natural faculty of this will which God hath wrought in us it implyeth any act issuing from this faculty upon any object by object is meant any thing that is presented to the soule and this discovers it selfe generally thus when the face of the soule turnes it selfe to a thing and openeth it selfe to receive a thing to close with and to catch up a thing as it is with the hand of the body so it is with the will which is the hand of the soule every man hath hands but if these hands of his be bound together he is not able to lay hold on any thing but as a man hath a hand that he may lay hold of a thing so he must have his hands at liberty and he must open them that so he may take hold of it or else he cannot lay hold upon it so it is with the hand of the soule this will is the hand of the soule a man must therefore turne his will towards a thing and open it selfe the hand of the soule must be open before it can close with and fasten upon a thing and this is meant here when the heart which is turned towards grace and when the soule opens the hand thereof to catch at grace and lay hold thereupon then it wils to receive grace when as wee are unwilling to receive a thing wee then turne away our hearts from the thing as children use to speake if you presse any thing upon them which they doe not like but is displeasing unto them they say they will not have it they will not the soule shuts it selfe against that thing it turnes away from that thing and caâ—teth out that thing which is displeasing unto it so it is with that will of the soule when the soule is unwilling to receive any thing it shuts it selfe against that thing and will by no meanes receive it Exodus the 7. Chapter 13 14. verses Exo. 7.13 14. There the Text saith The Lord hardened Pharaohs heart that he harkened not unto them as the Lord had said and the Lord said unto Moses Pharaohs heart is hardned he refuseth to let the people goe he hardned his heart that is he shut his soule against the commandment of the Lord and against the advice of Moseâ— and he would not let the people goe hee would not take hold of the Command of God to performe it hee clasped his heart together as it were that his heart might not fasten upon Gods Commandment so that by will here is meant not onely the bare power and faculty of the naturall will but also the act of this power when the soule is towards grace when the hand of the soule is turned towards God when it opens it selfe to entertaine grace this is meant by will in phrase of Scripture The second thing considerable is how this act of the Will how this opening of the soule doth discover it selfe how a man shall come to know when he wills grace I answere that this same turning of the Soule to grace discovers it selfe in three particular passages the first is this A man is then sayd to will a thing when he apprehends the price of a thing and hath a high esteeme of a thing according to the price of the thing and the excellency which is in the thing for it is a rule in naturall Philosophy and reason telleth us thus much that no man wills a thing unlesse he apprehends the thing which he willeth to be good either good indeed or else seemingly good for no man willeth his own hurt for if he did nature would destroy it selfe every thing therefore desires the preservation of it selfe and therefore whatsoever is suggested as evill unto the soule of man it will not close with that evill but turneth from this evill if it apprehend it as an evill hence it is that a proud heart loveth proud courses a covetous heart covetous courses a malicious heart malicious courses and practises namely because the soule apprehends these as good though in themselves they be evill yet the soule takes them to be best for it now as the soule must apprehend some good in a thing before it can will and desire it so it must apprehend the excellency of it before it can will it truely this is that which carryeth the will of a man unto a thing the will will never otherwise entertaine a thing The 2d. thing wherein the act of the will is seene and wherein it makes knowne it self is this when the soule seeth the good which is in a thing and apprehends the excellency thereof so the second thing wherein this act of the will is discovered is this the soule chooseth that good which before it hath seene and the excellency of the thing which it hath apprehended answerable to the nature of the good and the excellency thereof the soule it chooseth that good which before it hath esteemed it takes it to it selfe as who should say I wil have this thing not another mark when the soule chooseth any good it maketh such choyse of it as may be answerable to the nature of the good which it esteemeth as things of greater worth a man chooseth with greater affectioÌ„ things of lesser worth with lesser affection he will choose the best things in the first place and those of lesse value in the second as suppose a man choose a woman to be his wife if he doth not choose her for her grace for her goodnes so much as for beauty or wealth he doth not now choose the woman upon the point but her beauty and wealth because he chooseth them in the first place and with