necessary Again Sin is most subtile to alure us to entice us to put out our thoughts of Reformation How often doth it untwist the Cord and propound delights and pleasures some sweet baits or other which take us quite away from our private intentions How extremely doth it fill the heart with Unbelief that the Reformation of such a sin can never be and if we set upon it how strangely doth it amaze us that there is no hope of mercy and therefore we were better enjoy some pleasure a while then bitterness and anguish for ever 3. The heart is naturally deceitful and apt to turn or be turned The heart is naturally Dâ—ceiâ—ful A small thing will make the eye to shut and the very imagination of danger is enough to discourage many a man and to make him to recoyl A cunning man must be tyed in firm bonds We think that we will do much and suffer any thing but this we find that if the way be good we do not easily like it if it be long we are quickly weary of it if it be harsh we are ready to forsake it Now occurrents and accidents do ordinarily put on us new Intentions and Byasses 4. If you consider the frame and disposition of that new course of The frame of the new course of Godly walking Godly walking you will confess that a resolution is necessary for 1. It is spiritual and wholly heavenly 2. It is strict and must It is spiritual Strict be ordered by rule no room for any one sinful lust or way strait is the gate 3. It is opposite and contrary to that nature and will which is corrupt in us it is supra contra 4. It is difficult Opposite to corrupt nature Difficult and very high grace and supernatural works are hard to deny our selves our own righteousness c. 5. It is capable of such dangers which will not easily be digested even loss of life it Capable of great dangers Very laborious self 6. It is very laborious it must cost a man much study and search much care and watchfulness much prayers and many tears much self-denial and mortification much going out of himself and adventuring upon pure promises 7. Of necessity the soul must undergoe much if it will lead a godly life many The Soul must undergoe much for iâ— violent temptations from Satan inward conflicts with the love of sin outward persecutions from the world They that will live godly must suffer persecution Now tell me whether a firm resolution be not necessary when a man changeth to a course which is very spiritual and holy whereas before he lived in a course that was sensual and impure again into a course very strict and contrary to him in great part and very difficult and very dangerous and wherein he must be very industrious and go through many a sharp trial and brunt All the use which I shall make of this assertion shall be reduced Vse unto two heads 1. Of Exhortation 2. Direction 1. The Exâ—ortation is that as we do desire a real reformation of our sinful wayes so we strive to bring our hearts to a solid resolution Exhortation to bring our hearts to this Solid Resolutition Motives Six dangers of Irresolution You will not be free from strong temptation against them Two things I will propound as motives to edge this exhortation 1. The folly and inconvenience of an irresolute and tottering and hovering spirit viz. 1. Till you attain to a firm resolution you will never be free from strong temptations Faint denials are interpretative Encouragements as it is with the ill humours of the body they flock and resort to a crazy part So it is with Satans temptations they will ever be frequent where the heart is ready to embrace or not resolved to resist why shouldest thou expect that Satan should fall off when thou art yet irresolved to resist him that he should not be backward to tempt when thou art not resolved not to yield 2. Till you attain to a firm resolution you will never come to a firm peace Conscience cannot be clear in its testimony when we are indifferent in our You will never come to a firm â—eace purpose against sin Paul could say the evil that I would not doe thou canst not say so The decision of that estate will be under a cloud and you will be struck with more suspicions of hypocrisie and wrath while you come to be plain-hearted and resolute I will serve no sin any longer 3. Till you attain to a firm resolution you will be subject to the frequent intanglings of sin weak You will be subject to the enâ—anglings of Sin resolutions are like a weak child or a feather or like weak walls through which any bullet will flye Thou hast no armour on till thou be resolved any sinful occasion or opportunity is too hard for him whose heart is not clad with a peremptory denial How can he be stedfast who is not â—ound a â—ame Legg is apt to â—â—ll or what shock can a weak body sustein it cannot be but thou shouldest be under the guilt of much corruption who art not determinately fixed in thy resolves against all sinful suggestions Thou wondredst at it that perhaps after many Prayers and much hearing yet some sin or other still prevails but can it well be expected that Sin should not be thy Conqueror when as yet thou art not resolved to be its enemy 4. Till you attain to a firm resolution you will but shuffle in a good course off and on sometimes You will but shuffle in a Good Course much sometimes little sometimes nothing A double-minded man is unstable in all his wayes saith St. James 1. 8. every business will withdraw you and any occasion will excuse you from Gods service while you are indifferent unto it every wind drives through thy Boat and every frost will nip thy Bud. 5. Nay Irresolution will prove a bitter root of apostacy if dangers surprize thee on the left hand or temptations on the right It will prove a bitter Root of Apostacy hand it is a thousand to one but thou wilt deny the faith and make Shipwrack of conscience There lies much of our hopeful constancy in Religion as we set forth if we begin with faint and irresolved hearts we shall fall back with wounded and broken Souls he cannot be long good who is not resolvedly good 6. Flat and poor communion with God You will make no prayer or but cold indifferent Prayer Austin was affraid that God There will be flat and poor Communion with God The Benefits of a full Resolution It will be a testimony our hearts are upright would hear him 2. The benefits and comforts oâ— a firm Resolution which are many 1. It will be a great Testimony unto you that your hearts are upright He who will not resolve against a sinful course either his heart hath a flaw
much good thou needest not what thou canst deserve but it looks on what God will bestow Is it the many sins thou hast committed which present an utter unworthiness to thy conscience why Faith will teach thee to confess the debt and yet to crave for pardon Is it the hardness or vileness of thy heart which makes thee afraid Oh! the Lord is of purer eyes than to look on such a dead dog so vile a wretch as I Why Faith will teach thee that though the Lord be lofty and high are his habitations yet of all people he looks after the humble and contrite and hath respect unto them and looks on such through the bloud of the Covenant and that he will give Grace as readily as he will give Mercy and as freely bestow on thee a new heart as a gracious pardon 5. God onely must have the glory to be the Giver of Good and God only must have the glory to be the giver of good therefore be not thou discouraged if thou be admitted onely to be the receiver of good To be King no way befits the Subject the King honours the Subject highly if he make him the Kings Receiver O Christian let it suffice thee let God alone find gifts to bestow do thou study more for hands to receive them if ever thou wouldst have mercy get such an humble and believing heart as to be willing to receive any mercy upon any of Gods terms LUKE 15. 20. And he arose and came to his Father But when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him These words contain in them two parts 1. The very Life of true Repentance Which consists not in a bare Resolution but in an active and real Execution I will arise said the Prodigal and here he did arise I will go to my Father and here did come unto his Father He arose and came unto his Father 2. The gracious Acceptance of a real Penitent The Graciousness of it appears 1. In the present observation of him when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him the very intentions much more the present actings of repentance are quickly eyed and observed by a mercifull God 2. In a present affection to him and had compassion the bowels of mercy will stir when the heart of a sinner is penitentially touched 3. In a present Application His Father saw him and his Father pitied him but this is not all His Father also ran and fell on his neck and kissed him Mercy runs and Mercy embraceth and Mercy cheareth the penitent sinner The first part affordeth us this Proposition viz. That penitent intentions and resolutions should be accompanied with present executions and performances The Text properly Doct. 5. Penitent Resolutions should be accompanied with present Executions yields this for the words of it are but the lively and written copy of the Prodigals private and conceived purpose to leave his sinfull courses and to come back to the obedience and service of his Father It is observed of Hezekiah 2 Chron. 29. 3. That he opened the doors of the house of the Lord in the first year and in the first moneth of his reign and repaired them The publick Reformation was the principal work and it was the prime work too So must it be with a true Penitent as soon as God sets up a Throne of Grace in him presently to act that Grace in purging out of sin and walking in the paths of righteousness We read this in Josiah as soon as ever he heard the threatnings of God out of the Law his heart melted and humbled it self 2 Chron. 34. 19 27. and instantly he gathered all the Elders of Judah and Jerusalem v. 29. and made a Covenant v. 31. and they took away all the abominations out of all the Countreys and turned back to serve the Lord their God v. 33. This you see in Practise you may see the same likewise in Precept Joel 2. 12. Therefore now turn unto me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning The Duty is charged upon them for fuâ—ness in all the parts of Repentance and for quickness Now turn c. For the better opening of this Assertion premise with me a few particulars 1. That the execution of a penitential resolution is nothing This is meant of the very practise of Repentance else but an acting course or the very practise of Repentance When not onely the Judgement approves of the parts and rules of Repentance and the Will embraceth them with consent and desire but the Endeavour also doth as it were copy them forth in the Conversation I exercise my self to have a good conscience said the Apostle So when the sinner doth exercise Repentance when he doth hate sin indeed and flies from it and forsakes it indeed and when he doth indeed walk in the ways of new obedience becomes a very servant of righteousness and works the work of God this is the execution or the performance of a penitential purpose and resolution As walking is to a journey or as writing is to a copy or as fighting is to a war that is penitential execution to penitential resolution It is but the Theory as it were drawn down and put forth It is as the tree shooting out into blossoms and fruits It is repentance in life which is the life of repentance 2. That presentness of Execution is an undelayed acting Our actions fall vvithin three spaces of time either of the vvhich is And of an undelayed acting past as vvhat vve have done or of that vvhich is future as that vvhich shall be done or of that vvhich is present as that vvhich is doing Look as true Marriage it is not a future but a present acceptation So true Repentance is not a delayed but a present reformation Or as in Writing the motion of the Pen and the forming of the Letter are simultaneous Or as in a Clock the vvheel doth move and the finger doth move So in the business of Repentance the purpose of amendment should at the same time drop out into the change of heart and vvays To have repentance onely in our purposes is onely to have water in a cloud or physick in a glass it is not yet to do it Resolutions may be for the future but Executions are for the present act an hearing while it is to day and not hardning of the heart As St. Paul being called vvent immediately up to Jerusalem so present execution of repentance is vvhen we do not defer the penitential work a not allowing of our selves in giving vvay to our sins no not an hour as the Apostle spake in another case 3. That there is a two-fold present execution of penitential purposes One is immediate or vvhen the purpose and the acting And of a present execution either for immediateness or seasonableness vvithout distance of time
causes in Christ to accept of him and to resign up to him rather than to sin or world or any thing else and when the Will is wrought upon so as to accept of Christ in his Person and Offices and Estates the soul is now matched or married to Christ by Faith It bestows it self and gives Christ all the right and cleaves unto him in an indissoluble bond of affection and service Quest 3. The third resolveable is concerning the Subject of this The subject of this faith faith who hath it The Text resolves that by telling us that the Ring was put on the returning Prodigals finger so that the penitent person is he who wears the Ring i. who is an espoused The penitent person is onely married unto Christ or married person by Faith unto Christ You may be married to your Lusts and to the World though you be impenitent yet none but Penitents are married unto Christ by Faith Not that Repentance goes before Faith in Christ for no Grace habitually considered is in time before another though in operation it be Nor that Repentance is the cause of Faith for it is a most improper Assertion to make one Grace to be the cause of another Grace when as every Grace doth come onely from the Spirit of Reasons Christ as the cause But because 1. The penitent person is only the The penitent person onely hath faith subject of Faith which doth marry us to Christ no person is a believer who is not a penitent person The Prodigal while onely a Prodigal he hath neither Garment nor Ring but when he is a returning Prodigal then he hath both and not till then 2. Onely penitent persons can evidence their faith and espousal unto Onely penitent persons can evidence their faith Christ Another who is impenitent can no more evidence his interest or title to Christ then an Alien that never heard of this Land can evidence or conclude his title and right to any Goods or Chattels of yours The title to Christ is proper onely to the Penitent for them he lived and for them onely he died Now if any should yet further demand Why the Lord should Why will the Lord give this to penitent persons To convince the world there is no loâ—s in leaving sin To support the soul of the heavy laden give unto penitent persons a precious faith to espouse them to Christ I conjecture briefly that these may be the Grounds or Reasons 1. To convince all the world that there is no loss in leaving of sin Abjice tectum tolle coelum said one The repentant person forsakes his sins but presently finds a Saviour he is divorced from that which would damn him and by faith is espoused unto one that will save him 2. To support the soul of the penitent which of all other is most sick and heavy laden It is most sensible of sin and guilt and Gods displeasure on all which it cannot long look alone If the penitent person had not faith to see a Mediatour he would not long have an eye to look upon his transgressions It is a truth that Repentance could never act it self unless the penitent person had faith to act it self too The sorrow in Repentance would infinitely sink into despair and the forsaking of sin would turn into a forsaking of God if Faith saw not a Mediatour for Transgressions and a mercifull God through him 3. Lastly The Lord intends singular mercy to the penitent God intends singular mercies to the Penitent persons to perform many precious promises of pardon and grace and comfort unto them and therefore gives them Faith unto which all the Promises are made The promises may be considered two ways either in respect 1. of Intention so they look unto the Penitent of Application so onely Faith is the Hand in the Penitent which actively applies the Promises Again you know that the Promises of God are Yea and Amen in Christ i. they are all sealed by him and made good unto us by him so that first we must have Christ before the Promises made good unto us by Christ And therefore God gives unto the penitent person the Grace of Faith to espouse him unto Christ that so he may settle upon him all the Dowry upon the Marriage of the rich mercy and good in his precious Promises The main Use which I will make of this assertion is To try our selves whether we have this precious Ring of Faith a Ring Vse Try our selves whether we have this precious faith A necessary trial if we consider The paucity of true believers more precious than that of Gold put on our fingers yea or no. It is as necessary a demur as ever you were put unto all your dayes whether you consider 1. The paucity of true believers All men have not faith saith the Apostle All men nay very few Who hath believed our report said the Prophet We preach we offer Christ unto you we beseech you to accept of the Lord of Life to give up your hearts and lives unto him but who believes our report We tell you that Christ is better than all the world his bloud is better than sin it 's better to love and serve him than world or sin but who believes our report Men care not to know the excellencies of Christ they prize him not they care not to hear him speak in his Ordinances they will in no wise consent and yield to his terms and conditions 2. The Vtility The utility of it of it To the Sacrament of the Lords Supper if we come without our Wedding-Ring it will be as sad a day to us as to him who came without his Wedding Garment We do not onely receive no good at the Sacrament for we have neither hand nor mouth to take and eat if we have not Faith not title at all to the intrinsecal benefits by Christ if we have not faith in him Nay we occasion much evil and Judgment upon our selves we adventure to eat and drink our own damnation not discerning the 1 Cor. 11. Lords body And righteously may the Lord judge us for coming to his Sacrament without Faith for as much as in so doing we do not onely presume against an express prohibition that we should hold off but also we do at the least interpretatively assay to make God a Liar and a favourer of all villany as if he would put his Seal of Pardon and mercy and for all the good of his Covenant in Christ to a wicked impenitent and unbelieving sinner 3. The Hypocrisie of our hearts so apt to deceive themselves with shadows in stead of substances not The hypocrifie of our hearts considering that Satan can delude a man with the shew of any grace Every Ring is not a Ring of Gold nor is every Faith a precious and unfeigned Faith There is a thing called Presumption which is bold enough but it is not Faith and there
so for other duties 5. Spiritual joy will exceedingly It will exceddingly facilitate the way and work to heaven facilitate the way and work for heaven It is our facundus Comes which is pro Vehiculo As the fear of the Lord is our treasure Isa 33. 6. So the joy of the Lord is our strength Neh. 8. 10. An heavy dull sad spirit is a burden ofâ— it self and is very apt to make every thing else a burden Now spiritual joy it takes off dulness and deadness and enables us to run the way of Gods Commandments and to run the race that is set before us Amanti nihil difficile it makes our spiritual work to come off the Wheels run if oyled Quest This is true will some reply but what should converted What should converted persons do to walk joyfully persons do that they may walk joyfully Sol. There are two sorts of converted persons Incipientes who are newly called newly wrought on newly brought home and these ordinarily are full of fears of doubts of temptations of conflicts of heaviness Proficientes who are long standers in the wayes of grace Will you favour me to speak a few words to either of these 1. To persons newly converted I would humbly present Directions To persons newly converted these directions as proper means or Conduits of joy and comforts to their souls 1. Draw up your spiritual condition to some issue Do not live with a doubtful suspition perhaps you are converted perhaps Draw up your Spirituall condition to some Issue you are not converted As ignorance is an enemy to grace so doubtfulness is an enemy to comfort That man who is still in suit whether his Conversion be true will not dare to lay claim to the joyes which result from Conversion If I fear my grace I shall much more fear my comfort Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure Therefore do this bring thy souls estate to the word that is the rule that is the fire that is the touchstone if the Word of God will approve and decide for thee bless God and maintain the truth of thy spiritual estate against all the suggestions of Satan and cavils of thine own heart when once that doth say truth of grace is in thee conscience will say truth of comfort belongs unto thee 2. Get a little more faith one dram more would turn the the scale and settle thine heart Faith trades with the Fountain Get a little more saith with the God of Comfort and of Peace and with Jesus Christ It is Faith that lets you into Christ and it is Faith which lets comfort into you The God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing Rom. 15. 13. There are five priviledges of Faith It hath the first look of Mercy it hath the first kiss from Christ it hath the first news of acceptance unto Life it hath the first answer of Peace it hath the first draught of Joy Oh get a little more faith a little more faith would weaken the grounds of thy fears quell the motions of thy doubts clear thy way to the fountains of comfort imprint on thy heart a most joyful Communion with thy God and Christ no life of joy but that of faith 3 And Learn to live by faith and then you will have more Learne to live by faith joy and comfort Four things would make a mans life very joyfull and comfortable 1. If he were eased of all burthens 2. If he were secured from all prejudices 3. If what he had were good and enough 4. If he were assured that whatsoever good he should need of that he should not fail but be supplied with it in due time Now the life of faith 1. Easeth you of all your burthens There are but two burthens upon us 1. The sinfull Faith sees this taken off by Christ He bare our sins 2. The earthly of cares Faith sees Gods providence taking that off The Lord is a Sun c. Psal 84. I will never leave thee Heb. 13. Bread shall be given to him his waters shall be sure Isa 33. 16. Cast your care on him for he careth for you 1 Pet. 5. 7. 2. Secures you against all prejudices and hurts Faith finds us still in Gods hands and in a safe custody Though there be evils in the world yet they shall not come nigh you and his work goes on though ours do not God is with you who can be against you There 's a Deluge but Noah's in the Ark a storm but you are in an hiding place He holds you in his hand and covers you under his wings makes all things to work for good Faith sees the Trouble and the Sanctuary both Occurrences and Providence both ruling carrying on observing watching preserving If Earth won't keep you safe Heaven shall 3. It renders the present possession as good and enough Your portion is so For what is a Christians portion Is not God is not his favour And is not God enough is not his favour better then life He who cannot be contented with a God and a Christ and a Covenant of Grace and Heaven will be satisfied with nothing You have but little of Earth Aâ— but you have God and Christ If a man have but a little Garden yet if he have a large field c. A little of Earth and much of Heaven makes a fair Estate 4. It assures you of supplies universal and seasonable Vniversal I shall not want Psal 23. 1. No good thing will he withhold Psal 84. 11. No good for soul no good for body you have his Bonds for both and this is for life Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life Psal 23. Nay for everlastingness I will marry thee to my self for ever Hos 2. 19. 2. Seasonable In an acceptable time c. In the mount God will be seen 4. Get a little more understanding and judgment about your converted Get more understanding and judgment about your converted condition and gracious condition Shall I help thee a little with a few Considerations and Informations Know then 1. The great Fountain of thy Joy lies more in thy Justification then in thy Sanctification Thou hast not so much Holiness as another but thou hast of Christs Righteousness thou canst not apprehend so strongly but thou art apprehended as strongly Christ lays as fast hold of thee 2. That Grace and Weakness may dwell together It may be very true though very weak the smoaking flax and the bruised reed and the grain of mustard-seed A Father hath one Child in the Cradle and another in the Shop a Shepheard hath Lambs in the flock as well as Sheep the Gardiner hath Plants as well as Trees and Christ hath Babes as well as strong Men belonging to him 3. That the least Grace and the great Love of God do go together The little drop of Grace comes out of the Ocean of his great Love
