if my Covenant be not with Day and Night and if I have not appointed the Ordinances of Heaven and Earth then will I cast away the Seed of Jacob. But Heaven can not be measured not the Foundations of the Earth searched out beneath his Covenant is also with day and night and he hath appointed the Ordinances of Heaven therefore he will not cast away the Seed of Jacob who are the coming ones but will certainly save them from the dreadful Wrath to come Jer. 33. 25 26. chap. 50. 4 5. By this therefore it is manifest that it is not the greatness of sin nor thy long continuance in it no nor yet thy back-sliding nor the pollution of thy Nature that can put a bar in against or be an hinderance of the Salvation of the coming sinner For if indeed this could be then would this solemn and absolute Determination of the Lord Jesus of its self fall to the ground and be made of none effect But his Counsel shall stand and he will do all his pleasure That is his pleasure in this for this promise this irreversible conclusion ariseth of his Pleasure and he will stand to it and will fulfil it because it is his pleasure Suppose that one man had the sins or as many sins as an hundred and another should have an hundred times as many as he yet if they come this word I will in no wise cast out secures them both alike Suppose a man hath a desire to be saved and for that purpose is coming in truth to Jesus Christ but he by his debauched Life has damned many in hell why the dore of hope is by these words set as open for him as it is for him that hath not the thousandth part of his Transgressions And him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Suppose a man is coming to Christ to be Saved and hath nothing but sin and an ill-spent life to bring with him Why let him come and welcome to Jesus Christ And he will in no wise cast him out Luk. 7. 41. Is not this Love that passeth knowledg is not this Love the wonderment of Angels and is not this Love worthy of all acceptation at the hands and hearts of coming sinners Secondly That which is implyed in the words is First The coming Souls hath those that continually lie at Jesus Christ to cast them Secondly The coming Souls are afraid that these will prevail with Christ to cast them off For these words are spoken to satisfie us and to stay up our Spirits against these two dangers I will in no wise cast out First For the First Coming Souls have those that continually lye at Jesus Christ to cast them off And there are three things that thus bend themselves against the coming sinner First There is the Devil that Accuser of the brethren that accuses them before God day and night Revel 12. 10. This Prince of Darkness is unwearied in this work he doth it as you see day and night that is without ceasing He continually puts in his Caveats against thee if so be he may prevail How did he ply it against that good man Job if possible he might have obtained his destruction in Hell fire He objected against him that he served not God for nought and tempted God to put forth his Hand against him urging that if he did it he would Curse him to his face and all this as God witnesseth He did without a Cause Job 1. 9 10 11. chap. 2. 4. 5. How did he ply it with Christ against Joshua the high Priest And he shewed me Joshua said the Prophet the high Priest standing before the Angel of the Lord and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him Zech. 3. To resist him that is to prevail with the Lord Jesus Christ to resist him Objecting the uncleanness and unlawful Marriage of his Sons with the Gentiles for that was the Crime that Satan laid against them Ezra 10. 18. Yea and for ought I know Joshua was also guilty of the fact but if not of that of Crimes no whit inferior for he was Cloathed with filthy Garments as he stood before the Angel neither had he one word to say in vindication of himself against all that this wicked one had to lay against him But notwithstanding that he came off well but he might for it thank a good Lord Jesus because he did not resist him but contrariwise took up his cause pleaded against the Devil excused his infirmity and put justifying Robes upon him before his Adversaries Face And the Lord said unto Satan The Lord Rebuke thee O Satan even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem Rebuke thee Is not this a Brand pluckt out of the Fire And he answered and spake to those that stood before him saying Take away the filthy Garments from him and to him he said Behold I have caused thine iniquities to pass from thee and will Cloath thee with chang of Raiment Again how did Satan ply it against Peter when he desired to have him that he might sift him as Wheat that is if possible sever all Grace from his heart and leave him nothing but flesh and filth to the end he might make the Lord Jesus loath and abhor him Simon Simon said Christ Satan hath desired to have you that he might sift you as Wheat But did he prevail against him No But I have prayed for thee that thy Faith fail not As who should say Simon Satan hath desired me that I would give thee up to him and not only thee but all the rest of thy Brethren for that the word you imports but I will not leave thee in his hand I have prayed for thee thy saith shall not sail I will secure thee to the Heavenly Inheritance Luk. 22. 