make it a sin to him that shall command them Is this opinion inconsistent with all Government Yea I must confess my self guilty of so much greater weakness as that I thought I should never have found a man on earth that had the ordinary reason of a man that had made question of it yea I shall say more then that which hath offended viz. that whenever the commanding or forbidding of a thing indifferent is like to occasion more hurt than good and this may be foreseen the commanding or forbidding it is a sin But yet this is not the Assertion that I am chargeable with but that some Accidents there may be that may make the Imposition sinful If I may ask it without accusing others how would my crime have been denominated if I had said the contrary Should I not have been judged unmeet to live in any Governed society It is not unlawful of it self to command out a Navy to Sea But if it were foreseen that they would fall into the enemies hands or were like to perish by any accident and the necessity of sending them were small or none it were a sin to send them It is not of it self unlawful to sell poyson or to give a knife to another or to bid another do it but if it were foreseen that they will be used to poyson or kill the buyer it is unlawful and I think the Law would make him believe it that were guilty It is not of it self unlawful to light a candle or set fire on a straw But if it may be foreknown that by anothers negligence or wilfulness it is like to set fire on the City or to give fire to a train and store of Gunpowder that is under the Parliament house when the King and Parliament are there I crave the Bishops pardon for believing that it were sinfull to do it or command it Yea or not to hinder it in any such case when Qui non vetat peccare cum potest jubet Yea though going to Gods publike worship be of it self so far from being a sin as that it is a duty yet I think it is a sin to command it to all in time of a raging pestilence or when they should be defending the City against the assault of an enemy It may rather be then a duty to prohibite it I think Paul spake not any thing inconsistent with the Government of God or man when he bid both the Rulers and people of the Church not to destroy him with their meat for whom Christ dyed and when he saith that he hath not his Power to destruction but to Edification Yea there are Evil Accidents of a thing not evil of it self that are caused by the Commander and it is my opinion that they may prove his commad unlawful But what need I use any other Instances then that which was the matter of our dispute Suppose it never so lawful of it self to kneel in the Reception of the Sacrament if it be imposed by a penalty that is incomparably beyond the proportion of the offence that penalty is an Accident of the command and maketh it by accident sinful in the Commander If a Prince should have Subjects so weak as that all of them thought it a sin against the example of Christ and the Canons of the general Councils and many hundred years practice of the Church to kneel in the act of Receiving on the Lords days if he should make a Law that all should be put to death that would not kneel when he foreknew that their consciences would command them all or most of them to die rather than obey would any man deny this command to be unlawful by this accident Whether the penalty of ejecting Ministers that dare not put away all that kneel and of casting out all the people that scruple it from the Church be too great for such a circumstance and so in the rest and whether this with the lamentable state of many congregations and the divisions that will follow being all foreseen do prove the Impositions unlawful which were then in question is a case that I had then a clearer call to speak to then I have now Only I may say that the ejection of the servants of Christ from the Communion of his Church and of his faithful Ministers from their sacred work when too many Congregations have none but insufficient or scandalous teachers or no preaching Ministers at all will appear a matter of very great moment in the day of our Accounts and such as should not be done upon any but a Necessary cause where the benefit is greater then this hurt and all the rest amounts to Having given you to whom I owe it this account of the cause for which I am forbidden the exercise of my ministry in that Countrey I now direct these Sermons to â—our hands that seeing I cannot teach you â—s I would I may teach you as I can And 〈◊〉 I much longer enjoy such liberty as this 〈◊〉 will be much above my expectation My dearly beloved stand fast in the â—ord And fear ye not the reproach of men â—ither be afraid of their revilings For â—e moth shall eate them up like a garment â—nd the worm shall eate them like wool but â—â—e righteousness of the Lord shall be for ever 〈◊〉 his salvation from generation to generaâ—â—on Isa 51.7 8. If I have taught you 〈◊〉 doctrine of error or impiety of â—â—sobedience to your Governors in lawful â—â—ings of schism or uncharitableness â—â—learn them all and renounce them with â—â—nitent detestation But if otherwise â—eseech you mark them which cause â—â—visions and offences contrary to the doctrine â—hich you have learned and avoid them 〈◊〉 they are such as serve not our Lord â—â—sus Christ but their own bâ—lly and by 〈◊〉 words and fair speeches deceive the â—â—rts of the simple Rom. 16.17 If any all speak against Truth or Godliness member what you have received and 〈◊〉 little any adversary could