come with a sword in his hand to search for all secure sinners in city and country unlesse you awaken hee will make inquisition for blood for oaths for whoredomes which grow common for all secret sins we are frozen up in oh be willing be but willing that the Lord should search you and convince you now in this evening time of the day before the night come wherein it wil be too late to say I wish I had considered of my waies in time of all sins none can so hardly stand with uprightnesse as a secret unwillingnesse to see and be convinced of sin Iohn 3.20.21 The helps and meanes for attaining hereunto are these Bring thy soule to the light desire the Lord in prayer as Iob did What I see not oh Lord shew me Iob. 34.32 Set the glasse of Gods law before thee look up in the ministery of the word unto the Lord and say Oh Lord search me the Sunne of this holy word discovers motes on the Sabbath day attend to all that which is spoken as spoken unto thee then examine thy selfe when thou hast leisure When David saw Psal. 19. how pure the law was he cryes out Who knowes his errors Look upon every conviction of thy conscience for sin as an arrest and warning given from the Lord himselfe for sometimes the word hits and conscience startles and saith This is my sinne my condition yet how usuall is it then for a man to put a merry face upon a foule conscience how oft doe men think this is but the word of a man who hath a latitude given him of reproving sin in the Pulpit and wee must give way to them therein or else their hearts rise and swell against the man and word also and why is it thus because hee thinks it is man only that speaks whereas did he see and believe that this was a stroke a warning an arrest a check from the omnipotent God would he then grapple think you with him would it passe lightly by him then When Eli heard Samuel denounce sad things against his house It is the Lord said Eli 1 Sam. 3.18 when Paul saw Jesus speaking Why persâ—cutest thou me Acts 9. he falls downe astonished and dares not kicke against the pricks any longer An arrest in the Kings name comes with authority and awes the heart of the man in debt Doe not judge of sinne by any other rule but as God judgeth of it according to the rule of the word by which all mens wayes shall be judged at the last day what made Saul 1 Sam. 15. extenuate his sin to Samuel he judged not of it as the Lord in his word did For had hee done so hee would have seen disobedience to a command as bad as witchcraft as Samuel told him which also made his proud heart sink and say I have sinned remember for this end these Scriptures Rom. 1.18 Rom. 2.9 Rom. 6.23 Gal. 3.10 by which thou maist see either I must dye in the state I am or God himselfe must lye Remember that an angry look or word is murder in Gods account a wanton eye an unchast thought is Adultery before a holy God before whose Tribunall thou must give an account of every vaine thought and word And therefore doe not judge of sinne by the present pleasure gaine honour or ease in it for this is a false rule Moses forsook the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11.25 Nor yet by not feeling any punishment for it for God reserves wrath Nahum 1.2 till the day of reckoning Nor yet by the esteem that others generally have of it who make no more of wounding the Sonne of God by sin then they doe of crushing vermine under their feet Nor yet by the practise of others Every man sins and therefore I hope I shall doe as well as others Nor yet by seeing thy selfe better and thanking God thou art not as other men it may be so thou didst never steale nor whore nor murder as yet that is not the question but hast thou had any one vaine thought in prayer hast thou heard one Sermon unprofitably hast thou sinned then know God spared not the Angels that sinned and how wilt thou escape unlesse the Lord dye for thee Nor yet lastly judge of it by thy own opinion of God in thinking God is like unto thee that as thou makest light of it so hee maketh lesse Psal. 50.21 Oh take heed of judging the evill of sin by any of these rules oh remember all men are apt to thinke of themselves better then they are Are we also blind say the Pharisees take heed that by judging of sin by these false rules you deceive not your selves Let this lastly be a use of thankfulnesse to all those whose eyes the Lord hath opened to see and so convinced you of your sinnes When David was going in the heat of his Spirit to kill Nabal and Abigail met him and stopt him what said he Oh blessed bee the Lord for thy counsell so when thou wert going on in the heate and pursuit of thy sin toward eternall death that the Lord should now meet thee in thy way and convince thee of thy folly and so stop thee what a world of sin else wouldst thou have committed how vile wouldst thou have bin oh say therefore Blessed be that Minister of the Lord and blessed for ever be the name of the Lord that gave me that counsell It is said Christ will send the Comforter to convince of sinne is it a comfortable thing to see sin yes it shall one day bee matter of unspeakable comfort to you that ever you saw sin