THE Doctrine Directions But more especially The Practice and Behavior of a Man in the act of the NEVV BIRTH A TREATISE By way of APPENDIX to the former By ISAAC AMBROSE Minister of Christ at Preston in Amounderness in Lancashire LONDON Printed by J. F. for Nathanael Webb and William Grantham at the Greyhound in Pauls Church-yard MDCL AN APPENDIX Containing both the Doctrine and Directions but more especially the Practice and Behavior of a man in the act of The Second Birth The occasion of this TREATISE HItherto I have given the Doctrine and Application of the Soul-saving Second Birth but some there are whose hearts are so steely that all this cannot work upon them If any such desire yet any more and desire they must or there is no remedy for them I have for their help in the practice brought a Practitioner afore them It was Cesars great praise that he bade his Soldiers still Come and if men had but many Cesars or leaders in these practical points I suppose there would be more followers A plain Doctrine may win some and a particular Direction may win more but a good Example wins most Howsoever then concerning the New Birth I have delivered the Doctrine in the Sermons and Directions in the Appendix yet one thing is wanting which may help more then either to wit the Practice of some Saint in this one necessary thing And what Saint what man that hath writ more on this subject then T. H it was said of blessed Mr. Bolton That for himself he could profess to his comfort on his Deaths-bed That he never taught any godly point but he first wrought it on his own heart the same do I more then probably think was the practice of this man Now therefore I thought fit not onely to contract his Books in this Appendix which some without his privity have unskilfully put out but also and that more especially to set afore you whosoever you are those prime powerful pathetical expressions of his Soul-pangs in the New Birth as matter for your imitation These expressions indeed are they I most especially aym at which if you observe are always delivered in the first person I and I verily believe they were not fained but feeling from his own heart and soul What needs more if either Doctrine in the first part or Direction in the second part or Practice in the third part of the Book which consists most of Practice can work on your souls I hope some of these or all of these will help you on in the way from Corruption to Christianity and from the state of Nature into the Kingdom of Grace CHAP. I. The Souls Preparation BEfore the Soul can share in Christs Merits to speak in the Authors stile or language without any alteration two things are required 1. A preparation to receive and entertain Christ 2. An implantation of the Soul into Christ That there must be a Preparation is the first ground we lay and herein observe we The Matter Maner Means of this Preparation 1. For Matter The soul of a sinner must be prepared for Christ before he can entertain him When Kings go to any place they send to make readiness their Harbengers afore them if Christ the King of Saints come into a Soul there must be a Preparation before he enter and good Reason he is not a meer man an ordinary person but a King a King of Glory David in this case could call upon his Soul so we may expound his Gates and Doors Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in as who should say Be enlarged Love Joy Hope set open give way for the Lord is coming But who is the Lord it is the Lord of Hosts the Lord strong and mighty the Lord mighty in Battel And with that he knocks again Lift up your heads O ye Gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting Doors and the King of Glory shall come in as if he should say What shall the Lord knock shall the King of Glory stand open suddenly and make all preparation 2. The Maner of this Preparation consists in these three passages First the Soul breaks that League which formerly it hath had with Corruptions and reserves it self for Christ And secondly the Soul is most willing to give way to Christ Jesus and to let him overthrow whatsoever shall oppose him Thirdly the Soul is content that God should rule all not onely the eye or hand or tongue or heart but the whole man it opens all the Gates and desires Christ to come and take all the Keys of the house upon him 3. The Means of this Preparation is the powerful Ministery which God hath appointed for this work and it is discovered in three particulars First in a particular Application of the Truth to the Souls of men with courage Secondly in a confirmation of the Truth by soundness of Argument and plain evidence of Scriptures Thirdly in a kinde of Spiritual heat in the heart and affections of the Minister answerable to that which he communicates to the people And this powerful Ministery works on the soul 1. By discovering what is in a mans heart so that the soul seeth that it never saw before and so is driven to a stand 2. By driving the soul into an awe of sin so that it dares not now meddle with sin as formerly it hath done If any soul that hath enjoyed these Means any while is not yet fitted and prepared it is a fearful suspition that God will never confer any good to that soul Go home then if there be any such and reason with your own souls and plead with your own hearts saying Lord why not yet am I humbled and prepared will Exhortations never prevail with me will Terrors and Reproofs never break my heart into pieces I have heard Sermons that would have shaken the very stones I trod on that would have moved the very seat I sate on the very fire of Hell hath flashed in my face I have seen even the plagues of Hell and if any thing can do me any good why not then those Exhortations Instructions Admonitions and Reproofs that I have often had I have had as powerful means as may be which never yet did me good The Lord be merciful to such a poor soul the Lord turn the heart of such a poor sinner that he may lay hold of mercy in due time CHAP. II. SECT. 1. The general Circumstances of Preparation on Gods part BUt for a further distribution which shall be our method In this Preparation two things are considerable The General circumstances Substantial parts The general circumstances are twofold some on Gods part Mans part On Gods part they are these 1. The offer of Christ and Grace 2. The condition of this offer 3. The easiness of this condition On Mans part two things are considerable 1. That corruption doth oppose this
