newes of a Lord Jesus Christ and of mercie and the soule thus continues wandring and seeking till at last the Lord Jesus Christ comes into the soule when the soule hath hungred and longed for him At length the Lord is pleased to shew himselfe in view behold thy King commeth so the Lord saith Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away thy sinnes Oh thou poore broken hearted sinner here is thy Saviour hee is come downe from heaven to speake peace to thy soule in the pardon of thy sinnes thou that hungrest for a Christ here he is to satisfie thee thou that thirstest for a Christ hee is now come to refresh thee thou that hast long sought him hee saith here I am and all my merits are thine Now when the Lord Jesus is pleased to present himselfe to the soule now desire hath met with the Lord there are two other affections sent out by the Spirit to entertaine Christ and they are love and joy Suffer me I beseech you to expresse my selfe after this manner that I may discover the frame and guise of Gods Spirit in this gracious worke It is in this case with a sinner as it is with a malefactour or traitour observe what I say who is pursued with a Pursevant and is fled to the sea coasts and hath taken a hold and he is there besieged And now hee seeth there is no hope of favour nor no hope of escape therefore hee is even content to submit to the Kings pleasure Simile and yeelds his neck to the block that hee may receive punishment for his offence Now comming to execution he heares an inckling from the messengers there is yet hope that this man may be pardoned with that the poore malefactour in the tower his heart is stirred up to hope Nay then he heares another messenger from the King himselfe say if he will come unto the Court and seek unto his Majesty and importune his Grace for mercy and favour it is like he shall be pardoned this is the second voyce one saith thou mayest be pardoned the other saith nay if thou wilt submit thy selfe thou shalt be pardoned Then hee makes haste and desire carries him to the Court to sue for favour from the King So that he will bee continually there listning and enquiring of every one saying did you heare the King speake nothing of mee how stands the Kings minde towards mee I pray how goes my case then some tells him the truth is the King heares you are humbled and you sory for it you are like to heare more newes hereafter At last the King lookes out of the window and seeth the malefactour and saith is this the traitour they say yes this is the man thar is humbled and intreats for mercy and desires nothing so much as favour The King tells him the truth is his pardon is drawing and comming towards him with that his heart leaps in his belly and his heart is inlarged to his Majesty and he saith God blesse your Majesty never was there such a favourable Prince to a poore traitour His heart leaps with joy because his pardon is comming towards him haply it is not sealed yet Now when it is sealed and all the King calls him in and delivers it and that is the last stroke of faith So it is with a poore sinner hee is this malefactor you that have committed high treason you thinke not of it but take heed God will pursue you one day haply the Lord lets you alone for the present but he will surprize you on the sudden and conscience will pluck thee by the throat and carry thee downe to Hell And now the Lord pursueth him with heavie and terrible indignation and le ts flie at his face and sets conscience a worke as Pursevant and that saith these are thy sinnes and to hell thou must goe God hath set me to execute thy soule Now the poore soule seeth hee can by no means escape from the Lord and to purchase any favour he sees it is impossible therefore he is resolved to lie downe at Gods feet and saith I confesse Lord there is but one way let me be damned so thou maist be glorified If the Lord will shew favour so it is but he cannot desire it almost because he hath so sinned against him Now comes the great voyce he heares a noyse afarre off by the ministery of the Gospell thy sinnes are pardonable with this the soule lookes up and hope stirres the heart and saith then it may be a damned creature may bee saved then it may be a dead dogge may live and a traytor may be pardoned Then the soule heares another voyce if thou canst see the excellency of mercy and long for it and seeke after it thou shalt be pardoned Why goe then saith Desire and he fills heaven and earth with his cries and his closet with his prayers and the congregation with his teares and will enquire of the Minister of God and other good Christians Sirs you are of the bed-chamber you are acquainted with God I pray how goes my case will the Lord thinke you pardon me did you heare the Lord say nothing of me how stands it with me Now the Ministers of God that understand the frame of the heart aright will say The Lord heares you are an humble sinner and that you long for mercie and lye at the court gate and will not away without mercie wee heare God intends well towards you you shall heare more hereafter thus farre now desire goeth At last Christ presents himselfe to the sinner and speakes to his soule by the ministerie of the Word he lookes downe from heaven and gives him a sweet looke of mercie and that makes his heart leape againe and that is done in this manner for still understand that God doth it by the ministerie of the Word doe not now looke for any strange dreames or miraculous imaginations the Lord speakes by his Word and saith thou hast a broken heart thou hast longed for my salvation goe thy wayes I have heard those prayers of thine and observed those endevours of thine and thy pardon is granted bee it to thee as thou hast desired and thy pardon shall afterward bee sealed and delivered Now when the Lord tels the soule It is done it wants only sealing and delivering the heart of a poore sinner when it findes some comfort and refreshment from the Lord in the word he saith The Minister said I was the sinner and God intends good to me and that my sinnes are pardoned as the Prince saith Fiat let it be done so the Lord saith Mercie is comming towards thee and mercie is granted to thee Now the heart leapes with joy and blesseth the Lord let my soule blesse him for ever How ought I to blesse that God that hath done so great things for my poore soule What I pardoned and what my sinnes forgiven what is the pardon granted and now sealing onely it wants delivering why then
a matter of complement and indifferencie No no I may call it the very wheeles of faith upon which faith is carried for all this while faith is a sowing into the soule Looke as it is with a waggon knocke off the wheeles and all lyes in the dust so take away this desire and faith is in the dust the tenour of all the promises run upon this the thirstie they are invited the hungrie they shall be satisfied nay not onely so but observe further the necessity of this when desire comes all good workes goe forward and our hearts are not only set upon the dutie but the dutie is crowned and credited by this desire It is like the mill damme the fuller the damme is the faster the mill goes so get but desire and all will goe forward the more desire the more paines in seeking after grace this gives a crowne and a credit to all our actions thou prayest haply halfe an houre it is not thy tongue that the Lord accepts but thy desire thou performest many duties outwardly God cares not for that he lookes only at thy desire to approve thy selfe to God in those duties this is the thing that gives credit to all our actions Meanes 3 The third meanes is this labour to spread forth the excellencie of all the beautie and surpassing glorie that is in the promises of God Looke wisely daily and judiciously upon them as occasion serves and when thou seest that admirable and incomparable vertue and beautie that is in Christ and in the precious promises and canst but view them in their proper colours Oh they will even ravish thee and quicken up thy desire If a man carry a packe of never so rich commodities and never opens them no man will have a desire to buy Or if a man have a cabinet full of never so precious jewels if he doe not unlocke it no man will be stirred with a desire after them Even so it is with the promises all those unsearchable riches that are in the Lord Jesus and all the comforts both of this life and that which is to come they are all shut up in the promises Now set open the Gospell and unlock the cabbinet of the promises and then the soule will earnestly desire the same I tell you God is a God of comfort and all the promises are yea and Amen in the Lord Jesus Christ read them daily and examine the excellencie and beautie therein that so thy heart may be brought to prize them and the comfort arising thence Thy soule is discouraged there is mercie to comfort thou wantest grace there is grace to quicken thee See the worth thereof more fully Luke 24. When Christ came and walked with the two disciples that were travelling towards Emaus Luke 24.32 opened Did not our hearts burne within us say they while he opened the Scriptures the Latine word signifieth to burne with desire But how came this they did not talke a word and away but the Lord Jesus Christ opened the Scriptures to them the riches of grace and salvation were unlocked and by Christ opened and then their hearts burned againe with desire Oh that Christ and that mercie and that pardon c. So view thou the promises of Christ and grace and salvation you doe not see the value and riches that are therein but if you will but talke and conferre about them your hearts will burne with desire doe not cast an eye and be gone doe not looke over a promise and away no wonder though your hearts are not affected because the excellent things therein contained are not opened and propounded to you Meanes 4 In the fourth and last place after all this thou must know that it is not in thy power to bring thy heart to desire grace thou canst not hammer out a desire upon thine owne anvill digge thy owne pit and hew thy owne rock as long as thou wilt that is a worke out of thy abilitie and strength Nay let all the Angels in heaven and all the Ministers on earth provoke thee yet if the hand of the Lord be wanting thou shalt not lift up thy heart nor step one step towards heaven therefore I beseech you marke and acknowledge this and goe to him who is onely able to worke this desire in thy soule It is the complaint of Christians and they mourne under it and it is a great miserie Oh they are troubled because they cannot fetch a good desire from their owne soules and one falls another sinkes and a third shakes and they are overwhelmed with discouragement And their complaint is this What a wretched heart have I Object Grace No no the world I can desire the life of my childe I long for that nay every trifling profit and pleasure my soule covets it and I say with Rachel Let me have honour or else I dye But I cannot buckle my heart nor worke this vile nature of mine to bee carried after and long for the unconceivable unsearchable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ And will the Lord shew mercie to me Shall I attaine any favour either here or hereafter Answ Marke the deceit in this case desires grow not in your garden they spring not from the root of your abilities you cannot frame your soules nor order your spirits to desire Christ no struggle while thy eyes sinke in thy head and thy tongue falters when thou prayest and yet thou shalt not procure any longing desire after Christ whiles the world stands desire comes from the quickning vertue of the spirit Therefore seeke to God and confesse In truth Lord I cannot it is not in my power I have not any sufficiencie to frame my heart to this desire I expect it not from my selfe it is not this vile and sinfull soule it is not this wicked base wayward heart of mine that can lift up it selfe it is earthly and heavie but it is thou O Lord from whom come all our desires it is thou that must worke it it is thou that hast promised it good Lord quicken thou this soule and inlarge this heart of mine thou only art the God of this desire none of thy Saints that ever panted after and longed for thy mercie David himselfe had it not in his owne power and sufficiencie it must come from thy power and thy promise and thy grace and blessing Now good Lord worke this in the heart of thy poore servant I would faine have a desire Lord from heaven thus hale downe a desire from the Lord and from the promise for there only you must have it this is the course whereby you may partake of this desire from the hand of the Lord. When the Church was lazie and sluggish and would not rise Cant. 5.4 the hands of her beloved dropped mirrhe upon the handle of the doore and this raised and pulled up the heart of the spouse and she lingred after him and followed him and pursued him and her heart was quickned and inlarged to
