hath over those sins is much more forcible though thy sturdy heart will not come off though thou hast no desire to leave thy corruptions though thou hast not put off the will of sinning yet God can take it away and make way for the power of his spirit to take place in thy heart Acts 16.24 we shall observe this in the Iaylor he was a proud sturdy dogged cruell hearted man when the Magistrates commanded him to put Paul and Silas into prison hee went further than his commission and put them into the inner Prison and made their feet fast in the stocks oh thought hee now I have gotten these nice factions fellowes into my hands I will punish them soundly Now at midnight Paul and Silas sang praises unto God and then suddenly there was an exceeding great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doores were opened and every ones bands were loosed the doores flew open the prison shooke and the earth shooke God exercised his power upon the creatures and made them shake and yet the Iaylor stood still all this while and stirred not though he were a Iaylor now to the Apostles yet the Devill was a Iaylor to him also he was under the jayle of his sinnes his sturdy heart would not awaken all this while but at last the Iaylor hee shooke also and seeing the prison doores open pulled out his sword and would have killed himselfe supposing that the prisoners had fled but Paul cryed with a loud voyce saying doe thy selfe no harme for wee are all here and then hee called for a light and sprang in sayth the text and came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas he now saw all that pride and stubbornnesse of his whereby he handled the Apostles so basely and now he brought them out and sayd Sirs what must I doe to bee saved hee now bathed their wounds and set bread before them and dealt kindly with them and thus we see when the Lord commeth for a sinner he maketh the prison shake and the earth shake the doores shake the yron bolts shake and at last he makes the heart shake also it is not the doore that I care for nor the prison that I care for nor the earth only that I will make to shake but it is the jaylor that I will shake also it is the Iaylor that I come for the Iaylor I will have and so hee had indeed in conclusion thy corruptions are not so powerfull but the Lord will bee more powerfull to pluck thy heart from them unto himselfe The third thing that hinders a poore sinner in this case is in respect of disgrace other opposition that hee shall meet withall in a Christian course I could be content saith he to take a better course and leade a new life and become a Christian but I see how disgrace will be cast upon me and opposition be made against me and this knocks me off I am not able to suffer it and to beare it are you not so the Lord will make you able to beare it before he hath done with you you feare wild-fire do you God will make you feele hell fire before he hath done you will goe against conscience you will displease God before you will displease man wil you wel you feare man now the face of man this is but wildfire but God will send hell fire into your hearts one day he will send the horrour of conscience into your soules then you will say rather disgrace here than damnation for ever hereafter I will rather goe to hell than to sinne I will rather offend all the world then God gather up your selves therefore if God at any time hath opened your eyes though Satan pursue you and though corruptions presse upon you yet cheere your selves God in mercy will looke upon you Esa 43.6 there when the Lord commeth to gather his people together hee saith that hee will bring them from the East and gather them from the West he will call to the North give up and to the South keepe not back bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the end of the earth hee sayth the earth shall give account and yeeld up her dead the sea that also shall yeeld up her dead why God can make the divell yeeld up a wretched man as well as the earth give up a dead man God will say I must have a sinner divell and therefore deliver up thy prisoner God will draw thy heart out of the power of sinne and dominion of Satan though thou canst not tell how yet God is able to give thee a will of yeelding unto him and so much for the comfort of those that are unconverted there is hope that God will do you good bee your sinnes what they will bee now those that are converted and those that are in the state of grace this is a ground of strong comfort unto them that they shall prevaile against all sinnes for after times by the power of that God that hath given them victory over their sinnes in former times they may say did the Lord give me power over my sinnes when I loved them and will hee not give me power to resist them now when I have desire to forsake them it cannot bee hee that offered favour to thee when thou didst refuse it hee cannot but give favour to thee when thou beggest it at his hands and this shall suffice for that matter Vse 5 The fifth use is an use of exhortation to all Gods people is this the cord that God taketh to pluck a soule from corruption to himselfe namely by a holy kind of violence why what will you do then you that professe your selves to feare God and that say you are the children of God must not children imitate their father doth God deale thus with poore sinners then do you so likewise this is the course that God takes and this ought to be a coppy and pattern to you in the meane time as you are the Elect people of God to put on the bowels of mercy and compassion towards your brethren if ever mercy here it ought to be expressed and discovered if ever God shewed mercy to thy soule shew thou the like mercy to thy brethren did the Lord ever shew compassion unto thee shew thou the like compassion unto them did the Lord ever awaken thy eyes or humble thy heart did the Lord offer his favours to thee still calling still exhorting and perswading of you you that are the Elect people of God if ever God shewed any goodnesse unto you shew the same goodnesse mercy and compassion to your fellow brethren and therefore as God hath dealt with you and as hee doth deale with sinners let it bee your honours and your resolutions to deale answerably to God so saith the Prophet David I will reveale thy way to the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee oh blessed
