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
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
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
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
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
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
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
or Instrument of the Divine spirit for much good unto believing souls Among the rest it hath a singular virtue to breed assurance of Gods love and therefore it is called a Seal in Ro. 4. 11. In it Christ Jesus in whom God is reconciled is most distinctly represented in his Passion as making peace by his blood for our souls In it the same Christ Jesus is particularly offered and applyed unto us with all the benefits and efficacies of his person Take eat this is my body which was given for you 1 Cor. 11. 24. As if God should say As surely as I give thee this bread and wine so I give thee my Son and the purchase of his death even reconciliation and pardon and mercy A believing celebration of the Sacrament is a most admirable means to remove our doubts and to establish our hearts with an Fervent and patient Prayer assurance that God is reconciled unto us 3. Fervent and patient Prayer prizing the favour of God as David did Psal 63. 3. Hungring and thirsting after it as he hid Psal 106. 4 5. And thus continuing to seek with diligence being withall tenderly careful in our hearts and wayes to please the Lord we shall have the desires of our Souls crowned with the testimonies of his love here and with the full glory of his face and favour hereafter Luke 15. 21 22 23. 21. And the Son said unto him Father I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight and am no more worthy to be called thy Son 22. But the Father said to his servants Bring forth the best Robe and put it on him and put a Ring on his hand and Shoes on his feet 23. And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it and let us eat and be merry These words contain in them 1. The real acting of a penitential intention The matter whereof in his humble and sad confession I have insisted on already when I touched on v. 18 19. Now I shall observe a little more from the circumstance and manner of it 2. The strange alteration of his condition The heart of man never alters from sin to its prejudice the best courses ever draw after them the best comforts While he was a prodigal he had neither bread to eat nor Rags to cloath him nor house to lodg him much less Jewels to adorn him and feasts to entertain him But now he becomes a penitent here is a Father to admit him into a house to put the best Robe on his back and the Ring on his finger and Shoes on his feet and likewise to provide meat even the choicest for his belly Before I touch on these distinctly and particularly there are some Propositions which I will briefly touch on v. g. Doct. That no not the kindest expressions of mercy do silence a The kindest expressions of mercy do not hinder an humble confession of sin truly penitential heart from an humble confession of sin Kindest mercies draw out humblest confessions The Father pities meets embraces kisseth this penitential Prodigal What doth he rise up and slight all that hath been evil Oh no! mercy melts him down and he confesseth with tears Father I have sinned c. q. d. What is this that thou shouldst so easily so freely so mâ—rcifully behold so sinful so unworthy a wretch as I have been As David when God declared unto him the intentions of his further mercies for him and his posterity He sate before the Lord and said Who am I O Lord God and what is my house that thou hast brought me hitherto So is it with the true penitent upon the Declaration of pardoning and accepting mercy Now O Lord God who am I I who have done so wickedly yet to be remembred so graciously The same you find in Paul who though he received a testimony of his pardon and acceptance by a messenger graciously dispatched from Jesus Christ himself Acts 9. 17. Yet he doth most frequently and humbly acknowledg and confess the kinds and greatness of his former transgressions There is for the time a twofold Confession 1. Antecedent There is a twofold Confession Antecedent Consequent which is that humbling way which God designs for the assecution of mercy See Prov. 28. 13. 1 Jo. 1. 9. To make us indite and condemn our selves that he may acquit and pardon us 2. Consequent which is that judging and self-condemning way after mercy is obtained The sight of mercy breeds four notable effects in a true penitent 1. Much Admiration Oh that God should look on me 2. Much Detestation Oh that God should ever pardon me 3. More contrition Oh that I should sin against such a God 4. More Confession I have sinned and done very foolishly to sin against a God much in mercy 2. This consequent confession which followes the expressions or Consequent confession hath these qualities It is an ac-â— knowledgment of sin with more compunction testimonies of pardoning mercy hath these qualities 1. It is an acknowledging of sin with more compunction of spirit Sight of pardon doth not only open our lips but our eyes and fetcheth forth not only words but tears the heart doth break out when mercy breaks forth The heart never confesseth sin with more filial grief then when it apprehends sin much sin discharged with a paternal love the wind breaks the clouds but the Sun melts them most into showers so c. 2. It is an acknowledging of sin with more indignation The greaâ—er mercy makes a penitent With more indignation to be the sharper Judg the more God is now pleased with him the more is he displeased with himself for sinning against him When God remembred his Covenant Ezek. 16. 60. then did the penitential Israelites remember their wayes with shame v. 61. And when he made it known to them that he was pacifyed towards them then were they confounded and never opened their mouths more v. 63. 3. It is an acknowledging of sin with more With more aggravation aggravation Servile confessions are usually more deceitful and partial as Adam did acknowledg his sin but puts it on Eve no coâ—fessions are so free and full as such which arise from the apprehension of mercies David got his pardon for a great transgression but then hoâ— exact is he in the distinct accusation of himself and humble acknowledgment of his sin in all the articles and circumstances of it Psal 51. 4. It is an acknowledgment of sin with more detestation Evidence of pardon produceth two With more detestation effects One is more ardent affection of love to God Another is which necessarily followes a deeper hatred of sin which opposed so gracious a goodness All that good which God mentions in the Covenant Ezek. 36. 25. to the end of v. 30. produced a better remembrance of former evils and also a deeper loathing of themselves for their iniquities v. 31. As Job upon Gods appearing to him and conferring with him now abhors
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
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
sometimes in the heat of a punishment how our hearts perhaps fall down before the Lord and we are very urgent on him and very diligent spend much time in his service and a kind of watchful tenderness is come upon us against sin but then we let fall our hands and our candle quickly burns more dimly our task abates our affections grow slack our purposes our services wear away and we begin to grow as forward to our sins as before the liking of God and of his waies and services cool and sinful occasions grow as pleasing and acceptable Remember it that man will be quickly bad who grows negligently good and the soul which is weary of Gods service is ready for sins work 6. Partial reservations when men in or after punishment will Partial Reservations profess against the great bulks of sin and as Pharaoh at length was willing to let the people go but to stay the little children so we wil bid defiance and seem to take resolution against our former great iniquities in the greatness of them but yet we will keep back and not part with such and such things which perhaps formally are not sinful but occasionally they may to our corrupt affections prove so Why how can it be but such a soul should make yet a progress in sin who reservs still an incendiary motive a quick and captivating incentive unto sin The river will quickly over-spread and fill the channel if you give it way spare but your self in occasions and they will bring on first the lesser trials of sin and the lesser trials will quickly ingage you to greater adventurings and some adventurings will easily bring you to your old courses In the second place let us apply our selvs to such waies as may Directions take us off from sinning yet more after punishment which you have heard doth make the condition yet worse The directions which I would commend unto you are these 1. In all punishment for sinning follow the writ open it and see In all punishment for sin search out thâ— Cause whose name is in it my meaning is enquire into thy self search diligently for whose sake this evil befals thee as the Mariners in Jonah concerning the tempest they did cast lots that they might know for whose cause that evil was upon them so should we in the presence of our punishment when Gods hand is in any kind upon us search and lift up our hands unto God to shew us the special reasons of his wrath and indignation for though earthly parents do many times inconsiderately in passion chastize their children after their own pleasure yet God doth it wisely and never without cause we may say of all our punishment what the Prophet saith to the Israelites Jer. 4. 18. Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee this is thy wickedness c. Punishments never prove reformations until first they be informations they never cure the heart unless first they clear the eye We must first spell the Lesson before we can take it forth therefore this do if thou canst not find the specialty of thy provocations 1. Look thy afflictions and punishments well in the face perhaps thou mayest in them see the very feature of thy sin which hath caused God to punish thee very usually that punishment which is a Rod is also a Glass it shews us the fault for which we are lashed 2. Observe thy self in the estate when thy punishment doth come do but recal thy bent of heart course ways imagination devices sometimes a man is taken by the punishment when he is dealing in a way which doth more especially provoke God 3. Peruse the Word and well consider what sins have brought down such kind of punishment Pares culpae Pares poenae God doth many times keep his course of the same punishments with the same sins else the Apostles dehortation of the Corinthians from Idolatry and Uncleanness which was the Israelites sins for fear of the like punishments were somwhat vain 4. Lastly Regard the first and more frequent verdicts of thy own conscience There are two times when Conscience deals more home and faithfully with us One is when we are to die Another is when we are to suffer in a time of judgment and affliction we find as Josephs brethren did the remembrance of former evils Surely this is befallen us because of our brother c. said they So our hearts tell us Well assuredly this comes upon me for my Swearing for my Drunkenness for my Uncleanness for my Covetousness c. 2. When your sins are brought to light that you can say Here is my punishment and there are my sins then go to God When the sin is discovered go to God in an humbâ—e confession of iâ— with them to him that smote thee By most humble and broken Confession that thou hast done wickedly but the Lord hath dealt most righteously acquit him but condemn thy self Accuse and indite thy sinning soul O Lord thus and thus have I sinned and provoked thee c. Deal ingenuously with the Lord and freely confess unto him and never leave until thy soul be afflicted for sinning as well as thy body until thou canst grieve a thousand times more for thy sins than for thy punishment for the dishonour which God hath felt by thy sinnings than for the smart which thou feelest under thy punishments By most vehement and constant Petition and that for two things especially Go to God by earnest petition for viz. 1. Reconciliation with that God whom thou hast so much provoked by thy sinnings As Moses said to Aaron Take a Censer Reconciliation Numb 16. 46. and put fire therein from off the Altar and go quickly to the Congregation and make an attonement So let us speedily strive to reconcile our selves unto the Lord beseeching him to love us freely to receive us graciously to pardon us for his own sake to remember our sins no more not to contend with us for ever but to cast our sins into the depths of the Sea and mercifully to be our God And in this business of reconciling our selves with God take notice 1. Of the meritorious cause of it which is the bloud of Christ called therefore our attonement Rom. 5. and our Propitiation 1 Joh. 2. 1. Now beseech the Lord to look on thee in Christ and to remember the bloud of the everlasting Covenant which was shed for the remission of sins and to make peace Beseech him to be reconciled unto thee in and through Christ and do thou stedfastly trust unto him by faith for it 2. Of the means of it To the Word to Prayer O be earnest for such dispositions upon which the Lord will â—eal mercy and forgiveness He will be gracious to the cry of the mournfull soul Isa 30. 19. and to the penitent 2 Chron. 7. 14. 2. Sanctification Alas if the Lord should lay upon thee Sanctification as many and
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