30 31 32. Secondly As Satan so every sin of the coming-sinner comes in with a Voice against him if perhaps they may prevail with Christ to cast off the Soul When Israel was coming out of Egypt to Canaan how many times had their sins thrown them out of the mercy of God had not Moses as a Type of Christ stood in the breach to turn away his VVrath from them Psal. 106. 23. our Iniquities testify against us and would certainly prevail against us to our utter rejection and Damnation had we not an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous 1 Joh. 2. 1 2. The sins of the old World cryed them down to Hell the sins of Sodom fetched upon them Fire from Heaven which devoured them the sins of the Egyptians cryed them down to Hell because they came not to Jesus Christ for Life Coming-sinner thy sins are no whit less than any Nay perhaps they are as big as all theirs VVhy is it then that thou livest when they are dead and that thou hast a promise of Pardon when they had not Why thou art coming to Jesus Christ and therefore sin shall not be thy ruin Thirdly As Satan and
admit of such Objections to the discouraging of their own Souls For this VVord in no wise cutteth the Throat of all Objections and it was dropt by the Lord Jesus for that very end and to help the Faith that is mixed with Unbelief And it is as it were the sum of all Promises neither can any Objection be made upon the unworthyness that thou findest in thee that this Promise will not asoile But I am a great sinner sayst thou I will in no wise cast out sayes Christ. But I am an old sinner sayst thou I will in no wise cast out sayes Christ. But I am a hard hearted sinner sayst thou I will in no wise cast out sayes Christ. But I am a back-sliding sinner sayst thou I will in no wise cast out sayes Christ. But I have served Satan all my dayes sayst thou I will in no wise cast out sayes Christ. But I have sinned against Light sayst thou I will in no wise cast out sayes Christ. But I have sinned against mercy sayst thou I will in no wise cast out sayes Christ. But I have no good thing to bring with me say'st thou I will in no wise cast out sayes Christ. Thus I might go on to the end of things and shew you that still this promise was provided to answer Objections And doth answer them But I say what need it be if they that are coming to Jesus Christ are not sometimes yea oft-times heartily afraid that Jesus Christ will cast them out I will give you now two instances that seem to imply the truth of this observation In the Nineth of Matthew at the Second Verse you read of a man that was sick of the Palsie and he was coming to Jesus Christ being born upon a bed by his Friends He also was coming himself and that upon another account than any of his friends was aware of even for the pardon of sins and the Salvation of his Soul Now so soon as ever he was come into the presence of Christ Christ bids him be of good chear it seems then his heart was fainting but what was the cause of this fainting but the guilt and burden of his sins therefore he proceeds Be of good chear thy sins are forgiven thee I say Christ saw him sinking in his mind about how it would go with his most Noble part and therefore first he applies himself to him upon that account For though his friends had Faith enough as to the cure of the Body yet he himself had little enough as to the Cure of his Soul Therefore Christ takes him up as a man falling down saying Son be of good Cheer thy Sins are forgiven thee That about the Prodigal seemes pertinent also to this matter When he was come to himself he said how many hired Servants of my Father have Bred enough and to spare and I perish for Hunger I will arise now and go to my Father Heartily spoken But how did he perform his Promise I think not so well as he promised to do And my ground for my Thoughts is because his Father so soon as he was come at him fell upon his Neck and Kist him Implying methinks as if the Prodegal by this time was dejected in his mind and therefore his Father gives him the most sudden and familiar token of Reconciliation And Kisses were of old time often used to remove Doubts and Fears Thus Laban and Esau Kiss Jacob. Thus Joseph Kissed his Brethren and thus also David Kissed Absolom Gen. 31. 55. chap. 33. 