answer it at the dreadfull day of judgement take heed of those evills and sinfull practises that heretofore you have committed lest you damne your soules for ever and you must know that conscience comes not without a commission but he hath a commission in his pocket and he shewes it also Pro. 29.1 there is one part of conscience's commission there saith the text he that being often reprooved hardeneth his neck shal suddenly be destroyed and that without remedy if you be often reprooved will not be bettered nor informed then the Lord sayes conscience froÌ„ the Lord tells you be it at your own perill ye shall surely perish that without remedy and in the 2. of the Thess 3.14 there is another part of his commission If any man obey not our word by this Epistle note that man and have no company with him that he may be ashamed hee that will not obey the Gospel he that will not stoope thereto nor be framed thereby why conscience he shewes his commission and charges men to take heed of this the God of heaven will take the part of conscience and will come in flaming fire to render vengeance to that soule that will not obey the Gospel But you will say cannot a man shift and free himselfe from the terrour of conscience I answer no conscience hath now a great deale of ayd from heaven because he hath been in former times so badly dealt withall therefore he will go no more so slenderly garded Deut. 29.19 there saith the text If it come to passe that hee that heareth the words of this curse shall blesse himselfe in his heart and say I shall have peace though I walke in the imagination of my heart to adde drunkennesse to thirst the Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and al the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him the Lord shall blot out his name from under heaven and therefore you that say conscience may command what he pleaseth yet you will do what you list and though you adde dunkennesse unto thirst yet you shall have peace and it shall go well with you tell you the wrath of the Lord shall smok against your soules he shall blot your names out of the book of life the wrath of the Lord shall follow thee into all places and upon all occasions whatever thou dost or whithersoever thou goest the wrath of God shall follow thee Gods wrath shall follow thee to the Ale house and the Brothel-house and to the Taverne God shall follow thee and pluck thee out to thy shame here to thy confusion hereafter and this is the first work of conscience He hath been snubbed in former times and no man cared for him but now he is a wakened and backt with power from the Lord and gives a peremptory command to the soule of a sinner bee it at your owne perill if you meddle with sinne and this makes sinnefull wâ—â—â—ches lie snugge for a while they dare not shew themselves but shut themselves under hatches conscience perkes then upon the crowne and this makes them hang the wing a little and withdraw themselves from their base courses and abstaine from the Ale-house awhile but now when wicked persons see that their companion is gone and that they have lost one of their company they make after him amaine and then conscience plucks one way and they pluck another way they lay siege to the soule of a poore sinner conscience bids him look to himselfe and take heed what he doth perhaps conscience sees him halfe perswaded to yeeld to his old companions and then conscience hath an eye to him and biddeth him take heed unto himselfe and saies I command and charge you as you will answer it at the dreadfull day of Iudgement before the Tribunall seat of God that you runne not into your former wicked courses but then his cursed companions they draw backward and come unto him and say what is the reason that now you begin to sever your selfe from us he tells them his conscience hath troubled him and he heard the Word of God he heard the commission of conscience read that whosoever was often reproved and not bettered thereby should perish and that hee which obeyed not the Gospell should be accursed and this makes him do as he doth when his companions heare this they begin to blind his judgement as much as they can and take off the command of conscience you have heard say they many threatnings from God and conscience hath told you that you shall perish and be damned if you continue in your old courses but threatned men live long these words break no bones and this breath blowes no corne there have beene many so threatned and yet never felt any of those judgements but have lived a merry life to this day and are the bravest fellowes and the boonest companions in the whole countrey and thus by carnall company and cursed perswasions the soule is drawn back againe to his former wicked course and so haply this hooke is broken and the sinner is gone but when conscience sees this that his first hook is broken and that his command is slighted he followes fast after him and layeth another hooke upon him and as before hee was a commander over him so now he comes to be an accuser of him and a witnesse against him he accuseth him before God and is a witnesse against him because he hath committed those sinnes which he upon paine of Gods everlasting displeasure and his owne everlasting damnation commanded and charged him he should not commit conscience before was only Gods Herald to tell him what God commanded but now conscience is become a Pursevant and a Sergeant to arrest him and therefore 2. Sam. 24.10 Davids heart smote him after hee had numbred the people conscience hee flung his actions upon him know how-ever a man may avoid the warning of conscience and break the command of conscience yet he cannot avoid the herror and stroke of conscience but conscience will smite him and fling this hooke into the very heart of him and conscience will smite the heart so much the more heavily because his former commands were despised look as it was with Gideon Iudg. 8.5 when he was pursuing after the Midiâ—â—ites he came unto the men of Succoth and prayed for aide of them he intreated them to help him and joyne sides with him but they refused and scorned him and said Are Zâ—â—â— and Zalumna now in thy hands that wee should give bread unto thine army as if they had said art thou a commander over them art thou sure to overcome them no no wee will not helpe thee Marke now what answer Gidâ—on makes these men of Succoth in the 7th verse weâ—â— saith hee When the Lord hath delivered Zebâ— and. Zalumna into mine hands then I will teare your flesh with thornes of the
