer and in his ordinances Sol. To this I would only say thus much 1. There is a difference twixt the intensive swiftness or flash of affections and the intensive strength and weight of the affections A young Christian is most in the former an old Christian who acts more upon Judgment and Faith is most in the latter 2. The case seems rather to be of a living man like to dye then dead Of a man decaying in Grace rather then totally deprived of grace of a sick Christian rather then of a dead Christian 3. And therefore seriously search the causes of the remission of thy first love of thy ancient favour in holy communion O look whether a dead flye be not fallen into the ointment whether some insnaring lust fleshly or worldly hath not robbed thee of thy strength 4. If so Be humbled greatly and repent and do thy first work Obj. 5. But where there is life there is growth but I find it not I finde no growth Answered Sol. A word to this The denial of growth may be either 1. Negative Never any at all this is impossible if life be wrought 2. Comparative Not so much as another not so much as I have found under such or such means not so much as I desire and this may be where there is life I have finished two Proposition from this Text One respecting the death and the other respecting the life of a sinner I now proceed to a third which is That a very great and notorious Doct. 3. A very great sinner may be converted sinner may be at length converted and changed This my Son was dead and is alive again This Son and who was he or what was he in the precedent Verses you may see his picture you may read
convert thee this should move thee to seek him perhaps he will not this may affright thee to stand out any longer against him Therefore to be bold in sin because God can and sometimes doth convert a great sinner may move thee rather to conclude he will not he intends not to convert thee than that he doth When Divine Goodness is made encourageable to sin against that Goodness when it is not a melting Sun but an hardning Sun it is a presage rather of a mans subversion than of his conversion 3. Though God can and doth sometimes convert a great sinner yet usually the greater sinner comes off with the sharper conversion The great Malefactor sometimes hath his Book and his Life too but he is burned in the Hand and in the Shoulder Paul was a great sinner and was converted but his great sins which were a troubling to Christ did prove a trembling to his heart God puts such a sinner upon the Rack he strikes and wounds him that all the Countrey shall hear of the troubles which his Conscience feels for his sinnings against God God doth as it were singe him with the flames of Hell before he meets him with the kisses of Heaven 4. Most usually those great and notorious sinners whom God converts are such who have thus sinned under their ignorance I was a blasphemer c. saith Paul but I did obtain mercy for I did it ignorantly and through misbelief He did not know what he did he thought he had been in the right You seldome read of one knowing Pharisee who persecuted Christ that was converted yet you read of many of the Jews and of the Elders that were converted for they did not know Jesus Christ to be the Lord of Glory I will not say that no knowingly notorious sinner shall ever be converted but certainly Conversion is very rare where Knowledge holds the Candle to long and great works of Darkness Those sinners who go on against the workings of an enlightning Spirit fall very rarely within the favour of the converting Spirit Therefore let no man gather poyson from this honey c. The last Use shall be a word of Direction to any great and notorious Vse 3. Direction to such converted sinners Take pains to be assured of pardon sinner whom God hath been pleased mightily and graciously to convert I would commend these Advisoes unto him 1. Let him take much pains to get his Acquittance fairly writ and sealed I mean to be well assured that his sins are pardoned Believe it no man shall find his title so questioned his heart so assaulted with often doubts and fears of pardon as one who hath been a great sinner The Provocations have been great and Conscience hath been boistrous and Satan can lay in shrewd exceptions c. 2. Let Conscience be exceeding tender O awake Keep conscience tenâ—er it not displease it not by new adventurings all the old wounds will bleed afresh A little new sin committed will raise up the old ghosts it will revive the sense of all the old great sins which although they be pardoned yet thou wilt now think they are not A person who before his Conversion lived as if he had been in Hell should after his Conversion live as if he were in Heaven 〈◊〉 3. Love much and do much do some great thing Love much and do much for Gods Glory This my Son was dead and is alive again Alive again but how came this about what was the occasion of this Prodigals Conversion look back unto v. 15 16. he was brought so low as to feed Swine and would have been glad of the Husks but no man gave unto him and he is ready to perish with hunger and now returning thoughts came into his mind now he resolves to come back again unto his Fathers house Whence observe That great afflictions are sometimes an occasion of the Conversion of Doct. 4. Great afflictions are sometimes an occasion of great sinners conversion a great sinner There are two sorts of afflictions 1. Inward which set upon the conscience these are sometimes an occasion of Conversion A troubled conscience doth many times end in a renewed conscience troubles of heart are oftentimes closed with change of heart The great storms occasion the Traveller to come in for shelter The biting Serpents occasioned the Israelites to look to the brasen Serpent the avenger of blood made the guilty person to flye to the City of refuge and a condemning conscience oftentimes makes a poor troubled Soul to come in unto Jesus Christ for ease and rest 2. Outward which light upon the body and estate of a sinner these also sometimes serve to fetch in a sinner as he once said periissem nisi periissem I had perished unless I had perished Josephs brethren had never found Joseph and craved food of him unless a famine had befallen them If God had not deprived some men of their wordly goods they had never come in to seek heavenly Treasures We may say of them that if they had been fed they had been famished and if they had not been famished they had never been fed with the bread of life Again these outward afflictions may be considered two wayes either 1. Simply and nakedly in themselves so they cannot convert any sinner no more then the pool of Bethesda alone could heale a diseased Person or Elijahs salt could heal the Waters 2. Concomitantly as accompanied with and sanctifyed by Gods Spirit It is not the hammer but the fire which softens the iron It was not the Water but the Angel that stirred the water which made the water medicinal It is not the Rope but the strength of the hand upon the Rope which draws in the Boâ—t Afflictions in themselves are privations of a comfortable good but if God sanctifies them they may then be a means of our everlasting good God can use them as a bridle not only to stop us running out of the way but also to turn us into the right way Hos 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness By alluring he means a gracious and effectual perswasion a prevailing even to Conversion but then he will bring her into the wilderness God brings men into the Wilderness into a barren desolate miserable condition and then allures or converts them Manasses was a great sinner and yet God humbled him greatly and as it is thought converted him but what means did he use for this See 2 Chro. 33. 11. The Lord brought upon him the captains of the host of the King of Assyria who took Manasseh among the Thorns and bound him with fetters and carryed him to Babylon v. 12. And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly Nebuchadnezzar was a proud and lofty sinner and therefore God puld him down he did drive him from men and he did eat Grass as Oxen and his body was wet with the Dew of Heaven
will prevent all that bitterness Sol. 1. You cannot repent at pleasure though you sin at pleasure nay the more pleasant thy sins are the more they do disable thee to repent for they by thy delights do hold thy affections more firm and increase â—hy sinfull acts more often and both of these do cross repentance 2. But suppose thou shouldest repent yet must thy sins be bitter unto thee though thou mayest believe with joy yet thou must repent with sorrow Repentance is a mourning weed a sad lamentation a reformation with tears 3. And believe me thy penitential work will be the more sowr by how much the more sweet thy sinnings have been In Physick if I mistake not they hold that Dulcia cito vertuntur in bilem the sweet meats are most easily turned into bitter choler so shalt thou find experimentally thy sweetest sins to prove even if thou doest repent thy sharpest burthens and griefs Davids adultery cost him more tears then any sin of his that we read of A third Use shall be of Direction If any man of us hath been enticed that we have taken the sweet bait that sin hath insnared Vse 3. Direction us by its pleasures my advice is Let him vomit up the morsels again and no more to embrace the sin for the pleasure but to abhor the pleasure for the sins sake The rules which I would prescribe are these 1. Presently to imbitter those sinfull pleasures Do you your Presently imbitter those sinfull pleasures self begin the work defer it not to God if you begin it in a penitential way God will spare you in a judicial way Judge yourselves and ye shall not be judged of the Lord. See and consider what thou hast done True I have had the pleasure but by sinning God hath had the dishonour much dishonour great dishonour frequent dishonour Oh grieve for this that thou shouldest ever delight in that which grieves thy God that sin should be pleasant to thee which is so dishonourable unto him Afflict thy soul and do this presently take down thy sins the second time with bitter herbs which at the first thou swallowedst down with sweet delights or rather cast them out with hearty sorrow which thou didst hastily take in with vain pleasure 2. For time to come let two thoughts lodge between thine eyes viz. 1. Former sins have been bitter though pleasant 2 Future Think of the bitterness of former sins and that future sins will be more bitter sins be they never so pleasant will prove more bitter O let these be engraven in thy soul never believe thy thoughts thy hopes thy confidences nor Satan any more nor thy own false heart sin was pleasant heretofore but it ended bitterly if thou any more hearken unto it it will be less pleasant and much more terribly bitter the second surfeits of sin do either breed more stupefaction or more confusion in the conscience 3. Study to find and taste that pleasure which ariseth from an entire communion with God and a conversation which is upright Study to find and taste pleasure in communion with God Talk what thou wilt the soul will have some pleasure or other if it pitcheth not on God for it it will stray aside to sin for it Now then strive to take pleasure in the Lord and in his work and in his way and in his Graces and in his Christ This shalt thou find of spiritual pleasure Spiritual pleasures are 1. It is more sweet a thousand times then that of sin One glass of Spring-water is more sweet then a Caldron of Sea-water More sweet though the Sea be larger it is fouler and mixt 2. It is more lasting and durable Ah thou needest not to repent of it it is More lasting a Spring and not a Puddle and its foundation is constant never forsake thy mercies for lying vanities 3. It is More affecting more affecting then the other That of sin goes not beyond the sense and affections but this of God enters into the conscience which is the seat of truest comfort or saddest misery 4. It Will drown our sinfull pleasures will drown your sinfull pleasures Oh thou shalt find such a real value such a surpassing excellency such a full contentment in the all-sufficient God that thou mayest well say as Ephraim What have I to do any more with Idols So thou with the vain piercing false short pleasures of sin Therefore set thy heart not on sin but holiness though it may fall out that at the beginning the ways of God and holiness may seem bitter unto thee yet know 1. This bitterness either is by reason of thy former pleasant sins or thy present sinfull nature 2. That assuredly thy delights in holiness will bring thee at last to that right hand where there are pleasures for evermore for as sin though pleasant in entrance is bitter in conclusion so holiness though it sets forth with a storm shall land safely in a calm And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that Luke 15. 14. Land and he began to be in want And he went and joyned himself to a Citizen of that Countrey and he sent him into his fields to feeds swine 15. The Prodigal hath done with his Estate and all the pleasures of it now we are to consider him both in his streights and in the immediate use which he made of them Touching the former I shall say little onely you may observe 1. The occasion of it a great famine 2. His sence of it he began to be in â—ant Touching the latter you may observe two things 1. His practice under his streights And he went and joyned himself to a Citizen of that Countrey 2. His success or reward And he sent him into the field to feed swine By the Citizen generally is expounded the Divel by the Countrey the World by Swine wicked Men. There are two Propositions which I would hence observe viz. 1. That though sin brings men into straits yet straits do not always bring men from sin 2. That the further men go on in sin the worse work they shall find it to prove That though sin brings men into straits yet straits do not always 1. Doct. Though sin brings men into straits yet straits do not always bring men from sin Distinguish betwixt Possibility and Infallibility Representation of sin and Reformation of sin bring men from sin You see here the prodigal is pincht with famine and yet he comes not home to his Father but goes on further in his own ways For the opening of this Assertion a little you must distinguish betwixt 1. Possibility ut medium and Infallibility ut remedium 2. Betwixt Representation of sin and Reformation of sin Straits and miseries are ordinarily the Looking-Glasses wherein we may see the face of our sinnings but they are not always the Physick-Glasses wherein we find the cure of our sins they are more
or last they shall know that it shall not be well with the wicked and that between a former punishment and a greater there may step in many mercies as twixt the fits of a Fever some real slumbers and pauses Now I proceed to the Application of this Point which shall be for Conviction 1. Of the vanity and deluding presumption Vse Conviction of The vanity and deluding presumption of the sinner in the heart of sinners who imagine that worse they cannot be and as much misery is befallen them as can be and therefore they will on to their sins again Let us not deceive our selves that God with whom we are to deal is of infinite power and wrath and the conscience of a guilty sinner is capable of infinitely many miserable impressions The Bee may leave her sting in the flesh and so be disabled c. Therefore let no man say as Agag Surely the bitterness of death is past you know Samuel presently hewed him in pieces before the Lord in Giâ—gal Alas thou knowest not the wrath which is yet behind God doth never fully manifest his wrath upon any sinner in this life nor doth he punish him so in any kind but that a greater judgement a worse thing as Christ spake to him in the Gospel may yet befal him Consider that as greater judgments are yet behind all the punishments which we have felt so it is Gods method to begin low but to end his work of Judgement heavily he doth by some lighter afflictions skirmish with a person or a Nation and if they yield not then he will bring the great Army of his Plagues and Judgements And again know that multiplication of sins is a just cause for the addition of Judgements Renewed sinnings are alwayes the more hainous and strong in deserts but renewed sinnings after punishment for sin are yet of a deeper dye because They relish much of Presumption though God hath already testified his displeasure yet the sinner will adventure on his wrath and provoke him again They receive universal condemnation the sinner now sins against all the waies of recovery the Word of God which called upon him to be wise and to receive instruction and to return unto him that smote The punishment or rod which did tender him the sins which brought this upon his back The mercy of God which drew off the wrath and though it might have been a destroying sword at once that destruction should not have risen up the second time yet it so wrought with the master that he would try the sinner yet a little longer thou mightst have been among the dead yea among the damned for thy former sinnings yet mercy hath so tempered justice that time is left thee to repent and this space thou abusest to sin again yea though justice met with thee for them already yea though mercy released thee yet a little longer yea though thou didst confess these sins yea though thou wert greatly troubled for these sins yea though thou didst resolve against these sins and if thou thus sinnest more will not thy punishment be greater Doth not God hate sins now as well as then Or if thou be greater in transgressions will he be less in justice Canst thou expect mercy should come more easily when sin is raised more deeply He that being often reproved hardneth his neck saith Solomon Prov. 29. 1. shall suddenly be destroied and that without remedy The same may be affirmed of being punished usually perseverance in sin after punishment brings a sudden and a sore destruction God hath many arrows which flie over the heads and after that hee hath arrows to wound the hearts of his enemies You know that there be not onely warning-pieces but murdering-pieces in the roial artillery The punishment which a man hath already felt for his sins are but so many warning-pieces to repent to return from sin but if men will harden their hearts there are murdering-pieces God can so deeply strike that destruction shall not rise up the second time 2. The second conviction shall be of Duty If the further Conviction of duty men go on in sin the worse rhey shall speed then let us learn a double duty 1. To avoid such things as will occasion a further progress in sin after punishment 2. To apply our selves to such Avoid waies as may take us off from sinning being punished 1. Vitanda The things which we must avoid as occasioning a further progress in sin are these 1. Ignorant Misconstruction as if Gods Ignorant misconstruction arrows did flye out as his who shot at an adventure and lighted on Ahab so that our punishments are but meer casual things naked acts but no lessons Nay brethren if we had but an ear to hear every affliction and punishment hath a voice to speak this may be said of every punishment what Ehud said to â—glon I have a message unto thee from God 2. Atheistical pride as Pharaoh who is the Lord that I should let Israel go When a Atheistical pride person will exalt himself in the times of wrath and will not tremble nor fear before the Lord but slights the operation of his hands and for all this will not lay to heart the hand of God alas this makes way for sinning 3. Froward Impatience when persons are sensible of punishment but vex against God who strikes so close yea and like that Froward impatience King in the strait This evil is of the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer When men will forsake God because hee doth punish them this is a further sin and makes way for more sinning The soul which is most apt through a murmuring impatience to question God will be apt through a presumptuous confidence to sin against God in the dead sea there is least sailing and in the raging sea there is most ship-wracking 4. Empty confessions when persons satisfie themselvs with words and a meer form of Repentance putting on for the time a grave Empty confessions countenance and fetching a sigh and dropping a tear and acknowledging that all is not well but all this while they search not to the root they do not strive to examine their hearts to humble them to cleanse and reform them and what then can be expected but upon some convenient occasion the old heart should return to its old waies and courses Pharaoh confessed that he and his people had sinned but still he hardned his heart and would not let Israel go Hypocritical humiliation or repentance because rising from mutable causes lasts not long nor changes the disposition of the soul The sore which is but covered and not cured will break out again 5. Negligent remissions An heart which likes not to change its course may ye for the obtaining some special good give out Negligent remissions unto the doing of much good and for the removal of some evil make a stop of much sin You may observe that
