his Meditation or his corruption It was that which caused the venom of Gods vengeance and the poyson of his own abominations to enter into his bones Psal. 51. 4. My sin is ever before me And this is the peculiar work of Meditation to keep things in present view and fresh apprehension it keeps sin ever before mens eyes The sinner is forced to walk and talk with it to wake and sleep with it to eat and drink his sins and curses due to him for the same they are 〈◊〉 out to him in every cutting and 〈◊〉 before him in every 〈◊〉 that is set at the Table Psal. 119. 98. It was Meditation that drew out the marrow 〈◊〉 quintessence of Counsel and Wisdom out of the Command so that David came to have more understanding than the Antient Because thy Commandements are ever with me Meditation drains and draws out the dreadful venom of a mans distempers and makes it ever with him where ever he goes in every 〈◊〉 he takes the guilt of his sins is before him to accuse and Hell gaping to devour him where ever he is his sin and guilt his fears and terrors his curses and confusion is with him to astonish him to al eternity To have a wound or sore is troublesom but to be raking in it dayly though it were never so smal were in truth intollerable So it is here Meditation is the multiplication of al these stings and terrors When Meditation hath thus taken hold of the heart it then drags it to the Throne of Justice and then drives it to seek out for payment and satisfaction without which it cannot be eased nor delivered This is the Markstone within which the bounds and limits of Meditation are to be confined that it may be ordered and acted aright according to the Method of the Almighty and a right Rule When the soul is summoned to answer the Charge and is under the Arrest and not able to escape it finds now the severity of Gods Justice that exacts all even the utmost the greatness of the debt and it 's own inability to answer yet pay he must or else he must perish It drives the soul to see a need of a Christ and mercy and that it ought to seek out thither for relief and satisfaction This is the aim of the Duty and Gods end in fastening thus the filth and guilt and desert of sin upon the soul and it should be our end also And here a Three-fold extream unto which the soul is very subject in the exercise of this Service is especially to be avoided 1 Desperate Discouragements 2 Hellish Provocations 3 False Conceivings of the measure of Gods Work or the manner of his proceedings which we frame to our selves in our own thoughts All which are aberrations from the right way and Rule and prove marvelous prejudicial in our proceeding And the Enemy strives to put us upon all these by al the malice and policy he can use If he cannot keep us in security and hinder us from setting out in a Christian course his next endeavor is to wrack us upon rocks and fholes and sands and so to hazard our passage A word of all First We must beware of desperate discouragements in the consideration of our evil waies for first Satan useth al the crafts and wiles that he can that we may not see our sins if we never know the danger we wil never avoid can never escape it But if he see the sinner resolved to make a through search and to make work of it he then labors to carry him as much to the contrary extream that he shal see nothing but sin before he bore him in hand he needed no pardon now he perswades him there is no hope of pardon Before his estate was safe and good and need not be altered nor he trouble himself about it it 's now so vile and desperate there is no help and cannot be recovered Before he soothed up the sinner it was in his power to reform when he would now he perswades there is no possibility in Heaven or Earth to relieve Do you not see saies Satan the greatness of the guilt of your former sins that 's dayly before you the power of present corruptions prevailing more and more do you not see that all the means you have and endeavors you use do you no good only you encrease your sin the more by the abuse of Duties and Ordinances and God hath forsaken you rejected your person cast out your prayers blesseth not his Ordinances to you for good talk not you of Grace and Mercy you have deluded your self with those dreams too long look not out for any such relief which you know you have formerly neglected and it 's now too late to expect cease further troubling your self sit down in your sorrows and sink under the weight of your sins that is the reward you have deserved and the portion that is prepared for you of the Lord. This is Satans Logick who would have us to abuse this blessed Ordinance and to go beyond the bounds and Lawful limits of Meditation set out by the Lord himself who would have us to see and search our sins so as to see a need of Mercy and to seek out after the unsearchable riches of his Grace 〈◊〉 to keep us in our sins but that we may be carried out to him who wil recover us out of them Abraham considered not his own dead Body or Sarahs barrenness Rom. 4. 19. he considerd them so far as to put him beyond hope in himself that he might hope above hope and it 's the Lords command Isai 45. 22. Look unto me from all the ends of the Earth and be ye saved Look upon your sins miseries dangers depths of despair but look up to me out of all these The Second Extream is Hellish provocations which we are to watch against in this Work When the sinner hath set himself as he conceives 〈◊〉 Gods way and about his work and yet finds no success in what he doth our self-seeking hearts are apt to 〈◊〉 with the Lord snarl at his 〈◊〉 and so rise 〈◊〉 and fly in the face of the Almighty 〈◊〉 that wretched King said in 〈◊〉 Siege of Samaria 2 Kings 6. 33. This evil is from the Lord why should I wait any longer So the soul I have done what I can endeavored what I am able he doth not bless what I do I find no more strength but my corruptions grow strong my heart worse my hopes and comforts less I do but encrease my sin and hasten my 〈◊〉 in what I do why should I endeavor any more I Answer in three things briefly 1. Do not set too high a price upon our own performances and overween our worth and over value the services we do for that is a root of bitterness and a cause of these Hellish risings when we secretly conceit God doth not consider our care and the weight of our work and endeavor if
O Israel who is like unto the O People Saved by the Lord. That was in the Type Resemblance only but here is the Truth and Substance of Shadowes those Shadowes Accomplished in the Purchase of Christ or his faithful ones who are Saved not from the Oppression of a Pharaoh but from the Power of Darkness and Dominion of the Divel not delivered from the house of Bondage but from the bottome of Hell Blessed are ye O ye beleeving Souls your Excellencie is incomparble your Privilidges are inconceivable Who is like unto you O People thus blessed and saved by the Lord. The Wicked are not the World is not it is not so with them they have the Gleanings you have the Harvest they may have Rivers of Oyl but you the Rivers of Pleasures at the right hand of the Lord Nay now while you are in this World Al is yours All that the Obedience of Christ could procure Al that the Blood the precious Blood of Christ could Purchase precious Grace and Peace precious Comfort and Assurance precious Holiness and Glory Excellent things are not only spoken of you but done for you you blessed Beleeving Soules Hence it is when Moses would plead the Priviledges of the Saints he stands upon terms of comparison 〈◊〉 challengeth al the World to shew the like Eminency of Gods love upon Earth again Deut. 4 33 34 35 36 37. Did ever People partake of such Good as 〈◊〉 Purchased for you hath God essayed to go and take 〈◊〉 himself a Nation from among the Nations shal I say by Tempations Signs and Wonders to bring 〈◊〉 out of Egipt No no it was not from the house of Bondage from the tyranny of Pharaoh nor from Death and Miseries outward but from the bottom of Hel the tyranny of Sin the power of the Devil from everlasting Death and Condemnation 〈◊〉 this not by making Water become Blood but by making Happiness to become Misery God to become Man and Life it self Christ Jesus the 〈◊〉 of Life to die that he might restore thee to Life and Glory Go therefore ye blessed Beleeving Servants of the Lord go on comfortably and the blessing of Heaven go with you know your Priviledges and be for ever quieted and contented 〈◊〉 Fret not you at the prosperity of the Wicked be 〈◊〉 troubled at their Pomp since your portion is far 〈◊〉 and of incomparable Excellencie When the Father had entertained his prodigal Son after 〈◊〉 return with a Gold Ring change of 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 fatted Calfe the elder Son began to mutter 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shew his 〈◊〉 the answer was reasonable 〈◊〉 exceeding satisfactory Son thou art ever with 〈◊〉 and all that I have is thine Luke 15. 31. So here Suffer the Dogs to gnaw the bones and 〈◊〉 to have their scraps let 〈◊〉 have the Gold Ring to adorne them and the fatted Calfe to feed and 〈◊〉 upon but know al you Beleevers al that is 〈◊〉 Earth al that is in Heaven al that the Father 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 hath al the Mercy of a Father the edemption of a Jesus the Consolations of the 〈◊〉 al these are yours you cannot have more you 〈◊〉 be better me thinks you should not be I 〈◊〉 almost said you cannot but be for ever 〈◊〉 and Contented And now al you that sit by and here of al this 〈◊〉 thinks your hearts should sink within you 〈◊〉 that never knew what it was to be Humbled 〈◊〉 to be Called and to Beleeve in Christ 〈◊〉 al is gone before you Beleevers have al 〈◊〉 therefore and arise to follow hard after 〈◊〉 Lord that you also may be Humbled that you 〈◊〉 may be Called and Comforted and for ever 〈◊〉 by Jesus Christ. This wil be the plague of 〈◊〉 damned in Hell They shal see Abraham and 〈◊〉 and Jacob and all the Saints of God in Heaven 〈◊〉 themselves cast out You shal see al those poor 〈◊〉 whom you have known in the Townes and 〈◊〉 where you have lived you wil see them go to Heaven and your selves cast out O therefore 〈◊〉 you would give God no rest nor your owne 〈◊〉 no quiet til you have got a beleeving heart Why have Beleevers al this have they Christ and 〈◊〉 and Pardon and Peace and Glory and 〈◊〉 and all say Lord why not I a Beleever too 〈◊〉 I see no reason but you may God affords you 〈◊〉 and you may be wrought upon by the Means 〈◊〉 ought I know therefore seek earnestly to the 〈◊〉 that you also may be brought in amongst the 〈◊〉 of Beleevers for whom al this good is Purchased by Jesus Christ. The Doctrine delivered dasheth that dream and 〈◊〉 that false opinion wherewith many carnal hearted men are easily and willingly taken 〈◊〉 who fondly perswade themselves that Christ died for al and Purchased both Grace and Glory mankind indifferently for Cain as wel as Abell Esau as wel as Jacob for Judas as wel as Peter that al that spiritual good that any of the Saints ver share in it was al intended to them al 〈◊〉 sed for them al provided for their good but the out of the perversness of their own wills 〈◊〉 that Physick that would have cured them 〈◊〉 upon the blood of the Covenant that was shed 〈◊〉 their Redemption A conceit cross to the 〈◊〉 formerly delivered and thereby confuted and 〈◊〉 demned but an opinion it is which 〈◊〉 derogates from the Justice of God the 〈◊〉 of the Lord Jesus the glory of his Free 〈◊〉 which is Childrens bread and appoynted ouly 〈◊〉 peculiar kindness for his own People yet by 〈◊〉 erroneous imagination is prostituted under the 〈◊〉 of a company of prophane beasts This universalitie of Redemption makes way 〈◊〉 universalitie of Corruption and these sensual 〈◊〉 deceiving men make the gate of Mercy and 〈◊〉 so wide that so they find room not only 〈◊〉 themselves but to carry their sins to Heaven 〈◊〉 them also But such shal one day find by 〈◊〉 experience they befooled themselves and fel 〈◊〉 of their hopes and expectations when they 〈◊〉 know to their terrour that the Lord Jesus was 〈◊〉 so lavish of his blood as to spil it in vain 〈◊〉 he should miss of his end or they of their good 〈◊〉 whom it was shed though they ery never so 〈◊〉 knock never so hard Lord Lord open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 have no other answer but that 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 know you not 〈◊〉 workers of iniquitie Math. 7. 23. I never prayed for you I never dyed for you 〈◊〉 is that which will sink the hearts and dash the 〈◊〉 of al unbeleeving self deceiving Creatures Is there 〈◊〉 rich Grace plentiful Redemption abundant 〈◊〉 Merits unvaluable in the Lord Jesus True 〈◊〉 that 's thy misery thou shalt see it but never be 〈◊〉 partaker thereof Thou shalt not tast of those 〈◊〉 dainties the Lord hath provided for his 〈◊〉 as long as thou remainest in that unbeleeving 〈◊〉 thy doom is set thy sentence is
which the Lord 〈◊〉 appointed for the revelation and communication 〈◊〉 all Spiritual Good Again remember this The Word is but an Instrument or means and therefore it 〈◊〉 no further than the Lord Christ works with it 〈◊〉 the operation of his Spirit hence it 's called the 〈◊〉 of the Spirit Eph. 6. 17. and Rom. 1. 16. The Gospel is the Power of God unto Salvation as 〈◊〉 Lord puts forth his Power in and by the Gospel Secondly It is the Word in the ' Ministry of it the 〈◊〉 published and preached the Word rightly 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speaks 2 Tim. 2. 15. that is 〈◊〉 the Word is rightly opened and rightly applied works then more powerfully because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the Will of the Principal Agent and according to the weakness of them to whom it is delivered as the chewing of meat fits it for the Stomach and therfore it nourisheth more the pounding of 〈◊〉 makes it smel more so it is with the Word when opened and applied according to the mind of God it 〈◊〉 the savor of Life unto Life 2 Cor. 2. 16. so 〈◊〉 Rom. 10. 17. Faith cometh by hearing of the Word of God it is not meant that faith comes by hearing of the Word read for that kind of preaching is 〈◊〉 meant for which a man is sent 〈◊〉 15. How can they preach except they be sent but for bare reading no man had need to be sent 2 Cor. 5. 17 18. God 〈◊〉 in Christ reconciling the world to himself and hath committed to us the Word of Reconciliation that is the Lord hath delegated the dispensation of his Word in a way of Explication and Application of it to 〈◊〉 faithful Ministers Only here observe Gods Order 1 The Power resideth first in Christ and his Spirit 2 From Christ and his Spirit it comes to the Word 3 From the Word to the Administration thereof by the Dispensers where you find most of the Word and most evidence of the Spirit there you shall find the work to go on powerfully and successfully for the bringing home of souls to God It is not all Eloquence 〈◊〉 humane Excellency in the world but where a man walketh with God in the use of his Ordinances as when Paul was preaching God opened the heart of Lydia Acts 16. 14. The Word is like a Burning-Glass that which burns and heats is not the Glass but the beams of the Sun that pierceth through the Glass so it is the Power of Christ in a Promise in a Command that makes it pierce to the heart Gal. 2. 8. He that wrought effectually in Peter to the Ministry of the Circumcision was mighty in me towards the Gentils alas what is Paul or Peter or Apollo as the Apostle speaks 1 Cor. 2. 5. but Ministers by whom you beleeve as the Lord gives to every man 〈◊〉 are 〈◊〉 Instruments which stir no further than the 〈◊〉 will move by them nor can do no more than the 〈◊〉 will work by them Word Prayer Preaching Sacraments these are 〈◊〉 weak in themselves yet are they mighty through God to bring in the souls of men in obedience to the Lord. Thus I have done with the Explication of this general Conclusion together with the particular Propositions contained in it that God himself the Father through Christ by his Spirit by an Almighty Power is the Principal Cause and the Ministry of the Word the Instrumental Cause of the Application of all saving good Let me ad some Uses that flow from 〈◊〉 Information in Two things First Hence we learn That the 〈◊〉 of the work of Gods Grace upon the souls of his Servants is not done by moral perswasion that 's Pelagianism and Arminianism they require no more to the conversion of a sinner but meer perswasion the Promises of Grace must be pressed the excellency and glory of Christ discovered and that say they is all that is needful lay but these before a man and he hath power to embrace and receive them if he will It is a false conceit If that Power that raised up Christ from the dead must be put forth for the bringing home of a soul to God then there must be more than moral perswasion which only stirs up and draws out that ability that is within us Men may come dead and sit so and return so and be never the better for all the Ordinances and means of Grace if they have no more than them Isa. 57. 19. I create the fruit of the Lips peace peace to him that is neer and to him that is far off it is a creating Power that must be put forth Ministers do speak in vain else Hence again it 's certain the work of God in Application is irresistible This is the main 〈◊〉 from whence that Error is confuted That Power 〈◊〉 raised Christ from the dead was irresistible notwithstanding all sins and all Devils notwithstanding 〈◊〉 hour and power of darkness yet he 〈◊〉 up himself from the dead and by the same Almighty 〈◊〉 Power he works faith in our hearts and quickens 〈◊〉 with Spiritual Life when we were dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2. 1 2. It 's true there is nothing but Nature and corruption in a man and by vertue of that a man opposeth and resisteth the work of Grace yet so to resist as to frustrate the work of God it is impossible God were not Almighty if sin and Satan could hinder his Work Tryal of our Conversion Observe whether the work of Application come from Heaven or no if so it leaves the 〈◊〉 of an Almighty Power upon the soul as Christ said The Baptism of John 〈◊〉 it from Heaven or from man So I say of Application Is it from Heaven or from your self 〈◊〉 is certain if it be not from the Almighty Power of God it will never bring thee to God neither in this world nor the world to come If the soul can say it was not the power of Men or Means or Ordinances I had all these I understood all these and yet was the same man still I had the old pride and lusts still they lodged in my bosom and came out as occasion served as a dog returning to his vomit till the Lord came from Heaven and broke in mightily upon my heart and there was no resisting of him If you say Must every one see the working of this Almighty Power in his own soul This Work may be really and savingly wrought though the Saints do not generally see and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and how there is an impression made upon the 〈◊〉 the Almighty Power of God even as 〈◊〉 are grown though it be not observed how We see the Power of God in other things They are Natural and outward this inward and Spiritual Take the influences of the Heavens and 〈◊〉 Minerals and wonderful things that are wrought 〈◊〉 yet there is not one of a thousand that are 〈◊〉 to discern and discover these But this Influence of the
for help and recovery and to expect to receive it from the hand of the Lord. That Disease is not past Remedy which hath been cured nor the Condition past hope that hath been recovered As bad and vile as thou have been humbled and broken-hearted and why not thou saved Turn but thy thoughts aside and attend the Text and trust thine own eyes behold look here upon the most loathsom Hell-hounds that 〈◊〉 the Sun saw or the Earth bore listen and hear these hideous blasphemies they belch out against the Son of God they cried away with him away with him not him but Barrabas they chuse a Murderer rather than a Savior behold their butcherly hands imbrued in the blood of Jesus some goaring his side others nailing his feet piercing his pure and holy hands and that they might be bloody Creatures indeed they do not only shed his blood but they keep his blood upon Record for their Condemnation say they His Blood be upon us and upon our Seed That which they have done and desired for their own ruine is it not just but they should have it dost not thou wonder that the Earth did not open and swallow them that the Lord did not thunder from Heaven and immediately destroy them or that he sent not Legions of Devils to drag those wretches souls out of their Bodies to send them packing to the pit And yet stay but a little and see what God hath done in the midst of all this hellish wickedness look a little further they who took away the life of Christ he is now taking away their 〈◊〉 and guilt from them they crucified him and he is now crucifying their cursed corruptions they pierced his tender body to put an end to his daies he is now piercing their souls with Godly sorrow to put an end to their sins and 〈◊〉 Come hither therefore all you poor desolate undone Creatures You whose sins are written with a pen of Iron and graven with the point of a Diamond they stand upon record in every coast and corner you stout-hearted rebellious sinners the Seats of the Place where you sit the Stones in the Street where you walk the Walls of the Houses where you dwel the Decks of the Ships where you have sailed and the Shoars where you have Landed and the Wildernesses where you have travelled they can bear witness against you of the contempt of Gods Truth the neglect of his Ordinances unprofitableness under all you slight all Counsels and Admonitions you are amongst the number of them that are laden with lusts ever learning but never coming to the knowledg of the Truth So that the floods of iniquity seem to compass and overwhelm and might force you to sink down in irrevocable discouragement I confess your condition is extreamly desolate and dangerous yet it 's possible it may be there is a peep-hole of hope it may be otherwise and happy it is for you that there is yet a may be left that God hath not sealed you up to condemnation and turned the Tomb-stone upon you Look up a little thou art yet alive Oh therefore lay about thee while yet opportunity and possibility lasteth Say Lord these sinful wretches that opposed thy Grace so long resisted thy Ordinances thy Servants yea crucified the Lord of Life and yet their hearts are now wounded for their sins Oh break my heart also humble my soul also Yea but I cannot think it truly I dare not I cannot I am ashamed to beg mercy who have so long abused it Why mark what the Apostle saies Ephes. 3. 20. God is able to do exceeding abundantly above all thou canst think or ask All this while the presumptuous secure sinner he stands by and hears all this and he blesseth himself in his lazy course contents himself with this possibility and here takes up his stand but neglects to do any thing that may attain it Oh is it not pitty to cast such Dainties before Dogs and Pearls before Swine Did I say it was possible True I said so indeed but it 's pity thou 〈◊〉 in the hearing of it it 's pity to speak such precious encouragements to such poysonful and malignant spirits that will pervert all to their own ruine The word is past and cannot be recalled but take these Preservatives or Corrosives rather to eat out that impudent corruption Know though it be possible yet it is not possible to thee nor any power thou hast nor any means thou canst use Matth. 19. 36. With man this is impossible Nay know That so long as thou continuest in that careless presumptuous self-confidence it is not possible that God should save thee Heb. 3. 18. He hath said it and sworn it that they who rest in their carnal confidence they shall never enter into his rest and God will not nay cannot deny himself and his Oath As it 's possible God may so it 's possible he may not break thy heart and it 's a great suspicion he will not if thou so impudently abuse his Mercy Patience and long suffering wherby he calls thee to repentance and would melt thy rebellious heart Rom. 2. 4. Thou after the hardness of thy heart which cannot repent treasurest up to thy self wrath against the day of wrath It 's a shrewd suspicion if thou strivest long against his Spirit and slightest the season he will cease to strive with thee and take away the season Luke 19. 42. If thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes It will cost much labor and long time before it be done in an ordinary way and therefore if thou art wise for thy soul omit no time be faithful to do what thou canst and yet fearful because it 's in Gods hand to do what He will Therefore seek seasonably tremblingly and uncessantly unto the Lord to do this work for thee It 's not the dipping but rubbing and soaking an old stayn that will fetch it out thou must soak and steep thy soul with godly sorrow It 's not Salving but long tenting an old sore that will do the Cure It may be it will make you go crying to your grave and well if you get to heaven so at last This shews the 〈◊〉 nature and the inconceivable haynousness of the sin of dispaire which rusheth the sinner upon irrecoverable ruine and would seem to overcome the mercy of God wherein he overcomes himself laies a mans present comforts and future hopes wast at once beyond the reach of any relief or recovery puts the soul beyond the sight and expectation of any succour and supply that might support it in the least measure That look as when the Ship runs a ground or splits upon a Rock neer shore or within the sight of land there is yet a possibility that some help may come from the Coast to them or they at least may be wafted to land and so swim out
is sufficient to support thee to live in hope nay it is a portion provided on purpose and came for this very end Isa. 61. 3. to appoint unto them that mourn in Sion beauty for ashes the Oyl of gladness for the spirit of heaviness yea God himself wil come for this end to bring consolation uto thy soul. That 's a likely matter indeed when the vileness of my corrption makes me loathsom to my self and weary of mine own soul how justly may God loath me and estrange himself who is so great and holy a God That which thou conceivest a cause why God should withdraw his presence it 's that why he delights in thee thy sins are loathsom that 's true but to loath thy sin and thy self for them its that which makes way and room for the Lords both Love to thee and presence with thee Isa. 57. 17. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity I dwel with him also that is of an humble contrite spirit to revive the heart of contrite ones The greatness of God and holiness of God takes most content in a broken heart burdened with sin and loosened from it And herein the doubts of a distressed soul may be answered and discouragments also cured and removed wil so great a God vouch ase to cal upon so base a creature so holy a God so sinful so filthy and polluted a sinner yea behold God reveals him 〈◊〉 in the height of al his greatness and holiness and professeth he hath but two habitations where he takes 〈◊〉 i. e. the highest heavens and a broken heart that sees his own weakness and therefore the greatness and power of God is most 〈◊〉 it ackonwledeth its own vileness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 own filthyness and there the holiness of a God is most honored feared and advanced therefore the 〈◊〉 for God to dwel in where his honor may most of al be advanced and he comes with his cost and for this intent and purpose that he may revive and quicken therefore he wil not therefore he cannot miss of his end and the attaining of that he intends nor thou of thy comfort It 's matter of comfort to such 〈◊〉 are frinds and wel-wishers to those burdened and distressed creatures Mourn for them you should but yet be comforted with them you ought For if you desire their good in truth and in earnest its certain they are now and never were before in the road of mercy in ready way yea the onely way to attain favour and everlasting compassions from the hand of the Lord. It 's now the day of Gods visitation the Lord seemed to pass by as a stranger before as though he cared neither for them nor the welfare and comfort of their souls but suffred them to live and dye in their sins not so much as looking after them behould now is the day of their visitation wherein the Lord comes to visite the sinner and to enquire touching the eternal prosperity of the soul to loosen him from the power of his lusts and to free him from the prevailing power of those corruptions that would certainly ruinate his happiness Yea now the spirit seems to travel upon the soul until the Lord Jesus be formed in him when as formerly he bore the image of sin and Satan so the Father of the Prodigal when his heart had been pinched under the pressures and miseries of his baseness brought upon him and constrained him to take thoughts of forsaking his former course see what solace it was to his Father For this my son was dead but is alive again he was secure he is now affected with the sight and sence of his sin he was hard-hearted and perverse in his way now he is plyable and yeilding to any impression I speak it the rather because carnal persons conceive that this broken heartedness is a kind of curse and that which makes men unsuitable to their Places and unserviceable wholly for any imployment the prophane Husband the unjust Master the loose Companion curse the day that ever the Minister came amongst them the wife was vain and froathy to suit 〈◊〉 folly but now the former 〈◊〉 is turned into mourning she grows mopish and melancholly there is no content in her The Apprentice that was as the Glove to the Hand fitted his turn at all times at al assaies would lye for his humor cozen for his profit but now forsooth is grown so tender and conscientious he dare do nothing there is no service in him his companion that would ruffle it out in mirth jollity is becom so pensive under the pressure of his Conscience that there is no society in him they look at them as lost and undone persons the Preacher hath spoiled them they are fit for nothing And so also some poor ignorant people whose waies were civil and moral and never acquainted with Gods manner of dealing in such cases when they see their friends and children and kindred sinking under the sence of their sin and Gods displeasure their hearts taken up wholly with attendance to their own Spiritual necessities and taken off from all other occasions they look at it as a kind of madness and distraction and they fear they will not come to themselves again when in Truth they never came to themselves before now nor in truth considered where they were or what they did whereas this broken-heartedness doth not impair any mans abilities but turns them the right way and improves them for the Lords advantage it makes men unhandy to sin but fit for the Service of the Almighty only it is a spiritual sickness and you must in reason wait til the extreamity be over before the party can be free for any work but this because he finds this most needful He that takes Physick retires into his Chamber but it is not to hinder his imployment but further it for future time the Child when he sees the Grapes a pressing he fals a crying and fondly conceives his Father spoils them to bring 〈◊〉 out of them The unexperienced stander by imagines that the pieces of Gold that are put into the refining pot and that into the fire will utterly be spoiled until he sees a Vessel of Gold framed out of them glorious for shew and Service he then changeth his mind So here when thou 〈◊〉 the Lord putting men into the furnace of his fierce wrath scorching their Consciences know the Lord hath them now in the 〈◊〉 and intends to make them Vessels of Grace and Mercy who before were Vessels of Dishonor fit for nothing but to serve sin and Satan help thou 〈◊〉 the work and 〈◊〉 in it and as Paul in a like case wish'd That not only they but all thy friends and children and kindred 〈◊〉 not almost but altogether such as they are broken-hearted sinners DIRECTION How to carry ourselves towards distressed sinners in this condition who are thus pierced unto the heart whose perplexities
