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
heart to yield unto God and to give up its weapons of lusts The which grace if God infuseth at any time whether before or under or after afflictions then the sinner doth not wander in the paths of perversness nor doth he hold out so long but in stead of trying all ways to continue in his sins he will speedily assay all the ways to be freed from them As left unto his own corrupt spirit and the projects contrivances and ways thereof And thus it is with him like a besieged enemy which will retreat from hold to hold and dispute every inch of ground before he will give up the City So is it with the sinner his heart will devise one defence after another and he hath yet another shift though he be many times hardly beset in his name or in his estate or in his body yea or in his conscience And God doth narrowly watch over him and doth spoil him of his many false confidences and deals more smartingly with him to yield and return yet he hath not onely much subtilty of spirit behind to delude all but also he hath exceeding stubbornness of spirit to oppose all the means which are used for his conversion 2. We must distinguish of the ways whereby God doth deal with a sinner which are of two sorts Some are Victorious ways Distinguish of the wayes whereby God doth deal with a sinner wherein the Lord undertakes the conquest of the heart himself by the immediate power of his own grace to pluck down strong holds and to cast down high imaginations upon which as the conversion of a sinner doth infallibly ensue so likewise presently and speedily for this way exceeds the strength of rebellion in sin and in despite of it overcomes the heart It is the stronger man dispossessing and the stronger hand pulling us out of the powers of darkness Others are Moral wayes which consist onely in external means not in the infusing of grace but rather in the proposal of it and invitations thereto by counsel reproof threats rewards and seconding this proposal with some or many miseries the Proposition That a sinner will use all the wayes and methods ere he will return from his sins is to be understood onely when God deals with him in a moral way by the presence of means onely not otherwise for which his corrupt heart may be too strong 3. We must distinguish of turning from sin It is two-fold either Distinguish of turning from sin Hypocritical and feigned and thus many times at the first upon the very denunciation of a Judgement as Ahab or upon the perception of it as Jeroboam when his hand was struck evil men may seem to confess and to grieve and to forsake sin and to seek unto the Lord and pretend to serve him Real and solid when the heart is truly affected with a sound detestation of sin and the occasions thereof and with a sincere affection of love to God and endeavour of new obedience Though the former may be acted by the sinner without the applying of himself to the utmost extremities yet the latter is not 4. There are two sorts of sins in a person Some which are more useless either for the profit or for the pleasure of the sinner There are two sorts of sins in a person they are not the favourites Others are more special which are wrought into singular affection the custome of practise and the much experience of their damnable delights and revenues have exceedingly indeared the soul unto them Though a sinner might more easily be upon parting terms with an unprofitable servant an unserviceable sin yet when the divorce is to be made twixt him and his special lust the sin of his love and affection the sin which lies in his bosome this he will not easily part with A man will endure much pain ere he will part with his right hand or suffer his right eye to be pluckt out he will stir much and rage much and project much and adventure much ere he will be perswaded to let this Benjamin go from him 5. There are two kinds of subsistence One is comfortable wherein There are two kinds of subsistence a person hath many supports even of a chearfull and a plentifull living his cup runs over and his head is anointed with oil Another is ubsolute when there is no more then to keep soul and body together The proposition is true even in this latter sense That a sinner though God doth shave off and suspend all the comforts of his life and doth reduce him so short that there remains no more then upon what he can live if there remains but any one sprig on which he can take hold if he can devise any one method of safety so that he may imagin I shall yet live and be safe though I go on in sin he will not turn in unto God now and leave his sins but will live the basest of lives rather then he will relinquish the worst of lives a sinful life he will walk in rags and beg his bread and leave all his friends and become an out-cast and a comparison of the most ignoble and infamous wretches rather then c. 6. This proposition holds true of all sorts of extremities Inward This true of all sorts of Extremities in those of conscience a sinner oft-times will rather endure the sharp edge of the Word which speaks nothing but wrath and bitterness yea he will live under the galling Items severe frowns bitter accusations intolerable scourgings and terrours and condemnations of his conscience though his conscience many times upbraids him in society amazeth him asleep terrifies him in the dark condemns him for a wretch and claps on him the apprehensions of Hell which makes the foundation of his soul to quake yet it falls out frequently that he will not turn from his sinful course Outward in all the kinds of misery A mans sinful wayes may be like the putrifyings of the hody which beget the worms that eat it out and consume it so the sinnings of a person many times do rot and consume his name yea all his estate yea all his amity yea all his strength and yet through the affectionate combination of his heart with sin he may rather indure infamy scorns poverty desertion of friends famine and nakedness any thing rather then he will leave his sin the wicked know no shame Pharaoh did not set his heart for all this c. 7. Lastly This is true not only in a transcient and passionate This true not only in a transient and passionate sense But in a more permanent and deliberate sens sense when through the rage of some present distemper and fury a person will hear no counsel this is true of Nations as well as Persons nor regard any dealing but is violently on a sudden carried away with the strong tide or storm rather of his foolish mind and passions But it holds true likewise