that ever he shewed thee that mystery of iniquity in thy heart and life those arcana imperii those secrets of the power and dominion of sinne over thee Thou shalt not hate but reprove thy brother If the Lord should secretly keep thy sinne glowing in his owne bosome against thee and never reprove thee for it nor convince thee of it no greater signe of Gods everlasting hatred against thee Oh it is infinite love that he hath called thee aside and dealt plainly and secretly with thee and will you not be thankfull for this The Lord might have left thee in thy brutish estate and never made known thy latter end never have told thee of thy sinne or stood before it comes It may be you will say If I felt my sinne and were deeply humbled for it I could then be thankfull that ever I saw it what is it to see sin This is a favour the Lord shewes not to all mankind many have no meanes to bring them to the knowledge of it and those that have yet are smitten with a deep sleep under those meanes that they know not when death is at their doores nor what sin meanes and this it may be is the condition of some of thy poore friends and aquaintance that think it strange that thou runnest not
off Iohn Baptists head you that can be content to heare him gladly and doe many things but he must not touch your Herodias and make a divorce there but suffer him to come in the spirit and power of Eliah nay of Christ Iesus to beat downe your mountaines fill up your vallies make your crooked rough waies smooth that you may see the glory of the Lord Jesus without which he shall be ever hid from you Cry you faithfull servants of the Lord that All flesh is grasse and all the glory of man of sin of world is a withering flower that the Lord Jesus may be revealed ever fresh and sweet and precious in the eyes of the Saints The evidence of this truth in the generall put blessed and learned Pemble upon another way for when he perceived as himselfe confesseth that it is the generall doctrine of all Orthodox Divines viz. that actuall faith is never wrought in the soule till beside the supernaturall illumination of the mind the will be also first freed in part from its naturall perversenesse God making all men of unwilling willing hereupon he concludes that this is done by the spirit of Sanctification and one supernaturall quality of holines universally infused in all the powers of the soul at once so that the Spirit instantly first sanctifies us puts life in us then it acts in sorrow for and detestation of sin and so we come actually to beleeve And because he fore-saw the blow viz. that in this way Christians are sanctified before they be justified he answers Yes we are justified declaratively after this Others who follow him answer more roundly viz. that we are sanctified before we are really and actually justified herein differ from him Now when it is objected against this viz. that our vocation is that which goes before our justification sanctification being part of glorification following after Rom. 8.30 Hereupon some others treading in his steps affirme that vocation is the same with sanctification and not comprehended under glorification Others perceiving the evill of this errour viz. to place sanctification before justification good fruits before a good tree they doe therefore deny any saving worke whether of vocation or sanctification before justification And hence on the other extream they doe place a Christians justification before his faith in vocation or holinesse in his sanctification so that by this last opinion a Christian is not justified by faith which was Pauls phrase but rather as he said wittily and wisely faithed by his justification Before I come to cleare the truth in these spirituall mysteries let this onely be remembred viz. That Sanctification which Pemble calls out spirituall life may be taken two wayes 1. Largely 2. Strictly 1. Largely for any awakenings of conscience or acts of the Spirit of life and so t is true we are quickned by these acts and so in a large sense sanctified first 2. Strictly for those habits of the life of holinesse which are opposite to the body of death in us and that we are not first sanctified before we are justified in this sense we shall manifest by and by Onely let me begin to shew the errour of the last opinion first viz. 1. That a Christian is not first justified before faith or vocation may appeare thus 1. It is professedly crosse to the whole current of Scripture which saith We are justified by faith and therefore not before faith and to say that the meaning of such phrases is that we are justifyed declaratively by faith or to our sense and feeling in foro conscientiae is a meere device for our justification is opposed to the state of unrighteousnesse condemnation going before which condemnation is not onely declarative and in the court of Conscience but reall and in the court of Heaven For so saith the Scripture expresly Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already and verse 36. The wrath of God abideth on him and Gal. 3.22 The Scripture which is the sentence in Gods Court hath concluded all under sinne