precious then the rattles and trifles of time and all by reason of the new sight bestowed on him Satan truly carrieth men hoodwinkt to hell as Higlers carry their fowls in Dorsers to the City where they are killed that they cannot see one foot of the way neither know they whether they are going but God doth not carry men blindfold to bliss but as in the old so in the new creation he beginneth with light The Undestanding in Regeneration is illuminated to see two things especially Sin to be the greatest evil and God in Christ to be the greatest good and I verily beleive the mistake of the man before about these two things were a principal cause of the many miscarriages in his heart and life Before he looked on sin through the Devils spectacles and beheld that strumpet drest in her gaudy attire of pleasure and profit whereby she was to him as the forbidden fruit to Eve pleasant to the eyes But now he beholdeth sin through the glass of the Law in its opposition to the blessed God and his own happiness stript naked of all those counterfeit and borrowed ornaments and it is the evil of evils sinful sin indeed He judgeth it worse then diseases or disgraces then losses or crosses yea then Serpents or Devils Rom 7.13 Heb 1.25 Dan. 3.17 and 6.10 Formerly he â—aw no such hurt in sin that Professors were so shie of it and Preachers so hot against it that the Son of God must die and the greatest part of the world be damned for it but now he hath other thoughts of it for he seeth its contrariety to the Lord and his precepts and subscribeth unfeignedly to the righteousness of the Law Before he saw little desireableness in the infinitely amiable God He saw no form nor comeliness in him that when he beheld him he should desire him Isa 53. He wondered what made others so much in love with him his voyce was to a Christian What is thy Beloved more then another Beloved that thou dost thus follow hard after him forsake all for him dedicate thy self wholly to him that thou prayest so fervently hearest so diligently servest him so chearfully art so careful to please him so fearful of offending him he judged him happier that had plenty of the creature then him that had God in Christ for his portion but now his mind is enlightned â—o know the only true God and Iesus Christ whom he hath sent John 17.3 He seeth such beauty in his being such equity in his laws such infinite excellency in the Divine nature such unspeakable felicity in the fruition of his favour through Jesus Christ that he esteemeth his very life yea all that he is worth for this and the other world as Iacobs in Benjamin to be bound up in the love and life of God Psal 73.25 and 63.3 Secondly The Conscience is also renewed to this Faculty the Spirit makes its address in the next place the Conscience of the man naturally was so hard and obdurate that as ice through the extremity and continuance of a great frost you might have driveâ—â—carts heavy laden over it and it would not break though mountains of lusts more heavy then lead lay upon him he complained not Ier. 8.6 But now his Conscience is as the water which hath such a tender film of ice upon it that yeildeth at the least touch a small stroak of sin maketh an impression upon it before it was seared with a red hot iron 1 Tim. 4.2 and past feeling Ephes 4 17 18 19. as that member which the Chyrurgeon intendeth to cut off is so mortified by means applied to it for that end that it feeleth not the Saw or Instrument which parts it from the body so the conscience was by custom in sin so cauterised that it felt not the sword of the Spirit neither Ministry nor Misery nor Miracle nor Mercy could prevail with it but now it becomes tender and flexible a little prick with a pin is painful to it as the eye it is offended with the smallest dust 2 Chron. 22.19 it is void of offence towards God and man Acts 24.16 Before it like Micaiah to Ahab never spake good to the man but frighted him with fears and terrified him with the pre-apprehensions of his eternal torments it followed him to bed and board and dog'd him day and night like a Sergeant to arrest him at the suit of the most High for the vaste debts which he owed to the Divine Majesty The man and his conscience were like fire and water they never met if the hands of conscience were not tied down by force but they fought Like some contentious couple they were always scolding one with another and striving for the mastery The endeavor of conscience was as the Angel to Balaam to stand in the sinners way with a drawn sword and stop him in his cursed course the care of the sinner was to serve conscience as Herod did the Baptist even to cut off its head for having a tongue in it so bold as to check him for his crimes Heb. 2.15 Rom. 2.15 Heb. 9.14 But now conscience being sprinkled with the blood of Jesus is purged from dead works and so being purified is pacified The creditor now is satisfied by the payment which the surety hath made and thereby the debtor is discharged Conscience now waits on the Christian not as a Sergeant to molest him but as a Servant to assist him to its utmost power The Convert and his conscience are now like two in consort that keep tune and time together or as some loving Husbands