but the real cause of his sinning is his own will for he loves Darkness rather then Light and had rather serve his Lusts then God he makes choice of them before God as the multitude did of Barrabas before Christ and when Life and Death God and Sin are propounded yea and that with the true rewards from the one and severe wrath from the other yet he like Issachar bowes down under the burthen and loves rest he had rather go on in his sins and will not leave them And therefore we alone are guilty of our own bloud God is innocent as well as just our condemnation is but a due guerdon or paiment for our own voluntary departings from God A third moral Observation is this that The pleasures of sinning will quickly end and the end of them is extreme misery The Prodigal Doct. 3. The pleasures of sin will quickly end in misery here will be gone he must have pleasure his Fathers house was too strict well he begins his â—iotous living but then you read that he quickly consumed and wasted all his substance and brought himself into such extreme necessities that he became a servant to the swine and fain would have fed his belly with the husks which they left but none gave unto him This point I intend more fully to press which contains in it two branches 1. That the pleasures of sinning are but short 2. That though delights and pleasures begin a sinfull course yet extreme necessity and misery or streights do end it 1. The pleasures and delights of sinning are but short The riotous life of the Prodigal was a present consumption of his estate The pleasures of sin are but short The pleasure of sin is like a Candle which in the very burning and lighting burns and consumes away It is in Scripture compared to the crackling of thorns which is but a speedy blaze and to the Lightning which is but a glance and a flash and away and to a season the pleasures of sin for a season Heb. 11. which is a very inch of time a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a little article of time for though time be long yet a season is but a short space In Job the pleasure of sin is compared to a sweet morsel a morsel is no great quantity and though it be sweet yet it slips quickly away from the tongue and palate And the Apostle compares it to a bait wherewith a fish is taken the fish looks on and nibbles a little and takes it down and then away goes the bait Cain pleased himself a while but not long for the sin of murther presently pursued and cried against him And Adam before him had but one taste of the forbidden tree it quickly set his teeth on edge Gehazi's gold and garments and Achan's wedge as they were stoln waters and though sweet yet short So was it with Ahab he got Naboths vineyard sinfully but he scarce ever enjoyed it he met with a mighty curse from God presently upon him But here observe that the pleasures of sin may be said to be In respect of estimation short 1. In respect of estimation when the hearts of men judge of them as false unlawfull and short Thus Moses esteemed of them and therefore refused the pleasures of sin which were but for a season 2. In respect of duration For if Life itself be not long In respect of duration the pleasures of sin must needs be short It is true that as long as the impenitent soul hath a being the guilt of his sin shall have a being and consistence in the soul but at the utmost sinful pleasures extend not beyond our life their date then of necessity must be expired though usually they are extinguished or interrupted before and life is a very short tale hour moment 3. In comparison In comparison with eternity with eternity though a man should live in the pleasures of sin 20 40 60 years yet what is that space of time to an eternity of sorrows and bitterness Compare the longest time with eternity it is scarce a considerable moment But you may demand Why should the pleasures of sin be so short Sol. Nay Reasons of it you might rather demand Why they should be at all for indeed real pleasure cannot arise out of sinful acts yet a carnal and sensual pleasure there is which is nevertheless short Because 1. Sin is never so pleasant but it breeds that which is Sin is never so pleasant but it breeds that which is unpleasant unpleasant nay the more pleasure we find in it the more displeasure it works like a draught of beer which the more fully and pleasantly drops down the more danger is added to the patient So is it with sin it seems a delightful thing to you to follow your lusts your evil waies but the more you sin the more you increase your guilt and guilt is but a sword to cut the throat of your sinful pleasures It is like sweet poison which goes down easily and delightfully but it will suddenly disturb and crack the body 2. God hath cursed the waies of sin and therefore though they God hath cursed the ways of sin seem pleasant for a while yet that shall not be long he hath hedged it with thorns threatned all evil miserable and judicial evil against it And look as when a good man earnestly presses God upon his promises his sorrowes shall not stay long but sighs and tears shall flie away So when a wicked man provoketh God by his sinnings his pleasures shall be short for the Lord will perform his threatnings against him 3. The pleasures of sin must necessarily be short because conscience Conscience cannot be long quiet cannot be long quiet If you should wound and wound a man he will begin to feel and to complain even your pleasant sinnings are the most grievous woundings of conscience and conscience will not bear it will awake with blood trickling and will be revenged of you with most bitter expostulations severe accusations unsufferable gnawings and then where are the pleasures of your sins Who can stand before envy said Solomon so against conscience the wounds thereof yea and her woundings by it who can bear thy delights will sink and flie off yea thy heart will fail thee utterly when conscience ariseth to accuse and condemn thy sinful pleasures 4. They raise up manifold afflictions and calamities which shorten our pleasures and delights They raise up manifold afflictions But I proceed to the opening of the second branch viz. the endings of sin That though a sinful course may begin in many Sin will end in many miseries pleasures yet it shall end in many miseries extremities and straits There are diverse sorts of ending of things some end by way of annihilation as the souls of the beasts they shall cease to be they are resolved into nothing some end by way of perfection as the souls and waies of
as great plagues as he did on Pharaoh and should they come as thick on thee as on him or any that ever thou didst read of yet if the Lord did not give thee a sanctified heart or if the Lord did not co-operate with the afflictions in a sanctifying way thou wilt be so far from desisting that thy heart after a while will grow as wicked as before It is not absolutely the punished soul nor is it absolutely the troubled conscience nor is it absolutely all that we can see or say which will divert our future course of sinning but it is the sanctified heart the new heart which will make us to leave old sins and live new lives Therefore to the Lord must we go under our afflictions and beseech him to open our ear to discipline and to purge away our iniquities and to make us partakers of his holiness and so to cause us to bring forth the more peaceable fruits of righteousness and note this That all this must be done not in a fit for a little time but habitually we must not cease confessing until we can heartilâ— mourn we must not cease confessing mourning praying until we find the Lord reconciled unto us and our hearts changed and renewed Now those sanctified Qualities which more specially a punished sinner should beg to divert him from progress in sin and to turn him Sanctified Qualities to be begged Hearty Contrition for sins past off from sin I conjecture are these 1. Hearty contrition for sins past He who is a merry Penitent proves an easie Delinquent if former sinnings be no Grief future sinnings will be no Fear he will never with stedfastness learn a good Course who can without mournfulness come off from a bad Way Beg of God for ever to make thee sensible and mournful 2. Real Conversion That the very frame of the Mind Will and Affections be Real Conversion changed the Frame more then the Form that thou become a new Creature get a new heart and Spirit 3. A sincere love of A sincere Love to God God If thy heart knows not yet how to love God it never forgat how to go on in Sin there is nothing which heals the Soul of Sin so as the Love of God this sets the heart on him and makes it to cleave unto him and tender to please him 4. Solid fear of God A reverent awe both of his goodness Solid Fear of God and of his greatness this will strike off security and hardness and presumption and set us in Gods presence and keep the conscience tender and increase humbleness c. 5. Watchfulness over our special corruptions which if any will make us to Watchfulness over our speciall Corruptions halt soonest Do not forget how much they did provoke God already and how assuredly bitter they will prove if thou dost resume them And he fain would have filled his belly with the busks that the Swine did eat and no man gave unto him Vers 16. These words comprehend in them two things First The utmost design of the sinful Prodigal He would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the Swine did eat Secondly The utmost disappointment of that utmost design And no man gave unto him According to either of these there are two Propositions observable by us viz. That a sinner will go through and try the utmost extremities and wayes ere he will return from his sins 2. That nothing shall avail the shuffling and trying sinner untill he doth return from his sins When the Lord forsakes a man nothing avails to help a man That a sinner will try all wayes and go through the utmost extremities ere he will return from his sins The Prodigal here Doct. 1. A sinner will try all wayâ—s to the utmâ—st extremities ere he will return from his sins spends all yet he returns not he is pinched with famine yet he returns not he joyns himself with a Citizen and he sends him to feed Swine yet doth he not return if he could have got but the husks which the Swine did eat husks are but poor empty light things miserable nourishment but if he could have made any shift any way to have supported himself he would not have returned unto his Father Thus you read of Pharaoh that though there were a Climax of plagues upon him and wonders of ruine upon his Land and Cattel and Servants rising like a Tide and Flood yet till it came to his first-born and the next stroke was to reach his own life he would not obey the Voice of the Lord in letting of Israel go like obstinate defendants in a City which will lose one Outwork after another and suffer the Undermining of their Walls ere they will come to terms of Capitulation So we read of the Israelites before the Captivity how extremely they did endure a very succession of Judgments and variety of strange punishments before they would return Amos 4. 6. Cleanness of teeth and want of bread yet have they not returned to me saith the Lord. Ver. 7. Rain was withheld and great scarcity was there of water yet Ver. 8. Have ye not returned to me Ver. 9. Smiting with blasting and mildew and the Palmer worm yet c. Ver. 10. Pestilence after the manner of Egypt and the Sword yet have ye not returned Ver. 11. Overthrowing some of them as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrha and pulling some of them as a firebrand out of the burning yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord. And thus was it with them after the Captivity all the famine and miseries which they suffered in the Siege where the mothers were forced to eat their children of a span long Lam. 2. And all the merciless devourings of the sword and all the kinds of destroying sicknesses did not turn them to the Lord against whom they had sinned but after all they spend the utmost of their pollicies for safety running into Egypt flying unto Ashur they tryed all sorts of fruitless confidences before they would return unto the Lord therefore doth the Lord threaten to hedge their ways with thorns and to make a wall that they shall not find their paths Hos 2. 6. i. he would cast them upon such a condition that they should not go any further or if they did they should have little ease they should walk as upon thorns upon continual prickings and woundings and all this must be done before they will return to their first husband vers 7. Now for the clearer opening of this Assertion consider of these particulars 1. That it is to be understood of the natural temper of the sinner The sinner may be considered two wayes under extremities As This is to be understood of the natural temper of the sinner effectually assisted by the preventing grace of God which is of surpassing vertue to renew the soul and to conquer its stubbornness and aversness and effectually to perswade and draw in the
And is this excuse to pass for currant hath not God dealt Answered with thee often didst not thou more often harden thine own heart willingly withdraw thy self and all out of a love to sin 2. Though thou couldst not convert thine own heart yet this thou mightest have done in the times of afflictions c. considered what might move the Lord thus to deal with thee all or some of the causes which thy own conscience did freely suggest and the ends which God pointed thee to to reform them And then to have gone to him by vehement prayer to convert thy heart from thy sins to teach it righteousness to submit to his instructions Thou mightst thus have gone to him who can convert and have waited on him in the means of conversion but thou didst nor desire after him nor delightedst to seek him c. 2. But What may we do to prevent this shuffling and assaying of means to support us in sinning when the Lord deals with us and Means to prevent this shuffling calls upon us for the leaving of sin Sol. I would commend these five Directions 1. Strive to be convinced of this That as long as the Course is a sinfull Course it Be convinced of this That a sinfull course cannot be a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 safe course can never be a safe Course We may weary our selves in the multitude of our imaginations and ways but run what course you please and pursue your own devices yet this ye shall reap of the Lord you shall lie down in your shame and sorrow you may run to new experiments but misery will follow your sins the next time as well as this and in every way as well as one way Your sins will find you out and as long as you carry your sins with you you cannot keep off calamities from you 2. Of necessity you must return or perish Your sinfull course is You must return or perish a by-path and leads to death It is sinfull and you know it and being sinfull it must be miserable To what end doth the Patient excuse the taking of the Receipt the wholsome Balm he must die if he doth not receive it So consider To what end do I thus vary my paths and shuffle and seek supports there is nothing strong enough to secure a sinner and let me sadly consider that I must one time or other leave these sinnings or else farewel my Soul and Salvation 3. It cannot but be best the sooner it is I must return or perish too soon I cannot return and the sooner the better A Our Return is best the sooner it is Best For Safety Souldier of a middle age a Counsellor of a grave age and a Penitent of a young age are still the best The work which must be done is best done when soonest Best for Safety for thy life is very uncertain and if thou doest not leave thy sins to day thou mayest be in Hell for ought thou knowest for thy sins to morrow For Acceptance the Lord likes it best when For Acceptance one word of Mercy can cause us to trust and one shaking of the Rod can cause us to tremble and when one command sufficeth to turn us when upon the first Arrest we give up our Weapons it pleaseth Soveraignty best For Quietness for we do hereby deliver not onely our Souls but Bodies also from many troubles For Quietness the sooner we do repent and plainly yield why Conscience speaks peace the sooner and God commands mercies the faster strong Sins breed long afflictions but give up the Sins and God gives up the Quarrel throw over Bichri's head to Joab and he will presently remove the siege If a man had health he might take sleep the better but as long as the body is diseased it is unquiet 4. Strive against those diverting Principles which do draw thee from the right and onely way and put thee on by-thoughts and Strive against diverting Principles as Presumption of Mercy Or of thy own Power by-paths and a vain assayment of means to support us As 1. Presumption either of Mercy though thou doest add drunkenness to thirst and still findest out thine own inventions or thine own Power Thou mayest be hindred of the time which thou doest project and mayest want strength to execute thy purposes For sinfull practises do altogether weaken our power whilest they delude us with a conceit of strength hereafter 2. Stoutness and pride of spirit Do not in a bravery of villany dispute with the Almighty Stoutness and pride of spirir God it may prove a sad Victory to thee that thou art able to reject good counsel and to quench all good motions 3. Delight Delight in sin in sin which drowns the errand of all afflictions c. 5. Beseech the Lord at the very first to circumcise the stubbornness Beseech the Lord to câ—rcumcise the stubbornness of your hearts of your hearts and to give you the understanding ear and the obedient spirit that when in the Word he calls upon you to turn from your sins your hearts may fall down and cry out O Lord turn me and when by afflictions he calls upon you to turn you may presently humble your hearts and cry out O Lord pardon me O Lord heal me O Lord turn and save me Let us all think of this You know that the Lord is displeased with us and we have hitherto hardened our hearts against the Lord God hath dealt with us once twice often in publick in private ways and still we seek our own ways delude the work of Repentance set nothing to heart nor repent of our evil doings I I. Now I proceed to the Second thing which is The final The final disappointment of all the Prodigals designs Doct. 2. Nothing shall avail the shuffling sinner till he return but God will disappoint all his pâ—ojects Some things premised This is meantâ— of a sinner whom God intends to convert disappointment of the Prodigals assays and designs in these words And no man gave unto him Whence I observe That nothing shall avail the shuffling sinner until he doth turn from his sins but God will disappoint all his projects batter down all his confidences frustrate all his expectations drive him out of all his harbours and overthrow all the means and ways which he flies unto Before I confirm this Assertion let me premise a few particulars that so you may rightly conceive the scope of it Thus then 1. I intend the Assertion of a sinner whom God doth intend to convert others he may leave to prosper in their imaginations For you see it raised from the disappointment of a Prodigal one whose conversion at length attended his manifold afflictions and as manifold contrivances to keep up his sinfull conversation though such a person knows not it nor thinks on it yet God is secretly against him and thrusts him off from all the Cities of Refuge