And is this excuse to pass for currant hath not God dealt Answered with thee often didst not thou more often harden thine own heart willingly withdraw thy self and all out of a love to sin 2. Though thou couldst not convert thine own heart yet this thou mightest have done in the times of afflictions c. considered what might move the Lord thus to deal with thee all or some of the causes which thy own conscience did freely suggest and the ends which God pointed thee to to reform them And then to have gone to him by vehement prayer to convert thy heart from thy sins to teach it righteousness to submit to his instructions Thou mightst thus have gone to him who can convert and have waited on him in the means of conversion but thou didst nor desire after him nor delightedst to seek him c. 2. But What may we do to prevent this shuffling and assaying of means to support us in sinning when the Lord deals with us and Means to prevent this shuffling calls upon us for the leaving of sin Sol. I would commend these five Directions 1. Strive to be convinced of this That as long as the Course is a sinfull Course it Be convinced of this That a sinfull course cannot be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 safe course can never be a safe Course We may weary our selves in the multitude of our imaginations and ways but run what course you please and pursue your own devices yet this ye shall reap of the Lord you shall lie down in your shame and sorrow you may run to new experiments but misery will follow your sins the next time as well as this and in every way as well as one way Your sins will find you out and as long as you carry your sins with you you cannot keep off calamities from you 2. Of necessity you must return or perish Your sinfull course is You must return or perish a by-path and leads to death It is sinfull and you know it and being sinfull it must be miserable To what end doth the Patient excuse the taking of the Receipt the wholsome Balm he must die if he doth not receive it So consider To what end do I thus vary my paths and shuffle and seek supports there is nothing strong enough to secure a sinner and let me sadly consider that I must one time or other leave these sinnings or else farewel my Soul and Salvation 3. It cannot but be best the sooner it is I must return or perish too soon I cannot return and the sooner the better A Our Return is best the sooner it is Best For Safety Souldier of a middle age a Counsellor of a grave age and a Penitent of a young age are still the best The work which must be done is best done when soonest Best for Safety for thy life is very uncertain and if thou doest not leave thy sins to day thou mayest be in Hell for ought thou knowest for thy sins to morrow For Acceptance the Lord likes it best when For Acceptance one word of Mercy can cause us to trust and one shaking of the Rod can cause us to tremble and when one command sufficeth to turn us when upon the first Arrest we give up our Weapons it pleaseth Soveraignty best For Quietness for we do hereby deliver not onely our Souls but Bodies also from many troubles For Quietness the sooner we do repent and plainly yield why Conscience speaks peace the sooner and God commands mercies the faster strong Sins breed long afflictions but give up the Sins and God gives up the Quarrel throw over Bichri's head to Joab and he will presently remove the siege If a man had health he might take sleep the better but as long as the body is diseased it is unquiet 4. Strive against those diverting Principles which do draw thee from the right and onely way and put thee on by-thoughts and Strive against diverting Principles as Presumption of Mercy Or of thy own Power by-paths and a vain assayment of means to support us As 1. Presumption either of Mercy though thou doest add drunkenness to thirst and still findest out thine own inventions or thine own Power Thou mayest be hindred of the time which thou doest project and mayest want strength to execute thy purposes For sinfull practises do altogether weaken our power whilest they delude us with a conceit of strength hereafter 2. Stoutness and pride of spirit Do not in a bravery of villany dispute with the Almighty Stoutness and pride of spirir God it may prove a sad Victory to thee that thou art able to reject good counsel and to quench all good motions 3. Delight Delight in sin in sin which drowns the errand of all afflictions c. 5. Beseech the Lord at the very first to circumcise the stubbornness Beseech the Lord to câ—rcumcise the stubbornness of your hearts of your hearts and to give you the understanding ear and the obedient spirit that when in the Word he calls upon you to turn from your sins your hearts may fall down and cry out O Lord turn me and when by afflictions he calls upon you to turn you may presently humble your hearts and cry out O Lord pardon me O Lord heal me O Lord turn and save me Let us all think of this You know that the Lord is displeased with us and we have hitherto hardened our hearts against the Lord God hath dealt with us once twice often in publick in private ways and still we seek our own ways delude the work of Repentance set nothing to heart nor repent of our evil doings I I. Now I proceed to the Second thing which is The final The final disappointment of all the Prodigals designs Doct. 2. Nothing shall avail the shuffling sinner till he return but God will disappoint all his pâ—ojects Some things premised This is meantâ— of a sinner whom God intends to convert disappointment of the Prodigals assays and designs in these words And no man gave unto him Whence I observe That nothing shall avail the shuffling sinner until he doth turn from his sins but God will disappoint all his projects batter down all his confidences frustrate all his expectations drive him out of all his harbours and overthrow all the means and ways which he flies unto Before I confirm this Assertion let me premise a few particulars that so you may rightly conceive the scope of it Thus then 1. I intend the Assertion of a sinner whom God doth intend to convert others he may leave to prosper in their imaginations For you see it raised from the disappointment of a Prodigal one whose conversion at length attended his manifold afflictions and as manifold contrivances to keep up his sinfull conversation though such a person knows not it nor thinks on it yet God is secretly against him and thrusts him off from all the Cities of Refuge
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
of hypocrisie or a sink of impiety he loves sin or would not yet leâ—ve it the greatest part of our integâ—ity lies in the hearts frame and purpose that man who is resoled to part with all sin hath an heart who loves all good it is only sound grace which breeds sound resolution 2. It will be a It will be an Apology in case of falling great apology in case of falling that yet it is not presumptuous but of Inâ—irmity The evil that I would not do that do I c. Rom. 7. and rather an affect of a strong temptation then of any secret affection of the heart to sin for where the purpose and resolution of the heart is set against a sin and makes its resistence though the sinning may be great yet it is not presumptuous Four effects this firm Resolution worketh about sin either it doth 1. Cease the motions of it or 2. Abates and lessens them or 3. Disappoints and frustrates them as Joseph about his mistress or else 4. It mitigates and corrects them in the degree of guilt either it keeps me sound or else causeth that the wound is less 3. Such a man may confidently go to God for help and Such a one may confidently go to God for help assistance If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer said David but verily God hath heard me he hath attended to the voice of my Prayer Psal 69. 18 19. Thou shalt not struggle with sin in vain nor cry unto God in vain if once thou couldst be firmly resolved against sin thou shouldst more confidently repair to Christ and shouldst assuredly find more Victory over it as Paul Rom. 7. 24 25. What have I to do any more with idols I have heard him and observed him I am like a green Fir-Tree from me is thy fruit found Hos 14. 8. 4. And more confidently expect the remission of sins past with what face can a mâ—n embolden himself before the And Confidently expect Remission of sins past Lord O Lord I beseech thee to pardon such or such a sin and I trust thou wilt do it but I am not yet resolved to leave it And when a person can come before the Lord and say Search and tell me O Lord if there be any way of wickedness which I know and allow against which I am not resolved and strive Now O Lord thou art a gracious God I beseech thee for thy mercies sake forgive my sins blot them out I hate them with an unfeigned hatred do thou for thine own sake pardon and subdue them 5. You shall much free your selves from the ancient suggestions of Satan about particular Sins It will free us from the Suggestions of Satan about particular sins Resist the Divel and he will flee from you Jam. 4. 7. Where there is no hope of Victory there will be little encouragement to fight firm resolutions are like rocks against which the waves may beat and strike but cannot move nor alter Satan may indeed somewhat molest but the heart is in a sort impregnable which is stedfastly resolved Christiana sum said she I am a Christian who was much assaulted to deny the Faith and Luther in Gen. so silenced all threats and allurements for the abnegation of Christ When they saw Paul's resolution fixed for Jerusalem they gave off their importunity so Temptations will slack when our Resolutions are settled It is in vain I will not hearken thou mayest molest me Satan but I will never yield unto thee 6. You will be less interrupted in your holy services Whilest the heart is any thing indifferent and flexible sinfull motions We shall be less interrupted in our holy services like the Birds will return and flock about the Corn if the Watchman be now there and anon removed When the Minister is speaking to your ear Sin will be speaking to your heart and when your tongues are speaking to God your thoughts will be busied in giving Sin an answer or the World But if the heart were more resolved against sin it would be more united in duty the thoughts and mind and affections would be more collected and center'd upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the work in hand it would not scatter so much it would not follow that which it cares not for but peremptorily abhors The next Use shall be for Direction and that in two particulars Vse 2. Direction 1. How to raise a solid Resolution 2. How to keep and maintain it First The Means to raise it There are some things of How to raise a solid Resolution which you must take heed and strive against as being vigorous impediments to the rearing of this frame and twisting of this firm cord Take heed of 1. A secret favouring of sin As long as your hearts cunningly connive at and harbour your lusts those evil Inmates A secret faâ—ouring of sin you will never throughly come to a Resolution to cast them off For love will untwist many arguments and prevail against strong Motives it will let down your mind as fast as reasons do raise it up It is the best Friend and strongest Advocate that sin hath You see a Parent perhaps David against Absalom resolved to exile his Child from his presence but natural affection turned him and wrought so after a while that David longs for Absalom again As a Spring will work out that which is cast in so will a secret affection to sin work off the impression of all Arguments and any such preposterous Resolves against sin 2. A tenderness or delicacy of spirit I mean an inordinate Delicacy of spirit self-love Love of sin and so also the love of our selves both of them are adversaries to a penitential Resolution If a man will go to Heaven asleep have his ease and his friends and his liberty and his safeties and his quiet and his pleasures and great matters he will never come to a through Resolution God likes no such bargain no condition as I am willing to serve thee but I am resolved never to suffer for thee I will be good if I may be safe I will go to sea but on condition I shall meet with no storms I will enter into the war but on condition that I will have no blows We must be at a point for all things except what is good if we be resolved to be good indeed no not Life it self must be dearer to us than that which is far better than Life 3. A perversness of spirit on self-wilfulness if you do resolve A perversness of spirit to be your own Master you can never resolve to be Gods Servant if your hearts be not disposable to his will they will never be flexible and fixed on his work You must in many things be contented to deny your own thoughts and to captivate your own judgments and reasonings and to submit both your judgment and will to a Divine Rule and