say that â—er made such assaults upon you while I 〈◊〉 with you and that it is easie for any man to talk confidently when no man must contradict him I denyed no man liberty upon equal terms to have said his worst against any doctrine that ever 〈◊〉 taught you And how they succeeded I need not tell you your own stability tells the world As you have maintained true Catholicism and never followed any sect so I beseech you still maintain the ancient faith the Love of every member of Christ and commoâ— charity to all your Loyalty to your King your peace with all men And let noâ— draw you from Catholick Unity to 〈◊〉 faction though the declaiming againâ—â— Faction and Schism should be the deviâ— by which they would accomplish it Aâ—â— as the world is nothing and God is all 〈◊〉 all that are sincere believers so let 〈◊〉 worldly interest seem regardable to yoâ— when it stands in any opposition to Christ but account all loss and dung for him 〈◊〉 3.8 And
Justification then now thou standest as afar off and darest scare look up to heaven but smitest on thy breast and saist Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Luke 18.11 12 13 14. Not that extortioners unjust adulterers or any that are ungodly are justified or can be saved while they are such Nor that a smiting on the breast with a Lord be mercifull to me a sinner will serve their turn while they continue in their wicked lives But when thou art brought to accuse and condemn thy self thou art prepared for his grace that must renew and justifie thee None sped better with Christ then the woman that confest her self a dog and begged but for the childrens crums And the Centurion that sent friends to Christ to mediate for him and as being unworthy to come himself and unworthy that Christ should enter under his roof For of the first Christ said O woman great is thy faith be it unto thee even as thou wilt Mat. 15.27 28. And of the second he saith with admiration I have not found so great faith no not in Israel Luke 7.6 7 8.9 Though thou art ready to deny the title of a child and to number thy self with the dogs yet go to him and beg his crums of mercy Though thou think that Christ will not come to such a one as thou and though thou beg prayers of others as thinking he will not hear thy own thou little thinkest how this self-abasement and self-denyal prepareth thee for his tenderest mercies and his esteem When thou art contrite as the dust that 's trodden underfeet and poor and tremblest at the Word then will he look at thee with compassion and respect Isa 66.2 For thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones For I will not contend for ever neither will I be alwayes wroth for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made Isa 57.15 When thou art using the self-condemning words of Paul Rom. 7.14 to 25. I am carnal sold under sin what I would that do I not and what I hate that do I. For I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing I find a law that when I would do good evil is present with me A Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin when thou criest out with him O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death thou art then fitter to look to thy Redeemer and use the following words I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. When thou didst exalt thy self thou wast obnoxious to the stormes of Justice which was engaged to bring thee low But now thou humblest thy self thou liest in the way of Mercy that is engaged to exalt thee Luke 14.11 18.14 Mercy looketh downard and can quickly â—pie a sinner in the dust but cannot leave him there nor deny him compassion and relief Art thou cast out as helpless wounded by thy sin and neglected by all others that pass by Thou art the fittest object for the skill and mercy of him that washeth sinners in his blood and tenderly bindeth up their wounds and undertakes the perfecting of the cure though yet thou must bear the Surgeons hand till his time of perfect cure be come Luke 10.33 34 35. Now thou perceivest the greatness of thy sin and misery thou art fit to study the greatness of his mercy with all Saints to strive to comprehend what is the breadth length depth height and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge Ephes 3.18 19. Now thou hast smitten upon the thigh and said What have I done Jerem. 31.19 8.6 thou art fitter to look unto him that was wounded and smitten for thy transgressions and to consider what he hath done and suffered how he hath born thy grief and carried thy sorrows and was bruised for thy iniquities the chastisment of our peace was laid upon him and we are healed by his stripes All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of 〈◊〉 all Isa 53.4 5 6 c. Art thou in doubt whether there be any forgiveness for thy sins and whether there be any place for Repentance Remember that Christ is exalted by Gods right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentnace unto Israel and forgivness of sins Act. 5.31 And that he himself hath spoken it that All manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men except the Blasphemy against the Spirit Math. 12.32 And this Forgiveness of sins thou art bound to believe as an Article of thy Creed that it is purchased by Christ and freely offered in the Gospell Mercy did but wait all this while till thou wast brought to understand the want and worth of it that it might be thine When a Peter that denyeth Christ with oaths and cursing goeth out and weepeth he speedily finds