and then he was but sixteen years old and yet he exprest more zeal for God then all the Kings And so among Job's friends God speaks best of Elihu the young man and of all the Evangelisâ—s none like to Timothy he was trained up and had known the Scriptures from a child Nay you shall find that the very children did follow Christ when Christ came into the Temple Matth. 21. 15. and cryed Hosanna to the Son of David the Scribes â—â—d Pharisees they were offended when they heard â—â—e children cry Hosanna to the son of David he â—â—d perfect his praise out of the mouths of babes â—â—d sucklings the children cryed Hosanna to the â—on of God so that weak in respect of age the â—oâ—d many times makes choice of Fourthly Weak in respect of sex and that is a â—oman she is called the weaker vessel and yet he many times reveals himself to women and unto women sooner then men This woman of Canaanâ—â—sthe â—â—sthe first that comes to Christ in all these coasts we read of no man that came to Christ and so â—he woman of Samaria John 4. she was the first of all that City that was converted to Christ Christ first speaks to her and draws her heart to â—elieve on him and then she runs to the City and calls all her friends And so in Luke 8. 2. you â—ead of divers women that followed Christ there were divers weak women followed after Christ â—nd did minister to him And so in the Acts of the Apostles when the Apostles came to some Ciâ—ies the women came first and were more forward â—hen men to hear the Gospel Acts 16. 13 14. And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city by a rivers side where prayer was wont to be made and we sat down and spake unto the women which resorted thither And a certain woman named Lydia a seller of purple of the city of Thyatira which worshipped God heard us whose heart the Lord opened c. The women were the first that came to hear and here is mention made of Lydia whose heart the Lord opened and she received the Word of God and received Christ And thus you see this particular also cleared that the Lord maâ—â— times makes choice of the weakest and makâ— them to come to Christ But secondly to speak to the second part 〈◊〉 the doctrine that the Lord doth not only maâ—â— choice of the weakest but of the most unworthieâ—â— and I shall speak only of unworthiness in respeâ—â— of parentage or kindred this woman she caâ—â— of the stock of the Canaanites which were a wicâ—â—ed and cursed generation you read divers timeâ— in Scripture what they were and what great sinâ—ners how they were a people that were given oveâ— to all whoredome and witchcraft and cruelty 〈◊〉 such as did offer their sons and daughters to Dâ—â—vils those were the abominations of the Canaâ—â—nites yet behold here is one of the stock 〈◊〉 the Canaanites that lay under a curse cursed 〈◊〉 Cain they were strangers to God and the Coveâ—nant and counted dogs by the Israelites yet thâ— woman is pluckt out and the Lord works faith 〈◊〉 her heart But to give you some Instances in Scripture Thâ— Lord pulls out Abraham from an idolatrous peâ—â—ple idolatrous kindred and makes him to be excelâ—lent in faith and the Father of the faithful Anâ— so you read of Rahab that was of the Nation thâ—â— God destroyed and by faith she was saved and 〈◊〉 houshold And so you read of Ruth that was 〈◊〉 the stock of Moab yet the Lord makes choice 〈◊〉 her and brings her to be a Proselyte in Israel anâ— though she was one that came of Moab yet she was made a Mother in Israel So you see the second Particular Thirdly to speak to the third branch of the Doctrine That the Lord makes choice of thâ—se that were most sinful This woman was not only a Canaanite but was as sinful as the Canaanites before the Lord brought her in to himself The Lord makes choice of those that are most sinful Manasseh of all the Kings none like Manasseh none like him for vileness and wickedness he did worse then the Canaanites that were cast out of the Land before the children of Israel yet the Lord makes choice of him Manasseh's heart at last was turned to the Lord. And so among all the persecuters of Christ and his Church except those that sinned against the holy Ghost none a greater persecuter then Paul he did it with a great deal of violence and he sayes he made the poor Christians to blaspheme the name of Christ so violent was I and so mad was I that I persecuted them to strange cities and haled them to prison and when they were judged to death I gave my consent and my voice was among those that gave sentence of judgement for their death And yet the Lord had mercy upon Paul and he was brought at last to believe in Christ and of a persecuter he was made a Preacher of the Gospel and of the faith that once he destroyed And so divers Instances I might give you of those that were most sinful which the Lord brought home to Christ Yea such as lived in Christs time of all the people the Publicans and Harlots were the worst None like to Zacheus a great oppressor one that had done much wrong and one that did beaâ— himself up upon his riches he was a rich Robber â—ah but the Lord makes choice of Zacheus Christ calls him and he comes down and then he turnes his hand against his sin that was so dear to him and makes restitution of the wrong he had done And so among all the Harlots none worse then Mary Magdalen who had seven Devils cast out of her and yet the Lord makes choice of Mary Magdalen she was brought in to Christ and made most excellent among women Thus you see the Lord many times doth make choice