the great Comprehensive Duties but there is not any one thing more mistaken then what this good conscience is Too many Preachers presse this carnally and carnall people go away with it that they have Faith yea they never doubt it and for a good conscience they discharge it I have spoken of Faith already but now that which such poor seduced souls take to be a good Conscience is onely to wrong no body to be just to all not to purloyn others goods to take and keep nothing but their own they take it to be chiefly conversant about the duties of the second table concerning their Neighbour A little to rectifie this soul-damning mistake 1. A Scripture-Conscience is an enlightened conscience which before was shut up in darknesse Eph. 1.18 The light of the word of God is set up in the conscience whereby it discovers those truths in their power and worth which before it was dark unto 2. A good conscience is a conscience searcht by the power of the word convinc'd to be under sin and guilt and pollution whereby trouble doth arise in it God laying in the weight of guilt the damnableness of sinne the pollution of it upon the Conscience so that the soul cries out What shall I do How shall God be pacified and the soul saved 3. And hence it is an awakened Conscience which before was asleep Awake thou that sleepest Eph. 5. The voice of the Spirit doth awaken that Conscience that before was asleep in sinful security 4. A good Conscience is convinced that all the keepings of the Law and keeping a Conscience to men cannot justifie the soul before God cannot commend it to God which a Second-Table-Conscience imagines it will and so is in peace Paul kept a Conscience as to many things Act. 23.1 I have lived in all good Conscience before God untill this day meaning I conceive from his youth up when he was a Pharisee but when his Conscience was convinced and awakened and came to see Jesus Christ he saw that all his keeping a Conscience as to many Sins and Duties could not in the least commend him to God 5. A good Conscience is sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus Christ Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 So that this is the efficacy of the bloud of Jesus Christ upon the Conscience of a Believer it pacifies it in the sense of the forgiveness of sins towards God so as it can draw near to God and it purgeth it from dead works sin and pollution to serve God acceptably This is a good Conscience indeed 6. A good Conscience respects all the Precepts of God as well of Holiness to God as Goodness to men which the Conscience we have been speaking of doth not Such a one makes not conscience of this great and absolute Precept Be ye holy 1 Pet. 1. It makes not conscience of purging the heart of secret mourning to God of the purity of Gods Worship It makes no Conscience of lesser sins as we have shew'd not of all sin as Herod heard the Word gladly but made no conscience of persecuting John to death when he stood in the way of his Lusts Now I say a good Conscience respects precepts of Holiness secret as well as publique Duties inward as well as outward sins lesser sins as well as greater 7. A Scripture-good Conscience is much taken up about godly sincerity So Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Consciences that with simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly Wisdome but with the grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World c. Thus a soul that walks with a good Conscience towards God labours to a prove it self in all things with a godly sincerity to do all as unto God Lastly a good Conscience labours to keep it self pure and undefiled it is accompanied with a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the Commandement is love out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned A soul that would keep the Conscience good would keep it pure and the whole inward man pure as a Temple unto God Vse Now see how many ingredients go to make up a good Conscience in a Scripture-sense and what a great mistake is in this weighty matter and how far abundance of people that make conscience of their dealings with men conclude thence they have a scripture-good-Scripture-good-conscience to God when they are not savingly enlightned their Conscience never searcht by the power of the Word and throughly awakened out of a natural condition never humbled for resting in themselves and their Duties not having their Conscience sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus Christ and purged thereby not having a tender respect to all the Precepts of God not to walk before him in godly sincerity nor with a pure heart You then that are short of these things you are wholly to seek in that which you so much pretend to and speak peace to your selves in the having or keeping a good Conscience you have as yet no part in this matter 2. What hath been spoken of a good Conscience may be for instruction and direction to the Called Ones of Christ how to preserve the Conscience good and peaceable and so to live and dye in the peace and comfort of it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Get it sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus Christ every day and under the searchings of the Word and awake unto God and pure and undefiled respecting all the Holy Precepts of God as binding to your Conscience so will the Conscience be tender and peaceable and God will witness in your Consciences your acceptance with him in his Son Jesus Christ I would give out further some Notes of Tryal Whether you rest in false common grace or not as to what we have already spoken in so weighty a matter 1. By your never-suspecting the truth of your grace but taking all upon trust never doubting but you have Faith and do repent and so of all the rest That soul that never suspected his grace may well fear that his pretended grace is no more then what a Hypocrite may reach unto The poor called Children of God are exceedingly jealous their Faith is not sound that they are short in every grace because of the woful mixtures that they find more Unbelief then Faith more hardness of heart then softness more pride then humiliation and so of all Now that soul that goes away with an unsuspected confidence of every grace sure flatters himself and his way will be found to be deceitful 2. That soul that draws back his Conscience from the searching power of the Word when it gives out ways of tryal of sincerity and
will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy And as if this had not been enough the heart of the blessed God was so infinitely taken with it Chap. 34 5 6. The Lord comes nearer to him descended in a Cloud and stood with him there and as if meerly to have spoken what he had before said to Moses namely That he should have mercy had not been enough at verse 6 He proclaimes it and makes it as his proper Name and most glorious Title The Lord The Lord God Mercifull and Gracious c. verse 7. forgiving iniquity c. As if forgiving iniquity were the great design of glory he had upon the world his heart most affected and taken up with it This is the first reason poor sinners should have their hearts most taken up about the pardon of sins because the heart of the infinite wise and blessed God is most taken up about it 2. The pardon of sin should so greatly take up the heart of a poor guilty sinner because Nothing is a a Blessing to a man till his sins are pardoned but All a curse The Scripture is well known that proves it among many Deut. 28.15 16. If thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God to observe to do all his Commandments and his Statutes which I command thee this day that all those curses shall come upon thee overtake thee Cursed shall thou be in the City cursed shalt thou be in the field Cursed shall be thy basket thy Store Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body the fruit of thy Land the encrease of thy kin the flocks of thy sheep Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in cursed shall thou be when thou goest out the Lord shall send upon thee cursing vexation and rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto for to do c. Now that soul that doth not hearken to the voice of God according to the tenour of the New-Covenant to come unto Jesus Christ to have his sins pardoned to have the spirit given him to walk before God in all his wayes is in an unpardoned condition and so liable to all these curses now under the old Testament God did more usually come forth in visible stroakes of punishment upon outward mercies but under the New Testament his judgements specially upon such as are under the Gospell are more spirituall as blessings to his people run in a more spirituall way as in cursing them with hardnesse and blindnesse of heart having resisted the truth but yet though such outward curses are not so visibly and frequently executed though sometime they are yet unpardoned unconverted sinners enjoy not their outward good things as a blessing but they serve but to further their damnation if their hearts are not through infinite grace made soft and turn unto the Lord that they may be pardoned Now to have outward mercyes and be hardned in an impenitent estate under them is a farr greater curse then to have them smitten or imbittered from the Lord though with the heaviest hand This is the 2d Reason of the point Every thing is a curse while such to an unpardoned sinner therefore t is of the greatest weight to have his heart taken up about it 3. The person of an unpardoned sinner is hated of the Lord therefore the weight of it is very great Psal 5.5 Thou hatest all workers of iniquity All be they what they will high or low rich or poor God hates them and while they are workers of iniquity they are certainly unpardoned what they may be in the decree of God is nothing to that sinner in this condition while he is a worker of iniquity he hath no ground for any other apprehension of God unles he turn in unto him Now what a dreadfull thing is it to be hated of that great and righteous God a drop of whose wrath is able to scortch the soul with unspeakable torment yet such is the condition of a wretched unpardoned sinner therefore t is his great concernment to look to it c. 4. While a sinner is unpardoned he is under the law What that is I shall if God will further discover He stands bound over to the most exact fullfilling of it under the penalty of Hell bound to make God satisfaction to the utmost upon the least breach and being under transgression of it is under wrath and condemnation if he abide so without remedy There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus but All condemnation to those that are out of Christ Jesus as all unpardoned sinners are therefore t is a condition above all others to be weighed and considered and not to be rested in one moment 5. Neither the Prayers nor Alms nor any other duty of an unpardoned sinner are at all accepted with the Lord. This wretched sinners will not admit of but think if they perform any duty to God he accepts of it and that indeed it makes an atonement for their sins Take that one eminent place in Esa 1.15 Though you make many prayers yet I will not hear you mark it you that think because you make or say as you style it many good prayers sure God hears you No saith God I will not hear why see verse 16. they were not washed from their sins therefore the Prophet calls them to come to the Lord that they might be pardoned verse 38. T is true when a poor sinner hath his heart smitten for sin and comes to the Lord upon the account of promises of grace and pardon through Jesus Christ with full purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord and so begs for pardon and all things that do accompany pardon and salvation then God hears his cryes at the very first breathing of his soul Lam. 3.56 but not till then doth God regard the multitude of his Prayers Alms Worship Keeping conscience to men therefore certainly if nothing be accepted with God till in a pardoned condition such an estate requires great and deep thoughts of heart of it 6. Upon all this it will follow That an unpardoned sinner will have no other word from the Lord Jesus Christ at his coming but Go you cursed Everlasting darknesse and wrath and woes and all misery must be his portion for ever If he dye in his sins Joh. 8.29 his soul must be eternally damned without all Remedy Live and dye unpardoned and be damned unpardoned When Jesus Christ shall be come neither he himself nor Saint nor Angel will or can speak one word for a soul that dyes unpardoned though the soul screek out for a drop of mercy it will be answered with nothing but the Ecchoes of the screekings of other desperate souls ready to be hurled with it into the same everlasting burnings no eye to pitty there though Ministers and Saints did warn invite weep mourn pity when on this side the grave yet at the
