yet effectually and graciously found 1. All external miseries may suddenly â—ind him Adam All external miseries may suddenly find him run away from God and what did he find and Jonah and what did he find All losses may speedily befal a lost person Safety is at home and Dangers abroad In how many dangers is the lost sheep upon the mountains In how many perils is the lost man in the wilderness they may become an easie prey to all devouring beasts and are oft times forced to eat up themselves to preserve themselves A lost impenitent unconverted sinner is sure of no mercy and he is naked and exposed to all misery In the fulness of his sufficiency saith Zophar Job 20. 22. he shall be in streights every hand of the wicked shall come upon him v. 23. When he is about to fill his belly God shall cast the fury of his wrath upon him and shall rain it upon him while he is eating 2. A guilty and amazing Conscience may quickly find him that inward Hell as one speaks The A guilty Conscience may quickly find him glistring Sword cometh out of his Gall terrours are upon him Job 20. 25. When Judas had lost himself how quickly did he find a guilty Conscience It is an heavy thing to be found out by that which as Bernard speaks is Bailiff and Jailor and Witness and Jury and Sheriffs and Judge and Executioner too Every man that finds me will kill me said Cain Gen 4. 3. And Death may find thee to which thou wilt say as Ahab to the Prophet Hast thou found me O mine enemy And Death may find thee Death may return the Prophets answer unto thee Yea I have found thee because thou hast sold thy seâ—f to work evil in the sight of the Lord 1 Kin. 21. 20. 4. And Gods condemning Gods condemning Judgements will find thee Judgment will find thee If thou O lost sinner be not now found to thy conversion God will one day find thee to thy subversion if Mercy finds thee not to come back to God Justice shall find thee to cast thee quite away from God 3. It is an unspeakable joy if thou canst find that God hath in mercy â—ound thy lâ—st soul O there are many precious mercies It is unspeakable joy if God have found thy lost soul Here is Rescuing mercy Pardoning mercy Reconciled communion with God which a found soul doth and may find 1. Rescuing mercy He is delivered from Sin and Satan Is it not a mercy to be freed of a Disease of a Prison O what then to be delivered from Sin from Satan 2. Pardoning mercy That of the Prophet is certainly verified of thee in Jer. 50. â—0 In those days and in that time saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them c. 3. Reconciled communion with thy God Thou who wast found in Jail before mayest now be found in thy Fathers house thou who wast a Vagabond before art now a Son God hath accepted of thee thou hast found favour in his eyes and mayest find free access unto his presence Thy soul shall be found in glory 4. Nay If God hath found thee in mercy it will not be long ere that soul of thine shall be found in Glory 4. Many men do reckon upon it that they are found when yet Many men think themselves found who yet are lost they remain in a lost condition There are three things which discover the mistake of men in this kind 1. Though they say that they have found out their sinfull condition yet still they remain in their sinfull condition 2. Though they say that they have found out the true way of life yet they cannot be found walking in that way of life 3. Though they say that God hath found them yet you cannot find them to fear this God nor to love this God nor to honour and exalt this God all the marks of Lostness are upon them ignorance blindness superstition profaneness vile wayes c. But will some say How may one know that God hath found in How may one know that God hath found his lost soul converting mercy his lost soul This leads me to the second thing which comprehends the Trials or Characters of a lost soul truly found And there are Nine infallible Evidences of a lost person graciously found Trials of it 1. When a lost sinner is found by God he doth then â—ind himself to He finds himself to be utterly lost be utterly lost Vnclean unclean said the Leper Undone undone God be mercifull to me a sinner said the Publican In me there dwels no good I am the greatest of sinners said Paul God finds us by making us to find our selves There is a vast difference twixt 1. A vulgar confession I am a sinner all men are sinners 2. An experimental conviction I am the lost sinner these sins these my sins have undone me I am undone and lost for such a sin and for such a sin I perish I perish if I get not out of this condition my God is lost and my soul will be lost I am gone from God I am out of the way of life if I stay here I die I perish for hunger said the found Prodigal Thou lookest on thy self and state but how as sinfull well but doest thou look on that thy sinfull estate as a perishing as thy perishing condition as a condition not a day not an hour not a moment more to be stayed in Doest thou look on it as on the Leak in the Ship as a sinking Leak as a splitting Rock as a soul-destroying murthering ruining condition The Lord never finds any man but he finds him and brings him back so as he shall acknowledge who hath found him even a God and what hath found him even his mercy and this will never be acknowledged until God makes us first to see how utterly lost we were that the found sinner may say 'T was mercy that pitied me 't was mercy that looked after me 't was mercy that lighted on me 't was mercy which dealt with me wooed me overcame me brought me back saved me meer mercy for I was utterly lost I had perished if mercy had not recovered me c. 2. When God finds a lost sinner that sinner finds himself without He finds himself without strength to return all strength to come back to God Though you find your selves to have lost your God yet if you can find strength of your own to bring you back unto your God assuredly your lost souls are not found For to speak punctually no man finds himself lost who as yet can find any thing in himself to set up himself if I yet possess strength I am not yet lost But a truly and experimentally lost soul feels in it self not onely a loss of God but also of
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
repentance and not be made the causes of despair or more sinning If thy sinnings had not been so high it had been better but being so thy remedy is not an addition of a worse sin or a continuance in the same sins but to pray unto the Lord to turn thee and to forgive thee Object Why I have prayed and yet I can get no mercy not I have prayed and yet can get no mercy see any hopes or appearance of mercy therefore surely God will not be so ready to shew me mercy Sol. This is a sore Objection and usually troubled Consciences are enthralled with it Answered and many times receive great discouragement because of the silence of mercy to their tears and prayers But let us see how we may instruct and support persons in this case 1. God is ready God is ready to hear prayer to hear prayer Psal 65. 2. O thou that hearest prayer Before they call I will answer and while they are speaking I will hear Isa 65. 2. Of all mens prayers he is most ready to hear the prayer of afflicted Most ready to hear the prayer of the afflâ—cted persons Psal 18. 27. Thou wilt save the afflicted Psal 22. 24. He hath not despised nor abhorred the afflictions of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from them but when he cried unto him he heard him Of all the Prayers which he is ready to hear there are none which he doth more feelingly and compassionately tender than the Prayers of afflicted people especially such as are inwardly afflicted in their souls and consciences for their sins No people are more apt to fear that the Lord doth not hear their Prayers and yet no Prayers doth God sooner hear than theirs for as much as the Lord doth exceedingly delight in the sacrifices of a broken spirit and he is full of pitifulness and bowels towards them I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself Jer. 31. 18. When Ephraim smote upon the thigh and was confounded and ashamed why you know the Lord could not contain his affections Is Ephraim my dear son is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. David you find him much afflicted and distressed in his soul Psal 32. 3 4. he did no sooner acknowledge his sin but God did express his mercy v. 5. The like you may see of him in Psal 6. 1 2. compared with v. 8 9. The Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping the Lord hath heard my suplication the Lord hath received my Prayer So true is that of the Prophet Isa 30. 19. He will be very graâ—ious unto thee at the voice of thy cry when he shall hear it he will answer thee But then know we that there may be sometimes God doth not presently make known his Mercy Reasons of it on our parts some special Reasons why the Lord doth not presently make known his mercy to the troubled and seeking soul The Reasons may be either on their part or on Gods part 1. Quick mercy must first see quickned fervency Though God be ready to hear their Prayers yet there may be some reasons Quickned fervency may be wanting why he doth not presently give them sensible tokens that they are heard If you pray for pardoning mercy as Austin did for repentance if you pray with a careless dull flat formal neglecting sprit not esteeming of Gods mercy and favour as your lives nay above your lives if you seek not the Lord in this with all your hearts Pardoning mercy is the greatest mercy for the soul and must be desired with the greatest affections of the soul with cries with importunities If you do not mightily wrestle with him as David in Psal 6. and as Daniel in c. 9. No marvel that cold Suits have slow Answers though you be afflicted in your consciences yet if those inward afflictions cannot raise the price of mercy and set a stronger edge upon your affections if the burnings of your consciences do not kindle flames of affections for mercy you may wait for your answer 2. As it must be a quickned affection which must find quick mercy so it must be a pure affection I will that men pray every Or a pure affecction where lifting up pure hands 1 Tim. 2. 8. Art thou sure that no iniquity cleaves unto thee and is an impedit to thy suit for mercy Thou art troubled with the grossness of some one of thy sins but doest not thou connive at the shreds of the same sin the limbs of it afflict thee but do not the leaves and the twigs hang on still If we do not purely and entirely put off our sins why should we complain that God doth not let down his mercy If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me Psal 66. 18. If you favour your known sin in any part or the least degree of it where now hath God promised to shew thee favour or mercy Or suppose thou shakest off one crying sin and yet retain some other sin put off one servant and take another be troubled for one transgression and yet live in another is this repentance Thou doest not change thy course but thy sin and how then canst thou expect mercy But if thou prepare thine heart and stretch out thine hands towards God and â—utst iniquity far from thee then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot said Zophar Job 11. 13 14. If thou thus return to the Almighty and putst away iniquity Job 22. 23. thou shalt make thy prayer unto him and he shall hear thee v. 27. As your prayers must be servent so they must be the fervent prayers of a righteous man which do prevail much Not that he who prays must have no sin but that he must love and connive at none 3. Thy heart is troubled with the guilt of sin but doth it morn Doest thou mourn for the vileness and fithiness of thy sin for the viteness and filth of thy sin Thou seekest for a Cordial but doest thou pray for Salve too Vehement thou art for Mercy but what for Grace Where guilt onely troubles it may make me earnest for mercy to ease me that is involuntary would not be troubled but is troubled because he is troubled But where the filthiness of sin troubles me now I do not onely importune in prayer but mourn also and amas desirous of healing as I am of pardoning this is voluntary he would mourn and mourns because he can mourn no more If thou seekest the Lord with a mourning heart as well as with a troubled heart the fountain is set upon for transgressions and sins Zach. 13. 1. and if the fountain be opened for thee it cannot be long ere mercies will swim unto thee 4. And with what faith hast thou prayed Thy troubled Conscience With what faith
hast thou prayed would trouble thee if thou didst not pray and therefore hast thou prayed to give it a little quiet as we do a crying child the brest to still it What things soever ye desire when ye pray believe that you receive them and ye shall have them Hast thou and doest thou consider and ponder the promises of Gods mercy made over the penitent persons Hast thou considered of his mercifull nature tender love in and through Christ of his commands to broken and afflicted souls to come unto him for Balm and Oyl Hast thou found how proper his mercifull promises are to thy condition every way good and convenient and doest confess this word of promise a gracious and a good word and judgest him to be faithfull who hath promised and thy self unworthy of mercy and thereupon in the Name of the Lord Jesus hast bended thy heart and knees to the God of mercy trusting through him to find grace and mercy to help in time of need and those his promises to be Yea and Amen to thy soul through Christ Joh. 14. 13. Whatsoever ye ask in my Name that will Ido According to your faith said Christ to the blind men Matt. 9. 29. so be it unto you Alas thy prayers have not found the way to Gods Mercy-seat all this while because they have not had faith for their Guide if our Messenger lose their way no marvel if we stay long for an answer Lastly Why hast thou called home the Embassadors those prayers Hast thou not called home thy prayers of thine which were Leigers at Heaven In a fit of proud impatience and fruitless vexation and bold presumption thou hast limited the holy One of Israel to a day And if at such another prayer God did not sensibly answer thee thou wouldest and hast restrained seeking of him What doest thou mean to beg and yet to prescribe Alas that there should be so much pride yet in an heart which we would think humbled as low as Hell That it should profess it self to deserve a thousand damnations and yet quarrel with God for not being quick in a present expedition of mercy Thou art too quick with God Judge how these answer one the other O Lord I do not deserve the least mercy I deserve never to find mercy and yet if the Lord doth not presently shew me mercy I will not seek unto him any more As you must get humbled hearts so you must get humble hearts He hears the desires of the humble Your Prayers must be patient as well as â—ervent Mercy pardoning mercy is worth the waiting for It is the most excellent of mercies and most sure to the patient Petitioner Psal 40. 1. I waited patiently for the Lord and he inclined unto me and heard my cry Blessed are all that wait for it Isa 30. 18. Or there may be Reasons on Gods part why he doth a while Reasons on Gods part God suspends mercy To give us some taste what it is to provoke him suspend or hold up the demonstration of his mercy to a troubled soul and seeking 1. To give us some taste what it is to provoke him and sin against him Jer. 2. 19. Thine own wickedness shall correct thee and thy back-slidings shall reprove thee know therefore and see that it is an evil and a bitter thing that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God As we have had years to bath our selves in the delights of sin so we must have some minutes to taste the proper fruits the bitterness of sin Thou wouldst not believe the Gall and the Wormwood c. Lam. 3. 2. To alienate or work off our affections wholly from sin which now is so To alienate our affections from sin deadly a sting so smart a wound so noisome a prison which fills us with such horrible terrours and costs us almost our lives to obtain pardon and mercy Thou wouldst not easily part with sin Who would love sin any more which 1. raiseth so great terrours 2. utterly depriveth of mercy 3. or hinders it and makes it slow to answer 3. To abase us more in our own eyes To abase us the more in our own eyes that we may exalt his mercy that so his mercy may exalt us and we may exalt his mercy to value the excellency of mercy to confess our unworthiness of mercy to enlarge our desires of mercy 4. Nay not onely to exalt his mercy but retain his mercy not easily forfeit the excellency and sweetness of mercy by any future sinning The That we may retain his mercy Church which had much adoe to find Christ she then caught him and would not let him go The pardoning mercies of God ordinarily yield us most sweetness and abide in their strength To make us an Instance of mercy and Instrument of comfort with us after deepest humiliations and difficultest fruitions of them 5. Perhaps the Lord will make thee a great Instance of mercy and a great Instrument to comfort others and therefore suffereth thee to lie a long time in darkness and silence and at length will relieve thee Object Yea but how shall a troubled soul be supported in the How shall not be supported in the interim the interims until mercy pardoning mercy doth come and prayers therein be answered fully Sol. I answer to this also 1. If thou canst not have comfort to feed on yet thou hast duty to work on If thou hast not comfort look to duty Every Christian may either find it an Autumn to gather fruit or else a Spring to set it It is a great mercy that thou art at the gates of Mercy it is a great mercy 1. to enjoy 2. to beg 3. to wait for mercy a comfort to have such an heart to come so near to mercy thou hast a time to search thy heart more and to review thy estate and to peruse thy prayers to mend and continue all All which are but thy improvements in grace and will eventually prove the enlargements of thy mercy and peace No man can make a better progress in his repentance but he doth thereby prepare for the greater for the sweeter for the longer mercies 2. Though you have not experience to support you yet you have faith Though thou hast not experience yet thou hast faith It is written and sealed though not delivered as yet Whosoever doth truly repent mourn for sin forsake it endeavour to walk with God c. though he have not the joy of his pardon in his conscience yet he hath the assurance of his pardon in the promise Now Gods Word should support us as much as Gods Testimony his Word should be as good to our faith as his Testimony is sweet to our sense and feeling 3. The dawnings of pardoning mercy The dawnings of pardoning mercy may support which are rising upon you may also support you Though you cannot read your Pardon under the Broad Seal yet you may find it passing