nor receive it from any creature under Heaven further than the Father sends downe some beames of his love to kindle this in us further than the blessed Spirit of God is pleased to blow these sparkes when they are kindled further than the Lord Iesus Christ is pleased by the power of his merits to feed these sparkes of love thus blowne in our soules It is almost impossible that any man in his naturall estate should be so deluded as to thinke hee can love the Lord or delight in him 1 Tim. 1.13 14. opened The Apostle Paul tels us plainly hee was a persecutor and a blasphemer and injurious Paul could doe this and thou haply canst doe this thou canst be a blasphemer against Jesus Christ and thou canst be a persecutor of Jesus Christ but Paul cannot beleeve in Christ nor love the Lord Iesus how comes hee to this Why the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Iesus marke that As if hee should say it was Gods abundant grace that over-powerd my unfaithfull heart and made it faithfull It was Gods abundant grace that over-powerd my stubborne injurious heart and made it a loving heart But how comes this that the grace of the Lord was abundant in faith and love Why it is in Christ saith the text from Christ this faith was rooted from Christ this love was kindled As if he had said I could persecute and blaspheme and despise and cast off God and his grace I was a wretch a villaine that I could doe But that I should love the Lord being injurious and that I should beleeve the Lord being unfaithfull this was from Christ alone In experience we finde it the ball must first fall upon the ground before it can bound up againe and returne from the ground So the Lord Jesus must dart in and fling in this love of his into the soule before the soule can rebound in love and joy backe to him againe We must receive the Spirit of love from God 2 Tim. 1.7 before the Lord can receive any spirituall and holy love from us In a word what the Lord spake in some case to the Jewes is true of every man naturally I know that you have not the love of God in you Iohn 5.42 As if he should say you know not your selves you thinke you have hearts inlarged to God and you pretend great kindnesse to God but you are deceived in your soules and cozened in your corrupt natures for I know full well that the love of God is not in you I pursue the point the rather for these two ends First it discovers and confutes the carnall conceits of a company of carnall Gospellers that pretend they doe not delight to set out themselves in shew so much and they doe not heare and pray and fast so much as these and these doe But say they as for the soundnesse of our love to the Lord Jesus wee defie any man in the world that speakes against us they finde no difficulty in the matter to love the Lord they are certainly perswaded they doe that Therefore if the Minister shall presse upon them and challenge them of want of love to God and his grace they flie in a mans face presently What not love the Lord Jesus Christ why then it is pitie a man should live upon the face of the earth they doe love him and they will love him all the world shall not perswade them from the loving of Christ Oh poore silly creature it is a great argument that thou never hadst this love to God because thou sawest no hardnesse to get it It is an argument thou never didst expresse any delight in Christ because thou thinkest it an easie matter to delight in him Most men thinke it a matter of nothing what not love the Lord Jesus Christ why who cannot love Christ Who cannot I say neither thou nor I nor any man under heaven can love Christ by any power in himselfe Nay let me speake peremptorily thou art as able to save thy owne soule nay thou art as able to redeeme thy soule without Christ as thou art able unlesse the Lord by the Almightie helpe of his Spirit-inable thee to love the Lord Jesus Christ Nay marke what I say you that love Christ and yet doe nothing for him but pretend great kindnesse inwardly how ever you expresse not your selves in outward appearance I tell thee if a man might have happinesse by it if he might have heaven laid downe upon the naile as wee say if he could love Christ I say upon these conditions if thou hast but nature in thee thou wouldst never goe to heaven thou wouldst never be happie No no it will cost thee more than that comes to it will cost thee much paines it will cost thee many prayers and many teares before that day come It is not an easie matter to love the Lord Jesus the Father from heaven must learne you that you must goe to another manner of schoole than ever you have beene at yet if ever you learne this lecture thou mayst pray till thy eyes sinke in thy head and till thy heart failes and yet thou canst not love Christ unlesse the Spirit inable thee thereunto Thinke of this you that thinke it is nothing to love the Lord Jesus Christ If it were nothing but to talke of love and to complement with the Lord Jesus to make a cursie to Christ and to make a leg to the Lord and yet hate him inwardly then it were an easie matter indeed it is nothing to buckle to him in this fashion and in the meane time oppose him and the power of his grace but to entertaine and welcome a Saviour sutable and agreeable to the worth of him this nature will not cannot doe it is the worke of the Lord. Observe it I beseech you I say as nature cannot doe this so nature will not doe it first nature cannot doe it 1 Iohn 1.5 God is light and in him is no darknesse Ephes 5.8 saith the text at all and Ye were darknesse but now are light in the Lord A man naturally is nothing but darknesse and God is nothing but light a man by nature is nothing but unholy and God is nothing but holy Now darknesse will resist light and not give way to it and wickednesse will oppose holinesse and not give way to the same this is thy condition thou hast an ignorant carnall blinde heart and God is light pure and holy and thou canst resist a Saviour but not entertaine him doe what thou canst Nay further as a man cannot naturally doe this so in the second place I say he will not doe it The Apostle affirmes of the Thessalonians That they would not receive the love of the truth 2 Thess 2.10 opened that they might be saved he doth not say They would not receive the truth but they would not receive the love of the truth It is
this root namely upon a grounded application as I may so say in speciall manner of Gods favour to thy soule settled and sealed and made knowne in this kinde if thy love doe grow upon this ground upon the particular application of Gods mercie to thy soule so that thy soule can say the Lord hath looked downe from heaven hee hath said in his word that hee will looke at them that tremble at his name I looked for mercie and I sought for grace and blessed bee God I have found that mercie and grace I looked and sought for the Minister spake it and his Spirit spake it that my name was registred in heaven and that my prayers were heard my desires satisfied and therefore how shall I love the Lord that hath done all this for mee my sinnes I have bewailed my complaints I have powred forth and the Lord hath looked from heaven and given me a gracious answer therefore I will love the Lord for it even for ever I love thee dearly O Lord my strength thou art my support that hast strengthned me thou art my Saviour that hast saved me therefore my soule shall for ever love thee for that mercie of thine this is a love now that comes from a right mint it is currant and good pay Difference betwixt the love and joy of an hypocrite and of Gods childe But if a man love God from himselfe this love will bring a man to himselfe and there leave him as if a man have a love to his parts or to his hearing or reading or praying or preaching or conferences if a man have a love to his understanding wisedome and policie he loves his wisedome and policie well therefore hee would faine be beholding to Christ to helpe him to glorifie this wisedome and policie and these parts of his that he might receive honour to them now the love of his parts brought all to his parts and Christs honour in the meane time lay in the dust and so I might instance in a thousand examples of the like nature Whereas now marke what I say that love which is wrought from God alwayes drawes the soule unto Gods love againe the Lord lets downe the cords of his love into the soule and thereby breeds love and kindles love in the soule to that goodnesse and kindnesse of his and this is the excellencie of a Christian and this love is of a right coine and of a right stampe but love of my parts that Christ may glorifie my parts and love of profit that Christ might promote my profit I love my parts and profit only now and not Christ in this case and this is the greatest difference betweene the love and delight which the cunningst hypocrite under heaven can have and the Saints of God I expresse it thus Meat that a man takes downe inwardly Simile and digests breeds good bloud and good complexion but that which a man takes and digests not but vomits out againe presently breeds neither good bloud nor good complexion So it is with the love of the heart that is rightly wrought upon to entertaine and love a Saviour and delight in him and welcome him as beseemes his worth a heart that is foundly wrought upon by the Spirit feeds heartily upon the promise and that feeding and taking downe of the promise and that closing with the promise breeds good bloud and good complexion true love that breeds good bloud and true joy that breeds good complexion because the promise is fed upon it is the worke of Gods Spirit which seize upon and worke effectually upon the heart that bred this sound love and true joy But a carnall hypocrite that only hath a taste of the promise and a flattering apprehension of the promise in general Christ came to save sinners c. these are prettie things to tickle their conceits but they never goe downe they digest not the promise of Christ and therefore that love which comes from hence is but a fained love and that joy which ariseth from hence is but a false joy it breeds no good bloud it breeds no good complexion but meere vanities and overtures in a Christians course here is the difference betweene the love and joy of an hypocrite and of a Saint of God this is the first triall Triall 2 Secondly if thou entertaine thy Saviour as beseemes a Saviour thou must entertaine him as a King for he is a King that is give up all to him and entertaine none but those that attend upon him and appertaine to him in a word love all in Christ love all for Christ but expresse thy affection and joy to him above all he is the King all the rest are but retainers and therefore entertaine him in the first place hee that loves any thing equall with Christ hee never loved Christ truly he that sets up any thing cheeke by jowle with his Saviour he despiseth he renounceth his Saviour It is all one in plaine termes as if a man should put a slave into the chamber where the King is and say he hath entertained the King this base behaviour of his will drive the King away as well as if he did openly and profesly bid him be gone So if thou settest up any thing with thy Saviour thou dost drive him away as well by thy base behaviour as by open profession a man cannot receive friendship with Christ and the world upon the same termes Iames 4.4 a wife that loves her husband loves him only as a husband hee only hath her heart and she loves none but him in that manner she loves others as friends and neighbours and gives them respect so farre as they keepe themselves there but if they come to claime the love of a husband she abhorres them so a loving heart loves Jesus Christ onely as a bridegroome and all things else only as friends and neighbours the soule that loves Christ loves him onely as a Christ and all the rest as friends the soule will love riches that may credit it and parts that may advance it as friends to speake for a man and to give occasion to a man to come to a Saviour as the wife loves her husband firstly and the rest as friends and neighbours that must further the match so the soule loves the Lord Iesus Christ in the first place and all things else as profit and riches and parts as friends and neighbours that may make up the match with a Saviour and bring it into acquaintance with a Saviour the soule loves prayer and hearing and Gods ordinances as friends to speake a good word to Christ for it but if any thing come to steale away the heart and challenge the affection of a spouse it abhorres it it hates honour and riches and all things in the world that will challenge any spouse-like love Christ only shall have that Luke 14.16 opened Our Saviour saith Hee that hates not father and mother for my sake is not worthie of mee
