are in Christ to them that are called and converted and brought home to Christ to those they are all yea confirmed and amen concluded yea made and amen performed but a man by nature can claime nothing at Gods hands but hell and damnation and therefore all the plagues and punishments that befall wicked men are the fruits of their owne labours they are their owne they have the fruit of their owne tree so Iudas is said to goe to his owne place In the 3. of Esay the 9. there saith the text Woe unto the wicked for they have rewarded evill to their owne soules the reward of their hands shall bee giver them for they shall eate the fruite of their doings They can challenge confusion and everlasting destruction this is their owne Iudas went to his owne hee had his owne share and his owne condemâ—ation they were his owne his owne sinnes procured them but as for the obtaining of Christ and of grace and salvation there is nothing that can doe it it is of the free mercy and goodnesse of God Godlinesse â—s great gaine saith the Apostle it hath the promise of this life and of the life to come but an ungodly man there is no promise at all made unto him hee can challenge nothing from God by way of promise so that by this time wee have the proofe of the point namely That the offer of grace is altogether free for we have nothing can purchase grace wee can do nothing that can procure grace wee have no right whereby wee may challenge grace by way of promise naturally and therefore the case is cleare That we have grace freely from the hand of God We see the point cleared the doctrine confirmed and established The use of it is two fold partly to the Saints of God that have received grace partly to those that want grace First for the Saints of God that have received grace I beseech you thinke of it it is a truth that cannot be denied proved by reason strong and Scripture plaine that whatsoever wee have from the beginning of conversion to the end of salvation is free grace Why mee thinkes your hearts should answer we ought to be stirred up the more to magnifie the mercy of God and so much the more to bee thankefull unto him for this mercy which our poore soules have received at his hands the freer the grace of God is which hee offereth unto us the greater our thanksgiving the greater the acknowledgement of the goodnesse of the Lord ought to bee those whom God hath given any assurance of sound grace that Christ is there that salvation is there they doe not know how much beholding they are to God for the same for this proceedeth altogether of his free mercy looke up therefore unto God and blesse God for it this is that which did drive the Prophet Micah to a stand Mica 7.18 19. there faith he Who is a Godlike unto our God that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his people he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy he will turne againe he will have compassion upon us he will â—ubduâ— our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea as who should say here is a God indeed who is like our God who hath pardoned all our sinnes why because his mercy pleased him because hee delighteth in goodnesse no God like Iehovah no Redeemer like Christ no Comforter like the Spirit all sins pardoned all iniquities cast into the bottome of the Sea but what is the ground of all because his mercy pleased him as if hee had sayd Men will doe no good unto us unlesse they see good in us unlesse they expect some good and profit from us but who is like our God no man is like unto him hee hath passed by our transgressions and subdued our iniquities and given us the graces of his spirit not because wee pleased him or did any thing that could deserve this at his hands but it was his free mercy that moved him all our peevishnesse all our loosenesse all our carelesnesse all our sinnes subdued and thrust into the bottome of the Sea and pardoned and why because wee pleased God no because his mercy pleased him this is God full of grace full of mercy full of goodnesse and compassion no God like our God no mercy like this no grace no goodnesse no compassion like unto this and therefore you poore Saints that have received any grace from the hand of the Lord goe into some secret place and say unto your soules and plead with your owne hearts and provoke your soules to thankesgiving for Gods mercy towards you reason with thy heart and provoke thy spirit to take notice of Gods mercy and say How is it Lord that many that have lived in the same towne in the same family nay the same man that is under the same ministry that I am that heares the same Sermons that I doe and sits in the same seate with me how is it that such a poore man or woman is still in the gall of bitternesse in the bond of iniquity still in the snare of death and under the power of Satan Father how comes it why is it that my mind is enlightned why was my heart humbled why didst thou give me any care to walke with thee and to forsake my sinnes and abandon my former lusts and corruptions why is this Lord it was of thine owne free mercy Lord for I had nothing which could purchase this at thy hands I could doe nothing that might procure it I could claime no promise naturally from thee in this kinde if thou canst thinke thus and say thus goe thy wayes and be as thankefull as thou canst to such a God that hath done this for thee and plead with the Lord as the Prophet David did What is man that thou shouldst be so mindfull of him and what is the sonne of man that thou shouldst regard him why Lord thou mindfull of me when I forgot my selfe when I ranne headlong into all wickednesse as prophane as ever any soule was oh those dayes which I now remember with griefe of soule when my heart rose up against thee and thy ministers and yet thou Lord mindfull of such a sinfull wretch as I am that forgot my selfe and my owne salvation why what am I Lord and what is this poore soule of mine that thou shouldest remember me oh doe thus and thinke of this and remember that our Saviour Christ when the Apostles Preached the Gospell here was a poore man on one side converted and a poore woman on another when the Lord Iesus saw this why I blesse thee Father saith he Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast revealed these things to the poore of the world and denyed them to great ones take this to your hearts the poore receive the Gospell the rich they are so full and so delighted in
thou able to doe this No thou must aske thy sin leave first So take a covetous man art thou able to set open thy house if thou hast wronged any man or griped or coâ—ened any man art thou able to say I will restore him fourefold art thou able to doe this No no thou must aske thy covetousnesse leave first now whether you thinke that the divell will suffer you to goe out of his clutches when hee hath power over you if you thinke sinne will give you leave to forsake your lusts when you are servants to it I appeaâ—e to your owne consciences and therefore whosoever he be that is a naturall man let him not coâ—â—n himselfe he hath no power in himselfe to forsake finne if heaven were layd downe before him and offered him for the leaving of one lust hee could as well make a world as part with one lust for heaven and therefore every man should labour to see this and say Lord heretofore I have beene deluded I thought if I would have grace at any time I might have grace when I would if I would not have grace I might choose and therefore I thought I would have profit now and pleasures now and corruptions and hereafter I will repent hereafter I will have Christ but Lord I was deluded what was it in my power then to entertaine the Lord Iesus then it was in my power to goe to heaven to make a world and to create a soule also I will assure you it is the almighty power of God that must doe this in the first of Ephesians 19. Ephes 1.19 there the Apostle giveth us to understand how God worketh in our conversion What is the exceeding greatnesse of his power saith hee to us ward that beleeve according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead and set him at his owne right hand in the heavenly places When the Lords body had lien in the grave three dayes the selfe same power that raised Christ from the dead this is the very same almighty power that workes in the heart of a man that is converted in this case canst thou raise Christ from the dead if thou canst doe this then thou mayst repent if not then of thy selfe thou canst not repent for the very same power that raised Christ from the dead the same power must worke repentance in the heart of a man be not therefore deceived but now looke to it â—â—â—ny Christians have thought that they might have grace and salvation when they would at commend but when God opened their eyes O then they saw no hope of this they then knew that the same power that raised Christ out of the grave the same power must raise them out of the grave of their sinner I beseech you therefore to be informed to yeelâ— to to be convinced of this truth the Text saithâ— naturall man cannot receive the things of God you say you can who shall we beleeve now What will you be Atheists the Lord saith the word saith a naturall doth not receive the things of God nay he cannot now whether thy word or the word of God will stand thou wilt one day know it to thy everlasting woe and therefore now be perswaded to see your owne follies and abandon this foolish conceit The second use is an use of examination namely from the former doctrine delivered every soule that heareth the word this day if they will deâ—â— plainely with their soules may understand what their condition is you may reade your owne estates whether you bee naturall men or spirituall whether gracious or gracelesse men what wouldst thou know then whether thou art a naturall man 〈◊〉 no and if thou beest so woe be unto thee The triall is easie in this kind observe what disposition thou hast to the things of God observe whether thy soule be affected with them whether thy soule can give entertainement to them the 〈◊〉 man cannot receive the things of God if thou beest a naturall man thou then canst not receive grace nor entertaine Christ and salvation so then canst thou finde that if pleasures come then thy heart giveth way to them if profits come then thy heart is transported with the love thereof Is thy soule inlarged to these things dost thou love and desire them canst thou swallow downe all entertaine all digest all very willingly in this kind never too much riches never too much honour never too much profit never too much pleasure is thy soule thus disposed But when the word calleth for repentance when the Gospell calleth for selfe deniall at thy hand the Lord Iesus would rule in thy heart when the Lord would take away all thy sinnes and all thy corruptions is it so now that thy heart is weary to heare the seâ— is it so that thou canst not give way to these then the case is cleare thou art in a naturall estate for the Lords sake take notice of it naturall things please thee profits and pleasures sinnes and corruptions please thee but thou canst not away with the things of the Spirit thou art therefore a naturall man there is therefore no roome for Christ in thy soule therefore there is no true grace yet wrought in thy soule In the 8. of the Rom. 5. 〈◊〉 saith the Text They that are after the flesh doe mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the Spirit Now observe therefore what rellish thou findest in the things 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—low canst thou rellish base courses and ill â—â—â—â—pany is any course or advice taken that may adduce thee unto wickednesse canst thou sweare with the blasphemer and swagger with the drunkard canst thou rellish and appove of these courses but when the Gospell comes and when a man checkes thee for drinking and swearing and tells thee that these things stand not with the kingdome of God the kingdome of Christ consists in righteousnesse and joy and peace in the holy Ghost and thou must deny thy selfe before thou canst receive the Lord Iesus if a man shall tell thee that thou must be pure as Christ himselfe is pure that the Lord Christ Iesus did not come into the world to make men loose and carelesse but holy and righteous to live soberly in this present world and deny all ungodly and worldly lusts to renounce and abhorre these when thou hearest that thou must become a foole that thou mayst 〈◊〉 made wise and that the Lord came to refesh those onely that where laden with the burthen of 〈◊〉 firmes when thou hearest these things how 〈◊〉 thou take them most men may give this answer wee thinke not so wee beleeve it not nay we cannot be perswaded of it is it thus with thee why then the case is ended the tryall is doâ—â— whoever doth not nay cannot receive the thingâ— of God the Gospell of God and the things revealed therein why the Text saith and the
