or last they shall know that it shall not be well with the wicked and that between a former punishment and a greater there may step in many mercies as twixt the fits of a Fever some real slumbers and pauses Now I proceed to the Application of this Point which shall be for Conviction 1. Of the vanity and deluding presumption Vse Conviction of The vanity and deluding presumption of the sinner in the heart of sinners who imagine that worse they cannot be and as much misery is befallen them as can be and therefore they will on to their sins again Let us not deceive our selves that God with whom we are to deal is of infinite power and wrath and the conscience of a guilty sinner is capable of infinitely many miserable impressions The Bee may leave her sting in the flesh and so be disabled c. Therefore let no man say as Agag Surely the bitterness of death is past you know Samuel presently hewed him in pieces before the Lord in Giâ—gal Alas thou knowest not the wrath which is yet behind God doth never fully manifest his wrath upon any sinner in this life nor doth he punish him so in any kind but that a greater judgement a worse thing as Christ spake to him in the Gospel may yet befal him Consider that as greater judgments are yet behind all the punishments which we have felt so it is Gods method to begin low but to end his work of Judgement heavily he doth by some lighter afflictions skirmish with a person or a Nation and if they yield not then he will bring the great Army of his Plagues and Judgements And again know that multiplication of sins is a just cause for the addition of Judgements Renewed sinnings are alwayes the more hainous and strong in deserts but renewed sinnings after punishment for sin are yet of a deeper dye because They relish much of Presumption though God hath already testified his displeasure yet the sinner will adventure on his wrath and provoke him again They receive universal condemnation the sinner now sins against all the waies of recovery the Word of God which called upon him to be wise and to receive instruction and to return unto him that smote The punishment or rod which did tender him the sins which brought this upon his back The mercy of God which drew off the wrath and though it might have been a destroying sword at once that destruction should not have risen up the second time yet it so wrought with the master that he would try the sinner yet a little longer thou mightst have been among the dead yea among the damned for thy former sinnings yet mercy hath so tempered justice that time is left thee to repent and this space thou abusest to sin again yea though justice met with thee for them already yea though mercy released thee yet a little longer yea though thou didst confess these sins yea though thou wert greatly troubled for these sins yea though thou didst resolve against these sins and if thou thus sinnest more will not thy punishment be greater Doth not God hate sins now as well as then Or if thou be greater in transgressions will he be less in justice Canst thou expect mercy should come more easily when sin is raised more deeply He that being often reproved hardneth his neck saith Solomon Prov. 29. 1. shall suddenly be destroied and that without remedy The same may be affirmed of being punished usually perseverance in sin after punishment brings a sudden and a sore destruction God hath many arrows which flie over the heads and after that hee hath arrows to wound the hearts of his enemies You know that there be not onely warning-pieces but murdering-pieces in the roial artillery The punishment which a man hath already felt for his sins are but so many warning-pieces to repent to return from sin but if men will harden their hearts there are murdering-pieces God can so deeply strike that destruction shall not rise up the second time 2. The second conviction shall be of Duty If the further Conviction of duty men go on in sin the worse rhey shall speed then let us learn a double duty 1. To avoid such things as will occasion a further progress in sin after punishment 2. To apply our selves to such Avoid waies as may take us off from sinning being punished 1. Vitanda The things which we must avoid as occasioning a further progress in sin are these 1. Ignorant Misconstruction as if Gods Ignorant misconstruction arrows did flye out as his who shot at an adventure and lighted on Ahab so that our punishments are but meer casual things naked acts but no lessons Nay brethren if we had but an ear to hear every affliction and punishment hath a voice to speak this may be said of every punishment what Ehud said to â—glon I have a message unto thee from God 2. Atheistical pride as Pharaoh who is the Lord that I should let Israel go When a Atheistical pride person will exalt himself in the times of wrath and will not tremble nor fear before the Lord but slights the operation of his hands and for all this will not lay to heart the hand of God alas this makes way for sinning 3. Froward Impatience when persons are sensible of punishment but vex against God who strikes so close yea and like that Froward impatience King in the strait This evil is of the Lord why should I wait on the Lord any longer When men will forsake God because hee doth punish them this is a further sin and makes way for more sinning The soul which is most apt through a murmuring impatience to question God will be apt through a presumptuous confidence to sin against God in the dead sea there is least sailing and in the raging sea there is most ship-wracking 4. Empty confessions when persons satisfie themselvs with words and a meer form of Repentance putting on for the time a grave Empty confessions countenance and fetching a sigh and dropping a tear and acknowledging that all is not well but all this while they search not to the root they do not strive to examine their hearts to humble them to cleanse and reform them and what then can be expected but upon some convenient occasion the old heart should return to its old waies and courses Pharaoh confessed that he and his people had sinned but still he hardned his heart and would not let Israel go Hypocritical humiliation or repentance because rising from mutable causes lasts not long nor changes the disposition of the soul The sore which is but covered and not cured will break out again 5. Negligent remissions An heart which likes not to change its course may ye for the obtaining some special good give out Negligent remissions unto the doing of much good and for the removal of some evil make a stop of much sin You may observe that
making his sinfull contrivances to prove his stronger and harder fetters that He makes his sinfull contrivances to be his stronger fetters that way and that comfort which the sinner took up as a shadow from the storm and heat hath like some hired Souldiers in the day of battel wheel'd about and become the strongest snare and bitterest burden As David complained of some of his friends that they did prove his most enraged and cutting enemies Or as the Prophet speaks The men of thy Confederacy have brought thee even to the border the men that were at peace with thee have deceived thee they that did eat thy bread have laid a wound under thee Obad. 7. So the Lord hath so over-ruled it that he hath driven the sinner to a miserable stand even when he hath pursued the wyaes as he thought of his own contentment in the pursuing whereof he hath onely followed a smiling River into a most unquiet and troublesome Sea 6. By a most perfect beleagring as it were of a By the beleagring of a projecting sinner projecting sinner hedging up all his ways with thorns or immuring of him as in a Castle Hos 2. and shutting of him up that there shall be no going out or coming in Now for the second Question Why nothing shall avail the shuffling sinner until he repents Quest 2. Reasons of it I conjecture these Reasons may be rendred 1. That unhappy quality of sin which makes every way unsuccessfull It is like some Sol. The unhappy quality of sin weeds which mar every dish they come into or like some servants under whose hand nothing prospers So is it with sin it is an unprosperous thing and mars all the worm in our gourd arms every creature against us it alone were enough to batter down the strongest Castle and to blast our sweetest comforts it thrusts in a secret curse upon all our undertakings 2. Whiles the Lord is against a man nothing can be sufficient to help him What can prove a friend Whilest the Lord is against a man nothing is sufficient to help him while the Lord is an enemy all things come on or fall off as God draws near or stands off from us we can never establish our selves by our own hand nor against Gods You may read in Hos 5. 13. that Ephraim and Judah in their distress betook them to the Assyrians bâ—â— they could do them no good V. 14. For I will be unto Ephraim as a Lion and as a young Lion to the house of Judah I even I will tear and go away I will take away and none shall rescue him But now whiles a man goes on shuffling in a sinful way the Lord is against him 3. The sinner would never turn to God if any of his own waies could avail If The sinner would never turn to God if any of his own waies could avail him the ship could any way hold out the men would not come to shore but when it is all split and they must perish if they swim not now they make to the shore So is it here the Lord must wholly unbottom the sinner he must strip him of all hopes and confidences yea he must hold him as it were over the flames of hell before he will turn unto him Oh! the heart of a sinner hath made a covenant with sin which will not easily be disannulâ—ed ordinarily till the very life comes to it that a man sees he must presently be damned if he doth not repent he will stand it out against God Now to proceed to the Application of this Shall nothing help the shuffling sinner till he repents then certainly the Lord shews Vse Then the Lord shews great mercy to such a sinner great mercy unto him it is one of the greatest judgments when the Lord lets the sinner alone to go on and prosper a miserable thing it is when the patient is given over and no Physician will meddle with him so on the contrary It is a great mercy when the Lord doth not give over the sinner but still follows him and still disappoints his counsels and undermines as it were his projects and is too hard for him in all his waies Thou doest oft times take it heavily that the Lord should stand against thee thus and pull away this comfort and stop up that way and disappoint and defeat one enterprise after another Why now consider were it kindness to let thee make up thy works to hold out against God Were it a mercy to thee to let thee grow strong in a way of damnation The Lord is still against me saiest thou I can set on no way but I find him my adversary I cannot settle on any thing but he plucks it off I answer The Lord is not so much against thee as thou art against thy self it is true the Lord hath not yet done with thee Why because thou hast not yet done with sin and his hand is still stretched out against thee Why because thy hand is still stretched out against him he doth by variety of afflictions and crosses still pursue thee but let me tell thee one thing It is better he should pursue thy sins then thy soul let the afflictions be what they will they are better then damnation all that God intends unto thee is onely this he will never leave thee untill he hath overcome thee as they in the war take one out-work after another untill the besieged do yield up So is it with the Lord he will drive thee out of all thy holds as he did Nebuchadnezzar out of his Kingdom untill he hath brought thee to humble thy self for thy sins and repent And what is all this but a most tender mercy which doth thus pursue thee onely that it may save thee 2. Then it is in vain to strive against God to hold out for nothing shall avail Are we stronger then he said the Apostle Can It is in vain to strive against God our counsels lie hid from his wisdome or can we set upon the waies where his eie cannot find us Can we grasp the comfort at all which his hand cannot instantly pull from us Can we command ourown safeties whilst he is displeased with us or prosper at all while he saies Cursed is every fruit of thy labour Can any way of thine enable thee against him who can crack a whole world at once thou canst repose thy self on none but creatures and hadst thou them all what were they could they secure thee against their Lord Is there any creature a Castle strong enough to retein a sinful traitor against God 3. Lastly then let us speedily return and at once take forth the lesson of all Gods dealing with us that which he aims at is our Let us speedily return repentance Let former times and denials and subtilties suffice us doth God strike off all thy friends and lay them aside doth he pull thee out of every harbor do all the
sinners who do see your sins and will love them and not forsake them be confident that remaining thus there remains nothing for you but an expectation of wrath and just judgment from the righteous God But if you see your sins and desire to repent to bewail them to forsake them with all your heart to turn from your evil wayes why the Lord hath mercy for you he is very ready to pardon and accept of you If we confess our sins 1 Joh. 1. 9. he is faithful to forgive us our sins Obj. But do ye not read the threatnings of God as Jonah 1. 3. Yet fourty dayes and Ninive shall be destroyed Sol. Remember one thing as a Preservative that all Gods threatnings against our sins are to be understood in sensu composito as the schools speak viz. thus if we continue imâ—enitent and not otherwise not in sensu diviso if we return from them like a Kings proclamation of death if the Traitors do not lay down their Weapons but if they do he offers and assures them of his pardon Obj. I this is it I had mercy offered in the Kings Proclamation I did not yield when mercy wâ—s tendered if I would lay down my Weapons but I did not yield when mercy was tendered If I had repented when God formerly offered me mercy there had been hope but I continued in sin where grace abounded and since mercy was offered therefore now too late in vain Sol. To this also let me give answer 1. Indeed it Answered was thy duty to have repented upon the very first proposal of grace and mercy and it was thy sin at all to stand out yea and thy sinnings contract a deep guilt by commission after the tender of divine mercy sin is more sinful where the offer of mercy is more plentiful But secondly Though the precedent refusals of mercy make the course of sin more guilty yet they do not make the condition of the sinner to be hopeless and utterly uncapable of mercy For 1. Mercy is able to pardon even sins against mercy as it is the antidote for sins against the Law so likewise the salve for sins against the Gospel There is so much mercy in God as can rejoice against judgment yea and that can rejoice over sins against mercy too my meaning is that Gods goodness is so natural to him and great that it can pass by the evils against his goodness and kindness 2. And that God is willing and ready so to do it may appear by this that he continues his invitations and offers of mercy though formerly neglected How often would I have gathered thee saith Christ of Jerusalem and let it yet alone one year of the Tree And then know that this is certain as long as God continues a suit of mercy unto thee neither is the date of thy mercy expired nor doth thy former refusal justly prejudice thy present right to or acceptance of mercy If the King renews his Proclama ion of favour to those who have formerly despised it it is now lawfull and safe for them to come in and accept of it But since thy former refusal God hath as it were renewed the Embassage He hath sent other servants unto thee to proclaim unto thee Mercy if thou wilt return yea and hath assured thee that he will pardon all former rebellions in all kinds if now thou wilt hear his voice thou shalt live and not die Therefore now turn unto the Lord this day doth Mercy beseech thee to leave thy sins and saith If thou wilt forsake them I am thine Object But surely the Lord hates me and hath no delight towards God hates me and will destroy me Answered I have been a vassal of sin and now must be a vessel of destruction Sol. Ah foolish and sensless sinner who pleasest thy self with the arguings of an unbelieving spirit Doth God hate thee or doth he delight in thy destruction Had this been so what wants there that hou hadst not been irrecoverably sent to the place of the damned long ere this How easily could he if he had delighted in thy confusion and destruction struck thee at once Doest thou not see that when thou wast mad in renewing thy sins then did his repentings kindle within him When he had just and many and strong occasions and provocations yet he hath spared thee to this day would he have done so had he desired to have destroyed thee 2. And what is the end of all this patience and forbearance Doest thou so ill interpret it an intention of revenge which is altogether a fruit of his great mercy No no it is not thy destruction but thy repentance and conversion which he delights in See Ezek. 33. 11. Not the ruine of thy person but corruptions He delight not in the death of a sinner but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live Object But I cannot repent and I cannot turn mine own I cannot repent Answered I cannot pray Answered heart Sol. Pray unto him Turn me and I shall be turned Object But I cannot pray Sol. Sigh then and grieve pray that you may pray and mourn because you cannot mourn And therefore leave these false surmizes of God and sinfull foolish unworthy reasonings set upon the work of repentance indeed and thou shalt quickly find that God is so far from hating thee that he will meet thee with loving kindness and great mercies Object O no never such a sinner as I have been a sinner above measure sinfull so wholly sinfull so onely sinfull so continually Never such a sinner as I have been sinfull To this also a word 1. Greatness of sinning it not an absolute impediment to Gods readiness in pardoning for as much as great sinners are called upon to repent as well as lesser Answered sinners and if the duty of Repentance concerns them then there is a capacity of mercy for them 2. God doth upon repentance promise to pardon great sinners Cease to do evil learn to do well Isa 1. 16. Come now and let us reason together saith the Lord. V. 18. Though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wooll Istiduo colores sunt valde tenaces mansivi quibus intelligitur peccata quantumque sint gravia ex genere habituata ex consuetudine divina gratia purgabuntur saith Lyra well upon that place Yea though they have been peccata sanguinea so S. Jerome upon the same place 3. Great sinnings upon repentance have found greater mercies Adam's sin very great whether you consider it formally or causally yet upon repentance mercy pardoned it David's sin of murther it was a crying sin and of adultery it was a wounding sin yet upon his repentance both pardoned by mercy What should I speak of Manasses in the Old Testament or of Paul in the New 4. The greater sinnings should ever prove the quicker reasons of
them yet he came to call them to repentance and that God would be most indalgent and gracious to them though they had been great transgrassors yet now being penitent he would receive them into singular mercy and favour and that with much joy and therefore little reason had they to snarl at his respect and desires towards Publicans and great sinners Thus for the scope of the Parable which is To declare the singular readiness of God in and through Christ even to receive the most notorious sinners proving penitent Now the Parable consists or rather comprehends two estates The parts of the Parable of the Prodigal Son 1. Of Sin and Luxury where are considerable 1. The Occasion of it v. 12. Father give me the portion of goods that salleth to me He would have the estate in his own hands He lost himself by deâ—iring to be Lord of himself 2. The Sin it self called riotous living v. 13. lightly come and lightly gone which quickly wasted all the substance Now whether this substance were those good Qualities in Creation or good Gifts of mind or estate afterward it is somewhat disputed upon which I shall consider in its time and place 3. The event of it That estate being spent he bethinks of an other course indeed now he should have thought of coming back to his Father but he did not nay he tries all conclusions before he resolves on that Therefore again observe upon the Loss and consumption of his Estate First his earthly policy He joyns himself with a Citizen of that Countrey v. 15. By whom some understand the Devil so S. Ambrose Civis iste est istius mundi Princeps Others some kind of earthly or worldly employment But being joyned with him his service is sordid for he is sent into the fields no house shall hold him who forsakes Gods house to feed the swine he is made a servant of the nastiest beast who would not continue the servant of the best Father and God Secondly his extreme misery this shift did no way help him Nothing supplies when God forsakes and no way is comfortable when we prove sinfull He would fain have filled his belly with the husks which the swine did eat and no man gave him to eat v. 15. Ah what a change doth sin make Here is one whiles he continued with his Father enjoyed excellent society tender love compleat plenty but now forsaking his Father he keeps company with the swine is extremely pinched with hunger glad would he have been served after the very hogs and no man regarded him in this misery and want so that now there is a loss of all his happiness and a certainty of famishing and perishing if he returns not and hereupon comes forth The second estate of him which was of his Conversion and Penitency Where you have three things observable 1. His Consultation set forth by a double act of reflection 1. Positively First f himself ver 17. He came to himself Secondly of others his fathers servants and their condition 2. Comparatively wherein he compares his present condition with theirs in the utility or conveniency of it They have bread but I have none Quantity of it They have bread enough but I hunger Reedundancy of it They have enough and to spare but I perish with hunger yea the meanest in my fathers house the servants the hired servants yea all in my fathers house though many they have bread enough what and shall I a son famish and perish Surely if my father hath bread enough for servants he will have some for a child and if he hath to spare for hired servants he will have some to spare for a famishing child 2. His Resolution and indeed upon the sense of his own famishing misery and his fathers bounty and clemency he is resolved now what course to take And me thinks he turns off an objection which might spring in his mind yea my father hath plenty at home and for hired servants but then they are obedient and careful but I have been a wastful prodigal a riotous spender a departing and unkind child To which hee gives ansiver 'T is true yet for all that I am resolved to change this course and I will home to my father Nothing no not the greatest sinnings must hinder our penitentil turning to God our Father Now in this Resolution of his there are four things which he did firmly purpose and intend 1. Aversion to relinquish and quit that base and miserable life and course ver 18. I will arise q. d. I will rest here dwell here no longer live thus no not a day more 2. Conversion to return to his father and go to my father 3. Confession to acknowledge 1 His sin 2. His unworthiness If my father thinks he tell me that I have gone away from him and have offended him why and I will prevent him I will confess as much I will not defend nor excuse nor mitigate nor mince the matter I will say Father I have sinned against heaven and before thee ver 18. And if my father tell me I deserve never to be looked on and there is no reason on my part why hee should look on me as a son or speak to me as a son why and I will confess that too that my courses have been so sinful and vile that I am not worthy to be called his son not onely to be a son but to be called a son 4. Supplication to intreat his Father that yet he would look upon him and own him and accept of him Make me as one of thy hired servants q. d. If I cannot obtain a sons place yet I will beg hard of a servants place and if I cannot get a choicer servants place yet I will put in for an hired servants place and if I cannot get any servants place yet I will get to be as one of the servants as one of the hired servants which shewed the humility of his heart and also the vehemency When the heart is truly broken and humbled any near relation to God any owning from God will be acceptable to the soul if God will look on the lowliness on the unworthiness of the sinner how pleasing is it to him 3. Thirdly follows the life of all namely the practical execution of all this This counsel enlarged it self to a resolution and this resolution is crowned with an actual performance for verse 20. He arose and came to his father Where again observe 1. Some things or passages on his Fathers part viz. 1. His quick observation his Father saw him ver 20. nay he saw him when he was yet a great way off The very intentions and secret motions and close purposes of our Repentance are known to God in this sense he sees our thoughts afar off many times God will not see the sinner quickly but he will at all times quickly see the penitent I have seen him and will heal him c. 2. His present commiseration His
strikes us in one kiâ—d yet we sin though in many kinds yet we sin though losses though crosses though death be in our doors though it riseth on our bodies though we lose earth life heaven all yet we still sin and return not but stand it out 2. Of the admirable patience and goodness of God Not without reason is he stiled a God Of the admirable patience and goodness of God of long-suffering and to endure with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath and his Goodness the riches of Goodness Rom. 9. 22. Rom. 2. 4. That he should look after a sinner nay speak nay strike nay wound nay almost take away his life to save his life that he should run after a proud and resisting sinner though a sinner doth contrive the ways of opposing and cunningly strives against all the methods of mercy yet that God should not desert him and give him over but try again and again and be actively ready to give grace to an unwilling to a resisting to an obstinate foolish sinner who but a vile sinner would obstinately abuse such great mercy who but a God would endure the same with so much patience It is not that the Lord seeth not the ways of a sinner for he is Omniscient It is not that he approves or likes the ways of a sinner for he is most Holy It is not that he will not recompence the ways of a sinner for he is most Just It is not that he wants power to execute his wrath Habet in potestate vindictam mavult tamen diu toâ—ere patientiam c. Cyprian and displeasure for he is Almighty No no that he all this while spares and holds up ariseth onely from his nature which is delighted rather to shew mercy and which is slow to wrath and of much long-suffering 3. Of the freeness of Gods grace It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy Rom. 9. 16. Alas what is Of the freeness of Gods grace it that the Pelagians scribled of Merits and Papists of Deserts and Congruities Lo here naturally we run from God and naturally we are fighters against God we resist the motions of his Spirit the counsels of his Word the lessons of many Afflictions and could we any how subsist we would never lay down our weapons Did not the Lord shew more compassion to us then we do unto our selves did he not enquire after us and follow us and as it were beset us on every side and in a sort surprize us by the goodness and strength of his own Grace we should perish in our bloud die in our folly and be lost for ever but this commends the exceeding graciousness of his Grace towards us that though we be not onely enemies by nature but rebellious also by practice yet the Lord shews pity to our wandring souls will forgive our proud rebellions and will heal our foolish and gainsaying hearts It is great mercy for him to spare us who might for our manifold sinnings so often have condâ—mned us and it is the greatest mercy that he doth not onely not leave and damn us but pities converts and saves us 3. For Caution And this is the main Use which I desire to For Caution Take heed of shufflâ—ng with God insist on To take heed of shuffling with God and digging after pits which will hold no water when God calls upon us by his Word or by his Corrections to return from our sins unto him and not to hold them fast or to withstand the Lord and hold him off Here I shall propound two things 1. Some Motives or Arguments to hearken unto this 2. Some Rules and Directions to guide us The Motives may respect us either Motives 1. in the evil of thus shuffling with and delaying of God 2. in the good on the contrary I will mingle them together Consider therefore 1. It is a most precious thing which the Lord offers unto us It is a most precious thing the Lord offers to us when at first he calls upon us to return when at first he calls upon us to leave our sins and to return unto him A thing may be reputed precious partly in respect of the necessity of it when it doth so nearly concern us that we are undone without it Now what shall become of us unless we come off from our sins What is it that we so shuffle for and will not let it go What! is it a good in it self or a cause of good to us and what is it that we so hold off from is it not Grace and Salvation I shall perish with hunger saith the Prodigal So mayest thou truly say Unless I do accept of this offer of Grace if I do thus hold on in my sinfull ways if I shuffle never so long yet if I continue thus I shall at length perish for ever Exod. 10. 7. Knowest thou not that Egypt is destroyed so c. to go on thus is the way of death to return and submit is the onely way of life I cannot be saved unless I repent It is not a vain thing for which the Lord strives with me it is to give grace and life to my poor soul In respect of the excellency of it Excellent things are truly precious Now every grace is excellent it hath a native beauty in it and makes us a choice and estimable people Do throughly weigh a penitent and converted condition how in it we are partakers of the Divine nature what a communion we have thereby with God what a fellowship with Jesus Christ how we pass from death to life are made the sons of God and become the heirs of glory and will we then thus devise and flie from our best good Why when the Lord offers grace to a sinner what doth he therein but offer himself to be his God offer Christ to be his Saviour offer the pardon of all his sins offer all the comforts of his Spirit the blessings of his promises and the hopes of eternal life and if this be not an excellent thing what is can a better or greater matter be tendred to you 2. The Lord will not alwaies be calling upon us nor tendring repentance unto life and which brings forth salvation as the Apostle The Lord will not alwaies be calling upon us speaks My Spirit shall not alwaies strive saith God Gen. 6. God strives when he comes close in any means 2. When hee continueth and multiplieth means And to day if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the provocation Heb. 3. God did deal often with the Israelites by wonders by words by corrections but you know that though he bore long with them yet he did not bear for ever at length he consumed and made an end of them he would not continue to seek after them for ever I will ease me of mine adversaries Cut it down why cumbers it the ground If we
means on which thou trustedst forsake and fail thee O then return unto the Lord all this befalls thee purposely to bring thee home to thy father It is because the Lord would have thy heart thy love thy joy thy fear thy hope thy confidence thy obedience c. Luke 15. 17. And when hee came to himself he said How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger ver 18. I will arise and go to my father c. These words contain in them the happy fruits of sharp afflictions the dawning of the day after a stormy night the quicknings of a dead man the penitential recovery of a sinful Prodigal We must not despair of men though they be great sinners a prodigal riotous luxurious person begins here to return nor must we be quick and peremptory in our final censures of them though like a ship in many storms they hold on their sinful courses after many dealings for the power which converts is mighty and the season to convert is different God doth as it were nurse up some from their youth in grace others he leaves to conquer in battel when their deseases are grown to age and strength yet he can over-master and heal them as here the Prodigal Concerning whose penitent estate which was the second General you may he pleased to consider a double 11. The division of the Text. act 1. One of his Judgment described in this vers 17. 2. Another of his Will described in vers 18. the former is an act of inspection in the viewing of his bad life the other is an act of resolution to change and leave it that is if I may so call it the fundamental work of Repentance and this is the formal work of it the one is the framing the other is the launching of the ship I must treat next on the first work which is the judgment of the The judgment of the Prodigal expressed in Prodigal Some call it an act of Consideration which is such an effect of right reason whereby we rightly understand and judge of things Others conjecture it an act of Consultation wherein he did deliberate and debate his way and condition throughly in his mind in comparing it with another opposite condition so then in this judicious working of his you have First A serious consideration he came to himself i. now he began to bethink where he was and what he had done like a A serious consideration mad man before he still raged and ran on never minded any thing but his sins but now his reason comes into joint again hee soberly and in good earnest considers of his course and estate Secondly A wise consultation Ah! thinks he I have brought my self into a miserable condition I am even ready to perish A wise consultation with hunger I have gone on so far in sin that if I return not I am lost for ever I have tried all the waies that I can imagin but they prosper not die and perish I would not is life to be had no where Where might such a poor famisht creature find a bit of bread to save his life Now I think on it I have a father living and he hath bread enough even his meanest servants have enough and to spare he hath bread for servants will he have none for a child they have enough I have none at all they have to spare and I hunger I perish with hunger my condition is most miserable their condition is most plentiful Well! thus I will not rest I will arise and go to him c. Before I handle that Assertion which the text will immediately afford there may be many not unuseful observations which occasionally and collaterally fall in I will but mention them unto you and then sit down upon the principal intention of the Verse 1. That great afflictions may end in a sweet conversion or the sharpest miseries may prove a means to bring us to the sweetest Great Afflictions may end in a sweet Conversion mercies Storms though they be to some shipwracks yet they landsome the prodigal met with famine and that brought him back to his fathers house for bread I had perished said one unless I had perished so may many a man say Had I not been afflicted I had been damned my great losses have proved my greatest gain I never fell into the love of God untill I came under the scourge of God 2. That even a great sinner is not uncapable of mercy or grace a luxurious prodigal who spent all among Harlots is A Great Sinner is not uncapable of mercy now returning home to his father a penitent and grieved child and the reason is this Though the sins of a man be great yet the mercies of a God be free and mercy advanceth its own glory when it shines on the greatest sinners Sin is great but grace is stronger it can quicken dead men As the knottiest wood when it is squared proves of strongest service so the vilest sinner once converted proves the faithfullest and activest instrument of glory to God and lastly God doth extend grace to great sinners that no sinners might despair 3. That God doth many times permit the sinner to try to the utmost and then converts him A long season ere some return God sometimes permits the Sinner to try the utmost and then converts him as Paul to breath out persecutions and to get authority to bind all c. and then he is struck down hereby he magnifies his patience and more demonstrates his mercies and goodness that after all hee will yet accept of such a sinner and pardon him 4. That an Vnconverted man is a mad man he is besides himself Sin bereavs the sinner of the right use of reason and he An Unconverted man is a mad-man never comes to be sober to be himself until he doth repent whatsoever fury of spirit wildness of fancies rendings of cloaths tearings of bonds untameableness ragings inconsiderations are extant in madness the same are to be found in a meer sinful heart and life all these propositions are observable and useful but that which I intend to insist on is this That a serious Consideration and the right Comparison of the miserable Doct. A serious Consideration and right Comparison of the miserable state of a sinful Condition and happy state of a Converted Condition are steps to true and speedy Repentance What this Serious Consideration is estate of a sinful Condition with the happy estate of a Converted condition are the prime steps and occasions of a true and speedy Repentance For the Explication of this point I must open some particulars 1. Concerning a Serious Consideration of a Sinful Condition It is an Intentive work of the Judgment wherein it doth narrowly and diligently meditate on the whole estate of sin It is called in Scripture a remembring of our wayes and sometimes a bethinking of our selves
shame in the face and with acknowledgment That by reason of our sins there belongs nothing to us but â—hame and confusion Daniel 9. 5. It is mixt with some Faith not overcome with Despair If the And mixt with some Faith confession of sin be not mixed with some hope of pardon it is not penitential but desperate Cain in some measure confessed but fled into the Land of Nod and reputes his offence Unpardonable beyond the power or intention of Mercy to pardon him Judas likewise utters his sin in particular I have sinned in betraying innocent Blood But then he goos out and hangs himself But if the confession be truly penitential it acknowledgeth sin fully yet believingly not to a meer Judge who out of the mouth of the Confessor condemneth but to a father Father I have sinned saith our Prodigal who knows how to absolve and forgive him that knows how to accuse and condemn himself As you must in Confessions acknowledg O Lord my sins are very great so likewise must you relieve your selves O Lord thy mercies are exceeding many thus have I sinned but thou canst pardon I deserve wrath but thou canst freely shew me mercy I am a sinner yet Lord be merciful to me a sinner 6. It is Sincere and not fraudulent then is the Confession sincere not And Sincere only when the heart acts in it but when also it acts plainly and plenarily in it We are but Flesh and Blood it is my nature I cannot help it I am not the first that did so it was company that drew me I did eat said Adam but the woman gave it me to eat I did eat said the woman but the Devil tempted me I did offer Sacrifice said Saul but I was afraid of the Philistims These are fraudulent Confessions when either a part is knowingly and willingly kept back or if all comes forth it is extenuated as much as may be Not that any person is to accuse himself of more then he is guilty but that he is not to extenuate and mince any thing wherein he is faulty but therein to set out himself to the full Of whom I am chief said Paul And the Prodigal here I have sinned against heaven and before thee 7. It must be joyned with desire and endeavour of Reformation Therefore forsaking of sin at least in Voto conatu And joyned with desire and endeavour of Reformation is annext to confession Prov. 28. 13. Saul confessed his sinful injuries to David his Son in Law 2 Sam. 24. 16. Ch. 26. 2. and wept but then he pursued him again So did Pharaoh Exod. 9. 27 34. but then he hardned his heart and sinned yet more They loved ease but not cure but David desires medicine as much as quiet Grace to heal as well as Mercy to quiet he did not open his wounds and then make more but desires those which are made that they might be bound up and healed So did Shecaniah not only confess their trespasse in taking of strange wives Ezra 10. 2 3. but intends reformation Now therefore let us make a Covenant with God to put them all away These ingredients I do conjecture that they make up the very form and vitals of a penitential Confession But why should true penitents make confession of their sins to God Reasons of it There is a necessity so to do Ex patre Dei 1. There is a necessity so to do Necessitas ex parte Dei ex parte rei 1. Ex parte Dei God requireth you so to do Acknowledge thine Iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy wayes to the Strangers under every green tree Jer. 3. 13. So Hos 14. 1. Return to the Lord thy God Ver. 2. Take with you words and turn to the Lord and say unto him Take away all Iniquity and receive us graciously 2. Ex parte Rei When the heart is penitentially Ex parte Reiâ— changed it cannot but confess sin will lye so heavy as when health comes in pain is felt There is such an abundant sense of sin that the heart cannot contain it self If the affection be full it must vent it self Joseph could not refrain So is the heart of a penitent overcharged with the iniquities of his Life and Indignity by him cast on God a gracious God 2. There is Vtility in so doing Though true confession of sin doth not at all merit yet it is a way or means to obtain three There is a Utility in so doing It is a means to obtaine Remission of sin singular things viz. 1. Remission of Sins This is a most sweet and surpassing mercy David accounts him Blessed whose iniquities are covered but Confession is the means for Remission which may evidently appear 1. By Gods direction of his people to take this course that so they might be pardoned Jer. 3. 12 13. 2. By his special Promise upon their true confession for to pardon them their sins Prov. 28. 13. He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy 1 Joh. 1. 9. If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 3. By frequent experience David said I will confess my Transgressions and thou for gavest the Iniquity of my sin Psal 32. 5. The Publican penitentially confessed and went home Justified Luk. 18. 13 14. 2. Power against sins By hearty confession to uncover Power against sin sins is a way not only to get God to cover them by Justification but also to cure them by Sanctification You must take off Vulnerati tegumentum if you will obtain Medici Emplastrum Austin as S. Austin alludes upon the Psa 32. When you open the wound then you make way for the healing Plaister and therefore S. John doth not only say If we confess our sins God is faithful to forgive us our sins but also addeth and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 3. Peace of Conscience You may Peace of Conscience see this manifestly in David who being distressed in spirit for sin is much disquieted and roars and his moisture is turned into the drought in Summer Psal 32. 3 4. His silence raised his Impatience and Trouble but as soon as he confessed his sins he recovered his peace ver 5. I acknowledg my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Selah So Job 33. 27. If any say I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profited me not Ver. 28. His life shall see the light It is one of the Windows to let in the beams of heavenly comfort 3. Lastly God is much Glorified when the penitent doth humbly and truly confess his sins David acknowledgeth his sins God is much Glorified by it That thou mightst be justified when thou speakest and be clear when thou judgest so Psal 51. 4. q. d. Lord
