to commit any sinne againe Iohn 16.11 there Christ saith that he will send the spirit the Comforter and he shall reprove the world of righteousnesse and of sinne and of judgement In that it is said he will reprove the world of judgement thereby is nothing else meant but that the Lord will govern men and why shall the comforter convince the world of judgement because Satan is judged saith the text that is he is kept off and cannot pluck the soule to himselfe the government that Satan had over the soule is wholly removed and Christ hath the soule under his command and the soule is contented to be wholly at at his disposing In the time that Christ lived upon the earth when the divells did possesse the bodies of men the Lord saith unto them I charge thee thou uncleane spirit to come out so the Lord saith now to the divell that hath taken possession of the soules of those men which do belong to the election of grace after the Lord hath rent a poore sinner from his corruptions and haled him to himselfe then he saith come out of him Satan and never rule him more never take place in him more and then he takes the soule into his hands that he may governe him and dispose of him according to his owne good will and pleasure This wee see the cords whereby God draweth a sinner to himselfe First he inlightens the mind and reveales to the soule of a sinner that he is in a wrong way and that he must take another course if ever he meane to come at heaven and then the layes the cords of mercy and the cords of conscience upon him whereby he constraines and forces him to come unto him and the last is the cord of the Spirit whereby he doth take the soule out of the hands of Satan into his owne possession The next thing to be considered is the reasons why the Lord by a holy kind of violence Reasons or Arguments thus drawes a sinner from corruption to himselfe the arguments are three The first is taken from those tear me whereby the Scripture discovereth this work of God upon the soule of a sinner Matth. 12.29 there saith our Saviour No man commeth into a strong mans house but first he overcomes and binds the strong man before he takes possession of his house and spoyles his goods this is the parable the meaning is this the house is nothing else but the heart of a sinner the strongman is nothing else but sinne and Satan the divell and sinne taking possession of and ruling in the soule of a sinner and this is the wofull condition of many men that think their penny good silver and beare their heads aloft howsoever they lift their heads so high yet their soules are nothing else but habitations for the divell now Satan ruling and overpowering the soule by sinne is the strong man that usurps authority over the soule by reason of the corruptions that prevayle over the soule for if there were not sinne within the soules of men there were no power that Satan could usurp over men now observe it the Lord Iesus is the stronger man and before he can come and take possession of the soule and work effectually in the soule he must bind Satan and take away the weapons of Satan and then when he hath bound him and overcome him then he takes possession of the soule this is the meaning of the parable Now I reason thus conquering binding and slaying imply a kind of violence Satan will not come out by intreaty the devill must be commanded to go out or else drawn out by a kind of violence if all the Angells in heaven and all the men on earth should intreat Satan to come out of the soule he would not come out but this implyeth a holy kind of violence that Christ offereth to corruptions in the soule when he drawes the soule from sinne to himselfe In another place it is said that Christ came to destroy the works of the divell Ioh. 3.8 those works are the sinfull corruptions that were at first put into the soule by the delusion of Satan when he tempted our first parents to eat of the forbidden fruit Now Christ commeth to destroy those works now the works of Satan will not destroy themselves sinne and Satan will not bind and overcome themselves the enemy will not come out of his hold willingly but the work that must be put forth for the binding conquering and destroying of those must needs imply a work of constraint and holy violence which is offered A man offers violence to his enemy when he binds him a man offers violence to his enemy when he overcomes him a man offers violence to his enemy when he flayes and destroyes him such is the work of the Lord when he takes possession of a soule this way and this is the interpretation of Divines in this case they say that the Lord doth take away that deadnesse and stupidity of heart whereby it may lay hold on grace if it resist not the good motions of the Spirit The second Argument The second Argument is taken from the naturall union betweene the soule and corruption and then I reason thus one contrary expells another from a naturall subject by constraint and compulsion but the spirit as a contrary doth drive out sinne from the soule in the work of preparation as a contrary thereunto and therefore must do it by constraynt and compulsion Wee will open both the parts of the Argument I say one contrary driveth out another by violence and constraynt as for example wheresoever heat is if it commeth to drive out cold it doth it by a certaine kind of violence for the ground of all constraint ariseth from the crossenesse and contrariety that things have one to another wee need no constraint to to make things doe that which is naturall unto them as to make fire hot or a Lyon fierce or a Wolfe ravenous but he that will make a Lyon become a Lamb and he that will make a wolfe become a Kidd he that doth this must offer a kind of violence to the nature of the Lyon and of the Wolfe and break the combination that is betweene the fiercenesse of the thing and the thing it selfe so that it is cleare that one contrary driveth out another from a naturall subject by constraint and violence and that sinne is naturally in a corrupt heart is evident Ioh. 3.6 whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh that is whosoever commeth from Adam is rooted in sinne now mark sinne being thus naturally in the soule the Spirit of grace and the Lord Iesus when he commeth to drive away sinne from the soule breaketh that neere union that is between sinne and the soule by a holy kind of violence Gal. 6.17 there saith the Apostle from henceforth let no man trouble mee for I beare in my body the marks of the Lord Iesue the Lord Iesus breaking
Christ but you say you will not bee humbled and framed and made fit to see the things that belong to your peace here and your salvation hereafter and therefore you cannot receive the things of God so then to gather up all together if it be so that when the things of grace and salvation are revealed and offered a naturall man doth turne away from them if it bee so that though the Lord striveth with a naturall man and labours by his Spirit to winne him and wooe him to receive grace yet he resists the Spirit and takes up armes against the offer of grace if it bee so that when the Lord followes him with grace yet a naturall man is not capable of grace if it bee so that the heart of a naturall man is not subject to the Word of God and would not bee wrought upon that he may be made fit to receive grace then it is cleare that a naturall man cannot receive the things of God if hee goes away from grace offered and resists grace pressed if hee be not capable of grace and is unwilling to be made capable then the point is evident and the doctrine undeniable namely that a man in his naturall estate cannot receive the things of grace and salvation and this is a thing so cleare to a gracious heart as nothing more wee see then the proofe of the point a naturall man cannot receive the things of God the reasons of the point why a naturall man cannot but doe thus as he doth withdraw himselfe from grace offered and resist and oppose the Word of God The grounds of it are three the first argument alledged is taken out of the words of the Text and it stands thus a naturall man cannot receive the things of God why because they are spiritully discerned what is that the meaning is this hee that will receive spirituall things must have some spirituall ability and power about him some spirituall helpe vouchsafed unto him for the performance of this work a man that will discern spirituall things must have a power answerable to that hee would discerne a man must have spirituall helpe from heaven before hee can entertaine spirituall graces for spirituall graces and the spirituall worke of the Lord are onely agreeable and fitting one for another but now no naturall man hath any spirituall power these two things are differâ—nt in their kindes namely nature and the Spirit a naturall man hath nothing of the Spirit no spirituall ability in him but hee must have a spirituall ability that can discerne the things of the Spirit and therefore a naturall man cannot discerne spirituall things thus I reason no naturall faculty can put forth a supernaturall worke a thing that is barely within the compasse of nature cannot put forth an action above the nature of it because every thing workes within its compasse as the tree that growes it cannot goe and walke as the beast doth the beast that hath the sensuall facultie that walkes and sees and heares and feeles but it cannot reason man hee hath the reasonable facultie and he reasons and performes such actions as belong to him now every one of these worke within their owne compasse they have their severall kinds of operations the tree growes the beast feeles and man reasons and none of these can exceede their owne nature or put forth a worke above their nature so that then wee see no naturall power can performe a supernaturall worke but a naturall man as hee came into the world hath nothing but nature in him and therefore he cannot discerne the things of God which is a supernaturall worke wrought by the Spirit of God for so saith the Text they are spiritually discerned The second argument is this all naturall men are altogether fleshly that is wholly overpowred with sinne marke that place in the third of Iohn and sixt there saith the Text whatsoever is borne of the flesh is flesh Iostn 3.6 and that which is borne of the Spirit is spirit but now marke all the things of God as first election secondly conversion thirdly sanctification fourthly justification fiftly glorification and the like they are nothing else but spirituall they are spirituall things the grace of God is spirituall and the Word of God is spirituall now marke what followeth in the fift of Galathians the 17. Gal. 5.17 there saith the Text The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh these now are contrary the one to the other that is a naturall corrupt heart resists and is contrary to the worke of Gods Spirit they lust one against another and are contrary one to another then marke how I reason from the former ground if the soule of a naturall man be professely opposite and contrary to the Spirit of grace then the soule of a naturall man will not of it selfe nay it cannot receive and entertaine Christ and grace they that oppose and would destroy one another they will not entertaine one another as for example fire and water are contrary one to another and therefore they will not meete together and entertaine one another but continually seeke to destroy one another so light and darkenesse they are contrary and therefore will not receive one another but seeke the destruction one of another as when light comes darkenesse is gone and when darkenesse comes light that must be gone but now marke the heart of a naturall man is all flesh and the things of God are all Spirit and therefore these two are contrary and therefore oppose and would destroy one another the heart of a naturall man is contrary to God and grace and therefore cannot receive and entertaine God and grace but seeke to destroy them and therefore it is observeable in the 8. of Rom. 7. Rom. 8 7. the wisedome of the flesh is enmitie to the Spirit of God it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeede can be when the heart of a naturall man begins to feele the blow by the hand of Gods Spirit stirring and striving in him to humble him and make him fit for grace it flyeth backe presently and will by no meanes be are the blow of the Spirit it will not give way to the worke of God Now marke how I dispute that which will not nay that which cannot be subject to the Spirit of God that will never receive grace which is the worke of the Spirit of God but a naturall man whatsoever he hath even his wisedome is not subject to the Spirit hee will not beare hee will not away with the worke of the ministery and therefore hee cannot receive grace and this is the second passage If the nature of a naturall man be altogether flesh and is contrary to grace and will not be subject to the Spirit then it cannot receive grace but all naturall men are contrary to grace they are altogether flesh and resist the spirit and therefore they cannot entertaine grace The third
