sisters and not to the rest of my relations 2. Vse Is it so that the Lord Jesus Christ is the encourager of poor morning Seekers after himself Then it is a word of Comfort to young Seekers Be of good cheer as they said to the blind man for the Lord calleth for the Lord encourages you O all you morning Seekers be of good courage and wait on the Lord and he will strengthen your hearts I say wait upon the Lord. 1. Be of good comfort you are the travail of Christs Soul and therefore he will look after you His suffering was his travail O the pangs and throwes of a travailing woman We say such have hard labour O you poor young Converts inquirers after Christ he hath had hard labour for you O the pangs of his Fathers displeasure that he hath endured My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Here was one bitter pang and his Soul was sorrowful unto death There was another pang and throwes came upon him so fast that he died travailing for the Salvation and Redemption of poor Sinners Therefore we read that sweet word He shall see his Seed Isa 53.10 11. he shall have Seed come out of his sufferings which are called the travail of his Soul And is not this a great comfort He will surely encourage his own travail O poor Souls he hath travailed for you therefore he will encourage you 2. Second word of Comfort to young Seekers is this you are his joy his delight He shall see the travail of his Soul and be satisfied viz. it shall be matter of great contentation and delight to see his sufferings issue in the bringing forth a Seed and Remnant that shall be saved As one delights in his children so doth Christ in his young Seekers Behold Heb. 12.13 I and the Children thou hast given me which is spoken of Christ and quoted out of the Prophets He rejoyces you see in his Seed O what joy was there when the young prodigal returned home to his Father's The whole parable preaches this Doctrine A man delights in his youngest children As a man delights in his nursery so doth Jesus Christ in his garden he hath his young nursery 3. Word of Comfort to young Seekers He hath accommodated Promises to suit with the conditions of such O what a care had Christ of such that he would give Promises on purpose to such As to their weakness in Grace he would strengthen such poor bruised reeds as to the dispensations of God which they fear they are not able to keep pace with He shall carry the Lambs in his bosome they cannot go they are so weak he shall carry them As for the temptations within or without Out of the mouths of Babes and Sucklings he shall ordain strength to still the enemy and the avenger There is not any condition but you may find a Promise accommodated for that condition 4. Word of Comfort to morning Seekers You are Christs charge Behold I and the Children thou hast given me Heb. 1.13 Spoken of Christ Now upon the Fathers donation and the Sons acceptation they begin to be his charge therefore he is the great Trustee for poor Souls He stands engaged to give his Father an account of them all at the last day and will not Christ be faithful to his trust nay to the trust God the Father hath committed to him Therefore he loses not a soul They pass under the hand of him that tells them again all that God the Father hath told out to his Son the Son tells back again to God the Father 5. Word of Comfort to morning Seekers is this This argues the great love God bears to your Souls to call you betimes to call you while you are young O how many go down to Hell while the milk is in their breasts and marrow in their bones though young in years yet old in sin c. O at what a rate do some young ones sin How expert are they grown in that cursed trade And that thou should'st be called to seek after Christ in thy young dayes O what a comfort is this Here is one taken and another left O but sayes a poor Soul Alas I can get no comfort as yet I am a poor troubled Soul much cast down and dejected They that sow in tears shall reap in joy it is thy seed-time now therefore thou must not expect a crop presently the Seed must lie in the ground Let your Seed-prayers and Seed-tears lie in Gods hand a while Light is sown for the Righteous and joy for the upright in heart O but sayes a poor Soul I am followed with temptations since that I begun to seek after Christ and I know not what to do Poor Soul his rage is great because his time is short now thou art coming out of captivity to him he is pursuing thee to reduce thee to the old house of bondage thy temptations do argue the Lord Jesus Christ is about casting out of Satan therefore he is angry O but I am a poor needy creature Psal 40. ult well but doth not the Lord think of thee O but I am a weak Creature He will perfect strength in weakness out of the mouth of Babes Heb. 5.3 c. O but I am an ignorant Creature Well he can have compassion on the ignorant and them that are out of the way The last Vse is of Exhortation to Young Ones to seek the Lord betimes and make supplication to him If thou seek early after God the Word is Thou shalt find him Remember your Creator in the dayes of your youth Job 8.5 The word Seeking we find used in several places Significat quaerere diligenter cum cura Daresh est summo judicio quaerere So Eccl. 1.13 c. Leave all for Christ sell all for the pearl of price Seek him while he is to be found The third Observation we are now come unto from the words is this That morning Seekers shall be sure and certain finders They that seek me early shall find me to be sure such find me whoever miss of me they shall not 1. By morning Seekers is meant Job 8.5 Shahar aurare seu diluculare signifies diligently to seek or rise timely in the morning Prov. 11.27 one that seeks the Lord betimes So Job phrases it If thou seek the Lord and make supplication unto him To remember our Creator in the dayes of our youth Our youth is our morning time to seek Christ in our age is our afternoon now it is not so good seeking in the middle of the day nor in the afternoon as it is in the morning 2. By morning Seekers are meant such as do earnestly seek the Lord Jesus Are there any poor Souls that do more earnestly seek the Lord Jesus than such as give up themselves betimes to Christ Hos 6.15 In their affliction they will seek me early viz. they will seek me earnestly they will seek me in
an easie yoke by giving them to see a difference betwixt this yoke and the yoke of Satan And now sayes the poor Soul the yoke of Satan would have prest me down to Hell I should have drawn my self damned in the Devils yoke and O now how heavy do I feel it My sins are gone over my head as a burden yea as too heavy a burden for me to bear O now when a poor sinner compares yokes and burdens O how easie doth Christ's yoke become 4. The Lord Jesus Christ doth encourage young Seekers by giving them hearts to wait upon him and sweetly and secretly renewing their strength in waiting on him While there is a waiting Spirit there is encouragement this was the great encouragement of Jacob's Soul a wrestling frame was kept up in him Where-ever a Soul continues a waiter and wrestler there is hope it will come off conquerour therefore we read of that blessed Promise Isa 40.30 31. The youths shall faint and the young men shall utterly fall but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength strength comes in upon your waiting You young waiters he will not let you wait upon him for nothing if your hands wax weak he will strengthen them there shall be a secret invisible strength sent in that shall still keep you waiting O but may Souls say we shall be weary after a while for all this O no poor Souls you shall run and not be weary walk and not faint a poor young runner shall hold on and hold out That word in the Psalms is of the like comfort Psal 27. ult to waiters Wait on the Lord and be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart I say wait on the Lord. O but sayes the poor Soul I am discouraged I know not what to do I shall sink under them wait on the Lord and what then the Lord will strengthen thee in waiting against all thy temptations both within and without the Lord is good to them that wait for him and thou shalt find it so 5. The Lord doth encourage the souls of young Seekers by giving them tastes of his love for many times at first conversion he gives more of it than he doth afterwards this is to encourage Souls and draw them on more to love him and seek him and follow after him When the Prodigal came newly home at his first return O how he treated him Bring forth the best robe and put it on him and a ring on his hand and shooes on his feet If the Lord should not give young Seekers some sweet tastes of his love they would be discouraged in seeking after him But now they that taste how good and gracious the Lord is they come unto him 6. The Lord Jesus doth encourage the Souls of young Seekers by passing by and pardoning their infirmities in their approaches to him and graciously accepting and owning what is his There is something of Gods and something of their own in every duty and a great deal of their own to a little of Christs a great deal of dross to a little silver a great deal of water to a little wine and O sayes the poor young Seeker I am discouraged will the Lord accept of such an offering as this If thou shouldst offer this to thy Governour would he accept of it O poor Soul see what he sayes I have eaten my honey with my honey comb not only the honey but the comb because of the dross he doth not refuse all he knows how to separate the comb from the dross the infirmities of a duty from any thing of the spirit in a duty he will pick out what is his own and pardon what is thine 7. The Lord Jesus doth encourage the Souls of young Seekers by helping them to believe the precious Promises made to them There are not more precious Promises made to any sort of sinners or sort of people than to young Seekers after Christ. Is not this a precious Promise in the Text Of all persons you shall not be disappointed you shall seek and find â—â—â— 40.11 He shall carry the Lambs in his bosome and gather them with his arm and shall gently lead them that are with young O what a Soul-reviving-Promise is this are not Lambs weak creatures but in his bosome shall they get both warmth and strength The old Proverb shall not hold in this case The weakest go by the walls if they cannot go he can carry them and not carry them on his back but in his bosome which is the easiest carriage and the safest carriage O what a sweet shepherd is this that nourishes his Lambs in his bosome And is not that also a rich and glorious Promise A bruised Reed shall he not break nor shall he quench the smoaking flax until he bring judgement unto victory O poor Soul can there be greater encouragements than in this Promise What is a weaker thing than a bruised Reed what is a poorer thing than smoaking flax soon extinguished soon trodden out but the Lord will make weak ones strong weak Grace shall be victorious Grace thou art a poor weak worm it may be the Lord chooses things that are not to confound things that are 8. The Lord encourages such as are young Seekers of him by watering the buddings of his own Grace in their Souls Grace is so tender a plant that it will live in no soyle where it is not well watered it cannot be in any soyle but it must be watered He takes notice of the buddings of the Pomegranate or the opening of it When a poor soul begins first in its openings to desire after Jesus Christ in its faith in its love to Christ O then these are watered with precious quickning influences from above which makes them spring up and grow apace he breaths upon his young plants Blow O south mind that the spices may flow out these breathings are influences from the Spirit 1. Reason why the Lord Jesus Christ doth encourage young Seekers because in their first setting out to seek Christ they meet with most temptations O now when Satan is like to lose his prey how doth this greedy Lion roar when he sees he is like to be disappointed how doth he follow the Soul with wrath and rage Now the greater the rage of Satan is against poor Souls the more bowels hath Christ yearning towards them as it is his great office to succour those that are tempted When Christ was born in Jerusalem there was a great uproar O poor Soul thou wondrest what is the matter there is an uproar a tumult in thy own Spirit a combate within and thou begin'st to be restless in Spirit look'st up to God in this condition O what if Christ be forming in thy soul There are two things make Satan bestir himself against morning Seekers 1. It is his envy he is the envious one he envies the good and happiness of every poor Soul therefore he pursues thee
2. His pride that his dominion should be lessened that he should lose a subject this makes him rage 2. Reason why the Lord Jesus Christ doth encourage poor morning Seekers because he will allure them after himself This is the method of Jesus Christ to allure by encouragements young Converts This the Lord did with the people of Israel Hos 2.15 Therefore I will allure her into the Wilderness perswade her and sometimes it is called drawing with loving kindness have I drawn thee A poor Soul by being encouraged is allured after Christ spoken as some Expositors say after the manner of Lovers that give one another presents not only pledges but as baits to allure and inflame further affections Every encouragement the morning Seeker hath from Christ the more doth his love burn after Christ 3. Reason why the Lord Jesus doth encourage morning Seekers after Christ because this is the will of the Father and whatsoever is his Fathers will is his will they run into one another I and my Father is one Joh. 36.37 Thus he argues in that famous place I will in no wise cast out them that come unto me why this is the will of my Father God will have young Seekers encouraged who ever be cared for in the family the Children must 4. Reason because they are soonest discouraged O if poor Souls at the first work get not some little taste of love some comfort and refreshment alas their souls faint within them That is the reason he will carry the Lambs in his bosome they are soon wearied cannot go are prone to be tired and sit still O but this tender hearted Shepherd shall carry them that is the reason of that Promise he shall not quench the smoaking flax viz. he shall not carry it roughly but tenderly towards Souls under weak beginnings of Grace The smoaking flax is soon put out and the bruised Reed is soon broken so is a poor weak young beginner in Grace soon discouraged but the Lord shall not do it viz. he will do the contrary for it he will strengthen he will encourage it 5. Jesus Christ doth encourage young morning Seekers after himself because it is his own work in their Souls and he that begins a good work will carry it on Jesus Christ must needs encourage the breathings of his own Spirit in the Soul he is tender of his own begettings every Creature that begets seeks to maintain that life so doth Jesus Christ The work of Regeneration is called the New Creature it is of his Creation we are his workmanship created to good works in Christ Jesus God will encourage his own workmanship Application Is it so that poor morning Seekers are encouraged by Jesus Christ 1. It informs us then of the love of Christ that it runs to the weakest of Believers as well as the strongest of Believers to those that are in the lowest form in Christs School as well as those that are in the highest to the weakest of the flock as well as the strongest to the youngest children as well as the eldest There are three sorts of Christians as John ranks then Fathers young Men Joh. 12.13 and little Children 2. It informs us of the evil and sin of the desponding frame of heart which is often found with young Seekers viz. if they seek a little and find not at first then they are discontented and discouraged and then why should I wait any longer seek any longer pray any longer mourn any longer hear any longer O this is an evil frame of heart you see Christ is very loth you should be discouraged 1. This desponding and being discouraged argues much shortness and impatience of spirit in you that you are not willing to let the Lord alone with the management of his own work He that believes makes not hast Psal 40.1 2. A poor Soul may be too impatient after comfort and discoveries of love but David came to this frame of heart to wait patiently upon the Lord then the Lord heard his cry and delivered him out of the horrible pit 2. Doth not this speak much pride to be in the heart What is it but pride that you are not willing to wait Alas poor Souls should not you say as the Church did I will put my mouth in the dust if there may be hope What is non-subjection to the will of God but pride 3. It informs what is Ministers duties and Believers duties This was the charge of Christ to Peter and in him to the Gospel Ministry succeeding him feed my Lambs Joh. 21.15 There are some that concern themselves too little with the Lambs of Christ they are so taken up with the Hee-goats of the flocks that they forget there are Lambs in the flock that there are Hinds in the flock poor timorous creatures startled with any thing for so are the Hinds Can we write after a better Copy than our Lord and Master hath set us He carries the Lambs in his bosome and should not substitute Shepherds do so He took little children in his arms and should not we do so And this is also the duty of others Fathers and Mothers when you see any thing of Jesus breaking out any desires any good inclinations any convictions of sin O you should encourage these beginnings this is Christ-like and the contrary is Devil-like Herod-like which undoubtedly was stirred up by Satan to kill Christ in the cradle viz. while young to seek for the life of the young Child Pharoah-like to throw the Male Children into the River Pharisee-like neither to enter your selves nor let others enter Masters how should they encourage their Servants when they see any thing of Christ appear in them The day is coming you your servants will stand before the Lord to give an account how you have carried it towards them whether you have encouraged them or no and I am afraid the evidence of some Servants will be received against their Masters Are not such Masters monsters rather than Masters as shall way-lay the salvation of a servants Soul Would not the rich man have prevented the coming of his brethren to hell What can there be any love to Souls in hell Expositors tell us that their going thither would have added to his torments because by his example they had sinned O will not this add to your torments and misery in another world that you have been the occasion of so many poor Souls miscarrying under your roof 4. It informs us of the infinite condescention of Jesus Christ that he will look after poor young enquirers after poor morning Seekers Is not this condescention even to admiration to carry Lambs in his arms to nourish poor Lambs in his own bosome that he should trouble himself with such poor sinful worms May not such souls say how is it Lord that thou should manifest thy self to us and not to the world and not to the rest of my brothers and not to the rest of my