himself in dust and ashes So the penitent upon the manifestation of divine favour doth more acknowledg his vileness judg his follies and abhor his iniquities it is ever true that the greatest mercies set the heart at greatest distance with sin But now it is demanded Why should the expressions of mercy elicite confession of sin if it be pardoned why any more confession Reasons though hereof be many 1. Piety in man is Reasons of it Piety in man is not opposite but subordinâ—te to pity in God not opposite but only subordinate to Pity in God Divine love doth not destroy but increase duty Assurance followes the habits and alwayes advances the acts of grace As it is our duty to seek our pardon by confession so also to carry away the same with continued confessions confession of sin is not a transient but a constant duty As the Mathematicians speak of a Line That it is not punctum but fluxus punctorum so I say of any duty It is not one indivisible act only but an act repeated to believe is a duty in which one act only is not enough for I must still keep my eye upon Christ So to confess sin is a duty not done altogether because once done but still to be done because a duty to be done though God be pleased to forget yet it is our duty to remember But secondly By confession of sin after remission and testimony Mercy is now acknowledged to be mercy mercy is now acknowledged to be mercy What a man may speak in straights is one thing what in free circumstances when extra aleam is another Many a man cryes out for mercy who perhaps scarce will give mercy all the glory afterward But when we are pardoned and yet confess sin we do really profess That it was not Worthiness in us but only Goodness in God that pardoned No man can more fully give the glory of his pardon to sole mercy then he who doth confess his sins after mercy What is this confession of sin but as if the person should say O Lord to me indeed nothing did belong but shame and confusion for I for my part have thus and thus sinned against thee and deserved thy wrath but it was meer mercy that saved and pardoned me 3. The more pardoning mercy God shews The more humility is thereby wrought in the heart The more pardoning mercy the more Humility for who can behold much pardon but withal must know it was much sin that hath that much pardon He hath greater cause of shame because all this while a God of such mercy hath been offended So that here is more cause for the heart to abase it self and to confess its own vileness 4. Upon New and more grounds of confession do arise gracious remission more and new grounds of Confession do arise Before I am pardoned I confess my sins because God requires confession and also because he doth upon a right confession promise Remission When I am pardoned more reasons of Confession are upon mercy namely mercy granted and mercy sealed O then have I not more cause to confess my sinful vileness having tasted of most unspeakable goodness in the pardon of it Doth the penitent person humbly confess his sins after the Vse Upon sense of pardon let us do so pardon of them Why let us if any of us think that we are pardoned do so too T is a truth that of all things we are most willing to forget our sins we have much adoe to keep our thoughts on them in a penitential way its death almost to some men to think on their sins thus and in case if by a little duty we have got the least hope of pardon we ordinarily put those sins off from any future solemn Confessions This I conceive ariseth from two causes the one is the sensible influence which sin often to be thought on imprints on the conscience After considerations of sin we have usually most bitterness and trouble which we willingly would not feel Another is an ignorance of the power and use of pardoning mercy which as it brings Rest Peace so most hearty grief and confession I will say to Such as faâ—l in after confession It is suspicious whether ever they had any Pardon at all Or whether they ever truly repanted or no. men presuming on pardon and yet failing in an after confession of their sins 1. It is suspicious whether ever they had any pardon at all or real assurance thereof forasmuch as they fail in this after effect of confession which is alwayes the more increased by the greater evidence of divine mercy 2. It is suspicious whether they ever truly repented or no for as much as true repentance doth incline us to go over and perfect all the acts and branches of Repentance whereof confession in a right manner performed is not the least But for our parts if any of us upon a penitential course have been so far blessed as to see the face of God with peace and have found any testimony of his pardoning mercy let us never cease to bless that mercy and with mournful and self-judging hearts to iterate and continue our confession of the sins for which we have found mercy Motives hereunto are these 1. We shall hereby the better prolong Moâ—ives to it We shall hereby the better increase our assurance of mercy and increase our assurance of divine mercy I conjecture that you shall in your experience find this truth viz. That assurance lives longest in a believing Eye an humble Spirit and in a Soul accustomed to the strict exercise of Repentance the way to get assurance of pardon is ever the best way to preserve and inlarge Our Conscience will hereby acquit us for the sincerity of our Confession it 2. Hereby our Consciences shall most acquit us for the sincerity of our confession Antecedent acts do not alwayes yield unto us that solid ground as subsequent acts As about our outward mercies after prayers do more denominate the celestial frame then former prayers because those may be depending on self-love and necessity but the other springs out of spiritual love and piety and respects to divine glory So is it in the business of confession of sin to confess under the beams of mercy is a better temper then to confess under the strokes of Justice it argues a more holy Ingenuity to acknowledg and bewail our vileness being discharged of wrath and punishment then only to exclaim either upon the Rack or upon hopes to be taken off 3. Hereby the frame of the heart is kept more tender against sin The frame of the heart is hereby kept more tender against sin as Ezra 9. 14. Should we again break thy Commandments Continued sense of sin produceth four singular effects and with much addition too Most cordial Thankfulness Most tender Fearfulness Most diligent Fruitfulness Most careful Tenderness The daily judger of his former sins by a penitential
of a Father I am that Father in whose house there is bread enough and to spare Do but come back unto me and all shall be well Canst thou live without Bread canst thou live without my Mercy Mercy shall be thine if thou wilt return from thy lost and sinfull courses 4. By directing him into the way of coming back As 1. With mournfull confession of his sins By directing him into the way of Returning Hos 14. 2. Take with you words and return unto the Lord say unto him Take away iniquity and receive us graciously 2. With penitential reformation Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon 3. With believing application Thou must go saith God to my Son for he is the way and the life and he came to seek and to save that which was lost Seventhly By laying hold upon him by his Almighty Grace and putting into him a returning heart Now notwithstanding all this the lost sinner is not perfectly found and therefore the Lord doth one thing more he doth with this lost sinner as the shepherd did with the lost sheep who took him on his shoulders and brought him home So the Lord lays hold on this poor lost soul by his Almighty Spirit of Grace and puts into him a returning heart an other heart and makes him willing and glad to leave his sinfull wayes and to return to himself and to implore his reconciled favour and acceptance in Jesus Christ Which being done now is the lost sinner found indeed for then and then onely is a lost sinner found when he in truth turns back to God and enjoys him as his reconciled God in Christ Jer. 3. 22. Return ye back-sliding children Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God Quest 3. Why doth God thus look after and find a lost sinner Why God doth thus find a lost sinner Sol. The Reasons may be these 1. Although the sinner be not worth the looking after yet the soul of a sinner is worth the looking after The sinner is the Devils creature but the soul is Tâ—e soul is worth the looking after Gods creature The soul that I have made saith God Isa 57. 16. The lost sheep was worth the looking after and so was the lost groat surely then a lost soul is worth the looking after which is at least of as much value as a lost Groat Christ saith Theophylact on Matth. 18. was the man who left the Ninety nine sheep and lookt after one lost sheep he left the the society of Angels in Heaven to find one lost Soul on Earth O the Soul of Man is a precious a valuable Substance made only by God and fit only to match and converse with God 2. As God knows God knows the loss of a soul the worth of a soul so God knows the loss of a Soul O Sirs we make little account of losing souls but verily no loss like the loss of a soul As Christ spake of the fall of that house The fall thereof was great that 's true of the loss of a soul the loss thereof is very great A man in the event loseth nothing though he loseth all the world if his soul be not lost But if the soul be lost all is lost all is lost to an eternity and therefore the Lord out of unspeakable pity looks after a lost sinner Christ hath â—aid down a price for souls 3. Jesus Christ hath laid down a price for some souls and Jesus Christ shall see of the travel of his soul he shall have his purchase to the full value 4. God will have some to magnifie the God will have some to magnifie the riches of his Grace riches of his glorious Grace and Love and Kindness and Mercy yea and to enjoy eternal Glory with himself therefore he will find some lost sinners For no sinner but a found sinner can either glorifie God or be glorified with him The first Use shall be for Examination of our selves Whether Vse 1. Examination Whether our lost souls be found our lost souls be found thus of God or no I will propound unto you 1. Some Arguments or Motives to put you upon this Trial. 2. Then the Trials or Characters of a person whom God in mercy hath found The Arguments which may move us to a serious Trial whether Motives to a serious Trial. we be found persons or no are these 1. Every man is lost but every man is not found All are lost but few are found Every man is lost but every man is not found the way of sin is general but the way of mercy is special Mat. 7. 13. Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction and many there be that go in thereat v. 14. But strait is the gate and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life and â—ew there be that â—ind it You read of a general complaint They are all gone out of the way but you read not of a general acclamation They are all returned into the way Take the way of finding a lost sinner and bringing him home to God either 1. by Repentance Why the number of sinners is exceeding large but the number of repenting sinners is very scant As he said once of an Army Here are many Men but few Souldiers so may it be said in this case Sinners are like the Sands in the sea very numerous but Penitent Sinners are like Pearâ—s in thesea very rare and precious 2. By Faith All are sinners but few very few are â—rue believers Historical Faith though it be a common faith yet it is not very common Who hath believed our report They are the â—ewest part of the world who do credere Christum believe that there is a Christ but how few even of these do credere in Christum believe in Christ And Men are never found till Faith be found in them 2. It is a very bad and a very sad condition not to be found It is a very sad condition not to be found out of but to be found still in a lost condition If it were no more but this That such a person cannot find himself under the clasp or compass of any saving mercy this were heavy To be in a Dâ—sert and not to know that ever he shall come alive out of it to be in the Ocean and not to know that ever he shall come safe to Land to be in a sinfull condition and not to know wheâ—her ever Divine Mercy will pull him out of this condition Yet this is the case of a lost sinner he cannot tell whether ever Divine Mercy will look after him or no perhaps it will perhaps it will not But besides this let 's consider what may find that lost sinner whom Divine Mercy hath not
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
Return to God you know not the sweetness of his mercy of his love 9. If God hath found thee indeed Then thou mayst be found in Gods wayes The wayes or course of life which a man leads He will be found in Gods wayes plainly discovers whether he be found or lost a man that is still lost he continues in wayes which are loose and lost which will bring him to everlasting perdition and loss A man that is found by Grace is now in such wayes as brings Glory to him which finds and also brings him to Glory who is found What! talk of being found by Gods mercy and yet wallowing in thy lusts still running on in thy sinful base wayes what brought back to God and still running away from God! Assuredly the found man is to be found in new wayes in the paths of righteousness and holiness he is a shamed of his old wayes and forsakes them Paul is not persecuting now but humbling himself for it and praying and preaching and living to Christ The next Use shall be of Exhortation unto a twofold Duty Vse 2. Exhortation 1. To find out your lost condition 2. To get out of a lost condition 1. Labour to find out your lost condition Be convinced To â—ind out our lost condition Consider The extream pride and selfconceltedness of every siâ—ner We shall never seâ—k to God till we find our selves lost that naturally you are lost men There are two Reasons which may move you to this 1. The extream pride and self-conceitedness the self-conceit and self-deceit in every sinner there is no sinner thinks himself so safe and well as the lost sinner I have need of nothing said Laodicea I was alive once said Paul We were never in bondage said the Jews 2. You will never seek unto the Lord to bring you out of a lost condition until you â—ind your selves lost Who seeks his bread but the hungry or asks the way who thinks himself in the way or comes home who is not gone abroad Obj. But you will say how may a man be convinced that his condition is lost Sol. I answer there are seven special convictions of it 1. The fall of mankind in Adam Our nature â—even Convictions of our lost condition was like a stock deposited in his hand what he had we had what he kept we kept when he fell we fell and what he lost we also lost his condition was not personal but natural not particular but Universal Oh that Ship is split that Tree is fallen that Stock is spent 2. The Observation of our wayes and pathes do but eye them and judg of them As when God opened the eyes of the Syrians they saw themselves to be in the midst of Samaria so if God ever open thine eyes thou wilt see and confess that all thy wayes are but wandrings and all the time of thy life hath been lost in iniquity and vanity 3. The study of the Law Ah! When wilt thou read thy self in it thou wilt find thy self many a thousand mile from home and to have been a long very long wanderer a lost and undone person Rom. 7. 