of a mans self to acts incongruous with the dignity of his place and calling this were to be the Tom of a Parish nor is it a denial of those gifs and graces that God hath bestowed upon us this is a modest lie it is not lowliness nor is it passive humiliation wherein the spirit may be crackt as low as Hell and yet be still as proud as Hell nor is it a rejecting of Gods promises because we can bring no worth unto them But Humbleness which accompanies Repentance It is a Grace of Gods Spirit whereby the penitential person from right knowledge becomes low in his own eyes Humbleness described and judgeth himself most unworthy in his addresses unto God 1. It is a Grace of Gods Spirit It is one of the Pearls in the It is a Grace of Gods Spirit Chain which the Apostle would have us to put on Col. 3. 12. an humble spirit is a spiritual ornament Some Graces are more visible and stirring as Faith and Charity others are more reserved and hidden like Soul among the stuff as Patience and Humility But a Grace it is being a supernatural Quality not born with us but added unto us In our first Birth we come out with very high and stout Spirits in our second Births with very lowly and humble Spirits in our low Birth with high Spirits in our high and excellent Birth with lowly Spirits 2. Making us low in our own eyes Behold saith Job 40. 4. Making us low in our own eyes I am vile .i. nothing worth base What shall I answer thee I am as a weaned child said David Psa 131. 2. I have not the Understanding of a man said Agur Pro. 30. 2. Not as if I had yet attained saith the Apostle Phil. 3. Hence is it that in Scripture humble persons are called Little one of these little ones saith Christ little not only in the proud contempt of the World but little in their own humble estimation of themselves As David is said to be little in his own eyes one who set a very low rate and value on himself And they are said to be poor poor in spirit they have indeed very rich Graces but very poor opinions and conceits of themselves I who am but dust and ashes saith Abraham a worm and no man said David Excellencies they have but they are not puffed up by them God doth raise them but they raise not themselves they are precous and honorable in his sight but vile and nothing in their own they have an high Calling and high Graces and high Priviledges but still low hearts when they look on their Natural frame that 's as low as Earth when they look on their sinful frame that 's as low as Hell when they look on their Spiritual frame then how little it is but some saith Oh that God would help my Unbelief that sorrow is but a drop that love but a spark that knowledge but a dawning light their strength but weakness others have more they have but little still they complain of defects infirmities failings what they have is nothing to the much they want No Vines so unfruitful no servants so unprofitable as they Judging themselves unworthy in their addresses to God Thy Saints said Moses humble themselves at thy feet unworthy to Judging themselves unworthy in their addresses to God come before God unworthy to obtain any thing from God the Publican dares not lift up his eyes to heaven Ezra is ashamed and confounded to look up the very Majesty and Purity of God do dazle and sometimes silence their thoughts and when they do worship towards his holy place then mark how their Petitions run Not for my sake O Lord not in my own name not for my righteousness shame and confusion belong to me but do it for thine Own sake for thy Mercies sake for thy Truths sake for thy Christs sake O Lord If thou shewest me no Mercy I deserve none if thou givest me any Mercy it is only of thy abundant Mercy Arising from a right knowledg As Pride is rooted in Ignorance Arising from a Right knowledge and Error it is but the corrupting of our Text a foolish blast and mistake so Humbleness is grounded in right Knowledg and true Judgment 1. Of God Humble persons do more exactly apprehend Of God him what He is what his Will is in his perfections of Holiness and Mercy and Justice and thereupon are abased in their own sense To compare our selves with our selves may be dangerous and to compare our selves with others inferior to us in gifts and graces and services it may be a speedy way to puff us up But a comparison of our selves with God O how short are we how nothing are we in comparison of that infinite fulness of excellency in him The Stars make a twinkling in the night but when the Sun appears they hide their faces and Veile themselves Our Graces may seem to cast their Rayes their Beams and to have some Lustre in our eyes whilst we compare them with others or our selves in darkness but when we look on God that Sun that fulness of all Holiness then we are ashamed may hang down our heads and with the Angels cover our Faces Our Features are but as Deformities and our Fulness but Poverty in comparison of him And therefore when Job had a while conferred with God he then confesseth his folly and ignorance and abhors himself and will speak no more 2. Of our selves both in Evil and in Good For Evil It is discerned in the proper nature forms colours deserts of it Oh Of our Selves how much hath God already been dishonoured by me How For Evil. often how highly Any one Transgression rightly apprehended may serve to abase us all our dayes But then I still feel a corrupt nature apt to rebel to step aside to break out Oh how wonderfully do unbelief hardness security dulness distraction hypocrisie vain-glory unthankfulness folly indispositions evil thoughts corrupt affections cleave unto me though under many mercies opportunities helps assistances what am I worthy of It is pure mercy that I am not almost every hour thrown into Hell by reason of continual sinnings For Good look on it in all respects and know it aright you may see cause of humbleness 1. Look on it in the Qualities or Habits at the best very weak things rather of desire then of possession we know but in part believe with fear trust with doubtings see but as in a glass we rather imitate then apprehend As Prosper spake of the joyes of Grace Ipsa virtutum gaudia vulnus habent that is true of the very Graces even our wine is mixt with water and like Jacobs speckled Sheep so is it with our souls some of all graces yet but alittle and accompanied with the reliques of all and too much sinfulness 2. Look on it in the Acts and Fruits We cannot go without a Staff and too like Jacob
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
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
graciously accept of it have we not reason to believe that he doth countenance these beginnings who presently makes all provision for the nursing and supplies of it To make some Application of this 1. It convinceth the common obloquies and aspersions cast upon religion and religious courses to Vse 1. Conviction of that aspersion that if we begin to be penitent farewell all Comfort be meer injuries and falsities viz. that if once you begin to be religions and penitential then farwel all comfort as if the grave of sin were the Resurrection of Griefe or of necessity men must be everlastingly pensive if once truly and seriously penitential But this is false no course so good so comfortable as the penitential mercy to invite you mercy to receive you mercy to pardon you and mercy to save you As soon as ever we begin to be good and to be penitent and are entred into the way of new obedience presently the merciful eye and favour of God is upon us mercy looks after us and though we have been foul Transgressours and have now but the very seeds and implantations of repentance mixt with exceeding imperfections yet the Lord will benignly and graciously accept of us and love us And as it doth convince that errour of the sadness of entring Vse 2. And oâ— that errour of the austerity of God towards Penitents into a good course so also another errour of the austerity and harshness of God towards poor Penitents as if nothing would please the Lord but quantity and great measures of Grace Oh if I had so much sorrow for sin if I had so much hatred if I had so much power over my corruptions Why it were well if thou hadst and thou doest not well if thou strivest not beyond all the measure of grace which thou doest attain But then to think that onely great grace is in grace with God and not little grace Repentance grown and not Repentance begun that God will not look on drops but rivers not on weakness but strength onely that a poor contrite broken troubled soul which prizeth grace above heaven and hates sin above hell but yet is troubled with the presence of much corruption and is apprehensive of manifold wants in all kinds of grace that the Lord will never look upon such a thin new weak Christian unless with austerity and distance Why do we thus belie the Lord and falsifie the graciousness of the Almighty who doth so love holiness and delight in the conversion of a sinner that as soon as ever the sinner begins truly to repent the Lord hath thoughts of mercy and peace for him he is observed and accepted Ananias is presently sent to Paul messengers of peace are presently dispatched Patents of mercy are sealed for him And thirdly It doth justly abase that unworthy proud and censorious harshness and strangeness which many who would take Vse 3. It discovers the proud harshness of men towards such as come short of themselves or others it ill if they be not in your opinion set up in the highest form of Piety do sinfully or foolishly express either in condemning or in contemning such as fall very short in the penitential work of others or of themselves yea and will shun tender society with them till they see some further perfections and ripenesses Alas what do we by what rule do we walk whose example do we look upon We must be wise it 's true and what wisdome is it to leave tender buds to the frost which we might have covered and enlarged with heat and warmth I beseech you let us pause a while 1. Are all in our Family Men Are there not some Children perhaps new-born Babes Are all in the Flock strong Sheep are there not some Lambs perhaps newly yeaned Are all the Stars in the Heaven of the same magnitude some are greater others are less yet all in the Heavens Do you despise Children reject the Lambs or slight the Moon because of her spots and lesser light than that of the Sun Why we read of the like disparity in the heavenly course St. John tells us of Fathers and of Young-men and of Chidren too yea and of Babes and Christ advised Peter's respects as well unto the Lambs as unto the Sheep 2. Were not we Beginners once our selves Was our Sun at the top our Gold so exquisitely pure did not we then need compassions and helps in times of infancy weakness conflicts temptations What is our present strength but some help to former weakness Time was we could hardly go or stand although now we can walk and run What a childishness is it for the Artist in Grammar to slight the Youth who is now spelling his Letters when this was the first Line of his own Learning the first step whereby he went to his height 3. And did God despise us in our beginnings Did not he gently lead those that were with young and carried the Lambs in his arms as the Prophet speaks How often hath he laid our fainting and weak souls to the brests of consolation comforted us in our fears strengthened our feeble hands answered our doubts 4. Nor doth he now slight them whom he tenderly owns upon the very entrances into a new and holy course sees them afar off and hath compassion Why then do we so slight and neglect them and put them from us who have as good a God as our selves and if we be good the same the same Christ and also the same truth and reality of Repentance And is not Minimum Christi amabile But they are indiscreet Surely they are no true penitents that are very fools No man so wise as he who is wise for his soul But they have many failings And not one of them approved all bewailed But they come short in Duties alas they are very short In expressions which the vilest hypocrite may excel in not in affections which the true penitent onely abounds in Therefore repent of your pride and state Seest thou a penitent higher than thy self honour him and imitate seest thou a penitent lower than thy self honour and cherish him God will meet him with much mercy do thou meet him with much love and pity Ten Evidences of True Repentance though Initial And take these Ten Evidences that a mans Repentance is true though weak and real though but initial 1. He is much Much in Grief though little in Strength He hates sin though he cannot be rid of it Conflicts with sin though he cannot conquer it He will not be its servant though its Captive He cries for help though not delivered He must have God reconciled though he questions it He would obey in all things though he falls short He prizeth more grace though he enjoy little He holds up his purposes He mourns for what he wants Vse 4. For Comfort to such as have the Initials of Repentance in Grief though little in Strength He will grieve for sinning though he