greater affection so that a man is then sayd to will a thing when he doth not onely see and apprehend a thing to be good and excellent but also makes choyse of that thing according to the goodnesse and excellency thereof Thirdly he that truely willeth a thing doth not onely apprehend the goodnesse and the price of the thing which he willeth and chooseth it according to the price and excellency thereof but in the third place the heart giveth up it selfe unto that thing which it hath chosen A man chooseth a wife a right he will have the woman whom hee hath chosen take that possession of his heart as becommeth a wife in that case otherwise if a man say be choose such a man to be king over him and will not give up his obedience unto him nor suffer him to exercise authority over him this man doth not choose him as a king but rather as a servant so that to gather up all a man is then sayd to will a thing when he apprehends the goodnesse and excellency of the thing when hee chooseth that thing answerable to the goodnesse and excellency of it Thirdly when the heart giveth up it selfe to that thing now to applyth particulars when is am an sayd to Will Christ and grace and Salvation by him a man must will grace before
the blow that is 〈…〉 upon it so it is with a stony heart there is a 〈◊〉 union betweene sinne and it secondly by 〈◊〉 of this union sinne comes to have a 〈…〉 power in the soule and not onely so but in the third place there is a great resistance in the soule against Gods Command Looke as it is with a stone of a man striketh a blow upon it it resistes the blow and beates it backe so it is with the soule with a stony heart the Word the Sacraments Admonitions Reproofes Counsells Exhortations they enter not into it they prevaile not with it but it resists and obpposeth all meanes of grace and salvation that are offered unto it what helpe soever God bestowes upon it it beates it backe it will not be disposed it will not be framed and fashioned according to Gods holy Will Zach. 7.12 there saith the Text Zach. 7.12 They made their hearts as an adamant stone least they should beare the lâ—s and the words which the Lord of Hosts sent by his Spirit in the Ministery of the former Prophets that is they closed with their corruptions and grew strong in their corruptions and resisted the commandements of the Lord and therefore it is said of Pharoah that he hardened his heart that is hee strengthened his heart in sinne and would not obey the commandement of the Lord but refused to let the people of Israel goe when there comes to be a neare union betweene sinne and the soule then the soule doth strengthen it selfe in sinne and opposeth the Law of God the proud man saith he will have his lust let God say what hee will the covetous man hee will have his corruption let God say what hee will and the drunkard hee will have his owne way and the adulterer hee will take up his owne course let God say what he will they grow strong in their sinnes and therefore resist all meanes which may be for their good untill the Lord by his almightie power doth breake this fast knot that is betweene corruption and the soule and removes the power and strength of sinne and then by a strong hand takes away this resistance and over-powers a soule in this case so that then to gather up all together if it be so that the union betweene sinne and the soule cannot be dissolved but by God alone if the strength and power of sinne and Satan cannot be vanquished but onely by the Lord if the resistance that commeth from sinne cannot be taken away and removed but by the worke of the Spirit of God then the case is cleare and the point evident That it is God which taketh away the stony heart and giveth a heart of flesh if God alone by his almighty power doth these things then he is the author of this worke it is his worke to doe this in the soule of a poore sinnefull creature The first Vse is an use of instruction from hence wee may see that therefore this great worke of conversion the fitting and preparing of a poore sinner to entertaine the Lord Iesus it is a worke of great weight it is a worke not of ordinary but of marvellous and admirable difficulty if it be the worke of the Lord onely if nothing else can doe this worke but it lieth upon Gods alone almightie power if all meanes faile nay if the wisedome of men Angells stand agast amazed at this work then I must conclude it is the Lords worke and is ought to be marvellous in our eyes And from hence it is that it is a marvellous wonder that any creature that is under the power of sinne and Satan it is a wonder it is a miracle that after all teaching after all meanes used any soule is humbled and prepared to receive mercy from the hand of the Lord Iesus Christ Nay hence it is that wee see little profit come from the worke of the Ministerie when wee see the greatnesse of this worke of conversion wee may wonder how it commeth to passe that any are converted and brought home unto the Lord the Ministers are faine to lift up their voyces like trumpets and spend their hearts as it were they pray againe and fast againe and preach againe and yet all will not d ee for when is the heart of any