a quickning and regenerating Word it carries Christ in it the Author of Life and the Apostle calls it the Ministration of Life And perhaps it hath been so to some poor man and woman and to some of thy children But O how long hast thou heard it how often hast thou come to this Bread of Life to these Waters of Life What! and yet dead in thy sins not yet quickned and made alive Why thou art a reproach to the Gospel and thy sins have not only given death to thy soul but death to the Gospel of Christ the Gospel is made by them a dead Letter it is not so in it self but thou hast made it so And how wilt thou answer God for killing thy soul and killing his Christ and killing his Gospel 2. Many have a name that they live but like the Angel of Many have a name to live and yet are dead the Church of Sardis they are dead Revel 3. 1. Oh Sirs Spiritual life the life of grace is a rare thing and a difficult thing Every man loves his life but few love this life No man hates his own life almost but most men hate this life of grace because it is destructive to this life of sin And many think they have it and others think so too and yet they have it not You know it is one thing to put Flowers upon a dead body and another thing to put life into a dead man It is one thing for the Sun to convey light another thing for the Sun to convey life I might shew you that mâ—n mistake spiritual life exceedingly Education in a person may lead him far and so may an enlightned and generous Conscience and so may restraining Grace and so may Art and so may the common gifts of the Spirit they may enable a man to strange conceptions and strange affections and strange actions and yet the man may be spiritually dead Not any of these flow from a gracious principle of spiritual life Why common Gifts may lead up the soul far and Education may lead to Duties much and Conscience may awe sin exceedingly and Art or Hypocrisie may counterfeit the very life of Grace as a Stage-player doth a King wonderfully O therefore look to it that you have more than a name of life that you live indeed 3. If you should deceive your selves and when you come to It would be very sad to be deceived in this die you find that you have been dead all your lives and never were spiritually made alive Oh! in what a condition will thy poor trembling soul be To die and see nothing but death I thought there was life in my heart and life in my strong faith and life in my troubles of spirit and life in my obedience but alas I never lived I never enjoyed Christ never enjoyed grace c. 4. If the Lord hath made thee alive from the dead I do not To be alive is cause of great joy know any man living on the earth that hath such cause of joy unspeakable and glorious I will mention but three particulars unto thee 1. Hereby thou mayest be assured of thy interest in the richest mercy and greatest love of God to thy poor soul Read but the Apostle in Ephes 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us v. 5. even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 2. Thou mayest palpably discover the tokens and vertues of Jesus Christ upon thy soul the very Effigies of the saving works of Christ that which Paul so longed to know even the power of the death and of the resurrection of Christ Philip. 3. 10. In thy death to Sin and in thy life of Grace doth the power of Christs death and of Christs resurrection appear 3. Thou mayest certainly know that Heaven shall be the place of thy rest hereafter Spiritual life comes from Heaven and bends to Heaven and shall bring to Heaven It prepares for Heaven and it is a part of Heaven and it shall be perfected and filled up in Heaven O what things are these who would miss of these For Christs sake search throughly whether you be made alive Now me thinks I hear some soul secretly longing to know how it may be cleared unâ—o it That God hath quickned it from the Signs of spiritual life dead That as it was once dead yet it is now alive Sol. There are many things which may clearly declare it for indeed life is such an active thing especially spiritual life that it may easily appear sometimes or other to him who hath it 1. If sin be alive then thou art still dead and if sin be dead thou art certainly alive I will open both these parâ—s 1. If sin be alive then the man is dead for it is impossible that the If sin be alive the man is dead same man should be alive and dead under the same consideration Spiritual Life and spiritual Death are incompatible at the same time in the same subject And therefore if sin be alive questionless you are spiritually dead Now there are four things which manifest sin to be alive in any mans soul 1. The flaming bents and inâ—atiable desires of the heart after things forbidden in the Word Ephes 4. 19. we read of sin with greediness 2. The universal and easie authority law or command that it hath over the soul and body that it can use them in the service of lusts when and as it pleaseth Ephes 2. 2 3. 3. The joyfull contentation and satisfaction which the heart takes in evil things as we do in meat and drink 4. The customary trade and course of our life in sinfull ways a walking in them a living in them O if these be yet found in thee sin is alive still and thou art dead still 2. But if sin be dead thou art certainly alive If sin be dead thou art alive I confess sin may be restrained and a man not alive and sin may be troublesome in some respects and a man not yet alive But if it be dead the man is spiritually alive for sin in thee can never come to be dead but by spiritual life Now sin is dead in thee if thou canst find two things 1. If it hath lost thy affections If love to sin be gone and hatred of sin be come if delight in sin be quenched and sorrow for sin be implanted Oh Sirs the love of sin is the life of sin and if the hatred of sin doth live then the love of sin is dead 2. If it hath lost its Authority its free and uncontrolled power although it molests still and tempts still yet it rules not thou art not a slave to it and subject to it thou wilt not serve it obey it any longer If thou hast Christ for thy Lord the Law of Christ for thy Rule and Sin for thy Enemy thou art alive 2. A second sign of spiritual life is a spiritual sense
delight in him Plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me said Bernard 4. When the Lord converts and changeth a person the man presently Steps into the path of new Obedience when Grace hath changed the Heart the Heart instantly changeth its Master and its service O it will not live as it hath done for a thousand Worlds It is a servant of sin no more but a servant of righteousness look on any converted man since the Word began as soon as ever Grace dropt into his Heart a newness of Obedience dropt into his Life against all Ease Pleasures Profits Encouragements Discouragements Threats Dangers It was so with Abraham with Paul with all those thousands in the Acts with all those Ephesians And indeed it cannot be otherwise forasmâ—ch as all their external course is but the pulse of the Heart The Pondus of the will is changed it is at the command of the Heart which being brought into God the services of the heart are also brought in with it O that you would peruse your selves in this second Tryal what present contratiety you find in your Hearts It is a very neer Tryal and a most Infallible discovery of the truth or falshood or your Change 3. The last Contrariety or Change which I shall but touch As to the time future respects the time Future there are five admirable Properties for the time future which may be found in every truly Changed and Converted person 1. He is very tender and fearful least he should sin against his God Keep thy servant from presum ptuous sins cleanse thou me from secret faults Psal 19. 12 13. Should we again break thy Commandments said Exâ—a c. 9. 14. How can I do this Great wickedness and sin against God! said Joseph Gen. 39. 9. There is in a Changed and Converted man 1. A tender Jealousy over a Deceitful heart 2. a tender Watchfulness against Alluring temptations 3. a tender Conscience which feels the first Risings of sin 4. a tender Dissidence of his Own strength 5. a tender Fear and aweful Regard of Gods Presence and Goodness He is afraid to sin although the sin be Secret and although it be Commodious and although it be Pleasant I will but name the rest 2. He is very Zealous and Active for God Paul even besides himself 3. He is very Faithful and Constant unto God 4. He is very Serious and Industrious to get assurance of Gods love and of his inheritance in the highest heavens Give all diligence c. 2 Pet. 1. 10. 5. He strives for the Conversion and change of others The next Use must be of Comfort and Support to all such who find this change wrought in their hearts by converting Grace Use 2. There are four Adjuncts which make this Converting change Comfort to those who are changed unspeakably Comfortable and Joyous 1. Next to Christ it is the choicest and chiefest gift that the heart of man is capable of in this life The gifts of God are of several Orders and several Next to Christ it is the choicest gift the heart is capable of Natures uses and ends some are in order to a natural preservation as food and raiment and Health Some are in order to an extrinsecal condition or State of Life as Honours and civil Authority Some are in order to private society and relation as Wife and Husband and Children Some are in order to secular converse as Father and Friends politick wisdome and parts c. These are all of them good in their kind but as it is said of diverse Captaines belonging to David although they did great matters yet they attained not to the acts of the three first Worthies So none of these rise or mount either to that intrinsecal Dignity or to that supernatural and ultimate End which the change by Grace doth The least drop of Grace is more then all the Ocean of the World The Apostle Paul saith it is a change from Glory to Glory the work is a work of Glory and the man becomes glorious who is a converted man S. Peter saith He is now made partaker of the Divine Nature The excellencies of God are stamped on thy soul the Sun is now risen within thee as the Glory of God filled the Temple so when a man is converted the beams of grace do fill his soul thou art precious the filthy rags are taken away 2. It is an evidence of great love and rich mercy Eph. 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he It is an evidence of great love loved us when we were dead hath quickned us c. It is a testimony of the greatest love as it is of the greatest hatred in God to be left to our sinful lusts and wayes 3. Converting grace it is the first visible and sure characteristical It is the first visible distinction betwixt hell and heaven distinction twixt Hell and Heaven twixt Death and Life twixt a Goat and a Sheep twixt a wicked condition and a Godly condition There is a twofold distinction of persons touching their everlasting estates One is in decreto which lies in the brest and counsel of God the other is in decreto which is to be found in the heart of man Now quoad nos quantum ad objectum Converting grace makes the difference it shews who is loved and who is hated it shews who is for Heaven and who is for Hell It is not honour nor wealth nor strength nor parts nor civility nor meanness nor poverty nor education nor knowledg nor trouble of conscience nor restraint nor profession nor external action which is the partition wall which divides and decides the state for the present and future If Ministers or Angels should assure thee of an interest in Christ and of remission of thy sins and of future happiness while yet thy heart is unconverted they do certainly delude and deceive thee for if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature But if God hath converted and changed thy heart thou art assuredly past from death to life thou art among the first born of God No sorts of wicked men are in this changed and converted condition no prophane person no hypocritical person as soon as any is converted it may be said of him as Christ of Zacheus This day is salvation come to him for as much as he also is a child of Abraham 4. It never goes alone it is alwayes accompanied with justification It never goes alone pardon interest in Christ reconciliation with God Jesus was sent to bless them in turning them away from their iniquities Acts 3. 26. Be converted that your sins may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. Come now and let us reason together Isai 55. 7. 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctifyed but ye are justifyed c. It is the most comfortable condition 5. It is the most comfortable and joyful condition for now there is
a greater curse from God Therefore you read of such who are entangled again That their latter end is worse then their beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. Men are entangled again when either by the vigour of conscience or sharpness of affliction c. they have made a pause or stop but like the restrained River which climbs over the Dam so they get over these unto their course of sinning again Now saith the Apostle these men shall never better their estates nay they make them the worse the latter end of them or with them is worse then the beginning Thirdly know That by progress in sin after punishment Progress in sin makes the estaâ—e worse Formally the estate is worse Formally Judicially Eventually 1. Formally worse For if sin be it which makes the estate bad then more sinning must needs be that which makes the estate worse as on the contrary the additionals and incrementals of Grace i. when a man doth add one degree of grace to another and riseth in a better and a stronger and fuller acting of grace hereby the moral perfection of his soul is much more bettered and perfected so when the habits of sin admit of more love of sin more exercise of sin that a man doth go on from one sin to another by way of addition or in the frequent practise of the same sins by way of iteration he cannot but make his sinfull nature much more sinfull more filthy and more vile as when a man doth twine one thread upon another or one cord upon another he adds a greater strength unto it so when a man shall rowl and file one sin upon another c. by further progress in sin the very pollutions are more spread and more established and more enlarged by it a man is always more under the pollution of sin and more under the dominion of sin as the Proselytes were made ten times more the children of the Devil 2. Judicially worse which appears in two particulars viz. Judicially In a Dereliction on Gods part 1. In a Dereliction on Gods part he doth more sadly leave such a soul give it up to its own lusts and its own vile affections and unto Satan to rule mightily and efficaciously in such a child of disobedience who loves to adventure in a known way of curse and misery so that the Lord may withdraw himself and desert that progressively sinning soul and not aid and assist it in case of most horrible lusts or of most hideous temptations 2. In Condemnation In Condemnation on Consciences part on Consciences part For the progress in sinnings as at any time so after the time of punishment for sin will make and raise a louder cry and a fiercer sentence from the conscience A man who will not repent for the lashes on his back shall by his continuance in sin quickly feel the lashes of Scorpions in his soul as more guilt doth arise from sinfull practices so more horrour doth ensue upon more guilt more guilt is but like a great storm at Sea or like a great raging of a disease 3. Eventually worse My meaning is that by his continued sinnings he shall not onely continue but much more enlarge his Eventually outward miseries and straits and punishments I will punish you yet seven times more Levit. 26. Pharaoh still hardned his heart but God still followed him with sorer Judgments destruction of Verba Verberâ— Vulnerâ— his fields and then of his cattel and then of his children and at length of his own life As it is with a Bird in a Net the more she flutters and stirs the more is she hamper'd and involved so it is with the sinner the more he stirs on in a sinfull way the more doth he enwrap and intrap too himself with greater mischief The Israelites did begin to murmur against God and God then as it were did privately correct and chastize them afterwards they did revolt from God and then he did let loose some of the Canaanites and Midianites upon them who did greatly distress them at length they grew common in Idolatry and very audacious in their Rebellions against God and then they were carried away captive by the Babylonian Armies So that if you read the History of them you shall evidently discern that every further sinning of theirs was nothing else but a further engaging of themselves unto greater calamities and as it were an adding to more cords wherewith they were more held and beaten If you now demand the Reasons or causes why that the further men go on in their sinning after punishment the worse work Reasons they shall find it to prove I answer the Reasons thereof may be these 1. Sin is a most barren and unprosperous thing Who hath Sin is a barren and unprosperous thing hardned himself against God and prospered said Job 9. 4. his meaning is this that sinning is no prosperous and thriving way It cannot be that a man should go on in sin and yet meet with prosperity and good success and therefore Solomon saith expresly He that hardneth his heart shall fall into mischief Pro. 28. 14. So that sinning is not onely not prosperous but it is also mischievous it will do a man a mischief somtime or other Can a man gather grapes of thistles said our Saviour It cannot be for thistles produce blossomes according to their kind of a filthy and sharp quality But as for Grapes which are of a sweet and refreshing and delighting nature and virtue they come not from such a root as a Thistle Comfort and blessing and peace and prosperity and good success these cannot grow from a sinfull course the land of sin is always a land of famine and barrenness and watered onely with clouds of wrath and set with thorns of vengeance a land wherein a person must not look to see good So that what the Lord said of Coniah Write that man childless the same may be affirmed of every sinfull way It is a barren an accursed an unprofitable an unsuccessfull way No way to better but the onely way to increase wrath and punishment to the sinner 2. Nay sin is not onely a barren thing unable to produce Sin is a very provoking thing any good or blessing but sin is also a very wicked thing and provoking The sinnings of men are the provocations of God to wrath and punishment and the more sinnings are still the greater provocations How long saith God to Moses of the Israelites Will they provoke me Look as the froward and perverse walking of a child provokes the parent i. stirs up his displeasure and anger So the sinnings of men they do provoke the Lord by them unto jealousie and wrath and stir up his displeasure against them therefore it cannot be but that if men go on further in sinning they should find a worse thing of it for every sinning is but as it were a further kindling of the fire and a new incensing and
the Privy Seal For 1. Upon your humble praying for pardoning mercy you do feel your consciences more quieted and setled and revived with better confidence and expectation of mercy 2. You find your hearts more enflamingly resolved that you will never give over you will now follow on to know the Lord and his mercies It was a sign anciently that God regarded prayers when â—ire came down upon the sacrifice as 1 Kin. 18. 24. 2 Chro. 7. 1. so is it a singular argument that God accepts of your prayers for mercy or grace when upon your prayers he doth enlarge and enliven you more earnestly to seek him in those kinds If God doth himself hold up thy suit he will not long hold off his answer when we will have no Nay then Be it unto thee as thou wilt If he prepare thine heart he will at length incline his â—ar And fell on his neck and kissed him You have seen already the Eyes of Mercy to espie a returning Penitent and the Feet of Mercy its speedy pace to meet a returning Penitent the Father ran and of the Bowels of Mercy He had compassion on him In all which we have discovered that singular readiness which is in God to shew mercy to a true Penitent Now there yet remain 1. The Arms of Mercy Amplexus misericordiarum And he fell on his neck 2. The Sealings of all this mercy though not verbally yet most significantly expressed towards the returning Prodigal and kissed him What they say of Scire that though we do know yet this satisfies us not unless another doth know Nisi tâ— scire hoâ— sciat alter that we do know the same is true of Love and Mercy though we have loving affections and mercifull intentions towards any yet this is not enough to the party unless he be made to know the same Therefore here are singular expressions as well as admirable intentions the Box of Ointment is opened Joseph cannot contain himself but cries out I am Joseph The Father of the Prodigal doth forgive and accept of him and testifies all this by falling on his neck and kissing of him There be divers Kisses Not to speak of the Kiss of Subjection and Reverence which David calls for Psal 2. 12. Nor of the Kiss of Incivility and Filthiness the whorish kiss of which Salomon speaks Prov. 17. 13. Nor of the Kiss of Falshood and Treachery Judas-kiss Matth. 26. 49. Nor of the Kiss of Courtesie common to all friends the Heathens used it as Xenophon and Herodotus relate Nor of the Kiss of Charity used among the primitive Christians especially before the Lords Supper The Kiss in the Text is a Kiss of Merciful Affection and it is given unto the Prodigal by his Father in signum Reconciliationis that He and his Father were now friends and in a state of love and kindneâ—s In signum Pacis to take off all fears and doubts all was exceeding well and in signum Laetitiae to intimate unto him what a welcome child he now was His Father was not more grieved at his sinfull departure but he is now much more gladded at his penitential return Doct. God is not onely reconciled but manifests himself so to be unto the Pâ—nitent The proper Observation from this I conjecture is That God is pleased not onely to be reconciled but also to manifest and declare himself as one reconciled to penitent people Joh. 14. 21. I will love him and manifest my self unto him Rev. 3. 20. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to â—at of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white Stone and in the Stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us This is a Proposition of deep consequence and also of some difficulty and therefore must be the more warily opened and attended Some things premised Gods Râ—câ—nciled favour is demonstrable to a â—itted soul For the sense and meaning of it premise these particulars 1. That Gods reconciled favour is a thing demonsirable to a fitted soul .i. it is not besides the nature of Divine favour to open it self so that it may be apprehended no more then it is against the nature of Light to reveal it self Nor is it beyond the capacity and proportion of a penitential soul tobe cognoscitive i. to be able to look on and know Divine favour In Universali the Papists and others do grant as That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself but more then this I affirm in particulars There is not only a Notional knowledge in the general but there may be an Experimental knowledg in particular of Divine favour By this saith David I know thou favourest me And S. Paul of Christ Who loved me God hath actually manifested his love and favour to his people of old Son be of good comfort thy sins are for given thee Mat. 9. And Rom. 8. Paul had it and all the Saints had it And he doth manifest it and will manifest it to all true penitents But then 2. There is a double manifestation of his favour One is Natural A double Manifestation of his favour Naturall and this is when God doth imprint such qualities on the soul which are the sole fruits of a reconciled Love as when he bestowes on it the sanctifying graces of his Spirit Another is Formal wherein he doth evidently make over the goodness of Formall his Love i. make us directly to know that he doth love us and is reconciled unto us which is done two wayes either 1. By the Testimony of the Word apprehended by faith 2. By the Testimony of his Spirit causing in us an express evidence and sense of Gods love as a witness and as a seal Now one of these wayes God is pleased to manifest his reconciled favour or to evidence it unto the penitential soul and sometimes both 3. The time which God taketh to declare or make known in a The time of this manifestation is aâ—bâ—trary more formal way of evidence his reconciled love unto the penitential soul is not necessary and determinate but arbitrary and free It is not restrained to the very birth or hour of our Conversion nor limitted to any one part of time after it more then an other But God is pleased differently to make himself known and his loving favour known Lydia partaked of Joy as soon s the partaked of Grace but with other Christians it may be perhaps as with Simeon that their eyes do not see their Salvation till near their death in the latter end 4. The measure of Gods dispensation in this particular is also The measure of Gods Dispensation of it is very different very different and various â—very
house If so why doest thou yet run away run abroad to Sin for delight to the Creature for satisfaction 6. If God hath graciously found thee and brought thee out of Thou wilt be afraid to lose thy self again thy lost and wandring condition Thou wilt be afraid to lose thy self again to wander again to go astray again from thy God who hath found thee There are six things which the found and recovered person doth apprehend 1. The great iniquity in his formerly lost and wandring course of life 2. His great vanity all that while to forsake his own mercies to sow the wind and reap the whirlwind What profit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 3. The great kindness and love which God hath manifested towards his lost soul in bringing him back to himself and now to own him as a Father doth a Son 4. The great ingratitude to displease that mercy which was pleased to find him 5. The madness of folly to return to an experimental misery and to forfeit sweet mercy which he hath liberally tasted since he was found 6. The great hazard whether mercy will ever look after him any more who hath so presumptuously abused mercy received O no the found sinner hath found such freeness fulness sweetness of entertainment such rich mercy such free love such wonderfull kindness that as Peter in another case it is good for us to be here or as the returning Church it is best being with my first Husband or as Paul about his being with Christ so he about continuing and complying with his God It is best of all And therefore he cries out against all temptations Shall I return to folly when God hath spoken peace shall I sin again since Gad hath given me such a deliverance as this O no O no Canaan is better then Egypt Paradise is better then a wilderness a Fathers House is better then to serve Swine plenty is better then famine Now God smiles on me and shall I raise his frowns Now conscience speaks peace shall I turn this oyle into a Sword O let me never unjoynt the Bones which mercy at length hath set O let me never darken the Sun which shines so comfortably O let me never feed on husks who may still feed on bread O let me never run from a Pallace to a Prison It was Gods mercy and my happiness to be rescued out of a lost condition let it never be my sin and curse to throw my self out of Heaven to cast my self out of Paradise again for a sins sake which formerly lost me to depart from mercy which hath graciously found me 7. If a found person doth stray he cannot be quiet until he be If he do stray he is not quiet till he come back again found and come back again to his God I sal 119. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant There is this difference twixt the strayings of the Godly and of the wicked when a wicked man strayes he is then at home sin is his home and sinful paths are the paths in which he loves to wander the mire and dirt are the delightful home of the Swine and therefore he delights to be abroad and cares not to come back again But a Godly man if he strayes if he sins he is now from home he seeth some steps of lostness in every step of sinfulness his heart is apt presently to smite him for it Alas what have I done whether am I going shall I go again from my Fathers House what ayled me thus to step aside I cannot rest thus I will home again what ever comes of it And back he comes with an ashamed heart as Ephraim did and with a mourning heart as Peter did and with a self-judging heart as David did O my God O my Father I even I have sinned sinned again yet for Christs sake accept of me again Me thinks it is with him just as it is with a poor Child whom evil company hath seduced from home his heart akes and he slips from them and under a Bush he sits and there bethinks himself and sighs and weeps as if his heart would break after which he riseth and home he comes and steals to the door and listens and knocks softly and the Servants comes forth and say they where have you been all this while O your Father wonders at you and hath been much troubled that you have dealt thus with him Now the child takes on and is cut to the heart and will not my Father be pacifyed I know that I have oftended him and dealt unkindly with him Never had a Child so good a Father I pray you speak for me and tell him I am without Let him come in saith his Father In he comes and falls down and with floods of tears acknowledges his strayings and humbly intreats his Father to pass by this wandring and to own him again and to look on him as he was wont to do O Sir saith he I cannot live without your favour nor will I live out of your house Even thus is it with a found Child of God if he happens to stray and sin his heart smites him and his heart akes O saith he what have I done to deal thus with my good God and Father I am ashamed and grieved To one Minister he goes and perhaps to another Do you think that the Lord will be merciful to me again Yea to God he goes and confesseth all and beseecheth him to deal with him like a Father Lord saith he it hath been a woful and bitter time to me I cannot stand it out I come in unto thee sin is my burthen and thy displeasure is my burthen I beseech thee to pardon the trespass of thy servant and be reconciled unto me and own me with thy favour and mercy once again 8. He who is truly found by Gods Grace and Mercy doth desire He endeavours so find others and endeavour to find others or that others may also be found Jâ— 1. 43 45. Christ finds Philip and Philip finds Nathaniel There is no good man who would pertake of Grace and Heaven alone and there is no wicked man who would enjoy sin and hell alone Wicked men are like those that are drowning who catch hold on others and every good man is like a Candle which being lighted holds out light to others or like a stick of fire which being kindled would kindle more sticks Good Lord the same Mercy the same Grace the same Christ the same reconciled God and Father for my poor Child too and for my poor Husband too and for my poor Parents too O Lord pity them too they are lost and they know not the misery of a lost condition nay the happiness of a found condition Good Lord open their eyes and bring them home to thy self in Christ And to his friends he goes O continue not in this condition you are lost I was so