the morning because what is done in the morning is done with most vigour and fervency O! morning Seekers how vigorously in Soul do they seek the Lord Jesus they do not seek like Solomons sluggard as though they cared not whether they found or no but they seek with all their heart which we read a Promise made to Jer. 29.13 And you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your hearts 3. By a morning Seeker of Christ is meant a soul that the Lord is visiting with the day of his power The morning is the beginning of the day so the morning is the beginning of the work of Grace Hos 6.3 The morning of a day of Grace we read of the Goings of God prepared as the morning The morning light is gradual so is the dawnings of the day of Grace upon the Soul Pro. 4.18 as that word is The path of the Just is as the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day There is the dawning of the day and the perfect day When the day-star from on High first ariseth in the soul this is the morning Seeker it had not light to seek by until the day-star arose in the heart and now morning light is come in to let the soul see the misery of its dark and undone estate without Christ O now it is a seeker in this light after the Lord Jesus c. 4. By a morning Seeker is meant a Soul waiting for more appearances more arisings of the day-star in and upon the Soul Psal 130.6 As David saith My Soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that wait for the morning more than the watchmen that wait for the morning And thus as soon as poor Babes in Grace are begotten to Christ they are children of the light All young Converts are children of the light they are looking out for more light more light of Grace and more light of Comfort Thus doth a poor morning Seeker wait for light to shine into his dark heart 5. By a morning Seeker is meant a poor Soul that stands upon the watch-tower of Observation taking notice of the first breakin gs in of light as the watchmen waited for the first peep and dawning of the day that they might offer the sacrifice appointed for the morning So a poor morning Seeker is one that observes the first convictions that dawn upon it the first light of the spirit that shines into it and it stands by the crevise and will not away but here is such an Ordinance that God first convinced me by first illuminated me And thus the Soul keeps an observation of the gradual breakings in of light 6. By morning Seekers is meant a poor Soul in its first breathings out of the desires and wants of the Soul to Christ Psal 5.3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up Here is the morning a time for prayer I will order my prayer in the morning In the morning of a begun work of Grace O what directing is there of prayer to God A praying Soul is a morning Seeker Alas the Soul prayed not before but now a day of Grace hath visited it it may be said of him behold he prays 7. By morning Seekers is understood a Soul that looks out for some encouragement by way of answer to prayer In the morning will I direct my prayer and look up the word signifies diligently to look out for something that is coming towards us O! a morning Seeker enquires for some answer to prayer some encouragement to animate it in its pursuits after Christ 8. Lastly By a morning Seeker is meant one that seeks with hope and joy that seeks chearfully in expectation to find The Spirits are most chearful in the morning O how it glads the poor weary Centinel to think of the approaching day Thus it is with a poor Soul seeking Christ O thinks this Soul sorrow may continue for a night but joy comes in the morning Reasons why early and morning Seekers shall be sure and certain finders 1. Reason why early or morning Seekers shall be sure and certain finders because such are importunate Seekers and it is importunate praying that is prevailing prayer with God therefore we read that Parable teaching Souls how to seek for his importunity he arose and gave him Luke 11. the word is Impudence there is a holy Impudence that will not be said nay O! this God loves in all Seekers but especially in morning Seekers they are usually importunate 1. Young Seekers have strong corruptions to combate with The corruptions of youth are strong and when strong corruptions meet with strong convictions how should a principle of Grace live in the Soul but by importunate seeking Christ The stronger the corruption the more importunate the wrestling of the Soul under it strong corruptions where there is a begun work of Grace cause the soul to put forth strong crys and supplications 2. Usually morning Seekers are importunate Seekers because they have strong temptations We read of John writing to young men 1 Epist of Joh. 2.14 I write unto you young men because you are strong and have overcome the wicked one Then young Seekers are combatants not only with their own corruptions but the wicked ones temptations Paul when a messenger of Satan was sent him to buffet him what did he do He besought the Lord thrice viz. frequently or importunately Temptations will put upon importunate Seeking the Lord Jesus where there is a principle of Grace in the Soul O are not young mens temptations stronger than others The temptations of young men to vain company O how hard to overcome is this hath not this one temptation been the Rock that many a young man hath split his Soul on for ever Solomon setting out the sinful state of youth being led by the strange woman sayes I discerned a young man void of understanding but where was he Prov. 7.7 The Text tells you amongst the Simple Ones 3. Morning Seekers are importunate Seekers they are in their first love Love will be importunate I remember the kindness of thy youth Jer. 2.2 and the love of thine Espousals Their affections are strong 4. Morning Seekers are importunate seekers their convictions are strong Now where there are strong convictions there will be importunate Seeking morning convictions are strong convictions O now the power of the Lord takes hold of the heart and conviction is born in upon the Soul that it stoops under it Thus Ephraim as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke Jer. 31.19 20. I was ashamed yea confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth O what strong convictions are here and what now doth poor Ephraim do He mourns and prays Turn thou me and I shall be turned 5. Morning Seekers are importunate Seekers their oppositions are greater and stronger than
Souls You cannot slight the seasons of Grace but you slight your own Souls O that that word were daily before you What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul It is one of the first considerations usually that sets a poor sinner upon looking out after Christ What will become of my Soul if I dye in this condition Am I not eternally undone and then what am I better for all the trash I have gathered together What gaineth it the Hypocrite when the Lord shall take away his Soul 1. Consider your Souls are Heaven-born Souls from above breathed in by God and will you slight them 2. A spiritual being 3. An immortal being 4. A being that cannot be satisfied with any sublunary objects 5. A Soul capable of Communion with God here 6. Capable of the fruition of God hereafter 3. Vse is a word of examination or inquiry Are there some especial times and seasons in which Christ is willing to be found Then have ever your poor Souls found Christ in these times Is not this an inquiry worth following By being found of Christ I mean as the word explains it closed with Christ When Christ and a poor Soul meets a poor Soul takes Christ and accepts of him upon the terms of the Gospel and Christ takes a poor Soul for as there is a taking and receiving of Christ so there is a receiving on Christs side 1. If your Souls have found Christ then you have seen your Souls in a lost and bewildred condition this my Son was lost and is found He was bewildred in his far Country but now his return was his finding time Christ usually meets with the Soul in the wilderness I will allure her into the wilderness and speak comfortably to her Hof 2.14 O how is a poor Soul at its first finding Christ bewildred and lost cannot tell what to make of his condition sees nothing but misery before it sees nothing but Hell gaping upon him cryes out it is undone and without hope 2. If you have found Christ then you will sell all part with all for him Mat. 13.44 You read of the Merchant man that when he had found the Pearl of price he sold all to purchase it Some take it he sold all his sins he so dearly loved before parted with them Some take it he parted with all his own Righteousness which we are naturally as loth to part with as our Sins O thus did Paul when he accounted all things dung and dross in comparison of the excellency of Christ Jesus my Lord. They that have found the Lord Jesus they do not stand with him We read this was that which caused the young man in the Gospel to leave Christ he could not part with all he had great possessions Now you are like to be tryed whether you have found Christ or no. If you have found the Lord Jesus Christ you have not only been convinced of sin and so seen your lost condition but you have been convinced of Righteousness There are many poor Souls that stick at their convictions of sin and get no further and prove like foolish children that stay long in the place of breaking forth but all this while throws and pangs are put upon the Soul to prepare for the birth yet the Soul hath not closed with Christ The poor sinner is but now like a man convinced of his disease and sees his misery but is at an utter loss for a remedy O but now the convictions of the Righteousness of Christ to pardon and freely justifie the sinner this is the remedy A sight of sin without a sight of Christ is no converting work You may be convinced of your sins and dye in them and go to Hell in them When the poor Prodigal was found O then the best Robe viz. Christs Righteousness was to be fetcht forth and put upon him Now poor Soul did thou ever take thy flight to Christs Righteousness to be found in him When the poor Infant we read of was found out in its blood what did God sayes the Text he cast his skirt over it viz. the skirt of the robe of his righteousness 4. If you have found Christ you will now know how you part with him I found my Beloved sayes the Spouse O but it was after long seeking And now doth she hold him with as slack a hand of faith as she did O no I will hold him and will not let him go O now the Soul resolves nothing shall separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus 5. If you have found Christ you will commend him unto others and set him off to others that they may seek him also Thus did the Spouse This is my Beloved and she commends him in every part from Top to Toe And what is the fruit of this setting forth the excellency of Christ We will seek him with thee Lovers will be commending one another O how dost thou speak of Christ doth thy Soul tell others what a Beloved thy Beloved is what a blessed Christ thy Christ is and say this is my Beloved and this is my Friend We are now come to the third Observation It is the especial duty of poor sinners to observe those times in which Christ will be found seek him while he may be found c. There is but in time we say and out of time Mariners will observe their winds and be sure not to neglect them be it night or day if they be present Merchants will observe their Marts and not neglect them that they may buy the Commodities at the best hand Nay we read of other Creatures observing their times to stir up poor careless stupid man The Ant observes her time and in Summer layes up for Winter and the Prophet says The Swallow and the Stork know their appointed times Jer. 8.7 and observe the time of their coming O how doth God complain of man that his misery is great upon him because he knows not his time Eccl. 8.6 By observing of them we are to understand laying hold of them taking these times by the fore-lock and improving them to the utmost advantage for the spiritual good of your immortal Souls We read therefore that excellent Counsel of the Apostles Redeeming the time An allusion to Merchants that observe their Mart-times who will be sure not to neglect them Every poor believer and every poor sinner ought to be observers of the times in this sence They should observe when the Lord strives and breaths with their poor Souls in his Ordinances They should observe how the Lord allures and draws their hearts after himself Therefore it is we have such especial times pointed at by the finger of God that poor sinners might not miss of them God points at them in the word that they may be observed Now acquaint thy self with God There is but a Now for it a present time for it this lost Job 21.22 and thy
How hath the Name of God been blasphemed many times by the miscarriages of such And how may it be said of many Young Ones as was said of that Fig-tree Jesus Christ cursed Mat. 21.20 How soon is this Fig-tree withered away Where is your Zeal your Affections your Love your fervency for God for his Ordinances for Duties for Worship that once seemed to move upon your Spirits O consider of it young men that the wayes of God have been evil spoken of by your means And I may say to you as the Prophet to them This hath been by your means Mal. 1.9 3. The going back of such I have observed is a great stumbling-block to others a great discouragement to others to own the wayes of God O say such poor Souls shall not I prove as others have done make a fair flourish for a year or two bear green leaves and promising buds and blossoms but yet for all that brings forth no fruit to perfection And therefore such poor Souls rather sit still seeing so many that have been in a fair way of profession backslide and apostatize before them 4. Many poor Sinners have been hardned in their Atheism Profaneness and contempt of the wayes of God by seeing you fall off after that you have made some progress in the wayes of God Do not they conclude at the sight of such miscarriages that their conditions are good Deut. 29.19 though they walk in the imaginations of their own heart Do not they cry Peace Peace to their own Souls though they walk in Soul-undoing and destroying courses Take two young men One of them falls under some conviction of sin under the Ministry of the Word upon this Conviction he launches out into a visible Profession owns the wayes of God Hears Prays Reads repeats Sermons c. The other of them continues sinning on still senseless of his Soul kicks against the pricks still but he cryes his Companion will return to him again this is but for a fit a little melancholy or to please some party or other Well in a little time it proves thus the Professing young man becomes profane again returns with the dog to his vomit 2 Pet. 2.22 and with the Sow after once washing to her wallowing in the mire returns to his Onions and Garlick again O how this doth now harden the other poor Sinner in his dangerous and damnable state and makes him venture his Soul to live and lye and dye in it 5. I have observed such Young Men that once have tasted some thing of the Word of God and have laid under Convictions of Sin when they have fallen off and lost them they have grown harder after than before they have like the wicked men we read of grown worse and worse 1 Tim. 3.13 Such have out-stripped others in sin As Iron often heated proves harder so it is with such poor Souls and is not this a sad sight to see him a Drunkard a Swearer a Reviler a Scoffer at the wayes of God who once was a praying Young Man One that worshipt with those he now scoffs at and reviles If one had told thee while thou wert a praying a professing Young Man that thy Praying thy Hearing thy repeating Sermons would have ended thus would not thou have said as Hazael did to the Prophet 2 Kings 8.13 Is thy Servant a Dog O but have not a few years produced too many such instances 6. I have observed that as soon as many Young Ones have set forth under Convictions of a need of Christ to seek after him they many times have