man well but hath he not given thee a heart to beleeve and to rest upon the riches of Gods free grace in Christ then goe thy way for ever cheared and know that thou hast a marvellous great childs part therefore be thankfull unto him and droope no more nor bee dismaid no more thou saist thou hast not riches nor honours nor parts and thou hast not what others have nor thou canst not doe what others can doe but hast thou a heart to beleeve be cheared then and snarle no more murmure no more thou hast a good part and wilt doe pretty well every day thou risest and every nighâ— thou goest to bed blesse God and downe upon thy knees and prayse him for ever that hath given thee a graine of this precious faith bee for ever thankfull and rejoyce as David saith Psalme 92.1 It becomes upright men to be thankfull Let the wicked those that have no share in these gâ—â—ces let them be discouraged but the Saints of God cannot go away dismaid it becomes the righteous to be thankfull If the soule be inwardly setled and established by faith in the promise there cannot but come some savour of comfort to it 1 Pet. 1.9 In whom though yee see him not yet have ye beleeved and rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious therefore observe it beleeving rejoyceth and saith Good Lord is Christ mine that have abased him and is Heaven and the Spirit mine that have so abused it and the heart leaps at the remembrance of it and wonders at it and can scarcely beleeve it to bee true but yet hee is wonderfully thankfull It is a duty to rejoyce for mercy and grace received as well as to be humbled for sinne committed all those phrases of Scripture run thus and those joyes that may make us rejoyce they all belong to that man that is brought home to beleeve Men rejoyce as those that divide the spoyle you know this gives much joy to the souldiers that overcome so when the rich merchant gets a prize what rejoycing is there So there was never any poore soule that beleeves in Christ and comes home to Christ by the promise but he is a great conquerour and hath gotten a rich spoyle one promise is better than all the Rubies and Diamonds of the Indies When the Prodigall had beene pinched with famine and poverty when he was returned from his misery to his father marke what a deale of mirth there was the friends were feasted and the father rejoyced but if they were so comforted what was the Prodigall then surely his joy was incomprehensible and unconceivable if they which were onely the beholders of the Prodigals good did so rejoyce then what was hee that was the gainer of all that good to come from such a deale of misery to such a father nay to come from such a base course not onely to be entertained to the family but to the affections of the father hee must needs bee full of joy for the same Oh then how great is that joy and that consolation which is spirituall and which every faithfull soule which hath beene a Prodigall now receives when hee is come home to God and is come home to him whoÌ„ he hath formerly dishonoured This Prodigall is nothing else but the picture of a poore sinner that runs riot from God and from his truth as 1 Pet. 2.25 We were as sheepe going astray we are the Prodigals naturally and wee follow our owne wayes and the corruption of our owne hearts and we have spent all our patrimony and are gone away from God and grace and life and all but the broken hearted sinner now comes home to God the Father by faith Now if the Prodigall when he found his home was so cheared and if his father rejoyced and the friends feasted much more then when a poore sinner comes home to God the Father there is joy in Heaven for one sinner that repenteth therefore thou maist justly rejoyce in earth God the Father rejoyceth to see thee comming home and God the Son rejoyceth to receive thee poore and meeke and the Spirit of God rejoyceth to welcome a poore sinner that art brought home by true repentance and faith to the Lord The Saints of God rejoyce to see thee and the Angels of Heaven glory in it and it is the greatest comfort that they have the Angels fing Hallelujahâ— when any poore Saint is humbled and brought home to the Lord and they make it holyday in Heaven It is a good day to those glorious Spirits nay all those that were friends and favourers of thy poore soule they all rejoyce wert thou a wife or a childe that went away from God and art thou now brought home to rest upon the Lords free grace in Christ thy tender hearted Father that hath often prayed for thee with many teares hee rejoyceth and thy mother that hath sighed many a groane for thee nay all the people of God with one joynt consent many of whose hearts thou hast sadded by thy ungodly practices they have sought for thee and said Lord breake the heart of that poore creature Lord humble that wife or that childe when they heare that God hath answered their prayers and humbled thy heart their soules leape within them to heare this and they say there was such a Prodigall such a wife such a childe such a vilde wretch but now he hath forsaken his vilde wicked courses and he is now come home to the Father and they all rejoyce at it Now doe all the Saints and all the Angels in Heaven rejoyce and all thy Friends thinke it a happy day tâ—at they live to see this day that thou art humbled and broken and brought home to the Lord Jesus Christ then goe thy wayes for shame and blesse God that ever thou hast lived to bee possest of all this goodnesse and mercy from God If the standers by doe so rejoyce how ought thy heart to be inlarged in thankfulnesse to that good God who hath beene so gracious to thee Let me perswade every faithfull soule who hath found this to humble himselfe before the Lord and to tell the Lord in this manner saying Lord I was vilde and ignorant and rebellious and went away from thee but now I am come from the world and from my lusts and all to a Saviour to a Father to a Spirit of comfort and blessed be this day that ever I came home to thee that I may receive this mercy at thy hands You know in Exodus 15.1 when as Pharaoh had pursued the children of Israel to the red sea and they drowned themselves in the red sea and that the Israelites were come safely upon the shore then the text saith they beleeved the Lord and feared him and hiâ— servant Moyses then Moyses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord and said I will sing unto the Lord for hee hath triumphed gloriously so Revel 15.3 there the same song is recorded againe saying
that speech Iohn 16.9 it is the cause why our Saviour Christ doth challenge that sin where hee saith I will send the Comforter to the earth and when he is come he shall convince the world of sinne because they beleeved not on him a Minister may haply convince a man of his drunkennesse and the Magistrat may convince him of his swearing but the Lord from heaven by that almightie power of his must set downe the heart and convince it of this sinne or else a man cannot see that he beleeves not nay let a man goe from pole to pole and aske all the drunkards and all the vile rakeshames and tell them thus You are a drunkard a swearer and the like they say I confesse it is true it is my infirmitie and I confesse it but tell them of unbeleefe and they will not acknowledge that but this fine spun wickednesse and this spirituall wickednesse of the soule is a meere turning off from God and so from Christ and the truth and the promise and therefore not easily discerned Reason 2 Secondly as it is hard to see the want of this grace of faith so it is marvellous difficult to see the use and need and benefit and helpe that will come from this grace nay wee are more ready to bee perswaded of the need and benefit of any grace naturally than of this grace of faith as an ignorant man and a weake man when he is asked a question and a point of dispute hee saith Oh that I had learning and were able to dispute the reason is because hee is sensible of his want of knowledge in that kinde and when a poore Christian comes to joyne in prayer and in conference with others it may be his abilities are small and when he heares such a man pray so holily and able to give such wholesome counsell hee saith Oh that I had that gift in prayer and those parts and abilities what a happy man should I be he is sensible that hee wants the power of prayer and abilities to conferre and all this while he saith not a word of his unbeleefe he complains not of that the reason is because all those abilities that carrie a man to his duty towards men we are more sensible of the want of them because that our credit and respect lies upon them because a man thinkes if he want these it is a discredit and hee shall want that respect that he might have therefore because these carry a man to his duty towards man and make for our credit wee are sensible of the need and use of them but faith in the next worke of it is to close with God and to fasten upon him and to rely upon the precious promises all these are beyond the reach of the world â—nd unbeleefe is the withdrawing of it selfe from God and Christ now because unbeleefe doth not so much hinder us in our duties towards man and because faith I meane in the next worke of it for faith doth fit us for duties and the like but because faith in the next worke of it doth not so much furnish us with abilities to carry us outwardly towards man and also because unbeleefe hinders us not in the same therefore wee are not sensible of the need and use of faith nor of the hurt and the danger of the other Reason 3 Thirdly hence it followes undeniably that as a poore sinner is hardly brought to see the want of faith and sees lesse need of faith than of any other grace because hee hath lesse need of it outwardly in the next worke of it therefore a Christian bestowes least care and time about faith and hath small and feeble desires after it and little care to get it but it is plainly proved before that a Christian is hardly convinced that hee wants faith and seeth lesse need of faith naturally than of any other grace and therefore hee hath lesse care to get it for that which a man seeth but little need and use of that he hath least care to get this I desire to make use of and so I desire my fellow brethren and Ministers this is the common course of the world take a sinner whose eyes God hath opened and revealed his sinnes and corruptions to him and let him see his wrath from heaven against him and drives a man to a stand so that hee saith if this be so then I am a damned man and so he is even staggering now in this extremitie marke the behaviour of this poore soule hee will doe any thing but beleeve and seeke for any thing but for faith hee will confesse and crie out of his sinne and resolve amendment and the drunkard loathâ— his old company and the adulterer will not goe after his lusts any more and the covetous mâ—â— in the horrour of conscience will rid his hands of all his ilâ— gotten goods and send for one man and call for another and make restitution and all this while not one word of faith nor of going our of himselfe to a Christ for mercie and succour for him â—ay those that have beene desperat persecutours of God and of his much and grace upon their death-beds they will turne to God and love his people and now those will pray which formerly have scorned prayer and they will doe this and that and yet all this while not one word of this precious faith the reason issues from the â—wo former things because they are not convinâ—ed that they want faith and doe not see the â—eed and use of faith and therefore doe not desire nor looke after it so gather up all and the summe is this if all men by nature are marvellous â—ardly convinced that they want faith and see the â—â—rtle and if all men bestow least care how to get his faith then the case is cleare and it is no marâ—ell though the most men want faith now wee have laid the inditement and it is marvellous â—aire you see and you cannot but confesse it for 〈◊〉 is against reason to deny it as some stuâ—dy hyâ—ocrites doe that will beleeve nothing but what â—hey list and yet they will be beleevers too Now let us come to plead the inditment â—ow mee thinkes every mans heart should tremble within him and â—â—e thinkes your very countenances doe suggest what your hearts doe desire let every man cast his head up and downe and paâ—ly wiâ—â— himselfe in this manner and saâ— Good Lord is it so that many families in the kingdome are unbeleevers and many people in the bosome of the Church want faith then why not my family too if most parents want faith thâ—â— why not my parents too and if many children want faith then why not my children too and if many soules want faith then why not my soule too nay it is ten to one that many that heare the word of God this day and many that liveâ—â— the bosome of the Church want faith mee thinkes I heare some say and am not