relieved you it was Jesus Christ Oh therefore love him deal equally with him and as he deserves so enlarge your hearts to him for ever 3. Christ seeks our love Here is the admiration of mercy That our Savior who hath been rejected by a company of sinful creatures should seek their love for shame refuse him not but let him have love ere he go Had the Lord received us when we had come to him and humbled our hearts before him Had he heard when we had spent our days and all our strength in begging and craving it had been an infinite mercy But when the Lord Jesus Christ shall seek to us by his Messengers it is all the work we have to do to woo you and speak a good word for the Lord Jesus Christ yea and if we speak for our selves it is pity but our tongue should cleave to the roof of our mouth when the Lord Jesus shall come and wait upon us and seek our love O this is the wonder of mercies think of this O ye Saints The Lord now by us offers love to all you that are weary and have need What answer shall I return to him in the evening shall I say Lord I have tendred thy mercy and it was refused Brethren it would grieve my heart to return this answer O rather let every soul of you say Can the Lord Jesus love me In truth Lord I am out of love with my self I have abused thy Majesty I have loved the world I have followed base lusts and can the Lord Jesus love such a wretch as I am yet saith the Lord I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely He looks for no portion he will take thee and all thy wants get you home then and every one in secret labor to deal truly with your own hearts make up a match in this maner and say Is it possible that the Lord should look so low that a great Prince should send to a poor Peasant that Majesty should stoop to means Heaven to Earth God to man Hath the Lord offered mercy to me and doth he require nothing of me but to love him again call upon your hearts I charge you and say thus Lord if all the light of mine eyes were love and all the speeches of my tongue were love it were all too little to love thee O let me love thee dearly If you will not say thus then say hereafter You had a fair offer and that a poor Minister of God did wish you well Alas be not coy and squemish the Lord may have better then you lie down therefore and admire at the mercy of the Lord that should take a company of dead dogs and now at the last say as the Prophet did Lift up your heads O ye gates and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors and the King of Glory shall come in SECT. 6. A relying on Christ VVE are now come to the work of the Will which is the great wheel and Commander of the soul The former affections were but as hand-maids to usher in Christ and the Promises the minde saith I have seen Christ Hope saith I have waited Desire saith I have longed Love saith I am kindled then saith the Will I will have Christ it shall be so and this makes up the match the spawn and seeds of faith went before now faith is come to some perfection now the soul reposeth it self upon the Lord Jesus And this reposing or resting it self discovers a fivefold act First it implyes A going out of the soul to Christ When the soul seeth this that the Lord Jesus is his ayd and must ease him and pardon his sins then let us go to that Christ saith he it is the Lords call Come to me all ye that are weary now this voyce coming home to the heart and the prevailing sweetness of the call over-powering the heart the soul goes out and falls and flings it self upon the riches of Gods grace Secondly It lays fast hold upon Christ when the Lord saith Come my Love my Dove O come away Behold I come saith she and when she is come she fasteneth upon Christ saying My beloved is mine and I am his Faith lays hold on the Lord and will not let Mercy go but cleaves unto it though it conflict with the Lord Should he slay me saith Job yet will I trust in him The case is like Benhadads who being overcome by Ahab his Servants thus advise him We have heard that the Kings of Israel are merciful Kings we pray thee let us put ropes about our necks and sackcloth on our loyns and go out to the King peradventure he will save thy life Thus the Servants go and coming to Ahab they deliver the Message Thy Servant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me live and he said Is he yet alive he is my brother Now the men diligently observed whether any thing would come from him and did hastily catch at it and they said Thy brother Benhadad and they went away rejoycing This is the lively Picture of a broken-hearted sinner after he hath taken up arms against the Almighty and that the Lord hath let in Justice and he seeth or hath seen the anger of God bent against him then the soul reasons thus I have heard though I am a rebellious sinner that none but sinners are pardoned and God is a gracious God and therefore unto him let me go with this he falls down at the footstool of the Lord and cryes O what shall I do what shall I say unto thee O thou preserver of men O let me live I pray thee in the sight of my Lord The soul thus humbled the Lord then lets in his sweet voyce of mercy and saith Thou art my Son my Love and thy sins are pardoned These words no sooner uttered but he catcheth thereat saying Mercy Lord and a Son Lord and love Lord and a pardon Lord The heart holds it self here and will never away Thirdly it flings the weight of all its occasions and troubles guilt and corruptions upon the Lord Jesus Christ He that walks in darkness and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God that is if a man be in extremity hopeless in misery and walks in desperate discouragements yea and hath no light of comfort Let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon his God As when a man cannot go of himself he lays all the weight of his body upon another so the soul goes to a Christ and lays all the weight of it self upon Christ and saith I have no comfort O Lord all my discomforts I lay upon Christ and I relye upon the Lord for comfort and consolation Who is this saith Solomon that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved Cant. 8. 5. The party coming is the Church the wilderness is the troubles and vexations the Church meets withal and the beloved is
Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ doth thus he gives a peremptory charge to keep watch and ward and gives a charge to hope and desire and love and joy and the minde and all not to grieve and molest the good Spirit of God Let there be no motion but to entertain it no advise but to receive it and do nothing that may work the least kinde of dislike unto it 4. He that truly entertains Christ rejoyceth in the good and glory of Christ When Mephibosheth had been wrongfully accused to David and when David who had taken away all the inheritance from him was returned in safety Then said David to comfort him Thou and Ziba divide the land nay said Mephibosheth Let him take all forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in peace it matters not for inheritance and for my self and my life I pass not sith the King is returned in peace it is enough that I enjoy thy presence which is better to me then goods life or liberty So it is with a kinde loving heart which cannot endure to see Christs honor and glory layed in the dust but if his praise be advanced then is he glad Lord I have enough saith the soul that Christ is mine and that his honor and glory is magnified whatsoever becomes of me it matters not let the world take all if I may have Christ and see him praised and magnified Let this try any mans spirit under heaven and labor to bring the soul to this pitch A Minister in his place and a Master in his place and every Christian in his place let it be our care to honor God not our selves and let it be our comfort if God may be better honored by others then by our selves This is our baseness of spirit we can be content to lift up Christ upon our shoulders that we may lift up our selves by it but we should be content to lie in the dust that the Lord may be praised and if any of Gods people thrive and prosper more then thou let that be thy joy 5. He that welcomes Christ truly covets a neerer union with Christ Love is of a linking and gluing nature and will carry the soul with some kinde of strength and earnestness to enjoy full possession and fellowship of the thing that is loved it cannot have enough of it Nothing saith the soul but Christ still I desire more of that mercy and holiness and grace and love in Christ Jesus As it is with parties that have lived long together in one house and their affections are linkt together in way of marriage they will ever desire to be talking together and to be drawing on the marriage so the soul that loves Christ Jesus and hath his holy affection kindled and his spirit enlarged therein when the Lord hath let in some glimpse of his love he thinks the hour sweet when he prayed to the Lord Christ he thinks the Lords-day sweet wherein God revealed by the power of his holy Ordinances any of that rich grace and mercy of his it is admirable to see how the heart will be delighted to recover the time and place and means when and where the Lord did reveal it Oh this is good saith the soul Oh that I might ever be thus cleared and refreshed Or as the spouse contracted thinks every day a year till she enjoy her beloved and take satisfaction to her soul in him So the soul that hath been truly humbled and enlightened and is now contracted to Christ Jesus Oh when will that day be saith it that I shall ever be with my Jesus he takes hold of every word he hears every promise that reveals any thing of Christ But oh when will that day be that I shall ever be with Christ and be full of his fulness for ever And now let me prevail with your hearts and work your souls to this duty Love the Lord all ye his Saints whom will you love if you love not him Oh you poor ones love you the Lord for you have need and all you rich ones love you the Lord for you have cause and you little ones too if there be any such in the Congregation he knocks at every mans heart and perswades every mans soul Love ye the Lord The means are these 1. Labor to give attendance daily to the promise of grace and Christ drive away all other suitors from the soul and let nothing come between the promise and it forbid all other bands that is let the promise confer daily with thy heart and be expressing and telling of that good that is in Christ to thy own soul If all things be agreed between parties to be married and there wants nothing but mutual affection the only way to fix their affections upon one another is to keep company together so as they meet wisely and holily So let the soul daily keep company with the promise and this is the first way 2. Labor to be throughly acquainted with the beauty and sweetness of Christ in the promise Now there are three things in the promise we must eye and apprehend that our hearts may be kindled with love in the Lord 1. The worth of the party in himself Christ is worthy of it 2. The desert of the party in regard Christ deserves it 3. The readiness of the party in himself to seek our good Christ seeks it 1. Christ is worthy in himself if we had a thousand hearts to bestow upon him we were never able to love him sufficiently as Nehemiah said The name of the Lord is above all praise will you let out your love and affections you may lay them out here with good advantage what would you love wouldst thou have beauty then thy Savior is beautiful Thou art fairer then the children of men Psal. 45. 2. Wouldst thou have strength then is thy Savior strong Gird thy sword upon thy thigh O most mighty Psal. 45. 3. Wouldst thou have riches thy Savior is more rich if it be possible then he is strong He is heir of all things Heb. 1. 2. Wouldst thou have wisdom then thy Savior is wise yea wisdom it self In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col. 2. 3. Wouldst thou have life eternal Christ is the Author of life and happiness to all that have him and he hath not onely these in himself but he will infeoff thee in them if thou wilt but match with him 2. Christ deserves our love in regard of benefits to us be man never so worthy in himself yet if he have wronged or exprest the part of an Enemy a woman saith I will not have him though he had all the world this takes off the affections it is not so with the Lord Jesus as he is worthy of all love in himself so he hath dealt mercifully and graciously with you In your sickness who helped you in wants who supplied you in anguish of heart who