the election of Grace willing to receive him and then he will bestow Christ Iesus upon them and grace and salvation by him and for this purpose I have chosen this text and as our course is I will not meddle with every Doctrine in the text which are sixe in number but chuse that onely which fits best for our purpose But before I can come to lay downe the point of Doctrine two passages must be opened first what is meant by heart secondly what is meant by a stony heart and what by a fleshy heart and these two being opened the Doctrine will be plaine and lie faire first for the first a heart in Scripture besides that which it signifieth naturally is applied to the will of a man or to that ability which is in a reasonable soule whereby he willeth or rejecteth a thing this is put for a heart in Scripture together with love delight joy hatred and griefe which are attendants upon this will as a man will have such a thing why because beloves it and delightes in it and hee againe refuseth such a thing and will not have it why because hee hates it and because it is displeasing unto him and this is the meaning of that place Mat. Mat. 15.19 15.19 Out of the heart proceede evill thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemie Secondly the Will is put in phrase of Scripture not onely for ability of the soule whereby it wills but for the same spirituall disposition that is in the will affections of a man in this kind the temper and frameablenesse of the Will to any action is termed by the name of heart in Scripture for there is somewhat in the Will whereby it is carried to any worke looke as it is with a Bowle it runneth because it is a round thing but that it runneth at such and such a marke is because it hath a Bias upon it whereby it is swayed and carried to that marke so it is with the heart of a man there is not onely an abilitie therein whereby a man is inabled to will but there is a frame and a disposition in the Will either to good or evill either to grace or sinne and as the will of a man is biassed and swayed so a man is said to will good or evill not in regard of the naturall faculty of the Will but in regard of the disposition of that facultie which doth carrie the faculty to the performance of any worke now a righteous man out of the disposition of his heart is carried to yeeld obedience unto Gods commandements and a wicked man out of the frame and temper of his heart is carried after lusts and distempers and sinnefull abominations and this is the meaning of that place Deut. 29.4 Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive to this day why they had a heart for they were naturall men they had the naturall faculty of the Will and the understanding and affections but the meaning is they had not the gracious disposition in their wils whereby they might be carried and inabled to will that which was pleasing to God and might be comfortable unto themselves it is a pretie phrase Match 12.35 Mat. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth footh evill things there is a heart in both and there is a treasure in both also but there is a good treasure in the heart of a godly man and out of this comes good things so out of the treasure of a wicked mans heart comes evill things there is a treasure of love and holinesse and goodnesse in the heart of a gracious man whereby hee is carried to walke holily and unblameably before God and man good words and good actions come from the good treasure that is from a good disposition of the soule againe a wicked man hath a heart and he hath a treasure also he hath a treasure of pride and a treasure of covetousnesse and a treasure of all manner of corruptions and these carry him to wicked speeches and leud actions hee talkes loosely lives basely so that there is a disposition good or bad in the soule of a man and this is termed a will or a heart in Scripture now in both these senses wee understand not a heart here in the Text but in the latter onely God will give them a heart that is God will give them wills and hearts disposed to that which is good The second passage to be opened is this namely what is meant by a stony what by a fleshie heart First what is meant by a stony heart a heart is said to be stonie by way of resemblance because it is of the nature of a stone looke what the nature of a stone is such is the nature of a heart compared thereunto a stony heart that is an unsensible and an uncapable heart a stone that is insensible it receiveth no impression set a seale upon a stone and presse it downe never so hard you may break the stone in peeces but it will receive no impression it wil take no print but now set a seale upon waxe and that will receive any impression that a man stampes upon it so it is with a stony stout sturdy heart though God knocke it in peeces it will not be humbled it will receive no impression but resists and beates backe the meanes of grace and salvation offered and revealed unto it if the Lord set a stampe of humilâ—ation upon it that will not be humbled it will receive no stampe but makes it flie backe and bound upward so that a stony heart is a hard sturdie heart capeable of no impression Secondly what is meant by a heart of flesh and that is quite contrary to a stony heart it is like unto flesh soft tender easie and pliable willing to take any impression that comes upon it so that now a fleshie heart is nothing else but a heart lovingly teachable and humbly tractable to the Lord willing to entertaine any impression that it shall please the Lord to stampe upon it if God commands any thing that obeyeth it God threatens that trembles it is said of Iâ—siah that he had a melting heart looke as it is with waxe if you set a seale upon it just as the print of the seale is so is the print in the waxe which it leaves behinde it so it is with a fleshie lowly pâ—â—able heart it receives any stampe that God puts upon it when the Lord faith feare that trembles when the Lord saith love that entertaines it when the Lord commands any thing that yee les obedience to his coÌ„mands this is an humble and a pliable spirit and this is the substance of the Text and the intendment of the Prophet therein is thus much In the beginning of the Chapter about the seventh Verse the Lord threatned
man is not able to abide an admonition when he cannot endure to be informed or councelled exhorted or reproved when the ministers nor the Word of God can have any power over men when these poore creatures shall come into hell then they shall have elbow roome to fulfill their lusts and corruptions wherein they so much delighted they tooke pleasure in wickednesse they would not they could not abide the meanes of grace and salvation you would have no reproofes you would endure no admonitions it was well with you when you had no ministers to checke and reproove you but alas poore soule when you are gone downe into the bottomelesse pit of everlasting perdition then you may have your full swing then you shall never be reprooved more then you shall never be councelled more you shall never be admonished more you shall then never be prayed for any more but be damned in hell for ever from everlasting to everlasting you shall then have your full pleasure in your sinnes is it not just with God that you who would live in wickednesse and prophanenesse and would not receive grace and mercy when it was offerd that God should give you up to the hardnes of your owne hearts and blindnesse of your owne minds send you into everlasting condemnation for ever First look as it is with a malefactor that is convicted of high treason for plotting some wicked practise against his Prince or for proceeding into rebellion for the overthrow of his Countrey after all the sinnefull passages of his be discovered and made knowne both to himselfe and the world if the King after this make the Proclamation that if hee will leave of his wicked enterprizes hee shall be pardoned nay if the King shall send message after message unto him secretly to tell him that if he now will lay downe armes and take his pardon he shall freely be remitted and graciously received into favour if this Traytor shall rather fling away his pardon then his weapons I appeale to your owne consciences in this case if the King should â—â—ife an army and overcome him and take him and execute him without any pitty or mercy is he not justly rewarded what will the world say they will say execution and death is too good for him so he had a faire offer of pardon if hee had had a heart to receive it hee had pardon proclamed unto him nay the King sent messenger after messenger to tell him that if he would stoope to him he should receive mercy and favour from him and therefore seeing be refused and neglected so kinde an offer he is executed justly it is pitty but condemnation should befall him because hâ— would not take the meanes of consolation this is the condition of every poore soule under Heaven truely we are all Rebels and Traytors against Heaven by our â—â—thes and blasphemies we fet our mouâ—â— against Heaven we have often taken up armes against God and yet after all our pride and stubbornenesse and loosenesse and prophanenesse and contempt of Gods Word and Ordinances and yet the Lord is pleased to proclame mercy still to every one that will receive it all you that have dishonoured my name all you that have prophaned my Sabbaths and contemned my Ordinances all you cursed wretches come come who that will and take pardon let them lay aside all their weapons and receive it and salvation by him when it is offered to them and they shall have their sinnes forgiven and they shall be received to mercy now if any soule will stand out against God and say I will not have Christ and Salvation but will shift for my selfe and try it out to the last I will walke in my owne wayes and take up my owne courses I will be proud still I will breake Gods Sabbaths still and I will be malicious still and breake Gods Commandements still if any man shall be thus disposed if then the great God of Heaven and Earth shall come with tenne thousand thousand of judgements and execute them upon that man if he shall bring a whole legion of devils and say Take him devils and torment him devils in hell forever because he would not have mercy when it was offered he shall not have mercy because he would not have Salvation when it was tendered unto him therefore let him have everlasting condemntion if God should thus deale with that man the Lord should be just in so doing and he justly miserable And this is the second use it is an use of terror to all those that will not receive Christ and grace and salvation by him Thirdly in the third place