be it in Spirituals or Naturals or Civils or Morals dwell within you and rule over you it may be said of you what the Prophet spake of the stout-hearted They were far from righteousness 3. Few men use the means to make them humble they seldom are at home they are so studious of other mens sins that they Few men use the means to make them humble neglect their own This is a most ordinary truth that they who are so prying after the faults of others seldom search themselvs and hereby onely enable their own pride but disable themselvs for humbleness It is not forreign but experimental knowledge which makes us lowly But you may reply How may it bee known that our hearts are not lofty but lowly that so we may How it may be known that our hearts are not lofty but lowly judge our repentance not to be be formal but sound Sol. Premise a word or two and then I have done that I speak onely of Lowliness as it is to be found in Christians in this life which is not a state of perfection but imperfection Secondly as it in conflict and combate not as absolute and free Now then 1. If you be truly lowly then you live altogether upon free and meer mercy You then live upon meer mercy Every mercy is an alms unto you and is sued out not upon desert but upon promise you can find no mony to buy corn but all must be free gift you will be content to buy without mony and to receive without price 2. You will then be more patient under delays it is but a proud beggar who will be served at first knock or else will be gone It is a very ill sign when we are so You will be patient under delayes quick with God that he shall lose our service if he doth not presently send out his answers Were we indeed sensible of our own unworthiness we would hold it no disparagement to wait at heaven gates he will patiently wait for some mercy who humbly knows that he deservs none Even an humble heart may urge God to make haste but it is our proud heart which accuseth and quarrels with him for delay 3. You will be silent in denials and withdrawments Doth not God answer me Why I deserv no look nor answer Doth he You will be silent in denials not give what I ask but take away what he hath given Why it is the Lord let him do with his own what he pleaseth It is mercy that I have yet any mercy I am unworthy to enjoy any good who am most worthy to enjoy all evil When we are our selves this will be our temper if we be humble God shall use his own authority and pleasure to dispose of the mercies which we crave and of the mercies also which we have we will be more patient in denials and silent in losses What can we say who are unworthy of all 4. You will be very thankful for any answer or the least mercy If nothing will content us but great mercies assuredly we are not You will be very thankful for the least mercy humble but have too great spirits He who indeed judgeth himself not worthy of the least of all the mercies and truth which God shews unto him will take up a great misery with quietness and a little mercy with thankfulness The body of man if it bee sound can stoop for a pin as well as for a piece and the heart if it be humble can bless for little mercies as well as for great The touch of the little finger as well as of the great will make a well-tuned stringed instrument speak and even the whisperings of the voice are ecchoed back in an exact concave The least drops of mercy affect the lowly heart which can awake upon the least noise The proud heart like the mountain yields a poor crop after a shower of mercies but the humble heart like the Gardens yields plenty of sweet smelling sacrifices after the least dews or drops of merciful blessings and answers from God Now say How do you plead with God when you approach unto him what can you shew for the mercies that you ask onely his own mercie no worth in you to move him And how are you when God delaies or denies or removes his mercies can you then be in dust and ashes and not in fire and flames can you yet quietly serve him wait on him depend on him submit to him upon this ground Ah! I am a sinner I have wronged the Father of mercies abused all his mercies am not worthy of the least of mercies It is mercy that ever I had mercy that now I have any that which is lost and denied I am not worthy of them that which I have I am not worthy of And when God answers you either in spirituals to your souls or in temporals to your outward man How do you look upon his answers Do you look a squint on them as he upon Solomons Cities Are you able to abuse great mercies and slight the least 5. If you bee The more meâ—cies from God will make you more humble truly humble then the more mercies and answers from God will still add and make you more humble and lowly Not onely the sense of your iniquities but the experience of Gods mercies will make you low in your eies Mercies have two effects upon humble hearts they make them more humble and more fruitful David in 2 Sam. 7. when God gave him the advouzon and as it were confirmed and added to his former Charter an intention of greater mercy to his posterity Why this casts David down ver 18. Then went King David in and saâ—e before the Lord and he said Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto The more corn is in the ear the more it hangs down the head and the tree bends most when laden with fruit But if mercies make us forget God as afflictions make us forget our selves if it be with us as with the Arrow which when the Bow is most bent and drawn it flies farthest from us Or as with the Dial which casts the shortest shadow when the Sun is highest or as with some grounds which yields the rankest corn after the fullest tillage we grow careless of God of his Ordinances in publick of his worship in private scornful of heavenly reproof admonition obedience alas this shews we are not humble If upon due search we find our hearts lifted up with an opinion 2. Vse We should be humbled for the want of this humbleness of our own worth and excellencies and far from penitential humblings We should be humbled for want of this humbleness as Hezekiah though his heart was lifted up yet the text saith He humbled himself for the pride of his heart 2 Chron. 32. 25 26 27. And use the means by which we may become humbly sensible of our own
God hath rejected the Prayers of such who have râ—sted on â—hâ—ir own woâ—thiness their own worthiness The Pharisee was rejected upon this account Jam. 4. 6. God resisteth the proud .i. he regards them not he rewards them not the humble he doth but the proud he doth not He hath filled the hungry with good things and the rich he hath sent empty away so Mary Luk. 1. 53. A confidence of our Worthiness makes us uncapable therefore a sense of our Unworthiness makes us not uncapable An empty Stomack will receive but a full Vessel will admit of nothing you shall never find a rich God if you come to him with rich Spirits The Pharisee he goes up to pray and what doth he discover in his prayers I am not as other men I am no Extortioner I am no Adulterer I fast twice in the week He conceales his sins and displayes his perfections he stands upon his worthiness but he loseth his acceptance he justified himself but God did not justifie him accept him acquit him 5. None ever found more mercy then such who have come None have found more mercy then they who have been mâ—st sensible of unworthiness unto God in the sense of their own Vnworthiness I will give you some instances for this out of Scripture Matth. 8. The Centurion was so sensible of his unworthiness that he durst not himself presume to invite Christ to the help of his servant and when he had intreated him he did not think his house worthy of Christs presence I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under the roofe of mine house ver 8. yet he prayes Speak the word only and my servunt shall be healed and he speeds his Faith is applauded and his prayer fully granted ver 13. His servant was healed the same hour Mar. 5. 25. The poor woman who was so sensible of her unworthiness ver 33. she came fearing and trembling and fell down she durst not either immediately or mediately speak to Christ only her Faith spake at her fingers ends for she said If I may but touch his cloaths I shall be whole ver 28. How doth this speed ver 29. Straightway the fountain of her blood was dryed up What should I speak of the woman of Canaan who confessing her self to be as a Dog and thereupon craving for crumbs was presently fed and answered with a great mercy Or what should I speak of the Publican a penitent all in sighs all in tears altogether unworthy and he knew it and therefore Stands afar off dares not lift up his eyes to heaven smâ—tes on his brest and cryes out Lord be merciful to me a sinner Here was a deep sense of Unworthiness here was nevertheless a fervent prayer and upon it a most gracious answer He went home justified 6. Lastly Sense of our unworthiness it is a strong principle Sense of unworthiness is a strong principle and furtherance of prayer and furtherance of prayer We are most barren and idle in prayer when we are least sensible of our sins and we are more diligent to prayer more spurred on and are more zealously fervent and importunate when we are most sensible of our own vileness and unworthiness For indeed the true sense of our unworthiness is a special part of our spiritual poverty and poverty of spirit breeds the strongest desires even hungring and thirsting after righteousness and both of them have promises of a most full and exceeding great reward as you may see in Mat. 5. 3 6. And thus briefly for the Explication and Comfirmation of the Doctrine Now I proceed to the useful Application of it The Uses which I will make of this point shall be 1. To try our selves whether we be sensible of our unworthiness in our Vse 1. Addresses unto God 2. Then to encourage our hearts notwithstanding our unworthiness to draw near to the Throne of Grace 1. For Examination Are we sensible of our unworthiness in our approaches unto God that we deserve nothing at For Examination all that we come not to buy but to beg not to deserve but to receive There be many reasons why I put you upon this Reasons of our Trial. search 1. Because many pervert this Doctrine of personal unworthiness they utterly mistake it they do profess that nothing Many pervert the Doctrine of personal unworthiness that is in them can deserve any thing with God and therefore trample upon all holiness of heart and godliness of life as if there were no use of Grace but to merit or Gold were of no use but in a Crown But these are a loathsome people who would link great mercies and a wicked life together To be sensible of our unworthiness is not to rest in an evil condition nor is it to run on in an evil conversation nor is it to slight holy duties for thy performances nor is it to disregard habitual or actual Grace this argues an unsensible and seared conscience But this it is to strive against sin to strive after all holiness to be careful and watchful to pious performances yet with all and after all to cast those Crowns to the ground not in their names but in the name of Christ and free mercy to expect answer and help Though imperfect holiness in the habits or acts cannot justifie men yet they may glorifie God and though they put not dignity into the hand yet they put a capacity into the hand a fitness to receive though not a worthiness to claim 2. Because many tender Christians are not yet rightly sensible of their unworthiness they are very apt to insist and adhear unto Many â—ender Christians are not yet rightly sensible of their unworthiness themselvs Two things do evidently shew that like Jacob's Sons who went down with money in their Sacks and would not go without Benjamin so these Christians would bring something to buy out their requests with God One is this that all the promises of free Grace and mercy do not satisfie them though God hath said he will love freely and pardon sin for his own sake yet they are not contented to accept to receive they are most hardly perswaded that the Sun will shine so freely that God will accept such a vile sinner upon such easie terms and without any more adoe pass by all transgressions Another is that they are frequent in digging after reasons and causes of good in themselves If they could bring Hearts more broken Graces more strong Affections more melting Conversations less tainted then they could be perswaded that God would hear and grant them the mercy or good which they do desire I confess that we must strive after perfection in all Grace enlarged desires an humble complaint a fervent endeavour in the use of all sacred means all of these are commendable practices yet herein we fail and exceedingly to if we pluck back the hand from receiving because we are not full that we will not suck the
much good thou needest not what thou canst deserve but it looks on what God will bestow Is it the many sins thou hast committed which present an utter unworthiness to thy conscience why Faith will teach thee to confess the debt and yet to crave for pardon Is it the hardness or vileness of thy heart which makes thee afraid Oh! the Lord is of purer eyes than to look on such a dead dog so vile a wretch as I Why Faith will teach thee that though the Lord be lofty and high are his habitations yet of all people he looks after the humble and contrite and hath respect unto them and looks on such through the bloud of the Covenant and that he will give Grace as readily as he will give Mercy and as freely bestow on thee a new heart as a gracious pardon 5. God onely must have the glory to be the Giver of Good and God only must have the glory to be the giver of good therefore be not thou discouraged if thou be admitted onely to be the receiver of good To be King no way befits the Subject the King honours the Subject highly if he make him the Kings Receiver O Christian let it suffice thee let God alone find gifts to bestow do thou study more for hands to receive them if ever thou wouldst have mercy get such an humble and believing heart as to be willing to receive any mercy upon any of Gods terms LUKE 15. 20. And he arose and came to his Father But when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him These words contain in them two parts 1. The very Life of true Repentance Which consists not in a bare Resolution but in an active and real Execution I will arise said the Prodigal and here he did arise I will go to my Father and here did come unto his Father He arose and came unto his Father 2. The gracious Acceptance of a real Penitent The Graciousness of it appears 1. In the present observation of him when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him the very intentions much more the present actings of repentance are quickly eyed and observed by a mercifull God 2. In a present affection to him and had compassion the bowels of mercy will stir when the heart of a sinner is penitentially touched 3. In a present Application His Father saw him and his Father pitied him but this is not all His Father also ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Mercy runs and Mercy embraceth and Mercy cheareth the penitent sinner The first part affordeth us this Proposition viz. That penitent intentions and resolutions should be accompanied with present executions and performances The Text properly Doct. 5. Penitent Resolutions should be accompanied with present Executions yields this for the words of it are but the lively and written copy of the Prodigals private and conceived purpose to leave his sinfull courses and to come back to the obedience and service of his Father It is observed of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29. 3. That he opened the doors of the house of the Lord in the first year and in the first moneth of his reign and repaired them The publick Reformation was the principal work and it was the prime work too So must it be with a true Penitent as soon as God sets up a Throne of Grace in him presently to act that Grace in purging out of sin and walking in the paths of righteousness We read this in Josiah as soon as ever he heard the threatnings of God out of the Law his heart melted and humbled it self 2 Chron. 34. 19 27. and instantly he gathered all the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem v. 29. and made a Covenant v. 31. and they took away all the abominations out of all the Countreys and turned back to serve the Lord their God v. 33. This you see in Practise you may see the same likewise in Precept Joel 2. 12. Therefore now turn unto me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning The Duty is charged upon them for fuâ—ness in all the parts of Repentance and for quickness Now turn c. For the better opening of this Assertion premise with me a few particulars 1. That the execution of a penitential resolution is nothing This is meant of the very practise of Repentance else but an acting course or the very practise of Repentance When not onely the Judgement approves of the parts and rules of Repentance and the Will embraceth them with consent and desire but the Endeavour also doth as it were copy them forth in the Conversation I exercise my self to have a good conscience said the Apostle So when the sinner doth exercise Repentance when he doth hate sin indeed and flies from it and forsakes it indeed and when he doth indeed walk in the ways of new obedience becomes a very servant of righteousness and works the work of God this is the execution or the performance of a penitential purpose and resolution As walking is to a journey or as writing is to a copy or as fighting is to a war that is penitential execution to penitential resolution It is but the Theory as it were drawn down and put forth It is as the tree shooting out into blossoms and fruits It is repentance in life which is the life of repentance 2. That presentness of Execution is an undelayed acting Our actions fall vvithin three spaces of time either of the vvhich is And of an undelayed acting past as vvhat vve have done or of that vvhich is future as that vvhich shall be done or of that vvhich is present as that vvhich is doing Look as true Marriage it is not a future but a present acceptation So true Repentance is not a delayed but a present reformation Or as in Writing the motion of the Pen and the forming of the Letter are simultaneous Or as in a Clock the vvheel doth move and the finger doth move So in the business of Repentance the purpose of amendment should at the same time drop out into the change of heart and vvays To have repentance onely in our purposes is onely to have water in a cloud or physick in a glass it is not yet to do it Resolutions may be for the future but Executions are for the present act an hearing while it is to day and not hardning of the heart As St. Paul being called vvent immediately up to Jerusalem so present execution of repentance is vvhen we do not defer the penitential work a not allowing of our selves in giving vvay to our sins no not an hour as the Apostle spake in another case 3. That there is a two-fold present execution of penitential purposes One is immediate or vvhen the purpose and the acting And of a present execution either for immediateness or seasonableness vvithout distance of time
death what rewards after death it shall procure to persons upon the one and the other he is stirred up to the sense of his sins to the admiration of Holiness to a condemnation of his evil course to a resolution for a better But then it is with him as with some ship sometimes as soon as it is putting out of the Harbor it strikes upon a rock or falls into the sands and loseth all the precious lading Or as with Corn sown and let fall in an open and solid place where the Birds come down and instantly pick it up so is it here with this man the world meets him again at the Church door or at his own door and all these impressions and resolutions are spilt and gone Worldly engagements take present possession of his thoughts and all the service of his affections so that he hath no time to consider what God did speak or work in him no time secretly to beg of God to write those truths in his heart to keep all this in the purpose of his heart to give him the Spirit of Grace and strength to walk in the wayes of God revealed now unto him When you turn the course of the water another way the Mill cannot stir so when men turn the course of their thoughts and affections to secular and vain imployments all resolutions stand still they have nothing now to elicit or draw them on and out into any holy or careful diligence of obedience and performance The Oxen and the Farm c. took them quite off and they made excuses .i. for the present they had other engagements therefore take heed of worldly cares It is impossible that you should be much in the actings of any Grace if you be very much in the service of worldly cares 6. Lastly Presumptuous Confidence is also an Impediment to the Presumptuous confidence present executions of good resolutions whether it be of future time hereafter shall serve the turn it is not wisdom to be so forward soft and fair will go far we have day enough yet before us a year two or ten hence after such a business is effected or which is worse after the pleasures of such a sin is a little more tasted Or of Future ability This is a work which we will do at pleasure and at leisure when we see the scouts the forerunners of the army then we will buckle on our armor when we espy the harbingers of death approaching old age sickness weakness diseases then we will think of heaven and forsake hell what need we be troubling our selves to be doing of that a long time which we can dispatch at any time if we have but time to say Lord have mercy upon me what would ye more Or of Future Mercy Wherefore hath God Mercy but for sinners and he hath said That if at any time a sinner convert he will have mercy We have found him kind unto us all our dayes and doubt not of his fatherly compassion at the last Thus do men post of all penitential executions and for ever endanger their souls Alas for future time whose is it Seneca the Heathen could see more truth then this Solum tempus presens nostrum No time is ours but the present Thou carriest thy life in thy hands thy breath in thy nostrils and seest more Graves made for the young then for the aged And as for thy future ability why dost thou so grosly befool thy self knowest thou not that present Neglects cause stronger Indispositions Qui non est hodie cras minus aptus erit the School-boy will teach thee Every man by more sinning grows more sinful and therefore most unapt and averse to good And then Future Mercy it is of all things the most uncertain to pardon sin where present mercy leaves us not to repentance from sin it is all one as if thou shouldst thus argue God will hereafter pardon me and therefore for the present I will sin against him disobey dishonour vex and grieve and abuse him These are the principal impediments to a present expectation of penitential resolutions and are to be declined by us I now proceed to the helps and furtherances to a present Helps execution of penitentialâ— resolutions which are these amongst many 1. Solid Conviction of a sinful estate This will put us upon a present Execution When the Soul is brought to an experimental Solid conviction of a sinful state sense of the vileness and bitterness of sin it will not then lye hovering Were I best to give up this course or shall I go on in it still No but when the Soul is indeed wounded the wayes shall without delay be reformed take a person in some judicial and close conviction of sin upon a sick and dying bed how forward is a person then to change and better his courses much more do solid and evangelical convictions sweetly dispose and incline the heart to the forsaking of an evil and walking in a good way They in Acts 2. 37. were pricked in their hearts and what did this work in them they cry out presently Men and brethren what shall we do So Saul was struck to the ground and was astonished and trembled and then presently cries out Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. 4 6. Outward afflictions you see many times do put on men to alter and reform their wayes of much greater force are inward afflictions of spirit Go on yet in sin God forbid shall I continue in sin any longer who if I make not haste may lose all mercy and drop into Hell it self what I feel is much what I deserve I cannot bear 2. Holy Wisdome To know times and seasons is an high Holy wisdome part of Wisdome Walk not as fools but as wise redeeming the time saith the Apostle Eph. 5. 15 16. There are four things which solid Wisdome teacheth a man One is to look to the best part Another to make choice of the best good A third to walk in the best wayes A fourth is to do all this in the first place and surest time Have I any thing more near to me then my soul more concerning my soul then God more concerning God then walking before him Where am I if I lose my Soul what am I if I enjoy not God whether run I if I continue in sin if my soul be nearest and God choicest and his wayes safest why do I demur what should I take time or put off the doing of that which is ever best done when it is done If I will live yet in sin for ought I know I may then dye in sin and if I dye in sin I must for ever perish for sin Why should I not Do I not admit the present loss of that which else may be the eternal loss of my Soul But if I set into an holy life this is the very path of God the image of Glory the Ark of safety and the pledg of an happy eternity
to shew all kinds of mercy to the true Penitent I said I will confess and thou forgavest me You see here in the Text what tender what affectionate what speedy what free mercy is shewed to the returning Prodigal His Father saw him afar off and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him What could he do more There is a great difference twixt Gods coming to punish a sinner and his coming to shew mercy to a Penitent Tardus ad vindictam when he is to inflict punishment then he walks and deliberates as it were there is a kind of strife within him How shall I give thee up O Ephraim how shall I deliver thee up O Israel how shall I make thee as Admah how shall I set thee as Zeboim Mine heart is turned within me my repentings are kindled together Hos 11. 8. He is slow to wrath Nah. 1. 3. but then he is velox ad misericordiam swift quick and ready to shew mercy He runs here in the Text to accept of the penitent Prodigal As soon as ever Ephraim said I repented Jer. 31. 19. instantly it follows I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord v. 20. I have sinned saith David Nathan hath it in Commission presently 2 Sam. 12 13. The Lord hath done away thy sin The Prophet Esay c. 30. 18. hath a singular phrase The Lord will wait that he may be gracious unto you He doth even watch and listen and hearken for the first hint and occasion to shew mercy I hearkened and heard Jer. 8. Why will ye die O house of Israel Ezek. 18. 31. What an expression is that q. d. Lo here 's mercy for you if you will but leave your sins I pray you draw not confusion on your selves mercy is better than wrath turn you and live do not refuse mercy I stand not upon what is past so that you will repent I had rather shew you mercy For the opening of this excellent Assertion premise these particulars 1. What it is to shew mercy 2. What it is to be ready and quick c. 1. To shew mercy to a Penitent imports many things v. g. What it is to shew mercy Pitifull Compassion Acceptance into Grace and Favour abundant Pardon withdrawment of Wrath and Evil collation of any Good all this is shewing of mercy when God doth pity a man bring him into favour remit offences take off judgments pour down blessings thus is the Lord ready to do to the true Penitent if a man repents indeed of his sins The Lord 1. Will pity him God will pity him He will have compassion on us saith the Church Mic. 7. 19. and will pity him as a Father doth the Child Psal 103. 13. 2. Will accept him into favour i. He will be Accept him into favour reconciled unto him and will be highly well pleased with him He shall pray unto God and he will be favourable unto him and he shall see his face with joy said Elihu Job 33. 26. When they in Isa 1. did cease to do evil and learn to do well Come now saith the Lord and let us reason together q. d. We are now very good friends all is well I love you I am pacified towards you 3. Will pardon him i. Pardon him discharge him of all the guilt that it shall not be redundant he will blot out his iniquities and remember them no more and though they be sought for yet they shall not be found Jer. 50. 20. If the Jer. 31. 34. wicked forsake his ways and his thoughts God will abundantly pardon him Isa 55. 7. 4. Will withdraw his wrath And Withdraw his wrath therefore it is said that he reserves not wrath for ever and it is but for a moment He breaks off the shackles and bolts Mic. 7. 18. Mine anger is turned away from him saith God of penitent Israel Hos 14. 4. Lastly Will bestow any Covenant blessings upon him If you consent and obey you shall eat the good Bestow blessings upon him of the Land Esa 1. 19. And Hos 2. 21. The Lord will hear the heavens and the heavens shall hear the earth and the earth shall hear the corn and the wine and all these shall hear Jezreel 2. To be ready to shew mercy is opposite to dulness and slowness and imports a speedy aptness and quickness and chearfulness There is a four-fold readiness in this kind 1. One is of apprehension which consists in a quick observation of the A four-fold readiness to shew mercy In Apprehension misery and need that a sinner lies under Such a readiness to mercy there is in God to a penitent sinner I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31. 18. Ephraim did grieve for sin was much troubled and ashamed and confounded Alas I have sinned I have offended the Lord Well saith God I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself q. d. I take special notice of him Or as he expresseth it in Hos 14. 8. I have heard him and observed him 2. Another is of Commiseration that is In Commiseration God takes the condition of the Penitent to heart He doth look on him with tender affections my bowels are troubled for him Jer. 31. 20. As when a Parent beholds a Child falling down and begging for acceptance with flouds of tears this goes to the very heart of him it stirs his affections c. 3. A third is In Resolution of Resolution I will surely have mercy upon him The nature of God doth presently incline him to pass by offences and to accept of the Penitent to think thoughts of peace and mercy towards him 4. A fourth is of Expression i. the Lord is very ready not onely to intend mercy but to manifest it unto Of Expression the penitent person and therefore as soon as ever any soul doth repent God doth send unto him by the Ministry of the Gospel and assures him by all his loving promises that there is mercy for him Isa 40. 1. Comfort ye my people Act. 2. 39. The promise is to you and to your children 'T is thus spoken presently upon their Repentance The Promises of Pardon are Letters Patents of Graciousness and are sealed by the very Truth of God and left open for any penitent person to behold Gods abundant mercy to forgive him and to accept of him 3. God is not onely ready to shew mercy to the Penitent but all God is ready to shew all kinds of mercy kinds of mercy You may read in Scripture of several qualifications as it were of mercy 1. There is Free mercy which is an acceptance of and a remission or discharge without any Free mercy desert in the party receiving though he hath noâ—hing to deserve mercy nay though he hath enough to deserve wrath yet the Lord will freely forgive him such a kind of mercy hath God for the Penitent and therefore he saith of such I will love them freely
Hos 14. 4. and that he forgives them for his own sake Esa 43. 2. There is Abundant mercy God is Abundant mercy said to be rich in mercy to be plentifull in compassion to have manifold mercies even multitudes of mercy and to pardon abundantly Though the penitent hath many sins to be pardoned and many necessities to be supplied yet the Lord is very ready to multiply pardons unto him not to forgive some sins onely but all the sins committed It is not the quantity of sins for number nor the quality of sins for kind nor the aggravations of sins by circumstances which hinders mercy if a a man be penitent but though the sins were as red as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow and though they have been like Crimson they shall be as Wool Esa 1. 18. 3. There is Tender Tender mercy mercy Tenderness consists in an easiness of Compassion and forward willingness to help The tender Mother easily draws out the brests Such a tenderness of mercy is there in God to the Penitent he is most willing to forgive he rejoyceth to shew mercy and doth it with his whole heart Nor doth he upbraid and grieve the sinner when he sheweth mercy but in the shewing of mercy onely shews mercy he will forgive sins and never mention them any more to the forgiven Penitent 4. There is Sure mercy A penitent person may be Sure mercy unsure of many things of his earthly comforts of his worldly friends of his own life but of two things he may be sure of Heaven hereafter and of Mercy presently as soon as ever his heart is taken off from sin his faith may look on mercy Though he hath reason to be grieved for sins yet he hath no reason to doubt the pardon of his sins for that God who hath promised to pardon abundantly hath also said I will surely have mercy on him Jer. 31. 20. 5. There is Loving and Reviving mercy reviving mercy such as takes off the turbulency of the Conscience settles and composeth and speaks peace unto it and admirably refresheth it by the impression of Divine consolations even such mercy is God ready also to give to the penitent even to bind up their bruised spirits and to give them beauty for ashes the oyle of joy for mourning and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness Isa 61. 1 2. He will create lips of peace and words of comfort Speak comfortable to Jerusalem say unto her that her sins are pardoned Isa 40. 〈◊〉 But why is God so ready to shew mercy to the penitent person Sol. There are reasons partly respecting God and the penitent Reasons of it 1. In respect of God 1. It is his nature to be the Lord the Lord God gracious merciful abundant in goodness and truth forgiving iniquity In respect of God It is his nature transgression and sin therefore called a Father and the Father of mercies a Husband Friend Physician Every nature is apt to produce or send out such acts as lye within it and are suitable unto it The Fire is apt to heat and the Sun to shine and the Water to moisten The liberal man it is his nature to be apt to give and the courteous man to speak kindly the nature of the Lord is merciful and therefore no wonder that he is ready to shew mercy 2. It It is his Promise is his promise to shew mercy to the penitent his nature is ready to pity any man in misery and to offer him mercy and help but besides this he is ready to make good his promises he hath passed his holy word of truth that he will have mercy on the penitent the promises are so many that I cannot mention them See Isai 55. Ezek. 18. c. 3. It is his delight to shew them It is his Delight mercy he delighteth in mercy Mic. 7. 18. What any delights in that he is ready to do there is nothing more facile to action or more abundant in action or more unweariable in action then delight delight is no burden when God shews mercy he is doing that wherein he delights Two things God delights in One is a penitent soul there is joy in heaven for his conversion and another is to shew mercy to that Soul Jer. 33. 8. I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me v. 9. And it shall be to me a name of joy 4. It is his glory is it the glory It is his glory of a man to pass by an offence and is it not the glory of a God mercifully to pass over transgressions you get by it and God gets by it Isai 30. 18. Therefore will he be exalted that he may have mercy upon you there be many things which do exalt God set his glory on high our humility doth it our faith doth it and his own mercies do it Jer. 33. 9. This shall be to me a name of joy and praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth who shall hear all the good that I do unto you When he pardons a sinner and shews him mercy why now he gets him a Name Who is a God like unto thee forgiving iniquity transgression and sin God gets him a name three wayes sometimes by Omnipotent acts as when he works wonders never was the like seen in Israel Sometimes by Vindictive acts as when he over rules and confounds the great enemies of his people so he got him a name upon Pharaoh Sometimes by his Gracious acts as when he pardons a sinner Paul sets it down for all posterity to look on that mercy which was shewed unto him The Lord gives the Penitent mercy and hereby he gets unto himself much Glory 5. His love is great to Penitents and therefore his mercy is ready His love is great to Penitents for penitents his general Love his Philanthropie inclines him thus far as to reveale mercy and to offer mercy and to beseech by mercy even the unkindest Impenitents Why will ye dy turn and live When shall it once be O then what must his special love produce if he be ready to shew mercy to enemies is he not ready to shew it to sons If to Rebels surely then to friends if to them that disobey him how much to them who do humble themselves at his footstool who repent for whose souls he gave the blood of his Son Secondly in respect of the penitent themselves God is very ready In respect of the Penitent to shew them mercy 1. There is nothing in the World that they need like mercy It is the only Plaister for their wound and They need nothing like mercy Anchor for their Ship if they have not mercy they are undone Usually there is in every condition some one thing which the heart of man doth most need if he be sick then health if poor then sufficiency if dejected then comfort Christ tells Martha of
