the Lord of glory would not have crucified him This is the reason why till this day they do reject him and are rejected of him and till this vail shall be taken from off their eyes and hearts they will never convert to God as we may see in Paul before and after his conversion A notable instance we have of Paul who whilst he was and remained ignorant of the excellency of Christ and stood upon his own outward priviledges and righteousnesse he advanced himself against Christ and his people and persecuted them but after Christ spake to him from heaven he is base in his own eyes denies himself and his own righteousnesse accounting all losse yea dung to win him and for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus his Lord he now admires nothing but Christ and determines to know or highly to esteem of none or nothing but Christ crucified See Phil. 3.5 6. with 7 8 9. 1 Cor. 2.2 So Job speaking of God to his friends and in Job Shall not his excellency make you afraid Job 13.11 and to God of himself after his eye had seen him I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes Job 42.6 2. Of their own vilenesse 2. Again Why do men carry themselves in their sins so proudly against Christ and God dishonour him daily yea hate and persecute him and his servants but because they are ignorant of their own vilenesse guiltinesse and wretched condition they know not their need of him and therefore they both reject him and remain in their sinful course without check wounding pricking and remorse of conscience Revel 3.17 Contra. the true knowledge of Christ and our selves would humble us Wherefore I say to you as Christ himself said to the woman Joh. 4.10 If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee Give me water thou wouldst ask of him c. So if we knew what a precious gift Christ is to us what a glorious holy God he is in himself c. and so withal saw our own need of him we would seek to him in all humility and self-denial we would buy of him c. as his own counsel to us is Revel 3.18 yea we would repent verse 19 and be vile in our own eyes we would mourn whilst we looked on him whom we have crucified c. as Zech. 12.10 we would be pierced to the heart and cry out Away with all priviledges power of will goodnesse of nature legal righteousnesse civilities formalities yea away with Scepters Kingdoms Crowns all give me Christ or else I die none but Christ nothing but Christ c. 4Vse for us Ministers to teach such doctrine as may humble men 4 Vse Now that you may thus do it concerns us in duty to God and love to your souls to teach such doctrine as this to you and as we desire the conversion and salvation of your souls we must make Christ fully known unto you and accordingly seek to prepare you for him by beating down the pride of your own conceits and all high thoughts and imaginations by beating you off your own bottoms Our duty is to form Christ in you Gal. 4.19 which cannot be done till ye be nothing in your selves and form Christ in them as in the creation the earth at first was rude and a confused chaos out of which all things were made so all things must be defaced even the goodly face of your own righteousnesse and moral vertues all high things and conceits must be brought to rubbish levelled with the ground before you can be made new men or Christs image stamped on you You must then either give us leave or we must take leave to tell you even you as well as Peter told the Jews that you are the crucifiers of Christ as well as the Jews your sins brought him from the bosome of the Father to die for them being as it were the setters on and principals An endeavour thus to do whereas the Jews were but instruments and accessaries they cried Crucifie him crucifie him in the court of Pilate but our sins cried Crucifie him in the court of Heaven yea by charging men now to be the crucifiers of Christ still we pierce and wound him as ill as they they pierced him with a spear thorns and nails we with reproaches our sins are as the gall and vinegar to him and by yeelding to sin in any kinde we so far and as much as in us lieth drive one nail more into his hands yea the spear into his heart yea so many sins so many nails thorns and spears And in plainer terms let me tell you that he against whom you sin is the Lord of glory who is the Lord of glory you cannot be so ignorant of it as the Jews were you have often been told it you have seen his works in the Church you professe to believe as much as these converts here either saw or heard on this day of Pentecost the Son of the eternal Father and therefore are lesse excuseable It is no lesse then the eternal Son of the eternal Father whom you crucifie afresh and put to an open shame Heb. 6 6. It is no other then his Spirit which you grieve then God whom you pierce And doth not this pierce and wound you as it did these here Oh that I might see it Do not you and to derogate from his glory and to adde to their own whilst they oppose his wisedom and are you not even they who derogate from his glory and adde to your own Do not you oppose your own widom to his accounting your folly true wisdom and his wisdom folly Do not you stand upon your own righteousnesse good meanings civil life formal Worship and so far exclude his righteousnesse as Paul did before his conversion righteousnesse will and Soveraignty and generally the Pharisees Yea are not you those that oppose your selves against him as your King doing your own will more then his yea by exalting your selves and the creature do you not undermine his Soveraignty I speak not now whilst I speak to you of the more grosse Idolater the heathen or Papist who denying the sole Soveraignty of God over them give and ascribe it some to Saints Angels and Images by Invocation and Worship some to the Pope on earth by slavish subjection honouring Idols nor yet onely of such as magnifying men more then God serve other mens humours lusts opinions but are not you to whom I speak many of you such as serve prefer and obey your own lusts more then God by your sensuality and worldlinesse and preferring their own will and lusts and so doing do not you in effect say Who is the Lord or who is this Christ that we should obey him or be subjected to him that we cannot follow our own delights or do our own will for him Let us break his cords we will not
which is also on our behalf most needfull for as we are miserable and stand in need of mercy so also helplesse yea wholly impotent unable unfit yea unwilling as of our selves to convert or come to Christ Our need of Gods power in our conversion 1 Cor. 1.23 we must be drawn if we come at all our hard hearts must be changed prepared made willing that so Christ who to the Jews is a stumbling block and to the Gentiles foolishness may be made unto us which are called both Jews and Greeks the power of God and the wisdom of God There is a yoak on our necks which God onely can take off Hos 11.4 by drawing us with cords of a man even bands of love God must prepare us for faith and grace by removing all blocks which lie in our way and that prejudice which wee generally have of Christ and take from us the stony heart We are dead in sin and trespasses and no less power is required then that which raised Christ himself from death Joh. 6.44 Ephes 1.19 20. Rom. 8.11 We are under darkness yea under the power of Satan and to turn us from darkness to light Acts 26.18 and from the power of Satan to God requires the power of God Nay when we are turned 1 Pet. 1.3 4 5. we stand in need of the same power of God to keep us through faith unto salvation Conversion not wrought all at once Now this work of Gods power is manifested also by degrees and in a certain order whereby he brings those he loves from nothing to something from infidelity to faith 1 By driving them out of themselves and by self-denyall 2 By bringing them to true contrition and other further grace 3 And so by these and other preparatory works but by some preparatory works to through conversion and to true faith which faith and grace of conversion is not wrought all at once in one instant at least it appears not in any all at once nor is it wrought alike soon or late in all but as the Baptist was to prepare the way to Christ as to the onely City of Refuge by filling every valley and bringing low every mountain and hill so Gods messengers make way for his coming in the spirit savingly and powerfully by preparing the soul for Christ that is by pricking and wounding the conscience by casting down all high thoughts in men by humbling them first and then by raising them up by hope c. This work of power then would be traced from its highest originall also The order and steps of conversion which is double Know we then that the order and degrees by which the grace of conversion and of faith as it depends on power is wrought may be considered two ways 1. There is an order in regard of the persons and means working it 2. In regard of the work it self SECT 2. The persons and means used in Conversion 1. In regard of the persons and means working it It is originally from God 1 THis grace as all other grace is originally in from God and so comes to be wrought in us in a certain order by himself yet not always without means but in and by the use of his own Ordinances and by the Ministery of such persons as he pleaseth to imploy in the dispensation of his ordinances The summe is this 1 The Father 1. God the Father is first in order who is said to draw such as by him in love are given unto Christ to save John 6 37-44 Jerem. 31.3 Faith being therefore called the faith of the operation of God who raised Christ from the dead Vse Therefore not from us Coloss 2.12 It not being of our selves Ephes 2.8 or originally from us as if we first beleeving moved God to elect us We are his workmanship Ephes 2.20 2. Next is God the Son 2 Son Hebr. 12.2 Vse Christ saveth by power as well as merit who works Faith and Conversion also For whatsoever the Father doth the Son doth likewise Joh. 5.19 Christ is a Saviour not onely by his merit but by his power himself not we applying effectually what he hath merited else he were but an half Saviour 3 Holy Spirit 3. Now the Father and Christ shew their power by the holy Ghost or Spirit of them both which we know was in visible signes on this day of Pentecost given by the power of which these many here were converted and faith given to them it is therefore called the Spirit of faith 2 Cor. 4.15 and by it faith is given of God Vse Therefore it is a free work John 3.8 1 Cor. 12.9 Whence it is that all that hear the word of Faith do not beleeve the Spirit is a free worker herein like the winde blowing where it listeth And the whole work of conversion must from these authors and workers of it needs be acknowledged to be a work of such power as far transcends the power of nature Vse of all This work is 1. Divine and not of man John 1.13 and of mans supposed free-will as if a man from the birth or otherwise wanted a naturall and bodily hand or eye who could give it him but the God of nature So who can give faith which is the hand and eye of the soul but God onely And all these three Persons had their work in the conversion of these Jews Luke 24.49 Acts 1.4 5-8 It is therefore a sure work 2 Sure as depending on 1 the Fathers Love 2 Sons merit 3 Power of the holy Ghost Now the Spirit or the Father and Son by the Spirit all whose power is one works this grace of Conversion and applyeth grace and faith to the soul either more immediately or mediately by the word and Ministery of it The Spirit works conversion either Immediately as in elect infants dying 1. Immediately as in elect Infants dying in their infancy where though the chief work shewed on them be a work of mercy and of free imputation yet their natures are sanctified and changed by the infusion of an habituall principle of grace wrought by the Spirit without which they could not enter into heaven But of this formerly The like we say of such elect ones as are born deaf and dumb or By means by the word 2. The Spirit ordinarily works not but by means and begets faith and grace by the ministery and preaching of the word as here Act. 2.37 Rom. 10.17 Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God i.e. by the command ordination and appointment of God Isa 59.21 which therefore carryeth along with it his power and blessing so that though conversion may seem in Scripture or other wise to be ascribed to divers other things as 1. to the Sacraments Conversion is not wrought but by the word that of Baptism especially called the washing of the new birth 2 to voices from heaven 3. to
