his owne heart and the secret sinfull practises of his life as if some had told the Minister or as if hee spake to none but him that he is forced to fall down being thus convinced and to confesse God is in this man 1 Cor. 14.25 Nicodemusâ—â—ay â—â—ay first see and bee convinced of the want of regeneration and thereby feel his need of Christ the Lord may set a man upon the consideration of all his life past how wickedly it hath been spent and so not one but a multitude of iniquities compasse him about a man may see the godly examples of his parents or other godly Christians in the family or town where he dwels and by this be convinced that if their state and way bee good his own so far unlike it must needs be starke naught the Lord ever convinceth the soule of sins in particular but hee doth not alway convince one man of the same particular sinnes at first as hee doth another whether the Lord convinceth all the elect at first of the sin of their nature and shewes them their original sin in and about this first stroake of conviction I doubt not of it Paul would have been alive and a proud Pharisee still if the Lord had not let him by the law see this sin Rom. 7.9 and so would all men in the world if this should not bee revealed first or last in a lesser or greater measure under a distinct or more indistinct notion and hence arise those confessions of the Saints I never thought I had had such a vile heart if all the world had told me I could not have beleeved them but that the Lord hath made me feel it see it at last was there ever such a sinner at least in heart which is continually opposing of him whom the Lord at any time received to mercy as I am 2 The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule of its sinne in particular but also of the evill even the exceeding great evill of those particular sins The Lord Jesus doth not onely convince of the evill sinne but of the great evill of sinne Oh thou wretch saith the Spirit as the Lord to Cain Gen. 4.10 what hast thou done whose sins cry to heaven who hast thus long lived without God and done this infinite wrong to an infinite God for which thou canst never make him amends That God who could have long since cut thee off in the midst of thy sins and wickednesse crusht thee like a moth and sent thee down to those eternall flames where thou now seest some better then thy self mourning day and night but yet hath spared thee out of his meere pity to thee That God hast thou resisted and forsaken all thy life time and therefore now see and consider what an evill and bitter thing it is thus to live as thou hast done Ier. 2.19 Look as it is in the wayes of holinesse many a man void of the Spirit may see and know them in the literall expressions of them but cannot see the glory of them but by the Spirit and hence it is hee doth not esteeme and prize them and the knowledge of them above gold So in the wayes of unholinesse many a man void of the spirit of conviction of sin may and doth see many particular sins and confesse them but he doth not cannot see the exceeding evill of them and thence it is though he doth see them yet he doth not much dislike them because he sees no great hurt or evil in them but makes a light matter of them therefore when the Spirit comes it lets him see and stand convinced of the exceeding greatnesse of the evill that is in them Ioh. 36.8 9. In the time of affliction which is usually the time of conviction of a wild unruly sinner he shews them their transgressions but how that they have exceeded that they have been exceeding many and exceeding vile Oh beloved before the Lord Jesus comes to convince we have cause to pray for a pity every poore sinner as the Lord Jesus did saying Lord forgive them they know not what they doe You godly parents masters how oft doe you instruct your children servants and convince them of their sinfulnesse untill they confesse their faults yet you see no amendment but they goe on still what should you now doe oh cry out for them and say Lord forgive them for they know not what they doe Their sins they know but what the evil of them is alas they know not but when the Spirit comes to convince he makes them see what they doe what is the exceeding evill of those sinnes they made light of before like mad men that have sworne and curst and struck their friends when they come to be sober againe and remember their mischievous wayes and words now they see what they have done and how abominable their courses then were Oh you that walk on in the madnes of your minds now in all manner of sinne if ever the Lord doe good to you you shall account your wayes madnesse and folly and cry out Oh Lord what have I done in kicking thus long against the pricks The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule of the evill of sin but of the evill after sin I meane of the just punishment which doth follow sin and that is this viz. that it must dye and that eternally for sin if it remaines in this estate it is now in Rom. 4.15 The Law works wrath i. e. sight and sense of wrath Rom. 7.9 When the Law came sin revived and I dyed i. e. I saw my selfe a dead man by it so the soule sees cleerly God hath said The soule that sinneth shall dye I have sinned and therefore if the Lord be true I shall dye to hel I shall if now the Lord stop my breath and cut off my life which he might justly and may easily doe Death is the wages of sin even of any one sin though never so little whan then will become of me who stand guilty of so many exceeding the number of the haires on my head or the stars in heaven Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge the Minister hath said so the Lord himselfe hath told me so Heb. 13.4 I am the man my conscience now teares me and tells me so what will become of me The Lord Iesus will come in flaming fire to render vengeance against all that know not God and that obey not the Gospell This I beleeve for God hath said it 2 Thes. 2.7 8 9. and now I see I am he that hath lived long in ignorance and know not God I have had the Gospel of grace thus long wooing and perswading my heart and oftentimes it hath affected me but yet I have resisted God and his Gospel and have set my filthy lusts my vaine sports my companions cups and queanes at a higher price then Christ and have loved them more then him