be wrought in your hearts and that you may be converted And therefore I will advise you of three things which are in the power of natural men to performe as directions to the use of the former meanes appointed by God for the working of grace First I would have every naturall man throughly convinced of the misery hee is in and informed of his owne insufficiencie Ier. 10.23 there saith the Text O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe it is not in man that walketh to 〈◊〉 his owne steppes and the Apostle Paul 〈◊〉 taketh it to himselfe I know saith hee that 〈…〉 selfe there dwelleth no good thing this is a 〈◊〉 matter that wee presume of our selves we 〈◊〉 we can stand of our selves though we never use the meanes to have our weakenesse strengthned 〈◊〉 this is the reason that wee never seeke to God 〈◊〉 the use of the meanes take therefore 〈◊〉 course of the Apostle and say in me dwelleth 〈◊〉 good thing suffer your selves to be throughly â—â—formed and convinced of your owne miserie 〈◊〉 weakenesse and confesse this truth I confesse I am a naturall and carnall man and therefore a my flesh there is no good at all Secondly 〈◊〉 you have thus done and when your hearts are â—â—â—swaded of your owne misery and you coâ—â—â—â— there is no good in you when you can say 〈◊〉 what a stout heart have I what a many graâ—â—â—â— promises and godly councells have I had and 〈◊〉 never would receive or give way to any of theâ— and therefore there is no good in mee and 〈◊〉 thirdly when you have done this then convâ—â—â— your owne hearts that there is an All-sufficiencie in the promise that the Spirit is able to doe good unto your soules Ezech. 11.18 Ezech. 11.18 there saith the Text I will give them one heart and put a new 〈◊〉 within them I will take away their stony heart 〈◊〉 give them a heart of flesh so that however it is 〈◊〉 that we have no sufficiencie in our selves yet 〈◊〉 Lord Iesus hath enough the spirit is able to the that for us which wee are not able to doe for 〈◊〉 selves and therefore in the third place 〈◊〉 thou art throughly informed of these two things then come unto Gods ordinances and looke up unto God and waite upon him in the use of this meanes it is a fine passage of David Lord saith he teach me the way of the Spirit as if hee had sayd Lord I have a naughtie spirit I have a naughtie heart but Lord thou hast a good Spirit lead 〈◊〉 by that good Spirit of thine in the wayes of uprightnesse Thus doe you waite upon God in 〈◊〉 ordinances and say Lord thou hast promised thaâ— thou wilt put a new soule into thy people and create a new heart in them and throw their sinnes 〈◊〉 the bottome of the sea and that thou with 〈◊〉 them to walke in thy wayes Thou hast promised to give thy Spirit to them that seeke it Lord 〈◊〉 good this thy promise unto mee take away 〈◊〉 wretched sinfull heart of mine and 〈◊〉 a new heart in me and direct me by thy Spirit to 〈◊〉 in the wayes of thy Commandements It is 〈◊〉 Lord a Leaper cannot take away his spoâ—â— a Blackamoore cannot change his hew but 〈◊〉 thou canst make a Blackamoore white 〈…〉 canst cleanse the Leaper though I be a dead 〈◊〉 thou canst put life into me though 〈…〉 thing yet thou canst doe all things I 〈…〉 more but thou canst make me of a 〈…〉 am a Leaper but thou canst take away my 〈◊〉 I am naturall and carnall in me there 〈◊〉 thing but Lord thou eanst make me 〈…〉 rituall things good Lord grant that thy 〈◊〉 Spirit may teach me to know the things 〈◊〉 to my everlasting peace this doe above all take heede that you doe not deferre the time Oh deferre not the wayting upon God in the use of the meanes Why because you have no power in your selves to helpe your selves it is not in you power to receive Christ and entertaine salvation and therefore begin speedily to attend upon 〈◊〉 ordinances that at length the Lord may put a 〈◊〉 spirit into you and worke upon you to your ever lasting peace and comfort I exhort you 〈◊〉 all things not to deferre the time and say wee 〈◊〉 gather the flower while it is greene while 〈◊〉 youth continues we will follow our pleasures 〈◊〉 take up out sports and when wee come to be 〈◊〉 then we will turne over a new leafe and on our death beds then wee will repent alas alas 〈◊〉 wilt thou thinke to doe it in thine old age whâ— thou couldst never doe it in thy youth and therefore doe not thus delude thy owne soule thoâ— thinkest when thou lyest on thy death bed if 〈◊〉 doest but send for a Minister then hee will 〈◊〉 salvation to thee presently but I tell thee thoâ—gâ— all the Ministers under heaven should preach mercy unto thee though all the Angels in heaven should exhort and intreat thee to entertaine salvation though thou shouldest have all glory and all happinesse layd downe as it were upon a table before thee if the Lord should say here is all glory and happinesse doe but beleeve and take it and it shall be thine thou shalt be made partaker of if for ever yet consider in thy naturall condition thou hast no power to receive happinesse and glory thus offered if God should open heaven gates and bid thee goe into heaven yet thou hast no power if thou beest a naturall man to receive mercy and salvation upon those tearmes which God hath offered them thou couldst not enter into heaven though God should open the gate wide and intreate thee to enter in what a thing is this then when neither Minister can perswade thee nor Angels exhort thee nor Christ himselfe intreat thee to take mercy yet thou shouldst thinke in thy old age or upon thy deathbed to have mercy and salvation at command why deferre not therefore this worke untill the last but make speede beginne betime and hold on constantly to the end that at last God may take away your corruptionâ— and give you his spirit and raise you out of the graver of your sinnes doe this because you see it is needfull to be done it is not in your power to doe good unto your soules or receive good and therefore 〈◊〉 â—â—ginne betimes and wait upon God in the meanes that so you may have grace and salvation thereby EZECH 11.19 I will take away their stony heart and give them a heart of flesh ACoording to our Order intended and Course propounded wee have laid downe five generall circumstances have chosen severall texts answerably whereout we might observe the same foure of those five we have already handled and now we are come to the last Circumstance which is this Howsoever a naturall man cannot receive the Lord Iesus yet the Lord will make all his that belong to
are in Christ to them that are called and converted and brought home to Christ to those they are all yea confirmed and amen concluded yea made and amen performed but a man by nature can claime nothing at Gods hands but hell and damnation and therefore all the plagues and punishments that befall wicked men are the fruits of their owne labours they are their owne they have the fruit of their owne tree so Iudas is said to goe to his owne place In the 3. of Esay the 9. there saith the text Woe unto the wicked for they have rewarded evill to their owne soules the reward of their hands shall bee giver them for they shall eate the fruite of their doings They can challenge confusion and everlasting destruction this is their owne Iudas went to his owne hee had his owne share and his owne condemâ—ation they were his owne his owne sinnes procured them but as for the obtaining of Christ and of grace and salvation there is nothing that can doe it it is of the free mercy and goodnesse of God Godlinesse â—s great gaine saith the Apostle it hath the promise of this life and of the life to come but an ungodly man there is no promise at all made unto him hee can challenge nothing from God by way of promise so that by this time wee have the proofe of the point namely That the offer of grace is altogether free for we have nothing can purchase grace wee can do nothing that can procure grace wee have no right whereby wee may challenge grace by way of promise naturally and therefore the case is cleare That we have grace freely from the hand of God We see the point cleared the doctrine confirmed and established The use of it is two fold partly to the Saints of God that have received grace partly to those that want grace First for the Saints of God that have received grace I beseech you thinke of it it is a truth that cannot be denied proved by reason strong and Scripture plaine that whatsoever wee have from the beginning of conversion to the end of salvation is free grace Why mee thinkes your hearts should answer we ought to be stirred up the more to magnifie the mercy of God and so much the more to bee thankefull unto him for this mercy which our poore soules have received at his hands the freer the grace of God is which hee offereth unto us the greater our thanksgiving the greater the acknowledgement of the goodnesse of the Lord ought to bee those whom God hath given any assurance of sound grace that Christ is there that salvation is there they doe not know how much beholding they are to God for the same for this proceedeth altogether of his free mercy looke up therefore unto God and blesse God for it this is that which did drive the Prophet Micah to a stand Mica 7.18 19. there faith he Who is a Godlike unto our God that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his people he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy he will turne againe he will have compassion upon us he will â—ubduâ— our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea as who should say here is a God indeed who is like our God who hath pardoned all our sinnes why because his mercy pleased him because hee delighteth in goodnesse no God like Iehovah no Redeemer like Christ no Comforter like the Spirit all sins pardoned all iniquities cast into the bottome of the Sea but what is the ground of all because his mercy pleased him as if hee had sayd Men will doe no good unto us unlesse they see good in us unlesse they expect some good and profit from us but who is like our God no man is like unto him hee hath passed by our transgressions and subdued our iniquities and given us the graces of his spirit not because wee pleased him or did any thing that could deserve this at his hands but it was his free mercy that moved him all our peevishnesse all our loosenesse all our carelesnesse all our sinnes subdued and thrust into the bottome of the Sea and pardoned and why because wee pleased God no because his mercy pleased him this is God full of grace full of mercy full of goodnesse and compassion no God like our God no mercy like this no grace no goodnesse no compassion like unto this and therefore you poore Saints that have received any grace from the hand of the Lord goe into some secret place and say unto your soules and plead with your owne hearts and provoke your soules to thankesgiving for Gods mercy towards you reason with thy heart and provoke thy spirit to take notice of Gods mercy and say How is it Lord that many that have lived in the same towne in the same family nay the same man that is under the same ministry that I am that heares the same Sermons that I doe and sits in the same seate with me how is it that such a poore man or woman is still in the gall of bitternesse in the bond of iniquity still in the snare of death and under the power of Satan Father how comes it why is it that my mind is enlightned why was my heart humbled why didst thou give me any care to walke with thee and to forsake my sinnes and abandon my former lusts and corruptions why is this Lord it was of thine owne free mercy Lord for I had nothing which could purchase this at thy hands I could doe nothing that might procure it I could claime no promise naturally from thee in this kinde if thou canst thinke thus and say thus goe thy wayes and be as thankefull as thou canst to such a God that hath done this for thee and plead with the Lord as the Prophet David did What is man that thou shouldst be so mindfull of him and what is the sonne of man that thou shouldst regard him why Lord thou mindfull of me when I forgot my selfe when I ranne headlong into all wickednesse as prophane as ever any soule was oh those dayes which I now remember with griefe of soule when my heart rose up against thee and thy ministers and yet thou Lord mindfull of such a sinfull wretch as I am that forgot my selfe and my owne salvation why what am I Lord and what is this poore soule of mine that thou shouldest remember me oh doe thus and thinke of this and remember that our Saviour Christ when the Apostles Preached the Gospell here was a poore man on one side converted and a poore woman on another when the Lord Iesus saw this why I blesse thee Father saith he Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast revealed these things to the poore of the world and denyed them to great ones take this to your hearts the poore receive the Gospell the rich they are so full and so delighted in
