inwardly offer Christ to the heart and secretlâ—â—alls there Come unto Christ you are poor and you are thirsty and you are brâ—â—â—h and bruised in heart And such sinners as these doth Christ call to come unto him and live for ever He was anointed for you and is sent to you 3. The Spirit backs these offers and calls with expresse promises for though the He backes these offers with Promises sinner be exceeding glad to finde out Christ the Saviour yet he is exceeding doubtful whether he may close with Christ thus offering himself unto him therefore herein likewise doth the Spirit appear towards the working of faith viz. he doth clear up the promises of the Gospel so that the poor sinner may be convinced and satisfied that Jesus Christ is contented and willing to be his and that he may come and be kindly and graciously accepted of Christ Those passages Him that comes to me I will in no wise reject Joh. 6. 27. And let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Rev. 22 17. And a bruised reed will he not break Matth. 12. 20. Come unto me all ye that are heavy laden and I will give you rest Matth. 11 28. All these and other promises and encouragements are set home by the Spirit upon the heart of the poor sinner so that he deemes that he hears Jesus Christ himself speaking alluring comforts unto his soul 4. The Spirit rests not here but proceeds further For notwithstanding all this The Spirit carries on the work further yet the poor sinner findes himself without all strength and saith he I am not able to believe though I see this Christ and his goodness and his love and his kindness and his graciousnesse yet I cannot believe yet I cannot come to him c. Now upon this there are two things more wrought by the Spirit in the heart of the poor sinner 1. One is Earnâ—st desires for faith O Lord give me faith He works earnest desires for faith perswade my heart bring in my heart draw it to Christ for Christ his sake 2. The other is The very gift or work of faith The Spirit by his mighty power gives an ability unto the heart of the sinner to come to him to receive him and thuâ— uniting faâ—th is wrâ—ught namely by the Spirit of Christ accompanying and blessing the Gospel as you have heard unto the soule of a sinner Therefore look well to your selves in this If your faith be not a faith which the Spirit of God works by the Gospel it is a false faith it is a faith of delusion and not of union it is a presumption of your own making a meere imagination of your own No faith will bring you to Christ but that faith which comes from the Spirit of Christ He works saiâ—h it self 2. That Faith which unites to Christ hath alwayes some particular operations upon the soule in relation to that union with Christ For the faith which is The peculiar operations of faith about this union wrought by the Spirit of Christ is no base quality nor is it any dead quality but it is Noble High and Active Now there are three things which this faith doth work in every one that hath it 1. An exceeding appreciation or esteem of Christ 2. A fervent desire to enjoy Christ 3. A separation of the heart It works from every thing that would hinder it from union with Christ 1. If your faith be this saith of union then it hath raised your hearts to exceeding An exceeding esteem of Christ high estimation of Christ other people have no high nor great thoughts of Christ What is thy beloved more than another beloved said they to the Church Cant. 5. 9. There is no beauty in him that we should desire him said they Isa 57. 2. Not this man but Barabbas said the Jews Joh. 18. 40. The Farme and the Oxen are preferred before him Luke 14. 18 19. But unto you who believe he is precious saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 2. 7. Pretious faith makes us to look on Christ as pretious How did the Church look on Christ in that Cant. 5 why As the chiefest of ten thousand verse 10. As altogether lovely verse 16. How did those Believers look on Christ in Joh. 1. 14 We beheld his glory the glory as of the only begotten Son of the Father full of Grace and Truth How did Paul look on Christ Phil. 3. 8. I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord Beloved Never was there unbeliever â—â—o had high thoughts of Christ and never was there sound believer but he hâ—â— precious thoughts of Christ the Apostle tells us as much 1 Cor. 1. 23. We preach Christ crucified unto the Jews a stumbling-block and unto the Greeks foolishness verse 24. But unto them which are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God O sirs The excellencies of Christ are hidden excellencies from the men of the world and no eye can see them but the eye of faith there must be a light shining in the heart to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ 2 Cor. 4. 6. When faith is wrought then a light is wrought to see the beauties of Christ the beauty of his Person the beauty of his Offices the beauty of his Love of his Death of his Righteousness of his Holiness of his Peace c. the vaile is removed and we do with open face as in a glass behold the glory of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. c. So that none like Christ he is the Pearle of great price and nothing like Christ no love like his no enjoyment like the enjoyment of him c. 2. If your faith be this Faith of union Then it hath raised in your hearts Exceeding desires to enjoy Christ exceeding desires to enjoy Christ I must have this Christ I cannot live without this Christ O Lord give me Christ I have nothing if I have not Christ There is nothing in heaven or earth that I desire in comparison of Christ I desire to be found in him saith Paul He is the desire of all Nations Hag. 2 7. You never had such desires towards Christ untill faith was wrought in you such high desires such longings such hungrings such thirstings nor such busie and stirring desires saw you him whom my soule loveth and I sought him whom my soule loveth and I will seek him whom my soule loveth Nor such unsatisfied desires Nothing satisfies you or puts an end to your desires but Christ desired by you 3. If your faith be this faith of union Then it did work in your hearts a A separation from all things which hinder union separation from all things which otherwise would have hindred yâ—u from union with Christ You know that whatsoever keeps things at
and rebellion of their hearts there must be a mutual will and consent and agreement which cannot be till resistance in our hearts be removed that so our hearts may be made willing to comply with him and with his will and with his wayes and with his works Secondly That he may bring them all into union with Jesus Christ his people Bring them into union with Christ are a people given unto Christ from all eternity Thine they were and thou gavest them me Joh. 17. 6. And as they are given to Christ by an eternal compact so they must be given in to Christ in time by effectual vocation in a way of believing And for this reason also he will take away the hardness of their hearts which is imcompatible with closing with Christ Heb. 3. 7. To day if ye will hear his voice ver 8. harden not your hearts Thirdly That he may enjoy communion with them and they with him This is one Reason why he makes us to be his people that he might make known all Enjoy communion with them his love and goodness unto us and that our hearts might be taken up with him and set on him in love and fear and desire and joy and hope None of which will or can be unless the Lord were pleased to take away the heart of stone from his people c. Fourthly That he may bring upon them all the good which he hath promised unto And bring upon them all the good that he hath promised to his people viz. All the blessings of mercy and peace and comfort and joy of which they are not capable untill the Lord take away the hardness of their hearts Would you have the Lord to settle pardoning mercy on a hard heart and to speak peace to a hard heart and to revive with comfort and joy the soul of an hardened sinner who will hold fast his iniquities and who will not obey his voyce and will none of him This is as it were a foundation-work for the other works of the Covenant Sol. 2. Again the Lord himself doth again by promise undertake to take away God by promise undertakes it Because of the impossibility of it the stony heart from his people upon a twofold account First On the impossibility of the work without his own Omnipotency None but the Almighty can cure the stone of the heart neither Angels nor Men nor Ministry nor Self-power for the hard heart is too hard for all means whatsoever only the Lord is too hard for it he can subdue all the powers of sin and he can pull down all high imaginations which do exalt themselves and he can abase the pride of man and he can circumcise all the stoutness of the heart so that the rebellious shall submit themselves Secondly The other that his people when they are made sensible of their That men may not despair hardnesse may not despair but may apply themselves unto him who is able to work all their work in and for them and to heal all their diseases and to subdue all their iniquities Beloved a Promise of God in any kind is a singular foundation for Faith and Prayer And so it is in this business of hardness of heart if the Lord promise to take it away then the work is possible it may be done and it is likewise de futuro it shall be done As the Lord is able to perform whatsoever he promiseth to his people so he is faithful and will perform the same And both these are grounds for Faith and Prayer to go unto the Lord and beseech him and trust upon him that he will according to his word take away the hardness of our hearts Quest 3. How this can be affirmed for a truth seeing that much hardnesse How this can be since much hardness remains A difference betwixt the hardness remaining in the best and that in the wicked The godly are sensible of it of heart remaines in all the people of God all the dayes of their lives Sol. This hath been answered in part already in the manner how God takes away the hardness of heart from his people only I will adde that there is a vast difference 'twixt the hardness of heart remaining in the people of God and that hardness of heart abiding in ungodly men v. g. First Though hardness of heart in some degrees remains in the people of God yet they are sensible of it as their great evil and burden and do exceedingly bewail it and complain to the Lord of it and cry out Why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy fear Isa 63. 17. But wicked men are unsensible of the hardness of their hearts they are past feeling and their consciences are seared as with a hot iron as the Apostle speaks 1 Tim. 4. 2. When a part of the body is feared with a hot iron it becomes utterly stupid and unsensible c. Secondly The hardnesse of heart remaining in the people of God it It is still mortifying in the best is still mortifying and decreasing the more they feel it the more they pray against it and never give over till they have obtained more grace and strength against it untill they find their hearts more tender and pliable But the hardness of heart in ungodly men as it is raigning so it is raging it still increaseth unto more hardness ungodly men sin more and more and still oppose the means of softning their hearts and the more they do sin the more they do harden their hearts and the more they do oppose the light and means of softning the more they do augment their sins and hardness Thirdly Though hardness of heart doth remain in the people of God yet Though it remains yet They do not willingly take those wayes that tend to hardening 1. They do not willingly and advisedly give up themselves to any wayes and courses which tend to the hardning of their hearts as to the neglect of the Ordinances to the omission of holy duties to the commission of sins against the light of the Word and of Conscience 2. They do cordially use all the means to work off the hardness of their hearts as frequent self-examinations humble confessions and self-judgings earnest Prayer for more Faith and fear and tenderness of spirit and the Lord doth Cordially use the means against it graciously â—ear them in these Requests But thus it is not with ungodly men whose hearts are hardened they practice wickedness and they sell themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord 1 King 21. 25. And give themselves over unto lasciviousness to work all uncleanness with greedinesse Ephes 4. 19. And trample under feet the light of the Word and the actings of Conscience and whatsoever stands in their way to restrain them from sinning and are so far from improving any means for the removing of the hardness of their hearts that they deride and scorn at them and reject and abhor
us in you As a Parent who begers the children he looks unto those children and maintains and keeps them All your graces are the births of the Spirit of grace and as they are the effects of his power so also are they the objects of his care and therefore as they receive life from his presence in the Ordinances so shall they receive strength and growth and stability from his continual influence upon them We are sâ—rengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man Ephes 3. 16. As we are changed from our shameful condition to glory by the Spirit so by the same Spirit are we changed from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. 3. The Spirit is yours in respect of his works or operations And truly this The Spirit is theirs in respect of his works and operatioÌ„s consideration makes out an exceeding happinesse unto the people of God in as much as the participation of all their happiness depends upon the workings of the Spirit of God in whom they are interested by this Covenant of grace There are five choice works which the Spirit doth for all the people of God Five choice works which the Spirit doth for all Gods people He doth unite Christ and them who have God to be their God 1. He doth unite Christ and them Although the benefits by Christ are unexpressibly precious yet the fruition of them is impossible withâ—ut a precedent union with Christ forasmuch as union is a necessary foundation for Communion you must be in Christ and being his himself and all his benefits become yours Now it is the Spirit which makes up this union as love makes the union 'twixt Christian and Christian and as faith makes up the union from us to Christ for we are planted into Christ and are espoused unto Christ and live in Christ by faith so the Spirit makes the union 'twixt Christ and us there being no other way for him to be joyned unto us and to become Relatively ours but by his own Spirit it is the Spirit which doth let out the heart of Christ to us and who doth bring in our hearts unto Christ it is the Spirit by whom Christ applies himself unto us and apprehends us and by whom we also do apprehend and apply Christ by his Spirit he takes hold of us and by the same Spirit it is that we take hold of him In a word it is the Spirit by whom Christ speaks to our hearts and by whose light we see the excellencies of Christ and the great love of Christ and who gives Christ as it were into our hands and mightily allures and prevails upon our hearts to give themselves unto Christ again as Christ had never been effectually revealed unto you but by the Spirit so you had never been effectually brought to Christ but by the Spirit you had been Christlesse for ever without him And now consider the happiness in having this Spirit which hath wrought so effectually as to unite Christ and you and you and Christ that Christ is yours and you are his by him are you perswaded and drawn and brought into the possession of Christ and all the benefits by Jesus Christ 2. He doth conform us unto Christ We all saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 3. 18. beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same Image He doth conform us unto Christ from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. As by the Spirit we do discern a most glorious nature of holinesse in Christ so by the Spirit we are changed into the same image of holinesse Hence are we said to be born again bâ— the Spirit John 3. 5 6. and to be renewed by the holy Ghost Tit. 3. 5. And to be sanctified by him 1 Pet. 1. 2. You read that Christ was conceived by the holy Ghost and he was anointed by the Spirit So is every Christian he becomes a Christian by the Spirit and he is anointed by the Spirit The oyntment indeed is first poured upon our head and then upon us but as it is the same spirit in us which is in Christ so it is the same anointing only it is in Christ as the head and without measure and as in the pattern unto which we are conformed by the Spirit As by the unction of the Spirit we become like Christ in nature so also in Relation God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Sonne into your hearts crying Abba-Father Gal. 4. 6. Now judge of the blessednesse of having the Spirit He is the cause of our union and he is the cause of our unction he brings us into Christ and he anoints us with the same grace wherewith Christ himself was anointed so that we are like Christ himself we are anointed with the same Spirit and therefore we must needs be excellent and choice persons and very lovely in the eyes of God 3. He doth reveal unto us the highest and the choicest things of salvation He is called the Spirit of Revelation Eph. 1. 17. because he opens He revealeth to us the choicest things of salvation and reveals those things unto the people of God which are hid from the eyes of others There are five precious things which the Spirit reveales unto you He reveals 1. The mystery of life unto you even Jesus Christ who cannot be known The mystery of life or acknowledged but by the Spirit Flesh and blood cannot reveal him No man can confesse him No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the holy Ghost 1 Cor. 12. 3. But we speak the wisdome of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdome which God ordained before the world unto our glory 1 Cor. 2. 7. 2. The love of God unto you The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts The love of God by the holy Ghost which is given unto us Rom. 5. 5. He makes the greatnesse of the love and your propriety in it known unto you and the exceeding riches of grace c. 3. The presenc of Christ within you Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 John 3. 24. Christ without nay Christ The presence of Christ within us is not discerned by us without the Spirit 4. The wonderful glory prepared for us Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared The glory prepared for us for them that love him But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deep things of God 1 Cor. 2. 9 10. 5. The most precious gifts bostowed on us In this life we have received the The most precious gifts bostowed on us Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. The sight of your own graces is by the assistance of the Spirit O what
to form it in himself Indeed God doth require faith in Christ but God doth not require of the sinner to create this faith in his own heart 2. Though faith be the condition of the Covenant yet it is such a condition God himself doth promise to give it which God himself doth promise to give unto the sinner As it is a condition on our part so it is a gift on Gods part we are to have it but God is to give it according to his promise and undertakes to work it in us according to his power 3. Though faith be the condition yet it is such a condition that God affords all And affords means for the working of it the means for tâ—e working and deriving of it unto the sinner There is no sinner in all the world upon whom God calls for faith in Christ but unto that sinner God affords the Gospel which is the meanes as you have heard designed by God to work faith 4. As God affords the means unto sinners by which faith is wrought so his And his Spirit doth assiâ—â— those meâ—â—â—â— Spirit upon whose operation faith depends doth ordinarily accompany and assist and blesse those meanes to make them to be the power of God to the production of faith in the hearts of sinners so that the Gospel is never sent unto any people but there are some of them effectually called so as to believe through grace 5. And fifthly as there is no sinner unto whom the Gospel of Faith is sent who can No sinner to whom the Gospel is preached can conclude that God never intended to give him faith nay every sinner is some time or other invited properly conclude that God never intends to give him this faith so every sinner may and doth some time or other finde that the Spirit doth by the Gospel earnestly deal with his heart to believe and receive Christ The Spirit by the Gospel doth let in so much light of conviction and doth so far act upon his heart by motions and arguments and perswasions to receive Christ that if yet he continue unbelieving this fault cannot be charged on God who doth work so wonderfully with him to believe but only on himself who slights those means and quenches those motions of the Spirit and wilfully opposeth and resisteth the Spirit in this working Hence it is that you never read of an impossibility on Gods part for with him all things are possible nor yet of an impotency on the sinners part why he believes not though that be true that the sinner in himself considered is insufficient but still the charge lies against the sinner for his wilfulnesse and unwillingnesse ye would not and ye will not come unto me that ye might have life and we will not have this man to reign over us Because God puts forth so much of power by his Spirit in the Gospel as may satisfie us that believing is a pâ—ssible work and that our unbelief sticks unto us not only from a want of power but only from the presence and redundancy of perversenesse in our wills 6. Let me add one conclusion more That this faith which is the condition admitting God will never deny faith to them that cordially ask it into the Covenant is such a condition as God never did nor will deny tâ— any sinner seriously and cordially asking it of him even in this it holds true also aske and it shall be given unto you If God sometimes gives this faith to them that do not ask will he deny it unto them to whom he gives an heart to ask Especially seeing that he therefore gives us an heart to ask because it is his purpose to give us this faith which we do ask See now you have the comfort in the general from this that faith is the condition of the Covenant of grace namely that then a sinner is capable and hopeful of being brought into the Covenant notwithstanding all his former sinfulness and present unrighâ—eousnesse and unworthinesse none of which do hinder faith from inteâ—esting of us in Christ And this Faith also is such a condition as God himself doth promise to give and set apart peculiar meanes to work it in us aâ—â—pon our serious asking of him will give unto us 2. I shall now speak of the particular comforts which do belong unto Believers Comforts to believers who stand possessed of this faith which unites to Christ and is the condition of the Covenant of Grace I grant that distinction of weak believers and of strong believers and that by reason of this gradual diversity there is therefore a different apprehension and perception of your comforts But if your faith be such as indeed brings you into union with Christ be that faith weak or strong then I confidently assure you that your condition is very comfortable and blessed Quest But what are those comforts and what is that blessednesse for all who What those comforts are are by faith united with Christ Sol. I will mention some of them unto you If you be by faith united to Christ so that he is yours and you are his Then 1. Vnquestionably God is your God for union with Christ infallibly takes in union Unquestionably God is your God with God if Christ be yours then God is yours Ye are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. 23. Our fellowship is with the Father and with his Sâ—nne Jesus Christ 1 Joh. 1. 3. Beloved this is a truth that you can never have union with one Person of the Trinity alone as the union of those persons is common and mutual between themselves the Father hath union with the Son and the Holy Ghost and the Son hath union with the Father and the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost hath union with them both so is our union with them If we be united to Christ we are united to God the Father of Christ and to the Holy Ghost the Spirit of Christ If Christ be yours then God the Father is yours and if Christ be yours then God the Holy Ghost is yours As Christ is in you of a truth so God is in you of a truth and the Spirit of Christ is in you also And as you are in the Son so are you in the Father and so are you in the Spirit And as the Son is in you so the Father is in you and the Holy Ghost is in you And because this one thing is the Caput the summe and heighth and depth of all our comfort and blessednesse I shall therefore crave the favour to speak some few words unto it 1. First then our union with Christ draws in with it our union with God so that Our union with Christ draws in with it our union with God we and God himself are no longer enemies by way of difference nor strangers by way of distance but we are made nigh bâ— Christ not only nigh in a way of pacification by removal of
to be separated from me and another thing for me to be separated from sin 1. It is one thing for sinne to be separated from me and it is another thing for me to be separated from sinne For sin to be separated from me is wholly to be rid of it so that sin no more remaines in me For me to be separated from sin is not to love and serve it but cordially to hate it and oppose it he is separated from sinne who hates sinne Now it is not the presence of sinne simply and absolutely which is effectually contrary to union with Christ for then no sinner should ever be in Christ but it is the love and service of sin which is contrary to a union with Christ a man cannot love sinne and yet love Christ neither can he serve sinne and serve Christ But thus it is not with you for though sin be in you yet you love it not and though sin assaults and tempts and perhaps sometimes prevailes yet you serve it not And remember as long as sin is your burden your grief your enemy which you resist which you would destroy with which you will not make peace certainly you love it not nor are you the servant of it Paul who was in Christ found the presence of sin but yet he hated it and the powerful working of sin but yet he refused it and sometimes the captivity of sin but yet he bewailed it and sought to Christ for more deliverance and victory 2. There is a twofold separation from sin There is a twofold separation from sin Radical Gradual One is Radical when by the infusion of grace the heart is changed and alienated from sin The other is Gradual when by the further influence of the Spirit of Christ the powerful presence of sin is more and more mortified and subdued This latter you shall attain unto by vertue of your union with Christ But if you finde the former certainly you are united to Christ If there be but so much grace infused into the heart to alienate it from sin to change the bent and frame of the soule why this cannot be without a union with Christ for this is a new spiritual change wrought in you by the Spirit of Christ and the newnesse of our hearts depends upon that union with Christ which is made by faith and is the lively testimony of it If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5 17. But I never found the powerfull workings of the Spirit Object O but union with Christ depends upon some mighty and powerful workings of the Spirit upon the soule which I never observed nor discerned in my soule Answered Though such a powerful work may not be discerned for the time yet it may appear by the effâ—cts Sol. It is a truth that it doth so The Gospel comes not in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost when it inables a soule to believe in Christ and without the mighty working of the Spirit it is impossible to make the heart to believe And although in the present darknesse of the Spirit you discern not nor remember such a mighty working yet perhaps by the effects which may be found in you you shall acknowledge the same for the time was 1. When blacknesse of darknesse covered your mindes so that you were ignorant of God and Christ and your own condition and of the way of salvation But now there is a light set up in your minde by which you know the true God and him whom he hath sent even Jesus Christ and the salvation by him purchased for sinners who believe in him 2. When carnal security possessed your heart so that you could rest quiet in your natural condition but now that spirit of slumber and security is shaken off and your soule is become anxious and sollicitous What shall I do to be saved 3. When your heart was full of your own righteousness you were rich and increased you were whole and needed not the Physitian but now you see your self pâ—ore and wretched and naked and miserable and utterly undone unlesse you may have Christ and be found in him 4. When you were confident and presumptuous of your own power and self-sufficiency O it was easie to repent and no great matter to believe on Christ but now you finde your self without all strength and unlesse you be enabled by the strength and grace of Christ it is not only difficult but also impossible for your heart to close with him by faith 5. When you found your proud spirit slighting the offers of Christ and opposing the word of Christ and resisting and quenching the motions of the Spirit of Christ but now your hearts tremble at these abominations and you lie down at the feet of Christ and your heart is set on Christ O Lord give me Christ O Lord give me an heart to embrace this precious Christ and never to slight thy great love in Christ nor that great salvation any more 6. When you felt the power of unbelief in your hearts working up daily exceptions and hourly fears and strong despaires for ever enjoying Christ for your Christ O now this sin and that sin this slighting and that neglecting and your unworthinesse and Christs unwillingnesse and your inability and Christs command and your dulnesse and Christs silence and your desires and Christs delayes so that no hopes many times lodged within you your hearts were sinking and failing and giving up all But now your hearts are answered and set at liberty and power is found within you to break down this mighty partition wall of unbelief and against all the oppositions which unbelief and Satan can make yet to venture upon Christ and to justifie the invitations and promises of Christ and wholly to come up to all the terms and articles of Christ upon which he is contented to be yours O Christian call'st thou these no workings of the Spirit Or no mighty workings of the Spirit I tell thee that to work and effect these things no lesse power is put forth than the Almighty power of God upon thy soule A greater power than to bring Israel out of Egypt as great a power is put forth as to raise the dead I grant that when the Spirit works with the Law to convince and distresse the conscience there his workings are more vehement and strong to our apprehensions And when the same Spirit works through the Gospel his workings many times are not discerned in their time of working in that sensible and remarkable efficacy but yet when you review the whole work and working of the Spirit as to the production of faith why you will fall down and admire how ever your poore soules could against so many oppositions insufficiencies reasonings conclusions fears doubts despaires be prevailed upon and enabled to come to Christ Ob. O but union with Christ indeed by faith ever takes along with it the presence and communion of the
Spirit He that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit and he hath received the Spirit the Spirit of Christ who is in Christ But I have I but I have not the Spirit not that Spirit I finde him not I feele him not Answered Sâ—l This also is a truth that the communion of the Spirit is inseparably annexed to union with Christ And if any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of Christs But then know 1. You must consider in what posture a Christian must be who may judge of the presence In what posture a Christian must be who may judge of the presence or absence of the Spirit or absence of the Spirit of Christ in him 1. He must be out of melancholy 2. Out of violent temptation 3. Out of Desertion He must be himself see himself that he is able and fit to judge Spiritual works and to compare things together and to weigh all that may be said in the ballance of the Sanctuary If thou be in this free posture and upon diligent search and serious consideration canst finde not any one effect of communion with Christ the case is very heavy But I believe the contrary touching thee O weak Christian when those above mentioned impediments are off so that thou art able to use the light of grace and of a renewed conscience much of Christ and from Christ will be found in thee a love of thy Christ a delight in thy Christ a heart ready and willing to hear and to obey thy Christ Distinguish of vital and vivifical acts 2. Distinguish of vital acts and of vivifical acts that is effects of a real union and effects of a comfortable union The estate of a comfortable union and communion thou dost not perhaps espy at present viz. Not actual joy not actual chearfulness not actual assurances O but though you do not finde the childe smiling yet if you finde it living there is union There are yet the effects and characters of life and of vital union and communion with Christ though not of a comfortable communion there is yet a breathing after Christ a hunting after Christ an heart renewed and changed an image of Christ unto which thou art changed and conformed a will agreeing with the will of Christ an end agreeing with the end of Christ c. And yet thou canst serve thy Christ in tears though thou canst not serve him in joyes and though the Spirit of Christ be not seen so as to comfort thee yet he is found so as to lead and uphold thee 3. There is a communion by way of influence and a communion by way of eminency and a communion by way of evidence and all these depend upon union with Christ There is communion by way of influence and of eminency and of evidence 1. Communion by way of influence when we partake of the Nature and Life of Christ ye are made partakers of the Divine Nature saith Peter Christ liveth in me saith Paul 2. A communion by way of eminency when Christ appears mighty in the soule in the large and high and strong degrees of acting of particular graces of faith of love of patience of self-denial of zeale of wisdome of humility 3. A communion by way of evidence as when Christ kisseth the soule with the kisses of his lips That is when he sheds abroad his love into our hearts by the Spirit which he hath given us and makes us to know that he loves us and saith by his Spirit unto our hearts I am my beloveds and my beloved is mine Perhaps you have not attained to this last communion with Christ to this Osculumoris and perhaps you have not attained to the second of these which as Bernard speaks is Osculum manus well But yet you have attained to the first of these which is Osculum pedis perhaps you have not the sensible manifestations and impressions and seals of his favour by his spirit but yet you are young men in Christ and strong in the might of his Spirit perhaps you are not come to the strength of the Spirit but yet you are babes in Christ yet the liâ—e of Christ is in you you have that Spirit of Christ in way of influence which brings you into fellowship with Christ in his death and in his resurrection ye are dead to sin and you are alive unto righteousness and Christ is setting up himself in your hearts more and more Be not discouraged this shews true union with Christ for ever This is the communion of the Spirit of Christ when our hears are fashioning and conforming to Christ and have any part of his image stamped upon us If you can finde any one grace depending upon and flowing from union with Christ that is enough to satisfie you about the communion of the Spirit and that you have the faith which hath indeed united you unto Christ I but I am under much weakness of grace and many wants Ob. But if I had indeed this faith which unites to Christ I should not all this while have lived with so much weaknesse of grace and under so many spiritual wants certainly I should have found more of the strength and of the fulnesse of Christ who filleth all in all Answered Sol. I grant it for a truth that the right union is an imparting and strengthening and supplying union Whosoever is united to Christ indeed by faith to him is Christ a supplying Fountain a feeding Root and an helping Head and he will never leave the communicating of his Spirit unto him untill he hath filled him with all that fulness whereof a lively member of Christ is capable but then remember 1. Comparatively the original and first receptions from Christ are weak and little The first Receptions from Christ are weak as the seed that is cast into the earth or as the light which breaks forth in the morning compare the first works of grace with the flowing growth of grace it is but as the babe to the strong man but as the Lambe to the sheep I believe Lord help my unbelief this is that most of Faith at first Thou knowest that I love thee this is the highest of your love at first whom I serve with or in my spirit this is the greatest of our obedience at the first 2. The Communications of Christ unto the soule united by faith unto him are The communications of Christ are partly for justification and partly in sanctification Justification is perfect partly for justification and partly in Sanctification His communications in Justification are at once and full and perfect as soon as you are by faith united unto Christ you are perfectly reconciled to God you are perfectly cloathed with the righeousness of Christ you are perfectly pardoned all your sins your peace is so perfectly made with God that you cannot be more fully reconciled you have the righteousness of Christ so perfectly imputed to you that you cannot be
given him yet he may lose the comfortable sight and feeling of it either by some great transgression or by his pride or by his covetousness c. O but do not lose the hive which hath so much honey by all means so preserve this favour and this mercy that still you may fetch joy and comfort and support from it and therefore when you have attained unto the forgiveness of your sins learn then 1. To walk humbly with your forgiving and reconciled God the more is forgiven the more cause of humility confessing still your unworthiness of so great a mercy and that God did forgive your sins not for your sake but for his own Name sake be not lifted up at all but remember still your own sins which God hath forgiven as Paul did and upon what gracious terms God forgave you Who am I said David I am not worthy of the least of thy mercies said Jacob. 2. To walk exactly before your forgiving God David saith in Psal 32. 1. Blessed is the man whose iniquities are forgiven Psal 32. 1 2. Blessed is the man in whose Spirit there is no guile and Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the way of the Lord. Ver. 3. They do no iniquity they walk in his wayes O that my wayes were so directed that I might keep thy statutes 3. To walk stedfastly with so good a God O that we could but attain one thing viz. to keep up that frame of spirit and that path or practice of walking which we found in our selves when God was pleased to let into our hearts the news that our sins were forgiven and that we could still continue so to walk with that thankfulness with that humbleness with that tenderness with that delightfulness with that enlargement then would our Sun still shine with strength then would our forgiveness still appear in sight and would afford unto us a long harvest of joyes and living springs of lastâ—ng comfort Fourthly Improve the forgiveness of your sins so as to be able in your distresses Improve it in distresses and tryals to draw comfortable conclusions from it and tryals to draw out and maintain such Conclusions every way as that mercy is a ground and Foundation for Quest You will say What might one conclude from this that God hath forgiven his sins Sol. I will mention some Conclusions which may infallibly be drawn from it viz. First You may conclude the seasonable enjoyment of lesser mercies because God hath forgiven your sins which is the greater mercy if he fulfils his promise in the As The seasonable enjoyment of lesser mercies greatest blessings surely he will not fail you in the least blessings as the Apostle argued He that spared not his own Son but delivered him to death for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. So say I hath the Lord freely pardoned thy sins questionless he will freely give thee other things will he deny thee food and rayment who hath given thee Christ and forgiveness if his love extend to the greatest of mercies will it fail and fly off for the least of mercies Secondly You may conclude that certainly you are his people and that the Lord That you are Gods people and he is your God is your God that you do stand in a near Relation unto him and that he stands in a near Relation unto you why so because forgivenesse of sins is the portion only of the people of God of such who are in Covenant with him A Prince may forgive a Malefactor and yet there be no Covenant between them But God forgives none unless such as are first in Christ and by Christ are in his Covenant of mercy and peace Thirdly You may conclude that in all your changes and losses certainly you are That you are still under grace and love still under grace and love that the Lord hath set his love upon you that his favour is towards you Because forgiveness of sins is an act of special grace and favour and no man is forgiven but the Lord doth love him with an exceeding great love in and by Christ Object I but I am chastened and afflicted Sol. Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth Heb. 12. 6. Fourthly You may conclude certainly that God is reconciled and that his wrath is off and shall never redound unto you and that the accusation and condemnation God is reconciled of the Law are stopt and superseaded c. Fifthly You may conclude that at length your souls shall go to heaven for your And you shall be saved sins are for that end forgiven that you might be brought to glory c. Fifthly Having your sins pardoned in Gods promise rest not untill you have got the notice and assurance of this in your own hearts and consciences Here let me Rest not till you have got the assurance of your pardon God doth sometimes pardon sin and not give the assurance of it speak briefly unto two things First That God doth sometimes pardon sins and yet doth not presently notifie or make the same manifest or evident unto the person pardoned no not though he truely repents As it is clear in David whose sin God did put away and yet it was a long time before David could get the evidence and assurance thereof in his own heart I grant that upon true repentance sin is forgiven and it is as true that sin may be forgiven and yet the forgiven sinner not be assured thereof Whether the Reasons of this may be 1. Because the manifestation of pardon to us is a meer act of grace and divine liberty 2. Or because God would teach us hereby that it is not so easy a matter to get the voice of joy after we have sinned and provoked him and should therefore fear to â—n any more 3. Or thirdly because it is so difficult to believe the forgiveness of sins though promised by God himself when the Conscience hath been previously troubled for sin c. Secondly That the assurance of our own hearts and consciences that God hath pardoned oer sinnes is a mercy much to be desired and would be of great advantage Yet it is a mercy much to be desired and of great advantage for our Setling Satisfying to pardoned sinners For 1. This would exceedingly settle our hearts and put an end to all our hard suspicions and fears and jealousies 2. This would abundantly satisfie the longing desires of our soules to see our great discharge and relief and acquittance under the hand and seale of God Returne O my soule unto thy rest for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee 3. This would admirably enlarge our hearts in the praises of mercy Psal 103. 1 2. Enlarging 4. This would wonderfully inflame our hearts in the love of God the sense of love begets love 1 Joh. 4. 19. We love him because he loved us Loving first 5.
aright in a contrary grief and sorrow for his mistake 3. Nor be shamed of his own foolishness Secondly It is soul loss unless the Lord break down this false assurance It is soul loss in our hearts it will end in the eternal loss of our souls I told you the last day that that mans condition is more hopeful whose conscience is filled with terror for his sins than his condition is whose heart is filled with a false perswasion and assurance that his sins are pardoned as Christ spake to the self-conceited Pharisees Publicans and Harlots enter into the Kingdome of God before you Matth. 21. 31. Or as Solomon spake Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool than of him Prov. 26. 12. So say I there is more hope of the salvation of the most doubting and most terribly dejected and distressed sinner than of the confident and falsly assured sinner why so will you say my reason is this because 1. When a person is in a troubled condition he is rightly sensible of his condition he sees that it is ill with him but the falsly assured sinner doth not see in what an evil condition he is and certainly it is a worse matter to be in an evil condition and not apprehend it than to be in that evil condition and yet to discern it 2. When a person sees himself in an evil condition there may be and usually there are fears to remain in it and cares to get out of it Men and Brethren what shall we do spake those wounded in their hearts for their sins Acts 2. 37. And the Jaylor came in trembling and cryed out What shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. But when a person hath deluded himself with a false confidence that his estate is good and with a false assurance that his sins are pardoned and God is reconciled unto him this man is whole he minds not the Physitian looks not after Christ and mercy and so loseth his soul Beloved this is certain that false assurance breeds carnal security and carnal security breeds neglect of Christ and neglect of Christ breeds loss of mercy and loss of mercy will be the loss of the soul It is soul disappointment Thirdly It is soul-failure and disappointment what Solomon speaks in Prov. 25. 19. Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth and a foot out of joint He is of no use or service unto you that say I of a false assurance when you come to a time of need and then expect help from your false assurance and deluded confidence then you will finde that it will be of no more strength and service to you than a foot out of joint it will utterly fail you and deceive you When the winds and the waves arose then the house built on the sand did fall Matth. 7. 26 27. So when death comes and conscience is awakened and ariseth in exceptions and accusations and chargeth guilt as unpardoned upon the soul in that day what will become of all your vain confidences and of all your foolish and false excusations they will be swept away as the Spiders web and like a dream they presently vanish into nothing Now from all that hath been said you do see great reason as to strive for a right assurance so to take heed and beware of a false perswasion and assurance that your sins are pardoned SECT IV. 3. Vse DOth the Lord promise to sprinkle clean water upon his people i. e. to apply unto them in particular the pardon of their sins with the assurance thereof Hence let me inform two sorts of the people of God 1. Those who have found this sprinkling of assurance concerning the pardon of their sins how they may know that this is the very assurance which is given by God himself 2. Those who never yet have attained to this sprinkling of assurance from God what they should judge of their estate and what they should do to enjoy or partake of the same 1. Quest How may one know that the assurance which he hath found How one may know his assurance is true concerning the pardon of his sinnes be the right and true assurance which God himself undertakes to give by his Spirit unto his people Sol. I humbly conceive that this may be discerned partly 1. By some precedently preparing works 2. By some presently accompanying works 3. By some subsequently following works of the Spirit First You may know that the assurance which you have had or which you now have is indeed from the Spirit of God By these works or qualities which By some precedent works the Spirit alwayes laies in the soul before he gives this particular assurance And there are four works of the Spirit if I may so stile them qualifying and preparing the heart to receive this impression of assurance from the Spirit 1. Humbling and mourning 2. Reconciling and sanctifying 3. Believing and relying 4. Praying and wrestling First There alwayes goes an humbling and mourning heart before a revived heart about the pardon of our sins Luke 4. 18. The Spirit of the Lord is Humbling and mourning upon me saith Christ because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor to heal the broken-hearted to preach deliverance unto the captive And Isa 61. 2. To comfort all that mourn Ver. 3. To give unto them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness c. Mark here are broken-hearted sinners and these doth the Spirit heal and here are captivated sinners and these doth the Spirit deliver and free and here are mourning sinners and these doth the Spirit comfort Why it is not reasonable to imagine that the Spirit of God will do any thing which is impertinent or improper or repugnant to his own Word but all his works within us are pertinent and are consonant with the Word 1. They are pertinent he will comfort those to whom comfort pertains 2. They are proper he will comfort them that need comfort and in the times of their need 3. They are consonant he will apply comfort to them unto whom God promiseth comfort Now comfort pertains to the broken-hearted and unto mourners for sin and it is proper for them they stand in need of the voice of joy and gladness and God hath in a special manner promised to comfort them that mourn Therefore if the assurance which you find of the pardon of your sins be a gracious peace and quietation and perswasion after conviction and after godly sorrow for your sins this is no feigned nor deluding work of fancy nor of Satan but it is the very voice of joy from the Spirit of God O when a poor troubled soul hath been laid low in the sense of sin hath gone heavily all the day with that burden is even confounded and ashamed and is ready to fail and faint and
Pet. 1. 10. and proving and trying your selves whether Christ be in you of a truth 2 Cor. 13. 5. and working out your salvation Phil. 2. 12. Secondly The comfort of sincerity that you are on the way to be assured not resting in the want of assurance nor in idle complaints but as you pretend an opinion and judgement rightly valuing it and that your hearts are set upon it so your souls are indeed drawn forth to the ways of enjoyment Thirdly The comfort of Gods presence for it is from the Spirit of God that your hearts do thus prize and thus long for and thus labour for assurance he begets those thoughts and those desires and those prayers you have the presence of the Spirit though not the assurance of the Spirit Fourthly The comfort of hope that at length you shall see the God of gods in Zion that you shall see his face with joy that he will create peace and assurance in your hearts for he never fills the soul and stirs and draws it unto himself for his gracious favour but at length he doth make his loving kindness known unto that soul and he doth thus prepare the heart because he will incline his ear Fourthly A fourth support unto you is this although you have not this assurance in your own hearts yet you have it in Gods promise who assures you that he will sprinkle it upon you and faithful is he who hath promised who will also do it Secondly But now I come unto the Direction which I would commend to weak Direction believers for the attaining of their assurance and they are these First Diligent attendance upon the Word of God that this is a good means to attain Dâ—ligent attendance upon the Word assurance may appear by three particulars 1. God hath instituted or ordained his Word not only for the conversion but also for the consolation of his people and the assuring of them Rom. 15. 4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 1 Joh. 1. 4. These things write we unto you that your joy may be full 1 Joh. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that you may know that ye have eternal life Mark written for our comfort written that our joy may be full written that believers may know they have eternal life why then unquestionably the Word is a means to attain assurance c. 2. The people of God have attended the Word for this very end to gain assurance Psal 48. 9. We have thought of thy loving kindness O God in the midst of thy Temple Psal 85. 8. I will hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his people 3. They have found assurance upon the attending on the Word Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee Ver. 2. To see thy power and thy glory so as I have seen thee in the Sanctuary Ver. 3. Because thy loving kindness is better than life He had seen experimentally the power and the glory of God in the Sanctuary i. e. the mercy and the loving kindness of God in Christ the assurance and feeling of it in the use of the Word c. Eph. 1. 13. In whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of your salvation in whom also after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Secondly Fervent prayer unto the Lord this is also a means to obtain assurance Fervent prayer Ps 119. 58. I intreated thy favour with my whole heart and two things demonstrate this unto us 1. Some special promises to this purpose viz. Isa 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy Mountain and will make them joyful in my house of prayer c. What is that which makes the heart of the people of God joyful David tells you in Psal 4. 6. Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us and Ver. 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart c. and where is this joyfulness promised by what means I will make them joyful in my house of prayer Joh. 16. 24. Ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full Ver. 22. Whatsoever ye ask the Father in my Name he will give it you Here is a fulness of joy and that certainly is in assurance and that fulness of joy is promised upon prayer 2. Some particular experiences Psal 30. 10. Hear O Lord and have mercy upon me c. Ver. 11. Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness Object But will some say We have heard the Word a long time and we have prayed and sought the Lord a long time and yet we cannot attain to this assurance of forgiveness Sol. Therefore be sure to take in three things when you pray for this assurance 1. Apious valuation of it Thy favour is life Psal 30. 5. Thy loving kindness is better than life Psal 63 3. O visit me with thy salvation Psal 106 4. 2. A believing perswasion that God will hear you in this Luke 11. 13. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him and that Spirit is the Spirit of Adoption that witnesseth with our spirits that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. David hath a singular passage in Psal 119. 147. I prevented the dawning of the morning and cryed I hoped in thy Word where observe three things 1. The earliness of his prayer I prevented the dawning of the morning he could not sleep but must arise and pray 2. The earnestness of his prayer I cried he was solemn serious and fervent 3. The faith with his prayer and I hoped in thy Word in one of these our prayers do fail and so we get not our assurance 3. A patient expectation a continuance in prayer still importuning the Lord and waiting on him for this great testimony of his pardoning mercy Isa 30 18. Blessed are all they that wait for him Psal 85. 8. I will hearken what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace c. These Ingredients are still to be remembred and taken in if you would prevail for the assurance c. Thirdly A conscientious care in all our ways to walk before God in all well-pleasing A conscientious care to walk in all well-pleasing A godly walking brings most glory to God and most comfort to our own consciences there are two excellent places for this purpose Isa 32. 17. The work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Joh. 14. 21. He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them is he that loveth me and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father and I will love
ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves saith the Apostle in 2 Cor. 3. 5. And we are dead in trespasses and sins Ephes 2. 1. Secondly There is in every natural man a resistance a contrariety and opposition to the work of holinesse Rom. 8. 7. The carnal minde is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Ephes 4. 18. Being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them Jer. 13. 27. Wo unto thee O Jerusalem wilt thou not be made clean Secondly That no creature can make another holy we may wish holiness to N◠〈◊〉 can make another hoâ—y others and we may pray the Lord to sanctifie others and we may direct others to the wayes of holinesse but make them holy we cannot For 1. No man can impart any of his own grace unto another he cannot divide the grace which he hath as he can the earthly estate which he hath amongst his children The actings of his grace may extend to others but the habit or quality of his grace he can no more impart to others than he can his own soul or life 2. All that we can do for others to work grace in them is but in a moral way of counsel and exhortation and entreaty and reasoning but we cannot open their ears to hear that counsel nor their hearts to receive that grace unto which they are by us exhorted nor can we expect that our exhortations should have more power to prevail with men than Gods exhortations yet these alone were not sufficient to change any sinner without some inward workings of his Spirit upon the spirits of men 3. Besides to change the heart of a sinner by grace is a work proportionable This is a work of Omnipotency with Creation and with the resurrection of the dead so the Scripture stiles our conversion or sanctification for which Omnipotency must put forth it self to sanctifie us God can do it Secondly God can sanctifie or graciously change the heart of a sinner which may thus appear 1. He hath dominion and power over the heart he can turn and command and rule it as he pleaseth 2. He hath dominion over all grace he can give it and work it in the heart of men by his Almighty Spirit and Power If he will say to the dead Live the dead shall live if he will say to the blind See the eyes of the blind shall be opened and they shall see If he will say to the deaf Hear the ears of the deaf shall be opened and they shall hear If he will say to the most wicked heart Be thou changed it shall be changed and healed for by his Spirit he can infuse that grace into the heart and with that power and with that efficacy as shall be sufficient to beat down and subdue all the resistances of sin and to renew and alter the whole soul Thirdly God doth undertake this sanctifying work in promise for his people God undertakes this work 1. That they may know that be alone is the Original and Author of all their Spiritual good No Fountain of mercy but their God of mercy and no Fountain of grace but their God of grace no Fountain of peace and salvation and comfort but their God of peace but their God of salvation but their God of comfort 2. That their hearts might be supported under the sense of their sinfulness and under the sense of their want of holiness and under the sense of their own insufficiency and inability to give themselves any holiness Though they cannot though no creature can help their hearts to holiness yet their God can and will for he hath promised it to them and he is able to perform what he hath promised and is also able and will do it 3. That he might have the glory that we may glory in him and not in our selves for what have we that we have not received Let no man take this work upon him upon a confidence of his own strength 1. Vse Doth God himself undertake to sanctifie the hearts of his people Then let none take upon him this work upon a confidence of his own will and power and sufficiency will you take the work of God out of his hand When Rachel said to Jacob Give me children or else I dye he said Am I in Gods stead Gen. 30. 1 2. So when the King of Syria sent Naaman to the King of Israel to heal him of his leprosie said he Am I God to kill and make alive that this man doth send to me to recover a man of his leprosie 2 Kin. 5. 7. So will you be in Gods stead will you be Gods to yourselves that you take on you to change and sanctifie your own hearts and yet men are frequently presumptuous in this they will change their hearts and they will become new men Is not this a presumptuous nay is it not an impossible work will you create will you quicken the dead Object But doth not God bid us Make unto your selves a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 18. 31. Sol. The Precepts of God in this kind 1. Shew our impotency and convince us thereof they do not imply our power 2. He commands us this for this very end that we should seek unto him to work this 3. That we might apply our selves to the means through which he will work this 2. Vse In the sense of want of holiness be not discouraged give not up the work Be not discouraged in the sense of the want of holiness as impossible say not I shall never see a change in my heart my sins are so strong and my power is nothing but go to God remember that he hath undertaken to sanctifie Master If thou wilt thou canst make me clean said the poor Leper said Christ I will be thou clean Remember five things in this that God himself undertakes to give grace or holiness by promise First He intends to give what he promiseth in any Particular Secondly He is able to work it nothing is able to stand against his promise nothing can hinder it all the power of hell and of thy sinful heart cannot hinder him from the healing and sanctifying according to promise Thirdly He doth put thee but upon coming and asking and trusting He will give hiss holy Spirit to them that ask Luke 11. 13. Believe only and thou shalt be saved and thou shalt see his power Fouthly You cannot put up a request that doth more concern his own glory Lord let me not dishonour thee any more grieve thee any more sanctifie and change my heart that I may bring thee glory Fifthly He never denied any heart that was serious and fixed in desires of holinesse Ezek. 36. 26. A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you c. I Now come
joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth Luke 15. 10. I call it an eminent and great change because it surpasseth all other changes which may be found in men who yet have no newness of heart There may be a change 1. From rudeness of life to civility of conversation 2. From profaneness of walking to formality in Religion 3. From ignorance and blindness of mind to knowledge 4. From the practice of sin to a forbearance of sin 5. From quietness of Conscience to perplexity and trouble of Conscience and yet no newness of heart The change which constitutes a new heart is a very deep change it makes man to be a new creature it doth quite alter the frame and estate of a mans heart and Spirit It is a change in the soul Thirdly When the heart is made new there is a change made in the soul and in the whole soul 1. It is a change in the soule Simile It is one thing to plaister an old house and it is another thing to build a new house It is one thing to adorn a dead man and it is another thing to inform or enliven a dead man Newness of life doth principally respect the root and spring The work of renewing grace begins where sin begins it begins the Reformation where sin begins the deformation it begins to change and cleanse where sin begins to corrupt and defile and that is in the soul Outward Reformation is one thing and inward Reformation is another thing The Pharisees made clean the outside of the cup and they were painted Sepulchres which within were full of rotten bones Hypocrisie can make a new garbe of visible actions but it can never make an new heart it never changes and alters the soul that still remains under the love and power of sin But when the heart is made new there is some inward work of grace by which the soul is changed from death to life from unholiness to holiness 2. It is a change in the whole soul when the heart is made new all the soul In the whole soule is divinely changed Therefore this newness or Renewingness is compared to the light which disperseth itself into the whole body of the Aire so that there is not any one part of the Aire which is not enlightned To the oyntment which fills the whole room with sweet Odour To leaven which diffuseth itself over the whole lump As it is with Original sin it is an universal defilement it infects all the soul there is not one faculty of the soul but it is defiled by it So it is with Renewing grace or newness of heart it is an universal alteration or change it alters all the soul and all the faculties of the soul when a new heart is given there is a change made 1. In the minde or understanding which now is freed from darkness and enjoys an heavenly light to know the things of God and to discern things that are excellent and the mysteries of Christ and salvation appear in their glory We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord c. 2 Cor. 3. 18. 2. In the Judgement which is now freed from mistakes and Errors and high imaginations and carnal reasonings and disputes and is now captivated to the Truth and approves of what is good and condemneth what is evil It counts sin the gâ—eatest evil and Christ the most incomparable happiness and the enjoyment of God the only portion I count all things but drosse for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ said Paul Phil. 3. 8. Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none on earth that I desire besides thee saith David Psal 73. 25. Thirdly In the Will which was proud and stubborn and unwilling and averse and perverse nothing would perswade it to hearken to Christ to yield to receive to obey all the arguments of mercy and glory would not â—ffect and take it Ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5. 40. But when the heart is made new the Will also is changed now it falls down before Christ Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Draw me and I will run after thee Cant. 1. 4. In all the affections of the soul Never was there such a change such a newness how they fall out with one another Grief falls out with Love and Love with hatred nay they seem to be changed one into another Joy into Grief and Love into Hatred and Hatred into Love what a man did love he now hates and what a man did hate he now loves and what a man desired he now fears and what a man delighted in he now grieves at it Nay look on them distinctly in their several motion The desires were Who will shew us any good Now the desires are What shall we do to be saved The delights were in sin in sensualities in vanities in vain societies now they are in the favour of God in Christ in pardoning mercy in holy and heavenly society in doing the will of God The like may be said for love for grief for fear c. Fourthly This change which constitutes newness of heart is wrought by the Spirit of Christ Therefore our Sanctification which is the same with the giving A change wrought by the Spirit of Christ of a new heart is called the Sanctification of the Spirit 1. Pet. 1. 2. And our change into the image of glory from glory to glory is by the Spirit of the Lord 2 Cor. 3. 18. And the newness of heart is the work of the Spirit of Christ no man changeth or renews his own heart but the Spirit doth all And therefore he is called the Spirit 1. Of Knowledge because he illuminates and gives knowledge and light 1 Cor. 12. 8. 2. Of Grace and holiness because he makes us holy Ephes 4. 30. 3. Of Faith because he causeth our hearts to believe 2 Cor. 4. 13. 4. Of Love and joy because he worketh these in our hearts All saving good comes from the Father as the Fountain and through the Son as the Mediator and is wrought in us by the Spirit As in the Creation the Spirit moved upon the waters and so did as it were brood and frame all the Creatures To in Regeneration the Spirit descends upon the hearts and by his vigour doth forme all the newness and spiritual change in it This change is wrought by infusing a new Principle Fifthly The Spirit works this change in the heart by infusing a new Principle or quality of grace A new Principle is necessary to make a new heart there must be something put into the heart to change the heart in all alterations thus it is Simile If you would have the cold removed from the water heat must come in and if you would have darkness removed from the Aire the light must come in and if you would have sickness
spiritual trouble no conflict is to be found in his heart What lack I yet said that desuded covetous young man in the Gospel And I was alive once without the Law said Paul Rom. 7. And I stand in need of nothing said Laodicea Rev. 3 All is well and all is safe and all is quiet sin is no enemy to it self Simile Cold doth not contend with cold nor darkness with darkness all contention or conflict ariseth from contrariety and the flesh is not contraâ—y to the flesh it is the Spirit which is contrary to the flesh c. Thâ—rdly Enmity to godliness in the power of it and to grace in the life of Enmity to godliness it and holiness in the practice of it Rom. 8. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeed can be Eph. 4. 18. Being alienated from the life of God Joh. 3. 20. Every one that doth evil hateth the light Prov. 29. 27. He that is upright in his way is abomination to the wicked Amos 5. â—0 They hate him that rebuketh in the gate and they abhor him that speaketh uprightly Psal 2. 3 Let us break their bands asunder and cast away their cords from us This is an evident sign of a wicked heart of an heart far from renewing grace Thou childe of the Divel thou enemy of all righteousness said Paul to Elymas Acts 13 10. and Cain hated his brother c. Why do you not love such a child as well as the other and countenance such a servant as well as the other and regard such a one of your Kindred as well as another and why do you not speak evil of such a neighbour rather than of another Live they not as peaceably and as inoffensively and deal they not as justly and squarely O but he is godly he is religious he will not run with us to the same excess of Riot he will not Swear and Drink and play the Good-fellow c. Fourthly Bondage unto sinful lust spiritual slavery is a real testimony of Bondage to sinful lusts an old heart when a man is held fast with the cords of his sins when he is a servant to sin obeys it in the lusts thereof hath an heart that cannot cease to do evil doth project for sin and is at the commands of it and will not forsake it but takes pleasure in unrighteousness his heart and sin are joyned and matched together as it were by Covenant he will reject Christ and renounce mercy and be contented to forfeit salvation and venture to damn his own soul rather than he will forsake his sin and come under the power of changing and renewing grace Unchangedness of Conversation Fifthly Vnchangedness of Conversation when the Leopards spots continue and the Blackmores skin remains and the scum of a vain graceless life departs not but a person walks still in the paths of unrighteousness and ungodliness what he was that he is as he hath lived so he dyeth and so he will live and dye hates to be Reformed scorns to be a Changeling is Proud still is a Drunkard still a Whoremonger still a Sabbath breaker still a Swearer still a Scoffer still c. 2. The woful misery of persons continuing in their old sinful condition The misery of such I will but mention the sum of their misery First Certainly they are out of Covenant and therefore God is none of theirs he neither doth nor will own them for his and if God will not own them then mercy will not own them Secondly They belong not to Christ at all for in 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature O how cursed is the sinner who hath not Christ to redeem him from the curse Thirdly They shall never be saved for Hebr. 12. 14. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. Fourthly They shall certainly be damned 2 Thes 2. 12. That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness SECT III. Vse 2. DOth God promise to give unto all his people in Covenant a new heart Try our selves what newness is in us and a new spirit then let us search our hearts and look what newness God hath wrought there We find new fashions upon the backs of persons and we find new opinions in the heads of persons and we find new changes in the Civil State and we find new afflictions upon our persons and we find new fears in the hearts of men and we find new and strange dispensations of Gods Providence but where is this new heart one looks after a new place and another after new preferment and another after new pleasures and another after new friendship and another after new safety but who looks after the old truths the good Christ and the new heart who of us can say in a spiritual sense what he spake in a corporal sense One thing I know that whereas I was blind now I see Joh. 9. 25. May it be affirmed of us what Paul spake of the Ephesians Ye were sometimes darkness but now ye are light in the Lord Eph 5. 8. Or what he spake of some of the Corinthians Such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified c. 2 Cor. 6. 6. And what he spake of the Romans Ye were the servants of sin but you have obeyed from your heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you Rom. 6. 17. And being made free from sin ye became the servants of righteousness Ver. 18. Object But will some reply we are much deceived if that we have not new hearts and changed spirits Sol. I answer ye may be deceived and in nothing sooner than in your own hearts Our hearts may deceive us in this the Prophet saith that the heart is desperately wicked and withal he saith it is deceitful above all things Jer. 17. 9. Nothing so wicked and nothing so deceitful as mans heart and as in many other things it may deceive us so especially in this one thing of newness it may make us believe that it is changed and renewed by grace when indeed there is no such matter which may arise 1. Partly from the Ignorance in us what newness of heart is 2. Partly from Self-love and self-flattery we are apt to make the most of what makes the most for us as we are apt to make the least of what makes against us 3. Partly from a slothfulness of spirit to take pains to search and try the truth of our spiritual conditions 4. Partly from the partial resemblances which some things have with that which is called newness of heart or renewing grace and yet they differ from it toto coelo Now because this is one of the greatest and commonest grounds by which persons do deceive themselves I shall therefore insist the more fully upon it There are four things which have a resemblance lesser and greater
with renewing Four things have a resemblance with renewing grace which yet is noâ— it grace and yet renewing grace is quite another different thing from them 1. Civil Righteousness especially if joyned with the true Religion 2. Restraining grace in the forbearance of sins especially notorious and flagitious 3. The presence of common gifts which man had not before 4. The powerful effect of an awakend conscience 1. Civil Righteousness especially if conjoyned with Profession Civil Righteousness of true Religion What do men generally repute for renewing grace and for godliness but this if they be no Papists if they hold no Errors if they keep their Church and deal fairly and justly with their neighbours why they conclude their hearts are good and their estate is sure and what can men have more But now give me leave to say two things unto this First Civil Righteousness is good and so is external profession of the true Religion Civil righteousness is good God requires that and this Matth. 7. 12. All things whatsoever you would that men should do to you do ye even so to them for this is the Law and the Prophets Mich. 6. 8. He hath shewed thee O man what is good and what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God To do justly is one of the things required The like may be said for external profession as we must believe with the heart so we must confess with the mouth Rom. 10. 11. And we must hold forth the word of life Phil. 2. 16. Secondly Nevertheless newnesse of heart or renewing grace is a quite different Yet newness of heart is differing from it quality from their civil Righteousness and one may be civilly righteous and honest who never had his heart renewed by grace nay whose heart doth extreamly loath and oppose it Now civil righteousness and heavenly newness of heart doth differ in six They differ in six things things First Civil Righteousness is of a low and inferiour birth or original there are Civil righteousness is of an inferiour birth three things which may be sufficient to make a man civilly righteous 1. One is the light of nature which hath some notions and principles of common equity and honesty 2. A second is the power of edification Parents and Tutors may so represent the honor of just dealing and the forbid unworthiness of unrighteous dealing that young and tender natures may take in a savour and taste of them all their dayes though they never act upon any knowledge that God enjoyns them 3. A third is the influence of example beholding such a course and way of Righteousness in Parents and Superiours in Friends whose examples we are ready to imitate because their persons we do love and reverence But newness of heart or renewing grace is wrought by a higher hand than the dictates of nature or counsels of friends or examples of men it is the birth of the Spirit of God every regenerate or renewed person is born of the Spirit the immediate power of the holy Ghost is put forth in the creating of a new heart Secondly Civil Righteousness either totally confines us to the duties of the second Civil Righteousness confines to duties of the second Table Table as if we had none to eye and please but our neighbour or if it gives way to the duties of the first Table it is but to a formal and superficial observance The civil righteous man though he is strict in duties to man yet is irreligious in all his religious performances He saith a Prayer but he knows not how to pray in the Spirit and with Faith and he hears a Sermon but it is as if he heard it not sleeping and waking with running and roving distracted thoughts on the world he talks of a Sabbath but he knowes not how to keep a Sabbath and is weary of it and counts the strict observance of it a Jewish burden But renewing grace brings in the heart to all the will of God it enables to give unto Caesar the things that are Caesars and unto God the things that are Gods to be righteous with good men and to be upright with God to serve him with love and fear Thirdly Civil Righteousness may look at some outward easie ordinary actions of It looks only at outward easie duties Religion but it leaves the heart destitute of the great inward actings of Religion When did you ever see a person only civilly righteous lay the Axe to the root of the tree searching of his heart and judging the corruptions of his heart and humbly mourning and lamenting under the sence of his wicked heart and hungring after Jesus Christ and importunately wrestling for grace and mercy striving to crucifie the lusts of his heart He is so farre from these that he thinks them either superfluous or impossible But renewing grace doth chiefly act upon the heart there it sets up the Throne and gives the Law and exerciseth Authority and Rule c. Fourthly Civil Righteousness rests mostly in negatives I am not as other men said he if the civilly righteous man doth not swear this is enough although he It rests mostly in Negatives should likewise fear an Oath if he doth not take away the life of another if he doth not do wrong that 's enough although he ought also to do good But renewing grace comes off to Positives as well as Negatives it teacheth us to cease to do evil and it learns us also to do good Isa 1. 16 17. It teacheth us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts And also to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Tit. 2. 12. Fifthly Civil Righteousness it will allow such things which renewing grace will not It will allow us It must have its indulgence 1. To associate our selves in a way of familiarity with the enemies of God and holiness and rather with these than those that are good 2. To omit many personal and family duties 3. To deferre repentance and making peace with God 4. To mispend his time day after day week after week year after year in vain pleasures and sports dicings cardings c. 5. To conform and fashâ—on our selves to the world and perfidiously to flatter persons in their sins only to keep up a correspondency and interest it must have indulgence in sinful thoughts vile affections petty Oathes But renewing grace makes the heart to tremble at these things and to loathe and abhorre them It alters not one sinful quality Sixthly Civil Righteousness alters not one sinful quality in the heart nor gives it any new spiritual ability notwithstanding it the heart is as ignorant and malicious and unbelieving and impenitent and hardned and earthly and vain and proud as ever and cannot deny itself in any delightful way of wickedness c. II. Restraining grace by which a person forbears many sinfull
act Restraining grace especially such as are scandalous and dangerous in the opinion of men With this do many men sit down and blesse themselves for renewed and changed persons for they are not as other men neither whore nor thief and dare not commit such and such sins But Beloved there is a vast difference between restraining grace and renewing grace they differ in six particulars Difference betwixt restaining and renewing grace Restraining grace is only an impediment to sinful actions First Restraining grace is only an impediment to sinful actions but renewing grace is an amendment of our sinful inclinations When a man is only restrained from sin Simile it is with him as with a thief in prison who doth not commit any thievish act yet even then he doth retain his thievish heart or as with a dogge that is chained up and cannot tear and devour but yâ—â— the same curst and revenging nature remains in him Simile So when a man is only restrained from sin although he forbears any visible acts of sin yet his heart is as wicked as ever and his sinful inclinations and affections the same as before But this it is not when the heart is renewed by grace for renewing grace is not only a cord to with-hold but it is likewise a plaister to heal and change as it is a preservative against sinful actions and works so it is a spiritual salve to cure our sinful natures the renewed Christian doth not only forbear sin but he doth also hate sin a restrained sinner at sometimes cannot sin a renewed sinner at no time would sin the one doth not commit the sin which yet he still loves but the other doth sometimes do the sin which yet his soul still hates It is an unvoluntary impediment Secondly when a man forbears sin by the sole power of restraining grace it is involuntary There is a secret regretting or rising of the heart against this restraining power Simile The heart looks on it as under a force or extreamly burdened or oppressed it is discontented and impatient like a horse that is kept in by a bridle or like water which is stopt it riseth and swelleth the more and the sinner counts it a great part of his misery that such awing and restraining circumstances are upon him but when a person is renewed by grace it is no grief or burden of heart to him that he may not sin but he prayes earnestly to be kept from sin Keep thy servant c. So David Psal 19. 13. and he heartily blesses God for being kept from sin Blessed be the Lord God of Israel c. 1 Sam. 25. 32. and is more troubled and discontented and burdened that he carries within himself a body of sin which rebels against the law of his mind than that he is hindred and kept from sin Thirdly A person acting only under the strength of restraining grace though a while he may hold off from gross sins yet he will not strive seriously to mortifie It doth not mortifie those sins it restraines from the lusts from which those sins do arise but he will give his heart leave to a delightful contemplation of them and to secret desires after them and will venture very near to the commission of them But when the heart is renewed by grace the person flies from sin yea from all appearances of evil and is so far from sparing of any sin that he layes the Axe to the root of the Tree and endeavours in good earnest the mortifying and crucifying of sin Fourthly when a person hath only that grace which we call restraining his Sin breaks out with more violence upon the removing of the restraint sinful corruptions upon the removing of those restraints do break out with more rage and violence if once it recover its liberty the course of it now is with more strength and fury Take you any child or servant or any other person loving of sin yet not daring to commit sin of their fear of those under whom they live if these once get but their liberty none prove more insolently and outragiously wicked But where the heart is renewed by grace it hath a constant tenderness and habitual fear a fixed contrariety and detestation of sin Though Parents be dead though Governours be absent though Friends be departed it is all one God still lives and God still sees and therefore how can the renewed person commit any wickedness and sin against God and the longer he lives the more he hates sin Fifthly Though men acting by restraining grace may and do sometimes forbear He forbears sin upon other grounds to sin yet it is upon other grounds than those do who abstain from sin from renewing grace In restriction men abstain from sin for fear of outward shame or of outward loss or for fear of Gods wrath or for fear of terror of conscience which hath formerly befallen them for sinning But in Renovation men abstain from sin out of a love to God and out of an hatred of the filthiness of sin because it will offend and grieve their God and defile and pollute their souls Sixthly Lastly though by restraining grace there is some temporary cessation from There is only a temporal cessation sinful evil yet there is no setled inclination unto nor delight in spiritual good no heart to prize God or Christ or holiness or the wayes or works of new obedience But where God gives renewing grace to the heart as there is more than a meere ceasing to sinne So there is another heart given inclining to God to 〈◊〉 his Will to love his Commands to walk in his Paths to delight to do his Will I delight in the Law of God after the inner man said Paul Rom. 7. 22. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. And ver 112. I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alwayes to the end III. The presence of common gifts The presence of common gifts I call then those gifts common gifts which the Spirit of God doth give though not to every man yet unto men who are really bad and unconverted as well as to men who are really good and converted of which some do respect What those gifts are First The mind in light or knowledge of the Scripture in general and of Christ and the way of salvation by him in particular 1 Cor. 12. 8 9 10. Secondly The judgement in a credence or assent unto what God reveals in his Word as true King Agrippa believest thou the Prophets I know that thou believest Acts 26. 27. Thirdly The heart as those tasts you read of in Heb. 6. 4. The tasting of the heavenly gift ver 5. The tasting of the good Word of God and the powers of the world to come Fourthly The Conscience unto which may be given a deep sense of sin and extream trouble for it as you read in Ahab and Judas c. Fifthly The affections