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
in the time of Performance An Unworthy person may lawfully bee an earnest Suiter He Nor take off Confidence in the time of Performantâ— may put up requests and also believe that God will grant them See it in the Church Isa 64. 6. We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses as filthy rags c. Ver. 8. But now O Lord thou art our Father Ver. 9. Be not wrath very sore O Lord neither remember iniquity for ever behold see we beseech thee we are all thy people So Psal 25. 11. For thy Names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great He was sensible of the greatness of his sin yet puts up a believing Petition for pardon 3. Nor yet take off our expectation of the success Nor take off our expectation of the Success and fruit of Prayer Though a man hath sown his seed with an hand perhaps foul or lame yet he expects an Harvest We may expect a most gracious and proper and seasonable answer to our ptayers though we be most unworthy of the mercy or blessing which we do desire Though we know nothing in our selves to commend us to God yea though we know enough in our selves to condemn us before God to non-suit all our prayers if the answers were to be given according to our deserts yet we may not only request the Lord but should by Faith rely on God yea and expect an answer what the Lord will answer us and when he will perform his promise to us 2. But you may demand Why should not the sense of our unworthiness prejudice our prayings Sol. I will give you divers Reasons for it Arguments to confirm it Though we cannot Sue in our own name yet we may in the Name of Christ 1. Because though we cannot Sue in our own name yet we may Sue in the Name of Christ There may be a worthiness For us though not In us In the Old Law it was a dangerous presumption for any man to offer a Sacrifice without a Priest Lev. 17. 3 4 5. such a person was to be cut off in like manner it is most dangerous for any man to offer up his prayers to God without Christ to come in his own name it is the way to cut off our prayers God will not take any petition from us unless it come out of the hands of our Master of requests .i. Christ Jesus And again in the Old Law if the Priest did offer up the Sacrifice though it were not a rich sacrifice of a Bullock or a Sheep if it were but a pair of Turtle Doves nay if it were but the tenth part of an Ephah of fine flour it was available for the person it was accepted Levit. 5. intimâ—ting unto us That it is not our own names not any excellencies in us which make way for the acceptance or the answer of our prayers they are accepted for his sake in whom our persons are accepted and therefore you read in Rev. 8. 3. of the Angel that stood at the Altar having a golden Censer who had much incense which he offered with the prayers of all Saints upon the golden Altar which was before the Throne The golden Altar and the golden Censer and much Incense make all accepted and ver 4. The smoke of the incense which came with the prayers of the Saints ascended up before God out of the Angels hand It was the Angels Incense which made even the prayers of the Saints to ascend .i. the meritorious intercession of Christ which giveth acceptance and audience to our Petitions as he is a sufficient Redeemer so is he a sufficient Intercessour and therefore our own Unworthiness must not prejudice or discourage us for as much as the name of Jesus Christ is enough to implead God withall 2. Secondly When we come to God in Prayer we come to one who is of a most liberal and gracious Nature therefore our God is of a most liberal and Gâ—acious nature unworthiness should not discourage our petitions That God is of a liberal Nature is unquestionable he is abundant in goodness and truth so Moses He will give grace and glory so David He giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not so Jam. 1. 5. Water comes not from the clouds as from a Pump a bountiful and noble Nature stands not on desert it finds principles enough within it self to shew kindness But which is yet more the Lord hath not only a nature full of goodness and most propense to give but also he hath a gracious Nature which dispenseth all good upon free terms not for our sake who receive but for his own sake only who gives As Gods liberality appears in giving many times before we ask and sometimes in giving more then we ask and sometimes in giving a better thing then we ask so his graciousness appears in not considering how worthy we are what Causes and Arguments we can bring but in a a free dispensation of his mercies to us without all desert or causality on our parts The whole cause of the mercy is only in mercy as in Deut. 9. 6. The Lord thy God doth not give thee this good land to possess it for thy righteousness for thou art a stiff-necked people The gift then was gracious no desert of it nay a desert of the contrary Come saith the Prophet ye that have no mony come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without mony and without price Isay 55. 1. If God doth not sell any of his mercies if he will take none of our coyn if he doth not stand upon a price but only upon the asking and on the acceptation of his gifts then our Unworthines doth not prejudice our prayers 3. We do not only advance the name of Christ and the name of divine Comming with the sence of unworthiness advanceth the name of Christ and is a necessary concomitâ— an â—cceptâ— Prayer Grace by comming with a sense of our Unworthiness but it is the necessary concomitant of acceptable prayer There are two singular Graces which must exercise themselves in prayer one is Faith by which we go in the name of another another is Humility by which we go out of our selves When Abraham prayes his form was humble I who am but dust and ashes When Jacob prayes his form was humble I who am not worthy of all the goodness and truth c. He hears the desire of the humble This poor man cried unto the Lord and he heard him When we pray to God we are said to fall down at his footstool not only our bodies but our souls also must fall down at his footstool And when do our soules fall down Then when they are fully affected with the sense of their own unworthiness If we would pray acceptably we must pray humbly If we would pray humbly we must be sensible of our own Unworthiness 4. God hath rejected the Prayer of such who have rested upon