sometimes in the heat of a punishment how our hearts perhaps fall down before the Lord and we are very urgent on him and very diligent spend much time in his service and a kind of watchful tenderness is come upon us against sin but then we let fall our hands and our candle quickly burns more dimly our task abates our affections grow slack our purposes our services wear away and we begin to grow as forward to our sins as before the liking of God and of his waies and services cool and sinful occasions grow as pleasing and acceptable Remember it that man will be quickly bad who grows negligently good and the soul which is weary of Gods service is ready for sins work 6. Partial reservations when men in or after punishment will Partial Reservations profess against the great bulks of sin and as Pharaoh at length was willing to let the people go but to stay the little children so we wil bid defiance and seem to take resolution against our former great iniquities in the greatness of them but yet we will keep back and not part with such and such things which perhaps formally are not sinful but occasionally they may to our corrupt affections prove so Why how can it be but such a soul should make yet a progress in sin who reservs still an incendiary motive a quick and captivating incentive unto sin The river will quickly over-spread and fill the channel if you give it way spare but your self in occasions and they will bring on first the lesser trials of sin and the lesser trials will quickly ingage you to greater adventurings and some adventurings will easily bring you to your old courses In the second place let us apply our selvs to such waies as may Directions take us off from sinning yet more after punishment which you have heard doth make the condition yet worse The directions which I would commend unto you are these 1. In all punishment for sinning follow the writ open it and see In all punishment for sin search out thâ— Cause whose name is in it my meaning is enquire into thy self search diligently for whose sake this evil befals thee as the Mariners in Jonah concerning the tempest they did cast lots that they might know for whose cause that evil was upon them so should we in the presence of our punishment when Gods hand is in any kind upon us search and lift up our hands unto God to shew us the special reasons of his wrath and indignation for though earthly parents do many times inconsiderately in passion chastize their children after their own pleasure yet God doth it wisely and never without cause we may say of all our punishment what the Prophet saith to the Israelites Jer. 4. 18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness c. Punishments never prove reformations until first they be informations they never cure the heart unless first they clear the eye We must first spell the Lesson before we can take it forth therefore this do if thou canst not find the specialty of thy provocations 1. Look thy afflictions and punishments well in the face perhaps thou mayest in them see the very feature of thy sin which hath caused God to punish thee very usually that punishment which is a Rod is also a Glass it shews us the fault for which we are lashed 2. Observe thy self in the estate when thy punishment doth come do but recal thy bent of heart course ways imagination devices sometimes a man is taken by the punishment when he is dealing in a way which doth more especially provoke God 3. Peruse the Word and well consider what sins have brought down such kind of punishment Pares culpae Pares poenae God doth many times keep his course of the same punishments with the same sins else the Apostles dehortation of the Corinthians from Idolatry and Uncleanness which was the Israelites sins for fear of the like punishments were somwhat vain 4. Lastly Regard the first and more frequent verdicts of thy own conscience There are two times when Conscience deals more home and faithfully with us One is when we are to die Another is when we are to suffer in a time of judgment and affliction we find as Josephs brethren did the remembrance of former evils Surely this is befallen us because of our brother c. said they So our hearts tell us Well assuredly this comes upon me for my Swearing for my Drunkenness for my Uncleanness for my Covetousness c. 2. When your sins are brought to light that you can say Here is my punishment and there are my sins then go to God When the sin is discovered go to God in an humbâ—e confession of iâ— with them to him that smote thee By most humble and broken Confession that thou hast done wickedly but the Lord hath dealt most righteously acquit him but condemn thy self Accuse and indite thy sinning soul O Lord thus and thus have I sinned and provoked thee c. Deal ingenuously with the Lord and freely confess unto him and never leave until thy soul be afflicted for sinning as well as thy body until thou canst grieve a thousand times more for thy sins than for thy punishment for the dishonour which God hath felt by thy sinnings than for the smart which thou feelest under thy punishments By most vehement and constant Petition and that for two things especially Go to God by earnest petition for viz. 1. Reconciliation with that God whom thou hast so much provoked by thy sinnings As Moses said to Aaron Take a Censer Reconciliation Numb 16. 46. and put fire therein from off the Altar and go quickly to the Congregation and make an attonement So let us speedily strive to reconcile our selves unto the Lord beseeching him to love us freely to receive us graciously to pardon us for his own sake to remember our sins no more not to contend with us for ever but to cast our sins into the depths of the Sea and mercifully to be our God And in this business of reconciling our selves with God take notice 1. Of the meritorious cause of it which is the bloud of Christ called therefore our attonement Rom. 5. and our Propitiation 1 Joh. 2. 1. Now beseech the Lord to look on thee in Christ and to remember the bloud of the everlasting Covenant which was shed for the remission of sins and to make peace Beseech him to be reconciled unto thee in and through Christ and do thou stedfastly trust unto him by faith for it 2. Of the means of it To the Word to Prayer O be earnest for such dispositions upon which the Lord will â—eal mercy and forgiveness He will be gracious to the cry of the mournfull soul Isa 30. 19. and to the penitent 2 Chron. 7. 14. 2. Sanctification Alas if the Lord should lay upon thee Sanctification as many and
in a more permanent and deliberate sense When a sinner is exempted from the times of rashness and is able to see and judge of his wayes and courses to be sinful Yet is it possible that he may suffer not a little but much evil not in one kind but in manifold kinds not for a short time but for some long duration many weeks yea perhaâ—s many years ere his heart doth yield to return from his sinful wayes to God Thus briefly have you the Explication of the Assertion Now I will touch two things more and so proceed to the Application One how this may be manifested to be true Another why it is or should be thus with a sinful heart Quest 1. How it may appear that a sinful person will try all c. ere he will return How this may appear to be true Sol. It may manifestly appear if you consider these particulars 1. The patient continuation of spiritual means without any By the continuance of Spiritual means without any fruit of Conversion fruit of Conversion God hath used incessant means and followed and pressed upon sinners by his Servants the Messengers of his Word many times and for a long time yet they repented not nor turned from their sins 2 Chr. 36. 15. The Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his Messengers rising up betimes and sending he did send and send again Ver. 16. But they mocked the Messengers of God and despised his words and misused his Prophets until there was no remedy So Matth. 23. 37. O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them which are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as an Hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and ye would not Rom. 10. 21. And to Israel he saith All the day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people 2. The large expectations of God for the returning of sinners By the large expectations of God for the return of sinners without success without any success Luke 13. 7. Behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this figtree and find none Num. 14. 11. The Lord said unto Moses How long will this people provoke me and how long will it be ere they believe me for all the signes which I have shewed among them Ver. 27. How long shall I bear with this evil Congregation which murmur against me Jer. 4. 14. O Jerusalem wash thine heart from wickedness that thou mayest be saved how long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Hos 8. 5. How long will it be ere they attain to innocency Jer. 13. 27. O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean when shall it once be 3. The long and exceeding complaints of God concerning sinners By the long and exceeding complaints of God concerning sinners That he is forced still to bear with them insomuch that their continual sinnings have grown as it were exceeding of Gods patience too much for God to bear any longer Amos 2. 13. I am pressed under you as a Cart is pressed that is full of Sheaves Jer. 15. 6. Thou hast forsaken me saith the Lord thou art gone backward therefore will I stretch out my hand against thee I am weary of repenting Isa 43. 24. Thou hast made me to serve with thy sins thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities 4. The Non-plusses if I may so phrase it that wicked and obstinate persons by continuing in their sins have put God unto By the non-plusses that obstinate sinners have put God unto Hos 6. 4. O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah what shall I do unto thee for your goodness is as a morning cloud and as the early dew it goeth away This is an Antropopathy a speech after the manner of men Not that God doth not know what to do but he expresseth himself after the manner of a person who hath used all the wayes and means to reclaim another and yet the other though sometimes cunningly he pretends a reformation falls away again Now saith a father such and such wayes have I used and such wayes and nothing doth avail my son still is wicked he runs on from evil to worse I know not what to do with him I can think of no course c. So Isa 5. 4. What could have been done more to my Vineyard that I have not done in it wherefore when I looked for grapes brought it forth wild grapes 5. Nay the kinds of Despair as it were which God hath conceived after many dealings to do any good or to reclaim them By the Despair which God hath conceived after many dealings to do any good from sinful wayes Hos 5. 15. I will go and return to my place Isa 1. 5. Why should ye be stricken any more ye will revolt more and more Jer. 23. 29. I will utterly forget you and I will forsake you reprobate silver shall men call them 6. Yea those dying knells and farewel wishes and resolutions By those farewel wishes and resolutions of God because of their Impenitency of God because of the impenitency of persons demonstrates this ttuth Expostulations upon utmost terms Why will ye dye And You shall dye in your sins and I will forsake you and I will utterly destroy you Luke 19. 41. He beheld the City and wept over it Ver. 42. O that thou hadst known even thou at the least in this thy day the things which belong unto thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Gen. 6. 3. My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with him 7. Lastly It may appear that sinners will try all wayes ere they turn and endure much By the multiplication of many By the multiplication of many Judgments Judgments and repetition of manifold calamities The many wedges which are knockt in one after another shew that the wood is tough and unyielding this giving pill after pill shews that the corrupt humor is strongly rooted Mic. 6. 13. I will make thee sick in smiting thee because of thy sins So that when all is done and suffered God must say and do what he promises in Isa 57. 17. I was wroth with him and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart Ver. 18. I have seen his wayes and will heal him When all is done one thing more God must do he must come into the heart and over-rule and heal and turn it and then it shall be turned Qu. 2. Now for the second Question Why it should be thus that sinners should try all the wayes and indure to the utmost rather Why it is thus then to turn from their sinful courses I answer It is not either 1. Because sin is such an Excellent It is not Because sin is really beneficiall to the soul thing or really beneficial to the soul by reason of which excellency and use a man might be
moved to endure much in his body for the preservation and defence of it for sin is an evil thing and therefore worthless Or 2. Because any sin is less evil then misery and therefore this shall be endured rather Noâ— because any sin is less evil then misery But because The sinner doth exceedingly love his sin then that shall be forsaken But 1. The sinner doth exceedingly love his sin The heart of a sinner is set on his sin he hath made a Covenant with death and an agreement with hell He loves darkness and is held fast with the bonds and cords of his sinful affections A person doth many times suffer pains sharper then death because he doth exceedingly love life Why a sinner loves his sin as he loves his life nay more then his life the which he doth often hazard for ever to preserve his sin 2. The sinner is a Fool Put a fool never so oft in the Stocks it doth The sinner is a Fool. him no good he understands not the cause nor end of it Evil men are chastized and punished by God but they know not nor understand they know not that their sins are the cause thereof and that Conversion from sin is the end thereof 3. There is a marvellous stout Spirit of pride in the sinner who is therefore said to There is a stout spirit of pride in a sinner fight against God and to resist him and though he be smitten yet to refuse to return and wilfully to transgress and that they will not hearken Stifnecked are they called and foreheads have they which cannot be ashamed and faces that cannot blush 4. A vain presumption From a vaine presumption that yet their sinful wayes shall be well at last From the Contrariety betwixt the wayes of God and the Sinners heart that yet their sinful wayes shall be well at last It is but bearing a while and at length their calamities will off He who goes on in a sinful way is never without some sinful project and chimeraes silly fancies of some good and some support and wearing out of his troubles c. 5. There is a bitter contrariety twixt the wayes of God and the sinners heart Light and darkness are not more opposite hence is it that in Job they say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledg of the Almighty And in Psal 2. They break the cords in sunder And Heb. 10. They are said to offer despight unto the Spirit of Grace Holiness and holy walking ah it is that which their hearts hate more then hell they will adventure their damnation before they will affect and practice holiness no greater burden and torment to them then it 6. And sometimes Unbelief may be a special cause why a sinner doth thus shift and From unbeliefe try The guilt of his sins under his afflictions may lie heavy upon his conscience and he may be so wholly taken up with the apprehension of wrath and judgment and an implacability in God towards him that God will never shew him mercy who hath been so much and so long provoked that it is in vain to return now there is no hope 7. The Vanity of a corrupt Judgment which deludes From the Vanity of a Corrupt Judgment the sinner as if he could be sinful and safe or that he could subsist well enough without returning to God Now I proceed to the Application of this point the Uses are many 1. For Conviction of Error in Judgment Use 1. Conviction It is no easie work to Repent 1. That it is an easie work to Repent and to leave sin When I am sick or come to dy then I will think of that work No brethren if the heart of man be of so subtil a temper and so perverse a frame can afflictions do it of themselves if the love of sin be so strongly in grain that many waters of afflictions cannot wash it out nor many beams of mercy melt and turn it you must then imagine it not to be an easie work to turn the heart from sin if it will adventure the loss of heaven and the endurance of hell and the actual presence of many sore calamities confess then That the descents into sin are easie but the returns from it are not ordinary or facile Faciles aditus Dificiles oxitus saith St. Austin More is required to Convert then External and Congruous Grace Where all the means tending to the Conversion of a sinner are opposed and as it were wholly defeated and frustrated there the heart is not so easily wrought upon to retâ—rn 2. That no more is required to Convert a sinner but External and Congruous Grace as if the heart were like a Fish upon the hook which might be drawn at pleasure to the shore or like Wax prepared and it were no more but to put on the Seal or as if to Convert a sinne were no more then to report a History or to offer a man a Purchase Nay but there must be likewise Impressions as well as Invitations not only Means but Grace it self not only the Rod and Word but likewise the Spirit of God and his mighty Operation not only a Voice saying This is the way but also the Spirit of God which must cause us to walk in that way there must be healing Medicines put within the Soul by the hand of God himself or else all the means in the world the Word the Sacraments the afflictions and miseries and examples may say and complain with the Prophet Isa 49. 