both of the weakest and of the unworthiest in respect of kindred and stock and of the most sinfullest To shut up all briefly with a little Application First of all here is an invitation that this Doctrine doth give to divers sorts to come to Christ this Doctrine invites the weakest and the unworthiest and the sinfullest to come to Christ Let me speak to the weakest O you that are weak in estates weak in parts that you would perswade your hearts to come to Christ know thâ—â— this weakness shall be no block in your way Christ will as soon receive you as the strong And leâ— me speak to those that are weak in respect of age O that you would perswade your hearts to loâ—â— after Christ to seek after Christ betimes to see after faith in the name of the Son of God Loâ—â— upon the example of young men spoken of 〈◊〉 your imitation Samuel the Prophet and Josiah the King Timothy the Evangelist Oh that childreâ— young men would look to those patterns and examples for
he day of great afflictions First It carries the heart to God thorough Christ and makes its complaint unto him it doth not cry out against God but as it cries unto God so it runs unto the Lord thorough Christ and pours out his complaints before him So David Psal 142. 1 2. I cryed unto the Lord with my voice unto the Lord did I make my supplication I poured out my complaint before him The flesh cries out of his burden yea sinful flesh it complains many times not only of his burden but of God himself Ah but the spirit that cries unted God Job 35. 9. By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry They cry out by reason of the arme of the mighty v. 10. But none saith where is God nâ—â—â—maker he reproves the sons of men They are apâ—â—to cry but it is the cry of the flesh they cry out of the arme of the mighty but they do not go to God None say where is God that giveth songs in the night season The spirit in the saddest condition goes to God through Christ Secondly The cry of the spirit it doth make a man to cry out as well of sin as of affliction it will make a man to cry out more of sin then of affliction the flesh is not sensible of the burden of sin Ah but where the spirit of the Lord is it will make a man cry out most of all of the burden of sin if God should take away affliction and not take aâ— way corruption this would be little refreshment to him O miserable man that I am as you have the Apostle cry which was the cry of the spirit Rom. 7. the latter end O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord He was more sensible of the body of sin then of any affliction that lay upon him Thirdly The cry of the Spirit it will make the soul cry more after God himself then after any mercy or deliverance that it may injoy God that it may have the presence of God and communion with God that it may be made like to God a gracious heart it cries thus after God yea in the day of affliction when the burden is heavy a gracious heart desires more to injoy God then to be free from his affliction See how the Psalmist doth express himself in Psal 63. 1. O God thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul thirsteth for thee in a dry and thirsty land where no water is David was now in a state of banishment it is like he met with sore afflictions ah but the cry of his soul was after God my soul thirsteth for thee and longeth for thee Fourthly The cry of the spirit it is a cry of faith it cries in faith and cries in hope the flesh cries in despair many times but the spirit cries and believes when it cries it takes hold of God and follows after him follows God crying though God go away See what is said Psal 89. 26. the promise is made to Davids son Christ He shall cry unto me thou art my father my God and the rock of my salvation He shall cry unto me 〈◊〉 but he shall cry in faith when he cries he shall say Thou art my Father and my rock And so the Church Isaiah 26. she cries out with a great cry and it is in faith doubtless thou art our Father And so Psal 119. when as David cryed he trusted he took hold of God and hoped in his mercy 145 146 147. ver though he was in a great affliction and there was great cause to cry yet his cry was the cry of faith and he hoped in the Word of the Lord for the accomplishment of the Word of the Lord. Fifthly As the cry of the spirit is the cry of faith so it is a fervent cry that cry that the Lord doth raise up by his spirit in the day of affliction it is a fervent cry it is no cold nor lazy cry but a strong cry Jesus Christ in the dayes of his flesh put up strong cries and the Apostle James he speaks of the fervent prayer of Gods people I am 5. The fervent effectual prayer of the righteous prevaileth much When the Spirit of prayer doth set all the faculties of the soul a work to look after God and take hold of God â—hen it takes hold of God and will not let him go and cry out as the Church Awake thou arme of the Lord as in the dayes of old when it will take no rest it self and give God no rest till the Lord comes in a way of grace that is the prayer that is spoken of Isai 62. 