it is a word of exhortation it should set an edge upon your desires and provoke your soules to give no sleepe to your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids to give no quiet to your soules nor contentment to your hearts untill you have brought your soules to be willing to receive Christ Iesus you are the Spouse of Iesus Christ it is good for you therefore to consider and thinke of your estate in this kind if you will but have Christ that is all he careth for if he can but get your good wils he lookes for no more and therefore you are to consider of it and lie at your hearts daily you should daily be perswading of your soules and never cease till you have brought your hearts in some measure to be willing to receive the Lord Iesus and bid him welcome and give entertainement unto him and the more to prevaile with you in this case consider of the reasonablenesse of the condition and this may be a motive to provoke your soules hereunto because the offer is marveilous easie as faire as can be the tearmes of agreement are as faire as any heart can desire nay there is very good consideration in the goodnesse which the Lord hath tendred to us and that is thus much If we will but receive Christ Iesus all that he hath shall be ours the treasures of wisdome and grace and salvation they shall be all ours if we will but entertaine the Lord Iesus let us therefore reason with our owne soules and commune with our owne spirits concerning this gratious offer of salvation the soule should say What hath the Lord offered salvation at so easie a rate will hee notwithstanding what ever I have beene heretofore full of corruptions and abhominations though my soule stands guilty of my sinnes and distempers though I bee possessed with many weakenesses and infirmities yet notwithstanding all this will the Lord be pleased to pardon all to supply all to passe by all onely upon this condition if I will welcome and entertaine him may I have Christ for taking of him may I receive grace for carrying it away why good Lord if I will not doe this for Christ and grace I will do nothing doth God require no more why then if grace and mercy and salvation bee not worth this they are worth nothing if I will
Spirit comes it is a lively grace and a quickning Spirit it begets life in the soule of a man In the 47 of Ezech. vers 9. the Prophet there discovering the time of the Gospell and the offer of salvation therein he saith there Every thing shall live whithersoever this river commeth The rivers there are nothing else but the rivers of grace and salvation when Christ shall come abundance of grace shall be offered and wrought in the soules of Gods people and wheresoever this grace commeth those that be dead shall be quickned Secondly they are said to bee waters of life in regard of the continuance of them for wheresoever this grace is truly wrought it never ceaseth so saith our Saviour Ioh. 4.14 Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst This water is not like a pit or standing poole that in the heate of summer is dryed up but it runneth amaine continually So that the frame of the words runne thus Whosoever will let him come and take living water living and quickning grace from Iesus Christ freely whereby a soule may be quickned and saved here is a proclamation Whoever will let him come and take the Lord Christ and grace and salvation by him freely he will not repine at the favour he vouchsafes unto us take more hope more faith more sanctification come and come freely and the more oftener ye come the more welcome shal you be This is the substance of the words in the text wherein wee have these three points formerly spoken of First here wee have the freenesse of Gods mercy Whoever will let him take of the water of life freely as who should say shall any man bring money with him and buy grace no no let him take the Spirit freely Secondly A man must will Christ before he can receive Christ and grace from him and this is the second thing in the text The third is That every man that doth truly will Christ and grace shall have Christ and grace from him Men thinke that they would be saved every man will be ready to say I would have Christ rule in me but this same willing of Christ is a hard matter whosoever doth will heartily to receive Christ shall have him and salvation by him but wee shall finde it a hard matter to bring our hearts to this willing of Christ as wee shall here hereafter and thus wee see the three points that arise out of the text and by this time we are entred into our worke let us proceede with the pursuite of the first point which is this The offer of grace from God is altogether free There is nothing but onely Gods will that moves him nothing but his owne good pleasure that perswades him to shew mercy to a poore soule there is nothing out of God that can move him or purchase this favour from him but it is from out of the goodnesse of his nature and the freenesse of his will he will have it so In the 21 of the Revel 6. there is a marvelous pregnant place for this purpose there saith the text I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountaine of the water of life freely There are three things or phrases considerable First God will give him to drinke and what is freer than gift nay that we may know that he will not give it us upon any consideration he will give it freely nay marke further hee will give it to every one that thirsteth though a man desireth it earnestly even as a man that is a thirst desireth drinke though he doe what he can to obtaine it though hee use all meanes for the procuring of it yet God will give it him and that freely and this cuts the throates of merit-mongers the Papists that stand so much upon their merits and therefore it is observeable in the 4. of Zach. 7.9 in the building of the materiall Temple the text saith That Zerubbabels hands which had layd the foundation thereof should finish it The same hand which layd the first stone so the same hand should lay the last the meaning of the place is this when the poore people of Israel were to build the Temple in time of persecution they had no ability of themselves to do it yet the Lord bids them go on cheerefully for I will dispose of all things for the gold and silver is mine and hereby the Lord doth quippe at a secret â—onceite of theirs they might thinke with themselves alasse wee have no gold wee have no silver how shall we bring this worke to passe the Lord he answers this secret objection of theirs and tels them the gold is mine the silver is mine the hands of Zeruâ—babell that hath layd the first stone shall bring forth the headstone thereof and what is the ground of all this the reason is rendered in the 7. vers All the people shall cry grace grace as if they had said Grace hath sent meanes grace hath continued means grace hath given us hearts to use the means all is grace nothing but grace and mercy hath done it thus the people admired at Gods great goodnesse that did so helpe them and shouted crying grace grace And as it was thus in the materiall Temple so it is here in the building of the soule a Temple for the Lord. The beginning of grace the receiving of grace the continuing of grace all is grace grace from the beginning of election to the end of glorification from the beginning of conversion to the end of salvation all is grace and mercy nothing but grace that doth all workes all prepares all for the good of Gods people Gods grace and mercy is altogether free and the freedome of it appeareth in these three particulars It is free First â—nregard of the preparation of the meanes of grace that God hath invented the meanes of salvation which God hath invented for his people being fallen in Adam was altogether free for when Adam had forsaken God and hearkned to the enemy had left the way of holinesse and went into the way of confusion it was free with God whither he would helpe him or no when Adam had spent the patrimony which God had given him it was free whether God would set him up againe or no free it was in God the Father which appointed the Sonne as the meanes free it was in Christ Iesus that tooke the taske upon him and free in the holy Spirit that wrought grace and salvation in the hearts of Gods people God out of his free will gave his Sonne to redeeme mankinde and Christ gave himselfe freely and the holy Ghost doth freely worke comfort in the hearts of Gods chosen it was free with God to appoint Christ for the meanes free with Christ to be the meanes free with the Spirit to worke the meanes Secondly as it is free in regard of the appointing the meanes so likewise in regard of the Revelation of the meanes to any soule it was
will buy house and land and make it his owne for ever he first chooseth that house and land and then hee resolves to keepe it for ever and never part with it againe and if hee part from it or sell it againe then he is sayd to refuse it as well as to choose it and the stomach that chooseth meate when it hath such liking to any dyer that it openeth it selfe and receiveth it and closeth with it then we are sayd to will and choose Christ when we see the worth of Christ and take him before all and fasten upon him to make him our owne for ever when wee take such delight in him that we will not be freed from him but desire that he may be for our soules and our soules for him forever this is to will the Lord Iesus So then to gather up all when the soule priseth Christ as the chiefest of all when it chooseth him above all when the soule answerablely giveth up it selfe to Christ that Christ may take possession of it and never sever from it then a man doth will Christ Iesus heartily So that by this time we see the nature of the point and the English of the Doctrine is thus much the soule that seeth the worth of Christ and chooseth him above all things and closeth with him that soule willeth Christ Iesus But now heere a question may arise you may aske mee whether a man can will Christ and grace thus naturally out of the power of nature I answere no it is beyond the power of man to will Christ and grace naturally it is the free gift of God as it is the Lord which must give grace so it is the Lord that must give the will to receive grace what availeth all the water in the Sea if we have no vessell to receive it what avayleth it to have meate if wee have no stomach to digest it what avayleth it to have the fountaine of grace set open unto us if we have no vessels no hearts to receive it if we have no stomach to digest it all is worth nothing therfore the doctrine of the Scripture is compared to raine the raine which falleth upon a rock remaineth not but presently slides off so it