man is not able to abide an admonition when he cannot endure to be informed or councelled exhorted or reproved when the ministers nor the Word of God can have any power over men when these poore creatures shall come into hell then they shall have elbow roome to fulfill their lusts and corruptions wherein they so much delighted they tooke pleasure in wickednesse they would not they could not abide the meanes of grace and salvation you would have no reproofes you would endure no admonitions it was well with you when you had no ministers to checke and reproove you but alas poore soule when you are gone downe into the bottomelesse pit of everlasting perdition then you may have your full swing then you shall never be reprooved more then you shall never be councelled more you shall never be admonished more you shall then never be prayed for any more but be damned in hell for ever from everlasting to everlasting you shall then have your full pleasure in your sinnes is it not just with God that you who would live in wickednesse and prophanenesse and would not receive grace and mercy when it was offerd that God should give you up to the hardnes of your owne hearts and blindnesse of your owne minds send you into everlasting condemnation for ever First look as it is with a malefactor that is convicted of high treason for plotting some wicked practise against his Prince or for proceeding into rebellion for the overthrow of his Countrey after all the sinnefull passages of his be discovered and made knowne both to himselfe and the world if the King after this make the Proclamation that if hee will leave of his wicked enterprizes hee shall be pardoned nay if the King shall send message after message unto him secretly to tell him that if he now will lay downe armes and take his pardon he shall freely be remitted and graciously received into favour if this Traytor shall rather fling away his pardon then his weapons I appeale to your owne consciences in this case if the King should â—â—ife an army and overcome him and take him and execute him without any pitty or mercy is he not justly rewarded what will the world say they will say execution and death is too good for him so he had a faire offer of pardon if hee had had a heart to receive it hee had pardon proclamed unto him nay the King sent messenger after messenger to tell him that if he would stoope to him he should receive mercy and favour from him and therefore seeing be refused and neglected so kinde an offer he is executed justly it is pitty but condemnation should befall him because hâ— would not take the meanes of consolation this is the condition of every poore soule under Heaven truely we are all Rebels and Traytors against Heaven by our â—â—thes and blasphemies we fet our mouâ—â— against Heaven we have often taken up armes against God and yet after all our pride and stubbornenesse and loosenesse and prophanenesse and contempt of Gods Word and Ordinances and yet the Lord is pleased to proclame mercy still to every one that will receive it all you that have dishonoured my name all you that have prophaned my Sabbaths and contemned my Ordinances all you cursed wretches come come who that will and take pardon let them lay aside all their weapons and receive it and salvation by him when it is offered to them and they shall have their sinnes forgiven and they shall be received to mercy now if any soule will stand out against God and say I will not have Christ and Salvation but will shift for my selfe and try it out to the last I will walke in my owne wayes and take up my owne courses I will be proud still I will breake Gods Sabbaths still and I will be malicious still and breake Gods Commandements still if any man shall be thus disposed if then the great God of Heaven and Earth shall come with tenne thousand thousand of judgements and execute them upon that man if he shall bring a whole legion of devils and say Take him devils and torment him devils in hell forever because he would not have mercy when it was offered he shall not have mercy because he would not have Salvation when it was tendered unto him therefore let him have everlasting condemntion if God should thus deale with that man the Lord should be just in so doing and he justly miserable And this is the second use it is an use of terror to all those that will not receive Christ and grace and salvation by him Thirdly in the third place it is a word of exhortation it should set an edge upon your desires and provoke your soules to give no sleepe to your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids to give no quiet to your soules nor contentment to your hearts untill you have brought your soules to be willing to receive Christ Iesus you are the Spouse of Iesus Christ it is good for you therefore to consider and thinke of your estate in this kind if you will but have Christ that is all he careth for if he can but get your good wils he lookes for no more and therefore you are to consider of it and lie at your hearts daily you should daily be perswading of your soules and never cease till you have brought your hearts in some measure to be willing to receive the Lord Iesus and bid him welcome and give entertainement unto him and the more to prevaile with you in this case consider of the reasonablenesse of the condition and this may be a motive to provoke your soules hereunto because the offer is marveilous easie as faire as can be the tearmes of agreement are as faire as any heart can desire nay there is very good consideration in the goodnesse which the Lord hath tendred to us and that is thus much If we will but receive Christ Iesus all that he hath shall be ours the treasures of wisdome and grace and salvation they shall be all ours if we will but entertaine the Lord Iesus let us therefore reason with our owne soules and commune with our owne spirits concerning this gratious offer of salvation the soule should say What hath the Lord offered salvation at so easie a rate will hee notwithstanding what ever I have beene heretofore full of corruptions and abhominations though my soule stands guilty of my sinnes and distempers though I bee possessed with many weakenesses and infirmities yet notwithstanding all this will the Lord be pleased to pardon all to supply all to passe by all onely upon this condition if I will welcome and entertaine him may I have Christ for taking of him may I receive grace for carrying it away why good Lord if I will not doe this for Christ and grace I will do nothing doth God require no more why then if grace and mercy and salvation bee not worth this they are worth nothing if I will
cavills discovers unto us from the fift Verse to the end of the Chapter the excellency of the Gospell of the Lord delivered in the plainenesse of it in the sixt Verse there saith he howbeit we speake wisedome among them that bee perfect yet not the wisdome of this woâ—â—â— nor of the Princes of this world that come to nought but wee speake the wisedome of God in a mystery even the hidden wisedome which God ordained before the world unto our glory as if he had said though you thinke O yee Corinthians that there is no learning but humane learning yet you must know that wee speake wisedome too and that to those that are the perfectest men in their owne understanding I tell you wee speake wisedome which the world and the princes thereof those that have the greatest parts never knew never obtained you Corinthian Doctors bragge much of your learning and knowledge but you have received it of other humane authors but wee teach unto you the wisedome of God and of the Gospell which eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive for God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit where wee may observe by the way that hee which teacheth the Gospell in the plainenesse of it teacheth the deepest things that can be conceived for here S. Paul speaketh of things which the wise of the world never heard of never conceived But then they might reply further how can you know these things and why may not others know them as well as you These are the two objections that might bee made against that which the Apostle had before spoken of How came you to know them and why may not others know them as well as you The Apostle answereth these two questions And he answeres the first how he came to know them from the 10. Verse to the 14. God saith he hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God now wee have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God as if he had sayd The spirit of God knoweth these things and teacheth a poore soule these things as farre as is convenient for him the Spirit of God understandeth these things and makes knowne these things to his servants they know not these things of themselves but by the power of God Spirit the Spirit of God assisting and working effectually in them teacheth them these secrets But then why doe not wicked men come to understand these great matters also To this the Apostle answers in the Text The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit for they are foolishnesse unto him c. they doe not know them because they cannot A naturall man doth not know these things they are wonders and miracles unto him tell him how a poore soule comes to be humbled and broken and have his sinnes pardoned and bee received to mercy why these things are wonders to a carnall man the Text saith he doth not understand these things because hee cannot and the ground of this is because they have not the spirit to teach them this I take to be the scope of the Apostle in the Text and in the verse we are to observe onely one point meete for our purpose for as we have sayd before there are five generall circumstances of preparation observable three we have handled and the fourth is this No man of himselfe by nature can will to receive Christ and this is here plainely set open in the text and therein manifestly expressed it is the maine scope of the holy Ghost in the words a naturall man receiveth not nay he cannot receive the things of God but before wee can come to gather the point two things must be discovered unto us First what is meant by a naturall man Secondly what is meant by the things of the spirit of God First what is meant by a naturall man the Corinthians might have replyed upon the Apostle what are you a man of the spirit onely what meane you by a naturall man I answere he is a naturall man in phrase of Scripture which hath not the worke of grace soundly wrought in him which hath not the spirit of God whosoever he be that lyeth in the bosome of the Church whosoever he be that hath a name to live and yet is dead all carnall Gospellers and hyppocrites those that are coloured over with the name of Christians and religion whosoever they be that have not that saving worke of grace and the new frame of grace set up and reared in their soules by the assistance of Gods Spirit all these how ever they may be coloured over if they have not had the sanctifying worke of Gods Spirit upon them all these are sayd according to the Phrase of the Apostle to be naturall men and voyd of the spirit as may appeare by the words going before the Text and following after First compare them with the words going before in the 10. and 12. Verses Wee have received the Spirit of God faith the Text the naturall man and the spirituall are opposed one to another Wee saith the Apostle have received the Spirit so that hee that hath Gods Spirit is a spirituall man and therefore hee that hath not the Spirit of God in him hee that hath not the will of God revealed unto him by the Spirit he is a naturall man Looke also in the words after the Text Vers 15. He that is spirituall discerneth all things he that hath a heart truly humbled and a soule truly sanctified he that is adopted he is a spirituall man so that he which is voyd of the Spirit he is a naturall man the phrase is excellent in this kind Iude 19. Iude 19. these bee they saith the Text that separate themselves sensuall not having the Spirit the words there interpret one another hee was speaking before of wicked wretches and those that lived after their owne ungodly lusts in the 18. Verse saith the Text there shall be mockers in the last time who shall walke after their owne ungodly lusts where we may note that we shall never see a mocker one that opposeth Christ and the Gospell and is jearing at the Saints of God but he walkes after ungodly lusts They are sensuall men who be those sensuall men those that have not the Spirit of God as wee may see Verse 19. and therefore whosoever he be or whatsoever hee be be his appearance never so good if hee be not truly sanctified by the spirit of God though he be a new man outwardly if hee be not sound in his conversation hee is a naturall man hee that hath not the Spirit of God ruling and domineering over his lusts he is in a naturall estate The second thing which is to bee discovered is this vid. what is meant by the things of
would but doe this but saith the text he went away sorrowfull the text doth not say that he would dispute of it and consider of it but presently as soone as he heard it he had a secret kind of distaste against it and went away and with drew himselfe from the offer of life salvation The phrase is pretty to observe in the 5 of Iohn 40. Iohn 5.40 there our Saviour Christ was disputing with the Scribes and Pharisees and shewing unto them the meanes of Salvation but marke what our Saviour saith of them Ye will not come to me that ye might have life marke that phrase for it is observeable in the 39 vers the verse going before our Saviour had sayd unto them Search the Scriptures for in them ye thinke ye have eternall life and they are they which testifie of me the offer was faire if they would but have come to Christ they might have had life but marke what hee saith of them of the Scribes and Pharisees and so of all naturall men they will not come though mercy and salvation be offered and tendered But in the second place when these things of life and salvation are set before a naturall man and offered unto him and he will not come to Christ that he may have them yet suppose Christ come to him imagine the Lord Iesus comes home to the soule of a poore sinner and knocketh rappeth at the doore of his heart continually striving with him by his blessed Spirit and the use of meanes although the Lord would winne him and wooe him as hee did Ierusalem O Ierusalem Ierusalem how often would I have gathered thy children together as a henne doth her chickens under her wings and yee would not Looke as the henne clocketh her chickens together that so shee may gather them under her wings and thereby prevent them from some mischance that may befall them so the Lord Iesus called after Jerusalem and wept over it Oh that thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace and yet they would none of him just so is the case of all naturall men God calleth after them and knoâ—keth againe and againe and yet notwithstanding they do not onely decline from the truth but if the Spirit of God still strive with them if they cannot goe away from Christ but Christ followes them