whom I have offered the saving blood of my son and all my pardoning mercies if that he would but have left his sinful wayes Thy own conscience will condemn thee for ever that ever thou shouldst exalt the lust of thy sin before the mercy of God yea the very Devils will cry shame of thee they may say If we had had such mercy offered we could not have been worse then have refused it thou hadst mercy offered to pardon thee and yet thou wouldest go on in thy sins Know O man thouart inexcusable before God thou canst make no apology at all Two things let them be for every ingraven in your brests One is that if mercy will not bring in your souls to repentance nothing will do it I affirm it that if you were in hell it self the toâ—ments of it woâ—ld not incline you to repent if the mercies of God now upon earth will not prevail with you Another if mercy do not lead you to repentance there remains nothing but a fearfull expectation of the fiery indignation of God thou art as sure to be damâ—ed as thou now livest if thou doest not repent thee of thy sins A second Use shall be of Caution Since the Lord is so ready to Vse 2 Cauâ—â—â— Kâ—â—p not 〈◊〉 from Repentance by despairing oâ— Mercy shew all mercy to the penitent therefore take heed that you keep not off from repentance by despairing of mercy There are three sorts of sinners Some whose hearts are hardâ—ed as the Adamant through an habitual itera ion by sin and 〈◊〉 inflâ—med affection unto sin who like that unjust Judg fearing neither God nor man so they are sensâ—ble neither of the vileness of sion nor of the goodness of mercy Some whose hearts are mollifyed graciously altered have seen the evil of their wayes and forsaken them and are turned unto the Lord seeking him with mourning and with supplication to whom the Scepter of Mercy hath been graciously stretched forth and they have effectually touched that Scepter with believing hearts and are returned with much peace and joy unspeakable Others there are twixt both these they are not so low as the first for their consciences are awaked and troubled nor yet so high as the last for they cannot believe any mercy will reach unto them their souls cannot discern any intention of mercy towards them and all the promises of mercy seem to them as restrictive nay as exclusive proclamations denying unto them though grantting unto others the priviledg of their Books and the Pâ—alm of mercy and so are apt to despair mercy seems to them a far off and slow and long a coming Therefore now to such persons who are awakned in their consciences to see the vileness of their sinful ways and their lost condition my advice is by no means to despair of mercy Reasons against despair Despair is a very heinous Sin Reasons why I thus advise are these 1. Despair is a very heinous sin It is one of the highest impeachments of Gods greatest glory and delight there is nothing wherein God doth more magnifie himself in the eyes of the world or more glory in then to sit upon his mercy-seat Now despair is not every diminution and eclipse of mercy but it is in its kind a very extinction of all the love and kindness and mercifulness in God it gives 1. The lye to the promises 2. Reproach to Gods nature and particularly to the attribute of mercy that it is not 1. Kind enough 2. Willing enough 3. Full enough 4. Free enough 2. It is a sore enemy to Repentance of no hope of mercy then no care to repent I can but be damned 2. And The most uncomfortable sin then it is the most uncomfortable sin Other sins afford some though ungrounded and poor contentment either in profit or pleasure But despair being the grave of mercy it is also the very night and funeral of all comfort and as S. Austin spake of an evil conscience that is true of despair It is its own torment for taking the soul off from all remedy it must necessarily afflict it with the most exquisite sense of fear and horrour 3. Satan is very apt to fall in with an awakened conscience and there to aggravate Satan is very apt to draw us to despair sin above all measure thereby to incline it to despair of mercy if he cannot make us dye in a senseless Caâ—m his next aim is to make us perish in an unquiet and despairing storm either to undervalue our sins and so to slay us with security or else to undervalue mercy and so sink us with distrust 4. Yea and no A newly awakned conscience is apt to it conscience is more propense to suspect divine â—avour and to credit false suggestions then a newly awakened conscience Indeed while our hearts are totally seared and past feeling much sin being not at all felt here is an easie ground to delude our selves that mercy will quickly bend unto us who do take our selves to be good enough and not much to need it but when many sins shall be laid to our charge and great ones too with that wrath which a just and holy God hath threatned and we feel the burnings of the wrath begun with us I assure you it will be most difficult to withhold that Soul from despairing of mercy which at once sees much guilt and feels much wrath 5. There is infinite There is infinite mercy in God mercy is God It is his nature and he can forgive iniquity transgression and sin Est in misericordia divina divina Omnipotentia Therefore this I say unto you any of you whose consciences God has awakned to the sight and sense of your sins whether by the Ministry of his Word or of his rod as you desire not utterly to cast dishonour extreemest dishonour to God and to draw the saddest and yet most fruitless anguish on your own spirits and yet again as you tender the welfare of your Souls your everlasting safety by repentance and faith do not despair of finding mercy with God but come in unto him by solid repentance and you shall find him even unto you a God ready to forgive iniquity transgression and sin Ob. Yea but though the Lord be merciful yet is he just he I but God will not clear the guilty will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34. 7. I have refused mercy I cannot pray I cannot be heard or answered How then can I I who have sinned so much now expect any mercy Sol. To this I answer briefly There are two kinds of sinners whom God will not clear One is Who do not see their sins yet love them Another Who do not see their sins and yet go on in them Answered Psal 11. 5. The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul doth hate And Psal 68. 21. He will wound the head of such as still go on in their wickedness If you be such
hast thou prayed would trouble thee if thou didst not pray and therefore hast thou prayed to give it a little quiet as we do a crying child the brest to still it What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that you receive them and ye shall have them Hast thou and doest thou consider and ponder the promises of Gods mercy made over the penitent persons Hast thou considered of his mercifull nature tender love in and through Christ of his commands to broken and afflicted souls to come unto him for Balm and Oyl Hast thou found how proper his mercifull promises are to thy condition every way good and convenient and doest confess this word of promise a gracious and a good word and judgest him to be faithfull who hath promised and thy self unworthy of mercy and thereupon in the Name of the Lord Jesus hast bended thy heart and knees to the God of mercy trusting through him to find grace and mercy to help in time of need and those his promises to be Yea and Amen to thy soul through Christ Joh. 14. 13. Whatsoever ye ask in my Name that will Ido According to your faith said Christ to the blind men Matt. 9. 29. so be it unto you Alas thy prayers have not found the way to Gods Mercy-seat all this while because they have not had faith for their Guide if our Messenger lose their way no marvel if we stay long for an answer Lastly Why hast thou called home the Embassadors those prayers Hast thou not called home thy prayers of thine which were Leigers at Heaven In a fit of proud impatience and fruitless vexation and bold presumption thou hast limited the holy One of Israel to a day And if at such another prayer God did not sensibly answer thee thou wouldest and hast restrained seeking of him What doest thou mean to beg and yet to prescribe Alas that there should be so much pride yet in an heart which we would think humbled as low as Hell That it should profess it self to deserve a thousand damnations and yet quarrel with God for not being quick in a present expedition of mercy Thou art too quick with God Judge how these answer one the other O Lord I do not deserve the least mercy I deserve never to find mercy and yet if the Lord doth not presently shew me mercy I will not seek unto him any more As you must get humbled hearts so you must get humble hearts He hears the desires of the humble Your Prayers must be patient as well as â—ervent Mercy pardoning mercy is worth the waiting for It is the most excellent of mercies and most sure to the patient Petitioner Psal 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry Blessed are all that wait for it Isa 30. 18. Or there may be Reasons on Gods part why he doth a while Reasons on Gods part God suspends mercy To give us some taste what it is to provoke him suspend or hold up the demonstration of his mercy to a troubled soul and seeking 1. To give us some taste what it is to provoke him and sin against him Jer. 2. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God As we have had years to bath our selves in the delights of sin so we must have some minutes to taste the proper fruits the bitterness of sin Thou wouldst not believe the Gall and the Wormwood c. Lam. 3. 2. To alienate or work off our affections wholly from sin which now is so To alienate our affections from sin deadly a sting so smart a wound so noisome a prison which fills us with such horrible terrours and costs us almost our lives to obtain pardon and mercy Thou wouldst not easily part with sin Who would love sin any more which 1. raiseth so great terrours 2. utterly depriveth of mercy 3. or hinders it and makes it slow to answer 3. To abase us more in our own eyes To abase us the more in our own eyes that we may exalt his mercy that so his mercy may exalt us and we may exalt his mercy to value the excellency of mercy to confess our unworthiness of mercy to enlarge our desires of mercy 4. Nay not onely to exalt his mercy but retain his mercy not easily forfeit the excellency and sweetness of mercy by any future sinning The That we may retain his mercy Church which had much adoe to find Christ she then caught him and would not let him go The pardoning mercies of God ordinarily yield us most sweetness and abide in their strength To make us an Instance of mercy and Instrument of comfort with us after deepest humiliations and difficultest fruitions of them 5. Perhaps the Lord will make thee a great Instance of mercy and a great Instrument to comfort others and therefore suffereth thee to lie a long time in darkness and silence and at length will relieve thee Object Yea but how shall a troubled soul be supported in the How shall not be supported in the interim the interims until mercy pardoning mercy doth come and prayers therein be answered fully Sol. I answer to this also 1. If thou canst not have comfort to feed on yet thou hast duty to work on If thou hast not comfort look to duty Every Christian may either find it an Autumn to gather fruit or else a Spring to set it It is a great mercy that thou art at the gates of Mercy it is a great mercy 1. to enjoy 2. to beg 3. to wait for mercy a comfort to have such an heart to come so near to mercy thou hast a time to search thy heart more and to review thy estate and to peruse thy prayers to mend and continue all All which are but thy improvements in grace and will eventually prove the enlargements of thy mercy and peace No man can make a better progress in his repentance but he doth thereby prepare for the greater for the sweeter for the longer mercies 2. Though you have not experience to support you yet you have faith Though thou hast not experience yet thou hast faith It is written and sealed though not delivered as yet Whosoever doth truly repent mourn for sin forsake it endeavour to walk with God c. though he have not the joy of his pardon in his conscience yet he hath the assurance of his pardon in the promise Now Gods Word should support us as much as Gods Testimony his Word should be as good to our faith as his Testimony is sweet to our sense and feeling 3. The dawnings of pardoning mercy The dawnings of pardoning mercy may support which are rising upon you may also support you Though you cannot read your Pardon under the Broad Seal yet you may find it passing
of a Father I am that Father in whose house there is bread enough and to spare Do but come back unto me and all shall be well Canst thou live without Bread canst thou live without my Mercy Mercy shall be thine if thou wilt return from thy lost and sinfull courses 4. By directing him into the way of coming back As 1. With mournfull confession of his sins By directing him into the way of Returning Hos 14. 2. Take with you words and return unto the Lord say unto him Take away iniquity and receive us graciously 2. With penitential reformation Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. With believing application Thou must go saith God to my Son for he is the way and the life and he came to seek and to save that which was lost Seventhly By laying hold upon him by his Almighty Grace and putting into him a returning heart Now notwithstanding all this the lost sinner is not perfectly found and therefore the Lord doth one thing more he doth with this lost sinner as the shepherd did with the lost sheep who took him on his shoulders and brought him home So the Lord lays hold on this poor lost soul by his Almighty Spirit of Grace and puts into him a returning heart an other heart and makes him willing and glad to leave his sinfull wayes and to return to himself and to implore his reconciled favour and acceptance in Jesus Christ Which being done now is the lost sinner found indeed for then and then onely is a lost sinner found when he in truth turns back to God and enjoys him as his reconciled God in Christ Jer. 3. 22. Return ye back-sliding children Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Quest 3. Why doth God thus look after and find a lost sinner Why God doth thus find a lost sinner Sol. The Reasons may be these 1. Although the sinner be not worth the looking after yet the soul of a sinner is worth the looking after The sinner is the Devils creature but the soul is Tâ—e soul is worth the looking after Gods creature The soul that I have made saith God Isa 57. 16. The lost sheep was worth the looking after and so was the lost groat surely then a lost soul is worth the looking after which is at least of as much value as a lost Groat Christ saith Theophylact on Matth. 18. was the man who left the Ninety nine sheep and lookt after one lost sheep he left the the society of Angels in Heaven to find one lost Soul on Earth O the Soul of Man is a precious a valuable Substance made only by God and fit only to match and converse with God 2. As God knows God knows the loss of a soul the worth of a soul so God knows the loss of a Soul O Sirs we make little account of losing souls but verily no loss like the loss of a soul As Christ spake of the fall of that house The fall thereof was great that 's true of the loss of a soul the loss thereof is very great A man in the event loseth nothing though he loseth all the world if his soul be not lost But if the soul be lost all is lost all is lost to an eternity and therefore the Lord out of unspeakable pity looks after a lost sinner Christ hath â—aid down a price for souls 3. Jesus Christ hath laid down a price for some souls and Jesus Christ shall see of the travel of his soul he shall have his purchase to the full value 4. God will have some to magnifie the God will have some to magnifie the riches of his Grace riches of his glorious Grace and Love and Kindness and Mercy yea and to enjoy eternal Glory with himself therefore he will find some lost sinners For no sinner but a found sinner can either glorifie God or be glorified with him The first Use shall be for Examination of our selves Whether Vse 1. Examination Whether our lost souls be found our lost souls be found thus of God or no I will propound unto you 1. Some Arguments or Motives to put you upon this Trial. 2. Then the Trials or Characters of a person whom God in mercy hath found The Arguments which may move us to a serious Trial whether Motives to a serious Trial. we be found persons or no are these 1. Every man is lost but every man is not found All are lost but few are found Every man is lost but every man is not found the way of sin is general but the way of mercy is special Mat. 7. 13. Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat v. 14. But strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and â—ew there be that â—ind it You read of a general complaint They are all gone out of the way but you read not of a general acclamation They are all returned into the way Take the way of finding a lost sinner and bringing him home to God either 1. by Repentance Why the number of sinners is exceeding large but the number of repenting sinners is very scant As he said once of an Army Here are many Men but few Souldiers so may it be said in this case Sinners are like the Sands in the sea very numerous but Penitent Sinners are like Pearâ—s in thesea very rare and precious 2. By Faith All are sinners but few very few are â—rue believers Historical Faith though it be a common faith yet it is not very common Who hath believed our report They are the â—ewest part of the world who do credere Christum believe that there is a Christ but how few even of these do credere in Christum believe in Christ And Men are never found till Faith be found in them 2. It is a very bad and a very sad condition not to be found It is a very sad condition not to be found out of but to be found still in a lost condition If it were no more but this That such a person cannot find himself under the clasp or compass of any saving mercy this were heavy To be in a Dâ—sert and not to know that ever he shall come alive out of it to be in the Ocean and not to know that ever he shall come safe to Land to be in a sinfull condition and not to know wheâ—her ever Divine Mercy will pull him out of this condition Yet this is the case of a lost sinner he cannot tell whether ever Divine Mercy will look after him or no perhaps it will perhaps it will not But besides this let 's consider what may find that lost sinner whom Divine Mercy hath not
house If so why doest thou yet run away run abroad to Sin for delight to the Creature for satisfaction 6. If God hath graciously found thee and brought thee out of Thou wilt be afraid to lose thy self again thy lost and wandring condition Thou wilt be afraid to lose thy self again to wander again to go astray again from thy God who hath found thee There are six things which the found and recovered person doth apprehend 1. The great iniquity in his formerly lost and wandring course of life 2. His great vanity all that while to forsake his own mercies to sow the wind and reap the whirlwind What profit had ye in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6. 3. The great kindness and love which God hath manifested towards his lost soul in bringing him back to himself and now to own him as a Father doth a Son 4. The great ingratitude to displease that mercy which was pleased to find him 5. The madness of folly to return to an experimental misery and to forfeit sweet mercy which he hath liberally tasted since he was found 6. The great hazard whether mercy will ever look after him any more who hath so presumptuously abused mercy received O no the found sinner hath found such freeness fulness sweetness of entertainment such rich mercy such free love such wonderfull kindness that as Peter in another case it is good for us to be here or as the returning Church it is best being with my first Husband or as Paul about his being with Christ so he about continuing and complying with his God It is best of all And therefore he cries out against all temptations Shall I return to folly when God hath spoken peace shall I sin again since Gad hath given me such a deliverance as this O no O no Canaan is better then Egypt Paradise is better then a wilderness a Fathers House is better then to serve Swine plenty is better then famine Now God smiles on me and shall I raise his frowns Now conscience speaks peace shall I turn this oyle into a Sword O let me never unjoynt the Bones which mercy at length hath set O let me never darken the Sun which shines so comfortably O let me never feed on husks who may still feed on bread O let me never run from a Pallace to a Prison It was Gods mercy and my happiness to be rescued out of a lost condition let it never be my sin and curse to throw my self out of Heaven to cast my self out of Paradise again for a sins sake which formerly lost me to depart from mercy which hath graciously found me 7. If a found person doth stray he cannot be quiet until he be If he do stray he is not quiet till he come back again found and come back again to his God I sal 119. 176. I have gone astray like a lost sheep seek thy servant There is this difference twixt the strayings of the Godly and of the wicked when a wicked man strayes he is then at home sin is his home and sinful paths are the paths in which he loves to wander the mire and dirt are the delightful home of the Swine and therefore he delights to be abroad and cares not to come back again But a Godly man if he strayes if he sins he is now from home he seeth some steps of lostness in every step of sinfulness his heart is apt presently to smite him for it Alas what have I done whether am I going shall I go again from my Fathers House what ayled me thus to step aside I cannot rest thus I will home again what ever comes of it And back he comes with an ashamed heart as Ephraim did and with a mourning heart as Peter did and with a self-judging heart as David did O my God O my Father I even I have sinned sinned again yet for Christs sake accept of me again Me thinks it is with him just as it is with a poor Child whom evil company hath seduced from home his heart akes and he slips from them and under a Bush he sits and there bethinks himself and sighs and weeps as if his heart would break after which he riseth and home he comes and steals to the door and listens and knocks softly and the Servants comes forth and say they where have you been all this while O your Father wonders at you and hath been much troubled that you have dealt thus with him Now the child takes on and is cut to the heart and will not my Father be pacifyed I know that I have oftended him and dealt unkindly with him Never had a Child so good a Father I pray you speak for me and tell him I am without Let him come in saith his Father In he comes and falls down and with floods of tears acknowledges his strayings and humbly intreats his Father to pass by this wandring and to own him again and to look on him as he was wont to do O Sir saith he I cannot live without your favour nor will I live out of your house Even thus is it with a found Child of God if he happens to stray and sin his heart smites him and his heart akes O saith he what have I done to deal thus with my good God and Father I am ashamed and grieved To one Minister he goes and perhaps to another Do you think that the Lord will be merciful to me again Yea to God he goes and confesseth all and beseecheth him to deal with him like a Father Lord saith he it hath been a woful and bitter time to me I cannot stand it out I come in unto thee sin is my burthen and thy displeasure is my burthen I beseech thee to pardon the trespass of thy servant and be reconciled unto me and own me with thy favour and mercy once again 8. He who is truly found by Gods Grace and Mercy doth desire He endeavours so find others and endeavour to find others or that others may also be found Jâ— 1. 43 45. Christ finds Philip and Philip finds Nathaniel There is no good man who would pertake of Grace and Heaven alone and there is no wicked man who would enjoy sin and hell alone Wicked men are like those that are drowning who catch hold on others and every good man is like a Candle which being lighted holds out light to others or like a stick of fire which being kindled would kindle more sticks Good Lord the same Mercy the same Grace the same Christ the same reconciled God and Father for my poor Child too and for my poor Husband too and for my poor Parents too O Lord pity them too they are lost and they know not the misery of a lost condition nay the happiness of a found condition Good Lord open their eyes and bring them home to thy self in Christ And to his friends he goes O continue not in this condition you are lost I was so
unconverted man is of all men on the earth in the saddest vilest miserablest condition Why Because he is spiritually dead dead spiritually dead A wounded man is in a tedious condition and a diseased man is in a languishing condition but what is a wound to death what is a disease to death Me morienti mori Death is the Sun-set of all comfort Death is the drowning of a little world Death is the very Hermitage of forgetfulness and loathsome corruption Death is the lowest and vilest condition what then is a spiritual Death No Death like the spiritual Death O my friends consider spiritual Death either in comparison in its proper complexion Consider this death or in the consequents of it surely no Death no condition is so dismal as it 1. In comparison with any other In comparison with other death Death This is the worst this is the heaviest There is the Death of our Goods and Estate into which Job fell of our Name and Reputation into which David fell of our Bodies and natural Life into which Lazarus fell of the Soul the immortal soul of man into which every unconverted sinner is fallen Now what is a dead Estate to a dead Soul Or what is a dead Name to a dead Soul Or what is a dead Body to a dead Soul It is not so much as the death of a Dog to the death of a Man Every unconverted man hath a dead soul a converted man may have a troubled soul but the unconverted man hath a dead soul sin hath slain his precious soul If the soul be dead what is alive What is that man whose soul is dead In all other deaths something is alive if Goods be gone the Name lives if the Name be gone the Body lives if the Body be gone the Soul lives But if the Soul also be gone what lives 2. In it self Why spiritual Death is a total privation of God In iâ— self of Christ of Grace no life of God no life of Christ no life of Grace is there in any unconverted person none at all Ah poor wretch what art thou and what is thy condition who art thus dead A total corruption diffusion possession with sin S. Austin affirms That the very Vertues of the Heathens were but splendida peccata meer flowers on a dead man And Solomon The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. What a gastly sâ—ght would it be to open a grave and see the dead body run over with crawling worms and a general putrefaction over all the parts And truly so it is with the soul of an unconverted person it is the filthiest nastiest corruptedst may I say Câ—â—â—on Luther said once So many sins so many hells surely I may then say So many Sins so many Deaths The unconverted man is full of sin his heart is full of evil so Soloman He is filled with all unrighteousness so Paul affirmeth Job was filled with botches yea but he was not filled with sins and Lazarus was filled with sores yea but he was not filled with sins and Davids soul was filled with complaints and Christs soul was filled wich sorrow yea but it was not filled with sin Every unconverted mans dead soul is filled with living sins as a good mans soul is filled with dying and dead sins and a soul full of living sins is much like a soul filled up with Hel-fire There is no evil so evil as sin and no sin so evil as living sin and no living sin so evil as a fulness and an onliness of living sin 3. In the consequents of it I will name but three of them In the consequents of it 1. All the guilt of all those sins lie on him alone 2. All the wrath of God looks on him the sentence of curse 3. An eternal death may soon befal him 2. Then no marvel that publick and private admonitions counsels No marvel that admonitions reproofs counsels prevail not with most men reproofs prevail not with the most of men We Ministers preach and we think we preach Religion and with evidence enough of Reason and deliver things fairly and plainly and convincingly and now we wonder at it that men should hear such clear and undeniable truths and not be moved and perswaded And Parents give admirable counsels and instructions to their Children and no good comes of them c. Why Sirs are not unconverted men dead men And what can all our undertakings alone considered do unto dead men Assuredly unless the Lord of Life himself will speak these counsels and these admonitions unto sinfull men they will never hear them so as to be stirred so as to be moved so as to be converted by them they will remain in their sinfull condition and obstinate wayes to eternity 3. Then it is of Gods meer mercy and pity and power if ever It is Gods mercy that any soul is converted thy poor soul be converted Never ascribe it to thy excellency what excellency is there in a dead man to thy power what power is there where there is no life to thy self preparations what active disposing or preparation can a dead man afford The dead sinner is the meer object of purest mercy and the dead sinner is without all strength if ever his souls lives then to Christ must that life own it self and to Divine Mercy and Power c. The next Use shall be for Trial or Examination Since every unconverted man is spiritually dead let 's therefore search our Vse 2. Trial Whether we be spiritually dead Four Tokens of it hearts in what a condition they are Are not many of us yet dead in sins and trespasses spiritually dead men There are four Tokens of a man spiritually dead 1. Vnsensibleness Where there is no life there is no sense of all sinners the unsensible sinner is in the most deadly condition Tanto pejor quanto insensibiliter saith Austin Do what you will to a dead man he is Unsensibleness unsensible of it call to him he hears not put the sweetest perfumes to him he smels not kick him cut him burn him he feels not although he be full of loathsomness he perceives it not Now I beseech you mind this Trial for verily if spiritual unsensibleness prevail upon you you are spiritually dead If spiritual sense be the first evidence of Life then è contra spiritual unsensibleness is a sure evidence of Death And what spiritual sensation is yet wrought in you There are sins upon sins mountains upon mountains in your hearts the least of them hath been an heavy burthen to a living soul but what hast thou ever felt of thy sinfull heart and life There is in the Ministry of the Gospel no less than riches of Mercy freeness of Love glories of Heaven tendred to you but what do you perceive in it Didst thou never yet feel and cry out of a body of Death O here here is a dead heart an ignorant heart a
pleaseth and when he pleaseth He hath the command of the heart and grace Take the heart as usually we do for any or all the faculties of the soul yea as corrupted by nature and custome yet God hath a dominion over it and he can make new impressions and divine alterations and inclinations upon it The Understanding naturally is blind and dark unable to unfold and apprehend the morality of conditions actions objects but God can turn it from darkness to light he can imprint on it the clearest light whereby it shall be able to behold what is good and what is evil The Judgment naturally is erroneous it mistakes good for evil and evil for good judgeth sinfull evil as the best and sweetest way condemneth good as most contrary to us to our delights courses ends But God is able to imprint on mans Judgment a discerning and righteously sentencing ability that a man shall not only see his sinfull nature and life but condemn it I was mad saith Paul such a fool a beast was I. They shall remember their evil wayes and loath themselves Hos 2. 7. as his greatest evil and misery and conclude that a new holy penitent life is the best of all lives and that for himself The Conscience is either sleepy or seared naturally But God can awaken it and imprint on it a power to feel sin to complain accuse indite wound and slay the sinner that he shall have no rest as long as he lies in his sinfull condition Sin revived and I died Rom. 7. The Will is naturally averse and perverse it is set against all spiritual good and set upon evil But cannot God alter this Will He can easily turn it about let him but drop in the least degree of Grace and the Will presently wheels about and is as ready and desirous and cleaving to good as ever it was to evil Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. So for the Affections the Lord hath the dominion over them He can make them to love him as much and more than ever they loved sin and to grieve and to hate and to fear sin c. Get thee hence what have I any more to do with Idols 4. The Lord doth sometimes convert a great sinner to glorifie his God doth this to glorifie his own grace own Grace 1. The power of it that it is able to cure great and strong diseases If ordinary sinners onely were converted men would imagine but a common and vulgar power lay in converting Grace where there is a lesser opposition there a weaker strength may suffice to do the work But if sin be strong now the power of Grace appears in rescuing the soul even from the Gates of Hell and from the Powers of Darkness 2. The riches of it When all the world knows and the man himself knows That there was nothing in him but a vilest heart and lewdest course and yet Divine Grace hath converted him O saith he this was rich Mercy and Grace indeed The Apostle saith That God quickned the dead Ephesians that he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace chap. 2. vers 7. O saith the great sinner now converted never was there such a gracious and such a mercifull God such a kind and loving God I was dead and he hath made me alive I was the greatest of sinners and I have yet obtained the sweetest of mercies I was the greatest Enemy and yet God would be my kindest Friend overcome by Sin and now overcome by Grace falling down into Hell and now lifted up to Heaven so bad that Justice might have had much Glory to damn me yet God hath been so good that Mercy shall have the Glory to save me Vsâ— â—o relieve the troubled Conscience and distressed Conscience You shall find by experience these two Truths 1. That whiles men are in a dead lost vile and unsensible condition they then imagine that their sins are little and mercies great and they have power to turn to God when they please 2. That when they come to be truly sensible of their hearts and ways then their sins appear exceeding great and the mercy and grace of God seem little O! they have withstood the offers of grace and all self-power is gone and the greatness of their sinning is an absolute bar to their conversion And there are eight Reasons why a man made sensible of Reasons why a man sensible of his great sin thinks God will not convert him his great sinnings inclines to think that God will never convert him 1. Because he hath been one who hath exceedingly provoked God to wrath against him He sees great wrath in God and that he hath by his continual sinnings incensed the Lord. O saith he it is mercy that must convert but I have turned a mercifull God into a just God and a kind God into an angry God my great sins have put me into the hands of his great wrath 2. Because such a person sees his condition lying under the threatnings of God and out of the reach of the promises of God God threatning him Warrants issued out to take and arrest him an Arrow levell'd at him God hath said That he will wound the hairy scalp of him that goes still on in his iniquities and that he who hardens his heart being often râ—proved shall be destroyed without remedy Now I have been that sinner 3. Because such a person feels the impressions of Gods displeasure on his Conscience He is in the very hands of wrath Conscience tells him Thou art the man and these have been thy sinnings these have been thy ways and thy doings and Conscience condemns him for one who hath delighted himself in evil and secretly goes and smites him with unavoidable fears and terrours Now when a man feels wrath 't is an hard thing to perswade him that God hath any thoughts and intentions of mercy and grace for him 4. Such a person ordinarily looks more upon the examples of destruction than upon the instances of conversion rather what God hath done against them than for any of them O saith he God in Scripture hath often left such and such great sinners to their As the Israelites Psal 81. 12. 2 Thes 2. Jâ—r 13. 14. own hearts lusts and he hath given them up to Satans delusions and to a reprobate mind and sense and would not have mercy on them he would deal with them no more 5. The distance twixt his greatly sinning soul and converting grace seems to him wondrously large If I had been but sick and weak but can a dead man live should a Rebel be embraced can a Blackmore be made white It is great grace to convert a little sinner but what grace is sufficient to convert so great a sinner 6. He measures the disposition of Divine Grace by the indisposition of his own heart O saith he I have been how long how stubbornly unwilling to receive grace how violent to oppose grace If I
had neglected it only but I have rejected it I have been so long unwilling despising will Grace be pleased and so willing to one so unwilling Grace will not be willing to smile on him who hath frowned on it Grace will not stoop to him who hath trampled upon Grace Can Divine Grace and I be so easily friends What forty years lying in Hell and now to think I shall go to Heaven all my life to serve the Devil and yet now to think that God will take me or make me his servant 7. Such a man sees his sins in another manner than ever before The face of sin is unvailed like so many spears in the heart of Christ like so many wounds given to sweetest Mercy like so many cups of poyson that he hath drunk and so many cups of wrath which he hath made Christ to drink and as so much dung cast upon the Beauties of Holiness 8. Yea and he feels his sins in another manner O saith he I feel my proud heart still and my adulterous heart still and my covetous heart still and when any good ariseth it is surprized it it resisted it is quenched by a thousand evil motions And though I hear and though I seek God yet it is thus with me O! my sins have been so great that God will never undertake my conversion my change had I been more civil had I been less evil perhaps he would Now I would say six things to this great sinner 1. Great Six things to this great sinner Great sinnings should be reasons of great humblings but not of un belief sinnings should be reasons of great humblings but they should never be the causes and helps of unbelief Grandia delicta fletus grandes Because thou hast found an heart which could sin exceedingly beseech God to give thee an heart to mourn exceedingly and think not that God cannot do much good because thou hast done much evil 2. Great sinnings should work a self-despair but they should never work a God-despair Great sinnings shew Great sinnings should work a self-despair but not a God-despair a great fulness of sin which cannot be overcome but by a great God Thou art a great sinner but God is a great God there is no sinner like to thee and there is no God like to him He is great in power if he were not able to convert a great sinner he were not great in power and he is great in mercy and love he were not great in mercy to pardon nor great in love to save if he did not pardon great sinners and convert great sinners Therefore as the least sinner should despair of his own power so no sinner no not the greatest should despair of Gods power 3. God hath converted great sinners Usually God hath conveâ—ted great sinners the sinners whom God hath converted they have been of the greatest rank of sinners He hath passed by many an hundred civil righteous persons and his converting Grace hath laid hold on the notorious sinner Thou art not the first Idolater the first Thief the first Whore the first Adulterer the first Drunkard the first Swearer the first Sodomite the first Persecutor the first Unbeliever and refuser of Grace that Divine Grace hath assayed and converted They had no more power to contribute towards their conversion there was no more reason in them to move the Lord to look upon them than there is in thy self yet God did convert them 4. Though a person can say No sinner can say God will never convert him that God hath not hitherto converted him yet no sinner living under the means of Grace can safely say that God will never convert him For no sinner can know his eternal Reprobation this is a secret counsel which is reserved in the bosome of God can know the season the very designed season when God will convert him for the Lord reserves the power of conversion and the season of conversion to himself he converts some at one time some at another God never revealed to any man that at such a time at such an hour he would convert him Consequenter a man may know the hour of his conversion but Antecedenter he could not know that God would then just then convert him 5. There is more probability that God will convert thee thus sensible There is more probability of thy conversion being thus sensible than not Reasons of it c. than that he will not For 1. The clearing of thy great sinfulness unto thee and the setting of thy great sins in order before thine eyes 2. The quicknings of thy Conscience to feel the burthen and weight of thy great transgressions 3. The great perplexities and fears in thy heart because of these great sins are no evil signs at all Of the two the troubled Conscience is much more hopefull than the â—eared Conscience Vicinior saluti est dolor patientis quam stupor non sentientis as Austin well Though trouble in Conscience be not alwayes an infallible Argument of Life yet it is an ordinary Antecedent unto Spiritual Life The still Voice came after the Whirlwind and Christ came after the storm and Canaan came after the Wilderness the Spirit of Adoption comes after the Spirit of Bondage 6. But what if the Lord hath already converted What if the Lord have already converted thee thee What if God have done that work in thee which thou fearest he will never work further Assuredly if thou art greatly ashamed of thy great trangressions if thy soul can now loath it self for all its abominations if thy heart can remember them and bitterly mourn over them if thy cries be great to be delivered from them if thy fears be great to sin no more if thy heart will not be content without a new heart if thou and God must be reconciled if thou hast received an heart willing to be converted What shall I say Thou art indeed converted Remember two supports which I leave with thee 1. No poor sinner can be so ready and willing to be converted by God but God is much more ready and willing to convert him 2. A willingness to be converted is conversion begun the first stroke of conversion lights upon the Will of a sinner and the greatest part of conversion appears in the change and conversion of the Will it is from the will of Gods grace that thou art willing to have grace A second Use shall be of Caution Let no man presume to continue Vse 2. Caution Let no man presume to continue in great sins in great sins or to remain secure and careless because he hears that a great sinner may be changed and converted For 1. Although God doth convert some great sinners one Abraham one Paul one Mary Magdalene yet there are many of them whom he never converts 2. Perhaps he may convert perhaps he may not and what if he doâ—h not It is but contingent to thee Perhaps he will