procure it  3 There is no Promise made to a Natural man  Uses three hence Matter of  1 Thanksgiving 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Grace  2 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 sinners in the sight of their sins and 〈◊〉  3 Exhortation to such as want and are seeking mercy to stay Gods time and wait his pleasure  DOCT. 2. VVhile this life lasts and the Gospel is continued that 's the day of Salvation  1. The time of this Life the time of getting Grace 241 Reason Because after this Life  1 The Sentence past is irrevocable  2 The condition of a man is unchangable  2 While the 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Reason 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gods 〈◊〉  In regard  1 Of the Causes and means which are then afforded  2 Of the effect and work it self which is then wrought  3 Of the subject the persons wrought upon  Uses three hence  1 Learn That long life is a great blessing  2 Caution To fortifie our selves against self-murder  3 Exhortation to improve the time of Salvation  1 It is a Season 251 2 It is a short one but a day  3 A Season not of our but of Gods acceptation  4 It is a day of Salvation  BOOK V. On Matth. 20. 5 6 7. He went out about the sixth ninth and eleventh hour and hired Laborers  DOCT. God calls his Elect at any Age but the most before old Age. 〈◊〉 1 God calls his at any Age some in yonger some in elder yeers  〈◊〉  1 To shew the freeness of his Grace  2 To shew 〈◊〉 Power  〈◊〉 God calls the most before old Age viz. In their yonger or middle 〈◊〉  Reasons Because that 's the fittest Age in regard of  1 The Subject For  1 The Faculties are then most capable of being wrought upon  2 Corruptions are not so strongly rooted  2 The End why Grace is given viz. the Glory of God  Uses three hence 271 1 Instruction Be not rash in censuring the 〈◊〉 Estate of any  Though we may judg of their present state by their fruits  2 Consolation to support aged sinners though it 's not ordinary yet possible they may be converted then 276 3 Exhortation to yonger men take 〈◊〉 present time defer not till old Age if you do  1 Either you will never attain it  2 Or it will be uncomfortable if you do  Motives to provoke such Consider  1 What good you may do while you live  2 What Comfort you will have at your death  3 What your Glory will be in Heaven  BOOK VI. On Revel 3. 17. Thou sayest thou art rich when thou art poor and miserable c.  DOCT. The soul is naturally setled in a sinful security 285 1 The sinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in his Condition  2 He 〈◊〉 no 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 present  3 He 〈◊〉 none 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 future  4 Hence 〈◊〉 puts his condition beyond question  5 And therefore 〈◊〉 scorns  6 And openly 〈◊〉 an alteration of his estate  Reasons three taken from 292 1 The 〈◊〉 of sin  2 The 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the soul  3 〈◊〉 and Self-ease  Uses four 〈◊〉 295 1 See the reason why sharp and soul-saving preaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 little acceptance Because it awakens men out of security  2 It 's the 〈◊〉 plague for a man to be let alone in his sins  3 〈◊〉 as never were 〈◊〉 and awakened to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of their 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet in it  4 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Such should  1 Suspect their 〈◊〉  2 〈◊〉 about it  3 Yield that 〈◊〉 the present their condition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  BOOK VII 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the slesh is enmity against the Lord and is not subject to his Law  DOCT. The frame of the whol heart of a Natural man is wholly unwilling to submit to the VVord that would sever him from his sins 305 1 He seeks not after truth  2 He is loth to meet with it  3 He stops the passage of it  4 He doth what he can to defeat the power and evidence of it  5 He will professedly oppose it  6 He will privily 〈◊〉 the stirrings of the Truth in his Conscience  Reasons four taken from 315 1 The Corruption of the will  2 The Revenging Justice of God  3 The power of Satan  4 The 〈◊〉 and neer alliance between the heart and sin  Uses sive hence  1 It 's the heaviest plague for a Natural man to have his own corrupt will  2 The will of a Natural man is the worst part 〈◊〉 him  3 The 〈◊〉 of a carnal man 〈◊〉 cross to sence and reason  4 Tryal of our estates by our 〈◊〉 or unwillingness to part with sin  He that is willing 331 1 He is speedy and 〈◊〉 in improving 〈◊〉 〈◊〉  2 He takes delight in those means that 〈◊〉 and work most  3 He is not content till his sin be removed  4 He takes not up his stand till he come at God  5 Exhortation Labor for willingness to part with sin 343 1 The greatest and hardest work lies with the wil.  2 Beleaguer the heart with the evidence of Truth  3 Look up to God that he would work upon the heart  BOOK VIII On John 6. 44. None can come to me but whom the Father draws  DOCT. God the Father by a holy kind of 〈◊〉 plucks his out of their corruptions and draws them to beleeve in Christ. 349 This work of Attraction is a transient work 〈◊〉 both these  1 Plucking from sin  2 And drawing to Christ are handled together  For Explication six Particulars  The sorts of drawing two  1 By moral Suasion  2 By Physical or internal operation  This latter is meant here 353 The proper Nature of this drawing it 's the motion or impression of the Spirit upon the Soul not any habit in it or act put forth by it to 〈◊〉 with the Spirit 355 The means how God works and by wich he draws  These are four 355 1 By a hook of Instruction shewing a man that he is out of the way to Heaven  2 By the Cords of Love shewing that Christ and Mercy are  1 Able to 〈◊〉 him  2 Willing to save him  3 Are freely offered for that end  4 The Lord waits to see when the sinner will come  3 By the Iron Chains of Conscience  1 Warning  2 Accusing  3 Condemning  4 By the hand of the Spirit himself  How the holy violence in drawing the Soul from sin to Christ may be discerned in four Conclusions 373 1 The will of man as such is a subject capable of sin and Grace successively  2 The faculty of the will cannot actually
any saving Work If there were no Doubt moved no Question Controverted by way of any seeming Collection from the place the very Mysterious depths of the 〈◊〉 herein delivered drives all Interpreters to a stand and puts the most Judicious beyond their thoughts so that there is more 〈◊〉 to 〈◊〉 the mind of God in the words then to make Answer to the Objection hence collected We will 〈◊〉 Shortly open the meaning of the Words 2 Then 〈◊〉 what may be truly Collected from them and 〈◊〉 it will appear that the Objection fetched from 〈◊〉 will find no footing in this place The scope of the Apostle in vers 4 5. is That 〈◊〉 Christ is the Son of God and that Faith which 〈◊〉 the world must look to him and rest 〈◊〉 him This he 〈◊〉 to me to prove and explicate in both the parts of it in vers 6. And secondly amplyfieth it in the following 7. and 8. verses His proof is taken from 〈◊〉 type of his Priestly-Office the truth whereof he accomplished in the great Work of Redemption He that comes by water and blood he is the son of God But Jesus Christ came by water and blood His comming implys 1 His Fathers Sending 2 〈◊〉 Own Undertaking that great Work of our Recovery not only by Water as the Levites who were washed Numb 8. 6. 7. but by Blood also as the Priests Levit. 8. 6. 22 23 24. By Water I conceive is meant The Holiness of his Nature in which he was Conceived and for which end he was overshad owed by the Spirit By Blood is meant that Expiation and Satisfaction he made to the Law of God by shedding his Blood So that He that had all that and 〈◊〉 all that which was shadowed by the Priests He is that Jesus the son of God for 〈◊〉 And the Spirit bears witness because the Spirit is Truth This seems to me to be the fairest sense and to be preferred before all that I can see brought By Spirit in the First place is meant Gods 〈◊〉 the Holy Ghost By Spirit in the Second place I do think 〈◊〉 is meant For so you shall find the word used 2 Cor. 4. 13. Having the same Spirit of Faith So that the Spirit of God comming from the Father and the Son would testifie by the aspertion of this Water and Blood that my Faith is true when it assures my heart that this Jesus is the Son of God 2 He amplifies this proof by bringing in the number of witnesses and the manner of their witnessing For their number they are Six The Father sending The Son coming The Spirit certifying in this 〈◊〉 manner of working they are distinct and herein appear to be distinct witnesses and this their witness is from Heaven signifying where they are and from whence they express their witness The Father speaks from Heaven This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased Mat. 3. last The Son professeth so often of himself That he came out of the bosom of the Father John 1. 18. John 3. 13. No man can ascend to Heaven but the Son of man who came down from Heaven John 6. 38. I came down from Heaven not to do my own will but the will of him that sent 〈◊〉 Lastly in Mat. 3. last The Spirit of God descended down upon him in the likeness of a Dove these speak from Heaven and their expressions are 〈◊〉 in the word without us whether we beleeve or no. Three again speak and witness from Earth for Christ dwels in us here on Earth the Spirit Water and Blood There is no doubt but by Water is meant Sanctification by Blood Justification all the Question lies upon the third What is meant by Spirit Under correction I take it It 's meant of Faith for besides that 2 Tim. 1. 7. all graces are called the Spirit we have received the Spirit of Power of Love and of a sound mind this is expresly so named 2 Cor. 4. 13. we having the same Spirit of Faith this is most safe and most sutable to the analogy of Faith and the intendment of the Text. There are but Three great Works unto which all the rest may be referred Vocation Justification Sanctification all these in us give in witness and evîdence That Jesus the Savior of the World must be the Son of God sent of him who sends also his Spirit into our hearts to work thus in us and by these works to evidence to us Himself and his Office The Truths then which according to the right meaning of the words may hence be collected are these There be six Witnesses Three of these witness from Heaven and their Testimony is left in the word without us The other three from Earth from the operation of the work of Grace and these are within us Al these agree in this as the thing winessed 〈◊〉 Jesus the Saviour of his People is the Son of God The witness of those from Heaven is greater than that which is on Earth But touching the witnessing of my good 〈◊〉 without respect to a gracius disposition or qualification there is not a syllable in the Text that sounds that way or carries any appearance to that purpose If every Work of Grace or the truth of a gracious qualification be witnessed by the Spirit and is lastly resolved therinto So that I Beleeve the work of Grace in me to be true because the Spirit witnesseth it then I must have an absolute ground to Beleeve the Spirit I wil open this Phrase the witness of the Spirit on an absolute ground Either it s meant 〈◊〉 the witness of the Spirit is attended without any respect to a work that is witnessed then its false and absurd that I should discern the witness of the Spirit without any respect to the thing witnessed 〈◊〉 made known to me by it for as hath been 〈◊〉 before witness and the thing witnessed go both together Or it s meant thus That when I have received the witness of the Spirit to my self then I 〈◊〉 prove it upon an absolute ground Hath Christ purchased al spiritual good for His for Beleevers Hence then we may see the 〈◊〉 of the faithful and the priviledg of those that 〈◊〉 above all people upon earth To you the Father intended al the treasuries of grace and glory in your stead Christ suffered performed all that the Law required and Justice exacted for you it is he hath purchased al that good that you need doth not that please you al you can desire doth not that quiet you nay all that you can receive through al eternitie doth not that satisfie There is none like unto you never the like was done for any as for you It was Moses Collection and caused his wonderment in the Consideration thereof Deut. 33. 29. When he had recounted the wonderful Preservations the Lord had wrought Priviledges he honoured them with and bestowed upon them he breaks forth into these expressions Blessed art thou
be like this Corrosive to eat down the pride of our hearts Thus Paul frequently in the remembrance of his former wretchedness bleeds kindly and 〈◊〉 in the abasement of his spirit he mentions not his Apostleship which might exalt him but presently he remembers his 〈◊〉 which might abase him 1 Tim. 1. 12. I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who hath enabled me for that he counted me faithful and put me to the Ministry who was before a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and injurious vers 13. Hence again he observes it was Gods way that he might not be exalted above measure to buffet him with the sence and assaults of his own weaknesses 2 Cor. 12. 7. and thus far he did glory in and take pleasure in his 〈◊〉 not to have them but to use the consideration of them as a wholsom Corrosive to pull down those proud swellings As a man somtimes takes pleasure 〈◊〉 the pouder of Scorpions or Mercury Water because 〈◊〉 a Medicine against some poysonful humors and 〈◊〉 he directs Eph. 2. 11 12. Remember that you were dead in sins and trespasses Gentiles in the flesh without God without Christ without hope If a man conceit that his make or mettal is better than other mens Let him look into the Pit whence he was digged the Rock out of which he was hewen he wil 〈◊〉 see cause to conclude he was as hard as stubborn 〈◊〉 proud as any other as unteachable as unframable 〈◊〉 any other And here that Question hath place What hast thou that thou hast not received yea 〈◊〉 degree lower How camest thou to be able to 〈◊〉 it stake down thy heart in this Determination 〈◊〉 answer I have received nothing further than 〈◊〉 hath enabled me and I have nothing unless he 〈◊〉 it I do nothing unless he quicken me to the 〈◊〉 of it the remembrance of 〈◊〉 plagues of 〈◊〉 heart and nature should 〈◊〉 me for ever to be 〈◊〉 I am what I am by mercy let that have the 〈◊〉 of all which is the worker of all the good I 〈◊〉 as men pul away the steps and stool from 〈◊〉 a man if he stand too high so 〈◊〉 should pul away 〈◊〉 swelling conceits which lift us up in our own 〈◊〉 It 's not I but the Grace of God in me 〈◊〉 I any power to be humbled to beleeve to be 〈◊〉 No it 's not I but Free Grace that is the 〈◊〉 and Worker of all let Grace therefore have 〈◊〉 honor and praise of all Here is matter of cordial refreshing to support the 〈◊〉 of sinners from sinking into desperate 〈◊〉 when they see the weakness of their own 〈◊〉 not able to reach this work the stifness of 〈◊〉 own wills as ready and resolute to oppose it and 〈◊〉 of both an utter impossibilitie to attain it or any 〈◊〉 good unto themselves their hearts and hopes cannot but fail so far as they look to themselves but when they look to this that as it is beyond their own po wer so it is not their own work this may be some support It is in 〈◊〉 hand must proceed from his power who can do what he wil in Heaven and Earth and in thy heart also therefore repare hither and rest thy fainting spirit here In regard of a mans weakness the well is deep and thou hast nothing to draw withal the work of applycation is spiritual and mystical the eye is dim and thy understanding shallow not able to search into such mysteries thou canst not discern neither the way nor the work how wilt thou be ever able then to attain it remember thou canst not make thy self able but thou must be made able to know it and to receive it it s in his hand and it s his work who is able to do it Jer. 24. 7. I will give them a heart to know me hither our Saviour resolves this work and rests himself here Mat. 11. 25. I thank thee Father Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the wise of the world and revealed them unto Babes even so Father for so it pleaseth thee And it 's Gods promise Isay 42. 16. The hlind shall see and the deaf shall hear It 's his ordinary proceeding He calleth the foolish and things that are not to bring to nought things that are 1 Cor. 1. 28. Therefore thou shouldest press God with his own promises mind him that this is his prerogative say Lord it is not in man to direct 〈◊〉 to humble himself to convert himself but it is with thee and it s thy promise to give me a heart to know thee thou callest things that are not I am not wise nor humble nor holy I am not able to know thee let me be known of thee that so I may come to the knowledg of thee But happily thy stifness is more and worse and more dangerous than thy weakness though thy mind be enlightned cavils removed the truth made clear thy 〈◊〉 settled what should be done but Oh! the 〈◊〉 stifness of this wayward will that hath 〈◊〉 al promises and distrusted them al threatnings 〈◊〉 slighted them so that the distressed sinner wil 〈◊〉 I have a heart that cannot repent or beleeve that 〈◊〉 receive grace that cannot give way to the power of Gods ordinances or make choise of any good 〈◊〉 that I am even weary of my heart and of my life 〈◊〉 Yet God can pluck away this unteachableness 〈◊〉 thy heart though thou canst not take away thy 〈◊〉 from it Of his own good will he hath begotten 〈◊〉 Jam. 1. 18. It s not in the wil of Satan nor in thy own will to hinder it if God wil do it it 's his work he hath challenged it to himself and hath engaged himself do it for al His I will take away the heart of stone Ezek. 36. 26. Say thou Lord I cannot do it and 〈◊〉 truth I should not do it for that were to arrogate more than I should and to press into the priviledg of the Almighty I only wait upon thee and bring my heart to thee that thou wouldest bring me to thy self 〈◊〉 the Leaper said Mat. 8. 3. If thou wilt thou canst make me clean I have neither wil nor power I can 〈◊〉 do it nor receive it but thou canst do both for me and work both in me It was the ground of 〈◊〉 which the Lord gave to his people in building the material Temple when they looked at the greatness of the work and their many oppositions Zach. 4. 7. Who art thou O great mountain thou shalt become a plain difficulties are compared to mountains when a man sees a mountain lye before him he thinks it is inaccessible and impossible for him to go over it so when a man sees the pride and stubborness and rebellion of his own spirit he thinks 〈◊〉 is impossible for him to subdue these but if the Lord wil he can say unto it who art thou O great mountain
we are Justified 〈◊〉 Resurrection Answers not the Law nor yet 〈◊〉 thing of divine Justice for that which the Law never required by that it never can be Answered But 〈◊〉 Law requires a man either to do that he may live 〈◊〉 to die if he sin but it never requires him to rise 〈◊〉 that 's no part of the Command or the Curse or 〈◊〉 Therefore the Resurrection of Christ 〈◊〉 no part of Payment which is imputed or for which 〈◊〉 are Justified We owed Two things Doing 〈◊〉 Dying these answer the whole Debt the Law 〈◊〉 Justice of God Though the Resurrection of Christ be no part os 〈◊〉 yet it serves for more than a naked 〈◊〉 of our Justification All Interpreters agree in 〈◊〉 that it serves to declare our Justification but I 〈◊〉 there is somthing more in it So the Apostle 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 15. 17. and he makes it one of those 〈◊〉 wherby he urgeth them that deny the 〈◊〉 If Christ be not risen your faith is vain 〈◊〉 are yet in your sins Whereas if this 〈◊〉 may stand That the Resurrection is barely a 〈◊〉 of Justification a man might shew Pauls 〈◊〉 to be a weak one For it doth not follow 〈◊〉 a mans Faith might find success without it 〈◊〉 the Resurrection of Christ doth not give a being 〈◊〉 Justification but only declare it as they say 〈◊〉 the Text says If Christ be not Risen you are yet 〈◊〉 your Sins yet in the gall of bitterness and bonds 〈◊〉 iniquity your sins are not pardoned not subdued Therefore if it be no part of the Payment 〈◊〉 which we are justified and yet more than a bare declaration of it then there can be no other given 〈◊〉 must apply that for which we are Justified it is an 〈◊〉 powerful cause to make Application of 〈◊〉 Merits of Christ to us for which and through which 〈◊〉 stand Justified in the sight of God Not only the text is clear 〈◊〉 it but the nature 〈◊〉 Application cals for it in a special manner For by the 〈◊〉 of man we are lyable to a double evil 1 〈◊〉 the revenging Justice of God 2 To the 〈◊〉 and Power 〈◊〉 Satan and Death For when a 〈◊〉 had 〈◊〉 himself into the hands of divine Justice it was 〈◊〉 righteous with the Lord to 〈◊〉 up the Soul to the Authority and Vassallage of 〈◊〉 and Satan Now therefore when our Savior Christ by his Death and Obedience answered divine Justice and so took away the first evil it was then 〈◊〉 with the Lord to free lost-man through Christ from the Second evil the Authority and Tyranny 〈◊〉 Sin Mark that place Act. 2. 24. Whom God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 up having 〈◊〉 the sorrows of death 〈◊〉 it was 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he should be 〈◊〉 of it 〈◊〉 cannot be meant of being holden by the bonds 〈◊〉 death as if 〈◊〉 were bound to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of God when he was in the 〈◊〉 for he that 〈◊〉 satisfied the 〈◊〉 of God could not stand bound to it any 〈◊〉 but when 〈◊〉 had suffered for 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Garden and on the 〈◊〉 he had then fully satisfied for the Law of God required no more 〈◊〉 Doing and Dying so that Christ might have 〈◊〉 again as soon as 〈◊〉 he was laid in the Grave but 〈◊〉 he lay so long was for another reason But the 〈◊〉 here is How he can be said to be 〈◊〉 from the pains and sorrows of Death when 〈◊〉 Body was in the Earth and his Soul in Heaven 〈◊〉 say from a sorrowful and painful Death I 〈◊〉 that is true Yet under favor I would say thus 〈◊〉 more It was a kind of pain and grief to the man Christ Jesus as to any 〈◊〉 that his Body was in 〈◊〉 Grave when his Soul was in Heaven which did 〈◊〉 to be united together the keeping of these two 〈◊〉 is a 〈◊〉 to them they are 〈◊〉 friends made to be together the Souls of the Saints now 〈◊〉 in Heaven 〈◊〉 to have their bodies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Now then when Christ had fully satissied 〈◊〉 Justice and removed the displeasure of God it 〈◊〉 not possible he could be held by the sorrows of 〈◊〉 it was not 〈◊〉 that his Body and Soul 〈◊〉 be held asunder then To clear it yet more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 may be considered in a double regard As it is a punishment the 〈◊〉 whereos may 〈◊〉 Justice 2 As it is a part of that Tyranny 〈◊〉 Satan by sin doth exercise upon a man It is 〈◊〉 Death and Obedience of 〈◊〉 takes away the 〈◊〉 of Death in the 〈◊〉 sense but it is he 〈◊〉 of Christ that takes away the power and 〈◊〉 of Death in the Second sense Again 〈◊〉 that Sin also hath a double 〈◊〉 1 As an Aberration or Transgression of the Law 〈◊〉 with the guilt and punishment that follows 〈◊〉 it 2 As part of the Tyranny that Satan exerciseth over the Soul there 〈◊〉 a hellish authority that 〈◊〉 exerciseth over the Soul by reason of Sin Sin 〈◊〉 the first sense our Savior Christ had imputed to 〈◊〉 the guilt of our Sins was charged upon him and the punishments of Sin was suffered by him by which means he answered Gods Justice and so came to justifie us 〈◊〉 the tyranny and authority which Sin and Satan doth exercise over the Soul that 〈◊〉 away by the Resurrection of Christ. This being laid for a ground it is alwaies required at the Sureties hand not only to pay the Debt for the Debtor but to bring the Debtor out of Prison in despight of the malice of 〈◊〉 Jaylor and strength of the Prison When therefore Christ who is our Surety had laid and paid a ful price for our Surety to God the Father and had fully answered that Debt which we stand bound unto by reason of our offence so that now Justice was wel pleased with us and the Anger of the Lord appeased towards us yet now the soul is in Prison under the power of Sin and dominion of Satan therefore it is requisite that God the Father having taken a payment must let the prisoner go free and the Lord Jesus must undertake also to Redeem the soul from the power of Sin and dominion of Satan though they be never so strong therefore God the Father raised up his Son Jesus Christ and together with him he raised us also The soul by reason of sin comes to be forfeited to the divine Justice of God to be a Prisoner to revenging Justice for the Malefactor is the Kings Prisoner not the Jaylors now Christ by his death satisfying Justice he frees the soul from the authority of revenging Justice but when the soul comes to be fetched out of Prison though Gods Justice be satisfied yet Sin and Satan keeps the soul in Prison and wil not let it go unless by strong hand therefore Jesus Christ by an Almighty power raiseth up himself from the dead and by the power of his Resurrection he rescues the soul from the power of
