to find by experience what it is What a woful thing is it that many men should take more pains to come to this place of torment then would cost them to go to hâ—aven that men should wilfully run themselves upon the pikes not considering how painful it is nor how sharp those pikes are And this I shall endeavour to my power to set forth unto you This Text declares unto us two things 1. Who they are for whom this place is provided 2. The place it self and the nature of it 1. For whom the place is provided The Text contains a Catalogue of that black Roll though there are many more then are expressed but here are the grand crimes the ring leaders to destruction the mother sins And here we have in the first place the Fearful whereby is not meant those that are of a timorous nature for fear simply is not a sin those that are simply fearful but such as place their fear on a wrong object not where it should be That fear not God but other things more then God Such as if affliction and iniquity were put to their choice will rather choose iniquity then affliction Rather then they will have any cross betide them rather then they will incur the indignation of a man rather then they will part with their life and goods for God's cause will adventure on any thing choosing iniquity rather then affliction Job 36.21 being afraid of what they should not fear never hearing the great and mighty God This is the fearful here meant See how Elihu in Job expresses it Job 36.21 This hast thou chosen This that is iniquity rather then affliction to sin rather then to suffer Christ biddeth us not fear poor vain man but the omnipotent God that is able both to kill and to cast into Hell The man that feareth his Landlord who is able to turn him out of his house and doth not fear God who is able to turn him into Hell this dastardly spirit is one of the Captains of those that go to hell those timerous and cowardly persons that tremble at the wrath or frowns of men more then of God But what 's the reason men should thus stand more in fear of men then of God Why it is because they are sensible of what men can do unto their bodies but they cannot with Moses by faith see what that is that is invisible They are full of unbelief for had they faith they would banish all false fears See what the Lord saith Esa. 41.14 Fear not thou worm Jacob I will help thee saith the Lord. He saith not Fear not ye men or thou man for then perhaps thou mightest be thought to have some power to resist but fear not thou worm A worm you know is a poor weak thing apt to be crushed by every foot yet be this thy case be thou a worm unable to resist the leâ—st opposition yet fear not thou worm Fear not why For I will help thee saith the Lord. Couldst thou but believe in God this would make thee bold and hadst thou faith thou wouldst not fear When word was brought to the house of Jacob that two Kings were come up into the Land to invade it Esay 7.2 it is said his heart was moved as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind But what is the remedy of this fear See Esay 8.12 Fear not their fear nor be afraid that was a false and a base fear sanctifie the Lord in your hearts and let hin be your dread Esay 51.12 there is an object of our faith and comfort and a remedy against fear proposed I even I am he that comforteth thee who art thou that shouldst be afraid of a man that shall dye and the son of man that is as grass What art thou one that hast God on thy side how unworthy art thou of that high favour if thou fear man The greatest man that lives cannot shield himself from death and from a covering of worms and wilt thou be afraid of a man and forget the Lord thy Maker The more thou art taken up with the fear of man the less thou fearest God and the more thou remembrest man the more thou forgettest thy Maker You have seen the Main the Ring-Leaders which are these fearful faithless dastardly unbelieving men Now see what the filthy rabble is that followeth after and they are Abominable Murtherers c. Abominable that is unnatural such as pollute themselves with things not fit to be named but to be abhorred whether it be by themselves or with others They are the abominable here meant such as Sodom and Gomorrah who were set forth to such as an example suffering the vengeance of eternal fire Jude v. 7. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such are abominable being given up to unnatural lust Let them carry it never so secretly yet are they here ranked amongst the rest and shall have their portion in the burning Lake After these come Sorcerers Idolaters Lyars Though these may be spoken fairly of by men yet cannot that shelter them from the wrath of God they shall likewise have their part in that lake when they come to a reckoning If there be I say a generation of people that worship these say what you will of them when they come to receive their wages they shall receive their portion in that burning lake with hypocrites Those that make so fair a shew before men and yet nourish hypocrisie in their hearts these men though in regard of the outward man they so behave themselves that none can say to them black is their eye though they cannot be charged with those notorious things before mentioned yet if there be nothing but hypocrisie in their hearts let it be spun with never so fair a web never so fine a thread yet they shall have their portion in the lake they shall have their part their portion c. Then it seems these of this black guard have a peculiar interest unto this place And as it is said of Judas Acts 1.25 that he was gone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to his proper place So long as a man that is an enemy to Christ and yields him not obedience is out of Hell so long is he out of his place Hell is the place assigned to him and prepared for him he hath a share there and his part and portion he must have till he is come thither he is but a wanderer The Evangelist tells us Mat. 23.15 that the Scribes and Pharisees went about to gain Proselytes and when they had all done they made them seven times more the children of hell than themselves filios Gehennae So that a Father hath not more right in his Son than Hell hath in them He is a vessel of wrath filled top full of iniquity and a child of the Devils So that as we say the Gallows will claim its right so hell will claim its due But mistake me not all this that I speak concerning hell is