Hence a second Argument ariseth 2. If a man be justified before faith then an actuall unbeleever is subject to no condemnation but this is expresly crosse to the letter of the Text He that beleeves not is condemned already Iohn 3.18 and the wrath of God doth lye upon him The subjects of non-condemnation are those that be in Christ by faith Rom. 8.1 not out of Christ by unbelief Rom. 11.20 There is indeed a merited justification by Christs death and a virtuall or exemplary justification in Christs resurrection as in our Head and Surety and both these were before not onely our faith but our very being but to say that we are therefore actually justified before faith because our justification was merited before we had faith gives as just a ground of affirming that wee are actually sanctified whiles we are in the state of nature unsanctified Eph. 2.1 because our sanctification was merited by Christ before we had any being in him We must indeed be first made good trees by faith in Christs righteousnesse before we can bring forth any good fruits of holinesse God makes us not good trees without being in Christ by faith no more then we are bad trees in contracting Adams guilt without our being first in him God gives us first his Sonne offered in the Gospel and received by faith and then gives us all other things with him he doth not justifie us without giving us his Son but having first given him gives us this also 2. That sanctification doth not goe before justification may appeare thus 1. If guilt of Adams sinne goe before originall pollution Rom. 5.12 then imputation of Christs righteousnesse before renewed sanctification 2. To place sanctification before justification is quite crosse to the Apostles practise which is our patterne who first sought to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 in the work of union not having his owne righteousnesse in the work of justification which in order followes that that he may then know him in the power of his death and resurrection in sanctification here comes in sanctification if by any meanes he might attain to the resurrection of the dead in glorification the last of all 3. This is quite crosse to the Apostles doctrine which makes justification the cause of sanctification and therefore must needs goe before it Rom. 5. as sin goes before spirituall and eternall death so righteousnesse goes before spirituall life in sanctification and eternall life in glory the Lord holds forth Christ in the Gospel first as our propitiation Rom. 3.24 and then it comes dying to sinne and living to God in sanctification chap. 6.1 Holinesse is the end of our actuall reconciliation Col. 1.21 22. 4. If sanctification goe before justification by faith then a Christians communion with Christ goes before his union to him by faith but our union is the foundation of communion and it is impossible there should be communion without some precedent
shall smart and bleed too before God will heale Secondly It is a great mourning because it is called a spirit of mourning As a spirit of slumber is a deep slumber When the poore Jewes shall be converted their great sin shall then be presented before them of cursing and crucifying the Lord of life as it was to those Acts 2.36 And by reason of this there shall be a great mourning that they shall desire to goe alone in secret every one apart and take their fill of mourning before the Lord open the fountaine of grace It is not a summer cloud or an April showre that is soone spent but a great mourning For 1. Before this spirit of sorrow come a mans heart takes great delight in his sinne t is his God his life and sweeter then Christ and all the joyes of heaven and therefore there must be great sorrow sin must be made exceeding bitter A man that is very hungry and thirsty after his lust must finde such meat and drink exceeding bitter else he will feed on it Solomon took great content in women but what saith he when the Lord humbled him I find a woman more bitter then death Heare this you harlots and you that live in your wanton lusts the Lord will make your sweet morsels more bitter then death to you if the Lord saves you 2. Because the greatest evils are the objects of this sorrow viz. Sin and death It is true a man may mourne for smaller evils sooner but when the Spirit sets on the greatest evils then they sad much more Mine iniquities are too heavy to beare Why so Many a man can bear them without sinking True but in the Elect the Spirit sets on loads the soule herewith A wounded spirit who can beare Because the greatest evils lye upon the most tender part of a tender soule pressed down by the omnipotent hand of Christs Spirit For now the multitude of sins more then the haires on the head come now to mind as also the long continuance in them cradle sins No sooner saith the soule did I begin to live but I began to sin Obstinacy also in them lyes very heavy I have had warnings checks resolutions against them and yet have gone on The power of sinne also sads it that as it is said Prov. 21.9 When the wicked reigne the people mourne so doth the soule when it feeles sin reigne I