1 2 3 4 5 6. chap. 48. 9 10. 2 Sam. 14. 33. 'T is true as I said at first setting out he spake heartily as sometimes Sinners also do in their beginning to come to Jesus Christ But might not he yea in all probability he had between the first step he took and the last by which he accomplished that journey many a thought both this way and that as whether his Father would receive him or no As thus I said I would go to my Father but how if when I come at him he should ask me Where I have all this while bin VVhat must I say then Also if he asks me What is become of the portion of Goods that he gave me VVhat shall I say then If he asks me Who have bin my Companions VVhat shall I say then If he also shall ask me What hath bin my Preferment in all the time of mine absence from him VVhat shall I say then Yea and if he ask me Why I came home no sooner What shall I say then Thus I say might he reason with himself And being Conscious to himself that he could give but a bad Answer to any of these Interogatories no marvel if he stood in need first of all of a Kiss from his Fathers Lips For had he answered the first in Truth he must say I have bin a haunter of Taverns and Alehouses and as for my Portion I spent it in Riotous Living my Companions were Whores and Drabs As for my preferment the highest was that I became a Hoggard and as for my not coming home till now Could I have made shift to have staid abroad any longer I had not lain at thy Feet for Mercy now I say these things considered and considering again how prone poor man is to give way when truly awakned to despondings and heart-misgiveings no marvel if he sink in his mind between the time of his first setting out and that of his coming to his Father 3. But Thirdly methinks I have for the confirmation of this Truth the consent of all the Saints that are under Heaven to witt That they that are Coming to Jesus Christ are oft-times heartily afraid that he will not receive them Quest. But what should be the Reason I will Answer to this Question thus First It is not for want of the revealed VVill of God that manifesteth grounds for the Contrary for that there is a sufficiency of yea the Text it self hath laid a sufficient Foundation for incouragement for them that are Coming to Jesus Christ. And him that Cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Secondly It is not for want of an Invitation to Come for that is full and plain Come unto me all ye that Labor and are heavy Laden and I will give you Rest Mat. 11. 28. Thirdly Neither is it for want of a manifestation of Christs willingness to receive as those Texts above named with that which follows declareth If any man Thirst let him come unto me and drink Joh. 7. 37. Fourthly It is not for want of exceeding great and precious Promises to receive them that Come Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you and I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters saith the Lord Almighty 2 Cor. 6. 17 18. Fifthly It is not for want of Solemn Oath and Ingagement to save them that
some before they Die Answ. Yes And God forbids that Prayers should be made to him for them Jer. 7. 16. Jud. 22. Quest. Then why may not I doubt that I may be one of these Answ. By no means if thou art coming to Jesus Christ because when God Shuts the Door upon Men he gives them no heart to come to Jesus Christ. None comes but those to whom it is given of the Father But thou comest therefore it is given to thee of the Father But sure therefore if the Father hath given thee an Heart to come to Jesus Christ the Gate of Mercy yet stands Open to thee For it stands not with the Wisdom of God To give strength to come to the Birth and yet to Shut up the Womb Isa. 66. 9. to give grace to thee to come to Jesus Christ and yet Shut up the Door of his Mercy upon thee Encline your Ear saith he come unto me hear and your Souls shall Live And I will make an Everlasting covenant with you even the sure Mercies of David Isa. 55. 3. Object But it is said that some knocked when the Door was Shut Answ. Yes But the Texts in which these Knockers are Mentioned are to be referred unto the day of Judgment and not to the coming of the Sinner to Christ in this Life See the Texts Mat. 25. 11. Luke 13. 24 25. These therefore concern thee nothing at all that art coming to Jesus Christ thou art coming Now Now is the acceptable time behold now is the day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6. 