looke at Hâ—â—â—â— and Mordecai Haman had the Kings favour and all his desires granted him and the postes were dispatched and yet he was more troubled in plotâ—ing this evill against the Jewes than Mordecai was in bearing it because faith made the life of Mordecai easie and comfortable and therefore â—e saith Salvation will come I see not the way â—or I know not the meanes how it should be but â—alvation will come therefore David in the 119. â—salme 75. verse saith I know that all thy judgeâ—ents are just and that thou of very faithfulnesse hast â—fflicted mee hee drunke nothing but mercy in â—hat bitter cup which God had tempered for â—im when the patient takes bitter pills if they â—ee well sugered they goe downe the easier and â—he bitternesse never troubles him so it is with â—aith it takes away the harshnesse of all inconveâ—iences which are bitter pills in themselves but â—hey are sweetned and sugered over by the â—aithfulnesse of God for the good of the soule â—nd therefore it goes on cheerfully so the issue of the point is this if the burthen of the worke â—e laid upon another and if all cares be put over â—o another and if all the harshnesse of all troubles â—e taken away by faith then faith must needs make the life of a Christian easie and comforâ—able The second thing wherein the excellencie and â—enefit of faith appeares is this it fils the soule of a beleever with full contentment and in truth â—ontentment commeth through beleeving for â—ee that doth partake of the mercie of God in Christ he cannot but partake of all the good that 〈◊〉 therein and so hee cannot but bee contented therewith Oh saith one I would faine have contentment in the world then the life of faith brings full content to the heart of a believer so that he shall say I can desire no more 1 Corin. 3.22 23. when the Apostle would still the divisions that were risen amongst the Corinths for every man was not content with what he had but would have even what hee list hee saith All is yours whether Paul or Apollos or the world or life or death or things present or things to come all is yours and will not all content you would you have the world it is yours would you have things present take them would you have things to come expect them they are yours and you are Christs and Christ is Gods Christ hath what God hath and the beleever hath what Christ hath nay sinne and hell and death they are but your servants and hee that hath Christ and all good in a Christ hee hath all working for his good therefore hee that hath a Saviour and all good in him he cannot be discontented Now faith workes a mans full content three wayes First faith supplies all wants Secondly it cures all feares Thirdly it inables a man to all duties and more than these cannot be added nor desired For the first faith supplies all wants faith plucks the soule and hales the heart of a poore Christian away from all those secret bosome distempers as pride and such like which breed any discontentment within a man as all curiositie and all pride and unquietnesse for these rack the soule with a restlesse discontent all the inordinate desires and the like these lusts and corruptions ought not to bee quieted nay it cannot bee for spirituall things will not satisfie a corrupt heart and worldly things cannot quiet it Now faith divorceth the soule and withdrawes the heart from under the power of those boysterous distempers and makes the soule resigne up it selfe to the good will of God and when faith hath done these then in the second place faith makes the soule say the good will of the Lord is better than any thing that hee shall deny or than all the good things that an inordinate sinfull heart can crave faith makes the soule apprehend that whatsoever God doth and whatsoever Gods pleasure is is better to him than whatsoever hee can desire though God deny what he desires if God will have a man poore faith sayes it is better than if he had given him riches and if it bee the will of God to lay shame and disgrace upon a man faith sayes it is better that God lay shame upon me than honours because it is his good will and pleasure so to have it and so the heart is quieted and fully contented and the want is supplied because the will of God is better than to have what wee desire The Patient that trusts to the skill and faithfulnesse of the Physitian is better content to take pills from him than all the best Cordials that can be desired Thirdly faith either obtaines what wee need and desire or else procures a farre better thing than what we desire art thou in trouble and misery faith will either fetch from God what thou needest or else bring that which is better from the hands of God by this means the Lord Christ cures all the discontentment that might creep in upon the hearts of his Disciples Matth. 19.29 There is no man which shall lose father or mother or wife or children or friends for my Names sake but he shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit eternall life whatsoever wee lose for a Christ we shall have a hundred fold recompence for it as if a man for the cause of Christ suffer persecution or imprisonment and loseth peace here thou thou shalt have peace with God and thy soule shall prosper in grace and if friends haply forsake thee and the father is against the sonne and the husband is set against the wife thou shalt have the favour of the Lord God of heaven which is better than the love of all earthly husbands or friends for all these things here below are but as it were the shell but this is the pith and kernell the love of God in Christ and if a man lose liberty for Christ he shall have a thousand times more libertie in the peace of a good conscience and a free heart to serve God and in the 63. Psalme in the beginning of the Psalme David was in the wildernesse of Iudah when Saul had banished him from his house and deprived him of friends and meanes and all yet see how David supplies all in the 3. verse because thy loving kindnesse is better than life my lips shall praise thee and in the 5. verse he saith My soule shall bee filled as with â—â—â—row and fatnesse now marrow and fatnesse is the chiefe of all you know as if he had said Saul hath taken away my meanes but thy loving kindnesse is better than all the world it is that which fully satisfieth me Saul hath taken away my liberty but thy loving kindnesse is better than life it selfe and therefore my soule shall bee fully quieted therein Thus faith brings a supply of all good to the soule In the 73. Psalme 25. and the last verse compare them both together and see
redemption or redemption encreasing if misery sorrow and anguish be multiplyed there is multiplyed redemption also Then know it if you know your owne soules you see it if you see your owne lives that it is new sinnes new corruptions prevailing with you But here is the comfort of the soule as sinne increaseth so mercy increaseth as corruption multiplyes so redemption multiplyes therefore he is called the Father of mercy as who should say he begets mercy even a generation of mercies from day to day and it is a large generation of new mercies framed and made to incourage poore soules therefore it is said with the Lord there is a fountaine of life Looke as it is with a fountaine there is not onely water in it for the present but it feeds severall cocks and conduits and though it runnes out daily it enlargeth it selfe daily So with the Lord there is a fountaine of life If there be a fountaine of death in thy soule in regard of thy sinnes to kill thee so a fountaine in God to quicken thee Hence it comes to passe that the Lord speaking of his mercy calls it the exceeding riches of his mercy Ephes 2.7 I say the Lord hath not onely fulnesse of mercy but he is rich in all his fulnesse nay he exceeds in all the riches of the fulnesse of his mercy So that be we never so poore and beggerly these sins increase and those miseries increase why yet though thou bee a bankrupt in grace yet the Lord is full of goodnesse full of mercy yea he exceeds in his fulnesse to succour thy heart in all necessities nay our miseries and wants bee great yet haply thy feare is greater than all the rest thy soule is troubled many times more with the feare of what will be than with the feeling of what is already befalne thee But now how ever thy miseries be great and thy feare exceeds all misery that can betide yet mercy will remove and prevent those feares and Christ will doe more for thee than thou canst feare will fall upon thee Nay a man doth not feare what misery can befall upon him but his heart may imagine more than he doth feare But here is the fulnesse of mercy mercy full to the brim and running over mercy is able to doe more for thee than thou canst feare or conceive shall come upon thee Ephes 3.20 then saith the Lord exceeding excesse abundantly above that we can aske or thinke So then the