the soul let the best obects be presented the most perswasive and strongest 〈◊〉 pressed to a man under the power of his sins 〈◊〉 these wil never prevail with him Let God come 〈◊〉 Heaven and preach to Cain Gen. 4. 6. 7. Let our Savior preach to and weep over Jerusalem with many tears O Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee Mat. 23. 37. Let Judas live in the Family of Christ yet if there be no more but an ordinary power Cain wil be Cain and Judas wil be Judas and go to Hell for all this For 1 The Soveraignty of Mans 〈◊〉 Will is such that it exceedeth all created power in Heaven and Earth Amos Chap. 4. See what conclusions the Lord there tries upon the rebellious Israelites I 〈◊〉 given you cleanness of teeth and want of bread 〈◊〉 6. I have witholden the rain from you vers 7. I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you with blasting vers 9. I have sent among you the 〈◊〉 and overthrown you as Sodom vers 10. 11. And still this is added at the end of every instance Yet ye have not returned to me Rev. 16. 11. They blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and sores and they repented not Dan. 9. 13. All this evill is come upon us yet made we not our prayer c. The Seventy years Captivity was ended but their repentance was to begin When the Jews had travailed forty years in the Wilderness and been spectators of the wonders of God yet they wanted a heart to turn unto their God Deut. 29. 4. There is nothing but God that made the Will that is above the Will and can bow it and frame it to the obedience of his own Will 2 Besides the strength of the corrupt Will look we at the power of Satan that hath possession of the soul Mat. 12. 29. The Devill is said to be as a strong man that keeps the house till a stronger than be comes and binds him he improves al his policy and power to the utmost to keep the soul under the power of it's sins and there is no created policy or power above that of Satan He is only subject to the Almighty power of God to be driven out and 〈◊〉 thereby Look to the nature of that good which the soul is to be made partaker of It 's a supernatural good That which eye hath not seen nor ear heard nor can it enter into the heart of man what the Lord hath prepared for those that love him 1 Cor. 2. 9. It 's meant not only of the things of glory but the things of grace Now a man is naturally and wholly corrupted and possessed with sin Jo. 3. 6. That which is born of 〈◊〉 is flesh that which comes by Generation is but either nature or corruption Gal. 5. 19. The flesh lusteth against the spirit Therefore it is beyond the power of the flesh to close with the spirit because contrary thereunto therefore Paul concludeth it Rom. 7. 14. The law is spiritual and I am carnal sold under sin Again that which must lift up Nature to act above its self must be something above nature for nothing can act beyond its own sphere and compass Trees grow but they have not sence Beasts have sence but not reason Devils have 〈◊〉 but they cannot close with God That that must cause the Dog not to return to his vomit again must change the nature of a Dog into a Lamb It 's beyond the power of darkness to bring light so 〈◊〉 It must be as the Apostle expresseth it 2 Cor. 4. 6. God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness that must shine into our hearts to give the light of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 〈◊〉 is the 〈◊〉 of power not only to work something out of nothing but something out of that which is contrary to it And therefore this work of the Application of Redemption to a lost sinner is harder than the work of Creation it self for as the Lord had nothing then to help him so he had nothing to hinder him in Creating the World but here the Lord must take 〈◊〉 the heart of stone he must turn the heart of flint into a heart of flesh he must cause light to shine out of darkness and work one contrary out of another Why then are commands so frequent it Scripture as make you a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 18. 31. Turn ye turn ye why will you die Ezek. 33. 11. Beleeve in the Lord Jesus and thou shalt be saved Acts 16. 31. If a man have no power to turn himself to what purpose are these commands if there be need of an Almighty power to work these why are they required of us 1 These and the like commands of God in Scripture do shew not what we can do but what we should do not what our ability is but what our duty is and what would be acceptable to the Lord if we could perform the same 2 When the Lord gives a command together with the command he gives a power unto al his Elect to enable them to obey the command as when he commanded Lazarus to come forth Jo. 5. 20. 3 When we are commanded to return to repent and beleeve the meaning is not that we of our selves by our selves and our own power should do this but thus that we should be content that the Lord should work in us what he requires of us we should lie under the stroke of the truth and receive the powerfull impression of the spirit and be content to be made able The Third Proposition We have heard 1 That God himself is the Principal Cause of Application and 2 That the Power which he puts forth in this Work is an Almighty Power Now Thirdly Those means which the Lord is pleased to appoint and to use are the instrumental causes of Application This meets directly with that vain conceit of the Familists Doth the Lord do all the Work it seems then a man may sit still and do nothing nothing is required of us there is nothing for us to do It was a wise speech of one of the Antients He that created thee without thy self will not save thee without thy self know therefore we must God by his Almighty Power is the Principal Cause and those means that he hath appointed are the Instrumental Causes These are First The Word accompanied by the presence and operation of the Spirit Isa. 59. 21. My Word and my Spirit shall never depart away from thee The word he hath sanctified and promised to accompany for this great Work and it is the Word of the Gospel mainly which makes this Application for our good He hath left an Impression of his own 〈◊〉 upon it It is called the Ministration of the Spirit 〈◊〉 of Life 2 Cor. 3. 6 7 8. but the Law is a killing Letter it shews a man what he is and what he 〈◊〉 but the Gospel shews the means
the first step to Christianity If any man will be my 〈◊〉 let him deny him self and follow me Matt. 16. 24. Where there is no denying of a mans self there can be no following of Christ. That God should give al to me work all by me and take al from me this is to seek the glory that comes from God only this is my honor when I am willing that God should honor himself upon me and by me 2 If seeking honor from man and faith cannot stand together then the sovereignty of this sinfull distemper must be renounced as cross to Grace and Christ before we can receive Faith or Christ by Faith The like place you have John 6. 44. Uttered and expressed upon the same ground and occasion and tending to the same end When the Pharisees despised the Person and quarrelled with the Word of our Savior Christ Is not this Jesus the Son of Joseph whose Father and Mother we know how is it that he saith I came down from Heaven vers 42. That which they saw not understood not that they would not entertain our Savior shews the reason of this wretched rebellion of heart No man can come to me unless the Father which hath sent me draw him unless the Father who hath called our Savior and committed the great Work of Salvation to him and sent him to that purpose by a holy constraint draw the rebellious 〈◊〉 out of himself to Christ he will not he cannot come unto him comming is Beleeving drawing is Preparing when God the Father lets in his heavy displeasure into the soul of a sinner to force him to seek out to Christ for present relief there is else no way but perrishing this is that that causes him to go out to Christ. It is hence plain 1 Unless a man be Drawn there is 〈◊〉 Comming 2 He that is Drawn will certainly 〈◊〉 Without Preparing there is no Beleeving and he that is Prepared will undoubtedly come and Beleeve It 's the scope of that 〈◊〉 and the very aim of the parrable No man can enter into a strong mans house before he first bind the strong man and then 〈◊〉 possession of the house 12. Matt. 29. The house is the heart the strong man is Satan who takes possession thereof and rules in the soul by means of 〈◊〉 the binding of this strong man is taking away of the over ruling claim and challenge that Satan by 〈◊〉 laies to the soul and by vertue whereof he acts it and carries it to the commission of evill 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 while our Savior by a superior right of 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 precious blood laies claim to the soul this soul is mine he binds Satans hands brings to nought and disanulls his claims and so spoyls him of 〈◊〉 that rule and tyranny he exerciseth in the soul. It 's the meaning of that order appointed by God in the work of Conversion and 〈◊〉 the soul to himself Acts 26. 18. To 〈◊〉 them from darkness 〈◊〉 light from the power of 〈◊〉 to God first from the one then to the other Take also Two Réasons of the Point If there be not Preparation before implantation then the soul is implanted into Christ while it is in the state of Nature under the command of Sin and Power of Satan and setled in it self For upon this ground and by this grant to be implanted into Christ and to be at the same time unprepared do stand together But that is utterly impossible as apparantly contradicting the Principles of Reason for then it should be under the power of sin and Christ at once in the Kingdom of Light and Darkness together in Hell and Heaven 〈◊〉 the same time a Subject to our Savior and a Subject to his corruption and so a man might serve two contrary Masters fully 〈◊〉 to the Verdict of our Savior Christ You 〈◊〉 serve two Masters Mat. 6. 24. 〈◊〉 at the same time should be affirmed of the same thing If it be light then it 's darkness The Second Reason is taken from Rom. 11. 24. where the Apostle speaking of the Calling os the Gentiles speaks thus If thou wert cut out of the 〈◊〉 Tree which is wild by Nature and wert contrary 〈◊〉 Nature grafted into the true Olive Tree Every sinner is as a branch which grows Naturally upon Adams rebellion as upon the wild Olive the true Olive is the Lord Jesus the Second Adam and Head of the Covenant of Grace our calling is our engrafting into Christ the true Olive our preparation is as it were our cutting of us off by the knife of the Law If cutting in Nature is and in reason must be before engrafting then Preparing is before implanting but cutting is before engrafting in Nature and in Reason Ergo preparing is before implanting These Scriptures and these Reasons may suffice to give in Evidence for the settling and establishment of this Truth For Application this Doctrine serves to Instruct Reprove Examine and Exhort For our Instruction Hence we should receive it and beleeve it for an everlasting Truth That Christ cannot be united to the soul while it continues in the state of Nature and Infidelity The Doctrine formerly delivered and the Reasons alleadged for the proof thereof do force this Conclusion beyond gainsaying For if the sinner must be prepared and cut off from his Natural condition before his Implantation then while he is in his Natural and corrupt Estate there can be no union and communion with the Lord Jesus so the Apostle disputes 2 Cor. 6. 16. What communion is there between Light and Darkness Righteousness and Unrighteousness Christ and Belial wherefore he saith Come out from among them and be ye separate and touch no unclean thing and I will be your God We must come out of our distempers and corruptions before Christ will come if we touch any unclean thing Christ will not touch us that is unless we be divorced from all our 〈◊〉 so as not to touch them with the touch of a marriage affection so the Apostle 1 Cor. 7. 1. It 's not good for a man to touch a woman that is to be married to her we must thus be divorced before we can be married And we are the rather to have our hearts and judgments established in this Truth because the contrary Opinion to wit That Christ may be united to the soul remaining in the state of Corruption is a brooding Error that brings out a whol nest and company of delusions with it which will pollute and pervert the Judgment and defile our Practices in our dayly Conversations 1 This maintains the sinner in a careless and remorsless security and fondly perswades that which is so pleasing to the flesh that a man may keep his lusts and his Christ his comfort and his corruption together than which nothing is more contentfull to a carnall heart A Christ and a Lust A Christ and a proud heart A Christ and a World A Christ and a peevish Nature Oh
no power receive no profit nor benefit to my own soul and there is a secret conceit that God doth them wrong As she said If it be so Why am I thus Gen. 25. 22. 2. We may know it by a sinking discouragement of heart When the soul wearied with delayes and differings and expectation sits down in a 〈◊〉 condition because he cannot have what he will he will cast away what he hath and conceaves he may be careless of what he might attain As David said I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul 1 Samuel 27. 1. All men are lyars Psal. 116. 11. Alas Iam not fit to Pray or to Hear I find my heart worse after it none was ever in such a case as I better never to use the means than never to have benefit by them better never to enjoy the Ordinances and Priviledges of God than to get no good by them How now Better never use the means It would be better and best of all if you were deeply humbled and abased in the sight of your own vileness As the Apostle saies What if God will not What 〈◊〉 he will never pardon your sins or shew mercy to your soul If he give you nothing doth he 〈◊〉 you any thing You think your worthiness is not attended you secretly think the Lord hath forgot himself your parts and performances your 〈◊〉 and prayers diligence and endeavors ought upon due to be remembered and recompenced No Thank your proud heart you are not prepared for the presence the peace the comfort the coming of a Savior and therefore you want him Do you think your self worthy to be condemned when you think it much to be denyed deserted punished nay but desayed in the dispensation of Gods goodness He must please your pallat and suit your mind and humor at a beck No no mend your self if you be in so hasty a moode the Lord will make you know that you are unworthy of mercy He will not bribe you nor be beholding to you to wait upon him for his mercy yea be thankful to him that you may wait and wonder that you are not past praying hearing and waiting and all A ground of Encouragement to a poor distressed sinner when Devils assault 〈◊〉 grow strong Conscience accuse and the venome of the vengeance of the Almighty drinks up a mans spirits so that the sinner knows not how to bear his condition nor yet how to help himself out of it so that he is at his wits end His Friends pitty him and the Parents conceave their Child is undone they never thought to have seen this day Why so It is the best day that ever his eyes saw he is now in Gods way the Lord now seems to lay hold upon him and to intend good to him be not afraid of the work but be afraid he should miss and spoil in the working As in Child-bed when throws come thick and strong there is most hope of a speedy and happy delivery but when her throws leave her her life leaves her so it is in the new Birth Stormy gales at Sea toss a man most but soonest land him Therefore do not so much fear the blow as be thankful and be willing to follow the blow nor so much desire to be eased as not to be deceived not so much to have the work over as to have it made good upon thy soul labor to get into and keep in that frame prophesied of in all 〈◊〉 Converts Jer. 50. 4. Going and 〈◊〉 with their faces towards Zion they shall 〈◊〉 the Lord their God Exhortation Suffer then the Exhortation of the Baptist the voyce of him that cries in the Wilderness to sound in your ears and to sink into 〈◊〉 hearts Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths streight As ever we 〈◊〉 to share in the Merits of our Savior to enjoy him and his presence and everlasting happiness by him address we our selves bestir our souls in the use of all means to 〈◊〉 a Savior and then we may 〈◊〉 expect him and we shall not miss of our expectation There is no lack on his part he is willing and ready He that stands and knocks at the door that he may come in Rev. 3. 20. If the door was open he would come in without question If the way was prepated he hath promised to come speedily and certainly he would not delay his coming I know this manner of entertainment seems hard to flesh and blood loath we are to dislodge so many gainful guests so many special friends darling pleasures and sweet contentments which we have contrived to our selves out of the earthly comforts of this life Hence many are content the King would go another way and secretly wish they had nothing to do with the Lord Jesus there is so much privy search to be made so much examination to be used such a sight of our sins and unworthiness yea that which is worst of all to the corrupt hearted they must vomit up all their sweet morsels shake hands and break league with their beloved darling delights which they tender as their lives they must thrust world and ease prosperity and pompe credit and applause by the head and shoulders out of the doors and turn them going 〈◊〉 therefore I am afraid many 〈◊〉 that in secret in their own hearts which the Devils openly professed What have we to do with thee Jesus thou Son of God art thou come to 〈◊〉 us before the time to deprive us of our profits to pluck away our pleasures and to dislodge those sweet lusts that we harbored so long in our bosoms and bowels learn we then to press some sound Arguments upon our own hearts that we may perswade and prevaile with them if it be possible to set about this work which is so necessary Consider then First Who we be that must 〈◊〉 And Secondly For whom First Let us consider our selves a company of poor miserable sinful and damned Creatures sinful dust and ashes dead dogs Consider of this and think with thy self Will the Lord of Heaven come down will Christ dwell in my heart will he vouchsafe to look in yea to call in as he goes by upon such a sinful Creature And let this move thee to prepare for his coming We are not worthy as the Centurion said that the Lord should come under our 〈◊〉 1 King 8. 27. There Solomon saith Will the Lord indeed dwell on earth Will he dwel in a house made with hands As if he should say Is it possible Can it be imagined that thou Lord being the great God of heaven whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain shouldest once 〈◊〉 to dwell in a house made with hands in the Temple which I have builded And what may we say Is it so Can it be Shall it be that God will come and dwell under our roof that he will come and dwell under our rotten and sinful hearts that he will dwell
in our 〈◊〉 and sinful souls Why he will he hath said it he hath 〈◊〉 it he wil perform it and therefore let us consider our own unworthiness to receive Christ as a motive to stir us up to make preparation for Christ for the baser the place is that should entertain him the greater the preparation should be We ought to wonder that the Lord will vouchsafe to come into our sinful souls and therefore we had need prepare the more for his comming The Lord hath promised to come into our souls if we humble them and make them fitting to entertain his Majesty therefore sweep your hearts and clense those rooms clense every sink and brush down every cobweb and make room for Christ for if thy heart be prepared and divorced from all Corruptions then Christ will come and take possession of it A Second Motive that may stir us up to prepare for the Lord Jesus is To consider who it is that we are to prepare for Here we have Three Things 1 Consider the worthiness of the Person in regard of whom all preparation may seem too little you are not to entertain an ordinary person it is not a man it is not a King it is not an earthly Monarch but it is the King of Kings that will come into your souls to comfort them yea his holy and blessed Spirit will remain with you for ever Therefore do all that possible may be done to prepare for his comming and for the entertainment and welcoming of him when he comes In Psal. 24. 7. David calls 〈◊〉 his own soul for so the words are to be expounded Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lifted up you everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in As who should say Be enlarged Love Joy Hope Desire and All that is within me set open give way for the Lord is coming But who is the Lord It is the Lord of Hosts the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battel vers 8. And with that he knocks again Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye 〈◊〉 ye everlasting doors for the King of 〈◊〉 shall come 〈◊〉 vers 9. As if he should say What! Shall the Lord knock Shall the King of Glory stand Open 〈◊〉 and make all preparation Did David do thus Why do you do 〈◊〉 then Christ knocks by Promises he knocks by Judgements he knocks by Threats yea he speaks this day unto your souls and labors this day to make way for himself Make therefore all preparation let nothing be wanting that when he comes he may take 〈◊〉 of your souls and be a God unto you for ever 2 Consider all that good that Jesus Christ brings with him and that should move you for all the good that we need or can desire to make us happy he will bring with him when he comes to take 〈◊〉 of the Soul The Lord comes into our Souls not to trouble us and charge us no he comes to bring everlasting Salvation and happiness to our Souls Look what Christ said to 〈◊〉 Luke 19. 5. 8 9. when he went up into a Sycamore-tree to see him Make haste and come down Zacheus saith he for I must abide with thee in thy house Zacheus makes no cavilling nor no tarrying but made haste and came down and received him joyfully And mark what Christ said unto him This day Salvation is come to thy house So likewise it shall be with you when Christ comes everlasting Happiness and Salvation comes with him and therefore if you do not make preparation for him you refuse Salvation and Happiness that is offered to your Souls by him Amos 4. 12. when the Lord had sent many Plagues and Judgments upon Jerusalem he saith Thus will I do unto thee Oh Israel and because I will do thus unto thee therefore prepare to meet thy God O Israel I will do thus unto thee that is I will send Mildews and Pestilence and War and Famine amongst you I will draw you out with Hooks and your Posterity with Fish-hooks And what followeth Prepare to meet thy God Oh Israel If God come against us to plague us we must prepare to meet him Reason then with your own Souls Should the Lord come in Judgement to punish us if we ought to prepare to meet him then what preparation ought we to make for his coming when he shall not come thus in Judgement to condemne us but in mercy to save us in his goodness to enrich us in his compassion to comfort us Then now if ever prepare to meet thy God O Israel Let every heart perswade it self in this particular Is Christ so gracious and so merciful doth he send from Heaven unto us and say he will come in Behold saies he I stand at the door and knock and if any man will hear my voyce and open unto me my Father and I will come in and sup with him He will come in himself and bring all the good things of Grace and Glory with him for the everlasting refreshing of our Souls Why Where are your hearts in the mean time Therfore if ever now prepare to meet the Lord Jesus bringing Salvation with him 3 Consider again How the Lord Jesus entreats you and beseeches you to receive him he that might command you and condemne you for refusing beseeches you to entertain him 2 Cor. 5. 20. We as Ambassadors in Christs stead beseech you that you would be reconciled to God that is That you would prepare to meet God willing to be reconciled to you in Christ and that you would come to his terms Consider our Savior Christ hath taken a great journey from Heaven to Earth to save us miserable wretched sinners conceive you saw those 〈◊〉 of blood trickling down his cheeks conceive you saw him upon the Cross with his hands thrust through with Nayls and his side pierced with a Spear enduring the wrath of God for our sins and behold now he standeth at the door and saith with the Church Lam. 1. 22. Is it nothing to you have you no regard O you that pass by behold and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow c. Imagine you heard Christ say I have suffered these and these things for you these hands of mine were nayled this side of mine was pierced this heart of mine was melted with anguish of Spirit Imagine you saw Christ standing and knocking at the door of your hearts as indeed he doth and say Hoe all you within there all you proud hearts all you covetous and malicious hearts Have you no regard to a Savior a Crucified Savior He that died for you and now laboreth to do good to your Souls Will not this move you to prepare your hearts for him and let him in Will you suffer the Lord Jesus to stand knocking and calling and weeping and saying as he said to Jerusalem Luke 19. 42. Oh that thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy
attend upon him at all 〈◊〉 Say not then out of the shortness of thy spirit I have come often begged much and 〈◊〉 long at the gate of grace I find not the work yet done my heart not yet throughly humbled for my 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 refreshed with the assurance of Gods Favor Shall I wait any longer Oh fearful Pride Is it come to this If you be in such haste you may go to Hell time enough What not wait See who will have the worst of it God can better keep his Compassions than thou canst want them And as its fit he should so its certain he will make thee to know thou must wait nay bless his Name that you may wait for his mercy The 〈◊〉 of all men that 〈◊〉 breathed have done it So David Min eyes fail with looking for thy Salvation saying O when wilt thou comfort 〈◊〉 Psal. 119. 82. 123 It s enough we may beg the Grace of God as a 〈◊〉 not command it as a Debt Labor we then to 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 those proud and impatient distemper whereby we repine and quarrel at the 〈◊〉 on of Gods dealings with us if he answers 〈◊〉 Expectation to the full Others seek and the 〈◊〉 hath bestowed and they have received a great 〈◊〉 sure of Grace with little labor and in a short 〈◊〉 When we have labored long and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and yet the Lord answers not our 〈◊〉 nor 〈◊〉 us that Spiritual Good we need Learn we now 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and controul those boystrous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Spirits with that of the Apostle Who art 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that reasonest against God What if 〈◊〉 will not Rom. 9. 20 21 22. What if he will 〈◊〉 ver 〈◊〉 our hearts never pacifie our Conscience pardon our sins save our Souls It is 〈◊〉 his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he may do what he will and therefore he doth us no wrong what ever he does Fit then it is we should stay his times who hath all times especially of Grace and Life in his own hands While this life lasts and the Gospel is continued that is the particular Season and Period wherein the Lord expresseth his good pleasure to work graciously upon the 〈◊〉 of His. The time of Grace and day of Salvation is here discovered in the Two Periods of it which make up the parts of the Doctrine 1 Grace is only to be gained in this life 2 While the means of Salvation are continued that 's the Season which the Lord usually takes to work upon the Souls of those 〈◊〉 belong to him we shall severally open and prove both 〈◊〉 and after make joynt Application of them Preparation and Conversion of the Soul must be made in this life Seek ye the Lord while he may be found Isaiah 55. 6. The time of our living is one of Gods whiles the time of finding Grace and Mercy if ever we come to share therein The 〈◊〉 of Jacobs Ladder is here on Earth though the top of 〈◊〉 unto Heaven The Lord must dwell with 〈◊〉 here in an humble and contrite heart Isaiah 57. 15. 〈◊〉 else we shall never dwell with him in that high and holy place whither Christ is gone to prepare a mansion for us Now is the time of 〈◊〉 and gaining Grace in the other world we shall enjoy the fruit and sweet of it here we must get the conquest if we think to wear the Crown in another world Reasons are Two Because after the parting of the Soul from the body and the dissolution of the whole Gods peremptory Sentence is passed and the final doom of the Soul is determined a Sentence never to be revoked a judgement never to be repealed and therefore the sinner becomes irrevokably either miserable or happy Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed for all men once to die and after death comes judgement Death and Judgement are coupled immediately one to another the end of the one is the entrance of the other as Death leaves us so Judgement will find us Though the full and compleate execution of the Sentence is deferred until the great day of accounts yet condemnation seizeth upon each part as soon as they be severed the one from the other if they do deserve The body is imprisoned in the dungeon of the grave and the Soul of him 〈◊〉 is wicked is taken instantly and dragged by the Devils into torment Luke 12. 20. This night shall they fetch away 〈◊〉 Soul With the Saints contrariwise Their bodies are laid in the Grave as in a bed of Down perfumed with the precious Death and Burial of the Body of Christ the ashes thereof carefully preserved yea loved by the Lord So the Apostle Rom. 8. last I am perswaded that neither life nor death is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus So that the Lord loves the very dust of the bodies of his Saints in the Grave and receives their Souls to himself in glory as soon as Body and Soul are parted one from another Luke 16. 22. The Soul of Lazarus was by the Angels carried into Abrahams bosome For at the great day of accounts we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether good or 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 5. 10. The Sentence we see shall not 〈◊〉 according to that men do in Purgatoty as the Papists dream but according to that only which they did while they had Being and Breathing in this Natural life The Condition of a man after this life is 〈◊〉 For as the Godly after this life ended receive perfect Sanctification and so become wholly 〈◊〉 of the Spirit of God and thereby fully and unchangeably confirmed in the state of Glory never more to be pestered or annoyed with the presence of Sin or Misery Rom. 8. 23. Here in this world we 〈◊〉 but the first fruits of the Spirit but there 〈◊〉 then the full Harvest So contrarily the Wicked after Death are 〈◊〉 delivered up to the tyranny and authority os 〈◊〉 Corruptions and there settled and that 〈◊〉 in a state of rebellion and become utterly 〈◊〉 of receiving any spiritual Grace or 〈◊〉 any spiritual Good but sink down in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without hope of either For those 〈◊〉 Graces whereby the Lord in the time of life 〈◊〉 their distempers and those outward 〈◊〉 Word and Sacraments wholsome Laws and 〈◊〉 Counsels and Examples which formerly 〈◊〉 them from many notorious outrages are now 〈◊〉 away Now the Lord plucks up the Hedge 〈◊〉 pulls down the VVall takes away all the 〈◊〉 Gifts of his Grace vouchsafes not one 〈◊〉 of his Spirit to strive with the Sinner any more 〈◊〉 one check of Conscience to aw him not the least 〈◊〉 of any Good to affect him any more 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the reins in the neck of the Rebel and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loose upon him to execute the fulness of the fierceness of his malice to the uttermost 〈◊〉 his rage was consined before he could