mercy from him without that he but now denyed within When so bloody a persecuter as Paul findeth mercy upon his prostration and confession and when so great an offender as Manasseh is forgiven upon his penitence in bonds when all his witchcraft Idolatry and crueltyes are pardoned upon a repentance that might seeme to have been forced by a grievous scourge what sinner that perceives his sin and misery can question his entertainment if he come to Christ Come to him sinner with thy load and burden Come to him with all thy acknowledged unworthyness and try whether he will refuse thee He hath professed that 〈◊〉 that cometh to him he will in no wise 〈◊〉 out Joh. 6.37 He refused not his very murderers when they were pricked at the heart and enquired after a remedie Act. 2.37 And will he refuse thee Hath our Physicion poured out his blood to make a medicine for distracted sinners and now is he unwilling to work the cure Fusus est saâ—guis medici factum est medicamentâ—â— frenetici saith Augustine O siner 〈◊〉 thou art brought to know thy self know Christ also and the cure is done Let thy thoughts of the Remedie be deeper and larger and longer then all thy thoughts of thy Misery It is thy sin and shame if it be not 〈◊〉 Why wilt thou have twenty thoughts of sin and misery for one that thou hast of Christ and mercy when mercy is so large and great and wonderfull as to triumph over misery and Grace aboundeth much more where sin hath abounded Rom 5.20 Inspice vulnera pendentis sanguinem mâ—rientis pretium redimentes cicatrices reâ—â—â—gentis Caput habet inclinatum ad oscular dum cor apertum ad diligendum bracâ—id extensa ad
damnation af Hell you may see in Mat. 23. Paul thought it his duty to tell Elymas Acts 13.10 that he was full of all subtilty and mischief the child of the devil and the enemy of all righteousness a perverter of the right wayes of the Lord. And Peter thought meet to tell Simon Magus that he had neither part nor lot in that matter that his heart was not right in the sight of God that he was in the gall of bitterness and bond of iniquity Acts 8.21.23 The charge of Paul to Timothy is plain and urgent 2 Tim. 4.1 2. I charge thee before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his Kingdom Preach the word be instant in season and out of season reprove rebuke exhort And to Titus chap. 1.13 Rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith Judge now whether Minsters must deal plainly or deceitfully with you and whether it be the searching healing truth that they must bring you or a smooth tale that hath no salt or savour in it And would you have us break these Laws of God for nothing but to deceive you and tell you a â—ie and make the ungodly believe that he is godly or to hide the truth that is necessary to your salvation Is the Knowledge of your selves so intolerable a thing to you Beloved Hearers either it is true that you are yet unsanctified or it is not If it be not it is none of our desire you should think so We do all that we can to cure the mistakes of troubled Christians that think themselves worse then indeed they are But if it be true tell me Why would you not know it I hope it is not because you would not be remembred of your wo and so tormented before the time I hope you think not that we delight to vex mens consciences with fear or to see men live in grief and trouble rather then in well grounded peace and joy And if indeed you are yet unregenerate that is not long of us that tell you of it but of your selves that wilfully continue it Do we make you ungodly by telling you of your ungodliness Is it we that hinder the forgiveness of your sins by letting you know that they are not forgiven O no! We strive for youâ— conversion to this end that your sins may 〈◊〉 forgiven you and you hinder the forgiâ—â—â—ness of them by refusing to be be convetteâ— When God forsaketh stubborn souls 〈◊〉 resisting his grace note how he expreâ—â—seth his severity against them Mark 4 1â— That seeing they may see and not perceiâ—â— and hearing they may hear and not underâ—stand lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them You see here that till they are converted mens sins are not forgiven them And thaâ— whoever procureth the forgiveness of theâ—â— sins must do it by procuring their Conversion And that the hindring of their Conversion is the hindering of their forgiveness And that blindness of mind is the great hinderance of conversion when men do noâ— perceive the very things which they see not knowing the reason and the sense and end of them but the out-side only Noâ— understand the things which they hear And therefore undoubtedly the Teacher that brings you a Light into your minds and first sheweth you your selves and your unconverted and your unpardoned state iâ— he that takes the way to your Conversion and forgiveness As the fore-cited Text sheweth you Acts 18.26 I send thee to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light that they may first know themselves and then know God in Jesus Christ and from the power of Satan who ruled them as their Prince and captivated them as their Jaylor unto God whom they had forsaken as a Guide and Governour and were deprived of as their Protector Portion and felicity that they may receive forgiveness of sins which none receive but the converted and an inheritance among them that are sanctified for Glory is the inheritance of the Saints alone Col. 1.12 and all this through faith that is in me by believing in me and giving up themselves