this took and melted the heart of God that his bowels broke forth Is Ephraim my dear Son 6. Direction to young Seekers under their discouragements pore not upon thy discouragements too much O how ordinary is this This is to look upon the black and dark side of the cloud what is there not a bright side Many poor Souls by doing thus have entred into great temptations you lead your selves into temptations by this means but this hath been cautioned against in the former use therefore I shall not enlarge upon it here 2. Observation from this Text we observed was this That Young Seekers or Morning Seekers are much upon the heart of Christ It is evident in the Text it being a Promise by way of encouragement to such poor Souls O they are so much on his heart he would not have them discouraged O he knows they are soon discouraged therefore they are upon his heart to encourage them 1. He doth encourage them by accepting of their weak beginnings when a Scholar is a young beginner he is soon discouraged but when he sees his Master takes notice and accepts in good part what he doth this doth much encourage him and so a young Apprentice Thus it is with a poor Soul at its first enquiring after Christ when it sees the Lord accepts and takes in good part its weak motions after Christ its weak affections and desires O it is encouraged will the Lord accept of any thing such a poor Creature doth have I any offering that can find favour in his sight what such a poor Soul that am but of yesterday that am but newly begun to peep out of my profaneness who have but newly turned my back on the sinful vanities of youth This was typed out in Gods acceptance of the first fruits though never so small we read the sheaf of their first fruits of their harvest was to be given to the Priest Lev. 23.11 13. and he was to wave it before the Lord that it might be accepted If it be but a poor sheaf it is accepted though thou carried out precious Seed weeping and it may be hast not gotten thy sheaves to return with yet peradventure thou hast gotten one sheaf Lev. 2.14 Well carry that to Christ thy High Priest to wave before the Lord it may be accepted for you Yea if it be but a handful of green ears you bring to the Lord a few green desires and affections they shall be accepted with the Lord. We read of a glorious work begun in the day of Zachary Zach. 4.10 in the building of the Temple and great discouragements the Instruments of that Glorious Work met withall there was a mountain in the way but all is encouraged by this The hands of Zerubbabel saith God hath laid the foundation and the hands of Zerubbabel shall finish the building For who hath despised the day of small things saith the Lord there were some poor beginnings and God would not discourage them So I say in this case who hath despised the day of small things what though convictions be but small affections small grace small yet God accepts of this day of small things and thus encourages them 2. Jesus Christ doth encourage young Seekers by perswading their hearts that they shall find favour and grace in the sight of God sooner or later Did he ever say to the House of Jacob seek ye my face in vain O no sayes the poor Soul I am under a Promise they that seek shall find therefore the poor Soul is of good courage O though a person doth meet with discouragements yet sayes the Soul I shall find though I digg long first cry long first seek long first yet the good hope to speed at last becomes a great encouragement and the contrary is as great a discouragement Why should I wait on the Lord any longer pray any longer hear any longer seek any longer this weakens and enfeebles the Soul exceedingly What kept up Jacob in wrestling all night but a secret hope and sweet perswasion that he should for all the opposition he met withall come off conquerour and at last get the blessing How is it with your souls young ones as to this thing are you perswaded your praying seeking will not be in vain O this is a great encouragement 3. The Lord Jesus Christ doth encourage young Seekers after him by making the yoke of Christ easier to them every day than other Every yoke or burden is hardest at first O! poor Souls are ready to say of the yoke of Christ at first as they did of the yoke of Circumsion wherefore put you upon us a yoke that neither we nor our Fathers are able to bear O but this yoke of Christ is made more easie to the soul every day than other Now an Apprentice or a Scholar when he finds his work casier and easier to him O then how is he encouraged to go on it O now saith the soul I find that Scripture true Christs yoke is an easie yoke Mat. 11.28 and his burden is a light burden and that word I now find to be true and none of his Commandments are grievous Now it may here be demanded How doth Christ make his yoke to young Seekers easier every day than other 1. By an increase of love in them to Christ As love grows up in the Soul difficulties are not dreadful the dread of them is taken off when the spark is blown into a vehement flame what difficulty can stand before it Who can stand before envy But here it may be said who can stand before love Many waters cannot quench it Is not love the greatest conquerour in the world How evident is this in mens love to their lusts O what desperate adventures do poor Sinners make to get to their lusts As David's worthies did break through an Host for the water of the well of Bethlehem so do thousands of Sinners for love to their sins break through a whole Host of Convictions Reproofs Admonitions Counsels and all for love to their sins And so love to Jesus Christ as it increases the commands of Christ are pleasant the wayes of wisdome are wayes of pleasantness we take pleasure to serve such as we love 2. Christ makes his yoke easier every day than other and so encourages young Seekers by making Duty a delight So long as Duty is a burden there will be grievousness in it but when it once is matter of delight and priviledge O then it grows easie Delight makes every thing easie though difficult in it self Alas a poor Soul at first looks upon the yoke of Christ as a task as Scholars have their tasks at first but after delight in them Prayer now becomes a delight and the Soul can say as the Spouse did I sit down under his shadow with great delight Communion with God is a great delight reading and hearing is a great delight and now these duties go sweetly and easily on 3. He makes his yoke