is here the fountaine of grace is set open to every one that heareth the Word this day but if you have no vessels to receive no wills to embrace it no heart to entertaine it all this mercy of God grace of God love of God will fall downe at your feete you may carry away some words in your mouthes but unlesse you have a will to receive grace it will never dwell in your hearts it is impossible that the soule should receive grace and Salvation by the Lord Iesus unlesse it hath a will to entertaine him for common sence telleth us that those actions that have relation one to another cannot bee done one without the other no man can buy unlesse another will sell no man can take or receive any thing unlesse another will give it and bestow it upon him Christ cannot be bestowed upon us and given unto us unlesse wee have a will to receive him there is no giving of a thing unlesse there bee a taking and receiving of it Christ will not be a guest with us unlesse he bee entertained by us If a man should come unto an Inne and aske for lodging if the Host of the Inne tell him that the Inne is full and there is no roome for him and thereupon hee goes his way this man cannot be sayd to be a guest unto that Inne but that hee onely offered himselfe to bee a guest so it is here there is no soule that ever can or shall receive Christ as a guest to himselfe unlesse he be content to make roome for Christ and bee a receiver of him Christ will never come with salvation or comfort unto thy heart unlesse thou hast a will to entertaine him if our willing of Christ bee that which makes roome for Christ then it must go before the entertaining of Christ but the willing of Christ is that which makes roome for Christ and therefore it must goe before the entertaining of him So then the case is cleare and the point evident that a man must will to receive Christ before hee shall have Christ and grace and salvation by him The use of the point is threefold the first is for reproofe must a man have a will to receive Christ and grace before hee can receive Christ and grace then this condemneth that carnall conceit of a company of poore deluded persons in the world that thinke they may receive grace upon other conditions than the word hath revealed upon other conditions than Christ ever made agreement with them this conceit it is mervailous common it is a generall fault in all carnall professors they thinke to goe to heaven nay they make no doubt of it they thinke they have grace and why because they say so and professe so and therefore it must needs be so because a man can say hee beleeves and would have grace and wils to receive Christ therefore out of all question it must needes be so grace must needes be given them they cannot be without grace because they say they have it and if a man presse upon them and say the truth is the world knowes it that you live in base courses a common swearer you are a covetous wretch a base usurer that loves your money more than God true say they all flesh is grasse and in many things we sinne the Lord give us of his grace and for give us our sinnes and I hope he will doe so and this will make up the breach presently nothing but repent and say Lord have mercy upon us and then all will be well it is true if you can but truely repent all will be well indeede your sinnes shall bee forgiven you but now you talke of cost you must do more than say so you must do so likewise but thus a thousand poore soules goe to hell hood-winckt after this fashion they have invented a shorter cut to heaven they have invented a new way a backe doore to heaven and happinesse more than the word ever discovered But let any soule make this conceit good in Scripture and then I will beleeve them but if it be so that they cannot make it good by the word of God then know that if you continue in it your soules will be damned Is it thus in the word hee that saith hee hath grace hath grace if a man professe grace he cannot bee without grace no no it is not thus in Scripture the text saith He that wils grace that is hee that hath a heart to receive grace he shall have grace not hee that saith and professeth that he hath grace but hee that wils it you must not bring your tongues to talke of grace and your heads to thinke of grace but you must bring your hearts to will grace
and Salvation by him there is also a cursed kinde of Hypocrites which professe saire and much they say they will doe for the Lord Iesus Ier. 24.20 but they are like unto those in the 42. of Ieremy the 20. verse marke what the text saith there Yee dissembled in your hearts wheâ— you sent me to the Lord our God saying Pray for us unto the Lord our God and according unto all that the Lord our God shall say so declare unto us and wee will doe it So there are many that make a faire outside and will take up holy duties and they will be professing and talking of God but there must be more than this there must be a willing of grace besides a professing of grace you pretend faire and promise this and purpose that but when it commeth to you you fly off and you will have your owne liberty your heart is double you say you will reforme your wayes and yet you will be idle still and loose still and therefore you never yet willed Christ you never yet prized him aright you never truely chose him and therefore as sure as the Lord liveth Christ is not yours if the condition bee not performed by you you shall never bee made partakers of that which is promised upon the performance of that condition if you will Christ and grace then indeed you have Christ and grace but you never willed Christ and therefore it is evident you never had Christ Deut. 29.4 In the 29. of Deut. 4. vers there saith the text The Lord hath shewed you great wâ—nders and discovered many mercies unto you and you the Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and eares to heâ—re unto this very day and therefore go home and mourne for yourselves and reason with your soules and say what after all ouâ— profession bearing praying talking after all the cost and care that God hath bestowed upon us have we not yet a heart to will grace and desire the Lord Iesus many mercies have beene vouchsafed unto us many judgements removed from us there is no nation that God hath dealt so mercifully with as with us we have peace yet and the Gospell yet and prosperity yet and yet for all this to this very day God hath not given us a heart to receive grace and the things belonging to our everlasting peace and therefore wives mourne for your husbands in secret and say oh my husband what hath not God yet given thee a heart to feare him and fathers mourne for your children that are not yet in the state of grace and say oh my sonne not yet a heart that God hath given thee to sanctifie a Sabboth and to leave off thy wickâ—d courses and friends mourne you also one for another and say oh my friend what not yet a heart to humble thy selfe and to feare the name of God thus mourne in secret and say God hath done this and this for thee and hast thou not yet a heart not yet a will to entertaine Christ the world carries al pleasure carries all profit beares all away malice carries away all The promises and Commandements of God are despised and hast thou not yell a heart to beleeve the promises and prize the Lawes of â—od above liberty and peace profit and pleasure there is nothing wanting on Gods part hee gives peace still and the Gospell still and yet not a heart all this while to feare God and keepe his Commandements thou hast a good house and good land and many mercies are vouchsafed unto thee and not yet a good heart what a misery is this not yet a will to embrace Christ and receive grace why what a lamentable condition is this and therefore in the last place it is a word of Exhortation to every soule here present to labour now to begin at the right end and take a right course and follow the path that God hath chalked out unto us in a word we see it is come to this passe that all is grown to an outside every man must be a Christian go to heaven and all the argument is this because a man can talke well of religion but this is not the right way the willing of grace must goe before the receiving of grace and therefore go home and examine your selves whether grace bee truely wrought and fashioned in you or no and reason thus with your owne hearts and say it is not enough to bring my mouth and profession to the Word of the Lord but heart what sayst thou in the meane time I can talke of religion and many good matters but will what sayst thou in the meane time dost thou prize Christ above all things dost thou choose Christ and grace above all other things in the world whatsoever heart what sayst thou dost thou open thy selfe and close with him and dost thou purpose never to forsake him Deut. 32.42 in the 32 of Deut. 42. there saith Moses to the people Set your hearts to all the words which I testifie among you this day for it is not a vaine thing for you because it is your life and through this thing you shall prolong your dayes so say I set your hearts to the word labour to set your soules to the word of God for it is not a vaine word it is your life and length of your daies it is not talking of Christ but it is the willing of Christ from the heart that will obtaine Christ and Salvation by him We have spoken already of the reasonablenesse of the condition whosoever will may receive grace and that freely and now we come to the universality of it the work of the Spirit is tendered to every one whosoever will give way thus unto it grace is set open to all and proclamed to all that will take it upon those tearmes before spoken of therfore saith the Text Whosoever will let him take of the water of life the word in the originall is every willing man there is no man exempted no man debarred no man hindred to take grace upon those tearmes if he will condiscend to Gods conditions be he what he will be naturally either in regard of sins and corruptions or in regard of poverty or infirmities whatsoever his naturall condition be yet if he wil but agree to Gods conditions if he will but choose and prize Christ above all other things â—he shall receive him and grace and salvation by hiâ—â—â— so that the doctrin is this Whosoever in truth doth will to have Christ shall receive him and salvation by him the Text doth not say Whosoever saith Lord Lord shall have Christ and grace but the willing soule he shall have him not the talâ—eing man nor the presuming man nor the glorying man but the willing man so that this is the point Whosoever in good earnest and in truth will have Christ shall receive Christ and salvation by him in the 10. of Luke ver 5 6.