and Wives who strive most which shall please the other best Conscience strives to please the Christian by asking the Law at Godâ—s lips and making Scripture its Counsellor the Christian strives to please his conscience by yielding hearty subjection to its holy counsels Heb. 9.14 1 Tim 1.5 Rom 5.1 The renewed conscience giveth the new creature more solid comfort in one duty then the natural man though he equal Methuselah's age hath all his days Phil. 4.4 Thirdly The Will is also renewed the Will before was carnal crooked stubborn rebellious against God and his will the works of the Devil he will do Joh. 8.44 And as for the word which thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not do it Jer. 44.16 It is resolved for evil and against good Ephes 2.3 John 5.40 This is Satans Fort-Royal wherein he continually secures himself in the unregenerate when he is in a skirmish beaken out of the out-works by some sudden conviction and in this as Samsons in his hair his whole strength lieth Take away Will and you take away Hell But this faculty is now made pliable and flexible to the Divine Majesty It is made so spiritual regular and consonant to the will of God that the Convert may safely if humbly say with Luther Lord let my will be done because it is thy will God and the godly man do
time he is at war with them walks contrary to them and is preparing for them the instruments of eternal death Like Agag to the very hour of execution they are confident of a Pardon and go with their hearts full of hopes into the very place of despair They die willingly as they tell us and their neighbours commend them saying they died like lambs when rather like Solomons ox who goeth to the slaughter so died they going to the den of roaring Lions and the place of Dragons They had no Bands in their deaths who were in bondage to the devil Ps 73.4 As a man that is asleep upon the Mast of a Ship he is in a golden Dream and his thoughts upon large Revenues rich treasures Kingdomes and Diadems which he hath already in his own possession but in that very hour wherein he is solacing himself in his vain imaginations a storm ariseth the man is tumbled off the Mast and drowned Thus many have golden dreams strong presumptions of their salvation when alas they do but befool themselves are all the while upon the brink of hell and are tumbled into it before they are aware Reader look to this likewise that thou build not on such a weak bottome for this may happen both to prophane men and to hypocrites It is said of Pigmalion that he drew a picture so lively that he deceived himself and taking the picture for a person fell in love with his own picture I tell thee thou mayst spin so fine a thread and weave so curious a web of painted cloth feigned godliness that thou mayest deceive thy self and take it to be fine linnen the righteousness of the Saints and mayest thence gather that thy soul is safe when in all thou dost thou art unsound If confidence or not doubting our estates will prove them out of danger then the ignorant stupid seared sinners must certainly be saved which the Scriptures flatly deny Socrates who lived according to his natural conscience died with much calmness and confidence speaking of those who put him to death that they might kill him but could not hurt him yet was without the knowledge of Jesus Christ in whose name alone is salvation Eightly To follow the light within thee or to obey the Dictates of a natural conscience is no sound evidence for heaven A man may follow the light within him to the chambers of utter darkness The Jesuite in the Quaker would make this the infallible testimony of a mans uprightness and sincerity nay he plucks Christ from his Throne and sets the light within him in his room making it more then a mark even the meritorious cause of salvation but Reader I shall clearly prove that 't is so far from being worthy of our affiance that it is not so much as an evidence for heaven because conscience by nature is corrupted as much as the other faculties Their minds and consciences saith the Holy Ghost are defiled Tit. 1.15 The nature of conscience is good but the conscience of nature is evil It savours not the things of God it is not purged with the blood of Christ it is wholly blind in the matters of Christianity nay 't is a Rebel against God Now if I follow a blind guide am I ever like to enter in at the straight gate Is it rational arguing that I am in my Princes favour because I obey my Captain when he is a traytor I do not say that a natural conscience hath no good in it but I am sure 't is in the account of God an evil conscience opposing and resisting him Like an ignis fatuus as pure and perfect a light as the Quakers make it it leadeth men out of Gods high way into those bogs and quagmires wherein they sink and perish I question not but the heathens did follow their polluted consciences in their idolatrous practices And sure I am that Paul might thank his corrupt conscience for persecuting Jesus Christ I verily thought saith he that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Christ Acts 26,9 Mark the words they are full of weight Pauls conscience told him 't was his duty to suppress Christianity Was not