and more than I am able to desire then God hath as well power to will to doe me good as hee is able to doe me good he hath power to will to doe mee good above all that I can thinke or desire and hee that doubts of the one doubts of the other Rule 2 The second rule is this checke thy owne soule for prying into Gods secrets blame thy selfe and that deeply for thy curiosity in that thou lookest beyond thy last as it is in the proverbe and soarest too high and medlest with those things thou hast nothing to doe withall you meddle with Gods Election and with Gods Will and secret Counsell I charge you meddle with your owne businesse meddle with that you have to doe withall meddle with your owne duties and occasions and keepe your owne station checke your owne hearts therefore and when Satan would lead you out into a wildernesse and suggest these things unto you How doe you know God hath elected you doe you pray and what if you doe pray doe you heare and what if you doe heare When it is thus with thee checke thine owne heart for prying into Gods secrets and meddle with that thou hast to doe withall Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong to God revealed things belong to us and our children What have you to doe with Gods secrets what hath that proud heart and curious minde of yours with Gods secrets Election belongs to God it is his prerogative 1 Corin. 2.16 Who hath knowne the minde of the Lord You that will be aloft in the skie and mounting up to heaven who ever knew the minde of the Lord Satan and your thoughts tell you so that you were never elected why Satan is a lyar he knowes it not nor thou knowest it not neither who ever knew the minde of the Lord minde you your owne matters doe you what God commands performe those duties God injoynes you keepe your owne station all the Angels in Heaven and all the men upon Earth never knew the minde of the Lord therefore never prie into Gods secrets Ionah 3.9 When God had threatned Ninivie to destroy it and had sent Ionah to speake fire and powder Oh all you drunkards of Ninivie and all you blasphemers of Ninivie and all you prophane wretches of Ninivie vengeance shall come upon you and fire from Heaven shall destroy you they were now at a maze and driven to a stand now marke what the King saith Hee caused a fast to bee proclaimed both for man and beast and commanded all to cry mightily unto the Lord and to turne from their evill wayes for who can tell saith he whether the Lord will turne away his fierce wrath from us that wee perish not who can tell but that the Lord may yet shew mercy and favour in the pardoning of us so say thou when Satan tempts thee and temptation suggests unto thee You seeke to God for pardon in the use of the means that God hath appointed and you injoy the precious means of grace and salvation But it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy but God will never shew any favour to you God will never vouchsafe any mercy to you God will never bestow any grace upon you if you pray till your tongue falters and your eyes sinke in your heads and your heart failes it will doe you no good God will never give you grace why how can Satan tell this all the devils in hell know not this all the Angels in Heaven know it not therefore walke thou in thy owne wayes follow thine owne talke doe that thou oughtst to do and performe what God requires and let God doe what hee please and say let me doe what I should who can tell what God may doe who knowes but God may break my hard heart who knowes but God may pardon my sinnes who knowes but God may give me power over my corruptions nay who knowes but God will too Satan himselfe cannot tell that is the second rule Rule 3 The third rule is this measure not the riches of God nor the freenesse of his mercy according to the scantling of your owne imaginations and according to the fadome of your owne conceits doe not thinke because you cannot doe it therefore God cannot doe it because you cannot conceive it therefore God cannot worke it stint not limit not the Holy one of Israel so as hee must stand at your tribunall in this matter and be within your lists and compasse It is a sweet passage Esay 55.7 Marke there the exhortation of the Prophet Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous man his owne thoughts and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon As if he had said all you unrighteous you that have couzened and detained and dealt falsely and unjustly you that have lived wickedly and prophanely let them all forsake their wicked wayes and turne from their vaine imaginations and returne unto the Lord and returne not to themselves and their owne conceits but let them come unto the Lord and hee will abundantly pardon but the soule replies Object Will the Lord pardon all these sinnes Answ Why I he is abundantly able to pardon Object But can he pardon the abundance of my pride will the Lord forgive the abundance of my base distempers of my heart will the Lord remit all my stubbornnesse and rebellion against the Gospell I cannot thinke it I cannot conceive it Answ You cannot conceive it you cannot thinke it but marke what the Prophet ads My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord as if hee had said a poore sinner thinkes his sinne unpardonable and conceives that it is impossible to get his sinnes subdued and his soule comforted indeed it is true you are sinfull men you have foolish thoughts But as the Heavens are higher than the earth so are my wayes higher than your wayes and my thoughts higher than your thoughts therefore I can give you mercy though you cannot conceive it I can doe you good though you cannot thinke it but the poore soule will still bee ready to object and say Object There was never any in that case that I am in received to mercy and therefore why should I expect it Answ Why Matthew 9.33 when Christ had there done a miracle the text saith the like was never seene in Israel all the people stood gazing and were taken up in admiration at the power of the Lord and said Never was any such thing done in Israel therefore God can doe things that were never done before Imagine the Lord did pardon never any as bad as thee which is false yet God can doe that which was never yet done nay the place is incomparable Iob 9.10 Hee doth great things past finding out yea marvellous things without number the Lord doth great things which are unsearchable and workes
soule why should I not have that mercie supply and succour saith justice thou art a sinfull wretch and thou hast wronged me saith anger thou hast deserved to be plagued and thou shalt rather bee corrected by me Now faith layes hold upon the riches of the freenesse of Gods mercie in Christ and in him justice is satisfied and anger appeased for all and now mercie is purchased and mercie triumpheth over justice and faith layes hold upon and overcomes God himselfe as I may say with an holy humble basenesse of heart You know what the Lord did to the woman of Canaan when shee had striven with him a great while and would take no deniall at last he saith O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt take what thou wilt if thou wilt have life for thy child peace for thine own conscience and joy in the holy Ghost take it for it is all thine he as it were turnes her loose to all her treasury if she had gone away at the first or second deniall she had found no help but because shee held out shee had all her hearts desire God would have us wrastle with his Majestie that hee may be overcome in mercie and goodnes I might here have taken some of the most desperate cases that could be that you might have seen what faith would have done in the midst of the want of all meanes and in the greatest extremity that could have befalne a poore sinner but I will not stand about it now at this time now therefore consider what hath been said lay these things up and have them ever by you and practise them and by often writing learn to write and by often living learn to live many people live poorly and make a poore shift to go to heaven but I would not have a Christian to live so but be the master of his art know and see your way and use the meanes and labour to get good thereby that you may have sap and sweet of the promises and goe singing and rejoycing triumphing up to heaven Now that which I conclude withall is this you see how far the Lord hath brought us how the soule hath beene prepared and cut off from sin and himselfe if fitted for the Lord Jesus by contrition and humiliation and that the soule comes to see that there is no hope in the creatures nor any succour in heaven but the Lord Jesus Christ and so at last the sinner comes and lies at the foot-stoole of the Lord Jesus Christ and knowes that either he must be another man or a damned man now when he sees that prayer and all other meanes will not profit and the power of the meanes yet prevaile not and the power of his corruptions is not yet mastered then he looks up to Christ and is contented that he should doe what he will with him now when the Lord Jesus Christ sees him lie wearied then with his corruptions then the Lord gives speciall notioâ— to his soule that it is his purpose to do him good and there is mercie for that broken heart of him with that hope is stirred and saith is it possible is it credible shall all this wretchednesse of mine he pardoned desire is kindled and longs for that dâ—â—â— O that I might once see the funerall of all my saâ—â— and then love joy are cheared to entertaine this mercie and saith O how is the soule bound to the God that offers free undeserved grace to a 〈◊〉 borne rebellious hearted sinner at last the wilâ— saith Amen to the promise and saith O that mâ—â—cie I will have thus the soule is come home to 〈◊〉 by vocation now the prodigall is come home to his father and the fathers heart leaps within hâ—â— brest when he sees him lie at the doore and as the father rejoyceth so the Angels in heaven reiâ—â—â—â— and all the faithfull should rejoyce and say O my husband O my father or my child is come hoâ—â— againe and my wife that was a sinfull woman 〈◊〉 come home againe to her first and best husband you that have found it thus in your selves be comforted you that know it in others rejoyce the 〈◊〉 have heard how the soul is ingrafted into the sâ—â—â— Christ Now afterward if the Lord lend life and liberty we shall come to shew what the soule â—â—ceives from the stock consider what I have saiâ— and the Lord give you understanding FINIS
