and death for sin that this end might be attained Gal. 3.22 And therefore feeling of sin and death and misery being the meanes must precede the other as the end and therefore as grace may be seen by conviction of misery so the sweetnesse of it only can be felt by feeling misery in this worke of compunction But you will say What is this compunction and wherein doth it consist This is the third particular to be opened in generall it is whereby the soule is affected with sin and made sensible of sin but more particularly compunction is nothing else but the pricking of the heart or the wounding of the soule with such feare and sorrow for sin and misery as severs the soule from sin and from going on toward its eternall misery so that it consists in three things 1. Feare 2. Sorrow 3. Separation from sin The Lord Jesus when hee comes to rescue his elect look as Satan held them in their misery First by blinding their eyes from seeing of it Secondly by hardening their hearts from feeling of it So the Lord Jesus having cut asunder the first cord of Satan by conviction breakes asunder the second by compunction and causing the soule to feele and be affâ—cted with its misery and as the whole soule is unaffected before he comes so he makes the whole soule sensible when hee comes and therefore hee sils the conscience with feare and the heart with sorrow and mourning so as now the will of sinne is broken which was hardened before these feares and sorrowes seised upon it Let me open these particularly that you may tast and try the truth of what now I deliver I sâ—y the Lord Christ in this work of compunction lets into the heart of a secure sinner a marvellous fear and terrour of the diâ—efull displeasure of God of death and hell the punishment of sin Oh beloved look upon most men at this day this is the great misery lying upon them they doe not feare the wrath to come they feare not death nor damning even then when they heare and know it is their portion but their hearts are set to sin Eccles. 8.11 The Lord Christ therefore lets in this feare that look as the Lord when hee came to conquer the Canaanites Exod. 23.27 28. He sent his hornets before him which were certaine feares which made their hearts faint in the day of battell and by this subdued them so the Lord Christ when hee comes to conquer a poore sinner that hath long resisted him and would goe on to his owne perdition le ts in these feares that the soule shrinkes in with the thoughts of its woefull estate and cryes out secretly Lord what will become of me if I dye in this condition Paul trembles astonished at his misery and wickednesse and now he begins to cry out the Jayâ—â—ur was very cruell against Paul but when the Lord Jesus comes to rescue him from this condition you shall see him trembling The Lord had let in that feare that now he is content to doe any thing to be saved from the danger he saw he was now in when a man sees danger and great danger neare and imminent now man naturally feares it before Christ come the soule may see its misery but it apprehends it farre off and hoping to escape it and hence doth not feare it but when the Lord Jesus comes hee presents a mans danger death wrath and eternity neare unto him and hence hath no hope to escape it as now he is and therefore doth feare and seeing the misery exceeding great he hath an exceeding great though oft times deep feare of it as men neare death and apprehending it so begin then to be troubled and cry out when it is too late The Lord Jesus deales more mercifully with the elect and brings death and eternity neare them before they draw neare to it whiles it is callâ—d to day the poore Jaylor began to think of killing himselfe when feares were upon him and so many under this stroke of Christ have the same thoughts because they see no hope but this measure is not in all this work is in all Put them in feare oh Lord that they may know they be but men before this feare comes men are above God and think they can stand it out against him the Lord therefore le ts in this feare to make them know they bee but men and that as proud and stout great as they are yet thaâ— they are not above God and that it is in vain to kick against the pricks and goâ— on as they have done for if they doe he will not endure it long The spirit of Bondage makes makes men feare before the spirit of Adoption comes these feares therefore are such as the regenerate after they have received the spirit of Adoption never have and therefore they are such as pursue the soule with some threatning of the word pronouncing death and perdition to him in that estate Ex. gr He that beleeves not is condemned already thus the word speakes to conscience Iohn 3.17 Thou beleevest not saith a mans owne conscience the Spirit witnessing with it therefore thou art condemned saith conscience now the spirit of Bondage is the testimony of Gods