4. I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought 2. For Information 1. Of that excessive stubbornness and madness in the hearts of us sinners Good Lord what an hand hath sin Information Of the excessive stubbornness of the hearts of sinners over us That terrors should arise like an horrible tempest within the conscience for sinning and drive a man to his feet yea to the dust yea almost as low as hell That his sinning should pull down one calamity after another take away the dayes of peace of plenty of safety of health and darken them with war and tumults with scarcity and indigence with danger and trouble with losses and diseases cloath a mans body with rags fill a mans body with rottenness obscure a mans name with infamy and yet yet after all and under all that a person should hold fast his wickedness which is the cause of all and will not let it go he will not be weaned from it nor charmed No Mercy nor Justice nothing can dissolve the Covenant twixt his heart and sin but llke that Athenian Commander if I forget not the story who when he was threatned to let go the Ship held it when one hand was cut off he held it with the other when both were cut off he held it with his teeth The Lord be merciful to us thus is it with us though God threatens yet we sin though he
And is this excuse to pass for currant hath not God dealt Answered with thee often didst not thou more often harden thine own heart willingly withdraw thy self and all out of a love to sin 2. Though thou couldst not convert thine own heart yet this thou mightest have done in the times of afflictions c. considered what might move the Lord thus to deal with thee all or some of the causes which thy own conscience did freely suggest and the ends which God pointed thee to to reform them And then to have gone to him by vehement prayer to convert thy heart from thy sins to teach it righteousness to submit to his instructions Thou mightst thus have gone to him who can convert and have waited on him in the means of conversion but thou didst nor desire after him nor delightedst to seek him c. 2. But What may we do to prevent this shuffling and assaying of means to support us in sinning when the Lord deals with us and Means to prevent this shuffling calls upon us for the leaving of sin Sol. I would commend these five Directions 1. Strive to be convinced of this That as long as the Course is a sinfull Course it Be convinced of this That a sinfull course cannot be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 safe course can never be a safe Course We may weary our selves in the multitude of our imaginations and ways but run what course you please and pursue your own devices yet this ye shall reap of the Lord you shall lie down in your shame and sorrow you may run to new experiments but misery will follow your sins the next time as well as this and in every way as well as one way Your sins will find you out and as long as you carry your sins with you you cannot keep off calamities from you 2. Of necessity you must return or perish Your sinfull course is You must return or perish a by-path and leads to death It is sinfull and you know it and being sinfull it must be miserable To what end doth the Patient excuse the taking of the Receipt the wholsome Balm he must die if he doth not receive it So consider To what end do I thus vary my paths and shuffle and seek supports there is nothing strong enough to secure a sinner and let me sadly consider that I must one time or other leave these sinnings or else farewel my Soul and Salvation 3. It cannot but be best the sooner it is I must return or perish too soon I cannot return and the sooner the better A Our Return is best the sooner it is Best For Safety Souldier of a middle age a Counsellor of a grave age and a Penitent of a young age are still the best The work which must be done is best done when soonest Best for Safety for thy life is very uncertain and if thou doest not leave thy sins to day thou mayest be in Hell for ought thou knowest for thy sins to morrow For Acceptance the Lord likes it best when For Acceptance one word of Mercy can cause us to trust and one shaking of the Rod can cause us to tremble and when one command sufficeth to turn us when upon the first Arrest we give up our Weapons it pleaseth Soveraignty best For Quietness for we do hereby deliver not onely our Souls but Bodies also from many troubles For Quietness the sooner we do repent and plainly yield why Conscience speaks peace the sooner and God commands mercies the faster strong Sins breed long afflictions but give up the Sins and God gives up the Quarrel throw over Bichri's head to Joab and he will presently remove the siege If a man had health he might take sleep the better but as long as the body is diseased it is unquiet 4. Strive against those diverting Principles which do draw thee from the right and onely way and put thee on by-thoughts and Strive against diverting Principles as Presumption of Mercy Or of thy own Power by-paths and a vain assayment of means to support us As 1. Presumption either of Mercy though thou doest add drunkenness to thirst and still findest out thine own inventions or thine own Power Thou mayest be hindred of the time which thou doest project and mayest want strength to execute thy purposes For sinfull practises do altogether weaken our power whilest they delude us with a conceit of strength hereafter 2. Stoutness and pride of spirit Do not in a bravery of villany dispute with the Almighty Stoutness and pride of spirir God it may prove a sad Victory to thee that thou art able to reject good counsel and to quench all good motions 3. Delight Delight in sin in sin which drowns the errand of all afflictions c. 5. Beseech the Lord at the very first to circumcise the stubbornness Beseech the Lord to câ—rcumcise the stubbornness of your hearts of your hearts and to give you the understanding ear and the obedient spirit that when in the Word he calls upon you to turn from your sins your hearts may fall down and cry out O Lord turn me and when by afflictions he calls upon you to turn you may presently humble your hearts and cry out O Lord pardon me O Lord heal me O Lord turn and save me Let us all think of this You know that the Lord is displeased with us and we have hitherto hardened our hearts against the Lord God hath dealt with us once twice often in publick in private ways and still we seek our own ways delude the work of Repentance set nothing to heart nor repent of our evil doings I I. Now I proceed to the Second thing which is The final The final disappointment of all the Prodigals designs Doct. 2. Nothing shall avail the shuffling sinner till he return but God will disappoint all his pâ—ojects Some things premised This is meantâ— of a sinner whom God intends to convert disappointment of the Prodigals assays and designs in these words And no man gave unto him Whence I observe That nothing shall avail the shuffling sinner until he doth turn from his sins but God will disappoint all his projects batter down all his confidences frustrate all his expectations drive him out of all his harbours and overthrow all the means and ways which he flies unto Before I confirm this Assertion let me premise a few particulars that so you may rightly conceive the scope of it Thus then 1. I intend the Assertion of a sinner whom God doth intend to convert others he may leave to prosper in their imaginations For you see it raised from the disappointment of a Prodigal one whose conversion at length attended his manifold afflictions and as manifold contrivances to keep up his sinfull conversation though such a person knows not it nor thinks on it yet God is secretly against him and thrusts him off from all the Cities of Refuge
of hypocrisie or a sink of impiety he loves sin or would not yet leâ—ve it the greatest part of our integâ—ity lies in the hearts frame and purpose that man who is resoled to part with all sin hath an heart who loves all good it is only sound grace which breeds sound resolution 2. It will be a It will be an Apology in case of falling great apology in case of falling that yet it is not presumptuous but of Inâ—irmity The evil that I would not do that do I c. Rom. 7. and rather an affect of a strong temptation then of any secret affection of the heart to sin for where the purpose and resolution of the heart is set against a sin and makes its resistence though the sinning may be great yet it is not presumptuous Four effects this firm Resolution worketh about sin either it doth 1. Cease the motions of it or 2. Abates and lessens them or 3. Disappoints and frustrates them as Joseph about his mistress or else 4. It mitigates and corrects them in the degree of guilt either it keeps me sound or else causeth that the wound is less 3. Such a man may confidently go to God for help and Such a one may confidently go to God for help assistance If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer said David but verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my Prayer Psal 69. 18 19. Thou shalt not struggle with sin in vain nor cry unto God in vain if once thou couldst be firmly resolved against sin thou shouldst more confidently repair to Christ and shouldst assuredly find more Victory over it as Paul Rom. 7. 24 25. What have I to do any more with idols I have heard him and observed him I am like a green Fir-Tree from me is thy fruit found Hos 14. 8. 4. And more confidently expect the remission of sins past with what face can a mâ—n embolden himself before the And Confidently expect Remission of sins past Lord O Lord I beseech thee to pardon such or such a sin and I trust thou wilt do it but I am not yet resolved to leave it And when a person can come before the Lord and say Search and tell me O Lord if there be any way of wickedness which I know and allow against which I am not resolved and strive Now O Lord thou art a gracious God I beseech thee for thy mercies sake forgive my sins blot them out I hate them with an unfeigned hatred do thou for thine own sake pardon and subdue them 5. You shall much free your selves from the ancient suggestions of Satan about particular Sins It will free us from the Suggestions of Satan about particular sins Resist the Divel and he will flee from you Jam. 4. 7. Where there is no hope of Victory there will be little encouragement to fight firm resolutions are like rocks against which the waves may beat and strike but cannot move nor alter Satan may indeed somewhat molest but the heart is in a sort impregnable which is stedfastly resolved Christiana sum said she I am a Christian who was much assaulted to deny the Faith and Luther in Gen. so silenced all threats and allurements for the abnegation of Christ When they saw Paul's resolution fixed for Jerusalem they gave off their importunity so Temptations will slack when our Resolutions are settled It is in vain I will not hearken thou mayest molest me Satan but I will never yield unto thee 6. You will be less interrupted in your holy services Whilest the heart is any thing indifferent and flexible sinfull motions We shall be less interrupted in our holy services like the Birds will return and flock about the Corn if the Watchman be now there and anon removed When the Minister is speaking to your ear Sin will be speaking to your heart and when your tongues are speaking to God your thoughts will be busied in giving Sin an answer or the World But if the heart were more resolved against sin it would be more united in duty the thoughts and mind and affections would be more collected and center'd upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work in hand it would not scatter so much it would not follow that which it cares not for but peremptorily abhors The next Use shall be for Direction and that in two particulars Vse 2. Direction 1. How to raise a solid Resolution 2. How to keep and maintain it First The Means to raise it There are some things of How to raise a solid Resolution which you must take heed and strive against as being vigorous impediments to the rearing of this frame and twisting of this firm cord Take heed of 1. A secret favouring of sin As long as your hearts cunningly connive at and harbour your lusts those evil Inmates A secret faâ—ouring of sin you will never throughly come to a Resolution to cast them off For love will untwist many arguments and prevail against strong Motives it will let down your mind as fast as reasons do raise it up It is the best Friend and strongest Advocate that sin hath You see a Parent perhaps David against Absalom resolved to exile his Child from his presence but natural affection turned him and wrought so after a while that David longs for Absalom again As a Spring will work out that which is cast in so will a secret affection to sin work off the impression of all Arguments and any such preposterous Resolves against sin 2. A tenderness or delicacy of spirit I mean an inordinate Delicacy of spirit self-love Love of sin and so also the love of our selves both of them are adversaries to a penitential Resolution If a man will go to Heaven asleep have his ease and his friends and his liberty and his safeties and his quiet and his pleasures and great matters he will never come to a through Resolution God likes no such bargain no condition as I am willing to serve thee but I am resolved never to suffer for thee I will be good if I may be safe I will go to sea but on condition I shall meet with no storms I will enter into the war but on condition that I will have no blows We must be at a point for all things except what is good if we be resolved to be good indeed no not Life it self must be dearer to us than that which is far better than Life 3. A perversness of spirit on self-wilfulness if you do resolve A perversness of spirit to be your own Master you can never resolve to be Gods Servant if your hearts be not disposable to his will they will never be flexible and fixed on his work You must in many things be contented to deny your own thoughts and to captivate your own judgments and reasonings and to submit both your judgment and will to a Divine Rule and