the Law will execute Justice on him there is no benefit had by repentance the law will seize on him he should have looked to it before If thou committest Murther or Burglary it 's not enough to put one good deed for another to say I have done thus and thus for the King I kept such a Fort or I won such a Town this will not serve thy turn it will not save thy neck the law takes no knowledge of any good thing done or of any repentance This is thy estate Consider then what a case they are in that are shut up under the Law until a man hath saith it admits no exeuse requires things far above thy power to perform it will accept no repentance And therefore we may well make this Conclusion in the Galathians As many as are under the law are under the curse as it is written Cursed is every one that continues not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them Gal. 3.10 But now where are we thus shut up It 's under sin as the Apostle â—ells us For the Law discovers sin to be sin indeed that sin by the commandment may become exceeding sinful Rom. 7.13 The Law makes us see more of it than we did or possibly could come to have seen Rom. 3.20 By the Law cometh the knowledge of sin I had not known sin but by the law Yes peradventure I might have known Murther Adultery c. to have been sins but to have known them to have been exceeding sinful I could not but by the law To know what a kind of plague sin is in it self so as not to make a game of it or a small matter as many usually make it to see the ugliness of it I cannot without the law But that we may know what sin is and that we may see it to be exceeding sinful I here bring you a few Considerations which I would have you ponder on and enlarge them to your selves when you come home 1. Consider the baseness of him that offends and the excellency of him that is offended You shall never know what sin is without this twofold Considerations lay them together and it will make sin out of measure sinful See in David The drunkards made songs and ballads of him He aggravates the indignity offered him in that he was their King yet that those wretched and filthy beasts the drunkards made songs of him See it likewise in Job Cap. 29. when he had declared unto them in what glory he once was that he was a King and Prince in the Country Then see Cap. 20. They that are younger than me have me in derision whose fathers I would have disdain'd to have set with the dogs of my flock He aggravates the offence First from the dignity of the persons wronged a King and a Prince Then from the baseness and vileness of those who derided him They were such as were younger than he such as whose fathers he would have disdain'd to have set with the dogs of his flocks A great indignity and mightily aggravated by these circumstances that a King should be abased by such vile persons Now some proportion there might be between David and the drunkards Job and these men but between thee and God what proportion can thâ—re be Who art thou therefore that darest set thy self in opposition and rebellion against God What a base worm that crawleth on the earth dust and ashes and yet darest thou thy Maker Dost thou saith God lift thy self up against him before whom all the powers of Heaven do tremble whom the Angels do adore Exaltest thou thy self against him who inhabiteth Eâ—ernity What oppose thy self a base creature to Almighty God thy Creator Consider this and let the baseness of the delinquent and the Majesty and Glory of that God against whom he offends be the first aggravation of sin and thou shalt find sin out of measure sinful 2. Consider the smalness of the Motives and the littleness of the inducements that perswade thee so vile a creature to set thy self against so glorious a God If it were great mâ—tters set thee a work as the saving of thy life it were somewhat But see how small and little a thing does usually draw thee to sin A little profit it may be or pleasure It may be neither of these or not so much When thou breathest out oaths and belchest out fearful blasphemies against God when thou rendest and tearest his dreadful and terrible name what makes such a base and vile villain as thou thus to fly in Gods face Is there any profit or delight in breathing forth blasphemies Profit thou canst take none and if thou take pleasure in it then the Devil is in thee yea then thou art worst than the Devil himself This is the second Consideration which may make us to see the vileness of sin and abhor our selves for it to wit the slenderness of the temptations and smalness of the motives to it 3. Add what strong helps and means God hath given thee to keep thee from sin As I say thou shouldst consider the bitterness of the delinquent the glory of the offended the mean motives whch cause so base a creature