the Lord such need of Services that he must entertain in the worst hath he such need of Sacrifices that the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 must serve his turn Let men judg Go offer now the 〈◊〉 and the 〈◊〉 unto thy 〈◊〉 will be accept it Mat. 1. 8. will he not loath thy Person and thy 〈◊〉 and can the great and glorious God take pleasure 〈◊〉 either Yea 〈◊〉 others were silent let thy own Conscience 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in this case when these evil daies these dog 〈◊〉 come thou thy self shalt say I have no pleasure in them Caust thou for 〈◊〉 present that to the Lord which thou thy self 〈◊〉 Nay not only thy self but thy 〈◊〉 may seem to be weary of thy service thy pleasures have taken their leave the world and the delights thereof 〈◊〉 gone from thee thy unclean lusts have forsaken thy 〈◊〉 and languishing members blasphemy is departed from thy speechless tongue and shall the Lord have the Devils leavings When thus thou art become a burden to thy self a trouble to others and fit for nothing but to be fuel for the fire of Hell how 〈◊〉 is it to desire it how hard to conceive it that the holy wise and blessed God will make choyce of thee and therefore it is to be feared thou 〈◊〉 never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 But Secondly I 〈◊〉 thou dost attain it it will he very uncomfortable when thou wilt be like 〈◊〉 that could not tast his meat for age so you will not be able to tast the sweetness of the Promises of Grace and Christ little or nothing A poor old man comes in and gets as near the Pulpit as he 〈◊〉 and listens but he saies he cannot hear he asks 〈◊〉 what was said they tell him Oh the great and precious Promises of Grace and Mercy and Christ saies he I did not hear them where are they and takes his Book and then takes his 〈◊〉 and looks 〈◊〉 child saies he I cannot see tell him of them presently after I cannot remember them And so you will be unfit for any Service to God as an old Journey-man that is but a 〈◊〉 so you will bungle at Prayer and Conference and in all the duties of Obedience and when God hath shewed mercy to you you will wonder and think if I had a thousand lives what could I do again for God but alas he can do little but sit down as a senceless spectacle of Gods everlasting compassions a wonder to himself and a warning to others not to defer 〈◊〉 till old Age it being then so uncomfortable and he so unfit for it And therfore 〈◊〉 little ones that are growing up to years of understanding you have the day before you if you do not take and improve the first of your time to repent and turn to God in God will require it of you beleeve it he will you may read in 2 Kings 2. 23 24. of a company of wicked children who mock'd the Prophet and the Lord sent two Bears amongst 〈◊〉 that devoured two and forty of them they might have said my Father caught me or I did not know what I did or I was but yong but none of all this would serve their turn they had their time to repent in but they spent that time in sin and wickedness and the Lord sent Bears among them to devour them and so he will deal with you that are careless impenitent wicked children beleeve it he will God hath thousands of Devils to torment you for ever if you go on and continue in your Natural condition without Jesus Christ. And you yong men your glass is now running and as yet you have the day before you My heart in with you al you that offer your selves willingly Oh remember your Creator in the daies of your youth before the evil daies of sickness and sorrow and age come upon you 〈◊〉 only say Three Things to you Consider what good you may do now A yong 〈◊〉 and a glorious Christian Your example may be leading to many that may know you and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you all the daies of their lives and 〈◊〉 you shall be going to Heaven in your old age 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be able to say Lord here am I and the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Children that thou hast given me you may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 means to convert others and they will bless 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the day of their visitation 1 Pet. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 smell of your gracious speeches and holy 〈◊〉 will be as Lebanon that no man 〈◊〉 meets you but will be the better for you and 〈◊〉 you are going to Heaven every man wil mourn 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 loss of you He was a Father to me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he was a great help to me saies another 〈◊〉 was a means under God to bring my soul to Christ. Thus you will not only do good to your 〈◊〉 but you will do good to others also 〈◊〉 your death you will have more than this 〈◊〉 to your Peace and Joy will be unspeakable 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 then you will go to Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Death and Hell and Devils and all you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be Fathers serving God in uprightness you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 your children I go to my God and to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I leave you to a better Father that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 well for you and so he shakes hands 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saies he we shall meet in Heaven again so Paul 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the Faith henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord shall give unto me he saw it before him and was able to tell others of it So David 2 Chron. 28. 9. And thou Solomon my Son know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and a willing mind c. Thus you will be able to give a change and a blessing to your Children and to speak somthing suitable to the condition of all that come about you as a man that hath been a good husband from his youth he hath been a gatherer he is able to give to every one about him somwhat another that hath been a spend thrift can scarce pay his debts and well if he do so So here a man that has been long a gathering of Promises Commands Directions Consolations when his friends come about him on his death bed he knows the frame of every man he knows one man is worldly another hath good Parts and gifts but he is proud another under discouragements and he will speak somthing suitable to every mans condition and his dying words stick by them while they live And this is but the beginning but what will the Crown of Glory be He that begins betimes shall have a 〈◊〉 weighty Excessive Exceeding Crown of Glory he shall go loaded as it were to the Kingdom of Heaven the Sufferings Obedience Commands Promises Counsels of so many years all shal be rewarded other men shall be honored and crowned but he especially and when he
remorse for thy sinful condition truly know The strong man keeps house there unto this day Nay Let me tell you this That all may hear and fear and be awakened if Christ never awaken thee he will never give thee light and if ever he give thee light he will awaken thee first Nay the truth is So long as thou livest so senseless and careless know it Christ never came into the world to do thee any good Luke 19. 10. The Son of man came to seek and to save that which is lost They that are sensible of their lost and undone condition by reason of their sins against the Lord they see Hell gaping God plaguing and Conscience accusing being every day ready to drop into Hell Christ came to save such But thou that never yet in any measure wast troubled about thy condition and humbled for thy sins Christ will never seek thee nor save thee nay he was not sent to seek or save that miserable soul of thine God will make thee sensible of thy evils before ever thou canst have any hope that he intends good to thee I will not now Dispute how far God may awaken a man and yet not communicate saving grace that belongs to another place That I Urge now is this That its certain He that never yet was awakened or brought out of his carnal Security never was nor can be made partaker of Jesus Christ. Exhortation To all you secure dead hearted sinners that have been carried on in a Calm all your days Oh! know it and consider of it a man becalmed is drowned 〈◊〉 stir up thy self and think of the time of awakening it will come and as Marriners becalmed seek for winds so should you for the Gales and Breathings of the Spirit of Christ. Many of you have been 〈◊〉 up in good Families and many of you are civil honest quiet people all things remain with you as they were from the first until now you know not what Sin means nor what Faith and Repentance means in the power and practice of them you have a quiet life but a miserable life It s easie for a Marriner to be in a Calm at Sea he hath quiet there but he dies there Women in Child-birth longs for Throws if their Throws leaves them their life leaves them and all but if they have many and strong Throws then they hope well so go your wayes and call 〈◊〉 the Throws of Conversation For a Child to be born into the world and the Mother asleep it s against Nature and Reason and Sense and Experience and all so before ever you be born again before ever Christ be formed in you it will cost you many Prayers and Tears and much Sorrow but if 〈◊〉 Throws come thick then there is hope Oh! therefore call for the sight of sin and sorrow for sin for conviction and humiliation as you love your Lives and Souls call for these You know what they said to 〈◊〉 Chap. 1. 6. when the Sea was fierce and the Winds high and the Storm great every man fell to his Prayers and they came to Jonab 〈◊〉 thou sluggard arise and call upon thy God So if God raise a storm in your Consciences be sure you call upon Jonab those sluggish hearts of yours Awake and call upon your God I would advise those men that could never yet say they have any grace in their hearts they cannot say they have any thing more than they brought with them into the world they come to sit and hear but for Humiliation Conversion for the saving work of God upon their souls they know no such thing Let me advise you thus much Be suspicious of your estates certainly all is not well all is not right unless I be born again and repent and be another man and have another heart and life I cannot enter into Heaven thus suspect your self And when you have done so do not leave it there but betake your self to some faithful Minister or Christian and debate your condition with them and be sure you quiet not your self till you come to see what you are it may be they may help you and shew you the state of things with you If it shall appear upon good ground by sound Reasons from the Word that your estate is naught then go away convictedly 〈◊〉 it is so Attend not those carnal Reasons that may take off the edg of that conviction and hinder the working of it but sit down without any cavil against it but say the truth is I never saw my estate before but now I do I hope I shall never deny it Excuses and carnal Reasons have taken me aside but now I 'le hear nothing against it the truth is I am a miserable sinful damned Creature Arise with this in the morning 〈◊〉 lie down with this at night and walk with these thoughts all the day long I am a Christless graceless man and if the Devil say hereafter time enough hereafter loon enough Ay but say I may die suddenly and 〈◊〉 I am damn'd eternally and if your own heart say Am not I as good as such an one and shall not I hope to do as well as such an one Away with that too I am a miserable damned man give your self for gone and hold it here 〈◊〉 hear nothing the Devil saies that my heart saies that the world or my friends say I am in a miserable damned condition think so and sleep so and 〈◊〉 so if you can And when it 's come to this you may happily be prepared for the glad Tidings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. BOOK VII ROM 8. 7. The Wisdom of the flesh is Enmity against God it is not subject to the Law neither indeed can be WE heard there were three Particulars wherin the Dispensation and Gods Manner of working upon the soul when he will prepare it for himself was discovered 1 The Soul Naturally is setled in the security of a sinful estate And of that before 2 That being thus lodged in his lust and brought 〈◊〉 bed in his sinful distempers it 's wholly unwilling to be severed from them 3 By a holy kind of Violence as it were the soul is driven out of this condition and drawn 〈◊〉 the Lord Christ by God the Father We are now to attend the discovery of this second Divine Truth the Explication whereof makes way for the mysterious manner of Gods dealing with the sinner when he would bring him from under the power 〈◊〉 of his lusts And for this purpose we have chosen this Text as that which will afford us foothold for our following discourse The Aim and Scope of the Words is by force of Argument to fortifie the conclusion formerly expressed in the foregoing verse i. e. To mind the things of the flesh is death which is thus proved That which is Enmity against God will undoubtedly bring death as opposing the God of Life and Comfort but the wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God
approbation of Satan but by Compulsion For do but weigh a little what manner of Construction in a common apprehension can be made of a Morral Perswasion in this Case Namely The Lord Christ casts in so many Convicting Arguments into the mind of Satan and stirs up that malice and envie that is within him that he doth perswade Satan to destroy his own malice and envie yea perswades him to lay down his power and to make choice and desire that the Spirit of Christ should exercise power in the Soul He Conquers him only by perswading of him to yeild willing subjection to the power of Christ which is indeed to make Satan a Saint and the Devil not to be the Prince of darkness The Power and Rule of Satan cannot be Destroyed without violence but in this work Satan his power is destroyed and himself bound and Conquered therefore it s done by Violence Fifthly Now we are to enquire How the plucking of the Soul from Sin and Drawing unto Christ is accomplished by this holy Violence To which I Answer 1 Generally 2 Particularly 1 Generally thus All that hold that Sin Satan had of the Soul and al that authority they exercised in it is now removed and the bent and set of the heart is now under the hand of the Spirit of God The Lord comes now to manifest his claim and to make good and challenge the right he hath unto the soul through his Christ whom he hath appointed to bring his unto himself This is his good pleasure for the execution whereof he hath sent the Lord Jesus Isa. 49. 45. Therefore he is said to be formed from the womb to be a servant unto God the Father to restore the preserved of Israel and to be the salvation of God to the ends of the earth Hence that of our Savior Christ Joh. 10. 16. Other sheep I have there 's the ground those I must bring and they shall hear my voice they are mine I have died for them sin and Satan shal not keep them shal not hold them hands off sin hands off Satan I must Humble them and Call them and Justifie them and 〈◊〉 them and Save them for ever And therefore the Lord was typed out in the Parable of the Owner that left Ninty and nine to seek the lost sheep Luke 15. 4 5. And when it could not seek its own good or Christ or find either the Lord sought it up and found it and brought it home upon his shoulder 2 ' More Particularly The accomplishment of this Work Discovers it self in Four Particulars The Lord calls in that Commission which formerly he put into the hands of Satan to lay hold of the heart of a sinner as a Malefactor attached of high Treason committed against God and Heaven and therefore it was he sent him with his Mittimus as the Justice doth the Fellon into the Custody and keeping of Satan that since he would not be ruled by the Law of Liberty and Life he should be made a slave unto sin and subject to death and that for ever to be kept in the Chains of darkness until the day of 〈◊〉 great Goal Delivery and the Declaration of the fierce wrath of God and this Durante bene placito during the pleasure of the Lord or until ye shal understand his Majesties pleasure to the 〈◊〉 For still you must remember That as in Courts and Course of Justice amongst men upon earth it is so in the Court of Heaven and the Proceedings of the Almighty the Malefactor is the Kngs prisoner The Jaylor is but the Keeper or under Officer betrusted with the Execution of Justice the Lord is the sole Commander of mens souls and of life and death unto which they are liable by reason of their sins This being the Commission the Lord put into the hands of Satan and sin for the present unless any Express appear to the contrary He is now pleased to signifie to the Prince of Darkness and to the Power of Hell and to those Damned Spirits by the Ministery of the Word in the mouths of his Servants and by the Hand and Almighty Operation of his Spirit Be it known 〈◊〉 you you Principalities of 〈◊〉 and spiritual wickednesses that take possession of and rule in the hearts of the Children of disobedience that upon the first hearing of this holy Word and Message dispensed by my faithful Servant as a warrant under my hand that it is my Royal Wil and Command That you forthwith let loose that poor 〈◊〉 who hath been long prisoner in the chains of Darkness For my Justice is fully answered and satisfaction fully accepted Fail not at your 〈◊〉 under 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 displeasure of the Almighty Dated at the Court of Mercy before all worlds published this present day and instant according to the counsel of mine own Will This puts the powers of Darkness the Devils and his Angels to deep Consultation what to do they see they have no warrant now to hold the sinner any longer and yet they have no wil to let him go They are 〈◊〉 loth to part with him and yet their power is gone whereby they have hitherto kept him For the strength of 〈◊〉 is the law 1 Cor. 15. 56. And this is to take away the Devils Armour Luke 11. 22. When Justice will deliver the sinner Satan hath no power to hold him As our Savior said to Pilate when 〈◊〉 said I have power to bind thee or to loose thee our Savior 〈◊〉 Thou hadst no power 〈◊〉 was given thee from above John 19. 11. So Satan hath no power but what is given from above according to the Edict of Gods revenging Justice and their just deservings Therefore now God the Father through the perfect Death and satisfaction 〈◊〉 the Lord Jesus hath yeilded the Edict of 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 and therefore the Devils cannot 〈◊〉 As it was said touching our Savior when he was in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was impossible he should be 〈◊〉 2 Acts 24. 〈◊〉 Gods Justice was answered to here When the Devils power is now gone and that Justice hath signified her pleasure That the Prisoner must be set loose they then begin to pretend the right they have and the claim they can make yet unto the Sinner Therefore Sin and 〈◊〉 seem 〈◊〉 plead their own Cause in way of Justice and that which cannot be gain-said as that the souls of such 〈◊〉 Creatures do appertain to them for besides saies Satan the Statute Law The soul that sins that soul must die The Evidence is cleer from their practice and experience Whether these be the seed of the Serpent because they express the nature of the serpent in their actions Is it not written John 8 44. You are of your Father the Devil for the lusts of your Father you will do These are they whose hearts if they were discerned whose carriages if they were traced and taken notice of would give in Evidence that the 〈◊〉 of the Serpent was in the one
is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 send the Lord Jesus I shal shortly open both 1 Why it is ascribed to the Father And 2 Why to the Father as sending the Lord Jesus Unless the Father which hath sent me draw him First then Why the Father is said to Draw This Drawing as we have Disputed formerly implyes Two Things in it of necessity 1 〈◊〉 from whence the soul is drawn and that is sin upon which the soul was 〈◊〉 2 Somthing unto which the soul is drawn and that is 〈◊〉 Now both the Expressions serve both these Intendments in a most pregnant manner Because the Fathers manifesting himself in his displeasure unto the soul doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and most 〈◊〉 the work of that holy violence 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 unto the soul 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 from it and 〈◊〉 which this drawing we know is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be conceived The sin of Adam falling from his Creation in which the 〈◊〉 of the Fathers working is especially discovered in that he is the original in the Deity first in Order and Working from himself and Creation is the Original of things there they have their beginnings Hence in Scripture it is said to be 〈◊〉 directly against him and indirectly against the Son and the Holy Ghost because that work wherein though they al wrought yet the manner of the Fathers dispensation did principally appear 1 Joh. 2. 1. Little Children sin not at al but if any man do sin we have an Advocate with the Father He sayes not We have an Advocate with an Advocate Christ is not properly and firstly and directly an Advocate to himself but an Advocate is to plead with the party offended in behalf of him who stands guilty and hath offended and therefore he is said to be an Advocate with the Father because he was the offended party properly and directly Christ an Advocate to plead the Cause of his people the Spirit the Witness to Certifie of the Success what the Advocate hath done for them and what acceptance he hath found with the Father in their behalf Hence the Fathers Displeasure in the fierceness of it comes as most cross and directly contrary unto sin and so the sinner because directly wronged and therefore hath most reason and is most ready to offer violence to the sin for the destruction of that and the Confusion and Condemnation of the sinner because of that And hence therefore the resistance of sin comes to be destroyed and the soul of the sinner most affrighted for it and wearied with it and so compelled to part And therefore our Savior who was in our stead and became our surety and bore our sorrows the chastisement of our peace being upon him He sayes Shall I not drink of 〈◊〉 Cup which the Father will give me Joh. 18. 11. By Cup is meant those sufferings in our behalf 〈◊〉 the Father had appointed and did also lay upon him and so Consequently upon us in him If the fierceness of the wrath of the Father as the Partie directly offended is most cross to the sin of 〈◊〉 sinner and most dreadsul to his soul as guilty 〈◊〉 the Expression thereof even in that regard is most fit by a kind of violence to remove sin from the soul and to force the soul from it Again The Father as he sends Christ 〈◊〉 unto him Because when he so makes himself manifest unto the sinner he shews the soul whither 〈◊〉 should go and what certain success it may expect yea easie and ready acceptance with the Father and deliverance from his wrath and the vengeance deserved if it'do go For when the sinner comes indeed to look upon the ghastly visage of sin to see the heinousness and the unsufferable bitterness of that Evil that doth undoubtedly attend upon it He now Concludes he must either part from sin or else he must needs perish in it it cannot be avoided Go he must from his sin but whither to go he cannot tel that the filth and guilt of sin may be removed from him and he delivered from the wrath of the Father which he hath deserved by it When he hath sought far and neer for succour and shelter that Heaven and Earth professeth there is no salvation to be had in us Holy Ordinances and Duties say We have heard of the Name thereof but we neither have it nor can give it only we have heard tel there is Salvation in Christ and in no other Name under Heaven The 〈◊〉 therefore intends to make out to a Christ but 〈◊〉 the Question and Doubt meets him Though Christ can Discharge my Debt lay down and present sufficient pay It s yet doubtful whether the 〈◊〉 being the Creditor wil accept of it and rest 〈◊〉 with it or no Yea sayes the text The Father hath sent him for this purpose to be his salvation unto the ends of the earth and therefore he wil not refuse him briefly therebe Three things 〈◊〉 in this sending which may draw the 〈◊〉 of the sinner towards Christ. 1 That God hath appointed him in his 〈◊〉 purpose and Counsel to accomplish this work 〈◊〉 49. The Lord hath called me vers 1. And he 〈◊〉 unto me Thou art my Servant in thee will I 〈◊〉 glorified vers 3. Thou shalt be my salvation to 〈◊〉 ends of the earth vers 6. Joh. 6. 27. For him 〈◊〉 the Father sealed A Comparison taken from Princes when they would send any with certain Evidence of their Appointment and Approbation they 〈◊〉 him a Commission and signifie their mind under 〈◊〉 Hand and Seal So the Commission and 〈◊〉 of the Father is as it were the Evidence and 〈◊〉 undeniable that he was Designed to this 〈◊〉 2 That he hath fitted and furnished him with all 〈◊〉 abilities and sufficiency to discharge the 〈◊〉 of Redemption committed to him Psal. 89. 19. He hath laid salvation upon one that is mighty 〈◊〉 save Yea Isa. 61. 1. 2. The spirit of God was 〈◊〉 him and he hath anointed him i. e. 〈◊〉 him with Grace that he might suit al the 〈◊〉 and desires of his people yea with the spirit above measure Joh. 3. 34. 3 That he accepts of him and his Service and Mediation in the behalf of al those whose 〈◊〉 and places he sustains Matt. 3. last This is my 〈◊〉 in whom I am well pleased Not with whom only but in whom with al those whose place he sustains and whose surety he was If God the Father who was offended and that deeply with my sin and therefore is now come out against me either to destroy my sin or to ruinate and condemn my soul he hath appointed the Lord Jesus his Son to deliver poor Creatures from their sins and from his wrath and he hath fitted him for this so great a work and he wil accept him only and al that sue for acceptance in him He only appointed fitted and accepted for sinners let us therefore look towards him and go to him The Father that hath
from his Cups the Adulterer from the arms of his Queans and the worldly man from all the snares of the world the Lord can do it and wil do it also for those that belong to him therefore to that God look 〈◊〉 that Christ look who hath said it and can do it he can do it for thee as wel as for any other A Third ground of Discouragement which the sinner finds and that is the worst of al viz. The stiffness and stubbornness of his own heart he cannot blame the Devil for 〈◊〉 of him or the world for snaring of him he sayes and knows his heart is as bad as Hell it self he hath courted and desired temptations his heart hath been lingering and hankering after them and had not God been merciful to him he had lived and lien and perished for ever in his sins Nay though there were no 〈◊〉 to tempt nor world to allure yet I have a heart like a dunghil that steams up continually noysom abominations Nay that that 's worst of al If after al the Mercies I have abused and sins committed I had a heart that could repent there was some hope but Oh! the stiffness and knottiness of this heart of mine I have had Conscience checking of me and the Minister reproving of me and the Spirit of God striving with me but Oh! I have a hard heart that cannot repent And this is the plague of al plagues worse than the Devil and Hell it self How shal I help my self here Moral Perswasions Alas my heart spurns at them all and makes nothing of them al I have had the Minister speaking to my soul and the flashes of Hell in my face and yet alas such is the desperate frame of my heart that I wil have my sins or 〈◊〉 die for it What wil al Moral Perswasions and Congruity of Means do here Alas the Heart scorns al As in the Case of a man who fell into deep distress and horror of Conscience 〈◊〉 he had 〈◊〉 the sin against the Holy Ghost lying in that a twelve month together and the Lord let loose the 〈◊〉 of his own Spirit upon him that he often thought to lay violent hands upon himself but this was al that he had to support himself in that sad time my Salvation is not in mine own hand it is not in my Will but in Gods Will It is not in him that Wills or in him that Runs but in God that shews mercy Jam. 1. 18. Of his own Will he hath begotten us by the word of truth He that made the Will can only Convert the Will Oh! then bless God that hath taken our Salvation into his own hand for if it were in our hands if it were left to our Wills we should never have it This is that that may uphold the heart in the midst of al the heavie temptation which wil 〈◊〉 or last seize upon the hearts of men Again Secondly It is matter of Consolation to al the faithful who have found this work of God upon their souls it wil afford them ground of glorious support to fence and fortifie their souls against the dayes of difficulty and times of distress against what ever discouragements or desertions may 〈◊〉 them from within what ever assaults or temptations may press in upon them from without in the following Course of their lives in future times From hence they may promise themselves assistance and deliverance without fail and certainly expect it What ever the temptations be they shal never prevail against them what ever the power and strength of their Corruptions be they shal never be able hurtfully to overcome them If God the Father have once drawn them to his Christ when they did nothing but oppose this work al the power of Hell shal never be able to with-draw them from the Lord Jesus when they desire to cleave to him and to be His. He that plucked me away from my sin with a holy kind of violence when I loved it as my life and was loath to part with it will he deny his 〈◊〉 to me when I strive against it He that forced his Mercy upon me when I resisted it in the dayes of my folly and wretchedness when I resolved I would none of him wil he deny me Mercy when he hath given me a heart to beg and prize it He that sought me and drew me when I forsook him wil he not embrace and entertain a poor Creature when I seek and sue for acceptance from him Thus the Apostle disputes and cleers himself with much boldness and assurance of invincible success and he gains and gets the higher ground of his Fears and Discouragments Rom. 5. 6. 9. If Christ died for us when we were of no strength nay when we were ungodly How much more being Justified by his Death shall we be saved from wrath through him for if when we were enemies we were reconciled how much more shal we be saved by his life If when we had no strength he rescued us from the hand of Hell and Sin and when Enemies reconciled us when he hath given us strength and made us his Friends wil he not for ever releive and succour us yea much more sayes the Apostle he gets upon the higher ground and triumphs over al the enemies of our salvation as knowing he should certainly be Assisted against them al. Thus Samuel shored up the dismayed and sinking hearts of the Rebellious Israelites when the Lord had thundred out his displeasure against them by reason they had wretchedly and treacherously and unfaithfully rejected the Lord and his gracious Government when they would not beleive Samuels words he tels them That God would thunder out his threatnings from heaven 1 Sam. 12. 17 18. c. And when the people saw the lightning and heard the thunder and then saw the hamousness of their sins and feared what heavy punishment they might expect from so terrible a God Then they that cared not for his words and Counsels crave his Prayers Oh pray for us say they for we have sinned and to all our other sins have added this in asking for a King Samuel to prevent the deadly symptom of desperate Discouragement which would drive them from the Lord and so from their own Comfort heads You have indeed sinned yet turn ye not aside from following the Lord And again he ads Turn not aside unto vain things that cannot help And he gives this as a ground For the Lord will not forsake his People for his great Names sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people He that out of Mercy made you his people when you were not he wil not forsake you when he hath called you to him As the Elders of Israel Reasoned when they were to War with Jehu in the defence of their Masters Sons 2 King 10. 4. Behold two Kings could not stand before him how shall we Let this be thy comfort and undoubted evidence of succour and deliverance