others oppositions within and without Now where there is a principle of Grace when under opposition it will seek so much the more importunately after Christ The Disciples discouraged the poor woman of Canaan saying Send her away a great discouragement but she cryed the more Opposition meeting with Grace doth but prove like cold water upon good coales make them burn the brighter Usually at thy first looking out after Christ opposition will meet thee but then let such opposition send you to Christ 2. Reason why morning Seekers shall be certain finders because they are diligent Seekers and the Promise runs unto diligent seeking He that comes unto God Heb. 11.6 must believe that God is and that he is a rewarder of such as diligently seek him It is not the slothful Seeker that shall be the certain finder no no the desire of the sluggard kills him 1. Morning Seekers are diligent Seekers now they see the worth of what they seek none can seek diligently but such O now they seek the Lord Jesus in the sense of the worth of him When we know the worth of that we seek we will seek diligently Ask these Seekers what Christ is worth and they will tell you ten thousand worlds he is the pearl of price chiefest of ten thousands 2. Morning Seekers are diligent seekers because now they are convinced of the worth of their Souls for the good of which they seek Persons will never seek diligently until they come to see the preciousness of their immortal souls Can a man be too diligent in the business of his Soul Did ever you hear of any repented them of their diligence in working out of their salvation with fear and trembling when they came to die Have you ever known any who have cryed out what a fool was I to pray so much to live so holily to take up so much of my time about my immortal soul Ask a poor Soul why it is so diligent at first seeking Christ and it will tell you I never saw the worth of my Soul before I am now seeking out for my Soul and if I do not find I am a lost undone Soul to all Eternity 3. Morning Seekers are diligent Seekers because they now know the evil dayes are coming upon them Eccl. 12.1 in which they will be unfit to seek him dayes of sickness dayes of affliction it may be temptations and tryals they seek while it is to day because when night comes there will be no seeking 4. They know there is a day in which he will not be found Isa 99.6 Seek the Lord while he may be found and call upon him while he is nigh O sayes the morning Seeker the time is coming when it will be too late the gate of Mercy will be shut the bridge of Mercy drawn and the Soul is afraid of delaying and dallying upon that account 5. Morning Seekers are diligent Seekers because they are convinced now of the great need of Christ O now they see and say they are undone and lost for ever if they miss of the Lord Jesus What makes persons diligent in seeking but when they see a need of what they seek Do not they need a Christ that see they are undone to all Eternity if they have not a Christ 3. Reason why morning Seekers will be certain finders the Promise runs to them what plainer than this word in my Text They shall find me They that seek shall find He never said to the Seed of Jacob seek ye my face in vain And he is faithful that hath promised Let this encourage you that you are under a Promise Application Is it so that morning Seekers shall be sure and certain finders Then it is a word of Inquiry Why or what should be the reason so many poor morning Seekers are complaining they find not him whom their Souls love as the Spouse did I sought him but I found him not And so many poor Souls are complaining I sought Christ so long but I know not that I have found him to this day 1. Reason why Jesus Christ is not at present found of morning Seekers he will exercise their Graces by it he had a design upon the Spouse to exercise her Grace by withdrawing from her 1. Sayes Christ I will try whether this poor Soul love me or no Love is a waiting Grace whether this poor Soul can wait and enquire Saw you him whom my Soul loves 2. Christ by this tryes their faith faith will continue seeking though at present it doth not find Isa 8.17 I wait upon the Lord who hides his face from the house of Jacob. 2. The Lord Jesus is not found at present of morning Seekers to draw out their Souls in longings after him The more a poor seeker of Christ seems to be denied the more is his Soul enflamed with ardent desires Thus did Christ with the Spouse when he had withdrawn himself the watchmen smote her took away her veil from her Yet her Spirit was raised the more after Christ to enquire after him Thus often it is with morning Seekers after Christ 3. The Lord Jesus is not at present found of morning Seekers because he will let the Soul see it is only his free Grace that must be adored and admired in finding Christ Morning Seekers would be sacrificing else to their nets and dosing incense to their own drags and stroaking self upon the head and saying this is my praying this is my mourning this is my being early up in the morning O now he will have the Soul know that it is of the riches of his Grace that he is found of those that seek him 4. Jesus Christ is not found at present of morning Seekers because he will try whether their hearts be upright with himself Many poor Souls begin to seek Christ but it is but for a time temporary seekers and afterwards they are offended with one thing or other then they draw back that is a note of a rotten heart I dare say thou wert never right at heart Christ-ward that turnest off and lookest back upon some offence taken against Christ I doubt there be many hypocritical Seekers it is no wonder if such be not finders 5. Jesus Christ is not at present found of morning Seekers because they are many times too legal in their seeking him I mean they seek him too much in a way of works as Israel of old did Now he would acquaint poor Souls with the way of faith to seek him in a way of believing this is the only way of seeking Christ 2. Word of Inquiry If that morning Seekers shall be certain finders of Christ then how comes it to pass that so many of them after a while give over turn their backs on the way of God and apostatize from that they once profest O how many young ones who have begun in the Spirit and yet have ended in the flesh as we might judge 1. Many young Seekers have turned off
