it is the powerfull operation of the Spirit that must doe the soule good all other meanes are but like the cane that conveyeth the voyce but the voyce is the Lord. Iohn 14.26 I wil send the Comforter and he shal teach you all things And who is that that is the Spirit of God We speake to your outward eares but it is the Spirit of God that must give you mindes to discerne and spirits to embrace that is the onely worke of the Spirit We shall observe Matth. 11. towards the latter end I thanke thee Father c. how comes it to passe that the wise are befooled and fooles instructed I thanke thee Father saith hee that thou hast revealed these things to babes and sucklings and hast hid them from the wise How comes this about It is thy good will Father It is a wonder to see a silly creature of weake capacity and almost a foole and yet he knoweth more of sanctification and faith than many great Schollers Take a rush candle and a lampe the lampe is a great deale bigger than the rush candle yet the rush candle giveth light and the lampe none because the rush candle is lighted the lampe is not So it is here a Christian out of a blinde dotage and a meere simplician in other things yet he will talke well of the free mercy of God and the worke of grace in his heart when as many great wise men are novices in these things Reason 1 The reason is because God hath lighted his candle from heaven because the worke is an Almighty worke it is not an easie matter to goe to heaven you must not say What have I lived thus long and are we children still Ah children you are and children you will dye unlesse the Lord from heaven teach you though all men and Angels teach you the work will not goe forward 1 Cor. 4.6 the Text saith The same God that brought light out of darknesse shineth in your hearts Wee know at the beginning of the world when darknesse was upon the deepe the Lord said Let there be light now that Almighty God that brought light out of darknesse which none else could doe why the same God shineth in your hearts saith the text unlesse the Lord say Let there be light the minde can never be enlightned the soule can never bee cheered nor the conscience pacified This is a ground of admirable comfort to all weake silly feeble minded creatures I doubt not but your hearts are grieved when you consider the marvellous ignorance which is in you and how little you know concerning life and salvation when the Lord hath layd line upon line precept upon precept and the heart sometimes covets and desires to entertaine the same the soule commeth to the congregation and saith Good Lord let â—he word worke upon my soule enlighten my minde awaken my conscience and when the word comes thus home to the heart the soule hopes that it shâ—ll retaine and remember it but when it is gone all fals to the ground and the heart in private reasons thus with it selfe What shall I say when my heart approves of the word and my soule closed with it even then so soone as I come out of the Church I forgat all what a blind mind and a hard heart have I can there be any grace or mercy conveyed to such a soule as mine surely I shall one day perish An ignorant heart is a naughty heart a base wicked heart my sinnes are many my conditions fearfull Would you have any comfort why then marke what I say The Lord will teach and if the Lord be the teacher t is no matter what the scholler be Reason thus with your selves My memory is weake my capacity is smal my understanding feeble but yet the Lord is my teacher and if the Lord will informe who can let it but I shall bee informed Prov. 1.23 marke what the Text saith Returne you simple ones you scorners and fooles and follow me and I will learn you wisedome This may move you to depend upon God in the use of the meanes the soule may say I am simple and I have beene a scorner too and that is a great misery and therefore no marvel if God blinde my minde and harden my heart for I have beene a scorner and can any good come unto me can such a soule receive grace and wisedome Why Ah saith Wisedome come unto me and I will poure abundance of wisedome upon you Sec ndly if it be the worke of God then goe to him for it is a comfort to goe to a father when therefore the meanes are received and God gives a heart to improve them then come not to the congregation but to God and when the Minister reproves say Father set home that reproofe to my soule and conscience dost thou reprove father and when the Minister exhorts and informes thee daily the argument from the Scripture plaine when the Minister is thus exhorting and you cannot come off cleerly looke up to heaven exhort Father teach Father the Minister he speakes to thee but Father informe us but Father seale to us the assurance of thy love in Christ All you that heare me this day and come and bringest thine with thee and commest with thy family into the congregation looke up to thy God and say Lord here is a vaine rude servant a silly wife and a weake foolish childe and I am as base and blinde as any of them and all the Ministers under heaven and all the Angels in heaven cannot teach and informe us but doe thou teach us and worke upon our mindes and frame our hearts that wee may know the things belonging to our peace But thou wilt say Alas we have come and looked up to God but we thrive and prosper not for all this we receive not that helpe and instruction from him which he first promised and we stand in need of Why I say the fault is thine owne the Lord is not wanting to his owne word but thou art wanting to thy owne comfort But how then shall wee so carry and order our selves that we may seeke God so as we may partake of that good we desire and stand in need of I answer These foure meanes are very usefull for this purpose First labour to lay thy owne conceitednesse and abilities downe and all thy carnall imaginations that shut out the truth of God and are professedly opposed to the obedience of Christ if thou leanest on thy owne wisedome and bearest up thy selfe on thy owne abilities thou wilt never have direction from God and thou shalt never be taught by him if thou thy selfe can teach thy selfe therefore down with those haughty imaginations in regard of thy owne parts and abilities if thou hopest that God shall guide thee and learne thee in the way of truth Therefore let every one be a foole that he may be wise when thou art a foole in thy selfe then God will inform thee when thou
towards good Now the affections of the soule that doe respect evill are especially three if any evill be comming first feare is a watchman and the heart trembles and shakes and gives in Hence comes palenesse in the face because feare goes downe into the very castle of a man which is the heart and then sorrow greeves and mournes and laments under the weight of that evill wee feare evill to come but we sorrow for evill that is come Thirdly hatred that carries it selfe with a kinde of indignation and takes up armes against that evill feare is preventing sorrow feeling hatred opposing any evil that comes Now these three affections that goe from evill have been wrought upon in contrition and humiliation namely when the Lord the eye of a poore sinner discovers unto him that hell is gaping for him and the God of justice preparing vengeance for him the soule staggers and shrinks in the apprehension of it then the Lord lets in the fire of indignation into the soule and makes the soule feele that before he threatned and then the soule grieves and because his sinnes have beene so tedious unto him his heart is brought to a hatred and indignation against those evils So that if any evill or provocation or temptation come to a soule broken if the old loose companions old corruptions old swearing old blaspheming old dalliances come to call upon the soule let us have our fill of love untill the morning let us take up our old delights when these call the soule and would plucke the soule home againe unto them then these foure fence the soule against all those inchantments in so much that when the drunkard seeth his company comming towards him hee thinkes that is my plague that is the man and his perswasions and counsels hee remembers his old corruptions and his old horrors and his old burthens and heavie loads that lay upon his heart and the soule hates the drunkard and will not yeeld to his perswasions they so fence the way that the voice of sinne cannot be heard it may call and call but the doore is shut they stop the currant that no streame of distempers may prevaile any more this now is done before so that now wee come to the second worke So there are other affections that carry the soule unto good if there be any good propounded or offered then there are foure other affections that the will sends out to entertaine that good hope and desire looke for the good that is absent hope saith