be deceived judgment ought not to be pronounced but upon a full hearing and a through debate ad pauca respicit qui cito pronunciat it is not judgment but fond opinion that is passed upon a matter without hearing all that is fit to be said about it therefore so great a matter as this is should not be determined but upon mature deliberation As it is said of counsel omne consilium in festinatione captum stultitia est all counsel taken in hast is folly The same may be said of judging our selves all hasty precipitate judgment is folly the way to come to a rational certainty is to make a full inquiry Hypocrites and carnal sinners overlook what is evil and judge by any good they find and weak Christians overlook what is good and judge themselves by the evil that is discovered this is judgement upon hearing but of one side and he that doth so is an unjust Judge though he should happen to pass a just judgment * Qui aliquid statuerit alterâ parte inauditâ aequum licet statuerit haud aequus est there must be a searching out the case that neither sin may be passed by on the one hand nor grace overlooked on the other Rule 2. Another thing in this inquiry is the light of the spirit this is very necessary in such a work Solomon says The spirit of a man is the candle of the Lord Prov. 20.27 But the spirit of the Lord is the light of this candle without which he cannot see into the inward parts of the belly It is this that brings to light the hidden things of darkness and makes manifest the counsels of the heart 1 Cor. 4.5 What is the meaning of that Prayer of David Psal 139.23 24. Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me He doth hereby beg for such a measure of the spirits light and aid which searcheth all things 1 Cor. â—2 10 as may enable him to such a search of his heart whereby he may be fully assured of the goodness of his estate You will never be able to come to a true knowledge of your state and heart but by the spirits light and help Rule 3. Another means is frequent and repeated tryals It is not enough for a man that would be satisfied of his spiritual condition to bring his heart to the touchstone now and then it must be done often according to the variety of conditions occasions and temptations In our Law a man can be but once tryed for one fact because his life shall not be always in hazard But in spiritual matters the oftner we are brought to the bar the better frequent tryals do not hazard our case but tend to put it out of hazard How should a man know much of his spiritual state that seldom converseth with his own heart It was a good rule Tecum habita A mans business lies most within doors and therefore he should often descend into himself Davids counsel is Commune with your own heart upon your bed Psal 4.4 The word in the Hebrew is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speak to your own heart the expression is not limited and therefore may take in all those ways of speaking by which a man may keep up a secret inward and profitable communion with his own soul And this is advised to be done upon the bed which notes Retiredness and Frequency First Retiredness In the bed a man is retired from the distracting noises and hurries of the World * Nox tempus accomodum est rebus considerandis diligentius examinandis tum enim animus sedatior esse solet Moller in Loc. and so is at leisure for the work Secondly Frequency As oft as a man lies down upon his bed he should go down into his heart and call himself to account every night where his heart has been and what it hath done every day Rule 4. Try till the matter be fully determined and you come to a rational and well grounded satisfaction in your selves that so you may have an answer in readiness to put all doubts and scruples to silence Rule 5. Another way is by observing and fixing upon the fittest seasons There is a time for every thing there is a time to try and a time to trust without tryal a time to look inward and a time when it is more proper to look upward Every time is not a fit season for this work sometimes the Soul is beclouded tempted deserted defiled by new sins and these are times wherein it is set against it self and now all is naught all is Hypocrisie praejudicium tollit judicium it is commonly seen so When Heman is under the hiding of God how is judgment blinded and all Grace is hid If David be under a cloud presently he is cast off He that looks upon his face in a broken glass will appear a most deformed creature As he that walks in a dark night is apt to think every bush a Thief he fansies nothing but objects of fear and terrour so it is in this case And therefore in such a condition it is better to call uppn the Soul as David did to trust and wait Multiply direct acts of Faith more and reflect less It is an excellent piece of wisdom to take the proper season for every duty Rule 6. If upon good evidence thou art able to prove the sincerity of thy heart to Christ don't question the goodness of thy state because of the Hypocrites carnal confidence The foolish Virgins thought their Oyl as good as that of the wise but the Oyl of the wise Virgins was of the right kind notwithstanding that Many a corrupt Judge passes a wrong sentence but a righteous Judge that guides himself by evidence and Law may do right for all that Many a man may be rich in a Dream but what then may not therefore a waking man know what his Estate is or whether it be his or not The Turk is confident of his Religion the Jew as confident of his the Papist is certain of his to an infallibility and yet this doth not hinder but that a Protestant may certainly know that he is in the true way and that they are wofully deceived and given up to believe lies Rule 7. Be sure to make use of a right rule to judge by for Rectum est index sui obliqui No man can make a true judgment but by a right rule if that be crooked or false the judgment that is made by it must needs be wrong If the touchstone be not right you can never judge of the metal Before I shew you which is the true rule let me warn you against some false rules which many try and deceive themselves by First Some measure themselves by themselves such the Apostle speaks of 2 Corinth 10.12 They measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves
a Slave to sin to reject the Reign of Christ to resist the Spirit to slight the Grace of the Gospel to gratifie the Devil and to undo thy own soul O think of that word He that sins against me 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speruit animam suam Vatab. in loc wrongs his own soul Prov. 8.36 And where lies the wrong He refuses the Yoke of Christ and so lays himself under the wrath of Christ and ye perish from the way if his wrath be kindled but a little Psal 2.12 And what greater wrong can any one offer to his own soul than to lay it under a necessity of damnation by a willing subjection to the Yoke of sin rather than that of Christ Therefore it is so far from being good that it is the greatest evil to bear this Yoke Be not ye the Servants of sin But then there is a threefold Yoke which it is good for a man to bear in his youth There is The Yoke of affliction The Yoke of the Spirit in conviction of sin The Yoke of subjection and obedience to Jesus Christ CHAP. II. Afflictions called a Yoke In what sense they are good and for whom 1. AFflictions may be called a Yoke and so they are often in Scripture Lev. 26.13 I am the Lord your God which brought you forth out of the Land of Egypt and I have broken the Bonds of your Yoke and made you go upright He speaks of the great afflictions with which Israel was so oppressed and burthened in Egypt that their backs were bowed down and they were even sunk and broken under them and this God calls their affliction I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt Exod. 3.7 and Deut. 26.6 7. The Egyptians evilly entreated us and afflicted us and when we cried to the Lord he heard our voice and looked on our affliction and oppression And this seems to be the Yoke intended in the Text at least to the Church of the Jews that were then in Babylonish bondage which the Holy Ghost calls a Yoke Jer. 27.12 Bring your necks under the Yoke of the King of Babylon And Jer. 30.8 It shall come to pass in that day saith the Lord of Hosts that I will break his Yoke from off thy neck and burst thy bonds And accordingly the Church here calls her present affliction and misery by reason of her captived state a Yoke Lam. 1.14 The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand The yoke of my transgressions that is the punishment procured by my transgressions as if he should say God hath laid upon me a heavy Yoke of affliction as the just reward of my sin Now this is a Yoke that it is good for a man to bear in his youth Afflictions have in them matter of real advantage This seems a Paradox to sense and no wonder for even good men can hardly make sense of it Therefore let us a little enquire In what sense afflictions are good and For whom they are good Quest 1. In what sence are afflictions good Answ They are not good in themselves they are not bona though they may work in bonum they are not good things though they may work to good ends In their own nature they are evil and so called in Scripture Amos 3.6 Is there any evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Isai 45.7 I make peace and create evil I the Lord do all these things Mic. 1.12 The inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good but evil came down from the Lord unto the Gate of Jerusalem That which is a fruit of sin a part of the curse introduced upon the breach of the first Covenant must needs be in it self evil But so is affliction It is evil in it self and evil to the Creature evil in its nature and evil in its tendency But yet as afflictions are ordered and directed by God and under the management of his Spirit so they are good they serve to good purposes But I shall give a more distinct Answer to the Question in four gradual Conclusions 1. Nothing Man mistakes more about than Concl. 1 the matter of good This is most evident from the differing opinions of the Ancients about it Austin reckons up 288. which all shew that man is acted herein very much by fancy and present appearances insomuch that if God should give a man his own wish he would ruine himself with evil under the shew of good Brine preserves many things which would rot in Sugar and yet sense is all for pleasing the sweet tooth But no wise Body will give a sick man what he desires but what the Physician directs As God sometimes in judgment pleases a man to his ruine Psal 106.15 He gave them their request but sent leanness into their souls So he sometimes in mercy crosses him to his advantage We are short sighted and distempered with passions and therefore call that good which would be our bane and deprecate that as evil which would be a real benefit Doubtless Joseph could not but regret at and being a good Youth pray against his Brethrens unnatural cruelty as having nothing in it in appearance but evil and vassalage What for a young Stripling to be fold for a Slave to be barter'd away out of his Father's bosome into a strange Country never like to be heard of more then cast into Prison and exposed to all severities Can there be any good in this Sense and opinion say no But pray consider How had he been raised to such a price if he had not been first made so cheap how had he been made a Prince by Strangers if he had not been made a Slave by his Brethren nay how many had perished for bread had not he been sent for merchandise into Egypt So Joseph afterwards acknowledges Gen. 45.5 Ye sold me hither but God sent me before you to preserve life And Gen. 50.20 As for you ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much people alive God many times takes away for our good strips us for our advantage casts us down and seemingly casts us off and all for our benefit Opinion says with old Jacob All these things are against me Gen. 42.36 and yet they were all for him and therefore Concl. 2 Good is to be estimated not by its suitableness to sense but by its reference to the soul That is the truest good which promotes the interest of the better part no mans condition can be made good by any outward circumstances while the case of his soul is desperate for that is the better part of us and therefore good men have always valued themselves more upon their inward indowments than any outward acquisitions and have set more store by a Dram of Grace than by all outward comforts Good is to be judged by its conducency to Concl. 3 the chief good God is the chief good and