words runne thus then winde up the point Thou seest thou findest thou feelest many sorrowes now assailing thee thou expectest more trouble to befall thee and thou dost conceive more than thou dost feare thy sorrowes out-bid thy heart thy feares out-bid thy sorrowes and thy thoughts goe beyond thy feares and yet here is the comfort of a poore soule in all his misery and wretchednesse the mercy of the Lord out-bids all these whatsoever may can or shall befall thee Gather then up briefly and shut up this first passage Many are the sorrowes of the righteous guilt of sinne perplexing the sinner and filthinesse of sinnes tyrannizing and domineering over the soule nay many feares and cares for future times for a sinner saith Sometimes my condition is marvellous poore my estate marvellous miserable what if small temptations what if small corruptions what if such a fall should betide me what then shall become of my soule Nay a mans imagination exceeds all feares The soule that thinks with it self Should the Lord deale in justice and should my sinnes get the victory over me which I hope will never be for what shall I then do for succour yet this is the comfort of a poore soule let it read this lesson The Lord is able and mercy can doe excessive exceeding abundantly above all thy sorrowes are abundant thy feares are very abundant thy imaginations are excessive exceeding abundant exceeding above all present sorrowes above all future feare and above the course of all imaginations This discourse shall serve for the first passage We will now adde the second The soule is not yet fully satisfied but replyes It is true there is bread enough in my Fathers house that I yeeld and that I confesse there is abundance of mercy in God a world of mercy that pardoned Manasses and saved Saul but what is that to me if there be bread enough in my Fathers house and I starve for hunger and get no benefit by this mercy of God But how shall a man starve in this mercy if a way can be conceived and a meanes can be propounded for another supply to the soule to fill up the necessity of it this will be seene in the next particular I say herein appeares more fulnesse of mercy It is not onely sufficient to releeve a man in all the miseries that can befall him but this is another thing considered mercy is able to make thee partake in the same mercy God doth not leave thee to thy selfe that thou shouldest buy it and purchase it and buy it and procure it but mercy is able to suffice thy soule that thou maist be refreshed thereby This is the tenor of mercy God requires of a man that he should beleeve now mercy doth helpe to performe the duty commanded The Lord as he requires the condition of thee so he worketh the condition in thee hee makes thee beleeve that thou shalt be saved as there is fulnesse of grace in himselfe to doe thee good if thou dost receive the same this is the difference betweene the two Covenants the Covenant of workes and the Covenant of grace The first covenant runnes Adam shall doe and live now it stood upon the use and abuse of his free will either to doe the will of God and be blessed or to breake the law and be cursed it was in his power to receive the life and thus either by breach or not doing the condition required Adam must performe But it is not so here the Lord in deed requires a condition no man can be saved but he must beleeve but here is the privilege that the Lord as he makes this condition with the soule so also he keepeth us in performing the condition for the Lord he requires that the soule should rest upon him and he make him also to doe it he requires the soule to cleave unto him Ezek. 36.26 27. There is the tenor of this covenant A new heart will I give you and a new spirit I will put within you and I will take away your stony heart and give you a heart of flesh and I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes Or if they will walke in my wayes out of thine owne power then I will vouchsafe this mercy and favour Now the Lord requires this condition and workes it also in his children he requires this of them and he workes this in them for their everlasting good as Heb. 8.9 the Lord saith This is the covenant I
another poore heart cheared yet thy unfaithfull heart is like a barren heath no good shall come to thee in it there is no mercy nor consolation for that soule in all the meanes that God continues and vouchsafes this is the maine cause of all the inconveniences that come upon us that after all the meanes continued and multiplied there is almost no good at all done every family is 〈◊〉 a barren heath there is no good comes to such a childe nor to such a servant they are all infidels I doe not meane Pagans but unbeleevers and they receive not that mercy which Christ offers nay it is just that it should bee so that thou shouldst never get good though all the Angels from heaven should come and reveale Gods minde and though all the Devils should come from hell to terrifie thee because unbeleefe drawes away thy heart and pluckes away the soule and makes the power of the truth not to prevaile with it so that when the Lord would come in upon the heart unbeleefe pulls away the heart from the truth of God Rom. 11.20 The Iewes were broken off because of unbeleefe they were cut off from bâ—ing Gods people and from enjoying the meanes of grace that when the Lord would lay hold upon a poore soule unbeleefe plucks the soule from the word that it may turne from it Quest But some will say if unbeleefe makes all meanes unprofitable then an unbeleever should use no meanes at all Answ I answer Yes use all the meanes as may be because the word may take away thy unbeleefe and as thou usest all meanes so labour to have thy heart subdued and overmastered the word tampers thy tongue and thy fingers but looke thou up to the Lord and say Good Lord let thy word be powerfull to come in upon my heart and to take away my unbeleefe Thirdly it is unbeleefe that maintaines all sinne in the heart of a sinner in the strength and power of it so much as may be in this case unbeleefe is the mother of all corruptions and breeds many it nurseth and nourisheth them so that they are fat and well liking and they come up marvellous well that 's the meaning of the Apostles phrase 2 Thess 3.2 That we may be delivered from the hands of unreasonable and absurd men how came they to bee so because all men have not faith that is he that wants faith will never want him and he that wants faith will ever be unreasonable and absurd drunkennesse stares men in the face and out-faces the officers and contempt of God and prophanation of the Lords day and the world carries all before them as if they were the only commanders of the world what 's the reason of it all men have not faith they doe not beleeve the word of God that condemneth those sinnes and which would direct them to cast away those sinnes and therefore they goe on with marvellous violence let the word of God come in publike or private they make nothing of all these but they will have their owne wayes I use to call unbeleefe the protectour of the estate of corruption as it is with some lower states and princes as in the Low-countries and in Germany they are not able to subsist of themselves and therefore they are in league with some other that they may be protected by them and receive succour from them and if they defend them they hope to make their parts good with any so this unbeleefe maintaines any sinne good in its rank and state indeed restraining grace may curbe corruption and keepe in the distempers of the heart but there is nothing that can kill corruption but onely the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of his grace Rom. 8.2 The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed mee from the law of sinne and of death sinne sets up a law and rules in the heart as you shall finde it in your owne hearts pride saith you shall bee proud there is a soveraigne rule and a tyranicall authority which pride expresseth in the heart now the Spirit of the Lord Iesus sets up another law and there is more commanding power in that than in the corruption of the soule and the law of the Spirit taketh away the power of sinne that would prevaile against a poore sinner the law of meeknesse in Christ takes away the law of anger in the heart and the law of patience in Christ takes away the law of impatience and the law of courage takes away the law of cowardize and the law of chastity takes a way the power of uncleannesse so that there is no sinne can be subdued but by the power of Christ and the work of his Spirit now unbeleefe keepes the heart wholly from Christ therefore it can receive no good from Christ and from hence it is that all sinne is maintained in the soule in the full vigour of it there is no unbeleever in all the world but he hath all sinne strongly in him and not one sinne that ever