that which is at this time most sencible in my heart to speake to you from what God hath spoke to me in my present Condition is three things The first is a discovery of the unsupportable Burthen of sinne when discovered by the light of Gods love Secondly The restles resolution of a Saint when he is Saint-like sencible of his withdrawing from God to turne to God Thirdly The gracious and sweet Entertainment the soule finds with God when that he is brought home And I shall declare it from three portions of Scripture The first from Psalme the 38. and the 4th verse the second from Psalme the 11 6th and the 7th verse The third from Luke the 15th and the 20th verse but I shall begin with the first at this opportunitie Psalme the 38. and the 4th verse For my Iniquities are gone over my head as a heavie Burthen they are too heavy for me DEare friends this Scripture I have formerly viewed and have formerly spoke something from it but I am now constrained to declare what God hath preached to mee for he hath been pleased thorough a discovery of my unsutablenes and my unkindnes by which he hath not onely broken my bones but he hath left no soundnes in my flesh I doe not meane by flesh fleshly nature but all the fleshlines of my owne Righteousnes by which formerly I refreshed my selfe with the sparkes of my owne performance and refreshed my selfe with the peace and tranquilitie I gathered from thence But now my wound is too large to be healed with such a salve but no more of that but to the words and in them you may consider in generall an affirmation wherein you may first consider the partic affirming that is David Secondly the affirmation it selfe that is twofold first That his iniquities are gone over his head Secondly They were a heavie burthen too heavie for him Thirdly You may consider the time when it was when God had shewed him so much of his own nothingnes that he had nothing left to live upon besides free love There was no rest in his Bones nor no soundnes in his flesh by bones and flesh wee are not to understand it naturally but spiritually and by flesh we are to understand it in a double sense according to these Scriptures Galatians the 5. and the 19 verse Gal. the 6. and the 12 verse Philippians the 3. and the 3 and 4 verses Deare friends wee might observe a Conclusion from the party affirming the affirmation it selfe and the time when and the manner how but wee shall draw up all into one Conclusion and that is this Doct. That sinne to a Saint like sencible heart is an unsupportable Burthen In the prosecution the Conclusion observe these foure things First the proofe of it by Scripture Secondly Consider what sin is Thirdly What a Saint-like sencible heart is Fourthly The reasons why sin to a Saint-like sencible heart is an unsupportable burthen First The Scriptures to prove the Conclusion are these In the first place view the Text which cleerly Confirmes the Truth of the Conclusion Further see Romaines the 7 and the 24 verse how Paul cryes out as a restles man under the sense of sin You may further see Psal 51. the 1 2 3. and 4 verses Jeremiah the 3. and the 25 verse Lamentations the 5. the 15 16 17 verses All which doe discover how unsupportable the Burthen of sinne is to a heart that is Saint-like sencible of sinne Deare friends wee need not much proofe to him that knowes it as I am confident every heart that is acquainted with God hath sufficient Experience of this to confirme it The daily heart-breakings in that soule who is sencible of his owne unkindnes by reading Gods kindnes doth demonstrate it But I shall adde no more but this That heart which needs Confirmation of this truth without himselfe and hath not a sufficient proofe within himselfe his Condition is sad Secondly let us Consider what sin is And in that Consideration wee will Consider three things First The nature of sinne Secondly The Concomitants of sin And Thirdly The Effects First What is sin the Apostle tells you in the first Epistle of John the 3 Chap. and the 4 verse That sinne is the Transgression of the Law had there been no Law there had been no sinne The variation from a Law is sinne To speake out the nature of sinne is almost as impossible as to speak out the nature of God For sinne in all things is contrary to God Whatsoever you can say of Darknes of Death of Hell and Devils you may say of sinne Sinne comprehends all and is one with either John in the Revelations tels us of the depth of Satans Temptation Revel 2.24 which Temptation peradventure is but the limbe of the least lust Oh! what a depth is there then in the whole body Whatsoever happines and glory is seene in Light the contrary is found in Darknes whatsoever content and freedome you finde in love Light the contrary misery and bondage you finde in Death but the perfections of all these miseries is