in the suspected party it is accounted detection sufficient So when a member of the body becomes once to be gangrained by excessive heat Gangrenes or upon a wound or hurt not looked to in time it becomes to be void of sense as being deprived of vital heat and spirit to be blasted and like wilde-fire some call it S. Anthonies fire to spread and so tends to the destruction of the party So when that uneven swelling or tumour called a Cancer possesseth any part Cancers that part comes to be black or wan and without all sense or pain In like manner where much fatness is or corruption Mcuh fatness corrupt matter the outward skin or rind once pricked or pierced the pin weapon or instrument being thrust further in is not much felt such corruption hath no sense in it and that part is so far without sense till the corruption be drawn or purged out Now if we would be truly sensible and mourn savingly for sin in a sense of Gods displeasure as also spirituall pain and grief when and after that the word meets with us Let us take heed of such things as in a proportionable manner stupifie benum and bereave the soul of all spirituall sense of sin or judgements Take heed then of these things 1 Sensuality and worldlinesse First of sensuality love of pleasures gluttony drunkennesse good fellowship to which also let me adde cares and too much minding of the world Some give themselves purposely to sensuall courses to stop the mouth and cries of their conscience and to prevent or put away heart-qualms as they will call them binds all the spirituall senses Howsoever such courses as these do besot and stupifie the conscience dull and fill the spirituall senses of the soul cast it into a dead sleep whereby through present delectation in sin and sensuall courses and through cares of the world Isa 6.9 they have not eyes to discern distinctly of any thing or object which concerns them not an eare for God or for his word and judgements so as to hear the rod and who hath appointed it when God calls them to mourning Micah 6. sensuall courses cry louder and more prevailingly with them Isa 22.12 and 5 11 12. Psal 34.8 1 Pet. 2.2 3. God and the works of his hand can have no attention they are so taken up with sensuall delights they cannot be brought to taste the things or goodnesse of God and of his wayes all wayes leading them to repentance are so distastfull to them all the good means used for their good humbling are the savour of death to them 2 Cor. 2.16 yea their hearts are fat and so brawny that they are past feeling and insensible herein like unto Idols and images Ephes 4.19 having eyes and see not ears and hear not c. Psal 115.6 Howsoever as outward heat abates the inward as the love of one thing lessens the love of another and as the distempered eye will not let a man see any thing in its own and right colour but like it self Simil. so mens love and affection to their lusts and other distempers of their souls will not suffer any thing to work upon or affect them but what is sensuall they are so taken up in their thoughts and affections with such things as that what savours not of the flesh or of the world doth no whit affect them Talk of Religion especially of duties of mortification to a voluptuous man he hath no eare for that and of like duties to the worldling and you shall find his soul so filled and taken up with the love of the world that you shall have him go a way sorrowfull from you indeed but not for his sin or covetousnesse but because you interrupt his thoughts and courses which he is not minded to leave as we see in that rich young man who upon that ground though he seemed to have an ear to obey in all things else Matth. 19. yet not in that his love to the world made the duty of self deniall unpleasant to him So generally wine women and the world steal away and besot the heart the immoderate use of yea or love to any earthly thing takes away all spirituall sense the more sensible the soul is of such things the lesse it is of spirituall and so the soul as well as the body becomes spiritually drunken and casts into a dead sleep and so farre senselesse when once it is drowned and drenched with the pleasures and cares of the world this casts it into a dead sleep which binds all the senses of the soul and possesses it with a spirit of slumber Isay 29.10 Rom. 10 7 8. The godly like the five wise virgins may sometimes slumber but yet their heart waketh but these mens hearts are asleep yea even in a dead sleep to whom that belongs Eph. 5.14 awake thou that sleepest and stand up from the dead they cannot be got awaked like such as be oppressed with soporiferous diseases Abernethy physick for the soul chap. 7. as with Lethargies Caro's Catalepsies Cataphoraes or Typhomanes which are all deadly except they be speedily cured Now to prevent senselesnes from sensuality I onely tell you of our Saviours advice and commend it to you The Remedy is watch fulnesse Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeting and drunkennesse and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares for so it came upon the old world Luk. 21 34.36 Matth. 24.37 watch ye therefore and pray alwayes c. yea the Scripture joynes fasting and prayer together Math. 17.21 that so we might take heed of bodily drunkennesse as well as spirituall All deadly sleeps proceed of a cold humor or vapor replenishing the brain and oppressing the animal spirits and senses so this deadly spirit of slumber is when men are frozen in the cold dregs of their sins and sensualitie and sobriety Jer. 48.11 whom God therefore will visit Zeph. 1.12 Take heed then of ebriety both corporall and spirituall and be ye sober and watch As ebriety causeth sleep 1 Pet. 5.18 so sobriety keeps men waking and sensible Let us be sober both in body and in mind that we also may be kept waking and affected with such things as do concern us even with sense of sin and wrath Let us not onely when we heare Gods word but at all times wholly put away the lusts of youth and for other delights and cares use a moderation The like let us spiritually do in all our joyes yea sorrows in our desires delights designes hopes and confidence take we heed especially of spirituall drunkennesse and of the immoderate love and use of the creature especially when we go about any good duties as this of hearing Gods word For my part I otherwise in handling this argument of godly sorrow compunction and conversion
weaknesse and knowing that if we had such an abundant measure of grace and gifts as we desire we would stand in less need of him and be prouder of the gift then of the giver and not rest in him as alone all-sufficient and better then many graces to us Which I say provided we truly thirst and labour after more grace not that upon this pretence any careless liver should take up with any measure of grace or please himself with his infirmities as he will call his grosser and more willfull sins such an one I shall discard from the number of true Christians and genuine sons of God and babes in Christ who will ever out of a true sence be crying for more food and grow by it too but that we all should labour for true grace in sincerity and comfort our selves therein and in Christ our sanctification whilest we strive but cannot attain to that strength and measure of grace which we truly and from the heart desire 2. In our having of the gifts of grace all which without Christ are but glistering sins Secondly then make we Christ sanctification to us not onely in the want but in the having of any gift of grace whatsoever without whom all our gifts and graces are but dead carkases liveless pictures meer formalities yea like the vertues of the heathen who knew not Christ glistering sins Christ is the very life and soul of all graces and must be all to us in them all as our knowledge as what is knowledge of all things else but heathenish science if we know not God in Christ All other knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 2. and if any man teach otherwise and consent not to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ he is proud knowing nothing at least as hee ought to know zeal 1 Tim. 6.3 4. What is our zeal if it be not according to such knowledge its rather fury and madness What is our faith faith hope if Christ dwell not in our hearts by it Eph. 3.17 What is our hope if it be not in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 but a comfortless and ungrounded presumption What is love or charity if it be not out of a pure heart charity 1 Tim. 1.5 Eph. 5.2 and if we doe not walke in love as Christ also hath also loved us and if our love be not in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 1.14 it s but a fained love patience 1 Thes 1.3 What is patience but a Stoicall blockishness if our labouring and not fainting and so our patience be not for Christs names sake Rev. 2.3 What are our sufferings and bonds but a thankless bearing of deserved evill Our sufferings if they be not in Christ and for Christ Phil. Our good works 1.13 What are all our good workes almes fasting prayer and generally all our wayes if they be not in Christ and living godly and what is all our godly living if it be not in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.12 but a death whereby we have a name that we live and spirituall life but are dead Revel 3.1 What is our spirituall life if we be not made alive in Christ 1 Cor. 15.22 and quickned together with him Eph. 2.5 and if Christ live not in us Gal. 2.20 What is it but an artificiall and forced motion such as is in walking engines and in pictures and Images with artficiall rolling eyes or otherwise drawn or carved to the life Our mortification In a word what is mortification but a monkish holiness and apish imitation if we be not dead with Christ Rom. and humility 6.8 or our humility in worshipping of Angels or Saints as not daring come so boldly into Gods immediate presence but pride and a being puft up in our fleshly minds Col. 2.18 and the punishing not sparing or neglecting of the body and hard usage of the body but only a shew of wisedome in will-worship and humility Col. 2.23 What 's sanctification then out of Christ Why should we not deny our selves in all these and in like things further then we do suffer them in Christ In all these wee are to deny our selves that wee may be them all only in Christ 4. Make wee Christ to us Redemption in all the parts of it or why should we be discouraged in some sense of our own wants and imperfections in these when we do and suffer them in Christ in whom they are accepted and accounted sufficient Now lastly considering this Alsufficiency of Christ we have reason to make him and him onely or God in him as God hath made him to us Redemption In which benefit is included salvation from first to last not onely freedom from the guilt of sin by pardon and power over it by the Spirit and so a freedom both from the damnation Luke 1.68 69 71 c. and also domination and power thereof together with finall perseverance in grace to the end by vertue of Gods new covenant with us in Christ Jer. 32.40 but also protection and defence by the ministry of Angels Hebr. 1.14 and otherwise yea and consolation in troubles and a blessing of curses or crosses and afflictions to us in this life Let him be our Consolation 1 In all our Crosses at the end thereof a blessed death and after death a joyfull and blessed resurrection to life and glory for ever And what needs more All this and more then I can expresse to you or you and I conceive within our selves is Christ to us if once by denying our selves in all power of our own whether over sin or other enemies or in all earthly comforts we can seek to be All in all these and that onely in him Let us make then Christ all to us in these things that All in him may be ours whilest he is ours and we his 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. And so let us make him more specially in all our losses 2 and Losses in the losse of goods name friends and what else in all which we lose nothing if we lose not Christ who is all in all these to us Have we lost our goods as 1 Of goods say we with Paulinus Bishop of Nola when the City was sackt by the Barbarians Lord let me not be troubled for the gold and silver for thou art all to me Are we disgraced 2 Name or is a fools cap in disgrace put upon us as once upon one Alexander Cane say we as he Can I have a greater honour done then to be served as my Lord Christ before Herod Have we lost our friends 3 Friends Senec in Consolat ad Polyb. who seemed to be a staffe and a stay unto us what Seneca said in the comforting in such a case of his friend Polybius a Courtier may fitlyer be applyed to a Christian concerning Christ So long as Cesar lives and is thy friend thou oughtest not to complain of thy condition whilest he is safe thou hast