great Judgment it will not be so No nothing but upbraidings of Devils for neglecting Gospel-grace and refusing the termes of pardon and for grosse security This will be the portion of every unpardoned sinner that neglects the day of his salvation Therefore the pardon of sins requires the deepest thoughts of heart and can never be made too sure to a poor sinfull Creature Use 1. If the pardon of sin be of so great and infinite weight how doth this meet with the wretched deplorable carelesnesse of a world of souls in this day that think of nothing lesse then whether their sins are pardoned that will hear of nothing that may call this great matter into question or way awaken them to it Oh how many poor souls I fear too many of you though so often and earnestly prest to it that were never before the Lord mourning after the pardon of your sins What a leight matter would it be to be pardoned if there should be no more in it not care about it then most sinners that call themselves Christians make about it Ah sinners why do you make no more ado no more matter of it why so sensless of that which is alone worthy all the thoughts of thy heart if thou shouldst live a million of years to dispatch this one thing to get thy sins all pardoned You that are Elderly people have a large reckoning specially upon your account of sinning against Gospell-light and grace make haste what you do do quickly lay hold on eternall life the sun is ready to let upon you and wo with you as ever you were men and women if you fail of a good and sure dispatch of this one corcernable thing your sins being pardoned And you that are younger take heed lest the day of grace set upon you and you be given up to your own hearts lusts and no word that is spoken from God or man shall ever reach you Oh tremble at tryfling with convictions and light but begin to honour the Lord Jesus and bow unto him and wait for the promised effusion of his spirit and the joy of the Lord shall be the joy of your youth and the love of the Lord will be very sweet and precious to you 2d Exhort Oh then let every soul of us be deeply affected with this weighty matter let your souls say within you Oh the dreadfulnesse of an unpardoned condition what tongue can expresse it to have all my store little or much house corn cattle all under a curse and enjoy it as a curse and onely to further my eternall damnation to be hated of the great God and not loved to be under all the condemnation of the Law where ever I read of wrath and wo it belongs to me to have not one of my prayers or any thing else accepted of the Lord to be in a condition of expecting nothing from Jesus Christ at his coming but go ye cursed when I shall see so many blessed souls that took paines for Heaven enter into the Kingdome and my self shut out Wo is me if I speak peace to my soul in such an estate one moment more Awake my soul Awake Away in to the blessed God for mercy pardon grace Christ his blood spirit holinesse eternall life I will go the Lord helping me and cry in the bitternesse of my soul for them all and if 't were possible to weary the Lord with the cryes of my poor soul I will do it till he have mercy upon me and bid me go in peace The gracious God shall as hardly deny me as ever he did any poor sinner that lay bleeding at his feet for mercy and grace from heaven to heale a poor condemned soul Oh what have I been doing in the world all this while get a little something and my sins unpardoned in daily danger of dying in them and so be lost without all remedy for ever Oh! such will be the great thoughts of heart about the pardon of sins when the Lord shall speak to a poor sinner and the Conscience shall be thoroughly awake about it Oh! let me yet in the name of the Lord argue out this matter with thee Be serious for once and ponder it in thy heart what is health or wealth what is it to have something about thee in the world lay up yearly thou go deeper in debt with the just God every day What if all the world be at Peace with thee and God thy enemy and hate thee as thou hast been shewed What if all the world say of thee Blessed if God and his holy Word of truth pronounce thee Cursed because thy sins lye upon thy soul and the Spirit of grace is not upon thee Ah! poor Creature Do not do not let thy sins lye upon thy precious soul any longer do not be contented to be a child of Gods wrath any longer Oh! do not thou poor carelesse soul if there be a spark of pity in thee Do not as the Devil flatters rest in this and say I hope better and I hope 't is better with me and I hope I am or shall be pardoned and so fall asleep till thou drop into hell You that think it an easie common matter to be pardoned know not what it is you have yet no part in this blessednesse Saith a poor convinced soul 1. 'T is a great matter that any sinner in the world is pardoned much more such a one as I if ever I attain to it 2. Souls that get pardon do make it their greatest care to be assured of it they do not leave the matter at sixes and sevens and put it off with bidding the heart hope well but they labour after a Gospel assurance of it 3. Such souls will labour to see that nothing be wanting that must accompany pardon of sin and a state of salvation Heb. 6.9 4. They try all their pretences to pardon and grace over and over and will take nothing upon trust from their hearts or the Devils flatteries or the flatteries of carnal Ministers but search and prove and lay their hearts under the Word and Spirit till it be sealed by the Holy Ghost and that they are wrought of God for this self same thing and that he hath given them the Earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 Well therefore say in thy heart in good earnest Oh! it hath not been so with me I have been carelesse I thought well of my self I nere questioned this weighty matter to purpose Oh! the Lord give me grace to take pains in the use of means to be violent for Heaven Oh! I will not rest Oh! let me not till I am assured indeed that my my sins are done away and Christ is mine Go and say and do it and the God of all grace and might be with thee in it But yet further to presse the weight of this matter upon thy Conscience that thou mayest go off thoroughly convinced and resolved to pursue effectually the compassing of this so
that is paid for the salvation of him from his sins the price of the blood of the eternal son of God How great was sin how sinful and damnable the nature of it in the eye of the righteous God when justice could not be satisfied but by such a way Oh saith a poor soul that comes for pardon what a damnable thing is sin which was once nothing to me that redemption from it is at such a rate God had no greater a price to give then what he layd down to save a wretched sinner from his sin Oh 't was great sin that must crucifie the Lord of life and glory therefore doth my soul hate it 13. Lastly This consideration also greatens sin in as much as a poor creature hath drawn and tempted others to sin with him specially such as have lived more vainly loosly it lies hard upon many a poor soul after thorough conviction Oh how many have I drawn to sin not only by my example but encouragement and perswasion that may be now in hell for such sins or are under a state of impenitency and hardned by me Oh this is an abasing consideration to a poor convinced humbled sinner when God smites his heart with it Use 1. Before we go further let us labour to apply this to the consciences of all I have shewed you the matter we are upon is the weightiest that ever took up Gods heart the pardoning of a sinner and therefore how should it swallow up the hearts of poor undone souls that are so infinitely concern'd in it I beseech you therefore lay to your hearts what hath been spoken as to the greatness of sin And consider If souls that come to God by Christ for pardon see their sins as great sins and 't is their great trouble that they cannot see them greater First then This may serve to take off that woful deceit of heart and delusion of the Devil of poor careless souls that dream of pardon and yet never in any measure thus saw their sins as great This shews the heart was never touched of God never smitten for sin as yet This is the way indeed of unpardoned sinners they are lessening their sins to God and themselves finding out circumstances to lessen them of others tempting them and the Devil and the like and many or most of men or women allow themselves in the same or they were overtaken or the like they think they can easily pacifie God again and that God makes not so great a matter of it thus a deceitful heart and a cheating Devil juggle together and sooth Conscience in a damnable peace And such souls call their great reigning sins their infirmity and God will not be so exact as some of the Preachers make him here 's a sinner riverted in a cursed estate But now take a soul whom God as I shall shew hath made sensible of sin and the weight of pardon and comes to the feet of the Lord for it 't is quite otherwise Oh my sins wretch that I was and am were little sins to me before but now they are great sins I called it my infirmity to lye swear profane the Sabboth allow my self in any excess but now I see 't was reigning sin soul-damning sin great oh great sin Oh that I am out of hell Oh the patience of God! Is there mercy for such a wretch What a wonder will it be if I get to Heaven How great will that mercy be that pardons me 2. Therefore in the second place examine how it is with you and whether you have had some such workings of heart Have you been before the Lord in David's posture Oh mine iniquity is great Oh I have sinned against a great God wearied