to do so vile an act so also consider the great means God hath given thee to keep thee from sin He hath given thee his Word and this will greatly aggravate thy sins to sin against his Word Gen. 3.11 When God convinces Adam he proceeds thus far with him Hast thou saith he eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldst not eat What hast thou done it as if thou wouldst do it on purpose to cross God God hath given thee an express command to the contrary and yet hast thou done this Hast thou so often heard the Law and pray'd Lord have mercy on me and incline my heart to keep this law and yet wilt thou lye swear commit adultery and deal falsly and that contrary to the command of God obstinately disobey him Now God hath not only given this great means of his Word and Commandment but great grace too Where understand that there is not only final grace but degrees of grace else the Apostle would not have said receive not the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in vain 2 Cor. 6.1 Consider then how much grace thou hast received in vain How many motions to good hast thou rejected Perhaps thy heart is touched at this Sermon though it is not my tongue nor the tongue of the most elegant in the world that can touch the heart but the Spirit that comes along with his Word Now when thou findst with the Word a Spirit to go with it it is a grace If thy conscience be enlightned and thy duty revealed to thee so that it tells thee what thou art what thou oughtest to do and not to do it is a grace Now if for all this thou blindly runnest through and art never the better but obstinately
his Angels the strongest of creatures for the punishment of principalities and powers And if it can master Angels think not but that God hath a fire to rost thy soul. It is the soul that is in Hell onely till the day of judgment though the body be not there A man would think that the soul did not suffer but Philosophy tells us that the soul suffers mediante corpore in and by the body Therefore 't is a rule in Divinity that whatsoever God doth by means he can do without means Though the body be not there but the soul only yet God is able nay doth make the soul as well feel grief without the body as he doth by means of the body 3. But now besides thy fellow prisonerâ— in that cursed Gaol consider who are thy tormentors thou that dost continue in impenitency Now thy tormentors are these three 1. The Devil 2. Thy self 3. God Almighty 1. The Devil who is thy deadly enemy a bloody-minded adversary a murthering and merciless-minded Spirit a murtherer from the beginning a merciless tormentor who being in plagues and torments and thereby even at his wits end would fain ease himself in tormenting thee When the Devil as we read was dispossessed of a child wherein he was he rends and tears leaves him foaming that there was little hope of life in him Mar. 9.20 But now when a man shall be delivered into the hands of this merciless Spirit when God shall say to the Devil take him do what thou wilt with him do thy worst to him When thou shalt be thus put into the hands of one that hates thee and delights in thy ruine how will he tear thee into pieces How will he torment thee In how desperate and wretched a case will thy soul and body be But the tormentor within thee is far more heavy painful and grievous Mar. 9.44 46 48. That never dying worm within the sting of a guilty and wounded conscience this like a sharp dagger is still stabbing thee at the very heart This by a reflecting act upon it self will cause thee to revenge Gods quarrel on thy self and as a musket over-charged beats back on the shooter so will it most furiously return upon thee This is that that smote David when 't is said Davids heart smote him Sam. 24.10 A man needs no other fire nor other worm to torment him then that within him Which as the worms on the carkass gnaws on a wretched soul. But there is a greater tormentor then both these behind and that is 3. God himself he is highly offended and inraged at thee and therefore comes and takes the matter into his own hand and will himself be executioner of his fury There is a passage in the Thess. To this purpose which methinks is more then can be spoken by men or Angels Epist. 2. cap. 1. v. 9. Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Mark that God whom thou hast so highly provoked to wrath hath a strong hand and glorious power He shewed the glory of his power in the making the world and all things in it and all that infinite power which he hath manifested in the creation of heaven and earth shall be engaged in the tormenting of a sinner Were there a man that should lay a target of brass or a target of steel on a block and should then cleave all in sunder at a blow this would sufficiently manifest his strength So doth God make manifest his power in crushing thee to pieces There are still new charges and discharges against sinners to make his power therein manifest What if God willing to make his power known saith the Apostle Rom. 9.22 suffered a while the vessels prepared to destruction God will manifest his power by the strength of his stroke on those that rebel against him Hence proceedeth weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth which is a Metaphor taken from one either that hath a great coldness on him or from the symptoms of a Fever Add to all that hath been said these two things 1. The torment shall be everlasting you shall desire to die Rev. 9.6 that your torments may have end And here you may expect that I should say something of the eternity of the torments of the damned but I am not able