Spirit witnessing to both the premisses and conclusion now this Spirit no regenerate man indeed ever hath after this time but the feares he hath arise from another principle of corruption of conscience and malice of Satan through the present desertion of the Spirit leaving him not from any positive witnesse of the Spirit of any such untruth which yet is truth while the soule is under this strâ—ake and not regenâ—â—ate marke therefore diligently that this â—eare is the worke of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus and hence it followes 1. That these Fears are not meerly naturall as those Rom. 2.15 arising from naturall conscience only which only accuse of sinne but never affect but they are supernaturall they are arrowes shot into the conscience by the arme of the Spirit so dreadfull that no word nor meditation of death and eternity can beget such feares but creates them 2. Hence it followes that they are cleare feares for the Spirits work is ever cleare before he leaves it Eph. 5.13 they are not blind confused feares and suspitious and sad conjectures whereby many a man is afraid and much afraid and affrighted like men in a dreame that thinke they are in hell yet cannot tell what that evill is which they feare but they are cleare feares whereby they distinctly know and see that they are miserable and what that misery is 3. Hence it followes that they are strong feares because the almighty hand of the Spirit sets them on and shakes the soule they are not weak feares which a man can shake off or cure by weake hopes sleep or businesse c. like some winds that shake the tree but never blow it downe but these feares cast down
I Others professe they cannot part with sin they would be better but they cannot and God requires no more then they are able to performe Another saith I will continue in sin but a little while and purpose hereafter to leave it Others say We are sinners but yet God is mercifull and will forgive it Another saith Though I have sinned yet I have some good and am not so bad as other men endlesse are these excuses for sin In one word I know no man though never so bad though his sin be never so grievous but he hath something to say for himselfe and something in his mind to lessen and extenuate sin but beloved when the Spirit comes to convince he so convinceth as that he answers all these pulls down all these fences teares off all these fig-leaves scatters all these mists and pulls off all these sâ—ales from the eyes stops a mans mouth that the soule stands before God crying oh Lord guilty guilty as the Prophet Ieremy told them Ier. 2.23 Why dost thou say I am innocent looke upon thy way c. so the Spirit saith why dost thou say thy sin is small it is disobedience as Samuel said to Saul 1 Sam. 15. 23. which is rebellion and as the sinne of witchcraft and is that a small matter the Spirit of conviction by the cleare evidence of the truth binds the understanding that it cannot struggle against God any more and hence let all the world plead to the contrary nay let the godly come to comfort them in this estate and think and speak well of them yet they cannot beleeve them because they are certaine their estates are wofull hence also we shall observe the soule under conviction instead of excusing sin it aggravates sinne and studies to aggravate sinne did ever any deale thus wickedly walke thus sinfully so long against so many checks and chidings light and love meanes and mercies as I have done And it is wonderfull to observe that those things which made it once account sin light make it therefore to think sin great ex gr my sin is little the more unkind thou saith the Spirit that wilt not doe a small matter for the Lord my sin is common the more sinfull thou that in those things wherein all the world rise up in arms against God thou joynest with them God spares me after sin the greater is thy sin therefore that thou hast continued so long in against a God so pitifull to thee the dearest sins are now the vilest sins because though they were most sweet to him yet the Spirit convinceth him they were therefore the more grievous unto the soule of God you poore creatures may now hide and colour and excuse your sins before men but when the Lord comes to convince you cannot lye hid then your consciences when Jesus Christ the Lord comes to convince shall not be like the Steward in the Gospell that set down 50. for a 100 l. no the Lord will force it to bring in a true and cleare account at that day There is a reall light in spirituall conviction rationall conviction makes things appear notionally but spirituall conviction really the Spirit indeed useth argumentation in conviction but it goes farther and causeth the soule not only to see sin and death discursively but also intuitively and really reason can see and discourse about words and Propositions and behold things by report