humbled when is the soule of any turned and converted unto God and therefore away with that cursed delusion that harbours in the minds of many men they will repent and they will beleeve when they list why Alas it is not in your power it is the almighty worke of God thou hast not the worke of repentance to command at thy pleasure it is not talking and saying I doe repent with all my heart and doe beleeve that will serve the turne this will not doe the Lord must worke effectually in thy soule by his almighty power or else the union that is betweene sinne and thy soule will not be dissolved or else the strength of sinne and power of Satan that is in thy soule will never be vanquished or else the resistance that is in thy soule and which commeth from this strength against the blow of the Spirit and all meanes that may fit it and prepare it for to receive the Lord Iesus and mercy from him will never be removed a man shall sometimes find that the indisposition of his soule to any good shall be a little abated by the power of the Word the edge of it will a little be blunted but a poore soule cannot be freed altogether from this untill it shall please the Lord by his almightie hand to remove it and therefore in the first of Iames the 18. Verse the text saith Iam. 1.18 Of his own will begat he us by the Word of truth that wee should be as the first fruits of his creatures Ioh. 1.13 and Ioh. 1.13 To them that received him saith the Text he gave power to be the sonnes of God to them which beleeve in his name which are borne not of bloud nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God And therefore thinke of it Ministers that teach the Word and people that heare the Word wee must know that unlesse the Lord steppeth in and doth the worke for us all our labour is lost it must be I â—ay the Lord that must take away the stony heart and it must be hee that must give the heart of 〈◊〉 it is not talking and making a profession that can plucke sinne out of the soule of a man in this kinde but it must be the almighty power of the Lord that must doe it The second Vse is a ground of comfort whereby the soule of poore sinners may be supported and the hearts of those that have sinne hunging about them may be cheared when the soule considers that it is laden with abundance of corruptions and abominations then it is quite discouraged and thinkes with all that it shall never be recovered
doth beseech thee to give way to this exhortation of his all meanes should have beene embraced all opportunities should have beene entertained all Ministers should have beene heard and regarded but principally these things belonging to thy peace especially in this thy day 〈◊〉 not to have beene rejected thy Saviour above all other should not have beene refused and conâ—â—â—ned and then hee falls a weeping and then 〈◊〉 mournes Oh that thou hadst knowne these things in this thy day and then his heart even breakâ—◠〈◊〉 hee weepes againe Oh but now they bee hidden from thine eyes thou shalt never receive the like favour againe the like opportunitie shall never hereafter bee offered Wee will first handle the fir circumstance but before I can come to deliver the poin plainely and nakedly give mee leave a little to open the meaning of this word day knâ—w therefore thus much that this word in phrase of Scripture discovereth unto us that time or that percell of time which God hath set out in his providence for any particular service As it was in the creation of the world when the Lord made all things the Lord turned an houre glasse as it were and set downe the time wherein every thing was made God said let there bee light and there was light and the evening and the morning was the first day then God said let there be a firmament and there was so and the evening and the morning were the second day and here is the stoppe and stay that God maketh to the creature as who should say as every thing hath a day wherein it was made so every thing hath a day wherein it workes and the Lord hath limited a certaine time to every action that every creature is able to performe and which God requires of it so that observe a mans day in generall is nothing but the time of his lifeâ— besides this a day discovereth the passages of Gods providence and that speciall nicke of opportunitie that God hath layd out for every particular act as God hath appointed a day wherein anguish and greefe shall come upon us and that is sayd to bee the day of trouble â—all upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver you saith the Psalmist there is a day of tryall also in the third of Hebr. 8. harden not your hearts as in the day of tryall or temptation in the Wildernesse and there is a day of visitation also as wee may see in this Chapter verse 44. They shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another because thou knewst not the day of thy visitation Ierusalem was like a sicke person as indeede all sinners are sicke men now the Lord Iesus being the great Physition of the world came to visit Ierusalem When he sent his balme from Gilead the glad tidings of grace and salvation then the Lord did visit Ierusalem for the healing comforting and