he that now is accused condemned shall now be hanged so here Others beare their hopes and sustaine their hearts upon the privileges that God bestoweth upon them and the meanes they have and in regard of the duties they doe discharge and though they thinke they have faire hopes and great hopes of heaven why say they God will powre downe his wrath upon those that know not God and that call not upon his name but what doe you make of us are we heathen are not we Christians have not wee beene baptized and the Lord hath inabled us to doe something wee call upon his name and seeke him by fasting and prayer and therefore he that hath done so much for us and hath done so much to us sure hee will give us heaven I answer that this bottome is not sufficient to beare up this hope all the privileges thou hast all the meanes ordinances thou enjoyest unlesse thy heart be humbled and thy soule brought to Christ all these will fall under thee and thou wilt goe to hell Rom. 2.28 He is not a Jew that is a Jew outwardly the Jewes they bragged of this they were circumcised and the Heathen were not circumcised they were the seed of Abraham but the Heathen were not Paul vilifieth all this he is not a Jew that is a Jew outwardly thy baptisme thy praying and thy hearing there is no profit by them no comfort in them if thou maintaine a wicked life and a naughty heart therefore this will not serve the turne you know it and the Scripture speaketh it Iudas an Apostle Iudas called by Christ he sat with our Saviour and dipped his hand in the dish he was a Devill then and is with the Devils now the foolish virgins had a trim profession as well as the others thou professest and hearest and prayest thou wilt lye too and cousen too and sweare too thou art naught and this bottome will never beare thee up When they see all this will come to nothing then they make a shift to plead mercy and they hope that will stand then in stead and doe them good when nothing else will and therefore you shall heare carnall wicked men confesse themselves naught their sinnes many and they vile but there is mercie enough in God to releeve them and they hope that will save them Brethren I confesse mercie is able to save thee and if thy hope can lay hold upon it it will save thee if thou be so within the reach of mercie mercie is able to save thee and will save many other besides but thou art not capable of this mercie thou art not within the roome and compasse of mercie what availeth it to talke and speake and hope for mercie and to see a great deale of mercie in Christ a great deale of merit in Christ a great deale of vertue in Christ able to save thee and a thousand more and yet thou not in the compasse of mercie not capable of mercie but sinkest in thy owne sinnes before thou gettest any mercie from God Isa 27.11 hee that made them will have no mercie upon them as who should say it is true here is abundance of mercie mercie enough mercie that saved a poore company of poore Jewes that crucified the Lord Jesus Christ mercie that saved Paul a persecutour Manasses an Idolater but I will shew no mercie unto thee he that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall finde mercie mercie owneth those mercie doth good unto those but unto thee that lovest thy sinnes that embracest thy sinnes that hidâ—st thy sinnes the text saith it thou shalt never finde mercie delude thy selfe thou mayst but thou never shalt have mercie Luke 14.24 there was a marriage made and a rich marriage feast enough to have fed many thousands but those that were bidden did not come they shall not so much as taste of them they shall have none of them so there are sweet comforts strong consolations admirable refreshings able to sustaine a thousand soules but you that would keepe your sinnes and have the pride of your hearts but you that stand it out with the world and will not yeeld to the authoritie of the truth heare what the Lord saith from heaven he that is the God of comfort thou shalt never be comforted he that is the Authour of salvation saith it thou shalt never be saved thou shalt never have a crum of these dainties nor a drop of these sweet wines of spirituall consolation what a world now of men are shut out by these trials that are found guilty of these particulars you poore ignorant creatures doe not many of you lift up your heads full high and many a poore presumptuous hypocrite beare up themselves upon rotten hopes Object but I tell you when you come to the day of judgement all this will faile you but you will say in the former use you laboured us from despaire and incouraged us to hope and yet now you take away all our hopes why if neither creation may comfort us nor the experience of Gods kinde dealing with us may incourage us nor the afflictions that wee have endured in this world nor the privileges that we have enjoyed nor the mercie of themselves may give us any hope to receive mercie why then it seemeth you would have us despaire and cast away all hope of any good Answer The truth is as I must not make the way broader than it is so I must not make it narrower than I ought therefore know these two things As long as thou retainest and keepest a proud stubborne unconverted heart there is no hope in heaven or earth that God should ever shew mercy unto thee and save that hard stonie impenitent unbeleeving heart of thine unlesse thou thinkest that God will bring all thy pride all thy loosenesse and sinfull delights unto heaven God cannot shew thee mercie unlesse he will deny himselfe and crosse his holinesse follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see God God taketh a corporall oath of it an unbeleeving man that liveth under grace despising it and contemning it God taketh an oath he shall never be saved now the oath of God shall ever stand there be two immutable things namely himselfe and his oath himselfe cannot be changed his oath cannot be broken now the Lord sweareth such a man shall not enter into his rest a man may be saved that cannot keepe the law fully of himselfe but a man cannot be saved that will not humble his soule before the Lord and receive mercy from him and hence Ephes 2.12 Without God without Christ without hope the Lord hath said the Lord hath sworne it that an unbeleeving an unrepenting sinner shall never come unto heaven he cannot save thy soule untill he hath humbled thy soule hee cannot save thy soule as long as thou retainest an unbeleeving soule This is that which you must take notice of that I may let in a little crevise of comfort to every naturall man that I
may set open a peepe-hole of mercy know therefore this that though the Lord will not nay the Lord according to his oath cannot save a continuing unbeleever yet here is all the hope thou hast and blesse God for it and bee thankfull that thou hast it though whilest thou art an unbeleeving creature thou canst have no mercy from God yet God can make thee a beleever he can breake that heart he can make thee good therefore I say blesse God that thou art yet in the land of the living and say good Lord this is mercy that I am on this side hell if I had died I had as certainly gone to hell as the coat upon my backe hath not the Lord said it did not the Minister speake it and the Word reveale it that as long as I had a proud naughty stubborne wretched heart I should never finde mercy unlesse I should thinke that God would make new Scriptures turne the course of his providence to save a company of base wretched creatures Oh my brethren you that are yet in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity proud before and proud still that live and lie in your sinnes I say every morning and every evening that yet you live thinke with your selves Hath God given me this hope this liberty and that my life is continued why now bestirre your selves to get mercy I beseech you thinke oâ— it if you be not wrought upon by the Word if Heaven and Earth should meet together to save thee and an Angell from Heaven would speake comfort unto thee all would faile therefore you see by this time in what case these are goe aside and mourn for your selves and neighbours this say if you will continue proud and wicked there is no hope for you all the hope is this you are yet alive the Lord may humble that heart hee may enlighten your eyes he may worke upon thy soule else there is no mercy for thee Vse 2 It is an use of consolation and I hope you will be content to heare that I beseech you therefore to observe what I say take notice here that every poore broken hearted sinner may take some ground here to stay his soule though much disquieted though exceedingly perplexed when the soule seemeth to be aloofe off from the Lord when the Lord doth not shine abroad the sweetnesse of his mercy upon the soule when the Lord withdraweth himselfe and his grace in assisting and comforting his Saints when thou hast no sense no feeling thou canst not bee perswaded of it or thy heart beleeve it canst thou but looke up to God and hope I say thy condition is good thou art a good scholler in the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Esay 40.18 The Lord waiteth upon his Saints to doe them good but marke what the Text saith Blessed is every man that waiteth upon the Lord he doth not say blessed is the man that hath sense of Gods favour blessed is the man that hath assurance of Gods mercy but blessed is that man that waiteth upon the Lord thou saist thou canst not doe this and thou canst not doe that I say if thou canst but wait and hope for the mercy of the Lord I say thou art a rich Christian if a man hath many reversions though he hath them not for the present men that judge of his estate will not judge him for his present estate but for his reversions which hee shall have haply thou hast not for the present the sense and feeling of the assurance of Gods love away with that feeling doe not dote upon it thou hast reversions of old leases ancient mercies old compassions such as have beene reserved from the beginning of the world and know thou hast a faire inheritance this is observable Rom. 8 28. We are saved by hope now hope that is seene is no hope for why should a man hope for that which a man hath wee are saved through hope now if you would have hope to be seene you have no hope in conclusion though thou hast it not in thy eye yet if thou dost hope it is enough that hope will save thy soule It is the folly of our sinfull proud hearts that sometimes in the sense of our owne sinnes and sight of our owne unworthinesse we almost disdaine to looke upon what God hath done for us and we consider not the kindnesse of the Lord. That place in the Psalmist The eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him and wait for him it is the wretched distemper of the soule we can fall out with heaven and our selves because we cannot have what we would nay we quarrell against the means of grace what availe meanes and helpes as long as I have such a stubborne naughty heart Psal 174 1â—1 The Lord taketh pleasure in those that feare him and wait for his mercy alas brethren out of the pride of your owne spirits you fall out with God and your selves and so deprive your selves of this comfort Object But you will say were my hopes of the right stampe and of the right coyne then a man might comfort himselfe therein though he wanted the sense of Gods love and the assurance of his mercy but there are many false hopes flashy hopes leane hopes how shall a man know that his hope is sound and good and will comfort him Ans You may know it by these foure particulars The first is this a grounded hope it hath a peculiar certainty in it it doth bring home unto the soule in speciall manner the goodnesse of God and the riches of his love in Jesus Christ this same grounded hope doth not stand upon Ifs and And 's but it saith it must be undoubtedly it must certainly bee mine and this you must know it is the nature of hope to make a thing to be certaine Hope maketh things infallible and undoubted and withall there is a kinde of speciality a bringing home of Gods goodnesse unto the soule in a peculiar manner hope alwayes if sound it hath something to say for it selfe alwaies it hath a ward to hang and hold upon Psal 130.5 I wait upon the Lord and I hope in his Word and so Rom. 15.4 All things are written for our instruction that through the comfort of the Scriptures wee might have hope here is hope not through your conceits imaginations and dreames but through the Scripture we might have hope a grounded hope is a Scripture hope it is a word hope and therefore those that cannot bring a word and give a reason for their hope I would not give a rush nor a farthing token for a hundred cart load of such hopes No it is Law hope it is Gospell hope Scripture hope Word hope so that the soule can say the Word saith the Lord came to save those that are lost why I finde my selfe to be lost and therefore I hope the Lord will seeke mee though I cannot seeke him I hope the Lord will finde me though I cannot