cannot subdue it nay the Lord will not that I feare the Lord hath left me over to it The increase of sin it feeles makes it mourne also I grow worse and worse saith the soul the leake comes in faster then he can cast it out the greatnesse of sinne makes it mourn Was there ever such a sinner as I And lastly the sense of condemnation for sin lyes upon him this is the fruit of your evill wayes saith the Spirit The soule doth not let sinne passe by it now as water downe the mill but being stopt by conviction and feare of the evill of it it swells very high and fills the heart full of griefe and sorrow that many times it is overwhelmed therewith 3. Because Christ wil not be very sweet unlesse this mourning under misery be very great the healing of a cut finger is sweet but of a mortall wound is exceeding sweet a little sorrow will make Christ sweet but great sorrow under sense of deadly wounds is exceeding sweet and without this Christ hath not his honour due to him if he be not onely sweet but also exceeding sweet and precious 4. Because it is such a sorrow as nothing but that that hath wounded the soule can heale it Let men have the greatest outward troubles outward things can cure them or else they will weare away As if a man be sick or in debt physick and money can cure these but this wound neither can or over shall be healed but by the hand that wounded it And hence a man can take no comfort in meat drink sleep friends mirth nor pastime while this wound this sorrow lasts for if any thing else can heal it it is not the right wound or sorrow the Lord breeds in his elect An adulterous heart indeed may be quieted with other lovers Cain can build away his sorrow Nay I le say more this wounded soule cannot comfort it selfe by any promises till the Lord come David had a promise of pardon from Nathan yet he cryes out to the Lord to make him heare the voyce of joy and gladnesse that his broken bones might rejoyce Did not the Lord make him heare the voyce of joy by Nathan Yes outwardly but the Lord that had broke his bones must make him heare inwardly Nay when the Lord comes himselfe to comfort much adoe the Lord hath to make him heare it as the Israelites that hearkned not to Moses voice because of their hard bondage that unlesse the Lord did invincibly comfort it would lye bleeding to death and never live It must needs therefore be great sorrow which all the world men nor Angels can remove 5. You may be confirmed in this if lastly you consider the many wayes the Lord takes to beget great mourning if the soule will not be sorrowfull as sometimes great afflictions Manasseh must be taken in the bushes and cast into chaines Sometimes strange temptations hellish blasphemies Is there a God Are the Scriptures his Word Why should the Lord be so cruell as to reprobate any of his creatures to torment it so long c. Sometimes long eclipsing of the light of Gods countenance no prayers answered but daily bills of indictment And sometimes it thinks it heares and feeles a secret testimony from God that he never had thought of peace toward it and that his purpose is immutable Sometimes it questions Can God forgive sinnes so great Can it stand with his honour to put up so much wrong Sometimes it feels its heart so extreamly hard and dedolent that it thinks the Lord hath sealed it up under this plague till the judgement of the great day And sometimes the Lord makes melancholy a good servant to him to further this work of sorrow But thus the Lord rebukes many a hard hearted sinner that will not beare the yoke nor feele the load and now the Lord turnes the beauty of the proudest into ashes and withers the glory of all flesh Nay sometimes you shall observe the Lord though he comes not out as a Lyon to rend yet as a moth he frets out by secret pinings and languishings the senselesse security of man that he shall mourne to purpose before he leave him I doe not meane by this as if all men had the like measure of sorrow but a great sorrow it is in all Every child is delivered by some throwes those that stick long in the birth may feele them longer and very many Nor yet doe I presse a necessity of teares or violent and
It may be so yet it is said After two dayes he will revive us and the third day wee shall live in his sight and we shall know him if we follow on to know him verse 6. His goings forth are prepared as the morning it may be night for a time but the Sun of righteousnesse will arise gradually and gloriously upon thy soule Truly brethren when I see the curse of God upon many christians that are now grown full of their parts gifts peace comforts abilities duties I stand adoring the riches of the Lords mercy to a little handfull of poore beleevers not only in making them empty but in keeping of them so all their dayes and therefore come to the Lord poore empty naked nothing cursed in the sense of thy want of all things for all things and then receive with gladnesse yet boldnesse and holy confidence not only pardon of some sins but of all beleeve answer not to some prayers but all Embrace in thy bosome not some few promises but all It is a great case of conscience