I marvell it comes not desire saith I long after it when the goodnesse is neere then love welcomes it and delights in it and joy rejoyceth and all these hope desire love and joy all bring carry and convey all the good to the will which is the great commander of the soule Love and joy tell the will We have found much goodnesse and taken great delight and much content in the goodnesse and mercy of the Lord. The truth is wee have taken delight in sinne and base courses but oh the comfort but oh the consolation and goodnesse of mercy you cannot have a better good than mercy Then saith the will We will have grace mercy wee will rest here Thus wee see how the head and the foot of the affections doe come on to embrace that good now the understanding doth stand sentinell all the while and discovers all the good and musters up hope and desire and love and joy and these foure are the maine wee must meddle with all the other went from evill and they have their proper worke before we doe not hate and sorrow for mercy wee doe not feare to receive mercy but wee feare and withdraw our selves from sinne and corruptions that we may entertaine the call of mercy Thing 2 There is the promise of grace and mercy in Christ a fulnesse of mercy which doth so powerfully and effectually draw the soule by this good that it brings all these affections after it Therefore in this fulnesse of mercy and goodnesse of God there are these particulars that like so many claspes draw all these faculties to God to follow and close with God for their good The promise is a true one and truth is that which marvellously pleaseth the understanding as a mans palate tastes meat so the understanding tastes words There is nothing so pleasing to the understanding as the truth of God Now of all truth there is none like the truth of a promise therefore the evidence of it doth cleere the judgement and the certainty of it doth establish the judgement of a poore sinner Eph. 1.13 The promise of God is a good word Heb. 6.5 therefore as the truth of the Gospell fils the understanding so there is a goodnesse in the promise of grace and mercy which will answer all and satisfie all the faculties of the soule as in the good word of the Lord mercy is a proper object of hope that it may be sustained a proper object of desire that it may be supported there is a proper object for a mans love and delight that they may be cheered nay there is a full satisfactory sufficiency of all good in the Gospell that so the will of a man may take full repose and rest therein Therefore the Lord saith Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden come hope and desire and love and will and heart they answer We come all the mind saith Let me know this mercy above all and desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified let mee expect this mercy saith hope that belongs to me and will befall me desire saith Let me long after it nay saith love let me embrace and welcome it let me delight in it saith joy nay saith the heart let me lay hold on the handle of salvation here we will live and here we will dye at the footstoole of Gods mercy thus all goe minde hope desire love joy the will and all lay hold upon the promise and say Let us make the promise a prey let us prey upon mercy as the wilde beasts doe upon their provision Thus the faculties of the soule hunt and pursue this mercy and lay hold thereupon and satisfie themselves herein Hence wee will raise these two points Doct. 1 That the word of the Gospell and the word of the Spirit goe both together this is grounded in the Text they must first heare then learne heare the Gospell and learne by the Spirit Doct. 2 That Gods Spirit gives speciall notice of Gods acceptance to an enlightned soule and that is the first voice of the Spirit to the understanding Now to the first doctrine Doct. 1 The word of the Gospell and the worke of the Spirit alwayes goe together the point is grounded in the Text after this manner they must first heare then learne heare by the word and learne by the Spirit The hearing of the Gospell without the Spirit is nothing else but a beating of the ayre and a
of the Spirit of God for as we apprehend the Spirit of the Lord to be in the word so much the word will worke upon thee as it was with the Israelites 1 Sam. 8.19 compared with 1 Sam. 12.18 What is the reason they do so at the one and not at the other why did they feare the one more than the other because they apprehended God to be in the one and not in the other Confesse and know that not one word of God shall fall to the ground there thou hast heard if a man did heare thunder and knew it would fall upon him it would awe him The word of the Lord is as thunder from heaven it is not the word of man but of God then consider shall not the word faile then the word that God hath spoken shall fall upon me Consider that when judgement hits it is irrecoverable If a man knew that although judgement came it would not hit him if it did hit him he might recover this would comfort him a little but if thou dost not stoope it will hit and that irrecoverably therefore labour to tremble at Gods word We come now to see how the Lord workes upon the soule First he lets a light into the minde for what the eye never seeth the heart never desireth hope never expects that joy never delights in that the soule never embraceth but the soule hangs a farre off and dares not beleeve that Christ will have mercy upon him God is a just God and he a vile sinner therefore God will never cast the eye of pitie and compassion upon him therefore the Spirit lets in a light into his heart and discovers unto him that God will deale graciously with him and doe good unto him Doct. 1 Hence That the Spirit of the Lord gives speciall notice of Gods acceptance to the soule truly humbled Mercie is generally propounded to the soule in the Gospell but there is a speciall bringing home of mercy to the soule by the Spirit that hee strikes through the bargaine There is many a chapman passeth by the stall and seeth the meat and the commodity lye that is tendred him and followes him home to his house if he purpose to sell so it is not enough to tender mercy and offer grace and salvation by the Gospell for this wee often doe and you will not once looke at them but cast them away and no man buyeth them but if the Spirit of God takes them in hand he will strike the bargaine through hee will follow thee home to thy house to thy closet to thy heart hee will wooe thee be thou never so coy be thou never so stubborne be thou never so wayward the Lord will bring thee to give entertainment to the Lord Jesus and to Gods mercy in and through him 1 Iohn 5.20 as if he had said A man of himselfe hath no minde no understanding to conceive of the Lord Jesus and of the freenesse of Gods mercy in Christ but Christ hath given us this minde he hath given an eye to the soule of a sinner so that hee cannot but take notice of the councell holden in the high Court of Parliament concerning his salvation It is with a sinner as it is with a man that sits in darknesse haply he seeth a light in the street out of a window but he sits still in darknesse and is in the dungeon all the while and thinkes how good were it if a man might enjoy that light So many a poore humble-hearted broken sinner seeth and hath an inkling of Gods mercies he heareth the Saints speake of Gods love and his goodnesse and compassion ah thinkes he how happy are they blessed are they what an excellent condition are they in but he is in darknesse still and never had a drop of mercy vouchsafed unto him at last the Lord sets a light in his house and puts the candle into his owne hand and makes him see by particular evidence thou shalt bee pardoned and thou shalt be saved this is particular notice For the opening of the point observe two things 1. The manner how the Spirit doth it 2. The reasons why the Spirit onely can do it For the first the manner of the Spirits worke how the Lord doth give this notice and how the candle comes to bee lighted and the glimpse of Gods mercy comes in as by so many cranies into the soule it is discerned in three passages Passage 1 The Spirit of the Lord meeting with an humble broken lowly selfe-denying sinner for of him I speake hee that is a proud stout hearted wretch God give him notice of his mercy no God will give him notice of something else he shall have notice of judgements hell fire let him have that which belongs unto him Iudgement to whom judgement belongeth but I speake of an humbled sinner through which he may be enabled and by which he may be fitted to entertaine the things of God The naturall man perceiveth not the things of God neither can he why because they are spiritually discerned So that there must be a spirituall light in him before the soule can see spirituall things