6 7 8. that prayer that is accompanied with holy fervency is the cry of the spirit Sixthly and lastly The cry of the spirit is such a cry as will not easily be silent though it meet with no answer from the Lord though it meet with a denial as this woman of Canaan she meets with many discouragements he gave her no answer at first still she goes on to cry her cry was a cry that was raised by the spirit of the Lord the flesh may put a man upon it to cry to the Lord for a season but if the Lord does not come in the flesh grows weary now the cry of the spirit is a constant cry that will not give over but will wait upon the Lord till such time as he shall send from heaven to save Thus you see what the cry of the flesh is and what the cry of the spirit Secondly Now the Saints in all Ages in the dayes of their affliction have been stirred up to cry with their spirits unto the Lord and the greater their afflictions have been the more they have cried unto the Lord So it was with Moses he was in a great strait when as he was before the red Sea and then Moses cryed in spirit God made use of that strait to stir up the cry of the Spirit in Moses And so when Jacob was in a great strait he cryed more earnestly then ever he had done when as his brother came to meet him with an Army of men he saw nothing but death and destruction he applied himself to the Lord and cried mightily It is said in Hosea 12. 4. speaking of Jacob He wept and he made supplication And so you know David in Psal 14â— cryed and it was when his spirit was over whelmed and no man to pity him then he cryed unto the Lord. And you know our Lord Jesus to give you no more instances in the dayes of his affliction he cried louder then ever That place Heb. 7. 7. In the dayes of his flesh he offered up prayers and supplications with strong cries and teares unto him that was able to save him from death and was heard in that he feared And the Evangelist Luke doth take notice that as Christs
to the lost sheep of the house of Israel Christ tells this woman that he cannot do it for her because it did not lie in his Commission to which he must be faithful he could not go beyond his Commission What may we learn from hence We may take notice of this Historical Proposition That our Lord Jesus Christ in all he did he acted by commission and kept his eye upon his commission which he was faithful unto The Scripture holds forth that he was sent of his Father the Father sent him and gave him a commandment what he should do and what he should speak And Jesus Christ he was very faithful in observing his commission he kept his eye upon the work that his Father had given him to do and in that work he was faithful In every thing that Jesus Christ acted he looked to his Fathers rule the commission that his Father had given him See John 5. 30. I can of my own self do nothing as I hear I judge and my Judgement in just because I seek not mine own will but the will of the Father which hath sent me And as in the matter of judging so in all other dispensations Christ was pleased to look to the will of his Father that sent him I came not to do my own will in that thing but the will of my Father And so in John 6. 38 39. For I came down from heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me and this is the Fathers will which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day As in his works of judging so in his works of mercy Christ kept his eye upon his Fathers will he looked to his commission this is the Fathers will that I should lose none of them but that I should give life to them all and raise them up at the last day Yea in his very words in all Christ spake he kept his eye upon the rule and spake according to his Fathers will and commandment I speak not of my self but what I have heard of my Father John 8. 26. I spake to the world those things which I have heard of him John 12. 50. Even as the Father said unto me so I speak In all that Christ spake he kept his eye upon his Commission And as in all that Christ spake he kept his eye upon his commission so in all Christ did As the Father gave me commandment even so I do John 14. 31. still his eye was upon the commandment of his Father upon his commission And in obedience to that commission he lays down his life John 10. 15. And I lay down my life for the sheep Ver. 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again this commandment have I received of my Father Yea in Christs motions this way and that way his going to one place and not to another his preaching in one place and not in another still he kept his eye upon the commission of his Father See Luke 4. 43. I must preach the Kingdom of God to other Cities also for therefore am I sent They would have kept Christ with them no saith he I must preach the Kingdom of God in other Cities in all that Christ did he kept his eye upon his Fathers commission he looked to his Fathers will and that was his rule to walk by And the ground of it is this because Christ was found in the form of a servant though he thought it no robbery to be equal with God yet he took upon him the form of a servant though the Son of God yet he was content to be a servant that he might bring about the great work of Redemption Therefore God calls him the righteous servant By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many Isaiah 53. 