When may a christian take a promise without presumption as spoken to him and given to him in particular and the rule is very sweet but certaine when hee takes all the Scripture and embraceth it as spoken unto him hee may then take any particular proper promise boldly my meaning is when a Christian takes hold and wrastles with God for the accomplishment of all the promises of the New Testament when he sets all the commands before him as his rule and compasse and guide to walke after when he applyes all the threatnings to drive him nearer unto Christ the end of them this no hypocrite can doe this the Saints should doe and by this may know when the Lord speaks in any particular unto them go I say again therefore unto the Lord for all and in the sense of all your emptinesse be abundantly comforted that though you doe not find supply from Christ yet you come unto the Lord Christ for it it is a certaine rule you shall not alway want that good which you come to Christ to supply nor alway be mastered with that sinne which you come to Christ with to take away only then be sure you come for all otherwise you doe not come truly come first for Christ himselfe and then as I said for all his benefits To conclude this is the direct and compendious way of living by Faith so much urged and pressed of Gods servants for to live by faith properly is to live upon the promise in the want of the thing or to apprehend the thing in the promise Heb. 11.1 now the promises are not given to the elect immediately without Christ but first Christ is given i. e. offered in the Gospell and received by Faith and then with him all things also and therefore the Scripture runs thus Isay 55.1 2 3 4. Come unto the waters and drinke and then I will make an everlasting Covenant which containes all the promises even the sure mercies of David the Apostle expressely disputes the case and saith Where there is a Testament containing Evangelicall promises there must first bee the death of the Testator Heb. 9.15 16. to whom we must first come by Faith before we can have right to any promise Heb. 7. 22.25 and 10.16 17 18.22 Being justified by Faith now we have peace with God nay we have accesse to God nay now we are sure of standing now we hope in God and glory to come Rom. 5.1 2 3 4. all followes the first How shall a Christian therefore live by Faith truly first receive Christ and come to him for the end I mention and then thou maist be sure all other things shall be given to thee As for example dost want any temporall blessing suppose it be payment of debts thy dayly bread provision for thy family a comfortable yoake-fellow c. look now through the Scripture for promises of these things and let thy faith act thus If God hath given me Christ the greatest blessing then certainly he will give me all these smaller matters as may be good for me but the Lord hath given me Christ and therfore I shall not want Psal. 23.1 The Lord is my shepherd saith David what follows I shall not want there is the like reason in all other things suppose it be in case of protection from enemies if the Lord hath given me Christ to save me from hell then he will save me from these fleshly enemies much more you shal see Isa. 7. a promise given that Syria should not prevaile against Iudah they doubted of this how doth the Lord seek to assure them you shall see verse 14. it is by promising a Virgin shall conceive and beare a Sonne and his name shall be Emmanuell this is a strange reason yet you may see the reason of it if you consider this point so Isay 9.5 6. The oppressors rod shall be broken For unto us a Sonne is borne a Sonne is given By Faith they put to flight the Armies of Alients brake downe the walls of Jericho did wonders in the world What did they chiefly look to in this their faith you shall see Heb. 11.39 40. it was by respecting the promise to come and that better thing Christ Jesus himselfe which we now see with open face and therefore he concludes Heb. 12.1 2 3. Having such a cloud of witnesses that thus lived and dyed by faith let us look unto Iesus the Authour and finisher of ours The Prophet Habbakuk Hab. 2.5 affirmes that the just shall live by Faith What faith is that consult with the place you shall see it was in the promise of deliverance from the Chaldean tyranny yet the Apostle Paul applyes it to faith in Christs righteousnes and that truly because if their faith had not respected Christ himselfe in the first place they could never have expected any deliverance by the promise of deliverance from the Caldeans but thus they might 5. The speciall ground of Faith The last thing in the description of Faith is that the soule thus comes upon the call of Christ in his word and this is the speciall ground of Faith wherefore the soule comes to Christ take a sinner humbled and broken for sin he cannot prevent the Lord by comming of himselfe unto Christ and therefore the Lord prevents him by his gracious call and invitation to come in Whom God hath predestinated them hath he called our translation from darknesse into Gods marvellous light is by being called The soule is lost in humiliation the Lord Jesus who is come to save that which is lost seeketh it out in vocation or calling Sanctification is the restoring of us to the image of God we once had in Adam as corruption is the defacing of that image Vocation is the calling of the soule unto Christ this voyce Adam never heard of he did not need any call to come to Christ and therefore was immediately sanctified as