9. When the Commandment came sin revived and I dyed 4. A conscience inlightned and quickned There is no one faculty in man which can discover his present condition to him so certainly and so clearly as Conscience Men speak fancy speaks corrupted judgment and reason speak yea but what doth conscience speak in private on a sick bed in an immâ—ent judgment 5. The judgment of Godly and experienced Christians who have known experimentally a lost condition and a found condition 6. The un-inclination of his spirit to all Communion with God Nay the very aversness of it thereto 7. The absolute inexperience of his soul in the family of God never yet knowing what such a fathers house doth meâ—n Secondly When you have found out your lost condition then Sâ—â—â—ve to get out of this lost Condition strive to get out of it O do not continue in it either through presumption that you can quickly come home or through despair that God now will never look after you nor regard you But pray the Lord in mercy to turn thy heart to give thee an heart to come back unto him Obj. But I have wandered so long that I shall never be accepted nor welcomed although I should come back Sol. Say not so But consider well of these ensuing particulars 1. The Lord saith That he hath been found of them that sought him not and will he not then be found of them that return and seek him Si peccanti quid penitenti si erranti quid quâ—renti If he looks after thee then will he not look on thee now 2. There was never awandering lost Soul that ever returned back to his Fathers House but the door hath been opened to him and he hath found mercy the Prodigal here Manasses Paul c. 3. If thou hast a heart to turn home it is a certain sign that God intends thee mercy he hath put returning thoughts in thee because he hath already contrived thoughts of mercy towards thee We love him because he loved us first we turn to him because he first turned to us 4. The Lord God hath sent Jesus Christ from Heaven to look after and to find and to save that which was lost Now though thou canst not expect to find the door opened for thine own sake yet thou shalt see the door open and the Armes of Mercy open to thee for Christs sake 5. How many messengers and servants hath God and doth God still send after which cry earnestly unto thee Come back return and live Thus the Gospel cries thus Conscience cries thus all thy mercies cry thus all thy afflictions cry If God be yet seeking after thee thou mayst yet be found and if thou wilt seek and wait a while thy poor lost soul shall also be found 6. God hath chalked out the wayes and steps of returning home to him 7. God hath found men in their blood and hath said unto them Live Ezek. 6. For this my Son was dead and is alive again These words do hold forth a pithy description of a sinners conversion that is a passage from death to life or a mutation from a dead condition into a living condition the estate of sin is a dead estate yea a deadly estate and the state of Grace is a living estate yea a lively estate There any many Doctrinal Propositions which are couched in these words As 1. That an impenitent or unconverted man is a dead man This my Son was dead 2. That when a sinner is converted he is then made a live And is alive 3. That God doth sometimes convert a very great and notorious sinner This this my Son 4. That great afflictions are sometimes the means of a great sinners Conversion This my Son was 5. That there is an almighty power required to convert or change a sinner As much as
loves him Christ hath satisfyed for him his heart is sanctifyed and his conscience pacified 5. It is a well ending joy A joy which ends A well ending Joy in joy an unconverted man hath his joyes and pleasures but they end in Griefe and horror O my poor Soul said Adrian when he was dying whither art thou now going all thy Mirth and Joy are at an end nec ut soles dabis jocos thou art going away and all thy joyes are going away Luk. 16. 15. But Abraham said to Dives Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Dives fared sumptuously every day he had pleasure on earth but after them his soul went into hell torments he never had pleasure more Babylon it is said of her Rev. 18. 7. how much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Job speaking of the Wicked chap. 21. 7. saith That they take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ v. 12. they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go down to the Grave Solomon speaks ironically to the Voluptuous Youthes Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy Youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the dayes of thy Youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment So then the converted man's joy is a short joy and a joy that ends in bitterest sorrow But a converted man's joy is a lasting joy and it ends in perfect joy when he dies yet his grace dies not yet his joy dies not Well done good and faithful Servant enter into thy Master's joy the end of life is the beginning of all joy 6. It is a transcendent joy it exceeds all worldly joyes A transcendent joy Psal 4. 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time that their Corn and their Wine increased Psal 60. 3. Thy loving kindness is better then life Quest 3. Why doth Conversion make the souls condition so Reasons of it joyful Sol. â—t cannot but be so if you consider Conversion either as to God or as to Christ or as to Conscience 1. As to God As to God Conversion is the certain effect of Gods election 1. True Conversion is the certain effect of Gods gracious election Although Conversion be not the cause of election yet it is the fruit of election it is the counterpane of election Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordinaed to eternal life believed 1. Thes 1. 4. Knowing Brethren Beloved the election of God v. 5. For our Gospel came not to you in word only but in power also and in the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure When the word comes to the person in the Letter only this is no sign of his election but when it comes in power and in the Holy Ghost it is for to come in power and in the Holy Ghost is mightily and effectually to change and convert a person and this the Apostle makes an evidence of election and questionless a copy of a man's election cannot but be a cause of great joy Rejoyce saith Christ to his Disciples that your names are written in heaven Oh what a comfort is it to know that God from all eternity hath written and recorded it down This is the man whom I will have mercy on and will glorifie to all eternity 2. True Conversion It is the singular fruit of God's great It is a singular fruit of Gods Love Love and of his rich mercy to a mans soul the sure token of great love God hath a common love and mercy and God hath a choice love and mercy there are some to whom he hath a great love and unto whom he shews rich mercy Now Conversion is a drop out of that great Ocean the man is greatly beloved of God who is converted by God 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the Sons of God Eph. 2. 4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us v. 5. Even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 3. True Conversion brings a soul under all the good and kind It brings a soul under all the smiles of God Language of God under the smiles of God All the Ordinances are as Milk and Honey and Wine and Oyle to a converted man The Word is a good Word to him and the Sacrament is a good Sacrament to him Why when an unconverted man hearts of all the mercy and kindness and happiness which God portions out for a converted sinner I say when he hears of all this and gets but a lick or a taste of it upon the top of his Tongue it effects him and makes him glad Herod heard John Baptist gladly and the stony ground received the seed with joy and shall not the converted man whose due portion all this is shall not his heart have joy and gladness shall a stranger who peeps over into the Garden and is a spectator only at the Feast shall he find a relish and shall not he who hath the Posie at his Nose smell the sweetnesse shall not he who câ—tes at the Table be filled with the goodnesse and fat and marrow and rejoyce and blesse God 4. True Conversion It is a Claspe the Golden Claspe of It is the clasp of the Covenant of Grace that everlasting Covenant of Gods Grace Note here two things 1. All the desireable delicacies of the soul are treasured up in the Covenant of Gods Grace in it are contained all the gracious attributes in God all the gracious affections of God all the gracious relations of God all the gracious promises and engagements of God There you find the reconciled God the merciful God the pardoning God the sin-subduing God the strengthning and helping God the guiding and upholding God the blessing and comforting God you cannot think of a mercy for the soul of a mercy for the body of a mercy for this life of an happiness after this life but there it is but there it is for you but there it is assuredly for you 2. Every converted person is in this Covenant Why the new heart and the new spirit is not this Conversion are a very part of it Ezek. 36. 26. I will give them a new heart and a new spirit If this be so then certainly Conversion brings a person into a very joyful condition Mark a little If the mercies which many receive only from Providence do delight and please them shall not the mercies which men receive from Gods Covenant please and rejoyce them Bread is sweet to an hungry man out of whatsoever hand it comes and is it not more sweet when it
THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL CONTAINING The Riotous PRODIGAL or the Sinners Aversion from God Returning PRODIGAL or the Penitents Conversion to God PRODIGALS Acceptation or Favourable Entertainment with God Delivered in divers Sermons on LUKE 15. from Vers. 11. to Vers. 24. By that Faithfull Servant of Jesus Christ OBADIAH SEDGWICK B. D. Perfected by himself and Perused by those whom He intrusted with the publishing of his Works London Printed by D. Maxwel for SA GELLIBRAND at the Ball in St. Pauls Church-yard 1660. CHRISTIAN READER GOds good Providence doth hand unto thee in this ensuing Treatise The whole Parable of the Prodigal Son both interpreted and improved Doctrinally and Practically for the Spiritual Advantage from the Pen of a Workman who needed not to be ashamed Herein the Sinners Aversion from God Conversion to God and his Acceptation with God are profitably unfolded applied Helps in these several Subjects are well worth every Christians welcome and time seriously spent in perusing such Discourses will not be labor in vain Adam by forsaking God lost his primitive Glory which cannot possibly be repaired in his Posterity but by returning to his Majesty-Man cometh into the World with his Back towards Heaven and with strong Antipathies against God yea his constant course of life is a departing from the Lord till his Highness by Omnipotent Grace doth change both his Heart and Way And when the secure Sinner is well awakened to consider his wofull Apostacy attended with the sad Consequents thereof together with the impossibility of all Creature soccours to relieve him then and not till then doth he seriously think of facing about towards God whom he hath deserted with inexcusable neglect and dishonor Now the self condemning Convict in this dolefull condition upon frequent self-reflexions aggravating his woful Apostacy doth find it very difficult to hold up hope of gaining re-admission into the favor of slighted forsaken Deity This poor Spira did experience as his tears his torments together with his desponding despairing language doth demonstrate But in this pitifull plight the sinking soul may receive strong supports by considering with application what loving Entertainment the guilty worthless Prodigal received from his offended forsaken Father These particulars which we do only hint at are here largely handled for thy profit the effecting whereof is desired and prayed for by Thy loving Friends and faithfull Servants in Christ HUMPH CHAMBERS EDM. CALAMY SIM ASHE ADONIRAM BYFIELD Novemb. 8. 1659. A Table of the Contents THe Scope of the Parable pag. 2. The Parts of the Parable p. 4. Sin is a departing from God p. 8. A Sinner doth voluntarily of his own accord depart from God p. 9. The pleasures of sinning will quickly end and the end of them is extreme misery p. 9. The pleasures of sin are but short proved p. 10. Sin will end in many miseries p. 12. Though sin brings men into straits yet straits do not alwayes bring men from sin p. 22. An afflicted condition no infallible testimony of a safe condition p. 24. The further men go on in sin the worse work they shall find it to prove p. 31. And the Reasons thereof p. 34. And why we do not alwayes see it so p. 37. A sinner will try all wayes and go through the utmost extremities ere he will return from his sins p. 45. How it may appear to be true p. 49. Why it should be thus p. 51. Take head of shuffling with God p. 55. Means to prevent â—his shuffling p. 59. Nothing shall avail this shuffling sinner till he return but God will disappoint all his projects p. 61. made to appear to be a Truth p. 63. Why nothing shall avail the shuffling sinner till he repent p. 64. A serious consideration and right comparison of the miserable estate of a sinfull condition and happly estate of a converted converted condition are steps to true and speedy repentance p. 69. How these two are prime steps to repentance p. 71. Objections That we are ignorant not at leisure it will make us despair answered p. 77. How I may know whether my consideration be right p. 78. Whether consideration of sin may be right when there are some sins that a man thinks not of p. 83. Whether a single consideration of sin be sufficient to repentance p. 84. Rules for right consideration p. 86. Rules for comparison p. 87. Sound Resolution is required to sound Reformation p. 89. The properties of this Resolution p. 90. Why it is requisite p. 92. The benefits and comforts of a firm Resolution p. 95. The Means to raise it p. 97. and maintain it p. 101. True Repentance for sin will bring forth true Confession of sin p. 106. The Reasons of it p. 111. Penitent persons are humble and lowly persons p. 118. Humbleness described p. 120. Why true Penitents are humble persons p. 124. The means to become humble p. 128. Personal Unworthiness is not prejudicial to spiritual Supplication p. 129. Reasons for it p. 131. How we may know that we are truly sensible of our Unworthiness p. 136. Penitent intentions and resolutions should be accompanied with present executions and performances p. 140. Reasons for it p. 142. The Motives and Means for a present execution p. 148. and The Helps p. 154. The very initials of true Repentance are seen by God p. 157. proved p. 159. Evidences of true Repentance though initial p. 163. God is very ready to shew all kinds of mercy to the truly Penitent p. 165. Reasons of it p. 169. By no means despair of mercy p. 174. Objections answered p. 175. Reasons why God makes not known his mercy presently p. 179. How one shall be supported in the interim p. 183. God is pleased not onely to be reconciled but manifests himself so to be unto the penitent p. 184. Reasons of it p. 186. Motive to seek after the seals and tokens of Gods favour p. 188. Means to attain them p. 191. The kindest expressions of mercy do not hinder an humble confession of sin p. 195. Reasons of it p. 196. Motives to it p. 198. God takes no notice of our sins upon our true Repentance but expresseth himself wholly love and kindness p. 199. Reasons of it p. 202. What is meant by the Robe and the best Robe p. 206. How we may know whether we have put it on p. 211. God gives to the penitent person a precious Faith by which he is espoused or married to Christ p. 213. What t is to be married unto Christ p. 213. How Faith marries us unto Christ p. 216. Whether we have this Faith p. 219. What is meant by Shoes on his Feet p. 222. God doth enable the penitent person with Grace and strength for a better and singular course of life and obedience p. 223. Reasons of it p. 227. Every sinfull unconverted man is a lost man p. 234. How a man may know that he is lost p. 237. A lost sinner may be found p. 238. How God finds