home to their houses as it were then they fall out with Christ and professe they will none of Christ and salvation they resist and oppose the Spirit of God they take up armes against the Spirit in this kinde Act. 7.51 there saith the text Act. 7.51 Yee stiffe-necked and uncircumcised in heart and eares ye doe alwayes resist the holy Ghost as your fathers did so doe yee which of the Prophets have not your fathers persecuted c. as who should say the Lord sent his spirit in the ministery of the Prophets for so you must conceive of Gods Ministers though they bee poore soules yet Gods spirit labours through them and when they strive with the soules of men and labour to pluâ—ke them out of their sinnes then Gods Spirit strives God sent his spirit among these men here yet they resisted it And so Act. 13.46 Act. 13.46 there saith the text of Paul and Barnabas that they waxed bold and said It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you but seeing ye put it from you and judge your selves unworthy of everlasting life loe we turne to the Gentiles The text doth not say because yee have gone away from the word But because you have put it away from you Thus the soule of a naturall man doth put away the word of God and opposeth salvation In this kinde in the 22. Matt. 5. Matt. 22.5 When the King there had prepared a great feast of fatte things when he had killed he Oxen and his fatlings and all things were ready hee sent forth his harbengers about to call them that were bidden to the feast but they saith the text made light of it and went their wayes one to his farme another to hit merchandise c. Christ he sends his faithfull Ministers about to invite all people to receive life and salvation Come yee that are hungry and thirstiâ— and buy without money but the truth is they in the Parable spoken of would not come to the feast so it is with all naturall men though our Saviour followes theâ— and would perswade them to entertaine the meanes of salvation yet they refuse it and stand out against it so that they doe not onely withdraw themselves from the truth but oppose it when they are pursued Thirdly a naturall man doth not onely withdraw himselfe from grace and salvation offered and resist this grace pressed upon him but if the Lord follow him yet further and course him and pursueth him that he may give him grace yet considered in hiâ— selfe hee is not capable of this grace In the 6 of Mat. 24. there saith our Saviour Ye cannot serve 〈◊〉 and Mammon Mat. 6.24 Every man naturally hath his Mammon the proud man hath his Mammon and the covetous man hath his Mammon and the propâ—â—â— man hath his Mammon now these cannot serve God and Mammon also to serve them both doth not imply onely a difficulty but an impossibility also so that we may plainely see a naturall man is no capable of grace but understand this wisely I doe not say that a man by nature is uncapâ—ble of grace thus farre that he is not a fit subject to be wrought upon and to be made capable but thâ—â— I say that a man having sinne and remaining in his sinnes is not able to entertaine grace things so considered for a while as long as he continueth in that estate he is not capable of grace but yet God â—an make him fit and disposed thereunto he may be wrought thereunto and God by his spirit can make him able to entertaine grace but he must first be disposed therunto looke as it is with a vessel that is full of puddle there is an unpossibility now in this vessell as long as it is full of that pudly and filthy water that it should receive cleane and pure water but when it is emptied of that filthy water then it is capable to receive pure water but first the durty water must be put out before it can receive the pure Iust so it is here though the soule may be made a vessell fit to receive grace yet now being full of abominations full of covetousnesse full of malice full of pride ful of love of our selves full of hypocrisie full of carelessenesse loosenesse and prophanenesse full of all manner of lusts and corruptions and concupiscence of the flesh when the soule is brimme full of these it is impossible that it should receive grace it is impossible that grace and corruption should lodge in the same bosome so that God must first
empty the soule of these lusts and abominations and prepare him for grace before grace can be put into him before he can receive grace from God the fallow ground that hath a great many thistles and is full of weedes and nettles and grasse this ground we use to say is yet arable ground it may be plowed and made fit to receive seede and beare fruite but it must first be plowed for all the while this trash is in it it is not fit for seed though it may be made fit by tilling of it so the soule of a sinner is arable God can fit it and prepare it to receive grace and eternall life but he must be first plowed and made fit he is overrunne with all corruptions and therefore of himselfe for a while before the Lord humble him and fit him and prepare him to entertaine Christ and receive grace he cannot receive it Ioh. 5.44 Ioh. 5.44 There saith the Text Hoâ— can you beleeve which receive honour one of another and sâ—eke not the honor which commeth from God onely As who should say these things cannot stand together that a man should be full of sinne and at that time goe to the Spirit to have his sinnes crucified these thing cannot stand so that there is a kinde of indisposition and impossibility for the present Rom. 6 20. that a naturall man should receive grace Rom. 6.20 There saith the Text When you 〈◊〉 servants to sinne you were free from righteousnesse that is when a mans corruptions rule over him when a man yeelds himselfe to be under the power of his lusts when sinne is a mans master insomuch that he must do every thing which that commands him if malice command him to hate then he must obey malice and hate and envy his brother when covetousnesse is a mans master and if that bids him gripe and cheate and cozen he must then doe it iâ— a man be thus a servant to sin he is free from righteousnes he cannot be made partaker of grace and salvation so long as he remaines in this estate and condition Fourthly the fourth passage is this as the soule of a naturall man declines from grace offered and revealed as it opposeth grace pressed so in the fourth place it is not willing to be wrought upon that it may be fit to receive grace and be made capable of it there is no naturall man under heaven that is willing to be wrought upon that hee may be capable to receive grace Luke 19 14. hee would not have grace and Christ and though he might in the 19. of Luke the 14. and 27. verses our Saviour Compares himselfe to a master that was to goe into a farre Country to receive a kingdome and therefore gives over his estate into the hands of his servants hee called his ten servants and gave them ten pounds saying Occupie till I come Now when hee is gone marke what the Text saith in the 14. Verse We will not have this man to rule over us the Citizens hated him and sent a messenger after him saying We will not have this man to rule over us Herein is implyed two things first that God would rule over the hearts hee would informe their judgements and fit their soules to receive grace but marke what they say We will not have him to reigne over us wee will not have the Lord Iesus take possession of our hearts and rule and guide them in the way of grace and salvation and so say all naturall men when the truth of God is followed and pressed and their consciences awakened and their minds enlightned then they cry out we will not be troubled and pestered with these matters in the 8. of Rom. 7. there saith the Text the carnall minde is enmitie against God Rom. 8.7 for it is not subject to the Law of God neither indeede can be A naturall man is not subject to God he is not nay hee cannot be subject to the Law of God the Text doth not say he doth not obey the Law of God but hee is not subject to it for it is one thing to obey the word and Spirit of God and another thing to be subject unto it as for example suppose a master command his servant to doe something that is unjust and unlawfull and if hee will not doe it then beats him the servant is then said to be subject to his master hee may beare the blow and endure the stripes of his master but if he be honest and will not doe the thing hee cannot bee sayd to obey his master so likewise if it please a Prince to deale harshly with his subject and punish him unjustly his subject may submit himselfe unto him but he doth not obey him but this is the madnesse of our sinfull natures that wee will not be subject to the Word of God we will not beare the blow nor indure the stroake of the Spirit that so it may plucke us out of our corruptions and frame us and fashion us in this case and make us fit to receive grace but when the word discovereth our sinnes unto us and our misery in regard of the same the soule beginns to swell and take up an indignation against the truth revealed it endeavours what it may and labours what it can to acquit it selfe of the word and to cast out the same wee professe that wee will not have our hearts informed and our mindes enlightned wee will not be humbled and prepared to receive grace and salvation offered by the Lord Iesus If it bee not thus what meane those swellings and bublings of heart against the word when it is preached sometimes a mans conscience is opened and touched by the Word of God and what followes why presently hee professeth hee will never heare that Minister more hee saith t is pittie hee should ever preach more and tw'ere good hee were out of the Country and that the kingdome were rid of him alas what doth the Minister this while what doth he intend all this while that you take such distaste at him why you have a proud heart hee would humble it he would plucke you out of your corruptions that you may be prepared for grace but your soules say you will not be wrought upon and framed that you may receive grace and salvation however you doe not professe so much with your mouthes yet your actions testifie as much there is never a faithfull Minister of God but speakes home to the consciences of men and tells them of their beloved sinnes and bosome corruptions and hee doth this to prepare way for the Lord Iesus He knowes you must be fitted to receive grace and salvation before you shall be made partakers of grace and salvation he knowes that there are many mountaines to bee levelled and crooked things to bee made straight and many rough things to bee made smooth and plaine and therefore hee intends nothing but to have your soules broken and prepared for
Argument is this a dead man hath no power to procure life unto himselfe but all men by nature are dead in trespasses and sinnes and therefore no naturall man is able to procure spirituall life unto himselfe for the understanding of this argument know thus much that the nature of man since his fall is stripped of all that holinesse and righteousnesse whereby he might bee enabled to the performance of any spirituall worke and not onely so hee is not onely deprived of the image of God but is altogether overspread with wickednesse and unrighteousnesse which take the possession of every poore soule under heaven Ioâ— 3.6 Whatsoever is borne of the flesh is flesh Iohn 3.6 now every man naturally is altogether flesh the will of man and the heart of man is altogether fleshy and therefore in the heart of man there is no good 〈◊〉 all And consider the reason of this why the whole soule is thus defiled with sinne wee must conceive that Adam was not onely a particular person but he took the whole nature of mankind upon him so that the nature of man in Adam while heâ— was in his innocencie might either bee carried to the obedience of the will of God or else wholly against the will of God and therefore by Adams fall man was altogether deprived of his righteousnesse and caried against the will of God Now to presse the Argument if it be so that all mens hearts are possessed with rebellions by nature and turned away from God then men naturally cannot turne unto God but all men naturally are wholly possessed with sinne and by rebellion are turned from God and therefore they cannot naturally turne unto God Againe consider there must bee some spirituall power some spirituall life put into a man before hee can performe any good therefore a naturall man cannot doe any good but is a dead man in respect of grace because be hath lost that same soule of righteousnes whereby he should performe that good which God requireth and so that holinesse being gone the soule of the will is gone and the power to doe any good or receive any good is gone So then the case is cleare and the point evident by force of argument and Scripture that a naturall man hath no power to receive the Lord Iesus and grace and salvation from him If this be true as hath beene prooved by reason plaine and undeniable arguments that a naturall man cannot receive the things of God then every soule may take notice of and condemne that sottish and foolish conceit that harbours in the minde of many silly poore ignorant soules if any of you know such take notice of them there are many thinke that they brought grace into the world with them and that they had grace 〈◊〉 their mothers belly aske them when did you receive grace when did you receive faith they will answer they beleeved ever since they were borne they had faith ever since they can remember a great many poore ignorant soules thâ— that grace came into the world with them No no be not deceived faith commeth by hearing faith is the gift of God and repentance is the 〈◊〉 of God narrow is the way and straight is the 〈◊〉 