me no more therefore in asking Whether a Christian is in a state of happinesse or misery in this condition I answer he is preparatively happy he is now passing from death to life though not as yet wholly passed Nor yet whether there is any saving work before union I answer No for what is said is one necessary ingredient to the working up of our union as cutting off the branch from the old stock is necessary to the ingrafting it into the new indeed without faith it is impossible to please God nor doe I say that this work doth please i. e. it doth not pacify God for that is proper to Christs perfect righteousnesse received by Faith yet as it is a work of his owne Spirit upon us it is pleasing to him as the after-worke of Sanctification is though it neither doth pacify him nor doe I see how this doctrine is any way opposite to the free offer of grace and Christ because it requires no more separation from sin then that which drives them unto Christ nay which is lesse that makes them by the power of the Spirit not resist but yeeld to Christ that he may come unto them and draw them you cannot repent nor convert your selves Be converted therefore saith Peter Acts 3.19 that you may receive remission of sins and in this offer the Spirit works and verily hee that can truly receive Christ without that sense of misery as separates him from his sin as explained to you let him beleeve notwithstanding all that which is said and the God of heaven speakes peace to him his Faith shall not trouble me if hee bee sure it shall not one day deceive himselfe Of lamentation for the hardnesse of mens hearts in these times as it is said the Lord Jesus mourned when he saw the hardnesse of the peoples hearts Mark 3.5 are there not some so farre from this as that they take pleasure in their sins they are sugar under their tongues as sweet as sleep nay as their lives and you come to pul away their limbs when you come to pluck away their sinnes though they have broke Sabbaths neglected prayer despised the word hated and mocked at the Saints been stubborne to their parents curst and swore which made Peter goe out and weep bitterly though lustfull and wanton which broke Davids bones though guilty of more sinnes then there bee moates in the Sunne or Starres in heaven though their sins be crimson and fill heaven with their cry and all the earth with their burthen yet they mourne not never did it one houre together nay they cannot doe it because they will not if you are weary and loaden where are your unutterable groanes if wounded and bruised where are your dolorous complaints if sick where is your enquiry for a Physitian if sad where are your teares in the day in the night morning and evening alone by your selves and in company with others Oh how great is the wrath of God hardning so many thousands at this day whence comes it that Christ is not prized but from this senselesnesse name any reason why the blessed Gospell of peace and all the sweet promises of life are undervalued but from hence and what doe you hereby poore creatures but onely aggravate your sins and make those that are little exceeding great in the eyes of God whence it is that you treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.2 3 4 5. This hardnesse is that which blunts the edge of all Gods ordinances whence Gods poore Ministers sit sorrowfull in their closets seeing all Gods seed lost upon bare rocks oh this is the condition of many a man and which is most fearfull the meanes which should make the heart sensible make it more proud and unsensible Tyre and Sydon and Sodom are more fit to mourne then Chorasin and Capernaum that have enjoyed humbling means long Nay how many be there that mourne out their mournings confesse out their confessions and by their owne humiliations grow more senselesse afterward did wee ever live in a more impenitent secure age wee shall seldome meet with one broken with sin but how few are broken from sinne also and hence it is many a tall Cedar that were set downe in the Table-Book for converted men once much humbled and now comforted stay but a few yeares you shall see more dangerous sins of a second growth one turnes drunkard another covetous another proud another a Sectary another a very dry leafe a very formalist another full of humerous opinions another laden with scandalous lusts woe to you that lament not now for you shall mourne Dost thou think that Christ should ever wipe off thy teares that sheddest none at all dost thou think to reap in joy that sowest not with these showers verily God will make his word good Prov. 29.1 Hee that hardens his owne heart shall perish suddenly heare this you secure sorrowlesse sinners if ever Gods hand bee stretcht out suddenly against thee in blasting thy estate snatching away thy children the wife of thy bosome the husband of thy delight in staining thy name vexing thee with debts and crosses short and sore or lingring sicknesses know that all this comes upon thee for a hard heart but oh mourne for it now you parents children servants the tokens of death are upon you desire the Lord to breake your hearts for you lye under Gods hammer be not above the word and suffer the Lord to take away that which grieves him most even thy stony heart because it grieves thee least meditate much of thy wofull condition chew that bitter pill remember death and rotting in the grave that many are now in hell for thy sins that Christ must dye or thou dye for the least sin remember how patient and long suffering the Lord hath bin to thee and how long he hath groaned under thy burthen that it may be though hee would yet hee cannot beare thy load long let these things be mused on that thy heart may bee at last sorrowfull before it bee too late But oh the sad estate of many with us that can mourne for any evill except it bee for the greatest sinne and death and wrath that lye upon them Of exhortation Labour for this sense of misery this spirit of compunction how can you beleeve in Christ that feel not your misery without him a broken Christ cannot doe thee good without a broken heart bee afflicted and mourne yee sinners turne your laughter into mourning tremble to think of that wrath which burnes downe to the bottome of hell and under which the eternall Sonne of God sweat drops of blood great sins which thou knowest thou art guilty of cause great guilt and great hardnesse of heart and therefore are seldome forgiven or subdued without great affliction of spirit they have loaded the Lord long they must load thee Little sinnes are usually slighted and extenuated and therefore the Lord accounts them great and therefore thy soule must
eternall righteousnesse that never can be lost if the Lord should make thee as perfectly righteous as once Adam was or Angells in heaven are and put on thy royall apparell againe thou wast in danger of losing this and of being stript naked againe but now the Lord hath put your righteousnesse into a safer hand which never shall be lost Heb. 9.12 Dan. 9.24 By this you please God and are more amiable before him then if you had it in your selfe doe not say this is a poore righteousnesse which is thus out of my selfe in another why doe you think righteousnesse in your selfe would be best is it not because hereby you think you shall please God Suppose thou hadst it yet thy righteousnesse should be at the best but mans righteousnes but this is called the righteousnesse of God which cannot but be more pleasing to him then that in thy selfe 2 Cor. 5.20 what is Angelicall righteousnesse to the righteous-of God t is but a glow-worm before the Sunne the smell of Esaus garments the robes of this righteousnesse of the Sonne of God are of sweeter odour then thine can be or ever shall be Eph. 5.1 2. tis said By faith Abel Enoch c. pleased God their persons were sinfull their owne duties were weak yet by faith in this they pleased God thou thinkest when thou goest to Prayer if I had no sinne but perfect holinesse in me surely God would heare me I tell you when you bring this offering of Christs righteousnesse the Lord had rather have that then all you can doe you bring that which pleaseth him more then if you brought your owne For aske thy