the blow that is 〈…〉 upon it so it is with a stony heart there is a 〈◊〉 union betweene sinne and it secondly by 〈◊〉 of this union sinne comes to have a 〈…〉 power in the soule and not onely so but in the third place there is a great resistance in the soule against Gods Command Looke as it is with a stone of a man striketh a blow upon it it resistes the blow and beates it backe so it is with the soule with a stony heart the Word the Sacraments Admonitions Reproofes Counsells Exhortations they enter not into it they prevaile not with it but it resists and obpposeth all meanes of grace and salvation that are offered unto it what helpe soever God bestowes upon it it beates it backe it will not be disposed it will not be framed and fashioned according to Gods holy Will Zach. 7.12 there saith the Text Zach. 7.12 They made their hearts as an adamant stone least they should beare the lâ—s and the words which the Lord of Hosts sent by his Spirit in the Ministery of the former Prophets that is they closed with their corruptions and grew strong in their corruptions and resisted the commandements of the Lord and therefore it is said of Pharoah that he hardened his heart that is hee strengthened his heart in sinne and would not obey the commandement of the Lord but refused to let the people of Israel goe when there comes to be a neare union betweene sinne and the soule then the soule doth strengthen it selfe in sinne and opposeth the Law of God the proud man saith he will have his lust let God say what hee will the covetous man hee will have his corruption let God say what hee will and the drunkard hee will have his owne way and the adulterer hee will take up his owne course let God say what he will they grow strong in their sinnes and therefore resist all meanes which may be for their good untill the Lord by his almightie power doth breake this fast knot that is betweene corruption and the soule and removes the power and strength of sinne and then by a strong hand takes away this resistance and over-powers a soule in this case so that then to gather up all together if it be so that the union betweene sinne and the soule cannot be dissolved but by God alone if the strength and power of sinne and Satan cannot be vanquished but onely by the Lord if the resistance that commeth from sinne cannot be taken away and removed but by the worke of the Spirit of God then the case is cleare and the point evident That it is God which taketh away the stony heart and giveth a heart of flesh if God alone by his almighty power doth these things then he is the author of this worke it is his worke to doe this in the soule of a poore sinnefull creature The first Vse is an use of instruction from hence wee may see that therefore this great worke of conversion the fitting and preparing of a poore sinner to entertaine the Lord Iesus it is a worke of great weight it is a worke not of ordinary but of marvellous and admirable difficulty if it be the worke of the Lord onely if nothing else can doe this worke but it lieth upon Gods alone almightie power if all meanes faile nay if the wisedome of men Angells stand agast amazed at this work then I must conclude it is the Lords worke and is ought to be marvellous in our eyes And from hence it is that it is a marvellous wonder that any creature that is under the power of sinne and Satan it is a wonder it is a miracle that after all teaching after all meanes used any soule is humbled and prepared to receive mercy from the hand of the Lord Iesus Christ Nay hence it is that wee see little profit come from the worke of the Ministerie when wee see the greatnesse of this worke of conversion wee may wonder how it commeth to passe that any are converted and brought home unto the Lord the Ministers are faine to lift up their voyces like trumpets and spend their hearts as it were they pray againe and fast againe and preach againe and yet all will not d ee for when is the heart of any humbled when is the soule of any turned and converted unto God and therefore away with that cursed delusion that harbours in the minds of many men they will repent and they will beleeve when they list why Alas it is not in your power it is the almighty worke of God thou hast not the worke of repentance to command at thy pleasure it is not talking and saying I doe repent with all my heart and doe beleeve that will serve the turne this will not doe the Lord must worke effectually in thy soule by his almighty power or else the union that is betweene sinne and thy soule will not be dissolved or else the strength of sinne and power of Satan that is in thy soule will never be vanquished or else the resistance that is in thy soule and which commeth from this strength against the blow of the Spirit and all meanes that may fit it and prepare it for to receive the Lord Iesus and mercy from him will never be removed a man shall sometimes find that the indisposition of his soule to any good shall be a little abated by the power of the Word the edge of it will a little be blunted but a poore soule cannot be freed altogether from this untill it shall please the Lord by his almightie hand to remove it and therefore in the first of Iames the 18. Verse the text saith Iam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us by the Word of truth that wee should be as the first fruits of his creatures Ioh. 1.13 and Ioh. 1.13 To them that received him saith the Text he gave power to be the sonnes of God to them which beleeve in his name which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And therefore thinke of it Ministers that teach the Word and people that heare the Word wee must know that unlesse the Lord steppeth in and doth the worke for us all our labour is lost it must be I â—ay the Lord that must take away the stony heart and it must be hee that must give the heart of 〈◊〉 it is not talking and making a profession that can plucke sinne out of the soule of a man in this kinde but it must be the almighty power of the Lord that must doe it The second Vse is a ground of comfort whereby the soule of poore sinners may be supported and the hearts of those that have sinne hunging about them may be cheared when the soule considers that it is laden with abundance of corruptions and abominations then it is quite discouraged and thinkes with all that it shall never be recovered
why though you be not able yet here is the comfort of a poore foule the worke is the Lords and he whose worke it is is able to bring it to passe what though thou beest weake yet God is strong and therefore quiet thy soule and content thy heart a man may say I have a hard heart from within and it will receive no good from without the Word prevailes not the Sacraments have no power over me why all the meanes and cost and charges that God hath bestowed upon me is lost and my heart is not yet humbled my corruptions are not yet weakened be yet comforted though meanes cannot doe it which God useth at his pleasure though these cannot doe it yet the Lord can doe it there is nothing hard or difficult to him that hath hardnesse it selfe at command hee is a God which hath all things at command hee can command the devill himselfe and therefore hee hath the hardnesse of thy heart at command also there is nothing hard to him that hath hardnesse at his command nay though all things be impossible to man yet nothing is impossible with God God can doe what man not meanes cannot the Lord hee sheweth mercy upon us why because wee will no because he wills and though we cannot cast away our sinnes yet the Lord will remove them Oh then saith the soule this is somewhat comfortable that the Lords mercie depends not upon my will but upon Gods will And I would tell you somewhat by experience in this kinde for I knew one that was over whelmed with dispaire a whole yeare together because hee thought hee had committed the sinne against the holy Ghost and yet at last was comforted by this meanes he refolved with himselfe if my conversion were in my will onely then I should be damned but it is not because I will but because God will doe good to my poore soule aye but the soule will say I confesse it is not in my will but it is in Gods will that hee sheweth mercy and this is some comfort yet but oh my corruptions are old sinnes of a long time can those be pardoned they are become as another nature in me can those therefore be removed yes the Lord is able to remove those also for saith the Prophet the Lord hath laid salvation upon the mightie so that though thy corruptions be mightie and powerfull yet there is a mighty God that is able to undoe that cursed combination that is betweene thy soule and thy corruptions and therefore quiet thy selfe in the consideration hereof and say I must confesse that I have many corruptions but the mighty Lord of hosts hath promised that hee will take away my stony heart and give me a heart of flesh and hee is able to doe it also be herein quieted and supported and looke up to heaven for comfort In the third place it is a word of exhortation to all those that are in the bond of iniquitie and under the power of Satan to those which carry a stony heart about them it is a word of exhortation to these see your owne wants and be exhorted in the name of the Lord Iesus to have recourse to this great God and intreate him to take away your stony heart from you looke as it is with men if there be a Physition of excellent skill that cures all diseases that are brought unto him why then all men will repaire to him why so it is here God alone is able to doe this cure for us and herefore he should have our custome if a man should set up a bill upon the market post that he would cure all that come to him which were troubled with the stone in the reines or any other grievous disease and if wee should meete with many comming from him that were healed by him why then wee would be ready to say such a one went and hee was healed such a one went and hee was cured and this will stirre up all to repaire unto him and every one would bring those that appertaine unto them and were troubled with this disease unto him that they might be cured by him the Lord hath set up a bill this day that he will cure all those that come unto him of their stony heart and all the Sonnes of God have found proofe hereof to the comfort of their owne soules the Lord is hee that will doe this hee will take away your stony heart you wives therefore that have husbands which have stony hearts and you parents that have children that are troubled with stony hearts goe home with comfort and tell them that you have heard this day of a Phisitian that will undertake to cure them of this disease and exhort them therefore to repaire unto him Our Saviour Christ when hee had healed many of their diseases the Text saith in the third of Matthew That all came unto him and brought their sicke that hee might heale them In the bowells of the Lord Iesus be intreated you that have stony hearts to goe unto the Lord that so you may be cured you were better have a milstone about your neckes then have this stony heart we have all of us this stony heart more or lesse as it is with a man that hath beene cured of a disease perhaps the disease is much mitigated but there will still be much weakenes and some reliques of the disease remaining in him a long time after So the Sonnes of God have the strength of this stony heart somewhat lessened and abated in them but they are not altogether freed from it but those that were never cured of this disease those that never had this stony heart in any measure removed they were better have a milstone about their neckes for it will sinke them into the bottomlesse pit of hell and destruction if death take them away while they carrie this stony heart about them they will be surely damned therefore 〈◊〉 them as they love their owne soules be 〈…〉 and perswaded to come to this Physitian God 〈◊〉 I will take away your stony hearts and I will 〈◊〉 you hearts of flesh come therefore and 〈…〉 selves to the hammer of God that your stony hearts may be taken away when you 〈◊〉 this Ministers teach then say Lord I beseech 〈◊〉 teach thou mee in the meane time when the Minister perswades then say Lord doe thou over rule and perswade this sinnefull heart of mine take thou away this power of corruptions which is in my heart and remove thou the rebellions of my heart goe home and be exhorted to goe to this Physition and importune the Lord in this case put him in minde of all those many savours which he hath vouchsafed to you put the Lord in remembrance of that which he hath desired in his Word Oh that people had such hearts as would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes say unto the Lord that it is as easie for him to create such hearts in you as to