comprehended in sinne as the body of them both That heart which is most sencible of sinne is not able to speake out the nature of sinne But I know that that heart which is Saint-like sencible of sinne and doth see sinne to present himselfe as it doth so ugly in his owne eyes thinkes sin can never be presented ugly enough and especially because they see that in sinning they doe not onely crosse Law but Love they do not onely pierce paper but the precious tenders of grace love Zech. 10. It is endles boundless to Anatomize the nature of that where not so much as nature dwels but is inslaved by it Secondly Consider the Concomitants of sinne There are many but I shall onely present so many of them as it at present in my owne view First It s that which drawes a darke Cloud over a mans eyes and hinders him in his cleare beholding of God Though a Christian hath never so glorious a view of divine Light Love that lives in God if God suffers that heart to be padling and medling with sinne and Darkness Isa 59.2 Psal 30.7 Cant. 5.2 3 4 5 6. and then the heart goes expecting to view God as before though God be as he was before an unalterable God yet there is a thick myst drawne upon the eye that he is like a man in a myst and knowes not where he is nor what he sees just like a man whose eyes are fixed upon the Sunne and there he beholds glorious objects than takes them off from that Sun and looks upon the Earth and then goes to looke up to the Sunne againe his eyes dazell that he can see neither Though it is true It is not the glory that we view in God that covers our eyes but rather the thick myst that intercepts our view of that unchangeable object And therefore the Example of
is punished for all his prosecuting doth but pierce into his owne spirit and all his stirring doth but rouse up guilt in his owne heart and all his rubbing doth but rub upon his owne soare which doth much kill disturbe and disquiet his owne spirit which causes many men in Authoritie when they are a punishing to wish they had not knowne it and they are apt to curtayle and lessen it if not cover it And all this is occasioned as a fruit of sinne from which wee may observe thus much That none are like to be good Common-wealths men but they that are godly and honest men for them that have a chiefe Authoritie in the State or in Counties or Parishes can never suppresse vice vertuously if themselves are strangers to vertue and practisers of vice In the close of this remember but this Scripture Prov. the 28. and the first verse The wicked flies when no man pursues but the righteous is as bold as a Lyon Thirdly It is Injurious to a man as he is a Master of a familie and that thus It binds him up in Exhorting his familie to walke holily when he knowes that his familie knows that he himselfe walks unholily or can he reprove vice when he himselfe is vitious No he cannot do it If it be it is very cold poore emptie The guilt in their owne hearts produced by their unsaint like carriage doth exceedingly straiten their hearts and tye their hands not onely to themselves as reproving and correcting but also to their familie reproved and corrected for at the very best their familie who are sencible of their evills will judge it as the Devill correcting sin Therefore in the close of this let all that desire to be profitable in their families in suppressing evill and encouraging good Let them first shew it in their * 1 Tim. 6.2 Mat. 7.5 practice before they first shew it in their power But I shall say no more as to the Effects of sin though there be many more but I shall come to the reasons why sin to a Saint-like sencible heart is an Insupportable Burthen and the Reasons are these A Saint sees that sin hath brought him into a Condition so bad and so low that himselfe with all the world cannot recover him * Act. 2.37 Act. 16.30 Job 7.20 If a Christian had any crevis to behold helpe besides Christ he would have some way to uphold his heart and inable him to beare his burthen without going to Christ but sin is so large and so broad and so full of weight that it sincks all things under on this side of Heaven which goe to beare it And this a Saint sees and therefore sin to his heart is an unsupportable burthen Secondly Sin takes away the ground of patience and therefore unbearable and that it does why because though there are promises to beare all oppressions yet no promises to beare the practice of sin Therefore my former thus That Condition which is without promise is unbearable but the practice of sin as the practice of sin is without promise Ergo * Gal. 3.29 The third Reason which makes sin so unreasonable and so unsupportable to a Saint-like sencible heart is because he sees that sin is not onely a * Rom. 7.11 lye in speaking that which it will nor cannot doe but whatsoever is contrary to sins