a change of all without and within you The converted souls are glad Acts 2. 47. the converted Jailor rejoyced Acts 16. 34. the Eunuch rejoyced Acts 8. 6 8. The first work of the Spirit is grace the next is joy Heaven now stands open for you to see all c. Threatnings are turned into promises curses into blessings enemies unto friends aliens into sons accusing into an excusing conscience voice of terror into a voice of peace hell into heaven It is the only unprejudicial change on earth 6. It is the only unprejudicial change on earth In all other changes there is either diminution or danger If a rich man becomes poor there is a diminution of his Condition if a poor man becomes rich there is a danger to his spirit lest he becomes covetous or proud If a man be lifted up to greatness and authority there is a danger lest he forgets God and be injurious if an healthy man becomes sick and weak here is an impairing a loss and danger of life Only when a wicked man is converted and becomes holy there is neither diminution nor danger converting grace is no thief in the Candle It is no preternatural heat which sucks away that which is vital thou losest nothing at all by it no spot to thy credit no burden to thy conscience no eclipse to thy honour no gall in thy Cup nor wast to thy Lands It doth not darken thy name nor weaken thy strength nor diminish thy coffers nor imbitter thy comforts No loss but the losing of sin which we cannot keep but to our loss all that it doth is this that it decreaseth and destroyeth thy sinful lusts it roots out those weeds it pulls out hell it heals thy wounds and is the deadly enemy to thy deadliest enemies 7. The converting change is an unchangeable change The next change is into Heaven A wicked man may be changed It is an unchangeable change into a Godly man and a Godly man may be changed into Heaven but the Godly man shall never be changed again into a wicked man the state of grace is an unchangeable state a better condition them Adams in Paradise his was perfect but mutable this is imperfect but not changeable Once a Son and ever a Son the Son abides in the house for ever sayes Christ once converted and for ever blessed Gods converting Grace is an abiding seed and it is immortal seed and it is a gift which God never repents of although much of the strength of it may be abated by our falls as fire is raked up under the ashes although the sense of it doth sometime fail us and the comfort and the liveliness of operation appears not yet as there is life in the root though there be not leaves on the Tree and as there is a soul in the man though sickness be in his body so the truth and state of grace continues under all a Christians eclipses weaknesses failings for converting grace comes from an unchangeable will in God the will of his love whom he loves once he loves to the end 2. It depends upon an everlasting Communion with Christ who marries the soul to himself for ever 3. And it is given as a pledg and pawn of eternal glory 4. And it is assisted with an everlasting arm and power of God 8. No other change shall hurt you but further you Afflictions No other change shall hurt us but further us Death it is gain unto you it is the last stile and then you are at home for ever Object But now some distressed person may reply These are comforts indeed but not to me for I fear that my heart is not changed nor yet truly changed I am not indeed altogether what once I was but this I fear is but a stop of conscience or but the fruit of hypocrisie Oh I feel such changes on my spirit I fear I am not truly changed it is not alwayes alike and so much sinfulness so much unbelief so much hardness so much difficulty to good so much weakness under temptations surely my change is not true a great an inward a total change and therefore none of these comforts appertain unto me Sol. Shall I speak a few words to such a person surely some such there may be 1. The change by Conversion is but imperfect in this life it is a total change although it changeth us not totally A converted This change is but imperfect in this life man is sanctifyed throughout but not perfectly throughout when the day breaks there is a change that one may truly say the night is past and yet many degrees of darkness stick in the air as soon as ever God infuseth grace into the soul there is immediately a change as to the denomination of the estate though not as to the consummation of the estate Paul's estate was a converted and changed estate and yet there was a Law in his Members as well as a Law in his Mind Rom. 7. Conversion is a change from the dominion of what was contrary not from the absolute being of a contrary Though a Tyrant dwell and stirs in a Kingdome yet if a lawful Monarch rules the Kingdome is changed Many sins are in a converted man still but if grace doth rule the heart now which formerly was ruled by sin that man is a changed man 2. Converting grace although it be wrought at once yet it is Converting grace though wrought at once yet is brought on by degrees brought on by degrees The truth of it begins in an instant but the strength of it comes in time It is a very curious question why God gives Grace by degrees or successively in this life and not all at once but still leaves some sinful corruption behind Divines conjecture three reasons of it 1. Our present incapacity of a present fulness The Bottle cannot be filled but by degrees though the Ocean be full there is as much grace given at first as to make a new creature but not a strong creature 2. Our estate on earth must be a combating estate to difference the estate of grace and glory that in heaven only is the crowning and triumphing 3. And it is an estate of faith which is a continual dependance and a continual drawing of help and a continual recourse to the fountain In Creation Perfection of being was at once and in Glorification at once but not so in Sanctification this rises like Ezekiels Water or like the light of the Sun This may yet satisfie thee though grace be imperfect and not full at once 1. Justification is perfect 2. Though you find but little yet you cannot be fatisfyed without more 3. You have perfecting means of holiness though you have not perfect holiness a word to build you up 4. That God who hath begun has promised to finish and your little is a pledg of more 5. Truth of grace may lye in a little compass 3. There may be many changes
loves him Christ hath satisfyed for him his heart is sanctifyed and his conscience pacified 5. It is a well ending joy A joy which ends A well ending Joy in joy an unconverted man hath his joyes and pleasures but they end in Griefe and horror O my poor Soul said Adrian when he was dying whither art thou now going all thy Mirth and Joy are at an end nec ut soles dabis jocos thou art going away and all thy joyes are going away Luk. 16. 15. But Abraham said to Dives Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Dives fared sumptuously every day he had pleasure on earth but after them his soul went into hell torments he never had pleasure more Babylon it is said of her Rev. 18. 7. how much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Job speaking of the Wicked chap. 21. 7. saith That they take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ v. 12. they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go down to the Grave Solomon speaks ironically to the Voluptuous Youthes Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy Youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the dayes of thy Youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment So then the converted man's joy is a short joy and a joy that ends in bitterest sorrow But a converted man's joy is a lasting joy and it ends in perfect joy when he dies yet his grace dies not yet his joy dies not Well done good and faithful Servant enter into thy Master's joy the end of life is the beginning of all joy 6. It is a transcendent joy it exceeds all worldly joyes A transcendent joy Psal 4. 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time that their Corn and their Wine increased Psal 60. 3. Thy loving kindness is better then life Quest 3. Why doth Conversion make the souls condition so Reasons of it joyful Sol. â—t cannot but be so if you consider Conversion either as to God or as to Christ or as to Conscience 1. As to God As to God Conversion is the certain effect of Gods election 1. True Conversion is the certain effect of Gods gracious election Although Conversion be not the cause of election yet it is the fruit of election it is the counterpane of election Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordinaed to eternal life believed 1. Thes 1. 4. Knowing Brethren Beloved the election of God v. 5. For our Gospel came not to you in word only but in power also and in the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure When the word comes to the person in the Letter only this is no sign of his election but when it comes in power and in the Holy Ghost it is for to come in power and in the Holy Ghost is mightily and effectually to change and convert a person and this the Apostle makes an evidence of election and questionless a copy of a man's election cannot but be a cause of great joy Rejoyce saith Christ to his Disciples that your names are written in heaven Oh what a comfort is it to know that God from all eternity hath written and recorded it down This is the man whom I will have mercy on and will glorifie to all eternity 2. True Conversion It is the singular fruit of God's great It is a singular fruit of Gods Love Love and of his rich mercy to a mans soul the sure token of great love God hath a common love and mercy and God hath a choice love and mercy there are some to whom he hath a great love and unto whom he shews rich mercy Now Conversion is a drop out of that great Ocean the man is greatly beloved of God who is converted by God 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the Sons of God Eph. 2. 4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us v. 5. Even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 3. True Conversion brings a soul under all the good and kind It brings a soul under all the smiles of God Language of God under the smiles of God All the Ordinances are as Milk and Honey and Wine and Oyle to a converted man The Word is a good Word to him and the Sacrament is a good Sacrament to him Why when an unconverted man hearts of all the mercy and kindness and happiness which God portions out for a converted sinner I say when he hears of all this and gets but a lick or a taste of it upon the top of his Tongue it effects him and makes him glad Herod heard John Baptist gladly and the stony ground received the seed with joy and shall not the converted man whose due portion all this is shall not his heart have joy and gladness shall a stranger who peeps over into the Garden and is a spectator only at the Feast shall he find a relish and shall not he who hath the Posie at his Nose smell the sweetnesse shall not he who câ—tes at the Table be filled with the goodnesse and fat and marrow and rejoyce and blesse God 4. True Conversion It is a Claspe the Golden Claspe of It is the clasp of the Covenant of Grace that everlasting Covenant of Gods Grace Note here two things 1. All the desireable delicacies of the soul are treasured up in the Covenant of Gods Grace in it are contained all the gracious attributes in God all the gracious affections of God all the gracious relations of God all the gracious promises and engagements of God There you find the reconciled God the merciful God the pardoning God the sin-subduing God the strengthning and helping God the guiding and upholding God the blessing and comforting God you cannot think of a mercy for the soul of a mercy for the body of a mercy for this life of an happiness after this life but there it is but there it is for you but there it is assuredly for you 2. Every converted person is in this Covenant Why the new heart and the new spirit is not this Conversion are a very part of it Ezek. 36. 26. I will give them a new heart and a new spirit If this be so then certainly Conversion brings a person into a very joyful condition Mark a little If the mercies which many receive only from Providence do delight and please them shall not the mercies which men receive from Gods Covenant please and rejoyce them Bread is sweet to an hungry man out of whatsoever hand it comes and is it not more sweet when it
in Adversity as in Prosperity Hab. 3. 17. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome c. yet I will rejoyce in the Lord c. Rom. 5. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation c. 1 Sam. 29. 6 the people spake of stoning him but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ c. If even in afflictions I can go unto the same armes of Christ and unto the same brests of divine Love and into the same chamber of Presence if I can look upon God as my God and see him to be my Father that I can make known my heart to him and he can make known his favour to me what should hinder me now to be joyful who still do enjoy him who alone makes all my joy Another is the Testimony of Conscience This is the Friend in adversity This is our rejoycing even the testimony of our Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. Conscience is a mans night or day his Hell or Heaven his Palace of delight or Jail of bitterness If Conscience be sanctified or pacified it can speak a peace or joy that none can crush none can hinder but under the greatest afflictions and persecutions a converted man may and doth enjoy the testimony of a good Conscience Thou art upright saith Conscience to Hezekiah on his sick-bed Thou fearest God saith Conscience to Job under the loss of all Thou lovest Christ saith Conscience to Paul even in the Prison Object 2. Now to the second Objection That converting But conversion brings us into a narrow path it is an enemy to many delights Grace brings the person into a narrow path and under the strictest rules even such as condemn a multitude of joys and delights how can that condition be so joyfull which denies and abridgeth c Sol. To this I answer 1. It is granted That converting Grace brings the person into Answered There is a strictness required a very narrow path and under very strict rules A converted man must not walk as other men he must not allow himself to think and desire and love and speak and act as formerly He must fear to sin he must love the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might he must order his steps by the Word of God he must deny himself and crucifie his dearest lusts and not shun the hardest duty nor delight in the least iniquity 2. But then This strictness is no adversary to his true joy In This strictness is no adversary to true joy keeping of thy commandments there is great reward saith David Psal 19. 11. Great peace have they who love thy law Psal 119. 165. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy upon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. I beseech you to consider four things 1. Let thine own Conscience judge whether it be not a more comfortable course to obey God then to disobey God to have grace to serve God acceptably then to have an heart still free and ready to dishonour and provoke God Who hath most true comfort the bones sound and in place or broken to walk on the Land or to be troubled at Sea the Child who runs away from his Father or the Child who waits upon his Father the Child that desires to please or the Child that continues to grieve and vex the wandring and famished Prodigal or the returning and embraced Son Hos 2. 7. I will return to my first Husband for then it was better with me then now 2. Rightly understand what it is strictly to walk with God It is an endeavour in your affections and duties to draw near to God in all well-pleasing and to answer the will of God The Christians course of obedience it is his daily communion with his God in this life When thou prayest what is Praying but a divine conference of the soul with God and when thou hearest what is this but a divine conference of God with the soul and when thou repentest what is that but a recovery and return of the soul to God and when thou believest what is that but the recumbency of the soul on the goodness of God and when thou receivest the Sacrament what is it but a communion a feasting with Jesus Christ If a strict walking be nothing but a divine and heavenly communion with God why doest thou how darest thou to judge of it as the onely Bar to shut out all joy and comfort Was there ever any affectionate Wife that thought it an injury to her Joy to speak with her Husband or to enjoy the society of her Husband Was there ever any faithfull Friend who thought it a misery a burthen to enjoy the society of his Friends to open his heart unto his Friend How then can it be a prejudice to any mans joy to enjoy communion with his God 3. Consult with experience which hath travelled in the strict ways of God either thine own experience if any which day of thy life hath been closed up with heartiest joy whether the day of licentiousness or the day of strictness That day which thou hast let out to thy lusts hath made the night a trembling to thee that day which thou hast redeemed for walking with God hath always given unto thee the sweetest rest and repose at night The experience of godly people have any of them ever found more soul rejoycing then when they have abounded in strictest obedience This is thy burthen but it is their delight the purest walking hath distilled the sweetest joy and their looser walking hath been the cause of their greatest sorrows It is with a strict Christian as with the Sun which still keeps to the Ecliptique Line and is of all the Stars the most glorious and comfortable when it is at the highest and the higher Sun the purer and warmer light And it is with the loose Christian as with the uneven foot the wry stepping is the cause of unjoynting or pinching and paining 4. The strict walking what is it but a path to everlasting life every step of it is a step to heaven Strait is the gate which leads unto life saith Christ There is an easie way for men to walk in but that 's the way to hell and what comfort is it after all to go to hell to go to hell with ease There is a strict way for men to walk in but it is the way to life to eternal life Now even that alone is sufficient to create joy that these steps after a while will bring me to appear before the God of Gods in Sion and truly there is no end whatsoever the which if it be in it self amiable and comfortable but it darts also an amiableness and comfortableness upon all the steps and paths which tend unto it 3. Lastly Converting Grace doth not condemn or deny any lawfull Converting grace denies not any lawfull joy
so for other duties 5. Spiritual joy will exceedingly It will exceddingly facilitate the way and work to heaven facilitate the way and work for heaven It is our facundus Comes which is pro Vehiculo As the fear of the Lord is our treasure Isa 33. 6. So the joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8. 10. An heavy dull sad spirit is a burden ofâ— it self and is very apt to make every thing else a burden Now spiritual joy it takes off dulness and deadness and enables us to run the way of Gods Commandments and to run the race that is set before us Amanti nihil difficile it makes our spiritual work to come off the Wheels run if oyled Quest This is true will some reply but what should converted What should converted persons do to walk joyfully persons do that they may walk joyfully Sol. There are two sorts of converted persons Incipientes who are newly called newly wrought on newly brought home and these ordinarily are full of fears of doubts of temptations of conflicts of heaviness Proficientes who are long standers in the wayes of grace Will you favour me to speak a few words to either of these 1. To persons newly converted I would humbly present Directions To persons newly converted these directions as proper means or Conduits of joy and comforts to their souls 1. Draw up your spiritual condition to some issue Do not live with a doubtful suspition perhaps you are converted perhaps Draw up your Spirituall condition to some Issue you are not converted As ignorance is an enemy to grace so doubtfulness is an enemy to comfort That man who is still in suit whether his Conversion be true will not dare to lay claim to the joyes which result from Conversion If I fear my grace I shall much more fear my comfort Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Therefore do this bring thy souls estate to the word that is the rule that is the fire that is the touchstone if the Word of God will approve and decide for thee bless God and maintain the truth of thy spiritual estate against all the suggestions of Satan and cavils of thine own heart when once that doth say truth of grace is in thee conscience will say truth of comfort belongs unto thee 2. Get a little more faith one dram more would turn the the scale and settle thine heart Faith trades with the Fountain Get a little more saith with the God of Comfort and of Peace and with Jesus Christ It is Faith that lets you into Christ and it is Faith which lets comfort into you The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15. 13. There are five priviledges of Faith It hath the first look of Mercy it hath the first kiss from Christ it hath the first news of acceptance unto Life it hath the first answer of Peace it hath the first draught of Joy Oh get a little more faith a little more faith would weaken the grounds of thy fears quell the motions of thy doubts clear thy way to the fountains of comfort imprint on thy heart a most joyful Communion with thy God and Christ no life of joy but that of faith 3 And Learn to live by faith and then you will have more Learne to live by faith joy and comfort Four things would make a mans life very joyfull and comfortable 1. If he were eased of all burthens 2. If he were secured from all prejudices 3. If what he had were good and enough 4. If he were assured that whatsoever good he should need of that he should not fail but be supplied with it in due time Now the life of faith 1. Easeth you of all your burthens There are but two burthens upon us 1. The sinfull Faith sees this taken off by Christ He bare our sins 2. The earthly of cares Faith sees Gods providence taking that off The Lord is a Sun c. Psal 84. I will never leave thee Heb. 13. Bread shall be given to him his waters shall be sure Isa 33. 16. Cast your care on him for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. 2. Secures you against all prejudices and hurts Faith finds us still in Gods hands and in a safe custody Though there be evils in the world yet they shall not come nigh you and his work goes on though ours do not God is with you who can be against you There 's a Deluge but Noah's in the Ark a storm but you are in an hiding place He holds you in his hand and covers you under his wings makes all things to work for good Faith sees the Trouble and the Sanctuary both Occurrences and Providence both ruling carrying on observing watching preserving If Earth won't keep you safe Heaven shall 3. It renders the present possession as good and enough Your portion is so For what is a Christians portion Is not God is not his favour And is not God enough is not his favour better then life He who cannot be contented with a God and a Christ and a Covenant of Grace and Heaven will be satisfied with nothing You have but little of Earth Aâ— but you have God and Christ If a man have but a little Garden yet if he have a large field c. A little of Earth and much of Heaven makes a fair Estate 4. It assures you of supplies universal and seasonable Vniversal I shall not want Psal 23. 1. No good thing will he withhold Psal 84. 11. No good for soul no good for body you have his Bonds for both and this is for life Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Psal 23. Nay for everlastingness I will marry thee to my self for ever Hos 2. 19. 2. Seasonable In an acceptable time c. In the mount God will be seen 4. Get a little more understanding and judgment about your converted Get more understanding and judgment about your converted condition and gracious condition Shall I help thee a little with a few Considerations and Informations Know then 1. The great Fountain of thy Joy lies more in thy Justification then in thy Sanctification Thou hast not so much Holiness as another but thou hast of Christs Righteousness thou canst not apprehend so strongly but thou art apprehended as strongly Christ lays as fast hold of thee 2. That Grace and Weakness may dwell together It may be very true though very weak the smoaking flax and the bruised reed and the grain of mustard-seed A Father hath one Child in the Cradle and another in the Shop a Shepheard hath Lambs in the flock as well as Sheep the Gardiner hath Plants as well as Trees and Christ hath Babes as well as strong Men belonging to him 3. That the least Grace and the great Love of God do go together The little drop of Grace comes out of the Ocean of his great Love the