his Heart to do Farewel Thomas Goodwin Philip Nye COLE 1216. The Application of Redemption by the effectual work of the Word and Spirit of Christ for the bringing home of lost Sinners to God The Ninth Book ISAIAH 57. 15. Thus saith He that is the High and the Lofty One that inhabiteth Eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and the Holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble Spirit THe Work of Preparation having Two Parts First The Lords manner of Dispensation as he is pleased to deal with the Soul for the setting up the praise of his Rich and Glorious Grace and therefore with a holy kind of Violence he plucks the 〈◊〉 from his sins unto himself and his Christ. This hath been dispatched already in the former Discourse The Second now follows And that is the Frame and Disposition which is wrought in the Hearts of such as the Lord hath purposed to save and to whom he hath dispensed himself in that gracious Work of his Contrition Humiliation This Disposition consists especially in Two Things That so I may follow the Phrase of Scripture and retain the Lords own Words in the Text where the Lord saith that he dwels with him that is of an humble and contrite Heart To omit al manner of Coherence and other Circumstances we will pass all the other Specials in the Verse and point at that Particular which will suit our proceeding and may afford ground to the following Discourse that we may go no further than we see the Pillar of Fire the Lord in his Truth to go before us We shal fasten then upon the last words only as those that fit our Intendment To make way for our selves in short there is one word alone to be opened that so the Point may be better fitted for our Application we must know what it is to dwel or how God is said 〈◊〉 dwell in a contrite and humble heart I Answer To Dwell implies Three Things First That the Lord owns such as those in whom he hath an especial interest and claims a special propriety as though he left all the rest of man-kind to lie wast as a Common that the World and the Devil and Sin may 〈◊〉 and use at their pleasure reserving the Honor of his Justice which by a strong hand he will exact as a Tribute due to himself out of all things in Heaven and Earth and Hell and all but persons whom he thus fits he reserves for his own special Improvement As Princes and Persons of place and quality do lease out and let some Forrests and Commons to the Inhabitants bordering thereabout reserving some acknowledgment of Fealty and Royalty to themselves but the choyce and best Pallaces or Granges of greatest worth and profit they reserve for their own peculiar to inhabit in So here the Lord leaseth out the World and the wicked in it to the Devil and his Angels and Instruments reserving a Royalty and Prerogative to himself as that he will have his Homage and Acknowledgment of dependance upon himself but his broken-hearted ones are his own for his own Improvement Deut. 32. 8 9. When the most High divided to the Nations their Inheritance and separated the sons of Adam he set the bounds of his People according to the number of the Children of Israel for the Lords Portion is his People Israel the Lot of his Inheritance Ye are the Temple of the Living God 2 Cor. 6. 16. Yea to them the Lord himself saies Ye are my People and they shall say thou art my God Zach. 13. last Therefore he professeth that though in the course of his Providence he goes on progress over all the world yet he takes up his dwelling and abode amongst his own People For Secondly Where a man dwels as he owns the house so he takes up his abode there it is the place of his residence we say any may know where to seek men or where to find them at home at their own house That 's the difference between Inning and Dwelling we Inn at a place in our passing by when we take repast only and bait but depart presently intending not to stay but where we dwel we settle our abode we take up our stand there and stir no further So the Lord is said then to dwel in the Soul when he vouchsafes the constant expression of his peculiar presence and assistance to the soul. True it is that the Lord fills Heaven and Earth with his presence yea the Heaven of Heavens is not able to contain him Jer. 23. 24. His infinite Being is every where and one and the same every where in regard of himself because his being is most simple and not subject to any shadow of change being all one with himself Yet he is said to take up his abode in a special manner when he doth put forth the peculiar expression of his Work as in Heaven he dwels because he puts forth the constant expression of his Glory and that in the full brightness of it without any alteration and change Here in this Spiritual Temple the Souls of his Saints he puts forth the peculiar expression of the constant assistance of his blessed Spirit I will pray the Father and he shall send you another Comforter who shall abide with you for ever John 14. 16. 1 Joh. 2. 23. Ye have received an anointing which abideth in you Dwelling if it be attributed to the chiefest Inhabitant and Owner of the House it implies also the ruling and ordering of the occasions that come under hand there the exercising of the Government of the house and family where the Owner is and dwels He that lodgeth at a House as a stranger comes to an Inn as a Passenger he takes what he finds hath what he can receive of kindness and courtesie but the Owner is the Commander of the House where he dwels and the orderer of all the Affairs that appertain thereunto So doth the Lord with a broken Heart Thus we are said to live in the Spirit and to walk in the Spirit Gal. 5. 25. And it 's that which follows by Inference upon this ground John 15. 4. 5. If I abide in you and you abide in me you shal bring forth much fruit and therefore it s added also in this place that the Lord dwels in the contrite and humble heart to receive the Spirit of the contrite ones they yeeld themselves to be acted by him and they shall be acted and quickened by him to Eternal Life So that the full meaning is The contrite and humble heart is such to whom the Lord vouchsafes acceptance special presence and abode and peculiar guidance he owns him abides with him and rules in him for ever True it is said Christ dwels in our Hearts by Faith Eph. 3. 17. and as many as beleeve in him they receive him John 1. 12. That is done as by the next and immediate hand by which we say hold on Christ and
detestation and sequestration appears in the last words Men and Brethren what shall we do we will do any thing suffer any thing command what you wil enjoyn what you please be it never so hard we will endeavor it never so cross to our hearts or comforts we will bear it better be any thing than be thus 〈◊〉 let 's be in any condition that once we might be freed from this sinful and accursed condition in which we be We have taken liberty to lay out our Work with as much plainness and openness of order as we may because we shall have occasion to mind you of the particulars in our future proceeding and how the several 〈◊〉 serve each others turn in their place and order Before we come to the Particulars one Point 〈◊〉 in the very entrance which will be very serviceable to make way for all the Truths following and therefore we shall take in that at this time that it may be as an Harbenger to make room for all the rest And it ariseth from a right consideration of the parties to whom 〈◊〉 here speaks and with whom his word so prevailed and took place 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 36. verse he tels them that same 〈◊〉 whom ye have crucisied They were therefore such as had rejected blasphemed 〈◊〉 the Lord of Glory those who in a bloody manner 〈◊〉 away the life of 〈◊〉 who came to take away their sins Is it possible is it credible that ever mercy should be extended unto such that ever good should be wrought in such Yes Lo here When they heard this they were pricked in their hearts They whose hands were imbrewed in the blood of Jesus their hearts are now 〈◊〉 with Godly sorrow and so made fit to receive Grace and Mercy Hence the Doctrine is Stubborn and bloody sinners may be made broken-hearted sinners Bloody hellish abominable 〈◊〉 may yet obtain broken hearts worse than these could hardly be conceived or imagined and yet God makes work of these knotty way ward Spirits It was said of him that betrayed Christ it had been good for him that be had never been born What shall we say of them that murdered our Savior they are in the highest rank of the most wicked men that ever were born yet even such as 〈◊〉 who also opposed the Word and Gospel of Grace the Disciples and Apostles the Preachers and Publishers of Grace the Author and God of Grace yet such as these have now their hearts broken and in some measure prepared to be partakers thereof The Apostle speaks of the Gentiles Rom. 1. 29. That they were full of all unrighteousness there can hardly be added any thing to the largeness of the expression No sin worse for the kind more for the number greater for the measure for they had all unrighteousness all the kinds of evil and all degrees in the largest extent they were full and yet of such the Apostle professeth 1 Cor. 6. 9. when he had mentioned a heap of most loathsom and hideous abominations Know ye not that no unrighteous person shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Be not deceived neither Fornicators nor Idolaters nor Adulterers nor Effeminate self-Polluters Extortioners Covetous persons shall ever enter into the Kingdom of God then verse 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God Some such as these were savingly brought home to God Yea when corruption becomes like an old cankered sore of long continuance and the sinner incorrigible under all the choycest means that have been used yet then the Lord works the Cure Isay 57. 18. I was angry with him for his evil lustings and he went on in the frowardness of his own heart ther is no help if the Disease grow worse for the dressing the Prophet adds I have seen his waies I will heal him and lead him and restore comforts to him and to those that mourn with him as if he should say Ah poor Creature he cannot see himself nor me yet I see him and his way he wounds himself but I will heal him he deludes himself but I wil heal him sink he must in his own sorrow but I will succor him and supply to him Isay 48. 4. I know thou art obstinate and thy neck is an Iron sinew and thy brow is Brass and yet Verse 17. I am the Lord thy Redeemer that teach thee to profit and leadest thee by the way thou shouldest go The Lord bows an Iron sinew and makes it bendable unto his will The Lord makes snowy Saints of scarlet sinners scarlet we know is twice dyed in the Wool and in the Web and Cloth and therefore it is beyond all the skil and art of man to alter it Yet though our Sins be such bred in our Natures committed in our Lives and therefore beyond our reach 〈◊〉 and the power of all means and performances we can take up to remove them yet the Lord hath undertaken it and he will do it Isa. 1. 18. There is a Threefold Argument to settle this Truth Taken from the largeness of his Mercy which is as himself Infinite and therefore infinitely exceeds all our wants and can supply them all our weaknesses and infirmities and therefore can forgive them and remove them as he will as though they had never been Isa. 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and return unto the Lord for he will abundantly pardon and to our God for he will have mercy But the discouraged sinner might happily reply It is Mercy that I have abused and his pardons he hath tendered yet I in the time of my folly have trampled under my feet and therefore with what face could I beg mercy or upon what ground could I think ever to receive it He answers For my thoughts are not your thoughts nor your waies my waies for as the Heavens are higher than the Earth so are my thoughts than your thoughts there is no proportion no comparison the Earth is not of a valuable consideration to the Heavens but like a Centre in the Circumference it is as though it was not So here the thoughts of Gods Mercy to pardon thee is so far beyond the evil of thy waies and thoughts to condemn that they are as though they were not nay though thou couldest not beleeve it or think it yet the Lord could and would do it This is one of his names He keeps mercy for thousands Exod. 34. 7. he hath it in store for thousands and FORGIVES Iniquity Transgression and Sin that is all kinds and degrees of sin and he must be thus or else he were not God For did our sins exceed his mercies our weakness his strength were Satan more malicious to tempt 〈◊〉 and powerful to overcome 〈◊〉 than he was gracious to defend and Almighty to deliver then were he not God if any thing were
Psal. 19. 7. the law of God makes wise the simple 2. Tim. 3. 15. it's able to make us wise unto Salvation 3 There 's a Sufficiency of God to content and satisfy us Blessed are they who walk in his wayes and blessed are they that keep his Testimonies Psal. 119. 1. 2. Great prosperity have they that love the law and nothing shal offend them ver 16. and in truth there can be no greater reward for doing wel than to be enabled to do well he that hath attayned his last end he cannot go further he cannot be better Now by sin we justle the law out of its place and the Lord out of his Glorious Soveraignty pluck the Crown from his head and the Seepter out of his hand and we say and profess by our practice there is not authority and power there to govern nor wisdom to guide nor good to content me but I wil be swayed by mine own wil and led by mine own deluded reason and satisfied with my own lusts This is the guise of every graceless heart in the commission of sin so Pharaoh who is the Lord I know not the Lord nor will I lett Israel go Exod. 5. 2. in the time of their prosperity see how the Jews turn their backs and shake off the authority of the Lord we are Lords say 〈◊〉 we will come no more at thee Jer. 2. 31. and our tongues are our own who shal be Lords 〈◊〉 us Psal. 12. 4. So for the wisdom of the world see how they set light by it as not worth the looking after it Jer. 18. 12. we wil walk after our own devices we wil every one do the imagination of his own evil heart yea they sett up their own traditions their own Idols and delusions and Lord it over the law making the command of God of none effect Math. 15. 8. 9. So for the goodness of the word Job 22. 17. Mal. 3. 14. It is in vayn to serve God and what profit is there that we have kept his ordinances yea his Commandemnts are ever grievous It s a grievous thing to the loose person he cannot have his pleasures but he must have his guilt and gall with them It s grievous to the worlding that he cannot lay hold on the world by unjust means but Conscience layes hold upon him as breaking the law Thou that knowest and keepest thy pride and stubbornness and thy distempers know assuredly thou dost justle God out of the Throne of his glorious Soveraignty and thou dost profess Not Gods wil but thine own which is above his shall rule thee thy 〈◊〉 reason and the folly of thy mind is above the wisdome of the Lord and that shal guide thee to please thine own stubborn crooked pervers spirit is a greater good than to please God and enjoy happines for this more Contents thee That when thou considerest but thy Course dost thou not wonder that the great and Terrible God doth not pash such a poor insolent worm to pouder and send thee packing to the pitt every moment 2 It smites at the Essence of the Almighty and the desire of the sinner is not only that God should not be supream but that indeed he should not be at all and therefore it would destroy the being of Jehovah Psal. 81. 15. sinners are called the haters of the Lord. John 15. 24. they hated both me and my Father Now he that hates endeavours if it be possible the annihilation of the thing hated and its most certain were it in their power they would pluck God out of Heaven the light of his truth out of their Consciences and the law out of the Societies and Assemblies where they live that they might have elbow room to live as they list Nay what ever they hate most and intend and plott more evil against in al the world they hate God most of all and intend more evil against him than against all their 〈◊〉 besides because they hate all for his sake therefore wicked men are said to destroy the law Psal. 126. 119. the Adulterer loaths that law that condemns uncleaness the Earthworm would destrow that law that forbids Covetousness they are sayd to hate the light John 3. 21. to hate the Saints and Servants of the Lord John 15. 18. the world hates you he that hates the Lanthorn for the lights sake he hates the light much more he that hates the faithful because of the Image of God and the Grace that appears there he hates the God of all Grace and Holiness most of all so God to Zenacharib Isa. 37. 28. I know thy going out and thy Comming in and thy rage against me Oh it would be their content if there was no God in the world to govern them no law to curbe them no justice to punish no truth to trouble them Learn therfore to see how far your rebellions reach It is not arguments you gainsay not 〈◊〉 Counsel of a Minister you reject the command of a 〈◊〉 ye oppose evidence of rule or reason ye 〈◊〉 but be it known to you you fly in the very face of the Almighty and it is not the Gospel of Grace ye would have destroyed but the spirit of Grace the author of Grace the Lord Jesus the God of all Grace that ye hate It crosseth the whol course of Providence perverts the work of the Creature and defaceth the beautiful frame and that sweet correspondence and orderly usefulness the Lord first implanted in the order of things The Heavens deny their influence the Earth her strength the Corn her nourishment thank sin for that Weeds come instead of herbs Cockle and Darnel instead of Wheat thank sin for that Rom. 8. 22. The whol Creature or Creation grones under vanity either cannot do what it would or else misseth of that good and end it intended breeds nothing but vanity brings forth nothing but vexation It crooks all things so as that none can straiten them makes so many wants that none can supply them Eccles. 1. 15. This makes crooked Servants in a family no 〈◊〉 can rule them 〈◊〉 inhabitants in towns crooked members in Congregations ther 's no ordering nor joynting of them in that comly accord and mutual subjection know they said the adversary sin hath done all this Man was the mean betwixt God and the Creature to convey all good with all the constancy of it and therefore when Man breaks Heaven and Earth breaks all asunder the Conduit being cracked and displaced there can be no conveyance from the Fountain In regard of our selves see we and consider nakedly the nature of sin in Four particulars It s that which makes a separation between God and the soul breaks that Union and Communion with God for 〈◊〉 we were made and in the enjoyment of which we should be blessed and happie Isai. 59. 1. 2. Gods ear is not heavy that it cannot hear nor his hand that it cannot help but your iniquities have separated betwixt God and
sight of their fellow drunkards shall encrease their torments and they shall curse themselves and the day that ever they saw one another Upon this Consideration it was that 〈◊〉 gave the awaking 〈◊〉 2. Pet. 3. 10. The time will come when the Heavens shall melt with fire and the Earth and all the works thereof shall be burnt up All the ryot of the Epicure the rage of the Oppressor the greedy pursuit of the Worldling all the works on Earth shall be consumed no more matchings and quaffings with Drunkards only that that touched the Lord as an eternal God that shall continue and that is the Holiness of that Obedience that was sincere that was performed to God and the guilt of the sin that was committed against him all the carnal contents that accompany a sinful course they are but works of the Earth they will be consumed But that which was against Heaven and against God that will never be consumed neither wild-fire nor Hel-fire will consume that but it will live there to work thine everlasting ruine Labor therefore to make these things present with thy heart and real to thy own apprehension be not deluded by Gods long 〈◊〉 the longer the blow is coming the heavier it will be the greater 〈◊〉 the greater vengeance and thou that 〈◊〉 had the Treasury of Gods Bounty and Goodness 〈◊〉 out unto thee Thou treasurest up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of Gods 〈◊〉 Judgments Strive mightily to 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 sight of God himself as he is pleased to dispense himself in his Holiness and Goodness to the soul to be enjoyed as 〈◊〉 all-sufficient good beyond all created Excellencies in the Creature It was the advice of our Savior Rev. 3. 18. I counsel thee to buy of me eye-Salve that thou mayest annoint thine Eyes that so thou mayest see For darkness is not seen but only by the help of light Crookedness by the Rule of Straightness He that knows not the Rule of true Latin will never be able to know what is false and and so it is in any Art he that knows not the Rule of building planting he will never discover an error in either The like we may say and conceive touching the discovery of sin because it is a swerving from the righteous and holy wil of God in his government communication of himself to the Creature it is a professed jusling with that and his wisdom and goodness therein unless 〈◊〉 Eyes be anointed with Eye Salve to see him and the purity and spiritualness of his pleasure as that which only should rule us and only can satisfie us We shall never see 〈◊〉 in its own nakedness and Nature And hence it is when the wicked in the trouble and terror of their Consciences feel the fierceness of the fury of the Almighty 〈◊〉 upon their Souls they know now the smart of sin and God also as a 〈◊〉 Judg whose anger they can neither avoid nor bear This is only a Consequent and a fruit of sin and comes after it But to see a right the Soveraign 〈◊〉 of his Wisdom to guide them and the all-sufficiency of his Goodness far exceeding all created excellencies and their 〈◊〉 as a going from both these if they be misguided in the one they cannot but mistake the other Job 42. 4. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear but now mine eye sees thee therefore I 〈◊〉 my self when 〈◊〉 saw God cleerly he saw his 〈◊〉 So the Convert in 1 Cor. 14. 24. When he had the thoughts of his heart 〈◊〉 ed and made manifest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God is in you of a truth because he neither saw God 〈◊〉 himself before and when he sees the one he sees 〈◊〉 1. John 3. 7. He that 〈◊〉 sin hath neither seen him nor known him and these be the terms of true conversion so set by the Apostle turned from the power of Satan unto God Acts 26. 18. q. d. they fell short of the Soveraign Power and Holiness of God before We have 〈◊〉 with the First What it is to see Sin 〈◊〉 We are now to enquire of the Second Wherein this true sight of Sin 〈◊〉 that is we must see it also convictingly what it is to us in the work of it as wel as what it is in it self in the Nature of it This appears in a double act or in two Things 1 We must apply sin particularly to our selves 2 It must be setled with an over-powring strength upon a mans own soul. We shall open both these in the order propounded He that sees his Sins convictingly must 〈◊〉 content himself with the 〈◊〉 and speculation of Sin to speak freely of it to 〈◊〉 out the 〈◊〉 of his corruption or to lay 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 thereof in a judicious and pregnant 〈◊〉 This a wicked man may learn this a right godly man may somtimes do and yet do himself 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by it Therefore it is required he must see it with a particular application of it to himself and his ownestate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 same sentence upon those he 〈◊〉 in his own 〈◊〉 which he did upon any when they 〈◊〉 presented to his own 〈◊〉 in the 〈◊〉 without 〈◊〉 There are two things 〈◊〉 we shall open both He must 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 eye inward follow his own 〈◊〉 home 〈◊〉 his own 〈◊〉 and cause his own judgment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon his own 〈◊〉 and corruptions This is called in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into a mans 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 If the people of Israel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them and deliver them to the enemy so that they 〈◊〉 them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 if they shall bethink themselves the Original thus if they shall bring it back to their own heart They had common apprehensions of sins as they saw them committed by others or as the word revealed them in the evil of their own nature but they did not look inward to the loathsom vileness of 〈◊〉 evils which lay in their own bosoms until they came into Captivity Thus the Prodigal is said to come to himself Luk. 15. 17. he had lived without any search and consideration of his own waies lost himself in letting loose his thoughts in the eager pursuit of his own lusts now he began to take an account of his own course to see how the case stands with him in regard of his own corruption and condition in particular The want of this the Prophet Jeremy makes to be the principal 〈◊〉 why men rush into the commission of sin and continue therein without any 〈◊〉 Jer. 8. 56. Why is this People of Jerusalem slidden back with a perpetual back-sliding they hold fast deceit and refuse to return they 〈◊〉 themselves with some false imaginations quiet themselves by some self-deceiving mistakes and so think they need not and therefore do not return the reason is rendred in the next words I hearkned and heard and no man repented and why that No man said what have I done