that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde 〈◊〉 therefore alas if thou think'st thou broughtest 〈◊〉 with thee into the world it is an argument that thou never hadst â—aith it is an evidence that thâ—â— never hadst grace for if every man should bring faith and grace into the world then all should got to heaven and what is hell made for then No no narrow is the way and exceeding straight is the gate wee must not thinke to goe to heaven 〈◊〉 our hands by our sides No no it is a very narrow way and few there be that finde it But then they will pleade though they had not grace by nature yet grace is within a haires breadth of them they have grace at command and as it is with a man that leaves a commoditie at a mans house upon â—â—king if he like it if it be for his turne he may buy it if hee like it not hee may refuse it now after 〈◊〉 hath lien by him a while if it doth not please him he may returne it into the owners hand againe 〈◊〉 many say I tooke your commoditie upon liking and if it would have beene for my turne I would have bought it but it will not serve for the use I thought to put it to and therefore I returne it to you againe So it is here most men thinke that grace is left with them upon liking and they may let it lie by them and after they have lived in sinne and tired themselves in their owne imaginations and in following the sinfull desires of their owne wretched hearts if after this when they become old or lie upon their death beds if then they like grace they may take it if not they may let it alone and refuse it O poore creatures you will perish and goe to hell hoodwinkt in this kind you thinke you may have grace for calling for hereafter when I am old then I will repent and when I lie upon my death bed then I will beginne to pray and humble my selfe before God then you thinke to have grace at your owne liking if you like the course of grace then you will take it if you like it not you will refuse it must I pray with my family you will say Well if I like the course happily I will doe it if not I will neglect it Alas alas I tell thee thou canst as well make a soule as convert a soule thou canst as well create thy selfe as repent is it in thy power to say now I will have grace now I will not now I will repent and now I will not Oh thinke of it you shall finde it a harder taske then you are aware of and if God bee pleased to open your eyes you will then say Oh what shall I doe to be saved then you will see that something must bee done before you can bee saved then you will finde it to be a hard matter to repent Doe not think when you lie upon your death beds then you may repent if you will is it in your power to repent and goe to heaven no no all naturall men are under the power of Sathan he ruleth them he commandeth the hearts of the children of disobedience according to his will and then for sinne and the power thereof looke Rom. 6.16 Rom. 6.16 know yee not saith the Apostle that to whom yee yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants yee are whether of sinne unto death or of obedience unto righteousnesse every naturall man is a servant to sinne and a slave to his lusts hee can doe nothing but that sinne will have him to doe Take a proud man whether art thou able to confesse thy pride to see thy sinne and humble thy selfe and renounce thy folly art
thou able to doe this No thou must aske thy sin leave first So take a covetous man art thou able to set open thy house if thou hast wronged any man or griped or coâ—ened any man art thou able to say I will restore him fourefold art thou able to doe this No no thou must aske thy covetousnesse leave first now whether you thinke that the divell will suffer you to goe out of his clutches when hee hath power over you if you thinke sinne will give you leave to forsake your lusts when you are servants to it I appeaâ—e to your owne consciences and therefore whosoever he be that is a naturall man let him not coâ—â—n himselfe he hath no power in himselfe to forsake finne if heaven were layd downe before him and offered him for the leaving of one lust hee could as well make a world as part with one lust for heaven and therefore every man should labour to see this and say Lord heretofore I have beene deluded I thought if I would have grace at any time I might have grace when I would if I would not have grace I might choose and therefore I thought I would have profit now and pleasures now and corruptions and hereafter I will repent hereafter I will have Christ but Lord I was deluded what was it in my power then to entertaine the Lord Iesus then it was in my power to goe to heaven to make a world and to create a soule also I will assure you it is the almighty power of God that must doe this in the first of Ephesians 19. Ephes 1.19 there the Apostle giveth us to understand how God worketh in our conversion What is the exceeding greatnesse of his power saith hee to us ward that beleeve according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when hee raised him from the dead and set him at his owne right hand in the heavenly places When the Lords body had lien in the grave three dayes the selfe same power that raised Christ from the dead this is the very same almighty power that workes in the heart of a man that is converted in this case canst thou raise Christ from the dead if thou canst doe this then thou mayst repent if not then of thy selfe thou canst not repent for the very same power that raised Christ from the dead the same power must worke repentance in the heart of a man be not therefore deceived but now looke to it â—â—â—ny Christians have thought that they might have grace and salvation when they would at commend but when God opened their eyes O then they saw no hope of this they then knew that the same power that raised Christ out of the grave the same power must raise them out of the grave of their sinner I beseech you therefore to be informed to yeelâ— to to be convinced of this truth the Text saithâ— naturall man cannot receive the things of God you say you can who shall we beleeve now What will you be Atheists the Lord saith the word saith a naturall doth not receive the things of God nay he cannot now whether thy word or the word of God will stand thou wilt one day know it to thy everlasting woe and therefore now be perswaded to see your owne follies and abandon this foolish conceit The second use is an use of examination namely from the former doctrine delivered every soule that heareth the word this day if they will deâ—â— plainely with their soules may understand what their condition is you may reade your owne estates whether you bee naturall men or spirituall whether gracious or gracelesse men what wouldst thou know then whether thou art a naturall man 〈◊〉 no and if thou beest so woe be unto thee The triall is easie in this kind observe what disposition thou hast to the things of God observe whether thy soule be affected with them whether thy soule can give entertainement to them the 〈◊〉 man cannot receive the things of God if thou beest a naturall man thou then canst not receive grace nor entertaine Christ and salvation so then canst thou finde that if pleasures come then thy heart giveth way to them if profits come then thy heart is transported with the love thereof Is thy soule inlarged to these things dost thou love and desire them canst thou swallow downe all entertaine all digest all very willingly in this kind never too much riches never too much honour never too much profit never too much pleasure is thy soule thus disposed But when the word calleth for repentance when the Gospell calleth for selfe deniall at thy hand the Lord Iesus would rule in thy heart when the Lord would take away all thy sinnes and all thy corruptions is it so now that thy heart is weary to heare the seâ— is it so that thou canst not give way to these then the case is cleare thou art in a naturall estate for the Lords sake take notice of it naturall things please thee profits and pleasures sinnes and corruptions please thee but thou canst not away with the things of the Spirit thou art therefore a naturall man there is therefore no roome for Christ in thy soule therefore there is no true grace yet wrought in thy soule In the 8. of the Rom. 5. 〈◊〉 saith the Text They that are after the flesh doe mind the things of the flesh but they that are after the spirit the things of the Spirit Now observe therefore what rellish thou findest in the things 〈◊〉 â—â—â—â—low canst thou rellish base courses and ill â—â—â—â—pany is any course or advice taken that may adduce thee unto wickednesse canst thou sweare with the blasphemer and swagger with the drunkard canst thou rellish and appove of these courses but when the Gospell comes and when a man checkes thee for drinking and swearing and tells thee that these things stand not with the kingdome of God the kingdome of Christ consists in righteousnesse and joy and peace in the holy Ghost and thou must deny thy selfe before thou canst receive the Lord Iesus if a man shall tell thee that thou must be pure as Christ himselfe is pure that the Lord Christ Iesus did not come into the world to make men loose and carelesse but holy and righteous to live soberly in this present world and deny all ungodly and worldly lusts to renounce and abhorre these when thou hearest that thou must become a foole that thou mayst 〈◊〉 made wise and that the Lord came to refesh those onely that where laden with the burthen of 〈◊〉 firmes when thou hearest these things how 〈◊〉 thou take them most men may give this answer wee thinke not so wee beleeve it not nay we cannot be perswaded of it is it thus with thee why then the case is ended the tryall is doâ—â— whoever doth not nay cannot receive the thingâ— of God the Gospell of God and the things revealed therein why the Text saith and the
infinite wisedome make a separation betweene sinne and the soule and dissolve this union The soule saith I will have my sinne and I will have my life and I will have my God though I die for it there is a strong league 〈◊〉 betweene the heart of a sinner and his lusts 〈◊〉 therefore all outward meanes cannot possibly breake this league looke as it is wiâ—h a strong stomack if you give it any ordinary meate the strength of the stomake is above the meate and turnes the meate into the nature of it selfe â—o it is with a corrupt heart that hath made a league 〈◊〉 his lusts all outward meanes and of 〈…〉 God a corrupt heart converts them and 〈◊〉 them aside to his everlasting destruction the instrumentall cause is alwayes under the 〈◊〉 the soule of a man is a soveraigne commander this way all outward meanes are but instrumentall mâ—ses and the heart of a man is above them and therefore they may as well â—arden a man as soften his heart and humble his soule a man can receive no good thereby unlesse it please God to overpower this distemper that is in a man and break the neare union and firme league that is betweene sinne and the soule Secondly as there is a neare union betweene sinne and the soule so in the second place as from the knitting of the parts of a stone together there comes a strength to resist the blow so there is a marvelous power a soveraigne command that sinne setteth up and Sathan possesseth in the soule nay so strong a power it is for therein lyeth the strength of the argument that nothing can over-power it and overcome it but the Almighty come it power of the Lord for this is the meaning of that place â— Cor. 15.56 of Saint Paul 1 Corinth 15.56 The sting of a eath is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law so that a man may see so strong as the Law is so strong is sinne and therefore the strength there of must needs be great I open that place of the Apostle thus The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law looke as it is with a King when a male factour is apprehended and convicted of high treason the king giveth up the malefactour into the hand of the jaylour and giveth him authoritie to keepe him in what prison or dungeon 〈◊〉 will and tyrannize over him as he list the jaylour now hath not power of himselfe onely but is armed also with authority from the King he hath a commission from the King that hee may dispose of the Traytour as hee pleaseth hee may keepe him in what prison hee will and tyrannize over him as he pleaseth and as hee seeth good and the reason is because hee hath authority from the King to backe him and he hath as much authority as the King because the King doth this by him so it is with the blessed will of God every poore soule rebells against him and breakes his Lawes and therefore the Lord taketh notice of it and treason is brought against him and hee is condemned for it and then he delivers him up into the power of sinne and into the hands of the devill as who should say Take him sinne and take him Sathan and hale him into damnation and tyrannize over him according to your owne minds thus God giveth them authority over him mee thinkes I heare the Lord say thus Let all occasions domineere over him let all corruptions take place in him hee hath opposed my Lawes I will never helpe him more hee hath transgressed my Commandements my Spirit shall never assist him more take him sinne take him Sathan and dispose of him according to your owne pleasure so that now sinne and Sathan have not onely their owne power over this soule but they have power from God and they are backed with authority from the Law in this kind Sathan may say This soule must 〈◊〉 damned I have Law for it by the vertue of the Law I prevaile against him and domineere over him God hath given mee authoritie to tyrannize over him thus the strength of sinne in the Law Now he that must come and rescue