soone as he was made but wee need Vocation unto Christ before we can be sanctified by Christ we need this call to make us come to Christ to put us into Christ and therefore much more before we can receive any holinesse from Christ the ground of our coming by faith is Gods call 2 Thes. 2.13 14. chosen to salvation through sanctification the remote end of Vocation and beleefe of the truth the next end of it whereunto he hath called you there is the ground of it The explication of this call is a point full of many spirituall difficulties but of singular use and comfort to them that are faithfull and called I shall omit many things and explicate only those things which serve our purpose here in these three particulars 1. I shall shew you what this call is or the nature of it 2. The necessity of it 3. How it is a ground of coming and what kind of ground for Faith 1. The nature of this Call I shall open for your more distinct understanding in severall Propositions or Theses Our Vocation or Calling is ever by some word or voyce either outward or inward or both either ordinary or extraordinary by the ministery of men or by immediate visions and inspirations of God I speak not now of extraordinary call by dreames and visions and immediate inspirations as in Abraham and others before the Scriptures were penned and published nor of extraordinary call by the immediate voyce of Christ as in Paul and some other of the Apostles for these are ceased now Heb. 1.1 unlesse it be among people that want ordinary meanes and elect infants c. whose call must be more then by ordinary meanes because they want such means we speak now of ordinary call by the ministery of men 2. This voyce in ordinary calling home of the elect to Christ is not by the voyce of the Law for the proper end of that is to reveale sinne and death and to cast down a sinner but by the voyce of the Gospell bringing glad tidings written by the Apostles and preached to the world He hath called you by our Gospell These things are written that you might beleeve By the foolishnesse of preaching the Lord saves them that beleeve I meane preaching at the first or second rebound by lively voyce or printed Sermons at the time of hearing or in the time of deep meditation concerning things heard the Spirit indeed inwardly accompanies the voyce of the Gospell but no mans call is by the immediate voyce of the Spirit without the Gospell or the immediate testimony of the Spirit breathed out of free grace without the word Eph. 1.12 13. And therefore that a Christian should be immediately called without the Scripture and the Scripture only given to confirme Gods immediate promise as a Prince gives his letter to confirme his promise made to a man before as Valdesso would have it is both a false and dangerous assertion This voyce of the Gospell is the voyce of God in Christ or the voyce of Jesus Christ although dispensed by men who are but weak instruments for this mighty work sent set in Christs stead but the call the voice is Christs it s the Lords call Rom. 1.6 it is certaine some of the messengers of Christ called the Romans by the Gospell yet Paul saith they were called of Christ Iesus the dead heare his voyce and arise and live and when the time of calling comes they listen to it as his call and hence it is styled Heb. 3.1 because the Lord Christ from heaven speakes takes the written word into his owne lips as it were Cant. 1.1 2. and thereby piâ—rcâ—th through the eares to the heart through all the noyse of feares sorrowes objections against beleeving and makes it to be heard as his voyce the bowels of Christ now yerne toward an humbled lost sinner bleeding at his feet therefore can contain no longer but speaks and calls and makes the soule understand his voyce so that this call is not a mean businesse because the Lord Jesus himselfe now speaks whose voyce is glorious The substance of this call or the thing the Lord calls unto is to come unto him for there is a more common calling or as some tearme it a particular calling of men as some to be Masters or Servants 1 Cor. 7.24.20 21. or to office in Church or Common-wealth as Aaron Heb 5.4 and the voyce there is to attend unto their work to which they are called There is also a remote end of vocation which is to holinesse 1 Thes. 4.7 and unto glory also 2 Thess. 