Christ he would direct me if this my wretched damned soule would give entertainement to Christ he would receive me Oh! what wonderfull love mercy and goodnesse is herein discovered there can no better way be devised how God may expresse more love and shew greater mercy toward us it is the Psalmists phrase open thy mouth wide and I will fill thee lie doth not say goe and provide for your selves and feede yourselves no no the provision is made ready and we need only open our mouthes wide and God will fill them marke here the wonderfull riches of Gods bounty what greater care of provision can be expressed or expected than this that a man should onely open his mouth and that wide and it should be filled it is not spoken of the mouth naturally but of the soule spiritually doe but thou open thy soule and empty thy heart of all other things whatsoever doe but get a heart willing to welcome and give entertainement to the Lord Iesus Christ and he will fill thee full of grace here and glory for ever hereafter this is the bounty of the Lord it is the Lords mercy and goodnesse and it should it ought to be mervailous in our eyes as the Psalmist speaketh in another case we ought to admire the goodnesse of the Lord in that he is pleased to offer us Christ and Salvation upon so reasonable conditions and this is the first use Secondly the second use is a word of terrour it shewes in the second place the just and heavie condemnation of all such as perish they are damned and goe to hell and everlasting destruction because they will be damned for if you would have had Christ and grace you might have received Christ and Grace and Salvation by him Every man that will let him take of the water of life freely let him receive mercy and grace and Salvation and therefore if you have not grace it is because you will not have it and therefore if you perish thanke your selves for you would not bee saved there is never a soule this day in hell buâ— received the fruites of his owne labour the reward of their owne workes and the desire of their owne hearts nay they have their owne will if thou wilt not be recovered and receive mercy offered why then thou must be damned and perish forever he that will not receive the Lord Iesus and entertaine grace so that he may goe to heaven t is pitty but he should be damned into the lowermost pit of everlasting ruine and destruction when men come to this passe once that they are not willing to be the treasury of God but are weary to heare the Word of God preached unto them one houre and notwithstanding God hath revealed himselfe in his Word and that with some glimpse yet wicked men would not be under the power of it because they would have their profits and pleasures and enjoy their lusts and coruptions they will not forsake their lusts and abandon their abominations and receive Christ and mercy when the case stands thus with men it is just with God to plunge them into everlasting misery in the 8 of Prov. 36. there saith the text He that sinneth against me wrongeth his owne soule Prov. 8.36 all they that hate me love death they that hate me saith the text that is they that hate wisedome love death by wisedome there is meant the Lord Iesus revealing the wisedome of the Father in the Word now he that hateth this Word of God he that will not be informed by this Word he that will not be directed by it he that will not be humbled by it his soule taketh up armes against Gods ordinances why he loves death both naturally and eternally when the wrath of God ceaseth upon him he hath that which he loveth you loved this you loved death you have it you loved damnation you doe enjoy it and it is merveilous just with God thus to deale with you you cannot blame God for this but your selves wicked men are desirous to be rid of God and freed from the Counsell of God that may chalke them out the way to Salvation and they desire nothing the knowledge of Gods lawes many wicked carnall man doth not desire the good and Salvation of his owne soule he doth not desire the preaching of the Word for the reformation of his life and the humbling of his soule and directing of him in the wayes of Gods Commandements they say to God now depart from us we care not for thy lawes we will not walke after thy Commandements if he at the last day say unto you Depart from me ye workers of iniquity I know you not then you shall have your desire when the heavens shall melt away with fire and the Sunne and the Moone shall be darkned when all flesh shall appeare before the judgement seate of God at that day men and Angels shall heare the dreadfull doome which shall passe upon you by the Lord you contemned my word and ordinances and therefore away from me ye cursed into everlasting destruction prepared for the devill and his Angels you desired not to be informed you would not be humbled you refused to be directed by my word when it was preached unto you but you desired to fulfill your lusts and enjoy your profits and your pleasures you did not desire to be saved and therefore now you shall have your desire you shall be damned and therefore depart from me I know you not You would have your pride when you were upon the earth when you are in hell you may be as proud as you will you would have your malice when you are in hell you may have your desire you may have your fill of maliciousnesse in hell you may have elbow roome enough to satiate your selves in your lusts and sinfull abominations when the soule of a man doth secretly desire that the Word may not worke upon him then it is just with God to grant that desire of his soule it were just with God that the Word should never worke more that the Spirit should never strive more that mercy and Salvation should never be offered any more that man shall then have what he desired and he may blame himselfe for whatsoever judgement falls upon him in the 2 of Thess 2.12 there saith the text 2 Thess 2.12 that they all might be damned which beleeved not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse marke that hee speakes before of those that would not entertaine the truth and the love of it but when God made knowne his will and the way of Salvation they did not love that nicenesse they cared not for that exactnesse and holinesse why what doe you love then saith God upon what is your love placed upon what is the desire of your soule fixed oh saith the text They tooke pleasure in unrighteousnesse in contemning opposing hindring and despising the good Word of God and therefore they shall be damned when a
not doe this I will doe nothing for eternall life this is that God expects all that he lookes for Every man that will let him take grace and mercy and that freely In the 2 of King 5.13 the text saith of Naaman the â—â—â—irian 2 King 5.13 when hee came to Elisha the man of God to bee healed the Prophet sent a messenger unto him saying Goe and wash seven times in Iordan and thy flesh shall come againe to thee and thou shalt bee cleane Now hee being a man of authority and of some place he tooke this somewhat in disdaine that hee should send a messenger out unto him and bid him wash seven times in Iordan hee was wrath and went away and sayd Behold I thought hee would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God and stroke his hand over the place and remoove the Leper hee did thinke the Prophet would have done some great matter unto him and therefore when hee saw that he bid him goe wash seaven times in Iordan he went away in a kind of indignation but then his servants they came neare to him in the 13. 2 King 5 13. verse and said My father if the Prophet had bid thee c. As who should say if you will not doe so small a matter to be cured you will doe nothing So I say to every soule here present if the Lord had required a great matter of us whereby we might attaine salvation if hee had required a thousand Rams 10. thousand rivers of Oyle if he had required the first borne of our body for the sinne of our soules if the Lord had enjoyned every soule of us to live howling crying all the dayes of our life for mercy if hee had commanded us to goe into a Chamber secretly and there to fall upon our knees and pray unto him continually for mercy untill our eyes had failed with looking up to heaven for mercy untill our hands had beene wearied with holding them up to heaven untill our tongues had beene hoarse with crying for mercy and untill our hearts failed us and fainted within us if at the very last gaspe wee should be crying for mercy and did 〈◊〉 then receive one drop of it it would quit cost it would be worth our labour if the Lord had required all things whatsoever of you for one drop of mercy if you had had your eyes about you yâ—â— would have given them but what a wonderfull goodnesse is this that the Lord should require nothing at our hands for Christ and grace and salvation but a will to receive them let me presse this a little further if God had required a great thing of you would you not have done it to have beene saved how much more when it commeth to this once that it is at a lower rate then wee can desire or expect it should bee onely be willing to take mercy and you shall have it doe but carry away grace and it is your owne for ever I cannot conceive of any easier tearme whereby God might better expresse his wonderfull goodnesse towards us wilt thou receive Christ and salvation by himâ— why then thou mayst have him nay the Lord even forceth his commodities and his favour upon us he doth not onely offer us this but he forces it upon us in this kind he is not onely willing that we should receive Christ if wee be but willing to take him but the Lord himselfe doth beseech us that wee will be reconciled unto him and receive mercy from him and be blessed for ever Take notice of this unmatchable and unconceiveable mercy of the Lord in that he offereth Christ and the meanes of salvation upon so easie conditions and at so low a rate if wee can but will Christ wee shall have Christ and salvation by him nay we shall not onely receive Christ if we will entertaine him but the Lord himselfe doth beseech us to take mercy at his hands aske your owne soules therefore if it bee not equall that you should entertaine the offer of Christ thus pronounced unto you But be â—â—les as a further motive hereunto consider that as the termes are equall and easie so the commodity also in the second place is worth the price and this may also inforce our hearts to forsake all for the getting of the possession of this goodnesse which wee stand so in neede of if the commodity were not good though the condition were caste and the price reasonable it were theâ— indeed something wee could thinke to mend ourselves in another place but here as the termes are most easie so the good is farre better than can bee conceived you cannot mend yourselves goe whither you will use what meanes you will If you will have Christ what then will you have as men use to say when a man hath a commodity offered him a good penny worth and hee knowes not a good bargainâ— when he hath it marke what Chapmen will say Oh say they you will goe further and speed worse just so it is here it is the woefullâ—â—â— thing under heaven for â—en not to know when they have a good bargainâ— and when they are weâ— dealt withall To refuse mercy and salvation when it is offered them and that upon so easie termes and at so low a rate for what will you have if you will not have Christ if you will nor have grace and salvation why what will you have upon what will you bestow your hearts you will have your sinnes and corruptions and not grace and mercy you will have damnation and not salvation you will have hell you will not have heaven you will be like the Iewes who refused Christ and chose Barrabas a murtherer for whensoever a soule refuseth the Lord Iesus it is certaine that he chooseth a Barrabas if you refuse the one you must needes receive the other and then consider which is best you will not have Christ and salvation what will you then have hell damnation confusion and destruction you will not bee happy and therefore you must bee miserable and therefore this is observeable the Lord hath sent from heaven this day and offered salvation and happinesse to men as freely as ever any man had any thing offered I come this day from the Lord to enquire how the case standeth and how the match goeth forward betweene Christ and you Let me therefore goe to your soules and answer you mee unto my question the offer of grace you see is free the condition is easie the price is reasonable whither now will you have mercy and salvation or no you little ones you young ones that have beene married to profits and pleasures to lusts and corruptions the Lord Iesus is become a great suter to you all this day and I am Christs spoksman to speake a good word for him be not oh bee not squeamish and coy and say afterward you will speake with him and tell him how