was slaine it is strange to see when unbeleefe previles but a little in the heart of a poore Saint how all other sinnes put out their heads and shew themselves a maine as Luke 22.32 Simon Simon Satan hath desired to sift thee as wheat but I have prayed that thy faith faile thee not Sathan laboured to shake the hold of Peters faith and thereupon many corruptions were expressed in his life because Peter did faile and did not beleeve that which Christ had said to him so soone as unbeleefe prevailes then false-heartednesse exprest it selfe and he presently denied his master and then base cowardlinesse sayes I know not the man and his want of reverence to the name of God discovers it selfe for hee fals to sweare that he knew him not and there was self-love in all these thus you see when a man will not beleeve every corruption breakes forth and that amaine and this unbeleefe will fat all corruptions in the soule and all cursed distempers and makes them fat and well-liking as it is of faith in the spirituall man so it is of flesh in the corrupt man 1 Pet. 2.11 The flesh lusteth against the soule there is a kinde of armour of the flesh and of corruption as well as the armour of the Spirit which procures comfort to the soule sinne hath its armour as well as grace now looke as it is in the spirituall armour of a Christian faith is a shield a shield defends not only the body but all the armour of the body so faith it defends not onely the body but the soule and all the graces of the soule so it is also with this infidelity in regard of a mans corrupt nature corruption it is maintained by infidelity as by a shield it is the shield of a mans corruptions as faith is the shield of the spirituall man I confesse that reformation and the meanes thereof out of the ordinances
great and marvellous are thy workes and in the 107. Psalme 8. when the Prophet had shewed the great workes that God had done for his people Israel he saith Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men This was also a type of our spirituall comming home to Christ wee are all slaves to the Devill and in spirituall bondage under sinne hell and death but faith sets a man upon the shore and brings him home unto Christ as Iohn 5.24 He that doth beleeve is passed from death to life Lord saith the poore soule I confesse I was in the mouth of hell but now I am passed from death to life faith sets a man beyond sinne and death and all therefore the soule should be thankfull and sing a song of praise unto the Lord his God Now there are two bottomes from the former Doctrine which give foot-hold to your comfort First by beleeving all the goodnesse and mercie of God is thine and he cannot nay he will not deny thee therefore thou mayst with boldnesse challenge the good of all that mercie and goodnesse of his When God hath engaged himselfe to be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee he cannot take away his mercy from a faithfull soule because hee cannot deny himselfe hee will not denie his truth and his promise therefore the Saints of God cannot but be partakers of all this mercie and goodnesse the Apostle saith Ephes 3.17 Christ dwels in our hearts by faith so Coloss 2.3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge now gather up all and the summe is thus much and there you may see how the comfort comes by faith I lay hold upon a Saviour in whom dwell all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and so I lay hold upon these what would you have and what is it that may comfort you thou art beggerly in wisdome and in consolation and in all the graces of Gods Spirit but if thou hast faith thou hast a Christ and in him are all the treasures of wisdome and mercie take your treasure and be inriched for evermore you may doe it it is your owne Secondly all the sinnes that thou standest guilty of and all the temptations of Sathan cannot hinder thee from injoying that light and receiving that good which thou hast need of there is no sinne that hath beene committed can stand betweene thee and eternall life be thy corruptions never so many for number never so vile and strong for nature never so long for continuance in them and all those old bruises and old lusts of youth which make thee say can the Lord pardon me and is it possible for such a wretch as I am to have mercie that have all these corruptions I answer it skils not what thy sinnes be see thy faith and repentance bee sound it matters not what thou hast beene a rebell even against God if now thou canst beleeve and rest upon God and repent thee of thy sinnes Quest But now the point growes on the soule is in some reasonable manner satisfied that if it had faith then it could be satisfied but many seeme to have faith and have it not if my faith were true I could gaine some sound comfort to my selfe that all would goe well with mee but how shall I know that Answ I answer I confesse that the faith of the most men in the world is but a meere delusion as I shall discover in the next use of reproofe but that thou maist be undoubtedly perswaded of the truth of this grace that though thy faith be never so little yet it is saving justifying faith I will therefore lay downe some trials I will not now intrench upon any of the particulars that come afterward but onely lay open such particulars for triall as are in the doctrine I know faith purifies the heart and workes by love c. and faith makes a new creature but these come too farre off I will onely gather somwhat from the point in hand Triall 1 First observe the root and rise of thy faith the cause by which thy faith was wrought and from whence it came and this will be an undoubted evidence whether thy faith be good or not therefore when thou dost begin to brag and say I doe beleeve then aske thy heart this question and say how came I by it prove it have I faith make it good then it is not enough to say so but let mee see that it is so didst thou bring it into the world with thee did thy wits contrive it did thy parts and abilities worke it and because thou hast more wit and learning than others and thou thinkest it as easie a matter to beleeve as to understand a hard writing if it bee thus thy faith is a delusion and no faith at all it is true here of faith which Iob speakes of wisdome nature saith it is not in me and eloquence saith it is not in me I know not the way to it all these say I have heard the newes of faith but I am not acquainted with it God onely knowes the way thereof and is the worker of it the text saith Every man than hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me the Father must first teach this lesson or else no man can understand it except the Father give thee a heart to know Jesus Christ there is no power in thee that is able to give this grace to the soule hast thou thy faith from heaven then it is like to bee of the right kinde but it must bee from thence it ariseth not from the earth it comes not from parts and gifts and learning it must come from heaven or else it is not of the right kinde all the coine that is currant is minted in the tower by authoritie of the King if not it is not currant in 1 Pet. 1.7 the Apostle cals it precious faith it must bee stamped by the Lord Jesus Christ by the hand of the Spirit it must come from the tower of Zion or else it is copper faith and not saving justifying faith nor that which will stand in steed in the day of triall here or in the day of judgement hereafter as wee say in nature the Alcumists are growne to that skill that they will make Alcumie appeare to be perfect silver and gold and much of it will beare the touchstone insomuch that a man can hardly discover some of it it is so cunningly made but when the fire and the hammer comes it will beare neither of them but the true gold comes from the gold oare and will endure the fire and hammer the alcumie gold comes not from the right place where the gold is it comes not from the minerals from the golden mines so there is a great deale of this alcumie faith for the world is come to this passe that they have a faith of their owne faining
