the Spirit of God and then the point will fall faire and undeniable To this I answere there are some things of God that are revealed in the creation of the world Rom. 1.20 there saith the text Rom. 1.20 The invisible things of him meaning God from the creation of the world are cleerely seene being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and Godhead that is a man that looketh into the frame and fabricke of the world and seeth the making of the earth and the Sea and all things therein hee cannot say but God hath beene here an infinite wisdome and an Almighty power hath beene here and framed all these things but these are not the things of God which are meant in the text but there are other things of God which we must looke after and they cannot be discerned by the creation of the world and therefore 1 Cor. 1.21 1 Cor. 1.21 we shall observe this After that in the Wisedome of God saith the text the world by wisedome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to save them that beleeve marke the naturall men might have knowne though they would not that there was a God by the wisedome of God that is by the wisedome of God in creating of the World and by the observation of things in the same but they could not take notice of him as a God reconciled as a God that should appoint Christ as a redeemer and as a God that should send Christ to bee a redeemer these are the things which men could not know by the creation of the world and by the wisedome thereof the things of grace and of our redemption the favour and love that God beares towards his in Christ these are the things of God the things of election sanctification justification and glorification these are the things of God which are meant especially in the Text as if he had sayd God by the spirit can onely reveale these things these come immediatly from God by the meanes hee hath appointed a man may know that God hath created heaven and earth and that he hath made all and provided for all and yet goe to hell But hee that hath found Gods love in Christ God working graciously upon his soule God humbling his heart and pulling downe his soule that hee might bee fit to receive mercy and then bestowing mercy upon him when a soule seeth these things then these are the things of God here meant Gods spirit must onely work these the spirit onely must reveale these and by the operation of the spirit wee are made partakers of these these are the things of God which are to be understood in the Text God is said to call and to sanctifie it is the Spirit that converts and adopts and humbles mens soules as who should say These are the workes of the Spirit there is no seeing there is no perceiving of these there is no way to be made partakers of these without the spirit so that the doctrine now lieth open and that is this No man naturally is able of his owne power to receive the spirituall things of grace and salvation no naturall man that is he that hath not the spirit of God working in him no man that is in his naturall estate can receive the spirituall things of grace and salvation Hee doth not receive them nay he cannot receive them saith the Text to put out all doubts and to cast away all cavills the Text doth not onely say he doth not receive them but that he cannot receive them doe hee what he will doe he what he can come to a naturall man and aske him will you receive Christ and the worke of grace why yes with all his heart and he makes no doubt but he doth so and hee hopes hee shall finde the comfort of it The Text saith God saith the truth saith you doe not nay you cannot you say you doe whom shall wee beleeve in this case God or you I can prove you are a naturall man you live in base wicked courses the Spirit of God is an holy Spirit you live in ungodly and unlawfull courses the Spirit of God is a wise Spirit you are ignorant and know not the things belonging to salvation and therefore the world knowes and you know that you are a naturall man and the spirit that saith a naturall man cannot receive the things of God and yet you say you can whom therefore shall we beleeve so that the point is plaine that a man by nature hath not power to will to receive Christ and grace and salvation by him and we will make good the point in foure particulars by way of explication That a man hath not power to will to receive grace and salvation by Christ First to omit that which the Papists themselves confesse in this case namely that a naturall man of himselfe cannot finde out the meanes of life and Salvation but God must give him some preventing grace he must be enlightned that is God must reveale and make knowne the things that concerne his peace unto him out of the Word hee must discover those things unto him which appertaine to his peace and justification by Christ I will omit this and speake onely of the power which a naturall man hath to entertaine the things belonging to life and Salvation and suppose it be granted that the things of Salvation must be made knowne unto a naturall mat in this case or else he can never of himselfe finde them out yet when these things be set open to mens cares by the ministers of God when grace and Salvation are offered unto men yet marâ—â— when these are proclaimed a naturall man cannot entertaine these things but the heart of a naturall man will 〈◊〉 away from these things which we may plainely see if wee looke but into the 19 of Mat. Mat. 19.22 22. there was a young man made some good profession he came unto Christ and asked him Master what good thing shall I doe to inherit eternall life Christ sayd unto him If thou wilt enter into life keepe the Commandements the young man askeâ— Christ which Commandement he should keepe our Saviour answers him Thou shalt not kill Thou shalt not commit adultery c. The young man answers All these things have I observed from my youth what lacke Iyet Then Christ saith unto him if thou wilt be perfect goe sell all that thou hast and give it to the poore and thou shalt have treasure in heaven but the text saith Vers 32. When the young man heard this he went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions All the while before our Saviour had not touched him to the quicke but when he saith unto him Goe thy wayes sell all that thou hast and follow me and thou shalt have treasue in heaven he then went away why marke here Christ made him a brave offer hee told him he should inherit heaven and happinesse if he