nor any one else sufficiently to express it It shall continue ten thousand thousand years after that an hundred thousand times ten thousand and yet be no nearer end then at the first beginning Thou must think of it seriously thy self and pray to God to reveal it to thy soul for none else sufficiently can 2. But besides as it is everlasting so is it unabateable If a man were cast into a fire the fire coming about him would in short time blunt his senses and take away his feeling and besides the materials of the fire would soon spend and wast But it is not so here here is not the least abatement of the horror nor the least inch of torment taken away throughout all eternity It was a poor request of Dives one would think that Lazarus would dip the tip of his finger in water and cool his tongue Luk. 16.14 A cold comfort but one drop of water for the present which would soon be dried and yet that is denied him he must have no abatement of his torment Nor is there any abatement of thy feeling but thou art kept in full strength and as long as God is God shall Tophet burn and thou feel it Obj. But may some say this is preaching indeed this would affright a man and make him go hang himself sooner then be converted Sol. True should God let loose the cord of our conscience it were the way such would be the terrours of it to make a man find another cord did not God restrain him I desire not by this to hurt you but to save you I am a messenger not sent from Abraham Luk. 16.27 as Dives entreated but from the God of Abraham to forewarn you that you come not to that place of torment But now Beloved there is a way to escape this misery and that is by Jesus Christ Mat. 1.21 He was for this end called Jesus because he saves his people from their sins Mat. 1.21 And consequently from wrath Which how it is done I shall shew in a word and that is 1. By Christ Jesus offered for us And 2. By Christ Jesus offered to us By Christ offered for us he must die for us and if there be any death more cursed then other that death must he die if any more painful that must he suffer Thus he undertakes thy cause and suffers what for sin was due to thee And then being offered for us he is offered to us as we may see in the Sacrament where there are two acts of the Minister the one the breaking the bread the other the offering it to the people Thou hast as good
of grace the thing that he doth is he presents unto the Father Christ bleeding gasping dying buried and conquering death and when he presents Christ to him he opens his case and confesses his sin to the full and says Lord this is my case As a beggar when he comes to ask an alms of you he will make a preface and tell you his extremity Sir I am in great want I have nor tasted a bit of bread in so many days and unless you help me by your charity I am utterly undone Now when these two concur that there is true need in the beggar and liberality in him of whom he begs it encourages the beggar to be importunate and he prevails you may know when the beggar hath need by his tone accent or language The needy beggars tone and accent is different from the sturdy beggars that hath no need but yet though the beggar be in great misery if he see a churlish Nabal go by him he hath no heart to beg and follows him not nor begs so hard because he hath but little hope to attain any thing from him But I say let both these meet together first that the beggar is in great need then that he of whom he begs is very liberal it makes him beg hard but now cannot he pray without book Think not that I speak against praying by the book you are deceived if you think so but there must be words taken to us besides which perhaps a book will not yield us A beggars need will make him speak and he will not hide his sores but if he hath any sore more ugly or worse than another he will uncover it good Sir behold my woful and distressed case he lays all open to provoke pity So when thou comest before God in confession canst thou not find out words to open thy self to Almighty God not one word whereby thou mayst unlap thy sores and beseech him to look on thee with an eye of pity I must not mince my sins but amplifie and aggravate them that God may be moved to pardon me till we do thus we cannot expect that God should forgive us A great ado there is about auricular confession but it 's a meer bable It were better to cry out our sins at the high Cross than the confess in a Priests ear Thou whisperest in the Priest's ear what if he never tell it or if he do art thou the better Come and pour out thy heart and soul before Almighty God confess thy self to him as David did for that hath a promise made to it Psal. 51.4 Against thee thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight that thou may be justified when thou speakest and clear when thou judgest Why so Why one main cause why we should confess sin is to justifie God When a sinner confesses I am a child of wrath and of death if thou castest me into hell as justly thou mayst I have received but my due when a man does thus as the King's Attourney may frame a Bill of Inditement against himself he justifies Almighty God He gives God the honour of that justice which at the present he executes in pouring horrour into the conscience of the sinner and hath farther in store in providing the Lake of fire and brimstone for the impenitent Thus did David Against thee against thee c. Now when we have thus aggravated our misery comes the other part of begging to cry for mercy with earnestness and here 's the power of the Spirit It 's one thing for a man to pray and another thing for a man to say a prayer but to pray and cry for mercy as David did in good earnest to wrestle with God to say Lord My life lies in it I will never give thee over I will not go with a denial this is termed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 this is the work of God's Spirit I named you a place in Jude ver 20. where the Apostle exhorts but ye beloved build up your selves in your most holy faith praying in the Holy Ghost there 's the prayer of the faithful to pray in the Holy Ghost And in the Ephesians we read of an Armour provided for all the parts of a man's body yet will not serve the turn unless prayer come in as the chief Ephes. 