have been wrought what benefit thou mightest have received hadst thou but suffered and received the helps provided for that end which when thou diddest oppose and not suffer thy self to be convinced thou didst oppose thine own everlasting welfare and therefore art guilty of thine own blood Luke 7. 30. The Publicans and sinners justified God and were baptized but the Scribes and Pharisees rejected the Counsel of God against themselves i. e. against their own good and happiness Yea so the Apostle to the gainsaying Corinthians when he had disputed long and manifested the Truth in the cleer evidence of it Acts 18. 14. and they gainsayed still and blasphemed he shook his rayment in sign of distast and indignation and said your blood be upon your own heads I am clean he was innocent And so one day thou wilt be forced to confess and to cleer the innocency and faithfulness of Gods Servants I was the cause of my confusion my own wayward gainsaying Spirit else I might have been recovered they did their duty with much painfulness but my perverse spirit would not receive that counsel which would have directed and comforted me but now condemns me So Paul to the contradicting Jews Acts 13. 46. Because ye put away the Word and judg your self unworthy of eternal life thou wilt then be forced to yield it I am unworthy that ever the Promises of the Gospel should establish my heart who would not be convinced of the goodness of them unworthy that ever the Gospel should be the savor of life to me who have cast it behind my back as unsavory Salt He sins against the Ordinances the Faithfulness Truth and free Grace of God therein revealed and dispensed for his everlasting good he casts all these behind his back and out of a slight neglect wil not give the least entertainment thereunto This quarrelling disposition like a squeazy stomach spils the Physick when he cannot endure to take it flings away the dainties provided when he is not willing nor hath not a heart or appetite to feed on them and how hainous this contempt is the Apostle intimates Hebrews 2. 3. How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation It sins against Gods Spirit in a more than ordinary manner he would seem in his gainsaying frame to try masteries with the Lord and in the highest strain of rebellion to contest with the Almighty Spirit of Christ in the utmost defyance as refusing to yield in the least appearance I call it the highest strain of 〈◊〉 to try Masteries with the Almighty and that may be thus observed When our Savior was to leave the world and to go to Heaven to possess the glory he had with the Father before all worlds he comforts the hearts of his Disciples touching his departure with the Consideration of the incomparable benefit that would accrew therefrom John 16. 7. It is expedient for you that I go away so if I go not away the comsorter will not come but if I depart I will send him that is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus would not dispense the powerful work of his Grace in such an abundant measure unless he ascended unto the Throne of his Grace for the largeness of the dispensation thereof and that in reason until that time The Spirit was not yet given because Christ was not yet glorified John 7. 39. When he ascended up on high he then gave gifts unto men even for the Rebellious Eph. 4. 8. And herein appears the powerful dispensation of his Grace and operation of his Spirit then when the Comforter is come he shal convince the world of sin he shal set down the Consciences of the Sons of men in the sight of their vileness and guilt This is as it were 〈◊〉 Master-piece of the work of the Spirit when he is sent from Heaven from the Father and the Son with full Commission and Power from our Savior advanced to the highest pitch of supreamest excellency of his Kingly Prophetical and Priestly Offices and that for this end in the first place as the prime and hardest work to convince the world of sin Now to gainsay and contradict this Spirit in this Work for which he hath received this Commission is to contest for Masteries with the Almighty Heb. 12. 25. If they escaped not who refused Moses who spake on Earth how shall we escape if we refuse him that speaks from Heaven And this is the highest strayn of rebellion when a 〈◊〉 wil not give way nor yield in the least but 〈◊〉 out this authority of the spirit from having any entertainment even in the suburbs 〈◊〉 our apprehensions and understandings while we continue in this gainsaying frame there wants nothing but light and malice to make it 〈◊〉 sin against the Holy Ghost Here is the hainousness of the sin See the Curse of it that is dreadful Thou makest way for Satan in the means which are appointed by God to oppose him John 13. 27. The Devilentred into Judas with a sopp so he enters with an admonition and counsel while thou doest oppose that truth which should help thee against his power and subtilty but yieldest thy self fully to be possessed by both Thou wilt not be guided by the counsel of God therfore thou shalt be cousened by the delusions of the Devil Christ in his righteous dealings and according to thy just deservings delivers thee up to the power of Satan whenas thou wast willing to yeild up thy self to his possession So Paul 1. Tim. 3. 20. delivers Hymenoeus and Philetus unto Satan and in Church discipline obstinacy in the least evil is answerable to the greatest offence because by that means the soul shakes off the authority of the Lord Jesus and so is to be cast out Because thou hast gainsayed his dispensations he wil have no more dealing with thee Math. 23. last you shal see me no more He wil pass by and not speak with thee He wil instruct 〈◊〉 admonish others but he wil 〈◊〉 thee no more reprove thee no more He wil not change a word with thee in the 〈◊〉 ' My 〈◊〉 shal not alwayes 〈◊〉 Gen. 6. 3. That spirit which thou hast resisted and opposed shal stir in thee and strive with thee no more thou wouldest 〈◊〉 see thou shalt not see therefore thou wouldest not have thy conscience stirred it shal be seared therefore Thou art every day ripening for 〈◊〉 and reserved in the chayns of darkness til the judgment of the great 〈◊〉 and therefore thy condition is like that of the Devil himself thou hast only the liberty of thy chain that is liberty to encrease thy sins and thy plagues when the Lord would prepare a people for destruction he saves 〈◊〉 a. 6. 10. he seals them up under the curse of a 〈◊〉 mind and a hard heart Hear ye indeed but understand not and see yee indeed but perceiv not 〈◊〉 the heart of this people fat and shut their eyes lest they see with their eyes
that made thee a little to look about but hath the Lord ever lifted up the latch as though he were resolved to come in hath he layd hold upon and begun to grapple with that Graceless heart of thine and held this 〈◊〉 of discovery of sin to thy mind as to constrayn thee to look wishly upon it indeed to see it clearly and convictingly according to that which hath formerly been spoken Know and conclude thou maiest thou art in the right way and the Lord begins to deal with thee as he doth with those that he intends good unto But art thou a stranger to these dispensations of the Lord and tradings with thy mind and heart Thou mayest indeed have notice and hear a rumor of Christ passing by and the excellency of his Grace but of any purpose of making his abode with thee thou never couldst have the least 〈◊〉 thereof unto this day How then shall we know whether we fall short of this true sight of sin or no We will take both Particulars mentioned into Consideration that so we may take a true scantling of our own estate and track the Footsteps and Impressions of the work of the Spirit upon our souls I will touch the first in a word and entreat more largely upon the Second to wit Touching the convicting sight of sin because there lies the life and stress of this Doctrine If then we see sin cleerly naked and in it's own Nature namely this resistance and opposition against God as the greatest evil of al other It wil thus be discerned This sight will keep the heart in cold blood from careless adventuring upon the commission of sin You must stil remember my purpose is not to dispute of sanctifying knowledg or to give in evidence of that for we are in this place to look at that light that is let in in this preparative work and this first Branch of it which how far it may go or whether it can agree to an Hypocrite I will not now dispute that only I wil infer from it is beyond exception That in cold blood i. e. Take such a man out of the hurry of a Temptation when he is himself not drunk with some overbearing distemper for then he knows not where he is or what he doth and therefore may adventure to do any thing but when a sinner is come to himself and the sight of his sin as before disputed it wil suffer him carelesly to adventure upon the Commission of that which appears such in his own apprehension even the greatest evil of all The dreadfulness then of this duty apprehended wil drive the soul to a stand and stop the sinner in his proceeding that he dare as well eat his flesh and take a Lyon by the claw and a Bear by the tooth as to have his hand in that which is the heaviest plague of all in his own Judgment There is no man living but as he hath somthing which he prizeth as the chief good in which his soul takes content so the loss of that or that which is contrary to that he looks at as the most unsupportable evil that can betide him That the Soldier should take the lye or challenge and have the contempt of cowardice put upon him and sit stil and not seek to revenge the wrong as he conceives it he cannot bear it That the 〈◊〉 yong man should sel his possessions and part with all to the poor it is such an unsufferable loss he will rather part with Heaven the very hearing of it makes his heart heavy and himself to go away sorrowful Mat. 19. 22. Yea that which Nature hath made dear to all to see death before a man and danger such as wil undoubtedly hazard the loss of life how do we fear the thought of it fly the sight avoid the occasion of it didst thou see thy sins and the hellish resistance of thy heart against God to be a greater evil than al these didst thou really judg them such beleeve them as the men of Niniveh did Jonahs threatning Jonah 3. 5. to be such It 's certain it would amaze thy heart that thou wouldest be as loth to rush into evil as thou wouldest be to run upon a Spears point or cast thy self into the mouth of the Lyon to be torn in pieces Take a rebellious sinner beset with the horror of his Conscience so that he sees Hell gaping for him and the Devils ready to seize upon that hellish heart of his how loaths he then the least appearance of those corruptions the evil of which he sees in the punishment only how tender is he to avoid the occasion of them When the evil of thy punishment is now over and out of mind didst thou but know that resistance and rebellion of thy heart against God his Grace his Spirit his Truth aright as greater than all those evils and is now present with thee thou wouldst be so far fearful not heedlesly to adventure upon the practice of it When Judas saw whether his Covetousness had brought him be flung away his thirty pieces Matth. 27. 3. And it 's certain all the Scribes and Pharisees in the Synagogue and all the money in the Country of Judea could not have prevailed with him had they been then tendred to him much more had he seen the 〈◊〉 had been a greater evil than the vengeance that did 〈◊〉 Acts 19. 16. 19. When the evil spirits prevailed against the seven Sons of Sceva fear fell on them 〈◊〉 and many of them had used curious Arts brought their books together and burnt them before them all When the hearts of these Converts were pricked and they craved Counsel what they should do Peter amidst many other Counsels which he suggested ads this verse 40. Save your selves from this crooked generation You that are in Parthia Mesopotamia Phrigia Galatia you 〈◊〉 amongst many professed Enemies to the Lord Christ his Truth therefore save your selves from their Society and verse 44. They came and abode together and sold their goods and parted them as every one had need 〈◊〉 to this you disobedient Children and rebellious Servants who have the Commands of Parents and Masters Counsels of Servants and Neighbors dayly suggested and pressed upon you listen to this you heedless Professors who have the Word and Precepts of God dayly published in your Ears and proclaimed in your hearing and you go away informed convinced and the heart cannot gainsay but it ought to stoop your carriages should not be wayward your words sharpish your behaviors uncomely and yet you dare you do 〈◊〉 carelesly adventure at the next time and 〈◊〉 upon the same sins you may talk what others say by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 profess in words that sin is the greatest evil of al but in truth you never saw sin to this day much 〈◊〉 saw it to be the greatest evil of al. A little evil were is but the 〈◊〉 of so much of thy blood by stripes or the loss of
they were from the beginning of the creation 〈◊〉 yee not see how men provoke God and prosper and hath it not been so in all ages 〈◊〉 wicked ungodly continue in sinful courses yet succeed according to their own content It was so in the former ages it went best with the worst men it is so in this and wil be so to the end the Lord lookes not after the mean occasions of men upon earth finds himself employment in the affayres of Heaven it matters not what the desert of our sins be we shal never feel what they do deserve so those rulers Amos 7. they put away the evil day far from them and then they cause the seat of violence to come near 〈◊〉 73. 10. 11. those blasphemers who set their mouths against Heaven and their tongue walks through the midst of the Earth they say how doth God know this and is there knowledg in the most high Upon this ground it is that they let loose themselves in the fearless pursuit of 〈◊〉 loathsom abominations then said he unto me the Angel of the Lord of Hosts the iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great the land is ful of blood and the city ful of perversness For they say the Lord hath forsaken the earth the Lord seeth not Ezek. 9. 9. For since here we must learn to chase out and keep out such imaginations by setting up the light of the truth in our minds and listening wholly thereunto So the psalmist shewes the cause and applyes the cure Psal. 94. 8. Understand ye brutish among the people and ye fools when wil ye be wise He that plantd the ear shal not he hear he that formed the eye shal not he see Yea the Lord professeth to take notice of these mens wayes in an especial manner to make privie search after them Zeph. 1. 12. he wil search Jerusalem with candles and visit such as sit upon their lees and say who sees us you shal find he knows both good and evil and he wil work both as a reward to such as deserve This Job felt by experience Job 14 16. For now thou numbrest my steps dost thou not watch our my sins my transgression 〈◊〉 sealed up in a bag and thou shalt find it so the Lord wil follow thee step by step and track and trace thee in all thy wandrings and keeps an account of al thy sins sealed up as it were in bags But if the Lord doth see and observe al our evils yet he is patient and wil pass them by and put up those many 〈◊〉 being pitiful and compassionate to poor creatures knowing they be but dust True it is the Lord out of his long sufferance wil bear long with the base dealings of the sons of men yet out of the purity and holiness of his nature he cannot but bring them to account and trial for al the swervings of their lives Psal 50. 18. Thus the secure sinner counted the Lords patience a kind of connivence and allowance of him in ungodly wayes I held my tongue and thou thoughtest wickedly that I was such a one as thy self that God could wink at wickedness look aside at the slips and swervings of the ungodly and suffer them to go away with it but al in vain For I wil reprove thee and set thy sins in order before thee consider this yee that forget God so likewise in Eccles. 11. 9. rejoyce O yong man in thy youth and let thy heart chear thee in the wayes of thy youth walk in the sight of thine eyes but know thou that for all these 〈◊〉 thou shalt come to judgment the Lord wil arrest thee for the wrong done to his holiness and follow the suit against thy soul for al thy injurious dealings and he himself wil come in against thee as a swift witness If thy Conscience condemn thee God himself is greater than thy Conscience and he knowes al things and wil bring to light the hidden things of darkness will make manifest the counsels of the heart When al those dunghil stains of Adulterous lusts and malicious envious and covetous desires shal be layd open to the view of the sun al those swarmes of foolish and wicked imaginations shal be then discovered it s better therefore that thou shouldst see them now in the day of Grace better thou shouldst have them now discovered to thy Conscience for thy humiliation then at the day of judgment for thy confusion But if the Lord will require all then I hope I may use means to satisfy for al when my day beginns to decline and my Sun to set and my glass is run when I am dropping down to the grave and groaning upon my sick bed I wil then betake my self to my prayers tears and repentance for my sins I wil sorrow for my sins seek unto God for mercy I wil repent and reform the evil of my wayes and the Lord wil remove the Plague of them In thy declining daies wilt thou do this Oh deluded creature who knows but this day or before thou hast read over this book the Lord may take away thy soul who knows whether thou shalt have time to seek or a heart to seek or God wil accept of thee when thou seekest Whether a time or no. Whether the date of Gods bounty the day of Grace and period of Gods patience be come to an end When thou hast abused 〈◊〉 many opportunities whether ever he wil give thee leave or time once to look out for 〈◊〉 when thy tongue shal be faultring in thy mouth thy eyes fallen in thy head 〈◊〉 heart sink and dy within thy bosom not able to sigh out one desire and the Lord snatch thee out of the land of the living before thou canst see or consider whithere thou art going Luke 19. 41. 42. If thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are hidden from thine eyes the things of their peace were before their eyes and yet were hid from their eyes Rev. 2. 21. 23. I gave her day to repent but shee repented not therefore I wil cast her in to a bed and 〈◊〉 her children with death shee had no more dayes of repentance but of ruine shee was cast into a bed of sorrow and had not time to pour out her prayers If thou hast time who knows that God will give thee a heart to seek for mercy or sue for Grace It 's true God may help thee but it 's as true God may harden thee he may humble thee and he may 〈◊〉 thee and it 's most likely he wil thou which hast refused to hear he wil refuse to help Ezek. 24. 13. I would have purged 〈◊〉 and thou wouldest not be purged thou shalt never be purged more Jer. 51. 9. we would have cured Babilon but she would not be cured leave her then leave them to the blindness of their
〈◊〉 that would not be enlightened leave them to the hardness of their hearts that would not be converted He wil not alwaies strive who hath stood so long and knocked so often thou shalt see him no more quickening awing affecting of thee Or if thou hast a heart to seek in thy manner who knows whether God will accept it or no Thou wouldest not regard his 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 and he wil not respect thy prayers and 〈◊〉 Prov. 1. 28. Then shall they call but I will not answer they shall seek me early but they shall not find me Hebr. 12. 17. Esau found no place of repentance though he sought it carefully with tears nay he may send thee as he did the Israelits to the Idols of thy heart Jer. 2. 28. But where are thy gods that thou hast made let them arise and save 〈◊〉 But Lastly if I cannot satisfy for my evills yet out of his bounty and mercy he may abate me of the Plagues the mercies of God are great and his compassions large and thus the mercies of God who were provided to bring men from their corruptions to 〈◊〉 through the abuse of carnal hearts become means to make them secure in their dregs Deuter. 29. 19. when al the plagues were threatned yet they bless themselves and say I shal have peace though I walk in the imaginations of my evil heart So they in Isaiah made a Covenant with death and Hell The sin against mercy is one of the greatest sins that ever thou committest Thou turnest the grace of God into 〈◊〉 Jude 4. and such are ordained of ould unto condemnation thou despisest mercy and abusest it thou shalt therefore be condemned by mercy not saved by it God must not be just and so not God if he save thee without satisfaction to his justice The Lord cannot wrong himself to relieve thee dishonor himself to deliver thee Exod. 34. 7. He will by no means Celar the guilty It s one of his names and himself and he cannot deny himself and if his justice be not satisfyed thy plagues cannot be abated If a carnal man sees he cannot prevent the danger of sin then he sayes I will bear it if I be damned I will suffer it as I may if it come to the 〈◊〉 Let me have my sins though the Devil have my soul let me have the sweet of the pleasures of sin in this world though I never see the face of God in Glory this is a most forlorn and divellish resolution But dost thou know what thou sayest true thou shalt bear thy damnation but thou art never able to bear it without breaking under it being helpless and hopeless forever O woe to thee that ever thou wert born O poor creature If I should cease speaking and al of us joyn together in weeping and lamenting thy condition it were the best course It is impossible thou shouldest ever bear Gods wrath Let these three things be considered Judg the Lion by the Paw judg the torments of Hel by some little beginnings of it and the dregs of Gods vengeance by some little sips of it and judg how unable thou art to bear the whol by thy inability to bear a little of it in this life In terror of Conscience as the wise man saies A wounded spirit who can bear When God layes the flashes of hell fire upon thy soul thou canst not endure it Whatsoever a man can inflict upon a poor wretch may be born but when the Almighty comes in battel array against a poor soul how can he undergo it Wittness the Saints that felt it as also the wicked themselves who have had some beginnings of hell in their 〈◊〉 when the Lord hath let in horror into the soul of a poor sinner how is he transported with an insupportable burthen When it is day he wisheth it were night and when it is night he wisheth it were day all the freinds in the world cannot comfort him nay many have sought to hang themselves to do any thing rather than to suffer a little of the vengeance of the Almighty and one man is roaring and yelling as if he were now in Hell already and admits of no comfort if the drops be so heavy what wil the whol Sea of Gods Vengeance be If he cannot bear the one how can he bear the other Consider thine own strength and compare it with all the strength of the Creatures and so if all the Creatures be not able to bear the wrath of the Almighty as Job saies Job 6. 12. Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh as brass that must bear thy wrath as if he had said it must be a stone or brass that must bear thy wrath Though thou wert as strong as brass or stones thou could'st not bear it when the mountains tremble at the wrath of the Lord shal a poor worm or bubble and shadow endure it Conceive thus much If al the Diseases in the world did seize upon one man and if all the torments that all the Tyrants in the world could devise were cast upon him and if all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth did conspire the destruction of this man and if all the Devils in Hell did labor to inflict punishment upon him you would think this man to be in a miserable case and yet al this is but a beam of Gods Indignation If the beams of his wrath be so hot what is the full Sun of his Wrath when it shal seize upon the soul of a sinful creature in ful measure Nay If yet thou thinkest to lift up thy self above all Creatures and to bear more than they all Then set before thine eyes the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ he that creates the Heavens and upholds the whol frame thereof when the wrath of God came upon him only as a Surety he cries out with his Eyes ful of tears and his heart ful of sorrow and the Heavens ful of lamentation My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Matth. 27. 46. Oh thou poor creature if thou hast the heart of a man gird up the loyns of thy mind and see what thou canst do Dost thou think to bear that which the Lord Jesus could not bear without so much sorrow yet he did endure it without any sin or weakness He had three sips of the Cup and every one of them did sink his soul and art thou a poor sinful wretch able to bear the wrath of God for ever Yield unto the Evidence of the Truth thus 〈◊〉 beyond all opposition and gainsaying and sit down in silence under the Authority of it and let it settle upon thy soul neither question it any more nor hear any thing against it when it hath been heard formerly so fully scanned and determined upon such undeniable grounds Shut the door against the appearance of any sinful shifts admit no conference with carnal reason any further Say that coast is cleer that case is
contrary and who can expect but he wil accomplish what he hath said the Word excepts no man what folly is it then that I should except my self 2 Thess. 2. 12. That all they might be damned that have pleasure in unrighteousness If I take the same pleasure I must look for the same plagues Luke 13. 5. Except ye repent ye shal all likewise perish If I be in that condition I must expect the same condemnation and be likewise accursed and confounded and cast out from the presence of the Lord. It 's certain it will be so and it 's uncertain how soon it may be What if God do Who knows but God will What if God should pluck me out of the Land of the Living I may truly justly suspect it may be so and fear it will When I lie down I shal never rise more when I go forth I shal never return more when I depart from the house I should take my leave and never see Sabbath more nor the Assembly of the Saints more why may not my meat be my poyson my table my ruin my bed my grave all Creatures instruments of death to me who have been an enemy to God So that their hearts begin to fail them for fear 〈◊〉 21. 26. Thus the 〈◊〉 under the 〈◊〉 of his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Acts. 19. 27. Adam at the coming of the Lord into the garden feared and fled Gen. 3. 10. this is the fruit of the spirit of bondage Rom. 8. 15. and the distressed sinner becomes as Pashur a terror to himself Jer. 20. 3. 4. the slying of a 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of a leaf the shadow of darkness and approach of the night like the shadow of death he knowes not but the devils may have received a commission this night shall they 〈◊〉 away thy soul 〈◊〉 thee and drag it down to hell While the sinner is 〈◊〉 fearing the evil that is deserved behold the feet of the officer now approaching to see present excution 〈◊〉 and therefore the Lord in the third place puts a commission into the hand of Conscience really to attach and arrest the soul of a sinner to fasten all those curses upon the soul and to force it to feel the vennome of those punishments which were formerly threatned and feared That as it was said to Belshazzar when he was quassing in his cups and bowls of the Sanctuary and the hand writing came out against him the appearance of it affrighted him with the expectation of some direful evil but the present execution of it ushered in ruin upon him and his Kingdom Dan. 5. 28. 30. So the Prophet to thee be it spoken thou art weighed in the ballance and found too light thy Kingdom is departed from thee So Conscience as Gods officer comes to see 〈◊〉 execution done and therefore comes authorised as a serjeant to arrest as a witness to accuse as a judg to condemn tells the soul thou art weighed in the scales of the Sanctuary and 〈◊〉 too light thy doom is past thy destiny is determined thy sentence set down and thy salvation is departed from thee that which thou didst fear is now befallen thee and thou must feel it to thy wo Psal. 140. 11. wickedness hunts the wicked man but it overtakes them also If Conscience condemnes God is greater than our Conscience and he condemnes much more His iniquities lay hold upon him that he is not able to look up Psal. 40. 14. thou hast feared the punishment of sin before man and hast not 〈◊〉 to commit sin before God and thus thou hast sealed up thy condemnation casting away the goodness of the Lord. If thou doest evil sin lyes at the dore Gen. 4. Hence flowes in the fearful expression of the displeasure of the Almighty the dreadful wrath of the Eternal like the mighty waves of the Sea overwhelm and sink the soul of the sinner in desperate discouragement There be 2 things in sin 1 The 〈◊〉 of it 2 the punishment that comes from it the stayn in it and the sting and tartness of it cross to me and cross to God cross to my honor and shames me cross to my quiet and peace and troubles me cross to my safety and destroyes me And this second the sinner is firstly most sensible of the plague of sin first stings and stabs the heart Because nature seeks its own preservation and self love carryes al men readily and easily to provide for their own safety And here sorrow begins usually when the Lord by the Ministry of Conscience awakened encamps about the sinner with al the curses of his righteous law broken besigeth him with the armies of his indignation and his fierce wrath followes him at every turn So that now 〈◊〉 ever he is which way so ever he turns himself his sins and plagues compass him about on every side If he look to heaven he sees a just God there ready to destroy him before him are his sins ready to accuse him within him nothing but guilt to condemn him below him hell opening her mouth prepared to receive him and the Devils at 〈◊〉 to torment his wretched 〈◊〉 as soon as it 〈◊〉 depart out of his body And 〈◊〉 behold 〈◊〉 pale 〈◊〉 those weak hands and feeble knees that the poor creature becomes not worth the ground he goes on a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 himself and weary of his life The Lord dishes out 〈◊〉 sins and plagues to him on the table where he 〈◊〉 writes them upon the tester of the bed 〈◊〉 he lyes his pressures and miseries become unsupportable and unsufferable and were it not that God sustaines with one hand as he beats him with the other A wounded Conscience no man can bear Hence it is in such horror men betake themselves to the pit to the knife to the halter rather choose not to be then to be so miserable In these perplexities the sinner as a man under his burden would shift shoulder try al conclusions turn every stone wind every way if any way he could get ease or relief And if the counsel of carnal friends can lessen the trouble company allay it false reasonings of his own vain mind abate it time and continuance wear out the terror his confessions and reformations put in bayl upon his Conscience and quiet it or some false mistakes of pardon and mercy heal the wound he walks in a wily way how to serve sin and yet God too how to keep in with the truth upon some fayr tearms and yet attend his own ends the man is where he was returnes to his ould sinful distempers and the latter end proves worse than the beginning he dyes in the birth Thus millions of men perish go within the view of Canaan and never possess it cast away in the very haven within the sight of land and never arrive But he whom God loves he wil not leave here though his hand be upon the sore and his eye upon the sting and terror the plagues and judgments