true not how plausible and of affection or action should be How good and the next how pleasant not first how delightfull but first how lawfull We may not do about our moral acts as we do in our civil ask what fine Stuffs but first what good The Apple the forbidden Apple which if tasted had death in it was yet goodly to Gen. 3. 6. to look on it was pleasant to the eyes And the Wine of which Solomon speaks though it bit like a Serpent and stung like an Adder Pro. 23. 31 32 yet it looked red and gave its colour in the cup. As all sins have after their commission something to back them so they have before their commission something to enter them After our sinning there are corrupt defences and reasonings and before our sinnings there are corrupt pleasures and delights As in the sewing of a Garment there is a Needle to make way and then a Thred to keep fast so it is in the constitution of a sinfull course there is pleasure to make way for the sin and then there is love and defence which keeps fast the sin Therefore we must in this be informed not to entertain any thing because it doth please and delight us for usually that is sinfull which at first is delightfull it is not how it pleaseth me but how it pleaseth God The soul of man naturally is very corrupt and as it is with some stomacks which are foul the worst diet is most delightfull so it is with our souls being evil therefore that which is evil suits bests with them and pleaseth them most Pleasures of any thing must be judged by 1. A Word of truth for if they be not good as well as pleasant they are sins factors and 2. by the respondency they have to a nature not as corrupt but as renewed 2. That sin is not onely bad but politick not onely unlawfull but deceitfull As it is with some faces which have natural wrinkles Sin is not onely unlawfull but deceitfull these are dawbed over with painted glosses or with some bodies which are crooked these are bolstred out with secret stiffnings or as with rotten wares these are glazed over with gaudy dyings So is it with sin in it self a foul thing a loathsome and odious thing therefore in Scripture called an abomination a filthiness a vile thing a disease a rottenness a sore putrifying sore c. yet it draws on the sinner by pleasure and delight Sin doth not move us nakedly as sinfull but cunningly as delightfull it doth not tempt the young man to uncleanness and tell him that whoremongers and adulterers God will judge but come let us take our fill of love I have perfumed my bed c. as the strumpet in the Proverbs It doth not tempt the person to drunkenness and tell him that no drunkard shall inherit the Kingdome of God and that there is a woe belonging unto him but it shews him the redness and colour of the Wine and suggests the sweetness thereof unto him So in sins of murther it doth not shew that revenge which God threatens but that acceptable revenge and way of ease which the sinner delightfully thinks on As Balak sent to Balaam the rewards of Divination and then desired him to curse Israel And that Apocalyptical whore had in her hand a golden cup and within that the wine of fornication So deals our sin with us when it tempts us it doth hide the hook and shews the bait it conceals the obliquity and represents the beauty it covers the misery and shews onely the pleasure to draw and insnare our souls 3. That all sinners are extremely mocked and deluded They may more safely say of their sins what â—sau spake of Jacob Thy All sinners are extremely deluded name is rightly called Jacob for these two times thou hast deceived or supplamed me So may sinfull men say of their sins Not twice or thrice but always ye still mock and deceive me I remember that when Josephs brethren had cast him into the pit Reuben anon returns thither but finds him not he was newly there but he was quickly taken thence and he said The child is not Gen. 37. 29. and I whither shall I go So may a man say of the pleasure of his sin Even now they were but now they are not And instead of that pleasure he may now be wringing of his hands and cry out The pleasure is gone and is not the sin remains and here sticks the draught is gone but the poison is not gone the delight is gone but the guilt is present the delight is fallen off but the grief is present And I now I whether shall I go Conscience galls me fears crush me God abhors me the world doth not help friends cannot ease me what I feel is bitter and what I fear is worse Ah my sins you said I should have pleasures still you said that I should not see misery you said that God would be easily mercifull you said these were nothing you said that to morrow should be as to day and much more abundantly Ah that ever I trusted you believed you yielded unto you you have deceived me by a little pleasure I am now brought into and left in the midst of all misery Ah you sins which were once so pleasant can you not deliver me can you not comfort me do ye forsake me is this your kindness is this your delightfulness where is it I am bereaved of your pleasures and by you you alone am I now sunk into the most soul-cutting and anguishing distresses 4. That though sins be temporally pleasant yet they are certainly dangerous They end miserably though they begin sweetly Sins though temporally pleasant yet are certainly dangerous like a River which begins in a quiet Spring but ends in a tumultuous Sea There are these dangers in the pleasures of Sin 1. They are apt to draw and entice us 2. to bewitch and entangle us 3. to enlarge the spirit of transgression within 4 to hinder all true pleasures 5. to sear up the 〈◊〉 conscience against all holy counsel and remedy But I pass to a second Use which shall be of Caution to take Vse 2. Caution Take heed of being deluded with the pleasures of sin Job 15. 31. Prov. 20. 1. Eccl. 7. 26. heed of being deluded any longer with the pleasures of sin me thinks Eliphaz spake punctually and to the purpose Let not him that is deceived trust any more in vanity for vanity shall be his recompence Though sin be a while pleasant yet hearken not unto it suffer not thy self to be deceived by it Wine is a mocker and strong drink is raging and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise The like he speaks of the unclean woman whose heart is snares and nets still dressing them to catch the bird and her hands are bands The same may be said of any sins whatsoever But now to move and quicken your hearts
thee and will not a worse judgment then attend us for worse sinnings It is with divine punishments as with the messengers of a displeased King who in his name summons us to yield and become loial and if you despise a few messengers they indeed may return but then more and greater are sent perhaps not to parley but to destroy If one punishment brings not off from sin it doth onely go back to fetch a greater and thou canst not tell but that the next messenger may be death itself and then somthing worse then dearh The last use which I will observe from this point is since miseries do not alwaies bring men off from sins therefore to apply Vse 3. Apply our selvs to such waies under our miseries as may bring us off from our sins In general A sanctified heart A sanctified use In particular 〈◊〉 Repentance our selves to such waies and to get those things under our miseries which may bring us off from our sins In the general two things are available hereto 1. A sanctified heart until the heart be sanctified can it possibly break off from sin 2. A sanctified use you must not be sensless nor yet impatient but under every hand of God seek for direction and blessing from God Secondly in particular I conjecture these things mainly conduce 1. Repentance which you know takes into it these branches 1. Serious consideration of the present condition and of the end of present afflictions 2. Solid humiliation 3. Earnest praier 4. Effectual reformation 2. Love of God and more intire communion and delight in him and with him Afflictions will drive you off from Love of God God unless you love him Even a small stroke is enough to mend and bring in a loving child 3. Faith to believe our pardon and acceptance Nothing more avails with the soul to leave the course Faith of sin then when it can be assured if it comes back to God it shall receive the pardon of sin Therefore God generally propounds to his afflicted people an hope of mercy as the great motive to bring them home from sin to himself by true repentance Joel 2 c. All which are wrought by the Spirit of God in the use of the Word and shall be given unto us if under our miseries and straits we do earnestly crie and pray unto the Lord. And he sent him into his fields to feed Swine You have heard of the Prodigals design under his misery to relieve himself he did not return to his father but joined himself to a citizen of a far country Now yee are to hear of the success of this design how much it mended his poor and famished condition viz. nothing at all and that will appear in two particulars One in the basestness of his service That citizen sent him into his fields to feed swine Of all creatures the most nasty and filthy these must he serve and none but these his whole service was to be base and therefore he is sent into the fields to perform it any houshold-service and homeservice though mean had been tolerable Another in the nothingness of his reward or wages he did the basest service and without the least husk of paiment for it follows in vers 16. That he fain would have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat and no man gave unto him If he had had any thing afforded either to have nourished or to have procured nourishment though it had been but mean nay the meanest but to have nothing at all for the fordidest service of all yet this was the fruit of his sinful design that he was set upon a most base work and without any profit or relief at all whence I conjecture we may ohserve this Doct. 2. The further men go on in sin the worâ—e work it will prove Here is premised second conclusion That the further men go on in sin the worse work they shall find it to prove You see it a manifest truth here in the Prodigal his sin drew down his penury notwithstanding this he proceeds to his sins and now he is sent to the Swine c. For the better opening of this Assertion premise with me some few particulars 1. A supposition viz. That wicked men do use to go on in sin They are said in Scripture to proceed from evil to worse and to A Supposition Wicked men use to go on in sin add drunkenness to thirst and to fill up the measure of iniquity and to know no shame and to revolt more and more and to grow Worse and worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. therefore is sin in them compared to a Canker which frets from place to place or eats up from part to part and to a fretting Leprosie which diffuseth it self 1 Tim. 2. 17. Levit. 13. 8. 1 Kin. 8. 38. 1 Cor. 5. 6. from a lesser to a larger compass and to a Plague which by degrees seizeth on all the spirits and to Leaven which spreads over all the lump And this is verified of them every way whether they live in ease or live in misery prosperity and ease do but flesh them the more adversiâ—y and punishments do not turn them at all smiles or frowns word or rod mercy or misery neither of them do alter but after both they yet put forth they will lanch further As he in the Proverbs concerning his Wine When I shall awake I will seek it yet again that may be said of evil men though they have felt many a smart blow from God for Prov. 23. 35. theâ—r sinnings already yet they will look back to this trade again they will still deal unjustly What David spake in another case they will fully act in this of Sin I will be yet more vile 2. A Posiâ—ion which is this Though after punishment they will be progressive in sin yet they shall never be successfull in sin A Position Tâ—ough after puâ—ishment men be progressive in sin yet they shall never be successfull They may renew their work but they shall never amend their wages they may set up again but they shall break again if they after so great a shaking will build upon the same foundation they shall find their future labours to end in the same ruine Nay that 's not all but as Joshuah's curse upon the man who should again build the City Jericho was that He should lay the foundation thereof in his first-born and in his youngest son he set up the gates of it Jos 6. 26. So will it prove to the person whose sins God did strive to demolish and overthrow by former punishments if he again will presume to set up the gates of them recover them to their strength by future love and further progress he shall be so far from being hereby more successfull that his condition doth become more fearfull he doth lay his foundation again in the ruine of his soul and shall build up the gates with
as great plagues as he did on Pharaoh and should they come as thick on thee as on him or any that ever thou didst read of yet if the Lord did not give thee a sanctified heart or if the Lord did not co-operate with the afflictions in a sanctifying way thou wilt be so far from desisting that thy heart after a while will grow as wicked as before It is not absolutely the punished soul nor is it absolutely the troubled conscience nor is it absolutely all that we can see or say which will divert our future course of sinning but it is the sanctified heart the new heart which will make us to leave old sins and live new lives Therefore to the Lord must we go under our afflictions and beseech him to open our ear to discipline and to purge away our iniquities and to make us partakers of his holiness and so to cause us to bring forth the more peaceable fruits of righteousness and note this That all this must be done not in a fit for a little time but habitually we must not cease confessing until we can heartilâ— mourn we must not cease confessing mourning praying until we find the Lord reconciled unto us and our hearts changed and renewed Now those sanctified Qualities which more specially a punished sinner should beg to divert him from progress in sin and to turn him Sanctified Qualities to be begged Hearty Contrition for sins past off from sin I conjecture are these 1. Hearty contrition for sins past He who is a merry Penitent proves an easie Delinquent if former sinnings be no Grief future sinnings will be no Fear he will never with stedfastness learn a good Course who can without mournfulness come off from a bad Way Beg of God for ever to make thee sensible and mournful 2. Real Conversion That the very frame of the Mind Will and Affections be Real Conversion changed the Frame more then the Form that thou become a new Creature get a new heart and Spirit 3. A sincere love of A sincere Love to God God If thy heart knows not yet how to love God it never forgat how to go on in Sin there is nothing which heals the Soul of Sin so as the Love of God this sets the heart on him and makes it to cleave unto him and tender to please him 4. Solid fear of God A reverent awe both of his goodness Solid Fear of God and of his greatness this will strike off security and hardness and presumption and set us in Gods presence and keep the conscience tender and increase humbleness c. 5. Watchfulness over our special corruptions which if any will make us to Watchfulness over our speciall Corruptions halt soonest Do not forget how much they did provoke God already and how assuredly bitter they will prove if thou dost resume them And he fain would have filled his belly with the busks that the Swine did eat and no man gave unto him Vers 16. These words comprehend in them two things First The utmost design of the sinful Prodigal He would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the Swine did eat Secondly The utmost disappointment of that utmost design And no man gave unto him According to either of these there are two Propositions observable by us viz. That a sinner will go through and try the utmost extremities and wayes ere he will return from his sins 2. That nothing shall avail the shuffling and trying sinner untill he doth return from his sins When the Lord forsakes a man nothing avails to help a man That a sinner will try all wayes and go through the utmost extremities ere he will return from his sins The Prodigal here Doct. 1. A sinner will try all wayâ—s to the utmâ—st extremities ere he will return from his sins spends all yet he returns not he is pinched with famine yet he returns not he joyns himself with a Citizen and he sends him to feed Swine yet doth he not return if he could have got but the husks which the Swine did eat husks are but poor empty light things miserable nourishment but if he could have made any shift any way to have supported himself he would not have returned unto his Father Thus you read of Pharaoh that though there were a Climax of plagues upon him and wonders of ruine upon his Land and Cattel and Servants rising like a Tide and Flood yet till it came to his first-born and the next stroke was to reach his own life he would not obey the Voice of the Lord in letting of Israel go like obstinate defendants in a City which will lose one Outwork after another and suffer the Undermining of their Walls ere they will come to terms of Capitulation So we read of the Israelites before the Captivity how extremely they did endure a very succession of Judgments and variety of strange punishments before they would return Amos 4. 6. Cleanness of teeth and want of bread yet have they not returned to me saith the Lord. Ver. 7. Rain was withheld and great scarcity was there of water yet Ver. 8. Have ye not returned to me Ver. 9. Smiting with blasting and mildew and the Palmer worm yet c. Ver. 10. Pestilence after the manner of Egypt and the Sword yet have ye not returned Ver. 11. Overthrowing some of them as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha and pulling some of them as a firebrand out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. And thus was it with them after the Captivity all the famine and miseries which they suffered in the Siege where the mothers were forced to eat their children of a span long Lam. 2. And all the merciless devourings of the sword and all the kinds of destroying sicknesses did not turn them to the Lord against whom they had sinned but after all they spend the utmost of their pollicies for safety running into Egypt flying unto Ashur they tryed all sorts of fruitless confidences before they would return unto the Lord therefore doth the Lord threaten to hedge their ways with thorns and to make a wall that they shall not find their paths Hos 2. 6. i. he would cast them upon such a condition that they should not go any further or if they did they should have little ease they should walk as upon thorns upon continual prickings and woundings and all this must be done before they will return to their first husband vers 7. Now for the clearer opening of this Assertion consider of these particulars 1. That it is to be understood of the natural temper of the sinner The sinner may be considered two wayes under extremities As This is to be understood of the natural temper of the sinner effectually assisted by the preventing grace of God which is of surpassing vertue to renew the soul and to conquer its stubbornness and aversness and effectually to perswade and draw in the
Hos 14. 4. and that he forgives them for his own sake Esa 43. 2. There is Abundant mercy God is Abundant mercy said to be rich in mercy to be plentifull in compassion to have manifold mercies even multitudes of mercy and to pardon abundantly Though the penitent hath many sins to be pardoned and many necessities to be supplied yet the Lord is very ready to multiply pardons unto him not to forgive some sins onely but all the sins committed It is not the quantity of sins for number nor the quality of sins for kind nor the aggravations of sins by circumstances which hinders mercy if a a man be penitent but though the sins were as red as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow and though they have been like Crimson they shall be as Wool Esa 1. 18. 3. There is Tender Tender mercy mercy Tenderness consists in an easiness of Compassion and forward willingness to help The tender Mother easily draws out the brests Such a tenderness of mercy is there in God to the Penitent he is most willing to forgive he rejoyceth to shew mercy and doth it with his whole heart Nor doth he upbraid and grieve the sinner when he sheweth mercy but in the shewing of mercy onely shews mercy he will forgive sins and never mention them any more to the forgiven Penitent 4. There is Sure mercy A penitent person may be Sure mercy unsure of many things of his earthly comforts of his worldly friends of his own life but of two things he may be sure of Heaven hereafter and of Mercy presently as soon as ever his heart is taken off from sin his faith may look on mercy Though he hath reason to be grieved for sins yet he hath no reason to doubt the pardon of his sins for that God who hath promised to pardon abundantly hath also said I will surely have mercy on him Jer. 31. 20. 5. There is Loving and Reviving mercy reviving mercy such as takes off the turbulency of the Conscience settles and composeth and speaks peace unto it and admirably refresheth it by the impression of Divine consolations even such mercy is God ready also to give to the penitent even to bind up their bruised spirits and to give them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61. 1 2. He will create lips of peace and words of comfort Speak comfortable to Jerusalem say unto her that her sins are pardoned Isa 40. 〈◊〉 But why is God so ready to shew mercy to the penitent person Sol. There are reasons partly respecting God and the penitent Reasons of it 1. In respect of God 1. It is his nature to be the Lord the Lord God gracious merciful abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity In respect of God It is his nature transgression and sin therefore called a Father and the Father of mercies a Husband Friend Physician Every nature is apt to produce or send out such acts as lye within it and are suitable unto it The Fire is apt to heat and the Sun to shine and the Water to moisten The liberal man it is his nature to be apt to give and the courteous man to speak kindly the nature of the Lord is merciful and therefore no wonder that he is ready to shew mercy 2. It It is his Promise is his promise to shew mercy to the penitent his nature is ready to pity any man in misery and to offer him mercy and help but besides this he is ready to make good his promises he hath passed his holy word of truth that he will have mercy on the penitent the promises are so many that I cannot mention them See Isai 55. Ezek. 18. c. 3. It is his delight to shew them It is his Delight mercy he delighteth in mercy Mic. 7. 18. What any delights in that he is ready to do there is nothing more facile to action or more abundant in action or more unweariable in action then delight delight is no burden when God shews mercy he is doing that wherein he delights Two things God delights in One is a penitent soul there is joy in heaven for his conversion and another is to shew mercy to that Soul Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me v. 9. And it shall be to me a name of joy 4. It is his glory is it the glory It is his glory of a man to pass by an offence and is it not the glory of a God mercifully to pass over transgressions you get by it and God gets by it Isai 30. 18. Therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you there be many things which do exalt God set his glory on high our humility doth it our faith doth it and his own mercies do it Jer. 33. 9. This shall be to me a name of joy and praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth who shall hear all the good that I do unto you When he pardons a sinner and shews him mercy why now he gets him a Name Who is a God like unto thee forgiving iniquity transgression and sin God gets him a name three wayes sometimes by Omnipotent acts as when he works wonders never was the like seen in Israel Sometimes by Vindictive acts as when he over rules and confounds the great enemies of his people so he got him a name upon Pharaoh Sometimes by his Gracious acts as when he pardons a sinner Paul sets it down for all posterity to look on that mercy which was shewed unto him The Lord gives the Penitent mercy and hereby he gets unto himself much Glory 5. His love is great to Penitents and therefore his mercy is ready His love is great to Penitents for penitents his general Love his Philanthropie inclines him thus far as to reveale mercy and to offer mercy and to beseech by mercy even the unkindest Impenitents Why will ye dy turn and live When shall it once be O then what must his special love produce if he be ready to shew mercy to enemies is he not ready to shew it to sons If to Rebels surely then to friends if to them that disobey him how much to them who do humble themselves at his footstool who repent for whose souls he gave the blood of his Son Secondly in respect of the penitent themselves God is very ready In respect of the Penitent to shew them mercy 1. There is nothing in the World that they need like mercy It is the only Plaister for their wound and They need nothing like mercy Anchor for their Ship if they have not mercy they are undone Usually there is in every condition some one thing which the heart of man doth most need if he be sick then health if poor then sufficiency if dejected then comfort Christ tells Martha of
hast thou prayed would trouble thee if thou didst not pray and therefore hast thou prayed to give it a little quiet as we do a crying child the brest to still it What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that you receive them and ye shall have them Hast thou and doest thou consider and ponder the promises of Gods mercy made over the penitent persons Hast thou considered of his mercifull nature tender love in and through Christ of his commands to broken and afflicted souls to come unto him for Balm and Oyl Hast thou found how proper his mercifull promises are to thy condition every way good and convenient and doest confess this word of promise a gracious and a good word and judgest him to be faithfull who hath promised and thy self unworthy of mercy and thereupon in the Name of the Lord Jesus hast bended thy heart and knees to the God of mercy trusting through him to find grace and mercy to help in time of need and those his promises to be Yea and Amen to thy soul through Christ Joh. 14. 13. Whatsoever ye ask in my Name that will Ido According to your faith said Christ to the blind men Matt. 9. 29. so be it unto you Alas thy prayers have not found the way to Gods Mercy-seat all this while because they have not had faith for their Guide if our Messenger lose their way no marvel if we stay long for an answer Lastly Why hast thou called home the Embassadors those prayers Hast thou not called home thy prayers of thine which were Leigers at Heaven In a fit of proud impatience and fruitless vexation and bold presumption thou hast limited the holy One of Israel to a day And if at such another prayer God did not sensibly answer thee thou wouldest and hast restrained seeking of him What doest thou mean to beg and yet to prescribe Alas that there should be so much pride yet in an heart which we would think humbled as low as Hell That it should profess it self to deserve a thousand damnations and yet quarrel with God for not being quick in a present expedition of mercy Thou art too quick with God Judge how these answer one the other O Lord I do not deserve the least mercy I deserve never to find mercy and yet if the Lord doth not presently shew me mercy I will not seek unto him any more As you must get humbled hearts so you must get humble hearts He hears the desires of the humble Your Prayers must be patient as well as â—ervent Mercy pardoning mercy is worth the waiting for It is the most excellent of mercies and most sure to the patient Petitioner Psal 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry Blessed are all that wait for it Isa 30. 18. Or there may be Reasons on Gods part why he doth a while Reasons on Gods part God suspends mercy To give us some taste what it is to provoke him suspend or hold up the demonstration of his mercy to a troubled soul and seeking 1. To give us some taste what it is to provoke him and sin against him Jer. 2. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God As we have had years to bath our selves in the delights of sin so we must have some minutes to taste the proper fruits the bitterness of sin Thou wouldst not believe the Gall and the Wormwood c. Lam. 3. 2. To alienate or work off our affections wholly from sin which now is so To alienate our affections from sin deadly a sting so smart a wound so noisome a prison which fills us with such horrible terrours and costs us almost our lives to obtain pardon and mercy Thou wouldst not easily part with sin Who would love sin any more which 1. raiseth so great terrours 2. utterly depriveth of mercy 3. or hinders it and makes it slow to answer 3. To abase us more in our own eyes To abase us the more in our own eyes that we may exalt his mercy that so his mercy may exalt us and we may exalt his mercy to value the excellency of mercy to confess our unworthiness of mercy to enlarge our desires of mercy 4. Nay not onely to exalt his mercy but retain his mercy not easily forfeit the excellency and sweetness of mercy by any future sinning The That we may retain his mercy Church which had much adoe to find Christ she then caught him and would not let him go The pardoning mercies of God ordinarily yield us most sweetness and abide in their strength To make us an Instance of mercy and Instrument of comfort with us after deepest humiliations and difficultest fruitions of them 5. Perhaps the Lord will make thee a great Instance of mercy and a great Instrument to comfort others and therefore suffereth thee to lie a long time in darkness and silence and at length will relieve thee Object Yea but how shall a troubled soul be supported in the How shall not be supported in the interim the interims until mercy pardoning mercy doth come and prayers therein be answered fully Sol. I answer to this also 1. If thou canst not have comfort to feed on yet thou hast duty to work on If thou hast not comfort look to duty Every Christian may either find it an Autumn to gather fruit or else a Spring to set it It is a great mercy that thou art at the gates of Mercy it is a great mercy 1. to enjoy 2. to beg 3. to wait for mercy a comfort to have such an heart to come so near to mercy thou hast a time to search thy heart more and to review thy estate and to peruse thy prayers to mend and continue all All which are but thy improvements in grace and will eventually prove the enlargements of thy mercy and peace No man can make a better progress in his repentance but he doth thereby prepare for the greater for the sweeter for the longer mercies 2. Though you have not experience to support you yet you have faith Though thou hast not experience yet thou hast faith It is written and sealed though not delivered as yet Whosoever doth truly repent mourn for sin forsake it endeavour to walk with God c. though he have not the joy of his pardon in his conscience yet he hath the assurance of his pardon in the promise Now Gods Word should support us as much as Gods Testimony his Word should be as good to our faith as his Testimony is sweet to our sense and feeling 3. The dawnings of pardoning mercy The dawnings of pardoning mercy may support which are rising upon you may also support you Though you cannot read your Pardon under the Broad Seal yet you may find it passing