3 Honourable 3 And as this Being in Christ is spirituall so you see it is also Honourable for hereby though otherwise never so mean in the world we become and are the sons of God John 1.12 4 Rich whereby we partake of his Annoynting he becoming to us a Prophet 4 It is also a rich Being whereby we becoming by it members of Christ and that both in regard of body and soul 1 Cor. 6.15 17. Rom. 12.5 do partake of his Annoynting that is of his Spirit Joh. 2.27 and of all the gifts of it Acts 2.17 18. as these in my Text did ver 38. by which he becomes to us a Prophet revealing in us and to us the eternall will and good purpose of the eternall Father concerning our salvation Priest John 1.18 a Priest to reconcile us by his blood to bring us into favour with God again and to keep us in the same by interceding for us and by pleading our cause at his Fathers right hand King A King to rule and guide us by his word and Spirit and to fight for us and protect us against all enemies bodily spirituall eternall and infernall in the mean time enduing us with the riches of all his merits And what are all earthly things to this Being 5 Blessed and much better then a sinfull Being 5. It is also a blessed holy and happy Being Eph. 1.3 and in that regard infinitely better then our being in sin and under wrath as wicked men are who being out of Christ are never well or to their content but when they are drunk merry secure proud in the fashion of the world and in their heart glorifying themselves as Babylon is brought in Rev. 18.7 saying in her heart I sit a Queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow Such a Being is a miserable Being and as it is sinfull so is it temporary and shall end when endlesse sorrows beign whereas our Being in Christ as it is from eternity 6 Eternall even before our being in the world and before our effectuall calling namely in Gods election Ephes 1.3 4. yea and after our calling notwithstanding our falls which do not separate us from Christ after we once be truly in him though thereby wee have no incouragement to sin so it is to eternity Here in assured hope and right we even now being raised in our bodies and sitting together inheavenly places namely in Christ Jesus and hereafter in the full fruition and beatifying vision and sight of him In these regards wee are to deny our selves in the rest These things considered should we not for Christ and the injoying of him be content if need so require to deny our selves in all things else What shall we lose if forgoing all things else we gain him and such a Being in him which as is said includes a fulnesse of all things and is better then any being else out of him as being an estate and a Being most stable spirituall honourable rich and blessed even to eternity and to labour after this Being seeing hereby we 1 Get somewhat to oppose our naturall and carnal selves And this the rather should we now by self-denyall and seeking to become new-creatures in him labour for inasmuch as so we shall finde 1 That in us which will enable us to withstand and oppose our carnall sinful and naturall selves and Being which Being alone swayes all and carryes us from God and Christ to all evill Where there is nothing but a naturall or a sinfull Being it will never yea it can never oppose it self but being one with it self seeing nature wil not otherwise oppose or den itself will seek ever to maintain it self in its own proper Being as carnall wisdome will never oppose or deny it self but when Christ is once our wisdom and we are once made wise in him carnall reason and wisdom will finde opposition from spirituall wisdom so generally when we are all and onely flesh and carnall fleshly and carnall men and company without us and such like motions within us have us at command and no temptation is truly and spiritually unlesse upon carnall naturall worldly and base respects withstood But that then is no true genuine or full self-denyall nature or the flesh rules and commands all still Onely where we have a new being in Christ there we have that which truly and diametrally will oppose corruption and the fleshly part and self in us So onely it is with the truely regenerate where the spirit in them as a new and supernaturall principle doth lust against the flesh and though it lust and strive against the spirit yet the spirit in the end prevails There is no true self-denyall of a mans self but by the spirit of holinesse and of power This helps to enable us to deny our selves 2. Thus by becoming new creatures in Christ 2 Finde fâ—llâ—â— content we onely finde true full and every way satisfactory content which makes us willing to deny our selves and to forsake all whether sinfull or yet if need be naturall contentments for him and for God in him No content out of Christ which men in vain seek Whilest men want Christ and enjoy not God in Christ they seek contentment in and from every thing but finde it in nothing They know no sufficiency but such as is in themselves or in the creature or if you will in God and Christ injoyed and had in their own way and as carnall reason or proud nature shall dictate to them and direct them They want the fruition of God which now is had onely in Christ and so they want contentment yet because they would have it they seek it either in some base lust and sinfull way from their lusts whether open or more secret which to them is as their God and they know no other happinesse and so every hypocrite lives in some sin or other or from the creatures or from the creature as from riches favour of men friends honours c. unto which they flee for their comfort or otherwise for defence and protection or from themselves in whole or from themselves as from some worth or merit in them or at least in part so seeking salvation not from Christ alone as if he alone were not alsufficient and alone able to content them but from some supposed merit or satisfactory works of their own or other mens from some goodness of their own nature or some power of their own free-will or from their duties in which they rest or at least from their duties otherwise good and necessary to help us unto Christ and to assure us of our being in him in which they rest and with which being otherwise it may be with diligence and zeal performed they altogether take up and so for want of denyall of themselves in them come short of Christ Whereas if these men did apprehend the fulness of Christ and saw and
vengeance on them that know not God that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power See wee then that we refuse not him that speaketh c. Heb. 12 25 26. 2.1 2 3. Let such look to this who finde an irresistible power in all sorts of temptations to sinne A reproof of such as suffer the world to be more powerfull in in them then Gods Word from their lusts or the men of the world who if they hold but up a finger it is as a strong cord to draw them with them into all excesse or the very looks and speeches of the harlot are enough to cause them follow though it be as the Oxe to the slaughter And so when they can find and professe that they can be moved even to tears at the beholding of a Play and that much sooner then at a Sermon as some have done Oh it s a signe the Devill hath a strong hold in them and hath taken up their hearts which are shut towards the word and open only to vanity Vse 5 5. Lastly If we have found any good by the word that we are become new men by it Being converted not to ascribe the glory of it either to our selves or to the gifts of the Minister 1 Cor. 3.5 let us give God his glory and not ascribe our conversion in whole or in part either to our selves to the power of our own will to our own wit aptnesse or good nature see Joh. 1.13 Mat. 16.17 or yet to the gifts and abilities of the Preachers what is Paul or what is Apollo I know some Ministers may be called powerfull Preachers in comparison of others namely such as follow Gods method of Preaching and that course which he chiefly blesseth yet it is not the Minister but God which converts opens the hearts pricks wounds and after heales it We may and must respect and honour such as so labour even with double honour but as the Ministers of Christ God himself must have the honour of their work We must not ascribe to them either too little but honour them for their works sake and be thankfull to them as to spirituall parents under God or too much but acknowledge the power and grace of God in and by their Ministery And thus for the power of the Word SECT 2. Concerning the profit of hearing Gods word With Vses 2 WEe note from this their hearing the word so as to be pricked and wounded Note 2. The profit of hearing Gods word and at length fully converted by it as the power of Preaching so The great good and saving effects of hearing aright We may see here how that the Hearing of Gods Word as it was taught by Peter and the rest Proved the means of their Conversion and Salvation For bereby first their eyes came to be enlightened 1 It opens the eyes to know Christ and they came to see both their own sins and their Saviour and at length to be directed in and to the only way of salvation vers 37.38 Thus our blessed Saviour discoursing and preaching to these two Disciples that went to Emmaus at length their eyes were opened Luk. 24.27 31. and they knew him yea afterwards presently appearing to them and the rest and aplying the Scriptures to the present occasion it s said He opened their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures and the Scriptures but that was by his powerfull Spirit accompanying his word seeing formerly he had expounded and opened unto them the Scriptures And thus the Lord teacheth men out of his Law which Law and word of his is a light to give us understanding of his ways and of our wayes too Psal 94.12 It enlightens our minds and directs our Path. Thy word saith David is a lamp or candle to my feet and a light unto my path Psal 119.105 It is given to direct and lead us in this our pilgrimage to heaven as once the fiery pillar and cloud did the Israelites to Canaan through the wildernesse and as Ships are directed by lights from without in their course into their dangerous havens which in some havens are double or two which are to be brought in a right line together in the Ships course so here is a double light this of the Word and that other of the Spirit accompanying the same by which we come effectually and safely to be directed 2 It awakens out of security Secondly This same Word did also by pricking and wounding these Jewes awaken them out of their security in which they did lie and should have lien for ever So God awakened David by the Prophet Nathan and rouzeth men daily from their quiet sleep in sin 3 It both wounds and heals Thirdly But as it did awaken them so pricking and wounding it did let out their corruption and made way for the perfect healing and cure of their soules 4 It is the ordinary means of conversion and salvation Fourthly In a word it thus proved a word of life to them and as we have said the means of their salvation And so indeed we must conceive of the word and the right hearing and preaching of it as of the means of our salvation So it was also in Lydia and the Jailor Acts 16. And contrariwise the rejection of the word preached Acts 13.48 is an adjudging of our selves unworthy of life Whence is it so This in briefe is not from the power of the word it selfe but from Gods appointment and blessing and by vertue of his Ordinance seeing he hath so ordained and appointed that faith should come by hearing Rom. 10.14 15 16 17. and hearing is by the word i. e. command and appointment of God as elsewhere on the text I shew To this end God stirres up and endues with gifts as here and sends Ministers where he hath any to save and accordingly by his Spirit whereof the word preached is the Ministery makes it effectuall in whom he pleaseth though by his absolute power he can if he would and doth where he will as in elect infants dying c. save and apply Christ by his Spirit onely Vse 1 Vse 1. This teacheth us as we desire the good and salvation of our souls Of Instruction Diligently to hear Gods word Why 1 Considering our ignorance to be diligent in hearing of Gods word as it is faithfully taught by the true Ministers and Teachers of it Our necessity requires it Such is our ignorance such is our Impotency we cannot save our selves First our ignorance is such naturally since we fell into sin and under the curse that of our selves we neither aright and convictingly know our sinfull or yet accursed condition We are apt to think well of our selves and of our own wayes though they be never so bad or accursed of God much lesse doe we
without pain ere ever it consent to marry to Christ Now can there be a divorce wrought between loving couples otherwise most loth thereunto without sorrow ask Phaltiel who being married to Michal when David her first husband sent for her 2 Sam. 3.16 went with her along weeping behind her 3 From the nature of Conversion which is such a change as a man cannot but be sensible of it first or last 3 This brings us to consider of the nature of conversion which implyeth as much as I intend which being a change from darknesse to light from bondage to liberty in a word from one contrary to another how should a man discern of his contrary new estate without feeling in some measure the horrour of his former condition under darknesse and bondage at least he can have no comfort in his Conversion unlesse he find and feel a difference between the one estate and the other which cannot be felt without some shaking and affrightment as he apprehends the greatnesse of the benefit of his deliverance by Christ so is he touched with a proportionable fence of his danger either imminent or passed as we have heard of some who having at first in their sleep drink or otherwise ignorance passed some very great danger as over some narrow or broken and crackt bridge pit or the like being brought after to see their danger they have quaked trembled been amazed if they have not wholly expired and given up the Ghost Thus such as perhaps at the very first are not so sensible of their dangerous condition or yet of their change as others are Christ being truly in them yet afterwards when they come to better consideration and deeper apprehension of their wayes and former dangers they find a proportionable measure of inward trouble terrour yea and grief for such their hainous offences whereof they were not so sensible before and so they have their portion of terrour first or last in lesse or greater measure Lastly whom doth Christ call to Repentance 4 From Christs calling of such Matth. 