promise is brought upon him Contradiction in Expectation works distraction but no where so unsupportable as the busines of sin for there is no contradiction like that It expects joy but beholds sorrow it promised Light and Life but behold Darknesse and * Rom. 6.23 March 24.50 51. Death Fourthly That which makes sin so unsupportable to a Saints heart is this though it be the last it is not the least It is this That Light and Love which discovers a mans sins to him and by it his Lost Condition it doth sweetly make up his Losses by supplies from it selfe that makes the soule in seeing sin to see that it hath not onely sinned against Law but against that Light and Love which discovers and * Zech. 12.10 Luk 15.21 Isal 51.4 supplits And for a heart to see that he cannot lye safely no where but in the Fathers Love and for him to Reflect upon himselfe and see how much not onely below but contrary to that Love he hath lived in Oh! how much doth this breake the heart and wound the spirit I leave to that Soule that after all his owne unkindnesse hath now all his Refreshments from the sweet Incomes of the Fathers loving kindnesse he cannot choose but there see to the continuation of the Fathers nature as he is the Father yet the want of his owne as he is a Childe and he cannot but see how much hee indeavoured to kill that by which he now lives 't is impossible to declare how much the Reflection of this Love doth kill and Crucifie a Saints Spirit The knowledge of which doth make sin to be unsupportable but no more of the Reasons but a word or two of use The first Use Is an use of Information to Informe us of the miserable Condition of those who make light of sin If sin be so unsupportable to one that is made alive sure these people must needs be dead But some will object and say They blesse God they see sin and they conceive sin is cast out and subdued in them In this there may be a very great mistake for men may see sin and yet not Saint-like sencible of sinne And in some the Devill is said to goe out when he is not Cast out according to that Scripture Matth. the 12.43 44 45. But know this sin be onely gone out and not conquered it will Returne againe according to the same Scripture and if you see sin and not Saint-like you may see it and be sencible and yet nothing As Pharaoh Cain and Judas c. And therefore for feare of mistakes I shall propound two questions and give my Answer to them according to what Experience I have found in the like Case The first question is What the difference betwixt a Saint-like sence of sin and the sence of sin a man may have and be nothing Secondly What are the demonstrations to discover that sin is not onely gone out but cast out To the first The difference betwixt a Saint-like sence and a bare seeing lyes in these things First Where it is really Saint-like it is alwayes sencible of that most which is by men seene least Rom. 7.24 Psal 51. â—0 Jer. 17.9 I meane the emptinesse barrennesse basenesse and unsutablenesse of its owne heart But others who are Judas-like are sencible of that which men see most If they are but conformable to what is without they are never troubled for what is within but he that is made sencible of sin by the comings in of grace he is so sencible if God should cut off all dead branches without yet that will not
killing Law so Christ hath freed us from it and as it was meerely considered without us and not wrought in the administration of the Law in that sence we are free from it * Rom. 18.4 5. yet take notice that we are under that Law that doth engage a close walking with God and though God hath been pleased to write that Law within us yet know it is suitable to that Law which is without us I must confesse in some sence it is improper to say a childe of God as a child of God a Christian as a Christian to be under the Law and why because the Saintship of a Saint or that in us which makes us or gives us the denomination of Christians or Gods child is made up of the Law and is Law it selfe and is no further under the Law then a Law is capable to be under it selfe That holinesse purity spirituality that the Law * Heb. 8.10 without us presented to us is now wrought in us and so the power commanding is the power Conforming Now whether this be any ground for Loosenesse I leave to any soule to judge or whether this be not much more binding and admits of no Liberty to a loose walking but engages much * Rom. 7.6 more Object If the Law be within us what need we minde any thing that is without us Answ 1. The Law within us is not contrary to the Law without us as I told you before if you looke upon it in a gospell-sence that 's to say in the hand of Christ for the heart and hand is both one and any Lawes relating to Religion in another sence we are not to minde as being bound to it Secondly But the Law in a