ways of worldly advancements and advantages But the rule which a renewed heart sets up to guide and prescribe him is none other but that which God himself sets up for his people to walk by and that is his written Word Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a Lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path Ver. 133. Order my steps in thy Word This rule he sets up for all matters of faith and for all matters of fact this I must believe because God reveals it and commands me to believe it this I receive for truth because God delivers it for truth and that I reject as erroneous because the Word of God condemns it as contrary to the truth And this work I do and that way I walk in because God sets it out in his Word for me and that I do not do and so and so I dare not walk for I have no Word of God for it nay the Word of God is against it why mans heart is right indeed it is renewed by grace but if a man will walk contrary to this rule if he will not speak and live according to this Word it is because there is no light in him Isa 8. 20. SECT V. Vse 4. DOth God promise to give unto all his people in Covenant with him a new heart and a new spirit then there is comfort and joy to Comfort to those that have a new heart all those who finde the new heart given unto them it is true that when the Lord doth renew the heart of any by his grace and separate them from the world unto himself that 1. They shall meet with many troubles and scoffs and reproaches and persecutions from the world All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecutions 2 Tim. 3. 2. They shall meet with many temptations and oppositions from Satan if he cannot hinder grace and conquer grace yet he will molest and disquiet grace 3. They shall meet with many conflicts and warrings within their own hearts and with many weaknesses and failings and tryals nevertheless their condition is a very happy and comfortable condition and there are eight Eight comforts proper to them choice comforts which are proper to every renewed person and which may cheer up his heart all his days v. g. 1. Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of the greatest matters which can concern the soul 2. This newness of heart is an unquestionable effect of our union with Christ 3. It is the noblest and highest elevation of the soul here on earth and the clear evidence of the presence of the Spirit of Christ 4. It enables you for all heavenly communion and serviceableness to Divine glory 5. God will own and accept of it and the fruits of it though but little and weak 6. He will strengthen and uphold and perfect it unto the day of Christ 7. He will poure upon every person who enjoys it all necessary blessings for this life and will take special notice of him and care for him in the days of adversity 8. Renewing grace shall without all doubt bring us at the last to eternal happiness First Newness of heart is a sure and infallible testimony of the best and of It is a clear testimony of the greatest matters which can concern the soul the greatest matters which can concern the soul There are six things which do concern the soul as nearly I think as any can and of every one of them is renewing grace a sure testimony 1. The love of God 2. The election of God 3. A relation to God 4. A change from death to life 5. The pardon of sin 6. The hope of glory 1. Of the love of God that the Lord doth indeed set his special love A testimony of the love of God his very heart upon a person 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should be called the sons of God Psal 146. 8. The Lord loveth the righteous for any to be made the sons of God this is an effect or fruit of the love of God now all the sons of God are new born they are born again of the Spirit Joh. 3. 5. Ephes 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us Ver. 5. even when we were dead in sins and trespasses hath quicked us together with Christ As it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods hatred and wrath for any to be left to his old sinful heart and lusts and ways so it is one of the greatest testimonies of Gods love when he pities them in their sinful condition and delivers them out of it and gives his Spirit to enliven and renew them by grace 2. Of the Election of God for this see two places 1 Thes 1. 4. Knowing Of election Brethren Beloved your Election of God Ver. 5. For our Gospel came unto you not in word only but also in power and in the Holy Ghost Eph. 1. 4. He hath chosen us in him that we should be holy Holiness or renewing grace it is as one speaketh the counterpane of Gods decree of Election God by his own eternal prescience knows whom he intends for salvation and we by that work of renewing grace in our hearts come to know that eternal purpose of his grace concerning us it being given unto us an effect flowing from his Election and in order unto that happiness unto which he hath chosen us 3. Of our Relation to God as our God and our Father as none but his Of our relation to God people and children are holy so all his people and his children are holy Isa 63. 18. The people of thy holiness they are 1 Pet. 2. 9. an holy Nation and a peculiar people 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come out from among them and be ye separate and touch no unclean thing Ver. 18. And I will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters saith the Lord Almighty 4. Of our translation from life to death See Isa 4. 3. He that is left in Of our translation from death to life Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem Ezek. 16. 6. When I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live yea I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood Live Luk. 15. 32. This my son was dead and is alive again Rom 6. 11. Likewise reckon ye your selves to be dead unto sin but alive unto God Renewing grace is one of the strictest differences between men of death and men of life not any man hath it but he who is made alive by Christ and is in the state of life no profane person hath it nor doth any hypocrite partake of it 5. Of the pardon of our sins if any
promise to give a new heart Then let the next Use Exhortation to use the means for it be for Exhortation to use the means by which every one of us may at length enjoy it For the managing of this Use there are three things I will offer unto you 1. Motives to perswade you to strive after a new heart 2. Cautions what to avoid if you would get the new heart 3. Scripture-informations what the wayes are which if you take will certainly bring you to the enjoyment of a new heart 1. The Motives to perswade us to look and strive after this new heart Motives They are these three 1. The misery of an old heart 2. The necessity of a new heart 3. The possibility to be delivered from that and to be possessed of this 1. The misery of an old heart It is such an heart that remaining under the power of it you cannot please God Rom. 8. 8. Nay you cannot but displease The misery of an old heart God you cannot but still sin against him cannot cease from sin 2 Pet. 2 14. But more particularly the old heart First Is a fleshly and corrupt heart the old man which is corrupt Eph. 4. 22. It is called the plague of the heart 1 King 8. 38. It corrupts all your thoughts and all your affections and all your speeches and all your actions Secondly Is an abominable heart the Lord loaths and abhors it as the defacing of his image as the workmanship of the Divel as that which is most contrary to his Nature to his Will and to his Glory Thirdly Is a debasing heart it makes us more vile than the vilest of creatures it makes us like the Divel it makes us his children his slaves his captives and bondmen Fourthly A prejudicing heart it keeps us off from God from Christ from all heavenly communion from all ability to do good or to receive good it holds up our distance from mercy from blessings from heaven and from all hopes thereof Ephes 2. 12. Without Christ having no hope and without God in the world Fifthly It is a deceitful heart Jer. 17. 9. It tempts you and deceives you it promiseth one thing and payes you another thing it pretends but to a little more sinning and yet it is unsatiable It tells you that it will bring you off from sinning and yet still it engageth you to farther sinning It makes you to believe that you shall have mercy and yet it continues you in a course of sinning which will lose you mercy it saith that you shall at last repent and yet it makes your heart more hardened and impenitent it gives you vain pleasures and so cheats you of all true joy it feeds you with some empty profits and thereby deprives you of all true riches it brings in sometimes a little of earth but then it makes you to lose Christ and your own souls Sixthly Is a dreadful heart It is the root of gall and wormwood and the fruits of it are terror and wrath and death and hell All the terrors of conscience spring from it all the wrath of God breaks out upon you by reason of it all the bitter feelings and all the dreadful fears and expectations depend upon it you cannot know peace whiles you live under the power of it Neither God nor Christ nor his Spirit nor his Word nor Conscience will speak peace unto you in that condition But on the contrary the Law of God threatens and condemns you and the Gospel doth as much and more and God and Conscience are all in armes against you and every judgement of God which respects your soul and body for this life and the next doth await but one word and commission from the just God to fall on you and to torment and destroy you 2ly The necessity of a new heart The necessity of a new heart You know there is a two fold necessity One is absolute without which a thing cannot be at all as the union of the soul with the body to make a man Another is Hypothetical if one would be in a well-being then such or such a thing is necessary Now you can never be in a well-being unless the Lord give you a new heart renewing grace is necessary as to that Our well-being respects either this present or that future life and newness of heart necessarily concerns both 1. For this life we cannot be well whiles we are under the curse for sin For this life and under the power of sin to deliver us from the first of these it is necessary to get Christ and to be justified and to deliver us from the last of these it is as necessary to get renewing grace and to be sanctified 2. For the future life of blessedness it is also necessary forasmuch as there For the life to come cannot be a fruition of that without an antecedent fruition of this Joh. 3. 5. Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God Heb. 12. 14. Without holiness no man shall see the Lord. 3ly The Possibility of getting this new heart I confess that though newness of heart be necessary yet if it be impossible to be The possibility of getting of it attained it were in vain to put you upon the seeking for it but as it is necessary to enjoy it so it is possible to find it and three things may convince us of that First One is the power of God to whom nothing is hard or impossible 'T is true that an Almighty power must be put forth to make a Creature and to make a new creature But God is able to quicken the dead and to restore his own image and to slay and subdue the power of our sins and to create in us a new heart and to put another spirit within us whatsoever he doth command and require he is able to give and work Secondly The second is the promise of God you see here that he promiseth to give a new heart and upon this condition if men will enquire of him for it as he likewise upon the same terms promiseth to give his holy Spirit to them that ask it Luke 11. 13. Now the promise of God as it includes his power to perform what he hath promised so it doth express his intention and will to give what he promiseth to give if we seek unto him and rely upon him The third is the work of God He hath according to his Word of promise given this new heart to many thousands in the world we find large Records of this in the Scripture Act. 2. 4. and we see manifold instances amongst our selves what changes he makes in the hearts and lives of men and many times of such as have been very wicked and utterly unworthy The Cautions what to avoid 2ly The Cautions what to avoid if we would get a new heart If ever you would seek for and obtain a new
heart then remember these five Cautions First Beware of a self-deceiving opinion that you have it already and that you Beware of a self-deceiving opinion that you have it for your part stand not under the want and need of it This is that which undoth many hearers when we press Christ and faith upon them O they have believed on him And when we press repentance why they need no repentance they have repented long ago and when we tell them they must be converted they must be new creatures they must get new hearts O they need them not their hearts are as good as the best and they have very good natures and dispositions With this the Pharisees deceived themselves they were righteous and needed no repentance and so they rejected Christ and with this Laodicea deceived her self She was rich and increased and stood in need of nothing and yet she was blind and wretched and naked and poor Secondly Beware that you hearken not to the exceptions and prejudices of your Of hearkning to the prejudices of your old hearts old and corrupt hearts which are blind and cannot see the excellency of renewing grace and which also are averse and have a natural antipathy unto it You would not imagine untill you come to the trial what exceptions and oppositions there are in our hearts against their Conversion and Renovation Sometimes we look on it as a melancholly and troubling humour sometimes we look on it as a needless and vain preciseness sometimes we look on it as a proud and unsociable quality sometimes we look on it as too low and mean a state and practice for persons of our greatness sometimes we look on it as that which will expose us to the contempts and scoffs and reproaches of men sometimes we look on it as the grave of all our delights and profits sometimes we look on it as a business utterly impossible for any man on earth Now if any of these prejudices or if any other besides these prevail with us we will then sit quiet and contented with our old heart and will never be perswaded to look out for new hearts therefore beseech the Lord to deliver you from the lying vanities and prejudices of the old heart Thirdly Beware of consulting with worldly men or setting up the favours Of consulting with worldly men or frowns of them O if I should become a new man and lead a new life if I should regard holiness and life godly I should lose favour and hopes how would my Parents look on me what would my friends and acquaintance think of me what opposition would befall me how would men scoff and jear at me and what reports and reproaches would they raise of me let me tell thee plainly and faithfully that if the Lord doth not in much mercy mortifie and subdue this weakness that I say not wickedness of spirit in thee that thou art contented rather to enjoy thy old heart and courses with the applauses of the world than to yeild in thy heart to Christ and be willing and resolute to get thy heart renewed by the Spirit of grace although for this thou mayest meet with all sorts of afflictions and reproaches from the world thy poor soul will be for ever lost First Beware that you rest not on your own strength and sufficiency to renew or Of resting in your own strength change your hearts if you do two fruits there will be of it 1. You will either not seek to the Lord at all or if you do you will then seek him in a careless and unbelieving way 2. Another is you will but labour in vain you will never be successfull for you have no strength and sufficiency of your own Without me saith Christ ye can do nothing Joh. 15. 5. And it is God saith the Apostle that worketh in us to will and to do of his good pleasure Fifthly Beware that you neither delay nor dally in using the means Of delaying and dallying in the use of means to get this new heart Do not say to morrow the next year when I am sick when I am old these may be too late and these may provoke the Lord to turn away his mercy and to deny his Spirit because you put him off he may therefore justly put you off Neither dally in the use of means one while attending another while neglecting one while being fervent and another while being remisse one week going forward and then for a year to fall backward but resolve to seek this new heart with all your heart and with all your pains following on and pressing forward and running till you enjoy this new heart which God hath promised to give unto them that seek it 3ly The wayes or meanes to get a new heart First Strive to be willing that God should make your hearts new that he The wayes to get a new heart should change and renew them by grace Pars est sanitatis velle sanari Jer. 13. 27. O Jerusalem wilt thou be made clean Joh. 5. 6. Jesus said unto him Be willing wilt thou be made whole O that we could get thus farre O Lord I am weary of my old sinful heart I am willing that thou shouldest heal it and reform it If the unclean person were willing that God should cleanse him from his filthiness and the proud person were willing that God should make him humble this would be a fair step to newness of heart Secondly Expresse this willingness in earnest Prayers to God who only is Express this willingness in earnest Prayer able to give a new heart Jer. 17. 14. Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me O Lord and I shall be saved Psal 51. 10. Create in me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me And let your Prayers have three Ingredients or Concomitants 1. Sincerity let them come from your very hearts let them be the desires of your souls My soule follows hard after thee Psal 63. 8. With my soul have I desired thee in the night yea with my spirit within me will I seek thee early Isa 26. 9. That the Lord may see that in very deed you would have your hearts changed and nothing will satisfie you till he grant you that request 2. Faith give up your earnest request for this in Faith 1. Of Credence that he can give it 2. Of Reliance that for his Christs sake and for his promise sake he will do it Lord It is thy promise to give a new heart and all thy promises in Christ are Yea and Amen none doth need the new heart more than I do and none can give that heart but thy self and thou hast promised to give it unto them that ask I come unto thee in the Name of Christ and do beseech thee for his sake to answer me according to thy Word thou art able and faithful thou wilt give what thou promisest to give to them
no good on your child If a Master hath a Servant or an Apprentice who after all his care and pains to instruct him in his Trade yet remains unapprehensive and stupid and perhaps vicious he longs to be rid of him If a Parent hath a childe that is naught and stubborn and will not hearken nor be reclaimed the Parent is weary of him and casts him out of doors or sends him into another Countrey Thus none but God will bear with a hard and stubborn heart God I say who is most provoked by it therefore unquestionably his patience is exceeding great it is wonderful towards sinners Vse 3 Is there a stony heart in every man this may then informe us of three things Informs us The conversion of a sinner is a miraculous work First That the conversion of a sinner is even a miraculous work We wonder that so few persons are converted by the Word nay but we should rather wonder that any person is converted by it because there is such a stony and hard heart in every person which is so unsensible of its own miserable condition which is so uncapable to be taught the knowledge of the matters of salvation which is so opposite and averse and unyielding and resisting as to all the means and ways of grace where there is a blind and proud judgement that will not be perswaded whereâ—â— there is such a stubborn will that will not be made willing and whereâ—â— there are so many vile affections which wâ—ll not be tamed and awed and subdued It is matter of greater wonder that any one sinner is brought in by grace than if all sinners should fall into hell Secondly That it is from grace and from that alone if any sinner be converted â—â— is from grâ—â—e that any are converted it is from the freeness of Gods grace and from the power of Gods grace not from any thing at all in the person converted And my reason is this because the heart of every sinner is naturally a stony heart a hard heart and a stony heart is not only an impotent heart but also a resisting heart to grace Verily the best man may and must confess that it is only of the Lords mercy that he was not consumed and that his present life and estate in grace was never of himself who is called but only from the favour and power of the grace of God who did call him What I am I am by the grace of God said Paul 1 Cor. 15. 10. Our hearts were hard hearts and therefore contradicting and opposing untill beaten down and conquered by the love and might of divine grace Thirdly That God is most righteous in all his judgements here on earth God is righteous in all his judgements and in all those future and eternal punishments of sinners in hell for sinners have hard and hardned hearts Why if sinners will not hearken to God if they will not obey his voice if they will stop their ears and withdraw their shoulders if they will not receive his Laws if they will not receive instruction and take warning if they will not know the day of their visitation if they will not know the things which concern their peace but harden their hearts it is righteous with God to reject them who do reject him to cast them off who do cast him off to abhor them who abhor him to punish and plague and destroy them who harden their hearts against him Object We have many amongst us who do wonder at Gods judgements abroad in the world and at all the changes and miseries which they have seen and perhaps felt Sol. And why do ye wonder at them rather wonder at the hardness of your own hearts which under all the judgements of God continue so proud and so scorning at holiness and so hating to be reformed and so manifestly irreligious and profane it is righteous with God to punish hard-hearted sinners Who ever hardened his heart against him and prospered Job 9. 4. If we will never be instructed to repent God will certainly destroy us Prov. 29. 1. SECT III. Vse 4 IS the heart of every man a stony or hard heart then let every man as he loves his soul Strive all that he can to be cured of the stone in the Labour to be cured of this hard heart heart i. e. to use all spiritual means to be delivered from hardness of heart And for this let me propound unto you 1. Some Motives which possibly may work on you Secondly Some means for the cure of it 1. The Motives to look after the cure of a stony or hard Motives heart are these First The Consideration of those sins which are included in this one sin of hardness From the sins included in hardness of heart Stupidity of heart which make it to be exceeding sinful What sins will you say There are three sins in this sin 1. Stupidity and senslesness of spirit O how dangerous there are three very dangerous qualities A Seared Conscience this is the worst of all Consciences A Reprobate Mind this is the worst of all Minds A Sensless Heart this is the worst of all Hearts tanto pejior quanto insensibilior This is to be at the farthest distance and hope of conversion Vicinior saluti dolor poenitentis quam stupor non sentientis saith Austin Simile This is a condition worse than that of Judas who was sensible and cryed out I have sinned nay in some respect worse than that of the Divels who do believe and tremble Isa 6. 9. Go and tell this people hear ye indeed but understand not and see you indeed but perceive not Ver. 10. Make the heart of this people fat and make their ears heavy and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and convert and be healed Contempt of God 2. Contempt of God O what a child is he who will not hearken to his father and what a sinner is he who will not hearken to his God Simile yet every hard heart refuseth to hearken unto God and what is this but to displease the Lord and scornfully to set him at naught q. d. What tell you me of God or of his will I care not for him what care I what he saith I will follow mine own hearts lusts I will not be guided and commanded by him 3. Desperate wickedness I will be sinful still and I will go on in my Desperate wickedness sinful ways though I lose mercy and heaven yea though I shall be damned for ever O Lord What a condition is this yet this is the condition of hardness of heart Secondly The Consideration of the Losses unto which you will certainly The losses you are exposed to expose your selves if you get not the cure of your hard and stony heart There are six losses which do and will befall you by it 1. You lose the benefit
and with this hedge hath our portion been secured Yet this Providential mercy and goodness of God doth not work kindly and effectually on the hearts of many men no penitential plyableness and obedience at all Hos 11. â— I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws and laid meat unto them Ver. 5. But they refused to return Rom. 2. 4. Despisest thou the riches of the goodness and forbearance and longsuffering of God not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ver 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart c. Nay instead of yielding unto and complying with God by reason of his good hand of blessing many sinners do therefore grow more disobedient and wicked I spake unto thee in thy prosperity but thou saydst I wilt not hear Jer. 22. 21. Deut. 32. 15. But Jesuron waxed fat and kicked then he forsook God which made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his Salvation Secondly Gods merciful Treaties The Lord sends the Gospel unto a people His merciful Treaties and by that sets open his Mercy-seat and sets up his Throne of Grace and proclaims himself to be the Lord the Lord gracious and merciful in goodness and truth and by it reports unto sinners that he hath raised up an horn of salvation for them that he hath out of his infinite love sent his own Son Jesus Christ into the world to save sinners and that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life And he offers his Christ unto sinners invites them commands them earnestly urgeth them to come unto him to receive him to believe on him and assures them of the pardon of all their sins and of eternal life nay intimates clearly that though they have no worthiness yet they may come and drink of the water of life freely O what merciful dealing is this and yet after all this the hearts of many sinners are no more stirred or drawn than the stones or Rocks Who hath believed our report saith the Prophet Who hath believed our report said Christ Matth. 23. 37. Who hath believed our report said the Apostle Sinners are not gathered and ye will not come unto me that ye might have life Joh. 5. 40. Thirdly Gods merciful Strivings what he offers by his Word he presseth the His merciful Strivings same ofttimes by his Spirit who follows our hearts with one work after another with Humiliation and then with Conviction and then with Pulsation and Excitation the Spirit of God doth ofttimes make sinners to see their sins and their need of Christ and that their life and health and hope is oâ—ly in him and in no other Name and that they shall certainly perish and be damned if they believe not nay he troubles their Consciences and sets them a work to regard Jesus Christ and to comply with his excellent self and gracious offers and yet all this is lost many sinners harden their hearts and will not put their necks into his yoke they will not have him to raign over them Fourthly Gods merciful waitings The Lord doth not presently take the denial His merciful Waitings and forfeiture but waits that he may be gracious comes to the door again renews the offer sends one servant and a second and a third gives yet more time he waits thus on sinners more than three years sometimes more than twenty years sometimes more than fourty years sometimes more than sixty years for so long and perhaps longer doth he continue his Gospel to them yet after all his patient waiting many sinners do continue as they were ignorant proud obstinate impudent and unbelieving and are not drawn either by the goodnesse or by the patience of his grace Fithly Gods merciful warnings when all this works not on sinners then the His merciful Warnings Lord gives notice unto them that if they will not hearken unto his voice of mercy he will forsake them he will give them up unto their own hearts lust and they shall perish and never enter into his rest Joh. 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins Hebr. 2. 2. If the word spoken by Angels was stedfast and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward ver 3. How shall we escape if we neglect such great salvation which at the first began to be spoken of by the Lord Heb. 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speaketh for if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth much more shall not we escape if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven And yet all the warnings of God that he will not bear any longer that he will close up the day of grace that refusers of his grace in Christ shall not escape but shall receive a just recompence of reward for their disobedience I say all these move not many sinners at all but though they must die in their sins perish and be damned for their unbelief yet will they not yeild to come to Christ Sixthly Gods merciful recoilings or repentings i. e. when the Lord being so His merciful Repentings contemned and provoked by proud and obstinate sinners draws out his wrath and is now ready to execute vengeance on them that obey not his Gospel his hand is even stretched out to destroy yet his bowels work within him and his mercy prevails with his justice for a little forbearance and trial Luk. 13. 7. Behold these three yeers I come seeking fruit on this figtree and find none cut it down O Lord let it alone this year also c. Hose 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim how shall I deliver thee Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together ver 9. I will not execute the fiercenesse of mine anger I will not return to destroy Ephraim for I am God and not man Nevertheless though God repents of his wrath yet how few do repent of their sins they do not return to the Lord nor seek him for all this by all which it doth evidently appear that many sinners are destitute of all spiritual softness and tenderness of heart 2ly The convictions in a defective way that many persons do deceive Convictions that many deceive themselves in a false softness themselves with a false softness of heart There are six sorts of softness or tenderness of heart with which many do deceive themselves instead of this true spirituall softness of heart v. g. 1. Exigential softness 2. The Legal softness 3. The Partial softness 4. The Temporary softness 5. Worldly softness 6. The Desperate softness and tenderness First The Exigential softness and tenderness I mean that which ariseth only from fear of punishment as in Ahabs case or from that present sense of
the testimonies of Gods reconciled favour O how doth the tender heart take on and judge and condemn it self if at any time it fall into sin O what a fool what a beast and why have I dealt thus with my God! why did I deal so unkindly with my kind God is this my love unto him is this my fear of him is this my tenderness of his glory O my soul what hast thou done why hast thou broken the bonds of friendship what hath the Lord been to thee that thou hast thus sinned against him And now the man falls a weeping and lamenting as if his heart would break and after some respite he thinks of his father again but he is ashamed to come to him and yet he will go to him and return with weeping and supplications O I cannot live thus I will home again to my fathers house and say I have sinned and am no more worthy to be called thy son Luke 15. Though shame and confusions belong to me yet mercies and forgiveness to him Dan. 9. O Lord heal my backslidings and forgive my backsldings and reoeive me graciously Hose 14. 2. And return again in mercy and make thy face to shine upon thy servant for the Lords sake Thus have I opened unto you the first Character or evidence of a heart spiritually soft and tender it is a heart filled with shame for sin and with grief for sin and with fear to sin and with zeal against sin and with care to be kept from sin and with restlestness till it can find God mercifully pardoning sin O that such tenderness and that such fruits of tenderness might be found in all our hearts Secondly A second Character by which we may know that we have the true The activity and life and power in conscience spiritual softness and tenderness of heart is the activity and life and power in conscience when God gives any one a soft and tender heart he gives him a conscience arrayed and enabled with other qualities and powers than in times past The Conscience heretofore was asleep but now it is awakned heretofore it was blind but now it sees heretofore it was silent but now it speaks heretofore it was loose and large but now it is strict and narrow heretofore it was dull and weak but now it is quick and powerful heretofore it was stupid and senceless but now it is apprehensive and active But I must not speak of all things about this that which I will pitch on is this the speciall Activities of Conscience where the heart is indeed tender 1. Concerning the good estate and welbeing of our souls 2. Concerning particular facts as to our doing or walking First Where the heart is tender there Conscience becomes active to clear out The conscience is active to clear our state the good and safe estate and well-being of our souls It will not suffer the poor soul to delude and deceive itself in matters of life and death to lay no grounds nor to venture all upon false bottoms and grounds of salvation and damnation of favour and wrath O saith Conscience thy soul is immortal and is for eternity and there are wayes to that eternity of Gods making and of mens making there is a reall relation to Christ and there is a seeming relation to Christ there is the power of godliness and there is the form of godliness there were virgins with oyle and there were virgins with lamps only there are some which believe and are saved and there are some that believe but for a time and perish If a man mistake himself he is undone for ever hereupon it is that Conscience in tender hearts dares not take up the estate of the soul upon trust and proud confidence and vain pretences or common grounds or every appearance but puts them on and makes them to study the Word of God and to prove what is the good and acceptable will of God and what indeed are the marks which do accompany salvation what are the infallible tokens of life of union with Christ of the new creature of a child of God born of the Spirit it causeth us to search our hearts and try our wayes to prove and examine our selves whether Christ be in us of a truth to give all diligence to make our calling and election sure and to work out our salvation with fear and trembling it will not suffer us to be careless sluggish dallying delaying c. Conscience takes those saving promises of the â—ord as unquestionable that a man must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ that will be saved and that he must repent that will have his sins pardoned and that he must be regenerated and born again who will enter into the kingdom of heaven And hereupon Conscience puts us on if our hearts be tender exceedingly to make clear and evident the assumption I do truely believe I do truely repent I am born again and my sins are pardoned and my soul shall be saved A tender heart would be sure that it is in a state of life and favour Secondly Where the heart is tender there conscience is alive in respect of the particular facts of our lives whether good or evil For good actions which concern us in our places and callings Conscience puts us upon the careful and sincere practice of them will not suffer us to omit and neglect them but enclines and hearkens unto them although danger and trouble be incident unto us for the performance of them Act. 4. 19. But Peter and John answered and said unto them Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye ver 20. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard Act. 21. 13. Then Paul answered What mean you to weep and break mine heart for I am ready not to be bound only but also to dye at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus Josh 24. 25. If it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. For evil actions Conscience puts forth itself against them partly by warning It is evil if thou do it not partly by threatning It will be bitter unto thee it wlll deceive thee and break thy peace and confidences partly in striving with us and presenting argument upon argument consideration upon consideration Gods favour on the one hand and Gods displeasure on the other hand the happiness of walking uprightly the shortness of sins deceitful pleasures c. and all to keep us from sinning which if they prevail not then Conscience begins to be unquiet and it smites for sinning and accuses and condems and The respectiveness of our hearts to the Word of God troubles and vexes and
and to rest on his Arm acknowledging that our standing and safety is not in our strength but in the presence and influence of his grace 2ly The Means how to compass a soft and tender heart The Means First You must go to the Lord by Prayer for it a sinner can harden his own Beg it by prayer heart but God only can soften the heart If four things were wrought in the heart it would be soft and tender viz. 1. An experimental Sensation 2. A mournful Humiliation 3. A spirit of Fear 4. An yieldingness and plyableness of the heart to the will of God Object True will some say but who can work these things in the heart Sol. That can God and he hath promised to work every one of them in our hearts if we do earnestly and unfeignedly seek him 1. He can make us to see to feel to remember to consider our sins and our doings which have not been good Job 34. 32. That which I see not teach thou me c. Job 13. 26. Thou makest me to possesse the iniquities of my youth Ezek. 16. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed 2. He can make the heart mourning and humbling and lamenting Zac. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. Ezek. 7. 16. All of them mourning every one for his iniquity 3. He can put his fear in their hearts Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear in their hearts And Hose 3. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness 4. He can make the heart yielding and plyable unto his Word and Will Psal 68. 18. Thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell amongst them Acts 9. 6. Lord what wilt thou have me to do Jer. 31. 33. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts Secondly You must to his Word which is the hammer to break and the fire to Attend the Word melt the heart Acts 2. 37. When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren what shall we do 2 Chron. 34. 27. Thou diddest humble thy self before God when thou heardest his Word c. Object But many men hear the Word and that a long time and yet their hearts are not at all softned by it therefore it cannot be a means to soften the heart Sol. I answer 1. It is true that many men do hear the Word and for many years and are not softned but their hearts are more hardned under it nevertheless this induration comes not from the Word which is a means to soften but from the pride and perverseness of the hearts of men who do hear the Word but will despise and reject the Word 2. It is also true that though many men have not their hearts softned by the Word yet many others have their hearts softned by it Simile as although many who take Physick are nothing better by it yet many who do so are recovered by it and this we find by experience that though the Word be the savour of death unto death unto some yet it is the savour of life unto life unto others And as we must not conclude that the Word is not the means of saving faith because all that hear the Word do not believe so neither must we deny the Word as a means to soften the heart because many who do hear it do remain hardned but if we find First that God hath instituted his Word for such a purpose and end Secondly That God hath blessed his Word and made it effectual to that purpose Thirdly Doth call even sinners to come and attend that they may attain that blessing depending upon this Word And lastly that without the attendance upon the Word there is no enjoyment of that softness of heart but a greater access and confirmation of hardness of heart Thence we may confidently conclude that the Word of God is a means to soften the heart But 3. You must know that the efficacy of spiritual means doth not depend upon the meer presence of the means but upon the concomitancy and influence of the Spirit of God who sometimes doth put forth his power through those means and sometimes doth not so The Word by its own natural and proper vigour doth not convince nor convert nor soften the heart for then every one that hears it should be convinced and converted and softned nor then should it be a means but a principal efficient but those effects it doth work on all who hear it when the Spirit of God comes with the Word unto their hearts in his mighty power working that grace in us which the Word commands from us And therefore when we come to hear the Word to have our hearts softned we should look on the Word as the means but withall on the Spirit of God as the principal cause who works that effect by the Word nor should we ever hear the Word without special prayer and requests that the Lord would by his Spirit make his Word a lively and effectual means of knowledge of faith of all grace unto us and if we did do so the Lord would be found of us and he would give this softness of heart which he promiseth in his Covenant Thirdly If you would have softness of heart you must then get newness of Get newnesse of heart heart Your hearts can never be softned untill they be renewed and if they were renewed certainly they would be softned The old heart is an hard heart and the new heart is a soft heart You may as well expect that a dead man should weep and mourn and go and come as that an old sinful heart dead in trespasses and sins should be a soft and mournful heart for sins or be willing and ready to obey the will of God why hardness in all the causes of it and in all the effects of it is predominant and raigning in an unconverted graceless heart But if the heart were once changed by renewing grace then softness must needs fall into it Forasmuch as the change made by renewing grace brings into the soul another nature quite contrary to our sinful nature and other principles quite contrary to all our old principles Light contrary to darkness and humblenesse contrary to pride and yieldingness contrary to stubbornnesse and softnesse contrary unto hardness Fourthly if we would have softnses or tenderness of heart then we must get Faith for faith is indeed the foundation of a soft and tender heart and the Get Faith more of Faith the more of tenderness Quest What Faith will some say Sol. I answer a Faith 1. Of Knowledge or Credence that God is that he is a great God the living God the Almighty God the dreadful God most knowing most holy most righteous and faithful who will be so to us as his Word
sorts of truth of which the Spirit is the Authour and Divers sorts of truth of which the spirit is the authour Truth of Doctrine which he works in all those who do partake of him First The truth of Doctrine in opposition to erroneous and false Doctrines Joh. 17. 17. Thy Word is truth 1 Tim. 2. 4. Who would have all men to come to the knowledge of the truth The truth of Doctrine consists principally in knowing and understanding those points and wayes which do teach and guide us certainly unto salvation and this is called the truth in Jesus Epehs 4. 21. And the truth which is after godliness Tit. 1. 1. This truth doth the Spirit teach all unto whom he is given he makes them to know the Word of truth and which is the way of life he builds them upon Christ and roots them in Christ who is Joh. 14. 6. The way and life and truth and makes them to be sound in Christ Jesus Secondly The truth of judgement and understanding Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie Truth of judgement them with thy truth by which some think is meant the true understanding of all things necessary to salvation This is called the Spirit of a sound mind 2 Tim. 1. 7. a mind not tainted not corrupted Sound in the Faith Titus 1. 13. and Chap. 2. 2. All who have the Spirit of God have truth of judgement they have the Spirit of a sound mind in the matters of salvation they are sound in the faith although they may mistake in other matters and differ in their Opinions yet they are all of them of a sound judgement in the Essential Points of salvation they are sound in the faith in the fundamentals Thirdly The truth of heart Psal 51. 6. Thou lovest truth in the inward Truth of heart parts This truth is that which we call uprightness and sincerity of heart in opposition to Hypocrisie the Apostle calls it the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth 1 Cor. 5. 8. This kind of truth also is the Spirit authour and worker of in all unto whom he is given he gives them true hearts of truth sincere and upright hearts even in the judgement of God himself Job 1. 8. Hast thou considered my servant Job that there is none like him in the earth a perfect and an upright man one that feareth God and escheweth evil Isa 58. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart Fourthly The truth of speech in opposition to lying fraud and falshood The truth of speech as Psal 15. 2. He that speaketh the truth in his heart Ephes 4. 25. Put away lying and speak truth every man to his neighbour They that hâ—ve indeed the Spirit of God dare not lye dare not be guilty of falshoods c. the spirit of truth ever causeth the lip of truth Psal 119. 163. I hate and abhor lying Fifthly The truth of faithful and righteous dealing between man and man in The truth of righteous dealing making and keeping just Covenants Promises and bargains Jer. 5. 3. O Lord are not thine eyes upon the truth i. e. of just and righteous dealing this also is in them who have the spirit Psal 15. 4. He that sweareth to his own hurt and changeth not But now what shall I say to whom shall I speak how few have the Spirit of God which is the Spirit of truth 1. How abundantly rife is the spirit of error Few have the spirit of God 2. How unsound are the judgements of men who do erre concerning the faith and contend to subvert it 3. How rotten and hypocritical the hearts of men they profess God in words and godliness in words but they deny him in works and though they have that shew yet they do deny the power of godliness 4. How lying and false and fraudulent 〈◊〉 are men in their speaking and dealings one hardly knows when many do speak truth because we find that they do constantly speak lyes with that boldness and confidence and impudency c. Jer. 9. 5. They will deceive every one his neighbour and will not speak the truth they have taught their tongue to speak lyes c. Sixthly The Spirit of God is the Spirit of love So Rom. 15. 30. I beseech you Gods spirit is the spirit of love brethren for the Lord Jesus sake and for the love of the Spirit c. 2 Tim. 1. 7. God hath given us the Spirit of love Gal. 5. 22. The fruit of the Spirit is love and he puts love in the first place In whomsoever the Spirit of God is in them is a holy and precious love kindled by that spirit A love First To God O love the Lord all ye his Saints Psal 31. 23. And I love the Lord saith David Psal 116. 1. We love him because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. Love to God The Lord direct your heart to the love of God 2 Thes 3. 5. It cannot be but that every one who hath the Spirit of God must love God For 1. The Spirit renews all the affections and carries them to their proper object God is the peculiar object of a renewed heart Reasons of it 2. The Spirit sets open unto us the precious thoughts of God towards us and the exceeding riches of his grace yea and sheds abroad the love of God in our hearts Rom. 5. 5. And makes us to know the things which are freely given us of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. Secondly To Christ Jesus Cant. 1. 4. The upright love thee Cant. 3. 3. To Christ Jesus Saw ye c. 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen ye love Joh. 21. 17. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee why how can it be otherwise but that if one hath the very Spirit of Christ he must love Christ If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ let him be an Anathema Mran-atha 1 Cor. 16. 22. Would you have this affirmed of any one to whom God gives his Spirit but it must if any of them should not love Christ The Spirit makes the match between Christ and us causeth that union and can this be without a mutual love can any man give in his heart to Christ and yet not love him Object But every man will say that he loves God and that he loves Christ c. Sol. 'T is true men generally say so but there are few only that do so To love God and to love Christ is What it is to love God and Christ First To have the heart entirely set upon them Secondly To have the heart most set upon them Thirdly To desire exceedingly their presence and communion Fourthly To take special delight and satisfaction in that communion Fifthly Not to love any thing that is contrary to this against them or offensive unto them Sixthly To take heed to walk before them in all well-pleasing such a
as most sure because God hath given his Spirit unto you 2ly In Particular But let us descend unto particulars which if we do rightly understand and consider of we must confess that to have the Spirit given unto us it is an unspeakable blessing and mercy You read in Scripture of several Attributes if I may so call them given unto the Spirit and all of them in relation unto those to whom he is given And every one of them respecting their good and benefit all the dayes of their life He is called 1. A holy and sanctifying Spirit What the spirit is called in Scripture 2. A revealing and manifesting Spirit 3. A strengthening and helping Spirit 4. A restoring and recovering Spirit 5. A comforting and quickning Spirit 6. A dwelling and an abiding Spirit 1 Fifthly The Spirit of God which is given unto you is a holy and sanctifying He is a holy and sanctifying spirit Spirit He is the holy Spirit of God Ephes 4. 30. And the Spirit sanctifies 1 Cor. 6. 11. Now there are three comforts from this that the Spirit of God within you is a sanctifying Spirit 1. He sanctifies you in truth he renews your very hearts it is not a formal or Sanctifies in truth deceivable work but a real and effectual work which is indeen the new Creation 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. the image of God the life and glory of Christ which shall certainly end in happiness Partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. 2. He will go on with his sanctifying work he will begin and make an end Causeth growth in grace 1 Thes 5. 23. He will change you from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Though it begins in weakness he will carry it on in power This sanctifying work of the Spirit shall move on in the soul as the sun doth in the firmament from strength to strength the Spirit within will more and more mortifie and weaken and destroy the body of sin and he will be renewing your inward man day by day 2 Cor. 4. 3. He will still maintain and preserve this sanctifying work against all the rebellions Defends it against all its enemies of our corruptions and against all the assaults of Satan and will never leave untill he hath crowned it with glory Secondly The Spirit of God which is given unto you is a revealing and manifesting Spirit He is expresly called the Spirit of revelation in Ephes 1. 17. and He is a revealing spirit verily herein doth lie most admirable comfort and joy yea all our actual soul joy in this life If all the thoughts and works of grace were hid from us we should have but sad dayes all our life long we should be in perpetual fears and doubts and complaints But the discovery of them which is by the light of the Spirit makes day with us makes joy and rejoycing abound within us Now there are four things which the Spirit of God given unto the people of God can and doth reveal unto them First The presence of Christ within us Though Christ be in us for he dwells The spirit reveals Christs presence within us in our hearts by faith Ephes 3. 17 yet we cannot see or discover his presence but by the Spirit Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us â— Joh. 3. 24. To know that Christ is mine and in me and that I am Christs and in him cannot be without the Spirit and this manifestation is from the Spirit and is not this joy and comfort indeed to know that Christ is in us Know ye not that Christ is in you except you be reprobates 2 Cor. 13. 5. Secondly The love of God towards us 'T is true that God doth love his people with a most gracious love and with a great love and with a most kind love Gods love towaâ—ds us his love is called loving-kindness Hose 2. 19. with a love that surpasseth all love And it is also true that the apprehension and experience of his love is most sweet and transcendent Thy loving-kindness is better than life Psal 63. 3. And if we could know his love unto us this would pacifie us and how should we come to tast how gracious the Lord is by the holy Ghost Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Simile The love of God is like a fountain that is sealed it is like a vessel of precious liquor like that box of oyntment none can open it unto us none can poure it into our hearts none can make us see and tast it he can and oftentimes doth make us to know that the Father loves us Thirdly The wonderful glory prepared for us Mark what the Apostle saith The glory prepared for us 1 Cor. 2. 9. Eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither have entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Ver. 10 But God hath revealed them to us by his Spirit for the Spirt searcheth all things yea the deep things of God the quality and quantity of future happiness prepared from eternity and must answer the blood of Christ c. Fourthly All the precious works of the Spirit himself with his finger hath The precious works of the spirit wrought in us Though there be an aptitude in them to manifest and discover themselves yet we cannot see them without the Spirit How often are we in darkness how often in doubts and enquiries but have I faith but have I repentance but have I godly sorrow but have I the new heart the tender heart the humble heart In truth Simile Beloved as there is no seeing of the heavenly bodies but by an heavenly light so there is no discovering of the graces of the Spirit but by the light of the Spirit 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God O what happiness is all this to enjoy the Spirit of God by whom we come to know Jesus Christ and as present in my soul to know the love of God and tast the sweetness of it in my heart to know the future heavenly happiness that is prepared from eternity and prepared for my soul and to know all that God hath freely given me in order unto my own eternal happiness Thirdly The Spirit of God which is given unto us is a strengthening and helping He is a stâ—enthening spirit Spirit Ephes 3. 16. That he would grant you according to the riches of his glory to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man Rom. 8. 26. Likewise also the Spirit helpeth our infirmities c. Is it not a benefit when one is weak and faint to find a friend to relieve to support assist uphold and help him we are weak we are fainting we are oppressed distressed burdened ready to sink to fail
marke ver 14. O there are many miles yet more to go than ever yet thou hast gone and much more to be done than ever thou hast done and much more to be attained than ever yet thou hast attained How many measures in every grace are yet wanting how many corruptions need yet to be mortified how much strength how much stability in knowledg and faith how much evidence and certainty and peace dost thou still need how much is wanting in every duty in every service in every work Did you remember and consider these things your hearts would bestir themselves would put forth themselves with more vigor and activity c. 3. Of your great accounts we are but stewards and we must every one give Your great accounts an account to God of our stewardship of what we have received and of what we have done If we have been standing all the day idle if we should be found unprofitable servants what sad accounts should we give up All the time that God hath given us we must be accountable to God for for the long time of life and for the long time of grace and how we have redeemed time and how we have passed the time of our so journing here what helps we have had and what progress we have made Certainly we would give up a good account and a full account and a comfortable account our accounts with joy Think much of this and this will make you more serious in all your walking more watchful over your words more accurate in all your doings more conscientious and compleat in all your duties For we must give an account for every sermon and for every prayer and for every ordinance and for every work and for every step of our life did we believingly remember this we would be more faithful and more fruitful 4. Of the great reward at last of the exceeding and eternal weight of glory The great reward at last of that crown of life O how would this put life and quickness diligence and forwardness into us 2 Peter 3. 12. Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God 2 Cor. 4. 16. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day Ver. 18. For we look not at the things which are seâ—n but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are t4mporal but the things which are not seen are eternal 1 Cor. 9. 25. They strive to obtain a corruptible crown but we an incorruptible Fourthly Look on the fore-runners on the people of God set forth Look on the forerunners for examples unto you in the Scriptures what progress they made how laborious they have been and how they have gone from strength to strength Psal 84. 7. What fruits they brought forth from the day that they hard and knew the grace of God in truth Collos 1. 6. What carefulness whâ— diligence what zeal what exactness what forwardness what laboriousnesâ—â—o you see in them Set the example of a David before your eyes and the example of a Paul before your eyes who did fulfil the whole Law of God rejoyced to run their race c. Yea and set the examples of your present Christians who are also forerunners as to you many of whom you see to live with much faith to walk with much integrity to act with much fear and zeal to spend and to be spent in the servâ—ce of their God Do not look on those that are behind you but on those that are before you O what exactness is there in their obedience O what joy in conscience O what joy in death such examples will serve to quicken and enlarge and encourage you Fifthly Embrace and improve the society of persons truly godly I am a Improve the society of the godly companion said David Psal 119 63. of all them that fear thee and of them that keep thy precepts And saith Solomon Prov. 13. 20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise There are three things in the society of godly persons which may advance us to Benefits by good company Good instructions a better walking in Gods statutes 1. One is the goodness of their instructions and exhortations the lips of the wise disperse knowledge Prov. 15. 7. Exhort one another daily Heb. 3. 13. Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works Heb. 10. 24. And these are of great force to work upon us See Eccles 12. 11. The words of the wise are as goads and as nails fastened by the Masters of Assemblies And they are edifying they build us up in Knowledge and Faith and Fear and Love and Zeal 2. Another is the efficacy of their prayers they do strive and wrastle for one The efficacy of their prayers another with God in Prayer Col. 4. 12. Epaphras who is one of you a servant of Christ saluteth you alwayes labouring fervently for you in prayers that you may stand perfect and compleat in all the will of God A third is the vertue and power of their conversations as in wicked company The vertue of their conversation there is ordinarily an infecting vertue to dead and poison our hearts and to corrupt our manners so in godly company there is ordinarily a perfecting vertue to better our hearts and lives One may see much humility and see much meekness and see much tenderness of conscience and see much love and fear of God and such a serious and careful ordering of every work and way of carriage such bewailing of their wants such endeavourings after more perfection as leaves an impression upon our hearts to go home and do so likewise 3ly The encouragements to walk on in the statutes of God with uprightness Encouragements to walk constantly in Gods wayes and stedfastness all our lives First As God requires a life of obedience so he promiseth a reward of eternity of blessedness Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality eternal life Chap. 6. 22. But nâ—w being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end ever lasting life How should this encourage all our hearts to abound and persevere in all the paths of obedience never to think of going back to Egypt but to go strait on still to walk in Gods statutes and to put forward with all our strength seeing at the end of our journey there waits for us no less than eternal life and blessedness The travellers to heaven do meet with a double blessedness A double blessedness In their way 1. One is in their way or journey Psal 119. 1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord. And ver 2. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies 2. The other is as the end of their journey Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the
run to hell 3. If you would enjoy liberty indeed then become the servants of God and walk in his wayes If the Son shall make you free then are you free indeed Joh. 8. 36. Now your shackles and fetters and prison doores are broken open we are freemen in a spiritual sense when we are freed from sin Rom. 6. 18. Being then made free from sin we became the servants of Righteousness We are freed from all slavish fears by reason of sinne when we receive the free spirit of liberty we become a voluntary people to serve the Lord with newness of spirit and freeness of spirit Dsal 116. 16. O Lord truly I am thy servant thou hast loosed my bonds 4. Object But men will disesteem us neglect us cast us out of their favour and But then we shall be disesteemed reproach us if c. Sol. 1. It is their sin to do so but it is our duty to walk as God would have us to walk 2. What men will do so none but ungodly men who speak evil of us because 1. we run not with them to the same excess of riot 2. A goodly conversation is a reproach to their ungodly life and shames them 3. Regard not the praises of men but the praise of God this you shall be sure to meet with he will own you and honour you though men do not Psal 27. 10. When my Father and my Mother forsake me then the Lord shall take me up The Pharisees reviled and cast out the blind man cured by Christ but Christ met with him and owned and saved him Joh. 9. 35 36 c. 4. You will give a fair account to God that you feared man more than God Lord I should have walked in thy wayes but c. 5. Object Then I will walk in these statutes hereafter Then I will do it hereafter Sol. 1. Hereafter may be too late Gods command is for all our dayes and for the set time whiles it is called to day c. Secondly Continuance in sinful wayes will harden your hearts in them keep up the love of sinne and render the wayes of God more distastful unto you Thirdly And God may in judgement give you up to your own hearts lusts to walk in the counsels of them because you do not hearken unto him See Psal 81. 11 12. 6. Object But I have assayed aad can make no work of it But I find I cannot do it Sol. First Because you assayed slightly and not with all your heart Secondly And because you assayed in your own strength 7. Object But it is a great work however to walk in Gods statutes and How shall we get power to do it what shall I do for power to enable me to walk in them Sol. God who requires us to walk in his statutes doth promise to give us power I will cause you to walk c. Ezek. 36. 27. And cause you to walk in my Statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them THese words as I have heretofore observed contain in them two parts 1. The work or duty which concerns the people of God viz. to walk in his statutes c. this Subject I finished the last Lords day 2. The help or sufficiencies for all that work and duty I will cause you to walk in my statutes whence observe CHAP. XV. Doctr. TThat the people of God have the promise of God to enable them to God will enable his people to walk in his wayes walk in the statutes of God I will cause you c. Zech. 10. 12. I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name saith the Lord. Phil. 2. 13. It is God which worketh in you to will and to do of his good pleasure Isa 26. 12. Thou hast wrought all our works in us Chap. 45. 24. Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength For the opening of this excellent and comfortable Truth I will shew unto you five things 1. The many parallels 'twixt Gods command of our duties and Gods promise of help for these duties 2. The parallels 'twixt promises to and instanceâ— in Gods people 3. The several wayes how God doth cause or enable his people to walk in his statutes and do them 4. How far the Lord doth engage his strength of grace to enable his people to walk in his statutes 5. The Reasons both in respect of God and in respect of his people why he will cause them to walk in his wayes or statutes c. 1. The parallels 'twixt Gods commands and his promises or 'twixt the Parallels betwixt Gods commands and his preceps duties commanded by him and the helps promised to enable his people First The Lord commands his people to know him and his wayes 1 Chron. 28. 9. Know thou the God of thy Father c. And God doth promise to cause them to know him Jer. 24. 7. I will give them an heart to know me that I am the Lord. And Jer. 31. 34. They shall all know me from the least of them to the greattest of them saith the Lord. Secondly The Lord commands his people to trust upon him Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever c. And God doth promise to enable his people to trust on him Zeph. 3. 12. I will leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord. 3ly The Lord commands his people to fear him Deut. 6. 13. Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him So Deut. 8. 6. Thou shalt keep his Commandements and walk in his wayes and fear him This likewise hath God promised unto his people Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Fourthly The Lord commands his people to love him Deut. 11. 1. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God Psal 31. 23. O love the Lord all ye his Saints and God doth promise to give them an heart to love him Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise the heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul Fifthly The Lord commands his people to pray unto him and to call upon his Name Call upon me Psal 50. 15. Pray without ceasing 1 Thes 5. 17. I will that men pray everywhere 1 Tim. 2. 8. And the Lord hath promised to give unto them a spirit of prayer Zech. 12. 10. I will poure upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and the Spirit of supplication Sixthly The Lord commands his people to mourn for their sinnes and to loath their sins and to turn from their sins Isa 22. 12. In that day did the Lord call to weeping and to mourning Jam. 4. 10. Humble your selves in the sight of the Lord And
and be alwayes compleatly and presently furnished for any acts of obedience Sol. Belike you would needs be in the Prodigals condition to have all your portion of goods in your own hands thinking that you are more wise and more able than your God to manage the stock of grace But First It is not only fitter but better that you should trust God then that God should trust you your grace and strength are safer in his hands than in yours Secondly God will not thus impart his strength unto you as you imagine or wish but he will impart it succssively and gradually according to your continual necessities of it 1. He would still keep you humble 2. He would still keep you in dependance Why God gives grace gradually upon himself 3. He would give unto you manifold experiences of his faithfulness in performing his promise unto you Thirdly To depend on God and to make him their strength for all the works which they are to perform Now because this is the principal Use which can be made from the choise and pretious promise here in the Text I shall therefore insist the more upon it and shew unto you 1. Why you that are the people of God should depend on God for his strength to enable you for all your works and services 2. When especially you should do so 3. Whether indeed you do so 4. How you may be enabled so to do 5. How one may know that it is the very strength of God which is with us 1. Quest Why the people of God should depend on God yea only depend on Why Gods people should depend on God for Grace God for his strength to enable them for all their duties for all their works and services Sol. There are three reasons for it 1. In respect of God 2. In respect of our selves 1. In respect of God First It is his command and will concerning you still to depend on him and It is Gods Command on him alone Psal 62. 5. My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him ver 6. He is my Rock and my Salvation ver 7. In God is my Salvation and my Glory the Rock of my strength and my refuge is in God ver 8. Trust in him at all times pour out your heart before him c. Prov. 3. 5. Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not to thine own understanding Ver. 6. In all thy wayes acknowledg him and he shall direct thy paths Esa 26. 4. Trust you in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength God you see calls on us for our dependance on him and only upon him and at all times in all our occasions Secondly It is his honor that you do depend on him to help and strengthen It is for Gods Honour your souls you do now declare and publish and put unto your seal that power belongs to God that he is the alsufficient and efficient God and that he is the faithfull God who will perform whatsoever promise he hath made unto you Unquestionably God would have his people to honor him he forms them for his praise and all the honor which God hath by us consists in this that he is acknowledged to be the only efficient and the only end of all that we have or do Thirdly It is the end why he makes this promise of causing you to walk in his It is the end for which he makes his promise Statutes As the end of his threatnings is our repentance and as the end of his precepts is our obedience so the end of this promise is our dependance Prov. 22. 19. That thy trust may be in the Lord I have made known unto thee this day Ver. 29. Excellent things in counsels and konowledge Fourthly It is his way of conveying or communicating his strength and help It is Gods way of communicating his strength all your sights of his mercy all your taste of his love all your experiences of his goodness and all the impartings of his help and strength are unto faith you must believe if you will be established and strengthened God will give strength to his promise but then his people must come and depend upon him for it Psal 27. 14. Wait on the Lord and he shall strengthen thine heart Object Indeed if you speak of the absolute power of God he can let out and convey sufficient help for our work without any praying of ours and without any beleiving of ours Sol. But God is pleased to set out this way of depending and believing to let forth his help unto us as the best way to his own wisdome both for the conviction of our own weaknesses and for the demonstration of his own graces and fulness 2. In respect of our selves First Necessity There is not bread enough at home nor strength enough in Our own necessity requires it our selves for any good therefore go abroad and look for it in God Quid es in te quid es de te spake Austin very well on Psal 42. Psal 119. 35. Make me to go in the path of thy Commandments ver 36. Incline my heart unto thy Testimonies 1 Kings 8. 37. The Lord our God be with us Let him not leave us nor forsake us ver 58. That he may incline our heart unto him to walk in his wayes and to keep his Judgements I confess that there were no necessity of our dependance of God for strength to cause c. if one of these two things were true 1. That we had power and sufficiencie of our own 2. Or That any other besides God could be a sufficiencie unto us But neither of these are so 1. No man not the best is or can be a sufficiency unto himself as I have formerly proved 2. None besides God can be a sufficiency unto us or help unto us Object We do find much help and strength many times by publike Ordinances and private Conferences Sol. The Reason is because God makes them to be of help and strength unto you The conduit conveyes water into your houses but water comes not from the Conduit but from the Spring Therefore you finde sometimes Ordinances and Conferences can do nothing at all in any way of help that you may know that not they but God in and by them was the help Secondly Prevalency Dependance on God for strength will get you his strength Psal 84. 5. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee ver 7. They go from strength to strength Psal 28. 7. The Lord is my strength and my shield my It s the way to prevail heart trusted in him and I am helped Thirdly Experience They that know thy Name will put their trust iâ— thee Psal 9. 10. For thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Isa 11. 2. Behold God is my salvation I will trust and not be afraid for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and
of Gods help and strength for all his works Simile Just as if a man should voluntarily leap into the sea and think that God must keep him from drowning or as if a man should desire to be strong and yet refuse daily food which is a means of strength Thus it is when persons are foolish and proudly presumptuous When we do indeed rely on God by faith for his gracious assistance to enable us either against the doing of evil or for the doing of good we do then decline all sinful occasions which draw us on to sin and we do then apply our selves to all those means which God hath set apart and doth bless to convey his strength unto us There are three wayes wherein God reveales or gives out strength unto us 1. His word which begets and nourishes us which conveys life unto us and Three wayes wherein God gives out strength to us The Word Prayer strength which brings us in and builds us up O how diligent and conscientious doth faith make us to attend it 2. Prayer when our requests are put up to God and his answers come down to help and strengthen us O how doth faith enable us to wrestle with God to be strengthened with all might by his spirit in the inner man I as the Apostle speaks in Ephes 3. 16. 3. Heavenly conference where we help to edifie and establish and build up one another in our holy profession O how doth faith make us to prize and improve Heavenly Conference such opportunities Now consider your selves you who think you look up to God and do acknowledge him and rely on him for strength to cause you c. where may a man finde you complaining of weakness and in word extolling and desiring strength from God are you in the wayes of strength and are you seriously and conscientiously in them I doubt that some of you are in the wayes of weakness and not of strength not in Gods wayes but in Satans wayes not attending the doctrins of truths but the doctrins of lyes and errors not keeping close to Gods ordinances but roving out after such teachers as distil into you scorns and contempts of Gods Ordinances Is this to rely on God for strength when for lying vanities you forsake the paths of God and of his strength and of your own true peace Sixthly What shall I say more if you do indeed depend on God as your We must depend on God as our strength strength to enable you to walk in his statutes you shall then finde a spiritual rest or quietation in your hearts joyned with a spiritual liberty or freedom You cannot imagine how tumultuous and unsetled a mans heart is and how streightned it is and backward his heart is unto duties whilst he still sees holy and heavenly work to be done and no strength undertaking to enable him for that work or at least if he cannot believe that God will be his strength his thoughts are many times confounded and amazed and his very heart sometimes quakes and trembles But on the contrary when he can by faith see the sufficiencie of Gods strength and is able to fix and rely himself upon it then these two things Two things follow our dependance upon God will presently follow and appear 1. One is Quietation his whole soul comes into a calme and is cleared of all those boysterous storms of unbelieving fears my God is my strength the work is much but he hath help enough and will not faile me 2. The other is a Liberty and enlargedness he hath now a heart ready and free to set upon the work 4. Quest What one must be and do that so he may finde God to be his strength How to finde God to be our strength enabling him c. Sol. There are foure things which I would answer to this First If you would finde God to be your enabling strength then there must be a relation twixt God and you he must be your God if you would finde him to be your strength Psal 91. 2. I will say of the Lord He is my refuge and my fortress my God in him will I trust Micah 7. 7. I will look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my salvation my God will hear me Psal 68. 28. Thy God hath commanded thy strength strengthen O God that which thou hast wrought in us Beloved the Lord calls upon us to be his people to take off our hearts from all other objects and to give them in unto himself and to exalt him in his soveraignity and authority which if we do he will be our God and will perform all the good of his Covenant unto us Now if any man saith I do not like to serve this God I would rather serve my sins and the world let not that man think to finde any good from God neither love nor mercy nor grace nor strength But if a mans heart doth like and consent chuse the Lord to be his God and him he loves and him he will serve he is now come into the bond of the Covenant and God is bound to finde him mercy to pardon him and grace to change him and strength to enable him for all the duties or works which he requires from him and he may in the sense of his sufficiency go to God and trust on him and wait on him and shall assuredly receive strength and power from his God to walk in his Statutes and to do them Secondly If you would finde the Lords strength to cause you to walk c. then you must get to him in the name of Christ not in your own name or worthiness or merit or goodness for which the Lord should give out his help unto you but only in the name of Christ that the Lord for his sake would make his promise good unto you for all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ 2 Cor. 1. 20. And Christ hath assured you that whatsoever you shall aske the father in his name he will give it you Joh. 16. 23. I am weak Lord strengthen me for Christs sake I am insufficient without strength able of my self to do nothing O Lord help me O Lord work all thy works in me for Christs sake for Christs sake pull down my sins for Christs sake enable me to walk in all well-pleasing before thee c. Thirdly If you would finde the strength of God c. then you must be sure to keep your hearts upright with God that it is indeed your souls desire and endeavour to walk in Gods wayes and to do his work Object A man many times complaines that he can get no power from God against his sins and no power to do such and such duties Sol. I will tell you the reason of it because his heart secretly loves such a sin and is not willing to be parted from it and his heart secretly dislikes such a way of God and therefore the Lord
the garden he will water He will end forth â—udgement unto victory Mat. 12. 20. 2 Cor. 3. 18. We are changed into the same image from glory to glory 3. He will preserve your holinesse and you being holy in holiness To the end he may establish your hearts unblameable in holinesse 1 Thes 3. 13. and He will preserve our holinesse 1 Thes 5. 23. I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blamelesse unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ ver 24. Faithful is he that calleth you who also will do it Phil. 1. 6. He which hath begun a good work in you will performe it untill the day of Jesus Christ 4. He loves your holinesse and takes delight in it for it is his own Image and He loves your holinesse his own work the fruit of his own grace the birth of his own Spirit 5. He will crown your holinesse ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end He will crown our holinesse everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. Blessed are the poor in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5. 8. Therefore is holinesse called a change from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. Holiness at first is weak and little at length it is much and strong at last it shall be perfect and glorious At first it is like a spark of fire covered with ashes at length it is like a burning fire at last like a flaming fire at first it is in groans and desires at length it is in conflicts and combates at last it is in victory and glory 4. God is an Omniscient God he knows all things whatsoever and all persons God is an omniscient God and all conditions and all the hearts and all the counsels and thoughts and words and wayes of all men at all times and in all places and that most clearly and perfectly by his own infinite light he knows all that is past and all that is present and all that is future and all that is possible Heb. 4. 13. There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do Consider this place seriously which declares Gods Omniscience There is not any creature that is not manifest in his sight There be many millions of millions of creatures and they be farre and near over all the world but whatsoever they are and wheresoever they are they are manifest in his fight though they be hid from us yet they are known to God and though they be out of our fight yet are they manifest in his sight they are before his eyes which runne to and fro throughout all the world And all things are naked and open to his eyes there is no darkness twixt him and them no curtain is drawn over his eye they are as naked to him as the childe which is newly born is unto our eye or as every pile of grass is discovered by the Sun at noon day or as the parts of a diseased body c. Psal 139. 2. Thou knowest my down-lying and my up-rising thou understandest my thoughts afar off verse 3. Thou art acquainted with all my wayes vese 4. There is not a word in my tongue but lo O Lord thou knowest it altogether Quest You will say This is granted it is very unquestionable that God is omniscient that he knows all things But what is this for the comfort and good of What comfort have we by this his people what good have they by being interested in an all-knowing God Sol. 1. The good and comfort thereby is exceeding great for Gods omniscience This is the key to open all his other Attributes is as it were the Key to open all his other Attributes it is the spring which sets them all to work and without which they could not work at all for your good Though the Lord be an All-sufficiency yet unlesse he were omniscient unlesse he did know all your wants what good could his all-sufficiency do you And though the Lord be of a very merciful nature ready to pity and help yet unlesse he did know your miseries he could not help you in your miseries It is his omniscience which doth if I may be so bold to expresse it acquaint and inform all his other glorious Attributes and put them on and draw them out to work for our good 2. That the omniscient God is your God this is an unspeakable comfort unto It is comfortable if we consider you whether you consider what he knows or how he knows as concerning your selves For what he knows as concerning your selves and your conditions The Lord What he knows as concerning our selves The integrity of our hearts knows who are his 2 Tim. 2. 19. He knows the integrity of your hearts notwithstanding all your weaknesse and failings But the High places were not taken away neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dayes 2 Chron. 15. 17. 2 Sam. 7. 20. Thou Lord knowest thy servant John 2. 17. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee He knowes all your wants and all your distresses I know thy works and tribulation All our wants and poverty saith Christ to the Church of Smyrna Rev. 2. 9. Your heavenly Father knoweth that you have need of all these things Matth. 6. 32. He knows all your desires and prayers and tears Rom. 8. 27. He that searcheth All our desires the heart knows what is the minde of the Spirit Psal 38. 9. Lord all my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee Psal 56. 8. Put thou my tears into thy bottle are they not in thy book He knows all your active and passive service in his cause for his glory all the All our active and passive service How he knows us and our conditions With a knowledge Of approbation good that ever you have done and all the evil that ever you have suffered Rev. 2. How he knows you and all your conditions He doth know all the conditions of his people with a knowledge 1. Of Approbation The Lord knoweth the way of the righteous Psal 1. 6. that is he likes their way he approves of their way so Rev. 2. 9. I know thy works that is I like them exceeding well I am pleased to see them 2. Of Compassion The Lord said I have surely seen the afflictions of my people which are in Egypt and have heard their cry by reason of their Task-masters for Of compassion I know their sorrowes Exod. 3. 7. If one loved us much but did not know our wants and conditions if one did know all our conditions but did not love us it were sad but God knows and loves c. As a father knows the distresses and wants of his childe and pities the childe in that condition his bowels are troubled for him and if he can he will relieve
a happinesse is all this to know Jesus Christ and as present in my soul To know the love of God in mine heart To know the exceedingly exceeding weight of glory prepared and prepared for me and to know all that God hath freely given me in order unto that exceeding glory This c. 4. He fits us for that salvation which Christ hath purchased for us As the He fits us for that salvation which Christ hath purchased for us blood of Christ did purchase our salvation so the Spirit of Christ doth fit us for the enjoyment thereof He makes us meet to â—e partakers of the inheritance of thâ— Saints in light The Apostle speaking of this salvation under several expressions in 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 3 4. he addes in the fifth verse Now he which hath wâ—oughâ— us for the self-same thing is God who hath given unto us the earnest of his Spirit And this fitting work of his upon us for the salvation purchased by Christ he doth execute Partly by cleansing and purifying ouâ— sinful hearâ—s and mortifying those lusts which otherwise would render us unfit and uncapable of that glorious salvation Partly by endowing and beautifying the soul with Christ and his righteousnesse and his graces that thereby an enterance may be made for us into the everlasting Kingdome of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 11. Partly by leading and upholding us in all the wayes of Christ untill we come to receive the end of our faith even the salvation of our souls 5. I will adde but one work more of the Spirit on your behalf which is this He works all our works in us and for us He works all your works in you and for you Consider your works either of faith or obedience your works of faith in reference to the promises of God and your work of obedience in reference to the precepts of God although you are the persons who do believe the one and obey the other yet it is the Spirit of Christ which is the cause and the powerful principle of those in you He it is who doth make your hearts to believe and who doth cause you to walk in his Statutes and do them Ezek. 36. 27. 4. The Spirit is yours in respect of his help or vertue The Spirit helpeth our The Spirit is ours in respect of his help and vertue infirmities Rom. 8. 26. And there are six things wherein the Spirit is an help unto all the people of God 1. In all their Communions with God 2. In the weaknesses of all their graces 3. In the actings of every grace 4. In the conflicts of grace 5. In the darknesse upon their spirits 6. In the 〈◊〉 of their souls 1. The Spiri◠〈◊〉 them in in all their communions with God in their Meditations He help them in all their communions with God of God in their hearing of the Word of God in their addresses of prayer unto God and as to this the Apostle gives a special instance in that Rom. 8. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought but the Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered When we are to pray there is in us sometimes an infirmity of ignorance we know not what to pray for either for the matter or for the manner and there is in us sometimes an infirmity of deadnesse and dulnesse we cannot pray with that fervency as we should or as we would But now the Spirit helps these infirmities by way of instruction Teaching us what especially to pray for and by way of causation in making intercession for us that is in quickening and enabling us to pray with groanings that is with such full and strong affections of heart as cannot be uttered or expressed by words Our streightened and narrow and barren hearts are many times by the influence and assistance of Gods Spirit enlarged and opened and filled with a Spirit of supplication with such an ardency with such an earnestnesse with such a copiousnesse that after we have long insisted with God yet we have not opened half our minds and desires unto God it excites all our graces and sets them a work such an help is the Spirit unto us in praying unto God 2. The Spirit helps them in the weaknesse of their graces He waters the plants In the weakness of their graces and blows upon the buds and draws on his works of grace towards perfection He doth as it were Nurse them up and breed and brood them up He helps your â—imme knowledge by adding light unto light and opening more and more the eyes of your understanding to know the things of God in Christ He helps the weak and staggering faith by adding faith unto faith in answering your doubts and evidencing your grounds and interests in Jesus Christ He is the wind which blows upon your garden and makes the Spices there of to flow out Cant. 4. 16. 3. The Spirit helps them in the actings of every grace You know In the actings of every grace the distinction of gratia praeveniens gratia subsequens gratia operans gratia cooperans It is the Spirit which works grace in us and it is the Spirit which makes grace wrought in us to work You are not able of your selves to use the graces given unto you when you please without the influence and assistance of the Spirit of God 1 Cor. 15. 10. By the grace of God I am that I am and his grace bestowed upon me was not in vain I laboured yet not I but the grace of God in me Can you trust when you will and mourn when you will and fear when you will and command your thoughs and passions when you will and patiently bear the hand of God when you will The light if it were cut off from the influence and presence of the Sunne would not be light nor give light at all The arme if it were cut off from the body it could not stirre at all Though the arme be grafted into the body yet it stirres by influence from the head No grace that we have could move or act at all were it not acted and moved by the Spirit of Christ and therefore when you are to believe he helps you to believe and when you are to repent he helps you to repent and when you are to blesse he helps you to blesse and when you are to suffer c. His hand is upon your hand his strength is upon your strength his grace is upon his own grace As all your graces have their being from his power of life so they have their working from his power of influence too He it is who worketh in you to will and to do 4. The Spirit helps them in the conflicts of grace when inward temptations arise In the conflicts or grace out of your own hearts and when outward temptations 〈◊〉 in from