Gods mercy that he deales thus with the soules of poore sinners it is the reason of that passage in the 15. verse of this Chapter there the Master of the vineyard called the labourers together and they received every man a penny now they that came first and had borne the heate of the day when they saw that they which came last had as much as they they murmured against the master of the vineyard saying These last have wrought but one houre and thou hast made them equall unto us which have borne the heate of the day but then the master answered saying Friend I doe thee no wrong is it not lawfull for me to doe what I will with mine owne as if he had sayd I called thee at the third houre and him at the sixth houre and this man at the eleventh houre it was out of my mercy that I called thee and out of my mercy that I called him is it not lawfull to doe what I will with mine owne mercy is mine and love is mine and reward is mine it is my mercy that I will call any at any time and therefore I may dispose of it as I please Secondly as the Lord doth expresse hereby the freenesse of his grace so the Lord also hereby doth mervelously magnifie his great power and All-sufficiency in saving the soules of poore people that is able to doe what hee will in heaven and in earth and so likewise in the hearts of his servants there are many little ones that are fooles and have no knowledge and yet the Lord is able to convert them and make them understand the mysteries of salvation there are many strong men that snuffle up the wind like the Asse in the Wildernesse they will not stoope they will not be humbled but they will doe what they list and yet the Lord is able to over power this sturdy heart of a young and strong man and he is able to support the weake nature of a young one And so men that are weatherbeaten in their sinnes and screwed into their corruptions God is able to overpower these and convert these also and bring them home unto himselfe if hee be a weake silly child yet God is able to inlighten him if hee have a sturdy heart yet God can bring him downe and if he be a weatherbeaten and an old sinner yet God is able to call him and convert him also and hereby the wonderfull power of the Lord is seene in that hee is able to worke how hee will when hee will and upon whom he will in this kind looke as it is with a Physitian when a man hath a disease which lies low in his body and breedes rottennesse in his bones insomuch that it is almost past cure then the Physitian that can recover this man sheweth admirable skill and he sheweth admirable power in regard that he is able to provide such meanes and apply such meanes as thereby the party may bee cured by this meanes the skill of the Physitian and the power of him is magnified so it is with this great God when all sorts of sinners are called and all corruptions subdued your little ones that know nothing yet God inlightens them and supports them Timothy did sucke the sincere milke of the Gospel on one side as he did sucke the milke of his mothers brests on the other side and then there is a stubborne heart on another side which breakes all bonds and snappes all cords apeeces hâ—e cares for nothing he will be ruled by no man and then there is your old forlorne sinner his sinnes are become a rottennesse in his bones old incanlâ—â—ed pride and incancred covetousnesse and malice God now to conquer all these and helpe these doth not this shew admirable power in the Lord 〈◊〉 to worke and thus to order things for the good of his people so that wee see that God doth and can call in all ages We come now to the next passage and that is this however the Lord doth at severall times convert severall of his servants and there is no time alotted to him yet most and most usually God doth call them before their old age and that some interpreters wittily observe out of the Text it is sayd that the master of the Vineyard went out at the third sixt and ninth houre and saw some standing idle and he sent them into his Vineyard he went then on purpose to see and hire and send in Labourers to work in his Vineyard but the Text saith he went out at the eleventh houre not to hire any for he did not expect to see any then idle but hee went out upon some other occasion and seeing some then standing idle hee wondred at it and sayd Why stand yee all the day idle as if he should say no man will hire you now it is but one houre to night it is time for men to leave working and not to beginne to worke he went out occasionally and meeting with these unexpected hee wondered at these and therefore they observe that if there had not beene great mercy in the master of the Vineyard this was no time to hire Labourers in so that the case is cleare some are called in their youth some in their middle age some in their old age some in their tender yeares some in their riper age some old some young but this is most true than those whom God doth call it is most commonly in their middle age before they come to their old age this is the generall course of God he call many before some after but most then Eccles 3.1 there the wise man observes that there is a time appointed for every purpose and it appeareth that the middle age is the fittest time for this purpose it is true indeede that all things depend upon Gods will but yet there is wisedome in this God and he ordereth things according to wise dome and this seemes to bee the fittest season wherein the Lord should deale thus graciously in converting of a sinner if wee consider either the nature of man or the end of Gods giving grace in both these respects first if wee looke to man and regard either the constitution of his body or the gifts qualities of his minde we shall see that it is most fit for God to worke upon him in his middle age he can doe it and may doe it at another time but that is the fittest time and that first in regard of the constitution of his body for it is observed by Philosophers that a man in his tender infancie lives the life of a tree onely he onely eates and growes and so it is with little children in their swadling cloathes afterwards when he comes into further yeares when he comes to be ten or twelve yeares old then hee lives the life of a beast he is taken away with those objects that are then most sutable to him for a child to consider of the mysteries of life salvation is
almost impossible he is not yet come to that ripenesse of judgement but when he comes to the ripenesse of his yeares from 20. years untill he come to be 40. or thereabouts then the workes of reason put forth themselves then his apprehension is quick to conceive a thing and his memory is strong and pregnant to retaine a thing apprehended and his heart is somewhat plyable and his heart is somewhat frameable to receive that impression that is put upon him now because in a mans middle yeares abilitie of nature comes on and reason comes on insomuch that a man is able to conceive and partake of the things of grace and fadom them and the power of his understanding comes on whereby he is able to embrace them therefore then is the fittest time that God should bestow his graces upon a man looke as it is with waxe if a man melt it it will be too soft to hold any impression and when it is too hard it will receive no seale neither but when it is neither too soft nor too hand but in a middle temper betweene them both then it is fit and ready to receive any impression whatsoever a man stampes upon it it must neither be too extremely hot nor too hard but mediatly disposed and then it will receive a seale so it is with the nature of a man in his tender yeares hee can hold nothing he hath such a weake understanding tell a child of the wonders of salvation and it is impossible unlesse God workes wonderfully that hee should receive them a mans nature in his infancie is like wax that is too soft and the nature of an old man that also is like wax too hard but now a middle aged man is neither so weake as the one nor so hard as the other but it is most fit for God to put a stamp upon for his heart is then most plyable to receive the things of grace and his affections are then most frameable to the minde of the Lord. Secondly as this is the fittest time for God to worke upon a man in regard of the constitution of his body so also in regard of corruption because a young man that is come to the strength of his yeares his minde will be sooner informed and his judgement sooner convinced in regard of those corruptions that are in him because hee hath not continued long in any base course therefore hee is most easy to bee wrought upon but when a man is growne old in wickednesse when his soule as his body begins to buckle under the sinnes of his younger yeares when the heart is hardned and the conscience seared in wickednesse then it is desperately hard it is a mervelous miracle for the meanes of salvation to take place in such a man wee see it is marvelous hard to drive a naile into an old knotty snarly post especially when it is weatherbeaten and seasoned and clung together It is no wonder that we spend our hearts and can doe no good for those that have beene old weatherbeaten sinners knotty snarly stubborne rebellious hearts a man were as good speak to the seats where they sit and to the walls as to the hearts of them it is marvelous hard to bring any thing home to the affections of such men they will not away from their old corruptions their hearts are rivited to their old lusts and corruptions and therefore they will not entertaine that which may doe good unto them if a man will transplant a tree he doth not take an old withered rotten tree that is not fit to bee transplanted but hee takes a young tender twigge and transplants it so it is here those old trees old sinners that are withering dying and decaying such are of the Leapers spots and Blackamoores hue they that are setled in their corruptions and resolve to take up their old courses now they are too old to learne thus long they have lived and if they be now stubborne they will be so ever if they be now peevish and malicious they will be so ever if they be now covetous they will be so ever they will not entertaine they will not partake of those things which God hath appointed for their good The third and last argument is in regard of grace it selfe it is very convenient and reasonable that God should bestow