the text let the wicked for sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and hee will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon The word in the original is this the Lord multiplyeth pardons the Lord hath not uttered all his pardons the Popes pardons indeed may bee all sold but Gods pardons are not at the bottome no no hee hath a multitude of pardons The Lord is ready to give thee pardon for all thy transgressions what ever thy corruptions bee whatsoever thy abominations be the Lord standeth to multiply mercy and pardon and forgivenesse that so thou mayest have mercy for all and forgivenesse to all thy sinnes and distempers hast thou multiplyed rebellion why the Lord doth also multiply pardons the bowels of compassion are still open and the armes of mercy are still spread abroad and when the soule seeth the attributes of God in Scripture that hee pardons all poore sinners that come unto him stubborne Manasses he was humbled and resolute Paul hee was converted when the soule seeth this then the soule thinketh why not I Lord why not I pardoned also why yes thou mayst bee received to mercy and pardoned also for the Lord doth still multiply pardons Manasses had some mercy and Paul had some and yet there is mercy for thee also and for a thousand thousand more the Lord is ready to pardon poore sinners and willing to entertaine them Secondly Second Cord. the Lord is not onely ready to forgive when men will come unto him but hee doth also call and command them for to come for the poore sinner when he heares this that God is mercifull and ready to forgive he may bee amazed and at a stand and thinkes with himselfe oh but may I shall I dare I goe unto the Lord for mercy may I be so bold to presse in for favour at the hands of the Lord it is the Lord indeed that sheweth mercy but may I come unto the Lord I have beene a gievous sinner and have heaped abomination upon abomination and therefore I am affraid to approach neere unto the presence of the Lord why I â—â—ll thee thou mayest come and the Lord willeth and commandeth thee to come upon the penalty of his everlasting wrath hee chargeth thee to come unto him and entertayne that favour hee hath provided for thee in the 3. of Ier. 22. there sayth the Lord come unto me yee rebellious people and I will heale your rebellions you that never prayed nor never came to heare all rebells come unto me and I will heale your rebellions and then the people answer behold we come unto thee for thou art our God be not to full of nicenesse in this case do not stagger and say I have dispised Gods goodnesse and slighted Gods mercies and therefore may I bee bold to come why I tell you you may goe to God for mercy come to me yea rebellious people and I will heale your rebellions mercy will answer all your sinnes they shall bee no impediment unto you in the 3. of Ier. 1. it is a fine passage there saith the text They say that if a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and shee become another mans will he receive her againe but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet returne againe to me saith the Lord if a man should put away his wife for an adultresse would hee take her againe no certainely all the world will say an adultresse whore away with her after so many injuries wrongs done unto her husband there is no expectation of mercy or kindnesse from him but the Lord saith thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet returne unto me whatsoever we delight in more or love more than God they are our lovers now the Lord saith though thou hast had pride and covetousnesse and malice drunkennesse and adultery for thy lovers yet returne unto me notwithstanding all thy base doings and wicked practises yet come unto me saith the Lord this is great incouragement to a poore sinner that all his sinfull abominations should not hinder him from receiving mercy this workes wonderfully upon the soule of a sinner and he begings to wonder and say Lord shall all my sinnes bee pardoned shall all those oathes and all that prophanenesse of mine be forgiven after so many mercies slighted and so many abominations committed yet forgiven why aye saith the Lord come unto me and you shall be forgiven thou hast played the harlot yet come unto me thou proud heart and bee humbled come unto me thou stout stubborne sturdy heart and be softened come unto me yet for all this thou covetous heart and be sanctified and this is the second cord of this cable of mercy the Lord doth not only reveale unto the soule of a sinfull creature that if he doth come unto him he shall be accepted but hee commands him to come and receive mercy from him Thirdly Third Cord. the Lord doth not only command a poore sinner to come unto him but to go further it is marvellous strange to consider when a sinner in the sight of his unworthinesse is hardly brought to goe to the Lord for mercy but sayes it is true there is a great deale of mercy with God but not for me when a sinner thus goeth away from God and flyeth from mercy the Lord followeth him still and fendeth another cord after him and pursueth him with mercy and kindnesse that so if it were possible he might winne him and wooe him to receive mercy and forgivenesse It is almost impossible to conceive the wonderfull goodnesse of the Lord in this kind he doth not only command poore sinners to come unto him but hee entreates and beseeches them to come and receive mercy and this one would think should move the heardest heart under heaven 2 Cor. 5.20 there saith the Apostle Now then we are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be you reconciled unto God the matter here wee see is past all question the Lord doth not only command you to come but rather then you shall goe away hee will beseech you to come and take the mercy that the Lord offereth to you and you have so much need of mercy will come and kneele down before you and beseech you and intreat you for the Lord Iesus sake to pittie your poore soules and receive pardon for your sinnes to receive sanctification and justification here that you may be blessed and glorified for ever hereafter this is that which a sinner is not able to comprehend but he begins to be at a stand and at amazement It is a great matter that God should command a sinner for to come unto him and that he should be accepted when he doth come but that God should beseech and intreat a poore sinner to receive mercy herein is discovered the incomprehensible depth of
hereafter then it will go marvellous heavily with you you have hindred the worke of conversion for being wrought in them and you have drawne them into wicked courses they shall go to hell they shall perish poore soules but I tell you their blood will God require at your hands at that day they will appeare before the Lord of glory and call for vengeance against you when the heavens shall melt with fire and when the Lord shall have tenne thousand thousand of Angels ministring unto him when all flesh at the dreadfull day of judgement shall appeare before the judgement seat of God and render an account of that they have done here upon earth then here you shall see a cursed drunkard there a wretched adulterer and there a prophane swearer and they shall come and accuse those that have drawne them into the commission of these sinnes and they shall say I confesse Lord I was inlightned my eyes were opened and my heart was touched and my conscience was awakened and I was resolved to walke in a good course but Lord here is the man behold here is the woman that by wicked devises and cursed perswasions never left untill I fell off from this good resolution and turned to my former wicked wayes this is the man Lord that did this and therfore I beseech thee though I perish yet let not my bloud go unrevenged at this mans hands that hath beene the cause of my destruction and then this will lie heavy upon your score at the day of death or the day of judgement when these poore soules shall appeare before God I will tell you what complaints they will make to his Majesty they will say Lord I was in a good way my eyes were opened and my heart was humbled my heart did earne towards Gods truth and holy men I would have turned over a new leafe and led a new life but it was this Land-lord of mine that feared bernard and terrified mee and pluckt mee aside from this good course good Lord revenge my bloud at my Land-lords hand the servant he will say Lord there was a gracious fellow servant lived in the house with me and did me much good I loved to heare thy word and pray and read and performe good duties but good Lord it was the sharp reproofes and bitter taunts of my master that discouraged me and made me forsake my former course and therfore now I must go to hell but Lord though I perish yet I beseech thee revenge my bloud at my masters hands Many of you have wives that lie in your bosomes in whose hearts the word of God hath begun to take place and they have resolved to walk uprightly before God they have gone and mourned in secret and sighed to heaven but it is you that are their husbands which have hindered this gracious disposition and you thought your selves undone because your wives took this course and therefore you never left brawling and bayting and rayling untill your poore wives left all left praying and left reading and left all goodnesse I tell you those wives that now lie in your bosomes though they love you now the time will come when they will curse the day that ever they saw or knew you what a wofull case will it be at the day of judgement when the wife shall come before the Lord and say I confesse Lord I enjoyed thy word and it was brought home to my soule and it wrought upon my conscience and I had a full purpose to become a new creature and take a new course I was comming Lord I was comming but it was this husband of mine that drew mee from my selfe and thy service from a good course and from a good way and therefore require my bloud at his hands though I perish yet good Lord let not my damnation be unrevenged at my husbands hands and many of you wives if your husbands have beene inlightned and wrought upon by the word insomuch that they come home and say wife wee must reforme our families and we must pray with them and wee must bee carefull that both wee and they keep Gods Commandements then you wives are