thus have I sinned and whatsoever punishment thou hast inflicted or mayest inflict I must quit thy Justice in all thy proceedings thou canst not but be Righteous for I confess my self to be sinful Nay his Justice only is not glorified but his Wisdom that he knows all our sins and wayes and his Power that he is able to Judge and condemn us yea and his Mercy too that we hope yet he will pardon and forgive the sins which we confess unto him If true Repentance brings forth true Confession then by this it will appear That there are very few true penitents because Use 1. Then there are very few true Penitents very few who do truly and aright confess their sins 1. Some may say of sin what Pilate did of truth What 's Truth So they What 's Sin They are so ignorant that they know not what is evil or when they do evil Now how can any confess or acknowledg that sin to God which is not known at all to himself 2. Others are so far from confessing themselves to be sinful that they like the proud Pharisee justifie themselves to be righteous talk of their good meanings purposes â—ust dealings c. Sana membra ostendebat saith S. Austin of that Pharisee vulnera tegebat I am no Extortioner no Adulterer c. Ask some persons Do you acknowledg One only God who is most Merciful Just Holy Omnipotent Faithful Long-suffering 〈◊〉 of Goodness and Truth c. Yes that do they God forbid else c. Ask them again Are you Idolaters make you no Idols or did you ever worship them Who they nay they defie them and all such trumpery But do you not use to swear and take the Name of God in vain Nay for swearing of all sins they cannot away with that a man gets no good by swearing But do you remember to keep holy the Sabbath Yea all their neighbours can bear witness that they keep to the Church constantly Ask them again Did you never injure your Parents O they were always dutifull Children But did you never play the whore or the adulterer or the thief Nay now they will talk no longer with you if you be so uncharitable as to imagine such guilt Why O thou ignorant sinner why doest thou deceive thy soul if thou art thus righteous thou needest not to repent and if thou art free from all sin how canst thou confess thy sins as a true penitent ought to do to God 3. But some others there are who do both know and acknowledge their sin but how onely in a formal cold indifferent manner True we are all sinners God help us and there is no man but he sins yea the best of them all Never considering That great Justice of God which is provoked by their sins nor that vile and abominable nature in their sins nor that infinite wrath unto which their guilt doth oblige them nor the excellency and necessity of pardoning mercy which we should earnestly sue out when we confess our sins 4. There is another sort who do more distinctly and perhaps somewhat feelingly and freely confess their sins but then they keep Benjamin back And as Rachel hid the images under her so they reserve some one special lust they do not bring all the Prisoners forth unto the Bar There is a sin which they hide close because it is sweet as Zophar speaks Job 20. 12. Now this argues 1. Hypocrisie and guile of heart a secret love to sin it is made in Job 20. 12. the guise of an Hypocrite to hide his sin 2. Extreme folly and vanity of spirit for canst thou conceal any sin from that God who is acquainted with all thy paths and knows thy thoughts afar off and to whose eyes all things are naked will not the Lord discover the sin which thou doest cover before Men and Angels to thy eternal infamy and condemnation assuredly though thou wilt not set thy sins in order before him yet he will set thy sins in order before thee and will reprove thee for them Psal 50. i. he will publish them and he will everlastingly punish thee for them 5. Others do confess all their sins but this onely in times of wrath and judgment and death not like Penitents but as Malefactors as men make their Wills upon a death-bed not out of an hatred of sin but out of meer sense or fear of punishment it is not filial ingenuous free but onely extorted involuntary and servile and therefore not truly penitential They do not go and confess their sins as they to John the Baptist but cry out and confess their sins it is that not which they would do but which they cannot avoid Conscience like an over-charged stomack doth so over-press and pain them that they cannot hold but out it comes what oppression injustice usurious injurious beastly filthy swinish sins they have lived in 6. Others seem to be more ingenuous and voluntary or ready to confess their sins but then this is with such pretences colours shiftings shuffling as if they were like Lawyers to mitigate and colour a bad cause S. Austin complains of some who would impute their sins to Fate to Fortune to the Devil nay to God himself The complaint may well suit with us generally we have some device or other either to deny or to extenuate our sinfull facts rather to plead for our selves than to plead against our iniquities It was company and we are but flesh and bloud and it is not usual or which is contrary it is my nature and the Devil was strong with me others do worse c. 7. But of all men they are most contrary to penitential Confession who â—all evil good and darkness light and that make a a mock and a sport of sin whereas they should with grief of heart and shame of face mournfully penitently humble themselves before the Lord and acknowledge their iniquities instead thereof They boast themselves of their iniquites and make but a jest of that which cost the bloud of Christ It is but a trick of Youth and good Fellowship and Handsomness and Complement and discreet Thrift thus do they phrase their Uncleanness their Drunkenness their Pride their Lying their Covetousness 8. Lastly to mention no more They are defective too about the true penitential confession who are assiduous to confess but desiduous to forsake frequent to acknowledge and declare their sins but negligent in forsaking and leaving of them Discovery sufficeth but Recovery they mind not This is most ordinary with us that we make our confession of sins to God rather an act of our Memory than a work of our Conscience it sufficeth us to deliver in the tale to number our transgressions but then we wrestle not with the Lord in prayer for his Spirit of Grace to heal our hearts and to turn us from the sinfull ways unto which we find our hearts so apt and forward But I will no longer insist upon the Convicting part I proceed
whom I have offered the saving blood of my son and all my pardoning mercies if that he would but have left his sinful wayes Thy own conscience will condemn thee for ever that ever thou shouldst exalt the lust of thy sin before the mercy of God yea the very Devils will cry shame of thee they may say If we had had such mercy offered we could not have been worse then have refused it thou hadst mercy offered to pardon thee and yet thou wouldest go on in thy sins Know O man thouart inexcusable before God thou canst make no apology at all Two things let them be for every ingraven in your brests One is that if mercy will not bring in your souls to repentance nothing will do it I affirm it that if you were in hell it self the toâ—ments of it woâ—ld not incline you to repent if the mercies of God now upon earth will not prevail with you Another if mercy do not lead you to repentance there remains nothing but a fearfull expectation of the fiery indignation of God thou art as sure to be damâ—ed as thou now livest if thou doest not repent thee of thy sins A second Use shall be of Caution Since the Lord is so ready to Vse 2 Cauâ—â—â— Kâ—â—p not 〈◊〉 from Repentance by despairing oâ— Mercy shew all mercy to the penitent therefore take heed that you keep not off from repentance by despairing of mercy There are three sorts of sinners Some whose hearts are hardâ—ed as the Adamant through an habitual itera ion by sin and 〈◊〉 inflâ—med affection unto sin who like that unjust Judg fearing neither God nor man so they are sensâ—ble neither of the vileness of sion nor of the goodness of mercy Some whose hearts are mollifyed graciously altered have seen the evil of their wayes and forsaken them and are turned unto the Lord seeking him with mourning and with supplication to whom the Scepter of Mercy hath been graciously stretched forth and they have effectually touched that Scepter with believing hearts and are returned with much peace and joy unspeakable Others there are twixt both these they are not so low as the first for their consciences are awaked and troubled nor yet so high as the last for they cannot believe any mercy will reach unto them their souls cannot discern any intention of mercy towards them and all the promises of mercy seem to them as restrictive nay as exclusive proclamations denying unto them though grantting unto others the priviledg of their Books and the Pâ—alm of mercy and so are apt to despair mercy seems to them a far off and slow and long a coming Therefore now to such persons who are awakned in their consciences to see the vileness of their sinful ways and their lost condition my advice is by no means to despair of mercy Reasons against despair Despair is a very heinous Sin Reasons why I thus advise are these 1. Despair is a very heinous sin It is one of the highest impeachments of Gods greatest glory and delight there is nothing wherein God doth more magnifie himself in the eyes of the world or more glory in then to sit upon his mercy-seat Now despair is not every diminution and eclipse of mercy but it is in its kind a very extinction of all the love and kindness and mercifulness in God it gives 1. The lye to the promises 2. Reproach to Gods nature and particularly to the attribute of mercy that it is not 1. Kind enough 2. Willing enough 3. Full enough 4. Free enough 2. It is a sore enemy to Repentance of no hope of mercy then no care to repent I can but be damned 2. And The most uncomfortable sin then it is the most uncomfortable sin Other sins afford some though ungrounded and poor contentment either in profit or pleasure But despair being the grave of mercy it is also the very night and funeral of all comfort and as S. Austin spake of an evil conscience that is true of despair It is its own torment for taking the soul off from all remedy it must necessarily afflict it with the most exquisite sense of fear and horrour 3. Satan is very apt to fall in with an awakened conscience and there to aggravate Satan is very apt to draw us to despair sin above all measure thereby to incline it to despair of mercy if he cannot make us dye in a senseless Caâ—m his next aim is to make us perish in an unquiet and despairing storm either to undervalue our sins and so to slay us with security or else to undervalue mercy and so sink us with distrust 4. Yea and no A newly awakned conscience is apt to it conscience is more propense to suspect divine â—avour and to credit false suggestions then a newly awakened conscience Indeed while our hearts are totally seared and past feeling much sin being not at all felt here is an easie ground to delude our selves that mercy will quickly bend unto us who do take our selves to be good enough and not much to need it but when many sins shall be laid to our charge and great ones too with that wrath which a just and holy God hath threatned and we feel the burnings of the wrath begun with us I assure you it will be most difficult to withhold that Soul from despairing of mercy which at once sees much guilt and feels much wrath 5. There is infinite There is infinite mercy in God mercy is God It is his nature and he can forgive iniquity transgression and sin Est in misericordia divina divina Omnipotentia Therefore this I say unto you any of you whose consciences God has awakned to the sight and sense of your sins whether by the Ministry of his Word or of his rod as you desire not utterly to cast dishonour extreemest dishonour to God and to draw the saddest and yet most fruitless anguish on your own spirits and yet again as you tender the welfare of your Souls your everlasting safety by repentance and faith do not despair of finding mercy with God but come in unto him by solid repentance and you shall find him even unto you a God ready to forgive iniquity transgression and sin Ob. Yea but though the Lord be merciful yet is he just he I but God will not clear the guilty will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 34. 7. I have refused mercy I cannot pray I cannot be heard or answered How then can I I who have sinned so much now expect any mercy Sol. To this I answer briefly There are two kinds of sinners whom God will not clear One is Who do not see their sins yet love them Another Who do not see their sins and yet go on in them Answered Psal 11. 5. The wicked and him that loveth violence his soul doth hate And Psal 68. 21. He will wound the head of such as still go on in their wickedness If you be such
the Privy Seal For 1. Upon your humble praying for pardoning mercy you do feel your consciences more quieted and setled and revived with better confidence and expectation of mercy 2. You find your hearts more enflamingly resolved that you will never give over you will now follow on to know the Lord and his mercies It was a sign anciently that God regarded prayers when â—ire came down upon the sacrifice as 1 Kin. 18. 24. 2 Chro. 7. 1. so is it a singular argument that God accepts of your prayers for mercy or grace when upon your prayers he doth enlarge and enliven you more earnestly to seek him in those kinds If God doth himself hold up thy suit he will not long hold off his answer when we will have no Nay then Be it unto thee as thou wilt If he prepare thine heart he will at length incline his â—ar And fell on his neck and kissed him You have seen already the Eyes of Mercy to espie a returning Penitent and the Feet of Mercy its speedy pace to meet a returning Penitent the Father ran and of the Bowels of Mercy He had compassion on him In all which we have discovered that singular readiness which is in God to shew mercy to a true Penitent Now there yet remain 1. The Arms of Mercy Amplexus misericordiarum And he fell on his neck 2. The Sealings of all this mercy though not verbally yet most significantly expressed towards the returning Prodigal and kissed him What they say of Scire that though we do know yet this satisfies us not unless another doth know Nisi tâ— scire hoâ— sciat alter that we do know the same is true of Love and Mercy though we have loving affections and mercifull intentions towards any yet this is not enough to the party unless he be made to know the same Therefore here are singular expressions as well as admirable intentions the Box of Ointment is opened Joseph cannot contain himself but cries out I am Joseph The Father of the Prodigal doth forgive and accept of him and testifies all this by falling on his neck and kissing of him There be divers Kisses Not to speak of the Kiss of Subjection and Reverence which David calls for Psal 2. 12. Nor of the Kiss of Incivility and Filthiness the whorish kiss of which Salomon speaks Prov. 17. 13. Nor of the Kiss of Falshood and Treachery Judas-kiss Matth. 26. 49. Nor of the Kiss of Courtesie common to all friends the Heathens used it as Xenophon and Herodotus relate Nor of the Kiss of Charity used among the primitive Christians especially before the Lords Supper The Kiss in the Text is a Kiss of Merciful Affection and it is given unto the Prodigal by his Father in signum Reconciliationis that He and his Father were now friends and in a state of love and kindneâ—s In signum Pacis to take off all fears and doubts all was exceeding well and in signum Laetitiae to intimate unto him what a welcome child he now was His Father was not more grieved at his sinfull departure but he is now much more gladded at his penitential return Doct. God is not onely reconciled but manifests himself so to be unto the Pâ—nitent The proper Observation from this I conjecture is That God is pleased not onely to be reconciled but also to manifest and declare himself as one reconciled to penitent people Joh. 14. 21. I will love him and manifest my self unto him Rev. 3. 20. If any man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with me Rev. 2. 17. To him that overcometh will I give to â—at of the hidden Manna and I will give him a white Stone and in the Stone a new name written which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it Rom. 5. 5. The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given unto us This is a Proposition of deep consequence and also of some difficulty and therefore must be the more warily opened and attended Some things premised Gods Râ—câ—nciled favour is demonstrable to a â—itted soul For the sense and meaning of it premise these particulars 1. That Gods reconciled favour is a thing demonsirable to a fitted soul .i. it is not besides the nature of Divine favour to open it self so that it may be apprehended no more then it is against the nature of Light to reveal it self Nor is it beyond the capacity and proportion of a penitential soul tobe cognoscitive i. to be able to look on and know Divine favour In Universali the Papists and others do grant as That God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself but more then this I affirm in particulars There is not only a Notional knowledge in the general but there may be an Experimental knowledg in particular of Divine favour By this saith David I know thou favourest me And S. Paul of Christ Who loved me God hath actually manifested his love and favour to his people of old Son be of good comfort thy sins are for given thee Mat. 9. And Rom. 8. Paul had it and all the Saints had it And he doth manifest it and will manifest it to all true penitents But then 2. There is a double manifestation of his favour One is Natural A double Manifestation of his favour Naturall and this is when God doth imprint such qualities on the soul which are the sole fruits of a reconciled Love as when he bestowes on it the sanctifying graces of his Spirit Another is Formal wherein he doth evidently make over the goodness of Formall his Love i. make us directly to know that he doth love us and is reconciled unto us which is done two wayes either 1. By the Testimony of the Word apprehended by faith 2. By the Testimony of his Spirit causing in us an express evidence and sense of Gods love as a witness and as a seal Now one of these wayes God is pleased to manifest his reconciled favour or to evidence it unto the penitential soul and sometimes both 3. The time which God taketh to declare or make known in a The time of this manifestation is aâ—bâ—trary more formal way of evidence his reconciled love unto the penitential soul is not necessary and determinate but arbitrary and free It is not restrained to the very birth or hour of our Conversion nor limitted to any one part of time after it more then an other But God is pleased differently to make himself known and his loving favour known Lydia partaked of Joy as soon s the partaked of Grace but with other Christians it may be perhaps as with Simeon that their eyes do not see their Salvation till near their death in the latter end 4. The measure of Gods dispensation in this particular is also The measure of Gods Dispensation of it is very different very different and various â—very
by which we come to be filled with all the fulness of God Eph. 3. 19. See but Luke 7. 38. You shall find that much was there forgiven the woman though a great sinner was graciously reconciled what followes on this she loved much she wept much she humbled her self much her affections to Christ her tears for her sins her humility of spirit all of them are set down as exemplary copies this is it which will make the light of our Moon to be as the light of the Sun and our light of the Sun as the light of seven dayes You may perhaps reply unto me this evidence that God is reconciled to us which is so excellent in it self and produces such effects were a very heaven upon earth if we could attain unto it But what means should we use that we may at length enjoy it Means to attain it I conâ—ecture thus that the means of obtaining it are twofold Internal External The Internal means are three viz. Conscience the Spirit of God and Faith for all these have in them a reflexive and an evidencing virtue or power 1. Then you must get your consciences renewed Conscience Get your Consciences renewed absolutely considered hath a reflexing power it can look on our natural acts and conditions but it must be conscience renewed which must testifie of the spiritual estate and that God is reconciled to you The testimony or evidence of conscience renewed is you know syllogistical and nothing else but the eccho of the word v. g. whosoever truly repents of sin the Lord is reconciled to him this is the proposition of the word as you may read in Hos 14. 1 2 3. They are described as acting the parts of true penitents and then v. 4. I will love them freely So Jer. 31. 19. Ephraim is turned and repents and then v. 20. Ephraim is a dear child and a pleasant Son he is earnestly remembred and sure mercy is his .i. Ephraim is reconciled and dearly loved of God Here renewed conscience assumes But I do unfainedly repent I do truly mourn and forsake sin and now with assurance it concludes by way of evidence and testimony Therefore the Lord is reconciled unto me he doth freely and surely love me Obj. But it is objected Conscience may be deceived it may assume without ground and so deludingly conclude the matter Sol. I grant that conscience may be erronious in its grounds but conscience as renewed and concluding as a renewed conscience will not delude you nor err for conscience renewed concludes not upon an empty imagination but upon a solid examination of the heart and life It finds that integrity in the heart and that uprightness in ordering the life which doth answer the word of God And reading that the Lord loves the upright and that he will shew his salvation to him that orders his conversation aright Now upon search finding this habitual and actual uprightness it concludes Surely I am the person whom the Lord loves and to whom he is reconciled 2. You must get the spirit of God The Apostle in Rom. 5. 5. Get the spirit of God saith that the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost so that if ever you would know the love of God unto you you must have the spirit of God the spirit of God hath many operations given unto him as that he inlightens the mind humbles the heart sanctifies it and then that he sealeth and comforteth it and as these effects so the order of them is observable he doth not first of all seal or assure and then inlighten and then sanctifie and then humble but he first inlightens humbles sanctifies and converts the soul and then assures and comforts it Peruse Rom. 8. you shall find that the witness of the spirit that we are the children of God v. 16. followes the spirit of bondage and of adoption and of supplication v. 15. and the quickning of the spirit v. 11. and a leading of the spirit v. 14. So that if ever you would be assured that the Lord is reconciled to you you must get his spirit convincing humbling renewing and leading you so much evidence as you have of holiness so much assurance you may build on of Gods reconciled favour unto you Obj. But here also it is objected we may thus be cozened with Enthusiasms taking a fond dream and delusion for a witnessing or testimony of Gods spirit Sol. I answer this is a fond and ridiculous exception for the spirit of God as S. Ambrose speaks can neither deceive nor be deceived The sealing or assuring testimony of Gods Spirit is never Nudum nor Nudatum testimonium but as it is a seal to a deed drawn I mean an heart first written over with renewing graces so in the sealing it alwayes produceth more tender and lively operations of holiness in all good works 3. Lastly If you would get assurance of Gods love reconciled unto your souls you must get Faith Faith is the eye by which we Get Faith look on God and it is that light by which we see God looking on us How did Simeon see Christ to be his Saviour Or Paul know that Christ loved him but by Faith There are two wayes by which Faith can and will bring the soul to see or know God reconciled unto it One is by and in Christ there is no seeing of a reconciled God but in a Mediator and therefore Christ is called so often our Peace our Atonement our Reconciler The other is by and through the Promises which is therefore called the Covenant of Grace q. d. sets forth and presents God unto us as graciously reconciled If you have so much faith as will bring you to Christ to know him to embrace and accept of him to rely on him you may with safest confidence conclude and be perswaded that God is your reconciled God For God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself 2. The external means of obtaining assurance are 1. Conscionable External means Diligent Application of our selves to the Word and diligent application of our selves to the Word The word of God is both the instrument of our Regeneration and of our Consolation and is not only productive of faith as it is an adherence but able also to produce it as it is an evidence and therefore as you read that faith in acceptance depends on the word Rom. 10. 17. so we read that faith in assurance flowes likewise from it 1 Joh. 5. 13. These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God that ye may know that ye have eternal life And as the Word is oftentimes called a Word of Faith so it is sometimes called a Lip of Peace Isa 57. 19. q. it produceth an assurance from which that peace doth flow 2. And to the Sacrament The Sacrament hath I confess many To the Sacrament ends and it is as the Word of God is an Organ