a lost sinner p. 238. Why God doth thus find a lost sinner p. 241. Motives to a serious Trial whether our lost souls be found p. 242. An impenitent unconverted man is a dead man p. 254. Reasons of it p. 256. Trial whether we be spiritually dead p. 261. Every converted man is a living man p. 265. How this may be evidenced p. 268. Trial of our selves about our spiritual life p. 269. Objections answered p. 276. A very great and notorious sinner may be converted p. 279. Who may be called so p. 280. How it may appear great sinners may be converted p. 281. Directions to such converted sinners p. 288. Great afflictions are sometimes an occasion of great sinners conversion p. 289. How it may appear p. 290. There is an Almighty Ppower required to convert a sinner p. 294. proved 295. True Conversion is avery great inward and universal change p. 303. and demonstrated to p. 312. How may a man know that God hath indeed changed his heart p. 316. Comfort to those who are changed p. 323. How may we know this change is from converting Grace and not from the power of a troubling Conscinece p. 329. Conversion brings the soul into a very joyfull condition demonstrated p. 333. What kind of joy Conversion brings p. 336. Why Conversion makes the souls condition so joyfull p. 339. How can this condition be so joyfull that is so exposed to afflictions p. 344. and denies and abridges many delights p. 347. Trial whether converted or no p. 359. How converted persons should do to walk joyfully p. 363. The Parable of the PRODIGAL LUKE 15. 11 c. 11. A certain man had two Sons 12. And the younger of them said to his Father Father give me the portion of goods that falleth to me And he divided unto them his Living 13. And not many days after the younger Son gathered all together and took his journy into a far Country and there wasted his substance with riotous living 14. And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that Land and he began to be in want 15. And he went and joined himself to a Citizen of that Countrey and he sent him into his fields to feed swine c. THis Chapter consists of three Parables all of them tending to one scope and issue though distinct in their special matter and object The first Parable is of a Sheep from vers 4. to vers 8. The second of a piece of Silver from vers 8. to vers 11. The third of a Child from vers 11. to the end All of these agree in two conditions One of Loss the Sheep was lost the Groat was lost and the Child was lost Secondly of Recovery the Sheep that wandred is brought home the Groat which was lost is found out and the Son who departed is returned and accepted There be who undertake the Cyril Reasons of these Parables or dark similitudes under which Christ doth couch some special Lesson as why man is compared to a Sheep viz. because of our Creation wherein God made us and not we our selves we are the sheep of his pasture Psal 100. And why man is then compared to a Groat because of that singular image of God which was stamped in man at his creation as the royal image of a King is stamped upon such a piece of Coin And then why man is compared to a Son because of that near relation which he had to God being once able to call him Father And then why in every one of these to a lost Sheep a lost Groat a lost Son because of his revolt and departure from God by sin Nay and if it were lawfull to put and use free conceits on Parables as I am sure some of the Ancients do as St. Austin Gregory c. what if in this threefold Parable you might espie a threefold cause of mans fall In the sheep wandring Satans suggestion In the Groat lost by the woman the womans yielding In the Sons departing Adams voluntary revolting and spending of his happy estate and condition But these and such like observations though to some they seem more acute and pleasant yet to me they are frothy and unprofitable Touching the Parable therefore concerning which I am to The Scope of the Parable with a division of the chief Heads thereof Who are meant by the two Sons treat there are several conjectures about the sense and intention of it Concerning the Father of the two Sons they all agree but about the two Sons they differ Some by the two Sons understand Angels and Men The Angels they were the elder Son Man the younger being created after them The Angels abode at home with their Father Man had the stock put into his own hands and in a quick time lost himself and it This opinion you see hath some kind of Vicinity or correspondency sensus pius as Aquinas speaks of it but not proprius And there is one pregnant Reason against it in the Text for that the elder Son in this place is described to be grieved and sad at the acclamations and welcome testimonies of the younger Brothers return but the Angels rejoice and are glad at the conversion or return of a sinner 2. Others by the two Sons understand the Jews and the Gentiles the Jews were the elder the Gentiles the younger the Jews kept home as it were of all the Nations of the Earth they seemed to be the inclosure for God and his service and the Gentiles were as it were excluded rejected wandring sheep a lost people yet at length God through Christ looks after these lost sheep the other sheep of his fold as Christ speaks Joh. 19. and returns and accepts of the Gentiles which did much provoke the Jew as the elder Son was here provoked at the repentance and acceptance of the younger and kept out they were provoked to jealousie by those who once were not a people This interpretation pleaseth S. Austin and Cyril and some others and indeed it bears a fair congruity with the Parable in most respects 3. But the third and general opinion is that by the elder Son is meant the Scribes and Pharisees and under them any Justitiaries persons too conceited and confident of their own works service righteousness as this elder Son who had been as he said thus long in his Fathers house and never transgrassed any of his Commandments but served him carefully which indeed was the opinion of the Scribes and Pharisees who trusted to and boasted of their own righteousness And that by the younger Son is meant the Publicans and Sinners persons more notoriously riotous and infamous in sinning utterly forsaking of God as it were and living without him And the end of this Parable was to convince the proud and envious Scribes and Pharisees who in vers 1. and 2. of this Chapter murmured against Christ for receiving Publicans and Sinners Now Christ tells them that though these notorious sinners were despised by
father saw him and had compassion on him When Ephraim repented and returned and lamented why the Lord saith My bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy on him So here the father not only sees but compassionates q. d. Look the poor child is at length come back he hath smarted enough he shall be welcom I will forgive him all 3. His gracious Acceptation expressed in three particulars One of speedy readiness The father ran Mercy must speed to embrace a penitent Swift are the feet of mercy to a returning sinner A second of wonderful tenderness The father fell on his neck How open are the arms of mercy to take a penitent sinner into the bosom Mercy hath not onely feet to meet us but arms also to clasp and receive us if we be penitent A third of strong affectionateness His Father kissed him God hath not onely arms but lips he hath not naked mercies for a penitent opening themselves in manifold promises onely but also sugred mercies mercie sealed with the kisses of his lips with a sweet testimony that he doth accept of and is reconciled to a penitent and returning soul 2. Some things on the Childs part which is the real acting of his former resolution in an actual confession vers 21. And here observe a strange interruption on his fathers part 1. He staies not to hear all the confession and petition intended though he have purposed to have said more and make me as one of thy hired servants Why the father stops him prevents him we propose a method many times but God suddenly comes in with his mercies 2. He cannot confess so much but the father though not in words yet really doth much more Fetch forth saith he 1. The best roâ—e 2. The pretious ring and 3. The comely shoo 's We can bring nothing to God but yet he can find enough for the whole soul And 4. The fatted Calf Ah! how infinitely different is the penitent condition from the impenitent Now the child hath garments hath ornaments hath necessaries hath comfortables when we once truly turn to God we shall find no lack there is a complete happiness now come to this returning son who adventured on the gracious disposition of his father and there is a great gladness now in the father for the penitential returning of his son Our condition is best and God is most pleased when we turn penitents vers 21 22. Let us eat and be merry for this my son was dead and is alive again he was lost and is found Thus briefly have you the sense of the Parable with a division of the chief heads thereof I will nov proceed to pick out the moral observations which are couched in it they may be reduced to three general head 1. A Sinners digression or aversion from God 2. A Penitents regression or conversion unto God 3. A Penitents acceptation and favorable entertainment with God In the first you see the sinners going from God to misery In the second you see him returning unto himself by true penitency In the third you see God returning to him in mercy In the first you see him losing himself in the second you see him finding himself in the third you see God finding of him Sin loses us repentance finds us and then God owns us I begin with the Sinners dâ—gression or aversion from God which is set forth unto us in v. 12 13 14 15 16. under the similitude of a young man who would have all in his own hands and so he left his Father took his pleasure in Travels soon consumed all and shortly brought himself to extreme necessity and misery This is the literal part of the Parable But the Moral part comprehends if I mistake not these Propositions That Sin is a departing from God The young Prodigal he must leave his Father he must be D. 1. Sin is a departing from God gone what doth it imply but the sinner is a departer Sinning is a departing we leave God when we betake our selves to a course of sinning Thus is it stiled in Scripture Esai 1. 4. Ah sinfull Nation a people laden with iniquity a seed of evil doers children that are corrupters they have forsaken the Lord they have gone away backward Here sin is called a forsaking the Lord and a going away and a revolting ye will revolt more and more which is a falling off untrustily from God Jer. 2. 14. They have forsaken me the fountain of living waters Heb. 3. 12. An evil he art of unbelief in departing from the living God There is a two-fold Departing One is real when he turns away from the place or presence of another as Jonathan arose A two-fold departing Real and departed from his father Saul Thus no man can depart from God for he being omnipresent is with us in every place Another is moral which is when the heart or soul departs and thus the sinner departs from God when his soul and affections leave him Moral and cleave to sin And it cannot be but that sinning should be such a departing for as much as God and sin are most contrary so that the soul cannot enjoy them both if you will love and follow your sins you must leave God and if you will love and follow the Lord you must leave your sins for what communion can there be betwixt light and darkness God and sin The Use of this may inform us of the madness and folly of a sinner He will live in such or such a sin and with greediness he Vse See the folly of the sinner follows the inticements thereof Well! thou enjoyest thy sin but consider that thou losest thy God and what doest thou get in all thy delights which are but lying vanities whilest thou forsakest the God of thy mercies Thy exchange is miserable to leave a God and embrace a sin to depart from the chiefest good and happiness and to make choice of the basest objects of sin which is worse then hell it self A second moral observation is this that A sinner doth voluntarily of his own accord depart from God Here the Prodigal D. 2. A sinner doth voluntarily depart from God makes choice of his own way and course and desires to be left to himself and to take his own course God compels no man to a sinfull course nor is he the cause thereof nor can Satan compel the heart A man in this regard is said to tempt and entice himself and with Ahab to sell himself to work wickedness And therefore The sinner is utterly inexcusable before God Vse Therefore the sinner is inexcusable his mouth is for ever stopped his sin and perdition is of himself God is cleared in Judgment who punishes the wicked who is the actor contriver and sole cause of his own sinnings Take any sinner who delights himself in a way of wickedness why he is voluntary in it 'T is true in dispute he pretends an insufficiency or inability
will prevent all that bitterness Sol. 1. You cannot repent at pleasure though you sin at pleasure nay the more pleasant thy sins are the more they do disable thee to repent for they by thy delights do hold thy affections more firm and increase â—hy sinfull acts more often and both of these do cross repentance 2. But suppose thou shouldest repent yet must thy sins be bitter unto thee though thou mayest believe with joy yet thou must repent with sorrow Repentance is a mourning weed a sad lamentation a reformation with tears 3. And believe me thy penitential work will be the more sowr by how much the more sweet thy sinnings have been In Physick if I mistake not they hold that Dulcia cito vertuntur in bilem the sweet meats are most easily turned into bitter choler so shalt thou find experimentally thy sweetest sins to prove even if thou doest repent thy sharpest burthens and griefs Davids adultery cost him more tears then any sin of his that we read of A third Use shall be of Direction If any man of us hath been enticed that we have taken the sweet bait that sin hath insnared Vse 3. Direction us by its pleasures my advice is Let him vomit up the morsels again and no more to embrace the sin for the pleasure but to abhor the pleasure for the sins sake The rules which I would prescribe are these 1. Presently to imbitter those sinfull pleasures Do you your Presently imbitter those sinfull pleasures self begin the work defer it not to God if you begin it in a penitential way God will spare you in a judicial way Judge yourselves and ye shall not be judged of the Lord. See and consider what thou hast done True I have had the pleasure but by sinning God hath had the dishonour much dishonour great dishonour frequent dishonour Oh grieve for this that thou shouldest ever delight in that which grieves thy God that sin should be pleasant to thee which is so dishonourable unto him Afflict thy soul and do this presently take down thy sins the second time with bitter herbs which at the first thou swallowedst down with sweet delights or rather cast them out with hearty sorrow which thou didst hastily take in with vain pleasure 2. For time to come let two thoughts lodge between thine eyes viz. 1. Former sins have been bitter though pleasant 2 Future Think of the bitterness of former sins and that future sins will be more bitter sins be they never so pleasant will prove more bitter O let these be engraven in thy soul never believe thy thoughts thy hopes thy confidences nor Satan any more nor thy own false heart sin was pleasant heretofore but it ended bitterly if thou any more hearken unto it it will be less pleasant and much more terribly bitter the second surfeits of sin do either breed more stupefaction or more confusion in the conscience 3. Study to find and taste that pleasure which ariseth from an entire communion with God and a conversation which is upright Study to find and taste pleasure in communion with God Talk what thou wilt the soul will have some pleasure or other if it pitcheth not on God for it it will stray aside to sin for it Now then strive to take pleasure in the Lord and in his work and in his way and in his Graces and in his Christ This shalt thou find of spiritual pleasure Spiritual pleasures are 1. It is more sweet a thousand times then that of sin One glass of Spring-water is more sweet then a Caldron of Sea-water More sweet though the Sea be larger it is fouler and mixt 2. It is more lasting and durable Ah thou needest not to repent of it it is More lasting a Spring and not a Puddle and its foundation is constant never forsake thy mercies for lying vanities 3. It is More affecting more affecting then the other That of sin goes not beyond the sense and affections but this of God enters into the conscience which is the seat of truest comfort or saddest misery 4. It Will drown our sinfull pleasures will drown your sinfull pleasures Oh thou shalt find such a real value such a surpassing excellency such a full contentment in the all-sufficient God that thou mayest well say as Ephraim What have I to do any more with Idols So thou with the vain piercing false short pleasures of sin Therefore set thy heart not on sin but holiness though it may fall out that at the beginning the ways of God and holiness may seem bitter unto thee yet know 1. This bitterness either is by reason of thy former pleasant sins or thy present sinfull nature 2. That assuredly thy delights in holiness will bring thee at last to that right hand where there are pleasures for evermore for as sin though pleasant in entrance is bitter in conclusion so holiness though it sets forth with a storm shall land safely in a calm And when he had spent all there arose a mighty famine in that Luke 15. 14. Land and he began to be in want And he went and joyned himself to a Citizen of that Countrey and he sent him into his fields to feeds swine 15. The Prodigal hath done with his Estate and all the pleasures of it now we are to consider him both in his streights and in the immediate use which he made of them Touching the former I shall say little onely you may observe 1. The occasion of it a great famine 2. His sence of it he began to be in â—ant Touching the latter you may observe two things 1. His practice under his streights And he went and joyned himself to a Citizen of that Countrey 2. His success or reward And he sent him into the field to feed swine By the Citizen generally is expounded the Divel by the Countrey the World by Swine wicked Men. There are two Propositions which I would hence observe viz. 1. That though sin brings men into straits yet straits do not always bring men from sin 2. That the further men go on in sin the worse work they shall find it to prove That though sin brings men into straits yet straits do not always 1. Doct. Though sin brings men into straits yet straits do not always bring men from sin Distinguish betwixt Possibility and Infallibility Representation of sin and Reformation of sin bring men from sin You see here the prodigal is pincht with famine and yet he comes not home to his Father but goes on further in his own ways For the opening of this Assertion a little you must distinguish betwixt 1. Possibility ut medium and Infallibility ut remedium 2. Betwixt Representation of sin and Reformation of sin Straits and miseries are ordinarily the Looking-Glasses wherein we may see the face of our sinnings but they are not always the Physick-Glasses wherein we find the cure of our sins they are more