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
estate afterwards repents himself but rather looks back upon his diligence with delight So did you ever hear of any when they were to dye that ever cryed out O that I had not spent so many dayes in the service of God! O that I had never taken such pains in seeking after Christ But you have heard of many on the contrary that have cryed O that I were to live over my dayes and time again would I ever be so careless of an immortal Soul would I ever indulge my carnal sloth at that rate I have done would I miss so many precious seasons of Grace for my Soul as I have done 1. Poor Soul do not many strive and never win into the harbour had not thou need cast off thy sloth then 2. Work out thy salvation with fear and trembling who then would give way to flesh 3. It is a business of eternal consequence who would be slothful in a business of such great concernment 4. All our diligence is little enough therefore God calls for violence in the case to take heaven by violence this is honourable 5. The fruit of diligence will be peace upon a death bed 2 Pet. 3.14 Be diligent is Peters exhortation but what motive doth he use That you may be found of him in peace 5. Fifth hinderance to young Seekers after Christ is hope of a longer lease of their lives they hope there is no such hast Some years hence when they have gotten an estate in the world then they will look after these things but why should they be so early with Christ will not two seven years hence serve and thus they delay their seeking after Christ 1. It is worth considering what if thou do live longer and be hardened in sin While Plants are tender they may be dealt with but when they are grown they are too sturdy Alas poor Sinner thou mayst be hereafter a sturdy sinner an hardned sinner an Atheist a Scoffer a Persecutor what if God shall give thee up after thou hast refused to hearken unto him and say of thee Psal 81.11 12. as of Israel of old But Israel would have none of me so I gave them up to their own hearts lusts 2. Is it not worth considering whether the motions of the Spirit be not irrecoverably forfeited by such Souls as delay seeking after Christ upon hope of a longer day There have been Souls that have irrecoverably forfeited the Spirits gales and then what a sad condition would thy poor Soul be in God hath said his Spirit shall not alwayes strive with man 3. What if while thou art hoping for a longer day God should send thee a summons by the black Serjeant Death to tell thee this night shall thy Soul be taken away It was so with him while he was saying Soul take thine ease thou hast goods laid up for many years 4. What if thy day of Grace should be over and Christ wooe no more tender himself no more but his abused love turn into incensed wrath 5. Consider how thy puts off and delayes have grieved Christ Hast not thou wearied out the Lord Jesus while he hath stretched his arm all the day long 6. Consider how your delays will sting you upon a death bed or in another world O how often was I called and yet delayed The remembrance of every delay will go to your hearts like a dagger and bleed in your conscience for ever 6. Sixth Hinderance to morning Seekers after Jesus Christ is perswasions of Christs unwillingness to receive them or be found of them because of their unworthiness This very case discourages many a poor Soul from seeking after Christ they have taken in hard thoughts of God and Christ And O how doth Satan now haunt the Soul taking all opportunities to blow up their unbelieving jealousies against Christ 1. Poor Soul would Jesus Christ wooe thee if he were not willing to be found of thee Would he knock if he were not willing to come in upon thy opening Would he hold out his Golden Scepter for thee to kiss if he were not willing to be reconciled to thee 2. Poor Soul would he wait if he were not willing What speaks his great patience and long suffering towards thee but his willingness to be found of thee Why doth he not only knock but stand and knock Behold I stand at the door and knock Rev. 3.20 He is not yet gone from your doors which notes his willingness to be in 3. Poor Soul would he complain of poor Sinners unwillingness to receive him if he were not willing If it stick not on the sinners side there then is no ground for complaining on Christs side O the sad complaints and groans that have proceeded from Christ upon this account You will not come unto me that ye might have life He was grieved because of their unbelief and hardness of their hearts 4. Poor Soul would the Lord Jesus Christ send his voice behind thee so often prompting thee on to seek after Christ if he were not willing O how doth the voice still keep behind thee in Ordinances in Afflictions whispering to thee thy duty We read of the Spirit saying Come as well as the Bride saying Come it is the Spirit of God is the great maker up of the match betwixt the Soul and Christ and this argues Christ is willing because he sends his messenger so often to thee upon the errand 5. Poor Soul would the Lord Jesus Christ have been so willing to come a Salvation-errand into the world if he were not willing to be found of Sinners What was Christs errand from Heaven unto Earth He came to seek Souls to seek and to save that which was lost He came not to call the Righteous but Sinners to repentance Would he seek you if not willing to save you O let not Christ lose his pains by your harbouring unbelieving jealousies of his love 7. Seventh hinderance to morning Seekers after Jesus Christ is they hope they may repent upon a death bed or sick bed after they have spent their youthful time in sin and vanity this is very incident to all but especially to young persons 1. Poor Soul what if the grim Serjeant Death serve a Writ on thee unawares If thou be struck on a suddain where then will be thy repentance Dost thou know the manner of thy death any more than the time of death What if thou poor young man who hast slighted so many warnings shouldst have none given thee when the great stroak comes What if the Lord come upon thee in an hour thou lookedst not for him 2. What if thou be given up to a seared conscience on a sick bed or death bed A seared conscience at any time is sad but most sad on a sick bed have not many died seared and hardned in sin yea in their very youth But as they lived so they died without sense or feeling of their sad and sinful state 3. Poor Souls what if