Repentance formal cold negative way of repentance deeming themselves no less then Penitentiaries who have this only to plead They never in all their lives did wrong or harm c. But remember O self-deceiver if ever God gives to thee repentance indeed thou wilt find other sinful courses to be left besides those of Commission thou wilt find thine Omissions to be a highly guilty course of sin that thou frequently omits calling upon God hearing of his Word reading of his Word examining of thy heart humbling of thy soul walking in an holy and heavenly and exact manner c. Thou often criest out What bad course am I in I demand of thee what holy course art thou in what other course of life leadest thou then ever c. Well I will say no more but this but if other and better lives be the arguments of true Repentance the Lord be merciful to us there are then but very few penitents the same oaths the same cursings the same worldliness the same pride the same drunkenness the same uncleanness the same neglects of God and spiritual duties we are Vse 2. Let us shew our Repentance by our Conversation not others then we were we live not otherwise then we have done But secondly If any of you take your selves to be penitents I beseech you then let us carefully shew it by our lives and conversations Consider to this purpose 1. If there be truth of If there be true Repentance there will be newness of conversation Repentance there will be newness of Conversation A monstrous taing to see a man start up and walk with his Coffin and Grave-cloaths If it be light it will shine and if it be fire it will heat and if it be salt it will season if thy heart be purged indeed thy life will also be reformed indeed If ye have been taught as the Ephes 4. 21. truth is in Jesus put off concerning the former conversation the old man 2. The Lord â—esus hath purchased thy Life as well as thy Soul and redeemed thy Conversation as well as thy Nature Christ hath purchased thy life as well as thy soul He did dye not only to recover thy inward Man but also to cure thy outward Man that as thy Heart should not be profane so thy Conversation should not be vain Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh that we should no longer live the rest of our time in the flesh 1 Pet. 4. 1 2. Christ hath dyed for thee that now thou shouldst live unto him 3. The honour of Religion lyes upon thy The honour of Religion lies upon thy life Life Thy heart may be a secret a closet of much good or evil we leave it to the Searcher of hearts but thy life is a publick Letter an audible Voice a common Object The profession of truth and holiness is an honourable thing in it self but a good and answerable Conversation adds and reflects a greater honour to it As the Heaven is a beautiful Creature but it is the more beautified by the shining of the Stars So is it with Religion it is an Excellency in it self and is made the more excellent by an excellent Conversation But a lewd rude foolish boystrous incongruous fowl uneven evil life makes Religion to look like Gold in the dirt or like a Jewel in a Swines snout or like Beauty in a Whore It is the very scandal of Religion and as a death verse upon an holy profession What is it that thou now and then fillest the eyes of men with a little gravity and the ears of men with a little piety when still thou by thy wicked life armes the hearts of men to scorn and the tongues of men to blaspheâ— the Name of God and Professors The more pretence thou hast to repentance the more odious art thou by thy impenitent life to the profession thereof The strictest eyes are upon the strictest professors and no miscarriages take so soon with men or damp Religion more 4. The souls of men lie much upon their life What Greg. Nazianz The souls of men lie much upon their life said of the Painter That he teacheth not by his language but by his hand and Chrysostom of the Minister That his first part is to Live well and then to Teach well that is true of every penitent Christian for his inward affections come not so into our scales as his outword actions We judge of him and imitate him not by what lies hid in his heart but by what appears in his life and of all men we are most confident to imitate the actions of those who pretend most against sin Now then if thou who pretendest to repent of all sin by thy sinful life shouldâ—t multiply sinners amongst men or strengthen the hearts of sinners from returning O how bitter O how dismal how fearful how an amazing account that thou even under a forme of Repentance shouldst keep men in an estate of impenitency to damn their souls by thy continual sinnings Sins in conversation are alwayes of more publick danger then those of disposition as a Feavor or a Plague 5. The comfort and peace of thy Conscience lies much in it The comfort and peace of thy Conscience lies much in it A good Life is the best Commentary of an upright heart and uprightness is a comfort A good Life is the best Star to clear up Gods glory and to bring him glory is to bring our selves comfort Conscience will judge thee more for evil in life as more perfected more hurtful than for that within A good life is the only Plaister by which we heal others the only Pilot by which we direct others the only Hand by which we hold up others We may think good but this circumscribes it self with our selves we may desire good but this also conâ—ines it self with our selves The good life is the life only which doth good to others and the more good we do the more comfort still we have 6. The reward will be great to the life that is good It s true The Reward will be great to the good life that God in his future retribution hath respect to the inward graces and dispositions but he takes publick notice of the operations of them in our lives as for acting themselves and therefore pronounceth the reward to the doer and the kingdom unto him that cloaths and feeds and visits c. What! an eternal life for a good life 7. But lastly Look on all who are truly penitent or have All that are truly penitent have been very circumspect of their lives been so how tender and circumspect they have been of their lives and walkings How extremely circumspect was David of his tongue Psa 39. and as exceedingly pensive for any unbeseeming word or fact much more for any scandalous evoâ— such a fool such a beast was I Psa 51. So the Apostles both in their wayes and in their directions unto all the
that finds a lost sinner Sol. The Answer Who finds the lost sinner God onely is easie It is God onely I will seek that which was lost Ezek. 34. 16. It was he who found Abraham in Caldea amongst the Idolaters and David among the sheep-folds and Manasses among the thorns and bushes and Paul in the way to Damascus and Matthew at the receit of Custome and the Israelites in their bloud and Mary Magdalene in her uncleanness The sinner cannot find himself he can lose himself but he cannot find himself he can wander but he cannot return of himself Avertere a Deâ— man can do that but convertere ad Deum man cannot do this Man loves to wander but to come back man hath neither will nor power No man can â—ind a lost sinner He may find a lost sinner by way of discovery but he cannot find him by way of recovery I may discover but not recover 2. Bewail but not prevail 3. give Counsel but not give Grace I may see one running from God but I cannot bring him back to God I may see him wandring to Hell but I cannot set his heart to turn back to Heaven and I may bewail a lost sinner yet I cannot prevail upon a lost sinner and I can give him counsel to come home but I cannot give him grace to come home It is God God onely who can find a lost sinner Quis ovem perdicam requirere debeat nonne qui perdidit quis perdidit nonne qui habuit Quis habuit nonne qui â—ecit So Tertullian appositely He onely that made man he onely it is who can find the sinner Quest 2. How God finds a lost sinner Sol. There are How God â—inds a lost sinner seven Acts of God which are conversant about the finding of a lost sinner 1. He is moved with compassion towards him the He is moved with compassion towards him Lord pities such a sinner Alas saith God this poor ignorant foolish man is gone from me the fountain of his life lo how his lusts deceive him how Satan rules him how he wanders up and down in vanity he is quite out of the way of his happiness he is running towards hell but perceives it not he is undoing and destroying his immortal soul but observes it not he knows not whether he goes he is undone for ever if I stay him not if I turn him not 2. He intends good to this particular lost sinner I will surely have mercy on him I have seen his ways He intends good to this lost sinner and will heal him I know the thoughts that I think towards him thoughts of good and not of evil I will glorifie all my mercy and goodness in this very sinner I will not suffer him to run on thus I will look after him I will bring him home to my self and save him 3. He sends out after him one servant and another He sends out after him servant one Minister and another Minister Go saith God to such a Parish and to such a Family and preach and make enquiry Is there not such a miserable sinner here is there not such a lost man there one that is gone from his Fathers house one that hath spent all in riotous living Is there never a man here who hath departed from God lived without God run all his life in sinfull loose base courses of disobedience and would now be glad of mercy This is the general seeking of a lost sinner 4. He makes a privy search after him for perhaps He makes a privy search after him the general Hue and Cry will not find the sinner and therefore the Lord makes a privy search As to find out Achan there was Tribe searched by Tribe and Family by Family and Person by Person and thus doth the Lord in finding of a lost sinner He comes more distinctly and his Word or Afflictions draw after this sinner more personally they light at his door upon his person and knock and enquire Art not thou the man doth not the lost sinner abide here Art not thou he who hast lived ignorantly or proâ—anely and gone astray from thy God 5. He He lights on hâ—m at length lights on him at length And then the Lord lights on a lost sinner when he actuates and quickens Conscience in him which now can be silent no longer but cries out Lord here he is Here is the Swearer Drunkard Whoremonger Sabbath-breaker c. And now out comes the lost sinner with a trembling heart and a guilt-smiting spirit Lord who is it that you look for do you look after a sinner a lost sinner I am the man you look for Oh I have sinned I have wandred I have been lost all my Oh I have sinned I have wandred I have been lost all my days What shall I say unto thee O thou preserver of men or what shall I do Oh! if thou takest not pity on me if thou shewest not mercy unto me I perish I die I am lost for ever 6. He deals with this sinner to return and come back unto him Hos 14. 1. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou He deals with him to return hast fallen by thine iniquity And there are four ways which the Lord useth to prevail upon a lost sinner to turn back unto him Four ways 1. By Expostulation What have I been unto thee or what have I done unto thee or what iniquity hast thou found in me By Expostulation that thou hast all this while departed from me Was not I the God that formed thee the Father that brought thee forth the Master that fed thee and took care of thee Was there not goodness and kindness and fulness enough in me why hast thou dealt thus unkindly with me 2. By Conviction of his By Conviction wandring condition with the baseness and miserableness thereof These are thy ways and these have been thy doings and what profit hast thou by those things whereof thou art or mayest be now ashamed Why what hast thou got by all thy sinfull wandrings See how naked thou art of all spiritual good how shamefull thy course hath been Is the Wilderness a place for a Child How poor and undone thou art Thou hast spent all and if thou continuest in thy sinfull ways thou wilt certainly perish with hunger Sin hath been thy loss and if thou return not it wâ—ll certainly be thy ruine Return O lost Sinner return return why wilt thou die and perish for ever 3. By By Propositions of Mercy Propositions of Mercy As S. John ran after that young lost man of Jerusalem crying unto him Return my son return Christ will yet accept of thee Christ will yet shew thee mercy So doth the Lord God when he would bring back a lost sinner Return saith he and live return and live Ezek. 18. 32. Though thou hast forgot the Duty of a Child yet I have not put off the Affection
had neglected it only but I have rejected it I have been so long unwilling despising will Grace be pleased and so willing to one so unwilling Grace will not be willing to smile on him who hath frowned on it Grace will not stoop to him who hath trampled upon Grace Can Divine Grace and I be so easily friends What forty years lying in Hell and now to think I shall go to Heaven all my life to serve the Devil and yet now to think that God will take me or make me his servant 7. Such a man sees his sins in another manner than ever before The face of sin is unvailed like so many spears in the heart of Christ like so many wounds given to sweetest Mercy like so many cups of poyson that he hath drunk and so many cups of wrath which he hath made Christ to drink and as so much dung cast upon the Beauties of Holiness 8. Yea and he feels his sins in another manner O saith he I feel my proud heart still and my adulterous heart still and my covetous heart still and when any good ariseth it is surprized it it resisted it is quenched by a thousand evil motions And though I hear and though I seek God yet it is thus with me O! my sins have been so great that God will never undertake my conversion my change had I been more civil had I been less evil perhaps he would Now I would say six things to this great sinner 1. Great Six things to this great sinner Great sinnings should be reasons of great humblings but not of un belief sinnings should be reasons of great humblings but they should never be the causes and helps of unbelief Grandia delicta fletus grandes Because thou hast found an heart which could sin exceedingly beseech God to give thee an heart to mourn exceedingly and think not that God cannot do much good because thou hast done much evil 2. Great sinnings should work a self-despair but they should never work a God-despair Great sinnings shew Great sinnings should work a self-despair but not a God-despair a great fulness of sin which cannot be overcome but by a great God Thou art a great sinner but God is a great God there is no sinner like to thee and there is no God like to him He is great in power if he were not able to convert a great sinner he were not great in power and he is great in mercy and love he were not great in mercy to pardon nor great in love to save if he did not pardon great sinners and convert great sinners Therefore as the least sinner should despair of his own power so no sinner no not the greatest should despair of Gods power 3. God hath converted great sinners Usually God hath conveâ—ted great sinners the sinners whom God hath converted they have been of the greatest rank of sinners He hath passed by many an hundred civil righteous persons and his converting Grace hath laid hold on the notorious sinner Thou art not the first Idolater the first Thief the first Whore the first Adulterer the first Drunkard the first Swearer the first Sodomite the first Persecutor the first Unbeliever and refuser of Grace that Divine Grace hath assayed and converted They had no more power to contribute towards their conversion there was no more reason in them to move the Lord to look upon them than there is in thy self yet God did convert them 4. Though a person can say No sinner can say God will never convert him that God hath not hitherto converted him yet no sinner living under the means of Grace can safely say that God will never convert him For no sinner can know his eternal Reprobation this is a secret counsel which is reserved in the bosome of God can know the season the very designed season when God will convert him for the Lord reserves the power of conversion and the season of conversion to himself he converts some at one time some at another God never revealed to any man that at such a time at such an hour he would convert him Consequenter a man may know the hour of his conversion but Antecedenter he could not know that God would then just then convert him 5. There is more probability that God will convert thee thus sensible There is more probability of thy conversion being thus sensible than not Reasons of it c. than that he will not For 1. The clearing of thy great sinfulness unto thee and the setting of thy great sins in order before thine eyes 2. The quicknings of thy Conscience to feel the burthen and weight of thy great transgressions 3. The great perplexities and fears in thy heart because of these great sins are no evil signs at all Of the two the troubled Conscience is much more hopefull than the â—eared Conscience Vicinior saluti est dolor patientis quam stupor non sentientis as Austin well Though trouble in Conscience be not alwayes an infallible Argument of Life yet it is an ordinary Antecedent unto Spiritual Life The still Voice came after the Whirlwind and Christ came after the storm and Canaan came after the Wilderness the Spirit of Adoption comes after the Spirit of Bondage 6. But what if the Lord hath already converted What if the Lord have already converted thee thee What if God have done that work in thee which thou fearest he will never work further Assuredly if thou art greatly ashamed of thy great trangressions if thy soul can now loath it self for all its abominations if thy heart can remember them and bitterly mourn over them if thy cries be great to be delivered from them if thy fears be great to sin no more if thy heart will not be content without a new heart if thou and God must be reconciled if thou hast received an heart willing to be converted What shall I say Thou art indeed converted Remember two supports which I leave with thee 1. No poor sinner can be so ready and willing to be converted by God but God is much more ready and willing to convert him 2. A willingness to be converted is conversion begun the first stroke of conversion lights upon the Will of a sinner and the greatest part of conversion appears in the change and conversion of the Will it is from the will of Gods grace that thou art willing to have grace A second Use shall be of Caution Let no man presume to continue Vse 2. Caution Let no man presume to continue in great sins in great sins or to remain secure and careless because he hears that a great sinner may be changed and converted For 1. Although God doth convert some great sinners one Abraham one Paul one Mary Magdalene yet there are many of them whom he never converts 2. Perhaps he may convert perhaps he may not and what if he doâ—h not It is but contingent to thee Perhaps he will
convert thee this should move thee to seek him perhaps he will not this may affright thee to stand out any longer against him Therefore to be bold in sin because God can and sometimes doth convert a great sinner may move thee rather to conclude he will not he intends not to convert thee than that he doth When Divine Goodness is made encourageable to sin against that Goodness when it is not a melting Sun but an hardning Sun it is a presage rather of a mans subversion than of his conversion 3. Though God can and doth sometimes convert a great sinner yet usually the greater sinner comes off with the sharper conversion The great Malefactor sometimes hath his Book and his Life too but he is burned in the Hand and in the Shoulder Paul was a great sinner and was converted but his great sins which were a troubling to Christ did prove a trembling to his heart God puts such a sinner upon the Rack he strikes and wounds him that all the Countrey shall hear of the troubles which his Conscience feels for his sinnings against God God doth as it were singe him with the flames of Hell before he meets him with the kisses of Heaven 4. Most usually those great and notorious sinners whom God converts are such who have thus sinned under their ignorance I was a blasphemer c. saith Paul but I did obtain mercy for I did it ignorantly and through misbelief He did not know what he did he thought he had been in the right You seldome read of one knowing Pharisee who persecuted Christ that was converted yet you read of many of the Jews and of the Elders that were converted for they did not know Jesus Christ to be the Lord of Glory I will not say that no knowingly notorious sinner shall ever be converted but certainly Conversion is very rare where Knowledge holds the Candle to long and great works of Darkness Those sinners who go on against the workings of an enlightning Spirit fall very rarely within the favour of the converting Spirit Therefore let no man gather poyson from this honey c. The last Use shall be a word of Direction to any great and notorious Vse 3. Direction to such converted sinners Take pains to be assured of pardon sinner whom God hath been pleased mightily and graciously to convert I would commend these Advisoes unto him 1. Let him take much pains to get his Acquittance fairly writ and sealed I mean to be well assured that his sins are pardoned Believe it no man shall find his title so questioned his heart so assaulted with often doubts and fears of pardon as one who hath been a great sinner The Provocations have been great and Conscience hath been boistrous and Satan can lay in shrewd exceptions c. 2. Let Conscience be exceeding tender O awake Keep conscience tenâ—er it not displease it not by new adventurings all the old wounds will bleed afresh A little new sin committed will raise up the old ghosts it will revive the sense of all the old great sins which although they be pardoned yet thou wilt now think they are not A person who before his Conversion lived as if he had been in Hell should after his Conversion live as if he were in Heaven 〈◊〉 3. Love much and do much do some great thing Love much and do much for Gods Glory This my Son was dead and is alive again Alive again but how came this about what was the occasion of this Prodigals Conversion look back unto v. 15 16. he was brought so low as to feed Swine and would have been glad of the Husks but no man gave unto him and he is ready to perish with hunger and now returning thoughts came into his mind now he resolves to come back again unto his Fathers house Whence observe That great afflictions are sometimes an occasion of the Conversion of Doct. 4. Great afflictions are sometimes an occasion of great sinners conversion a great sinner There are two sorts of afflictions 1. Inward which set upon the conscience these are sometimes an occasion of Conversion A troubled conscience doth many times end in a renewed conscience troubles of heart are oftentimes closed with change of heart The great storms occasion the Traveller to come in for shelter The biting Serpents occasioned the Israelites to look to the brasen Serpent the avenger of blood made the guilty person to flye to the City of refuge and a condemning conscience oftentimes makes a poor troubled Soul to come in unto Jesus Christ for ease and rest 2. Outward which light upon the body and estate of a sinner these also sometimes serve to fetch in a sinner as he once said periissem nisi periissem I had perished unless I had perished Josephs brethren had never found Joseph and craved food of him unless a famine had befallen them If God had not deprived some men of their wordly goods they had never come in to seek heavenly Treasures We may say of them that if they had been fed they had been famished and if they had not been famished they had never been fed with the bread of life Again these outward afflictions may be considered two wayes either 1. Simply and nakedly in themselves so they cannot convert any sinner no more then the pool of Bethesda alone could heale a diseased Person or Elijahs salt could heal the Waters 2. Concomitantly as accompanied with and sanctifyed by Gods Spirit It is not the hammer but the fire which softens the iron It was not the Water but the Angel that stirred the water which made the water medicinal It is not the Rope but the strength of the hand upon the Rope which draws in the Boâ—t Afflictions in themselves are privations of a comfortable good but if God sanctifies them they may then be a means of our everlasting good God can use them as a bridle not only to stop us running out of the way but also to turn us into the right way Hos 2. 14. I will allure her and bring her into the wilderness By alluring he means a gracious and effectual perswasion a prevailing even to Conversion but then he will bring her into the wilderness God brings men into the Wilderness into a barren desolate miserable condition and then allures or converts them Manasses was a great sinner and yet God humbled him greatly and as it is thought converted him but what means did he use for this See 2 Chro. 33. 11. The Lord brought upon him the captains of the host of the King of Assyria who took Manasseh among the Thorns and bound him with fetters and carryed him to Babylon v. 12. And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly Nebuchadnezzar was a proud and lofty sinner and therefore God puld him down he did drive him from men and he did eat Grass as Oxen and his body was wet with the Dew of Heaven