fallen into erroneous notions When Satan cannot keep poor Souls in profane practices he then will labour to poyson them with pernicious Principles And as the Devil hath his Nurseries to debauch Young Ones in their Practices so he hath his Nurseries to poyson them with pernicious Principles No sooner doth a Young Man become sober and serious but there are persons that are ready to drop their poyson upon them and so many poor Souls are set wrong at the very first setting out 7. I have observed Young Ones to be like foolish Children Hos 13.13 as the Prophet sayes to stay long in the place of breaking forth Especially Young Ones under Godly Education nursed up in Godly Families How long is it often before the work be a through-work upon their Spirits Alas how do their Convictions come and go for months if not for years some times not hearing of them and then another while Conscience being a Boanarges to them thundring forth the terrours of the Lord to them One while they are murdered another while they walk and make a dreadful noise in the Conscience Here poor Soul thou may see thy danger in delaying thy great work of seeking in thy prime and flower of thy youth 8. I have observed a great deal of pride grow up with the Profession of Young Ones O how often hath this been the mortal bane and poyson of many of their Souls How many have upon this Rock split their Convictions their Profession their Expectations with their Souls for ever Have not many poor Young Seekers been over-set by carrying too much sail Vpon their supposition of acquired gifts and parts how have they prided themselves untill as the Poets say of young Narcissus that he fell in love with his own shadow untill he pined away Have not many Young Seekers fallen into a Consumption by self-love and setting too high a price upon themselves Nay hath not this sin caused the Lord to suffer some of them to fall into some visible gross evil that might keep them little and low in their own eyes all their dayes Many have got a halt at the first setting out that they might be kept from self-exaltation 9. I have observed an untractable Spirit grow up with Young Ones to their Superiours and Guides which is a dangerous evil Doth this become young Travellers nay indeed any Travellers to cast off their Guides or to think they can get to their journeys end without observing the Counsels Conduct and the directions of such as are set over them in the Lord Are Ministers set over you to be your Guides are Parents are Masters set over you to be your Guides 1 Pet. 5.5 and will you prove untractable to these This is a great provocation to the Lord which occasioned that Exhortation of Peter's You younger submit your selves to the elder As it particularly relates to Ministers so it may refer to others At what door came in Erroneous Principles Heb. 13.17 at first and Licentious Practices Was it not at this when persons refused to obey and submit to them that were set over them in the Lord 10. I have observed that Satans grand Designs and Engines are laid so as if it be possible to prevent Jesus Christ having a Young Off-spring The Devil would not have Christ have any Nurseries any Young Nurseries where any tender Plants should be
and shall not find me They shall not seek and be disappointed they shall not seek and go without but they shall find me who ever miss of Christ of all the Persons in the World they shall not miss of him O what Encouragement is here to young Seekers of Christ This word in the Text we have rendred thus Job 8.5 If thou would seek God betimes if thou wouldest morning God Shahar diluculare Deum diligenter sedulò magno studio quaerere The Observations are these 1. That young Inquirers after Christ are much upon his heart 2. That Morning Seekers shall be sure and certain Finders 3. That usually in Souls morning lookers after Christ they meet with much discouragement This is strongly implied because Christ gives them this Promise by way of Encouragement We will begin with this last Let us enquire a little what these Discouragements are what are great Hindrances of poor morning Seekers 1. From within there are discouragements 2. From without 1. Discouragements from within 1. Strong Corruptions for as soon as ever the Soul begins to look out and enquire after Jesus Christ then doth Corruption begin to work more strongly than it did before 〈◊〉 corruption is more strong in young ones than in others and upâ—â— this occasion says the Soul Will 〈…〉 poor soul get over this mounâ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 Jesus Christ Alas there is 〈…〉 Lust betwixt me and Châ—â—â—◠〈◊〉 shall I not one day perish by the hand of Saul Will not these Sons of Zerviah be too strong for me O now says the poor Soul my Enemies are strong and lively as David said and thrust sore at me O poor Soul what though thy Corruptions be strong yet thy Redeemer is strong he is stronger than the strong man armed and that promise answers this discouragement He shall bring forth Judgment unto Victory Isaiah 42.3 though thou be but a poor smoak-ing flax and bruised reed yet thou shalt have the day over all thy Corruptions and will not such a day of Victory call for a day of thanksgiving I have read of a Victory called Victoria Hallelujetica upon this The Saxons here in England being to engage the Britains the Leader of the Britains being a * Germanus who came over from France to subdue the Pâ—lagian Heresie Godly Bishop having his Army in some Dales and Valleys ordered them to crie Hallelujah which they did and through the Eccho of the voyce in the Valleys the Enemy thought there was many more of them than there was and through fear fled O poor discouraged soul thou shalt have such a Victory over thy Corruptions as thou wilt for ever sing Hallelujah in Heaven for 2. Discouragement from within is weakness of Grace O! says the poor soul can such a weak Creature as I ever be able to seek Christ through so many difficulties every sin is too hard for me every duty too hard for me I may as well give over praying and hearing and contending against my sin for I find my self so weak I am ever and anon foyled O poor soul dost not thou know the Promise is made to truth of Grace and not only to the strength of grace bruised Reeds are within the Promise as well as strong Cedars the Lambs are under the Promise of his Bosome the weak of the flock this good Shepherd hath promised to strengthen the days of small things he will not despise weak ones are neither cast out nor cast off because of weakness if they be Children 3. Discouragement is sense of their own vileness and unworthiness O poor young ones at first setting out after Christ they are under their Humiliations for Sin a great piece of which Humiliation lies in the sense of their own Unworthiness thus it was with the poor Prodigal at his first coming home to his Father's House Lord Luke 15.19 I am not worthy to be called thy Son and as the Samaritan I am not worthy thou should come under my Roof O says such a poor soul Lord wilt thou be found of such a wrech as I such a vile wrech as I O poor soul dost thou not know that all sinners that come unto him though vile though wretched though miserable are to be welcomed by him And this as he is commissionated by the Father John 6.37 38. He will in no wise cast out them that come unto him and the strength and stress of all lies here this is the will of my Father Now Christ will be sure to act obedientially and faithfully to his Commission received of his Father Luke 14.21 Poor Souls were not the poor Gentiles who were Christ's Guests vile Hedgeway sinners High-way sinners the blind and maimed yet how doth Christ welcome such Guests to his Table Are you viler than these Alas poor souls you that are under the sense of your own vileness you come right to Christ unworthy of a Pardon of a good look of a good word as they came with Ropes about their necks to the King of Israel he usually accepts and pardons such 4. Discouragement from within is sense of former lost and buried Convictions While we are under Ordinances or we are under Afflictions O how ordinary is this and we are affected with these Convictions But one Temptation or other either within or without meets thee and the Conviction presently is buried the Soul hears no more of it it may be for a year or two but if the Lord have a gracious design upon thee he causes thy Convictions to rise again and walk again and O then the soul is troubled and discouraged Alas this Conviction is come again but will it not die as the last did It will not stay long O poor Soul yet this hath usually been the way of God to cause the second Convictions or the Return of convictions to do their work throughly O how many souls have found it so Though truly it is a wonder of mercies when first Convictions are smothered and extinguished that God ever blows them up and kindles them again 1 Sam. 3.7 God often doth with young Seekers as he did with young Samuel calls him again and again though we lie down and sleep again and again it is said he knew not the word of the Lord for he was young 5. Discouragement is fears of Non-perseverance that young ones meet with from within O say these poor souls what will become of us poor low Shrubs when we see such tall and strong Cedars fall Shall we ever be able to hold on in our way Shall we run and not be weary walk and not faint We shall never be able to continue to the far end to run the Race with patience that is set before us O poor Soul thy Perseverance in the ways of God is Jesus Christs Promise Purchase and Charge 1. He hath promised it Isaiah 40.31 they that wait on the Lord shall renew their strength even so as they shall run and not be weary nay if they cannot
too much to the dark side of the Cloud and say as the Prophet's man did Alas Master what shall we do 2 Kings 6.15 And the Propher prayed and his eyes were opened and then he saw the Mountains full of Horsemen and Chariots and now he crys out More are they that are with us than they that are against us O thus it is with many young ones they cry Alas what shall we do And are utterly discouraged until God come and open their eyes 3. Take heed you young Seekers under your discouragements of believing diabolical suggestions that shall be cast into your hearts against the ways of God O! Satan will be ever suggesting one thing or other into your hearts that Christ is a hard Master that his Commandments are grievous that the burdens of the command of the Cross are intolerable and that in the way to Christ are Mountains and Hills inaccessible too high for such short breathed Creatures to ascend or travel over And O how many poor souls by such suggestions have been exceedingly discouraged in their pursuits after Christ O but this is dangerous to take counsel of an Enemy would any of you do so in other Cases 4. Caution to young Seekers under discouragements Take heed of giving over seeking because you find not at first what you seek This poor souls are very prone to Why should I wait on the Lord any longer said that King O so say many poor souls why should we seek Christ any longer Pray any longer Hear any longer Solomon advises in this case dig for Wisdom as for hidden treasure and seek her as silver They that dig in such Mines as Gold and Silver do not give over because they find not it first O no! it lies deep and they must search with great pains and patience The poor woman sought her lost Groat till she found it O continue seeking to the far end till you find O it is very dangerous to give over you see the Promise is you shall find 5. Caution to young Seekers O take heed when you are under discouragements you do not murmure against God in your Hearts and say as those poor Israelites did would to God we had never come out of Egypt what was the matter They meer now with great difficulties and discouragements and their hearts fell a murmuring which in the New Testament is called a going back in their Hearts O this doth much dishonour God as if he could not in his own everlasting arms carry poor souls over all their difficulties 6. Caution Let young Seekers take heed of drawing up hasty conclusions against themselves because of present discouragements which they are very prone to do O how many poor souls rashly conclude for their part they are cut off and their hope is lost as David Psal 10.7 11. but he said in his haste all men are lyars so say many poor souls I doubt Preachers will be found lyars and flatterers unto me Alas did not poor Jeremy Jer. 15 18. under this discouragement break out into that sad conclusion against God Wilt thou be a lyar unto me and altogether as waters that fail So say poor young ones alas how should such weak worms as we are get through such difficulties and discouragements and as it is said of the Children of Israel in their Travel to the Good Land so may it be said of young Travellers Their Souls were discouraged because of the way Numb 21.4 2. Vse Is it so that morning Seekers of Jesus Christ meet with great discouragements then it is an Use of Direction what shall poor young Inquirers do under all their discouragements Young Travellers you know stand in need of direction and so do young Inquirers after Christ 1. Direction Under your discouragements be often looking up to Christ Rev. 1.11 as the Alpha and Omega of the whole Work viz. as the Author of it and finisher of it Did you ever understand the Glorious Name and Title of Christ I am the Alpha and the Omega what is the meaning of this it notes out the Deity and Eternity of Christ he is the first and the last so the most Interpreters but there seems to be something more in it it notes also the Stability and Omnipotency of Christ to execute threatnings and perform promises Isa 41.4.44.6 as you may see in the places quoted in the Margin That Christ who hath begun a good work is the Omega of it he will finish it Now do you look up to Christ to this very end under this very notion and title Lord Jesus the work is thine the hands of Zerubbabel as was said in that day hath laid the foundation and the hands of Zerubbabel must finish the building Lord the foundation stone Grace was of thy laying and so must the Top-stone of Glory also Do you thus say to Christ when you look up to him We have the direction expresly given us by the Apostle Heb. 12.2 Look up to Jesus as the author and finisher of our Faith Beza reads the Captain of our faith and looking The word signifies such a looking as calls off the eye from all other objects that represent the difficulty of the race and should not young Souldiers look to their Captain In the greatest discouragements that we can be under we must look to him therefore God sayes he hath given him for a Leader and Commander to the people Isa 55.4 He is called the Captain of our Salvation alluding to Joshua the great Captain of the Old Testament under whose Conduct the children of Israel marcht to the Good Land Well then poor Soul do you look to him for finishing the whole work This made Paul so confident of the poor Philippians 1 Phil. 6. being confident of this very thing that he who hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ 2. Direction to young Seekers under all their discouragements is this Be sure a good foundation be laid if there be not a good foundation your discouragements will sink you or else spoyle all your convictions You know they which built upon the sand when discouragements beat in upon them then the house fell but it was not so with the house upon the Rock Luk. 6.48 why what was the matter the house that fell digged not deep enough to lay the foundation and we read of the Seed that withered because it had not depth of earth Mat. 13.6 O but now a good foundation laid will bear you up under all your discouragments And what is the reason of the Apostasie of young ones who once have been warm in the wayes of God alas the foundation at first was not well laid If it be asked what I mean by young ones laying a good foundation I answer there is a two-fold foundation in this sense First there is a foundation as to state as to the state of an immortal soul and thus Christ is the