owne conscience if it be possible for the righteousnesse which is done by thy self to be more pleasing to God then the righteousnesse of the Sonne of God the Lord of Glory himselfe done and perfected for thee 7. By this you glorifie God exceedingly as Abraham beleeved Rom. 4. and gave glory unto God In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory Esay 45.25 For 1. By this you glorifie him perfectly in an instant for you continue to doe all that the Law requires that instant you beleeve The Apostle propounds the Question Rom. 3.21 whether a Christian by faith doth make void the Law No saith the Apostle but we establish the Law How is that Paraeus shews three wayes One is this because that perfect righteousnesse which the Law requires of us we performe it in Christ by faith So that in one instant thou continuest to doe all that the Law requires and hence ariseth the impossibility of a true Beleevers apostacie as from one principall cause They that deny satisfaction by Christs doing of the Law because by our own works and doings we cannot be justified before God may as well deny satisfaction by Christs sufferings because by our owne sufferings we cannot be justified our obedience to the Law in way of suffering is as truly the works of the Law as our obedience in way of doing 2. By this you glorifie Gods justice what ever Justice requires to be done or suffered you give it unto God by faith in Christ. 3. By this you glorifie grace and mercy Ephes. 1.7 for by this meanes mercy may over-abound toward you and you may triumph in it as sure and certaine to you What a blessed mysterie is this Doth it not grieve you that you cannot glorifie God in your times and places Behold the way if thou canst not doe it by obedience thou maist by faith and thereby make restitution of all Gods glory lost and stolne from him by thy disobedience to him By this you have peace in your consciences by this Christs blood is sprinkled upon them and that cooles the burning torments of them Rom. 5.1 The commers unto the Leviticall sacrifices and washings types of this offering of Christ could not thereby be perfected and bee without the guilty conscience of sinne none of your duties can pacifie conscience but as they carry you hither to this righteousnesse but the commers to this have no more terrours of conscience for sinne I meane they have no just cause to have any this Rain-bow appearing over your heads is a certaine signe of fair weather and that there shall be no more deluge of wrath to overwhelme thee By this all miseries are removed when thy sinnes are pardoned there is something like death and shame and sicknesse but they are not it 's said Isay 33. ult There shall be none sicke among them why so because they shall be forgiven their iniquities T is no sicknessse in a manner no sorrow no affliction if the venome sting and curse be taken away by pardon of sinne thy sicknesse sorrow losses death it selfe is better now then health joy abundance life you may here see death hell grave swallowed up in victory and now tread upon the necks of them 1 Cor. 15. You may see life in death heaven in the deepest hell glory in shame when thou seest all thy sinnes done away in the blood of Christ Jesus This is the blessednesse of all you poore beleevers and commers to the Lord Jesus what should you doe but beleeve it and rejoyce in it If the wicked that apply this righteousnesse presumptuously say Let us sinne that grace may abound and make no other use of forgivenesse but to run in debt and sinne with a license Why should not you say on the other side Let me beleeve and owne my portion in this righteousnesse that as my sinnes have abounded so my love may abound as my sinnes have been exceeding great so the Lord may be exceeding sweet as my sinnes continue and increase so my thankfulnesse glory in God triumph over death grave sinne through Christ may also increase as you see righteousnesse in Christ for ever yours so you may from thence expect from him such a righteousnesse as may make you righteous also as hee is righteous Tremble thou hard-hearted impenitent wretch that didst never yet come to Christ nor feele thy need of him or prize his blood this is none of thy portion all thy sinnes are yet upon thee and shall one day meet thee in the day of the Lords fierce wrath when he shall appeare as an everlasting burning before thine eyes and thou stand guilty before him as chaffe and stubble SECT 2. Secondly Reconciliation This is the second benefit which in order of nature followes our Justification although sometime in a large sense it is taken for the whole work of Justification strictly taken it followes it Rom. 5.1 Being justified by faith we have peace with God i. e. not onely peace from God in our consciences but peace with God in our reconcilement to him and his favour toward us Being justified we shall be saved from wrath i. e. not onely the outward fruits of wrath but wrath from whence those come Christ is first King of Righteousnesse then King of Peace Heb. 7.2 for is not finne the cause of
soone as he was made but wee need Vocation unto Christ before we can be sanctified by Christ we need this call to make us come to Christ to put us into Christ and therefore much more before we can receive any holinesse from Christ the ground of our coming by faith is Gods call 2 Thes. 2.13 14. chosen to salvation through sanctification the remote end of Vocation and beleefe of the truth the next end of it whereunto he hath called you there is the ground of it The explication of this call is a point full of many spirituall difficulties but of singular use and comfort to them that are faithfull and called I shall omit many things and explicate only those things which serve our purpose here in these three particulars 1. I shall shew you what this call is or the nature of it 2. The necessity of it 3. How it is a ground of coming and what kind of ground for Faith 1. The nature of this Call I shall open for your more distinct understanding in severall Propositions or Theses Our Vocation or Calling is ever by some word or voyce either outward or inward or both either ordinary or extraordinary by the ministery of men or by immediate visions and inspirations of God I speak not now of extraordinary call by dreames and visions and immediate inspirations as in Abraham and others before the Scriptures were penned and published nor of extraordinary call by the immediate voyce of Christ as in Paul and some other of the Apostles for these are ceased now Heb. 1.1 unlesse it be among people that want ordinary meanes and elect infants c. whose call must be more then by ordinary meanes because they want such means we speak now of ordinary call by the ministery of men 2. This voyce in ordinary calling home of the elect to Christ is not by the voyce of the Law for the proper end of that is to reveale sinne and death and to cast down a sinner but by the voyce of the Gospell bringing glad tidings written by the Apostles and preached to the world He hath called you by our Gospell These things are written that you might beleeve By the foolishnesse of preaching the Lord saves them that beleeve I meane preaching at the first or second rebound by lively voyce or printed Sermons at