without 1 Cor. 2.12 Wee have not received the spirit of the world which is the spirit of ignorance and darknesse that possesseth all the world the world lyeth in darknesse and in sinne there is the spirit of the Devill and terrour in the mindes of wicked men but you have not received the spirit of the world to delude you and blinde you but you have received the Spirit of the Lord as who should say No man doth no man can know the things of Gods free grace rich mercy boundlesse compassion in the Lord. No man can see these colours unlesse he hath a spirituall eye Revel 3.18 No saith God ye are blinde c. but I counsell thee to buy of me eye-salve that thou maist see and now the humbled sinner begins to see like the man in the Gospell some light and glimmering about his understanding that he can look into and discerne the spirituall things of God Passage 2 Then the Lord layes before him all the riches of the treasures of his grace the Spirit brings out of the store house out of the bosome of God the Father those tender mercies and compassions which never yet saw the Sunne which neither men nor Angels ever dreamed of and the Spirit doth communicate them to those that God hath let the spirituall light into Ephes 3.9 there they are called the unsearchable riches of God and it is a very significant phrase and the word implies such riches as a man can never see a foot-step of them God now doth as some Trades-men doe he hath a deale of wares in his store-house but the buyer and passenger seeth not those but only them that are set out upon the stall so it is with the Lord Jesus hee doth present unto the view of the understanding of the mind enlightned all those conceivable incomprehensible
it hath beene prepared for them from the beginning of the world to this very day Now this gives a light into the businesse the evidence is sure that this man hath title to all the riches and compassion of the Lord Jesus Acts. 2.39 Every poore creature thinkes that God thinkes so of him as hee thinkes of himselfe and hee thinkes God intends marvellous grievous things against him and if there be any judgement denounced or any plague revealed the soule sits and sincks and thinkes with himselfe thus I wretch the Lord spake to mee and intended mee the Lord threatned mee and denounced judgement against mee and one day he will bring all these plagues upon mee all shall be made good upon this wretched heart of mine one day whereas the Spirit of the Lord judgeth otherwise and God meanes well towards him and intends good to all you that have beene broken for your sins and there is witnesse of it in heaven and it shall be made good to your owne consciences Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners broken abased vile wretched carnall sinners doe not thinke hee will keepe any old reckonings in minde Christ came into the world only to succour sinfull humbled wretches hee only came to call sinners not your proud haughty justiciaries that trust in their owne performances no but miserable vile broken abased sinners therefore now here is some ground and light come in that wee have to doe with mercy Psalm 80.3 Cause thy face to shine upon mee If a man be in a deepe darke dungeon he cannot tell when it is light hee may aske is it light but else hee cannot tell But an humbled sinner is like a man standing full upon the Sunne rising this face of Gods mercy shines full upon him the Lord lets in the inclination of his kindnesse and makes knowne the surenesse of his favour in the Lord Jesus Christ now the soule hath some apprehension that he hath to doe with mercy Partic. 2 The Spirit doth ratifie that interest as the soule now hath as intended towards him and prepared for him hee makes it good to the heart and establisheth it and makes it sure to the soule This is the nature of a witnesse if it be sufficient as the Lord provides That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall bee established so it is with the testimony or testification of Gods Spirit for the Spirit doth not beare witnesse alone but the Father from heaven and the Sonne in heaven doth joyne witnesse with the Spirit and the court is in heaven where this controversie must be scanned and now the Spirit doth by witnesse promise that all this mercy shall be made good and given the humbled heart shall be made possessor thereof hence it is that the soule comes to be deeply setled herein for God cannot deny himselfe nor his promise this is the maine ground and tenour whereupon wee hold everlasting happinesse you know in men of great estate if their lease had beene naught and their tenour false this staggers them deeply therfore every man labours to make his tenour as good as hee can thinke on it the maintainer of all this good that a Saint of God hath all his hope of life and salvation hangs upon the maine hold the free promise of the Lord the certaine faithfull promise of the Lord in through Jesus Christ by the testimony of the Spirit you that are sanctified by Christ know nothing unlesse you know how to live by a promise in some measure Now this promise is not only a bare word of God and a bare intimation of some will and intendment of good but it is a kind of ingagement when the Lord doth lay his truth to pawne here is good surety for a poore humbled soule it shall undoubtedly be bestowed upon him he doth not only intend well unto him hee doth not only prepare mercy for him but now he ties binds himselfe so that he cannot goe back you see now this is the bottome to beare up the truth when the Lord doth please to ingage himselfe to a broken hearted sinner that hee shall be made to beleeve and made to live by his beleeving I beseech you take notice of it this is the tenour and covenant of God with a broken sinner hee calls him graciously and then promises to bestow mercy upon him 2. Cor. 6.18 Come out from among them what then what shall I forsake all my old companions shall I renounce all commodities that I have coveted all the honour in the world which I have affected Yes saith the Lord come out from them all abandon them lose all riches and be impoverished lose all honour and be abased ah but what shall wee get by it why then I will be your God that is I will ingage my selfe and passe over the title of all my mercy and goodnesse and compassion and all that I have you shall have all is yours and what then You shall bee my people marke that hee is obliged to a poore humbled heart as if he had said I will be your God and supply your wants and work graciously for you as it was with Abraham the Father of the faithfull so it must be with the faithfull servants of God Gen. 12.3 Now what there is promised to Abraham he promiseth to all his children to all the faithfull it is thus with thee that is thou must bid adue to thy country and friends and though thou livest with thy Father yet thou hatest his base courses and though thou livest with thy friends yet thou hatest their wicked practices and thou hast forsaken thy god pride and thy god covetousnesse and thy god drunkennesse and the like thou knowest God will blesse thee he hath bound himselfe and cannot goe backe this is the ground of the speech 1 Iohn 2.25 Eternall life is the thing there promised but how can wee intitle ourselves in this the text saith this is the promise he hath promised that is he did freely and frankly and of himselfe and out of his owne good will ingage himselfe to give and bestow this promise upon us here is the root and ground of all his promise This is the difference betweene the first and second covenant God did covenant with Adam that he should live upon the ground that he should doe Now because the covenant of eternall life depended upon doing it was not certaine to him and his posterity but lost it but our eternall life dependeth upon the promise of God and therefore it is sure because God cannot faile cannot change his promise cannot be altred if we observe the conditions eternall life is sure unto a broken hearted sinner hence come all those phrases in this kind Wee are called children of the promise what is that why the very promise of God makes us children wee are begotten and made the Sonnes of God he is called in Esay The everlasting Father hee hath begotten us by