2.14 Phil. 3.14 but we now speak of more speciall calling the next end of which is to come unto Christ the soule hath lived many yeares without him the Lord Jesus will now have the lost prodigall to come home to come to him the soule is weary and heavy laden and the Lord Jesus could easily ease it without its comming to him but this is his will he must come to him for it Mat. 11.27 Ier. 3.7.22 I said after shee had done these things turne unto me come unto me ye backsliding children I le heale your back-slidings Jer. 4.1 If thou returnest returne unto me This voice Come unto me is one of the sweetest words that Christ can speak or man can heare full of Majesty mercy grace and peace a poor sinner thinks Will the Lord ever put up such wrongs I have offered him heale such a nature take such a viper into his bosome doe any thing for me if there be but one in the world to be forsaken is it not I the Lord therefore comes and calls Come unto mee and I will pardon all thy sins I will heale all thy back-slidings I will be angry no more Jer. 3.12.13 Though thou hast committed whoredome with many lovers yet returne unto me saith the Lord. Ier. 3.1 Though thou hast resisted my Spirit refused my grace wearied me with thine iniquities yet come unto me and this will make me amends I require nothing of thee else but to come for Gods call is out of free grace Gal. 1.6 and therefore calls for no more but only to come up and possesse the Lords fulnesse Luke 14.17 1 Cor. 1.9 This call to come is for substance all one with the offer of Christ which consists in three things 1. Commandement to receive Christ as present and ready to be given to it as when we offer any thing to another it is by commanding them to take it 1 Iohn 4.23 and this binds conscience to beleeve as you will answer for the contempt of this rich grace at the great day of account 2. Perswasion and intreaty to come and receive what we offer for in such an offer wherein the person is unwilling to receive and we are exceedingly desirous to give we then perswade so doth Christ with us 3. Promise to offer a thing without a promise of having it if we receive it is but a
that he came out of hâ—s Fathers bosome for thee wept for thee bled for thee powred out his life nay his soule to death for thee is now risen for thee gone to heaven for thee sits at Gods right hand and rules all the world for thee makes intercession continually for thee and at the end of the world will come againe for thee who hast loved him here that thou mightest live for ever with him then But is this our life in these evill and luke-warme times How many bee there that beleeve in Christ that they may live as they list If to drink and whore and scoffe and blaspheme if to shake a lock and follow every fond fashion if to crosse and cringe before a piece of wood if to be weary of the Word and outwardly zealous for long prayers if to seek for purity of ordinances in Churches and to maintain impurity in hearts in shops in families if to set our hearts upon Farmes and Merchandizes and so to bee covetous if to set up our owne selves and parts and gifts with a secret disdaine of Gods Ministers if to cry downe learning and set up ignorance if to set up Christ and destroy sanctification and obedience if to be a sect-master of some odde opinions if to cracke the nut of some superlunary and Monkish notions and high-flown speculations if to heare much and do little if to have a name to 〈◊〉 and yet dead at the heart if this be to liâ—e the life of love we have many that live this life the Lord Jesus wants not love if this be to love But oh woe unto you if you thus requite the Lord foolish people and unwise The Lord knowes we may complaine as Paul did Every man minds his owne things and none the things of Iesus Christ none in comparison of that huge number that thinke they are religious enough if they be baptized and say that they beleeve in Jesus Christ verily the time drawes neere wherein the Lord will come for fruits from his Vineyard and if he findes it not assuredly he will not be beholding to us for obedience he can raise his glory out of other people and there carry his Gospel to them who shall bring forth the fruits of it the Lord will shortly lay his axe unto the root of our tree and if wee will not serve the Lord in this good Land in the abundance of peace and mercy we shall serve our enemies in hunger cold and nakednesse if we will not serve him in love we must serve our enemies in feare doe not think that the Lord will bee put off with venerable names and titles shadowes and pictures what is most mens profession at this day but a meer paint which may serve to colour them while they live but will never comfort them unlesse conscience bee asleep when they come to dye Oh â—yâ—e heed of such formality I can never think enough of Davids expression Psal. 119.167 I have kept thy Commandements and I love them exceedingly should he not have said first I have loved thy Commandements and so have kept them Doubtlesse hee did so but he ran here in a holy and most heavenly circle I have kept them and loved them and loved them and kept them if we love Christ we also shall live such a life of love in our measure and his Commandements will be most deare when himselfe is most precious FINIS A TABLE OF the principall Contents A. ADoption what it is pag. 280 The manner thereof 282 B. Beleevers in a blessed condition 251 C. Conviction of sinne wrought in every Beleever 6 What that sin is which the Lord first convinceth of 9 How the Lord doth convince the soule of sinne 23 What measure and degree of conviction God workes in all his 32 Conviction of sin to be first preached 34 96 A sad thing to stand out against conviction 36 Meanes of conviction 39 Compunction immediately followes conviction 45 The Necessity thereof 48 Rules observable about compunction 49 Wherein it doth consist 65 What measure of compunction God workes in the Elect. 