2. now God is upon the Mercy-Seat now Christ Jesus Sits by continually pleading the Virtue of his Blood for Sinners and now even as long as this World lasts this word of the Text shall still be free and fully fulfilled And him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out Sinner the greater Sinner thou art the greater need of Mercy thou hast and the more will Christ be gloryfied thereby come then come and try come tast and see how good the Lord is to an Undeserving Worthless Sinner Objection 6. But sayes another I am fallen since I began to come to Christ therefore I fear I did not come aright and so consequently that Christ will not receive me Answ. Falls are dangerous for they dishonour Christ wound the conscience and cause the Enemies of God to speak reproachfully But it is no good argument I am fallen therefore I was not coming aright to Jesus Christ. If David and Solomon and Peter had thus objected against themselves they had added to their griefs and yet they had at least as much cause to do it as thou A Man whose steps are ordered by the Lord and whose goings the Lord delights in may yet be over-taken with a Temptation that may cause him to fall Psal. 37. 23 24. Did not Aaron fall yea Moses himself what shall we say of Hezekiah and Jehosaphat There are therefore falls and falls falls pardonable and falls unpardonable falls unpardonable are falls against Light from the Faith to the despising of and trampling upon Jesus Christ and his blessed undertakings Heb. â— 2 3 4 5. Chap. 10. 28 29. Now as for such there remaines no more Sacrifice for sin Indeed they have no heart no mind no desire to come to Jesus Christ for life therefore they must perish nay sayes the Holy Ghost 't is impossible that they should be renewed again unto repentance Therefore these God hath no Compassion for neither ought we but for other falls though they be dreadfull and God will Chastise his people for them they do not prove thee a graceless man one not Coming to Jesus Christ for life It is said of the Child in the Gospel That while he was yet a-coming the Devil threw him down and tore him Luk. 9. 42. Dejected Sinner is it a wonder that thou hast caught a fall in thy Coming to Jesus Christ Is it not rather to be wondred at that thou hast not caught before this a thousand times a thousand falls Considering First What fools we are by nature Secondly What weaknesses are in us Thirdly What mighty powers the fallen Angels our implacable Enemies are Fourthly Considering also how often the Coming-man is be-nighted in his Journey and also what stumbling-blocks do lie in his way Fifthly Also his familiers that were so before now watch for his haulting and seek by what means they may to cause him to fall by the hand of their strong ones What then must we because of these Temptations incline to fall No. Must we not fear falls yes Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall Yet let him not be utterly cast down The Lord upholdeth all that fall and raiseth up all those that are bowed down Make not light of falls yet hast thou fallen ye have said Samuel done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve him with a perfect heart and turn not aside for the Lord will not forsake his people and he counteth the coming sinner one of them because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his people 1 Sam. 12. 20 21 22. Shall come to me Now we come to shew what force there is in this Promise to make them come to him All that the father giveth me shall come to me I will Speak to this promise First In general Secondly In particular In general This word shall is confined to these all that are given to Christ. All that the father giveth me shall come to me Hence I conclude First That coming to Jesus Christ aright is an effect of their being of God given to Christ before Mark they shall come Who those that are given they come then because they were given Thine they were and thou gavest them me Now this is indeed a Singular comfort to them that are coming in truth to Christ. Thus then may the coming Soul reason with himself as he comes Am I coming indeed to Jesus Christ this coming of mine is not to be attributed to me or my goodness but to the grace and gift of God to Christ God gave first my Person to him and therefore hath now given me a heart to come to him Secondly This word shall come maketh thy coming not only the fruit of the gift of the Father but also of the purpose of the Son for these words are a divine purpose they shew us the Heavenly determination of the Son The Father hath given them to me and they shall yea they shall come to me Christ is as full in his resolution to save those given to him as is the Father in the giving of them Thirdly These words shall come make thy coming to be also the effect of an absolute Promise Coming sinner thou art concluded in a Promise thy coming is the fruit of the faithfulness of the Promise of the faithfulness of an absolute Promise 'T was this promise by the vertue of which thou at first received'st strength to come