his obedience to the commands of this conscience a sad sign that he was to be saved Further Christ telleth his Disciples John 16.2 That they who killed them should think they did God good service Observe here was pure light within men that made them think that they did God the greatest service in doing his Church the greatest disservice Tertul. tells us that Maximinian the Emperor esteemed Christianorum sanguinem diis gratissimam esse victimam the blood of Christians to be an acceptable sacrifice to the gods Is any man so mad as not to think that if such a Pilot steer the ship by answering to its motion must needs be cast away Saul would out of conscience have slain the Gibeonites 2 Sam. 21.2 and broken the Covenant which had been sworn to by the Israelites His conscience was evil and could not speak his condition to be good an evil conscience will call bitter sweet darkness light evil good It will leave plain precepts and walk by extraordinary Providences Isa 36.18 19 20. Jer. 50.7 It preferreth a strong impulsion of its own spirit before that word which is the will of Gods spirit Isa 36.9 10. it esteemeth a supposed Revelation above that Scripture which is indoubtedly of Divine inspiration 2 Pet. 1.19 It placeth often most of its Religion in Penance abstinence and outward acts of mortification in external signs of humility will-worship and neglecting the body Col. 2. ult of many of which God may say as to the Jews Who hath required these things at your hands Isa 1.12 It makes men keep a a great stir about cuffs ribbands hatbands as the Pharisees about pots and cups when their hearts are full of pride and malice robbing even Christ of the glory of our redemption and hating Christians for not daring to joyn in their cursed opinion Friend wil following such a conscience speak thee to be a true Christian Conscience is indeed a rule but regula regulata prius quam regulans such a rule as must be ruled by Gods word before it can be a right rule for our works To the Law and to the testimonies if conscience speak not according to this word it is because there is much pretended no true light in it Scripture is the compass by which conscience must bend its course or else 't will never land its passengers at the desired haven It is no farther liberty of conscience but licentiousness then it is regulated by the Scripture One office of conscience is Magistratical and Legislative to command and give Laws to man We read of the heathen that in regard of their consciences They were a Law to themselves Rom. 2.14 Conscientia mille Reges mille leges But though conscience be a King over the other faculties yet it is a subject subordinate to God
blood and confirmed by the death of the Testator Hebr. 9.16 17 18 19. The Lords Supper is precious because it sheweth forth the Lords blood and death 1 Cor. 11.26 pardon of sin peace of conscience the affection of the Father the sanctification of the Spirit are all precious because they are the fruits and effects of this precious blood 1 John 1. and 7. Rom. 5.1 Hebr. 9.14 Ephes 2.13 All our comforts run in this channel the blood of Christ is the stream which bears them up and brings them to us yea Heaven it self and the Crown of Glory have weight and worth from this precious sparkling stone Heaven is the purchased possession Ephes 1.14 'T is the blood of Jesus which giveth boldness to enter into that holy place Hebr. 10.19 The precious price paid for it will speak it and make it a glorious place If thou wert once regenerated Christ would be so precious to thee at this day that all things would be dung and dross in comparison of the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus thy Lord to them that believe Christ is precious 1 Pet. 2.7 O the price which true Christians set upon Christ The wise Merchant sold all for this Pearl I have read that the Duke of Burgundy had a Jewel which was afterwards sold for twenty thousand duckets But Christ to a Saint is better then silver and more desirable then choice gold more precious then rubies yea then many millions of worlds When the Athenian Ladies were boasting to Phocion's wife of their Jewels she told them My jewels are my husband Phocion When Alexander was asked where his treasure was he shewed them his friends Such a Jewel such a Treasure is Jesus Christ in the esteem of his Spouse his Friends Christ is all in all The pious soul is of the same minde with John of Alexandria sirnamed the Almoner when at the years end he had given all he had left to the poor and made even with his Revenues he looks up to Heaven and thanked God that he had nothing left but his Lord and Master Jesus Christ to whom he longed to flye with unlimed and untangled wings The face of none is so comely to the Saints eye the voice of none so lovely to his ears the taste of nothing so pleasant in his mouth as Jesus Christ But the Christian hath a choice room in his soul for the blood of his Saviour He prizeth the shameful cross of Christ above the most glorious crown of the greatest earthly Potentate Gal. 6.14 Thus Friend it would be with thee here if thou wert conveted thou wouldst determine to know nothing but Jesus Christ and him crucified O the honey which thou wouldst suck