irresistable operation of his Spirit when the soul having that impediment removed it comes to be in the next passive power and immediately disposed to a Spiritual Work vult moveri God leaves a powerful impression upon the will acts this capability to carry it from sin in a right order to God at the entrance of which the soul is moved and takes the impression having taken the impression or motion it moves again and in vertue of that is said to act and consent so that this consent is not from our selves though not without our selves And thus we are put beyond any principle of our own or to be the beginners of our own work by any thing we have in our selves which cuts the sinews of the Covenant of Works and hither many times God wil bring us to our beginnings to the bare board even to leave our souls with him that he may carry us from sin to himself and act us upon himself and keep us with himself for ever Thus David Psal. 119. 29. Take from me the way of lying 〈◊〉 could not take it away himself Hos. 14. 2. Take away all iniquity they leave themselves in Gods hand that the Lord would cause them to turn from iniquity So that in this Condition it 's true to say a man hath not a principle of concurrence with God as by sanctified habits we have but the Spirit puts in us a power whereby we are carried to God The Fourth Particular for opening of the Point The behavior of the heart under this stroak and that appears in the Particulars following When this Sorrow is rightly set on and the soul rightly affected therewith the sinner hath the loath somness of corruption ever in his sight keeps it ever within his ken he could not be brought before to take to heart the hainousness of 〈◊〉 evil Ministers pressed him with it in publick others minded him of it in private forewarned him of the direful venom and 〈◊〉 that lay in those distempers of his that one day he was like to feel to the hazard of his everlasting happiness it would be bitterness in the latter end but he turned the deaf ear to al would not so much as take it into consideration not once look back into the danger of his rebellions nor listen to any thing that may force the same upon his soul but now the case is altered he that could not be brought to see sin before now he wil see nothing but sin cannot be brought to look off from it he feels now the plague of those provocations of his and finds by woful proof and experience the truth of al that formerly hath been told him and hath time enough now to recount the savory counsels those seasonable reproofs directions entreaties which would have kept him from the commssion of those evils the hainousness whereof he is not able to conceive the bitterness and poyson whereof he is not able to bear now he is constrayned to feel the sting thereof He hath now leisure to survey the folly and perversness of his spirit in former times and to sit down in silence and shame now he can seal to that as an eternal truth of God which before he east behind his back as slight and vain Oh I now see the Ministers were faithful watch-men which foresaw the danger and foretold me how dreadful the evils would be which did attend my distempers If I would not leave my sin mercy and blessing would leave me and my heart feels it so The Christians were loving and compassionate which laboured by earnest and affectionate entreaties to with draw me from the wayes of wickedness which with drew me from God by woful experience I sind it so Though it were a sharp yet it was a sure safe word that I have often heard but would never receive It were better to cut off my hand to pluck out mine eye and to enter lame and maimed into the Kingdom of Heaven lame and maimed in comforts and credit and carnal and sensual delights than to have 〈◊〉 these and go to hell where the worm never dyes and the fire never goes out and now my Conscience confesseth it is so Lord where was my mind that could not see this how hard and senseless my heart that could not be affected with this the sinner thus wounded his hand is ever upon the sore his eye upon his distemper as the extream danger that hangs over his head and the deadliest enemy that is in pursuit of his soul he sleeps wakes eats and drinks with this as his daily diet a standing dish carryes it up and down as his daily companion Psal. 51. 3. My sin is ever before me listen to him when he sighes out his prayers in secret ye shal observe his complaints run upon this confer with him enquire of his condition his speech ever returns to this point and al his questions lead stil to the discovery of the loathsomness of his rebellions As it is with a commander or General of the field when he sees the enemy come on furiously his numbers many his power great his souldiers skilful and couragious so that he sees al ly at stake the shock is like to be sudden fierce either conquer al or loose al A prudent commander seeing where the stress of the battle and the strength of the enemy lyes and the safety or ruin of the whol consists he leaves the thoughts of comforts conveniencies wife and family the profits and priviledges which he hath formerly enjoyed and prized bends al his thoughts exerciseth the utmost of al his 〈◊〉 now to defeat the enemy how to encounter him how to overcome him and this takes up the whol mind and the whol man its vayn to attend other things when the neglect of the enemyes approach is the loss and overthrow of al. So it is with a broken hearted Christian when the numberless company of those hellish abominations of heart and life lay siedg against and threaten his everlasting ruin either he must destroy them or they wil undoubtedly destroy his comforts he leaves the consideration of other things and looks to the main chance If my sin live I dye for it either I must be separated from them or they from me and therefore bends al his forces bestows al his thoughts how the hainousness of this may be forever discovered the heart forever freed from the power and authority thereof The Apostle Paul hath his sin ever in his eye he keeps it in fresh remembrance and consideration never hath occasion to mention any thing of himself but stil he strikes upon that string to me the least of all Saints and then the chiefest of all sinners I was a persecuter and blasphemer the main evil was there and his eye and thoughts were most upon that So the lamenting church Lam 5. 16. wo to us because we have sinned the plague famine and sword though they were beyond measure
s prepared intended and appointed of purpose for others thou hast no share and portion in al these precious things of life hands off thou hard 〈◊〉 wretch There is good 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 poor shall be enriched the mourners comforted but no good to thee no look the second 〈◊〉 there is other provision the Lord makes for stiffnecked Creatures he proclaims a yeer of Jubile a day of acceptance from God to the distressed but there is a day of Vengeance of our God to those that are of a contrary disposition there is Vengeance and it 's from God he wil be revenged upon thee for all the contempt of his Truth grief done to his Spirit resistance of his Grace he will rain fire and brimstone storm and tempest upon thee this shall be the portion of thy cup for the conclusion is peremptory Job 9. 4. Who ever 〈◊〉 his heart against the Lord and prospered Can there any example be alledged that wil evidence it any reason given or conceived that might prove it possible Search the Stories of so many Generations and enquire since the day that God created 〈◊〉 upon Earth if there were ever such a thing heard When there were Gyants upon earth the whol earth was filled with violence al the world 〈◊〉 themselves in open rebellion against God God opens the windows of Heaven and the fountains of the great 〈◊〉 and sends in a Deluge of his displeasure and wrath and destroies those hard-hearted Rebels from off the face of the Earth me thinks I hear those flinty stiffnecked wretches 〈◊〉 and crying drowning and dying and roaring out their wretchedness those loose Libertines eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage and knew nothing i. e. and would know nothing their Cups in their hands and Queans in their Arms and despair in their mouths Oh we shut our Ears and hardened our hearts against the striving of Gods Spirit the call of Gods Messengers the warning and entreaties of Gods patience We would not receive Counsel and terms of Peace and Mercy and therefore we now perish without Mercy cursing one another and breathing out their last Cursed be the day that ever I knew thee by thy carnal deceits I was strengthened Cursed be thou and thy company by thy example I was deluded and hardened Thus they are accursed and go cursing down to the depth of the Sea and so to the depth of the bottomless Pit It is beyond the Scope of our Saviors coming into the world and the Commission he hath received for the great Work of Redemption to communicate Grace and Life to thee in the condition in which now thou art Luke 19. 10 The Son of man is come to 〈◊〉 and save that which is lost not such as was miserable for so all was but such as were sensible of that undone condition in which they lay Yea his expression is peremptory I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance Marth 9. 13. Those who conceited themselves whol in a safe and secure estate he had no Commission to call or comfort such they 〈◊〉 be broken before he bind them weary and laden before he ease them wounded before he will pour in the Oyl of Mercy to heal and relieve them Hence it was that when our Savior had prepared his Feast killed his Fatlings and drawn forth his refined Wines and sent and invited his guests all pleaded their excuses and refused to come not being hunger-bit and sensibly affected with their own miserable estate and the need they had of supply from those rich Provisions of a Savior their-careless and secure hearts could rellish other sensual care and swinish contentments which they had at home when men set no price see no need of those Dainties and Rarities of the riches of Grace and Salvation purchased by Christ and offered in the Gospel he peremptorily concludes Such shall never tast of them Luke 14. 24. The second sort of hard-hearted sinners or of a further and higer degree in this hardness are such as have been exercised under the displeasure of the Almighty 〈◊〉 had many stabs by the Truth and threatnings of the Word and have had many bruises and blows from the Dispensations of God in his Ordinances deeply affected and almost 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with the danger of their own Estates and the dreadfulness of those everlasting burnings which now they felt in their souls and were not able to bear but at last they have SHOOK OFF THEIR TERROR 〈◊〉 away the vexation and trouble that lay upon their spirits and now they grow more fierce and hard-hearted than ever before and dare out-face and out-brare the severest threatnings the most dreadful Judgments that can be denounced and which they find confess themselves liable unto having their conscience seared with a hot Iron 1 Tim. 4. 2 themselvs becoming fearlessly impudent to adventure upon sin without the least touch of any remorse or trouble for it The time was they confess they sate with trembling hearts under the Dispensation of the Word and so silly and feeble spirited they were that their hearts failed with fear and 〈◊〉 away in the apprehension of the hainousness of their sin and the unsufferable plagues that were due thereunto But now that dale is 〈◊〉 those daies are past they have got more wit and skil than to be scared with such Bug-bears they can tell how to fence themselves against such fears and disquiets they can sit and hear and attend all that can be said let them speak while they will and wear their 〈◊〉 to the stumps they can hear all and slight all nay rather than fail deride and make a mock of what they have heard but to be troubled at what they hear they are 〈◊〉 such Babies they are not so much as stirred with any thing Oh wo to thee that ever thou sawest thy heart at this pass the greater will thy trouble be one day The Devils beleeve and tremble and doest not thou stir Art thou in Hell here on Earth before thou comest thither and dost thou come short of the Devils themselves in sensibleness of heart and canst thou content thy self yea bless thy self in this condition Hear what God hath determined against thee and wil certainly bring upon thee Deut. 29. 19. He that shal 〈◊〉 the words of this Curse and shall bless himself in his heart saying I shal have peace though I walk in the Imagination of my heart 〈◊〉 drunkenness to thirst the wrath of the Lord will smoak against that man to cut him off from the Land of the Living c. But before I part with thee suffer me to spread the dreadfulness of thy condition before thy face and leave it upon Record in thy Conscience that thou mayest say thou 〈◊〉 forewarned Know therefore thy case is almost desperate and beyond Cure thy doom draws on and hastens which thou canst 〈◊〉 escape thy plagues are beyond the utmost of all extremity which thou canst not
conceive much less endure First Thy Case to common Reason leaving secret things to God seems past cure it 's a great suspicion the day of Grace is over the date of mercy past the period of Gods Patience come to an end all means have been used and conclusions tryed with thee the invincible stiffness of thy Spirit hath won the day thou hast tried Masteries with all means Law and Gospel Promises 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the unconquerable hardness of thy heart hath out-bid all Dispensations thou art Cannon proof Law proof Gospel proof Threatning proof there is no other means of good in Heaven or Earth and thou art worse by them all which are provided to better others and have so done without means thou hast no reason to think that God wil work and thou hast had the try al of al and thou art beyond 〈◊〉 in thy stifness and therefore beyond all helps in an ordinary way Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved 〈◊〉 his heart shall be destroyed and that without remedy he that casts away the salve that should cure him spils the Physick that should recover him casts away the meat that should nourish him how should he be either cured or supported There are no Commands that awe no Promises perswade no Terrors awaken then there is no Remedy He must be deluded that opposeth the Wisdom that only can guide him he must be cursed that resists the mercy that only can save him he must be damned that 〈◊〉 upon the blood of Jesus that only would redeem him there is no other Remedy no other Name but the Name of Jesus wherby men must be saved Acts 4. 12. Nay not only means fail him but God himself seems to forsake Gen. 6. 3. My Spirit shall not alwaies strive with man He hath striven by his Terrors by his Mercies striven and laid hold upon thee by heart-breaking 〈◊〉 Turn ye why will ye die turn ye and cause others to return and so iniquity shall not be your ruin Ezek. 33. 11. Oh that there were such a heart in them to fear me alwaies that it might be well with them Deut. 5. 29. but thou hast wound away from Gods hand and forsaken him and he hath forsaken thee there is Word and Promises but no God in them Terrors and 〈◊〉 but no God in them Thou art without God and art thou not then without hope When the throws of a travelling Woman leave her her life leaves her So here It 's said of a company of Despisers of Christ That they 〈◊〉 him again unto themselves Heb. 6. 6. When they resist one Christ and resist that Salvation that hath been offered either they must have another Christ or he anew crucified if ever they be saved So there must be a new Christ and new Scriptures before such miserable wretches can be relieved the Blood of Jesus the Spirit and Promises of Jesus Grace and Salvation hath been tendered to these stubborn-hearted and they have opposed and cast all away either there must be another Christ or he must die again All the Commands and Comforts in the Word all the Rules and Directions 〈◊〉 and Counsels have been used and tryed without any profit and prevailing power therefore there must be another Covenant 〈◊〉 and Scriptures if thou beest saved that 's incredible therefore the other impossible 〈◊〉 can ye escape that neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2. 2. I appeal to your selves You will go from the Law to the Gospel from justice to mercy but whither wil you go when you have departed away from mercy and mercy is departed away from you Thy judgment hastens thou canst not not escape it nor prevent it and truly it's coming more speedily and suddenly then thou art awar of Thou bringest upon thy self swift destruction though thou sleepest yet thy damnation sleeps not Hebr. 6. 8. the earth that often receives rain from heaven and yet brings forth thorns is near unto cursing look every day that God should curse al thy comforts thy out-goings and thy in-comings Prov. 28. 14. He that bardens his heart fals into mischief fals into it and is overwhelmed with it al of a sudden he may fal into any tempration he opposeth that counsel that should preserve him falls into sins he casts away that grace and resists that spirit that should strengthen him nay being past feeling such a one wil run to commit al wickedness with greediness Eph. 4. 19. Hell and Divills and 〈◊〉 are let loose upon such the light of nature evidence of reason dictates of of Conscence authority of the law terrors of judgments intreaties of mercies the hard heart hath cast away al these and therefore rusheth into what evil comes next against Conscience command reason sence nature men put of the principles not of humanity but of sence and become more base than the beasts themselves do that which beasts wil not do and morality is ashamed to speak As the ship when the anchors are broke and cable cut and a mighty tempest arises she is wholly left to the rage of wind and weather When men harden their hearts God swears they shal never enter into his rest Hebr. 3. last Ground of COMFORT to support the sincking spirits of broken hearted sinners when they seem to faint under the fierce displeasure of the Almighty and to be 〈◊〉 with the unsupportable weight of the wickedness of their own souls which they are neither able to avoid nor 〈◊〉 to undergo Here hence is matter of sound refreshing both to the parties that are the patients and bear 〈◊〉 bitterness and burden of their sorrow to their friends who as spectators do mourn with them and are affected with a fellow feeling of the evil of that which they find experimentally let me speak a word severally to them both Know therefore to thy comfort thou distressed soul this sorrow and anguish which now oppresseth thee it s not unto death nay it s the onely way and means to deliver from death from the death of sin and that security in which thou lyeft without either sence of thy misery or the least appearance and possibility of deliverance from the death everlasting of thy soul unto which thou wast hastening amain As it is with a dead body when with rubbing chafing and pouring in of hot waters there is some kind of warmth coming and overspreading the parts there is good hope the soul is again returning the man reviving again It s so in this spiritual quickening of a soul dead in sin stone dead stiff insensible of the distempers that lodge within him take possession of the whol frame of the inward man as stif coldness takes possession of a dead body when the Lord begins to affect the sinner und makes throughly sensible with Godly sorrow by rubbing and chafing in of sharp reproofs and passionate exhortations there is a kind of spiritual warmth coming into the soul and certain evidence like a harbenger or immediate
forerunner of life and 〈◊〉 which wil undoubtedly take up their 〈◊〉 in the soul he that goes in the vally of tears he 〈◊〉 on comfortably because he goes in the right way to Zion they shal go weeping and mourning with their faces toward Zion 〈◊〉 50. 4. this is the guise and the way of such who are travailing towards the holy land Immanuels Land the land of Promise they may be content to bear the hardness of the way when they are sure to attain the end of their journey the salvation of their souls that wil pay the charges and recompence the labor and quit cost in the issue it 's the travellers conclusion that carries them through the harshest way they meet withal he hath never an il day that hath a good night and when he finds the marks of the way that are given him the directions that are suggested to discover his approach to his own home that makes him 〈◊〉 al the rest as happily they may be to this purpose 〈◊〉 you are passed so many dayes journey you shal come 〈◊〉 last to a most tedious and heavy way and deep waters such as you must be forced to swim can feel and find no bottom yet if you keep the right causey there is no danger at al It 's a sad way but sate and then know you may you are nearer home 〈◊〉 danger is past and the worst is over ye are within sight of your own house when the traveller who hath taken these directions and retaynes his marks in his mind when he finds that by experience which hath formerly been spoken the way mervailous heavy tedious he sticks fast in the mire and clay anon the waters are so deep that he feels no bottom he remembers and concludes now I know where I am I am sure I am in the right way and certainly near home this makes him devour al the difficulties wet and weary he feels he fears nothing he thinks of nothing but his wife wil welcome him his children rejoyce in him his friends refresh and accompany him there he shal take up his lodging and refresh his weary nature so here in thy spiritual travel when the weight 〈◊〉 thy sins which of al other is the heaviest the loss of a God and his favor and presence which are depths and floods of distress which come even to the soul there thou findest no bottom they are unsufferable unsupportable then lift up thy head know this is the right way to Christ and thou near home even within the ken of the Promise of eternal life Thou wilt come immediately to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant thy head and husband who wil wipe awayal tears from thine eyes who wil embrace and welcome thee in the armes of his mercy thee into the bosom and bowels of his love rejoyce over thee with everlasting joy come thou mourning weary and weatherbeaten sinner I have wept for thee and died for thee and prayed for thee and looked many a long look for that distressed soul Oh be humbled be estranged and divorced from thy lusts when wil it once be Oh welcome though come weary and tired no sooner there arrived but the spirit of comfort shal poure peace into thy Conscience which passeth al understanding joy unspeakable and glorious al the first born of God they wil come about thee and be glad to enjoy thy fellowship and the innumerable company of Angels wil sing Hallelujahs in heaven peace on earth and good wil towards men God and Christ Heaven and Earth Men and Angels rejoyce in thee and thy condition and why may est not thou be refreshed in it There is no other way whereby God can according to covenant convey spiritual good to thee no other way whereby thou eanst receive it Be therefore forever comforted in thy condition God must cut if he cure thee of a stony heart God must wound that secure and careless soul of thine if ever he heale it so himself professeth it is the method he takes in relieving the misery and distressed and sinful condition of a son of Adam Isa. 19. 22. The Lord shal smite Egipt and shal heal it and they shal return to the Lord and be wil be entrated of them and he wil heal them Oh but my terrors have been many formerly but never as now passing strength my burdens were 〈◊〉 before but never such as now beyond al extremity above al the ability I have beyond al possibility I can conceive to endure and not to dy under them in everlasting discouragement never to look for any good Therefore thy comfort never so near as now As in child-birth so in this new birth the stronger and sharper the throwes the more speedy and successeful the deliverance As it is in the cure of an old festered sore al the while it breaks and runs there is some ease but there is yet no cure while the core remains when that is pressed out though it be with much pain and extremity yet then the healing comes on with most speed When thy sorrowes have seized upon thee and thou hast breathed out thy sighs and complaints to God there hath happly been some ease Oh but there was a core of some bosom lust or corruption that lay within and yet not loosened and dislodged and there is no perfect cure or healing wil befal so long as that remaines and there must be much pressing much struggling by word and paryer before that wil part and when thy heart parts from that know undoubtedly health and Salvation and comfort is near Comfort Alas what do ye speak to me of comfort who am unfit and unworthy nor have any right unto it Light is sowen for the righteous and joy for them that are upright in heart yea but they have it hardly for whom it was prepared even planted and sown of purpose it 's their harvest let them reap it and receive it But what have I to do with it to put my sickle into anothers corn who am a sinful unrighteous wretched creature Not onely the righteous who by the power of grace can subdue sin but even the mourners in Sion who by the spirit are burthened with their sins these I say have allowance and that from God to share in this comfort Blessed are they that mourn they shal be comforted Math. 5. 3. thou Sayest thou art not thou findest none for the present be it so that is not in the promise but it's sure enough thou shalt be that is sufficient God wil make thee stay for it and beg for it and prize it before it come that thou mayest be thankful for it when it comes it shal be in Gods time and in due time and if thou wouldst have it before know thou art not sit to receive nor God willing to bestow thou hast it not in hand but its 〈◊〉 in hope it wil be and wil not fail and the reversion of it
men out of that senceless security in which they were buried makes them look about them puts them upon the serious consideration of their own spiritual condition not long before they scant thought whether they had louls to be saved or sins to be pardoned or mercy and grace to be looked after they never put it to the question what they could say or shew for heaven but now they begin to think with themselves what they are this is set forth to be the guise and behavior of converting sinners when God begins to tamper with the hearts for the alteration of their states Jer. 50. 4. In those dayes and at that time when God hath stirred their hearts to recover themselves out of the Babilonish Captivity Deliver thy self O Sion 〈◊〉 who dwellest with 〈◊〉 Daughter of Babilon See how they bestir themselves Going and weeping shall they go and 〈◊〉 the Lord their God weep stil and go stil sorrow stil and seek stil they who stirred not a foot before nor looked after the Lord nor their own happiness and comfort So it was with Ephraim when the Lord began to work his heart to a right apprehension of himself Jer. 31. 18. while he was in his Natural Condition he was like an untamed Bullock unacoustomed to the Yoke but when the Lord had taken him to task then he begins to 〈◊〉 with himself and betake himself to new thoughts verse 19. When I was turned I repented when I was instructed I smote upon my thigh Thus John Baptists Hearers when once the Word wrought kindly upon them it made them al busie and inquisitive even as one man Luke 3. 10. to 15. The People they came and asked the Publicans they enquired the rude Soldiers they also began to demand Master what shal we do This disposition of spirit set men a going who sat stil before as in a dream The covetous Publicans whose thoughts were after their gain how to compass their Commodities from every Quarter the rude and unruly Soldiers who cared for nothing nor thought of nothing but how to satisfie their own lusts and sult their own corrupt desires al was fish that came to net and the sottish multitude who meerly followed the sight of their eyes after a bruitish manner minded that which concerned the out ward man What shal we eat what shal we drink what shal we put on In likely hood had never a thought of God nor of themselves whether there were a Heaven to be expected or a Hel to be avoided but followed their present pleasures see now how serious and inquisitive they be they now conclude somthing must be done and they would willingly know what course they ought to take when God sets upon mens souls then they set upon their Service The Reasons are Two Because they now feel the evil they never feared before now they see the danger and misery hanging over their heads able to overwhelm them and sink their hearts which they never suspected formerly And therefore now not only Reason 〈◊〉 them but their own safety Nature and 〈◊〉 love wil force them to bestir themselves to the utmost of their strength and improve al their abilities to the utmost of their power to prevent such over-bearing evils and provide for 〈◊〉 own relief and welfare and so the more to use al diligence here because they are unknown and yet spiritual which concern their eternal estate and therefore cause most fear and threaten most hazard and therefore constrains them to seek 〈◊〉 and neer for succor and relief So it was with the Prodigal when he came to 〈◊〉 before he had not the right 〈◊〉 of his Reason nor conceived of things as they were but as frantick men fal into fire and water and fear nothing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nothing but now being come to the 〈◊〉 of his understanding he considers How many Servants are in my Fathers Family that have bread enough and I 〈◊〉 with hunger Luke 15. 17. then he 〈◊〉 himself I will arise and go to my Father and say c. So it is with many prodigal 〈◊〉 deluded Creatures they spend time and strength and lay out themselves 〈◊〉 nothing and therefore fear no after-claps until the time of Famine and day of 〈◊〉 and horror come in upon them they never saw need of reading hearing prayer seeking and enquiry but now when they find themselves besieged with sins and plagues and dayly expect the execution to be done Heaven frowning Hell gaping their Consciences 〈◊〉 and themselves dropping down to the Grave and their souls to Hell they think it high time and more than time to bestir themselves to do what they can and to cry for help and direction in so desperate distresses and danger I wil arise and go confer I wil arise and go enquire I wil arise and go pray The whol need not the Physitian therefore they do not send nor yet are they willing to receive nor care to enquire or take any Physick but when the Difease grows fierce and life is in danger then post out Messengers 〈◊〉 far and neer for a Physitian search every bush enquire of every man what might be good what have you 〈◊〉 what would you advise So here Thus God dealt with his People when he would awaken them Hos. 5. last In their affliction they will seek me early then Hos. 6. 1. Come let us return to the Lord he hath wounded and he will heal The full soul loaths the Honey Comb but never looks out for provision but the 〈◊〉 soul that is now starving runs if he can if he cannot run he wil go if he 〈◊〉 go he wil creep enquires where he may have food uses all means to get he wil buy or beg or borrow So here c. They begin now to see the folly of their own conceits and that confidence which in former times they had how easily they could procure their own comfort and how certainly without fail they could provide for the 〈◊〉 of their own souls and everlasting happiness they said it and thought what they said that there needs not so much 〈◊〉 to get to Heaven at the time of 〈◊〉 and before their departure draw on it 's but bewading 〈◊〉 sins and seeking to God for mercy Oh but when it comes too they 〈◊〉 another 〈◊〉 matter of it than ever formerly they did 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 at an utter loss with themselves they know not what 〈◊〉 to take which 〈◊〉 to turn they know not poor Creatures how to come at a Christ nay how to 〈◊〉 him how to attain 〈◊〉 pardon or peace And therefore now though 〈◊〉 late it may be they see they know not what to do or how to turn their hand to any spiritual work which in pride of heart said and concluded they could 〈◊〉 any thing They are made of nothing but doubts and questions If thou 〈◊〉 est the gift of God thou would'st ask of him and he would give thee