come to the Lord Jesus when he calls you then Hell is to good for you beare witnesse of it many a soule here this day is still resolved to goe on in his sins and sayes I am resolved to have my owne courses and I will be as proud as ever and sweare and drinke as much as ever and I will not goe to Jesus Christ whither will yee goe then Will yee goe to destruction I call the Angels and all the Saints to record you will not come then you must to destruction there is no other way to come to Jesus Christ but by beleeving in him Now further to discover the fearfulnesse of this sinne and the misery of them that continue in it let mee lay it open by foure particulars whereby it shall appeare that howsoever unbeleevers make no great matter of it yet if they have the hearts of men about them they shall see the misery of their owne soules and that in thâ—se foure particulars First it keeps off the riches of mercies that are in Christ from the soule that it cannot enjoy them there is no happinesse but onely by communion with God and now infidelity keeps off God from us and keeps out that goodnesse which God is willing to bestow upon us if we had hearts fitted to receive it Infidelity shuts up a poore sinner that hee cannot looke out nor looke up towards Heaven and that 's the reason why when the Lord chaines ups poore sinner under the power of his chiefe displeasure he gives them up to hardnesse of heart and unbeleefe Rom. 11.32 He hath shut up all in unbeleefe it is a comparison thus to be conceived as it is with a hainous malefactour that hath conspired against the King and when he is taken they put him into little ease or some such close darke dungeon and clap cold irons upon him and if any friend come to bring him any thing hee cannot speake with him nor he cannot receive it because he is close prisoner So the Lord doth in his heavy displeasure hee locks up the soule in unbeleef and holds the heart in the chaines of unbeleef that howsoever judgements passe up and downe the world yet all these judgements cannot awaken him nor all mercies why because the unbeleever is sure enough hee cannot so much as looke to that mercy prepared and offered in Iesus Christ and that 's the reason why when the Lord comes by in all his glory and mercy as he did Exod. 33.6.7 saying the Lord the Lord strong mercifull and glorious When all these passe by the unbeleever fits in his seat but his heart is lockt up that hee cannot looke up and that 's the reason why the Apostle saith Rom. 11.8 He hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare to this very day that though he hath all the calls of mercy yet he hath eyes and sees not and all is still and nothing stirring in the soule nay it is not onely shut up and cannot come to God but unbeleefe barres the doores that Jesus Christ cannot come to it therefore Iohn 1.11 He came to his owne and his owne received him not but in the 12. verse to as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sonnes of God this unbeleefe barres the doores and raiseth Forts against him and closeth every crevis of the heart that not a beame of mercy not a glimpse of pitty can be let into the soule so long as it is in this condition I beseech you observe it unbeleefe is a fin not so much of one faculty of the soule but it is that as carries the whole man with it as when a man sets himselfe in any unruly will and will be ruled thereby so that it stops every passage and there is no entrance for mercy for looke as it is with faith the root of it is in the will but the rule of it is over all the whole man and therefore faith carries all the whole soule to God love and hope and joy and all goes towards God and the very same nature unbeleefe hath to carry the soule from God the root of it is in the will but the rule of it is in the whole man and keepes the soule under the power and authority of it as by faith wee goe home to the Lord Jesus Christ and are content that he should doe what he will with us so unbeleefe keepes the soule under command and will dispose of all at his owne pleasure this is the poyson and venome of this corruption it stops all the passages of the soule that Christ cannot come at it nor it at Christ so that if eternall life and happinesse were laid downe upon the naile yet unbeleefe will not suffer the soule to stretch out a little finger to it and saith love and joy I charge you delight not in that mercy and desire looke not out after it nay if the wrath of God bee revealed from Heaven against the soule yet it stops the soule that the wrath of God moves it not because unbeleefe rules and saith feare tremble not at Gods judgements and sorrow mourne not you for sinne come all this way and sorrow for the losse of profits and pleasures and because my will is crossed but I will not have you so much as looke after God This is the cursed nature of unbeleefe that there is nothing of God of grace and happinesse can come neere the soule unlesse the iron gate of infidelity bee pluckt off the hinges and the bars be broken asunder this is that which the holy Prophet speakes of Isay 7.9 when the Lord would expresse the power of himselfe in an extraordinary manner he bids Ahaz that he should looke for a miracle and yet he saith If you beleeve not you cannot be established so that though God expressed never such miraculous power of mercy and goodnesse yet so long as the heart is lockt up in unbeleefe there is no mercy can come at him nay which is worse if worse can be unbeleefe not onely shuts the doore against Christ and will not receive him when hee intreats for entrance but it sets open the doore to all base lusts to sinne and Satan than which there can bee no greater indignity offered to the God of heaven and earth as Ier. 2.12.13 Oh ye heavens be astonished at this why what is the matter my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and digged to themselves broken pits that will hold no water This is not onely unreasonable but unnaturall and the heavens they shake at it it is against the course of nature that a man should depart from the Almighty that would strengthen him and to rest upon his owne folly and goe from the wisedome of God that would direct him in every good way nay it chuseth a mans owne base corruptions and lusts and in the meane time departs away
from the Lord and his grace and his mercy and it preferres sinne and the Devill before the Lord and all that sufficiency of good that is in him and therefore the Prophet wisheth the Heavens to bee astonished at this weake things naturally incline to that which may strengthen them and heavy things will not rest untill they come to the earth because that will sustaine them Oh what a basenesse is this the Heavens are weary of a base wretch that will trust to his owne corrupt heart and renounce grace and Christ and happinesse and all this is the first passage Secondly unbeleefe it makes all means to bee unprofitable that is when a man is setled upon his folly and is resolved to rest upon his rebellious will and to bee ruled by that hee will not looke out nor attend nor give entertainment to whatsoever is revealed to the contrary This makes all meanes unprofitable bee the meanes never so precious and powerfull and though they have done never so much good in quickning the hearts of others yet they never doe these men good this unbeleefe makes all meanes to be spilt upon the ground and they never doe good to an unbeleeving heart as Heb. 4.12 let us feare therefore lest at any time by forsaking the promise of entring into his rest any of you should seeme to be deprived of the grace and mercy of God for the word was preached first to us as also unto them but it did not profit them that heard it because it was not mixed with faith there is the cause be the reproofes and threatnings never so fierce that it would almost affright the heart of a Devill and the comforts never so sweet and the heart of a poore Minister never so enlarged to worke upon the hard-hearted yet infidelity is as the buckler that beares off all and he saith I will never beleeve it all his words fall to the ground and enter not unto the heart no reproofe terrifies no exhortation prevailes the heart is unbeleeving it beats backe and shuts out all this is the reason why the Devill labours to make up this fortresse above all the rest because he knowes if any man have an unbeleeving heart it will make all meanes unprofitable the Devill is content that men have parts and gifts and these will carry a man to hell that hath an unbeleeving heart and therefore many wicked men that are the Devils factours and schoolmasters the first lecture they read to a poore soule that is comming on because they feare that hee will bee wrought upon by the word and the light of the word is come into his minde and his eyes are inlightned and hee saith If this bee true that the word saith then hee saith I am a miserable man the Lord be mercifull to me now see what the carnall wretch that is the Devils familiar saith to him I hope you have more wit than to bee perswaded of whatsoever he saith he speakes out of passion and he must say something and threatned men live long c. thus nothing workes upon him and the Minister had as good speake to the pillars for all comes to nothing and we finde it in nature thus that the not beleeving of any thing keepes the heart from being affected with it as for example thus let there bee never so many threatnings as that the Spanyard hath an invincible navie of so many ships set out the merchant that understands any thing knowes that the Spanyard cannot make such a navie and therefore they beleeve it not but in eighty eight every mans heart begins to shake and every man begins to bestirre himselfe nay let the promise be never so faire and sweet yet if wee are not perswaded of it we never care for his kindenesse and we looke not after it and say these are good words and faire words make fooles faine but wee beleeve it not just thus it is with an unbeleever when hee comes to receive all the meanes of grace from the Lords hands and when all judgements are denounced from heaven and the wrath of God against sinne and the word saith Be not deceived God is not mocked if you soâ— to the flesh and walke after it you shall reape everlasting perdition and againe No adulterer nor drunkard shall enter into the kingdome of heaven they heare these and consider of them and make a small mater of it and will not beleeve it and therefore they tremble not at it and are not affected with that cursed condition in which they are Deut. 29.18 19. when the Lord had denounced all the judgements that could be expressed all the mercies that could bee revealed in the end he saith Take heed lest there be in any of you any root of bitternesse so then when yee heare the words of this curse yee blesse your selves in this estate and say I shall have peace though I walke in mine owne wayes as if he had said if any man come to this that hee can heare all the flashes that come from hell and see hell gaping for him and here the thundering of Gods judgements and beleeves nothing but blesseth himselfe and saith the Prophets and Ministers must say something and they must have leave to speake but yet I shall bee blessed for all this this wipes of all the authority of the truth of God looke as it is in nature that physick which the stomack is not able to retaine though it bee never so good it will never purge and the meat though never so comfortable yet if the stomack cannot take it downe and digest it it will never nourish a man so be the word never so physicall and cordiall yet if a man have 〈◊〉 unbeleeving hâ—â—â—t that he will not take downe the truth it is marvellous certaine that that word cannot profit an unbeleeving heart and thatâ— the cause of that curse which Ieremiah speakes of chap. 17.5 Cursed bee the man that trusts in man and hee that maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord for hee shall bee like the barren heath in the wildernesse that it shall not see when good commeth as it is with a barren heath though the seed bee never so good and the seasons never so comfortable and though the sunne shine never so fairly upon it and though the dewes come from heaven never so sweetly yet there will not be a graine of good corne because it is a barren heath so it is with that unbeleeving heart of thine thy heart shall be like a barren heath and thou shalt never see when good commeth much good will come to thy family it may be there will one childe be humbled and it will come to the same chamber one servant is hardened and another saved the wife converted and the husband is hardned and the husband is converted and the wife is wayward and froward still now though the dewes of heaven bee never so comfortable so that one poore soule is strengthened and