the time of hearing or in the time of deep meditation concerning things heard the Spirit indeed inwardly accompanies the voyce of the Gospell but no mans call is by the immediate voyce of the Spirit without the Gospell or the immediate testimony of the Spirit breathed out of free grace without the word Eph. 1.12 13. And therefore that a Christian should be immediately called without the Scripture and the Scripture only given to confirme Gods immediate promise as a Prince gives his letter to confirme his promise made to a man before as Valdesso would have it is both a false and dangerous assertion This voyce of the Gospell is the voyce of God in Christ or the voyce of Jesus Christ although dispensed by men who are but weak instruments for this mighty work sent set in Christs stead but the call the voice is Christs it s the Lords call Rom. 1.6 it is certaine some of the messengers of Christ called the Romans by the Gospell yet Paul saith they were called of Christ Iesus the dead heare his voyce and arise and live and when the time of calling comes they listen to it as his call and hence it is styled Heb. 3.1 because the Lord Christ from heaven speakes takes the written word into his owne lips as it were Cant. 1.1 2. and thereby piâ—rcâ—th through the eares to the heart through all the noyse of feares sorrowes objections against beleeving and makes it to be heard as his voyce the bowels of Christ now yerne toward an humbled lost sinner bleeding at his feet therefore can contain no longer but speaks and calls and makes the soule understand his voyce so that this call is not a mean businesse because the Lord Jesus himselfe now speaks whose voyce is glorious The substance of this call or the thing the Lord calls unto is to come unto him for there is a more common calling or as some tearme it a particular calling of men as some to be Masters or Servants 1 Cor. 7.24.20 21. or to office in Church or Common-wealth as Aaron Heb 5.4 and the voyce there is to attend unto their work to which they are called There is also a remote end of vocation which is to holinesse 1 Thes. 4.7 and unto glory also 2 Thess. 2.14 Phil. 3.14 but we now speak of more speciall calling the next end of which is to come unto Christ the soule hath lived many yeares without him the Lord Jesus will now have the lost prodigall to come home to come to him the soule is weary and heavy laden and the Lord Jesus could easily ease it without its comming to him but this is his will he must come to him for it Mat. 11.27 Ier. 3.7.22 I said after shee had done these things turne unto me come unto me ye backsliding children I le heale your back-slidings Jer. 4.1 If thou returnest returne unto me This voice Come unto me is one of the sweetest words that Christ can speak or man can heare full of Majesty mercy grace and peace a poor sinner thinks Will the Lord ever put up such wrongs I have offered him heale such a nature take such a viper into his bosome doe any thing for me if there be but one in the world to be forsaken is it not I the Lord therefore comes and calls Come unto mee and I will pardon all thy sins I will heale all thy back-slidings I will be angry no more Jer. 3.12.13 Though thou hast committed whoredome with many lovers yet returne unto me saith the Lord. Ier. 3.1 Though thou hast resisted my Spirit refused my grace wearied me with thine iniquities yet come unto me and this will make me amends I require nothing of thee else but to come for Gods call is out of free grace Gal. 1.6 and therefore calls for no more but only to come up and possesse the Lords fulnesse Luke 14.17 1 Cor. 1.9 This call to come is for substance all one with the offer of Christ which consists in three things 1. Commandement to receive Christ as present and ready to be given to it as when we offer any thing to another it is by commanding them to take it 1 Iohn 4.23 and this binds conscience to beleeve as you will answer for the contempt of this rich grace at the great day of account 2. Perswasion and intreaty to come and receive what we offer for in such an offer wherein the person is unwilling to receive and we are exceedingly desirous to give we then perswade so doth Christ with us 3. Promise to offer a thing without a promise of having it if we receive it is but a
of Adamant that would not melt and come in at this Oh my beloved this very call is done as really by Christ in his Ministers now though not so visibly and immediately as I now describe and therefore take heed how you refuse to heare him that speakes from heaven Heb. 12.25 Consider whom the Lord calls and that is thee in particular who ever thou art to whom the Gospell of Christ is sent for if you think Christ calls some only that are so and so deeply humbled only to come and not unto you in particular you will never come in but we have proved this that the Lord calls all in generall and consequently each man in particular the consideration of this may bring you in Men fear to commit murther and steale c. but you feare not unbeleefe but the Apostle bids you feare that for the Gospell is preached sayth he unto you as well as unto those that fell by unbeliefe Heb. 4.1 2. doe not say he calls me indeed but it is no more then what he doth to reprobates true in the outward call it is so yet upon this ground you may think the Lord commands not calls not you to sanctifie a Sabbath or to honour Gods name because this is as common to reprobates as unto you doe not say I am not able to come and therefore I am not called no more are you able to attend the rules of the morall Law yet you look upon them as appertaining to you and because you cannot doe them you intreat the Lord to enable you and so because you cannot come you should looke up to the Lord to draw you and verily many times the great reason why the Lord doth not draw you is because you doe not deeply consider that he doth really and affectionately call you doe not say I am a dry tree the Lord cannot look upon me whose condition is worse then ever I heard or read of yet remember what the Lord speaks to such Isay 56.3 4 6 7. Look not thou to thy barren dead heart but give glory unto God as Abraham did Rom. 4.19 20. and receive his grace with more thankfulnesse then any else because none ever so miserable as thy selfe you young men heare this though you have spent the flower of your yeares in vanity madnesse and filthy lusts yet the Lord calls you in to him you old men grown gray-headed in wickednesse though it be the last houre in the day of your life yet behold the Lord would hire you and calls you to come in before the â—orest wrath of a long provoked God break out upon you you that have despised Gods messengers crucified the Lord Jesus afresh embrued your hands in his blood scorned and hated the Saints and the word of Gods grace hear what wisdom saith Prov. 1.22 23. Return yee scorners oh consider you that are ignorant of Christ that never sought after Christ many a yeare together that have continually provoked him to his face how the Lord calls you Isay 65.1 2 3. you even you are those the Lord calls and will you not come Consider why the Lord calls thee is it because hee hath any need of you to honour him I tell you he could have gone to others that would have given his Gospell better welcom thâ—n it hath had from you he could have gone to many Kings and Princâ—s and out of that golden mettle have made himselfe vessels of honour rather then out of such base mould as thou art made of hee could have honoured himselfe in thy ruine as in many millions of other men and lose nothing by thee neither he could have been blessed without you in the bosome of his Father or is it because thou hast done any thing for him alas thou hast not returned him thy nutshells thou hast not had so much as a forme of Religion thou hast done as much mischiefe to him as thou couldst Ier. 3.5 thou hast wearied him with thine iniquities and made him serve with thy sins and hast sadded his heart exceedingly by strange impenitency Isay 43.24 The only reason that hath moved him to call to thee hath been pity to thee seeing thee running to the fire that never can be quencht without stop or stay 2 Chron. 