causes shame here Where there is any sense of God and ingenuity of Spirit consciousness of guilt puts the Soul to the blush when it would have to do with God in its approaches O my God I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee for our iniquities are increased c. Ezra 9.6 So it is said of the Publican that when he went into the Temple to pray he stood afar off and would not lift up so much as his eyes to heaven Luke 18.13 These are postures by which great shame and confusion of face is expressed Or if any be hardned under sin as not to be ashamed here yet Secondly He shall be ashamed before God hereafter Many that now dare though in their sins and lusts make solemn approaches to God will be ashamed and confounded to appear at the Judgment-seat of God David says Psal 1.5 The wicked shall not stand in judgment Psal 1.5 Indeed there are few that shall The great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Revel 6.17 Sinners that now are grown impudent in sin that have a Whores forehead that have took their degree in the Scorners chair Psal 1.1 that are past shame shall then be ashamed and confounded for ever And there are three things in the process of that day which shall cause it 1. The discovery of sin which shall then be made For all the wickedness that ever the sinner committed shall then be made known God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing whether it be good or evil Eccles 12.14 There is not a closet-closet-sin nor the most concealed iniquity but shall then be made publick God will then bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart and then shall every man that is every good man have praise of God 1 Cor. 4.5 But what shall become of sinners sure they shall be ashamed 2. The utter frustration of the sinners hope So long as hope lasts shame hath no place now many a mans hope lasts to the day of Judgment they maintain a confidence of the goodness of their estate which nothing but the light of that day can confute So did they in Mat. 7.22 Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy name and in thy name cast out devils and in thy name done many wonderful works So did the foolish Virgins till the door was shut Mat. 25.10 3. The contempt that God shall put upon them when he shall eternally banish them his presence by the dreadful Sentence that he shall then pass against them Depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 By the passing this Sentence they shall become the scorn and contempt of all the Saints and Angels in Heaven Therefore it is said They that sleep in the dust of the earth shall arise some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt Dan. 12.2 Secondly Taking pleasure in sin causes shame before others God by one means or other will bring such sinners to open shame Jer. 13.26 I will discover thy skirts that thy shame may appear And Ezek. 16.37 I will gather all thy lovers with whom thou hast taken pleasure and all them thou hast hated Ezek. 23.29 and will discover thy nakedness to them that they may see all thy nakedness And to have the nakedness discovered is matter of shame Thirdly Taking pleasure in sin causeth shame before our selves Conscience under guilt torments the Soul with the shame of its own folly Hence that of the Apostle Rom. 6.21 What fruit had you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Sin inticeth us before we commit it and afterwards fills the Soul with horrour and shame So our first Parents when they had sinned they were ashamed Gen. 3.7 But who was ever ashamed of the pleasures and delights he found in the ways of godliness A good man may be reproached and scoffed at for his strictness by the Ishmaels of the day but there can be no cause of shame For shame as the Philosopher defines it is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 A certain grief and trouble in ingenuous minds about unbecoming actions and such things as tend to our infamy and disgrace now there is nothing dishonourable in Religion it is only sin that can discredit and defame us where there is no sin there is no shame Fifthly The pleasures of sin are prohibited pleasures they are forbidden fruit If God hath forbid the doing of sin then much more the taking pleasure in sin For it is a greater evil to take pleasure in sin than it is simply to act sin to delight in it is worse than to do it To do sin may be only from weakness of grace but to delight in sin is from the strength of lust As it is a greater argument of grace to delight in obedience than to obey for a man may be much in the performance of duties that yet may have no delight in duty But where there is a delight in duty and obedience there the heart is indeed under the power of grace I delight to do thy will O my God thy Law is within my heart Psal 40.8 So it speaks the sinner more under the power of sin to delight in it than to do it The more of the affection there is in sin the more ready will the sinner be to comply with every temptation which leads to it Amor animae pondus and it is the cunning of Satan to suit his baits to our corrupt appetites and vicious dispositions he loves to take the advantage of wind and tide and when a man that delights in sin is tempted to sin then he goes with wind and tide Nay in this case a sinner needs no temptation his own vicious disposition will supply the place of a Tempter for the more any sin obtains upon the affections the more of the nature of a temptation doth it carry in it self Every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his own lust and inticed Jam. 1.14 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 his proper lust because though we have all a corrupt nature in common yet every sinner hath a particular several inclination to this or that sin rooted in his nature more than to any other and this is called his own lust And how easily doth he consent when he is inticed by his own lust he hath no power to resist or withstand for the more a man delights in sin the more naturally his desires and vicious inclinations do run to it And therefore God charges it as a high degree of sinning and makes it a great aggravation of sin to delight and take pleasure in it They have chosen their own ways that is bad and their soul delights in their abominations that is worse Isai 66.3 And God aggravates the sinfulness
like sense of sin and sight of a lost estate So that there is mercy even in being under the Spirits Yoke And therefore Secondly Do not be unsensible of the mercy of being under the bondage of the Spirit though it is not a Case that hath comfort in it yet it is a Case that hath mercy in it And no present misery of any condition should make us to overlook the mercy of that condition You see sin in its filthy nature and damning guilt and thereupon are filled with dread and fear and is not this a mercy Though to do sin is the most unprofitable work yet to see sin is the most profitable sight For so long as sin is unseen Christ will be unsought The remedy is never desired till our misery be discerned and felt Your conscience is full of trouble and you are weary and cry out under the burthen of your soul-troubles and is not this a mercy How shall the burthen of sin be removed if conscience be not troubled under it The more the Sinners conscience is at peace the more sin is in power The strong man armed keeps that house Luke 11.12 Besides it is the design of God that sin shall be the trouble of every Sinners conscience sooner or later here or in Hell Hell is full of troubled consciences there is not one soul there but lyes under terrour of conscience for sin for that is the worm that never dies Mark 9.44 And is it not a mercy to be troubled for sin here rather than in Hell Here the trouble is but for a season there it will be for ever Here the end of your trouble for sin is peace and comfort Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning Psal 30.5 But in Hell your trouble will end in desperation and everlasting horrour Whatever therefore your troubles are yet reckon it for a mercy that God hath brought you to a real sense of your sin and misery for that this is the only way to drive you out of your selves to Christ You had been undone but for this undoing Thirdly Do not be weary of the Spirits operation in his carrying on the work of conviction lest by growing weary of his work you make him weary of working There are two things Sinners express a great weariness under viz. the Word and the Rod. To sit long under the Word or to lye long under the Rod O what a weariness is it Now to be weary of these is to be weary of the Spirits work for by these he calls and knocks and strives to make his voice to be heard and therefore they often go together and hence you read of chastising and teaching Psal 94.12 The Rod prepares us for hearkening to the Word and the Word teaches us to understand the Rod and therefore the Spirit sometimes uses them together He binds them in Fetters and holds them in Cords of affliction and then shews their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded Job 36.8.9 10. and so opens their ear to discipline and commands that they return from iniquity Why then should any be weary of the Spirits work And yet that it is so is most evident For why do Sinners so many ways stifle the motions of the Spirit in the soul sometimes looking on spiritual troubles as mere melancholy sancies and as such shake them off Sometimes they are stifled by shame lest others should think them mad and distracted Sometimes they are stifled by declining that Ministry that deals most with the conscience and will not let them alone in sin Sometimes by running into idle debauched company that scoff away the troubles of a convinced conscience Sometimes by over business in worldly matters The cares of this World choke the Seed and it becomes unfruitful Matth. 