should never be damned for sin and sin is his daily grief as it is his daily temptation 2. He hates sin though he cannot be rid of it His soul loaths not onely the actions but nature also of sin 3. He conflicts with sin though he cannot conquer it is an Enemy to it though not a Conquerour over it though much assaulted by it fears Sin more than Hell 4. He will not be a Servant though sometimes he is forced to be a Captive His Will and Love are unconquerable 5. He cries out for help though he be not yet delivered O Lord help Laments his condition because so pestered with sinfull motions 6. He must have God reconciled though he much questions it He must have Christ and Mercy c. 7. He would obey God in all things though he falls very short of it 8. He prizes more Grace and strives after it though he enjoyes very little of it 9. He holds up his purpose to walk with God though he be not able in every thing and at all times to make it good 10. What he wants in the heights of Repentance is made up in the depths of Humbleness and Mournfulness A fourth Use of this Point shall be for Comfort and Support to such as have though but the initials of Repentance in them The fountain of Godly sorrow drops though but a little and the journey of an holy life is but begun they have newly within these few dayes set the first foot in the paths of God What shall I say to such persons Surely 1. Let them not be discouraged at all Though it be but a little A little Grace if true grace Repentance newly planted and begun yet if it be true Grace 1. It is worth a whoâ—e world One mans Soul is worth Is worth a whole world the World much more is Grace Grace even in the least degree of it is of an invaluable allay The Lord hath shewn thee mercy indeed if he has bestowed any grace on thee it is more worth than if he had given thee all the Kingdomes of the World more in respect of Excellency and in respect of Consequence 2. As little as it is it is as much as ever any Penitent It is as much as any Penitent had at first had at the first 'T is true our improvements of Grace are very different in the course of our lives but the habitual implantations of grace are alike and equal Thou hast as much now as ever any had at first who are now gone to heaven 3. As little as it is it shall pull down and work out the strongest sin that ever did cleave unto thee though not at once yet by degrees a This little will be victorious beam of Light which appears in the morning seems no great matter to deal with all the darkness in the ayr yet depending upon such a strong principle and fountain as the Sun it doth by degrees chase away c. 4. As little and as weak as it is it It shall not cease till it bring thee to heaven shall never cease till it hath brought thee to heaven The Ark and many tossings and thy weak Grace shall have many assaults but thy weak Grace is in the sure hands of a strong God who by it will make thee more than Conquerour through him that loved thee 5. As weak as it is now it shall be stronger and It shall grow stronger and stronger stronger God hath but begun his work in thee the which he will finish the Foundation is laid but the Covering is to come The seed is but sown which will arise and spread the fire kindled which will be blown and flaming God doth not leave any gracious work until he hath made it glorious and having given truth will also enlarge it to a just measure sufficient for thy soul and place and salvation 2. Nay let them be encouraged and rejoice Even a little They have matter of rejoycing Grace may be just cause of great joy The Mother rejoyceth much if the Child be born Though your Repentance wants much in respect of gradual perfection yet being real and true 1. All the sins that you have committed are pardoned The promise of pardon or remission of sins presently and assuredly opens Their sins are pardoned to every true Penitent as soon as the wicked forsakes his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts and turns to the Lord he will have mercy and abundantly pardon He who doth more perfect and polish his repentance it is confessed that he hath the more assurance and comfort of his pardon but the right unto and grant of pardon immediately appertains to a person upon the very entrance of his repentance Now pardon of sins is a testimony of Gods highest Love and therefore a cause of most exceeding joy 2. If you should now die you should If he should now die he should be saved be saved The first fruits you know were a pledge of the full harvest though you have but as it were the first fruits of Repentance yet these are sure pawns of fullest glory Godly sorrow worketh repentance of salvation Christ saith Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdome of Heaven Matth. 5. 3. Though you have but some lower weaker stock of Graces so that you are in your own opinion poor scarce worth any thing or enjoying of any thing yet the weakest Christian shall have an Heavenly Kingdome 3. Your persons are dear unto God Jer. 31. 18. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Is Their persons are dear to God Ephraim my dear son is he my pleasant child c. So Isa 66. To this man will I look even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit 4. Your weak services are accepted God hears your Their weak services are accepted God will pass by many infirmities groans considers your sighs puts your tears into his bottel 5. By reason of that reality in your repentance the Lord will pass by many infirmities and imperfections Infirmities shall not hinder where a reality of Grace and Repentance is begun They in the time of Hezekiah did truly repent and prepare before the Passover and though they were very defective yet the defects did not prevail to hinder the effects and acceptance of their service I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him Mal. 3. 17. How indulgent is the tender father to the obedient child though he can do but very little and very weakly Where the Lord seeth that the heart is rightly set O Lord I would not offend thee O Lord I would obey thee then he is very mercifull to pass by our failings and to accept of our weak beginnings and very weak endeavours Now I come to a second Proposition which is That God is Doct. 5. God is very ready to shew all kinds of mercy to the truly penitent very ready and quick
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
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
the Privy Seal For 1. Upon your humble praying for pardoning mercy you do feel your consciences more quieted and setled and revived with better confidence and expectation of mercy 2. You find your hearts more enflamingly resolved that you will never give over you will now follow on to know the Lord and his mercies It was a sign anciently that God regarded prayers when â—ire came down upon the sacrifice as 1 Kin. 18. 24. 2 Chro. 7. 1. so is it a singular argument that God accepts of your prayers for mercy or grace when upon your prayers he doth enlarge and enliven you more earnestly to seek him in those kinds If God doth himself hold up thy suit he will not long hold off his answer when we will have no Nay then Be it unto thee as thou wilt If he prepare thine heart he will at length incline his â—ar And fell on his neck and kissed him You have seen already the Eyes of Mercy to espie a returning Penitent and the Feet of Mercy its speedy pace to meet a returning Penitent the Father ran and of the Bowels of Mercy He had compassion on him In all which we have discovered that singular readiness which is in God to shew mercy to a true Penitent Now there yet remain 1. The Arms of Mercy Amplexus misericordiarum And he fell on his neck 2. The Sealings of all this mercy though not verbally yet most significantly expressed towards the returning Prodigal and kissed him What they say of Scire that though we do know yet this satisfies us not unless another doth know Nisi tâ— scire hoâ— sciat alter that we do know the same is true of Love and Mercy though we have loving affections and mercifull intentions towards any yet this is not enough to the party unless he be made to know the same Therefore here are singular expressions as well as admirable intentions the Box of Ointment is opened Joseph cannot contain himself but cries out I am Joseph The Father of the Prodigal doth forgive and accept of him and testifies all this by falling on his neck and kissing of him There be divers Kisses Not to speak of the Kiss of Subjection and Reverence which David calls for Psal 2. 12. Nor of the Kiss of Incivility and Filthiness the whorish kiss of which Salomon speaks Prov. 17. 13. Nor of the Kiss of Falshood and Treachery Judas-kiss Matth. 26. 49. Nor of the Kiss of Courtesie common to all friends the Heathens used it as Xenophon and Herodotus relate Nor of the Kiss of Charity used among the primitive Christians especially before the Lords Supper The Kiss in the Text is a Kiss of Merciful Affection and it is given unto the Prodigal by his Father in signum Reconciliationis that He and his Father were now friends and in a state of love and kindneâ—s In signum Pacis to take off all fears and doubts all was exceeding well and in signum Laetitiae to intimate unto him what a welcome child he now was His Father was not more grieved at his sinfull departure but he is now much more gladded at his penitential return Doct. God is not onely reconciled but manifests himself so to be unto the Pâ—nitent The proper Observation from this I conjecture is That God is pleased not onely to be reconciled but also to manifest and declare himself as one reconciled to penitent people Joh. 14. 21. I will love him and manifest my self unto him Rev. 3. 20. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to â—at of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white Stone and in the Stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us This is a Proposition of deep consequence and also of some difficulty and therefore must be the more warily opened and attended Some things premised Gods Râ—câ—nciled favour is demonstrable to a â—itted soul For the sense and meaning of it premise these particulars 1. That Gods reconciled favour is a thing demonsirable to a fitted soul .i. it is not besides the nature of Divine favour to open it self so that it may be apprehended no more then it is against the nature of Light to reveal it self Nor is it beyond the capacity and proportion of a penitential soul tobe cognoscitive i. to be able to look on and know Divine favour In Universali the Papists and others do grant as That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself but more then this I affirm in particulars There is not only a Notional knowledge in the general but there may be an Experimental knowledg in particular of Divine favour By this saith David I know thou favourest me And S. Paul of Christ Who loved me God hath actually manifested his love and favour to his people of old Son be of good comfort thy sins are for given thee Mat. 9. And Rom. 8. Paul had it and all the Saints had it And he doth manifest it and will manifest it to all true penitents But then 2. There is a double manifestation of his favour One is Natural A double Manifestation of his favour Naturall and this is when God doth imprint such qualities on the soul which are the sole fruits of a reconciled Love as when he bestowes on it the sanctifying graces of his Spirit Another is Formal wherein he doth evidently make over the goodness of Formall his Love i. make us directly to know that he doth love us and is reconciled unto us which is done two wayes either 1. By the Testimony of the Word apprehended by faith 2. By the Testimony of his Spirit causing in us an express evidence and sense of Gods love as a witness and as a seal Now one of these wayes God is pleased to manifest his reconciled favour or to evidence it unto the penitential soul and sometimes both 3. The time which God taketh to declare or make known in a The time of this manifestation is aâ—bâ—trary more formal way of evidence his reconciled love unto the penitential soul is not necessary and determinate but arbitrary and free It is not restrained to the very birth or hour of our Conversion nor limitted to any one part of time after it more then an other But God is pleased differently to make himself known and his loving favour known Lydia partaked of Joy as soon s the partaked of Grace but with other Christians it may be perhaps as with Simeon that their eyes do not see their Salvation till near their death in the latter end 4. The measure of Gods dispensation in this particular is also The measure of Gods Dispensation of it is very different very different and various â—very
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
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
is Knowledge of Christ as revealed in the Word which a man may have and utter too and yet not have Faith there is Profession of Faith for the truth against errours and yet the Grace of Faith is another thing A man may have so much faith as to believe that there is a Christ and to confess his excellencies and in some sort to see his own necessities of Christ yea he may begin to article and capitulate as the Young-man and yet break off and be far enough from a Faith which doth indeed espouse and marry his soul unto Christ 4. Lastly The misery and danger Suppose The misery and danger you do deceive your selves and in the event it appears that you are not espoused to Jesus Christ by Faith that you never gave your hearts unto him that there never was any conjugal Union and Bond twixt you if thou indeed shouldst live Christless and die Christless what helpless hopeless happyless person art thou But you will reply We trust that we are truly penitent persons and that God hath given unto us such a Faith whereby we are really married unto Christ Sol. Well if that be so you have great cause to bless the Lord And that you may not be deceived therein I will deliver unto you some proper effects which that Faith produceth in every soul that is indeed married unto Qualities produced by an espousing faith Christ There are four Qualities produced by an espousing Faith 1. Estimation Let the Wife see that she reverence her Husband saith the Apostle Ephes 5. She must both acknowledg Estimation him as a Head and honour him as a Lord juâ—â—e and esteem of him in a relative consideration above all other The like effect doth Faith produce if it espouseth us to Christ it sets up Christ above all accounts of him as most excellent judgeth of all other things but as dross and dung in comparison of him will part with all for to get Christ The beauties of Christ are glorious in the eyes of every believer Christ doth not seem a mean thing an ordinary or common thing but he is the Pearl the Sun of Righteousness My Lord and my God saith Thomas In a word Faith if right exalts the Excellency of Christ and the Authority of Christ the Excellencies of his Person and the Authority of his Will and Laws 2. Election Election We make choice of Christ before all other Though sins though the pleasures and profits of the world proffer themselves yet as the Martyr at the stake None but Christ Or as Paul I desire to know nothing but Christ crucisied So the true believer Give me Christ I have enough I have that which is best of all he is the the Optimum and the Vnicum to Faith 3. Affection Conjugal Affection Faith ever produceth conjugal Love It were a monstrous evil for a woman to marry a man and noâ— love him and it were an adulterous thing for her to love any more then her own Husband Marriage doth by way of Duty infer and draw with it two qualities of Love one is exclusive and it is an unity of Love the other is intensive and it is a redundancy of Love Thus is it with us if Faith hath espoused us unto Christ it doâ—h kindle in us a love unto Christ not a divided love a love to Christ and a love to sin a love to Christ and a love to the world but an united love none is by us esteemed and loved as our Lord but Christ Nor doth it satisfie it self with a remiss and diminutive love which may serve any inferiour object but as Christ is in himself the most excellent object so Faith produceth such a degree of love which bears some proportion with that object viz. a superlative love a love of Christ above all and more then all more set on Christ than on any other object which yet may lawfully be loved more than our father or mother or wife or children Do we find this love in our hearts to Christ against all and above all Nay again True conjugal love infers with it a Love 1. of Complacency to delight in the thing loved 2. of Society to be with the person loved Is it so with us what delght have we in Christ in his person in his excellencies in his works in his ordâ—â—ances Is it our best joy to hear him to see him to speak with him 4. Subjection I confess that marriage doth not make the Subjection woman a slave yet by vertue thereof she is bound to submission or subjection she doth in a sort give away her self unto the disposal of another in the Lord Thy desire saith God Gen. 3. 16. shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee If thou hast a Faith which doth espouse thee unto Christ that Faith brings thy heart into the obedience and subjection of Christ It subjects thy will to Christs will and thy judgment to his truths and thy desire to his rule and thy works to his laws If Christ would have thee be and do one thing and thou wilt be and do another that thy will is still contradicting of Christs will and thy way is still contrary to his way Though a man may be married to such a stubborn and perverse piece yet Christ is not for all that are married unto him by Faith have in some measure wrought in them an obediential spirit desirous to know the mind of the Lord and willing to live godly in Christ Jesus Now this subjection which is the effect of an espousing Faith hath these properties in it viz. 1. Vniversality the wife is subject in all things 2. Diligence we must take care to please him 3. Delightfulneâ—â— it must be no burthen 4. Constancy as long as we live we must be subject to the will of our Lord. The last Use shall be for Exhortatiou That in case you find Vse 2. Exhortation this Ring of Faith by which you are espoused unto Christ given unto you then be very carefull to wear it and to bring it along with you to this next Sacrament We usually put on our Robes and our Rings when we come to any solemn Feasts The Sacrament of the Lords Supper is a Feast of good things there is Christ and mercy and redemption and sanctification and what not for the soul but bring your Ring with you Christ looks that you should come with it and you can do no good at the Sacrament if you have not the Ring on your hand Though you put forth your hand yet if the Ring be not on it the hand may take the bread but the Ring is it which onely can take Christ therefore bring Faith with you to the Sacrament Josephs Brethren must bring Benjamin with them or else they must not see his face nor should get food And let your faith work upon Christ all along on the love of Christ on the sufferings of Christ of the
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
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
power to come forth to come back to God Rom. 5. Without strength It knows not by its own light one foot of the way and when it is made known alas it finds no power to stir nay if I might have mercy and heaven upon the freest terms but for coming home I am not able to do it O how a found lost soul complains It complains as much of an impotent heart as of a wandring heart I cannot come I cannot turn this wandring heart into the right way come back to my God I should but come I cannot go to Christ I should but go I cannot if Christ doth not come to me I shall never be able to come to him if he doth not seek me I shall never seek him iâ— he finds not me with strength I shall never find him with comfort and safety 3. If God hath indeed found thee Thou wilt above all He will above all thiâ—gs desire to be found in Christ things desire to be found in Christ The found soul presently finds a need of Christ Paul as soon as mercy found him would by no means be found in himself but by all means be found in Christ That I may be found in him saith Paul Phil. 3. 9. There was a Nobleman one Elyearius who was supposed to be lost and his Lady sent up and down to find him One at length meets with him and tels him how sollicitous his Wife was to find him out O answered he commend me to my Wife and tell her That if she desires to find me she must look for me in the heart of Jesus Christ for there onely am I to be found And verily there is no poor soul whom God is finding and bringing home to himself on whom he hath imprinted a true sense of his lostness but presently the soul cries out What shall I do what shall I do to be saved O that I might have Christ and O that I might be found in Jesus Christ Remember two things 1. That the Lord will bring back to himself no soul but by Jesus Christ Christ is the sinners way to the Father he is the door by which you are admitted If ever the Lord casts an eye on thee or take thee by the hand it is for his Christ's sake 2. A lost soul which is found finds an absolute need of Jesus Christ Nothing out of Christ can make peace can justifie can reconcile can set us straight can make us accepted Had I all other things and had not Christ I were still a lost person Had I the righteousness of Angels yet if I had not Christ I were lost could I mourn could I repent could I pray could I live holily could I walk exactly yet I am lost I am still lost until I get into Christ I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ my Lord. God will look on me as my Judge he will look on me as his enemy he will not own me as a Father as a reconciled Father but in Christ 4. If thy lost soul be truly found then Jesus Christ may be Jesus Christ may be found in that lost soul found in that lost soul of thine They report of Ignatius that the Letters of Jesus were found written in his heart This I dare affirm That the Picture of Christ the Graces of Christ the Life of Christ is to be found in every found man Paul Lydia the Jailor Christ was sought by them and found in them It cannot be that a sinner should be found if Christ be not to be found in him Why if thou be a Christless man who doubts it but that thou art a lost man Now do not deceive thy soul thou canst say that Christ once was to be found in the Temple and Christ once was to be found on the Cross and Christ is still to be found at the right hand of his Father but is there not one place more where thou canst find him hast thou not a heart Is Christ to be found there I say there in thy heart I find him in thy Ear when thou hearest and I find him in thy mouth when thou speakest and thou findest him in thy mind when thou thinkest but still I ask Dost thou find him in thy heart which loves which fears which joys which delights which embraceth O is Christ in thy heart what a found man and nothing of Christ to be found in thee I know not perhaps wilt thou reply Why this is strange that Christ should be in thee and thou never know it Christ dwels in the broken heart in the believing heart Christ lives in him who onely lives upon Christ Christ was a crucified Christ doth he cruâ—ifie thy heart He was a holy Christ doth he purifie thy heart He was an humble Christ doth he abase thy heart He was a tender Christ doth he mollifie thy heart He was a satisfying Christ doth he pacifie thy heart He was an obedient Christ doth he command doth he lead doth he rule thy heart He did for thee canst thou do for him He died for thee canst thou suffer for him He loved thee canst thou delight in him 5. If the Lord hath graciously found thy lost soul and indeed Then thou wilt find sufficiency in thy Fathers house brought it home unto himself Then thou wilt â—ind sufficiency an enough at least in thy Fathers house There is enough in God to allure and draw a sinner home to keep a sinner at home that he needs not wander abroad mercy and pleasures for evermore This the Prodigal discover'd afar off even in the birth of his finding There is bread enough and to spare God seems a poor thing a mean thing an insufficient thing to a lost man and therefore he wanders up and down and serves his lusts and begs from the Creatures to make him out some delight some pleasure some profit some subsistence some contentment But God is a rich thing a Fulness He alone is enough One God is enough for my one soul if my soul indeed be found of him O he hath Mercy enough for me to save me Love enough for me to delight me Pleasure enough for me to comfort me Dignity enough for me to advance me Help enough for me to preserve me Happiness enough for me to save me If I want Grace he is the God of Grace if I want Peace he is the God of Peace if I want Mercies he is the Father of Mercies if I want for Earth the Earth is the Lords if I would have Heaven he is the God of my Salvation Now friend what say you hath God found your lost soul and what hath your soul found in your God What canst thou say of this God of his Mercy Love Entertainment Communion With thee the fatherless findeth mercy Thy favour is better than life It is good for me to draw near unto God canst thou say thus is there bread enough for thee in thy Fathers
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
Return to God you know not the sweetness of his mercy of his love 9. If God hath found thee indeed Then thou mayst be found in Gods wayes The wayes or course of life which a man leads He will be found in Gods wayes plainly discovers whether he be found or lost a man that is still lost he continues in wayes which are loose and lost which will bring him to everlasting perdition and loss A man that is found by Grace is now in such wayes as brings Glory to him which finds and also brings him to Glory who is found What! talk of being found by Gods mercy and yet wallowing in thy lusts still running on in thy sinful base wayes what brought back to God and still running away from God! Assuredly the found man is to be found in new wayes in the paths of righteousness and holiness he is a shamed of his old wayes and forsakes them Paul is not persecuting now but humbling himself for it and praying and preaching and living to Christ The next Use shall be of Exhortation unto a twofold Duty Vse 2. Exhortation 1. To find out your lost condition 2. To get out of a lost condition 1. Labour to find out your lost condition Be convinced To â—ind out our lost condition Consider The extream pride and selfconceltedness of every siâ—ner We shall never seâ—k to God till we find our selves lost that naturally you are lost men There are two Reasons which may move you to this 1. The extream pride and self-conceitedness the self-conceit and self-deceit in every sinner there is no sinner thinks himself so safe and well as the lost sinner I have need of nothing said Laodicea I was alive once said Paul We were never in bondage said the Jews 2. You will never seek unto the Lord to bring you out of a lost condition until you â—ind your selves lost Who seeks his bread but the hungry or asks the way who thinks himself in the way or comes home who is not gone abroad Obj. But you will say how may a man be convinced that his condition is lost Sol. I answer there are seven special convictions of it 1. The fall of mankind in Adam Our nature â—even Convictions of our lost condition was like a stock deposited in his hand what he had we had what he kept we kept when he fell we fell and what he lost we also lost his condition was not personal but natural not particular but Universal Oh that Ship is split that Tree is fallen that Stock is spent 2. The Observation of our wayes and pathes do but eye them and judg of them As when God opened the eyes of the Syrians they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria so if God ever open thine eyes thou wilt see and confess that all thy wayes are but wandrings and all the time of thy life hath been lost in iniquity and vanity 3. The study of the Law Ah! When wilt thou read thy self in it thou wilt find thy self many a thousand mile from home and to have been a long very long wanderer a lost and undone person Rom. 7. 