Penitent hath not one and the same degree that another hath and he who hath most of it in evidence hath it but mixt and imperfect A Declaration there is to every penitent soul that God loves it but not equall nor absolute 5. This Declaration of Divine Love though it be very comfortable This Declaration is separable at least in the sence of it yet it is very separable especially in the sense and feeling of it For it is for the duration of it an effect of meer favour which is let out ad Bene placitum only and it is not an essential to the Christian condition therefore it may go off So that this is the sum of the Proposition That Gods reconciled favour is a thing which may be known and God is pleased to make it known to all penitents either Naturally or Formally at some time or other in some measure or other so long as he himself shall judge best The Reasons where of are these 1. His promise is not only to Reasons of it Gods Promise is to make knowne his love to them love his people but likewise to make known his love to them not only the affection but the declaration of it is in promise Ezek. 34. 30. They shall know that I the Lord their God am with them and that they even the house of Israel are my people saith the Lord God 2. It is the thing which the penitential people of It is the thing which Gods people desire God do exceedingly crave and desire Psal 4. 6. Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me Psal 4. 6. Lord lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me Psal 17. 7. Shew thy marvellous loving kindness Psal 106. 4. Remember me O Lord with the favour thou bearest unto thy people O visit me with thy salvation Psal 119. 132. Look upon me and be merciful unto me as thou usest to do unto those that love thy Name Cant. 1. 2. Let him kise me with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better then Wine Now I pray consider two things that 1. The prayers which God commands his people to make 2. The things which God promises to grant where promises are made and commands are made there if prayers be made God will fulfil them The manifestation of Gods favour is that which the people of God are commanded to seek Seek ye my â—ace Psal 27. 8. and God hath promised to declare his loving favour to them and therefore if they seek it he will 3. It is the thing which they do exceedingly need Though not sim-ply It is the thing which they Need. to their esse yet respectively to their Bene esse The loving kindness of God it is their life and it is the Joy of their salvation and it is their reviving it is the binding up of their wounds the setling of their fears the strength of their soul the peace of their conscience the anchor of their ship the Ark of rest 4. The Lord will grant unto his people even in this life the God will give his people here the first fruits of a Glorious life first fruits of their glorious life though hereafter they shall see him face to face yet here they shall know him as through a Glass here they shall tast how good he is that they may more earnestly look after a full and Beatifical fruition of him 5. And likewise to let them know the difference twixt a sinful To let them know the difference twixâ— a sinful and penitential course To distinguish twixt the pleasures of sin and the joy of the Holy Ghost and penitent course in the one they shall know how just he is in wrath to hate and punish sin in the other how gracious and merciful he is to comfort and revive a penitent 6. Yea yet more he doth declare his reconciled favour to them that they likewise may distinguish twixt these poor false miserable jollities and pleasures which they had by sin and twixt those soul reviving transcendently affecting comforts unspeakeable joies unconceivable peace which arise to them upon the knowledg of God reconciled to them in and through Christ That there is not that juice that support that delight that singularity of contentment in any way as in a good way nor the like life and spirit to be drawn from any sinful or earthly springs as from the goodness and kindness of his loving favour that a God reconciled is the only happiness of the soul Doth the Lord manifest unto penitential persons his reconciled Use Satisfy not your selves without the seales of Gods favour favour Then you who take your selves to be converts and penitents satisfie not your selves be not contented until you find the SEals and tokens of Gods favour You have I know his Word and Bond for your reconciliation and your condition really is the state of reconciliation you do love the Lord and the Lord doth love you But yet advance somwhat farther strive to find the kisses the gracious expressions and evidences from God that he is reconciled unto you The Motives to excite you hereto are many and forcible Motives The differences twixt God and you have been very great 1. The differences twixt God and you have been very great and high such as have much provoked the Lord and they have been of long continuance such as have deserved ten thousand Hells Noâ— why will you not strive to make it out of doubt that God hath pardoned you and is in Christ graciously reconciled unto you If there have been differences betwixt us and a man of place we will use all the means to take up the controversie and get a release of all things how much more having to do with God 2. This Reconciled Love is worth the suing out No love like Reconciled love is worth the suing out it partly because it doth so immediately concern the soul of a Christian It is a love which accepts of a sinner and makes the sinner accepted it is more to him then the Princes pardon to a Traitor Indeed it is his passing from death to eternal Life What should become of a sinner if the Lord were not reconciled to him If the Lord be his enemy and holds distance the soul can never stand before him in Judgment Farewel Peace farewel Heaven without it Partly because it is the choicest chiefest Love that God doth bestow There is no one whom he doth imbrace with the love of friendship and reconciliation but Elect persons and such as he intends for Glory Therefore this Love is called the ancient Love great Love Eph. 2. and the free Love and the Love of his chosen and a Love which is sure and a Love which neither Powers nor principalities nor world nor life nor death nor things present nor things to come can extirpate or abolish You may partake of his common Love and the common effects of that Love yet you may
be his very enemies and vessels of wrath Partly because it frees you from the sorest fears and sharpest torments You know that there are no troubles like those in Conscience nor fears like those concerning our eternal Conditions Whatâ— if I be one whom the Lord hates what if I should dye and then be damned what if I be not in favour with the Lord what if such or such a sin be not yet pardoned Now the evidence that God is reconciled to you doth silence these fears and eases the conscience of these tormenting suspicions The Lord is my light said David Psal 27. 1. whom shall I fear And I will lay me down in peace Psa 4. 8. 3. It is one of the most admirable comforters of the soul in any condition It comforts the soul in any condition If your condition be prosperous why the assurance that God is reconciled unto you makes all your outward comforts the more comfortable unto you It is like health to a good complexion which sprinkles it over and inamels the face with a fair beauty or like the light to colour which unveils and discloseth all their art or like the dew to the herbs which makes them the more fragrant when a man can say I have all things and God is reconciled to me too I have such a Lordship and the King is my friend too such honours friends estate and the Lord hath accepted of me too and I know that all is pardoned is not this a comfort when all is pleasant on earth and all is right in heaven whereas if the Lord be not reconciled to a man what avails all the world If your conditions be calamitous yet the assurance that God is reconciâ—ed to you is an admirable cordial You read in Mat. 9. 2. Of a man sick with a dead Palsey a disease which exceedingly dejects the spirits Christ comes unto him and gives him a Cordial what was it think you why this Son be of good comfort thy sins are forgiven thee You will think this an improper comfort to a man in such a disease but it was not the assurance that our sins are pardoned and that God is reconciled revives and cheers up the heart nothing more So S. Paul speaks of Tribulation Diâ—ress Persecution Famine Nakedness Peril Sword Yea of Death it self Rom. 8. 35 36. and addeth v. 37. In all these things we are more then conquerours he made light of them all they were as nothing How so whence came this why from assurance of Gods love for saith he v. 38 39. I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor any Creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lard If your condition be pious this evidence is the main thing which makes it most comfortable all the habits of graces are no actual comforts unless they become evident and so far do they comfort you as they are true and real evidences of Gods reconciled love and favour unto you 4. It will be an unspeakable stay unto you in death you know It will be a stay in Death the day of death will shortly overtake every one of us Here is no abiding City and what temptations may befall us then we cannot assure our selves we know not what Satan or conscience may raise up against us When our souls are ready to depart then either to be determinate God is not yet reconciled to me that just God before whom I must immediately appear to answer and make accounts or to be indeterminate It may be I am reconciled it may be I am not I never had any solid evidence of it how distracting a thing is this that the soul one minute hopes the best and presently it doubts the worst Now I think I shall go to Heaven and by and by I fear lest I shall be cast into Hell But if you had obtained to an evidence of Gods reconciled favour unto you that the Lord had pardoned all the sins of your life and had graciously accepted of you in Christ though death it self appears you would not much be moved I know that my redeemer lives said Job c. 19. And we know that if our earthly house be dissolved we have a building of God an house eternal in the heavens saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 1. 5. It is of all the most quickning and forwarding thing to the It is the most Quickning in duty heart for the performance of all sorts of holy duties We oftentimes complain what dull and slow hearts we have to Prayer were we more assured that God is reconciled to us we should quickly find hearts more affected and more enlarged for Prayer though we be afraid and flye from an angry and just God yet we would â—hye in and speed unto a reconciled and gracious God Psal 63. 1. Thou art my God here he discerns that whereof we speak sc God reconciled and then it followes early will I seek unto thee Again we wonder at our listnesses of our spirits to the word that we do not mind it long after it affect it more were you more assured of Gods love being more affected with him we should certainly grow more affected with his word They in 1 Pet. 2. 2. must desire the sincere Milk of the Word as new born Babes .i. with much eagerness and delightfulness but how might this apprehension be wrought in them Why v. 3. If so be that you have tasted that the Lord is gracious q. d. a tast an experience an assurance that God is your gracious God that is it which will whet an edge and appetite after the word I say no more but this you will serve the Lord with more willing hearts and cheerful then ever you did in all your lives if so be you could get assurance that God is reconciled 6. It makes your hearts most confident on God in evil times It makes us Confident in evill times when afflictions are upon you when dangers arise when distractions are in the world when any near calamity breaks in these are like Land-floods which carry away all or like the deluge in Noah's time which exceeded all the mountains so do these drown all the vain hopes and confidences of evil men that are not reconciled to God they know not in the world what to do they have no heart to go in unot God for their consciences now tell them plainly that they are in the estate of enmity and wrath But even now though the foundations of the earth be shaken the assured person who knows God is reconciled to him knows also that his foundation of love stands sure and firm and through all does he make his address unto the God of his mercies and shall find acceptance with him 7. Lastly It is that which will wonderfully inlarge your graces It will wonderfully inlarge our Graces the Apostle delivers it in the general that the knowledg of the love of Christ is a means
or Instrument of the Divine spirit for much good unto believing souls Among the rest it hath a singular virtue to breed assurance of Gods love and therefore it is called a Seal in Ro. 4. 11. In it Christ Jesus in whom God is reconciled is most distinctly represented in his Passion as making peace by his blood for our souls In it the same Christ Jesus is particularly offered and applyed unto us with all the benefits and efficacies of his person Take eat this is my body which was given for you 1 Cor. 11. 24. As if God should say As surely as I give thee this bread and wine so I give thee my Son and the purchase of his death even reconciliation and pardon and mercy A believing celebration of the Sacrament is a most admirable means to remove our doubts and to establish our hearts with an Fervent and patient Prayer assurance that God is reconciled unto us 3. Fervent and patient Prayer prizing the favour of God as David did Psal 63. 3. Hungring and thirsting after it as he hid Psal 106. 4 5. And thus continuing to seek with diligence being withall tenderly careful in our hearts and wayes to please the Lord we shall have the desires of our Souls crowned with the testimonies of his love here and with the full glory of his face and favour hereafter Luke 15. 21 22 23. 21. And the Son said unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son 22. But the Father said to his servants Bring forth the best Robe and put it on him and put a Ring on his hand and Shoes on his feet 23. And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry These words contain in them 1. The real acting of a penitential intention The matter whereof in his humble and sad confession I have insisted on already when I touched on v. 18 19. Now I shall observe a little more from the circumstance and manner of it 2. The strange alteration of his condition The heart of man never alters from sin to its prejudice the best courses ever draw after them the best comforts While he was a prodigal he had neither bread to eat nor Rags to cloath him nor house to lodg him much less Jewels to adorn him and feasts to entertain him But now he becomes a penitent here is a Father to admit him into a house to put the best Robe on his back and the Ring on his finger and Shoes on his feet and likewise to provide meat even the choicest for his belly Before I touch on these distinctly and particularly there are some Propositions which I will briefly touch on v. g. Doct. That no not the kindest expressions of mercy do silence a The kindest expressions of mercy do not hinder an humble confession of sin truly penitential heart from an humble confession of sin Kindest mercies draw out humblest confessions The Father pities meets embraces kisseth this penitential Prodigal What doth he rise up and slight all that hath been evil Oh no! mercy melts him down and he confesseth with tears Father I have sinned c. q. d. What is this that thou shouldst so easily so freely so mâ—rcifully behold so sinful so unworthy a wretch as I have been As David when God declared unto him the intentions of his further mercies for him and his posterity He sate before the Lord and said Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto So is it with the true penitent upon the Declaration of pardoning and accepting mercy Now O Lord God who am I I who have done so wickedly yet to be remembred so graciously The same you find in Paul who though he received a testimony of his pardon and acceptance by a messenger graciously dispatched from Jesus Christ himself Acts 9. 17. Yet he doth most frequently and humbly acknowledg and confess the kinds and greatness of his former transgressions There is for the time a twofold Confession 1. Antecedent There is a twofold Confession Antecedent Consequent which is that humbling way which God designs for the assecution of mercy See Prov. 28. 13. 1 Jo. 1. 9. To make us indite and condemn our selves that he may acquit and pardon us 2. Consequent which is that judging and self-condemning way after mercy is obtained The sight of mercy breeds four notable effects in a true penitent 1. Much Admiration Oh that God should look on me 2. Much Detestation Oh that God should ever pardon me 3. More contrition Oh that I should sin against such a God 4. More Confession I have sinned and done very foolishly to sin against a God much in mercy 2. This consequent confession which followes the expressions or Consequent confession hath these qualities It is an ac-â— knowledgment of sin with more compunction testimonies of pardoning mercy hath these qualities 1. It is an acknowledging of sin with more compunction of spirit Sight of pardon doth not only open our lips but our eyes and fetcheth forth not only words but tears the heart doth break out when mercy breaks forth The heart never confesseth sin with more filial grief then when it apprehends sin much sin discharged with a paternal love the wind breaks the clouds but the Sun melts them most into showers so c. 2. It is an acknowledging of sin with more indignation The greaâ—er mercy makes a penitent With more indignation to be the sharper Judg the more God is now pleased with him the more is he displeased with himself for sinning against him When God remembred his Covenant Ezek. 16. 60. then did the penitential Israelites remember their wayes with shame v. 61. And when he made it known to them that he was pacifyed towards them then were they confounded and never opened their mouths more v. 63. 3. It is an acknowledging of sin with more With more aggravation aggravation Servile confessions are usually more deceitful and partial as Adam did acknowledg his sin but puts it on Eve no coâ—fessions are so free and full as such which arise from the apprehension of mercies David got his pardon for a great transgression but then hoâ— exact is he in the distinct accusation of himself and humble acknowledgment of his sin in all the articles and circumstances of it Psal 51. 4. It is an acknowledgment of sin with more detestation Evidence of pardon produceth two With more detestation effects One is more ardent affection of love to God Another is which necessarily followes a deeper hatred of sin which opposed so gracious a goodness All that good which God mentions in the Covenant Ezek. 36. 25. to the end of v. 30. produced a better remembrance of former evils and also a deeper loathing of themselves for their iniquities v. 31. As Job upon Gods appearing to him and conferring with him now abhors
Saints pressing earnestly and that by the Lord Jesus that they live and walk as becometh Saints and as becometh the Gospel and that the Name of Christ be not blasphemed and as as who hath called them is holy so should they be holy in all manner of conversation Quest But how should our lives be so led that it may appear The manner â—f a Pâ—nitents life we are Penitents indeed Sol. For the manner of life which the truly Penitent should lead either it respects 1. God in duties of Piety And here these adjuncts of Life are necessary As it respects Goâ— in duâ—ies of Pieâ—y 1. Solid and not formal performances of Religious Services in the main Duties not an empty cloud a naked vizard a life without life 2. Adequate and not partial ways of obedience like and dislike 3. Constant and not light and changeable exercises of holy acts without wavering and unsetledness Secondly Men And here the walking or conversation must be As it respects Men. 1. Wise and not ridiculous 2. Meek and gentle and not turbulent 3. Proâ—itable and not vain or evil 4. Mercifull and not cruel 5. Humble and not censorious 6. Just and not scandalous and injurious 7. In all things circumspect without offence Thirdly Those in relation to us And here the life must be an Observance without contempt and slighting of those to whom honour is due 2. Affection with love and pity without scorn or rigour 3. A Care with furtherance of their souls without neglect and weariness For this my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found And they began to be merry These words seem to be an Abridgement of the whole Parable of the Prodigal Child And they comprehend in them 1. His natural sinfull or unconverted condition This my son was dead and was lost A natural man is a dead man and a lost man either of these expresses a sad misery but both of them conclude him compleatly miserable 2. His supernatural changed or converted condition and is alive again and is found No man lives till he be a converted man Fuit said Seneca non vixit ab eo tempore censemur ex quo in Christo renascimur saith Hierome 3. The joy comfort and delight of that altered condition And they began to be merry Joy is a drop distilled from Grace the condition is then comfortable when it is godly I begin with the first part and there with the lost estate of the Prodigal where observe That every sinfull or unconverted man is a lost man This my son was lost There are two sorts of sinners in Scripture Doct. 1. Every sinfull unconverted man is a lost man who are stiled lost 1. Finally impenitent These are irrecoverably lost lost and never found Thus Judas was lost None of them is lost but the son of perdition Joh. 17. 1. And of such the Apostle speaks If our Gospel be hid 't is hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4. 3. 2. Temporary wanderers who quantum ad statum presentem are lost but quoad decretum de futuro shall be found To these that saying seems to refer in Luk. 19. 10. The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost Again One may be said to be lost 1. who is stept out of the way Every sinning is a straying and every straying is a kind of lostness thus even a converted man is many times lost I have gone astray saith David Psal 119. 170. like a lost sheep 2. Who is not as yet come into the way Thus the unconverted man is lost Psal 58. 3. The wicked are estranged from the womb they go astray as soon as they be born And Psal 14. 3. They are gone aside And Rom. 9. 12. They are all gone out of the way Now an unconverted man may be called a lost man in eight And may be so called in eight respects He hath lost his God respects Because 1. He hath lost his God Every man at the first had God to be his God but man sinned and by sin every man lost God We never lose our selves but when we lose our God and we never lose our God but by sinning There was one once who lost his Kingdome for a draught of Water and Lysimachus we in Adam lost our God for rhe taste of an Apple This is a great loss to lose our God A Child may lose his Father and yet live the Mariner may lose his Anchor and yet sail But if the World doth lose the Sun it loseth all But if Man loseth his God he loseth him who is better than All. There are four great losses in that one loss of God There is a loss 1. of the Image of God that Royal Crown is gone 2. of the Favour of God that friendly look is gone 3. of the Society of God that sweet fruition is gone 4. of the Happiness of God that onely life is gone A Just God remains still and a Mighty God remains still but the Gracious God is lost but the Blessed God is lost 2. He hath lost his Paradise Paradise was the garden of Lost his Paradise blessings and of all delights and some conjecture that all happiness consists in delight but the impenitent wandring unconverted sinner is â—ar from blessing or comfort The child of disobedience is only an heir of the curse Write that man childless said God of Coniah so may it be said of an unconverted sinner Write that man comfortless Or as Jeremiah said of Pashur Thou shalt be called Magor-missabib terrour round about the same may be affirmed of this sinner He is exiled from all comfort and blessing there is no peace unto him no blessing he cannot justly expect one crop of mercy not one good day all his days the womb is a prison the world a sea sin a grave life a wilderness death an hell to a wicked man 3. He hath lost his soul And what is left when my soul is lost There are divers kinds of losses some Losses are Gain Lost his soul to us such was Pauls loss Phil. 3. Some Losses are a Pain to us a little diminution an excire onely of this or that comfort some lose Sin and get Christ some lose Earth and get Heaven but no loss like the loss of the Soul Now every unconverted man hath lost this Jewel this Soul of his He hath lost his Soul 1. To Satan who hath the dominion and use of it he rules and he works mightily in it and over it a wicked mans soul is the Devils slave he takes it captive at his pleasure 2. To a condemning and revenging God The soul that sins shall die the Lease is forfeited sin forfeits the soul into the hands of a condemning God and there it is stayed for ever unless a price be paid by the bloud of Christ to ransome and recover it 4. He hath lost his Excellencies His Glory is