have him to rule over us Thus in true account and as God takes it you say and do Then let me tell you who this is against whom you thus by and in your pride and stoutnesse and partly ignorance do sin It is Christ the Lord of glory a dreadful Majestie even against the mighty God and their Judge the Soveraigne Lord who is appointed to be your Judge and who shall come in flaming fire rendering vengeance to all that know him not nor obey his Gospel This is he whom you provoke against whom you have so long trespassed whom you have so much dishonoured whom you have crucified and persecuted in his Saints and people whom you as little know or respect as himself who yet are of price and worth to him and as dear as the apple of his own eye whose wrongs he is sensible of as done to himself and which accordingly he will avenge Isai 57.3 4. But do you consider this are you convinced of it Let the daunkard then which should be considered the unclean person and voluptuous the profaner of the Lords Name and Sabbath and every sinner know and that assuredly that God hath made this same Jesus whom ye thus crucifie and wound both Lord and Christ the glorious and dreadful Judge of quick and dead Doth not this strike terrour into your hearts doth it not prick wound and sting your conscience God expects it should If he have winked at the former times of your ignorance Act. 17.30 31 yet now he commandeth all men every where to repent because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousnesse by that man whom he hath ordained c. An dear brethren let us not mock when we hear these things or put off repentance as if ye cared not much whether ye perform it or no with the Athenians who heard these things from Paul and 32 and said We will hear thee again of this matter 34. but rather with Dionysius and Damaris there and others Let us cleave to Paul and believe and with these converts here cleave and cling to Peter out of true compunction of heart and repent saying to him and to such as now are in place of him even Gods faithful servants and our teachers who so tell us Men and brethren what shall w do Ah that I could see such blessed effects of the self-same doctrine And so having in a manner done with the instrumental cause of this Compunction and Conversion of these Jews which was their hearing of Gods word preached we come to the effects of the same the first whereof is to be considered in that which they suffered expressed in these words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They were pricked in their heart CHAP. V. SECT 1. The effect of saving hearing is pricking of heart THis pricking in heart notes an Inward Conviction of conscience 2. The effects of this their hearing 1. What they suffered whereby they came at once in the acknowledgement of Christ and his glory to see their horrible sin in murthering and crucifying of him and their own deserved condemnation thereby so bringing the curse of the Law home to their own consciences They were pricked in heart savingly as not able any longer to put by the thrust as I may call it or the dint of Peter's accusation which came as a dagger to the heart and struck them both with fear of wrath through a consciousnesse of this their hainous sin of murder and parricide and with hearty grief and sorrow for their sin not without some mixture of hope which made them enquire after a remedy and say What shall we do Wherein this pricking of heart differs from that cutting to the heart which was in others of the Jews Acts 7.54 who being alike charged by Steven as these were by Peter with the murder of Christ verse 52 yet as others by the same word were cut to the heart deadly Act â—â— 52 54-58 not convinced that Jesus was the Messiah or Christ and so that they were murderers of their Saviour they inwardly justifying themselves when they heard these things were cut to the heart and they gnashed on him with their teeth and cast him out of the city and stoned him to death as taking ill at his hands thus falsly as they conceived to be charged So that the same Word had a different effect in the Jews in regard of the issue though all of them were some way or other pricked in heart yea cut and wounded the same Word proving the savour of life to the one and of death to the other true compunction of heart in the one where was sorrow not onely in fear of punishment but also in desire general hope and some apprehension of goodnesse and mercy in God which asswaged their fears but in the other a senslesse security and benummednesse of soul not to see their sin and danger with grief and anger onely so to be charged And so in the one was true compunction of spirit or of heart whereby the Aposteme of it was opened as by the prick of a sharp instrument and the corruption of it discovered yea whereby the heart became sick of the love of God and desire after him as the least prick at the heart causeth a present fit of sicknesse and in the other 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rom. 11.8 Isai 6.9 a spirit onely of compunction or remorse as it may be called or rather as it is translated in our Bible a spirit of slumber whereby God gave them eyes that they should not see and ears that they should not hear even a spirit of slumber sottishnesse want of spiritual senses and blindnesse not to see the light of Truth and of the Word which yet pricked their hearts as the light of the sun doth fore eyes yea cut them to the heart through the accusations if not convictions of it though they still remained stupid and accordingly perished It concerns us then to see how we hear that we melt by it as was and be not clay Now for this pricking mentioned in my Text it proved a saving and healing wound And we will now consider it according to three several Relations This pricking considered according to three Relations First to Peters Sermon as an effect of it Secondly to the sinners themselves as a fruit and consequent of their sin and so as an affection of sorrow in the subject or convicted sinner Thirdly and chiefly to the whole work of Conversion as the first degree and beginning of the same and as a preparative to Christ and to salvation CHAP V. SECT 11. Pricking of heart considered as the work of the word and of the best kind of preaching 1 To Peters sermon as an effect of it Note The best kind of preaching is that which pricks the heart 1 in what respects 2 For what reasons God himself useth this method 1 the Father 1 AS this
highly of All delight to have the hearts of men The Pope giving his devoted servants leave for a while to go to our Church in England in the first yeers of Queen Elizabeths raign in the words now lastly mentioned required of his sons and children that so doing they should give him their heart He knew if he had their heart he could soon command all the rest So the devil is well enough pleased to let his devoted servants make shew of Religion or of some good duties as of alms good words c. so long as he can keep their hearts glued first to any one or more lusts The like I may say of lovers seeking chiefly to insinuate into the hearts love and affections of their beloved Yea great Kings on earth who stand not in much need of their meaner subjects yet like well to be loved of all and to have their hearts And even thus it is with God himself who chiefly requires the heart who knows if it be wanting nothing can be sincere or lasting and where it is it will bring on all the rest The broken heart is Gods sacrifice He requires the heart as his sacrifice for and in stead of a sacrifice yea before all sacrifice But what heart If the heart be a saccrifice then as other sacrifices it must be slain and mortified at least pierced and wounded It must be a broken heart else it is not right It is not whole or entire with God Non est Cor integrum nisi sit scissum till it be broken and cut Outward sacrifices where beasts were slain and offered were but types of this sacrifice of a contrite heart so that where the heart was not contrite the sacrifice was an abomination To this man will I look saith the Lord even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my word But of others it is said He that killeth an ox as if he slew a man Isai 66.2 3. he that sacrificeth a Lamb as if he cut off a dogs neck he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines blood c. God will none of such sacrifices where the heart which should give him praise and prayer is wanting Psal 50.9 10-14 15. I will take no bullock out of thine house c. Offer unto God thanksgiving and pay thy vows unto the most High And call upon me in the day of trouble and 51.16 17. So again Thou desirest not sacrifice saith David else would I give it thou delightest not in burnt-offerings The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise For as one noteth the visible sacrifice of beasts slain is but a Sacrament August l. 10. de civit cap. 5. that is a holy and sacred signe of the invisible sacrifice of the heart Even as in Circumcision God required chiefly and firstly the circumcision of the heart Deut. 10.16 by which is meant this pricking and cutting of the heart This is that true Circumcision which being in and from the heart Rom. 2.28 29. findes praise with God This circumcised heart is the truely humbled heart unto which a promise and a blessing doth belong Levit. 26.41 42. If their uncircumcised heart be humbled c. or bowed down or at the Chaldee hath it be broken and it is opposed to pride as when it s said 2 Chro. 52 26. King Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride or lifting up of his heart And so it implieth repentance and turning in heart to the Lord as 2 Chron. 32.26 Yet divers of Ashur c. humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem when others mocked as these here now were pricked when formerly they or others mocked Hence it is truely said by one God pours not the oil of his mercy Bern. save into a broken vessel Vse 1 This shews the preposterous course of Popish penitentiaries who professing compunction and pricking of heart and spirit 1. To confute Popish penitentiaries whip onely scourge and otherwise afflict the body and make that a matter of satisfaction and merit and so under such shew of austerity and humility Coloss 2. not sparing the body they become vainly puffed up with pride in their fleshly mindes They seem to shew a kinde of revenge which yet is not against their sins lodged in the heart which they spare yea and fatten it in pride but onely against their skins and carcases which without the heart have done little or nothing Let the flesh be tamed and outward senses restrained as cause shall require but first let the heart and inward affections be mortified and subdued else it is but a mock-repentance Pag. 34 35. But of this a little before 2. To instruct and direct us to begin at the heart So do true Converts 2 A second Use is to learn hence to begin our repentance and conversion at the heart so do true converts First King Davids heart smote him then he confessed saying I have sinned The poor publican smote on his brest and then said God be merciful to me a sinner he by so smiting aimed at the chief offender Their sorrow is in the heart before it be in the face or sowre countenance as in a like case of Nehemiah mourning for the afflictions of his people which the King took notice of saying Why is thy countenance sad Nehem. 2.2 this is nothing but sorrow of heart So it was with good King Josiah who in heart and soul first apprehending his and his peoples sins and the wrath of God due to the same then rends his clothes and weeps Therefore saith God 2 Chro. 34.27 Because thine heart was tender and thou didst humble thy self i. e. in heart first before God and didst rend thy clothes and weep c. As sadnesse of countenance in true penitents argues and presupposeth sorrow of heart and their sorrow is first in the heart before it be in the garment so it is quite contrary with hypocrites Not so hypocrites Joel 2.12 13. to such God speaks by his Prophet Joel saying Turn unto me with all your heart and rend your hearts and not your garments The countenances of hypocrites onely are sad but not their hearts like hired mourners Know we then Matth. 6. that outward expressions of sorrow are not further good then so far onely as they come from inward grief and affection as in these converts here who by saying What shall we do shewed much inward grief in the apprehension of wrath much fear care and anxiety of spirit but then they were first upon such apprehension and fear pricked in their heart 3 Exhortation to begin our reformation at the heart Why 3 Let us hence be exhorted to begin our conversion and reformation at the heart you have heard reason enough for it otherwise it were but to lop off boughs and to leave the corrupt and bitter root to purge