9. When the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed 4. A conscience inlightned and quickned There is no one faculty in man which can discover his present condition to him so certainly and so clearly as Conscience Men speak fancy speaks corrupted judgment and reason speak yea but what doth conscience speak in private on a sick bed in an immâ—ent judgment 5. The judgment of Godly and experienced Christians who have known experimentally a lost condition and a found condition 6. The un-inclination of his spirit to all Communion with God Nay the very aversness of it thereto 7. The absolute inexperience of his soul in the family of God never yet knowing what such a fathers house doth meâ—n Secondly When you have found out your lost condition then Sâ—â—â—ve to get out of this lost Condition strive to get out of it O do not continue in it either through presumption that you can quickly come home or through despair that God now will never look after you nor regard you But pray the Lord in mercy to turn thy heart to give thee an heart to come back unto him Obj. But I have wandered so long that I shall never be accepted nor welcomed although I should come back Sol. Say not so But consider well of these ensuing particulars 1. The Lord saith That he hath been found of them that sought him not and will he not then be found of them that return and seek him Si peccanti quid penitenti si erranti quid quâ—renti If he looks after thee then will he not look on thee now 2. There was never awandering lost Soul that ever returned back to his Fathers House but the door hath been opened to him and he hath found mercy the Prodigal here Manasses Paul c. 3. If thou hast a heart to turn home it is a certain sign that God intends thee mercy he hath put returning thoughts in thee because he hath already contrived thoughts of mercy towards thee We love him because he loved us first we turn to him because he first turned to us 4. The Lord God hath sent Jesus Christ from Heaven to look after and to find and to save that which was lost Now though thou canst not expect to find the door opened for thine own sake yet thou shalt see the door open and the Armes of Mercy open to thee for Christs sake 5. How many messengers and servants hath God and doth God still send after which cry earnestly unto thee Come back return and live Thus the Gospel cries thus Conscience cries thus all thy mercies cry thus all thy afflictions cry If God be yet seeking after thee thou mayst yet be found and if thou wilt seek and wait a while thy poor lost soul shall also be found 6. God hath chalked out the wayes and steps of returning home to him 7. God hath found men in their blood and hath said unto them Live Ezek. 6. For this my Son was dead and is alive again These words do hold forth a pithy description of a sinners conversion that is a passage from death to life or a mutation from a dead condition into a living condition the estate of sin is a dead estate yea a deadly estate and the state of Grace is a living estate yea a lively estate There any many Doctrinal Propositions which are couched in these words As 1. That an impenitent or unconverted man is a dead man This my Son was dead 2. That when a sinner is converted he is then made a live And is alive 3. That God doth sometimes convert a very great and notorious sinner This this my Son 4. That great afflictions are sometimes the means of a great sinners Conversion This my Son was 5. That there is an almighty power required to convert or change a sinner As much as
c. At a Funeral Feast there is no mirth because the Master of the house is dead Ah weep over thy Father over thy Son the Master of the house is dead his precious soul is dead Thy pity can do a dead body no good but it may do a dead soul some good especially if you take in the next Duty which is 3. Pray for the dead I mean not in the Popish sense they Pray for the Dead you know pray for souls departed supposing them to be in Purgatory where the pains as they say are intollerable equal to them in Hell and the souls are deprived of the vision of God and therefore their Priests and others often pray for them and upon the Graves they inscribe Pray for the soul of such a one and on his soul Jesu have mercy But this is a wicked superstition We acknowledge no Purgatory and no need of Prayers for souls departed yet we hold Prayers requisite for one another whiles we are upon the earth And because some are dead whiles they live O pray to the Lord for them Lord Jesu have mercy upon the soul of my Husband Child Wife O convert them quicken them from the dead suffer them not their poor souls to die for ever When Steven was to die he prayed for those that were spiritually dead When Christ was dying he also prayed for them And Monica the Mother of Austin prayed for him and all of them were heard Object But I have prayed but yet no good comes of it Sol. Pray still as long as there is life and as long as there is prayer there is hope It will be an excellent comfort to thee and eternal happiness to thy friend if thou canst at length by thy prayers prevail with God to deliver that one soul from death Use the means by wâ—ich you may be quickned 4. If the Lord hath opened any of your eyes but to see what your spiritual condition is that you are yet in your graves yet dead in treâ—passes and sâ—â—s my advice unto you is this Go use the means by which your dead souls may be quickned Object Why but this is ridiculous to bid a dead man do work go stir do any thing Sol. I answer 1. There is a difference twixt a man corporally dead and a man spiritually dead The former can do no action whatsoever neither spiritual nor civil nor natural the latter though he can do nothing in spirituals yet for the other he may and can 2. You must distinguish twixt a spiritual action and an action which brings to a spiritual means He cannot convert his own heart yet he hath power to hear the Word which can 'T is true that a wicked unconverted man cannot exert any one spiritual action nevertheless he hath liberty and power to go to Church and hear a Sermon Why use this power and this liberty to come to the Pool where the Angel stirs to come to the Ordinances where God is pleased to quicken and raise the dead 3. When thou art under a spiritual Ordinance thou art under the voice of Christ himself who hath said That the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live And truly let me tell thee That the Voice of Jesus Christ in his Word hath not only a power to find a lost man but also to quicken a dead man I have finished the first Proposition out of these words viz. Luk. 15. 24. That the unconverted man is a dead man I now proceed to the second which is this That every converted man is a living man When the sinner Doct. 2. Every converted man is a living man is converted he is then made alive Conversion is a Sinners Life So the Text This my son is alive again It is reported of Similis Captain of the Guard to the Emperour Adrian that he retired from the Court into the Countrey seven years before his death and caused this to be written on his Tomb Hiâ— jacet Similis cuâ—us aet as multoruâ— annorum â—uit ipse septem duntaxat annos vixit For so many years only was he converted We count the length of our lives from the time of our birth and we must count the life of our souls from the time of our new birth said Hierom. It is frequent in Scripture to stile converted persons living persons or persons made alive Rom. 6. 13. Yield your selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead Chap. 8. v. 10. If Christ be in you the spirit is life because of righteousness Gal. 2. 20. I live saith Paul Col. 2. 13. You who were dead in your sins hath he quickned For the advantagious discussion of this Point I shall briefly open unto you 1. What Life that is which the converted sinner attains unto 2. How it may appear that he is invested with such a Life and why 3. Then the useful Application of all this unto our selves 1. What Life that is wherewith the converted man is invested What is the life of a converted sinner A four-fold life Natural Sol. I speak only of that Life incident unto man which is four-fold 1. Life natural which is a power to move and act I count not my life dear unto me said Paul Act. 20. 24. All that a man hath he will give for his life Job 1. This is the Life of Nature and every man good or bad enjoys it 2. Life connatural which is a prosperous fruition of our Lives Life connatural with peace contentment and comfortable successes in the external matters and affairs of our life This also is possibly incident to all sorts of men 3. Preternatural which is a death Preternatural rather than a life A sinfull life a life acted under the power and motion of sinfull lusts I was alive once said Paul Rom. 7. In this respect wicked and ungodly men only are alive 4. Supernatural Supernatural a divine life a new life a life in Christ and from Christ and to Christ Of which there are two parts and they are proper only to converted persons 1. There is the Life of Grace which they enjoy in this world 2. There is the Life of Glory which they enjoy in the world to come called often in Scripture eternal life The Text speaks of the first of these The The life of Grace is The life of Justification converted sinner is invested with the Life of Grace And this again is branched into the life of 1. Justification for when a sinner is justified he is then in the condition of life The unjustified man is a dead man for he lies under the sentence of death and the justified man is a living man he is passed from death to life the Lord takes off the sentence of eternal death from him He shall not die for the sins which he hath committed for I have pardoned all his sins and now he shall live and not die saith the Lord. 2. Sanctification
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
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
sufficient to break the Cable thou canst not pluck up the plant and shalt thou be able to pull up the Oak thou art not able to extinguish the rising of a sinful thought and wilt thou ever be able to convert a sinful nature And tel me seriously doth thy sinful power decrease by sinful actings In civil trading the stock is sometimes diminished but in sinful tradings sin increaseth the more in strength by how much the more is it laid out in sinning and the more that sinful power increaseth the more need is there of a greater power to convert the heart If the weakest sinner doth need an almighty power to convert him O what an almighty almighty power doth the strong sinner doth the long sinner need for his Conversion 3. If an almighty power be required to the Conversion of a If you would be converted look after aâ— almighty Power sinner then if ever you would be converted look to that which is more then a finite power If thou wouldst have thy self converted or any who belong to thee converted do not expect it from men or means Friends may desire conversion and Ministers may preach the doctrine of Conversion but it is God only who can effect the work of Conversion I spake unto thy Disciples said that troubled man about his possessed child to cast him out and they could not Mar. 9. 18. I confess we must use spiritual means we must hear we must pray we must confer but if you think that any of these nuda virtute by their own natural power can convert you are deceived It is not the word but God by the word the power of God to salvation it is not prayer but God to whom ye pray it is not the minister but God who sends the minister who is able to enlighten thy mind to quicken thy conscience to convert thy heart Turn thou me and I shall be turned said Ephraim Jer. 31. 18. So say thou O Lord thou art the living God thou only art the Lord of life I come to thee to convert mee unto thee I hear I read I confer I meditate on arguments I purpose and yet I am not converted Ministers deal with me and Friends deal with me and Mercies deal with me and Afflictions deal with me and Ordinances deal with me and yet I am not converted O Lord I am without strength and they are without strength but thou art not without strength No power less then thine will be sufficient for my Conversion Now O Lord reveal thine arm stretch out thine hand O pity speak quicken turn save one sinner more nothing is too hard for thee thou didst make a world by thy mouth and thou wilt raise the dead by thy word O speak but one word and my dead soul shall live 4. Doth the coâ— version of a sinner depend upon an almighty power then let us not despair of a mighty sinner nor yet let a mighty sinner despair Despair not of a mighty sinner of a possibility of Conversion God hath an almighty Power to condemn a sinner therefore let him not presume God hath an almighty Power to convert a sinner therefore let no sinner despair 5. Then if any of you be converted Bless God for it we Bless God for our conversion could never do it it is God and God alone who hath done it there are reasons why God reserves the power of a sinners Conversion to himself alone 1. That men should seek to him alone for it If God alone had not all the power of giving he should lose of all the duty in praying and asking 2. That he alone may have all the glory and praise Comfort to us that God converts by an almighty Power 6. This is of exceeding Comfort to us That it belongs to the almighty power of God to convert a sinner For 1. That power is power sufficient 2. It ever abides in God 3. It is accompanied with an exceeding willingness if thou seekest to him thou shalt find his will to be as great as his power he is as willing as he is able to convert thee thou canst not come with a more exceptable petition This my son was dead and is alive again Luke 15. 24. These words comprehend in them if I mistake not a most exact discription of a sinners conversion both 1. In the general nature of it that it is a perfective change Was and Is was dead and is alive 2. And in the differential or proper ingredients of it which are couched in these words is alive again In which three distinguishing ingredients of conversion are espiable namely That it is a Change 1. Very great and notable The inlivening of a dead man is so 2. Very secret and internal the puting of life into a dead man is so 3. Very spreading and universal when a dead man is made alive it is so I confess that every one of these particulars doth merit a full and large discourse but because I desire to open unto you the true nature of conversion at the first in as narrow a compass as I can I shall therefore endeavour to draw all these goodly truths into one little Map that so you may be the better able to â—nderstand and remember them With your favour I will grasp them into this one Proposition That true Conversion is a change a very great and inward Doct. 6. True conversion is a change a great inward and Universal Change It is a Change and universal change You plainly see four things in this Assertion which offer themselves to our consideration 1. True Conversion is a change was dead and is alive certainly here is a change Ego sum ego said the Harlot here was no Conversion Ego non sum ego answered the young man here was conversion for here was a change There may be a was and an is without a change Christ was God and is God Revel 1. 8. And in many men the was and the is are without a change They were ignorant and are ignorant still they were filthy and are filthy still Rev. 22. 11. But if a man be converted the was and the is are different they are changed I was a Persecutor said Paul but being converted he is not so such were some of you said Paul of the Corinthians but ye are washed but ye are sanctified Now when I say that Conversion is a change you must know that there is a two-fold Change One is Substantial which alters the substance of man as in Generation and in Corruption of which the Philosophers speak Conversion is no such change the soul and body of a man remaines the selfe same substance before and after Conversion It was the same Paul who Was a Persecutor and Is a Preacher of Christ As in the Sacrament it is the same Bread for substance after Consecration which it was before Consecration So is it the same man for the Philosophical substance before and after conversion