Matt. 26. 74 75. Mar. 14. 71 72. Luk. 22. 60 61 62. The World understand not nor believe that the walls of Jerico shall fall at the Sound of Rams Horns but when God will Work the means must be effectual A word weakly spoken spoken with difficulty in Temptation and in the midst of great contempt and scorn works Wonders If the Lord thy God will say so too Sixthly Is it so doth no Man come to Jesus Christ by the Will Wisdom or Power of Man but by the Gift Promise and Drawing of the Father Then here is room for Christians to stand and admire to stand and wonder at the effectual working of Gods Providences that he hath made use of as means to bring them to Jesus Christ. For although Men are drawn to Christ by the Power of the Father yet that Power putteth forth it self in the use of means and that means is Divers somtimes this somtimes that for God is at liberty to work by which and when and how he will but let the means be what it will and as Contemptible as may be yet God that Commanded the Light to Shine out of Darkness and that out of Weakness can make Strong can nay doth oft-times make use of very unlikely means to bring about the Conversion and Salvation of his People Therefore you that are come to Christ and that by unlikely means stay your selves and wonder and wondering magnifie all mighty Power by the working of which the Means hath bin made effectual to bring you to Jesus Christ. What was the providence that God made use of as a Means either more remote or more near to bring thee to Jesus Christ Was it the Removing of thy Habitation the change of thy Condition the Loss of Relations Estate or the like was it thy casting of thine Eye upon some good Book thy hearing of thy Neighbours talk of Heavenly Things the beholding of Gods Judgments as executed upon others or thine own Deliverance from them or thy being strangly cast under the Ministry of some Godly Man O take notice of such providence or providences They were sent and managed by mighty Power to do thee good God himself I say hath Joyned himself unto this Chariot Yea and so blessed it that it failed not to accomplish the thing for which he sent it God blesseth not every one his Providences in this manner How many Thousands are there in this world that pass every day under the same Providences but God is not in them to do that work by them as he hath done for thy poor Soul by his effectual working with them O! That Jesus Christ should meet thee in this Providence that Dispensation or the other Ordinance This is Grace indeed At this therefore it will be thy Wisdom to admire and for this to bless God Give me leave to give you a tast of some of those Providences that have been effectual through the Management of God to bring Salvation to the Souls of his People First The first shall be That of the Woman of Samaria It must happen that she must needs go out of the City to draw Water not before nor after but just when Jesus Christ her Saviour was come from far and set to rest him being weary upon the Well What a blessed Providence was this Even a Providence Managed by Almighty Wisdom and Almighty Power to the Conversion and Salvation of this poor Creature For by this Providence was this Poor Creature and her Saviour brought together that that blessed Work might be fulfilled upon the Woman according to the purpose afore determined by the Father Joh 4. Secondly What a Providence was it that there should between a Tree in the way for Zachus to climb thereby to give Jesus an opportunity to call that Chief of the Publicans home to himself even before he came down there-from Luk. 19. Thirdly was it not also wonderfull that the Thief which you read of in the Gospel should by the providence of God be cast into prison to be condemned even at that Sessions that Christ himself was to die Nay and that it should happen too that they must be hanged together that the Thief might be in hearing and observing of Jesus in his last words that he might be converted by him before his death Luk. 23. Fourthly What a strang providence was it and as strangly managed by God that Onesimus when he was run away from his Master should be taken and as I think cast into that very prison where Paul lay bound for the word of the Gospel that he might there be by him converted and then sent home again to his Master Philem. Behold all things work together for Good to them that love God to them who are the called according to his purpose Rom. 8. Nay I have my self known some that have been made to go to hear the Word preached against their wills others have gone not to hear but to see and be seen nay to jear and flout others again to catch and carp at things Some also to feed their adulterous eyes with the sight of beautifull Objects and yet God hath made use even of these things even of the wicked and sinfull proposals of sinners to bring them under that grace that might save their souls Seventhly Doth no man come to Jesus Christ but by the drawing c. of the Father then let me here caution those poor sinners that are spectators of the change that God hath wrought in them that are coming to Jesus Christ not to attribute this work and change to other things and causes There are some poor sinners in the VVorld that plainly see a change a mighty change in their Neighbors and Relations that are coming to Jesus Christ But as I said they being ignorant and not knowing whence it comes and whither it goes For so is every one that is Born of the Spirit John 3. 