grace upon those that are in their middle age rather than upon those that are in their tender yeares or in their old age if we consider the end of the giving of grace for what is the end of grace and why doth God give a man grace and frame his heart so that he may be fitted to partake of happinesse but that the Lord hereby might receive the praise and glory of the riches of his grace That they which have it may expresse the power of God that hath called them out of darkenesse into marvellous light the Lord is pleased to shew this favour towards them that they might shew forth what God hath done to their poore soules as the Prophet David doth now this middle age of a man is the fittest time wherein grace may receive most glory and God most honour in regard of the giving of it for grace when it commeth to nature doth not destroy it but perfect it it doth not take away the naturall parts as learning knowledge and courage and the like but rectifieth them and turneth them the right way as for example he that had a strong memory or a sharpe wit or a great courage and a violent affection God preserveth and keepeth those still but when grace comes God turneth them the right way and maketh him a fit instrument to set forth his glory that before was a great enemy to the same and therefore it is said that Paul was a chosen vessell for the Lord and why because Saul was a man of great learning fiery zeale fervent love and undanted courage and therefore when he persecuted the Church it is said that hee breathed forth persecutions he got him a good Steed got letters from Damascus haled all poore Christians to prison where he came but when grace came the Lord did still retaine the naturall power of zeale love courage and learning the Lord did retaine all these that tongue that before spake against God is now fitted to confute the adversary hee convinced them mightily saith the text that courage whereby he before was carried against Gods Saints is now fitted to suffer persecution imprisonment and disgrace for his names sake and therefore in all reason it was fittest that the Lord should take Paul in the middle of those yeares that he might employ him to the furtherance of his praise that had before beene a great hinderance to his Gospell It is said by the Apostle Paul that the members of a godly mans body and the faculties of his soule are weapons of righteousnesse a gracious tongue will speake those things which may be for Gods praise and the
good of men a gracious foote will be swift to runne the wayes of Gods Commandements now the wisest workeman will not chuse an instrument that is broken and unfit for service now an old man is a broken and crazie instrument little honour can God have by his tongue when it faulters little good can God have by his understanding and learning and wisedome when as in regard of his age he is become a child againe and therefore it is marvellous reasonable that God should take this time for the expressing of his grace for when a man is in the strength of nature then grace turnes all the members of his body and faculties of his soule the right way and a man runnes as earnestly forward in a good course as hee did before in the wayes of wickednesse so then gather up the point if in regard of the constitution of his body a man is then fittest to receive the things of grace if in regard of corruption he is not so hardened to resist grace if also then he is fittest to glorifie God for bestowing grace upon him then it is reasonable that as God can call when he will so it is most fit that he should call him before he is in his old declining age when his body is fit for nothing but to be carried upon a coffin and laid into the grave now we see then that it is cleare God can call at any time but God doth most usually call most of his servants before their old age Let us now see what use we can make of the Point and first observe from hence a ground of Instruction we must take heede that we be not too rash giddily censorious in setting downe a finall censure upon men seest thou men running on headlong in the wayes of wickednesse yet never conclude therefore that God will never shew mercy and favour unto them and worke upon the soules of them for we know that God can call at the eleventh houre and therefore be not too rash in censuring this way 1 Cor. 4.5 but receive the exhortation of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.5 There saith the Text Iudge nothing before the time untill the Lord come c. FINIS THE FIRST TABLE Out of Revel 22.17 WHosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Doct. I. That the offer of grace from God is free page 6 It is free in regard of the preparation and the meanes of grace that God hath invented p. 8. Secondly it is free in regard of the revelation of the meanes p. 9. Thirdly it is free in regard of the blessing the meanes of grace and salvation to any soule p. 10 Reas I. This offer of grace must needes be free because there is nothing in man to purchase this p. 11 Reas II. Because the creature can doe nothing to merit it p. 12 Reas III. Because no naturall man hath any promise to challenge grace p. 13 Vse I. It is a word of advice to the Saints that have received grace to magnifie the mercy of God p. 15 Vse II. It is to the wicked that want this mercy a ground of encouragement to seeke after this mercy seeing it is free p. 19 Vse III. It is a Vse of Exhortation to all poore creatures that are burthened under the multitude of their sinnes to hope for mercy from the freenesse of of it p. 23 Doct. II. That the soule must be willing to receive Christ and grace before it shall have Christ and grace p. 27. What is meant here by the will p. 30 Quest But how shall a man come to know that he wills grace and Christ Answ A man may know whither he will grace or Christ by these 3. particulars First when the soule seeth such an excellency in Christ and grace that he highly priseth Christ and grace p. 35. Secondly whereby a man may know whether he will Christ or no is this when the soule can chuse Christ above all things p. 36. Thirdly if the soule truly wills Christ it will be carried towards Christ to close with him p. 39 Vse I. It is for reproofe and condemneth all those carnall Gospellers that thinke to be saved though they have no will to receive Christ. p. 41 Vse II. It is a word of terrour to all sinnefull creatures that doe professe by their wicked lives and conversations they will not have Christ. p. 45 Doct. III. Whosoever in truth doth will to have Christ shall receive him and salvation by him p. 51 Reas I. Because the Lord requires no more at the hands of a poore finner p. 54 Reas II. Because by this willing of Christ the creature is made fit to close with God p. 56 Reas III. Because the want of this wilingnesse to receive and embrace Christ is that which breaketh the match betweene God and the soule p. 58 Vse I. It is a ground of instruction to wonder at the riches of Gods bountie and goodnesse in his reasonable dealing with poore suiters onely to take Christ and mercy offered p. 62 Vse II. It is a word of terrour to shew the just heavie condemnation of all such as perish as are damned and goe to hell it is because they will be damned they will have none of Christ and grace p. 65 Vse III. It is an use of exhortation to stirre you up never to be quiet untill you have brought your soules to be willing to receive Christ p. 72 1 COR. 2.14 Doct. NO man of himselfe by nature can will to receive Christ p. 85. What is meant by a naturall man vid. p. 85. What is meant by the things of the Spirit vid. p. 87. That a naturall man hath no power to will Christ appeareth in foure particulars p. 90 Part. I. That the things of salvation must be first made knowne unto a naturall man else be can never of himselfe finde them out yet when these things of Christ and salvation by Christ are made knowne unto naturall men they cannot entertaine these spirituall truths p. 90 Part. II. When these things of life and salvation â—e brought home to the soules of naturall men yet the heart cannot but resist and oppose the Spirits worke p. 92 Part. III. If the Lord followeth a naturall man further that he may give him grace yet in himselfe he is not capeable of this grace p. 94 Par. IV. The naturall man is unwilling to be wrought upon that he might be made capeable to receive grace p. 97 Reas I Because a naturall man cannot receive the things of God p. 100 Reas II. Because all naturall men are fleshly and wholely overpowred with sinne p. 102 Reas III. Because a dead man hath no power to procure life unto himselfe p. 104 Vse I. It is to condemne that foolish conceit that â—arbours in the mindes of many poore ignorant soules that they brought grace into the world with them p. 105. Vse II. It is an use of Examination to trie whether you are naturall or spirituall p. 111
glued and fastened to sinne and corruption The next poynt considerable is this who it is that must deliver the soule from the bondage of sinne and Satan and pluck it from sinneâ— a man cannot do this of himselfe it is the Lords own work that must bring it to passe for so saith the text no man commeth to mee except the father draweth him it is he that must do the deed The poynt is this the Lord by a holy kind of violence doth pluck the hearts of sinners from sinne unto himselfe this is the scope of the text and this is the ayme of our Saviour in the versel and this is the work on Gods part considerable for as we have heard before we must observe two things in preparation First Gods act upon the soule Secondly the frame and disposition that is wrought in the soule by God The act of God is a drawing of the soule by an holy kind of violence from sinne unto himselfe I will not here speak of the inability of the soule or that God is the author of this work for these I have handled before out of that place Ezech. 