unto me that by my Satisfaction Merits Teaching Spirit Intercession and Judgement it may be accomplished Truly Sirs if we knew how to procure your conversion and forgiveness without making you know that you are uncoverted unpardoned we would do it not trouble you needlesly with so sad a discovery Let that man be accounted a butcher of souls not a Physicion for them that delighteth to torment them Let him be accounted unworthy to be a Preacher of the Gospel that envieth you your peace and comfort We would not have you think one jot worse of your condition then it is Know but the very truth what case you are in and we desire no more And so far are we by this from drivinâ— you to Desperation that it is your Desperation that we would prevent by it which can no other way be prevented When you are past Remedy Desperation cannot be avoided And this is necessary to your Remedy There is a conditional Despair and an Absolute Despair The former is necessary to prevent the latter and to bring you to a state of Hope A man that hath the toothache may perhaps despair of being eased without drawing the tooth or a man that hath a gangrened foot may despair of life unless it be cut off that so by the cure he may not be left to an Absolute despair of life So you must despair of being pardoned or saved without conversion that you may be converted and so have hope of your salvation and be saved from final absolute despair I hope you will not be offended with him that would perswade you to Despair of living unless you will eat and drink You have no more reason to be offended with him that would have you despair of being pardoned or saved without Christ or without his sanctifying Spirit HAving said so much of the Necessity of Ministers endeavouring to make â—nregenerate sinners know themselves I shall next try what I can do towards it with â—hose that hear me by proposing these few Questions to your consideration Quest 1. Do you think that you were â—ver unsanctified and in a state of wrath and condemnation or not If not then you are not the off-spring of Adam you are not then of humane race For the Scripture telleth you that We are conceived in sin Psal 51.5 And That by one man sin entred into the world and Death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned and that by the offence of one judgement came upon all men to condemnation Rom 5.12.18 And that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God Rom. 3.23 If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 John 1.8.10 And the wages of sin is death Rom. 6.23
as he goeth further for the world and setteth it nearest to his heart and holds it fastest and will do most for it and consequently loveth it better then Christ he is no true Christian nor in a state of grace The Scriptures put this also out of doubt as you may see Mat. 10.37 38. Luke â—4 26 27 33. He that loveth Father or Mother more then me is not worthy of me c. Whosoever doth not bear his Cross and come after me cannot be my Disciple Whoâ—ver he be of you that forsaketh not all that â—e hath he cannot be my Disciple Know â—e not that the friendship of the world is â—nmity with God Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God â—am 4.4 No wonder then if the world must be renounced in our Baptism Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him 1 John 2.15 You see by this time what it is to be Regenerate and to be a Christian indeed by what is contained even in our Baptism and consequently how you may Know your selves whether you are sanctified and the heirs of heaven or not Again therefore I summon you to appear before your consciences and if indeed these Evidences of regeneration are not in you stop not the sentence but confess your sinfull miserable state and condemn your selves and say no longer I hope yet that my present condition may serve turn and that God will forgive me though I should die without any further change Thosâ— Hopes that you may be saved without reâ—generation or that you are regenerate wheâ— you are not are the pillars of Satans forâ—tress in your hearts and keep you froâ— the saving Hopes of the Regenerate thaâ— that will never make you ashamed Upâ—hold not that which Christ is engageâ— against Down it must either by Graâ—â— or Judgement and therefore abuse noâ— your souls by underpropping such an ill-grounded false deceitfull hope You have now time to take it down so orderly and safely as that it fall not on your heads and overwhelm you not for ever But if you stay till death shall undermine it the falâ— will be great and your ruine irreparable If you are wise therefore Know your selves in time II. I have done with that part of my special Exhortation which concerned the unregenerate I am next to speak to those of you that by Grace are brought into a better state and to tell you that it very much concerneth you also even the best of you to labour to be well acquainted with your selves and that both in respect of 1. Your sins and wants and 2. Your Graces and your duties I. Be acquainted with the root and remnant of your sins with your particular inclinations and corrupt affections with their quality their degree and strength with the weaknesses of every grace with your disability to duty and with the omissions or sinfull practises of your lives Search diligently and deeply frequently and accurately peruse your hearts and wayes till you certainly and throughly know your selves And I beseech you let it not suffice you that you know your states and have found