Gospell-sence soules that lie in the life of that Law cannot chuse but love it as a glasse to looke upon that which by its Light appeares lovely I meane holinesse and Righteousnesse which is one with the delight of God Thirdly I shall give no further answer to this last objection but onely thus to tell you from what experience I have formerly found that it is a great signe of a heart that 's sick when it endeavours to draw tolerations for Loosenesse from a discourse relating to a Saints Liberty Deare hearts let me conclude with this that that soul which is really acquainted with his Liberty from Divine Love is so swallowed up and so conquered by it that its never in its proper course but when it lives up to that Love And his being unbound to the Law in that sence which before I exprest doth not admit of acting loosely See Rom. 6.1 2. but acting Lively as you may see Gallat the 2. and the 19. verse I thorough the Law saith Paul am dead to the Law that I may live to God so his freedome was not the cause of his dying to God but living to God but no more of this use The next use is an use of comfort to the people of God who groane under the burthen of sin If sinne to a Saint-like sencible heart be an unsupportable burthen then it is a discovery of a Saint like sencible heart when sin is thus a burthen to it Deare hearts though it be sad to lie under the sence of sin yet it is ten thousand times sadder to sinne and not be sencible Truly though the heart be wounded yet those stripes God will heale * Mat. 11.28 Matth. 5.3 4. and they are but deare lashes of his Love in bringing out the soule into a further injoyment of Life and if any soules have cause to rejoyce t is them that mourne and for your comfort consider these things First God is more ready in Christ to take off the burthen then to lay it on see the Prodigall Luke the 15. and the 20. When the Prodigall did but come the Father ran and gave him ease before he discovered his burthen truly did groaning hearts know how much the * Jer. 31.20 Isa 63.15 Bowells of God earnes towards them and how freely Christ is held out to them and how sweetly God in promises runs out for them with freenesse to give out himselfe to them It would much refresh them doth Christ come to save it is not the Righteous * Mar. 9.13 Luk. 19.10 but sinners Doth God justifie then it is the ungodly Rom. the 4.5 Doth the Father make a Feast It was for the returne of a poore Prodigall Doth the Heavens rejoyce it is for the returne of the lost sheep Truly the people of God never mourne as sinners but then God rejoyces over them as Saints Secondly Consider not onely the readinesse of God to take off the burthen but the freeness of Christ to bear * Isa 63.3.2 Cor. 5.21 Phil. 2.5 6 7. it As upon the Crosse where he willingly submitted to the lash of the Law and the frownes of Heaven for the sins of poore undone Creatures so he doth also call upon poore hearts opprest under the burthen of sin to exercise faith in entertaining his tenders to ease their burthens and to give them rest Matt. the 11. and the 28. Thirdly Consider that thy condition is not alone all that God will crowne he thus crosses and all he makes to live he thus crucifies and all he heals he thus wounds * Isa 40.4 5. Isa 61.1 2 3. and therefore when thou art most under the burthen of sinne thinke of David not onely in this text but in the 51 Psalme and in many other places where he cries out as a man undone so did Paul Rom. the 7. so did Jeremiah so did Esay saying Woe is mee for I am undone being a man of unclean lips Esay the 5. and the 6. Fourthly Consider it is Gods way not onely by Light to discover darknesse but by discovering Darknesse and Death bring thee to Light and Life Therefore under the Cloud looke to the Conclusion and behold Light for though there be darknesse in the habitations of Aegypt there is Light in the dwellings of * Exod. 10.22 23. Micah 7.8 Israel my meaning is though there be trouble and darknesse in thy Egyptian heart yet there is enough Love and Light in the bosome of Jesus which is the place of rest for the Israelites of God to dwell in Fifthly Consider That though God in thy eyes seemes to frowne yet know that they are but the beginnings of his smiles And though in thy eyes he hath seemed to withdraw himselfe yet know it is but for a moment and he will meet thy heart with everlasting kindnesse Isaiah the 54. and the 8 verse Object But alas my trouble hath been very long and therefore I feare it is not that burthen which God is so ready to remove which makes me thinke my heart is not Saint-like sencible Answ To which I shall answer thus That it may seeme long in our eyes yet if it be Gods time it is not long Isa 54.8 Secondly Consider that though wee have stayed long