Satan alas your own strength is insufficient to conquer for you 〈…〉 maintain the fight for you unlesse the Spirit of God put forth his actual help unlesse he take your part what one temptation of lust of doubt of feare is not too hard for you and what one temptation from Satan is not too strong for you Every little touch throws down or hazards the weak child so this c. But this is your comfort that in all your spiritual conflicts you are sure of the Spirits presence to own his own graces and to defend and secure them His gracious presence shall be sufficient for you 2 Cor. 12. 9. and his power makes it self manifest in your weaknesse he will be near to help you strengthen you to make you to resist and to conquer and to be more than conquerours through Christ that loved you We are strong in the Lord and in the power of his might Eph. 6. 10. 5. The Spirit helps them in the darknesses upon their spirits my meaning is In the darkness of our spirits in all the with-drawments of Gods favour and light of countenance and in all the sad apprehensions of their own spiritual condition when they think God is become their enemy and that themselves are forgotten of God and cast off by God and have no interest nor hope in Christ Now in these times the Spirit of God works and helps supplies supports stirs up faith against hope to believe in hope and against our own feelings yet to pray and trust and wait and look for God 6. He helps them in the captivities of their souls As when sinne or Satan In the captivity of our souls in this or that particular have been too subtile and too strong for them and have prevailed over them so that they are fallen and not able to rise even then in this condition doth the Spirit of God by his wonderful graces help them up again he makes them to see their sinnes and bewail them and raise them by renewing and strengthening faith on the Lord Jesus Christ Thus he dealt with David with Peter c. As the finding of us in our lost estate so the raising of us from our fallen estate is done by the help of the Spirit 5. The Spirit is yours in respect of his joyes â—r comforts You read of the He is ours in respect of his joyes and comforts joy of the holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. And of the comforts of the holy Ghost Acts 9 31. And that Christ himself calls him the Comforter John 16. 7. The Spirit is given unto you not only to unite you to Christ not only to conform you unto Christ not only to lead you in the wayes of Christ not only to help you in the services of Christ but also to comfort your hearts in Christ The Spirit is a comforter in three respects He is a Comforter As he opens to us all the springs of comfort As he actuates our faith in theÌ„ As he applies them to our souls 1. He opens unto you all the true springs of comfort It is he who opens unto you the fountain of mercy and the fountain of the love and grace of God and the fountain of the blood of Christ 2. He actuates your faith to look on all these fountains of joy and wells of comfort as set open for the good and help of your souls 3. He applies all of them unto your souls he makes it evident that God loves your souls and that Christ died for your souls and that you are justified by faith in him and are reconciled and pardoned and accepted unto life and hereupon he fills you with all joy in believing even with joy unspeakable and glorious You cannot imagine what a comfort it is to have the Spirit of God to be our comfort for 1. His comforts are choice comforts There is no more comparison 'twixt the His comforts are choice comforts comforts of the world and the comforts of the Spirit than between the light of the Candle and the light of the Sunne they are the very comforts of God they are the very drops out of the Wells of Salvation they are drawn out from the proper and only grounds of joy They are comforts which of all other do most punctually answer the distresses of your souls 2. He can comfort you under all your discomfirts Who comforteth us in all our He cancomfort under all discomforts tribulations 2 Cor. 1. 4. Yea under the deepest and saddest disconsolations In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul Psal 94. 19. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death c. thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me Psal 23. 4. He healeth the broken in heart and bindeth up their wounds Psal 147. 3. 3. He can comfort you when there is none else to comfort you when you have He can comfort when there is none else to comfort neither father nor mother sister nor brother companion nor friend when you are in prison in exile in the losse of all yet he alone when you are alone can comfort your souls he can shew you the salvation of the Lord speak peace assure you of mercy and cause you to rejoyce 4. Hâ— can comfort you and none shall hindâ—r him neither men nor divels He can comâ—ort and none â—hall hinder â—im nor your own fears and doubts He can create your peace and joyes and make comfâ—rts for you and make you to drink of them And as none can take away your joyes so none shall be able to hinder them 6. The Spirit is yours in respect of his offices There are three special offices beloâ—ging He is ours in respect of his offices Three offices of the Spirit To make all the Ordinances of Christ effectual to us unto the Spirit 1. One is to make all the Ordinances of Christ powerful and effectual unto you Take the doctrines of the Gospel they are not effectual without the Spirit and take the seâ—ls of the Gospel they are not effectual unto you without the Spirit There are excellent precepts in the Gospel and excellent offers in the Gospel and excellent promises in the Gospel the Gospel commands us to repeâ—t to mourn to deny our selves to renounce all for Christ to come and believe on Christ but it is the Spirit which makes all these commands effectual and the Gospel offers Jesus Christ to poor sinners and thiâ—sty sinners and presents singular arguments to perswade and allure and draw the hearts of sinners but it is the Spirit which makes all those offers and all those arguments effectual and the Gospel promiseth all heavenly good of love of grace of peace of joy c. but it is the Spirit which makes all these effectual And therefore the New Testamâ—nt is called the mâ—nâ—stration nâ—t of the Letter but of the Spirit who giveth lâ—fe 2 Cor. 3. 6. And the Gospel hath excellent seals
the sickle and to reap with joy As yet thou hast not such a mercy such an help such a desired and promised blessing the reason is because it is not the season for the rain to fall it is not yet the week of thy harvest therefore still seek and trust and wait for there is an appointed week for the harvest and then thou shalt reap all the good which thy God hath promised and which thy soul hath desired 10. They are sufficient inducements and encouragements to pray unto God They are sufficient encouragements to pray to God and to depend on him and to depend upon God May you not come to your God who is good in himself and who hath promised to do you good May you not trust him who is faithful in all his promises 2 Sam. 7. 28. O Lord God thou art that God and thy words be true and thou hast promised this goodnesse unto thy servant Ver. 29. Now therefore let it please thee to blesse the house of thy servant that it may continue for ever before thee for thou O Lord God hast spoken it and with thy blessing let the house of thy servant be blessed for ever So David The promises as they are Gods assurances to help us so they are secret inducements to us to depend upon his help 11. They are powerful pleas The best and the strongest Arguments to plead with God Your worthinesse is no argument to use with God your necessity They are powerful pleas is an argument to move him we know not what to do said Jehosaphat c. But Gods promises are your best and strongest pleas Do me good O Lord though I deserve it not but yet do me good because thou hast promised to do me good Thou saydst I will surely do thee good said Jacob Gen. 32. 12. Remember thy word upon which thou hast caused thy servant to hope said David Psalme 119. 49. Remember break not thy Covenant with us said the Church Jer. 14. 21. 12. They are satisfying answers To all our fears to all our thoughts to all difficulties to all improbabilities to all silences to all contrary times to all They are satisfying answers delayes yet God hath promised to hear and help and do me good Isa 50. 10. He that sits in darknesse and feeth no light let him trust on the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God Psal 73. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever Though you do not know when God will do you good though you do not know what way God hath to do you good though you see no proâ—ability in all the world for your good though you see every thing still contrary to your good yet if God hath promised you any needful good it shall certainly fall into your possession even because God hath promised it He alone is sufficient to make all good to be yours whatsoever he hath promised unto you SECT XII 7. A seventh comfort for you who have God to be your God in Covenant is If God be ours then all the immunities and priviledges annexed to the Covenant are ours this Then all the immunities and priviledges annexed to the Covenant of grace for the people of that Covenant they are yours I will speak something unto both these this day that you who are the people of God may see more of your happinesse in having God to be your God 1. The immunities or liberties by the Covenant of grace for such as are in Covenant Ten immunities by the Covenant From the revenging wrath of God They have ten excellent and most comfortable liberties by it 1. They have immunity from the revenging wrath of God There is you know Ira patris ira judicis A paternal anger or wrath from this they are not free In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer Isa 54. 8. A judicial anger or wrath which consists in two things 1. In a resolution by no means to cleare the wicked to acquit to passe by offences to be pacified 2. In a pouring forth the vials of his just vengeance upon transgressors according to the demerits of their sinnes and wickednesses There is a cup in the hand of the Lord and the wine is red it is full of mixture and he poureth out of the same but the dreggs thereof all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them Psal 75. 8. This judicial wrath of God it is expressed against sinners partly in this life in the dreadful terrours of conscience and in the dreadful destruction of ungodly men who are consumed by the wrath of God as the dry stubble is by the flaming and devouring fire and partly in the life to come which is called Gods reserved wrath and his prepared wrath and the day of wrath Rom. 2. 5. Nahum 1. 2. He reserveth wrath for his enemies Matth. 25. 41. Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels From this judicial wrath of God whither present or future are all the people in Covenant with God freed and delivered by Christ who is their Atonement Rom. 5. 10 11. Propitiatiâ—n 1 John 2. 1. Rom. 5. 9. Much more being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him 1 Thes 1. 10. Jesus who delivered us from the wrath to come 1 Thes 5. 9. God hath not appointed us unto wrath but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ Now this our immunity is a singular comfort unto us It is a great matter to be delivered from the wrath of man what is it then to be freed from the wrath of God! You may observe in others how dreadful the expectation of future wrath is unto sinners and how unsupportable the burden of it is unto their consciences how it turns all their delights into gall and wormwood how it shakes the foundations of their souls and fills them with restlesse amazements and horrours and despaires And you read of that hell of his wrath on them in hell which makes the damned to gnash their teeth to cry out and roare to curse and blaspheme which they cannot endure and which they cannot escape But you who are the people of his Covenant as you shall never fall under the power of that future wrath of God so you shall never taste one drop of Gods judicial revenging wrath any one moment of your present life whatsoever your troubles and crosses and sadnesses may be yet there is no judicial wrath in them Christ hath fully drunk off the cup for you and satisfied the justice of God who by his blood is reconciled and well-pleased with you 2. They have immunity from the dominion of sinne Sinne shall not have dominion From the dominion of sin over you for you are under grace
delights in viz. uprightnesse of Spirit your sighs and groans and tears and desires shall passe and be accepted instead of more full and ample performances 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing minde it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his own sonne that serveth him Psal 51. 17. A broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Zach. 4. 10. Who hath despised the day of small things 6. They have immunity from the terrour or coercive power of the Law Namely From the coercive power of the Law from obeying the commands of it upon the meer principles of slavish fear of the threatnings annexed unto the breach of the Law You do now obey the Law not as slaves but as sonnes not out of fear of wrath but out of love to your Father That Spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. and that spirit of fear 2 Tim. 1. 7. is removed and a spirit of love comes in the room thereof Though there were no rewards to allure and though there were no severe threats to terrifie you yet you would serve your God with willing minds and with willing hearts 2 Chron. 28. 9. Psal 110. 3. There is such a heavenly sutablenesse and superconnaturalnesse 'twixt the Law of your God and your hearts that it is your delight to meditate in it and to walk up unto it in all things there is no constraint on you but the love of your good God 7. They have immunity from the curse of the Law Christ hath redeemed us From the curse of the Law from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. Indeed afflictions and fatherly chastisements or corrections may befall the people of God in this life whom the Lord loveth he chastneth and scourgeth every sonne whom he receiveth Heb. 12. 6. but no curses befall them Though the cup be bitter yet there is no poyson in it though it be a crosse yet it is not a curse their wounds are healing wounds and their afflictions are instructions and their losses are their gains for nothing comes as a curse which doth us good 8. They have immunity from the Kingdome and power of darkness You are no From the Kingdome of darknesse longer under the Prince of the power of the Aire the spirit that worketh in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. The Divel is dispossessed and cast down and cast out he is still your enemy but he shall never be your Lord more he may tempt you and disquiet you but command and rule over you he shall never do Though the Divel be very busie and active with you yet he shall never regain possession never conâ—uer your graces never part you and your God never hinder you of your inheritance 9. They have immunity from death there is the first death and the second From death death or there is a three-fold death there is the death of the soul and the death of the body and the death of soul and body 1. Spiritual death that is the death of the soul 2. Corporal death that is the death of the body 3. Eternal death that is the death of soul and body Now all the people of God are freed from spiritual death by the grace of Christ and from eternal deaâ—h by the blood of Christ and from corporal death though not absolutely or simply yet respectively so far forth as sinne hath made it dreadful and our enemy and prejudicial to us Though you must dye yet your death is but your sleep and is but your strait passage into life The death of death is removed from you by the death of Christ Vide Heb. 2. 15. 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. O death where is thy sting O grave where is thy victory The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law but thanks be to God who hath given us the victory through our Lord Jâ—sus Christ 10. What can I say more they have immunity from all evil in this life and in the life to come you are freed or delivered from an evil conscience which never From all evil leaves accusing and condemnâ—ng from this present evil world and the corruptions thereof from every evil work and way from evil men from all the evil which remains for evil men in hell God in this Covenant secures you against all why what comforts are there in these things and what confidence and what encouragements and what support unto your souls Why do you fear so often and why are your hearts troubled Surely you do not know your selves to be the people of God or else you do not fully know the liberties and immunities of the people of God Sometimes you fear the heavy wrath of God but why do you so He is your God and your Father and full of compassions and loving kindnesses he will not deal with you as a revenging Judge but as a loving and merciful Father he is at peace with you and reconciled unto you Sometimes you fear the damnation and curse belonging unto sinne But why do you so Christ hath dyed and satisfied for your sinnes and he was made a curse for you and there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Sometimes you fear because of the powerful motions and conflicts and rebellions of sinne in your hearts but why do you so seeing that sinne shall not have dominion over you and Christ in you is daily mortifying and destroying the body of sinne neither shall any Lord reigne in you but your Saviour who dyed for you Sometimes you fear because of the imperfection of your graces but why do you so It is not your weaknesse or want of holinesse but Christs perfect righteousnesse which is imputed unto you for life and for justification Sometimes you fear because of the weaknesse of your obediential services and performances but why do you so your God in Covenant works all his works in you and he owns your persons and will accept the weakest offerings of an upright heart in and for Christ Sometimes you fear because of the strong temptations of Satan but why do you so grace sufficient shall be given unto you and your God will shortly bruise Satan under your feet Sometimes you fear men because of their malice and power and why do you so your God will restrain the rage of man and frustrate the counsels of the Heathen and break the armes of the ungodly and knows how to deliver you Sometimes you fear to dye but why are you afraid of death which is but the last Stile to go over and then you are at your Fathers house death to you is but an end of your sinnes and miseries and only a quick passage into your eternal happinesse Secondly The priviledges which you enjoy by being under the Covenant of grace Priviledges by being in Covenant by
than your own lives yea and more than your own souls you should love your God sine omnibus super omnia without all and above all c. And verily there are most choice and most strong reasons for all this in the Covenant alone because he is your God for because he is your God therefore For 1. He loves you with an unutterable love the purest and highest love with a fatherly He loves you love with a faithful love with a tender love with an everlasting love The Schoolmen distinguish of amor gratuitus and of amor debitus our love is but of debt which we owe to God Gods love is a gracious gift unto us we love him but can adde nothing to him he loves us and his love makes us up for ever he begins in love oâ—ly from his love and we love when he sheds abroad his love into our hearts he loves and receives nothing from us we love and receive all from him 2. He blesseth you provides for you bestows all upon you enricheth you He blesseth you gives Christ and Mercy and Grace and Peace and Glory Who would not love a God who is Goodnesse it self and Love it self and Blessednesse it self who would not but love a God who is his God who delivers from hell who quickens from death who pardons all sins who cleanseth from all iniquity who makes us near unto himself who puts his Name upon us who speaks peace to our consciences who blesseth us with all blessings who guides and keeps and feeds us all our dayes who will give eternal life at last Walk in all manner of holinesse before your holy God In holinesse of dsposition 3. You who are the people of God you should walk in all manner of holinesse before your Holy and Omnipresent God There is an holinesse 1. Of Disposition which is the renewing of the heart by the Holy Ghost Lev. 11. 44. I am the Lord your God ye shall therefore sanctifie your selves and ye shall be holy for I am holy ver 45. I am the Lord that bringeth you up out of the Land of Egypt to be your God ye shall therefore be holy for I am holy Lev. 19. 2. Ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy Of Conversation 2. Of Conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. Be ye holy in all manner of Conversation 1 Thess 2. 10. Ye are witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves amongst you that believe Esay 35. 8. And an high-way shall be there and a way and it shall be called the way of holinesse Luke 1. 74. That he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies might serve him without fear ver 35. In holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our life Which consists This holinesse of Conversation consists partly In a separation from all sinful wayes 1. In separation from all sinful and polluted wayes and courses of the world Come out from among them and separate your selves 2 Cor. 6. 17. Having these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Walk not as other Gentiles walk Ephes 4. 17. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darknesse Ephes 5. 11. In exercising our selves in all holy duties In doing our civil works with holy hearts and to holy ends Reasons why such should walk in holinesse Holinesse suits with the end of the Covenant 2. In the exercising of our selves in all holy duties and works and that after an holy manner with godly fear and reverence 3. In the managing of the civil works and employments of our ordinary callings with spiritual and holy hearts and for spiritual and holy ends so that whither we deal with God or with men whither you deal in heavenly businesses or in earthly something of holinesse flows out and appears in them boâ—h Esay 23. 18. Her Merchandize shall be holinesse to the Lord. Now that the people of God who have him to be their God should be holy and should live very holy lives it may be thus demonstrated 1. If you consider the scope and end of the Covenant or of taking us into Covenant the end of the Covenant is to glorifie the riches of Gods mercy and grace for the praise of the glory of his grace and the end of taking us into Covenant is that we might glorifie God who is so rich in mercy and grace unto us See 1 Pet. 2. 9. upon either of these accounts his people must be holy and live holily for should they live profanely and unholily this would pollute the Name of their God and extreamely dishonour it Ezek. 36. 21 22. and cause his Name to be blasphemed Rom. 2. 24. It is the life of holinesse which makes his Name to be glorified openly amongst men as it is the life of faith which makes it to be glorified secretly in the heart Maâ—th 5. 16. Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorifie your Father which is in heaven 2. You are taken into Covenant that there might be a near relation 'twixt Holinesse fits for communion with God you and your God and that there might be a delight ful communion between God and you but holinesse is necessary to both these you must be sanctified if you will be near unto him for unholinesse is the greatest distance from God who is holinesse it self neither will he have fellowship with you without holinesse because similitude is the foundation of communion there can be no fellowship 'twixt light and darkness nor 'twixt God and Belial 2 Cor. 6. 14. All your communions with God are in acts of holinesse as aâ—l his communions with you are by his holy Spirit 3. The people of God are made high above all Nations in praise and in name and in honour Deut. 26. 19. They are the excâ—llâ—nt on the earth Psal 16. 3. Holinesse is our praise and honour A precious people Jer. 15. 19. A peculiar treasure unto the Lord Exod. 19. 5. But then he addes in verse 6. And ye shall be unto me a Kingdome of Priests and an holy Nation Why How can you be above all other in praise and in name and in honour if your hearts and lives continued in the same inglorious condition and course of wickednesse and sinfulnesse with others Or how could you be said to be the excellent on earth if your hearts and lives were as base and common as the vilest on earth No certainly but it is holinesse which raiseth your natures and it is holinesse which raiseth your lives As God is said to be Glorious in Holinesse Exodus 15. 11. so his Church or people is said to be glorious when it is holy and without blame Ephes 5. 27. 4. You have certainty and Testimony from your holinesse that you are indeed Holinesse is the
to tremble you think he is too strong for you and you shall never be able to withstand him any longer and your hearts are almost crushed and sunk with fear of Satans power but what 〈◊〉 Satan do Nil potest diabolus â—isi missus vel permissus He is but a creature and he is a wicked creature and he is a conquered creature and he is a chained creature and he is a cursed creature Christ hath conquered him and therefore you shall conquer him all the victories of Christ do reach unto you God doth chain him and restrain his power and working Thus far he shall go and no farther God will give you grace sufficient to resist and withstand him and will not suffer you to be tempted above your strength and at last yea shortly will bruise Satan under your feet Greaâ—er is he that is in you than hâ—â— that is in the world He Rules the world which troubles and tempts you but your God will not suffer you to be led into temptation 3. Your Covenant-Interest and Relation should secure your hearts against the Against the fears of what God will do feares of what God will do You see sometimes great changes and alterations and judgements in the earth how terrible God is to the inhabitants thereof what desolations he makes how he shakes the mountains and makes the hills to fall down at his presence his fire burnes and consumes and goes on and no man knows the power of his wrath nor can say when or where his indignation will end and cease But in all the dark and dreadful dispensations of Gods providence the people of God have no cause to fear for he hath an hiding placâ— from the storm for them and his chambers of protection for them untill the indignation be over His eyes are over â—â—e righteous it shall surely be well with them that fear before him every thing shall work for good unto them and should publique calamities involve you with other people yet your God will either support you under them or deliver you out of them or translate you into a better place and condition free from all sin and misery and trouble into the place of eternal rest and happinesse 4. Your Covenant-Interest and Relation should secure your hearts from the Against the fears of what our selves shall do fear of what we our selves shall do what will become of us in the latter end we oft times fear that we shall never hold out and persevere in the paths of righteousnesse and we feare that providence will not hold out that we shall not have enough to sustain us all our dayes But why do we fear these fears is not Christ the Finisher of our Fath who is the Authour of our Faith and will not God perfect the work which he hath begunne and are we not kept by his power through Faith unto salvation and hath he not promised that he will never depart from us and to put his feare into our hearts that we shall never depart from him And as for an outward enough and sufficiency for all our dayes alas why do we fear future supplies who live every day upon present mercies Our God hath said that he will never leave us nor forsake us and that bread shall be given us and our waters shall be sure Jesus Christ yesterday and to day and the saâ—eâ— for ever so your God is an al-sufficiency for all times in all times and unto all times there is no end of his goodnesse nor of his care nor of his love 5. Your Covenant-Interest and Relation should secure your hearts against Against the fears of what ours shall do the feares of what yours shall do and what will become of them when you are dead you have but little your selves and shall leave lesse unto your children But O that we had more faith for then we should have less fears but remember a few things 1. Be more careful what good you may do your childrens fouls than fearful what good God will do for your childrens bodies if your children be only your children they are then heires of vanity and sinne and misery but did you take care to make them Gods children they should be heirs of mercy and blessing 2. Though you die yet your God ever lives whose care and bounty is not restrained to one person or to one generation but extends unto believers and unto their seed after them Gen. 17. 7. And thou art the helper of the fatherlesse Psal 68. 5. In thee the fatherlesse findeth mercy Hosea 14. 3. 3. Though you cannot finde provision for your children after you and therefore fear yet you may finde promises for your children and therefore you should not fear if you cannot leave them with a portion yet if you can leave them with a promise of God it may very well quiet and satisfie you and this you may Psal 112. 2. The generation of the upright shall be blessed Psal 102. 28. The children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be established bâ—fore thee 6. Your Covenant-Interest and Relation should secure your hearts against the Against the fears of what shall become of the Churches of Christ feares of what shall become of the Churches of Christ especially in times of heresies and seducements and of threatenings and endeavours to subvert the Ordinances and all Gospel Ministrations And truly many do fear in respect of these at this time but we should not inordinately fear in respect of them for there are no people in the world that have Christ so near them and God so engaged unto them as the Church The foundation of the Church is too strong for the gates of hell and the Church of God will alwaies be found a very burdensome-stone for all people All that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it Zach. 12. 3. And as for the Ordinances and Ministrations of Christ in his Churches they shall continue as long as Christ hath a Church on earth as long as the Covenant abides a people of the Covenant shall abide and as long as the people of the Covenant abides the Ordinances for those people shall abide no not all the corrupt opinions of men nor powers of men shall ever be able to pluck the Sunne out of heaven nor drive out the everlasting Gospel from the earth If any thing should make us to fear the continuance of those amongst us it is only our unthankfulnesse and our unfruitfulnesse and our contempt and scorn of them 7. Lastly your Covenant-interest and relation should secure your hearts against Against the fears of death the fear of deaâ—h you should not fear to live not yet to dye who have God to be in Covenant for the sting of death is gone it is taken out by the death of Christ 1 Cor. 15. Death separates soul and body but it can never separate
with your whole hearts O God I cannot be satisfied untill thou art pleased to become my God c. the Lord would certainly answer the desires of your hearts 2. If you would have God to be your God in Covenant you must then break Break your Covenant with sinne your Covenant with sinne There are two Covenants which are inconsistent with this Covenant of grace 1. One is the Covenant of good works 2. The other is the Covenant with bad works If one will set up his confidence on his own good works he makes void the Covenant of grace and if one will set his heart upon his sinne saying I will not leave my sinnes I love them I will not forsake them This man disables himself he doth debarre and exclude himself God will not be his God he will not make a Covenant with him and indeed this sinner will not make a Covenant with God There are three things which God stands upon if we will have him to be ours in Covenant 1. He insists upon your wills you must be willing to be mine saith God to be married unto me to take me for your Husband 2. He insists upon your hearts you must love me I must have your heart your love must be mine 3. He insists upon your service you must be willing to obey and serve me I must be your Lord and you must be my servants But â— one of these will be if you keep up a Covenant with sinne you will never be willing to be his if you resolve to keep your sinnes and you cannot love the Lord if you love your sinnes neither can you serve him if you will obey sinne as your Lord There is an absolute incompatibility for this both on Gods part and on your part and on the Covenants part 1. On Gods part for he cannot nor will not make any agreement with unrighteousnesse nor hold communion with any who will hold communion with darknesse he is of purer eyes than to behold sinne much more than to agree with sinne it is contrary to his nature it were dishonourable for him so to do to admit a competition with that which he so much threatens and which his soul doth hate and abhorre 2. On our part your hearts cannot be brought to hold up a Covenant with God and yet to hold up a Covenant with your sinnes you cannot love God and that which is contrary to God you cannot love sinne and that which is contrary to sinne at the same time for if you love the Lord you will hate sinne and if you love sinne you will hate the Lord. 3. On the Covenants part the Covenant of God is to change the sinful heart it is to subdue iniquity it is to cleanse us from all our uncleanesses it is to make us an holy people â—nto the Lord so that of necessity you must resolve on it to break off your Covenant with sin if you will have God to be your God in Covenant 2 Cor. 6. 17. Come one from among them and be ye separated saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you ver 18. and will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty Mark this place it shews expressely the way of coming into the Covenant you must not make agreement with darknesse nor with Idols you must separate from them you must have nothing to do with any uncleanesse that is you must resolve never to joyne your selves to any sinne never to love or serve it and then saith God I will receive you what 's that that is then I will be your God I will take you into Covenant I will own you for mine I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sonnes and daughters Are you sure that you will be so yea for thus saith the Lord Almighty Ezek. 11. 18. They shall come thither and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof verse 19. And I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them c. verse 20. That they may walk in my Statutes and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Therefore examine your hearts what sinne lies there which makes a breach which keeps up enmity 'twixt you and God and put it farre away c. 3. If you would have the Lord to be your God in Covenant then judge your Judge your selves for your breach of Covenant with God selves for your ancient breach of the first Covenant with him and for your sins since that and confesse your absolute unworthinesse to be admitted and received into another Covenant with him O when a soul comes to be afflicted for sinnes and to acknowledge it self unworthy of mercies this soul is in a right posture for mercies God made a Covenant with us in Adam and stated life upon us in case of obedience but we presently brake Covenant with him and proved unfaithful and dealt treacherously with him fell off from him for a thing of naught and all the dayes of our lives have we been sinning and dishonouring and provoking of him so that had we our desert so farre might God be from accepting of us into a new Covenant that he might justly condemn us for our transgressing of the old Covenant if we did seriously and sadly review these things till our hearts were humbled within us and that we saw our life to be the free gift of God again and that we stood at his mercy only to spare us and pity us and accept of us and in this posture come to God and cry out O save me for thy mercies sake Lord I have undone my self I have left thee I have lost thee I have dealt unfaithfully with thee I have sinned exceedingly against thee I have gone farre from thee yet I come back to thee I hear thou art a merciful God though I am a sinful wretch I hear that thou art a gracious God though I am an unworthy sinner I hear that thou hast made a new Covenant to relieve and succour them who have violated the first Covenant I hear that this Covenant is full of grace and mercy and pity and help and happinesse I come to thee to make peace with thee to be reconciled unto me to shew me favour I perish if thou reject me I live if thou accept of me I can bring nothing I can challenge nothing only thou sayst That thou wilt have mercy on whom thou wilt have mercy and may not a poor miserable unworthy sinner be made capable of thy mercy may he not be received unto mercy why else didst thou give Christ why else didst thou set up a Covenant of grace O Lord receive me graciously and love me freely and for thine own sake become my God and make me to be one of thy people Verily this is a moving way and this is a taking way for
gives faith Vnto you it is given to believe Phil. 1. 29. By grace are Faith you saved through faith It is the gift of God Ephes 28. And he gives repentance Acts 11. 18. Then hath God given or granted unto Repentance the Gentiles repentance unto life And he gives mercy 2 Tim. 1. 16. The Lord give mercy to the house of Onesiphorus Mercy And he also freely gives us all things Rom. 8. 32. He gives grace and he gives All things gloâ—y Psal 84. 11. And he gives unto us exceeding great and precious promises that by them we Great and precious promises might be partakers of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. This Covenant is a Covenant of gifts all that God promiseth in it is given and all that God requires of us is given and all that we are to give again to God is first given unto us by God Reasons why it is so from And there are two reasons why this Covenant is an altogether giving Covenant 1. One is our universal brokennesse and impotency and insufficiency our sinful Our universal insufficiency fall hath so ship-wrack't and ruined us that we have nothing at all left us we are naked and poor and miserable Rev. 3. 17. Without strength Rom. 5. 6. Not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves 2 Cor. 3. 5. What hast thou that thou hast not received I Cor. 4. 7. Such a brokâ—n vessel is the sinner such a self-undoing and destitute creatures like the Prodigal who spent all and had neither bread nor rayment nor shoes nor any thing and therefore his father must provide all and give all he must give him housing and he must give him rayment and he must give him shoes for his feet and he must give him meat to eat and wine to drink Where the creature is universally miserable and utterly impotent there must be nothing but giving Mercy must give all or the sinner is undone 2. Another is Gods intenâ—ion and purpose in this Covenant and that in the Gods intention and purpose in this Covenant praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1. 6 His intent in making this Covenant is wholly and only to exalt himself to proclaime his own glory and therefore he will give all and the sinner is to receive all that all the glory and praise of mercy of grace of blessings may be returned unto himself alâ—ne Rom. 11. 35. Who hath first given to him and it shall be recompâ—nced unto him again Ver. 36. For of him and through him and to him are all things to whâ—m be glory for ever Amen Vse 1 If this Covenant be a giving Covenant then the poor and needy may traffique at it If it were a buying and selling Covenant in proper sense then Then the poor and needy may traffique at it poor sinners must despaire but it is a giving Covenant and therefore poor sinners have hope May not the poor who keep no house of their own yet go to the rich mans door where all is given When we survey our hearts and conditions we finde a world of wants and when we survey the Covenant we finde a Heaven of supplies Objection But then we fear and dispute and reason But how shall we get this mercy and gaine that blessing and enjoy that help We have nothing and we can bring nothing the Well indeed is deep but we have nothing to draw Sâ—l True but yet God can give all though you can bring nothing and according to the tenor of this Covenant He will give all the greatest and the least But will he give me food and rayment yes he will give you bread and he will give you double cloathing O But will he give me Grace yes he will give grace and glory O But will he give me Christ yes he will give his Christ that greatest gift that ever was given to sinners he is the gift of God O but will he give me mercy to pardon my sinnes and all my sinnes yes he will shew mercy and will forgive all thy sinnes whereby thou hast sinned against him O but will he give me Faith yes he will draw you to Christ and put forth an Almighty power to make you to believe O but will he give me another heart yes I will give thee a new heart c. O but I must pray if I would have these and I cannot pray why and it is his Covenant to give you the Spirit of grace and supplication Let these things quiet your sorrowful and troubled soules There is enough in the Covenant for you and all that is there is to be given 2. Be content to come and receive seeing God is pleased in this Covenant to be Be content to come and receive giving He is all upon the giving hand and we should be all upon the recâ—iving hand The giviâ—g works is Gods work and the receiving work is our work he findes the gift you must open your hand and take it O what a blessed Covenant is this wherein you may have all for asking and receiving Mat. 7. 7. Ask and it shall be given James 1. 5. If any of you lack wisdome let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and it shall be given him John 4. 10. If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me to drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Now there are four qualities which if you could get them you Which we shall do if we have these qualities would then be content and willing to come unto God and beg of him and receive of him what he will give and without these you will not do so 1. One is poverty of spirit you must be poor in spirit the poor man speaks Poverty of spirit supplications saith Solomon It was poor Lazarus that came to the rich mans dâ—or and it is the poor sinner one who is truly sensible of his spiritual wants and miseries who will come to the door of mercy and cry out O Father of mercies give me mercy O God of grace give me grace O give me Christ c. If you be rich and encreased and stand in need of nothing as Laodicea was if you have enough of your own if you think that you are righteous and need not Christ and need not mercy c. you will never come to God and beg him to give you these 2. A second is humâ—lity of heart a proud man scornes to beg and scornes Humility of heart to receive he will not be beholding to any body it is the humble man who will acknowledge mercy and blesse for mercy and beg for mercy and be glad he may have mercy upon receiving termes God gives grace to the humble and the humble are thankfully contented to receive grace from God 3. A praying heart will be glad to be receiving A praying
Covenant before we do apply God himself and interest our selves in him to lay hold on his mercies before we lay hold on himself to appropriate the purchase of Christ before we do embrace and appropriate Christ himself this is to disorder and displace the Covenant which first propounds God himself and Christ himself to be received and then the portion of all good things promised after this 2. We do disjoyne the things in the Covenant which God hath ordered to come By disjoyning those things God hath put together By expecting the gifts of the Covenant without the reasons of the Covenant By limiting God in the dispensations of his Covenant together as when we will have the mercy of the Covenant but not the repentance of the Covenant and the hope in Christ from faith in Christ and the promised salvation without the promised holinesse which leads unto that salvation 3. We do expect the gifts of the Covenant without the reasons of the Covenant upon the account of our goodnesse and not upon the account of Gods graciousnesse 4. We do limit God in the dispensations of his Covenant in his answers helps and blessings to our time and to our measure and to our haste and do not submit and leave these to the times of his wisdome and faithfulnesse Vse 2 Is the Covenant of grace an ordered Covenant and a well-ordered Covenant then let no man ever think to enjoy God or any good from Gods Covenant but in that way which God himself hath declared you must believe and repent There is no enjoying God 〈◊〉 in his own way c. Vse 3 Is the Covenant an ordered Covenant then doubt not of the enjoyment of mercy and blessednesse you who are his people but come with confidence unto your God who hath ordered love and mercy and peace and comfort and His people should not doubt of the enjoyment of mercy blessings and happinesse for you SECT VI. 6. A Sixth property of this Covenant is this it is a holy Covenant Luke It is a holy Covenant 1. 72. To performe the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy Covenant Dan. 11. 28. His heart shall be against the holy Covenant Psal 105. 42. He remembred his holy promise c. The Covenant is stiled holy in sundry respects 1. In respect of the parties interested in the Covenant viz. God and his In respect of the parties interested in it people both of them are holy God is holy he is an holy God Josh 24. 19. Holy holy holy Lord God Almighty Rom. 4. 8. His people are holy that thou mayst be an holy people to the Lord thy God Deut. 26. 19. The people of thy holinesse Esay 63. 18. The holy people Dan. 12. 7. To them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus 1. Cor. 1. 2. A holy Nation a peculiar people 1 Pet. 2. 9. The Temple of God is holy which Temple ye are 1 Cor. 3. 17. Although before we are brought into the Covenant we are a wicked and unholy defiled and polluted people yet when we are brought into the Covenant then we are made holy we are changed and washed and sanctified and are made partakers of his holinesse 2. In respect of the condition of the Covenant faith as you shall hear shortly In respect of the condition of the Covenant is the condition of this Covenant and true faith is a holy faith building up your selves in your most holy faith Jude ver 20. Purifying their hearts by faith Acts 15. 9. Which are sanctified by faith Acts 26. 18. Faith unites us to the holy Christ and to the holy God and draws holinesse from Christ and sets up that holy Christ in our hearts 3. In respect of the matter promised in the Covenant holinesse is one principal In respect of the matter promised thing promised in it God doth promise to give his holy Spirit Luke 11. 13. and to cleanse us from all iniquity Jer. 33. 8. and from all unrighteousnesse 1 John 1. 9. and to refine us with refining fire Mal. 3. 2. Hierusalem shall be holy Joel 3. 17. and to sanctifie us and purifie us I am the Lord who sanctifies you Lev. 20. 8. The God of peace sanctifie you wholly 1 Thes 5. 23. I sanctifie my self that they also might be sanctified through the truth John 17. 19. By the which will we are sanctified Heb. 10. 10. The change of a sinful heart the giving of a new heart and a new spirit the taking away the heart of stone and the giving of an heart of flesh the work of regeneration and of renovation these are expresly the matter in the Covenant 4. The Author of this Covenant doth expresly command holiness Be ye holy The Author of this Covenant commands holinesse for I am holy 1 Pet. 1. 16. Speak unto all the Congregation of the children of Israel and say unto them ye shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy Lev. 19. 2. Whatsoever things are pious whatsoever things are lovely c. think on these things Phil. 4. 8. This is the will of God even your sanctification 1 Thes 4. 3. Having therefore these promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. 5. This Covenant doth exceedingly encourage holinesse Blessed are the pure The Covenant doth encourage holinesse in heart for they shall see God Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the undefiled in the way Psal 119. 1. Being now become the servants of God ye have your fruit unto holinesse and the end everlasting life Rom. 6. 22. God is glorious in holinesse Exod. 15. 11. The Saints are the excellent on the earth Psal 16. 3. Gather my Saints together unto me those that have made a Covenant with me by sacrifice Psal 50. 5. This honour have all his Saints Psal 149. 9. He will keep the feet of his Saints 1 Sam. 2. 9. The Lord forsaketh not his Saints Psal 37. 28. He preserveth the souls of his Saints Psal 97. 10. He delivereth them out of the hands of the wicked ibid. The Saints shall judge the world 1 Cor. 6. 8. When he shall come to be glorified in his Saints 2 Thes 1. 10. 6. All about the Covenant respects holinesse and makes for holinesse all that work of renovation promised in the Covenant all that deliverance promised All about the Covenant respects holiness in the Covenant is that now we should serve the Lord in holinesse and righteousnesse all the mercies promised lead to holinesse to the love of God to the fear of God to repentance all the glory and happinesse there promised take in holinesse as a way thereunto the Christ there is made unto us sanctification as well as redemption the Spirit of Christ is there to sanctifie and there to comfort and seal us the two broad seals of the Covenant have holinesse written in them baptisme is a Laver
is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many for the Remission of sinnes Heb. 9. 15. For this cause he is the Mediatour of the New Testament that by means of death for the Redemption of the transgressions that were under the first Testament they which are called might receive the promise of an eternal inheritance Ver. 17. A Testament is of force after men are dead It is called a Covenant and a Testament 1. A Covenant in respect of God and a Testament in respect of Christ 2. A Covenant in respect of the manner of Agreement and a Testament in respect of the manner of confirming Jesus Christ died as a Testator and by his death confirmed the Testamentary gift before made of life and salvation 5. I might adde more demonstrations of this truth as the sealings of the Spirit The sealing of the Spirit and sealings of the Ordinances and the sealings of the Ordinances Baptisme and the Lords Supper which are the seals of this Will and the sealings of the people of God in their continual experience of the truth and certainty of the Covenant in the performance of the Covenant Psal 105. 8. He hath remembred his Covenant for ever Psal 119. 65. Thou hast dealt well with thy servant O Lord according to thy Word 2. Quest Why God makes a sute Covenant with his people Why God makes a sure Covenant Certainty is a ground of faith Sol. The reasons are these 1. Certainty is a ground of faith We are commanded to believe and to be perswaded and to stand and rest c. and to rejoyce in believing Rom. 15. 13. If the Covenant were uncertain and unsure your faith would never be certain and sure Heb. 10. 22. Let us draw nâ—â—r with a true heart in full assurance of faith But how could we draw near in that fâ—ll assurance of faith Surely by believing and being fully perswaded to enjoy what God hath promised unlesse there were a certainty in the Covenant viz. That God will certainly performe what he hath promised unto us there cannot possibly be a certainty of faith upon uncertain promises 2. Certainty is a ground of peace this Covenant is stiled a Covenant of peace Certainty is a ground of peace because it settles and quiets and establisheth our hearts yea and the Covenant breeds perfect peace it stills all the fears and doubts and thoughts of heart and therefore it must needs be a sure Covenant and being so we have strong consolation Heb. 6. 18. Two things are necessary to the settling of peace in the soul either 1. An actual fruition 2. A certain expectation Were the Covenant uncertain it may be God will be my God it may be he will not be my God it may be he will pardon my sins it may be he will not pardon my sins it may be he will save my soul and it may be he will not save my soul this uncertainty on Gods part would leave an uncertainty on our part and either of these uncertainties would certainly leave us to an uncertain distracted unsettled conscience O I can never be sure that God will be mine that mercy shall be mine c. 3. Certainty is the ground of hope and of patience God would have his people Certainty is the ground of hope and patience to hope in him and to wait for him to hope in his mercy and to wait for his promise Psal 130. 7. Lâ—t Israel hope in the Lord. Lam. 3. 26. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. 1 Pet. 1. 13. Gird up the loynes of your mind be sober and hope to the end and therefore the Covenant is sure and must be so for hope is upheld by a sure and stedfast Anchor Heb. 6. 19. and patience by a sure word of promise wait for it for it will surely come Hab. 2. 3. God saith it twice in Joel 2. 26 27. My people shall never be ashamed and my people shall never be ashamed and Isa 49. 23. Thou shalt know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me and Rom. 5. 5. Hope makes not ashamed O but we should be ashamed of our hope and ashamed of our patience if we should look for a God and wait for a God who either could not help us or else would fail us 4. The certainty of the Covenant is the great glory of the Covenant it is more The certainty of the CovenaÌ„t is the glory of it glory to God to make a sure Covenant than an unsure Covenant to be certain in his word than uncertain to be a faithful God than an unfaithful God and we glorifie him more upon the account of the surenesse of his Covenant here is mercy promised and this mercy is sure all the mercies in this Covenant are the sure mercies of David here is Christ promised and this Christ is a sure foundation Isa 38. 16. Here is grace and glory promised and they are sure and here are necessary outward blessings promised and they are sure waters O how this exalts the goodnesse of God! all of it is sure and our poore souls if they come into Covenant shall surely enjoy all the good thereof mercy and grace and righteousnesse and joy and peace and spiritual life 5. God makes a Covenant that is sure because he would draw the hearts of his God would draw the hearts of his people to himself alone people to himself alone There are four things which will draw and fix the heart where it can discover them 1. One is goodnesse this is the good which I need 2. A second is fulnesse here is all the good which I need 3. A third is freenesse all this good is to be had freely 4. A fourth is certainty I shall not faile of any part of this good why these are apt to work on the heart and to draw it and to fix it and all these God puts into the Covenant which he makes with his people it is good it is full it is free and it is certain I will do you good saith God and I will do you all good and I will do it freely and I will do it assuredly why then to whom should we go thou hast all the words of eternal life on whom should we trust but on thy self alone O Lord who art so full a goodnesse and so sweet a graciousnesse and so unquestionable a faithfulnesse and truth 6. This Covenant which God makes with his people is sure because none of None of Gods people shall ever have cause to complain of him the people of God shall ever have cause just cause to complain of him or to blame him David in a distempered fit mutters out Psal 77. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore But he corrects himself for this in verse 10. I said This is my infirmity c. But
2. That all is sure in the Covenant that there is no difference of any good which God hath promised as to the graciousnesse and as to the certainty of giving why all the good of the Covenant is freely given unto you and shall certainly be given unto you and therefore you who are the people of God be not satisfied with the little which you have but enlarge your hearts and enlarge your desires and enlarge your confidences for there is much more in the Covenant than as yet you have got out of the Covenant and there it is laid up for you and it will be as surely performed as any blessing which hitherto you have enjoyed Beloved the Covenant is not sure in one paâ—â—â— and unsure in another part this mercy promised is sure but that mercy promised is unsure the lesser is sure but the greater is unsure but all of it and all in it are sure pardon of lesser sinnes is sure and pardon of greater sinnes is sure yea pardon of all your sinnes is sure and as a pardoning mercy is sure so healing mercy is sure and helping mercy is sure God will as certainly heal and renew your hearts as he will pardon your sinful doings and God will as certainly subdue your strong corruptions and powerful temptations as he will do you any other good and he will as surely give you peace in conscience and Christ and eternal life and the joyes of the holy Ghost as well and as certainly as he hath given any truth of grace to you You think this may be had and that may be had but you seldome come up with faith to believe that all shall be had O Sirs we frequently forget that the Covenant of God is a sure Covenant and sure in all things but let us strive to raise our faith unto that heighth and to that latitude that all the Covenant is sure there is not one word of it which it shall fail God will surely performe all his good promises of the Covenant what you possesse you think is sure yea and all that God promiseth is sure and therefore stir up your hearts and look up to God with as much confidence for all which yet you want be it never so much and never so great for God will surely make good all his Covenant to you you have found the Covenant sure in many things O but the Covenant is sure in all things all the promises of God are Yea and Amen c. 3. Be not discouraged nor despond nor despair for the Covenant Be not discouraged is sure there are foure times when our hearts are very apt to faile us 1. One is long delayes of earnest prayers See Psal 22. 1. My God my God why hast thou forsaken me why art thou so farre from helping me and from the words of my roaring Verse 2. O my God I cry in the day-time but thou hearest not and in the night-season and am not silent 2. Another is seeming dislike and discouragement of seeking Lam. 3. 7. He hath made my chaine heavy Ver. 8. Also when I cry and shout he shutteth out my prayers Matth. 15. 23. He answered her not a word Verse 24. I am not sent but to the lost sheep of Israel Ver. 26. It is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs 3. A third is a sensible contradicting or denial of our requests as Heztkiah spake for peace I have great bitternesse So when we pray for peace in conscience then we feel more distresse and trouble in conscience and when we pray against temptations then we finde more powerful and violent temptations and when we pray for deliverance from sinne we then feel more strong assaults and turbulent motions of sin 4. A fourth is when Gods dealings of providence seem quite opposite to his undertakings in his promise Judges 6. 12. The Lord is with thee thou mighty man of valour said the Angel to Gideon Ver. 13. And Gideon said unto him If the Lord be with us why then is all this befallen us and where are all his miracles which our fore-fathers told us of Did not the Lord bring us out of Egypt but now the Lord hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hand of the Midianices neither hast thou delivered thy people at all Exod. 5. 23. And so David to whom God promised a Kingdome but instead thereof he was banished the Kingdome and his life was sought for and pursued by Saul whereupon he concludes instantly that all men are lyars Psal 116. 11. In all these cases and many more we are very apt to be discouraged and to question at least the surenesse of Gods Covenant and to cry out with David Psal 77. 7. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Ver. 8. Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise faile for evermore Ver. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies Neverthelesse notwithstanding all these contigencies and seeming contrarieties and manifold delays and strange dealings of God with his people his Covenant with them is sure and it shall certainly be performed as no work of man so no work of God doth or shall frustrate the Covenant of God with his people Therefore for the better support of your hearts under all these dealings of God with you carefully remember a few positions 1. They are tryals of our faith but no testimonies of Gods unfaithfulnesse He that sits in darknesse and sees no light let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay himself upon the God of Jacob Isa 50. 10. We think that we dare to rely on the word of promise as a truth of God as a sure word which will not faile us Now God by these contrary dealings tries the faith of his servants there is still my promise to hear and to do you good and here to your sense and feeling is something directly contrary unto it Can you in this condition glorifie my good and faithful Word Though all these clouds arise yet the Sun will break forth though all this befalls me I shall yet see him to be the help of my countenance and my God his Word is a tryed Word I will not fail God who cannot lye hath promised Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. why Beloved this is one principal end of Gods dealing with us in ways contrary to his promises namely to try and to demonstrate what our faith is in his promises 2. They are reasons of our patience but no characters of Gods change be ye followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises saith the Apostle in Heb. 6. 12. God is pleased to hide himself from our prayers and seems to neglect them in this he tries our faith and God is pleased many times to delay his answers in this he exercises our patience he will be acknowledged not only as a
Covenant because he is a third person engaged not so much for God as unto God on our behalf that all that we are obliged for in Covenant unto God shall be truly and faithfuly made good and performed He as our surety stands bound to fill us with those graces to give us those affections and to supply us with such a sufficiency of strength as for ever to cleave unto the Lord in dependance and love and to walk before him in truth and to serve him in holinesse and righteousnesse all out dayes 2. The Mediatorship of Christ you know that he is stiled the Mediator of The Mediatorship of Christ the Covenant Heb. 12. 24. You know that this is one difference 'twixt the Covenant of works and the Covenant of grace that had no Mediator but this hath there God dealt with Adam as a righteous person and Adam had no other bottome and foundation for his standing but his own created righteousnesse as long as he kept that the Covenant remained and when he lost that the Covenant was broken for there was no Mediator to make up the breach But now for the Covenant of grace there is a Mediator upon whose shoulder the weight of the Covenant rests and as long as that Mediator lasts which is for ever so long that Covenant of grace shall last This Mediator is Jesus Christ who as Mediator doth confirm the Covenant by satisfying for sinne and making peace and reconciliation not suffering any enmity and difference to remain between God and his people but he doth if I may so expresse it keep up the League 'twixt them both by his merit with the Father and by his Spirit with believers by his Priestly Office he establisheth peace with God and by his Kingly Office he establisheth the hearts of the children of God his very Office as Mediator is to unite God and us together and to preserve that union for ever if at any time we sinne we have an Advocate with the Father even Jesus Christ the righteous who is the propitiation for our sinnes and when we are weak he then puts out his strength to conquer temptations for us All these things considered it is clear that because of Christs Mediatorship the Covenant of grace must be everlasting 3. The union 'twixt Christ and the people of the Covenant That there is an The union betwixt Christ and his people union 'twixt Christ and believers is most evident in Scripture I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine so the Church speaks of Christ Cant. 6. 3. in respect of which union Christ and believers are stiled the head and the body Eph. 1. 22. A foundation and a building Eph. 2. 20 21. 1 Pet. 2. 4 5. A Vine and the branches John 15. 5. A husband and wife 2 Cor. 11. 2. Eph. 5. 32. And Christ dwells in us and we in him John 6. 54. He lives in us Galatians 2. 20. Christ liveth in me and we live in him Col. 3. 3. This union 'twixt Christ and us it hath two properties It is 1. Unio arcta a very near union so near is that union that in a proportion it doth answer the union 'twixt Christ and God his Father John 17. 22. That they may be one even as we are one and that we are entitled with the very Name of Christ himself 1 Cor. 12. 12. and that we are said to die with Christ and to live and rise with Christ and our sufferings are stiled his sufferings Col. 1. 24. and the persecution of Christians the persecution of Christ Acts 9. 4 5. Why persecutest thou me 2. Firma a very firm and lasting union therefore our marriage with him is called an everlasting marriage Hosea 2. 19. And Christ saith of every believer who hath union with him that he dwells in him John 6. 56. that he will not lose him ver 39. that he hath everlasting life ver 47. that he shall not die but live for ever ver 50 51. And indeed by vertue of this union with Christ all believers do enjoy an everlasting influence and an everlasting communion with God in Christ c. 4. The love of Christ unto believers who are the people of God in Covenant The love of Christ unto believers the Scriptures are very high in the expression of it John 15. 9. As the Father hath loved me so have I loved you continue ye in my love Ephes 5. 2. Walk in love as Christ also hath loved us and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savour Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood John 13. 1. Having loved his own he loved them to the end Ephes 3. 19. The love of Christ which passeth knowledge His love is a fruitful love a watchful love an intire love a faithful love an helpful love and a preserving and upholding love is it imaginable that Jesus Christ having so much love to die for his people that they might not perish will after that leave them unto themselves that they may break the Covenant and so perish 5. The prayers and intercession of Christ the intercession of Christ is everlasting The prayers and Intercession of Christ He ever lives to make intercession he is our Advocate who appeares for us and our Intercessor who speaks for us and his prayers and intercession do prevail with the Father Thou hearest me alwayes Joh. 11. 42. Now you may read of four Petitions which Christ did put up for his for their constancy and perseverance in the Covenant Luke 22. 32. I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter that he may abide with you for ever Joh. 17. 11. Holy Father keep through thine own Name those that thou hast given me Ver. 20. Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word Joh. 17. 24. Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me before the foundation of the world 6. Christs promises and preparations and what are these Rom. 8. 1. Thâ—re is Christs promises and preparations no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Mark 16. 16. He that believeth shall be saved John 3. 16. Whosoever believeth in him shall nâ—t perish but have eternal life John 14. 2. In my Fathers house are many Mansions I go to prepare a place for you 7. I might adde to all these the work of Christ on the hearts of believers in destroying The work of Christ on the hearts of believers the works of the devil in crucifying of their lusts in healing of their natures in quickening of their graces in conquering of temptations in drawing out their affections c. 8. The titles of Christ 1. Our Rock 2.
a distance so that they cannot close that same hinders union Now there are four things which keep the soule and Christ at a distance Christ and we cannot close whiles they continue and faith breaks them all down 1. A proud conceit of our own fulnesse Righteousness sufficiency I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance said Christ And the whâ—le need From a proud conceit of our own fulnesse no physitian but the sick And the Son of man is câ—me to seek and to save that which was lost Now faith that unites to Christ breaks this partition wall and levels this mountain it empties the sinner of himself it takes away all confidence in himself and will by no means suffer him to rest upon or to be found in his own righteousnesse Phil. 3. 3. We rejoyce in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh verse 9. And be found in him not having mine own righteousnesse which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ 2. A love of sin This is likewise an absolute hindrance of union with Christ From a love of sin That heart cannot close with Christ which closeth with sin and Christ will not close with that heart which is joyned to sin Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Hosea 4. 17. as if he should say his heart loves Idols and therefore I will have nothing to do with him So Joh. 3. 19. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world and men love darkness rather than light Christ is that light and he presented and offered himself to sinners but they loved thier sins and would not part with them to joyne with Christ Now faith which brings a soule to Christ hath parted that soule and sin it hath given a bill of divorce unto sin it takes off the heart from sin what shall I prefer hell before heaven shall I prefer damnation before salvation shall I for this sinful lusts-sake deny Christ my heart refuse to marry him who is the Son of God the Lord of glory the Prince of Peace the Saviour of sinners What have I to do any more with Idols said Ephraim Hosea 14. 8. Get thee hence said they in Isa 30. 22. How shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein Rom. 6. 2. 3. A love of the world He that loveth Father or Mother more than me is not From a love of the world worthy of me and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me Matth 10. 37. If a man saith I will have my ease and I will have my liberty and I will have my pleasures and I will have my profits and I will have my friends and I will have my honours and I will not have Christ with any losse or crosse this man loves the world and this hinders union with Christ The young man lost Christ upon this very account Luke 18. 22 23. But if Faith indeed be wrought in the heart all this language is removed out of the way Faith overcomes the world 1 Joh. 5. 4. The Merchants sold all for to buy the pearle of great price and Moses in Heb. 11. 24 25 26. We have forsaken all and followed thee said the Disciples When a man hath faith he can be content to be Fatherlesse and Motherlesse to be friendlesse and landlesse to part with all rather than he will be Christlesse Faith sees enough in Christ though he should enjoy no more but Christ Faith will enable us to trample upon the world so that we may enjoy Christ it will enable us to break off with all and to breake down all to possesse him who is better than all 4. Vnbelief This locks and shuts up the heart that it cannot move at all to From unbelief Christ cannot see Christ nor hear Christ nor desire Christ nor give consent to Christ But faith breakes down unbelief breaks open the prison and breaks asunder all the shackles and fetters of unbelief answers all exceptions reasonings cavils delayes fears doubts and sets the soule at liberty and works in the whole soule to Christ O beloved try your hearts by what I have spoken in this particular you think that you have this uniting faith But what hath that faith wrought upon you and within you to bring you and Christ together It is not so easie a work to match Christ and the soule together nothing can do that but faith and no faith can do that but such a faith which presents Christ in that height of goodness and beauty and excellency that the soul is drawn out with that strength and vehemency of desire after Christ as to part with all to enjoy Christ c. And who hath found it thus Is there not yet something or other which stand between Christ and our hearts c. 3. Thirdly you may know whether your faith be indeed a faith of union by The acts by which the soul is brought into union those acts or workings in the soule immediately and necessarily to make up an union between a soule and Christ unto which when the soule attains then Christ is ours and we are Christs For as there are some acts which are immediate to constitute a conjugal union twixt person and person without which there is no conjugal relation between them and upon which the relation is immediately made so there are some acts of the soul immediate to the being of the Spiritual union twixt a person and Christ without which there is no relation and upon which there is an immediate relation twixt him and Christ There are two acts upon the soule when the union is made between Christ and us 1. One is an act or work of the Spirit on the behalf of Christ testifying unto our An act of the Spirit testifying that Christ is willing to be ours hearts and perswading our hearts that Jesus Christ is contented is very willing to become ours to be an Husband to us to be our Head to be our Saviour Jesus Christ doth outwardly expresse his consent in the Gospel but he inwardly delivers it unto us by his Spirit As by the spirit he becomes ours If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his Rom. 8. 9. So by the Spirit he testifies his willingness and consent to be ours yea and that he is ours Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us 1 Joh. 3. 24. 2. The other is the act or effect of faith on our behalf For the Spirit in testifying unto us the willingnesse and consent of Christ to be ours doth at the same An act of faith in a Reciprocal câ—nsent from us to Christ time work faith in our hearts which draws out a reciprocal consent from us to Châ—ist And therefore as Christ is said to abide in us by his Spirit so he is said to dwell in us by faith These
as the Wife is subject unto the Husband and an obedience unto Christ as the members are obedient to the Head Quest And what subjection and obedience is that Sol. You know that it is voluntary and it is full and it is chearful and it is ingenuous and it is accurate and it is durable as long as the union and relation What that subjection is doth last The Wife willingly obeyes and obeyes every lawful and good command and doth it with all her heart and is very well pleased if her husband be pleased c. Why after this manner will faith fashion your hearts to Christ if it hath united you to Christ or rather thus will Christ upon your union with him fashion and enable your hearts Your hearts will look on Christ as one that hath authority and right to command them and give laws to them And your hearts will look on all his commands as good and holy and just and they will not be grievous unto you but you will be a willing people in the day of his power And thus by these chracters you may know whether you have this faith of union which indeed joynes you to Christ and is the condition of this Covenant SECT VI. 2. Quest NOw I proceed unto the second Question what is to be done to What is to be done to obtain this faith obtain this faith this faith of union which only brings us into the Covenant Sol. To help you in this seeing all our soules hopes and enjoyments depend upon it I would commend this course or practice unto you 1. Consider the Author of this faith to whom it doth really appertain to give this faith which unites to Christ 2. Consider what meanes he doth use for the giving and working of it in the hearts of sinners 3. Consider what concernes your selves in reference unto God and those means by which he doth work the faith which doth unite to Christ 1. Consider the Author of this faith who it is that can give this faith which Consider the Author of this faith unites us to Christ very much lies in this for if we mistake the cause it is very probable we shall misse of the effect if we go with our vessels to Cisterns that hold no water we shall returne empty and ashamed therefore remember 1. That no man whosoever is or can be the authour of this faith unto himself by No man can be the author of it to himself his natural power he cannot 1. Come to Historical Faith Matth. 16. 17. Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee 2ly See his need of Christ the Spirit is sent to convince of sin 3ly Omnipotency is necessary Ephes 1. 19 20. 1 Cor. 1. 21. The World by wisdome knew not God and verse 23. Christ to the Jews a stumbling block foolishnesse to the Greeks If any man had such a power to believe in Christ surely it would appear either in the gifted sinner who hath great parts of knowledge and understanding and wisdom or in the troubled and distressed sinner who longs for ease and rest to his poor soul and would put out all the power he hath to enjoy it But no such power is to be found in them as from themselves to enable their hearts to believe in Christ The knowing and understanding sinners in other matters may yet be grosly ignorant of Christ and averse to Christ and the things of Christ And the more spiritual knowledge any man hath of Christ or of himself the more inability shall he discern in himself to believe on Christ And the troubled and distressed sinner cannot of himself believe or lay hold on Christ though Christ be revealed to him and offered to him and all arguments used to perswade him yet he is concluded under unbelief except the Lord himself perswades and drawes his heart No persons can though they have Eloquence Piety Pity Art Diligence Wishing and Desires 2. That no Ordinances and meanes whatsoevever can of themselves be the author of this uniting faith If the Apostles of Christ did live amongst you and No means and Ordinances of themselâ—eâ— can be the Author of it did preach every day of the week unto you the Gospel of Christ neither they nor yet the Gospel which they preached could by their own power make any one sinner to believe on Christ Matth. 11. 17. We have piped unto you and ye have not danced we have mourned unto you and ye have not lamented 'T is true that these are meanes and instruments of faith as you shall presently hear but the Axe which is an instrument cuts not of itself and the â—ord which is a means draws not of itself Neither the convincing Paul nor eloquent Apollos nor the affectionate John can prevaile 3. That no duties whatsoever are the authors of the faith which unites to No duties are the authors of faith Christ You may pray and should pray but Prayer as a work done by you is not the cause of faith and you may hear and read and meditate but none of these as your works can be the author of this faith All these may be done and yet your hearts remaine still faithlesse Rom. 10. 18. Have they not heard verse 16 But they have not all obeyed 4. God and God only is the Author of the faith which unites us to Christ No God and God only is the Author of faith man saith Christ himself Joh. 6. 44. can come to me except the Father draw him and verse 45. They shall be all taught of God every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned of the Father cometh unto me God himself must teach the heart And therefore Christ saith in verse 29. This is the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent Ephes 2. 8. By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of your selves it is the gift of God Untill the Lord himself gives you faith you cannot believe untill the Lord say Come you cannot come untill the Almighty God say to your hearts Be willing and be able to take Christ to receive him to give consent to be his you will never be able and never be willing to close with him c. Therefore remember this every one of you who desire this faith of union I say remember That it is God only none but God who can give you Christ and none but God can give you faith which unites you to Christ it is his work and his alone Never look for it from any power in your selves or in any other creature but look only to God for it 2. Consider what means God doth use for the giving and working of faith Though Consider the means of working this faith the meanes of themselves give not faith yet God doth give faith by the meanes although the Conduit of itself gives not water yet the fountain sends it unto your houses by the Conduit Now that meanes is
the Gospel this is clear in Ephes 1. 13. In whom you also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth the Gospel of your salvation So Rom. The Gospel is the means of faith 10. 17. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God The Gospel is therefore called the door of Faith Acts 14. 27. and the word of faith Rom. 10. 8. and the power of God Rom. 1. 16. and the word of Reconciliation 2 Cor. 5. 19. The Gospel is the meanes of faith in three respects 1. In that it is set apart and ordained by God himself for that end and purpose to call sinners to Christ It is set apart for that end As it is blessed of God with the presence of his Spirit 2. In that it is blessed of God with the presence of his Spirit to work and implant faith There God reveales his arm and puts forth his power Some men do fancy wayes of their own to get faith And why not another way as well as by the Gospel I will tell you why Because God hath not ordained and sanctified any other way but this When the Lord commanded the brasen Serpent to be set up for the healing of the people and that they should look on it and be healed they might as well demand and why a Brasen Serpent and why not another brasen Serpent as well as this to heal us No none but this for this only was ordained of God and sanctified for that purpose So the Gospel that and that only is the means ordained and sanctified by God and which hath his promise of presence and blessing to go along with it to beget faith in our hearts 3. In that it is the most apt of all ministrations whatsoever to raise and perswade It is the most apt of all ministrations for this end the heart to believe For there only is the relation of the grace of God and love of God and kindness of God and of the mercy of God in Christ and therein is Christ made known and the righteousnesse of Christ and a sinners salvation in and by Christ and therein are held forth all the encouragements to winne the heart to Christ and all the answers and resolves to whatsoever may breed fears and doubts and discouragements in the heart from coming to Christ and all promises by which this faith is raised 3. Consider what concerns your selves in reference unto God who only gives faith Câ—nsider what concerns us in reâ—erence to God and the Gospel and in reference to the Gospel which is the only meanes by which this faith is wrought Supposing only three things already formed in you viz. 1. An apprehension that you are lost and separated from God by sin 2. A conviction that you stand in extream need of Christ 3. An earnest desire at least to enjoy Christ I would propound four things for you to do that so at length you may Four things to be done attain unto this uniting faith 1. Diligent application of your selves to the hearing of the Gospel joyning Diligent application of our selves to the hearing of the Gospel for this end thereunto a serious and reverent attention come and hear and come and hear for this very end if peradventure God will give you this faith if peradventure his Spirit will accompany the Gospel with power unto your hearts that so you may be able to believe Come as the impotent man came to the poole to be healed Lydia took this course and her heart was opened to believe Acts 16. 14. So did they in Acts 2. 37. 41. Act. 13. 48. When the Gentiles heard this they glorified the word of the Lord And as many as were ordained to eternal life believed 2. Serious meditation upon first the relation of the Gospel 2ly The offers Serious meditation of the Gospel 3ly The terms of the Gospel 4ly The promises of the Gospel 5ly The instances or examples in the Gospel 1. The Gospel Revelations of Jesus Christ given sent sealed set forth by God Of the revelations of the Gospel to be a Redeemer a Saviour a Mediatour a Peace a Propitiation a Reconciliation a life for sinners Now seriously meditate on all this you whose hearts are broken with the sense of your sins The Gospel in the Word of truth what it reveals and declares unto us that same is certain and infallibâ—e and the Gospel is the Word of Salvation whatsoever concerns our salvation that same is manifested unto us by the Gospel And this Gospel doth reveal and declare unto us the exceeding love of God the Father in that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes on him should not perish but have everlasting life It doth also declare unto us hiâ— Son Jesus Christ who was God and in time was made man that so he might reconcile and unite man to God And it doth declare him in the union of his Natures and excellencies of his Person and in the glories of his Offices and in the accomplishment of all the work of Redemption and salvation for sinners and willingnesse to save them So that from the very Gospel-revelation of Jesus Christ a distressed sinner may gain thus much 1. As not to despaire 2. As to have some hope 3. As to have some desires O here is a Christ for sinners A Christ given by God the Father to save sinneâ—s why should I then despaire and here is a Christ such a Christ of such infinite worth and merit given to make satisfaction and peace and why should not I hope Am I excluded At least his Person and Offices and Works may serve thus far to beget hope and to work a desire that I may enjoy him in whom alone salvation is to be found and who came into the world to save sinners 2. The Gospel offers this Christ to distressed and poor sinners Acts 13. 26. Vnto Of the offers of the Gospel you is the Word of this Salvation sent verse 38. Through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of your sins This Evangelical offer of Christ it is The Evangelical offer is A good offer 1. A good Offer It is an offer of a Saviour of Mercy Peace Life and of Salvation itself This day is Salvation come to thy house 2. It is a serious Offer Heb 12. 25. See that ye refuse not him that speak th A seâ—â—ous offer 2 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation Hearken unto me and your soules shall live Isa 55. 3. Believe and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 31. These are serious offers and commands 3. It is a personal Offer the Lord Jesus means you in particular You I say A personal offer who are heavy-laden you who are poor you who hunger and thirst unto you is the word of this salvation offered and sent 4. It is a very tender Offer 2 Cor. 5. 20. As though God did beseech you by us A
