Argument is this a dead man hath no power to procure life unto himselfe but all men by nature are dead in trespasses and sinnes and therefore no naturall man is able to procure spirituall life unto himselfe for the understanding of this argument know thus much that the nature of man since his fall is stripped of all that holinesse and righteousnesse whereby he might bee enabled to the performance of any spirituall worke and not onely so hee is not onely deprived of the image of God but is altogether overspread with wickednesse and unrighteousnesse which take the possession of every poore soule under heaven Ioâ— 3.6 Whatsoever is borne of the flesh is flesh Iohn 3.6 now every man naturally is altogether flesh the will of man and the heart of man is altogether fleshy and therefore in the heart of man there is no good 〈◊〉 all And consider the reason of this why the whole soule is thus defiled with sinne wee must conceive that Adam was not onely a particular person but he took the whole nature of mankind upon him so that the nature of man in Adam while heâ— was in his innocencie might either bee carried to the obedience of the will of God or else wholly against the will of God and therefore by Adams fall man was altogether deprived of his righteousnesse and caried against the will of God Now to presse the Argument if it be so that all mens hearts are possessed with rebellions by nature and turned away from God then men naturally cannot turne unto God but all men naturally are wholly possessed with sinne and by rebellion are turned from God and therefore they cannot naturally turne unto God Againe consider there must bee some spirituall power some spirituall life put into a man before hee can performe any good therefore a naturall man cannot doe any good but is a dead man in respect of grace because be hath lost that same soule of righteousnes whereby he should performe that good which God requireth and so that holinesse being gone the soule of the will is gone and the power to doe any good or receive any good is gone So then the case is cleare and the point evident by force of argument and Scripture that a naturall man hath no power to receive the Lord Iesus and grace and salvation from him If this be true as hath beene prooved by reason plaine and undeniable arguments that a naturall man cannot receive the things of God then every soule may take notice of and condemne that sottish and foolish conceit that harbours in the minde of many silly poore ignorant soules if any of you know such take notice of them there are many thinke that they brought grace into the world with them and that they had grace 〈◊〉 their mothers belly aske them when did you receive grace when did you receive faith they will answer they beleeved ever since they were borne they had faith ever since they can remember a great many poore ignorant soules thâ— that grace came into the world with them No no be not deceived faith commeth by hearing faith is the gift of God and repentance is the 〈◊〉 of God narrow is the way and straight is the 〈◊〉 that leadeth unto life and few there be that finde 〈◊〉 therefore alas if thou think'st thou broughtest 〈◊〉 with thee into the world it is an argument that thou never hadst â—aith it is an evidence that thâ—â— never hadst grace for if every man should bring faith and grace into the world then all should got to heaven and what is hell made for then No no narrow is the way and exceeding straight is the gate wee must not thinke to goe to heaven 〈◊〉 our hands by our sides No no it is a very narrow way and few there be that finde it But then they will pleade though they had not grace by nature yet grace is within a haires breadth of them they have grace at command and as it is with a man that leaves a commoditie at a mans house upon â—â—king if he like it if it be for his turne he may buy it if hee like it not hee may refuse it now after 〈◊〉 hath lien by him a while if it doth not please him he may returne it into the owners hand againe 〈◊〉 many say I tooke your commoditie upon liking and if it would have beene for my turne I would have bought it but it will not serve for the use I thought to put it to and therefore I returne it to you againe So it is here most men thinke that grace is left with them upon liking and they may let it lie by them and after they have lived in sinne and tired themselves in their owne imaginations and in following the sinfull desires of their owne wretched hearts if after this when they become old or lie upon their death beds if then they like grace they may take it if not they may let it alone and refuse it O poore creatures you will perish and goe to hell hoodwinkt in this kind you thinke you may have grace for calling for hereafter when I am old then I will repent and when I lie upon my death bed then I will beginne to pray and humble my selfe before God then you thinke to have grace at your owne liking if you like the course of grace then you will take it if you like it not you will refuse it must I pray with my family you will say Well if I like the course happily I will doe it if not I will neglect it Alas alas I tell thee thou canst as well make a soule as convert a soule thou canst as well create thy selfe as repent is it in thy power to say now I will have grace now I will not now I will repent and now I will not Oh thinke of it you shall finde it a harder taske then you are aware of and if God bee pleased to open your eyes you will then say Oh what shall I doe to be saved then you will see that something must bee done before you can bee saved then you will finde it to be a hard matter to repent Doe not think when you lie upon your death beds then you may repent if you will is it in your power to repent and goe to heaven no no all naturall men are under the power of Sathan he ruleth them he commandeth the hearts of the children of disobedience according to his will and then for sinne and the power thereof looke Rom. 6.16 Rom. 6.16 know yee not saith the Apostle that to whom yee yeeld your selves servants to obey his servants yee are whether of sinne unto death or of obedience unto righteousnesse every naturall man is a servant to sinne and a slave to his lusts hee can doe nothing but that sinne will have him to doe Take a proud man whether art thou able to confesse thy pride to see thy sinne and humble thy selfe and renounce thy folly art