deed there must be something else or the sinner will be at a stand and cannot come on cheerfully and receive the grace offered him therefore besides the meanes wee have the speciall cause expressed which is the Lord. For when a man hath heard that is one thing but that is not all for the principall cause is the Lord. God the Father alone can buckle the heart to receive the grace appointed and the mercy offered to the soule and without the principall cause all other meanes I meane the Ministers of the Gospell although it be a savour of life unto life yet it may be a savour of death unto death unlesse the Spirit of the Lord goes with it For when the Gospell is onely revealed to the understanding and that onely conceives of the letter thereof and it soakes not and sinkes not into the heart this we call an outward calling that is the phrase of Divines when some light flash is imparted and communicated unto the soule and is not set on sufficiently that is an outward calling But when God the Father doth accompany the dispensation of the Gospell with the powerfull operation of the Spirit and it puts its hand to the key of the Gospell and unlockes a blinde minde and a hard heart there the soule learnes throughly and effectually the way of salvation The Text saith there must not onely be hearing but learning of the Father else the soule will not nor cannot come Now before I can collect the severall passages out of the words there is some difficulty and obscurity in the phrase therefore give me leave as I am able to discover the meaning and sense of the words and then the collection will be cleere First for the explication of the phrase and I will discourse four questions unto you which will be usefull for the cleere explication of the Text. 4. Questions First what the lesson is that a man must learne before he come Secondly why the Father is said to teach and not the Sonne nor the holy Ghost Thirdly what is the manner how the Father doth teach the soule when he will call it home to himselfe Fourthly what is the frame and disposition of the soule how doth the heart behave it selfe when it hath in truth learned the lesson When the Lord will propound unto and learne the soules of his that belong to him you must not thinke the truth tedious because they will give us light into all the truth that shall bee hereafter discussed out of the word Quest 1 He that hath heard and learned of the Father what is the lesson that he must learne before hee can come that after he hath learned this lesson he may be able to see the path of salvation as propounded to him so also neere at hand that hee might walk therein and receive comfort thereby Answ For answer hereunto the lesson that the soule must learne is this namely the fulnesse of the mercy and grace and salvation that God the Father hath provided and also offered to the poore humbled sinner in and through the Lord Jesus Christ which in deed is able to doe that for a poore sinner which all the meanes and things in the world could not doe and yet notwithstanding he needs I have heretofore discussed the poore miserable plight which a sinner hath brought himselfe into by his manifold rebellions There is no helpe no hope of himselfe in what hee hath or doth to releeve and succour himselfe and therefore he fals flat at the footstoole of the Almighty and is content to be at his disposing Now the lesson that the soule must learne is the fulnesse greatnesse and freenesse of the perfect salvation which is brought unto us through the Lord Jesus Christ And that we may not learne this lesson by halfes but fully and perfectly and that your minds may conceive of the same give me leave to lay it out fully because it will be profitable for our ensuing discourse and this lesson discovers it selfe in three things as in three lines as I may so terme it The first is this that the soule may learne there is enough sufficiency in the mercy of God to fill up all the empty chinkes of the soule and supply all the wants that a sinner hath and releeve him in all those necessities that either doe or can befall him this is the condition of every sonne of man since the fall of Adam that there is not onely a great deale of weaknesse in the soule but there is a great deale of wants and emptinesse in the soule Now this is the fulnesse of the mercy of God that whatsoever our weaknesses wants or necessities bee there is full sufficiency enough in that masse to fill up all and to give the soule full content in every particular Hence the phrase of Scripture runnes thus when God propounds the fulnesse of mercy in Jesus Christ he calls it a treasury and all the treasures of wisedome and holinesse are in Christ not one treasure but all treasures not some treasures but all treasures Esay 61. When the Gospell was professed there was a fulnesse of mercy and there wee shall see a kinde of meeting and concurrency of all blessings together So that where the Gospell comes there is joy for the sorrowfull peace for the troubled strength for the weake be your miseries what they can be here is releefe seasonable and sutable to all your wants miseries and necessities Nay this is not onely for the present necessity Mercy is not only able to releeve your present necessity but your future also It is not with mercy as with the widow of Sarepta who thought when the meale in the barrell and the oyle in the cruse was spent she should then surely perish No it is not so in the fulnesse and sufficiency of this mercy it hath not onely enough to doe you good for the present and to succour you in all present wants but what miseries soever shall befall thee or what troubles shall betide thee for future times the fulnesse of Gods mercy laies in provision against such necessities and times of miseries and vexations For a poore sinner may be driven to a stand after this manner It is true saith the sinner I have heretofore committed many sinnes God hath sealed up the pardon of them unto me and those sins which have heretofore pleased me God hath given me a sight of them in some power and measure against them But what if more sins if more temptations if more corruptions if more guilt if more horror seize upon my heart how then shall I succour my selfe But now this is the fulnesse and sufficiency of mercy it doth not onely case a man in regard of present necessity but layes provision for all future wants and calamities that can befall the soule Psal 130.7 The text saith Let Israel hope in the Lord there is mercy and with him is plenteous redemption The word in the originall is there is multiplying
dead letter It is true the Lord can worke above meanes we know also God can appoint other meanes for to call the soule but it is not our meaning we must not looke for revelations and dreames as a company of phantasticall braines doe but in common course Gods Spirit goes with the Gospell and that is the ordinary meanes whereby the soule comes to be called God can make the ayre nourish a man but he doth not If a man should expect to be fed by miracle hee himselfe would be a miracle Gal. 3.2 for there goes a spirituall power with it it raiseth the dead in sinne to life it is a living word and the word discovers also the secrets of mens thoughts Now that word which raiseth the dead and discovers the secrets of mens hearts it must needs have a marvellous power with it and accompanying of it For the opening of it observe two things first the manner secondly the reasons Point 1 After what manner doth the word and Spirit goe together and you must know I do not mean that the Spirit is in the word no otherwise than in all other things but in a more speciall manner and that conceive in three things First the Lord hath ordained and set apart the preaching of the word hee hath sanctified it and set it apart to call the soule Looke as it is with the brazen Serpent God appointed it to heale those that were stung now if 500. men should have made another Serpent it could not have healed one man though they had lookt their eyes out of their heads So it is with the Gospell there is no other usuall meanes to call the soule Hence it is casted the word of the Gospell Now if five hundred men make five hundred Gospels besides this they could never convert or comfort one soule Or as it is with a mint if a mint master coyne money it will goe currant but if twenty other coine money though the stampe were as good yet it is but counterfeit coine so it is here 1 Cor. 1.21 Let a man study all the arts and tongues that can be devised he never shall nay hee never can know one drop of Gods mercy and goodnesse in Christ Why but how then may a man know it saith the Text by the foolishnesse of preaching that is wicked men count it foolishnesse The Lord doth appropriate the saving worke of his Spirit to goe with the ordinance not that God is tyed to any meanes but he tyeth himselfe to this meanes Why doth not aire nourish all as well as meat because onely God hath set meat apart for this purpose Hence this Gospell is called the power of God to salvation because the power of God ordinarily and in common course appears therein the waters of life and salvation run only in the chanell of the Gospell There are golden mines of grace but they are onely to be found in the climates of the Gospell Nay observe this when all arguments prevaile not with corruption to perswade the heart to goe to God one Text of Scripture will stand a man in stead above all humane learning and inventions because the Spirit goes forth in this and none else God doth undoubtedly as he will when he will and how he will give successe to his ordinance Isay 55.10 11. The word of the Lord doth ever accomplish that for which it is sent