untoward and unreasonable and the house is not able to hold you and your husbands live in a miserable condition untill they have altered their former purpose why these husbands of yours will go downe to hell but their bloud will lie heavie upon your heads and will bee required at your hands they will say Lord I was once in the right way I was comming I was almost perswaded to be a Christian I do think verily if I had had another wife I should have led a good life upon the earth and have beene saved hereafter but this wife of mine Lord never left bayting and hayning at me untill I turned out of the right way they will curse the day that ever they saw you or that ever you met together and they will entreat God not to suffer them to goe to hell without revenging of their bloud upon your heads you that are such I beseech you think of these things you that have heard these things the Lord of heaven perswade your hearts to take heed of drawing away poore sinners from God if it were in my power I would not only perswade you but overcome you in this kind if it were in my power to save you I would give salvation unto you but alas it is not in my power and indeed it is pitty it should it is the Lord that must do it you that have heard this word I beseech you let it not fall to the ground but all you scorners and mockers at Gods Saints you that have drawne men out of the right way and out of a good course for the Lords sake and for mercies sake and for your owne poore soules sake be resolved never againe to draw away poore sinners from that course wherein they walke but when you see them going on well why then goe you along with them and if you see any lay cords upon them to draw them away helpe them you in this kind and labour to draw them backe againe The fourth use is an use of comfort and consolation to all poore soules marke it for the Lord Iesus sake it is a ground of unspeakable comfort to all poore creatures partly unconverted and partly converted all from the former truth they may observe marvellous refreshment of heart if they will but attend thereunto and be ruled thereby you that are in the gall of bitternesse and in a carnall condition you that live in base grosse courses you who are knowne to all the world that you live in common ordinarie sinnes you that are locked up under infidelity under a proud stubborne heart here is a ground of admirable joy and consolation to sustaine the hearts of all such poore creatures in the expectation of mercy and comfort when the flouds of iniquity beset a man on every side when the weight of his
sinnes lies heavie upon his heart and the soule complaines as David did my sinnes are gone over my head they are to heavie for me I am not able to beare them these mightie corruptions I shall never bee able to master them these sinnes that hang upon me and these distempers that cleave unto me oh I cannot bee rid of them I see my sinnes more than ever I did and yet they follow me and still they pursue after me I shall never be freed from them I shall never get dominion over them why there is admirable comfor from the former point for such a poore soule that is thus oppressed by and overwhelmed with corruptions the doctrine is this God by a holy kind of violence doth pluck men from sinne and draw them to himselfe though thy sinnes will not part from thee yet the Lord will pluck those corruptions from thy soule hee will awaken thy conscience and humble thy heart he will bring downe thy sturdie heart be thy sinnes therefore never so great and thy corruptions never so mightie yet take consolation hereby the maine trouble of a poore soule lieth in three respects partly in regard of the temptations of Satan partly in regard of corruptions partly in regard of the opposition a man finds in a good course these are marvellous hinderances to a Christian and here is marvellous comfort from the former truth against all those first for temptations when the Lord letteth Satan loose upon a poore sinner and the divell begins to domineere over a sinner and trample upon a sinner and tells a sinner that to hell he must go and away hee must with him it is in vaine to strive for his sinnes are so strong that they shall never bee removed his corruptions will never part from him and therefore he wisheth a sinner to put an end to his daies and so to his sinning for he shall never be recovered he shall never be freed from the guilt of his sinnes and the dominion of them this is Satans power and this is like the wind that blew downe Iobs house that great and mightie tempest which came from the wildernesse and smote the foure corners of his house and made it fall upon his sonnes so I conceive the violent whurries of temptation and the fierce assaults of Satan come East and West North and South upon the heart of a sinner insomuch that the heart beginnes to sinke and conceives it selfe almost in hell it thinks it shall never overcome those assaults it thinks it shall never get out of these temptations you that finde these now or may find these hereafter let it please God to speake peace unto you you may observe marvellous comfort from the former doctrine the Text saith if Satan will not come out the Lord Iesus will bind the strong man and overcome him and take his weapons away from him and free the house of him and then he himselfe will go in and take possession Rom. 16.20 there saith the Text The Lord of heaven shall shortly beate downe Satan and trample hith under â—â—eet however haply Satan will not downe but be proud and malicious towards you though you cannot conquer him and quiet him though you cannot command the churlish curre yet the master can if there bee a bandogge or a mastiffe in the way the passenger must seeke by all faire meanes to appease him and yet haply hee will not be quiet but if tho muster comes he can command him and still him presently so it is with this curre divell he is nothing else but Gods bandogge Gods mastiffe whereby hee whurrieth poore sinners to make them runne to heaven for comfort though you cannot quiet him yet God can command him and make him fall under your feet and though he will not go out yet God will by strong hand cast him out whether hee will or no nay though there were a legion of devills in thee yet the Lord will force them out Luke 8.30 Christ met with a man which had divells a long time and when bee saw Iesus hee fell downe before him and cryed with a loud vayce what have wee to do with thee Iesus than sonne of the living God and Iesus asked him what is thy name and they said legion because many divells were entred into him I command thee thou uncleane spirit to come out of him saith Christ and so Satan was forced out whether hee would or no and therefore cheare thou thy soule and comfort thou thy heart which findest troubles in this kind and the temptations of Satan if hee be violent in tempting God will be as strong in conquering and binding of him and hee will cast him out and this is the first thing which hinders a man in a christian course namely the temptations of Satan and if thy heart bee still manuring and perplexed and saith the temptations of Satan are fierce But secondly these corruptions of mine oh they are extreme so that my sinnes are like a mayne flood which passeth over my head one wave commeth after another wickednesse after wickednesse and iniquity after iniquity now proud now sturdy now covetous now loose now prophane now unfaithfull oh these secret sinnes of mine and these bosome abominations of mine by which my heart hath so long beene swayed in which my soule hath so long continued I shall never bee freed from these I shall never get the mastery over these especially these beloved darlings lusts of mine God must breake my bones before they will out for my soule is still pursuing these distempers so that the poore sinner concludes as he did 2 King 7.2 when there was a great famine in Samaria the Prophet Elisha came and prophecied saying to morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flowre be sold for a shekell and two measures of barley for a shekell in the gates of Samaria then a ruler or a noble man upon whom the King leaned sayth the text answered the man of God and sayd behold if the Lord would make windowes in heaven might this thing be as who should say is it possible there should be such plenty on the suddaine no though God make windowes in heaven it cannot be So the soule sayth is it possible these sweet lusts these darling abominations so long committed so long continued so long practised can they ever bee pardoned if the Lord should make windowes of comfort and consolation is it possible that my soule should ever be refreshed why yet for all this behold a great deale of comfort from the former point though thy sinnes bee never so violent to pursue thee though thy corruptions bee never so strong to set upon thee yet God is more strong to conquer those sinnes and more strong to subdue those corruptions bee the union between sinne and thy soule never so neere God will breake that bond and snap those cords in sunder bee the dominion that sinne hath over thy soule never so great yet the power which Christ
Luke 10. 〈…〉 when our Saviour Christ sent out his Disciples to prepare way for himselfe he saith into what house soever ye enter say first peace be unto this house and if the sonne of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turne to you againe By peace is meant here all prosperity whatsoever all good temporall and eternall it was the manner of the â—â—lutation of the Hebrews to say Peace be unto you therin including all good things whatsoever now saith the Text if the house be worthy that is if the house be truely disposed if the son of peace be there that is he which hath a soule so disposed towards peace as a Son is towards his Father that is he that desires peace upon that Soule peace shall rest a blessing shall be upon that soule but if the house be not worthy that is if the heart will not receive the Gospell of Salvation if the Sonne of peace be not there if he be a rebell against God and against peace in this kind then let your peace returne to you againe there is no footing for Salvation in the soule of that man that refuseth the Gospell and the meanes of Salvation which God hath tendered and as our Saviour Christ before he comes in doth knocke at the doore that he may come in so whensoever the doore is opened Reve. 3.20 he will come in Reve. 3.20 there saith the Text Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man will heare my voice and open the doore I wil come in to him and suppe with him and he with me The doore is the heart if the doore be opened if the will be opened to prize and entertaine Christ then Christ and his Father will come into that soule and dwell with it for ever and refresh it with all spirituall comfort and in the 15. of Luke Luk. 15.17.18 the 17 and 18 verses when the Prodigall sonne was returning to his Father when hee saw that hee was in misery and how the case stood with him no body succoured nor releeved him he returned to himselfe saith the text and reasoneth thus with himselfe How many hired servants in my fathers house have bread enough and to spare but I perish with hunger as who should say Now I know what it is to be â—n a fathers family here no man considers meeâ— no man regards me or respects me and though I bee 〈◊〉 sonne yet there are many in my fathers house which are but servants which have bread enough â—ut I though a sonne have want of all things and â—m ready to famish here is the prize now that hee â—utteth upon a fathers house hee thinkes now it is good to be in a fathers house hee thinks now oh â—he provision and love of a father happy are they that have it blessed are they that doe enjoy it and when hee had set this prize upon his fathers house Then he ariseth and saith I will go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hyred servants Then the soule doth put a prize upon Christ and returneth to him when it seeth the excellency that is in him The father of the