6.18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit and watching thereunto with all perseverance c. This is the prayer of faith that procures forgiveness of sins we must pray in faith and in the Spirit that is the language which God understands He knoweth the meaning of the Spirit and knoweth none else but that Many men are wondrously deceived in that which they call the Spirit of prayer One thinks it is a faculty to set out ones desires in fair words shewing earnestness and speaking much in an extemporary prayer This we think commendable yet this is not the Spirit of prayer One that shall never come to Heaven may be more ready in this than the child of God for it is a matter of skill and exercise the Spirit of prayer is another thing The Spirit helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought the Spirit it self makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered Rom. 8.26 What shall we think then that the Holy Ghost groans or speaks in prayer No but it makes us groan and though we speak not a word yet it so enlarges our hearts as that we send up a volley of sighs and groans which reach the Throne of grace And this is the Spirit of prayer when with these sighs and groans I beg as it were for my life This is that ardent affection the Scripture speaks of A cold prayer will never get forgiveness of sins it 's the prayer of faith which prevails The prayer of the people availeth much if it be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fervent In the Ancient Churches those that were possessed with an evil spirit were called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 because that caught them up and made them do actions not sutable to their nature Prayer is a fire from Heaven which if thou hast it will carry all Heaven before it there is nothing in the world so strong as a Christian thus praying Prayers that are kindled with such a zeal are compared to Jacobs wrestling with the Angel Hos. 12.4 whereby he had power over the Angel The Prophet expounds what this wrestling was he wept and made supplication unto him he found him in Bethel and there he spake with him This is the wrestling with God when thou fillest Heaven with thy sighs and sobs and bedewest thy couch with thy tears as David did and hast thy resolution with Jacob I will not let thee go except thou bless me God loves this kind of boldness in a beggar that he will not go away without an answer As the poor Widow in the Parable that would not give over her suit
point of conscience therefore First I declared unto you the nature of faith How God first works the will and the deed and that there is a hungring and thirsting after Christ. First I say there is a will and desire to be made partaker of Christ and his righteousness then there is the deed too We are not only wishers and woulders but do actually approach unto the Throne of grace and there lay hold on Christ touch the Golden Scepter which he holdeth out unto us but Object Now you will ask Is there not an earnest and good desire in a temporary faith a desire unfeign'd Sol. Yes there may be for a time a greater and more vehement desire in a temporary then in a true believer then in the elect themselves all their life Object Where 's the difference then I thought all had been well with me when I had such a desire as I could scarce be at rest till it were accomplished Sol. I answer beloved It is a hard matter to tell you the difference but you must consider 1. From whence this desire flows whether it come from an accidental cause as if by accident my heart be made more soft and I more sensible of my condition or whether my nature be changed to give you an instance in iron when iron is put into the forge it is softned and as soon as it 's taken forth we say 't is time to strike while the iron is hot the fire hath made a change in it it 's malleable the hammer is able to work on it but let the fire be gone and it 's as hard as before nay we say steel is harder so that there is no change in the nature of iron it 's hard still redit ad ingenium it goes back into its own estate If it be softned it is by an accidental cause so here as long as the temporary faith is in the furnace of afflictions when God shall let loose the cord of his conscience and makes him see that there is no way for salvation but by Christ then the sense of his torture will make him desire with all the veins in his heart to have Christ. See a singular example of this temporary desire in Psal. 78.34 When he slew them then they sought him and returned and enquired early after God So Prov. 1.27 When their fear was on them as desolation and their destruction as a whirlwind when distress and anguish cometh upon you then shall they call upon me c. Not with a feigned desire but in truth and reality they desire relief They remembred then that God was their Rock and the high God their Redeemer they saw a Redeemer when he was slaying of them and they believed that