of God and the powerfull worke thereof may marvellously snub and wound sinne but infidelitie will heale it againe and will restore life to it againe I compare reformation to the retreat of an army when one side is weake and the other side is too strong and they are not able to make their parts good then they make a retreat and goe home againe to their trenches and hee that wisely retreats himselfe though he may lose the day yet he loseth not a man and the Commander saith such a man was wounded and such a man was hurt a little but we came all well home they retreat into the trenches and get more strength and then they levy our their forces againe So it is with outward reformation haply a man lives under a powerfull Minister under a good master and in a good family and all these make sin retreat and hee dares not sweare and he cannot walke in his wicked wayes his master curbs him all this while his sinnes make a retreat but there is none of them gone the life of never a one of them is gone so long as he hath an unbeleeving heart let the unbeleever enjoy never such means and live in never so good a family yet he hath not one sinne killed they are onely retreated and so unbeleefe nurseth them and makes them grow out with greater violence This I take to be the reason why many a man that hath professed the Gospell and hath had much horror of heart and many good resolutions and much care expressed outwardly after many yeers his corruptions breake out againe and get ground and they are armed afresh and they run violently and for any thing a man knowes they goe downe to hell how many professours have turned to be uncleane persons and to be drunkards because their old sinnes were but onely snubbed by good company and the word c. But they never had their hearts throughly broken the root that nursed all was still the same and therefore they breake out notoriously to the dishonour of God the scandall of the Gospell and the confusion of their owne soules if God be not mercifull Fourthly as unbeleefe keepes God from the soule and makes all meanes unprofitable and maintaines all sinne in the strength and life of it So lastly it makes the soule of a poor sinner to be in a desperate estate and a man continuing in this condition is past hope help recovery beleeving is the last covenant that ever God hath exprest a man may be saved and not doe the law but a man cannot be saved if he doe not beleeve that 's the last covenant and condition of all and if hee stick here he is past all recovery without a wonderfull worke from Heaven Heb. 3.18 There the Lord takes a solemne oath that they that would not beleeve should never enter into his rest to whom did he sweare thus to them that beleeved not God never takes an oath that hee that keeps not the law shall not bee saved or that hee that cannot performe to keepe all the Commandements shall not be saved and never see happinesse no but he takes an oath that they that beleeve not shall never see happinesse and when God once sweares the thing is unchangeable God never swore that if Adam did not doe hee should not live but if he had not beleeved in that Christ that was promised hee had never beene saved but though we cannot live by exact doing yet we may live by beleeving and we may goe to another to doe what God requires of us and this is the reason of that peremptory curse which God sealâ—s downe upon the hearts of unbeleevers Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth is not condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already hee hath one foot in hell but why is it so I answer looke as it is with a man that hath a case to be tried if it be tried in all the courts of England and he cast in them all there is no more trouble to bee made nor no more hope of recovery So it is in this hee that beleeveth not is cast in all Courts in Heaven and earth Law and Gospell both condemne him justice will not save him for it must bee satisfied and mercy will not save him for he is an unbeleever so that there is no trial to be lookt for the sentence is passed upon him in heaven and earth onely there wants a Jaylor to bring him to the gibbit that is death and the devill who is the hangman to turne him off into hell for ever there to plague him nay unbeleefe bindes Gods hand and hinders the power of God as may be said with reverence he may justifie a sinner but he will not justifie an unbeleever in his estate of unbeleefe Marke 6.5 He could doe no miracle there because of their unbeleefe the text doth not say hee did not great workes there So S. Matthew hath it but he could doe no great workes there so the Lord hee can doe mighty workes he can justifie a sinner and comfort the discomforted and cleanse the polluted and save the polluted but he will not save the unbeleever hee cannot worke this mighty worke upon him and therefore doe not trouble thy selfe so much for mercy towards thee if thou bee an unbeleever never dreame of comfort for God cannot save thee will God goe against his owne words then he should not bee truth hee hath sworne that an unbeleever shall not enter into his rest this word and oath shall stand for ever Therefore goe to God that hee may give thee a beleeving heart and then mercy will come and pardon and glory will come to the soule but remaining in unbeleefe hee cannot save thee hee will not deny his Word nor his oath for never an unbeleeving wretch under Heaven Now if you doe conceive the nature of your sinne and your misery thereby then for the Lords sake you that heare the Word this day all you unbeleevers that never had this worke of faith in your soules hie you out of this miserable condition goe your wayes and give no quiet to your soules nor no comfort to your consciences before the Lord shew mercy to you in removing this corruption from your soules and shew mercy to you Now whether you have true faith or no I shall shew afterwards when I shall come to trie every mans evidence and that yee may come out of this unbeleeving condition labour to see the danger of it in three particulars and establish thy heart with these considerations that thou maist never bee in quiet till thou have some power against them and grace to come out of them First know and consider seriously that whatsoever thou dost so long as thou art an unbeleever it is all unprofitable and to no purpose at al couldst thou heare with attention and remember sufficiently whatsoever is revealed and pray with abilitie and understanding beseeming a Christian man in that case didst thou reforme
whatsoever is amisse outwardly thou seest the evill and labourest to reforme it and whatsoever service is required to God or man thou dost it as thou art able and walkest unblamably all this is to no profit if thou remainest in unbeleefe The God of Heaven never receives the prayers of an unbeleever bee his prayers never so glorious and his attendance on the means never so diligent yet the God of heaven regards not the performances and therefore say of thy unbeleeving soule as Haman did of Mordecay Ester 5.13 when the King had granted him all that his heart could desire and his requests were ever made good and his malice ever satisfied and the posts dispatched it to root out the Jewes and was invited to the Queenes feast yet one thing tooke away all the contentment of the other when he saw Mordecay sit in the Kings gate and reverenced him not this overthrew all as he did sinfully and foolishly so doe thou wisely and with great judgement and reason thus and say good Lord what availes it me to heare and pray and live unblamably so long as I see this unbeleefe perking it selfe in this corrupt heart of mine So long as this remaines all my praiers will doe me no good these will bring the wrath of God upon mee nay the wrath of God is upon mee and I am condemned already in my fasting prayer and all my holy duties Secondly confider that all the good things thou hast will prove uncomfortable to thee whiles this unbeleefe continues in thy soule it is very observable you know the heart of a man is sometimes cheared and the soule is contented partly with the good things of the world which it receives partly with other things not onely temporall but also spirituall which God gives now I would have an unbeleeving heart take off the contentment of these with the feare of this danger and this will dash all thy delights and spoile all thy pleasures and mar all thy mirth let that alwayes come for a back reckoning wee should thinke of this it might bee as gall to our corrupt hearts Thou liftest up thy parts and saist my parts are greats my abilities many I am able to conferre to performe duties bee it so that thou hast all these and another saith thou seest thy barnes full and store-house full thou hast honours to advance thee and riches and all delights to give thee content and I grant this and yet thou hast an unbeleeving heart to depart from the living God and when thou hast these Oh woe to that miserable soule of thine Good brethren thinke of these things it is good to heare of this now and better it is to know them now than to know them when it is too late now you have your houses and beds and pleasures to comfort you but you have an unfaithfull heart goe thy wayes poore wretch thou hast enough thou hast that about thee that will sink thy heart for ever Oh let this be written upon the palmes of your hands and graven upon the testures of thy bed and say this is a goodly house and I have goodly riches but I have an unfaithfull heart too labour to be affected with this for the Lords sake you know what Esau said prophanely when hee was like to die What 's my birth-right to me if I die for hunger Gen. 25.32 I tell you it will be as gall and wormewood to you when the drunkard is in his cups and the adulterer in his dalliances you may say I have this and that but what availes these when I have an unbeleeving wretched heart about me I carry my bane and that which will be my breake-necke Lastly when you begin to see some sinne base and vile and odious in the account of the world and sometimes in your owne account then thinke thus with your selves and say doe I see a basenesse in this and that sinne what then shall I thinke of my unbeleefe which is the breeder of all these could I see mine owne base heart it is the mother and breeder of all these sinnes thou art loth to be seene drunke in the street because the boyes would hoot at thee and thou art afeard of murder or theft because thou wouldst not be taken for a jayle-bird thou art ashamed of these wert thou but a witch or a traitour or a man condemned wouldst thou not be ashamed hadst thou but reason in thee thy soule would shake at it and say Oh wretch that I am that I should live to bring such discredit upon my selfe and all good men Oh goe thy way and looke into thy heart and say I may thanke an unbeleeving heart for all these if I had not had an unbeleeving heart I had not beene overtaken with any of all these sinnes nor dishonoured God by this sinne as I have done unbeleefe is the authour of all and therefore to be hated more than all I would faine have people looke inward thou hast stollen such a thing from such a man and thou art ashamed of it now infidelity can rob God of his honour and by this sinne thou hast refused the Lord Jesus Christ and thus dog thy owne heart ever and anon and when thou hast done so be earnest with the Lord to take these cursed corruptions from thee sigh especially under this sinne and labour above all to be freed from this sinne and then all the rest will dye and decay in thee I would have a poore unbeleever doe as the prisoners doe in New-gate what lamentable cries will they utter saying good your worship remember the miseries of poore prisoners good Gentleman spare a farthing to the wants of poore prisoners so thou art shut up in unbeleefe therefore looke out from the gates of hell and from under the barres of infidelity and crie that God would looke on thee in mercy and spare Lord a poore unbeleeving wretch lockt up under the barres of unbeleefe good Lord succour and deliver in thy good time and as the Prophet David saith Psal 79.11 Let the sighing of the prisoners come up before thee though that was meant of the bodily imprisonment yet the argument prevailes much more in regard of the spirituall thraldome good Lord let the sighing of the prisoners come before thee so goe thou thy way home and humble thy selfe in thy secret closet and cry out of the prison of unbeleefe and say Let the sighing of poore distrustfull soules come up before thy Majesty send helpe from heaven and deliver the soule of thy servant from these wretched distempers of heart deale in this case as men that are ingaged for prisoners so doe thou with the Lord Jesus Esa 49.8 9. it is the office of Christ and for this end hee came into the world and the Lord saith In an acceptable time I have heard thee and in the day of salvation have I helped thee that thou mayst say to the prisoners goe forth and to them that are in darknesse shew