Prodigall sonne when he saw this that his sonne returned unto him and humbled himselfe and confessed his fault he made much of him The Prodigall had a purpose a will a desire to come to his father And assoone as his father saw him afarre off he went out to meete him and fell on his necke and kissed him and made much of him and commanded to bring forth the bestrâ—be put it on him put a ringâ— on his hand and shooes on his feete The Prodigall is a sinner and hee that is enlightned so farre forth as to see his wretchednesse and is able to set a prize upon the mercy of Christ hee that hath runne away from God the base sinfull wretch that never made any account of the word if the Lord hath awakned his hâ—â—rt so farre forth as that heâ— can set a high prize upon the word and say I wondered heretofore 〈◊〉 see men runne to sermons so fast and make such hast to the house of God when the bels rnuge woe is me I could never doe so but oh happy are they 〈◊〉 and blessed are they that did so 〈◊〉 oh one promise now is worth a world now the assurance of the forgivenesse of sinnes is worth all the world besides when the soule of a poore sinner begiâ— thus to prize Christ and resolves to go to Christ and expects mercy from him then the Lord seeth this soule a farre off and is resolved to give entertainement to it to afford comfort thereunto But you will say what is the reason of it that if a maâ— wils Christ and salvation he shall have it I answer the reasons hereof are three The first is this because the Lord requires no more at the hands of a poore sinner nay the Lord Iesus is fully contented when the soule commeth to give entertainment to him this alone will give contentment wholy to the Lord Iesus Christ It is the meaning of that speech of the Wiseman in the Prov. My sonne give me thy heart by heart in that place is not meant the substance of the soule as it was created of God this is not that which God looketh for but My sonne give me thy heart that is let the actions of thy heart bee set upon mee prize mee and choose me this is that with which the Lord is contented nay it is the maine thing with which the Lord is fully pleased In the 5. of Deut. 29. Deut. 5.29 when the people heard the voyce of Moses and were â—esolved to yeeld obedience to Gods Commandements they sayd Whatsoever the Lord hath spoken by thee that will we doe when the Lord heard that â—hey would attend and obey his word which hee â—oke by his servant Moses these are very good words saith the Lord But oh that there were such a â—eart in them to feare mee and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might bee well with them and with their children for ever God hee tooke their outward profession and appearance in good part but oh that there were such a heart this strikes all dead this gives God full content and therefore we shall observe that when all other things are weake in us though there be many failings and many distempers in a poore soule yet when the heart is sound and sincere that is that which giveth the Lord full contentment hee goeth away fully satisfied with that In the 2. of Chron. 15.17 2 Chron. 15.17 there the text saith of Asa that hee did not take away the high places out of Israel neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dâ—yes though he failed in many things yet his heart was perfect and upright and
why though you be not able yet here is the comfort of a poore foule the worke is the Lords and he whose worke it is is able to bring it to passe what though thou beest weake yet God is strong and therefore quiet thy soule and content thy heart a man may say I have a hard heart from within and it will receive no good from without the Word prevailes not the Sacraments have no power over me why all the meanes and cost and charges that God hath bestowed upon me is lost and my heart is not yet humbled my corruptions are not yet weakened be yet comforted though meanes cannot doe it which God useth at his pleasure though these cannot doe it yet the Lord can doe it there is nothing hard or difficult to him that hath hardnesse it selfe at command hee is a God which hath all things at command hee can command the devill himselfe and therefore hee hath the hardnesse of thy heart at command also there is nothing hard to him that hath hardnesse at his command nay though all things be impossible to man yet nothing is impossible with God God can doe what man not meanes cannot the Lord hee sheweth mercy upon us why because wee will no because he wills and though we cannot cast away our sinnes yet the Lord will remove them Oh then saith the soule this is somewhat comfortable that the Lords mercie depends not upon my will but upon Gods will And I would tell you somewhat by experience in this kinde for I knew one that was over whelmed with dispaire a whole yeare together because hee thought hee had committed the sinne against the holy Ghost and yet at last was comforted by this meanes he refolved with himselfe if my conversion were in my will onely then I should be damned but it is not because I will but because God will doe good to my poore soule aye but the soule will say I confesse it is not in my will but it is in Gods will that hee sheweth mercy and this is some comfort yet but oh my corruptions are old sinnes of a long time can those be pardoned they are become as another nature in me can those therefore be removed yes the Lord is able to remove those also for saith the Prophet the Lord hath laid salvation upon the mightie so that though thy corruptions be mightie and powerfull yet there is a mighty God that is able to undoe that cursed combination that is betweene thy soule and thy corruptions and therefore quiet thy selfe in the consideration hereof and say I must confesse that I have many corruptions but the mighty Lord of hosts hath promised that hee will take away my stony heart and give me a heart of flesh and hee is able to doe it also be herein quieted and supported and looke up to heaven for comfort In the third place it is a word of exhortation to all those that are in the bond of iniquitie and under the power of Satan to those which carry a stony heart about them it is a word of exhortation to these see your owne wants and be exhorted in the name of the Lord Iesus to have recourse to this great God and intreate him to take away your stony heart from you looke as it is with men if there be a Physition of excellent skill that cures all diseases that are brought unto him why then all men will repaire to him why so it is here God alone is able to doe this cure for us and herefore he should have our custome if a man should set up a bill upon the market post that he would cure all that come to him which were troubled with the stone in the reines or any other grievous disease and if wee should meete with many comming from him that were healed by him why then wee would be ready to say such a one went and hee was healed such a one went and hee was cured and this will stirre up all to repaire unto him and every one would bring those that appertaine unto them and were troubled with this disease unto him that they might be cured by him the Lord hath set up a bill this day that he will cure all those that come unto him of their stony heart and all the Sonnes of God have found proofe hereof to the comfort of their owne soules the Lord is hee that will doe this hee will take away your stony heart you wives therefore that have husbands which have stony hearts and you parents that have children that are troubled with stony hearts goe home with comfort and tell them that you have heard this day of a Phisitian that will undertake to cure them of this disease and exhort them therefore to repaire unto him Our Saviour Christ when hee had healed many of their diseases the Text saith in the third of Matthew That all came unto him and brought their sicke that hee might heale them In the bowells of the Lord Iesus be intreated you that have stony hearts to goe unto the Lord that so you may be cured you were better have a milstone about your neckes then have this stony heart we have all of us this stony heart more or lesse as it is with a man that hath beene cured of a disease perhaps the disease is much mitigated but there will still be much weakenes and some reliques of the disease remaining in him a long time after So the Sonnes of God have the strength of this stony heart somewhat lessened and abated in them but they are not altogether freed from it but those that were never cured of this disease those that never had this stony heart in any measure removed they were better have a milstone about their neckes for it will sinke them into the bottomlesse pit of hell and destruction if death take them away while they carrie this stony heart about them they will be surely damned therefore 〈◊〉 them as they love their owne soules be 〈…〉 and perswaded to come to this Physitian God 〈◊〉 I will take away your stony hearts and I will 〈◊〉 you hearts of flesh come therefore and 〈…〉 selves to the hammer of God that your stony hearts may be taken away when you 〈◊〉 this Ministers teach then say Lord I beseech 〈◊〉 teach thou mee in the meane time when the Minister perswades then say Lord doe thou over rule and perswade this sinnefull heart of mine take thou away this power of corruptions which is in my heart and remove thou the rebellions of my heart goe home and be exhorted to goe to this Physition and importune the Lord in this case put him in minde of all those many savours which he hath vouchsafed to you put the Lord in remembrance of that which he hath desired in his Word Oh that people had such hearts as would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes say unto the Lord that it is as easie for him to create such hearts in you as to
is the time of rewarding as our trading and labouring is here in this life so shall our injoying and rewarding be hereafter in the life to come A◠〈◊〉 soweth so shall a man reape Gal. 6.8 if hee sow to the flesh he shall reape to the flesh Gal. 6.8 if hee yeeld to the corruptions of his owne nature and gives way thereunto and be carried aside thereby hee shall have the wages of sinne but hee that is willing for to stoope to the Commandements of God he that serves God here and walkes uprightly before him shall receive everlasting life and eternall happinesse hereafter and so much for the proofe of the first Point after this life is once ended there is no hope of life and salvation Secondly together with our lives wee must also have the meanes of grace continued unto us for the making up of that season wherein God will if ever fit us and prepare us for mercy I meane by the meanes of grace the preaching of the Gospell for this was one part of Ierusalems day here spoken of and therefore this is the second part of every mans day namely when we have the glad tidings of the Gospell vouchsafed unto us 2 Cor. 6.2 in 2. Cor. 6.2 the Apostle doth conclude that when the meanes of life and salvation is afforded this is the time of salvation he laieth his finger as it were upon the season of life and happinesse for he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee now some may say when is this time of salvation The Apostle doth particularly make this good in the words following now saith hee behold is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation Now while the Lord is pleased to vouchsafe the meanes of grace and salvation to you and to send the Doctrine of salvation among you why now is the time accepted now is the day of your salvation Luke 19.9 and therefore Luke 19.9 Zacheus when hee had a strong desire to see Christ and to meete with the Lord Iesus and could not by reason of the prease hee gets him out of the croud and came before into a Sycamore tree that so hee might the better behold him but before Zacheus could see Christ Christ saw him and calleth to him Make haste Zacheus and come downe for to day I must abide at thy house and Zacheus made haste and came downe joyfully and then the Lord Iesus when hee came with him to his house