13.22 And is not this a great sin it is murder to destroy a Child in the womb I charge you young ones with this sin this day before the Lord. And I will prove you guilty of it For what is the reason that the Word preached hath so little success that so few of you are converted from your sins and lusts to Christ I tell you this is the reason You have stifled the motions of the Spirit of God in your souls you have resisted and quenched him you have broken his Yoke from off your neck and do ye understand what ye do Do ye know the mischief of this sin It drives the Holy Spirit out of the heart You say to him depart Job 21.14 you are weary of his striving to make you weary of sinning It greatly gratifies Satan For his design is to harden the heart against the impressions of the Spirit and so lead Sinners to a Hell through a Fools Paradise It provokes the Lord to give you up to your own hearts lusts and vile affections Rom. 2.24 26. And I am perswaded that it is the Judgment that many of the young Generation of this day lye under It provokes him to take away the Gospel And I am afraid that this Judgment is at the door for why should God continue it to a Generation that slight and reject it And wo to such as shall be found to have had a hand in sinning away the Gospel It is this sin that makes Hell hot indeed It will be one of the saddest reflections in that state for a damned Sinner to recal the many sweet motions of the Spirit which in his day of Grace he had In such a Sermon how was my heart touched and my conscience awakened But all came to nothing In such a sickness how did the Spirit of God deal with me and set sin home and made it a burthen What promises and resolutions did I then make to shake off sins to leave my former wicked courses but it came to nothing Had I then yielded to the strivings of the Spirit and hearkened to his calls and counsels I had never felt these flames But my slighting God breaking the Spirits Yoke by resisting and quenching his motions this is that which hath brought this endless misery upon me O what a dreadful thing is it to be weary of the Spirits work when he comes to convince of sin Quest But when may a man be said to be weary of the Spirits work Answ First When he cannot endure an awakening convincing Ministry nor searching truths but declines those Doctrines that interrupt him in the way of his lusts and disturb the quiet of his conscience as Felix did Paul's Sermon of righteousness and judgment to come because it made him tremble the Doctrine came too close to his conscience and therefore he dismisses the Preacher to a fitter season Acts 24.25 Secondly When he is over-hasty for peace and comfort then he is weary of the Spirits Yoke This is the Case of most they are no sooner under the sense of sin but they must have comfort The Arrows of the Almighty are sharp and when they go deep do cause an unspeakable
for it is a communion with him in his own nature which is holiness Now thus every good man walks with God and hath a daily communion with him so far as holiness is in exercise How often may we hear the Children of God complaining of the want of communion with God! this arises from a mistake of the thing They judge of fellowship by sensible fruitions and of communion by comfort So much as God gives out of the comfort of his presence and the light of his face so much communion they partake of And where this is not injoyed there all communion is denied Whereas communion with God may be maintained and yet present comfort may be left out Though they cannot walk by the light of his countenance yet they may walk by the light of his counsels So did Job Chap. 23.8 9 10 11 12. Behold I go forward but he is not there backward but I cannot perceive him on the left hand where he doth work but I can't behold him he hides himself on the right hand that I cannot see him But he knows the way that I take my foot hath held his steps his way have I kept and not declined Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips Here you may see Job walking with God when at the same time he cannot find him He walketh by the light of his will revealed when he can't walk by the light of his face discovered and so hath a communion with him in his counsels though not in the light of his countenance And this makes the Yoke of obedience pleasant it is a walking with God you have hereby communion with him in his Holiness when you want the comforts of his presence and this makes your way sweet though God doth not shine upon your path This I take to be the meaning of that of David Psal 112.4 Vnto the upright there ariseth light in darkness Holiness yields a sweetness and comfort when it may be the light of Gods face yields none 2. Godliness is attended with the pleasure of a witnessing Conscience He that follows its guidance shall never want its witness God leads man by a twofold guide the Word and Conscience the Word without and Conscience within the Word is a light to us and Conscience is a light in us the Word directs the Conscience and Conscience directs the conversation And he that follows the guidance of Conscience as it is guided by the Word shall never want a witness to the goodness of his state and heart He that opposes and violences Conscience shall find it witnessing against him but he that is guided by it shall have it a witness for him As the Spirit of God is first a Counseller and then a Comforter so Conscience is first a guide and then a witness And what greater pleasure than the witness of a mans Conscience to the goodness of his conversation As a condemning Conscience is the greatest torment as being a degree of Hell so a witnessing Conscience is the greatest comfort as being a first-fruits of the joy of Heaven Our rejoycing is this the testimony of our conscience that in simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world 2 Cor. 1.12 A witnessing Conscience brings with it an unspeakable sweetness and comfort As for instance First What is it that satisfies a man when nothing else can it is the witness of his Conscience A good man is satisfied from himself Prov. 14.14 Secondly What is it that gives confidence and boldness towards God it is a witnessing Conscience 1 John 3.21 If our hearts condemn us not then have we confidence towards God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we have boldness so the word is rendred in Heb. 10.19 Having brethren boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus A good man hath a threefold boldness and confidence from a witnessing Conscience 1. A boldness in Prayer Let us come boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 There are three things which together cause this boldness First The Throne God is upon to whom we make our requests viz. a Throne of Grace and Mercy Let us come boldly to the throne of grace Heb. 4.16 Secondly The advantage we have by Jesus Christ at the right hand of God Who ever lives to make intercession for us Heb. 7.15 Thirdly The help of the Spirit whereby we are inabled to call him Father and who makes intercession in us Rom. 8.15 26. 2. Boldness and confidence in the midst of all dangers He shall not be afraid of evil tidings Psal 112.7 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death yet will I fear no evil Psal 23.4 The righteous is bold as a lion Prov. 28.1 3. Boldness and confidence in the day of Judgment 1 John 4.17 That we may have boldness in the day of judgment And how sweet must this be to dye and go to the Bar of God confidently assured of the goodness of our case Thirdly What is that which comforts and supports a man when all else it may be witness against him It is a witnessing Conscience Sometimes men may witness against him and falsly charge him as in Jobs case yet then Conscience supports him in the testimony whereof he can appeal to God as in Chap. 10.7 Thou knowest that I am not wicked Sometimes God seems to witness against him Thou writest bitter things against me Job 10.17 Job 13.26 Yet then to the upright there arises light in darkness Psal 112.4 Sometimes Satan witnesseth against a man accuses him of hypocrisie and unsoundness of heart in the ways of God as he did Job of serving God for by-ends Job 1.9 10. yet then Conscience supports him as it did good Hezekiah in the testimony whereof he appeals to God Remember Lord Isai 38.3 how I have walked before thee with an upright heart Fourthly What is that which fills the Soul with peace and joy when troubles and distresses are upon us it is the witness of Conscience This made Paul and Silas sing in the Stocks This made the Martyrs triumph in the midst of the flames As sorrowful yet always rejoycing 2 Cor. 6.10 O what a sweet thing is a witnessing Conscience it fills a man with the richest and the most lasting peace 1. With the richest peace and therefore it is called the Peace of God Phil. 4.7 The peace of God which passeth all understanding shall keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus That this is the peace of Conscience is evident in that it is said to keep the heart and mind And it is called the Peace of God First Because of the greatness and excellency of it according to that Hebraism whereby things great and excellent are intitled to God Psal 36.6 As the mountains of God the Cedars of God Psal 80.10 the increase of God Col. 2.19 c. Secondly Because he gives it When