your repentance then will not go with God I think sinners you may well have such jealousies that your repentance is hypocritical while it is thus forced and extorted from you by reason of your fears and horrours that now walk in your consciences There is a great deal of counterfeit repentance that God will not take when you come to die late repentance is seldome true and is it not a pitty as one observes to play the Courtiers with your own Souls They do all things late they go to bed late and rise late and dine late and sup late and worst of all repent late 4. What if thy poor Conscience should now cry it is too late thou shouldst have done it sooner Many have thus cryed out O no there is no mercy for them they have stood it out too long and now they cannot expect any thing at Gods hand but a righteous sentence of separation for ever from his comfortable face 5. Poor Soul how will it sting thee to consider thou might often have done it in a fitter time when thou put it off Is not a time of health the fittest time for repentance O now how will the consideration of thy many calls and many refusals lie heavy upon thee 8. Eighth hinderance to poor morning Seekers against Christ is the prejudice that Satan labours to fill their Souls with against Christ this is very incident to young persons to take up prejudices against the Lord Jesus Christ 1. Satan labours to prejudice them by the paucity and fewness of those that seek after Christ they are but a few and why should you go from the way the multitude walks in O poor Sinner would you be pleased to consider it is Christs own Doctrine There be few that shall be saved why should then this be a stumbling block unto you Have you a mind to go to Hell for company Many are the travellers that go hells beaten road broad is the way that leads to destruction and many there be that find it 2. Satan prejudices many times young ones by the meanness and contemptibleness of those that are Seekers of the Lord Jesus Christ. This people that know not the Law are accursed few of the Rulers believed on him not many wise Nobles c. The Poor receive the Gospel O poor Souls know they are most honourable that are so in the account of God and not of man Isa 43.4 Since thou wert precious in my sight thou wert honourable The Righteous is more excellent than his neighbour They that honour God God will honour 3. Satan labours to fill Souls with prejudice against Christ by presenting them with the difficulties they shall meet withal It is true you may meet with discouragement in the way but you shall have the breaker up go before you and he will make the way easie and crooked wayes streight and rough wayes shall become plain 4. Satan labours to fill Souls with prejudice against Christ from the manifold infirmities that attend his followers and indeed this is a great objection that all Seekers after Christ do not walk so closely as they ought Well poor Soul know the wayes of God are the same and Jesus Christ is the same though it is sad there should be so much ground for this stumbling block lying in your way 5. Satan labours to fill them with prejudice against Christ from the Cross that attends them and the Cross of Christ hath been a Rock of offence to many poor Souls Well but poor Soul there is a Crown annexed to the Cross they that suffer with him shall raign with him Unto you I appoint a Kingdom who were they Such as continued with him in great temptations The next Vse If morning Seekers be sure and infallible finders then it is a word of Caution First Take heed of giving over of being too short breathed in seeking of Christ He that believes makes not hast To set on this Caution which is of great concernment to every poor Soul that hath set out to seek Christ although it was hinted the last Observation I will enlarge it now 1. If you give over your hearts were never truly in good earnest in the work It may be you had some flashes of affection or some gripes and pangs of conviction that for the present startled you but yet your hearts were not truly in good earnest in the work Ah poor Soul that truly sees its need of Christ the real worth and excellency that is in him its real misery without him this Soul will never give over untill it hath found him whom its Soul loveth Is that love in good earnest that because it meets discouragements gives over the pursuit of the object The Spouse was in good earnest therefore gives not over but still keeps up her enquiries after Christ Saw you him whom my Soul loveth 2. If you give over you lose the prize if the racers give over they lose 1 Cor. 9.24 therefore we have that Caution So run as you may obtain Is not this sad to be runners and losers seekers and missers at last Poor Souls if you give over you will go without He that continues to the end the same shall be saved We are to run with patience the Race set before us to run it and not give over 3. If you give over and so sit down short of Christ it will aggravate your guilt and condemnation What you that once were so forward in the ways of God what you that once gave such good hopes you were truly in love with Jesus Christ what you that were once praying young men and women and nigh the Kingdom as that Scribe we read of in the Gospel Luke 13.26 and to give over O how will this aggravate your miscarriage and you your selves shut out this aggravates all 4. If you give over seeking you will fall either into persecution or profaneness usually this is the end of such When young men while they have been Apprentices and under convictions they have sought Christ but afterwards fall off again they ordinarily prove either Persecutors of the wayes of God or else Profane this is in judgement upon them God suffers them to fall into these things punishing sin with sin and very sad hath been the end of such Would you ever think this hopeful praying young man would prove a drunkard a swearer a prodigal If you give over seeking Christ this I doubt will be your end 5. If you give over seeking Christ this will be a great discouragement to others you weaken the hands of others they will be afraid when they see you so sadly drawn back that they should do so too you hinder others seeking after Christ 6. If you give over seeking Christ you cloath your Ministers with shame and is this the love you have formerly profest to them O how once you were endeared to those spiritual Fathers How could you have pulled out your very eyes for them when they were first