infinite wisedome make a separation betweene sinne and the soule and dissolve this union The soule saith I will have my sinne and I will have my life and I will have my God though I die for it there is a strong league 〈◊〉 betweene the heart of a sinner and his lusts 〈◊〉 therefore all outward meanes cannot possibly breake this league looke as it is wiâ—h a strong stomack if you give it any ordinary meate the strength of the stomake is above the meate and turnes the meate into the nature of it selfe â—o it is with a corrupt heart that hath made a league 〈◊〉 his lusts all outward meanes and of 〈…〉 God a corrupt heart converts them and 〈◊〉 them aside to his everlasting destruction the instrumentall cause is alwayes under the 〈◊〉 the soule of a man is a soveraigne commander this way all outward meanes are but instrumentall mâ—ses and the heart of a man is above them and therefore they may as well â—arden a man as soften his heart and humble his soule a man can receive no good thereby unlesse it please God to overpower this distemper that is in a man and break the neare union and firme league that is betweene sinne and the soule Secondly as there is a neare union betweene sinne and the soule so in the second place as from the knitting of the parts of a stone together there comes a strength to resist the blow so there is a marvelous power a soveraigne command that sinne setteth up and Sathan possesseth in the soule nay so strong a power it is for therein lyeth the strength of the argument that nothing can over-power it and overcome it but the Almighty come it power of the Lord for this is the meaning of that place â— Cor. 15.56 of Saint Paul 1 Corinth 15.56 The sting of a eath is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law so that a man may see so strong as the Law is so strong is sinne and therefore the strength there of must needs be great I open that place of the Apostle thus The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law looke as it is with a King when a male factour is apprehended and convicted of high treason the king giveth up the malefactour into the hand of the jaylour and giveth him authoritie to keepe him in what prison or dungeon 〈◊〉 will and tyrannize over him as he list the jaylour now hath not power of himselfe onely but is armed also with authority from the King he hath a commission from the King that hee may dispose of the Traytour as hee pleaseth hee may keepe him in what prison hee will and tyrannize over him as he pleaseth and as hee seeth good and the reason is because hee hath authority from the King to backe him and he hath as much authority as the King because the King doth this by him so it is with the blessed will of God every poore soule rebells against him and breakes his Lawes and therefore the Lord taketh notice of it and treason is brought against him and hee is condemned for it and then he delivers him up into the power of sinne and into the hands of the devill as who should say Take him sinne and take him Sathan and hale him into damnation and tyrannize over him according to your owne minds thus God giveth them authority over him mee thinkes I heare the Lord say thus Let all occasions domineere over him let all corruptions take place in him hee hath opposed my Lawes I will never helpe him more hee hath transgressed my Commandements my Spirit shall never assist him more take him sinne take him Sathan and dispose of him according to your owne pleasure so that now sinne and Sathan have not onely their owne power over this soule but they have power from God and they are backed with authority from the Law in this kind Sathan may say This soule must 〈◊〉 damned I have Law for it by the vertue of the Law I prevaile against him and domineere over him God hath given mee authoritie to tyrannize over him thus the strength of sinne in the Law Now he that must come and rescue this soule and deliver it from the power of sinne and Sathan must be able to equalize and answer the strength of the Law and this none can doe the Law of God none can beare the strength of it but he that is perfect God none but the Lord Iesus Christ none can deliver the soule and rescue it from the power of sinne and Sathan but hee this is the reason of that unconceiveable and admirable power that a mans corruptions have over him a man would wonder to see that a base lust or corruption should so domineere and tyrannize over a man and make a man such a slave thereunto the reason is because the strength of sinne is the Law God in his just judgement hath given over a sinner into the hand of sinne and Sathan now the Lord Iesus onely commeth and taketh away this power and over commeth this strength for the rescuing of a poore soule this way and hereby wee may conceive that the wisedome and power of Gods mercy goeth beyond the power and wisedome of Gods justice as I may so say for what saith the Law and what doth the justice of God require the Law saith Doe and live justice faith if Adam dee obey the Commandements of God hee shall be saved if Adam sinne he shall be damned But then the wisedome and power of Gods mercy comes and saith a man shall not die though he doth not keepe all Gods Commandements but how is this done namely this way Christ which is perfect God and man commeth and suffereth for man hee comes and doth that which man should have done and therefore though man doe it not yet he shall not be condemned so that our Saviour by his death did satisfie for us and gave full contentment to the Law of God so that now the justice of God hath nothing to say to a poore soule and Christ by his resurrection he did overcome the power 〈…〉 and Satan so that now marke what followes if any thing hindereth the soule from being saved it is because either Gods justice is not satisfied or else because the power of sinne and Satan is not abated but Christ by his death did satisfie the Law of God and by his resurrection did overcome sinne and Satan and therefore these cannot hinder it from salvation and this is the ground how it commeth â—o passe that the Lord onely and no 〈…〉 can deliver a soule from the strength of 〈…〉 power of Satan which have the strength of the Law to backe them Thirdly as in a stone there is a close setting 〈◊〉 a neare knitting of the parts thereof together 〈◊〉 whence comes the hardnesse thereof and secondly as from this hardnesse there proceedes strength and as in the third place from this strength ariseth a resistance against