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
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
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
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
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
tempore It is not every apprehension nor every transcient approbation but the Will must come to an obligation binding it self in a perpetual Covenant to Christ alone 4. An Union or Conjunction A Mutual Conjunction with Christ Before Marriage the persons were distinct and had no other relation but what was common to Nature but upon Marriage two are made one flesh 1 Cor. 6. 16. This is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh said Adam of his Wife Gen. 2. So when the soul is married unto Christ not only in respect of affection for love unites but likewise in respect of nature he that is joyned to the Lord is one Spirit saith the Apostle 1 Cor. 6. 17. That Nature which is in Christ it is participated of by him that is married unto Christ so that there doth arise upon this marriage the nearest and dearest relation of union that is in all the world 5. A faculty of right or interest Indeed Christs faculty over us is facultas Dominii facultas Influâ—ntiae A mutual Right a faculty of Dominion he hath a right to rule and guide us and a faculty of Influence he hath a right to teach and heal us Such a faculty of Soveraignty we have not over Christ yet we have â—acultatem Juris a faculty of Right or Interest which they call Jus in re or as others a faculty of propriety Though the Wife hath not a power of authority over her Husband yet she hath a power of propriety in her Husband that as he can say This is my Wife so she can say This is my Husband In like manner whosoever is marryed unto Christ he hath an interest in the person in the condition of Christ there hath passed such an intire and proper and peculiar and mutual resignation that he may say as the Church in the Canticles My Beloved is mine and I am his The married unto Christ gives up the right of his soul and body unto Christ O Lord Jesus all that I am all that I have all that I can do is thine and for thee 6. Lastly A mutual Society There is Society and â—se As marriage infers with it Co-habitation and Co-interest they dwell together and make use of either both persons and estates Thus is it when any person is married unto Christ there is a holy society and fellowship of him with Christ Christ dwels in him and he dwels in Christ Christ delights in him and he delights in Christ Christ makes use of him and he makes use of Christ If he wants grace or mercy or strength or peace or comfort why saith Christ I am thine I have them for thee make use of me And if Christ would use him in any service Lord saith the soul that is married to Christ If thou wilt have me to speak for thee I will speak for thee If thou wilt have me to do for thee I will do for thee if thou wilt have me to suffer for thee I will suffer for thee if thou wilt have me to dye for thee I will dye for the Name of Christ said Paul So that you see what the Ring in the Text may import namely the marriage of the soul unto Christ and what that is Quest 2. The next thing to be discussed is What that is What it is which marrieth us unto Christ viz. Faith which marryeth us unto Christ and that I told you was Faith The principal cause of this match is the Spirit of Jesus Christ but the internally instrumental cause is Faith I know you know the several acceptations of the word Faith I take it in the Habitual sense not in the Doctrinal and there too in the choice and eminent part I mean as restrained to Justifying and Saving of all other Graces in man this is it which makes How Faith doth it the match and draws up the marriage twixt the Soul and Christ And the manner how it doth effect it I conceive may be thus 1. By discovering the preheminent excellencies of Christ For By Discovering the excellencies of Christ till the soul can discern a better excellency in Christ then in any other thing it will never yield to match it self unto him Now Faith hath two Virtues One is to make the mind rightly to judge all sinful and worldly things as base and vile drâ—ss and dung Phil. 3. in comparison of Christ Another is to represent unto the soul the real and surpassing excellencies of Christ It is the Jacobs Staff which makes us to take the heigth and depth and breadth of the excellency of Christ that there is no Beloved like Christ he is the Choicest of ten thousand such a one in whom the God-Head dwels bodily full of Grace the holy One of God the brightness of the Fathers Image the Lord of Life the Prince of Glory the most excellent in himself and most complete and absolute for the Redemption and Salvation of a sinner 2. By subjecting the Judgment to the assent and approbation of By subjecting the Judgment to the Approbation of his excellency this excellent truth That none is like Christ for a sinner That he is the only Saviour and Redeemer and that such an offer of Jesus Christ unto a sinner is worthy of all acceptation the sinner is made for ever if he can get Christ and he perishes for ever if he enjoyes him not As a woman in a disposition to Marriage she considers of the person and his qualities and condition and thinks often This man hath choice parts in him a good estate I cannot better my self if I refuse him I see I may do very well if I match unto him Answerable effects doth Faith work in the soul it doth make the minde of a man to see the superlative excellency of Jesus Christ and to fall in liking of him and them Come I need a Saviour Christ is he and none else he is the Prince of my peace the Lord of my life his Nature is excellent Redemption sufficient and proper Laws righteous and good it is my wisdome it is my safety it is my salvation to accept of him and to bestow my soul on him 3. By inclining the will to consent and embrace the Lord Jesus For true Faith is not a meer notion but an operating grace it By inclining the will to embrace him is as light in the mind and as heat in the will there it is a singular representation and here it is an effectual inclination It is granted that to embrace or to be willing or to consent are the acts of the will but to embrace Christ with a conjugal consent to be willing to bestow our selves on him this comes from faith enabling the Will so to will Not by way of coaction for the Will cannot be compelled nor doth Faith work in a violent way though it works in an effectual way enabling the Will to a free election of Christ before all others i. predominant