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
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
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
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
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
time in which God will not be found For this shall the Godly pray unto him in a time when he will be found 1. There is a day coming in which the Spirit of God will leave striving with you and then seeking will be out of season Can you seek if the Spirit strive not What is that which puts poor Sinners upon seeking of Christ but the strivings and convictions of the Spirit 2. There is a day coming wherein the things that concern your peace will be hid from your eyes Thus God told Jerusalem But now the things that concern your Peace are hid from your eyes You will be judicially hardened 3. There is a day coming in which Gods bowels will be shut up in displeasure against you You are hardened against God and God against you O that is a terrible Text I will not answer when you call What will God then do Prov. 1.25 26. I will laugh at your Calamity and mock when your fear comes 4. There is a day coming when ordinances shall be ineffectal to you God sayes Make the bea rt of this people fat O dreadful word to have Ordinances given to harden and not to soften 5. There is a day coming that death and hell shall look ghastly upon you and will this be a seeking time Will not Christ tell you O poor Sinner this is but a force Now when you see no way but damuation before you now you seek after me this is only to serve your own ends of Christ O poor Souls be perswaded to seek Christ before these dayes come upon you 2. Motive in the morning of your dayes to be seeking the Lord Jesus Christ such Souls shall live in him you may have life life is only to be had in him therefore he is called a Believers Life He is the Way the Truth and the Life and he is called the Living Stone You will not come to me that you might have life The poor Sinner is dead while he lies at distance from Christ thou mayst have gifts and parts as dead bodies may be stuck with flowers and strawed with herbs but this is but dubbing the dead all this while there is no life in the man it is only he that hath the Son hath life 1. First They that seek Christ have living influences from Christ he is the head that sends living influences into all his members O what a supply of influences is to be had from Jesus Christ You must seek all you have from him it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell 2 Pet. 2.4 5. and this as believers head And we read of believers being called Lively Stones active for Jesus Christ not only Christians but lively Christians How comes this to pass being built up in him united to him as the superstructure is to the foundation the living Stone sends up living influences into all that are built upon him therefore he is the Vine that by his communicating influences doth keep Souls not only living but thriving 2. Secondly He communicates living comfort to such as seek him That is a precious Prophecy concerning Christ Psal 22. The meek shall eat and be satisfied they shall praise the Lord that seek him your heart shall live for ever They shall eat by Faith the Lord Jesus Christ and be satisfied viz. be comforted in their Soul Who The poor meek humble Seekers of Christ in the sense of their own vileness who have been cast down in the sense of their own unworthiness for by the meek are meant such What then They shall live for ever Gen. 4.5.27 not be rejoyced and comforted for a while for this is meant by the heart living it shall be revived and comforted O but may the poor Soul say this comfort will not last O yes Psal 69.33 Their heart shall live for ever The like Promises we have in other places 3. Thirdly They that seek Christ have living Graces from him we receive of his fulness Grace for Grace all we have must be in a way of seeking not only Grace at the first effusion when he sayes to the Soul live but the lively exercises of Grace are from him The Spicknard gives a pleasant smell viz. the Graces of the Spirit Faith and Hope and Love and Zeal they are all exercised they put forth lively acts What is the matter the King is at the Table 3. Motive to seek the Lord Jesus in the morning of your day your Rest must be found in Christ O whither will not a poor burdened sin-ladened Soul go for Rest O what will not a poor distressed Sinner do in hope to obtain Rest Rivers of Oyl and thousands of Rams if it were possible to expiate their sin Nay they will not stick at their first-born What is the reason the blind Papists appoint so many Penances so many Pilgrims so many Fasts and Scourgings but they hope these are expiatory But alas all this will but be seeking that they will never find If you will have the desirable mercy of Soul Rest you must go to him for it Mat. 11.29 Come unto me all ye that are weary and laden and you shall find rest for your Souls The verse before sayes I will give it this you shall find it But might the poor Soul say Lord if we seek it here shall not we miss of it No you shall be sure to find it Isa 11.10 To him shall the Gentiles seek and what then And his rest shall be glorious Some Interpreters it is true take it for his Church which is Christs Rest it shall be glorious Others carry it his rest the rest which he shall give it shall be glory It shall be the glory of a Soul to seek and find rest from him What is it you young ones would have is it this true spiritual rest and peace never think to have this short of Christ. 4. Motive to seek the Lord Jesus Christ in the morning of your day you know not what your evening may prove or your mid-day may prove What if you should have an afternoon filled up with afflictions do you know what God will fill up your day withall 1. What if God should fill up your day with temptations Will it not then repent you that you sought him not in the morning If you should be exercised with that one dismal thought that the day of Grace is over O how it will grieve you that you looked out so late after Christ O what a wretch am I to be so much behind with Christ and my own Soul And O how many objections will such a thought cast in thy way 2. What if God fill up thy day with sharp tryals with weakness of body losses in thine outward estate Will this be so fit a time to seek Christ in when thou wilt have enough to do to bear up under these tryals O then how will thy poor Soul wish thou had been laid in better for such rainy