36.15 16. and because thou art fallen by thine iniquities Hos. 14.1 And shall not this bring you home Consider for what end the Lord calls thee is it not to come and take possession of all the grace of Christ Gal. 1.6 nay of all the glory of Christ 1 Thess. 2.12 nay to a most neare sweet and everlasting fellowship with Christ himselfe 1 Cor. 1.9 and can I say any more can you desire any more then this if the Lord should say unto any of us Come into the garden and there watch and pray with me sorrow and suffer with me who of us would not account our selves unworthy of such honour but for the Lord to say Come and enter into your rest the land the kingdome of grace and glory is before you goe up and possesse it oh where are our hearts if this call will not draw if the Lord should say at the day of judgement when the heavens and earth shall be on a light fire and the Lord Jesus set upon the throne of his glory admired of all his Saints and Angels Come you blessed and take the kingdome prepared for you would you not gladly come at that call oh beloved the Lord Jesus now in the throne of his glory in heaven behold he calls you unto a better good then that kingdome he calls you to come and take himselfe and all his precious benefits prepared for you though in thy selfe accursed and would he have you take possession of all this is it not the praise of the riches of his grace Eph. 1. If this be his end then if thou wilt not come for thy own good yet for his sake his grace sake come in How long the Lord hath called thee how oft he would have gathered thee he hath stood so long untill his locks are wet with dew of the night Cant. 5.1 2. It may bee you are afraid it hath been so long that now time is past oh no for whiles the Lord calls by his word and spirit now is the acceptable time 2 Cor. 6.2 I confesse there is a time wherein the Lord will not be found but whiles the Lord is neare unto thee by his Ministery by his Spirit convincing affecting stirring knocking at thy heart the time is not yet past the Sun is not yet set so long as those beames appeare Isay 55.6 those thoughts which discourage thee from coming to Christ whiles the voyce of his call is heard cannot be of Christ but Satan whose principall work is to lay such stumbling blocks in our way to him Consider the greatnesse of your sinne in not coming to him 1. This is the condemning sin for no sin should condemne thee if thou didst come to him Iohn 3.17
those depths of grace glory immediate vision God shall be all in all The soule shall now enjoy 1. The accomplishment of all promises which wee see not here made good unto us 1 Cor. 15.24 then you shall have restitution of all these at times of refreshing wherein your sinnes shall be publikely blotted out from the presence of the Lord Act. 3.19 If Iosuah said Ios. 23.14 when the peoples warfare was ended See if the Lord hath been wanting in one word to you Much more will the Lord Jesus say unto you then 2. Then you shall receive a full answer to all your prayers all that grace holinesse power over sinne Satan fellowship with God life of Christ blessing of God which you sought for and wept for and suffered for here you shall then see all answered 3. Then you shall finde the comfort of all that you have done for God Revel 14.13 you works in this sense shall follow you you shall then infinitely rejoyce that ever you did any thing for God that ever you thought of him spake to him and spake for him that ever you gave any one blow to your pride passions lusts naturall concupiscence c. you shall then enjoy the reward of all your sufferings cares sorrowes for Gods Church fastings and dayes of mourning whether publikely or secretly for Gods people 2 Cor. 4.17 the same glory God hath given Christ the Lord shall at that time give unto you Ioh. 17.22 it shall not be with us there as it was with the wicked Israelites who when they came into the good land of rest they then forgot the Lord and all his workes past no no all that which GOD hath done for you in this world you shall then looke backe and see and wonder and love and blesse and sucke the sweet of for evermore it s a fond weak question to thinke whether we shall know one another in heaven verily you shall remember the good the Lord did you here by what meanes the Lord humbled you by what ministry the Lord called you by what friends the Lord comforted and refreshed you and there you shall see them with you doe you thinke you shall forget the Lord and his workes in heaven which it may be you tooke little notice of and the Lord had little glory for here Fourthly consider the glory of the company and fellowship you shall have here 1. Angels Heb. 12.23 24. they will love you and comfort you and rejoyce with you and speake of the great things the Lord hath done for you as they did on earth to the Shepherds Luk. 2.10 Be not afraid said the Angel Mat. 28.5 I know yee seeke Jesus So will they say then be ever comforted you blessed servants of the Lord for we know you are loved of the Lord Jesus 2. Saints you shall sit downe with Abraham Isaac and Iacob in the Kingdome of God be taken into the bosome of Abraham into the bosomes of all the children of Abraham and there we shall speake with them of the Lords wonders of his Christ and Kingdome Psal. 145.11 and every sentence and word shall be milke and hony sweeter then thy life now can be unto thee we shall know and love and honour one another exceedingly 3. The man Christ Jesus when Mary claâ—pt about him 1 Ioh. 20.17 Let me alone said hee touch mee not I am not yet ascended to my Father As if he had said saith Austin then shall bee the place and time wherein we shall embrace one another for evermore Never was husband and loving wife so familiar one with another as the Lord Jesus will bee not carnally and in an earthly manner but in a most heavenly glorious yet gracious manner with all his Saints Come yee blessed will hee then say to them wee shall then ever bee not onely in the Lord but with the Lord saith Paul 1 Thes. 4. ult 1 Thes. 5.10 Just as Moses and Elias in his transfiguration that talked with him which was a glimpse of our future glory so shall we then Luk. 12.37 and you shall then see that love of his that blessed bosome of love opened fully which the Apostle saith passeth knowledge Ephes. 