saving of her and this was Ierusalem day So that then the day of a man is the time of his life together with that parcell of time that God hath alotted him for every particular worâ—e and the day of a man which belongs to his visitation is that particular opportunitie wherein grace is offered and salvation tendred unto him as there is a day of trouble and a day of tryall so in the third place there is a day of salvation and a day of visitation which is that particular season wherein God sends his faithfull messengers to dispense the meanes of life and salvation unto a people O that thou hadst knowne as if Christ should have said O yee inhabitants of Ierusalem while the word of life lasteth and the meanes of grace and salvation is continued unto you this is your day and this is the meaning of the word every man hath his day more or lesse as Ierusalem had when the meanes of salvation were discovered unto it The doctrine with which we will grapple is thus much namely That while life is continued the meanes of grace salvation afforded to a people that is the season wherein God meaneth to worke upon their hearts effectually that they may receive life and salvation It is true when Corne failes God can send Manna from heaven God can use extraordinary meanes to bring men to life and salvation and happinesse but men must not looke now for extraordinary conversions they must not expect to be miraculously saved as in former times some were when the meanes of salvation was revealed onely to the people of the Iewes Rahab indeede and Iob that had not the meanes of salvatition so apparently revealed unto them but had onely â—â—inckling of the happinesse that God had wrought for his people this wrought upon them and prevailed with their hearts and by the power of the Almighty God brought them to the knowledge of the things belonging to salvation But in the common course of God if ever soule now be converted it must be by the ministery of the word that is our day that is our time that is the speciall season wherein God will vouchsafe to looke upon poore sinners and convert them unto himselfe if a man were not alive meanes would not profit him and if a man were alive and had no meanes hee could get no good neither but when both these goe together then is the time wherein God offereth life and salvation then is the season wherein God if ever will worke upon the soule of a sinner to make him fit to entertaine things belonging to his peace We must handle two parts in the point first that a mans life is part of this season secondly that the meanes offered in that season is the making up of the point wee will prove both parts severally and then make uses of them both together First wee will proove that the time of a mans life is part of the season wherein God will worke effectually upon him for his everlasting comfort Eccles 9.10 in the in the ninth of Ecclesiastes 10. there saith the wise man Whatsoever thy hand findeth to doe doe it with thy might for there is no worke nor device nor knowledge nor wisedome in the grave whither thou goest as though he had sayd if there be any thing that God requireth of thee If there be any duty that ought to be discharged by the labour whilst thou livest to doe it And now be carefull to performe it for when death shall close thine eyes and thy body returneth to the grave then there is no more teaching no more hearing no more expecting of grace and mercy from God and wee shall finde in course of Scripture that a man shall receive according tot hat he hath done in the flesh while a man lives here he is in the time of trading and the time after this life is the time of enjoying in this life is the time of labouring and the time to come
greater eagernesse than ever he did all his life time before For mark that alwayes if after God hath inlightned a mans mind and awakned his conscience he falls into his old wayes again then he is a divell he is twice as bad as he was before he followes his corruptions with such outragiousnesse as if hell were broken loose Very well he hath now broken two hooks the third hook is that which will rend him in peeces before it will let him passe when conscience seeth that the other two hooks are broken when he seeth that commands prevaile not that accusations terrifie not then the Lord exerciseth another work of conscience upon the heart of a poore sinner and that is this As conscience did before command him and peremptorily charge him upon the hazzard of everlasting life not commit sinne and secondly as it before did accuse him before God for the commission of that sinne whereby God was dishonourted and his soule polluted so in the third place conscience becomes his executioner it takes the office of an executioner upon him conscience will beare with him no longer but now draggs him down to the very place of execution he was convicted before conscience sayes unto him thy sinnes were discovered and I charged thee not to meddle with sinne any more upon paine of Gods displeasure and as thou wouldst answer it before God afterward I became an accuser of thee before God and then thou didst confesse thy sinnes and didst purpose amendment but now since