of a Father I am that Father in whose house there is bread enough and to spare Do but come back unto me and all shall be well Canst thou live without Bread canst thou live without my Mercy Mercy shall be thine if thou wilt return from thy lost and sinfull courses 4. By directing him into the way of coming back As 1. With mournfull confession of his sins By directing him into the way of Returning Hos 14. 2. Take with you words and return unto the Lord say unto him Take away iniquity and receive us graciously 2. With penitential reformation Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. With believing application Thou must go saith God to my Son for he is the way and the life and he came to seek and to save that which was lost Seventhly By laying hold upon him by his Almighty Grace and putting into him a returning heart Now notwithstanding all this the lost sinner is not perfectly found and therefore the Lord doth one thing more he doth with this lost sinner as the shepherd did with the lost sheep who took him on his shoulders and brought him home So the Lord lays hold on this poor lost soul by his Almighty Spirit of Grace and puts into him a returning heart an other heart and makes him willing and glad to leave his sinfull wayes and to return to himself and to implore his reconciled favour and acceptance in Jesus Christ Which being done now is the lost sinner found indeed for then and then onely is a lost sinner found when he in truth turns back to God and enjoys him as his reconciled God in Christ Jer. 3. 22. Return ye back-sliding children Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Quest 3. Why doth God thus look after and find a lost sinner Why God doth thus find a lost sinner Sol. The Reasons may be these 1. Although the sinner be not worth the looking after yet the soul of a sinner is worth the looking after The sinner is the Devils creature but the soul is Tâ—e soul is worth the looking after Gods creature The soul that I have made saith God Isa 57. 16. The lost sheep was worth the looking after and so was the lost groat surely then a lost soul is worth the looking after which is at least of as much value as a lost Groat Christ saith Theophylact on Matth. 18. was the man who left the Ninety nine sheep and lookt after one lost sheep he left the the society of Angels in Heaven to find one lost Soul on Earth O the Soul of Man is a precious a valuable Substance made only by God and fit only to match and converse with God 2. As God knows God knows the loss of a soul the worth of a soul so God knows the loss of a Soul O Sirs we make little account of losing souls but verily no loss like the loss of a soul As Christ spake of the fall of that house The fall thereof was great that 's true of the loss of a soul the loss thereof is very great A man in the event loseth nothing though he loseth all the world if his soul be not lost But if the soul be lost all is lost all is lost to an eternity and therefore the Lord out of unspeakable pity looks after a lost sinner Christ hath â—aid down a price for souls 3. Jesus Christ hath laid down a price for some souls and Jesus Christ shall see of the travel of his soul he shall have his purchase to the full value 4. God will have some to magnifie the God will have some to magnifie the riches of his Grace riches of his glorious Grace and Love and Kindness and Mercy yea and to enjoy eternal Glory with himself therefore he will find some lost sinners For no sinner but a found sinner can either glorifie God or be glorified with him The first Use shall be for Examination of our selves Whether Vse 1. Examination Whether our lost souls be found our lost souls be found thus of God or no I will propound unto you 1. Some Arguments or Motives to put you upon this Trial. 2. Then the Trials or Characters of a person whom God in mercy hath found The Arguments which may move us to a serious Trial whether Motives to a serious Trial. we be found persons or no are these 1. Every man is lost but every man is not found All are lost but few are found Every man is lost but every man is not found the way of sin is general but the way of mercy is special Mat. 7. 13. Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat v. 14. But strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and â—ew there be that â—ind it You read of a general complaint They are all gone out of the way but you read not of a general acclamation They are all returned into the way Take the way of finding a lost sinner and bringing him home to God either 1. by Repentance Why the number of sinners is exceeding large but the number of repenting sinners is very scant As he said once of an Army Here are many Men but few Souldiers so may it be said in this case Sinners are like the Sands in the sea very numerous but Penitent Sinners are like Pearâ—s in thesea very rare and precious 2. By Faith All are sinners but few very few are â—rue believers Historical Faith though it be a common faith yet it is not very common Who hath believed our report They are the â—ewest part of the world who do credere Christum believe that there is a Christ but how few even of these do credere in Christum believe in Christ And Men are never found till Faith be found in them 2. It is a very bad and a very sad condition not to be found It is a very sad condition not to be found out of but to be found still in a lost condition If it were no more but this That such a person cannot find himself under the clasp or compass of any saving mercy this were heavy To be in a Dâ—sert and not to know that ever he shall come alive out of it to be in the Ocean and not to know that ever he shall come safe to Land to be in a sinfull condition and not to know wheâ—her ever Divine Mercy will pull him out of this condition Yet this is the case of a lost sinner he cannot tell whether ever Divine Mercy will look after him or no perhaps it will perhaps it will not But besides this let 's consider what may find that lost sinner whom Divine Mercy hath not
Without saith it is impossible to please God Hebr. 11. 6. 2. But let us proceed further and search what Reasons may be produced to demonstrate the Assertion That the natural or Reasons of it unconverted man is spiritually dead and as to spirituals altogether dead Thus then 1. He who hath no Communion at all with Hâ—â—ath no communion with the principles of spiritual life the principles of spiritual life is in a spiritual sense altogether dead for where there is no principle of life there cannot be any thing but death Tolle animam tolle vitam but the impenitent and unconverted sinner hath no communion with any one principle of spiritual life Therefore c. There is a twofold principle of this life 1. A primitive conjunction with God in the estate of Innocency but this is lost 2. Arenewed Conjunction with God by Christ but yet this is not attained to by an unconverted sinner It is a confessed truth that Jesus Christ is the Author of spiritual life to the sinner He that hath the Son hath life and he that hath not the Son hath not life Joh. 5. 17. And the sinner hath it partly by Faith which taking Christ takes life from him by the Spirit of Regeneration which renews and makes him alive but the unconverted sinner hath neither the one nor the other had he either he were then converted 2. Original sin whilst reigning is a compleat cause of spiritual Original sin is a compleat cause of spiritual death death But original sin reigns in the impenitent and unconverted sinner therefore he is dead The Fathers have diversly Phrased Original sin some call it Venenum Syerpentis so Cprian others Plagam serpentis so Ireneus others Vitium parentum so Pauâ—inius in Austin the Apostle Paul calls it sometimes the body of sin sometimes the body of death sometimes the Law of sin and death sometimes the Vncircumcision of the heart Our Divines generally conceive two things in it viz. In Original sin there is 1. A total deprivation of original righteousness The Faculties remain but the Rectitude is gone It is reported of an excellent Philosopher that he fell into a Disease which dashed out all the Learning that ever he acquired so that he forgat even his own Name Original sin is like the extinguishing of a Candle the Candle remains still but the Light is gone Or like the quenching of red Iron the Iron remains but the fiery redness is all gone Or like a Tree the Limbs remain but the Life is gone It is an Universal spoil it hath robbed us of all our supernaturals worse to us than the Devil to Job who took away all that he had yet spared his Life But Original Sin not onely took away Paradise and Righteousness but all self-power so much as to desire to be good 2. A total depravation of all the man Seges ubi Troia The Soul of Man was once like a Garden fully set with the sweetest Flowers of Righteousness but now it is become like a Wilderness run over and filled with Briars and Thorns Or it is like a Face which once was the most curious of features every part expressing most amiable sweetness now it is like the same Face most deformed with the clusters of the Pox and the very shame and reproach of it self There is not a Faculty in the Soul but it is like the Bough of a fruitfull Tree thickly laden with Iniquity It is a Spring bubling out nothing but aversation enmity resistance to spiritual good and readiness inclination eagerness unsatiableness to all that is evil God saw that every imagination of the thoughts of the heart of man was onely evil continually Gen. 6. 5. The best of men complain of blindness of dulness of deadness Alas then what or how is it with the worst of men Paul could not do good a wicked man would not do good Paul complains for want of power what then may an unconverted man do By all this I think it manifectly appears That the unconverted man is spiritually dead because Original Sin reigns in him if in any then in him and where Original Sin reigns there is a total privation or absence of all spiritual Life and total corruption or presence of spiritual Death in the Soul The terms used in Scripture to express conversion 3. The Terms used in Scripture to express a sinners conversion do seem sufficiently weighty to prove That before his conversion he was spiritually dead For it is set forth sometimes By the Resurrection of the dead Ephes 5. 14. Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead By the Generation of a person Of his own good will begat he us with the word of truth Jam. 1. 18. By Creation 2 Cor. 5. 17. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature Now observe if Conversion be a Resurrection a spiritual Resurrection then the soul before Conversion was spiritually dead if Conversion be a Regeneration then a new life is brought into the soul which it totally wanted before If Conversion be a Creation and the converted man qua talis be a new creature then he had no spiritual being before If spiritual Life be a creature onely of Christ's making then c. 4. To me those spiritual Promises which God makes of giving The promises of giving a spiritual being and life a spiritual being and life do abundantly clear that man is dead As of pouring forth the Spirit of Grace giving his Spirit taking away the heart of Stone and giving the heart of Flesh of giving Knowledge Love Fear c. Such kinds of Promises imply three things 1. Our total want and need 2. Gods undertaking to bestow them 3. A free and total donation of them to us on Gods part 5. S. Austin useth the Duty of Prayer to prove this Assertion The duty of Prayer against the Pelagians Petenda à Deo bona omnia ergo nihil boni ex nobis possumus And in an Epistle to Vitalis he saith Prorsus non oramus Deum sed orare nos singimus si nos ipsos non illum credimus facere quod oramus 6. I will add but one Argument more viz. That man is totally dead quantum ad spiritualia who cannot so much as Man cannot prepare himself to life prepare himself no not remotely no not in any degree unto the life of Grace But the Unconverted man cannot virtute propria and without supernatural aid in the least degree prepare himself c. for without that aid he cannot desire deliverance out of his sinfull estate nor mourn over it nay not feel it nay not spiritually know it The Use which I desire to make of this Point I shall reduce unto 1. Information 2. Trial 3. Instruction 1. For Information Is every natural and unconverted man a Information spiritually dead man Hence we may be informed of several The unconverted man is in the saddest condition Truths 1. That the
When a sinner is sanctified Of Sanctification Which may be considered In the cause of it he is then made alive At this I suppose the Text doth principally aim This Life is considerable 1. In the Cause of it which is no other but the Spirit of Jesus Christ who unites Christ and the Soul together and upon this union the Soul is quickned with the life of Christ I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. 2. In the Nature of it it is a novum spirituale esse which doth regenerate the man and as it were create him In the nature of it again The Scripture stiles this quality a new creature and the new man It is an holy living principle In a word this life is nothing else but the Grace of the Spirit regenerating and renewing the whole soul of a sinner It is saving light set up in the Mind and saving wisdome set up in the Judgment and saving grace set up in the Will and Affections which alter the old sinfull nature in man and are a new spiritual inclination to matters that are spiritual yea and a new spiritual ability or power in the whole soul of man to work that is spiritual Whereas the Understanding could not know the things of God now it is enabled to know them and to admire them and to study them whereas the Will was both unable to good and unwilling to good and only set on what was evil now being quickned by Grace it is drawn off from that affectionate inclination to evil and it is bent and inclined and in some measure enabled to desire Christ to love Jesus Christ to fear God to obey God and to walk with God And when this comes into the heart of a sinner he is said to be alive again Shall I draw out my thoughts of this Subject more clearly unto When a sinner is made alive Jesus Christ applies himself unto the soul and breaths into it the breath of life you Take me then thus When any sinner is made spiritually alive 1. Jesus Christ applies himself to the Soul and he breaths into it the Spirit of Life He doth with a poor dead soul much like as Eliah did with the Shunamites dead child who lay upon the child and put his mouth upon the childs mouth and his eyes upon the childs eyes and his hands upon the childs hands and he stretched himself upon the child and the flesh of the child waxed warm So the Lord Jesus applies himself by his Spirit to the soul of a sinner to all the soul of a sinner and works mightily in it producing knowledge in a blind mind and feeling in an hard heart and faith in an unbelieving spirit and all his Graces in the whole Soul 2. Which gracious principles He puts in living principles are all of them living principles and alter all the soul and incline it spiritually So that the man who cared not for God nor Christ nor Grace nor holy Duties heretofore now his soul bends to these and he minds these and he is never better than when he is thinking of God and mourning for his sins and thirsting for Christ and praying to God and hearing of the Word of God this is his desire and this is his delight 3. There is a power in these principles of spiritual life A power There is power of spiritual life in these principles against his sins so that now he can hate them and say What have I to do any more with Idols Get ye hence And a power in his affections so that now he is able to love God above all and able to fear God and not displease him willingly And a power in his will so that now he is able to come to Christ and cleave to Christ as his onely happiness And a power to spiritual actions so that he is now able to hear and understand to pray and wrestle to pray and believe to believe and repent Quest 2. How it may be evidenced that the converted man is How this may be evidenced thus made spiritually alive Sol. Thus 1. Every converted man hath a living union with Jesus Christ he is brought into He hath a living union with Christ fellowship with Christ Now Jesus Christ is a living Head and all his members are living Members 1 Joh. 5. 12. He that hath the Son hath life And Joh. 6. 51. I am the living bread if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever 〈◊〉 2. All true grace is of a living nature False grace is a dead thing it True grace is of a living nature hath no life and can give no life but true grace is living True â—aith is a living faith I live by the faith of the Son of God Gal. 2. 20. And true hope is a living hope 1 Pet. 1. 3. God hath begotten us to a lively hope 3. Every converted man is the child of the living God he is born of the Spirit who is the Spirit of life He is a child of the living God God is not the God of the dead but of the living and God as a Father never begets any dead Children All his children are begot after his own image they are partakers of the Divine nature and that is a living nature 〈◊〉 4. The converted man lives the rest He lives the rest of his life to God of his life unto God 1. Pet. 3. 2. None of us liveth to himself for whether we live we live unto the Lord Rom. 14. 8. Can he possibly live unto the Lord until he be made alive by the Lord What glory can God get by the life of a dead sinner The living the living he shall praise thee as I do this day said Hezâ—kiah Isa 38. 19. God must have much glory from the converted man not only passive glory on him this he hath on wicked men but active glory from him glory from his believing and glory from his obedience which cannot be unless he be made alive spiritually alive The Use of this Doctrine shall be to draw you into a searching acquaintance with your spiritual condition There is not Vse Trial of our selves about our spiritual life a business which can possibly concern you more nearly than this Whether you be children of Death or of Life Whether yet dead in sins or quickned by the life of grace Can it be said of us as here of the Prodigal This my Son was dead but is alive So we were sometimes disobedient ignorant proud vile serving divers lusts but after that the grace of God hath appeared we are alive we have put off those lusts and have other Principles other Natures other Lives Let me offer unto you four Motives to try your souls about their spiritual Motives to this Trial. Life 1. You have enjoyed the means of Life The Gospel is often You have enjoied the means of life called the Word of Life
of spiritual wants This is an undoubted truth That where there is A spiritual sense of spiritual wants life there is sense and where there is sense there is life If the life be a spiritual life then the sense is a spiritual sense a feeling of our spiritual wants When the Prodigal began to live he began to feel to feel to feel his nakedness to feel his poverty to feel his wants And when Paul began to live he began to see his wants Rom. 7. 14. The law is spiritual but I am carnal sold under sin I know that in me there dwelleth no good thing how to perform that which is good I find not O when God gives grace unto the heart that grace though never so weak affords two operations 1. It gives you a clearer sight of sin 2. it gives you a fuller sight of your wants It is Learning which makes us to see how much Learning we want it is Health which makes you see how much Health you want it is Grace which makes you see how little Grace you have and how much you still need No man rightly feels the want of more Faith but by some Faith the want of more Softness but by some Softness Object But now the Question may be How a man may How a spiritual sense may be known know that the sense of his wants be a spiritual sense of them for many men say that they want such and such spiritual Graces and yet they have not a spiritual life in them Sol. I answerâ— There are four things which declare the sense of our spiritual wants to be a true spiritual sense 1. Ordinarily it follows after a deep Conviction of sin that man It follows after a deep conviction of sin deceives himself who talks of spiritual wants and yet never saw his spiritual fulness of sin The Lords ordinary way in Conversion is To strip us wholly of our selves and therefore 1. He opens our eyes to see how rich we have been in sin 2. To see how poor and nothing we are in Grace 2. If it be a spiritual sense it is an humbling It is an humbling sense sense He who can see much sin in himself and not be troubled is not rightly sensible of sin and he who can see much want of grace in himself and not be humbled is not spiritually sensible of his spiritual wants What! and yet so little Knowledge yet so little Faith and yet so little Love of Christ yet no more strength to pray to deny my self to overcome my sins And now he mourns and weeps 3. If it be a living spiritual sense it is an humbâ—e sense The It is an humble sense presence of Grace though little breeds an high conflict with all sin and a lowly spirit under all wants This man admires at other Christians Graces and prizes them and goes home and confesseth Lord I am less then the least of all Saints 4. If it be a spiritual sense then it is a careful and an active sense It It is a careful and an active sense would have these wants supplied it is full of inquiry what shall I do and it is full of Prayer I believe Lord help my unbeliefe The sense of want will not cease but in the sense of supply 3. A spiritual appetite is a sign of spiritual life You know There is a spiritual appetite that life seeks its own preservation the living man must have food and will have food As soon as ever a child is born if it be living nature prompts it to crave the brests and verily so it is with every new born Christian As new born babes desire the sincere milk of the word 1 Pet. 2. 2. As soon as the Prodigal began to be spiritually alive he presently thought of food O saith he there is bread enough in my Fathers house and to spare As there is bread for life so there is bread of life and as there are waters for life so there are waters of life there is spiritual bread and spiritual water Corpus Christi est pabulum fidei The Lord Jesus and his Ordinances are the spiritual food of the soul and when a man receives a spiritual life he cannot live without them but depends on them as for the nutrition and preservation of his life Here again it may be demanded How a Christian may know that his appetite is a truly spiritual appetite flowing from life To which Signs of appetite flowing from life It is a strong appetite I answer thus If it be an appetite flowing from spiritual life 1. Then it is a strong appetite the Scriptures call it an hungring and thirsting the strongest and fiercest of all appetites O Sirs There is an appetite dainty and there is an appetite hungry there is a difference twixt a want on empty desire and an hungring or an appetite for life Give me children or else I dye the word is to such a man more then his appointed food 2. It is an Vniversal Appetite Some men have a stomack to the Word but not to the Sacrament and some A Universal appetite have a stomack to the Sacrament O that they must have but not to the Word and some have a stomack to this part of the Word not to that part of the Word and to it as thus dressed and another way dressed New Dishes for dainty stomacks But a Christian in whom the life of Grace is wrought why he is for the Word and he is for Sacrament and he is for all Christs Ordinances and all Christs truths Why saith he I have a proud heart and such a truth will humble it and I have a troubled heart and such a truth will comfort it and I have a doubtful heart and such a truth will direct it and I have a weak heart and such an Ordinance will strengthen it so that he sees food in all of them and he hath an appetite to all of them 3. It is a constant A constant appetite appetite Give a living man food in the morning and Life looks for some at night he can feed to day and he can feed to morrow too Thus it is with a living man though when a man is dying his stomack dies in him and leaves him One Sermon a moneth or a year will satisfie A living Christian he takes in provision every market day every Sabbath for his soul and he longs for the market day again O when will the Sabbath come again O when shall I appear before God again O when shall I sit down and be entertained at Christs Table again O I could hear of Christ of Faith of Mortification of the Love of God of newness of Obedience c. still I need more heavenly nourishment for my Graces c. 4. Spiritual Growth is a sign of Spiritual Life You know There is spiritual growth that living men do grow until they attain unto that proportion and measure which
Nature say the Philosophers God say we allots unto them Therefore living Christians are compared to a sucking and thriving child which sucks and growes by sucking And to living branches that grow into more strength and in Scripture True Grace which is the same with spiritual life it is of an increasing and growing nature Christ compares it to a grain of Mustard-seed which is little at first but in time growes and spreads exceedingly and Solomon compares it to the Sun which riseth more and more to the perfect day Paul commends the Corinthians that they did abound in all Grace and praies for the Philippians that their love might a bound yet more and more in knowledg and in all Judgment And he himself forgat what was behind and pressed forward and counted himself not to have apprehended O you who take your selves to be alive do you grow in grace Many men grow worse and worse under the means of Grace many grow in notions but they do not grow in Grace many grow into new opinions but they do not grow in holy affections But do you grow in Grace and do you grow in all Grace and do you grow according to the means of Growth Alas many men decay apace and many men like pictures retain the same dimensions sin is no more weakned after forty years living then at the first their old sins retain their old strength and their faith receives no augmentation they are no more able to trust on God for their bodies nor to rely on Christ for their souls then heretofore The barrenness and unfruitfulness of Christians is an unspeakable dishonour to the Gospel and an evident testimony that they have but a form of Godliness without the power of it I might now have shewn you that true spiritual Growth is 1. Especially an inward Growth 2. And a general Growth 3. And the Growth comes in by the Growth of Faith 4. And appears best in the Growth of humiliâ—y 5. A spiritual cry or breath is another sign of spiritual life There is a spiritual breath If a man can but groan and breath that man is a living man When Paul was converted Ananias was sent unto him as to a chosen Vessel Behold said God unto him he prayeth in Zach. 12. 10. The Spirit of Grace and of Supplication are joyned for the one never goes without the other But will some reply This cannot be a sure sign of spiritual life for a wicked man may pray and cry to God we read of their Prayers and cries in Scripture often I grant it But 1. There is a difference twixt a spiritual cry and a natural cry their cries arise from natural principles but not from a spiritual principle 2. It is the cry of a distressed man but not of a renewed man 3. It is a cry for natural and outward good but not for spiritual and everlasting good 4. And when they cry for mercy and heaven it is not that mercy may bring them into an holy communion with God but only that mercy may keep them from wrath and Hell 6. Lastly A spiritual manner of working is an infallible evidence There is a spiritual manner of working of a spiritual quickningâ— When the Lord converts a man and makes him spiritually alive he now works spiritual work 1. By Spiritual Rules 2. From Spiritual Principles in the strength of Christ by Faith and from love 3. With Spiritual Affections willingly cheerfully and delightfully 4. For Spiritual ends 1. By Spiritual Rules To as many as walk according By spiritual rules to this Rule peace be on them Gal. 6. 16. A dead and unconverted man lives by the Rules of his sensual Lusts or the customes of the World or the wisdome of carnal policy sin rules him and men rule him and his profits and pleasures rule him But when the man is converted now God rules him he stands in awe of Gods Word and lives as 1 Pet. 4. 2. To the Will of God His actions intentions desires steps are measured by the word t is not An libet but An licet The word lets him out and brings him in Whether the living Creature went thither the Wheeles went so c. 2. From spiritual Principles O Sirs From spiritual principles a man may do much work which we call spiritual from a Carnal and low principle self-Love vain-Glory Education a quick Conscience may set out much But the living Christians work arises from union with Christ all is done in the strength of Christ and Faith fetcheth strength from Christ to pray and to preach and to mourn and to repent c. 3. With spiritual affections With spiritual affections There is a connaturalness twixt a spiritual heart and a spiritual work Thy word was the rejoycing of my heart I was glad said David when they said unto me let us go to the House of the Lord. I delight saith Paul in the Law of God after the inward man It is good for â—e to draw near to God There are affections in the works of a living man his works drop out of his heart another mans fall out of his parts 4. For spiritual ends So that Christ may be glorifyed we live For spiritual ends unto the Lord unto him that dyed for us Whatsoever ye do do it to the Glory of God that God in all things may be glorifyed through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 4. 11. Obj. But will some say if these be signs of the life of Complaints of the want of all these Grace of one being made spiritually alive then I am in a sad condition For 1. I find much sin still living in me 2. And I find very dull if not dead affections and I find 3. Exceeding impotency to what is good 4. And I cannot find that old appetite and those old â—ervent crieâ— of Prayer which here 〈◊〉 I found 5. And as for grow hunder spiritual means O my heart sinks to behold the rich seasons of Grace and my barrenness and unfruitfulness under them Sol. I should Answered be â—â—â—th that any truly living Soul should go away with a sad heart therefore give me leave to answer thy fears 1. Generally 2. Then distinctly 1. Generally thus 1. Such complaints as these ordinarily Generally are the language not of the dead but of the living When shall you hear such inditâ—ments from a base lewd sin-loving and serving person O no these are the complaints of an heart that is spiritually sensible and spiritually tender and spiritually jealous and which would not be deceived in its spiritual condition 2. If such complaints as these be attended with inward humblings and abasings of the heart and with desires and endeavours of help assuredly they are the Testimonies of a living man Who shall deliver me O wretched man was the complaint of living Paul 3. If thou canst not at all times find every one of the forenamed Symptomes of life yet if at any time thou canst find