flying Fowl but this they cannot do without air to spread and bear up those wings I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me Philip. 4. There must be some strength in us to advance a Resolution but then there must be another Strength upon wâ—ich both that Resolution and that Strength must depend And therefore as a Warrant is of no force if it goes not out in the Kings name so a Resolution is too recoiling which begins not in Christs power As David encountred Goliah not with his own Sword but in Gods Name so we must resolve against our sins with Gods strength assisting of us otherwise our sins may rerly to us as the Devils to the sons of Sceva â—esus I know and Paul I know but who are ye A ship though well built must have wind to drive it and set it forward and a Christian needs more strength than his own to forsake a bad or to follow a good course It is a wise course in lendiâ—g of Money to joyn another party in the Bond who is more able and sure than the borrower Doest thou resolve against such a sinfull way or for a holy life tâ—ke not single Bond thy own heart though to thy thinking well furnisht and stockâ— with resolution is yet but a creature and may deceive thee and mâ—ke thee to break but take double Bond beseech the Lord to be bound for thee to give thee his strength which is indeed sufficient to preserve and to perpetuate thy resolutions 2. You must be sure that you get a mournfull heart for what Get a mournfull heart for what is past is past or else you will never get a resolute heart for the future if the heart be not broken for sin sin will quickly break the resolution of the heart He who will without any more adoe be joyously good I fear least after a while you see him earnestly bad We seldome observe that an unbroken heart is stedfast that his foot stands sure whose eyes remains dry i. who can leap into a good way yet never was truly grieved for a bad Peter's Resolution to confess his Master held out better after his tears than after his confidence The mournfull remembrance of a bad life wherein God hath been so much dishonoured and his spirit so often grieved it excites and quickens and doubles our hatred and fears and cares and resolves Should I any longer continue thus should I thus offend again Paul doth frequently remember his sinfull persecutions of Christ and then is inflamed with a more zealous resolution and industry to preach and advance him Nothing daunts him in the righting of that good Lord and Christ whom before he had so much wronged 3. Be active against sin and that is the way to keep up your Be active against sin Resolutions against it My meaning is this you must endeavour to mortifie an evil heart if you would hold up your resolutions against an evil course The heart is all in all for Life or Death for a good or for a bad way kill the root and the branches will soon wither diminish the Spring and the Streams will fail weaken the Spirits and the Limbs will be useless It is a foolish thing to say I will not have the fit of the Ague again unless you receive something to alter the evil humour which causeth it I will never sin thus again thus how often do we resolve and yet break out again why because we would restrain effects without surprizing their causes Be more earnest with God for a sober heart and for a chast heart and for an humble heart and a heavenly heart and a meek and quiet heart Thou shouldest not onely resolve but prevail against evil acts if thou didst vehemently strive with God to season the Springs to alter the nature to better and strengthen the heart that fountain whence these arise and flow for all things are strongest in their causes and the strength of the cause is the strength of the effect An occasion may be vigorous to produce a resolve but alteration is required to make it firm and effectual it is health which breeds strength 4. Let it be watchfull and not careless They are not the many Souldiers which keep the City but the watchfull Souldiers Be watchfull and not careless the City which is got by strength may be lost by carelesness To be active and inquisitive how to make resolutions against sin and afâ—erwards to be negligent of our hearts this is to make a strong door but not to mind whether it be lockt or no. Our hearts take them at the best are very untrusty and deceitfull at least in part and are quickly weary of spiritual bonds and as an untoward Servant after all warnings and threatnings is hankering to whisk out after his old companions so our hearts after all resolutions are yet inclining to evil Therefore let us not onely enjoyn our spirit to take heed of sinfull courses but guard them set a guard upon them as David Psal 39. 1. A man may quickly stumble who hath an able foot if yet he hath a careless eye the eye and the foot must go together to keep us upright 5. If you would still keep up your Resolutions then often review and renew them Our resolutions come to be strengthened Often review and renew resolutions by frequent enquiry how they are performed Daily accountings with the servant may be the means to keep him faithfull If we did daily sequester our selves and commune with our spirits and take an account of them O my soul thou hast seen the vileness of such sinfull courses and hast felt the bitterness of them and hast solemnly protested against them before the Lord and resolved to prosecute them no more thou hast given thy Word and Bond for this unto the great God Well! how hast thou performed this purpose art thou still willing hast thou been faithfull to thy self and to thy God wa st thou no way surprized this day though thou didst not break yet didst not thou bow to day though thou didst not fall didst not thou trip did nothing come from thee to undo or else to weaken thy resolution Such evil motions sprang from thy heart to sin again didst thou abhor them and cry unto God against them such temptations presented themselves unto thee didst thou reject and stoutly resist them or hast thou not found an heart somewhat hearkning somewhat yielding somewhat venturing If so then humble thy self and as David to Joab 2 Sam. 11. 25. Make thy battel more strong against the City so do thou bewail thy failings and renew thy resolution again more strongly and carefully 6. If your Resolutions be any thing impaired let them be presently repaired It is possible notwithstanding our Resolutions When resolutions are impaired let them be presently repaired against evil courses to be surprized with evil acts and now we are apt to give up the Resolutions themselves but
halting to our dying day either we want minds to good or wills or power not able of our selves to haâ—ch one good thought and when the will is present yet we find not power to perform and though sometimes we do good yet evil is present with us like Beer which runs low with the liquor there runs out much muddy grounds or like Abrahams Sacrifice many Birds lighting on it or like Solomons Ointment in which is some dead Flie or like a Candle which burns with a Snuff or like the fire which ascends with much smoke Our actions are like the Arrows which are shot one is too far another is too short another is too wide not one of an hundred that hits the mark so is it with us many Duties and Services are performed by us but which amongst them all is performed with that reverence of Spirit faith on Christ integrity of Affection unitedness of Soul and sole fidelity of intention to Divine Glory Our excellencies are weak and the Lord be merciful unto us how often do we weaken them our work is but little that we do very little take aside the aversness the indispositions the formalities the coldness the distractions the unbelief the weariness the inconstancy the infinite infirmities which accompany them what poor things will they then appear may we not fall down and say having done our best We are but unprofitable servants Nay and that which being known may likewise abase us is this we may justly say of all our poor excellencies as the Widow of her Vessels They are but borrowed ware What have we which we have not received Every Gift and Grace which we have is but a Beam born of the Sun a drop coming from another Fountain then our Natures all our good is but free Gift take the borrowed feathers from the Crow it is then a most black creature alone So that consider our good aright either in the initial cause of it viz. Divine and free Grace or in the upholding cause of it Divine assistance or in the qualities of it how weak and imperfect or in the acts of it how rare and uneven all these are the springs as it were which feed humbleness of heart in the true Penitent Quest 2. Now I proceed to the next inquiry Why true Penitents Why true penitents are humble persons are such humble and lowly persons I am not worthy to be called thy Son Sol. The reasons are most of them insinuated already I will either express them again or add more to them thus then 1. Conversion necessarily infers an alteration in the whole man Though it doth not destroy Substances yet it changeth Qualities of unholy Conversion infers an Alteration in the whole man it makes us holy of ignorant knowing of filthy clean of obstinate flexible of unquiet meek of proud and lofty humble and lowly therefore penitent persons who are converted persons must needs be lowly ex natura rei this is forcible 2. They never did experimentally know themselves till they began to repent Sin was but a delight or a mock or a meer discourse They now experimentally know themselves unto them before the vileness of it the contagious pollution of it the stinging guilt of it the terrible effects of it both in respect of God and themselves they never savv it till novv they see that of sin vvhich they savv not before both for the filth and the guilt of it and they see it with other eyes then they savv it before no marvel then that they become low in their own eyes Should they not be very vile in their own eyes who perceive themselves guilty of that vvhich is most and only vile in Gods I have sinned what shall I say unto thee O thou preserver of men 3. They never saw till now how short they came in that good of duty Job 7. 20. which they owe to God and how unanswerable they are to the many bonds of obedience I have done nothing for They now see how short they come in duty God all my dayes nor to him in any Service and Honour They never knew till now how injurious they have been unto God to the kindness of his Love to the counsel of his Spirit And how injurious they have been to God to the righteousness of his Will how unworthily and stubbornly they have resisted despised him abused all his mercies Thus for the Explication of the point Now for the Application of it to our selves Doth true Repentance produce humble lowliness of Spirit then let us reflect on our own hearts and judge what solidity Vse Let us judge of our Repentance by our lowliness of Repentance is wrought in us by that lowliness and sense of unworthiness which is to be found in true penitents Consider Pride and loftiness and self-worthiness are very natural to us though we be born wholly naked not any external ornament is upon us no inward excellency yet our natures are puft with Pride and self-worthiness are very natural to us wind and a haughtiness and could we be rifled and stript of every sin we should find this of pride so opposite to lowliness most intimately cleaving to us Paradise was not free of it What do I speak of it nay Heaven it self was troubled with it the Divels who are cast into the lowest darkness fell thither by reason of their proud loftinesâ— Look over all sorts of persons it 's a wonder almost to find one truly humble-hearted sinner If a man hath parts the Apostle tells us that knowledge puffeth up the the wind gets into the bladder as it was with Diotrephes c. Who is the Lord said Pharaoh if a man have dignities how rare is it to see greatness stooping and lowliness of heart with highness of honor If a man have riches he needs an Apostles charge Not to be high-minded If a man be poor he is like Diogenes trampling upon the Philosophers chair with greater pride Generally the scum is most light and vuâ—gar spirits most censorious and insolent If a man be ignorant yet Laodicea thinks her self rich and increased and to have need of nothing though indeed she be poor and blind and miserable and naked 2. If habitually and predominantly proud thou art as yet impenitent 't is true that Conversion doth not give an absolute cessation If Habitually Proud thou art impenitent to sin yet it doâ—h take off dominion and causeth diminution It cannot be that a man should have an heart rightly sensible of sin and set against it and yet be high in the opinion of his own excellencies and worth The mountains are cast down into a valley and the high imaginations brought into captivity the swellings of our corrupt spirits are in great measure abated and let out when once Grace enters our hearts and Repentance hath opened our eies Though you may be free from many other actual and gross exorbitancies if yet the spirit of pride
succeed one the other there being no predominant impediment to the instantaneous execution of that penitential purpose Another is seasonable vvhere though twixt the purpose and the acting there may be some distance of time yet the apprehension of the next occasion may truly make the execution or practise to be present As in the case of penitential restitution it may so fall out either through the inability of the estate or the subjection of the person that he cannot immediately restore yet because the penitent person in such a case layes hold on the next opportunity and occasion his resolution may be said to be acted presently i. upon the next present time when God enables hâ—m to act his purpose of restoring So that penitential Resolution produceth present Execution either for immediateness as in most cases or for seasonableness as in some cases 4. That there is again a double penitential Execution of penitential And in execution in endeavour or in victory Resolution One consists in endeavour and application when the person without delays addresseth or applieth himself to the ways by which sins may be subdued and forsaken Another consists in victory and assecution wherein the Penitent doth in some more eminent degree lead captivity captive That penitential Execution whereof I speak properly and naturally consists in the former though it must aim and strive after the latter also i. when a person doth indeed resolve to leave his sins and to serve the Lord in newness of life this Resolution doth actively excite him to be much in Prayer unto the Lord and diligently to hearken to and observe his Word and to decline the occasions which may give strength to his corruptions It causeth him to resist evil motions and to bewail them it sets him upon all sorts of Duties and Ordinances so that the person is now really working against sin and throughly working for God he is in the ways of God and according to the measure of grace received working the works of God But why should penitential Intentions be accompanied with present Executions or performances Sol. Reasons for it are many 1. That God who commands Reasons for 〈◊〉 God commands us to repent presently us to repent commands us presently to repent The Time is under Precept as well as the Work Some Precepts bind us semper but not ad semper other Precepts bind us semper ad semper too When the Lord commands any man to repent this is a Duty which concerns the whole course of his life it takes hold of him as soon as ever he lives and is become a sinner and concerns him not onely in his latter days but all his days 2. It is very dangerous to defer our penitential Executions or actings Whether we consider 1. The Resolutions themselves It is dangerous to delay they are but accidental and not natural things not such qualities or rather motions which arise from an in-bred principle but are forensical to our natures and being not presently cherished by acting like little sparks of fire may easily vanish languish and extinguish We read of the Israelites that they were an unstedfast people in Covenant and like a deceitfull Bow Naked Resolutions will never ripen and abide if you will not go beyond your Resolutions you will quickly fall from your Resolutions 2. Our own hearts ah how deceitfull are they how full of rebellion how averse to all good Like the cold hearth to a little fire how cunning to keep up Sin in the Throne how willing to break asunder all the bands of Obedience with much adoe resolving with little adoe dissolving those resolves again Volebam saith St. Austin nolebam I would and yet I would not one while I would and by and by I wouldnot It is the Genius of cur sinfull hearts to apprehend the present time for sin and to crave the future time for repentance Our worst work we would do instantly our best work we would do negligently Good motions are like a Bird falling into our hands which if we presently catch not she instantly flees away Gracious purposes in our hearts are like warmth in the water the impression requires some degrees and some blowing but the recession is easie the natural coldness in the water will instantly rise up and expel that heat if you be not watchfull c. 3. Extinguishing occasions Repentance in all the parts of it hath many enemies and hinderances some within us some without us the Resolutions are weak but the Occasions are strong Let the ship alone and if the Pilot hath onely a resolution to sail with the next tide or the next wind may carry the ship away How ordinary is the experience That the strength of occasions have beaten back and put to flight many and many a resolution like a cross wind which hath carried back the ship unto the very harbour whence it came forth Meer resolutions are but unarmed Souldiers or as unwalled Cities You shall find much of this truth That meet resolutions are too weak for proper and sudden occasions 4. Or the assistance of Grace To resolve and not to act is one way whereby we quench the Spirit The Spirit you know may be quenched many ways Positively as when we will walk in paths expresly contrary to his motions this is to throw water upon the fire Negatively when we do not follow nor cherish his motions as you quench the fire if you do not stir it or blow it or add more unto it So when the Spirit of God shall deal thus far with us as to convince us that our course is evil and yet further to excite a purpose in our hearts to desist but then we let the work lie still we do not st against that evil way this may cause the Spirit of God to withdraw to desert the sinner who doth desert his counsel who will be a Counsell our to him who will walk in no counsel but his own 3. Penitential Executions if present will be more easie and Present execution will be More easie more comfortable 1. They will be more easie St. Austin had almost wasted his spirits with resolutions and conflicts Quamdiu cras cras c. and he thought it many times impossible for him ever to be rid of such an inmate as sin But when his resolution brake out into practise then Facile suave the work grew easie and sweet When we come to the acting part then the Lord will exert and put forth his power in our weakness the acting and doing Christian partakes of most assistance Do we not find it thus in Prayer and in many other Duties which perhaps we look upon with much fear and suspition But when we are acting of them how singularly doth the Lord enlarge our thoughts and affections Why this holds in the very Duty of Repentance seta against thy sins in good earnest set upon a holy course in good earnest thou shalt expermentally find that it was