the Word of Conscience of Death The third Use shall be to exhort and entreat us to stir up all our hearts to beg of God to work in them this admirable change by Vse 3. Exhortation to beg of God to work this change Conversion I read in Scripture that the blind man cryed out Jesuâ— thou Son of David have mercy on me and again Thou Son of David c. and all this was for a change in his eyes and I read that Naoman took a great journey into the Land of Israel and all was to be cleansed of the Leprosie of his body And why will we not take a little pains to have our hearts and souls changed by grace Consider seriously 1. That a man is not excluded No other want excludes from heaven This want certainly excludes us from heaven for any other want not for want of wisdome or parts or riches or dignities 2. Thou art certainly excluded from heaven the door is shut up against thee if thou be not converted and changed the holy God will never look upon thee and thou shalt never look upon that holy God in his holy place The unclean person was shut out of the Camp and no unclean thing shall ever enter into heaven 3. It is thy duty thou art It is thy duty to be changed bound to be a converted and changed person every man is bound to hate and forsake his sins and to come back and love and serve his God did God make thee to serve thy lusts hath he preserved thee all this while to sin against him Is this the fruit of thy dreadful Covenant which thou hast made with him 4. What wilt thou get by keeping thy sins or any one of them What wilt thou get by keeping thy sins Be perswaded To beseech the Lord to change thy heart Be perswaded therefore at least unto two things 1. To beseech the Lord to change and convert thy heart even thine also remember well 1. None can change a sinner but God The Musician must tune the Instrument 2. It is no sin to beg of God a Conversion from sin No no thou canst not put up a more acceptable request Lord I am weary of my sins I would dishonour thee no more I would be good I would serve thee thou only canst change me and enable me for thy Mercies sake do so and heal and turn me so shall I be healed and turned 3. God hath changed and converted great sinners was not Manasses so M. Magdalen so Paul so the Corinthians so Why venture toward his mercy seat who can tell but he may do so to thee 4. He hath changed sinners who have not sought him and will he refuse it for them who do seek it of him if he many times be found of them that seek him not will he deny to them who seek 5. You have his promise to do this very converting work for you He will give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. I will give a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. Behold he calls thee he tells thee that he is willing to convert thee why then art thou not willing to receive it to have it done do not say thou art a sinner God never did convert any but a sinner nor does he promise to convert any who is not a sinner 6. Did ever any beg this and failed of it Lord said one to Christ If thou wilt thou canst make me clean what saith Christ to him doth he not answer him at all Doth he say I cannot Or doth he say I will not O no his answer is and it is a present answer I will be thou clean 2. To come to the Word and come for this end that God may convert and change many came Come to the word for this end to the Pool of Bethesda to look on it and an impotent man came thither to be cured in it and there he was cured many come to hear the Word to mock at it and many come to get some notions from it and many come to catch the Minister at it but he who comes for this very end to be converted and changed by it I believe he shall first or last attain his end the word shall convert and change him The word is sometimes compared to a Glass which discovers Jam. 1. 29. and sometimes to a Laver which washeth and cleanseth Psal 119. 9. even the young man who of all other is most unruly and wild is converted by it The Power of God goes with the Word of God and the Grace of God comes by the Word of God it is Vehiculum Spiritus canalis Gratiae Thousands have been converted by it and so maist thou Hath God converted and changed thy heart hearken then to Vse 4. Counsels to the converted a few counsels 1. Take heed of sinning after Conversion Do not sin against grace received if thou dost thou wilt weaken and lame thy strength wilt darken thy heaven wilt perplex thy conscience wilt shew thy self more ungrateful then any man no wicked man can have such an aggravation of sin upon him as thou hast 2. Honour God with that Grace which thou hast received Conversion fits and enables a man for Gods Service and Glory And they began to be merry Luke 15. 24. These words are as the Banquet after the Feast they are the close and the reckoning that is brought in upon the lost Son being brought home The case is wonderfully altered with him all is altered when the sinner is altered when he was wandring from his Father he ran up and down the Country and wasted all his estate among Harlots he shifted himself to his very skin and out he is turned amongst the Swine and no man regarded him the poor wretch wanted Father and House and Cloaths and all Comforts and was upon his last Leggs at the very point of starving and famishing But now being found and returned home all mercies come in unto him there 's a Father to embrace him and an House to entertain him and Raiment to cloath him and Friends to welcome him and a feast to rejoyce him And they began to be merry As formerly you have had the nature of Conversion so in these you have the fruit of Conversion When Jesus Christ was born there was great joy and when a sinner is born again hereupon also ariseth great joy The Proposition on which I intend to insist is this That Conversion brings the Soul into a joyful a very joyful condition They began to be merry Mirth is the accent of joy Doct. 7. Conversion brings the soul into a very joiful condition it is an emphatical joy but when did they begin to be merry why as soon as it was said This my Son is alive and this my Son is found now they begin to be merry Conversion may be considered three wayes 1. Antecedenter For the precious qualities and works which
loves him Christ hath satisfyed for him his heart is sanctifyed and his conscience pacified 5. It is a well ending joy A joy which ends A well ending Joy in joy an unconverted man hath his joyes and pleasures but they end in Griefe and horror O my poor Soul said Adrian when he was dying whither art thou now going all thy Mirth and Joy are at an end nec ut soles dabis jocos thou art going away and all thy joyes are going away Luk. 16. 15. But Abraham said to Dives Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Dives fared sumptuously every day he had pleasure on earth but after them his soul went into hell torments he never had pleasure more Babylon it is said of her Rev. 18. 7. how much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Job speaking of the Wicked chap. 21. 7. saith That they take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ v. 12. they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go down to the Grave Solomon speaks ironically to the Voluptuous Youthes Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy Youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the dayes of thy Youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment So then the converted man's joy is a short joy and a joy that ends in bitterest sorrow But a converted man's joy is a lasting joy and it ends in perfect joy when he dies yet his grace dies not yet his joy dies not Well done good and faithful Servant enter into thy Master's joy the end of life is the beginning of all joy 6. It is a transcendent joy it exceeds all worldly joyes A transcendent joy Psal 4. 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time that their Corn and their Wine increased Psal 60. 3. Thy loving kindness is better then life Quest 3. Why doth Conversion make the souls condition so Reasons of it joyful Sol. â—t cannot but be so if you consider Conversion either as to God or as to Christ or as to Conscience 1. As to God As to God Conversion is the certain effect of Gods election 1. True Conversion is the certain effect of Gods gracious election Although Conversion be not the cause of election yet it is the fruit of election it is the counterpane of election Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordinaed to eternal life believed 1. Thes 1. 4. Knowing Brethren Beloved the election of God v. 5. For our Gospel came not to you in word only but in power also and in the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure When the word comes to the person in the Letter only this is no sign of his election but when it comes in power and in the Holy Ghost it is for to come in power and in the Holy Ghost is mightily and effectually to change and convert a person and this the Apostle makes an evidence of election and questionless a copy of a man's election cannot but be a cause of great joy Rejoyce saith Christ to his Disciples that your names are written in heaven Oh what a comfort is it to know that God from all eternity hath written and recorded it down This is the man whom I will have mercy on and will glorifie to all eternity 2. True Conversion It is the singular fruit of God's great It is a singular fruit of Gods Love Love and of his rich mercy to a mans soul the sure token of great love God hath a common love and mercy and God hath a choice love and mercy there are some to whom he hath a great love and unto whom he shews rich mercy Now Conversion is a drop out of that great Ocean the man is greatly beloved of God who is converted by God 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the Sons of God Eph. 2. 4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us v. 5. Even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 3. True Conversion brings a soul under all the good and kind It brings a soul under all the smiles of God Language of God under the smiles of God All the Ordinances are as Milk and Honey and Wine and Oyle to a converted man The Word is a good Word to him and the Sacrament is a good Sacrament to him Why when an unconverted man hearts of all the mercy and kindness and happiness which God portions out for a converted sinner I say when he hears of all this and gets but a lick or a taste of it upon the top of his Tongue it effects him and makes him glad Herod heard John Baptist gladly and the stony ground received the seed with joy and shall not the converted man whose due portion all this is shall not his heart have joy and gladness shall a stranger who peeps over into the Garden and is a spectator only at the Feast shall he find a relish and shall not he who hath the Posie at his Nose smell the sweetnesse shall not he who câ—tes at the Table be filled with the goodnesse and fat and marrow and rejoyce and blesse God 4. True Conversion It is a Claspe the Golden Claspe of It is the clasp of the Covenant of Grace that everlasting Covenant of Gods Grace Note here two things 1. All the desireable delicacies of the soul are treasured up in the Covenant of Gods Grace in it are contained all the gracious attributes in God all the gracious affections of God all the gracious relations of God all the gracious promises and engagements of God There you find the reconciled God the merciful God the pardoning God the sin-subduing God the strengthning and helping God the guiding and upholding God the blessing and comforting God you cannot think of a mercy for the soul of a mercy for the body of a mercy for this life of an happiness after this life but there it is but there it is for you but there it is assuredly for you 2. Every converted person is in this Covenant Why the new heart and the new spirit is not this Conversion are a very part of it Ezek. 36. 26. I will give them a new heart and a new spirit If this be so then certainly Conversion brings a person into a very joyful condition Mark a little If the mercies which many receive only from Providence do delight and please them shall not the mercies which men receive from Gods Covenant please and rejoyce them Bread is sweet to an hungry man out of whatsoever hand it comes and is it not more sweet when it
father saw him and had compassion on him When Ephraim repented and returned and lamented why the Lord saith My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him So here the father not only sees but compassionates q. d. Look the poor child is at length come back he hath smarted enough he shall be welcom I will forgive him all 3. His gracious Acceptation expressed in three particulars One of speedy readiness The father ran Mercy must speed to embrace a penitent Swift are the feet of mercy to a returning sinner A second of wonderful tenderness The father fell on his neck How open are the arms of mercy to take a penitent sinner into the bosom Mercy hath not onely feet to meet us but arms also to clasp and receive us if we be penitent A third of strong affectionateness His Father kissed him God hath not onely arms but lips he hath not naked mercies for a penitent opening themselves in manifold promises onely but also sugred mercies mercie sealed with the kisses of his lips with a sweet testimony that he doth accept of and is reconciled to a penitent and returning soul 2. Some things on the Childs part which is the real acting of his former resolution in an actual confession vers 21. And here observe a strange interruption on his fathers part 1. He staies not to hear all the confession and petition intended though he have purposed to have said more and make me as one of thy hired servants Why the father stops him prevents him we propose a method many times but God suddenly comes in with his mercies 2. He cannot confess so much but the father though not in words yet really doth much more Fetch forth saith he 1. The best roâ—e 2. The pretious ring and 3. The comely shoo 's We can bring nothing to God but yet he can find enough for the whole soul And 4. The fatted Calf Ah! how infinitely different is the penitent condition from the impenitent Now the child hath garments hath ornaments hath necessaries hath comfortables when we once truly turn to God we shall find no lack there is a complete happiness now come to this returning son who adventured on the gracious disposition of his father and there is a great gladness now in the father for the penitential returning of his son Our condition is best and God is most pleased when we turn penitents vers 21 22. Let us eat and be merry for this my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found Thus briefly have you the sense of the Parable with a division of the chief heads thereof I will nov proceed to pick out the moral observations which are couched in it they may be reduced to three general head 1. A Sinners digression or aversion from God 2. A Penitents regression or conversion unto God 3. A Penitents acceptation and favorable entertainment with God In the first you see the sinners going from God to misery In the second you see him returning unto himself by true penitency In the third you see God returning to him in mercy In the first you see him losing himself in the second you see him finding himself in the third you see God finding of him Sin loses us repentance finds us and then God owns us I begin with the Sinners dâ—gression or aversion from God which is set forth unto us in v. 12 13 14 15 16. under the similitude of a young man who would have all in his own hands and so he left his Father took his pleasure in Travels soon consumed all and shortly brought himself to extreme necessity and misery This is the literal part of the Parable But the Moral part comprehends if I mistake not these Propositions That Sin is a departing from God The young Prodigal he must leave his Father he must be D. 1. Sin is a departing from God gone what doth it imply but the sinner is a departer Sinning is a departing we leave God when we betake our selves to a course of sinning Thus is it stiled in Scripture Esai 1. 4. Ah sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord they have gone away backward Here sin is called a forsaking the Lord and a going away and a revolting ye will revolt more and more which is a falling off untrustily from God Jer. 2. 14. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters Heb. 3. 12. An evil he art of unbelief in departing from the living God There is a two-fold Departing One is real when he turns away from the place or presence of another as Jonathan arose A two-fold departing Real and departed from his father Saul Thus no man can depart from God for he being omnipresent is with us in every place Another is moral which is when the heart or soul departs and thus the sinner departs from God when his soul and affections leave him Moral and cleave to sin And it cannot be but that sinning should be such a departing for as much as God and sin are most contrary so that the soul cannot enjoy them both if you will love and follow your sins you must leave God and if you will love and follow the Lord you must leave your sins for what communion can there be betwixt light and darkness God and sin The Use of this may inform us of the madness and folly of a sinner He will live in such or such a sin and with greediness he Vse See the folly of the sinner follows the inticements thereof Well! thou enjoyest thy sin but consider that thou losest thy God and what doest thou get in all thy delights which are but lying vanities whilest thou forsakest the God of thy mercies Thy exchange is miserable to leave a God and embrace a sin to depart from the chiefest good and happiness and to make choice of the basest objects of sin which is worse then hell it self A second moral observation is this that A sinner doth voluntarily of his own accord depart from God Here the Prodigal D. 2. A sinner doth voluntarily depart from God makes choice of his own way and course and desires to be left to himself and to take his own course God compels no man to a sinfull course nor is he the cause thereof nor can Satan compel the heart A man in this regard is said to tempt and entice himself and with Ahab to sell himself to work wickedness And therefore The sinner is utterly inexcusable before God Vse Therefore the sinner is inexcusable his mouth is for ever stopped his sin and perdition is of himself God is cleared in Judgment who punishes the wicked who is the actor contriver and sole cause of his own sinnings Take any sinner who delights himself in a way of wickedness why he is voluntary in it 'T is true in dispute he pretends an insufficiency or inability
often an eye-salve than an heart-salve they may be a qualm to bring sin to sence when yet they are not a potion to bring off the sinner from wandring 3. Again twixt impediment to sin and twixt amendment of sin Impediment to sin and amendment of sin Miseries and straits may be a Dam to stop the Current when yet they are not like the Prophets salt effectual to heal the waters A Lock may stop a Thief but not alter him When the the Prophet Eliah met Ahab with a sharp message about Naboth's bloâ—d and Vineyard it made him go softly it cooled his spirit but did not change it Miseries more ordinarily for the present make men less forward and bold in sin as Jupiter's Log did quash the noise of the Frogs when yet they make them not so good as to turn them from sin They do like a shower of rain and hail make the Traveller to stand a while under the Tree who yet intends to hold on his journey again 4. Again twixt Declamation and Declination A sinner under misery may play the Oratour and yet never prove the Penitentiary Declamation ' and Declination he may both indite and accuse the sin which yet by no means he intends to condemn and execute It is one thing to confess that my sins do now hold me in bonds of affliction and thereupon to profess a discharge of such inmates and it is another thing really to repent and to forsake those sins yea the very those which a man more then suspects as patrons of his misery So that straits may bring sin to sight and the sinner to a stand and to a confession yet not always to repentance and to conversion which is true This is true 1. Of inward straits those manacling and severe fetters of conscience to which no distresses are comparable The boylings of Of Inward straits conscience may be but like the boylings of the Sea a person may have many guilts fretting there like a Leprosie and gnawing there like death and flaming there like hell it self and yet not be brought off from sin As Judas who betrayed his Master O think of that sin and fell into quick horrours of conscience and these cured him not but he proceeded to despair and then to self-murther 2. Of outward straits which do never come without cause but many times go off without remedy they may in all the sorts of Of Outwardâ— straits them say oft times as they did of Babylon We would have healed Babylon and she would not be healed They find us evil and they leave us worse as we do our friends upon their dying-beds Ye revolt more and more why should ye be smitten any more Isa 1. 5. This is evident in Pharaoh whose hardnings increased like the iron with the stroaks Or like the Snake which Salvian spake did multiply by occision It was no better with Saul and Ahab nor with that King Ahaz who is blackt and fingred out amongst all the Kings of Judah because he sought not to the Lord in his distress but trespassed yet more against the Lord This is that King Ahaz 2 Chron. 28. 22. Thus it was with the Israelites many a time who felt the scourage but mended not their work but with bleeding shoulders oft times went away to sin and no sooner were the Assizes past but they adventured the way to the prison again If you now demand the Reasons why straits or miseries do not Reasons of it always bring men off from sins I answer 1. Because that onely true Grace is it which brings men off from sins Afflictions may be considered two ways either immediately Onely true grace brings men off from sin and solitarily so they are not forcible to bring any man oâ—f from his sinfull course no punishment whatsoever is an immediate Agent and sufficient to turn a sinner Mediately and concomitantly as they are sanctified i. either as they light upon an heart sanctified or as sanctifying Grace with them or by them is wrought in the soul and so they may bring off the heart from sin not the naked afflictions but grace in the heart afflicted turns the heart for nothing turns the heart from sin buâ— that which is contrary unto sin now though miseries are contrary to the sinner yet not to the sin they are contrary to the sinners ease and way but not to the affection and delight of sin which may and oft times doth live and remain even under extreme miseries Now then many men are in miseries by reason of sin yet they turn not from sin because they want true grace by the strength of which alone men come off from sin for that it is which changeth the sinfull heart You know that Physick ordinarily works as the body is into which it is received there must be some strength of nature to help it else it will not work the Philosophers rule being true Quicquid recipitur recipitur ad modum recipientis The heat which melts the wax hardens the clay and the juice which goes into the Rose makes it sweet but that which goes into the Nettle makes it stink so it is with miseries they work as he is on whom they fall if true grace be not in the heart what good use can an evil heart make of them 2. Secondly Because straits and miseries are sometimes meerly judicial onely the strokes of revenging Justice You know that Straits are somtimes meerly judicial there is a great deal of difference 'twixt a whip which causeth smart and a plaister which causeth healing All miseries which befall us are not healing plaisters sometimes they are judicial lashes they are not the wounds of a friend but of an enemy God is said in Job to distribute sorrows in wrath and then they are not remedial effects but exitial they come not then with their teaching and recovering assistance but are the beginnings of a greater judgment yet to come You know that God plagued Pharaoh in a judicial way the miseries which befel him were as sharp and great and many and came as thick as most that ever befel any man of whom we ever read nevertheless they were so far from reclaiming of him from his sins that still he hardned his heart and exalted himself If you should demand why it should be thus with him that no not quick nor great nor many plagues did him any good I answer One cause amongst many is this Because they came onely in a judicial way they did not come out of the hand of a mercifull Father but of a provoked and revenging Judge If there be not grace in the heart to joyn with and to improve the affliction and if there be not mercy to send out and bless the affliction it will then never do us good it will not turn us from our Sins 3. Thirdly The Heart of a Sinner may be above his miseries There is not such a power in miseries alone as to
over-rule the The heart of a sinner may be above his miseries heart or to mend it As it was with Gallio when the Jews did beat Softhenes and kept a stir the Text saith He cared not for any of those things i. they made no prevailing impression on him so as to divert his purpose In like manner may it be with the miseries which personally befal a man his heart notwithstanding may not regard them neither may he lay things to heart they may be thrown off in respect of any beneficial impression as water from a rock as is evident in Pharaoh and in the Jews see Isa 42. 25. He hath powred upon him the fury of his anger and the strength of battel and it hath set him on fire round about yet he knew it not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Here was anger and fury of anger and poured out and so as to set him on fire and to burn him yet he laid it not to heart If you should take dross and corrupt stuff and put it into the fire you shall never refine it it is to no purpose the founder in such a case would melt but in vain Jer. 6. 29. so in this case For the proper operation of all miseries is onely moral and rather reâ—resentative then effective i. they can of themselves do nothing perhaps they may point a man to his sins but his heart may effectually resist that evidence of sin by the rod of God as well as by the word of God Look as it is with the Light of the Sun though great and gentle yet it never opened a blind mans eyes nor yet the Lightning which runs swiftly in the time of Thunder For that natural privation exceeds the strength of such Agents So it is with a sinner his heart may so cleave to sin that neither the Light of the Sun I mean the blessed Word of God nor yet the Lightnings and Thunders of afflictions may divorce him so great may the power of sinfull love be that not the kindest mercies nor the sharpest miseries alone shall ever be able to melt him or turn him The love of sin may increase even an incorrigible and desperate perversness in the Will such perversness that the afflicted sinâ—er possibly may be so far from leaving his sins that therefore he will cleave to his sins the more and in a proud despite will forsake God as that prophane person This evil is of the Lord why should he wait for him any longer 2 Kin. 6. 33. 4. Lastly Miseries do not always bring men off from their sins Mâ—n hate holiness more then miseries because Men hate holiness and a godly life more then miseries i. There is a greater contrariety twixt their sinfull natures and holiness then twixt them and miseries it is confessed that misery in some respect is contrary to nature at least to the peace and ease of nature yet misery is not so distastfully contrary to a wicked nature as holiness and godliness Sin can live and rule whiles the sinner is under misery but it never can do so when he is under grace You know that a man never can turn from sin but when he loves holiness now holiness is that which many a sinfull heart like Paul before his conversion persecutes to the death Why if some sinfull hearts will venure the loss of heaven rather then they will be holy will they not rather then endure the loss of friends and estate c. and if they will adventure the pains of hell rather then they will come off unto an holy life will they not rather endure some temporal distresses c. and doth not this shew that some had rather be passive in misery then active in holiness Now I proceed to the usefull Applications of all this to our selves Where 1. for Information Do not straits and miseries always Vse 1. Information bring men off from their sins then 1. An afflicted condition is no infallible testimony of a safe condition Some people are of an opinion that if God doth punish An afflâ—cted condition no infallible testimony of a safe condition them in this life in crosses losses sicknesses penuries c. they have all their portion of misery already and undoubtedly shall besaved To which I reply 1. Though as the Israelites came at length to Canaan through the Red Sea and through the wilderness so a person may after many afflictions and miseries come to heaven Heaven can admit of a poor Lazarus and of a distressed Job and of a pursued David 2. Yet it is not always so A person may be under many miseries and notwithstanding them he may never be happy the meer presence of miseries is of common providence and not a distinguishing priviledge by what is before us whether outward good or outward evil we can know neither love nor hatred but as it is with the Ships at sea whether of the Kings Loyal subjects or of hostile pirats either of them are exposed to winds and storms to leaks and rocks and sands so is it with good men and bad men each of them are exposed to outward calamities as each of them are capable of outward mercies there may be a change in their outward condition when yet there is no change in their inward dispositions Job may hold fast his uprightness under all his miseries and Pharaoh may retain his hardness under all his Judgments And where the sinful affection and practice is still retained he shall not be free because of his present miseries but for ever rejected because of his continued iniquity 2. That the Conjunction twixt Sin and the sinful soul is very The Conjunction betwixt sin and the soul is very strong strong For as much as very great straits and miseries effect nothing many times You see here that though the Prodigal had spent all and a famine yea a great famine arose over the Land in which he was yet he is so far from returning and giving over his sinful course that he does not so much as think of it or mind it assuredly the Covenant of affection is very firm which cannot be untied with the fairest promises nor with the severest indurances When the Lord shall come to a sinner meet him in his course and way and because of his contempts and rebellions distrein his estate and goods and then lay an Attachment of sickness on his body and more then this indite him for his life by the summons of death And yet neither the loss of all the Mercies which once he had nor the presence of all the Evils which now he feels neither the poverty of his Table nor the rags on his Back nor shivering in his Bones nor anguish in his Conscience no nor appearance of Death nor yet the roâ—râ—sentations of Hell do turn him from his sinful affections and courses judge whether the tree be not tough which no Wedge can cleave and the disease be not
deep which no Potion can remove and sin doth not sit close and strong to the heart which no not extreme miseries can occasionally and effectually discharge and quit There are no penalties so grievously and unspeakably afflicting and miserable as those in Hell which cause weeping and gnashing of teeth and yet these though highest for intention and endless for duration never are able to turn the sinning soul so madly and excessively is the person enthralled that the greatest Calamities effectually avail not to bring him off from the least course of Iniquities 3. Not to wonder if some men make ordinary Revolts after ordinary miseries Some persons may like some stones which Wonder not if â—ome men Revolt after miseries yield a sweat in change of weather somewhat reflect on themselves and relent and confess and profess what they will be and do if God will take off his heavy hand And may I not appeal to many of you this day whose hearts have been visited with the plague that thus then it was with you c. Yet when the plague is off and the smart and fear gone the bitterness of death is past that health succeeds the sickness and plenty succeeds the want and strength succeeds the weakness good Lord what are they how live they what do they what mind they what affect they what work they Do they leave their sins ah as the Pharisees made their proselites twice as much more the children of the Devil then before so these men become more vile more profane more careless more rebellious against the truth of God more earthly sensual then ever Brethren if as Solomon spake in another case When thou seest a violent perverting of judgment and justice in a Province marvel not at the matter So Eccl. 5. 8. if thou seest a man to pervert the judgments of the Lord to pervert his afflicting hand to go on in his sins after he is punished for his sins I say in this case do not much marvel at the matter for miseries alone cannot make any saving impression or sanctified alterations If men may hold fast their sins even under their miseries as a Thief may steal under the Gallows what marvel then if they go on in their sins after their miseries And what cause have we to think that any pious semblances and pretences should hold long which did owe themselves to such temporary causes as were never able to alter the sinners heart though they were in some degree able to stop the sinning person But I proceed to a second Use which shall be a little to reflect on our own hearts and wayes and to enquire how it is with us Use 2. Reflect upon our own hearts notwithstanding the miseries and straits that are upon us as Solomon spake concerning sin Who can say My heart is clean that I may speak this day concerning punishment of sin Who can say I have been free As it was in Egypt upon the departure of the Israelites so it hath been of late with most of us there is scarce an house of us where at least one hath not been dead I may confidently affirm That either death in opposition to Life or death in opposition to Livelihood to some one kind or degree of outward comfort hath within this year befallen most of us that are now here this day Nevertheless I pray you tell me Can you shew your repentance yet as you can relate your straits and miseries still Have not we the Ministers of God faithfully and plainly told you of your sins have not your miseries and straits been clear Glasses to represent your sins have not your Consciences delivered up your sins and said as Jonah I know that for my sake so they for our sake this great Tempest is upon you Jon. 1. 12. Were you not in great fears in great griefs and troubles of mind need I say in great Protestations and Purposes But now I demand of you Have your great straits brought you off from your great sins did they not find thee in a sinful way and do they not now leave thee walking in that path Ah! and must the Lord say of you They refuse to receive instruction they turn not to him that smites yet have they not returned to me they will know no shame they are reprobate silver they are not refined nor purged their scum is not departed If we continue in sin after miseries wherefore should they be smitten any more they revolt more and more Well if it be thus with thee yet remember 1. That this continuance in sin notwithstanding our miseries may give us just suspicion to sear that our Corrections come not We may suspect our corrections comâ— not from mercy from mercy because they go off with impenitency You need not ascend into heaven to pry whether your chastisements come out of the land of Indulgence or of Vengeance when they come from a merciful hand they are assisted â—â—th some recovering and curing blessing The Prophet saith That the Lord did not smite his people as he smote others and in two respects he Isa 27. 7. manifests the difference one of Proportion He did debate with them in measure ver 8. Another of Operation v. 9. By this shall the iniquities of Jacob be purged and this is all the fruit to take awy his sins God never strikes in mercy but he in some measure betters the sinner Look as every outward good if it comes in mercy it proves a step unto more holiness so every outward misery if it come in mercy it proves a stop nay an abatement of more sinfulness 2. We may justly fear that our hearts are hardned for the soft We may fear our hearts are hardned heart will tremble with Josiah at a correction in a threatning and much more will it melt and amend when it is in execution as he in Job 34. 31. I have born chastisement I will not offend any more But when the heart can feel wrath as well as hear of it and receive the stroaks with stoutness and strike God by sinning when God strikes it by punishing is it not hardned unsensible I had almost said desperace And is an hardned condition a good or safe condition 3. Do we not treble our accounts unto God by not We treble our accounts to God coming off from sins which have brought on our miseries Now we must answer 1. For the sins which brought down our corrections 2. For the continuing in those sins still 3. For doing this being corrected thus for our sins not onely thy sins but Gods punishments being thus abused come into the account the Vineyard was reckoned with for the pruning as well as the withering 4. And lastly What can we look for from God when former miseries bring us not off from former sins Christ said Sin no What can we look for from God when miseries do not bring us off from our sins more least a worse thing befall