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
Soul is lost for ever You must not think to put it off and say to morrow No the Lord sayes Now and should not you say Lord why not Now O do not say come again at a more convenient time Christs time is the most convenient time and this is Christs time Now is the accepted time c. 2 Cor. 6.2 See how the finger of Free Grace points out the time O poor Soul now thou mayst be accepted of God and laid in his bosome Now his heart is open now his arms are widened expecting thy running in thither and if thou miss of this accepted time thou wilt for ever be rejected of God Now or never is the language of Christ in an Ordinance Heb. 3.7 8. Hearken to his voice while it is to day See still how God points at the present time While it is to day It may be you may be dead to morrow why may not I say damned to morrow Who knows what to morrow may bring forth Luk. 12.36 We read of opening to Christ immediately O poor sinners you should not delay the business but strike in with Christ while he is beseeching of you 1. Reason Poor Sinners should be observers of Christs times This the Lord calls to and if we do not this we turn a deaf ear to this blessed charmer O what a pity it is that a poor Soul should be deaf to Christ As though Christ only preached hell and damnation and his Fathers displeasure And alas poor sinners it is the quite contrary he preaches Heaven to you Salvation to you This day saith he poor Sinner salvation is come unto thy house If you will not come to him he will come to you with his Salvation This makes me remember that sweet call of Christs in the Prophet Isa 46. ult Hearken unto me ye stout-hearted that are far from Righteousness O poor Gentile Sinners that are afar off from me nay that do oppose me yet sayes he I bring near my Righteousness One would have thought it would have been You stout-hearted I bring near my wrath I bring near my judgements O no but Gods thoughts are not as our thoughts He calls such to accept of his Righteousness and his Salvation and shall we be deaf to such calls What a call is that Hearken to his voice while it is to day Christ calls to poor Sinners that they would lay hold of their especial times 2. This is complained on by God The Calls of God and the complaints of God do both speak it And O this hath been complained on of old O what a complaint was that of Christ against Jerusalem O that thou hadst known in this thy day c And this complaint came from Christ weeping He came nigh the City and wept over it Surely it is some notable Sermon Christ preaches now he weeps O this was it that Jerusalem did not know her day Mat. 23.37 And at another time How often would I have gathered thee as a Hen gathers her Chickens under her wings but she would not be gathered I would have gathered them into me gathered them out of their sins gathered them out of the world my armes were stretched out to that very end but they observed not their gathering times Alas what are the seasons of Grace but Christs gathering times He sees poor Souls are like a Lamb in a large place and they will wander and wander untill they drop into the Pit whence there is no Redemption if Christs compassions do not gather them 3. We are to observe our especial times in which Christ will be found else we receive the Grace of God in vain 2 Cor. 6.1 2. Paul writing upon this subject We beseech you sayes he as workers with him that you receive not the Grace of God in vain and then follows I have heard thee in an accepted time c. He had been in the preceding Chapter speaking of the Ministry of Reconciliation now sayes We beseech you that you receive not this Grace viz. of the Ministry of Reconciliation in vain which you will do if you observe not that now is the accepted time that now is the day of salvation The end of Christ is frustrated if you observe not these times in which he is willing to be found for he offers himself in order to acceptation O how sad would this be for so many Sermons of Christ of his Love of the Riches of Grace to be in vain For Christ to say I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought and in vain Isa 49.4 It is spoken in the person of Christ Is it not a pity free Grace should spend its breath in vain O what will sinners have to say or answer the Lord when the Lord Jesus shall say to them O how many Sermons of my own Love of my Fathers Love did I preach to you but who hath believed my report All these were in vain I could not be credited by you though I came from the bosome of the Father to preach all these things unto you 4. Sinners are to observe those especial times in which Christ is to be found because upon these especial times depends Eternity The eternal condition of a poor Soul depends upon one of these Nows That very motion of the Spirit of God which it may be thou slightest or that very Sermon it may be thou refusest to hear or upon the very conviction thou smotherest with thy worldly enjoyments or employments it may be upon these very times did depend your eternal conditions That Sermon thou was not at might have been the means of thy Conversion As I close with these Calls of Christ fall in with these motions of the Spirit of Christ so it will be with my Soul to all Eternity O did but sinners think of this one thing this one Truth how serious would it make them in their observation of such times Now this is for eternity this motion this striving of the Spirit of God with my poor Soul If any of you were going to Sea on a voyage and all that you were worth depended upon that voyage and if you miscarried you were undone wives and children undone O how careful would you be to observe your time your winds your markets This is the case thou art engaged in a voyage that all thou art worth is concerned in nay infinitely more than thou art worth even thy precious Soul and if thou miscarry in this voyage thou art undone even undone to all Eternity O then what a mad man art thou that observest not what may tend to the security of thy great venture viz. thy precious Soul Observe then thy gales for this voyage it is either a making or a marring voyage 5. Sinners are to observe Christs times when he is willing to be found because these times lost will aggravate the condemnation of poor Souls Christ hath not tendred himself so to all as he hath done to you O