foundation there is no other foundation for the hopes of eternal salvation to be bottomed and built upon another foundation can no man lay says the Apostle and therefore the Rock the wise builders built upon was Christ O then be sure to let young ones get an interest in Christ be built upon him be bottomed upon him and then they will weather all their discouragements comfortably 2. There is a foundation as to Principles and Doctrinals after which young ones should look in their first seeking after Christ therefore we read of being built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets Jesus Christ himself being the chief Corner Stone this foundation was the Principles and the Doctrine of the Apostle therefore we read of the twelve names of the Apostles of the Lamb being written upon the twelve foundations of the New Jerusalem and alas how often do souls miscarry for want of Gospel Principles I never knew an unprincipled Professor but at one turn or other he would desert the Lord Jesus You young ones may have stirring desires some stirring affection and convictions but alas many times you neglect Principles When you meet with a discouragement you will fall back if you be not laid in with Principles Do not fish begin to stink first in the head If the Leprosie was in the head the High Priest was to pronounce him utterly unclean When Satan cannot keep youth in profaneness then he will labour to poyson them with Erroneous Principles 3. Direction to young inquirers after the Lord Jesus Christ is this Acquaint your selves with the promises of the Gospel and the way of Faith Mostly young ones over-look believing they follow humbling work so fast it is a piece of admirable skill to put them both together humbling work and believing work O but hard work is this to be humbled under the sense of sin and believe for the pardon of it at the same time Usually young Converts sorrow is too legal they are the sweetest tears for sin that flow from faith's eyes they shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn Young Seekers are all for mourning and little study the way of believing but go to the Promise and acquaint thy self with the fulness and freeness and sutableness and unchangeableness of the Promises these would be great helps to you in seeking after Christ. Let young ones acquaint themselves with two or three things in Promises 1. That Gospel Promises run to weak Grace They are prone to question whether the Promise belong to them or no why so O they are such weak Creatures have so little strength against sin so little power against corruption O but can thou say Lord here is truth of Grace and Lord I walk before thee with a true and perfect heart O poor Soul I tell thee the Promises run to uprightness in heart and truth in the inward parts 2. Let Young Ones acquaint themselves with this that Gospel Promises look over all unworthiness in their objects If thou be the object of Gods love Promises overlook all thy unworthiness how is his love free else therefore we see the Promises running down to the vilest of sinners O how doth this temptation of unworthiness stand in the way of many a Soul to Christ and hath kept many a Soul and Christ a long time at distance but we may see this answered in the Promise 3. Let them know that the accomplishment of Promises doth not depend upon any thing in the Creature but in God himself this hath been a great temptation to look for some qualifications in themselves and so they have been spinning some webb out of their own bowels but alas this can never be a garment to them God accomplishes his Promises for his own Names sake 4. Let Young Seekers 2 Cor. 1.20 under their discouragements know that all the Promises are Yea and Amen in Christ Jesus viz. they all receive in him a full ratification and accomplishment so that he is undertaker to see them all have their performance 5. Let Young Ones under their discouragements know that Gospel Promises will carry the Soul through all difficulties they can meet with in their way there is that in a Promise that will hold up the head when ready to sink in the very swellings of Jordan this made Jacob plead so hard with God in his difficulty that old Promise Lord did not thou say thou wouldst do me good therefore when Joshua had such hard service to go upon in the conquest of the Land of Canaan he gave him that Promise I will never leave thee and Abraham when to leave his Country I am God all-sufficient 4. Direction to Young Seekers under their discouragements study well the Righteousness of Christ This is very hard with young ones to get out of self O how many years are poor Souls before they get off the bottom of their own Righteousness they are prone to seek some things in themselves as Israel of old who sought to obtain Righteousness in a way of works but could not every temptation every objection is too hard for a poor Soul until it get acquaintance with the Righteousness of Christ but now when a Soul can call the Lord Jesus by that Name The Lord my Righteousness Jer. 23.6 in this Name every temptation every objection every doubt is answered in the Righteousness of Christ His Righteousness is opposed to our guilt If it be thy nakedness that is thy objection it is answered in Christ's Righteousness for it is the best robe if it be thy deformity here it is answered Christ's Righteousness is a Believers comeliness thou art comely with the comeliness that I have put upon thee this is the beautiful garment that a Believer puts on to go into the presence of God withall and now all deformity is covered The poor Infant in its blood thus was covered and rendred comely Is it thy filthiness that becomes an objection here it is answered the blood of Christ is cleansing blood who loved us and washed us in his blood 5. Direction to young Seekers under discouragements Let Jesus Christ hear often from you when should Jesus Christ hear from you but when discouragements are upon you these are to send you to Christ these are to bring you upon your knees We read of the Spouse crying to Christ 2 Cant. 14. where was she in the secret place of the stairs the Text tells us in a discouraged persecuted condition yet says Christ Thy voice is sweet and thy countenance comely O poor Soul under all thy discouragements Christ loves to hear from thee O but will he hear such a poor stubborn brutish creature as I have been Yea I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself poor Ephraim was discouraged and yet goes to God and cryes Lord I have a brutish heart Lord I have a stubborn heart as a Bullock unaccustomed to the yoke Jer. 31.18 yet Lord turn thou me here was his Prayer and O how
from seeking Christ because they were never truly numbled for sin In their first seeking him some transient convictions it may be they had but never truly humbled for sin O young ones look to this or else all your affections and desires will come to nothing you will see no worth in Christ no need of Christ if you be not truly humbled for sin Mat. 13.5 6. We read of that ground that had no root and what became of it it withered That house that digged not deep to lay the foundation what became of it Luk. 6. ult it fell and great was the fall of it 2. Many young Seekers go off from seeking Christ because they never see any real worth and excellency in Christ They have had it may be some flashes of affection but they never see Christ to be distinctly precious to their poor Souls Have you ever seen him to be the pearl of price the chiefest of ten thousand Can such souls who have fallen really in love with Christ fall off again Did thou ever see Christ a spiritual Christ It may be thou hast lookt upon him as a carnal Christ and hast known him as the Apostle saith after the flesh made only a notional Christ of him or an historical Christ of him O then it is no wonder if thou fall off from seeking of him 3. Many morning Seekers turn off from seeking Christ because profession grows too hot for them because of the heat of the day O it is fine travelling in the morning but after a while the Sun gets up and then it is with them as with that ground which by and by was offended when persecution arose Travellers take in in the heat of the day so I doubt do many poor young ones that have set fairly out after Christ 4. Many poor young Seekers fall off from Christ because they never truly and really closed with him Alas it is not your seeking Christ but your closing in with Christ will preserve you from falling off Have you chosen the Lord Jesus and received him Closing with him is called Job 1.12 receiving of him to as many as received him A poor Soul may be a seeker of Christ that is not a receiver of Christ 5. Many morning Seekers of Christ fall off again because they come after Christ with some reserve If you will be thus seekers of Christ you shall fall off at one time or other viz. I mean if you will reserve any lust Thus the young man came on to some terms with Christ but the market soon fell when he was told he must sell all and Judas followed Christ with a reserve usually reserves are sinners ruine Turn from all iniquity said the Prophet lest it be your ruine 6. Many morning Seekers fall off again because they seek him for themselves and not for himself and many do thus that are not aware of it this is but to bring forth fruit to your selves as Ephraim is charged with Hos 10.1 Do you see any loveliness in Christ any comliness in him Is he a plant of Renown to you Many seek him for loaves though in a more refined sence than there spoken of for his comforts for his discoveries of love for his smiles Mr. Rutherford I am more taken sayes one with my Lords manifested love than with himself This is to love him for what comes from him for his tokens 7. Many morning Seekers fall off again because they let other lovers in process of time steal away their hearts Many in the dayes of their youth have sought after Christ but after a while the heart hath been strangely and insensibly gone affections lost Christ not in all his thoughts why what is the matter The world it may be hath won in upon the soul or gaming or some other sin and now the Soul falls off as new suiters come on O poor young ones you will have many suiters many will court you and then you will be in danger 3. The next word of Inquiry If that morning Seekers shall be sure finders how comes it to pass the Lord Jesus hath so few Seekers One would think Jesus Christ would be thronged after as in the dayes when he was in the flesh they thronged about the door where he was Alas poor Souls you may throng about Ordinances and Meetings and yet never come near Christ We read of a whole crowd about Christ and yet but one poor Woman touched him to draw vertue from him You may crowd about Christ in an Ordinance and yet draw not one drop of vertue from him 1. Hindrance to young ones seeking Christ they are not convinced of the misery of their distant state from Christ if young ones or old ones were convinced of this if all were convinced throughly of their misery of lying out from Christ O what crying what mourning what running nay what roaring after Christ would there be One poor young man would run up and down crying none but Christ none but Christ Another would run to every Ordinance enquiring with the Spouse saw you him whom my Soul loves And another would run to a poor Minister with this cry Sir I am an undone soul if there were no more souls in the world if a Christ be not my portion Another would cry what shall I do to be saved Methinks I see how the stung Israelites run up and down when the fiery Serpents had stung them crying O where where is the brazen Serpent that I may get a look at him and be healed So would poor Souls convinced of their misery do 1. Poor Soul that lies in thy distance from Christ did thou ever see thy misery First Thy misery of guilt as thou art an unpardoned Soul Is not guilt a miserable thing to lie upon a poor Creatures conscience Ask the Devils and they will tell thee if guilt be not an intolerable burden Ask the damned spirits and they will preach to thee the misery of unpardoned guilt Nay if thou could talk with a despairing Soul O what terrible things would it tell thee of the misery of unpardoned guilt O poor young man hast thou found out the way to a pardon and leave out Christ Angels could never find out such a way Or dost thou think to carry guilt into Glory with thee Must any be saved but such as God hath pardoned If thou didst see the misery of guilt thou would'st be a Seeker and a morning Seeker after Christ All pardons are purchased and drawn up and preached in his name They are purchased we have redemption and remission of sin but how come they in through his blood And they preached Repentance and Remission of Sins in his Name beginning at Jerusalem 2. Poor Soul hast thou seen the misery of thy distant state as thou art under the power of sin as every soul is that is out of Christ And O what a sad sight is a young person in under the power of strong corruption Is it
hundred years old shall be accursed O but there are many gracious Souls that have sought him while they were young that comfort themselves with his loving kindness of old that remember the sweet love-stories and passages betwixt Christ and their poor Soul and at last go off the stage of this life triumphing To see an old Christian go comfortably to heaven leaning over the staff of the Promise and telling of nothing but his youth experiences of Christ O what a sight is this And on the other side to see an old man who hath nothing to remember but what a drunken wretch he hath been what a wicked company-keeper he hath been what an unclean filthy wretch he hath been what an oppressor of other men he hath been and such stories he can tell you all day O what a dreadful thing is this 6. Take heed you lose not your morning when God doth awaken you and get you out of your bed of sin and sloth it will grieve and cut you to the very heart that you got up no sooner that you have lost so much time already O how many Souls have been deeply wounded with the sense of their lost time O what complaints have such Souls groaned out That I should be so long in the service of sin and Satan O that I should spend so many years in gratifying the lusts of the flesh in making provision for the flesh and all that while put a slight upon the Lord Jesus Christ as not being worth seeking 4. Caution If morning Seekers shall be sure and certain finders of Christ then let them take heed of hasty and rash concluding against Christ and their own Souls this is an infirmity that young Seekers are mightily prone to in their first convictions O sure Jesus Christ will not be found of such poor sinful vile Creatures as we are we have been such Ephraims such Bullocks unaccustomed to the yoke such Sons of Belial so stubborn even from our youth up we cannot think he would be found of us though we should seek him 1. First O poor Soul do you think Christ doth not matter his word If under your temptations you should think he does not matter your Soul yet think he matters his word Cannot you say remember the Word Lord upon which thou causest me to hope Do you think Christ is indifferent whether his Promises be accomplished or no No no not one Jota of his Promise shall fail You may be discouraged but the Promise is in reference to bruised reeds and smoaking flax Ite 42.4 It is said He shall not be discouraged nor fail you may but he shall not 2. Secondly why Souls should you think he will not accept of you are not your names in his Commission He was sent to seek and save such as are lost and are not you lost Souls Lost in your selves lost prodigals This my Son was lost and do you think he will not then accept of you 3. Thirdly why think you so hardly of Christ doth not Christ call such He came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to Repentance Be of good chear poor Soul the Lord calls on thee as was said to the poor blind man But something of this nature will fall in upon another use therefore I will forbear now 5. Branch of the Caution then let morning Seekers take heed they do not sit down short of Christ Why if he will be found of us should we sit down short of him As it is said in that case so may I say in this a Promise being left us of entring into his Rest let us not seem to rest short of it There are many things morning Seekers are prone to rest in on this side Christ. You may take up in your common convictions in your constitutional affections in your acquired gifts and parts in your restraining grace in a form of profession and so miss of Christ for ever 1. First take heed of resting short of Christ many thousands have done so We read of the Scribe that answered Christ discreetly and Jesus said unto him Thou art nigh unto the Kingdome of God But alas he was short of Christ for all this And also the young man in the Gospel rested short of Christ and also the foolish Virgins and the Children of the Kingdom we read of came short of Christ 2. Secondly take heed morning Seekers you do not rest short of Christ this will aggravate your misery exceedingly in missing of him What you that were within a little of Christ miss him What you that were in so fair a way for Christ you who set out so hopefully in the morning of your day O for poor Souls in Hell to sing such doleful ditties I was once convinced of my sin and I was once convinced of my misery without Christ and I was once convinced of the excellency of Christ But O my corruptions were too strong for my convictions and so my poor Soul sat short of the Lord Jesus Christ To miscarry within a little of harbour within sight of land O what a cutting aggravation is this to poor Seamen when almost at their Port So many Souls have done they have been almost perswaded to become Christians yet they have rested short of Christ 3. Thirdly take heed morning Seekers that you rest not short of Christ Satan if it be possible will keep you short of Christ this is Satans design if he can but perswade the Soul to take up in something on this side Christ in some notion some opinion Hence it is as soon as young people come under any convictions of sin and when any good Seed is sowen in the Soul then comes Satan with his Tares Then they get it may be some notion or opinion whereby Satan does divert them and hinder them from closing with Christ And when they are gotten hither here they rest Thousands have been eternally undone this way 3. Vse Is it so that morning Seekers shall be sure and certain finders of the Lord Jesus Christ then it is an Vse of Exhortation To set upon the duty and work in good earnest to loyter no more of your morning away to trifle no more of your precious time away but that you may have the comfort of the Promise O that you may be found in obedience to the precept if you would find you must seek O poor Souls do not you hear him Call Call upon him while he is near seek him while he is to be found What is not the Lord Jesus worth seeking he is then worth nothing 1. Motive to seek the Lord in your morning now is your seeking time seeking will not alwayes be in season You must do things in their proper season there is a time for every purpose now is the acceptable time now is the day of Salvation Now acquaint thy self with God and be at peace was good counsel by Jobs friend Now is thy only time to seek acquaintance with Christ Poor Sinner there is a