as much as Repentance Set forth by The Matter of it requires Surgam ibo I will arise I will go St. Austin is something facetious upon the words Surgam I will arise quia jacebat for the Prodigal was down before Sin is a fall and Repentance is a rising and ibo I will go to my Father quia longe aberat for the Prodigal was far from home Sin is a long travel a wandring rather and Repentance is a sweet returning We go abroad when we sin we come home when we repent And Chrysostome upon Ibo ad patrem I will go home to my Father wittily compares the motions of Repentance to those of a journey That though which I do most conjecture at in the words is The Prodigals compleat Resolution for the matter of Repentance Repentance is a motion twixt two terms and is made of Aversio and Conversio Aversion from a sinfull course and that is in Surgam I will arise Conversion to God and this is in Ibo ad patrem I will go to my Father 2. The Manner or Form of it It is not votum a wish nor yet velleitas a woulding The Manner of it nor yet volitia de futuro I will hereafter But his Resolution to arise and to go home is as compleat as the Matter on which he doth resolve I will arise I will go It was a strong and peremptory and present Resolution 3. The Motive or Inducement to it and that is in the word my Father The apprehensions of a Father The Motive to it work most to the return of a sinner That I shall find a Father of God prevails much to make a penitent Child of men There are many excellent Propositions observable out of the words some I will onely point at the rest I will insist upon Thus then General Propositions 1. That Repentance is a Gradual thing in working Though the habitual implantation of it be instantaneous for it is a Grace Repentance is a Gradual thing in working infused and therefore admits not of space and leisure yet the actual operation of it is successive and by degrees as here in the Prodigal 1. He came to himself 2. He considers of his perishing condition 3. Then compares it with the happy condition of those in his fathers house And then 4. Resolves to leave his sins and go home to his fathers house 2. That Repentance is an Active thing it will make a sinner to leave his place and to find his feet rising and going are Repentance is an active thing active motions He who repents indeed is doing indeed it is not an an indifferent cold grave dull nothing but the Soul stirs indeed against sin and strives indeed to enjoy and please God Ephraim defiles his graven Images and will no more have to do with them and readily come unto the Lord Behold we come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God And therefore S. John saith Bring forth fruits meet for repentance Repentance is a working Grace it sets the judgment the will the affections the whole man on work 3. That sound resolution is requisite to sound Reformation Sound Resolution is requisite to sound Reformation The Prodigal here is peremptory I will arise I will go to my Father This is a point of great consequence and very proper to the Text and therefore I will insist upon it by inquiring 1. What this sound resolution is 2. Why it is requisite to a sound Reformation 3. Then what useful Application of this to our selves Quest 1. What solid Resolution is What Solid Resolution is Sol. It is a well grounded strong constant and active purpose of the Will of a penitent sinner wherein he is peremptorily bent to forsake a sinful course and to lead a holy and a better life 1. It is a purpose or bent of the Will So it is called Act. 11. 23. It is a purpose or bent of the will A purpose of heart when matters of faith or fact are only discovered unto us the work of the mind about them is called Apprehension when they are debated and disputed there this is called Deliberation and when the will is fully inclined and wrought upon that it is with it as with the body carried to the Center the natural Inclinations poyse and bend it thither So the very Spirits as it were of the will the Pondus of it is carryed about the work it is set upon it this is called Resolution 2. To forsake a sinful course You must distinguish twixt Intermissions To forsake a sinful course and Excisions twixt pausing and forsaking In solid resolution the will is purposed not to make only a stop or to admit of some interruption but also to make a divorce an utter separation What have I to do with idols any more said Ephraim and this separation is not only in respect of a particular or personal act as thus I will do this evil this time or for so long a time but also in respect of course I am purposed to relinquish it both in part and in whole both now and for ever there is difference betwixt 1. Absteining 2. Forsaking 3. Stopping Non propono peccare sed propono non peccare Isai 30. 22. Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloath and say get thee henâ—e In the extent and latitude though they have been Mulu utilia jucunda chara 3. And to lead a Holy or Godly Life And in this respect this resolution is called sometimes a choosing of the way of God To lead a Godly life sometimes a cleaving to the Lord sometimes a serving of the Lord sometimes a Covenant to serve the Lord and to walk with him and somtimes a readiness to hear what the Lord will speak I and my house will serve the Lord. Psal 119. 106. I have sworn and will c. The sum of all is this Then is it a resolution of the will when a person attains thus far This is an evil way I am heartily purposed never to walk in it more this is an holy and good way I am heartily purposed to walk therein for ever these sins I will follow and serve no longer but this God shall be my God his Lawes shall be my rule and guide and his wayes shall be my wayes in the which I will walk 4. In the discription consider the properties of this Resolution which The properties of this Resolution A well grounded purpose are four 1. It is a well grounded purpose of the will it is not a house without a foundation nor a ship without a bottom nor yet with a weak bottom It is not raised I know not how or on a sudden in an irrational and humorous way or in all hast Ordinarily he who will leave an ill course in hast comes off from it indeed with too much leisure but it is such a purpose as is throughly bottomed upon such grounds as can give
In the expression of it and this is when so much Grace appears as to enter into a new path and do new works 3. In the progression of it And this is when a greater Victory is obtained over our sins and appears in our course of new obedience Now the Initials of true Repentance I conjecture to consists partly in the Conversion of the heart when the mind and will and affections are healed and turned and partly in the reformation of the life when the person out of an hatred of sin and love of God sets upon another course of obedience and service It is just like a Ship that is going out or like a Shop that is newly set up things are very raw there is much dross with the little Silver a little health and much lameness a great journey and but a few steps the work is rather in desire and much in complaints and though perhaps little be done yet all is heartily endeavoured to be done this I call the Initials of Repentance There are six things shew that Repentance is begun in truth Six things shew Repentance is begun in truth Condemnation 1. One is Condemnation When the judgement looks upon all sin after another manner then formerly sentencing it as the most vile and accursed of all evils and no sin knowingly finds favour 2. Another is Aversation When the will flies Aversation and shuns it as that which is most contrary to all goodness and happiness 3. A third is Weariness When the Soul is as Weariness weary of Sin as any Porter can be of his Burthen or as a sick-man is of his Bed Psal 51. 17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise 4. A fourth is Lamentation That the Soul cannot yet be rid of Lamentation the unruly motions and insolencies of sin It is grieved that Life and Death Hell and Heaven Grace and Sin should thus be together 5. A fifth is Resistance or conflict The Soul doth Resistance use the best means it can to separate more from sin and all sinfull wayes and to walk only in all holy pathes in the pathes of righteousness And the sixth is an active Inctination to obey God in all things a thirsting and striving an aiming a writing after the Copy An active Inclination And there are four things which do shew that Repentance is Four things shew that Repentance is but begun Impotency but begun it is only initial 1. One is Impotency or weakness of operation When the penitential parts do move and stir yet like a child who begins to go very feebly There is as much appears in the course as declares another spring or principle and rule by which the Soul strives to walk but the performance is very tender and feeble like a young Tree that hath but tender branches and small fruit The person doth mourn and confess and pray and live and obey but with weakness 2. A second is efficacy of Temptation When Temptations do easily Efficacy of Temptation beset and discourage the Soul as when the Tree is but a young plant the Winds to toss it and make it reel so when Temptations do as it were drive the Soul and are apt to raise quick fears and discouragements Oh! I shall be overcome again I shall hardly hold on I cannot well see how I shall be able to perform and preserve in these wayes which I have chosen A third is the Validity of present Corruption which though it be truly hated and bewailed yet it is very apt upon occasions to assault and Validity of present Corruption prevail when every little stone is apt to make one stumble it argues that the strength is weak 4. Necessary presence of many helps When a Man cannot go but with two Crutches and a Child must lean upon many props and a penitent upon many sensible encouragements Now that these Initials of Repentance are graciously accepted The Doctrine proved God respects the truth as well as the degrees of Grace of God may be thus manifested 1. The Lord doth respect the truth of Grace as well as the degrees of it every quality as well as the quantity Are not thine eyes upon the truth The Goldsmith hath his eye on the very thin raies of Godl as well as on the great knobs and pieces Grace is excellent and amiable at the lowest though then admirable when at highest 2. The main thing that God looks upon is to the heart My Son give me thy God looks most at the Heart heart All that is done if the heart be not in it it is of little or no estimation with God but if the heart be right this the Lord prizeth exceedingly and so much that for its sake he passeth by many infirmities The good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart c. 2 Chro. 30. 19. Now in the Initials of Repentance the heart is set right it is set on God and towards God in truth 3. Even the Initials of Repentance are his own Gifts special gifts of his blessed Spirit it is he that worketh The Initials of Repentance are his Cist in us to will and to do Phil. 2. 13. The spirituall will and the spiritual deed though both be imperfect yet are they the genuine effect of Gods own spirit sparks out of his fire works of his own hands Now as in the Creation God looked upon all that he made and saw that it was good he liked it well So is it in our Renovation all that good which God works in us he doth accept and approve he doth not despise his own image which though it shine more fairly in progressive Repentance yet is it truly stampt in our initial Conversion 4. Tâ—at which comes This Springs â—â—om faith not only from a person having faith but from faith it self that the Lord will graciously accept For as our actions do not please him without faith it is impossible without faith to please God So on the contrary when the actions do come from faith they do please the Lord. Abels Sacrifice presented in Faith did please him when Cains presented without faith was not regarded faith puts a value and acceptance on our actions But even initial Repentance comes from faith the person is by faith united to Jesus Christ from whom he hath received strength and grace to forsake his sins and to become a servant of righteousness 5. The Lord hath said that he will not despise the day of small things nor quench the smoaking flax nor break the God will not deâ—pâ—se â—he Day 〈◊〉 â—mall things bruised reed What Husbandman doth despise the little plant which he hath set Or what father doth despise the little child he hath begoten Why that God who hath appointed all the meanes and ordinances to cherish and prop and comfort and nourish and perfect the initials of Repentance doth not he
causes in Christ to accept of him and to resign up to him rather than to sin or world or any thing else and when the Will is wrought upon so as to accept of Christ in his Person and Offices and Estates the soul is now matched or married to Christ by Faith It bestows it self and gives Christ all the right and cleaves unto him in an indissoluble bond of affection and service Quest 3. The third resolveable is concerning the Subject of this The subject of this faith faith who hath it The Text resolves that by telling us that the Ring was put on the returning Prodigals finger so that the penitent person is he who wears the Ring i. who is an espoused The penitent person is onely married unto Christ or married person by Faith unto Christ You may be married to your Lusts and to the World though you be impenitent yet none but Penitents are married unto Christ by Faith Not that Repentance goes before Faith in Christ for no Grace habitually considered is in time before another though in operation it be Nor that Repentance is the cause of Faith for it is a most improper Assertion to make one Grace to be the cause of another Grace when as every Grace doth come onely from the Spirit of Reasons Christ as the cause But because 1. The penitent person is only the The penitent person onely hath faith subject of Faith which doth marry us to Christ no person is a believer who is not a penitent person The Prodigal while onely a Prodigal he hath neither Garment nor Ring but when he is a returning Prodigal then he hath both and not till then 2. Onely penitent persons can evidence their faith and espousal unto Onely penitent persons can evidence their faith Christ Another who is impenitent can no more evidence his interest or title to Christ then an Alien that never heard of this Land can evidence or conclude his title and right to any Goods or Chattels of yours The title to Christ is proper onely to the Penitent for them he lived and for them onely he died Now if any should yet further demand Why the Lord should Why will the Lord give this to penitent persons To convince the world there is no loâ—s in leaving sin To support the soul of the heavy laden give unto penitent persons a precious faith to espouse them to Christ I conjecture briefly that these may be the Grounds or Reasons 1. To convince all the world that there is no loss in leaving of sin Abjice tectum tolle coelum said one The repentant person forsakes his sins but presently finds a Saviour he is divorced from that which would damn him and by faith is espoused unto one that will save him 2. To support the soul of the penitent which of all other is most sick and heavy laden It is most sensible of sin and guilt and Gods displeasure on all which it cannot long look alone If the penitent person had not faith to see a Mediatour he would not long have an eye to look upon his transgressions It is a truth that Repentance could never act it self unless the penitent person had faith to act it self too The sorrow in Repentance would infinitely sink into despair and the forsaking of sin would turn into a forsaking of God if Faith saw not a Mediatour for Transgressions and a mercifull God through him 3. Lastly The Lord intends singular mercy to the penitent God intends singular mercies to the Penitent persons to perform many precious promises of pardon and grace and comfort unto them and therefore gives them Faith unto which all the Promises are made The promises may be considered two ways either in respect 1. of Intention so they look unto the Penitent of Application so onely Faith is the Hand in the Penitent which actively applies the Promises Again you know that the Promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ i. they are all sealed by him and made good unto us by him so that first we must have Christ before the Promises made good unto us by Christ And therefore God gives unto the penitent person the Grace of Faith to espouse him unto Christ that so he may settle upon him all the Dowry upon the Marriage of the rich mercy and good in his precious Promises The main Use which I will make of this assertion is To try our selves whether we have this precious Ring of Faith a Ring Vse Try our selves whether we have this precious faith A necessary trial if we consider The paucity of true believers more precious than that of Gold put on our fingers yea or no. It is as necessary a demur as ever you were put unto all your dayes whether you consider 1. The paucity of true believers All men have not faith saith the Apostle All men nay very few Who hath believed our report said the Prophet We preach we offer Christ unto you we beseech you to accept of the Lord of Life to give up your hearts and lives unto him but who believes our report We tell you that Christ is better than all the world his bloud is better than sin it 's better to love and serve him than world or sin but who believes our report Men care not to know the excellencies of Christ they prize him not they care not to hear him speak in his Ordinances they will in no wise consent and yield to his terms and conditions 2. The Vtility The utility of it of it To the Sacrament of the Lords Supper if we come without our Wedding-Ring it will be as sad a day to us as to him who came without his Wedding Garment We do not onely receive no good at the Sacrament for we have neither hand nor mouth to take and eat if we have not Faith not title at all to the intrinsecal benefits by Christ if we have not faith in him Nay we occasion much evil and Judgment upon our selves we adventure to eat and drink our own damnation not discerning the 1 Cor. 11. Lords body And righteously may the Lord judge us for coming to his Sacrament without Faith for as much as in so doing we do not onely presume against an express prohibition that we should hold off but also we do at the least interpretatively assay to make God a Liar and a favourer of all villany as if he would put his Seal of Pardon and mercy and for all the good of his Covenant in Christ to a wicked impenitent and unbelieving sinner 3. The Hypocrisie of our hearts so apt to deceive themselves with shadows in stead of substances not The hypocrifie of our hearts considering that Satan can delude a man with the shew of any grace Every Ring is not a Ring of Gold nor is every Faith a precious and unfeigned Faith There is a thing called Presumption which is bold enough but it is not Faith and there
