between those whom he serves and their Enemies so that he may leave his Guard and set open the Gates and cease his watchfulness how wary will he be lest under this pretence he be betrayed No saith he I will keep my hold until I have express order from my Superiours Conscience is entrusted with the power of God in the soul of a sinner with command to keep all in subjection with reference unto the Judgement to come it will not betray its trust in believing every report of peace No! but this it sayes and it speaks in the name of God Guilt and punishment are inseparable twins If the soul sin God will judge What tell you me of forgiveness I know what my commission is and that I will abide by you shall not bring in a Superior Commander a cross Principle into my trust for if this be so it seems I must let go my Throne another Lord must come in not knowing as yet how this whole business is compounded in the blood of Christ. Now whom should a man believe if not his own Conscience which as it will not flatter him so it intends not to affright him but to speak the truth as the matter requireth Conscience hath two works in reference unto sin one to condemn the Acts of sin another to judge the Person of the sinner both with reference to the Judgement of God When forgiveness comes it would sever and part these employments and take one of them out of the hand of conscience It would divide the spoil with this strong one It shall condemn the fact or every sin but it shall no more condemn the sinner the Person of the sinner that shall be freed from its sentence Here Conscience labours with all its might to keep its whole dominion and to keep out the power of forgiveness from being enthroned in the soul. It will allow men to talk of forgiveness to hear it preached though they abuse it every day but to receive it in its power that stands up in direct opposition to its dominion in the Kingdom saith Conscience I will be greater than thou and in many in the most it keeps its possession and will not be deposed Nor indeed is it an easie work so to deal with it The Apostle tells us that all the Sacrifices of the Law could not do it Heb. 10. 2. they could not bring a man into that estate wherein he should have no more conscience of sin that is Conscience condemning the Person for conscience in a sense of sin and condemnation of it is never to be taken away And this can be no otherwise done but by the blood of Christ as the Apostle at large there declares It is then no easie thing to make a discovery of forgiveness unto a soul when the work and employment which Conscience upon unquestionable grounds challengeth unto it self lyes in opposition unto it Hence is the souls great desire to establish its own Righteousness whereby its natural Principles may be preserved in their power Let self-righteousness be enthroned and natural conscience desires no more it is satisfied and pacified The Law it knows and Righteousness it knows but as for forgiveness it sayes whence is it Unto the utmost until Christ perfects his conquest there are on this account secret struglings in the heart against free pardon in the Gospel and fluctuations of mind and Spirit about it Yea hence are the doubts and fears of believers themselves They are nothing but the strivings of Conscience to keep its whole dominion to condemn the sinner as well as the sin More or less it keeps up its pretensions against the Gospel whilst we live in this world It is a great work that the blood of Christ hath to do upon the Conscience of a sinner for whereas as it hath been declared it hath a power and claims a right to condemn both sin and sinner the one part of this its power is to be cleared strengthened made more active vigorous and watchful the other to be taken quite away It shall now see more sins than formerly more of the vileness of all sins than formerly and condemn them with more abborrency than ever upon more and more glorious accounts than formerly but it is also made to see an interposition between these sins and the Person of the sinner who hath committed them which is no small or ordinary work Secondly The Law lyes against this discovery The Law is a beam of the Holiness of God himself What it speaks unto us it speaks in the name and Authority of God And I shall briefly shew concerning it these two things 1. That this is the voyce of the Law namely that there is no forgiveness for a sinner 2. That a sinner hath great reason to give credit to the Law in that Assertion 1. It is certain that the Law knows neither mercy nor forgiveness The very sanction of it lyes wholly against them The soul that sinneth shall dye Cursed is he that continueth not in all things written in the Book of the Law to do them Deut. 27. 26. Hence the Apostle pronounceth universally without exception that they who are under the Law are under the curse Gal. 3. 10. And saith he v. 12. The Law is not of faith There is an inconsistency between the Law and believing they cannot have their abode in power together Do this and live fail and dye is the constant immutable voyce of the Law This it speaks in general to all and this in particular to every one 2. The sinner seems to have manifold and weighty Reasons to attend to the voyce of this Law and to acquiesce in its sentence For 1. The Law is connatural to him his Domestick his old acquaintance It came into the world with him and hath grown up with him from his Infancy It was implanted in his heart by nature is his own Reason he can never shake it off or part with it It is his Familiar his Friend that cleaves to him as the flesh to the bone so that they who have not the Law written cannot but sheâ— forth the work of the Law Rom. 2. 14. 15. and that because the Law it self is inbred to them and all the faculties of the soul are at peace with it in subjection to it It is the bond and ligament of their union harmony and correspondency among themselves in all their moral actings It gives life order motion to them all Now the Gospel that comes to controll this sentence of the Law and to relieve the sinner from it is forraign to his nature a strange thing to him a thing he hath no acquaintance or familiarity with it hath not been bred up with him nor is there any thing in him to side with it to make a party for it or to plead in its behalf Now shall not a man rather believe a Domestick a Friend indeed himself than a forraigner a stranger that comes with uncouth Principles and such as
in themselves from them they draw conclusions arguing from one thing unto another and in the end oft-times either deceive themselves or sit down no less in the dark than they were at the entrance of their self-debate and Examination A mans judgement upon his own reasonings is seldom true more seldom permanent I speak not of self-examination with a due discussion of Graces and Actions but of the final sentence as to state and condition wherein the soul is to acquiesce This belongs unto Christ. Now there are Two wayes whereby the Lord Jesus Christ gives forth his decretory sentence in this matter 1. By his Word He determines in the Word of the Gospel of the state and condition of all men indefinitely Each Individual coming to that Word receives his own sentence and doom He told the Jews that Moses accused them John 5. 45. His Law accused and condemned the transgressors of it And so doth the acquit every one that is discharged by the Word of the Gospel And our self-judging is but our receiving by faith his Sentence in the Word His process herein we have recorded Joh 33. 22 23. His soul that is of the sinner draweth neer to the grave and his life to the destroyers This seems to be his state it is so indeed he is at the very brink of the grave and hell What then why if there be with him or stand over him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Angel interpreting or the Angel of the Covenant who alone is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the one of a thousand what shall he doe He shall shew unto him his uprightness He shall give in unto him a right determination of his interest in God and of the state and frame of his heart towards God whereupon God shall speak peace unto his Soul and deliver him from his entanglements v. 24. Jesus Christ hath in the Word of the Gospel stated the condition of every man He tells us that sinners of what sort soever they are that believe are accepted with him and shall receive forgiveness from God that none shall be refused or cast off that come unto God by him The Soul of whom we are treating is now upon the work of coming unto God for forgiveness by Jesus Christ. Many and weighty Objections it hath in and against its self why it should not come why it shall not be accepted Our Lord Jesus the Wisdom of God foresaw all these Objections he foreknew what could be said in the case and yet he hath determined the matter as hath been declared In General mens arguings against themselves arise from Sin and the Law Christ knowes what is in them both He tryed them to the uttermost as to their penalties and yet he hath so determined as we have shewed Their particular Objections are from particular considerations of sin their Greatness their Number their Aggravations Christ knows all these also And yet stands to his firmer determination Upon the whole matter then it is meet his Word should stand I know when a Soul brings it self to be judged by the Word of the Gospel it doth not alwayes in a like manner receive and rest in the sentence given But when Christ is pleased to speak the word with power to men they shall hear the voyce of the Son of God and be concluded by it Let the Soul then that is rising out of depths and pressing towards a sence of forgiveness lay it self down before the Word of Christ in the Gospel Let him attend to what he speaks and if for a while it hath not power upon him to quiet his heart let him wait a season and light shall arise unto him out of darkness Christ will give in his sentence into his Conscience with that power and efficacy as he shall finde rest and peace in it 2. Christ also judgeth by his Spirit not only in making this sentence of the Gospel to be received effectually in the Soul but in and by peculiar Actings of his upon the heart and soul of a Believer 1. Cor. 2. 11. We have received the Spirit of God that we may know the things that are freely given us of God The Spirit of Christ acquaints the Soul that this and that Grace is from him that this or that duty was performed in his strength He brings to mind what at such and such times was wrought in men by himself to give them supportment and relief in the times of depths and darkness And when it hath been clearly discovered unto the Soul at any time by the Holy Ghost that any thing wrought in it or done by it hath been truely saving The Comfort of it will abide in the midst of many shakings and Temptations 2. He also by his Spirit bears witness with our Spirits as to our state and condition Of this I have spoken largely elsewhere and therefore shall now pass it by This then is our first General Rule and Direction Selfdeterminations concerning mens spiritual state and condition because their minds are usually influenced by their distempers are seldom right and according to Rule Mistakes in such determinations are exceedingly prejudicial to a Soul seeking out after relief and sence of Forgiveness let Christ then be the Judge in this Case by his Word and Spirit as hath been directed RULE II. Self-condemnation and abhorrency for sin consistent with Gospel Justification and Peace The nature of Gospel-Assurance what is consistent with it What are the Effects of it Self-Condemnation and Abhorrency do very well consist with Gospel-Justification and Peace Some men have no peace because they have that without which it is impossible they should have peace Because they cannot but condemn themselves they cannot entertain a sence that God doth acquit them But this is the mystery of the Gospel which unbelief is a stranger unto Nothing but faith can give a real subsistence unto these things in the same Soul at the same time It is easie to learn the notion of it but it is not easie to experience the power of it For a man to have a sight of that within him which would condemn him for which he is troubled and at the same time to have a discovery of that without him which will justifie him and to rejoyce therein is that which he is not lead unto but by Faith in the mystery of the Gospel We are now under a Law for Justification which excludes all boasting Rom. 3. 27. So that though we have joy enough in another yet we may have we alwayes have sufficient cause of humiliation in our selves The Gospel will teach a man to feel sin and believe Righteousness at the same time Faith will carry Heaven in one hand and Hell in the other shewing the one deserved the other purchased A man may see enough of his own sin and folly to bring Gehennam è Coelo a Hell of wrath out of Heaven and yet see Christ bring Coelum ex inferno a Heaven of blessedness out of an
the thoughts expressed in this third Verse and fixes the conclusion in his mind discoursed of before He finds now that he hath the Law afresh to deal withal Thence ariseth that sense and acknowledgement of sin that self-condemnation in the Justification of God whereof we now speak He grows not sullen stubborn displeased and so runs away from God he doth not utterly saint despond and give over he pleads not any thing in his own Justification or for the extenuation of his sin and guilt he quarrelleth not with he repineth not against the Holiness Severity and Righteousness of the Law of God but reflects wholly on himself his own unworthiness guilt and desert and in a sence of them lyes down at the foot of God in expectation of his word and sentence Three things in this condition we ascribe unto such a soul. First A sincere sense of sin There is a twofold sense of sin The one is general and notional whereby a man knows what sin is that himself is a sinner that he is guilty of this or that these or those sins only his heart is not affected proportionably to that discovery and knowledge which he hath of these things The other is active and efficacious The soul being acquainted with the nature of sin with its own guilt in reference unto sin in general as also to this or that sin is universally influenced by that apprehension unto suitable Affections and Operations Of both these we have an instance in the same person David before Nathans coming to him had the former afterwards he had the latter also It cannot be imagined but that before the coming of the Prophet he had a general knowledge and sense not only absolutely of the nature of sin but also that himself was a sinner and guilty of those very sins which afterwards he was reproved for To think otherwise is to suppose not only that he was un-sainted but un-manned also and turned into a Beast But yet this wrought not in him any one Affection suitable to his condition And the like may be said of most sinners in the world But now when Nathan comes to him and gives him the latter efficacious sense whereof we speak we know what effects it did produce It is the latter only that is under consideration and that also is twofold 1. Legal or Antecedaneous unto conversion 2 Evangelical and previous to the recovery from depths whereof we treat How these two differ and how they may be discerned one from the other being both of them in their kind sincere is not my business to declare Now this tast which we assign as the first duty work or acting of a returning soul is a deep and practical apprehension wrought in the mind and heart of a believing sinner by the Holy Ghost of sin and its evils in reference unto the Law and Love of God the Cross and blood of Christ the communion and consolation of the Spirit and all the fruits of Love Mercy or Grace that it hath been made partaker of or on Gospel grounds hoped for First The principal efficient cause of it is the Holy Ghost He it is who convinceth of sin John 16. 8. He works indeed by means He wrought it in David by the Ministry of Nathan and he wrought it in Peter by the look of Christ. But his work it is No man can work it upon his own soul. It will not spring out of mens rational considerations Though men may exercise their thoughts about such things as one would think were enough to break the hearts of stones yet if the Holy Ghost put not forth a peculiar efficacy of his own this sense of sin will not be wrought or produced As the waters at the Pool of Bethesda were not troubled but when an Angel descended and moved them no more will the Heart for sin without a saving elapse of the Holy Ghost Secondly It is a deep Apprehension of sin and the evils of it Sleight transient thoughts about them amount not to the sense of which we speak My sorrow saith David is continually before me Psal. 38. 17. It pressed him alwayes and greatly Hence he compares this sense of sin wrought by the Holy Ghost to arrows that stick in the flesh v. 2. They pain sorely and are alwayes perplexing Sin in this sense of it layes hold on the soul so that the sinner cannot look up Psal. 40. 12. And it abides with him making his sore run in the night without ceasing Psal. 77. 2. and depriveth the soul of rest my soul saith he refused to be comforted This Apprehension of sin lyes down and rises with him in whom it is Transient thoughts attended with infrequent sighs and ejaculations little become a returning soul. And Thirdly It is Practical It is not seated only in the speculative part of the mind hovering in general notions but it dwel's in the practical understanding which effectually influenceth the Will and Affections Such an Apprehension as from which sorrow and humiliation are inseparable The acts of the practical understanding do so necessarily produce together with them suitable acts of the Will and Affections that some have concluded that those are indeed proper acts of the Will which are usually ascribed to the Understanding It is so in the mind as that the whole soul is cast into the mould and likeness of it humiliation sorrow self-abhorrency do live and dye with it Fourthly It hath in the first place respect unto the Law of God There can be no due consideration of sin wherein the Law hath not its place The Law calls for the sinner and he willingly gives up his sin to be judged by it There he sees it to be exceeding sinful Rom. 7. 17. Though a Believer be less under the power of the Law than others yet he knows more of the Authority and nature of it than others He sees more of its spirituality and holiness And the more a man sees of the excellency of the Law the more he sees of the vileness of sin This is done by a soul in its first endeavour for a recovery from the entanglements of sin He labours throughly to know his disease that he may be cured It will do him no good he knows to be ignorant of his distemper or his danger He knows that if his wounds be not searched to the bottom they will stink and be corrupt To the Law then he brings himself and his sin By that he sees the vileness of the one and the danger of the other Most men lye still in their depths because they would willingly escape the first step of their rising From the bottom of their misery they would fain at once be at the top of their felicity The soul managed in this work by the Holy Ghost doth not so He converseth with the Law brings his sin unto it and fully hears the sentence of it When the sin is throughly condemned then he farther takes care of the sinner
external thing whereof a soul can have no inward sense or relish Notions there are many about it and endless contentions but what more why let a gracious soul in simplicity and sincerity of Spirit give up himself to walk with Christ according to his Appointment and he shall quickly find such a taste and relish in the fellowship of the Gospel in the Communion of Saints and of Christ amongst them as that he shall come up to such Riches of Assurance in the Understanding and Acknowledgement of the wayes of the Lord as others by their disputing can never attain unto What is so High Glorious and Mysterious as the Doctrine of the ever blessed Trinity Some wise men have thought meet to keep it veiled from ordinary Christians And some have delivered it in such terms as that they can understand nothing by them But take a Believer who hath tasted how gracious the Lord is in the Eternal Love of the Father the great Undertaking of the Son in the work of Mediation and Redemption with the Almighty work of the Spirit creating Grace and comfort in the soul and hath had an experience of the Love Holiness and Power of God in them all and he will with more firm confidence adhere to this mysterious Truth being lead into it and confirmed in it by some few plain Testimonies of the Word than a thousand Disputers shall do who only have the notion of it in their minds Let a real Tryal come and this will appear Few will be found to sacrifice their lives on bare speculations Experience will give Assurance and Stability We have thus cleared the credit of the Testimony now to be improved It is evident on these grounds that there is a great certainty in those Truths whereof Believers have experience Where they communicate their power unto the heart they give an unquestionable Assurance of their Truths And when that is once realized in the soul all disputes about it are put to silence These things being so let us enquire into the faith and experience of the Saints on the Earth as to what they know of the Truth proposed unto confirmation namely that there is forgiveness with God Let us go to some poor soul that now walks comfortably under the Light of Gods countenance and say unto him Did we not know you some while since to be full of sadness and great anxiety of Spirit yea sorrowful almost to death and bitter in soul Answ. Yes saith he so it was indeed my dayes were consumed with mourning and my life with sorrow and I walked heavily in fear and bitterness of Spirit all the day long Why what ayled you what was the matter with you seeing as to the outward things you were in Peace Answ. The Law of God had laid hold upon me and slain me I found my self thereby a woful sinner yea overwhelmed with the guilt of sin Every moment I expected Tribulation and wrath from the hand of God My sore ran in the night and ceased not and my soul refused comfort How is it then that you are thus delivered that you are no more sad Where have you found ease and peace have you been by any means delivered or did your trouble wear off and depart of its own accord Answ. Alas no had I not met with an effectual Remedy I had sunk and everlastingly perished What course did you take Answ. I went unto him by Jesus Christ against whom I have sinned and have found him better unto me than I could expect or ever should have believed had not he overpowred my heart by his Spirit Instead of wrath which I feared and that justly because I had deserved it he said unto me in Christ fury is not in me For a long time I could not believe it I thought it impossible that there should be mercy and pardon for me or such a one as I. But he still supported me sometimes by one means sometimes by another untill taking my soul near to himself he caused me to see the folly of my unbelieving heart and the vileness of the hard thoughts I had of him and that indeed there is with him forgiveness and plenteous Redemption This hath taken away all my sorrows and given me quietness with Rest and Assurance But are you sure now that this is so may you not possibly be deceived Answ. Sayes the soul I have not the least suspicion of any such matter and if at any time ought doth arise to that purpose it is quickly overcome But how are you confirmed in this perswasion Answ. That sense of it which I have in my heart that sweetness and rest which I have experience of that influence it hath upon my soul that Obligation I find laid upon me by it unto all thankful Obedience that Relief Supportment and Consolation that it hath afforded me in tryals and troubles in the mouth of the Grave and Entrances of Eternity all answering what is declared concerning these things in the Word will not suffer me to be deceived I could not indeed receive it untill God was pleased to speak it unto me But now let Satan do his utmost I shall never cease to bear this Testimony that there is mercy and forgiveness with him How many thousands may we find of these in the world who have had such a seal of this Truth in their hearts as they cannot only securely lay down their lives in the confirmation of it if called thereunto but also do chearfully and triumphantly venture their Eternal Concernments upon it Yea this is the rise of all that peace serenity of mind and strong consolation which in this world they are made partakers of Now this is to me on the principles before laid down an evidence great and important God hath not manifested this Truth unto the Saints thus copied it out of his word and exemplified it in their souls to leave them under any possibility of being deceived Institution of Religious Worship an Evidence of Forgiveness 6. Gods Institution of Religious Worship and Honor therein to be rendred unto him by sinners is another Evidence that there is forgivenesswith him I have instanced before in one particular of Worship to this purpose namely in that of Sacrifices But therein we intended only their particular nature and signification how they declared and manifested Reconciliation Attonement and Pardon That now aimed at is to shew how all the Worship that God hath appointed unto us and all the Honour which we give unto his holy Majesty thereby is built upon the same foundation namely a supposition of forgiveness and is appointed to teach it and to ascertain us of it which shall briefly be declared To this end observe 1. That the General End of all Divine and Religious Worship is to raise unto God a Revenue of glory out of the creation Such is Gods infinite natural self-sufficiency that he stands in need of no such Glory and Honour He was in himself no less infinitely and eternally