days How will thy poor Soul then grieve that thou made a friend of Christ no sooner against such a day as this 3. What if God towards the evening of thy day take away from thee the advantages thou once had for thy poor Soul It may be when thou wert young thou livedst in some Godly Family which is no small advantage as little as young persons matter it It may be thou livedst amidst some godly acquaintance it may be thou livedst under some powerful Soul-searching Ministry these helps may be removed from thee or thou from them and O then how thou wilt be grieved that thou sought Christ no sooner that now thou hast no more acquaintance with him 4. What if God should give thee but a little warning or time to look about thee for thy Soul if thou should die in four or five dayes time and then review thy lost time and look over thy life again O how will it grieve thee that thou struck no sooner in with Christ that now thou hast all thy work to do for Eternity that might have got it down long agoe Now thy work to do and no time to do it in Formerly thou hadst time and wantedst a heart and now thou hast a heart to it and wantest time 5. Seek Christ in the morning of your day and you shall dye triumphing at night You shall go gloriously off the stage of this present life Should not we be often remembring our latter end Is it not said of Jerusalem Lam. 1.14 she came wonderfully down because she considered not her latter end Is not this to be a wise Virgin to get your lamps and your vessels stored with Oyl that when the Bridegrome comes and the midnight-cry calls you may go out chearfully to meet him Is not this wisdome in Gods Book O that my people were wise Deut. 32.29 that they did consider their latter end And who is it that hath an abundant entrance into the Kingdom of God but the diligent Believer and Seeker Add all diligence that you may be found of him in peace 1 Pet 1.5.3.14 O how many have died with this sad and doleful note in their mouths O it is now too late Had I sought Christ sooner there had been hope but I cannot believe he will accept of such a refuser of a day of Grace and tenders of Grace as I have been Lastly O seek Christ in the morning of your day others may be drawn to seek him with you and say as they did to the Daughter of Jerusalem when she had sought him diligently Tell us where thy Beloved is gone that we may seek him with thee Your being up in the morning to seek Christ may draw others on and O what mercy would this be Yob 23.3 But by this time methinks I hear some poor Soul say O that I knew where to find him I would come even to his seat but alas young travellers must have some directions and so must young Seekers how shall we then say poor Souls seek Christ 1. Luk. 2.45 Be sure you seek him sorrowing as the Parents of Christ after the flesh sought him Thy Father and I sought thee sorrowing Sorrowing under the sense of sin So must you seek him True mourners are the finding Seekers O that is a sweet word Jet 31.9 They shall come with weepings and with supplications will I lead them Jer. 50.4 They shall go weeping seeking the Lord their God Thus Souls must go to Christ in a through sense of their condition Who were they that sought to the Brazen Serpent but they that were stung with the fiery Serpent 2. Seek Christ with a high appretiation of Christ Mat. 13 4â— Who will seek him that doth not esteem him to be the pearl of price But when the Merchant man had found the pearl of price he sold all to buy it Why did the Spouse so seek Christ through all difficulties He was to her the white and ruddy one the chiefest of ten thousands Prov. 3.13 We read of the happiness of the man that finds wisdome why so this wisdom is Christ and the merchandize thereof is better than that of Gold c. 3. Seek Christ sincerely We read of some that turned feignedly to the Lord. O take heed of seeking of him feignedly If your hearts be not right God will discover them Simon Magus would be a Seeker yet he was discovered we was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity 4. Seek him perseveringly if you would seek him so as to find him She sought her lost groat untill she found it But this hath been largely insisted on before 5. Seek the Lord Jesus Christ through all opposition as the Spouse did when they took her veil from her and the watchmen smote her yet she gave not over The End of the first Sermon Isaiah 55.6 Seek the Lord while he may be found call upon him while he is near THe words are the Call of Christ to poor Gentile Sinners It is clear the Prophet in the preceding verse is prophesying of Christ and when he had spoke of Christ 1. Under the notion of a leader 2. Under the notion of a witness 3. Under the notion of a Saviour so is meant by calling a Nation that knew him not and their running to him and God glorifying him viz. as the Messiah and Saviour of poor Gentiles as well as Jewes then the Prophet gives these poor Gentiles a Call which is the words of my Text. 1. In the Text we have a Call or Exhortation to a duty 2. We have a Motive or Argument backing that Call 1. The Call is Seek the Lord. 2. Motive is implyed in that while he may be found There is an especial season for the performance of this duty if let slip your Souls will repent it to all Eternity Let us inquire a little what is meant by this Call Seek the Loed 1. Here is this implyed in it This people and the Lord were strangers This is the description of a Gentile He is a stranger to the Lord Eph. 2.12 and to the Covenant of Promise Souls who lye far from acquaintance with God therefore expressed by another word Luk. 15.13 to be in the far Country So the Prodigal was which was the Gentile for the elder Brother was the Jew Now then by seek the Lord is meant get into acquaintance with him Seek acquaintance with him as a Saviour as a Leader He had been spoke of under these notions and set out to them 2. Seek the Lord viz. the willingness of the Lord to be found of poor Gentile Sinners He would never else have given them such a Call He first calls he is first in the motion who loved us first the business doth not stick at Gods door but at ours 3. Seek the Lord viz. accept of the offers of grace while he holds them forth to you in the Gospel This is the great Duty called
to in the Text. The Text then runs thus There is both in time and out of time for your poor Souls there is an especial season of Grace you have and upon this depends the Eternal happiness and felicity of your poor Souls Let that slip and your Souls are undone for ever Lay hold of this especial time and you are happy for ever This is the meaning of the Text I will not always strive with you will not always call on you will not always wait with offers of pardoning grace therefore before I call in my Scepter O do you seek me Observations are these 1. The Lord Jesus is willing to be found of poor Gentile Sinners 2. There are especial times of finding the Lord Jesus while he is to be found 3. It is the duty of every poor Soul to observe his especial times to seek Christ in 4. There is a day and time in which Christ will not be found 1. The Lord Jesus is willing to be found of poor Gentile Sinners I must keep close to my Text and it speaks of such as have been before hinted 1. Let us make inquiry what a Gentile Sinner is In the general take this Answer A Gentile Sinner is the worst of Sinners the vilest of Sinners thus the Apostle describes them Gal. 2.15 We who are Jews by nature and not sinners of the Gentiles They were reckoned the greatest sinners Mark 16.15 Preach the Gospel to every Creature viz. Gentiles as though they were not worthy the name of men and women That we may set off the Free Grace of God in Christ to poor Sinners let us see a Scripture-map of Gentilism or Gentile Sinners that Christ is thus willing to be found of 1. They are said to be Idolaters Howbeit then when ye knew not God Gal. 4.8 9. ye did service unto them who were no Gods While they were in Heathenisme that is Gentilism God is willing to be found of such What though you have been Idolaters yet such may have mercy from God Jer. 14.22 In that black Catalogue of Sinners Idolaters are reckoned among the Corinthians such were some of you Idols are called the vanities of the Gentiles 2. Gentiles were poor slaves Tit. 3.3 For we our selves were sometimes foolish disobedient deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures c. They were servants to their lusts their lusts did Lord it over them Know you not you are Servants to him whom you obey Yet of these poor Souls Christ is willing to be found O do not say then I am a poor Gentile too great a Sinner ever to find favour from the hands of God Luk. 15.15 The prodigal Gentile was a slave joyned to a Citizen to keep Swine and yet God took him to be a Son out of the field into the house 3. Gentiles are poor hood-winkt blind Souls Call in the blind and the halt viz. the poor Gentiles now become the Lord Jesus Christs guests and the Jewes are rejected The God of this world hath blinded their eyes they go muffled in ignorance of God and Christ from day to day yet God is willing to be found of them They are such muffled Creatures Acts 17. that they are said to feel after God 4. A Gentile is a poor perishing Soul The poor man that was wounded and lay perishing of his wounds is the poor Gentile Luk. 10.30 that Jesus Christ is the good Samaritan to and binds up his wounds and pours oyl into them We may say we are all poor Assyrians ready to perish and yet Christ is willing to be found of such Joh. 3.10 Whosoever believes on him Jew or Gentile might not perish but have everlasting life Doth thy poor Soul say as the poor prodigal did and I perish for hunger O Jesus Christ is willing to be found of such 5. A Gentile is a poor Soul that lies far from God They are the inhabitants of the far Countrey Eph. 2.13 14. You who were a far off are brought nigh by the blood of Jesus He is there speaking of Gentiles They are said by the Prophet to be far from Rightcousness Isa 46. ult Well poor Souls Christ is willing to be found of such Alas Sir sayes a poor Soul I am a great way from Christ O so were Gentiles there was a wall of partition betwixt Christ and them yet Christs blood took it away melted down the stones in this partition wall 6. A Gentile is a poor Soul without hope Without Christ Eph. 2.12 Without hope of being saved without Christ without hope can thou be worse Yet Christ is willing to be found of such Alas sayes a poor Soul I have no hope Thou art a Gentile a poor hopeless Soul Because they are without Promise they are without hope The Heathens feigned when all was gone yet Hope was in the bottom of Pandora's box implying that Hope is a good refuge in calamity 7. A Gentile is one that is a blasphemer of the name of God Rom 2.24 Christiani sanctè vixissent si Christus sancta docuisset For the name of God is blasphemed through you They did take all occasions to speak evil of God for the infirmities of his followers If Christ had taught them better they would have lived better was the brand of Gentiles cast upon Christ in Tertullians time Paul tells us he was a Blasphemer and yet obtained mercy It is the spirit of a Gentile to speak evil of his Name because of the miscarriages of his followers 8. A Gentile is one that seeks only after earthly things An earthly spirit is the spirit of the Gentiles After these things Mat. 6.32 saith Christ do the Gentiles seek It may be many poor Souls have made the comfort of the Creature their Summum Bonum never sought after any thing for their Souls in all their lives Yet Christ calls such to seek him yea is willing to be found of such What though thou hast been a poor earth-worm all thy dayes yet if now thou seek the Lord there is hope for thee if thy heart be in good earnest for Heaven Take these Scriptural descriptions of Gentiles to set off the Free grace of God to the worst of Sinners 1. Reason why Jesus Christ is willing to be found of poor Gentile Sinners 1. Because this was the end of the Fathers donations Christ is the great gift of his Father Now surely the Lord would never have parted with such a gift as his own Son but he had some great end in such a gift Well what was the Fathers design He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in him might not perish but have eternal life That Gentile sinners might not perish to all eternity Eph. 2.18 Therefore we read of such Souls being made nigh by the blood of Jesus and through him we have both Access viz. both Jews and Gentiles to the Father c. Many poor Souls are under Objections concerning the
free and ingenuous as I may say Divine Love is it tells us the worst that we might be awakened to look about us If you neglect but a while follow your sins for a while set out your day of Grace for a while then it will be over and the bowels of the Lord will be shut up in displeasure against you and then you will say as he upon his death-bed I have told you now all is too late all is now too late Is there not great love in warning Souls of danger before it comes 4. Is there not love in this that the Rejection of the Jews the Cutting off them should be the grafting in of the Gentiles O that such wild Olives should be partakers of the sweetness of the fat Olive that ever such brambles should be inoculated into Christ Rom. 11.33 This raised up the spirit of Paul into a frame of admiration The casting away of the Jews was the reconciling of the world 5. There is love in this that Christ was so willing to come as his Fathers Gift as a Commander and Leader to his People as the words before speak See how Christs heart ecchoes to the heart of the Father in the work of the Salvation of poor Sinners In the volume of thy Book it is written I come to do thy will O God 2. Vse O then let us a little admire the condescention of Christ in this thing that he is so willing to be found of poor Gentiles It is no wonder if upon the head of this Divine Mistery be written a verily Verily he took upon him not the nature of Angels Heb. 2.16 but the Seed of Abraham That he should overlook them Glorious Creatures that Mercy should come to poor Gentiles over the head of Angels how few take notice of this 1 Pet. 1.12 Angels desire to look into these deeps and yet we do not look into them with an eye of holy inspection and heavenly admiration 3. Another word is this If Christ be willing to be found of poor Gentile Sinners it is then a Call to such to seek him Seek him while he may be found May not I say to poor Sinners as God argues the case with those Jews by the Prophet Ezekiel Why will ye dye O ye house of Israel So why do poor Gentile Sinners neglect seeking the Lord Jesus Is not this to go carelesly the ready way to your Eternal destruction Is not this the rode to your Everlasting ruine And will not the Lord say to you one day as the Prophet to them Your destruction is of your selves 1. Motive to seek the Lord. He first is suitor to you and seeks you And is not this a mighty motive This is that great loadstone that should draw the hearts of poor Sinners much in love with Christ He loves them first Who loved us first Christ is first in the motion He came to seek and to save that which is lost Take that Parable of the Prodigal his Father sent after him into the far Country sought him out This my Son was lost and is found Nay Christ is the Shepherd of the Gentiles and he seeks out his sheep in a dark and gloomy day Alas what is the Gospel but Christ sending after poor Sinners to wooe them to accept of terms of Grace and Mercy 2. Motive to seek the Lord Jesus His seeking you cost him dear He laid down his life for his sheep He sought you and where did he find you He found you slaves and he must pay your ransome for you I have found a ransome for him His death is our ransome We were prisoners and captives and could not be redeemed at a lower rate than Christs blood 3. Motive He comes from the Father to seek you The verses going before are a Prophecy of Christ proceeding from the Father I have given him for a witness And frequently when he is spoken of to poor Gentile Sinners then he is said to come by way of donation I have given him a light to the Gentiles He comes and brings commendations of his Fathers love to poor Sinners He is called the faithful and true witness of God 4. Motive He came from Heaven to seek you O what Glory he left to come and mind your Eternal concerns upon earth I cannot nay what Man or Angel can tell you what he forsook to seek you He stript himself of all his Glory of all his Royal Robes to wash your feet to wash you all over He left his Throne I remember it is storied of a King that found a sheep in a ditch and sate down on hands and knees and pulled it out with his own hands The Sheep is thy own Soul this King is the Lord Jesus the Ditch is thy Natural Condition in which thou hadst perished to all Eternity if he had not come from Heaven to have pull'd thee out 5. Motive He seeks as impatient of denyal He is an importunate Seeker he will not be said nay seeks like a beggar that will not be gone from your doors Christ will not be gone from the door of thy heart he stands and knocks he doth not knock as he passes by but stands waiting for thy coming out to accept of him and close with him Therefore he beseeches wooes waits to be Gracious He comes in Ordinance after Ordinance Providence after Providence Motion after Motion and Day after Day What sayest thou poor Soul wilt thou now close with me And as he did Wilt thou be made whole to the Leper And O how loth to go away when will it once be 6. Motive He is a Seeker that is grieved when he is denyed He was grieved because of their unbelief and the hardness of their hearts You cannot grieve Christ worse than deny him when he comes to make out love to your Souls and you slight him 7. Motive He seeks poor Sinners in their proper months Jer. 2.24 In their months one shall find them Christ knows the months to find Sinners in All these Motives are taken from Christ as the great seeker of Souls 3. Vse is of Reproof 1. to such as neglect to seek the Lord that seek him not at all Yet they are Seekers but not Seekers of the Lord. Gentiles are Seekers after these things the Gentiles seek They seek good trading good livelihoods c. But alas this is all they seek after Nay Lev. 10.31.20.6 we read of some that seek after Wizards they are so far from seeking after God But the Lord sayes he will set his face against such Do you think poor Seamen and you their wives that this is the way to have good voyages to go to ask the Devil his Counsel Some seek their lusts Prov. 23.30 like Solomons drunkard they say they will seek it yet again But all this while they seek not the Lord. O how few seek to the Lord What are these poor Souls seeking but the living among the dead 1. See the danger