8. Therefore they Attribute this Change to other Causes as 1. To Melancholy 2. To sitting alone 3. To overmuch Reading 4. To their going to too many Sermons 5. To too much studying and musing on what they hear Also they conclude on the other side First That it is for want of merry company Secondly For want of Physick and therefore they advise them to leave off Reading going to Sermons the company of sober People and to be merry to go a Gossipping to busie themselves in the things of this VVorld not to sit musing alone c. But come poor ignorant sinner let me deal with thee it seemes thou art turned Counsellor for Satan I tell thee thou knowest not what thou dost Take heed of spending thy judgment after this manner thou judgest foolishly And saist in this to every one that passeth by that thou art a Fool. VVhat count Convictions for sin mournings for sin and Repentance for sin Melancholy This is like those that on the otherside said These men are Drunk with new Wine c. as he that said Paul was Mad Acts
of Gods people I will say that Temptations come to do us good and I will say also that there is a difference betwixt growing worse and worse and thy seeing more clearly how bad thou art There is a man of an ill-favoured countenance who hath too high a conceit of his beauty and wanting the benefit of a glass he still stands in his own conceit at last a Limner is sent unto him who draweth his ill-favoured face to the life now looking thereon he begins to be convinc't that he is not half so handsome as he thought he was Coming sinner thy Temptations are these painters they have drawn out thy ill-favoured heart to the life and have set it before thine eyes and now thou seest how ill favoured thou art Hezekiah was a good man yet when he lay sick for ought I know he had some what too good an opinion of his heart and for ought I know also the Lord might upon his recovery leave him to a Temptation that he might better know All that was in his heart Compare Isa. 38. 1 2 3. with 2 Chron. 32. 31. Alas we are sinfull out of measure but see it not to the full untill an hour of Temptation comes But when it comes it doth as the Painter doth it draweth out our heart to the life Yet the sight of what we are should not keep us from coming to Jesus Christ. There are two ways by which God lets a man into a sight of the Naughtyness of his heart One is by the light of the Word and spirit of God and the other is by the Temptations of the Devil But by the first we see our naughtiness one way and by the second another By the Light of the Word and Spirit of God thou hast a sight of thy naughtyness as by the light of the Sun thou hast a sight of the spots and defilements that are in thy house or raiment Which light gives thee to see a necessity of cleansing but maketh not the blemishes to spread more abominably But when Satan comes when he tempts he puts life and rage into our sins and turnes them as it were into so many devils within us Now like prisoners they attempt to brake through the prison of our body they will attempt to get out at our eyes mouths ears any ways To the Scandal of the Gospel and Reproach of Religion to the darkning of our evidences and damning of our souls But I shall say as I said before this hath oft times been the Lot of Gods people And No Temptation hath over-taken thee but such as is common to man and God is faithfull who will not suffer thee to be tempted above what thou art able 1 Cor. 10. 13. See the Book of Job the Book of Psalms and that of the Lamentations And remember further that Christ himself was tempted to blaspheme to worship the devil and to Murder himself Mat 4. Luk. 4. Temptations worse then which thou canst hardly be over-taken with But he was sinless That is true And he is thy Saviour and that is as true Yea it is as true also that by his being tempted he became the Conqueror of the tempter and a succourer of those that are tempted Col. 2. 14 15. Heb. 2. 17. chap. 4. 