For it is true many a man is called after the word is delivered a long time Why is that it sokes into the soule as the snow in December sokes into the earth but the fruit of it is not seene untill May. The word is a savour of life unto life it is a living savour of death to death it is a poison a deadly savour and though it hardens some yet the worke goes forward Reason 1 Because the Lord would not have any carelesse of his owne glorie and our good as he will humble the soule that he may doe good to it so hee will make him use the meanes If a gentleman should go after a begger with an almes how proud would he be and rather thinke himselfe a master than a begger So if God should follow us with mercy we would rather goe from him but he hath laid mercy in the myne of the Gospell that wee may dig for comfort in the cisterne of the Gospell that we may draw all our consolation from thence Reason 2 Because may not be cozened by our owne fancies the Lord to prevent all inconveniences and conceits of Eatonists and Familists that thinke they have the power of the Spirit in themselves whereas Gods Spirit goes alwaies with the word 1 Iohn 4.1 Every Minister preaches with a spirit some out of the spirit of envie some out of the spirit of sinceritie some heares out of the spirit of love some with the spirit of malice to carpe at the Minister try therefore the spirits and if they hold not with the word they are naught Reason 3 That we may be watchfull and carefull lest we lose the comfort that we have lightly come lightly goe got with little paine lost with lesse care therefore the Lord will make us seeke unto the meanes Vse 1 Instruction to teach us the worth of the Gospel above all other things in the world for it is accompanied with the Spirit and it brings salvation with it What if a man had all the wealth what if hee had all the policie in the world and wanted this hee were but a foole What if one were able to dive deepe into the secrets of nature to know the motions of starres and yet know nothing belongs to his peace what availes it what if a man could speak with the tongues of men and Angels yet without this he is a novice in knowledge Why doe we value a myne but because of the gold in it and the cabinet but because of the pearle in it oh this is that pearle wee sell all for 2 Cor. 2.1 2. Vse 2 For triall a man may know whether we have a spirituall heart or no Iudg. 19. he that hath not the Spirit is a fleshly sensuall man Wouldest thou know whether thou art carnall or spirituall this doctrine tells thee How came the Spirit If thou hast it it ever came with the Gospell therfore see now how thy soule stands affected with the Gospell and so it stands affected to the Spirit If thou wilt none of the Gospell thou wilt misse of the Spirit then Christ will none of thee Now reason with your owne soules Why unlesse I take the Spirit woe be to mee I may owne my selfe Christ will never owne me Is it so that I will not suffer the word to prevaile with mee remember the time will come that you must dye as well as your neighbours and then you will say Lord Jesus forgive my sins Lord Jesus receive my soule then Christ will say Away be gone you are none of mine I know you not Any man whether noble or
finde my selfe I hope the Lord will save me though I cannot save my selfe But the hopes of the wicked hang like a cloud they are not grounded upon the evidence of the Scripture they crowd all in the generall I hope to fare as well as others and other had mercy and why not I And hence the hopes of the wicked are unstedfast and wavering but a man might here demand are not the hopes of the Saints so too Doe they not waver and stagger many a time Answer It is true but with this difference the hopes of Gods servants are like an anchor which though sometimes it is shaken yet it holdeth the faster but the hopes of the hypocrites are like the waves of the seas and they come to nothing Prov. 8.28 The hope of the righteous shall be glad but the expectation of the wicked shall perish as who should say though the waves be great and the stormes violent yet the anchor shall bee fast and the ship shall come safe to haven but it is otherwise with the wicked their hopes doe perish What is become of your hopes now you thought you should bee saved and that you should doe as well as others but when the day of judgement commeth and the last great day of account shall be what then shall become of all your hopes You shall see it is as if a man should plead for a mans inheritance because he did dwell in the same towne and were of the same name But now the Saints of God when they come to lay claime to mercy they bring a hold a word Isay 61.3 He appointeth them that mourne in Sion will you have a legacy of joy mercy and pitty here it is the Lord Christ left it you I bequeath this and leave it to all you broken hearted sinners to all you humble mourning sinners in Sion this is your legacy sue for it in the Court and you shall have it for ever Hence David ventureth all for this hope hee taketh this as a childs part Psal 33. the last verse Let thy mercy come unto us as our hope is in thee not according to our sense and assurance but according to our hope thy desires may faile and endevours faile and the means faile yet let thy mercy come unto me according to my hope The second is this a grounded hope is ever of great power and strength to hold the soule to the truth of the promise the Spirit you know wee shewed stirreth the heart to hope now hee turneth hope so to God that the eye of the soule goeth that way and cannot bee taken from it but it will goe promise-ward and God-ward Hence take a poore sinner when hee is at the weakest under water when all temptations oppositions corruptions grow strong against them the Lord letteth them loose against the soule nay letteth the poore soule come to joyne side with Satan against himselfe and the goodnesse of the Lord and hee saith the truth of it is I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul this proud foolish filthy heart of mine it will be my bane it had better for me never to have beene I shall never get power strength and grace against these sinnes here is the lowest under of a poore soule If a man should now reply why then cast off all hope and confidence reject the meanes and turne to your sins Marke how hope steppeth in and saith it is true what ever I am and doe what ever my condition is I will use the means I am sure all my helpe is in Christ all my hope is in the Lord Jesus and if I must perish I will perish seeking him and waiting upon him Why this is hope now and I warrant that soule shall never goe to hell Psal 119.81 My heart fainted and my hope was in thy salvation Isay 8.7 I will wait for the Lord who hath hid himselfe from the house of Iacob the Lord hideth himselfe he doth not shew himselfe he hath not manifested himselfe yet I will hope in the Lord that hideth his face Psal 69.3 But the hope of the wicked is not so 2 King 6. and the last verse this evill commeth of the Lord and why should I wait any longer Prov. 14.32 The hope of the wicked is driven away that though a man stood upon his bottome and all the world could not perswade him to the contrary but that he should be saved and hee should goe to heaven though proud still though vaine still but his hope shall bee driven away but the righteous shall have hope in his death friends faile life faile and wealth faile but yet he hath hope in his death Signe 3 As the strength of this hope is great in regard of all opposition that commeth to the contrary so also the excellency and surpassing worth of this hope which overshadoweth all the hopes in the world that can be offered propounded desired all seeme nothing to this hope which the soule hath to God that when the soule commeth to be drawne to God and to hope in him all other hopes hold no weight hopeth not for honour for profit nor liberty nor delight it discovereth the basenesse of these so that the soule careth not for any thing else in comparison It is in this case with the soule as with the hound the hound haply followeth the game untill hee bee spent and tyred yet if there come a fresh hare yet the very sent of a fresh one will make him leave all so it is here though heretofore hee hath had many games in the world he hoped for honour and profit and his soule run all amaine upon them but when the soule hath beene brought to know the riches of Gods mercy in Christ it leaveth the old profits the old contents the old delights that he had Heb. 11.13 All these died in the faith when they had saluted the promises And observe here a carnall hearted Hypocrite his hopes be vaine idle and uncertaine the truth is if the world giveth other hopes of honour and profits and delights he leaveth his hope and with Demas he embraceth the present world but the Saints of God are not so Heb. 11.25 Moses might have had great honour but he forsooke his honour and had an eye to the recompence of reward Signe 4 The last is taken from the vertue of hope and the speciall fruit and effect that it worketh in the soule A grounded hope it alwayes lendeth supply and succour when all the rest of a mans abilities faile and are not able to sustaine and support his soule when desire faileth and love faileth I meane in his owne sense and apprehension I say then hope supporteth the soule Psal 16.9 My flesh shall rest in hope that is hope will give a man rest in the most miserable forlorne condition that may be that when the heart is ready to say where is the meanes that I have had and the good dayes that I have seene this dead heart cannot