God would free them though it was but temporary Nevertheless they flattered him with their mouths and lied unto him with their tongues for their heart was not right with him neither were they stedfast in his Covenant Observe then this was but a temporary case a temporary change there was no new creature no new nature wrought but being in the furnace of affliction as long as the fire was hot they were pliable they were not stedfast in his Covenant Let this be an admonition to them that think they never can have true faith till God slay them I am not of that opinion God sometimes useth this means but it is not so necessary as that it cannot be oâ—herwise and to speak truly I had rather have faith that comes another way The difference is this The temporary believers will have Christ while God is slaying of them whilst they are in the furnace of afflictions but the other in cold blood when God's hand is not on them The true believer is sick of love and when he hath no affliction nor God's hand on him with the Apostle he accounts all things dung and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus Philip. 3.8 There is an ardent desire when this external cause draws not If when thou art out of the forge thou hast thy heart softned and findest this work of grace and faith to drive thee to Christ thou hast a faith unfeigned and so the faith of God's elect Again there is not only this desire in him who hath a temporary faith but having understood the Word he so desires it that when he knows there is no having Christ nor happiness or salvation by him unless he deny himself and part from his evil ways being perswaded of this out of self-love he would have Christ and seeing these be the terms that he must turn a new leaf and lead a new life or go to hell therefore he will do this too this is much yet I say he doth this too but how shall this be proved most evidently in 2 Pet. 2.20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ they are again intangled and overcome the latter end with them is worse than the beginning Here is that Apostacy and here is the subject of the temporary faith It had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness than after they have known it to turn from the holy Commandment delivered unto them this was a temporary conversion as Ephraim like a broken bow turned back in the day of battel Psal. 78.9 Observe what they did they were like the foolish Virgins they kept their maiden-heads in respect of the pollutions of the world they lived very civilly they escaped the pollutions of the world and no man could challenge them of any filthy act they knew that Christ was the King of Saints and had the knowledge of him they knew that it was not fit that the King of glory and holiness should be attended on by the black guard that they must have sanctity that will follow him and therefore they laboured to be fit to attend him They escaped the pollutions of the world but yet it continues not Why so For it happened to them according to the true Proverb the Dog is returned to his vomit and the Sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire Mark the Dog turns again to his own vomit This proceeds from some pang in his stomach that enforceth that filthy beast to disgorge it self that it may have some ease but he quickly gathers it up again as soon as the pang is over Some there are that would be content to hide their iniquity under their tongues at Job speaks chap. 20. vers 12. but there comes a pang sometimes a pang in their consciences which forceth them to vomit up their sweet bits again but well the fit is gone and being gone they like the filthy dog return to their vomit again considering the pleasure which they took in that filthy thing that they did disgorge themselves was but from that pang and present pinch not from the loathing or hatred of the thing and therefore they return again
say what comfort then may I have of the first work of the Spirit in me For as yet I have found none of these things I have not been thus humbled nor terrifyed nor had such experience as you speak of in that state under the spirit of bondage I answer though this be a work of the spirit yet it is not the principal justifying and saving work of the spirit yea the children of the Devil may come to have a greater measure of this then Gods own dear Children whom for the most part he will not affright nor afflict in that terrible manner as he doth some of them but the consequence of this is more to be accounted of then the measure to see whither that measure I have what ever it be leads me For if the measure were never so absolutely necessary to salvation then all Gods Children should have enough of it But I make a difference still between humiliation and humility which is a grace of it self and leads me along with comfort and Life Thus therefore I think of humiliation if I have so much of it as will bring me to see my danger and cause me to run to the medicine and City of refuge for help to hate sin for time to come and to set my self constantly in the ways and practice of holiness it is enough And so I say in the case of Repentance if a man have a sight of sin past and a heart firmly set against all sin for the time to come the greater and firmer this were the lesser measure of sorrow might suffice for sins fore-past As we see a wise Father would never beat his Child for faults that are past but for the prevention of that which is to come for we see in time of Correction the Child cryes out O I will never do so any more So God deals with us because our resolutions and promises are faint and fail