we may regularly found a Judgement concerning our selves and it is great folly to wave them all and put the issue of the matter upon one circumstance If a man have a tryal at law wherein he hath many evidences speaking for him only one circumstance is dubious and in question He will not cast the weight of his Cause on that disputed circumstance but will plead those Evidences that are more clear and testifie more fully in his behalf I will not deny but that this matter of the time of conversion is oftimes an important circumstance In the affirmative when it is known it is of great use tending to stability and consolation but yet it is still but a circumstance such as that the being of the thing it self doth not depend upon He that is alive may know that he was born though he know neither the place where nor the time when he was so And so may he that is spiritually alive and hath ground of evidence that he is so that he was born again though he knew neither when nor where nor how And this Case is usual in persons of quiet natural Tempers who have had the advantage of education under means of light and Grace God ofttimes in such persons begins and carries on the work of his Grace insensibly so that they come to good growth and maturity before they know that they are alive Such persons come at length to be satisfied in saying with the blind man in the Gospel How our eyes were opened we know not only one thing we know whereas we were blind by nature now we see 2. Even in this matter also we must it may be be content to live by faith and to believe as well what God hath done in us if it be the matter and subject of his promises as what he hath done for us the ground whereof also is the promise and nothing else Objections from the present state and Condition of the Soul Weakness and imperfection of Duty Opposition from Indwelling Sin 3. There is another Head of Objections against the souls receiving Consolation from an interest in forgiveness arising from the consideration of its present state and condition as to actual Holiness Duties and sins Souls complain when in Darkness and under Temptations that they cannot find that Holiness nor those fruits of it in themselves which they suppose an interest in pardoning mercy will produce Their hearts they find are weak and all their Duties worthless If they were weighed in the ballance they would be all found too light In the best of them there is such a mixture of Self Hypocrisie Unbelief vain Glory that they are even ashamed and confounded with the Remembrance of them These things fill them with discouragements so that they refuse to be comforted or to entertain any refreshing perswasion from the Truth insisted on but rather conclude that they are utter strangers from that forgiveness that is with God and so continue helpless in their depths According unto the method proposed and hitherto pursued I shall only lay down some such general Rules as may support a soul under the despondencies that are apt in such a condition to befall it that none of these things may weaken it in its endeavour to lay hold of forgiveness And First This is the proper place to put in execution our seventh Rule to take heed of heartless complaints when vigorous actings of Grace are expected at our hands If it be thus indeed why lye you on your faces why do you not rise and put out your selves to the utmost giving all diligence to add one Grace to another untill you find your selves in a better frame Supposing then the putting of that Rule into practice I add that 1. Known Holiness is apt to degenerate into self righteousness What God gives us on the account of Sanctification we are ready enough to reckon on the score of Justification It is a hard thing to feel Grace and to believe as if there were none We have so much of the Pharisee in us by nature that it is sometimes well that our Good is hid from us We are ready to take our Corn and Wine and bestow them on other Lovers Were there not in our hearts a spiritually sensible principle of corruption and in our duties a discernable mixture of self it would be impossible we should walk so humbly as is required of them who hold communion with God in a Covenant of Grace and pardoning mercy It is a good life which is attended with a faith of Rightcousness and a sense of corruption Whilest I know Christs Righteousness I shall the less care to know my own Holiness To be holy is necessary to know it sometimes a Temptation 2. Even Duties of Gods Appointment when turned into self-righteousness are Gods great abhorrency Isa. 66. 2 3. What hath a good Original may be vitiated by a bad End 3. Oftentimes Holiness in the heart is more known by the Opposition that is made there to it than by its own prevalent working The Spirits Operation is known by the flesh's opposition We find a mans strength by the burdens he carryes and not the pace that he goes Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death is a better evidence of Grace and Holiness than God I thank thee I am not as other men a heart pressed grieved burdened not by the guilt of sin only which reflects with trouble on an awakened conscience but by the close adhering power of Indwelling sin tempting seducing soliciting hindring captivating conceiving restlesly disquieting may from thence have as clear an evidence of holiness as from a delightful fruit-bearing What is it that is troubled and grieved in thee What is it that seems to be almost killed and destroyed that crys out complains longs for deliverance is it not the new Creature is it not the principle of spiritual life whereof thou art partaker I speak not of trouble and disquietments for sin committed nor of fears and perturbations of mind left sin should break forth to loss shame ruine dishonour nor of the contending of a convinced Conscience lest Damnation should ensue but of the striving of the spirit against sin out of a hatred and a loathing of it upon all the mixt Considerations of Love Grace Mercy Fear the beauty of Holiness Excellency of communion with God that are proposed in the Gospel If thou seemest to thy self to be only passive in these things to do nothing but to endure the Assaults of sin Yet if thou art sensible and standest under the stroke of it as under the stroke of an Enemy there is the root of the matter And as it is thus as to the substance and Being of Holiness so it is also as to the degrees of it Degrees of Holiness are to be measured more by Opposition than self operation He may have more Grace than another who brings not forth so much fruit as the other
because he hath more opposition more Temptation Isa. 41. 17. And sense of the want of all is a great sign of somewhat in the soul. 2. As to what was alledged to the nothingness the selfishness of Duty I say It is certain whilest we are in the flesh our duties will taste of the vessel whence they proceed Weakness defilements treachery hypocrisie will attend them To this purpose whatever some pretend to the contrary is the Complaint of the Church Isa. 64. 6. The Chaffe oftentimes is so mixed with the Wheat that Corn can scarce be discerned And this know that the more spiritual any man is the more be sees of his unspiritualness in his spiritual Duties An outside performance will satisfie an outside Christian. Job abhorred himself most when he knew himself best The clearer discoveries we have had of God the viler will every thing of self appear Nay further duties and performances are oftentimes very ill measured by us and those seem to be first which indeed are last and those to be last which indeed are first I do not doubt but a man when he hath had distractions to wrestle withall no outward advantage to further him no extraordinary provocations of hope fear or sorrow on a natural account in his duty may rise from his knees with thoughts that he hath done nothing in his duty but provoked God when there hath been more workings of Grace in contending with the deadness cast on the soul by the condition that it is in than when by a concurrence of moved natural affections and outward provocations a frame hath been raised that hath to the party himself seemed to reach to Heaven so that it may be this perplexity about duties is nothing but what is common to the people of God and which ought to be no obstruction to peace and settlement 2. As to the pretence of Hypocrisie you know what is usually answered it is one thing to do a thing in hypocrisie another not to do it without a mixture of hypocrisie Hypocrisie in its long extent is every thing that for matter or manner comes short of sincerity Now our sincerity is no more perfect than our other graces so that in its measure it abides with us and adheres to all we do In like manner it is one thing to do a thing for vain glory and to be seen of men another not to be able wholly to keep off the subtle insinuations of self and vain glory He that doth a thing in hypocrisie and for vain glory is satisfied with some corrupt end obtained though he be sensible that he sought such an end He that doth a thing with a mixture of hypocrisie that is with some breaches upon the degrees of his sincerity with some insensible advancements in performance on outward considerations is not satisfied with a self end attained and is dissatisfied with the defect of his sincerity In a word wouldst thou yet be sincere and dost endeavour so to be in private duties and in publick performances in praying hearing giving alms zealous actings for Gods glory and the Love of the Saints though these duties are not it may be sometimes done without sensible hypocrisie I mean as traced to its most subtle insinuations of self and vain glory yet are they not done in hypocrisie nor do not denominate the persons by whom they are performed hypocrites Yet I say of this as of all that is spoken before it is of use to relieve us under a troubled condition of none to support us or incourage us unto an abode in it 3. Know that God despiseth not small things he takes notice of the least breathings of our hearts after him when we our selves can see nor perceive no such thing He knows the mind of the spirit in those workings which are never formed to that height that we can reflect upon them with our observation Every thing that is of him is noted in his Book though not in ours He took notice that when Sarah was acting unbelief towards him yet that she shewed respect and regard to her Husband calling him Lord Gen. 18. 12. 1 Pet. 3. 6. And even whilst his people are sinning he can find something in their hearts words or waies that pleaseth him much more in their duties He is a skilfull refiner that can find much Gold in that Ore where we see nothing but Lead or Clay He remembers the duties which we forget and forgets the sins which we remember He justifies our persons though ungodly and will also our duties though not perfectly godly 4. To give a little further support in reference unto our wretched miserable duties and to them that are in perplexities on that account know that Jesus Christ takes out whatever is evil and unsavoury out of them and makes them acceptable When an unskilfull servant gathers many herbs flowers and weeds in a Garden you gather them out that are usefull and cast the rest out of sight Christ deals so with our performances All the ingredients of self that are in them on any account he takes away and adds Incense to what remains and presents it to God Exod. 28. 36. This is the cause that the Saints at the last day when they meet their own duties and performances they know them not they are so changed from what they were when they went of their hand Lord when saw we thee naked or hungry so that God accepts a little and Christ makes our little a great deal 5. Is this an Argument to keep thee from believing The Reason why thou art no more Holy is because thou hast no more faith If thou hast no holiness it is because thou hast no saith Holiness is the purifying of the heart by faith or our Obedience unto the Truth And the reason why thou art no more in duty is because thou art no more in believing the reason why thy duties are weak and imperfect is because thy faith is weak and imperfect Hast thou no holiness believe that thou maist have hast thou but a little or that which is imperceptible be stedfast in believing that thou maist abound in Obedience Do not resolve not to eat thy meat until thou art strong when thou hast no means of being strong but by eating thy bread which strengthens the heart of man Object 4. The powerfull tumulating of indwelling sin or corruption is another cause of the same kind of trouble and despondency They that are Christs have crucified the flesh with the lusts thereof But we find say some several corruptions working effectually in our hearts carrying us captive to the Law of sin They disquiet with their power as well as with their guilt Had we been made partakers of the Law of the Spirit of Life we had ere this been more set free from the Law of sin and death Had sin been pardoned fully it would have been subdued more effectually There are three Considerations which make the actings of indwelling sin to be so perplexing to
the soul. 1. Because they are unexpected The soul looks not for them upon the first great conquest made of sin and universal engagement of the heart unto God When it first sayes I have sworn and amstedfastly purposed to keep thy righteous Judgements commonly there is peace at least for a season from the disturbing vigorous actings of sin There are many Reasons why so it should be Old things are then passed away all things are become new and the soul under the power of that universal change is utterly turned away from those things that should foment stir up provoke or cherish any lust or temptation Now when some of these Advantages are past and sin begins to stir and act again the soul is surprized and thinks the work that he hath passed through was not true and effectual but temporary only Yea he thinks perhaps that sin hath more strength than it had before because he is more sensible than he was before As one that hath a dead arm or limb whilst it is mortified endures deep cuts and launcings and feels them not when spirits and sense are brought into the place again he feels the least cut and may think the instruments sharper than they were before when all the difference is that he hath got a quickness of sense which before he had not It may be so with a person in this case he may think lust more powerfull than it was before because he is more sensible than he was before Yea sin in the heart is like a Snake or Serpent you may pull out the sting of it and cut it into many pieces though it can sting mortally no more nor move his whole body at once yet it will move in all its parts and make an appearance of a greater motion than formerly So it is with lust when it hath received its deaths wound and is cut in pieces yet it moves in so many parts as it were in the soul that it amazes him that hath to do with it and thus coming unexpectedly fills the spirit oftentimes with disconsolation 2. It hath also in its actings an Universality This also surprizeth there is an universality in the actings of sin even in Believers There is no evil that it will not move to there is no good that it will not attempt to hinder no duty that it will not defile And the reason of this is because we are sanctified but in part not in any part wholly though savingly and truly in every part There is sin remaining in every faculty in all the Affections and so may be acting in and towards any sin that the nature of man is liable unto Degrees of sin there are that all Regenerate persons are exempted from but unto solicitations to all kinds of sin they are exposed and this helps on the Temptation 3. It is endless and restless never quiet conquering nor conquered it gives not over but rebels being overcome or assaults afresh having prevailed Oft-times after a victory obtained and an opposition subdued the soul is in expectation of Rest and Peace from its enemies But this holds not It works and rebels again and again and will do so whilst we live in this world so that no issue will be put to our conflict but by death This is at large handled elsewhere in a Treatise lately published on this peculiar subject These and the like Considerations attending the actings of indwelling sin do oftentimes intangle the soul in making a Judgement of it self and leave it in the dark as to its state and condition A few things shall be offered unto this Objection also 1. The sensible powerfull actings of indwelling sin are not inconsistent with a state of Grace Gal. 5. 17. There are in the same person contrary principles the flesh and the spirit these are contrary And there are contrary actings from these principles The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these actings are described to be great vigorous in other places Lust wars against our souls Jam. 4. 1. 1 Pet. 2. 1 l. Now to war is not to make faint or gentle Opposition to be flighted and contemned but it is to go out with great strength to use craft subtlety and force so as to put the whole issue to a hazard So these lusts war such are their actings in and against the soul. And therefore saith the Apostle You cannot do the things that you would see Rom. 7. 14 15 16 17. In this conflict indeed the understanding is left unconquered it condemns and disapproves of the evil led unto and the will is not subdued it would not do the evil that is pressed upon it and there is an hatred or aversation remaining in the Affections unto sin but yet notwithstanding sin rebels fights tumultuates and leads captive This Objection then may receive this speedy Answer Powerfull actings and workings universal endless struglings of ind welling sin seducing to all that is evil putting it self forth to the disturbance and dissettlement of all that is good is no sufficient ground to conclude a state of Alienation from God see for this the other Treatise before mentioned at large 2. Your state is not at all to be measured by the opposition that sin makes to you but by the opposition you make to it be that never so great if this be good be that never so restless and powerfull if this be sincere you may be disquieted you can have no reason to despond I have mentioned these things only to give a specimen of the Objections which men usually raise up against an actual closing with the Truth insisted on to their consolation And we have also given in upon them some Rules of Truth for their relief not intending in them absolute satisfaction as to the whole of the cases mentioned but only to remove the darkness raised by them so out of the way as that it might not hinder any from mixing the Word with Faith that hath been dispensed from this blessed testimony that there is forgiveness with God that he may be feared Verse 5 6. PRoceed we now to the second part of this Psalm which contains the deportment of a sin-perplexed soul when by Faith it hath discovered where its Rest doth lye and from whom its relief is to be expected even from the forgiveness which is with God whereof we have spoken There are two things in general as was before mentioned that the soul in that condition applies it self unto whereof the first respects its self and the other the whole Israel of God That which respects its self is the description of that frame of heart and spirit that he was brought into upon faiths discovery of forgiveness in God with the duties that he applied himself unto the grounds of it and the manner of its performance v. 5 6. I wait for the Lord my soul doth wait and in his Word do I hope My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that
that awe of his Greatness upon our hearts as that we shall learn to tremble before him and to be willing to wait for him in all things 3. Thoughts of the Holiness of God or infinite self-purity of this Eternal Immense Being are singularly usefull to the same purpose This is that which Eliphaz affirms that he received by vision to reply to the complaint and impatience of Job chap. 14. 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19. After he hath declared his vision with the manner of it this he affirms to be the Revelation that by voice was made unto him Shall mortal man be more just than God shall a man be more pure than his Maker Behold be puts no trust in his Servants and his Angels he chargeth with folly How much less on them that dwell in houses of Clay whose foundation is in the dust who are crushed before the moth If the Saints and Angels in Heaven do not answer this infinite Holiness of God in their most perfect condition is it meet for Worms of the Earth to suppose that any thing which proceeds from him is not absolutely Holy and perfect and so best for them This is the fiery property of the nature of God whence he is called a Consuming fire and Everlasting burnings And the Law whereon he had impressed some representation of it is called a fiery Law as that which will consume and burn up whatever is perverse and evil Hence the Prophet who had a representation of the Glory of God in a vision and heard the Seraphims proclaiming his Holiness cryed out Woe is me for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips Isa. 6. 5. He thought it impossible that he should bear that near approach of the Holiness of God And with the remembrance hereof doth Joshuah still the people with the terrour of the Lord chap. 14. 19. Let such souls then as are under troubles and perplexities on any account endeavour to exercise their thoughts about this infinite Purity and fiery Holiness of God They will quickly find it their wisdom to become as weaned children before him and content themselves with what he shall guide unto them which is to wait for him This fiery Holiness streams from his Throne Dan. 7. 10. and would quickly consume the whole Creation as now under the curse and sin were it not for the interposing of Jesus Christ. 4. His Glorious Majesty as the Ruler of all the world Majesty relates unto Government and it calls us to such an awe of him as doth render our waiting for him comely and necessary Gods Throne is said to be in Heaven and there principally do the glorious beams of his terrible Majesty shine forth But he hath also made some Representation of it on the Earth that we might learn to fear before him Such was the appearance that he gave of his glory in the giving of the Law whereby he will judge the world and condemn the transgressors of it who obtain not an acquitment in the blood of Jesus Christ. See the description of it in Exod. 19. 16 18. So terrible was the sight hereof that Moses himself said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12. 21. And what effect it had upon all the people is declared Exod. 20. 18 19. They were not able to bear it although they had good assurance that it was for their benefit and advantage that he so drew nigh and manifested his Glory unto them Are we not satisfied with our condition cannot we wait under his present dispensations let us think how we may approach unto his presence or stand before his Glorious Majesty Will not the dread of his Excellency fall upon us will not his terrour make us afraid shall we not think his way best and his time best and that our duty is to be silent before him And the like manifestation hath he made of his Glory as the great Judge of all upon the Throne unto sundry of the Prophets as unto Isaiah chap. 6. 1 2 3 4. to Ezekiel chap. 1. to Daniel chap. 7. 9 10. to John Rev. 1. Read the places attentively and learn to tremble before him These are not things that are forraign unto us This God is our God The same Throne of his Greatness and Majesty is still established in the Heaven Let us then in all our Hastes and heats that our spirits in any condition are prone unto present our selves before this Throne of God and then consider what will be best for us to say or do what frame of heart and spirit will become us and he safest for us All this Glory doth encompass us every moment although we perceive it not And it will be but a few daies before all the vails and shades that are about us shall be taken away and depart And then shall all this glory appear unto us unto endless bliss or everlasting woe Let us therefore know that nothing in our dealings with him doth better become us than silently for to wait for him and what he will speak unto us in our depths and streights 5. It is good to consider the instances that God hath given of this his Infinite Greatness Power Majesty and Glory Such was his mighty work of creating all things out of nothing We dwell on little Mole-hills in the Earth and yet we know the least part of the excellency of that spot of ground which is given us for our habitation here below But what is it unto the whole habitable world and the fulness thereof And what an amazing thing is its Greatness with the wide and large Sea with all sorts of creatures therein The least of these hath a beauty a glory an excellency that the utmost of our enquiries end in admiration of And all this is but the Earth the lower depressed part of the world What shall we say concerning the Heavens over us and all these creatures of Light that have their habitations in them who can conceive the beauty order use and course of them The consideration hereof caused the Psalmist to cry out Lord our Lord how excellent and glorious art thou Psal. 8. 1. And what is the rise spring and cause of these things Are they not all the effect of the Word of the Power of this glorious God And doth he not in them and by them speak us into a Reverence of his Greatness the like also may be said concerning his mighty and strange works of Providence in the Rule of the World Is not this he who brought the Flood of old upon the world of ungodly men Is it not he who consumed Sodom and Gomorrah with fire from Heaven setting them forth as Examples unto them that should afterwards live ungodly suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Is it not he who destroyed Aegypt with his Plagues and drowned Pharaoh with his Host in the red Sea Is it not he one of whose servants flew an hundred and fourscore and five thousand in Senacheribs Army in one night
