Psal. 19. 3. Psal. 27. 4 5 6. Job 9. 4. Joh. 17. 2. Mat. 8. 29. Luk 8. 28. Jam. 2. 19. Eighthly Coming-Sinner The Jesus to whom thou art coming is Lowly in Heart He despiseth not any 'T is not thy outward Meanness nor thy inward Weakness 't is not because thou art Poor or Base or Deformed or a Fool that he will despise thee He hath chosen the Foolish the Base and despised Things of this World to confound the Wise and Mighty He will bow his Ear to thy Stammering Prayers he will pick out the Meaning of thy inexpressible Groans he will respect thy weakest Offering if there be in it but thy Heart Mat. 11. 29. Luk. 14. 21. Prov. 9. 4 5 6. Isa. 38. 14 15. Song 5. 16. Joh. 4. 27. Mark 12 33 34. Jam. 5. 11. Now Is not this a Blessed Christ Coming-Sinner Art thou not like to fair well when thou hast Embraced him Coming-Sinner But Secondly Thou hast yet another Advantage by Jesus Christ that art coming to him For he is not only Full but Free He is not sparing of what he has he is open hearted and open-handed Let me in a few Particulars shew thee this First This is evident because he calls thee He calls upon thee to come unto him the which he would not do was he not Free to give Yea he bids thee when come Ask Seek Knock And for thy Encouragement adds to every Command a Promise Seek and ye shall find Ask and ye shall have Knock and it shall be opened unto you If the Rich Man should say thus to the Poor would not he be reckoned a Free-hearted Man I say Should he say to the Poor Come to my Door Ask at my Door Knock at my Door and you shall Find and Have Would he not be counted Liberal Why thus doth Jesus Christ Mind it Coming-Sinner Isa. 55. 3. Psal. 50. 15. Mat. 7. 7 8 9. Secondly He doth not only bid thee Come but tells thee He will heartily do thee Good Yea he will do it with Rejoycing I will rejoyce over them to do them Good with my whole Heart and with my whole Soul Jer. 32. 41. Thirdly It appeareth that he is Free because he giveth without Twitting He gives to all men Liberally and upbraideth not Jam. 1. 5. There are some that will not deny to do the Poor a Pleasure but they will mix their Mercies with so many Twitts that the Persons on whom they bestow their Charity shall find but little Sweetness in it But Christ doth not do so coming-Coming-Sinner He casteth all thine Iniquities behind his Back Thy Sins and Iniquities he will remember no more Isa. 38. 17. Heb 8. 12. Fourthly That Christ is Free is manifest by the Complaints that he makes against them that will not come to him for Mercy I say he complains saying O Jerusalem Jerusalem How often would I have gathered thy Children together as a Hen gathereth her Chickens under her Wings and ye would not Matth. 23. 37. I say he speaks it by way of Complaint He saith also in another place But thou hast not called upon me O Jacob but thou hast been weary of me O Israel Isa. 43. 22. Coming-Sinner See here the Willingness of Christ to Save See here how Free he is to communicate Life and all good Things to such as thou art He complains if thou comes not he is displeased if thou callest not upon him Hark Coming-Sinner once again When Jerusalem would not come to him for Safe-guard He behold the City and wept over it saying If thou hadst known even thou at least in this thy day the Things that belong to thy Peace but now they are hid from thine Eyes Luk. 19. 41. Fifthly Lastly He is open and Free Hearted to do thee Good as is seen by the Joy and Rejoycing that he manifesteth at the coming home of poor Prodigals He receives the lost Sheep with Rejoycing the lost Groat with Rejoycing Yea when the Prodigal came home what Joy and Mirth what Musick and Dancing was in his Father's House Luk. 15. Thirdly Coming-Sinner I will add another Encouragement for thy Help First God hath prepared a Mercy-Seat a Throne of Grace to Sit on that thou may'st come thither to him and that he may from thence Hear thee and Receive thee I will Commune with thee saith he from above the Mercy-Seat Exod. 25. 22. As who should say Sinner When thou comest to me thou shalt find me upon the Mercy Seat where also I am alwayes found of the Undone Coming Sinner Thither I bring my Pardons there I Hear and Receive their Petitions and Accept them to my Favour Secondly God hath also prepared a Golden Altar for thee to offer thy Prayers and Tears upon A Golden Altar It is called a Golden Altar to shew what Worth it is of in God's Account For this Golden Altar is Jesus Christ This Altar sanctifies thy Gift and makes thy Sacrifices acceptable This Altar then makes thy Groans Golden Groans thy Tears Golden Tears and thy Prayers Golden Prayers in the Eye of that God thou comest to Coming Sinner Rev. 8. Mat. 23. 19. Heb. 10. 10 15. 1 Pet. 2. 