I take it in this sence said to be our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ not that it taught Christ but that it convincing us of sin and of the curse and bringing us to self-despair so sent or forced us to seek help if any or wheresoever any could be had and that only is in and from Christ for it as a schoolmaster first strips us naked of our own conceited wisdom righteousnesse holinesse power and then whips lasheth our naked consciences as with the strokes of an iron rod it so sends us out of our selves wholly without affording us any help hope or succour to seek and inquire first if help may be had or hoped for elsewhere and then where or in and from whom it may be had and by what means which conceit of possibility of help made the heathen of old and many superstitious ones now fly to so many devices and superstitious practices of their own devising And thus by the law and these works thereof on the conscience the way is prepared for the mercy of the Gospel so that were it not for that which reacheth out an hand to such as are otherwise ready to perish no flesh could be saved SECT 4. The order of the works of the Gospel 2 The distinct and orderly work of the Gospel 2 THe workes then of the Gospel presupposing those of the Law and the orderly proceeding of the same are now briefly to be noted The Gospel hath also its preparatory works before conversion and faith be fully wrought and the order is this 1 Knowledge of the Gospel 1 God having by the law first humbled the sinner if he intend him any further good he doth first support and keep him from utter despair by publishing the glad tidings of the Gospel and by letting him hear and know of a remedy and that his case is though to him in himself yet not absolutly desperate and that upon some termes salvation may be had Joh. 3.16 and is possible so an assent is wrought in him to the Gospel as true Which knowledge by Gods further grace works affections and actions sutable in him 2 Hope 2 So hearing of a remedy though the conditions of self-deniall in his sweet and beloved sins of repentance and faith seem things impossible as to him considered in himself they are yet being pricked forward by the aforesaid terrours of the law as by so many piercing goads and thereupon put upon it to do something not to sit still but with the Lepers at the gate of Samaria in the famine to put it to the adventure as knowing he must either do something or else dye eternally this despair of help in himself makes him seek help elsewhere not without some general and confused hope that he also 1 General as well as some others he told of it may get case to his distressed conscience which as yet he findes not And thus he generally assents to the Gospel as good as well as to the law presenting him with wrath yea as good to him and so God gives him particular hope from the generality of the promise 2 particular Mat. 11.28 to all that are heavy laden whereby he excludes none but such as exclude themselves 3 Melting and true Contrition 3. Hereupon the heart which though broken before yet retaines its hardnesse begins to melt and to thaw being warmed with a sense of Gods goodnesse and readinesse to shew mercy to him so unworthy so old a sinner and it may be frozen in the same what any hope for such a vile wretch and that from so great and holy a God oh beast that I am that I should ever so much and so long have offended so good a God! c. Thus the heart is brought to true contrition and now grieves not in sense of the curse and wrath deserved so much as of love ready to be shewed to such a vile and immeriting wretch as he both thinks and will call him self not for the punishment of sin so much as for the sin it self as it is disobedience and disloyaltie to God dishonour to his name and that which hath made and doth still make a separation between the soul and God thus he begins to conceive of sin as alone able to make a man miserable without any other misery even in abundance With pliablenesse to Gods will And thus the heart being molten is made pliable and ready to be cast into the mould of Gods will as in my Text. And hereof I take the reprobate come short who as Ahab Cain Judas Felix may be broken and wounded and tremble but still be heard-harted and unpliable to Gods will 4 Self-denial 4. Herewith goeth self-denial renouncing of all parts and priviledges gifts and abilities in a mans self with an inward acknowledgement of his own impotency guiltinesse unworthinesse 5 High esteem of Christ 5. Together with an high estimation of Christ above all as in Paul Philip. 3.7 8 c. 6 Desire of pardon 6 Desire of ease and pardon by Christ and of direction what to do to be saved oh he should be one of a thousand to him most welcome who could bring him such tidings and bring him an olive-leafe 7. Then upon good direction given as in my Text and the next verse to it 7 Approch to the throne of grace where verse 38. and as Acts 16.31 there is an Approach and coming to the throne of grâ—ce with resolution there to speed or there to dye 1 Confession Where particularly iâ— 1 humble confession of sin with all the aggravations of it as Luke 18.13 and 15.19 in the publican and prodigall 2 Prayer 3 Hope of being heard 4 Joy c. Luke 19. 2 Prayer with 3 hope in speciall of pardon 4 joy in that hope grounded on Gods call and promise and not as in Agug but as in Zacheus and the blind man Mark 10.49 50. be of good comfort rise he the Master calleth thee 5 A willingnesse to part with all to sell all for Christ 8 Special application and closing with Christ 8 After which or with which is a speciall application of Christ unto a mans self and of the promise of pardon and of salvation with a trusting and relying on him for acceptation of his person prayers and indeavours and for salvation and all good things This is his closing with Christ 9 Assurance 9 Then follows the sealing of the promise assurance and perswasion 10 Perseverance Then Perseverance in the faith and grace of conversion to the end not without some failings but without falling away from that grace either wholly and habitually or finally 11 Salvation 11 After all follows the consummation of grace in glory and the end of our faith the salvation of our souls 1 Pet. 1.9 The scope of this last discourse which is not to prescribe God or to build our justification upon duties or
be plyable and yielding both to God and man 1 It stands not out against or resists Gods word but quakes at threatnings melts at promises is humbled at judgements as 2 Chron. 30.10.11 not such as was in Zedekiah 2 Chron. 36.12 of whom it is said he did evill in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord or in Belshazzar framing to his will Dan. 5.21.22 who did not humble his heart though he knew all such evils and judgements as befell his father for hardening his mind in pride verse 20. In a word the soft heart yields like soft wax to the impressions of Gods grace word and spirit and like molten metal frames to the form and obeys that form of Doctrine whereto it is delivered as the phrase is Rom. 6.17.2 The tender heart shews it self also towards others by shewing forth bowels of pity to men in misery and man by pity and kindnesse Heb. 13.3 and of kindnesse and forgivenesse to such as do it wrong Ephes 4.32 2. This heard heart I speak of as it is stiffe stony and unpliable so it is also insensible void of all spirituall sense especially that of feeling this is through want of spiritual life 2 unsensible and without life where no life is there is no sense at all and where life is though other senses may be wanting yet not that of feeling that sense though it be not the most noble for so is the sense of sight and hearing yet it is the most necessary sense there being no life without it where it is wholly wanting or lost it of all senses alone is diffused throughout all parts almost of the whole body and it being lost there is no more intercourse of vital and animal spirits or influence of them by the nerves into other parts and consequently no longer any proportion or harmony of qualities or of temperament in which proportion the native moysture and heat is founded and consisteth So that feeling and sense of pain is needful to the very being of every creature arguing spiritu-death and so is spiritual feeling as necessary to the being of the new creature so that we may conclude that the heart which is an insensible heart is a dead heart Eph. 4.18.19 alienated from the life of God at least and that is bad enough possessed with a spirit of slumber and dead sleep whilest not one but all the senses of the soul are holden in it as the bodily senses in and by bodily sleep and that through a kind of dregginesse which stoppeth the passages of the spirits Or at least a dead sleep depriving men of their spiritual senses by which the whole heart and soul is made unsensible for hereby men are without 1 Hearing Isa 6.9 2 Seeing Isa 6.9 Ephes 4.18 3 without all spiritual Tast Rom. 8.5 4 Smel 2 Cor. 2.16 Lastly without feeling Ephes 4.19 having their hearts fat and insensible Isa 6.10 yea in a dead sleep and sleep of death and therefore insensible insensible of good and evil of mercies and of judgements of grace and sin without true love desire and joy in the one and without Fear Being contrary to the sensible heart 1 Kings 3.9 shame anger and godly sorrow in the other contrary to which heart is that which having a new life put into it and it awakened out of the Lethargie or rather death of sin begins spiritually and savingly 1 to hear for so we read of an hearing heart for which Solomon prayed 2 to see Ephes 1.18 1 Cor. 2.14.15 3 to tast 1 Pet. 2.2 3. with Psal 34.8 Cantic 4.11 4 to smel Cantic 1.3.13 16. 4.10 11. 2 Cor. 2.14.16 and 5 lastly to feele when by self-denial the fat of this grosse heart as it is called Mat. 13.15 which makes it also without sense Psal 119.70 Mat. 13.15 is consumed and offered in sacrifice to God according to the type Levit. 3.3 such a sensible heart was in these converts here who being self convinced self condemned and denying themselves were pricked in heart and through sense of pain cried out and sought help elsewhere then in themselves and accordingly found it I have thus set the benefit of the tender sensible heart against the other that by the opposition I might better shew the wofull condition and miserable estate of such as who being past feeling The miserable condition of senselesse and hard-hearted sinners give themselves over whether unto Laciviousnesse or to any other sensual and sinful course of life and who accordingly are given over in Gods most terrible but just wrath to this the worst of all evills on earth even the judgement of an hard and senselesse heart and all with this further aym that hereby the sinner that would attain to true compunction and pricking of heart for his sin and so to true conversion and salvation would above all be most afraid of this heavy judgement of hardnesse of heart and of whatsoever may cause or procure the same Such as are given over to it are irrecoverably left to the judgement of the great day seeing their judgement here is to be denied all sense of their dangerous and damned condition into which they have voluntarily brought themselves and so being left to themselves and to their own lusts as incorrigible Psal 81. and to Satan Hardnesse of heart the greatest Let to saving pricking 2 Pet. 2 4. and most to be laboured against as his prisoners to be reserved in chains of darknesse of mind and dedolent and final impenitencie kept and brought forth to that judgement wherein their case is now become like that of the devil and his angels whose judgement that is Of all lets then to this pricking of heart take heed of this of hardnesse of heart for where it is the judgement is to be deprived of all sense of sin and feeling of wrath till the soul be plunged into hell and become irrecoverably miserable and then lie under the sense of Gods severest wrath and eternall displeasure not to fear it is a signe of it Oh therefore get your hearts possessed continually with fear of this dismal evil and ever be afraid to be given over to it Now let me tell you not to fear it when you hear so much of it is a signe it hath already seazed upon you and benummed your spirituall senses especially if you have any long while lived fruitlesly or presumptuously under the means Young men especially to take heed of it and therefore especially it belongs to young men to take notice hereof who by reason of their age are not yet perhaps so hardened in sin through the deceitfulnesse of it There is a naturall tendernesse in us whilst we are young or a lesser degree rather of hardnesse which gets strength and proves habituall through use and age if it be not in time prevented Let such then
the Almighty hath afflicted me Thus the good woman was humbled in Gods sight who had deprived her of her husband and two sonnes in a strange land and that doubtlesse in sight of her sin and unworthinesse and acknowledgement of Gods just hand upon her 2 To joyn with God 1 By justifying him 2. Secondly when God by afflictions humbles and bruiseth thee joyn with him in humbling thy selfe 1. Justifie God in his chastisements confesse him righteous and thy selfe the sinner and justly met withall this is one main end of Gods chastisements Levit. 26.41 that our hard and uncircumcised hearts be humbled and that we when his hand is upon us accept of the punishment of our iniquity and condemning our selves Do thou then follow home the affliction lament thine own unto wardnesse and if especially his hand lie long on thee or that his strokes be multiplied say Lord what an hard heart have I and senslesse that needs all this hammering and melting this battering and bruising that none of this could be spared Thus at length by Gods mercy thy hard and unrelenting heart shall be bruised softened and humbled 2. 