think of me Servile fear how will they nick-name and disgrace me what may befall me who can tell what mischief they may do unto me These are the Frosts which nip the buds and the Winds which bind the Ship and the Remora's which hold the Children still in the birth We love the opinions of men to be well thought on and the Tongues of men to be well spoken of and the respects of men to be countenanced and encouraged A cross way makes us start Zedekiah would not obey the Lord least the Princes should laugh at him and many of the Jews durst not confess Christ for fear of the Scribes and Phaâ—isees For a man who enjoyes friends and ease and estate and abundance in all sorts to thrust out into a Sea to enter into a holy and strict course of Life wherein he shall be sure to be scorned as the off-scouring of the world be trampled upon as the more in the streets be torne in his name by the teeth of wild beasts suffer ship-wrack in his liberty in his plenty in his body Why these apprehensions are eâ—ough to quell and to keep in all forwardness all action as Spira confesseth That they wrought on him when he denyed the profession of the Truth of Christ Therefore if you would descend into the present execution of penitential purposes you must not be slavishly affected unto man you must not fear the power of man nor be aâ—hamed of the Cross of Christ you must put your shoulder under the Cross and the contempts of men under your feet I am ready saith Paul Acts 21. 13 not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the Name of the Lord Jesus If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you saith S. Peter 1 Pet. 4. 14. I will not fear what man can do unto me said David Who art thou that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die and of the son of man who shall be made as grass and forgettest the Lord thy Maker and hast feared continually because of the fury of the oppressor as if he were ready to destroy and where is the fury of the oppressor Isa 51. 12 13. 3. Despair of performance Why say we as good never a Dispair of performance whit as never the better It is not possible that ever we should get hands to conquer all these sins or feet to walk in all these wayes which are so holy so many so strict so difficult We cannot find words to pray nay God knows sometimes not hearts the motions of sin are thick and strong and ableevery moment to lead us captive we have made some assay but alas the work proves so harsh so uncomfortable so unprosperous we are without all strength we shall never break all these bonds of sin nor tread through all these pathes of holy duties Thus as death closeth up our eyes so doth despair shut up all our actions where there is no hope to finish there will be no heart to begin But let us reject such despairing delusions what hath been done may be done what God commands to do he can enable to do and what he promiseth that we shall do that he will make and cause us do But God hath commanded us to leave all our sinful courses and to lead a life of holiness God hath promised grace sufficient to forsake an evill way and to walk in a good way I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and you shall keep my judgments and do them Ezek. 36. 27. If God gives strength to work why should we with-hold hearts to work Da Domine quod jubes jube quod vis said S. Austin Lord give what thou commandest and then command what thou wilt Seriously consider any one penitential work for which God hath not promised grace and strength to perform Many have travelled in this penitential Work and have found it very feisable and passable How many are this day in heaven and how many are walking towards heaven all of them prove that it is not impossible to execute penitential resolutions 4. Hypocrisie and guile of heart Where the heart is false Hypocrisie there the performance is faint if the work be not done in the heart it will never be done in the life the work is best done in the life which is first done in the heart They in Jeremiah had rotten hearts they did not cordially intend to leave their own wayes and therefore when they were put to it indeed they would not yield to walk in the wayes which God prescribed Where an holy way is not throughly approved and where an evil way is not throughly hated there may be many flashes but there will never be solid performances or courses Yet a little sleep yet a little slumber yet a little folding of the hands said the Sluggard who loved sleep and idleness Prov. 6. 10. So where our affections are hankâ—ing about a sin there is ever at the least a slowness to leave that sin Modo modo said S. Austin when motions came into him to forsake his â—nclean Lusts they answered Shortly shortly Hereafter hereafter and this modo modo vvas sine modo this putting off from day to day would have continued so all the dayes of his life Therefore if you vvould execute your penitential resolutions take heed of corrupt affections if they again prevail upon you they vvill assuredly intangle and hinder you they mar the judgment and close vvith temptations and hinder actions Oh how suddenly vvill they quench your spirits alter your judgments put aside your duties extenuate your purposes bring you into further bondage confirm your unwillingness excite your fears raise up discouragements and all to frustrate the present executions of your former resolutions Corrupt affections are the very gates of sin the Bane of holiness the Quenchers of resolutions and the Impediments of all good performances 5. Worldly cares Our Saviout saith That the seed which fell among thornes was chaoked Luke 8. 7. And what was it which Worldly cares did choaâ— it see vers 14. The cares and riches and pleasures of this Life There are two things which worldly cares do choak viz. Heavenly directions of the word and Heavenly resolutions of the heart so that neither the one nor the other do come unto perfection Holy performance or action it is the end or perfection of all knowledg and resolution and worldly cares stifle both You have many a man who comes to the word and hears the terrours of God and his wrath revealed against his unrighteounsness insomuch that his soul with Felix trembles under the strokes of divine justice Or he hears how happy and blessed the condition and life of holiness is what heavens of mercies what rivers of comforts what excusations and peace of Conscience what blessings in life what supports in
of a Father I am that Father in whose house there is bread enough and to spare Do but come back unto me and all shall be well Canst thou live without Bread canst thou live without my Mercy Mercy shall be thine if thou wilt return from thy lost and sinfull courses 4. By directing him into the way of coming back As 1. With mournfull confession of his sins By directing him into the way of Returning Hos 14. 2. Take with you words and return unto the Lord say unto him Take away iniquity and receive us graciously 2. With penitential reformation Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. With believing application Thou must go saith God to my Son for he is the way and the life and he came to seek and to save that which was lost Seventhly By laying hold upon him by his Almighty Grace and putting into him a returning heart Now notwithstanding all this the lost sinner is not perfectly found and therefore the Lord doth one thing more he doth with this lost sinner as the shepherd did with the lost sheep who took him on his shoulders and brought him home So the Lord lays hold on this poor lost soul by his Almighty Spirit of Grace and puts into him a returning heart an other heart and makes him willing and glad to leave his sinfull wayes and to return to himself and to implore his reconciled favour and acceptance in Jesus Christ Which being done now is the lost sinner found indeed for then and then onely is a lost sinner found when he in truth turns back to God and enjoys him as his reconciled God in Christ Jer. 3. 22. Return ye back-sliding children Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Quest 3. Why doth God thus look after and find a lost sinner Why God doth thus find a lost sinner Sol. The Reasons may be these 1. Although the sinner be not worth the looking after yet the soul of a sinner is worth the looking after The sinner is the Devils creature but the soul is Tâ—e soul is worth the looking after Gods creature The soul that I have made saith God Isa 57. 16. The lost sheep was worth the looking after and so was the lost groat surely then a lost soul is worth the looking after which is at least of as much value as a lost Groat Christ saith Theophylact on Matth. 18. was the man who left the Ninety nine sheep and lookt after one lost sheep he left the the society of Angels in Heaven to find one lost Soul on Earth O the Soul of Man is a precious a valuable Substance made only by God and fit only to match and converse with God 2. As God knows God knows the loss of a soul the worth of a soul so God knows the loss of a Soul O Sirs we make little account of losing souls but verily no loss like the loss of a soul As Christ spake of the fall of that house The fall thereof was great that 's true of the loss of a soul the loss thereof is very great A man in the event loseth nothing though he loseth all the world if his soul be not lost But if the soul be lost all is lost all is lost to an eternity and therefore the Lord out of unspeakable pity looks after a lost sinner Christ hath â—aid down a price for souls 3. Jesus Christ hath laid down a price for some souls and Jesus Christ shall see of the travel of his soul he shall have his purchase to the full value 4. God will have some to magnifie the God will have some to magnifie the riches of his Grace riches of his glorious Grace and Love and Kindness and Mercy yea and to enjoy eternal Glory with himself therefore he will find some lost sinners For no sinner but a found sinner can either glorifie God or be glorified with him The first Use shall be for Examination of our selves Whether Vse 1. Examination Whether our lost souls be found our lost souls be found thus of God or no I will propound unto you 1. Some Arguments or Motives to put you upon this Trial. 2. Then the Trials or Characters of a person whom God in mercy hath found The Arguments which may move us to a serious Trial whether Motives to a serious Trial. we be found persons or no are these 1. Every man is lost but every man is not found All are lost but few are found Every man is lost but every man is not found the way of sin is general but the way of mercy is special Mat. 7. 13. Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat v. 14. But strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and â—ew there be that â—ind it You read of a general complaint They are all gone out of the way but you read not of a general acclamation They are all returned into the way Take the way of finding a lost sinner and bringing him home to God either 1. by Repentance Why the number of sinners is exceeding large but the number of repenting sinners is very scant As he said once of an Army Here are many Men but few Souldiers so may it be said in this case Sinners are like the Sands in the sea very numerous but Penitent Sinners are like Pearâ—s in thesea very rare and precious 2. By Faith All are sinners but few very few are â—rue believers Historical Faith though it be a common faith yet it is not very common Who hath believed our report They are the â—ewest part of the world who do credere Christum believe that there is a Christ but how few even of these do credere in Christum believe in Christ And Men are never found till Faith be found in them 2. It is a very bad and a very sad condition not to be found It is a very sad condition not to be found out of but to be found still in a lost condition If it were no more but this That such a person cannot find himself under the clasp or compass of any saving mercy this were heavy To be in a Dâ—sert and not to know that ever he shall come alive out of it to be in the Ocean and not to know that ever he shall come safe to Land to be in a sinfull condition and not to know wheâ—her ever Divine Mercy will pull him out of this condition Yet this is the case of a lost sinner he cannot tell whether ever Divine Mercy will look after him or no perhaps it will perhaps it will not But besides this let 's consider what may find that lost sinner whom Divine Mercy hath not
house If so why doest thou yet run away run abroad to Sin for delight to the Creature for satisfaction 6. If God hath graciously found thee and brought thee out of Thou wilt be afraid to lose thy self again thy lost and wandring condition Thou wilt be afraid to lose thy self again to wander again to go astray again from thy God who hath found thee There are six things which the found and recovered person doth apprehend 1. The great iniquity in his formerly lost and wandring course of life 2. His great vanity all that while to forsake his own mercies to sow the wind and reap the whirlwind What profit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 3. The great kindness and love which God hath manifested towards his lost soul in bringing him back to himself and now to own him as a Father doth a Son 4. The great ingratitude to displease that mercy which was pleased to find him 5. The madness of folly to return to an experimental misery and to forfeit sweet mercy which he hath liberally tasted since he was found 6. The great hazard whether mercy will ever look after him any more who hath so presumptuously abused mercy received O no the found sinner hath found such freeness fulness sweetness of entertainment such rich mercy such free love such wonderfull kindness that as Peter in another case it is good for us to be here or as the returning Church it is best being with my first Husband or as Paul about his being with Christ so he about continuing and complying with his God It is best of all And therefore he cries out against all temptations Shall I return to folly when God hath spoken peace shall I sin again since Gad hath given me such a deliverance as this O no O no Canaan is better then Egypt Paradise is better then a wilderness a Fathers House is better then to serve Swine plenty is better then famine Now God smiles on me and shall I raise his frowns Now conscience speaks peace shall I turn this oyle into a Sword O let me never unjoynt the Bones which mercy at length hath set O let me never darken the Sun which shines so comfortably O let me never feed on husks who may still feed on bread O let me never run from a Pallace to a Prison It was Gods mercy and my happiness to be rescued out of a lost condition let it never be my sin and curse to throw my self out of Heaven to cast my self out of Paradise again for a sins sake which formerly lost me to depart from mercy which hath graciously found me 7. If a found person doth stray he cannot be quiet until he be If he do stray he is not quiet till he come back again found and come back again to his God I sal 119. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant There is this difference twixt the strayings of the Godly and of the wicked when a wicked man strayes he is then at home sin is his home and sinful paths are the paths in which he loves to wander the mire and dirt are the delightful home of the Swine and therefore he delights to be abroad and cares not to come back again But a Godly man if he strayes if he sins he is now from home he seeth some steps of lostness in every step of sinfulness his heart is apt presently to smite him for it Alas what have I done whether am I going shall I go again from my Fathers House what ayled me thus to step aside I cannot rest thus I will home again what ever comes of it And back he comes with an ashamed heart as Ephraim did and with a mourning heart as Peter did and with a self-judging heart as David did O my God O my Father I even I have sinned sinned again yet for Christs sake accept of me again Me thinks it is with him just as it is with a poor Child whom evil company hath seduced from home his heart akes and he slips from them and under a Bush he sits and there bethinks himself and sighs and weeps as if his heart would break after which he riseth and home he comes and steals to the door and listens and knocks softly and the Servants comes forth and say they where have you been all this while O your Father wonders at you and hath been much troubled that you have dealt thus with him Now the child takes on and is cut to the heart and will not my Father be pacifyed I know that I have oftended him and dealt unkindly with him Never had a Child so good a Father I pray you speak for me and tell him I am without Let him come in saith his Father In he comes and falls down and with floods of tears acknowledges his strayings and humbly intreats his Father to pass by this wandring and to own him again and to look on him as he was wont to do O Sir saith he I cannot live without your favour nor will I live out of your house Even thus is it with a found Child of God if he happens to stray and sin his heart smites him and his heart akes O saith he what have I done to deal thus with my good God and Father I am ashamed and grieved To one Minister he goes and perhaps to another Do you think that the Lord will be merciful to me again Yea to God he goes and confesseth all and beseecheth him to deal with him like a Father Lord saith he it hath been a woful and bitter time to me I cannot stand it out I come in unto thee sin is my burthen and thy displeasure is my burthen I beseech thee to pardon the trespass of thy servant and be reconciled unto me and own me with thy favour and mercy once again 8. He who is truly found by Gods Grace and Mercy doth desire He endeavours so find others and endeavour to find others or that others may also be found Jâ— 1. 43 45. Christ finds Philip and Philip finds Nathaniel There is no good man who would pertake of Grace and Heaven alone and there is no wicked man who would enjoy sin and hell alone Wicked men are like those that are drowning who catch hold on others and every good man is like a Candle which being lighted holds out light to others or like a stick of fire which being kindled would kindle more sticks Good Lord the same Mercy the same Grace the same Christ the same reconciled God and Father for my poor Child too and for my poor Husband too and for my poor Parents too O Lord pity them too they are lost and they know not the misery of a lost condition nay the happiness of a found condition Good Lord open their eyes and bring them home to thy self in Christ And to his friends he goes O continue not in this condition you are lost I was so