said unto him this day is salvation come unto this house why because this day hee was made the sonne of Abraham as wee may see in the words following this day it pleased Christ to bring that desire of Zacheus unto some perfection this was the day of Zacheus while then the Word is revealed and while the meanes of happinesse is laid open while God makes a tender of grace and salvation to a soule this is the day of every mans salvation so then wee have the proofe of the point plaine out of Scripture namely that while life and the meanes last that is the season that God hath appointed and set apart to doe good to the soules of those whom hee meaneth to convert unto himselfe The next thing to be considered is the reason of this how it commeth to be thus that the time of a mans life and the time wherein God vouchsafeth the meanes that this is the time wherein God offereth salvation to a poore soule and wee will lay downe the reasons of both parts severally First concerning the time of a mans life and the reason of this is because when this crazie frame of ours beginnes to be dissolved then comes Gods definitive sentence Gods definitive verdict then passes upon a man God then passeth a sentence upon a â—an which hee never meaneth to recall a man at the time of his death when death closeth a mans eyes hee is then either everlastingly happy or else everlastingly miserable there is then afterwards no alteration to be expected Heb. 9.27 There saith the Text Heb. 9 27. it is appointed for all men once to die but after that comes judgement as death leaves a man so judgement findes a man hee doth not say after death comes amendment after death comes repentance after death comes Purgatory no no this is a dreame of the Papists they thinke that a man may after death be in trouble a while and be in Purgatorie and then be brought out by the treasure of the Church but alas this is a vaine dreame to inlarge the Popes coffers and to make the Popes Kitchin hot as Divines use to say that so the Pope may have a great deale of money they say if a man have leâ— never so wicked a life if yet he will bestow such a legacie upon the Popes holinesse though hee have beene in Purgatory a great while hee shall yet by the treasure of the Church be released but this is a fond foolish sottish dreame the case is plaine enough after death judgement comes next a man shall either goe into everlasting happinesse or else into everlasting confusion there is no third place for a soule to goe unto but a man must either goe to hell for ever or to heaven for ever every man that is saved is saved by Christ Ioh. 3.36 Ioh. 3.36 He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that beleeveth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him so then now if a man beleeve in Christ hee is perfectly saved if he beleeve not in Christ hee is pâ—â—fectly damned Ioh. 3.18 Ioh. 3.18 Hee that beleeveth on him is not condemned but hee that beleeveth not is condemned already that is hee hath one foote in hell as it were hee is now in the gall of bitternesse and if hee liveth thus and endeth his dayes in this condition hee shall as surely be damned and goe to hell as if hee were there already All that beleeve in Christ are fully saved and therefore to heaven they must goe 〈◊〉 if they beleeve not in Christ they are as surely damned and therefore to hell they must go so theâ— the case is cleare the sentence of God is firâ—â— and the virdict that God passeth upon a 〈◊〉 sinner at thet time of death is most certaine there is no repealing of the sentence there is no recalling of the verdict and this is the reason why the time of a mans life is the season wherein 〈◊〉 man shall receive grace and salvation if ever hee receive it The second thing to be prooved is this why the meanes of salvation makes up the opportunitie wherein God meaneth to save poore sinners if 〈◊〉 they be converted and wee shall observe that the ground of this lieth in the very nature of a season if wee aske what makes a season of grace I answer that it will appeare that only the revelation of
refused Pro. 1.24 because I stretched out my hand and none would regard but ye have despised all my counselle and yee would none of my correction I will also laugh at your destruction and mocke when your feare commeth when your feare commeth like sudden desolation and your destruction as a whirlewind There was a time when the Lord called to all despisers of grace and refusers of mercie how long and how often but they that would not heare the time will come when the Lord will say I will laugh at your destruction when a poore sinnefull creature at the day of judgement shall come before the Lord of glory the devill drawing him and then the Lord shall laugh at him and say how often have I sent unto you and called upon you and you would not heare nor regard me Behold men and Angels this is the man this is hee that contemned my Word and slighted the meanes of salvation and therefore laugh at him mocke at his destruction Oh what will become of that man then when the Lord of mercy shall not onely take mercy from him when the God of goodnesse shall not onely take goodnesse from him but shall laugh at his confusion and shall rejoyce when hee executes his judgements upon this man to his everlasting destruction and therefore I beseech you take heede of this dangerous conceit The fourth shift is this if all will not work upon the soule then it falls upon this is it so that grace and mercie being neglected they shall never be obtained why then it takes up this conclusion if I never have grace and mercy then I can live without it oh foole if there were any creature of this distemper in this congregation I may speake terrible things unto that soule when a man is brought to this passe that he cares not what becomes of his soule when hee sayes what matter is it if I have not grace is this such a losse When a soule is come to this oh then he is in a miserable cōdition in a woefull lamentable estate is it no matter to be saved is it no matter to be comforted is it no matter to be glorified eternally what matter is it to lose grace Nay what availeth it to live frolickely here and miserably hereafter What matter is it to neglect grace here and to be deprived of glory hereafter is this no matter Let me say to you as the man of God did to his servant 2 Kings 5.26 2 King 5.26 Is this a time to take money and receive garments and olives and vineyards and sheepe and oxen So say I is this a time to live frolickely and merrily Is this a time for a man to follow cursed companions and embrace sinnefull corruptions is this a time for a man to follow the world and the vanities thereof and in the meane time neglect the meanes of life and salvation No no know it is the day of God the day of grace our soules lie at pawne if these opportunities be omitted woe and griefe and paine and wormewood will be upon that man by whom they be neglected he that despiseth these meanes here shall live miserably hereafter everlasting happinesse and glory depends upon this opportunitie tell not me it is a day of marchandise and you must provide for your families I tell you it is a day of salvation hast thou time to provide for thy house and familie and not for thy soule and for thy ever lasting happinesse So then gather up all briefely and the scope will be this it is now the most opportune time and therefore the fittest it is the day of salvation therefore the shortest it is the day of visitation and therefore the greatest commoditie the opportunity is the fittest the day is the shortest the commoditie the greatest and what remaineth now but that the Lord will worke this upon your soules that he which spake this to Ierusalem whilst he lived on earth may speake the same to you though now in glory and perswade your hearts to entertaine this opportunitie to make use of this day and embrace this commoditie But if all meanes will not perswade men hereunto then the last use is an use of exhortation unto us all to pitty the case of such men and to shew remorse for the desolation of those that neglect the meanes of their salvation If wee cannot perswade you yet give us leave to mourne for you if our perswasions will not take place in your soules yet I hope you will give us leave to goe in secret and let our eyes droppe downe teares for the miserable desolation that will fall upon those that neglect the meanes of life and happinesse you must not thinke to passe thorough Purgatory you must not thinke to goe to heaven whither you will or no me thinks I see a poore creature that slighted mercy salvation when it was offered unto him me thinkes I see that soule lying upon his death bed light is departing from his eyes his soule is departing from his body his body is a burthen to him in regard of his disease and his conscience a hell unto him in regard of his sinnes oh the name of a Minister of a Church they are all as bills of inditements comming against the soule of this man me thinkes I heare such a man say at his last gaspe the day is gone the gate is shut and now it is too late to enter and thus the soule departs from the body the body to the grave and the soule to hell Oh what bitter and wofull lamentations will that soule make when it comes in hell Oh the golden time that I have seene and not regarded oh the gracious opportunities of salvation that my eyes have beheld and yet I neglected Oh the mercy and grace and goodnesse of God that have been offered unto me and I have contemned and trampled under my feet and therfore now must be tormented with the devil his angels from ever lasting to everlasting on the Lord give us hearts to take notice of these things If we cannot doe what good we would to men yet let us lament their miserable conditions wives mourne for your husbands parents mourne for your children and say the Lord hath offered the meanes of salvation both profitable and comfortable yet my husband heares not my child receives not these meanes why then mourne and lament oh my poore husband oh my child thou mightest have had grace but now it is taken from thee thou hadst the offer of salvation and now perhaps it shall never again be tendered to thee but if mercy cannot prevaile with you nor the voyce of the Ministers take place in you yet let the saftie and comfort of your owne soules move you to make much of the opportunities and meanes of grace and salvation Let every master of a family goe home and resolve and say this is my day Lord this very day may be my day and thy day the