2 By taking advantage of the occasion and time Take the advantage of the time when Gods hand is upon thee Men of the World both know and are carefull to observe the fittest Seasons for ploughing and breaking up of their grounds and God lookes that we do the like for the breaking up of the fallow and hard ground of our hearts Jer. 4.3 which he expects from us as a duty Eccles 3.4 There is a time to weep and a time to mourn God by his judgements on us by crosses and afflictions softens bowes and masters our stout stomackes brings down our high lookes and thoughts when we finde him stronger than our selves which perhaps we thought not on before and to take from us such stayes and props whether wealth friends health c. as on which we rested our selves more than on him Seeing men commonly under cresses are somewhat softened Job 23.15 16. Now hereby God workes in men more selfe deniall at least remorse and some more fitnesse and pronenesse to repent then at other times Thus saith Job I am troubled at his presence when I consider I am afraid of him for God maketh my heart soft and the Almighty troubleth me And in regard of troubles and distresses David complaineth to God saying I am poured out like water Psal 22.14 and all my bones are out of joynt my heart is like wax it is melted in the midst of my bowels And thus in some measure the unregenerate finde it with them in their troubles and feares whereby they finde themselves more disposed to pray and more disposed to pray and to repent and to repent as the Israelites though unsound and unconstant when God slew them they sought him and returned Psal 78.34 Isay 26.16 and Lord in trouble have they visited thee saith Isay they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was upon them At such times the hearts even of hypocrites become more remorsefull as we see in men in their sicknesse and distresse Now as Ministers should take such opportunities to worke upon mens hearts Job 33.22 so should they themselves especially as the iron when it is hot is soon bowed and fashioned by hammering and as the Wax when it is warme and soft may better be wrought and formed as we please which opportunity would be followed home My advice then to thee who desirest this pliable and sensible heart is to take the oportunitie of thy deep afflictions and crosses to follow home this worke Is any afflicted Let him pray saith Saint James Let him humble himselfe in prayer Jam. 5.13 confesse heartily his sin and seek mercy Art thou affected with sorrow upon the death suppose of some dear Friend Parent Childe or Associate Husband or Wife Whatsoever the occasion of thy grief be yea or if a secret sadnesse or pensivenesse come upon thee so as thou findest thy selfe disposed to weep omit not such a fit season now that thy countenance is sad the heart is made better Eccles 7.3 that is more soft and yielding to good impressions and our sorrow turned the right way the Lord thus softens and inclines thy soul to fresh sorrow for sin and would have thee to turne the stream of thy natural sorrow or melacholicke pensivenesse into the right chanel from the out ward or inward occasion from the known or unknown cause of thy heavinesse to sorrow and mourning for thy sin from the effect to the cause seeing nothing is truly to be sorrowed for but sin which is the onely true cause of all our other sorrowes and afflictions Blessed is such a crosse losse or affliction as bereaving us of earthly if not sinfull comforts and confidence sends us to seek our comfort and to place our trust onely in God by seeking our peace with him with true teares of godly sorrow sor our sin by which he was offended 3 To come 3. Thirdly for evils to come and judgements threatened or feared in this life or at and after the end of it Death it selfe Hell and the last Judgement the dreadfulnesse and terrour of which should make us afraid and such fear will or should worke sensiblenesse and tendernesse in us as apprehension but of temporal judgements made Josiahs heart to melt though there was in him some mixture also of love to God and zeal to his honour howsoever As 1. Temporal judgements threatened it made him with teares seek peace with God for himselfe and his people for the aversion of his judgements from them If an earthly Prince should threaten us how would we fear and by humbling our selves seek to make our peace again with him How submissively did Jacob carry himselfe toward his brother Esau when he came towards wards him as an enemie Thy servant Jacob and Let me finde grace in the sight of my lord Gen. 32.20 33.15 How much more should we fear and humble our selves Amos 38. when the Lord God hath spoken when this Lion roares who will not fear and humble himselfe before him How also did the thought of death humble not onely a good King Hezekiah but an hypocrite King Ahab 2 Death Isay 38.1 2 3. 1 Kings 21 19-21 27.29 Jon. 3.5 c. and the Ninivites Let the living then lay death to heart Eccles 7 2 and apprehend it as near that as men in apparent danger of death both by sea or land on their death-beds or as men condemned to die they may be humbled sorrowfull and penitent Let us thinke often also of Hell and of that place of torments 3 Hell and how it is prepared as for all impenitent sinners so also for the secure and voluptuous livers Luke 16.27 c. 4 The last judgement such as was Dives and his brethren so of the dreadfull
and condition out of their own houses in some parts of England but especially in Ireland as also by Sea as they go for New-England and other parts putting them to most miserable slaverie so by Antichrist and spiritual Babylon tyrannizing over soules and bodies as elsewkere and formerly killing massacring spoiling and laying waste whole Townes Cities Provinces and Countries by their cruell and mercilesse Souldiers witnesse not onely of later times Roehel in France and those of the Valtoline where Christians have been forced to flie their Countrey others staying to renounce their Religion in hope and promise of life and then cruelly slain the Enemie boasting they had now slain both bodies and soules of Heretickes so at this time in the lower Hassia but especially divers places of Germany and of the Reformed Churches there as the Palatinate Bohemia Silesia anno 1640. and now at this present the Lower Hassia over-run with barbarous Souldiers burning killing and spoiling without all respect to Sex Age or Order forcing men to leave their own homes to seek to maintain life by feeding on carrion and such like burning and demolishing their Churches and Colledges and School-houses impoverishing all of all sorts especially their Ministers and School-masters three hundred and more of whom at this time are forced to seek and by the recommendation of their Princesse The Landgrave of Hassia to desire the charitable and bountifull relief of Christians in other Provinces and Kingdomes for the present relief of the foresaid Ministers and Rectors of Schooles Octob. 1641. And for the re-edifying of their Churches and Schoole and should not we be affected with these things and weep with them that weep and shew a fellow-feeling with them making their case our own We should be alike affected with them not knowing how soon it may be so indeed in the mean time so remembring them that are in bonds as bound with them c. which is the Apostles exhortation Hebr. 13.3 Herein following the example not onely of Moses as was Moses whose heart melted when he looked on his brethrens afflictions in Egypt but especially of that worthy Nehemiah who at a great distance and Nehemiah hearing of the miseries of the Jewes that had escaped and which were left of the captivity Nehem. 1.3 4 5 c. that they were in great affliction and reproach that the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and the gates thereof burnt with fire sate down and wept and mourned certain dayes and fasted and prayed before the God of Heaven This made him no doubt mourne for his own and others sinnes against which God by every judgement of his doth testifie that he hath just cause and matter against us and ours This is a noble president for us to follow seeing we want not like occasion and it would bring us to a mourning temper and disposition to weep even for our own as well as others sins At this time also the bleeding condition of Ireland would not be forgotten 3 specially we are to meditate on the sufferings of Christ for us 3. Lastly view we in our thought and meditations attentively the sufferings and greatnesse of the sorrowes of our Lord and blessed Saviour Jesus Christ dying for us with the cause thereof in our selves and sinnes together with the love of God and Christ himselfe in giving himselfe for us We should look on his sorrowes not with a spirit so much of compassion as of compunction not weeping for him in pitie so much which silly ignorant people and women can do when they see his Passion prophanely acted on the Stage and on our wounding him or in the streets in their Corpus Christi Playes or when they look upon the Crucifix striking and beating on their breastâ— as in true sorrow for out own sinnes by which we pierced him and in some sense do daily pierce him by the same so these Jewes here in my Text no sooner had Christ by the Word evidently set forth to be the true and onely Messias Gal. 3.1 and crucified among them by being charged and convinced that they were the Crucifiers of him but they were thus savingly pricked in heart as it was foretold of them and of those yet to be called by the Prophet Zechary They shall look upon him by the eye of meditation whom they have pierced Zech. 12.10 and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his onely son and shall be in bitternesse for him as on that is in bitternesse for his first-borne Consider herein Christ his bitter death not onely what thou must expect to suffer in thine own person for ever unlesse thou now be pricked in heart for him as well as he was pierced in heart head and hands and feet for thee but his infinite love as also on his infinite love in suffering such things for us who would suffer so much for thee and interpose himselfe between his Fathers wrath and thee yea receiving in his own bowels the javelin of his Fathers anger to keep it from thee to whom onely it was due as in like case did it not thinke we both trouble David to thinke of Jonathans hazards for him and also cause his heart to melt in true love to Jonathan who shewed himselfe so loving to him Will it not pricke and wound thy heart to consider this thy dear and truest Friend for thus he was wounded in the house of his friends one the racke of the Crosse for thee to the end that thou mightest never come unto it Zech. 13.6 how should yea and would this meditation if seriously made use of melt and mollifie our hard hearts and overcome all our obstinacies His sorrowes well thought on would helpe to break our hard hearts but his love appearing in the same would and should melt and thaw them 3 God softens our hearts by his mercies which we should often thinke of to that end And so generally the meditation of his mercies a thousand wayes manifested to every one of us How did hard-hearted Sauls heart melt into teares when he saw and was convinced of Davids love integritie and respects to him and his life when in the very act of his hostilitie against David yet David spared his life And how was Davids own heart humbled at the relation of Gods many mercies against which he had sinned The like in the Israelites 1 Sa. 24.16 17. 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9-13 who upbraided by Gods mercies in bringing them out of Egypt lift up their voice and wept so that the place had its name thence and was called Bochim or Weepers Judges 2.1 2 3 4 5. They considered Gods kindnesse to them and their unkindnesse to him and thereupon wept such consideration of mercie shewed or offered to the unworthy is foretold to worke shame in the sinners and loathing themselves Ezek. 36.25 26 c. with verses 31.32 O then hearts harder than the Adamant that are not
softened with the milke of this love of God! ye stout-hearted sinners and be moved therewith be moved and affected with grief to consider and thinke how ye sin against the bountie of God expressed to you in all temporal blessings which you enjoy and they are well nigh infinite in his patience towards you not cutting you off and sending you to Hell in your sinnes but chiefly in his gracious and morcifull disposition to wards you in offering himselfe more willing and ready to be reconciled to you than you are by true repentance sorrow and submission to seek it at his gracious hands O base hearts who by living still in your sinnes and without all sorrow taking pleasure in the same do seek his dishonour Do ye so requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Deut. 32.6 7 c. Doth not this stab thy heart O my people may God now say to us and much rather than to his unthankfull people of old What have I done unto thee and so in Micah 6.3 4 5. John 10.32 Many good workes may Christ now say to us also have I shewed you from my Father for which of those workes do ye stone me How should you answer but with more humilitie sinceritie and selfe-deniall as it followeth in Micah Verse 6. Wherewithall shall I come before the Lord and bow my selfe before the high God Yea and instead of all other sacrifices there mentioned offer that of an humble and contrite spirit and resolve to walke humbly or humble your selves to walke with God O that I could hear your relenting hearts as overcome with his free mercies and offers of his grace to sound and eccho out such voices and to say What any mercie or hope of mercie for such a vile Wretch bold sinner base Varlet as I Might not God many yeares ago in his just displeasure have sent me from the wombe to Hell O Patience Would any man have put up such injuries at my hands as God hath done dishonours or would I my selfe shew like kindnesse to any who had multiplied wrongs against me O it grieves my soul that I have so grieved him beast that I am O how have I been besotted not to see better to answer his love Men and brethren what shall I do to purchase his favour whereof I have made my selfe so unworthily I resolve therefore to wallow in ashes and to repent in dust and ashes and not for a world to offend him as I have done SECT 5. Gods Majesty thought on would abase us 4. The serious thought of Gods high Majesty will humble us HEre again I might direct you to a meditation also of the high and glorious Majesty of the high and holy God of his greatnesse excellencie power wisdom glorie and all other Attributes of God that so we may no longer harden our hearts against him Psal 95 3-8 9. Deut. 10.16 17 18 -20 21. that the immutabilitie of his decrees Job 23.13 14 15 16. and his excellency may make us afraid Job 13.11 37.23 24. that his mighty power may cause us prepare to meet him by repentance Amos 4.12 with 13. as we see in Rahab Josh 2 10.-12 13-18 And that we may at length learne with Job to acknowledge our vilenesse and to abhorre our selves and repent in dust and ashes Job 38.2 3 c. 40.2 3. 