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
unconverted man is of all men on the earth in the saddest vilest miserablest condition Why Because he is spiritually dead dead spiritually dead A wounded man is in a tedious condition and a diseased man is in a languishing condition but what is a wound to death what is a disease to death Me morienti mori Death is the Sun-set of all comfort Death is the drowning of a little world Death is the very Hermitage of forgetfulness and loathsome corruption Death is the lowest and vilest condition what then is a spiritual Death No Death like the spiritual Death O my friends consider spiritual Death either in comparison in its proper complexion Consider this death or in the consequents of it surely no Death no condition is so dismal as it 1. In comparison with any other In comparison with other death Death This is the worst this is the heaviest There is the Death of our Goods and Estate into which Job fell of our Name and Reputation into which David fell of our Bodies and natural Life into which Lazarus fell of the Soul the immortal soul of man into which every unconverted sinner is fallen Now what is a dead Estate to a dead Soul Or what is a dead Name to a dead Soul Or what is a dead Body to a dead Soul It is not so much as the death of a Dog to the death of a Man Every unconverted man hath a dead soul a converted man may have a troubled soul but the unconverted man hath a dead soul sin hath slain his precious soul If the soul be dead what is alive What is that man whose soul is dead In all other deaths something is alive if Goods be gone the Name lives if the Name be gone the Body lives if the Body be gone the Soul lives But if the Soul also be gone what lives 2. In it self Why spiritual Death is a total privation of God In iâ— self of Christ of Grace no life of God no life of Christ no life of Grace is there in any unconverted person none at all Ah poor wretch what art thou and what is thy condition who art thus dead A total corruption diffusion possession with sin S. Austin affirms That the very Vertues of the Heathens were but splendida peccata meer flowers on a dead man And Solomon The sacrifices of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord. What a gastly sâ—ght would it be to open a grave and see the dead body run over with crawling worms and a general putrefaction over all the parts And truly so it is with the soul of an unconverted person it is the filthiest nastiest corruptedst may I say Câ—â—â—on Luther said once So many sins so many hells surely I may then say So many Sins so many Deaths The unconverted man is full of sin his heart is full of evil so Soloman He is filled with all unrighteousness so Paul affirmeth Job was filled with botches yea but he was not filled with sins and Lazarus was filled with sores yea but he was not filled with sins and Davids soul was filled with complaints and Christs soul was filled wich sorrow yea but it was not filled with sin Every unconverted mans dead soul is filled with living sins as a good mans soul is filled with dying and dead sins and a soul full of living sins is much like a soul filled up with Hel-fire There is no evil so evil as sin and no sin so evil as living sin and no living sin so evil as a fulness and an onliness of living sin 3. In the consequents of it I will name but three of them In the consequents of it 1. All the guilt of all those sins lie on him alone 2. All the wrath of God looks on him the sentence of curse 3. An eternal death may soon befal him 2. Then no marvel that publick and private admonitions counsels No marvel that admonitions reproofs counsels prevail not with most men reproofs prevail not with the most of men We Ministers preach and we think we preach Religion and with evidence enough of Reason and deliver things fairly and plainly and convincingly and now we wonder at it that men should hear such clear and undeniable truths and not be moved and perswaded And Parents give admirable counsels and instructions to their Children and no good comes of them c. Why Sirs are not unconverted men dead men And what can all our undertakings alone considered do unto dead men Assuredly unless the Lord of Life himself will speak these counsels and these admonitions unto sinfull men they will never hear them so as to be stirred so as to be moved so as to be converted by them they will remain in their sinfull condition and obstinate wayes to eternity 3. Then it is of Gods meer mercy and pity and power if ever It is Gods mercy that any soul is converted thy poor soul be converted Never ascribe it to thy excellency what excellency is there in a dead man to thy power what power is there where there is no life to thy self preparations what active disposing or preparation can a dead man afford The dead sinner is the meer object of purest mercy and the dead sinner is without all strength if ever his souls lives then to Christ must that life own it self and to Divine Mercy and Power c. The next Use shall be for Trial or Examination Since every unconverted man is spiritually dead let 's therefore search our Vse 2. Trial Whether we be spiritually dead Four Tokens of it hearts in what a condition they are Are not many of us yet dead in sins and trespasses spiritually dead men There are four Tokens of a man spiritually dead 1. Vnsensibleness Where there is no life there is no sense of all sinners the unsensible sinner is in the most deadly condition Tanto pejor quanto insensibiliter saith Austin Do what you will to a dead man he is Unsensibleness unsensible of it call to him he hears not put the sweetest perfumes to him he smels not kick him cut him burn him he feels not although he be full of loathsomness he perceives it not Now I beseech you mind this Trial for verily if spiritual unsensibleness prevail upon you you are spiritually dead If spiritual sense be the first evidence of Life then è contra spiritual unsensibleness is a sure evidence of Death And what spiritual sensation is yet wrought in you There are sins upon sins mountains upon mountains in your hearts the least of them hath been an heavy burthen to a living soul but what hast thou ever felt of thy sinfull heart and life There is in the Ministry of the Gospel no less than riches of Mercy freeness of Love glories of Heaven tendred to you but what do you perceive in it Didst thou never yet feel and cry out of a body of Death O here here is a dead heart an ignorant heart a