the Father and the Sonne he can nay he doth make knowne the Counsels of both and so removes all objections and cleares all cavils it is a point of consideration to you that are weake ones satisfaction is by the meanes of Christ the Sonne layeth downe the price and doth satisfie the Spirit doth certifie it unto the soule that the Son hath satisfied for the neglect of what God ever required at our hands and for the committing of what ever God hath forbidden now the soule is fully satisfied As for example Take a creditor to whom the debtor oweth money haply the debtor is arrested for his not paying the debt the surety he comes and layes downe the debt now the debtor is unacquainted with this unlesse there be a messenger that brings a certificat under the hand of the creditour that he is paid and the surety hath discharged the debt and hee is quitted when he heares this his heart is fully quieted So here the Lord Jesus is the Surety the Father is the Creditour our soules are the debt now the Spirit of God he is the Messenger and he brings under the hand of God of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ an acquittance to our soules that what ever sinnes wee have committed are pardoned through Christ and this fully contents the soule Marke 1 Cor. 2.10 yea the deepe things of God as who should say how can you tell that Gods minde is towards us and that hee will pardon why these are secrets aye but the Spirit of the Lord knowes and searcheth the deepe things of God that which eye never saw that which the Angels in heaven cannot tell you that which all the men in the world cannot reveale unto you without God be with them that your names are written in the Booke of Life you shall bee accepted these are deepe things but the Spirit reveales them This is the first Reason the Spirit onely knowes the minde therefore it only can give notice thereof unto the soule Reas 2 The Spirit only can break thorow al those mists and clouds of ignorance and blindnesse that are in our minds which oppose this worke nay it can beare downe all those distempers and discouragements which make us unfit and unable to receive the evidence of Gods love and goodnesse in the Lord Jesus Christ for these two things are in the heart of a sinner that marvellously oppose the evidence of Gods favour unto the soule Hindr. 1 That every man hath a veile of ignorance over his heart 2 Cor. 3.15 Now the veile of ignorance no hand can rend it none can remove it but only the Spirit of God The god of the world blindes the eyes of the wicked why then it must be the Spirit of God the Spirit of another world I meane the Spirit of Christ that must open the eyes and take away the veiles and clouds and mists that the god of the world casts before the eye Hindr. 2 Are desperate discouragements when a poore sinner is plunged in the apprehension of all the evill which he hath committed and in the aggravation of all those sins whereby God hath beene dishonoured when the soule observes this hee thinkes and sayes This proud heart will never be humbled this unregenerate heart will never be sanctified the Lord never intends good to my soule it is impossible that so many corrections so long continued should ever be pardoned here the soule sinkes downe in desperate discouragements now there is none but the Spirit of God that can let a light into the soule there is none but the hand of the Lord that can rend and pluck and pull a poore fainting despairing dying sinking heart under the burthen of his manifold abominations none but the Almighty hand of an Almighty God can doe this when it is night all the candles in the world cannot take away the darknesse so all the meanes of grace and salvation all the candle-light of the Ministery they are all good helps but the darknesse of the night will not be gone before the Sun of Righteousnesse arise in our hearts Hence it comes to passe that it is a very difficult matter to give comfort to a poore distressed soule Psal 40.1 Marke what a coâ—le there is to give comfort all the world cannot comfort them and perswade them I shall one day perish say they I shall one day goe downe to hell let all the Ministers under heaven say what they will Comfort yee comfort yee saith the Lord as who should say they will not be comforted they will not thinke nor be resolved of it I mercy and I comfort it is a likely matter it will never be it never can be I shall never see that day will the Lord pardon me I doe not thinke it I cannot beleeve it God is a just God and a righteous God and I am a vile wicked wretch it is mercy that I have despised and trampled under my feet and I mercy no certainly there is no such matter this makes the Lord have such a doe Comfort yee comfort yee the third time and yet they will receive none We Ministers of the Gospell observe by experience that we meet with some soules that are gone to the bottome of hell sometimes by their distempers and wee make knowne the promises propound arguments lay downe reasons but nothing takes place nothing prevailes all is presently forgotten and you had as good say nothing all is forgotten therefore none but Gods Spirit can doe it hee must come from heaven and say Comfort yee comfort yee my people let me therefore speake to you that are Ministers you doe well to labour to give comfort to a poore fainting soule but alwayes say Comfort Lord say unto this poore soule thou art his salvation Lord speake comfort and say to such a one his sinnes shall be pardoned mercy shall bee bestowed upon him his iniquities are forgiven it is that wee observe in the policie of Satan Satan hath two Policies Policie 1 First if he can hee will keepe a man that hee shall never see his sins therefore hee labours to doe away all plagues and judgements from the apprehension of the soule and therefore when the Minister comes home to the conscience and saith What you have heaven what proud and profane and oppose God and his ordinances and you goe to heaven No no such matter marke what the Devill suggests take thy pleasure it is but halfe an houres work when you lie upon your death-bed if you can but then cry to God for mercy and for forgivenes it is enough this is the first Policie to keepe a man from seeing his sins and thus the soule is content to carry hel-gates on his backe and a thousand abominations and is never troubled Well haply the Lord enlightens the soule of such a sinner and sets his sinnes before him and saith here are thy sins and for these thy sins thou shalt be sent packing to hell now he cannot look off
after the freenesse of grace in Christ yet the poore soule will ever be lingring after this Light looke as it is with a great torch carry it out of one roome into another by-roome and though the torch be gone yet it will leave such a glimmering so that a man may follow the torch so it is with the soule truly humbled it hath received the testimony of the Spirit though the torch the glory of the testimony of this witnesse goeth aside a little in temptation yet the Lord leaves such a kind of glimmering or inkling of goodnes that the soule looks after the lampe light in this kinde and followeth it for ever Ionah 2.4 Ionah was there stubborne with the Lord he was sent to Ninive he goes to Tarshish wel God sends a whirlewind after him and tosseth him into the sea and sent also a great Whale an unruly ferry-man to carry him to land Now being in the belly of the Whale hee begins to apprehend himselfe and then is joyfull and there he made a question of Gods everlasting love but yet when he was in the belly of hell and mountaines of water went over him yet marke how the holy man behaveth himselfe I will still looke towards thy holy presence He had some illuminations of Gods goodnesse in Christ and howsoever the glory therof was eclipsed yet there was some glimmering left behinde But now the flashes of the Hypocrite they are sudden the lightning of Gods love that is in his minde but it passes thorow the soule suddenly and leaves it in the same hazard ignorance and at a losse as formerly for howsoever an hypocrite may have a glimmering and a kinde of flash and take notice of the powers of the world to come yet it comes like lightning suddenly come suddenly gone and it draweth the minde for the while and the understanding for the present but in conclusion the soule is where it was before when this flash is gone and the lightning is over it is just at the same losse and danger it was before Differ 3 From this authority of the Spirit it is of great authority and of marvellous powerful command so that the whole frame of the soule comes to be ordered and the heart comes to be framed sutable and agreeable thereon Looke as it is with a mighty streame all the lesser streames runne that way so it is with the blessed streame of this evidence of truth what the Spirit of God lets into the minde of the Saints it carries all with it and beares all before it and makes the whole streame of the soule be answerable thereunto Take notice between the vision Saint Paul had and which Balaam had God let in a light into Balaams soule What wilt thou curse Iacob Oh the glory that I will bestow upon them This made his teeth water at the goodnesse of the Lord and he saith Let mee die the death of the righteous Numb 24.2 the Text useth the phrase The Spirit of God was upon Balaam the meaning is he intimated the happie condition of the Saints of the Lord and in stead