up and walk and immediately his feet and ankle-bones received strength Acts 3.2 6 7. There is a power conveyed by the Precept So it is here and therefore we should do as the lame man did How is that the eighth verse tells you He stood and walked and entred into the Temple walking and leaping and praising God Secondly The Law required a righteousness vested in the person It must not be anothers doing but our own The Law admitted of no days-man no Mediator no helper Anothers doing could no way be reckoned as ours nor anothers righteousness be any benefit to us Every man must stand upon his own bottom But the Gospel-Covenant admits of a Mediator one to come in between God and man therefore he is called The Mediator of the new Testament Heb. 9.15 and Heb. 12.24 Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant It admits of anothers righteousness instead of our own and allows us as real benefit by it as if it had been done in our own persons He was made sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners that is Law so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous Rom. 5.19 this is pure Gospel And hence Jesus Christ is stiled The Lord our righteousness Jer. 23.6 And hence we are said to be accepted in the Beloved Eph. 1.6 and to be compleat in him Col. 2.10 And how pleasant doth this make the Yoke of Christ to be Thirdly Under the Law it was not enough that obedience was personal unless it was also perfect and perpetual Any one sin done at any time marr'd all All his righteousness shall be forgotten Ezek. 18.24 Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 A man perished as really by the guilt of one sin as of ten thousand The judgment was by one to condemnation Rom. 5.16 that is by one sin for so the next words explain it but the free gift is of many offences to justification The Apostle here commends the grace of the Gospel by comparing it with the Laws rigour The Gospel justifies from many offences when the Law condemns for any one He that fails in any one thing is gone for ever Nothing is accepted but what is perfect The best affections will not excuse failure in actions nor desires to do eke out the weakness of doing But under the Gospel where there is a willing mind it is accepted according to what a man hath where the arm is short it is made up by uprightness of heart Where the will is beyond the power God accepts the will and passes by the weakness If a man sincerely desires and endeavours to do what he cannot do the truth of affection is accepted for action and God counts the desire of a man to be his kindness Prov. 19.22 Though that plea of the Apostle Rom. 7.18 To will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not finds no room under the Law yet it is a good plea under the Gospel O how sweet is this Fourthly Under the Law there was no room for repentance One transgression disannulled that Covenant and no repentance no sorrow no tears could ever make it up again Where personal perfect obedience is the condition of life there can be no room for repentance But this is one of the great priviledges of the Gospel-Covenant that failures in obedience may be made up by repentance And hence it is that we are so often called to return with a promise of healing our backslidings Jer. 3.22 Did God ever call Adam under the first Covenant to return when he ran away from God no never but drove him out of Paradise Gen. 3.24 So he drove out the man and he placed at the East of the garden Cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way to keep the way of the tree of life But under the Gospel how frequently are we called to return and repent Though the first Covenant was dissolved by one sin yet many sins cannot dissolve the Gospel-Covenant For the free gift is of many offences to justification Rom. 5 16. This makes the Yoke of Christ pleasant that their failures and neglects may be repented of and find forgiveness For God hath exalted Christ to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and remission of sins Acts 5.31 Fifthly The cords that bound on the Yoke of the first Covenant were threats and terrours The Law requires obedience upon pain of a Curse Cursed be he that makes a graven image which is an abomination to the Lord Deut. 27.15 Cursed be he that setteth light by father or mother v. 16. Cursed is every one that continues not in all things written in the Law to do them Gal. 3.10 and this Curse is eternal death But the cords that bind on the Yoke of Christ are not terrors but love and mercy I beseech you brethren by the mercies of God that you present your selves a living sacrifice holy and acceptable to God which is your reasonable service Rom. 12.1 And this makes the Yoke of Christ far more sweet and pleasant than the Yoke of the Law 2. Let 's compare the Yoke of Christ with the Yoke of Sin and it will appear infinitely more pleasant than that can be The pleasures of sin hold no comparison with the pleasure of Religion and godliness First The pleasures of sin are sensual pleasures such as gratifie only the flesh and please the brutish part and the more any man gives himself up to them the more he puts off man and sinks down into the nature of beast and therefore many Heathens have upon meer principles of reason abandoned sensual pleasures as inferior to them and have judged him unworthy the name of a man that could spend one day in pursuit of them But the pleasures of Religion are rational pleasures they are such as are suited to the rules of right reason pleasures that gratifie the inward man and feed the love and delight of an immortal Soul Secondly The pleasures of sin are debasing pleasures and this follows from the former The more sensual any man is the more doth he debase his nature Luke 1◠16 He is like the Prodigal feeding upon husks with the Swine and hence it is that the Lord by Amos calls those Rulers in Samaria Kine of Bashan Amos 4.1 Hear this word ye kine of Bashan that are in the mountain of Samaria Because they forgot the Lord and gave themselves up to their lusts and sensual pleasures therefore he reckons them among the beasts Kine of Bashan more like beasts than men The pleasures of sin are a very debasing thing Hence the same word in the Hebrew which the Scripture uses for a sensual Glutton is used for a vile person This our son is a glutton Deut. 21.20 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉
of Antichrists followers by this That they had pleasure in unrighteousness 2 Thess 2.12 By all which the pleasures of sin appear to be forbidden pleasures so that no man can injoy any one lust but he must resolve to controul God to violate his Authority and break his Command and he that breaks this hedge a serpent will bite him Eccles 10.8 But where are we forbid to take pleasure in Godliness Are spiritual delights forbidden fruit May not a man rejoyce in God O yes For 1. This is so far from being forbidden as a sin that it is commanded as a duty Delight thy self in the Lord Psal 37.4 Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say rejoyce Phil. 4.4 2. It is the true Character of a godly man His delight is in the law of the Lord Psal 1.2 I will delight my self in thy commandments which I have loved Psal 119.47 I delight in the law of God after the inner man Rom. 7.22 This no unregenerate man can attain to Will he delight himself in the Almighty says Job of the Hypocrite Chap. 27.10 He may do much but this he cannot do He may pray and read and hear and make profession of God but he cannot delight in God 3. This makes us sharers in the very pleasures and joys of Saints and Angels in Heaven for the joy and pleasure of that state is in God and Holiness 4. This shall have a sure reward Delight thy self in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart Psal 34.4 Thou shalt delight thy self in the Lord and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father Isai 58.14 Sometimes delight in God is required as a duty but here it is promised as a reward So that here is a double reward promised to delighting in God First Such shall delight in God They that make it their duty it shall be their reward As God sometimes punishes sin with sin Hos 8.11 which is a great punishment so he rewards delight in God with delight in God which is a great reward They shall find such rich consolations such abundant sweetness and matter of satisfaction in God and his ways as shall fill the Soul with delight Thy comforts delight my soul Psal 94.19 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures Psal 36.8 That is one reward promised Secondly I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father That is literally the blessings of the land of Canaan given for an inheritance to him and his seed but this being a Type of Heaven therefore it is the glorious inheritance above that is chiefly intended So that these spiritual pleasures shall have a sure reward And hence it appears that though the pleasures of sin are forbidden fruit yet the pleasures of holiness are not They are lawful pleasures Sixthly The pleasures of sin are dangerous pleasures full of danger What Solomon says of the Harlot Isai 59.7 Her house inclines to death and her paths to the dead Prov. 2.18 is true of every sin it is a way that takes hold of hell and death Never any went on in it but have miscarried And what pleasure can there be in a way so full of danger But in the pleasures of godliness there is no danger no fear of miscarrying An high way shall be there and it shall be called the way of holiness the way-faring men though fools shall not err therein Isai 35.8 Where there is life without death there must needs be pleasure without danger and so it is here In the way of righteousness is life Prov. 12.28 and in the path-way thereof there is no death O what dangers do men run into for the pleasures of sin dangers of Soul and body dangers of present judgment and eternal torment but here is pleasure without danger Seventhly The pleasures of sin are disturbed pleasures the smarting reflections and checks of Conscience do greatly interrupt the free injoyment of sins delights There are but few sinners but their pleasures in sin are attended with an upbraiding Conscience The best part of a natural man is his Conscience when will and affections are wholly for lust Conscience many times takes part with God when affections intice conscience troubles and gives such an amazing prospect of the dreadful consequences of sin as doth very much abate its pleasures and imbitter its sweetness Nay many have been in great troubles and horrors for sin upon this account the gnawings of this worm within have been such as have utterly extinguished the pleasures of sin for the present Conscience reflects guilt guilt causes fear and fear hath torment 1 John 4.18 And in this case the pain of sin is far more than the pleasure for no man can act with much pleasure against the checks of his own conscience And therefore many have been forced to find out ways to quiet conscience or at least to silence its clamors that they may have a more free and undisturbed injoyment of their lusts and this is that which hath made so many Hypocrites both among Papists and Protestants taking up a little outside devotion and taling over a few prayers to God and then thinking this a full amends to him for what is past and so sin upon a new score Lust can't be freely injoyed unless conscience is silent conscience will not be silent unless God be some way owned and hence though the sinner in his heart hates God and the life of God yet he is forced to mingle somewhat of the practice of devotion with a vicious conversation that he may at once injoy the sweet of his lusts and yet quiet a quarrelling conscience Or if custom in sin and a seared conscience have worn out the sense of such checks and regrets the case is so much the worse where-ever sin is practised and conscience not pained the man is dead past life and past hope Dr. Preston relates of one in Cambridge that falling into a great sin his conscience was troubled but having this temptation upon him That if he did the same sin again his conscience would trouble him no more he complied with the temptation and ran into the same sin again after which his conscience was silent and from that time he went on in his lusts without trouble or controul But the pleasures of godliness are undisturbed pleasures Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace Prov. 3.17 The sinner hath pleasure but no peace but in the ways of God the good man hath pleasure and peace And it must needs be sweet where pleasure is attended with peace There is a twofold peace that doth attend the life of godliness peace supernal and peace internal The one is a peace between God and Conscience The other is a peace between conscience and a mans self And where this peace is the pleasure of the Soul must needs be an uninterrupted pleasure