life it self willing not only these things should not be but that himself should not be that he might not be sinful Let the Lord take all away yea life and all only take away my sin and it sufficeth he counts it the best day that ever yet dawned the best news that ever came to his distressed Conscience if he can gain any assurance get any evidence but one good look from Heaven a smile of Gods face and 〈◊〉 that the sins he hath seen he shal never see them more the corruptions that have 〈◊〉 and plagued him in his dayly Conversation indisposed him to do the Duties God required and unfitted him for the 〈◊〉 Christ hath purchased God hath tendered to him in his holy Word That pride that 〈◊〉 those passions that perversness and self-willy waywardness of heart that hath been the plague-sore of his soul have interrupted the comfort of his heart peace of his Conscience communion with his God The very possibility and expectation that the Lord may save him from the guilt and power of those prevailing distempers supports his Spirit But if he can but live to see the day that the thing is done he desires to live no longer Lord let thy Servant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 since mine eyes have seen thy 〈◊〉 2. 29 30. Since thou hast 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lusts mighty stifness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 al Convictions though 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 gainsay al Arguments though never so 〈◊〉 slight al Directions though never 〈◊〉 evident mighty self-considence and hellish haughtiness of Spirit whereby I could swel above man and means and God himself Let thy Servant depart in peace This Peace let it never be interrupted this saving power of thy spirit never weakened never enfeebled more Let me lose my life with the 〈◊〉 let me die that they may never live more And therefore the distressed Christian sees not the meanest Christian in the 〈◊〉 miserable condition but he prefers him above al the 〈◊〉 on Earth and wisheth himself in his place Oh if my soul were in his souls stead saved from his corruption therefore he is in a safe and a blessed condition Salvation if it be of the right stamp to deliver from sin not to ease from plagues and sorrows such a kind of saving carries ever satisfaction with it hath a 〈◊〉 fulness which answers unto al poor and imprisoned yet saved though persecuted reproached yet saved though despised and killed and yet saved delivered from his 〈◊〉 there is no evil of the first or second death that shal hurt him 〈◊〉 have any power over him And therefore the contrite sinner contents himself in this as Jacob in a like case I have enough Joseph is yet alive I have enough my soul shal yet be saved In a wrack he that saves his life is abundantly satisfied When so many thousands suffer 〈◊〉 split al their Professions Hopes and Comforts upon the Rocks and Sands of Pride and Self-love Oh what a mercy satisfying mercy that thou who wert in as much danger as they stands alive upon the shoar when they are dying and drowning and 〈◊〉 under the power of their sins The 〈◊〉 sinner 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 price he is resolved in good 〈◊〉 readily to endeavor any thing to compass that he makes so much 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and Brethren what shall we do Command what ye wil we shal do it give what 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 please we 〈◊〉 follow them prescribe 〈◊〉 means you see 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shal improve them 〈◊〉 it is you shal 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 enjoyn be it never so cross to our own carnal 〈◊〉 never 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and haza 〈◊〉 we 〈◊〉 not haggle and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you but we shal endeavor 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 What 〈◊〉 we do whatever 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we 〈◊〉 do what we 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to do what we cannot out of our weakness perform or out of our ignorance so readily conceive how 〈◊〉 accomplish So they Isai. 30. 22. The Converts there it 's said They 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of Silver and ornament of Gold and cast them away as a 〈◊〉 cloth and say get thee hence The price and worth of their Image might have enticed them if not to have kept them yet converted them to their own use but they casheir them wholly without the least consideration of any Commodity that they might have contrived for their own content therefrom So Zacheus 〈◊〉 19. 8. When once he began to be sensibly affected with his corrupt and covetous course and the danger thereof and the evil therein see how comfortably restitution which is so difficult a work comes off a hand without any grudging because that was the means appointed by God to quit his heart and hands of the guilt of that sin Behold Lord half that I have I give to the poor and if I have wronged any man by forged Cavillation I restore him four-fold So lastly the holy Apostle Paul when the Lord Jesus had discovered his sin and abased his heart in the right apprehension of it so that he is come to Gods bent What wilt thou have me to do Behold I wil send thee far hence to the Gentiles Acts 26. 17 19. He did not consent with flesh and blood nor so much as pretend either doubt or 〈◊〉 but immediately addressed himself to follow the direction That which a man prizeth indeed he wil bid fair for nor wil he scotch for a little cost but is resolved to have it what ever it 〈◊〉 and therefore 〈◊〉 not for the cost at all So it is here a 〈◊〉 sinner comes easily and resolutely to Gods terms to do any thing He that 〈◊〉 this price upon Salvation and 〈◊〉 from sin his heart is upon it and his prayer is improved for the most part for this particular his thoughts about it 〈◊〉 Listen to him in 〈◊〉 secret devotions his confessions about this his Petitions spent upon this he harps upon this 〈◊〉 stil. But for things of the world they are out of his mind his thoughts 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 them as though he 〈◊〉 nothing or cared for nothing or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh deliver me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ask him what he would have or desire if he might obtain and have what he would he answers Oh that I might be saved as Abraham for Ishmael 〈◊〉 17. 18. 〈◊〉 that Ishmael might live before thee 〈◊〉 he for his own soul Oh that my soul may live before thee or as blind 〈◊〉 said Oh that my Eyes might be opened and that my heart might be opened and freed from my corruptions Oh that Jesus Christ would do this for me who cannot do it for my 〈◊〉 Because 〈◊〉 distressed soul finds the presence of all 〈◊〉 ther things do no whit prejudice a mans everlasting happiness either the good or comfort of his soul either the having or 〈◊〉 of his Spiritual 〈◊〉 the presence of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may 〈◊〉 do not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of any 〈◊〉 person a 〈◊〉 is never
and shal endure by reason of the same He thought indeed in the time of his folly That Preachers in point of policy presenting sin in a more dreadful visage and appearance than there was just cause or Reason would in truth conclude at least he imagined if the worst befel that either he would remove the guilt or avoid the plague or subdue the strength of such distempers that did threaten Gods displeasure and his destruction but now he finds it otherwise yea his own Conscience nay his own sence and experience doth abundantly confute his folly and mistakes that notwithstanding al the waies he can take and means he can use guilt stil continues he cannot remove it plagues he cannot avoid violence and venom of his corruption he cannot master nor help himself against the 〈◊〉 Command and Authority they yet live and are mighty And therefore he is forced to send up to Heaven dayly yea to seek out unto the faithful Servants of the Lord that they may lend a helping hand for his relief that may help him by their prayers when he sees his own prevail not guide him by their Counsel when through his own ignorance he is at a loss in his thoughts and cannot direct himself that they may tent and heal his sore when out of unskilfulness he cannot 〈◊〉 how to dress the wounds of his own diseased and distressed spirit Thus Nature doth not only teach men but necessity compels al when they find themselves helpless to call yea cry for help yea to send far and neer for succor unto such in whose power it is to support when men have used al Kitchin Physick and taken some Ancient Receipts they have by them and yet the disease grows desperate and the cure more difficult they presently speed out to those who are able and learned Physitians for Counsel and Cure He that fears an on-set he would have a Second in the field with him So here God hath given the tongue of the Learned to some to speak a word in season to a weary Conscience Isai. 50. 4. To others God hath given a dexterous hand to joynt the souls and comforts of such who by some dangerous fall and sudden surprizal of distempers have made a breach in their spirits and peace Gal. 6. 1. You that are spiritual joynt such a man with a spirit of meekness handle hin skilfully yea gently and tenderly To some again God hath given precious Receipts rare experiences of his peculiar mercies to their own souls which few have heard almost none besides themselves have had the like proof 2 Cor. 4. 1. 4. Paul was afflicted and comforted that he might 〈◊〉 and comfort others in afflictions 2 Cor. 2. 11. he professeth he was not ignorant of Satans Methods but was wel acquainted with his Stratagems having been in so many pitcht fields so many Sieges Hence it is that these poor wounded sinners in the Text press in upon the Apostles as skilful and experienced 〈◊〉 for such as were in spiritual distress Men and Brethren what shall we do q. d. You understand we are ignorant and know not what way to take you are experienced and we unacquainted wholly with Gods dealings and directions and perceive not what to do Besides were mens abilities equal yet many eyes see more and many hands can do more than one as in some wounds which we cannot reach by our own hands another though weak and unskilful wil lend ready help wil search and tent the wound we cannot touch nor reach the meanest Christian hath more Experience in some Case than those who are far more able and thou canst not reach it nor come at it he will search it with ease A Contrite sinner is willing to take shame and therefore willing to open himself and sin that he may bear shame that is due unto him for it He sees now the vileness of sin and himself vile because of it and therefore looks at shame as his due desert which he hath mericed at the hands of God and man and therefore accounts it but reasonable that he should be dishonored and rejected of others who hath 〈◊〉 the great Name of God and cast shame and contempt upon the good waies of his Grace he sits down really convinced of his own baseness and therefore doth not complement and speak words of course against himself he wil say I am so and so vile and wretched and doth not condemn himself that others might acquit him not 〈◊〉 his person and practice that others might praise and pity him But as it was said of them They should wash themselves and judg themselves worthy to be cut off and condemned and therefore worthy to be despised and trampled upon as unsavory salt and hence he is willing out of a holy indignation to shame himself and the sinfulness of 〈◊〉 heart and life which hath been a shame to his profession and cast shame upon the righteous and holy waies of the Lord. That which takes away all the hindrances of this holy duty of Confession and puts the soul upon the necessity of the performance that must needs fit the soul for the discharge of this Service But Contrition takes away the hindrances which are these three Either a man would not have his sin removed and subdued Or else he need not help to that purpose Or else he is afraid and ashamed to take help which is provided in that behalf But this Work of Contrition makes a man willing to be helped against his sin makes him see a need and seek for help makes him willing to take shame and he sees a necessity he should that he may receive help against his sins Therefore Contrition fits and enables the soul to a right Confession of sin INSTRUCTION We here see the reason of those sinful windings and turnings of Devices which generally appear in mens practices after the commissions of evil when they should be brought to a naked acknowledgment of their errors herein So many muses to escape so many sleepy senceless shifts to save their own stake their credit and respect yield nothing though they can gainsay nothing with color of Reason they spend their wits and thoughts and lay about them to the utmost skil of al the carnal reason they have to latch the blow to defeat and put by the stroak of the Truth the dint and evidence of the Argument that would discover their evil In a word here is the root and reason of those turnings aside from the Authority of the Truth They never came where this Contrition of heart grew nor yet indeed knew what it meaneth they never saw sin aright their souls were never sensibly affected with the direfulness of the scandal they give unto others and the guilt they bring upon their own Consciences for all which they must one day answer It 's said Luke 3. 6 7. that when God prepares way for the coming of the Lord Jesus or the coming of it within the sight and
ken of Salvation That crooked things must be made straight before any flesh can see the salvation of the Lord. There be crookings of carnal reason in the heart of every man naturally it was the great Ingredient into the first sin of Adam and hath been his Curse ever since to find out findings Eccles. 7. last to invent inventions to make an escape from the Truth and so to walk in the vanity of their own mind and unless the Lord heat a man in the fire of his fury hold him upon the Anvil beat him and break him by the hammer of the Law in this work of Contrition this crookedness wil never be removed nor he come within the sight of Salvation and it 's made one part of the description of a man that is out of the path of peace Isay 59. 8. They have made their 〈◊〉 crooked By way of REPROOF It dasheth that dream of the wicked and cursed imagination of carnal men who conceit that to fal under the foot of contempt according to the desert of our evil doings they conceive it a point of greatest dispar agement and wickedness that can be imagined and to take up 〈◊〉 abode in that abased condition either by some reach of policy not to prevent such an evil or when it doth befal to be shistless as to sink under it and not to be able to struggle out they look at such and leave it upon Record in their Observation as very simplicians such as are destitute either of wit or courage to swallow down such indignities and never be sick of them these persons they note as feeble and the 〈◊〉 base A hellish delusion directly contrary to the truth here delivered and the practice of these Converts now truly broken-hearted with Godly sorrow for their sins That which issues from the power and work of Gods Spirit upon the soul it argues neither feebleness nor 〈◊〉 and such is this practice and therefore it argues neither 1. Not feebleness because it is of a conquering of a commanding power and that against the greatest forces of sin and Satan which they bring into the field our own carnal ends and high conceited excellency of our worth the seeking our selves and setting up our own persons and names and praises are the very stumps of Dagon which stand longest the very heart blood of the body of death the high and overweening thoughts of the Soveraignty of our wils and worth they are the holds of Satan to batter down the strong holds and to make us lie down in the dust and to be abased in the sight of God and man in quiet subjection is indeed to subdue the power of darkness a work unto which we must be enabled by the power of the Almighty far beyond the might of al Creatures much less shal feebleness be able ever to compass it if thou conceitest it is so easie go thy waies and do thou likewise Alas poor deluded Creature it 's such a task that thy heart misgives thee at the very on-set and thou art never able to turn thy hand to it thou must have allowance from thy lusts and stubbornness of thy own heart and ask leave of thy pride and vain glory and when al is done thou canst not so much as fain a confession such a slave and underling thou art to thy sinful distempers even slavery it self that they wil not suffer thee to speak a word to cross thine own way ward spirit and condemn the wretchedness of thy carnal carriage which by the power of the spirit of contrition these poor Servants of the Lord can do not verbally but really and seriously as in the sight of God Which shews there is more than the strength of a mans self that must 〈◊〉 yea destroy a mans self that is his self pride and praise 2. As there is no feebleness in this so neither is there the least baseness in so blessed a service and work of such excellency as this is a behavior truly honorable and such as indeed beseems persons of the greatest account with God and man 〈◊〉 were the diamond in Solomons Crown Eccles. 1. 1. The words of a soul gathered to his people the son of David King in Jerusalem they were titles of honor but this was the top of al. It was a higher soveraignty to bewail his sin and seek unfeyned reconciliation to the Church and by serious and thorough satisfaction to 〈◊〉 acceptance than to sit in the throne of Israel by that he was above his subjects by this he was above himself by that he had power over his people by 〈◊〉 he prevayled over the power of darkness hel devils distempers by that he was above the Kingdom ruled it according to his own wil by this he is above his wil which was above the King yea above his corruption and lusts who lorded over wil and King and Kingdom and al. Yea this is so eminent a service however it seems other to the deluded minds of men it makes way for the 〈◊〉 pitch of al that happiness we ever hope to obtayn here on earth or hereafter in heaven 1 Cor. 15. 28. the pinacle of al perfection unto which we can be advanced 〈◊〉 that God may be al 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 when a sinner lyes under the foot of loathsomness hath nothing doth nothing receives nothing 〈◊〉 himself unworthy to be looked at worthy to be loathed of heaven earth Now God is al in al not onely 〈◊〉 al for him such is his nothingness in himself but here is the glory of al power wisdom and mercy to overcom his unworthyness and to make him fit to receive any thing besides look at 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 work it self 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 greatest victory and those must be the greatest conquerors of al who have conquered and made spoyl of al the Glory of the world The heathen King wished there were more worlds to conquer he that is willing to bewail his sins and take shame for them he hath conquered al those worlds and the conqueror himself and those high thoughts that conquered him it s a degree above glory willingly to be content to want it than indeed to enjoy it Ground of EXAMINATION and TRIAL If we would ever gain assurance or bring in evidence and proof to oure own souls and others that indeed our hearts have been broken for our sins and so turned from our sins in a saving manner unto God here in the kingdom of Grace that we may undoubtedly assure our selves that we shal see his face in glory in another world try thy heart and condition by the former truth lay thy soul level to the doctrine formerly delivered if thou findest this work of God thou mayest undoubtedly conclude there is the spirit of God And however it seems so mean in the eyes of men yet the greater the power of the Almighty is seen in it to lay mountains low and level the hand of the Lord must do this
his sensual 〈◊〉 hath 〈◊〉 it self in the dayes of his folly which now he hath found by woful 〈◊〉 to be gal and wormwood to his Conscience the bane of his peace and would have been the ruin of him and his soul before this day but that it hath pleased the Lord to 〈◊〉 him for the present and not to execute his vengeance upon him as he hath deserved by reason of his former 〈◊〉 therefore he cannot abide the sight of the place where the sin was committed the presence of the party the companion that enticed yea fears the the falsness and treachery of his own heart least that again should betray him thus you see in Davids 〈◊〉 Psal. 101. 3. I hate the work of them that turn aside it shal not cleave to me Hatred is Eagle-eyed to observe the proceedings of the enemy and out of a watchful fear 〈◊〉 stop the passage and to keep his approach that he cannot come near unto us Happily temptations may press in with violence upon the soul and the strength of distempers may make fierce 〈◊〉 make batteries nay make a breach happily and over-bear the sinner for the push 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is the fear watch that the heart is carried 〈◊〉 through this 〈◊〉 that it wil prevent their approach or at least never yield to their power A chast Matron that truly hates the unchast 〈◊〉 of adulterous mates they may pester her trouble her lie at her from day to day though she cannot keep her self happily from being tempted yet she wil keep her self unspotted she wil not be unchast nor unfaithful So it is with a heart that 〈◊〉 carryed with detestation against evil though distempers and temptation may pester it yet they shal not cleave to it nor it cleave to them It may do that which it hates as Paul Rom. 7. 15. what I hate that I do yet it wil hate its own doings its own self so far as overborn therby the out-works may be taken yet the soul ever entrencheth herself in this holy hatred of heart and either it wil force them to fly or it wil fly from them though it cannot be quit of these In-mates but stil they wil abide in the soul yea 〈◊〉 them and the soul for them This is the order and method that the Apostle layes forth in this work when the Corinthians came to be touched with Godly sorrow what indignation what fear what zeal what revenge c. 2 Cor. 7. 11. When the heart carries a detestation towards a corruption it stands against it as an enemy then follows fear which is a behavior suitable to provide and prevent the policies plottings and way-layings thereof upon al occasions look as it is with a City that hath been besiedged with a potent and Malicious enemy if once the siedge be raysed and the forces of the enemy put to rout and scattered how wil the besiedged party by a watchful fear stand upon their guard stand centinel night and day send out their perdues and dispatch a party in every coast to discover the carriage of the enemy takes al the passages maintains a narrow search no man goes out no man comes in but enquires learns the intent of the enemy whether he gathers forces and maks head again watcheth strictly to 〈◊〉 his approach with the first apperance its 〈◊〉 fresh in their minds into what great distress they were formerly brought what cruelty they suffered and that there was but a hairs bredth between them and death with what fear and care wil they labor to prevent the like bondage again as the Phylistians cryed one to another when the ark came into the field for the safeguarding of their lives and liberties quit your selves like 〈◊〉 Oh ye Phylistins least you become servants to the Hebrowes So it is with the sinner who hath been besiedged and held captive under the tyranny and soveraignty of sin and Satan when the Lord by the power of ordinances shal cast down the strong holds stop the act of sin in the strength and stream of it disanul and make voyd the authority of any right or claym the sin could challenge in this work of contrition and so rescues the soul and rayses the sieg that Satan layd and maintayned against its distempers as the deadliest enemy it hath in al the world No sooner is the soul revolted from under the tyranny of corruption but the fear of the former misery forceth a man to mervailous circumspection to maintayn a careful watch as suspicious of a surprisal least the old distempers should gather head again if any temptation or occasion be presented any appearance of any provocation which may lead to the entertainment of any evil be cast in how doth the heart shrink and shake as though the enemy were now afresh approaching what narrow search and inquisition doth the soul set up in its daily course weighs the words he speaks examines each thought and stirring of affection whether there be any treacheries plotted any correspondence held any preparation made for the recalling entertainment of the former lusts and corruptions Fear gives the Alarum presently sets 〈◊〉 a work to prevent the evil cryes out to heaven for succor and relief the disobedient child the stubborn and careless servant were their hearts brought to this detestation of these their distempers you would see a new world they would mind themselves of their own misearriages though you never remembred them they would check themselves for carelessness though you never reproved them they would be heart sick of the stirrings of such rebellions though you never reckoned with them in that behalf their own heart would cal to their remembrance their former extremities It was not long since you were raigned before the tribunal of the Lord cast and condemned by the witness of the word the verdict of 〈◊〉 own Consciences and by the testimony of God 〈◊〉 who is greater than your consciences and yet 〈◊〉 respited through the long sufferance of the Lord and 〈◊〉 riches of his mercy you saw cause enough for ever 〈◊〉 abhor those abominations and your selves for 〈◊〉 therefore God forbid I should rush into those evils 〈◊〉 and plunge my self into everlasting confusion 〈◊〉 of body and soul I have cause to hate them as mine 〈◊〉 mies I wil never harbor them as my friends Where this hatred is throughly wrought in the 〈◊〉 against sin it seeks the destruction of sin in ones 〈◊〉 first and in other also so far as comes within the compass of a mans place and 〈◊〉 The indignation 〈◊〉 at home and it s carryed most strongly against the 〈◊〉 of our own hearts which are our greatest enemies and have done us the greatest harm and we by them 〈◊〉 done the Lord the greatest dishonor and we know 〈◊〉 most in al the loathsomness of them and in al the 〈◊〉 nousness and heightning circumstances thereof then 〈◊〉 can be acquainted with the measure and scantling of any others miscarriages