and that without much mourning humiliation and Stripes we attain not this hatred of sins past and strength against them for time to come therefore it is that our humiliation and sorrow must be proportionable to that work which is to be done otherwise any measure of it were sufficient which fits us for the time to come But I will add there are indeed divers measures of it according unto which the conscience is wounded or eased when there is a tough melancholy humour that the powers of the soul are distracted good Duties omitted and the heart so much the more hardned When upon this the Lord le ts loose the band of the conscience oppressing the same with exceeding fears and terrours this the Lord uses as a wedge to cleave in sunder a hard piece of wood God then doth shew us because we would not plough our selves we shall be ploughed If we would judge our selves saith the Apostle we should not be judged and therefore the Church confesses and complains Psalm 129.2 That the ploughers ploughed upon her back and made deep furrows Why How came this she did not plough up her own fallow ground wherefore the Lord sent her other strangers and harsh ploughers that ploughed her soundly indeed Wherefore doth God thus deal with his Children because he is the great and most wise Husband-man who will not sow amongst thorns Therefore when he is about to sow the seed of Eternal Life in the soul which must take deep root and grow for ever he will have the ground throughly ploughed The way then to avoid these things that are so harsh and displeasing to flesh and blood is to take the Rod betimes and beat our selves for when we are slow and secure and omit this God doth do the work himself But yet God makes a difference of good education in those who have kept themselves from the common pollutions and gross sins of the times it pleaseth God saith comes into them they know not how nor the time Grace drops in by little and little now a little and then a little by degrees sin is more and more hated and the heart inflamed with a desire of good things in a conscionable Life But in a measure I say such must have had have or shall have fears and terrours so much as may keep them from sin and quicken them to go on constantly in the ways of holiness or when they fly out of the way they shall smart for it and be whipped home again yet for the main they find themselves as it were in Heaven they know not how But if a man have stuck deep and long in sin he must look for a greater measure of humiliation and fear and a more certain time of his calling there must be hawling and pulling such a man out of the fire with violence and he must not look to obtain peace and comfort with ease God will thunder and lighten in such a man's conscience in Mount Sinai before he speak peace unto him in Mount Zion A second time there is also of a great measure of humiliation which is though a man may be free from great gross sins and worldly pollutions when the Lord intends to shew the feeling of his mercy and the sense thereof to any in an extraordinary measure or to fit them for some high services then they shall be much humbled before as we see St. Paul was Act. 8.9 God did thunder upon him and beat him down in the High way to the ground being stricken with blindness for three days after Thus much shall suffice to have been spoken of the 15th verse touching the Spirit of Bondage and the spirit of Adoption The Apostle tells them they may thank God the spirit of fear thus came that hereafter they might partake of the Spirit of Adoption to fear no more he stirs them up as it were to be thankful because now they had obtained a better state Why what estate A very high one vers 16. The Spirit it self beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God ROM 8.16 The same Spirit beareth witness with our spirits that we are the children of God HAving spoken concerning the Spirit of Bondage and the Spirit of Adoption in the former verse the Apostle in these words that I have now read doth as it were stir up those unto thankfulness to whom he writes because they had now attained to a better state The Spirit it self bearing witness with their spirits that they are the children of God The thing then is to know our selves to be the children of God there must be sound evidences here then are two set down whose Testimony we cannot deny I will touch them as briefly as I can and so will make an end First the witness of our spirit Secondly the witness of God's Spirit with our spirits These are two Evidences not single but compounded wherein you see there may be some work of our spirit But some may say our spirit is deceitful how then can our own spirit work in this manner to
all for Christ 96 97 Free grace in bringing sinners to Christ 84 No Free will to good 86 G. TO be given up to our selves a more fearful thing than to be given up to Satan 44 52 The Gospel not seasonable nor savoury till the Law hath been preached 33. How the Gospel differs from the Law 36 The fulness and freedom of the Grace of the Gospel not hindred by the conditions of Faith and Obedience 84 85 Guilt of sin taken away in Justification 133 134 H. HArdness of heart a hindrance to Conversion 2 3 Hell for whom provided 56 Hell described 157 c. That Christ suffered not the pains of Hell proved 80 Christians rejoyce in Hope 151 The Humiliation of Christ v. Christ. I. IMputation of Righteousness See Righteousness To be given up to Insensibleness a woful thing 52 53 Joy in the sense of God's love surpasseth all worldly joy 98. It is attainable ibid. The reason why many believers are strangers to it 98. Some