the Condition of many Saints but yet in answer to this Beloved friends I would have you Consider these things First Though it is our dutie and with it our Refreshments to lay hold upon and to make applications of Jesus Christ yet our happinesse lyes more in Christs laying hold of us * Joh. 15.16 Jud. 24. 1 John 4.10 Secondly It is Gods way many times to leave his people without the sensitive part of their Comfort and though they do believe and do know and doe see yet they are many times left without power to be sencible they * Hos 11.3 1 Joh. 5.13 see that so in the Close they may be brought off from Living upon their owne knowing and seeing God and made to Live upon Gods knowing and seeing them Thirdly Many times the people of God are hindered in applying Christ and promises because they looke upon them thorough a wrong glasse viz. thorough their owne Righteousnesse and goodnesse and when that seemes dead their eyes grow dimme for there is so much penurious proceedings in the best of Saints that they will not nor dare not touch a promise without holy hands and holy hearts Whereas wee are not to beleeve because we are holy but wee are to beleeve being unholy that wee may be holy I now remember what Mr Hocker said in the same case concerning the hinderance that Christians meet with in applying promises It is with them said he as with a man that goes to take a staffe in his hand if he puts the backe of his hand to the staffe he cannot hold it till he puts it in the palme of his hand so it is with the people of God when they goe to a promise they goe to lay hold on it with the backe side of the hand of faith and that they doe these wayes First When they looke upon themselves as they are in themselves and not looke upon themselves as they are in Christ In themselves they are altogether unworthy In Christ they are worthy In themselves they are blacke in Christ they * Can. 1.8 Eph. 5.27 are comely Secondly So they also doe when they endeavour to goe to Christ thorough a promise and not to a promise thorough Christ wherein they move by their owne strength and that 's their back-side and not by the power of Christ which is properly the hand to Lead them to the heart of all promises He is the summe of every promise and all promises are summed up in him In him we enjoy every one and without him we enjoy never a one If you would know what a promise is I shall discover my thoughts in this generall Tearme that includes all A promise is the declaration of Gods good will Christ is the principall declarer and he is also the thing declared and so he is the summe of promises and in that sence promises are summed up in him Thirdly We are said to goe with the back-side of the hand to a promise when we so looke upon corruption in us that we dare not apply promises of Life but as we see sinne dye and doe not Indeavour to apply promises that sin which is alive may dye And therefore deare Friends in the Close of this Remember two or three things that Experience hath and Experience will Confirme to all beleevers First None applyes Christ till Christ layes hold on him 1 Joh. 4.19 Secondly That no heart brings any holinesse to Christ but what they first had from a promise in Christ Thirdly It is not Gods way for us to conquer sinne and then beleeve but to Conquer sinne through beleeving 1 John 5.4 Fourthly If the apprehensions of sin getting some strength doth occasion a Saint by feare to weaken faith that gives not lesse but more strength to sinne but it is Christs way to kill sinne through beleeving Therefore beloved Friends Let me beg of you to be very serious in weighing the worth of Gods tenders and also the way of Gods tenders And know this As it is dangerous for men under the notion of beleeving free grace to give way to sinne so it is dangerous to stay from beleeving grace till wee Conquer sinne Pray take notice that God brings fullnesse to emptinesse and Light to Darknesse and Life to Death and goodnesse to * Matth. 11 28. Rom. 5.6 Isa 40.29 unworthinesse Therefore there is no Soule so emptie and so poore and so unworthy and so sinfull but there is enough in Christ to answer all And deare Friends take heed that you doe not penuriously stand out and say you will make your selves fit before you come to Christ That kinde of humilitie is great pride And you endeavour to doe that which is endlesse and easelesse Therefore Consider as the promise and your need of a promise so consider the way how to apply a promise and doe not endeavour to take hold of the staffe with the backe of your hand but the palme And for that End seriously minde what hath been said And the Lord give us to understand the truth as it is in Jesus but I shall say no more in answer to this objection nor to the Text at this time Though there are many other uses might be made of it but I shall onely at this time Conclude with the words in the Conclusion