of such as seek not the Lord. Such poor Souls see no worth in the Lord and are not such to be reproved If Christ be not worth seeking he is worth nothing When we see the worth of any thing we will seek after it The object we seek must be some good O how neglecters to seek Christ do undervalue Christ 2. They never see a want of him We seek not that we want not O but now when the poor Soul doth see its need of him then it doth with the Spouse seek him Poor Gentiles they sit still It is the Character of a Gentile to sit in darkness Vnto you who sat in darkness a great light shined viz. to Gentiles They have no mind to rise off from their seat 3. It will aggravate the condemnation of such that Christ sought them and they would not be found of him How often would I have gathered thee c. But there are a company of poor souls that object what have we to do with Christ such poor Sinners as we are O poor Souls the great Promise is to such To it shall the Gentiles seek Isa 11.10 All poor Sinners must betake themselves to this Glorious Ensign The root of Jesse shall stand for an Ensign of the people to it shall the Gentiles seek But we are dark Creatures Luk. 1.79 He came to give light to them that sate in darkness and in the shadow of death and guide our feet in the wayes of peace Another Vse is of Inquiry If Christ be so willing to be found of Gentile Sinners what then may be the reasons why poor Sinners do not seek the Lord Jesus O how few Seekers hath the Lord Jesus Sinners it is true are Seekers but it is of the living among the dead 1. Poor Sinners ignorance of the worth of Christ who will or can desire after an unknown good As he said to the woman If thou knewest the gift of God Mat. 13.44 45 46. thou would ask living water and he would give it thee So do I say If Souls knew the worth of Christ they would cry None but Christ none but Christ Nothing without Christ nothing below Christ would satisfie their Souls The Merchant man could not be satisfied with goodly Pearls after he had come to know there was a Pearl of Price then all the goodly Pearls were out-shined by the Pearl of great Price and now he is resolved upon any terms to have Christ He sells all O what difference betwixt this person and the young man in the Gospel who when Christ bid him sell all went away sorrowful O this broke the bargain betwixt him and Christ He knew not the worth of Christ It may be Christ is not much valued by you now but ask your hearts the question O my Soul what will Christ be worth upon a death-bed What will Christ be worth when thy Soul is filled with horrour of thy own guilt When thou art a Magor Misabib to thy self Nay it may be to all that are round about thee When thy heart is made to meditate terrour Could thou ask the damned in Hell what Christ would be worth to them what they would give if it could be procured for one offer of Christ in good earnest It may be they might better inform thy judgement If you did converse with awakened dying guilty consciences or with poor damned Souls they might tell you something of the worth of Christ or with Souls deeply groaning under guilt at first Conversion or with poor tempted Souls These four sorts of persons can tell you what apprehensions they have of the worth of Christ When men know the worth of a commodity it will go hard but they will obtain it O what will a Malefactor judge a Pardon worth So doth a poor self-condemned Sinner judge of Christ 2. Poor Sinners seek not after the Lord because they are lockt up under infidelity and unbelief We read of being concluded and shut up under unbelief as close prisoners under lock and key in arctâ custodiâ they are in Satans close custody 1. Poor Sinners believe not Christs willingness to embrace and entertain their poor Souls upon closure with him Untill poor Sinners be convinced of this they can never make out after Christ Therefore it is we read of Christs invitations and asseverations entreaties promises all to demonstrate his willingness to be found of sinners when they seek him Alas poor sinners take up false conceptions of Christ they think his heart is hardned against them and his bowels shut up in displeasure and they take him for their adversary and all this is their unbelief and so are hindred from looking out after Christ 2. Poor Sinners believe not the Fathers willingness to shew them mercy Many Souls stick here though Christ hath told them he hath declared his Fathers Name and would declare it to poor sinners O what pains doth Christ take to convince of his Fathers good will Joh. 6.37 38. This is the will of him that sent me 5. Poor Sinners believe not an indispensible necessity to close with Christ They do not see their Souls lost for ever without a Christ And this brings me to the next particular 3. Poor Sinners seek not after the Lord Jesus because they are not throughly convinced of their misery without Christ Peter did not cry out Master save me or I perish until he begun to sink So poor Souls cry not after Christ seek not after Christ until they see themselves in a perishing sinking condition Persons may fall under some convictions of their misery but alas they are â—lighty convictions and so wear off the next temptation that comes upon their Soul But when the conviction gets to the heart then it is hopeful When they were prickt to the heart then they cryed out Men and Brethren what shall we do There are many convictions that get no farther than the head But now when a sense of misery is clapt to a mans heart it will make him look out after Christ Let me shew poor Sinners something of their misery without Christ 1. You are without hope and is not this the height of misery Hope doth yield the Soul some relief in the saddest condition but to be without hope is to be in Hell above ground What is it that makes Hell Hell they have no hope of ever coming forth from the pit there is no redemption If a man be in Algier hope keeps up his heart that he shall be redeemed one day But there is not one prisoner of hope in all hell among all the damned 2. Without Christ you are condemned men already There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Then it follows they that are out of Christ Jesus are under the sentence of condemnation What a miserable condition doth a poor condemned creature think himself to be in and cannot rest night nor day but thinking of his execution This is the case of a poor Soul out
of Christ though the Soul be not convinced of it 3. The misery of a Soul out of Christ is in this it is eternal misery The eternity of the misery is the sting of Hell and the very emphasis of damnation To be miserable a thousand years and then to come out of it the very thoughts of a better estate would be some kind of ease to the oppressed mind but their misery is like to be endless and this compleats the misery It is called everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord c. 2 Thes 1.8 This brings me orderly to the next head 4. Poor Sinners seek not out to the Lord Jesus because they are not convinced throughly of a future state of the Soul They are not under the powerful sense of the Souls immortality Who will seek out to Christ if they be not convinced that the Soul is an immortal being Christs errand from Heaven to Earth is in vain his whole series of suffering is in vain his whole undertaking of the work of mans redemption in vain if there be no future state of the Soul But because we live in a time and day that Atheism doth abound let me offer by way of conviction some few Arguments to prove the future state of the Soul Alas men look not out after Christ because they are not taken up with Eternity 1. Argument is taken from Christs death 1 Thes 1.10 which was to deliver from wrath to come Then there is such a thing as wrath to come which could not be if there were no future state of the Soul 2. Argument of a future state is from the horrour that wicked men feel sometimes in their consciences when they are awakened O what Magor Misabibs are they to themselves sometimes Crying out Wo is them that ever they were born to sin such wrath upon their own heads These are the sparks of Hell that are gotten into the Conscience in this life this is the gnawing of that worm that never dyes 3. Argument is taken from the wishes of the wicked that they might dye the death of the Righteous as Balaam desired 4. Argument is taken from the sufferings of Saints What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul which is brought in to the Disciples to caution them against Apostasie O say poor believers we may lose our Souls and therefore we may not apostatize from God and therefore they will suffer the loss of all The poor people of God make a sad bargain of it if they suffer and yet there should be no reward 5. Argument is taken from the great desires that sometimes Believers have to be dissolved as Paul did which if there were no enjoyment of God after would greatly be to believers loss because they enjoy something of God here 6. Argument is taken from the great joy that many Saints have had in their passage into another world How have they gone off the stage of this present life with triumph and died boasting and glorying in God 7. Argument is taken from Saints Communion with God If there be such a thing here then much more hereafter what we enjoy here is but a drop to the Ocean 8. Argument is taken from mens natural unwillingness to dye Certainly there some thing follows death that the Soul cannot endure to think on It is true the dissolving of the marriage-knot betwixt such two dear lovers as Soul and Body is tedious to think of yet there is some preapprehensions of eternity that trouble the Soul that it cannot think of death with any quiet or comfort 9. Argument is taken from the end of Christs appointments God hath appointed the means of Grace in reference to the salvation of poor Souls That thou may save thy own Soul and them that hear thee 10. Argument from the endeavours of Satan seeking whom he may devour or drink up as the word is Satan would spare his pains if there were no future state of the Soul Now it is no wonder if poor sinners seek not the Lord Jesus when they lay not their souls under the convictions of the state of the Soul after death 5. Poor Sinners seek not after the Lord Jesus Christ because they are diverted by their worldly enjoyments and employments We read of some that made excuses and all their excuses were from their worldly business they could not come I have observed that young persons who have been under some notable convictions and resolutions to close with Christ and seek after Christ if ever they have abated and cooled in their first love it hath been when they have entred upon the world changed their conditions set up for themselves the world hath stoln their hearts from God O how sad is this The world broke the bargain betwixt Christ and the young man in the Gospel O but sayes a poor Soul I know not how to seek Christ I am a poor Gentile Sinner that have sate in darkness and am in my dark state of Gentilism to this day and how shall I seek the Lord Jesus that is you say thus willing to be found of me 1. Seek the Lord betimes If you would be speeding Seekers of Christ Job 8.5 you must not be loyterers there is but in time and out of time Make no delay therefore poor sinner in seeking the Lord Jesus Christ take the present time by the fore-lock While it is to day hearken to his voice Now acquaint your selves with God We must take hold of the present time They that seek me early shall find me shall morning me the Hebrew is We must in our seeking give the morning to God It is observable in the morning Jacob got the blessing in the morning the Lord looked through the cloud and discomfited the Aegyptian Host Nay Christ himself is called the Hinde of the morning the morning-star and all to teach us to seek him in the morning The first fruits were to be dedicated to the Lord the firstling of every Creature was to be offered up in Sacrifice to the Lord but the firstling of an Ass being so dull a Creature God would not accept it in sacrifice 1. We should seek the Lord early because the present time is the only time to seek the Lord in Now is the acceptable time now is the day of salvation c. Upon this monosylable Now depends Eternity sayes one There is a present time and a present Truth for us to lay hold on It was a good saying of him when invited to dinner to morrow sayes he I have not promised myself a to morrow this many years Who knows sayes Solomon what to morrow may bring forth What is in the womb of to morrow What if thy death nay thy damnation should be in the womb of another day We read of death and what was at the heels of death and Hell immediately followed him 2. Seek the Lord early you cannot promise your selves any more seasons of Grace
If God should prolong your lives your day of Grace may have its sun-set on a sudden and alas what good will your lives do you when you are wrapt up in gross darkness May not you say already Woe unto us our day goeth away Alas there is a night coming when no man can work 3. Seek the Lord early If you have your lives lengthened your means of Grace continued yet you cannot promise your selves any more gales of the Spirit of God to breath upon you And alas what will Gospel Ordinances signifie to you without the spirits influences breathing in them What is the most precious Ministry you can sit under if not influenced from the Lord by the efficacy of his own Spirit 4. Seek the Lord early you have loytered long you have slept much of your day of Grace away already He that sleeps in harvest is a Son that causeth shame but he that gathereth in summer is a wise Son O what a harvest of the Gospel have we slept in O what a spirit of deep sleep and slumber hath fallen upon us O that we may all take that counsel Vp and be doing and the Lord will be with you Up and be seeking Christ early 5. The longer you neglect to seek the Lord Jesus the more difficult it will be for you Your very sloth will take away your hearts the more a man sits still the less mind he hath to stir Sitting is a pleasing posture it is the description of Gentile Sinners they sit in darkness they are pleased with their dark state And it is hard when we have indulged our sloth to stir up our selves to lay hold of God 2. Seek the Lord earnestly as well as early It is said of Christ he prayed earnestly when in his agony and we read of striving to enter in at the strait gate Strive to an agony put your Souls into an agony So we must seek Christ having our Souls in an agony Poor Souls it may be fall under some general convictions of their sins and they are now put upon seeking the Lord but alas it is with a kind of indifferency of spirit as though they cared not whether they found him or not We should seek the Lord with Jacobs resolution I will not let thee go except thou bless me 2 Cant. 1.2 3 4. The Spouse by night sought Christ in a night of persecution some refer it to that night of persecution by Antiochus Epiphanes yet she gives not over seeking but did she find him No she found him not Now she might have fallen under some temptation to give over why should I wait upon the Lord any longer O no but she falls now upon an earnest search and enquiry after him and now she finds him 3. Seek the Lord under the sense of a promise viz. believingly They that seek shall find If we have not our practice bottomed in our seeking of Christ upon some promise we shall have no comfort in it But now when the Soul sayes I will go a seeking Christ but I will carry a promise with me O this is very comfortable Vnto him shall the Gentiles seek and in him shall the Gentiles trust This is the Great Magna Charta of the Gentiles thou must not seek to thy own Righteousness We read of seeking that way Isa 42.2 You must not trust in your selves but in his Name shall the Gentiles trust If you know not where to trust come hither Mat. 12.18 and here place your trust Many Souls seek Christ but their eye of faith is not up to the promise in their seeking of him 4. We are to seek the Lord in a through sense of our lost condition without him Many Souls seek Christ but they do it not in a sense of their undone condition It is the lost Soul that is the right seeker of Christ Christ seeks such Souls and such Souls seek Christ then they are like to meet That