and having thus abased him he wrought upon him to acknowledg and praise the true God Dan. 4. 33 34. Quest How may it appear that c. Sol. There are four How this may appear Afflictions sanctifyed are the souls Looking Glasses things attending upon sanctifyed afflictions and all of them contribute to Conversion 1. Afflictions sanctifyed are the souls Looking-Glass wherein a man may see his sins which are the causes of afflictions there are divers Glasses in which we may see the face of our sins 1. The Glass of the Word 2. The Glass of Reproof 3. The Glass of Conscience 4. The Glass of Afflictions Affliction is a Glass wherein a person first sees his own sins Ocules quam culpa claudit pena aperit We were verily guilty of the blood of our brother said Joseph's Brethren and as I have served others so the Lord hath served me said Adonibezeck 2. Sees them as sinners In prosperity we see the pleasures of sin but in adversity the bitterness of sin in the one we see them as our friends in the other as our enemies An evil and bitter thing that we have forsaken the Lord so Jeremiah speaketh 3. Sees them with a serious look sees them and thinks of them sees them and layes them to heart Thy wickedness hath procured these things unto thee Now when a person is brought to a right sight of sin to see his own sins and as sins and seriously considers of them this is a way tending to his Conversion I considered my wayes said David and turned my feet unto thy testimonies 2. Afflictions sanctifyed work much upon the Conscience they are the rods of God upon the Soul they are the Waters of They work much upon the conscience Marah bitter Waters and they stir up conscience to speak bitter words unto us These were thy wayes and these were thy doings thou wouldst not be warned thou wouldst not hearken and now see whither thy sins do tend now see into what straits they have brought thee now thou wilt believe that God is displeased with thee When conscience is stirred when the burden of afflictions turn into the burden of conscience two things ordinarily ensue thereupon 1. A mans carnal security is broken The man thought himself safe and secure before but now he sees his condition to be very sad unsound unsafe and miserable not only my goods are gone but my God also is gone 2. The heart comes to be humbled O A working conscience a smiting conscience is the Hammer of God by which he breaks and bows the soul Afflictions now stir up the Gall and the Wormwood and the soul is humbled by them and when the soul is brought to see sin and to consider of sin and to be humbled for sin it is now in a fair way of Conversion 3. Afflictions if sanctifyed are gales to Prayer Lord in trouble have they visited thee they powred out a Prayer when They are gales to Prayer thy chastening was upon them Isai 26. 10. In their afflictions they will seek me early Hosea 5. It is almost natural for an afflicted man to pray and afflictions put an edge of zeal on Prayer we are seldome more frequent and more fervent in that duty then in the times of our distress But then observe that as afflictions are apt to quicken prayer so if they have occasioned a sense and trouble in the heart for sin Then 1. Vsually they stir up Prayer for pardon of sin and for conversion from sin Blot out my transgressions praies afflicted David Turn thou me and I shall be turned praies distressed Ephraim Jer. 31. 18 These are the two great desires of a distressed soul 2. Usually God hears these Prayers The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit a broken and a contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise Ps 51. 17. A poor sinner cannot put up a more acceptable request unto God then this Lord I beseech thee change and turn my heart subdue mine iniquities let not sin have dominion over me I beseech thee suffer me not to dishonour thee any more So that now you see that afflictions have brought the Soul and God together the afflicted Person sees a need of Mercy and Grace and unto God he applies himself who is the only Author of a sinners Conversion the only Physician of a sinful soul 4. Afflictions if sanctifyed incline us unto converting Ordinances They incline us to conveâ—ting ordinances You shall observe that men under their afflictions are 1. More willing to hear 2. More attentive in hearing 3. More tractable and pliable .i. more easie to be wrought upon in hearing When a man is chastned with pain and his flesh consumed away and his soul draws near to the Grave then he will make use of a Messenger of an Interpreter of one among a thousand to shew unto him his uprightness Job 33. 19. to 23. Oh what a Divine influence and authority hath the Word over such a man he can be content to have his sins ript open and he can hear and weep Oh a sinner and he longs to hear of some word of hope and when he hears it Oh how good is God! and he catcheth greedily at the word of direction and when he hears it Oh when shall I be this when shall I do this Lord give grace give strength unto thy poor servant the man in his prosperity would not know the Lord nor hearken to him he was above counsel and instruction but now his ear is opened to discipline and instruction is sealed unto him Job 33. 16. Now it is Lord that which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34. 32. The first Use shall be for Trial of our selves what the fruit of Vse Trial what the fruit of our affliction is all our afflictions is I think there is no man almost in all the Kingdome but God hath of late some way or other afflicted him Many have lost all their estates not an House is left to them nor Land nor a Rag to their backs many have lost their Husbands or their Children in the War many have lost some of their Family with the Plague lately who hath not been some way or other afflicted Now consider 1. It is the saddest affliction It is the saddest afflâ—ction not to be bittered by affliction to be no way bettered by afflictions No misery like that to love the sins and continue still in the sins which brought our misery Oh to be as far from our friends as before and as far from our God as before to be thrust out of an earthly possession and not yet to get an heavenly inheritance to lose our Lands and not yet to get Christ to have no home to go to here nor any home to go unto hereafter to lose our estates and keep our sins to lose the world and to lose the soul too to lose all our comforts and yet
sufficient to break the Cable thou canst not pluck up the plant and shalt thou be able to pull up the Oak thou art not able to extinguish the rising of a sinful thought and wilt thou ever be able to convert a sinful nature And tel me seriously doth thy sinful power decrease by sinful actings In civil trading the stock is sometimes diminished but in sinful tradings sin increaseth the more in strength by how much the more is it laid out in sinning and the more that sinful power increaseth the more need is there of a greater power to convert the heart If the weakest sinner doth need an almighty power to convert him O what an almighty almighty power doth the strong sinner doth the long sinner need for his Conversion 3. If an almighty power be required to the Conversion of a If you would be converted look after aâ— almighty Power sinner then if ever you would be converted look to that which is more then a finite power If thou wouldst have thy self converted or any who belong to thee converted do not expect it from men or means Friends may desire conversion and Ministers may preach the doctrine of Conversion but it is God only who can effect the work of Conversion I spake unto thy Disciples said that troubled man about his possessed child to cast him out and they could not Mar. 9. 18. I confess we must use spiritual means we must hear we must pray we must confer but if you think that any of these nuda virtute by their own natural power can convert you are deceived It is not the word but God by the word the power of God to salvation it is not prayer but God to whom ye pray it is not the minister but God who sends the minister who is able to enlighten thy mind to quicken thy conscience to convert thy heart Turn thou me and I shall be turned said Ephraim Jer. 31. 18. So say thou O Lord thou art the living God thou only art the Lord of life I come to thee to convert mee unto thee I hear I read I confer I meditate on arguments I purpose and yet I am not converted Ministers deal with me and Friends deal with me and Mercies deal with me and Afflictions deal with me and Ordinances deal with me and yet I am not converted O Lord I am without strength and they are without strength but thou art not without strength No power less then thine will be sufficient for my Conversion Now O Lord reveal thine arm stretch out thine hand O pity speak quicken turn save one sinner more nothing is too hard for thee thou didst make a world by thy mouth and thou wilt raise the dead by thy word O speak but one word and my dead soul shall live 4. Doth the coâ— version of a sinner depend upon an almighty power then let us not despair of a mighty sinner nor yet let a mighty sinner despair Despair not of a mighty sinner of a possibility of Conversion God hath an almighty Power to condemn a sinner therefore let him not presume God hath an almighty Power to convert a sinner therefore let no sinner despair 5. Then if any of you be converted Bless God for it we Bless God for our conversion could never do it it is God and God alone who hath done it there are reasons why God reserves the power of a sinners Conversion to himself alone 1. That men should seek to him alone for it If God alone had not all the power of giving he should lose of all the duty in praying and asking 2. That he alone may have all the glory and praise Comfort to us that God converts by an almighty Power 6. This is of exceeding Comfort to us That it belongs to the almighty power of God to convert a sinner For 1. That power is power sufficient 2. It ever abides in God 3. It is accompanied with an exceeding willingness if thou seekest to him thou shalt find his will to be as great as his power he is as willing as he is able to convert thee thou canst not come with a more exceptable petition This my son was dead and is alive again Luke 15. 24. These words comprehend in them if I mistake not a most exact discription of a sinners conversion both 1. In the general nature of it that it is a perfective change Was and Is was dead and is alive 2. And in the differential or proper ingredients of it which are couched in these words is alive again In which three distinguishing ingredients of conversion are espiable namely That it is a Change 1. Very great and notable The inlivening of a dead man is so 2. Very secret and internal the puting of life into a dead man is so 3. Very spreading and universal when a dead man is made alive it is so I confess that every one of these particulars doth merit a full and large discourse but because I desire to open unto you the true nature of conversion at the first in as narrow a compass as I can I shall therefore endeavour to draw all these goodly truths into one little Map that so you may be the better able to â—nderstand and remember them With your favour I will grasp them into this one Proposition That true Conversion is a change a very great and inward Doct. 6. True conversion is a change a great inward and Universal Change It is a Change and universal change You plainly see four things in this Assertion which offer themselves to our consideration 1. True Conversion is a change was dead and is alive certainly here is a change Ego sum ego said the Harlot here was no Conversion Ego non sum ego answered the young man here was conversion for here was a change There may be a was and an is without a change Christ was God and is God Revel 1. 8. And in many men the was and the is are without a change They were ignorant and are ignorant still they were filthy and are filthy still Rev. 22. 11. But if a man be converted the was and the is are different they are changed I was a Persecutor said Paul but being converted he is not so such were some of you said Paul of the Corinthians but ye are washed but ye are sanctified Now when I say that Conversion is a change you must know that there is a two-fold Change One is Substantial which alters the substance of man as in Generation and in Corruption of which the Philosophers speak Conversion is no such change the soul and body of a man remaines the selfe same substance before and after Conversion It was the same Paul who Was a Persecutor and Is a Preacher of Christ As in the Sacrament it is the same Bread for substance after Consecration which it was before Consecration So is it the same man for the Philosophical substance before and after conversion
to Grace and Christ 3. There is the highest contrariety in actions and courses that ever was to see a man pull down what he built up and There is the highest contrariety of courses and actions to build up what he pulled down to be mad against Christ and then presently even besides himself for Christ to scourge and revile Paul and Silas and presently after honour and embrace and almost adore them To reproach the Saints and their wayes and suddenly to admire them and value them and their paths as worthiest of our dearest love and society 4. And a little And a little grace to produce all this very little Grace to produce all this That one drop should sweeten the great bitter Ocean that one little spark should cause all this flame A very little Engine should move all the World and level the Mountains a little Grace to enter the Throne and to turn all the soul round about That Moses little Rod should divide the Sea and melt the Rock a little Ant tumble down a Mountain that the Grain of Mustard-seed which is the least of seeds should grow into a Tree That a very little Grace should transform the most rebellious heart humble the most proud heart quicken the dead purisie the most vile affections conquer the Gates of Hell overthrow sin dispossess Satan should beget such a River of Grief kindle such a flame of love such a zeal for God tenderness in Conscience such a strength to do and suffer to believe life in death joy in sorrows hopes in despair raise so high as to love them that hate us bless them that curse us pray for them that despightfully use us and do good for evil 3. True Conversion is an inward change When It is an inward change a dead man is made alive this is done by the infusion of an inward principle of life the cloathing of a dead man is one thing and the quickning of a dead man is another thing it is one thing to plaister an old house and it is another thing to build a new house Conversion may be considered two wayes either 1. Extensively So it is a change even of the life and outward actions of men it is a cleansing of the flesh as well as of the spirit it is a sanctifying of the body as well as of the soul It is a putting off the former Conversation Eph. 4. 22. 2. Denominatively So it is an inward change the Prophet calls it a washing of the heart Wash thine heart O Jerusalem Jer. 44. 4. The Apostle calls it a transformation by the renewing of the mind Rom. 2. 29. and a Circumcision of the heart Rom. 2. 29. St. John calls it a laying the Ax to the root of the Tree Mat. 3. 10. Ezekiel calls it the giving of a new heart and of a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. Every converted man hath a changed heart we say in nature that Cor est primum vivens It is true also in Grace the first work of quickning and converting Grace begins in the heart of a sinner The heart first fell from God and it is the first that turns unto God The heart is the first Seat of Sin and it is the first Throne of Grace Sin is the wound and disease of the heart and Grace must bring the Plaister thither sin is first in the heart and most in the heart dominion is there the poyson is there bring in the heart prevail with it and you bring in all the man An outward change without an inward change is 1. But Hypocrisie The Hypocritical Pharisees made clean the outside of the Cup bùt not the inside a golden profession and a rotten heart this is but Hypocrisie 2. But Vanity it is to lap the Boughs and leave the Roots which can send out more it is to empty the Cistern and to leave the Fountain running which fills it again 3. But self and soul-deceit What a foolish fancy is it to think my self a converted man because my Tongue is quiet and yet my heart doth curse Whether every internalchange be an evidence of true conversion Four internal changes may be in man unconverted A change from ignorance to knowledg God because my body is honest when yet my heart burns and boils with lust because my hands strike not and yet my heart is full of malice and revenge and murder Quest But here a single scruple may be propounded viz. Whether every internal change be an evidence of true Conversion To which I answer it is not there are four Internal changes which may be in a man unconverted 1. A change from ignorance to knowledg The man who was an ignorant sinner may become a knowing sinner and yet remain still an unconverted sinner for a man may hate the good which he knows and love the evil which he knows neither of which can consist with true Conversion 2. A change from error to truth Many Fâ—om error to truth a man forsakes the Popish Religion and embraceth the Protestant Religion his opinion and judgment of things may be altered and yet his sinful heart may not be altered he may hold justification by faith only and yet his heart be utterly void of saving faith he may deny merit unto the works of Repentance and yet his heart never truly repent he may hold the true and right Government of Christ in his Church and yet that Government of Christ may never be set up in his own heart 3. A change from security to trouble and perplexity It is possible that a great From security to trouble sinner who was as senseless as the Rock may now be as trembling as the Leaf and his conscience troubled as the Sea and yet his heart not converted Cain was troubled so was Pharaoh so was Saul so was Judas yet none of them converted There is a trouble which riseth from a quick conscience and there is a trouble which riseth from quickning grace this latter is an evidence of true Conversion the other is not 4. A temporary change or A temporary change rather a transient diversity in the affections It is possible for some scornful person to hear the Gospel preached by some John Baptist as Herod did with joy and to hear some Paul as Felix did with trembling who formerly scorned all preaching yea this man may be in a great changeableness yet never be truly changed divine truths may fall upon him with that evidence and efficacy as to shake his heart stir his affections excite his resolutions and yet after a little while as the cold doth on Water that is heated all these workings expire into nothing his old incorporated familiar lusts prevail over them and work them wholly out till the inward change be a change of the heart it is not a truly converting change 4. Lastly true Conversion is an universal change When It is a universal change a dead man is quickned the soul is not only
changed into another love into hatred and hatred into love joy into grief boldness into fear Lately the desires were who will shew us any good now the desires are what shall we do to be saved Lately the delights were iâ— sin in sensualities in vain societies now they are in the favour of God in Jesus Christ in pardon of sin in heavenly communion Lately the love was set on that which was most unlovely now it is set on the most lovely object indeed Christ is the center c. Lately the grief was a turbulent Sea for worldly losses but now it is a running River for sinning against God Lately the affections were wings for iniquity but now they are springs for duty I may not inlarge by what you have heard it may plainly appear Dâ—monstrations of a notable change in Conversion From the person converted From the work of Conversion that true Conversion works an universal change in the sinner Demonstrations that there is a notable change in Conversion 1. The person converted he is made pertaker of the Divine Nature 1 Pet. 1. 4. He is a new Creature 2 Cor. 5. 7. He is quickned from the dead Eph. 2. 1. He is born again Jo. 3. 3. 2. The work of Conversion It is the effect of the great and good will of Election and in it God displayes the glory of his great Love and Grace and Mercy And Christ sees of the travel of his soul some special fruit of his wonderful sufferings and purchases And the holy Ghost doth manifest his almighty Poâ—er and the noblest act thereof and converting grace is a new contrary nature a new man 3. The end of Conversion Conversion is the first From the end of Conversion inward work for heavenly glory It is wrought to make us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light Naturally we are opposite to God and to all Communion with him Without holiness no man shall see the Lord no unclean thing can enter there sinning Angels were cast out of Heaven God qualifies those whom he will dignifie he qualifyed Saul for an earthly Kingdome much more the sinner for an heavenly Kingdome Heavenly glory is absolutely inconsistent with a graceless heart the promise of it is so and the nature of it is so and the work of it is so and the reward of it is so 4. Converted persons are to live other lives and to do other works therefore there must be a change of their Converted persons must live oâ—her lives Vse 1. This convinceâ—h many to be yet unconverted Such in whom appears no change at all Forms and Principles and Powers Is true Conversion a change a great change an internal and cordial change an universal change Why then this one truth palpably convinceth multitudes of people to be as yet not converted 1. There are some men in whom there appears no change at all neither inward nor outward the Leopards spots remain and the Blackmores skin is unchanged they were ignorant and so are still they were drunkards swearers railers scoffers mockers of godliness and godly men Sabbath-breakers unclean proud and so are still The Prophet speaks of some whose scum departed not from them Ezek. 24. 12. And the Apostle of some who cannot cease to do evil 2 Pet. 2. 14. And David of some who hate to be reformed Psal 50. 16. And Steven of some who alwayes resist the holy Ghost Acts 7. 51. And Paul of some who wax worse and worse 2 Tim. 3. 13. Although changes go over their age they were young and now are old yet no change goes over their hearts and lives although changes go over their bodies their strength is changed into weakness and their health is changed into sickness although changes go over their estates their wealth is changed into poverty and their abundance is changed into want although changes go over the times peace is changed into war and safety is changed into danger nay although sometimes changes goe over their consciences Stupidity is changed into horrour and pleasure into terrour yet their hearts are not changed they approve love and delight in their sins as much as ever and their Conversations are not changed they drive the same trade run on to the same excess of Riotousness wallow in the same mire of Ungodliness despise converting Ordinances converted Persons converting Graces Now what shall I say to these Persons They are unchanged sinners and so is God an unchangeable God who hath threatned them and swore his Wrath against them Thou wilt not repent of thy sins nor will God repeâ—t of his Wrath thou wilt not turn to him and therefore will he turn away his mercy from thee and will overturn overturn overturn thee as the Prophet phraseth it 2. There are some whose change is only outward but it is Such whose Change is only outward not inward not inward and cordial they stand off from many sins and come on to many duties and yet their hearts are not changed There are six things which may convince a man that his heart is not changed 1. When a man seems to be tender least he should Six things convince a man his Heart is not changed commit a sin but yet his heart was never tender and humbled for all the sins which he hath committed Jer. 31. 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth If Repentance begins not in tears it will end in tears When I look forward and see sin with a trembling eye O I dare not offend my God and when I look backward and see sin with a mournful eye O I have sinned I have sinned these indeed do shew a converted and changed heart But I fear it is rather a policy then a change and a regard more to my credit then my conscience when I expostulate with a sin in Temptation and never mourn for many sins in Commission 2. When a man leaves many sins but yet he doth not loath any sin Many a man sometimes abstains from meat yet loves it but a good heart abstains from sin as from a serpent which he hates He turnes his face from them but he turnes not his heart from them he doth not act the sin nor doth hate the sin he doth not let 〈◊〉 out of door nor yet crucify it within door he seems not to be a friend and yet is not an enemy to sin this mans heart is not changed 3. When a man acts from an awing Conscience and not from a renewing Spirit flies from sin only when conscience flies upon him for sinning and doth good only when conscience is unquiet when not Grace which works uniformly but terour which works accidentally is his Principle though a while there be some diversity and diversion too in this man yet there is no change of heart in him even Pharaoh under a Judgment yielded who yet upon a respite hardned his heart again and Iron whiles hot