3.19 I need not tel you of our fellowship with the Father also when the Son shall give up the Kingdome to him that he may be all in all Fiftly consider the glory of your worke there which is onely to glorifie this God 1. You shall then live like Christ in glory we shall speak and think all with glory 1 Iohn 3.1 2. our strings shall be then raised up to the highest straine of sweet melody and glory 2. You shall then blesse him Eph. 1.6 Eph. 4.13 and that with ravishment you shall come then to the full acknowledgement of the Sonne of God you shall see and say all this is the work and grace of Christ and then shall cry out Oh let all Angels Saints ever blesse him for this What should I speak any more You will say Is this certaine Can this be so Yes assuredly for Christ is gone to prepare this place and glory for you Ioh. 14.2 3. We have also the first fruits of this glory which we feele sometimes whereby we see and taste and drink and long for more of that joy unspeakable and peace that passeth understanding that triumph over the rage and working power of remaining corruption that darke vision of God and holy glorying and boasting in him as our everlasting portion c. which cannot be delusions and dreams which never feed but ever leave the deceived soule hungry but are realities things indeed which satiate the weary soule and fill it up with the very fulnesse of God himselfe Eph. 3.19 and therefore t is certaine that we shall have the harvest that thus taste of the first fruits and the whole summe paid us faithfully that have already the earnest penny The Lord also sits us for this as the Apostle disputes 2 Cor. 5.4 5. What means the Lord to deny our requests in many things as long as we live what is his meaning not to let us see the accomplishment of many of his promises is it because he is unfaithfull or bâ—cause he would let us know there is a day of refreshing he hath reserved for us and would have us look for wherein we shall see it hath not been a vaine thing for us to pray â— or him to promise why doth he afflict us and keep us more miserable both by outward sorrowes and inward miseries then any other people in the world doth he not hereby humble us empty us weane us from hence and make us as it were vessels big enough to hold glory which we hope for in another world But you will say Can this glory be thus great We see t is certaine it shall be so but shall it be so exceeding great and endlesse Yes verily because 1. The price is great which is paid for it Eph. 1.14 t is a purchased
possession by the blood of Christ we enter into the holy of holies a price of infinite value must bring a kind of infinite glory 2. We are by Christ nearer to God then Angels are whose glory wee see is very great 3. Shall not our glory be to sâ—t out the glory of Christ 2 Thes. 1.10 and if so then it his glory be exceeding great ours must bear a due proportion and be very very great also 4. Doth not God pick out the poore and vile things of the world to be vessels of glory 1 Cor. 1.27 and is not that an argument that he intends exceedingly to glorifie himselfe on such to raise up a most glorious building where he layes so low a foundation 5. Are not we loved with the same love as he hath loved Christ Iohn 17. ult and shall not our glory abound then exceedingly 6. Is not the torment and shame of the Reprobates to be exceeding great and grievous doth not God raise them up to make his power known Rom. 9.23 What then shall we think on the contrary of the glory of the Saints wherein the Lord shall set forth his power in glorifying them as hee doth the glory of his power in punishing others and therefore 2 Thes. 1.9 the punishment of the wicked is exprest by separation of them from the glory of the Lords power because that in the glory of the Saints the Lord will as I may so say make them as glorious as by his power ruled by wisdom he is able to make them This is therefore the great glory of all those whom God hath called to the fellowship of his deare Sonne and which is yet more blessed be God the time is not long but that we shall feele what now we doe but heare of and see but a little of as we use to doe of things afar off We are here but strangers and have no abiding city we look for this that hath foundations and therefore let sinne presse us downe and weary us out with wrastling with it let Satan tempt and cast his daâ—ts at us let our drink be our teares day and night and our meat gall and worm wood let us be shut up in choaking prisons and cast out for dead in the streets nay upon dung-hils and none to bury us let us live alone as Pelicans in the wildernesse and be driven among wild beasts into deserts let us be scourged and disgraced stoned sawn asunder and burned let us live in sheep-skins and goat-skins destitute afflicted torâ—ented as who looks not for such dayes shortly yet oh brethren the time is not long but when we are at the worst and death ready to swallow us up we shall cry out Oh glory glory oh welcome glory If our miseries here be long they shall be light if very bitter they shall be short however long or short they cannot be to us long who look for an eternall weight of glory Who would not that considers of these things despise this world and set it at his heeles who hath all these priviledges and benefits with Christ in his eye who would not abhor a filthy lust to enjoy such a Christ who would ever look back unto his flesh-pots or fathers house that hath such welcome made him the first moment he comes to the Lord Jesus in having present fruition of some of these benefits but present right unto all fruition of some by feeling of all by faith But oh the wrath of God upon these times that either see not this glory or if they doe despise so great salvation Christ and pardon and peace adoption grace and glory is brought home to our doores but their price is falne in our market and we think it better to be without Christ with our lusts then to be in Christ with his benefits The reproach of Christ was dearer to Moses as great a Courtier and as strong a head-piece as our times can afford then all the riches and honours of Egypt but the grace and peace and life and glory of Jesus Christ is viler to us then the very onyons and leeks and flesh-pots of Egypt if you had but naked Christ our life for a prey in these evill times you had no cause to complaine but infinitely to rejoyce in your portion but when with Christ you shall find all these benefits and priviledges comming in as to your portion and yet to despise him Assuredly the Lord will not beare with this contempt alway Away to the mountaines and hasten from the townes and cities of your habitation where the grace of Christ is published but universally despised you blessed called ones of the Lord Jesus for the dayes are comming wherein for this sinne the heavens and earth shall shake the sunne shall be turned into darknesse and the moone into blood and mens hearts failing for feare of the horrible plagues which are comming upon the face of the earth Dreame not of faire weather expect not better dayes till you heare men say Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord who thus blesseth his with all spirituall blessings in Christ Eph. 1.3 I now proceed to the last CHAP. III. All those that are translated