we will go and do as at other times Bones are not broken without pain nor great sins brought on the Conscience without trouble But I need not insist on these Some say that they deprive even true Believers of all their interest in the Love of God but unduly all grant that they bereave them of all comforting evidence and well grounded Assurance of it So they did David and Peter and herein lyes no small part of the depths we are searching into Secondly There are sins which though they do not rise up in the conscience with such a bloody guilt as those mentioned yet by reason of some circumstances and aggravations God takes them so unkindly as to make them a root of disquietness and trouble to the soul all its dayes He sayes of some sins of ungodly men as I live this iniquity shall not be purged from you until ye dye If you are come to this height you shall not escape I will not spare you And there are Provocations in his own People which may be so circumstantiated as that he will not let them pass before he have cast them into depths and made them cry out for deliverance Let us consider some of them First Miscarriages under signal Enjoyments of love and kindness from God are of this sort When God hath given unto any one expressive manifestations of his Love convinced him of it made him say in the inmost parts of his heart this is undeserved love and kindess then for him to be negligent in his walking with God it carrieth an unkindness with it that shall not be forgotten It is a remark upon the miscarriages of Solomon that he fell into them after God had appeared unto him twice And all sins under or after especial mercies will meet at one time or other especial rebukes Nothing doth more distress the conscience of a sinner then the remembrance in darkness of abused light in desertions of neglected love This God will make them sensible of Though I have redeemed them saith God yet they have spoken lyes against me Hos. 7. 15. So Chap. 13. 4 5 6 7. When God hath in his Providence dealt graciously with a Person it may be delivered him from straights and troubles set him in a large place prevented him with many fruits and effects of his goodness blessed him in his Person Relations and Employments dealt well with his soul in giving him a gracious sense of his love in Christ for such a one to fall under sinful miscarriages it goes to the heart of God and shall not be passed over Undervaluations of Love are great provocations Hath Nabal thus requited my kindness saith David I cannot bear it And the clearer the convictions of any in this kind were the more severe will their reflections be upon themselves Secondly Sins under or after great Afflictions are of this importance also God doth not afflict willingly or chasten us meerly for his pleasure He doth it to make us partakers of his Holiness To take so little notice of his hand herein as under it or after it not to watch against the workings and surprizals of sin it hath unkindness in it I smote him saith God and he went on frowardly in the wayes of his own heart These provocations of his Sons and Daughters he cannot bear with Hath God brought thee into the Furnace so that thou hast melted under his hand and in pity and compassion hath given thee enlargement if thou hast soon forgotten his dealings with thee is it any wonder if he mind thee again by troubles in thy soul Thirdly Breaking off from under strong convictions and dawnings of Love before Conversion are oftentimes remembred upon the conscience afterwards When the Lord by his Spirit shall mightily convince the heart of sin and make withal some discoveries of his Love and the Excellencies of Christ unto it so that it begins to yield and be overpowred being almost perswaded to be a Christian if then through the strength of lust or unbelief it goes back to the world or self righteousness its folly hath unkindness with it that sometimes shall not be passed by God can and often doth put forth the greatness of his power for the recovery of such a soul but yet he will deal with him about this contempt of his Love and the Excellency of his Son in the dawnings of them revealed unto him Fourthly Suddain forgetfulness of endearing manifestations of special Love This God cautions his people against as knowing their proneness thereunto Psal. 85. 8. God the Lord will speak peace to his People and his Saints but let them not turn again to solly Let them take heed of their aptness to forget endearing manifestations of special Love When God at any time draws nigh to a soul by his Spirit in his Word with gracious words of peace and love giving a sense of his kindness upon the heart by the Holy Ghost so that it is filled with joy unspeakable and glorious thereon for this soul upon a temptation a diversion or by meer carelesness and neglect which oftentimes falls out to suffer this sense of Love to be as it were obliterated and so to lose that influencing efficacy unto obedience which it is accompanied withal this also is full of unkindness An account hereof we have Cant. 5. 1 2 3 4 5 6. In the first Verse the Lord Jesus draws nigh with full provision of Gospel Mercies for his Beloved I am come unto thee saith he O my Sister I have brought myrrh and spice honey and Wine with me What ever is spiritually sweet and delightful Mercy Grace Peace Consolation Joy Assurance they are all here in a readiness for thee v. 2. The Spouse in her drowsie indisposition takes little notice of this gracious visit she is diverted by other matters and knows not how to attend fully and wholly to the blessed Communion offered unto her but excuseth her self as otherwise engaged But what is the issue Christ withdraws leaves her in the dark in the midst of many disconsolations and long it is before she obtain any recovery Fifthly Great opportunities for service neglected and great gifts not improved are oftentimes the occasion of plunging the soul into great depths Gifts are given to trade withal for God Opportunities are the market dayes for that trade To napkin up the one and to let slip the other will end in trouble and disconsolation Disquietments and perplexities of heart are worms that will certainly breed in the rust of unexercised Gifts God looseth a revenue of glory and honour by such slothful souls and he will make them sensible of it I know some at this day whom omissions of opportunities for service are ready to sink into the grave Sixthly Sins after especial warnings are usually thus issued In all that variety of special warnings which God is pleased to use towards sinning Saints I shall single out one only When a soul is wrastling with some Lust or Temptation God by his
he not contain himself but that he must roar and cry out Yea must he roar thus all the day long as he speaks Psal. 32. 3. and groan all the night as Psal. 6. 6. What is the matter with all this roaring sighing tears roaring all the day all night long Ah let him alone his soul is bitter in him he is fallen into depths the Lord is withdrawn from him trouble is hard at hand yea he is full of anxiety on the account of sin there is no quietness nor soundness in him and he must thus earnestly and restlessy apply himself for relief Alas what strangers for the most part are men now adayes to this frame How little of the workings of this Spirit is found amongst us And is not the reason of it that we value the world more and Heaven and heavenly things less than he did that we can live at a better rate without a sense of the love of God in Christ than he could do and is it not hence that we every day see so many withering Professors that have in a manner lost all Communion with God beyond a little lip-labour or talking the filthy savour of whose wounds are offensive to all but themselves and so will they go on ready to dye and perish rather than with this holy man thus stir up themselves to meet the Lord. Heman was also like unto him Psal. 88 11 13. What sense he had of his depths he declares v. 3. My soul saith he is full of troubles and my life draweth nigh unto the grave And what course doth he steer in this heavy sorrowful and disconsolate condition Why saith he O Lord God of my salvation I have cryed day and night unto thee let my prayer come before thee encline thine ear unto my cry v. 1 2. Day and night he cryes to the God of his salvation and that with earnestness and importunity This was his business this was he exercised about all his dayes This is that which is aimed at if a gracious soul be brought into the depths before mentioned and described by reason of sin when the Lord is pleased to lead him forth towards a recovery he causeth him to be vigorous and restless in all the duties whereby he may make Application to him for deliverance Now wherein this intensness and earnestness of the soul in its Applications unto God doth principally consist I shall briefly declare when I have touched a little upon some considerations and grounds that stir it up thereunto First The greatness of mens concernments may well put them on this earnestness Men do not use to deal with dull and slothful spirits about their greatest concerns David tells us that he was more concerned in the light of Gods countenance than the men of the world could be in their Corn and Wine Psal. 4. 6 7. Suppose a man of the world should have his house wherein all his stock and riches are laid up set on fire and so the whole be in danger under his eye to be consumed would he be calm and quiet in the consideration of it Would he not bestir himself with all his might and call in all the help he could obtain and that because his portion his all his great concernment lyes at stake And shall the soul be slothful careless dull secure when fire is put to its eternal concernments when the light of Gods countenance which is of more esteem unto him than the greatest increase of Corn and Wine can be to the men of the world is removed from him It was an argument of prodigious security in Jonah that he was fast asleep when the Ship wherein he was was ready to be cast away for his â—â—ke And will it be thought less in any soul who being in a storm of wrath and displeasure from God sent out into the deep after him shall neglect it and sleep as Solomon sayes on the top of a Mast in the midst of the Sea How did that poor creature whose heart was mad on his Idols Judg. 18. 24. cry out when he was deprived of them You have taken away my Gods saith he and what have I more And shall a gracious soul lose his God through his own folly the sense of his love the consolation of his presence and not with all his might follow hard after him Peace with God joy in believing such souls have formerly obtained Can they live without them now in their ordinarily walking can they choose but cry out with Job O that it were with us as in former dayes when the candle of the Lord was upon our Tabernacle Chap. 29. 2 3 4. and with David O Lord restore unto me the joy of salvation Psal. 51. 12. for Oh my God I remember former enjoyments and my soul is cast down within me Psal. 42. 6. They cannot live without it But suppose they might make a sorry shift to pass on in their pilgrimage whilst all is smooth about them what will they do in the time of outward tryals and distresses when deep calleth unto deep and one trouble excites and sharpens another Nothing then will support them they know but that which is wanting to them as Hab. 3. 17 18. Psal. 23. 4. So that the greatness of their concernment provokes them to the earnestness mentioned Secondly They have a deep sense of these their great concernments All men are equally concerned in the Love of God and pardon of sin Every one hath a soul of the same immortal constitution equally capable of bliss and wo. But yet we see most men are so stupidly sottish that they take little notice of these things Neither the guilt of sin nor the wrath of God nor death nor Hell are thought on or esteemed by them they are their concernments but they are not sensible of them But gracious souls have a quick living sense of spiritual things For First They have a saving spiritual light whereby they are able to discern the true nature of sin and the terror of the Lord. For though they are now supposed to have lost the comforting light of the Spirit yet they never loose the sanctifying light of the Spirit the light whereby they are enabled to discern spiritual things in a spiritual manner this never utterly departs from them By this they see sin to be exceeding sinfull Rom. 7. 13. By this they know the terror of the Lord 2 Cor. 15. 11. And that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God Heb. 10. 31. By this they discover the excellency of the love of God in Christ which passeth knowledge the present sense whereof they have lost By this they are enabled to look within the vail and to take a view of the blessed consolations which the Saints enjoy whose communion with God was never interrupted This represents to them all the sweetness pleasure Joy Peace which in former dayes they had whilst God was present with them in Love By this are
notable instance of what we have assirmed And the first in every kind is the measure of all that follows in the same kind Gen. 3. 8. He heard the voyce of God so he had done before without the least trouble or consternation of Spirit He was made for communion with God and that he might hear his voice was part of his blessedness But now saith he I heard thy voice and was afraid and hid my self He knew that God was coming in the inquest of sin and he was not able to bear the thoughts of meeting him could he have gone into the bowels of the earth from whence he was taken and have been there hid from God he would not have failed to have attempted it Things are now altered with him in that God whom he loved before as a good holy powerful Righteous Creator Preserver Benefactor and Rewarder he saw nothing now but wrath indignation vengeance and terror This makes him tremble out those dreadful words I heard thy voice and was afraid and hid my self The giving out of the Law afterwards evinces what effects the consideration of Gods proceeding with sinners according to the tenor of it must needs produce Exod. 20. 18 19. All the people saw the thundrings and the lightnings and the voice of the trumpet and the Mountain smoaking as the Apostle also describes it Heb. 12. 18. In this manner came forth from the Lord that fiery Law Deut. 33. 2. So that all who were concerned in it did exceedingly quake and tremble And yet all this respects but the severity of the Law in general without the application of it unto any soul in particular There is a solemnity that carrieth an awe with it in the preparation of an Assize to be kept and held by poor worms like our selves but the dread of it is peculiar to the Malefactors for whose tryal and execution all this preparation is made When a soul comes to think that all this dreadful preparation this appearance of terrible Majesty these streams of the fiery Law are all pointed towards him it will make him cry out Lord who can stand And this Law is still in force towards sinners even as it was on the day wherein it was given on Mount Sinai Though Moses grew old yet his strength never failed Nor hath his Law the Law given by him lost any thing of its strength power or Authority towards sinners It is still accompanied with thundrings and lightnings as of old And it will not fail to represent the terror of the Lord to a guilty soul. Among the Saints themselves I could produce instances to manifest that they have found it to be thus The cases of Job David Heman are known I shall only consider it in Christ himself From himself he had no occasion of any discouraging thought being holy harmless undefiled He fulfilled all Righteousness did his Fathers will in all things and abode in his Love This must needs be attended with the highest peace and most blessed Joy In the very entrance of his tryals he had a full perswasion of a comfortable issue and success as we may see Isa. 50. 7 8. But yet when his soul was exercised with thoughts of Gods marking our iniquities upon him it was sorrowful unto the death He was amazed and very heavy Mark 14. 33. His Agony his bloody sweat his strong cryes and supplications his reiterated prayers if it be possible let this cup pass from me his last dreadful cry My God my God why hast thou forsaken me all manifest what apprehensions he had of what it was for God to mark iniquities Well may poor sinners cry out Lord who shall stand when the Son of God himself so trembled under the weight of it In serious thoughts of Gods marking sin he is represented unto the soul under all those glorious terrible Attributes and Excellencies which are apt to beget a dread and terror in the hearts of sinners when they have no relief from any Covenant engagements in Christ. The soul looks upon him as the great Law-giver James 4. 12. able to revenge the breach of it by destroying body and soul in Hell fire as one terrible in holiness of purer eyes than to behold iniquity So also in Greatness and in power the Living God into whose hands it is a fearful thing to fall as attended with vindictive Justice saying Vengeanâ—e is mine and I will recompence Heb. 10. 30. Now for a soul to consider God cloathed with all these dreadful and terrible Excellencies coming to deal with sinners according to the tenor of his fiery Law it cannot but make him cry out with Moses I exceedingly quake and tremble These things work on their minds the conclusion mentioned before as asserted in these words namely that Gods marking of sin according to the tenor of the Law and mans salvation are utterly inconsistent a conclusion that must needs shake a soul when pressed under a sense of its own guilt When a Person who is really guilty and knows himself to be guilty is brought unto his tryal he hath but these four grounds of hope that his safety and his tryal may be consistent He may think that either 1. The Judge will not be able to find out or discover his crimes or 2. That some one will powerfully intercede for him with the Judge or 3. That the Rule of the Law is not so strict as to take notice of his miscarriages or 4. That the penalty of it is not so severe but that there may be a way of escape Cut him short of his expectations from some one or all of these and all his hopes must of necessity perish And how is it in this case First Of the Judge we have spoken somewhat already The present enquiry is whether any thing may be hid from him or no and so a door of escape be opened to a sinner The Apostle tels us that all things are open and naked unto him Heb. 4. 12. and the Psalmist that there is not a thought in our hearts nor a word in our tongue but he understandeth it asar off and knoweth it altogether Psal. 139. 2 4. What the sinner knows of himself that may cause him to fear that God knows And what he knows not of himself that deserves his fear that God knows also for he is greater than our hearts and knoweth all things 1 John 3. 20. When God shall not only set in order before the sinner the secret sins which he retains some remembrance of but also brings to mind and represents unto him that world of filth and folly which either he never took any real notice of or hath utterly forgotten it will trouble him yea confound him Secondly But may not this Judge be intreated to pass by what he knows and to deal favourably with the sinner May not an Intercessor be obtained to plead in the behalf of the guilty soul Eli determines this matter 1 Sam. 2. 25. If one man sin against
As ever you desire to come to rest avoid not this entrance of your passage unto it Weigh well and attend unto what the Law speaks of your sin and its desert or you will never make a due application to God for forgiveness As ever you would have your souls justified by Grace take care to have your sins judged by the Law Secondly There is a respect in it to the Love of God And this breaks the heart of the poor returning sinner Sorrow from the Law shuts it self up in the soul and strangleth it Sorrow from the thoughts of the Love of God opens it and causseth it to flow forth Thoughts of sinning against the Love of God managed by the Holy Ghost what shall I say their effects in the heart are not to be expressed This made Ezra cry out O my God I blush and am ashamed to lift up my face to thee Chap. 9. 6. and v. 10. What shall we say after this After what why all the fruits of love and kindness they had been made partakers of Thoughts of love and sin laid together make the soul blush mourn be ashamed and confounded in its self So Ezek. 36. 31. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good When shall they do so when thoughts and apprehensions of love shall be brought home to them and saith he then shall you loath your selves in your own sight The soul now calls to mind what Love what kindness what mercy what grace what patience hath been exercised towards it and whereof it hath been made partaker The thoughts of all these now come in upon him as streams of water Such Mercy such Communion such Priviledges such hopes of Glory such tastes of Heaven such Peace such Consolation such Joy such Communications of the Spirit all to a poor wretched cursed lost forlorn sinner and all this despised neglected the God of them all provoked forsaken Ah saith the soul Whither shall I cause my sorrow to go This fills him with shame and confusion of face makes him mourn in secret and sigh to the breaking of the loyns and then Thirdly The blood and Cross of Christ is also brought to remembrance by the Holy Ghost Ah saith the soul have I thus requited the wonderful astonishing Love of my Redeemer Is this the return the requital I have made unto him Are not Heaven and Earth astonished at the despising of that Love at which they are astonished This brake Peters heart upon the look of Christ. Such words as these from Christ will in this condition sound in the ears of the soul. Did I love thee and leave my glory to become a scorn and reproach for thy sake Did I not think my life and all that was dear unto me too good for thee to save thee from the wrath to come Have I been a Wilderness unto thee or a land of darkness What could I have done more for thee when I had nothing left but my life blood and soul they went all for thee that thou mightest live by my death be washed in my blood and be saved through my souls being made an offering for thee And hast thou thus requited my love to prefer a lust before me the world before me or by meer sloth and folly to be turned away from me go unkind and unthankful soul and see if thou canst find another Redeemer This overwhelms the soul and even drowns it in tears and sorrow And then the bitterness also of the sufferings of Christ are brought to mind They look on him whom they have pierced and mourn Zech. 12. 10. They remember his gall and wormwood his cryes and tears his agony and sweat his desertion and anguish his blood and death the sharpness of the Sword that was in his soul and the bitterness of the Cup that was put into his hand Such a soul now looks on Christ bleeding dying wrestling with wrath and curse for him and seeth his sin in the streams of blood that issued from his side And all this encreaseth that sense of sin whereof we speak Also Fourthly It relates to the communion and consolations of the Holy Ghost with all the priviledges and fruits of Love we are by him made partakers of The Spirit is given to Believers upon the promise of Christ to dwell in them He takes up their hearts to be his dwelling place to what ends and purposes that he may purifie and sanctifie them make them holy and dedicate them to God to furnish them with Graces and gifts to interest them in priviledges to guide lead direct comfort them to seal them unto the day of Redemption Now this Spirit is grieved by sin Ephes. 4. 30. and his dwelling place defiled thereby 1 Cor. 6. 19. and 3. 17. Thoughts hereof greatly sharpen the spiritual sense of sin in a recovering soul. He considers what Light what Love what Joy what Consolation what Priviledges it hath by him been made partaker of what motions warnings workings to keep it from sin it hath found from him and sayes within it self What have I done whom have I grieved whom have I provoked what if the Lord should now for my folly and ingratitude utterly take his holy Spirit from me What if I should have so grieved him that he will dwell in me no more delight in me no more What dismal darkness and disconsolation yea what utter ruine should I be left unto However what shame and confusion of face belongs to me for my wretched disingenuity and ingratitude towards him This is the first thing that appears in the returning souls actings and frame a sincere sense of sin on the accounts mentioned wrought in it by the Holy Ghost And this a soul in the depths described must come unto if ever it expect or look for deliverance and a recovery Let not such persons expect to have a renewed sense of mercy without a revived sense of sin Secondly From hence proceedeth an ingenious free gracious Acknowledgement of sin Men may have a sense of sin and yet suffer it to lye burning as a fire shut up in their bones to their continual disquietment and not be able to come off unto a free soul opening acknowledgement Yea confession may be made in general and mention therein of that very sin wherewith the soul is most intangled and yet the soul come short of a due performance of this Duty Consider how the case stood with David Psal. 32. 3. When I kept silence my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long How could David keep silence and yet roar all the day long What is that silence which is consistent with roaring It is a meer negation of that duty which is expressed v. 5. that is intended I acknowledge my sins unto thee and mine iniquities I have not hid It was not a silence of submission and waiting on God that he intends That would not have produced a wasting of his spiritual strength as he complains