84 How and where the Soule should come to Christ. 177 Meanes of enabling the Soule to come to Christ. 239 In what manner we should come to him 248 E. What evill in sinne God most affects the heart withall 89 A three-fold evill of sinne 91 F. Feare of Gods displeasure necessary to conversion and wherein it consists 66 The nature of Faith 156 The efficient cause thereof 163 The subject matter of Faith 173 The Forme thereof 178 The end of Faith 198 The ground and meanes of Faith 215 How to discern Faith from presumption 169 Whether an absolute testimony of actuall favor and justification be not the first ground of Faith 227 G. Glorification what it is 313 Greatnesse of mens sinne in not comming to Christ. 246 H. Humiliation for sinne what it is 125 What need there is of it 126 What meanes the Lord useth to worke this 129 What measure of Humiliation is necessary 138 Wherein to expresse Humiliation 150 I. A Christian is not justified before faith is sought 107 Sanctification does not goe before justification 109 What true justification is 253 Who is it that justifieth and why 256 The meanes whereby the Father justifieth 257 Who are the persons the Lord doth justifie 261 L. Loosening from sinne how wrought in the soule 88 A life of Love requisite in beleevers 328 The life of Love appears in 5. things 338 The Law not to be slighted 334 P. How Christ doth save by his Power 4 Audience of Prayers a speciall priviledge 305 What are those Prayers that Christ will hear 306 Why God heareth Prayers 311 R. A double Resistance of grace in men 100 Regenerate and unregenerate how differenced 194 Reconciliation with God wherein it consists 274 S. What is it to see sinne 43 Sense of Mercy cannot turn a soule to Christ without the Sight of sinne 59 Sorrow for sinne accompanies Conversion wherein it consists 73 Separation from sin wrought in Beleevers 82 What true Sanctification is 289 The benefits thereof 294 V. Union unto Christ goes before Communion with him 101 Whether Vocation doth not goe before Iustification 102 Vocation is not all one with Sanctification 113 The nature of true Vocation 217 The necessity thereof 224 How it is a ground of Faith 225 W. The Whole soul goes to Christ in conversion 183 How to know when the Whole soule comes to Christ. 190 FINIS See the Sincere Convert Quest. Answ. Quest. Ans. Con. 1. Rom. 3. Quest. Answ. What those particular sinnes are which the Lord convinces men of in theiâ— conversioâ—â— â—on 2. â— Con. 3. Answ. Luk. 19 4â— Esay 6.9 How God gives a reall sight of sinnes Hâ—s 4.4 Psal. 51.3 Lam. 3.51 Job 33.16 17. Vse 1. Lam. 2.14 Prov. 1.23 Vse 2. Psal. 36.2 Vse 3. 1. Help 2. Help 3. Help 2 Cor. 5.10 Vse 4. 1 Sam. 25.32 33. Joh. 16.7 Levit. 19.17 Obj. Ans. 1. 2. 3. â—onah 3.5 Answ. 1. Rule 2. Rule 3. Rule 4. Rule 5. Rule 6. Rule 7. Rule 8. Rule Joh. 16.20 Hos. 6.1 2 3. Reas. 1. 2 Cor. 7.10 1 Cor. 5.2 1 Cor. 15.17 Pro. 28.13 Obj. Ans. 1. 2. Cor. 7.1 2. Reas. 2. Mat. 9.21 Jer. 2.31 Luke 14. Luke 15.17 Ram. 5.6 7 8. Col. 3.7 2 Cor. 5.14 Reas. 3. Mat. 9.13 Luk. 4.18 Luk. 15 7. Reas. 4. Quest. Answ. Acts 9.6 Acts 16. Psal. 10.5 Acts 16. Psal. 9.20 Rom. 8.15 Amos 3.8 Luk. 23.40 Judg. 2.1 Jer. 31.18 Hos. 6.1 2. Zach. 12.11 Cap. 13.1 Eccles. 7.26 Psal. 38.1 â— Prov. 18.14 Psal. 32.2 3. Psal. 40.12 Jer. 31.19 Daâ— 9.12 Jer. 3. ult Matth. 10.37 Hos. 6.1 2. Psal. 51.8 2 Chron. 53.11 12. Lam. 3.44 Psal. 39.10 11. Esay 5.8.5 Esay 58.5 Prov. 28.13 Jâ—b 33.15 16 17. Answ. Hos 6.1 Joh. 5.40 Quest. Answ. Jer. 8.11 Quest. Answ. Mat. 10.37 Acts 3.26 Quest. Answ. Luk. 15.7 Esay 33.6 Heb 7.25 Esay 56.8 Vse 1. 1. Cons. Scho. orth Spec. cap. 30 31 32. 2. Cons. 3. Cons. 4. Cons. 5. Cons. Jer. 4.3 4. Vind. grat p. 7 11 13 John 14.3 4 5. Gal. 2.20 Vse 2. Vse 3. Esa. 43.4 Vse 4 Jer. 30.15 Esay 57.16 Answ. Answ. Phil. 3.7 Gal. 2.19 Answ. Rom. 7.9 10 11. Lam 1.16 1 Cor. 11.31 Levit. 10.3 Answ. Vse 1 Vse 2. Quest. Answ. 1. 2. Vse 3. Deut. 6.19 4. Answ. Rom. 10.9 10. Rom. 8.28 Ps. 36.7 Object Answ. 1. 2. 3 Acts 10.43 1 Pet. 1.8 John 6.64.65 Heb. 4.18 19 20. Object Answ. Heb. 11.11 Esay 55.1 2. Mat. 21.28 Psal. 62.5 Psal. 81.12 13. Quest. Answ. Heb. 4.1 Object Answ. Ps. 116.7 Eph. 3.14 18. Object Answ. Ps. 25.11 31.9 Psal. 40.11 12. Hos. 6.1 2 Obj. 1. Answ. Hos. 6.2 3. Rom. 1.17 Rom 8.30 1 Pet. 2.9 2 Thes. 2.14 Joh. 20.31 1 Cor. 1.21 with 26 Joh. 5.29 2 Thess. 2.12 13. Isay 55.1 2. 2 Cor. 5.19 20. Mark 16.15 Luc. 14 17 Vse Joh. 1â— 22 Answ. 1. 2. 3. Act. 2.39 13.47 4. 5. Quest. Answ. Quest. 1 Answ. 2. Answ. 3. Answ. Esay 43.25 4. Answ. 2 Cor. 5.20 5. Answ. 6. Answ. Rom. 4.5 Esa. 4.1 2. Isa. 54.10 1 Cor. 3.22 Isa. 56.5 Mat. 6.31 32. Rom. 8.14 Tit. 3.5 2 Cor. 5.17 Rom. 2.28 2. 1 Pet. 1.14.15.16 Act. 9.31 Mic. 4.5 Deut. 18.18 19. Col. 3.3 Rev. 4.10 11. Prov. 3.17 Quest. Answ.