Which is That sinne to a Saint-like sencible heart is an unsupportable Burthen The restlesse Resolution of a Soule to returne to God who is Son-like sencible of his withdrawing Withdrawings from God are dangerous DEare friends I told you before that my desire was to discover to you three things First How unsupportable sin is to a heart that is made sencible Secondly How restlesse a heart is that is sencible of his withdrawings from God till he doth returne to God Of the first I have already spoke I am now to enter upon the second and of that I shall desire to speak sutable to what God hath made known in me and that Scripture which I desire to speake it from is Psalme the 116. and the 7. verse Returne unto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee IN which words you may consider in generall two things 1. An Exhortation 2. The Reason and foundation The Exhortation in these words Returne unto thy rest O my soule The Reason and foundation in these words For the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee In the Exhortation we may consider severall things First The party exhorting that 's David Secondly the party exhorted that 's his soule O my soule Thirdly The Exhortation it selfe Returne In which Exhortation there is something implyed besides what is exprest The thing implied is that his heart had withdrawn from its rest Fourthly there is the manner of the Exhortation it is an earnest Exhortation Returne oh my soule Besides it is a spirituall Exhortation therefore he calls upon his soule We might now divide the Reason and foundation as we have done the Exhortation and from
such a heart from his returning to God Alas God is not onely his Life and so his Center but he so lives by him that he cannot live without him Those dayes and nights wherein a heart is thus sencible of his withdrawings and hath no Refreshings in his returning they are dayes and nights of Death and not of Life to such a heart and how sad a Condition that is and how Restles that Condition is I leave to you to judge Secondly You may see from what we have already said that this restles running out to God doth arise from Gods making the heart sencible of his withdrawing Therefore this is to Informe us that the power of a hearts returning to God is of God * Can. 1.4 Joh. 6.44 Phil. 2.13 Oh what cause then have soules in that condition to acknowledge the power to be of God they cannot but cry out as David Psalme the 66. and the 16. O come see what the Lord hath done for my poore soule The mercy and kindnesse of God in this act is beyond what any can expresse but he that doth injoy it Oh you that doe enjoy it have cause for ever to speak out Gods love To convert a sinner and make him a Saint is an eminent favour but to returne and call home a Prodigall Sonne is that which speaks out much more of the power kindnesse and unchangeable love of God Oh you that have tasted of it let your life speak out Gods love and I shall say no more to you but this that Christ sayes John the 5. and the 14. Sin no more least a worse thing come unto you In the next place this may Informe us of the great mistakes of some men who in their writings and expressions declare that they are againe brought home to God but yet they are so far from being restlesse in their returne to God that they rather rest in their satisfying of others then in their assurance of their entertainment with God Alas Gods mercy is double and treble in returning such a heart to himselfe but the returnes of such are hardly single towards him but to such I shall say no more but rather with teares beg that they may be sensible of the want of sense I meane of their withdrawings from God I am sure then they will be restlesse till they doe returne Againe This is to informe us If it be so that those hearts who are withdrawne from God when made sensible are so restlesse till they doe returne then 't is no strange thing why they get so much ground of them who have all this time stood and not withdrawne Christ sayes Matthew the 19 and the 30 verse The first shall be last and the last shall be first Alas these soules that are thus recovered are exceeding swift in their returnes though know by experience what it is to capitulate with or to give entertainment to or to shake hands with sin the bitternes they have found out of their fathers heart makes them cleave close A burnt Childe dreads the fire Deare friends observe it that a child so soon as he hath gotten a knock commonly doth not onely leane to but lay hold of with both hands the Mothers knee Deare friends I speake this the rather that any of you that stand may not too much rejoyce and glory in your owne condition over them that are fallen as many in this poore Nation are who through a gathered light liberty have put themselves in it before God brought them to