9.13 Even of such onely as are sinners and laden and 11.29 Lost enemies 2 Cor. 5 Isa 27.5 in bondage Rom 8.15 2 Tim. 1. he came to call sinners to repentance such as in their own sense are sinners and if Christ call none but such to repentance who can have repentance but such yea but such as are heavy laden with sin and sense of Gods wrath for sin for these and such onely he calleth also to come unto him And as he came to call such so to save the lost sheep but who are these but such as feel themselves to be lost Christ calls and sends his Ministers to call us to be reconciled to him and to make peace with him but who will ever thus do that doth not first find and feel himself under his displeasure and can a man find that and not be troubled he calls us to liberty and must we not then first be under the spirit of bondage that unto fear In a word how can any either hunger after Christ or prize him aright as a Saviour and Redeemer till they through fence of misery and of their hopelesse helplesse worthlesse and desperate condition see their need of him or who will ever fly to him till by the Law as by a Schoolmaster discovering their fearfull condition to them they be whipped and scourged and so forced to go out of themselves to him This Law then must go before and as the needle by pricking doth pierce the cloth and make way for the threed to follow and sow so it must prepare the way for faith to follow by which we are knit to Christ otherwise we would prove but loose Christians and break off when we list as we know many Libertins to do who tell us much of comfort and joy they find in and by Christ and his Spirit but neither they nor any other can tell us of any sorrow wounding or pricking going before I shall ever suspect that joy yea that Conversion which issues not in some measure out of true sorrow pricking compunction and contrition for sinne It s but a dream of joy and a false conception and birth This point yet further cleared and it shewed that though all be wounded yet not all alike Here then for the further clearing of this point of doctrine we must know that all who are truly converted do not suffer trouble and terrour of conscience in the same measure or yet manner neither doth God deal with all alike some are pricked onely as with a Pinne others as with a spear yet all pricked There are three degrees as in divers Resemblances and all of them saving by Gods mercy 1 A pricking as in my text wherein were some grudgings of conscience and such a hurt as was presently healed again and they filled with the holy Ghost 2 A wounding or a wounded spirit and who can bear that such as was sometime in Job and David from whom God seemed to withdraw himself by forsaking them c. and in such as wrestle long with God yea and with diffidence in themselves even many yeares before they can out wrestle their sorrows which at length they do And 3 there is a killing whereof Saint Paul speaks Rom. 7.9.10.11 Sinne revived and I died and the commandement which was ordained unto life I found to be unto death for sinne taking occasion by the commandement deceived me and by it slew me and yet lo Paul alive to God so All are shut up under the spirit of bondage as in a prison Gal. 3.23 before faith come we are kept under the Law shut up unto faith some as Jeremy let down to a dungeon Jer. 38.6 some as Paul put into an inner prison and his feet fast not in the mire in which Jeremy did sink but in the stocks some onely as Joseph who though a prisoner yet found favour and had more liberty Gen. 39 20.21.22 And so all being locked up under infidelity some are more easily set at liberty and their hearts sooner opened being like new and fresh locks easily opened whereas others are like old rusty locks which the key hardly and with much ado opens if at all so that they must not be broken by force and violence such is the difference of mens hearts some kept clear from rusting by restraining grace good education and example others are old rusty and cankered in sin whose doores must be broken open by strong hand and consciences awakened by terrours All hearts are hard naturally as we have heard but some as stones some as mettal which must not onely be broken but molten and as among stones some are softer then others and soon crushed some are harder as the flint without seams and sutures so is it with hearts some sooner humbled and made to relent then others some are more hardy bold crabbed and crooked then others an angry word or look will work more upon
suppose beginning in the hand or foot if it be suffered further to spread will be their death when Zipporah saw her husbands life endangered if not her own she circumcised her son and cut off his foreskin which otherwise she was loath to do Thus God presents sinners with a true apprehension of his eternall wrath due unto them for their sinne and sets hell-gates open before them in the way of their lusts and fills their hearts with such terrours and horrours that they see no safety to their souls in the ways of sin and so as Pharaoh by strong hand at length did let the people go and the Philistines sent home the Ark so God if he love us especially makes us weary of sin and saves us even by fear not to say that such as have most smarted for sin at first in the pangs of their new-birth are not so easily drawn back to such or any other sins Again the spirit of bondage becomes to them a spirit of sanctification and it may be observed that such of all others as have been deep liest wounded at the first prove the holiest Christians afterward throughout the whole course of their lives 2 As the spirit of bondage proves a spirit of liberty freeing men from sin 2 God doth this to the increase of their joy and of Sanctification delivering from the power of sin so also it leads men to sound and solid joy and true comfort there is no comfort but to such The first work of the Comforter even when it is sent by that name and to that intent is first to convince of sinne so Habbak 3.16 and Psalm 94.12 13. Ease to sores which being whole do throb and rage is got by pricking lancing searching sleep is sweetest after labour and a pardon from the King most acceptable when after judgement passed the head hath been laid on the block and joy follows the labour of child-bearing 3 as also for their greater honour Rom. 8. 3 I might adde that God takes this course with such as he will convert to glorifie them the more thus to sanctifie them and to make them the more glorious in holinesse and holinesse we know or sanctification is the beginning of our glorifications Yea it is their glory thus to be made vessels to bear the name and glory of Christ before men which none do more then such as have been deepliest humbled Such of all other are fittest and ablest to glorifie God as having most experience of his justice mercy wisdome goodnesse and can best speak to his praise which to do is our glory more then his God gets nothing by us our acknowledgement of him makes him no wiser juster holier happier then he ever was even before any creature was made when he then sets and imprints on us the stamps of his glory and shews forth in us his justice mercy goodnesse c. That is in deed and for substance our gloglory not his There is somewhat excellent truly added to us nothing to him 2. God takes this course with converts for his owne honour And yet we may truly say God takes the aforesaid course with those he means to convert for his own glory that is for the further manifestation of the same and for this main end that the whole worke of conversion may appear to be his not ours 1. That of his Justice 1. His very Justice manifests its selfe in and by these terrours of conscience whilst the convicted sinner is made to see the depth of his own ill deservings is presented with the sight of hell which by such is acknowledged and made inwardly to acknowledge that it were but justice in God to cast him into the same yea so strong is this apprehension in some that for a long time they can see nothing but justice Howsoever this makes them at first and ever after to confesse and give the glory of justice to God acknowledging how just their condemnation should be if God did deal with them according to their deserts being ready ever to justifie God as cleer whensoever he judgeth Psal 51 4. Rom. 3.4 Thus all by sin are brought under the Law and the Law is let loose upon sinners threatens damnation and nothing but justice appears and vers 19. that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God God will not in this work of conversion suffer his justice to be swallowed up of mercy he must and will be acknowledged just before mercifull taking us as it were by the throat Mat. 18.28 bidding us pay all we owe when indeed with that poor woman 2 King 4.1 we have nothing at all to pay And so in every convert he takes away all matter of glorying letting them see the depth of their desert and their own both unworthinesse of mercy and inability and impotency to make themselves any help Isâ— 66.2 Job 9.13 2 His mercy which thus is more felt And by so doing whilst the best are made to tremble before him and that the proud helpers do stoup under him he makes way for his mercy that he may be the more glorified both by shewing mercy and by the acknowledgement of mercy by those that finde mercy as it is Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve or as Rom. 11.32 God hath shut up or concluded them all i. both Jew and Gentile in unbeleef that he might have mercy on all For so by shuting all up under sin and wrath his mercy is more felt and admired by such as finde mercy and thankfully acknowledged The foregoing terrours of justice in the converted which makes them smart makes mercy relish better with them and be more esteemed by them yea all the world may now see and that acknowledge the receiving and conversion of sinners is meerly of mercy None derogate more from Gods mercy and the freenesse and power of his grace then such as not sensible enough of their wounds and misery by sin ascribe somewhat in their conversion to themselves neither can they be so truly thankfull as others And by thanks or offering praise unto God God professeth himself to be glorified So that God by thus humbling men Pal. 50.23 as is said with terrours doth but make way and prepare matter of praise and thanksgiving to himself in due time which accordingly we see given unto him by Paul even upon this ground 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15 16 17. I saith he being before a blasphemer and persecuter and injurious obtained mercy And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering Now unto the King eternall c. be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen So elsewhere crying out in a sence
visions and dreams 4. to the constancy of the martyrs sufferings 5. to Miracles 6. to Afflictions yet these all are to be considered onely either as Preparatives to conversion and furtherances of the work of the word and Ministery and not barely or as seals and confirmations of the truth of Gods promises made known and propounded in and by the Word 1 By the Sacraments 1. For the Sacraments they for their efficacy especially come in the order of nature after faith to confirm and strengthen the same the Sacraments seal and assure onely that which the word promiseth and that is Christ upon the condition of faith and repentance and so he is promised and truly offered in the Word and Sacraments both to good and bad Men grown professe faith and repentance before they be admitted to Baptism and so beleeving are baptized Mark 16.16 Infants within the Covenant promise so much by their sureties which if coming to yeers they perform not then they receive Christ onely sacramentally specially not by Baptism and retain onely the external sanctification of Baptism a subsequent faith is required of them when they shal be capable without which they have no internall effects of sanctification by the Spirit The change made in the soul is not by water or by the bare work wrought in Baptism but by Faith and that is the effect of the word Christ is the substance life and vigour of all Sacraments whom therefore no unbeleever doth receive now Christ and his Spirit are not divided he is not received without his Spirit nor but by his Spirit given by the word which is the ministration of the Spirit Vse Not to trust to Baptism or Profession without faith So that Baptism works not of it self without the Word and Spirit which for Vse doth teach us not to ascribe too much to outward Baptism or Profession without true faith and the effects of the word on our souls and in our lives so that we may say of Baptism as was said of Circumcision Rom. 2 25-28 29. It verily profiteth if wee keep the Law else it becomes no Baptism true Baptism is that of the heart in the spirit 2. Some are said to be converted by voices from heaven 2. Not by voyces Aug. Confes l. 8. c. 12. as S. Austin tels us of himself that by a voice from heaven saying to him take up and read he being by Gods providence directed to the place in Rom. 13.13 14. Not in chambering and wantonnesse c. was throughly converted as his friend Alipius by reading the next words Rom. 14.1 as formerly hath been mentioned And wee know for certain that S. Paul Act. 9. was by the voice of Christ from heaven converted But Saint Austin was not ignorant of Gods word which hee had then by him and was not unacquainted with his will Therefore being formerly a wanton and having much strife within himself and shewing a lothnesse to leave his pleasant sin this voice prepared him to yeeld more reverence and obedience to the word known which in effect though read by him yet being thus by divine providence directed to this passage and it by this means specially applyed to him and his present occasion the perfecting of his conversion formerly begun was thus effected by the power of the Word Vse Not to depend on immediate teaching from heaven or Hell Yet as wee now are not to depend on this manner of immediate direction from heaven so if it did not confirm to us the doctrine of the Scriptures neither it nor any doctrine brought us by voyce from Heaven or Hel would prove effectuall to work faith or to convert But though such voyces should teach us the same truths which the Scripture doth wee are not to depend thereon See Luke 16.27 28 29 30 31. The like wee say for Saint Paul's conversion hee knew what doctrine hee persecuted but beleeved it not till now howsoever it was Christs voice and word which changed him and his conversion was further perfected by the preaching of Ananias to him 3. Not by visions and dreams 3 Some mens eares are opened and their instruction sealed in a dream in a vision of the night c. and so are withdrawn from their purpose yet it is the word of the messenger an interpreter one of a thousand which makes all effectuall see Job 33.15 16 17 c. with 23 24 c. 4 Some have been converted by seeing the constancy of innocent Christians in their sufferings 4 Not by seeing the constancy of Martyrs Euseb l. 4. c. 8. and their rejoicing to suffer for Christ as Justin the martyr witnesseth of himself in his Apology to Antoninus But this was onely an occasion sanctified of God to him and others both then and of later times to sift enquire into that truth which they knew not before by vertue of which when by the teachers thereof they were acquainted with it they were converted as Lactantius also sheweth so that we are hence taught not to judge of truth simply by mens sufferings for no true conversion wil alwayes follow thereupon but of their sufferings by the cause and truth for which they suffer 5 Not by miracles 5 So Christ wrought many Miracles upon the sight of which many believed on him but what did they believe the word taught by him which formerly they did not rellish Miracles were not without the word they onely made way for it The word by the Spirit did truly and effectually convert them when once they were convinced by the miracle that it was the very word of God the miracles onely occasioned their convesion 6 Afflictions often are the occasion of mens conversion 6 Not simply by afflictions Anno 496. See Doctour King on Jon. lect 40. as well as miracles so Clodoveus a French King upon a great discomfiture was converted to be a Christian but he was first instructed by his Lady Crotildis and moved to embrace the Christian faith The like we see in King Manasseh 2 Chro. 33.11.12.13 Then he knew that the Lord was God he knew him before for the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people but they would not hearken as verse 10. onely afflictions brought him to acknowledge God and to be convinced that it was hee whom hee had to deal withall and to hearken to his word and obey it by repentance So David before he was afflicted went astray but now saith hee have I kept thy word Psal 119. Hee knew Gods word before but now hee kept it This wee see in divers others on whom Gods word hath not its powerfull work in humbling them till some grievous crosse losse sicknesse or danger come to second the word and to occasion a more serious consideration and use-making of it all which work in and by the power of the word In all the forenamed instances Conversion is from the power of the Word and from other things onely