any one of them it is a sign that thou livest if the child doth not go yet if it sucks this shews life if it doth not speak yet if it cry it is alive if it doth not cry yet if it breath it is a sign of life If there be groanings under the burden of sin and â—ighings for help for grace for Christ c. they are a sign of life O Christian the spiritual life is sometimes more open and full and lively and quick in actions and sometimes it is reduced to desires to a will to a complaint to a tear to a sigh to a groan O that I could pray O that I could believe 2. Dictinctly to the particular Cases Obj. 1. Thou fearest that thou art not alive because much Distinctly to the particular cases I am not alive because much sin is living in me Answered sin is yet living in thee To which I answer 1. It is with the Christian made alive by Grace as it was with Lazarus made alive by Christ who had for a while his grave cloathes on him and he was bound hand and foot and yet he was made alive so there may be many sinful corruptions yet cleaving to that soul which is indeed quickned with spiritual life Nay if thou didst feel no sinful corruptions I should question whether yet thou werâ— made alive for spiritual life or grace doth give unto the soul 1. The clearest sense of sin 2. And the greatest grief for sin 3. And the strongest combate and conflict with sin 2. There is a difference twixt a feeling of sin still stirring in us and of the life of sin still ruling in us Thou feelest sin living in temptation but dost thou feel sin living in thy affection Thou feelest sin molesting of thee as a Tyrant but dost thou acknowledg sin ruling over thee as a King 3. And what doest thou when thou findest sin thus working Dost thou dye daily If thou feelest sin as if it were alive doth not this humble thee and doth not this hasten thee by Faith unto Christ for more crucifying virtue Obj. 2. Thou fearest that yet thou art not alive because thou There is much duâ—ness and deadness in my affections and operations Answeâ—ed discernest mâ—ch spiritual dulness and deadness in thy affections and operations Sol. I answer 1. Even the living have soâ—nd too much spiritual deadness in their hearts Davids soul was heavy and cast down and indisposed and a deadness possessed him and he prayes of enâ— O Lord quicken me 2. But is there not a difference twixt deadness and death death is the total privation of life where there is spiritual death there is not so much as the habit of grace but deadness is some diminution or some damp upon the habit of grace that it steps not out to its acts with that liberty and that alacrity as it was wont and such a deadness may be in a living soul And thirdly Thou feelest this deadness and thou dislikest it and thou bewailest it and thou prayest how often how earnestly Lord quicken this dead heart of mine Is it thus where death prevails do dead men do thus 4. The actions of life are various Let the action for the quantity be what it will greater or lesser quick or dull free or checked and interrupted yet if what thou dost be done in the strength of Christ if it be wrought with an humble and an upright heart assuredly thou art not a dead sinner but a living though perhaps troubled Christian Obj. 3. But I have no power to do any good I cannot believe I cannot pray I cannot mourn Sol. 1. What no Power at all I have no power to do any good Answered never any power no power from thy self nor any power from Christ no power perhaps to this work but what no power to any spiritual work no power perhaps at this time to an eminent act but then is there not a power to pray for power Though power appears not in the work doth not power yet appear in the will and desire Rom. 7. 18. I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing For to will is present with me but to perform that which is good I find not I cannot do it but I would do it 2. If there be a power living in the will it is the best sign of life A wicked man doth often the good which his will is against and the good man often doth not the good cannot do the good which his will is yet for Now God looks upon the will more then upon the work If gracious acts be couchant in the will life is in thee 3. However although thou hast not power sometimes let down for spiritual work yet thou hast so much power still remaining as to lifâ— up weak hands for more power Though thou canst not believe nor repent nor mourn as thou thinkest yet there is an heart to seek unto God in Christ for this power to believe c. Obj. 4. But my old lively affections are gone my old estimations My old lively â—ffâ—ctions are gone Answered my old hungrings and thirstings my old delightful communion with God in prayer and in his ordinances Sol. To this I would only say thus much 1. There is a difference twixt the intensive swiftness or flash of affections and the intensive strength and weight of the affections A young Christian is most in the former an old Christian who acts more upon Judgment and Faith is most in the latter 2. The case seems rather to be of a living man like to dye then dead Of a man decaying in Grace rather then totally deprived of grace of a sick Christian rather then of a dead Christian 3. And therefore seriously search the causes of the remission of thy first love of thy ancient favour in holy communion O look whether a dead flye be not fallen into the ointment whether some insnaring lust fleshly or worldly hath not robbed thee of thy strength 4. If so Be humbled greatly and repent and do thy first work Obj. 5. But where there is life there is growth but I find it not I finde no growth Answered Sol. A word to this The denial of growth may be either 1. Negative Never any at all this is impossible if life be wrought 2. Comparative Not so much as another not so much as I have found under such or such means not so much as I desire and this may be where there is life I have finished two Proposition from this Text One respecting the death and the other respecting the life of a sinner I now proceed to a third which is That a very great and notorious Doct. 3. A very great sinner may be converted sinner may be at length converted and changed This my Son was dead and is alive again This Son and who was he or what was he in the precedent Verses you may see his picture you may read
to Grace and Christ 3. There is the highest contrariety in actions and courses that ever was to see a man pull down what he built up and There is the highest contrariety of courses and actions to build up what he pulled down to be mad against Christ and then presently even besides himself for Christ to scourge and revile Paul and Silas and presently after honour and embrace and almost adore them To reproach the Saints and their wayes and suddenly to admire them and value them and their paths as worthiest of our dearest love and society 4. And a little And a little grace to produce all this very little Grace to produce all this That one drop should sweeten the great bitter Ocean that one little spark should cause all this flame A very little Engine should move all the World and level the Mountains a little Grace to enter the Throne and to turn all the soul round about That Moses little Rod should divide the Sea and melt the Rock a little Ant tumble down a Mountain that the Grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of seeds should grow into a Tree That a very little Grace should transform the most rebellious heart humble the most proud heart quicken the dead purisie the most vile affections conquer the Gates of Hell overthrow sin dispossess Satan should beget such a River of Grief kindle such a flame of love such a zeal for God tenderness in Conscience such a strength to do and suffer to believe life in death joy in sorrows hopes in despair raise so high as to love them that hate us bless them that curse us pray for them that despightfully use us and do good for evil 3. True Conversion is an inward change When It is an inward change a dead man is made alive this is done by the infusion of an inward principle of life the cloathing of a dead man is one thing and the quickning of a dead man is another thing it is one thing to plaister an old house and it is another thing to build a new house Conversion may be considered two wayes either 1. Extensively So it is a change even of the life and outward actions of men it is a cleansing of the flesh as well as of the spirit it is a sanctifying of the body as well as of the soul It is a putting off the former Conversation Eph. 4. 22. 2. Denominatively So it is an inward change the Prophet calls it a washing of the heart Wash thine heart O Jerusalem Jer. 44. 4. The Apostle calls it a transformation by the renewing of the mind Rom. 2. 29. and a Circumcision of the heart Rom. 2. 29. St. John calls it a laying the Ax to the root of the Tree Mat. 3. 10. Ezekiel calls it the giving of a new heart and of a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. Every converted man hath a changed heart we say in nature that Cor est primum vivens It is true also in Grace the first work of quickning and converting Grace begins in the heart of a sinner The heart first fell from God and it is the first that turns unto God The heart is the first Seat of Sin and it is the first Throne of Grace Sin is the wound and disease of the heart and Grace must bring the Plaister thither sin is first in the heart and most in the heart dominion is there the poyson is there bring in the heart prevail with it and you bring in all the man An outward change without an inward change is 1. But Hypocrisie The Hypocritical Pharisees made clean the outside of the Cup bùt not the inside a golden profession and a rotten heart this is but Hypocrisie 2. But Vanity it is to lap the Boughs and leave the Roots which can send out more it is to empty the Cistern and to leave the Fountain running which fills it again 3. But self and soul-deceit What a foolish fancy is it to think my self a converted man because my Tongue is quiet and yet my heart doth curse Whether every internalchange be an evidence of true conversion Four internal changes may be in man unconverted A change from ignorance to knowledg God because my body is honest when yet my heart burns and boils with lust because my hands strike not and yet my heart is full of malice and revenge and murder Quest But here a single scruple may be propounded viz. Whether every internal change be an evidence of true Conversion To which I answer it is not there are four Internal changes which may be in a man unconverted 1. A change from ignorance to knowledg The man who was an ignorant sinner may become a knowing sinner and yet remain still an unconverted sinner for a man may hate the good which he knows and love the evil which he knows neither of which can consist with true Conversion 2. A change from error to truth Many Fâ—om error to truth a man forsakes the Popish Religion and embraceth the Protestant Religion his opinion and judgment of things may be altered and yet his sinful heart may not be altered he may hold justification by faith only and yet his heart be utterly void of saving faith he may deny merit unto the works of Repentance and yet his heart never truly repent he may hold the true and right Government of Christ in his Church and yet that Government of Christ may never be set up in his own heart 3. A change from security to trouble and perplexity It is possible that a great From security to trouble sinner who was as senseless as the Rock may now be as trembling as the Leaf and his conscience troubled as the Sea and yet his heart not converted Cain was troubled so was Pharaoh so was Saul so was Judas yet none of them converted There is a trouble which riseth from a quick conscience and there is a trouble which riseth from quickning grace this latter is an evidence of true Conversion the other is not 4. A temporary change or A temporary change rather a transient diversity in the affections It is possible for some scornful person to hear the Gospel preached by some John Baptist as Herod did with joy and to hear some Paul as Felix did with trembling who formerly scorned all preaching yea this man may be in a great changeableness yet never be truly changed divine truths may fall upon him with that evidence and efficacy as to shake his heart stir his affections excite his resolutions and yet after a little while as the cold doth on Water that is heated all these workings expire into nothing his old incorporated familiar lusts prevail over them and work them wholly out till the inward change be a change of the heart it is not a truly converting change 4. Lastly true Conversion is an universal change When It is a universal change a dead man is quickned the soul is not only
infused but also diffused it is tota in toto tota in qualibet parte the whole made alive so is it in true Conversion that grace which converts a sinner doth change all the sinner every faculty of the soul for the quality of it and every member of the body for the spiritual use of it Therefore converting grace is compared to the Light which runs through all the body of the aire every part whereof is inlightned and it is compared to Leaven which spreads and insinuates it self into every part of the Lump You cannot dip into any leaf of this Book into any parcel of a converted man but you shall find a divine and spiritual change a spirit of grace on it He is sanctifyed throughout in soul spirit and body I confess it were a work worthy of the deepest study of the exactest Minister to find out and deliver two things unto us 1. One is the Minimum quod sic the least breath or life of converting grace 2. Another is The specifical operations of converting grace in all the faculties of the soul so that one may say safely this faculty is changed and that faculty is changed by grace and nothing else This I make no question of that converting grace doth make the whole man alive For 1. It is a new and renewing quality 2. It is of a diffusive virtue being a good in Genere optimorum 3. It must be Co-extensive with sin which hath perverted the whole man But yet to set out its changing work in every faculty of the souâ— I cannot undertake it in the exquisiteness thereof yet if you will favourably accept of my endeavours I shall attempt towards it that so you may Concerning this universal change the better conceive of that universal change wrought in a sinner upon his Conversion 1. I premise a few Propositions which I take for granted Premise some things Coâ—verting grace is a concatination of all saving graces All these are Simultaneous in their Birth truths v. g. 1. That converting Grace which changeth the soul is a Concatination of all particular saving graces It is not Faith only â—or Repentance only nor Hope only nor Love only c. but all of them a Link or Golden â—hain as it were of them 2. That all these are simultaneous in their birth they are not implanted one before another or one more than another habitually considered but are of a simultaneous and coexistent production although in the order of working and manifestation of work there be a precedency 3. All these All these concur in their specifical nature as to this change graces concur in their specifical nature and immediate operation as to a change of the soul The change wrought in the mind is of the same nature with that which is wought in the will and the change in the will is of the same nature with that in the affections every faculty is renewed and changed with the same kind of Grace in Conversion for all true Graces are of the same nature and all of them concur to work a like saving change though one grace be seated in one faculty and another grace in another faculty all of them are like so many streams flowing from the same Fountain and coming into diverse Rooms and washing or cleansing of them all so that the whole house is made clean by them 2. These things being premised I shall now briefly shew unto you the Universâ—lity of change wrought by converting The universality of this change shewed in the particulars In the mind Grace 1. In the mind or understanding of a sinner when he is converted there is implanted an heavenly or saving light or knowledg which removes the power and dominion of darkness or ignorance and now inables the person to behold the saving truths and will and wayes of God in Christ in a spiritual clear serious and delightful manner all which he looks upon not with a naked or meerly intuitive apprehension but with admiration but with application but with delight and singular desire and a certain kind of transformation 2 Cor. 3. 18. Buâ— we all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory When the mind is renewed it hath now a spiritual light and worth Jesus Christ appears as an excellent Object to Paul Phil. 3. 8. and the Statutes of God an excellent Object to David Psal 119. 4 5. 2. In the Judgment of a sinner when he is converted there In the judgment is also a saving and a gracious change for there doth converting Grace cast down the high imaginations of a sinner as touching himself and his carnal reasonings and fleshly disputes against God and Christ and holiness and so captivates the judgment of a sinner that he confesseth and acknowledgeth and approveth of all the methods truths causes means and wayes of salvation as best and best for him and now best for him Oh none but Christ none but Christ said the Martyr It it wonderful to behold how the judgment of a converted man condemns what he formerly approved most and how it approves what he condemned most the man now judgeth of his sin as the only evil and of Christ as his only good Oh how foolish how vain how vile that I have lived in and served and followed my sinful lusts Oh how glorious how happy how desireable is a part in Christ and Grace yea and the judgment now is as fruitful and vigorous in forming Arguments to forsake sin as it was once to draw the heart to sin and sees a thousand times more reason to embrace Christ and love holiness then to slight and refuse them 3. In the Will of a sinner when he is converted there is also a change wrought by Grace the resisting proud unreasonable In the will stubbornness and enmity of it is subdued and an holy pliableness yieldingness willingness is conveyed into it T is rare to behold how the Needle with one touch of the Adamant wheels about so to behold the admirable inclinations of the will of a sinner upon one touch of Grace from Christ not long since deaf but now hearkening not long since resisting of Christ to the death and now following Christ as for life a little while since shutting the door and barring it and now unlocking the door and opening it ere while I will not and now Lord what wilt thou have me to do I should be tedious unto you to discourse of the new inclinations and aversions of the new elections and rejections of the new purposes and resolutions of the In the affections new conformableness and subjections which are plainly evident upon Conversion in the will of the sinner 4 In all the affections of a sinner which in Conversion are so metamorphosed or changed that you can hardly perswade your self this is the man to day whom you knew yesterday one affection seems to be
changed into another love into hatred and hatred into love joy into grief boldness into fear Lately the desires were who will shew us any good now the desires are what shall we do to be saved Lately the delights were iâ— sin in sensualities in vain societies now they are in the favour of God in Jesus Christ in pardon of sin in heavenly communion Lately the love was set on that which was most unlovely now it is set on the most lovely object indeed Christ is the center c. Lately the grief was a turbulent Sea for worldly losses but now it is a running River for sinning against God Lately the affections were wings for iniquity but now they are springs for duty I may not inlarge by what you have heard it may plainly appear Dâ—monstrations of a notable change in Conversion From the person converted From the work of Conversion that true Conversion works an universal change in the sinner Demonstrations that there is a notable change in Conversion 1. The person converted he is made pertaker of the Divine Nature 1 Pet. 1. 4. He is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 7. He is quickned from the dead Eph. 2. 1. He is born again Jo. 3. 3. 2. The work of Conversion It is the effect of the great and good will of Election and in it God displayes the glory of his great Love and Grace and Mercy And Christ sees of the travel of his soul some special fruit of his wonderful sufferings and purchases And the holy Ghost doth manifest his almighty Poâ—er and the noblest act thereof and converting grace is a new contrary nature a new man 3. The end of Conversion Conversion is the first From the end of Conversion inward work for heavenly glory It is wrought to make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Naturally we are opposite to God and to all Communion with him Without holiness no man shall see the Lord no unclean thing can enter there sinning Angels were cast out of Heaven God qualifies those whom he will dignifie he qualifyed Saul for an earthly Kingdome much more the sinner for an heavenly Kingdome Heavenly glory is absolutely inconsistent with a graceless heart the promise of it is so and the nature of it is so and the work of it is so and the reward of it is so 4. Converted persons are to live other lives and to do other works therefore there must be a change of their Converted persons must live oâ—her lives Vse 1. This convinceâ—h many to be yet unconverted Such in whom appears no change at all Forms and Principles and Powers Is true Conversion a change a great change an internal and cordial change an universal change Why then this one truth palpably convinceth multitudes of people to be as yet not converted 1. There are some men in whom there appears no change at all neither inward nor outward the Leopards spots remain and the Blackmores skin is unchanged they were ignorant and so are still they were drunkards swearers railers scoffers mockers of godliness and godly men Sabbath-breakers unclean proud and so are still The Prophet speaks of some whose scum departed not from them Ezek. 24. 12. And the Apostle of some who cannot cease to do evil 2 Pet. 2. 14. And David of some who hate to be reformed Psal 50. 16. And Steven of some who alwayes resist the holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. And Paul of some who wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. Although changes go over their age they were young and now are old yet no change goes over their hearts and lives although changes go over their bodies their strength is changed into weakness and their health is changed into sickness although changes go over their estates their wealth is changed into poverty and their abundance is changed into want although changes go over the times peace is changed into war and safety is changed into danger nay although sometimes changes goe over their consciences Stupidity is changed into horrour and pleasure into terrour yet their hearts are not changed they approve love and delight in their sins as much as ever and their Conversations are not changed they drive the same trade run on to the same excess of Riotousness wallow in the same mire of Ungodliness despise converting Ordinances converted Persons converting Graces Now what shall I say to these Persons They are unchanged sinners and so is God an unchangeable God who hath threatned them and swore his Wrath against them Thou wilt not repent of thy sins nor will God repeâ—t of his Wrath thou wilt not turn to him and therefore will he turn away his mercy from thee and will overturn overturn overturn thee as the Prophet phraseth it 2. There are some whose change is only outward but it is Such whose Change is only outward not inward not inward and cordial they stand off from many sins and come on to many duties and yet their hearts are not changed There are six things which may convince a man that his heart is not changed 1. When a man seems to be tender least he should Six things convince a man his Heart is not changed commit a sin but yet his heart was never tender and humbled for all the sins which he hath committed Jer. 31. 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth If Repentance begins not in tears it will end in tears When I look forward and see sin with a trembling eye O I dare not offend my God and when I look backward and see sin with a mournful eye O I have sinned I have sinned these indeed do shew a converted and changed heart But I fear it is rather a policy then a change and a regard more to my credit then my conscience when I expostulate with a sin in Temptation and never mourn for many sins in Commission 2. When a man leaves many sins but yet he doth not loath any sin Many a man sometimes abstains from meat yet loves it but a good heart abstains from sin as from a serpent which he hates He turnes his face from them but he turnes not his heart from them he doth not act the sin nor doth hate the sin he doth not let 〈◊〉 out of door nor yet crucify it within door he seems not to be a friend and yet is not an enemy to sin this mans heart is not changed 3. When a man acts from an awing Conscience and not from a renewing Spirit flies from sin only when conscience flies upon him for sinning and doth good only when conscience is unquiet when not Grace which works uniformly but terour which works accidentally is his Principle though a while there be some diversity and diversion too in this man yet there is no change of heart in him even Pharaoh under a Judgment yielded who yet upon a respite hardned his heart again and Iron whiles hot