becomes malleable nevertheless it is not changed in its Intrinsecal disposition 4. When a man is Formal in duties but not Spiritual in duties he holds a customary course but not a conscientious course this mans heart is not changed Judas was as busie about Christ as the other Disciples yet he was not changed Some unconverted man may be as frequent in religious duties as converted persons are yet their hearts unchanged There are four things which prove a formal Christian to have an unchanged Four things prove a formal Christian to have an unchanged Heart Heart for though he doth good duties yet he doth them 1. From carnal Principles of Custome Education Example not from Faith Love and Spiritual Principles 2. For Carnal Ends with a respect to his Estimation with men not with God or he doth some good to blind and cover more evil 3. As a Carnal or Natural work not as a Communion with God or Christ if he doth them it is sufficient but whether he meets with God in them or God with him in them whether he pleaseth God and God accepts of him and them or what heavenly revenues come into his soul upon them he regards not 4. Without any Delight A good mâ—n hates the sin which he doth an evil man hates the good which he doth he delights not in the Law of God after the Inward man he is glad when the work is done but not to do the work It is his Task it is not his Pleasure It is a Heaviness but not an Heaven to him his Spirit is weary as much as his Body he cannot take hold of God be importunate in prayer for any Grace he doth not put out a Might a Power a Zeal in holy Services but acts them with a sleepy faint wearisome undelightful Spirit 5. When a man hath been and still is a stranger to Inward Conflicts certainly that mans heart was never changed there may be two conditions wherein all may be quiet One is in anothere life where grace stands alone in heaven there is no sin but holiness is grown unto its utmost perfection and therefore it is above contrariety and conflict Another is in this life where sin stands alone it hath the dominion and blinds the mind sears the conscience and hardens the heart there is neither a contrary light nor a contrary grace to raise any stirs and conflicts But then there is a third condition which hath medium participationis in it in which the soul is partly flesh and partly spirit sin is there and grace is there there are two contrary Natures two contrary Lawes two contrary Inclinations and workings two Adamants as it were one drawing the soul to evil the other drawing the soul to good one willing the other unwilling one yielding the other resisting one putting on to â—aith to love to mourning to praying to repenting the other putting off the soul from all these when I would do good evil is present with me saith Paul And verily it is thus with every converted and changed man The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit lusteth against the flesh and these two are contrary one to another so that they cannot do the good that they would Gal. 5. 17. And if no such thing be in thee thy heart was never changed That man who never finds an unbelieving nature opposing and conflicting with a believing nature hardness conflicting with softness c. his heart was never changed for converting grace is in us but in part and if but in part then some sinfulness still remains and believe it there are not two more active more contrary more conflicting principles then grace and sin in the same subject 6. When a man is constantly formal in the same rode and posture all his dayes like a Pioâ—ture never better nor worse Such who seem to be changed without and within but it is not total Two things manifest a partial change When they do not come up fully to the commanding Will of God 3. There are many men who seem to be changed without and within yet the change is not a total or universal change and there are two things which do manifest a partial change only to be in many men 1. When they do not come up fully to God in respect of his commanding will they cannot come up to the Will of God when his Will is most spiritual when his will is most strict as self-denial when his will is most difficult Oh to sacrifice Isaâ—c that beloved Child to part with Benâ—amin this is against them to pluck out the right eye and cut off the right hand this is an hard saying when his will is most suffering For the young man to forsake all his riches this is a sorrowful Injuction to renounce all our honours with Moses and to suffer reproaches with the people of God to leave Friends and Father and Mother and Brethren and Sisters and Children and Lands and Life too as the Apostles did When a man is converted he is now so changed that his will and Gods Will are not sutable but also coextensive It is pliable and it is parallel Gods Will is my will and what he wills I will the Law of God is written in his heart every command of God is ingraven upon it there may you read the Masters Copy and the Scholar writing after it This is to be done saith God this I desire to do saith the Godly heart this I would have thee to believe Lord I believe help my unbelief Thus much I would have thee to suffer Lord strengthen me and give me not only to believe but to suffer for thy sake But in a partial change it is otherwise 2. When they do not fully come up to God in respect of his forbidding Nor to the forbidding Will of God will You know that God forbids all sin he forbids spiritual sins pride ambition c. as well as fleshly sins 2 Cor. 7. 1. little sins faith and troth vain thoughts as well as great sins secret sins alone as well as open sins heart sins heart-adultery revenge malice as well as life sins Gospel sins unbelief and grieving of the Spirit of God as well as Law sins sins of Omission as well as sins of Commission breeding or original sin as well as actual Quest But some may say unto me If the case be so How How a man may know that God hath indeed changed his heart Some things premised There are many aboâ—â—ive changes may one know that God hath indeed converted and changed his very heart so that he may confidently say that although I was once dead yet I am now alive This Question deserves a serious Resolution For 1. There are many abortive changes deluding changes rising from false and insufficient Principles from a terrifyed conscience or from politick parts or from the power of restraint or from denial of occasions or from prevalent passions or from the contrariety of one sin
to another or from a present and sudden apprehension of matters or from the defect of strength or from judicial impressions by the appearing of death or from education or from respect to our superiours and friends and hopes which we have from them c. 2. If the heart should never graciously be changed If the heart be never changed the man is damned as sure as God lives the man will be damned though the man may have parts abilities honours be civil ingenuous candid and punctual with men and in-offensive in his dealings O friends the Heart or Soul is that which God looks on and every man is as his heart is as that is so the man is he is so for the present and he is so for eternity Except a man be born again he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God said Christ to Nicodemus Joh. 3. 3. If any man be in Christ he is a new creature saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 5. 17. Old things are past away all things are become new Christ you know is the way the truth and the life Can the Christless man ever be a heavenly man assuredly no Christ no Heaven But then if a man be in Christ he is a new Creature .i. Christ doth change him and forms him a new he strips him of his old heart and puts into him a new heart These things being premised I now come to answer the Case The case answered propounded Only I must crave favour to acquaint you with two things One that I speak not of such a change as implies perfection but only of that which although it be true and saving is nevertheless imperfect for so is all the work of grace in this life Another is that I intend not to give you Characters of a progressive change which may be found in Christians whom God hath called and converted and changed for many years in whom the work of Conversion is come to much maturity and strength but only of an initial change as it stands in truth and sincerity although newly wrought and perhaps it be very feeble and weak yet it is to be found in every man whom Divine Grace doth convert Now this Initial change may be evidenced by the several contrary habitudes and fixed carriages in the converted The initial change evidenced by the several contraricties person as to time past and time present and time future in respect of all which you shall clearly discern a singular alteration if the Conversion be true 1. The first contrariety or alteration respects the time past As to the time past Before the sinner was converted there were four unhappy qualities possessing of him as touching his sinfulness 1. A marvellous blindness and reflexive unsensibleness of his sinful condition dead in trespasses and sins Eph. 2. Past feeling Eph. 4. 19. 2. A wonderful erroneousness and false judgment of his estate thinking highly and proudly of himself as once Laâ—dicea did and the Jews and Pharisees did We are Abrahams seed and never in bondage Joh. 8. 33. 3. A miserable security of spirit extreamly careless and negligent about the internal and eternal concernments of his soul alive once without the Law Rom. 7. 9. Soul take thine ease c. They say peace and safety 1 Thes 5. 3. 4. A remorseless pursuing of his sinful lusts without any heart-smiting troubles for his sinning and provoking of God No man repented saying What have I done every one turned to his course Jer. 8. 6. 5. Alienation from the life of God Eph. 4. 18. Thus it was with the man before God converted him and changed him but now behold the alteration and contrariety 1. There is a graciously quick and active quickning light fallen into him which opens his eyes and affects his conscience to a clear and right sight of his sinful heart and life Rom. 7. 9. But when the Commandment came sin revived c. As if the light of the Sun brake into a darkroom and represented all the nastiness in it Acts 26. 18. To open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan unto God His sins are set before him and conscience acquaints him with his forepast evils so that he is convinced and can make no defence but cries out with the Leper I am unclean unclean 2. All his erroneous and proud conceits of himself are tumbled down the Mountains are laid low and the man judgeth of himself as if he were the greatest and vilest sinner that ever lived he abhors himself Oh how wicked Oh how vain Oh how vile Oh how mad Oh how foolish Oh how beastly I have been a transgressor from the womb I have lived without God against God none so ignorant none so proud none so filthy none so froward and rebellious against the Will of God against the goodness of God as I In me there dwelleth no good thing I am without strength No man living hath such proper thoughts such humble thoughts of himself as he Oh unfit to dye unworthy to live undone if mercy be not free mercy and abundant mercy 3. His Castle of security is demolished and the secure negligent man becomes now a most anxious and solicitous and careful man about the condition of his soul 2 Cor. 7. 11. What carefulness it wrought in you this now takes him up What shall we do say they to John the Baptist And what shall we do say they to Peter And what shall I do to be saved Acts 16. 30. O my Soul my poor lost wandring sinful undone Soul what shall I do what will become of me and what will become of thee for all these sins And now the man inquires and hears and confers and prayes as for his life Oh saith he I need mercy and mercy I must have I need Christ and Christ I must have I need grace and grace I must have and as that impotent person lay at the Pool for cure so doth this converted sinner he lyes at the pool of the word and at the gates of heaven day and night and there he cries out God be merciful to me a sinner and there he wrestles with God as Jacob once I will not let thee go unless thou bless me until thou be reconciled until I have Christ until my heart be sanctifyed 4. His hardned remorselesness is now turned into a singular brokenness and grief of spirit the Rock is smitten and the waters gush out a Fountain is opened within him He who made but a sport of sinning before he who could grasp the nettles and tread on hell and vex mercy and shoot through the heart of Christ and not be moved or troubled at all Oh now how is the man altered I see him trembling and quaking with Paul I see him bitterly weeping with Peter I see him washing his Couch with David I see him in heaviness and bitterness for his sinnings as one for his first born One while he meditates and then weeps
delight in him Plusquam mea plusquam meos plusquam me said Bernard 4. When the Lord converts and changeth a person the man presently Steps into the path of new Obedience when Grace hath changed the Heart the Heart instantly changeth its Master and its service O it will not live as it hath done for a thousand Worlds It is a servant of sin no more but a servant of righteousness look on any converted man since the Word began as soon as ever Grace dropt into his Heart a newness of Obedience dropt into his Life against all Ease Pleasures Profits Encouragements Discouragements Threats Dangers It was so with Abraham with Paul with all those thousands in the Acts with all those Ephesians And indeed it cannot be otherwise forasmâ—ch as all their external course is but the pulse of the Heart The Pondus of the will is changed it is at the command of the Heart which being brought into God the services of the heart are also brought in with it O that you would peruse your selves in this second Tryal what present contratiety you find in your Hearts It is a very neer Tryal and a most Infallible discovery of the truth or falshood or your Change 3. The last Contrariety or Change which I shall but touch As to the time future respects the time Future there are five admirable Properties for the time future which may be found in every truly Changed and Converted person 1. He is very tender and fearful least he should sin against his God Keep thy servant from presum ptuous sins cleanse thou me from secret faults Psal 19. 12 13. Should we again break thy Commandments said Exâ—a c. 9. 14. How can I do this Great wickedness and sin against God! said Joseph Gen. 39. 9. There is in a Changed and Converted man 1. A tender Jealousy over a Deceitful heart 2. a tender Watchfulness against Alluring temptations 3. a tender Conscience which feels the first Risings of sin 4. a tender Dissidence of his Own strength 5. a tender Fear and aweful Regard of Gods Presence and Goodness He is afraid to sin although the sin be Secret and although it be Commodious and although it be Pleasant I will but name the rest 2. He is very Zealous and Active for God Paul even besides himself 3. He is very Faithful and Constant unto God 4. He is very Serious and Industrious to get assurance of Gods love and of his inheritance in the highest heavens Give all diligence c. 2 Pet. 1. 10. 5. He strives for the Conversion and change of others The next Use must be of Comfort and Support to all such who find this change wrought in their hearts by converting Grace Use 2. There are four Adjuncts which make this Converting change Comfort to those who are changed unspeakably Comfortable and Joyous 1. Next to Christ it is the choicest and chiefest gift that the heart of man is capable of in this life The gifts of God are of several Orders and several Next to Christ it is the choicest gift the heart is capable of Natures uses and ends some are in order to a natural preservation as food and raiment and Health Some are in order to an extrinsecal condition or State of Life as Honours and civil Authority Some are in order to private society and relation as Wife and Husband and Children Some are in order to secular converse as Father and Friends politick wisdome and parts c. These are all of them good in their kind but as it is said of diverse Captaines belonging to David although they did great matters yet they attained not to the acts of the three first Worthies So none of these rise or mount either to that intrinsecal Dignity or to that supernatural and ultimate End which the change by Grace doth The least drop of Grace is more then all the Ocean of the World The Apostle Paul saith it is a change from Glory to Glory the work is a work of Glory and the man becomes glorious who is a converted man S. Peter saith He is now made partaker of the Divine Nature The excellencies of God are stamped on thy soul the Sun is now risen within thee as the Glory of God filled the Temple so when a man is converted the beams of grace do fill his soul thou art precious the filthy rags are taken away 2. It is an evidence of great love and rich mercy Eph. 2. 4. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he It is an evidence of great love loved us when we were dead hath quickned us c. It is a testimony of the greatest love as it is of the greatest hatred in God to be left to our sinful lusts and wayes 3. Converting grace it is the first visible and sure characteristical It is the first visible distinction betwixt hell and heaven distinction twixt Hell and Heaven twixt Death and Life twixt a Goat and a Sheep twixt a wicked condition and a Godly condition There is a twofold distinction of persons touching their everlasting estates One is in decreto which lies in the brest and counsel of God the other is in decreto which is to be found in the heart of man Now quoad nos quantum ad objectum Converting grace makes the difference it shews who is loved and who is hated it shews who is for Heaven and who is for Hell It is not honour nor wealth nor strength nor parts nor civility nor meanness nor poverty nor education nor knowledg nor trouble of conscience nor restraint nor profession nor external action which is the partition wall which divides and decides the state for the present and future If Ministers or Angels should assure thee of an interest in Christ and of remission of thy sins and of future happiness while yet thy heart is unconverted they do certainly delude and deceive thee for if any man be in Christ he is a new Creature But if God hath converted and changed thy heart thou art assuredly past from death to life thou art among the first born of God No sorts of wicked men are in this changed and converted condition no prophane person no hypocritical person as soon as any is converted it may be said of him as Christ of Zacheus This day is salvation come to him for as much as he also is a child of Abraham 4. It never goes alone it is alwayes accompanied with justification It never goes alone pardon interest in Christ reconciliation with God Jesus was sent to bless them in turning them away from their iniquities Acts 3. 26. Be converted that your sins may be blotted out Acts 3. 19. Come now and let us reason together Isai 55. 7. 1 Cor. 6. 11. But ye are washed but ye are sanctifyed but ye are justifyed c. It is the most comfortable condition 5. It is the most comfortable and joyful condition for now there is