instrument working by the spirit without the fruit of the word true repentance hath not had as yet any healing or saving work on the soul What vertue is there in that Physick which makes not the Patient sicker then he was and puts him not to pain What healing vertue is in the plaister if it smart not and it s a sure signe that the dislocated or broken bone is not brought right to its place if there be no pain felt in the setting Where no sorrow follows sin where no remorse of conscience is in sinners and come short of Reprobates as not so humbled and sensible as was 1 King Ahab 2 King Pharaoh who confessed his sinne they may justly seem to be in worse case then many who now are deeply plunged into hell How many have we that never hung down the head with King Ahab nor were moved with any denunciation of judgement How many who never yet were so much humbled as King Pharaoh a very reprobate but remain yet obstinate and obdurate they are called upon to let their beloved and gainfull sinnes go and to part with them as he was to let the people of Israel to go out of his land which at length he did though with little thanks being forced thereunto by the extremity of plagues from God but do many of us so much as he Exod. 9 27.28 and 10.16 17. he confessed his sin and said I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked intreat the Lord for it is enough c. and I have sinned against the Lord your God said he to Moses and Aaron and against you sought the prayer of Moses and 12.31 32 33. now therefore forgive and intreat the Lord your God that he may take away this death onely yea at length he did according to Gods command let the people go yea was urgent upon them apprehending nothing but death for him and his who said we be all dead men and dismissing them he said go and at length though forced did obey be gone and blesse me also But have we not many that never yet confest their sinness as he did who never intreated Moses or any faithfull Minister of God to pray for them in all their life who never yet obeyed God or put away their beloved sins neither in love to God nor in fear How many amongst us are there that never see not confess their sin or shew any readiness to turn from their evil way when God stands in their way by his judgements threatned as yet did Balaam Num. 22.34 that never had any such good motions savoury thoughts and speeches as hee had 3 Balaam but wil go on in the very face of God and in despite of his judgements threatned yea it may be also inflicted as Isa 57.17 and so in other sins God meets men in the way of infamy for their uncleanness and yet they wil go on in that way stil in the way of their hatred and plotting mischief against Gods faithful servants and yet they wil on stil in that way which yet Balaam did not for seeing at length the Angel and his sword drawn in his hand hee bowed down his head and fell shat on his face saying I have sinned for he went with a purpose to curse Gods people now therefore if it displease thee Numb 22.31 -34. I wil get mee back again How many who never relent for any wrong they do Gods faithful servants as yet did Saul a reprobate towards David 4 Saul 1 Sam. 24.16 17 18 19. 5. Herod Who never reverence Gods Ministers or hear them gladly or upon hearing reform and do many things as yet did Herod who yet afterwards took off John's head and yet not without sorrow Who never tremble when they hear Discourses and Sermons of righteousness temperance and judgement to come as yet Felix did and yet they I beleeve as unrighteous 6 Felix Acts 24.25 intemperate and lyable to judgement in many other regards as Felix was Nay never complain so much as Cain did 7 Cain either of sin or punishment or of being cast out of Gods presence but rather please themselves in their sins and cast themselves daily out of Gods presence and favour and make themselves unworthy to partake with Gods people in the communion of Saints Yea lastly Have we not many who come short even of Popish penance who never were yet so compunct in heart and troubled in conscience as was Judas 8 Judas who never confessed their sins by name and with aggravation of it as he saying I have sinned in betraying innocent blood neither ever made restitution as he did of goods ill gotten or sought to give satisfaction for any wrong done by them The folly of such secure sinners Oh then the extreme folly and madness of such secure sinners who think themselves in good case and wil hope to be saved as wel as any and yet come short of very reprobates But if those named and such like who shewed more compunction of heart and therein and in their confessions of sins and other works and their certain damnation Jude ver 7. have so far outstripped and gone before you be yet gone to hel to the divel and to destruction and now suffer the vengeance of eternal fire what wil become of you secure and senselesse sinners who feed sport play minde the world use means of unlawful gain without all fear of Gods judgements so much and so often threatned in his name by his ministers and executed by himself on others How shal you escape the damnation of hell where shall you appear who yet shew not such remorse as these reprobates did You must needs then in this your case be thought to be next door to hel and to the estate of damned spirits being so stupified as not to be moved with Gods threatnings no not with his gracious promises and peremptory commands Vnlesse they do not onely outstrip these but all Temporizers whosoever And yet my deerly Beloved whose salvation I long after and do thus seek though you should do as much as these named yea though you should go as far in humiliation sorrow zeal and reformation as either these or any other bare Temporary yea as far as hee did to whom our Saviour said Thou art not far from the Kingdom of heaven even as far as Jehu in zeal against other mens sin as far as Ananias to part with a great portion of thy goods for the publick good of others as far as Demas and Alexander to forsake the world and thy hopes in it and to follow poor Christ yea to venture thy self as Alexander the Coppersmith did in cleaving to the truth as far as Nicolas who was chosen Deacon by the Church for that reverend respect they had of his gifts or lastly as is said as far as Judas who being an Apostle could both pray and preach with great
be plyable and yielding both to God and man 1 It stands not out against or resists Gods word but quakes at threatnings melts at promises is humbled at judgements as 2 Chron. 30.10.11 not such as was in Zedekiah 2 Chron. 36.12 of whom it is said he did evill in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord or in Belshazzar framing to his will Dan. 5.21.22 who did not humble his heart though he knew all such evils and judgements as befell his father for hardening his mind in pride verse 20. In a word the soft heart yields like soft wax to the impressions of Gods grace word and spirit and like molten metal frames to the form and obeys that form of Doctrine whereto it is delivered as the phrase is Rom. 6.17.2 The tender heart shews it self also towards others by shewing forth bowels of pity to men in misery and man by pity and kindnesse Heb. 13.3 and of kindnesse and forgivenesse to such as do it wrong Ephes 4.32 2. This heard heart I speak of as it is stiffe stony and unpliable so it is also insensible void of all spirituall sense especially that of feeling this is through want of spiritual life 2 unsensible and without life where no life is there is no sense at all and where life is though other senses may be wanting yet not that of feeling that sense though it be not the most noble for so is the sense of sight and hearing yet it is the most necessary sense there being no life without it where it is wholly wanting or lost it of all senses alone is diffused throughout all parts almost of the whole body and it being lost there is no more intercourse of vital and animal spirits or influence of them by the nerves into other parts and consequently no longer any proportion or harmony of qualities or of temperament in which proportion the native moysture and heat is founded and consisteth So that feeling and sense of pain is needful to the very being of every creature arguing spiritu-death and so is spiritual feeling as necessary to the being of the new creature so that we may conclude that the heart which is an insensible heart is a dead heart Eph. 4.18.19 alienated from the life of God at least and that is bad enough possessed with a spirit of slumber and dead sleep whilest not one but all the senses of the soul are holden in it as the bodily senses in and by bodily sleep and that through a kind of dregginesse which stoppeth the passages of the spirits Or at least a dead sleep depriving men of their spiritual senses by which the whole heart and soul is made unsensible for hereby men are without 1 Hearing Isa 6.9 2 Seeing Isa 6.9 Ephes 4.18 3 without all spiritual Tast Rom. 8.5 4 Smel 2 Cor. 2.16 Lastly without feeling Ephes 4.19 having their hearts fat and insensible Isa 6.10 yea in a dead sleep and sleep of death and therefore insensible insensible of good and evil of mercies and of judgements of grace and sin without true love desire and joy in the one and without Fear Being contrary to the sensible heart 1 Kings 3.9 shame anger and godly sorrow in the other contrary to which heart is that which having a new life put into it and it awakened out of the Lethargie or rather death of sin begins spiritually and savingly 1 to hear for so we read of an hearing heart for which Solomon prayed 2 to see Ephes 1.18 1 Cor. 2.14.15 3 to tast 1 Pet. 2.2 3. with Psal 34.8 Cantic 4.11 4 to smel Cantic 1.3.13 16. 4.10 11. 2 Cor. 2.14.16 and 5 lastly to feele when by self-denial the fat of this grosse heart as it is called Mat. 13.15 which makes it also without sense Psal 119.70 Mat. 13.15 is consumed and offered in sacrifice to God according to the type Levit. 3.3 such a sensible heart was in these converts here who being self convinced self condemned and denying themselves were pricked in heart and through sense of pain cried out and sought help elsewhere then in themselves and accordingly found it I have thus set the benefit of the tender sensible heart against the other that by the opposition I might better shew the wofull condition and miserable estate of such as who being past feeling The miserable condition of senselesse and hard-hearted sinners give themselves over whether unto Laciviousnesse or to any other sensual and sinful course of life and who accordingly are given over in Gods most terrible but just wrath to this the worst of all evills on earth even the judgement of an hard and senselesse heart and all with this further aym that hereby the sinner that would attain to true compunction and pricking of heart for his sin and so to true conversion and salvation would above all be most afraid of this heavy judgement of hardnesse of heart and of whatsoever may cause or procure the same Such as are given over to it are irrecoverably left to the judgement of the great day seeing their judgement here is to be denied all sense of their dangerous and damned condition into which they have voluntarily brought themselves and so being left to themselves and to their own lusts as incorrigible Psal 81. and to Satan Hardnesse of heart the greatest Let to saving pricking 2 Pet. 2 4. and most to be laboured against as his prisoners to be reserved in chains of darknesse of mind and dedolent and final impenitencie kept and brought forth to that judgement wherein their case is now become like that of the devil and his angels whose judgement that is Of all lets then to this pricking of heart take heed of this of hardnesse of heart for where it is the judgement is to be deprived of all sense of sin and feeling of wrath till the soul be plunged into hell and become irrecoverably miserable and then lie under the sense of Gods severest wrath and eternall displeasure not to fear it is a signe of it Oh therefore get your hearts possessed continually with fear of this dismal evil and ever be afraid to be given over to it Now let me tell you not to fear it when you hear so much of it is a signe it hath already seazed upon you and benummed your spirituall senses especially if you have any long while lived fruitlesly or presumptuously under the means Young men especially to take heed of it and therefore especially it belongs to young men to take notice hereof who by reason of their age are not yet perhaps so hardened in sin through the deceitfulnesse of it There is a naturall tendernesse in us whilst we are young or a lesser degree rather of hardnesse which gets strength and proves habituall through use and age if it be not in time prevented Let such then