11.19 it is God that taketh away the stony heart and giveth a heart of flesh we will only now speak of the dispensation of the work of God of the manner how God prepares a sinner for himselfe and the text saith he doth it by drawing he doth by a holy kind of violence draw the soule from corruptions and sinnefull courses unto himselfe and I will handle both these together the plucking of the soule from finne and drawing of it to God because they are both made up together by one action and motion as for example look as it is with a man that rends one peece of wood from another as he plucks the one peece from the other so he drawes that which he plucks to himselfe he doth not only draw it from the other but he drawes that part neerer to himselfe so that both are made up by one action and operation and so it is here the plucking of a sinner from corruption and drawing of him to God both these are acted by God at once and therefore I will handle them both together only observe there must be such a kind of thing as this is before God will take possession of the soule namely there must be a severing of the soule from sinne and a drawing of it to God look as it is with a mans body if any part thereof be out of joynt or broken before this part can be jonted aright againe haply there is some filth some moyst humours about it or haply there is some dead flesh in it now this dead flesh must be taken away and the filth and ill humours must be removed before that part can be set in its right place againe so it must be with the soules of Gods servants every soule by sinne is unjoynted and wholly removed from God the soule indeed was made for God and should have closed with him and fastened upon him but by reason of sinne the soule is quite broken now before the soule can be made fit for God before it can be put into a right frame all that noysome corruption that is in it and those base lusts that hang upon it the soule must be freed from these before God can work upon it or that receive mercy and salvation from God before it can performe any good duty and this is done by drawing the Lord by a holy kind of violence doth pluck the soule from those sinnes that harbour in it and those distempers that presse upon it and then he drawes it unto himselfe And for the opening of this we must consider three things First what the nature of this drawing is what is meant hereby Secondly the meanes how and whereby God commeth to draw a poore sinner from sinne to himselfe Thirdly the arguments why God must thus draw with a holy kind of violence and that God may do this without any prejudice at all to the will First what the nature of this drawing is and we must understand that there is a double kind of drawing in Scripture this word implyeth a double sense in the phrase of Scripture a there is first a morall kind of drawing it is a word used by Divines but that I may speak to the capacity of all I will terme it an outward or an externall kind of drawing which is this when a man by reasons propounded and good things offered to the understanding and the will comes thereby to have his mind enlightned and his will moved and perswaded to embrace and give entertaynment to the things offered and observe in this two things first that it is only outward in regard of the subject secondly that it putteth nothing into the heart but stirreth up that which is in the heart already there is nothing but objects offered and arguments propounded to perswade the soule to the love and liking of the thing offered and this is usuall in Scripture and it is said to bee a compelling of a man it propounds arguments to the soule and so brings on the soule to the affecting of any thing in the 16 of the Acts 15. it is said of Lydia after shee was converted her soule clave to the holy man Paul and she besought them saying If you have judged me to bee faithfull to the Lord abide in my house and then saith the text she constrayned us shee laid such hookes upon them that shee constrayned them how is this shee layd no violent hands upon them no but shee used arguments that were so forcible and reasons that were so pithy that she perswaded the Apostle Paul and those that were with him to yeeld unto her request if you have judged me faithfull come into my house as if shee had sayd if you beleeve that I have received the grace of God by you if ever you meanes to receive any comfort from the blessing of God upon the worke wrought in me by your meanes if you think that my soule hath been made partaker of any good from you come then in unto my house and abide with me now unlesse Paul would have denyed his owne work which God by his grace had shewed him he must yeeld unto her and come in and therefore the text saith that shee constrayned him that is shee did by arguments and reasons propounded unto him perswade him to grant her request so in the 22 of Matt. it is sayd that the King when he had made a great feast and those that were bidden would not come he bids his servants go out into the high wayes and compell men to come in there is nothing meant there but this morall outward drawing by strength of arguments when by arguments propounded we draw and perswade men to do that we would have them performe but this is not meant here in the text and I prove it thus because it is not the purpose of our Saviour Christ
in the beginning and thus his children his brokers and factors do in the end of the world these are the two sonnes of Satan the chiefest schollers in his schoole they are able to bring many to destruction and confusion Rev. 12.4 there the Text saith that the Dragon stood before the woman that was to bee delivered for to devoure her child as soone as it should bee borne the woman is the Church the Dragon is the divell the child to be borne is the soule that is to be converted when the Church doth bring a soule to life why then the Dragon watcheth when the child is borne that he may devoure it if there be any that looke to heaven if there be any whose hearts are humbled whose minds are inlightned and consciences awakened the divell watcheth when this soule is borne that hee may devoure it so it is with wicked persons that beare the image and exercise the practise of the divell if there be any that God is pleased to work upon why wicked men they court them at all times and occasions that can be all is too good for them in this kind nicenesse and exactnesse and precisenesse and madnesse and all is cast upon them to devoure poore sinners and hinder poore Saints to hinder the birth of the child that the Church travelleth withall why wouldst thou devoure a poore creature that God in mercy would deliver from sinne here and bring to salvation hereafter Dost thou envy him dost thou by cursed perswasions and wicked devices endeavour to pluck from God to sinne I tell thee if there were ever a divell in a man there is one in thee if there were ever a child of the divell that was wicked here and shall be damned hereafter thou art surely one and this is the first thing wherein the miserable condition of these men is discovered they are the children of the divell the Lord of heaven open your eyes and awaken your consciences and reveale these things to your soules that you may forsake these base courses secondly as they are most like to the divell so also their wretched estate appeares in this that they are the greatest and deadliest enemies to God that place formerly named will serve for the opening of this Acts 13.10 there saith the Text thou child of the divell and enemy to all righteousnesse Paul calls Elymas the sorcerer because hee withstood him and resisted the work of God not only the child of the divell but an enemy to all righteousnesse mark that as who should say he that withholds a Saint of God hee that would pluck a soule from walking uprightly before God he is an enemy to all righteousnesse and this is a most fearfull thing for other kind of sinnes are of a lesse nature for a drankard is an enemy to sobriety an unjust person is an enemy to justice a lyer is an enemy to truth an adulterer is an enemy to chastity and a malicious man is an enemy to charity but he that is an enemy to the saving work of Gods grace in the soule of a man he that withstands and resists the worke of conversion hee is an enemy to all righteousnesse for how shall a man walk holily before God or righteously before his brethren how shall he love God above all things and his neighbour as himselfe unlesse grace be wrought in the soule of a man and unlesse the word of God bee placed in the heart of a man men ought to keep Gods Cōmandements that they may receive comfort from God now unlesse God bestow faith and grace and his spirit upon a man how shall hee do this but when thou sayest I would not have such a man converted I would not have the spirit work effectually in his heart when thou hinderest the work of God in this kind then thou hinderest a man from performing obedience to Gods Commandements and therefore thou art an enemy to God Gods Sabbaths can never be sanctified the life of thy neighbour can never be tendered the chastity of thy neighbour can never be preserved thou art a drunkard thou art an adulterer thou are a murtherer he that murthereth a man is an enemy to the life of a man but he that will not suffer the word of God to take plane in the soule of a sinner he is the murtherer of the soule of a man he is an enemy to all righteousnesse he cannot performe any service unto God there is no duty to be performed no sinne to bee omitted but thou art an enemy to all for when thou dost hinder a sinner from receiving of grace and from being made partaker thereof thou dost hinder a sinner from honouring of God here and receiving of comfort hereafter and what a wofull wretched condition is this to be an enemy to all righteousnesse and not only so but full of all mischiefe for so saith the Text aforenamed thou enemy of all righteousnesse and full of all mischiefe marke the opening of the words full that is brimme full top full ready to runne over with wickednesse and the cause is this it s naught for a man to be wicked and to resolve to be no better is worse but for a man not only to be wicked and resolve to be no better but to hinder others also from being good this is the very height of all impiety this is to be an enemy to all righteousnesse and to be full of mischiefe Thirdly as they are the children of the divell and enemies to all righteousnesse so also they are the greatest enemies to the salvation of mens soules they compasse sea and land to make a Proselyte I beseech you take notice of it thou art a drunkard and a blasphemer and a wretched lewd person thou art not only bad thy selfe but such a man hath had his mind inlightned and his conscience awakened but thou by thy wicked counsells and carnall reasons and sinfull arguments catchest him and with drawest him againe into his former wicked courses and base practises and then the end of that man is worse than the beginning and hee becomes twice a child of the divell well he shall perish and so shalt thou he shall be damned but the Lord shall require his bloud at thy hands and this is the maine cause why men perish and go downe to hell namely the wicked counsells and cursed perswasions which sinfull damned persons use to hurry poore soules downe into destruction as though they could not go fast enough of themselves to hell but they must lay these base sinfull cords upon them to draw them headlong into the bottomlesse pit of confusion Well the time will come when these poore creatures shall call for vengeance at the hand of God to bee executed against you they will accuse you at the last day and curse you and call for vengeance to be poured downe upon your heads you that are guilty of this whensoever you meet with the day of death here or with the day of judgement