of cursing he blessed them though this cursed Witch Balaam had this common enlightning to know the excellencie of the condition yet his heart was never the better was covetous and malicious still towards Iacob But looke Acts 26.19 Saint Paul saith hee was not disobedient to the vision as who should say The blessed truth that was revealed to me the voyce that spake to me from heaven my minde was framed thereby and answerably disposed thereunto and I submitted and came in at the voyce of the Lord. Hence the phrase in Scripture They that know thee will trust in thee as who should say Grounded knowledge brings in confidence So Ioh. 4.10 Christ saith Hadst thou knowne me it is not every knowledge that will doe the deed a man may talke of grace but hadst thou understood better the evidence thou shouldest have asked grace and received it this is the reason of Iobs speech when God takes a man in hand he will command a man to returne fron iniquitie there is a commanding power in the obedience of truth the Lord lets in a commanding power and turnes the heart from sin and makes it yeeld to the obedience of God Whereas the light of the hypocrite is like lightning in the evening a flash and away and leaves no heat behinde it The Sunne doth not only give light but it leaves a heat behind it so it is with the Spirit of God when the sunshine of the heavenly light comes into the heart it leaves a heat of holy affections behinde it framing and disposing the heart of a man to be at the call and command of God Observe when wee lay forth arguments before men and convince their consciences that their course is nought notwithstanding whatsoever we can speake they returne to their wicked speeches and base practices their lives are as wicked their tongues as prophane as ever but when the Spirit of God will take those arguments we propound out of Scripture and make knowne those troubles to the understanding it communicates unto thee and them that power to the soule that it comes to be disposed thereunto Differ 4 The testimony of the Spirit goes upon very good ground it is a wise Spirit and a Spirit of truth and therefore goes wisely to worke Now Hypocrites they beare up their hearts with admirable evidence of Gods love but aske them what reasons they have for it what arguments to maintaine it they have nothing at all to say this is an undoubted argument of a besotted befooled hypocrite Come to your ancient people and enquire of them in the time of their sicknesse aske them if ever they were perswaded of Gods favour they say they thanke God they never doubted of it they reply they were worse than Reprobates if they should but they have no ground at all to confirme this this is an undoubted argument of a soule that never had any sound evidence of Gods love for where the Spirit comes it goes upon good ground Vse 2 Direction and Exhortation hence wee learne what course wee must take what path wee must tread in what meanes we must use to get this notice and gaine this evidence of Gods love to our soules learne the ground get the witnesse of Gods Spirit get but the Spirit to seale it and all is thine It was the speech of Sampson when he propounded a Riddle to the Philistines they knew not how to answer it because they understood it not before he had told his wife and shee them then they related the Riddle to them hee confesseth their answer to be good But saith he had you not plowed with my Heifer you could not have expounded my Riddle I use the same comparison for our purpose use Gods meanes if you would know Gods minde take counsell of him that is privie Counceller of Heaven would you be perswaded of Gods love and affection
much sustained What is there yet hope that my offence may bee pardoned will the King receive mee to mercy So when the Lord humbleth the soule discovereth his sinnes maketh knowne his judgements these are thy sinnes that thou hast committed and for them thou shalt be plagued the great judgement of the great God shall come upon thee and the great God whom thou hast dishonoured will come against thee and to hell thou must Now the poore soule seeth no hope no helpe no means of supply now the poore soule heareth a voyce from heaven there is no hope in thy selfe nor in meanes yet in the Lord Jesus Christ thy sinnes are pardonable thy soule may be saved thy heart may be quickned that place in the Psalmist Let Israel hope in the Lord for with him is plenteous redemption this upholdeth and sustaineth the heart of Gods servant yet there is plentifull redemption and this may discover it selfe in three particulars The infinitenesse of Gods power though thy sinnes are many though the guilt of sinne is mighty and powerfull to condemne the soule yet when the soule apprehendeth an infinitenesse in the power of the Lord to over-power all his sins all the guilt of corruption this lifteth up the heart in some expectation that the Lord will shew favour unto a man though it is a hard thing to hope when the soule is thus troubled can this hard heart be broken can these sinnes bee pardoned can this soule bee saved now commeth in the power of God God can pardon them never measure the power of God to that shallow conceit of thine as Christ when he had told his Disciples it is hard for a rich man to be saved they said how can any man be saved the Lord Christ saith all things are possible to God though not to men and it is said of Abraham hee hoped above hope he looked to the Lord that was able to doe what he promised to supply what he wanted he considered not that he had a dead body but he considered he had a living God not Sarahs barren wombe but the gracious goodnesse of God able to make it fruitfull nay hee beleeved in the God that can make things that are not thy soule is not humbled the Lord can humble it thy sinnes are not pardoned the Lord can pardon them thy soule is not converted the Lord can convert it though I cannot see it though man cannot imagine it yet the Lord can doe it As the infinitenesse of Gods power so the freenesse of his grace and promise that is a thing that marvellously taketh up the heart and maketh it hope for wee are ready naturally to expect no kindnesse from God the Lord is able to doe it that is true but I am unworthy the Lord will not bee wanting to them that can desire it but I am wanting now here is comfort the Lord will not sell his mercy his mercy is not to be merited it is not to bee discovered it is to bee given and to bee bestowed Malach. 7.18 Who is a god like unto our God we say Oh if I could please God if I could walke with God nay but God saith mercy pleaseth him and that place in Esay I for my owne Name sake will doe this not for thy workes sake I for my owne sake not for thy obedience sake this is certaine as there is no worke in any poore creature can discover any mercy from God so there is no wickednesse in the heart of a sinner that can hinder the Lord when hee will bestow grace and mercy in Jesus Christ Object But the world will say Then a man may live as he list and doe what he will if grace be free Answ No no the Lord will pull downe thy proud heart and lay thee in the dust the Lord will abase thee and humble thee before thou shalt receive any mercy from him hee can as well sit thee for mercy as bestow it upon thee The abundance of the riches of Gods goodnesse that exceedeth all the basenesse and vilenesse of man though thou hast sinned against heaven and the Lord in heaven yet there is mercy above the heaven bee thy sinnes and rebellions for the nature of them for the number of them for the continuance of them never so hainous yet they may bee pardoned Here the soule saith My sins are so many so great of such a nature what shall I beg mercy and oppose it shall I desire grace and resist it as that place clearly sheweth Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded grace superabounded hee is the Father of mercy and the God of all consolation Iam. 2.13 there the holy Ghost saith mercy triumph above justice justice cannot bee so severe to revenge thee as mercy is gratious to doe good unto thee if thy sinnes be never so many Gods justice never so great yet mercy is above all thy sinnes above all thy rebellions this may support the soule So then you have the first ground to stirre up hope thy sinnes are pardonable this is possible what thy sinnes be it skilleth not what thy iniquities be it mattereth not there is more mercy in God than sin in thee to pardon more power in God to shew mercy to thee than power in sin to destroy thee The Lord doth sweetly perswade the soule that all his sinnes shall be pardoned the Lord maketh this appeare and perswadeth the heart of his that he intendeth mercy that Christ hath procured pardon for the soule of a broken hearted sinner in speciall and that it cannot but come unto it So that hope commeth to bee assured and certainly perswaded to looke out knowing it shall bee accomplished the former only sustained the heart and provoked it to looke for mercy but this comforteth the soule that undoubtedly it shall have mercy The Lord Jesus Christ came to seeke and to save that which was lost he came for this purpose it was the scope of his comming now saith the broken and humble sinner I am lost did Christ come to save sinners Christ must faile of his end or I of my comfort God saith Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden I am weary unlesse the Lord intended good unto me why should he invite me and bid me for to come surely he meaneth to shew mercy to me nay hee promiseth to releeve me when I come therefore he will doe good unto me The Lord letteth in some rellish and taste of the sweetnesse of his love some sent and savour of it so that the soule is deeply affected with it marke this there is yet a further dint a setling and an assured kinde of fastning of the good unto the soule so that the heart is deeply affected with it and carried mightily unto it that it cannot bee severed It is the letting in the riches of his love that turneth the expectation of the soule another way it overshadoweth all outward good Looke as the covetous man is up early to contrive his riches