seeing nothing is more opposite or a greater enemy to this pricking of heart or to the tender plyable humble and contrite heart such as I desire and endeavour to bring you to then is hardnesse and senselesnesse of heart and soul And thus having according to my office endeavoured to prepare the way for you and to gather out the stones I will come a little nearer to direct you to the Means Isa 62.10 by the use of which with Gods blessing you may attain to true compunction of heart and contrition of spirit the thing I aim at CHAP XV. SECT 1. Of the means of true compunction and sensiblenesse and first of Gods word heard Meanes of compunction and sensiblenesse such as was in these Jews and shall be at their calling again recalled and applyed THis pricking of heart as we have heard doth imply first tendernesse and withall pliablenesse to Gods word and will Secondly sensiblenesse and sorrow for sin not excluding fear of Gods judgements such as was in these Converts in my Text who were 1 pricked in heart that is wounded in conscience and made sensible of their sin and danger 2 Pliable to Gods will saying what shall we do And such as shall be again in these Jews at their conversion when first they also being convinced and made sensible of their sin in piercing and crucifying their Saviour shall mourn bitterly for the same Zach. 12.10 and shall no longer be stiffe-necked or abide in unbelief Rom. 11.23 such a heart was that of King Josiah and such as was in good King Josiah which was both tender and humbled yea rent and sorrowfull which made him both mourn within himself and send to enquire of the Lord with readinesse of heart to obey 2 Chron. 34.19 21 27. That then which I desire to bring or at least to direct you to The divers phrases signifying this compunction of heart is that which the Scripture in variety of phrases signifies not onely by the tender heart and heart of flesh Ezek. 11.19 and 36.26 but thus to have the heart pricked as in my Text to be of an humble and contrite heart Isa 57.15 to be of a wounded spirit Prov. 18.14 of a broken heart Psal 51.17 and to have the caul of the heart rent as Hos 13.8 Joel 2.13 God onely can and doth soften the heart Now howsoever we are exhorted hereunto and directed to the means by which it may be wrought in us yet we must know it for an undoubted truth that it is God who onely makes the heart truly humble tender and senfible Ezek. 11.19 and 36.26 Jer. 23.29 I will give them an heart of flesh which he doth by the meanes of his word which becomes as fire and as an hammer by his Judgements Mercies which yet he doth by Meanes 1 by his word and Corrections c. which he requires we attend unto and make a right use of by hearing meditation application and prayer so that whilst we thus do we are said to humble our selves though it be God by whose hand and power such hearts are given us 2 Chron. 30.11 12. 1 by our hearing his word faithfully taught 1 Make conscience of hearing of Gods word as it is taught especially by such as Peter here and other the Apostles were who without flattery in a zeal of Gods glory and of the Conversion of those they preached unto in power also and demonstration of the spirit now more abundantly powred upon them told these Jewes and convinced them of their sins that they were the crucifiers of Christ whose glory also they set forth Such teaching convinceth and judgeth the harers yea makes them judge themselves fall down and worship God and whilst the secrets of their hearts are made manifest acknowledge a divine presence and power in the preacher 1 Cor. 14.24 25 So was it here with these Converts who found a greater and more effectuall power in the word preached and thus brought home to their consciences The power of Gods word in pricking the heart which Miracles did not in these Jews then in all the miracles which God shewed either before and at the death of Christ when yet the very stones and rocks and the vail of the Temple were rent asunder or now at this time when besides the mighty noise and shew of fire or fiery tongues from heaven they saw and heard the Apostles men of no note nor learning speak in all languages the wonderfull things of God Acts 2.13 so in David they mocked at that but were pricked wounded with this Thus David after his sin of numbring the people came to a sense of his sin and his heart pricked or smote him for it and brought him to confession of it but when after the Lord had sent the Prophet Gad unto him to convince him by offering him an hard choice for that is given as the reason so that a Sam. 24.10 11 12. I do not say the word is alwayes thus powerfull or in all some are more hardened by such a ministery as the anvile by the strokes of the hammer God justly denying them his grace and not working in power with his word onely I say if the word thus preached do not prick if the word do it not nothing will do it wound and mollifie the heart nothing will do it If God by his word and spirit breath not upon the soul the soul cannot breath out so much as a sigh for sin if that wind blow not the waters of repentance will not flow if he send not out his word Psal 147.17 18. Exod. 17.6 our icy hearts will not be thawen if Gods presence promise and power be not there mans indeavours are not of effect If God stand not upon the rock our rocky hearts though Moses smiting the same shall never bring forth water onely where God will soften and wound the heart he by such a Ministery as is named shews out his power and poures out his spirit and makes his word effectuall to that purpose Wherefore if indeed we would have such hearts wrought in us we must indeavour to live under such a ministery we must desire yea and strive to live under a searching and forcible Ministery where we may hear such doctrine and so handled and applyed as that the secrets of our soul our secret sins and our hearts may be ransacked sifted and tried we may be made known to our selves and become vile in our own eys the deceits of our false hearts discovered and our sin and danger fully revealed to us without all flattery and partiality Till we be within such a distance and compass as within which the word is onely except extraordinarily active wee can expect no such at least saving effect from it Buy the truth then and spare for no cost rather then want it and accordingly to spare for no cost that is such wholsome and powerfull teaching account
hate every false way True hatred is out of true judgement So by stronger resolution against sin as in Joseph who had not so much sorrow for sin that wee read of as he had strong resolutions and reasonings whereby hee withstood very strong temptations by more watchfulnesse as in Job 3 Of watch fulnesse I made a covenant with mine eys why then should I think upon a maid Job 31.1 and in David Psal 39.1 I said I will take heed to my wayes c. So by more obedience by more carefulnesse 4 Of obedience carefulnesse and other fruits of godly sorrow by more faith in flying to Christ for acceptance by anger against our selves when we have sinned by a greater measure of fear lest wee offend God so again by more vehement desire to please God better by more zeal and by a holy revenge on our selves and sins in the mortifying of them By these wee either prevent sin and consequently the cause of sorrow or otherwise both give to others and get to our selves testimony that our sorrow if it be not so very much for the measure as it was not in Joseph Zacheus Lydia or with these Converts in my Text yet that it is true and sound for the nature of it SECT 2. Signes of true sorrow and what sorrow is not sound 3 Judge when thy sorrow is enough by the signes of true sorrow THerefore thirdly Learn to judge of thy self and of thy sorrow by the true signes of godly sorrow Wouldest thou then know whether thou be savingly pricked or no This may be tryed known and distinguished from unsound sorrow 1 By the Antecedents causes and grounds of it 2 By the Concomitants of it 3 By the Consequents and effects thereof which two last we will not speak of so much severally as joyntly seeing the effects and consequents may in a large sense be called and accountted Concomitants And first by the antecedents and causes of it Gods word working by his Spirit 1 True Contrition is the fruit and effect of Gods word onely faithfully taught convictingly applied both by the teacher and hearer and made effectuall by the holy Spirit of God as in these Converts here who when they heard were pricked and Jer. 23.22 It is the causing the people to hear Gods onely word not mans which turns them from their evill way and from the evill of their doings Which conversion and sorrow though it be often occasioned by judgements felt or feared yet it is wrought effectually by the holy Ghost accompanying the word The spirit of grace and supplication was first promised to be poured out as it was on the day of Pentecost and then it s said They shall look upon him whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him and be in bitternesse c. Zech. 12.10 Such sorrow is not sound as is caused Now try thy sorrow from hence whether it be not a sorrow and pricking 1. From Envie many men sorrow and their sorrow is very great and inward 1 By envie at the prosperity either of the wicked but the true cause of it is envie thus the Psalmist or Asaph was envious at the wickeds prosperity but it was onely in a temptation and in a short fit Thus saith he my heart was grieved or leavened and sowred and I was pricked in my reins Psalm 73.21 Lo here a pricking in the reins and grief of heart and that in a godly man yet it was no godly sorrow Psal 73.22 but such as argued much folly and ignorance and was repented of and sorrowed for Which though it be in godly men yet is no godly sorrow And now doubtlesse many good men grieve and inwardly fret to see or to have seen evill doers prosper in their way and to bring wicked devices to passe ready to think them the onely happy men but this their sorrow is no fruit of Gods word but of their own ignorance folly yea brutishnesse Psalm 73.22 and 92.6 7. Neither should such simply justifie themselves in this their grief which seems bent against wicked men or think they do well in it It is an ungrounded grief there is no cause for it or ground in Gods word which dehorts every where from it as Psalm 37.1 Prov. 23.17 and 24.1 Such grief argues not true zeal against the wicked but rather some discontent with Gods government and providence Or much lesse of the godly whom to see prosper is a grief to the wicked How much lesse then may they justifie themselves in their grief whose sorrow is grounded on the welfare of Gods people to see them prosper to see their horn exalted with honour and that they have or see their desire upon their enemies The wicked shall see this and be grieved Psalm 112.8 9 10. he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away poor comfort may such have of their sorrow and I beleeve it is the onely or chief sorrow that some especially in these dayes do shew though somewhat else may be pretended to justifie their grief though perhaps through their blindnesse and love to their own conceits opinions and superstitions they pretend it is upon other and better grounds as to see religion and devotion with reverence to holy things as table altar Temple-wals and to names as to the bare empty name and sound of Jesus even when it is indevoutly pronounced and heard so of Church Lord-bishop and the like neglected and not regarded and learning to be discouraged c. 2 By anger when upon the reproofs and discoveries made by the word men are angry at the teachers of it 2. There is a sorrow and that upon hearing of the word faithfully preached and applyed but it is meerly grounded upon anger such as was in those that heard Stephen Acts 7.54 who when they heard such things as he most truly and faithfully taught were cut to the heart and gnashed upon him with their teeth through grief anger and indignation Consider whether ever any other sorrow or upon other ground hath been wrought upon thee in the hearing of the word Thou perhaps hast gone out of the Church and go away sorrowfull Matth. 19.22 grieved and sorrowfull but no otherwise then that Justitiarie that rich youung man went from Christ sorrowfull why his hypocrisie was by Christ discovered and he tryed in his affection and love to his bosome sin of covetousnesse This made him displeased with that doctrine and sorrowfull in himself so I believe it is with too many now who come jocund and well conceited of themselves and of their own righteousnesse and innocency to the hearing of the word but return sorrowfull from it but their sorrow is out of anger against their teachers who convince them of their sins and beat them from their vain holds and confidence in themselves which sorrow therefore being not an effect properly of the word or yet spirit of God but of the spirit of anger