15 16. Quest. But what should be the reason that some that are coming to Christ should be so Lamentably cast down and buffetted with Temptations Answ. It may be for several causes First Some that are coming to Christ cannot be perswaded untill the Temptation comes that they are so vile as the Scripture saith they are True they see so much of their wretchedness as to drive them to Christ but there is an over and above of wickedness which they see not Peter little thought that he had had Cursing and Swearing and Lying and an inclination in his heart to deny his Master before the Temptation came But when that indeed came upon him then he found it there to his sorrow Joh. 13. 36 37 38. Mark 14. 36 37 38 39 40 68 69 70 71 72. Secondly Some that are coming to Jesus Christ are too much affected with their own graces and too little taken with Christs person wherefore God to take them off from doteing upon their own Jewels and that they might look more to the person undertaking and merits of his Son plunges them into the ditch by Temptations And this I take to be the meaning of Job If I wash me said he with snow-water and make my self never so clean yet wilt thou plung me in the ditch and mine own clothes shall abhor me Job 9. 30 31. Job had been before a little too much Tampering with his own graces and setting his excellencies a little too high as these Texts make manifest Job 33. 8 9 10 11 12. chap. 34. 5 6 7 8 9. chap. 35. 2 3. chap. 38. 1 2. chap. 40. 1 2 3 4. chap. 42. 3 4 5 6. But by that the Temptation was ended you find him better taught Yea God doth oft-times even for this thing as it were take our graces from us and so leave us almost quite to our selves and to the tempter that we may learn not to love the Picture more than the person of his Son See how he dealt with them in the Sixteenth of Ezek and the Second of Hosea Thirdly Perhaps thou hast been given too much to Judge thy brother to condemn thy brother because a poor tempted man And God to bring down the pride of thy heart letteth the tempter loose upon thee that thou also mayest feel thy self weak For pride goeth before destruction and an haughty spirit before a fall Pro. 16. 18. Fourthly It may be thou hast dealt a little too roughly with those that God hath this way wounded not considering thy self lest thou also be tempted and therefore God hath suffered it to come unto thee Gal. 6. 1. Fifthly It may be thou wast given to slumber and sleep and therefore these Temptations were sent to awaken thee You know that Peters Temptation came upon him after his sleeping then instead of watching and praying then he denyed and denyed and denyed his Master Mat. 26. Sixthly It may be thou hast presumed too far and stood too much in thine own strength and therefore is a time of Temptation come upon thee This was also one cause why it came upon Peter Though all men forsake thee yet will not I. Ah! that 's the way to be tempted indeed Joh. 13. 36 37 38. Seventhly It may be God intends to make thee wise to speak a word in season to others that are afflicted and therefore he suffereth thee to be Tempted Christ was tempted that he might be able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. Eighthly It may be Satan hath dared God to suffer him to tempt thee promising that if he will but let him do it thou wilt curse him to his face Thus he obtained leave against Job wherefore take heed tempted soul lest
16. Thirteenthly Faith purifieth the Heart but Unbelief keepeth it polluted and impure Acts 15. 9. Tit. 1. 15 16. Fourteenthly By Faith the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to us but by Unbelief we are shut up under the Law to Perish Rom. 4. 23 24. Chap. 11. 32. Gal. 3. 23. Fifteenthly Faith maketh our Work acceptable to God through Christ but whatsoever is of Unbelief is Sin For without Faith it is impossible to please him Heb. 11. 4. Rom. 14. 23. Heb. 11. 6. Sixteenthly Faith giveth us Peace and Comfort in our Souls but Unbelief worketh Trouble and Tossings like the restless Waves of the Sea Rom. 5. 1. Jam. 1. 6. Seventeenthly Faith makes us see Preciousness in Christ but Unbelief sees no Form Beauty or Comlyness in him 1 Pet. 2. 7. Isa. 53. 1 2 3. Eighteenthly By Faith we have our Life in Christ's Fulness but by Unbelief we starve and pine away Gal. 2. 20. Nineteenthly Faith giveth us the Victory over the Law Sin Death the Devil and all Evils but Unbelief layeth us Obnoxious to them all 1 Joh. 5. 4 5. Luk. 12. 46. Twentyeth Faith will shew us more Excellency in Things not seen than in them that are but Unbelief sees more in Things that are here than in Things that will be here-after 2 Cor. 4. 18. Heb. 11. 24 25 26 27. 1 Cor. 15. 32. Twenty-First Faith maketh the Ways of God pleasant and amiable but Unbelief maketh them heavy and hard Gal. 5. 6. 2 Cor. 12. 10 11. Joh. 6. 60. Psal. 2. 3. Twenty-Second By Faith Abraham Isaac and Jacob possessed the Land of Promise But because of Unbelief neither Aaron nor Moses nor Mirian could get thither Heb. 11. 9. Heb. 3. 