I had never heard of mercy if I had not lived under the Gospell and the meanes of salvation oh then I had been a happy man in comparison alas it is mercy that I have neglected it is the glad tidings of salvation which I have contemned how shall I then be saved if the meanes of salvation have thus been slighted by mee if I had never opposed grace grace might now have helped mee if I had not despised mercy mercy might now have succourd mee but this is my plague this is my woe all the kindnesse that God shewed to mee and all the mercy that God hath revealed and offered I have despised and refused many a knock hath God given at my heart and many a rap at my soule the Lord hath even wept over mee as he did over Ierusalem oh that thou hadst known the things belonging to thy peace the Lord came kindly and wooed mee lovingly oh the perswasions of the Lord and commands of conscience that I have had and yet after all perswasions and horror and commands what yet proud still what yet covetous still and prophane still why then surely there is no mercy to be looked for no grace to be expected and therefore certainly to hell I must go and then he riseth and will be gone to hell all that are about him cannot hold him but then the Minister haply further replyes the truth of it is you have done thus but do you think so still would you do so still if you were out of this perplexity is it good now to be drunk is it good now to commit adultery is it good now to blaspheme is it good now to contemne Gods ordinances would you now rayle on Gods Saints and despise Gods truth prophane Gods Sabbaths would you now do these things oh no no saith he I now find what the end of those wretched courses will be the word of God could not prevayle with me the Minister could not perswade me therefore now I shal perish I shall be damned for these abominations which I have committed there is no remedy if ever man shall be danmed it is I if ever man go downe to hell surely it is I nay hell is too good for mee oh the good Sermons that I have heard the Minister hath spoken home oftentimes to my conscience the very flames of hell have been flashed in my face the Minister would often have spent his bloud that he might doe good to my poore soule and yet I despised the word and scorned the Minister and mocked those whom conscience vexed saying What you are a man of conscience are you you dare not sinne your conscience will not suffer you what are you such a foole to be ruled by your conscience and therefore God hath justly let my conscience loose upon me now I know to my woe that I have a conscience the worme that never dieth gnaweth my heart and rends and plucks my soule in peeces woe woe be unto mee that ever I snufled my conscience that ever I put out the light of conscience for therefore is it that my conscience is now thus tearing of my heart and terrifying of my soule here and therefore it is that I shall for ever perish hereafter But then the Minister he replyes yet further aye the truth is you have done thus but you will not yet forsake your sinnes and abandon your corruptions will you still be drunk and riotous will you still be proud will you still sweare and curse and blaspheme if you will part with these sins and take mercy in stead of these why yet there is hope Then the poore soule cryes out now the Lord for his mercyes sake remove these sinnes from mee oh I never had so much delight in my sinnes heretofore as now I have woe and misery and vexation for them Why here is a cup for a drunkard indeed here is a cup for a whore indeed here is a cup for a blasphemer indeed if every sinners cup were filled thus brim full of Gods wrath never any man would take any joy in be ing drunk more never would any man take any deligt in chambring and wantonnesse more but then the poore soule sayes further oh but it is not in my power to help my soule but if it will but please the Lord to do good unto my poore soule let him do what he will with it What faith the Minister you are then willing and content to part with your sinnes a yes yes saith the poore soule I will rather offend all the world than God I had as leiffe go to hell as to the committing of any sinnefull practise well saith the Minister if it be so it is well but do you speak this from your heart yes faith the poore soule if it would please God to help me I would forsake my sins with all my heart Why now the poore soule is comming againe and God is haling of him aside againe from his corruptions and sinfull distempers This is that we shall observe Hos 2.6 there saith the text behold I will hedge up the way with thorns and make a wall that she shall not find her pathes and she shall follow after her lovers but she shall not overtake them she shall seek them but she shall not find them then shall she say I will go and return to my first husband for it was better with mee then than it is now The Lord at last teares the soule and rends the heart from sinfull distempers and then the soule thinketh oh there is not that pleasure in sinne as I have formerly thought there was the soule then hateth drunkennesse as death he is not able to look upon his adulteresse queane he is not able to abide the house where he committed the folly his heart beginnes to tremble at it And therefore mark the next and last cord I should have added more to the former poynt out of Psal 88.16 there saith David thy fierce wrath is gone over mee and thy terrours have cut mee off thine arrowes stick fast in mee how ever David before had shook off the commands and accusations of conscience though these would not draw him to God yet now the Lords arrowes stuck fast in him he could not pluck them out nor cast them off for his life The last cord is the cord of the Spirit the Lord by the almighty power of his spirit when the soule is thus loosened he then fully plucks it to himselfe never againe to be sodered and closed unto corruptions with an almighty hand he cuts the soule off from sinne and takes it into his own hand that it may never be mustered by sinne and Satan any more as it was formerly Look as it is with a graft a man must pluck it by force from one stock before he can plant it upon another so the Lord by the spirit of power doth rend the soule from sinne and ingrafteth it into Christ and now the soule purposeth never