finde my selfe I hope the Lord will save me though I cannot save my selfe But the hopes of the wicked hang like a cloud they are not grounded upon the evidence of the Scripture they crowd all in the generall I hope to fare as well as others and other had mercy and why not I And hence the hopes of the wicked are unstedfast and wavering but a man might here demand are not the hopes of the Saints so too Doe they not waver and stagger many a time Answer It is true but with this difference the hopes of Gods servants are like an anchor which though sometimes it is shaken yet it holdeth the faster but the hopes of the hypocrites are like the waves of the seas and they come to nothing Prov. 8.28 The hope of the righteous shall be glad but the expectation of the wicked shall perish as who should say though the waves be great and the stormes violent yet the anchor shall bee fast and the ship shall come safe to haven but it is otherwise with the wicked their hopes doe perish What is become of your hopes now you thought you should bee saved and that you should doe as well as others but when the day of judgement commeth and the last great day of account shall be what then shall become of all your hopes You shall see it is as if a man should plead for a mans inheritance because he did dwell in the same towne and were of the same name But now the Saints of God when they come to lay claime to mercy they bring a hold a word Isay 61.3 He appointeth them that mourne in Sion will you have a legacy of joy mercy and pitty here it is the Lord Christ left it you I bequeath this and leave it to all you broken hearted sinners to all you humble mourning sinners in Sion this is your legacy sue for it in the Court and you shall have it for ever Hence David ventureth all for this hope hee taketh this as a childs part Psal 33. the last verse Let thy mercy come unto us as our hope is in thee not according to our sense and assurance but according to our hope thy desires may faile and endevours faile and the means faile yet let thy mercy come unto me according to my hope The second is this a grounded hope is ever of great power and strength to hold the soule to the truth of the promise the Spirit you know wee shewed stirreth the heart to hope now hee turneth hope so to God that the eye of the soule goeth that way and cannot bee taken from it but it will goe promise-ward and God-ward Hence take a poore sinner when hee is at the weakest under water when all temptations oppositions corruptions grow strong against them the Lord letteth them loose against the soule nay letteth the poore soule come to joyne side with Satan against himselfe and the goodnesse of the Lord and hee saith the truth of it is I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul this proud foolish filthy heart of mine it will be my bane it had better for me never to have beene I shall never get power strength and grace against these sinnes here is the lowest under of a poore soule If a man should now reply why then cast off all hope and confidence reject the meanes and turne to your sins Marke how hope steppeth in and saith it is true what ever I am and doe what ever my condition is I will use the means I am sure all my helpe is in Christ all my hope is in the Lord Jesus and if I must perish I will perish seeking him and waiting upon him Why this is hope now and I warrant that soule shall never goe to hell Psal 119.81 My heart fainted and my hope was in thy salvation Isay 8.7 I will wait for the Lord who hath hid himselfe from the house of Iacob the Lord hideth himselfe he doth not shew himselfe he hath not manifested himselfe yet I will hope in the Lord that hideth his face Psal 69.3 But the hope of the wicked is not so 2 King 6. and the last verse this evill commeth of the Lord and why should I wait any longer Prov. 14.32 The hope of the wicked is driven away that though a man stood upon his bottome and all the world could not perswade him to the contrary but that he should be saved and hee should goe to heaven though proud still though vaine still but his hope shall bee driven away but the righteous shall have hope in his death friends faile life faile and wealth faile but yet he hath hope in his death Signe 3 As the strength of this hope is great in regard of all opposition that commeth to the contrary so also the excellency and surpassing worth of this hope which overshadoweth all the hopes in the world that can be offered propounded desired all seeme nothing to this hope which the soule hath to God that when the soule commeth to be drawne to God and to hope in him all other hopes hold no weight hopeth not for honour for profit nor liberty nor delight it discovereth the basenesse of these so that the soule careth not for any thing else in comparison It is in this case with the soule as with the hound the hound haply followeth the game untill hee bee spent and tyred yet if there come a fresh hare yet the very sent of a fresh one will make him leave all so it is here though heretofore hee hath had many games in the world he hoped for honour and profit and his soule run all amaine upon them but when the soule hath beene brought to know the riches of Gods mercy in Christ it leaveth the old profits the old contents the old delights that he had Heb. 11.13 All these died in the faith when they had saluted the promises And observe here a carnall hearted Hypocrite his hopes be vaine idle and uncertaine the truth is if the world giveth other hopes of honour and profits and delights he leaveth his hope and with Demas he embraceth the present world but the Saints of God are not so Heb. 11.25 Moses might have had great honour but he forsooke his honour and had an eye to the recompence of reward Signe 4 The last is taken from the vertue of hope and the speciall fruit and effect that it worketh in the soule A grounded hope it alwayes lendeth supply and succour when all the rest of a mans abilities faile and are not able to sustaine and support his soule when desire faileth and love faileth I meane in his owne sense and apprehension I say then hope supporteth the soule Psal 16.9 My flesh shall rest in hope that is hope will give a man rest in the most miserable forlorne condition that may be that when the heart is ready to say where is the meanes that I have had and the good dayes that I have seene this dead heart cannot