11. And as Christ was a righteous servant a faithful servant so he kept his eye upon his commission Now if Christ had not done so if he had not acted all things according to the will of his Father he had not been a righteous servant but he was his Fathers righteous servant and therefore he evermore looked upon his commission what was his Fathers will and so he applyed himself to it And as in all other things so in this particular in the Text of preaching the Gospel and shewing mercy first to the Jews and not to the Gentiles I am not sent but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel I am sent to shew mercy to the house of Israel still he eyed that work that was committed to him because the promise was made to them the promise of the Messias it was first made to Abraham and his seed to that Nation that came out of the loins of Abraham And Christ came to confirm the promise that was made to Abraham and his Seed therefore in this thing he observed his Fathers order and his Fathers time though his Father had a design of mercy to the Gentiles yet he will shew mercy first to the Jews and then to the Gentiles So that the Jews first of all must have the offer and then the Gentiles shall have their time Christ eyed his Fathers will and time therefore he applies himself to that work But by way of Application First what cause have we who are of the stock of the Gentiles who live in this time and in this Generation to bless the Lord that we do live in that time when the partition-wall is taken down there was a time when the Jews only were the people of God and when Gods design was to shew mercy to them and there was a time when mercy seemed to be restrained from the Gentiles there was a time when Christ must not preach to the Gentiles so it was his commission then not to shew mercy to the Gentiles at that time Go not into any of the wayes of the Gentiles and into any of the Cities of Samaria enter not There was a time when the Gentiles were shut out from mercy when the word of life and salvation was restrained from them when the Lord gave this commission go not into the way of the Gentiles oh how are we beholden to free-grace that hath broken down this wall of partition that now since the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ there is no difference but now mercy is freely offered to the Gentiles as well as to the Jewes for the wall of partition is now broken down and of how should we admire the grace of God in it we that were out-casts of the Gentiles sinners of the Gentiles that the Lord should ever send to perswade us to dwell in the Tents of Shem we we might have dwelt in the barren wilderness every day and never have been called and that God should invite us to dwell in
advantage and spared the life of Shimei though he had provoked David by his curses Now thus she reasons with her self the son of David the Messias of whom David was but a type he hath more mercie and compassion then David surely his bowels are infinite and therefore though she be a vile sinner an unworthy wretch yet she comes and takes hold of his mercie and there is nothing else that she pleads with Christ nothing else she rests upon only upon mercy no other Argument she useth only presents her great miserie her daughter is grievously vexed with a devil She takes hold of mercie So then the Observation is this That where there is true faith it will teach a soul to deny it self to look beyond it self it s own worthiness and righteousness and to take hold of mercie and of the free grace of God through Jesus Christ I shall open the point to you And first I shall give you Instances that the Saints in all Ages in their coming to God hath looked at nothing in themselves but hath only pleaded mercy and free grace in all their straits You know that Instance of Jacob when he was in a great strait he applied himself to the Lord he pleaded only mercy he doth not look to any worthiness in himself he doth not present that before the Lord as any motive Gen. 32. 10. he pleads no worthiness but looks to his own unworthiness O Lord I am lesse then the least of all thy mercies he doth not tell God that he had lived without blame that he had walked justly and had not defrauded but he had been a faithful Steward that he had walked religiously and eyed God in his wayes that he had set up a pillar and vowed a vow he pleads none of this but O Lord I am lesse then the least of all thy mercies And so Moses though he had done as much as most men that ever lived Deut. 3. 25. I pray thee let me go and see the good Land Here is not a tittle of any of the services that he had done for God that he doth mention he does not say Lord I have taken a great deal of paines with this people I have followed thy Commandements and suffered a great deal of hardship with them for thy sake no he only pleads mercie Thou hast begun to shew thy servant thy greatness and thy mighty hand I pray thee let me go over and see the good Land And so David often in the Psalmes you shall find he is pleading with God and he makes mercie his refuge he pleads only mercie and free grace Psal 4. 1. he pleads that God would bear him in his mercie And you shall find that when the Servants of God hath pleaded for others they have urged nothing but mercie and free grace in all their supplications So the Prophet Jeremiah when he was pleading for the Church Jer. 14. 7. O Lord though our iniquities testifie against us do thou it for thy names sake for our back-sliding are many we have sinned against thee No mention of any righteousness no be mentions their iniquities Our back-slidings are many but do thou it for thy names sake And so the Prophet Daniel when he was pleading for the Lords people he looks beyond all righteousness of their own and pleads mercie Dan. 9. 17. Now therefore O our God hear the prayer of thy servant and his supplication and cause thy face to shine upon thy Sanctuary that is desolate for the Lords sake He had before in verse 8. confessed all their iniquities and now O Lord sayes he do it for the Lords sake And if you look into the new Testament from the beginning to the end of the History of Christ you shall never find any that were accepted of Christ that pleaded any thing but mercy and free grace Matth. 