provoking of the Lord and the more that the Lord is provoked against a sinner the more misery and punishment is the sinner like to feel from God 3. No punishment which any sinner hath already felt is a discharge Punishments already felt is no discharge from greater to be inflicted but onely a part of greater punishment yet due unto him As the first-fruits were a pledge of the crop We may not think that because God doth for precedent sinnings afflict and judge the sinner in some particular kind therefore he is now secured and discharged for the time to come as if God did not intend to reckon wiâ—h him for after sinnings But this we must know viz. 1. That infinite and full wrath is the due debt of the transgressing soul not one or two punishments but all the testimonies and degrees of wrath 2. That particular demonstrations of Gods wrath are no acquittances but rather certificates of a fuller wrath yet behind If ye yet shall walk contrary unto me saith God to the Israelites Lev. 26. 21. I will punish you seven times more for your sins q. d. If ye will go on in sinning I will surely rise higher in punishing I have greater punishments yet behind so that if you consider that debt unto sin which is the full latitude of punishment it must be that if the sinner goes on in sin he shall not thrive but still become more miserable 4. Nay do but consider the Nature of divine Justice and this will clear it to be so Divine Justice appears in two things one in The Nature of Divine Justice an Homogeneous Retribution if I may so phrase it according to the quality of actions and persons If thou dost well shalt thou not be accepted and if thou dost ill sin lyeth at the door said God to Cain there is an acceptance upon well doing and vengeance for evil doing The just God will recompence every man according to the quality of his work so that in this regard the sinning person who doth not change his sinful work must look for no other pay from God at any time but the wages for sinful work which the Apostle assures us in Rom. 2. is tribulation and anguish Another is A proportionable Retribution according to the extension of actions or works and therefore you read of more stripes according to the greatness of the fault in the knowingly disobdient servant Now as it were against the natural retribution of Justice to give unto the wicked as unto the righteous so it were against the proportionable retribution of Justice to repay either no punishment to a greater sinner or less punishment for greater sinnings That when he continues worse in sinning he should either prosper at all or that the punishment should be more mittigated when the offence is more raised and aggravated 5. Lastly God would hereby teach all men that no time whatsoever is safe to sin Before punishment come it is not safe to sin To â—each that no time is safe to sin for we see that sinners do pluck down punishments and as it is with the winds which bring the clouds and fly away yet the clouds pour themselves down on the earth so the sins which bring out the threatnings of God though in respect of particular facts they are gone yet the threatnings pour down many a curse and misery upon sinners and when punishments are off it is not a safe time to sin forasmuch as God is still as ready to punish as men are forward to sin as we may see in the Israelites whose pride and murmuring caused the earth to open her mouth and to swallow up Corah Dathan c. And the next day when they murmured again God presently sent the Plague amongst them which swept away many thousands of them for as time is not allowed to sin so no time can at all secure the sinner from punishment Object But now against all this truth it may be objected That we do not allwayes see it so that men after punishment making We do not alwayes see it so progress in sin find it to prove a worse work in respect of greater miseries and straits Nay Secondly We see oftentimes the contrary Sol. I answer to the first part of the Objection That you Distinguish Betwixt Immediate and Certain punishment must distinguish 1. 'Twixt immediate punishment and twixt certain punishment It cannot be denyed but granted that a worse punishment cometh not alwayes immediately unto the adventurous sinner Indeed sometimes God doth shoot an other arrow of punishment as soon as the sinner shoots up a second arrow of rebellion as you read in the Israelites case of murmuring I say sometimes God doth thus but alwayes he doth not so Sometimes he doth so that sinners might know his Justice can be quickly even and meet with a daring sinner but alwayes he doth not so because that even great sinners might confess somewhat of his great patience Nevertheless there is a certainty of a worse misery unto the progressive sinner for as when God defers a Mercy it usually comes down in a cluster so when God defers a Judgment it ordinarily falls down in a thunder he is therefore in the Psalms said to whet his sword The whetting of the sword is but a time of preparation and a putting on a sharper edge to give the deeper wound so c. and he is said to be righteous in recompensing vengeance therefore there is a certainty of a worse punishment 2. Twixt Visible punishment and Real punishment though to the eye of others a man may seem either not to be punished Betwixt Visible and Real punishment at all or less now in his continued sinnlngs then before yet the person may be more really punished then before the misery upon him may be a greater misery not for the quantity of the thing but for the quality of his affection to the thing for that evil is alwayes most grievously miserable unto us which meets us in our highest way of Love or closest suspicion of fear And again the greatness of the punishment is as God mingles more wrath in the conscience at the time Even a little outward misery if it be joyned with a greatly accusing and condemning conscience is a misery more then all other miseries besides Object Yea but we do see that wicked men who do continue their sinnings more after their punishment that their conditions Obj. But we see the contrary are so far from being worse that they are most merry and prosper Sol. 1. This is not always true but onely in some and but for some Sol. This is not always true This argues the sorer wrath First or last they shall find it true time 2. These very things prove to them very sore judgments for by the abuse of them like an ill stomach which gathers a surfeit upon good meats they do more increase their sinnings and the wrath of God 3. First
moved to endure much in his body for the preservation and defence of it for sin is an evil thing and therefore worthless Or 2. Because any sin is less evil then misery and therefore this shall be endured rather Noâ— because any sin is less evil then misery But because The sinner doth exceedingly love his sin then that shall be forsaken But 1. The sinner doth exceedingly love his sin The heart of a sinner is set on his sin he hath made a Covenant with death and an agreement with hell He loves darkness and is held fast with the bonds and cords of his sinful affections A person doth many times suffer pains sharper then death because he doth exceedingly love life Why a sinner loves his sin as he loves his life nay more then his life the which he doth often hazard for ever to preserve his sin 2. The sinner is a Fool Put a fool never so oft in the Stocks it doth The sinner is a Fool. him no good he understands not the cause nor end of it Evil men are chastized and punished by God but they know not nor understand they know not that their sins are the cause thereof and that Conversion from sin is the end thereof 3. There is a marvellous stout Spirit of pride in the sinner who is therefore said to There is a stout spirit of pride in a sinner fight against God and to resist him and though he be smitten yet to refuse to return and wilfully to transgress and that they will not hearken Stifnecked are they called and foreheads have they which cannot be ashamed and faces that cannot blush 4. A vain presumption From a vaine presumption that yet their sinful wayes shall be well at last From the Contrariety betwixt the wayes of God and the Sinners heart that yet their sinful wayes shall be well at last It is but bearing a while and at length their calamities will off He who goes on in a sinful way is never without some sinful project and chimeraes silly fancies of some good and some support and wearing out of his troubles c. 5. There is a bitter contrariety twixt the wayes of God and the sinners heart Light and darkness are not more opposite hence is it that in Job they say unto God Depart from us we desire not the knowledg of the Almighty And in Psal 2. They break the cords in sunder And Heb. 10. They are said to offer despight unto the Spirit of Grace Holiness and holy walking ah it is that which their hearts hate more then hell they will adventure their damnation before they will affect and practice holiness no greater burden and torment to them then it 6. And sometimes Unbelief may be a special cause why a sinner doth thus shift and From unbeliefe try The guilt of his sins under his afflictions may lie heavy upon his conscience and he may be so wholly taken up with the apprehension of wrath and judgment and an implacability in God towards him that God will never shew him mercy who hath been so much and so long provoked that it is in vain to return now there is no hope 7. The Vanity of a corrupt Judgment which deludes From the Vanity of a Corrupt Judgment the sinner as if he could be sinful and safe or that he could subsist well enough without returning to God Now I proceed to the Application of this point the Uses are many 1. For Conviction of Error in Judgment Use 1. Conviction It is no easie work to Repent 1. That it is an easie work to Repent and to leave sin When I am sick or come to dy then I will think of that work No brethren if the heart of man be of so subtil a temper and so perverse a frame can afflictions do it of themselves if the love of sin be so strongly in grain that many waters of afflictions cannot wash it out nor many beams of mercy melt and turn it you must then imagine it not to be an easie work to turn the heart from sin if it will adventure the loss of heaven and the endurance of hell and the actual presence of many sore calamities confess then That the descents into sin are easie but the returns from it are not ordinary or facile Faciles aditus Dificiles oxitus saith St. Austin More is required to Convert then External and Congruous Grace Where all the means tending to the Conversion of a sinner are opposed and as it were wholly defeated and frustrated there the heart is not so easily wrought upon to retâ—rn 2. That no more is required to Convert a sinner but External and Congruous Grace as if the heart were like a Fish upon the hook which might be drawn at pleasure to the shore or like Wax prepared and it were no more but to put on the Seal or as if to Convert a sinne were no more then to report a History or to offer a man a Purchase Nay but there must be likewise Impressions as well as Invitations not only Means but Grace it self not only the Rod and Word but likewise the Spirit of God and his mighty Operation not only a Voice saying This is the way but also the Spirit of God which must cause us to walk in that way there must be healing Medicines put within the Soul by the hand of God himself or else all the means in the world the Word the Sacraments the afflictions and miseries and examples may say and complain with the Prophet Isa 49. 4. I have laboured in vain I have spent my strength for nought 2. For Information 1. Of that excessive stubbornness and madness in the hearts of us sinners Good Lord what an hand hath sin Information Of the excessive stubbornness of the hearts of sinners over us That terrors should arise like an horrible tempest within the conscience for sinning and drive a man to his feet yea to the dust yea almost as low as hell That his sinning should pull down one calamity after another take away the dayes of peace of plenty of safety of health and darken them with war and tumults with scarcity and indigence with danger and trouble with losses and diseases cloath a mans body with rags fill a mans body with rottenness obscure a mans name with infamy and yet yet after all and under all that a person should hold fast his wickedness which is the cause of all and will not let it go he will not be weaned from it nor charmed No Mercy nor Justice nothing can dissolve the Covenant twixt his heart and sin but llke that Athenian Commander if I forget not the story who when he was threatned to let go the Ship held it when one hand was cut off he held it with the other when both were cut off he held it with his teeth The Lord be merciful to us thus is it with us though God threatens yet we sin though he
received unless the apprehension of their kindness and goodness descends to the affections they never stir up thankfulness and as it is with the promises unless their excellency and sutableness come down from the mind to the will they never excite faith so is it with sin unless besides the consideration of it there be not an operation and influence upon the heart to grieve and mourn it will never prove right and penitential Thou sayest thou knowest thy sins as well as any man can tell thee Be it so but if thy heart remain hard not humbled abased broken grieved for these sins alas as their unworking faith Jam. 2. so thy unaffected speculation of sin is vain but findest thou this that upon the serious consideration of thy sins thy heart is humbled and abased in thee that thou art cast down in the sense of thy exceeding vileness O wretched man that I am O Lord to me belongs nothing but shame and confusion and that thy heart is grieved within thee and afflicted that bitter mournings arise because of bitter sinnings my soul hath them in remembrance and is humbled within me Lam. 3. Thy heart melts before the Lord I assure thee this is a right and blessed consideration of sin 3. If it work in him Detestation of sin Griefe seemes to be more If it work Detestation of sin passionate but hatred is a more fixed quality as I may so phrase it Ezek. 36. 31. Ye shall remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good here is the consideration we speak of and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for your Iniquities and your abominations here is detestation the proper effect of true consideration for in a right consideration the singular causes or reasons of hatred do arise v. g. Excess of evil absolute repugnancy to our best good effectual prejudice and greatest injury Repugnans Offendens the Schoolmen make the two chief grounds of hatred Vide Summistas in 1. 2dae q. 29. But I will not prosecute that Now then peruse thy self Hast thou considered of thy sinnes aright if thou doest not hate them thou hast not Seest thou sinne and art thou brought to hate it Let me but propound a few things unto thee that thou mayest see whether thou loathest and hatest sin or no. Is it peace or is it war If sin lies quietly in the soul it is peace it is not hatred hatred breeds variance enmity opposition conflict Paul hated sin Rom. 7. 15. and wars with it v. 23. Is it a deadly war is it for life will this suffice thee that sin doth not terrifie thy conscience or wilt thou not be satisfied till sin be mortified and crucified in the lusts and affections thereof Is it like Davids war wherein he left not one Amalekite to escape and carry tidings and not like Sauls to kill some and spare the rest Canst thou say Lord I hate the thing that is evil Psal 97. 10. and I hate every false way Oh if there be raised in thee upon the consideration of sin a deadly enmity and defiance with it an implacable general dislike abomination resistance and desire to root it out happy art thou thy consideration of sin is rightly and effectually penitential 4. If it work in him Reformation of sin Do you not read in If it work in thee Reformation Psal 119. 59. that David considered and thought on his wayes I thought on my ways saith David so do many many indeed do so but not as David did for after he had said I thought on my ways he addeth and turned my feet unto thy testimonies He so thought of his ill ways that he left them and betook himself unto good ways If thinking on sin doth not produce leaving of sin it is nothing if thinking of sin doth not breed leaving of sin then going on in sin will make you leave thinking of sin And though we think of an ill way yet if we do not enter into and walk in a good way it is nothing There is a two-fold leaving of sin one which is proper to the condition of Glory another which is proper to the condition of Grace I speak not of the former which is the absolute dissolution of sin but of the latter which is an imperfect though true separation from sin consisting in Affection wherein the Will is alienated from sin the evil which I would not do saith the Apostle In Mourning O wretched man who shall deliver me from this body of death In Endeavour willing or endeavouring to live honestly Heb. 13. 18. There is a purpose to walk in new obedience and an hearty desire so to do and not to serve sin any longer and also an active endeavour to put off the former conversation and to crucifie the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof To consider of sin and yet still to love it and still to live in it to study to fulfil the lusts of it to give up our selves to the service of it to walk in darkness to be the same in our affections to it and in our obedience unto it this is not onely a vain but a fearfull consideration But if when we have throughly considered of sin in the vileness of it we are effectually wrought upon to arise from our sinfull course O Lord I have sinned exceedingly and done very foolishly I am resolved to leave this sinfull way Lord help thou me give me thy grace turn thou me and I shall be turned turn away my heart and eyes cause me to put off my old conversation enable me to walk and live in newness of life This is an happy Fruit especially if it hath two other Effects accompanying it viz. 1. Fervent Supplication if it carries the soul to God in Christ for mercy for grace for strength The resolution to reform if it goes no further than the strength of the soul it will easily cool and quickly fail us if ever it prove right it must carry us to Christ for as much as it is by his strength and by his grace that we get our hearts turned from sin or that we are able to forsake our sins Hast thou considered of thy sins why and doest thou not discern such infinite guilt in them as makes thee for ever accursed if thou hast not mercy in Christ and doest thou hereupon apply thy self in all humbleness of heart to the Throne of mercy O Lord be mercifull to me a sinner according the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Behold me through the bloud of Christ yea O Lord heal my sinfull soul O Lord change my heart O Lord dissolve the powers of sin in me by thy mighty power subdue my iniquities turn me from all sin make me a servant of righteousness 2. Diligent application of our selves to the Means private and publick ordinary and extraordinary through the right use of which we may expect sufficient grace from God to work
thus have I sinned and whatsoever punishment thou hast inflicted or mayest inflict I must quit thy Justice in all thy proceedings thou canst not but be Righteous for I confess my self to be sinful Nay his Justice only is not glorified but his Wisdom that he knows all our sins and wayes and his Power that he is able to Judge and condemn us yea and his Mercy too that we hope yet he will pardon and forgive the sins which we confess unto him If true Repentance brings forth true Confession then by this it will appear That there are very few true penitents because Use 1. Then there are very few true Penitents very few who do truly and aright confess their sins 1. Some may say of sin what Pilate did of truth What 's Truth So they What 's Sin They are so ignorant that they know not what is evil or when they do evil Now how can any confess or acknowledg that sin to God which is not known at all to himself 2. Others are so far from confessing themselves to be sinful that they like the proud Pharisee justifie themselves to be righteous talk of their good meanings purposes â—ust dealings c. Sana membra ostendebat saith S. Austin of that Pharisee vulnera tegebat I am no Extortioner no Adulterer c. Ask some persons Do you acknowledg One only God who is most Merciful Just Holy Omnipotent Faithful Long-suffering 〈◊〉 of Goodness and Truth c. Yes that do they God forbid else c. Ask them again Are you Idolaters make you no Idols or did you ever worship them Who they nay they defie them and all such trumpery But do you not use to swear and take the Name of God in vain Nay for swearing of all sins they cannot away with that a man gets no good by swearing But do you remember to keep holy the Sabbath Yea all their neighbours can bear witness that they keep to the Church constantly Ask them again Did you never injure your Parents O they were always dutifull Children But did you never play the whore or the adulterer or the thief Nay now they will talk no longer with you if you be so uncharitable as to imagine such guilt Why O thou ignorant sinner why doest thou deceive thy soul if thou art thus righteous thou needest not to repent and if thou art free from all sin how canst thou confess thy sins as a true penitent ought to do to God 3. But some others there are who do both know and acknowledge their sin but how onely in a formal cold indifferent manner True we are all sinners God help us and there is no man but he sins yea the best of them all Never considering That great Justice of God which is provoked by their sins nor that vile and abominable nature in their sins nor that infinite wrath unto which their guilt doth oblige them nor the excellency and necessity of pardoning mercy which we should earnestly sue out when we confess our sins 4. There is another sort who do more distinctly and perhaps somewhat feelingly and freely confess their sins but then they keep Benjamin back And as Rachel hid the images under her so they reserve some one special lust they do not bring all the Prisoners forth unto the Bar There is a sin which they hide close because it is sweet as Zophar speaks Job 20. 12. Now this argues 1. Hypocrisie and guile of heart a secret love to sin it is made in Job 20. 12. the guise of an Hypocrite to hide his sin 2. Extreme folly and vanity of spirit for canst thou conceal any sin from that God who is acquainted with all thy paths and knows thy thoughts afar off and to whose eyes all things are naked will not the Lord discover the sin which thou doest cover before Men and Angels to thy eternal infamy and condemnation assuredly though thou wilt not set thy sins in order before him yet he will set thy sins in order before thee and will reprove thee for them Psal 50. i. he will publish them and he will everlastingly punish thee for them 5. Others do confess all their sins but this onely in times of wrath and judgment and death not like Penitents but as Malefactors as men make their Wills upon a death-bed not out of an hatred of sin but out of meer sense or fear of punishment it is not filial ingenuous free but onely extorted involuntary and servile and therefore not truly penitential They do not go and confess their sins as they to John the Baptist but cry out and confess their sins it is that not which they would do but which they cannot avoid Conscience like an over-charged stomack doth so over-press and pain them that they cannot hold but out it comes what oppression injustice usurious injurious beastly filthy swinish sins they have lived in 6. Others seem to be more ingenuous and voluntary or ready to confess their sins but then this is with such pretences colours shiftings shuffling as if they were like Lawyers to mitigate and colour a bad cause S. Austin complains of some who would impute their sins to Fate to Fortune to the Devil nay to God himself The complaint may well suit with us generally we have some device or other either to deny or to extenuate our sinfull facts rather to plead for our selves than to plead against our iniquities It was company and we are but flesh and bloud and it is not usual or which is contrary it is my nature and the Devil was strong with me others do worse c. 7. But of all men they are most contrary to penitential Confession who â—all evil good and darkness light and that make a a mock and a sport of sin whereas they should with grief of heart and shame of face mournfully penitently humble themselves before the Lord and acknowledge their iniquities instead thereof They boast themselves of their iniquites and make but a jest of that which cost the bloud of Christ It is but a trick of Youth and good Fellowship and Handsomness and Complement and discreet Thrift thus do they phrase their Uncleanness their Drunkenness their Pride their Lying their Covetousness 8. Lastly to mention no more They are defective too about the true penitential confession who are assiduous to confess but desiduous to forsake frequent to acknowledge and declare their sins but negligent in forsaking and leaving of them Discovery sufficeth but Recovery they mind not This is most ordinary with us that we make our confession of sins to God rather an act of our Memory than a work of our Conscience it sufficeth us to deliver in the tale to number our transgressions but then we wrestle not with the Lord in prayer for his Spirit of Grace to heal our hearts and to turn us from the sinfull ways unto which we find our hearts so apt and forward But I will no longer insist upon the Convicting part I proceed
But when he saith Be grieved for what thou hast done do so no more onely acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God Jer. 3. 13. 4. It shall surely find mercy O pardoning mercy how necessary how sweet for a sinner But who shall have it He that It shall surely find mercy confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy Prov. 28. I said I will confess my sins unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Selah Psal 32. 5. Nondum pronuntiat sed promittit se pronuntiaturum ille dimittit saith Saint Austin ibid. And again Vox nondum in ore erat sed auris Dei in corde erat So was it with the Prodigal he purposeth to confess and his Father seeth him a far off LUKE 15. 19. And am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired Servants These words contain in them a continuation of the Prodigals humble Confession he had in the former Verse acknowledged his sinfulness and in this he confesseth his unworthiness And am He confesseth his unworthiness no more worthy to be called thy Son 2. A modest supplication Make me as one of thy hired Servants There are three Propositions which these two parts do afford us viz. 1. That penitent persons are humble and lowly persons I am no more worthy 2. That unworthiness is no just prejudice to supplication I am not worthy yet make me c. 3. That penitent persons earnestly desire some relation to God Make me as one of thy hired Servants That penitent persons are humble and lowly persons I am no Doct. 1. Penitent persons are humble persons more worthy Look on every word almost in the Text and you shall see in it the blush of humility I am not worthy The language of Pride is I am not as other men the voice of Humility is I am not worthy what I have is of meer mercy what I crave is not of my merit God may give what he pleaseth and I may receive what he giveth but I am unworthy of both I dare not expostulate nor challenge I have sinned and what mercy can I then deserve No more worthy Was he ever worthy No. Why then no more worthy q. d. O Lord I deserve nothing no nothing at all so vile a wretch have I been that it 's singular mercy if thou look at all upon me To be thy Son A Son thy Son O it is a high Relation an high Digniâ—y for a Vassal of Wrath to be made a Vessel of Glory for a Slave to Sin to be translated to a Son of God! Who am I it is that which I want it is that though which is too great for me to ask I am not worthy to be thy Son nay not worthy to be called thy son the very title and name is too good for me that so debauched and luxurious a sinner as I should have that honour from thee to be mentioned or spoken of to be in any sort reputed among those of so singular Relation unto thee I who have sinned so much against thee that I should in any kind be owned as a Son by thee this is an eminency I am not worthy to be called thy Son Thus you see his humbleness in confession Not worthy utterly unworthy to be a Son nay to be called thy Son See some steps of it in his Petition Make me as one of thy hired servants A low request but it is the modest breath of a lowly spirit If I may be thy servant I shall be glad of that not thy onely servant but one of thy servants not the chiefest of thy servants but any one of thy servants thy hired servant And perhaps even that is too good for me to be a servant to be an hired servant to be one of them I shall count my self happy if I may be as one of the meanest servants if I may be but a servant to the meanest of thy servants that serve thee And Father I beg for this too make me as one of thy hired servants I am not worthy of the least place nor of the meanest Relation I challenge it not onely be thou pleased to bestow it upon me He is not worthy to desire the greatest and he doth modestly intreat for the lowest Relation both which shew the humbleness of his penitential spirit Thus was it with Paul after his conversion how he sinks his thoughts and estimation Paul of himself When he is to speak of his sins 1 Tim. 1. 15. then Primus peccatorum I am the chief of sinners Nemo prior none exceeded me nemo pejor I was worse then any And when he spake of Gods mercy to him then minimus Apostolorum I am the least of the Apostles 1 Cor. 15. 8. indignissimus not worthy to be called an Apostle Nay he falls lower than this Ephes 3. 8. Minimus sanctorum minor minimo less than the least of all Saints is this grace given c Do you not see this also in the penitential Publican He stood afar off and would not so much as lift up his eyes to heaven but smote upon his Publican brest saying God be mercifull to me a sinner He judges those feet unworthy to carry him unto God which so often carried him from God and those eyes unworthy to look on his holiness which had been so frequently cast upon sinfulness and whereas the Pharisee spreads his hands abroad he turns them upon his brest his contrite brest and doth not boast of his righteousness but cries out of his sins and justifies not himself but humbly begs Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Thus was it with Mary Magdalene upon her repentance Luc. 7. 38. She stood at the feet of Jesus behind him weeping and began to wash his feet with tears and wiped them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment Mark it all her service is lowly she stood she did not sit sitting was a posture of familarity standing of humility and she stood behind to look after Christ was enough to look upon him she was unworthy And then she stood at his feet the humblest posture and there all her work is acted Stood at his feet wept at his feet washed his feet wiped his feet kissed his feet anointed his feet But now for the opening of this Proposition I will briefly discuss 1. What this lowly humbleness is which accompanies true Repentance 2. The Causes why true Penitents are so humbly lowly 3. Some usefull Application of this Quest 1. What that humble lowliness is which is to be found in the true penitnnt What this lowly humbleness is Sol. It is not a promiscuous familiarity with every body such an humbleness becomes Solomon's fool nor is it an affected garb of complemental dissimulation that was Absalom's treacherous stirrup to mount up himself into the Throne nor is it a slavingly abasing
brests because we are empty that we would find any causes of good in our selves who at our best are unprofitable and unworthy 3. Because it is a very dangerous thing to stand upon our personal It is very dangerous to stand upon personal worthiness worthiness when we approach unto the Lord For Now we come without Christ we do sacrifice alone we take the Office of our high Priest out of his hands Nay we frustrate the worthiness of Christ for we cannot joyn our worthiness and his together if we plead in our own names we make void his As it is in the point of Justification if we stand to our own righteousness we make void the righteousness of Christ So is it in the matter of supplication if we stand to our own worthiness and will be heard for our own sake we exclude the merit of Christs intercession we may as well be our own redeemers as our own intercessours We meet with pure justice for if we stand upon personal dignity then our qualities and actions must necessarily have equality to justice God must dispence to us according to our own deserts when we stand upon our own worthiness then God deals with us in justice if we renounce it then room is made for the mercy-seat Quest But then you will demand how may we know that How we may know that we are truly sensible of our unworthiness we are rightly sensible of our unworthiness in our approaches unto God Sol. I conjecture thus 1. If you are sensible of your own Unworthiness when you pray unto the Lord Then Jesus Christ will be your greatest plea If Jesus Christ be our greatest Plea you will begin to move in his Name and you will urge and prosecute it in his Name and you will shut it up with an expectation in his Name Thou wilt not say I am now in an excellent soft temper and for its sake shall I prevail and I have carried the day through now with more affections and less distractions therefore for this shall I prevail As Leah said I have born my husband this son therefore my husband will love me But in all thy sacrifices and services thou wilt fly unto a Mediator and still plead his Title his Worth his Merit Lord help me to pray for Christ's sake Lord give me mercy and grace for Christ's sake Lord hear accept answer do me good for thy Christ's sake 2. Then the Covenant of Grace will put heart into you and draw If the Covenant of Grace put heart into you you on alone to your performances as the wind alone will stir the Mill or the tide alone will drive the Boat I assure you that if you be rightly sensible of your Unworthiness you will look after a Mercy-Seat and after a Throne of Grace you will be inquisitive upon what terms Grants of Mercy and of Grace are issued out of the Court of Heaven Nor will it seem a small thing in thine eyes that the Lord will do good to an unworthy sinner for his own sake yea that he hath affirmed as much and obliged himself thereto in a firm Covenant This will breed in thee Thankfulness it will be not onely a support to thy soul but a joy to thy heart thy case is yet hopefull for though thou be not worthy yet God will do thee good readily and freely And Vsefulness thou wilt be readily content to accept of mercy upon the terms of mercy A beggar ready to starve will be glad to take an Alms he will put out his hand to receive it and thank you too As the Servants of Benhadad catcht the word Thy servant c. so will you the word of promise Respect Lord for thy Covenant sake At this door of free Grace there you shall have the sinner sensible of his unworthiness standing night and day expecting when the Scepter shall be held out Gods own arguments and motives of doing good which are to be found onely in the Covenant of Grace they are such as you will accept of with all your hearts to plead with God The second Use is for Encouragement That though we be sensible of our Unworthiness either to approach unto God or to Vse 2. Encouragement to draw near to the Throne of Grace speak unto God and much more to deserve any thing from God yet not to be discouraged but humbly and confidently to draw near to the Throne of Grace expecting grace and mercy to help in time of need And to excite you thereto consider 1. It is not our merit but our duty that we must look unto 'T is not thousands of Rams or ten thousand Rivers of Oyl it is not It is not our merit but our duty we must look unto the Pearls of the Sea or the Treasures of the Earth or the Excellencies of Angels alas God puts us not to that to deserve his mercies to deserve his graces if so what one sinner should ever receive mercy or grace no flesh righteous can be justified in his sight and if he should mark what is amiss who should stand before him But the Lord puts us upon our duty Ask and you shall receive knock and it shall be opened unto you Ho every one that thirsts come drink of the water of life freely 2. It is not our worthiness that we must plead but Gods promise It is not our worthiness that we must plead but Gods promise when we pray unto him Remember the word upon which thou hast caused thy servant to hope said David Psal 119. Remember thy Covenant with Abraham Isaac and Jacob said Moses Exod. 32. Thou saidst that thou wouldst do me good said Jacob Gen. 32. Mercies come to thee not for thy worthiness sake but for his promise sake not ex dignitate petentis but ex dignatione donantis 3. You can never be so worthy but that Justice may take exceptions You can never be so worthy but Justice may take exceptions against you nor yet so unworthy but mercy may fill your mouth with arguments Though I were righteous yet would I not answer thee but I would make supplication to my Judge saith Job chap. 9. 15. And Though I am poor and needy yet the Lord thinks upon me said David Psal 40. 17. The proudest Pharisee may find enough to stop his mouth and the humblest Publican may find enough to open it No not the most righteous can stand at the Bar of Justice and yet the most dejected sinner may humbly plead at the Throne of Mercy there are Arguments enough in mercy for any sinner to plead mercy 4. You are not to pray in pride but in faith And then what is We are not to pray in pride but in faith thy condition that Faith cannot deliver up to God through Christ Thou knowest that it is the office of Faith not to present thy worthiness but thy wants It looks on arguments for thee not how good thou art but how
Why should I be so safety and the pledg of an happy eternity Why should I be so foolish to be miserably bad who in a moment may be assuredly blessed any wisdome will teach me to leave a wicked life for an holy and good which hath made me to know that mercy is beter then misery and that Heaven is better then Hell 3. Christian Courage If we will not act the wayes of Heaven till we see all difficulties removed and all dangers Christian courage secured we shall never enter into those wayes but when the love of Christ hath inflamed our hearts with a right zeal of his Glory assuredly we will be ding Modo magnificetur Christus I must bring some Glory to my God c. Luther feared not to go to the Diet at Worms had there been as many divels as tiles on the houses What do you tell S. Paul of bonds or speak to the couragious Christian of discouragements I have sworn and will perform it saith David that I will keep thy righteous statutes S. Jerom would not only renounce but throw off and trample upon father and mother for Christ What do you speak of poverty of disgraces of losses of want of self-denials in ease in pleasures c. He who will be good can lose nothing but that which will lose him and get that which he should never have gotten had he not been good indeed 4. A precious estimation and affection after Gods honour Ah! A precious estimation of Gods honour did we in any holy measure comprehend the height and bredth and depth of his favour in Christ would we not strive to enter in at the strait Gate should not the Kingdome of Heaven suffer violence What to sand upon a sinful pleasure or profit or way and to lose a good gracious bountiful God What sinful lust pleasure way would we stand upon What holy course or way would we set upon would we be slow to see the face of God and live would we not speedily set our selves in the wayes of his countenance Zacheus being desirous to see Christ upon his call made haste and came down Luke 19. 6. 5. A tender fear of God This also causeth a present execution of our purposes You read what it wrought in Josiah in Noah in others When the heart apprehends its way to be evil and the displeasure of God to hang over it and his threatnings all in armour c. Oh I dare not go on to offend any longer 6. A right belief in God Whether you take it in the threats as they of Niniveh believed the preaching of Jonah and A tender fear of God presently humbled and reformed themselves and wayes chap. 3. 5. Promises of sweetest mercy made unto real penitents that full free soon mercy shall be had Why if those be believed they will draw off the soul from a sinful course A right Belief in God unto a good course The Apostle therefore beseecheth the Romans by the mercies of God to be transformed Rom. 12. 1. O this that God offers and assures me of mercy and now I may have it if I will now reform a puts the soul to the present work To day I will hear his voice for to day is the day of mercy this is an acceptable season now I may be made happy for ever LUKE 15. 20 And he arose and came to his father But when he was yet a great way off his father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him These words contein in them two parts 1. The real practice of Repentance which consists not in a bare Resolution but in a sincere Execution I will arise said the Prodigal this was Motus volentis and he did arise this was opus penitentis I will go to my father and here He arose and came to his father 2. The comfortable issue of real Repentance But when he was yet a great way off c. Wherein you have considerable 1. The quick observation of this penitents Father His father saw him yea when he was yet a great way off Even in this sense God sees our thoughts afar off God many times is unwilling to see the sinner but he is at all times very willing to espy the penitent 2. His present commiseration His father saw him and had compassion on him Wicked men look on a penitent with derision penitent persons look on themselves with abomination but God looks on them with compassion he looks on the penitent sinner with a pitiful affection When Ephraim repented and turned My Bowels saith God are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him As soon as ever the Prodigal looks back mercy looks out q. d. Ah! is he returned indeed I pity him I will receive him I will forgive him 3. His gracious acceptation expressed in three particulars 1. One of speedy readiness The Father ran The Son doth go the Father ran Mercy hath not only a quick eye but foot also it posts it speeds it runs to embrace a penitent God is very slow to punish a sinner but he is very ready to relieve and accept of a returning sinner 2. A second Of wonderful tenderness The Father fell on his neck To have looked on him was it not enough to have given order for his usage had it not been well to have taken him by the hand had it not been too much but the Father did more then all this He fell on his neck Divine mercy will not only meet a penitent but embrace him That sinner whom the hands of justice would have everlastingly confounded if he be penitent the arms of mercy will lovingly clasp c. A third Of strong affectionateness And kissed him Here are eyes to behold the returning Son and an heart to pity him and feet to meet him and armes to embrace him and lips also to kiss him Naked mercies are not enough in Gods account for a true penitent he must have sealed mercies too God doth not think it enough that he is reconciled unto hm unless also he doth testifie and make it known that he is so There are many excellent Propositions observable out of these words v. g. That the very Initials of true Repentance are seen by God Doct. 1. The very Initials of true Repentance are seen by God The penitent Prodigal was in the way but yet it was a great way off and his Father saw him and had compassion I said I will confess my trangressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Psal 32. 5. Vox nâ—ndum in ora erat Auris Dei in corda erat So. S. Austin in Locum Isai 66. 2. To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembles at my word Repentance may be considered in three degrees 1. In the Impression of it ANd this is when so much grace is implanted as to turn the heart 2.