this silence did My bones waxed old nor yet was it a sullen stubborn and contumacious frame that was upon him but he notes saith Calvin and he sayes well affectum qui medius est inter tolerantiam contumaciam vitio vertuti affinis An affection between patience and stubborness bordering on the one and other That is he had a deep sense of sin this disquieted and perplexed him all the day long which he calls his roaring It weakned and wearied him making his bones wax old or his strength decay yet was he not able to bring his heart to that ingenious gracious acknowledgement which like the launcing of a festered wound would have given at least some ease to his soul. Gods children are oft-times in this matter like ours Though they are convinced of a fault and are really troubled at it yet they will hardly acknowledge it So do they They will go up and down sigh and mourn roar all the day long but an evil and untoward frame of spirit under the power of unbelief and fear keeps them from this duty Now that this acknowledgement may be acceptable unto God it is required First that it be free then that it be full First It must be free and spiritually ingenious Cain Pharaoh Ahab Judas came all to an acknowledgement of sin but it was whether they would or no. It was pressed out of them it did not flow from them The confession of a person under the convincing terrors of the Law or dread of imminent Judgements is like that of Malefactors on the rack who speak out that for which themselves and friends must dye What they say though it be the truth is a fruit of force and torture not of any ingenuity of mind So is it with meerly convinced persons They come not to the acknowledgment of sin with any more freedom And the Reason is because all sin hath shame and for men to be free unto shame is naturally impossible shame being natures shrinking from it self and the posture it would appear in But now the returning soul hath never more freedom liberty and amplitude of spirit than when he is in the acknowledgement of those things whereof he is most ashamed And this is no small evidence that it proceeds from that spirit which is attended with liberty for where the Spirit of God is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3. 17. When David was delivered from his silence he expresseth this frame in the performance of this Duty Psal. 32. 5. I acknowledged my sin and mine iniquities I have not hid I said I will confess my transgression His mouth is now open and his heart inlarged And he multiplies one expression upon another to manifest his enlargement So doth a soul rising out of its depths in this beginning of his address unto God Having the sense of sin before described wrought in him by the Holy Ghost his heart is made free and inlarged unto an ingenious acknowledgement of his sin before the Lord. Herein he pours out his soul unto God and hath not more freedom in any thing than in dealing about that whereof he is most ashamed Secondly Full also it must be Reserves ruine confession If the soul have any secret thought of rolling a sweet morsel under its tongue of a bow in the house of Rimmon it is like part of the price kept back which makes the whole robbery instead of an offering If there be remaining a bitter root of favouring any one lust or sin of any occasion of or temptation unto sin let a man be as open free and earnest as can be imagined in the acknowledgement of all other sins and evils the whole duty is rendered abominable Some persons when they are brought into depths and anguish about any sin and are thereon forced to the acknowledgement of it at the same time they are little concerned with their other follies and iniquities that it may be are no less provoking unto God than that is from whence their present trouble doth arise Let not as James speaks in another case such a man think that he shall receive any thing from God It must be full and comprehensive as well as free and ingenious And of such importance is the right performance of this duty that the promise of pardon is oft-times peculiarly annexed unto it as that which certainly carries along with it the other duties which make up a full returnal unto God Prov. 28. 13. 1 John 1. 9. and that place in Job is remarkable Chap. 33. 27 28. He looketh upon men and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which was right and it profited me not He will deliver his soul from going into the pit and his life shall see the light He shall not only be made partaker of pardon but of consolation also and joy in the light of Gods countenance Thirdly There yet remains self-condemnation with the Justification of God which lyes expresly in the words of the Verse under consideration and hereof are two parts First Self-abhorrency or dislike The soul is now wholly displeased with it self and reflects upon it self with all affections of regret and trouble So the Apostle declares it to have been with the Corinthians when their godly sorrow was working in them 2 Cor. 7. 11. among other things it wrought in them indignation and revenge or a reflection on themselves with all manner of dislike and abhorrency In the winding up of the Controversie between God and Job this is the point he rests in As he had come in general to a free full ingenious acknowledgement of sin Chap. 40. 4 5. So in particular he gives up his whole contest in this abhorrency of himself Chap. 42. 6. I abhor my self and repent in dust and ashes What a vile wretched creature have I been saith the soul I blush and am ashamed to think of my folly baseness and ingratitude is it possible that I should deal thus with the Lord I abhorr I loath my self I would fly any where from my self I am so vile and loathsome a thing to be despised of God Angels and Men and Secondly There is self-judging in it also This the Apostle invites the Corinthians unto 1 Ep. Chap. 11. 31. If we would judge our selves we should not be judged This is a persons pronouncing sentence on himself according to the tenor of the Law The soul brings not only its sin but it self also to the Law It puts it self as to merit and desert under the stroke and severity of it Hence ariseth a full justification of God in what sentence soever he shall be pleased to pronounce in the case before him And these three things which we have passed through compose the frame and first actings of a gracious soul rising from its depths They are all of them signally expressed in that place where we have a signal recovery exemplified Hos. 14. 1 2 3 4. And this makes way for the exaltation of grace the great thing
suit not its Reason at all 1 Cor. 1. 18. 2. The Law speaks nothing to a sinner but what his Conscience assures him to be true There is a constant concurrence in the Testimony of the Law and conscience When the Law sayes this or that is a sin worthy of death conscience sayes it is even so Rom. 1. 42. And where the Law of it self as being a general Rule rests Conscience helps it on and sayes This and that sin so worthy of death is the soul guilty of then dye saith the Law as thou hast deserved Now this must needs have a mighty efficacy to prevail with the soul to give credit to the report and Testimony of the Law it speaks not one word but what he hath a witness within himself to the truth of it These witnesses alwayes agree and so it seems to be established for a truth that there is no forgiveness 3. The Law though it speak against the souls interest yet it speaks nothing but what is so just righteous and equal that it even forceth the souls consent So Paul tells us that men know this voyce of the Law to be the Judgement of God Rom. 1. 32. They know it and cannot but consent unto it that it is the Judgement of God that is good righteous equal not to be controlled And indeed what can be more righteous than its sentence It commands Obedience to the God of life and death promiseth a Reward and declares that for non-performance of duty death will be inflicted On these terms the sinner cometh into the world they are good righteous holy the soul accepts of them and knows not what it can desire better or more equal This the Apostle insists upon Rom. 7. 12 13. Wherefore the Law is holy and the commandment holy and just and good was then that which was good made death unto me Godforbid but sin that it might appear sin working death in me by that which is good that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful Whereever the blame falls the soul cannot but acquit the Law and confess that what it says is righteous and uncontrollably equal And it is meet things should be so Now though the Authority and credit of a Witness may go very far in a doubtful matter when there is a concurrence of more witnesses it strengthens the Testimony but nothing is so prevalent to beget belief as when the things themselves that are spoken are just and good not liable to any reasonable exception And so is it in this case unto the Authority of the Law and concurrence of conscience this also is added the Reasonableness and equity of the thing it self proposed even in the Judgement of the sinner namely that every sin shall be punished and every transgression receive a meet recompence of reward 4. But yet further What the Law sayes it speaks in the name and authority of God What it sayes then must be believed or we make God a Lyar. It comes not in its own name but in the name of him who appointed it you will say then is it so indeed Is there no forgiveness with God for this is the constant voyce of the Law which you say speaks in the name and Authority of God and is therefore to be believed I answer briefly with the Apostle What the Law speaks it speaks to them that are under the Law It doth not speak to them that are in Christ whom the Law of the Spirit of life hath set free from the Law of sin and death but to them that are under the Law it speaks and it speaks the very Truth and it speaks in the name of God and its Testimony is to be received It sayes there is no forgiveness in God namely to them that are under the Law and they that shall flatter themselves with a contrary perswasion will find themselves wofully mistaken at the great day On these and the like considerations I say there seems to be a great deal of Reason why a soul should conclude that it will be according to the testimony of the Law and that he shall not find forgiveness Law and Conscience close together and insinuate themselves into the thoughts mind and judgement of a sinner They strengthen the Testimony of one another and greatly prevail If any are otherwise minded I leave them to the tryal If ever God awaken their Consciences to a through performance of their duty if ever he open their souls and let in the light and power of the Law upon them they will find it no small work to grapple with them I am sure that eventually they prevail so far that in the preaching of the Gospel we have great cause to say Lord who hath believed our report We come with our Report of forgiveness but who believes it by whom is it received neither doth the light nor conscience nor conversation of the most allow us to suppose it is embraced Thirdly The ingrafted notions that are in the minds of men concerning the Nature and Justice of God lye against this discovery also There are in all men by nature indelible characters of the Holiness and purity of God of his Justice and hatred of sin of his invariable Righteousness in the Government of the world that they can neither depose nor lay aside For notions of God whatever they are will bear sway and rule in the heart when things are put to the tryal They were in the Heathens of old they abode with them in all their darkness as might be manifested by innumerable instances But so it is in all men by nature their inward thought is that God is an Avenger of sin that it belongs to his Rule and Government of the world his Holiness and Righteousness to take care that every sin be punished This is his Judgement which all men know as was observed before Rom. 1. 32. They know that it is a Righteous thing with God to render tribulation unto sinners From thence is that dread and fear which surprizeth men at an apprehension of the Presence of God or of any thing under him above them that may seem to come on his errand This notion of Gods avenging all sin exerts it self secretly but effectually So Adam trembled and hid himself And it was the saying of old I have seen God and shall dye When men are under any dreadful Providence thundrings lightnings tempests in darkness they tremble not so much at what they see or hear or feel as from their secret thoughts that God is nigh and that he is a consuming fire Now these inbred notions lye universally against all Apprehensions of forgiveness which must be brought into the soul from without doors having no Principle of nature to promote them It is true Men by nature have presumptions and common ingrafted notions of other properties of God besides his Holiness and Justice as of his Goodness Benignity Love of his Creatures and the like But all these have this supposition inlaid with
are spoken of his mercifulness and faithfulness to encourage us to expect forgiveness from him This also adds to the mysterious depths of forgiveness and makes its discovery a great matter The soul that looks after it in earnest must consider what it cost How light do most men make of pardon What an easie thing is it to be acquainted with it and no very hard matter to obtain it But to hold Communion with God in the blood of his Son is a thing of another nature than is once dreamed of by many who think they know well enough what it is to be pardoned God be merciful is a common saying and as common to desire he would be so for Christs sake Poor Creatures are cast into the mould of such expressions who know neither God nor Mercy nor Christ nor any thing of the mysterie of the Gospel Others look on the outside of the Cross to see into the mysterie of the Love of the Father working in the blood of the Mediator to consider by faith the great transaction of Divine Wisdom Justice and Mercy therein how few attain unto it To come unto God by Christ for forgiveness and therein to behold the Law issuing all its threats and curses in his blood and loosing its sting putting an end to its obligation unto punishment in the Cross to see all sins gathered up in the hand of Gods Justice and made to meet on the Mediator and eternal love springing forth triumphantly from his blood flourishing into Pardon Grace Mercy Forgiveness this the heart of a sinner can be enlarged unto only by the Spirit of God Thirdly There is in forgiveness free condonation discharge or pardon according to the tenor of the Gospel and this may be considered two wayes First As it lyes in the Promise it self and so it is Gods gracious declaration of pardon to sinners in and by the blood of Christ his Covenant to that end and purpose which is variously proposed according as he knew needful for all the ends and purposes of ingenerating faith and communicating that consolation which he intends therein This is the Law of his Grace the declaration of the mysterie of his love before insisted on Secondly There is the bringing home and Application of all this mercy to the soul of a sinner by the Holy Ghost wherein we are freely forgiven all our Trespasses Col. 2. 13. Gospel Forgiveness I say respects all these things these Principles they have all an influence into it And that which makes this more evident wherewith I shall close this consideration of the nature of it is that Faith in its Application of it self unto God about and for Forgiveness doth distinctly apply it self unto and close with sometimes one of these severally and singly sometimes another and sometimes jointly takes in the consideration of them all expresly Not that at any time it fixes on any or either of them exclusively to the others but that eminently it finds some special encouragement at some season and some peculiar attractive from some one of them more than from the rest and then that proves an inlet a door of entrance unto the treasures that are laid up in the rest of them Let us go over the severalls by Instances First Sometimes faith fixes upon the Name and infinite Goodness of the nature of God and draws out forgiveness from thence So doth the Psalmist Psal. 86. 6. Thou Lord art good and ready to forgive He rolls himself in the pursuit and expectation of pardon on the infinite goodness of the nature of God So Nehem. 9. 17. Thou art a God of pardons or ready to forgive of an infinite gracious loving nature not severe and wrathful And this is that which we are encouraged unto Isa. 50. 10. to stay on the name of God as in innumerable other places And thus Faith oftentimes finds a peculiar sweetness and encouragement in and from the consideration of Gods gracious nature Sometimes this is the first thing that it fixes on and sometimes the last that it rests in and oft-times it makes a stay here when it is driven from all other holds It can say however it be yet God is gracious and at least make that conclusion which we have from it Joel 2. 13 14. God is gracious and merciful who knoweth but he will return And when faith hath well laid hold on this consideration it will not easily be driven from its expectation of relief and forgiveness even from hence Secondly Sometimes the soul by saith addresseth it self in a peculiar manner to the Soveraignty of Gods Will whereby he is gracious to whom he will be gracious and merciful to whom he will be merciful which as was shewed is another considerable Spring or Principle of forgiveness This way Davids faith steared him in his great streight and perplexity 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. If I shall find favour in the eyes of the Lord he will bring me again but if he thus say I have no delight in thee behold here am I let him do unto me as seemeth good unto him That which he hath in consideration is whether God have any delight in him or no that is whether God would graciously remit and pardon the great sin against which at that time he manifested his indignation Here he layes himself down before the Soveraign Grace of God and awaits patiently the discovery of the free Act of his Will concerning him and at this door as it were enters into the consideration of those other springs of pardon which Faith enquires after and closeth withal This sometimes is all the cloud that appears to a distressed soul which after a while fills the Heavens by the addition of the other considerations mentioned and yields plentifully refreshing showers And this condition is a sin entangled soul oft-times reduced unto in looking out for relief It can discover nothing but this that God is able and can if he graciously please relieve and acquit him All other supportments all springs of relief are shut up or hid from him The springs indeed may be nigh as that was to Hagar but their eyes are withheld that they cannot see them Wherefore they cast themselves on Gods Soveraign pleasure and say with Job though he slay us we will put our trust in him we will not let him go In our selves we are lost that is unquestionable how the Lord will deal with us we know not we see not our signs and tokens any more evidences of Gods Grace in us or of his Love and favour unto us are all out of sight To a present special interest in Christ we are strangers and we lye every moment at the door of Eternity what course shall we take what way shall we proceed If we abide at a distance from God we shall assuredly perish who ever hardned himself against him and prospered Nor is there the least relief to be had but from and by him for who can forgive sins but God
as to a sense and participation of the choice fruits of the death of Christ procured for those who are justified by their acceptance of the Attonement It flourisheth not without his sealing witnessing establishing and shedding abroad the Love of God in our hearts See Rom. 5. 2 3 4 5. And what Believer ought not to long for and press after the enjoyment of these things Nay to read of these things in the Gospel not experiencing them in our own hearts and yet to sit down quietly on this side of them without continual pressing after them is to despise the blood of Christ the Spirit of Grace and the whole work of Gods Love If there are no such things the Gospel is not true if there are and we press not after them we are despisers of the Gospel Surely he hath not the Spirit who would not have more of him all of him that is promised by Christ. These things are the hundred fold that Christ hath left us in this world to counterpoise our sorrows troubles and losses And shall we be so foolish as to neglect our only abiding riches and treasures In particular it is the product of an exercised vigorous active faith That our faith should be such alwayes in every state and condition I suppose it our duty to endeavour Not only our comforts but our Obedience also depends upon it The more faith that is true and of the right kind the more obedience For all our obedience is the obedience of faith 2. For its own fruit and what it produceth they are the choicest actings of our souls towards God as Love delight rejoycing in the Lord Peace Joy and Consolation in our selves readiness to do or suffer chearfulness in so doing If they grow not from this root yet their flourishing wholly depends upon it So that surely it is the duty of every Believer to break through all difficulties in pressing after this particular Assurance The Objections that persons raise against themselves in this case may afterwards be considered 2. In ordinary dispensations of God towards us and dealings with us it is mostly our own negligence and sloth that we come short of this Assurance It is true it depends in a peculiar manner on the Soveraignty of God He is as absolute in giving Peace to believers as in giving Grace to sinners This takes place and may be proposed as a relief in times of tryals and distress He createth light and causeth darkness as he pleaseth But yet considering what Promises are made unto us What encouragements are given us what love and tenderness there is in God to receive us I cannot but conclude that ordinarily the cause of our coming short of this Assurance is where I have fixed it And this is the first thing that is supposed in the foregoing Assertion Secondly It is supposed that there is or may be a saving perswasion or discovery of forgiveness in God Where there is no Assurance of any particular interest therein or that our own sins in particular are pardoned This is that which hath a Promise of gracious Acceptance with God and is therefore saving Isa. 50. 10. Who is among you that feareth the Lord and obeyeth the voyce of his Servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God Here is the fear of the Lord and Obedience with a blessed encouragement to rest in God and his Alsufficiency yet no Assurance nor light but darkness and that walked in or continued in for a long season For he cannot walk in darkness meet with nothing but darkness without any beam or ray of Light as the words signifie who is perswaded of the Love of God in the pardon of his sins And yet the faith of such an one and his Obedience springing from it have this Gracious Promise of Acceptance with God And innumerable testimonies to this purpose might be produced and instances in great plenty I shall only tender a little Evidence unto it in one Observation concerning the nature of faith and one more about the proposal of the thing to be believed or forgiveness And 1. Faith is called and is a cleaving unto the Lord Deut. 4. 4. Ye that did cleave or adhere unto the Lord that is who did believe Josh. 23. 8. cleave or adhere unto the Lord your God The same word is used also in the New Testament Acts 11. 23. He exhorted them that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord or continue stedfast in believing It is also often expressed by trusting in the Lord rolling our burden or casting our care upon him by committing our selves or our wayes unto him Now all this goes no further than the souls Resignation of it self unto God to be dealt withall by him according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace ratified in the blood of Christ. This a soul cannot do without a discovery of forgiveness in God But this a soul may do without a special Assurance of his own interest therein This faith that thus adheres to God that cleaves to him will carry men to conclude that it is their Duty and their Wisdom to give up the disposal of their souls unto God and to cleave and adhere unto him as revealed in Christ waiting the pleasure of his Will It enables them to make Christ their choice and will carry men to Heaven safely though it may be at some seasons not very comfortably 2. The Revelation and discovery of forgiveness that is made in the Gospel evidenceth the same truth The first proposal of it or concerning it is not to any man that his sins are forgiven No but it is only that there is Redemption and forgiveness of sins in Christ. So the Apostle layes it down Acts 13. 38 39. Be it known unto you therefore Men and Brethren that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses All this may be believed without a mans Assurance of his own personal interest in the things mentioned Now where they are believed with the faith the Gospel requires that faith is saving and the root of Gospel acceptable Obedience The Ransome I say the Attonement by Christ the fulness of the Redemption that is in him and so Forgiveness in his blood for Believers from the Good Will Grace and Love of the Father is the first Gospel discovery that a sinner in a saving manner closeth withal Particular Assurance ariseth or may arise afterwards and this also is supposed in the Assertion 2. That which is affirmed in it is That a discovery of forgiveness in God without any particular Assurance of personal interest therein is a great supportment to a sin entangled soul. And let no man despise the day of this small thing small in the eyes of some and those good men also as