Repentance formal cold negative way of repentance deeming themselves no less then Penitentiaries who have this only to plead They never in all their lives did wrong or harm c. But remember O self-deceiver if ever God gives to thee repentance indeed thou wilt find other sinful courses to be left besides those of Commission thou wilt find thine Omissions to be a highly guilty course of sin that thou frequently omits calling upon God hearing of his Word reading of his Word examining of thy heart humbling of thy soul walking in an holy and heavenly and exact manner c. Thou often criest out What bad course am I in I demand of thee what holy course art thou in what other course of life leadest thou then ever c. Well I will say no more but this but if other and better lives be the arguments of true Repentance the Lord be merciful to us there are then but very few penitents the same oaths the same cursings the same worldliness the same pride the same drunkenness the same uncleanness the same neglects of God and spiritual duties we are Vse 2. Let us shew our Repentance by our Conversation not others then we were we live not otherwise then we have done But secondly If any of you take your selves to be penitents I beseech you then let us carefully shew it by our lives and conversations Consider to this purpose 1. If there be truth of If there be true Repentance there will be newness of conversation Repentance there will be newness of Conversation A monstrous taing to see a man start up and walk with his Coffin and Grave-cloaths If it be light it will shine and if it be fire it will heat and if it be salt it will season if thy heart be purged indeed thy life will also be reformed indeed If ye have been taught as the Ephes 4. 21. truth is in Jesus put off concerning the former conversation the old man 2. The Lord â—esus hath purchased thy Life as well as thy Soul and redeemed thy Conversation as well as thy Nature Christ hath purchased thy life as well as thy soul He did dye not only to recover thy inward Man but also to cure thy outward Man that as thy Heart should not be profane so thy Conversation should not be vain Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh that we should no longer live the rest of our time in the flesh 1 Pet. 4. 1 2. Christ hath dyed for thee that now thou shouldst live unto him 3. The honour of Religion lyes upon thy The honour of Religion lies upon thy life Life Thy heart may be a secret a closet of much good or evil we leave it to the Searcher of hearts but thy life is a publick Letter an audible Voice a common Object The profession of truth and holiness is an honourable thing in it self but a good and answerable Conversation adds and reflects a greater honour to it As the Heaven is a beautiful Creature but it is the more beautified by the shining of the Stars So is it with Religion it is an Excellency in it self and is made the more excellent by an excellent Conversation But a lewd rude foolish boystrous incongruous fowl uneven evil life makes Religion to look like Gold in the dirt or like a Jewel in a Swines snout or like Beauty in a Whore It is the very scandal of Religion and as a death verse upon an holy profession What is it that thou now and then fillest the eyes of men with a little gravity and the ears of men with a little piety when still thou by thy wicked life armes the hearts of men to scorn and the tongues of men to blaspheâ— the Name of God and Professors The more pretence thou hast to repentance the more odious art thou by thy impenitent life to the profession thereof The strictest eyes are upon the strictest professors and no miscarriages take so soon with men or damp Religion more 4. The souls of men lie much upon their life What Greg. Nazianz The souls of men lie much upon their life said of the Painter That he teacheth not by his language but by his hand and Chrysostom of the Minister That his first part is to Live well and then to Teach well that is true of every penitent Christian for his inward affections come not so into our scales as his outword actions We judge of him and imitate him not by what lies hid in his heart but by what appears in his life and of all men we are most confident to imitate the actions of those who pretend most against sin Now then if thou who pretendest to repent of all sin by thy sinful life shouldâ—t multiply sinners amongst men or strengthen the hearts of sinners from returning O how bitter O how dismal how fearful how an amazing account that thou even under a forme of Repentance shouldst keep men in an estate of impenitency to damn their souls by thy continual sinnings Sins in conversation are alwayes of more publick danger then those of disposition as a Feavor or a Plague 5. The comfort and peace of thy Conscience lies much in it The comfort and peace of thy Conscience lies much in it A good Life is the best Commentary of an upright heart and uprightness is a comfort A good Life is the best Star to clear up Gods glory and to bring him glory is to bring our selves comfort Conscience will judge thee more for evil in life as more perfected more hurtful than for that within A good life is the only Plaister by which we heal others the only Pilot by which we direct others the only Hand by which we hold up others We may think good but this circumscribes it self with our selves we may desire good but this also conâ—ines it self with our selves The good life is the life only which doth good to others and the more good we do the more comfort still we have 6. The reward will be great to the life that is good It s true The Reward will be great to the good life that God in his future retribution hath respect to the inward graces and dispositions but he takes publick notice of the operations of them in our lives as for acting themselves and therefore pronounceth the reward to the doer and the kingdom unto him that cloaths and feeds and visits c. What! an eternal life for a good life 7. But lastly Look on all who are truly penitent or have All that are truly penitent have been very circumspect of their lives been so how tender and circumspect they have been of their lives and walkings How extremely circumspect was David of his tongue Psa 39. and as exceedingly pensive for any unbeseeming word or fact much more for any scandalous evoâ— such a fool such a beast was I Psa 51. So the Apostles both in their wayes and in their directions unto all the
departed Sinfull Lost his Excellencies man doth not know what is become of created man yea he hath lost these so long that he knows not whether ever he had any of them or no whether he ever had such an eye or Lamp of exquisite knowledge whether he ever had such a vesture of righteousness whether he ever had such a stock of ability and sufficiency for Obedience As he once could not find Rome in Rome nor they know Jezabel to have been Jezabel just so is it with a poor sinner He once was a child of Light a son of Obedience he was created holy and righteous But what is become of all his created stock But man dieth and man giveth up the ghost and where is he Job 14. 10. So here man hath sinned and man hath lost all his excellencies and where is he Adam where art thou said God A sad question Where art thou An hour since Adam was Adam but upon his sinning Adam where is Adam Where is righteous Adam Where is Adam who had power to believe to love to obey all my will Where is he and where is all this All is lost 5. He hath lost his way his way home Every sinfull man is Lost his way a wandring Meteor a very Planet on earth he is gone from the fold as a silly sheep he is gone from his Fathers house as a silly Child he is gone out of the right path like a silly Traveller in the Wilderness Sin puts us into a Maze into a Labyrinth we go from one sin to another sin out of one by-path into another by-path and the further we go in sinfull paths the more still we go out of the way But the right path which leads back to our God O the sinner hath not an eye to see it and when he hath light to see it yet he hath not an heart to turn unto it nor feet to walk in it Rom. 3. 12. They are all gone out of the way v. 17. The way of peace they have not known Psal 95. 10. It is a people that do err in their hearts and they have not known my ways The lost sinner hath an erring mind and an erring heart and erring affections There is but one way to come back to God which is by Christ I am the way c. but the lost sinner knows not Christ nor the way unto Christ 6. He hath lost his Ability He who once had power to fall Lost his ability being fallen hath now no power to rise any more a self-deliverance is as impossible as a self-creation It must be light which finds that which is lost but sinfull man is darkness it must be strength which raiseth up one who is fallen but lost man is less than weakness He who loseth himself by sin must come back again by grace but the natural man hath no grace no not a desire of it no not a thought of it no nothing of all of it What Sin casts down Faith must set up but the unconverted man doth not nay cannot believe of himself he cannot As all our powers were at first in Adams hands so all our powers now are in Christs hands 7. The sinner is also lost in respect of his Title and Plea and Lost in respect of his liberty in respect of his Liberty and Freedome so that now every sinner is a very slave and bondman Obj. But how comes man to be How man comes to be lost a lost man I answer Man came to be a lost sinner First By Temptation The Devil lost his own happiness and by his cunning seducements Man lost his happiness too Four things he By temptation used for this 1. He raised a suspition and jealousie in our hearts of God 2. Then a dislike of our present condition 3. Then an affectation of an higher condition 4. A false perswasion of Gods threatning Secondly By his own will And there were besides our original Liberty ad utrumlibet four principal sins which By his own will brought us into our Lostness 1. Pride 2. Vnbelief 3. Presumption 4. Discontentment Object But how may a man know that he is as yet in a lost condition How a man may know that he is lost Sol. This may be resolved by these Queries 1. Where is thy Home 2. What is thy way 3. When didst thou return 1. Every lost man is a man afar off In longum abiit he is gone Every lost man is afar off far from home from his Father When the Prodigal was lost where was he then The Text saith That he was gone into a far Countrey When the Ephesians were lost where were they Afar off Ephes 2. 17. When the Israelites were lost where were they They are gone away far from me Jer. 2. 5. A natural man is far from God take me right you can never find God and a wicked man together his nature is far from God and his thoughts are far from God and his affections are far from God O he cannot endure the presence of God he cannot endure Holiness he cannot endure holy Ordinances nor holy Services nor holy Admonitions nor holy Reproofs nor any holy Communion the further he is from these the better doth he think his condition to be A man is never at home till he hath a God and till he stands in Gods presence and till he hath communion with his God But the natural man c. 2. Every lost man is in a false way in Every lost man is in a false way a by-way his ways are sinfull ways The lost man he is out of the common and known Road he is in the Woods in the Ditches in the Deserts in the Fields and he goes from one strange place to another strange place O man whilest thou walkest after thy sins whilest thou runnest from sin to sin whiles thy way and course of Life is in the fulfilling and following of thy Lusts assuredly thou art a lost man 3. Didst thou ever yet return to He is lost who doth not return God If not then as yet thou art in a lost condition O consider this consider it seriously When didst thou return How didst thou return Wherein didst thou return back unto thy God Is not he lost who is still losing of himself who still goes on in his Wilderness And this thou doest where thou wast twenty years ago there thou art still That a lost sinner may be found This my son was lost and is found In Scripture there is a two-fold finding 1. We are Doct. 2. A lost sinner may be found said to find God Seek the Lord while he may be found Isa 55. 6. I found him whom my soul loveth Cant. 3. 4. 2. God is said to find us Now God finds a sinner two ways 1. Judicially and in wrath ad evertendum 2. Graciously and in mercy ad convertendum Here three Questions offer themselves to be discussed Quest 1. Who is it
a quickning and regenerating Word it carries Christ in it the Author of Life and the Apostle calls it the Ministration of Life And perhaps it hath been so to some poor man and woman and to some of thy children But O how long hast thou heard it how often hast thou come to this Bread of Life to these Waters of Life What! and yet dead in thy sins not yet quickned and made alive Why thou art a reproach to the Gospel and thy sins have not only given death to thy soul but death to the Gospel of Christ the Gospel is made by them a dead Letter it is not so in it self but thou hast made it so And how wilt thou answer God for killing thy soul and killing his Christ and killing his Gospel 2. Many have a name that they live but like the Angel of Many have a name to live and yet are dead the Church of Sardis they are dead Revel 3. 1. Oh Sirs Spiritual life the life of grace is a rare thing and a difficult thing Every man loves his life but few love this life No man hates his own life almost but most men hate this life of grace because it is destructive to this life of sin And many think they have it and others think so too and yet they have it not You know it is one thing to put Flowers upon a dead body and another thing to put life into a dead man It is one thing for the Sun to convey light another thing for the Sun to convey life I might shew you that mâ—n mistake spiritual life exceedingly Education in a person may lead him far and so may an enlightned and generous Conscience and so may restraining Grace and so may Art and so may the common gifts of the Spirit they may enable a man to strange conceptions and strange affections and strange actions and yet the man may be spiritually dead Not any of these flow from a gracious principle of spiritual life Why common Gifts may lead up the soul far and Education may lead to Duties much and Conscience may awe sin exceedingly and Art or Hypocrisie may counterfeit the very life of Grace as a Stage-player doth a King wonderfully O therefore look to it that you have more than a name of life that you live indeed 3. If you should deceive your selves and when you come to It would be very sad to be deceived in this die you find that you have been dead all your lives and never were spiritually made alive Oh! in what a condition will thy poor trembling soul be To die and see nothing but death I thought there was life in my heart and life in my strong faith and life in my troubles of spirit and life in my obedience but alas I never lived I never enjoyed Christ never enjoyed grace c. 4. If the Lord hath made thee alive from the dead I do not To be alive is cause of great joy know any man living on the earth that hath such cause of joy unspeakable and glorious I will mention but three particulars unto thee 1. Hereby thou mayest be assured of thy interest in the richest mercy and greatest love of God to thy poor soul Read but the Apostle in Ephes 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us v. 5. even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 2. Thou mayest palpably discover the tokens and vertues of Jesus Christ upon thy soul the very Effigies of the saving works of Christ that which Paul so longed to know even the power of the death and of the resurrection of Christ Philip. 3. 