19. Twenty-Third By Faith the Children of Israel passed through the Red Sea but by Unbelief the Generality of them perished in the Wilderness Heb. 11. 29. Jude 5. Twenty-Fourth By Faith Gidion did more with Three-hundred men and a few empty Pitchers than all the Twelve Tribes could do because they believed not God Judg. 7. 16 17 18 19 20 21 22. Numb 14. 11 44. Twenty-Fifth By Faith Peter walked on the Water but by Unbelief he began to sink Mat. 14. 21 22 23 24 Thus might many more be added which for brevity sake I omit Beseeching every one that thinketh he hath a Soul to Save or be Damned to take heed of Unbelief Lest seeing there is a Promise left us of Entering into his Rest any of us by Unbelief should indeed come short of it The Second Use a Use of Examination WE come now to a Use of Examination Sinner Thou hast heard of the Necessity of Coming to Christ also Of the Willingness of Christ to Receive the Coming-Soul Together with the Benefit that They by him shall have that indeed come to Him Put thy self now upon this Serious Enquiry Am I indeed come to Jesus Christ Motives plenty I might here urge to prevail with thee to a Conscientious Performance of this Duty As 1. Thou art in Sin in the Flesh in Death in the Snare of the Devil and under the Curse of the Law if thou art not coming to Jesus Christ. 2. There is no way to be delivered from these but by coming to Jesus Christ. 3. If thou comest Jesus Christ will Receive thee and will in no wise cast thee out 4. Thou wilt not Repent it in the Day of Judgement if now thou comest to Jesus Christ. 5. But thou wilt surely Mourn at last if now thou shalt refuse to come And 6. Lastly Now thou hast been invited to come now will thy Judgment be greater and thy Damnation more fearful if thou shalt yet Refuse than if thou hadst never heard of Coming to Christ. Object But we hope we are come to Jesus Christ Answ. 'T is well if it proves so But lest thou should speak without Ground and so fall unawares into Hell Fire Let us Examine a little First Art thou indeed come to Jesus Christ What hast thou left behind thee What didst thou come away from in thy Coming to Jesus Christ When Lot came out of Sodom he left the Sodomites behind him Gen. 19. When Abraham came out of Chaldea he left his Country and Kindred behind him Gen. 12. Acts 7. When Ruth came to put her Trust under the Wings of the Lord God of Israel she left her Father and Mother her Gods and the Land of her Nativity behind her Ruth 1. 15 16 17. Chap. 2. 11 12. When Peter came to Christ he left his Nets behind him Mat. 4. 18. When Zacheus came to Christ he left the Receipt of Custom behind him Luk. 19. When Paul came to Christ he left his own Righteousness behind him Philip 3. 7 8. When those that used Curious Arts came to Jesus Christ they took their Curious Books and burned them though in another Man's Eye they were counted worth Fifty-Thousand Peices of Silver Acts 19. 18 19 20. What say'st thou Man Hast thou left thy Darling Sins thy Sodomitish Pleasures thy Acquaintance and vain Companions thy unlawful Gain thy Idol Gods and Righteousness and thy unlawful Curious Arts behind thee If any of these be with thee and thou with them in thy Heart and Life thou art not yet come to Jesus Christ. Secondly Art thou come to Jesus Christ Prethee tell me VVhat moved hee come to Jesus Christ Men do not usually come or go to this or that Place before they have a Moving Cause or rather a Cause moving them thereto No more do they come to Jesus Christ I do not say before they have a Cause but before that Cause moveth them to come What say'st thou Hast thou a Cause moving thee to come To be at present in a State of Condemnation is Cause sufficient for Men to come to Jesus Christ for Life But that will not do except that Cause move them the which it will never do until their Eyes be opened to see themselves in that Condition For it is not a Man's being under Wrath but his seeing it that moveth him to come to Jesus Christ. Alas All Men by Sin are under Wrath yet but few of that All came to Jesus Christ And the Reason is because they do not see their Condition Who hath warned you to flee from the Wrath to come Mat. 3. 7. Until Men are warned and also receive the VVarning they will not come to Jesus Christ. Take three or four Instances for this 1. Adam and Eve came not to Jesus Christ until they Received the Alarum the Conviction of their Undone State by Sin Gen. 3. 2. The Children of Israel cryed not out for a Mediator before they saw themselves in danger of Death by the Law Exod. 20. 18 19. 3. Before the Publican came he saw himself lost and undone Luk 18. 13. 4. The Prodigal came not until he saw Death at the Door ready to devour him Luk. 15. 17 18. 5. The Three-Thousand came not until they knew not what to do to be Saved Acts 2.