42.3 with 6. But I will hasten to the last Direction without which all the rest will be used in vain and it is prayer 〈…〉 SECT 6. Earnest Prayer a means of Humiliation 5 Withall wee must earnestly pray to God who onely can humble us LAstly Seeing God onely as hath been said can humble and soften the hard and stony heart of man wee are if wee truly desire to have tender pliable sensible and humbled hearts most earnestly to seek the same by prayer of God 1 By others 1. If thou canst not through weakness of gifts or distractions pray of thy self desire the assistance of some godly and compassionate Christian to pray with thee and for thee that God would graciously and powerfully work in thee what thou desirest In such case yea howsoever send for the Elders of the Church when thou feelst thy heart any thing hardened or thy self to be in any distress of soul or body that they may pray over thee James 5.14 2 By our selves But 2. Is any among you afflicted or would any of you be indeed truly afflicted in conscience and come to some remorse for his sin Let him pray saith Saint James himself It s hard if any man who hath a true and inward desire of any thing he wants or would have If I say he cannot breathe out one sigh and some way or other though brokenly express himself to God Broken prayers oftentimes shew a broken heart and spirit which God will not despise But as thou art able beg earnestly daily and constantly an humble soft and relenting heart with godly sorrow for all and every sin It s no easie thing to break the pride and stoniness of the heart it requires help from heaven and power from above If God do it not it will never be done Wee have Gods promise But now we have his promise for it if we will earnestly seek unto him for it as for all other things freely promsed Ezek. 36.26 32 37. Beg earnestly that God would melt and soften thy heart and must be earnest be importunate with him till he hear thee his word is past and if thou faint and weary not it shall in Gods fittest time and urgent with him and in that measure and manner which he thinks good be accomplished and fulfilled Challenge God of his promise of powring upon thee the spirit of grace and of supplications that looking upon Christ thou maist mourn c. Zech. 12.10 God as hath been said must by his Spirit breath in before thou canst breathe out by thy spirit one sigh for thy sin And in thy prayer complain to God of thy hardnesse and say Lord why hast thou hardened my heart from thy fear Isa 63.17 Lord I have an hard proud and stubborn heart it is too hard for mee do thou take it down break and humble it If thou art not heard for the present yet cry still give not over yea and constant wait on him for an answer in due time who hath long waited for thee Rom. 10.21 Deut. 22.26 and for thy Repentance Cry aloud to God for help as the virgin was bound in case shee were forced else lost both her reputation and her life Cry to God before for help and after for pardon so shall not thy hardness of heart be imputed to thee or be thy ruine That which unfainedly thou desirest might be done and grievest if it be not done that shall by Gods mercy in Christ be accounted to thee as done And with our prayer wee must joyn 1. Fasting Now to make thy prayer more effectuall
the nail home to the head that thou mayst at length be fast and close joyned to Christ if God have met with thee by the reproof of the word or stung thee by his threatnings see his mercy in it let the sting remain till his work be wrought let him have enough even his fill of thee till thy proud heart be fully humbled Lest else wee get hurt by such prickings and thy corruption drawn and purged out otherwise look for no ease but greater sorrows Wee have a little venemous flie or midge * At Dantzigk where this was preached here you know that if when it seiseth on the flesh hand face or legs you let it alone till by sucking it be filled with your blood it will leave you of it self and leave behinde it little or no venome at all Simil. onely if you put it off before and seek ease by scratching the place affected wil swell with the poyson of it and put you long to pain especially if you be bit in divers places neer together This is soon applyed to our purpose here Prickings of conscience in sight and sense of sin and judgment being suffered to have their full work in our deep humiliation whilest wee maintain the power of them and seek not ease too soon are so far from hurting that they purge us and draw out our corruption whereas the sudden and too hasty healing of them causeth the wound to fester the soul to swell with self-conceit and security and greater sorrows in the end at least to seise on it As God then by such legall terrours of conscience begins with thee so follow God in his work think not the work done when it is onely begun Go not which is an holy mans expression raw from Gods school through fear of the rod and go raw out of Gods school and service lest thou prove a bad proficient in the Universitle buy not out your time and yeers of service before you have well learned your trade lest you be forced to come and be brought again under servitude to the Law and under the spirit of bondage In a word comfort not your selves too soon If it be natural sorrow in the loss of friends wealth good name liberty c. which hath taken hold on thee first cease not till thou turn it into sorrow for sin that it may be more lasting If it be legal terrour that is a sorrow for sin not as it is sin but as it presents thee with displeasure from God and with punishment see that it end in sorrow for sin as it is sin and learn to grieve for the offence of God though there were no hell to punish thee hereafter no shame reproach pain or punishment on earth to follow it sorrow most for that which is the cause of all sorrow We must see that Compunction end in Contrition c. See that thy compunction end in true contrition that the pricking and breaking of thy heart which may stand with hardness may end in bruising and melting in some apprehension of Gods love and hope of mercy whiles it is softned melted and made pliable to Gods will See that despair in thy self send thee to hope in God that self-judging send thee to seek absolution and pardon from God that seeing thine own damned condition thou look to Christ and esteem of him above many worlds that fear of wrath make thee more earnestly desire mercy that sense of wrath make thee at least consult and cast about what to do to be saved as it did these here who being pricked in heart said What shall we do SECT 4. Divers Reasons why men are not to take up with legall qualms till they be humbled enough Why we are not to rest in every slight sorrow NOw why are we thus to do why are we not to take up onely with some few whorish tears or legall terrours but to see that we be humbled enough 1 Because it is but a preparative to Conversion in the elect 1. Because all the fore-named works of the Law are but preparations to Conversion and far off degrees thereof and indeed common to many reprobates to Pharaoh Ahab Herod Felix Cain and Judas and to many others now in hell as hath been said even to the Divels themselves who have such stings in their consciences and tremble but without hope though in and to the elect these prickings are truly preparative to their Conversion and yet but preparative 2. These prickings being common to the reprobate and elect tend as well if good use be not made of them to the hurt of the one as health of the other 2 because being not followed home in others God is provoked to give them up either yea they are but beginnings of mens damnation both furthering and increasing the same But how and why is this Because where such woundings and prickings are neglected and not followed home it is just with God yea and usual to give men over either to senselesnesse and hardnesse of heart which is the first entrance into Hell or to anguish of soul when they most stand in need of comfort yea to utter desperation so that when such men come to die it is either like Nabal as a stone and blocke or as Judas in despair 1 to senselessnes and deadnesse 1. If when conscience smites stingeth pricketh and accuseth it be neglected and that men so fairly called on and admonished by so good a friend otherwise proceed not on to godly sorrow and repent not it will ere they be aware give over its office of accusing checking and awaking them by jogging as it were and pricking yea be quiet and silent in effect saying as God himself saith Why should ye be stricken any more This is when being smitten in heart with David for sin they do not repent and seek mercie with David A wounding conscience saith one neglected will prove a dead conscience as an ungracious childe after many corrections is hardened thereby and at length quite given over and cast off A wound neglected or falsely healed festers the more and often causeth mortification of the flesh numnesse deadnesse rottennesse Neglect we not then the first stingings and prickings of conscience by which God comes near and makes some offer to us You may perhaps make light account of the rebukes of men or of us Ministers and so especially do great men rich noble and generally proud men yet if ye be wise neglect not conscience if it accuse you to your selves do you accuse your selves much more to God least otherwise he give you up to deadnesse and securitie Or 2. to anguish of conscience in their death 2. Or if not that and that is bad enough and more dangerous because more pleasing then to anguish of soul on your death-beds at least when conscience which lay asleep before and the guilt of your sin which only lay at the doore like a sleeping lion or a
did from Christ but come not sorrowfull to Christ or his Ministers seeking ease to their burthened conscience yea many mens sorrow is such as drives them from God and Christ as Judas and Cain in their pangs of conscience Judas came not to Christ for mercy though he were at hand yea a Saviour at hand but to the high Priest and at length hastened to the Divell Cain flees from the presence of God to build him a City for his safety Others in distresse and anguish of conscience do not betake themselves to prayer or to God his Ordinances and Ministers but with Saul to musick to the Witch of Endor to the Divell Of which more hereafter 5. With coming to God and to the throne of grace 5 Prayer there is prayer and deprecation for pardon where the soul is truly humbled as in Manasseh and in the humbled Publican Lord be mercifull to mee a sinner Luke 18.13 Here is a sinner that is one laden and touch'd in heart for his sin and here is his prayer for pardon and mercy But this follows upon the former and belongs partly to somewhat following Yet it convinceth many who never seek ease by hearty prayer for mercy from God unlesse it be for removall onely of their justly deserved punishment 6 Reformation of life and a holy walking with God 6. True humiliation is accompanied with reformation of life and with a holy walking with God onely such humiliation is acceptable to God which is so followed Therefore the Lord shewing how we may come and bow our selves acceptably before him and what is good this is the chief That we walk humbly or humble our selves to walk with God Micah 6.2 8. such a soul as hath been truely pricked hath been taught its lesson for medling again with sin as hath been said And godly sorrow changeth the heart works in it an hatred of sin a love of righteousnesse in a word Repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 that is a change and alteration both of heart and life whilest the unfained tears of true sorrow do not onely like the waters of the red sea drown the whole army of our sins but like the dew and rain from heaven water and refresh our earthy hearts yea make the soul to bring forth and bud Isa 55.10 and to be fruitfull in all righteousnesse and in the fruits thereof Without returning again to sins formerly repented Such a soul returns not at least habitually unto wickedness as we have shewn Ahab Pharaoh Felix and Judas did and as is the guise of hypocrites who after some seeming sorrow and forced tears return with the swine to the same or worser sins again But do thou examine thy heart and consider well with thy self whether thy humiliation have effectually taught thee to walk both humbly and constantly in a course of humiliation yea and reformation with thy God An unreformed life is inconsistent with an humbled heart SECT 3. Other Concomitants gathered from the Text as 1. Confession of sin Other effects and concomitants of godly sorrow gathered more specially from the text it self TO proceed As the afore-named particulars have been afforded us from other Texts of Scripture which more expresly couple them with humiliation sorrow of heart and feeling the load and burthen of sin so though we will exclude none of them from having been in these converts yet we will fetch some signes Effects and Concomitants of true Contrition more specially from the Text it selfe Some besides Hope of which I have spoken formerly gather hence these two Effects of true Contrition 1. Confession 2. Detestation of sin 1 Confession of sin even to man 1. Here is implied if not expressed an open and free Confession of their sin of murther and of crucifying their Saviour wherewith v. 36. they were charged they deny not their guiltinesse nor are ashamed to lay open their disease to their spirituall Physicians they in effect confesse themselves guilty and onely seek direction what to do to be saved from deserved wrath saying Men and Brethren What shall we do And to say truth where the soul feels the burthen and load of sin it will seek ease by disburthening it self by free and willing confession of the same as to God especially so also to man to men of God