Vse III. It is of Exhortation to labour to get out of thy naturall estate p. 119. The meanes p. 121 EZECH 11.19 Doct. THe taking away of the indisposition of the soule to any good duty and the fitting of a soule to performe any spirituall service is the alone worke of God p. 132 The Reasons why the Lord onely can doe it vid. p. 135 Vse I. It is an use of Instruction to shew you that this worke of preparing a sinner to entertaine Christ it is a worke of marvellous difficultie p. 145 Vse II. It is a ground of comfort to support the hearts of those that are hard hearted p. 147 Vse III. It is of exhortation to those that carry a stonie heart about them to have recourse to God p. 149 LVKE 19.42 Doct. THat while life is continued and the meanes of grace afforded to a people is the season wherein God meaneth to worke the heart to receive life and salvation p. 160 Vse I. Instruction to be thankefull to the Lord for the enjoyment of the meanes of salvation p. 168 Vse II. Exhortation to pitty the estate of such men that neglect the meanes of salvation p. 185 MATTH 20.3 4 5 6. Doct. THat God can and doth call in all ages some in their younger some in their riper some in their old age p. 192 FINIS PREPARING FOR CHRIST Iohn 6.44 No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day FOr the application of the merits and obedience of Christ Iesus to the soule of a poore sinner and for the enjoying of the same there are two things mainly observable First the soule must be prepared for the Lord Iesus and secondly it must be ingrafted and implanted into Christ Iesus before it can be made partaker of the saving grace and salvation in Christ contained and from Christ communicated to those that love and feare his name Now concerning this great work of preparation wherein is the 〈◊〉 of a Christian for if the heart bee but prepared the Lord will then suddenly come into his Temple as the Prophet Malachy speakes Now this preparation consists of two parts First the dispensation of Gods gracious work upon the soule of a poore sinner Secondly the frame and disposition that God works upon the soule in converting it to himselfe Vpon these two hangs the maine work of preparation and herein lyeth the great drift of a Christian for the mercy of God is very free but we cannot make men fit to receive this mercy And therefore in preparation hereunto wee must apprehend two things somewhat must prepare secondly somewhat must be prepared he that doth prepare is the Lord he that doth receive the work and is prepared is the soules of those whom God hath elected to salvation So that as I said before something on Gods part must bee observed something on mans part must be considered on Gods part the dispensation of his work and on mans part the disposition that is wrought in the soule I come â—o the first thing which is the maine thing to be 〈◊〉 out of the Text namely the manner 〈◊〉 God worketh upon the soule when hee prepares 〈…〉 himselfe and this discovereth it selfe in two particulars we will handle them both together 〈◊〉 God doth pluck a poore sinner from his corruptions and darling sinnes to which he was glued and fastned and secondly as he draweth the soule from sinne so he draweth it to himselfe to beleeve in him and to receive mercy from him First God plucks the soule from sinne secondly he drawes it to the Lord Iesus And for this purpose wee have chosen this text that so we may have some footing for that which we speak out of Scripture and my purpose is not to handle all particulars in the Text which are many but to choose those that do concerne our present purpose and best fit us in our proceeding And the two maine points which I meane to discover out of the Text are these First that every man in his naturall condition is fastened and settled in the state of sinne and corruption Secondly that the Lord by a holy kind of violence plucks off the soule from sin and draweth it to himselfe These are the two things which in the Text I aime at but the second is the main thing I look at we must handle them both because the drawing of a thing from another implyeth that the thing which is drawn was fastned to some thing from whence it is to be drawne and therefore when the Lord saith he will draw a poore sinner to himselfe it implyes that wee were stuck fast and glued to our corruptions from whence we must be drawne and when this is once done then the face is towards heaven towards Zion then it is fitted to receive mercy from the Lord Iesus and because this drawing unto God doth imply a fastning of the soule unto sinne from whence it must be drawne the point therefore is this namely that every mans naturall estate and condition is fastned and settled and riveted to his sinnes and corruptions a poore creature by nature is not onely ingrafted into sinne but he is rooted into the rebellions of Adam and is growne strong with sinfull corruptions and distempers of his owne soule nay a man is not able to expresse the strong combination betweene sinne and the soule it is scrued into sinne and riveted into corruptions which have beene convaied thereunto and derived from our first parents and that the soâ—â—le is thus fastned and settled and glued to sinne wee may observe it in two particulars Partly in the dominion that sinne and Satan hath over the soule Partly in the amity that the soule hath to sinne First then consider the dominion that sinne hath over the soule that soveraigne and uncontroulable command which sinne exerciseth over the soule of every poore creature under heaven which is in a naturall estate in the bond of iniquity and under the power of Satan and we shall see that the soule is fastened to sinne Acts 26.18 the text saith that they are under the power of Satan To open their eyes saith the text that they may turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God If you aske me how the Devill hath power over poore sinners the Apostle telleth you That he catcheth them at his pleasure the proud man must go no further than he will and the covetous man must do nothing but that which he list but this is not all neither though this be sufficient to discover the power that Satan hath over the soule of a sinner but when hee hath thus taken a poore soule and fettered him in this case he then shuts him up in prison Tim. 2.2.26 there the next saith that the divell takes poore sinners prisoners at his will Gal. 3.22 it is said that all men by nature are under the law shut up under sinne it
is a phrase taken from prisoners a prisoner that is under the hand of the jaylor and hath his legges settered and is shut up in prison we use to say that such a man is sure enough And not only so sinne and Satan have not only taken a poore prisoner and settered him and shut him up in prison but they have slaine him and taken away his life also and therefore now sinne musts needs he fastened deep in the soule of a poore sinner If a theefe or a Traytor were apprehended and convicted and imprisoned and had bolts and fetters upon him and further if he were condemned and hang'd drawne and quarter'd then though the partie were never so resolute or his practises never so outragious yet â—en might say now he is sure enough now he will steale no more nor plot treason any more just so it is with the soule of a poore sinner every man naturally is so farre forth under the power of sinne and Satan that he is not only surprised and taken by Satan but his sinnes are as so many bolts and fetters about him nay he is shut up in prison nay further sinne hath slaine him out right in so much that a man may as soone pluck hell from the place where it is as pluck a poore sinner out of his corruptions The devill hath not only taken a poore sinner but he hath fetterd him and imprisoned him and taken away his life and therefore now the devill hath him sure enough as we may so speâ—l he is now firmly fastned unto sinne This is the first passage adde to this the second As the dominion of sinne over the soule is great so also that same land of league and close kind of firme fastning that same union that is betweene the soule and corruptions is marvellous great The Scripture never enough expresseth the love that is between sinne and the soule look what love and union there is between the husband and the wise Rom. â— 2 there faith the text the woman which is in subjection to a man is bound to the man while he liveth the one must die before the other can marry such is the union between sinne and the soule a poore sinne is married and given over to sinne in so much that before the Lord conquers and slayeth sinne the soule is never free Nay further look as the members are to the body such is sinne to the soule Collos 3.5 mortifie your members which are on earth saith the Apostle as fornication uncleannesse inordinate affection and the like nay sinne is called the old man in Scripture as if sinne were another man in us there is a head of sinne and an eye of sinne and a hand of sinne and a foot of sinne in every sinfull creature it is as another man within him Nay to go further Matth. 16.24 there sinne is called a mans selfe there saith our Saviour let a man deny himselfe and take up his crosse and follow mee let him deny himselfe that is let him deny his pride and his other sinfull distempers and abominations I tell you a naturall mans sinnes are as neere unto him as his own life he will part with his own bloud before he will part with his corruptions nay his sinnes are himselfe they are so fast and so firmely setled unto him that you may as easily pluck selfe from selfe as a man from his sinnes So then if it be so that the dominion that Satan hath over the soule of a sinner is the strongest of all other if the union betweene sinne and the soule be the firmest of all other then it is cleare that every naturall man sticks fast in sinne he is bound hand and foot in sinne sinne and a man makes but one man and therefore it musts needs be a hard thing to pluck a man from his sinfull distempers so that then the case is cleare every man is informed of this that the soule is fastned and glued and firmely setled unto sinne we will now proceed unto the use of the poynt And first for instruction 1 Vse we may here see that wofull servitude and base slavery that all poore creatures are in if they be no better by grace than they are by nature though they carry it out never so bravely and lift up their heads never so high and think their penny good silver yet their servitude is of all other the worst and their vassalage of all other in the world the basest There was never poore soule stuck so fast in a pit of clay wherein was no bottome as a poore soule sticketh in his sinnes and corruptions You have heard of the house of bondage that the Israelites were in when they were in Aegygt how miserably they were afflicted and tormented by the hands of unreasonable Tyrants how they were forced to gather their straw and then to scorch themselves in the fiery furnace to make brick You have heard of Ieâ—eâ—â—ie in the dungeon how ho stuck fast in the mire and 〈◊〉 and could have no ease untill Evil merodach came and delivered him You have heard of the Mill that Samson grinded in after the Philistims had put out his eyes that they should then put him as a horse to grind in the Mill. You would think it marvellous irksome and troublesome to be thus oppressed by unreasonable men I tell you the house of bondage that the Israelites were in was a heaven it was a Paradise to that slavery that bondage that servitude that vassalage which every poore sinner is in under sinne and Satan nay Samsons Mill was an excellency it was a glory to that slavery which every poore sinner is faine to performe to be at Satans call and to be at the devils command if he bid a man to be proud then he must be proud if the divell command a man to be covetous then he must obey him and go like an Oxe to the slaughter and a Foole to the stocks to do whatsoever sinne and Satan bids him what a base slavery and servitude is this Ieremie in the dungeon it was a delight to be there where he might look up to heaven and leave the desires of his soule with God but for a poore soule to be in the dungeon of his sinnes where his mind cannot be enlightned â—or his judgement informed where hee can see nothing nor know nothing where there is no help where all the men on earth nor all the Angels of heaven cannot help him what a wofull miserable wretched condition is this Oh that God would open mens eyes and set open the consciences of those that look so high and bragge of their priviledges Many men boast of their base courses and wicked practises as if a thiefe should brag of his chaines and fetters this is a wofull misery many creatures make this a great part of their liberty that they can break all bonds and snap all cords in peeces and cast the holy commandements of God behind their backs