three heads and speak a little distinctly to each of them that so you may know how to make use of them in the tryal of your state The first is The enlightening the mind The second is The convincing the Conscience The third is The inclining the will 1. There is a saving illumination of the mind There can be no coming to Christ out of the darkness of a natural state till the light of God break in to shew us the way Spiritual things cannot be discerned by natural light The natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God 1 Cor. 2.14 for they are foolishness to him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned The object is supernatural God in Christ and the mysteries of the Kingdom and therefore cannot be discern'd but by a supernatural light Psal 36.9 In thy light we shall see light By nature we know little of God but nothing of Christ 2 Cor. 4.6 or the mind of Christ till God who commanded the light to shine out of darkness shine into our hearts The first creature that God made in the World was light and the first work of God in the soul is light The will of man is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a rational appetite it is acted by the guidance of the mind and therefore God deals first with the mind and understanding of man And hence it is that Christ is made a Prophet as well as a King he doth not subdue the will meerly by an unaccountable power but by a saving light And because the mind must first be inlightned in this work therefore Christ first appears in the office of a Prophet not only revealing the will of God as a rule of obedience but inlightening the mind to see the reasonableness of complying with the rule He doth not only bring light unto the soul by the revelation of the word but he brings light into the soul by the communication of his spirit We have received the spirit of God that we may know the things that are freely given to us of God 1 Cor. 2.22 This I call a saving illumination for that light which the Lord works in such as are brought home to Christ is of a saving nature and hath saving effects First It is in its own nature as saving as any Grace in the will or affections for it is a work of the same spirit and wrought for the same end to bow the soul to Christ It is an essential part of that Image of God after which we are renewed Colos 3.10 And have put on the new man which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him So that this light differs not only gradually but specifically from the highest light that is in hypocrites and formal professors A hypocrite may have much notional knowledge great measures of light in spiritual things from the common work of the spirit but in the highest degree of it it is not saving for as to saving light so he is in darkness until now Secondly It hath saving operations and effects and that both as to believing and obeying First As to believing They shall all be taught of God and what then John 6.45 every man that hears and learns of the father comes to me This coming to Christ is believing and this believing is the fruit of Gods teaching so that this is a saving operation Secondly As to obedience As it is said of the two blind men whom Christ cured that as soon as they had received their sight straight way they arose and followed him Matt. 20.34 David says the sun arises and man goes out to his labour till the evening Psal 104.22 23. when the sun of righteousness arises in the heart it is so So that this is a saving operation Now let this be a rule of tryal for young ones have you been prepared for subjection to Christ by a saving illumination do you know any thing of being called out of darkness into his marvelous light 1 Pet 2.9 can you say I was blind John 9.25 but now I see the soul that is savingly inlightened it sees that in sin it never saw before it sees that in Christ it never saw before That soul is far from the Yoke of Christ that was never inlightened with the light of Christ 2. The second thing is the convincing of the conscience Where the soul is brought to take up the Yoke of Christ it is the fruit of through convictions There must be a threefold conviction wrought upon the sinner before ever he will stoop to Christ A conviviction of sin a conviction of righteousness and a conviction of judgment this is through conviction and all conviction short of this leaves the soul short of Christ And therefore when ever the spirit of God comes to convince the soul to conversion he convinces of all these as you see John 16 8. When he is come he will convince the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment First He convinces of sin This is the next end of illumination He sets up a light to see sin and then applys the guilt of sin to the Conscience for though a man lies under the infinite guilt of sin and the dreadful wrath of God for it yet till the spirit of God do set this home upon a mans Conscience he never sees his condition nor considers with himself what to do No it is the being pricked at heart that causes this Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked in their heart and what then then they cry out men and brethren what shall we do And therefore the spirit first deals with a man about his sins so he did to the first sinners he opens their eyes to see their nakedness and shame their sin and misery before the seed of the woman is promised Gen. 3.10.15 There is one instance instead of a thousand and that is of Paul I call it so because he tells you that Jesus Christ set him up for a pattern in his dealing with sinners 1 Tim. 1.16 And therefore look how Christ dealt with him to bring him under his Yoke and so he deals with all Now the first great work upon Paul was conviction of sin The Spirit of Christ by the word set sin home upon his Conscience and there the work began This is meant by the coming of the Commandment Rom. 7.9 When the commandment came sin revived and I dyed You may see it more particularly expressed in Acts 9.3 4 5 6. There shined round about him a light from heaven and he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me and he said who art thou Lord and the Lord said I am Jesus whom thou persecutest it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks And he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me do Here 's a light and a voice there shined
a light from heaven and he heard a voice this did the work Here 's illumination and conviction The light makes the blind eye to see and the voice makes the deaf ear to hear The voice comes through the light And what says the voice Saul Saul why persecutest thou me I am Jesus whom thou persecutest There are two things in this voice First It singles out the person and applies guilt in a particular manner Saul Saul why dost thou persecute me Secondly It singles out a particular sin and that is his persecuting Christ in his Saints And upon this the conviction sticks and fills him with terrour he falls a trembling and is astonished and crys out Lord what wilt thou have me to do Now pray mind the manner of Christ's dealing with Paul was exemplary it was to be a pattern He tells us so 1 Tim. 1.16 For this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe It is as if he should say look how God dealt with me singled me out stopped me in the heat of my wickedness applyed guilt particularly to me and so made me see my self lost So he will deal with all such sinners as he brings home to Christ I am set up for a pattern So then there are these two things in conviction as we may learn from this patern 1. A singling out the person charging sin particularly thou art the man And indeed where conviction of sin is throughly wrought the word is as particularly applyed to the soul as it was to Saul when it called him by name and it is this that is called the coming of the commandment It comes home and singles out the sinner as if it said thou Thomas thou John 2. There is in conviction most commonly a setting home some particular sin upon the Conscience For we say Generalia non pungunt convictions don't lye in a general charge Indeed in the progress of the work all sin is set home Isai 4.4 for the spirit is a spirit of judgment and therefore every sin must come under the judgment of the spirit He holds the glass of the Law before the sinners eyes till he makes him see all not only the sins that break out but the lust that is within not only the wickedness of his life but the plague of his heart and the sin of his nature But yet he first begins with some particular sin And usually though the methods of the spirit are herein very various he begins with some chief sin Thus when Christ would deal effectually with the woman of Samaria he begins with that which was her chief sin her living in Adultery John 4.18 The man thou now hast is not thy husband Thou hast had five Husbands and yet after all thou livest in Adultery This word struck her to the heart and by this she was led into a sight of all her sins for said she v. 29 Come see a man that told me all that ever I did Thus he dealt with those Jews Acts 2.23 37. and thus with Paul as I shewed you And indeed there is admirable wisdom and grace in this That sin which is a mans chief sin he will stick fastest to and part with all other to save the life of that and therefore the work of conviction is never effectual till a man be made throughly sensible of that Besides that sin that a man loves most he will act most and that wounds Christ most Now the spirit takes that arrow that wounds the heart of Christ most and makes it fall upon the head of the sinner that shot it against him Thus God happily out-shoots us in our own bow whilst the arrows of our sins that wound Christ's heart are taken and made the arrows of the almighty to stick in us and drink up our spirits Job 6.4 This is the usual way of the Lord. Nor can it be proved out of the Scripture that any who have arrived at capable years have ever been called home to Christ any other way than by conviction of sin first It may be with some it hath been in a more secret and gentle way or it may be the remedy hath been propounded together with the discovery of the malady so that some have not been able to distinguish of things yet this doth no way enervate the truth of what we affirm And though we read in Scripture of some that were effectually brought into Christ whose convictions we read nothing of as Lydia and Zacheus c. Nortons Orthod Evangelist p. 139. yet it doth not therefore follow that they were not convinced of sin before their receiving Christ because their convictions are not mentioned It must necessarily be supposed for that no man can close with Christ without a sight of the need of him and no man can see the need of Christ with a sight and sense of sin They that be whole need not a Physician but the sick Matt. 9.12 And Christ says V. 13. he came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance that is sensible sinners Isai 40.3 This is that which prepares the way of the Lord into the soul and makes strait in the desart a high way for our God Here then you have another rule to try your selves by Have you ever been prepared for a close with Christ by a through conviction of sin hath the Spirit of the Lord been at work in your hearts have you ever felt the commandment come with power have you ever been made to see your selves lost thus it hath been less or more with all that are brought to take up Christs Yoke conviction of sin must first make us weary of sins Yoke before ever we can take up Christs Yoke Secondly Nor is this enough to bring the soul to Christ but there must be a conviction of righteousness as well as of sin or else the work would be spoiled and to no purpose save to bring the soul to despondency The spirit would not only be a spirit of bondage but a spirit of despair and therefore he doth not only convince of sin but also of righteousness both of the need the sinner hath of it and of the fulness of it First Of the sinners need of it And indeed when a man is thus sick it is easy to shew him the need of a Physician Only the misery is we are apt to use wrong remedies When a disease is desperate we run to such Physicians as are next like the poor woman with her bloody issue Mark 5.25 runs from one Physician to another and what is she the near why the issue of her purse was dryed up but not her issue of blood she spent all she had upon them V. 26. and yet grew worse And it will always be so in these maladies no created medicine shall avail in that disease which Christ himself will have the honour