great patience turned great mercies into sin Oh I have sinned against great light How shall I be pardoned Sins continued in and multiplyed from my youth up and these against serious purposes under the reign of it there 's an infinite fountain of all evil within me If I have been any way restrained no thanks to my own heart for it Oh saith a poor soul I was led by the Devil befool'd by the Devil served the Devil against God And now what can I challenge at the hands of God What belongs to me but wrath great wrath everlasting wrath infinite wrath If one sin deserves a thousand hells what do innumerable transgressions do If mercy be not infinite how shall I look up to God or how shall God look down upon me Oh I say let your Conscience answer hath it been thus in some good and real measure though not so deep as your soul desires I know there are degrees and I also know till God come to let out Himself in such a way as this that sin is ☞ great and greater in mine eye then ever we make but slight work of it in out spirits want of this makes many in these dayes run away with pleasant notions of Grace Christ Light though blessed be the Lord for ever for the more glorious Revelation of all these but I speak of abuses but sin was never great by the appearance of God and so they wanton with such notions which at last weare off and so they come to nothing but a reproach to the Gospel 3. In the third place therefore let it serve to exhort sinners to look back upon your lives even from your youth up you may find one more of the discoveries mentioned of the greatnesse of sin that you will fall under specially such as have bin given to the profanesse and vanities of the age you live in lying swearing profaning of the Sabbath to riot ungodly pastimes and sports reviling the godly or other more secret wickednesses and pollutions any of which may be speak thee in a state of sin and wrath joyned with thy living in the neglect of known duties upon which neglect God hath pronounced a curse as the neglect of secret or Family-prayer Jer. 10. ult Or if thou hast not been engaged in grosse sins but hast bin sober and well carriaged from thy youth up yet thou mayst be still in a state of sin but go a little more soberly to hell and in more danger of being damned in thy civill sober carriage then great sinners with which thou art apt to compare thy self and seeing thy self not so bad as them thinkest all is well But remember well what hath bin proved that sin is greater in the Fountain then the streames though it make a greater noise or shew to others in the streame of ones life thou hast a Hell in thy nature an infinite fountaine of any wickednesse that ever any of the Sons or Daughters of men did commit An Idolater An Adulterer A Murderer A Sodomite A devil in thy heart and whole frame thy nature In a word one sin which thou callst little reigning but in thy heart and cherished there is enough to send thee to hell as if thou wert the veryest reprobate living
all do sin and transgresse this law of God therefore they are under the penalty and condemnation of it this argument the Apostle brings to prove the same thing verse 9. of this 3d. of the Rom. For we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles that they are all under sin and verse 12. They are all gone out of the way they are together become unprofitable there is none that doth good no not one Threfore seeing all do sin they are bound to answer the law as you use to phrase it and are subject to whatsoever the law pronounceth against the transgressours of it 3. All the partiall keping of the law will not deliver a soul from that penalty that belongs to the breach of the whole keep me all or none as to your deliverance from the curse saith the law But this I am further to prove when I speak to the next verse The impossibility of a sinners being accepted by his best keeping of the law Use 1. Are all men and women in the world young and old naturally under the law bound over to the most exact and rigorous fulfilling of it under a curse and are indeed under all the curses and threanings it pronounceth and bound to make God satisfaction in your own persons while you are under it oh let every poor sinner be convinced of it what a state is this for any poor soul to rest it self satisfied in who is the man or woman that is not a transgressour of it and therefore see to it and that before the execution of judgment come upon thee without remedy Sinner If thou wast condemned by the law and under a sentence of death how wouldst thou beg for a reprieve and beg all thy friends to interpose for thee what an amazing word would it be to thee Thou art condemned to dye Ah sinner t is the case of thy precious soul Thou art condemn'd to eternall death by the law of God the sentence is pronounced from the righteous Judge of Heaven Away sinner with all speed to a Mercy seat Acknowledge thy condemnation just by the law Go to the great and potent Advocate of heaven Jesus Christ the righteous put thy case into his hand tell him thou hast none else to make to and that thou hast heard he hath helped many a condemned sinner in the same case as thou art and that thou hast heard he hath layd down a price for such as thou art to redeem them from the curse of the Law follow him and if he speak but a word to the just and great God for thee the sentence of the Law is remitted a pardon of grace comes forth and at last the Holy Ghost shall be sent from the father and the Son to witnesse it and seal it in thy own conscience and that blessed word shall be thine Therefore there is now No condemnation c. who shall condemn me since Jesus Christ hath cleared me and hath made the Court of Heaven for me Go and ponder in thy soul every day and say Is' t nothing to be under a Curse condemned by a Law to be damned for ever shall I let my poor soul lye in such a case one hour longer specially when a way I hear is opened to me to get from under it Say what satifaction can I wretched creature make to the righteous God None but by suffering what infinite justice will lay upon me which is no lesse then infinite punishment Oh get in upon thy conscience what it is to be condemned by the great God to lye under guilt to have no plea or excuse by the law left thee which I will labour to prove to thy conscience and then further urge thee which is the import of the next point Observ 2. A transgressour of the law as he hath nothing to boast in so he hath nothing to excuse himself for his sin or from the righteous judgment of God due unto him which is drawn from these words That every mouth may be stopped c. This the Apostle intimates Rom. 2.1 Therefore thou art inexcusable ô man c. speaking to the Jew who went about to free himself And the judgment of God is according to truth against them which do such things verse 2. Reason 1. A poor sinner hath nothing to excuse himself for sinning against the law of God because the law is good and righteous Rom. 7.12 Therefore the law is holy and the Commandement holy just and good saith Paul when he was under such a conviction of sinning against it as we are pressing So 1 Tim. 1.8 But we know that the Law is good c. T is a law that containes glory to the Creatour and all good and blessednesse as in its self to the creature A law that 's full of all wisdome and blessednesse takes care for the good blessing peace order of the whole Creation that man might not sin against his maker nor in the least harme nor think to do so his fellow creature so that its proper end is goodnesse preservation to all Now what excuse for a creature most concern'd in the good of it for sinning against such a law what hath a creature to say for himself how inexcusable is he before God Angels and men 2. God writ this holy and blessed law in the heart of Adam as he was a publique person whereby he and in him all mankind had power to keep it therefore the sinner hath no excuse before God He gave man a power though he did not lay a necessity upon his will but left him to the liberty of it but man corrupted himself Gen. 6.12 whereby he disabled himself from keeping the law Now if a man disable himself it can be no rationall excuse for neglecting the duty so that his mouth is stopped as to any plea or excuse before the Lord. 3. Though man had blurred and defaced the fair and originall Copy of this holy and good law written in his heart yet God gave it forth again by Moses in Legible Characters one end wherefore was to leave all mankind without excuse thereof this strikes off all plea for the sinner specially to such to whom it is revealed 4. There is a remnant of this law yet in the heart of Adam which though not sufficient to enable him to an exact performance of it yet enough to leave him without excuse so Paul Rom. 2.15 to prove this point we are now upon speaking of the Gentiles Which shew the workes of the Law written in their hearts their conscience also bearing witnesse and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another There is enough of the law remaining in every mans heart to accuse him when he doth evil and excuse him so far as he doth right though man by habituall sinning doth much stifle it so that this also helps to aggravate his sin and to leave him without all plea or excuse 5. There is that to be known of God in the creatures that
transgression of the law and shew what the sense of guilt is which few there are that have in a saving way Observ 3. Every soul in the world is guilty before God of the transgression of the Law And all the world may become guilty before God This hath been proved where we have shew'd that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God This guilt is threefold which is set home upon every sinners heart when convinc'd of sin by the spirit 1. The guilt of Adams sin which stands charg'd upon every sinner in the world while under the law Rom. 5.18 2. The guilt of the corruption of our natures sinne in the fountain as I have shewed which is likewise upon every Son or Daughter of Adam they are all corrupt Psal 14.1 wherein lies the exceeding sinfulfulnesse of sin 3. The guilt of actuall rebellion against God sinne brought forth and acted in the outward man against God Now under this threefold guilt is every sinner in the world while under the law the effect of which if not reconciled is punishment sutable to the guilt which is Thou shall surely dye And The wages of sinne is death eternall death Rom. 6. last Use 1. This may therefore inform and convince that every sin brings guilt upon the soul and so deserves death and everlasting wrath from God you that make light of sin to lye to profane the name of the Lord be in worldly discourses on the Lords day in any way of sin whatsoever weigh this in thy conscience There 's not the least sin but makes thee guilty before the tribunall of God God the law Angels Conscience are all witnesses against thee where 's the soul that will think to avoid this charge shall I prove every soul of you guilty and that before God If this were proved by the power of the word in the conscience I know what and I shall shew it you will be the effect of it lay your consciences to the Word and if thou art found guilty before the Lord this day go home with the sense of it upon thy soul and do as a guilty sinner should do 