which is promised of the Jews Return holds good here Jer. 50.5 Going and weeping seeking the Lord their God c. It will make you seek him weeping if you were but convinced you were lost to all Eternity undone for ever irrecoverably miserable if you find not Christ. The first-step to seek Christ is to be convinced of ones lost condition O now the Soul falls inquiring after Christ If you see him whom my Soul loves tell him I am sick of love 5. Seek Christ perseveringly Thus the Spouse did seek Christ untill she found him as the woman sought her lost groat until she found it The watchmen smote the Spouse and took away her veil from her yet she gives not over seeking her beloved The watchmen either the Ministerial watchmen or the Magisterial upon the City walls they took away her veil viz. a token of subjection to Christ yet she perseveres still seeking Christ Jacob wrestled until the break of day He was a persevering wrestler and then came the blessing 6. We must seek Christ as appointed by the Father to entertain poor Gentile Sinners Therefore we see the Commission of Christ is to carry it tenderly towards poor Gentiles smoaking flaxes and bruised reeds The Father hath put this work upon him to treat with poor Gentiles about their everlasting Salvation and therefore we must seek Christ distinctly under a distinct notion as the Father hath commissioned him Poor Sinners get some confused notions and apprehensions of Christ and upon these notions they seek Christ but all this while they are ignorant of Christs being sent as the Fathers Commissioner to treat with poor Sinners about the things that concern their peace Several words the Spirit of God hath bestowed upon this thing noting to us that it is a matter of such great concernment 1. He hath set him forth to be a propitiation Rom. 3.25 or fore-ordained him to this end and purpose 2. God hath chosen him My Servant whom I have chosen 3. God hath called him Isa 42.6 4. God hath anointed him to this purpose 5. God hath sent him now we should consider all these and seek him as one thus sent by his Father to treat with poor Sinners 7. We must seek whole Christ in all his Offices As you have received the Lord Jesus Christ so walk you in him This is whole Christ as Prophet Priest and Lord. And thus should poor Gentile Sinners seek the Lord Jesus The second Observation is this That there are especial times for Sinners to find the Lord Jesus Christ in Seek the Lord while he may be found We read David pointing out such a time For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time Psal 32.6 when thou wilt be found or in a finding time so we should read it Others read it in a time of hitting when Gods judgements go abroad and the Lord hits the consciences But David had been confessing his sins and the Lord forgives him and the sense of this forgiveness raises
his heart so that he breaks out thus the Godly shall pray unto thee in such a time in an especial time Luk. 19.41 42. O Jerusalem hadst thou known in this thy day It was an especial time in which they might have found the Lord he so sweetly offering himself to them in the Gospel Solomon tells us Eccl. 8.5 6. A wise mans heart discerneth time and judgment because to every purpose there is a time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great upon him So in this case there is a time an especial time to put your Spiritual purposes into execution to seek the Lord Jesus in Therefore that was good Counsel Job 22.20 21. Now acquaint thy self with God and be at peace and thereby good shall come upon thee Now seek the Lord. There are some especial Nows that we should all improve and lay hold on 2 Cor. 6.2 Now is the acceptable time now is the day of salvation c. I passed by thee and saw thee in thy blood and then it was a time of love c. The great question will be what are these especial times in which Christ is willing to be found 1. When he offers himself in the tenders of the Gospel O Jerusalem hadst thou known in this thy day It was a peculiar time in which the Lord Jesus was preached to them Now Christ is willing to be found of you What is the Gospel but Christ seeking out his Sheep his voice calling in his Sheep Christ following poor sinners with invitations and entreaties that they would return unto him and live We read of the Shepherd seeking out his sheep Would Christ offer himself but that it is an especial time of love O poor Souls take heed as you reject these offers 1. These offers of Christ are a fruit of his blood if he had not died he never had been tendred to you and for you to refuse these offers is for you to reject his purchase nay for you to tread his blood under-foot and account the blood of the Covenant an unclean thing And O how must this needs provoke the Lord as is said in the parable of the Supper when they all had refused the Lord was angry and resolved that none of them should taste of his Supper 2. These offers are offers of life and salvation O then take heed of rejecting them You will not come to me that you may have life Now is an especial time you may have life If a poor condemned Malefactor should but have his life offered him O how would he be transported with joy And this is the case of every poor sinner out of Christ he is under a sentence of condemnation and Christ comes and offers them their lives O then as we value the lives of our precious Souls let us not reject the offers of Christ 3. The offers of Christ are unasked unsought for by us therefore it is now an especial finding time Thou poor sinner dost not come forth and ask a Christ and cry for Christ and lament after Christ O no but Christ came out to offer himself to thy poor Soul when thou lay dying and perishing in thy blood then he said unto thee unasked Live 4. The offers of Christ are not only of his Grace but of himself He offers not only what he hath but what he is to thy Soul But my people would have none of me He that hath the Son hath life There must be an union with the Son a closing with the person of Christ as well as with the promise of Christ Now this is more than to offer Grace yea than to offer Heaven to poor sinners Therefore it is we read of the marriage of the Kings Son and shall we despise such a match as this God forbid 5. Surely this is a finding time in an especial manner he offers with entreaties and invitations to accept He doth not make an offer and away as careless whether poor sinners accept or no but he follows his offers with arguments if by any means he might prevail with poor Souls before it be too late 6. He offers all he hath O will neither his person nor his benefits take with the Souls of poor sinners All he hath may be yours If he have pardoning mercy it is yours if he have sanctifying mercy it is yours if he have comforting mercy it is yours He interests you in all his fulness upon your closure with him He bestows upon you a large joynture upon your marriage with him All is yours Then certainly this is an especial finding time 2. The second especial finding time is when the Spirit breaths upon sinners in their attendances upon God We read of a certain season in which the Angel came down and moved the waters There are some certain seasons that the Spirit of God doth breath more freely upon poor sinners than at other times and these times we are to make an especial improvement of The Spirit of God it is said came upon Sampson by times Certain briezes if you will give me leave to call them so that come from Heaven at certain times The wind blows where it listeth O but poor Souls be sure you lose not these winds when they stand fair for Heaven do not let them slip lose not a gale for Eternity for they are especial finding times 1. These gales once gone and they are irrecoverable There is no buying a wind for Heaven if you would give all the world for it one fair gale lost and thy poor Soul may lye wind-bound unto thy very dying day 2. These gales once gone and your hearts harden Sinners hearts harden as the gales of the spirit of God are abused and so suspended And O what a sad case will it be for a poor Sinner to lye upon a death-bed crying out this heart of mine as very a stone as it is as hard as it is now once was breathed upon by the Spirit to close with Christ but I sinned all those precious breathings from my Soul and so by degrees hardned for Hell apace 3. These winds will not alwayes blow upon you the wind will not alwayes stands here Say so when under the Spirits breathings The wind will not alwayes hold thus fair for Heaven it will not alwayes blow in this quarter My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man You must not think of having a trade-wind for Heaven 4. These gales must you give an account for Why did not you move with such a fair wind when you had it This question one day will be asked your precious Souls O what answer will you give in that day Did not my Spirit strive with you but you resisted it and vexed it and quenched it Every motion you ever had and slighted will come in as an evidence against you another day 5. These gales once gone will fill your Souls with horrour that you have lost them that you were in so fair a way for closing with
to an account for all your especial times of finding Christ 2. These especial times of finding Christ are not all persons priviledges He hath not dealt with all people as with you How many parts of the world that never were enriched with the tenders of Gospel-grace as you have been but lie in the rubbish of ignorance and ungodliness Nay how many that have lived under the sound of the Gospel and yet the Gospel is hid to them 2 Cor. 4.3 and such souls are lost And shall your Souls be priviledged above others in the being under these especial seasons and you not improve them 3. These especial times if you let slip you will be hardned and rivetted in your sins After men have sinned away the day of Grace O then they grow worse and worse Then their poor Souls do swim down the stream of all manner of prophaneness Have you not often observed it that after sinners have worn off their Convictions they have been more careless more prophane more resolute in their course of sin 4. These especial times if you let them slip it may be you shall never have such times again My Spirit shall no more strive with man His bowels will be shut up in displeasure against you You may out-live the breathings of the Lord upon your Souls And O if God should awaken you and cause you to reflect upon what hath past betwixt God and your Souls O then it may be you will cry out O that it were with me as in months past O for one of the Motions of the Spirit of God I have sleighted O for one of the Convictions I have murdered 5. These especial times will exceedingly aggravate your sin in standing out against Christ A woe was written upon the head of Capernaum and Bethsaida O when Christ shall say what have you to say for your selves was not I tendred unto you was not I offered with all the benefits of my death but you would none of me O now how will such poor Souls run to the rocks yea be fit to creep into the holes of the ragged rocks for the Majesty of the Lord 2. Word is a word of direction What shall we do by way of improvement of these especial times or how shall we improve them 1. Would you improve these especial finding times Then 1. Lament sensibly over your lost time Lapsed time goes to the heart of a poor convinced sinner nothing doth cut so deep as the consideration of trifling away golden seasons of Grace It was the charge the Lord brought in against Jezabel I gave her space to repent but she repented not O for a poor soul to reflect upon the time that is past then it will cry as Job did in that case O that it were with me as in months that are past O that I might enjoy one of the dayes of the Son of Man that I have so slighted The Apostle tells us of some who for the time might have been Teachers of others but alas they had lost their time If you lose but a tide-time you can fret at that and be impatient O how many tide-times have you lost for Eternity Every appointment of Christ in which the Spirit of Christ breaths is a tide-time O how many market-dayes for Heaven have your Souls lost And can you remember them and not lament over them 2. Would you improve these especial finding times Consider then you cannot mis-improve neglect these but you put a sleight upon Christ O how dangerous is this to put a sleight upon the Lord Jesus when he is willing to be found of you What a sleight was that they put upon Christ when they made all their excuses they could not come when Christ tenders himself and is refused Therefore he complained but my people would have none of me For the Lord Jesus Christ to leave the bosome of his Father the Glory of Heaven and be clothed in and married to our nature and be made a curse for us and after all this to be slighted by a company of poor sinners O what monstrous ingratitude is this Would we slight a Relation a Friend an Acquaintance thus Is not this to be highly uncivil to Jesus Christ O how do poor sinners put their incivilities upon Christ 3. Would you not mis-improve these especial finding times then consider how this grieves Christ When he came nigh the City he wept over it what was the matter this was the consideration that did draw tears from Christs eyes that they had enjoyed an especial time and day of Grace in which Christ was willing to have been found of them O that thou hadst known in this thy day c. We read also of those that refused the tenders of Christ the master of the house was angry at them O take heed of angring Christ poor sinners in this respect Kiss the Sun lest he be angry What if he be Ps 2. ult and you perish from the way When his wrath is kindled but a little Blessed are they that trust in him O who can stand before the wrath of the Lamb Yea what can cover us from the wrath of the Lamb O what ingratitude is this to grieve him for loving you to requite him evil for good Is this your kindness to your friend Will you thus requite the Lord O you foolish Souls Do you thus answer his love in coming from heaven upon your errand It is said the Lord Jesus Christ was grieved because of their unbelief and the hardness of their hearts You would not willingly grieve a Relation a Father a Mother and will you grieve Christ 4. Direction Would you not mis-improve these especial finding times then live in the consideration of what depends upon them Upon these times depend your eternal conditions upon on these monosyllables depends eternity upon these Nows these present gales and seasons of Grace We say of some business that we are very solicitous about there is much depends upon it It is a matter of grand importance This is the case thy laying hold of these special times is a business of great moment as much as your immortal Souls are worth O that every time you prayed you might say this is for eternity and every time you heard a Sermon O poor Soul this is for eternity As that great Painter said propter aeternitatem pingo So should every poor sinner say of his duties Write Eternity upon the head of them I have read of one that lived many years in a Cave under the earth among multitudes of Gnats to the wonder of many he was insensible of their disturbances and the reason given is this he was come thither to contemplate eternity So do I say the consideration and contemplation of eternity would make you forget the world and the comforts of it when you make your approaches to God 5. Would you not mis-improve these especial finding times O then live much in the consideration of the worth of your