of curing And therefore purposes resolutions legal repentings self righteousness and all self devised means which the sinner is wont to run to for ease in this case Job 6.20 shall be in vain and to no purpose This is another degree of the spirits work whereby all the proud helpers do stoop under him as it is Job 9.13 he makes him see himself lost and no help at hand that so he may go for help where God hath laid it Psal 89.19 I have laid help upon one that is mighty And indeed nothing so convinces the soul of the need of Christs righteousness as the experienced insufficiency and emptiness of all other remedies Then shall they know that I am the Lord when is that when all her helpers shall be broken Ezek. 30.8 And for a poor thirsty soul to find all brooks dryed up and failing oh what would he then give for one draught of this living water Secondly He convinces of the fulness of this righteousness that there is enough in it to justify and save the vilest of sinners that lay hold of it For it is an infinite righteousness so that no sin can exceed it and it is an everlasting righteousness so that no sin can wast it And indeed there is nothing becomes a more sutable incouragement to a soul made empty and naked and stript off all than to see a fulness of righteousness in a Redeemer For that is the first question an undone sinner makes about Christ What is he what hath he done what is the virtue of his blood is he able to save and recover such an undone wretch as I am justice I dread but can't satisfy it mercy I need but can't merit it I have an unsupportable burden of guilt but can't remove it can Christ remove this curse and make my peace with God can he be a City of refuge to me from that avenger of blood that pursues me Now in answer to all these solicitous inquiries of a soul distressed by sin the spirit convinces of righteousness of the infinite fulness and satisfactoriness of it by an undeniable argument for that it hath satisfied the infinite justice of God as appears evidently in this that he is gone to the Father John 16.10 and ye see him no more Here then you have another rule to try by they that have taken up the Yoke of Christ are such as have been made to see the need of the righteousness of Christ That this and none but this can stead the soul Now pray consider have you that are young ever been convinced of righteousness may be you have been convinced of sin alas what is that without this you have felt the wound but have found no plaister and however you have skinned it it is far from healing Have you ever been made to see the need the fulness of Christs righteousness that your all as to life and hope lies there that this righteousness hath fulfilled the law of God for you that this righteousness hath satisfyed the justice of God which you could never have done that this righteousness hath not only redeemed you from Hell but hath purchased for you all Grace and Glory Grace here and Glory in Heaven and that this is the righteousness you must be found in if ever you are taken into favour with God this is the true notion of being convinced of righteousness Now what do you experience of this work of the spirit for let me tell you it is not enough to be convinced of sin but it must be of righteousness also this is as needful as that to bring you to Christ Many are convinced of sin and what do they under such convictions why they betake themselves to repentings and hearing and praying and reforming and then think the wound is healed and their state safe Ah poor creatures this though good in its designed and appointed use if this be all they have to trust to it is as surely a way of perishing as any other Why then do so many betake themselves to this way and rest in it alas it is because they never were convinced of righteousness and they that were never convinced of the righteousness of Christ never yet took up the Yoke of Christ Thirdly Nor is this enough to bring the soul into subjection to Christ to convince it of sin and then of righteousness but it must be convinced of judgment too What is that you 'l say not to meddle with the various senses that others give of it By judgment here I understand the work of grace and sanctification in the Believer And indeed I see not how any other of those senses that are commonly put upon it can so well agree with it as this for the office of the spirit here is to carry on the work of conviction so as to put honour upon Jesus Christ in all his offices In convincing of sin he puts honour upon him as a Prophet in convincing of righteousness he puts honour upon him as a Priest dying for sin and in convincing of judgment he puts honour upon him as a King renewing and working Grace in the heart And the Holy Ghost uses the same word in the same sense elsewhere As in Matt. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not break and smoaking flax shall he not quench till he send forth judgment to victory till the work of sanctification be prevalent over all lusts and corruptions So that by judgment the work of sanctification is intended and the following words clear it John 16.11 for then the Prince of this world is judged And indeed there is as great need of conviction of judgment as there is either of sin or righteousness for if a man be not convinced of sin he will never be weary of it if he be not convinced of righteousness he will never seek it and if he be not convinced of holiness he will never labour after it When once a man is convinced of righteousness the next work is believing in Christ and when once he is convinced of holiness the next work is taking up the Yoke of Christ And therefore whereever any soul is brought to take up the Yoke of Christ it is the fruit of the spirits work convincing of the necessity of holiness So then here is another rule of tryal They that have taken up the Yoke of Christ are such as have been made to see a necessity of holiness as well as of righteousness That it is not enough to be pardoned and to have their persons accepted but they must be changed their natures renewed Indeed no man will take up Christs Yoke without such a conviction as this Convince him of righteousness and then he will seek to be saved by Christ but if he be not convinced of the necessity of holiness he will never be brought to obey Christ Many a man is convinced of sin and yet not convinced of righteousness that man never comes to Christ And many are convinced of sin
pray against his sin as it is said Austin did in his Natural State who was afraid that God should grant his request He prayed one thing and desired another But he prays as David did wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Psal 51.2 Oh the sighs and groans that a gracious heart sends up to God under the load and burden of sin We groan being burdened 2 Cor. 5.4 Hence that of the Apostle Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death never did poor Prisoner more long and wish to be freed from his chains then the Believer doth to be rid of his sins None can know what the wrestlings of a gracious heart are with God against Corruption but they that have been wearied with the burden of it 2. He mourns and sorrows under it as the daily burden of his Soul Grace softens the heart and then sin makes it mourn They shall be on the mountains like Doves of the valleys all of them mourning every one for his iniquity Ezek. 7.16 And this is sorrow of the right kind There is a great deal of sorrow caused by sin that is not right therefore the Apostle speaks of being made sorry after a Godly manner I rejoyced not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to Repentance for ye were made sorry after a Godly manner 2. Cor. 7.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ye sorrowed according to God And it is known from all other sorrow By its object and that is sin Sin more than any thing and special sin more than any sin 1. Sin more than any thing more than suffering more than affliction more than Hell Nothing in the world causes that sorrow in a gracious heart as sin doth Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight sayes the poor prodigal Luk. 15.21 he doth not say I am full of wants ready to famish for bread but here is his wound father I have sinned So as it was with David 2 Sam. 24.10 I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee take away the iniquity of thy servant He doth not say take away this judgment this pestilence nay he is willing to bear it ver 17. Lo I have sinned and done wickedly but those Sheep what have they done Let thine hand be against me He is willing to indure the smart so as God would remove the guilt He would quietly bear his hand in chastisement for sin so that his heart were but towards him in the pardon of sin It is not smart but guilt that is the chief cause of sorrow in a gracious heart Now the hypocrite cryes out more because of smart then guilt Punishment causes sorrow when sin doth not Pharaoh is under a plague of Frogs and he presently calls for Moses and Aaron and what must they do Intreat the Lord that he may take away the frogs from me Exod. 8.8 he doth not say that he may take away my sin from me he was very sensible of the plague of frogs but had no sense of the plague of his heart So that here you see the difference between David and Pharaoh David is for the taking away of sin rather then of judgment Pharaoh is for the taking away of judgment but not a word of the taking away of sin 2. True sorrow for sin is more for special sins then for any