1. Consider first as to what concerns God immediately The Law requires Thou shouldst have no other Gods but him Exod. 20. Which Jesus Christ interprets is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul now Hath God had thy whole heart and soul darest thou say so Hath not the world had more of thy heart then God Dost not thou love the world and the things of it Do not thy affections thoughts desires of thy heart even day and night go after it yea you cannot but grant that 't is so Then God and Angels are witnesse that thou art guilty of the damnable sin of Idolatry And such a one shall not as such enter into the kingdome of God Eph. 5.5 Know by that Scripture A covetous heart may send thee to Hell as well as any sin in the world No Covetous man who is an Idolater shall enter into the kingdome of God read over the place every day and tremble at it Here 's guilt already enough to damn thee 2. Thou hast worshipped God superstitiously and idolatrously after the traditions and commandments of men you that are elderly people are all guilty here in a grievous manner in the time of your ignorance when superstitious Ceremonies were practised and the Common-prayer-Book worship was upheld when you polluted the Ordinances of Jesus Christ coming to Sacraments with sins upon your souls from which sins you are not converted and changed to this day which the Apostle calls eating and drinking damnation or judgment under which guilt you still lye and would heap up more of this guilt were not some more tender of your souls then your selves Here 's guilt to purpose who is free from it and how many unhumbled under it to this day Art thou not now ready to cry out Oh hold hold you need go no further my conscience is smitten oh guilt great guilt lyes upon me Oh that 't were the cry of many souls before the Lord how might it end in mercy that shall be for ever 3. But yet further to pursue thy conscience for that 's the nature of guilt doth not the Lord require in his law that thou shouldst not take his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 Now sinner stave off this guilt if thou canst How oft hast thou abused and profaned this great and dreadfull Name the Lord thy God by swearing or in thy by-words crying oh Lord oh God for Gods sake for Christs sake upon every foolish vain occasion with no more reverence of his Name then the most Common name in the world And some of you have as many dayes as you have lived since your childhood bin frequently guilty of this great evil which thou hast made a small matter of which if ever God pardon it it will appear to be odious guilt from the height of thy heart-Atheism How oft hast thou heard the word and thy heart bin after the world and thine eyes gazing up and down that t is easie to discern thou regardest not what is spoken from God to thee and the same in prayer how oft hast thou babled ore the Lords prayer like a charme with no reverence of Gods Majesty upon thy soul in thy bed it may be in a drowsie manner or if otherwise not understanding the words thou speakest much lesse thy heart affected with them or it may be saying over the Creed and the Commandements or some Service-book prayers as abundance do grievously profaning Gods Name and offering lip labour which his soul abhorreth yea know what hath bin often proved that thy prayers and all thy worship and good deeds as thou callest them are an abomination to the Lord while thou art in thy sin an unconverted and unholy person yea the way of thy worship in which thou placest thy greatest confidence hath bin the highest aggravation of thy sin in offering up to God that which his soul hateth Esay 1.11 12 13 14 15. When you make many prayers saith the Lord I will not hear you c. And as to the sanctifying the Sabbath which thou shouldest make a holy rest unto God thou hast made it a meer fleshly rest consuming the day upon thy lusts in vanity idlenesse carnall and worldly discourses in families in the streets to the high dishonour of the Name of God and hardening of thy heart against the truths of God rendring thereby the preaching of the Gospel wholly unprofitable to thy soul A carriage farr unlike a man that hath the grace of God upon him and a most invincible argument to thy conscience that thou makest not God his word ordinances sabbaths a holy delight and knowest not the excellency and sweetnesse of Communion with him Say sinner and lay thy conscience to this conviction is hearing and that with love praying praising meditating conferring of holy things the very heaven of thy
soul and so longest for such exercises as the joy and strength of thy heart Nothing lesse Thy own conscience being Judge but hear drowsily and negligently it may be despisingly revile the preacher speak evil of the word out of thy grosse ignorance and hatred to be reformed speak vainly carnally worldly with such as are like thy self Here 's guilt enough to send thee to a thousand Hells if God smite not thy heart for it and thou turn not unto him for pardon and a better heart to be given to thee Adde to all this an unthankfull and unholy use of Gods good Creatures it may be thou hast bin betrayed by the devil thy own ready heart to some secret sins which thou thinkest enough if thou canst hide from man not considering the judgment of God that hangs over thee But if not so yet a heart full of uncleannesse envy wrath malice which our Lord Jesus Christ in his opening the law in its spirituality Mat. 5.21.22 27 28. convinceth to be murder and adultery which it may be thou hast never considered of so thou hast not bin an actuall adulterer or murderer In a word There 's not a vain thought in thy heart the first rising of it but brings thee under the guilt of condemnation of the law and as thou art under the law as if a transgressour in thought word and deed of the whole Law This may seem strange to thee but see it proved James 2.10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all But it hath bin proved that thou art guilty of the breach of every Commandement of God from thy youth up But see further sinner that some word of God or other may hit thee this law could not condemn thee wouldst thou have bin convinced of guilt and made in to grace by Jesus Christ but thou art under the guilt of Gospel Contempt Come sinner saith Jesus Christ and see what I can and will do for thee I le save thee from this condemning Law I le take away the curse I le remove all thy guilt blot out all the charge that is against thee I le put a righteousnesse upon thee I le bestow my spirit upon thee I le give thee a heart to love God and his law and in the inward man to delight to walk in it and then take thee to Heaven and fill thee with glory for ever All this Heaven of mercy and free grace thou hast sleighted and sinned against and brought thy self under greater condemnation than by the law And yet by the way Jesus Christ will do as much for thee still as I have spoken of and more though thou hast thus sinned against law and gospel if thou wilt come a poor undone guilty soul unto him which is that I aime at in thus pressing upon thee And were the sense of guilt indeed upon thy soul thou wouldst seriously hearken to me Therefore yet futher bear with me Take home this guilt to thy conscience And say Oh guilty guilty of all that hath bin this day charged from the righteous God upon me Oh may the Lord find thee out this day and lay-in the fresh sense of the guilt of sins even of such thou hast long since committed Do not justifie nor excuse thy self any longer for that 's the naturall way of thy heart as thou hast bin shewed Never did guilty prisoner at the barre find more shifts more subtle pleas then the proud and shamelesse heart of a sinner will do till God himself pronounce guilt in the conscience and then the guilt of one sin laid-in brings in the guilt of all other and they sometimes come in like waves and billowes upon thy soul oh let the sense of thy lying swearing profaning the Sabbath slighting the word refusing Jesus Christ out of thy secret hatred of holinesse reproaching the people of God because in their practise they condemne thee or thy being guilty of the blood of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 11.27 a crying sin indeed Oh let this any all seize upon thee and fly not from it but go and lye low before the great God in it judging charging condemning thy self and say God and his word hath found me out this day and I go home with an arrow of God in my conscience I am the man or woman that am found the guiltyest soul in the Congregation how to be delivered and saved from it that 's my businesse now Blessed be the advice and counsell now which formerly I despised of any good man that speakes in the name of the Lord unto me and will shew me There is yet hope for so wretched a Creature as I am Particularly these are the effects of the sense of the guilt of sin wrought by the holy Ghost upon the conscience of a poor soul in order to his salvation 1. Fear of wrath to come more or lesse possesseth the heart Can a man be guilty and not fear if truly sensible of it This was upon Adam after he had sinned and heard Gods voice which struck him with sense of guilt Gen. 3.10 I heard thy voice and was afraid so when guilt came upon Belshazzar his thoughts troubled him Dan. 5.6 Felix trembled Acts 24.25 The Jaylour came trembling Acts 16.29 The fear of wrath the fear of a mis-carrying soul the fear of eternity seizeth upon the spirit of a poor creature and then t is an infinite weighty matter with a poor soul to be saved 2. Shame is another effect of guilt brought in upon the conscience so Adam likewise was ashamed and hid himself because he was naked Gen. 3. What fruit had you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6.21 So Ezek. 16. last That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done sayth the Lord See also Ezek. 43.10 11. Oh how is a sensibly guilty soul ashamed before God Angels men of such wayes and carriages in which he impudently before delighted himself and lyes down in his shame and confusion of face even covering his face before God and ashamed to look up unto him 3. The soul walkes up and down with a burthened spirit those creature-comforts delights contentments which before would still the spirit now will not sense of guilt eates out the heart of them the soul must now have something else than wind and vanity for so are Creatures become to such a poor soul It may be the deceitfull heart carryes a poor creature to this thing and that but finds no satisfaction there the burthen stills remaines the arrow that God hath shot sticks fast till Jesus Christ pluck it forth and heales all with his blood and spirit 4. Guilty souls make out for deliverance sue to heaven are enquiring how the law may be satisfied how guilt may be removed how atonement may be had how bondage taken off in a