this soule and deliver it from the power of sinne and Sathan must be able to equalize and answer the strength of the Law and this none can doe the Law of God none can beare the strength of it but he that is perfect God none but the Lord Iesus Christ none can deliver the soule and rescue it from the power of sinne and Sathan but hee this is the reason of that unconceiveable and admirable power that a mans corruptions have over him a man would wonder to see that a base lust or corruption should so domineere and tyrannize over a man and make a man such a slave thereunto the reason is because the strength of sinne is the Law God in his just judgement hath given over a sinner into the hand of sinne and Sathan now the Lord Iesus onely commeth and taketh away this power and over commeth this strength for the rescuing of a poore soule this way and hereby wee may conceive that the wisedome and power of Gods mercy goeth beyond the power and wisedome of Gods justice as I may so say for what saith the Law and what doth the justice of God require the Law saith Doe and live justice faith if Adam dee obey the Commandements of God hee shall be saved if Adam sinne he shall be damned But then the wisedome and power of Gods mercy comes and saith a man shall not die though he doth not keepe all Gods Commandements but how is this done namely this way Christ which is perfect God and man commeth and suffereth for man hee comes and doth that which man should have done and therefore though man doe it not yet he shall not be condemned so that our Saviour by his death did satisfie for us and gave full contentment to the Law of God so that now the justice of God hath nothing to say to a poore soule and Christ by his resurrection he did overcome the power 〈…〉 and Satan so that now marke what followes if any thing hindereth the soule from being saved it is because either Gods justice is not satisfied or else because the power of sinne and Satan is not abated but Christ by his death did satisfie the Law of God and by his resurrection did overcome sinne and Satan and therefore these cannot hinder it from salvation and this is the ground how it commeth â—o passe that the Lord onely and no 〈…〉 can deliver a soule from the strength of 〈…〉 power of Satan which have the strength of the Law to backe them Thirdly as in a stone there is a close setting 〈◊〉 a neare knitting of the parts thereof together 〈◊〉 whence comes the hardnesse thereof and secondly as from this hardnesse there proceedes strength and as in the third place from this strength ariseth a resistance against
the blow that is 〈…〉 upon it so it is with a stony heart there is a 〈◊〉 union betweene sinne and it secondly by 〈◊〉 of this union sinne comes to have a 〈…〉 power in the soule and not onely so but in the third place there is a great resistance in the soule against Gods Command Looke as it is with a stone of a man striketh a blow upon it it resistes the blow and beates it backe so it is with the soule with a stony heart the Word the Sacraments Admonitions Reproofes Counsells Exhortations they enter not into it they prevaile not with it but it resists and obpposeth all meanes of grace and salvation that are offered unto it what helpe soever God bestowes upon it it beates it backe it will not be disposed it will not be framed and fashioned according to Gods holy Will Zach. 7.12 there saith the Text Zach. 7.12 They made their hearts as an adamant stone least they should beare the lâ—s and the words which the Lord of Hosts sent by his Spirit in the Ministery of the former Prophets that is they closed with their corruptions and grew strong in their corruptions and resisted the commandements of the Lord and therefore it is said of Pharoah that he hardened his heart that is hee strengthened his heart in sinne and would not obey the commandement of the Lord but refused to let the people of Israel goe when there comes to be a neare union betweene sinne and the soule then the soule doth strengthen it selfe in sinne and opposeth the Law of God the proud man saith he will have his lust let God say what hee will the covetous man hee will have his corruption let God say what hee will and the drunkard hee will have his owne way and the adulterer hee will take up his owne course let God say what he will they grow strong in their sinnes and therefore resist all meanes which may be for their good untill the Lord by his almightie power doth breake this fast knot that is betweene corruption and the soule and removes the power and strength of sinne and then by a strong hand takes away this resistance and over-powers a soule in this case so that then to gather up all together if it be so that the union betweene sinne and the soule cannot be dissolved but by God alone if the strength and power of sinne and Satan cannot be vanquished but onely by the Lord if the resistance that commeth from sinne cannot be taken away and removed but by the worke of the Spirit of God then the case is cleare and the point evident That it is God which taketh away the stony heart and giveth a heart of flesh if God alone by his almighty power doth these things then he is the author of this worke it is his worke to doe this in the soule of a poore sinnefull creature The first Vse is an use of instruction from hence wee may see that therefore this great worke of conversion the fitting and preparing of a poore sinner to entertaine the Lord Iesus it is a worke of great weight it is a worke not of ordinary but of marvellous and admirable difficulty if it be the worke of the Lord onely if nothing else can doe this worke but it lieth upon Gods alone almightie power if all meanes faile nay if the wisedome of men Angells stand agast amazed at this work then I must conclude it is the Lords worke and is ought to be marvellous in our eyes And from hence it is that it is a marvellous wonder that any creature that is under the power of sinne and Satan it is a wonder it is a miracle that after all teaching after all meanes used any soule is humbled and prepared to receive mercy from the hand of the Lord Iesus Christ Nay hence it is that wee see little profit come from the worke of the Ministerie when wee see the greatnesse of this worke of conversion wee may wonder how it commeth to passe that any are converted and brought home unto the Lord the Ministers are faine to lift up their voyces like trumpets and spend their hearts as it were they pray againe and fast againe and preach againe and yet all will not d ee for when is the heart of any humbled when is the soule of any turned and converted unto God and therefore away with that cursed delusion that harbours in the minds of many men they will repent and they will beleeve when they list why Alas it is not in your power it is the almighty worke of God thou hast not the worke of repentance to command at thy pleasure it is not talking and saying I doe repent with all my heart and doe beleeve that will serve the turne this will not doe the Lord must worke effectually in thy soule by his almighty power or else the union that is betweene sinne and thy soule will not be dissolved or else the strength of sinne and power of Satan that is in thy soule will never be vanquished or else the resistance that is in thy soule and which commeth from this strength against the blow of the Spirit and all meanes that may fit it and prepare it for to receive the Lord Iesus and mercy from him will never be removed a man shall sometimes find that the indisposition of his soule to any good shall be a little abated by the power of the Word the edge of it will a little be blunted but a poore soule cannot be freed altogether from this untill it shall please the Lord by his almightie hand to remove it and therefore in the first of Iames the 18. Verse the text saith Iam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us by the Word of truth that wee should be as the first fruits of his creatures Ioh. 1.13 and Ioh. 1.13 To them that received him saith the Text he gave power to be the sonnes of God to them which beleeve in his name which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And therefore thinke of it Ministers that teach the Word and people that heare the Word wee must know that unlesse the Lord steppeth in and doth the worke for us all our labour is lost it must be I â—ay the Lord that must take away the stony heart and it must be hee that must give the heart of 〈◊〉 it is not talking and making a profession that can plucke sinne out of the soule of a man in this kinde but it must be the almighty power of the Lord that must doe it The second Vse is a ground of comfort whereby the soule of poore sinners may be supported and the hearts of those that have sinne hunging about them may be cheared when the soule considers that it is laden with abundance of corruptions and abominations then it is quite discouraged and thinkes with all that it shall never be recovered
not to be perswaded not to bee yoaked and then they think they are the bravest men alive they care not what the Minister saies they care not what the word commands oh these men think they are in the greatest liberty of all men under the Sunne let me speak a little to these men didst thou never see a poore prisoner look out of Newgate and cry bread bread for the Lords sake or didst thou never here of a poore man that was fetter'd and cast into a filthy dark dungeon where light never came where Sunne never shined if you have seene these or heard of these do you think these men free and at liberty I appeale to your owne consciences in this case Why truly these men are free men in regard of that bondage that slavery that vassallage that those men are in which break Gods commandements Thy body indeed may be at liberty and may go from alchouse to alehouse but alas thou hast a poore soule that is shut up in sinne and corruption nay it never saw the Sunne the Sunshine of the Gospell never came unto it never any promise tooke place in thy soule never did any counsell do thee any good and yet notwithstanding these base slaves the miserable prisoners those are they that account of the poore servants of God as if they were the basest persons in the world If there be any poore soules that humble themselves and obey his commandements then they count those poore sneaks and base fellows if God commands any thing they obey it if he threatens they tremble and howle and cry and even breake their hearts because of their sinnes they account this as a base thing they count these men of no spirits but when no feare of man terrifieth them when the word of God cannot â—rule them these are royall hearts and the brave spirits of the world brave spirits for the Lord Iesus sake think of it Of all peasants in the world I tell you they are the basest bondslaves the most miserable vassals that ever breathed on the face of the earth to have sinne to be a mans commander and the devill his jaylor and his heart a hell and to have an ill conscience to be his hangman that continually keepeth the roap about his neck when there is not one haire breadth betweene death and him but if it please God by death to tutne the ladder then he is hanged in hell for ever is this freedome are these the brave spirits of the world the Lord deliver his from such liberty Should we see a malefactor arraygned imprisoned condemned and gone to the place of execution and upon the top of the ladder and the Hangman having the roap about his neck ready to turne him off would wee think this man a free man would we think him a man of a brave spirit that is in this condition I tell thee thy condition if thou beest in a naturall estate is farre worse Thou art a poore soule that hast been imprisoned and â—ettered thou art under the bondage of sinne and Satan and thy evill conscience is like a hangman that every day hath the noose about thy neck and if the ladder by death be but once turned then thou art hanged in endlesse and easelesse torments for ever never to be comforted never to be refreshed and yet these brag and say who is Lord over us why I tell you the devill is Lord over you â—and sinne is your commander you are in the greatest slavery of any men under the cope of heaven This is the first use to shew the miserable slavery that all poore creatures are in In the second place it is a word of exhortation 2 Vse Is it so that all sinnefull men are in such a wretched condition then we ought to be perswaded and intreated especially the servants of God that have had their bolts knocked off and have beene freed from the slavery of sinne and Satan these ought to be exhorted to put on the bowells of compassion and to pitty these poore creatures these poore prisoners and to lend them their helping hand to pluck them out of the mire and clay wherein they stuck It is the custome of the world if a poore prisoner be taken and condemned and is going to the place of execution why reason perswades men thus farre to yearne towards him they will be ready to pitty him and say alas poore man he is alive now within this short time he will be dead and what shall become of his soule who knowes unlesse God have mercy upon him he is like to perish for ever Why doe you see a company of proud persons covetous wretches prophane creatures in the world alas they are going to the place of execution there is but one hayres breadth between them and everlasting damnation if God turne the ladder once and a naturall death creep upon them what then shall become of their poore soules take notice therefore of these poore soules and pitty poore prisoners that are in such a wretched condition If a child that had a farher of good abilitie and of some place in the countrey wherein he lived if he should see his father for some offence apprehended by the officers and committed to prison or if he should see him go begging from doore to doore with his fetters and his bolts about his heeles oh how it would grieve him oh how he would weep and howle and say little had I thought my poore father would have come to this misery or if a wife should see her husband going to the gallowes for some haynous crime committed I know shee would have a heart to mourn for her husband in this kind she would be ready to say little thought I that my husband should have come to such an end it is his owne folly that hath brought him to this Can you pitty those that are overtaken with outward bonds with outward misery and can you mourne for that which is fallen upon their bodies why do thus much more for the soule of thy father for the soule of thy wise for the soule of thy child or thy friend and say little did I think that my father or my husband or my child should ever have been shut up in hell and fettered by Satan little did I think that ever sinne or Satan should be his jaylor that the devill should hale him to the place of execution alas he cannot speak a good word nor perform any good duty he cannot pray in his family but is shut up under pride and covetousnesse and drunkennesse and prophanenesse If thou canst pitty and pray for the body of thy father or for the body of thy husband or friend why then pitty and pray much more for the soule of thy father husband or friend It is that which is observable Deut 10.19 there saith the text you shall deale kindly with strangers why because yee your selves were strangers in the land of Aegypt we that have been in prison