of the soul. 1. A Resolution to abide with God and to commit all unto him This the word as was observed teaches us There is forgiveness with thee and therefore thou shalt be feared Because this I found this I am perswaded of therefore I will abide with him in the way of his Fear and Worship This our Saviour calls unto John 15. 4. Abide in me except you do so ye can hear no fruit So the Lord representing his taking of the Church unto himself under the Type of the Prophets taking an Adulteress in vision doth it on these terms Hos. 3. 3. Thou shalt abide for me many dayes Thou shalt not play the Harlot and thou shalt not be for another man so will I also be for thee Now this abiding with God intimates two things 1. Oppositions Solicitations and Temptations unto the contrary 2. Forbearing to make any other choice as unto that end for which we abide with God 1. It argues Oppositions To abide to be stable and permanent is to be so against Oppositions Many discouragements are ready to rise up in the soul against it In Fears especially that it shall not hold out that it shall be rejected at last that all is nought and â—ypocritical with it that it shall not be forgiven that God indeed regards it not and therefore it may well enough give over its hopes which seem often as the giving up of the Ghost will assault it Again Oppositions arise from corruptions and temptations unto sin contrary to the Life of faith And these often proceed to an high degree of prevalency so that the guilt contracted upon them is ready to cast the soul quite out of all expectation of mercy I shall one day perish by these means saith the soul if I am not already lost But now where faith hath made this discovery of forgiveness the soul will abide with God against all these discouragements and Oppositions It will not leave him it will not give over waiting for him So David expresseth the matter in the instance of himself Psal. 73. 2. But as for me my feet were almost gone my steps had well nigh slipt and v. 13. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain but yet after all his conflicts this at last he comes unto v. 26. Though my flesh and my heart faileth yet v. 28. It is good for me to draw near unto God I will yet abide with God I will not let go his fear nor my profession Although I walk weakly lamely unevenly yet I will still follow after him As it was with the Disciples when many upon a strong temptation went back from Christ and walked no more with him Jesus said unto them will ye go away also to which Peter replyes in the name of the rest of them Lord to whom shall we go thou hast the words of Eternal Life John 6. 66 67 68. It is thus and thus with me saith the soul I am tossed and afflicted and not comforted little life little strength real guilt many sins and much disconsolation What then faith God by his word Wilt thou go away also no saith the soul there is forgiveness with thee thou hast the words of Eternal Life and therefore I will abide with thee 2. This abiding with God argues a forbearance of any other choice Whilst the soul is in this condition having not attained any evidences of its own special interest in forgiveness Many Lovers will be soliciting of it to play the harlot by taking them into its embraces Both self-righteousness and sin will be very importunate in this matter The former tenders it self as exceeding useful to give the soul some Help Assistance and supportment in its condition Samuel doth not come saith Saul and the Philistins invade me I will venture and offer Sacrifice my self contrary to the Law The Promise doth not come to the soul for its particular relief it hath no evidence as to an especial interest in forgiveness Temptation invades the mind try thy self sayes it to take relief in somewhat of thine own providing And this is to play the harlot from God To this purpose self-righteousness variously disguises it self like the Wise of Jeroboam when she went to the Prophet Sometimes it appears as duty sometimes as signs and tokens but its end is to get somewhat of the faith and trust of the soul to be fixed upon it But when the soul hath indeed a discovery of forgiveness it will not give ear to these solicitations No saith it I see such a Beauty such an Excellency such a desireableness and suitableness unto my wants and condition in that forgiveness that is with God that I am resolved to abide in the Gospel desire and expectation of it all the dayes of my life here my choice is fixed and I will not alter And this Resolution gives glory to the Grace of God When the soul without an evidence of an interest in it yet prefers it above that which with many reasonings and pretences offers it self as a present relief unto it Hereby is God glorified and Christ exalted and the spiritual life of the soul secured 2. This discovery of forgiveness in God with the effects of it before mentioned will produce a Resolution of waiting on God for peace and consolation in his own time and way He that believeth will not make haste Isa. 28. 16. not make haste to what not to the enjoyment of the thing believed Haste argues precipitation and impatience this the soul that hath this discovery is freed from resolving to wait the time of Gods appointment for peace and consolation God speaking of his accomplishment of his Promises sayes I the Lord will hasten it Isa. 60. 22. Well then if God will hasten it may not we hasten to it nay saith he I will hasten it but in its time All oppositions and impediments considered it shall be hastned but in its time its due time its appointed time And this the soul is to wait for and so it will As when Jacob had seen the beauty of Rachel and loved her he was contented to wait seven years for the enjoyment of her to be his wife and thought no time long no toyle too hard that he might obtain her so the soul having discovered the beauty and excellency of forgiveness as it is with God as it is in his gracious Heart in his eternal purpose in the Blood of Christ in the Promise of the Gospel is resolved to wait quietly and patiently for the time wherein God will clear up unto it it s own personal interest therein Even one experimental embracement of it even at the hour of death doth well deserve the waiting and obedience of the whole course of a mans life And this the Psalmist manifests to have been the Effect produced in his heart and spirit For upon this discovery of forgiveness in God he resolveth both to wait upon him himself and encourageth others so to do 3. This prepares
prayer Hence he teacheth and enjoyns us to pray or plead for the forgiveness of our debts to God that is our sins or trespasses against him which make us debtors to his Law and Justice even as we forgive them that so trespass or offend against us as to stand in need of our forgiveness Matth. 6. 12. Many are ready to devour such as are not satisfied that the Words of that Rule of Prayer which he hath prescribed unto us are to be precisely read or repeated every day I wish they would as heedfully mind that prescription which is given us herein for that frame of heart and spirit which ought to be in all our supplications It might possibly abate of their wrath in that and other things But here is a Rule for all prayer as all acknowledge as also of the things that are requisite to make it acceptable This in particular is required that before the searcher of all hearts and in our addresses unto him in our greatest concernments we profess our sincerity in the discharge of this duty and do put our obtaining of what we desire upon that issue This a great Crown that is put upon the head of this duty that which makes it very eminent and evidenceth the great concern of the Glory of God and our own souls therein 2. We may observe that no other duty whatever is expresly placed in the same series order or rank with it which makes it evident that it is singled out to be professed as a token and pledge of our sincerity in all other parts of our Obedience unto God It is by Christ himself made the instance for the tryal of our sincerity in our Universal Obedience which gives no small honour unto it The Apostle puts great weight on the Fifth Commandment Honour thy Father and Mother because it is the first Commandment with promise Ephes. 6. 2. All the Commandments indeed had a promise Do this and live life was promised to the observance of them all But this is the first that had a peculiar promise annexed unto it and accompanying of it And it was such a Promise as had a peculiar foundation through Gods Ordinance in the thing it self It is that the Parents should prolong the lives of their Children that were obedient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Exod. 20. 11. They shall prolong thy dayes that is by praying for their prosperity blessing them in the name of God and directing them in those wayes of Obedience whereby they might live and possess the Land And this Promise is now translated from the Covenant of Canaan into the Covenant of Grace The blessing of Parents going far towards the interesting their Children in the Promise thereof and so prolonging their dayes unto eternity though their dayes in this world should be of little continuance So it is said of our Saviour that he should see his seed and prolong his dayes Isa. 53. 10. Which hath carried over that Word and that which is signified by it unto eternal things But this by the way As the singular Promise made to that Command renders it singular so doth this especial instancing in this duty in our prayer render it also For though as all the Commandments had a Promise so we are to carry a Testimony with us of our sincerity in Universal Obedience in our addresses unto God yet the singling out of this instance renders it exceeding remarkable and shewes what a value God puts upon it and how well he is pleased with it 3. That God requires this forgiveness in us upon the account of the forgiveness we receive from him which is to put the greatest obligation upon us unto it that we are capable of and to give the strongest and most powerful motive possible unto its performance See Ephes. 4. 32. 4. That this duty is more directly and expresly required in the New Testament than in the Old Required then it was but not so openly so plainly so expresly as now Hence we find a different frame of Spirit between them under that dispensation and those under that of the New Testament There are found amongst them some such Reflections upon their enemies their Oppressors Persecutors and the like as although they were warranted by some actings of the Spirit of God in them yet being suited unto the Dispensation they were under do no way become us now who by Jesus Christ receive grace for grace So Zechariah when he dyed cryed the Lord look on and require but Stephen dying in the same cause and manner said Lord lay not this sin to their charge Elijah called for fire from Heaven But our Saviour reproves the least inclination in his Disciples to imitate him therein And the reason of this difference is because forgiveness in God is under the New Testament far more clearly especially in the nature and cause of it discovered in the Gospel which hath brought life and immortality to light than it was under the Law For all our Obedience both in matter and manner is to be suited unto the discoveries and Revelation of God unto us 5. This Forgiveness of others is made an express Condition of our obtaining Pardon and Forgiveness from God Mat 6. 14 15. And the nature hereof is expresly declared Chap. 18. 24. Such Evangelical Conditions we have not many I confess they have no causal influence into the accomplishment of the Promise but the non-performance of them is a sufficient barr against our pretending to the Promise a sufficient evidence that we have no pleadable interest in it Our forgiving of others will not procure forgiveness for our selves But our not forgiving of others proves that we our selves are not forgiven And all these things do shew what weight God himself layes on this duty Secondly Observe that this Duty is such as that there is nothing more comely useful or honourable unto or praise worthy in any than a due performance of it To be morose implacable inexorable revengeful is one of the greatest degeneracies of humane nature And no men are commonly even in this world more branded with real infamy and dishonour amongst Wise and Good men than those who are of such a frame and do act accordingly To remember Injuries to retain a sense of Wrongs to watch for Opportunities of Revenge to hate and be malitiously perverse is to represent the Image of the Devil unto the world in its proper colours He is the great Enemy and self avenger On the other side no Grace no Vertue no Duty no Ornament of the mind or Conversation of man is in it self so lovely so comely so praise worthy or so useful unto mankind as are Meekness Readiness to forgive and pardon This is that principally which renders a man a good man for whom one would even dare to dye And I am sorry to add that this Grace or duty is recommended by its raritie It is little found amongst the Children of men The consideration of the defect of men herein as
unto us that is wanting in this matter For 1. There is forgiveness with God and this manifested revealed declared This manifestation of it is that which makes it the Object of our faith We believe things to be in God and with him not meerly and formally because they are so but because he hath manifested and revealed them so to be 1 John 1. 2. What he so declares it is our duty to believe or we frustrate the end of his Revelation 2. We are expresly commanded to believe and that upon the highest Promises and under the greatest penalties This Command is that which makes believing formally a duty Faith is a Grace as it is freely wrought in us by the Holy Ghost the root of all Obedience and duties as it is radically fixed in the heart But as it is commanded it is a duty and these Commands you know are several wayes expressed by Invitations Exhortations Propositions which all have in them the nature of Commands which take up a great part of the Books of the New Testament 3. It is a duty as we have shewed of the greatest concernment unto the Glory of God 4. Of the greatest importance unto our souls here and hereafter And these things were necessary to be added to bottom our ensuing Exhortations upon Evidences that most men do not believe Forgiveness That which should now ensue is the peculiar improvement of this Truth all along aimed at namely to give Exhortations and encouragements unto believing But I can take few steps in this work wherein methinks I do hear some saying Surely all this is needless Who is there that doth not believe all that you go about to prove And so these pains are spent to little or no purpose I shall therefore before I perswade any unto it endeavour to shew that they do it not already Many I say the most of men who live under the dispensation of the Gospel do wofully deceive their own souls in this matter They do not believe what they profess themselves to believe and what they think they believe Men talk of fundamental Errors this is to me the most fundamental error that any can fall into and the most pernitious It is made up of these two parts 1. They do not indeed believe forgiveness 2. They suppose they do believe it which keeps them from seeking after their only remedy Both these mistakes are in the foundation and do ruine the souls of them that live and die in them I shall then by a brief enquiry put this matter to a tryal By some plain Rules and Principles may this important Question whether we do indeed believe forgiveness or no be answered and decided But to the Resolution intended I shall premise two Observations 1. Men in this case are very apt to deceive themselves Self-love vain Hopes liking of Lust common false Principles sloth unwillingness unto self-examination Reputation with the World and it may be in the Church all vigorously concurr unto mens self-deceivings in this matter It is no easie thing for a soul to break through all these and all self-reasonings that rise from them to come unto a clear judgement of its own acting in dealing with God about forgiveness Men also find a Common Presumption of this Truth and its being an easie relief against gripings of Conscience and disturbing thoughts about sin which they daily meet withall Aiming therefore only at the removal of trouble and finding their present Imagination of it sufficient thereunto they never bring their perswasion to the tryal 2. As men are apt to do thus so they actually do so they do deceive themselves and know not that they do so The last day will make this evident if men will no sooner be convinced of their folly When our Saviour told his Disciples that one of them twelve should betray him though it were but one of twelve that was in danger yet every one of the twelve made a particular enquiry about himself I will not say that one in each twelve is here mistaken But I am sure the Truth tells us That many are called and but few are chosen they are but few who do really believe forgiveness Is it not then incumbent on every one to be enquiring in what number he is likely to be found at the last day Whilst men put this enquiry off from themselves and think or say it may be the Concernment of others it is not mine they perish and that without remedy Remember what poor Jacob said when he had lost one Child and was afraid of the loss of another Gen. 43. 14. If I be bereaved of my Children I am bereaved As if he should have said if I lose my Children I have no more to lose they are my all Nothing worse can befall me in this world Comfort Joy yea Life and all go with them How much more may men say in this Case If we are deceived here we are deceived all is lost hope and life and soul all must perish and that for ever There is no help or relief for them who deceive themselves in this matter They have found out a way to go quietly down into the pit Now these things are premised only that they may be incentives unto self-examination in this matter and so render the ensuing Considerations usefull Let us then address our selves unto them 1. In General This is a Gospel Truth yea the great fundamental and most important Truth of the Gospel It is the turning point of the two Covenants as God himself declares Heb. 7. 7 8 9 10 11 12 13. Now a very easie Consideration of the wayes and walkings of men will satisfie us as to this Enquiry whether they do indeed believe the Gospel the Covenant of Grace and the fundamental Principles of it Certainly their Ignorance Darkness Blindness their Corrupt Affections and Worldly Conversations their Earthly-mindedness and open disavowing of the Spirit Wayes and Yoke of Christ speak no such language Shall we think that proud heady worldly self-seckers haters of the people of God and his wayes despisers of the Spirit of Grace and his work Sacrificers to their own lusts and such like do believe the Covenant of Grace or Remission of sins God forbid we should entertain any one thought of so great dishonour to the Gospel Where ever that is received or believed it produceth other effects Tit. 2. 11 12. Isa. 11 6 7 8 9. It teacheth men to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts It changeth their hearts natures and wayes It is not such a barren impotent and fruitless thing as such an Apprehension would represent it 2. They that really believe forgiveness in God do thereby obtain forgiveness Believing gives an interest in it it brings it home to the soul concerned This is the inviolable Law of the Gospel Believing and forgiveness are inseparably conjoyned Among the Evidences that we may have of any one being interested in forgiveness I shall only name one They prize and value