tender offer We pray you in Christs stead be ye reconciled to God why If a sinner did seriously meditate on this offer of Christ by the Gospel me thinks it might much conduce towards a bringing in of his heart to Christ by faith 5. It is an Offer worthy of all acceptation 1 Tim. 1. 15. As to the making of a match when you report unto the party there is such a person every way desirable An offer worthy of all acceptation and lovely there is no exceptions to be taken He is perfectly beautiful singularly wise affectionately loving exceedingly rich every way suitable and you cannot live unlesse you have him And besides all this he dâ—res and offers himself to match with you Surely all this conduceth much to the making of a match So when a poor sinner hears of Christ and of so much good in and by Christ and withall findes Christ offering himself unto him I am willing to be yours I am content to take you as I find you I know your sins and wants and unworthinesse I know what it must cost me to adorn you c. yet I offer my self to be yours and I charge you that you do not neglect and refuse my offer Truely this conduceth very much to perswade the heart and to draw the heart to close by faith with Christ c. 3. The Gospel offers Jesus Christ upon very gracious and reasonable terms In â—f the terms of the Gospel the Gospel you shall finde Jesus Christ propounded unto sinners under several notions and expressions and in all of them you may discern the admirable condescentions of Christ he cannot fall in with you upon lower and easier terms so as to become yours than he doth propound Sometimes he is propounded as a Gift and all the terms that he stands for that you may be possessed of him as a Gift is that you receive him giving and receiving are correlatives Sometimes he is propounded as a Match as a Husband and all that he stands for to make him yours is only that you be willing that you give your consent to be his Sometimes he is propounded as a Bargain to be bought and all that he imposeth on you is this that you buy without money and without price Sometimes he is propounded as a Guest and a friend who would come into your house and sup with you and all that he insists with you for is only this that you open the door and let him in 4. As the Gospel reveales Christ unto you and offers Christ unto you and The promises of the Gospel offers him unto you upon most gracious terms so likewise it holds out unto you abundance of promises which are as so many Adamants to draw your hearts to Christs and are as so many cords of Love There are promises which respect you and Christ If you will come and be his he will certainly be yours he will not reject you And there are promises which respect you and your good estate by Christ As that he will marry you to himself in righteousness and in judgement and in loving-kindness and in mercies Hosea 2. 19. And that he will be Wisdom and Righteousnesse and Sanctification and Redemption unto you 1 Cor. 1. 30. And that there shall be no condemnation to you Rom. 8. â— And that whosoever believes shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3. 16. And that whosoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins Acts 10. 43. 5. Besides all this the Gospel gives you instances of the performance of all these promises The instances and examples iâ— the Gospel and likewise of the gracious reception of as great and unworthy sinners as your self 1 Tim. 1. 13 14 15 16. 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. It shews how that when sinners have by faith come to Christ he hath accepted of them hath receâ—ved them graciously hath bestowed himself upon them hath given righteousnesse and remission of sins and his Spirit and his Peace and everlasting life unto them Every true believer who came to Christ did enjoy Christ and all saving good with and by Christ Mary Magdalen Paul the Corinthians Ephesians and all others are witnesses of it c. they became Christs and Christ became theirs and he was their Attonement Redemption Reconciliation Righteousnesse Life c. why A serious and solid consideration of all these Evangelical passages they cannot but work on the hearts of broken sinners to look towards this Christ at least to pant in humble and earnest desires of him and for faith that they may be united unto him 3. The third means which I would present unto you for the obtaining of this uniting faith is earnest supplication or prayer As Christ spake unto the woman of Samaria if thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Earnest supplication give me drink thou wouldest have asked of him and he would have given thee living water Joh. 4. 10. So sayâ— if you did but know the excellency of this faith of union with Christ and what Christ is and what union with Christ is and how far it interests you in the Covenant of grace surely you would earnestly be enlarged in your supplications and requests unto God for it and you would not be denied this request Ephes 3. 14. For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ verse 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith draw me and I will run after thee Well pray the Lord to give this faith unto you which will unite you to Christ I say pray the Lord to give it you For 1. You cannot give it to your own hearts it is not in your power to make your hearts to believe 2. None can give it but God no created power is sufficient for this work 3. God is able to make your hearts to believe to break all the chains of unbelief To set out Christ as most desirable and to work faith that so you shall come to Christ He is able to enlighten your minds and to convince your judgements and to overcome your wills and to perswade your hearts 4. He hath promised to give this faith He hath promised that the dead shall hear the voice of his Son Joh. 5. 25. He hath promised that they shall be all taught of God and he that heareth and learneth of the Father shall come to Christ Joh. 6. 45. He hath promised to allure us unto Christ Hosea 2. 14. And to perswade Japhet Gen. 9. 27. and to make us a willing people in the day of his power Psal 110. 2. and to send the rod of his strength out of Zion verse 3. Object We do hear and we do pray and yet we are not able to believe Sol. 1. O but pray that God would make the Gospel which you do hear to be the savour of life unto you and that his Spirit may accompany the Gospel which you do hear
To open the Gospel 2. Thy ear 3. Thy heart for it is by his Spirit that the Gospel proves to be unto you the word of Faith Our Gospel came in power and in the Holy Ghost 1 Thes 1. 5. If the Spirit of God did but reveale his Arm if he would but breath through the Gospel it would certainly be the power of God for faith in you 2. Again you must pray with all importunity and diligence and watchfulness and observation what God answers and spiritual violence and resolution and never cease wrestling with God I tell you it is one of the greatest requests that you can make to God O Lord unite me to Christ give me that faith by which I may be Christs and Christ may be mine And take this for thine encouragement That if the Lord hath given such a spiritual and steadfast frame of spirit as to pray he Patiently wait upon God in the use of meanes will at length give thee this faith 4. Patiently wait upon God in the use of Evangelical means untill he doth come in with his Spirit upon your Spirits to enable you by faith to close with Christ lye at the Pool do not limit God to this Sermon or to that Prayer and do not wrangle and murmure against God regard what concerns your self to do and trust God with his work and with his time never did any soule seek him or wait on him in vain nor return ashamed there is not one Prayer that you make nor any one Evangelical Sermon that ye hear but it is making way in your hearts for this uniting faith Some more light gets in to discover Christs fulness and our want Some more hope is raised of a possibility at length to enjoy Christ Some more power is given against the powers and workings and reasonings and fears and doubts of unbelief they have not that despairing dominion Some more bewailings of thy Christlesse condition and strong unbelief with a resistance of it Sometimes more renewed resolutions and courage well whatsoever comes of it I will not yet give over my suite I will venture a few prayers more something more is getting in and winning upon the heart towards Christ But Why may I not believe on Christ what if I should venture on him upon his offers upon his entreaties upon his commands upon his promises do I not sin against Christ and offend him thus to fear thus to dispute thus to question thus to stand off well I will come and believe on him O I cannot Lord help me Lord work in me both to will and to do when Lord how long yet will I wait on thee till thou shewest this mercy to me SECT VII 3. Vse IS faith the condition of the Covenant of grace And is that faith an uniting Comfort and encouragement Faith a faith which unities us unto Christ The next Use then shall be for Comfort and Encouragement 1. To sinners in general 2ly To believers in particular to such as yet finde themselves out of Covenant and to such as finde themselves partakers of this uniting faith 1. That faith is the condition of the Covenant of Grace this is a comfort and To sinners in general encouragement to poor sinners who as yet finde themselves out of Covenant If God had put any other condition upon that Covenant every sinner had been utterly hopelesse suppose he had annexed and imposed the condition of actual and perfect and personal righteousnesse bring that and perform that and then I will be your God I will accept of you I will own you I will love you I will pardon you I will save you why no sinner could upon this termes have found an entrance or admission into the Covenant because the performance of If faith be the condition this Covenant is impossible to a sinner as such a condition is inconsistent with the grace of God so such a condition is impossible with the state of sin which is a state of impotency and of death But now faith being the condition of the Covenant as there is a door open for grace to manifest it self so there is hope for a sinner to partake of that grace for if God will capitulate with us upon believing There is hope for in Christ Then 1. Our former sinnings do not absolutely exclude us One sin did break the Covenant Our former sinnings doth not exclude us of works but our many sins hinder not our reception into the Covenant of grace if yet we believe on Christ 2. A want of personal and perfect righteousness doth not exclude us for faith is not to look at our own righteousâ—ess but at the righteousnesse of Christ Nor want of personal and perfect righteousness Nor self unrighteousnesse 3. Our self-unworthinesse is no prejudice Faith looks for love and mercy and glory through Christ for the sinner who is in himself unworthy of love and mercy and glory 4. Our union with God is possible for though an immediate union there cannot Our union with God is possible be between God and a sinner yet a mediate union there may be viz. A union by Christ the Mediatour unto whom faith brings and unites the soule so that there is yet hope for the sinner to be brought into Covenant with God though not upon his own account yet upon the account of Christ unto whom faith joyns the sinner Object But it may be objected 't is true that faith is the condition of the Covenant And that faith is that condition it is therefore hopeful for sinners But yet this faith is as impossible to the sinner as the condition of perfect obedience for But this faith is as impossible to the sinner as perfect righteousnesse the sinner is no more able to make his heart to believe on Christ than he is perfectly to obey the will of God And then where is the comfort and hope that you speak of In the notion it is true that faith is a condition which advantageth a sinner But in practice it is such a condition unto which it is impossible for any sinner by his own strength to attain Answered Sol. 1. I grant that as to the â—eer consideration of the sinners self natural power the condition of Faith 〈…〉 â—mpossible as the condition of perfect obedience is he hath no more power â—or propensity to believe in Christ than he hath to obey and fulfill the Law and his heart is as full of unbelief as it is of disobedience 2. Neverthelesse though there be a self impossibility yet there is not an absolute Faith is possible and probable It is not imposed on us in our own strength impossibility nay faith is such a condition as is not only possible for a sinner but very probable for him to attaine it 1. Though it be the Condition of the Covenant yet it is not such a condition which God doth impose upon the sinner by his own strength or power
all men would believe Either God did really intend to give this condition to all i. e. to work so effectually upon all that they might believe through his grace or he did not so intend to work on them If he did not intend effectually to give faith unto all men then questionlesse he never did intend that all men either should or could partake of that universal redemption by Christ for no man either doth or can partake thereof without faith and of that faith no man neither doth or can partake thereof unless God be pleased to give it unto him Faith being the gift of God If he did intend effectually to give faith unto all men then all men have been are or shall be Believers for what God will effectually give of that shall we partake c. Object God intends to give faith to all men but it is in his own congruous way unto which all men submit not Sol. But this comes not home to the Argument for I do not argue of the congruity and fitness of wayes to work faith and whether men may resist these wayes or not or whether God will give saith upon another condition if they will have faith This I insist upon that if God intends effectually to give faith unto all then all shall eventually have that faith To give saith effectually is not a meere command to believe nor is it to present unto sinners media sufficientia only but it is by the Almighty operation of the Spirit of God to create and work in or infuse the grace of faith into the heart of a sinner 3. If there were such an universal Impetration of Reconciliation andremission and salvation for all and every man by the death of Christ then the love of God and the love of Christ are of equal respect to all alike All are alike in the love and intention of God who gave Christ and all are alike in the love and death of Christ who upon one and the same account died alike for all whether believers or unbelievers whether those that shall be saved or those that shall be damned there was no difference and no inequality of love towards sinners God did not look more on one than on another neither did Christ regard one more than another in his death But that any one speeds better than another this depends on himself because he will believe the other will not but all are alike objects of the same degree of love with God and Christ The Arminians blush not to say that thus it is Gods love in the giving of Christ and Christs love in giving himself Antecedently was alike to all no more to Peter than to Judas and as much to Pharaoh as to Moses though the consequent love indeed after men do believe is not alike But for the Antecedent love that was alike to all and the death of Christ was the effect of that his great and equal love unto all Antecedently Sol. But this is a grand mistake and Error and that I shall briefly demonstrate by Scripture and Reasons The Antecedent love not alike to all appears by The Antecedent love not alike to all Proved By Scripture these Scriptures 1. Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O Father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes verse 26. Even so Father for so it seemed good in thy sight The matter of which Christ there discourseth was the Mystery of Redemption and Doctrine of salvation this same Christ saith that his Father did hide from the wise and prudent and so he did because it seemed good unto him so to do And for this differential pleasure and work of God Christ gives thanks unto his Father Now if God did love all alike so as to will all their salvation alike why would he have hid the Doctrine and way of salvation from any and had the love of Christ been alike to all in the desire and purpose of their salvation would he have thanked and blessed his Father for hiding and not revealing of that universal salvation Can any man reasonably make Christ thus to expresse himself Father thou didst seriously will the salvation of all alike and so did I my self and nothing is wanting on thy part nor yet on mine that all sinners might enjoy the same Nevertheless I thank thee who didst thus love all alike and intend the salvation of all alike that thou hast hid the Doctrine and knowledge of this universal Salvation from the wise and prudent Do you call this an equal love to all Object Nor will the corrupt gloss of Corvinus the Arminian help him at all who would make Christ to give thanks to his Father q. Those things which were hidden to the wise he had revealed to babes Sol. The Text voides that shuffle plainly for it saith because thou hast hid these things from the wise not They had hid them from themselves but Thou hast hid them Not So it seemed good unto them But it seemed good in thy sight II. I will give you another place against this equal love of God to all which I believe is unanswerable Rom. 9. 11. The children being not yet born neither having done good or evil that the purpose of God according to Election might stand not of works but of him that calleth verse 12. it was said unto her The elder shall serve the younger verse 13. As it is written Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated Let Esau and Jacob be Examples or Types it matters not much to the Point in hand here it is said Jacob have I loved and Esau have I hated Is this a love alike to both Nor will that distinction of a consequent love of God which they make to be after faith and repentance and to be unlike to men or of an Antecedent love of God which is before faith and repentance and is alike to all I say this distinction failes them here Sol. For the Apostle speaks of that Antecedent love which yet is not alike to all The children being not yet born neither having done good or evil yet Jacob have I loved but Esau have I hated III. If the love of God and Christ were Antecedently alike to all men in this business of universal salvation Then when Christ died for all sinners he loved them all with such a love as greater could not be Joh. 15. 13. Greater love hath no man than that he lay down his life for his friend If one be an enemy you cannot shew greater love than to lay down your life for him or if he be a friend greater love cannot be shewen than this to lay down your life for him Now did Christ love all men with so great a love as greater cannot be shewen to any If so why is it that the effects of this love never reach many men so greatestly loved and yet they reach others even because they were
charity look on them as bought and redeemed persons although afterwards the contrary doth appear as all those who have but a temporary faith and make a temporary profession these seem to us to be bought and perhaps unto themselves yet really they are not And truely such kind of persons were these who are said in this place to deny the Lord that bought them they were so far wrought on that they got the knowledge of the true way of righteousness verse 12. And escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Christ ver 20. and probably were numbred in respect of profession with the people of God so that they seemed to be bought in respect of their temporary faith profession and conversation yet really they were not so for they turned Apostates ver 22. and damnable Hereticks ver 1. denying the Lord either in his Person or in his Office who bought them as others and as themselves did think Thirdly Others do yet suggest one more answer unto this place who say that these Hereticks and so other wicked men were bought by Christ though not as to the effect and state of salvation for so only the Elect and true Believers are bought by Christ as their Redeemer and Saviour yet in respect of some common fruits and benefits for those upon that account their service and fidelity are duely and properly belonging unto Christ and their sin is the greater for denying him who is their Lord also by a right of Redemption as to Common mercies And some do conjecture had it not been for the Promise of Christ as Redeemer and Gods looking on him as so all the world had been presently destroyed upon the fall of Adam but Christ interposing himself he stayed that destruction and at least procured the cause of all those outward blessings which ungodly men do enjoy in this life for which reason he may be said to buy even the ungodly in that he delivers them from present ruine and their sin is therefore the greater to deny him but I adhere to the second answer as most proper to the place But having now many other Scriptures alledged by them to the same purpose aforementioned let us consider what Reasons and Arguments the Arminians produce to prove that Christ died for all and every man and by his death Arguments of the Arminians purchased Reconciliation with God Remission of sins and eternal life for them I shall briefly mention four or five of the chiefest which they bring Argument 1 1. That which every man is bound to believe is true but every man is bound to believe that Christ died for him Ergo it is true that Christ died for every man Sol. To this Sophistical Argument two answers are given by the Learned Answered 1. One unto the Major or first Proposition viz. That which every man is bound to believe is true a thing may be said to be true in a three-fold respect Either quia promittitur because it is promised Or secondly quia narratur because it is related or declared Or thirdly quia praedicitur because it is foretold so that whatsoever a man is bound to believe that same is true either as promised or as declared or done or as foretold Not alwayes true in one and the same respect or in every respect but either as promised or declared or reported or as foretold To apply this to the Argument in hand that Christ died effectually for every man If it be a truth then it must be so because God hath promised it or declared it or foretold it if it be a truth because promised then it is with condition of faith for though the very promise be true in it self yet it is not performed unto us without believing the same promise still requiring faith for the performance of it and then this will not prove that it is true that Christ died for all and every man absolutely but only for Believers or for all men only under the condition of faith If it be a truth because only declared or foretold then whether a man believes or believes not this is true that Christ died for him the reason is all things which are true by way of Narration or Prediction they are true upon their own account they are true before we believe them our faith makes them not to be so and if we believe them not yet are they true our unbelief cannot make the truth of God a lye But I suppose that no Arminian will say that Christ dyed effectually for every man whether he doth believe or doth not believe A second answer shall be unto the Minor Proposition But every man is bound to believe that Christ dyed for him to this I would say three things First It is a material disputable Point Whether those to whom the Gospel is not revealed are bound to believe that Christ died for them because the Precept of believing is a Gospel Precept only and the punishment for unbelief is threatned and inflicted in relation to the Gospel for slighting and refusing that Christ who is revealed and offered by the Gospel unto sinners who also are therein commanded to believe on Christ and if this be so then certainly every man is not bound to believe that Christ died for him Secondly When the Gospel doth come it doth not absolutely command that every one should believe that Christ dyed for him indeed it doth command every one to believe on Christ i. e. to receive him and trust on him alone for life But it doth not command him to believe without any more ado without any condition whatsoever that Christ died for him i. e. hath by his death made his peace procured his pardon and eternal life For the Gospel doth not reveale or command any such thing It doth reveale a Christ who died for sinners and it doth offer this Christ to sinners but with all it saith Whosoever believes shall be saved and he that believes not shall be damned Doth the Gospel command every man absolutely to believe that Christ dyed for him which takes in the Application of all the fruits and benefits of the death of Christ which a soule can enjoy whether a man obey the voice of the Gospel or not receive Christ or not q. d. you are bound to believe that Christ died for you though you never by faith close with the offer of Christ though your heart never prize him or never are brought in unto him and though you still love your sins and persevere in them Tell me in good sadness did Jesus Christ ever sign such a Commission as this Go preach the Gospel and tell people that whether they receive me or will not receive me whether they become believers or continue unbelievers whether they repent or continue impenitent they are bound every man of them to believe that I dyed for them and reconciled them and have procured salvation for them Certainly if every man were bound to believe this he were bound
he loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. The question is not propounded about that general knowledge and assent of faith whether a person may certainly know that truth that Christ died for sinners and will save all that believe but about a particular knowledge of that truth as in relation and application unto this or that person c. 2. There is a certainty as the Papists do distinguish and with whom we principally contend in this Controversie of hope which depends upon probable grounds and there is a certainty of faith which depends upon sure and undeceiving grounds The question is not whether a person may attain only unto some good hope and probable conjecture that Christ died for him that his sins are pardoned that he shall be saved in which conjecture he may yet be deceived but whether he may attain unto a certainty of faith upon grounds proper to believers and to them who shall be saved 3. We must distinguish 'twixt seeming believers who rest in common Notions of Christ and in a visible profession only and 'twixt real and sound Believers whose hearts and souls God hath touched and perswaded and drawn to Christ and they are effectually brought into union and communion with Christ I speak not of the former who yet are very apt to deceive themselves with an extream but ungrounded confidence that Christ died for them but only of real and sound believers who are indeed married unto Christ and are branches of A believer may know by a certainty of faith that Christ died for him the Vine and members of the Body So that now the summe of the Answer is this That a truely believing person may know with a certainty of Faith not only that Christ died for sinners but also for him and for his sinnes and for his salvation though he doth not as yet certainly know this yet he may know this though he doth not alwayes at all times under temptations and falls and conflicts and desertions know this yet he may attain unto this certain knowledge which I suppose will be made out by Scripture and good Arguments 1 Joh. 5. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witnesse in himself ver Proved by Scripture 11. And this is the Record that God hath given us eternal life and this life is in his Son ver 12. He that hath the Son hath life ver 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may knâ—w that ye have eternal life Rom. 4. 23. Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him ver 24. But for us also to whom it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead ver 25. who was delivered for our offences and was raised for our justification Gal. 2. 20. Who loved me and gave himself for me 1 Joh. 2. 1. We have an Advâ—cate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous ver 2. And he is the Propitiation for our sins ver 12. Your sins are forgiven you for his Name sake Rev. 1. 5. Vnto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdom Righteousnesse Sanctification and Redemption Cant. 6. 3. I am my Beloveds and my Beloved is mine Besides these Scriptures let us consider of some Arguments depending upon Scripture which do prove that a person may certainly know that God intended Arguments from Scripture Christ for him and that Christ dyed for him c. 1. If a particular person may certainly know that he doth truely believe in Christ then he may certainly know that Christ died to save him for the Scripture saith Joh. 3. 16. Whosoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life And Joh. 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and ver 28. â— give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any pluck them out of my hand But a particular person may certainly know that he doth truely believe in Christ Ergo. Heb. 10. 39. We are not of them that draw back unto perdition but of them that believe to the saving of the soule 2 Cor. 4. 13. We having the same Spirit of Faith according as it is written I believed and â—herefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak 2 Tim. 1. 12. I know whom I have believed Job 19. 25. I know that my Redeemer liveth It is to me a strange thing that any should think it impossible for a man that hath faith to know that he hath it why should we think it impossible for Lazarus being raised to life now to know that he hath life or for the blind to whom Christ gave sight confidently to say as he in Joh. 9. 25. One thing I know that whereas I was blind I now see So for a man who was formerly dead in sins but now is raised by the Faith of the operation of God Col. 2 12. to say with Paul I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. and who was formerly ignorant of the beauties of Christ so that no comelinâ—ss appeared in him but now his eyes are opened and he looks on Christ as the chiefest of ten thousand and as altogether lovely and desirable May not this man say I know I do believe when the Apostle hath said unto you that believe he is precious 1 Pet. 2. 7. Again the Apostle saith in Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God Can faith let in this peace into our hearts and yet we be uncertain whether we have that faith And the same Apostle saith 1 Cor. 2. 12. We have received the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things which are freely given us of God Surely faith is one of the chiefest things that are freely given unto us of God It is the gift of God Ephes 2. 8. Phil. 1. 29. c. 2. The proper and real end of self Examination is at least a possibilâ—ty of knowledge Nay the proper scope of it is certain knowledge For because as we are doubtful therefore we examine and try so we therefore examine try and prove that thereupon we may come to acknowledge a certainty Nay saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 13. 5. Examine your selves whether you be in the faith prove your own selves know you not your own selves that Christ is you except you be reprobates Object The Apostle doth only put them upon a tryal whether Christ be in them yea or no. Sol. 'T is true that is the work which he puts them upon But 1. I demand Is that work feasable or not is it possible for them to come unto that knowledge of Christs being in them upon that rryal or is it not if it be not
the heavens What may not a man bear and what losse is he at who knows Christ to be his and a reconciled God to be his c. Eighthly This assurance will ease all our worldly burdens it will take off It will ease all our worldly burdens our hearts and it will take off our vexations cares and thoughts if we know that God gave Christ for us we cannot but know that he will with him freely give us all things Rom. 8. 32. And besides that the more assurance we have of our interest in Christ c. the more our hearts will minde Christ and the benefits by Christ and will be the lesse after other things I have a goodly heritage thou art my portion Psal 16. 5. I have enough nay let him take all c. Ninthly This assurance breeds confidence and comfort in death Why are even It breeds confidence in death good people sometimes afraid to dye but because they are not yet assured they cannot say with Paul Christ loved me and gave himself for me But if assurance be on their hearts then death is welcome Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation said Simeon Luk. 2. 29 30. And I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ said Paul What is death to the assured Believer but a short passage a speedy in-let and conveyance unto that glorious and eternal blessednesse which he knows that Christ hath purchased for him and God reserves for him in heaven Case 5. Whether a person having attained a certain knowledge that Christ dyed for him may ever after that doubt again and question that point again Whether after this assurance he may ever doubt again He may doubt again Sol. I answer plainly he may sensible assurance is very comfortable but yet it is mutable Pauls vision in Acts 10. 11. was drawn up into heaven again yea and his choice revelation was quickly attended with a violent temptation 2 Cor. 12. 7. Reasons whereof may be these First The Divine pleasure the date of your comforts and the Patent of Reasons of it The Divine pleasure them is ad placitum God gives you this assurance that you may taste his kindnesse and goodnesse and he takes it off again that you may acknowledge his authority Secondly The Divine wisdome God would rather have us live by faith than The Divine wisdome sense indeed the life of our assurance is more for our comfort but the life of faith is more for his glory Thirdly Our own foolishnesse not improving aright such gracious manifestations Our own foolishnesse but abusing them to pride and high-mindednesse and sometimes blurring the fair copy of our evidence with foul transgressions Fourthly Subtilty and prevalency of temptations which we did not so watch The subtilty of temptations and fear because of our assurance as if that were security enough c. Object But what comfort and support if this assurance may fail Sol. Much for all that for 1. Though assurance fails yet faith by which we are saved fails not 2. Though assurance fails yet the interest and estate assured shall never fail Christ is still thine and the reconciled God is still thine and reconciliation and remission the estate is sure though particular and contingent effects be not so 3. The Spirit hath more work then only to comfort if he still strengthen thee and supply thee that is comfort to thee 4. Though assurance go away yet it may return again it is as possible to receive it as to lose it 5. In your new fear remember your old assurance I tell thee that assurance once had upon good grounds may serve to support though against many doubts in after-times THE GIFTS OF THE Covenant The second Part. CHAP. I. Ezek. 36. 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you and ye shall be clean from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will I cleanse you I Have heretofore opened unto you divers things about the Covenant of Grace viz. the Nature and Adjuncts of it the difference 'twixt it and the Covenant of Works the condition and the Mediator of the Covenant I now proceed to handle one thing more concerning the Covenant and that is the gifts of the Covenant the gifts which God doth promise to bestow upon those people The gifts of the Covenant which are in Covenant with him This verse which I have read unto you and the subsequent verses do report unto us divers of those gifts which may be considered First As to their order and thus you have the promise first of spiritual gifts or blessings from ver 25. to ver 28. and then you have the promise of temporal mercies from ver 28. to ver 37. Secondly As to their kinds the spiritual gifts or blessings for I shall insist awhile only upon them do respect 1. Our Justification expressed in ver 25. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you c. 2. Our Sanctification First in the habitual part of it in ver 26. a new heart c. Secondly in the actual part of it in ver 27. And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my Statutes c. The Text which respects our Justification contains in it a promâ—se 1. Of the pardon of sins I will sprinkle clean water upon you and you shall be clean 2. Of the pardon of the greatest sins from your filthinesse and from your Idâ—ls will I cleanse you 3. Of the pardon of all their sins from all your filthinesse and from all your Idols will â— cleanse you Before I handle the particular points I would touch upon some things in the general viz. 1. That God doth promise unto his people yea unto his people in Covenant with him spiritual gifts or blessings as well as temporal 2. That the first promâ—ses are the best or of the best things first the spiritual and then the temporal blessings 3. That whatsoever blessings which may or do concern the people of God in Covenant God himself doth undertake to give them unto his people 4. That those gifts which God doth promise to give unto his people in Covenant he gives them not for any worthinesse in them but upon the account of his own graciousnesse SECT I. Doctr. 1 Doctr. 1. THat God doth expressely promise to give unto all his people in Covenant with him spiritual blessings as well as temporal I hardly know any one place of Scripture where the Covenant of grace is insisted upon but God gives his people in Covenant spiritual blessings as well as temporal there you shall finde expresse promises of some one spiritual blessing or other Jer. 31. 33. This shall be the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days saith the Lord I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts and will be their God and they shall be my
people Ver. 34. And they shall all know me from the least of them unto the greatest of them saith the Lord for I will forgive their iniquity and remember their sin no more Jerem. 32. 39. I will give them one heart and one way that they may fear me for ever for the good of them and their children after them Ver. 40. And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me Ezek. 11. 19. I will give them one heart and I will put a New Spirit within you and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh and will give them an heart of flesh Ver. 20. That they may walk in my Statutes and keep my Ordinances and do them and they shall be my people and I will be their God Hosea 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever and I will betroth thee unto me in righteousnesse and in judgement and in loving-kindnesse and in mercies Ver. 20. I will betroth thee unto me in faithfulnesse and thou shalt know the Lord. Hebr. 8. 10. This is the Covenant that I will make with the house of Israel I will put my Laws into their minds and write them in their hearts and I will be to them a God and they shall be to me a people c. Quest But why is God pleased to promise to give unto his people in Covenant Why God gives spiritual blessings as well as â—emporal His people have souls as well as bodies spiritual blessings as well as temporal Sol. The Reasons are these First Because his people have souls as well as bodies and their souls do stand in as much need of spiritual blessings as their bodies do of temporal blessings Every mans soul since the fall of Adùm is in a fourfold miserable necessity which cannot be relieved but by spiritual blessings 1. In an estate of spiritual death out of which it cannot be relieved but by the donation of spiritual life a quickning by the Spirit of Christ is necessary for a soul dead in trespasses and sins 2. In an estate of spiritual enmity and that enmity cannot be slain but by the death of Christ nor any atonement peace or reconciliation enjoyed but by his blood 3. In an estate of offence and guilt which expose the soul unto wrath and punishment by reason of which the soul needs exceeding riches of grace and mercy to forgive and acquit the sinner 4. In an estate of pollution and bondage being held under the power of sinful lusts in which regard the soul needs the Lord Jesus to be redemption and liberty unto it and the soul can never be freed nor free but by Christ and his Spirit John 8. 36. If the Son shall make you free you shall be free indeed Rom. 8. 2. The Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the Law of sin and death If a man had all the blessings of the world riches honour friends health pleasures c. they could be of no help or relief unto his soul at all notwithstanding all these the soul still remains sinful and miserable Give the soul Christ and grace and mercy or else you give it nothing it must perish for ever without them And therefore doth God give unto his people spiritual blessings because the soul needs them and they are sutable to the spiritual necessities of the soul Secondly His people are people of another life they have the promise of eternal His people are for another life life 1 John 2. 25. This is the promise that he hath promised us even eternal life Titus 1. 2. Inhope of eternal life which God that cannot lye promised before the world began 2 Cor. 5. 1. We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens But what of this will you say why hence it follows that therefore God will give unto them spiritual blessings and why spiritual blessings because spiritual blessings are necessary for them in relation unto that eternal life Acts 4. 12. Neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other Name given under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved Loe here is a necessity of Jesus Christ for our salvation John 3. 36. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Loe here is a necessity of faith for salvation Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the poor in spirit for they shall see God Hebr. 12. 13. Follow holinesse without which no man shall see the Lord. Joh. 3. 3. Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Loe here is a necessity of holinesse and regeneration for salvation and they are congruous and fitting us for salvation or eternal life Colos 1 12. Giving thanks unto the Father which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light It is meet to enjoy grace before we come to enjoy glory it is meet to have a conformity to Christ on his Crosse before we come to have a conformity to Christ in his Crown c. Thirdly His people are designed and set apart for special duties and services His people aâ—e set apart for special duties the which they can never performe without spiritual gifts and blessings They are to glorifie their God Isa 43. 6. Bring my sons from far and my daughters from the ends of the earth Ver. 7. Even every one that is called by my Name for I have created him for my glory Ver. 21. This people have I formed for my self they shall shew forth my praise They are to deny themselves and to take up the Crosse of Christ and to follow him they are to crucifie the lusts with the affections thereof they are to suffer losses and reproaches and persecutions and perhaps death it self they are to fight the good fight of faith to resist temptation to quench the fiery darts of Satan to overcome the world they are to live by faith against hope to believe in hope to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord. They are to have daily communion with God and their hearts are to be set on him and on things above Can any of these duties and services be performed by them without spiritual strength or can they partake of spiritual strength unlesse and untill God doth give unto them spiritual gifts or graces Fourthly All the people in Covenant with God they have his image restored They have Gods image restored to them unto them they behold as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. They are made partakers of the Divine nature
are the very ingredients of his promises the promises are nothing else but the good will and purpose of God transcribed and copied out for us 3. Who is faithful Hebr. 11. 11. Sarah judged him faithful who had promised and what is it for God to be faithful in his promises but in his own good time to do what he speaks and to give what he promiseth to give Faithful is he who hath called you who will also do it saith the Apostle 1 Thes 5. 24. Mark to do what he promiseth this was to be faithful 4. God hath promised all of them to all his people in Covenant to all that are God hâ—th promised all of them to all his people brought into Christ to all who have chosen him for their God and give up their hearts and lives unto him to all who can call him Father and are become his children as the blessings promised are distributed into greater and lesser some are spiritual some are corporal so the heirs of blessings some of them are stronger some are weaker but this makes no difference as to the claim and title the weakest Believer in Christ the weakest childe of God is an heir of all the spiritual blessings which God hath promised Use 2 Hath God promised all spiritual blessings as well as temporal unto all his people in Covenant then you who are the people of God Mark what concerns you Mark what conceâ—ns you under the sense of your wants under the sense of any spiritual wants Do not complain any longer and do not charge God foolishly and do not give up your conditions as desperate do not say there is no help nor hope and do not hearken to what Satan saith nor to what your perplexed hearts do say but regard and mark what God saith in his promises He saith that he will give grace and glory and he will give all the matters of Justification and of Sanctification and therefore do you take that course for the enjoyment of them which God directs you unto and likewise encourages you unto Quest What course is that What course we should take for this enjoyment of sâ—iâ—itual bâ—essiâ—â— Pray for spiritual blessings Sol. It is this First You must humbly pray unto him to give unto you all those spiritual blessings which you do need and which he hath promised Object Pray unto him will you say if he hath promised to give them what need we to pray for them Sol. Yes promises on Gods part and prayers on our part are not contradistinct but subordinate therefore remember 1. Though God promiseth to give all these spiritual blessings yet he expresly calls for prayer from us unto himself to bestow them on us Ezek. 36. 37. Thus saith the Lord God I will yet be enquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them Jer. 29. 11. I know the thoughts that I think towards you saith the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected end Ver. 12. Then shall you call upon me and ye shall go and pray unto me and I will hearken unto you Ver. 13. And ye shall seek me and finde me when ye shall search for me with all your hearts 2. As he calls for prayer so he adds a new engagement of promise to give even spiritnal blessings upon prayer Luke 11. 13. Your heavenly Father will give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Secondly You must act faith you must believe on his Word and trust on Act faith him as a faithful God to performe c. Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people poure out your hearts before him God is a refuge for us Selab Isa 26. 4. Trust ye in the Lord for ever for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength Isa 57. 2. I will cry unto God most High unto God which performs all things for me Hebr. 11. 6. He that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him Jam. 1. 6. But let him ask in faith O Sirs this is one of the greatest reasons why notwithstanding your many tears and prayers you have so small portion in spiritual blessings because you do not trust on God for them you do not believe that he will deal with you according to his Word you do not give him the glory of an all-sufficient and faithful God still you are questioning him and reasoning against him But will he make good his Word of promise and can he do this or that the Lord humble our hearts for this we think not of it as a sin or else but a small sin but indeed it is an exceedingly provoking sin and an eternal dishonour to the God of truth and mercy thus by our unbelief to charge a lye or a doubtfulnesse upon him Object But have we not reason to doubt what he will do when we are so unworthy Sol. No our unworthinesse is no sufficient reason to question the goodnesse and faithfulnesse of Gods promise because 1. He never indents with us upon terms of our worthinesse 2. He professeth that he doth us good not for our sakes but for his own sake Thirdly If need be you must wait upon God for the performance of those spiritual Wait upon God for performance blessings promised unto you Isa 36. 18. Therefore will the Lord wait that he may be gracious unto you and therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you for the Lord is a God of judgement he knows what and when is best blessed are all they that wait for him Three things 〈◊〉 to enable you to wait c. 1. Any spiritual blessing is worth a waiting for the least of them being of more worth and more consequence to the soul than a whole world 2. God will oft times try your hearts whether indeed you would be thus blessed or can be satisfied and give over without enjoyment 3. The promise of them is very sure God who cannot lye hath promised Tit. 1. 2. He will not fail you in these spiritual blessings though many times he doth deny you some temporal desires Vse 3 Are spiritual blessings and mercies promised by God to all that are in Covenant with him in what a case then are all obstinate and perverse sinners who will The sad condition of Impenitent â—â—nners hold fast their sins and walk in their own ways and hate to be reformed and will not be brought into the bond of the Covenant with God if there were no other misery for them but this that they shall not partake of spiritual blessings this were misery sufficient You read of those in Luke 14. who excused themselves and refused to come to the Supper prepared Christ saih of them ver 24. None of those men shall taste of my Supper truly this was judgement and punishment enough never to partake of any benefit or good by Christ In like manner this is
time he gives faith and Christ and Justification and Sanctification all at once as soon as the person believes he is united to Christ and hereupon justified and sanctified And others of them are of a comfortable consequence as assurance joy peace c. God doth not give these blessings first of all but after he hath given the former Ephes 1. 13. In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise mark the sealing follows the believing 1 Pet. 1. 8. In whom believing ye rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory here rejoycing follows believing Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God peace with God follows justification and therefore is it a preposterous course for any troubled souls to presse God or to expect from God the comforts and joys and assurances promised before they have faith and are in Christ for though God doth promise these things yet he promises to give them in an orderly way the graces first and then the comforts of grace faith and union with Christ first and then the joys and peace depending upon that union 5. When God undertakes to give all blessings unto his people in Covenant this He gives according to the proportions and measures he knows best for us in our places and conditions must be understood according to the proportion and measure which he knows best for us in our places and conditions There is a measure of apprehension of Christ and of our justification by Christ and of our salvation by Christ God gives a greater and clearer and more fixed measure of the apprehension or reflexive knowledge of these to some of his people then he doth to others of them And there is a measure of holinesse some have higher and some have weaker degrees of grace now in Gods undertaking to give all spiritual blessings you must not think that God intends to give every measure or degree of grace at once nor yet the like degree of grace unto every one nor yet the like measure of comfortable evidences or apprehensions of interest in Christ and remission and salvation by him no but God will give all Covenant-blessings unto all his people in such a proportion and measure in this life as may conduce most to his glory and may most fit them in their private and publick conditions for his better service Vse 1 Strive to believe and acknowledge this truth that God himself doth undertake to give all the blessings of the Covenant which do concern his Believe and acknowledge this truth people Object Why will you say no man doubts it or scruples it but it belongs to God and to him alone to give all c. Sol. I wish that â—â—me were true but if indeed this were so then 1. Why do not we in all our wants and necessities make our prime applications unto God Why do we think least of him and last of him we run to this creature and to that creature set up one friend and look upon another try all the powers and abilities here below as if God were least of all concerned in the donation of our mercies and blessings if we did indeed believe that God himself undertakes all blessings for us then our first addresses would be unto him our first work and our great work would be with himself alone to do us good 2. Why do our hearts go and come rise and fall according to the presence and absence of visible means and helps in the prevalence of them our hearts are raised up with hopes and in the absence of them they are distracted and cast down with fears Would it be thus with us if we did indeed believe that God himself undertook to give us all our blessings certainly we place our hopes and expectations below and besides God himself when inferiour causes have such a command and such an influence upon our hearts If we did believe that God himself that he alone were sufficient and faithful it would be all one to us whether the creatures smile or frown incline toward us or fall from us 3. Why do we not only for temporal supplies but also for spiritual mercies undertake for our selves and as it were discharge God from undertaking for us How often do we undertake the spiritual charge of our hearts and to make our own hearts to repent and to believe and to subdue our own sins and to do such and such commands of God by our own free-will and by our own strength if we did believe that God himself undertakes for all these and that it belongs unto him alone to give them would we presume upon our selves thus would we take his work out of his hands 4. Why dare we not in our exigency commit all unto him and quietly rest on him but when our helps and hopes are reduced only unto him so that unlesse he himself appears we can cast Anchor nowhere else and although in such cases he doth plainly appear in his Covenant graciously undertaking and faithfully promising to help and blesse us yet this is nothing to us it doth no way affect or support us assuredly either we do not know this God aright or else we do not believe that he himself doth undertake for us or else that he will performe and Not to believe and acknowledge this truth is a great sin Wherein the sinfulnesse of it lies make good what himself hath undertaken Beloved Consider what I say this is a very great sin thus to fall short in the belief and acknowledgement of this truth for 1. You deny God to be God in the Covenant you do as it were shut him out from being a party there and concerned there though indeed he be the confederating party and we are the confederated party yet you include him and deny him to be so when that you believe not that it belongs to him to be the suscipient party and your selves to be the recipient party only for I beseech you what will you make of Gods covenanting with you more than a cypher if you do not grant and acknowledge him therein as engaging himself to give us all the good which we do need What other work is there which can or doth concern him 2. And you do hereby deny all homage unto him for how can you 〈◊〉 unto him for any one good that you want or trust on him for any one â—â—â—cy if you do not acknowledge this truth that he himself undertakes to give all blessings and mercies unto you and where will you put your mite of thankfulnesse for all your receits of blessings if God himself did not undertake to give you the blessings what ground have you to undertake to give him the praise of them Therefore earnestly strive by faith to assent unto this truth which I have delivered it is of more consequence than you are aware of it is that which gives life unto you in all your dealings with God and which may
who is the Donor or Giver of all It suits best with God the Donor of all It doth suit best 1. With his will and pleasure Who in this Covenant will appear and be known to be the Lord the Lord merciful and gracious abundant in goodnesse and truth Exod. 34. 6. 2. With his glory and praise which questionably devolves on himself alone seeing all our blessings come only out of his Treasury and from no reason or merit of ours but only from his own graciousness free gifrs redound unto the praâ—se of the giver only Thirdly This way of gracious giving suiâ—es best with us the receivers of blessings It suits best with us the receivers from God For consider us eiâ—her 1 As meer sinners We have no hope or plea from any thing in our selves we are a company of lost people who have undone our selves and are both insufficient to help our selves and also unworthy that God should help us 2. As made believers Faith can finde no ground to plead with God to challenge him to rely on him to expect anything from him but his promise to give and to give graciously A believer neither may nor can rest on any work or worth of his own all is but drosse and dung he trades only with a gracious God in Christ 3. As Petitioners thus also it suites best with us Gods graciousness is the best ground for us to ask upon O save me for thy mercies sake Psal 6. 4. Answer me in thy truth the surest ground to speed Let us come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 16. The most fixed and invariable ground God is for ever the Lord merciful and gracious you will quickly finde a want of worthiness in your selves but you shall never find a want of goodness and graciousness in God Vse 1 Are all the blessings which are in the Covenant given by God unto his people not upon the account or reason of their worthiness but of Gods graciousness A threefold error censuâ—ed Then behold a three-fold error worthy to be censured and shunneâ— First Of the Papists who boast so impudently of their meritorious good Of the Papists works merita de Congruo before men are in the state of grace merita de condigno being in the state of grace They can take up all sorts of merits for soul aâ—d bâ—dy nay heaven itself and eternal glory upon the account of their own merits Hear what Bellarmine saith opera nostra propriè merentur faelicitatem de Lib. 5. de 〈◊〉 cap. 16. 17. congruo Hear what Vashquiz saith opera nostra nâ—n habent dignitatem à persona Christi sed à persona à qua procedunt Hear the Anathema of the Council of Trent against all who deny that the works of justified persons do vere mereri vitam In 1. 2. Tom. 2. Disp 214. c. â— N. 44. Aeternam but against this we may oppose the Scripture Not by the works of Righteousnesse which we have done but according to his mercy he saved us saith Paul Tit. 3. 5. Enter not into judgement with thy servant for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified saith David Psal 143. 2. How holy a man was Job and how abundant in good works see Chap. 31. 16 17. and yet saith Job Chap. 9. 15. Though I were righteous I would not answer him but I would make my supplication to my Judge and ver 20. If I justifie my self mine own mouth shall condemn me If I say I am perfect it shall also prove me perverse Paul how strict was he and as touching the righteousness which is in the Law how blameless And yet he will be found in Christ Not having his own Righteousness which is of the Law but that which is through the faith of Christ the Righteousness which is of God by faith Phil. 3. 9. Secondly Of the ordinary sort of Protestants who set out something of their Of the ordinary sort of Protestants own as reasons why God should bless them and save them they mean no body any harm and they serve God devoutly and keep their Church and pay every one their due and say their Prayers and their Belelief and their ten Commandements and cry God mercy when they sin and will not all this deserve heaven and a few blessings on earth Thirdly But most of all to be blamed and that with pity are poor broken-hearted Of poor brokenhearted sinners sinners who discern so much sinfulness and unworthiness in themselves and yet are so difficult to place their hopes in the graciousness of God and are hearking extreamly after something of worth in themselves something in themselves for which God would hear and help them if once they could reach unto it It is a great work to break a hard heart It is a greater work to make a broken heart to look up and trust for mercy It is the greatest work to make such an heart to believe for itself that all mercies and blessings are to be had upon the sole account of Gods graciousness Whether this may arise from our exceeding Guilt which fills us with exceedingâ—â—â— slavish fear or from the pride of our hearts which would be something or from the greatness of Gods kindnesse which is so unusual with man or from the particular genius of unbelief which is gone and hath nothing to say more when once we come to acknowledge Gods graciousness for the sole reason of all our blessings and possessions or from all these conjunctively I will not now dispute but sure I am that the broken-hearted sinner is hardly brought off from boasting on himself and is hardly brought on to commit or venture all his hopes and confidences on the graciuosness of God as the entire cause why God should pardon accept blesse and save him And this is a principal cause why his soule dwells so long with fears and tears and sadnesses Doth God dispence all the blessings of the Covenant unto his people not upon the account of their worthiness but only of his own graciousness Then under the Under the sense â—f unworthinesse let us go to God and trust on him sense of all our want yea and of all our unworthinesse let 's go to God and pray to him and trust upon him to do us good for his own Name sake Here is water said the Eunuch to Philip what doth hinder me to be baptized So say I God promiseth to give all blessings unto his people and he promiseth to give them graciously now what should hinder you from going to God and beseeching and trusting of him to perform his good Word unto you You are grieved for your sins what should hinder â—ou to believe the free forgiveness of them You would fain have your hearts sanctified what should hinder you from going to God and trusting on him freely to make them holy You would have
upon earth that doth good and sinneth not Prov. 20. â—9 Who can say I have made my heart pure I am clean from sin James 3. 2. In many things we offend all 2. By the spiritual conflict 'twixt grace and sin in justified persons Rom. 7 23. I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members Ver. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit agninst the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would There is three-fold state of man 1. Corrupted wherein is nothing but sin and yet all is quiet 2. Glorified wherein is nothing but holiness as in heaven 3. Regenerate where there is flesh and spirit sin and grace 3. By the duties incumbent on justified persons as 1. Prayer to be kept from sin Psal 19. 13. Keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins let them not have dominion over me Psal 119. 113. Order my steps in thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me and prayer for the pardon of sins committed Psal 25. 11. For thy Name sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great c. Ver. 18. Forgive all my sins 2. Further mortifying of sin Colos 3. 4. When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall we also appear in glory but in the mean time Ver 5. Mortifie your members which are upon the earth fornication uncleanness inordinate affection c. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Having therefore these promises Dearly Beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 4. By the examples of the best men sinning Noah Lot Abraham Jacob Moses David Jehoshaphat Peter and all these when they were in a justified condition 5. Experience What one child of God hath there been or is there in the world who doth not find much sin dwelling in him although he be delivered from the condemnation of sin Rom. 8. 11. and from the dominion of sin Rom. 6. 14. Yet he is not perfectly in this life delivered from the inhabitation of sin and motions and conflicts and actions of sin If any of us who indeed are in Christ and justified by him have ever surveyed the clearest and fairest day of our life when our hearts have been most enlarged and our feet most upheld we shall with all our good find a great mixture of evil so that we daily see as much cause to mourn for our own filthinesse as to blesse God for his goodnesse 2. As sin doth still remain in persons justified so God doth see that remaining God sees that remaining sin sin in them he that made the eye shall not he see all things are naked and open before him Gods seeing is diversly taken in Scripture First Sometimes for his approving Gen. 1. 31. And God saw every thing that he had made and behold it was very good Jonah 3. 10. And God saw their works that they turnd from their evil way He saw this with an eye of approbation Now in this sense God doth not see sin in any man neither good nor bad neither justified nor unjustified for he is of purer eyes than to behold evil Hab. 1. 13. and cannot look upon iniquity i. e. with approbation or liking Secondly For his wrathful observing and intention to condemn and destroy Jer. 7. 11. Is this house which is called by my Name become a Den of Robbers in your eyes behold even I have seen it saith the Lord ver 12. But go now unto my place which was in Shiloh where I set my Name at the first and see what I did to it for the wickednesse of my people Israel Hos 6. 10. I have seen an horrible thing in the house of Israel there is the whoredom of Ephraim Israel is defiled c. Gen. 6. God saw the wickednesse of man that it was great upon the earth If you understand Gods seeing of sin for such an apprehension of sin as for it in wrath to judge and condemn and eternally to destroy the sinner in this sence God doth not see sin in any that he pardons or justifies Thirdly Sometimes for his knowing and taking notice of a thing and that with dislike although not so far as finally to condemn Now in this sense God doth see the sins of justified persons The eyes of the Lord are in every place beholding the evil and the good Prov. 15. 3. Job 10. 14. If I sin thou markest me Psal 90. 8. Thou hast set our iniquities before thee our secret sins in the light of thy Countenance Psal 51. 4. Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight 2 Sam. 12. 9. Why hast thou said Nathan to David despised the Commandement of the Lord to do this evil in his sight This was that which did so aggravate Davids sin and so much break Davids heart Object But these are places for Believers in the Old Testament whereas they who deny Gods seeing of sin mean it of Believers under the New Testament Sol. The Believers under the Old Testament were justified by Christ their sins were laid upon Christ and taken away by Christ as well as believers under the New Testament 2. Why do they bring most of their proofs for this Opinion out of the Old Testament As God seeth no iniquity in Jacob And thou art all fair my love and they shall be as white as snow and blotted out c. 3. But see for the New Testament Luke 15. 21. where you have the confession of a penitent child I have sinned against heaven and before thee or in thy sight Rev. 2. 4. I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Thirdly As God sees the sins in justified persons so likewise is he offended God is offended with their sins with those sinnes But of this I shall speak more fully in answer to the next Question Fourthly Gods covering or hiding of sin in Justification is not Exclusive of or inconsistent with Gods seeing of sin in his people being rightly understood for Gods covering of sin is not exclusive of his seeing of sin there is a two-fold covering of sin 1. From condemnation Thus when God forgives sins he covers sins so that they shall never appear and rise up to condemn the person 2. From apprehension and dislike Thus though the person be forgiven and justified yet if he full into sin God sees it and dislikes it yea hates it though for Christs sake be doth forgive the Person Object But how can this be that God should see any sin in believers who have the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ which is perfect and without all sinne Sol. I answer First If the Righteousnesse of Christ were
of them is proper to him Secondly Because unto whom the power of death and condemnation authoritatively belongs unto him also the power of life and absolution doth belong but the power of condemnation belongs only to God Ergo. These are acts seated in the same power Thirdly Because the forgivenesse of sin takes off the infinite desert of sin reaching even unto eternity of punishment eternal punishment is deserved by sin and who can relieve us from that but God alone Fourthly Because our consciences might have a resting place which they could never have if God himself did not forgive sins What if all the men in the world did forgive you if God did not clear you but still held you guilty What though all the lower Courts absolve a Malefactor as long as the Supreme Court condemns him what though the Malefactor forgive himself if the Judge do not forgive him Simile But here lies the comfort that God himself who is the Supreme Judge who hath the Soveraign Power to save or to destroy to remit or binde to acquit or to condemn whose sentence none can reverse if he will pardon our offences and sinnes against him now there is peace with him and peace in our own Consciences Secondly As forgiveness of sins solely appertains to God so God undertakes the same by way of promise which shews that he is willing to forgive sins and God undertakes it by promise that he engageth himself to forgive sins and that he will certainly forgive sins Jer. 31. 34. I will forgive their iniquity and will remember their sin no more Pro. 28. 13. Whosoever confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall turn from their wicked wayes then will I forgive their sins Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and turn unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and abundantly pardon 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confesse our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins Quest Now if any should demand why God contents not himself with a Declaration Reasons of it only that he is a God who forgives sin but also he makes a promise that he will forgive sins Sol. I suppose these Reasons may be given of it First Because this is a greater relief to the troubled conscience A promise of forgivenesse is a more hopeful foundation to work upon than a meer Declaration that God hath power to forgive and it serves to answer our fears and doubts more fully You would not imagine how powerful and dreadful the guilt of sin is and how strongly working when a conscience is awakened and wounded with the sence of it How great is the apprehension of Gods wrath how amazing is the curse threatned how hard is it to look toward the Mercy seat through all the threatnings and through all the terrors how difficult is it to settle it with any apprehensions of mercy And therefore the Lord is pleased not only to declare that he is a God forgiving sins but also he makes promise that he will forgive sins for Christs sake this is apt to preserve troubled sinners from despair and to breed some hopes in them that perhaps they may find mercy for who can tell but that a merciful God and a God who promiseth mercy to poor sinners may at length shew mercy to them and forgive their sins Secondly Because this is a stronger Obligation and Argument to prevail with sinners to repent of their sins and to turn unto the Lord. Beloved I beseech you mark what I say 1. The greater inevidence and improbability there is of forgiveness of sins the more indisposition and averseness there is unto repentance If a person apprehends mercy as impossible he then looks upon repentance as unuseful either he grows despairing or desperate For saith he to what end should I repent and come into God who I am sure will shew me no mercy 2. Again the greater hopes that a sensible sinner hath of mercy the more easily and kindly is his heart wrought upon to Repent to come off from his sins to God Hos 14. 2. When taking away of sin is hinted then ver 3. Ashur shall not save us neither will we say to the works of our hands Ye are our gods for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy so Jer. 3. 12. Return thou back-sliding Israel and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am merciful saith the Lord. Ver. 22. Return ye back-sliding children and I will heal your back-slidings behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Mark how this insinuation of mercy bowed in their hearts Psal 103. 4. There is forgiveness with thee that thou mayst be feared Now when a sinner sees forgiveness of sins in a promise this appears with more evidence of hope for him I may yet have mercy so great is Gods goodness and why should I stand out any longer and why should I for lying vanities forsake my own mercies I will home to my Fathers house for there is bread enough and to spare c. Thirdly Because this is the surest ground for faith you know this is the great scruple But may I find mercy and what ground have I to expect mercy Suppose I do repent what assurance have I that God will forgive my sits Why having Gods promise for the forgiveness of your sins in this case you may be confident that if you come to him and rely upon him he will unquestionably be as good as his word he will shew mercy to you Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed c. he shall surely live and not dye Ver. 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him SECT III. 3. I Now come to the third part of the Proposition of forgiveness of sins viz. God promiseth the same to all his people That God promiseth the same unto all his people all his people in Covenant Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Isa 33. 34. The people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage Note Of the people of God some are sooner in Covenant and some are later in Covenant for some are called at one houre and some at another houre as Paul spake of Andronicus and Junia Rom. 16. 7. who were in Christ before me that may we say of people some are in Covenant before others but as soon as any of them are brought into Covenant they are pardoned immediatly their sins are forgiven unto them Again of the people of God some have been greater sinners and some have been lesser sinners but as soon as
they will repent but not yet hereafter they will when they are sick and when they are old and near to death and what mean you to do for the present til the time of sickness or age or death is it not that you serve your sins and take your delights and pleasures and when you can no longer enjoy them then you will give over your sins and then God must give down your forgiveness Simile As if a Malefactor should say I will steal and kill a few years more untill I be taken and then I will leave those courses and the Judge shall pardon me O what a cheat and deceit is this 1. To think that we have repentance in our power 2ly To think that we have forgiving mercy at our command 3ly To love and serve and live in our sins for the present and to promise unto our selves the forgiveness of our sins at the last But wilt thou know and understand O vain man that he who defers to repent is in the mean time impenitent and he that resolves only for hereafter to leave his sins resolves also untill that time to keep his sins and he that resolves to keep his sins doth for lying vanities forsake his own mercies He that will not presently repent doth put himself out of a present capacity of mercy and he who puts himselfe out of a present capacity of mercy may by going on in his sins so harden his heart as to put out himself from a future capacity of repentance The promise of forgiveness is to him who doth repent or forsake his sins it is not to him who defers to repent and saith he will do so hereafter O how foolish is the sinner who might be presently forgiven upon a present repentance and yet will hazard his soul to the loss of mercy upon a presumption of future repenting Surely thou dost not prize the great mercies of God in the pardon of thy sins who dost put off that blessed mercy to enjoy a little longer thy cursed lusts To day if you will hear his voice put it not off till to morrow for 1. It is a question whether late repentance be true 2ly You at least will question it 3ly And whether God will give it at the last 4ly Especially when we put it off to the last Fourthly They do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins who do presently repent but it is fainedly and hypocritically not cordially They who repent presently but fainedly and really Jer. 3. 10 Her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart but fainedly saith the Lord. Psal 78. v. 4. They returned and inquired early after God Ver. 36. Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongue Ver. 37. For their heart was not right with him Now they do repent fainedly who 1. Spare their beloved sins 2. Who put them off with a purpose to resume them again You have many persons who in the times of sickness or of danger or of loss or of fear of death or of terror of conscience will forbear their sins will cry out against their sins will pray and beg for mercy and as soon as hope and ease and safety appears they do return again with the dog to his vomit and with the swine to the wallowing in the mire 2 Pet. 2. 22. They forget their terrors and tears and prayings and resolutions and professions and are worse in wayes of wickedness than heretofore Their righteousnesse is as the morning cloud and as the early dew that passeth away To these God may speak as in Hose 11. 12. Ephraim compasseth me about with lyes and the house of Israel with deceit They think to circumvent and deceive the Lord with penitential pretences but indeed they do deceive their own souls for God searcheth the heart and trieth the reins and his eyes are upon the heart and upon the truth and it is just that they should be deceived with the fancy of pardon who think to deceive God with the shadow of repentance He who is but hypocritically good is really wicked and he that repents fainedly and falsly doth but provoke the wrath of God more against his soul c. Fifthly They do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness who remain They vvho remain unbelieving unbelieving whose hearts are not subdued and brought in to Christ by the Gospel will not consent to take him for their Head and Lord and will not serve Christ in his commands will not suffer him to reign over them to set up his kingdom in them nor to destroy his enemies in them Beloved mark what I say unto you be you what you will if yet you remain unbelievers your sins shall never be forgiven Suppose you be great or mean persons rich or poor persons learned or simple persons covetous and civil persons and just persons Papists or Protestants of this or that Opinion for Doctrine or Government if you believe not on Christ as well as profess Christ if your hearts will not consent to match with Christ if there be any sin or any thing of the world which lies nearer your heart than Christ which holds it off and keeps it from Christ you are now unbelievers and your sin shall not be forgiven 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Joh. 3. 36. He that believeth not shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Mar. 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned Sixthly They also do put themselves out of a capacity of forgiveness who do They vvho despair of mercy absolutely despair of mercy Isidore said right Desperare est in infernum descendere to fall into dâ—spair is to fall into hell where there is perfection of misery without any hope of mercy Here consider a few Particulars 1. It is one thing to doubt and fear and question whether God will be merciful unto our sins and it is another thing to despaire of his mercies one may fear and doubt of mercy for his sins who yet doth not absolutely despair of mercy fear and questionings about mercy may arise from infirmity Psal 77. 9. Hath God forgotten to be gracious hath he in anger shut up his mercies Ver 10. I said this is my infirmity but absolute despair of mercy ariseth from absolute infidelity and it is a peremptory concluding against all the powers and goodness of mercy in God My sinne said Cain is greater than may or can be forgiven Gen. 4. 13. 2. Again there is a passionate and transient despaire And there is a setled and permanent despaire The one is total but not final the other is total and final In times of strong temptation and Gods desertion and our own melancholy and troubles of conscience one may possibly conclude there is no hope of mercy and his sins are such as exceed
either the power or else the purpose of Gods mercy but this dark and sad conceit falls off again from the soul upon conference upon better information upon prayer upon hearing the Word and upon clear consideration of the Covenant of grace and the terms of it and of the riches of Redemption by Christ this kind of despair doth not prejudice you in the capacity of forgiving mercy but then there is a setled and permanent despair which is total and final wherein the soul is swallowed up and for ever lies under water and never riseth more with any hope of possible mercy conceiving of the guilt of sin so superlatively that neither the merits of the blood of Christ nor the riches of mercy in God can or will reach to the forgiveness of it This poor sinner puts himself out of all capacity of forgiveness and that upon a treble account 1. The infinite dishonour which he puts upon Gods throne of grace and mercy he gives reproach and the lye unto God who saith he is rich in mercy and delights in mercy 2. His utter incompliance with Christ and riches of all Gospel invitations promises and assurances 3. The confirming of his heart in impenitency seeing there is no hope of mercy Seventhly they likewise do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness They who rely upon their own righteousnesse as the cause of fornesse of their sins who do rest and rely upon their own righteousness and good works as the cause of forgiveness 'T is true that you must be holy and righteous and do good works and walk in them and abound in them But if you rely on them as the reasons and causes why God will forgive your sins you will certainly lose the forgiveness of them For 1. What is this but to set up a Covenant of Works and to look for life by the Law and Justification by something of our own and what says the Scripture to this Rom. 3. 20. By the deeds of the Law there shall be no flesh justified in thy sight Tit. 3. 5. Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he hath saved us Gal. 3. 10. As many as are of the workâ— of the law are under the curse for it is written cursed is every one c. 2. This is to take away the Crown from Christ and it is to make Christ to die in vain to lose the end of shedding his blood for the remission of sins the Scripture saith Acts 4. 12. There is no salvation in any other for there is no other Name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved but you will have it in your own name Matth. 26. 28. This is my blood which was shed for the remission of sins 1 Joh. 2. 2. He is the propitiation for our sins Eph. 1. 7. In his blood we have redemption the forgiveness of sins Gal. 5. 4. Christ is become of none effect unto you whosoever of you are justified by the Law ye are fallen from grace therefore take heed what you do and how you place your confidences for the remission of your sins you must neither renounce good works nor must you rely on them but only on Christ for pardon else you debar your selves of all benfit by Christ Eighthly Lastly they do put themselves out of a capacity of the forgiveness of their sins who are unmerciful implacable revengeful and will not forgive others They who will not forgive others their offences done against themselves their offences and trespasses or wrongs done against themselves Quest You will say this is strange Doctrine that God will not forgive me if I do not forgive others Sol. 1. Nay it were more strange that thou shouldest expect forgiveness who wilt not forgive thy brother but peruse the Scriptures Matth. 18. 32. O thou wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt ten thousand talents ver 24. because thou desiredst me ver 33. Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant even as I had pity on thee ver 34. And his Lord was wroth and delivered him to the tormenters till he should pay all that was due unto him v. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if you from the heart forgive not every one his brother their trespasses Math. 6. 15. If you forgive not men their trespasses neither will your heavenly father forgive your trespasses 2. Again see the express command for this by Christ in Luke 17. 3. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him ver 4. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again unto thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Thirdly I now proceed unto a third Position and Conclusion viz. That there Who are in a right capacity of pardon Such as do truely repent Four things demonstrate this Scripture exhortations are some who are in a right capacity and may safety lay hold on and own the promise of the forgivenesse of their sins First All who do truely repent of their sins there are four things will demonstrate this unto us 1. Scripture exhortations to repent that so our sins may be forgiven Ezek. 18. 30. Repent and turn your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Acts 2. 38. Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins Act. 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out 2. Expresse promises that our sins shall be forgiven upon our repentance Expresse promises 2 Chro. 7. 14. If my people shall turn from their evil way then will I forgive their sin Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall finde mercy Ezek. 18. 21. If the wicked will turn from all his sins which he hath committed and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not die ver 22. All his transgressions which he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him 3. Assurance of the forgiveness of sins upon repentance though they have been Assurance of the pardon of great sins upon repentance very great and hainous Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make you clean put away the evil of your doings cease to do evil ver 17. learn to do well ver 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll 4. Expresse Records and Instances of forgiveness unto such as have repented Express instances 2 Sam. 12. 13. And David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord and Nathan said to David the Lord hath also put away thy sin Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself and Turn thou me and I shall be turned c. Ver.