into this blessed estate are bound to live the life of love in all fruitfull and thankefull obedience unto him that hath called them according to the rule of the morall Law Psal. 40.7 8. THe Lord doth no sooner call his people to himselfe but as soone as ever he hath thus crowned them with these glorious priviledges and given them any sense and feeling of them but they immediately cry out Oh Lord what shall I now doe for thee how shall I now live to thee they know now they are no more their owne but his and therefore should now live to him If you aske Moses after all the love and kindnesse the Lord had shewne Israel what Israel should doe for him you shall see his answer full Deut. 10.12 13. And now O Israel what doth the Lord require of thee but to fear the Lord thy God and to love him and serve him with all thy heart and to keepe his Commandements which I command thee this day for thy good If you aske Paul as Evangelicall a Christian as ever lived what now we are to do when we are in Christ hee answers punctually 2 Cor. 5.14 15. The love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that Christ dying for those that were dead they that live should not live unto themselves but unto him that dyed for them and rose againe If we aske Peter the question to what end the Lord hath called us out of darknesse into his marvelous light he expresly tells you it is to shew forth the vertues of him that hath so called 1 Pet. 2.9 If wee be doubtfull whether this be the Lords minde the Lord himselfe resolves it by Zachary Luk. 1.74 and tells us that t is his oath That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies wee should
certainly by faith Now this faith is not by seeing him with our eyes comming neare to him with our bodies but comming to him with our soules the soule is the seat of faith Now this you may doe though you never thus saw him whom though you see not yet beleeving you rejoice this comming of the soule to Christ doth make a firmer union between thee and Christ then if thou wert bodily present with him in heaven For many touched and crowded him that never were truly united to him or received vertue from him If our soules were in the third heaven with Christ who of us would then doubt of our portion in him I tell you if your soules goe out of sinne and selfe unto Christ Jesus and there rest this makes you nearer to him then if your soules were under his wing in the highest heavens The poore Sea-man when hee is neare dangerous shores when he cannot goe downe to the depth of the Sea to fasten his ship yet if hee can cast his anchor twenty or forty fathom deep and if that holds this quiets him in the sorest stormes when we are tossed and cannot come to Christ with our bodily presence yet if our soules can come if our faith our anchor can reach him and knit us to him this should exceedingly comfort our hearts How and where should my soule come to Christ who is now absent from me Christ comes to you in his Word and Covenant of Grace there is his Spirit his truth goodnesse love faithfulnesse receive this you receive him embrace this you embrace him as among our selves we see great estates are conveyed and surrendred by Bond and Writings Act. 2.41 When they received the Word they received Christ. Ioh. 15.7 If my words abide in you i. e. if I abide in you by my words you shall be fruitfull By the Word let thine eye pitch upon the person doe not onely account the Promise true but with Sarah account him faithfull who hath promised and then let thy heart roll it selfe upon that grace and faithfulnesse revealed in this word leane upon the breast of this beloved and thus the soule by the chariot wheeles and wings of the Word is possessor of Christ in it and carryed up to Christs crosse as dying Gal. 3.1 and from thence to his glory in his Kingdoâ— by it Heb. 10.19 22. As a man that gives a great estate by some writing to us we beleeve it as if he were present and by this we doe not onely beleeve the writing to â—e true but the man to be be faithfull and loving to us and hereupon our hearts are carryed after the man himselfe though afar off from us Thus we ascend to Christ in the cloud of faith as Iacob though he could hardly beleeve yet as soone as he was perswaded Ioseph was yet alive his spirit presently revived and it was immediately with him before his body came to him so t is with faith the soule goes unto Christ before our bodies and soules both together shal have immediate communion with him 3. The forme of Faith This is the third thing in the description of Faith the comming of the whole soule out of it selfe unto Christ is the forme of Faith and that wherein the life and essence of it consists and which doth difference it from all other graces of the Spirit The first act of Faith as it unites us to Christ is not assurance that he is mine but a comming to him with assurance that hereby he is become mine Come unto the waters and so buy wine and milke i. e. now make them your owne The weary and heavy laden shall not have rest unlesse they come to Christ for it Faith doth nothing for life for that is the Law of Works it onely receives him who hath done all for it it comes out of all it hath or doth like Abraham that left his servants behind him when he went up to God in the mount unto Christ for life Conceive it thus Adam had a principle stock of life in himselfe in his owne hand and therefore was to live by this to live of himselfe and from himselfe and therefore had no need nor use of faith he lived by the law of works which the Apostle sets in a direct opposition to the Law of Faith but Adam being now falne hath lost his life and became not like the man that fell among theeves betwixt Jerusalem and Jericho stript wounded and halfe dead but wholly dead Ephes. 2.1 so that let any man seeke life from himselfe its impossible he should live for if there had been a Law that could have given life our righteousnesse should have been thereby Gal. 3.21 Hence it followes if any man will have life he must goe out of himselfe unto another viz. the Lord of life for it Iohn 5.40 Iohn 6.27 28 29. Now observe it this very comming this very motion of the soule to Christ a grace which Adam neither had nor had power to use is Faith the Spirit of Christ moving or drawing the soule the soul is thence moved and so comes to Christ Iohn 6.64 65. The soule by sinne is averted from God and turns his back upon God the turning or comming of the soule not unto duties of holinesse for that is obedience properly but unto God in Christ againe is properly and formally Faith All evill is in mans selfe and from himselfe all mans good is in Christ and from Christ. The soules of all Gods elect seeing these things forsake and renounce themselves in whom and for whom is all thâ—ir evill and come unto Christ in whom and from whom is all their good This motion of the soule betweene these extreames through that vast and infinite distance that is betweene a sinfull wretched man and a blessed Saviour is faith for by faith principally we passe from death to life Iohn 5.24 The soule of a poore sinner wounded and humbled sometime knowes not Christ and then cryes out as those Act. 2.37 What shall I doe Whither shall I go sometimes dares not sometimes cannot it hath no heart to stir or come it therefore looks up and longs and goes unto the Lord to draw it like poore Ephraim Ier. 31.18 Oh turne me Lord and then I shall be turned Lam. 5.21 and this is the lowest and least degree of faith But at some other time the soule mourning for want of the Lord the Lord comes unto it with great clearnesse glory and sweetnesse of grace and peace hence the soule cannot but come and close with him and cry Rabboni and say Oh Lord is it thy good pleasure to have respect to such a clod of earth to tender such riches of grace to one so unworthy and to bid nay to beseech me to come and take Lord behold I come This is faith Would you have proofe of it Consider therefore these particulars 1. Consider these Scriptures Iohn 6.35 I am the bread