upon the spirit of a man which There may be many changes not inconsistent with the saving change yet are not inconsistent with the saving change of his Spirit Sometimes he may be lively and quick sometimes he may be flat and dull sometimes he may be confident and cheerful and at some other times he may be afraid and mournful sometimes he may be full and enlarged and at some other time he may be aukard and streightned sometimes he may have more sense of Gods Love and sometimes more sense of his own sins None of these things are essential to the converted estate a mans heart may be truly changed by converting grace notwithstanding many crosses and afflictions on his outward estate many eclipses in his comforts many varieties in his spiritual actings many contrarieties twixt his sence and his faith many temptations upon his spirit to many doubts and fears in his heart 4. Sinful corruptions never work with a more sensible strength Sinful corruptions work with more sensible strength when the heart is truely changed then when the heart is truly converted and changed Before Conversion our sins do work more mightily but we do not then perceive the workings because your delight was then in sinning and nothing is burthensome to delight and nothing was in us contrary to our sinnings the strong man kept all the house and every faculty was a friend and servant to sin the river ran all one way But when the heart is converted there is now laid into it 1. The quickest principle of feeling 2. The contrariest principle of resisting 3. The properest principle of destruction to sin and therefore no marvel that we feel our sinful natures more than formerly for all qualities are most active and most felt in cases of resistance and destruction nevertheless none of these must conclude against our Conversion but rather for it because 1. The greatest work of grace is inward 2. The sense of sinful workings joyned with an hatred of them and humbling of the heart under them and with addresses to God for subduing power is certainly a sign of converting grace Therefore hearken unto me thou distressed soul 1. Though the Glory of Grace consists in Victory yet the Truth of Grace appears in Combats the fighting Souldier is as right to the cause as the conquering Souldier there is fire in the smoking flax as well as in the flaming furnace 2. That great corruptions still remaining in temptation are the burdens of a weak Christian but are not the Characters of a false Christian 3. Jesus Christ can by a little grace weaken strongest corruptions The least true grace will help thy soul to Christ through whose strength thou who art now in conflict shalt ere long be made more than a Conqueror 4. True grace begins in weakness goes on with combat but ends in victory There is but little light at the first and more darkness for quantity but the light of the Sun is rising and dissipating and at length remains alone Conquering grace hath comfort conflicting grace hath strength and even mourning grace hath truth Peter's tears shewed truth of Grace as well as Paul's Triumph But how may I descern my change to arise from the power of converting How it may be discerned that this change is from converting grace and â—ot from the power of a troubling coâ—science Answered grace and not from the power only of a troubling conscience Sol. I conceive thus in four particulars 1. When the change is made only from the sting of conscience that change goes off and vanisheth when the trouble of conscience goes off and continues only while that doth continue whiles the trouble of conscience is on the man the man will hear and the man will pray and the man will consult and profess and resolve yea and now too to become a new man yea and he will cry out against his sins and will not come near his sins But when that trouble is off all is off again the Water which was heated grows cold again Saul is pursuing David again and Foelix is covetous again But if the change be from grace though trouble be off yet the heart is against sin and is for good for grace sets us against sin as it makes us unholy and evil and not only or principally as it makes us uncomfortable and miserable 2. When the change ariseth only from a troubling conscience not from a contrariety to God but to us It doth not arise from a hatred of sin and a love of good but only from a hatred of torment a self-love and a love of ease the man loves that sin that he dares not now commit and hates the good which now he doth he doth the good only as a means to take off his trouble he doth it not as a work in which he delights nor doth he flie sin as an evil which he hates he flies sin as it is malum sensibile not as it is malum spirituale But in a gracious change trouble doth not cause hatred but hatred causeth trouble of sin 3. When the change is only from a troubling conscience then when the trouble is gone the mans heart is more hardned and he growes more wicked then ever before and in after sinnings less sensible and less troubled as Iron growes more hardned after it hath been in the fire or water that is stopped more violent If they be again intangled and overcome the latter end is worse with them then the beginning 2 Pet. 2. 20. But where the heart is changed by grace the more grace still the more sense of sin and still the more fear to sin and still the more love of God 4. When the change comes only from the trouble of conscience the change extends no further then to that or those particular sins for which the conscience doth trouble the man if the other sins trouble not they are not left But when the change is wrought by grace this change extends to all sins I hate every evil way saith David they do no iniquity Psal 119. Let us â—leanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit 2 Cor. 7. 1. Quest How may a man know that his change is not the fruit of Hypocrisie but of Converting grace Sol. This may be discerned How it appears this change is not the fruit of Hypocrisie thus 1 The change by Hypocrisie 1. Is not Cordial no Hypocrites heart is changed In heart ye work wickedness The Hypocrite dares to give way to heart sins Judah turned Answered not with her heart but feignedly 2. Is not Vniversal The Prophet tells the hypocritical Israelites that they were as a Cake half baked and not turned an hypocrite though he forsake many sins yet he loves some sin Jehu cannot part with the golden Calves though he did destroy Baal 3. Is not lasting but changeable sutable occasions are too strong for an heart felsely changed 4. Is not able to abide three Trials of
the Word of Conscience of Death The third Use shall be to exhort and entreat us to stir up all our hearts to beg of God to work in them this admirable change by Vse 3. Exhortation to beg of God to work this change Conversion I read in Scripture that the blind man cryed out Jesuâ— thou Son of David have mercy on me and again Thou Son of David c. and all this was for a change in his eyes and I read that Naoman took a great journey into the Land of Israel and all was to be cleansed of the Leprosie of his body And why will we not take a little pains to have our hearts and souls changed by grace Consider seriously 1. That a man is not excluded No other want excludes from heaven This want certainly excludes us from heaven for any other want not for want of wisdome or parts or riches or dignities 2. Thou art certainly excluded from heaven the door is shut up against thee if thou be not converted and changed the holy God will never look upon thee and thou shalt never look upon that holy God in his holy place The unclean person was shut out of the Camp and no unclean thing shall ever enter into heaven 3. It is thy duty thou art It is thy duty to be changed bound to be a converted and changed person every man is bound to hate and forsake his sins and to come back and love and serve his God did God make thee to serve thy lusts hath he preserved thee all this while to sin against him Is this the fruit of thy dreadful Covenant which thou hast made with him 4. What wilt thou get by keeping thy sins or any one of them What wilt thou get by keeping thy sins Be perswaded To beseech the Lord to change thy heart Be perswaded therefore at least unto two things 1. To beseech the Lord to change and convert thy heart even thine also remember well 1. None can change a sinner but God The Musician must tune the Instrument 2. It is no sin to beg of God a Conversion from sin No no thou canst not put up a more acceptable request Lord I am weary of my sins I would dishonour thee no more I would be good I would serve thee thou only canst change me and enable me for thy Mercies sake do so and heal and turn me so shall I be healed and turned 3. God hath changed and converted great sinners was not Manasses so M. Magdalen so Paul so the Corinthians so Why venture toward his mercy seat who can tell but he may do so to thee 4. He hath changed sinners who have not sought him and will he refuse it for them who do seek it of him if he many times be found of them that seek him not will he deny to them who seek 5. You have his promise to do this very converting work for you He will give his holy Spirit to them that ask him Luk. 11. 13. I will give a new heart and a new spirit Ezek. 36. 26. Behold he calls thee he tells thee that he is willing to convert thee why then art thou not willing to receive it to have it done do not say thou art a sinner God never did convert any but a sinner nor does he promise to convert any who is not a sinner 6. Did ever any beg this and failed of it Lord said one to Christ If thou wilt thou canst make me clean what saith Christ to him doth he not answer him at all Doth he say I cannot Or doth he say I will not O no his answer is and it is a present answer I will be thou clean 2. To come to the Word and come for this end that God may convert and change many came Come to the word for this end to the Pool of Bethesda to look on it and an impotent man came thither to be cured in it and there he was cured many come to hear the Word to mock at it and many come to get some notions from it and many come to catch the Minister at it but he who comes for this very end to be converted and changed by it I believe he shall first or last attain his end the word shall convert and change him The word is sometimes compared to a Glass which discovers Jam. 1. 29. and sometimes to a Laver which washeth and cleanseth Psal 119. 9. even the young man who of all other is most unruly and wild is converted by it The Power of God goes with the Word of God and the Grace of God comes by the Word of God it is Vehiculum Spiritus canalis Gratiae Thousands have been converted by it and so maist thou Hath God converted and changed thy heart hearken then to Vse 4. Counsels to the converted a few counsels 1. Take heed of sinning after Conversion Do not sin against grace received if thou dost thou wilt weaken and lame thy strength wilt darken thy heaven wilt perplex thy conscience wilt shew thy self more ungrateful then any man no wicked man can have such an aggravation of sin upon him as thou hast 2. Honour God with that Grace which thou hast received Conversion fits and enables a man for Gods Service and Glory And they began to be merry Luke 15. 24. These words are as the Banquet after the Feast they are the close and the reckoning that is brought in upon the lost Son being brought home The case is wonderfully altered with him all is altered when the sinner is altered when he was wandring from his Father he ran up and down the Country and wasted all his estate among Harlots he shifted himself to his very skin and out he is turned amongst the Swine and no man regarded him the poor wretch wanted Father and House and Cloaths and all Comforts and was upon his last Leggs at the very point of starving and famishing But now being found and returned home all mercies come in unto him there 's a Father to embrace him and an House to entertain him and Raiment to cloath him and Friends to welcome him and a feast to rejoyce him And they began to be merry As formerly you have had the nature of Conversion so in these you have the fruit of Conversion When Jesus Christ was born there was great joy and when a sinner is born again hereupon also ariseth great joy The Proposition on which I intend to insist is this That Conversion brings the Soul into a joyful a very joyful condition They began to be merry Mirth is the accent of joy Doct. 7. Conversion brings the soul into a very joiful condition it is an emphatical joy but when did they begin to be merry why as soon as it was said This my Son is alive and this my Son is found now they begin to be merry Conversion may be considered three wayes 1. Antecedenter For the precious qualities and works which
Soul joyful and delightful Againe there cannot be a greater delight and joy then when an Active and Actual intercourse is maintained twixt an immortal Soul and perfect Blessedness when my Soul hath a free converss with Blessedness it self and Blessedness it self hath a Gracious converse with my soul this is as if two deeply in Love conversed with each other this is as if Jonathan and David met together this is as if Jacob and Joseph met together and infinitely more But upon Conversion the soul and God have mutual communications And is not God the blessedness of mans soul and is not blessedness a joyful and pleasant sight God speaks to that soul and that soul speaks with God the soul opens its self to God and God opens himself to that soul Ergò 5. It were a mighty dishonour to God that his Wayes his Image By the dishonour that otherwise would redound to God What kind of Joy Conversion brings A Lawful Joy Quaedam 1. Nec bona nec Jucunda 2. Bona sed non jucunda 3. Jucunda sed non bonâ— 4. Jucunda et Bonâ— â—o Bernard should be barren of Joy and yet the Divels wayes and sin pleasant 6. A Great motive to draw in a soul were lost 7. Grace doth spiritualize our joyes it doth not nullify true joy Quest 2. What kind of Joy and Pleasure doth Conversion bring unto the Soul Sol. There are five properties in the joy which Conversion lets into the Soul 1. It is a lawful Joy and Pleasure There are many things which are pleasent but they are not Lawful Stollen waters are sweet saith Solomon but God allowes them not the Tree in the garden was Pleasant but it was not Lawful for Adam and Eve to taste of Sinful wayes afford some kind of joy but that joy is forbidden fruit God hath cursed sin and all that comes out of sin Agrippina poysoned her husband with the meat he most delighted in Wicked men delight and rejoyce in sinful things but this is only sweet Poyson God allowes it not nor is it safe But conversion yeilds a Joy which the soul may safely feed on It is lawful to rejoyce in the Lord and to rejoyce in Christ and to reioyce in the pardon of our sins and to rejoyce that our names are written in the book of Life 2. It is a Spiritual Joy A Joy that reacheth to the spirit of Man and that becomes the spirit of man and that raiseth the A Spiritual joy spirit of man 1. Many men have joy in their faces and yet not joy in their hearts A man in a feaver hath a lively colour when yet he hath a dying heart and many have joy in their tongues and mouthes and yet no joy in their consciences As he said to one that commended his fine shoe But you doe not know where it pincheth me a wicked man hath an hell in his conscience who yet hath a smile in his countenance But a Converted mans joy is an heart joy My servants shall sing for joy of heart Isa 65. 14. My Spirit rejoiceth in God my Savior said Mary Luk. 2. 2. And it is a spirit becoming joy Laughter is not seemly for a fool said Solomon There are joyes which are not seemly nor becoming an Immortal soul Agesilaus said of some pleasures that they were fit for salves not for Freemen a wicked man takes joy either in Vile things which fight against the Soul or in vain things which are below a Soul his joyes are fetcht out of hell or out of the Creature either such joyes as delight the Devil or delight the beasts or delight the basest and vainest of men in Whoring and Drinking and Cursing and Dicing and Dancing and Gaming and Mumming and Masking c. But Conversion feeds the Soul with the joyes of the Holy Ghost with Divine joy joy drawn out of the wells of Salvation Isa 12. 2. And it is a Spirit-raising joy when the soul is cast down and all the comforts on Earth cannot lift it up and chear it yet Conversion can let in a fetching Cordial It can open a window to see the light of Gods countenance and favour which can turn night into day and troubles into peace and heaviness into an exceeding joy even Davids Why art thou cast down O my Soul into Praise the Lord O my Soul 3. It is a wonderfull Joy There are two cases wherein men do wonder how a man can possibly be joyful A wonderful Joy 1. One is when all the comforts of the Creature fail him not a Candle but is without light not a Well but is stopt not a Spring but is dry No friend to look on and pity no maintenance no subsistance Yet in such a case which is wont to be a time Sighs and Tears can a converted man rejoyce Hab. 3. 17. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome neither shall fruit be in the Vine The labor of the Olive shall faile and the field shall yeild no meat the â—lock shall be cut off from the fold and there shall be no Herd in the stals Yet I will rejoyce in the Lord I will joy in the God of my salvation 2. Another is when all outward miseries are upon him as when all his outward estate is taken away yet then converted persons have taken joyfully the spoyling of their Goods Heb. 10. 34. When Afflictions Derisions Reproaches Bonds Imprisonments Scourgings cruel Torments are laid on him Yet saith Paul Wee rejoyce in Tribulations also Rom. 5. 3. Yet saith Christ when men shall revile you and persecute you and say all manner of evill against you falsly for my sake Reâ—oyce and be exceeding glad Mat. 5. 11 12. And the Apostles when they were imprisoned and beaâ—en rejoyced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Act. 5. 41. My Brethren count it all Joy when ye fall into diverse Temptations Jam. 1. 2. When he is going to endure a cruel death as burning in the Fire devouring by wild Beasts roasting on the Gridiron boyling in Oil breaking of the Bones tearing out the Bowels All these have converted persons susteined with unspeakeable Courage clapping of the Hands kissing of the Stake and Glorious Rejoicings Why the truth is that though all the Candles on Earth be put out yet he hath Light and Comfort still â—un shâ—nes nothing can dissolve nor yet interrupt the souls sweet â—ommunion with God 4. It is a Firme and Pure and Vnclogged Joy an unconverted man A firm and pure Joy hath his joy and his delights and his mirth and pleasure but there are three doleful burdens under which all this while he lies 1. Notwithstanding all his joyes he lies under the hatred of God 2. Notwithstanding all his joyes he lies under the dominion of his sinful Lusts 3. Notwithstanding all his joyes he lies under the power of a Guilty and Accusing and Condemning Conscience but now the Converted mans joy is a Perfect joy a Wel-grounded joy God
in Adversity as in Prosperity Hab. 3. 17. Although the Fig-tree shall not blossome c. yet I will rejoyce in the Lord c. Rom. 5. 3. And not only so but we glory in tribulation c. 1 Sam. 29. 6 the people spake of stoning him but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God Rom. 8. 35. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ c. If even in afflictions I can go unto the same armes of Christ and unto the same brests of divine Love and into the same chamber of Presence if I can look upon God as my God and see him to be my Father that I can make known my heart to him and he can make known his favour to me what should hinder me now to be joyful who still do enjoy him who alone makes all my joy Another is the Testimony of Conscience This is the Friend in adversity This is our rejoycing even the testimony of our Conscience 2 Cor. 1. 12. Conscience is a mans night or day his Hell or Heaven his Palace of delight or Jail of bitterness If Conscience be sanctified or pacified it can speak a peace or joy that none can crush none can hinder but under the greatest afflictions and persecutions a converted man may and doth enjoy the testimony of a good Conscience Thou art upright saith Conscience to Hezekiah on his sick-bed Thou fearest God saith Conscience to Job under the loss of all Thou lovest Christ saith Conscience to Paul even in the Prison Object 2. Now to the second Objection That converting But conversion brings us into a narrow path it is an enemy to many delights Grace brings the person into a narrow path and under the strictest rules even such as condemn a multitude of joys and delights how can that condition be so joyfull which denies and abridgeth c Sol. To this I answer 1. It is granted That converting Grace brings the person into Answered There is a strictness required a very narrow path and under very strict rules A converted man must not walk as other men he must not allow himself to think and desire and love and speak and act as formerly He must fear to sin he must love the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might he must order his steps by the Word of God he must deny himself and crucifie his dearest lusts and not shun the hardest duty nor delight in the least iniquity 2. But then This strictness is no adversary to his true joy In This strictness is no adversary to true joy keeping of thy commandments there is great reward saith David Psal 19. 11. Great peace have they who love thy law Psal 119. 165. As many as walk according to this rule peace be on them and mercy upon the Israel of God Gal. 6. 16. I beseech you to consider four things 1. Let thine own Conscience judge whether it be not a more comfortable course to obey God then to disobey God to have grace to serve God acceptably then to have an heart still free and ready to dishonour and provoke God Who hath most true comfort the bones sound and in place or broken to walk on the Land or to be troubled at Sea the Child who runs away from his Father or the Child who waits upon his Father the Child that desires to please or the Child that continues to grieve and vex the wandring and famished Prodigal or the returning and embraced Son Hos 2. 7. I will return to my first Husband for then it was better with me then now 2. Rightly understand what it is strictly to walk with God It is an endeavour in your affections and duties to draw near to God in all well-pleasing and to answer the will of God The Christians course of obedience it is his daily communion with his God in this life When thou prayest what is Praying but a divine conference of the soul with God and when thou hearest what is this but a divine conference of God with the soul and when thou repentest what is that but a recovery and return of the soul to God and when thou believest what is that but the recumbency of the soul on the goodness of God and when thou receivest the Sacrament what is it but a communion a feasting with Jesus Christ If a strict walking be nothing but a divine and heavenly communion with God why doest thou how darest thou to judge of it as the onely Bar to shut out all joy and comfort Was there ever any affectionate Wife that thought it an injury to her Joy to speak with her Husband or to enjoy the society of her Husband Was there ever any faithfull Friend who thought it a misery a burthen to enjoy the society of his Friends to open his heart unto his Friend How then can it be a prejudice to any mans joy to enjoy communion with his God 3. Consult with experience which hath travelled in the strict ways of God either thine own experience if any which day of thy life hath been closed up with heartiest joy whether the day of licentiousness or the day of strictness That day which thou hast let out to thy lusts hath made the night a trembling to thee that day which thou hast redeemed for walking with God hath always given unto thee the sweetest rest and repose at night The experience of godly people have any of them ever found more soul rejoycing then when they have abounded in strictest obedience This is thy burthen but it is their delight the purest walking hath distilled the sweetest joy and their looser walking hath been the cause of their greatest sorrows It is with a strict Christian as with the Sun which still keeps to the Ecliptique Line and is of all the Stars the most glorious and comfortable when it is at the highest and the higher Sun the purer and warmer light And it is with the loose Christian as with the uneven foot the wry stepping is the cause of unjoynting or pinching and paining 4. The strict walking what is it but a path to everlasting life every step of it is a step to heaven Strait is the gate which leads unto life saith Christ There is an easie way for men to walk in but that 's the way to hell and what comfort is it after all to go to hell to go to hell with ease There is a strict way for men to walk in but it is the way to life to eternal life Now even that alone is sufficient to create joy that these steps after a while will bring me to appear before the God of Gods in Sion and truly there is no end whatsoever the which if it be in it self amiable and comfortable but it darts also an amiableness and comfortableness upon all the steps and paths which tend unto it 3. Lastly Converting Grace doth not condemn or deny any lawfull Converting grace denies not any lawfull joy