long untill his locks were silled with the dew of the night and yet she opened not to Christ and you see how ill Christ took this and did withdraw upon it O poor Soul how long hast thou made Jesus Christ stand and wait But know he will not always thus wait 2. When we believe not his willingness to receive us then we grieve him and cause him to withdraw He was grieved because of their unbelief and the hardness of their hearts saith the Text. It was said of Israel by the Lord Num. 14.17 how long will this people provoke me and how long will it be ere they believe me for all my signs and wonders Unbelief puts God to his How-longs Therefore the Prophet complains personating Christ who hath believed our report c. Must it not needs grieve him when you do not believe him 1. He promises to you mercy and pardon poor sinners upon your coming over to close with him and would it not grieve any to have the most serious and solemn promises slighted To be look'd upon as a person unfaithful this takes Gods good name from him his name is faithfulness Is not he faithful who hath promised 2. He is sent from his Father to declare this is the heart of the Father also and this must needs grieve him that you should not credit his Father that he should come from Heaven to Earth with such an errand and cannot be trusted If you ask but how comes he to be so well acquainted with his Fathers heart 1 Joh. 18. He tells us he lay in his Fathers bosome therefore he can tell best how it beats toward poor sinners 3. He hath sealed with an oath As I live sayes the Lord I delight not in the death of a sinner O surely the Lord would gladly have poor sinners to believe his love As one sayes O happy man for whose sake the Lord swears O unhappy man that will not trust a swearing God! The oath of God is for confirmation of Gods good will to poor Souls O how must it then grieve him that he cannot have his oath believed 4. O how it grieves him now he hath sealed this love with his blood Herein Divine Love is commended to poor sinners that while Enemies Christ died for them 5. It must needs grieve him not to believe him after so long waiting upon them Now when we have thus griev'd him he will withdraw not be found of poor finners 5. Time in which Christ will not be found of poor Souls is when in a time of mercy prosperity we have slighted him and yet in a time of judgment and calamity seek him but only seek him by being affrighted at his judgements Israel forgat God in their Prosperity and how did God take it and he said I will hide my face from them Psal 32.20 I will see what their end will be God now in a time of judgment will not be found of them because in a time of prosperity they had slighted him Therefore we read the Prophet Jeremy threatning Israel that the Lord will give them his back and not his face in the day of their calamity Jer. 8.17 Now O what a dreadful thing is this in a time of calamity and common judgment to have no God to look upon a people To go to him at such times is not to make him our choice but only to make him our refuge and if we make him not our choice in a time of prosperity can we expect he should be our refuge in a time of calamity What a sad word was that Go to the Gods whom you have served and see if they can deliver you Application Are there times in which Christ will not be found 1. It informs of the folly of poor souls that trifle in seeking Christ O why should we dally in a matter of such moment a matter of eternal consequence Be not deceived poor sinners Christ will not alwayes wait upon you not always be willing to be found of you The time is coming that his bowels will be shut up in displeasure that he will be gracious no more that his mercies will be clean gone for evermore O then why do you trifle now will the gates of mercy alwayes stand open will Christs arms always be held wide open 1. Here is great folly in trifling in seeking Christ it is a matter of eternal consequence There is no trifling in great cases We say we must be serious it is a matter of great concernment O! Soul-concernments are great concernments If I miscarry says a man in this design I am undone O then he will be mighty watchful and careful So sayes a poor Soul if I miscarry in this great business if I miss of Christ I am undone yea to all eternity undone 2. O the great folly of trifling in seeking Christ This is all the time you have to seek him in When a man hath a work allotted to him and he must do it in such a time else it can never be done O what folly it is to trifle that time away allotted for that work and this is the case this present life-time is your allotted time to seek Christ to get acquaintance with Christ and after the hour-glass of this present time be out you will never have more time for this work There is no work in the grave whither you go I often tell you the grave is too dark a shop to do any Soul-work in 3. O the folly of trifling in seeking of Christ ere long it will be past time Is not this great folly to trifle when time goes so fast away If you were like to have a long day you might say something sinners for your trifling but to have a short day and a great deal of work and to triflle any of it away this must needs be great folly We read of time being short 2. It informs us of this that though God wait long yet he will not wait always my spirit shall not always strive with man You may weary God as the Prophet says You have wearied man and will you weary God also He will be gone from your doors after long standing and long knocking 3. It informs of the wisdome of such poor Souls as seek him in a day and time when he will be found wisdom observes to take its fittest times and seasons There is much in timing actions O now this Soul and heavenly wisdom is all for observing its seasons Here the foolish Virgins miss'd it sadly they did not observe their seasons for getting oyl into their lamps 1. Is not this wisdom to seek the Lord while he may be found this will lay you in against the most tremendous and terrible dispensations that can come upon earth Wisdom appears much in foresight and in laying something in for a rainy day O poor souls you know not what rainy days hang over your heads what terrible clouds cover the face of the heavens and