more to that sinful way in which formerly he lived and walked it shall never henceforth be his Path his Trade his Course How shall we live any longer therein Rom. 6. 2. Secondly It stands in opposition not to an unwilling captivity by sinne Paul himself complaines that he was brought into captivity to the Law of sin Rom. 7. 23. but unto a willing subjection and a willing service of sin any more The repenting person never yields himself a servant any more unto any sin he never saith that this or that or any sin shall be my Lord my King my Master unto which I will yield obedience willingly in its commands and lusts No but as in the state of impenitency we were the servants of sin so in the state of repentance we do become the servants of Righteousness See Rom. 6. 17 18 c. Therefore though the penitent person doth many times sin yet he never returns any more to the former service of sin Thirdly It stands in opposition not to every suddain and indeliberate surprisal Not to any suddain and deliberate surprizal by sin or to sin but in opposition to all or any affectionate and deliberate renewing of any league of friendship with sin any more The penitent person may and doth sin but it is one thing to sin and it is another thing to love sin it is one thing to be overtaken with a violent temptation and it is another thing But to an affectionate renewing of the league with sin Not to falling into sin But to resting in it to take sin into the affection and heart to love it and embrace it and delight in it again Fourthly it stands in opposition not simply to falling into sin but modally to resting in sin for that as Solomon speaks the just falls seven times yet he riseth up again And even this that he will by no means lie in any sinful act but still riseth with renewed Repentance this shews that his heart is fixed Therefore Beloved let us sadly and seriously consider of these things which do so intimately discover the truth of that Repentance upon which God hath promised the forgiveness of sins that we deceive not and undo our selves at the last There are three things which folish and presumptuous sinners do make out only in their own fancies 1. One is a God of their own all of mercy and nothing of justice 2. Another is a Faith of their own a confidence however that they shall be saved without any doubt or fear 3. A third is a Repentance of their own which is I am sorry and I forgive all the world and God be merciful unto my soul But be not deceived there is more in true Repentance than most of us do imagine This let me faithfully assure you of that 1. If your hearts be not broken with shame and sorrow for sin past 2. If your hearts hate not every presâ—nt sin 3. If your hearts fear not to sin for the future 4. If notwithstanding your professions nay perhaps your vows in times of sickness or danger or agonies of conscience to leave your sins you do return again unto the same course of drunkenness of whoredom of swearing of Sabbath breaking of lying of stealing of worldliness of pride of maliciousness of any known sin so that you project for it love it serve it defend and continue in it assuredly you are no true penitents and if you should live and dye in such a condition you will never find God to be merciful unto you in the forgiveness of your sins And on the contrary though you have been formerly great transgressors even notorious sinners if now God hath given unto you hearts to see and to bewaile your sins and humbly to confess them and to turn from all your wicked wayes with a real purpose of heart never to walk in any path of sin but in all the paths of Righteousness God will certainly and accordingly to his many promises forgive you all your sins And thus have I finished the first sort of persons who are within the compasse of promised forgiveness I shall now proceed unto a second sort viz. Secondly All who do truely believe in Jesus Christ are undoubtedly within the All who do truely believe in Jesus Christ are within the promise of pardon promise of forgiveness of sins And for the clear opening of this Conclusion I will briefly speak unto three things 1. There is a necessity of Faith for to enjoy the Remission of our sinnes 2. That Faith must be true Evangelical faith 3. That true Faith may be weak or strong and whether weak or strong if it be true it hath a certainty of forgiveness of sins annexed unto it First There is a necessity of Faith for to enjoy the remission of our sins There is There is a necessity of saith for pardon a necessity of the presence of Faith and there is a necessity of the use and exercise of faith 1. A necessity of the presence of Faith As repentance must necessarily be present A necessity of the presence of faith if you would have your sins forgiven so faith must be necessarily present in you if you would enjoy the forgiveness of your sins Put such a supposition that Repentance might be in a person without Faith I dare affirm that the sins of that person should not be forgiven Object Why will you say have you not already proved several promises of forgivenesse upon Repentance Sol. True I have done so I have cleared iti that Remission of sins is promised upon repentance but not upon repentance as separated from faith but as repentance is required so is faith required for the forgivenesse of sins Neither Faith without Repentance nor Repentance without Faith but both of them as inseparable Qualifications in every person whom God will pardon Nay and it is very convenient or useful to make comparisons between these two graces in reference unto the forgivenesse of sins I humbly conceive that it might easily be demonstrated that of the two Faith hath the nearest relation and is of the stronger necessity and of more immediate approach to the forgiveness of sins than Repentance although both of them are necessarily required But I shall not go that way to work I will only demonstrate the necessity of Faith in us for the forgiveness Five things demonstrate it of our sins and there are five things which will do that First The precept of Faith in respect to our forgivenesse faith is expresly The Precept of Faith commanded 1 Joh. 3. 23. This is his Commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Jesus Christ And it is enjoyned and commanded us if we would have our sins forgiven Acts 13. 38. Be it known unto you that through this Name is preached unto you the forgivenesse of sins Ver. 39. And by him all that believe are justified Believe and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 30. Secondly And the
because of the ordinary self-deceit of men contenting themselves with a false faith and because of the dreadful hazard and loss upon such a mistake Therefore rightly to state out unto you this great Point upon which our life or death depends lend me your patience and attention while I briefly discourse upon four Conclusions 1. All men have not faith 2. All faith brings us not to a certain remission of sin although there is a faith which doth so 3. Some men may think they have that faith which doth entitle them unto remission of their sins but yet they are deceived 4. That faith which is necessary unto the remission of sins and infallibly attains it may be clearly made evident unto us for the truth of its presence in us First All men have not Faith So the Apostle expresly 2 Thes 3. 2. Who hath believed our report So the Prophet Isa 53. 1. He came amongst his own All men have not faith and his own received him not Joh. 1. 11. Though he had done so many miracles before them yet they believed not on him Joh. 12. 37. And there are four things do demonstrate this Four things demonstrate this The ignorance in many men 1. The ignorance in many men the know not Christ the Lord of glory How shall they believe on him of whom they have not heard Rom. 14. So say I how shall they believe on him whom they have not known though knowledge may be without Faith yet it is impossible there should be Faith without knowledge 2. The carelesnesse in many men about the offer of Christ and the invitations of Christ they make light of them Matth. 22. 5. an know not the day of Their carelessness about the offer of Christ their visitation Luke 19. 44. And follow their worldly pleasures and profits neglecting Christ and the great things of Christ Luke 14. 18 19 20. 3. The opposition of Jesus Christ We will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19. 14. Let us break his bonds asunder and cast away his cords from The opposition of Jesus Christ us Psal 2. 3. All day long I have stretched my hand unto a disobedient and gainsaying people Rom. 10. 21. 4. The obstinate perversenesse of will in the refusing of Christ ye would not Matth. 23. 27. Ye will not come to me Joh. 5. 40. They have both seen and hated both me and my Father Joh. 15. 24. Secondly Though some men have faith yet all Faith doth not bring us to All Faith doth not bring us to remission of sins A Diabolical Faith the certain remission of sins There are five sorts of Faith which may be had and yet no remission of sins is annexed to any one of them 1. A diabolical Faith The Divels believe and tremble Jam. 2. 19. They believe that there is a God and that that wrath which he hath threatned them shall inevitably befall them and thereupon they tremble such a kind of Faith many have who do utterly despair of mercy and are without hope 2. A meerly Historical Faith which is an assent unto the Word of God as true and there it rests many do firmly believe revealed truths who yet never A meer Historical Faith embrace the goodness of those truths they doe believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that he was sent into the world to save sinners that he died for sinners that he made peace by his blood that there is remission of sins to be had by him that whosoever believes and repents shall be saved All these Points they do believe to be certain truths because the Word of God saith so and yet for all this their hearts are not drawn to receive Christ nor to love him nor to serve him without which there is no benefit to be had from Christ 3. A temporary Faith Luke 8. 13. They on the Rock are they which when they hear receive the Word with joy and they have no root which for a while believe A temporary Faith and in time of temptation fall away Luke 8. 13. A man may go far as to hear the Gospel and to receive it to own it in some sort and that with joy he may be somewhat taken with the newness of it or with the sweetness of it and he may thereupon believe that it sets out the true way of life and thereupon may make a profession of Christ and the Gospel and come into an outward communion in the Gospel and yet this mans faith may not be sound which Christ shews in two particulars 1. It wants a root and it is but superficial it doth not root in the heart in Christ nor doth it flow from Chrisi as a Root or living Principle 2. It wants constancy or duration it is not fixed on Christ for Christ alone but for some self advantages and therefore in time of temptation it withers and falls off Now that Faith which neither roots us nor ingraffs us into Christ nor keeps us faithful and steadfast to Christ is false faith and therefore shall miss of the forgiveness of sins 4. There is a verbal Faith a Faith which conâ—â—sts only in profession and words A veâ—bal Faith without any vital fruits and manifestations of truth and power Jam. 2. 14. What doth it profit my brethren though a man saith he hath Faith and have not works can Faith save him The Apostle in that place taxeth the vanity of empty and boasting Professors who talked much of their Faith and trusted for great matters by it alas saith he you deceive your selves much in your Faith there is a Faith which will indeed profit and save but the faith of which you boast will not do so for your faith is but a dead faith If it were true it would appear in love and good works as the living Tree doth in fruits but there is no such working faith in you 5. And lastly there is a presumptuous Faith which is nothing else but a phantastical A presumptuous Faith faith The simple believeth every word Prov. 14. 15. Ver. 16. The Foole rageth and is confident So is it with the man who hath presumptuous faith he believeth every word Christ is his and died for him and his sins shall be forgiven and his soul shall be saved and yet the foole rageth and is confident He is a wicked man and lives wickedly swears and lies and whores and breakes the Sabbath and derides holiness and will not obey the Gospel of Christ and yet he is confident he hath no Scripture grounds at all for his confidence nay there is clear ground for him to believe the wrath of God if he repent nor c. Thirdly Some men do think that they have that true Faith which doth entitle to Some men think they have true Faith but â—e deceâ—ved remission of sins but they are deceived Beloved self-deceit is very natural and common that a man may think himself to be
in a very good estate when he is in a very wicked estate and a man may think he hath every grace requisâ—te to salvation when indeed he hath not any one of them he may deceive himself about repentance and about faith and about love c. For there is no true grace but there is also a counterfeit of that grace which may look like it but it is not so Ahab humbled himself and so did Hezekiah but his humbling was of another sort David repented and so did Judas but Davids repentance was of another kind than his Simon Peter believed and so did Simon Magus but Peters faith was another kind of faith than his There are three Grounds or Reasons upon which men may and do deceive Three grounds oâ— this deceit themselves that their Faith is the true Faith which shall bring Remission of sinnes unto them when really their Faith is not that Faith unto which forgiveness is promised 1. They finde some things which are the Ingredients of true Faith which yet are They finde some ingredients of Faith which are but common ingredient but common ingredients which another faith may have that gives not title unto forgiveness of sins As suppose knowledge and assent unto heavenly truths these are in that faith which gives us the Remission of our sins though not as giving that Remission and these may be in a faith which shall never bring you to the Remission of your sins 2. They finde some affections like unto those which come from true faith Some And some affections 〈…〉 suddain joyes and delights and desires upon hearing the Word and yet these are not those joyes which do flow from faith but are suddain and tranâ—â—ent Raptures flowing only from their own self-deceiving perswasions and not from any certain knowledge of union with Christ 3. They finde some kinds of conforming of themselves unto the Word in matters And some 〈◊〉 to the Worâ— of practice reforming and doing many things and yet this is not that conformity and that obedience which flows from true faith For it is not internal but only external and it is not universal but partial Let the same word strike aâ— a separation 'twixt their hearts and their beloved sin and presse them to a strictnesse of holy walking their Faith will not be able to bring them up to a subjection therein unto the will of Christ 4. These things being premised I now come to set out before you that Faith What that Faith is which will certainly get the remission of sins Faith well seated for the truth and quality of it which will certainly get you the remission of your sins That Faith First It alwayes follows special contrition and humiliation for sin For Faith cannot act on Chrst as a Saviour untill I finde my self a sinner needing him to be my Saviour and therefore the ordinary usual way of the Spirit is to convince of sin and to lay us low in the sense thereof and to break down all our high imaginations and self confidences that we come to see no hope but in the free grace and rich mercy of God in Christ before he conveyes Faith into our soules Luk. 3. 5. Every mountain and hill shall be brought low c. Ver. 6. and all flesh shall see the salvation of God Acts 16. 29. He came in trembling and fell down ver 30. and said Sirs what must I do to be saved ver 31. and they said believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved 2. Is wrought in us only by the power and mighty working of the Spirit of Christ Faith rightly caused So the Apostle in Ephes 1. 19. called there the exceeding greatness of his power and the working of his mighty power The Spirit of Christ doth accompany and actuate the Gospel and it sets it on upon the heart for the truth and goodness of it with such Majesty Authority and Efficacy that the poor sinner is not able to resist and withstand the precept of Faith but is made willing and ready and yields up his heart to receive the Lord Jesus Christ Thirdly It is alwayes raised by Evangelical offers and premises when the Lord And well grounded works faith indeed and draws the heart to believe on Christ the heart takes ground and encouragement for this from the Offers and Invitations and Commands of the Gospel Come unto me saith Christ this is his Commandement that we should believe And from the Promises He that believes shall be saved Come unto me and I will give you rest c. Fourthly In true Faith the whole heart or soul is carried out unto Christ True believing is a believing with all the heart the whole heart yields unto Jesus Christ And unites the whole heart to whole Christ the understanding admires at the glory and at the kindness and goodness and love of Christ the judgement is filled with choisest thoughts and highest estimations of Christ None like Christ and none but Christ the will falls in with Christ freely readily fully O Christ thou art my chiefest good and blessedness and Christ hath all the affections of desire love delight and joy these are taken up and filled with Christ c. Faith brings in all to Christ Fifthly True Faith sincerely sets up all Christ takes and sets up Christ as our Priest for Expiation of sins Reconciliation Intercession and him alone and as It sincerely sets up all Christ our Prophet to teach and instruct us and as our King to rule us to destroy his enemies in us to give us Laws to receive obedience from us Sixthly True faith eternally unites the heart to Christ neither earthly preferment It eternally unites to Christ on the one side nor persecutions and discouragements on the other side can separate the heart of a true believer from Jesus Christ In a word true faith which hath the promise of forgiveness of sins doth not only know Christ but approves of Christ not only approves of Christ but receives Christ not some of Christ but all Christ not with some part of the heart but with the whole heart not for a time but for ever not upon our conditions but upon his own conditions not occasionally and upon an exigence but freely and upon choice not only for safety but also for service nor only for profession but also for union and communion It matcheth us to Christ as a Wife to the Husband it unites us to Christ as Branches to the Vine it joynes us to Christ as Members to the head Beloved this is that faith which is necessary for the remission of our sins If you have not a Faith produced by the mighty working of the holy Ghost if you have not a faith planted in a broken heart if you have not a faith grounded on Gospel-offers and promises if you have not a faith which brings in all your heart to match with Christ if you have not a faith
mercy If God saith Be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee conscience now hath no longer Commission to disquiet the heart saying Peace belongs not to thee and comfort belongs not to thee but God is still displeased with thee and holds thee for his enemy and will be avenged on thee for thy sins If conscience through darkness and misinformation oâ— temptation should speak thus it now exceeds its Commission and deals unrighteously and God will not ratifie such a testimony or such a charge from such a conscience But by the way Take notice what a mercy it is to have your sins pardoned in that your consciences have no more power or authority to wound and charge and threaten and condemn you for any of your sins if a wounded conscience be one of the dreadfullest punishments here on earth then to be totally secured from that and upon this ground that he hath forgiven us our sins is one of 〈◊〉 greatest blessings here on earth which privatively concerns us Fourthly If your sins be pardoned then also you are discharged of the spirit You are discharged of the spirit of bondage of bondage to fear you are fenced from all slavish fears which formerly did abound in your hearts and oppress and distract them Before a mans sins were pardoned and guilt lay on him there were ten distracting and crushing fears lying on his heart The sinner 1. Did fear the secret purpose or intention of God against him O said he What will God do with this guilty soul of mine I fear lest I be one of them to whom he will never shew mercy 2. Did fear the open threatnings of God O saith he Will not all these evils and cuâ—ses which God hath threatnd will they not shortly be my portion 3. Did fear every judgement of Goâ— walking upon the earth as if it were an evil drawing near to him and which his sins would bring to his house and to his person and he should not escape 4. Did fear that some time or other his sinnings would be discovered and that they should be laid open to his shame and reproach before the whole world 5. Did fear any outward enjoyment and comfort which he had that for his sins God would ere long deprive him of them in wrath 6. Did fear many times to come and hear the Wâ—â—d of God lest it should awaken and trouble his conscience with more apprehensions of his own guilt and Gods wrath 7. Did fear the very thoughts of death and especially lest God should suddenly cut him off from the Land of the living before he had so improved his opportunities as to make his peace with God 8. Did fear all appearings before the Judgement-seat lest he should receive his sad and eternal sentence there for his sins 9. Did fear all his approaches and requests unto God that God would not hear nor regard them because his sins were upon record in the Court against his soul 10. Did fear that no way could ever be found so powerful and effectual as to satisfie the justice of God and purchase mercy enough for the pardon of his sins but now repenting of his sins and believing on the Lord Jesus and having in his blood obtained the remission of sins this spirit of bondage to fear is taken away the forgiveness of his sins by God himself hath satisfied him and hath answered all the doubts and fears of his soul his sins are pardoned and God is reconciled and now all is well and safe of what or of whom should he be afraid Fifthly If your sins be forgiven you then nothing which befalls you in Nothing which befalls you in life or death is an evil to you life or death shall ever be an evil or hurt unto you for when sin is pardoned all curse is removed Whatsoever state the unpardoned sinner is in it is a cursed estate to him and whatsoever contingencies befall that sinner they are cursed unto him his prosperity is cursed unto him and his adversity is cursed to him his enjoyments are cursed and his losses are cursed his blessings are cursed and his crosses are cursed his life is cursed and his death is cursed nothing which he hath doth him good and nothing which God doth doth him any good but hurt he is the worse under all But when sins are forgiven the sting the poyson the curse is gone and nothing is for evil or for mischief unto him prosperity shall do him no hurt but good and adversity shall do him no hurt but good his enjoyments are a blessing and his losses are a blessing if he lives life shall be a blessing and if he dyes death shall be a blessing All is food and physick all is good or for good unto him he gains by his losses and that which is another mans misery is his mercy sweet shall come out of bitter and light shall come out of darkness and good shall come out of evil and comfort shall come out of sorrow and life shall come out of death Secondly In a positive way In a positive way It is a clear decision of all the questions of a troubled soul First The obtaining of the forgiveness of your sins is a clear sure decision of all the great Questions of a troubled soul There are six things concerning which we oft-times complain and question viz. 1. Hath God Elected us 2. Are we in Covenant with God 3. Is God reconciled to us and we are reconciled to him 4. Is Christ ours and are we his 5. Have we truly repented and have we truly believed 6. Shall these poor souls of ours certainly be saved have not all these been and are not some of these the constant debates and doubts and questions of our hearts Now mark what I say when God himself according to his promise forgives unto us all our sins all those debates are concluded and resolved for 1. None are forgiven but the Elect of God and all the Elect either are or shall be forgiven their sins Ephes 1. 4. Having chosen us in him before the foundation of the world Ver. 7. In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins 2. Whosoever have their sins forgiven are certainly in Covenant with God God is their God and they are his people Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people Thou hast covered all their sins Selah Remission of sins is the portion only of the Church and people of God 3. God is certainly reconciled if sins be forgiven 2 Cor. 5. 19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself not imputing their trespasses unto them 4. Christ is unquestionably yours and you are Christs forasmuch as the partaking of this and other choice benefits by him doth necessarily presuppose a precedent union with him and relation unto him whom he called them he justified Rom. 8. 30. And what is it there to be called but to be brought in effectually to Christ and
civil sinner Mary Magdalen as well as Lydia Saul as well as Nicodemus great sinners as well as small offenders But unless God would pardon great sinners the Gospel cannot invite all sorts of sinners For when you preach it to persons guilty of great sins alas say they mercy belongs not to us and what have you to do to press upon us to believe suppose we should believe yet we shall not be saved God will never justifie and pardon us c. 5. God brings great sinners into Covenant Publicans Harlots and when God brings great sinners into Covenant in a perfect league of love and peace God brings any actually into the Covenant there is a perfect league of love and peace made between them a mutual reconciliation and relation therefore he pardons their great sins For unless these were pardoned such a league of love and peace would be impossible Persons are not perfectly reconciled whilest the greatest matters of difference do continue 6. Son said Christ be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee Matth. 9. 2. Every justâ—fied person hath cause of rejâ—ycing Every justified or pardoned person is in a comfortable condition he hath cause of joy and rejoycing But if God did not pardon their great sins as well as the rest of their sins their condition would not be comfortable at all but most miserable and full of just horror and fear c. 7. God hath made use of the great sins of persons to humble them and will he not God makes use of great sins to humble men now make use of his great mercies to pardon them all our humbings are wrought by the Spirit in a reference unto mercy when God intends to make us vessels of mercy he doth first make us broken vessels Acts 2. 37. Pricked in their hearts Ver. 41. then believed Acts 9. 6. Trembled Chap. 16. 29. And when he intends to break and humble the heart of a sinner usually he makes the Conscience of him to apprehend and to lay hold of some of the greatest and worst of his sins Pauls Conscience took hold of his persecuting of Christ and the Jaylor of his injuriousness to the Apostles Zacheus on his exaction and Mary Magdalen on her adultery God layes on us the sense of our great sins to make us see the great need of mercy and to confess the greatness of mercy in the pardoning of such great sins and to quicken earnest prayers for mercy 8. God hath great glory in the pardon of great sins Who is a God like unto thee c Mich. 7. 19. q. d. there is not such a merciful and gracious God in all the God hath great glory in the pardon of great sins world Prov. 25. 2. It is the glory of God to conceale a thing Prov. 19. 11. It is the glory of a man to passe over a transgression So Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Ver. 9. And this shal be to me a Name of joy and praise and honour before all the Nation This was his glory Exod. 34. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin c. 9. God would have his people to pray for the forgiveness of their great sinnes God would have his people to pray for pardon of great sins Hose 14. 2. Take away iniquity and receive us graciously and they have prayed for the forgiveness of their great sins Psal 25. 11. For thy Name sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great And they have prevailed Exod. 32. 32. Therefore certainly he will forgive their great sins For whatsoever we ask according to his will and in Christs Name he will do it for us SECT II. 1. Vse DOth God promise to pardon the great sins yea the greatest sins of his people Hence we may be informed of the unspeakable goodness Information of the unspeakable goodness of God to his people In not taking advantage against us of God to his people First That he takes not advantage against them he seeks not occasions to fall off from them if he did then small offences would serve the turn our daily failings would have broken up all communions betwixt him and us much more would our great transgressions have raised up a partition wall and caused his soul to abhor us Psal 103. 10. He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities Great transgressions are great provocations and great injuries and great dishonours unto God yet you see he promiseth to pass them by to pardon them therefore certainly he takes no advantage against us he doth not mark iniquities and what we have done amiss There are no small matters God doth for us Secondly That they are no small matters which he doth for us There are two things which God doth for his people which are not small favours 1. One is the giving of Christ unto them and the giving of them unto Christ 2. The other is the forgiving of their great sins Moses reputes this work as the fruits of his great power and of his great mercy Numb 14. 17. I beseech thee let the power of my Lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying ver 18. The Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression ver 19. Pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of thy mercy And so doth the Apostle in Ephes 1 17. He puts this upon the account of the riches of Gods grace wherein ver 8. he abounds towards us Was it a small thing for the King in Matth. 18. 23 24. to forgive the servant who owed unto him ten thousand talents What is the desert of any one sin even of the least of our sins death and wrath and curse and hell what then is the punishment and recompence meritoriously belonging to us for our great transgressions yet God forgives them c. Thirdly That his love is very great and very firm and sure unto his people His love is very great and firm and never to be taken off and removed why so because he forgives all the sins of his people and the great and the greatest sins of them If any thing breaks off the love of God it must be sin for that he hates and that is the only provocation of him and if any sin doth it it is likely that a multitude of sins will daily and continual offences and if any of these will it is most probable that great and high sinnings will cut the knot asunder But you see it is not the multitude of sins nor yet the magnitude of sins which separates the people of God from the love of God but he will pardon all their sins yea the greatest of their sins therefore his love is fixed and never to be changed For if these will not alter it nothing else shall or can Fourthly That God takes
God reaches as you have heard to the pardon of great sins 2. The instances or acts of mercy they are recorded grants of grace and mercy to great transgressions You know thus they have passed to David to Solomon to Mary Magdalen to Peter to Paul to the Corinthians As great sins as yours hath God pardoned yea and perhaps greater sins than yours 3. God is still of a merciful nature he is as able and as ready to forgive as ever the Fountain is as full and as open Although the Lord hath shewn mercy to many and great sinners already yet he reserves and keeps mercy for thousands nay for a thousand generations You are not the first great sinners nor yet the last great sinners on whom he hath or on whom he will shew mercy his mercy endures for ever 4. He calls upon such as have been guilty of great sins to leave their sins and to come in unto him and hath assured them that if they do so he will forgive their great sins Isa 1. 10. Hear the Word of the Lord ye Rulers of Sodom and ye people of Gomorrah Ver. 15. Your hands are full of blood Ver. 16. Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings before mine eyes cease to do evil ver 17. learn to do well c. Ver. 18. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord though your sinnes be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Jer. 3. 1. They say If a man put away his wife and she go away from him and she become another mans shall he return again unto her shall not that Land be greatly polluted but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord. Ver. 5. Will he reserve his anger for ever will he keep it to the end behold thou hast spoken and done evil things as thou couldest Ver. 7. And I said after she had done all these things turn thou unto me but she returned not Ver. 12. Return thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull c. Secondly I now proceed to lay down some Directions what one should Directions how to get the pardon of great sins do who hath been guilty of great sins to get the pardon of them I will propose unto you no other Course or Practice than what you may read in the Scriptures that some have taken who have been guilty of great sins and have thereupon found mercy in the pardoning of them Quest What 's that will you say Sol. You shall find First That they have been greatly humbled and have greatly mourned for Be greatly humbled for them their great sinnings and then God did shew them mercy in the pardon of those sins Zach. 12. 11. In that day there shall be a great mourning in Jerusalem as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddo Chap. 13. 1. In that day there shall be a Fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sinne and for uncleannesse Jer. 31. 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Ver. 20. I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord Psal 6. 6. I am weary of my groaning all the night I make my bed to swim I water my Couch with my tears and you know the Lord forgave his great sins Luk. 7. 38. Mary Magdalen stood at the feet of Christ behind him weeping and began to wash his feet with tears Ver. 48. And he said unto her Thy sinnes are forgiven thee Peter went out and wept bitterly for his great sin and that sin was forgiven And Paul fell down and trembled for his great sins and they were pardoned In all these instances you see great mourning for great sins and gracious pardon for them Go you and doe likewise and you shall find friendship Secondly That they have cordially and really forsaken their great sinnes they durst not continue in them but have loathed themselves and their abominations Cordially forsake them and have cast them away Ezâ—a 9. 14. Should we again break thy Commandements and joyn with the people of these abominations Isa 30. 22. Ye shall also defile the covering of thy graven Images of silver and the ornaments of thy molten images of gold then shalt thou cast them away as a menstruous cloth thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Ver. 23. Then shall he give the rain of thy seed c. Hos 14. 8. Ephraim shall say What have I to do any more with Idols I have heard him and considered him I am like a green firre tree from me is thy fruit found Judg. 10. 16. And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the Lord. Acts 3. 19. Repent and be converted that your sinnes may be blotted out Thus did David thus did Manasse thus did Mary Magdalen thus did Paul and the Prodigal and thereupon did find mercy Such were some of you but ye are sanctified but ye are justified c. Lookst thou for mercy to pardon great sins and yet still goest on in thy trespasses c. Thirdly That they have earnestly prayed unto the Lord for the forgivenesse of their Earnestly pray for the pardon of them great sinnes Exod. 32. 31. O this people have sinned a great sinne and have made themselves gods of gold Ver. 32. Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sinne and if not blot me I pray thee out of the book which thou hast written so Moses prayed Psal 25. 11. For thy Names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great Dan. 9. 5. We have sinned and committed iniquity and have done wickedly and have rebelled by departing from thy precepts Ver. 9. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesse though we have rebelled against him Ver. 19. O Lord hear O Lord forgive O Lord hearken and deferre not for thy Name sake Ver. 18. We do not present our supplications unto thee for our righteousnesse but for thy great mercies Luke 18. 13. And the Publican stood a farre off and would not lift up so much as his eyes to Heaven but smote upon his breast saying God be mercifull unto me a sinner In these Prayers for the pardon of great sinnes you may espy four Ingredients 1. That they have come from broken hearts sensible of their greatness 2. That they have come from humble hearts sensible of their own unworthiness 3 s That they have been sent up with believing hearts 4. That they have been plyed and followed with earnest and servent and importunate hearts which would have no denial and all of them found acceptance Fourthly That they have pleaded with God upon such grounds which have alwayes Plead with God upon prevailing grounds been prevalent with God for the obtaining of the forgiveness of their
repentance not else Isa 1. 16. Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil learn to do well Ver. 18. Come now let us reason together saith the Lord Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Acts 3. 19. Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out what their great sins were you may read in Ver 14. They denied the holy One. And Ver. 15. Killed the Prince of life and if they would have these sins blotted out they must repent of them Fourthly God hath threatned unto great sinners on whom his mercy hath God threatens eternal wrath to them that repent not not wrought repentance eternal wrath and a peremptory privation of mercy with inevitable destruction unto them who have presumed to go on in their sins for the first of these see the known place of the Apostle Rom. 2. 4. Not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance Ver. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God For the latter of these see that smart place in Deut. 29. 19. And it come to pass when he heareth the wâ—â—ds of this curse that he bless himself in his heart saying I shall have peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart to adde drunkenness to thirst Ver. 20. The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoak against that man and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him and the Lord shall blot out his Name from under heaven Ver. 21. And the Lord shall separate him unto evil out of all the Tribes of Israel according to all the curses of the Covenant that are written in this book of the Law Fifthly A going on still in great sins if it be any sure testimony at all it is Persisting in great sins if any testimony at all it is rather that God will not pardon rather that God will never forgive you than otherwise why so will you say because 1. There is no promise of mercy to any that goes on in his great transgressions but refuseth to hearken and to return in such a condiâ—ion and course no promise 2. There are dreadful threatnings of God against such who shall go still on in their trespasses Psal 68. 21. And God shall wound the head of his enemies and the hairy scalp of such a one as goes on still in his trespasses Isa 65. 20. The sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy 3. Your going on still in sinning unless the Lord be infinitely and extraordinary merciful towards you will render you utterly uncapable of forgiving mercy for First This course of sinning is that which doth desperately harden your hearts and fear your consciences that no dealing whatsoever can make any impression upon you toward Repentance Secondly The Lord doth usually give up such sinners to their own hearts lusts and to a reprobate mind and soul Sixthly Though possibly some few sinners who have for a long time continued Though a few such obtain mercy yet they are hardly perswaded of Gods mercy in great transgressions may obtain mercy yet they shall find it a very difficult work to be perswaded of Gods mercy to their souls Psal 6. 3. My soul is also sore vexed but O Lord how long My Reasons are these 1. Because the threatnings of God are so many and so express against great sins especially against the continuing in them that it will not be easie to over-ballance these threatnings of God with the promise of God 2. Because the truth of repentance is very apt to be much questioned by great sinners when yet indeed they do repent they do conceive and that rightly that for extraordinary sinnings extraordinary repentance is required but they feel such a hardness such a deadness of heart O they cannot repent And let me tell you if any great sinner be in dispute about the truth of his Repentance he will also be in dispute about the apprehension of mercy 3. Because of all sins whatsoever great sins do incline us under the clear apprehension of them to despair You shall find this experimentally true that the more desperate people have been in sinning they are more apt to despair when conscience ever sets upon them for their sins The guilt of great sins will be heavy and bitter and the woundings for great sins will be sharp and deep always for them there falls in the sense of Gods great wrath and the fear of Gods great judgement and the instances of the great punishments of God inflicted on great transgressions and with all these Satans great and subtile temptations all which are powerfully apt to sink the sinner with despair and then this is clear that the more apt any sinner is to despair the less apt is the sinner to close with pardoning mercy nay it falls off the more from the hope of it 4. Because the Lord is pleased to hold up the manifestation of his love a long time from those that have a long time sinned against the offers and calls of his love and mercy thereby teaching great sinners how unworthy they are to taste of his goodness and warning other great sinners not to presume of any easie enjoyment of mercy And you shall find it a hard work to settle and perswade the conscience of a great sinner about mercy when the Lord doth after many seekings still hold up the manifestations or sensible expressions of his favour and mercy towards him 5. Because it is a very difficult thing to act faith under the sense of great transgressions lesser iniquities do many times check and keep down our confidences much mort do great transgressions c. SECT V. Cases of conâ—ience What a troubled sinner should do that can find no parallel instance of the like sin forgiven Ansâ—ered Troubled sinners look after instances of like sinners pardoned BEfore I pass away from this Point of Gods pardoning great sins I would speak to a few Cases or Scruples of conscience with which some are or may be troubled Quest 1. What that troubled sinner should do who hath been guilty of some great sin for which he cannot finde any one parallel instance of forgiveness in all the Scriptures i. e. that ever God did forgive any that were guilty of that sinne Sol. To this very sadly distressing Case I would deliver these six Answers First It is true that a person convinced of and really troubled with the sense of any great sin doth look after and will not easily be satisfied in conscience without a parallel instance in the Scripture
sins be lesser sins a sinner shall be damned for them if he repent not Though sins have been exceeding great yet they shall be forgiven upon repentance You demand what a great sinner should do who can find no instance of mercy to any under the same guilt with himself I answer plainly 1. He should do what God calls upon him to do and what he hath called upon other great sinners to do and that is to repent Let the wicked forsake his way c. Isa 55. 7. Repent and be converted Act. 3. 19. Put away the evil of your doings Isa 1. 16. 2. He should by faith lay hold on the promises of mercy by Christ to a repenting sinner To dispute who hath found mercy is the least of your business but do you repent and you shall quickly see mercy in a promise to your own souls although you cannot find Instances of mercy unto others Fifthly Though you cannot find particular and answerable instances yet in case Though you cannot find instances yet in case of Repentance you shall find promises of Repentance you may and shall finde sufficient promises which are proper grounds for your faith to work on to answer your conditions All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy aganist c. Matth. 12. 31. Certainly this promise will reach your sin be it never so great unless it be the sin against the Holy Ghost and that sin you are not guilty of because you are repenting of your sin whereas it is impossible to renew those who are guilty of that sin unto repentance Heb. 6. 6. Sixthly And let me tell you one thing more That as when God forbids any kind of sin he doth therein forbid the particular individual branches of that sin So if I do not exceedingly mistake when he doth promise to forgive a sin in any kind that promise of forgiveness will extend to any one particular or distinct sin of that kind be that particular sin never so hainous vâ—g When he promiseth to forgive uncleanness indefinitely upon the repentance of a person this promised forgiveness is appliable to the most vile and horrid wayes of uncleanness of which a person hath been guilty But I have said enough to this Scruple Whether the first work of a sinner be to repent or to believe 2. Quest Whether in case of great transgressions the first work which concerns the sinner be to repent of his sin or firsc to believe that God hath forgiven his sin or rather will do so Answered Sol. Truely I think that whatsoever we may Theoretically argue in such a case yet practically he that is wounded in Conscience for any great sin hath little leasure or ability to keep Rank or File I mean thus artificially to consider the Method or Order of Spiritual actings But one while he thinks on sin and another while on mercy when on his sin then with great fears and when on mercy then with great doubts That he should repent he knows that he may presently believe he questions and to speak plainly he can neither well repent nor yet well believe a third work ordinarily presseth him which is of a troubled and troubling Conscience But yet if you would have me speak my thought to this Nicity rather than Case of Conscience I should say First As to experience trouble and tears and fears and sighes and groanes are usually the immediate workings and issues of great sinings Secondly As to the command Repentance is the first work which God layes out for the great sinner This generally you read prescribed both in the Old and New Testament 2 Chron 7. 14. Isa 1. 16. Isa 55. 7. Ezek. 18. 21. and Luke 24. 47. Act. 2. 38. Act. 3. 19. And truely it will be no easie work to clear out that a man can or may believe that God according to promise will forgive him his sins though very great whiles he yet remaines impenitent Thirdly As to the order of practice I would prescribe both of them to be first The sinner should repent first and the sinner should believe first and that he may do both first he should pray for both first A believing Repentance and a Repenting Faith such a Repentance which is accompanied with Faith and such a Faith as accompanied with Repentance And verily in this case if the Faith be right it is not without Repentance and if the Repentance be right it is not without Faith you cannot rightly repent unless you have Faith to see some mercy neither can you confidently believe unless there be some Repentance I beseech you whiles others are a disputing which of these should appear first do you earnestly and seriously beg of God for grace to act them both What that sinner should do who cannot find a heart to repent or believe 3. Quest But there is another Case which is more real and more to purpose viz. What that sinner should do who upon the commission of some great sin cannot find a heart either to repent or to believe the heart is become hardned and no workings can be raised either of mourning for the sin post or of believing for mercy future Answered Sol. This is unto the sinner a very dreadful case because 1. God seems to deal with him in a plain judicial way and in a forsaking manner denying unto him the presence and power of his Spirit to raise him out of the depth of his sin and misery into which he hath plunged himself 2. God seldom leaves a sinner thus but where the sinner hath presumed to commit some great transgression against some special actings of knowledge and Conscience Nevertheless to the case propounded First Let the sinner in this condition consider whether no penitential and no believing operations at all are to be found in his heart whether he doth not at least Consider whether there be no penitential and believing operations at all to be found with a sad and troubled heart consider into what a condition he hath by his great sinning brought himself whether there be not some judgings and abhorrings of himself and some desires after a Spirit of mourning and believing Secondly this sinner should acknowledge it as a great and righteous judgement of God upon him for his sinning And that the Lord may for ever withdraw from Acknowledge it a righteous judgement of God upon him him and utterly leave him because he hath thus presumptuously sinned against him Never let him open his mouth against God but justifie and clear him as most righteous and condemn himself as most unthankfull and unworthy that ever the Lord should look on him any more That he should thus against light and warnings and reluctancies of conscience and against mercy and love and perhaps experience presumptuously venture to offend and provoke God Thirdly If under all the dâ—stinct Considerations of this sinning and his free confessions unto God and his self-judgings no tenderness yet
Then shall the Priests command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean and Cedar wood and Scarlet and Hysop Ver. 5. And the Priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water Ver. 6. As for the living bird he shall take it and the Cedar wood and the scarlet and the hysop and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the living bird that was killed over the running water Ver. 7. And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosie seven times and shall pronounce him clean c. Now that the Lord doth on this wise sprinkle the blood of Christ on his people for the forgiveness of their sins namely in a way of assurance that their sins are forgiven may thus appear by Scripture Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden Manna and will give him a white stone and in the stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it The white stone was given in token of absolution and the black stone in token of condemnation by the Athenians Psal 103. 2. Blesse the Lord O my soul Ver. 3. who forgiveth all thine iniquities Matth. 9. 2. Son be of good chear thy sins be forgiven thee Luke 7. 48. He said unto her thy sins are forgiven Ephes 4. 32. Even as God for Christs sake hath forgiven you Col. 2. 13. Having forgiven you all trespasses 1 Joh. 2. 12. Your sins are forgiven for his Names sake Isa 60. 16. Thou shalt know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer Ch. 40. 2. Speak ye comfortably unto Jerusalem and cry unto her that her iniquity is pardoned 1 Joh. 3. 14. We know that we have passed from death to life c. But unless they did know that their sins in particular were pardoned they could not have said we know that we are passed from death to life Thirdly This ascertaining Application is made by the Spirit of God and by How this appâ—ication is made Faith and by the testimony of Conscience First By the Spirit of God which is given to the people of God that they might know the things that are given to them of God 1 Cor. 2 12. The Spirit By the Spirit of God is given not only for implantation of grace but aâ—so for demonstration to manifest by his light those graces which he hath wrought in us Not only for union with Christ but also for manifestation of that union unto us not only to bring us into Covenant with God but also to open and reveal unto us the love and mercy of God unto us in his Covenant Rom. 8. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God ver 17. and if children then heirs heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ If the Spâ—rit testifie unto us that we are the children of God and heirs of God then certainly he witnesses with this that we are justified and pardoned persons â—phes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise ver 14. which is the earnest of our inheritance What is that sealing by that holy Spirit of promise but the evidencing confirming assuring of us concerning the things which God hath promised unto us and amongst the rest of the pardon of our sins in order to salvation Secondly By Faith There is an ability in Faith not only to give a general evidence and assent that whatsoever God hath promised is true but also By faith to raise a particular evidence concerning our very interest in the things promised by God unto us 1 Joh. 4. 16. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us Cant. 15. 6. He is altogether lovely There is a direct act of Faith This is my beloved and this my friend here is the reflexive act of faith 1 Joh. 5. 20. He hath given us an understanding that we may know him that is true and we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ Beloved whatsoever good the Lord doth promise unto his people he will give them Faith to believe it for that is one great end of his promising that we might inherit the good promised by believing but God hath promised the pardon of sins in particular to every particular believer Act. 10. 48. Whosoever believes on him shall receive the remission of sins Ergo. Thirdly Besides this there is given unto every one of the people of God an By a renewed Conscience illightned and renewed conscience which knows the present frame of heart and can give in a clear testimony concerning it whether it doth indeed Repent and indeed believe finding it such as the word requires from whence it can make a concluding evidence that our sinnes are certainly pardoned for thus conscience reasoneth Whosoever doth truely repent and believe God himself in his Word saith that his sins are forgiven But saith the enlightned and renewed conscience which knows what is in man thou dost truly repent and believe for I find such lively acts and effects of them both which the Word of God gives concerning them in truth Ergo Be of good comfort and rejoyce thy sinnes are forgiven thee Thus you see what the sprinkling is in the Text namely the imputation of the blood of Christ for forgiveness to every particular believer with an assurance of the forgiveness of his sins for Christs sake SECT II. Quest 2. NOw I proceed unto the second Question Why the Lord is Reasons of it pleased to make such an application and such an assurance unto his people No benefit by the blood of Christ without application Sol. 1. One reason is because though there be forgiveness for the blood of Christ yet this is of no benefit unto any but unto whom it is applyed and appropriated and imputed Simile Suppose that a great debt be discharged this avails not me unless my great debt be discharged Suppose that a release from the prison or from death be granted what is this to me if the release be not imputed unto me in particular So though God forgives sins only for the blood of Christ unless he applies this to me I am not the better for it O but God did peremptorily intend the particular good of every believer in the death of Christ Christ dyed for them and gave himself for them and therefore he applies the blood of Christ to them his intention was for them in particular they shall fare the better for Christ Ergo. Secondly Their great comfort lies in this apprehension and assurance of the forgiveness The comfort oâ— it lies in assurance of their sins in the blood of Christ There are two Requisites for the Christians comfort concerning Christ and forgiveness 1. One is Propriety that Christ is his Christ and dyed for his sins Who
heard thee preach in our Synagogues Have we not eat and drunk in thy presence c Luke 13. 26. There is not any one hypocrite there is not any one formal Professor but he doth deceive himself with a false opinion of his estate and with a false assurance And there are four great Reasons why these men do thus delude themselves 1. One is Pride of heart and vain-glory they will appear not to be inferiour to any and therefore will deceive themselves to deceive others and will boast of what they have not 2. Another is the reach of common gifts which may give them a taste of Christ and of the good Word and of the Powers of the world to come Hebr. 6. 5. A taste makes them think it is assurance 3. A third is the neglect of self-examination they take things upon trust and will not search their hearts and try their ways and bring them to the light to the rule to the touch-stone to the Word they will not try their hearts by the Word nor their supposed graces by the Word nor their comforts nor assurances by the Word and therefore they deceive themselves 4. A fourth is the just iudgement of God upon them to send them strong delusions that they should believe a lye because they received not the love of the ruth 2 Thes 2. 10 11. Only a notion of it but not the love of it only the form but not the power of godliness Thirdly As many have deceived themselves with a false assurance so Many still deceive themselves How one may know he hath a false assurance many still do deceive themselves with a false assurance instead of a true assurance Quest But will some of you say that is the question unto which we desire you to speak a few words what are the discoveries of a false assurance or how one may know that the assurance or perswasion which he hath if the forgiveness of his sins is false is but a delusion Sol. For your help in this I will present unto you six infallible discoveries of a false assurance First The first is When it is a seal without any date my meaning is when a person When it is a seal without a date always hath had assurance never was there any time when he doubted of this point he was never troubled concerning it but always believed and his heart hath always been confidently perswaded that Christ dyed for him and that his sins were pardoned Why this alone may convince thee that thy assurance is but a delusion Mark the Apostle a little in Rom. 8. 15. Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear but the Spirit of Adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Ver. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God Here the Apostle lays out three works of the Spirit with the order of his workings 1. First He is efficientè operativè the spirit of bondage to fear i. e. making us rightly sensible of our sinful and miserable condition which makes our hearts to fear what the Lord will do against us 2. Secondly Hereupon in time he is the Spirit of Adoption working faith in us by which we become the children of God and look on him as a Father with love and without any servile fear 3. Thirdly After both these he is the Spirit of assurance bearing witness with our spirits that we are the children of God This is the last work of the Spirit it is not the first nor the only work of the Spirit it comes after the Spirit of Adoption as that comes after the spirit of bondage to fear From this place thou mayst evidently discern the assurance of which thou boastest to be false to be no work of the Spirit who begins in a work of conviction and humiliation and ends in a work of testimony and assurance begins in bondage and ends in liberty begins in fear and ends in peace and comfort the Spirit never begins but ends in comfort Secondly The second discovery of a false assurance is this that as it hath It hath not the Spirit of God for the Author of it not the Spirit of God for the Author of it so it hath not the Word of God for the Instrument and means of it Beloved the Word of God is the Organ or Instrument which the Spirit of God doth ordinarily use for the forming of all his gifts and graces and comforts upon the soul of man I hardly know any one of them for which he doth not employ the Ministry of the Word when the Spirit 1. Enlightens the soul he makes use of the Word to convey and let in light into the soul Psal 19. 8. It enlightens the eyes 2. Humbles the heart he makes use of the Word to break the heart and to lay it low Acts 2. 37. When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts 3. Converts and calls the soul he calls it by the Word and converts it by the Word 1 Thes 2. 19. He called you by our Gospel Jam. 1. 18. 4. Brings in a soul by faith unto Christ he doth this by the Word Rom. 10. Ephes 1. 5. Raises and comforts when he strengthens and assures the soul he doth quicken it by th◠Word and comforts it by the Word and strengthens it by the Word 〈◊〉 assures it by the Word yea and recovers by the Word assurance when it is lost Ephes 1. 13. In whom we also trusted after that ye heard the Word of truth the Gospel of salvation In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise 1 Thes 1. 5. Our Gospel came unto you not in word only but power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance Here you see the Word to be the means of believing and so making way for sealing and assuring Psal 119. 50. Thy Word hath quickned me but now a false assurance was never wrought by the Word which will appear plainly if you do consider three things that are usually found in men presumptuously and deludingly assured 1. They care little for the Word especially for that Word of God which doth powerfully search and prepare the heart and fit it for the assuring work of the Spirit 2. They have most peace and assurance when they keep them most from the faithful and powerful delivery of the Word and their assurance is never more interrupted and shaken and dashed than under the soul searching and convincing Ministry of the Gospel it cannot stand before it nor abide the tryal of it 3. Notwithstanding all their seeming regards unto the Word yet never is there any thing contributed by the Word unto their assurance nor further confirming or strengthening or enlarging all which doth evidently demonstrate that a false assurance was never wrought by the Word but is the fruit of fancy and a dream of our own hearts only Thirdly A further discovery of a false assurance is
cryes out O Lord pity and pardon and comfort my distressed soul with the assurance of thy love and of forgiving mercy for Christs sake And then the voice of comfort and joy speaks Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee and writes this good news upon the conscience Why this is right assurance and right comfort of the Holy Ghost Secondly There always goes a renewing and sanctifying work of the Spirit A renewing and sanâ—â—ifying work before the assuring and witnessing work of the Spirit Here I will briefly clear two Points 1. That the sanctifying work of the Spirit goes before the assuring work of the Spirit 2 Cor. 1. 21. He who hath anointed us is God Ver. 22. Who hath also sealed us Psal 85. 8. He will speak peace unto his people and to his Saints I beseech you tell me whose portion is forgiveness of sins and peace Hath the Lord promised it unto any but unto his people and who are indeed the people of God but Saints but holy people see 1 Pet. 2. 9. Ye are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood a holy Nation a peculiar people God will forgive none their sins but such as are his people much less will he assure any that their sins are forgiven but his people and all the people of God actually called into Covenant with him are holy therefore men must be sanctified before they are assured 2. It cannot be otherwise whether you consider First The Nature of the Spirit of God The Spirit of God is a holy Spirit and he will not aford his presence to any unless he first make them holy he always makes the Temple holy in which he intends to abide and dwell and if he will not abide in us unless he sanctifies us will he give us the assurance of the great love of God in Christ that our sins are pardoned before he sanctifies us Secondly You find in Experience that when the people of God fall into sin and do oppose the sanctifying work of the Spirit presently they lose comfort and assurance David did so Psal 51. if we must uphold sanctity to preserve the peace and comfort of the Spirit surely then there must be sanctity wrought before peace and assurance be spoken Thirdly A man must be in Christ before he can have propriety in the forgiveness of his sins and assurance that God hath for Christs sake forgiven him this all of you will grant as saith the Apostle If any man be in Christ he is a new creature 2 Cor. 5. 17. Fourthly Once more Mark what God hath threatned to wicked and ungodly persons namely wrath and judgement and destruction and visiting of their sins upon them this is the portion of their cup. Now would you have the Spirit of God to misapply the Word of God whatsoever God hath threatned or promised in his Word that the Spirit of God is to apply his work it is to apply threatnings and his work it is to apply promises and his office it is to apply the one and the other respectively to the persons under the threatnings and under the promises he knows the mind of the Lord and therefore as he will not apply the threatnings of wrath unto the godly so he will not apply the promises of God to the wicked and if so then no assurance shall be by him applied unless men be holy Therefore let no man deceive himself with a deluded perswasion or assurance that his sins are pardoned as long as he remains wicked ungodly or unholy no no the holy Spirit never seals any but holy persons And there is a twofold holiness wrought in us before the Spirit gives assurance 1. One is Internal and Habitual which is the renewing and changing of the heart into a conformity with the Image of Christ 2. Another is External and Actual in the life and conversation Psal 50. 23. To him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God Gal. 6. 16. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy and upon the Israel of God Although this be true that every one who is sanctified is not presentâ—y assured yet this is true that the Spirit of God assures no man but first he sanctifies him Thirdly There always goes the believing work before assuring work of the Believing work Spirit the Spirit of God is a Spirit of faith and then the Spirit of comfort or assurance Ephes 1. 13. In whom after that ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise Rom. 15. 13. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Mark first believing and then a filling with all joy and peace Psal 13. 5. I have trusted in thy mercy my heart shall rejoyce in thy salvation This Assertion I suppose will pass without dispute that the Spirit first works faith and then assurance and really it must be so for 1. You must be in relation of children and heirs before you can assure your selves of the portion of children Therefore the Apostle placeth the Spirit of Adoption before the witness of the Spirit as I hinted out of Rom. 15. 16. But it is by faith that we are children Gal. 3. 26 And receive the dignity of sons Joh. 1. 12. 2. None can assure himself of benefit but he who hath first a propriety in Christ union is the sole foundation of communion see 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us Wisdome Righteousness Sanctification and Redemption What faith preceâ—es assurance Quest But now the question may be what faith that is which necessarily is precedent unto assurance Answered Sol. A twofold faith is previously required First A faith of union with Christ Secondly A faith of dependance upon the promises 1. A faith of union from which results propriety that Christ is yours and you are Christs as upon civil Marriage there ensues a mutual propriety this faith doth unquestionably precede the testimony or assurance of the Spirit for no part of Christs purchase can be sealed unto you before you have a part in Christ himself 2. A faith of dependance upon God that according to his promises he will both pardon you and also give you the assurance that he hath pardoned you for Christs sake and this faith is many times put forth to believe in hope against hope Rom. 4. 18. Before the Spirit lets in the assurance that our sins are pardoned I will hearken what c. Psal 80. 8. Fourthly There always goes praying and wrestling before this assuring Praying and wrestling work of the Spirit The Spirit of supplication goes before the Spirit of assurance Zach. 13. 9. They shall call upon my Name and I will hear them I will say it is my people and they shall say the Lord is my God Jer. 30. 21 22. Who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto me saith the Lord ye shall be my
people and I will be your God Isa 56. 7. Even them especially of those that take hold of Gods Covenant ver 6. will I bring to my holy Mountain and will make them joyful in my house of prayer Isa 30. 19. He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee Psal 35. 3. Say unto my soul I am thy salvation O what earnest wrestling prayer came from David before he could hear that voice of joy and gladness in Psal 51. And this is so experimented a truth that usually the sweetest assurances do attend our deepest tears and our highest prayers If therefore the assurance which you finde concerning the pardon of your sins be the perswasion given to you by the Spirit of God it doth alway follow mournfulness of heart for sin and an holy change of heart and faith in Christ and on the promises of Christ and earnest prayer if it be before or without any of these it is not the assurance of the Spirit of God but a delusion of our own spirits Secondly You may know that your assurance is the right assurance of the Spirit by those present appearing qualities which do always accompany the assurance By some presently accompanying works which comes indeed from the Spirit I will mention three of them First If it be the very assurance from the Spirit of God that your sins in particular Lâ—ve to God are forgiven this will immediatly kindle such a flame of love to God as you never found the like in all your lives We love him saith John because he loved us first 1 Joh. 4. 19. O Sirs when the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost Rom. 5 5. Simile and so it is when he assures us that God for his great love and rich mercy hath forgiven us never was the heart of tender wife more knit to her husband than the heart of the assured sinner is to his forgiving God never did Jonathan delight more in David than this poor soul doth in his God why he loves him so sensibly so enlargedly that he meditates and meditates that he admires and admires and cries out Who is a God like unto thee O I love thee for this love for this mercy of mercies Mary had many sins forgiven her and Christ assured her of it therefore she loved much Luke 7. 47. Secondly If it be the very assurance of the Spirit of God that your sins are forgiven Softness of heart this will immediatly soften and melt your heart into such pure springs of tears that hardly you ever found the like for kind or degree There are tears which a man sheds before assurance for his sins and they are acceptable to God nevertheless they are something brakish and mixt with some trouble and distress but the tears of sorrow for sinning against God assuring us that he hath pardoned our sins they are so without all legality if I may phrase it so they flow from the soul so freely so tenderly so feelingly so abundantly I think that a man never wept more bitterly nor ever condemned himself more freely nor ever was more ashamed of himself and sinnings than at that time when God gave him his full discharge and pardon under the seal and witness of his own Spirit Ezek. 16. 61 63. Ashamed and confounded when God was pacified towards them The Prophet expresseth the quality and the quantity of their mourning in Zach. 12. 10. Object I but it should rather produce joy Sol. So it doth at the same time which is strange the greatest joy and the deepest sorrow Thirdly If it be the very assurance from the Spirit of God the heart thereupon Humbleness of heart becomes so humble and so lowly and so nothing the nearer that God draws to his people the more humble they are for when Gods Spirit assures us he doth cause us to see our own unworthiness and the exceeding riches of Gods grace Mark the men most eminent for assurance in Scripture of all men they were the most humble and lowly There are three men most high in assurance First Abraham was so He was strong in faith and he was fully perswaded and he was a most humble man Rom. 4. 20 21. Behold I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord who am but dust and ashes Gen. 18. 27. Secondly David also was so Thou art my God Thou hast forgiven my iniquities and he also was a most humble man Who am I O Lord God! and what is my fathers house 2 Sam. 7. 18. Thirdly And Paul was so Who loved me and gave himself for me Gal. 2. 20. yet this man was a very humble and lowly man The least of the Apostles 1 Cor. 15. 9. Less than the least of all Saints Eph. 3. 8. and not meet to be called an Apostle O Christian you who talk how much and how long you have been assured where is this high love where is this deep sorrow where is this humble lowliness did your assurance ever produce these in you if not assuredly you have mock't your souls all this while with vain delusions Thirdly You may know that your assurance is right and comes from the very By the effects flowing from assurance Spirit of God by these singular fruits and effects which consequently do flow from your assurance I will mention six of them 1. Quietation of heart 2. More care to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord. 3. More regard unto and delight in the Word 4. More zeal 5. More fear 6. More height of heart First One effect which flows from a right assurance that our sins are forgiven is a Quietation of heart present quietation of heart all storms cease upon one word spoken from the Spirit There were many doubts and many fears and many disputes and many reasonings and many sad thoughts and restless motions in the soul but when assurance of forgiveness is given in by the Spirit of God to our spirits all these do cease and there ensues a gracious calme in the conscience even an excusing delightful and joyful rest When God lifted up the light of his countenance upon David he lay down in peace Psal 4. 6 8. Now this quietation differs much from that Stupidity in a man deluded with a false assurance for First This stupidity is not the quieting of a troubled soul but so is this Secondly Their quietness is the effect rather of ignorance because they do not know their miserable condition than of assurance that they do certainly know their pardoned condition Thirdly Their quietness is from a seared conscience but not from an assured and pacified conscience Fourthly It is a passive silence but in this conscience doth witness and the heart rejoyceth Well then spiritual and joyful rest or quietation is the proper fruit of true assurance and verily it cannot but be so for assurance in the very nature of it
doth so satisfie the mind and prevail upon it as to exclude all actual doubtings and fears at that time and it is a clear manifestation of Gods love and pardoning mercy with our propriety in them in particular and therefore necessarily doth quietation of heart flow from it Secondly More carefulness to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord assurance Carefulness to walk in all well-pleasing breeds two excellent properties about holy walking and services 1. One is more alacrity O it is now no burden but a delight to do the will of God Psal 40. 8. I delight to do thy will and thy commands are my delight said David I will run the way of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my heart Ps 119. 32. 2. The other is more carefulness Mark that place Psal 26. 1. I have walked in mine integrity Ver. 3. For thy loving kindness is before mine eyes Never were any more strict in paths of righteousness than those who have tasted most of Gods loving kindness I am thy servant c. Psal 116. 16. Thirdly More delight in the Word and greater appetite after it 1 Pet. 2. 2 3. As Delight in the Word new born baves desire the sincere milk of the Word that ye may grow thereby if so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious Fourthly More zeal for God What will not this assured Christian act and suffer Zeal he will do any service for Christ yea the highest and greatest the love of Christ constrains him 2 Cor. 14. nay he will dye for Christ but to dye for the Name of Christ Acts 21. 13. Who loved me and gave himself for me saith Paul Gal. 2. 20. What shall I render to the Lord what shall I do for my God Cant. 3. 5. I charge you stir not up nor awake my love Fifthly More fear to sin against God let me tell you a truth the assured person Fear to sin would even dye presently in the Arms of Christ that he might never sin against him any more but see Hosea 3. 5. They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Sixthly An height of heart presently the heart is above all the world the world Height of heart is nothing of no account when the Lord once gives in the assurance of his love in the pardon of our sins in the blood of Christ Quest 2. I now proceed to the second question which is this What those weak Christians and Believers should judge of their estate who never yet could attain unto this particular assurance of the pardon of their sins and what course they may take to enjoy What weak Christians should judge of their estates who could never get assurance For their support the same Sol. There are two things in this question to be spoken unto 1. One respects the support 2. The other respects the direction of such Christians as have not yet attained the assurance c. 1. For the support of those weak believers who are apt to judge heavily of themselves and of their spiritual estate because they never yet attained to the pardon of their sins I would present these four Conclusions First One may be in a justified or pardoned estate in the Court of heaven who as yet A man may be in a pardoned state who is not assured is not in an assured estate in the Court of his own conscience sins may be forgiven when yet the sinner is not assured of the forgiveness of his sins 2 Sam. 12. 13. The Lord hath put away thy sins and yet David prayed exceedingly to get the assurance thereof Psal 51. 8. Make me to hear joy and gladness c. Joh. 14. 20. At that day after his Ascension ye shall know that I am in my Father and you in me and I in you Ye shall know c. yet of these he saith Joh. 15. 5. I am the Vine ye are the Branches Job 13. 24. Wherefore hidest thou thy face and holdest me for thine enemy Psal 88. 14. Lord why castest thou off my soul why hidest thou thy face from me Ver. 15. Whiles I suffer thy terror I am distracted Ver. 16. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off Isa 64 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father we are the clay and thou art the potter and we all are the work of thine hand Ver. 9. Be not wroth very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people Mark though thou art our Father and we are thy people yet be not wroth c. Secondly If one doth truly believe in Christ his condition is sure although the His condition is sure though his person have not assurance person hath not assurance true faith though weak though compassed with doubts and fears doth really make Christ to be yours and if Christ be yours then your condition is sure 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life Joh. 10. 27. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me Ver. 28. and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand Joh. 6. 47. Verily verily I say unto you he that believeth on me hath everlasting life Beloved neither Christ nor salvation are setled upon assurance but upon faith it is not said that Christ dwells in our hearts by assurance but by faith nor is it said Whosoever is assured shall be saved nor Whosoever is assured shall receive remission of sins but Whosoever believeth The weakest true faith is enough to make Christ to be yours and consequently it is enough to give you an interest in his Redemption and to free you from condemnation and to bring you to that purchased inheritance of life see then this is another comfort though you have not assurance yet the condition of life is sure if ye be true believers c. Thirdly A third support is this Though you have not the assurance of the forgiveness Though you have not this assurance yet you are labouring for it of your sins yet you are labouring and striving for it there are degrees of assurance some are weaker some are stronger some are more permanent some are transient Beloved though a man be not in heaven yet it is a great comfort if he be walking towards heaven though a man be not in Christ yet it is good when he is crying out for Christ and so though a man hath not as yet the assurance that his sins are pardoned it is a good sign when he is found in the ways for assurance Object But what comfort is there in this that one is labouring for assurance when as yet he never had it Sol. There is in this four comforts to them that labour for assurance First The comfort of obedience that you are according to Gods commands giving all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2
for mercy to pardon their sins and never mind holiness nor how to get their hearts to be sanctified Nay they oppose holiness and scoff and scorn at holiness These men will lose their souls because both of these which God hath promised are necessary for salvation you must have your sins pardoned or else you cannot be saved and so you must have your hearts sanctified or else you cannot be saved Quest 1. But you may say unto me why do men look only after mercy and Why men look after mercy and not holiness not also after holinesse seeing God hath joyned them together in his promise and both must be in persons which will be saved The Reasons may be these First Holinesse is more contrary to mans sinful nature than mercy Mercy indeed relieves the sinner in a more easie and delightful way but holiness though it doth relieve the sinner yet it doth it in a way more cross to our sinfull love for it fights against our sins and doth purge and work them out from our hearts and will not suffer sin to bear Rule there Secondly Though holiness be the way to heaven yet sinfull men do not look on it as so but they look on it as the way of trouble and reproach as a way that is contradicted and exposing them to crosses losses and contempts and which is too severe against their carnal liberties and pleasures and wills and therefore they like it not No man reproacheth another because he is justified but because he is sanctified for sanctification is a reproach and condemnation to the evil wayes of men Vse 3. Doth God promise to sanctifie his people as well as to justifie Be not content with the one without the other them Then be not content with the one without the other but joyn them in your prayers which God hath joyned in his promises Be not satisfied that you sins are pardoned neither be satisfied that your hearts be sanctified as he cryed out Domine de penitentiam da indulgentiam so do you Lord give me grace and Lord give me mercy God is a holy God as well as a mercifull God and Jesus Christ came by water and blood 1 Joh. 5. 6. Let your hearts be earnestly carried out for both To this end remember six Conclusions First Though your Right and Title to heaven lies in Justification yet your meetnesse and fitnesse for heaven lies in your Sanctification Col. 1. 12. Giving thanks unto God the Father who hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Acts 20. 32. I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them that are sanctified Is it meet or fit that an ungodly person should be in heavenly glory The Leper had a right to his house yet was not fit to dwell in it untill he was cleansed Secondly When you look at the pardon of your sins you seem to look more at your selves your own safety your own peace your own deliverance from wrath and hell but when you look after sanctification you rather look more at Gods glory how you may be enabled to honour him more 1 Pet. 2. 9. Yea are a chosen generation a royal Priesthood an holy Nation a peculiar people that you should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light Thirdly We should be compleat in Christ Col. 2. 10. And in all the will of God Chap. 4. 12. How can this be if Christ be not your sanctification as well as Righteousness if you be not partakers of his Spirit as well as of his merit if you do not dye and live with him Fourthly It is a sign of a naughty heart when mercy alone is desired and that only will satisfie In an exigence the most wicked man will cry out for mercy but he never cries for sanctity Pharaoh put Moses upon it to pray that God would forgive his sinne but never that God would heale his hardness Fifthly As God promiseth the one as well as the other so he will never give the one without the other If he justifies you he likewise sanctifies you and if you are not sanctified assuredly you are not justified when you are by Faith united to Christ your communion immediately falls in for sanctification as well for Righteousness And it is impossible that Christ should be yours but you must have the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his and that Spirit quickning us with a new life and mortifies our lusts Some hold that sanctification is an inseparable effect of justification but unquestionably it is a companion of it and a lively testimony of it Sixthly Because he promiseth both therefore seeke for both Consider 1. God promiseth nothing that is superfluous or useless but it is good and for our good 2. He promiseth no good which he 1. Is not able to perform And 2ly willing to perform Holiness is an excellent good it is the image of God it is the glory of God it is called glory 2 Cor. 10. it is the glory and excellency an unholy person is but vile and base the Saints are the excellent on the earth Psal 16. 2. It is our perfection it is the highest elevation of our names here on earth and hereafter in heaven it is the prime work of the Spirit it is the scope of election he hath chosen us that we should be holy Ephes 1. 4. It is the scope of vocation God calls us unto holiness 1 Thes 4. 7. And this God hath promised to give c. But I shall speak no more at present of this general Observation I will touch a little also upon the next general Proposition and then I will come to the principal matter in the Text. SECT II. Doct. 2. THat God himself undertakes in promise to sanctifie the hearts of his people I will give you a new heart and I will put a new spirit within God himself undertakes to sanctifie his people you Levit. 20. 8. I am the Lord that sanctifieth thee Luke 11. 13. How much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him Joh. 17. 17. Sanctifie them through thy truth thy Word is truth 1 Thes 5. 23. The very God of peace sanctifie you wholly Quest Why God undertakes it First Else it were impossible to be effected Consider First That no creature can make it self holy it cannot change it self no man Why God undertakes it Else it were impossible No creature can make itself holy can change his own sinful heart Who can say I have made my heart clean Prov. 20. 9. And this will appear by two particulars 1. No sinful man hath any supernatural power in him to produce any superdatural work in himself he is without all strength without me saith Christ
to the principal matter here distinctly promised by God unto his people viz. A new heart and a new spirit CHAP. VIII God gives a new heart and a new spirit to his people in Covenant Doct. 1. THat a new heart and a new spirit God will give unto all his people in Covenant A new heart will I give you and a new spirit c. SECT I. FOr the opening of this great and necessary Truth I will speak unto a few God gives a new heart and a new spirit to his people in Covenant What is meant by heart and spirit Heart taken diversly Questions Quest 1. What is meant by heart and spirit Sol. The word heart is taken Sometimes Physically for that noble and vital part of man which is the seat of the soul and life in man Thus it is not looked on in this place Sometimes it is taken for the soule of man which hath its principal residence in the heart Gen. 6. 5. God saw that every imagination of the thoughts of mans heart was only evil continually of mans heart i. e. of mans soul Prov. 23. 26. My Son give me thy heart i. e. thy soul thy will thy affections thus it is taken in this place Secondly That word Spirit is in Scripture taken sometimes in opposition Spirit how taken to the body of man as in Eccles 12. 7. Then shall the dust i. e. the body of man return to the earth as it was and the spirit i. e. the soul shall return to God who gave it Sometime it is put in a direct distinction from the soule as in 1 Thes 5. 23. I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless c. Here the Spirit denotes the intellectual part and the soule denotes the will and affections And so I humbly conceive the word Spirit is taken in the Text Namely for the mind and judgement called the intellectual part of man and the word Heart is taken for the will and affections and by both is meant all the soul the whole soul in all the faculties of it 2. Quest What is meant by the newness of heart and by the newness of spirit What is meant by newness of heart How many waâ—es a thing is said to be new for this is the thing promised Sol. A thing may be said to be new either in respect of substance or in respect of qualities First There is a substantial newnesse where all the materials are so as an house is new and a garment is new and a ship is new being all made of new materials under this notion God doth not give a new heart and a new spirit unto his people i. e. he doth not give unto them another soul for substance from what formerly they had they have one and the same substantial soul still c. all the same essential faculties of the soul still the same faculty of understanding the same will the same affections still Secondly There is an accidental newness where the substance remaines the same yet the qualities supervinient or super-added to the substance are new Simile As when a Garment is cut into a new fashion or a piece of Plate is melted and purged of its dross and made clean and pure we call those new though not for substance yet for qualities Naaman was the same man when he was a Leper and when he was cured the cure was accidental In this respect God gives a new heart and a new spirit i. e. he doth as it were new shape the heart and spirit he puts into them such gracious qualities which are opposite to the wicked or sinful qualities in them before And these are called new not in opposition to our Creation for God made us holy and righteous but in opposition to our degeneration for by the fall we lost all our excellencies and corrupted our hearts and filled them with all unrighteousness with sinful corruptions when God doth purge out of our hearts and infuseth into them the graces of his Spirit then are our hearts said to be new and our This newness of heart spirits are said to be renewed This only in the general Now I shall more particularly discover unto you what this newness of heart is which God doth promise unto his people Described It is that great and eminent change wrought in all the soul by the Spirit of Christ infusing a new principle of grace which inclines and conformes the heart to the whole will of God and opposeth and mortifieth all the old sinful lust formerly residing and prevailing in the heart There are many particulars in this description which I shall in order unfold unto you First A new heart is a changed heart Newness in the very nature of it A new heart is a changed heart implies an alteration for whatsoever is altogther the same that it was cannot be said to be new If the heart was ignorant and so remains still if it was proud and vain and filthy and earthly and so remaines still this heart is an old heart still there is no newness because no change Newness of heart peremptorily implies a change of the heart therefore it is in Scripture called a new birth Joh 3. 3. Except a man be born again And a quickning from the dead Luke 15. 24 This my son was dead and is alive again And a turning from darkeness to light Act. 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God And a transformation Rom. 12. 2. Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind And a translation 2 Cor. 5. 17. Old things are past away all things are become new And a washing and a cleansing and a refining 1 Cor. 6. 11. 2 Cor. 7. 1. Mal. 3. 2 3. Secondly When the heart is made new there is a great and eminent change made It is an eminent change in it There are three great changes of mans heart 1. One was by sin when man being in honour abode not but fell by transgression and became like the beasts that perish This was a wofull change like that of the apostatizing Angels from heaven to hell 2. Another is by grace wherein we are changed into the very image of God 3. A third is by glory when we shall be like God himself For we shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3. 2. The change which makes newness of heart is a great and eminent change reckoned therefore amongst the wonders of God called a Creation and a Resurrection and the opening of the eyes of the blind and unstopping the ears of the deaf Isa 35. 5. And loosing the tongue of the dumb It is such a change that others beholding it stand amazed at as they did when they saw Paul appear another man at Damascus from what he was at Jerusalem Acts 19. 21. Yea the very Angels are affected with it and rejoyce I say unto you there is