pleaseth and when he pleaseth He hath the command of the heart and grace Take the heart as usually we do for any or all the faculties of the soul yea as corrupted by nature and custome yet God hath a dominion over it and he can make new impressions and divine alterations and inclinations upon it The Understanding naturally is blind and dark unable to unfold and apprehend the morality of conditions actions objects but God can turn it from darkness to light he can imprint on it the clearest light whereby it shall be able to behold what is good and what is evil The Judgment naturally is erroneous it mistakes good for evil and evil for good judgeth sinfull evil as the best and sweetest way condemneth good as most contrary to us to our delights courses ends But God is able to imprint on mans Judgment a discerning and righteously sentencing ability that a man shall not only see his sinfull nature and life but condemn it I was mad saith Paul such a fool a beast was I. They shall remember their evil wayes and loath themselves Hos 2. 7. as his greatest evil and misery and conclude that a new holy penitent life is the best of all lives and that for himself The Conscience is either sleepy or seared naturally But God can awaken it and imprint on it a power to feel sin to complain accuse indite wound and slay the sinner that he shall have no rest as long as he lies in his sinfull condition Sin revived and I died Rom. 7. The Will is naturally averse and perverse it is set against all spiritual good and set upon evil But cannot God alter this Will He can easily turn it about let him but drop in the least degree of Grace and the Will presently wheels about and is as ready and desirous and cleaving to good as ever it was to evil Lord what wilt thou have me to do Act. 9. So for the Affections the Lord hath the dominion over them He can make them to love him as much and more than ever they loved sin and to grieve and to hate and to fear sin c. Get thee hence what have I any more to do with Idols 4. The Lord doth sometimes convert a great sinner to glorifie his God doth this to glorifie his own grace own Grace 1. The power of it that it is able to cure great and strong diseases If ordinary sinners onely were converted men would imagine but a common and vulgar power lay in converting Grace where there is a lesser opposition there a weaker strength may suffice to do the work But if sin be strong now the power of Grace appears in rescuing the soul even from the Gates of Hell and from the Powers of Darkness 2. The riches of it When all the world knows and the man himself knows That there was nothing in him but a vilest heart and lewdest course and yet Divine Grace hath converted him O saith he this was rich Mercy and Grace indeed The Apostle saith That God quickned the dead Ephesians that he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace chap. 2. vers 7. O saith the great sinner now converted never was there such a gracious and such a mercifull God such a kind and loving God I was dead and he hath made me alive I was the greatest of sinners and I have yet obtained the sweetest of mercies I was the greatest Enemy and yet God would be my kindest Friend overcome by Sin and now overcome by Grace falling down into Hell and now lifted up to Heaven so bad that Justice might have had much Glory to damn me yet God hath been so good that Mercy shall have the Glory to save me Vsâ— â—o relieve the troubled Conscience and distressed Conscience You shall find by experience these two Truths 1. That whiles men are in a dead lost vile and unsensible condition they then imagine that their sins are little and mercies great and they have power to turn to God when they please 2. That when they come to be truly sensible of their hearts and ways then their sins appear exceeding great and the mercy and grace of God seem little O! they have withstood the offers of grace and all self-power is gone and the greatness of their sinning is an absolute bar to their conversion And there are eight Reasons why a man made sensible of Reasons why a man sensible of his great sin thinks God will not convert him his great sinnings inclines to think that God will never convert him 1. Because he hath been one who hath exceedingly provoked God to wrath against him He sees great wrath in God and that he hath by his continual sinnings incensed the Lord. O saith he it is mercy that must convert but I have turned a mercifull God into a just God and a kind God into an angry God my great sins have put me into the hands of his great wrath 2. Because such a person sees his condition lying under the threatnings of God and out of the reach of the promises of God God threatning him Warrants issued out to take and arrest him an Arrow levell'd at him God hath said That he will wound the hairy scalp of him that goes still on in his iniquities and that he who hardens his heart being often râ—proved shall be destroyed without remedy Now I have been that sinner 3. Because such a person feels the impressions of Gods displeasure on his Conscience He is in the very hands of wrath Conscience tells him Thou art the man and these have been thy sinnings these have been thy ways and thy doings and Conscience condemns him for one who hath delighted himself in evil and secretly goes and smites him with unavoidable fears and terrours Now when a man feels wrath 't is an hard thing to perswade him that God hath any thoughts and intentions of mercy and grace for him 4. Such a person ordinarily looks more upon the examples of destruction than upon the instances of conversion rather what God hath done against them than for any of them O saith he God in Scripture hath often left such and such great sinners to their As the Israelites Psal 81. 12. 2 Thes 2. Jâ—r 13. 14. own hearts lusts and he hath given them up to Satans delusions and to a reprobate mind and sense and would not have mercy on them he would deal with them no more 5. The distance twixt his greatly sinning soul and converting grace seems to him wondrously large If I had been but sick and weak but can a dead man live should a Rebel be embraced can a Blackmore be made white It is great grace to convert a little sinner but what grace is sufficient to convert so great a sinner 6. He measures the disposition of Divine Grace by the indisposition of his own heart O saith he I have been how long how stubbornly unwilling to receive grace how violent to oppose grace If I