nature of this conviction of sin which you say you have Is it not made up of these two ingredients 1. A general notion that you are sinners as all men also are 2. Particular troublesome reflections upon your selves when on any eruption of sin Conscience accuses rebukes condemns You will say yes what would you require more This is not the Conviction we are enquiring after That is a work of the Spirit by the Word this you speak of a meer Natural work which you can no more be without than you can cease to be men This will give no Assistance unto the receiving of forgiveness But it may be you will say you have proceeded farther than so and these things have had an improvement in you Let us then a little try whether your process have been according to the mind of God And so whether this invincible barr in your way be removed or no. For although every convinced person do not believe forgiveness yet no one who is not convinced doth so Have you then been made sensible of your condition by Nature what it is to be alienated from the life of God and to be obnoxious to his wrath Have you been convinced of the Universal Enmity that is in your hearts to the mind of God and what it is to be at Enmity against God Hath the unspeakable multitude of the sins of your lives been set in order by the Law before you And have you considered what it is for sinners such sinners as you are to have to deal with a Righteous and a holy God Hath the Holy Ghost wrought a serious Recognition in your hearts of all these things and caused them to abide with you and upon you If you will answer truly you must say many of you that indeed you have not been so exercised You have heard of these things many times but to say that you have gone through with this work and have had Experience of them that you cannot do Then I say you are strangers to forgiveness because you are strangers unto sin But and if you shall say that you have had thoughts to this purpose and are perswaded that you have been throughly convinced of sin I shall yet ask you one Question more what Effects hath your Conviction produced in your hearts and lives Have you been filled with perplexities and consternation of Spirit thereupon Have you had fears dreads or terrors to wrestle withall It may be you will say No Nor will I insist upon that enquiry but this I deal with you in Hath it filled you with self-loathing and Abhorrency with self-condemnation and abasement If it will do any thing this it will do If you come short here it is justly to be feared that all your other pretences are of no value Now where there is no work of conviction there is no faith of forgiveness whatever is pretended And how many vain boasters this sword will cut off is evident 7. We have yet a greater evidence than all these Men live in sin and therefore they do not believe forgiveness of sin Faith in general purifies the heart Acts 15. 19. Our souls are purified in obeying the Truth 1 Pet. 1. 22. and the life is made fruitful by it James 2. 22. Faith worketh by works and makes it self perfect by them And the Doctrine concerning forgiveness hath a special influence into all Holiness Tit. 2. 11 12. The Grace of God which bringeth salvation teacheth us to deny all unrighteousness and worldly lusts to live soberly righteously and godly in this present world And that is the Grace whereof we speak No man can then believe forgiveness of sin without a detestation and relinquishment of it The ground of this might be farther manifested and the way of the Efficacy of faith of forgiveness unto a forsaking of sin if need were But all that own the Gospel must acknowledge this principle The real belief of the Pardon of sin is prevalent with men not to live longer in sin But now what are the greatest number of those who pretend to receive this Truth Are their hearts purified by it Are their consciences purged Are their lives changed Do they deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts Doth forgiveness teach them so to do Have they found it effectual to these purposes Whence is it then that there is such a bleating and bellowing to the contrary amongst them Some of you are Drunkards some of you Swearers some of you unclean persons some of you lyars some of you worldly some of you haters of all the wayes of Christ and all his concernments upon the Earth proud covetous boasters self-seekers envious wrathful backbiters malitious praters slanderers and the like And shall we think that such as these believe forgiveness of sin God forbid Again Some of you are dark ignorant blind utterly unacquainted with the mysterie of the Gospel nor do at all make it your business to enquire into it Either you hear it not at all or negligently slothfully customarily to no purpose Let not such persons deceive their own souls to live in sin and yet to believe the forgiveness of sin is utterly impossible Christ will not be a Minister of sin nor give his Gospel to be a Doctrine of licentiousness for your sakes Nor shall you be forgiven that you may be delivered to do more Abominations God forbid If any shall say that they thank God they are no such Publicans as those mentioned they are no drunkards no swearers no unclean persons nor the like so that they are not concerned in this consideration Their lives and their duties give another account of them then yet consider further That the Pharisees were all that you say of your selves and yet the greatest despisers of forgiveness that ever were in the world and that because they hated the light on this account that their deeds were evil And for your duties you mention what I pray is the root and spring of them are they influenced from this Faith of forgiveness you boast of or no May it not be feared that it is utterly otherwise you do not perform them because you love the Gospel but because you fear the Law If the truth were known I doubt it would appear that you get nothing by your believing of pardon but an encouragement unto sin Your Goodness such as it is springs from another root It may be also that you ward your selves by it against the strokes of Conscience or the guilt of particular sins this is as bad as the other It is as good be encouraged unto sin to commit it as be encouraged under sin so as to be kept from humiliation for it None under Heaven are more remote from the belief of Grace and Pardon than such persons are All their Righteousness is from the Law and their Sin in a great measure from the Gospel 8. They that believe forgiveness in a due manner believe it for the Ends and Purposes for which it is revealed of God
their Lusts and sins that they will yield them as much satisfaction and contentment as they shall need to desire Alas they will ruine them and bring forth nothing but death Is it in the World it will deceive them the figure of it passeth away Is it in their Duties and Righteousness they will not relieve them for did they follow the Law of Righteousness they could not obtain the Righteousness of the Law Is it in the continuance of their lives Alas it is but a shadow a vapour that appeareth for a little while Is it in a future Amendment and Repentance Hell is full of souls perishing under such Resolutions Only this way of pardon remains and yet of all others is most despised But yet I have one consideration more to adde before I further enforce the Exhortation 6. Consider that this is the only Way and means to enable you unto obedience and to render what you do therein acceptable unto God It may be that some of you are under the power of Convictions and have made Engagements unto God to live unto him to keep your selves from fin and to follow after holiness It may be you have done so in Afflictions dangers sicknesses or upon the receipt of mercies but yet you find that you cannot come unto stability or constancy in your course you break with God and your own Souls which fills you with new disquietments or else hardens you and makes you secure and negligent so that you return unto your purposes no oftner than your Convictions or Afflictions befall you anew This condition is ruinous and pernitious which nothing can deliver you from but this closing with forgiveness For 1. All that you do without this however it may please your minds or ease your Consciences is not at all accepted with God Unless this foundation be laid all that you do is lost All your Prayers all your Duties all your amendments are an abomination unto the Lord. Untill peace is made with him they are but the Acts of Enemies which he despiseth and abhorreth You run it may be earnestly but you run out of the way you strive but not lawfully and shall never receive the Crown True Gospel-obedience is the fruit of the Faith of Forgiveness Whatever you do without it is but a building without a foundation a Castle in the ayre You may see the order of Gospel Obedience Eph. 2. 7 8 9 10. The foundation must be laid in Grace Riches of Grace by Christ in the free pardon and forgiveness of sin From hence must the works of obedience proceed if you would have them to be of Gods appointment or finde acceptance with him Without this God will say of all your Services Worship Obedience as he did to the Israelites of old Amos 5. 21 22 23 24 25. I despise all reject it all it is not to him nor to his Glory Now if you are under convictions of any sort there is nothing you more value nothing you more place your confidence in than your Duties your Repentance your Amendment what you do and what in good time you will be Is it nothing unto you to lose all your hopes and all your Expectations which you have from hence To have no other Reception with God than if all this while you had been wallowing in your sins and lusts Yet thus it is with you if you have not begun with God on his own Terms if you have not received the Atonement in the Blood of his Son if you are not made partakers of Forgiveness if your persons are not pardoned all your Duties are accursed 2. This alone will give you such Motives and Encouragements unto Obedience as will give you Life Alacrity and Delight in it You perform Duties abstain from sins but with heaviness fear and in bondage Could you do as well without them as with them would Conscience be quiet and hope of Eternity hold out you would omit them for ever This makes all your Obedience burdensome and you cry out in your thoughts with him in the Prophet behold what a weariness it is the service of God is the only drudgery of your lives which you dare not omit and delight not to perform From this wretched and cursed frame there is nothing can deliver you but this closing with forgiveness This will give you such motives such encouragements as will greatly influence your hearts and souls It will give you freedom liberty delight and chearfulness in all duties of Gospel Obedience You will finde a constraining power in the love of Christ therein a freedom from bondage when the Son truely hath made you free Faith and love will work genuinely and naturally in your spirits and that which was your greatest burden will become your chiefest joy 2 Cor. 7. 1. Thoughts of the Love of God of the Blood of Christ or the Covenant of Grace and sence of pardon in them will enlarge your hearts and sweeten all your duties You will find a new life a new pleasure a new satisfaction in all that you doe Have you yet ever understood that of the Wiseman Prov. 3. 17. The wayes of Wisdom are pleasantness and her paths are peace Have the wayes of Holyness of Obedience of Duties been so unto you Whatever you pretend they are not they cannot be so whilst you are strangers unto that which alone can render them so unto you I speak unto them that are under the Law Would you be free from that bondage that galling yoke in dutyes of Obedience Would you have all that you do towards God a delight and pleasantness unto you this and this alone will effect it for you 3. This will place all your Obedience upon a sure foot of account in your own Souls and Consciences even the same that is fixed on in the Gospell For the present all that you do is indeed but to compound with God for your sin you hope by what you do for him and to him to buy off what you have done against him that you may not fall into the hands of his Wrath and Vengeance This makes all you doe to be irksom As a man that labours all his dayes to pay an old debt and brings in nothing to lay up for himself how tedious and wearisome is his work and labour to him It is odds but that at one time or other he will give over and run away from his Creditor So it is in this case men who have secret reserves of recompensing God by their Obedience every day find their debt growing upon them and have every day less hopes of making a satisfactory payment This makes them weary and for the most part they faint under their discouragements and at length they fly wholly from God This way alone will state things otherwise in your Consciences It will give you to see that all your debts are paid by Christ and freely forgiven unto you by God So that what you doe is of Gratitude or thankfulness hath an influence
and obstructions by his own blood bringing forth unto beauty and Glory this Redemption or Forgiveness of sin as the price of it And let the Glory of the Gospel which alone makes this discovery of Forgiveness in God dwell in your hearts Let your minds be exercised about these things You will find effects from them above all that hath as yet been brought forth in your souls What for the most part have you hitherto been conversant about when you have risen above the turmoyling of lusts and corruptions in your hearts the entanglements of your Callings business and affairs what have you been able to raise your hearts unto perplexing fears about your Condition General hopes without savour or relish yielding you no refreshment Legal Commands Bondage-duties distracted Consciences broken Purposes and Promises which you have been tossed up and down withall without any certain rest And what Effects have these thoughts produced have they made you more holy and more humble have they given you delight in God and strength unto new obedience Not at all Where you were there you still are without the least progress But now bring your Souls unto these Springs and try the Lord if from that day you be not blessed with spiritual stores 8. If the Lord be pleased to carry on your Souls thus far then stirr up your selves to choose and close with the way of forgiveness that hath been revealed Choose it only choose it in comparison with and opposition unto all others Say you will be for Christ and not for another and be so accordingly Here venture here repose here rest your Souls It is a way of peace safety Holyness beauty strength power liberty and glory you have the Nature the Name the Love the Purposes the Promises the Covenant the Oath of God the Love Life Death or Blood the Mediation or Oblation and Intercession of Jesus Christ The Power and Efficacy of the Spirit and Gospel Grace by him administred to give you Assurance of the excellency the oneness the safety of the Way whereunto you are engaging If now the Lord shall be pleased to perswade your hearts and souls to enter upon the path marked out before you and shall carry you on through the various exercises of it unto this closure of Faith God will have the Glory the Gospel will be Exalted and your own Souls shall reap the Eternal benefit of this Exhortation But now if not withstanding all that hath been spoken all the Invitations you have had and Incouragements that have been held out unto you you shall continue to despise this so great salvation you will live and dye in the state and condition wherein you are why then as the Prophet said to the Wife of Jeroboam Come neer for I am sent unto you with heavy Tydings I say then 9. If you resolve to continue in the neglect of this Salvation and shall do so accordingly Then Cursed be you of the Lord with all the Curses that are written in the Law and all the Curses that are denounced against Despisers of the Gospel Yea be you Anathema Maranatha Cursed in this World alwayes untill the comeing of the Lord and when the Lord comes be ye cursed from his presence into Everlasting destruction Yea Curse them all ye holy Angels of God as the obstinate Enemies of your King and Head the Lord Jesus Christ. Curse them all ye Churches of Christ as despisers of that Love and Mercy which is your portion your Life your Inheritance Let all the Saints of God all that love the Lord curse them and rejoyce to see the Lord comeing forth mightily and prevailing against them to their everlasting ruine Why should any one have a thought of compassion towards them who despise the compassion of God or of mercy towards them who trample on the blood of Christ Whilest there is yet hope we desire to have continual sorrow for you and to travail in soul for your conversion to God but if you be hardened in your way shall we joyn with you against him shall we preferre you above his Glory shall we desire your salvation with the despoyling God of his honour Nay God forbid We hope to rejoyce in seeing all that vengeance and indignation that is in the right hand of God poured out unto Eternity upon your Souls Prov. 1. 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33. Rules to be observed by them who would come to stability in Obedience The first Rule Christ the only infallible Judge of our spiritual condition How he judgeth by his Word and Spirit That which remaineth to be further carried on upon the Principles laid down is to perswade with Souls more or less intangled in the depths of sin to close with this Forgiveness by Believing unto their Peace and Consolation And because such persons are full of pleas and objections against themselves I shall chiefly in what I have to say endeavour to obviate these Objections so to encourage them unto believing and bring them unto settlement And herein whatever I have to offer flowes naturally from the Doctrine at large laid down and asserted Yet I shall not in all particulars apply my self thereunto but in Generall fix on those things that may tend to the Establishment and Consolation of both distressed and doubting Souls And I shall do what I purpose these two wayes First I shall lay down such General Rules as are necessary to be observed by all those who intend to come to Gospel peace and Comfort And then Secondly shall consider some such Objections as seem to be most comprehensive of those special reasonings where with distressed persons do usually intangle themselves I shall begin with General Rules which through the Grace of Christ and Supplyes of his Spirit may be of use unto Believers in the condition under consideration RULE I. Be not Judges of your own Condition but let Christ judge You are invited to take the comfort of this Gospel Truth That there is Forgiveness with God You say not for you so said Jacob My way is hid from the Lord Isa. 40. 27. and Sion said so too chap. 49. 14. The Lord hath forsaken me and my Lord hath forgotten me But did they make a right Judgement of themselves We find in those places that God was otherwise minded This false Judgement made by Souls in their intanglements of their own Condition is oft-times a most unconquerable hinderance unto the bettering of it They fill themselves with thoughts of their own about it and on them they dwell instead of looking out after a Remedy Misgiving thoughts of their distempers are commonly a great part of some mens sickness Many diseases are apt to cloud the thoughts and to cause misapprehensions concerning their own nature and danger And these delusions are a real part of the persons sickness Nature is no less impaired and weakened by them the Efficacy of Remedies no less obstructed than by any other reall distemper In such
its principle it is from a spirit of bondage Rom. 18. 15. We have not again received the spirit of bondage unto fear It is not such a fear as makes an occasional incursion upon the mind or soul such as I se xcited and occasioned by incident darkness and Temptation such as the best and persons of the highest assurance are liable and obnoxious unto but it is such as hath a compleat abiding principle in the soul even a spirit of bondage a prevailing frame constantly inclining it to fear or dreadful apprehensions of God and its own condition Secondly That it tends to bondage it brings the soul into bondage Heb. 2. 14 15. He dyed to deliver them who by fear of death were in bondage all their daies Fear of death as penal as it lyes in the curse which is that fear that proceeds from a spirit of bondage brings the persons in whom it is into bondage that is it adds weariness trouble and anxiety of mind unto fear and puts them upon all waies and means imaginable unduly and disorderly to seek for a remedy or relief Thirdly It hath torment fear hath torment 1 Joh. 4. 18. It gives no rest no quietness unto the mind now this is so cast out by Gospel Assurance of forgiveness that though it may assault the soul it shall not possess it though it make incursions upon it it shall not dwell abide and prevail in it 3. It gives the soul an hope and expectation of the Glory that shall be revealed and secretly stirs it up and enlivens it unto a supportment in sufferings tryals and Temptations This is the hope which makes not ashamed Rom. 5. 5. and that because it will never expose the soul unto disappointment Where ever there is the root of Assurance there will be this fruit of hope The proper object of it is things absent invisible eternal the promised reward in all the notions respects and concernments of it This hope goes out unto in distresses temptations failings and under a sense of the guilt and power of sin Hence ariseth a spring of secret relief in the soul something that calms the heart and quiets the spirit in the midst of many a storm Now as where ever Assurance is there will be this hope so where ever this secret relieving hope is it grows on no other root but a living perswasion of a personal interest in the things hoped for 4. As it will do many other things so that I may give one comprehensive instance it will carry them out in whom it is to dye for Christ. Death unto men who saw not one step beyond it was esteemed of all things most terrible The way and means of its approach add unto its terrour But this is nothing in comparison of what it is unto them who look through it as a passage into ensuing Eternity For a man then to chuse death rather than life in the most terrible manner of its approach expecting an Eternity to ensue it argues a comfortable perswasion of a Good State and Condition after death Now I am perswaded that there are hundreds who upon Gospel saving accounts would embrace a stake for the Testimony of Jesus who yet know not at all that they have the Assurance we speak of and yet nothing else would enable them thereunto But these things being besides the main of my Intendment I shall pursue them no further only the Rule is of use Let the soul be sure to be well acquainted with the nature of that which it seeks after and confesseth a sense of the want of RULE III. Continuance in waiting necessary unto Peace and Consolation The fourth Rule Remove the Hinderances of Believing by a searching out of sin Rules and Directions for that Duty Whatever your Condition be and your Apprehension of it yet continue waiting for a better issue and give not over through weariness or impatience This Rule contains the summ of the Great Example given us in this Psalm Forgiveness in God being discovered though no sense of a particular interest therein as yet obtained that which the soul applies it self unto is diligent carefull constant persevering waiting which is variously expressed in the 5 and 6 verses The Holy Ghost tells us that light is sown for the righteous and gladness for the upright in heart Psal. 97. 11. Light and Gladness are the things now enquired after Deliverance from darkness misapprehensions of God hard and misgiving thoughts of his own condition is that which a soul in its depths reacheth towards Now saith the Holy Ghost These things are sown for the Righteous Doth the Husbandman after he casts his seed into the Earth immediately the next day the next week expect that it will be harvest doth he think to reap so soon as he hath sown or doth he immediately say I have laboured in vain here is no return I will pull up the hedge of this field and lay it waste or I see a little grass in the blade but no corn I will give it to the beasts to devour it No his God as the Prophet speaks instructs him unto discretion and teacheth him namely what he must do and how he must look for things in their season And shall not we be instructed by him behold the Husbandman saith James waiteth for the precious fruit of the Earth and hath long patience for it until he receive the early and the latter rain Jam. 5. 7. And is Light sown for them that are in darkness and shall they stifle the seed under the clods or spoil the tender blade that is springing up or refuse to wait for the watering and dews of the Spirit that may bring it forth to perfection Waiting is the only way to Establishment and Assurance we cannot speed by our haste yea nothing puts the end so far away as making too much haste and speed in our Journey The ground hereof is that a sense of a special interest in forgiveness and acceptance is given into the soul by a meer act of Soveraignty It is not it will not be obtained by or upon any rational conclusions or deductions that we can make All that we can do is but to apply our selves to the removal of hinderances For the Peace and Rest sought for come from meer prerogative When he giveth quietness who can give trouble and when he hideth his face who can behold him Job 34. 29. Now what is the way to receive that which comes from meer Soveraignty and prerogative doth not the nature of the thing require humble waiting If then either Impatience cast the soul into frowardness or weariness make it slothfull which are the two waies whereby waiting is ruined Let not such an one expect any comfortable Islue of his contending for deliverance out of his depths And let not any think to make out their difficulties any other way their own Reasonings will not bring them to any establishing conclusions for they may lay down propositions and have no