other sin Though all sin is matter of sorrow yet special sins above all And it must needs be so for by these God hath been most dishonoured By these he hath so often broke with Jesus Christ By these he hath given the deepest wounds to his own Conscience By these Satan hath so long maintained his power and rule in the Soul And so easily insnared and overcome him The hypocrite never sorrows for his special sins His sorrow as it is feigned so it is either for some petty sins or such as are common to him with others But he feels no remorse for his bosom lusts nor comes near to that which is the chief cause of controversie between God and his Soul His beloved lust lies secure in his heart without the least disturbance or notice taken of it 3. He maintains a constant conflict against sin And this is a natural effect of hatred for hatred stirreth up strife Prov. 10.12 hence ye read of striving against sin Heb. 12.4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is a military word and implies an opposing and fighting as against an enemy to whom a man is resolved not to yield And the enemy is here said to be sin which is the greatest enemy in the world and makes the fiercest war for it wars against the Soul 1 Pet. 2.11 against the grace of the Soul against the peace and comfort of the soul against the life and salvation of the Soul Hence it is that the life of a Christian is a continual warfare The Age that men observe in Civil Wars is from sixteen years old to sixty but this war commences from the first moment of taking up the Yoke of Christ to the last moment that a man lives in the world Every man that is born again is born a man of strife as Jeremy speaks in another sense he keeps up 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jer. 15.10 a truceless war with sin Cant. 6.13 what is the company of two armies in the Shulamite but the lusts of the Flesh and the Graces of the Spirit in continual conflict and opposition of each other So the Apostle explains it Gal. 5.17 The Flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the Flesh And mark the Tense it is not said it did lust viz. at the first working of grace or it will lust viz. when grace is come to more strength and maturity but it lusteth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the present Tense and so it notes two things 1. That so soon as ever Grace is wrought in the heart it shews it self in strifes and contests with lust and corruption it lusteth against the Flesh or else it is not Grace 2. That this contest once begun will never end so long as any one lust remains in the heart Nor can it for this hatred of sin wrought by grace in the heart is so radicated in the new nature and so essential to it that as grace is increased so this hatred is heightened and needs it must for all hatred springs from love amor odii causa it is love to God and Christ which works to hatred of sin and therefore as love grows stronger so our hatred of sin still grows greater so that this contest can never end but in the death and destruction of every lust Other enemies a Christian can love and pity and forgive and pray for but he hath no pity for sin It is a hatred wrought by the Spirit of God which is full of indignation and revenge What indignation it wrought in you yea
what revenge 2 Cor. 7.11 Hence it is that he is so conversant and constant in the use of Ordinances his great end is to subdue and weaken lust under all First He uses the word to this end for this is the sword of the Spirit Eph. 6.17 and in conflicts either with corruption within or with Temptation without there is none to that No man was ever overcome either by Corruption or Temptation so long as he kept close to the word I write to you young men because ye are strong and have overcome the wicked one 1 Epist John 2.13 Here is an evidence of their strength their overcoming the wicked one But where lies their strength that is intimated ver 14. I write to you young men because ye are strong and the word of God abides in you and ye have overcome the wicked one The abiding of the word in the heart implies the power and virtue of the word taking hold of the heart and there it is mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds 2 Cor. 10.4 The abiding of the word in the heart includes every part of the word precepts promises and threatenings and the Believer makes use of all to subdue lust 1. The Precepts of the word where all sin is forbidden Hath God forbid sin and shall I indulge to it ought not his word to be my rule can I be true to God and transgress his Precepts what is sin but a transgression of the law 1 Joh. 3.4 and shall I dare to invade the rights of God and deny his Sovereignty Thus his heart stands in awe of the word Psal 119.161 2. The promises of the word he makes use of them to incourage hope and hope purifies the heart 1 Epist John 3.3 Hath God made such promises so many so great of this life of that to come and all to incourage the Soul to dye to sin and shall I live in it and so frustrate my hope in the promise Hath God so often promised Heaven and Glory to such as mortifie sin and shall I live to the Flesh and dye Thus having these promises 2 Cor. 7 1. he labours to be cleansed from all filthiness both of Flesh and Spirit 3. He makes use of the threatenings of the word as an incentive to fear for by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil Prov. 16.6 Thus the law of his God is in his heart so that none of his steps shall slide Psal 37.31 Secondly He uses the Sacraments for this end both Baptism and the Lords Supper 1. His Baptism he reflects upon it as a token and seal of that Covenant wherein God hath made himself over to him to be his God and in which God requires a forsaking of all sin and by his owning this Covenant he hath taken God for his God and devoted himself to live to his will and therefore looks upon himself as strictly ingaged against every lust and for this cause labours daily to put off the body of the sins of the Flesh Col. 2.11 2. The Lords Supper here by Faith he sees Christ Crucified for sin and how can this but make him hate sin and heighten his rage and indignation against it shall Christ dye for my sins and shall I suffer any lust to live that had a hand in his death Besides this Supper is a solemn renewing of Covenant with God and no man can renew Covenant with God but he must solemnly ingage to hate and renounce all the lusts of the Flesh Thus the Christian uses and improves every Ordinance to carry on the contest against sin that so he may mortifie and destroy it 4. His hatred of sin appears in his purposes and resolutions against it The Covenant with Hell and Death is now broken and he resolves never to say a confederacy to the lusts of the flesh any more When he is at any time surprized by sin as sometimes he is he hates it the more and it causes him to issue out a practical decree for God like that of David I said I will take heed to my ways that I sin not Psal 39.1 When once a man hath truly taken up the Yoke of Christ the resolve and bent of his Will is never to sin more Though a Believer cannot promise absolutely not to sin yet he may fully purpose not to sin So did David I am purposed my mouth shall not transgress Psal 17.3 No man can be said to hate sin that doth not purpose against it and he that doth not hate sin his heart is not right with God And this is one of those fruits of subjection to the Yoke of Christ whereby judgment may be made a posteriori Now I would to God that young ones would try themselves by this Character What is the disposition of your heart towards sin do ye make it your work to search out sin do ye labour to know more of your secret lusts and carnal frames and deceitful hearts this every one that is under Christs Yoke doth Do ye accuse and charge your selves home before God for sin and is it done freely and in sincerity and brokenness of heart this every one that is under Christs Yoke doth Do ye hate sin with a hatred of abomination I so as to loath and turn from sin and is it from all sin and do ye hate it with a hatred of enmity do ye pray against it do ye mourn under it do ye keep up the spiritual conflict striving against sin and using means of Grace and Ordinances to keep down sin this every one that is under Christs Yoke doth Is the bent and resolution of your soul against sin have you taken up fixed purposes never to live to the lusts of the flesh more thus every one that is under the Yoke of Christ doth By this then every one may make a judgment whether ever he hath taken up the Yoke of Christ or not 2. It may be known by living to God in a course of Holy Obedience Whoever hath truly put on the Yoke of Christ makes it his work and business to live to Christ there is such a Principle of grace infused that obedience becomes natural And this obedience is an infallible sign of your subjection to Jesus Christ and therefore a fit medium to try your State by For 1. What better Testimony can there be of our subjection to Christ than that which evidences the work of holiness in the heart Now obedience in the life is a sure evidence of the work of holiness within It is the natural fruit of the feed of God sowed in the good ground of an honest heart Holiness is an inward frame obedience is an overt act proceeding from it Holiness is the Divine Nature planted in us Obedience is the fruit that grows upon that Root Holiness is our Conformity to the nature of God Obedience is our Conformity to the will of God And nothing can prove our participation of the divine nature like our subjection