and so deduct one thing from another but the Spirit makes a man see the things themselves really wrapt up in those words the Spirit brings spirituall things as well as notions before a mans eye the light of the Spirit is like the light of the Sun it makes all things appeare as they are Iohn 3.20 21. It was Ierusalems misery she heard the words of Christ and they were not hid from them but the things of her peace shut up in those words were hid from her eyes Discourse with many a man about his sin and misery he will grant all that you say and he is convinced that his estate is most wretched and yet still lives in all manner of sin what is the reason of it truly he sees his sin only by discourse but he doth not nay cannot see the thing sin death wrath of God untill the Spirit come which only convinceth or sheweth that really A man will not bee afraid of a Lyon when it is painted only upon the wall why because therein he doth not see the living Lyon when he sees that he trembles So men heare of sin and talke of sin and death and say they are most miserable in regard of both yet their hearts tremble not are not amazed at these evills because sinne is not seen alive death is not presented alive before them which is done by the Spirit of conviction only revealing these really to the soule and hence it is that many men in seeing see not How can that bee thus in seeing things notionally they see them not really And hence many that know most of sin know least of sin because in seeing it notionally they see it not really And therefore happy were it for some men Schollers and others that they had no notionall knowledge â—f sin for this light is their darknesse and makes them more uncapable of spirituall conviction the first act of spirituall conviction is to let a man see clearly that he is sinfull and most miserable the second act is to let the soule see really what this sin and death is Oh consider of this many of you know that you are sinfull and that you shall dye but dost thou know what sin is and what it is to dye If thou didst I dare say thy heart would sinke if thou dost not thou art a condemned man because not yet a convinced man If you here aske how the Lord makes sin reall I answer By making God reall the reall greatnesse of sin is seen by beholding really the greatnesse of God who is smitten by sin sin is not seene because God is not seen Iohn 3. ep v. 11. He â—hat doth evill hath not seen God No knowledge of God is the cause why blood toucheth blood the Spirit casts out all other company of vain and foolish thoughts and then God comes in and appeares immediately to the soul in his greatnesse and glory and then the Spirit saith Lo this is that God thy sins have provoked And now sin appeares as it is and together with this reall sight of sin the soule doth not see painted fire but sees the fire of Gods wrath really whither now it is leading that never can be quencht but by Christs blood and when the Spirit hath thus convinced now a man begins to see his madnesse and folly in times past saying I know not what I did And hence questions Can the Lord pardon such a wretch as I whose sinnes are so great Hence also the heart beginnes to bee affected with sinne and death because it sees them
the tallest Cedar and appall the heart and coole the courage and boldnesse of the most impenitent and audacious sinner The Spirit presenting the greatest evill in eternall separation from God hence no evill in this world is so dreadfull as this I had better never been borne then to beare it saith the soule and hence casts off all other thoughts and cannot be quiet and hence it is that these feares force a man to fly and seek out for a better condition A man like Lot lingers in his sinne but these feares like the Angell drive him violently out the Lord saying to him A way for thy life lest thou perish with the world for thy sins are come up to heaven thou maist dye before one day be at an end and then what will become of thee Ah thou sinfull wretched man may not the Lord justly doe it are not thy sins grown so great and many that they are an intollerable burden for the soule of God to beare any longer and hence you shall observe if the soul after sad fears grows bold carelâ—sse againe the Spirit pursues it with more cause of feare and now the soule cries out Did the Lord ever elect thee Christ shed his blood to save his people from their sins thou livest yet in thy sins did hee ever shed his blood for thee thou hast sinned against conscience after thou hast been inlightned and fallen back againe hast not thou therefore committed the impardonable sin thou hast had many a faire season of seeking God but hast dallyed and dreamt away thy time is not the day of grace therefore now past it is true the Lord is yet patient and bountifull and lets thee live on common mercy but is not all this to aggravate thy condemnation