how many Souls have lived and died without the tenders of Christ How many that never heard of a Christ as they said We have not so much as heard of an Holy Ghost How many that sit in darkness and the shadow of death How many parts of the world that are the dark places of the earth full of the habitations of Cruelty You do not hear such Sermons in India as you do in England you do not hear Christ so preached and tendred at Guiny at Jamaica Suppose those poor Indians and Natives that you converse with there should know what you have heard of Christ here and what you have professed of Christ here they would certainly seeing no more of Christianity no more of likeness to Christ among you certainly they would say this Christ is an Impostor and this Christianity a cheat a delusion to gull the world withal Therefore upon this account it is that a woe was denounced against Chorazin and Bethsaida If I had never spoken unto you sayes Christ you had not had sin O Sirs if Christ had never been preached to you never been tendred to you never beseeched you never wooed you you had been under less guilt but now your sin remains and how can you escape who have neglected so great salvation You may think to escape you may think you have some back door to creep out at but alas how can you escape as Christ said to the Pharisees the damnation of Hell 6. These times of Christs being willing to be found will not last alwayes O what stronger reason to observe them My Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man You think poor Sinners that I will alwayes wait on you alwayes wooe you alwayes beseech you O no poor Sinners times are coming on that my Bowels will be shut up in displeasure against you my Bridge of Mercy shall be drawn and my Gate of Mercy shall be shut and then what will you do O poor Sinners what standing will there be without in that day what crying Lord Lord open unto us Do you think to have a trade-wind to heaven do you think the wind will alwayes blow fair in your voyage for Eternity The time is coming that the Lord Jesus as it is said of those Angels will keep the winds in his hands Rev. 7.1 and not suffer them to blow on a poor Soul That was good Counsel of our dear Lord work while it is day the night comes wherein no man can work Your day will not alwayes continue the night comes May it not be said by many poor Sinners Woe unto us our day goeth away And alas poor Sinners the night is no time for working in 7. Reason There are no Christ finding times beyond this life No Christ-finding times in the Grave whither we are all going That is excellent counsel Pecl. 9.10 what thou findest to do do it with all thy might Now is the doing time this present time is only the doing time and the reason is very cogent for there is no work in the Grave whither we go then it is past time to work for Heaven to work for an interest in Christ O that word is a sad word it is past time As the Tree falls so it lies to all Eternity there is no turning of it on the other side O then poor Souls had need look to it and make sure when they fall they fall right that they fall Heaven-ward When you die then all the tenders of Christ cease 8. Reason Because it is not long that Christ will call that Christ will offer himself to be found of you The Mart-dayes for your poor Souls will not long continue the shadows of the evening are stretched upon us the Sun of the Gospel declines apace Time is short Gospel-time is short life-time is short liberty is short God is cutting us short O now how should we observe the finding times of Christ It is said 2 Kings 10. â—â— the Lord began to cut Israel short but now the Lord hath been cutting England short a great while cutting us short of Trading of Liberties of Priviledges and all that we may observe the times of Christ in which he is willing to be found The Angel within a little time will swear Time shall be no more Application Is it so that Sinners should observe these times of Christ 1. It doth inform us of the great stupidity and senselesness that is upon the Souls of poor Sinners naturally They go on in the neglects of Christ untill the Lord Jesus meet them and stop them They do not consider Nay it was the complaint of the Lord against his own people that they were worse than brutes Isa 1.3 4. The Oxe knows his owner and the Ass his masters crib and yet my people do not know they do not consider O the bruitishness of our hearts The Turtle and the Crane observe the time of their coming c. The Psalmist cautions us be not as the Horse and as the Mule that want understanding O may not every poor Sinner when God comes to convince at first the Soul say Surely I am more brutish than any man 2. It informs us that it is not the having times of Christs offering himself but it is the observing of these times that we are especially to look after It is indeed a great Mercy to have them but it is a greater to observe them We may say in this case as in that who is wise will observe these things and the prudent shall know them There are many poor Souls who are now in Hell that have lived under the Calls of Christ under the offers of Christ. What say you to Chorazin and Bethsaida You may hear Christ forty years together preached nay you may profess Christ nay you may follow Christ for loaves many years and after all this be Cast-awayes nay a man may preach Christ and at last be a Cast away 3. It informs us that the Spirit of God doth not alwayes breath alike and strive alike The Spirit of the Lord came upon Sampson by times and the Angel came down at a certain season The wind of the Spirit blows by gusts many times upon poor Souls it blows where it listeth and it blows when it listeth It may be not in that Ordinance thou expectedst most but in that Ordinance thou expectedst least Or ever I was aware my Soul made me sayes a poor Creature like the chariot of Aminadab There is a set time to favour Zion So there is a set time for the Spirit of God both to convince and comfort the poor Soul 4. It informs us that in every poor Sinners miscarriage to all Eternity there is room to justifie God We must not think to lay it at Gods door as too many would do but we must lay it at our own doors Hos 13.9 O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Perditio tua ex te will be the Motto written upon Sinners backs in Hell Will not
what shakings of earth and heaven may come Therefore it is wisdom to seek Christ before such dayes come that the Lord may not be a terrour to us in an evil day Therefore it is that Jesus Christ is prophesied of to be a covert from rain and from storm and a refuge He is the only City of refuge to fly to when pursuers are abroad 2. Is it not wisdom to seek Christ while he may be found this will fit you for death Is it not great wisdom to consider our latter end This is that which God wished his own people might do Was not it wisdom in the five wise Virgins that they prepared for the Bridegrooms approaching O how much wisdom appears in this It is the property of a fool to say non putâram I had not thought O how many then have died fools saying I never thought an interest in Christ was so difficult a thing to obtain I never thought of any times in which Christ would not be found 3. Is it not great wisdom to seek Christ while he may be found your eternal happiness depends upon it Is it not wisdom to provide for eternity every man thinks it wisdom to provide for his own family what then is it to provide for his own Soul 4. Is it not wisdom to do that now which else your Souls will repent to all eternity Wisdom consists in preventing after-repentings O how many Souls are repenting the loss of their time in hell and saying O if they were to live on earth again and had their opportunities to seek Christ again they would never be such loyterers and sluggards in the matters of their Souls 5. Is it not wisdom to do that which you came into the world to do Was not this to seek the Lord while he may be found to look about for your salvation Did you come into the world to eat and drink and rise up to play What needed you immortal souls for such sensual employments 6. Is it not wisdom to do that God gives you time on purpose it might be done Why doth God exercise so much patience Why doth he hover over Souls and continues thus to be gracious but that he would still have them seek the Lord Jesus 7. Is it not wisdom to do that now which we have only means now to do it in No means of seeking Christ after this life no means then of acquaintance with God Now our dayes are filled up with means and Gospel advantages to this end 2. Vse Is it so that there are times in which Christ Jesus will not be found then it is a word of Exhortation to improve your present time in seeking Christ Redeem the time The Apostle gives us the exhortation to walk as wise and not as fools redeeming the time because the dayes are evil 1. Time is precious It is a precious commodity in hell sayes one where a damned Soul would give all the world for one inch of time It is precious time for it is filled up with precious advantages for precious souls It is precious it is your working-day for eternity O then while he is to be found seek him 2. You must be judged according to the precious opportunities you have now for your Souls The word sayes Christ that I speak shall judge you at the last day 3. Seek him in your present day it will lie heavy upon you that you lost so much time in which you might have sought Christ O how doth it cut to the heart to consider what a day a poor sinner once had only he wanted a heart to look after Christ O what wringing of hands will there be in hell one day under this very consideration 4. Seek him in your present day if others had enjoyed such Golden Scepter-seasons they would have kissed the Scepter and have submitted to the terms of the Lord Jesus they would have believed they would have repented yea in sack-cloth and ashes as is said of Tyre and Sidon 5. Seek him in your present day the damned Souls that have lost him for ever if God should priviledge them to have another day of Grace to seek Christ in O how would they seek him how would they mourn for him Would they hear as you do pray as you do sweal a way their time upon which eternity doth depend as you do Would they mis-improve precious seasons for their souls as you do If you did but know what the loss of an immortal Soul meant is it possible you could sleep away play away Sermons of Christ Heaven and Salvation 6. Seek him in your present day your Enemies seek you because you seek him To be sought after by Enemies and found by them as you must reckon of one time or other and yet not to find Christ O how sad is this Methinks our enemies should stir us up to lay hold of all seasons to seek Christ Could you young ones or old ones go to prison and have not yet found him whom your Souls love Can you suffer and not have found Christ 3. Vse Is it so that there are times in which Christ will not be found It is then a word of terrour to all such as live in their neglects to seek the Lord Jesus Christ What poor Souls if his bowels shall cease yearning towards your Souls What if they should be shut up in displeasure If the Lord Jesus Christ should strive with you no more O what a dangerous condition were your Souls in then 1. Your danger that live in neglects of Christ is much in this your offers and tenders of Christ will never be forgotten by you in another world O they will stick by your Consciences in hell Nothing will aggravate poor sinners condemnation so as this they slighted the offers of life and salvation by Christ How can you escape if you neglect such great salvation It shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for Chorazin and Bethsaida Why so the one had Christ preached and offered to them and so had not the other 2. There is no possibility for your escape that neglect to seek Christ whoever escape you cannot How can you escape c. O poor Souls can you contend with the wrath of an Omnipotent God Can your hearts endure or your hands be made strong in that day he shall deal with you If you cannot escape it nor contend with it O how miserable are you This is a great piece of hell that you are in already 3. You that neglect Christ now must never come under a possibility of a tender of Grace after death If there could but be hope in hell of a possibility of a tender of Grace this poor hope would relieve the Souls that are in that pit of misery A very peradventure or it may be would be some comfort to them if they might ever come under the tenders of Christ again No their condition is now unalterably stated for ever 4. You that neglect Christ now know this is a degree of despight to the Spirit of Grace And is not this a dangerous thing Heb. 10.29 That Text in the Hebrews will tell you so Is not this to use Christ despightfully and O how can Christ bear these sleights time after time 5. You that neglect Christ now are every moment under condemnation There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus Then others are under condemnation O now what if death should smite thee in this condition Would not thy poor Soul sinner be struck dead and damned at a blow O then see thy danger and tremble to continue in it Continue no longer in thy neglects of Christ but seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is near FINIS
willingness of God to shew them mercy Do you think that the Lord would have parted with his own Son for you if he had not been willing to shew you mercy The Prophet tells us Isa 42.6 He is given for a Covenant to the people for a light to the Gentiles 2. Reason why Jesus Christ is willing to be found of poor Gentile sinners this is evident from the invitations that he gives them to come in to him O what an invitation is this very Call of my Text to such O how do the affections of Christ sparkle in his invitations 1. Consider his invitations are free There is no merit on our side there is no such thing as worthiness in the Creature Christ moves freely from Arguments springing up in his own bowels My Creature will be lost else this poor Soul will be undone for ever else And as Hester said in that case so sayes Christ How can my heart endure to see this evil come upon my people and kindred So O sayes Jesus Christ how can my heart endure to let this poor Soul go to Hell and eternally perish And thus his heart works freely in his invitations towards poor Sinners 2. His invitations are affectionate invitations invitations mixed with entreaties I beseech you be reconciled unto God Christ doth not only invite but becomes a suppliant to the sinner He comes to the Sinner which is obstinate and inexorable and upon his knees begs the Soul for his sake for its own sake to accept of terms of mercy and reconciliation 3. They are importunate invitations He doth not invite with an indifferency of Spirit whether we accept of his terms or no but he invites in good earnest and sets on invitations with pressing arguments sometimes taking an argument from the Souls danger if it close not with his invitations sometimes an argument from the Souls duty and sometimes an argument from the Souls benefit and profit these are importunate invitations 4. His invitations are daily and incessant invitations Poor Sinners are daily invited Christ is an every dayes Solicitor and Suitor he waits to be gracious If you deny him to day he comes again to morrow he doth not cast off for every present denyal 5. His invitations are universal therefore thou mayst say as he did I am invited also O poor Sinner God hath not excluded thee if thy unbelief exclude thee not 6. His invitations are upon the most solemn preparations that ever was All things are ready Hath he invited and prepared his guests and doth not this argue his willingness to entertain 3. Reason why the Lord Jesus Christ is willing to be found of Gentile Sinners because upon this account the Father enters into a Covenant with the Son to reward him There was a Covenant struck betwixt Christ and his Father that upon his undertaking the great work of Mans Redemption he would exalt him and glorifie him I will glorifie thee The Rewards of Christ for Redemption-work seem to consist in these things 1. The conversion of Souls Isa 49.6 Is it a small thing thou raise the Tribes of Israel I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles as if Christ should stand with his Father and say But Lord what will become of the poor Gentile part of the world Must they all dye in their sins and be damned O the heart of Christ was inflamed with love after the salvation of poor Sinners Well now the Lord gives him a Patent for Gentiles as well as Jews a Patent of Free Grace Tit. 1.2 this is covenanted for betwixt God the Father and the Son this is the promise of Eternal Life before the world begun He shall see the travil of his Soul and shall be satisfied 2. His exaltation is promised So he shall sprinkle nations viz. convert them Sprinkle them with his blood an allusion to the blood of the Paschal Lamb when the destroyer was to pass over Isa 52.15 And Kings shall shut their mouths at him Shall all be silent at the setting up of his Dominion they shall be convinced of his Kingly Office and Dignity Not a word to say against the Lord Jesus as King Isa 53 ult He shall conquer them and deliver the Elect out of their hands Therefore sayes another Text He shall divide a portion with the great Some read it I will give him a portion among the great He shall have his day of visible greatness among them Others read it He shall divide the Mighty as a prey This will be Christs work when he comes forth in Majesty to prey upon all that stand in his way to his Kingdome whether persons or things Now this clearly demonstrates the point in hand because God Covenants for this with him upon his undertaking Redemption and Salvation-work Application Is it so that the Lord Jesus is willing to be found of Gentile Sinners Then 1. It informs us of the unspeakable love of Jesus Christ to poor Sinners O how is it commended to us In this that while we were Sinners he died for us greater love than this hath no man 1. Is there not love in this to be willing to be found of such as have been professed Enemies proclaimed Traytors The Lord hath proclaimed us upon our first apostasie to be Traytors and Rebels to him but yet he hath sent out a proclamation of Peace and look to that blessed proclamation and lay hold of it by a hand of faith or Isa 27.5 Let him take hold of my strength that he may make peace with me and he shall make peace with me You see here is the proclamation to lay hold on And so poor Souls upon their falling in with Christ are at peace Is not here love shining love to poor dark Gentiles Let us see the Proclamation renewed Isa 55.1 2 I am found of them that asked not for me I am found of them that sought me not I said behold me behold me unto a Nation that was not called by my Name I have spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people viz. to a company of poor obstinate Jews and lo therefore I turn to the Gentiles Behold here I am here I am so some read it as Christ holding out terms of Mercy Life and Salvation to poor Sinners If a man find his Enemy sayes Saul will he let him go well away O the love of Christ to Gentiles which were enemies 2. Is there not love in this to call these first to look after him Is not this preventing love Did I look after him said poor Hagar who here sees me Alas if the Lord had never found me out I had never found him He is called a Shepherd that seeks out his Sheep O here do we run into corners from this good Shepherd untill he follow us O what love is this 3. Is there not love in this to tell us there is a time coming when it will be too late to seek him See how