proud heart an unbelieving heart an heart in which there is no good in which is all evil Ah poor man thou art a dead man no feeling no complaining no crying out of thy heart against all those many many vile and notorious sins 2. An universal and constant coldness If life be gone heat is gone the Feet are cold and the Hands are cold and the whole An universal and constant coldness Body is cold and the very Heart is cold too A living man may have cold hands and feet but he never hath a cold heart for life is there and heat is there Why there is no one converted man under heaven but he hath some heat in him though not much in some of his actions yet certainly some in his heart O saith he I approve of what is good and I would do good and I delight in the Law of God after the inward man I believe Lord help my unbelief But now an unconverted man hath 1. A cold heart unto any spiritual good Suppose he be at Prayer and at Sermon why but he hath no heart to or in these duties he hath no mind to these works no delight in them or in the Sabbath or in a Fast and though his body be present yet his heart is afar off it goes after his covetousness 2. And this Coldness is universal There is not any one spiritual Duty unto which his heart is not dead or cold He will tell you when he hears Catechizing I should like Preaching and so when he hears Preaching I could like Praying and so when Praying comes I could like Reading and when Reading comes I could like Meditating and when that comes I could like Practising and when Practising comes I could like Understanding But he dissembles he loves not one Duty at all his heart to these is like a sick stomack that seems to like any thing but what it hath but indeed likes no meat 3. And it is also constant I confess even a good and converted heart may find sometimes more actual indispositions to good than at other times and sometimes a greater measure of dulness and deadness but an heart constantly cold from one end of the year to another all the life long still to loath spiritual services never to attain unto a delightfull and affectionate communion with God This is a Token of a dead soul 3. Where the Word preached is but a dead Letter unto the hearer Where the Word preachâ—d is but a dead Letter certainly that man is in a dead condition If our Gospel be hid 't is hid to them that are lost saith the Apostle So may I say If our Gospel be dead it is so onely to them that are dead The Gospel is the great Trumpet of Christ the Silver Trumpet by which he raiseth the dead as at the last he shall raise the dead by the Voice of the Trumpet this is that by which Jesus Christ quickens and pulls a soul out of its sinfull condition 1. It lets in light to see that condition 2. It affects Conscience to feel it 3. It puts in Faith to go to Christ to fetch life Yet many men are not wrought on at all by the Gospel preached Unmoveableness is the token of a dead man 4. A delight in dead things and in dead works plainly declare A delight in dead works a dead condition Paul in Ephes 2. 1. tels the Ephesians that they were once dead but how did that appear See vers 2. In time past ye walked according to the course of this world And vers 3. Ye had your conversation in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind 1. In dead things Dead men are heavy and descend to the earth worldly things are the Optima and the Vltima of an unconverted heart Who will shew us any good Psal 4. If that of Paul Col. 3. 1 2. If ye be risen with Christ then seek those things that are above and set your affections on things that are above be a true sign of a living raised man then è contra to seek to settle affections on things below is a true sign of a dead man 2. In dead works These opera mortua mortifera And truly nothing doth more discover a spiritual death than a delight and a service of sin certainly such a man is yet an unconverted man The last Use shall be for Instruction unto several Duties I will but glance a them 1. Have as little society with wicked men Vse 3. Instruction Have as little society with unconverted men as may be as may be for they are dead men Would any man living have a dead man to be his companion There is a two-fold Society with men 1. One is necessary in respect of our Relations or of our Commerce and Trade which cannot well be avoided 2. Another is arbitrary in respect of our Election avoid this do not make choice of wicked society There are two Reasons to hearken to this advice One is You shall never get any spiritual good by their society a wicked man is an unprofitable man Can any one gather Figs of Thorns or Grapes of Thistles Who is the better for a dead man Another is You shall receive much hurt by such society The Jews were unclean if they did but touch a dead body It was the practice of a Tyrant once to tie a dead man to a living man that the filthy savour of the dead man might infect and destroy the life of the living man O you who are to marry your children take heed of marrying them to the dead and you who are Free-men take heed of embracing society with the dead There are three notorious mischiefs will ensue hereupon 1. Dead society will by degrees bring you into a deadness of heart wicked company will certainly abate your zeal and holy affections as waters do the flaming fire 2. Dead society will quench your Life in spiritual Duties they will not onely interrupt but mitigate your sweet and wonted society with God and good men 3. Dead society will in time corrupt you to dead works Remember Solomon 2. Lament and bewail thy unconverted Friends and Kindred Lament thy unconverted friends You read that David wept for Absalom O Absalom my son my son c. and you read that Christ wept for Lazarus being dead and you read of both of these weeping also for those that were spiritually dead David Psal 119. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because men keep not thy Law Christ came near to Jerusalem and wept over it saying Oh if thou hadst known even thou at the least in c. Wouldst not thou weep to see thy Fathers or Mothers or Sisters or Brothers dead body carrying out to the grave and say Alas my Father alas my Brother alas my Child How then canst thou refrain tears for their dead souls Why doest not thou pity the dead and unconverted soul of thy Father
Nature say the Philosophers God say we allots unto them Therefore living Christians are compared to a sucking and thriving child which sucks and growes by sucking And to living branches that grow into more strength and in Scripture True Grace which is the same with spiritual life it is of an increasing and growing nature Christ compares it to a grain of Mustard-seed which is little at first but in time growes and spreads exceedingly and Solomon compares it to the Sun which riseth more and more to the perfect day Paul commends the Corinthians that they did abound in all Grace and praies for the Philippians that their love might a bound yet more and more in knowledg and in all Judgment And he himself forgat what was behind and pressed forward and counted himself not to have apprehended O you who take your selves to be alive do you grow in grace Many men grow worse and worse under the means of Grace many grow in notions but they do not grow in Grace many grow into new opinions but they do not grow in holy affections But do you grow in Grace and do you grow in all Grace and do you grow according to the means of Growth Alas many men decay apace and many men like pictures retain the same dimensions sin is no more weakned after forty years living then at the first their old sins retain their old strength and their faith receives no augmentation they are no more able to trust on God for their bodies nor to rely on Christ for their souls then heretofore The barrenness and unfruitfulness of Christians is an unspeakable dishonour to the Gospel and an evident testimony that they have but a form of Godliness without the power of it I might now have shewn you that true spiritual Growth is 1. Especially an inward Growth 2. And a general Growth 3. And the Growth comes in by the Growth of Faith 4. And appears best in the Growth of humiliâ—y 5. A spiritual cry or breath is another sign of spiritual life There is a spiritual breath If a man can but groan and breath that man is a living man When Paul was converted Ananias was sent unto him as to a chosen Vessel Behold said God unto him he prayeth in Zach. 12. 10. The Spirit of Grace and of Supplication are joyned for the one never goes without the other But will some reply This cannot be a sure sign of spiritual life for a wicked man may pray and cry to God we read of their Prayers and cries in Scripture often I grant it But 1. There is a difference twixt a spiritual cry and a natural cry their cries arise from natural principles but not from a spiritual principle 2. It is the cry of a distressed man but not of a renewed man 3. It is a cry for natural and outward good but not for spiritual and everlasting good 4. And when they cry for mercy and heaven it is not that mercy may bring them into an holy communion with God but only that mercy may keep them from wrath and Hell 6. Lastly A spiritual manner of working is an infallible evidence There is a spiritual manner of working of a spiritual quickningâ— When the Lord converts a man and makes him spiritually alive he now works spiritual work 1. By Spiritual Rules 2. From Spiritual Principles in the strength of Christ by Faith and from love 3. With Spiritual Affections willingly cheerfully and delightfully 4. For Spiritual ends 1. By Spiritual Rules To as many as walk according By spiritual rules to this Rule peace be on them Gal. 6. 16. A dead and unconverted man lives by the Rules of his sensual Lusts or the customes of the World or the wisdome of carnal policy sin rules him and men rule him and his profits and pleasures rule him But when the man is converted now God rules him he stands in awe of Gods Word and lives as 1 Pet. 4. 2. To the Will of God His actions intentions desires steps are measured by the word t is not An libet but An licet The word lets him out and brings him in Whether the living Creature went thither the Wheeles went so c. 2. From spiritual Principles O Sirs From spiritual principles a man may do much work which we call spiritual from a Carnal and low principle self-Love vain-Glory Education a quick Conscience may set out much But the living Christians work arises from union with Christ all is done in the strength of Christ and Faith fetcheth strength from Christ to pray and to preach and to mourn and to repent c. 3. With spiritual affections With spiritual affections There is a connaturalness twixt a spiritual heart and a spiritual work Thy word was the rejoycing of my heart I was glad said David when they said unto me let us go to the House of the Lord. I delight saith Paul in the Law of God after the inward man It is good for â—e to draw near to God There are affections in the works of a living man his works drop out of his heart another mans fall out of his parts 4. For spiritual ends So that Christ may be glorifyed we live For spiritual ends unto the Lord unto him that dyed for us Whatsoever ye do do it to the Glory of God that God in all things may be glorifyed through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 4. 11. Obj. But will some say if these be signs of the life of Complaints of the want of all these Grace of one being made spiritually alive then I am in a sad condition For 1. I find much sin still living in me 2. And I find very dull if not dead affections and I find 3. Exceeding impotency to what is good 4. And I cannot find that old appetite and those old â—ervent crieâ— of Prayer which here 〈◊〉 I found 5. And as for grow hunder spiritual means O my heart sinks to behold the rich seasons of Grace and my barrenness and unfruitfulness under them Sol. I should Answered be â—â—â—th that any truly living Soul should go away with a sad heart therefore give me leave to answer thy fears 1. Generally 2. Then distinctly 1. Generally thus 1. Such complaints as these ordinarily Generally are the language not of the dead but of the living When shall you hear such inditâ—ments from a base lewd sin-loving and serving person O no these are the complaints of an heart that is spiritually sensible and spiritually tender and spiritually jealous and which would not be deceived in its spiritual condition 2. If such complaints as these be attended with inward humblings and abasings of the heart and with desires and endeavours of help assuredly they are the Testimonies of a living man Who shall deliver me O wretched man was the complaint of living Paul 3. If thou canst not at all times find every one of the forenamed Symptomes of life yet if at any time thou canst find
and having thus abased him he wrought upon him to acknowledg and praise the true God Dan. 4. 33 34. Quest How may it appear that c. Sol. There are four How this may appear Afflictions sanctifyed are the souls Looking Glasses things attending upon sanctifyed afflictions and all of them contribute to Conversion 1. Afflictions sanctifyed are the souls Looking-Glass wherein a man may see his sins which are the causes of afflictions there are divers Glasses in which we may see the face of our sins 1. The Glass of the Word 2. The Glass of Reproof 3. The Glass of Conscience 4. The Glass of Afflictions Affliction is a Glass wherein a person first sees his own sins Ocules quam culpa claudit pena aperit We were verily guilty of the blood of our brother said Joseph's Brethren and as I have served others so the Lord hath served me said Adonibezeck 2. Sees them as sinners In prosperity we see the pleasures of sin but in adversity the bitterness of sin in the one we see them as our friends in the other as our enemies An evil and bitter thing that we have forsaken the Lord so Jeremiah speaketh 3. Sees them with a serious look sees them and thinks of them sees them and layes them to heart Thy wickedness hath procured these things unto thee Now when a person is brought to a right sight of sin to see his own sins and as sins and seriously considers of them this is a way tending to his Conversion I considered my wayes said David and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 2. Afflictions sanctifyed work much upon the Conscience they are the rods of God upon the Soul they are the Waters of They work much upon the conscience Marah bitter Waters and they stir up conscience to speak bitter words unto us These were thy wayes and these were thy doings thou wouldst not be warned thou wouldst not hearken and now see whither thy sins do tend now see into what straits they have brought thee now thou wilt believe that God is displeased with thee When conscience is stirred when the burden of afflictions turn into the burden of conscience two things ordinarily ensue thereupon 1. A mans carnal security is broken The man thought himself safe and secure before but now he sees his condition to be very sad unsound unsafe and miserable not only my goods are gone but my God also is gone 2. The heart comes to be humbled O A working conscience a smiting conscience is the Hammer of God by which he breaks and bows the soul Afflictions now stir up the Gall and the Wormwood and the soul is humbled by them and when the soul is brought to see sin and to consider of sin and to be humbled for sin it is now in a fair way of Conversion 3. Afflictions if sanctifyed are gales to Prayer Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a Prayer when They are gales to Prayer thy chastening was upon them Isai 26. 10. In their afflictions they will seek me early Hosea 5. It is almost natural for an afflicted man to pray and afflictions put an edge of zeal on Prayer we are seldome more frequent and more fervent in that duty then in the times of our distress But then observe that as afflictions are apt to quicken prayer so if they have occasioned a sense and trouble in the heart for sin Then 1. Vsually they stir up Prayer for pardon of sin and for conversion from sin Blot out my transgressions praies afflicted David Turn thou me and I shall be turned praies distressed Ephraim Jer. 31. 18 These are the two great desires of a distressed soul 2. Usually God hears these Prayers The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Ps 51. 17. A poor sinner cannot put up a more acceptable request unto God then this Lord I beseech thee change and turn my heart subdue mine iniquities let not sin have dominion over me I beseech thee suffer me not to dishonour thee any more So that now you see that afflictions have brought the Soul and God together the afflicted Person sees a need of Mercy and Grace and unto God he applies himself who is the only Author of a sinners Conversion the only Physician of a sinful soul 4. Afflictions if sanctifyed incline us unto converting Ordinances They incline us to conveâ—ting ordinances You shall observe that men under their afflictions are 1. More willing to hear 2. More attentive in hearing 3. More tractable and pliable .i. more easie to be wrought upon in hearing When a man is chastned with pain and his flesh consumed away and his soul draws near to the Grave then he will make use of a Messenger of an Interpreter of one among a thousand to shew unto him his uprightness Job 33. 19. to 23. Oh what a Divine influence and authority hath the Word over such a man he can be content to have his sins ript open and he can hear and weep Oh a sinner and he longs to hear of some word of hope and when he hears it Oh how good is God! and he catcheth greedily at the word of direction and when he hears it Oh when shall I be this when shall I do this Lord give grace give strength unto thy poor servant the man in his prosperity would not know the Lord nor hearken to him he was above counsel and instruction but now his ear is opened to discipline and instruction is sealed unto him Job 33. 16. Now it is Lord that which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34. 32. The first Use shall be for Trial of our selves what the fruit of Vse Trial what the fruit of our affliction is all our afflictions is I think there is no man almost in all the Kingdome but God hath of late some way or other afflicted him Many have lost all their estates not an House is left to them nor Land nor a Rag to their backs many have lost their Husbands or their Children in the War many have lost some of their Family with the Plague lately who hath not been some way or other afflicted Now consider 1. It is the saddest affliction It is the saddest afflâ—ction not to be bittered by affliction to be no way bettered by afflictions No misery like that to love the sins and continue still in the sins which brought our misery Oh to be as far from our friends as before and as far from our God as before to be thrust out of an earthly possession and not yet to get an heavenly inheritance to lose our Lands and not yet to get Christ to have no home to go to here nor any home to go unto hereafter to lose our estates and keep our sins to lose the world and to lose the soul too to lose all our comforts and yet