thou poor formal out-side Professour who never didst feel the vertue healing life and warmth of the bloud of Christ upon thy heart Oh rest not in good thoughts of it onely but come believingly to it as thou hast been exhorted Say and that with thy heart Now Lord I would know the power and efficacy of this Redemption upon my poor soul Wash me Lord wash me I renounce all but the blood of this Christ as to making way to God for me Oh! let it pacifie my conscience and purge my conscience and I shall be clean If the Spirit of the Lord shall work thy heart to come as a guilty helplesse unholy sinner in thy self to this blood of Jesus and make thy approaches to God daily and argue for grace and remission upon it and purging thy soul these inestimable blessings will be the issue of it which I will but name to thee 1. Thou shall Certainly find forgivenesse of thy sins In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of our sins Ephes 1.7 God will remember them no more against thee and thou shalt have peace with thy God for ever 2. God will let forth an infinite unchangeable love upon thee Rom. 5.5 which love he bore thee from eternity but will now manifest it to thee and estate thee in it for ever 3. Thou shalt have boldnesse of accesse to God Rom. 5.2 even into his intimate presence to speak with God face to face and ask of God what thou wilt according to his will Heb. 10. 4. All the promises of mercy grace and all blessings here and for ever shall be thine made over sealed in the blood of Christ 5. Thou shalt rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 with all Saints and see thy self an heir of heaven 6. Thou shalt be still a washing and purifying and fitting for Heaven till thou shalt be taken up unto God and live in the Ocean of his love to all eternity Now if ease in thy sin and the world can do better for thee than this that I have named then keep in but if not as most certainly it cannot Arise and come to this blessed Redemption and get thy part and portion in it and thou shalt say Blessed be thy counsell and advice for evermore But now upon this Redemption of Iesus Christ how is a sinner said to be justified that is to be put into an actuall possession of the Redemption of Iesus Christ through the free grace of God 1. When the Compact was made between God the Father and Iesus Christ as to the salvation of those that the Father gave to Iesus Christ and Iesus Christ undertook the fulfilling of the Condition of the Covenant ☞ God did purpose in himself to justifie them from eternity and look't upon them as in Christ 2 Tim. 1.9 Ephes 1.4 So they were justified as to the purpose of God from all eternity 2. When Iesus Christ performed the condition of obedience in his dying and paid unto God what he required at his hands for the sinners redemption then did God as in the Court of Heaven discharge the sinner though not in the court of Conscience and when Christ arose and came to Heaven the Father gave him in an absolution of them all from the guilt of sin and obligation to death and so at the death of Christ all the Elect were meritoriously justified inasmuch as the price was paid and accepted of the Father Rom. 5.10 3. When according to the purpose of God through the purchase of Iesus Christ a sinner is called by grace hath faith given him as purchased also for him to embrace Iesus Christ in the Promise to receive him as offer'd in the Gospell and with him all spirituall blessings then is the soul put into the actuall possession of what God in his purpose and love determined to give him and Iesus Christ by the purchase of his blood gave him a right to before and so there is an Act of Gods pardoning mercy passeth upon the sinner he hath an actuall discharge given in unto his Conscience hath the obedience of Iesus Christ imputed to him and so is lookt upon by God not as a sinner under guilt but as righteous in the righteousnesse of Christ which bespeakes him Justified that is made just and righteous before God by the imputation and making over Christs righteousnesse to him as if righteous in his own person upon which Act of God there is a full remission of sinne as in the Text and the believer is put into another state a state of justification unto life through Iesus Christ Rom. 8.18 who before was in a state of death and condemnation Before I speak of that faith which through grace puts a soul in his pardoned and justified state I will breifly apply this to the Capacity of the weak 1. It may informe and instruct you in this great Mystery that any sinner that is saved must be thus justified made righteous by the obedience of Iesus Christ he must come to see the justice of God made up his sin satisfied for a price paid unto God and this to be actually made over to him as we shall presently shew Most of sinners 't is to be feared do not consider this that speak of mercy and pretend they hope in mercy but are never convinc'd of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ and what it is to passe from a state of guilt to a state of righteousnesse by Iesus Christ from a state of condemnation to a state of justification without which there can be no salvation Oh be convinced sinners of this great matter of the necessity of the righteousness of Christ his obedience in fulfilling the Law to be made over to you to be brought into a justified state or you can never have pardon of sin and be accepted with God you can never stand before God but in the righteousness of Iesus Christ Say If I do not get the righteousness of Christ made mine If I do not get thus justified I must never expect pardon of my sin and acceptance of my poor soul at the great day of the Lord. This is the Work of the Spirit to be savingly convinced of this Ioh. 16.8 Oh look up to the Father for the Spirit thus to convince you not onely of sinne and the damnableness and sinfulness thereof but of your infinite need to get not onely some general hope of mercy and pardon but the righteousness of the Son of God to bring you into a state of pardon reconciliation peace with God 2. It may further clear unto you that your justification before God is not within you but without you wrought forth by Iesus Christ for such as are or shall be called by grace and imputed to them not inherent or wrought in them 'T is not grace in you that doth or can justifie you though renewing grace shall be wrought in all that are so pardoned and justified Therefore though thou must be
perform their Duties as returnes to God Every called Believer saith in his heart as David Psal 116.12 Oh! What shall I render to thee How gracious hath God been and now how holy should I be Who shall love the Lord and fear before him and praise him if I shall not To whom shall his Name Laws Ordinances be precious if not unto me Who is more bound to love the blessed God then I and how shall I love him but by obeying him Thus doth a Believer perform his obedience as a testimony of a thankful return to God though I do not say that this is all his motive 10. By the Obedience and Holiness of Believers God is much glorifyed in the World 't is the greatest glory that God designs to himself in the World even by the holiness and willing-gracious obedience of his people to him When the World lyes in wickedness and makes War against the great and holy God this is that which Honours God that he hath a people called by his grace that set forth the glory of holiness in the world that are witnesses to the holiness of God the holiness of his Worship and all his Ways and profess and endeavour to walk in them and by this others are brought on to glorifie God on their behalf 1 Pet. 2.12 Vse 1. It may serve for instruction and information of your judgments and Consciences that there are other blessed and necessary and holy Ends in the Sanctification and Obedience of a Believer though they do not pacifie God nor justifie the Believer nor procure mercy by way of worthiness to a poor Soul called thereunto which may therefore serve to discover the damnableness of such kind of Doctrines that teach and cry in this day Grace is free Christ hath done all what need you pray and have Ordinances and be holy This is of the wicked one and comes from his Instruments and Factors who are sent abroad to damn Soules You may see that not one of those Ends mentioned but is of weight enough to convince a soul of the necessity of Holiness Duties and Obedience and such mens pretences are not a Scripture-way of Free-grace 2. If there are blessed and holy Ends of a Believers Duties and Obedience though he is not thereby justifyed It may serve to take off that prejudice of heart through misunderstanding and ignorance that is apt to be upon the hearts of such as are Carnal when they hear that all their Duties Sobriety and Righteousness is to be accounted as loss for Christ You see there are good and necessary Ends of all Duties of Obedience onely still take this with you and to your Consciences that till you come as poor and naked to Iesus Christ for your justifying Righteousness and so get life in and from him and so are carryed on in a way of Duty Your Duties serve you for no end and purpose unless for a lesser degree of Torment in Hell onely be encouraged to wait upon the means for the receiving of the Spirit for the Knowledge of Jesus Christ And these things I have spoken may be your Experience 3. It may further direct Believers what ends they are to propose to themselves in the way of their Duties and Obedience to be carryed on in them through the grace of GOD and the daily supply of the Spirit as one great end of your Redemption that you should serve the Lord in Holiness to eye the Soveraign and Absolute Command of God over you that thereby you are made conformable to God and shew forth his Image and to the Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ that there is an equity and goodness in all the Holy and Righteous Ways of God And see that the love of God be shed abroad in your hearts to draw out your love to him and so be acted in your obedience Get your hearts taken with the beauty and glory of the Lord Jesus and so long after likeness to him See that you look after Communion with God in your Duties and that you do not neglect your Evidence for the Pardon of your sinnes by the sight of your Sanctification and your Universal Obedience And perform them not as to procure mercy by any proportion thereunto in your Duties but as Returns to God and consider how much God is glorifyed in the World by the Obedience of his people And thus may you carry on your progress in Holiness and a sweet and consciencious performance of Duties and walking with God and yet live by your Faith for your justification by the rich and Free-grace of God through the Righteousness of Jesus Christ as if you had never obeyed at all In a word If thou hast felt the power and vertue of the bloud of Jesus Christ upon thy Soul coming as a poor naked polluted guilty Soul unto it as thou hast been shewed and hast received life from Jesus Christ by a believing closing with him and art waiting for a sight and sense of thy justification but doest yet want it Remember still that in the performance of thy Duties thy heart which it is very apt to do lay no stress upon them as in them to appear before God and to procure the favour of God but still go forth to the grace bloud righteousness promises of Christ and there fix for thy acceptance with God and be much in renewing of Acts of Faith that is casting thy Soul upon them and Evidence will come in yet go on in humbling praying waiting reforming sanctifying obeying as to the ends mentioned And the peace of God fill thy heart 2. Believers that have some sense of their Justification do you remember that you obey God not that thereby you were are or ever may be justified but because you are justified therefore you obey the Lord and delight in his wayes keep this in your eye and 't will keep the heart from going to bottome upon your selves as gracious and partly righteous which mixtures render Duties uncomfortable and keep souls from assurance No Believer performs his Duties so spiritually sweetly and comfortably as that soul that labours to keep the sight of his justification still upon the account of Free-grace and out of himself that soul enjoys sweetest Communion with God in the way of his Duties and gets to Heaven with most comfort and assurance AMEN The End of the Second Treatise of the Gospel New-Creature The Third Treatise THE Gospel-New-Creature In Christ positively opened The false appearances thereof in the Legal-new-Creature so called plainly refuted And the true Evidences thereof particularly held forth to the Experience of the weak Believers 2 COR. 5.17 If any man be in Christ he is a New Creature I Have been opening the difference between the Righteousness of the Law and the Gospel shewing the Necessity Nature and Way of obtaining Gospel-justification by the bloud of Jesus Christ and have discovered a soul estated therein I shall now endeavour to open the Gospel-New Creature peculiarly as distinguisht