5. Thirdly God hath Strowed all the way from the Gate of Hell where thou wast to the Gate of Heaven whither thou art going with Flowers out of his own Garden Behold How the Promises Invitations Calls and Encouragements like Lillies lye round about thee Take heed that thou doest not tread them under foot Sinner With Promises did I say Yea he hath mixed all those with his Own Name his Sons Name also with the Name of Mercy Goodness Compassion Love Pity Grace Forgiveness Pardon and what not that may encourage the coming Sinner Fourthly He hath also for thy En-couragement laid up the Names and set forth the Sins of those that have been Saved In his Book they are fairly written that thou through Patience and Comfort of the Scriptures mightst have Hope 1. In this book is Recorded Noah's Name and Sin and how God had Mercy upon him 2. In this Record is fairly written the Name of Lot and the Nature of his Sin and how the Lord had Mercy upon him 3. In this Record thou hast also fairly written the Names of Moses Aaron Gidion Sampson David Solomon Peter Paul with the Nature of their Sins and how God had Mercy upon them And all to Encourage thee coming-Coming-Sinner Fourthly I will add yet another Encouragement for the Man that is coming to Jesus Christ. Art thou coming Art thou coming indeed Why 1. Then this thy Coming Is by Vertue of God's Call Thou art Called Calling goes before Coming Coming is not of Works but of him that Calleth He went up into a Mountain and called to him whom he would and They came to him Mark 3. 13. Secondly Art thou coming This is also by Vertue of Illumination God has made thee see and therefore thou art coming So long as thou wast Darkness thou lovedst Darkness and couldst not
kill us we shall but die Here now was necessity at work and this necessity drove them to go thither for life whether else they would never have gon for it Thus it is with them that in truth come to Jesus Christ Death is before them they see it and feel it he is feeding upon them and will eat them quite up if they come not to Jesus Christ and therefore they come even of necessity being forced thereto by that Sense they have of their being utterly and everlastingly undone if they find not safety in him These then are they that will come indeed these are they that are invited to come Come unto me all ye that Labor and are Heavy Laden and I will give you rest Matt. 11. 28. Take two or three things to make this more plain to wit that coming to Christ floweth from a sound sense of the absolute need that a Man hath of him as afore 1. They shall come with Weeping with Supplication will I lead them I will cause them to walk by the Rivers of Waters in a plain way wherein they shall not stumble Jer. 31. 9. Mind it they come with Weeping and Supplication they come with Prayers and Tears Now Prayers and Tears are the effects of a right Sense of the need of Mercy Thus a senseless Sinner cannot Come he cannot Pray he cannot Cry he cannot come sensible of what he sees not nor feels In those Days and at that time the Children of Israel shall come they and the Children of Judah together going weeping they shall seek the Lord their God they shall ask the way to Zion with their Faces thitherward saying come and let us joyn our selves to the Lord in a perpetual Covenant that shall not be forgotten Jer. 50. 4 5. Secondly This coming to Christ it is called a running to him as flying to him a flying from Wrath to come By all which Termes is set forth the sense of the man that comes to wit That he is affected with the sense of his sin and the Death due thereto that he is sensible that the avenger of Blood pursues him and that therefore he is cut off if he makes not speed to the Son of God for Life Mat. 3. 7. Psal. 143. 9. Flying is the last work of a man in danger all that are in danger do not Fly No not all that see themselves in danger flying is the last work of a man in danger all that hear of danger will will not fly Men will consider if there be no other way of escape before they Fly Therefore as I said flying is the last thing When all Refuge fails and a man is made to see that there is nothing left him but Sin Death and Damnation unless he flyes to Christ for Life then he flies and not till then Thirdly That the true coming is from a sense of an absolute need of Jesus Christ to save c. is evident by the Out-cry that is made by them that come even as they are coming to him Lord save or I perish Men and Brethren what shall we do Sirs what must I do to be saved and the like This Language doth sufficiently discover that the truly coming Souls are Souls sensible of their need of Salvation by Jesus Christ and moreover that there is nothing else that can help them but Christ. Fourthly It is yet further evident by these few things that follow it is said that such are pricked in their Hearts that is with the sentence of Death by the Law and the least prick in the Heart kills a Man Acts 2. 37. such are said as I said before to Weep to Tremble and to be astonished in themselves at the evident and unavoidable danger that attends them unless they fly to Jesus Christ Acts 9 chap. 16. Fifthly Coming to Christ is attended with an honest and sincere forsaking of all for him If any Man come to me and hate not his Father and Mother and Wife and Children and Brethren and Sisters yea and his own Life also he cannot be my Disciple And whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple Luk. 14. 