thus and thus and thus have I dishonoured my God Another while he hears and reads and weeps I am that man O Lord I am he of whom thou speakest I am that sinner Iam he who hath out-faced thy Law out-stood thy offers of grace and resisted Oh how often thy good Spirit 5. He is now for the life of God to be wrought in him This he now prizeth as the most excellent life and for this he praies Lord another heart a new spirit 2. The second contrariety respects the time present And As to the time present there are four things for the time present in a truely changed and converted person which never were in him before 1. A present hatred of sin 2. A present flying unto Christ 3. A present love of God 4. A present course of new obedience 1. When the Lord hath converted and changed the heart of a sinner there is wrought in him a present hatred of sin the man loved his sins before and took pleasure in unrighteousness held it fast and defended it sin is now seen as the greatest evil and the more he sees it the more he hates it As soon as ever the heart is changed immediately it is a sin-hating heart I do not say there is no sin but I say the heart hates sin The evil that I hate said Paul Rom. 7. 15. and in Ezek. 36. where God promiseth to give them a new heart he saith Then shall ye remember your own evil wayes and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Quest But here now is a great Scruple how a person may know that he hates sin Many think they do so and are deceived How a man may know that he hates sin it proves only a passion Sol. In true hatred there are six things 1. An extream detestation Every dislike is not hatred but true hatred is an extream loathing Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloath thou shalt say unto it Get thee hence Isai 30. 22. 2. An earnest separation He that hated his wife did sue out a Bill of divorce from her in the Law 3. An irreconcileable alienation Two angry men may be made friends but if two men hate each other friendship is everlastingly broken betwixt them 4. A constant and perpetual colluctation If they cannot be severed one from the other they still oppose and conflict one with the other 5. A deadly intention and destruction for nothing satisfies hatred but death and ruine Saul hated David and sought his life Absalom hated Amnon and killed him 6. An impartial aversation hatred is of the whole kind I hate every false way Wilt thou now know whether God hath changed thy heart then ask thy heart What is it that thou abhorrest as the superlative evil what is that which thou wouldst have separated as far from thee as heaven is from hell what is that thy heart will never renew league or friendship with any more what is that against which thy soul doth rise and with which as Israel with Amalek thou hast war for ever what is that which thou wilt be avenged of and daily dost endeavour the mortifying and crucifying of what is that which thou sets thy heart against in the comprehensive latitude thereof whether great or little open or secret If it be sin if it be thy sins assuredly here is true hatred of sin and assuredly here is a most distinguishing Character of a sound Conversion and change It was not wont to be thus with thee nor is this findeable in any unconverted person whosoever Sin was once to thee as Dalilah to Samson and now is it to thee as Tamar to Amnon It was a sweet morsel once which thou heldst fast but now it is the menstruous cloath which thou dost cast away and say get thee hence what have I to do any more with Idols If it be thus with thee bless thy God who hath shewed grace to thy soul 2. When the Lord hath changed and converted the heart of a sinner the sinner presently flies unto Jesus Christ The first stroke of Grace is on the heart and the first breathing of Grace is for Christ as the new born babe flies unto the brests or as any creature doth to its center and place of rest For when the heart is changed by converting grace 1. It breeds the most exquisite discovery and sense of sin and consequently of the souls need of Christ 2. It is most impatient of distance or difference with God and prizeth his reconciled favour superlatively cannot live without it 3. It seeth nothing more valuable in it self or more sutable to its condition then Christ Christus amor meus pondus meum And therefore if you take notice of it you may experimentally find upon the first impressions of Grace that the soul is mostly taken up with Christ and with Faith Oh that I might be found in him Oh that I could believe on him It sees excellency in Christ and Peace in Christ and Redemption in Christ and Righteousness in Christ and Grace in Christ and Kindness in Christ and Help and Life and Heaven and all in Christ In Conversion Christ secretly draws the Soul to himself and being converted the soul strives to draw Christ to it self It would have Christ it must have Christ it is never well it is never satisfied until it hath Christ 3. When the Lord hath converted and changed the heart of a sinner there is wrought in him a present love of God It is wonderful to see how the Tide turns upon Conversion There was once one found weeping very bitterly and being demanded why O said he all other things are loved but Amorum amatur Love it self is not loved So before Conversion a man could find love for his Parents and love for his Relations and love for his Recreations and love for his Profits and love for his Sins but no love for God But after Conversion the man can scarce find any love for any unless it be for his God and in his God A graciously changed Heart is enabled to see 1. The glories in God those most Pure and Amiable Excellencies in God 2. The Transcendent Love of God to it in the Eternity of it in the Freeness of it in the Sweetness and Goodness of it 3. The Unspeakable Communications and Bounties of God towards it in Jesus Christ for the present and for the future It is Grace which makes us to see what a gracious God he is It is Grace which makes us to see what a Royal gift Jesus Christ is It is Grace which makes us apprehensive of all the Love in God and from God and therefore no marvel that the changed heart fals presently in love with God O Love the Lord all ye his Saints into a Love of Friendship and into a Love of Complacence as they speake that it admires God and prizeth Communion with him and takes its full and highest