great and marvellous are thy workes and in the 107. Psalme 8. when the Prophet had shewed the great workes that God had done for his people Israel he saith Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men This was also a type of our spirituall comming home to Christ wee are all slaves to the Devill and in spirituall bondage under sinne hell and death but faith sets a man upon the shore and brings him home unto Christ as Iohn 5.24 He that doth beleeve is passed from death to life Lord saith the poore soule I confesse I was in the mouth of hell but now I am passed from death to life faith sets a man beyond sinne and death and all therefore the soule should be thankfull and sing a song of praise unto the Lord his God Now there are two bottomes from the former Doctrine which give foot-hold to your comfort First by beleeving all the goodnesse and mercie of God is thine and he cannot nay he will not deny thee therefore thou mayst with boldnesse challenge the good of all that mercie and goodnesse of his When God hath engaged himselfe to be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee he cannot take away his mercy from a faithfull soule because hee cannot deny himselfe hee will not denie his truth and his promise therefore the Saints of God cannot but be partakers of all this mercie and goodnesse the Apostle saith Ephes 3.17 Christ dwels in our hearts by faith so Coloss 2.3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge now gather up all and the summe is thus much and there you may see how the comfort comes by faith I lay hold upon a Saviour in whom dwell all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and so I lay hold upon these what would you have and what is it that may comfort you thou art beggerly in wisdome and in consolation and in all the graces of Gods Spirit but if thou hast faith thou hast a Christ and in him are all the treasures of wisdome and mercie take your treasure and be inriched for evermore you may doe it it is your owne Secondly all the sinnes that thou standest guilty of and all the temptations of Sathan cannot hinder thee from injoying that light and receiving that good which thou hast need of there is no sinne that hath beene committed can stand betweene thee and eternall life be thy corruptions never so many for number never so vile and strong for nature never so long for continuance in them and all those old bruises and old lusts of youth which make thee say can the Lord pardon me and is it possible for such a wretch as I am to have mercie that have all these corruptions I answer it skils not what thy sinnes be see thy faith and repentance bee sound it matters not what thou hast beene a rebell even against God if now thou canst beleeve and rest upon God and repent thee of thy sinnes Quest But now the point growes on the soule is in some reasonable manner satisfied that if it had faith then it could be satisfied but many seeme to have faith and have it not if my faith were true I could gaine some sound comfort to my selfe that all would goe well with mee but how shall I know that Answ I answer I confesse that the faith of the most men in the world is but a meere delusion as I shall discover in the next use of reproofe but that thou maist be undoubtedly perswaded of the truth of this grace that though thy faith be never so little yet it is saving justifying faith I will therefore lay downe some trials I will not now intrench upon any of the particulars that come afterward but onely lay open such particulars for triall as are in the doctrine I know faith purifies the heart and workes by love c. and faith makes a new creature but these come too farre off I will onely gather somwhat from the point in hand Triall 1 First observe the root and rise of thy faith the cause by which thy faith was wrought and from whence it came and this will be an undoubted evidence whether thy faith be good or not therefore when thou dost begin to brag and say I doe beleeve then aske thy heart this question and say how came I by it prove it have I faith make it good then it is not enough to say so but let mee see that it is so didst thou bring it into the world with thee did thy wits contrive it did thy parts and abilities worke it and because thou hast more wit and learning than others and thou thinkest it as easie a matter to beleeve as to understand a hard writing if it bee thus thy faith is a delusion and no faith at all it is true here of faith which Iob speakes of wisdome nature saith it is not in me and eloquence saith it is not in me I know not the way to it all these say I have heard the newes of faith but I am not acquainted with it God onely knowes the way thereof and is the worker of it the text saith Every man than hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me the Father must first teach this lesson or else no man can understand it except the Father give thee a heart to know Jesus Christ there is no power in thee that is able to give this grace to the soule hast thou thy faith from heaven then it is like to bee of the right kinde but it must bee from thence it ariseth not from the earth it comes not from parts and gifts and learning it must come from heaven or else it is not of the right kinde all the coine that is currant is minted in the tower by authoritie of the King if not it is not currant in 1 Pet. 1.7 the Apostle cals it precious faith it must bee stamped by the Lord Jesus Christ by the hand of the Spirit it must come from the tower of Zion or else it is copper faith and not saving justifying faith nor that which will stand in steed in the day of triall here or in the day of judgement hereafter as wee say in nature the Alcumists are growne to that skill that they will make Alcumie appeare to be perfect silver and gold and much of it will beare the touchstone insomuch that a man can hardly discover some of it it is so cunningly made but when the fire and the hammer comes it will beare neither of them but the true gold comes from the gold oare and will endure the fire and hammer the alcumie gold comes not from the right place where the gold is it comes not from the minerals from the golden mines so there is a great deale of this alcumie faith for the world is come to this passe that they have a faith of their owne faining
the cure remember two passages First be fearfull and jealous of thy selfe when through Gods assistance and helpe thou art able to get some power in the performance of service to get some measure of sufficiencie when thou hast abilities about thee bee most fearfull and jealous because then thy estate lieth in most hazard doe in this case as sea-faring men doe they hoise up saile and goe amaine where there is no hazard and where there is sea roome enough but if they goe in a straight or in a sand where many have suffered ship-wrack and there is a remembrance of it such a man perished here and such a man suffered shipwrack here how carefull are they then to sterne aright and observe all curiously and exactly lest they fall where others fell before them and suffer shipwrack where others were overthrowne or looke as it is with men that travell if they come to some suspicious or theevish places though they were carelesse before yet when they come there lest they be surprised on the sudden and to fortifie themselves one rides with his sword drawne and another with his hand upon his sword and they make what speed they can because they suspect an assault so it is here Saul hath slaine his thousands and David his ten thousands I tell you carnall securitie hath kild many but carnall confidence hath sunke downe ten hundred thousands into hell when you come then to this stand when God hath enlightned your mindes and given you some parts and bestowed some abilities upon you and now you clap and applaud your selves and say this is somewhat this it is to be a Christian poore novices must come and live upon my crums and desire my information the Lord hath enlightned my eyes and wrought upon my heart thou art now upon a sand for the Lord Jesus sake take heed to thy selfe here Saint Paul had like to have suffered shipwracke and here those hypocrites in Isay 28. suffered shipwracke here is the skull of one man and the hand of another man and the soule of another man I meane thousands have suffered shipwrack here now looke to heaven and suspect thine owne soule and thinke if the Lord keepe mee now I shall escape the worst but here is the most hazard therefore I must be most carefull hereof it is pretty to observe in experience poore Christians that are lowly and humble how tenderly doe they walke how fearfull are they of their hearts of their pride and peevishnesse and idlenesse and carelesnesse when you shall see a bold brazen fac'd presumptuous carnall wretch because hee can pray and read and heare he will follow riotous fashions and continue in base courses and carrie all away with his abilities The second thing I would have you consider is this grow every day up in the observance of thine owne basenesse and in the acquaintance of thine owne weaknesse in the best of thy duties this is a sweet pitch of a Christian the more God bestowes and the more grace God vouchsafes he goeth away and hangs downe his head and wonders at Gods goodnesse that ever the Lord should help a poore creature so to call upon his Name and sayes Lord it is thy grace it came from the assistance of thy Spirit but that ever a wretch should say to his services and duties yee are my gods abhorre this in thy soule and keep a marvellous dislike of thy selfe and a low esteem of thy duties and bee wondering at Gods grace and admiring at Gods mercy and returne to God that hee hath given thee power to performe any service and lie thou in the dust and trample upon thine owne performances doe therefore as Paul did Phil. 3.7 he saith Now these things I counted gaine I count losse for Christ Oh my zeale for the Law and the exact strictnesse of the Pharisees I thought that would have carried mee to Heaven but they are dung I will tread them underfeet nay doubtlesse I count all things not only the services I did before and the prayers before God called me but even since the best prayers and performances I ever did dung in the comparison of Christ What availes it for a man to faile faiâ—e on the Sea and suffer shipwracke in the haven he had been as good have perished at Sea thou sailest faire in the world in thy duties and thou sufferest shipwrack in the haven and restest in thy duties and goest downe to hell thou and thy duties and all therefore labour to see a need of a Christ even to heale and to pardon thy best performances that ever thou madest and never leave thy soule and thy service till thou grow to 〈◊〉 apprehension of the basenesse therein and so 〈◊〉 to Christ The third hindrance is this the sinner by this time is driven from these two holds and driven two staires higher to Christ the sinner seeth he must change and that he cannot helpe himselfe his prayers and performances are good things good meanes but the Physitian is in another place a mans legs may carry him to the Physitian but they cannot cure him so a mans services are good things but he cannot helpe himselfe he must goe to another for helpe Another hindrance is this when the sinner sees hee cannot helpe himselfe yet he thinkes he is able to goe to another for helpe it is a thing incident to our nature and it is usuall that we thinke that it is in our power to beleeve and that the matter of resting upon Christ is not a matter of that difficultie and that hardnesse as some Ministers pretend and the Word seemes to expresse unto us and this is that keepes a man utterly from going out I beseech you observe it though a man cannot helpe himselfe in nature yet a man will say hee can call to another for helpe though a man cannot succour himselfe in his want and necessitie yet to take supply from another that is an easie matter so when we cannot doe what duties we should when wee cannot satisfie Gods justice as he requires and answer the law we thinke though we our selves cannot helpe our selves yet wee can goe to Christ and intreat him and beseech him to help us and wee can receive succour and help from him this is not so hard a matter this is our nature take notice of it in experience looke into the course of mens carriages and lives wee shall observe that every man will acknowledge his infirmities in other things but now his inabilities in this there is not one man confesseth one complaines his abilities are poore hee cannot pray as he should another his parts are meane he cannot conferre as he ought another his passions are unruly and heady and he cannot master them as God requires and commands thus every one will confesse his infirmities in other things but goe to every mans doore and aske doe you not beleeve why all the swearers and drunkards and sots in the towne they can beleeve they can