your selves in the Love of God in the faith of Christ and possessed by his Spirit Though this be a mercy worth many worlds yet this is not all concerning your selves that you have to know If yet you say that you have no sin you deceive your selves If yet you think you are past all danger your danger is the greater for this mistake As much as you have been humbled for sin as much as you have loathed it and your selves for it as oft as you have confessed it lamented it and complained and prayed against it yet it is alive Though it be mortified it is alive It is said to be mortified as to the prevalency and reign but the relicts of it yet survive were it perfectly dead you were perfectly delivered from it and might say you have no sin but it is not yet so happy with you It will find work for the blood and spirit of Christ and for your selves as long as you are in the flesh And alas too many that know themselves to be upright in the main are yet so much unacquainted with their hearts and lives as to the degrees of grace and sin as that it much disadvantageth them in their Christian progress Go along with me in the carefull observation of these following Evils that may befall even the regenerate by the remnants of self-ignorance 1. The work of Mortification is very much hindered because you know your selves no better as may appear in all these following discoveries 1. You confess not sin to God or man so penitently and sensibly as you ought because you know your selves no better Did you see your inside with a fuller view how deeply would you aggravate your sin How heavily would you charge your selves Repentance would be more intense and more effectual and when you were more contrite you would be more meet for the sense of pardon and for Gods delight Isa 51.15 66.2 It would fill you more with godly shame and self-abhorrence if you better knew your selves It would make you more sensibly say with Paul Rom. 7.23 24. I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin which is in my members O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death And with David Psal 38.18 I will declare my iniquity I will be sorry for my sin 40.12 They are more then the hairs of my head 32.5 I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Repentance is the Death of sin and the knowledge of our selves and the sight of our sins is the life of Repentance 2. You pray not against sin for grace and pardon so earnestly as you should because you know your selves no better O that God would but open these too-close hearts unto us and anatomize the relicts of the old man and shew us all the recesses of our self-deceit and the filth of worldliness and carnal inclinations that lurk within us and read us a Lecture upon every part what prayers would it teach us to indite That you be not proud of your holiness let me tell you Christians that a full display of the corruptions that the best of you carry about you would not only take down self-exalting thoughts that you be not lift up above measure but would teach you to pray with fervour and importunity and waken you out of your sleepy indifferency and make you cry O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me If the sight of a Lazar or cripple or naked person move you to compassion though they use no words if the sight
to be ignorant of our â—elves 3. What evils follow this Ignorance â—f our selves and what benefits self-knowâ—â—dge would procure 4. How we should â—â—prove this doctrine by Application and â—â—actice Of the first but briefly I. SElf-knowledge is thus distinguished according to the object 1. There is a Physical self knowledge when a man knows what he is as a man What his soul is and what his body and what the compound called man The Doctrine of Mans Nature or this part of Physicks is so necessary to all that it is first laid down even in the Holy Scriptures in Gen. ch 1 2 3. before his Duty is expressed And it is presupposed in all the moral passages of the word and in all the preaching of the gospel The Subject is presupposed to the Adjuncts The Subjects of Gods Kingdom belong to the Constitution and therefore to be known before the Legislation and Judgement which are the parts of the Administration Morality alway presupposeth nature The Species is in order before the separable Accidents Most ridiculously therefore doth Ignorance plead for it self against Knowledge in them that cry down this part of Physicks as Humane Learning unnecessary to the Disciplâ—â— of Christ What excellent holy Meditations of Humane nature do you find oft in 〈◊〉 and in Davids Psalms Ps 139. concluding 〈◊〉 the praise of the incomprehensible Creator ver 14. I will praise thee for I am fearfully and wonderfully made Marvellous are thy works and that my soul knoweth right well 2. There is a Moral Self-knowledge very necessary And this is The knowing of our selves in Relation to Gods Law or to his Judgement The former is the knowledge of our selves in respect of our Duty the second in respect of the Reward or Punishment And both of them have respect to the Law of Nature and Works or to the Remedying Law of Grace The Ethical knowledge of our selves or that which respecteth the Precept and our Duty is twofold The first is as we have performed that Duty The second as we have violated the Law by non-performance or transgression The first is the knowledge of our selves as Good the second as Evil. And both are either the knowledge of our Habits good or evil or of our Acts How we are Morally