in glory not having our loynes girt and lamps burning nor readinesse to meet the Lord in glory Mat. 25.1 2 3 4 5. c. oh that I were able therefore to give you a blush and a dark view of this glory that might raise up our hearts to this work Consider the glory of the place the Jewes did and doe dreame still of an earthly Kingdome at the comming of their Messiah the Lord dasheth those dreames and tells them His Kingdome is not of this world and that he went away to prepare a place for them that where he is they might bee John 14.2 3. and be with him to see his glory John 17.23 24. the place shall be the third heaven called our Fathers house built by his owne hand with most exquisite wisdome fit for so great a God to appeare in his glory Iohn 14.2 3. to all his deare children called also a Kingdome Mat. 25.31 Come ye blessed inherit the Kingdom prepared for you which is the top of all the worldly excellencie called also an inheritance 1 Pet. 1.4 which the holy Apostle infinitely blesseth God for as being our owne and freely given to us being our Fathers inheritance divided among his sonnes which is a greater priviledge then to bee borne an heire to all the richest inheritances on this earth or to bee Lord of all this visible world for this inheritance hee tells us is 1. incorruptible whereas all this world waxeth old as a garment 2. T is undefiled never yet polluted with any sinne no not by the Angels that fell for they fell in paradâ—â—â— when Guardians to man whereas this whole creation groaneth under the burden and bondage of corruption Rom. 8. 3. This never fadeth away t is not like flowers whose glory and beauty soone witheâ—s but this shall be most pleasant sweet and ever delightsome after we have been ten thousand yeers in it as it was the first day we entred into it for this is the meaning of the word and so it differs from incorruptible whereas in this world suppose a man should ever enjoy it yet there growes a secret satiety and fulnesse upon our hearts and it growes common and blessings of greatest price are not so sweet as the first time wee enjoy them they clog the stomach and glut the soule but here our eyes ears minds hearts shall be ever ravished with that admirable glory which shines brighter then ten thousand suns the very fabrick of it being Gods needle-work if I may so say quilted with variety of all flowers in divers colours by the exactest art of God himselfe as the Apostle intimates Heb. 11.10 Secondly consider of the glory of the bodies of the Saints in this place the Lord shall change our vile bodies which are but as dirt upon our wings and clogs at our feet as the Apostle expressâ—th it Phil. 3. ult Paul was in the third heaven and saw the glory doubtlesse of some there see what he saith of them 1 Cor. 15.42 43 44. 1. It shall be an incorruptible body it shall never dye nor â—ot againe no not in the least degree tending that way it shall never grow weary as now t is by hard labour and some time by holy duties nor faint nor grow wrinkled and withered Adams body in innocencie potuit non mori we say truly but this non potest mori it cannot dye and hence it is that there shall be no more sicknesse paines griefes fainting fits c. when it comes there 2. It shall be a glorious body it shall rise in honour saith Paul and what glory shall it have verily it shall be like unto Christs glorious body Phil. 3. ult which when Paul saw Acts 9. did shine brighter then the sun and therefore here shall be no imperfection of limbes scars or maimes naturall or accidentall deformities but as the third heaven it selfe is most lightsome Gen. 1.1 2. so their bodies that inhabit that place shall exceed the light and glory thereof these being more compacted and thence shining out in greater lustre that the eyes of all beholders shall be infinitely ravished to see such clods of earth as now we are advanced to such incomparable beauty and amiablenesse of heavenly glory 3. It shall be a powerfull strong body It is sowne in weaknesse saith Paul it shall rise in power it shall be able to help forward the divine operations of the soule which are now clogg'd by a feeble body it shall be able to beare the weight of glory the joy unspeakable and full of glory which our weake bodies cannot long endure here but we begin to burst and breake in pieces like vessels full of strong spirits with the weight and working of them and therefore the Lord in mercy keeps us short now of what else we should feele it shall be able to sing Hallelu-jahs and give honour glory power to the Lambe that fits upon the Throne for evermore without the least weariness 4. It shall be a spirituall body our bodies now are acted by animall spirits and being earthy and naturall growes feeds eates drinkes sleepes and hath naturall affections and desires after these things and â—is troubled if it wants them but then these same bodies shall live by the indwelling of the Spirit of God powred out abundantly in us and upon us and so acting our bodies and swallowing up all such natural affections and motions as those be here as Moses being with God in the Mount forty dayes and nights did not need any meat or drinke the Lord and his glory being all unto him how much more shall it bee thus then I doe not say we shall be spirits like the Angels but our bodies shall be spirituall having no naturall desires after any earthly blessing food rayment c. nor troubled with the want of them and hence also the body shall be able as well to ascend up as now it is to descend down as Austin shewes by a similitude of lead which some artists can beat so small as to make it swim we are now earthly and made to live on this earth and hence fall downe to the center but we are made then to bee above for ever with the Lord the Lord proceeding from imperfection to perfection as the Apostle here shewes not first spirituall and then naturall but first that which is naturall in this life and then that which is spirituall 3. Consider the glory of the soule now we know but in part and see but in part now we have joy at some times and then eclipses befall us on a sudden but then the Lord shall be our everlasting light Isa. 60.19 then we shall see God face to face 1 Ioh. 3.1 2. we shall then know and see those things that have been hid not onely from the wicked but from the deepest thoughts of the Saints themselves in this world 2 Cor. 12.4 Paul saw some things not fit to be uttered or that he could not utter we shall be swallowed up in