9. 27. And when Jesus departed thence two blind men followed him crying and saying Thou son of David haue mercy on us And so in Matth. 17. 14 15. another comes to Christ and he useth only that Argument mercie Lord have mercy on my son for he is lunatick And in Matth. 20. 30. there is mention of two blind men sitting by the way side and they cried out Have mercy on us And in verse 13. the multitude rebuked them but they cried the more saying Have mercy on us O Lord thou son of David And so the same Argument the Lepers used vers 17. Jesus Master have mercy on us Indeed we read of some of the Elders of the Jews that came to Christ in the behalf of the Centurion and they plead his worthiness Luke 7. 4. And when they came to Jesus they besought him instantly saying that he was worthy for whom he should do this But now the good man himself he had no such thought of himself but he utterly denies it look into verse 6 7. Then Jesus went with them and when he was now not far from the house the Centurion sent friends to him saying unto him Lord trouble not thy self for I am not worthy thou shouldest enter under my roof verse 7. Wherefore neither thought I my self worthy to come unto thee but say in a word and my servant shall be healed Neither thought I my self worthy to come unto thee such a mean and low account had this man of himself First But I shall clear the Doctrine to you and make it out that a gracious heart where there is faith looks beyond all his own worthiness and righteousness and comes to Christ Secondly Shew you that the same gracious soul closes only with mercy and free grace First I say a gracious soul in its coming to Christ looks beyond all that is in himself and that both in its first coming and afterward in any disstresse closeth with the Lord and looks beyond his own worthiness and pleads only mercie In the souls first coming to Christ a gracious heart doth not not cannot look to any worthiness in it self for where the Spirit of the Lord is it doth discover to man what his vileness and miserie is now where there is a saving discovery to a soul of his own vileness it is not possible that that soul should plead any thing of his own before God For First of all The Spirit teacheth a man that he is empty destitute of all that which is good the soul is naked of all that which is good and is as a poor beggar that hath neither bread to eat nor clothes to put on but in a sad condition utterly bereaved of the Image of God In my flesh dwels no good thing sayes the Apostle though through grace he had received much from God yet in me in my flesh dwels no good things Now where there is a discoverie made to a soul that he is full of wants poor and naked surely such a soul can plead nothing but free grace Secondly The Spirit of the Lord discovers to a soul that it is not only full of wants
much upon his own justification what he was not and what he was I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican I fast twice a week I give tithes of all I possess But the Publican he smote upon his brest saying God be merciful to me a sinner and the Publican he went away justified rather then the Pharisee Though hypocrites look at their services yet a gracious heart dare not look at any thing it hath done Matth. 25. When Christ takes notice what the Saints hath done and sayes Come ye blessed of my Father I was hungry and you gave me meat thirsty and you gave me drink naked and you cloathed me Why Lord say they when saw we thee a hungry thirsty and naked when did we these things to thee What did the Saints do good works ignorantly did good and did not know No that which is done out of ignorance is sinful no they knew what they did and that they did but according to the mind of Christ ah but when done they take no notice of it their right hand shall not know what their left hand doth for they dare not plead their services and their duties upon this account For they know whatever is good is not theirs but Christs whatever in them that is good and whatever good they have done is by the Lords Spirit and therefore they know there is nothing for them to plead by way of merit no the more they are inabled and assisted to do for Christ the more they are ingaged unto Christ Christ is not ingaged to them but they ingaged to Christ And besides whatever they have done in the service of the Lord as theirs it is accompanied with many weaknesses and frailties that if it were not for Christ and his righteousness and Christs presenting them God the Father could not accept the best service that ever was done by the best men And besides the Saints know that when they have done all they can they are unprofitable servants if they could do a thousand times more for God yet they have nothing to plead Christ teacheth us so Luke 17. 