26 27. By these and the like expressions elsewhere Christ describeth the true Commer or the man that indeed is coming to him he is one that casteth all behind his Back he leaveth all he forsaketh all he hateth all things that would stand in his way to hinder his coming to Jesus Christ. There are a great many pretended Commers to Jesus Christ in the World And they are much like to the man that you read of in Matt. 21. 30. that said at his Fathers bidding I go Sir and went not I say there are a great many such Commers to Jesus Christ they say when Christ calls by his Gospel I come Sir but still they abide by their Pleasures and carnal Delights They come not at all only they give him a Courtly Complement but he takes notice of it and will not let it pass for any more than a Lie He said I go Sir and went not he dissembled and lied Take heed of this you that flatter your selves with your own deceivings words will not do with Jesus Christ coming is coming and nothing else will go for coming with him Before I spake to the other Head I shall answer some Objections that usually lie in the way of those that in Truth are coming to Jesus Christ. Objection I. Though I cannot deny but my mind runs after Christ and that too as being moved thereto from a sight and consideration of my lost Condition For I see without him I perish yet I fear my ends are not right in coming to him Quest. Why what is thine end in coming to Jesus Christ Answer My end is that I might have Life and be saved by Jesus Christ. This is thy Objection well let me tell thee that to come to Christ for Life and to be saved though at prethou hast no other end is a lawful and good coming to Jesus Christ. This is evident because Christ propoundeth Life as the only Argument to prevail with sinners to come to him and also blameth them because they come not to him for Life And ye will not Come to me that ye might have Life Joh. 5. Besides there are many other Scriptures whereby he allureth Sinners to come to him in which he propoundeth nothing to them but their safety As He that believeth in him shall not perish he that believeth is passed from Death to Life He that believeth shall be Saved He that believeth on him is not condemned And believing coming are all one So that you see to Come to Christ for Life is a lawful coming and good And let me add over and above that for a man to come to Christ for Life though he comes to him for nothing else but Life he gives much honour to him First He Honoureth the Word of Christ and consenteth to the Truth of it and that in
some before they Die Answ. Yes And God forbids that Prayers should be made to him for them Jer. 7. 16. Jud. 22. Quest. Then why may not I doubt that I may be one of these Answ. By no means if thou art coming to Jesus Christ because when God Shuts the Door upon Men he gives them no heart to come to Jesus Christ. None comes but those to whom it is given of the Father But thou comest therefore it is given to thee of the Father But sure therefore if the Father hath given thee an Heart to come to Jesus Christ the Gate of Mercy yet stands Open to thee For it stands not with the Wisdom of God To give strength to come to the Birth and yet to Shut up the Womb Isa. 66. 9. to give grace to thee to come to Jesus Christ and yet Shut up the Door of his Mercy upon thee Encline your Ear saith he come unto me hear and your Souls shall Live And I will make an Everlasting covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David Isa. 55. 3. Object But it is said that some knocked when the Door was Shut Answ. Yes But the Texts in which these Knockers are Mentioned are to be referred unto the day of Judgment and not to the coming of the Sinner to Christ in this Life See the Texts Mat. 25. 11. Luke 13. 24 25. These therefore concern thee nothing at all that art coming to Jesus Christ thou art coming Now Now is the acceptable time behold now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. now God is upon the Mercy-Seat now Christ Jesus Sits by continually pleading the Virtue of his Blood for Sinners and now even as long as this World lasts this word of the Text shall still be free and fully fulfilled And him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out Sinner the greater Sinner thou art the greater need of Mercy thou hast and the more will Christ be gloryfied thereby come then come and try come tast and see how good the Lord is to an Undeserving Worthless Sinner Objection 6. But sayes another I am fallen since I began to come to Christ therefore I fear I did not come aright and so consequently that Christ will not receive me Answ. Falls are dangerous for they dishonour Christ wound the conscience and cause the Enemies of God to speak reproachfully But it is no good argument I am fallen therefore I was not coming aright to Jesus Christ. If David and Solomon and Peter had thus objected against themselves they had added to their griefs and yet they had at least as much cause to do it as thou A Man whose steps are ordered by the Lord and whose goings the Lord delights in may yet be over-taken with a Temptation that may cause him to fall Psal. 37. 