wildernesse and with bryers and in the 16. verse after the Lord had delivered those men into his hands he did unto them of Succoth according as he had threatned He took the Elders of the City and thornes of the â—ildernesse and bryers and with them he did teare the men of Sâ—â—coth saith the Text Iust so is it with conscience conscience before only commanded and perswaded men but because he hath beene slighted and despised by them because they have flouted him and said what must be a servant to my conscience must I be a slave and a foole to my conscieâ—e no no I will do what I list for all conscience will you so saith conscience well when God giveth mee authority and gives mee a commission I will teare your flesh for this and rend your hearts in peeces with horror and then conscience he surpriseth a sinner upon every occasion in this case he bursts into the Alâ—house and into the Tavern upon him like a Segeant and arrests him he follow shim to the alehouse he persueth him home he takes him in his bed and arrests him in his sleep and when he is in bed and asleep then conscience awakens him and terrifies him and hales the soule before the Tribunall seat of God and saith loe Lord behold this man this is the drunkard this is the adulterer this is the blasphemer that sweares by thy name prophanes thy Sabboths and contemnes thy word this is he Lord that is an enemy to thy servants and a hater of thy truth and a despiser of thy ordinances this is he Lord this is he that hath done these things and committed these abominations this is he that hath committed many sinnes in secret when no eye saw him this is so Lord at such a time and in such a place in such a chamber with such a company then this man blasphemed thy name and despised thy truth and rayled on good men this this Lord is the man and when conscience hath thus dragged him before God and witnessed against him then take him â—aylor take him divell saith the Lord and imprison him let vexation and horror and trouble and anguish lie upon his soule saith God untill he confesse his sinnes and resolve to forsake them now this this hook sticketh fast in the very heart of this man and all his friends and companions are not able to baile him one commeth and another commeth and all speak and ask him what is the reason what is the cause why are you thus discontented and why thus disquieted oh saith the poore soule you see not you know not you conceive not the horror that conscience hath layed upon mee and what heavy wrath and fearefull vengeance God hath threatned to inflict upon mee for my sinnes now when his companions heare this they cannot all of them bayle him but unlesse he will see his base courses and confesse his sinnes and be humbled for them and resolve to forsake them conscience will not be at quiet but will continually torment and perplex him with horror thus the Lord deals with the Prophet David as we may see Psal 32. when I kept silence sayth he my boneswaxed old through my roaring all the day long for day and night thy hand was heavy upon mâ—e my moysture is turned into the drought of Summer I acknowledged my sinne unto thee and mine iniquitie have I not hid I confessed my transgressions unto the Lord and then forganest the iniquitie of my sinne David he folded up his sinnes at first he would not come of eleverly he would not take them to himselfe and say I have committed adultery and I have murthered Vriâ—â— and therefore his bones were consumed and 〈◊〉 roâ—red continually when the Lord had him upon the rack he made him roare againe and would never leave tormenting of him untill he had confessed his sinnes but after he had confessed them then he forgave his iniquitie the Lord dealeth with the soule in this case as a King doth with a Traytor after his conspiracy is discovered and he attached if he will not confesse his conspiracy and who were his fellow traytors then he is brought upon the rack and then one joynt is broken and then he roares againe by reason of the extremity of the payne why confesse then saith the King and if he will not confesse the whole conspiracy but onely some circumstances of it then he is hoysed upon the rack the second time and then another joynt is broken and then he roars againe why confesse more yet then saith the King and never leaves racking and tormenting of him untill he hath discovered and layed open the whole treason so conscience will bring the foule of a sinner unto the rack and make him confesse his sinnes and come out of it selfe and then the drunkard he cryes out oh the abominations that I have committed which the Sunne never saw in such a place at such a time I rayled upon Gods servants and blasphemed Gods name I prophaned Gods Sabboths and contemned his ordinances but conscience will make him confesse more yet and the refore forceth him to the rack againâ— and then he cryes and râ—ares for anguish of spirit and confesses all and resolves to amend he purpurposes to pray and heare and sanctifie Gods Sabboths and lead a new life and now a conscience upon the confession of his sinnes and purpose of amendment receives some satisfaction and then it begiâ—â—es to be at quiet and give him some rest and this is the second hooke of conscience But when the poore sinner hath gotten some quiet by his confessing of his sinnes and resolving to forsake them when his companions see that he is come out of that horror and vexation wherein he was and that he puts his head out of doores and is creeping abroad then they set upon him againe and labour with might and mayne by wicked perswasions and cursed devices to draw him to his old courses they knew there was no medling with him before but now conscience is a little quieted and he a little eased then all the drunkards in the towne pursue him and all the loose mates hang about him and lay hookes upon him of love and enteâ—tainment and marke how they reply upon him Why refresh say they your soule with some of your ancient dalliance you know wee have beene old friends and of long acquaintance and what contentment have wee had in our times why do not smoak out your dayes in melancholly I dare warrant you the worst is past it was only a fit of melancholly that perplexed you and therefore now it is over refresh yourselfe with your friends and with those that love you Thus the divell by temptations on one side and wicked men by cursed perswasions on the other side be leagure a poore soule and the soule having some quiet he begins to listen to their perswasions and then he beginnes to take up his old course and follow his sinnesmore violently and with
I had never heard of mercy if I had not lived under the Gospell and the meanes of salvation oh then I had been a happy man in comparison alas it is mercy that I have neglected it is the glad tidings of salvation which I have contemned how shall I then be saved if the meanes of salvation have thus been slighted by mee if I had never opposed grace grace might now have helped mee if I had not despised mercy mercy might now have succourd mee but this is my plague this is my woe all the kindnesse that God shewed to mee and all the mercy that God hath revealed and offered I have despised and refused many a knock hath God given at my heart and many a rap at my soule the Lord hath even wept over mee as he did over Ierusalem oh that thou hadst known the things belonging to thy peace the Lord came kindly and wooed mee lovingly oh the perswasions of the Lord and commands of conscience that I have had and yet after all perswasions and horror and commands what yet proud still what yet covetous still and prophane still why then surely there is no mercy to be looked for no grace to be expected and therefore certainly to hell I must go and then he riseth and will be gone to hell all that are about him cannot hold him but then the Minister haply further replyes the truth of it is you have done thus but do you think so still would you do so still if you were out of this perplexity is it good now to be drunk is it good now to commit adultery is it good now to blaspheme is it good now to contemne Gods ordinances would you now rayle on Gods Saints and despise Gods truth prophane Gods Sabbaths would you now do these things oh no no saith he I now find what the end of those wretched courses will be the word of God could not prevayle with me the Minister could not perswade me therefore now I shal perish I shall be damned for these abominations which I have committed there is no remedy if ever man shall be danmed it is I if ever man go downe to hell surely it is I nay hell is too good for mee oh the good Sermons that I have heard the Minister hath spoken home oftentimes to my conscience the very flames of hell have been flashed in my face the Minister would often have spent his bloud that he might doe good to my poore soule and yet I despised the word and scorned the Minister and mocked those whom conscience vexed saying What you are a man of conscience are you you dare not sinne your conscience will not suffer you what are you such a foole to be ruled by your conscience and therefore God hath justly let my conscience loose upon me now I know to my woe that I have a conscience the worme that never dieth gnaweth my heart and rends and plucks my soule in peeces woe woe be unto mee that ever I snufled my conscience that ever I put out the light of conscience for therefore is it that my conscience is now thus tearing of my heart and terrifying of my soule here and therefore it is that I shall for ever perish hereafter But then the Minister he replyes yet further aye the truth is you have done thus but you will not yet forsake your sinnes and abandon your corruptions will you still be drunk and riotous will you still be proud will you still sweare and curse and blaspheme if you will part with these sins and take mercy in stead of these why yet there is hope Then the poore soule cryes out now the Lord for his mercyes sake remove these sinnes from mee oh I never had so much delight in my sinnes heretofore as now I have woe and misery and vexation for them Why here is a cup for a drunkard indeed here is a cup for a whore indeed here is a cup for a blasphemer indeed if every sinners cup were filled thus brim full of Gods wrath never any man would take any joy in be ing drunk more never would any man take any deligt in chambring and wantonnesse more but then the poore soule sayes further oh but it is not in my power to help my soule but if it will but please the Lord to do good unto my poore soule let him do what he will with it What faith the Minister you are then willing and content to part with your sinnes a yes yes saith the poore soule I will rather offend all the world than God I had as leiffe go to hell as to the committing of any sinnefull practise well saith the Minister if it be so it is well but do you speak this from your heart yes faith the poore soule if it would please God to help me I would forsake my sins with all my heart Why now the poore soule is comming againe and God is haling of him aside againe from his corruptions and sinfull distempers This is that we shall observe Hos 2.6 there saith the text behold I will hedge up the way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not find her pathes and she shall follow after her lovers but she shall not overtake them she shall seek them but she shall not find them then shall she say I will go and return to my first husband for it was better with mee then than it is now The Lord at last teares the soule and rends the heart from sinfull distempers and then the soule thinketh oh there is not that pleasure in sinne as I have formerly thought there was the soule then hateth drunkennesse as death he is not able to look upon his adulteresse queane he is not able to abide the house where he committed the folly his heart beginnes to tremble at it And therefore mark the next and last cord I should have added more to the former poynt out of Psal 88.16 there saith David thy fierce wrath is gone over mee and thy terrours have cut mee off thine arrowes stick fast in mee how ever David before had shook off the commands and accusations of conscience though these would not draw him to God yet now the Lords arrowes stuck fast in him he could not pluck them out nor cast them off for his life The last cord is the cord of the Spirit the Lord by the almighty power of his spirit when the soule is thus loosened he then fully plucks it to himselfe never againe to be sodered and closed unto corruptions with an almighty hand he cuts the soule off from sinne and takes it into his own hand that it may never be mustered by sinne and Satan any more as it was formerly Look as it is with a graft a man must pluck it by force from one stock before he can plant it upon another so the Lord by the spirit of power doth rend the soule from sinne and ingrafteth it into Christ and now the soule purposeth never