10. So likewise ye when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you say we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Mark if it were possible for any of Gods people to do all that the Lord requires yet there is nothing to plead you have done but that which was your duty that which was your debt Now the payment of a debt is no ingagement he to whom the debt is paid is not ingaged you have done but your duty And so the best of all the Saints if they could do all that is required they do but pay their debt there is a debt of thankfulness not debt of justice we have done that which is duty which we owe to mercie and free grace Again the Saints cannot plead their sufferings Though a man suffer never so much and suffer never so well and suffer upon a good ground and suffer for the name of Christ yet there is nothing that he can plead by way of merit for there is no man suffers without sin there was merit in Christs sufferings because he suffered and had no sin of his own he was the Lamb of God without spot but now the best of Saints upon earth who do suffer for the name of Christ cannot suffer without sin though it is not punished for sin yet still there is sin in the person and so can be no desert And then beside it is that which the Saints owe to Chris as they owe all duties so they owe all suffering for the name of Christ and if they should suffer a thousand times more then ever any man suffered it is but what they owe and therefore suffering cannot be pleaded no more then services And so you have the first part of the point But of the second part to speak more briefly to that as a soul is taken off of it self so it pleads only mercie flees to free grace comes to naked mercie First For a gracious heart it sees and knows that there is a fulness in mercie to satisfie all its wants all its desires there is enough in mercie to make abundant supply to it as it sees there is that in it self which may make it run from it self so there is that in mercie and free grace which may make it run to it as to a City of refuge There is a fulness in mercie which may answer the soules desires and wants for as you heard before when the Lord doth discover to a man that he is a poor creature destitute and naked why the same spirit doth discover that there is enough in mercie to supply all wants mercie hath made great provision for the poor naked destitute creature and as it discovers to a soul that it is a sinful creature so the same spirit doth discover that there is enough in mercie to take away all sin and pardon all transgressions and mercie and free grace hath set open a fountain an infinite fountain a bottomless fountain of merit in the blood of Christ for the washing away of sin and as the soul sees that it is a poor weak creature so the same spirit doth discover to it that mercie is strong and mercie is able to reach him in every condition and able to lift him up in the lowest condition and as it sees that it is an enemie to God so the same spirit doth discover that mercie can reconcile it shew what is done for the reconciliation of poor creatures mercie hath given Jesus Christ for to slay the enmitie and to reconcile poor lost creatures Thus I say a gracious soul it will flee to mercie it sees that there is a fulness in mercie to answer all its wants Secondly And as it sees a fulness so there is a freeness in the Lords mercie and therefore runs to mercie as this woman did and pleads mercie and to cast her self into the armes of mercie because free see that the Lord is a tender hearted God and that mercie flew freely from him mercie makes free invitations the soul seeing and hearing that it is perswaded to apply it self to mercie Thirdly Such a soul will flee to mercie because it knows that all that God doth for his people in the business of salvation it is for the exaltation of mercie and free grace the great work of the redemption of souls it is only for the exaltation of mercie and free grace it vvas free grace that found out the vvay of redeeming souls and free grace that gave sinners to Christ and free grace that gave Christ for sinners and free grace gives Christ unto sinners and all that God doth in sanctifying and saving his people is upon the account of mercie and free grace and therefore the Lord he invites souls to himself and he makes choice of such as may most of all declare the
to free grace it is to be had in mercy there is healing for you I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely Oh that the Lord would help us all to flee to this refuge Doe you desire any thing Goe upon the account of mercy doe not stand upon any worthinesse any justification of your selves and if you be kept from Christ by your unworthinesse then you have an eye to your worthinesse O that we might not look upon any worthinesse If a man come to you and plead that you would take pitty upon him it would move your hearts more then if a man should come and require of you that you should doe so and so for him because you have done so and so for others No but if he falls down at your feet it prevails more with you and so when God sees that a man stands upon it upon his own justification O this does not prevail but when a soul cometh to the foot-stool of free grace and pleads nothing but mercy I am worthy to be cast out but thou hast given an invitation to sinners and here I will wait at the foot-stool of free grace this will move the bowels of Jesus Christ Quest Ah but may not a man cry for mercy and yet goe without it Answ True indeed it is possible a man may cry for mercy and call for mercy in a dead cold formal way many a poor creature will say Lord have mercy on me and he trusts to his Lord have mercy on me and so thinks that should save him but that is not to trust in mercy they trust in their saying so but they trust not in mercy It is possible that a poor wretch in time of extremity may cry out Lord have mercy and yet not apply himself to mercy for the soul that applies himself to mercy he applies himself in Gods way Now Gods way in shewing mercy it is in Jesus Christ if a man cries