especially to able and mercifull men and Ministers who are not onely able to speak a word in season for comfort and direction but tender-hearted pitifull and mercifull who will sympathize with it yea are faithfull both for their unpartial dealing with the wounded spirit not healing it with fair words and flatteries and also for secrecie No ease without this in some cases so far as it is fit It is with the soul in this case as with the stomack if it be overcharged with surfetting and thereupon sick and pained it seeks and gets ease by vomiting so in like proportion the soul having surfetted on sin and now sensible of the load of its sin will seek ease by confessing thereof both to God and in some cases to man too where either his sin hath been open and scandalous or personall to the hurt and wrong of any or where he finds not comfort and sense of pardon from God for by making it known to some faithfull Minister or experienced Christian he may hope for some help by their prayers and wise directions Have you who pretend sorrow for sin thus done or have ye not rather Application and do you not stand out against the reproofs of Gods word and Ministers to such as will not be convinced denying justifying or at least extenuating and lessening your sins I tell you a heart truely contrite and broken will soon be convinced None will sooner take shame to themselves by a free and ingenuous confession of sin or take shame to themselves then such as are most sensible of their dishonours done to Gods great name thereby If by taking shame to themselves they can any whit redeem Gods honour they will readily do it And therefore I ask again In case you have made some confession of your sin as even a Pharaoh and a Judas may do have ye therein aimed at Gods honour and do you therefore by confession take shame to your selves that you may give to God the honour of his Omnisciency Justice Holinesse as is fit Many as condemned persons rather then they will shame themselves by a true confession of the sins for which they justly suffer or thereby honour Gods justice which hath found them out or yet the justice of the Law by which they stand condemned as yet the good thief did on the crosse will with that other gracelesse thief chuse rather presently to go to hell with the guilt and load of their sins upon them Such are the Pseudo-martyrs of the Romish Synagogue and thousands moe wherein they come short of Judas who confessed his treason against the innocent Lamb of God Or if with
tender humble soft and relenting hearts and when we have got them to keep and preserve them so in and by the frequent use of the same and other like means and keep them so How and holy exercises of prayer meditation hearing reading conference with such as have been humbled through neglect of which we shall find ovr hearts insensibly to grow hard and through cold performance of duty to freez again Even as the water in the cold of winter soon freezeth into hard ice which once broken in some parts of it that cattell may drink thereat or for other uses is kept open by daily breaking of it which care being for some few dayes neglected requires greater pains to break and open it again Simile So a soft heart and Gods Spirit once had are easily kept by daily care but hardly recovered when through negligence we have lost them CHAP. XXIII Where is shewed what these Converts said and that the heart being once affected sheweth it self by words and thereby may be discovered It followeth And said unto Peter and the rest of the Apostles Men and brethren The second effect of Peters Sermon or What these Converts said What shall we do IT hath already been considered what these Converts heard and what they suffered we must next consider what they said And said unto Peter c. where me thinks I see them framing into true Christians and becoming like a well set and tuned clock where the heart which in them was pricked and moved is like the master-wheel They are compared to a clock moving by the weights of their own sin and of Gods wrath not without some sense allurement and hope of mercy their tongue like the bell on which the hammer after the moving of the first wheel doth strike which truely sheweth the inward disposition of the heart and how it is affected and then their hand like the pointer shews it self ready to do and put in execution whatsoever it according to Gods word shall be directed unto as being right in heart tongue and hand as we should be in all other duties as of thankfulnes for they being pricked in heart said What shall we do here is heart tongue and hand agreeing in a sweet harmony together in this first work of conversion as indeed they do and should do in all other parts and particulars of Christian practise and duty as in our thankefulnesse towards God where the heart must begin Non sola vox sonet sed manus consonet verbis facta concordent Aug. in Psal 149. and in the inward acknowledgement of Gods mercies and Attributes love God Psal 116.1 and the soul yea all that is within understanding memory will and affections must praise him Psal 103.1 Then accordingly our mouths must speak of and shew forth his praises Psal 51. and our hands work and shew us really thankfull which is the end of all mercies temporall Psal 105.43 44 45. Deut. 10.12 13. and spirituall Luke 1.74 75. So God would have us perform duty to men even to our enemies much more to himself as Matth. 5.44 45. where you will finde both a Diligite of the heart and of love of enemies Love your enemies a Benedicite of the tongue Blesse them that curse you and a Benefacite of the hand This their behaviour is a signe of the sincerity of their sorrow Do good to them that hate you And so here It was a good signe that they were rightly and savingly pricked in heart when in this humble and loving manner they spake unto the Apostles sought direction from them and offered themselves ready and willing to do accordingly Others being pricked are more hardened then before and kick against the prick hating that word and those persons that do rebuke them as those other Jews did Stephen Acts 7. which puts a manifest difference between such as are savingly pricked and such as are not Four particulars to be spoken of here by which we may and should examine and try our selves 1. Who thus spake and said Such as were pricked Here we will consider 1 Who thus said or spake 2 When. 3 To whom 4 What said they 1 Who Such as were pricked in heart No marvell if thus by the tongue they shewed the grief and sorrow of their hearts It s a signe they were now sensible of their own hatefull sins and of Gods just judgements due unto them of both which formerly they were insensible as indeed the greatest evils always are such as men are least sensible of as the heathen Philosopher instanceth in ignorance folly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist Rhet. 2. injustice c. Now that Gods word and grace began secretly to put some life into them and that they began to be at some distance with their sin having it now not so much in them as before them they become sensible of the same and shew so much by speech Where the heart is truely and inwardly affected in any kind especially where it is inwardly wounded and in anguish Doctr. The heart shews it self by words and thereby may be judged it shews vents and bewrayeth it self by the mouth and by words Words will burst our like fire which cannot be hid David resolving to keep his mouth with a bridle Psal 39.1 2 3. while the wicked was before him yet when by holding his peace his sorrow was stirred my heart saith he was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned then spake I with my tongue So in matter of joy where the heart rejoyceth Acts 2.26 the tongue will be glad so where faith is in the heart there wil be confession of faith in the mouth Rom. 10.10 where the heart boyleth bubleth up or as we English it enditeth a good matter there the tongue will be the pen of a ready writer Psal 45.1 The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdome and his tongue taketh of judgement Why The Law of his God is in his heart Psal 37.30 31. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good and an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evill for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh Luke 6.45 This here appears in the passion of sorrow where being pricked in heart especially in sorrow and anguish the tongue expresseth truely the sorrow of it as the stroaks on the instrument or voice of the singer answers the notes that are prickt in the rules Dr. Featly So that by the quality and nature of the speech or words uttered the inward condition the sincerity and soundnesse or unsoundnesse of its sorrow is commonly discovered as we see differently in David David's conscience being inwardly troubled for sin whilest he kept silence he found Gods hand still more heavie upon him Then said he I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquitie have I not
hid I said I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Psal 32.3 4 5. These here in effect do the same by these words of theirs confessing as hath been said their sins and finding like mercy ver 38. On the other hand Cain being pricked in heart and conscience for his bloody sin and in Cain doth also speak and utter and some other Jews but what words of despair so those Acts 7.54 being cut to the heart gnashed upon Stephen with their teeth and uttered words of desperate rage and madnesse crying out with a loud voice and stoning him v. 57. And howsoever in affliction the tongue sometime belie the heart Hypocrites may counterfeit Psal 78.34 35 36. as in the grosser hypocrite yea also self-deceiver who when God smites them enquire early after him as did the Israelites in the wildernesse Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth and they lyed unto him with their tongues Yet I say in true grief the tongue truly sympathizeth with the heart and expresseth the affections of it truly as in the Parrot Yet they bewray themselves by their words c. which being beaten cryes like it self with its naturall voyce and not as at other times like a man artificially And though Pharaoh Judas and many like unto them seem to shew by their words and confession some compunction of heart yet both their words being well weighed at least their after-deeds do shew the hypocrisie or deceit of their hearts and that their grief was not true and genuine for their sins but for the punishment and through legall terrours or meer naturall conscience within them Contrariwise a good heart being smitten of God will either be silent unto God and not dare to mutter or murmure against him or withall it will utter onely good words as we see in Job chap. 1.21 22. and chap. 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him Thus it is constantly with it though perhaps in a fit it may forget it self and utter words of discontent as we see in the same Job and Jeremiah and others The reason of all this is that sincerity and integrity which is in the heart of those whom God doth soundly touch Reason which is a single heart not a heart and a heart or a tongue and life different from the heart which it seems Nature it self would teach us all seeing Anatomists teach that the heart and tongue hang upon one string Dr. F. ibid. so that when the heart is moved with any passion or perturbation the hammer as in the former resemblance beats upon the bell and the mouth soundeth and answers the motions and affections of the heart Vse 1 In our sorrows to shew our sincerity by our words and by the nature of them Let us therefore when Gods hand toucheth us shew by our words and deeds also sutable that our hearts are inwardly well affected and truly humbled under his hand for our sins truly desirous how to pacifie him and to procure true peace to our consciences It s a signe the hearts of many are but lightly pricked or touched with remorse for their sins they do so little complain or make their moan to others who may afford them ease by their counsell and good directions As on the other hand such as most complain out of an inward feeling of their sins and who accordingly move doubts and questions concerning their estate of soul are none of the worst Christians at least they are in a good way 2 And so generally For more general Vse It were to be wished that men by their words and language as also by the nature and quality of their discourse and speech did shew the soundnesse holinesse and integrity of their hearts within more then they do The heart will be venting it self by the tongue and commonly according to that abundance which is in the heart the mouth will be speaking A reproof of such as pretending good hearts yet are tongue-tied Many talk much of their good hearts to God ward but if their hearts within were so good holy hearts believing hearts humble hearts hungering hearts zealous hearts as they pretend they would not be so tongue-tied as they are either to God-ward or towards others If Gods word were in the heart of many Ministers 1 In Preaching at least as a burning fire they would soon grow weary with forbearing to preach and to speak in his Name Jer. 20.8 9. though his word should be made a reproach to them and a derision daily So if the hearts whether of many Ministers or others 2 In Prayer were truly pinched with sense of their own and peoples wants they could not take up with bare generall forms of words in their seeming prayers or with a generall invitation of others to pray or at best to joyn with them in rehearsing more then praying the Lords prayer The heart truly touched with a sense of its own guiltinesse and of Gods displeasure or of its own wants could not take up with forms of words framed by others or at least long rest in them but would vent it self by words at least by sighs and groans sutable to its condition Such as complain that for any expressions of their own they are tongue-tied in Prayer let them strive to get better hearts sensible hearts sanctified hearts hearts full of the spirit of God which is a spirit of grace and of supplication Zech. 12.10 for were they full of it they would otherwise vent themselves then they do whereas now they draw neer to God onely with the mouth and with their lips honour him but have their hearts removed far from him Isa 29. ver 13. their hearts are more tyed and shut up then their tongues and so in effect both are tyed to God-ward So many are and some complain that they are not so profitable in discourse and in private conversation with others by holy conference as they should be 3 In speaking of good things by instructing exciting and for God exhorting encouraging of others yea admonishing and reproving them for their vanity oaths reviling of Gods people and his people and for their speaking evill of Gods good ways But if these would look into the true cause hereof they would finde that either the Law of God is not at all in their hearts for then they would speak wisdome and their tongue would talk of judgement or that their hearts are not so holy so charitable and compassionate towards others so zealous for God and his honour and such beleeving hearts as they should be or for time of profession calling and means might be But for a tongue that straitens it self to speak of better things then are in the heart A dissembling tongue reproved c. either in matters of God and of profession of godliness or in duties and profession of love towards others this is