in which there may be found some joyes at the hearing of the Word as in Herod and in the third sort of ground and delight in approaching unto God Isa 58. 2. Sixthly The conversation in reforming of some sins which the Apostle calls an Escaping the pollutions of the world 2 Pet. 2. 20. and in conscience to some duties as Herod heard John Baptist and did many things Mar. 6. 20. Object But will some of you say doth not the presence of all these things These alone do not argue a new heart certainly conclude the presence of newnesse of heart or of an heart renewed by grace Sol. All these gifts of them alone do not conclude it the effects which may appear unto you in these four Conclusions First A man may attain to all these and yet be a very notorious wicked man Most of these did Herod attain unto if not unto all of them yet the man A man may have these and remain wicked was very vile and wicked and three things did manifestly declare him to be so 1. He kept Herodias his brothers wife Mar. 6. 17. 2ly He took away the life of John the Baptist Mar. 6. 27. 3ly He set Jesus Christ at naught and rejected him Luke 23. 11. That man who will live in a known notorious sin and who will unjustly murder the messenger of God and mock and reject Jesus Christ as vile is a very wicked man but all this did Herod who knew much and heard much and did much and had some temporary affections Ergo Secondly No Hypocrites heart was ever renewed by grace if it were so he An Hypocrite may attain to these were no Hypocrite but an Hypocrite may attain unto all these Knowledge he may have none doubts of it he may excell in it The Pharisees knew the Law yea and knew Christ Faith of assent he may have this they had who believed for a season and this had Simon Magus Some tast and affections he may have such had they in Isa 58. 2 3. and in Heb. 6. Trouble in Conscience he may have for sin committed this had Judas And outward Reformation he may have so far as to seem righteous in the sight of men c. Thirdly Apostates never had truth of Renewing grace for Renewing grace it Apostates may have all this Renewing grace hath power in the heart above common gifts is a living spring immortal and abiding seed a gift of God without repentance the earnest of our glorious inheritance but Apostates may attain unto all common gifts whatsoever see at leasure Heb. 6. 4 5 6. 4. Renewing grace hath the power in the heart which no common gifts have v. g. 1. It separates the heart from the love of all sin 2. It sets the heart upon the mortification of all sin 3. It brings in the whole heart to God 4. It sets out such a new obedience with Spiritual Ingredients and affections and with such a sole entire respect to Gods glory that no common gift doth or can IV. The strange and powerful effects of an awakened and troubled Conscience An awakened and troubled conscience This is the nearest to renewing I hardly know any such nearness to the work of renewing grace as that arises from Conscience awakened and troubled for a person in this condition First Hath a clear sight and an exquisite sense of his sinne not only present but long since committed they seeme to be set in order before his eyes Secondly His very soule is troubled and distressed so that he would give all the world that he had never sinned so and so Thirdly he cannot hold but he must confesse his sins before God and sometimes before men with surpassing lamentations and tears and severe accusings and condemnings of himself Fourthly He puts away all visible sinne and resolves and protests against it yea and bindes his soule with solemn vows never to return to folly more Fifthly He cries out for Christ and how he may get Christ to make his peace Sixthly There is no visible duty but he doth set upon and in such a manner as he never did before prayes most earnestly for mercy hears attentively for any hope of mercy and perhaps associates himself with the people of God and begs their counsel their prayers their pity and their comfort Seventhly He will not in this anguish of conscience come near the occasions of sinne but doth withstand temptations from wicked company and cries out against them as the seducers of his soul Eighthly He sets up a kind of Reformation in his Family which before had perhaps no face of Religion in it but now all notorious profaneness is banished and the neglect of Gods worship is redressed and Prayer is set up in the Family morning and evening and the reading of the Scriptures c. Object Surely will some men say this mans heart is changed and all this could never be unlesse the heart were renewed by grace and some of us never went so far as this can you shew any difference 'twixt those effects of an awakened and troubling conscience and those flowing from renewing grace Sol. These â—ffects I confess are high and with them for the present Differences betwixt these and renewing grace In the Caâ—se many do deceive themselves looking on them as the fruits of renewing grace but there are manifest differences between them First In the Cause or Grounds when they come only from an awakened and troubling Conscience the cause of them is only the sense of Gods dreadful wrath which is such an unsufferable evil that it breakes and tears the senses the sinner will in that condition do any thing and comply with any course How conformable was Pharaoh when the hand of God was heavy upon him and unto what confession and restitution and repentance was Judas wrought when the wrath of God fell upon his Conscience But now when the heart is renewed by grace the man is sensible of his sinning and mourns for his sins and puts away his sins and sets up a course of new obedience not from the meere sense of wrath but from another Cause even from a love to God and an apprehension of Gods love to him which raiseth in him a loathing of all which God loaths and a liking of all that God likes and a desire in all things to walk in all well-pleasing before the Lord. Secondly In the secret Principle which sets the sinner thus awork In the In the Principle troubled sinner it is self-love a poor wretch now plainly sees that he must be damned if he doth not leave and change his sinful course and if he slights Christ and holy duties as formerly he hath done there is in him in this condition an horrible fear of death and of Gods eternal vengeance and he would not fall into the consuining fire no creature likes its own destruction much less an eternal damnation and therefore this troubled sinner will set upon duties and
will make much moan for Christ and all that moves him unto this is his self-love he loves his life and he loves his safety but yet all this while doth not love Christ for Christ nor holy Duties as ways to glorifie God but where renewing grace is in a man the principle which sets him a work for Christ is faith and which draws him out is a love of godliness and a love of the glory of God c. Thirdly In the end or aim which in works done upon the sole account of In the end a troubling conscience is only self-ease and quietness and calmness of conscience as the distemper lies only in trouble so the remedy lies only in ease Oh if the wrath of God were off in the feeling of it but the poor wretch doth not think of removing the wrath of God in the state of it and O if the painful terrors of conscience were off that and this he aims at directly if he thinks of Christ if he prays if he hears if he confers if he reforms all tends to this viz. the removing of sensible evil of penal evil of terrors and troubles and that his conscience may be quiet and hold its peace and speak bitterly no more unto him but where the heart is renewed by grace the conscience should trouble yet it is not that only nor that principally which the person looks at to be removed but it is the cause of that trouble O Lord take away iniquity O Lord heal my soul O Lord subdue my sin O be thou my sanctifying God as well as my pardoning God my sins trouble my soul O let me no more trouble thee by my sins c. Fourthly In the event or issue Let the troubled sinner who appears now with such a great change let him I say be taken off the Rack let him get respite In the event let him get deliverance from his fears and from his terrors and from his distresses There are four things which will appear in him 1. He will quickly abate and grow remiss in all these duties will not be so serious so earnest so constant 2. He will give way to contemplative evil and will be venturing upon the occasion of sin again 3. He will return in love to his sinful practices and with the dog will return again to his vomit 2 Pet. 2. 22. 4. His latter end is worse his conscience from being a troubled conscience will now become an hardned conscience and seared 2 Pet. 2. 20. But thus it never is with an heart renewed by grace which turns us from evil to good and from good to better and still increaseth in the soul a greater hatred of sin and fear to sin and the more that renewing grace abounds in the soul the more is tenderness abounding in the conscience Thus have you heard by way of Use 1. A conviction that many persons are still in their old sinful conditions and never bad this new heart given them 2. That there is a possibility to be deceived about the fruiton of this newness of heart and wherein that deceit may be SECT IV. Vse 3. I Shall now proceed to a Use of Discovery wherein I will propound For discovery unto you some Characters by which you may know whether God hath indeed bestowed upon you this new heart and new spirit which he hath promised to give unto all his people in Covenant The Signs and Characters are these ten Ten Characters of a new heart 1. A New Sight and Feeling 2. A New Judgement and Opinion 3. New Cares and Requests 4. New Principles 5. A New Combate and Conflict 6. New Abilities and Powers 7. New Works and Obedience 8. New Delights and Satisfactions 9. New Society 10. New Rules First To whomsoever God doth give a new heart unto him he doth give a A new sight and feeling new sight and feeling of their spiritual condition before the Lord renews the heart by grace there were two qualities predominant in it One was ignorance or blindness an unregenerate man is a dead man Ephes 2. 1. and an ignorant man he understands not he knows not what he is nor what he doth nor what his condition of soul is We were never in bondage said they in Joh. 8. 33. The way of wickedness is as darkness they know not at what they stumble said Solomon Prov. 4. 19. Another was hardness and unsensibleness a wicked man hath a wicked heart but he is not sensible of it and his heart is desperately wicked but he is not sensible of it He is ignorant and proud and impenitent and malicious and serving divers lusts and under the curse and wrath of God but he is not sensible of it His sin abounds in heart and life and rules and bears sway and he is a slave unto them but he is not sensible of this but when the Lord renews the heart by grace there is presently a spiritual life and presently a spiritual sense the man sees that in himself which he never saw before and experimentally feels that in himself which he never felt before Alas saith he What a wretched creature am I and what a sinful heart is here full of wickedness desperately evil here is no good dwelling in me here is that sinfulness abounding in me here is that ignorant vain worldly stubborn sensual rebellious unbelieving hardened heart of which the Lord speaks and which the Lord threatens and the man groans under this burden of his sinful heart and life Psal 38. 4. and exceedingly complains of it Rom. 7. 24. and now loaths himself in his own eyes Ezek. 36. 31. and bewails his condition with trouble of heart Secondly To whomsoever the Lord gives a new heart he doth give unto A new judgement and opinion them a new judgement and opinion before the Lord renews a mans heart he hath a corrupt and false judgement Partly of himself in respect 1. Of his estate that he is alive that he is righteous that he needs no Repentance that he stands in need of nothing 2. Of his own ways that they are the wisest for safety and best for delight and profit Partly of Gods commands and ways that of all other they are most unequal and most burdensome and most undelightful and for the most part needless what needs a man to trouble himself so much for his sins and what needs a man presently to set upon the practice of Repentance and what needs a man to make so sure of Christ and mercy and grace and heaven But when the Lord gives a man a new heart his judgement is rectified and he hath now another opinion than formerly he had his judgement is divers from what it was in respect of himself and his ways As the Apostle spake I was alive without the Law once but when the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed Rom. 7. So before renewing grace came into the heart a man thinks high thoughts of himself and
an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our Conversation in the world 8. Vnbelief discontentment impatience discord and variance these are other principles of the old heart but when the Lord gives a new heart then he works in us contrary principles unto these viz. faith Phil. 1. 29. Vnto you it is given to believe Repentance Acts 11. 18. God hath granted to the Gentiles also repentance unto life Contentment Phil. 4. 11. I have learned in whatsoever state I am therewith to be content Patience 1 Cor. 4. 12. Being reviled we bless being persecuted we suffer it Love 1 Thes 4. 9. Ye are taught of God to love one another I could name many more such heavenly principles and qualities contrary to the old sinful principles and qualities which are certainly found though not in the same measure or degree yet in truâ—h in every man whom the Lord doth give a new heart Fifthly Whensoever the Lord gives a man a new heart there is presently a new A new combate and conflict combate and conflict Gal. 5. 17. The flesh lusheth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and they are contrary the one to the other c. Rom. 7. 23. But I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind The flesh which is our corrupt heart or nature the old man the Law in our members and the Spirit which is our new heart or renewed nature the new man the Law of our mind these are both in the same regenerate person and they are dispersed over every faculty of the soul and they are contrary the one to the other and do warre one against another and that war is from the first moment that renewing grace enters into the heart to the last moment that the soule leaves the body Object Now here it may be objected that this cannot be a true and real sign of newness of heart because in a natural and unregenerate man there is many times a combate and conflict between their judgement and their affections and between their conscience and their temptations unto sin Sol. That there are such combates and conflicts in unregenerate men I grant Differences betwixt the conflicts in a regenerate and unregenerate man In their Principles but then they are of another nature different from those in a renewed or regenerate person First In their Principles The conflict in the one ariseth from servile fear the conflict in the other ariseth from spiritual hatred A natural Conscience may see the danger of sinning and thereupon oppose the affections inclining to sin but a renewed heart sees the baseness of sin and thereupon inclines the heart to hate it As sin a coal of fire there is the fire which burneth and there is the coal which defileth so in sin there is considerable the wrath unto which it doth expose and the filthiness whereby it doth pollute the soul The fear of burning wrath this makes the unregenerate conscience to hold off and to argue against the temptations to sin but it is the defilement and pollution by sin which makes the renewed heart to abhor and contest with it Not only or principally the evil by sin but the evil of sin which is so extreamly contrary to God in his Nature and Will and Glory which we entirely love c. In the Seat Secondly In the Seate and place of combate Simile The combate in unregenerate men is like that between Souldiers in several Forts and that in renewed persons is like the fight of Souldiers in the same Fort where every ones sword is against every one The conflict or combate in the unregenerate is only 'twixt one faculty and another distinct faculty the affections go one way and the judgement and conscience another way But when a mans heart is renewed by grace there now ariseth a war and combate within every faculty The judgment is divided against the judgment and the will is divided against the will and the affection against the affection The reason whereof is this because there is flesh and Spirit sin and grace co-existent and co-habiting in every faculty of the soul sin is not driven up to one faculty whilst grace possesseth the other faculties but renewing grace is in every faculty and remaining corruption is also in every faculty Simile Like Jacob and Esau strugling in the same womb or like heat and cold in the same water and in every part of it Thirdly In the Extent of the combate that in unregenerate persons is only with some gross scandalous and infamous sins but for secret sins or other In the Exteâ—t sins which the world applauds these are still favoured and harboured the natural man can go no farther than his light which in him cannot make a clear and full discovery of sins nor will he quarrel with his sins further than he needs must to save his ease in Conscience and credit with men But when the heart is renewed by grace there the combate is against all known sin the reason whereof is this because the ground of opposition is not accidental and particular but natural and universal the newness of the heart is not an humour but a contrary nature to that of sin and therefore the heat doth conflict with all that is cold because it is naturally contrary unto it so doth renewing grace combate with all sin because it is a nature contrary to sin as sin not as little or great secret or open c. but as sin 4. In the event In regenerate men the issue of the conflict is either a plain giving up to the will of lust in the affections the man being tyred and In the event vexed with the violent sollicitations of them as Sampson was with Dalilahs importunities or in case that natural conscience doth prevail it is not to the mortifying of any sin but only to a temporary repressing and restraining of sin but the combate ends otherwise where the heart is renewed by grace for it makes a more constant and resolute resistance and at the last though perhaps after some foiles it gets the victory over sin and wins the field Thus you see that the new spiritual combate or conflict is a true character of a heart indeed renewed by grace It is not a sign of true grace that a man hath no sin but that his heart is conflicting with all sin Sixthly Whensoever a new heart is given by God unto any person then are New abilities there given new abilities unto that person Beloved two things I take for granted 1. That renewing grace is in itself a very powerful quality There is a Spirit of power and might in it and going along with it if it were not so it could never change the heart of a sinner nor unthrown sin nor maintain conflict with all the powers
of sin and Satan nor send out such high works of services as it doth 2. That it doth conferre an ability or power on the soule to what end else is it given unto us if by it we have no more power than what we had before in our natural condition When we are renewed by grace we are said to be quickned who were dead which necessarily implies that there is a power imprinted in us when we are renewed Now there is a two-fold power given when renewing grace is given 1. One is to do such things which no natural or unregenerate person ever did or could do 2. Another is to do such things which we our selves were not able to do before God did renew our hearts by grace First take me the bravest Heathen that ever was or the most accomplished Hypocrite that ever was and consider what they have done how far they have gone if you are not able to go beyond them in doing some things which they could not rise unto assuredly your hearts were never renewed by grace As Christ spake Except your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven Matth. 5. 20. So say I except you be able to do more than the choisest Heathen or exquisite Hypocrite or any unregenerate person in the world your hearts were never changed by renewing grace Object Will some say unto me what do you mean for many unregenerate men have gone very farre and so high that it is a question whether some of the people of God have risen so high Sol. First Let them go as farre as unregenerate men may or can go yet every regenerate or renewed person goes farre beyond them and the demonstration of it is this renewing grace is the highest elevation and perfection of mans nature common gifts with which alone unregenerate men are possessed are farre below and behind it in excellency and abilities Secondly But plainly to open my mind unto you there are six things unto which renewing grace doth enable a man and unto which no unregenerate person could ever attain 1. Self-denial in a mans opinion and affections and worth and ways and ends 2. Sincere love of Jesus Christ and of all that do belong to Christ 3. A cordial compliance with the whole revealed will of God 4. A submission of the whole heart to Christ in all his offices and with all his conditions 5. An unfeigned hatred of every sin 6. To live by faith upon the promises of God in all the contingencies and occurrences of the world No unregenerate person ever did or could in that estate rise unto any one of these things and every renewed person doth attain unto them in the truth of them therefore if you find a power to do those things assuredly your hearts are renewed by grace Secondly Moreover you may discern the presence of renewing grace by that power and ability to do such works as you your selves were never able to do before Heretofore you were not able to shed a tear for sin to forsake any one beloved sin to send up an affectionate prayer to God to prize Christ above all and to thirst after him to take any delight in God to suffer any reproach for Christ But now ye are able to mourn for your sins and to abhor them 2 Cor. 10. 4. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds To forsake the dearest lusts and to cry mightily to God and to take delight in him and in his will and ways and to prize Christ above all and to hunger and thirst after him as the only chiefest good and happiness and you can do for Christ and you can suffer for Christ c. Do you find it thus with you then are your hearts renewed by grace Seventhly You may know whether God hath given a new heart by the By new works new works and the new means of working We say that ut res se habent in essendo sic se habent in operando All works and operations are answerable to the nature in us the old nature finds out old works and the new nature finds out new works Before the Prophet healed and seasoned the spring of water it did send out bitter and unwholsome water but afterward the waters the spring being healed were sweet and wholsome 2 Kings 2. 21 22. So before the Lord doth heal our old hearts the works flowing from them are bitter corrupt vile abominable that which is born of the flesh is flesh Joh. 3. but when he heals the heart by renewing grace there are new works of holiness and righteousness answerable to a renewed heart whatsoever is born of the Spirit is Spirit Now then take a survay of your former Works and of your former Conversation and compare them with the present works and course of life and be your selves the Judges what newness you find in them Have you left your former works of uncleanness of drunkenness of profaning the Sabbath of scoffing at holiness of mispending your precious time in gaming 's and in vain pleasures Are you not still to be found in the same paths and ways and works of wickedness Are there not still the same fruits growing out of the old root and the same stream flowing out of the same corrupt spring How can ye say that you have new hearts when still you live old lives and go on in the old course of sin Beloved this is most true that a new life ever attends a new heart if the heart be changed the life will be changed newness of heart will appear in newness of Conversation Did Paul did Mary Magdalen did Zacheus did any of whose Conversion you read in Scripture lead such lives as formerly Did they not put off concerning the former Conversation the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts Eph. 4. 22. Have they not had their fruit unto holiness Rom. 6. 22. Therefore let no man deceive himself saying though I walk as in former times and live still as I have lived yet my heart is as good as the best thou dost but delude and destroy thy self in this vain boasting for the Tree is known by his fruits it is impossible that thy heart should be a new heart as long as thy Conversation remains a wicked Conversation Object But you may say Do you not see that hypocrites do appear in good works and yet they are wicked persons and good men sometimes appear in evil works and actions and yet they are not wicked Ergo. This appearance in new works cannot be a sure sign of a new heart Sol. To this I answer First Whatsoever the good works may be which a wicked man may do I shall not at this time dispute but this may suffice you that where there is no newness of life there is no newness of heart Secondly It is not this or that particular
man fancieth that his sins are pardoned Of the pardon of our sins and yet his sinful heart remains he deceiveth himself for when God pardons sins he changeth the sinner Jer. 33. 8. I will cleanse them from all their iniquity and will pardon all their iniquities Mal. 4. 2. The Son of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified 6. Of the hope of glory Christ is the hope of glory as a meritorious Of hope of glory cause Colos 1. 27. And renewing grace is the hope of glory as a testifying means 1 Pet. 1. 3. Who hath begotten us again to a lively hope Ver. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible c. 1 Joh. 3. 2. We know that when he appeareth we shall be like him for we shall see him as he is Ver. 3. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure Secondly Newness of heart is an unquestionable effect of our union with Christ It is an effect of our union with Christ Is it no comfort to you that you belong to Christ that Christ is yours that you are in him of a truth hear what the Apostle saith 1 Cor. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdome righteousness sanctification c. 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man he in Christ he is a new creature Beloved this is most certain that unction flows from union you are not first sanctified and renewed and then brought into Christ but you are first brought into Christ and so are you sanctified and renewed by the Spirit of Christ partaking of him you do partake of life none have their hearts renewed by grace but such as are in Christ and all that are in Christ have their hearts renewed by grace Joh. 1. 16. Of his fulness have all we received and grace for grace Thirdly Newness of heart is the noblest and highest elevation of our hearts It is the highest elevation of our hearts As the degenerate and corrupt nature is of all other the worst and basest for there is nothing more vile than that which is most sinful so the renewed nature which is directly opposite unto it is of all other the most excellent and raising it is therefore called the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. The image of God Col. 3. 10. The image of his glory 2 Cor. 3. 18. There are three things which may convince any Christian that renewing grace or newness of heart is our highest elevation and perfection 1. One because it is the nearest resemblance of that nature which is in God himself when you are renewed by grace then you are like unto God himself 1 Pet. 1. 16 Be ye holy for I am holy 2. Another because it is the choisest work or effect of the Spirit of God who though he produceth many other works yet this is the chiefest of them herein is his Arm revealed and in this doth his glory most appear and shine 3. A third is because it is our nearest conformity to Christ our Head in whom the image of God doth most appear The image of God doth consist in knowledge holiness and righteousness as you may see if you compare Col. 3. with Ephes 4. and this image was perfect in Christ who was the image of his Father and unto this are we conformed in our proportion when we are renewed by grace for we are then changed into the same image 2 Cor. 3 18. And upon this one account are they said to be one Spirit with him who are joyned with him 1 Cor. 6. 17. Fourthly Newness of heart enables you for all heavenly communion and serviceableness It enables for heavenly communion to Divine glory Now you may aproach and come near and stand in the presence of your God and he will take delight in you and impart himself unto you when you call he will answer you and say Here I am and when you hear his Word he will meet you and teach and guide and rejoyce your heart When God renews our hearts he doth then set us apart for himself owns us as his jewels looks on us as his Hephziba and Beulah as his beloved as such in whom he delights as his friends as his favourites you may open all your wants and desires and conditions unto him and he will open all his goodness and kindness and mercies unto you Your hearts are now become his temples in which he will dwell and walk and appear with glorious manifestations of his love and grace and help Besides this newness of heart makes you serviceable unto his glory you can glorifie him in your hearts by believing on him in your lives by heavenly upright humble obedient faithful walking Fifthly God will own and accept of it and the fruit of it though but little and God owns and accept of it though little and weak weak As the least degree of newness doth denominate the condition so the weakest expressions of it are accepted He will not despise the day of small things Zach. 4. 10. The bruised reed he will not break nor will he quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12. 20. But he will spare his people as a man spareth his son that serveth him Mal. 3. 17. Sixthly Nay he will stand by it and uphold it and strengthen it and perfect it When you are under spiritual conflicts with your corruptions and temptations He will stand by it he will be present with you he will put forth his strong hand upon your weak hand he will make his power to appear in your weakness he will strengthen what he hath wrought and finish what he hath begun Seventhly Certain blessings and special cares are for all whose hearts are renewed by grace No people on earth have such a title to earth nor such a Special blessings are for 〈◊〉 sure revenue nor such tender care for them as renewed and regenerate persons The Lord is near unto them he is round about them he is in the midst of them he will do them good he will surely bless them no good thing shall be wanting to them he will never leave them nor forsake them he will be a present help unto them in the time of trouble he will know their souls in adversity and will contend against all who do contend against them Eighthly Renewing grace will at the last bring you to the enjoyment of eternal It will bring us to eternal happiness happinesse Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Rom. 6 22. But now being made free from sin and become servants to God you have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Why It is the first fruits of the Spirit the earnest of the Spirit the seal of the Spirit holiness is happiness begun grace is glory begun already c. SECT VI. Vse 5. DOth God
that seek thee I believe all this Lord help my unbelief c. 3. Perseverance hold on this request and against all the rebellious workings of your old heart and against all the fears and disputes and discouragements of your old hearts yet lift up one Prayer more and one Prayer more you shall certainly prevail if you can persevere in Prayer There are three Requests which a poor broken-heart is sure to speed in if he will pray alwayes and not faint One is for a Christ and another is for pardoning mercy and a third is for a new heart Thirdly Diligently and patienly attend the Word by which God converts Attend the Word and changeth and renews the heart Psal 19. 7. The Law of the Lord is perfect converting souls Jam. 1. 18. Of his own Will begat he us with the Word of Truth Ephes 5. 26. That he might sanctifie and cleanse it with the washing of water by the Word How many old sinful hearts hath God convinced and converted by his Word that have come unto it with ignorance and been sent from it with knowledge that have come to it with hardness and have been sent from it with tenderness that have come to it with pride and have been sent from it with humility that have come to it with all manner of profaneness and have been sent from it with all manner of holiness with the Love of God and fear of God and hatred of sin and real purpose to walk with God in newness of obedience O therefore attend the Word of the Gospel which is the power of God unto salvation and therefore the power of God to Renovation c. Fourthly Lastly beseech the Lord to give you the uniting faith that faith which will unite your hearts to Jesus Christ which will effectually bring you into Begge uniting Faith relation with him as Members of the Body of which he is the head as Branches of himself the true Vine Object Why what will this do may some of you say Sol. I will tell you what it will do it will infallibly bring in renewing grace to your hearts You can never be changed and renewed Creatures unless you be in Christ 2 Cor 5. 17. For our spiritual life is in and from him he is the Authour of life unto us as Adam was the authour of death unto us And he was anointed with the Spirit that we from him might be Anointed with the Spirit And if once you be united by Faith unto him you partake of his Spirit to sanctifie and renew and conform you unto himself He that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit 1 Cor. 6. 17. EZEK 36. 26. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you an heart of flesh THese words are yet a further Declaration of the gracious will and intention of God towards the people of his Covenant Two things already hath God promised unto them one was to justifie them to pardon all their sins another was to sanctifie them to renew all their hearts And there are two more choice mercies and blessings which he doth graciously undertake to bestow upon them First One is to take away the stony heart out of their flesh Secondly The other is to give them an heart of flesh O what a mercy is it to be rid of the stone in the body which puts us to such exquisite pain and torment your mercy is infinitely greater to be delivered from the stone in the heart which is the depth of sin and the height of judgement There are three Propositions which these words do hold forth unto us viz. First There is a stony heart or an heart of stone in every man Secondly That God will take away the stony heart from his people Thirdly He will not only take away from them the heart of stone but he will also give them an heart of flesh CHAP. IX A heart of stone in every man Doctr. 1. THat there is a stony heart in every man I will take away the There is a stony heart in every man stony heart out of your flesh there it was else it could not be taken away the natural heart is a stony heart not Physically so as if it were so indeed but Metaphoriaclly so it is like the stone it is a hard heart spiritually hard that is meant by the stony heart Zach. 7. 12. They have made their hearts as an Adamant stone Isa 48. 4. Thy neck is an iron sinew and thy brow brass q. d. Thy heart is exceeding hard like Iron which will not bow and like brass which will not change both which are explained in the first words of the verse Thou art obstinate For the opening of this Point I will shew unto you 1. Why the hard heart which is in every man is called a stony heart 2. What stonyness or hardness of heart is to be found in man 3. Several Demonstrations or Convictions that the heart of every man naturally is a hard or stony heart SECT I. Quest 1. VVHY is the hard heart called a stony heart Why called a stony heart It is so called for the resemblance which it hath with a stone and in five particulars 1. Unsensibleness 2. Unflexibleness 3. Resistingness 4. Heaviness 5. Unfruitfulness First Because it is an unsensible heart What sense is there in a Rock in a An unsensible heart Stone in the Adamant in Ephes 4. 18 19. hardened sinners are said to be past feeling and that expression past feeling seems to be taken from the hands of labouring men which are so thickned and hardned by pains that they can grasp nettles and thorns and yet not feel the sharpness nor sting the natural heart is in this respect a stony heart i. e. unsensible Though he hath as many sins upon the soul which makes the very Creation to groan and to travail in pain Rom. 8. 22. yet he neither complains nor feels he goes on fâ—om day to day and adds drunkenness to thirst and drinks up iniquity as water yet he saith What evil have I done and there is no iniquity in my doings though the judgements of God be very near him and the tokens do abundantly appear yet like Ephraim when gray hairs were here and there upon him he perceived them not Hosea 7. 9. Yea though the anger of the Lord be poured upon him and sets him on fire round about yet he knows it not nay though it burn him yet he lays it not to heart Isa 42. 25. Such a gross stupidity is there in the natural and stony heart What one spake of himself in an humble way Erubescenda video nec erubesco dolenda intueor nec doleo peccata inspicio Bern. in Med. cap. 12. p. 1200. nec geno This and much more may be said of him that hath the hard and stony heart he blushes not he grieves not he sighs not for his sins nay he rejoyceth and boasteth and makes
to do any thing according to the Word indeed the heart is so hard that unless the Lord himself be pleased to put out his Almighty power it will never yield unto any saving operation of the Word Sixthly I will adde one Demonstration more of the hardness of mans heart The unsensibleness of it which is this the unsensibleness of that hardness of heart naturally the heart is so hard that it doth not and cannot perceive its own hardness indeed when grace comes into the heart then a spiritual sensation comes into the heart then we can feel our sins and feel our hardness and complain of the one and bewail the other O Lord why hast thou hardened our hearts from thy fear Isa 63. 17. But while men are in this natural sinful condition they are not sensible of their finful burdens nor are they sensible of the unsensibleness of their stupidity and hardness of their hearts They are sensible of this loss and of that want and can complain of this and take on for that but when did you ever hear a natural man complain of his hard heart O I have such an heart so full of sin and yet I cannot mourn for sin so unteachable so untractable so resisting so opposing the Word of God and ways of God! What shall I do whether shall I go O it is a burden that I cannot bear c. Why this unsensibleness that our hearts are hard it is a demonstrative conviction that they are hard and indeed no heart is more hard than that heart which is not sensible that it is hard Now I come to the useful Application of this unto our selves SECT II. Vse 1 IS there a stony heart in every man is the heart of every man naturally a hard heart Then wonder not to see so little good done upon men wonder Wonder not to see so little good done upon many By private instructions not 1. That our own private instructions and counsels and intreaties and reproofs usually come to nothing How often do we find parents abounding in cares and watchings and teachings and advising and checking and correctings of their children and when they have said and done all they can they fall a weeping and a sobbing and sighing why what 's the matter O nothing will work on my childe and what 's the reason of it thy childe hath a hard heart and an hard heart is an unteachable and an untractable heart Publick pains 2. Wonder not that Simile the publick pains and labours in the Ministry of the Gospel of Christ many times proves but like rain that falls upon the house top or upon the rocks little or no fruit comes of studies of prayers of doctrines of exhortations of reproofs but people remain still what they were as proud as vain as profane as impudent in sins as before And Ministers are apt to be discouraged and complain that they spend their strength in vain and labour for naught Isa 49. 4. And some imagine if other Ministers came into their room the matter would be much mended and other Ministers do come and then awhile they fall a weeping and complaining What a people are these that no part of the Word of God will work on and no kind of delivery of the same will take hold of them if we intreat them they slight us and if we plainly reprove them they grow worse Now I say wonder not at this Christ himself met with such kinds of people when he preached here on earth and he did hit upon the right cause of all this untowardliness and aversness and that was the hardness of mens hearts I have heard some preach that if Ministers would use clear convictions in their preaching that their hearers would be taken for they were reasonable creatures alas that they should proclaim their own ignorance that men are rational creatures a Philosopher can teach us but that men are sinful creatures and have hard hearts the Scriptures teach us and all the convictions and demonstrations of the will of God will never make impression unless the Lord take away the stony heart out of them 3. Wonder not that all the Providential Dispensations of God work not better amongst men you see many times that personal affections do no good at Providential Dispensations all though one loseth husband wife children estate he fears not he returns not he mends not wonder not at this for the man hath an hard heart You find many times publick judgements in a Nation and God pouring contempt and wrath upon it and on all sorts of men and yet the Inhabitants thereof do learn no righteousness but he that was ignorant is ignorant still and he that was filthy is filthy still and he that was proud is proud still and men grow more wicked under the judgements and plagues of God upon them wonder not at this for their hearts are hard hearts and nothing whatsoever will or can effectually work as long as the heart continues hard Thou mayst pity and pray and weep and fear but persons of hard hearts will do none of these untill God take away the stony heart from them Vse 2 Is there a stony heart in every man then let us make a stand and wonder at the exceeding patience of the Lord and his long-suffering that he can Wonder at the exceeding patience of God bear so much and forbear and hold in his wrath and not make an end of sinners and utterly destroy them You cannot possibly comprehend what affronts and injuries the hard heart puts upon God and what continued provocations that heart daily sends forth and raiseth against him O what careless neglects of his commanding will What proud slightings of his severe threatnings What contemptuous refusals of his gracious offers of mercy What audacious resistances of his Spirit What desperate boldness in sinning What an obstinate course and progress in offending of him What unteachableness and barrenness after all the pains that God takes with it all the cost that he is at to work upon it for good and yet the Lord is patient towards it and renews offers of grace and sends early and late and there is line upon line and precept upon precept and yet he doth not leave the sinner for all this but for a long time stands at the door and knocks and waits that he may be gracious and gives him time and expects him when he will consider and hearken and return Truly the hardness of mans heart is wonderful which will not bow after so many gracious dealings of God and the patience of God is more wonderful who will bear so many and so long affronts from a proud and hard heart If the Husband-man hath a piece of ground which after all his Tillage still bears bryars and thorns he will cast it off If the School-Master hath a Scholar which after long teaching and instructing continues dull and uncapable he will meddle no more with him Sir I can do
of Christ hardness and unbelief ever go together the same word which we render hardness doth signifie unbelief many times and the same word which we render unbelief sometimes signifies hardness but certainly hardness of heart keeps you from Christ for it keeps you from the sense of your sins and seeing a need of Christ and it keeps up a rebellious â—â—â— unyielding and unsubjection to the voice of Christ Hebr. 3. 7. Therefore saith the Holy Ghost To day if ye will hear his voice Ver. 8. Harden not your hearts 2. You lose the benefit of pardoning mercy for hardness of heart and impenitency go together Rom. 2. 5. After thy hardness and impenitent heart an hardned sinner is an impenitent sinner and neither the one nor the other remaining so shall have mercy Prov. 28. 13. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy Ver. 14. But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief 3. You lose the hope of heaven Read the Apostle Rom. 2. 5. But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up wrath unto thy self against the day of wrath 4. You lose the benefit of all the Ordinances of Christ all of them are in vain unto you the Word of the Gospel cannot profit you and the Seals of the Gospel cannot comfort you nay you will pervert the one and abuse the other and will gâ—ow more wicked and more hardened after them as the Clay by the shining of the Sun c. 5 You will lose the benefit of all the Providences of God if the Lord shines upon you with outward prosperity you will sin the more by how much the more he blesses you and if the Lord visits you with afflictions the more he strikes you and smites you the more stubbornly and frowardly will you go on in your sinful ways 6. You will lose all the benefit of the workings of the Spirit of God whom by the hardness of your hearts you do resist and despite and grieve and quench Thirdly Consider the sad effects and fruits of an hard and hardening heart The effects and fruits of a hard heart 1. You grieve the Lord by it exceedingly and cause him to complain of you bitterly Psal 95 10 speaking of the hardened Israelites Ver 8. he saith Forty years long was I grieved with this generation Mark 3. 5. Christ was grieved at the hardness of their hearts As a father grieves at the continued course of wickedness in his child Alas all my counsels and corrections are lost they do no good c. 2. You provoke the Lord by it the day of hardening the heart is the day of provocation Hebr. 3. 15. Harden not your hearts as in the provocation you do incense him to wrath against your own souls Ephraim provoked him to anger most bitterly 3. You will cause him to leave you and forsake you and to give you up to your selves Psal 81. 11. But my people would not hearken to my voice and Israel would none of me Ver. 12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts lust and they walked in their own counsel What a sin is it for a sinner to forsake God what a judgement is it for God to forsake a sinner Woe unto them when I depart from them Hosea 9. 12. Simile It is worse than if the Pilot forsakes the Ship or if the Sun forsakes the world c. 4. You will cause him to punish you the hard heart is like the barren ground which is near to the curse Hebr. 6. 8. Now you shall finde three sorts of punishments which God hath inflicted upon hard hearts First Corporal Pharaoh hardned his heart and he was drowned Exod. 15. 17. The Jews hardned their hearts and they were carried away captive 2 Chron. 36. 16. Nebuchadnezzar hardned his heart and he was driven out amongst the beasts of the Field Dan. 4. 33. with 5. 20. Jerusalem hardned her heart against Jesus Christ and is a desolation to this day Secondly Spiritual God gives up the hard heart to a reprobate mind Rom. 1. 28. To vile affections and unnatural lusts Rom. 1. 26. To the efficacy of Satans temptations 2 Thes 2. 11. To delusions to belief of lyes and frequently to final impenitency Thirdly Eternal 2 Thes 1. 8. The Lord Jesus shall come in flaming fire to take vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel Ver. 9. And to punish them with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power so true is that of Solomon Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy 2ly The means to cure the hardness of heart Means to cure a hard heart Concerning this there are three questions unto which I desire to speak 1. Whether stonyness or hardness of heart be a curable disease or no 2. If any hardness of heart be curable then What is the way of the cure of it 3. How one may know that he is cured of the hardness or stonyness of his heart Quest 1. Whether stonyness or hardness of heart be a curable disease yea or no Whether it be curable Three sorts of hardned sinners Some hardned sinners reject the means Sol. For answer unto this know that there are three sorts of hardened sinners First Some are so hardened in their heart and ways that they are obstinately resolved to walk in them and are likewise desperately set against all counsel and reproof they do not only decline and disregard them but also do make a mock and scorn of them they stop the ear and with-draw the shoulder and refuse to hearken and the Word of the Lord is a reproach unto them they hold fast their iniquities and refuse to return and the more they are spoken unto the more are their hearts enraged We may say of this voluntary and malicious hardness of heart what the Prophet spake thy Wound is incurable And there are five things which declare it to be so 1. Such persons will put and keep themselves out of all ways of cure how then can the Patient be cured they will not come in publick to hear the Word and they will not in private call upon God they forsake the Lord. 2. They do not only forsake the means of cure but also do reject and despise them the words and ways of God are abomination unto their souls 3. They do continually strengthen themselves in the hardness of their hearts by adding drunkenness to thirst and iniquity unto iniquity and by a wilful progress in sinning they do make their hearts more uncapable and more untractable and more averse 4. They do not only quench the Spirit of God in all his motions so that he will no longer strive with them but also they do by their daring presumptions extinguish also all the light and power of conscience in them so that conscience is stupified and seared 5. They are rejected of God and judicially given up to their
a dart Spira longing for death rather than life c. if the Lord should let fall any of these judgements upon thee what would become of thee Fourthly Meditate on the patience of God and on the goodness of God Of the patience of God 1. On the patience of God who hath been so long provoked by thy hard heart and yet hath spared thee held off his hand from striking of thee hath all this while born with thee and forborn to judge thee 2. On the goodness of God both to thy body and soul thou who hast so Of the goodness of God much hardned thy heart against him hast yet every day tasted of his bounty and blessings yea and that he is treating with thy soul sends Ministers deals with thee in a Gospel way calls on thee to repent offers thee Christ and mercy and heaven and assures thee if thou wilt yet hearken thy soul shall live 2ly Practical Actions and they are these Practical actions Come and hear First Come and hear 'T is true an hard heart cares not to hear the Word yet because thou hast a power to come and hear the Word as well as to go to any other place or work use thy power rather to come and hear the Word and that Word which is most convincing piercing humbling Moses rod made the waters to come out of the Rock The Word of God is able to save a soul and therefore certainly it is able to convert and soften the soul The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live Joh. 5. 25. All who have got the cure of hardness of heart they have found it at the Word and by the Word which is the Sword of the Spirit and the power of God Secondly Go and pray beseech the Lord himself to circumcise thy heart he Go and pray only can cure the stone in the heart he only can take away the stony heart out of the flesh nothing is too hard for him Lord Lord leave me not to the hardness of my heart Lord open mine eyes make me sensible over-power my stiffe and rebellious and gain-saying heart Object O but my heart is so hard that I cannot pray Sol. 1. Pray as thou mayst at least grieve 2. And sigh under the burden of thy hard heart cry out O that I were made sensible and that I could pray to God to be cured 3. And go to them that can pray beseech them to beseech the Lord for thee O Sirs be sensible of one who is not sensible of himself pray for me who cannot pray for my self Thirdly Look a little on Jesus Christ whom thou hast pierced that thou mayst Look on Jesus Christ mourn Zach. 12. 10 Look on him and what thy hard heart hath done unto him thy hard heart it was which crucified him which pierced him which shed his precious blood And now hearken what Jesus Christ saith unto thee O hard-hearted sinner thy sins have put my soul to grief thy sins have drawn tears from mine eyes and blood from my heart Thou hast been very cruel to me I will not be so to thee lo I offer my self unto thee and my blood unto thee it shall wash thee from all thy sins it shall make thy peace it shall save thy soul if yet thou wilt no more harden thy heart but forsake thy sins and receive my offers Methinks this cannot but bow and melt thee if this doth not what will if the love of Christ if the blood of Christ will not nothing will They say that the blood of the Lamb is that which can soften the Adamant if any thing will work on will melt an hard heart it is the blood which came from the heart of Christ Fourthly If at any time the power of God appear on thy heart in meditation or hearing or praying or affections or secret workings of his Spirit that it begins to yield to hearken and consider to relent to soften 1. Do not dash and quench these by sinning by unbelief or by wicked security 2. But cherish them work with these workings keep them up raise them up Quest 3. How may one know that he is cured of a stony and hard heart at the How may one know that he is cured least that the cure is beginning Sol. The resolution of this question hath reference unto the second Proposition viz. that God promiseth to take away the heart of stone from his people but to speak unto the question as it now falls First When hardness of heart is cured or curing there is instantly wrought a By a spiritual sensation spiritual sensation such a sight and such a feeling as the poor sinner never had the like in all his life Simile As when a man is delivered from a deadly palsie he begins to feel and complain of the benummedness and heaviness of his limbs saith he What ails my arms and my feet I can hardly stir them there is scarce life in them nor sense nor motion So when the Lord is curing any sinner of the hardness of his heart he begins to see and feel and complain O saith he What a hard heart have I what a sinful and wretched heart I have heard of a proud and stout heart of a careless and unbelieving heart of an hard and rebellious heart of an impenitent and obstinate heart alas my heart hath been and it is all this O what an untoward heart do I feel in my self to any good what an unyielding heart to any thing which God commands and an unwilling heart to part with sin what a gain-saying heart to stoop to Christ this my heart I now feel to be like the flint the Iron the Adamant no man hath such an insensible hard heart as I. This is the first evidence of the cure of an hard heart viz. the sensibleness of the unsensibleness and hardness of the heart Secondly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner will By judging of himself and sins in another manner judge of his â—â—ns and of himself so as he did never before He looks on his sinful heart as on a root of gall and wormewood and he looks on his sinful ways and doings as vile and cursed and wonders at himself what he meant to be so forward to sin and to be so obstinate in sinning and to be so desperately profane as to contend with God in slighting the knowledge of him in refusing to hearken unto him in opposing of his Word in rejecting all the gracious and saving offers of Christ O my madness and folly O my pride and misery to forsake my meâ—cies for lying vanities to pitch on hell rather than heaven to love darkness rather than light O how jâ—st were it with God to reject me who have rejected him and never to hear me calling upon him who have so often turned away my ears from hearing him when calling upon me I am the chiefest of sinners
and unworthy of any mercy Lord be merciful to me a sinner Thirdly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then conscience recovers Conscience recovers it seâ—â— in all its offices it self in all its offices and operations it was 1. Asleep before but now it is awakened it was 2. Dead before but now it is alive it was 3. Silent before but now it speaks and now it shews it self with wonderful authority and power First Now it is an Accuser These have been your sins Secondly Now it is a witness in testifying against thee that thou wast guilty at such a time and in such a place and in such company Thirdly Now it is a Judge and condemns the sinner Wrath belongs to thee fâ—om which thou shalt never escape unless thou get into Christ Fourthly And now it wounds and troubles the sinner for what he hath done thou didst withstand such means of grace and thou didst resist such strivings of Gods Spirit and thou didst scorn and mock at the Word of God and thou didst hate instruction and reproof and thou didst therefore harden thy heart and wouldst commit such and such sins because thy sins were discovered and reproved c. Fourthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner will not The sinner will make out for counsel rest in the sense of his miserable condition but out he goes for counsel to this Minister and that Minister and there he cries out with tears O Sirs what shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. I have slighted God and I have despised you and mock't at your counsel the good Lord forgive it me I now see what I saw not before and my heart is over-whelmed within me I know not what to do what way to take for the Lords sake shew me the way of life and mercy and peace Fifthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then there is a special teachableness He is become teachable and tractableness fallen into the heart of a sinner the man can now hear reason and he is content to receive the Law from the mouth of God his slighting mocking despising spirit is departed from him and now it is Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. and now it is Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk Psal 143. 8. Whiles hardness prevails upon the heart no word of mercy no work of affliction no command of God no counsel of man can do any thing but the sinner will hold on in his sinful way come of it what will but when hardness is off then the heart becomes like a tender branch you may bend it which way you will or like the soft wax which presently receives the impression Speak but one word Take heed do not such a thing it is evil the heart presently flies off Have a care do such a work the Lord requires it at your hands presently the heart yields it stands in awe of the Word Sixthly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then all the dealings The dealings of God will work kindly of God will work kindly and effectually upon thee When thou hearest the threatnings of God thy heart will tremble and melt as Josias did when thou seest the judgement of God thy heart will lament and mourn as Davids did when the Lord meets thee in a way of affliction thy heart will humble it self and bow before the Lord when the Lord shews thee any mercy and blessings thy heart will receive them with tears O how good is God to me a sinner when the Lord reveals himself in his Covenant and Promise and sets out himself in the exceeding riches of his grace and love and mercy why thy bowels are stirred within thee and tears do trickle down thine eyes and longings rise up in thy heart O Lord that thou wouldst be my portion Seventhly When hardness of heart is cured or curing then the sinner He will never be quiet till he have Christ will never be quiet untill he hath Christ and untill he can see God to be at peace with him and reconciled in Christ There is no hoâ— with a broken and tender heart without a Christ and without a reconciled God Lord give me Christ and Lord take away iniquity and Lord receive me graciously O he is now sensible what a sinner he hath been and what injuries God hath received from him and what God may do against him and what need he hath of a Christ to make peace for him and therefore his soul is impatient and strives and wrestles for Christ and the distressed man indeed is become willing to part with all so that he may have his part in Christ and Gods reconciled favour Eighthly What shall I say more when hardness of heart is cured or curing He hath a singular aptitude to prayer the sinner will find a singular aptitude to prayer and his great delight will be to be with God unto whom he can now open himself with enlarged confessions and with floods of tears and grief even for an heart to be given unto him to mourn and bewail his sins and to obey c. and that he would never suffer his heart to harden it self any more Ninthly When hardness of heart is cured or is curing there will be A singular fear to sin then a singular fear to sin against God any more the man would not live and do as formerly for all the world How shall I do this great wickedness and sin against God Gen. 39. 9. How shall we live in sin any longer Rom. 6. 2. Ezek. 36. 26. And I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and will give you an heart of flesh You have heard something of the first Proposition vâ— That there is a stoninesse or hardnesse of heart in every man naturallyiz I now proceed to the second Proposition which is this CHAP. X. The stony heart taken away 2. Doct. THat God will take away that hardness of heart from his people I God takes away hardness of heart from his people will take away the stony heart out of your flesh you have the same promise in Ezek. 11. 19. I will take the stony heart out of their flesh For the opening of this Point I would speak unto these Particulars 1. The manner how God takes away the hardness of heart from his people 2. Why the Lord will do so 3. How this can be affirmed seeing there doth remain much hardness of heart in the people of God SECT I. Quest 1. THe manner how God takes away the hardnesse of heart from his The meanes how God takes it away peeople Sol. For Answer unto this remember that hardness of heart may be taken away 1. Preparatively 2. Effectually 3. Successively 4. Perfectly and compleatly First The Lord takes away the hardness of heart Preparatively when he lets in such a powerful work of his Spirit by the Law which doth
both convince Preparatively and break the heart of a sinner The Spirit by the Law doth let in the sense of sin and wrath which is irresistible upon the Conscience which is of that authority and force that it rents the heart and fills it with fear and trembling and astonishment This is that which the Schoolmen call Attrition And our Divines usually stile Legal preparation and the Scripture the spirit and bondage whereby all the powers and presumptions and confidences of the soule are shaken and the heart is made so sensible of its transgressions that it quakes and trembles and hath no rest nor peace but is filled with bitterness and terror and cries out with woful complaints I have undone my self I have sinned I have sinned and what will become of me I feel the wrath of God and what shall I do to be delivered I cannot live thus and I dare not dye thus if the Lord shew me not mercy I perish for ever Secondly The Lord takes away the hardness of the heart Effectually and this Effectually he doth when he diâ—solves and melts the stonyness of the heart It is one thing to break a stone into pieces and it is another thing to melt a stone as it were into water Simile The Lord doth by the Law break the stony and stout heart of a sinner but he melts and dissolves the heart by the Gospel and on this wise he doth dissolve and melt it 1. By revealing of mercy and hope of mercy to the broken and distressed sinner thus and thus hast thou â—â—nned against me and now thou seest and findest it to be an evil and bitter thing to slight my Word and resist my Spirit and to harden thy heart thou art now fallen into the hands of the living God and I can make all my wrath to fall on thee and to destroy thee at once for all thy rebellions But I am the Lord merciful and gracious I desire not the death of a sinner but rather that he turn and live Lo I have given mine own Son Jesus Christ to dye for sinners and I have said that whosoever believes on him shall not perish but have everlasting life Joh. 3 16. Therefore go thou broken-hearted sinner go thou unto him and be saved accept of him and thou shalt find mercy to pardon all that is past he is able to save thee to the uttermost and he is a merciful High Priest O how this works on that sinner but is it possible that there should be such a surpassing goodness in God what and to such a proud and stout-hearted sinner as I have been what mercy to one who hath so often slighted mercy and Christ for one who hath so often refused Christ this begins to melt the hard heart of the sinner 2. By the offer of mercy and particular invitation of the broken-hearted sinner to lay hold on it The Lord Jesus comes as it were to the very house of this sinner and knocks at the door and saith Here dwells a broken-hearted sinner and my Father hath sent me to him that I may save his poor soul Come come unto me be not afraid I my self do call thee to come unto me And I do assure thee in the word of a Saviour that I will not reject thee but I will pity and help and refresh thee I will answer for thy sins and I will make thy peace though thou hast been very wicked I will not stand upon that and though thou art utterly unworthy yet I will not stand on that neither only receive me and I will be thine and mercy and salvation shall be thine freely and aâ—suredly 3. By the collation of Faith which makes the sinner willingly and really to close with Christ The Lord by his Spirit doth enable the broken-hearted sinner to receive Jesus Christ and to take livery and seizin of a reconciled merciful loving blessing God in and by him And now the apprehension and possession of all this rich mercy and great love and exceeding goodness of God in Christ melts and dissolves the stonyness of the heart this works in him a tenderness a mournfulness a pliableness and all that is contrary to hardness of heart Thirdly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people successively Successively or by degrees indeed the dominion of it is taken away in an instant as soon as ever the sinner is brought into Christ as soon as he is called and converted the raigning power of hardness is taken away the man shall never have such a stubborn opposing resisting base heart any longer But yet the grudging of the stone the remaining gravel the reliques of hardness are taken away by degrees the remaining hardnesse the Lord takes away First one while by Afflictions Psal 119. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy Word Secondly Another while by mercies and kindnesses Ezek. 16. 60. I will remember my Covenant with thee in the dayes of thy youth I will establish unto thee an everlasting Covenant Ver. 61. Then shalt thou remember thy wayes and be ashamed So Hose 3. 5. Afterwards shall the Children return and seek the Lord and shall fear the Lord and his goodness Thirdly Sometimes by his Word and Ordinances which are like Refining fire to melt and purge away our dross How frequently do the people of God find the Word of God to be the power of God to melt away their carelesness and their indisposition of heart and deadness of heart and backwardness and unruliness of heart Fourthly The Lord takes away the stony heart from his people perfectly and compleatly Root and Branch so that no part of it and no degree of it shall Perfectly ever be found in their hearts any more This shall be done in the very moment of death when we come to the dissolution of soul and body we shall then come to the perfect dissolution of all hardness and of all remaining sinfulness of heart Quest 2. Now to the second question why the Lord will take away the stony Why God takes away the stony heart and that by promise The Lord will do it that They may be his people heart from his people and why he himself doth undertake it by promise Sol. The Lord will take away the heart of stone from his people That First They may be his people and receive him for their God and Lord Beloved as long as hardness of heart prevails on any people it is impossible that they should become the people of the Lord they will not hearken to his voice nor obey his voice nor receive his Laws nor fall in with his offers and entreaties but will reject his Word and despise his counsel and will follow the lusts of their own hearts and therefore of necessity the Lord must take away the hardness of heart if he will have any people to be his people he must break down the pride and stoutness and resistance
hearing or reading or meditating c. 2. It is such a softness as leaves a person in as great a pliableness nay greater to evil than to good You may as soon draw them to an Ale house and Play-house and Gaming-house as to Gods house they cannot deny their friend and request c. 3. Notwithstanding this softness and tenderness yet a mans heart remains spiritually hardned for take me this soft natured person which can weep almost at every thing and put him upon mourning for his sins for his long ignorance for his manifold profaness for his exceeding unprofitableness under the means of grace why this soft-natured man now cannot shed a tear and is ordinarily so far from relenting and mourning that even his heart riseth against what you speak and is extreamly incensed c. Secondly The second is Moral which ariseth from education and learning Moral and is of that force as to restrain and civilize and scowre off the barbarous rudeness of spirit and behaviour and trims up the person to a gentleness of conversation but neither is this the heart of flesh in the Text for 1. This is but an outward and seeming softness 2. If any thing of it may be said to be inward yet it flows not from any work of grace but from the Rules of Moral Philosophy admitted iâ—to the understanding as fit to be received and practised for a mans reputation in the world 3. It is Humane and not Divine it is a tenderness to respect men when all this while there is a stubbornness and resistance and unyieldingness and a constant irrespectiveness to God and his will and ways Thirdly The third is a legal tenderness which is the yielding tenderness Legal and pliableness of the heart under the sense of Gods dreadful wrath for sin what will not a sinner do in such a case he will pray and hear and forbear and do what God will have him to do and forsake what God will have him forsake but this is not the heart of flesh neither for 1. This is but anguish of heart it is not tenderness of heart 2. This will off when anguish is off like Iron that is softned in the fire when the fire is taken away it grows more hard Pharaoh yet hardned his heart more when God gave him some respite 3. The sinner is quickly weary of this tenderness and would with all his heart be rid of it but so it is not in the right softness 4. The fourth is Evangelical tenderness or softness of heart and this Evangelical is a gracious temper of heart given or formed by God himself whereby the whole soul becomes meâ—â—ing and yielding and pliable flexible to God in respect of his Attributes Word and Works here observe First It is a gracious temper or frame of heart no man hath it but first It is a gracious temper he partakes of the Spirit of grace his heart is converted and renewed by grace before the work of grace the heart is stubborn and rebellious disobedient and gain-saying the natural man is a child of disobedience as well as of wrath he is stiffe-necked and unto every good work reprobate but when grace enters into the heart now his heart is changed and subdued and mollified and is easie to be intreated and is ready to take any impression that God will stamp upon it Acts 10. 33. We are all here present before God to hear all things commanded thee of God Secondly It is a temper or frame of heart it is not an occasional and transient A temper of heart work but an inherent and permanent and fixed work upon the soul Simile even wicked and hardned sinners may have some fits and appearances of softness as some hard stones in change of weather appear to be moist Pharaoh under some of Gods judgements did relent and Ahab under those sharp threatnings of God did humble himself and Felix upon the hearing of Paul did tremble and the Israelitet in their distress did cover the Altar with tears and Judas with the terror of conscience did repent but these were fits and passions only they did not last and abide on their hearts when exigences were off their natural hardness appeared again It is not thus when God gives an heart of flesh i. e. a tender and soft heart for this dwells and reigns and continues in all estates in all changes in perplexity and in adversity in freedom and in danger under blessings as well as under afflictions Thirdly It is such a temper whereby the whole heart becomes a melting and By it the heart becomes melting and yielding yielding heart and pliable and flexible the Scripture calls it sometimes a contrite heart Psal 51. 17. sometimes a trembling heart Isa 66. 2. sometimes a tender heart 2 Chron. 34. 27. sometimes a mourning heart Zach. 12. 10 11. sometimes an obedient heart Rom. 6. 17. sometimes an heart that bows and stoops to receive the Word of God Deut. 33. 3. And this softness and pliableness spreads over the whole soul when God gives an heart of flesh It spreads over the whole soul First The mind is willing to see and to be taught and know the mind of God his will his way his work concerning us Teach me thy truth and teach me thy way and teach me thy will saith David Psal 27. 11. Let us go up to the house of the Mountain of the Lord to the house of the God of Jacob and he will teach us of his ways and we will walk in his paths Isa 2. 3. Secondly The judgement is willing and ready to assent and to acknowledge the truths and commands of God the Law is good and holy said Paul Rom. 7. I esteem thy precepts to be right said David Psal 1 19. Thirdly The will is made tender and pliable I will keep thy statutes Psal 119. 8. I will run the way of thy Commandments Ver. 32. The Lord is our God and him will we serve Josh 24. 18. Fourthly All the affections are tender and pliable O what propensions to mourn for sin they that escape of them shall be on the Mountains as Doves of the Valley all of them mourning every one for his iniquity Ezek. 7. 16. and so a tender fear they fear the Lord and his goodness Hosea 3. 5. a tender love a tender delight c. Fourthly This frame of tenderness and softness appears towards God This tenderness appears towards God 1. In respect of his Attributes His mercifulness melts the heart and leads it to Repentance his goodness melts and draws it to more obedience his greatness and power and wisdom awes the heart O who would not fear and serve such a God 2. In respect of his Word Promises work on the heart and threatnings and precepts and reproofs the promises draw and raise the soft heart threatnings awaken and awe the soft heart precepts direct and bind the soft heart reproofs do pierce and recover and
mend the soft heart 3. In respect of the Works and Dealings of God all of them make impression on the soft heart those of mercy and those of judgement those of blessing those of affliction they all work kindly Fifthly The Author and Cause of all this is God himself Job 23. 16. God is the Author of it God maketh my heart soft Zach. 12. 10. They shall look on him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn c. The Lord doth give this soft and tender heart when he doth effectually call and convert a sinner as you may see in Pauls conversion and thus you see what the heart of flesh is what a soft and tender heart is SECT II. Quest 2. NOW to the second Question How it may appear that the people of How this appears God are people of soft and tender hearts First By Instances all the Scripture over I will mention some David was By Instances a godly man and he was a man of a soft and tender heart when he did cut off the lap of Sauls garment his heart smote him as soon as Abigal spake with him he was with-drawn from his rash and dangerous resolution Nathan spake but one word unto him Thou art the man and presently he is struck I have sinned and that made him to water his couch with tears Josiah was a godly man and he was a man of a soft and tender heart see 2 Chron. 34. 27. Because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self before God when thou heardest his words against this place and against the Inhabitants thereof and humbledst thy self before me and didst rent thy cloaths and weep before me c. Joseph was so both to God Gen. 39. 9. How can I do wickedness c and to Man How tender to his father and brethren Job was so and so was Peter on whom one look of Christ did work so kindly that he went out and wept bitterly What should I speak of Jehoshaphat Hezekiah Nehemiah Ezra Daniel or of Paul or of the Corinthians 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ye are the Epistle of Christ written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart nay see more of this softness and tenderness 2 Cor. 7. 11. Behold this same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort what carefulness it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what fear yea what vehement desire c. Secondly By Practice and there are eight things appearing in their By Practice practice which do shew that they are persons of soft and tender hearts First Quick apprehensions even of a frown and of Gods displeasure afar Quick apprehensions off in the beginnings in the threatnings in a with-drawment in any stop or estrangedness of communion and visits and unusualness in these cases presently the heart of them begins to misgive and fear Is all well is not the Lord angry He looks not on me I hear not from him as formerly Have not I offended him c Secondly Easie convictions A reproof saith Solomon Prov. 17. 10. entereth Easie Convictions more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool and so doth any conviction if the people of God have sinned Christs look to Peter Nathans word to David sometimes a glance an hint a passage in a Sermon or in Discourse is enough for conscience is very tender and takes presently and yields and confesseth c. Great griefs for lesser trespasses Thirdly Great griefs for lesser trespasses Great sins trouble not an hard heart Simile no more than the nettles and thorns do the hardned hand but little sins do exceedingly trouble the hearts of the godly being soft and tender Simile if a mote fall into the eye it causeth vexation because the eye is tender the omission of duty the coldness of performance distraction in services vain and idle thoughts unprofitable words losing of time sit heavily upon the hearts of Gods people c. Fourthly Special care of sure warrant for special actions They must have Care of sure warrant for special actions a light and a voice going before them This is the way Walk in it May I do this and may I do that Doth the Lord command such a work and doth he enjoyn me and am I sure and clear that I do not transgress if I should venture upon it Fifthly Wise Caution in doubtfuls Where if the work or way seems doubtfully Caution in doubtfuls good or doubtfully evil the godly person makes a pause a stand a stop he dares not to act boystrously if it be but a perhaps it is evil but a perhaps God may be dishonoured or his Gospel prejudiced he will abstain untill he gets more light to clear his steps as Job offered sacrifice in the case of perhaps Sixthly Present obedience When God commands no delays no shufflings Present obedience no consultings with flesh and blood their hearts are indeed at Gods command I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments Psal 119. 60. You need not use many arguments and perswasions to the people of God a word of Gods command is of easie authority c. Seventhly And Choice obedience they would serve the Lord with their spirits Choice obedience Rom. 1. 9. and seek him with their whole hearts Psal 119. 10. and serve him acceptably with reverence and godly fear Hebr. 12. 28. and love him with all their might Eighthly Earnest supplications that they might not offend or if they have Earnest supplications offended that they might not offend so David Keep thy servant from presumptuous sins Psal 19. 13. Let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psal 119. 133. And in case of offence O take away iniquity I have sinned I have done exceeding foolishly O Lord forgive be merciful unto my transgressions heal my back-slidings return in mercy speak peace whence is all this but from the tenderness of their hearts Simile they cannot live out of doors under frowns having any difference 'twixt their God and their souls no more than the tender wife or child c. Quest 3. Why the Lord gives a heart of flesh a soft and tender heart to his Why God gives a heart of flesh Four reasons of it people Sol. The Reasons may be these which I will but mention First God will teach them they shall be taught of God and write his Law in their inward parts Ergo. Secondly His people must be his servants they must serve the Lord their God be at his command to do his will and his work Ergo. Thirdly They must be like unto their God and Father and have a nature answerable to his nature God is a God of very merciful nature very tender and gentle easie to be entreated and if I may so say to be wrought on sometimes a prayer works on him sometimes a tear sometimes
durationis He that hath a soft heart mourns and grieves 1. For his own sinnes Ezek. 7. 16. They that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountains like Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity David that man of a soft heart how mourning and lamenting for his sin My sin is ever before me Psal 51. 3. I water my couch with my tears Psal 6. 6. Those in Zechary mourning as one mourneth for his only son And in bitternesse as one that is in bitternesse for his first born Zech. 12. 10. Mary Magdalen weeping and washing the feet of Christ with her tears Luke 7. 38. Peter remembred the words of Jesus who said unto him Before the cook crow twice thou shalt deny me thrice and he went out and wept bitterly Mat. 26. 75. The Penitent Corinthian so mourning for his sin that Paul writes unto the Church by all means to forgive and comfort him least he should be swallowed up with over much sorrow 2 Cor. 2. 7. Now by the way observe that persons whose hearts have been really soft and tender they have mourned not only for their gross sins but also for their lesser sins not only for corporal sins but also for their spiritual sins for pride hypocrisie vain-glory unbelief not only for outward sins but also for inward sins not only for the sins in life but also for their sins in heart for the sin of nature original sin and the secret motions thereof not only for his sinful doings but also for his sins which do accompany his best doings not only for the sins which they have committed alone but also for the sins which they have caused others to commit either by their perswasion or by their evil example Not only for their sins of knowledge but also for their sins of ignorance as he prayed Lord forgive me my known sins and Lord forgive me my unknown sins so c. not only for present sins but for sins long since committed and pardoned 2. For the sins of others as well as for his own sins Psal 119. 136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes because they keep not thy law Ezek. 9. 4. Go through the mid'st of the City through the mid'st of Jerusalem and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the mid'st thereof Jer. 13. 17. If you will not hear it my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride Exod. 32. 31. Oh this people have sinned a great sin and have made them Gods of gold Luke 19. 41. When he came near he beheld the City and wept over it The sins of others do grieve the Lord Fourty years long was I grieved with this generation Psal 95. 10. and dishonour him and how can a tender heart endure to see his God and Father grieved and dishonoured but his soul must grieve and mourn be afflicted and troubled Paul reproves the Corinthians because they grieved not for the sin of the incestuous Corinthian Thirdly Fear to sin True tenderness of heart alwayes breeds the greatest care to please God and the greatest fear to displease God where there is no Fear to sin fear to sin there is no tendernesse of heart and where there is true tendernesse of heart there is an exceeding fear to sin against God Prov. 23. 17 Be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long Act. 9. 31. The Churches walked in the fear of the Lord. There is one who sets out seven degrees of fear which are to be found in every truely tender-hearted child of God viz. 1. He is afraid to commit grosse sinnes though never so secretly as you finde in Joseph when tempted by his Mistris O saith he How can I do this great wickednesse and sin against God! Gen. 39. 9. And in David when he was strongly tempted to take revenge of his mortal enemy and had an opportunity also put into his hands yet he durst not do it and why because he durst not sin against God! Who can stretch forth his hand against the Lords Anointed and be guiltless 1 Sam. 26. 9. 2. He is afraid to commit little sins what a small matter had it been for Daniel and the three children being brought into Babylon to have eaten of the meat and to have drunk of the wine which Nebuchadnezzar appointed for them but Daniel saw it was such meat as was contrary to the Ceremonial Law then in force and therefore he would not defile himself with it Dan. 1. 8. 3. He is afraid to omit the least duty Moses was commanded to fetch the people of Israel with their cattel and substance out of Egypt Pharaoh consents for the people and their little ones but he would have the Flocks and Herds stayed by no means saith Moses Our Cattel also shall go with us there shall not an hoof be left behind Exod. 10. 24 26. So in the setting up of the Tabernacle and in all other Services commanded by God he was faithfull in all things he durst not leave out one knop not one tach not one pin which the Lord prescribed about the Tabernacle c. 4. He is afraid to serve the Lord carelesly and negligently Awake Psaltery and Harp I my self will awake early Psal 108. 2. With my whole heart have I sought thee Psal 119. 10. Not slothful in businesse fervent in Spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. 5. He is afraid to do any thing that is of evil report which though in itself it may be lawful yet if advantage may thereby be taken to cause Religion or the profession to be reproached and evil spoken of he is afraid to do that thing 1 Cor. 6. 1. Dare any of you having a matter against another go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints And why might they not do so what unlawfulnesse was there in that Is not civil Magistracy ordained of God 't is true but though all things are lawful all things are not expedient 1 Cor. 6. 12. At that time such applications would have exposed the Christian Religion and Profession unto scorn and contempt amongst unbelievers c. Give none offence neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles nor to the Church of God he speaks it concerning things indifferent 1 Cor. 10. 32. 6. He is afraid not only of apparent evils but also of the appearance of evil 1 Thes 5. 22. Abstain from all appearance of evil if it hath the look or shew of evil it is enough to a tender heart to avoid it and abstain from it If it looks like pride if it looks like unchastity if it looks like unbefitting service of God if it looks like persecuting of the Gospel c. like error idolatry c. 7. He is afraid not only to do any thing that is evil Let not any iniquity have dominion over me Psal 119. 133. nor only to speak any evil Set
a watch O Lord before my mouth keep the door of my lips Psal 141. 3. but also to think any thing that is evil Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight Psal 19. 14. So Deut. 15. 9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart the seventh year the year of release is at hand and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother c. So Ezek. 7. 10. Let none of you imagine evil against his brother in his heart So Job 31. 26. If I beheld the Sun when it shined or the Moon walking in brightness ver 27. and my heart hath been secretly entised or my mouth hath kissed my hand c. You see by all this that where there is true softness or tenderness of heart there is a singular fear to sin against God or to offend him Fourthly Zeal against sin A soft and tender heart is a zealous heart a heart Zeal against sin earnestly and inflamedly set against sin not coldly and faintly but stoutly and couragiously And that First Against our own sins a person of a tender heart is zealously carried against his own sins which appears thus 1. By the impartial opposition of them he will not hide and spare any one sin in himself neither pleasant nor profitable nether great nor small neither open nor secret but he hates every false way Psal 119. yea he hates all vain thoughts and cleanseth himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. 2. By the deep and deadly persecution of them It doth not suffice that he disallows and condemns sin in respect of his judgement not that he abstains from sin in respect of his practice but he strives after the utter extirpation of sin He layes the Ax to the root of the tree Matth. 3. 10. Crucifies the flesh in the affections thereof Gal. 5. 24. And mortifies the members of sin Col. 3. 5. 3. By the Irreconcilable resolution against them He will never admit of league or friendship or have any peace with them but loaths and hates and resists and conflicts and fights with them all his dayes and if at any time he be surprized and foiled he riseth again and renews the war more firmly against them by calling in all the helps and powers that make against his sins the power of Christ and the power of the Spirit and the power of the promises and the power of grace 4. By cutting off all the Succors of sin in occasions and temptations yea many times denying himself the use of lawful things lest by them he should be accidentally overcome by sin 5. By watching his deceitful heart and binding it with special vows and Covenants from starting aside and hearkning unto sin in the motions of it any more Secondly Against the sins of others A soft and tender heart would not sin itself nor would that any other should sin against God and offend him and therefore in a proportion to its sphere it will act against sin wheresoever it finds sin Sometimes by entreating as Lot unto the men of Sodom I pray you brethren do not so wickedly Gen. 19. 7. Sometime by directing Judah saith unto his brethren What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceale his blood Gen. 37. 26. Come and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and let not our hand be upon him for he is our brother and our flesh and his brethren were content ver 27. Sometimes by reproving as Elijah to Ahad I have found thee because thou hast sold thy self to work evil in the sight of the Lord 1 King 2. 4. And Nathan to David thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. and Job to his wife thou speakest as one of the folish women speaketh shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Job 2. 10. Sometimes by vuthoritative opposing and punishing domestically in the family as David Psa 101. 7. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight Publique in the state and for this remember three admirable instances of zeale against sin by godly persons of publique place and authority The first in Asa who removed Maacha his Mother from being queen because she had made an idol in a grove 2 Chron. 15. 16. The second in Josiah who burnt all the vessels made for Baal and put down the idolatrous Priests and Groves and brake down the houses of the Sodomites defiled Topheth beat down all their Altars and high places and images and all old reliques of I dolatry The third in Nehemiah See the history of his zeal Nehem. 13. 15. In those dayes saw I in Judah some treading wine-presses on the Sabbath and bringing in sheaves and lading Asses as also Wine Grapes and figs c. and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals c. ver 17. Then I contended with the Nobles of Judah and said unto them What evill thing is this that ye do and profane the Sabbath day ver 21. I testified against the Merchants and sellers Why do ye lodge about the wall if you do so again I will lay hands on you From that time forth came they no more on the Sabbath ver 23. In those dayes also saw I Jews that had married wives of Ashdod of Ammon and of Moab ver 24. And their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod c. ver 25. And I contended with them and cursed them and smote certain of them and pluckt off their hair and made them swear by God ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons nor take their daughters to your sons or for your selves c. Fifthly Special cares and requests to be kept and blessings when kept from sin Psal 18. 23. I kept my self from mine iniquity Job 31. 1. I made a covenant with mine eyes why then should I look upon a maid Psal 39. 1. I said I will take Special requests to be kept fâ—om sin heed unto my wayes that I sin not with my tongue I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me Psal 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee Psal 119. 133. Order my step in thy Word and let not any iniquity have dominion over me and so for blessing when kept from sin 1 Sam. 25. 32. David said to Abigail Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who sent thee this day to meet me ver 32. And blessed be thy advice blessed be thou which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging my self with mine own hand So when the ten Tribes and an halfe returned the rest blessed God that they were kept from sinning Josh 22. 33. Sixthly Restlesnesse under the commission of sin and importunity for the pardon Restlestnesse under the commission of sin of it and