it and so have turned their liberty into Loosenesse These sort of people doe either belong to God or they doe not but I am confident many doe and if so God will bring them home and they will be restlesse in their returnes And take notice you that God hath made yet to stand that for ought I know these poore lost hearts may get ground on you and therefore doe not neglect your pursuite in spending time to censure them but rather double your owne diligence in your owne pursuite and endeavour with humility care and teares to recover them The second Use is an Use of Comfort to Comfort those poore hearts who are sadly fallen from God and being made sensible are restlesse in their returnes though their condition seemes in their owne eyes sad yet they have much cause of Comfort and Rejoycing and that in these things First Their condition is not alone there is not onely a David and a Prodigall but many more who have sadly fallen as well as they Secondly Consider that you are changed God is not changed for though we be unfaithfull God is faithfull and cannot deny himselfe as you may see the 2 Epistle of Timothy the 2 and the 13. Malachy the 3 and the 6 verse Thirdly Consider that there is as much readinesse in God to receive you as restlesnesse in you to be received by him Doe but view what Christ sayes about the lost sheep Luke the 15. the 5 6 and 7. verses there was greater rejoycing for the returne of that one then was for the ninety nine it was so with the lost groat and with the Prodigall more then his elder Brother Luke the 15. and 30. verse All these Scriptures hold forth the great rejoycing God takes in and the great readinesse of Gods giving entertainment to a poore soule thus returned I know the Devill doth set upon such a heart drawing Arguments not onely from the breach of a Law but their sinning against Light and Love which Arguments are of such a power and force sufficient to sinke any soule in the world were it not for the abundance of love and kindnesse given in from the Father suitably at such a season But Oh deare soules I speake to them which are in such a condition doe not be discouraged but consider not what you are in your selfe but what you are in God and at your leisure view these Scriptures Jeremiah the 3 and the 1 vers Zech. the 13 and the 1 Isay the 1 and the 18 Isa the 43. the 22 23 24 and the 25 and 26. verses Isa the 44. the 21 22. Isa 49. the 15 and 16. Jer. 31. and the 20. Read the 16. of Ezekiel from the first to the last 1 Ep. of John 2 and the 1. Mat. the 11. and the 28. Psalme 147. 3. The Third and Last Use is an Use of Exhortation to Exhort all that are thus fallen and thus made sensible that they give glory to God for giving of them a heart againe to returne it 's a double mercy Oh what hath God done for you he hath not dealt by you as you have dealt by him Ezek. the 16. the 59 and the 60. verses but he hath returned love for hatred and shewed himselfe to be a God though thou wast but a creature O praise him and prize him loose no time in speaking out his Love thou hast lost too much time already all thy dayes are too little to declare what God hath done for
Kisses and Imbraces and Entertainment far beyond thy Expectation beleeve it to be so for Gods thoughts are not thine Second Reason Every poore wandring soule in his Returne is apt to look upon God thorough himselfe if not thorough his Corruptions yet thorough the narrow measure of his owne Resolutions and Reformations and doth measure his mercy and Entertainment in the Compasse of those narrow Limits But alas that is not a glasse to behold God in or a measure to measure his mercy by Sutable to God is his kindnes and Love and sutable to that measure is our entertainment The Creatures Entertainment is sutable to its apprehension apprehension is sutable to the glasse it apprehends the object in Now seeing the poore creature eyes God his entertainment with God thorough the narrow Compasse of himselfe his Expectation must needs be low and fall much short of that which a wandring soule returned finds when he is sencibly possest with it but no more of the Reasons but a word or two of Use First Use is an use to Reprove the people of God who after they have wandered from God and are thorough reall Convictions returning home to God yet are feareful and question their entertainment with God thinking he must needs deale hardly with them who have dealt so unkindly with him * Psal 77.9 Psal 42.9 Psal 31.12 Isa 49.14 Deare Friendt I must confesse the state and condition of such poore soules is much to be pittied for they are surrounded with temptations in a double and treble sence yet give me leave to Reprove them as Christ said in another Case Matth. 