thus and thus and thus have I dishonoured my God Another while he hears and reads and weeps I am that man O Lord I am he of whom thou speakest I am that sinner Iam he who hath out-faced thy Law out-stood thy offers of grace and resisted Oh how often thy good Spirit 5. He is now for the life of God to be wrought in him This he now prizeth as the most excellent life and for this he praies Lord another heart a new spirit 2. The second contrariety respects the time present And As to the time present there are four things for the time present in a truely changed and converted person which never were in him before 1. A present hatred of sin 2. A present flying unto Christ 3. A present love of God 4. A present course of new obedience 1. When the Lord hath converted and changed the heart of a sinner there is wrought in him a present hatred of sin the man loved his sins before and took pleasure in unrighteousness held it fast and defended it sin is now seen as the greatest evil and the more he sees it the more he hates it As soon as ever the heart is changed immediately it is a sin-hating heart I do not say there is no sin but I say the heart hates sin The evil that I hate said Paul Rom. 7. 15. and in Ezek. 36. where God promiseth to give them a new heart he saith Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Quest But here now is a great Scruple how a person may know that he hates sin Many think they do so and are deceived How a man may know that he hates sin it proves only a passion Sol. In true hatred there are six things 1. An extream detestation Every dislike is not hatred but true hatred is an extream loathing Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloath thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Isai 30. 22. 2. An earnest separation He that hated his wife did sue out a Bill of divorce from her in the Law 3. An irreconcileable alienation Two angry men may be made friends but if two men hate each other friendship is everlastingly broken betwixt them 4. A constant and perpetual colluctation If they cannot be severed one from the other they still oppose and conflict one with the other 5. A deadly intention and destruction for nothing satisfies hatred but death and ruine Saul hated David and sought his life Absalom hated Amnon and killed him 6. An impartial aversation hatred is of the whole kind I hate every false way Wilt thou now know whether God hath changed thy heart then ask thy heart What is it that thou abhorrest as the superlative evil what is that which thou wouldst have separated as far from thee as heaven is from hell what is that thy heart will never renew league or friendship with any more what is that against which thy soul doth rise and with which as Israel with Amalek thou hast war for ever what is that which thou wilt be avenged of and daily dost endeavour the mortifying and crucifying of what is that which thou sets thy heart against in the comprehensive latitude thereof whether great or little open or secret If it be sin if it be thy sins assuredly here is true hatred of sin and assuredly here is a most distinguishing Character of a sound Conversion and change It was not wont to be thus with thee nor is this findeable in any unconverted person whosoever Sin was once to thee as Dalilah to Samson and now is it to thee as Tamar to Amnon It was a sweet morsel once which thou heldst fast but now it is the menstruous cloath which thou dost cast away and say get thee hence what have I to do any more with Idols If it be thus with thee bless thy God who hath shewed grace to thy soul 2. When the Lord hath changed and converted the heart of a sinner the sinner presently flies unto Jesus Christ The first stroke of Grace is on the heart and the first breathing of Grace is for Christ as the new born babe flies unto the brests or as any creature doth to its center and place of rest For when the heart is changed by converting grace 1. It breeds the most exquisite discovery and sense of sin and consequently of the souls need of Christ 2. It is most impatient of distance or difference with God and prizeth his reconciled favour superlatively cannot live without it 3. It seeth nothing more valuable in it self or more sutable to its condition then Christ Christus amor meus pondus meum And therefore if you take notice of it you may experimentally find upon the first impressions of Grace that the soul is mostly taken up with Christ and with Faith Oh that I might be found in him Oh that I could believe on him It sees excellency in Christ and Peace in Christ and Redemption in Christ and Righteousness in Christ and Grace in Christ and Kindness in Christ and Help and Life and Heaven and all in Christ In Conversion Christ secretly draws the Soul to himself and being converted the soul strives to draw Christ to it self It would have Christ it must have Christ it is never well it is never satisfied until it hath Christ 3. When the Lord hath converted and changed the heart of a sinner there is wrought in him a present love of God It is wonderful to see how the Tide turns upon Conversion There was once one found weeping very bitterly and being demanded why O said he all other things are loved but Amorum amatur Love it self is not loved So before Conversion a man could find love for his Parents and love for his Relations and love for his Recreations and love for his Profits and love for his Sins but no love for God But after Conversion the man can scarce find any love for any unless it be for his God and in his God A graciously changed Heart is enabled to see 1. The glories in God those most Pure and Amiable Excellencies in God 2. The Transcendent Love of God to it in the Eternity of it in the Freeness of it in the Sweetness and Goodness of it 3. The Unspeakable Communications and Bounties of God towards it in Jesus Christ for the present and for the future It is Grace which makes us to see what a gracious God he is It is Grace which makes us to see what a Royal gift Jesus Christ is It is Grace which makes us apprehensive of all the Love in God and from God and therefore no marvel that the changed heart fals presently in love with God O Love the Lord all ye his Saints into a Love of Friendship and into a Love of Complacence as they speake that it admires God and prizeth Communion with him and takes its full and highest
upon the spirit of a man which There may be many changes not inconsistent with the saving change yet are not inconsistent with the saving change of his Spirit Sometimes he may be lively and quick sometimes he may be flat and dull sometimes he may be confident and cheerful and at some other times he may be afraid and mournful sometimes he may be full and enlarged and at some other time he may be aukard and streightned sometimes he may have more sense of Gods Love and sometimes more sense of his own sins None of these things are essential to the converted estate a mans heart may be truly changed by converting grace notwithstanding many crosses and afflictions on his outward estate many eclipses in his comforts many varieties in his spiritual actings many contrarieties twixt his sence and his faith many temptations upon his spirit to many doubts and fears in his heart 4. Sinful corruptions never work with a more sensible strength Sinful corruptions work with more sensible strength when the heart is truely changed then when the heart is truly converted and changed Before Conversion our sins do work more mightily but we do not then perceive the workings because your delight was then in sinning and nothing is burthensome to delight and nothing was in us contrary to our sinnings the strong man kept all the house and every faculty was a friend and servant to sin the river ran all one way But when the heart is converted there is now laid into it 1. The quickest principle of feeling 2. The contrariest principle of resisting 3. The properest principle of destruction to sin and therefore no marvel that we feel our sinful natures more than formerly for all qualities are most active and most felt in cases of resistance and destruction nevertheless none of these must conclude against our Conversion but rather for it because 1. The greatest work of grace is inward 2. The sense of sinful workings joyned with an hatred of them and humbling of the heart under them and with addresses to God for subduing power is certainly a sign of converting grace Therefore hearken unto me thou distressed soul 1. Though the Glory of Grace consists in Victory yet the Truth of Grace appears in Combats the fighting Souldier is as right to the cause as the conquering Souldier there is fire in the smoking flax as well as in the flaming furnace 2. That great corruptions still remaining in temptation are the burdens of a weak Christian but are not the Characters of a false Christian 3. Jesus Christ can by a little grace weaken strongest corruptions The least true grace will help thy soul to Christ through whose strength thou who art now in conflict shalt ere long be made more than a Conqueror 4. True grace begins in weakness goes on with combat but ends in victory There is but little light at the first and more darkness for quantity but the light of the Sun is rising and dissipating and at length remains alone Conquering grace hath comfort conflicting grace hath strength and even mourning grace hath truth Peter's tears shewed truth of Grace as well as Paul's Triumph But how may I descern my change to arise from the power of converting How it may be discerned that this change is from converting grace and â—ot from the power of a troubling coâ—science Answered grace and not from the power only of a troubling conscience Sol. I conceive thus in four particulars 1. When the change is made only from the sting of conscience that change goes off and vanisheth when the trouble of conscience goes off and continues only while that doth continue whiles the trouble of conscience is on the man the man will hear and the man will pray and the man will consult and profess and resolve yea and now too to become a new man yea and he will cry out against his sins and will not come near his sins But when that trouble is off all is off again the Water which was heated grows cold again Saul is pursuing David again and Foelix is covetous again But if the change be from grace though trouble be off yet the heart is against sin and is for good for grace sets us against sin as it makes us unholy and evil and not only or principally as it makes us uncomfortable and miserable 2. When the change ariseth only from a troubling conscience not from a contrariety to God but to us It doth not arise from a hatred of sin and a love of good but only from a hatred of torment a self-love and a love of ease the man loves that sin that he dares not now commit and hates the good which now he doth he doth the good only as a means to take off his trouble he doth it not as a work in which he delights nor doth he flie sin as an evil which he hates he flies sin as it is malum sensibile not as it is malum spirituale But in a gracious change trouble doth not cause hatred but hatred causeth trouble of sin 3. When the change is only from a troubling conscience then when the trouble is gone the mans heart is more hardned and he growes more wicked then ever before and in after sinnings less sensible and less troubled as Iron growes more hardned after it hath been in the fire or water that is stopped more violent If they be again intangled and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. But where the heart is changed by grace the more grace still the more sense of sin and still the more fear to sin and still the more love of God 4. When the change comes only from the trouble of conscience the change extends no further then to that or those particular sins for which the conscience doth trouble the man if the other sins trouble not they are not left But when the change is wrought by grace this change extends to all sins I hate every evil way saith David they do no iniquity Psal 119. Let us â—leanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Quest How may a man know that his change is not the fruit of Hypocrisie but of Converting grace Sol. This may be discerned How it appears this change is not the fruit of Hypocrisie thus 1 The change by Hypocrisie 1. Is not Cordial no Hypocrites heart is changed In heart ye work wickedness The Hypocrite dares to give way to heart sins Judah turned Answered not with her heart but feignedly 2. Is not Vniversal The Prophet tells the hypocritical Israelites that they were as a Cake half baked and not turned an hypocrite though he forsake many sins yet he loves some sin Jehu cannot part with the golden Calves though he did destroy Baal 3. Is not lasting but changeable sutable occasions are too strong for an heart felsely changed 4. Is not able to abide three Trials of
immediately go before and ordinarily usher in Conversion so it is sad and bitter and sharp for there the law imprints a sense of sin and of wrath and a spirit of bondage to fear the Needle pricks and the Sword cuts and wounds and the Hammer bruiseth and the Plough rents and tears 2. Formaliter as it is a perfective change and alteration even from hell to heaven from basest lusts to sweetest holiness and thus it is at the least a fundamental radical and virtual joy 3. Consequenter For the Crop and present harvest which results out of Conversion thus it is the Musick after the tuning of the strings the fruit of righteousness is peace so the fruit of conversion is joy and delight There are three things unto which I desire to speak about this point 1. That upon Conversion the condition becomes very joyful and pleasant quod sit 2. What kind of joy and pleasure Conversion doth bring quale sit 3. Reasons why so cur sit and then the useful Application Quest 1. For the first of these that Conversion doth bring the soul into a very joyful condition Sol. There are four things which demonstrate the quod sit of The quod sit demonstrated this 1. Many pregnant places of Scripture Psal 52. 11. Shout for joy all ye that arâ— upright in heart Psal 132. 9. By Scripture Let thy Saints shout for joy Isai 35. 10. The ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads they shall obtain joy and gladness and sorrow and sighing shall flee away Isai 65. 13. Behold my servants shall rejoyce but ye shall be ashamed v. 14. Behold my servants shall sing for joy of heart but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart Isai 61. 10. I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God Rom. 14. 17. The Kingdome of God consists in righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Prov. 3. 17. Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness and all her paths are peace 2. Many pregnant testimonies and instances By Instances When Zacheus was converted he came down joyfully and received Christ Luke 19. 6 9. When the three thousand were converted there ensued singular gladness and joy Acts 2. 41. When the Eunuch was converted he went home rejoycing Act. 8. 39. When those in Samaria were converted the Text saith There was great joy in that City Acts 8. 5 6. When the Jailor was converted He rejoyced believing in God with all his house Acts 16. 34. When they to whom Peter wrote were converted they did rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. 3. The many Comparisons by which converting grace is expressed By Comparisons doth confirm it that it makes the souls condition very joyful and delightful The estate of grace is set forth by all the things which are esteemed pleasant and delightful and joyful Men take Delight and Joy in Honour Beauty Strength Youth Riches Pearls and Jewels in Birth in Wisdome and Knowledg in Springs Orchards Spices Perfumes Buildings Victories Life Duration Friends Why when converting grace is conveyed into the heart the man now is honourable and of high dignity now the beauties of Christ are on his soul all his graces are more precious then Pearls and Gold and Silver he is rich in spiritual treasures he is one born of the Spirit of God never truly knowing and wise till now c. Nay grace is phrased by such things which yield a general and universal contentment and delight to the whole man It is sometimes called Light which is pleasant to the eye Oyntment which is pleasant to the smell Wine which is pleasant to the tast Musick or the joyful sound which is pleasant to the ear Nay yet again it is sometimes called Truth and that is pleasant to the understanding Goodness and that is pleasant to the will a Kingdome and that is pleasant to desire an Inheritance and that is pleasant to hope Communion and that is pleasant to love a Possession and and that is pleasant to joy a Victory and that is pleasant to hatred a Security and that is pleasant to fear Heaven the Kingdome of Heaven and that is pleasantness itself and all this even under fears and combates when at the first and weakest and lowest Nay yet once more it is set out by all the occasions and by all the times of joy to the birth of a man-child for joy that a man-child is born said Christ A converted man is a new-born To the day of Marriage which some call the only day of joy a converted man is marryed to Christ To a Feast Isai 25. 6. Every dish is filled with mercy To a Coronation day which was a day of gladness of heart to Solomon Cant. 3. 11. There is a crown of life for every converted soul To the time of Harvest when the Husbandman reaps with joy Isai 9. 3. To the returns of Merchants upon the increase of Wine and Oyle Psal 4. To a ransome and release from bondage and captivity a converted man is set at liberty he is a freeman in Christ 4. Consider Conversion in the Causes of it or in the very By the Causes of it Nature of it or in the Acts flowing from it certainly by all of them you may be induced to believe that it makes the Condition joyful and pleasant 1. The Causes of it which are four 1. The Radical cause Why Conversion drops out of the Eternal Love of God to a mans soul Behold what manner of Love 1 Jo. 3. 1. as many as were ordained to eternal life believed Acts. 13. 2. The Meritorious cause Who loved us and gave himself for us Gal. 2. It is one part of Christs purchase he merited Grace and Glory for his 3. The Efficient cause immediately efficient it is the first breath of Gods sanctifying Spirit the Spirit of true Comfort and Joy 4. The Instrumental cause the word which is called sweet and sweeter then the Hony and the breasts of Consolation is the instrument of Conversion Jam. 1. 2. It s owne Nature Converting Grace hath three things intrinsecal unto it 1. Goodness it is By the Nature of it good and it only makes us good Now Goodness is the foundation of Delight Nothing is truly pleasant but what is truly good 2. Suteableness There is nothing so suteable either to the nature of the soul or end of the soul as true Grace 3. Perfection it is the Glory of the Soul 3. The acts flowing from it If the acts flowing from Conversion be such as God himself takes delight in He takes delight By the acts flowâ—ng from it in the prayer of his servants in the broken hearts of his servants in the Faith and in the Fear and in the Hope of his servants all their services are a sweet savour unto him as Noahs sacrifice was Surely then Conversion is able to make the converted
Soul joyful and delightful Againe there cannot be a greater delight and joy then when an Active and Actual intercourse is maintained twixt an immortal Soul and perfect Blessedness when my Soul hath a free converss with Blessedness it self and Blessedness it self hath a Gracious converse with my soul this is as if two deeply in Love conversed with each other this is as if Jonathan and David met together this is as if Jacob and Joseph met together and infinitely more But upon Conversion the soul and God have mutual communications And is not God the blessedness of mans soul and is not blessedness a joyful and pleasant sight God speaks to that soul and that soul speaks with God the soul opens its self to God and God opens himself to that soul Ergò 5. It were a mighty dishonour to God that his Wayes his Image By the dishonour that otherwise would redound to God What kind of Joy Conversion brings A Lawful Joy Quaedam 1. Nec bona nec Jucunda 2. Bona sed non jucunda 3. Jucunda sed non bonâ— 4. Jucunda et Bonâ— â—o Bernard should be barren of Joy and yet the Divels wayes and sin pleasant 6. A Great motive to draw in a soul were lost 7. Grace doth spiritualize our joyes it doth not nullify true joy Quest 2. What kind of Joy and Pleasure doth Conversion bring unto the Soul Sol. There are five properties in the joy which Conversion lets into the Soul 1. It is a lawful Joy and Pleasure There are many things which are pleasent but they are not Lawful Stollen waters are sweet saith Solomon but God allowes them not the Tree in the garden was Pleasant but it was not Lawful for Adam and Eve to taste of Sinful wayes afford some kind of joy but that joy is forbidden fruit God hath cursed sin and all that comes out of sin Agrippina poysoned her husband with the meat he most delighted in Wicked men delight and rejoyce in sinful things but this is only sweet Poyson God allowes it not nor is it safe But conversion yeilds a Joy which the soul may safely feed on It is lawful to rejoyce in the Lord and to rejoyce in Christ and to reioyce in the pardon of our sins and to rejoyce that our names are written in the book of Life 2. It is a Spiritual Joy A Joy that reacheth to the spirit of Man and that becomes the spirit of man and that raiseth the A Spiritual joy spirit of man 1. Many men have joy in their faces and yet not joy in their hearts A man in a feaver hath a lively colour when yet he hath a dying heart and many have joy in their tongues and mouthes and yet no joy in their consciences As he said to one that commended his fine shoe But you doe not know where it pincheth me a wicked man hath an hell in his conscience who yet hath a smile in his countenance But a Converted mans joy is an heart joy My servants shall sing for joy of heart Isa 65. 14. My Spirit rejoiceth in God my Savior said Mary Luk. 2. 2. And it is a spirit becoming joy Laughter is not seemly for a fool said Solomon There are joyes which are not seemly nor becoming an Immortal soul Agesilaus said of some pleasures that they were fit for salves not for Freemen a wicked man takes joy either in Vile things which fight against the Soul or in vain things which are below a Soul his joyes are fetcht out of hell or out of the Creature either such joyes as delight the Devil or delight the beasts or delight the basest and vainest of men in Whoring and Drinking and Cursing and Dicing and Dancing and Gaming and Mumming and Masking c. But Conversion feeds the Soul with the joyes of the Holy Ghost with Divine joy joy drawn out of the wells of Salvation Isa 12. 2. And it is a Spirit-raising joy when the soul is cast down and all the comforts on Earth cannot lift it up and chear it yet Conversion can let in a fetching Cordial It can open a window to see the light of Gods countenance and favour which can turn night into day and troubles into peace and heaviness into an exceeding joy even Davids Why art thou cast down O my Soul into Praise the Lord O my Soul 3. It is a wonderfull Joy There are two cases wherein men do wonder how a man can possibly be joyful A wonderful Joy 1. One is when all the comforts of the Creature fail him not a Candle but is without light not a Well but is stopt not a Spring but is dry No friend to look on and pity no maintenance no subsistance Yet in such a case which is wont to be a time Sighs and Tears can a converted man rejoyce Hab. 3. 17. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vine The labor of the Olive shall faile and the field shall yeild no meat the â—lock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no Herd in the stals Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation 2. Another is when all outward miseries are upon him as when all his outward estate is taken away yet then converted persons have taken joyfully the spoyling of their Goods Heb. 10. 34. When Afflictions Derisions Reproaches Bonds Imprisonments Scourgings cruel Torments are laid on him Yet saith Paul Wee rejoyce in Tribulations also Rom. 5. 3. Yet saith Christ when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake Reâ—oyce and be exceeding glad Mat. 5. 11 12. And the Apostles when they were imprisoned and beaâ—en rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Act. 5. 41. My Brethren count it all Joy when ye fall into diverse Temptations Jam. 1. 2. When he is going to endure a cruel death as burning in the Fire devouring by wild Beasts roasting on the Gridiron boyling in Oil breaking of the Bones tearing out the Bowels All these have converted persons susteined with unspeakeable Courage clapping of the Hands kissing of the Stake and Glorious Rejoicings Why the truth is that though all the Candles on Earth be put out yet he hath Light and Comfort still â—un shâ—nes nothing can dissolve nor yet interrupt the souls sweet â—ommunion with God 4. It is a Firme and Pure and Vnclogged Joy an unconverted man A firm and pure Joy hath his joy and his delights and his mirth and pleasure but there are three doleful burdens under which all this while he lies 1. Notwithstanding all his joyes he lies under the hatred of God 2. Notwithstanding all his joyes he lies under the dominion of his sinful Lusts 3. Notwithstanding all his joyes he lies under the power of a Guilty and Accusing and Condemning Conscience but now the Converted mans joy is a Perfect joy a Wel-grounded joy God
joy and comfort It doth onely two things 1. It absolutely condemns and abridgeth the soul of man of all sinfull joys of joys and delights which arise from his sinfull lusts and ways and is it not the great goodness of God to deny us leave to drink cups of poison and glasses of hell Or is it possible that any Christian should to thee that sin should be thy delight which is a departing of the poor soul from God which is an incensing of the wrath of God which was such a dreadfull burthen to Jesus Christ which puts the soul under the wrath and curse of God one act whereof must cost more then all the world is worth to pardon it 2. It doth onely order our outward lawfull joys and delights for the seasons for the measures for other circumstances so that they may be our sauce not our food our helps to Godliness not damps thereto It is but the Bridle on the Horse the Pale for the Garden the Finger on the Dial. Conversion abridgeth us of no delight but of that which to want is a true delight and so orders the rest that you may not lose delight Conversion makes us mournful for sin and how can it be so joyfull Answered True grace makes the heart more mournfâ—ll Object 3. Conversion breeds the quickest sense of sin and the deepest mourning for sin yea a continual mourning for sin makes the clouds to drop never mournfull till converted and can that condition be so joyfull which makes the heart so mournfull To this I answer 1. It is certain that true grace 1. doth make the clearest discovery of sin 2. It yields the tenderest sense of sin for it takes away the heart of stone and gives an heart of flesh and nothing makes the heart more mournfull then true grace 2. But then know that mourning for sin and joy in the heart are no way inconsistent Isai 12. 3. With joy shall ye draw water But this is not inconsistent with joy out of the wells of salvation Three things I would grant 1. That love of sin and true joy are inconsistent 2. Worldly sorrow and spiritual joy are inconsistent 3. That terrour for sin and joy of heart are inconsistent Legal terrour and Evangelical joy are so but Evangelical sorrow and Evangelical joy are not so for as one grace is consistent with another grace so one heavenly affection is consistent with another heavenly affection And there are three things which to me fully convince That Evangelical mourning is consistent with Spiritual joy One is That such a mourning is but a drop out of the eye of faith They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn Zach. 12. 10. and certainly nothing comes from faith but what is comfortable all is Gospel that Faith trades in Another is That the mourning heart is a renewed heart and verily the gracious heart is a joyous heart The third is That the mourning sinner is a pardoned sinner Cum intueor flentem sentis ignoscibilem if the fountain of sorrow be set open in the heart the fountain of mercy is set open in heaven Zach. 12. 10. compared with chap. 13. 1. Yea let me add to this also three experiences 1. One is this That the Christian is never more sad and mournfull then when he feels his heart least mournfull He is then cast down O saith he into what a condition am I brought I was wont to find a tender sensible mourning spirit but me thinks now my heart is grown hard again O Lord why am I now hardened from thy fear And the man never gives over with God and himself until tenderness be renewed in his heart again 2. That the Christian is never more joyfull then when he is most mournfull Blessed are they that sow besides all Waters saith the Prophet Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted saith Christ They that sow in tears shall reap in joy saith David Godly sorrow is the Water that is turned into Wine One drop of a guilty Conscience is able to turn all our Joyes into Bitterness and one drop of godly sorrow is able to turn all our bitterness into joy I rejoyce saith Paul that I made you sorry what cause then had they to rejoyce who were sorry sorry after a godly sort sorry with a sorrow that bred repentance unto salvation never to be repented of 3. That the Christian is never more mournful then when he is most joyful The time of a Christians highest joy is the time of his greatest assurance Sealing and assuring times are the soul-raising and reviving times And the times of greatest assurance are the times of our greatest mournings The more manifestation of Gods Love and the more assurance of Gods Mercy do ever cause in the heart more Humility and more sorrow here is now the greatest joy for mercy and here is now the greatest mourning for sinning against mercy Object 4. We see no persons to walk more sadly and more uncomfortably I but no persons walk more sadly then converted persons Answered It is a False Charge then at least many do who are converted persons Ergo. To this give me favour to answer more fully 1. This is a False Charge and a very unjust Calâ—mny take the divisions of the sons of men according to the diversity of their spiritual conditions compare men with men according unto them and I dare confidently affirm That no condition is more dreadfully sad then the condition of men Unconverted and no condition is more comfortably cheerful then the condition of men truly Converted let 's a while peruse the phrases and instances of such Me thinks the terrible passages in Scripture may abundantly convince us of the dreadfulness of an Unconverted and wicked person Isa 57. 20. The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt ver 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Job 20. 16 17 23 24 25. there Zophar sets him out He shall suck the gall of Asps and the Vipers tongue shall slay him He shall not see the Rivers nor the floods and streams of Honey and Butter When he is about to fill his belly God shall send upon him the fierceness of his wrath and shall cause it to rain upon him The bow of Steel shall strike him through the glistring sword cometh out of his gall terrors are upon him Psal 11. 6. Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shalt be the portion of their cup. Again did you ever read of any one godly and converted person who fell into that horrible despair as Cain or Judas did But take the hardest agonies incident to true converts they are 1. rather fears then horrours 2. rather doubts then despairs 3. effects of a mistaking Conscience then a rightly condemning Conscience 4. They can look towards the Promises as Jonah did in the deeps towards God 5.