one thing that was necessary and David he hath one thing to desire of the Lord and the penitent person he hath one needful request too O that God would be merciful to me a sinner so the Publicane 2. If God were not ready to shew mercy Else he might be swallowed up with Despaire to the penitent he might be swallowed up with despaire Isa 57. 16. I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwaies wroth lest the spirit should fail before me Do your know what belongs to a wounded Conscience to the sence of sin and the wrath of God how great how sharp how bitter Is it a small thing think you to dwell with everlasting burnings to see nothing but sin and Hell No No the Lord knows what the severity of his wrath is and he knows what the Impotency of the soul is and he knows what the terrour of a troubled conscience is how it sinks and cracks if no hope of mercy appears and therefore he is very ready to shew mercy to the penitent lest despair should overwhelm them despair is ready to rise in two cases One is when there is exceeding tenderness and sensibleness of sin Another is when there is a long absence and improbability of mercy for what hath the soul now to rest on and to support it Now off all persons living there are none so sensible of sin as true penitents we may say of other people as the Apostle did the rest are hardned and of all penitent people they are most tender in conscience and apprehensive of sin and fearfull about mercy who are newly converted from a sinful way O how hard is it to keep them above water to perswade them that any mercy belongs to them and therefore the Lord is ready to shew them mercy that their spirits might not fail before him nor be overwhelmed with despair Is the Lord so ready to shew all kind of mercy to the penitent Vse 1. Instruction Thence may we be instructed unto two things 1. To the approbation 2. To the application of our selves to a penitentiall Course 1. To the Approbation of a penitential Course Why are ye so To approve of a penitential course averse and accuse and condemn it They have a saying that Finis dat amabilitatem Mediis the end doth make the means lovely it doth give spirit and encouragement to the use of means Repentance is in it self a most excellent and peculiar grace a singular gift of God and therefore desirable But besides that Behold thy son liveth c. it brings the soul to partake of mercy of the choicest mercy in God pardoning mercy which is of most immediate concernment and influence to the everlasting salvation of man nay it brings mercy and salvation presently This day is salvation come unto thy house 'T is granted many persons do accuse a penitential course of much vexation and sadness and grief as if it were the grave of all delight whereas indeed it is only the sepulchre of our Lusts and of lustful pleasures And others cry out upon the difficulty of it as if it were an heavy yoke and an intolerable burden But judge not of duties by the opinion of ignorant and graceless men nor by the folly and error of your own sinful and inexperienced hearts No but judge of them by what the Word pronounceth of them in themselves and by their ends Is Salvation a desireable thing is mercy an excellent thing Why then Repentance must be an excellent thing which brings us unto mercy and unto Salvation Object But there must be brokenness of heart for sin and there must be a diligent endeavour to leave all sin and there must be strict care to walk with God Sol. And what of all this It is as if thou shouldest say O but I must not be wicked I must become a new man I must leave that which will damn me I must hink well of such a course as will bring me to find saving mercy with God there cannot be a worse estate and more fearful end then Impenitency and there cannot be a better and more soul-saving estate then Repentance 2. To the quick application of our selves to a Penitential course Apply your selves to a nitential course I beseech you at length if there be any understanding in you any sense in you any credence of a hell and heaven any belief of a God or happiness seriously consider with me that 1. You must perish for ever if you have not mercy If Mercy does not save you Justice must damn thee what shall become of thy soul if thy sins be not pardoned they cannot but be condemnation unto thee without gracious and merciful Remission Therefore new saith the Lord turn unto me c. Joel 3. 12. Heb. 3. 15. Whiles it is said to day harden not your hearts Repentance is a present duty Now God commands every one to repent Act. 17. 30. 2. Are you sinners or are you not if you be not sinners then I confess you need no pardoning mercy but if you be sinners then mercy must be your plea and anchor Save me for thy mercies sake and blot out my transgressions according to the multitude of thy mercies saith David Psal 6. 51. Ah wretches that we are we are sinners by Nature and sinners by Life who can say My heart is câ—eâ—n We lie down in our sins every moment so that we need mercy much mercy all mercy 3. Vnless you do practically repent .i. indeed for sake your sinful wayes and walk in newness of obedience you shall never have mercy Except you repent ye shall all likewise perish said Jesus Christ It is the unchangeable Decree of God and the revealed pleasure of God that no man shall have his mercy but the Penitent It were an unreasonable thing that he should have mercy to pardon sin who will not have an heart to leave sin I know very well that the Lord is very rich in measure and delights in mercy and is ready to shew mercy and is able to pardon abundantly God forbid that any should straighten the Mercy Seat at all But O thou vainly presumptious soul look over all the Bible read it often and tell me where doest thou find that God will be thus merciful to any one sinner but him who is truly penitent It is not to him who is civil but penitent it is not to him that saith he is a sinner but who doth forsake his sins this is he that shall find mercy 4. Yea and consider one thing more how utterly inexcusable you Thou art Inexcusable if thou do not Repent and before God and men if you doe not repent ah what a sad and shameful appearance wilt thou make before the Lord when he shall at the last day judg thee for all thy sinfulness when thou shalt be set in the presence of Christ and Angels and men and devils And the Lord shall say This is the person to
repentance and not be made the causes of despair or more sinning If thy sinnings had not been so high it had been better but being so thy remedy is not an addition of a worse sin or a continuance in the same sins but to pray unto the Lord to turn thee and to forgive thee Object Why I have prayed and yet I can get no mercy not I have prayed and yet can get no mercy see any hopes or appearance of mercy therefore surely God will not be so ready to shew me mercy Sol. This is a sore Objection and usually troubled Consciences are enthralled with it Answered and many times receive great discouragement because of the silence of mercy to their tears and prayers But let us see how we may instruct and support persons in this case 1. God is ready God is ready to hear prayer to hear prayer Psal 65. 2. O thou that hearest prayer Before they call I will answer and while they are speaking I will hear Isa 65. 2. Of all mens prayers he is most ready to hear the prayer of afflicted Most ready to hear the prayer of the afflâ—cted persons Psal 18. 27. Thou wilt save the afflicted Psal 22. 24. He hath not despised nor abhorred the afflictions of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from them but when he cried unto him he heard him Of all the Prayers which he is ready to hear there are none which he doth more feelingly and compassionately tender than the Prayers of afflicted people especially such as are inwardly afflicted in their souls and consciences for their sins No people are more apt to fear that the Lord doth not hear their Prayers and yet no Prayers doth God sooner hear than theirs for as much as the Lord doth exceedingly delight in the sacrifices of a broken spirit and he is full of pitifulness and bowels towards them I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31. 18. When Ephraim smote upon the thigh and was confounded and ashamed why you know the Lord could not contain his affections Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. David you find him much afflicted and distressed in his soul Psal 32. 3 4. he did no sooner acknowledge his sin but God did express his mercy v. 5. The like you may see of him in Psal 6. 1 2. compared with v. 8 9. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my suplication the Lord hath received my Prayer So true is that of the Prophet Isa 30. 19. He will be very graâ—ious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee But then know we that there may be sometimes God doth not presently make known his Mercy Reasons of it on our parts some special Reasons why the Lord doth not presently make known his mercy to the troubled and seeking soul The Reasons may be either on their part or on Gods part 1. Quick mercy must first see quickned fervency Though God be ready to hear their Prayers yet there may be some reasons Quickned fervency may be wanting why he doth not presently give them sensible tokens that they are heard If you pray for pardoning mercy as Austin did for repentance if you pray with a careless dull flat formal neglecting sprit not esteeming of Gods mercy and favour as your lives nay above your lives if you seek not the Lord in this with all your hearts Pardoning mercy is the greatest mercy for the soul and must be desired with the greatest affections of the soul with cries with importunities If you do not mightily wrestle with him as David in Psal 6. and as Daniel in c. 9. No marvel that cold Suits have slow Answers though you be afflicted in your consciences yet if those inward afflictions cannot raise the price of mercy and set a stronger edge upon your affections if the burnings of your consciences do not kindle flames of affections for mercy you may wait for your answer 2. As it must be a quickned affection which must find quick mercy so it must be a pure affection I will that men pray every Or a pure affecction where lifting up pure hands 1 Tim. 2. 8. Art thou sure that no iniquity cleaves unto thee and is an impedit to thy suit for mercy Thou art troubled with the grossness of some one of thy sins but doest not thou connive at the shreds of the same sin the limbs of it afflict thee but do not the leaves and the twigs hang on still If we do not purely and entirely put off our sins why should we complain that God doth not let down his mercy If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66. 18. If you favour your known sin in any part or the least degree of it where now hath God promised to shew thee favour or mercy Or suppose thou shakest off one crying sin and yet retain some other sin put off one servant and take another be troubled for one transgression and yet live in another is this repentance Thou doest not change thy course but thy sin and how then canst thou expect mercy But if thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards God and â—utst iniquity far from thee then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot said Zophar Job 11. 13 14. If thou thus return to the Almighty and putst away iniquity Job 22. 23. thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall hear thee v. 27. As your prayers must be servent so they must be the fervent prayers of a righteous man which do prevail much Not that he who prays must have no sin but that he must love and connive at none 3. Thy heart is troubled with the guilt of sin but doth it morn Doest thou mourn for the vileness and fithiness of thy sin for the viteness and filth of thy sin Thou seekest for a Cordial but doest thou pray for Salve too Vehement thou art for Mercy but what for Grace Where guilt onely troubles it may make me earnest for mercy to ease me that is involuntary would not be troubled but is troubled because he is troubled But where the filthiness of sin troubles me now I do not onely importune in prayer but mourn also and amas desirous of healing as I am of pardoning this is voluntary he would mourn and mourns because he can mourn no more If thou seekest the Lord with a mourning heart as well as with a troubled heart the fountain is set upon for transgressions and sins Zach. 13. 1. and if the fountain be opened for thee it cannot be long ere mercies will swim unto thee 4. And with what faith hast thou prayed Thy troubled Conscience With what faith
himself in dust and ashes So the penitent upon the manifestation of divine favour doth more acknowledg his vileness judg his follies and abhor his iniquities it is ever true that the greatest mercies set the heart at greatest distance with sin But now it is demanded Why should the expressions of mercy elicite confession of sin if it be pardoned why any more confession Reasons though hereof be many 1. Piety in man is Reasons of it Piety in man is not opposite but subordinâ—te to pity in God not opposite but only subordinate to Pity in God Divine love doth not destroy but increase duty Assurance followes the habits and alwayes advances the acts of grace As it is our duty to seek our pardon by confession so also to carry away the same with continued confessions confession of sin is not a transient but a constant duty As the Mathematicians speak of a Line That it is not punctum but fluxus punctorum so I say of any duty It is not one indivisible act only but an act repeated to believe is a duty in which one act only is not enough for I must still keep my eye upon Christ So to confess sin is a duty not done altogether because once done but still to be done because a duty to be done though God be pleased to forget yet it is our duty to remember But secondly By confession of sin after remission and testimony Mercy is now acknowledged to be mercy mercy is now acknowledged to be mercy What a man may speak in straights is one thing what in free circumstances when extra aleam is another Many a man cryes out for mercy who perhaps scarce will give mercy all the glory afterward But when we are pardoned and yet confess sin we do really profess That it was not Worthiness in us but only Goodness in God that pardoned No man can more fully give the glory of his pardon to sole mercy then he who doth confess his sins after mercy What is this confession of sin but as if the person should say O Lord to me indeed nothing did belong but shame and confusion for I for my part have thus and thus sinned against thee and deserved thy wrath but it was meer mercy that saved and pardoned me 3. The more pardoning mercy God shews The more humility is thereby wrought in the heart The more pardoning mercy the more Humility for who can behold much pardon but withal must know it was much sin that hath that much pardon He hath greater cause of shame because all this while a God of such mercy hath been offended So that here is more cause for the heart to abase it self and to confess its own vileness 4. Upon New and more grounds of confession do arise gracious remission more and new grounds of Confession do arise Before I am pardoned I confess my sins because God requires confession and also because he doth upon a right confession promise Remission When I am pardoned more reasons of Confession are upon mercy namely mercy granted and mercy sealed O then have I not more cause to confess my sinful vileness having tasted of most unspeakable goodness in the pardon of it Doth the penitent person humbly confess his sins after the Vse Upon sense of pardon let us do so pardon of them Why let us if any of us think that we are pardoned do so too T is a truth that of all things we are most willing to forget our sins we have much adoe to keep our thoughts on them in a penitential way its death almost to some men to think on their sins thus and in case if by a little duty we have got the least hope of pardon we ordinarily put those sins off from any future solemn Confessions This I conceive ariseth from two causes the one is the sensible influence which sin often to be thought on imprints on the conscience After considerations of sin we have usually most bitterness and trouble which we willingly would not feel Another is an ignorance of the power and use of pardoning mercy which as it brings Rest Peace so most hearty grief and confession I will say to Such as faâ—l in after confession It is suspicious whether ever they had any Pardon at all Or whether they ever truly repanted or no. men presuming on pardon and yet failing in an after confession of their sins 1. It is suspicious whether ever they had any pardon at all or real assurance thereof forasmuch as they fail in this after effect of confession which is alwayes the more increased by the greater evidence of divine mercy 2. It is suspicious whether they ever truly repented or no for as much as true repentance doth incline us to go over and perfect all the acts and branches of Repentance whereof confession in a right manner performed is not the least But for our parts if any of us upon a penitential course have been so far blessed as to see the face of God with peace and have found any testimony of his pardoning mercy let us never cease to bless that mercy and with mournful and self-judging hearts to iterate and continue our confession of the sins for which we have found mercy Motives hereunto are these 1. We shall hereby the better prolong Moâ—ives to it We shall hereby the better increase our assurance of mercy and increase our assurance of divine mercy I conjecture that you shall in your experience find this truth viz. That assurance lives longest in a believing Eye an humble Spirit and in a Soul accustomed to the strict exercise of Repentance the way to get assurance of pardon is ever the best way to preserve and inlarge Our Conscience will hereby acquit us for the sincerity of our Confession it 2. Hereby our Consciences shall most acquit us for the sincerity of our confession Antecedent acts do not alwayes yield unto us that solid ground as subsequent acts As about our outward mercies after prayers do more denominate the celestial frame then former prayers because those may be depending on self-love and necessity but the other springs out of spiritual love and piety and respects to divine glory So is it in the business of confession of sin to confess under the beams of mercy is a better temper then to confess under the strokes of Justice it argues a more holy Ingenuity to acknowledg and bewail our vileness being discharged of wrath and punishment then only to exclaim either upon the Rack or upon hopes to be taken off 3. Hereby the frame of the heart is kept more tender against sin The frame of the heart is hereby kept more tender against sin as Ezra 9. 14. Should we again break thy Commandments Continued sense of sin produceth four singular effects and with much addition too Most cordial Thankfulness Most tender Fearfulness Most diligent Fruitfulness Most careful Tenderness The daily judger of his former sins by a penitential
of the City if the arm or foot slip out of joynt then indeed there is ache and pain instead of ease and quiet so if a penitent person do what is sinful he must not think that God will appear in that amiableness for as God will frown on no man which is in a good way so will he smile Distinguish of Gods expressions of himself and Satans representations of him on no man if found in an evil path 4. Lastly You must distinguish of Gods expression of himself and either Satans or our own unbelieving hearts representations of God Before we repent our own hearts and Satan represent God all in mercy to us and when we do repent so far as our hearts are sinful they are still guileful and conjoyn with Satan to represent God unto us all in Justice and terror But a natural and proper representation is one thing and a preternatural and corrupt representation is another thing How the dispositions and actions of men may present me in their due and real Entity to a man is one thing and how the cunning lies and artificial devices of an envious enemy may report me this is another thing This then is the sense of the assertion That when any person doth truly repent God will not only not upbraid and object unto him his sins but will graciously pass them over and for his part the penitent behaving himself like a penitent and judging of him aright according to his nature and promises shall find all in love graciousness and kindness to him and for him Reasons whereof are these 1. Vpon true repentance sin is Reasons of it Upon true Repentance sin is pardoned pardoned Repent saith S. Peter that your sins may be blotted out Acts 3. And he that forsakes his sin shall find mercy Prov. 28. And Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and I will abundantly pardon Whence I infer If sin be pardoned then there is no voice from heaven to be heard but that of Love and kindness Indeed while we continue in sin like Adam we hear the voice of God and are afraid for then it is the voice of his wrath and threatnings but sin being pardoned wrath is removed God is reconciled and his voice now is only the sweet voice of the Gospâ—l not the thunders of Sinai but the glad tydings of Sion Therefore 2. God hath said That he will not God will not break the bruised Reed break the bruised reed and takes it ill from any to add afflictions to the afflicted Now there is no expression more observed by a penitent then Gods Gods expressions are bruising or raising all is for comfort or discomfort as it comes from God the least harshness from him would set back the penitent into an overwhelming multitude of terrors fears and distractions and discouragements the which the Lord likes not having made the soul â—it for his mercies 3. Comfort is the proper expression for the penitent As threatnings are the most proper for an impenitent person Comfort is the proper expression for the Penitent so comfort for a penitent It were a dangerous mistake to give a Vomit when a Cordial is proper binding up is proper for the broken in heart and comfort for mourners and reviving for the contrite Gracioâ—s expressions from God are the very thing which the penitent needs his spirit cannot else live and uphold it self There are two things under which the spirit of man cannot well bear up and sustain it self One is near and strong afflictions without Divine strength Another is the quick sense of sin without the gracious sight of mercies As they are needful so are they seasonable for as much as 1. Satan is most ready to fall fâ—ul upon the Soul upon its Repentance with strongest accusations falsest suggestions and oppressions to overwhelm it with despair as on him in the Corinthians 2. The Heart at such a time is most apt to fear the worst to suspect its own soundness and Gods kindness 3. Nothing would settle and quiet the Spirit of the penitent person more then Gods gracious expressions This is light in darkness life in death the only Restorative to a sensible sinner and a languishing soul Therefore The first Use of this Point shall be to imitate God in this Vse Imitate God in this kindness and goodness kindness of expression and goodness of oblivion When we see persons truly penitential for former sins as we must not call Evil Good so neither must we call Good Evil if God will not mention former sins to a penitent how dare we to do it It is an usual way of a sly and malicious person in his detractations Yea he is so and so now indeed but what was he heretofore And thus he digs up those old rotten corruptions with his malicious tongue which the penitent hath long buryed with many tears and God hath covered with much mercy It is an argument that thou art of a beastly nature who art still in the wounds and not on the sound parts Speak against sin and condemn it as well in thy self as in others with all â—it zeal but spare at least the converted and penitent sinner Never open a wound which God hath healed nor shamefully blaze the sin which God hath mercifully pardoned 2. You see the way to have your sins covered and You see the way to have our sins covered and hid hid Men upon sinful commissions devise many shifts and colours and arts to keep their sins close and hid as if the Sun could be muffled or the Fire stiâ—led or the Wound not cured would not break out No truly repent of sins and that is the best way for to get sins concealed as well as pardoned Now the Lord will not mention them but if we continue impenitent the Lord will set our sins in order they shall break out to our shame as they have broken out to his dishonour But the Father said to his servants Bring forth the best Robe and put it on him and put a Ring on his hand and Shoes on his feet These words are a List of the special favours which were conferred The special favours conferred upon the Penitential Prodigal upon the penitential Prodigal where you have 1. The Number of them 1. The Râ—be 2. The Ring 3. The Shoes a suit large enough from top to toe We need a compleate furniture and God here bestows it 2. The Quality of them 1. The Robe is the best and 2. The Ring is precious and 3. The Shoes are proper and fit and the best God gives unto his people what is most excellent and what is most useful 3. The Order of them first the Robe and then the Ring because if the Allusion be to a Marriage the Wedding Garment is ever put on before the Wedding Ring Or else because the Garment which is the Robe is alwayes more necessary then the Ornament which is the Ring Or which is choicest
causes in Christ to accept of him and to resign up to him rather than to sin or world or any thing else and when the Will is wrought upon so as to accept of Christ in his Person and Offices and Estates the soul is now matched or married to Christ by Faith It bestows it self and gives Christ all the right and cleaves unto him in an indissoluble bond of affection and service Quest 3. The third resolveable is concerning the Subject of this The subject of this faith faith who hath it The Text resolves that by telling us that the Ring was put on the returning Prodigals finger so that the penitent person is he who wears the Ring i. who is an espoused The penitent person is onely married unto Christ or married person by Faith unto Christ You may be married to your Lusts and to the World though you be impenitent yet none but Penitents are married unto Christ by Faith Not that Repentance goes before Faith in Christ for no Grace habitually considered is in time before another though in operation it be Nor that Repentance is the cause of Faith for it is a most improper Assertion to make one Grace to be the cause of another Grace when as every Grace doth come onely from the Spirit of Reasons Christ as the cause But because 1. The penitent person is only the The penitent person onely hath faith subject of Faith which doth marry us to Christ no person is a believer who is not a penitent person The Prodigal while onely a Prodigal he hath neither Garment nor Ring but when he is a returning Prodigal then he hath both and not till then 2. Onely penitent persons can evidence their faith and espousal unto Onely penitent persons can evidence their faith Christ Another who is impenitent can no more evidence his interest or title to Christ then an Alien that never heard of this Land can evidence or conclude his title and right to any Goods or Chattels of yours The title to Christ is proper onely to the Penitent for them he lived and for them onely he died Now if any should yet further demand Why the Lord should Why will the Lord give this to penitent persons To convince the world there is no loâ—s in leaving sin To support the soul of the heavy laden give unto penitent persons a precious faith to espouse them to Christ I conjecture briefly that these may be the Grounds or Reasons 1. To convince all the world that there is no loss in leaving of sin Abjice tectum tolle coelum said one The repentant person forsakes his sins but presently finds a Saviour he is divorced from that which would damn him and by faith is espoused unto one that will save him 2. To support the soul of the penitent which of all other is most sick and heavy laden It is most sensible of sin and guilt and Gods displeasure on all which it cannot long look alone If the penitent person had not faith to see a Mediatour he would not long have an eye to look upon his transgressions It is a truth that Repentance could never act it self unless the penitent person had faith to act it self too The sorrow in Repentance would infinitely sink into despair and the forsaking of sin would turn into a forsaking of God if Faith saw not a Mediatour for Transgressions and a mercifull God through him 3. Lastly The Lord intends singular mercy to the penitent God intends singular mercies to the Penitent persons to perform many precious promises of pardon and grace and comfort unto them and therefore gives them Faith unto which all the Promises are made The promises may be considered two ways either in respect 1. of Intention so they look unto the Penitent of Application so onely Faith is the Hand in the Penitent which actively applies the Promises Again you know that the Promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ i. they are all sealed by him and made good unto us by him so that first we must have Christ before the Promises made good unto us by Christ And therefore God gives unto the penitent person the Grace of Faith to espouse him unto Christ that so he may settle upon him all the Dowry upon the Marriage of the rich mercy and good in his precious Promises The main Use which I will make of this assertion is To try our selves whether we have this precious Ring of Faith a Ring Vse Try our selves whether we have this precious faith A necessary trial if we consider The paucity of true believers more precious than that of Gold put on our fingers yea or no. It is as necessary a demur as ever you were put unto all your dayes whether you consider 1. The paucity of true believers All men have not faith saith the Apostle All men nay very few Who hath believed our report said the Prophet We preach we offer Christ unto you we beseech you to accept of the Lord of Life to give up your hearts and lives unto him but who believes our report We tell you that Christ is better than all the world his bloud is better than sin it 's better to love and serve him than world or sin but who believes our report Men care not to know the excellencies of Christ they prize him not they care not to hear him speak in his Ordinances they will in no wise consent and yield to his terms and conditions 2. The Vtility The utility of it of it To the Sacrament of the Lords Supper if we come without our Wedding-Ring it will be as sad a day to us as to him who came without his Wedding Garment We do not onely receive no good at the Sacrament for we have neither hand nor mouth to take and eat if we have not Faith not title at all to the intrinsecal benefits by Christ if we have not faith in him Nay we occasion much evil and Judgment upon our selves we adventure to eat and drink our own damnation not discerning the 1 Cor. 11. Lords body And righteously may the Lord judge us for coming to his Sacrament without Faith for as much as in so doing we do not onely presume against an express prohibition that we should hold off but also we do at the least interpretatively assay to make God a Liar and a favourer of all villany as if he would put his Seal of Pardon and mercy and for all the good of his Covenant in Christ to a wicked impenitent and unbelieving sinner 3. The Hypocrisie of our hearts so apt to deceive themselves with shadows in stead of substances not The hypocrifie of our hearts considering that Satan can delude a man with the shew of any grace Every Ring is not a Ring of Gold nor is every Faith a precious and unfeigned Faith There is a thing called Presumption which is bold enough but it is not Faith and there
that finds a lost sinner Sol. The Answer Who finds the lost sinner God onely is easie It is God onely I will seek that which was lost Ezek. 34. 16. It was he who found Abraham in Caldea amongst the Idolaters and David among the sheep-folds and Manasses among the thorns and bushes and Paul in the way to Damascus and Matthew at the receit of Custome and the Israelites in their bloud and Mary Magdalene in her uncleanness The sinner cannot find himself he can lose himself but he cannot find himself he can wander but he cannot return of himself Avertere a Deâ— man can do that but convertere ad Deum man cannot do this Man loves to wander but to come back man hath neither will nor power No man can â—ind a lost sinner He may find a lost sinner by way of discovery but he cannot find him by way of recovery I may discover but not recover 2. Bewail but not prevail 3. give Counsel but not give Grace I may see one running from God but I cannot bring him back to God I may see him wandring to Hell but I cannot set his heart to turn back to Heaven and I may bewail a lost sinner yet I cannot prevail upon a lost sinner and I can give him counsel to come home but I cannot give him grace to come home It is God God onely who can find a lost sinner Quis ovem perdicam requirere debeat nonne qui perdidit quis perdidit nonne qui habuit Quis habuit nonne qui â—ecit So Tertullian appositely He onely that made man he onely it is who can find the sinner Quest 2. How God finds a lost sinner Sol. There are How God â—inds a lost sinner seven Acts of God which are conversant about the finding of a lost sinner 1. He is moved with compassion towards him the He is moved with compassion towards him Lord pities such a sinner Alas saith God this poor ignorant foolish man is gone from me the fountain of his life lo how his lusts deceive him how Satan rules him how he wanders up and down in vanity he is quite out of the way of his happiness he is running towards hell but perceives it not he is undoing and destroying his immortal soul but observes it not he knows not whether he goes he is undone for ever if I stay him not if I turn him not 2. He intends good to this particular lost sinner I will surely have mercy on him I have seen his ways He intends good to this lost sinner and will heal him I know the thoughts that I think towards him thoughts of good and not of evil I will glorifie all my mercy and goodness in this very sinner I will not suffer him to run on thus I will look after him I will bring him home to my self and save him 3. He sends out after him one servant and another He sends out after him servant one Minister and another Minister Go saith God to such a Parish and to such a Family and preach and make enquiry Is there not such a miserable sinner here is there not such a lost man there one that is gone from his Fathers house one that hath spent all in riotous living Is there never a man here who hath departed from God lived without God run all his life in sinfull loose base courses of disobedience and would now be glad of mercy This is the general seeking of a lost sinner 4. He makes a privy search after him for perhaps He makes a privy search after him the general Hue and Cry will not find the sinner and therefore the Lord makes a privy search As to find out Achan there was Tribe searched by Tribe and Family by Family and Person by Person and thus doth the Lord in finding of a lost sinner He comes more distinctly and his Word or Afflictions draw after this sinner more personally they light at his door upon his person and knock and enquire Art not thou the man doth not the lost sinner abide here Art not thou he who hast lived ignorantly or proâ—anely and gone astray from thy God 5. He He lights on hâ—m at length lights on him at length And then the Lord lights on a lost sinner when he actuates and quickens Conscience in him which now can be silent no longer but cries out Lord here he is Here is the Swearer Drunkard Whoremonger Sabbath-breaker c. And now out comes the lost sinner with a trembling heart and a guilt-smiting spirit Lord who is it that you look for do you look after a sinner a lost sinner I am the man you look for Oh I have sinned I have wandred I have been lost all my Oh I have sinned I have wandred I have been lost all my days What shall I say unto thee O thou preserver of men or what shall I do Oh! if thou takest not pity on me if thou shewest not mercy unto me I perish I die I am lost for ever 6. He deals with this sinner to return and come back unto him Hos 14. 1. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou He deals with him to return hast fallen by thine iniquity And there are four ways which the Lord useth to prevail upon a lost sinner to turn back unto him Four ways 1. By Expostulation What have I been unto thee or what have I done unto thee or what iniquity hast thou found in me By Expostulation that thou hast all this while departed from me Was not I the God that formed thee the Father that brought thee forth the Master that fed thee and took care of thee Was there not goodness and kindness and fulness enough in me why hast thou dealt thus unkindly with me 2. By Conviction of his By Conviction wandring condition with the baseness and miserableness thereof These are thy ways and these have been thy doings and what profit hast thou by those things whereof thou art or mayest be now ashamed Why what hast thou got by all thy sinfull wandrings See how naked thou art of all spiritual good how shamefull thy course hath been Is the Wilderness a place for a Child How poor and undone thou art Thou hast spent all and if thou continuest in thy sinfull ways thou wilt certainly perish with hunger Sin hath been thy loss and if thou return not it wâ—ll certainly be thy ruine Return O lost Sinner return return why wilt thou die and perish for ever 3. By By Propositions of Mercy Propositions of Mercy As S. John ran after that young lost man of Jerusalem crying unto him Return my son return Christ will yet accept of thee Christ will yet shew thee mercy So doth the Lord God when he would bring back a lost sinner Return saith he and live return and live Ezek. 18. 32. Though thou hast forgot the Duty of a Child yet I have not put off the Affection