wounding and pricking was not meerly Legall with respect to punishment only but Evangelical tending to true contrition and Repentance and therefore not wholly an effect of the law but in part also of the Gospel and a work of the saving spirit of God CHAP. XVIII SECT 1. Signes of true sorrow from the true grounds of it And first that it is and must be for sin TRy we our sorrow then henee whether it be wrought by the Gospel Other Tryals of our sorrow from the grounds of it or only by the Law If it be true and saving sorrow it is grounded 1. On some sight and sense of sin 2. On some glimpse of mercy and goodness in God True sorrow is procured 1 by the sight of sin and is for sin 1. He that savingly sorroweth seeth his sin and miserie by sin and groanes under the burthen of both Matth. 11.28 he is sensible thereof his heart is become like his eye tender and sensible of the least sin as it is of the least mote in it he looking on his sin mourns and that heartily and secretly If then the sight of sin be not the procurer of thy sorrow thou hast cause to suspect it Yea but how shall I know whether my sorrow be for my sin and fault or for the punishment of it either felt or feared This is a needfull quaere Herein many deceive themselves seeing men are commonly more sensible of the evill of smart then of the evill of fault and of sin and if their sorrow be either only by sorrowing more for the punishment then for sin or more for the shame and punishment of sin in this life or in hell then for the fault it is unfound howsoever it may seem or be pretended to be only for the sin Many herein being like one Polus an Actor who being to act a sorrowfull part on the stage to move him thereunto had secretly conveyed into a corner of the Stage his fathers or some dear friends Urne in which were the ashes of the deceased on which whiles he looked his sorrow was so much the more excited only with this difference he being to fain sorrow came thus to act it truly and truly to mourn these while they pretend to sorrow truly for their sin do it but in seeming for sin but truly for the punishment of it on which their eie is chiefly set Howsoever it is a good sign when men grieve when Gods hand is upon them or threatned It is not denied but that men may and ought to shew themselves sensible of and grieve for the punishment of their sin be it present and incumbent whether it be publike or private and personall or imminent and only threatned Nay it is an ill sign for men not to be moved in such case but to give themselves to feasting and jollity when God by his judgements calls to weeping and mourning Jer. 5.3 as Isai 22.12 13 14. where God threatens the want of it and elsewhere complains by his Prophet that though he had stricken them yet they grieved not And the best men in such case fear and tremble most and shew greatest humiliation The best do it as David in time of pestilence 2 Sam. 24.17 Jehoshaphat when God threatned an invasion 2 Chron. 20.3 4. and generally the godly in their own and the Churches miseries So true converts do mourn even in respect of the evill and miserie which their sin threatens them withall as reverencing his Word and are made to fear the falling into the like sins again as Job 31.23 The reason hereof is Because they reverence Gods Word and fear all signs of his anger And this God pleaseth to sanctifie as a beginning of saving sorrow as in these converts in my Text. So that we here conclude as formerly we have shewed that it is a sign of an ungracious and hard heart that is not some way humbled under the tokens of Gods wrath on or towards our selves or others and that such come short of many Reprobates To tremble at Gods word and judgements a good sign as of Pharaoh Ahab Jehoram c. 1 Kings 21.29 and 2 Kings 6.30 And on the other hand it is a good sign of true sorrow indeed and such as God doth accept of when men tremble at Gods word and at the tokens of his displeasure Isa 66.1 2. so do hearts truly humbled which howsoever before they were stout and stubborn against God and relented not at his judgements yet now an angry word of God humbles them And when it is so as it was with good King Josiah Such as are not humbled at Judgements and at the word are not sound 2 Kings 22.10 11. its a good sign of a heart truly compunct contrite and humbled Let such look to this as hearing of Gods judgements with Ahah doe quarrell with the Minister as he with Micaiah as never speaking good unto them far are they from the humble spirit of good K. Hezekiah who though he had sinned through pride yet soon humbled himself for it when Isaiah so sore threatned him saying 2 Chro. 32.26 Isai 39.8 Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken A heart truly humbled for sin and hating it can be content to have it searched out by the word discovered and reproved Yet such sorrow is not enough Psal 139.24 Yet though it be a thing needfull that in reverence to God to his Word and threatnings men do humble themselves under Gods hand and stroke and in apprehension of his dipleasure befalling or otherwise due for their sins unlesse it be also and chiefly for sin yet this is to be taken as a sign of true contrition and saving sorrow when withall or chiefly their sorrow is for sin and upon the sight thereof as it was in Josiah and Hezekiah more then for punishment who formerly had tasted of Gods goodness and now finding God displeased upon the breach of his Commandments and by reason of the dishonours done unto him melt into teares and sorrow and in true grief of heart for their own and peoples sin seek to appease his wrath by humbling of themselves If then we would know whether our sorrow be sound and good we must try and consider whether it be for sin or for the punishment of sin and that first when Gods hand of correction is upon us for our sin Hypocrites may then humble themselves as is said but true converts only mourn and are humbled for sin as cause of those judgements yea more for the sin then for the judgement Such was the sorrow of David who was willing to endure punishment The judgement and evill inflicted they are most willing to undergoe but the sin procuring it is intollerable as we see in David when for his sin the Pestilence devoured his people in whose multitude and strength he trusted too much and gloried Lo saith he I have sinned and I have
art the man he meaneth when he saith Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavie laden and I will give you rest 5 To the troubled 5 Is thy soul cast down and is it disquieted within thee as Psal 42.11 yet hope in God if he trouble thy conscience it is but as when the Angel troubled the pool to heal such as step into it 6 To the sorrowfull and labouring 6 In a word Doth thy sin make thee sorrowful take such sorrow as a sign and fore-runner of comfort to thee Sorrow for sin being godly sorrow is of the nature of the sorrows of breeding women who have their qualms their faintings and their longings yet so they are breeding not a dangerous disease but a childe and though when they come to bear it there be pain and sorrow yet it is forgot when they are delivered for joy that a man in born into the world John 16.21 such and of like nature is that sorrow which is for sin unlesse with this difference many women after their sorrows do miscarry here such sorrow as is truly godly ever brings forth joy in the end and is not to be sorrowed for of such it is said Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Here they have comfort for the present and never more then when they trulyest weep for their sin It s a time of atonement Levit. 23.27 and of peace and reconciliation with God and of assurance of pardon but a large harvest afterward Here light and joy is sown for them Psal 97.11 but they that sow in tears especially of true contrition shall reap in joy Psal 126.5 The ground of all this comfort is from christ the purchaser and authour of it The ground of all this is Christ who by vertue of his office hath suffered that sorrow which is properly due for our sin and so though he look we should some way be sensible of our sin and ill-deservings for speciall ends such as long since have been named yet all our sorrows come to be sweetned to us and are made harbingers of much joy and comfort to us according to that promise in Isa 61.1 2 3. which Christ made his Text when he began to preach the Gospel Luke 4.18 saying The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath annoynted me to preach good tidings to the meek or the Gospel to the poor as Luk. 4.18 he hath sent me to binde up or to heal the broken-hearted to proclaim libertie or to preach deliverance to the captives and recovering of sight to the blinde and the opening of the prison to them that are bound or to set at liberty them that are bruised to proclaim or preach the acceptable yeer of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heavinesse that they might be called trees of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Here we see is meeknesse and povertie Who by bringing into this condition prepares his for comfort broken-heartednesse and captivity blindnesse restraint and bruisednesse thraldome and debt implyed mourning ashes and the spirit of heavinesse all of them noting that spirituall condition into which God brings those he intends good unto by Christ Yet it is not that they should abide always or yet very long in the same but that they who are intended for trees of righteousnesse and makes them trees of righteousnesse c. and the planting of the Lord might thus have their roots well fastned be deeply and truly humbled and made low in their own eys that God and Christ might be glorified both in his mercy and by their greater fruitfulness yea themselves also comforted by the Gospel having thus been first prepared healed and bound up set at libertie and in a word comforted and made blessed whereof all the former are to be taken but as harbingers preparatives and fore-runners Now Christ who sweetens all such sorrow to his people and hath tasted and so taken from us the bitternesse of the same as he was sent and annoynted to preach such good tidings so his very first famous Sermon that he did preach on the Mount begins so Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meeke and such as hunger and thirst after righteousnesse c. If thou then be in this mourning condition be comforted thou art one of those to whom all the promises of the Gospel do belong one for whom Christ became man and in our nature suffered all those sorrows which are due to thy sin for whom he was annoynted with the spirit of gladness to make thee glad for ever a tree of righteousness a plant of renown and for his own glory CHAP. XXI How to carry our selves towards such contrite ones with a just reproof and censure of censurers of them A fourth sort of Vses concerning all It now remains that we briefly conclude this large Argument of true Compunction and contrition of heart with a fourth sort of Uses which more generally do concern All. 1 To teach us how to carry our selves towards such mourners 1 And first seeing this is the condition of mourners this the necessity of their mourning as without which no true conversion nor salvation this the happy end and issue of their mourning by which method and in which order God brings his to grace and glory It teacheth and instructs us all how to carry our selves how to judge of and how to be affected towards such as we know or see thus to be pricked thus to be bruised and burthened and not to mis-judge them but to conceive God intends good to them We are to conceive that for ought we know God is about a gracious work with them even to bring them from a damned condition even from an estate of nature to grace and hereby to prepare them not onely for grace here but for glory hereafter so that if they seem roughly dealt withall a while it is but for a while if they be under the spirit of bondage it is such a condition as tends to true and perfect liberty of spirit in the end if they cannot so soon get comfort though for the while hee withhold comfort from them or grow cheerfull in a sense of mercy whilest they are burthened with the weight of their sin and Gods wrath yet this is the way to it Howsoever we are all to be carefull that we do not rashly censure or pass any hard harsh or uncharitable sentence upon them their hearts as all our hearts naturally are stout unyeilding and untractable and not so soon brought down nay it may be God is pleased to with-hold his comforts from
teach and write so that their doctrine now written was to be the only Canon and rule of all Christian doctrine and religion to the end of the world Though the office cease who had speciall gifts of miracles to confirm the same whose office though in regard of the speciall priviledges of it which were many was temporary and ceased with them yet their doctrine unto which the Church of God ever since is tied and ministery which was as to pray so to preach the Gospel and to administer the Sacraments ceaseth not yet not according to the common duties of it prayer preaching c. which continue still but is to continue in such as succeed them therein to the end of the world Mat. 28.19 20. God promising the direction and assistance of his Spirit to them and to all such as shall teach the same doctrine These were they who by preaching Christ unto these Jewes and by the extraordinary work of the holy Ghost now sent down upon them pricked and wounded their consciences unto whom accordingly they seek for direction ease and comfort as to their only spirituall Physitians Doctr. The only way to be directed and eased in conscience is to seek to Gods faithfull ministers Whence from their example men are taught how to get ease to their wounded consciences namely by having recourse to the messengers of God and faithfull ministers of Christ For so the Apostles are to be considered here namely as preachers of the Gospel and such as under Christ did know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary Isai 50.4 Quest Why did not these here seek to their own Rabbines to the chief Priests learned Scribes Quest Why did not these here seek to the Scribes and Pharises devout and zealous Pharisees as they would be taken who sate in Moses seat Answ Alas They could expect poor comfort or direction from them whom they saw to be in the same condemnation with themselves Answ They were guilty Mat. 27.3 4 and the crucifiers of Christ more then they were They might consider what little comfort Judas in the distresse of his conscience found from them he might go hang himself for any comfort they either could or would give him and so he went from them immediately to the gallows or Tree Where the heart is truly touched it seeks only to Gods faithful messengers for cure and help It is ill seeking comfort to our consciences from such as are deep in sin yea in the same sins as we our selves Such great Rabbies as these in all ages know better how to wound and intangle mens consciences then to heal them and knew better to intangle consciences then to cure them They care least for men of scrupulous and tender consciences Such as make no conscience at all of sin unlesse in hypocrisie like themselves who Matth. 