in the text for Christ having taught a spirituall and an heavenly Sermon the Pharisees murmured and said Is not this Iesus the sonne of Ioseph whose father and mother we know how is it then that he saith he came down from heaven Iesus when he perceived their murmuring said unto them Why murmur you among your selves and that he might prevent the offence that the feeble ones might take at the example of the Pharisees he saith unto them No man can come unto me except my father draweth him as though he had said be not you troubled and perplexed because these great scollers do not beleeve my doctrine and embrace it it is not in them willing but in mee drawing do not you think ill of my doctrine of salvation because your wise men and your brave men will not beleeve it for I tell you though these have had arguments propounded to perswade them to this yet they cannot embrace my doctrine and beleeve unlesse my father draweth them they have had their hearts convinced and their mouths stopped but yet all this will not do unlesse my father draweth them Secondly this kind of caution except my father draweth him no man come unto mee is implyed that if my father doth draw him he will come and the Papists themselves confesse this that a man may have this morall drawing arguments perswading and reasons alluring to come unto God and receive mercy from him and yet he may not come but they that have this drawing meant in the text they will undoubtedly come no man comes unto mee except the father which hath sent mee draweth him and therefore whosoever the father doth draw he shall come and certainly will come and therefore this drawing that is meant here is not a morall drawing by outward perswasions thus much for the clearing of this poynt namely that a morall and externall drawing is not to be understood in the text This will not serve the turne there is more in it than so we must therefore search further into the nature of this word drawing and God is said to draw a poore sinner unto himselfe in the second place when he is not only pleased to enlighten a mans mind and offer arguments to his understanding and lay truths and propound promises unto him for this will not doe it this is only an outward drawing but when the Lord is pleased to put a new power into the soule of a sinner and with all to carry the will to the object propounded that it may embrace it when God is pleased not onely to offer good things to the soule but to enable the soule to lay hold upon the things offered not only to offer Christ and salvation but to work effectually upon the heart and make it able to give entertainment to Christ then the Lord is said to draw a sinner unto himselfe from sinne and corruption and this is tearmed an internall kind of drawing and this is meant here in the text it is not only the propounding of arguments to move and pluck the soule but the Lord doth by his effectuall power draw the soule from sinne and bring it unto himselfe And therefore observe two things touching this internall drawing namely that there is a seperation first wrought betweene sinne and the soule the union that is betweene finne and the soule is broken Secondly that when the soule is once severed and broken off from sinne then it comes to a right set to a right frame and disposition towards God and then it goeth no further but here it stoppeth and this is that which I call plucking and drawing of a poore sinner from his corruptions to God in both which actions the will of the creature is wrought upon plucked from sinne and set towards God and of it selfe it doth not move at all I expresse it thus look as it is with the wheele of a clock or the wheele of a Iack that is turned aside and by some contrary poyse set the wrong way He now that will set this wheele right must take away the contrary poyse and then put the wheele the right way and and yet the wheele doth not goe all this while of it selfe but first there is a stopping of the wheele and a taking away of the poyse and secondly the wheele must be turned the right way and all this while the wheele is only a sufferer so it is with the soule of a man the heart of a man and the will of a man and the affections of a man they are the wheeles of the soules of men the Lord Iesus made them at the first to runne to heaven-ward and to God-ward but when Adam sinned then the poyse of corruptions prevailed so farre forth over them that they drew the heart the mind the will of man from God and made it runne the wrong way to the divell-ward and to hell-ward now when the Lord commeth to set these wheeles aright he must take away the poyse and plummet that made them runne the wrong way that is the Lord by his almighty power must over-power those sinnes and corruptions which harbour in the soule and have dominion over the soule as for example if a man have a covetous heart insomuch that the world will not suffer him to heare and pray and performe any good duty then God must pull away that plummet he must pluck the soule from that sinne and then he must draw it to himselfe that is he must draw it to Godward and to Zion-ward and make it to be at his command that Gods spirit as a new plummet may carry it and order it and now it doth nothing all this while God must first take away the contrary plummet that drew the soule aside and then the frame of the soule will be to God-ward it will be in a right frame and order it will runne the right way and all this while the will is only a sufferer and this I take to be the meaning of the text That God by a holy kind of violence rendeth the soule of a poore sinner and withall by his almighty power stops the force of a mans corruptions and makes the soule teachable and framable to the will of God it makes it to lie levell and to be at Gods command and this is done by a holy kind of violence and so much for these poynts of speculation without which I could not well open the poynt But now we see the bottome of the poynt namely that God doth by a holy kind of violence pluck and draw men from their corruptions unto himselfe The next thing to be considered is the meanes whereby God thus haleth the soule and draweth the heart of a poore sinner unto himselfe and the meanes are foure 1 1. The first work of the Lord is this he lets in a light into the foule of a poore sinner and discovereth unto him that he is in a wrong way and tells him there is another way that he must walk in if
hee will bee made fit for mercy Vse 2 The next use is a word of terrour it discovers the fearefull estate and wofull condition that those men are in which purpose to set themselves against that work of preparation which God meaneth for to work upon the soules of men Is this the work of the Lord that hee doth by an holy kind of violence draw a sinner from corruption to himselfe out of the bowells of his compassion what then shall we think and judge of those men that use all meanes and all slights that employ their wits to draw sinners from God to sinne is it Gods great work his Master-piece the greatest good that hee intends for his people to pluck them from their corruptions and draw them to himselfe what then wil become of those men that go professedly against God and oppose the work of God in this kind if there be any such persons here as I doubt there are many such in the congregation I tell you if God be an holy God then thou art an unholy man if God bee mercifull to poore sinners to save them then thou art cruell to damne them if God bee a gracious God and would draw poore sinners from sinne unto himselfe then thou art a gracelesse man and in a miserable condition that wouldst draw poore soules from God to hell and yet do no our townes swarme with such wretches and are not our villages pestered with such ungracious miscreants such as the wise man in the Proverbs speaketh of that eat the bread of wickednesse and drink the bloud of violence and they cannot sleep unlesse they cause some to fall the God of heaven open these mens eyes and awaken their consciences that they may see their wretched estate such as eat the bread of wickednesse and drink the wine of violence unlesse they can get such a man to bee drunk with them and such a woman to play the whore with them and such a fellow to couzen and cheat their hearts cannot be at quiet they are not at rest in this case their sleep departeth from their eyes unlesse they cause some to fall if the Lord let in a light into the soule of a sinner and discover unto him that he is in a wrong way and that hee must take up a better course if the Lord by the cords of mercy seeke to prevaile with a sinner nay if he lay the hooks of conscience upon a sinner to pluck him from sinne to himselfe there are a company that are mad the contrary way and they labour to cut the cords of mercy and breaketh the hookes of conscience and labour to hale a poore sinner downe to hell and destruction nay wicked men have invented cord against cord and hook against hook in this kind the devill hath his factors and his brokers under him which lay cords upon poore sinners to withdraw them from the Lord to sinne as God plucks heaven-ward so they pluck to hell-ward nay they have a cord for a cord God hath not so many cords to pluck from sinne to himselfe but they have as many to pluck men from God to sinne and into the paths of ungodlinesse that they may perish for ever the Lord hath mercies to allure and they have profits and pleasures to perswade and entice the Lord hath the hooks of conscience to awaken and they have base shifts this way also I will therefore discover these two things first the cunning of men in this course secondly the miserable condition that they are in which continue in this course I take it they are in the most wofull and wretched estate of any men under heaven First to see the cunning of sinners in this kind they will work upon the heart and draw the soule and cut Gods cords and break Gods bonds that God may not draw a poore sinner from sinne to himselfe they have a cord for a cord and a hook for a hook in this kind First if God let in the light of knowledge into the understanding of a poore sinner a young man perhaps receiveth direction by the word that hee is not in the right way the spirit that calls after him and tells him he is wrong and saies this is the good ancient way walk in it when the Lord lets in the light thus into the soule of a sinner and reveales the good way to him when the Lord thus turneth a man out of the mouth of the Lyon and paw of the Beare then happily he goes into a corner and mournes for his sinnes and resolves to forsake them hee will not keep company with his old companions but seeks God alwayes and prayes to God continually Now mark what hooks they apply to pull him off from this good course they use a company of carnall reasons to perswade him to the contrary when the master father or husband seeth that God is drawing his wife or his servant or his child unto himselfe why then the towne is in an uproare as if there were some fire in the towne mark what the husband saies my wife was wont to be carefull to go about her businesse but now shee leaves all at six and seven and is so precise that she is alwayes praying or poring upon a booke The child hee thinks his father distracted his father perhaps gives him a strict charge not to prophane the Sabbath any more no more gaming now sirra no more sporting now the child wonders at this and stands amazed he admires what is become of his father hee was wont to suffer him to do these things without any controulment and because now he commands him the contrary he thinks his father is out of the right way And as the child is to the father so is the father to the child if the understanding of the child be enlightned and he be creeping to salvation if hee will not do as he did in former times if hee will not runne on in those wicked practises which hee did before then the father thinks his sonne is undone his sonne was wont to yeeld obedience to him and hee was wont to have service from him but now hee is growne so curious and exact that he expects no goodnesse from him hee can look for nothing to be done by him I now give him over for lost and as their hearts are thus troubled so they pluck with a kind of violence from God as God plucks to himselfe so they labour to pluck a poore soule from God and they begin to chide taunt and chafe and brawle what say they will you alwayes be reading and will you alwayes be praying I warrant you think your mother and I are not in the right way because we doe not as you doe you thought heretofore such a man to be an honest man and your friend also and yet hee doth not do thus as you do nor you your selfe were not wont to do thus in former times neither Thus mark what cords they lay upon a man that hath