yet effectually and graciously found 1. All external miseries may suddenly â—ind him Adam All external miseries may suddenly find him run away from God and what did he find and Jonah and what did he find All losses may speedily befal a lost person Safety is at home and Dangers abroad In how many dangers is the lost sheep upon the mountains In how many perils is the lost man in the wilderness they may become an easie prey to all devouring beasts and are oft times forced to eat up themselves to preserve themselves A lost impenitent unconverted sinner is sure of no mercy and he is naked and exposed to all misery In the fulness of his sufficiency saith Zophar Job 20. 22. he shall be in streights every hand of the wicked shall come upon him v. 23. When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating 2. A guilty and amazing Conscience may quickly find him that inward Hell as one speaks The A guilty Conscience may quickly find him glistring Sword cometh out of his Gall terrours are upon him Job 20. 25. When Judas had lost himself how quickly did he find a guilty Conscience It is an heavy thing to be found out by that which as Bernard speaks is Bailiff and Jailor and Witness and Jury and Sheriffs and Judge and Executioner too Every man that finds me will kill me said Cain Gen 4. 3. And Death may find thee to which thou wilt say as Ahab to the Prophet Hast thou found me O mine enemy And Death may find thee Death may return the Prophets answer unto thee Yea I have found thee because thou hast sold thy seâ—f to work evil in the sight of the Lord 1 Kin. 21. 20. 4. And Gods condemning Gods condemning Judgements will find thee Judgment will find thee If thou O lost sinner be not now found to thy conversion God will one day find thee to thy subversion if Mercy finds thee not to come back to God Justice shall find thee to cast thee quite away from God 3. It is an unspeakable joy if thou canst find that God hath in mercy â—ound thy lâ—st soul O there are many precious mercies It is unspeakable joy if God have found thy lost soul Here is Rescuing mercy Pardoning mercy Reconciled communion with God which a found soul doth and may find 1. Rescuing mercy He is delivered from Sin and Satan Is it not a mercy to be freed of a Disease of a Prison O what then to be delivered from Sin from Satan 2. Pardoning mercy That of the Prophet is certainly verified of thee in Jer. 50. â—0 In those days and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them c. 3. Reconciled communion with thy God Thou who wast found in Jail before mayest now be found in thy Fathers house thou who wast a Vagabond before art now a Son God hath accepted of thee thou hast found favour in his eyes and mayest find free access unto his presence Thy soul shall be found in glory 4. Nay If God hath found thee in mercy it will not be long ere that soul of thine shall be found in Glory 4. Many men do reckon upon it that they are found when yet Many men think themselves found who yet are lost they remain in a lost condition There are three things which discover the mistake of men in this kind 1. Though they say that they have found out their sinfull condition yet still they remain in their sinfull condition 2. Though they say that they have found out the true way of life yet they cannot be found walking in that way of life 3. Though they say that God hath found them yet you cannot find them to fear this God nor to love this God nor to honour and exalt this God all the marks of Lostness are upon them ignorance blindness superstition profaneness vile wayes c. But will some say How may one know that God hath found in How may one know that God hath found his lost soul converting mercy his lost soul This leads me to the second thing which comprehends the Trials or Characters of a lost soul truly found And there are Nine infallible Evidences of a lost person graciously found Trials of it 1. When a lost sinner is found by God he doth then â—ind himself to He finds himself to be utterly lost be utterly lost Vnclean unclean said the Leper Undone undone God be mercifull to me a sinner said the Publican In me there dwels no good I am the greatest of sinners said Paul God finds us by making us to find our selves There is a vast difference twixt 1. A vulgar confession I am a sinner all men are sinners 2. An experimental conviction I am the lost sinner these sins these my sins have undone me I am undone and lost for such a sin and for such a sin I perish I perish if I get not out of this condition my God is lost and my soul will be lost I am gone from God I am out of the way of life if I stay here I die I perish for hunger said the found Prodigal Thou lookest on thy self and state but how as sinfull well but doest thou look on that thy sinfull estate as a perishing as thy perishing condition as a condition not a day not an hour not a moment more to be stayed in Doest thou look on it as on the Leak in the Ship as a sinking Leak as a splitting Rock as a soul-destroying murthering ruining condition The Lord never finds any man but he finds him and brings him back so as he shall acknowledge who hath found him even a God and what hath found him even his mercy and this will never be acknowledged until God makes us first to see how utterly lost we were that the found sinner may say 'T was mercy that pitied me 't was mercy that looked after me 't was mercy that lighted on me 't was mercy which dealt with me wooed me overcame me brought me back saved me meer mercy for I was utterly lost I had perished if mercy had not recovered me c. 2. When God finds a lost sinner that sinner finds himself without He finds himself without strength to return all strength to come back to God Though you find your selves to have lost your God yet if you can find strength of your own to bring you back unto your God assuredly your lost souls are not found For to speak punctually no man finds himself lost who as yet can find any thing in himself to set up himself if I yet possess strength I am not yet lost But a truly and experimentally lost soul feels in it self not onely a loss of God but also of
a quickning and regenerating Word it carries Christ in it the Author of Life and the Apostle calls it the Ministration of Life And perhaps it hath been so to some poor man and woman and to some of thy children But O how long hast thou heard it how often hast thou come to this Bread of Life to these Waters of Life What! and yet dead in thy sins not yet quickned and made alive Why thou art a reproach to the Gospel and thy sins have not only given death to thy soul but death to the Gospel of Christ the Gospel is made by them a dead Letter it is not so in it self but thou hast made it so And how wilt thou answer God for killing thy soul and killing his Christ and killing his Gospel 2. Many have a name that they live but like the Angel of Many have a name to live and yet are dead the Church of Sardis they are dead Revel 3. 1. Oh Sirs Spiritual life the life of grace is a rare thing and a difficult thing Every man loves his life but few love this life No man hates his own life almost but most men hate this life of grace because it is destructive to this life of sin And many think they have it and others think so too and yet they have it not You know it is one thing to put Flowers upon a dead body and another thing to put life into a dead man It is one thing for the Sun to convey light another thing for the Sun to convey life I might shew you that mâ—n mistake spiritual life exceedingly Education in a person may lead him far and so may an enlightned and generous Conscience and so may restraining Grace and so may Art and so may the common gifts of the Spirit they may enable a man to strange conceptions and strange affections and strange actions and yet the man may be spiritually dead Not any of these flow from a gracious principle of spiritual life Why common Gifts may lead up the soul far and Education may lead to Duties much and Conscience may awe sin exceedingly and Art or Hypocrisie may counterfeit the very life of Grace as a Stage-player doth a King wonderfully O therefore look to it that you have more than a name of life that you live indeed 3. If you should deceive your selves and when you come to It would be very sad to be deceived in this die you find that you have been dead all your lives and never were spiritually made alive Oh! in what a condition will thy poor trembling soul be To die and see nothing but death I thought there was life in my heart and life in my strong faith and life in my troubles of spirit and life in my obedience but alas I never lived I never enjoyed Christ never enjoyed grace c. 4. If the Lord hath made thee alive from the dead I do not To be alive is cause of great joy know any man living on the earth that hath such cause of joy unspeakable and glorious I will mention but three particulars unto thee 1. Hereby thou mayest be assured of thy interest in the richest mercy and greatest love of God to thy poor soul Read but the Apostle in Ephes 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us v. 5. even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 2. Thou mayest palpably discover the tokens and vertues of Jesus Christ upon thy soul the very Effigies of the saving works of Christ that which Paul so longed to know even the power of the death and of the resurrection of Christ Philip. 3. 10. In thy death to Sin and in thy life of Grace doth the power of Christs death and of Christs resurrection appear 3. Thou mayest certainly know that Heaven shall be the place of thy rest hereafter Spiritual life comes from Heaven and bends to Heaven and shall bring to Heaven It prepares for Heaven and it is a part of Heaven and it shall be perfected and filled up in Heaven O what things are these who would miss of these For Christs sake search throughly whether you be made alive Now me thinks I hear some soul secretly longing to know how it may be cleared unâ—o it That God hath quickned it from the Signs of spiritual life dead That as it was once dead yet it is now alive Sol. There are many things which may clearly declare it for indeed life is such an active thing especially spiritual life that it may easily appear sometimes or other to him who hath it 1. If sin be alive then thou art still dead and if sin be dead thou art certainly alive I will open both these parâ—s 1. If sin be alive then the man is dead for it is impossible that the If sin be alive the man is dead same man should be alive and dead under the same consideration Spiritual Life and spiritual Death are incompatible at the same time in the same subject And therefore if sin be alive questionless you are spiritually dead Now there are four things which manifest sin to be alive in any mans soul 1. The flaming bents and inâ—atiable desires of the heart after things forbidden in the Word Ephes 4. 19. we read of sin with greediness 2. The universal and easie authority law or command that it hath over the soul and body that it can use them in the service of lusts when and as it pleaseth Ephes 2. 2 3. 3. The joyfull contentation and satisfaction which the heart takes in evil things as we do in meat and drink 4. The customary trade and course of our life in sinfull ways a walking in them a living in them O if these be yet found in thee sin is alive still and thou art dead still 2. But if sin be dead thou art certainly alive If sin be dead thou art alive I confess sin may be restrained and a man not alive and sin may be troublesome in some respects and a man not yet alive But if it be dead the man is spiritually alive for sin in thee can never come to be dead but by spiritual life Now sin is dead in thee if thou canst find two things 1. If it hath lost thy affections If love to sin be gone and hatred of sin be come if delight in sin be quenched and sorrow for sin be implanted Oh Sirs the love of sin is the life of sin and if the hatred of sin doth live then the love of sin is dead 2. If it hath lost its Authority its free and uncontrolled power although it molests still and tempts still yet it rules not thou art not a slave to it and subject to it thou wilt not serve it obey it any longer If thou hast Christ for thy Lord the Law of Christ for thy Rule and Sin for thy Enemy thou art alive 2. A second sign of spiritual life is a spiritual sense
the History of him he was one who would be gone from his Fathers House and into a far Country he went and there he did waste his substance with riotous living He made an end of all of it and in the basest of wayes amongst Harlots and then betakes himself to â—ordid shifts He offered himself to â—eed Swine and would have fed with the Swine nay would have lived upon the Offals and Husks which the Swine left He stood it out to the last if he could possibly have subsisted if he could but have lived he would never have come back to his Father Yet this Son this Son at length comes back at length is converted and is alive again But I obtained mercy said Paul 1 Tim. 1. 13. Misericordiaâ— donantem mercy of Conversion misericordiam condonanâ—em mercy of remission I obtained mercy Why what was he more then another that he does so emphatically speak of himself I obtained mercy Yea there was reason to set it off thus with an Emphasis for he was a notorious sinner I was saith he a Blasphemer and a Persâ—cuter and Injurious yet I I obtained mercy Some of you know that it hath been an ancient question and debate about the equality or inequality of sin I think thus 1. That Original sin quantum ad se is equally divided amongst all men there is aequalis carentia debiti and aequalis inhaerentia Indebiti as touching the nature of Original sin in every man in respect of it one sinner is not a greater sinner then another 2. Yet the actual exercise of that sin may be more in one man then in another and hence it is that some sinners we call them lesser and others we call them greater By a great sinner I mean one who exceeds another very much in sinful wayes and guilt And one may be called a great a very great sinner in four respects nevertheless they have not hindered conversion One may be called a great sinner in four respects 1. One may be called a very great sinner whose single sin is of an amazing quality such as not only Scripture condemns but When a single sin is of â—n amazing quality even nature shrinks at it as Incest and Sodomy there is a kind of reluctancy and abhorrency in nature against those and the very Heathens start at them Yet God hath converted some men guilty of these sins The incestuous Corinthian whom Paul would have delivered to Satan was wrought upon and converted and repented and 1 Cor. 6. 9. Some of them who were abusers of themselves with mankind v. 11. Were yet washed and sanctifyed and justifyed 2. One may be called a very great sinner whose kinds of sinning are very many and all of them exceedingly Whose kinds of sinning are very many and provoking provoking When they are as a volly of poysoned arrowes all of them levelled at and shot into the very face of God every one of them like Saul is higher by the head then other sins which in comparison are of a lower stature Such a great sinner was Manasses he was one of the highest Idolaters that ever we read of and a witch and dealt with the Devil and offered some of his children to the Devil 2 Chron. 33. 3 4 6. and shed much innocent bloud Yet this notorious sinner at length humbled himself greatly and was converted See vers 12 13. 3. One may be called a very great sinner Who hath continued a long time in a course of great sins who hath continued a long time in the course and practise of great sins perhaps twenty forty fifty years Abraham continued a long time in his Idolatry and at length was called and converted The Ephesians walked according to the course of this world and had their conversation in times past in the lusts of the flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind Chap. 2. vers 2 3. yet at length were quickned and converted vers 5. 4. One may be called a great Whose sins are â—reatly circumstanced sinner whose sinnings are very greatly circumstanced Circumstances you know give a very great accent unto moral actions Quest But how may it appear that a very great sinner may Demonstrations it be converted Sol. There are four Reasons of it or Demonstrations for it 1. Because some great sinners belong to the Election of Gods Grace Paul was as you have seen a very Some great sinners belong to the Electioâ— of Grace great sinner yet saith God of him Act. 9. 15. He is a chosen vessel unto me There are two things amongst many other which belong to the Divine Election 1. It is a free Act and if I may use the word without offence an Independent Act raised only from the good pleasure of the Divine Will and not from the condition of the Object Rom. 9. 15. I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion Vers 16. It is not of him that willeth nor of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy If God will choose foolish things and base things c. 1 Cor. 1. 27 28. 2. It is an infallible Decree I mean such a Decree which God will certainly fulfil In Election God doth decree or ordain a person unto salvation and this person God will certainly bring unto salvation by those means which he hath appointed for that purpose And therefore if a great sinner be within the compass of Gods Election him in time will God convert Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordained to eternal life believed 2. Because the Conversion of a Sinner is an omnipotent work It belongs to God to whom nothing is too hard he can pardon The conversion of a sinner is an omnipotent work great sins as well as little and convert great sinners as well as ordinary sinners There is as much power put forth to convert a sinner as there was to make a world yea and more For in Creation there was nothing in the Subject created to resist and withstand but when a Sinner is to be converted there is an exceeding great resistance such a resistance as is able to put by all the strength and power of a moral Agent No created and finite power can convert a sinner An infinite power is required and if that be put forth the stoutest and strongest sinner must and doth yield If the Sun riseth then the thickest darkness flees away and vanisheth If Christ speaks the word then Lazarus who had been dead four dayes lives again Steven preaches and not only Paul slights his Sermon but consents also to his death But when Jesus Christ spake only a few words unto him Paul now quakes and trembles and yields Lord what wilt thou have me to do 3. Because the Lord God hath the absolute dominion over the God hath the absolute dominion over the heart heart he can dispose fashion alter turn it as he
convert thee this should move thee to seek him perhaps he will not this may affright thee to stand out any longer against him Therefore to be bold in sin because God can and sometimes doth convert a great sinner may move thee rather to conclude he will not he intends not to convert thee than that he doth When Divine Goodness is made encourageable to sin against that Goodness when it is not a melting Sun but an hardning Sun it is a presage rather of a mans subversion than of his conversion 3. Though God can and doth sometimes convert a great sinner yet usually the greater sinner comes off with the sharper conversion The great Malefactor sometimes hath his Book and his Life too but he is burned in the Hand and in the Shoulder Paul was a great sinner and was converted but his great sins which were a troubling to Christ did prove a trembling to his heart God puts such a sinner upon the Rack he strikes and wounds him that all the Countrey shall hear of the troubles which his Conscience feels for his sinnings against God God doth as it were singe him with the flames of Hell before he meets him with the kisses of Heaven 4. Most usually those great and notorious sinners whom God converts are such who have thus sinned under their ignorance I was a blasphemer c. saith Paul but I did obtain mercy for I did it ignorantly and through misbelief He did not know what he did he thought he had been in the right You seldome read of one knowing Pharisee who persecuted Christ that was converted yet you read of many of the Jews and of the Elders that were converted for they did not know Jesus Christ to be the Lord of Glory I will not say that no knowingly notorious sinner shall ever be converted but certainly Conversion is very rare where Knowledge holds the Candle to long and great works of Darkness Those sinners who go on against the workings of an enlightning Spirit fall very rarely within the favour of the converting Spirit Therefore let no man gather poyson from this honey c. The last Use shall be a word of Direction to any great and notorious Vse 3. Direction to such converted sinners Take pains to be assured of pardon sinner whom God hath been pleased mightily and graciously to convert I would commend these Advisoes unto him 1. Let him take much pains to get his Acquittance fairly writ and sealed I mean to be well assured that his sins are pardoned Believe it no man shall find his title so questioned his heart so assaulted with often doubts and fears of pardon as one who hath been a great sinner The Provocations have been great and Conscience hath been boistrous and Satan can lay in shrewd exceptions c. 2. Let Conscience be exceeding tender O awake Keep conscience tenâ—er it not displease it not by new adventurings all the old wounds will bleed afresh A little new sin committed will raise up the old ghosts it will revive the sense of all the old great sins which although they be pardoned yet thou wilt now think they are not A person who before his Conversion lived as if he had been in Hell should after his Conversion live as if he were in Heaven 〈◊〉 3. Love much and do much do some great thing Love much and do much for Gods Glory This my Son was dead and is alive again Alive again but how came this about what was the occasion of this Prodigals Conversion look back unto v. 15 16. he was brought so low as to feed Swine and would have been glad of the Husks but no man gave unto him and he is ready to perish with hunger and now returning thoughts came into his mind now he resolves to come back again unto his Fathers house Whence observe That great afflictions are sometimes an occasion of the Conversion of Doct. 4. Great afflictions are sometimes an occasion of great sinners conversion a great sinner There are two sorts of afflictions 1. Inward which set upon the conscience these are sometimes an occasion of Conversion A troubled conscience doth many times end in a renewed conscience troubles of heart are oftentimes closed with change of heart The great storms occasion the Traveller to come in for shelter The biting Serpents occasioned the Israelites to look to the brasen Serpent the avenger of blood made the guilty person to flye to the City of refuge and a condemning conscience oftentimes makes a poor troubled Soul to come in unto Jesus Christ for ease and rest 2. Outward which light upon the body and estate of a sinner these also sometimes serve to fetch in a sinner as he once said periissem nisi periissem I had perished unless I had perished Josephs brethren had never found Joseph and craved food of him unless a famine had befallen them If God had not deprived some men of their wordly goods they had never come in to seek heavenly Treasures We may say of them that if they had been fed they had been famished and if they had not been famished they had never been fed with the bread of life Again these outward afflictions may be considered two wayes either 1. Simply and nakedly in themselves so they cannot convert any sinner no more then the pool of Bethesda alone could heale a diseased Person or Elijahs salt could heal the Waters 2. Concomitantly as accompanied with and sanctifyed by Gods Spirit It is not the hammer but the fire which softens the iron It was not the Water but the Angel that stirred the water which made the water medicinal It is not the Rope but the strength of the hand upon the Rope which draws in the Boâ—t Afflictions in themselves are privations of a comfortable good but if God sanctifies them they may then be a means of our everlasting good God can use them as a bridle not only to stop us running out of the way but also to turn us into the right way Hos 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness By alluring he means a gracious and effectual perswasion a prevailing even to Conversion but then he will bring her into the wilderness God brings men into the Wilderness into a barren desolate miserable condition and then allures or converts them Manasses was a great sinner and yet God humbled him greatly and as it is thought converted him but what means did he use for this See 2 Chro. 33. 11. The Lord brought upon him the captains of the host of the King of Assyria who took Manasseh among the Thorns and bound him with fetters and carryed him to Babylon v. 12. And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly Nebuchadnezzar was a proud and lofty sinner and therefore God puld him down he did drive him from men and he did eat Grass as Oxen and his body was wet with the Dew of Heaven
and having thus abased him he wrought upon him to acknowledg and praise the true God Dan. 4. 33 34. Quest How may it appear that c. Sol. There are four How this may appear Afflictions sanctifyed are the souls Looking Glasses things attending upon sanctifyed afflictions and all of them contribute to Conversion 1. Afflictions sanctifyed are the souls Looking-Glass wherein a man may see his sins which are the causes of afflictions there are divers Glasses in which we may see the face of our sins 1. The Glass of the Word 2. The Glass of Reproof 3. The Glass of Conscience 4. The Glass of Afflictions Affliction is a Glass wherein a person first sees his own sins Ocules quam culpa claudit pena aperit We were verily guilty of the blood of our brother said Joseph's Brethren and as I have served others so the Lord hath served me said Adonibezeck 2. Sees them as sinners In prosperity we see the pleasures of sin but in adversity the bitterness of sin in the one we see them as our friends in the other as our enemies An evil and bitter thing that we have forsaken the Lord so Jeremiah speaketh 3. Sees them with a serious look sees them and thinks of them sees them and layes them to heart Thy wickedness hath procured these things unto thee Now when a person is brought to a right sight of sin to see his own sins and as sins and seriously considers of them this is a way tending to his Conversion I considered my wayes said David and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 2. Afflictions sanctifyed work much upon the Conscience they are the rods of God upon the Soul they are the Waters of They work much upon the conscience Marah bitter Waters and they stir up conscience to speak bitter words unto us These were thy wayes and these were thy doings thou wouldst not be warned thou wouldst not hearken and now see whither thy sins do tend now see into what straits they have brought thee now thou wilt believe that God is displeased with thee When conscience is stirred when the burden of afflictions turn into the burden of conscience two things ordinarily ensue thereupon 1. A mans carnal security is broken The man thought himself safe and secure before but now he sees his condition to be very sad unsound unsafe and miserable not only my goods are gone but my God also is gone 2. The heart comes to be humbled O A working conscience a smiting conscience is the Hammer of God by which he breaks and bows the soul Afflictions now stir up the Gall and the Wormwood and the soul is humbled by them and when the soul is brought to see sin and to consider of sin and to be humbled for sin it is now in a fair way of Conversion 3. Afflictions if sanctifyed are gales to Prayer Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a Prayer when They are gales to Prayer thy chastening was upon them Isai 26. 10. In their afflictions they will seek me early Hosea 5. It is almost natural for an afflicted man to pray and afflictions put an edge of zeal on Prayer we are seldome more frequent and more fervent in that duty then in the times of our distress But then observe that as afflictions are apt to quicken prayer so if they have occasioned a sense and trouble in the heart for sin Then 1. Vsually they stir up Prayer for pardon of sin and for conversion from sin Blot out my transgressions praies afflicted David Turn thou me and I shall be turned praies distressed Ephraim Jer. 31. 18 These are the two great desires of a distressed soul 2. Usually God hears these Prayers The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Ps 51. 17. A poor sinner cannot put up a more acceptable request unto God then this Lord I beseech thee change and turn my heart subdue mine iniquities let not sin have dominion over me I beseech thee suffer me not to dishonour thee any more So that now you see that afflictions have brought the Soul and God together the afflicted Person sees a need of Mercy and Grace and unto God he applies himself who is the only Author of a sinners Conversion the only Physician of a sinful soul 4. Afflictions if sanctifyed incline us unto converting Ordinances They incline us to conveâ—ting ordinances You shall observe that men under their afflictions are 1. More willing to hear 2. More attentive in hearing 3. More tractable and pliable .i. more easie to be wrought upon in hearing When a man is chastned with pain and his flesh consumed away and his soul draws near to the Grave then he will make use of a Messenger of an Interpreter of one among a thousand to shew unto him his uprightness Job 33. 19. to 23. Oh what a Divine influence and authority hath the Word over such a man he can be content to have his sins ript open and he can hear and weep Oh a sinner and he longs to hear of some word of hope and when he hears it Oh how good is God! and he catcheth greedily at the word of direction and when he hears it Oh when shall I be this when shall I do this Lord give grace give strength unto thy poor servant the man in his prosperity would not know the Lord nor hearken to him he was above counsel and instruction but now his ear is opened to discipline and instruction is sealed unto him Job 33. 16. Now it is Lord that which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34. 32. The first Use shall be for Trial of our selves what the fruit of Vse Trial what the fruit of our affliction is all our afflictions is I think there is no man almost in all the Kingdome but God hath of late some way or other afflicted him Many have lost all their estates not an House is left to them nor Land nor a Rag to their backs many have lost their Husbands or their Children in the War many have lost some of their Family with the Plague lately who hath not been some way or other afflicted Now consider 1. It is the saddest affliction It is the saddest afflâ—ction not to be bittered by affliction to be no way bettered by afflictions No misery like that to love the sins and continue still in the sins which brought our misery Oh to be as far from our friends as before and as far from our God as before to be thrust out of an earthly possession and not yet to get an heavenly inheritance to lose our Lands and not yet to get Christ to have no home to go to here nor any home to go unto hereafter to lose our estates and keep our sins to lose the world and to lose the soul too to lose all our comforts and yet