or the creature wait Acts 1.9 wilt thou now restore the kingdome to Israel it is not for you to know the times and the seasons as who should say hands off meddle with that you have to doe withall it is for you to wait it is for you to expect mercie it is not for you to know so I would have you to doe when you begin to wrangle and to say how long Lord when Lord and why not now Lord and why not I Lord why checke thy owne heart and say it is not for me to know it is for me to be humble and to be abased and to wait for mercy but it is not for me to know the time Thus much concerning Hope Now followeth next Desire JOHN 6.45 Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me c. IN this great worke of vocation there are two things considerable First the call on Gods part by the preaching of the Gospell Secondly the gracious answer to Gods call Now as all the soule departed from God so it must bee all brought backe againe to God Therefore first the understanding is enlightned and that gives notice to the soule that mercy is intended towards it then hope expects that mercy and then desire wanders about from ordinance to ordinance and longs for that mercy Doctrine The Doctrine then which ariseth hence is this that The Spirit of the Lord quickens the desire of an humble and inlightned sinner to long for the riches of his mercy in Christ For the right conceiving of this Doctrine three passages are to be understood First that this desire is in the heart humbled and inlightned if either of these two be wanting this desire cannot grow there Secondly this desire is quickned by the Spirit for though the soule bee humbled and made nothing and be content to be at Gods disposall yet it is not able through any principle of life which it hath of it selfe to bee carried to any such supernaturall worke as this desire is therefore the Spirit must quicken and move the heart thus humbled and inlightned to long for the riches of Gods mercy and this desire is called the lifting up of the heart after the good it wants As the Infant cannot go without the hand of the Father so a poore sinner in himselfe considered is as an Infant and not able to lift up himselfe to this desire any further than the Lord inables him by his grace and spirit The bowle is fit to runne yet it can runne no longer than the strength of the hand sticks upon it So the humble in lightned soule is fit to come to Christ yet it will not nay it cannot stir further than the hand of the Spirit moves it Note Let every poore broken hearted sinner take notice of it for this will informe you of a strange kinde of truth remember this you must not thinke to bring desire with you to the promise but receive desire from the promise It is a vaine thing to thinke that if the oares be in the boat the boat must needs goe indeed the oare will move the boat but the hand of the Ferri-man must first move the oare The soule is like the oare and unlesse the hand of the Spirit moves our desire it cannot move towards the Lord. Lastly the Doctrine saith the spirit quickens up the heart to long for the riches of Gods mercy the desires of the wicked are flashy lazy and feeble and come to nothing But even as the longing desire of a woman with childe will not leave her till her life doth leave her so the desires which the promise workes will never leave the soule till it be possessed of the thing it desires Our Saviour saith Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not breake and that smoaking flax shall hee not quench Now wee all know that flax will not smoake unlesse the sparkles come to it but when the sparkles have taken the flax then it doth smoake and will not leave till it come to a flame The soule is like the flax and it will never smoake in desire towards the Lord till the Lord by his Spirit in the promise doth strike fire upon it the Lord must first strike fire by the promise upon the soule before it can ever flame in a desire towards the Lord and when it doth once smoake in a holy desire the Lord will not let it faile before he brings it to a perfect flame and before it bee possessed of Christ and mercy which it longs for Reason The reason of this order of Gods worke why desire comes next after hope is this because desire is that other affection which serves the great commandresse of the soule the will for these affections are as hand-maids to serve the will The will saith I will have this or that good and therefore hope wait you for it and desire long you after it Hope is the furthest and greatest reach of the soule for when the soule is doubting and quarrelling and saith will the Lord doe good to such an unworthy wretch as I am yes saith the mind inlightned mercy is intended towards thee then hope goeth out to wait and looke for this mercy Now when the soule hath waited a long time and yet this mercy comes not and he marvels at it and saith the Lord hath said the weary soule shall bee refreshed Oh where are all those precious promises then the will sends out desire to meet with that good which will not yet come and so desire goeth wandring from one ordinance to another till it bring Christ home to the soule As a gentleman doth when he expects some noble personage hee sends out a man to wait in such a place and bring him word whether he seeth him or no afterwards when he returnes and saith he seeth him not the gentleman sends out another messenger to meet him afarre off and so likewise to bring him and give him entertainment So it is with the soule of a poore sinner in this case Quest. Now how doth the Lord by that promise quicken up this desire Ans I answer the cordials that God lets in and the motives that make the soule wander towards God are three or thus There are three speciall considerations of good in the promise that doe effectually worke upon the heart to bring desires after Motive 1 First there is a peculiar good in the promise that is sutable to all the wants of the soule there is a salve for every sore Esay 61.1.2 Art thou a dead soule goe to the promise there is quickning for thee Art thou a weake soule goe to the promise there is grace to make thee strong Art thou a damned lost soule goe to the promise there is salvation to save thee Art thou a polluted soule goe to the promise there is grace to purge thee Doe you see your sinnes and feele the burthen of them Oh away to the promise there is abundance of comfort in
and die with him saith she if I never see good day with him yet let me have him and I care not so the soule that desires Christ not for profits or by-aymes and ends but for himselfe it saith let me have a Saviour though I goe into prison and banishment with him this is a heart worth gold now when a man desires Christ for himselfe it will appeare in two particulars First hee that desires Christ for himselfe will part with all he hath in the world rather than he will be without Christ If hee cannot have a Saviour with that he hath he will part with all and this an hypocrite will hardly be brought unto an usurer will part with all old gold and his lands and all for a great lordship not for the lordship it selfe but because he shall gaine more gold by parting with his gold So an hypocrite may bee content to hazard riches and honour and all for his profession because he thinks to gaine more credit by that hazard but it is not for Christ himselfe But a gracious good heart will part with all for Christ How to know whether we desire Christ for himselfe or not and he will not part with Christ for all the good in the world only he that desires Christ for himselfe is content to take him upon the hardest conditions in the world if Christ comes let what will be come besides hee is not like those Iewes Marke 15.32 that would have had Christ and his crosse severed there is no such Christ to be had in the world Secondly the soule that desires Christ for himselfe is carefull to avoid all those inconveniences that may hinder him from Christ as Zacheus did Luke 9. this is the second thing Signe 3 Lastly the soule that truly desires grace and mercie is ready to receive it with thankfulnesse and will entertaine whatsoever meanes may reveale and whatsoever messenger may bring home Christ and mercy to his soule an hypocrite may goe a great way here but this is the right stroake a gracious holy soule the more spirituall the meanes are and the more he hath of Christ and the more cleare evidence of the Spirit there is the more they are well-come to that person that truly longs for Christ the soule is willing and unwearie to receive that mercie which God offers you never see a hungry man nice and squeamish when meat is set before him but he falls to and fits at it Vse 2 We come now in the second place to a word of reproofe which falls heavie if this be so that the Lord breeds a thorow and sound desire in the hearts of those he intends good unto not a flashy desire but like the desire of a longing woman that must have her longing or else she dyes so an humble soule must have a Saviour or else he dyes for what she said in regard of children the humbled soule that hath a true desire after Christ saith the same Give me a Saviour or else I die This then is a bill of inditement against a world of men that lift their hands full high and thinke their penny good silver and are termed professours if a man be baptized and comes to Church this is that which upholds him in the time of trouble and time of extremitie he desires to be holy and he desires to please God If the Minister reproves him and tells him his life is naught and his conversation wicked You grace no no you cannot have grace here nor salvation hereafter upon these tearmes your speeches are unsavoury your life is unprofitable and unfruitfull never thinke to have any grace if you thus continue Hee then confesseth hee hath many weaknesses and he cannot talke as he would and words will come sometimes from him before hee is aware but his desire is to please the Lord and his desire is to be holy and this is the businesse