by this opinion is manifestly placed in the liberty of a sinners will whereas the Scripture plainly ascribes it to the will of him who calls not to the will of him who is called 2. Others hold it to be much beyond this To be a most High Power a Iâ— is a most high power a creating power Creating Power a Divine Power an Almighty Power such a Power as overpowers all the sinful power in man bears it down and overcomes a proud stubborn resisting heart though it doth not totaliter eradicare yet it doth actualiter predominari vincere resistentiam voluntatis Now that no less power is sufficient effectually Proved to convert a sinner may be cleared by these Arguments 1. If you consider the nature of Conversion it self there are two From the nature of conveâ—sion things which Conversion doth denote One is an immediate work of God renewing man or giving unto him a new birth this cannot be done without an almighty Power Our Divines in the Synod of Dort call this Mirabilem operationem Prosper calls this Grace Bonorum in nobis creatricem This is the creating work to bestow a Soul upon the Soul a Spirit of life upon a spirit this must be the work of an almighty God indeed Omnipotentissima potestas inclinandi humanorum cordium Austin de Cor. Gra. c. 14. No man nor Angel can make a creature only a God can make creatures and new creatures The Ethiopian cannot change his skin and can any but a God change the heart the nature of a sinner Another is A work of man by Faith and Repentance turning himself unto God some term the former conversionem primam and the latter conversionem secundam these two in the order of time cannot scarce be distinguished but in order of causality they are the work of God converting man is before and it is a cause of the action in man converting unto God Now Conversion in this sense depends upon an almighty Power even the believer cannot believe without Gods mighty Power there is a wonderful Power required to draw out the act of believing Oh how much power is necessary to make any troubled broken heart actually to come unto Christ actually to believe to embrace Jesus Christ how many Seas must be divided first how many Mountains levelled and removed out of their places first It must come from the Father if any do come unto the Son See Jo. 6. 37. 45. Vnto you it is given to believe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Faith is the gift of God and the act of Faith is the gift of God too a renewed will is from God and when it is renewed even now to will is from God God works in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Phil. 2. 13. there must be his good will to make us will good and his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 for our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his work to make us to work 2. If you consider the strength of sin in mans nature we look upon two things in From the strength of sin in mans nature sin the guilt of it Oh this was so great so mighty that it could never be expiated but by an almighty satisfaction even the blood of the Son of God the filth and corruption of it why thus considered it is of that strength in the Soul that no Power but what is Divine can overcome it an almighty Power is necessary to this it must be a stronger then the strong that must dispossess this strong man they are no weak weapons but mighty weapons and mighty through God which must pull down these strong holds the heart of man is full of evil saith Solomon it is desperately wicked saith Jeremy I beseech you pause a while upon two Considerations 1. There is an exceeding strength in Sin even in the Regenerate and converted Person Paul cries out I am sold I am led captive David is weeping for no less sins then of Adultery and Murder Peter weeps bitterly for no less sin then denying of Christ then for swearing and cursing In the very best the flesh lusteth against the Spirit So that they cannot do the Good they would and cannot overcome the evil that they hate Now mark if there be so much strength in sinful nature dying how great is the strength in sinful nature living If there be so much power in a broken arm how great is the power in a perfect strong unbroken arm If all the Christians Grace he hath be sometimes too weak for his sinful inclination assuredly then all external counsels advises reproofs are too weak to alter the whole sinful nature for the quality of Grace is much more strong then the exhortation unto Grace 2. That there is such a strength in sin that all the degrees of Grace unto which a converted person can possible attain in this life are not able totally to rid the soul of it Till the mud-wall be quite pulled down some of the Ivy will stick unto it Jacob went halting unto his grave Till death makes an end of our lives Grace cannot make an end of our sins Is it thus with the converted person that neither Counsels nor Exhortations nor Grace received can utterly extirpate sin nay is sometimes too weak for sin verily then there can be no conversion of a sinner without an Almighty power the power of sin in an unconverted man being in fullest strength in every faculty and making highest resistance to Grace because naturally of deepest contrariety thereunto 3. Nay thirdly consider as there is a mighty strength From that strength joyned with Sin to oppose the sinners Conversion in sin so there is a mighty strength joyned with sin to oppose the sinners Conversion and the sinner cannot be converted until both these armies be conquered 1. Satans strength is joyned with the strength of sin the sinner is under the dominion of sin and he is likewise under the dominion of Satan and as sin is a powerful Lord so Satan is a powerful Prince he is the God of this world he works mightily in the Children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. He takes them captive at his pleasure and as Pharaoh raised all his host when the Children of Israel were to go out of Egypt so doth Satan stir up all his policy and put forth all his power to withhold a person from being converted He arms the Judgment with reasons exceptions shifts disputes and he arms the Will with aversness unreasonableness stubbornness pride And he arms the Conscience and he arms the Affections O what corrupt reasonings how many proud denials what hideous representations of the wayes of Grace what delights what profits we have had by sin what impossibilities what disputes what feares what terrors what dampings of the Word what distractions in Prayer what agonies and continual and vehement and violent conflicts doubts scruples c 2 All these must be answered and all these must be conquered if the
soul be converted And can all this be done by a morall power O no it must be an Almighty power which must rescue a poor soul out of the hands of two such mighty Lords The people of Israel could not be delivered from one King and with a temporal deliverance but by the exceeding greatness of Gods power and by an high and insuperable working of divine Grace 4. There is more then an ordinary power required for effects which fall short of Conversion and if From the effects which fall short of Conversion no less then an almighty power be required for these which are at the best but subordinate and preparative workes to the main work of Conversion questionless then the work of Conversion depends and must depend on an almighty Power Such a quantity of power cannot be denied for the greater which yet must be granted for the lesser works in the same Order There are some good and learned Divines who handling the preparatives Synod Dâ—rdr pag. 160. to Conversion do conceive four precious acts or works wrought before it v. g. 1. Notitia divinae voluntatis a knowledg of the Divine will 2. Sensus peccati a sight and feeling of our sins and sinful condition 3. Cogitatio de liberatione some thoughts and desires of deliverance 4. Spes veniae an hope at last of a possibility of mercy and pardon all which God works by the preaching of the Word As upon Peters sermon they came to a â—ense of their sin and fear and trouble and desire and had some hope of deliverance preached unto them the promise being made to them and unto their Children upon which God converted them Now mark me There is a necessity of an almighty Power to produce these antecedaneous and inferior works None but the God of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of Glory can inlighten the eyes of the Ephesians c. 1. 17 18. Surely then none less then he can open the heart of the Ephesians for which is the greater work to open an eye or to open an heart Is it not more to give life to the dead then to give sight to the blinde None but God can make a sinner sensible of his sins When the Commandment came sin revived and I died Rom. 7. 9. Now which is the greater work to make me feel my sins or to make me forsake my sins to trouble my heart or to alter my heart to feel my disease or to heale me of my disease to shew me my â—etters or break off these â—etters 5. It is at least as great a work to convert a sinner as it is to From the power required to preserve a sinner converted preserve a sinner converted and one would think a greater work for to the one man is dead to the other he is living Is iâ— not more to make the house then to repair the house but to preserve or keep a converted person stedfast to the end there needs no less then the power of a God We are kept by the power of God through faith unto Salvation 1 Pet. 1. 5. therefore to convert a sinner doth require no less power then that of a God Now put all these things together the nature of Conversion the Power of a sinful heart the Strength of Satan the Power required for lesser works then conversion the Greatness of making then keeping and then I think it wil manifestly appear That no less then an almighty Power is necessary to a sinners Conversion Is there an almighty power required to convert a sinner Vse 1. as great a power as to make a dead man alive how To humble us from the consideration of the Dâ—pth of our disease may this humble all our thoughts and all our hearts you may judg of the depth of the disease by the bredth of the Remedy so may we of the greatness of our fall by the greatness of the power which is required to raise us up O who can utter the sinfulness of a sinner who of us would believe that there is so great a strength in one of his sins that all the powers in heaven and earth less then Gods are not able are not sufficient to turn his heart from it That one lust of Pride that one lust of Uncleanness that one lust of Covetousness that one lust of vain-Glory c. is too strong for thee and it is too strong for all the men on earth and it is too strong for all the Angels in heaven Though one puls and the other puls and all of them pull together they cannot pull it from thy heart nor thy heart from it you read in 2 Kings 4. 31. that Gehazi went before Elisha and laid the staff upon the face of the Child but there was neither voyce nor hearing wherefore he went again to meet Elisha and told him saying The child is not awaked Why thus it is with thy heart under all the means of life and Grace they may all turn back to God and say This sinner is not yet awakened he is not yet turned The word of God may say I cannot with all my Instructions with all my Reproofs with all my Exhortations convert him nor can I saith Conscience nor I saith Affliction nor I saith the Minister nor I saith the Father The proud Pelagians Papists Arminians dream in this Point of a sleeper but think not of a death they talk of a prison and opening the doore but think not of the chains wherewith the prisoner is bound and fettered they talk of a Counseller but forget the Physitian they write as if a sinner were to be converted with Logick and Râ—etorick but alas if any word converts a sinner it must be an almighty word God must quicken as well as call God must heal as well as speak God must work as a God or else the sinner will remain an eternall sinner 2. If such an almighty Power be necessary to convert a sinner It is foolish presumption to defer Repentance upon a pretence of turning when we list then what a foolish Presumption is it to defer to beg Repentance supposing a lurking dormant power in the heart to turn when we list But O vain man why yet a little sleep more and yet a little slumbring more and why to morrow or why hereafter what is thy power or what is thy strength to come off from thy sins or to overcome and turn thy sinful heart Why Go and try some lesser thing change the Leopards spots turn night into day raise thy dead child out of the grave stop the course of the Sea and sweeten it Read the word and make thy self to understand it Read thy heart and make thy self to humble it if thou canst not do the lesser the weaker why wilt thou endanger thy self with a presuming to do the greater the stronger Is it credible that a sinner is able to do the work of a God thou canst not break the thred and shalt thou be
changed into another love into hatred and hatred into love joy into grief boldness into fear Lately the desires were who will shew us any good now the desires are what shall we do to be saved Lately the delights were iâ— sin in sensualities in vain societies now they are in the favour of God in Jesus Christ in pardon of sin in heavenly communion Lately the love was set on that which was most unlovely now it is set on the most lovely object indeed Christ is the center c. Lately the grief was a turbulent Sea for worldly losses but now it is a running River for sinning against God Lately the affections were wings for iniquity but now they are springs for duty I may not inlarge by what you have heard it may plainly appear Dâ—monstrations of a notable change in Conversion From the person converted From the work of Conversion that true Conversion works an universal change in the sinner Demonstrations that there is a notable change in Conversion 1. The person converted he is made pertaker of the Divine Nature 1 Pet. 1. 4. He is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 7. He is quickned from the dead Eph. 2. 1. He is born again Jo. 3. 3. 2. The work of Conversion It is the effect of the great and good will of Election and in it God displayes the glory of his great Love and Grace and Mercy And Christ sees of the travel of his soul some special fruit of his wonderful sufferings and purchases And the holy Ghost doth manifest his almighty Poâ—er and the noblest act thereof and converting grace is a new contrary nature a new man 3. The end of Conversion Conversion is the first From the end of Conversion inward work for heavenly glory It is wrought to make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Naturally we are opposite to God and to all Communion with him Without holiness no man shall see the Lord no unclean thing can enter there sinning Angels were cast out of Heaven God qualifies those whom he will dignifie he qualifyed Saul for an earthly Kingdome much more the sinner for an heavenly Kingdome Heavenly glory is absolutely inconsistent with a graceless heart the promise of it is so and the nature of it is so and the work of it is so and the reward of it is so 4. Converted persons are to live other lives and to do other works therefore there must be a change of their Converted persons must live oâ—her lives Vse 1. This convinceâ—h many to be yet unconverted Such in whom appears no change at all Forms and Principles and Powers Is true Conversion a change a great change an internal and cordial change an universal change Why then this one truth palpably convinceth multitudes of people to be as yet not converted 1. There are some men in whom there appears no change at all neither inward nor outward the Leopards spots remain and the Blackmores skin is unchanged they were ignorant and so are still they were drunkards swearers railers scoffers mockers of godliness and godly men Sabbath-breakers unclean proud and so are still The Prophet speaks of some whose scum departed not from them Ezek. 24. 12. And the Apostle of some who cannot cease to do evil 2 Pet. 2. 14. And David of some who hate to be reformed Psal 50. 16. And Steven of some who alwayes resist the holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. And Paul of some who wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. Although changes go over their age they were young and now are old yet no change goes over their hearts and lives although changes go over their bodies their strength is changed into weakness and their health is changed into sickness although changes go over their estates their wealth is changed into poverty and their abundance is changed into want although changes go over the times peace is changed into war and safety is changed into danger nay although sometimes changes goe over their consciences Stupidity is changed into horrour and pleasure into terrour yet their hearts are not changed they approve love and delight in their sins as much as ever and their Conversations are not changed they drive the same trade run on to the same excess of Riotousness wallow in the same mire of Ungodliness despise converting Ordinances converted Persons converting Graces Now what shall I say to these Persons They are unchanged sinners and so is God an unchangeable God who hath threatned them and swore his Wrath against them Thou wilt not repent of thy sins nor will God repeâ—t of his Wrath thou wilt not turn to him and therefore will he turn away his mercy from thee and will overturn overturn overturn thee as the Prophet phraseth it 2. There are some whose change is only outward but it is Such whose Change is only outward not inward not inward and cordial they stand off from many sins and come on to many duties and yet their hearts are not changed There are six things which may convince a man that his heart is not changed 1. When a man seems to be tender least he should Six things convince a man his Heart is not changed commit a sin but yet his heart was never tender and humbled for all the sins which he hath committed Jer. 31. 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth If Repentance begins not in tears it will end in tears When I look forward and see sin with a trembling eye O I dare not offend my God and when I look backward and see sin with a mournful eye O I have sinned I have sinned these indeed do shew a converted and changed heart But I fear it is rather a policy then a change and a regard more to my credit then my conscience when I expostulate with a sin in Temptation and never mourn for many sins in Commission 2. When a man leaves many sins but yet he doth not loath any sin Many a man sometimes abstains from meat yet loves it but a good heart abstains from sin as from a serpent which he hates He turnes his face from them but he turnes not his heart from them he doth not act the sin nor doth hate the sin he doth not let 〈◊〉 out of door nor yet crucify it within door he seems not to be a friend and yet is not an enemy to sin this mans heart is not changed 3. When a man acts from an awing Conscience and not from a renewing Spirit flies from sin only when conscience flies upon him for sinning and doth good only when conscience is unquiet when not Grace which works uniformly but terour which works accidentally is his Principle though a while there be some diversity and diversion too in this man yet there is no change of heart in him even Pharaoh under a Judgment yielded who yet upon a respite hardned his heart again and Iron whiles hot