Inclined disposed or habituated or what and how we have Done We must know the Good estate of our Nature that we were created in the Bad estate of sinfull nature that we are fallen into the actual sin committed against the Law of nature and what sin we have committed against the Law of Grace and whether we have obeyed the call of the Gospel of salvation or not So that as mans state considered Ethically is threefold Institutus Destitutus Restitutus Infirmatus Deformatus Reformatus the state of Upright nature the State of Sin Original and Actual and the state of Grace we must know what we are in respect to every one of these And as to the Judicial knowledge of our selves that is as we stand related to the Promises and Threatnings the Judgement the Reward and Punishment we must know first what is due to us according to the Law of Nature and then what is due to us according to the tenour of the Law of Grace By the Law of Nature or of Works Death is the Due of fallen mankind but no man by it can lay claim to Heaven All men are under its curse or condemnation till pardoned by Christ but no man can be Justified by it By the Promise of the Gospel all true Believers renewed and sanctified by the Spirit of Christ are Justified and made the sons of God and heirs of everlasting glory To know whether we are yet delivered from the condemnation of the Law and whether our sins are pardoned or not and whether we are the children of God and have any part in the Heavenly Glory is much of the self-knowledge that is here intended in the Text and that which most nearly concerneth the solid comfort of our souls II. BUt is all self-ignorance a shame or dangerous Answ 1. It is no other shame then what is common to humane frailty to be ignorant of much of the mystery of our Natural Generation Constitution Integrall parts and Temperament There is not a nerve or artery or vein nor the bredth of a hand from head to foot but hath something unknown to the most excellent Philosopher on Earth This little world called Man is a compound of wonders Both Soul and Body have afforded matter of endless controversie and voluminous Disputations to the most Learned men which will not admit of a full decision till we are past this state of darkness and mortality 2. There are many Controversies about the nature derivation and punishment of Original sin which a humble and diligent Christian may possibly be ignorant of 3. The degrees of Habitual sin considedered simply or proportionably and respectively to each other may be much unknown to many that are willing and diligent to know And so may divers actual sins such as we know not to be sin through our imperfect understanding of the Law and such as through frailty in a crowd of actions escape our particular observation And the sinfulness or Aggravations of every sin are but imperfectly known and observed by the best 4. The Nature and beauty of the Image of God as first planted on created man and since Restored to man Redeemed the manner of the Spirits acccess operation testimony and inhabitation are all but imperfectly known by the wisest of Believers The frame or admirable composure or contexture of the New-man in each of the renewed faculties the connexion order beauty and special use of each particular grace are observed but imperfectly by the best 5. The very uprightness and sincerity of our own hearts in Faith Hope Love Repentance and Obedience is usually unknown to Incipients or young beginners in Religion and to the weaker sort of Christians how old soever in profession and to melancholy persons who can have no thoughts of themselves but sad and fearfull tending to despair and to lapsed and declining Christians and also to many an upright soul from whom in some cases of special tryal God seems to hide his pleased face And though these infirmities are their shame yet are they not the Characters or Prognosticks of their misery and everlasting shame 6. The same persons must needs be unacquainted with their Justification Reconciliation Adoption and Title to everlasting blessedness as long as they are uncertain of theie sincerity Yea though they uprightly examine themselves and desire help of their Guides and watch and pore continually upon their hearts and wayes and daily beg of God to acquaint them with their spiritual condition they may yet be so far unacquainted with it as to pass an unrighteous judgement on themselves and condemn themselves when God hath justified them But 1. To be totally ignorant of the excellency and capacity of your immortal souls 2. To
〈◊〉 the terrible threatnings of God do men Most of them little believe or consider what Scripture saith But fewer consider what Conscience hath to say within when once it is awakened and the curtain is drawn back and the light appeareth The first Proposition inferreth not the conclusion And the Assumption they overlook Did all that read and hear the Scriptures know themselves I 'le tell you how they would hear and read it When the Scripture saith To be carnally minded is death and if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye Rom. 8.8 13. the guilty hearer would say I am carnally minded and I live after the fleshe therefore I must Turn or Die When the Scripture saith Where your treasure is there will your hearts be also Mat. 6.21 The guilty conscience would assume My heart is not in Heaven therefore my treasure is not there When Scripture saith Except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven Matth. 