against that great and terrible day of the Lord which is at hand are there not better men in hell then thou art that never committed the like sin thus the Spirit pursues with strong feares till proud man falls down to the dust before God The soule is now under feares not above them and therefore cannot come out of these chaines by the most comfortable doctrine it heares nor particular application of it by the most mercifull Ministers in the world untill the Lord say as Laâ— 3.57 feare not the Lord onely can asswage these strong winds and raging waters in which there is no other cry heard of this soule tossed thus with tempests but Oh I perish I only the Lord making way for the spirit of Adoption by these in his elect drives them out to seek if there be any hope and so they are not properly desperate feares yet as I say strong feares not alike extensively yet alike intensively strong in all a small evill when tidings is brought of it doth not feare but if the evill be apprehended great and neare too the very suspition of it makes the heart tremble when a house is on fire or a mighty Army entred the land and neare the city children that know not the greatnesse of the evill feare them not but men that know the danger are full of feare The wrath of the Lord that fire those armies of everlasting woes are great evils the blind world may not much feare them but all the elect whose minds are convinced to see the greatnesse of them cannot but feare and that with strong and constant feares nor is it cowardize but duty to feare these everlasting burnings And hence the soule in this case wonders at the security of the world dreads the terrours of the Lord that are neare them and usually seeks to awaken all its poore friends I once thought my self well and was quiet as you bee but the Lord hath let me see my woe which I cannot but feare oh look you to it Thus the Lord works this feare in some in a greater in others in a lesser measure Oh consider whether the Lord hath thus affected your hearts with feare oh secure times what will God doe with us many of you having heard the voyce of the lyon roaring and yet you tremble not The Lord hath foretold you of death and eternall woe for the least sin doe you beleeve it and yet feare it not how art thou then forsaken of God Many of you that like old Mariners can laugh at all foule weather and like Weather-cocks set your faces against all winds and if you be damned at last you cannot help it you must beare it as well as you can and you hope to doe it as well as others shall doe Oh! how far are such from the Kingdome of God the Lord not yet working nor pricking thy heart so much as with feare 2. Sorrow and mourning for sinne is the second thing wherein Compunction consists And look as Feare plucks the soule from security in seeing no evill to come so Sorrow takes off the present pleasure and delight in sinne in a greater measure then Fear doth The Lord therefore having smitten the soule or shot the arrowes of feare into the soule it therefore growes exceeding sad and heavy thinking within it selfe What good doe wife or children house or lands peace and friends health and rest doe me in the meane time condemned to dye and that eternally it may be reprobated never to see Gods face more the guilt and power of sin in heart and life lying still upon me And hereupon the soule mournes in the day and in the night desires to goe alone and weep and there confesseth its vilenesse before God all the dayes of vanity and sins of ignorance thinking Oh what have I done and seeks for mercy but not one smile nothing but clouds of anger appeare and then thinks if this anger the fruit of my sinne be so great oh what are my sins the causes hereof VVhen the Angel had set out the sin of the Israelites in making a league with the Canaanites and told them that they should be thornes in their sides they sate downe ver 4. and lift up their voice and wept so t is with a contrite sinner Note narrowly that eminent place of Scripture Esay 61.3 the Lord Christ is sent to appoint beauty for ashes and the oyle of joy for the spirit of heavinesse to them that mourne Out of which note these foure things for the explication of this sorrow or mourning First It is such a mourning as is precedent unto spirituall joy And hence it is not said I will give the spirit of gladnesse to beget mourning though the Lord doth so after conversion but this goes in order before that Ephraim-like who seeing what an unruly beast he had been unaccustomed to Gods yoke smites upon his thigh and bemoans himselfe It is Gods method after Gods people have sinned to sad their hearts and then to turne mourning into joy much more at first beginning of Gods work upon the soule they shall first mourne and lament and smite upon the thigh If God wounds the soule for sin it