immediately go before and ordinarily usher in Conversion so it is sad and bitter and sharp for there the law imprints a sense of sin and of wrath and a spirit of bondage to fear the Needle pricks and the Sword cuts and wounds and the Hammer bruiseth and the Plough rents and tears 2. Formaliter as it is a perfective change and alteration even from hell to heaven from basest lusts to sweetest holiness and thus it is at the least a fundamental radical and virtual joy 3. Consequenter For the Crop and present harvest which results out of Conversion thus it is the Musick after the tuning of the strings the fruit of righteousness is peace so the fruit of conversion is joy and delight There are three things unto which I desire to speak about this point 1. That upon Conversion the condition becomes very joyful and pleasant quod sit 2. What kind of joy and pleasure Conversion doth bring quale sit 3. Reasons why so cur sit and then the useful Application Quest 1. For the first of these that Conversion doth bring the soul into a very joyful condition Sol. There are four things which demonstrate the quod sit of The quod sit demonstrated this 1. Many pregnant places of Scripture Psal 52. 11. Shout for joy all ye that arâ— upright in heart Psal 132. 9. By Scripture Let thy Saints shout for joy Isai 35. 10. The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Isai 65. 13. Behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed v. 14. Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart Isai 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdome of God consists in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Prov. 3. 17. Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace 2. Many pregnant testimonies and instances By Instances When Zacheus was converted he came down joyfully and received Christ Luke 19. 6 9. When the three thousand were converted there ensued singular gladness and joy Acts 2. 41. When the Eunuch was converted he went home rejoycing Act. 8. 39. When those in Samaria were converted the Text saith There was great joy in that City Acts 8. 5 6. When the Jailor was converted He rejoyced believing in God with all his house Acts 16. 34. When they to whom Peter wrote were converted they did rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. 3. The many Comparisons by which converting grace is expressed By Comparisons doth confirm it that it makes the souls condition very joyful and delightful The estate of grace is set forth by all the things which are esteemed pleasant and delightful and joyful Men take Delight and Joy in Honour Beauty Strength Youth Riches Pearls and Jewels in Birth in Wisdome and Knowledg in Springs Orchards Spices Perfumes Buildings Victories Life Duration Friends Why when converting grace is conveyed into the heart the man now is honourable and of high dignity now the beauties of Christ are on his soul all his graces are more precious then Pearls and Gold and Silver he is rich in spiritual treasures he is one born of the Spirit of God never truly knowing and wise till now c. Nay grace is phrased by such things which yield a general and universal contentment and delight to the whole man It is sometimes called Light which is pleasant to the eye Oyntment which is pleasant to the smell Wine which is pleasant to the tast Musick or the joyful sound which is pleasant to the ear Nay yet again it is sometimes called Truth and that is pleasant to the understanding Goodness and that is pleasant to the will a Kingdome and that is pleasant to desire an Inheritance and that is pleasant to hope Communion and that is pleasant to love a Possession and and that is pleasant to joy a Victory and that is pleasant to hatred a Security and that is pleasant to fear Heaven the Kingdome of Heaven and that is pleasantness itself and all this even under fears and combates when at the first and weakest and lowest Nay yet once more it is set out by all the occasions and by all the times of joy to the birth of a man-child for joy that a man-child is born said Christ A converted man is a new-born To the day of Marriage which some call the only day of joy a converted man is marryed to Christ To a Feast Isai 25. 6. Every dish is filled with mercy To a Coronation day which was a day of gladness of heart to Solomon Cant. 3. 11. There is a crown of life for every converted soul To the time of Harvest when the Husbandman reaps with joy Isai 9. 3. To the returns of Merchants upon the increase of Wine and Oyle Psal 4. To a ransome and release from bondage and captivity a converted man is set at liberty he is a freeman in Christ 4. Consider Conversion in the Causes of it or in the very By the Causes of it Nature of it or in the Acts flowing from it certainly by all of them you may be induced to believe that it makes the Condition joyful and pleasant 1. The Causes of it which are four 1. The Radical cause Why Conversion drops out of the Eternal Love of God to a mans soul Behold what manner of Love 1 Jo. 3. 1. as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Acts. 13. 2. The Meritorious cause Who loved us and gave himself for us Gal. 2. It is one part of Christs purchase he merited Grace and Glory for his 3. The Efficient cause immediately efficient it is the first breath of Gods sanctifying Spirit the Spirit of true Comfort and Joy 4. The Instrumental cause the word which is called sweet and sweeter then the Hony and the breasts of Consolation is the instrument of Conversion Jam. 1. 2. It s owne Nature Converting Grace hath three things intrinsecal unto it 1. Goodness it is By the Nature of it good and it only makes us good Now Goodness is the foundation of Delight Nothing is truly pleasant but what is truly good 2. Suteableness There is nothing so suteable either to the nature of the soul or end of the soul as true Grace 3. Perfection it is the Glory of the Soul 3. The acts flowing from it If the acts flowing from Conversion be such as God himself takes delight in He takes delight By the acts flowâ—ng from it in the prayer of his servants in the broken hearts of his servants in the Faith and in the Fear and in the Hope of his servants all their services are a sweet savour unto him as Noahs sacrifice was Surely then Conversion is able to make the converted
joy and comfort It doth onely two things 1. It absolutely condemns and abridgeth the soul of man of all sinfull joys of joys and delights which arise from his sinfull lusts and ways and is it not the great goodness of God to deny us leave to drink cups of poison and glasses of hell Or is it possible that any Christian should to thee that sin should be thy delight which is a departing of the poor soul from God which is an incensing of the wrath of God which was such a dreadfull burthen to Jesus Christ which puts the soul under the wrath and curse of God one act whereof must cost more then all the world is worth to pardon it 2. It doth onely order our outward lawfull joys and delights for the seasons for the measures for other circumstances so that they may be our sauce not our food our helps to Godliness not damps thereto It is but the Bridle on the Horse the Pale for the Garden the Finger on the Dial. Conversion abridgeth us of no delight but of that which to want is a true delight and so orders the rest that you may not lose delight Conversion makes us mournful for sin and how can it be so joyfull Answered True grace makes the heart more mournfâ—ll Object 3. Conversion breeds the quickest sense of sin and the deepest mourning for sin yea a continual mourning for sin makes the clouds to drop never mournfull till converted and can that condition be so joyfull which makes the heart so mournfull To this I answer 1. It is certain that true grace 1. doth make the clearest discovery of sin 2. It yields the tenderest sense of sin for it takes away the heart of stone and gives an heart of flesh and nothing makes the heart more mournfull then true grace 2. But then know that mourning for sin and joy in the heart are no way inconsistent Isai 12. 3. With joy shall ye draw water But this is not inconsistent with joy out of the wells of salvation Three things I would grant 1. That love of sin and true joy are inconsistent 2. Worldly sorrow and spiritual joy are inconsistent 3. That terrour for sin and joy of heart are inconsistent Legal terrour and Evangelical joy are so but Evangelical sorrow and Evangelical joy are not so for as one grace is consistent with another grace so one heavenly affection is consistent with another heavenly affection And there are three things which to me fully convince That Evangelical mourning is consistent with Spiritual joy One is That such a mourning is but a drop out of the eye of faith They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn Zach. 12. 10. and certainly nothing comes from faith but what is comfortable all is Gospel that Faith trades in Another is That the mourning heart is a renewed heart and verily the gracious heart is a joyous heart The third is That the mourning sinner is a pardoned sinner Cum intueor flentem sentis ignoscibilem if the fountain of sorrow be set open in the heart the fountain of mercy is set open in heaven Zach. 12. 10. compared with chap. 13. 1. Yea let me add to this also three experiences 1. One is this That the Christian is never more sad and mournfull then when he feels his heart least mournfull He is then cast down O saith he into what a condition am I brought I was wont to find a tender sensible mourning spirit but me thinks now my heart is grown hard again O Lord why am I now hardened from thy fear And the man never gives over with God and himself until tenderness be renewed in his heart again 2. That the Christian is never more joyfull then when he is most mournfull Blessed are they that sow besides all Waters saith the Prophet Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted saith Christ They that sow in tears shall reap in joy saith David Godly sorrow is the Water that is turned into Wine One drop of a guilty Conscience is able to turn all our Joyes into Bitterness and one drop of godly sorrow is able to turn all our bitterness into joy I rejoyce saith Paul that I made you sorry what cause then had they to rejoyce who were sorry sorry after a godly sort sorry with a sorrow that bred repentance unto salvation never to be repented of 3. That the Christian is never more mournful then when he is most joyful The time of a Christians highest joy is the time of his greatest assurance Sealing and assuring times are the soul-raising and reviving times And the times of greatest assurance are the times of our greatest mournings The more manifestation of Gods Love and the more assurance of Gods Mercy do ever cause in the heart more Humility and more sorrow here is now the greatest joy for mercy and here is now the greatest mourning for sinning against mercy Object 4. We see no persons to walk more sadly and more uncomfortably I but no persons walk more sadly then converted persons Answered It is a False Charge then at least many do who are converted persons Ergo. To this give me favour to answer more fully 1. This is a False Charge and a very unjust Calâ—mny take the divisions of the sons of men according to the diversity of their spiritual conditions compare men with men according unto them and I dare confidently affirm That no condition is more dreadfully sad then the condition of men Unconverted and no condition is more comfortably cheerful then the condition of men truly Converted let 's a while peruse the phrases and instances of such Me thinks the terrible passages in Scripture may abundantly convince us of the dreadfulness of an Unconverted and wicked person Isa 57. 20. The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt ver 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Job 20. 16 17 23 24 25. there Zophar sets him out He shall suck the gall of Asps and the Vipers tongue shall slay him He shall not see the Rivers nor the floods and streams of Honey and Butter When he is about to fill his belly God shall send upon him the fierceness of his wrath and shall cause it to rain upon him The bow of Steel shall strike him through the glistring sword cometh out of his gall terrors are upon him Psal 11. 6. Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shalt be the portion of their cup. Again did you ever read of any one godly and converted person who fell into that horrible despair as Cain or Judas did But take the hardest agonies incident to true converts they are 1. rather fears then horrours 2. rather doubts then despairs 3. effects of a mistaking Conscience then a rightly condemning Conscience 4. They can look towards the Promises as Jonah did in the deeps towards God 5.
before true Grace but follows it Do you use to gather fruit before you plant or reap before ye sow 4. Then if ever you would have joy and live joyfull If you would have joy get converted hearts lives get converted hearts Every man desires joy and as the Bee hunts for honey so do men naturally hunt for delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut jucunde aut non omninò Let the thing or condition be what it will if we take no delight in it it is a burthen to us Heaven would not be Heaven to him who cannot find delight in it Now Conversion is the true path to true joy If God would be pleased once to convert thy soul his converting Grace would lick thy sores and pull out the stings in Conscience and sweeten the bitter Springs and clear the Heavens to thee it would make thy bed to be easie and thy bread to be sweet and thy condition to be a Paradise even the Wilderness should drop honey to thee and thy heart should sing for joy It is a witty passage of Bernards de bonis deferendis Be willing to sacrifice thy Isaac and thy Isaac shall live Isaac you know signifies laughter do but sacrifice thy sinfull pleasure and then thy true pleasure shall not die but live Caius gave unto Agrippa a Chain of Gold which was as heavy as the Chain of Iron that he endured in the Prison Sins do â—ut upon us a Chain of Iron which if we would forsake Conversion would put upon as a Chain of Gold thou shalt not lose but better thy pleasures by forsaking of thy sins and the pleasures of them O! that all the joys which you have heard attending a converted condition might allure all our hearts to become converted persons I observe five things about the converted condition in Scripture 1. The invitation unto it and there joy presents it self Turn and live turn and live hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Isa 55. 2. 2. The entrance into it and there joy embraceth the person As soon as the Prodigal Son returned his Father saw him a far off O how quick is Mercy to espy a Convert and had compassion O how tender is Mercy to yern over a Convert and ran O how swift is Mercy to receive a Convert and fell on his neck O how how out-stretching is Mercy to embrace a Convert and kissed him O how kind is Mercy to entertain a Convert 3. The motion or course of it and there joy attends the person I have rejoyced saith David Psal 119. 14. in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches When a converted man doth Mediate his meditation is stiled sweet Hear he hears With joy When they heard this they were glad Pray this is a sweet incense to David And I will make them joyfull in my house of prayer Isa 56. 7. Believe he doth believe and rejoice Mourn there is appointed the oyâ— of joy for mourning Isa 61. 3. Do the will of God it is his delight to do the will of God Suffer Rejoyce saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 4 13. in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings 4. The conclusion or end of it why there also doth joy accompany him Psal 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace 5. The reward and recompence of it and there also joy doth clasp the converted person Enter into thy Masters joy saith Christ to the good servant Gaudium supra omne gaudium At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore said David Oâ— that all these things might so affect our hearts this day as to forsake our sins and turn back to God Pleasure is the great â—â—it which is laid forth to catch the soul of man Satan draws us to sin by pleasure and God draws us to grace by pleasure shall pleasure move thee to damn thy soul and shall not true pleasure move thee to save thy soul Our Aversion from God depends much upon pleasure and our Conversion unto God depends much upon pleasure me thinks that Gods promise should be more accounted then the Divels temptation is it not more probable to buy a better penniworth from heaven then from hell and is it not more reasonable to traffick at the gates of life for joy then to trade at the gates of death for comfort Return return O sinner yet yet come back to thy God and do not for lying vanities any longer forsake thine own mercies But God must perswade Japhet Try whether you are in a converted condition or no. There Vse 2. Try whether converted or no. Nine things shew a man is unconverted are two sorts of persons 1. Some plainly unconverted 2. Some deceiving themselves about it Nine things do shew that a man is as yet absolutely in an unconverted condition 1. Vnsensibleness God promiseth to take away the stony heart quanto insensibilior tanto pe jor This is the Stone upon the Grave 2. Love of sin Wicked men are described by this in ScriptuÌ„re 3. Walking in the path of sin It is his work his trade when a man chuseâ—h an evil way and sits in the Chair is a servant of unrighteousness walks in the way fo wicked men 4. Hating to be reformed It is an abomination to him to be good that will rather be damned then reformed breaks the Cords will not have Christ to reign 5. Despising of the means of Conversion The word of the Lord is a reproach to him his heart rageth when the word finds out his sins and would separate him and his lusts 6. Loathing of converted persons cannot endure the sight of grace his special dislikes are of the godly and disgraces and discountenancings of them he is exceedingly displeased and grieved at the estimations of godliness and rejoyceth in the cloudings and setting of it 7. In communion with God It is a note of a wicked man that God is not in all his thoughts and that he call not upon God but is a stranger to him the stil-born child is a dead child 8. Disvaluations of Jesus Christ and of all the precious seasons of grace and opportunities of mercy the Swine tramples upon the Pearl the dayes of the Son of man are of no account with him 9. An earthly rest and satisfaction When he is a man only for this life and for this present world sets up his staff on this side Jordan all his hopes are in this life Secondly Five things which do shew that a man flatters and Five things shew a man deceived about his conversion deceives himself about his condition that it is converted when yet it falls short thereof 1. Meer knowledg though a man knows never so much yet if he be but a knowing man he may be a learned man but he is not a converted man It is one thing to know controversies another thing to know