proud and arrogant Pharisees to Christ Joh. 9.39 40. And elsewhere Joh. 8.32 33 34. We were never in bondage to any man how sayest thou ye shall bee made free when yet they were both blind and the servants of sin And though apparantly and much more then these they were the crucifyers of Christ yet even immediatly after a mighty work of Gods providence in delivering the Apostles out of prison which yet remained shut and the keepers standing before the doors the High Priests and Sadduces could say to them Acts 5.23.28 Ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and withstand their own conversion and intend to bring this mans blood upon us If these here had stood so upon their own innocency wisedome freedome from sin and not upon this conviction have denied themselves in the same when had they been converted And so in like case when shall many amongst us be converted and saved as many amongst us who though manifestly convinced of their sins particularly by the word of reproof both publikely and more privately stand so much on their own wisdome innocency worth fulness that through the pride of their hearts stoutness of will and love to their sins they will not deny themselves in any of these by an ingenuous confession or by stouping and yeelding to Gods word but rather are more hardned and become more resolute in sinning even because of the reproof and conviction The judgement belonging to suchis whose judgement is to be let alone that they are left to themselves and given up to their own wisedome and willfullness to perish at length in their own waies So said our Saviour concerning the Scribes and Pharisees after he had with no profit to them reproved them Mat. 15 3.-14 Let them alone they be blinde leaders of the blinde c. As of old concerning Ephraim Ephraim is joyned to Idols Let him alone Hos 4.17 and so left to perish And in effect God saith the like to others now such a man is wedded and joyned to his lusts Let him aloue to his own wisedome and will let him alone to his whore to his gold by covetousnesse to the world let him alone I will leave him to himself and in the chaines of his own willfullness and under the command of his own lusts till he perish everlastingly in them his whore shall be his God that pleasure his heaven all he will get 2. Particularly of self-seekers Prov. 3.5.7 Rom. 12.16 All this is for the just reproof yea and condemnation of such as Idolizing themselves are and willl be 1. Self-wise and self-conceited leaning to their own understanding both in matter of doctrine and practice of life framing nearer waies to heaven and easier then ever God made and living by rules of their own devising 2. Self-willed stiffe stout and unyeelding in their own bad waies 3. Self-lovers self-admirers and self-seekers But all this while where is self-deniall and where is true conversion and where will be Salvation 2. More specially this is for the reproof of such as in whose Practise and mouthes this and such like rules and sayings are Every man for himself and God for us all True Especially of such as are all for themselves thus far God must either be for us or all we can do for our selves will be to little purpose Yea and all which others will doe for us his children who should be but ill provided or cared for if God cared not for us Nay but this is said by such as care not for any other God or man and not for any else but for themselves and that not for the good of their souls which were much to be wished but for the things of this life with neglect of whatsoever may make for not only their own eternall good and wellfare but Gods glory the furtherance of the Gospel of Christ the good temporall and spirituall of others So that whilst men are thus for themselves Gods glory the Gospel religion christian profession and all other men and things must be for them too or they are not right None of these things are respected by them neither will they by self-deniall be any thing to the prejudice of their temporall honour gain ease and delights for God for religion or for the spirituall good of their own or others souls yea or for others in any respect further then makes for their own carnal or at best only worldly ends As 1. not for God and his glory 1. Though Gods glory lie at stake and the credit and honour of profession yet many carnall Gospellers regard that nothing at all but rather then they will deny themselves in sinful delights gainfull trade of sinning foolish fashions whose name through them is blasphemed scandalous courses The name of God through them for any thing they care shall be blasphemed among the Gentiles among Papists Atheists and such as are glad of any occasion to reproach religion and profession Religion which yet they must and will professe shall be made subordinate to their aimes and if it will not stoop and serve their ends and be for them they will not be for it but for themselves Let religion and Gods glory sinke or swim for them so they get that they seek and aim at let it shift for it self God will have a care of it and of his own glory what need they trouble themselves about it Every man for himself and so must God also be for his own honour for all them if he will have it 2. Not for the good of others 2 And for others good It s true God alone is able to do us good without the mutuall aid and help one of another but he will have it otherwise He will have us rejoyce and weep one with another he will have one man teach and instruct another Rom. 12.15 and every one give good example to other and to take knowledge of other mens graces and gifts as well as their own as yet God would have them whilest he saith Phil. 2.4 Look not every man on his own things but every man also on the things of others When Canaan was to be divided and 48 Cities to be set out for the Levites Numb 35 2-6 7 8. God would not give the Levites any inheritance among their brethren or set out those Cities at first till the whole land was divided among the other Tribes then were the Levites to be relieved our of the others tenths and out of the shares of the other Tribes to have those cities severally allotted to them which they were to give them according to the proportion of the inheritances first given unto them God hath made the Church and Common-wealth two distinct bodies not for the good either 1. of Common-wealth in which the members of each body should be serviceable one to another In the common wealth he hath distinguished callings no one man having all gifts nor
being sufficient to himself wherein he will have one man helpfull to another according to his calling that each may stand in need of other and each may afford his care and help to other Insomuch that the King himself as he is not able to subsist of himself but stands in need of his meaner subjects even of the husbandman the King himself is served by the field Eccles 5.9 Rom. 13.4 so is he not for himself alone but is the minister of God to his people for good If now every one will be for himself what will become of the Common-wealth in the end whence injustice c. what would follow but injustice defraudation one of another extortion oppression and in the end utter confusion So the Church also or mysticall body of Christ Or 2. of the Church wherein is diversity of callings and of gifts 1 Cor. 12. whereof one cannot be without another where God hath appointed a Communion of Saints wherein we are to serve one another in love and to have and shew the like care one of another wherein besides communion with God internall and externall there is both an invisible or internall communion one with another in the conjunction of their hearts by love where love and all offices of love and duty are wanting and in the offices thereof in mutuall prayers and thanksgivings and also externall both in preaching and hearing and in other offices both spirituall as mutuall admonitions and exhortations reprehensions and castigations by which spirituall evils are removed so by puritie of doctrine and good example of life as also corporall by alms and other works of mercy yea and duty Now where by self-denyall men do not perform such duties one to another and much self-denyall is required thereunto but that every one by a disordered self-love and self-respect will be for himself what will become of the Church of God or of the communion of Saints We see it in many places and persons in whom such self-respects take place Whence much danger and dammage to the Church where true love is wanting places and offices in the Church sought after but preaching and good example of life is neglected the Church is robbed by greedy Patrons of her patrimony Levites denyed or put from their maintenance and places of dwelling people either denyed their spirituall food or fed with husks of humane inventions and of errours broached through ignorance or ambition and self-respects to serve the times and be a step and ladder to preferment and maintained by wilfulness and self-love whilest men in love with their own opinions will stick by them lest they seem inconstant Thus as such as these are all for themselves Or 3. Of posterity and not at all either for the good of common-wealth or Church so some are as little for their Posterity after them saying That if they can have enough to serve their own turns for the present and if things go but well with them whilest they live they need not care for others after them who must shift for themselves as they have done This gracelesse conceit savouring of so much self-respect is wicked and unsound whence danger of ruine 1 To private families by wastefull and careless parents and the practice of it if it were generall would be the ruine 1. Of private Families For how should children be provided for if parents respecting nothing but their own ease pleasures and voluptuousness should either neglect their callings and the care in an honest way to provide for their families and to lay up for their children or mispend and waste all on their lusts on their horses hawks dogs or on harlots or on their backs and bellies by gorgeous apparel and delicate or excessive fare above the proportion of their means and decency of their callings whereby they are forced to cut down their woods to mortgage and at length to forfeit or sell out-right their inheritances house and lands which being left by their Ancestours they should leave and transmit to their Posterity 2 To the common-wealth by greedy Magistrates 2 No greater decay or signe of ruine to the Common-wealth then when Magistrates and Officers every man serves himself and his own turn of it and respects his own private commodity for the present and neither the publick and common good of many whilest each for his time interverts from the common stock and publick Treasury nor yet of posterity and such as come after them and Monopolizers Thus it is with Monopolizers Ingrossers c. 3 To Religion 3 And for Religion if care be not had to transmit it pure unto posterity after our departure out of this life and that God by others after us may be glorified and served according to his own will and word by time-serving Teachers what indeed will become of it or of the Church It may fail for the care of many who receiving it as pure gold from God and our fathers seek to mixe and adulterate it for their own base ends and hopes in this world Thus did not Moses Thus did not Moses when he was so carefull to instruct Joshua and to charge him the elders and people before his death Deut. 31.2 7 26 29 c. nor Joshua Joshua before his death see Jos 23.1 2. to the end and chap. 24.1 2. and so on to ver 29. nor Paul whose both fear and care was or Paul that after his departure grievous wolves should not enter into the Church of the Ephesians not sparing the flock which accordingly he commends to the care of the Elders of that Church who had publick spirits Acts 20.28 29 c. All these had and generally the godly have publick spirits and are not all for themselves And such spirits should we all strive for that we may attain at length this excellent and most necessary grace of self-denyall And so we come to a third which is also a last Use of the former Observation SECT 11. Containing a third Vse Incouraging and Directing what to own shewing for what we are to deny our selves And first for God in his Attributes and Glory Vse 3 For Incouragement and Direction what especially to own and seek 3. THat we may both be better enabled and more encouraged to deny our selves in all the fore-named particulars let us be directed what especially to own what chiefly to seek respect and honour above our selves and above all things else on earth that so by denying our sinfull yea naturall if not in the sense already shewed our spirituall selves we may be no losers in the end but such as by the wisest safest and onely way shall be found truly to seek our selves and so in the end prove wise when all others shall prove fools even wise to the eternall salvation of our souls This is done and for what to deny our selves whilest by true self-denyall we do subordinate our selves and