22.29 You erre not knowing the Scriptures So you feare your entertainment not knowing the endeared affections that live in God when once you come to be possest with it you will Reprove your owne Spirits and say what I now say to you Was it not enough to sin against Love but must you now sin in questioning Love Was it not enough to sin in running from God but must you now sin in thinking God will run from you Was it not enough for you to sin in clouding the nature of a Sonne but must you now sin in questioning the nature of the Father O leave off those disputes and goe with boldnes beleeving that God is what he was though you are not so and know your entertainment will be farre beyond what you doe or can expect A second Use is an use of Comfort and Consolation to all poore broken Spirits who have wandred from God and thorough a sence of their own unkinde dealings with the Father they are ashamed to looke upon him and afraid to goe up to * Luk. 18.13 him and yet cannot live without him There is great Comfort to these poore broken Spirits in the Consideration of the sweet entertainment that poore wandring hearts finde in their Returne to God Know that the Father is God and not Man It will goe better with you then with Hester in her desperate attempts to the King Ahasuerus in the 5 of Hester she according to a Common Expectation looked for nothing but Death but see in the 2 and 3 verses how the King holds forth his Scepter and tells her that her Request should be granted if it were to the halfe of his Kingdome and Entertainment beyond her expectation Deare hearts know that in your approachments to the Father he will not onely hold out a Scepter to you but fall upon the neck of you and will not answer your desires to the halfe but to the whole of his Kingdome for all shall be yours and he will not onely speake words of kindnesse to you but will give you power to speak out your unkindnes before him he will not onely passe by and pardon your adulterous withdrawing from him as you may see Jeremiah the 3d at the beginning of the Chapter but he will also heale your back-slidings v. 22. And though you with the Prodigall desire to be but a Servant he will entertaine you as a Son and before you confesse he will pardon and before you acknowledge how unworthy you are of Love he will manifest Love he will not onely entertaine you expecting exactnesse in the future but he will also meet you and kisse you with the kisses of his mouth saying Thou art mine * Isa 43.1 Isa 44.1 2 Isa 45.4 and he will pay off all the old scores and arreares that are produced by your former Ramblings from a close Communion with his Love At your leisure reade those words Luke the 10.34 where you see Christ did not onely find them in their bloud wounded but he also with great pitty and love powres in oyle binds up their wounds takes them up and carries them to his owne Inne which Inne was Gospel Imbracements in the heart of God and what Entertainment was at that Inne you may see it was far beyond the Expectation of the poore wounded Soule The Case is thine I am certaine thy condition cannot be worse and know your Entertainment will be as good It was a wounded soule who was stript and left naked though he was alive yet he lay in his blood and though he was beloved yet he was very unlovely he was robbed and stript of all and had no accommodation but his owne blood and soares Deare hearts can your condition be more sad that is impossible And what encouragements or comforts can you propound to your selves but they will be doubled and trebled with God He will not onely meet you when you meet him but he will meet you before that so you may meet him he will not love you because you are lovely but he will love you being loathsome to make you lovely * Ezek. 16.8.14 Deut. 7.7 8. and he will not entertaine you when you come but he will meet you before you come and answer you before you ask O what a comfort is there to poore soules that desire nothing more then to be re-entertained with God I beseech you consider seriously what hath beene said and let not the dispute with your owne unworthy heart nor the dictates of the Devil draw a cloud over Gods kindnesse or hinder your confidence in your Entertainment God takes nothing so ungratefull as to question his kindnesse Truly it is impossible for any one though with the tongue of men and Angels to speak out the tenth part of Gods tender kindnesse and sweet imbracements to a poore unworthy heart that is gone from him and now returned againe did broken hearts know what great delight God takes in healing broken spirits * Ps 147.3 Mat. 5.3 4. Mat. 11.28 in making the poore rich and setting at liberty them that are in prison and to exalt them that are low and to recover them that are lost they would not dispute so much against the imbracements of grace and mercy At your leisure read the 66. of Esay and the two first verses the 16. of Ezekiel the 11 of Matthew and