out of the Carkass the death of this Lion of the Tribe of Judah When thou shouldest consider that this blood of Jesus Christ is that alone which hath satissied Gods justice Rom. 3.25 Rom. 5.9 Col. 1.20 Heb. 9.14 Rev. 1.5 6. pacified his anger justified thy person sanctified thy nature removed the curse of the Law from thee and thee from the eternal wrath of God and unquenchable torments of Hell would it not be precious blood in thine esteem think of it what a price thou wouldst set upon it but when thou shouldst in Heaven for ever behold the blessed body of Christ shining with incomprehensible beauty far above the brightest Cherub and consider that every vein of that body bled to bring thee to glory when thou shouldst see thousands and millions in matchless and endless burnings from which thou wert delivered and behold thy body made far more glorious then the Sun in his high noon attire and thy soul filled brim-full with unspeakable joy nay every part of thy body and soul enlarged to the utmost and fully fatisfied with unconceiveable delight and thou shouldst be confident and assured to enjoy this for ever and know clearly all this to be the travel of Christs soul and the fruit of his blood Friend friend what thoughts then wilt thou have of the blood of Christ Surely 't will be precious blood indeed thou wouldst have other manner of thoughts of him that came by water and blood then thou ever hadst here below The work of our redemption will be the matter of the Saints communion and the great subject of their eternal admiration Their delivery from sin Satan wrath and hell into a state of liberty love grace and salvation by the blood of Jesus will fill their eyes and hearts with wonder love and joy for ever All the voices there shall sing this song and all the vials there shall be set to this tune Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and nation and hast made us unto our God Kings and Priests And I beheld and I heard the voice of many Angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and glory and blessing Rev. 5.9.10 11 12 to end If the Queen of Sheba when she beheld the wisdom and magnificence of Solomon was so transported that there remained no more spirit in her how will thine heart be transported to see the love and glory of the true Solomon who wept and bled and lived and died to bring thee to heaven Fourthly Thou shouldst know what God is and truly this would be no smal part of thy felicity Knowledge is the excellency of a man and differenceth him from a bruit divine knowledge is the excellency of a Christian and differenceth him from a Heathen The knowledge of humane things hath been so highly esteemed by some of the Heathen that they have profest they would give their whole estates to enjoy their books without interruption what then is the knowledge of divine things worth Aristotle saith That a little knowledge of heavenly things though but conjectural is better then much certain knowledge of earthly things what then is the knowledge of the God of heaven worth The excellency of the object doth much dignifie the act In this world thou canst see but little of him thy sight is so weak but there thou shouldst see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.3 Now the Christian rather seeth and knoweth God as he is not then as he is we describe him for indeed he is infinitely above all definitions by way of negation to be a Spirit Infinite Unchangeable and the like which particulars tell us what God is not He is a Spirit that is a being without a body for God is not a Spirit as the souls of men and as Angels are I mean not of such a substance The Spirit of God in that expression God is a Spirit Joh. 4. condescendeth to our capacities because we are not able to conceive
oyle to the lamps which will keep them ever burning Philosophers tell us that elementary fire wants no fuell though culinary doth Divines tell us that the Spirit of God needs not ordinances for he is infinite in power but that he will not work without them where he affords them is manifestly his pleasure Reader if thou art humbled as I have before spoken thou lookest on thy self as a vile creature even as a dog I would have thee now very careful that thou wait patiently for the bountiful house-keeper of the world is preparing some good food for thee and do not eatch too hastily at the childrens bread the promises lest it be taken from thee and thou meet with a blow When a wound is deep there is much wisdome required to keep it some time open with a tent and not to heal it up too soon lest its cure be imperfect Do thou wait Gods leisure bemoaning thy sins abhorring thy self praying fervently for thy soul and be confident that Jesus Christ who is already upon his way will arise upon thee speedily with healing under his wings It may be that this tender able Physitian cometh nearer to thee he doth not onely shew thee the nature and danger of thy disease and make thee who wert before sensless apprebensive of it by feeling thy sickness but doth also discover to thee an excellent and costly remedy which hath cured many of thy very disease and will unquesionably heal thee if thou wilt but accept it thankfully and apply it prudently I mean