23 24. Did not Aaron fall yea Moses himself what shall we say of Hezekiah and Jehosaphat There are therefore falls and falls falls pardonable and falls unpardonable falls unpardonable are falls against Light from the Faith to the despising of and trampling upon Jesus Christ and his blessed undertakings Heb. â— 2 3 4 5. Chap. 10. 28 29. Now as for such there remaines no more Sacrifice for sin Indeed they have no heart no mind no desire to come to Jesus Christ for life therefore they must perish nay sayes the Holy Ghost 't is impossible that they should be renewed again unto repentance Therefore these God hath no Compassion for neither ought we but for other falls though they be dreadfull and God will Chastise his people for them they do not prove thee a graceless man one not Coming to Jesus Christ for life It is said of the Child in the Gospel That while he was yet a-coming the Devil threw him down and tore him Luk. 9. 42. Dejected Sinner is it a wonder that thou hast caught a fall in thy Coming to Jesus Christ Is it not rather to be wondred at that thou hast not caught before this a thousand times a thousand falls Considering First What fools we are by nature Secondly What weaknesses are in us Thirdly What mighty powers the fallen Angels our implacable Enemies are Fourthly Considering also how often the Coming-man is be-nighted in his Journey and also what stumbling-blocks do lie in his way Fifthly Also his familiers that were so before now watch for his haulting and seek by what means they may to cause him to fall by the hand of their strong ones What then must we because of these Temptations incline to fall No. Must we not fear falls yes Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Yet let him not be utterly cast down The Lord upholdeth all that fall and raiseth up all those that are bowed down Make not light of falls yet hast thou fallen ye have said Samuel done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve him with a perfect heart and turn not aside for the Lord will not forsake his people and he counteth the coming sinner one of them because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people 1 Sam. 12. 20 21 22. Shall come to me Now we come to shew what force there is in this Promise to make them come to him All that the father giveth me shall come to me I will Speak to this promise First In general Secondly In particular In general This word shall is confined to these all that are given to Christ. All that the father giveth me shall come to me Hence I conclude First That coming to Jesus Christ aright is an effect of their being of God given to Christ before Mark they shall come Who those that are given they come then because they were given Thine they were and thou gavest them me Now this is indeed a Singular comfort to them that are coming in truth to Christ. Thus then may the coming Soul reason with himself as he comes Am I coming indeed to Jesus Christ this coming of mine is not to be attributed to me or my goodness but to the grace and gift of God to Christ God gave first my Person to him and therefore hath now given me a heart to come to him Secondly This word shall come maketh thy coming not only the fruit of the gift of the Father but also of the purpose of the Son for these words are a divine purpose they shew us the Heavenly determination of the Son The Father hath given them to me and they shall yea they shall come to me Christ is as full in his resolution to save those given to him as is the Father in the giving of them Thirdly These words shall come make thy coming to be also the effect of an absolute Promise Coming sinner thou art concluded in a Promise thy coming is the fruit of the faithfulness of the Promise of the faithfulness of an absolute Promise 'T was this promise by the vertue of which thou at first received'st strength to come
Sin so the Law of Moses as it is a Perfect Holy Law hath a Voice against thee before the Face of God There is one that accuseth you even Moses's Law Jo. 5. Yea it accuseth all Men of Transgression that have sinned against it for as long as Sin is Sin there will be a Law to accuse for Sin But this Accusation shall not prevail against the Coming-Sinner because 't is Christ that dyed and that ever lives to make Intercession for them that Come to God by him Rom. 8. Heb. 7. 25. These things I say do accuse us before Christ Jesus yea and also to our own Faces if perhaps they might prevail against us But these words I will in no wise cast out secureth the Coming-Sinner from them all The Coming-Sinner is not saved because there is none comes in against him but because the Lord Jesus will not hear their Accusations will not cast out the Coming-Sinner When Shimei came down to meet King David and to ask for Pardon for his Rebellion up starts Abishai and puts in his Caveat saying Shall not Shimei dye for this This is the Case of him that comes to Christ He hath this Abishai and that Abishai that presently steps in against him saying Shall not this Rebel's Sins destroy him in Hell Read further But David answered What have I to do with you ye Sons of Zeruiah that you should this day be Adversaries to me Shall there any Man be put to Death this Day in Israel for do not I know that I am King this Day over Israel 2 Sam. 19. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22. This is Christ's Answer by the Text to all that accuse the Coming Shimeis What have I to do with you that accuse the Coming-Sinners to me I count you Adversaries that are against my shewing Mercy to them Do not I know that I am Exalted this Day to be King of Righteousness and King of Peace I will in no wise cast them out Secondly But again These Words do closely imply that the Coming-Souls are afraid that these Accusers will prevail against them as is evident because the Text is spoken for their Relief and Succour For that need not be if they that are coming were not subject to fear and despond upon this account Alas there is Guilt and the Curse lies upon the Conscience of the Coming-Sinner Besides He is Conscious to himself what a Villain what a Wretch he hath been against God and Christ. Also he now knows by woful Experience how he hath been at Satan's Beck and at the Motion of every Lust. He hath now also new Thoughts of the Holyness and Justice of God Also he feels that he cannot forbear sinning against him For the Motions of Sin which are by the Law do work in his Members to bring forth Fruit unto Death Rom. 7. But none of this needs be since we have so Good so Tender-hearted and so Faithful a Jesus to come to who will rather overthrow Heaven and Earth than suffer a little of this Text to fail And him that comes unto me I will in no wise cast out Now We have yet to enquire into two things that lie in the Words to which there hath yet been nothing said As 1. What it is to cast out 2. How it appears that Christ hath Power to Save or to Cast out For the First of these What it is to Cast out to this I will speak 1. Generally 2. More Particularly More Generally First To cast out Is to Slight and Despise and Contemn as it is said of Saul's Shield It was vilely cast away that is Slighted and Contemned Thus it is with the Sinners that come not to Jesus Christ He Slights Despises and Contemns them that is Casts them away 2 Sam. 1. 2. Secondly Things cast away are reputed as Menstruous Cloaths and as the Dirt of the Street Isa. 3. 22. Psal. 18. 42. Matth. 5. 13. Chap. 15. 17. And thus it shall be with the Men that come not to Jesus Christ they shall be counted as Menstruous and as the Dirt in the Streets Thirdly To be cast out or off it is To be abhorred not to be pityed but to be put to perpetual Shame Psal. 44. 9. Psal. 89. 38. Amos 1. 11. But more particularly To come to the Text The Casting-out here mentioned is not limited to this or the other Evil Therefore it must be extended to the most extream and utmost Misery Or thus He that cometh to Christ shall not want any thing that may make him Gospelly Happy in this World or that which is to come Nor shall he want any thing that cometh not that may make him Spiritually and Eternally Miserable But further As it is to be Generally taken so it respecteth Things that are now and also Things that shall be hereafter For the Things that are now they are either 1. More General 2. Or more Particular First More General thus It is To be cast out of the Presence and Favour of God Thus was Cain cast out Thou hast driven or cast me out this Day from thy Presence and from thy Face that is from thy Favour shall I be hid A dreadful Complaint but the Effect of a more dreadful Judgement Gen. 4. 13 14. Jer. 23. 39. I Chron. 28. 9. Secondly To be cast out is to be cast out of God's Sight God will look after them no more care for them no more nor will he watch over them any more for Good 2 King 17. 20. Jer. 7. 15. Now they that are so are left like Blind Men to wander and fall into the Pit of Hell This therefore is also a sad Judgement Therefore here is the Mercy of him that Cometh to Christ He shall not be left to wander at Uncertainties The Lord Jesus Christ will keep him as a Shepheard doth his Sheep Psal. 23. Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Thirdly To be cast out Is to be denyed a Place in God's House and to be left as Fugitives and Vagabonds to pass a little time away in this Miserable Life and after that to go down to the Dead Gal. 4. 30. Gen. 4. 13 14. Chap. 21. 10. Therefore here is the Benefit of him that Cometh to Christ He shall not be denyed a Place in God's House They shall not be left like Vagabonds in the World Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out See Prov. 14. 26. Isa. 56. 3 4 5. Ephes. 2. 19 20 21 22. 1 Cor. 3. 21 22 23. Fourthly In a word To be cast out Is to be Rejected as are the Fallen Angels For their Eternal Damnation began at their being cast down from Heaven to Hell So then Not to be cast out Is to have a Place a House and Habitation there and to have a Share in the Priviledges of Elect Angels These Words therefore I will not cast out will prove great Words one Day to them that come to Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 2. 4. Joh. 12. 31.