never so loud for mercy yet if he does not apply himself in Gods way look thorough the Mediator he may cry and go without it but he that doth apply himself rightly to mercy he seeks it in Chist for mercy will doe no good out of Christ therefore a gracious heart applies himself only to Christ and he that applies himself to mercy he waits the Lords time for mercy So that a man may say Lord have mercy and cry out for mercy and yet be far from obtaining mercy But now this let me say that if any poor soul that is sensible of his own misery that sees it is full of wants and full of sin and unrighteousness and full of weakness unable to help himself and full of enmity so that it can do nothing but sin against God I say a soul that shall see this and shall apply it self to mercy in mercies way look to God through Christ the Messias come as this woman to the Messias O thou son of David have mercy on me no soul that shall thus apply himself to the mercy of God thorough Christ being sensible of his own lost condition and shall there wait but certainly the Lord will make a good end with that soul and that soul as the Apostle speaks Shall find grace and mercy to help in time of need Matth. 15. 22. My daughter is grie vously vexed with a Devil SERMON VII YOu have seen this womans faith in her coming to Christ and closing with Christt as Lord and as the son of David We shall now see the love of this woman here is her love as well as her faith there was a great deal of love and compassion in her towards her daughter the stroke that was upon her daughters body fell upon her spirit and lay heavy there and therefore she doth not say Lord have mercy upon my daughter but Lord have mercy upon me It is my affliction and my burden Lord have mercy upon me for my daughter is grievously vexed with a Devil Her daughters affliction was heavy upon her spirit Quest But you will say Whether was this affection natural or spiritual grace Whether did she speak this from natural affection to her child or was this a fruit of her faith Answ I answer Here was both natural affection and spiritual grace for seeing this woman had a seed of faith in her as hath been proved natural affection could not work alone where there is the grace of faith in the heart it will not leave nature to work alone but grace will step in and rectifie natural affection order natural affection set bounds to natural affection set natural affection upon a right ground and make them look to right ends where there is grace natural affection cannot work alone Indeed in that heart where grace doth not dwell there nature works alone as the natural affections grief and sorrow and anguish in a natural man where the spirit is not nature works alone he cannot propound any spiritual consideration to himself to quiet his grief and sorrow he may fetch in some carnal considerations or he may stay till nature settle of it self time may wear out his grief but no work of grace to compose the spirit time must work it out But now in a gracious soul nature cannot work alone but grace will step in to order and rectifie to set bounds to the affections and will help to compose the spirit and so we may conclude of this woman here was first natural affection in her nature did teach her to love her child but natural affection did not work alone here was also the spiritual grace of faith faith taught her to love her child aright nature taugh her to love her child but grace taught her to love her child aright So that there was the working both of nature and grace Quest But you will say Was it not an evil to give way to natural affection Answ I answer No natural affection is not the corruption of nature Indeed there is a great deal of corruption in natural affection but natural affection is not the corruption of nature no natural affection is part of the Image of God the remnant of the Image of God which was left in man since the fall of Adam for it is a sin to be without natural affection The Apostle speaking of the sins of the last dayes he reckons up this as one without natural affection Rom. 1. 31. Natural affection is part of the Image of God and it is that without which the world could not be continued The Lord in abundance of mercy and wisdome hath planted natural affection in the hearts of Parents to their Children for if it were not so Gods name would soon be dishonoured and there would be all manner of cruelty and the race of mankind would soon be destroyed so that it is a mercy to have natural affection but to have spiritual grace to work with natural affection to have faith to set natural affection right and to cause it to work aright that
in heaven Rejoyce in this that God hath chosen you and loved you that he hath loved you with an everlasting love and that he hath given you to his Son and will bring you to life and happiness to the praise of his grace in this rejoyce And therefore it is that the Spirit of the Lord is given out to believers that they might know their election it is one end of Christ's sending the Comforter the Spirit of the Lord who searcheth the deep things of God and so reveals them unto believers Now this is among the deep things of God God's eternal love this is one of the depths that made the Apostle cry out when he considered God's way from eternity to poor creatures The Spirit searcheth the deep things of God and reveals them to his people the Spirit of the Lord stood by when he did write the names of his children in the book of life the Son was present and the Spirit was present even from eternity before the world was made when God writ the names of his people in the book of life and therefore the Spirit it is one of God's Witnesses and is given to testifie this to his people he is sent by Christ to testifie what he saw from eternity that the names of such and such were written in the book of life God hath given us of his Spirit that we might know the things that are given us freely of God 1 Cor. 2. 