27.6 seemed to make some conscience of putting into their Treasury the price of blood but none at all of taking it out such I say are fittest for their turnes Only the faithfull Ministers of Christ can afford true comfort Why No they must be the faithfull Ministers of God and of Christ that can afford true comfort to troubled Consciences and that for these Reasons 1. This comfort and cure of Consciences is originally only in God and Christ that good Samaritan who was sent to heal the broken in heart 1. They only are in Christs stead who is the author of comfort as we have heard out of Isai 61.1 2 c. and Luke 4.18 19. Yet thus he is not alwaies in person or yet by his Spirit alone but by his word and the preaching of it which is the ministration of the Spirit So that those only and they are rare that dispense the Gospel most faithfully as the Ministers of Christ in his name and according to his will and word are they by whom Christ affords true and solid comfort to wounded consciences and by whow he refresheth the weary soul See Job 33.19 20. to 26. The blessing to be expected only from Gods ordinance These and none but these have commission from him and the power as to bind so to loose Mat. 16.19 John 20.23 Gods ordinance then is to be looked unto who having appointed the preaching of the Gospel to the same end hath also annexed his promise thereunto where his word is faithfully dispensed from which ordinance only of his we may expect a blessing 2. The same hand of the Surgeon which wounds is fittest to heal 2. The same hand that wounds is fittest to heal seeing the wounds made by the word are not the wounds of an enemy but friend Surgeon and Physitian If the Surgeon lance and cut as he doth it with intention to heal so he onely is the fittest to undertake that cure he that pours in wine is fittest to pour in oyl also Such an ones words are like if any truth be in it the sword which making the wound doth also the cure if the weapon-salve be applyed unto it or as they say concerning the wounds made by the darts of Achilles which could no otherwise be cured but by his salves Onely Gods faithful Ministers are the men that savingly both wound and heal We had need then be well directed and guided yea know well to whom or to what to have recourse for comfort to our grieved hearts SECT 2. False means of cure to be abandoned Vse 1 1 IN such case then when thou art pricked in conscience or inwardly troubled in soul To seek for cure of conscience only to Gods faithful Ministers seek onely to such as have been named and seek directions chiefly from Gods faithfull Ministers not neglecting the advice of godly faithful and experienced Christians and not 1 To merry company and drinking And here take heed Satan is a Mountebank and his Apothecaries will prescribe poysons Some yea thine own false heart perhaps will bid thee go to mirth and merry company so to drink away sorrow which yet will return and prove like the hand-writing to Belshazzer on the wall 2 To musick some to other sports and to musick as Saul when the evill spirit came on him must have a Musician to play unto him 3 To sleep some lie down and sleep that they may forget their sorrow 4 To their wealth some seek to comfort themselves in the sight or thought of their gold and silver store and abundance which no more can cure these prickings of conscience then the stone or gout or not so much some in trouble of conscience 5 To physick as if it were but meer melancholy fly to physick and to the bodily Physician with neglect of the spirituall as King Asa 6 To the Divell and witches some will send thee to the godâ— of Ekron with King Ahaziah 2 King 1.2 or to the witch of Endor with King Saul in his great straits 1 Sam. 28.15
against the ground But Peter here his first predecessor as he would have it took no exception at men meaner then Princes yet accepted by Peter and the other Apostles who called them all brethren by which kind acceptance of the title they shew how the men of God though the greatest Apostles should not only be content to be esteemed of by the meanest of their hearers Vse 1 even as their brethren And not to be disdained by Gods Ministers now 1 Pet. 5.3 who must behave themselves as brethren First with the people but to account of the meanest as of their Brethren and to shew the same by carrying them selves as tender shepherds to the flock not as being lords or lording it over Gods heritage Let them behave themselves as brethren First with their flock 1. By tenderness of affection and sympathy learning the same from their great master Christ Jesus Hebr. 2.7 and 4.15 and from Paul Gal. 6.1 2 Tim. 2.24 25. 2. By love and good agreement avoiding all unnecessary suits and jarres with such as they instruct 1. By sympathy as they desire to see any good fruit of their labours among them 2. Good agreement yet they must also take heed of becomming through too much or needless familiarity with them in good fellowship as they call it Brethren in evill 2. Among themselves 2 Let them carry themselves also as brethren among themselves as here all these Apostles agreed in one and conversed lovingly together which is not so soon done as said seeing before the death of Christ some of these Apostles by themselves and friends sought preheminence above their brethren yea all of them strove who should be greatest though now upon our Saviours reproof of them and that they had all received the gifts of the holy Ghost which taught them humility they carry themselves as loving brethren one towards another without envy or contempt one of another A reproof or discovery of some mens pride It were to be wished that it were so now adaies that pride or at least high place and lordliness did not make some to disdain to account or call others as faithfull it may be and as painfull in the ministery as themselves their brethren unlesse perhaps with the distinction of brother or fellow-Presbyter least that brother should think himself a Bishop though for Scripture Bishops he may be assured he is one and as true a Chaplain of Jesus Christ as some other who carry a greater port on earth Here the Apostles took it not ill to be called men and brethren as indeed they were in a large sense brethren in that they were men In what sense the Apostles were Brethren to these Jews and of the same Country and Nation and as now they were growing to be brethren in affection and spirituall obligation as Christians This was the humility of the Apostles and yet it was no pride in these humbled souls to speak to them in the stile of Men-brethren But you will say Whether beasts be our brethren Dr. F. Are there any brethren that are not men Yes saith one if we will beleeve the Legend of S. Francis for he saluted ordinarily beasts when he met them in this manner Brother Oxe brother Bear brother Wolf But this is a note beneath Gamoth and a degree below lowlinesse it self I add it is as much under true humilitie being a shew and affectation of it in a proud Friar as the other is above it in a proud Pope and Prelate Vse 2 As this said especially concerneth Ministers so now a word more by way of Vse as it concerneth hearers For the people Dr. Featly on this Text. Egeon Askew of brotherly Reconcilement c. For I list not enter upon the large discourse of Christian Brother-hood the distinctions of brethren yea or yet the Exhortation to maintain such brother-hood Others have done it largely and learnedly and I would nott too much burthen my Discourse which already is grown much bigger then at first conception of it I conceived it would prove Hearers are to conceive of their Teachers as brethren and accordingly 1. To be perswaded of their love and sympathy Let Hearers then conceive of their Teachers being faithfull especially not onely as men subject to like passions but as brethren Accordingly let them 1 Be perswaded of their love even when they do rebuke and reprove and of their sympathie towards them in anguish of conscience as of loving brethren neither of which these Jews could expect from their own Rabbies the high Priests Scribes and Pharisees no more then Judas found from them 2. To be more familiar with them 2 Let them have especially in like trouble of conscience recourse more familiarly to them by conference and craving their advice even because they are brethren assuring themselves that none but inhumane and disdainfull men will take it ill to be sought unto in such case Where they have a faithfull Minister they may confidently expect from him tender-heartednesse and sympathie and accordingly loving usage as from a naturall brother 3. Not to despise them though they themselves be great on earth 3 Lastly Great ones on earth as wel as others are taught to honour good Ministers as their brethren and not to scorn or to account meanly of them or of their calling They are our brethren and so far our equals the calling being in it self as honourable and they in regard of their calling as any other Nay they are to be respected and honoured as our elder brethren seeing they come in stead of the most honourable in the Family these being as elder brethren even of the first-born Numb 3.12 who before the Levites were taken in their steads did minister to the Lord as Exod. 24.5 The first-born then even among Lords and Dukes were to perform that office then neither were it any disparagement to their birth if so it were now at least they should not in regard of the calling despise their Brethren And thus for the Compellation Now of the Consultation in these words What shall we do CHAP. XXXII Consultation of many about the good of their souls is no Conventicle c. 2 The Consultation and how occasioned THese are words full as of sorrow and fear yet not without some hope as formerly hath been shewed so of care and perplexitie of spirit They are now convinced of their own guiltinesse they are forced to acknowledge that Christ whom they crucified is indeed the true Messias exalted by the right hand of God to sit at the right hand of God and to have shed forth this which they did now see and hear being now ready to make his foes and who were they more then his crucifiers his foot-stool Acts 2.33 34 35. They being by the word also convinced hereof apprehend wrath and damnation as most justly due unto them And therefore as men at their wits end and as having no help in
did acknowledge an alsufficiency every way in him they would soon go out of themselves not in part onely but wholly and be taken off their own bottoms making God in Christ their onely shield in all their fears and dangers Christ is and ought to be All unto us and their exceeding great reward Gen. 15.1 in all their wants and weaknesses yea and Christ alone should and would be All unto them and in all things as he is to them that know him aright who of God are or have a Being in Christ Jesus who of God saith Paul is made unto us wisedome and righteousness and sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1.30 And now that we know the excellency and fulness of Christ let us whilest we deny our selves who alone sets price on all things else or that we may so do make him All unto us and in all things yea and above all things accounting all things nothing and as very cyphers alone nay though multiplied without him and the least things precious where he is also injoyed in which regard the second Temple in glory exceeded Solomons because of Christs presence Hag. 2.9 Mat. 2.6 Micah 5.2 Psal 37.16 and Bethlehem was not the least but greatest among the Princes of Juda because Christ was born there So a little wealth with Christ and righteousnesse is better then the riches of many wicked Yea brown bread with Christ and the Gospel is good chear So a little respect and honour in the world yea the very suffering of shame with him and for his name is great honour and matter of much rejoycing Acts 5.41 Phil. 1.29 which without him are nothing Prov. 23.4 5. 1 Tim. 3.8 Tit. 1.7 11. yea very dung And contrariwise what is abundance and all riches without Christ but meer nothing or things which are not what is gain without him but filthy lucre All is but dung without him or in comparison of him Phil. 3.8 but with Christ the dunghill is a Pallace as in Jobs case the dung cart a precious odour whence the saying of one Constantine who being with other martyrs carried in a dung-cart to the place of execution Well saith he whereas all our sufferings and sacrifices Isai 64.6 yet are we a precious odour and sweet savour to God in Christ So what are all priviledges works vertues righteousness of ours without Christ but filthiness and dung So that God of old threatned to cast the dung of their solemn feasts upon the faces of the wicked Priests Mal. 2.1 2 3. And said are in him asweet savour unto God He would not smell in their solemn feasts Amos 5.21 that is any sweet savour as he doth from the sacrifice of Christ Eph. 5.2 and from such as offer their sacrifices in Christ as from Noah Gen. 8.21 and 2 Cor. 2.14 15. We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish So the liberality of the Philippians towards Paul in prison Phil. 4.18 was an odour of a sweet smell a sacrifice acceptable well-pleasing to God Such are the prayers of Saints Rev. 5.8 Why should we not then strive to be all in Christ and to make him all unto us Make we then 1 Cor. 1.30 Christ All to us First wisedom and that both Author and as the conduit pipe by whom through the means of his Word and Spirit true wisedome is conveyed to us being content to be made wise only according to the wisedom in his Word 1. Wisedome both Author and Object revealed thereby and made effectuall by his spirit Matth. 11.25 26.27 Luke 10.21 22. and not according to books of vanity and policie and Object with Paul determining not to know any thing save Iesus Christ and him crucified 1 Cor. 2.2 whom to know is eternall life Joh. 17.3 So we shall defeat the wisedom of all plotiers and the wiles of Satan 17.3 Phil. 3.7 8. Hereby we become wiser then the wisest on earth then all our enemies that plot against us Yea whilest we are and will be wise only in Christ Satans wiles stratagems and devises against us shall be defeated God will over-reach him and all his instruments on our behalf and out-shoot them in their own bowes making their wisedome foolishness and them the authors of their own shame and ruine and find good success in all our undertakings Never any failed that in his undertakeings counsels and actions followed the direction of Gods word and suffered that to go before him and that left the issues and events of his actions so undertaken to Gods wise ordering and disposall 2. 2. Righteousness Make we again Christ righteousnesse unto us in the matter of our justification as Paul did Phil. â— 8 9. reposing our whole confidence in him alone and holding our selves compleatly righteous in him without either any act of our own as concurring to our justification with God or work of his in us other then that of faith or supposed merit our own or others or treasury of the Church So and no otherwise shall we partake of those rich benefits by which we also gain many other benefits 1. Pardon of sin 2. Imputation of his obedience active and passive 3. Adoption and Son-ship Joh. 1.12 and so to be heires of God and joynt heires with Christ himself 4. His Intercossion and appearance in the presence of God to answer for us Hebr. 7.25 and 9.24 3. 3. Sanctification 1. In all our wants of grace We from what hath been said see reason also to make him as God hath made him to us our sanctification and that first in the want true or supposed of this or that grace or measure of grace in the sence whereof it may be we go mourning and are ready to thinke our selves hypocrites at least if not reprobates In this case comfort we our selves whilest we hunger and labour after more grace and rest we in this that Christ is our Sanctification accounting his grace sufficient for us which for the present we have 2 Cor. 12.8 9. and that as he answered Paul crying out unto him of some infirmity of his his grace is sufficient for us His grace first of justification by which in Christ we are accounted perfectly sanctified and by faith in heart purified then of sanctification begun in us which God in Christ accepts of for the present Even this very thing that with Paul we are sensible of our failings would fain do better cry out of our infirmities to God for help and more grace accounting our corruptions as so many heavy burthens to us This is not done without Gods grace and spirit for we cannot so much as breath out a sigh for sin till God breath it in Zach. 12.10 Rom. 8.26 Now this measure God is pleased to accept of for the present as sufficient and Christ to us in stead of all graces as purposing to perfect his own strength in our