25. 40 41. She was confounded she could not well tell what to say the offer was so great beyond what could in reason be expected But suppose this great person should Second his Sute and send to this Sorry Creature again What would she say now Would she not say you Mock me But what if he affirms that he is in good earnest and that his Lord must have her to wife yea suppose he should prevail upon her to Credit his Message and to address her self for her Journey Yet behold every thought of her pedigree confounds her also her sense of want of beauty makes her ashamed and if she doth but think of being imbraced the unbelief that is mixed with that thought whirls her into tremblings And now she calls her self fool for believing the Messenger and thinks not to go If she thinks of being bold she Blushes and the least thought that she shall be rejected when she comes at him makes her look as if she would give up the Ghost And is it a wonder then to see a Soul that is drowned with the sense of glory and a sense of its own nothingness to be confounded in it self and to fear that the glory apprehended is too great too good and too rich for such an one That thing Heaven and Eternal Glory is so great and I that would have it so small so sorry a Creature that the thoughts of obtaining confounds me Thus I say doth the greatness of the things desired quite dash and overthrow the mind of the desirer O it is too bigg it is too big It is too great a mercy But coming sinner let me reason with thee Thou say'st it is too bigg too great Well will things that are less satisfie thy Soul will a less thing than Heaven than Glory and Eternal life answer thy desires No nothing less yet I fear they are too big and too good for me ever to obtain Well as big and as good as they are God giveth them to such as thou They are not too big for God to give No not too big to give freely be content let God give like Himself he is that Eternal God and he giveth like himself When Kings give they do not use to give as poor men do Hence it is said that Nabal made a feast in his house Like the feast of a King And again All these things did Araunah as a King give unto David 1 Sam. 25. 2 Sam. 24. Now God is a great King let him give like a King Nay let him give like himself and do thou receive like thy self He hath all and thou hast nothing God told his people of old that he would save them in truth and in righteousness and that they should return to and injoy the Land which before for their sins had spued them out and then adds under a supposition of their counting the mercy too good or too big If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days should it also be Marvellous in mine eyes saith the Lord of hosts Zech. 8. 6. As who should say they are now in Captivity and little in their own eyes therefore they think the mercy of returning to Canaan is a mercy too marvellously big for them to injoy but if it be so in their eyes it is not so in mine I will do for them like God if they will but receive my bounty like sinners Coming sinner God can give his heavenly Canaan and the glory of it unto thee yea none ever had them but as a gift a free gift He hath given us his Son how shall he not then with him also freely give us all things Rom 8. It was not the worthiness of Abraham or Moses or David or Peter or Paul But the mercy of God that made them inheritors of Heaven If God thinks thee worthy judge not thy self unworthy but take it and be thankfull And it is a good signe he intends to give thee if he hath drawn out thy heart to ask O Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble thou wilt prepare their heart thou wilt encline thine car Psal. 10. 17. When God is said to encline his ear it implies an intention to bestow the mercy desired Take it therefore thy Wisdom will be to receive not sticking at thine own unworthiness It is said He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill to set them among Princes and to make them inherit the thrown of glory Again He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth some needy Out of the dunghill that he may set him with Princes even with the Princes of his people 1 Sam. 2. 8. Psal. 113. 7 8. You see also when God made a Wedding for his Son he called not the great nor the rich nor the mighty but the poor the maimed the halt and the blind Mat. 22. Luk. 14. Fifthly Thy fears that Christ will not receive thee may arise from the hideous Roarings of the Devil who pursues thee He that hears him Roar must be a mighty Christian if he can at that time deliver himself from fear He is called a Roaring Lyon and then to alude to that in Isaiah if one look into them they have darkness and sorrow and the Light is darkned in their very Heaven 1 Pet. 5. 