10. In thy death to Sin and in thy life of Grace doth the power of Christs death and of Christs resurrection appear 3. Thou mayest certainly know that Heaven shall be the place of thy rest hereafter Spiritual life comes from Heaven and bends to Heaven and shall bring to Heaven It prepares for Heaven and it is a part of Heaven and it shall be perfected and filled up in Heaven O what things are these who would miss of these For Christs sake search throughly whether you be made alive Now me thinks I hear some soul secretly longing to know how it may be cleared unâ—o it That God hath quickned it from the Signs of spiritual life dead That as it was once dead yet it is now alive Sol. There are many things which may clearly declare it for indeed life is such an active thing especially spiritual life that it may easily appear sometimes or other to him who hath it 1. If sin be alive then thou art still dead and if sin be dead thou art certainly alive I will open both these parâ—s 1. If sin be alive then the man is dead for it is impossible that the If sin be alive the man is dead same man should be alive and dead under the same consideration Spiritual Life and spiritual Death are incompatible at the same time in the same subject And therefore if sin be alive questionless you are spiritually dead Now there are four things which manifest sin to be alive in any mans soul 1. The flaming bents and inâ—atiable desires of the heart after things forbidden in the Word Ephes 4. 19. we read of sin with greediness 2. The universal and easie authority law or command that it hath over the soul and body that it can use them in the service of lusts when and as it pleaseth Ephes 2. 2 3. 3. The joyfull contentation and satisfaction which the heart takes in evil things as we do in meat and drink 4. The customary trade and course of our life in sinfull ways a walking in them a living in them O if these be yet found in thee sin is alive still and thou art dead still 2. But if sin be dead thou art certainly alive If sin be dead thou art alive I confess sin may be restrained and a man not alive and sin may be troublesome in some respects and a man not yet alive But if it be dead the man is spiritually alive for sin in thee can never come to be dead but by spiritual life Now sin is dead in thee if thou canst find two things 1. If it hath lost thy affections If love to sin be gone and hatred of sin be come if delight in sin be quenched and sorrow for sin be implanted Oh Sirs the love of sin is the life of sin and if the hatred of sin doth live then the love of sin is dead 2. If it hath lost its Authority its free and uncontrolled power although it molests still and tempts still yet it rules not thou art not a slave to it and subject to it thou wilt not serve it obey it any longer If thou hast Christ for thy Lord the Law of Christ for thy Rule and Sin for thy Enemy thou art alive 2. A second sign of spiritual life is a spiritual sense
Nature say the Philosophers God say we allots unto them Therefore living Christians are compared to a sucking and thriving child which sucks and growes by sucking And to living branches that grow into more strength and in Scripture True Grace which is the same with spiritual life it is of an increasing and growing nature Christ compares it to a grain of Mustard-seed which is little at first but in time growes and spreads exceedingly and Solomon compares it to the Sun which riseth more and more to the perfect day Paul commends the Corinthians that they did abound in all Grace and praies for the Philippians that their love might a bound yet more and more in knowledg and in all Judgment And he himself forgat what was behind and pressed forward and counted himself not to have apprehended O you who take your selves to be alive do you grow in grace Many men grow worse and worse under the means of Grace many grow in notions but they do not grow in Grace many grow into new opinions but they do not grow in holy affections But do you grow in Grace and do you grow in all Grace and do you grow according to the means of Growth Alas many men decay apace and many men like pictures retain the same dimensions sin is no more weakned after forty years living then at the first their old sins retain their old strength and their faith receives no augmentation they are no more able to trust on God for their bodies nor to rely on Christ for their souls then heretofore The barrenness and unfruitfulness of Christians is an unspeakable dishonour to the Gospel and an evident testimony that they have but a form of Godliness without the power of it I might now have shewn you that true spiritual Growth is 1. Especially an inward Growth 2. And a general Growth 3. And the Growth comes in by the Growth of Faith 4. And appears best in the Growth of humiliâ—y 5. A spiritual cry or breath is another sign of spiritual life There is a spiritual breath If a man can but groan and breath that man is a living man When Paul was converted Ananias was sent unto him as to a chosen Vessel Behold said God unto him he prayeth in Zach. 12. 10. The Spirit of Grace and of Supplication are joyned for the one never goes without the other But will some reply This cannot be a sure sign of spiritual life for a wicked man may pray and cry to God we read of their Prayers and cries in Scripture often I grant it But 1. There is a difference twixt a spiritual cry and a natural cry their cries arise from natural principles but not from a spiritual principle 2. It is the cry of a distressed man but not of a renewed man 3. It is a cry for natural and outward good but not for spiritual and everlasting good 4. And when they cry for mercy and heaven it is not that mercy may bring them into an holy communion with God but only that mercy may keep them from wrath and Hell 6. Lastly A spiritual manner of working is an infallible evidence There is a spiritual manner of working of a spiritual quickningâ— When the Lord converts a man and makes him spiritually alive he now works spiritual work 1. By Spiritual Rules 2. From Spiritual Principles in the strength of Christ by Faith and from love 3. With Spiritual Affections willingly cheerfully and delightfully 4. For Spiritual ends 1. By Spiritual Rules To as many as walk according By spiritual rules to this Rule peace be on them Gal. 6. 16. A dead and unconverted man lives by the Rules of his sensual Lusts or the customes of the World or the wisdome of carnal policy sin rules him and men rule him and his profits and pleasures rule him But when the man is converted now God rules him he stands in awe of Gods Word and lives as 1 Pet. 4. 2. To the Will of God His actions intentions desires steps are measured by the word t is not An libet but An licet The word lets him out and brings him in Whether the living Creature went thither the Wheeles went so c. 2. From spiritual Principles O Sirs From spiritual principles a man may do much work which we call spiritual from a Carnal and low principle self-Love vain-Glory Education a quick Conscience may set out much But the living Christians work arises from union with Christ all is done in the strength of Christ and Faith fetcheth strength from Christ to pray and to preach and to mourn and to repent c. 3. With spiritual affections With spiritual affections There is a connaturalness twixt a spiritual heart and a spiritual work Thy word was the rejoycing of my heart I was glad said David when they said unto me let us go to the House of the Lord. I delight saith Paul in the Law of God after the inward man It is good for â—e to draw near to God There are affections in the works of a living man his works drop out of his heart another mans fall out of his parts 4. For spiritual ends So that Christ may be glorifyed we live For spiritual ends unto the Lord unto him that dyed for us Whatsoever ye do do it to the Glory of God that God in all things may be glorifyed through Jesus Christ 1 Pet. 4. 11. Obj. But will some say if these be signs of the life of Complaints of the want of all these Grace of one being made spiritually alive then I am in a sad condition For 1. I find much sin still living in me 2. And I find very dull if not dead affections and I find 3. Exceeding impotency to what is good 4. And I cannot find that old appetite and those old â—ervent crieâ— of Prayer which here 〈◊〉 I found 5. And as for grow hunder spiritual means O my heart sinks to behold the rich seasons of Grace and my barrenness and unfruitfulness under them Sol. I should Answered be â—â—â—th that any truly living Soul should go away with a sad heart therefore give me leave to answer thy fears 1. Generally 2. Then distinctly 1. Generally thus 1. Such complaints as these ordinarily Generally are the language not of the dead but of the living When shall you hear such inditâ—ments from a base lewd sin-loving and serving person O no these are the complaints of an heart that is spiritually sensible and spiritually tender and spiritually jealous and which would not be deceived in its spiritual condition 2. If such complaints as these be attended with inward humblings and abasings of the heart and with desires and endeavours of help assuredly they are the Testimonies of a living man Who shall deliver me O wretched man was the complaint of living Paul 3. If thou canst not at all times find every one of the forenamed Symptomes of life yet if at any time thou canst find
infused but also diffused it is tota in toto tota in qualibet parte the whole made alive so is it in true Conversion that grace which converts a sinner doth change all the sinner every faculty of the soul for the quality of it and every member of the body for the spiritual use of it Therefore converting grace is compared to the Light which runs through all the body of the aire every part whereof is inlightned and it is compared to Leaven which spreads and insinuates it self into every part of the Lump You cannot dip into any leaf of this Book into any parcel of a converted man but you shall find a divine and spiritual change a spirit of grace on it He is sanctifyed throughout in soul spirit and body I confess it were a work worthy of the deepest study of the exactest Minister to find out and deliver two things unto us 1. One is the Minimum quod sic the least breath or life of converting grace 2. Another is The specifical operations of converting grace in all the faculties of the soul so that one may say safely this faculty is changed and that faculty is changed by grace and nothing else This I make no question of that converting grace doth make the whole man alive For 1. It is a new and renewing quality 2. It is of a diffusive virtue being a good in Genere optimorum 3. It must be Co-extensive with sin which hath perverted the whole man But yet to set out its changing work in every faculty of the souâ— I cannot undertake it in the exquisiteness thereof yet if you will favourably accept of my endeavours I shall attempt towards it that so you may Concerning this universal change the better conceive of that universal change wrought in a sinner upon his Conversion 1. I premise a few Propositions which I take for granted Premise some things Coâ—verting grace is a concatination of all saving graces All these are Simultaneous in their Birth truths v. g. 1. That converting Grace which changeth the soul is a Concatination of all particular saving graces It is not Faith only â—or Repentance only nor Hope only nor Love only c. but all of them a Link or Golden â—hain as it were of them 2. That all these are simultaneous in their birth they are not implanted one before another or one more than another habitually considered but are of a simultaneous and coexistent production although in the order of working and manifestation of work there be a precedency 3. All these All these concur in their specifical nature as to this change graces concur in their specifical nature and immediate operation as to a change of the soul The change wrought in the mind is of the same nature with that which is wought in the will and the change in the will is of the same nature with that in the affections every faculty is renewed and changed with the same kind of Grace in Conversion for all true Graces are of the same nature and all of them concur to work a like saving change though one grace be seated in one faculty and another grace in another faculty all of them are like so many streams flowing from the same Fountain and coming into diverse Rooms and washing or cleansing of them all so that the whole house is made clean by them 2. These things being premised I shall now briefly shew unto you the Universâ—lity of change wrought by converting The universality of this change shewed in the particulars In the mind Grace 1. In the mind or understanding of a sinner when he is converted there is implanted an heavenly or saving light or knowledg which removes the power and dominion of darkness or ignorance and now inables the person to behold the saving truths and will and wayes of God in Christ in a spiritual clear serious and delightful manner all which he looks upon not with a naked or meerly intuitive apprehension but with admiration but with application but with delight and singular desire and a certain kind of transformation 2 Cor. 3. 18. Buâ— we all with open face beholding as in a glass the Glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from Glory to Glory When the mind is renewed it hath now a spiritual light and worth Jesus Christ appears as an excellent Object to Paul Phil. 3. 8. and the Statutes of God an excellent Object to David Psal 119. 4 5. 2. In the Judgment of a sinner when he is converted there In the judgment is also a saving and a gracious change for there doth converting Grace cast down the high imaginations of a sinner as touching himself and his carnal reasonings and fleshly disputes against God and Christ and holiness and so captivates the judgment of a sinner that he confesseth and acknowledgeth and approveth of all the methods truths causes means and wayes of salvation as best and best for him and now best for him Oh none but Christ none but Christ said the Martyr It it wonderful to behold how the judgment of a converted man condemns what he formerly approved most and how it approves what he condemned most the man now judgeth of his sin as the only evil and of Christ as his only good Oh how foolish how vain how vile that I have lived in and served and followed my sinful lusts Oh how glorious how happy how desireable is a part in Christ and Grace yea and the judgment now is as fruitful and vigorous in forming Arguments to forsake sin as it was once to draw the heart to sin and sees a thousand times more reason to embrace Christ and love holiness then to slight and refuse them 3. In the Will of a sinner when he is converted there is also a change wrought by Grace the resisting proud unreasonable In the will stubbornness and enmity of it is subdued and an holy pliableness yieldingness willingness is conveyed into it T is rare to behold how the Needle with one touch of the Adamant wheels about so to behold the admirable inclinations of the will of a sinner upon one touch of Grace from Christ not long since deaf but now hearkening not long since resisting of Christ to the death and now following Christ as for life a little while since shutting the door and barring it and now unlocking the door and opening it ere while I will not and now Lord what wilt thou have me to do I should be tedious unto you to discourse of the new inclinations and aversions of the new elections and rejections of the new purposes and resolutions of the In the affections new conformableness and subjections which are plainly evident upon Conversion in the will of the sinner 4 In all the affections of a sinner which in Conversion are so metamorphosed or changed that you can hardly perswade your self this is the man to day whom you knew yesterday one affection seems to be
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