soule then the Lord by a holy kind of violence doth pluck the soule from sinne and draw it to himselfe but all the former have beene prooved it is sinne and Satan which God binds and overcomes it is that neere union betweene sinne and the soule that God breaketh it is the power that sinne hath over the soule that God doth conquer God takes away not only the act but the power of resisting from the souse and therefore there must be some constraining power that must work this in the soule We will now proceed to the use of this point Vse 1 In the first place it is a ground of instruction to teach all people that heare this truth to goe home and stand agast and amazed at the admirable unconceiveable goodnesse of the Lord to a poore miserable sinfull damned creature it had beene a great mercy if the Lord had only provided some meanes and offered some meanes and given salvation after many troubles and much seeking but that the Lord should not only provide mercy and offer it and reveale the truth but that he should follow us and pursue us with the meanes of salvation when we never thought of it nay that the Lord should follow us with mercy and presse it upon us when we refused it that he should give us the freedome of his spirit to be delivered from our sinnes when wee go into fetters and go into prison that the Lord should not only set open the doore for us that we might come out but that he should by an almighty hand draw us out of the dungeon of our corruptions this is mervellous mercy and admirable loving kindnesse the truth of it is men and Angells are not able to comprehend this nay the Angells of Heaven desire to observe and wonder at this admirable goodnesse of the Lord the passage is observable Gen. 19.16 the text saith when Sodom was to be destroyed because Lot was a little wordly and would not come off cleverly from his profits While he lingred saith the Text the men laid hold on him the Lord being mercifull unto him and brought him forth and set him without the city and it came to passe that when they had brought him forth that they said escape for thy life looke not behind thee neither stay thou in all the plain escape to the mountaine lest thou bee consumed Marke how the holy man answereth Behold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified the mercy which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life I cannot escape to the mountaine lest I die behold now this city is it not a little one let me escape thither and my soule shall live Here lyes the point now the Lord had told Lot that he would destroy Sodom why now he perswades him therefore to arise and away lest hee perish but the poore man he dreaming either of the profit that he might take or else loath to part from his outward contentment he lingred at length the Lord being mercifull unto him he took him by the hand and by maine force carried him and by his almighty hand convayed him and set him without the city and bade him flie for his life a great favour it was that the Lord revealed unto him the judgement that he would execute upon the city that he might escape it but that the Lord should pluck him out of the fire by force and carry him upon Eagles wings what wonderfull goodnesse was this and this Lot himselfe confesseth saying thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shewed to thy servant in saving his life not only to reveale favour and shew mercy but to hale and carry one out of misery whether he will or no what admirable mercy is this It is my resolution saith the Lord that whoremongers and adulterers I will judge those that live wickedly shall perish everlastingly is it not a great mercy for God now to come to a drunkard and say I am resolved to overthrow all drunkards and it is my purpose to destroy all adulterers but if you will abstaine from these sinnes I will shew mercy unto you great goodnesse it is that a man should have his heart forewarnd of misery that he might prevent it but that the Lord should by a strong hand pluck the drunkard from his cursed companions and the adulterer from the company of his whore and to pluck a covetous man from the bottome of the earth not only to intreat him and perswade him but by his almighty hand to set him free from his corruptions and say escape for thy life never be drunk more never commit adultery more never sweare more lest thou perish but go and save thy life what a wonder is this a poore soule should therefore go in secret and say Lord herein hast thou magnified mercy towards mee for who was so nought but I was as bad who was so wicked but I was worse oh the mercies that thou hast shewed mee oh the commands that have been suggested to mee and yet I have stuck in the Alehouse and continued in my sinnes the flashes of hell fire have sparkled in my face I have seene one drunkard going to hell and the divell as it were dragging of him into everlasting destruction and an other adulterer plunged into eternall damnation and yet when I stuck fast in my sinnes all this while that the Lord should not only perswade mee and intreat me to come out but by maine force carry me out of these flames whether I would or no oh what wonderfull goodnesse is this that yet I live to praise and magnifie thy name that yet I live to get assurance of thy love here that I may reigne with thee for ever in glory hereafter no mercy is like unto this no mercy to be compared with this this is not mercy but the depth of mercy this is not compassion only but the bowells of compassion Should a King come to a Peasant and proclaime pardon unto him after he hath plotted treason against him and if in the meane time the traytor rebells and flings away the pardon were it fit that the King should yet pursue him with favour or pursue him with judgement rather for neglecting this mercy that hee should pursue him with favour this is more than nature can do or will do in this kind but here God doth not only proclaime pardon for our sinnes and reveale mercy to us but when wee contemne all and slight all and trample the pardon under our feet yet the Lord will force his mercy upon us and hee will save us whether we will or no that the Lord should thus overcome us with compassion let us walke worthy of all this riches of Gods favour for the Lord Christ Iesus sake 〈◊〉 and let no man presume because of this mercy and favour of the Lord for hee that hath those cords and hooks cast upon him spoken of before hee will bee wearied I warrant him before
hee could not help himselfe but must needs perish if he should glory in this case and say I am here in this pitt and if I get not out I shall perish yet this is my comfort no body lookes after me no body will vouchsafe to helpe me this is thy condition thou art funke downe into thy sinnes and let downe into the bottom of hell thou stickest there and art like to perish there and yet for all this thou gloriest and boastest and sayst the Lord will not open my eyes the Lord will not draw the Lord will not perswade me and work upon me and therefore thou art like to continue there and bee confounded there is this thy glory it is the greatest curse that ever befell any man and therefore if there bee any whose eyes God hath opened hath the Lord let in the cord of conscience into thy soule and let in the flashes of hell fire and brought thee almost to dispaire then blessed be the name of God thou art drawing goe home be comforted thou goest in the right way be not disquieted in this condition the Lord is now drawing of thee hee will anon bring thee to himselfe Second Vse Secondly it is a word of direction if there must bee drawing before there can bee comming then what are we to be advised of but this to blesse God for his worke when wee see it in our selves or others wheresoever your see this worke wrought in your selves or those that belong unto you blesse God for that mercy it is a good ground that God intendeth good to a man when hee beginneth the right way and observe this to check that conceit and overthrow that cursed opinion it is the ordinary practise of carnâ—ll men in the world if any that belong to them bee awakened and humbled they count it the heaviest curse that ever befell them the greatest crosse that ever came to their houses the wife the childe is undone they complaine the wife is so holy and the servants so devout that if there be any spare time they then goe to reading and praying I wonder whither they will go next I trow I tell thee whither they will goe next they are going now to Christ and the next journey they take they will goe to heaven this is the worst newes and art not thou ashamed to complaine of this if there be any soule present that is guilty of this crime take notice of it art thou content thy wife should take up her loose adulterous courses and go to the devill and not take up a good course and goe to the Lord Iesus Christ when God is working upon men hee is drawing of them to himselfe that they may go to the Lord Iesus and receive mercy from the Lord Iesus and therefore I beseech the Lord to shew men this sottish conceit and reforme the same when thou seest God worke upon a poore soule then blesse God for the same is thy wife that was an Adulteresse before now humbled doth she now see her sinnes then goe into a corner and blesse God for the same and say I have had an untoward wife but now the Lord blessed bee his Name hath humbled her I had a loose servant that was given to drunkennesse prophannesse but now the Lord hath opened his eyes and awakened his conscience and humbled his soule and is drawing of him to himselfe why blesse God for this his glorious comfort bee comforted herein and incouraged hereby and blesse God for the same FINIS The Table IOHN 6.44 No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him Doctrine I. THat every man in his naturall condition is fastened and setled in the state of sinne and corruption Page 3. This appeareth in the dominion that sinne and Sathan hath over the soule p. 4. And secondly in the amity that the soule hath to sinne p. 6 Vse I. Instruction to inâ—orme our mindes of the woefull servitude and daily slavery that all men are in by nature p. 7 Vse II. It is a word of Exhortation to all the Saints of God to pittie poore naturall creatures p. 11 Doctrine II. The Lord by a holy kinde of violence doth plucke the hearts of sinners from sinne unto himselfe p. 18 What is meant here by drawing vid. p. 20 The meanes whereby God drawes the heart of a poore sinner unto himselfe are foure Meanes I. The Lord letteth in a light into the minde of a poore sinner and discovereth unto him that he is in a wrong way p. 26 Meanes II. The Lord doth draw poore sinners unto himselfe with the cord of his mercy p. 30 This cable rope of Gods mercy is made up of foure Cords The first Cord is this The Lord reveales himselfe to be ready to receive poore sinners p. 31 The second Cord is this The Lord doth call and command sinners for to come p. 32 The third Cord is this The Lord intreates and beseecheth poore sinners to come to receive mercy p. 34 The fourth Cord is this The Lord doth wait and stay in long patience and suffring to see if at any time a sinner will turne unto him p. 38 Meanes III. The Lord draweth poore sinners unto himselfe by the iron cords of conscience p. 40 These iron cords of conscience have three maine hâ—â—kes to pull sinners to the Lord that is there are three great workes of conscience which God useth to worke upon men to draw them from sinne to himselfe p. 41. The first Hooke of conscience is this Conscience is a warner to the soule and admonisheth it of sinne and to come from sinne upon paine of damnation p. 41 The second Hooke is this Conscience accuseth the creature before God and witnesseth against him p. 47 The third Hooke is this Conscience at the last condemnes the soule p. 13 Meanes IV. The Lord draweth poore sinners unto himselfe by the Cord of his Spirit p. 61 The Reasons why the Lord doth thus draw a sinner from sinne to himselfe are three p. 62. Reason I. Because the strong man must first be cast out p. 63 Reason II. Because of that naturall union betweene the soule and corruption p. 64 Reason III. Becaus of that soveraigne kinde of power that sinne hath over the soule and prevaileth within the soule p. 67. Vse I. It is a ground of Instruction to teach all people to admire the inconceiveable goodnesse of the Lord to poore miserable damned creatures p. 70 Vse II. It is a word of terrour to discover the woefull estate of all those that doe set themselves against the worke of preparation p. 74 Vse III. It is a use of comfort and consâ—lation to all poore soules that are oppressed with their sinnes p. 95 Vse IV. It is a use of Exhortation to all Gods people to endeavour to pluche others from sinne this is the course God takes p. 103 Vse V. Of Examination to trie your selves how you have beene drawne to God p. 114 FINIS