Joy may be in a Temporary 121. How to try true Joy 151. Means to get it 151 152 Justification what it signifies 123. How the Fathers used the Word 123. Justification one simple act of God 124 How we are said to be justified by Faith and how by Christ's blood 93 134 In what sense we are Justified by Faith according to Paul and in what sense by Works according to James 124 Impossible to be justified but by imputed Righteousness 125 129 130. In the instant of Justification no sins are remitted but those that are past 130. A twofold Justification 127 Why a justified person may and must pray for the remission of sins past 131 Justification frees from the punishment and guilt too 133 134 Justification confounded by the Papists with sanctification 125. The difference between them 135 137 No Justification before Faith 142 How we are Justified by Faith alone 141 Judgment in Scripture sometime taken for Righteousness inherent 139 How men are deceived in Judging of of their spiritual estate 18 K. KNowledge one act of Faith 95 L. THe use of the Law 33 65 112 It is necessary to be preached before the Gospel 33 112 Men are under the Law till they come to Christ 35. how fearful a thing it is to be under the Law 35 36. the difference between the Law and the Gospel in three particulars 36 Love of God twofold 91. No temporary believer loves God 123 To be given up to our own Lusts a more fearful thing than to be given up to Satan 43 44 M WAnt of Meditation one cause most believers have so little joy in God 98 Mistakes in judging our spiritual estates See Judging Morality too much trusted to 21. It 's insufficient to bring men to heaven ibid. N. NAtural reason not to be trusted to 21. Too short to convince of sin throughly 22 Mans condition by Nature described 25. The Natural man dead in sin 29. His best works cannot please God and why 29.30 The Curses attending a Natural man in this world 49 c. Two blows that God gives a Natural mans soul in this life the one sensible 51. the other insensible 52. The Curses attending him at Death 53 c. O. CHrists active Obedience mixed with his passive 73 Wherein his active Obedience consisted 74 c. Wherein his passive 75 Partial Obedience a false glass to judge our estates by 21 To design only our Old age for God is dishonourable to him 9 10 Old age most unfit for Repentance 11 12 Men apt to have too good Opinion of themselves 17. The causes of it 1â— c. Men deceived in judging of their estates by the good Opinions of others 19 P. PArtial Obedience see Obedience Passive Obedience see Obedience Peace a fruit of Faith 143 147. Why many Christians want the sense of it 143 144 147 The differences between a true and a false Peace 148 The Causes of a Carnal Peace 147 148 Christ is our Peace 149 Spirit of Prayer what 115 116 1. The Importunity and efficacy of it 116 Why a person already justified may and must Pray for the forgiveness of sins past 130 131 R. NAtural Reason see Natural To Receive Christ what 85 What Reformation may be in a natural man 120 121 Repentance prevents ruine 3 Repentance not in our own power but in Gods gift 6. The sinfulness of deferring it 5 Death-bed Repentance the hindrances of it 13. Not to be trusted to 14. Hard to prove it sound 14 Superficial Repentance is vain 24 Repentance in what respects necessary to justification 132 Remission of sin See Forgiveness Resting or Relying upon God a proper Act of Faith 96 Righteousness two fold 123 129 Imputative Righteousness what it is 125 129. Impossible to be justified without it and why 129 130 S Sanctification a distinct thing from Justification 127 Satan See Devil A difficult thing to be Saved 22. Sealing a distinct thing from Faith 137. The Causes of Security 149. Self-Examination necessary to Conversion 17. a mark of a sound believer 128. Self flattery See flattery Self-Love how it deceives men in judging their estates 18. Sin continued in hastens Gods judgements 2.3 Sin compared to a weight 11. to Cords 12 Sin gets strength by continuance 12. The Sinfulness of Sin set forth in 6. considerations 37.38 c. The dreadful fruits and consequence of Sin It pollutes the Soul 41. It makes men loathsom to God 42 It brings the Devil into the heart 43. It calls for wages 45. The greatness of Sin should be no bar against believing in Christ 85. No Sin overtops the value of Christs blood ibid. Encouragements for Sinners to come to Christ 85. Sin not discovered throughly but by the spirit 109 Sin may be cast away and yet no true Conversion 121 Sin is only a Privation and no positive being 124 Sins not pardoned before they be committed 115. The guilt and punishment of Sin taken away in Justification 133 Spirit of Bondage what 109 Spirit of Prayer see Prayer T. A Temporary Faith how far it may go 117 c. How to know it from true faith 120 Temporary Believers desire Christ only in affliction 120. They do but only tast of Christ 121. They desire mercy but not grace 122. They do nothing out of love to God 122 The sinfulness of thoughts 42 The end of Gods Threatnings 3 U. UNregenerate Men See Natural Our unworthiness should not keep us from coming to Christ. 84 W. THe Will wrought by God as well as the deed 112. The Will more than the Deed 112. How God takes the Will for the deed 113 He that hath a Will to receive Christ hath a warrant to receive him 86 God alone enclines the Will to receive Christ ibid. A woful thing to be suffered by God to have our own Wills in this world 66 Our Wills must be crossed here or for ever hereafter ibid. The Willingness of Christs sufferings rendred them the more meritorious 74 The Word presented to our faith