to be better this will not do if it be no more or such as have heald your selves and have not bin healed by coming to the Lord Iesus Christ by a more exact way of some outward duties know it and be convinc'd that the core will break out again and you are yet to seek for a well grounded peace and are none of the Gospel New-Creatures Now another degree of mistakes of the New-Creature doth arise from the taking of Common grace which a Hypocrite may reach to for truth of renewing sanctifying grace And know that every Hypocrite doth not know himself to be such but a Hypocrite is one that appeares to himself and others to be what he is not He takes himself to be a good Christian a believer a new Creature and is not so The ground of some of these great mistakes I shall mention As first A poor Creature thinks himself safe because what he doth he thinks he doth it all with a good heart No one so confident of the goodnesse of his heart as a Hypocrite because he knowes not his own heart in that great Reformation in Iosiahs time Ieremiah speakes of Chap. 3.10 that Iudah turned to the Lord but feignedly not with the whole heart yet the people thought otherwise of themselves as t is likely when they entred into a Covenant with God with good Iosiah This is it that most poor sinfull Creatures do bolster up themselves with in their ignorance and security that they do all to God and men with good hearts whereas a renewed soul doubts of the goodnesse of his heart and hath matter of humbling for it in every duty 2. Another mistake of poor souls is as to the Gospel New-Creature from a misprision of sins of infirmities for such as are indeed reigning damning sins As to instance to lye for advantage to swear petty Oaths sometimes by faith and troth by the masse to mention Gods name frequently as a by-word crying Oh Lord Oh God slightly vainly or sometimes to drink to excesse or the like evils 'T is common to hear wretched souls when convinc'd of them to excuse the matter Why 't is their infirmity whereas it proceeds from a heart wholly unregenerate and under the power and reign of sin Infirmities of the Children of God are not allowed by them but humbled for mourned for every day watch'd against the root of them they endeavour to mortifie through the Spirit which the common professour that calls all his sins his infirmities doth not Oh! Souls there 's a vast difference between the infirmities of such as are indeed New-Creatures and between the reigning sins of naturall men sin reigns in its peace power habit in the heart no subduing crucifying purging which a New-Creature doth and hath 3. This mistake of the New-Creature doth arise from a misconceiving of the reluctancy of a naturall conscience before or in the committing of sin taking it for the conflict that is in a truely regenerate Soul between the Regenerate and the carnall part which mistake usually is bottomed upon a misunderstanding of that place of Paul Rom. 7.15 For that which I do I allow not c. Hence say many unregenerate gracelesse persons Why though they do break out into such and such hings and omit such and such duties yet they do not allow themselves in it that is their conscience is not wholly seared and so make some resistance and this they take to be saving grace A grosse and most dangerous mistake Now take such a person and he hath not a delight in the Law of God in the inward man as Paul had vers 22. doth not cry out as inwardly burthen'd wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death No such daily complaints and groanings under the weight of it No tying God through Jesus Christ for deliverance from it No serving the Law of God with a renewed inward man No walking after the Spirit as Paul professeth to do so that unlesse it be so with you that no-allowance in the conscience and yet do it it comes to nothing and an Hypocrite may and doth as much till given up to a seared conscience past feeling 4. From a mistake of faith taking that for sound and saving which is common to a Reprobate such as James describes in his Epistle speaking of men who say they have faith and have not really A faith that believes that God is the Scriptures the dying and rising of Jesus Christ and all other Gospell truths as it pretends yea that he believes on Jesus Christ and hopes to be saved by him as well as the holiest and upon this they have a kind of peace I have spoken before of Justifying faith only a word as to the New-Creature know therefore That faith which hath convinc'd the soul of its own weaknesse and so brought it to Jesus Christ for life that doth not teach a soul to deny it self that doth not purifie the heart that doth not live upon Jesus Christ and so created into him is not the faith of the New-Creature but a common dead putrifying faith that suffers the soul to putrifie in sin and works not to the cleansing of it 5. To instance in some other graces as namely repentance which souls do take to be onely a wishing the sin had not bin committed with a little fear and sorrow after it and this they think to be true repentance which when true is accompanyed with loathing of the sin and our selves and our corrupt natures brokennesse of heart for it and from it and turning to God by Jesus Christ and eyes the honour patience holinesse love of God in its sorrowing more then his wrath and hath for its effects carefulnesse indignation against it self vehement desire after more holinesse by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 7.11 6. A false and carnall hope of Heaven mistaken for a gracious saving hope deceives the soul in this matter many poor souls yea it may be feared the most think they shall go to Heaven because they hope so and think they ought to hope Now a saving hope of pardon and Heaven is rightly bottom'd namely upon the riches of Gods grace Titus 3.7 Upon the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Gal. 5.5 Upon some speciall promise of God Upon experience of God Rom. 5. And purifies the soul 1 John 3.3 as I may have occasion more at large to speak Oh! this false and carnall cursed hope that is not thus bottom'd serves onely to shut up the heart against the power of the word and a saving closing with Jesus Christ till a soul is dasht in this hope it will never get a better 7. A form of knowledge specially if encreas'd under the Ministery of the word may much deceive a soul in this great and weighty concernment so Paul speaks of the Jews Rom. 2.20 having a form of knowledge and of the truth of the Law Many have a Catechisticall form of knowledge they can describe what faith and
truth of grace and puts it off as if not concerned in it this may well bespeak a false heart A gracious heart would bring the Work over and over to the Touchstone of the Word delivers up it self unto it yea is much with God to search him in point of a firm Work upon his Spirit as to any prevailing iniquity in his heart as David Psal 139. When he was before the Lord appealing to him and opening his heart to him speaks thus ver 1. Oh Lord thou hast searched me c. thou hast And yet ver 23 24. begs of God yet further to search him Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me into the way everlasting 3. False grace is discovered by its easie acting When you can easily believe easily repent easily be humble and so of all others Certainly 't is all naught There is great contradiction within and from the Tempter as to act grace begun in a soul yea a daily supply from Jesus Christ must be to act any grace livelily which the common pretending easie Believers are not sensible of It cannot be but every act of grace must find more or less resistance from flesh and bloud which is so vigorously opposite to the nature and acting of real grace in the soul 4. Such as are never humbled for the spirituall wickednesses of their hearts I call them so in opposition to the more gross and fleshly wickednesses now these are hypocrisie selfishness spiritual pride vain-glory unbelief many that have had trouble for some gross sins will withstand some gross corruptions through common grace never come to be abased for these depths of the heart which are more hardly discerned I may well enough call that soul as yet a Hypocrite that is never humbled for the Hypocrisie of his heart for selfishness and the rest 5. Common-grace measures the soul chiefly by Negatives what it is not rather then what really it is as the Pharisee Luke 18. I am not as other men are pleaseth himself rather in what he is not then what he is I am not thus and thus as abundance of debaucht persons are but whether he be called of God emptyed of his own righteousness sanctified in Christ Jesus and a new Creature in him he puts off the Examination of 6. Common grace doth at best respect a mans self in all it does and not the glory of God which it sees not let others be as wicked as they will it is not much to such a soul let every one look to himself such a soul doth not avoid sin as sin but onely for fear it should damn him whereas the proper nature of grace is to respect God his holinesse name and glory Thus have I laid down some plain discoveries of the pretended New-Creature that which I have styled a Legall New-Creature I shall now proceed a little further to make discovery of a more seeming Gospel New-Creature yet but seeming That which hath the nearest resemblance of the New-Creature is when from some common enlightnings of the Gospel of grace and some overly tastings of the good word the affections being something stirrd therewith there is some affection expressed to the Gospel and some outward reformation upon it and a profession above the common formall rate taken up joyned also with common gifts of praying or prophesying knowledge c. Now all this may make so great a blaze and flourish that it shall be hardly discerned by such a professour himself or others that are spirituall That all this may be 't is clear from severall Scriptures Heb. 6.4 