Lord saith that man is a naturall man Now many soule can say I am not perswaded of these things which the Gospell reveales why then the cases cleare thou sayst plainely thou canst not receive the things of God why then the Lord saith the Text saith and God of heaven saith that thou art a naturall man as thou camest into the world and that thou hast not the grace and spirit of Christ But then some may say if I be a natural man what then what hurt is it And therefore in the fourth place it is an use of terrour I presume many that have heard this will say wee are so and shall a man bee ashamed because he is a naturall man Therefore observe from the former doctrine a word of terrour to all naturall creatures under heaven I am almost afraid to speake of the misery of a naturall man my tongue trembles to discover the wretched fearefull damned miserable estate that every naturall man is in you thinke it is nothing to be in a natuturall estate but I tell you did you but know what the Lord hath revealed concerning a naturall man it were enough to breake the backe of a man a naturall man why it is enough to make thee goe sighing to thy grave though thou livest a thousand yeares if thou beest a naturall man thou hast not received Christ nay thou art not neare the things of a better life nay you are not onely still to attaine those things but you are not able to receive the things of the Lord Iesus whereby you may be quickned to entertaine those things and this is that which maketh the soules of naturall men miserable and the misery of those soules the more miserable because they are not onely unwilling to bee out of this condition but they are unwilling to be made willing to be out of it they boast that still they remaine in it for marke what naturall men say they bring a reproach upon Gods Saints and children what say they you are a man of the Spirit you are a spirituall professor one of the holy brethren are you miserable wretch dost thou professe thy selfe that thou art not so but that thou art a naturall man why then thou art a miserable man a naturall man why then a damned man a naturall man why thâ—â— an accursed man thou that professest thou hast no part and portion in the Lord Iesus take heede that one day hee doth not professe that hee hath no part in thee Rom. 8.9 If any man hath 〈◊〉 the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 he is none of his thou that dost make a matter of mocking at those that doe walke uprightly before God and that have the Spirit of God in them thou that proclamest to the world that thou hast not the Spirit of God the Lord proclaimes it as openly to thee that the Lord Iesus will not owne thee hee will have nothing to doe with thee and then what shall become of thee 〈◊〉 the devill must take thee at the last day when all flesh shall appeare before the judgement seate of God and the booke shall be opened and the actions of men made manifest to Saints and Angells Oh one drop of mercy then one dram of comfort then will bee worth a world Oh then you will wish Oh that Christ would save us no no you that were naturall men Christ will not owne you now you had none at all of the Spirit you have opposed the good Spirit of God and flouted it these are your spirituall men these are your holy ones thus you have mocked and blasphemed you have sayd the Spirit of Christ is not mine and therefore Christ saith hee is none of thine thy estate therefore here is miserable but thrice wretched and miserable will it be hereafter men may imagine great matters and boast of themselves of their riches and their wisedome and their honour and preferment in the world but if they be naturall there is small good at all in them they may have lands and preferments and honours but they have small good in them and therefore miserable needs must their estate bee here but farre worse hereafter Doe not thinke ye may climbe up to heaven by your owne imaginations good Lord how can a man that is in a naturall condition sleepe quietly with what contentment can hee walke when a man goeth into his fields to recreate and delight himselfe and then considers the meanes that God hath offred him whereby hee might attaine unto grace and salvation when the soule thinks with it selfe I may goe into my ground to be eased and refreshed but alas I am but a naturall man what therefore shall become of this poore soule of mine he considers with himselfe I am but in a naturall condition and therefore in a miserable damned condition and then when hee returnes home still this strikes in his minde I aâ—â— but naturall flesh and blood and therefore never shall receive any spirituall comfort but when these things shall neither helpe me nor I be helpefull unto them Oh what then shall become of me I have had no part in Christ here and therefore I can never looke that hee will owne me hereafter it is a great evill for a man to have no good but this is the misery of a man that hee cannot procure any good and this is the misery of all miseries that he cannot desire to be out of this misery and yet this is the condition of every naturall man you therefore that are naturall goe into comers and mourne for your selves and those that belong unto you and for those to whom you have relation you husbands that have wives which be naturall and you wives who have naturall husbands goe and mourne for them and for you selves and sigh to heaven for mercy and pray to God that hee would be mercifull unto them and forgive them their sinnes and bring them out of their naturall estate and make them able to entertaine Christ and grace and salvation Parents mourne for your children that are naturall when thou lookest upon thy child whom thou dearely lovest and whom perhaps hath good naturall parts and is obedient unto thee in outward respects when thou beholdest this child of thine and considerest that hee is in a naturall estate then this may peirce thee to the very heart then thou mayst burst out and say woe is me that this child of mine was ever borne for he is in a naturall condition and therefore in a miserable condition hee is a naturall child and herefore a child of the divell truly he is my sonne and for ought I know if God have not mercy upon him the child of the divell also a naturall child is a damned child a naturall man is an accursed man consider this doth not the Word say this doth not the Lord say this that a naturall man cannot receive the things of God and therefore deale with your owne soules and with the soules of