Faith doth doth act for relief and will hold some communion with God 6. They are abated by the Ordinances 7. They are but for a time 8. They end in fullest setling and glorious comforts and likewise with advantage to their gracious condition And truly it is impossible that wicked and ungodly men should ever enjoy that serenity and peace as the godly do for as much as all the principles and causes of uncomfortableness abide on the wicked 1. Sin is in them in all its strength They have a thousand hells and arrows of guilt sticking in their hearts they have souls full of plague sores the deadly strokes of death the restless motions of evil spirits 2. They carry a roaring Lion in their brests I mean an evil accusing smiting wounding racking condemning Conscience which if it once awake it will tear the caul of their hearts and crush them with the flames of unavoidable unsupportable and continual wrath 3. They have no City of Refuge open to their succour no land or shore no place to cast anchor no portion in Christ and therefore the Law of God stands in full force against their souls and under its curse they lie and at that Bar of Justice must they be tried 4. They end in an éternal and perfect Hell 5. Take them at their best God is their Enemy they never yet made peace with him and all their outward blessings are steeped in gall and drenched in Wormwood as their sorrows so their blessings are distributed in wrath 2. Many converted persons are not really sad and uncomfortable Many converted persons are not really sad they onely seem so but onely seem so to the mean and childish opinions of vain men 2 Cor. 6. 10. As sorrowfull yet always rejoycing The joy of Christians is an hidden joy Hidden Manna Revel 2. 20. it is a spiritual joy to which thou art a stranger meat to eat which thou knowest not of Suppose that thou rejoycest not in a fine Baby and a Toy which is a Childs great delight art thou therefore sad All objects yield not contentment to an high mind nor joy to a good man he cannot take pleasure in an Alehouse and Tavern in swaggering and masking in dicing and carding and swearing and whoring but yet he can take delight in a reconciled God in a Christ in the Word of God in praying to God in gracious returnes from God in expectation of the Glory of God A swine delights in mire but a man doth not The Moon is oft times dark to the world when yet that part which faceth to the Sun is beautiful and lightsome The countenance and carriage of a Christian as to the world seems dull and uncomfortable but if you could look into the heart of him which faceth towards heaven O there is Righteousness there is Peace there is Joy in the Holy Ghost 3. If any converted persons be sad and want actual joy and comfort If they be sad Conversion is not the cause of it yet their Conversion is not the cause thereof Can the Sun be any cause of darkness But amongst others these are the Causes of it Either 1. Thy unconversion It is the unconverted husband child master which makes sadness in the heart of the converted wife father c. It is thy drunkenness thy cursing and swearing thy scorning and scoâ—â—ing thy resisting and shifting the offers of Grace thy lying and slandering thy pride and loosness which makes the hearts of Ministers ready to break and the hearts of thy godly friends ready to sink in them O they tremble at thy condition and they grieve to see God so extremely dishonoured Psal 119. 136. Rivers of tears run down mine eyes because they keep not thy Law ver 158. I beheld the transgressors and was grieved because they kept not thy Word 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. The wicked deeds of the ungodly Sodomites vexed the soul of righteous Lot Luke 19. 41. It was Jerusalems proud obstinacy that would not know in her day the things which concerned her peace that made Jesus Christ to weep 2. Their Captivities to sin Pauls conversion did never trouble him but this did trouble him that he did the evil which he would not his Corruption not Conversion That the Law of his members led him captive against the Law of his mind It was not Peters Conversion but Peters transgression that made him go forth and weep bitterly It was not Davids Conversion but Davids great sinning which made him go so heavily and roâ—r so greatly Psal 32. 3. The Fears and Suspitions that they are not yet truly converted O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death O they feel so many working Corruptions still and so little of the strength of Christ still and so much unbelief still and so many indispositions still and so many failings still and so many doubts about these This â—race is not right the saving Work is not begun and these things make them â—o sigh and weep and go heavily all the day long 4. They are but newly crept out of the shell The Spirit of Bondage is yet hardly worn off some legal Dints stick on them they are either still in travel or but newly delivered Or if they be got out of the state of Bondage yet they are for the present under spiritual conflicts and as spiritual Bondage before Conversion so spiritual conflicts after conversion suspends the taste of a present and actual joy Or if that be not the damp then perhaps it is some ignorance or unexperience they are not yet come to read their Fathers Will and Christs Testament what portion is left and laid out for the Children of God Or if that be not it then perhaps it is a present fit of unbelief they cannot yet be perswaded that God means so much mercy and so much love and so many great things for them Is it so That â—onversion brings the person into a very joyful Vse 1. condition Hence then 1. We may be Informed of four Information things 1. That they are enemies to their joy and comfort who are adversaries They are enemies to their joy who are enemies to Conversion to their Conversion Prov. 1. 22. How long ye simple ones will ye love simplicity and ye Scorners delight in scorning and fools hate knowledg Six things shew one to be in an unconverted condition Unsensibleness Love of sin Path of evil hatred of Reformation despising the Means of Conversion loathing of Converted-Persons There are some persons who hate to be reformed who hold fast their â—â—ns and will not let them go they are like those stiff-necked Jewes who alwayes resisted the Holy Ghost a disobedient people to the Call of God they refuse to put their necks into the yoak of Jesus Christ and will not be bound with his cords They love their sinful wayes and will not return to the Almighty Why Write that man childless said God of Coniah So I
say of these men Write them comfortless Will the Lord lye for you Or will he misplace his hands for you Peace is the effect of righteousness and Joy is the fruit of Conversion And shalt thou have pleasure who takest pleasure in unrighteousness Shalt thou know the wayes of Peace who wilt not know the path of Holiness Did ever God smile on him who hated God Or clasp him with joy who despised his grace with hatred Go enquire and search all the Springs of joy and knock at all the Gates of pleasure diligâ—ntly ask What of delight they contain for thee Knock at the mercy-seat which is the Gate of God and ask Lord hast thou not joy for one who will go on in his sins and will not return unto thee No saith God not any but he who â—orsakes his sins shall have mercy and he who hardens his heart shall fall into mischief Prov. 28. 13 14. Knock at the Gospel which is the gate of Christ and ask Blessed Jesu hast thou no word of comfort for him who resists thy spirit and will not come in unto thee No not I saith Christ not any thou despisest the goodness of God and by thy impenitency and hardness treasurest unto thy self wrath against the day of wrath Knock at conscience which is the gate of thine own soul and ask O conscience hâ—st thou not a word of peace to speak to one who loves his sins and is an enemy to God and godliness Who I saith conscience not I thou art an enemy of righteousness and in the gall of bitterness and except thou repent thou shalt certainly perish Knock at the Scriptures which are the Gate of truth and ask May not the wicked and unconverted person suck at the brests of your consolation are not thâ—se wells of salvation open for me to draw joy and comfort out of Oh no say the promises we are childrens bread and legacies for sons if thou be a believer we are a Fountain opened for thee if thou be an unbeliever we are a Fountain sealed against thee Knock at the Creatures which are the Gate of Providence and ask Have ye no Commission of Comfort for one who cares not to remember his Creator O no say all the Creatures Sin long ago hath cast thee out of Paradise and turned the earth into a curse and thy blessings are cursed and thy sinnings do poison all the flowers in our Garden unto thee Nay Knock at thy very Sins which are the Gate of Hell and ask them Ye of all other are my dearest friends and choicest masters and have ye no Joyes and Comforts for me O yes say they we have but they are forbidden fruit but they are pleasures of sin for a season but they will end in everlasting torments and sorrow Thus is every wicked and unconverted man in Cains condition who cryed out Behold thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth and from thy face shall I be hid and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth Gen. 4. 14. 2. That they are enemies and slanderers of the goodness and They are slanderers of the sweetness of Gods ways who thus reproach the state of Conversion sweetness of the wayes of God who load the estate of Conversion with all the ignominious reproaches of sadness and heaviness and mopishness and melancholy and bitterness and grave of all joy and pleasure As the Spies of old traduced the good and pleasant land of Caâ—aan which abounded with milk and hony O it was a land that did eat up the Inhabitants thereof But as God spake once to Aaron and Miriam How were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses so I to these How are ye not afraid to reproach the wayes of the living God Is not God the God of comfort Is not Christ the consolation of Israel Is not the Holy Ghost the comforter are not the Scriptures written for our consolation are not the Promises the breasts of Consolation are not all the pathes of Wisdome pathes of pleasantness are not the Graces of God the very beds of Spices Is not the peace of Conscience a peace that passeth all understanding Doth David find the Word sweeter then the hony comb Doth Job find it better then his appointed food Doth Jeremiah find it the Rejoycing of his heart Doest thou read of so many Converted persons in Scripture full of joy and gladness rejoycing in Christ rejoycing in the hope of the Glory of God reâ—oycing in Troubles in Persecutions yea in Death it self and yet darest thou to revile and scandalize the converted mans condition as the only sea of Bitterness and darkest night eclipsing all joy and comfort I pray thee to consider 1. This doth arise from the gall of thy wicked and imbittered Spirit hating and despising the goodly excellencies of holiness and holy persons 2. It doth shew a cursed heart to call good evil as it doth to call evil good and as he that justifies the Wicked so he that condemns the just is an abomination to the Lord How much more then he who condemns Righteousnes it self 3. This doth shew an Universal rage against Gods glory and mans happiness So heavily dost thou load the pathes of Conversion that so much as in thee lies thou disswadest and discouragest all the men on earth from leaving off their sins so that God shall have no Glory from them nor they any true happiness from God 4. And lastly Take heed least God deal with thee as once he did with the lying spies shut them out of Canaan and destroyed them with a remarkable Judgment 3. That they have hitherto deluded and deceived themselves with false joy in stead of true joy who as yet never saw a converted They who never were converted delude themselves with false joy condition All thy mirth and joy hath been but false fire a madness not a joyfulness sparkles of thy own kindling thou hast fed on the husks all this while on a fancy on a Dream thou hast never in all thy life took in one draught of true â—oy nor ever shalt thou till God convert thy soul Take heed of setling your souls or resting your souls on any works or any affections which are antecedent to conversion even the sorrows and troubles before conversion are no matter of joy and comfort if any joy depends on them it is rather because conversion hath followed them and the joys which many men take before their conversion certainly they are false joys poor joys they are not pleasures of Gods right hand There are three properties of true Joy 1. It is not the Vsher which goes before but the Handmaid that follows after Grace 2. It is not a Surfet to dead but a Cordial to strengthen and it is not a Feast to satisfie but a Sawce to quicken communion with God 3. It is not a temptation to sin but upholds against the new temptations of sin True Joy never goes
before true Grace but follows it Do you use to gather fruit before you plant or reap before ye sow 4. Then if ever you would have joy and live joyfull If you would have joy get converted hearts lives get converted hearts Every man desires joy and as the Bee hunts for honey so do men naturally hunt for delight 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aut jucunde aut non omninò Let the thing or condition be what it will if we take no delight in it it is a burthen to us Heaven would not be Heaven to him who cannot find delight in it Now Conversion is the true path to true joy If God would be pleased once to convert thy soul his converting Grace would lick thy sores and pull out the stings in Conscience and sweeten the bitter Springs and clear the Heavens to thee it would make thy bed to be easie and thy bread to be sweet and thy condition to be a Paradise even the Wilderness should drop honey to thee and thy heart should sing for joy It is a witty passage of Bernards de bonis deferendis Be willing to sacrifice thy Isaac and thy Isaac shall live Isaac you know signifies laughter do but sacrifice thy sinfull pleasure and then thy true pleasure shall not die but live Caius gave unto Agrippa a Chain of Gold which was as heavy as the Chain of Iron that he endured in the Prison Sins do â—ut upon us a Chain of Iron which if we would forsake Conversion would put upon as a Chain of Gold thou shalt not lose but better thy pleasures by forsaking of thy sins and the pleasures of them O! that all the joys which you have heard attending a converted condition might allure all our hearts to become converted persons I observe five things about the converted condition in Scripture 1. The invitation unto it and there joy presents it self Turn and live turn and live hearken diligently unto me and eat ye that which is good and let your soul delight it self in fatness Isa 55. 2. 2. The entrance into it and there joy embraceth the person As soon as the Prodigal Son returned his Father saw him a far off O how quick is Mercy to espy a Convert and had compassion O how tender is Mercy to yern over a Convert and ran O how swift is Mercy to receive a Convert and fell on his neck O how how out-stretching is Mercy to embrace a Convert and kissed him O how kind is Mercy to entertain a Convert 3. The motion or course of it and there joy attends the person I have rejoyced saith David Psal 119. 14. in the way of thy testimonies as much as in all riches When a converted man doth Mediate his meditation is stiled sweet Hear he hears With joy When they heard this they were glad Pray this is a sweet incense to David And I will make them joyfull in my house of prayer Isa 56. 7. Believe he doth believe and rejoice Mourn there is appointed the oyâ— of joy for mourning Isa 61. 3. Do the will of God it is his delight to do the will of God Suffer Rejoyce saith the Apostle 1 Pet. 4 13. in as much as ye are partakers of Christs sufferings 4. The conclusion or end of it why there also doth joy accompany him Psal 37. Mark the perfect man and behold the just for the end of that man is peace 5. The reward and recompence of it and there also joy doth clasp the converted person Enter into thy Masters joy saith Christ to the good servant Gaudium supra omne gaudium At thy right hand are pleasures for evermore said David Oâ— that all these things might so affect our hearts this day as to forsake our sins and turn back to God Pleasure is the great â—â—it which is laid forth to catch the soul of man Satan draws us to sin by pleasure and God draws us to grace by pleasure shall pleasure move thee to damn thy soul and shall not true pleasure move thee to save thy soul Our Aversion from God depends much upon pleasure and our Conversion unto God depends much upon pleasure me thinks that Gods promise should be more accounted then the Divels temptation is it not more probable to buy a better penniworth from heaven then from hell and is it not more reasonable to traffick at the gates of life for joy then to trade at the gates of death for comfort Return return O sinner yet yet come back to thy God and do not for lying vanities any longer forsake thine own mercies But God must perswade Japhet Try whether you are in a converted condition or no. There Vse 2. Try whether converted or no. Nine things shew a man is unconverted are two sorts of persons 1. Some plainly unconverted 2. Some deceiving themselves about it Nine things do shew that a man is as yet absolutely in an unconverted condition 1. Vnsensibleness God promiseth to take away the stony heart quanto insensibilior tanto pe jor This is the Stone upon the Grave 2. Love of sin Wicked men are described by this in ScriptuÌ„re 3. Walking in the path of sin It is his work his trade when a man chuseâ—h an evil way and sits in the Chair is a servant of unrighteousness walks in the way fo wicked men 4. Hating to be reformed It is an abomination to him to be good that will rather be damned then reformed breaks the Cords will not have Christ to reign 5. Despising of the means of Conversion The word of the Lord is a reproach to him his heart rageth when the word finds out his sins and would separate him and his lusts 6. Loathing of converted persons cannot endure the sight of grace his special dislikes are of the godly and disgraces and discountenancings of them he is exceedingly displeased and grieved at the estimations of godliness and rejoyceth in the cloudings and setting of it 7. In communion with God It is a note of a wicked man that God is not in all his thoughts and that he call not upon God but is a stranger to him the stil-born child is a dead child 8. Disvaluations of Jesus Christ and of all the precious seasons of grace and opportunities of mercy the Swine tramples upon the Pearl the dayes of the Son of man are of no account with him 9. An earthly rest and satisfaction When he is a man only for this life and for this present world sets up his staff on this side Jordan all his hopes are in this life Secondly Five things which do shew that a man flatters and Five things shew a man deceived about his conversion deceives himself about his condition that it is converted when yet it falls short thereof 1. Meer knowledg though a man knows never so much yet if he be but a knowing man he may be a learned man but he is not a converted man It is one thing to know controversies another thing to know
loves him Christ hath satisfyed for him his heart is sanctifyed and his conscience pacified 5. It is a well ending joy A joy which ends A well ending Joy in joy an unconverted man hath his joyes and pleasures but they end in Griefe and horror O my poor Soul said Adrian when he was dying whither art thou now going all thy Mirth and Joy are at an end nec ut soles dabis jocos thou art going away and all thy joyes are going away Luk. 16. 15. But Abraham said to Dives Remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things and Lazarus evill things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Dives fared sumptuously every day he had pleasure on earth but after them his soul went into hell torments he never had pleasure more Babylon it is said of her Rev. 18. 7. how much she hath glorified her self and lived deliciously so much torment and sorrow give her Job speaking of the Wicked chap. 21. 7. saith That they take the Timbrel and Harp and rejoyce at the sound of the Organ v. 12. they spend their dayes in wealth and in a moment go down to the Grave Solomon speaks ironically to the Voluptuous Youthes Eccles 11. 9. Rejoyce O young man in thy Youth and let thy heart cheer thee in the dayes of thy Youth and walk in the wayes of thine heart and in the sight of thine eyes But know thou that for all these things God will bring thee into Judgment So then the converted man's joy is a short joy and a joy that ends in bitterest sorrow But a converted man's joy is a lasting joy and it ends in perfect joy when he dies yet his grace dies not yet his joy dies not Well done good and faithful Servant enter into thy Master's joy the end of life is the beginning of all joy 6. It is a transcendent joy it exceeds all worldly joyes A transcendent joy Psal 4. 7. Thou hast put gladness in my heart more then in the time that their Corn and their Wine increased Psal 60. 3. Thy loving kindness is better then life Quest 3. Why doth Conversion make the souls condition so Reasons of it joyful Sol. â—t cannot but be so if you consider Conversion either as to God or as to Christ or as to Conscience 1. As to God As to God Conversion is the certain effect of Gods election 1. True Conversion is the certain effect of Gods gracious election Although Conversion be not the cause of election yet it is the fruit of election it is the counterpane of election Act. 13. 48. As many as were ordinaed to eternal life believed 1. Thes 1. 4. Knowing Brethren Beloved the election of God v. 5. For our Gospel came not to you in word only but in power also and in the Holy Ghost 2 Pet. 1. 10. Give diligence to make your calling and election sure When the word comes to the person in the Letter only this is no sign of his election but when it comes in power and in the Holy Ghost it is for to come in power and in the Holy Ghost is mightily and effectually to change and convert a person and this the Apostle makes an evidence of election and questionless a copy of a man's election cannot but be a cause of great joy Rejoyce saith Christ to his Disciples that your names are written in heaven Oh what a comfort is it to know that God from all eternity hath written and recorded it down This is the man whom I will have mercy on and will glorifie to all eternity 2. True Conversion It is the singular fruit of God's great It is a singular fruit of Gods Love Love and of his rich mercy to a mans soul the sure token of great love God hath a common love and mercy and God hath a choice love and mercy there are some to whom he hath a great love and unto whom he shews rich mercy Now Conversion is a drop out of that great Ocean the man is greatly beloved of God who is converted by God 1 Joh. 3. 1. Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed on us that we should be called the Sons of God Eph. 2. 4 5. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us v. 5. Even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us 3. True Conversion brings a soul under all the good and kind It brings a soul under all the smiles of God Language of God under the smiles of God All the Ordinances are as Milk and Honey and Wine and Oyle to a converted man The Word is a good Word to him and the Sacrament is a good Sacrament to him Why when an unconverted man hearts of all the mercy and kindness and happiness which God portions out for a converted sinner I say when he hears of all this and gets but a lick or a taste of it upon the top of his Tongue it effects him and makes him glad Herod heard John Baptist gladly and the stony ground received the seed with joy and shall not the converted man whose due portion all this is shall not his heart have joy and gladness shall a stranger who peeps over into the Garden and is a spectator only at the Feast shall he find a relish and shall not he who hath the Posie at his Nose smell the sweetnesse shall not he who câ—tes at the Table be filled with the goodnesse and fat and marrow and rejoyce and blesse God 4. True Conversion It is a Claspe the Golden Claspe of It is the clasp of the Covenant of Grace that everlasting Covenant of Gods Grace Note here two things 1. All the desireable delicacies of the soul are treasured up in the Covenant of Gods Grace in it are contained all the gracious attributes in God all the gracious affections of God all the gracious relations of God all the gracious promises and engagements of God There you find the reconciled God the merciful God the pardoning God the sin-subduing God the strengthning and helping God the guiding and upholding God the blessing and comforting God you cannot think of a mercy for the soul of a mercy for the body of a mercy for this life of an happiness after this life but there it is but there it is for you but there it is assuredly for you 2. Every converted person is in this Covenant Why the new heart and the new spirit is not this Conversion are a very part of it Ezek. 36. 26. I will give them a new heart and a new spirit If this be so then certainly Conversion brings a person into a very joyful condition Mark a little If the mercies which many receive only from Providence do delight and please them shall not the mercies which men receive from Gods Covenant please and rejoyce them Bread is sweet to an hungry man out of whatsoever hand it comes and is it not more sweet when it