a change of all without and within you The converted souls are glad Acts 2. 47. the converted Jailor rejoyced Acts 16. 34. the Eunuch rejoyced Acts 8. 6 8. The first work of the Spirit is grace the next is joy Heaven now stands open for you to see all c. Threatnings are turned into promises curses into blessings enemies unto friends aliens into sons accusing into an excusing conscience voice of terror into a voice of peace hell into heaven It is the only unprejudicial change on earth 6. It is the only unprejudicial change on earth In all other changes there is either diminution or danger If a rich man becomes poor there is a diminution of his Condition if a poor man becomes rich there is a danger to his spirit lest he becomes covetous or proud If a man be lifted up to greatness and authority there is a danger lest he forgets God and be injurious if an healthy man becomes sick and weak here is an impairing a loss and danger of life Only when a wicked man is converted and becomes holy there is neither diminution nor danger converting grace is no thief in the Candle It is no preternatural heat which sucks away that which is vital thou losest nothing at all by it no spot to thy credit no burden to thy conscience no eclipse to thy honour no gall in thy Cup nor wast to thy Lands It doth not darken thy name nor weaken thy strength nor diminish thy coffers nor imbitter thy comforts No loss but the losing of sin which we cannot keep but to our loss all that it doth is this that it decreaseth and destroyeth thy sinful lusts it roots out those weeds it pulls out hell it heals thy wounds and is the deadly enemy to thy deadliest enemies 7. The converting change is an unchangeable change The next change is into Heaven A wicked man may be changed It is an unchangeable change into a Godly man and a Godly man may be changed into Heaven but the Godly man shall never be changed again into a wicked man the state of grace is an unchangeable state a better condition them Adams in Paradise his was perfect but mutable this is imperfect but not changeable Once a Son and ever a Son the Son abides in the house for ever sayes Christ once converted and for ever blessed Gods converting Grace is an abiding seed and it is immortal seed and it is a gift which God never repents of although much of the strength of it may be abated by our falls as fire is raked up under the ashes although the sense of it doth sometime fail us and the comfort and the liveliness of operation appears not yet as there is life in the root though there be not leaves on the Tree and as there is a soul in the man though sickness be in his body so the truth and state of grace continues under all a Christians eclipses weaknesses failings for converting grace comes from an unchangeable will in God the will of his love whom he loves once he loves to the end 2. It depends upon an everlasting Communion with Christ who marries the soul to himself for ever 3. And it is given as a pledg and pawn of eternal glory 4. And it is assisted with an everlasting arm and power of God 8. No other change shall hurt you but further you Afflictions No other change shall hurt us but further us Death it is gain unto you it is the last stile and then you are at home for ever Object But now some distressed person may reply These are comforts indeed but not to me for I fear that my heart is not changed nor yet truly changed I am not indeed altogether what once I was but this I fear is but a stop of conscience or but the fruit of hypocrisie Oh I feel such changes on my spirit I fear I am not truly changed it is not alwayes alike and so much sinfulness so much unbelief so much hardness so much difficulty to good so much weakness under temptations surely my change is not true a great an inward a total change and therefore none of these comforts appertain unto me Sol. Shall I speak a few words to such a person surely some such there may be 1. The change by Conversion is but imperfect in this life it is a total change although it changeth us not totally A converted This change is but imperfect in this life man is sanctifyed throughout but not perfectly throughout when the day breaks there is a change that one may truly say the night is past and yet many degrees of darkness stick in the air as soon as ever God infuseth grace into the soul there is immediately a change as to the denomination of the estate though not as to the consummation of the estate Paul's estate was a converted and changed estate and yet there was a Law in his Members as well as a Law in his Mind Rom. 7. Conversion is a change from the dominion of what was contrary not from the absolute being of a contrary Though a Tyrant dwell and stirs in a Kingdome yet if a lawful Monarch rules the Kingdome is changed Many sins are in a converted man still but if grace doth rule the heart now which formerly was ruled by sin that man is a changed man 2. Converting grace although it be wrought at once yet it is Converting grace though wrought at once yet is brought on by degrees brought on by degrees The truth of it begins in an instant but the strength of it comes in time It is a very curious question why God gives Grace by degrees or successively in this life and not all at once but still leaves some sinful corruption behind Divines conjecture three reasons of it 1. Our present incapacity of a present fulness The Bottle cannot be filled but by degrees though the Ocean be full there is as much grace given at first as to make a new creature but not a strong creature 2. Our estate on earth must be a combating estate to difference the estate of grace and glory that in heaven only is the crowning and triumphing 3. And it is an estate of faith which is a continual dependance and a continual drawing of help and a continual recourse to the fountain In Creation Perfection of being was at once and in Glorification at once but not so in Sanctification this rises like Ezekiels Water or like the light of the Sun This may yet satisfie thee though grace be imperfect and not full at once 1. Justification is perfect 2. Though you find but little yet you cannot be fatisfyed without more 3. You have perfecting means of holiness though you have not perfect holiness a word to build you up 4. That God who hath begun has promised to finish and your little is a pledg of more 5. Truth of grace may lye in a little compass 3. There may be many changes