the spirit presenteth to thee when thou art full of anguish and sorrow that rare salve of the blood of Jesus Christ which spread upon a promise is the onely healing plaister for a wounded conscience He acquainteth thee with the alsufficiency of Jesus Christ to save sinners that he is a Saviour of Gods own appointing one in whom God hath given under his hand that he is well pleased a redeemer that hath in him infinite meritoriousness because he is the onely begotten of the father if he sheweth thee long bils of others debts which have been canceld by the blood of Christ and assureth thee that he is not onely able but truly willing to save thee that he was wounded for thy transgressions and bruised for thine iniquities and by his stripes thou mayst be healed The Holy Ghost possibly setteth the King of Saints before thee in all his robes and riches and righteousness as it were thus bespeaking thee Come poor sinner that lyest weltring in thy blood hearken to me and thou shalt see what I can and will do for thee though by thy wilful breach of the Law thou art liable to such endless boundless fury as thou couldst neither abide nor avoid yet I will be a Skreen between thee and the unquenchable fire I le satisfy the law and pacify my father I le not onely deliver thee from sin and Satan wrath and death and damnation but adopt thee for a Son interest thee in that inestimable treasure the covenant of grace and make thee an heir of the eternal weight of glory and all this thou shalt have freely and surely if thou wilt but accept me thankefully and heartily for thy Saviour and Lord. At the hearing of which loving language thou probably art amazed and ready to say as Mephibosheth when David told him that he should eat bread at his table continually What is thy servant that thou shouldst look upon such a dead dog as I am Thou admirest the riches of Christs merits the freeness of his mercy and the happiness of his members thy soul begins to be exceedingly in love with him and affectionately longing after him O thinkest thou Had I but Christ for my portion though I were never so poor in temporals I could be heartily contented Now Christian the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto thee thou art now upon thy quickening be but careful there and thou art made for ever I know that thy broken heart is willing to go to Jesus Christ but have a care that thou carry nothing to him that thou keep nothing from him thy miscariage in either of these may quite break off the bargain between Christ and thy soul as near as t is driven I say carry nothing to Christ Thy next step must be quite out of thine own doors the Devil knoweth how to slay thee as well by thy righteousness thy mournful contrition for sin as by thine unrighteousness thy wilful commission of sin which made Austin say That repentance damneth more then sin nay thy trusting upon thy prayers or tears or any good in thee doth alter the nature of them and turn them into sin in this many stick they are hardly brought off from their own bottoms When mens houses are on fire their covetousness to save their goods hath often lost them their lives when mens souls are in a flame their pride to carry out with them their good prayers and good desires and good resolutions hath lost them eternal life they will pay some of their brass-farthings towards the reckoning and God therefore makes them pay the whole shot O how unwilling is the creature to be beholden to Christ his Surety for the payment of all his debts though he be a meer bankrupt yet he hopes he may compound with his Creditor and pay something towards his satisfaction and this ariseth partly from his ignorance of that righteousness which alone can satisfie the Law or pacifie the Lord For they being ignorant of Gods righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness Rom. 10.3 They were ignorant first how perfect that righteousness must be for which God will justifie a sinner that if there be the least spot in it his pure eyes cannot accept it secondly they were ignorant how compleat that righteousness is which the Law requireth how the Law reacheth to the inward as well as the outward man how it damneth for the smallest idle word wandring thought or complying motion of the heart with sin Did they but know that that righteousness which pleaseth God for their justification must answer the Law in its full latitude and all its dimensions they would not offer their drossy duties no nor their golden graces for currant coin which being weighed in that ballance of the Sanctuary must needs be found infinitely too light Partly from his pride For they being ignorant of the righteousness of God and going about to establish their own righteousness have not submitted themselves to the Righteousness of God Rom. 10.3 Mark They have not submitted themselves to the righteousness of God Proud man esteems it submission a condescention to be beholden to Jesus Christ for remission and salvation he hath though a beggers purse yet a proud heart and is loth to trouble Jesus Christ so much and to take all his mercies as almes out of the basket of the Redeemers merits Reader now thou art in a storm if thou lovest thy soul do not run to shelter