word and presently to yeeld our selves in obedience to it offering our selves ready to obey God according to his word and will to shew our selves ready to obey God in the matter and businesse 1 Of salvation as especially in matter of salvation so also of Religion and generally of Obedience both active and passive 1 For the great businesse of salvation we are to deny our selves as is said in all our own works and worth and in all humble acknowledgement of our guiltinesse to be content to be directed by the word and to follow cheerfully the directions of the same totally submitting our selves to obey God in all things even to the cutting off of hand and foot and plucking out of the eye and parting with all even with every lust for Christ where especially we are to take heed of hypocrisie and self-deceit and that sincerely such as might seem to be in him that said Lord I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest and in those other who would follow Christ but upon conditions Luke 9.57 58 59 c. and more especially in that young man and Ruler not as the young Ruler who in all haste to shew his readinesse came running to Christ and in all humility as it might seem Mark 10.17 c. Matth. 19.16 c. Luke 18.18 c. kneeled to him and said Good Master what good thing shall I do that I may have and inherit eternall life Herein in shew like these sincere Converts in my Text and like the Jaylour What must I do to be saved All of them seeming ready to offer themselves ready to obey and follow direction in all things that young man being directed by Christ of all others seemed most ready as having done already as much as Christ now directed him unto saying All these things have I done kept and observed from my youth up And as if like another Hercules it had been more easie for him to do then for Christ to bid him do What lack I yet who wanted sincerity and would keep his bosome sin saith he But the truth is he lacked the main of all and that was sincerity and a good heart and honest his heart was glued and wedded to his wealth and to the world which he truely and heartily loved more then Christ or yet his own soul and the salvation of it if he could enjoy and have both well and good he liked Christ well and salvation well if he might have had them upon his own conditions but when Christ touched and tryed him in his beloved sin his covetousnesse which he well hoped he might have by way of surplusage in the bargain and bade him sell all and give to the poor though he were promised better treasure in heaven yet he went away from Christ sorrowful for he had great possessions Of this stamp at best are our begging Friers who build their Order upon this personall command which yet was onely for conviction of this forward mans hypocrisie and all such as pretend they can do all that Christ commands them yea more in and by their works of supererrogation and by following Councels more then commands of perfection in effect with their Ancestours and Predecessours of old asking of God the Ordinances of justice Isa 58.2 as if God had been wanting to their readinesse to obey him But these here in my Text which these converts did not onely ask what they shall do being truly willing and sincerely resolved to do that even to forsake all and every lust for Christ and yet presumed nothing on their own strength but hoped as for direction from his Apostles so for power from him to do accordingly being otherwise pinched in heart and poorer in spirit then any proud hypocrite that either in love to some lust or open presumption of his own worth or power of wel-doing shall deceive himself nor Paul who sincerely submitted himself to God in all things Such a sincere convert was also Paul who though he was going on a wicked errand and upon a malicious designe against the faithfull people of God yet when Christ met with him by the way humbled him and convinced him of his sin of persecution he trembling and astonished said Lord what wilt thou have me to do Acts 9.4 5 6. And this he said out of an honest and good heart with a true and stedfast purpose to perform accordingly which he also fully and constantly did even unto the end Which his sincerity will better appear if we compare and consider it with Balaams deceit of heart who whose sincerity is compared with Balaams hypocrisie riding on with a like wicked intention and purpose of destroying the lives of Gods people and being also met withall by an Angel in the way and reproved for his sin so directly against the charge given him Numb 22.12 Thou shalt not go thou shalt not curse the people seemed to relent and repent I have sinned and to offer himself ready to get him back again saying Now therefore if it displease thee I will return back again yet for all this his heart carried him secretly on in the way of his covetousnesse and of cursing Fain he would go on such was his love to the wages of unrighteousness yet seeing apparent danger if he did he faintly offereth to turn back with an If it please thee He could not be ignorant that his evill intent to curse Gods people for his own promotion was most evill in the Lords eyes and the cause why the Angel came out as an adversary against him yet he conceals that and makes a fair shew of repentance and obedience which his hypocrisie God in wrath punished by giving him his desire and leaving him to his own lusts which he followed to his destruction a just reward of such as not hearkening to the expresse and known will of the Lord are given up by Gods withdrawing of his grace to the perverse intendments of their own hearts to walk and perish in their own counsels Psalm 81.11 12. Here then we see that there must be true and hearty submission of soul to God and a totall resignation of our wils to Gods will with a readinesse to obey both heartily and totally in all things made known to us No lust may be reserved without reservation of any lust whatsoever no true conversion without this universall obedience and hearty willingness and readiness to obey in all things as it was with these converts here and with Paul but not with the young man nor with Balaam nor with Herod who though when he heard John preach which he did gladly he did many things yet keeping in his heart the love of his whore by an incestuous marriage of his Brothers Wife he could not when he was reproved for it obey John or God in that and so with the other and with all such hypocrites came short of Christ of God and of salvation 2 Of Religion and worship
wilt thou have me to do so receiving his direction from the Lord both then and afterwards he did punctually and constantly follow and observe the same unto the end So that when he was ready to be offered and that the time of his departure was at hand he could boldly with comfort and much assurance say I have sought a good sight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day And lest he should in a singular manner ingrosse and challenge all to himself as an extraordinary person and servant of God he adds not to me only but to all them also that love his appearing 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. This boldness he had though he elsewhere cry out of his infirmities and weakness notwithstanding the infirmities of his life either to do the good he would or to withstand the evill he would not Rom. 7.18 19 and 24. Which is yet more comfort to such as with Paul shall truly indeavour to do their duty when to their hearty grief they cannot do as they would With what comfort may such die and how willingly and confidently resigne their souls with Stephen into the hands of Christ So in Stephen Simeon who now have him in their hearts as old Simeon when hee imbraced him in the arms of his body so of his soul also Luke 2.25 26 -28 29 30. Such onely can be truly willing to die as Paul Phil. 1.23 and may be comforted in and at their death Ki. Hezekiah and John as Hezekia Isa 38.1 2 3. yea may long and pray for Christs second coming as did John and say Even so Come Lord Jesus Rev. 22.20 for such onely are blessed Behold saith Christ I come quickly Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophesie of this book my reward is with me to give every man as his work shall be Blessed are they that do his commandements that they may have right to the tree of life c. Rev. 22.7 -12 -14. This should excite us so to be doing How should this teach and excite us all ever to be doing that or those things which we desire or could wish that Christ when he comes to us by death or judgement should find us doing Oh what an Euge or well done good servant might we so expect from him who else can from the heart or dares say Come Lord Jesus that is not resolved to keep his sayings and to do his Commandements Nay who when he so saith is not working the works of Christ This would be thought on by all sorts of men according to their callings generall and particular Kings and Magistrates that we according to our several callings may be found of Christ 1. In peace 2 Blameless Ministers Masters and all others in their places that they may be found of him at his coming 1 In peace that is justified and reconciled to him 2 Without spot and blamelesse 2 Pet. 3.11 12 -14. yea so and in such sort blamelesse that God and Christ shall at that day judge us so So as God shall approve of our obedience otherwise doubtlesse some will then be found to justifie and flatter themselves and say as Saul to Samuel I have done the commandement of the Lord 1 Sam. 15.13 or to plead their good and great works Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name done many wonderfull works Matth. 7.22 23. And when saw we thee an hungred or a thirst or a stranger or naked on sick or in prison and did not minister unto thee Matth. 25.44 45 46. To whom God will answer as Samuel to Saul what then meaneth the loud cry of your sins unsorrowed for and unpardoned Depart from me ye workers of iniquity and so whilest the righteous shall go into life eternall these shall go away into everlasting punishment 2 Terrour to the rebellious impenitent and disobedient Ah deer Brethren and you especially to whom by preaching this large Discourse of Conversion hath been addressed Consider what ye have heard and meditate on these things and the Lord in his rich mercy give you understanding in all things And know that God who will not be mocked or dallied withall will require an account of you concerning the things you have heard Now advise and see what answer you will return unto him what accounts you will give unto him when either now in your consciences or at death or the last judgement he most certainly wil call you to give up the same who have not yet begun to do well If yet you have not been so pricked and wounded in conscience by what you have heard or now read as to be made plyable to Gods will and to say what shall we do to your work again Consider the helps you have had to humiliation pray hard and from the heart desire that God would make them effectuall to you or to obey the Gospel But if through your negligence or love to your sins and vain wayes or through self-deceit and flattery you be yet to begin think seriously of your danger lo now you are again warned and lose no more time but to day hear the voyce that hath called you and no longer harden your hearts against his call yeeld your selves in obedience to the Lord. And take heed that Christ will come against them when Christ comes by death or otherwise you be not found in a posture of disobedience and rebellion against him or as the Scripture phrase is walking contrary unto him for so you will finde him to walk contrary to you and that in fury Levit. 26.21 -24 -28. You that now break his hands asunder and cast away his cords from you shall finde him to speak unto you in his wrath as he hath in great love and gentlenesse spoken to you in his word and to vex you in his sone displeasure crush them He shall break you with a rod of iron and dash you in pieces like a potters vessell Psal 2.3 4 5 -9. You that will not now have Christ to reign over you when he returns which to you will be in death and after at the last judgement shall hear him calling you forth after he hath rewarded others and saying But those mine enemies lo how Christ even when he comes to judge the world accounts of such as now are disobedient to his Gospel which would not that I should reign over them bring them hither and slay them before me Luke 19.27 punish them everlastingly Now that slaying is a punishing with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 1.9