in Adversity as in Prosperity Hab. 3. 17. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome c. yet I will rejoyce in the Lord c. Rom. 5. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation c. 1 Sam. 29. 6 the people spake of stoning him but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ c. If even in afflictions I can go unto the same armes of Christ and unto the same brests of divine Love and into the same chamber of Presence if I can look upon God as my God and see him to be my Father that I can make known my heart to him and he can make known his favour to me what should hinder me now to be joyful who still do enjoy him who alone makes all my joy Another is the Testimony of Conscience This is the Friend in adversity This is our rejoycing even the testimony of our Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. Conscience is a mans night or day his Hell or Heaven his Palace of delight or Jail of bitterness If Conscience be sanctified or pacified it can speak a peace or joy that none can crush none can hinder but under the greatest afflictions and persecutions a converted man may and doth enjoy the testimony of a good Conscience Thou art upright saith Conscience to Hezekiah on his sick-bed Thou fearest God saith Conscience to Job under the loss of all Thou lovest Christ saith Conscience to Paul even in the Prison Object 2. Now to the second Objection That converting But conversion brings us into a narrow path it is an enemy to many delights Grace brings the person into a narrow path and under the strictest rules even such as condemn a multitude of joys and delights how can that condition be so joyfull which denies and abridgeth c Sol. To this I answer 1. It is granted That converting Grace brings the person into Answered There is a strictness required a very narrow path and under very strict rules A converted man must not walk as other men he must not allow himself to think and desire and love and speak and act as formerly He must fear to sin he must love the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might he must order his steps by the Word of God he must deny himself and crucifie his dearest lusts and not shun the hardest duty nor delight in the least iniquity 2. But then This strictness is no adversary to his true joy In This strictness is no adversary to true joy keeping of thy commandments there is great reward saith David Psal 19. 11. Great peace have they who love thy law Psal 119. 165. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy upon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. I beseech you to consider four things 1. Let thine own Conscience judge whether it be not a more comfortable course to obey God then to disobey God to have grace to serve God acceptably then to have an heart still free and ready to dishonour and provoke God Who hath most true comfort the bones sound and in place or broken to walk on the Land or to be troubled at Sea the Child who runs away from his Father or the Child who waits upon his Father the Child that desires to please or the Child that continues to grieve and vex the wandring and famished Prodigal or the returning and embraced Son Hos 2. 7. I will return to my first Husband for then it was better with me then now 2. Rightly understand what it is strictly to walk with God It is an endeavour in your affections and duties to draw near to God in all well-pleasing and to answer the will of God The Christians course of obedience it is his daily communion with his God in this life When thou prayest what is Praying but a divine conference of the soul with God and when thou hearest what is this but a divine conference of God with the soul and when thou repentest what is that but a recovery and return of the soul to God and when thou believest what is that but the recumbency of the soul on the goodness of God and when thou receivest the Sacrament what is it but a communion a feasting with Jesus Christ If a strict walking be nothing but a divine and heavenly communion with God why doest thou how darest thou to judge of it as the onely Bar to shut out all joy and comfort Was there ever any affectionate Wife that thought it an injury to her Joy to speak with her Husband or to enjoy the society of her Husband Was there ever any faithfull Friend who thought it a misery a burthen to enjoy the society of his Friends to open his heart unto his Friend How then can it be a prejudice to any mans joy to enjoy communion with his God 3. Consult with experience which hath travelled in the strict ways of God either thine own experience if any which day of thy life hath been closed up with heartiest joy whether the day of licentiousness or the day of strictness That day which thou hast let out to thy lusts hath made the night a trembling to thee that day which thou hast redeemed for walking with God hath always given unto thee the sweetest rest and repose at night The experience of godly people have any of them ever found more soul rejoycing then when they have abounded in strictest obedience This is thy burthen but it is their delight the purest walking hath distilled the sweetest joy and their looser walking hath been the cause of their greatest sorrows It is with a strict Christian as with the Sun which still keeps to the Ecliptique Line and is of all the Stars the most glorious and comfortable when it is at the highest and the higher Sun the purer and warmer light And it is with the loose Christian as with the uneven foot the wry stepping is the cause of unjoynting or pinching and paining 4. The strict walking what is it but a path to everlasting life every step of it is a step to heaven Strait is the gate which leads unto life saith Christ There is an easie way for men to walk in but that 's the way to hell and what comfort is it after all to go to hell to go to hell with ease There is a strict way for men to walk in but it is the way to life to eternal life Now even that alone is sufficient to create joy that these steps after a while will bring me to appear before the God of Gods in Sion and truly there is no end whatsoever the which if it be in it self amiable and comfortable but it darts also an amiableness and comfortableness upon all the steps and paths which tend unto it 3. Lastly Converting Grace doth not condemn or deny any lawfull Converting grace denies not any lawfull joy
before true Grace but follows it Do you use to gather fruit before you plant or reap before ye sow 4. Then if ever you would have joy and live joyfull If you would have joy get converted hearts lives get converted hearts Every man desires joy and as the Bee hunts for honey so do men naturally hunt for delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut jucunde aut non omninò Let the thing or condition be what it will if we take no delight in it it is a burthen to us Heaven would not be Heaven to him who cannot find delight in it Now Conversion is the true path to true joy If God would be pleased once to convert thy soul his converting Grace would lick thy sores and pull out the stings in Conscience and sweeten the bitter Springs and clear the Heavens to thee it would make thy bed to be easie and thy bread to be sweet and thy condition to be a Paradise even the Wilderness should drop honey to thee and thy heart should sing for joy It is a witty passage of Bernards de bonis deferendis Be willing to sacrifice thy Isaac and thy Isaac shall live Isaac you know signifies laughter do but sacrifice thy sinfull pleasure and then thy true pleasure shall not die but live Caius gave unto Agrippa a Chain of Gold which was as heavy as the Chain of Iron that he endured in the Prison Sins do â—ut upon us a Chain of Iron which if we would forsake Conversion would put upon as a Chain of Gold thou shalt not lose but better thy pleasures by forsaking of thy sins and the pleasures of them O! that all the joys which you have heard attending a converted condition might allure all our hearts to become converted persons I observe five things about the converted condition in Scripture 1. The invitation unto it and there joy presents it self Turn and live turn and live hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Isa 55. 2. 2. The entrance into it and there joy embraceth the person As soon as the Prodigal Son returned his Father saw him a far off O how quick is Mercy to espy a Convert and had compassion O how tender is Mercy to yern over a Convert and ran O how swift is Mercy to receive a Convert and fell on his neck O how how out-stretching is Mercy to embrace a Convert and kissed him O how kind is Mercy to entertain a Convert 3. The motion or course of it and there joy attends the person I have rejoyced saith David Psal 119. 14. in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches When a converted man doth Mediate his meditation is stiled sweet Hear he hears With joy When they heard this they were glad Pray this is a sweet incense to David And I will make them joyfull in my house of prayer Isa 56. 7. Believe he doth believe and rejoice Mourn there is appointed the oyâ— of joy for mourning Isa 61. 3. Do the will of God it is his delight to do the will of God Suffer Rejoyce saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 4 13. in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings 4. The conclusion or end of it why there also doth joy accompany him Psal 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace 5. The reward and recompence of it and there also joy doth clasp the converted person Enter into thy Masters joy saith Christ to the good servant Gaudium supra omne gaudium At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore said David Oâ— that all these things might so affect our hearts this day as to forsake our sins and turn back to God Pleasure is the great â—â—it which is laid forth to catch the soul of man Satan draws us to sin by pleasure and God draws us to grace by pleasure shall pleasure move thee to damn thy soul and shall not true pleasure move thee to save thy soul Our Aversion from God depends much upon pleasure and our Conversion unto God depends much upon pleasure me thinks that Gods promise should be more accounted then the Divels temptation is it not more probable to buy a better penniworth from heaven then from hell and is it not more reasonable to traffick at the gates of life for joy then to trade at the gates of death for comfort Return return O sinner yet yet come back to thy God and do not for lying vanities any longer forsake thine own mercies But God must perswade Japhet Try whether you are in a converted condition or no. There Vse 2. Try whether converted or no. Nine things shew a man is unconverted are two sorts of persons 1. Some plainly unconverted 2. Some deceiving themselves about it Nine things do shew that a man is as yet absolutely in an unconverted condition 1. Vnsensibleness God promiseth to take away the stony heart quanto insensibilior tanto pe jor This is the Stone upon the Grave 2. Love of sin Wicked men are described by this in ScriptuÌ„re 3. Walking in the path of sin It is his work his trade when a man chuseâ—h an evil way and sits in the Chair is a servant of unrighteousness walks in the way fo wicked men 4. Hating to be reformed It is an abomination to him to be good that will rather be damned then reformed breaks the Cords will not have Christ to reign 5. Despising of the means of Conversion The word of the Lord is a reproach to him his heart rageth when the word finds out his sins and would separate him and his lusts 6. Loathing of converted persons cannot endure the sight of grace his special dislikes are of the godly and disgraces and discountenancings of them he is exceedingly displeased and grieved at the estimations of godliness and rejoyceth in the cloudings and setting of it 7. In communion with God It is a note of a wicked man that God is not in all his thoughts and that he call not upon God but is a stranger to him the stil-born child is a dead child 8. Disvaluations of Jesus Christ and of all the precious seasons of grace and opportunities of mercy the Swine tramples upon the Pearl the dayes of the Son of man are of no account with him 9. An earthly rest and satisfaction When he is a man only for this life and for this present world sets up his staff on this side Jordan all his hopes are in this life Secondly Five things which do shew that a man flatters and Five things shew a man deceived about his conversion deceives himself about his condition that it is converted when yet it falls short thereof 1. Meer knowledg though a man knows never so much yet if he be but a knowing man he may be a learned man but he is not a converted man It is one thing to know controversies another thing to know
Conversion If the knowledg be without 1. Experience know what sin is but feel it not know what Christ is but never feel the virtues and powers of his death and resurrection 2. Propriety know Christ as a purchase but not as an inheritance what he is and hath done but not what he is to me or hath done for me 3. Power as a candle that lightens but not as fire to burn as an Ornament on a Tomb not as a Soul to the Body as a Star which shines in the night not as the Sun which makes day new knowledg but still an old heart 4. Affections know sin but hate it not nor mouâ—n for it know Christ but love and desire him not 5. Practise like a Scholler who knows Countries but never travels to them reads the Copy but writes not after it know the way to heaven but never walks the way to heaven 2. Meer trouble of conscience A troubled condition is one thing a converted condition is another Cain and Judas were troubled yet not converted many things may suffice to trouble us which yet are not sufficient to convert us the Law the Wrath of God the quickness of conscience fear of death and hell and shame may suffice to trouble us yet not to convert us The Sea may be troubled and yet remains brinish the Iron may be broken and yet it is hard the Water boils and yet it is Water There is a difference twixt passive trouble and active trouble twixt a trouble that I would get off and godly sorrow which I would get up twixt trouble in ratione pâ—nae and in ratione gratiae twixt being troubled for sin as it is malum sensible and as malum spirituale twixt malum as causa mali and malum as affectus mali The Land-flood is high but it leaves the mud and dirt behind the Wells water is less but it cleanseth 3. Limited Reformation When only external if internal yet partial will stick with Christ for some one thing True Conversion is an invisible work it is seed under ground t is a child formed in the womb it is the hidden man of the heart t is Christ formed and living in us it is a new Creation of the heart the new heart a law written there The Pharâ—sees were good at Outworks all far to the eyes of men Outward abstinence from sin may consist with an inward love of it and a man may do much good who yet is not good Self-grounds and ends of profit of esteem of hopes of compliance with others besides those workings of conscience c. may lead us out to visible conformities when yet c. 4. Accidental resolutions When a person will on a sudden grow good altogether only upon mutable occasions 1. As in an exigence of Conscience 2. In a fit of Sickness 3. Some present conviction of the Word 4. Some imminent judgements 5. present hopes not upon solid Conviction consideration fervent prayer to God to work the change c. 5. Passionate Joyes If taken by the Word upon the discoveries of Grace and Mercy and Love of Christ and of future glory like one who is taken with the Ware yet will not come up to the Price The young man would have heaven but will not sell all take up the Cross and follow Christ But when a man is truly converted he is like the Wise Merchant who found the Pearl and rejoiced and sold all and bought it He will part with all his Lusts and Friends and Pleasures and World to enjoy Christ Doth Conversion bring the soul into a joyful condition Then Vse 3. Let every converted person take his portion of joy let every converted person take his due portion and live as becomes himself joyfully Psal 32. 11. Be glad in the Lord and rejoice ye righteous Phil. 4. 4. Rejoice in the Lord alway and again I say rejoice I wish that converted persons would consider 1. That God doth not reserve all their joyes unto another life God doth not reserve all their joy to another life O no spiritual joy is an allowance also for this life a good bit and bait by the way Nay it is not a meer Toleration or Permission but it is an express Command and Injunction and as a man doth sin who refuseth Grace so some man may sin who refuseth Joy 2. God would have the life of Grace to God would have the life of Grace a shadow of the life of Glory be a primordial shadow at least of the life of Glory and indeed our estate of Grace is an Epitome of that in Glory only that is a fuller and larger Volume We have the same God the same Christ the same Spirit the same Communion in this as in that only here it is more Mediate there more Immediate here Imperfect there Perfect here Mixt and there Pure And doest thou so poorly conceive of God that He who is able to make an heaven full of joy to Eternity hereafter is not able or willing to let fall a few drops of joy upon thy soul on earth Or that there can or should be any Communion with such a God which should not be joyful and delightful The Emperor would have none to go away sad 3. God would God would have the Christians life to be the credit of Grace have the Christians life as to be the fruit so to be the credit of Grace Grace is an ornament to the soul and spiritual joy is an Ornament to grace It testifies to the world that conversion quits all costs What! shal madness be found in the habitations of the wicked and shall not joy be found in the tabernacles of the just Shall the worldly man rejoice in a Creature and shall not the godly man rejoyce in his God Shall the condemned malefactor take delight and shall not the acquitted person take comfort Shall wicked men suck pleasure out of bitter waters and shall not good men draw joy out of the wells of salvation Joy is not comely for a fool saith Solomon but it becomes the upright to rejoice saith David 4. As spiritual joy is an ornament so it is an improvement to grace It is a certain truth that grace Joy is an Improvement to Grace is the Mother of joy and true joy is the Nurse of grace Spiritual comforts are inlargements to spiritual graces look as it is with sinful pleasures they do add to our sinful principles the more delight that any man finds in sinful wayes this adds the more love and the more desire and the more earnestness for to sin so is it in spiritual wayes the more joy and delight any man takes in them this adds a new quickning to his graces a fresher edge unto them nothing makes either a communion or an action more frequent or more fervent then delight didst thou ever find thy heart more apt to pray or more fixed in prayer then when thou foundest most delight and comfort in or upon praying