grace from whom is both the will and the deed the power and the act Phil. 2.13 Even speciall and effectuallâ— It was Gods effectuall work on the heart of these converts that they were so willing to obey and so desirous to be directed what to do by such as they now judged able and faithfull to direct them aright even as it is with others both in and after their first conversion Such desire onely to know what to do that is pleasing to God and they are ready to do it yet do they not ascribe the power to themselves but to Gods grace and the effectuall work of his Spirit so David Cause me to know the way wherein I shall walk and teach me to do thy will as in David It seems then he was willing ready and resolved to walk in that way and to Gods will when once the one or the other should be made known unto him But what will he do this by his own strength though now converted no for besides the force of the words cause me to know and teach me to do which imply more then a generall direction even an effectuall knowledge and practice he hereunto craves the speciall help and effectuall assistance of Gods holy Spirit or as some read the words is assured of the same Thy Spirit is good lead me or thy good Spirit shall lead me into the land of uprightness quicken me O Lord for thy Names sake Psal 143.8 10 11. Howsoever thus it is with true converts and in these Converts as with these here who as they were willing and ready to follow good direction given which was to repent and beleeve so this readinesse as also the act and performance after was Gods work in them As on the contrary the high Priest and whole councell of Elders and Scribes being in like manner charged and convinced by Stephen as these here by Peter to be the betrayers crucifiers and murtherers of Christ opposed and stoned him Acts 7.51 52 c. and the doing thereof was the work of the Divell in them and of their own wicked and obstinate wils whereby being stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears they resisted the holy Ghost and became the authours of their own hardening and damnation But we rather hasten to the Vse of the former Point and to an end of all By what is said wee see what to judge of disobedient and refractory sinners Vse 1 and of all such as being convinced of their sins as these here were and called to repentance Of reproof of such as resist the work of grace and withstand their own salvation proudly withstand God without any trembling at his word Isa 66.1 2. and are ready to say with proud Pharaoh Exod. 5.2 Who is the Lord that I should obey his voyce and with those citizens by whom such as I speak of are meant wee will not have this man to reign over us Luke 19.14 And Our lips are our own who is lord over us Psal 12.4 These very Jews both more anciently as also Gentiles Pilate and Herod and others that rejected and persecuted Christ are meant by David therein a type of Christ in his sufferings when he brings them in Acts 4.27 28. saying Let us break their that is the Fathers and the Sons bands asunder and cast away their cords from us Psal 2.1 2 3. These bands Jer. 27.2 3 -6 7. and cords Job 39.13 Ezek. 4.8 were signes of subjection and restraint yet though these bands of Christ be also bands of love Hos 11.4 and his yoake be easie Matth. 11.29 30. these proud and disdainfull ones refuse to serve Christ and will none of him Such are also their scholers who now being called upon and now in and by the ministery of the word to repent convert and turn from their own evil wayes and to be subject to Christ as their Prophet Priest and King will none of Christ will not deny their own wisdom that they may be wise onely by his word will have as an hand in the meriting and work of their own salvation so other Priests and Intercessours then he whether refusing to take on them Christs easie yoak and in a word will not submit themselves to him as their King to be guided by his word to repent and beleeve on his name or to forsake any sin for which they are reproved and of which convinced being ready to say Who is the Minister what saucy and bold fellow is he who thus reproveth us As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth Jer. 44.16 17. This if it be not so openly said of all yet is done by all such as answer not Gods call when they are invited to repent and told of Gods heavie judgements if they repent not yea also by such as by outward profession and seeming repentance have been thought to have taken Christs yoak upon them but are such as have revolted or casting it and his cords off after a seeming profession and played the Apostate from him by making defection to Popery Antichristianisme Arminianisme Lutheranisme and to other errours and to the doctrine at least practice of Libertinisme by imbracing this present evill world in the lusts of it and by licentiousnesse of life being such as the Princes of Judah of old were Hos 5.10 who were like them that remove the bound as not willing to be kept within the limits of Gods word and like those great men to whom Jeremy did speak Jerem. 5.5 and of whom he saith But these as well as the poor and meaner sort of people have altogether broken the yoake and burst the bands Their doom But their doom there follows ver 6. as also the like or worse doom of all disobedient impenitent and refractary sinners elsewhere not onely a lion out of the forrest shall slay them but God himself will be as a lion unto them as he threatned Ephraim saying I will be unto Ephraim as a lion and as a young lion which is more fierce to the house of Judah I even I. the great glorious and mighty God will tear and go away Hos 5.14 15. not tear and heal unlesse timely repentance follow Hos 6 1. but tear and go away and leave them for ever unlesse in time they in sense of their guiltinesse acknowledge their offence and seek my face But of these mens doom more hereafter We are hence taught and instructed Vse 2 when God calls us to repentance Of Instruction and exhortation especially by his Ministers and messengers sent of purpose to that end not to harden our necks not to be stiff-necked as we and others formerly have been but to give the hand or yeeld our selves unto the Lord c. 2 Chro. 30.8 to humble our selves to walk with our God to tremble at his
my face my heart said unto thee thy face Lord will I seek And elsewhere Lo I come Psal 40.7 8. I delight to do thy will O my God yea thy law is within my heart This was chiefly verified in Christ who herein is an example to us Hebr. 10.5 so if God call us to suffer of whom also we must learn to become obedient if need be unto death even the death of the Crosse that is the most shamefull painfull and accursed death if we bee called thereunto for his names sake Rev. 2.10 In all these we must obey First before laying aside 1. All excuses Now in all these whether in matters of salvation religion and worship or of obedience generally we are being called to obey God cheerfully and sincerely as is said laying aside before 1. all excuses whereby we shew our selves both to obey as did Moses Exod. 4.1 2. 10.13 with whom God was therefore angry vers 14. Where God injoynes any thing hard dangerous and impossible to us we must trust to his promised assistance which is ever implied 2. 2. All delayes All delayes I made haste said David and delayed not to keep thy Commandments 3. All feares Psal 119.60 3. All feares such feares would not excuse Saul in his disobedience but increased his sin as fearing man more then God 1 Sam. 15.24 Let us hear what God said to Jeremy Whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speake Be not afraid of their faces for I am with thee to deliver thee saith the Lord be not dismayed at their faces lest I confound thee before them Jer. 1.7 8 17. Yea let us consider what Christ saith to his Disciples and to us incouraging and comforting against persecution Fear not them which kill the body but are not able to kill the soul but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell Matth. 10.28 2. After we have done any thing which is good 1. Let us lay aside all opinion of merit Secondly After we must 1. Renounce merit and empty and cast down our selves before him confessing that as Christ adviseth us when we shall have done all those things which are commanded us we are unprofitable servants we have done that which was our duty to do Luke 17.10 Can a man be profitable unto God as he that is wise may be profitable to himself Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous Job 22.2 3. understand it of our gratifying and adding ought to God which he hath not otherwise our obedience rightly performed is a thing pleasing and acceptable to him If thou be righteous what givest thou him or what receiveth he at thine hand Job 35.7 Our well doing extendeth not to him Psal 16.2 neither for our works faith or any other grace done or foreseen to be done Rom. 3.28 and 9 11. hath he saved us and called us but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Iesus before the world began 2 Tim. 1.9 and Tit. 2.5 2. And as we are to renounce merit so are we not to rest in any duty done by us though never so good and holy and not performed without some assistance from Christ 2. Not rest in the duty done so as to thinke the duty is good and commanded which we have done yea and we as we thinke have done it with a good heart and intention too therefore our estate is good and we doubt not of salvation Indeed duties sincerely and in poverty of spirit and self-deniall performed are testimonies of true faith and so of election as being effects of the same and may assure us as hath been said of our finall perseverance and salvation 2 Pet. 1.10 But then we must not take up therewith and rest therein as done by our selves or own strength or for our selves and our own ends unlesse as we acknowledge them to proceed from the free and powerfull grace of God in us so they carry us further even to Christ and that wee give God the glory of his grace in us and expect acceptance only from his favour and grace and good will in his Christ with whom only he is well pleased and accept of us and all we doe in his beloved Eph. 1.6 It s a sign of one left to himself and out of Christ as yet to rest in his own legall righteousness and to take up with the performance simply of his duty but of denying our selves in duty formerly SECT 2. An Exhortation to obedience with the comfort of it at Christs coming contra Conclusion of all exhorting and shewing the needfulness 1 Of submitting our selves to the word at first NOw for the conclusion of this and of the whole Treatise how will it concern us all first to become and truly to be as these converts here ready to submit in all things to the convictions and ordering of Gods holy word in the ministerie of it to be guided by it to embrace Christ upon his own termes not barely by outward profession but by answering effectually our baptisme and by performing the vowes and promises there made wherein we seem to make as free an offer and to profess as much if not more and as fair as these here and by an effectuall faith in Christ and obedience and submission to the Gospell 2. Of living according to it over after Secondly to walk constantly with God throughout the course of our whole lives according to the only rule of his Word framing our selves to the obedience thereof as in the main business of our salvation so in the religion worship and service of God and generally in all duties both of our generall and particular callings and that constantly to the end Thus doing besides the true and full content and satisfaction 1. The comfort of so doing at Christs coming which for the present we shall find to our wounded 02 consciences if ever we be truly pricked in heart for our sins it will be matter of unspeakeable comfort for us to be found when Christ comes to us either by death or by the last judgement and shall find us each one walking in his uprightness or before him Isa 57.2 Oh blessed and for ever blessed is that servant whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing Matth. 24.46 When Christ shall come and find us his servants hard at work watching and in a readiness nor only to every good work but at his coming ready to give up our acounts to him with joy With what boldness may such stand before the Lamb as not only being now at peace with him but found in his service and doing his work when hee comes and his reward with him Paul was such an one who as at his first conversion submitted to the voice of Christ as we see in Paul and by his confidence at death and freely offered himself to do whatsoever Christ should direct him to saying Lord what