instrumental to do your souls good and is this your kindness unto them to put them unto shame Disappointments bring shame Make me not ashamed of my hope sayes David O many Ministers had hopes of you and prayed for you and have hoped you would be their Crown and Rejoycing as Paul said and what now prove their shame O how near this will go to the hearts of Godly Ministers Have not they said of you as Paul said of them We live if you stand fast in the Lord. Secondly If morning Seekers be sure and infallible finders then take heed of a discouraged frame of heart in seeking Christ this is Satans work to discourage poor Souls to lay stumbling blocks in their way and tell them there is no hope no Christ will never be found of such as they are hope is perished from the Lord. O take heed I say of this frame of heart you know what they said to the poor blind man Be of good cheer the Lord calleth thee So do I say unto you poor morning Seekers be not discouraged the Lord will be found of you 1. A discouraged frame of heart will open a door to hard thoughts of God Usually discouraged Souls are jealous and suspicious Souls of God and alas this will weaken you exceedingly in your seeking after Christ O what a hard thought was that My God hath forgotten my God hath forsaken 2. A discouraged frame of heart grieves the Spirit of God what seek Christ with a discouraged frame of heart can this be pleasing to the Spirit of God who is the Comforter 3. A discouraged frame of heart opens a door to consult with Satan he loves to be fishing in troubled waters and ordinarily he sits by discouraged Souls helping them to conclude against Christ and their own Souls it is a very dangerous thing to be drawn in to consult with Satan 4. A discouraged frame of heart will weaken your endeavours in your pursuits after Christ the joy of the Lord is a believers strength but discouragements weaken exceedingly 5. A discouraged frame of heart in seeking Christ reflects upon Christ as though he were unwilling to be found of poor sinners This is dishonourable to Christ dishonourable to his design of coming into the world was it not to save Sinners dishonourable to his Promises hath not he promised He will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax Thirdly If morning Seekers shall be sure and certain sinders then take heed of delaying to seek the Lord Jesus do not put off Christ take heed of this because that you are young and hope you have time before you O this many times is a Rock that splits thousands of Souls they say they will seek Christ at a more convenient time 1. Take heed of losing your morning for the present time is only yours Alas poor Soul if thou layest not hold of the fore-lock of thy present time thou mayest be undone for ever O how the Lord calls on us to improve our present time Work while it is to day and if you will hearken to his voice while it is to day walk in the light while you have the light now is the acceptable time 2. Take heed of losing your morning You young ones you know not how short your morning may be and when mornings are short persons had need be up and doing How many young ones have been cut off in their morning in the prime of their time in the flower of their youth gone to the Grave in a moment while the milk was in their breasts and marrow in their bones 3. Take heed you lose not your morning it will be harder work to seek Christ afterwards when you have delayed time after time after you have lost the forenoon of your lives it will be hard redeeming the afternoon O how rare a thing is it to see a person wrought on in their afternoon not but some have been met with but this is not so ordinary 1. The more guilt there is upon the Soul the harder it will be to seek out after Christ the longer thou delayest the more guilt thou contractest upon thy Soul O what complaints have such Souls uttered O that I had come to Christ sooner but will he now receive me to mercy who have stood out so long Had I fallen in with Christ upon his first offers and tenders it had been more easie to have thought he would have accepted me And thou wilt find this a strong objection upon thee the heavier load of guilt upon thy Soul the heavier thou wilt find it to draw to Jesus Christ 2. It will be harder for you to seek after Christ after you have delayed because the sense of your unkindness to Christ will fill your Souls when you are awakened What stand out against Christ after so many knocks after so many calls after so many offers and invitations Thus it was with the Spouse when she arose to open to her Beloved there was a little myrrhe left upon the handles of the lock and then her bowels were moved viz. She was filled with shame and sorrow that she should use Christ so unkindly 3. The more a Spirit of sloth takes possession on the Soul the harder it is to shake off 4. Take heed of losing your morning for a dark night is fast approaching upon you in which you cannot seek Christ in which you cannot work it is bad seeking any thing in the dark I may say unto you as the Prophet to them Give Glory to God before he cause darkness Jer. 13.16 and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountaion This is the Doctrine that our Lord Jesus Christ preacht himself Work while it is to day for night comes when no man can work 1. Poor Souls what if a night of judicial darkness and blindness come upon you What if God give you over to a dark heart He suffered some we read of to walk in the wayes of their own heart 2. What if a night of temptation come upon you It is ill seeking Christ under temptation 3. What if a night of death come upon thee then thy seeking Christ is at end there is no work in the grave where thou goest What though young men you be now in your morning God can cause your Sun to set at noon-day and bring a night upon you before you are aware therefore lose not your morning 5. Take heed you lose not your morning your morning discoveries and manifestations will be your evening supports and consolations the evening of our lives is our declining time our old age And O what a mercy is this to be laid in with comfort when that comes What a sad thing is that to see one gray-headed and forsaken of God As David prayed many have cause to pray forsake me not when I am gray-headed If you seek him in your youth he will sit by you when you are old O that is a sad Text and the sinner an