evidence of favour from any Christian obedience or sanctification in holy duties or that a Christian should profanely cast off all duties because they cannot save themselves by them No no the Lord will search with candles one day for such sonnes of darknesse and exclude such foolish virgins that have neither oyle in their vessels nor light in their lamps I onely speak of that good that righteousnesse which is rested in without Christ and lifts up men above Christ which in deed in truth is not true righteousnesse but only a true shadow of it And therefore as Beza well observes from Rom. 9.32 Why did not Israel that followed after righteousnesse attain it Because they sought it not by faith but as it were by the works of the Law they were not fruits of sincere obedience to the Law but as it were the works of the Law now this saith the Apostle verse 33. is the stumbling stone in Sion Christ will have all flesh vaile and be stript naked and made nothing before him before they shall ever be built upon him now this men stumble at they must bring something to him they will not be vile emptinesse and nothingnesse that he may be all to them verily observe your selves you shall find if there be little humiliation there is little of Christ if much humiliation much of Christ if unconstant humiliation uncertain fruition of Christ if reall humiliation reall possession of Christ if false humiliation imaginary fruition of Christ. Know it you cannot perish if you fall not short here you must perish if you do Be exhorted therefore to lye down in the dust before the Lord and under the Lord nay intreat the Lord that he would put thee upon his wheele and mould thy heart to his will why will you rest in any good you have Oh remember thy father was a Syrian ready to perish and thy selfe polluted an infinite endlesse evill What ever good thou dost is it not a polluted stream of a more polluted spring Nay suppose the Spirit works any good in thee yet is it not polluted by thy unclean heart Nay suppose any actions should be perfect yet remember the Lord spared not the Angels that sinned perfection present cannot satisfie Justice for pollution past Cry out therefore and say Oh Lord now I see not onely that my sinne is vile but that my self and all my righteousnesse is vile also and now though the Lord stands at a distance speaks no peace heare 's no prayers yet because thou art very vile lye downe under him that if he will he may tread upon thee and thereby exalt himselfe as well as lift thee up and exalt thee Be not carelesse whether the Lord help or no but be humble not to quarrell in case he should not For 1. Suppose thou art not onely miserable but sinfull and the Lord thou sayst takes it not away yet remember that to quarrell with God for withdrawing his hand is a sin also Lam. 3.39 and wilt thou adde sinne to sinne 2. Why art thou quiet and still when the Lord denyes thee any common mercy Is it not because the Lord will have it so Now look as we say of him that hates sin as sin that he hates all sinne so he that is meekned with Gods good pleasure in any one thing because of his good pleasure in it upon the same ground will at least desire to stoop in every thing Suppose therefore it be the Lords good pleasure to deny thee mercy I grant you must pray for it yet with submission to the good will of the Lord saying The Lords will is good but mine is evill otherwise thou hast no meeknesse in any thing that art not meekly subject to his will in every thing 3. The greatest pride that is in man appeares here for suppose the Lord should deny thee bread or water or clothes was it your duty to murmur now nay was it not pride if the heart would not lye down and say Lord I am worthy to have my bread pluckt from my mouth and my clothes from my back Now if it be pride to murmur in case the Lord denyes you smaller matters the offals of this life dost not thou see that its far greater pride for thee to sink and quarrell with him if he denyes thee greater and the things of another life is he bound to give thee greater that doth not owe thee the least Suppose a begger murmur at thy doore if thou dost deny him bread or a cup of drink wilt thou not account him a proud stout begger but if thou givest him that and then he quarrell and murmur at thee because thou dost not give him a thousand pound or thy whole estate when he asks it will you not say I never met with the like insolencie the Lord gives you your lives blessed be his name but you aske for treasures of grace and mercy thousands of pounds Christ himself and all that he is worth and the Lord seems to deny you and now you sink and grow sullen and discontent and quarrell and murmur at God not directly but secretly and slily may not the Lord now say Was there ever such pride and insolency And therefore as Christ spake of himselfe Iohn 12.24 25. A corne of wheat cannot live unlesse it die first so know it you shall never live