or at most such an irregular acting of it as the Lord Christ will be very tender towards and which is consistent with peace and a due sense of the forgiveness of sins Mistake not then these one for another lest much causeless unquietness ensue in the Judgement which you are to make of your selves But you will say how shall we distinguish between these two so as not causelesly to be disquieted and perplexed I answer briefly 1. Unbelief working in and by the questioning of the promises of God is a weakning disheartning dispiriting thing It takes off the edge of the soul from spiritual duties and weakens it both as unto delight and strength The more any one questions the promises of God the less life power joy and delight in obedience he hath For faith is the spring and root of all other Graces and according as that thriveth or goeth backwards so do they all Men think sometimes that their uncertainty of the love of God and of acceptance with him by the forgiveness of sin doth put them upon the performance of many duties and they can have no rest or peace in the omission of them It may be it is so Yea this is the state and Condition with many But what are these duties and how are they performed And what is their acceptance with God The duties themselves are legal which denomination ariseth not from the Nature Substance or Matter of them for they may be the same that are required and injoyned in the Gospel but from the principle from whence they proceed and the End to which they are used Now these in this case are both legal their principle is legal fear and their end is legal Righteousness the whole attendance unto them a seeking of righteousness as it were by the works of the Law and how are they performed Plainly with a bondage frame of Spirit without Love Joy Liberty or Delight To quiet conscience to pacifie God are the things in them aymed at all in opposition to the Blood and Righteousness of Christ. And are they accepted with God Let them be multiplyed never so much he every where testifieth that they are abhorred by him This then Unbelief mixed with convictions will do It is the proper way of venting and exercising it self where the soul is brought under the power of conviction But as unto Gospel Obedience in all the duties of it to be carryed on in communion with God by Christ and delight in him all questioning of the promises weakens and discourageth the soul and makes them all wearisome and burdensome unto it But the Jealousie that is exercised about the Person and Love of Christ unto the soul is quite of another nature and produceth other effects It cheers enlivens and enlargeth the soul stirs up to activity earnestness and industry in its enquiries and desires after Christ. Jealousie saith the Spouse is hard as the grave therefore set me as a Seal upon thy heart as a Seal upon thy arm It makes the soul restlesly pant after neerer more sensible and more assured Communion with Christ It stirs up vigorous and active Spirits in all duties Every doubt and fear that it ingenerates concerning the Love of Christ stirs up the soul unto more earnestness after him delight in him and sedulous watching against every thing that may keep it at a distance from him or occasion him to hide withdraw or absent himself from it 2. Unbelief that works by questioning of the promises is universally selfish it begins and ends in self Self-love in desires after freedom from guilt danger and punishment are the life and soul of it May this end be attained it hath no delight in God Nor doth it care what way it be attained so it may be attained May such persons have any perswasions that they shall be freed from death and hell be it by the works of the Law or by the observance of any inventions of their own whether any Glory ariseth unto God from his Grace and faithfulness or no they are not solicitous The Jealousie we speak of hath the Person of Christ and his Excellency for its constant object These it fills the mind with in many and various thoughts still representing him more and more amiable and more desirable unto the soul. So doth the Spouse upon the like occasion as you may see at large Cant. 5. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16. Being at some loss for his presence for he had withdrawn himself not finding her wonted communion and entercourse with him fearing that upon her provocation she might forfeit her Interest in his Love she falls upon the Consideration of all his Excellencies and thereby the more enflames her self unto desires after his company and enjoyment And these divers things may be thus distinguished and discerned RULE VI. Learn to distinguish between faith and spiritual sense This Rule the Apostle gives us 2 Cor. 5. 7. We walk by faith and not by sight It is the sight of Glory that is especially here intended But faith and sense in any kind are clearly distinguished That may be believed which is not felt Yea It is the Will and Command of God that faith should stand and do its work where all sense fails Esa. 50. 10. And it is with spiritual sense in this matter as it is with natural Thomas would not believe unless he saw the object of his faith with his Eyes or felt it with his hand but saith our Saviour blessed are they who believe and have not seen who believe upon the testimony of God without the help of their own sense or reason And if we will believe no more of God of his Love of Grace of our acceptance with him than we have a spiritual affecting sense of we shall be many times at a loss Sensible impressions from Gods Love are great springs of Joy but they are not absolutely necessary unto peace nor unto an evidence that we do believe We will deal thus with the vilest person living We will believe him whilest we have the certainty of our sense to secure us And if we deal so with God what is there in our so doing praise worthy the Prophet tells us what it is to believe in respect of providence Hab. 3. 17. When there is nothing left outward and visible to support us then to rest quietly on God that is to believe So Psal. 73. 26. And the Apostle in the Example of Abraham shews us what it is to believe with respect unto a special promise Rom. 4. 18. Against hope he believed in hope When he saw not any outward ordinary means for the accomplishment of the promise when innumerable objections arose against any such hope as might have respect unto such means yet he resolved all his thoughts into the faithfulness of God in the promise and therein raised a new hope in its accomplishment so in hope believing against hope To clear this matter you must observe what I intend by
own hearts only What is it that the Scripture calls for in your condition Is it not Industry and Activity of spirit And what doth the nature of the thing require distress that is yet hoped to be conquered evidently calls for Industry and diligence in the use of means for deliverance If you are past hope it avails not to complain If you are not why do you give up your selves to despondencies Our Saviour tells us that the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence and the violent take it by force Mat. 11. 12. It is not of the outward violence of its Enemies seeking to destroy it that our Saviour speaks but of that spiritual servency and ardency of mind that is in those who intend to be partakers of it For 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is taken by force Luke 16. 16. is no more but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is preached the Kingdom of God is preached and every man presseth into it pressing into it and taking it by force are the same thing There is then a violence a restless activity and vigour of spirit to be used and exercised for an interest in this Kingdom Apply this to your condition Are you in depths and doubts staggering and uncertain not knowing what is your condition nor whether you have any interest in the forgiveness that is with God Are you tossed up and down between hopes and fears want peace consolation and establishment why lye you upon your faces get up watch pray fast meditate offer violence to your lusts and corruptions fear not startle not at their crying or importunities to be spared press unto the Throne of Grace by Prayers Supplications Importunities restless Requests This is the way to take the Kingdom of Heaven These things are not Peace they are not Assurance but they are part of the means that God hath appointed for the attainment of them What then is the peculiar Instruction that is proper for souls in this condition that plainly of the Apostle 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give all diligence to make your Calling and Election sure Alas saith the soul I am at no certainty but rather am afflicted and tossed and not comforted my heart will come to no stability I have no Assurance know not whether I am chosen or called yea fear that my latter end will be darkness and sorrow There is I confess forgiveness with God but justly fear that I shall never be made partaker of it What is the usual course that is taken in such complaints by them to whom they are made Mostly they have a good opinion of them that come with these complaints They judge them to be godly and holy though much in the dark if they knew them not before yet upon these complaints they begin to be well perswaded of them Hereupon they are moved with pitty and compassion and troubled to see them in their perplexities and set themselves to tender relief unto them They mind them of the gracious promises of the Gospel it may be fix upon some one or more of them in particular which they explain unto them Thence they minde them of the abundant Grace and tender Love of the Father of the mercifull care of our High Priest his readiness and ability to save his communications of such savours unto them as they perceive not By such waies and means by such Applications do they seek to relieve them in the state and condition wherein they are But what is the issue Doth not this Relief prove for the most part like the morning cloud and as the early dew a little refreshment it may be it yields for a season but it is quickly again dryed up and the soul left in its heartless withering condition You will say then do you condemn this manner of proceeding with the souls of men in their doubts fears and distresses or would you have them pine away under the sense of their condition or abide in this uncertainty all their daies I answer no I condemn not the way I would not have any left comfortless in their depths But yet I would give these two Cautions 1. That Spiritual Wisdom and prudence is greatly required in this matter in the Administration of consolation to distressed souls If in any thing the tongue of the spiritually learned is required herein namely in speaking a word in season to them that are weary A promiscuous drawing out of Gospel consolations without a previous right Judgement concerning the true state and condition of the souls applyed unto is seldome useful oft times pernicious And let men take care how they commit their souls and consciences unto such who have good words in readiness for all comers 2. If Counsel and Consolation of this kind be given special and distinct from the Advice we are upon of Watchfulness Diligence Spiritual Violence in a way of duty it is exceeding dangerous and will assuredly prove useless For let us see what counsel the holy Ghost gives in this condition unto them who would make their Calling and Election sure who would be freed from their present fears and uncertainties who complain of their darkness and dangers why saith he giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and so on v. 5. for saith he If you do these things an entrance shall be Administred unto you abundantly into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ v. 11. You who are now in the Skyrts of it who know not whether you belong unto it or no you shall have an Entrance into the Kingdom of Christ and all the Joy comforts consolations and Glory of it shall be richly administred unto you This is the advice that the Holy Ghost gives in this case And this is the blessed promise annexed unto the following of this advice And this the former compassionate course of Administring consolation is not to be separated from But you will it may be here say we are so dead and dull so chained under the power of corruptions and temptations that we are not able thus to put forth the fruit of a spiritual life in adding one Grace unto another But do you use diligence Study Endeavours all diligence diligence at all times in all wayes by God appointed all manner of diligence within and without in private and publick to this end and purpose do you study meditate pray watch fast neglect no opportunity keep your hearts search try examine your selves fly Temptations and occasions of cooling deadning and stifling Grace Do these things abound in you Alass you cannot do thus you are so weak so indisposed but alas you will not you will not part with your ease you will not Crucifie your lusts you will not ufe all diligence but must come to it or be contented to spend all your dayes in darkness and to lye down in sorrow Thus do men frequently miscarry Is it any news for persons to bewail the folly of their nature and wayes in the Morning and Evening and yet scarce stand upon their
observed that special cases are so varied by their Circumstances that it is very rare that any Resolutions of them are every way adequate and suited unto the Apprehensions of them that are exercised with them I shall therefore call things unto some general heads whereunto most of the Objections that distressed sinners make against their own peace may be reduced and leave the Light of them to be applied in particular unto the relief of the souls of men as God shall be pleased to make them effectual Second General Head of the Application of the Truth insisted on Grounds of Spiritual Disquietments considered The first Afflictions Waies and means of the Aggravation of Afflictions Rules about them That which now lyeth before us is the second part of the second General Use educed from the Truth insisted on Our aim is to lead on souls towards peace with God through a gracious perswasion of their Interest in that forgiveness which is with him And it consists as was declared in a Consideration of some of those disquietments which befall the minds of men and keep them off from Establishment in this matter And first such disquietments and objections against the peace of the soul and its acceptance with God will arise from Afflictions they have done so of old they do so in many at this day Afflictions I say greatned unto the mind from their Nature or by their Concomitants do oft-times variously affect it and sometimes prevail to darken it so far as to ingenerate thoughts that they are all messengers of wrath all tokens of displeasure and so consequently evidences that we are not par doned or accepted with God Now this is a time of great Afflictions unto many and those some of them such as have innumerable aggravating circumstances accompanying of them Some have come with a dreadfull surprizal in things not looked for such as falls not out in the providence of God in many Generations Such is the condition of them who are reduced to the utmost extremity by the late consuming fire some have had their whole families all their posterity taken from them in a few daies they have been suddenly bereaved as in the Plague Some in their own persons or in their Relations have had sore long and grievous tryals from Oppressions and Persecutions and these things have various effects on the minds of men Some we find crying with that wicked King This evil is of the Lord why should we wait any longer for him and give up themselves to seek relief from their own lusts Some bear up under their troubles with a natural stoutness of spirit some have received a sanctified use and improvement of their trials with joy in the Lord. But many we find to go heavily under their burdens having their minds darkned with many misapprehensions of the Love of God and of their own personal interest in his Grace It is not therefore unseasonable to speak a little to this Head of trouble in our entrance Outward troubles I say are oftentimes occasions if not the causes of great inward distresses You know how the Saints of old expressed their sense of them and conflicts with them The complaints of David are familiar to all who attend unto any communion with God in these things so are those of Job Heman Jonah Jeremiah and others neither do they complain only of their troubles but of the sense which they had of Gods displeasure in and under them and of his hiding of his face from them whilest they were so exercised It is not otherwise at present as is known unto such as converse with many who are either surprized with unexpected troubles or worn out with tryals and disappointments of an expected end They consider themselves both absolutely and with respect unto others and on both accounts are filled with dark thoughts and despondencies Saith one I am rolled from one trial unto another the clouds with me return still after the rain All the billows and water-spouts of God go over me In my person it may be pressed with sickness pains troubles in my Relations with their sins miscarriages or death in my outward state in wants losses dis-reputation I am even as a withered branch Surely if God had any especial regard unto my soul it would not be thus with me or some timely end would have been put unto these dispensations On the other hand they take a view of some other Professors they see that their Tables are spread day by day that the Candle of the Lord shines continually on their tabernacle and that in all things they have their hearts desire Setting aside the common attendencies of humane nature and nothing befalls them grievous in the world Thus it is with them And surely had I an interest in his Grace in Pardon the God of Israel would not thus pursue a Flea in the Mountains nor set himself in battel array against a leaf driven to and fro with the wind he would spare me a little and let me alone for a moment but as things are with me I fear my way is hidden from the Lord and my Judgement is passed over from my God These kind of thoughts do perplex the minds of men and keep them off from partaking of that strong consolation which God is abundantly wiling they should receive by a comfortable perswasion of a blessed Interest in that forgiveness that is with him And this was the very case of David or at least these outward Troubles were a special part of those depths out of which he cryed for relief by a sense of Pardon Grace and Redemption with God I answer to these Complaints First That there are so many excellent things spoken concerning Afflictions their Necessity their Usefulness and the like such blessed ends are assigned unto them and in many have been compassed and fulfilled by them that a man unacquainted with the exercise wherewith they are attended would think it impossible that any one should be shaken in mind as to the Love and favour of God on their account But as the Apostle tells us that no Afflictions are joyous at present but grievous So he who made in the close of his Trials that solemn profession That it was good for him that he had been affected yet we know as hath been declared how he was distressed under them There are therefore sundry Accidental things which accompany great Afflictions that seem to exempt them from the common Rule and the promise of Love and Grace As 1. The Remembrance of past and buryed misearriages and sins lyes in the bosom of many Afflictions It was so with Job Thou makest me saith he to possess the sins of my youth See his plea to that purpose chap. 13. 23 24 25 26 27. In the midst of his troubles and distresses God revived upon his spirit a sense of former sins even the sins of his youth and made him to possess them he filled his soul and mind with thoughts of them
Peace you may find This is the putting of the hand into the side of Christ but blessed are they who believe and yet have not seen RULE III. If you have at any time formerly received any especial or Immediate pledge or testimony of God given unto your souls as unto their Sincerity and consequently their Regeneration labour to recover it and to revive a sense of it upon your Spirits now in your darkness and trouble I am perswaded there are but few Believers but that God doth at one time or other in one duty or other entring into or coming out of one Temptation or another give some singular Testimony unto their own souls and consciences concerning their Sincerity and his Acceptance of them Sometimes he doth this in a duty wherein he hath enabled the soul to make so near an approach unto him as that it hath been warmed enlivened sweetned satisfied with the presence the gracious presence of God and which God hath made unto him as a token of his uprightness Sometimes when a man is entring into any great Temptation Trial difficult or dangerous duty that death it self is feared in it God comes in by one means or other by a secret intimation of his Love which he gives him to take along with him for his furniture and provision in his way and thereby testifies to him his Sincerity And this serves like the food of Elijah for forty daies in a wilderness condition Sometimes he is pleased to shine immediately into the soul in the midst of its darkness and sorrow wherewith it is surprized as not looking for any such expression of kindness and is thereby relieved against its own pressing self-condemnation And sometimes the Lord is pleased to give these tokens of Love unto the soul as its refreshment when it is coming off from the storm of Temptations wherewith it hath been tossed And many other times and seasons there are wherein God is pleased to give unto Believers some Especial Testimony in their consciences unto their own Integrity But now these are all wrought by a transient operation of the Spirit exciting and enabling the heart unto a spiritual sensible apprehension and receiving of Gods expressing kindness towards it These things abide not in their sense and in their power which they have upon our Affections but immediately pass away They are therefore to be treasured up in the mind and judgement to be improved and made use of by Faith as occasion shall require but we are apt to lose them Most know no other use of them but whilst they feel them yea through ignorance in our duty to improve them they prove like a sudden light brought into a dark place and again removed which seems to increase and really aggravates our sense of the darkness The true Use of them is to lay them up and ponder them in our hearts that they may be Supportments and Testimonies unto us in a time of need Have you then who are now in the dark as to your state or condition whether you are Regenerate or no ever received any such refreshing and chearing Testimony from God given unto your Integrity and your Acceptance with him thereupon call it over again and make use of it against those discouragements which arise from your present darkness in this matter and which keeps you off from sharing in the consolation tendred unto you in this Word of Grace RULE IV. A due spiritual Consideration of the Causes and Effects of Regeneration is the ordinary way and means whereby the souls of Believers come to be satisfied concerning that work of God in them and upon them The principle or causes of this work are the Spirit and the Word He that is born again is born of the Spirit Joh. 3. 6. and of the Word Of his own Will begat he us by the word of his Truth Jam. 1. 18. We are born again by the Word of God that abideth for ever 1 Pet. 1. 23. Where ever then a man is regenerate there hath been an effectual work of the Spirit and of the Word upon his soul. This is to be inquired into and after Ordinarily it will discover it self Such impressions will be made in it upon the soul such a change will be wrought and produced in it as will not escape a spiritual diligent search and enquiry And this is much of the duty of such as are in the dark and uncertain concerning the accomplishment of this work in themselves Let them call to mind what have been the actings of the Spirit by the Word upon their souls What Light thereby hath been communicated unto their minds what discoveries of the Lord Christ and way of Salvation have been made to them what sense and detestation of sin have been wrought in them what satisfaction hath been given unto the soul to chuse accept and acquiesce in the Righteousness of Christ what Resignation of the heart unto God according to the tenor of the Covenant of Grace it hath been wrought unto Call to mind what Transactions there have been between God and your souls about these things how far they have been carryed on whether you have broken off the Treaty with God and refused his Terms or if not where the stay is between you and what is the Reason since God hath graciously begun to deal thus with you that you are not yet come to a through close with him in the work and design of his Grace the defect must of necessity lye on your parts God doth nothing in vain Had he not been willing to receive you he would not have dealt with you so far as he hath done There is nothing then remains to firm your condition but a resolved Act of your own Wills in answering the mind and will of God And by this search may the soul come to satisfaction in this matter or at least find out and discover where the stick is whence their uncertainty doth arise and what is wanting to compleat their desires Again this work may be discovered by its Effects There is something that is produced by it in the soul which may also be considered either with respect unto its Being and Existence or unto its Actings and Operations in the first regard it is Spirit Joh. 3. 6. That which is born of the Spirit which is produced by the effectual operation of the Spirit of God it is Spirit A new Creature 2 Cor. 15. 17. He that is in Christ Jesus who is born again is a new Creature a new life a spiritual life Gal. 2. 20. Ephes. 2. 1. In brief it is an habitual furnishment of all the faculties of the soul with new spiritual vital principles enabling a person in all instances of Obedience to lead a spiritual life unto God This principle is by this work produced in the soul and in respect of its Actings it consists in all the gracious operations of the Mind Will Heart or Affections in the duties of Obedience which God hath required