thou hast slighted my commands and not regarded my accusations there is therefore no remedy but thou must go to the place of execution now there is no way but one with thee now conscience begins to condemne the soule as Divines expresse these three works of conscience by a practicall kind of reasoning and conscience reasons thus with the soule He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck he shall perish there is no remedic there is the command of conscience but thou hast often been reproved and admonished and yet hast hardoned thy heart and hast not been bettered by it there is the work of accusation and therefore thou shalt perish there is no remedy and this is the condemning work Suppose conscience should come thus unto the heart of a man he that being often reproved hardeneth his heart he shall perish saith the Lord there is no remedy but now let conscience go into every mans bosome and reason thus with him thou art the man woman or child whom counsells in private and reproofes exhortations and admonitions in publque would do no good nothing would convince thee nothing would informe thee therefore thou shalt perish man woman or child there is no remedic These are the three works of conscience and when conscience hath done this last work and performed his office of execution when he hath condemned a soule and delivered a sinner into the hand of the executioner then it is thus with this sinner after all mercies and cords of love will do no good after the commands and accusations will not prevaile then conscience sayes come damned ghosts take away this drunkard this blasphemer this adulterer this contemner of my word and throw him headlong into the pit of everlasting destruction he would not be amended let him be condemned he would not be humbled let him therefore be damned Thus conscience delivers a sinner into the hands of the jaylor into the hands of the divell and then he is amazed and thinks himselfe past hope past help past cure This is that we shall observe in conscience look as it with a debter that liveth in prison he was haply put in at first for some trifle when he is once there then all his creditors come in and one layeth a hundred pound to him and another a thousand pound and then his case is irrecoverable he is never like to come out againe so when conscience hath arrested a man and cast him into prison for his pride or for his covetousnesse or for his drunkennesse or for his adulterie and the like then mark Mercy and Goodnesse and Patience and Long-suffering come all in and arrest him and Mercy saith at my sute soe many hundreds Grace that saith at my sute soe many thousands then Patience and Long-suffering comes and sayes at my sute soe many millions and this is the wofullest plight of all When conscience is thus tormenting a sinner then patience comes and pleads against him and mercy that sueth a bond against him Mercy saith Lord I have beene wronged then commeth grace and saith Lord I have beene refused then commeth patience and saith Lord I have beene contemned I have besought him saith mercy to be reconciled but I was slighted I have waited for his amendment sayth patience but I have not beene regarded I have beene offered saith grace but yet have beene neglected Lord all thy cost and care hath beene despised they all come before the Lord and plead against the soule of a sinner justice Lord saith mercy justice Lord saith grace justice Lord saith patience wee have all beene slighted neglected and contemned and then the Lord he condemnes him and saith take him divell and execute vengeance upon him mercy was offered but he refused he would none of it and therefore mercy shall never be shewed unto him let him for ever be damned And by this time the soule perceives it selfe to be in the divells hands as it were and in the divells possession and that Satan may torment him as he please and then the soule being thus perplexed he cryeth out the divell is there do you not see him he is come for mee and I shall go and must go with him why since I must go to the divell why let mee go then nay if the soule that is thus in the jawes of the divell lie upon his death bed as soone as ever he takes a little rest the Lord terrifieth and affrighteth him in his dreames and then he riseth out of his bed and the first word hee speaks is this I must go and I will go then his friends that attend about him ask him whither he will go they tell him he is among his friends then he saith I am damned and I am going to hell and therefore let mee go the divell is comming to fetch mee and therefore I must be gone I beseech you consider this you that make nothing of conscience if it once lay hold on you with this hook it will hold you sure enough and reare your very hearts in peeces Now when the Minister in sent for to come unto apoore soule in this miserable condition when he comes haply he tells him there is a great deale of mercy and comfort with the Lord there is a great deale of grace and salvation with Christ but then the sinner when he heares of mercy is distracted and besides himselfe and sayes that is my plague that is my bane and that in the end will be my damnation if