haste hee makes haste to use the means but he is content to stay till the Lord please because he knowes the Lord onely must doe it and if the heart bee given to murmure and repine saying I pray and the Lord doth not answer I have grapled with my sinne and the Lord subdues it not now faith saith we must goe to God for mercy that hee may order all our occasions and wee must not order Gods grace according to our humours but the Lord seemes to frowne upon the soule and to reject the prayers of a poore sinner and to beat him away from the doore as the Lord Christ did when hee called the woman a dog yet faith will bring on the heart still and it will be sure to lye at the gate and it keepes the soule with the promise what ever befals it as Psal 119. Mine eyes failed for looking up for thy word Oh when wilt thou comfort me his heart and all failed him and yet he would looke towards heaven Oh saith he when will this sinfull soule be humbled and this distressed conscience pacified hee would looke towards heaven till hee had no heart and therefore excellent is that passage Genes 32.36 when the Lord and Iacob were wrestling and the Lord would have beene gone Iacob said I will not let thee goe untill thou hast blessed mee so the faithfull soule layes hold upon the Lord for mercy pardon power and grace and though the Lord seeme to give him up to the torment of sinne and corruption yet the soule saith though my soule goe downe to hell yet I will hold here for mercy till the Lord comfort and pardon and subdue graciously these cursed corruptions which I am not able to master my selfe As it is with a sun-diall the nature of the direction is this the needle is ever moving and a man may jog it another way yet it will never stand still till it come to the north-point so when the Lord leaves off a beleeving heart with frownes and with the expression of displeasure yet the soule turnes to the Lord Christ and will never leave till it goe God-ward and Christ-ward and grace-ward and saith let the Lord doe what he please I will goe no further till hee bee pleased to shew mercy then the issue is this faith goes out to Christ it layes hold upon Christ and layes the weight of all upon Christ and drawes vertue from Christ and it leaves the soule with the promise and this is in every faithfull soule under heaven howsoever the sense is taken away if the soule once come to Christ it will never away but ever cleaves to the promise and is towards God and Christ whatsoever befall it Part of the doctr 4 The fourth and last part of the doctrine is this First as the soule must be humbled and enlightened Secondly as it is effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father And thirdly as by the power of this perswasion it casts it selfe upon the freenesse of Gods grace so in the last place the soule comes to bee furnished with all spirituall wants and the supply thereof and this containes the finall cause and that discovers the good and benefit which comes from faith First to open it in generall and then to come to some particulars In the generall observe thus much a poore sinner having fallen from God and departed from him he goes away from God and all goodnesse at that one stroake he that goes away from God the God of all strength must needs be weake and he that goes from the God of wisdome folly must needs possesse him because God is the God of all wisdome and all wisdome must be from him and hee that goes from God goes from life and happinesse therefore death and cursednesse must needs seize upon â—im now hee that hath gone from God hath gone from all these and therefore he is full of nothing but wants miseries and troubles and vexaâ—ions that are come in upon him and overwhelme him Now faith is appointed as that only meanes whereby the soule may bee succoured and the heart furnished anew and it is faith that doth all these and this is the excellencie of faith and the good of it and the benefit that belongeth to faith in a peculiar manner above all other graces in the world now that yee may see how faith suits a man with all graces take notice that there are three wayes whereby the heart went away from God and the spirituall wants which by this meanes befell the soule 3. Sorts of spir wants are three all which faith supplies to the soule answerably The first and great want of the soule is this it is gone away from God and the Lord is a stranger to it it was made for God and to have communication with God but now it is gone from God and God from it there are now many controversies betweene the Lord and the soule this is the great want and this brings in all the rest now faith supplies succour and answers to these necessities faith bringeth the soule againe to God and the soule to have a nearer union and more inward fellowship with God than ever it had thus the soule being an enemy to God and God an enemy to it and God being a stranger to the soule and the soule being a stranger to the Lord now faith doth this it pitcheth the soule and makes the soule of a poore sinner to fall upon the very Deity and essence of God firstly and upon all the three whole persons as some Divines that are now with the Lord leaving a remembrance behinde them have interpreted it which phrase the Septuagints never used as they are observed for it is one thing to beleeve that there is a God and another thing to beleeve into God faith fasteâ—â— upon the Godhead firstly as 2 Corin. 6.11 where the Apostle saith Hee that joyneth himselfe to an harlot is one body but hee that joyneth himselfe to the Lord is one spirit the Spirit of God sets a frame of soule upon the poore sinner that it flings it selfe upon God that which firstly must be the object of faith that faith must firstly rest upon as that which is able to give that succour which it wants now because God only is infinite he alone is able to succour a man according to his wants therefore faith must first goe to him we need pardon and therefore faith goes to God who only is able to pardon and we need power and faith goes to God who is able to succour us thus it is an infinite God only that must create this power in us and therefore nothing but God must firstly be beleeved in we beleeve in the promise because God is there and because â—n the promise only wee finde a fulnesse of sufficiencie to supply what ever wee want or need therefore why should faith goe to any thing else now nothing can save a man but God infinit and therefore faith goes to
Christ the soule must be brought from under the jurisdiction of sin and the dominion of Satan before it can be translated unto the kingdome of God Acts 26.18 the Apostle was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God Every man by nature is in darknes and under the power of sin now the Apostle must turne them from the power of sin before he can bring them to God and all this must be done before a man can receive remission of sins and justification by the blood of Christ Now darknes and sinne and Satan expresse their dominion over the soule and wee cannot have sinne and Satan to bee our Lord and have Christ our Lord too This must be wrought in preparation Matth. 