8. Isa. 5. 30. There are two things among many that Satan useth to Roar Out after them that are coming to Jesus Christ. 1. That they are not Elected Or 2. That they have sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost To both these I answer briefly First Touching election out of which thou fearest thou art excluded Why coming sinner even the Text it self affordeth thee help against this doubt and that by a double argument First That coming to Christ is by vertue of the gift promise and drawing of the Father but thou art a coming therefore God hath given thee promised thee and is drawing thee to Jesus Christ. Coming sinner hold to this and when Satan beginneth to Roar again Answer but I feel my heart moving after Jesus Christ but that would not be if I were not given by promise and drawing to Christ by the power of the Father Secondly Jesus Christ hath promised that him that cometh to Him he will in no wise cast out And if he hath said it will he not make it good I mean even thy Salvation for as I have said already Not to cast out is to receive and admit to the benefit of Salvation if then the Father hath given thee as is manifest by thy coming and if Christ will receive thee thou coming Soul as 't is plain he will because he hath said he will in no wise cast thee out Then be confident and let those conclusions that as naturally flow from the Text as light from the Sun or water from the fountain stay thee If Satan therefore objecteth but thou art not elected Answer But I am coming Satan
abide to come because thy Deeds were Evil But being now Illuminated and made to see what and where thou art and also what and where thy Saviour is Now thou art coming to Jesus Christ. Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona for Flesh and Blood hath at Revealed it unto thee said Christ but my Father which is in Heaven Matth. 16. 15 16. Thirdly Art thou coming this is because God has Inclined thine heart to come God hath called thee illuminated thee and inclined thy heart to come and therefore thou comest to Jesus Christ. It is God that worketh in thee to Will and to come to Jesus Christ. Coming sinner bless God for that he hath given thee a Will to come to Jesus Christ. It is a Sign that thou belongest to Jesus Christ because God has made thee willing to come to him Psal. 110. 3. Bless God for slaying the enmity of thy mind had he not done it thou wouldest as yet have hated thine own Salvation Fourthly Art thou coming to Jesus Christ it is God that giveth thee Power power to pursue thy Will in the matters of thy Salvation is the gift of God 'T is God that worketh in you both to Will and to Do Phil. 2. 13. not that God worketh Will to come where he gives no power but thou shouldest take notice that power is an aditional Mercy The Church saw that will and power were two things when She cried Draw me we will run after thee Song 1. 4. and so did David too when he said I will run the ways of thy Commandments when thou shalt enlarge my Heart Will to come and power to pursue thy will is a double Mercy coming Sinner Fifthly All thy strange passionate sudden rushings forward after Jesus Christ coming Sinners know what I mean they also are thy helps from God Perhaps thou feelest at sometimes more than at others strong stirrings up of heart to fly to Jesus Christ now thou hast at this time a sweet and stiff gale of the Spirit of God filling thy sails with the fresh gales of his good Spirit and thou ridest at those times as upon the wings of the wind being carried out beyond thy self beyond the most of thy prayers and also above all thy fears and temptations Sixthly coming Sinner hast thou not now and then a kiss of the sweet lips of Jesus Christ I mean some blessed word droping like an Honey-Comb upon thy Soul to revive thee when thou art in the midst of thy dumps Seventhly Does not Jesus Christ sometimes give thee a glimps of himself though perhaps thou seest him not so long a time as while one may tell twenty Eighthly Hast thou not sometimes as it were the very warmth of his wings over-shadowing the face of thy Soul that gives thee as it were a gload upon thy Spirit as the bright beams of the Sun do upon thy body when it suddenly breaks out in the midst of a cloud though presently all is gone again Well all these things are the good hand of thy God upon thee and they are upon thee to constrain to provoke and to make thee willing and able to come coming Sinner that thou mightest in the end be Saved FINIS ERRATA PAge 17. Line 30. for given Read giver p 19. l. 6. f. his r. this p. 20. l 8. f. my r. may p. 22. l. 22. f. those r. these p. 23. l. 27. f. Satan r. some p. 24. l. 25. f. me r. one p. 27. l. 5. f. changing r. cleansing p 32. l 12. f. his r. this p 33. l. 1. after is add to p. 33 l. 15. after medle r. with these p. 43. l. 8. f. pre r. present p. 78. l 2. after force r. to come p. 116. l. 7. before give r. to p. 138. l. 13. f. above r. alone p. 183. l. 14. after not r. to p. 184. l. 19. f. between r. be p. 187. l. 22. after Judge r. no.