18.3 and Except a man be regenerate and born again he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God John 3.3 5. and If any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things are become new 2 Cor. 5.17 and If any man have not the Spirit of Christ the same is none of his Rom. 8.9 The guilty hearer would assume I was never thus converted regenerate born again and made a new creature I have not the Spirit of Christ therefore I am none of his and cannot enter into the Kingdom of Heaven till this change be wrought upon me When the Scripture saith Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge Heb. 13.4 The guilty hearer would say How then shall I be able to stand before him Yea did but Hearers know themselves they would perceive their danger from remoter principles that mention the dealing of God with others When they hear of the judgement of God upon the ungodly the enemies of the Church they would say Except I Repent I shall likewise perish Luke 13.3 5. When they hear that Judgement must begin at the house of God They would infer What then shall be the end of them that obey not the Gospel of God And when they hear that The Righteous are scarcely saved They would think Where then shall the ungodly and the sinner appear 1 Pet. 4.17 18. 3. If you know not your selves you cannot be Christians you cannot have a practical belief in Christ For he is offered to you in the Gospel as the remedy for your Misery as the ransome for your enthralled souls as the propitiation for your sin and your peace-maker with the Father without whose merit satisfaction righteousness and intercession your guilty souls can have no hope And can you savingly value him in these respects if you know not that sin and misery that guilt and thraldom in which your need of Christ consisteth Christ is esteemed by you according to the judgement you pass upon your selves They that say they are sinners from a general brain-knowledge will accordingly say Christ is their Saviour and their hope with a superficial Belief and will honour him with their lips with all the titles belonging to the Redeemer of the world But they that feel that they are deadly sick of sin 〈◊〉 the very heart and are lost for ever if he do not save them will feel what the name of a Saviour signifieth and will look to him as the Israelites to the brazen Serpent and cast themselves at his feet for the 〈◊〉 of grace and will yield up themselves 〈◊〉 be saved by him in his way An uneffectual knowledge of your selves may make you believe in a Redeemer as all the City do of a Learned able Physicion that will speak well of his skill and resolve to use him when necessity constraineth them but at present they find no such necessity But an effectual sight and sense of your condition will bring you to Christ as a man in a Dropsie or Consumption comes to the Physicion that feels be must have help or die Saith Bernard Filium Dei non reputat Jesum qui ipsius non terretur comminationibus c. You will not take the Son of God for a Saviour if you be not affrighted by his threatnings And if you perceive not that you are lost you will not heartily thank him that came to seek and save you Non consolantur Christi lahcrymae cachinnantes◠non consolantur panni ejus ambulantes in stolis non consolantur stabulum praesepe amantes primas Cathedras in Synagogis saith Bernard Christs tears do not comfort them that laugh his rags do not comfort them that love to walk in robes his stable and manger comfort not them that love the highest seats in the Synagogues Can you seek to Christ to take you up till you find that you have fallen and hurt you Will you seek to him to fetch you from the gates of hell that find not that you are there But to the self-condemning soul that knoweth it self how wellcome would a Saviour be How ready is such a soul for Christ Thou that judgest thy self art the person that must come to Christ to Justifie thee Now thou art ready to be healed by him when thou findest that thou art sick and dead Hast thou received the sentence of death in thy self Come to him now and thou shalt have life John 5.40 1 John 5.11 Art thou weary and heavy laden Come to him for rest Come and fear not for he bids thee come Matthew 11.27 28. Dost thou know that thou hast sinned against Heaven and before God and art not worthy to be called a Son Do but cast thy self then at his feet and tell him so and ask forgiveness and try whether he will not welcome and embrace thee pardon and entertain thee cloth thee and feast thee and rejoyce over thee as one that was lost and is found was dead and is alive Luke 15. For he came to seek and to save that which was lost Luke 19 10. While thou saidst I am rich and increased in goods and have need of nothing and knewest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked thou wouldst not buy the tryed Gold that thou mightest be rich nor his whiterayment that thou mightest be cloathed that the shame of thy nakedness might not appear nor Christs eye salve that thou mightest see Rev. 3.17 18. But now thou art poor in Spirit and findest that thou art nothing and hast nothing and of thy self canst do nothing that is acceptably good John 15.5 and that of thy self thou art insufficient to think any thing that is good 2 Cor. 3.5 now thou art readier for the help of Christ and a patient fit for the tender healing hand of the Physicion Whilst thou saidst God I thank thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers nor as this Publican thou wast further from Christ and