will never be quiet untill repentance be renewed and God appears to be pacified Thirdly If we have hearts spiritually soft and tender this will appear by the respectiveness of our hearts to the word of God And there are ten Properties of a tender heart in relation to the Word of God 1. It sets up the Word as a Light and Rule So Psal 119. 105. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my paths ver 133. Order my steps in thy Word 2. It studies the Word and meditates therein to understand the mind of God concerning it Psal 119. 15. I meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy ways ver 148. Mine eyes prevent the night watches that I might meditate in thy Word 3. It layes up and gives special heed unto what God saith in his Word 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a more sure word of Prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed Psal 119. 11. Thy Word have I hid within my heart that I might not sin against thee Prov. 7. 1. My son keep my words and lay up my commands with thee ver 3. Bind them upon thy fingers write them upon the table of thine heart 4. It stands in awe of the Word Psal 119. 161. My heart stands in awe of thy Word 5. It is led and guided by the Word Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel Psal 73. 24. Thy testimonies are my delight and my counsellors Psal 119. 24. My sheep hear my voice and follow me Joh. 10. 17. 6. It keeps close to the Word in all matters of faith and practice receives all and admits no more will not go without it and dares not strive against it 7. It conformes itself unto the Word Teach me O Lord the way of thy statutes and I shall keep it even to the end Psal 119. 33. All that the Lord hath said will we do and be obedient Exod. 24 7. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Psal 119. 5. He will teach us his wayes and we will walk in his paths Isa 2. 3. Ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine whereto ye were delivered Rom. 6. 17. Moulded cast 8. It is quickly reduced wrought upon and recovered by the Word As in Davids case when Nathan said Thou art the man 2 Sam. 12. 7. David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord ver 13. So Judges 2. 2. Ye have not obeyed my voice why have you done this ver 4. And it came to passe when the Angel of the Lord spake these words unto all the children of Israel that the people lift up their voice and wept ver 5. And they called the name of that place weepers Bochim and they sacrificed there unto the Lord. 9. It will often review and try itself by the Word lest it hath sinned or lest it should sin against God Psal 77. 6. I communed with my own heart and my spirit made diligent search Psal 119 59. I considered my wayes and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 10. It desires and endeavours to comply with all the Word of God and to fulfill all the will of God and to walk according to it in all things I have lived in all good Conscience unto this day Act. 23. 1. We trust we have a good conscience Heb. 13. 18. I have respect unto all thy commandements Psal 119. 6. Zachary and Elizabeth walked in all the Commandements and Ordinances before the Lord blameless Luke 1. 6. Fourthly If we have hearts Spiritually soft and tender this will appear by By our sensibleness in cases of Gods honour or dishonour our sensibleness and choice behaviour in the cases of Gods honour and dishonour This I think is one of the fullest discoveries of a soft and tender heart and therefore I will insist the more upon it by shewing unto you 1. The several wayes how God is honoured 2. The several expressions of a tender heart in relation unto Gods honour 3. The several wayes of Gods dishonour 4. The several affections and workings of a tender heart in the case of Gods dishonour First The several wayes of Gods being honoured God may be and is honoured How God is honoured As â—â— his Name and Attribuâ—es 1. As to his glorious Name and Attributes Deut. 28. 58. That thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord thy God When we do acknowledge and admire and exalt God in his holiness and goodness and mercifulness and Omnipoâ—ency and wisdom and greatness and authority and justice and faithfulness c. Exod. 15. 11. Who is like unto thee O Lord amongst the Gods who is like thee glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Job 9. 4. He is wise in heart and mighty in strength Exod. 34. 6. The Lord the Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodnesse and truth Ver. 7. Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquiâ—y transgressions and sins and that will by no means clear the guilty Deuter. 7. 9. Know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandements to a thousand generations 2. As to his worship and service Psal 29. 2. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his Name or as it is in the Hebrew the honour of his Name worship the As to his Worship Lord in the beauty of holiness When we set up the true worship of God and serve him only and worship him only in Spirit and in truth and keep faithful unto it now we do honour and glorifie our God Thou hast not honoured me with thy sacrifices Isa 43. 23. The place where God is worshipped is called the place where his honour dwelleth 3. As to his Word and truths when they are magnified believed and embraced At his Word and upheld and obeyed when they have liberty and prosperity and success of efficacy 4. As to his works of Providence whether merciful respecting the good As to his Works of his people or judicial respecting the punishment of his adversaries in both which very much of God is to be seen and admired and blessed Secondly Now a soft and tender heart is exceedingly affected with Gods honour How the tender heart is affected in case of Gods honor and glory and with all the wayes publick and private for the honouring of God Such a person will take much pains to recover and restore the honour of God as you may see in Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah and Josiah to restore the true worship of God such a person will be at much cost to promote the honour of God 1 Chron. 29. 3. Because I have set my affection to the house of my God I have of mine one proper goods of gold and silver which I have given to the house of my God over and above all that I have prepared for thy holy house even three thousand talents of gold of the
several relations and any one who is of a soft and tender heart makes conscience of them all The tender Magistrate makes conscience of governing and ruling and believing and protecting and reclaiming and punishing and rewarding and dare not be unjust neglect or unfaithful or oppressing or out-facing or over-bearing and so people of tender hearts dare not to be disobedient unruly reviling despising c. The tender Minister makes conscience of feeding his flock with wholsome food and not to keep back any of the counsel of God concerning them he is instant and diligent in his work he instructs and exhorts and warns and reproves and comforts according to the several conditions of his people and the people will pray will love will honour will encourage will obey them that have the rule over them in the Lord. The tender husband will love and cherish his wife and the tender wife will love and please and reverence her husband The tender Parent will pray for will instruct will teach his children and bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord and the tender child will hearken c. Fourthly A person of a tender heart and soft heart makes conscience of all He makes coâ—scâ—ence of all duties 〈◊〉 the â—imâ—s the duties respecting the times and changes that do befall him He meets with times of adversity and with times of prosperity with times of love and with times of hatred with times of peace and with times of trouble with times of light and with times of darknesse with times of Gods clear presence and with times of Gods desertions And there are several and distinct duties proper unto these variations the which he strives to draw out and act in their time If his time be the time of prosperity he is doing whilst he hath that time and to honour God with his increase and to blesse him and to do for him and if his be the time of adversity he desires patient submission unto the hand of God and special instruction and improvement and refining c. In an high estate he will love his God and in a low estate he will by faith live still upon his God Fifthly A person of a tender heart will make conscience of duties 1. Though never so small and little thou shalt not lay a stumbling block before the blind nor cause the deaf c. thou shalt fear the Lord thy God The smallest 2. Though never so great and difficult and strict to deny himself to enter in at the strait gate to render good for evil blessing for The greatest cursing 3. Though contemned and reproached by profane men and erroneous Most contemned men or disaccepted by those unto whom it is performed 4. Though dangerous and exposing c. as Daniel of praying the three children Most dangerous of worshipping God only the Apostles of preaching Christ 2ly For the manner of performing these duties The manner of performance of duties A tender heart hath a special regard unto that he will serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear Heb 12. 28. And as David after the due order 1 Chro. 15. 13. The duties which he performes they are by him done 1. Willingly Psal 110 3. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power Rom. 7. Willingly 19. The good that I would do And Isa 26. 8. The desire of our soul is to thy Name freewill-offerings 2. Delightfully 1 Joh. 5. 3. His Commandements are not grievous Nay Delightfully Psal 40. 8. I delight to do thy will It was Christs meat and drink to do the will of his Father that sent him Joh. 4. 34. 3. Humbly as Paul Act. 20. 19. Serving the Lord with all humility of Humbly mind and with many tears 4. Believingly resting on the strength of Christ for their performance Phil. 4. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me And he acknowledgeth Believingly all that is done to be done in his strength 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me and expecting all the acceptance of duties for Christs sake Rev. 8. 3. The prayers of the Saints were offered up with incense upon the golden Altar 5. Sincerely with a plain honest obediential heart with all his heart Sincerely with his very soul and spirit in truth without guile and with a direct pure and single respect unto Gods glory These are the desires and these are the endeavours thus to serve and obey the Lord by every truely soft and tender heart and if he misseth or is interrupted in any of these his heart is troubled and grieved and he strives and wrestles with God to cloth him with the strength of his Spirit that he may thus serve his God according to his will Sixthly If our hearts be soft and tender hearts this will appear by the temper of our spirits in the occurrences of temptations There are temptations and suggestions By the temper of our spirits in temptations From Satan 1. From Satan he many times presents unto the minds even of the people of God thoughts of Atheism and blasphemy and other vile and inglorious thoughts O what an affrightment amazement and grievous burden are these unto a person of a soft and tender heart they do even crack and crush his spirits and take away all rest from him and fill his heart with tears and complaints and prayers 2. From the World to withdraw from God and Christ and the truth and From the World holy walking partly by reproaches scoffs threatnings restraints and punishments these a tender heart will bear and suffer and rejoyce in and by them grows more resolute for Christ and to hold fast his truth and to walk with him And partly by profits pleasure friendship fears and honours these a tender heart will trample under foot rather than sin against Christ Like Moses who refused to be called the Son of Pharaohs daughter Hebr. 11. 24. Châ—sing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God then to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season ver 25. Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the creasures of Egypt ver 26. 3. From our own hearts in several wicked motions to several vile affections From our own hearts And if your heart be tender it will not dally with them in contemplation nor yield unto them in prosecution but will resist them and pray against them and strive to have them mortified and subdued and instead of them would have a daily frame of holy and heavenly thoughts raigning in the mind SECT IV. Vse 2. DOth the Lord promise to give unto all his people a soft and tender Get such a heart heart an heart of flesh Then by all means let every one of uâ— strive to get this heart which God promiseth to give Now for this I will propound 1. Some Motives
to perswade you to get a soft and tender heart 2ly I will shew you the way and means to compass and enjoy it 1. The Motives to get a soft and tender heart First The possibility of getting this heart God can give it therefore it is Motives The possibility of it possible to get it God can take away the heart of stone and he can give the heart of flesh Again God hath promised to give it therefore it is possible why should any one think it more impossible for God to give any spiritual good which he hath promised then to give any outward good which he hath promised he having as much power and willingness and faithfulness to perform spiritual promises as he hath to perform temporal promises Nay once more he hath given this soft and tender heart do you not read in Scripture and do you not find in your own experiences many persons of soft and tender hearts and who but God hath made their hearts soft it was God who subdued the pride and stoutness and hardness and rebellion of their hearts and it was God who made their hearts humble and sensible and mournful and teachable and plyable is not God as able as willing as powerful now as ever he was Secondly The necessity of having this heart can you be saved without it what will become of an hardened sinner of the disobedient sinner of the sinner The necessity of it that doth and will walk contrary unto God that will not hearken unto him shall heaven open to to let him into glory who will not open his heart to let in grace can you be brought into this without it if your hearts continue hardened will they not continue unbelieving and if they continue unbelieving will they not continue Christless and if they continue Christless will they not continue hopeless Ephes 2. 12. Without Christ having no hope For Collos 1. 27. It is Christ in you the hope of glory can you find pardon of your sinnes without it Do you find in all the Bible pardon of sins either conferred or promised unto the hardened sinner wrath and destruction are threatned unto unto that sinner but mercy and forgiveness are promised only to the soft and mourning and tenderhearted penitent Thus you see that there is a necessity to get this soft and tender heart if you will be saved if you will have Christ or be Christs and if you will be pardoned Ergo. Thirdly The excellency of this heart As an hard heart is a base heart so The excellency of it the soft and tender heart is an excellent heart Pharach stands upon Record for a hard heart and it is his infamy as long as the world lasts And Josiah stands upon Record for a person of a tender heart and it will remain for his glory as long as the world continues There are five things which are a mans glory and excellency 1. One that he belongs to God in a special relation that God is his Father and that he is one of the children of God why the person of a soft and tender heart is indeed in this relation he is in Covenant with God God is his God and Father and he is a child of God 2. A second that he is a new creature that new creature is an excellent creature he is a glorious creature he is changed into the glorious image of Christ 2 Cor. 3. 18. And made partaker of the Divine Nature 2 Pet. 1. 4. Now every person whose heart God hath made soft and tender he is a new creature God hath changed his heart which was a heart of stone but now is made an heart of flesh 3. A third that he is an humble person Humility is an ornament and God much esteems of the humble and puts honour upon them and will give grace to them but he abhors and resists the proud Now every tender-hearted person is an humble person and the more softness of heart there is the more humbleness of heart there is they alwayes go together as hardness of heart and pride do David Hezekiah Josiah Job Paul the Publican the Prodigal were persons of soft hearts and of humble hearts 4. A fourth that he is one who loves the Lord exceedingly Is not this a mans honour and excellency to love his God! O love the Lord all ye Saints Psal 31. Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul c. Simile Is it not an honour to the wife that she loves her husband and to any of us to love our friend and to the child that he loves his father Thus doth every person of a soft and tender heart he loves his God he fears to sin and offend his God why he loves him and he is zealous against any dishonour done to God why because he loves him 5. A fifth that he is obedient to the voice and will of God ready to hearken ready to follow willing to obey careful to come up fully to the mind and command of God Is not this our honour and our excellency Speak Lord for thy servant heareth And O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Surely it is a shame and reproach to be disobedient to God For 1. Sam. 15. 22. To obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Lambs Ver. 23. But rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry And certainly the tender heart is an obedient heart very ready to receive the Law from the mouth of God Fourthly The Benefits and helpfulness of this heart It would be of wonderful use and advantage unto you sundry wayes The benefits of a tender heart A help to repentance 1. It would be an help to repentance both initial and renewed It would help you to repent of your old sinful course of life to bring you off from it with shame and grief it would not suffer you to continue in such wayes of dishonouring God any longer but would hasten and compel you out of it with grief and detestation you would quickly cast away your sins as a menstruous cloth saying Get ye hence if the heart were once made soft and tender it would recover you out of particular falls you would quickly see and acknowledge them and bewail them and return to your first husband and do your first works if you had but soft and tender hearts as David Hezekiah Peter and the Church of Ephesus c. 2. It would be a dayly preservative against sin and temptations unto sin A preservative against sin tenderness is the foundation of fear and fear is the Guardian of the soul against sin No man is more secured against sin than the man of tenderness and of faith and of fear as the hardened sinner is presumptuous and will venture on any sin and on the occasions thereof so a tender heart is fearful of the least sin and
keeps off from all the occasions thereof And from these two Consectaries do flow viz. Great peace in conscience For it is sin committed which disturbes and disquiets the Conscience and breaks up the peace of it but the more that any person is kept from sin the better doth he walk with peace and joy of Spirit Great peace have they that keep thy Law Psal 119. 165. Great confidence in access to God 1 Joh. 3. 21. If our heart condemn us not then have we confidence towards God And ver 22. Whatsoever we ask we receive of him because we keep his Commandements and do those things which are pleasing in his sight Psal 66. 18. If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me ver 19. But verily God hath heard me be hath attended to the voice of my Prayer Job 11. 13. If thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hand toward him ver 14. If iniquity be in thine heart put it farre away ver 15. then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot So Zophar 3. It would be a Table-book for God to write his will upon what the Apostle It would be a Table-book for God to write his will upon spake of the Corinthians that would be affirmed of us 2 Cor. 3. 3. Ye are manifestly declared to be the Epistle of Christ ministred by us written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God not in Tables of stone but in fleshly tables of the heart The heart of flesh is the Table on which the Spirit of God writes the will of God his will is there engraven it makes impression it admits and receives the will of God there it is to be seen and read Thy Law is within my heart said David Psal 40. 8. How kindly would the Word of God take with us how powerfully and effectually would it work upon us how easily would it prevail and rule and order us how wonderfully would it prosper amongst us run and be glorified why all our soules would be convinced and converted and allured and brought into Christ and walk in Christ and be obedient to the faith and become the servants of righteousness if we had soft and tender hearts we would no longer walk contrary to God or to his Word we would no longer hate instruction and despise counsel and resist the Spirit but would presently fall down at the feet of God and desire to be taught the wayes of God and be willing and ready and glad to walk in his paths 4. It would be a means of upright walking There are three sorts of people in the world It would be a meanes of upright walking Some that walk not at all with God as all profane Atheists who walk without God and contrary unto God by reason of the blindness and hardnesse of their hearts Some that walk unevenly with God only in some things and in some places and at some times as hypocritical and temporary believers by reason of the unsoundness and deceitfulness of their hearts Some that walk cordially and uprightly before the Lord turning neither to the right hand nor to the left keeping close to the rule in the whole course of their life Isa 66. 7. The way of the just is uprightness they are undefiled in the way do no iniquity but seek the Lord with the whole heart walk in the Law of the Lord and in his wayes Psal 119. 1 2 3. Now softness or tenderness of heart is a special means of this upright walking For 1. It raiseth in the heart an universal regard to all the Commandements of God Psal 119. 6. And ver 10. would not wander from the Commandements and to walk in all well-pleasing before him 2. It fills the heart with a hatred and fear of all sin that it may not offend the Lord in any thing nor at any time nor in any place Still seeing him who is invisible Job 31. 4. Doth not he see my wayes and count all my steps Prov. 5. 21. The wayes of man are before the eyes of the Lord and he pondereth all his goings 3. It lifts up the glory of God that is the great end and aim and scope and motive to a tender heart he doth all to the glory of God and so that Christ may be magnified 5. It would be a means of promoting the knowledge of Christ and the power of godliness and of casting down whatsoever is contrary to sound Doctrine and unto the wayes of godliness for it would fill the hearts of men with spiritual compassion to souls with zeal and it would draw out their graces and gifts and powers in a right way for God and for the good and salvation of others If Magistrates had but as much tenderness of heart in relation to the interest of God as to their own interest they would be more quick and active for God than for themselves they would justifie the righteous and condemn the wicked they would countance the faithful in the Land and contemn the profane they would honour and exalt the truth of God and disgrace and repress the errors and blasphemies against God and his truths they would encourage every godly person and they would appear against all open ungodliness and unrighteousness of men If Ministers had more tenderness of heart they would in their places also give all diligence to make Christ known and the truths of Christ and contend for them and oppose men of corrupt minds and that which is Antichrist indeed and they would exceedingly perswade and encourage even to the knowledge of the truth and to the love of the truth and to walk in all manner of holiness and godliness and they would reprove threaten warn and declare the wrath of God against all sorts of wickednesse in all sorts of men If Parents and Masters of Families had this tender heart they would not suffer ignorance and looseness in their dwellings but on the contrary would study and take pains to instruct and teach their children and servants and would reprove and correct c. How would they pray and strive on the behalf of knowledge and faith and holiness and fear of God and of walking with God! Verily the whole Land would in a short time be made an habitation of holiness a Land flowing with knowledge and fear of the Lord had we more of this tendernesse of heart which would undoubtedly make us more zealous and industrious for the glory of God 6. It would be a special help unto stedfastness and perseverance to hold out and continue It is a special help unto stedfastness to the end Jer. 32. 40. I will put my fear into their hearts that they shall not depart from me As long as fear holds stedfastness doth hold and as long as tenderness of heart continues the fear will continue Again where the heart is soft and tender it makes us to be much in Prayer and diligent and serious in our communion with God
Every one of Gods people hath so much of the spirit as is necessary to salvation Sixthly Though none of the People of God in this life have the Spirit in perfection yet every one of them hath so much of the Spirit as will bring him to salvation For he hath so much of the spirit as will bring him to Christ and he who hath as much as will bring him to Christ certainly he hath as much as will bring him to heaven Again he hath as much of the spirit as doth sanctifie and renew and regenerate him and therefore he hath as much as will bring him to salvation Matth. 5. 8. The pure in heart shall see God 1 Pet. 1. 3. We are begotten again to a lively hope Ver. 4. To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that fades not away reserved in heaven for us SECT II Vse 1. DOth the Lord put his own Spirit within his own people Then let Try whether we have the spirit within us all of us look well to this whether we have within our hearts the the Spirit of God yea or no. O beloved think much and often of that expression of the Apostle in Rom. 8. 9. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his he hath no part in Christ who hath no part in the Spirit of Christ There are four Reasons why I should press this great search and great care upon Reasons of this search you to know whether God hath put his own Spirit within you 1. Because many persons have not the spirit of God 2. Because many persons do deceive themselves with a false and lying spirit instead of the Spirit of God 3. Because many have the spirit as to many effects and works yet the spirit is not fully given to them 1. Many persons have not the Spirit of God Many have not the spirit of God They who blaspheme the Spirit First What think you of those who blaspheme and scoff at the Spirit As those Jews did at the effusion of the Spirit upon the Apostles These men are full of new wine Acts 2. 13. And ordinarily among our selves the Spirit of God is jeared derided mocked and reproached in his graces which he bestows upon the people of God O these are men of the Spirit these are the Saints your holy brethren and your holy sisters forsooth they are full of the Spirit Ah thou profane wretch unworthy to live among Christians and unworthy of the name of a Christian who darest thus openly to reproach the holy God and the holy Spirit of God! and the graces in the people of God which are the excellent faculties of the Spirit promised unto all who are in Covenant with God! Is the Spirit of God a scorn unto thee is any work of the Spirit a derision unto thee is holiness the chief of all his works a matter to be scoffed and mocked at O how wicked art thou what a child of the Divel art thou what an Atheist how deep in the guilt of blasphemy will the Lord ever pardon thee can'st thou ever repent can'st thou ever be saved who deridest the Spirit without whom and his holiness without which there is no salvation Secondly what think you of those who do despite to the Spirit of grace Who do despite to the spirit of grace of such you read in Heb. 10. 29. And have done despite unto the Spirit of grace Men do despite to the Spirit of grace many wayes 1. When they have base thoughts of Jesus Christ and his blood treading under foot the Son of God and counting the blood of the Covenant an unholy thing these the Spirit sets forth as most high and precious and worthy of all reverence and acceptation but when sinners come to despise Christ and his blood looking on them but as common and ordinary things and regarding them no more than the dirt under their feet they do now despite unto the spirit of Grace they do now prejudice and disgrace and dishonour and shame him in his Revelation and Commendation of Christ and his blood 2. When they will sinne on purpose to vex and grieve the Spirit when they know Who sin on purpose to grieve the Spirit such or such a work or way is evil and displeasing unto him they will therefore chuse to do it knowing that it is grievous and vexatious to the Spirit as they in Jer. 44. 4. Oh do not this abominable thing that I hate Ver. 5 But they hearkned not nor inclined their ears And verse the 17. profess that they will burn incense unto the Queen of heaven c. Thirdly what think you of those that either have no work of the Spirit within Who have no saving work of the spirit in them them or no saving work of the Spirit within them have those the spirit put within them The spirit is never present in any but there is some work or other of the spirit appearing in them for he is most active and working some way or other in the hearts of those where he is present and dwells Ergo. But in some persons 1. There is no work of the Spirit at all neither highest nor lowest the lowest works of the Spirit within men are illuminations and pulsations when he enlightens sinners to see their sins and moves and stirs them to leave their sinnes and gives them some trouble for their sins But many persons there are who never had any light from the Spirit to see their sins nor were they ever troubled for their sins nor did they ever find those strong motions and perswasions of the Spirit to leave their sins 2. Though in many persons these common works of the Spirit may be found yea so many works as the Spirit useth the Ministry of the Law for as Illumination Conviction Excitation Humiliation and Terror and Fear yet in them we no Evangelical and saving works of the Spirit to be found no works of Regeneration no works of union with Christ no hungring and thirsting after him no faith in him no love in him no holy sorrow no repentance no newness of obedience no walking and living in the Spirit c. Fourthly What think you of those who have in them another spirit quite contrary Who have in them another spirit to the Spirit of God even that spirit which works effectually in the children of disobedience and in whom all the qualities and works of a contrary spirit are manifestly appearing and ruling The Spirit of God is a pure and holy Spirit but they are unclean and unholy The Spirit of God is effective an humble and lowly Spirit but they are proud and lofty and arrogant The Spirit of God is meek and gentle but they are turbulent and furious and violent The Spirit of God is merciful and compassionate but they are unmerciful incompassionate cruel and bloody The Spirit of God is a Spirit of love and of peace but they are full of
Causally in us c. 3. Without faith no salvation He that believes not shall be damned Mark 16. 16. But without the spirit there can be no faith because that grace is the fruit and effect of his Almighty power So now you see plainly the infinite misery of being destitute of the Spirit of God Quest But how may we know whether the Lord hath put his own Spirit within How to knw that we have the Spirit of God us that the spirit of God is given to us indeed Sol. This may be known 1. By the works of the spirit 2ly By the qualities of the spirit 3ly By the properties of such who have the spirit in relation unto the spirit 1. By the works of the spirit The spirit of God is a vigorous and active and operative spirit and By the works of the Spirit when he is indeed put within any mans heart there he works in order unto the salvation of that man for unto that do all the works of God the Father as our Father tend and unto that do all the works of Christ the Son of God as our Redeemer tend and unto that do all the works of the spirit of God within us tend What are the works of Gods Spirit in them that shall be saved Now the works of the spirit in them which shall be saved are these .. Conviction 1. Conviction Joh. 16. 8. And when he is come that is the spirit whom Christ calls the Comforter ver 7. he will reprove the world he will convince the world of sinne Simile As when the light of the sun shines in a room this opens and discovers all the nastiness and sluttishness in the room so when the spirit of God comes into the heart he doth by his own light clearly discover and represent the sinful foulness that lies therein Here now I will briefly speak unto two Questions Quest 1. How the spirit convinceth a person of sin Sol. He doth convince of sin 1. By opening the Law of God unto us partly in the spiritualness of it as How the Spirit convinceth of sin reaching not only to our outward words and actions but also to our inward thoughts and affections both in the commands of it and likewise in the prohibitions of it that God doth not only command of us a Righteousness and holiness of conversation but also a righteousness and holiness of heart and nature not only that we do good but also that we be good not only that we hear him but also that we know and love and fear and trust upon him not only that we draw near unto him with our lips and bodies but also that we draw near unto him with our hearts and serve him in spirit and in truth That God in his Law doth not only forbid and condemn sinful words and deeds but also sinful desires and delights and motions not only murder in the hand but murder also in the heart not only adultery in the act but adultery also in the heart as Christ assures us himself in Matth. 5 28. Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart Perfection of it that it is so precise and exact that it expects from us not this or that particular duty but an universal obedience and full conformity unto all and every particular which is required and not for some little space of our life but constantly and invariably as to all the time of our lives and if we fail either in the fulness or in the continuance of obedience at any time in any particular presently the Law pronounceth a sentence of curse against us Gal. 3. 10. Cursed is every one that continueth not in all these things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Secondly By opening our sins the transgression of the Law unto us Rom. By opening our sins to us 7. 9. When the Commandement came sin revived and I died i. e. when the Law came accompanied with the Spirit of God now sinne revived now it appeared now I saw what a sinful creature and what a miserable creature I was This is certain that when the spirit of God doth convince any one of sinne he then doth by an invincible evidence or lâ—ght so set out a mans sinful life and heart that he cannot but confess and acknowledge the same and withall himself to lye under the curse of God as long as by unbelief he remains in his sinful estate Quest 2. Whether a wicked person may not be convinced of sin and if he may how then can this work of conviction be any distinguishing character that we have the spirit Sol. To this I answer First I do not make every work flowing from the Spirit a character of his What are not characters of the presence of Gods Spirit gracious presence not illumination not conviction solitarily considered by themselves alone but as concomitantly considered with other more powerful and effectual works of the spirit following them 2. But secondly there is a difference between that conviction of sin in wicked The difference between the convictions of the wicked and the godly men and that in the people of God and the difference lies thus First The conviction in wicked men is ordinarily levis mollis it is such an evidencing of their sins as doth not much afflict and distress them indeed they cannot deny but that they are sinners yet they hope to escape well enough for all this c. Secondly The conviction in wicked men is ordinarily semiplena imperfecta it is of some outward gross sins as swearing lying adultery drunkenness but for all these they think their hearts are as good as the best they are seldom convinced their sinful hearts and natures and that original sin which is the fountain of all sins and which pollutes the whole soul Thirdly The conviction in wicked men if it be full and strong it is but Judicialis it is not Remedialis it is not in salutem but proves only in perniciem for when they are so convinced either they sin more desperately against the convincing light of the Spirit or else they fall into despair as Cain and Judas and Spira crying out that their sinnes are greater than can or shall be forgiven But now the conviction of sin by the Spirit in the people of God is another kind of conviction For 1. It is deep and powerful it makes discovery of the very root and foundation What is the conviction of the Spirit in Gods children of all sins even of that corruption and vileness in the heart In sinne did my Mother conceive me said David Psal 51. 5. And I see another Law in my members said Paul Rom. 7. 23. And Ecce cor meum Deus meus ecce cor meum said Austin Ah Lord what a wicked heart had I c. 2. It is graciously effectual this work of conviction works graciously upon
Regeneration there is a new Divine being or quality brought into our souls by the Spirit by which we are Spiritually changed from what we were Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Look as that which is born of the flesh is flesh the sinner begets a sinner and that which is born of the sinner it is born after his own sinful image In like manner that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit If any man be born of the Spirit there is the life and holiness of that quickning and holy Spirit in him he is not what he was there is an excellent change wrought in him he is quite contrary to himself not only for conversation but for inclination his mind his judgement his will his affections there is a new principle in every one of these Old things are past away all things are become new 2 Cor. 5. 17. Quest 2. Whether this work of Regeneration or Renovation is in every one of the people of God unto whom the Spirit is given Regeneration is in every child of God Sol. Certainly it is The Spirit is never put in medio within the heart of any man but he doth regenerate and renew him 2 Cor. 3. 18. We all with open face beholding as in a glasse the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord Mark it we are changed by the Spirit of the Lord into the same image which we see in Christ 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Nay surely all that ever had the Spirit of God put within them you shall find that they were new creatures you read it in Mary Magdalen in Zacheus in those Acts 2. in Paul Acts 9. in the Jaylor Acts 16. in the Corinthians Such were some of you but ye are weshed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God 1 Cor. 6. 11. Therefore consider well what you were and what you now are if there be not a Regeneration a work of Renovation in you verily you have not the Spirit God hath not put his Spirit within you If the old sinful qualities remain and prevail in you of drunkenness of filthiness of pride of malice of hatred of holiness of unbelief of hardness of heart if these or any other sinful lusts continue unmortified you have not received the Spirit And if no new qualities contrary unto these are to be found in you if the image of Christ if holiness if faith if love c. are not in you in some measure you are none of the people of God you have none of his Spirit within you For as they say of the soul of man the soul doth build and frame a house fit for itself to dwell in that is most true of the Spirit of God when he comes into our hearts he doth purge them and renew them and make them Temples fit for himself to dwell in Indeed he doth not find us holy when he first comes into us but as soon as he comes he makes us holy and sanctifies us throughout in soul spirit and body he fills our Temple with his glory Fifthly Direction or leading This is another work of the Spirit to be found Direction is another work of the Spirit in all who have the Spirit given unto them Spiritus Dei docet ducit Rom. 8. 14. As many as are led by the Spirit of God they are the sons of God And so for the words are Reciprocal as many as are the sons of God they are led by the Spirit of God That expression of leading is a Metaphor taken either from blind men and men in the dark who do need a guide or from little weak children not able to go alone and therefore are held and led by the hand Now concerning this work of the Spirit I will briefly open two things unto you 1. Quest How the Spirit of God leads the people of God There is you know a twofold leading or guidance of the Spirit How the Spirit leads Gods children 1. One is general by a common virtue or influence which assists the creatures in all their powers and faculties to their several operations 2. The other is special by a more high and peculiar influence upon the hearts of men in order to the estate and acts and wayes of grace and salvation Thus the Spirit of God leads the people of God First By way of Irradiation or illumination he opens the eyes of their minds to see the paths and wayes of life and the will and wayes concerning them what way the Word reveals certainly he reveals internally giving light to see it Isa 2. 3. Come and let us go up to the Mountain of the Lord and he will teach us of his wayes Chap. 20. 21. Thine ears shall hear a word behind thee saying This is the way walk ye in it when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left Secondly By way of inclination when the Spirit leads he doth not only shew us what good we are to do but also he doth powerfully incline our hearts to comply with and follow that direction of his Psal 25. 4. Shew me thy wayes O Lord teach me thy paths Ver. 5. Lead me in thy truth Isa 2. 3. He will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths The Spirits leading is not a meer Revelation of the will and way of God unto the people of God as if one should point out the way to Traveller but it is an efficacious perswasion add a secret and strange inclination in enabling to walk in that good way of life revealed by him unto them Simile As a Nurse leads the child by lending her help and strength unto the going of the child Simile Or rather as the head leads the feet in their motion by letting down an influence enabling thereunto Thirdly By way of Exâ—ortation stirring up their hearts and quickning them to holy services and to walk according to his motions and directions Cant. 1. 4. Draw me and I will run after thee Psal 119. 37. Quicken me in thy way Cant. 4. 16. Awake O North wind and come thou South blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out Forthly by way of Cooperation As the Spirit leads us by inclining our hearts unto good so also he leads us by working with us in doing of good He worketh in us both to will and to do Phil. 2. 13. And 1 Cor. 15. 10. I laboured more abundantly than they all yet not I but the grace of God which was with me As when the King of Israel was to shoot the arrow he did put his hand upon the Bow and Elisha did put his hand upon the Kings hand 2 King 13. 16. So when we are to do any good work we are to put up our hand
c. Who can pray thus but he who is a child of God but he who hath the Spirit of God to shew unto him his spiritual wants to stirre up in him spiritual and earnest desires to quicken his Faith on God and to depend on his good and faithful Promises in Christ c. Fourthly I will adde one instance more concerning the power in all who have received the Spirit and that is this All who have received the Spirit have received a power to do such works as none else in all the world can do for they are able in the strength and power of the Spirit 1. To abhor the dearest lusts which have formerly been more unto them than their lives and heavenly happiness 2. To forsake Father and Mother Husband and Wife and Children and Friends Houses and Lands for Christ and an afflicted estate with Christ 3. To prize communion with God and to take more satisfying delight therein than in all earthly enjoyments whatsoever But Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon me Psal 4. 6. Shew us the Father and it sufficeth us Psal 73. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee c. 4. To live by faith in the times of desertion Though he kill me yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. and in times of desolation when as creature helps and comforts fail Although the Fig-tree shall not blossom neither shall fruit be in the Vine and the labour of the Olive shall fail and the fields shall yield no meat and the flock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no herd in the stalls yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation Hâ—b 3. 17 18. The Lord God is my strength ver 19. 5. To be contented in every estate and to comply with it Phil. 4. 12 13. and to glorifie God under it O where is this power of the Spirit of God where are any great things or works of the Spirit within us I cannot pray saith one and I cannot leave my sins saith another and I can find and take no delight in God or communion with him saith another and I cannot trust on his Word nor wait upon his Promise c. Few men have any Spiritual power and therefore few men have the Spirit of God Fourthly The Spirit of God is the Spirit of liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty Liberty is a freedom from bondage or slavery and Gospel-liberty which principally respects the soul is a freedom accruing unto us Partly by price and purchace namely by the blood of Christ The Lord Jesus by his death hath purchased many glorious liberties for us he hath freed us from the Law as it is a Covenant of Works Gal. 3. 11 12. and from the curse and wrath ver 13. and from all condemning power of sin c. Rom. 8. 1. Partly by strength and efficacy this liberty comes unto us by the Spirit who puts forth a strong and mighty hand upon all the hearts of all the people of God and rescues and frees them from spiritual slavery under which they were held whiles they were in their natural condition The Spirit of God doth free them First From slavery to sin See Rom. 8. 2 The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death i. e. The power of the Spirit hath freed me out of the hands and power of sin so that it shall not command and rule over me as heretofore it is no longer my Lord nor am I any longer his servant I am delivered and freed from the dominion and tyranny of it and service unto it by the Law i. e. by the powerful and authoritative command and work of the Spirit upon this account the Apostle affirms that all the servants of God are made free from sin Rom. 6. 18 22. they are not in bondage they are not at the command of it sin hath lost its law and authority in them the yoke is broken by the spirit which is given unto them sin indeed will stirre and trouble and usurp but slavery unto it is taken away Isa 10. 27. The yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing Secondly From slavery to Satan Before we receive the Spirit of God we are in bondage unto the Divel who rules or works effectually in us Ephes 2. 2. and takes us captive at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. as one that hath a bird tyed c. O what power hath Satan over a natural man how he fetters and shackles and binds him and imprisons him and makes him to drudge in the fulfilling of his motions and obeying of his suggestions and temptations But now when the Spirit of God comes into us he spoiles the strong man armed and takes from him all the armour wherein he trusted Luke 11. 21 22. For he is stronger than he 1 Joh. 4. 4. He leads captivity captive he turns us from Satan unto God Acts. 26. 18. Object But Satan still tempts and assaults never was man so tempted as I am Sol. Temptation is one thing and salvation is another he bestirred himself in tempting and we obeyed he now tempts and we resist He frees us from him 1. By making us to abhor his Kingdom 2ly By translating us out of his power into the Kingdom of Christ 3ly By arming us with the armour of God against his assaults 4ly By stirring us up to resist him Jam. 4 7. Resist the Divel and he will flee from you And 5ly By strengthening us to overcome him 1 Joh. 2. 13. Ye have overcome the wicked one Thirdly From slavish fear and a slavish spirit in working in this respect he makes us to serve God without fear Luk. 1. 74. that is without servile fear for there is a twofold fear There is Timor filialis which is grounded in the love of God as a Father and there is Timor servilis which looks upon God only as a Judge and hath a respect to fo wrath Now when the Spirit of God is given unto us we do not serve God tor fear of wrath and punishment and damnation but out of love and reverence and ingenuity Though there were no Law to curse us though there were no Conscience to terrifie us though there were no Hell to burn us yet the Lord our God and Father we will love and him will we serve Fourthly From slavish indispositions as averseness to what is good and indelightfulness in it They that are anointed by the Spirit and power of God it makes them ready and willing out of love and working out of love Fifthly The Spirit of God is a Spirit of truth Joh. 14. 16. I will pray the Father and he shall give you another Comforter Ver. 17. even the Spirit of truth John 16. 13. When the Spirit of truth is come he will guide yâ—u into all truth SECT I. THere are divers
men destitute of the Spirit though we be civil and courteous and friendly and helpful if we be born of the Spirit c. Gal. 4. 29. as then he that was born after the flesh persecuted him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now Here is Ishmael born after the flesh i. e. an ungodly and wicked wretch and here is Isaac born after the Spirit i. e. according to the promise of the Spirit and according to the powerful and gracious renewing of the Spirit and presently he is persecuted by Ishmael That must needs be good which Nero persecutes so he must needs be good he must needs have the Spirit of God against whom all the scoffings and mockings and reproaches and persecutions of the wicked are raised Fourthly They that have the Spirit do walk in the Spirit and after the Spirit you read those expressions Gal. 5. 25. and Rom. 8. 4. We walk not afâ—er Such walk in the Spirit the flesh but after the Spirit Now as to walk after the flesh is to set anâ— order the course of our life after our corrupt reason and wills and affections following them as our guides so to walk after the Spirit is to dispose and order our conversation according to the rules and motions of the Spirit so to lead our lives and move on in our courses as the the Spirit of God doth teach us in the Word and stirs us up inwardly to follow Thus doth every one who hath the Spirit of God he walks after the Spirit his conversation is in heaven Phil. 3. 20. His course of life is the course of new obedience that newness of life which the Word sets forth He walks not as the men of this world walk nor according to his own lusts in the times of his ignorance but before God in Holiness and Righteousness for by the Spirit he is sanctified to obedience 1 Pet. 1. 2. 1. He prayes with David Psal 119. 133. Order my steps in thy Word Ephes 5. 10. Proving what is acceptabe to the Lord. 2. For the paths Psal 119. 101. I have refrained my feet from every evil way Ver. 8. I will walk in thy statutes Isa 26. 7. The way of the just is uprightnesse 3. For the end so as to advaace the Kingdom and advance the Gospel a living unto the Lord. Fifthly They that have the Spirit are spiritual worshippers The true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and truth for the Father seeketh Such are spiritual worshipers such to worship him God is a Spirit and they that worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth John 4. 23. 24. So Paul in Rom. 1. 9. God is my witness whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his Son Phil 3. 3. We are the circumcision which worship God in the Spirit Beloved take these two things for certain truths viz. 1. Carnal men are but carnal worshippers a form of worship satisfies them bodily service outward performance Isa 29. 13. This people draw near me with Carnal men are carnal worshipers their mouth and with their lips do honour me but have removed their heart farre from me c. Jer. 12. 2. Thou art near in their mouth and farre from their reins 2. But spiritual men or men of the spirit are spiritual worshippers they do worship God in spirit Object But you will say What is it to worship God in spirit Sol. I answer to worship God in spirit is First To have our inward man taken up imployed and acting in all those Religious duties which we do owe and which we do present unto him As when What it is to worship God in Spirit we draw near to him in prayer for power to repent to believe to obey c. not only our mouthes do pray but our very hearts also do pray and our prayers are the lifting up of our hearts Vnto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul Psal 25. 1. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands unto God in the heavens Lam. 3. 41. And the very desires of our souls Isa 26. 8. The desire of our soul is to thy name And when you come to him in confession of sins not only your lips do acknowledge them and condemn you for them but your very hearts are ashamed of them and bewail them and judge them And so when you come to hear the Word a bodily presence doth not satisfie you but your hearts do come with your bodies and your hearts do hear and your hearts are ready to receive the Word with gladness and fear Secondly To have an edge upon our hearts in the services of God a kind of heavenly vigor and strenuousnesse so that our souls do come in to it with all the actual strength which they have for the present Indeed a Christan hath sometimes a stronger and quicker keeness of spirit than he hath at other times but still he puts forth as least in his desires and endeavours what power he hath in his communion with God As he seeks God with his mouth so he seeks him with his whole heart Psal 119. 10. With my whole heart have I sought thee he doth not serve the Lord with a cold formal indifferent spirit but as the Apostle speaks Rom. 12. 11. He is fervent in spirit serving the Lord He prayes and hears fervently and repents fervently and believes fervently 'T is true that he falls very short yet what he doth to the Lord he doth the same in good earnest it is his work and his business and if he finds it otherwise with himseâ—f if he finds a dulness and deadness upon his spirit this troubles him and he strives to shake it off by stirring up himself as the phrase is Isa 64. 7. and that of 2 Tim. 1. 6. and by awaking of his heart and graces I my self will awake saith David Psal 108. 2. and beseeching of the Lord to quicken and to enlarge his heart I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart Psal 119. 32. Sixthly They who have the Spirit of God are most pleased and delighted in Such delight in spiritual ministrations spiritual and vigorous ministrations which deal most with their spirits and do in a spiritual power most reach their hearts and spiritual condition Beloved this you shall find in experience that a profane heart cannot endure but alwayes hates and despiseth a spiritual and searching Ministry A formal heart hath most satisfaction in a formal Ministry A gracious heart is alwayes best pleased with a spiritual and powerful Ministry with that Ministry which doth come in power and in the demonstration of the Spirit and makes it self manifest unto the consciences of men which is quick in operation and piercing even to the dividing asunder of the soul and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart Heb. 4. 12. and which is mighty
through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10. 1. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ ver 5. This spiritual Ministry is that with which a spiritual heart doth and can most close O a Ministry which doth most dive into the heart and discovers the depth of sin and the hidden things of the heart and the secret guiles and hypocrisies of our spirits And that Ministry which shames our sins most and rents them out of our bosomes and makes our souls to loath them And that Ministry which like a spiritual Adamant draws a heart to Christ breaking down all the powers of unbelief And that Ministry which discovers and dashes in pieces all our self-deceits and all our self-confideace And that Ministry which presseth and leadeth one to the power of godliness and to the practical expressing of the virtues of Jesus Christ and of him that calleth us And that Ministry which raiseth a drooping soul with spiritual truth and rules though never so strict and contrary to flesh and blood This is a Spiritual Ministry and this is a Ministry of the Spirit and this is the Ministry which every one who indeed hath the Spirit of God doth highly prize doth cordially close with and desires from his soul to live under Psal 139. 23. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts Ver. 24. And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting Such are singularly tender as to the spirit Seventhly They who have the Spirit have this property also that they are singularly tender as to that spirit which appears in four things 1. In no case will they part with the Spirit Psal 6. 11. Take not thy holy Spirit from me 2. They are afraid by anything to grieve the Spirit Ephes 4. 30. Grieve not the holy Spirit of God by whom c. 3. If they have grieved him so as to withdraw himself they are not at rest untill the Spirit returns again in his gracious operations and manifestations Psal 51 10. Renew a right Spirit within me And Ver. 12. Vphold me with thy free Spirit 4. They strive more and more after purity of Spirit that so that good Spirit may take more and more delight to dwell in his temple Thus have I at length finished the Tryals and Characters by which we may know whether the Lord hath given his own Spirit unto us SECT III. 2. Use I Now proceed unto a second Use which shall be of Comfort unto all and every one unto whom the Spirit of God is given who do find him in their hearts in any of those works and saving effects before-mentioned Not without cause doth the Apostle Paul take pleasure in this I have the Spirit of Christ and we have received the Spirit of God and the Holy Ghost is given unto us Yea Christ himself look't upon the sending and giving of the Spirit to be the Comforter unto his Disciples as equivalent unto his own presence with them and as a sufficient cordial against all the troubles of their heart and against all the temptations of the world Quest But will some say What benefit and happiness is there by having the Spirit of God given unto us Sol. I will answer you 1. In the general 2ly In particular unto this Question 1. In the General The presence of the Spirit of God within you it is an infallible evidence of The benefits which come by having the spirit Such are assured of their election your happiness in the whole estate of it from first to last from eternity to eternity from the time past to the time present and the time to come First For the time past Beloved our happiness begins long before we do begin it begins in the eternal love of God and in the election of God before the foundation of the world Ephes 1. 4. The Records of election are Records of Eternity that is the date of writing our names in heaven and in the book of life And questionless this is a great part of our blessedness it is the first stone thereof which is said that we are out of a free and an immutable love and purpose set down and infallibly chosen and ordained for blessedness of which gracious act the presence of the Spirit is a sure evidence unto us 2 Thes 2. 13. God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit Ephes 1. 4. He hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy Secondly For the time present it is you know a common doubt and debate among serious and solid Christians whether their present spiritual condition Such have the spirits presence to assure them that God is their Father be right and sound whether or no they have a real relation to God as their Father and whether Christ be in them of a truth and verily that estate is really good and sound and sure in which there is such a relation and such a profession Now when the Spirit of God is given his presence and work are undoubted evidences of him Rom. 8. 15. We have received the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father Ver. 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God 1 Joh. 3. 24. Hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given us Thirdly For the time to come there is reserved for all the people of God in heaven an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that fadeth not away 1 Pet. 1. 4. Assured of their salvation A Crown of life Rev. 2. 10. An exceedingly exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. And of this also is the presence of the Spirit a sure evidence unto us Ephes 1. 13 14. The holy Spirit is the earnest of our inheritance q. d. The Lord will hereafter give you full possession he hath promised you no less than an heavenly kingdom and a glorious inheritance for you are his Children and Heirs and to satisfie and assure you of this he hath given you a pledge or earnest and that earnest is his own Spirit in that you have for the present the Spirit of God this is your earnest that you shall hereafter fully enjoy the kingdom of God And now I beseech you tell me whether the enjoying of the Spirit of God be not very happy and comfortable If you look back by this you know that your names are written in heaven If you look on your present condition by this you know that God is your Father and you are his children Christ is yours and you are Christs If you look forward by this also you know that heavenly glory is yours and shortly you shall perfectlâ— anâ— eternally possesse it and all this you may look on
new born babes as the Apostle calls them 1 Pet. 2. 2. The graces of the Spirit are sometimes in so weak and so low a ebb that they are compared to a bruised reed and to smoaking flax and to the dawning of of light in the morning and to a grain of mustardseed and to a little leaven in the lump Now here I would shew you three things 1. How one may know that he hath as yet but a very weak measure of the Spirit of grace 2. How one may know that the weak measure of grace is not false but true grace 3. That no Christian should discourage himself because his grace is weak but rather encourage himself because grace is sound although it be weak How to know our grace to be weak 1. Quest How one may know that he hath as yet but a very weak measure of the Spirit of grace Sol. This may be known In our first conversion First By the time of the implantation of it this is a truth that grace begins in weakness if a man be but newly converted his grace cannot be but weak Simile The Christian at first is but as a plant newly set and but as a sick man newly recovered or as the Sun newly risen although it may seem much unto him and he may find many stirrings in his spirit and in his affections yet this grace is but weak it hath but little strength in it Simile As a prisoner who hath been long in captivity and bondage when he is delivered his rejoycing may be great and yet his body may be very weak so when the Lord converts a man and so delivers him from the bondage of sin his heart may exceedingly rejoyce in his mercy that he is translated from death to life and yet his Spiritual strength of grace is very weak in him Secondly By the strength of corruptions The stronger that any mans corruptions By the strength of our corruptions are this is a sign that his graces are but weak I call those sinful corruptions strong which do often prevail upon us and lead us captive which are able to hinder us from doing what is good and to drive and force us to do that which is evil nor are we able to withstand this why this ariseth from weakness of grace Simile When it is with us as with a little Child who is ready to stumble and fall at every straw as we speak at every stone at every chip is not this the weakness of the Child So when every temptation every occasion every strong motion of sin is apt to shake us and stagger us and to surprize us is not grace very weak within us If this be a truth that sin grows weak as grace grows stronger Simile that the darkness is less when the light is clear then this also holds true that grace is weak when sin is strong Simile when grace is like a little light in the mid'st of much darkness By the proportions of actings Thirdly by the proportion of actings Every true grace of the Spirit is of an active nature it is apt to put forth itself Simile in this respect it is like all true fire and light which in the least degrees are apt and do put forth themselves but they have their different proportions in acting a little fire acts but little and a great fire acts much so weak grace hath but a weak operation and strong grace stronger operations weak grace acts most in desires and most in the will and most in tears and most in sighs and groans O that I could believe Lord help my unbelief answered the father of child with tears O that I could mourn that I could obey To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not Rom. 7. 18. Fourthly By the mixture of contrary workings a little of grace and much of corruption a little of faith and much of doubtings a little of hope and By the mixture of contrary workings much of fear a little of sorrow and much of hardness a little of prayer and much of distraction a little of zeal and much of flatness a little that is done and much that is undone a little of knowledge and much of ignorance a little heavenly-mindedness and much of earthliness a little fire and much smoak a little going and much halting c. Fifthly By the aptness to live not by faith but by sense when God draws up all our helps and hopes into his promises and puts us now to fetch all our supplies By aptness to live by sence and comforts from his good and faithful Word Here is my Word that I will pardon your sins and here is my Word that I will subdue your iniquities and here is my Word that I will answer your prayers and here is my Word that I will supply your wants and I will never leave you nor forsake you O but because we feel not the assurance of pardon and because we find not victory over our sins and because we do not see the answet of our prayers and because we cannot discern the means and wayes how our wants may be supplyed therefore our hearts fail us and we are troubled and perplexed and sad thoughts do arise in our hearts and they are much cast down within us If it be thus with us certainly our graces are weak very weak the lesse able are ye to trust an All sufficient and faithful God in his promises but you must have the portion in your own hands you must see or else you will not believe you cannot so stedfastly believe that Gods Bond is sufficient c. Simile The child is but weak which must still be held by the hand c. Sixthly By the prevailing of discouragements If we be apt to be offended By the prevailing of discouragements and discouraged this shews weakness of grace there are discouragements taken from Gods dealing with us as when he delayes our suits and denies some of the requests and tries and exercises us with smart afflictions and suffers temptations to abide on us From the wayes of Christianity the strictness of them and the danger by them and the greatness of them From men that wicked men do so vex and trouble us that good men are so strange and unkind unto us From ouâ— selves that we go on so slowly and exactly and uncomfortably and others get so far before us and attain so much Discouragements from any of these shew that there is in us but small knowledge little faith much fear and weak grace Seventhly By the presence of censoriousness of strife and contentions and envyings 1 Cor. 3. 3. For ye are yet carnal for whereas there is among By the presence of censoriousness you envying and strife and division are you not carnal and walk as men 2. Quest How may one know that the weak measure of grace is not false but true grace and the very effect of
forth his image and to conform us to â—hrist 2 Cor. 3. 18. It s accepted with God Sixthly The weakest graces and breathings and actings of it are accepted with God he owns it Simile as a Father doth his weak babe and he regards the offering and services of it he will not only not despise the day of small things Zech. 4. 10. and he will not only not only break the bruised reed and not only not quench the smoaking flax Matth. 12. 20. but he will lovingly and graciously accept of the weakest fruits of weakest graces Psal 38. 9. All my desire is before thee and my groaning is not hid from thee 2 King 20. 5. Tell Hezekiah thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father I have heard thy prayer I have seen thy tears 2 Cor. 8. 12. If there be first a willing mind it is accepted according to that a man hath and not according to that he hath not Seventhly The Lord hath a very tender respect unto persons who are weak in grace Isa 40 â—1 He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd he shall gather the God hath a tender respect to such lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosome and shall gently lead those that are with young You may look up to Jesus Christ your High Priest who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities and by him you may come boldly to the throne of grace to obtain mercy to help in time of need Heb. 4. 15 16. Mal. 3. 17. I will spare them as a man spareth his own Son that serveth him Isa 66. 13. As one whom his Mother comforteth so will I comfort you 1 Thes 5. 14. Comfort the feeble-minded support the weak Isa 61. 1. The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted ver 2. to comfort all that mourn Sixthly The weakest grace of the Spirit is a sure evidence that you are in Christ and it is the earnest penny of your future glory Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are It s an evidence that we are in Christ the poore in heart for they shall see God Ver. 6. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be satisfied SECT V. 4. Use DOth God give his own Spirit unto all his own people Let them then who have received the Spirit remember the duties which do in a more special manner concern them These are first Negative secondly Positive 1. Negative duties are First Quench not the Spirit this is the Exhortation of the Apostle 1 Thes Duties of such as have received the spirit Quench it not Why the spirit is compared to fiâ—e 5. 19. Quench not the Spirit The Spirit in this Metaphorical expression is compared to fire because 1. Fire lightning upon any combustible matter it doth burn and consume it So when the Spirit of God enters into our hearts he doth waste and consume by degrees all our noysome lusts and vile affections and sinfull deeds Rom. 8. 13. 2. Fire doth purge and purifie the mettals by burning up the dâ—oss and by making them more pure and bright So doth the Spirit of God when he comes into our hearts he purgeth the heart of sin and makes us holy and fit vessels of honour 3. Fire doth mollifie and soften and melt the hardest Iron So doth the Spirit of God the hardest heart and makes it melt into godly sorrow and feare 4. Fire doth give light and heat So the Spirit of God doth enlighten and teach us and heats us and warms us and inflames our hearts with the love of God and with a power to do his will 5. Fire doth ascend and mount upward So the Spirit carries up our thoughts and affections unto things which are above Rom. 8. 5. 6. Fire doth revive and as it were put a new life into us when we are frozen or benummed So doth the Spirit quicken and enlarge our hearts when they are oppressed with dulness and deadness In these and some other respects is the Spirit of God with his graces compared to fire which may be quenched either in part as when you suffer it to decay and slack or in whole when it goes out all together There are four wayes by which the fire is quenched First By withdrawing and with-holding the fuell which should nourish it How this fire is quenched So when we withdraw our ears from hearing the Word and restrain Prayer and decline holy society and conference we do now quench the Spirit in his gifts and graces they will decay and fall and dye withâ—n us Secondly By casting on water though you put much wood to the fire yet if you cast more water upon it this will quench the fire So although you should hear and pray yet if you admit gross sins these will quench the Spirit they will either totally extinguish or else extreamly diminâ—sh the graces of the Spirit David found it so by his gross sins of adultery and murder And Sampson found it so in his loosness with Dalilah Thirdly By smothering of it Though you do not withdraw fuell from the fire nor throw water upon it yet if you heap upon it much cold earth or green wood this will smother and put out the fire though you do not decline Ordinances and duties you do not fall into gross sins yet if you suffer your heart to be overcloy'd with the things of the world with the cares and employments of it these will choak the word and these will smother and quench the operations of the Spirit within you Fourth By neglecting of it If we do not look unto the fire and put the Brands together and stir and blow it up it will decay and go out So if we neglect the graces of the Spirit if we do not stir them up as Paul adviseth Timothy 2 Tim. 1. 6. shake off the contrary indisposition and put them out in daily exercise they will decay and will be ready to dye Object But some will say Quorsum haec may a Christian lose the Spirit fall away from grace can the work of the Spirit be wholly extinguished where is then the comfort and the happiness you lately spake of Sol. I will not take up by the by that debate of total and final Apostaty only this I say for the present that there is such a latitude and compasse in the graces of the Spirit that as the Christian may rise higher in them so he may fall and decay much in them How the graces of the spirit may be considered In their Root Take me briefly thus the graces of the Spirit may be considered First In their Root which is Christ And thus considered as Christ lives for ever so do the graces of Christ he dies not neither shall any Branch Rooted in him die Secondly in their essential habit or spiritual quality thus likewise the are In their essential habits immortal seed and abiding
not neglect these motions do not throw them aside and do not delay or defer to act them remember it you shall be able to do much at that time when the Spirit of God stirs your hearts if you presently act upon his actings of you Simile as the ship moves the faster when the Mariner takes the wind and tide but if you neglect them the work will be more difficult and your hearts will be more untoward and backward and hardened Object But some will say It is an hard thing to know what motions are the motions How to know the motions of the Spirit of the Spirit if we could certainly know them to be his we would not neglect them Sol. You may know the motions which are stirring of you to be the motions of the Spirit of God by the conjunction of these Adjuncts First They are holy and heavenly they do resemble himself he never moves They are holy you to any evil but only to what is good and spiritual to get grace to increase it to exercise it to mortifie your sins to beware of all incentives and provecation unto sin c. Secondly They are conformable to the written Word All hâ—s motions are Agreeable to the Word but the setting on of Gods commands upon your heart and lives he moves you not and stirs you not to do any thing but what the Word of God expresly commands Thirdly They are suitable to your place and condition The spirit moves to Suitable to our place and condition do that good work wâ—ich belongs to us in our place He did not move Vzza to put forth his hand to hold the Ark nor Uzziah to burn incense It pertaineth not to thee Uzziah to burn incense unto the Lord but unto the Priests the sons of Aaron that are consecrated to burn incense 2 Chron. 26. 18. He is the Author of order and not of confusion he moves men to exercise the gifts which he hath given them in the places and callings wherein he hath set them Fourthly They are seasonable He puts in good motions not to hinder a present good work but to further it when we are sometimes praying or hearing you shall They are seasonable have many good things presented unto your minds which come not from the Spirit of God but from Satan for they are put in as diversions and distractions from that good work in hand but when they are from the Spirit they are seasonable and helpful As when you are hearing and 〈◊〉 and confessing your sins all those good motions which drop into you to humble your hearts enlarge your hearts to attend to mark and remember and to yield consent and obedience and to take delight to raise heavenly resolutions to walk according to the will of God revealed these are motions from the Spirit Fifthly They are gentle and spiritually rational men talk of impulsives and violent They are gentle motions upon their spirits for particular works for the doing of which they can give no religious account or ground Those are dangerous motions and are to be suspected and questioned but the motions of the Spirit are not turbulent nor violent though they be strong yet they are gentle they are leadings but not disquieting motions Secondly Neglect not the removings of the Spirit The Spirit of God by reason of our spiritual pride and security and formality and other sins may remove from us i. e. you may not find that comfort from him and you may not find that strength and assistance and vigor from him and you may discern a general Hatness and lowness in your graces and services they come not off with that zeal with that delight with that care with that love with that importunity with that fervency with that faith as formerly and you are more ready to fall under temptations and sinful occasions you cannot make that resistance which you were wont to do The Spirit in these cases is removing and withdrawing And it is a most dangerous folly now to sit still and to be careless and regardless If a Guard which preserves you draw off are you not in danger are you not exposed to enemies why all your strength support sufficiency safety is in the presence of Gods Spirit Therefore take notice of his removings or or withdrawings at any time and do it quickly and seriously for though his removes be not usually all at once yet the oftner he removes he removes the farther from you and the farther he removes the stronger will hardness grow upon you Quest Why what is to be done in this case Sol. I will tell you How to prevent the Spirits removoings First Search your hearts and enquire what is amiss what cause you have given unto the Spirit of God thus to withdraw from you what harndness what offence you may read in Scripture these causes 1. Pride of heart as in Hezekiah 2. Self-confidence as in Peter 3. Careless neglect as in the Church Cant. 5. 6. I opened to my beloved but my beloved had withdrawn himself See the cause of this in Ver. 3. I have put off my coat how shall I put it on 4. Foule transgressions as in David Psal 51. He had almost lost all Secondly Then repent it is the counsel given to the Church of Ephesus which lost her first love Rev. 2. 4. 5. Thirdly Cry out with David Psal 51. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy Spirit from me O Lord I am willing to let my sin go but I cannot be willing let thy Spirit go When the spirit is removing move after him and lay hold on him with tears and supplications and faith and say O forsake me not utterly O return in mercy revive thy work again in me and quicken and restore and establish me c. Fourthly Do not injure the Spirit Ezek. 36. 27. And I will put my Spirit within you c. SECT VI. 4. THe fourth Caution which concerns them that have the Spirit given unto Injure not the Spirit How the Spirit may be injured By bearing false witness against the spirit them is this Take heed you do not injure or wrong the Spirit Injure the Spirit will some say how can any man injure the Spirit of God A man may injure the Spirit of God four wayes First By bearing false witness against the Spirit Wicked men do injure the spirit by railing and by reviling his gifts and graces and good men do injure the spirit by denying and disowning of them upon every temptation and every weakness and upon every failing O they have no faith and no love and no sincerity of heart and the Spirit of God never wrought any Renewing work or saving work in their hearts and they cannot attain unto those joyes and comforts which the people of God do meet with But beloved why do we charge the Spirit of God thus foolishly Is it a small thing for you to weary men but
will you weary my God also said the Prophet Isa 7. 13. So say I Is it a small thing that you injure another but will you also injure the Spirit of God Simile If a friend should help you out of prison and heal all your diseases and sores and furnish you with clothes and money and house and lands do you not wrong him in saying upon every discontent What hath he done he hath never done any thing for me Why it is the Spirit of God who hath quickned you from the dead who hath delivered you out of the power of darkness who hath renewed and healed your soul who hath begun every saving grace in your hearts who hath been your life and strength and after all this is it meet for you to say What hath he done and he hath wrought nothing for us nothing why how came you to be so sensible of your sins how came your hearts to be broken and mournful whence came those desires after Christ and grace whence came those fervent prayers and importunate cries whence came those resolutions to walk with God and careful endeavours to honour and glorifie him O Christianâ— be humbled for thy rashnesse and for thy unthankfulness and for this injuriousness done unto the good Spirit of God disown him no more and deny not any work of his any more though it be but little yet do not disown it though it be sometimes hidden from thee yet do not disown it though it doth many times work but weakly do not disown it though it be put sometimes to a stand though thou dost not in every particular answer the motions and rules of the Spirit yet do not disown the work of the Spirit condemn every sinful work which is thine own but do not deny or dishonour any work that is his Secondly By not crediting the testimony of the Spirit Beloved sometimes By not crediting the spirit we do bear witness or give testimony for the Spirit as when we humbly and thankfully confess his workmanship in our hearts saying This is the Lords doing this he hath done for my soul c. Sometimes the Spirit bears witness or gives in testimony unto our hearts he bears witness saith the Apostle Rom. 8. 16. that we are the children of God and concerning this he gives in his testimony partly by his works of Faith and Regeneration which are to be found in all and only the children of God And partly by extraordinary assurance letting in such a ligâ—t and evidence and perswasion which abundantly clears up our Relation that without doubt God is our Father and we are his children If now after both these testimonies in assurance of the Spirit in after times of darkness and desertion and temptation we call the testimony of the Spirit into question and charge it for a false delusion do we not exceedingly injure the Spirit of God in some sort to make bim a lyer and a false witnesse Object But we do not do so and we dare not do so his testimony is true only How to know the testimony of the Spirit we fear that the testimony which we have found was not his testimony but a delusion either of Satan or of our own hearts Sol. O but what if indeed that testimony was not the delusion of your hearts but the very testimony of the Spirit which you have challenged and rejected as a delusion are you not then very guilty of great injuriousness unto the Spirit And that it was the very testimony of the Spirit of God may thus appear 1. It was a testimony after deep humblings of the heart for sin 2. It was a testimony after importunate cries and wrestlings for mercy and assurance 3. It was a testimony after your believing and closing which Christ offered and accepted 4. It was a testimony after the matching of the promises with your souls condition 5. It was a testimony that filled your heart with joy unspeakable and glorious and with a love most dear and superlative and with most humble and serious care and diligence how to walk more exactly and chearfully to the praise and honour of this most gracious God If it was thus it was no delusion it was indeed the testimony of the Spirit and you have dealt unkindly and unworthily thus to requite him and thus to disgrace his precious testimony Thirdly By disregarding and slighting the Ordinances of Christ Some people do think that because they have the Spirit therefore there is no need of Ordinances By slighting Christs Ordinances at least for them perhaps they hold that the Ordinances may be useful for others who as yet have not received the Spirit but yet they are needless for them who have received the Spirit And three places of Scripture they alledge for this Jer. 31. 34. They shall teach no more every man his neighbour and every man his brother saying Know the Lord for they shall all know me from the least to the greatest of them saith the Lord. 1 Joh. 2. 27. The anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you and ye need not that any man teach you but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things and is truth and is no lye and even as it hath taught you ye shall abide in him 2 Pet. 1. 19. We have also a most sure Word of prophesie whereunto ye do well that ye take heed as unto a light that shineth in a dark place untill the day dawne and the day-starre arise in your hearts With your favour I will speak something in 1. Opposition to this Opinion it is the Opinion of the Libertines of old and of some now amongst our selves The Libertines answered who desire and endeavour to subvert the Ministry and the Ordinances of preaching 2ly In resolving the true meaning of those places of Scripture First I affirm that Gods giving of his Spirit unto his people was never intended by him to put a period unto any Evangelical Ordinance or to render them useless unto any of his people this may be demonstrated thus First From the scope of the Scriptures All Scripture saith the Apostle 2 Tim. 3. 16. is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for Doctrine for Reproof for Correction for Iâ—struction in Righteousness that the man of God may be perfect throughly furnished unto all good works ver 17. If the Word of God be given for these ends For Doctrine to teach us the matter of faith for Reproof to convince errors for Correction to condemn sin for Instruction to shew us our duties and to make us perfect To beget us Jam. 1. 18. Of his own will begat he us with the Word of truth To build us up Acts 20. 33. I commend you to God and to the word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified then certainly the presence of the Spirit and the Ministry of the Word are not
been and are the cause of all our troubles The troubles which the Spirit causeth in us for sinne is a meanes to deliver us from sinne and the eternal troubles for sinne 2. The troubles which the Spirit causeth in us for sinne do end in much joy They end in joy and peace and peace The joy and peace of the Spirit are very precious and they cannot be delivered out unto us unless we be first troubled for our sin The Spirit comforts mourners and them that are cast down Now the Spirit troubles us for sin 1. To make sinne bitter to us 2ly To make Christ sweet to us As he troubles us for our sins so he leads and draws the troubleâ— soul to Christ that in him he may find deliverance from those sinnes and his peace made with God c. Trouble is not all the work of the Spirit it is an inceptive work and a preparative work he troubles you for sin that you may not be damned for sinne and that you may make out for Christ to save you from your sinnes Object We should be willing to have the Spirit but that then we must bid farewell to all our sins the Spirit is a mortifying Spirit he will not suffer us to love our sins nor to take pleasure in them as heretofore we are affraid of the sword of the Spirit Sol. I answer First It is granted that the spirit will do this as you do speak it will cast sin The second prejudice removed He dethrones sin The death of sin is our life out of the throne it will take off love and service from sin and it will be more and more â—â— mortifying of it Secondly But then where is the hurt the danger the prejudice which you have against this Gal. 5. 24. They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Rom. 8. 13. If ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if ye through the Spirit do mortifie the deeds of the body ye shall live Here is death and life If you keep your sins alive ye shall dye if you through the spirit mortifie your sins you shall live The life of sin is your death and the death of sin is your life Saul spared Agag but it was his ruine and Ahab spared Benhadad but it was his ruine c. Object O but the Spirit will make us holy and we must then live holily and not so lâ—osly and freely as heretofore Sol. First Will the spirit of God make you holy and should you not be The third prejudice removed so 1 Pet. 1. 16. Be holy for I am holy and should you not walk so As he who hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation 1 Pet. 1. 15. Secondly Consider only three places of Scripture for this 1. Isa 4. 3. He that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy even every We should be holy one that is written amongst the living in Jerusalem 2. Heb. 12. 14. Follow holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 3. Matth. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Object But I shall be a derision and a mock if I should pretend to the Spirit c. Sol. 1. Who will mock you those that are led by the Divel wicked graceless The fourth prejudice removed ungodly men 2. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution 3. If ye be reproached for the Name of Christ happy are ye for the Spirit of glory and of Christ resteth upon you 1 Pet. 4. 14. Secondly if you would come to partake of the Spirit you must not then resist We must not resist the spirit the Spirit Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears ye do alwayes resâ—st the Holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. Men resist the Spirit two wayes 1. When they will not hearken unto nor regard the counsel and commands of the Spirit delivered in the Word but set themselves against them and oppose and How the spiriâ— is resisted despise them 2. When they will not receive the offers and motions of the Spirit but harden their hearts against them and quench them and will not give way or enterance unto them Now take heed of this when the Spirit of God is knocking at your hearts and stirs your hearts to accept of him and of his graces which he is willing and ready to work in you by no means neglect them or slight them but lay hold of them presently as one of the greatest mercies that God is intending toward you bless him and cherish them and beseech him to go on with his work on your souls do not reject any work of the Spirit neither grieve him by neglecting his good motions Prov. 1. 23. Turn you at my reproof behold I will poure out my Spirit unto you I will make known my works unto you my Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man Thirdly If you would come to partake of the spirit then you must pray the We must pray for the spirit Lord to give you his spirit you must thirst after him and seek for him Isa 44. 3. I will poure water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground I will poure my Spirit upon thy seed and my blessing upon thy off-spring Luke 11. 13. Your heavenly Father will give the spirit to them that ask him What a promise is this to encourage any man sensible of the want of the spirit to pray unto God! Jesus Christ assures him that if he will ask for the Holy Spirit he shall have him Object But who can pray unless he hath the Spirit first Sol. I grant that the spirit must make you sensible of the want of the spirit and he must stir up your hearts to pray for him there is some degree of the spirits presence in stirring us up to pray for these but then if you would fully enjoy the spirit you must poure out you hearts c. Fourthly You must attend the Preaching of the Gospel the Gospel is called Attend upon the Ministry oâ— the Word the Ministry of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3. 6. And you read that whiles Peter was Preaching the Word unâ—o Cornelius and the rest the Holy Ghost came upon them Act. 10 44. Whiles Peter yet spake these words the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the Word So Gal. 3. 2. Received ye the Spirit by the works of the Law or by the hearing of faith They received the spirit upon the hearing of the Gospel which is the word of faith You read that aâ—l the works of the spirit and all the graces of the spirit and all the joyes and comforts of the spirit are let into us by the Word by that the spirit is pleased to convey himself First His works He enlightens our minds by the Word he convinceth us of He enlightens our minds by the Word sin by the Word I
once his heart is indeed sanctified by the Spirit of God What we shall find when our hearts are sanctified 1. An abhorring of every evil way contrary to Gods statutes I hate all false ways saith David Psal 119. 104. A way of wickedness is no way for an holy heart 2. A Complyance with every good way and path appointed by God for us to walk in I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right Psal 119. 128. And ver 173. I have chosen thy precepts 3. A singular propension of his heart to walk in the wayes of God I have enclined my heart to perform thy statutes alwayes even unto the end Psal 119. 112. 4. A special delight in thâ—se statuâ—es of God and in walking in them My soul hath kept thy Testimâ—â—â—â—s and â— love them exceedingly Psal 119. 1â—7 Thy testimonies are my deligâ—t and my counsellers Ver. 24 I will delight my self in thy statutes Ver. 16. I have rejoyced in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches Ver. 14. O sirs the Law of God is against a wicked heart and a wicked heart is against the Law of God! that is holy but his heart is unholy for that there is no agreement between them but a perpetual enmity and contrariety the Law threatens his sinful lusts and wayes and his heart despiseth and opposeth the Law q. d. it is holy and therefore contrary to his unholy heart And therefore of necessity this unholiness must be taken away and no other way can it be removed but by the sanctifying of the heart before a man can or will walk in Gods statutes Fourthly If you would walk in the statutes of God then you must get an Evangelical saith as Christ spake in another case unto that troubled man Mark 19. 23. If thou canst believe all things are possible to him that believeth that say I concerning walking in Gods statutes if we could believe had we faith and could we act it aright our obedience would be possible to us and acceptable unto God That there is a necessity of this faith and likewise an efficacy for our walking The necessity of faith if we will walk in Gods wayes in Gods statutes may thus appear 1. It is that grace which unites us unto Christ in whom there is a fulness of grace and likewise a fulness of strength As we have no grace but what comes from Christ so we have no strength but what comes from him without me saith Christ Joh. 15. 5. ye can do nothing if we can do nothing without Christ then certainly we cannot obey we cannot walk in Gods statutes without him and therefore faith is necessary for this obediential walking because without Christ we can do nothing and because without faith we have nothing to do with Christ 2. It is the grace of life I live saith Paul Gal. 2. 20. yet not I but Christ liveth in me and the life that I now live I live by the faith of the Son of God We never live Spiritually untill we do believe for Christ is our life by faith upon this account faith is necessary to our obediential walking because such a walking is impossible without a spiritually vital principle 3. It is that grace by which we do receive the Spirit We receive the promise of the Spirit through Faith Gal. 3. 14. But without the Spirit there is no possible walking in God statutes because all the power and might that we have to do any good as you may shortly hear comes from the presence and assistance of the Spirit who is in a soule all in all in all the good which we do perform 4. It is the grace which applies all the promises of help and strength and which brings in all your assistance from Christ You know that God doth promise his help for our work Zech. 10. 12. I will strengthen them in the Lord and they shall walk up and down in his Name saith the Lord and so here in the Text I will cause you to walk in my statutes Ezek. 36. What have you to draw without of these wells but faith here is your work there is your help and it is yours upon believing And so for the assisting power of Christ you can do nothing without it as you have heard and therefore Paul speaking of his abundant labour in the Gospel saith Yet not I but the grace of God which is with me 1 Cor. 15. 10. this likewise becomes yours upon believing it is faith which engageth Christ and draws him in to assist and enable you for every work which you are to do 5. It is the grace which doth encourage our hearts to walk in Gods statutes Gen. 4. 7. If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted Isa 56. 7. Even them will I bring to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine Altar What an encouragement is this to be walking in the statutes of God to be obeying of his will to be much in duties when we know by faith that our prayers and tears and weak duties shall be accepted upon the altar for Christs sake Mal. 3. 16. They that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened and heard it and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord and thought upon his Name By all this you may see how necessary faith is for to enable us to walk in Gods statutes therefore pray much for faith If you would walk in Gods statutes then you must get an unfeigned love of God Deut. 30. 6. The Lord thy God will circumcise thy heart and the heart of thy seed to love the Lord thy God with all their heart and with all their soul Ver. 8. And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the Lord and do all his commandements which I command thee this day Exod. 20. 6. Shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements Paul reduceth all obedience unto love when he calls love the fulfilling of the Law Rom. 13. 8. And so doth Jesus Christ who reduceth all the Commandements to love Thou shalt love the Lord thy God and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self Joh. 14. 23. If a man love me he will keep my words Men grumble at the keeping of Godâ— Laws and at walking according to his statutes they look at them as grievoâ—s and burthensome to them and undelightful are weary of praying weary of reading and hearing the Word weary of the Sabbath when will it be at an end weary of every good work though never weary of sinning What is the reason of this the reason is because they do not love the Lord and therefore they 〈◊〉 weary of his statutes and obedience whereas did they love the Lord all commâ—nion with him and all services done unto him would be pleasing and delightful our works of duty