changed into another love into hatred and hatred into love joy into grief boldness into fear Lately the desires were who will shew us any good now the desires are what shall we do to be saved Lately the delights were iâ— sin in sensualities in vain societies now they are in the favour of God in Jesus Christ in pardon of sin in heavenly communion Lately the love was set on that which was most unlovely now it is set on the most lovely object indeed Christ is the center c. Lately the grief was a turbulent Sea for worldly losses but now it is a running River for sinning against God Lately the affections were wings for iniquity but now they are springs for duty I may not inlarge by what you have heard it may plainly appear Dâ—monstrations of a notable change in Conversion From the person converted From the work of Conversion that true Conversion works an universal change in the sinner Demonstrations that there is a notable change in Conversion 1. The person converted he is made pertaker of the Divine Nature 1 Pet. 1. 4. He is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 7. He is quickned from the dead Eph. 2. 1. He is born again Jo. 3. 3. 2. The work of Conversion It is the effect of the great and good will of Election and in it God displayes the glory of his great Love and Grace and Mercy And Christ sees of the travel of his soul some special fruit of his wonderful sufferings and purchases And the holy Ghost doth manifest his almighty Poâ—er and the noblest act thereof and converting grace is a new contrary nature a new man 3. The end of Conversion Conversion is the first From the end of Conversion inward work for heavenly glory It is wrought to make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Naturally we are opposite to God and to all Communion with him Without holiness no man shall see the Lord no unclean thing can enter there sinning Angels were cast out of Heaven God qualifies those whom he will dignifie he qualifyed Saul for an earthly Kingdome much more the sinner for an heavenly Kingdome Heavenly glory is absolutely inconsistent with a graceless heart the promise of it is so and the nature of it is so and the work of it is so and the reward of it is so 4. Converted persons are to live other lives and to do other works therefore there must be a change of their Converted persons must live oâ—her lives Vse 1. This convinceâ—h many to be yet unconverted Such in whom appears no change at all Forms and Principles and Powers Is true Conversion a change a great change an internal and cordial change an universal change Why then this one truth palpably convinceth multitudes of people to be as yet not converted 1. There are some men in whom there appears no change at all neither inward nor outward the Leopards spots remain and the Blackmores skin is unchanged they were ignorant and so are still they were drunkards swearers railers scoffers mockers of godliness and godly men Sabbath-breakers unclean proud and so are still The Prophet speaks of some whose scum departed not from them Ezek. 24. 12. And the Apostle of some who cannot cease to do evil 2 Pet. 2. 14. And David of some who hate to be reformed Psal 50. 16. And Steven of some who alwayes resist the holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. And Paul of some who wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. Although changes go over their age they were young and now are old yet no change goes over their hearts and lives although changes go over their bodies their strength is changed into weakness and their health is changed into sickness although changes go over their estates their wealth is changed into poverty and their abundance is changed into want although changes go over the times peace is changed into war and safety is changed into danger nay although sometimes changes goe over their consciences Stupidity is changed into horrour and pleasure into terrour yet their hearts are not changed they approve love and delight in their sins as much as ever and their Conversations are not changed they drive the same trade run on to the same excess of Riotousness wallow in the same mire of Ungodliness despise converting Ordinances converted Persons converting Graces Now what shall I say to these Persons They are unchanged sinners and so is God an unchangeable God who hath threatned them and swore his Wrath against them Thou wilt not repent of thy sins nor will God repeâ—t of his Wrath thou wilt not turn to him and therefore will he turn away his mercy from thee and will overturn overturn overturn thee as the Prophet phraseth it 2. There are some whose change is only outward but it is Such whose Change is only outward not inward not inward and cordial they stand off from many sins and come on to many duties and yet their hearts are not changed There are six things which may convince a man that his heart is not changed 1. When a man seems to be tender least he should Six things convince a man his Heart is not changed commit a sin but yet his heart was never tender and humbled for all the sins which he hath committed Jer. 31. 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth If Repentance begins not in tears it will end in tears When I look forward and see sin with a trembling eye O I dare not offend my God and when I look backward and see sin with a mournful eye O I have sinned I have sinned these indeed do shew a converted and changed heart But I fear it is rather a policy then a change and a regard more to my credit then my conscience when I expostulate with a sin in Temptation and never mourn for many sins in Commission 2. When a man leaves many sins but yet he doth not loath any sin Many a man sometimes abstains from meat yet loves it but a good heart abstains from sin as from a serpent which he hates He turnes his face from them but he turnes not his heart from them he doth not act the sin nor doth hate the sin he doth not let 〈◊〉 out of door nor yet crucify it within door he seems not to be a friend and yet is not an enemy to sin this mans heart is not changed 3. When a man acts from an awing Conscience and not from a renewing Spirit flies from sin only when conscience flies upon him for sinning and doth good only when conscience is unquiet when not Grace which works uniformly but terour which works accidentally is his Principle though a while there be some diversity and diversion too in this man yet there is no change of heart in him even Pharaoh under a Judgment yielded who yet upon a respite hardned his heart again and Iron whiles hot
to another or from a present and sudden apprehension of matters or from the defect of strength or from judicial impressions by the appearing of death or from education or from respect to our superiours and friends and hopes which we have from them c. 2. If the heart should never graciously be changed If the heart be never changed the man is damned as sure as God lives the man will be damned though the man may have parts abilities honours be civil ingenuous candid and punctual with men and in-offensive in his dealings O friends the Heart or Soul is that which God looks on and every man is as his heart is as that is so the man is he is so for the present and he is so for eternity Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God said Christ to Nicodemus Joh. 3. 3. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 17. Old things are past away all things are become new Christ you know is the way the truth and the life Can the Christless man ever be a heavenly man assuredly no Christ no Heaven But then if a man be in Christ he is a new Creature .i. Christ doth change him and forms him a new he strips him of his old heart and puts into him a new heart These things being premised I now come to answer the Case The case answered propounded Only I must crave favour to acquaint you with two things One that I speak not of such a change as implies perfection but only of that which although it be true and saving is nevertheless imperfect for so is all the work of grace in this life Another is that I intend not to give you Characters of a progressive change which may be found in Christians whom God hath called and converted and changed for many years in whom the work of Conversion is come to much maturity and strength but only of an initial change as it stands in truth and sincerity although newly wrought and perhaps it be very feeble and weak yet it is to be found in every man whom Divine Grace doth convert Now this Initial change may be evidenced by the several contrary habitudes and fixed carriages in the converted The initial change evidenced by the several contraricties person as to time past and time present and time future in respect of all which you shall clearly discern a singular alteration if the Conversion be true 1. The first contrariety or alteration respects the time past As to the time past Before the sinner was converted there were four unhappy qualities possessing of him as touching his sinfulness 1. A marvellous blindness and reflexive unsensibleness of his sinful condition dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. Past feeling Eph. 4. 19. 2. A wonderful erroneousness and false judgment of his estate thinking highly and proudly of himself as once Laâ—dicea did and the Jews and Pharisees did We are Abrahams seed and never in bondage Joh. 8. 33. 3. A miserable security of spirit extreamly careless and negligent about the internal and eternal concernments of his soul alive once without the Law Rom. 7. 9. Soul take thine ease c. They say peace and safety 1 Thes 5. 3. 4. A remorseless pursuing of his sinful lusts without any heart-smiting troubles for his sinning and provoking of God No man repented saying What have I done every one turned to his course Jer. 8. 6. 5. Alienation from the life of God Eph. 4. 18. Thus it was with the man before God converted him and changed him but now behold the alteration and contrariety 1. There is a graciously quick and active quickning light fallen into him which opens his eyes and affects his conscience to a clear and right sight of his sinful heart and life Rom. 7. 9. But when the Commandment came sin revived c. As if the light of the Sun brake into a darkroom and represented all the nastiness in it Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God His sins are set before him and conscience acquaints him with his forepast evils so that he is convinced and can make no defence but cries out with the Leper I am unclean unclean 2. All his erroneous and proud conceits of himself are tumbled down the Mountains are laid low and the man judgeth of himself as if he were the greatest and vilest sinner that ever lived he abhors himself Oh how wicked Oh how vain Oh how vile Oh how mad Oh how foolish Oh how beastly I have been a transgressor from the womb I have lived without God against God none so ignorant none so proud none so filthy none so froward and rebellious against the Will of God against the goodness of God as I In me there dwelleth no good thing I am without strength No man living hath such proper thoughts such humble thoughts of himself as he Oh unfit to dye unworthy to live undone if mercy be not free mercy and abundant mercy 3. His Castle of security is demolished and the secure negligent man becomes now a most anxious and solicitous and careful man about the condition of his soul 2 Cor. 7. 11. What carefulness it wrought in you this now takes him up What shall we do say they to John the Baptist And what shall we do say they to Peter And what shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. O my Soul my poor lost wandring sinful undone Soul what shall I do what will become of me and what will become of thee for all these sins And now the man inquires and hears and confers and prayes as for his life Oh saith he I need mercy and mercy I must have I need Christ and Christ I must have I need grace and grace I must have and as that impotent person lay at the Pool for cure so doth this converted sinner he lyes at the pool of the word and at the gates of heaven day and night and there he cries out God be merciful to me a sinner and there he wrestles with God as Jacob once I will not let thee go unless thou bless me until thou be reconciled until I have Christ until my heart be sanctifyed 4. His hardned remorselesness is now turned into a singular brokenness and grief of spirit the Rock is smitten and the waters gush out a Fountain is opened within him He who made but a sport of sinning before he who could grasp the nettles and tread on hell and vex mercy and shoot through the heart of Christ and not be moved or troubled at all Oh now how is the man altered I see him trembling and quaking with Paul I see him bitterly weeping with Peter I see him washing his Couch with David I see him in heaviness and bitterness for his sinnings as one for his first born One while he meditates and then weeps
delight in him Plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me said Bernard 4. When the Lord converts and changeth a person the man presently Steps into the path of new Obedience when Grace hath changed the Heart the Heart instantly changeth its Master and its service O it will not live as it hath done for a thousand Worlds It is a servant of sin no more but a servant of righteousness look on any converted man since the Word began as soon as ever Grace dropt into his Heart a newness of Obedience dropt into his Life against all Ease Pleasures Profits Encouragements Discouragements Threats Dangers It was so with Abraham with Paul with all those thousands in the Acts with all those Ephesians And indeed it cannot be otherwise forasmâ—ch as all their external course is but the pulse of the Heart The Pondus of the will is changed it is at the command of the Heart which being brought into God the services of the heart are also brought in with it O that you would peruse your selves in this second Tryal what present contratiety you find in your Hearts It is a very neer Tryal and a most Infallible discovery of the truth or falshood or your Change 3. The last Contrariety or Change which I shall but touch As to the time future respects the time Future there are five admirable Properties for the time future which may be found in every truly Changed and Converted person 1. He is very tender and fearful least he should sin against his God Keep thy servant from presum ptuous sins cleanse thou me from secret faults Psal 19. 12 13. Should we again break thy Commandments said Exâ—a c. 9. 14. How can I do this Great wickedness and sin against God! said Joseph Gen. 39. 9. There is in a Changed and Converted man 1. A tender Jealousy over a Deceitful heart 2. a tender Watchfulness against Alluring temptations 3. a tender Conscience which feels the first Risings of sin 4. a tender Dissidence of his Own strength 5. a tender Fear and aweful Regard of Gods Presence and Goodness He is afraid to sin although the sin be Secret and although it be Commodious and although it be Pleasant I will but name the rest 2. He is very Zealous and Active for God Paul even besides himself 3. He is very Faithful and Constant unto God 4. He is very Serious and Industrious to get assurance of Gods love and of his inheritance in the highest heavens Give all diligence c. 2 Pet. 1. 10. 5. He strives for the Conversion and change of others The next Use must be of Comfort and Support to all such who find this change wrought in their hearts by converting Grace Use 2. There are four Adjuncts which make this Converting change Comfort to those who are changed unspeakably Comfortable and Joyous 1. Next to Christ it is the choicest and chiefest gift that the heart of man is capable of in this life The gifts of God are of several Orders and several Next to Christ it is the choicest gift the heart is capable of Natures uses and ends some are in order to a natural preservation as food and raiment and Health Some are in order to an extrinsecal condition or State of Life as Honours and civil Authority Some are in order to private society and relation as Wife and Husband and Children Some are in order to secular converse as Father and Friends politick wisdome and parts c. These are all of them good in their kind but as it is said of diverse Captaines belonging to David although they did great matters yet they attained not to the acts of the three first Worthies So none of these rise or mount either to that intrinsecal Dignity or to that supernatural and ultimate End which the change by Grace doth The least drop of Grace is more then all the Ocean of the World The Apostle Paul saith it is a change from Glory to Glory the work is a work of Glory and the man becomes glorious who is a converted man S. Peter saith He is now made partaker of the Divine Nature The excellencies of God are stamped on thy soul the Sun is now risen within thee as the Glory of God filled the Temple so when a man is converted the beams of grace do fill his soul thou art precious the filthy rags are taken away 2. It is an evidence of great love and rich mercy Eph. 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he It is an evidence of great love loved us when we were dead hath quickned us c. It is a testimony of the greatest love as it is of the greatest hatred in God to be left to our sinful lusts and wayes 3. Converting grace it is the first visible and sure characteristical It is the first visible distinction betwixt hell and heaven distinction twixt Hell and Heaven twixt Death and Life twixt a Goat and a Sheep twixt a wicked condition and a Godly condition There is a twofold distinction of persons touching their everlasting estates One is in decreto which lies in the brest and counsel of God the other is in decreto which is to be found in the heart of man Now quoad nos quantum ad objectum Converting grace makes the difference it shews who is loved and who is hated it shews who is for Heaven and who is for Hell It is not honour nor wealth nor strength nor parts nor civility nor meanness nor poverty nor education nor knowledg nor trouble of conscience nor restraint nor profession nor external action which is the partition wall which divides and decides the state for the present and future If Ministers or Angels should assure thee of an interest in Christ and of remission of thy sins and of future happiness while yet thy heart is unconverted they do certainly delude and deceive thee for if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature But if God hath converted and changed thy heart thou art assuredly past from death to life thou art among the first born of God No sorts of wicked men are in this changed and converted condition no prophane person no hypocritical person as soon as any is converted it may be said of him as Christ of Zacheus This day is salvation come to him for as much as he also is a child of Abraham 4. It never goes alone it is alwayes accompanied with justification It never goes alone pardon interest in Christ reconciliation with God Jesus was sent to bless them in turning them away from their iniquities Acts 3. 26. Be converted that your sins may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. Come now and let us reason together Isai 55. 7. 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctifyed but ye are justifyed c. It is the most comfortable condition 5. It is the most comfortable and joyful condition for now there is
in Adversity as in Prosperity Hab. 3. 17. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome c. yet I will rejoyce in the Lord c. Rom. 5. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation c. 1 Sam. 29. 6 the people spake of stoning him but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ c. If even in afflictions I can go unto the same armes of Christ and unto the same brests of divine Love and into the same chamber of Presence if I can look upon God as my God and see him to be my Father that I can make known my heart to him and he can make known his favour to me what should hinder me now to be joyful who still do enjoy him who alone makes all my joy Another is the Testimony of Conscience This is the Friend in adversity This is our rejoycing even the testimony of our Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. Conscience is a mans night or day his Hell or Heaven his Palace of delight or Jail of bitterness If Conscience be sanctified or pacified it can speak a peace or joy that none can crush none can hinder but under the greatest afflictions and persecutions a converted man may and doth enjoy the testimony of a good Conscience Thou art upright saith Conscience to Hezekiah on his sick-bed Thou fearest God saith Conscience to Job under the loss of all Thou lovest Christ saith Conscience to Paul even in the Prison Object 2. Now to the second Objection That converting But conversion brings us into a narrow path it is an enemy to many delights Grace brings the person into a narrow path and under the strictest rules even such as condemn a multitude of joys and delights how can that condition be so joyfull which denies and abridgeth c Sol. To this I answer 1. It is granted That converting Grace brings the person into Answered There is a strictness required a very narrow path and under very strict rules A converted man must not walk as other men he must not allow himself to think and desire and love and speak and act as formerly He must fear to sin he must love the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might he must order his steps by the Word of God he must deny himself and crucifie his dearest lusts and not shun the hardest duty nor delight in the least iniquity 2. But then This strictness is no adversary to his true joy In This strictness is no adversary to true joy keeping of thy commandments there is great reward saith David Psal 19. 11. Great peace have they who love thy law Psal 119. 165. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy upon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. I beseech you to consider four things 1. Let thine own Conscience judge whether it be not a more comfortable course to obey God then to disobey God to have grace to serve God acceptably then to have an heart still free and ready to dishonour and provoke God Who hath most true comfort the bones sound and in place or broken to walk on the Land or to be troubled at Sea the Child who runs away from his Father or the Child who waits upon his Father the Child that desires to please or the Child that continues to grieve and vex the wandring and famished Prodigal or the returning and embraced Son Hos 2. 7. I will return to my first Husband for then it was better with me then now 2. Rightly understand what it is strictly to walk with God It is an endeavour in your affections and duties to draw near to God in all well-pleasing and to answer the will of God The Christians course of obedience it is his daily communion with his God in this life When thou prayest what is Praying but a divine conference of the soul with God and when thou hearest what is this but a divine conference of God with the soul and when thou repentest what is that but a recovery and return of the soul to God and when thou believest what is that but the recumbency of the soul on the goodness of God and when thou receivest the Sacrament what is it but a communion a feasting with Jesus Christ If a strict walking be nothing but a divine and heavenly communion with God why doest thou how darest thou to judge of it as the onely Bar to shut out all joy and comfort Was there ever any affectionate Wife that thought it an injury to her Joy to speak with her Husband or to enjoy the society of her Husband Was there ever any faithfull Friend who thought it a misery a burthen to enjoy the society of his Friends to open his heart unto his Friend How then can it be a prejudice to any mans joy to enjoy communion with his God 3. Consult with experience which hath travelled in the strict ways of God either thine own experience if any which day of thy life hath been closed up with heartiest joy whether the day of licentiousness or the day of strictness That day which thou hast let out to thy lusts hath made the night a trembling to thee that day which thou hast redeemed for walking with God hath always given unto thee the sweetest rest and repose at night The experience of godly people have any of them ever found more soul rejoycing then when they have abounded in strictest obedience This is thy burthen but it is their delight the purest walking hath distilled the sweetest joy and their looser walking hath been the cause of their greatest sorrows It is with a strict Christian as with the Sun which still keeps to the Ecliptique Line and is of all the Stars the most glorious and comfortable when it is at the highest and the higher Sun the purer and warmer light And it is with the loose Christian as with the uneven foot the wry stepping is the cause of unjoynting or pinching and paining 4. The strict walking what is it but a path to everlasting life every step of it is a step to heaven Strait is the gate which leads unto life saith Christ There is an easie way for men to walk in but that 's the way to hell and what comfort is it after all to go to hell to go to hell with ease There is a strict way for men to walk in but it is the way to life to eternal life Now even that alone is sufficient to create joy that these steps after a while will bring me to appear before the God of Gods in Sion and truly there is no end whatsoever the which if it be in it self amiable and comfortable but it darts also an amiableness and comfortableness upon all the steps and paths which tend unto it 3. Lastly Converting Grace doth not condemn or deny any lawfull Converting grace denies not any lawfull joy
joy and comfort It doth onely two things 1. It absolutely condemns and abridgeth the soul of man of all sinfull joys of joys and delights which arise from his sinfull lusts and ways and is it not the great goodness of God to deny us leave to drink cups of poison and glasses of hell Or is it possible that any Christian should to thee that sin should be thy delight which is a departing of the poor soul from God which is an incensing of the wrath of God which was such a dreadfull burthen to Jesus Christ which puts the soul under the wrath and curse of God one act whereof must cost more then all the world is worth to pardon it 2. It doth onely order our outward lawfull joys and delights for the seasons for the measures for other circumstances so that they may be our sauce not our food our helps to Godliness not damps thereto It is but the Bridle on the Horse the Pale for the Garden the Finger on the Dial. Conversion abridgeth us of no delight but of that which to want is a true delight and so orders the rest that you may not lose delight Conversion makes us mournful for sin and how can it be so joyfull Answered True grace makes the heart more mournfâ—ll Object 3. Conversion breeds the quickest sense of sin and the deepest mourning for sin yea a continual mourning for sin makes the clouds to drop never mournfull till converted and can that condition be so joyfull which makes the heart so mournfull To this I answer 1. It is certain that true grace 1. doth make the clearest discovery of sin 2. It yields the tenderest sense of sin for it takes away the heart of stone and gives an heart of flesh and nothing makes the heart more mournfull then true grace 2. But then know that mourning for sin and joy in the heart are no way inconsistent Isai 12. 3. With joy shall ye draw water But this is not inconsistent with joy out of the wells of salvation Three things I would grant 1. That love of sin and true joy are inconsistent 2. Worldly sorrow and spiritual joy are inconsistent 3. That terrour for sin and joy of heart are inconsistent Legal terrour and Evangelical joy are so but Evangelical sorrow and Evangelical joy are not so for as one grace is consistent with another grace so one heavenly affection is consistent with another heavenly affection And there are three things which to me fully convince That Evangelical mourning is consistent with Spiritual joy One is That such a mourning is but a drop out of the eye of faith They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and mourn Zach. 12. 10. and certainly nothing comes from faith but what is comfortable all is Gospel that Faith trades in Another is That the mourning heart is a renewed heart and verily the gracious heart is a joyous heart The third is That the mourning sinner is a pardoned sinner Cum intueor flentem sentis ignoscibilem if the fountain of sorrow be set open in the heart the fountain of mercy is set open in heaven Zach. 12. 10. compared with chap. 13. 1. Yea let me add to this also three experiences 1. One is this That the Christian is never more sad and mournfull then when he feels his heart least mournfull He is then cast down O saith he into what a condition am I brought I was wont to find a tender sensible mourning spirit but me thinks now my heart is grown hard again O Lord why am I now hardened from thy fear And the man never gives over with God and himself until tenderness be renewed in his heart again 2. That the Christian is never more joyfull then when he is most mournfull Blessed are they that sow besides all Waters saith the Prophet Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted saith Christ They that sow in tears shall reap in joy saith David Godly sorrow is the Water that is turned into Wine One drop of a guilty Conscience is able to turn all our Joyes into Bitterness and one drop of godly sorrow is able to turn all our bitterness into joy I rejoyce saith Paul that I made you sorry what cause then had they to rejoyce who were sorry sorry after a godly sort sorry with a sorrow that bred repentance unto salvation never to be repented of 3. That the Christian is never more mournful then when he is most joyful The time of a Christians highest joy is the time of his greatest assurance Sealing and assuring times are the soul-raising and reviving times And the times of greatest assurance are the times of our greatest mournings The more manifestation of Gods Love and the more assurance of Gods Mercy do ever cause in the heart more Humility and more sorrow here is now the greatest joy for mercy and here is now the greatest mourning for sinning against mercy Object 4. We see no persons to walk more sadly and more uncomfortably I but no persons walk more sadly then converted persons Answered It is a False Charge then at least many do who are converted persons Ergo. To this give me favour to answer more fully 1. This is a False Charge and a very unjust Calâ—mny take the divisions of the sons of men according to the diversity of their spiritual conditions compare men with men according unto them and I dare confidently affirm That no condition is more dreadfully sad then the condition of men Unconverted and no condition is more comfortably cheerful then the condition of men truly Converted let 's a while peruse the phrases and instances of such Me thinks the terrible passages in Scripture may abundantly convince us of the dreadfulness of an Unconverted and wicked person Isa 57. 20. The wicked are like the raging sea that cannot rest whose waters cast up mire and dirt ver 21. There is no peace saith my God to the wicked Job 20. 16 17 23 24 25. there Zophar sets him out He shall suck the gall of Asps and the Vipers tongue shall slay him He shall not see the Rivers nor the floods and streams of Honey and Butter When he is about to fill his belly God shall send upon him the fierceness of his wrath and shall cause it to rain upon him The bow of Steel shall strike him through the glistring sword cometh out of his gall terrors are upon him Psal 11. 6. Vpon the wicked he shall rain snares fire and brimstone and an horrible tempest this shalt be the portion of their cup. Again did you ever read of any one godly and converted person who fell into that horrible despair as Cain or Judas did But take the hardest agonies incident to true converts they are 1. rather fears then horrours 2. rather doubts then despairs 3. effects of a mistaking Conscience then a rightly condemning Conscience 4. They can look towards the Promises as Jonah did in the deeps towards God 5.
departed Sinfull Lost his Excellencies man doth not know what is become of created man yea he hath lost these so long that he knows not whether ever he had any of them or no whether he ever had such an eye or Lamp of exquisite knowledge whether he ever had such a vesture of righteousness whether he ever had such a stock of ability and sufficiency for Obedience As he once could not find Rome in Rome nor they know Jezabel to have been Jezabel just so is it with a poor sinner He once was a child of Light a son of Obedience he was created holy and righteous But what is become of all his created stock But man dieth and man giveth up the ghost and where is he Job 14. 10. So here man hath sinned and man hath lost all his excellencies and where is he Adam where art thou said God A sad question Where art thou An hour since Adam was Adam but upon his sinning Adam where is Adam Where is righteous Adam Where is Adam who had power to believe to love to obey all my will Where is he and where is all this All is lost 5. He hath lost his way his way home Every sinfull man is Lost his way a wandring Meteor a very Planet on earth he is gone from the fold as a silly sheep he is gone from his Fathers house as a silly Child he is gone out of the right path like a silly Traveller in the Wilderness Sin puts us into a Maze into a Labyrinth we go from one sin to another sin out of one by-path into another by-path and the further we go in sinfull paths the more still we go out of the way But the right path which leads back to our God O the sinner hath not an eye to see it and when he hath light to see it yet he hath not an heart to turn unto it nor feet to walk in it Rom. 3. 12. They are all gone out of the way v. 17. The way of peace they have not known Psal 95. 10. It is a people that do err in their hearts and they have not known my ways The lost sinner hath an erring mind and an erring heart and erring affections There is but one way to come back to God which is by Christ I am the way c. but the lost sinner knows not Christ nor the way unto Christ 6. He hath lost his Ability He who once had power to fall Lost his ability being fallen hath now no power to rise any more a self-deliverance is as impossible as a self-creation It must be light which finds that which is lost but sinfull man is darkness it must be strength which raiseth up one who is fallen but lost man is less than weakness He who loseth himself by sin must come back again by grace but the natural man hath no grace no not a desire of it no not a thought of it no nothing of all of it What Sin casts down Faith must set up but the unconverted man doth not nay cannot believe of himself he cannot As all our powers were at first in Adams hands so all our powers now are in Christs hands 7. The sinner is also lost in respect of his Title and Plea and Lost in respect of his liberty in respect of his Liberty and Freedome so that now every sinner is a very slave and bondman Obj. But how comes man to be How man comes to be lost a lost man I answer Man came to be a lost sinner First By Temptation The Devil lost his own happiness and by his cunning seducements Man lost his happiness too Four things he By temptation used for this 1. He raised a suspition and jealousie in our hearts of God 2. Then a dislike of our present condition 3. Then an affectation of an higher condition 4. A false perswasion of Gods threatning Secondly By his own will And there were besides our original Liberty ad utrumlibet four principal sins which By his own will brought us into our Lostness 1. Pride 2. Vnbelief 3. Presumption 4. Discontentment Object But how may a man know that he is as yet in a lost condition How a man may know that he is lost Sol. This may be resolved by these Queries 1. Where is thy Home 2. What is thy way 3. When didst thou return 1. Every lost man is a man afar off In longum abiit he is gone Every lost man is afar off far from home from his Father When the Prodigal was lost where was he then The Text saith That he was gone into a far Countrey When the Ephesians were lost where were they Afar off Ephes 2. 17. When the Israelites were lost where were they They are gone away far from me Jer. 2. 5. A natural man is far from God take me right you can never find God and a wicked man together his nature is far from God and his thoughts are far from God and his affections are far from God O he cannot endure the presence of God he cannot endure Holiness he cannot endure holy Ordinances nor holy Services nor holy Admonitions nor holy Reproofs nor any holy Communion the further he is from these the better doth he think his condition to be A man is never at home till he hath a God and till he stands in Gods presence and till he hath communion with his God But the natural man c. 2. Every lost man is in a false way in Every lost man is in a false way a by-way his ways are sinfull ways The lost man he is out of the common and known Road he is in the Woods in the Ditches in the Deserts in the Fields and he goes from one strange place to another strange place O man whilest thou walkest after thy sins whilest thou runnest from sin to sin whiles thy way and course of Life is in the fulfilling and following of thy Lusts assuredly thou art a lost man 3. Didst thou ever yet return to He is lost who doth not return God If not then as yet thou art in a lost condition O consider this consider it seriously When didst thou return How didst thou return Wherein didst thou return back unto thy God Is not he lost who is still losing of himself who still goes on in his Wilderness And this thou doest where thou wast twenty years ago there thou art still That a lost sinner may be found This my son was lost and is found In Scripture there is a two-fold finding 1. We are Doct. 2. A lost sinner may be found said to find God Seek the Lord while he may be found Isa 55. 6. I found him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. 4. 2. God is said to find us Now God finds a sinner two ways 1. Judicially and in wrath ad evertendum 2. Graciously and in mercy ad convertendum Here three Questions offer themselves to be discussed Quest 1. Who is it