and of righteousness and yet are not convinced of judgment these see the need of the blood of Christ to take away guilt but they see no need of the Grace of Christ to renew their hearts and these will never take up the Yoke of Christ But when the spirit of the Lord carries on the work to a through conviction both of sin and of righteousness and of judgment then it is that the soul is made willing to take up the Yoke of Christ And this brings me to the third preparatory work whereby a man is fitted to take up this Yoke 3. The third thing is the inclining the will There can be no taking up the Yoke of Christ till this be done for wherein lies our subjection to Christ but in a consent of will to take him for our Lord as well as our Saviour and yielding a ready obedience to his laws as well as relying on his merits And herein the most difficult part of conversion lies to bring the will to a free subjection to Jesus Christ There is no part so vitiated and corrupted by the fall as the will The blindness of the mind the stupidness of the conscience is not so great as the obstinacy and rebellion of the will By nature we are willingly subject to no Law but the Law of the members to no will but the will of the flesh Israel would none of me Psal 81.11 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 had no will to me We will not have this man to reign over us Luk. 19.14 Ye will not come to me that ye might have life John 5.40 It is not subject to the Law of God nor indeed can be Rom. 8.7 There is that enmity and opposition that reluctancy and stoutness of spirit against Christ and his ways such proneness to evil and aversness to good such strong prejudices such deep reasonings such solicitations of Satan such downright rebellion that a voluntary subjection to Christ is an impossible thing Psal 110.3 till God puts forth the all conquering arm of his power and subdues the soul to himself So desperately bent is the heart of every natural man against Christ and so strongly under the impulsion of indwelling lust to vitious practices that neither the promises of life and salvation can allure it nor the threatenings of Hell and Damnation deter it no fear nor hope no danger nor reward can stop it till an Almighty power do it And therefore to talk of moral suasions as sufficient to subdue and bring the will over to Christ is an idle dream of such as either never felt the day of Christs power in their own souls or else contradict their own experiences There is no power can reach to pull a man out of the hands of his sin but the power of the spirit of God As no man can convert himself so no means can reach to do it by the same reason that any one man perisheth in the enmity of his will to Christ and holiness all men would if left to themselves because there is the same original enmity to the things of God in all as there is in any And therefore the government of Christ in the soul is not by choice and consent first had but by power and conquest As it was with Israel God promiseth them the land of Canaan for a possession but it was not a land uninhabited that they might go and possess at pleasure without any more to do no but the Canaanites and the sons of Anak dwelt there and had it in possession and therefore if they will have it they must fight their way into it Thus it is here John 17.6 the elect are Christs by donation given to him by the Father and his by right of Redemption for he dyed for them and bought them with a price 1 Cor. 6.20 but yet Satan hath the possession and by the power of sin and lust detaineth Christs right So that if Christ will be possessed of his right it must be by conquest And therefore his first entrance into the heart is by way of victory Hence ye read of one sitting upon a white horse with a Bow and a Crown and he went forth conquering and to conquer Rev. 6.2 This is the Lord Christ He is said to sit upon a white horse a horse betokens war a white horse betokens victory and triumph And he is said to have a Bow and a Crown the Bow is an instrument of war the Crown is a token of Government The Bow stands before the Crown to shew us that where-ever Christ reigns in any heart it is by conquest and victory first obtained The Bow makes way to the Crown Every Soul is first a Captive to Christ before it is a Subject Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Cor. 10.5 VVe never submit to his Scepter till we are first overcome by his power They shall be a willing people in the day of thy power Psal 110.3 It is a mighty power that brings the sinner to a submission and resignedness of will to Christ The Soul is first Captivated by his power and then freely submits to his termes This Royal Fort of the will is never yielded up nor the everlasting doors of the heart set open for the King of glory to come in till his power makes way for his presence and therefore this King of glory is said to be The Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in battel Psal 24.8 It is his mightiness makes him appear glorious We should never own him nor open to him as King of glory if we did not feel his might by way of victory He alwayes first makes his entrance as the Lord strong and mighty and then the everlasting doors are set open to him to come in as King of glory So that it is manifest that the Government of Christ in the heart is first by way of conquest Not that this is done by any violent compulsion it implies a contradiction that the will can be compelled but by a supernatural power sweetly attemper'd in its manner of working to the nature and disposition of the will whereby the obstinacy is cured the enmity taken away and the will brought over to a free submission to Jesus Christ Thus God works in us to will Phil. 2.13 So that it is an act of omnipotent Grace in regard of God and yet the will hath still the dominion of its own act It is not forcibly compelled but worketh by a self-motion to that to which it is actuated by the power of Divine Grace And when the mind is thus savingly inlightened and the Conscience effectually convinced and the will by the powerful quickening of God sweetly framed for a full conformity and obedience to the divine will then is a man throughly prepared and fitted to take up the yoke of Christ And this is one way by which you may make a judgment in this matter If the mind hath been savingly inlightened
If the Conscience hath been effectually convinced of sin of righteousness and of judgment And if the will by a powerful touch of God hath been throughly subdued to the Divine Will then are you brought under the Yoke of Christ And this is a judgment a priori by such things as always precede an actual subjection to Christ and are causal of it CHAP. XIV Shews our subjection to Christ by such signs as are the Genuine Effects of it 2. WE may make a judgment a posteriori By such marks and signs as are the natural effects and proper fruits of subjection to Christ Effects bear witness to their causes the reflection of the Sun-beams upon the Earth proves its shining without looking upward And this to weak and less discerning Christians may be the most proper measures to try their State by VVho desires a better proof of Life then Sense and Motion or better Knowledge of a Tree then by its Fruits if the Tree be good Mat. 7.20 the Fruit will be good By their Fruits ye shall know them Now there are two things which are the constant effects and natural fruits of this Yoke of Christ and they are dying to sin and living to God Putting off the old man and putting on the new Crucifying the Flesh and Sowing to the Spirit And where ever a man is brought into subjection to Jesus Christ these are the inseparable effects of it by which it may be known First then take the temper and disposition of the heart towards sin for a rule of tryal He that bears Christs Yoke will no longer bear sins Yoke VVhere the one is once put on the other is dayly putting off There is an irreconcileable odds in every man that is under the power of grace to sin and lust and it appeares 1. In searching out of sin let us search and try our ways Though a good man knows much evil by himself yet he desires to know more Though he sees many lusts and corruptions in his heart yet he is sensible that there are many he sees not for who can understand his errours as we know but in part of the things of God 1 Cor. 13.9 so we know but in part of the things of our own hearts First convictions discover much but not all they leave much sin undiscover'd and of the sin that is discovered there is much evil in it that is not Hence that of Job chap. 13.23 How many are mine iniquities and sins make me to know my transgression and my sin It is a great mistake to think the convincing work of the spirit is over when once it hath discovered to a man his sinful estate and brought him to close with Jesus Christ there is need of conviction in order to Sanctification as well as in order to Conversion There are sinful frames of heart as well as a sinful estate and though a Believer need the convictions of the Spirit but once as to his sinful estate yet he needs them always as to the carnal frames of the heart Therefore he cryes out that which I see not teach thou me Job 34.32 As there is a height and depth in the love of Christ Eph. 3.18 19. which passes knowledge so there is also in the lusts of the heart And as it is the light of the Spirit which shews us the unsearchable riches of the former So he also discovers to us the unseen filthiness of the latter And this is a great reason why many good men complain of sin more after Conversion than they did before and still the more they grow into acquaintance with their own hearts the more they complain of indwelling lusts It is not because their lusts increase but because their light increases Not because they sin more but because they see more of sin As other Graces of the Spirit so that of Light is a growing thing and the more the light of the Spirit is increased the more of the evil of sin is discovered But notwithstanding their complaints of what they see yet still they desire to see more Though a Believer finds delight only in the fight of his graces yet he finds a profit in the knowledge of his sins There are two things which testifie aloud to the goodness of our state One is when we desire to feel more of the Grace of Christ the other is when we desire to know more of the hidden lusts of our own hearts The one makes us more humble and thankful the other makes us more vigilant and watchful This is one thing the hypocrite fails in he never searches to know his secret sins he prides himself in his seeming graces but he never searches to know his hidden corruptions He may boast with the Pharisee Luke 18. of his Fasting and Praying but he can't truly pray with David Search me O God and know my heart try me and see if there be any wicked way in me Psal 132.23 24. 2. This enmity in Believers against sin appears in the confession of sin whereby the Believer accuses and charges himself before God For this is a great blow to sin Confession is an act of mortification By our Law no man is bound to accuse himself but by the Law of God he is He shall confess that he hath sinned and shall bring his Trespass Offering Lev. 5.5 6. The Offering for sin is not enough without the confession of sin only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord. Jer. 3.13 The Antinomians are against the Confessing of sin in the Children of God and we have others leaven'd with the same Spiritual Pride they look upon it as a servile work below the dignity of a Christian State But till a Believer get above the committing of sin how can he be above the confession of sin it is a duty as needful as the labour of the pump is to the leaking vessel what the Ship leaks in the pump must cast out And therefore this hath been the practise of good men in all times not only of David 2 Sam. 24.10 Psal 32.5 Neh. 1.6 Ezra 9.6 Dan. 9. and Ezra and Nehemiah and Daniel c. in the Old Testament but of Believers in the New Testament VVe find not only young converts at this work Mat. 3.6 Act. 19.18 but the most eminent Saints Rom. 7.14 18 21. it is an indispensable part of true Repentance In some cases it is a duty to confess our sins to man Jam. 5.16 as in case of publick scandal to the Church Or of private injury to our Neighbour Or in case of Spiritual Troubles that so we may have the advantage of good mens Prayers and Counsels But it is in all cases necessary to confess sin to God Josh 7.19 It is a great Glory done to him It puts honour upon all his attributes My son said Joshua to Achan give glory to the Lord and make confession to him It is the way to stop the progress of sin While it is