12. Now this is one of the things that are freely given us of God this absolute choice this love of God that was from everlasting if ever any thing were free this is free now the Spirit of the Lord is sent to cause us to know the things that are freely given us of God Now when the Spirit of the Lord doth make known to a soul that it is elected somtimes it makes use of the testimony of the blood of Christ and of the testimony of Water and somtimes he declares this to the soul by his own immediate witness the Spirit of the Lord doth sometimes make it known mediately and somtimes immediately Mediately There are three that bear record in earth the Spirit the Water and the blood and these three agree in one 1 John 5. 8. Now the Spirit that â—â—â—keth the blood of Christ anâ— sprinkles it upâ— the soul and causeth faith to be wrought in the soul to lay hold upon the blood of Christ and then there is the witness of the Blood And so all the Spirit of the Lord doth change the heart and renew the heart there is the witness of the Water now when the Spirit of the Lord doth shine upon these the soul can thorow these draw comfortable conclusions concerning its own election And somtimes there is a more immediate witness The Spirit it self bearing witness that we are the children of God Rom. 8. 16. Add his own Testimony beside all others that a soul is loved of God so that you see the second general head which is this that this great mysterie of election may be known it may be known unto others and to our selves And therefore O that we might wait upon God for the discovery of it Men are found negligent in this great business because they think it is too high for them who can ascend into heaven say they they think it is presumption for them to ascend into heaven and who can know say they that they are loved from everlasting But O! know souls that there is an absolute Election of grace and this Election may be known it may be known to others and it may be known to our selves O therefore that we might give the Lord no rest and our souls no rest till this great mysterie be made out to us though it be a secret a wonderful secret Yet there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets saith Daniel to King Nebuâ—â—â—dnezzar Dan. 2. 28. Thongh it was a secret 〈◊〉 past my reach saith he yet there is a God in â—aeven that revealeth secrets and so I say though 〈◊〉 be a secret yet there is a God in heaven that â—ealeth secrets and therefore wait upon the â—rd that we may know that we are elected Matth. 15. 24. I am not sent but unto the lost shâ— of the house of Israel SERMON XIII BUt to come to the third part of 〈◊〉 Doctrine which is this That the Doctrine of Election is a comfortable Doctrine It holds forth solid ground of comfort and greâ— refreshment to the people of God Although â—â—ny spurn at it and carnal reason ready to rise 〈◊〉 against it yet it is a doctrine of sweet and solâ— comfort to God's people And I shall shew yoâ— how it is such a comfortable doctrine First This is a ground of comfort to poor soulâ— that God's love doth not depend upon any thing 〈◊〉 the creature a ground of unspeakable comfort that God he fetcheth all his arguments of lovâ— out of his own bowels not from any desert in thâ— creature Alas if God's love had gone by desert in us there had been but little hope And I do not know what solid ground of comfort they can lay that contend so for a conditional Decree grounded upon the creatures acting for if the Lord had not loved and chosen till he had seen some worthiness in the creature till he had seen some better improvement in us then in others if the Lord had suspended to love and to chuse till then O! what little hope might any creature have had that know the contrary workings of his own heart What little hope of being saved But now when all is of Free grace and the Lord overlooks all unworthiness and chuseth freely and loves freely O this is a ground of hope and great consolation Secondly There is another ground of comfort and refreshment from this Doctrine It doth assure us that the Lord is very ready to be entreated that the Lord is not hardly brought off to shew mercy to poor sinners that there is not an unwillingness in God to this work as unbelief and the Tempter would suggest why It was that which was the purpose of God from everlasting I say God from all eternity hath purposed it It was the counsel of God the great work of God that which God spent his thoughts upon from all eternity they were as I may say the first thoughts of the heart of God to love and pity and to save and to bring about that great work of saving sinners by the blood of Christ this was the great contrivance of God and it is a great ground of comfort and refreshment A poor soul may doubt whether God be willing to save and willing to be reconciled to him that hath sinned so and so O! This Doctrine doth comfort exceedingly for certainly if it were the great work of God from eternity the Lord is not unwilling now to do it Christ tells his Disciples That the Father himself loveth you That is