salvation As are the sinews of all Religion As most concern our selves and families That concern righteousnesse and mercy That concern the avoiding of greater sins We should do all affectionately in or to observe Sol. I humbly conceive that our special care should be First Of those which do principally and immediately respect Gods Glory Summa ratio in summo fine Secondly Of those which do most absolutely and necessarily respect our own salvation as Regeneration Repentance Holiness Faith Thirdly Of those which are the bond and sinews of all Religion upholding it in the power and practice of it as the sanctifying of the Sabbath Fourthly Of those which do most concern our selves and such as are under our charge as family-duties Fifthly Of those which do require and enjoyn righteousness and mercy unto others and preserve publick society Sixthly Of those which do concern the greater sins which should be most carefully avoided Fourthly we should walk in Gods statutes and keep and do them affectionately we should affect the acts of obedience and be affected in them Suppose that a man did walk up to every statute of God yet if this were not done affectionately all were nothing Now there are four affections with which we should perform every service or duty that we do unto God 1. Love and delight 2ly Joy 3ly Fear 4ly Zeal First With Love and Delight We must love the Lord and his statutes and the With love and delight duties which he requires from us and take delight in obeying and doing his will Psal 119. 97. O how I love thy Law Ver. 167. My soul hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly Psal 40 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy Law is within my heart Secondly With joy and alacrity Psal 119. I have rejoyced in the way of With joy and alacrity thy testimonies as much as in all riches Psal 100. 2. Serve the Lord with gladness Our walking in Gods statutes should be our meat and drink we should find more satisfaction and soul contentment and refreshing when we are doing the will of God and are enjoying communion with him than we do find or take in any earthly enjoyment whatsoever Thirdly With fear Serve the Lord with fear Psal 2. 11. when ye are a performing With fear any duty to God ye must do it with a 1. Reverential fear Thou shalt fear this glorious and fearful Name the Lord A reverential fear thy God Deut. 28. 58. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the Saints and to be had in reverence of all them that are about him Psal 89. 7. Pray and hear with fear and trembling 2. Humble fear of our own sufficiency and of our own performance left Humble fear any thing should fall in with our duties by which God may be offended and our service of him may miscarry c. Fourthly With zeal or fervor of spirit The people of God must be zealous With zeal of good works and zealous in good works fervent in spirit serving the Lord Rom. 12. 11. It was said of Jehoshaphat that his heart was lifted up in the wayes of the Lord 2 Chron. 17. 6. And of Josiah that he made a Covenant before the Lord to walk after the Lord and to keep his Commandements and his testimonies and his statutes with all his heart and with all his soul c. 2 Chron. 34. 31. See also 2 King 23. 25. Wrestling and striving in Prayer attend earnestly in hearing We must not walk in Gods statutes with careless sloathful indifferent spirits but with heightned and lively and enlarged spirits doing his will with all our might and strength bringing out all the might and power that we have in his service stir up our graces and our hearts Fifthly We should walk in Gods statutes uprightly and sincerely Gen. 17. 1. Walk before me and be thou upright And 1 Kin. 3. 6. David my Father walked Walk in them uprightly before thee in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with thee Isa 38. 3. Remember now O Lord I beseech thee how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart c. 2 Cor. 1. 12. Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity we have had our conversation in the world Quest But here now is the great Question how one may know that he walks Signs of sincerity uprightly in Gods statutes Sol. There are 〈◊〉 discoveries of this First The prevalent motive which alone sufficeth to his obedience and that If we obey because God commands is the will or command of God if a man be upright and walk with an unright heart then he will and doth act and move upon the sole account of Gods command that alone is reason enough and will prevail with him for obedience There are several Motives which induce men to do good works some do respect our selves and are drawn from a respect to our credit and profit as do such a work and perform such a duty and you shall have honour amongst men by it and you shall gain much by it these considerations are the prevailing Motives which men of unsound hearts to some things which God requires as it was with Jehu c. And some are drawn from God himself only from his Commandement and this is sufficient and this prevails with men of upright heart Psal 119. 4. Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts dilgently Ver. 5. O that my wayes were directed to keep thy statutes Mark how his heart is drawn out to obedience upon the meer command of God Thou hast commanded us c. Isa 2. 3. He will teach us of his wayes and we will walk in his paths Mark there is no more considered to move to walk in his paths than this he will teach us of his wayes i. e. he will make us to know that this or that is his will and command concerning us Paul relates that it was the earnest prayer of Epaphras for the Colossians that they might stand perfect and be filled with all the will of God Col. 4. 12. It is not Compleri but Repleri 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Some look upon that word as Metaphorical to be filled with the will of God as the sails of a ship are filled with wind which is enough to carry the ship in voyage so it is enough when the will of God fills our hearts and that carries them out to duty and David hath a singular expression in Psal 119. 6. When I have respect unto all thy Commandements you know that to have a respect unto a thing is this when that of all other swayes most with us as when a Master commands a servant he will do such a business because he respects him and at his command he will go and come though he will not at the command of any other this was Davids
temper he had respect to Gods Commandements they had authority over him he had a regard to them therefore consider well what is the Motive which induces you to pray to hear to do any other good duty is it Gods will or Commandement alone if it be not so you walk not you act not uprightly Object But will some reply This is something difficult to discern forasmuch How to know whether we act upon Gods command alone as Gods command and our own interests may meet they may concur sometimes in some actions to be done and now it will be hard to know whether we act upon the command of God alone Sol. There are two things which shew that it is Gods command alone which sets us on to our duties 1. When there is no reward or external encouragement presented to set us on When we are not set on by reward When dangers discourage not to the performance of duties 2. When our hearts hold on and set upon the duties amidst all dangers and discouragements and to our own external prejudice as Moses was obedient with afflictions Secondly The simplicity of the end when a man doth sincerely serve the Lord or walk uprightly in his statutes he doth in all the good actions done by hiâ— look If our ends be sincere at Gods glory he doth them not for self ends to advance or exalt himself but he doth them with a single respect to Gods glory to exalt and lift â—â— his Name Aâ— Paul spake We preach not out our selves but Christ Jesus the Lord 2 Cor. 4. 5. we propound not we intend not the honour of our gifts and abilities and pains but the honour of Jesus Christ and as he spake in Phil. 1. 20. That Christ may be magnified Thus is it with every man who walks uprightly and does things with an upright heart he doth in all his wayes seek and intend the praise and honour of God and not himself I seek not my self saith the Apostle I seek not my own profit 1 Cor. 10 33. And none of us liveth to himself and 〈◊〉 of us dieth unto himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord and whether we die we die unto the Lord Rom. 14. 7. On the contrary they that walk hypocritically with a false heart they do set up themselves and not God Hose 10. 1. Israel is an empty vine bringing sorth fruit unto himself Matth. 6. 1. c. They gave alms prayed fasted to be seen of men A carnal man so that he may enjoy his own safety liberty ease profit he cares not what becomes of Gods glory let the Gospel sink or swim let the Ministry perish let a Nation be brought to confusion let the Ordinances of Christ and truth of Christ be contemned and destroyed let all wherein Gods honor or glory are concerned be trod under foot he cares not for he respects himself and not God c. Thirdly The singleness of the path when a man walks in Gods statutes uprightly If the Word be your Riâ—e his path of walking is only the way of Gods Commandements he hath no other path but that but one God and but one mercy and but one heart Isa 26. 7. The way of the just is uprightness Psal 139. 23. Search me O Lord and know my heart try me and know my thoughts Ver. 24. and see if there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me in the way everlasting The way or path of every man is not that particular action or work but it is his general and habitual course of life and that is to him that walks uprightly the course of holiness and righteousness Fourthly I might add other Characters but I shall pass them over only take one more and that is Diligence He who walks uprightly in Gods statutes If we walk diligently doth walk in them heartily and diligently he gives up his heart and life and desire and care and strength to do the will of God to serve him to obey him this is his great business the main work that he hath to do and he doth it with all his heart and with all his soul not negligently and carelesly as a servant doth ey-service he doth not slubber over duties as if any were good enough for God he knows that cursed is the man that doth the work of the Lord negligently Jer. 47. 10. He is very intent and taken up with the work which God commands not only to do but so to do it as may be most pleasing to God and conducing to his glory when he prayes hears receives the Sacrament c. Ezek. 36. 27. And cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements and do them I Have finished the first Proposition from these Words viz. That even the people of God within his Covenant of grace are to walk in Gods statutes c. I now come unto the second Proposition viz. CHAP. XIV 2. Doctr. THat the people of God are to make progress to proceed on to continue Gods people must persevere in their obedience to God and persevere all their dayes in an obediential observation of Gods statutes Ye shall walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgements c. To walk in Gods statutes is a Metaphorical expression taken from those who do walk in a journey who are still moving on in their path or way from place to place untill they come to their journeys end So the people of God they are not only to enter into the way of obedience but they must hold on their whole life they must go from strength to strength from step to step untill they come unto the end of their life Job 17. 9. The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger A threefold continuance is required of our obedience First For the matter still doing the work of our Master ordering all For the matter our steps by his Word exalting his rule keeping to his paths not weary wandering or revolting Secondly For the manner not abating or decaying at any time in 1. Our integrity of intention For the manner 2. Our loveliness of affection 3. Our diligence of action 4. Our watchfulness of observation 5. Our forwardness and delight 6. Strictness in our obedience 7. In our valour and resolution Although we do 〈◊〉 meet with 1. Much intrinsecal opposition 2. Much extrinsecal discouragement and dangers yet still to hold on none of these things move me said Paul neither count I my life dear unto my self so that I may finish my course with joy Acts 20. 24. through the Red Sea and through the wilderness to Canaan Thirdly In a further advancing as to our graces and as to our services being more zealous more stedfast more aboundâ—ng in the work of the Lord In a farther progress bringing forth more fruit in our old age Prov. 4. 18. The path of the just is
exceeding great danger of self-confidence to do any good and The danger of self-confidence there are three dangers which will befal you 1. You will be but poor and barren and insufficient so as to do nothing at all as the ship lies still if the winde stirs not without me you can do nothing you will be weaker then the weakest Christian the weakest Christian trusting on Christ and the promise will be able to do much when you relying on your self-ability will be able to do nothing There are two sorts of being Two sorts of being One is absolute and of it self as God is who is of himself and can work alone by and from himself Another is depending such a being is every creature yea and every created grace which as it is by virtue of Gods grace so it acts in virtue of his assistance As a beam of the sun is made alive by the sun and it gives light by the continued influence of the sun part it and the sun it is nothing so c. 2 God will leave you at least a while unto your selves that you may be ashamed of your confidence and see your selves to be but vanity that you are indeed without strength and utterly insufficient of your selves and that you stand only and work only in the presence of his might You read that God hath left his servants in four cases In what cases God leaves his servants One when they have been idle and careless and venturing upon the occasions of sin this was Davids case A second when they have not stedfastly believed his word but have given credit to Satan upon this he left Adam and Eve unto themselves A third when they have ventured upon evil company in this case he left Sampson A fourth when they have presumed upon their own strength and sufficiency and in this he left Peter 3. And now you will not be able to do any good nay not able to withstand the greatest sins Satan will be too hard for you and so will sin we shall quickly hear you complaining of hardness of heart and of deadness of heart and of unbelief of heart and I wish these were the worst God doth some times cure the proud self-confidence and the proud self-sufficiencies of his people by leaving them to some gross and vile falls as David and Peter c. Fourthly There is indeed no self-sufficiency in you although sometimes Wherein our weakness appears you veryly imagine and fancy it and I would convince you of this by your own experience 1. You cannot pull down any one sin that troubles you by your own strength it will move and strive and tempt and follow you and do what you can by all your own strength it doth many times captivate you 2. You cannot rise out of any sinful fall unless the Lord gives you his hand to lift you up there your feet stick in the mire and every grace that you have is nonplussed repentance will not stir and sorrow will not melt and faith will not take hold unless the Lord himself comes in with new strength and assistance you cannot deliver your selves 3. You cannot many times act any one grace when your desires are so to do you finde your hearts many times hard but you cannot soften them dull and you cannot quicken them straitened and you cannot enlarge them you would mourn but cannot fetch up your tears you would believe but you cannot stretch forth one act of faith all that comes from you is Lord help my unbeliefe you would pray but are not able c. 4. If it were in your power and self-strength to act and to do any good works and to walk in Gods Statutes then 1. Why do you make your prayers to God for his help 2. Why have the people of God acknowledged their own inability It is not in man that walketh to direct his steps 3. Why do the works of obedience stick and go on so heavily when they rest on our hands 4. Why is it that they go on so freely and easily when God is pleased to put out his assistance I will run the way of thy Commandements when thou shalt enlarge my heart saith David Psal 119. 32. SECT III. 3. Use DOth the Lord promise to cause his people to walk in his Statutes What duties it may teach us and to do them this may instruct or teach us especially the people of God four necessary duties 1. To be alwayes sensible of their own weakness and infficiencie 2. Not to dispond or cast down their hearts because of the greatness of any To be alwayes sensible of our weakness work or dutie which God requires of them 3. To depend on God and to make him their strength and help for all the works which they are to perform 4. To give the praise of all to God First To be alwayes sensible of their own weakness and insufficiencie Two things are of great use unto every Christian one is still to believe Gods alsufficiencie the other is still to acknowledge his own insufficiencie When you are to do any work or dutie suppose it be to repent to believe to pray to preach to withstand a temptation to cast out a sinful corruption preserve in your hearts a sense of your own weakness and insufficiencie as Paul spake so do you Lord who is sufficient for these things 2 Cor. 2. 16. I can do nothing by my own strength here is much work but of my self I can do nothing I am not able to carrie it on There are three Reasons why I offer this advice unto you because many persons Reasons of it are not sensible of their own weakness and insufficiency to spiritual acts of obedience e. g. 1. Such â—s make nothing of the most solemn duties of communion with God they feel not the weight of those services It is all one with them to go to the Lords as to go to their own table it is all one with them to repent of sin as to commit sin it is all one with them to believe on Christ as to say that they believe on Christ it is all one with them to pray as to speak are these men sensible of their weakness and insufficiency unto any duty unto whom the performance of every duty is so easie 2. Such as are seldom in prayer when they are to do any work commanded them of God these men do not see their own weakness and insufficiency they do imagine that they are able to carry on their work in their own strength without the strength of God else they would be much in prayer to God for his help and for his assistance 3. Such as mind not the promises of God to enable them and never make use of them Surely the child thinks himself able to go alone who refuseth the hand and help of the Nurse c. Secondly Because a right sensibleness of your own weakness is a special means to
do much more but all those gracious experiences without any assistance and influence from God will not be sufficient unto you Secondly We should especially depend upon God for his strength and sufficiencie then when we do meet with the greatest strength of opposition to the performing of any good work or works as David in another case when the people spake of stoning him he did then encourage himself in the Lord his God 1 Sam. 30. 6. Or as Jehoshaphat when that great multitude came against him and God promised him deliverance said he Believe in the Lord your God and ye shall be established 2 Chron. 20. 20. So should we do when we meet with strong â—ppositions and hinderances when we are to work or when we are working the work or works commanded us of God we should now by faith look up to God and rest on his arme of gracious power to uphold our hearts and to cary us out unto our dutiful performances How many temptations do we many times meet with from Satan and how many threatnings and scoffs and reproaches and incounters do we meet many times with from ungodly men and from carnal parents and friends and from secret enemies of â—od and his wayes All which do tend to discourage our hearts and to weaken our hands and to interrupt or divert our feet from walking in Gods wayes and from doing of the works which God requirs of us in our places Now this is the time to look up to God and to trust on him to encourage and enable the heart to serve him to hold on in walking before him with all faithfulness wisdome zeal and patience now make use of that promise in Esa 41. 10. Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismaid for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Zech. 4. 6. This is the wâ—rd of the Lord unto Zorobabel saying Not by might nor by power but by my spirit saith the Lord of hosts Ver. 7. Who art thou O great mountain before Zorobabel thou shalt become a plain and he shall bring forth the head-stone thereof with shoutings crying Grace grace unto it Thirdly We should especially depend on God for his strength when we are most sensible of our own indispositions weaknesses streitghtened and insufficient hearts How often do we finde these things upon us how apt are we under them to shrink to complain to give over O but our work when we are not able to do our work is by faith to look up to God to quicken and enable us to do his work Psal 119 159. Consider how I love thy precepts quicken me O Lord according to thy loving kindness Esa 45. 24. Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength even to him shall men come Object But I have no might or power at all to do any thing Sol. Consider now that precious promise in Esa 40. 29. He giveth power to the faint and unto them that have no might he encreaseth strength Phil. 2. 13. He worketh in us c. Object But I have lookt up with such weak desires and with such a weak faith as I have and yet finde no more strength Sol. Read on ver 31. They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength c. So Psal 31. 24. Be of good courage and he shall strengthen your hearts all ye that hope in the Lord. Object But did any servant of God ever finde him coming in with strength when sensible of his own weakness and calling upon him for help and strength Sol. See two places of Scripture instances for this Psal 73. 26. My flesh and my heart faileth but God is the strength of my heart and my portion fore ver Psal 138. 3. In the day when I cried thou answeredst me and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul Fourthly We should especially depend on God for strength when we are called to do any work wherein the glory of God and the good of his Church and our own salvation are more singularly concerned First These are services and works of the highest and of the greatest consequence there is no work whatsoever wherein we can deal which is or can be of a higher nature for excellencie necessitie felicitie Secondly Miscarriages under these would prove very woeful and ruinous that Gods glory should faile in my hand or the good and safety of the Church in my hand and my own soul should perish by my own neglect Thirdly And of all works these do meet with the greatest opposition from without our selves and from within our selves the gates of hell are opened c. Yet for these hath God most of all engaged his power and presence and strength as you may see in the varietie of his promises and in the glory of his providences therefore when you are called to do any work which hath a neer and special respect to these things fall down and pray look up and depend as he said de deo nil sine deo we can know nothing of God without God so say I pro deo nil sine deo we can do nothing for God without God nothing for his glory without his assistance O Lord the work which I am now endeavouring thou knowest that it concerns thy name and glory the good and welfare of thy Church which is the apple of thine eye and the dearly beloved of thy soul and it respects mine own eternal salvation which thou wouldst have me work out with fear and trembling good Lord leave me not hide not thy self but appear in thy strength for the carrying on of these works come in with thy wisdom to direct me and with thy grace to quicken me and with thy spirit to lead and uphold and prosper me Fifthly When the work is extraordinary and universal of much difficultie and danger and requires more then ordinarie hight of spirit and courage and resolution now is your time not to consult with flesh and blood not to consider your own proportion of gifts and abilities but by faith to look up to him who commands the work and promiseth his assistance and presence for the work Exod. 3. 10. I will send thee unto Pharoah saith God to Moses that thou mayst bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt ver 11. And Moses said to God Who am I that I should go unto Pharoah and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt Ver. 12. And he said Certainly I will be with thee Josh 1. 5. As I was with Moses so I will be with thee I will not faile thee nor forsake thee Beloved as the weakest duties are above our strength so the greatest and hardest are below Gods strength it is not what you are but what your God is who commands you and what he will be unto you who hath promised his own power and strength Sixthly
When neer great and suddain changes do befall us as the loss of a husband wife child parent friend estate c. this is a time wherein ordinarily we are weak and do stand in need of more strength than our own to bear the hand of God with patient submission and to make a sanctified use of the same And this is a time when we should in a special manner look up to God and trust on him for his help and assistance who hath promised to be with his people in the fire and in the water Esa 43. 2. And to debatâ— with them in measure Esa 27. 8. And to wipe off their tears and to turne again in mercy and that all things shall work together for their good Seventhly When we have made solemn vows in our distresses of particular reformation or of better walking with God O if God will spare me if God will hear me then this I will be and thus I will walk c. Indeed the sin is great to answer for such works and God will certainly require them at your hands therefore when God hath answered you O begg for his grace for his strength to enable you Esa 10. 21. They shall make a vow unto the Lord and perform it Eighthly We should in a special manner depend upon God for his own strength to be revealed unto us when we have experimentally found any work or duty sticking long upon our hands and we cannot get it forward and accomplish it with our strength as many times a man resolves to leave such and such a sin and is very serious in his resolution and yet he findes himself hampered and captivated by it And many times a man resolves upon such or such a heavenly duty which is of an excellent nature and yet he cannot get up his heart unto it but he still omits and neglects it or is by carnal counsel and pleasures taken off from it In these and the like cases we should go and weep before the Lord and confess both the deceitfulness and insufficiencie of our own hearts and earnestly beseech the Lord to take 1. our hearts and 2. our works into his own hands that he would change our hearts and that he would direct our steps and that he would mortifie our sinful lusts and by his strength tread down strength that he would lead captivitie captive that he would break our bonds for us and set us at libertie by the power of his own Spirit 3. Quest Now follows the third Question How may one know that he doth How we may know that we make God our strength indeed make God his strength and doth depend or relie only upon him for all the works which he is to do to cause him to walk in his statutes and to do them Sol. If one doth indeed set up God for his strength and doth depend and relie upon him c. First He will be much in prayer unto God be will not take up or set upon any work without prayer when any duty is to be performed by him his first work is with God Lord give thy strength unto thy servant he will not first venture upon the work and then look up to God but will first call in the help of God and then attempt the work Beloved remember this that the more that any man depends upon himself the less he is in prayer to God for saith he I have wisdom enough and I have strength enough to do this work and the more that any man depends upon God the more will he pray unto God he that believes most will pray most Psal 62. 8. Trust in him at all times ye people poure out your hearts before him God is a refuge for us Because if you do indeed trust on God if you do indeed believe that God is your strength and refuge you will then poure out your heart in prayer before him Psal 116. 10. I believe therefore have I spoken Secondly He will be much in fear Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling for it is God that Works in you to will and to do of his own good pleasure Phil. 2. 12 13. Quest Of what is the man afraid who acknowledgeth and relieth on God as his strength for every good work Sol. He is afraid 1. Of himself even in his best sufficiencies for not by might and by power but by my spirit saith the Lord. Zech. 4. 6 As Johoshaphat who had an army of above eleven hundred thousand men 2 Chron. 1â— from ver 14. to 19. yet when the Moabites and the Ammonites came against him he goes unto the Lord and saith 2 Chron. 20. 12. O our God wilt not thou judg them for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us neither know we what to do but our eyes are upon thee Why said he we have no might Had he not above eleven hundred thousand fighting men Were these no might No they were not self-sufficiencie is no sufficiencie and self-might is no might and therefore he feared him self in the highest of his own sufficiencies and his eyes are upon God in and from him was might and sufficiencie indeed The like you read in a spiritual case of Paul as able an Apostle and as laborious and as powerful as any of them all and one that relied as much upon the grace of God in Christ and one that had as choise and eminent abilities of knowledge and grace yet saith he 2 Cor. 3. 5. We are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing as of our selves but our sufficiencie is of God Ver. 6. who hath made us able ministers of the new testament 2. Of doing any thing which may offend his God and provoke him to withdraw himself from him How jealous was Moses when the two Tribes and an half petitioned to have their portion on this side Jordan lest they had been upon a sinful designe which might move the Lord to leave them Numb 32. 14. Behold you are risen up in your fathers stead an increase of sinful men to augment yet the fierce anger of the Lord towards Israel Ver. 15. For if ye turn away from him he will yet again leave them in the wilderness and ye shall destroy all this people See how afraid Moses was lest any thing should be done which might move the Lord to leave them And so indeed it is with every one who knows that God is his strength and sufficiencie he is afraid of every thing which may move the Lord to depart from him and to leave him unto himself he is afraid of every grosse sin and of going against the light of the word and against the working of the spirit and against the checks and warnings of his own conscience as knowing that for these things God hath left his people and hath withdrawn his actual assistance from them as you may read in Sampson and David and Hezekiah and Peter 3. Of giving way to
unbeliefe and of sideing with it and nourishing of it which makes us so ready to deny the power of Gods alsufficiency and to question the intention and purpose of it unto our selves c. against this he wrestles much and doth pray much lest having a promise of Gods helping grace he should fall short of it through unbelief Thirdly If you do indeed look on God as your strength that can and will enable you to walk c. then his promise in relation unto your services of obedience will put life and courage into you even under the greatest and hardest of trials and duties so that the greatest and hardest services will be all one unto you with the weakest and smallest for saith the Church The Lord God will help me Esa 50. 7. 9. And as Asa said when he was going out against an boast of a thousand thousand Ethiopians Lord it is nothing with thee to help whiether with many or with them that have no power 2 Chron. 14 11. So it will be with us when high and difficult works are to be done by us our hearts faint not but we set upon them cheerfully for Gods strength is sufficient for the greatest and for the smallest services Zach. 4. 7. Who art thou O great mountain before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain Sometimes you meet with dreadful temptations and if you do believe and relie on Gods strength you will resist them and fight against them and expect victory over them for God is on your side and his strength will bear down all the strength of Satan Somtimes you meet with strong corruptions why the power of God will subdue them and sin shall not have c. Somtimes you meet with strong afflictions and you will bear them patiently for the hand of God will sustaine you Somtimes you meet with wonderful oppositions from the world why your God is with you and for you and he will uphold and streng then you and fill you with love and zeal for his name O when a man believes indeed on God he doth then 1. Oppose strength to strength 2. See all to be weakness which oppseth God 3. That Gods strength will carry all before it 4. That works which heretofore seemed impossible and unfeasible and we did despaire ever to compass them now we look upon them as possible to be done and dare to set upon them and are confident to be successful in them strong temptations and corruptions will now appear to be vincible and the greatest and hardest of holy duties will now appear to be practicable c. Before we do by faith apprehend and rely on Gods promised strength and asistance we do measure all our works and duties and trials by our own strength but when we do indeed rely on God then we do measure them by Gods strength which is alsufficient When a poor soul lights upon a spiritual promise respectively answerable unto his particular work and occasion and can indeed by faith rely upon God making that promise Come saith he the work will be done which I have often thought would never be done this sin will be mastered and that temptation will be conquered for God hath promised his own strength c. We must look on God as our strangth Fourthly If you do indeed look on God as your strength who can and will enable you to walk in his statutes c. then your hearts will be perfect with God and sound and impartial in respect unto all his wayes you will not pick and chuse you will not take up one duty which concerns you and leave or omit a weightyer duty which concerns you you will not comply only with duties of easiness and neglect the duties of difficultie you will not satisfie your â—elves with the external parts of duty and lay aside the internal ingredients of duty but your hearts will comply with all the will of God and you will sincerely attempt the performance of all Why so because 1. The command of God takes on your souls for all and 2. God assures you by his promise that he will enable you for all the works he requires of you Beloved this is an undeniable truth that so far as men are believingly perswaded of Gods sufficiencie and faithfulness in promise so far their hearts are carried out in evenness and uprightness of walking with God if a man believes that God will be present with him and help and strengthen him for all the duties and works commanded of God this man shall finde his heart closing with God enlarged unto all those works And on the contrary if any man remaines unperswaded of Gods abilitie and faithfulness either in whole or in part his heart will remain unsound and his walking will for ever be uneven with God If he thinks that Gods help is sufficieâ—t against one sin but not against another sin unto which he hath been accustâ—med why he will now remaine under the dominion of that sin If he thinks that Gods help is sufficient for one good work but not for the performance of another good work not to self-denial not to contentedness not to heavenlimindedness not to perseverance O how uneven will this man be how full oâ— carnaâ— reasonings O this cannot be done and this can never be attained And why is not that work done by you as well as by another and attained by you as well as another why can you not mourne for every sin as well as another doth and why cannot you repent and forsake every sin as well as another aâ—d why are not you so even and upright in your wayes as well as another I tell you the reason of it because you do not believe the promise of Gods sufficient grace and you do not rely upon it as another doth think you that he mortifies his sins and acts all those duties by his own strength or by the strength of God and how comes he by that strength but by believing And verily thus far might you have attained as well as he if your heart were sincere and did your hearts desire and trust on God in Christ for his alsufficient help Fifthly if you do indeed trust upon God to be your strength who can and We must trust on God to be our strength will enable you to waâ—k in his statutes and to do them then you are and may be found in the wayes of his strength in the wayes wherein he reveals his arm and power unto his servants Beloved there is a marvellous difference between presumption and faith presumption is a very bold and boisterous and irregular confidence on God both for pardoning mercy and for assisting grace the man loves his sins and lives in them and yet doubts not of Gods mercy to pardon his sins and the man exposeth himself to the temptations of sins and presumes on Gods help to keep him from sin and the man lives in the contempt or in the neglect of Gods ordinances and presumes
gives him no power or strength and regards not his prayers nor his complaints Psal 66. 18. But if your hearts were resolved indeed to forsake your sins they would be your hatred and burden and grief and you would set your selves against them but your strength is too weak and disproportionable and hereupon you go and cry unto the Lord O Lord those sins are too strong for me I am not able to subdue them I beseech thee for Christs sake to send forth the word of thy power and lead captivitie captive and suffer me not to dishonour thee any more I say if your hearts were drawn into this frame that the business did not lie upon the deceitfulness or falsness of your hearts but only upon the weakness and impotencie of your heart you would break down the power of sin but cannot do it you would walk better with God but you cannot do so you may now go confidently unto God for strength and he will certainly hear you and answer you with strength in your soul Object You will say This doth stay and encourage us but how may one know that it is only weakness and not wickedness only a want of power and not a want of will c. Sol. It s only a weakness and a want of more power against sin if you finde these six things 1. A constant conflict with sin 2. A resolved unsubjection unto sin I will never serve sin though I am often captivated by it 3. Earnest desires to have it mortified longings when 4. Avoiding all occasions and wayes that do give strength to sin 5. Gladness of any preventing and assisting power against sin 6. Extream grief when our weakness is borne cown by the strength of sin If you finde these things in you assuredly your hearts are willing to forsake sin and that you cannot get more riddance doth arise only from weakness and therefore in this case go to God for more of his strength and he will not deny it unto you And so for any good work that you would perform but you cannot dispatch it as you would or as you should you may know that this comes only from weakness and defect of more strength and nor from a secret dislike of it or aversness unto it if you finde these five qualities in you 1. You dare not neglect or omit it but you will be doing the will of God in this and that particular dutie with such a weak power as you have though it be in sighs and in tears and in much weakness and under many fears and temptations 2. You will be in the wayes of strength you will be creeping to the pools of Gods Ordinances there to receive of his strength 3. Though you cannot do much yet you will finde desires to do more strong cries to help weakness 4. You will take a delight after the inward man in the law of God and consent unto it that it is good and holy 5. You will make much use of Christ untill God shews his power in your weakness and gives in more strength to enable and perfect your works Fourthly If you would finde strength from God to enable you to walk in his Statutes and to do them then you must be an humble people and you must sue When the heart is humble unto him in forma pauperis Psal 40. 17. I am poore and needy the Lord thinketh upon me thou art my help c. Psal 10. 17. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt incline thine ear to hear Jam. 4. 6. God resisteth the proud but giveth grace unto the humble By these places you see that we must not be proud but humble and if we be so and if we do seek the Lord with an humble heart he will hear our desire and will give grace unto us Object But perhaps you may desire to know when a mans heart is humble and when he seeks the Lord with an humble heart to help and strengthen him Sol. I will speak a little to this a mans heart is humble and humbly seeking when First He hath no self-bottome to trust unto but looks on himself as one utterly destitute and insufficient in me saith Paul there dwells no good and we are not sufficient of our selves to think any thing Secondly He is well contented to go abroad and to beg and to be beholding unto another for all his supplies and supports and helps The humble heart is well content to go and stand at heaven gates for mercy for grace for wisdome for all spiritual power Thirdly He judgeth himself unworthy of the least mercy and help from God not only which he hath received as Jacob Gen. 32 10. I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies and all the truth which thou hast shewen to thy servant but also which he doth now request of God there is no reason in me nor cause in me nothing in me for which c. Fourthly He impleads and useth the name of Christ Dan. 9. 18. We do not present our supplications before thee for our righteousness but for thy great mercies of another Gods own reason for Gods own grant for his Name sake for his own Promise sake for his Christ sake Remember thy word and remember thy Covenant and do it for the Lords sake Fifthly He will wait Gods leasure and Gods pleasure I will hearken what God the Lord will speak Psal 85. 8. I will wait so the God of my salvation my God will hear me Micah 7. 7. 5. Quest The fifth and last Question is How one may know that God hath been his strength to cause him to do any good work or that he hath done it in the strength of God and not in the strength of his owne parts and gifts Sol. This is a choise and deep question but I shall desire to speak a few things unto it One may know that he doth act his duties or do his works not in the strength of his own parts but in and by the strength of God First By the Integrity or full frame of a holy working when his work or duty hath still the requisities that do constitute or make a duty to be a right duty or a work to be a right work in a spiritual sense To make a work or to set forth a work in a right and spiritual way there must be a concurrence or conjunction of five particulars 1. There must be the rule of Gods word to command and warrant it 2. There must be a right end even the glory of God alone intended and iâ—ed at 3. There must be a renewed and changed heart by the spirit of Christ the tree must be good before the fruit be good 4. There must be the breathing of those heavenly affections of love and delight and joy and inward working as well as an outward work 5. There must be faith to set it forth in the name of Christ Now to
giveth to all men liberally c. Ver. 6. But let him ask in faith nothing wavering Ver. 7. Else let not this man think that he shall obtaine any thing of the Lord. Why this is our way either we seek not to the Lord or we do not seek to him in faith we are usually so far from believing that we are plainly unbelieving God will not hear God will not answer God will not perform his promise unto us Thirdly Somtimes from impatience of heart they will not wait upon the Lord but will limit him and leave him and fling away without their answer and their help Where now lies the fault in Gods promise no but in your own unbeliefe and impatience Fourthly Sometimes from presumption of heart they will be venturing upon the occasions and wayes of sins for which God justly leaves them as he did Sampson Object But why doth God give out so little a measure of strength at a time Why God doth not give out all strength at once why not enough at once to serve them all their lives for all their duties Sol If you will have reasons and accounts given unto you for Gods dealings in this kind then thus 1. He is no necessary agent which works ad extremum to its utmost but a voluntary agent working after the counsel of his own will as a parent helps his child as he sees occasion 2. He is a wise God as well as a faithful God and therefore he imparts help and strength unto his people in such a way and by such proportion as doth most exalt his glory and respect their good Indeed God is able at once to fill us with strength but he will not do so but chuseth rather to give it out gradually and successively because 1. Thus we are kept in a continual dependance upon and in a continual exercise Why God gives out strength by degrees of our faith 2. Thus he makes way for continual prayer and supplications 3 Thus he gives us fresh experiences and daily proofs or testimonies of his fidelity in promising which do endear our hearts the more unto him and quicken our hearts to perpetual thanksgiving 4. Thus he keeps us in a more humble frame and sense of our own insufficiency and feat of our sins c. Object Whence is it that the people of God do finde such a various manifestation of the strength of God in them as to their holy performances somtimes a marvellous enlargment and at another time a meet presence of power no more then will well erve the work in hand somtimes carried out with a full gale and at other times almost becalmed scarcely able to do any thing Sol. This is a real case and a very profitable Question unto which I return this answer First It doth somtimes arise from the distempers of melancholy which doth dead and oppress their spirits and renders them for the time as useless vessels binding up not only the power of reason but also the power of grace yet when this winter is off the spring of grace appears in strength again Secondly It doth somtimes arise from their own folly in weakning their own help and strength either 1. From spiritual pride after spiritual enlargments which God ever punisheth with some measure of declining 2. From spiritual neglects of strengthening ordinances or stirring up our selves to take hold of the strength of God Simile if the child sucks not as it was wont it will be weaker 3. From worldly engagements in multitude of cares and businesses which either wholly takes us off from communion with God or makes us but formal in it Thirdly It doth somtimes arise from the different actings of our faith somtimes we do believe more strongly and perfectly and somtimes we do believe more weakly and unstedfastly and therefore we are able to do much and somtimes we are able to do little Our proportion of obedience is answerable to the proportion of our believing much faith brings in much strength and liâ—tle faith brings in little strength As the larger vessels bring up the more water and the narrower vessells but a little c. If you believe you shall see the glory and the power of God and as you believe so do you partake and receive of that power Fourthly It doth somtimes arise from the presence of soul-conflicts we are somtimes in staâ—u libertatis in an estate of liberty exempted from the actual temptations of Satan and from violent rebellions and hurryings of our own corruptions and now our ship gos on more swiftly and we can serve the Lord with gladness but somtimes we are in statu perturbationis wind and tide are against us enemies without and enemies within and now at least to our own apprehensions our ship moves but heavily and we serve the Lord in tears Fifthly It doth somtimes arise from divine wisdome that we do not alwayes finde the like measure of assistance by this God doth learne his people 1. That their strength is not in themselves but only in their God 2. That what they are they are by his grace and act in a proportion to his grace given and received 3. That they should not despaire at the greatest services for God can then enlarge them nor yet presume and make nothing of the least duties for God can withdraw himself and then they can do nothing FINIS AN ALPHABETICAL TABLE A. Assurance WHether assurance be of any spiritual advantage to him that hath it 331 The adjuncts or properties of the Covenant 116 Anabaptists answered 631 Why Apostates are such great sinners 681 The great danger and judgement of Apostates 683 The slothful is prone to Apostacy ibid. What Apostates lose 677 The cause why some apostatize 680 Arguments of the Arminians 308 Whether after this assurance he may ever doubt again 232 How one may know his assurance is true 479 How one may know he hath a false assurance 475 What faith precedes assurance 481 What weak Christians should judge of their estates who could never get assurance 484 A man may be in a pardoned state who is not assured ibid. B. Blessedness IT is a difficult matter to believe 434 A Believer may know by a certainty of faith that Christ died for him p. 212 Comfort and encouragement to Believers 206 How far Believers may depend on God in Covenant 217 Weak Believers must remember they have an Advocate with the Father 279 Comfort for distressed penitent and believing persons 242 Benefits by good company 692 Three things make up a Blessedness for us 26 God and he only is our blessedness 27 Spiritual Blessings are promised as well as temporal 339 What course we should take for this enjoyment of spiritual Blessings 340 In the Covenant spiritual Blessings are first promised 242 They are to be blamed who look not after spiritual Blessings 343 Bless God who first blesseth us with all spiritual Blessings 346 Whatsoever Blessings are dispenced God is the giver of them ibid.
Pardon SOme plead for a capacity of pardon upon false grounds 381 Who are in a right capacity of pardon 391 All who do truly believe in Jesus Christ are within the promise of pardon 403 There is a necessity of Faith for pardon ibid. Rest not till you have got the assurance of your pardon 420 God doth sometimes pardon sin and not give the assurance of it ibid. God cals us to repent of great sins and promiseth pardon 441 God hath great glory in the pardon of great sins 442 God would have his people to pray for pardon of great sins ibid. Christs blood the only cause of pardon 460 The happiness of a pardoned condition 411 Whether all sins be pardoned together at once 426 A multitude of sins is not inconsistent with pardoning mercy 432 Gods people must persevere in their obedience to God 674 In our way we have protection 686 How we may be enabled to persevere 687 Papists confuted ibid. Carnal Protestants confuted ibid. The qualifications of penitential confession 395 How to prove our selves to be of the number of Gods people 653 Popish Satisfactions confuted 249 Gods wayes are possible and passable 708 Six Antidotes against presumption 449 To discover the Presumption of many who plead their interest in the promises without the penformance of the condition 188 Parallels betwixt Gods promises and the Saints experiences 702 R. Repentance REpentance is required to the obtaining of forgiveness 369 Though repentance be not a cause yet it is a means of pardon ibid. Of the difference between Legal and Evangelical Repentance 429 How one may know he doth truly repent 391 God threatens eternal wrath to them that repent not 450 Whether the first work of a sinner be to repent or to believe 454 What that sinner should do who cannot find a heart to repent or believe 454 Never was any great sinner pardoned but he repented 449 The Relation betwixt God and his people still continues 675 To whom God hath a tender regard 712 S. Sanctification SAnctification is promised as well as Justification 488 We cannot glorifie God without Sanctification 491 Reasons why God doth sanctifie as well as justifie 490 What we shall find when our hearts are sanctified 656 Why Gods people should walk in his statutes 849 What considerable in Gods statutes 675 Why God promises to make his people to walk in his statutes 705 Take heed of self-confidence 709 Trusting in self is a great sin 710 The danger of self-confidence ibid. Of the hainousness of sin 230 See whether to go under the sense of sin and what to trust to 253 What it is in sin the forgiveness of sin doth respect 362 Whether God sees no sin in justified persons 365 Gods covering of sin is not exclusive of his seeing sin 367 Whether justified persons may charge themselves with sin p. 369 Pardon of sin doth most of all set forth the glory of God 374 Mourning persons for sin are in a capacity of pardon 392 They who turn from sin are under the promise of pardon 393 The qualifications of penitential mourning for sin It is a supernatural grief 394 A sincere grief for sin as sin ibid. How we may know that we greive for sin as sin 395 The qualifications of a right turning from sin 396 But no man turns from every sin 398 But we have often sinned since we have endeavoured to turn from sin 401 A true penitent may sin again ibid. The right stating the penitents turning from sin 402 The people of God may believe that he will pardon all sin 428 Forgiveness of sins one of the first mercies promised by God to all his people in Covenant 359 Forgiveness of sins described 360 How Gods displeasure and anger against his people is consistent with his discharging of their sins 367 God is displeased with the sins of his own people ibid. Whether there be any reason to repent of our sins that are forgiven 268 Penitent persons forsake their sins 393 The duties of such whose sins are forgiven 416 Great sins are forgiven to the people of God in Covenant 437 Directions how to get the pardon of great sins 445 Of the wonderful goodness of God to sinners 230 The sad condition of impenitent sinners 341 No man is a penitent sinner but a mourning sinner 391 Repenting sinners confess their sins ibid. What is meant by sinful flesh p. 229 Slow walking is very disproportionable to the means 684 Look after your souls in what condition they are ibid. Conclusions laid down against the Socinians ibid. The Spirit of God is yours 61 The Spirit of God is ours in respect of his Titles and Attributes the Spirit of God of Christ of Glory ibid. It is a holy Spirit ibid. The Spirit is ours in respect of his gifts or fruits 62 Six things concerning the graces of the Spirit 62 The Spirit is theirs in respect of his works and operations 63 Five choice works which the Spirit doth for all Gods people ib. The Spirit is ours in respect of his help and vertue 65 The Spirit is a Comforter as he opens to us all the springs of Comfort 67 Three offices of the Spirit to make all the Ordinances of Christ effectual to us 68 The absence of Christ is made up by the presence of the Spirit 69 You are safe and sure with whom the Spirit is ibid. A twofold separation from sin 212 I but I have not the Spirit 213 In what posture a Christian must be who may judge of the presence or absence of the Spirit 214 God will put his Spirit within his people 584 In what sense the Spirit is said to be put within us 585 Many have the Spirit yet come short of what they should have 593 The misery to be destitute of the Spirit ibid. How the Spirit unites the broken-hearted sinner to Christ 596 In what measure he gives the Spirit 589 There are different gifts of the Spirit ib. Every one hath a portion of the Spirit ibid. Every one of Gods people have so much of the Spirit as is necessary to Salvation 590 Many have not the Spirit of God 591 Many have a false and deluding Spirit 592 How to know that we have the Spirit of God 595 What are the works of Gods Spirit in them that shall be saved ibid. How the Spirit convinceth of sin 596 How the Spirit leads Gods children 601 Having the Spirit may be known by the qualities of the Spirit 603 Few have the Spirit of God 612 What it is to worship God in Spirit 613 The benefits which come by having the Spirit 615 What the Spirit is called in Scripture 616 Who have and have not the Spirit 606 Whether the spirit of prayer be a sure sign of a child of God 607 What is the conviction of the Spirit in Gods children 597 What is the spirit of bondage ibid. Whether all the Godly have first the spirit of bondage 598 Gods Spirit helps us in prayer 617 He is a restoring
may finde all this in Gods promise 2. Thy estate may be sure when as yet you are not assured It may be day though the Sun doth not gloriously appear I confesse that faith of evidence makes our condition joyful but yet the faith of adherence can make it sure and blessed for that is it which interests us into Christ and Christ is he who interests us into pardon and freedome you shall be saved because you are Christs not because you know that you are so 3. Nay great fear and troubles because of unassurances may and do usually end in sweetest and fullest assurance especially when those fears and troubles raise many prayers much tendernesse in conscience and serious diligence and humble and upright walking Secondly Though you have not your wages yet do not give up your works Though you have not your wages do not give over your work Do not say I will pray no more and hear no more and wait no longer whatsoever you may imagine yet I assure you of this it is nothing else but proud unbelief when God shall hear no longer from us because it is long before we hear from God and we therefore lessen duty because God is pleased to with-hold comforts Simile This is as if one should give over writing a Deed because it is not sealed write but to the bottome and then the seal shall be annexed Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure 2 Pet. 1. 10. So say I Be diligent still in praying and be diligent still in hearing and be diligent still in holy and upright walking though these be not assurances yet these are the way unto assurance if you cannot be joyful friends yet be faithful servants if you cannot rejoyce to do his will it will not be long ere you shall rejoyce in knowing his love Esay 64. 5. Thou meetest him 〈◊〉 rejoyceâ—â— and worketh righteousnesse those that remember thee in thy ways Thirdly If you would have the light do not then shut up the window and If you would have the light do not shut up the window draw the curtain Do not hinder what you desire You would be assured that Christ is yours and dyed for you then do you not hinder the dawning of this day-star in your own hearts A person hinders his assurance many ways viz. 1. By great transgressions these are the thick and dark clouds which will make the Sun to set at Noon-day and will not suffer it to rise untill after great humiliations David found it so Psal 51. Exod. 25. 21. Thou shalt put the mercy-seat above upon the Ark and in the Ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee Ver. 22. And there I will meet with thee and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat from between the two Cherubims which are upon the Ark of the testimony And you shall never meet with the mercy-seat if you slight the Ark of the testimony you cannot venture on any sin be it never so secret but you shall thereby dishonour your God break your peace lame your prayers set back your confidence and either strike off or else delay your assurance 2. By carelesse neglects when a man will not take pains to recover lost assurance it was the case of those in Cant. 5. 3. I have put off my Coat how shall I put it on 3. By cherishing unbelief and jealousies in misinterpreting and misapplying all that God speaks or does If he threatens wrath why I am the man If mercy be at any time distinguished from any sorts of sinners alas then mercy belongs not to me If the hypocrite be described then I fear such a one am I If the presumptuous person then am not I he If promises be unfolded I fear they are not my portion If the love of Christ I doubt it as to me If relations and titles to Christ sure they are not in me in truth If Arguments to satisfie and settle the heart O but I may not joyne with them When a troubled sinner is apt to joyne with all that will trouble and to take part with all that will weaken his faith and that will strengthen his unbelief and his great work lies in excepting and in questioning and in disputing away his helps and encouragements to believe this will hinder his assurance that which hinders faith will hinder assurance Directions 2. The Directions If you would come to this assurance that Christ dyed for you First Be humbly mournful Christ said to Mary when she wâ—â— weeping Be humbly mournful her sins are forgiven her Luk. 7. 47. Christ was sent to binde up the broken-hearted and to give the oyle of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse Isa 61. 1 3. A broken heart is near unto joy Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Matth. 5. 4. And so is the humble heart which judgeth it self lesse than the least of mercies and unworthy to be called a son and trusts not to any thing in it self and is made up altogether of the grace of God in Christ this heart is near to peace and to the Spirit of consolation Isa 57. 15. I dwell in the high and holy place with him also who is of a contrite and humble Spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Isa 66. 2. To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my Word Secondiy Be earnest in prayer Pray without ceasing pray and faint not pray to know the love of Christ pray especially for the love of Christ for the Be earnest in prayer light of that Spirit and for the testimony of that Spirit because it is his work and office to seal and assure us and pray for those assuring promises of pardon Rev. 2. 17. Isa 60. 16. There are two choice works of the Spirit 1. One is to draw and perswade the sinner to come to Christ to believe on him to receive him 2. The other is to assure the believer of his relation to Christ and of Christs relation to him that he is Christs and that Christ is his that he loved him and gave himself for him O pray and continue this prayer that the Spirit of Christ may be given unto you to open and reveal all that is given to you c. Thirdly Attend the Ordinances of Christ the Word and Sacraments and the communion of Saints Attend the Ordinances of Christ The Word of the Gospel it is the Word of peace as well as of grace as it is the means of faith so it is the means of assurance it doth bring us to Christ and it can Ministerially evidence our interest in the things of Christ 1 John 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life How
many doubts do you who are weak believers finde answered in the Ministry of the Gospel how often hath your weak faith been raised by it and your hearts encouraged to trust and many times refreshed and revived with confidences and perswasions that indeed Christ is youâ—s and shed his blood for the remission of your sins And for the Sacrament you know that it is the seal of righteousnesse which is by faith Rom. 4. 11. As a seal assures and confirms the matter contained and conveyed in a Deed so doth the Sacrament confirme and assure weak believers of all the good of the Covenant and of all the benefits purchased by the blood of Christ that Ordinance is appointed only for believers and it is appointed for this very end to strengthen their faith and to breed assurance in them of their union and communion with Christ And as for the communion of Saints I would to God that we knew it more the helps are very great therein we may freely open our hearts and the spiritual condition of them one to another and meet with such experiences and such directions resolves and satisfactions and such supports and encouragements and comforts and succours of prayers as would much conduce towards our assurance c. Fourthly Look well to your faith strengthen that and manage that well for Look to your faith that gets the first sight and hath the first news of pardon and salvation let me commend unto you three things about this 1. Take some pains to clear it out that you have faith in truth my reason for this advice is first If that were evidenced you may then certainly conclude your particular interest Secondly till it be evidenced your doubts and fears about a personal application will be still in force yea if I were sure that I had faith in truth then indeed I may conclude that Christ is mine and dyed for me but I am not suâ—e of that 2. Act your faith on Christ glorifie him so far as to venture on him alone for your pardon for your peace for your salvation you know what he is and what he hath done and suffered and you know that your hearts are given up unto him and have chosen him to be your Lord Jesus Christ well now rely on him as yours and on his blood as shed for the remission of your sins Trust him upon his Word which he hath spoken of all that believe on him that they shall not perish but have everlasting life why this is a faithful saying I will cast my self upon him whom I have believed I will trust that in his Name and by his blood God hath forgiven my sins and is reconciled to me c. You would not imagine how much this would conduce to assurance 3. Live by faith although you cannot read your pardon or peace in experience yet you may read it in the promises he that believes shall be saved whosoever believes on him shall receive remission of sins c. Now live awhile upon these promises give glory to them if you can live upon the truth of them you shall ere long taste the goodnesse of them Fifthly Patiently wait upon God do not quarrel with him nor limit him to this prayer nor to this time but keep on in his ways by upright walking and Patiently wait upon God humbly expect the answer and issue Psal 81. 8. I will hearken saith David what God the Lord will speak for he will speak peace unto his Saints Cant. 3. 1. By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth Ver. 2. I will rise and go about the City in the streets and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth Ver. 3. I said unto the watch-men Saw ye him whom my soul loveth Ver. 4. It was but a little that I passed from him but I found him whom my soul loveth Whether every one who is indeed â—â—deemed â—y Christ may know some time or other that Christ dyed for him Case 3. Whether every one who is indeed redeemed by Christ doth certainly know some time or other that Christ dyed for him in particular Or whether every one for whom Christ effectually dyed doth some time or other attain unto a certain evidence thereof in this life Answered Sol. This is a very nice question and I would warily speak unto it six things will be granted by us First That every believing person may attain unto this certain evidence there are causes and means sufficient to produce it promises faith spirit conscience c. Secondly That every believing person should attain it it is pressed upon him in the Word to strive to make it sure and to come to the assurance of faith Thirdly That God hath promised such a knowledge unto all that are his in Covenant Hosea 2. 23. I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy and I will say unto them that were not my people Thou art my people and they shall say Thou art my God Fourthly The Church of Christ and Believers both in the Old and in the New Testament generally have obtained unto this evidence Doubtlesse thou art our Father Isa 63. 16. And O Lord thou art our Father see we beseech thee we are all thy people Isa 64. 8 9. Abraham Job David the Church in the Canticles my beloved is mine and I am his Paul and those Believers in Corinth they were sealed and had given unto them the earnest of the spirit in their hearts 2 Cor. 1. 12. The believing Ephesians had the like In whom after ye believed ye were sealed with the holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance Ephes 1. 13. and of the Thessalonians the Apostle saith that the Gospel came not in word only but also in power and in the holy Ghost and in much assurance 1 Thes 1. 5. Fifthly There are many Believers among our selves who can say as Paul of Christ he loved me and gave himself for me Sixthly There are many weak Believers who as yet cannot certainly say thus much although they may safely say so much for the weakest faith gives an interest in Christ and therefore in his benefits Now for a direct answer to the case I conceive that every true Believer effectually Every believer doth some time or other attain unto it brought in by the Gospel to Christ doth some time or other attain unto a certain evidence that â—hrist is his and dyed for him only let me distingnish concerning this Assertion and then I will give you my reasons why I think so You must distinguish of Assurance or Evidence thus it is eitheâ— Some distinctions about it 1. Real which is so much light as indeed declares the truth of interest or relation it over-tops actual doubtings in their prevalency it turns the scale it makes a soul to know thy faith is right and Christ belongs to thee and dyed therefore for thee 2. Gradual which is like the
sins he was made sin for us and a curse for us How heavy was this burden all the sins of all the Elect at once lying upon him and all the curse and all the wrath due unto those sins at once also lying upon him no marvel that he did sweat drops of blood and cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me And yet all this he went through and so endured as that he satisfied the very Justice of God for all these sins and purchased the discharge or forgiveness of all those sins which he could never have done had he not been both God and Man and of infinite dignity and merit and power Fourthly This likewise may inform the people of God what exceeding Obligations What Obligations he upon us unto our God do lie upon their soules unto their God who forgiveth all their iniquities transgrâ—ssions and sinnes Psal 103. 2. When some few of them heretofore fell into your Consciences you would have given if you had possessed it all the world to have gained but a hopefull possibility and probability of pardoning mercy but now you are come to a certainty the Lord himself assures you in his word of promise that he will forgive not a few sins only but all your sins O beloved how should your souls love your God and bless your God who forgives all your sins and casts them all into the depths of the Sea why every one of your sins would have been the loss of heaven and a curse and an hell and a damnation and an eternal wrath unto you had not the Lord been mercifull unto you in the forgiveness of it or them But now God will discharge you of all and blot out all so that damned you cannot be and saved you shall be O the depth of love and mercy and kindness to your souls meditate more of them be taken up more with them and as you are the only objects of riches of mercy so strive to express your selves the choisest people in exactness of love and life answerable to your mercy Fifthly This that God promiseth to pardon all the sins of all his people may A multitude of sins is not inconsistent with pardoning mercy likewise inform us that no not a mltitude of sins though the number be exceedind large and exceedingly increased Is allwayes an absolute prejudice or bar or inconsistent with pardoning mercy this consequence is clear and sound for if God will pardon all the sins of all his people and their sins are multitudes of sins and in some sort innumerable then certainly a large number of sinnings is not absolutely inconsistent with forgiveness not that every one who is guilty of a number or multitude of sins is or shall be certainly forgiven but that the multitude of sins is not an absolute bar or exclusion so as to make the condition hopeless and unpardonable All manter of sin and blasphemy saith Christ shall be forgiven unto men but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men Matth. 12. 31. where he plainly expresseth a capability of forgiveness for any sin or sins the sin against the Holy Ghost only excepted which may be a singular preservation against despair c. SECT IV. Vse 2 DOth God promise to forgive all the sins of all his people the next Use shall be for Exhortation unto all the people of God and that unto two duties Exhort 1. To believe this truth 2. To make use of this truth First To believe this gracious promise of their God unto them As the Apostle To believe this truth spake unto them of Antioch Men and Brethren Children of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you feareth God to you is the Word of this Salvation sent Acts 13. 26. so say I unto all of you who are brought into Christ by faith and by him are brought into Covenant with God unto you I say is this promise of mercy made I will pardon all your iniquities from all your filthiness and from all your Idols will I cleanse you For the better managing of this Point I will lay down four Conclusions 1. The people of God may believe this truth 2. Many times they do not believe it for themselves 3. It is very difficult in many cases to believe the same 4. It is necessary for them at all times to believe and apply it First The people of God may believe this truth that God will forgive all The people of God may believe this truth their sins they have very good ground and warrant so to do for 1. They have not meerly a single promise from God to this purpose which yet were sufficient warrant but manifold promises they have the same promise multiplied often transcribed and that not darkly and doubtfully but clearly and plainly Jer. 33. 8. Micah 7. 19 c. 2. They are the very people unto whom this renewed promise is made they are believers they are converted and renewed they have the very Characters of the Covenant stamped and sealed upon their hearts and lives 3. They have Jesus Christ 1. In his Person 2. Mediatorship 3. Purchase 4. Benefits to be their Mediator both of Redemption and Intercession who was once offered to bear the sins of many Hebr. 9. 28. and is entered into heaven it self now to appear in the presence of God for us Ver. 24. It is no more than Christ hath purchased nor than Christ will so apply unto you nor than God intended for you when he sent Christ into the world 4. What other of the people of God have found and applied that may they believe but Psal 85. 2. Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people thou hast covered all their sin Selah Psal 103. 3. Who forgiveth all their iniquities this may they believe Secondly Though the people of God may believe that God will forgive all Yet many times they do not believe it their sins yet many times they do not believe it for many times 1. They do not believe lesser matters a few earthly mercies Matth. 6. 2. They cannot believe that God will forgive any one of their sinnes which they have committed but do fear the wrath of God exceedingly 3. They stick a long time upon some particular sins and are in long debates concerning the intention and will of Divine mercy as to the pardon of them yea and conclude very often that the Lord will never pass them by 4. Upon new commissions they are so far from believing their pardon that they do question whether God hath indeed pardoned their old and former transgrestions 5. They doubt and fear whether it be not presumption in them to believe the forgiveness of all their sins Thirdly It is unquestionably a very difficult matter for any one to believe It is a difficult matter to believe it that God will forgive all his sins especially when a person doth distinctly and seriously consider them in their number and
circumstances and the heart is really sensible of the injuries against God in them O how much oft-times hath he been provoked and dishonoured Psal 40. 12. Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold of me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Mark he is not able to look up and his heart faileth him O thinks he here is such a number of sins indeed will the Lord ever pardon all these I fear he will not I can hardly believe that he will There are three things which make it so difficult to believe that God will forgive all our sins 1. The weakness of faith which cannot presently apprehend and reach the heighth and depth and breadth and lenght of the love and mercy of God Simile a weak faith is like a weak eye which cannot behold the Sun in its glory so weak faith cannot so well behold God in the glorious manifestations of his exceedingly abundant grace but dazzles and doubts Is there such a treasury of mercies for a sinner is there enough in Christ for all these sins 2. The tenderness of conscience which being very sensible of a multitude of sins and feeling Gods displeasure and anger raiseth strong fears and exceptions against universal forgiveness of all our sins Shall I find mercy who do feel wrath Can I be perswaded that God will speak forgiveness to all my sins who do find him speaking such bitter things for some of my sins will he ever discharge me of all my sins who doth charge my sins with that strong displeasure upon my soul 3. The strong and manifold and subtile temptations and suggestions of Satan who knows how to heighten our sins and to diminish the mercies of God when he would bring us to despair as he doth know also how to diminish our sins and enlarge mercy when he would draw us to presumption O saith Satan here are such sins and here are so many of them that here is no hope at all for mercy the wrath of God you know is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and all unrighteousness of men Rom. 1. 18. For some of these sins hath God long since destroyed and damned multitudes of men What then will he do to you for all these sins here is sin upon sin and nothing but sin without any interruption and without any cessation for twenty thirty forty fifty years together are committed against many threatnings warnings examples punishments yea and against many calls of mercy and offers of grace which had they been accepted in time there might have been some hope but you went on and multiplied your transgressions against all these therefore for such a multitude of sins no mercy will be found 'T is true that God hath promised to pardon all the sins of his people but you are none of that number had you been so would you or durst you thus to have multiplied and increased your transgressions against such a God you would have repented long ago and besides all this think you that you should not have had news of forgiveness after so many tears and prayers and hearknings and waitings if God would have forgave those sins Fourthly Though it be very difficult to believe that God will forgive all our Yet it is very necessary to believe this promise sins yet it is very necessary to believe this promise of God and that upon a threefold account 1. The honour of God which is as much concerned in this Branch of the Covenant as in any other he doth lay forth in it as I hinted before the riches of his grace and the glory of his great goodness and his heart of mercies to the very full and besides this he seals this part of his Covenant with the same infallibility of truth and ratifies it with the same blood of Christ which though it respects the stablishing of the whole Covenant yet it is more frequently expressed to confirme the Branch of the forgiveness of sins as you may see in Mat. 26. 28. Ephes 1. 7. 1 John 1 7. Rev. 1. 5. c. that our faith might be the more strengthened and so give unto God the more glory in and for such a gracious truth And let me tell you one thing that what ground you have to believe that God will forgive you any one of your sins the very same you have to believe that he will forgive you all your sins and upon the same reason that you believe not the promise as to the forgiveness of all your sins upon the same reason you must deny belief of the promise as to the forgiveness of any one sin and so God lose all the glory of his rich mercies by your unbelief 2. The peace of your own consciences for suppose you did believe that God would forgive some of your sins but some others of your sins he would not forgive could this partial forgiveness settle and quiet your consciences would they not hold you under as much fear and bondage as if not one of your sins were forgiven surely it would because there is still in any unforgiven sins so much guilt and merit as will serve effectually to the everlasting destruction of your souls and bodies 3. The renewing of you again to repentance and bringing of you back again unto God for suppose you confine your faith to believe that God will pardon the sins which you have committed in time past and beyond this your faith will not stir tell me then I beseech you what will you do for the sins you have committed since conversion will you have them pardoned or will you not have them pardoned will you go on in them or will you forsake them will you still go away or will you return to your first husband surely you would have them pardoned surely you would renew repentance and return to the Lord your God but how can this be if you cannot or will not believe that God will forgive those sins as well as the former If you be perswaded that forgiving mercy is at an end and God hath no more mercy to forgive any more sins I dare assure you that where the hope of mercy ceaseth there the practice of repentance will cease But on the contrary when you can by faith see God willing and ready to pardon you and accept of you this will melt and this will move your hearts to repent and to return unto the Lord c. God hath yet thoughts of mercy towards me I will arise and go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against thee c. Secondly And this leads me unto the next Branch of the Exhortation which Make use of this truth is that we must not only believe that God will forgive us all our sins but we must make use of this truth in all our occasions What one day of our life have we not occasion to make use
them When did you ever see any ungodly hardened sinner judging himself for his hard heart and begging of the Lord to heal it or willingly applying himself to a 〈◊〉 heart-breaking Ministery c. SECT II. Vse 1. DOth the Lord promise that he will take away the stony heart from his people and doth he really do so in his time Hence it will follow First Then they are none of the people of God whose stony heart doth They are none of the people of God whose hard heart is not removed still abide in them and compleatly raign in them and then in what a wofull condition are many people â— fear amongst our selves e. g. All those who are unsensible of their sinful estate all those who incorrigibly go on in their sinful wayes all those who were never wrought on by the Word of Christ all those who oppose and reject and slight the Word in the threatnings and precepts thereof all those who do continue impenitent and unbelieving notwithstanding all the offers and invitations of grace c. Secondly Then no marvel that the people of God are of another spirit and The people of God are of another spirit than other men of another temper than the common sort of people are that they dare not run into the same excesse of riot with others nor live so as other men do live that they are so much altered as to themselves Heretofore they were frequent in swearing and now they fear an oath heretofore they made nothing of great transgressions and now a small sin even a little neglect carelesness remisness doth exceedingly disquiet and deject their hearts heretofore they could neglect the Word as well as others and scoff at it and refuse to be ordered by it but now they stand in awe of the Word they are presently bound up by it and wholly moulded and fashioned and ruled by it The reason of all this is because God doth take away the hardnesse of our hearts c. Thirdly Then it is no sign of an evil estate to be troubled for our own sins or for the sins of others David did water his couch for his own sins Psal 6. 6. It is no sign of an evil state to be troubled for our sins And rivers of tears did fall from his eyes for the sins of other men Psal 119. 136. When your former sins are your grief and your present sins are your burden and future sins are your fear and other mens sins are your sorrow this is a clear evidence that the stony heart is taken away and therefore you stand in relation to God as his people To sin and not to be troubled for sin is a sign of an hard heart and of an evil condition but to fear sin and to be grieved for sinning this is a signe of a changed and broken heart They are not to be blamed who oppose Heresies and blaspâ—emies Fourthly Then it is very unjust to accuse and discountenance any of the people of God as ill affected for this reason only Because they do oppose the Heresâ—es and blasphemies of these times and because they doe so earnestly contend for the Gospel and Ordinances of Christ by Prayers and tears and speaking and writing c. Why are you angry with them that God hath taken away from them the heart of stone must we be sensible of Gods dishonour or must we not And if if Christ wept at the hardness of heart in Jerusalem because she would not receive the Gospel is there not much more reason to weep and pray because of the hardness nay of the desperateness of any man who endeavours to pull down and extirpate the Gospel I say the Gospel in which all the love and goodness of God is revealed and in which all the glory of Christ is interested and in which all the salvation of poor sinners souls is so necessarily concerned Vse 2. Will the Lord take away the heart of stone from his people what Blesse God for this cause then have those people to bless the Lord who do find this cure wrought in their hearts O it is an unspeakable mercy and favour whether you respect the evil from which you are delivered or else the good which falls in upon the removal of hardness of heart First If that you do consider the evill from which you are delivered by being In respect of the evil from which you are delivered delivered from an hard hâ—art One saith it is the greatest sin in the world another saith it is the greatest judgement in the world Certainly it is one of the strongest holds of sin and it was the hardness of heart which kept up all the power of your sins and all the sinful practâ—ses it was the foundation of your long impenitency you had long ere this repented had not your hearts been hardned If the Lord had not in wonderful mercy by his exceeding power of grace taken away the hardness of your hearts your souls would never have been brought in to Christ but you would have gon on in your sins and dyed in your sins and been damned for your sins And yet again that after the long reâ—stance of Gods grace offers of mercy callings of the Gospel strivings and resistings of his Spirit the Lord shall pass by all this and mercifully cure thy foolish proud stout self-destroying soul O what mercy was this and what grace was this And the good which falls in with it Secondly If you do likewise consider the good which falls in upon the removal of hardness of heart certainly you have great cause to blesse God c. e. g. 1. An immediate receptivity or capacity to have the Law or will of God written and engraven on your hearts Simile as when the wax is softned it is thereby made capable of any impression 2. A spring of repentance is set up in the heart to bewail all our sins and transgressions and fear to transgress any more 3. An obediential principle appears in making of us ready and willing to comply with the precepts of God liberty and ability c. 4. The great work of Faith to receive the Lord Jesus into our hearts 5. Affectionate communions with God and a special delight in his presence and Ordinances and Services 6. A liberty and confidences in our accesses unto the throne of grace 7. In one word a newnesse of heart and a newness of relation unto God as our God and Father All these flow in upon the soul when God takes away the hardness of the heart and in time all the good of the Covenant and therefore unquestionably you have great obligations lying on your hearts to blesse God if he doth take away the hardness of your hearts Object I will some say no question it is a great blessing to be delivered from an hard heart but we feare it is not so with us for we finde sometimes such 1. A strange indisposition to what is good 2.
them and in an order to Christ and their salvation by him for by this they see that there is no longer staying or resting in their sinful conditions but then they must and will arise from their sleep in sin By this they find there is nothing in themselves for them to rest upon for when the Spirit indeed convinceth us of our sinful condition as he doth therewith convince us of the curse and wrath so doth he at the same time convince us of our own personal impotency and insufficiency and that there is no help at home if they are there they perish By this they are occasioned and indeed do actually look out for Christ and Righteousness and Peace and Salvation by him and in the event come in to him stoop unto all his Precepts and gladly accept of him and them and with all their hearts do magnifie and bless the grace of God for appointing and setting up such a way of life for miserable lost and self-undone and self-unable sinners Secondly Humiliation this is another work of the Spirit when he is given unto Humiliation us Rom. 8. 15. Ye have not received the Spirit of bondage again to fear If they had not received it again then sometime or other they had received that spirit of bondage to fear Indeed it is a question whether any who are by faith brought into Christ are under the spirit of bondage to fear but it is I think without all question that the spirit of bondage to fear goes before the Spirit of adoption whereby we cry Abba Father And so likewise is it without question that humiliation for sin or bondage unto fear is the work of the Spirit for none but the Spirit of God can work that work within us Now there are two things in that expression the Spirit of bondage to fear Whar is the spirit of bondage which I intend in that outward humiliation First An apprehension and feelling of our present sinful condition of which we have been convinced as our bondage or slavery which you know is 1. A base and contemptible condition 2ly A restrained and depriving condition 3ly A subjected and stooping condition to the will of another 4ly A laborious and toylsome condition and that upon very hard and cruel terms 5ly A vexations and grievous condition even ready to break the heart 6ly A most dangerous condition wherein our life lies at the mercy of him who hath it in bondage every hour 7ly It is a most wearisome and burdensome condition one would be most glad of escape and deliverance out of it Thus it is with a man who hath received the spirit of bondage 1. He looks on his sinful condition and on himself as vile and base and cryes out like the Leper unclean unclean like Paul O wretched man that I am 2. He looks on himself as in prison as one shut up and shackled and fettered no liberty no power to any good 3. He looks on himself as fallen into the hands of the living God and righteous God who may when he will execute his fierce wrath upon him 4. On himself as a very drudge to sin at the command of every lust and working out his own damnation 5. He feels this condition full of vexation and terror and burdensome so â—hat his very soul doth fail him and he knows not what to do with himself nor for himself 6. And oftimes in the anguish of his spirit cryes out O who will pity who will deliver me who will break the bonds of my distress Secondly A sad expectation of evil setling upon the soul which is here called fear for fear is the expectation of evil The humbled sinner lying under the spirit of bondage is farre from jollity and mirth and vain confidences he fears what the holy and righteous God who hath revealed his wrath from heaven against all ungodliness will do unto him for all the sins of which he is guilty And he fears exceedingly to dye in this condition if I dye I am damned for ever and he fears to come near to God he is afraid that God will never look on him nor answer him nor shew him mercy in a word he is a very troubled sinner for what he hath done against God and for what God may justly do against him Object But will some say Doth every one who receives the Spirit of God Whether all the godly have first the spirit of bondage find it thus with him hath every one the Spirit of bondage to fear Sol. I answer every one who hath the Spirit hath this those in Act. 2. 37. found it thus Paul in Act. 9. 6. found it thus the Jaylor Act. 16. 29. found it thus only you must distinguish 1. Of the intentions and measures of it All that have received the Spirit have not the like equal measure of bondage to fear Some drink deeper of the cup than others It is terror in some and burden in others it is horror in some it is only pain in others it is the breaking of the bones in some and only the lash of the rod on others 2. Of the duration and continuance of it Some are longer under the spirit of bondage than others are Simile As some women have quicker labour and others have stronger and longer labour So some have a longer time of humiliation for their sins than others have Some are under trouble of Conscience for many years some only a few dayes and then they meet with Christ and are eased Object But this work of humiliation cannot be any demonstrative note of having the Spirit of grace because many wicked men living and dying so have had this work of humiliation Sol. Humiliation may be considered two wayes 1. As a meere Legal and Judicial work for sin as it is a pure retribution of wrath and horror upon the conscience and one of the first fruits and taste of deserved damnation Thus I grant that a Cain and Judas may meet with it 2. As a preparatiâ—e work of the Spirit for Christ thus it is not given to any but to such whom God intends to convert and save by Christ Quest But may some reply There lies the Question How may one know that How to know which is true humiliation this work of Humiliation is not a judicial but a preparative work Sol. It may I humbly conceive be thus known When humiliation is a preparative work of the Spirit First Then the heart is troubled for the filthiness of sin as well as for the guiltiness of sin Not only because God may punish us but also because we have offended God not only because I am a guilty sinner deserving and feeling wrath but also I am a filthy and defiled creature destitute of the image and glory of God Secondly Then the heart is broken from sin as well as for sin sin troubles me and I trouble sin former sins are my burden and grief and present sins is become the