5. where mention is made of inlightning tasting gifts of the Holy Ghost and yet such to fall away and never to renew themselves again and to be nigh unto cursing verse 8. And verse 9. Beloved we are perswaded better things of you and things that accompany salvation c. Implying that these things may be but do not alwayes accompany salvation So the Apostle Peter 2 Pet. 2.20 speaks of such who had escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of Jesus Christ and yet again entangled therein and overcome and their latter end worse then the beginning They shall escape many grosse pollutions and that through a kind of knowledge of Jesus Christ and yet be again overcome and return wholly to them So Math. 12.45 Our Lord Jesus speaks of the house swept and garnished the unclean Spirit cast out for a time some outward reformation a damp upon the lusts of the heart and knowledge and common gifts and yet the unclean spirit returning again Examples might be produced of such professours in the Gospell as that of Judas an eminent professour a forward follower of Christ suffered some persecution and gifted and yet proves a Reprobate Simon Magus baptized by Philip renounced his sorceries took upon him a forward profession of Christ accompanyed Philip and yet his heart not right in the sight of God Act. 8.13 21. It may be more then feared This age to the high scandall of Sinners and Saints hath produced many such that have bin much taken with the glorious grace of the Gospel their consciences something awakened for Heaven the affections stird have attained to flourishing gifts and yet returned to their first nothing turn'd blasphemers and professed Atheists And no doubt there is such a Majesty excellency sweetnesse in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that may for a time much affect a carnall heart and may be received with joy Mat. 13.20 The very History of Jesus Christ dying for sinners may much affect that he will freely save sinners the glory he hath provided for his own these and the like things may much take the affections for a time make a soul ashamed of grosse pollutions and yet no New-Creature all this while And of such as these it is that Christ doth Prophesie of Math. 25. who shall have Lamps Light and Profession go along with the wise Virgins wise and truly gracious professours not be discovered many of them till the Lords appearing and yet kept out of the Kingdome of Heaven Now of all others these have the most resemblance of a reall New-Creature and yet fall short and perish for ever I should prevent my self should I at large discover wherein such professours are short onely a word or two 1. Such souls are never emptyed of themselves and humble so come poor and nothing to Jesus Christ though hapdly they may be able to speak of it as many souls have a forme of Gospel-knowledge and can say we are nothing and yet never had the saving experience of it upon their own hearts 2. Such souls have no true brokenness of heart for sin they much slight it yea say many t is Legall brokennesse for sin is a low dispensation as they will style it without which in some measure no saving repentance which is as necessary to salvation as
of Carnal Worldlings are said to pant after the dust of the Earth Amos 2.7 that is it the carnal mans heart thirsts after but a Soul in Christ breathes upward the Treasures of Heaven it pants after and will never be at rest till satisfied with them 2. This may serve to distinguish formal praying from that which is of the Spirit in the Children of God There 's no such thing as the breathing panting crying longing of the Soul after God and Holiness and Communion with him in formal saying of prayers the thing done quiets the Conscience but for God himself the Soul thirsts not for Therefore you that pray in forms in secret and content your selves in saying and repeating such a form of words sure you have little or no breathing for Jesus Christ in such Duties the Heart is not exercised in longings and pantings for God ye Souls that pray out of forms upon terrors and no more upon the Conscience but you thirst not breathe nor after God himself you may be short of the life of God in you 3. This may also encourage weak Souls that have but broken words to express themselves to God yet your very Souls do breathe and pant after the Lord verily the life of Christ is in you if it be indeed so with you and God will hear those breathings in you Lam. 3.56 Hide not thine Ear at my breathings The blessed God will not hide his Ear from the breathings of his poor Children Onely let crying-panting Souls take heed that this breath be not stopt nor intermitted 't is a most dangerous thing to intermit the breath of Prayer that it grows weaker and fainter it will be a sign unto you and a sad one too that the New-Creature is rather decaying then increasing in you Be not contented with no more praying then will just as we say hold Life and Soul together that 's to live at a very low rate but just to live if that As breathing takes in the Air revives enlargeth the Natural Spirits renders the whole man lively and lightsome and vigorous so doth this constant Spiritual breathing with God and after God it enlargeth the Heart revives the Soul keeps freshness and vigour of Spirit in the way of God when God comes in with a full gale upon the soul how sweetly is it refreshed how doth faintness weariness indisposition go off and the Spirit of a poor Creature is chearful with God and blessedly delights it self in him Oh delight to be every where in every way where God breathes upon the hearts of his people and where they breathe after him And let new living Souls take heed by the way how their Hearts do pant after the Earth and World and the Contentments of it this will as much damp Spiritual Life and breath in the Soul as any evil whatsoever Lay your hearts to the fulness and sweetnesses of the Lord Iesus Christ and breathe strongly for them and those things will be but wind and vanity 4. But I must proceed I come now to speak of the next Discovery of the New-Creature and that is it hath new senses That you may see how fully it answers the frame of man as a Living-Creature and what a New Creation this is As the New-Creature hath a new Nature a new inward life and hath a new breathing so it hath new Spiritual Senses So the Apostle Heb. 5.14 speaks of the Exercise of Spiritual Senses And as the Natural Life is exercised and preserved by Senses so is also this new Spirituall Life of the New Creature which I shall mention particularly First There is a New Ear given to this New Creature This Jesus Christ hath frequently promised that he would open the Deaf Ear So Job 36.10 He openeth also their Ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity The hearing Ear and the seeing Eye the Lord hath made even both of them Prov. 20.12 By this opening the Ear is meant the opening of the Heart as 't is said of Lydia Act. 16. Whose heart the Lord opened The heart is shut up naturally and naturally cannot hear the voice of the Spirit till the Lord himself open it A natural man hears no more then the voice of a man and the Letter of the Word but when this New Creature is formed he is enabled to hear the voice of Jesus Christ himself the voice of the Spirit Joh. 10.27 My sheep hear my voice A Soul can then say This the Lord speaks to me in special This is the voice of Christ that calls me to come to him and that Soul comes Jesus Christ speaks with a convincing particular powerful Word and the Heart being opened to receive it obeys it as his voice And so in every Ordinance 't is the Voice of the Spirit of Christ the New-Creature waits for He that hath an Ear to hear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches Rev. 3. last Secondly The New Creature hath a new seeing eye The eyes of the Understanding opened to see into the blessed and hidden mysteries of the Gospel of Jesus Christ saith the Apostle of the Natural man Eye hath not seen 1 Cor. 2.9 And seeing they see not Math. 13.13 But Christ speaking of called Disciples saith Blessed are your eyes for they see c. They have a new sight of God in Jesus Christ which sight doth abase them and also draw them to Jesus Christ The Vail being in part taken away they can look into the things of God which they saw not before the Scriptures begin to be unveiled and they see beyond the Letter of them into the Life and Spirituality of them And thus the Lord Jesus promised of old specially as to new Testament-days I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not I will lead them in paths that they have not known I will make darknesse light before them and crooked things straight c. Isa 42.16 Thirdly There is a new power of Tasting given to the Soul as another Spiritual Sense which before the Soul had not to purpose A new and blessed tasting of the good Word of Life Thy Word is sweeter then the Honey-Combe Psal 19. How sweet are thy words unto my mouth Psal 119.103 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious 1 Pet. 2.2 there 's a new taste of the bitterness of sin The heart knows its own bitterness saith the Wise-man A tasting of the special free and precious love of Christ A tasting of the goodness of God in mercies And thus there is a savoury spirit given to the New Creature whereby he doth delightfully savour the things of Jesus Christ and can speak savourily of them to others Fourthly Adde to this a new Smelling to which the Spouse of Christ often alludes in Solomon's Song Because of the savour of thy good Cintments Chap. 1.3 speaking of Jesus Christ who is as a new and precious Perfume to the Soul Who is this that cometh out of the