12.29 The strong man must bee bound and cast out before another strong man can come to take possession Satan is the strong man who by the power of sinne takes possession of the soule now the power of sinne and Satan must bee east out by the power of preparation and humiliation Now for a man to plucke a poore soule from the power of sinne and Satan and to wrest the keyes from the hand of the devill and to rescue a poore soule from the malice of the devill aâ—â— to breake that leâ—gâ—â— and combination betweene sinne and the soule and to withdraw the heart from these corruptions and from that power which sinne and Satan and Gods justice would expresse in the soule no man can doe it but onely hee that hath a greater power than both these which none but the Lord Jesus Christ hath Revel 1.18 which hath the keyes of hell and of death now the key is a signe of command now the Lord Jesus Christ only hath the key of hell death t is he that hath led captivity captive t is he that triumphed over all his enemies therefore he only can pull the soule from the government of sin and Satan and so prepare a way for faith and thereby bring the soule to God Secondly consider the glorious nature and the excellencies of this grace of faith looke upon the surpassing excellency of the worke of faith above all other graces for we have made it good by argument heretofore that faith is a worke above man in his corrupt estate so that a man may truly say that this worke of faith is more than naturall now for nature to worke above nature t is above common sense that a tree should see and walke and a beast to reason these things nature abhorres Now because faith is above corrupted nature therefore it is impossible for man to worke it in himselfe this I take to be the reason why this gracious worke of God findes more contradiction in the heart than any grace I know A man findes a greater doe with his owne heart and a greater hardnesse and crosnesse in the heart to come in and beleeve than to doe any thing else a man will heare and read and pray and doe any thing and mourne but to beleeve it is that which a man scarce considers of and this is the reason of it because not onely corruption opposes the worke of faith but even a mans gifts and selfe and sufficiency which God gives him that now and then seemes to bee the hinderance of faith it s through our corruptions indeed in other things it is not so we would faine get sorrow and therefore we labour for it and we would have love and therefore we labour for it But all this is out of our owne power or abilities we would keepe us in our selves but faith would have us goe out to Christ and our parts would worke this in us but faith sayes wee must goe to the Lord Jesus Christ or else wee are not able to doe that which he commands So now you see that a mans parts and abilities are sometimes great hinderances and barres to keep a man from beleeving and this is the reason why if God opens a mans eyes and discovers a mans corruptions by nature we fall to doing to repenting formally and all this while never see a need of a Christ but rest in our selves and our owne abilities and will never goe to Christ Thousands goe to hell this way the most that professe the Gospell and perish they perish upon this point So then the work is more than naturall Thirdly if wee consider the manner of Gods working upon the soule in beleeving the Lord doth not concurre in an ordinary common kinde of providence as meeting with some power and abilitie in the soule to helpe forward the worke as God moves and wee move and wee are co-workers with God in severall passages and so it is in all the workes of sanctification which comes after faith There is still something that concurs with God in the worke but now it is a true miracle hee findes nothing in the soule but meere feares and oppositions at first and therefore Divines doe truly say that it is more to make the soule beleeve than to create a world for in the creating of the world the Lord had no oppositions he onely spake the word and all was made but now sinne and Satan and the world and all set against the poore soule If a man gets a knocke by the Ministery of the Gospell and begins to be humbled then carnall friends begin to perswade and every man hath a blow to hinder him from receiving the powerfull impression of the Word of God so that the Lord in this worke findes more fierce oppositions than in any worke and moreover when these oppositions are opposed and removed and the Lord comes into the soule the soule is very emptie and cannot receive nor close with any grace As it is with a dead man hee hath no power to quicken himselfe as Ephes 19.20 What is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us ward who beleeve according to the working of his mighty power which hee wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead the same Almighty power which raised up Jesus Christ from the dead the same power the Lord puts forth in bringing a dead soule to beleeve So that as the dead body hath no living vertue in it selfe to quicken it selfe so the soule hath no ability to beleeve of its owne selfe but see how the Apostle cannot content himselfe to speake of this worke of God you shall see five degrees in it what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us that beleeve First the power of God Secondly the greatnesse of it Thirdly the excessivenesse of this greatnesse Fourthly the excessivenesse of that mightinesse Fifthly the working of all together so that there is the exceeding greatnesse and the excessive greatnesse and the mightinesse of that excessivenesse and then the worke of all as if he had said view you the heavens search all the stories and behold all the miracles that ever God wrought and
the ambitious man his honour now Gods letting into the soule the sweetnesse of his grace doth turne the whole streame of the soule thitherward It is a reproofe and meeteth with two things in wicked carnall persons First those that will cast off all hope in point of desperation Secondly against those that will doe nothing but hope without ground and that is presumption both are here to be reproved and condemned If the Lord stirreth up the heart of his to hope groundedly for his mercy Oh then take heed of that fearefull and unconceiveable sinne of despaire despaire wee must in our selves and that is good but this despaire which wee now speake of is marvellous hainous in the eyes of God and marvellous hurtfull to thy owne soule therefore take heed of it for ever I say this sin of despaire when a man casteth away all hope casteth away all carnall confidence This thou must doe and yet thou must hope let Israel hope in the Lord for in the Lord c. O the Lord taketh this very ill at our hands thou goest to the deepe dungeon of thy corruption and there thou saist these sins can never be pardoned I am still proud and more stubborne this distresse God seeth not God succoureth not his hand cannot reach his mercy cannot save now marke what the Prophet Esay saith to such a perplexed soule Esay 40.27 Why saist thou thy way is hid from the Lord The Lord saith why saist thou so the young man shall faint and bee weary but they that wait upon the Lord shall renue their strength is any thing too hard for the Lord nay I say you wrong God exceedingly you thinke it is a matter of humility you count so vilely of your selves can God pardon sinne to such unworthy creatures marke that place of the Psalmist they spake against the Lord Can the Lord prepare a table in the wildernesse They spake not against themselves but against God so wee speake against God and charge God himselfe it is true saith the soule Manasses was pardoned it is true Paul was converted it is true Gods saints have beene received to mercy but can my sinne be pardoned can my soule be quickned No no my sinnes are greater than can be forgiven saith the despairing soule then mee thinketh Satan is stronger to overthrow thee than God to save thee then it seemeth sinne is stronger to condemne thee than God to doe good unto thee and thus you make God to be no God upon point nay you make him to be weaker than sinne than hell than the devill And this is most injurious to God to make the power of sinne greater to condemne thee than the power of God to save thee to make the power of Satan stronger to ruinate thee than the mercy of God to releeve and succour thee and what can you say more and what can you doe more against the Lord Is not this to make God an underling to Satan and to sinne this is to say the Almightinesse of God is weaker than the weaknesse of sinne the Sufficiency of God is weaker than the malice of Satan It is true a poore humble sinner many times will make bitter complaints this way and they thinke they speake against themselves No no they speake against the Lord they spake against God when they said Can the Lord prepare a table in the wildernesse So you that speake in this desperate manner why truth Lord this proud heart will never bee humbled if any thing would have wrought it would have beene done before this day How many sermons how many mercies how many judgements how many prayers and yet this proud heart this stubborne heart will not be reformed you thinke you speake against your selves now no no you speake against the Lord and brethren thinke much of this thou that thinkst so that saist so that concludest so this is one of the greatest sinnes thou committest to say thy sinnes cannot be forgiven thee Secondly This sinne of desperation as it is most injurious to God so in the second place it is extraordinary dangerous to thy owne soule It is that which taketh up the bridge and cutteth off all passages and there can no spirituall comfort and consolation come into the poore soule of a poore sinner Luk. 3.15 Luk. 3.15 Every ditch must be filled and then all flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord what are these ditches why nothing else but those deepe gulfs and ditches of despaire and unlesse these bee filled no man can see the Lord Jesus Christ In a word my brethren suffer me to open my selfe the truth is this despaire of the soule is that which cutteth the sinewes of all mans comfort and taketh off the power and edge of all the meanes of grace it daunteth all a mans endevours nay it plucketh up a mans endevours as it were quite by the rootes for that which a man despaireth off hee will never labour after It is here as with a man in pangs of death unto such a man all means are unavailable for his good his bed will not ease him meat will not refresh him chasing will not revive at the last we say he is gone he is a dead man friends leave him Physitians leave him they may goe and pray for him and mourne for him but they cannot recover him So this despaire of soule maketh a man cast off all hope and lie downe in a forlorne condition expecting no good to come alas saith a man what skilleth for a man to pray what profiteth a man to read what benefit in all the means of grace the truth of it is the stone is rolled upon me and my condemnation sealed for ever it is sure in heaven and therefore I will never looke after Christ grace and salvation any more and presse the means to him let him come to heare the Word marke how he casteth off all the benefit it was marvellous seasonable and profitable it was the good Word of the Lord very comfortable unto such as have any share therein Why may not you expect good why may not you receive benefit there from why no saith the soule the time of grace is past the day is gone and thus the soule sinketh in it selfe if Christians would pray for him and Ministers would labour to doe him good why hee biddeth them spare their labour for hell is his portion and his condemnation is sealed in heaven see now and consider what desperate danger of despaire bringeth to a poore heart and maketh him to be beyond the reach of mercie that no meanes can come at him It is a pretty passage of David Psal 77.7 Will the Lord cast me off ever and will he shew no favor I said this is my infirmitie saith the text the word in the original this is my sicknes as who should say this would be my death what is mercie gone for ever then my life is gone then is all my comfort and all my hope gone
therefore take heed of this it taketh off the edge of our endevours Gods ordinances that might do us good Secondly it reproveth and marvellously condemneth that great sinne of presumption a sinne more frequent and if possible may be more dangerous the presumption of carnall hypocrites that boulster up themselves with marvellous boldnesse in their course I beseech you observe it it is true here as they said Saul hath slaine his thousands but David his ten thousands despaire hath slaine his thousands but presumption his ten thousands that men may sweare and lye and cousen and breake all commands and yet hope to be saved yet they hope grace will save them they resist grace yet hope Jesus Christ will shew mercie unto them they oppose Christ this is that which I say hath slaine many thousand soules amongst us and they are few that have not split at this rocke therefore I say this serveth to reprove the basenesse the vilenesse of such Hypocrites that boast themselves and compare their hopes with the hopes of the Saints it is true say they I cannot walke so freely I cannot repeat a Sermon I want those parts that they have I walke not so curiously yet I hope to be saved as well as they this is that which hath slaine many thousands of soules that now are roaring in hell and they may thanke presumption for it Now this hope is not the hope of the Saints the hope of the Saints is a grounded hope but these hopes meerely hang upon some idle pleas and foolish pretences and some carnall reasons but I tell you they will fall and their hopes will sinke and they into the bottomelesse pit before they bee aware it is the command and counsell of Peter That every man should be ready to give a reason of his faith and hope that is in him therefore let us see the reasons that carry you the arguments that perswade you to these groundlesse and foolish hopes you hope to be saved and you hope to go to heaven and you hope to see the face of God with comfort let us see the ground for these hopes of yours good hope hath good reasons grounded hope grounded reasons you say you hope to be saved and have no reason for it it is a foolish hope an unreasonable hope the grounds therefore of Hypocrites are mainly five The ignorant poore silly man he pleadeth he can thinke it hee cannot conceive it that God hath created any man for to damne him sure the Lord is more mercifull than so and therefore though we be sinfull and base and untoward yet the Lord will not damne us I answer therefore it is true indeed God did never preserve men for this same end that he might damne them though it is as true hee that made men hee will damne most of men in hell for their sinnes committed against him Narrow is the gate and strait is the way that leadeth unto life few there be that finde it is this the argument of thy hope marke the folly and observe the weaknesse of it if creation bee a good argument then all the damned should come out of hell and be delivered nay by this reason the Devill himselfe should be saved they are now in hell they were created as well as you ignorant silly creatures thinke of these things how your hope will shatter and breake under you and you with them will fall together into the bottomlesse pit Esa 57.11 See how the Lord bringeth this argument and confuteth it it is a people that hath no understanding therefore he that made them will not save them he that created them will shew them no mercy the text saith the Lord saith from heaven though hee made thee he will not shew thee mercie if thou continue to be wicked and rebellious Another groweth in hope that God will shew mercie unto him in regard of Gods favourable dealing with him in things of this life and hee saith and pretendeth great thankfulnesse for Gods goodnesse and hee praiseth the Lord hee never wanted any thing his lot is fallen into a good ground and therefore he doubteth not but that God who hath beene his God from his youth will save him and shew mercie unto his soule this is the second ground and it is a poore feeble ground to support the soule in such a case as this I answer therefore thou art deceived thou takest that for an argument of Gods love and mercy which rather may bee an argument of Gods hatred and indignation Psal 92.12 The wicked flourish saith the text then a man may say they will all to heaven they will all be saved if they so prosper here no saith the text they flourish that they may be destroyed and perish for ever the oxe is fatted for the slaughter so it is here thou art fatted here thou hast more than heart can desire thy cups are full and thy table well spread thy breasts full of milke and thy bones full of marrow it is that thou mightest bee destroyed Psal 1.5 Prosperitie destroyeth the soule it is like poison like ratsbane now would any man say thus such a man is most like to live because he eareth most poison nay rather the contrarie so prosperitie meeting with a sinfull with a naughtie heart it is poison to him the text telleth you when Haman was invited it was that hee might be accused the truth is these men of the greatest hope in this life I meane for honour and pompe and respect and preferment many of them are men of the least hope for heaven Others because they have felt the heavie hand of God many sorrowes many weaknesses many troubles in their course many losses in their estate these stayeth up their comforts and upon these grounds they build their hopes I have had my hell in this life and I hope to have heaven in the world to come I hope the worst is over now I have beene troubled in this world I hope I shall be comforted in another world and here is the ground of your hopes I beseech you consider what I answer I say this all the grievances trouble sorrow sicknesses be they what they will be unlesse thy heart be humbled by them unlesse thou bee brought unto the Lord Jesus Christ by them they are so farre from being an argument of grace and salvation unto thee that they are harbingers of those everlasting torments you shall endure in hell Sodome and Gomorrah they burnt in brimstone and they shall burne in hell a man would have said they had their hell here and therefore they should not have it hereafter why the text saith they suffered vengeance of eternall fire why brethren I beseech you observe it will any man reason thus such a man hath had the earnest of the bargaine and therefore he shall not have the bargaine will any man say thus hee that is attached arraigned condemned shall not be hanged nay rather he that hath the earnest shall have the bargaine