with Christ unlesse you die and perish in your selves unlesse you be sowne and lye under the clods of your owne wretchednesse faith will never spring up in such a soule As t is in burnings the fire must be first taken out before there can be any healing so this impatient spirit which torments the soule must first be removed before the Lord will heale thee 4. Consider the approaching times I do beleeve the Lord at this day is comming out to shake all nations all hearts all consciences all conditions and to teare and rend from you your choicest blessings peace and plenty both externall and internall also for there is need of it our age growes full and proud and wanton a mans price is falne in the market unlesse his locks and new fashions commend him to the world Oh consider when God comes to â—end all from you then you may finde a need of the exercise of this duty it may be the time is comming wherein you shall have nothing to support your hearts you shall find rest in no way but this I know assurance of Gods love may quiet you but what if the Lord shake all your foundations and deprive you of that what will you doe then and therefore as Zephany cap. 2.3 having foretold of the evill day cryes unto his hearers Seeke meeknesse yee meeke of the earth seek meeknesse so say I to you for you will find all little enough Come downe from thy throne and be the footstoole and threshold of Christ Jesus before the dayes of darknesse come upon you be content to be a cipher a stepping-stone the very offall of the
unlesse he be an unnaturall father I tell you that the least of you the poorest and most â—eeble beleever is accounted of God and more esteemed then all his houshold-stuffe then heaven earth and all the glory in it and all the Kings and great men in the world Isay 43.4 5 6. not because thou hast done any thing worthy of this but only because he accounts thee freely as his Sonne If Sons then the Lord surely will take care for you as for sons a godly father hath a double care of his children First of their temporall Secondly and chiefly of their eternall estate we are ready to question in times of want what we shall eat drink how we shall live oh consider art thou a Son of God and will not he that feeds the Ravens and clothes the Lillies provide for thee yes verily he wil take care for thy temporall good It is true you may be brought into outward straits wants miseries yet then the Lord is thereby plotting for thy eternall good for hence come all Gods corrections Deut. 8.5 Heb. 12.8 the Lord took all they had from them by their enemies in warre and carried them away captive into a strange land yet ler. 24.5 this was for their good we think the Lord many times takes no care for us so make him of a worse nature then the savage beasts or bloody men toward their young but this is certain he never denies any thing to us in outward things but it is to further our eternall blisse with him to doe us good in our latter end what say godly parents it is no matter what becomes of my children when I am dead if the Lord would but give them himselfe to be their portion if at last they may see the Lord in glory doe not wonder then if the Lord keeps you short sometimes If Sonnes then he loves you as Sons as a father doth his sons you think the Lord loves you not because you doe not alway feel his love nor know his love is thy son not thy child because whiles it is young it kno was not the father that begot it or because thou art some time departed from it and hast it not alway in thy owne armâ—â— Israel saith my God hath forsaken me and forgotten me Isa. 49.14 and yet no mother tenders her child as the Lord did them you think because you have so many sins and afflictions one upon another that the Lord loves you not judge righteously hath thy child no father because it is sick long together and therefore kept under unto a spare diet no he knowes our mould and that we are but dust and freely chose us to be his Sons and hence loves notwithstanding all our sins Psal. 89.32 33. if hee sees Ephraim bemoâ—ning his stubbornesse as well as his sicknesse and weaknesse Ier. 31.20 doth not the Lord professe Is he not my onely Sonne If Sons then we are heires and co-heires with Christ saith the Apostle Rom. 8.17 sonnes by nature are not alway heires but all sons by Adoption are wee are heires with Christ the Lord Christ as our elder brother managing all our estate for us because unable to doe it our selves wee are heires 1. of the Kingdome of glory 1 Pet. 1.4 5.2 Heires of all this visible world 1 Cor. 3.22 not that we have the whole world in our own hand it would be too cumbersome to us to manage but the Lord gives us the rent of it the blessing and good of it though it be possessed by others Thirdly wee are heires of the promise Heb. 11.9 Heb. 6.17 whereby Iehovah himselfe comes to be our inheritance and portion for ever and