the heart shall be changed and then more particularly how In a naturall heart All the imaginations of it are evil continually Gen. 5.6 They became vain in their imaginations and their foolish heart was darkned Rom. 1.21 Where the thoughts as issues of the lusts do rove to and fro at full liberty without any effectuall controle 1. As first Atheisticall thoughts secretly denying God his Justice Holinesse Word or that God will not Judge sinners according to the rigour of his word Thou thoughtest saith God I was altogether such a one as thy self and Psal 50.21 The fool hath said in his heart there is no God Psal 14.1 For when he sins against him presumptuously he doth strike at his very Being Justice and Holinesse and either saith in his heart There is no God to Judge him or secretly wisheth there were none 2. Profane thoughts according to the most predominant lustings of the heart do act a naturall heart As vain unclean proud worldly thoughts which are in contrivance to make provision for the lusts of it the heart even continually exercis'd with unclean proud wrathfull revengefull or covetous practises therefore saith the wisdom of God Prov. 15.26 The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts Adulteries Murderers Thefts c. Mat. 15.19 The evil thoughts get up and act over wickednesse and then they purpose and contrive for the acting of it and set the whole man on work to make provision and to effect it which thoughts being drawn forth by sinfull objects or the working of the fancy and the devil working by both do break forth into abominable practises unlesse restrained by the Lord for indeed the fancy the imaginative faculty is the very forge of the devil where he frames all the wickednesses that is brought forth Now these being the naturall actings of the thoughts of the heart as unchanged there must necessarily ensue a New working of thoughts upon the change of it Onely observe by the way by this any sinner may know how it stands with his soul If Atheisticall profane unclean worldly thoughts carry the heart an end and rove up and down at liberty and the heart even delightfully feeds them without going to God and mourning over them for their purging and mortifying and no or but an unwilling resistance of them how dwelleth then the grace of God in thee verily not at all And therefore reflect upon thy self for by this thou mayst know the state of thy heart and thy lusts are yet in their strength and rule in thee and will post thee to Hell if the Lord meet not with thee A gracious heart hath bubling up of such thoughts and the devil casts in suggestions to set them a work but they lodge not there long but they are resisted nd purged Take therefore these notes of a carnall unchanged heart 1. Such a soul maks little or no conscience of thoughts Thoughts are free say wretched souls but that 's a proverb suggested by the Devil 2. Such a soul is not humbled doth not mourn for wicked thoughts but only looks to the outward man a little 3. Such a soul doth not bring them to the blood of Jesus Christ to be purged 4. He doth not conflict with them resist check hate them 5. He doth not watch the thoughts of the heart nor labour to set them upon holy objects If it be thus with thee sinner thy heart works wickednesse and thou art loathsome in the sight of the holy God who knoweth and observeth all thy thoughts afarre off Psal 139. I will one day reckon with thee for them what doest thou but even deny God to be the great searcher of hearts the All-seeing God who carest not how vain vile wicked unclean profane loathsome devilish the thoughts of thy heart are But wherein doth this news of thoughts shew it self 1. The New-Creatures thoughts are changed as to himself who thought well of himself as to Heaven and happinesse before but now seeth himself vile and hath worse thoughts of himself then any one in the world can have of him 2. He hath new thoughts of God New thoughts of his Holinsse and Justice and Greatness Glory Oh! how great is God how Holy how Just so is greatly abased before him He hath new thoughts of his goodnesse grace and love to poor Sinners upon which the thoughts do much work thoughts of admiration and praise and the soul delights in holy and gracious musings of it 3. He hath New Thoughts of Jesus Christ of his Person Grace Bloud Righteousness Spirit Word People Before he had poor low empty carnal unsavoury Thoughts of Christ but the heart being changed and the Mind enlightned by the Holy Ghost the Thoughts work towards Jesus Christ the Soul hath deep and serious thoughts of his grace and love precious thoughts of him 4. He hath new thoughts of Eternity of an Eternal condition which must possess the Heart what may become of his Soul What will it profit to gain the World and lose his Soul How he may treasure up for Heaven make sure work for Heaven what ever be his condition in this world and the serious and frequent thoughts of this do much poiz the Spirit of a Believer 5. He hath new thoughts of the ways of God and Holiness before he thought basely or notionally of them now he hath real thoughts of Holiness and of the ways of Jesus Christ he doth believe and finds a reality in them and hath good thoughts of them as to engage his Soul to them 6. He hath New Thoughts of Holy People whom before he esteemed Hypocrites and Pharisees Factious and the like That their strictness was their Pride and Hypocrisie but now he honoureth them most is humbled greatly for such thoughts of them and prizeth them as the Excellent of the Earth and their company will be most desirable and most delightful to him Psal 16. Vse 1. To sinners that you do go to God and get your hearts possessed with such thoughts of God as these are How great how just how holy he is and this will make you tremble at going on in your pollutions any more Bethink your selves of the state of your souls and of an eternal condition saith David I thought on my ways and turned my feet unto thy testimonies Psal 119.59 Bethink your selves how short a time it is e're an eternal condition shall pass upon you and how long the blessed God hath waited to be gracious to you and get new thoughts of Jesus Christ and get to his feet and make a resignment of your selves to him and then your thoughts will go after more excellent and soul-quieting and soul delighting Objects then hitherto you have bin exercised with 2. To such as are new Creatures in Christ and have New Thoughts of themselves of God his Justice Holiness greatness graciousness of Christ of Eternity of the ways and people of the Lord let this be
do decay wither make a poor shift to hold out in their profession grow worldly or are overtaken with the errours of the times as for the most part they are the solitary professours who are drawn aside from Gospel-truth and not such as it hath bin unduly charg'd who are in the fellowship of the Gospel for that end and purpose to help strengthen pray for watch over each other 10. Such as are New-Creatures in Christ they have if I may so speak new feet namely to walk with God in a new conversation The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord and he delighteth in his way Psal 37.23 I have saith David refrained my feet from every evil way that I may keep thy word This New walk of a Saint of a New-Creature is a large field that I may hint the most materiall things of it 1. A New-Creature doth more and more set himself to walk with God 1. As under the eye of God considering that the jealous eye of the Lord is still upon him Thou compassest my path and my lying down and art acquainted with all my wayes Psal 133.3 2. To keep Communion with God to be conversing with God speaking with God and unto God and waiting to hear God speak unto him 3. To walk in Jesus Christ As ye have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him Col. 2.6 which is to walk in the Life of Christ in the Light of Christ in the Strength of Christ in the Love of Christ in the wisdome and patience of Christ and so in all This t is to have fellowship with Jesus Christ and to walk in him to do all in Christ and through Christ is the main work of the New-Creature as 't was hinted in discovering the necessity of the New-Creature's being in Christ 4. The Walk of the New-Creature is to walk in the Spirit Gal. 5.25 If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit There 's no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8.11 To walk in the Spirit is 1. Not to fulfill the Lusts of the flesh Gal 5.16 Not to be under the power of them or to make provision for them not to feed them but to crucifie them They that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts Gal. 5.24 which is put as an evidence of walking after the Spirit 2. T is to be led by the Spirit Gal. 5.18 to give up our selves to the leadings and teachings of the Spirit Psal 143.10 Teach me to do thy will for thou art my God thy spirit is good lead me into the Land of uprightnesse is the cry of every true Convert in Christ who would not be led by his own spirit in any thing nor by other mens spirits but waites for the Leading of the spirit in every work and way wherein he would walk before God 5. The New-Creature walks after the revealed will of God And as many as walk according to this rule peace be upon them Gal. 5.16 speaking of the New-Creature who walkes after a rule Blessed are the undefiled in the way who walk in the Law of the Lord Psal 119.1 He sets himself to walk in all the precepts of God and esteemeth them all holy and righteous 6. The New-Creature walks in his integrity let integrity and uprightnesse preserve me Psal 25.21 As for me I will walk in mine integrity Psal 26.11 And as for me thou upholdest me in mine integrity and settest me before thy face for ever Psal 41.12 This is the gracious resolution of every Convert to walk in his inregrity through which God will preserve and uphold him in all his wayes and when the world reproacheth him God will set him before his face and that for ever 6. The New-Creature so far as he is a New-Creature walkes humbly This is that the Lord doth require of thee to walk humbly with thy God Micah 6.8 To walk humbly before the Lord towards sinners and towards Saints The soul that walkes most with God walkes most humbly towards men 7. The New-Creature walks in love And walk in love as Christ also hath loved us Ephes 5.2 In love to all Saints as Saints a special part of the Gospel-walk Not in love to such or such a party of Saints which is but self-love but in love to all that walk with God 8. More Particulars might I mention as walking honestly towards all men not oppressing defrauding but righteously charitably compassionately so far I say as he is a New-Creature he walks thus Onely let me adde this That the New-Creature walks by Faith 2 Cor. 5.7 and not by sight He is ever learning a life of dependency lives upon the All-sufficiency of God the Righteousness of Christ the fulness of his Grace the Word of his Promise and so lives out of himself upon the fulness of God in Christ and his truth in his Promise even when he feels not his presence And herein briefly consists the Life of Faith to live out of our selves upon Another even the Fullness of an infinite God manifested in Jesus Christ In a word The New-Creature in Christ as he is called of God through infinite Free-grace so is he to walk in all things Worthy of his Vocation Ephes 4.1 To walk worthy of the Lord even to walk as Jesus Christ himself walked 1 Joh. 2.6 To walk in this present world how he might express the vertues of Christ the grace and love of Jesus Christ so freely revealed to him to walk self-denyingly holily patiently harmlesly profitably heavenly as one that is called from Darkness to Light from the power of Satan to God called out of the World to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ 2 Thess 2.14 Use 1. If his be the Walk of the New-Creature then such who walk not as in the Eye of God but after the Atheisme of their Hearts consider not that God sees them in their most hidden ways that walk after their Lusts to fulfill them that walk not in the Spirit that mind not Holiness so they keep a kind of Conscience to men Verily the Spirit of God dwelleth not in you you have no Evidence for Heaven as yet you are of the World and you walk after the course of the World Ephes 2.2 You walk Hell-ward and are held by the Cords of your Lusts and your Paths lead unto destruction And therefore turn in to Jesus Christ whose Paths are Wisedome and Safety and lead in the Way of Life and Peace and Blessedness even all that choose them and delight in them 2. Let such as have the New-Creature formed in them approve themselves to God to Saints and to the World in this their New-Walk Oh see you are called to walk with God and therefore be as in his Eyes continually make Communion with him your chiefest joy Walk in Jesus Christ in his Life Light Power Love Wisdome