upon the spirit of a man which There may be many changes not inconsistent with the saving change yet are not inconsistent with the saving change of his Spirit Sometimes he may be lively and quick sometimes he may be flat and dull sometimes he may be confident and cheerful and at some other times he may be afraid and mournful sometimes he may be full and enlarged and at some other time he may be aukard and streightned sometimes he may have more sense of Gods Love and sometimes more sense of his own sins None of these things are essential to the converted estate a mans heart may be truly changed by converting grace notwithstanding many crosses and afflictions on his outward estate many eclipses in his comforts many varieties in his spiritual actings many contrarieties twixt his sence and his faith many temptations upon his spirit to many doubts and fears in his heart 4. Sinful corruptions never work with a more sensible strength Sinful corruptions work with more sensible strength when the heart is truely changed then when the heart is truly converted and changed Before Conversion our sins do work more mightily but we do not then perceive the workings because your delight was then in sinning and nothing is burthensome to delight and nothing was in us contrary to our sinnings the strong man kept all the house and every faculty was a friend and servant to sin the river ran all one way But when the heart is converted there is now laid into it 1. The quickest principle of feeling 2. The contrariest principle of resisting 3. The properest principle of destruction to sin and therefore no marvel that we feel our sinful natures more than formerly for all qualities are most active and most felt in cases of resistance and destruction nevertheless none of these must conclude against our Conversion but rather for it because 1. The greatest work of grace is inward 2. The sense of sinful workings joyned with an hatred of them and humbling of the heart under them and with addresses to God for subduing power is certainly a sign of converting grace Therefore hearken unto me thou distressed soul 1. Though the Glory of Grace consists in Victory yet the Truth of Grace appears in Combats the fighting Souldier is as right to the cause as the conquering Souldier there is fire in the smoking flax as well as in the flaming furnace 2. That great corruptions still remaining in temptation are the burdens of a weak Christian but are not the Characters of a false Christian 3. Jesus Christ can by a little grace weaken strongest corruptions The least true grace will help thy soul to Christ through whose strength thou who art now in conflict shalt ere long be made more than a Conqueror 4. True grace begins in weakness goes on with combat but ends in victory There is but little light at the first and more darkness for quantity but the light of the Sun is rising and dissipating and at length remains alone Conquering grace hath comfort conflicting grace hath strength and even mourning grace hath truth Peter's tears shewed truth of Grace as well as Paul's Triumph But how may I descern my change to arise from the power of converting How it may be discerned that this change is from converting grace and â—ot from the power of a troubling coâ—science Answered grace and not from the power only of a troubling conscience Sol. I conceive thus in four particulars 1. When the change is made only from the sting of conscience that change goes off and vanisheth when the trouble of conscience goes off and continues only while that doth continue whiles the trouble of conscience is on the man the man will hear and the man will pray and the man will consult and profess and resolve yea and now too to become a new man yea and he will cry out against his sins and will not come near his sins But when that trouble is off all is off again the Water which was heated grows cold again Saul is pursuing David again and Foelix is covetous again But if the change be from grace though trouble be off yet the heart is against sin and is for good for grace sets us against sin as it makes us unholy and evil and not only or principally as it makes us uncomfortable and miserable 2. When the change ariseth only from a troubling conscience not from a contrariety to God but to us It doth not arise from a hatred of sin and a love of good but only from a hatred of torment a self-love and a love of ease the man loves that sin that he dares not now commit and hates the good which now he doth he doth the good only as a means to take off his trouble he doth it not as a work in which he delights nor doth he flie sin as an evil which he hates he flies sin as it is malum sensibile not as it is malum spirituale But in a gracious change trouble doth not cause hatred but hatred causeth trouble of sin 3. When the change is only from a troubling conscience then when the trouble is gone the mans heart is more hardned and he growes more wicked then ever before and in after sinnings less sensible and less troubled as Iron growes more hardned after it hath been in the fire or water that is stopped more violent If they be again intangled and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. But where the heart is changed by grace the more grace still the more sense of sin and still the more fear to sin and still the more love of God 4. When the change comes only from the trouble of conscience the change extends no further then to that or those particular sins for which the conscience doth trouble the man if the other sins trouble not they are not left But when the change is wrought by grace this change extends to all sins I hate every evil way saith David they do no iniquity Psal 119. Let us â—leanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Quest How may a man know that his change is not the fruit of Hypocrisie but of Converting grace Sol. This may be discerned How it appears this change is not the fruit of Hypocrisie thus 1 The change by Hypocrisie 1. Is not Cordial no Hypocrites heart is changed In heart ye work wickedness The Hypocrite dares to give way to heart sins Judah turned Answered not with her heart but feignedly 2. Is not Vniversal The Prophet tells the hypocritical Israelites that they were as a Cake half baked and not turned an hypocrite though he forsake many sins yet he loves some sin Jehu cannot part with the golden Calves though he did destroy Baal 3. Is not lasting but changeable sutable occasions are too strong for an heart felsely changed 4. Is not able to abide three Trials of