look as Christ was in the world an heire of all though trod under foot by all so are we what can we desire more If Sons then we have and shall ever have the Spirit of Sons Rom. 8.15 16. and what are we the better for this Spirit truly hereby First we cry unto him we are enabled to pray who could not pray before because guilt stopt our mouths Secondly We cry Abba Father and this Spirit witnesseth that we are Sons of this Father it is not said that it witnesseth to our spirits but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it witnesseth with our spirits i. our renewed conscience thus All beleevers called and justified of God are Sons but I am such a beleever therefore I am a Son now the Spirit beares witnesse with us in every part both premises and conclusion only it being the clearest and strongest witnesse it testifies the same thing our consciences doe but yet more clearly more certainly more comfortably and sweetly ravishing the soule with most unspeakable peace and joy especially in the conclusion I know there is a Noetick testimony but it is lastly resolved into this I le not now dispute it only this is certaine that this testimony all the Sonnes of God have by meanes of their Adoption They may not indeed sometime heare it if they doe they may object against it through the unbeleef in part remaining in them or if it be sometimes suspended what you want in the witnesse and comfort of it you have it in the holinesse of it and therefore the Spirit sealing is called the holy Spirit Eph. 4.30 1 Pet. 1.6 7 8. is not this a great priviledge Thirdly hereby you are led and guided and that continually toward your last end For as if Adam had stood he should have had the Spirit of God this very Spirit to have kept him and all his posterity from falling at any time from God so Christ having stood for us justified us before God sends the immutable constant assistance of the Spirit in Adoption which though it doth not alway quicken us nor comfort us nor assure us c. yet it is every moment guiding and leading of us unto our utmost end From hence it is that the same sins which harden others at last humble us the same temptations by which others fall and perish serve at last to purify us hence our decay in grace leads us to growth at last hence our feares and doubts serve to stablish us at last hence ouâ— wildrings from God for a time make us esteem more of the presence and wayes of God at last because this Spirit of Adoption is that by which we are led and constantly assisted and carried toward our latret end oh mourne thou that art as yet no Son but a slave to Satan and unto thy filthy lusts a servant at best working for wages only and feare of the whip who shalt not alway abide in Gods house as Sons shall doe nay it may be â—ast hated and reviled the Sonnes of God time shall come that you shall wonder at their glory who are not known now SECT 4. Fourthly Sanctification This is the fourth benefit which followes in order of nature our justification reconciliation and adoption for upon our being Sonnes in Adoption we receive the image of
a blotted evidence you may have it to day and lose it to morrow and then where is your peace and I doe beleeve the LORD deprives many of his precious SAINTS from the comfort of this evidence either because they looke onely to this and not unto Christ and their Justification by faith Rom. 5.1 or else because there is some secret lust or guile of spirit Psal. 32.1 2. which the Lord by sore and long shakings about their calling and sanctification would first winnow out or because there is a perverse frowardnesse of spirit whereby because they feele not that measure of sanctification which they would do therefore vilifie and so come to deny what indeed they have because they feele a law of sinne in their members leading them away captive will not with Paul take notice of the Law of their mindes whereby that inner man delights in the Law of God and mournes bitterly under the body of death by which they might see with Paul that there is no condemnation to such Rom. 8.1 To conclude what ever is the cause of this crookednesse of judgement I doe beleeve that the generall cause is want of attendance and standing unto the judgement of the Scriptures in this controversie for if this was stood unto men would not produce their own experience viz. that they could never finde any evidence from sanctification but they have met with it in another way by the immediate witnesse of the spirit onely nor would men cry it down because grace being mixt with so much corruption it can hardly be discerned and so will be alway lest in doubts and that the heart is deceitfull and many that have evidenced their estates hereby have been deceived I confesse thus the Popish Doctors argue against assurance of faith from the Scriptures without speciall and extraordinary revâ—lation but what is all