ever he meane to come to heaven and this is the first meanes when the soule of a sinner is inlightned and his mind informed that he is in a wrong course and that he must take a better course or else he shall never come at heaven and this the Lord doth suddenly the sinner not perceiving of it the Lord setteth a sudden flash upon his soule and telleth him that he is going unto hell the soule presently wonders at this and marvels how it came to passe Esay 66.1 there saith the text I am sought of them that asked not for mee and I am found of them that sought mee not the Lord putteth a sudden light into soules of men which they never dreamed of Hypocrites if they can but goe to Church and sit in the Church as Gods servants do and leane on their elbowes and heare as Gods people do then all is well with them but as many of them as belong to God God will discover unto them that they are in a wrong way and he will shew and reveale another way unto them which they never dreamed of and therefore this is that we shall observe haply we shall see a man come riding into a town on a Sabboth day and when he comes there hee seeth the people going to Church well perhaps then he sets up his horse at the Inne and goes into the Church for a custome and for company sake and when he is in the Church he goes into a seat and sets down his staffe and sits down and attends the Minister and never thinks of any thing well at last the Lord sends a light into his soule and telleth him thou art now riding about thy own worldly businesse when thoushouldst be in sanctifying of my Sabboth I tell thee my friend thou art in a wrong way thou takest a naughty course thou dost wickedly and if thou continuest and goest on in this course thou wilt never come at heaven And this the Lord doth on a sudden when a man never so much as thought of any such matter And after a man is thus enlightned he will be ready to say the truth is heretofore I went to heare the word but for customes sake but when I least dreamed of any such thing it pleased the Lord blessed be his name to reveale such things unto mee as I before never knew he told mee that which sticketh upon mee to this present houre he discovered that unto mee which I hope I shall carry with me unto my grave this is that we may observe in the 9. of the Acts Paul there was running on in a resolute-course he had gotten letters at Damascus and purposed to make havock of all poore Christians where he came now while he was in his journey the Lord met him from heaven and cryed unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee as he if had said this is not the way to heaven you think to persecute my poore Saints but Saul Saul I tell thee this is not the way thou takest a wrong course he called unto him as a man would call after one that is running out of his right way into some wildernesse or dangerous place And when Saul heard this he presently fell off his horse and humbled himselfe and said Lord what wilt thou that I do and so Luke 15.4 the text saith that the shepherd that had lost his sheep left his ninty and nine and went into the wildernesse to seek that which was lost and if he had not gone to seek the sheep the sheep would never have sought him alas the poore sheep was gone astray and bewilderd and if the shepheard had not followed it and sought after it that would never have found the sheepheard nay to go further many a man goeth to the word and heareth it for nothing else but to carp at the Minister and yet the Lord hath caught many such men also and hath put such a light into their hearts that he hath made them know that they were in a wrong way and mark when the Lord hath let in this light then the soule begins to be at a stand and thinks with himselfe surely if this be the right way I am in the wrong if the Minister saith true then I am not right but then sometimes the heart would put out this light it would not be informed and perswaded if the Minister tels a man that he must sanctifie Gods Sabboths here or else he shall never sanctifie a Sabboth unto him in heaven hereafter when the Minister saith that unlesse God humble us here he will break us in peeces in hell hereafter loath a man is to know this and be informed of this because hee would not be offended by this and provoked to performe this but though a sinner would shift off this yet the Lord will not leave him but will still pursue him and lay reasons upon him unanswerable the soule would fain play tricks with the Lord in this case and put out this light but God will reveale to the soule of a sinner that these things are certainly true God will lay hold upon the understanding of a poore sinner and follow him with reasons that are undeniable untill his reason shall yeeld and his understanding give verdit to that which the Lord reveales untill hee sayes I confesse Lord it is true I yeeld full assent thereto Thus the Lord knocketh at the doore or heart of a poore sinner and not only so but lifts up the latch and opens the doore of a mans heart and letteth in the light and this is the first course that God useth 2 2. The second is this after that the Lord hath thus enlightened the minde and let in the light of his spirit into the heart of a sinner and though a man would defeat the power of it yet God still followeth him with forceable arguments untill the understanding is setled and reason answered after the Lord hath done this then the second cord wherewith God draweth sinners unto himselfe is a cord of mercy whereby the Lord doth compasse a poore sinner about with kindnesse goodnesse and compassion Hos 11.4 there saith the Lord I taught Ephraim to goe taking them by the armes I drew them with the cords of love and with the bonds of a man This same cord of Gods mercy is a cable rope the abundant riches of Gods mercy is a great thick cable and we will tell you of what it is twisted it makes known it selfe in foure particulars if the illumination that God sends into the heart will not bee able to perswade the heart though it answers all objections pursueth it with arguments undeniable why then the Lord will draw us with the cord of his mercy and this great cable of Gods goodnesse is made up of foure cords First First Cord. the Lord revealed himselfe to be ready to receive and willing and easie to entertayne poore sinners when they come unto him Esay 55.7 there saith