not to be perswaded not to bee yoaked and then they think they are the bravest men alive they care not what the Minister saies they care not what the word commands oh these men think they are in the greatest liberty of all men under the Sunne let me speak a little to these men didst thou never see a poore prisoner look out of Newgate and cry bread bread for the Lords sake or didst thou never here of a poore man that was fetter'd and cast into a filthy dark dungeon where light never came where Sunne never shined if you have seene these or heard of these do you think these men free and at liberty I appeale to your owne consciences in this case Why truly these men are free men in regard of that bondage that slavery that vassallage that those men are in which break Gods commandements Thy body indeed may be at liberty and may go from alchouse to alehouse but alas thou hast a poore soule that is shut up in sinne and corruption nay it never saw the Sunne the Sunshine of the Gospell never came unto it never any promise tooke place in thy soule never did any counsell do thee any good and yet notwithstanding these base slaves the miserable prisoners those are they that account of the poore servants of God as if they were the basest persons in the world If there be any poore soules that humble themselves and obey his commandements then they count those poore sneaks and base fellows if God commands any thing they obey it if he threatens they tremble and howle and cry and even breake their hearts because of their sinnes they account this as a base thing they count these men of no spirits but when no feare of man terrifieth them when the word of God cannot â—rule them these are royall hearts and the brave spirits of the world brave spirits for the Lord Iesus sake think of it Of all peasants in the world I tell you they are the basest bondslaves the most miserable vassals that ever breathed on the face of the earth to have sinne to be a mans commander and the devill his jaylor and his heart a hell and to have an ill conscience to be his hangman that continually keepeth the roap about his neck when there is not one haire breadth betweene death and him but if it please God by death to tutne the ladder then he is hanged in hell for ever is this freedome are these the brave spirits of the world the Lord deliver his from such liberty Should we see a malefactor arraygned imprisoned condemned and gone to the place of execution and upon the top of the ladder and the Hangman having the roap about his neck ready to turne him off would wee think this man a free man would we think him a man of a brave spirit that is in this condition I tell thee thy condition if thou beest in a naturall estate is farre worse Thou art a poore soule that hast been imprisoned and â—ettered thou art under the bondage of sinne and Satan and thy evill conscience is like a hangman that every day hath the noose about thy neck and if the ladder by death be but once turned then thou art hanged in endlesse and easelesse torments for ever never to be comforted never to be refreshed and yet these brag and say who is Lord over us why I tell you the devill is Lord over you â—and sinne is your commander you are in the greatest slavery of any men under the cope of heaven This is the first use to shew the miserable slavery that all poore creatures are in In the second place it is a word of exhortation 2 Vse Is it so that all sinnefull men are in such a wretched condition then we ought to be perswaded and intreated especially the servants of God that have had their bolts knocked off and have beene freed from the slavery of sinne and Satan these ought to be exhorted to put on the bowells of compassion and to pitty these poore creatures these poore prisoners and to lend them their helping hand to pluck them out of the mire and clay wherein they stuck It is the custome of the world if a poore prisoner be taken and condemned and is going to the place of execution why reason perswades men thus farre to yearne towards him they will be ready to pitty him and say alas poore man he is alive now within this short time he will be dead and what shall become of his soule who knowes unlesse God have mercy upon him he is like to perish for ever Why doe you see a company of proud persons covetous wretches prophane creatures in the world alas they are going to the place of execution there is but one hayres breadth between them and everlasting damnation if God turne the ladder once and a naturall death creep upon them what then shall become of their poore soules take notice therefore of these poore soules and pitty poore prisoners that are in such a wretched condition If a child that had a farher of good abilitie and of some place in the countrey wherein he lived if he should see his father for some offence apprehended by the officers and committed to prison or if he should see him go begging from doore to doore with his fetters and his bolts about his heeles oh how it would grieve him oh how he would weep and howle and say little had I thought my poore father would have come to this misery or if a wife should see her husband going to the gallowes for some haynous crime committed I know shee would have a heart to mourn for her husband in this kind she would be ready to say little thought I that my husband should have come to such an end it is his owne folly that hath brought him to this Can you pitty those that are overtaken with outward bonds with outward misery and can you mourne for that which is fallen upon their bodies why do thus much more for the soule of thy father for the soule of thy wise for the soule of thy child or thy friend and say little did I think that my father or my husband or my child should ever have been shut up in hell and fettered by Satan little did I think that ever sinne or Satan should be his jaylor that the devill should hale him to the place of execution alas he cannot speak a good word nor perform any good duty he cannot pray in his family but is shut up under pride and covetousnesse and drunkennesse and prophanenesse If thou canst pitty and pray for the body of thy father or for the body of thy husband or friend why then pitty and pray much more for the soule of thy father husband or friend It is that which is observable Deut 10.19 there saith the text you shall deale kindly with strangers why because yee your selves were strangers in the land of Aegypt we that have been in prison