this to the purpose if the Scriptures make it an evidence away then with thy corrupt experience shall this be judge or the Scriptures rather what though many judging of themselves by markes and signes have been deceived yet if the Scripture make it an evidence as we have proved then though men thorow their owne weaknesse or wickednesse have been deceived in misapplying promises yet the Scriptures cannot deceive you What though it be difficult to discerne Christs grace in us yet if the Scriptures will have us try our estates by that rule which in it selfe in easie but to our blindnesse and weaknesse difficult many times to see who shall who dares condemn the holy Scriptures which as they shall judge us at last day should judge us now Suppose that divers bookes and many Ministers sometimes give false signes of grace and Gods favour yet doth the Scriptures give any I shall propose one thing to conscience as the conclusion of this discourse Suppose thou wert now lying on thy death-bed comforting thy self in thy elected and justified estate suppose the Spirit of God should now grapple with thy conscience and tell thee if thou art justified then thou art called sanctified 2 Thes. 2.13 14. Is it thus with thee what wilt thou answer if thou sayst thou art not sanctified the word and spirit will beare witnesse then against thee and say then thou art not elected nor justified if thou saist thou knowest not thou lookest not to sanctification or fruits of the spirit they will then reply how then canst thou say that thou art elected or justified for it is a truth as cleare as the Sun and as immovable as heaven and earth None are elected and justified but they are also sanctified and they that are not sanctified are not justified Rom. 8.1 13. And now tell me how can you have peace unlesse you make your faces like slint before the face of Gods eternall truth or heale your consciences by such a plaister as will not stick If therefore the Lord ever made sinne bitter to thee let holinesse be sweet if continuance in sinne hath been an evidence unto thee of thy condemnation Oh let the riches of the grace of Christ in redeeming thee from the lamentable bondage and power of sinne be an evidence to thee of thy salvation Oh blesse God for any little measure of sanctification doe not scorne or secretly despise this spirit of grace as many in this degenerate age begin to doe saying You looke to graces and fruits and marks and signes and a holy frame of heart and sanctification what is your sanctification Oh let it be the more precious to thee mourning that thou hast so little and blessing the God and Father of all grace for what little thou hast wearing it as a bracelet of gold about thy necke knowing hereby that thou art borne of God and that the whole world lyeth in wickednesse and shall perish without this 1 Ioh. 5.18 19. 2. This is your glory beauty this is glorification begun what greater glory then to be like unto God to be like unto God is to be next to God and therefore this is called glory 2 Cor. 3.18 we are changed into the same image from glory to glory Every degree of grace is glory and the perfection of glory in heaven consists chiefly in the perfection of grace what is the worke of some men at this day but to cast reproach upon sanctification our glory 3. This will give you abundance of sweet peace and therefore Heb. 12.11 it is called the quiet fruit of righteousnesse for from whence comes the sore troubles and continuall doubts of Gods favour in many mens consciences Is it not some decay or guile here Psal. 32.1 2. Is it not some boldnesse to sinne that they walke not in feare and therefore not in the consolation of the Holy Ghost Is it not their secret dalliance with some known sinne continued in with secret impenitencie Is it not because they labouâ— with some strong unmortified corruption pride or passions that they are in daily pangs and throwes of conscience for Psal. 32.1 2 3 4. what was the rejoycing of Paul was it not that in all sincerity and simplicity he had his conversation among men 2 Cor. 1.12 What was Hezekiahs peace when dying as he thought was it not this Lord remember I have walked before thee uprightly Isa. 38.2 3. not that this was the ground of their peace for that onely is free grace in Christ but this is the meanes of your peace Ioh. 14.22 23. its a cursed peace which is kept by looking to Christ yet loving thy lust 4. This is that which will make you sit for Gods use 2 Tim. 2.20 21. a filthy uncleane cleane vessell is good for nothing till cleansed God will not delight to glorifie himselfe much by an unsanctified person what is thy wife children friends family the better for thee if thy heart remaine unsanctified 5. A little holinesse is eminently all springing up to eternall life this little spring shall never cease running but it shall fill Heaven it selfe and thy soule in