Conversion If the knowledg be without 1. Experience know what sin is but feel it not know what Christ is but never feel the virtues and powers of his death and resurrection 2. Propriety know Christ as a purchase but not as an inheritance what he is and hath done but not what he is to me or hath done for me 3. Power as a candle that lightens but not as fire to burn as an Ornament on a Tomb not as a Soul to the Body as a Star which shines in the night not as the Sun which makes day new knowledg but still an old heart 4. Affections know sin but hate it not nor mouâ—n for it know Christ but love and desire him not 5. Practise like a Scholler who knows Countries but never travels to them reads the Copy but writes not after it know the way to heaven but never walks the way to heaven 2. Meer trouble of conscience A troubled condition is one thing a converted condition is another Cain and Judas were troubled yet not converted many things may suffice to trouble us which yet are not sufficient to convert us the Law the Wrath of God the quickness of conscience fear of death and hell and shame may suffice to trouble us yet not to convert us The Sea may be troubled and yet remains brinish the Iron may be broken and yet it is hard the Water boils and yet it is Water There is a difference twixt passive trouble and active trouble twixt a trouble that I would get off and godly sorrow which I would get up twixt trouble in ratione pâ—nae and in ratione gratiae twixt being troubled for sin as it is malum sensible and as malum spirituale twixt malum as causa mali and malum as affectus mali The Land-flood is high but it leaves the mud and dirt behind the Wells water is less but it cleanseth 3. Limited Reformation When only external if internal yet partial will stick with Christ for some one thing True Conversion is an invisible work it is seed under ground t is a child formed in the womb it is the hidden man of the heart t is Christ formed and living in us it is a new Creation of the heart the new heart a law written there The Pharâ—sees were good at Outworks all far to the eyes of men Outward abstinence from sin may consist with an inward love of it and a man may do much good who yet is not good Self-grounds and ends of profit of esteem of hopes of compliance with others besides those workings of conscience c. may lead us out to visible conformities when yet c. 4. Accidental resolutions When a person will on a sudden grow good altogether only upon mutable occasions 1. As in an exigence of Conscience 2. In a fit of Sickness 3. Some present conviction of the Word 4. Some imminent judgements 5. present hopes not upon solid Conviction consideration fervent prayer to God to work the change c. 5. Passionate Joyes If taken by the Word upon the discoveries of Grace and Mercy and Love of Christ and of future glory like one who is taken with the Ware yet will not come up to the Price The young man would have heaven but will not sell all take up the Cross and follow Christ But when a man is truly converted he is like the Wise Merchant who found the Pearl and rejoiced and sold all and bought it He will part with all his Lusts and Friends and Pleasures and World to enjoy Christ Doth Conversion bring the soul into a joyful condition Then Vse 3. Let every converted person take his portion of joy let every converted person take his due portion and live as becomes himself joyfully Psal 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice ye righteous Phil. 4. 4. Rejoice in the Lord alway and again I say rejoice I wish that converted persons would consider 1. That God doth not reserve all their joyes unto another life God doth not reserve all their joy to another life O no spiritual joy is an allowance also for this life a good bit and bait by the way Nay it is not a meer Toleration or Permission but it is an express Command and Injunction and as a man doth sin who refuseth Grace so some man may sin who refuseth Joy 2. God would have the life of Grace to God would have the life of Grace a shadow of the life of Glory be a primordial shadow at least of the life of Glory and indeed our estate of Grace is an Epitome of that in Glory only that is a fuller and larger Volume We have the same God the same Christ the same Spirit the same Communion in this as in that only here it is more Mediate there more Immediate here Imperfect there Perfect here Mixt and there Pure And doest thou so poorly conceive of God that He who is able to make an heaven full of joy to Eternity hereafter is not able or willing to let fall a few drops of joy upon thy soul on earth Or that there can or should be any Communion with such a God which should not be joyful and delightful The Emperor would have none to go away sad 3. God would God would have the Christians life to be the credit of Grace have the Christians life as to be the fruit so to be the credit of Grace Grace is an ornament to the soul and spiritual joy is an Ornament to grace It testifies to the world that conversion quits all costs What! shal madness be found in the habitations of the wicked and shall not joy be found in the tabernacles of the just Shall the worldly man rejoice in a Creature and shall not the godly man rejoyce in his God Shall the condemned malefactor take delight and shall not the acquitted person take comfort Shall wicked men suck pleasure out of bitter waters and shall not good men draw joy out of the wells of salvation Joy is not comely for a fool saith Solomon but it becomes the upright to rejoice saith David 4. As spiritual joy is an ornament so it is an improvement to grace It is a certain truth that grace Joy is an Improvement to Grace is the Mother of joy and true joy is the Nurse of grace Spiritual comforts are inlargements to spiritual graces look as it is with sinful pleasures they do add to our sinful principles the more delight that any man finds in sinful wayes this adds the more love and the more desire and the more earnestness for to sin so is it in spiritual wayes the more joy and delight any man takes in them this adds a new quickning to his graces a fresher edge unto them nothing makes either a communion or an action more frequent or more fervent then delight didst thou ever find thy heart more apt to pray or more fixed in prayer then when thou foundest most delight and comfort in or upon praying
Peny as well as the Shilling bears the Superscription 4. That the least degree of true Grace denominates the condition to be converted I would believe is Faith I would love thee is Love I desire to do thy will is Obedience Not Strength but Truth denominates 5. True Grace and many Conflicts go together Let the motions of sin be never so vile but I hate them never so many but I resist them here Grace is the Lord which rules me though sin be the Enemy which molests me Why am I thus Alas there are contraries in thee Light and Darkness Flesh and Spirit 6. True Grace and some Failings may lodge together I may at the same time be a Captive to Sin and yet a Servant to Grace sin may sometimes be too strong even for him who hates sin 7. All services to God are interpreted and accepted by God according to the will of a converted person Although thou canst not pray so freely so fully so uniformly yet if God see a will in thee desirous so to do it shall pass for currant groans and sighs and chatterings and desires and tears c. 8. Thou never doest any Duty but Jesus Christ gives acceptance unto it by his Intercession his sweet Incense takes off the ill savour The greatest work done by thee if it comes in thy own name is rejected the weakest if presented in his Name a sigh or groan is graciously accepted as the Sacrifices by the Priest 9. God never expects thou shouldest buy out thy own pardon or bring from thy self any satisfaction for any of thy sins he hath designed that work onely to Jesus Christ in whom he hath accepted thee and for whose sake alone he doth and will discharge thee You trade in Heaven upon gracious terms when you come for any grace and help thy Reasons and Motives are in God who gives and freely gives 10. As soon as ever converting Grace prevails upon thy heart Salvation is come to thy soul Thou art now a Believet and if a Believer a Son and if a Son an Heir of all the comfortable Promises now and a Co-heir with Christ hereafter 11. The Lord will bless thy buds and increase thy stock of Grace He will water as well as plant it 12. That little Grace shall never fail thee never leave thee till it brings thee to Heaven The greatest Grace is imperfect and the least Grace is invincible the greatest Grace is weak and the weakest Grace is immortal Now if Christians did believe all these Truths and would consider of them would not their condition be more joyfull Here 's a Weakness I but it is Grace that Grace is little I but it comes from Graciousness and makes me gracious O how many conflicts I but 't is 'twixt Grace and Sin yea and many sinnings I but not love of sin no voluntary service But how poor in Duties I but God regards the Will But what will become of me for my former sins Why Christ hath satisfied and God hath pardoned But if I had strength of Grace I might take comfort Why the weakest Convert is a Believer and the weakest Believer hath Christ Ergò Secondly to Persons long since converted What should they To persons long since converted Often examine and review your Speritual condition Be upright do to walk with joyful hearts I answer 1. Often examine and review your Spiritual condition this will keep you and God friends often look upon the evidences of Gods favour to your Souls and maintaine and cleare them if blotted Such experiences are bathes of Comfort Remember the days of old 2. Be upright maintain the Oyl and you maintain the light The work of Righteousness shall be peace and the effect of Righteousness quietness and assurance for ever Isai 32. 17 A stable Spirit will further a stable Joy one â—â—y step puts the bone out of joynt That man loseth his Spiritual pleasure who steps out for sinful pleasure remember Davids swarving and Peters and Jacobs 3. Live by faith We never meet wiâ—h more troubles Live by faith then when we shift for our selves That man who can trust God most him doth God trust with most Grace and peace see Habak 3. 17 18. 4. Hold up close communion with God Hold up close communion with God and his people he who rrades most at heaven gets the greatest stock of Grace and comfort even the neglect of one prayer may lose a man much comfort be satisfied with God alone and let not out your minds to earthly things And that one sermon which thou didst overslip brought in exceeding Joy to thy fellow Christian 5. Walk in the fear of God all the day long Walk in the fear of God all the day long Self-confidence makes the person to lye down in tears but he who feares to sin fortifies his Graces and comforts expose not your selves to Temptations 6. Renew a solemn and speedy Peace Renew peace upon every fall upon every fall Light may quickly be restored to a candle newly blown out and the bone displaced may presently be set again Let not a disease settle 7. Engage not thy mind to vain and new Engage not to new opinions Opinions Mind the maine things of Life and Salvation and not profitable strifes He who hath not more Grace to get hath assuredly much comfort to lose an Unsetled Judgment will quickly raise an uncomfortable heart 8. Preserve an humble and contented Spirit Pride is the father of discontentment Preserve an humble and contentâ—d Spirit and Discontentment is a prison to our Graces and a Sea to our comforts Thy Graces will not be pleasant to thee if thy outward condition please thee not 9. Be active and thriving That Be active and thriving man who doth most for God doth also most for his own comfort Barrenness is no good sign of Life and therefore no good way for comfort the travelling Bee is laden with hony Thriving Grace is a clear evidence of truth and adds to our excellency and our joy FINIS
frisk into the Aire and then to plunge into the Ocean of Lusts Such a Leopard-like life spotted course is ignoble when the Christian runs like that Beast with two feet of different length with a general unevenness in his wayes but strait feet are those which the Penitent walks withal as he hath not an heart and an heart so he hath not a foot and a foot T is granted he may be sometimes lamâ— and trip frailties and infirmities befal the best but an even equal tenour is yet to be found in the main bulk of his paths He hath no Artificial shoes wider and lesser made on purpose but in the bent of his heart and endeavours desires to have a good conscience in all things void of offence to God and man The Philosopher doth distinguish twixt a Complexion which ariseth from Passion and that which buds out from an Habitual temper when a person occasionally blusheth though he be of a pale Complexion yet colour ariseth in his face but the Sanguine temper is still of a ruddy face Passionate actions are rare and unequal but natural are frequent and even The penitent in the whole course of his conversation is homo quadratus square and uniform and beautiful and comely in the expression of holiness 4. It is Ingenious and single His life moves not by several Ingenious and single Rules nor yet runs by several Principles nor yet is carryed unto opposite Ends. The Mariner he spends his life at Sea for Profit and the Scholar he spends his life in Study for Knowledg and the Ambitious man he follows the Court for Honour and the Hypodrite he trades in Duty for applause but the true Penitent he is careful and watchful and diligent over all his wayes and in all the duties of piety for Divine glory Gregory Nazianzen distinguisheth of three sorts of men some are Mercenaries who work to get a good reward others are Servants who work to avoid punishment others are Sons and these labour for the highest good to enjoy God and to set out his Glory Whether we live we live unto the Lord saith the Apostle The Christian lives by the Lord By the Grace of God I am that I am said Paul And he lives upon the Lord The life that I now live I live by the Faith of the Son of God saith S. Paul again And he lives unto the Lord both to his approbation and to his honour So that Christ may be magnified saith Paul yet again his intentions are such as have the glory of God most principally in them so that if you could unbowel the wayes of a Christian to discern their scope you should find in them this Inscription To the Glory of God And the actions themselves for the course of them are such as respect the glory of God they are all of them Holiness to the Lord God is magnified by them 5. It is a profitable Walking The impenitent man is a dead A profitable walking man and his life is a deadly life like the Plague which is an infecting disease like the Prophets girdle rotten and good for nothing Either he is a dead letter barren to any good or he is a killing letter doing much evil either he is a rotten stick good for nothing or else he is a fire-brand causing much wickedness Butâ— when a person becomes penitent now his heart is made goâ—d and his life becomes profitable As Paul wrote of Onesimus to Philemon That in time past he was unprofitable to him but now saith he profitable to thee and me There is good to be got by him that is made good blood runs through all the veins of his Conversation one may get heat at his fire and light at his candle and refreshing at his streams and clothing by his fleece one may melt by his tears go by his light learn to trust by his faith to fear by his tenderness to live by his obedience Oh how he strives to convert others with S. Austin to give knowledg to others with S. Paul to warn and beseech others with Lot to profit thesouls of others and help the bodies of others In his general calling he is diligent and in his particular he is active his counsels are savoury and his walkings are heavenly such as may save himself and those about him if they be so humble and wise as to apprehend and learn 6. Lastly It is a comely walking how beautiful are thy feet withshoes saith Christ of the Church Caâ—t 7. 1. Congruous to It is a comely walking the condition of his place of Grace the walkings of a penitent are beautiful walkings such as adorn his profession such as become the Gospel of Christ such as set out the truâ—h of Grace which he hath received and the hope of glory which he expects like so many Stars which are the glory of heaven so are his particular actions inamelled with that Ornament of Meâ—kness with that Crown of Wisdome with that Tenderness of Cireumspection with that Sweetness of Charity with that Gracefulness of Piety that no only the mouths of some are stopped but likewise the mouths of others are opened by beholding the uniform light of his new Conversation to gloriâ—ie our father which is in heaven 2. Quest Thus you see what that better and singular course of life is unto which God enables penitent persons Now let us consider the Reasons why God doth enable them thus to walk Reasons of it It cannot but be thus if you consider 1. The principle which is From the principle which is implanted in them implanted in them As things are in being so they are in working that nature which is most predominant in any hath still the command of the actions in him Doth the penitent now live an heavenly life Why God hath given unto him a spiritual and heavenly nature He is made pertaker of the Divine Nature which of all others is most holy and spiritual and heavenly Doth he order his life by the rule of the Word Why the Word of God is ingraffed in him and abides in him in the virtues and efficacies of it so that he was converted by it and will now be guided by it Doth he lead an upright life Why the Lord hath taken from him the spirit of guile and deceitfulness and hath given unto him an One heart a plain sincere perfect or upright heart a right heart which cannot abide doubling and dividing and hollowness but it is of the truth there is truth in the inward parts and therefore there is truth in the outward acts Doth he lead a single life for Divine Glory Why he hath received real grace from God which will work only for God the Waters which come from the Sea will run into the Sea again Doth he live a profitable life Why it is the nature of true grace and true repentance to make us as active in a good way as we were violent in a bad the nature of Good
is to be diffusive as the nature of fire is to heat and of the Sun is to give light The love of Christ constraineth me saith Paul Doth he adorn his holy profession with an answerable conversation Why how can it be otherwise but that gracious habits should breed gracious acts and glorious qualities should breed glorious effects It is the nature of a Star to shine as it is the nature of dirt to defile and it is the nature of a Diamond to sparkle as it is of the earth to be bâ—ack c. 2. The peculiar disposition of Repentance Repentance in From the peculiar disposition of Repentance the proper nature produceth two effects 1. One in newness of life It is against the truth of Repentance for a man to live the same life to keep on the same course for this is impenitency not conversion but continuation not a regress but a progress not a change of life but a course of the same life But when Repentance comes change comes for what is repentance but the new purpose for a new life A man must be what he was not and do that which he never did and run an other course quite contrary to what he did put off the old conversation and put on a new Cease to do evil and learn to do well put off the service of unrighteousness and become the servant of holiness this is to be a penitent 2. Another is revenge you know the Apostle makes this one of the fruits of godly sorrow and repentance yea what revenge 2. Cor. 7. Now this revenge as it consists in many other things so in this especially that as we have imployed our soules and bodies in wicked acts to serve against the Lord to his dishonor so now we imploy and improve them in holy services to the proper glory of God now we busy them to know him to love him to obey him to honour him The penitent person is so sensible of the infinite dishonour which God hath had by his sinful life that if he had now a thousand souls and bodies and ten thousand lives all were little enough in all holiness of Conversation to redeem those dishonours and repair them 3. The peculiar intentions which God hath towards penitent persons The peculiar Intentions of God towards Penitent sinners He intends much Glory by them 1 He doth intend much glory to himself by them for these are the people whom he doth form for his glory and raise up to declare his praise as is evident in Paul and all other singular penitents they have been the great instruments of his glory but they cannot bring him glory unless they be enabled to live better lives then before If they be alienated from the life of God they necessarily are alienated from the glory of God Right believing and right living these are our methods to display the glory of God 2. He doth intend much peace and joy And much peaâ—e and joy unto them unto their Consciences a peace which passeth all understanding and a joy which passeth all expression even that which springs from his gracious favour and reconciliation with them in Christ which both pacifies the conscience and also quickens and revives it But this could not be unless he enabled them to new and better lives the life of holiness is the only path of peace that of wickedness is a way which knows not peace there is no peace unto wicked men nor unto wicked wayes And for Joy that only breeds joy in conscience which makes the conscience not to accuse but excuse not to torment but comfort only the new life is the properly joyful and comfortable life there are no spirits in the life which is not spiritual 3. He doth intend much outward mercy to them See how full the field of blessings is to the penitent but it And much outward mercy to them is upon this condition If his life be obedient as it were upon his good behaviour If ye consent and obey ye shall eat the good of the Land 4. He doth intend them Glory before men and Glory And Glory before men and with himself in Heaven with himself in heaven For the penitent he makes to be the excellent on earth his refined pieces of gold a choice people whom Nations shall honour and the people shall call blessed When a man leaves a sordid and ignominious course of sinning he then becomes honourable in the eyes of God and reputable in the eyes of men Now the spots of Leprosie fall off from Naoman and his flesh grows clear and fair but how should this Sun break out if the clouds still remaine Of necessity the life must alter if we would have the opinions of men to alter yea and to what purpose is it to imagine an eternal life hereafter unless we here first live an holy life without which no man shall see God Doth God inable the true penitent to a new and better life or Vse 1 walking then let us reflect on our wayes and lives How do we live What kind of life doâ—st thou live Dâ—ceive not thy self with the goodness of thy heart if thy life be bad What kind of life is that which we do now live Is it the life of a penitent or no Never talk that thy heart is as good to God-ward as any mans though thy life be vile thou deludest thy self if thy life be evil assuredly thy heart is not good The Tree sayes our Saviour is known by his fruits for a person to talk of a penitent heart and what terror he hath had for sin and in some particulars to makâ— a little semblance of godliness when yet all this while he goes on in a course of drunkenness or of uncleanness of riotousness or of lying or of pride or of covetousness or of injustice or of scoffing c. What a monstrous and wilful deceit is this of a mans soul Thou a penitent who art still a servant of Lust Thou a penitent who still walkest in darkness Thou a penitent whose very course of life is nothing but a confutation of repentance a trade in sin Knowest thou not O sinner that where the heart is changed the life will change If thou hast once put off thy corrupt nature thou wilt easily put off thy corrupt conversation Who doth as he did if he be not as he was No real repentance turns us and that is from the love of sin in the heart and from the course of sin in the life as it suffers thee not to be an hypocrite so it abhors that thou shouldst be profane if thy life be bad question it not thy heart is bad that filthy speech comes from thy filthy Nature that haughty look from thy proud Nature that griping hand from thy cruel Nature that fraudulent tongue from thy cousening Nature 2. As much are they deceived who go on gently and gravely in their old Nor with a cold formal negative