of us This is that which gives life unto our duties without which the best of our works are but dead works and renders them acceptable unto the Living God It is not my business at large to pursue and declare these things I only mention them that persons who are kept back from a participation of the Consolation tendred from the forgiveness that is with God because they cannot comfortably conclude that they are born again as knowing that it is unto such persons alone unto whom these Consolations do truly and really belong may know how to make a right judgement of themselves Let such persons then not fluctuate up and down in Generals and Uncertainties with heartless complaints which is the ruine of the peace of their souls but let them really put things to the trial by the examination of the Causes and Effects of the work they enquire after It is by the use of such means whereby God will be pleased to give them all the Assurance and Establishment concerning their State and Condition which is needfull for them and which may give them incouragement in their course of obedience But supposing all that hath been spoken what if a man by the utmost search and enquiry that he is able to make cannot attain any satisfactory perswasion that indeed this great work of Gods Grace hath passed upon his soul is this a sufficient ground to keep him off from accepting of supportment and consolation from this Truth that there is forgiveness with God which is the design of the Objection laid down before I say therefore further that 1. Regeneration doth not in Order of time precede the souls interest in the forgiveness that is with God or its being made partaker of the pardon of sin I say no more but that it doth not precede it in order of time not determining which hath precedency in order of nature That I confess which the method of the Gospel leads unto is that Absolution Acquitment or the pardon of sin is the foundation of the communication of all saving Grace unto the soul and so precedeth all Grace in the sinner whatever But because this Absolution or pardon of sin is to be received by faith whereby the soul is really made partaker of it and all the benefits belonging thereunto and that faith also is the radical grace which we receive in our Regeneration for it is by faith that our hearts are purified as an Instrument in the hand of the great purifier the Spirit of God I place these two together and shall not dispute as to their priority in nature but in time the one doth not precede the other 2. It is hence evident that an Assurance of being Regenerate is no way previously necessary unto the believing of an interest in forgiveness so that although a man have not the former it is or may be his duty to endeavour the latter When convinced persons cryed out What shall we do to be saved the answer was believe and you shall be so Believe in Christ and in the remission of sin by his blood is the first thing that convinced sinners are called unto They are not directed first to secure their souls that they are born again and then afterwards to believe But they are first to believe that the Remission of sin is tendred unto them in the blood of Christ and that by him they may be justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law Nor upon this proposition is it the duty of men to question whether they have faith or no but actually to believe And faith in its operation will evidence it self See Acts 13. 38 39. Suppose then that you do not know that you are Regenerate that you are born of God that you have no prevailing refreshing constant evidence or perswasion thereof should this hinder you should this discourage you from believing forgiveness from closing with the promises and thereby obtaining in your selves an interest in that forgiveness that is with God Not at all Nay this ought exceedingly to excite and stir you up unto your duty herein For 1. Suppose that it is otherwise that indeed you are yet in the state of sin and are only brought under the power of Light and Conviction this is the way for a translation into an estate of spiritual life and Grace If you will forbear the acting of faith upon and for forgiveness until you are Regenerate you may and probably you will come short both of Forgiveness and Regeneration also Here lay your foundation and then your building will go on This will open the door unto you and give you an entrance into the Kingdom of God Christ is the door do not think to climb up over the wall enter by him or you will be kept out 2. Suppose that you are born again but yet know it not as is the condition of many This is a way whereby you may receive an evidence thereof It is good embracing of all signs tokens and pledges of our spiritual condition and it is so to improve them But the best course is to follow the genuine natural actings of faith which will lead us into the most setled apprehensions concerning our Relation unto God and acceptance with him Believe first the forgiveness of sin as the effect of meer grace and mercy in Christ. Let the faith hereof be nourished and strengthened in your souls This will insensibly influence your hearts into a comforting Gospel perswasion of your state and condition towards God which will be accompanied with assured rest and peace To winde up this discourse remember that that which hath been spoken with reference unto the state of Regeneration in General may be applyed unto every particular objection or cause of fear or discouragement that may be reduced to that head Such are all Objections that arise from particular sins from Aggravations of sin by their greatness or circumstances or relapses into them The way that the consideration of these things prevail upon the mind unto fears is by begetting an apprehension in men that they are not Regenerate for if they were they suppose they could not be so overtaken or entangled The Rules therefore laid down are suited to the streights of the souls of sinners in all such particular cases Lastly There was somewhat in particular added in the close of the Objection which although it be not directly in our way nor of any great importance in it self yet having been mentioned it is not unmeet to remove it out of the way that it may not leave intanglement upon the minds of any Now this is that some know not nor can give an account of the Time of their conversion unto God and therefore cannot be satisfied that the saving work of his grace hath passed upon them This is usually and ordinarily spoken unto And I shall therefore briefly give an account concerning it 1. It hath been shewed that in this matter there are many things whereon
the nature of it and so in sundry other places And this God in an especial manner calleth souls unto in straights and distresses In quietness and confidence saith he shall be your strength Isa. 30. 15. And the effect of the Righteousness of God by Christ is said to be Quietness and Assurance for ever Isa. 32. 17. First Quietness and then Assurance Now this silence and quietness which accompanieth waiting yea which is an essential part of it is opposed first to Haste and Haste is the souls undue lifting up its self proceeding from a weariness of its condition to press after an end of its troubles not according to the conduct of the Spirit of God Thus when God calleth his people to waiting he expresseth the contrary acting unto this duty by the lifting up of the soul Hab. 2. 3 4. Though the vision tarry wait for it behold his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him but the Just shall live by faith God hath given unto the soul a vision of Peace through the discovery of that forgiveness which is with him but he will have us wait for an actual participation of it unto rest and comfort He that will not do so but lifts up his soul that is in making haste beyond the Rule and Method of the Spirit of God in this matter his heart is not upright in him nor will he know what it is to live by faith This ruines and disappoints many a soul in its attempts for forgiveness The Prophet speaking of this matter tells us that He that believeth shall not nor will not make haste Isa. 28. 16. Which words the Apostle twice making use of Rom. 9. 33 chap. 10 11. in both places renders them Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed or confounded And that because this Haste turns men off from believing and so disappoints their hopes and leaves them unto shame and confusion Men with a sense of the guilt of sin having some discovery made to them of the Rest Ease and Peace which they may obtain to their souls by forgiveness are ready to catch greedily at it and to make false unsound undue applications of it unto themselves They cannot bear the yoak that the Lord hath put upon them but grow impatient under it and cry with Rachel Give me children or I dye Any way they would obtain it Now as the first duty of such a soul is to apply its self unto waiting so the first entrance into waiting consists in this Silence and Quietness of heart and spirit This is the souls endeavour to keep its self humble satisfied with the soveraign pleasure of God in its condition and refusing all waies and means of Rest and Peace but what it is guided and directed unto by the Word and Spirit 2. As it is opposed unto Haste so it is unto tumultuating thoughts and vexatious disquietments the soul is silent Psal. 39. 9. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it He redoubles the expression whereby he sets out his endeavour to quiet and still his soul in the Will of God In the condition discoursed of the soul is apt to have many tumultuating thoughts or a multitude of perplexing thoughts of no use or advantage unto it How they are to be watched against and rejected was before declared in our General Rules This Quietness in waiting will prevent them And this is the first thing in the duty prescribed Secondly Diligence in Opposition unto spiritual sloth is included in it also Diligence is the activity of the mind in the regular use of means for the pursuit of any end proposed The End aimed at by the soul is a comforting refreshing interest in that forgiveness that is with God For the attaining hereof there are sundry means instituted and blessed of God A neglect of them through regardlesness or sloth will certainly disappoint the soul from attaining that end It is confessedly so in things natural He that soweth not must not think to reap he that cloatheth not himself will not be warm nor he enjoy health who neglects the means of it Men understand this as to their outward concerns And although they have a due respect unto the blessing of God yet they expect not to be rich without industry in their waies It is so also in things spiritual God hath appointed one thing to be the means of obtaining another in the use of them doth he bless us and from the use of them doth his Glory arise because they are his own appointments And this diligence wholly respecteth practice or the regular use of means A man is said to be diligent in business to have a diligent hand though it be an Affection of the mind yet it simply respects Practice and Operation This diligence in his waiting David expresseth Psal. 40. 1. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 We render it I have waited patiently that is waiting I have waited that is diligently earnestly in the use of means So he describes this duty by an elegant similitude Psal. 123. 2. Behold as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their Masters and as the eyes of a Maiden to the hand of her Mistress so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until he have mercy on us Servants that wait on their Masters and look to their hands it is to expect an intimation of their minds as to what they would have them do that they may address themselves unto it So saith he do we wait for mercy not in a slothfull neglect of duties but in a constant readiness to observe the Will of God in all his commands An instance hereof we have in the Spouse when she was in the condition here described Cant. 3. 1 2. She wanted the presence of her Beloved which amounts to the same state which we have under consideration For where the presence of Christ is not there can be no sense of forgiveness At first she seeks him upon her bed by night upon my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth I sought him but I found him not She seems herein to have gone no further than desires for she was in her bed where she could do no more and the issue is she found him not but doth she so satisfie her self and lye still waiting until he should come there unto her no she sayes she will rise now and go about the City in the streets and in the broad waies I will seek him whom my soul loveth She resolves to put her self into the use of all means whereby one may be sought that is wanting In the City Streets and Fields she would enquire after him And the blessed success she had herein is reported vers 4. She found him she held him she would not let him go This then belongs unto the waiting of the soul. Diligence in the use of means whereby God is pleased ordinarily to communicate a sense of pardon and forgiveness is a principal part of it What these means
are is known Prayer Meditation Reading Hearing of the Word Dispensation of the Sacraments they are all appointed to this purpose they are all means of communicating Love and Grace to the soul. Be not then heartless or slothfull up and be doing attend with diligence to the Word of Grace be fervent in prayer assiduous in the use of all Ordinances of the Church in one or other of thern at one time or other thou wilt meet with him whom thy soul loveth and God through him will speak peace unto thee Thirdly There is Expectation in it which lyes in a direct opposition to all the actings of unbelief in this matter and is the very life and soul of the duty under consideration So the Psalmist declares it Psal. 62. 5. My soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is only from him The soul will not cannot in a due manner wait on God unless it hath Expectations from him unless as James speaks he looks to receive somewhat from him chap. 1. 7. The soul in this condition regards forgiveness not only as by its self it is desired but principally as it is by God promised Thence they expect it This is expressed in the fourth Proposition before laid down namely that sin-distressed souls wait for God with earnestness intention of mind and expectation As this ariseth from the redoubling of the Expression so principally from the nature of the Comparison that he makes of himself in his waiting with them that watch for the morning Those that watch for the morning do not only desire it and prepare for it but they expect it and know assuredly that it will come Though darkness may for a time be troublesome and continue longer than they would desire yet they know that the morning hath its appointed time of return beyond which it will not tarry and therefore they look out for its Appearance on all occasions so it is with the soul in this matter So sayes David Psal. 5. 3. I will direct my prayer unto thee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and look up So we the words before are defective 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the morning or rather every morning I will order unto thee We restrain this unto prayer I will direct my peayer unto thee But this was expressed directly in the words foregoing In the morning thou shalt hear my voice that is the voice of my prayer and supplications as it is often supplied And although the Psalmist doth sometime repeat the same thing in different Expressions yet here he seemeth not so to do but rather proceeds to declare the general frame of his spirit in walking with God I will saith he order all things towards God so as that I may wait upon him in the waies of his appoinment 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and will look up It seems in our Translation to express his posture in his prayer But the Word is of another importance It is diligently to look out after that which is coming towards us a looking out after the Accomplishment of our Expectation This is a part of our waiting for God yea as was said the life of it that which is principally intended in it The Prophet calls it his standing upon his watch tower and watching to see what God would speak unto him Hab. 2. 3. namely in answer unto that prayer which he put up in his trouble He is now waiting in Expectation of an answer from God And this is that which poor weak trembling sinners are so encouraged unto Isa. 53. 3 4. Strengthen the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees say unto them that are of a fearfull heart be strong fear not behold your God will come Weakness and discouragements are the effects of Unbelief These he would have removed with an Expectation of the coming of God unto the soul according to the Promise And this I say belongs unto the waiting of the soul in the condition described Such a one doth expect and hope that God will in his season manifest himself and his Love unto him and give him an experimental sense of a blessed interest in forgiveness And the accomplishment of this purpose and promise of God it looks out after continually It will not despond and be heartless but stir up and strengthen it self unto a full expectation to have the desires of his soul satisfied in due time as we find David doing in places almost innumerable This is the duty that in the first place is recommended unto the soul who is perswaded that there is forgiveness with God but sees not its own interest therein Wait on or for the Lord. And it hath two properties when it is performed in a due manner namely patience and perseverance By the one men are kept to the length of Gods time by the other they are preserved in a due length of their own duty And this is that which was laid down in the first Proposition drawn from the words namely that continuance in watching until God appears unto the soul is necessary as that without which we cannot attain what we look after and prevailing as that wherein we shall never fail God is not to be limited nor his times prescribed unto him We know our way and the end of our Journey but our stations of especial rest we must wait for at his mouth as the people did in the wilderness When David comes to deal with God in his great distress he sayes unto him O Lord thou art my God my times are in thine hand Psal. 31. 14 15. His times of trouble and of peace of darkness and of light he acknowledged to be in the hand and at the disposal of God so that it was his duty to wait his time and season for his share and portion in them During this state the soul meets with many Oppositions difficulties and perplexities especially if its darkness be of long continuance as with some it abides many years with some all the daies of their lives Their hope being hereby deferred makes their hearts sick and their spirit oftentimes to faint and this fainting is a defect in waiting for want of perseverance and continuance which frustrates the End of it So David Psal. 27. 13. I had fainted unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord. Had I not received supportment by faith I had fainted And wherein doth that consist what was the fainting which he had been overtaken withall without the supportment mentioned it was a relinquishment of waiting on God as he manifests by the Exhortation which he gives to himself and others v. 14. Wait on the Lord be of good courage and he shall strengthen thy heart wait I say on the Lord. Wait with courage and resolution that thou faint not And the Apostle puts the blessed Event of Faith and Obedience upon the avoidance of this evil Gal. 6. 9. We shall reap if we faint not Hence we have both encouragements given against it and promises that in the
exhortation doth not lie so much in this that there is Redemption with God as that this Redemption is plenteous or abundant Secondly Here is an intimation in the Word it self of that Relation which the Goodness and Grace of God proposed hath to the blood of Christ whence it is called Redemption This as was shewed in the opening of the words hath respect unto a price the price whereby we are bought that is the blood of Christ. This is that whereby way is made for the exercise of mercy towards sinners Redemption which properly denotes actual deliverance is said to be with God or in him as the effect in the cause The causes of it are his own Grace and the blood of Christ. There are these prepared for the redeeming of Believers from sin and trouble unto his own glory And herein lyeth the incouragement that the Psalmist proposeth unto the performance of the duty exhorted unto namely to wait on God It is taken from God himself as all incouragements unto sinners to draw nigh unto him and to wait for him must be Nothing but himself can give us confidence to go unto him And it is suited unto the state and condition of the soul under consideration Redemption and Mercy are suited to give relief from sin and misery Thirdly The last verse contains a promise of the issue of the performance of this duty He shall redeem his people from all their iniquities Two things are observable in the words 1. The Certainty of the Issue or event of the duty mentioned 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and he shall or he will redeem he will assuredly do so Now although this in the Psalmist is given out by Revelation and is a new promise of God yet as it relates to the condition of the soul here expressed and the discovery made by saith of forgiveness and Redemption with God the Certainty intended in this Assertion is built upon the principles before laid down Whence therefore doth it appear whence may we infallibly conclude that God will redeem his Israel from all their iniquities I answer 1. The Conclusion is drawn from the Nature of God There is forgiveness and Redemption with him and he will act towards his people suitably to his own nature There is Redemption with him and therefore he will redeem forgiveness with him and therefore he will forgive As the Conclusion is certain and infallible that wicked men ungodly men shall be destroyed because God is Righteous and holy his Righteousness and Holiness indispensibly requiring their destruction so is the Redemption and Salvation of all that believe certain on this account namely because there is forgiveness with him he is good and gracious and ready to forgive his Goodness and Grace requires their Salvation 2. The Conclusion is certain upon the account of Gods Faithfulness in his Promises He hath promised that those who wait on him shall not be ashamed that their expectation shall not be disappointed whence the Conclusion is certain that in his time and way they shall be redeemed 2. There is the Extent of this deliverance or Redemption shall redeem Israel from all their Iniquities It was shewed in the opening of the verse that this word denotes either sin procuring trouble or trouble procured by sin and there is a respect unto both sin and its punishment From both from all of both kind God will redeem his Israel Not this or that evil this or that sin but from all evil all sin He will take all sins from their souls and wipe all tears from their Eyes Now God is said to do this on many accounts 1. On the account of the Great Cause of all actual deliverance and Redemption the blood of Christ. He hath laid an assured foundation of the whole work the price of Redemption is paid and they shall in due time enjoy the Effects and fruits of it 2. Of the Actual Communication of the Effects of that Redemption unto them This is sure to all the Elect of God to his whole Israel They shall all be made partakers of them And this is the end of all the promises of God and of the grace and mercy promised in them namely that they should be means to exhibit and give out to Believers that Redemption which is purchased and prepared for them and this is done two wayes 1. Partially initially and gradually in this life Here God gives in unto them the pardon of their sins being justified freely by his grace and in his Sanctification of them through his spirit gives them delivery from the power and dominion of sin Many troubles also he delivers them from and from all as far as they are Poenal or have any mixture of the Curse in them 2. Compleatly Namely when he shall have freed them from sin and trouble and from all the effects and consequents of them by bringing them unto the enjoyment of himself in Glory 3. The Words being thus opened we may briefly in the next place consider what they express concerning the State Condition or Actings of the soul which are represented in this Psalm Having himself attained unto the State before described and being engaged resolvedly into the performance of that duty which would assuredly bring him into an haven of full rest and peace the Psalmist applyes himself unto the residue of the Israel of God to give them incouragement unto this duty with himself from the Experience that he had of a blessed success therein As if he had said unto them Ye are now in Affictions and under troubles and that upon the account of your sins and provocations A condition I Confess sad and deplorable but yet there is hope in Israel concerning these things For consider how it hath been with me and how the Lord hath dealt with me I was in depths inexpressible and saw for a while no way or means of delivery But God hath been pleased graciously to reveal himself unto me as God pardoning Iniquity transgression and sin and in the Consolation and supportment which I have received thereby I am waiting for a full participation of the fruits of his Love Let me therefore prevail with you who are in the like condition to steer the same course with me Only let your expectations be fixed in mercy and Soveraign Grace without any regard unto any priviledge or worth in your selves Rest in the plenteous redemption those stores of Grace which are with Jehovah and according to his faithfulness in his promises he will deliver you out of all perplexing troubles Having thus opened the Words I shall now only name the doctrinal Observations that are tendred from them and so put a close to these Discourses As Obs. 1. The Lord Jehovah is the only hope for sin-distressed souls Hope in the Lord This hath been sufficiently discovered and confirmed on sundry passages in the Psalm Obs. 2. The Ground of all hope and Expectation of relief in sinners is meer Grace Mercy and Redemption Hope in the Lord