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
a narrow path and under the straitest rules even such as condemn and cut off a world of pleasures and delights can that condition be very joyful which denies us the fruition of many joyes and delights 3. Conversion breeds the deepest sense of sin and the greatest mourning for sins Nothing makes the heart more mournful then converting grace See Zach. 12. 10. Can that condition be so very joyful which makes the heart so exceeding mournful 4. We see no persons walk more uncomfortably then at least some converted persons Yet the estate is joyful though the man is not alwayes so God is a God of comfort and they can pray for comfort comfort O Lord thy servants soul But more fully Object 1. No persons are so exposed to afflictions and persecutions as converted persons and these do deprive us of joy and How can this condition be joyful that is so exposed to afflâ—ctions Answered comfort To thâ—s I answer 1. It is a truth that Conversion doth expose a person to most afflictions and persecutions Many are the afflictions of the righteous saith David Psal 34. 19. All that will live godly in Christ Jesus must suffer persecution saith Paul 2 Tim. 3. 12. Filii lucis are Filii crucis and Christianus is Crucianus said Luther In the World you shall have troubles said Christ to his Disciples and the Disciple is not above his Master if the Master dyed upon the Cross is it much that the Disciple take up the Cross Nevertheless in the second place as it was emblem'd in Reverend Hoopers Motto There was a Lamb in a flaming Bush with the Sun shining upon it or as it was with the three Children though they were in a fiery Furnace yet the Son of God walked with them and preserved them So though converted persons meet with many afflictions there is yet a spring of joy a Sun of comfort open unto them therefore heed me 1. Afflictions and persecutions do only take away the Christians outward comforts The Shell not the Kernel the Case not the Afflictions only take away their outward comforts Jewel which neither make nor marr the joy and comfort of a converted person they do not take away the true principles of comfort There are three sorts of comforts Sensual which are drawn out of our sinful lusts Conversion is an enemy to these Sensitive which are drawn out of the creatures affliction is an enemy to these Spiritual which are drawn out of the favour of God the blood of Christ the Testimony of a good conscience afflictions cannot hinder these and only a sinful unconversion is an enemy to these The Winter freezeth up the Ponds but not the Ocean the winds blow out the Candle but not the Sun An Unconverted man may have an exemption from all outward Afflictions and yet have no inward Joy for although he hath peace with men yet he hath no peace with God and although he hath no trouble upon his Estate yet he may have terror upon his Conscience But a Converted man although he be compassed with outward Sorrows nevertheless he hath inward Joy though all the Candles be blown out yet I am Comforted as long as the Sun doth shine There are two sorts of evils there are mala tristia mala turpia afflictions are only Sorrowful evils as to ouâ— sense they are not Sinful evils as to our conscience Now no evil is able to take away spiritual comfort unless it be a sinfull evil I confess that did a godly man look upon creature comforts as his bonum ultimum as that which made him happy then afflictions would be inconsistent with his joy he might well cry out as Micah once Ye have taken away my gods and what have I more But he doth not so It is not the Creature but the Creator which is the foundation of his Happiness and joy A man may be Bad who hath them and Good who wants them If we had hope only in this life saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 15. we were of all men the most miserable I wish that you would or could give credit unto two things one is That that only makes the estate comfortable which denominates it to be good for nothing can be truly delightful but what is truly good The other is That there is a greater power in the presence of the chiefest good to make the Soul joyful then there can be in the recess or absence of the least kind of good to make it uncomfortable Were Afflictions the greatest evils and were Creatures the best good then joy could not consist with afflictions but God is the chiefest good and the Christian enjoyes him under all afflictions as his inseparable good Ergo. 2. As Afflictions do not take off the Times of afflictions are his most proper seasons for joy Christians true joy so the times of afflictions are oft times the most proper seasons for joy and comfort to his soul There are three seasons of special comforts which God is pleased to reserve for his servants one is after great temptations or to prepare against them as that Voice This is my well beloved Son came to Christ immediately before his temptation The second is after great Humiliations God who comforts them that are cast down saith Paul 2 Cor. 7. 6. The Angel comforted Christ after his Agony the Cordial comes after the Physick The third is before and under great afflictions and tryals Paul was to appear before Nero but first God appeared to him saying Be of good cheer Paul He is come he is come said the Martyr when he saw the stake and Stephen saw heaven opened before he dyed The comforts of heaven came into his heart just before the stones were thrown at him to dash out his brains 2 Cor. 1. 3. Blessed be God even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Father of mercies and God of all comforts who comforteth us in all our tribulations for as our sufferings abound so our Consolation aboundeth through Christ Is not the night a season to light a Candle and is not weakness the season to give a Cordial and is not the winter a season to make a Fire When doth or can the Christian more need the comforts of God then when all comforts on earth do fail him 3. As afflictions deprive not the Christian of the true principles of Joy so neither Afflictions cannot hinder his principles of Joy from acting in a way of comfort can they hinder those principles in himself from acting in a way of comfort There are two principles especially in the Christian which enable him to joy and comfort One is Faith It is still Day and never Night with Faith the Star shines best in the night Believing ye rejoyced with joy unspeakable and full of Glory 1 Pet. 1. 8. Now Faith can act very comfortably in uncomfortable times it can see the same God with the same Love and in the same Covenant and in the same Relation
say of these men Write them comfortless Will the Lord lye for you Or will he misplace his hands for you Peace is the effect of righteousness and Joy is the fruit of Conversion And shalt thou have pleasure who takest pleasure in unrighteousness Shalt thou know the wayes of Peace who wilt not know the path of Holiness Did ever God smile on him who hated God Or clasp him with joy who despised his grace with hatred Go enquire and search all the Springs of joy and knock at all the Gates of pleasure diligâ—ntly ask What of delight they contain for thee Knock at the mercy-seat which is the Gate of God and ask Lord hast thou not joy for one who will go on in his sins and will not return unto thee No saith God not any but he who â—orsakes his sins shall have mercy and he who hardens his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28. 13 14. Knock at the Gospel which is the gate of Christ and ask Blessed Jesu hast thou no word of comfort for him who resists thy spirit and will not come in unto thee No not I saith Christ not any thou despisest the goodness of God and by thy impenitency and hardness treasurest unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Knock at conscience which is the gate of thine own soul and ask O conscience hâ—st thou not a word of peace to speak to one who loves his sins and is an enemy to God and godliness Who I saith conscience not I thou art an enemy of righteousness and in the gall of bitterness and except thou repent thou shalt certainly perish Knock at the Scriptures which are the Gate of truth and ask May not the wicked and unconverted person suck at the brests of your consolation are not thâ—se wells of salvation open for me to draw joy and comfort out of Oh no say the promises we are childrens bread and legacies for sons if thou be a believer we are a Fountain opened for thee if thou be an unbeliever we are a Fountain sealed against thee Knock at the Creatures which are the Gate of Providence and ask Have ye no Commission of Comfort for one who cares not to remember his Creator O no say all the Creatures Sin long ago hath cast thee out of Paradise and turned the earth into a curse and thy blessings are cursed and thy sinnings do poison all the flowers in our Garden unto thee Nay Knock at thy very Sins which are the Gate of Hell and ask them Ye of all other are my dearest friends and choicest masters and have ye no Joyes and Comforts for me O yes say they we have but they are forbidden fruit but they are pleasures of sin for a season but they will end in everlasting torments and sorrow Thus is every wicked and unconverted man in Cains condition who cryed out Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth Gen. 4. 14. 2. That they are enemies and slanderers of the goodness and They are slanderers of the sweetness of Gods ways who thus reproach the state of Conversion sweetness of the wayes of God who load the estate of Conversion with all the ignominious reproaches of sadness and heaviness and mopishness and melancholy and bitterness and grave of all joy and pleasure As the Spies of old traduced the good and pleasant land of Caâ—aan which abounded with milk and hony O it was a land that did eat up the Inhabitants thereof But as God spake once to Aaron and Miriam How were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses so I to these How are ye not afraid to reproach the wayes of the living God Is not God the God of comfort Is not Christ the consolation of Israel Is not the Holy Ghost the comforter are not the Scriptures written for our consolation are not the Promises the breasts of Consolation are not all the pathes of Wisdome pathes of pleasantness are not the Graces of God the very beds of Spices Is not the peace of Conscience a peace that passeth all understanding Doth David find the Word sweeter then the hony comb Doth Job find it better then his appointed food Doth Jeremiah find it the Rejoycing of his heart Doest thou read of so many Converted persons in Scripture full of joy and gladness rejoycing in Christ rejoycing in the hope of the Glory of God reâ—oycing in Troubles in Persecutions yea in Death it self and yet darest thou to revile and scandalize the converted mans condition as the only sea of Bitterness and darkest night eclipsing all joy and comfort I pray thee to consider 1. This doth arise from the gall of thy wicked and imbittered Spirit hating and despising the goodly excellencies of holiness and holy persons 2. It doth shew a cursed heart to call good evil as it doth to call evil good and as he that justifies the Wicked so he that condemns the just is an abomination to the Lord How much more then he who condemns Righteousnes it self 3. This doth shew an Universal rage against Gods glory and mans happiness So heavily dost thou load the pathes of Conversion that so much as in thee lies thou disswadest and discouragest all the men on earth from leaving off their sins so that God shall have no Glory from them nor they any true happiness from God 4. And lastly Take heed least God deal with thee as once he did with the lying spies shut them out of Canaan and destroyed them with a remarkable Judgment 3. That they have hitherto deluded and deceived themselves with false joy in stead of true joy who as yet never saw a converted They who never were converted delude themselves with false joy condition All thy mirth and joy hath been but false fire a madness not a joyfulness sparkles of thy own kindling thou hast fed on the husks all this while on a fancy on a Dream thou hast never in all thy life took in one draught of true â—oy nor ever shalt thou till God convert thy soul Take heed of setling your souls or resting your souls on any works or any affections which are antecedent to conversion even the sorrows and troubles before conversion are no matter of joy and comfort if any joy depends on them it is rather because conversion hath followed them and the joys which many men take before their conversion certainly they are false joys poor joys they are not pleasures of Gods right hand There are three properties of true Joy 1. It is not the Vsher which goes before but the Handmaid that follows after Grace 2. It is not a Surfet to dead but a Cordial to strengthen and it is not a Feast to satisfie but a Sawce to quicken communion with God 3. It is not a temptation to sin but upholds against the new temptations of sin True Joy never goes