sinnes lies heavie upon his heart and the soule complaines as David did my sinnes are gone over my head they are to heavie for me I am not able to beare them these mightie corruptions I shall never bee able to master them these sinnes that hang upon me and these distempers that cleave unto me oh I cannot bee rid of them I see my sinnes more than ever I did and yet they follow me and still they pursue after me I shall never be freed from them I shall never get dominion over them why there is admirable comfor from the former point for such a poore soule that is thus oppressed by and overwhelmed with corruptions the doctrine is this God by a holy kind of violence doth pluck men from sinne and draw them to himselfe though thy sinnes will not part from thee yet the Lord will pluck those corruptions from thy soule hee will awaken thy conscience and humble thy heart he will bring downe thy sturdie heart be thy sinnes therefore never so great and thy corruptions never so mightie yet take consolation hereby the maine trouble of a poore soule lieth in three respects partly in regard of the temptations of Satan partly in regard of corruptions partly in regard of the opposition a man finds in a good course these are marvellous hinderances to a Christian and here is marvellous comfort from the former truth against all those first for temptations when the Lord letteth Satan loose upon a poore sinner and the divell begins to domineere over a sinner and trample upon a sinner and tells a sinner that to hell he must go and away hee must with him it is in vaine to strive for his sinnes are so strong that they shall never bee removed his corruptions will never part from him and therefore he wisheth a sinner to put an end to his daies and so to his sinning for he shall never be recovered he shall never be freed from the guilt of his sinnes and the dominion of them this is Satans power and this is like the wind that blew downe Iobs house that great and mightie tempest which came from the wildernesse and smote the foure corners of his house and made it fall upon his sonnes so I conceive the violent whurries of temptation and the fierce assaults of Satan come East and West North and South upon the heart of a sinner insomuch that the heart beginnes to sinke and conceives it selfe almost in hell it thinks it shall never overcome those assaults it thinks it shall never get out of these temptations you that finde these now or may find these hereafter let it please God to speake peace unto you you may observe marvellous comfort from the former doctrine the Text saith if Satan will not come out the Lord Iesus will bind the strong man and overcome him and take his weapons away from him and free the house of him and then he himselfe will go in and take possession Rom. 16.20 there saith the Text The Lord of heaven shall shortly beate downe Satan and trample hith under â—â—eet however haply Satan will not downe but be proud and malicious towards you though you cannot conquer him and quiet him though you cannot command the churlish curre yet the master can if there bee a bandogge or a mastiffe in the way the passenger must seeke by all faire meanes to appease him and yet haply hee will not be quiet but if tho muster comes he can command him and still him presently so it is with this curre divell he is nothing else but Gods bandogge Gods mastiffe whereby hee whurrieth poore sinners to make them runne to heaven for comfort though you cannot quiet him yet God can command him and make him fall under your feet and though he will not go out yet God will by strong hand cast him out whether hee will or no nay though there were a legion of devills in thee yet the Lord will force them out Luke 8.30 Christ met with a man which had divells a long time and when bee saw Iesus hee fell downe before him and cryed with a loud vayce what have wee to do with thee Iesus than sonne of the living God and Iesus asked him what is thy name and they said legion because many divells were entred into him I command thee thou uncleane spirit to come out of him saith Christ and so Satan was forced out whether hee would or no and therefore cheare thou thy soule and comfort thou thy heart which findest troubles in this kind and the temptations of Satan if hee be violent in tempting God will be as strong in conquering and binding of him and hee will cast him out and this is the first thing which hinders a man in a christian course namely the temptations of Satan and if thy heart bee still manuring and perplexed and saith the temptations of Satan are fierce But secondly these corruptions of mine oh they are extreme so that my sinnes are like a mayne flood which passeth over my head one wave commeth after another wickednesse after wickednesse and iniquity after iniquity now proud now sturdy now covetous now loose now prophane now unfaithfull oh these secret sinnes of mine and these bosome abominations of mine by which my heart hath so long beene swayed in which my soule hath so long continued I shall never bee freed from these I shall never get the mastery over these especially these beloved darlings lusts of mine God must breake my bones before they will out for my soule is still pursuing these distempers so that the poore sinner concludes as he did 2 King 7.2 when there was a great famine in Samaria the Prophet Elisha came and prophecied saying to morrow about this time shall a measure of fine flowre be sold for a shekell and two measures of barley for a shekell in the gates of Samaria then a ruler or a noble man upon whom the King leaned sayth the text answered the man of God and sayd behold if the Lord would make windowes in heaven might this thing be as who should say is it possible there should be such plenty on the suddaine no though God make windowes in heaven it cannot be So the soule sayth is it possible these sweet lusts these darling abominations so long committed so long continued so long practised can they ever bee pardoned if the Lord should make windowes of comfort and consolation is it possible that my soule should ever be refreshed why yet for all this behold a great deale of comfort from the former point though thy sinnes bee never so violent to pursue thee though thy corruptions bee never so strong to set upon thee yet God is more strong to conquer those sinnes and more strong to subdue those corruptions bee the union between sinne and thy soule never so neere God will breake that bond and snap those cords in sunder bee the dominion that sinne hath over thy soule never so great yet the power which Christ
acquaintance together saith the Text and then he saith to Peter we are all here present-before thee to heare all things that are commanded thee of God and it was that passage Ezech. 33.3 there the people speake one to another saying Come let us goe up to the house of the Lord and heare what is the word that commeth from the Lord mark how they call one another together and rap at one anothers doore thus do you counsell men to come unto the Lord and heare his word they will never come under the power of the hammer else that they may bee stricken hale them and draw them to the ministery of the word that so what you cannot do privately that the word may do in publick Ioh. 5.4 there was an Angell went downe at a cortaine time into the poole of Bethesda and troubled the waters then whosoever first stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had now there lay a poore lame man at the brinke of the waters and because he was not able to step in every one stepped in before him and no man would help him mark how hee complaineth in the seventh verse I have no man saith he when the water is troubled to put me into the poole but while I am comming another steppeth downe before me he would faine have got in bâ— could not the word of God is like this poole of Bethesda when the word of God is opened and plainly and familiarly discovered when the spirit moveth upon the waters why put a poore soule into the water fling the soule of your child or your servant or your friend into the poole perswade what you may and compell those that are under you to come unto the word of God wheÌ„ the word of God is soundly revealed delivered why put a poore soule into the waters such a man hath a lame heart hee is lame in his practise and lame in his praying and lame in the performance of holy duties he is a cripple from his cradle why bring such of your neighbours and put them into the water and intreat the Lord to work upon them that the Angell may move from heaven and work conversion and salvation to the soules of them secondly as you must labour to bring them under the power of the word so secondly when God hath made knowne his word to the hearts of them follow you the blow as much as in you lyeth if there bee any exhortation settle it if there be any admonition presse it if there be any reproofe apply it home unto their soules strike thou while the iron is hot if thy child were touched and inlightned by the word when the Lord hath strucken his heart follow thou the blow when the Lord is pleased to smite his soule bring thou the blow home unto the heart of him remember that Deut. 6.7 there saith the Text these words which I command thee shall be in thy heart and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children the word in the originall is thou shalt sharpen them thou shalt teach them that is thou shalt sharpen them upon the soules of thy children and upon the soules of thy servants the Ministers do what they can and you heare reproofes and exhortations and when you go out of the Church leave them in your stooles behind you but you should sharpen them and bring them home to the hearts of your wives and your children and servants and they that belong unto you you should follow the blow home when the Lord is pleased to exhort exhort you when the Lord is pleased to reprove reprove you it is no great matter haply to bring your children or servants under the word but when they are here they play and sport and talk and runne about as though there were no God here and therefore you should tell your children and servants it is the word of the Lord child and it is the word of the Lord servant it is not the word of man as you may think but it is the word of the Lord by which you shall one day be judged the Minister told you that God hateth a proud man and and a drunkard and an adulterer and a swearer why this was the word of the Lord thus bring the word home unto their soules and this is the way to bring them home unto God here that they may receive salvation hereafter we should use all the cords of mercy and love and anger and indignatioÌ„n that so if it were possible we might hale the soules of poore sinners to God oh blessed spirit of Saint Paul in this kind I wonder what is become of that love zeale that was in him as we may see in the 19. of the Acts he travells from place to place froÌ„ countrey to countrey he goes from house to house and rappes at every mans doore perswading men with all patience to be reconciled to God he dealeth as the nurse doth with her child the child cries and shrâ—ikes and wrawles and yet the nurse beares all so doth the Apostle Paul he met with much opposition here mocked there imprisoned there set in the stocks and scourged and yet he beares all with patience and perswades and beseeches men to be reconciled I say this power this zeale this love is gone if wee had hearts and hands and endeavours much more might be done in this case and God might work more mercifully with us powerfully by us for the conversion of poore sinners and this doth not lie only in the Ministers hands but Masters in yours and Officers in yours and so much shall serve for this poynt The next thing considerable in the Text is from the order first drawing then comming you cannot come unto me except my father draweth you the point is that God must first pluck us froÌ„ sin before we will fasten our soules upon the Lord Iesus it is evident Mat. 12.29 no man commeth into a strong mans house saith the Text unlesse he first bind the strong man first there must be binding and casting out before there can be taking of possession the house is the heart and the strong man is Satan the Lord must bind the one before he can take possession of the other the soule must be drawne before it will come to God however for the manner of this drawing it be divers God dealeth with some one way and some another some hee drawes with the cords of his mercy and some with the hookes of conscience yet this is certaine there must be a drawing before there can or will be a comming Gal. 3.22 it is said that all men are shut up under sinne c. Ioh. 1.12 As many as received him to them he gave power to become the sonnes of God now before the Lord Iesus can be received the bonds of sinne must be removed and the lock must bee opened before the Lord Iesus can come in and bee entertained but God doth loose these locks divers wayes as sometimes