before true Grace but follows it Do you use to gather fruit before you plant or reap before ye sow 4. Then if ever you would have joy and live joyfull If you would have joy get converted hearts lives get converted hearts Every man desires joy and as the Bee hunts for honey so do men naturally hunt for delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut jucunde aut non omninò Let the thing or condition be what it will if we take no delight in it it is a burthen to us Heaven would not be Heaven to him who cannot find delight in it Now Conversion is the true path to true joy If God would be pleased once to convert thy soul his converting Grace would lick thy sores and pull out the stings in Conscience and sweeten the bitter Springs and clear the Heavens to thee it would make thy bed to be easie and thy bread to be sweet and thy condition to be a Paradise even the Wilderness should drop honey to thee and thy heart should sing for joy It is a witty passage of Bernards de bonis deferendis Be willing to sacrifice thy Isaac and thy Isaac shall live Isaac you know signifies laughter do but sacrifice thy sinfull pleasure and then thy true pleasure shall not die but live Caius gave unto Agrippa a Chain of Gold which was as heavy as the Chain of Iron that he endured in the Prison Sins do â—ut upon us a Chain of Iron which if we would forsake Conversion would put upon as a Chain of Gold thou shalt not lose but better thy pleasures by forsaking of thy sins and the pleasures of them O! that all the joys which you have heard attending a converted condition might allure all our hearts to become converted persons I observe five things about the converted condition in Scripture 1. The invitation unto it and there joy presents it self Turn and live turn and live hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Isa 55. 2. 2. The entrance into it and there joy embraceth the person As soon as the Prodigal Son returned his Father saw him a far off O how quick is Mercy to espy a Convert and had compassion O how tender is Mercy to yern over a Convert and ran O how swift is Mercy to receive a Convert and fell on his neck O how how out-stretching is Mercy to embrace a Convert and kissed him O how kind is Mercy to entertain a Convert 3. The motion or course of it and there joy attends the person I have rejoyced saith David Psal 119. 14. in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches When a converted man doth Mediate his meditation is stiled sweet Hear he hears With joy When they heard this they were glad Pray this is a sweet incense to David And I will make them joyfull in my house of prayer Isa 56. 7. Believe he doth believe and rejoice Mourn there is appointed the oyâ— of joy for mourning Isa 61. 3. Do the will of God it is his delight to do the will of God Suffer Rejoyce saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 4 13. in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings 4. The conclusion or end of it why there also doth joy accompany him Psal 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace 5. The reward and recompence of it and there also joy doth clasp the converted person Enter into thy Masters joy saith Christ to the good servant Gaudium supra omne gaudium At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore said David Oâ— that all these things might so affect our hearts this day as to forsake our sins and turn back to God Pleasure is the great â—â—it which is laid forth to catch the soul of man Satan draws us to sin by pleasure and God draws us to grace by pleasure shall pleasure move thee to damn thy soul and shall not true pleasure move thee to save thy soul Our Aversion from God depends much upon pleasure and our Conversion unto God depends much upon pleasure me thinks that Gods promise should be more accounted then the Divels temptation is it not more probable to buy a better penniworth from heaven then from hell and is it not more reasonable to traffick at the gates of life for joy then to trade at the gates of death for comfort Return return O sinner yet yet come back to thy God and do not for lying vanities any longer forsake thine own mercies But God must perswade Japhet Try whether you are in a converted condition or no. There Vse 2. Try whether converted or no. Nine things shew a man is unconverted are two sorts of persons 1. Some plainly unconverted 2. Some deceiving themselves about it Nine things do shew that a man is as yet absolutely in an unconverted condition 1. Vnsensibleness God promiseth to take away the stony heart quanto insensibilior tanto pe jor This is the Stone upon the Grave 2. Love of sin Wicked men are described by this in ScriptuÌ„re 3. Walking in the path of sin It is his work his trade when a man chuseâ—h an evil way and sits in the Chair is a servant of unrighteousness walks in the way fo wicked men 4. Hating to be reformed It is an abomination to him to be good that will rather be damned then reformed breaks the Cords will not have Christ to reign 5. Despising of the means of Conversion The word of the Lord is a reproach to him his heart rageth when the word finds out his sins and would separate him and his lusts 6. Loathing of converted persons cannot endure the sight of grace his special dislikes are of the godly and disgraces and discountenancings of them he is exceedingly displeased and grieved at the estimations of godliness and rejoyceth in the cloudings and setting of it 7. In communion with God It is a note of a wicked man that God is not in all his thoughts and that he call not upon God but is a stranger to him the stil-born child is a dead child 8. Disvaluations of Jesus Christ and of all the precious seasons of grace and opportunities of mercy the Swine tramples upon the Pearl the dayes of the Son of man are of no account with him 9. An earthly rest and satisfaction When he is a man only for this life and for this present world sets up his staff on this side Jordan all his hopes are in this life Secondly Five things which do shew that a man flatters and Five things shew a man deceived about his conversion deceives himself about his condition that it is converted when yet it falls short thereof 1. Meer knowledg though a man knows never so much yet if he be but a knowing man he may be a learned man but he is not a converted man It is one thing to know controversies another thing to know
so for other duties 5. Spiritual joy will exceedingly It will exceddingly facilitate the way and work to heaven facilitate the way and work for heaven It is our facundus Comes which is pro Vehiculo As the fear of the Lord is our treasure Isa 33. 6. So the joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8. 10. An heavy dull sad spirit is a burden ofâ— it self and is very apt to make every thing else a burden Now spiritual joy it takes off dulness and deadness and enables us to run the way of Gods Commandments and to run the race that is set before us Amanti nihil difficile it makes our spiritual work to come off the Wheels run if oyled Quest This is true will some reply but what should converted What should converted persons do to walk joyfully persons do that they may walk joyfully Sol. There are two sorts of converted persons Incipientes who are newly called newly wrought on newly brought home and these ordinarily are full of fears of doubts of temptations of conflicts of heaviness Proficientes who are long standers in the wayes of grace Will you favour me to speak a few words to either of these 1. To persons newly converted I would humbly present Directions To persons newly converted these directions as proper means or Conduits of joy and comforts to their souls 1. Draw up your spiritual condition to some issue Do not live with a doubtful suspition perhaps you are converted perhaps Draw up your Spirituall condition to some Issue you are not converted As ignorance is an enemy to grace so doubtfulness is an enemy to comfort That man who is still in suit whether his Conversion be true will not dare to lay claim to the joyes which result from Conversion If I fear my grace I shall much more fear my comfort Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Therefore do this bring thy souls estate to the word that is the rule that is the fire that is the touchstone if the Word of God will approve and decide for thee bless God and maintain the truth of thy spiritual estate against all the suggestions of Satan and cavils of thine own heart when once that doth say truth of grace is in thee conscience will say truth of comfort belongs unto thee 2. Get a little more faith one dram more would turn the the scale and settle thine heart Faith trades with the Fountain Get a little more saith with the God of Comfort and of Peace and with Jesus Christ It is Faith that lets you into Christ and it is Faith which lets comfort into you The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15. 13. There are five priviledges of Faith It hath the first look of Mercy it hath the first kiss from Christ it hath the first news of acceptance unto Life it hath the first answer of Peace it hath the first draught of Joy Oh get a little more faith a little more faith would weaken the grounds of thy fears quell the motions of thy doubts clear thy way to the fountains of comfort imprint on thy heart a most joyful Communion with thy God and Christ no life of joy but that of faith 3 And Learn to live by faith and then you will have more Learne to live by faith joy and comfort Four things would make a mans life very joyfull and comfortable 1. If he were eased of all burthens 2. If he were secured from all prejudices 3. If what he had were good and enough 4. If he were assured that whatsoever good he should need of that he should not fail but be supplied with it in due time Now the life of faith 1. Easeth you of all your burthens There are but two burthens upon us 1. The sinfull Faith sees this taken off by Christ He bare our sins 2. The earthly of cares Faith sees Gods providence taking that off The Lord is a Sun c. Psal 84. I will never leave thee Heb. 13. Bread shall be given to him his waters shall be sure Isa 33. 16. Cast your care on him for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. 2. Secures you against all prejudices and hurts Faith finds us still in Gods hands and in a safe custody Though there be evils in the world yet they shall not come nigh you and his work goes on though ours do not God is with you who can be against you There 's a Deluge but Noah's in the Ark a storm but you are in an hiding place He holds you in his hand and covers you under his wings makes all things to work for good Faith sees the Trouble and the Sanctuary both Occurrences and Providence both ruling carrying on observing watching preserving If Earth won't keep you safe Heaven shall 3. It renders the present possession as good and enough Your portion is so For what is a Christians portion Is not God is not his favour And is not God enough is not his favour better then life He who cannot be contented with a God and a Christ and a Covenant of Grace and Heaven will be satisfied with nothing You have but little of Earth Aâ— but you have God and Christ If a man have but a little Garden yet if he have a large field c. A little of Earth and much of Heaven makes a fair Estate 4. It assures you of supplies universal and seasonable Vniversal I shall not want Psal 23. 1. No good thing will he withhold Psal 84. 11. No good for soul no good for body you have his Bonds for both and this is for life Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Psal 23. Nay for everlastingness I will marry thee to my self for ever Hos 2. 19. 2. Seasonable In an acceptable time c. In the mount God will be seen 4. Get a little more understanding and judgment about your converted Get more understanding and judgment about your converted condition and gracious condition Shall I help thee a little with a few Considerations and Informations Know then 1. The great Fountain of thy Joy lies more in thy Justification then in thy Sanctification Thou hast not so much Holiness as another but thou hast of Christs Righteousness thou canst not apprehend so strongly but thou art apprehended as strongly Christ lays as fast hold of thee 2. That Grace and Weakness may dwell together It may be very true though very weak the smoaking flax and the bruised reed and the grain of mustard-seed A Father hath one Child in the Cradle and another in the Shop a Shepheard hath Lambs in the flock as well as Sheep the Gardiner hath Plants as well as Trees and Christ hath Babes as well as strong Men belonging to him 3. That the least Grace and the great Love of God do go together The little drop of Grace comes out of the Ocean of his great Love