that brings most men into a quiet kinde of calme and so they goe hudwinkt downe to hell But what if I now prove that you never had a desire I meane a true sound serious desire what then will you then give up the buckler and yeeld the day and say If this be so then good Lord I am in a miserable condition let your hearts be perswaded and yeeld to the point are you come to the conclusion if it shall appeare by the word and sound arguments that you have no true desire then you will yeeld you are resolved of it that this true desire never as yet came into your hearts Now these men that never had any sound desires I will referre to three rankes Unsound desires discovered the lazy hypocrite the stage hypocrite and the terrified hypocrite All these it shall appeare there was never any true desire in their soules First then it shall appeare that your lazie kinde of professour never came to attaine this saving worke of God to have a desire soundly set on in his soule he will be content to give you the hearing say what you will and injoyne him what you please be the duty never so exact the course never so strict nay if you will reprove him sharply and deale roughly with him hee is made of even mettall his resolution is this he will thanke you for your counsell and blesse God for the meanes and hopes he shall amend he confesseth the evils you discover should be reformed and the duties you command should be discharged and he desires he may and he hopes he shall and when you have him here you have the best of him when he hath brought you hither he can goe no further but stands still where he was hee will fill your eares full of talke but he will not endevour as he should the former doctrine casts him out as one that was never partaker of this sound desire for he that endevours nor desires not his desires are flashy and his labour is answerable it was so in Balaam it was hammered in Balaams forge Oh saith he that I may dye the death of the righteous but wishings and wouldings keepe no house as we use to say this was just Balaams fashion Oh that I might dye the death of the righteous but yet hee would not set one foot forward to walke with care and conscience before God these desires are bred in the braine and understanding of a man out of some terrifyings of conscience because knowledge saith a man should do so therefore he thinkes he doth so but this is not desiring it is lying and dissembling I beseech you bee your owne Judges you that are masters of servants will you say that servant desires the furtherance of your estate when hee will not set his hand to doe your worke will you say that messenger desires to doe your message faithfully that will not stirre one step forward you are so wise you will not be cozened after this fashion you will not be thus deluded the master saith if you desire
was to goe to battell and David was desirous to goe with him but the Princes were against it and Achish said thou art upright I have seene no evill in thee but only the Princes doe not favour thee and therefore David must not goe This is the guise of this base rotten and sinfull age of the world they say this and that holy course is commendable and honourable but they feare ill times and they are out of date and so leave it where they found it therefore urge your great men with strictnesse and they reply presently what will the world say then and what will the world thinke then here is their religion It is no matter what the world saith I will tell thee what God and the Word saith thou that art a stage professour a meere outside Christian the Lord never yet wrought any sound desire after grace in thy heart to this day of this sort were those we reade of that beleeved in our Saviour Iohn 12 47. but durst not professe him by no meanes they wished things were better but because things are as they are they will doe as the times doe the text saith They loved the praise of men more than the praise of God so it is with these men they weare such and such fashions because Gentlemen weare the same I tell you you love the guise and applause of the world more than the mercy and promises of God in Christ It is that which is also observable in the young man he held out till Christ came to this to sell all So also in the other Matth. 18. that professeth to our Saviour I will goe with thee whither so ever thou goest Wilt thou saith Christ but thou must know upon what termes then Matth. 18. The foxes have holes and the birds of the aire have nests but the Sonne of man hath not where to lay his head if thou follow me saith Christ thou must have povertie and shame and disgrace therefore thou hadst best looke before thou leape away went he when he heard this wee never heard of him more So these men say the profession of the Gospell is good and commendable but when we come once to selling all then they are gone they will not meddle with it Now had a man a longing desire indeed he would not delay and demurre the time nor passe what men say or thinke but he saith let me have what I need and let men say what they will I passe not what the world esteemes of me let mee have that mercie I need and that grace I want let me have Christ and let men speake their pleasure We have done now with the two first sort of hypocrites which discover they never had this true longing desire wrought in their hearts I come now to the last Sort of hy ∣ pocrites 3 There is another sort that have gone very farre and yet fall short of the truth and soundnesse of this desire and they are terrified hypocrites such as God hath revealed the vilenesse of their sinnes unto and shewed them the basenesse of their abominations even all those privie haunts of their lusts and sinfull distempers the Lord hath made this cleare to their judgements and hath also let a veine of vengeance into their hearts and kindled the flashes of hell fire upon their consciences hee hath shewed them their sinnes committed and hell fire gaping to receive them I beseech you marke it is strange how this person will bestirre himselfe his desires are very vehement his endevours extraordinarily abundant in every way that concernes his good so that a man would wonder that any man should doe what he doth in this time of extremitie and the ground is this the horrour of conscience and guilt of sinne is upon him You can goe away with your pride and stubbornnesse now and make nothing of it what you afraid of a Minister and of the judgements of God denounced no if hell were set open before you you would not be afrighted thereat well the Lord will teare that heart of thine one day and rend the gall of that soule of thine one day and observe it when the Lord doth this as the horrour of conscience and guilt of sinne is unsupportable so it is admirable to observe what a man will doe to bee rid of it and the passages of a terrified hypocrite discover themselves in two particulars Signes of a terrified Hypocrite First he will be lingring and hankering after some corruption he will be playing with edged tooles with the flie about the candle and will venture farre upon those occasions that may draw him into sinne as a drunkard will be content to be called into an ale-house that he may have occasion to tipple but a gracious heart though hee loathes all sinne yet he loathes that most which he hath most loved as an adulterer flyes from all loose thoughts as from a Devill as from hell and from all occasions that may give way thereunto Secondly in this hypocrite you shall finde commonly this note hee will slight and slubber over some smaller sinnes as he thinkes and some lesser corruptions and though hee bee taken aside with some distempers yet this and that service he can doe this and that prayer he can make such duties he can performe that will make all whole againe But thou hypocrite doth the Lord Jesus Christ give thee power against one sin and not against every sinne dost thou finde one sinne vile and not another thou willingly deceivest thine owne soule for that soule that hath beene truly wounded with the uglinesse of sinne dares not meddle with it but if reproofe comes it yeelds if any thing be amisse he will reforme it he will rather be miserable than sinfull Nay in the third place a terrified hypocrite it is marvellous what he will doe in pretence of religion for Christ hee will part with any thing hee cares not for shame when men point at him what you turned professour now I have knowne the time you have hated and railed at such hee cares not for this let them say what they will nay even persecution he will suffer contentedly and never seeke Christ all this while what is the reason of this why he findes now by experience that hell fire is worse than wild-fire tell not mee of reproach saith the poore soule in horrour of heart tell mee not that men will scoffe at me I had rather have wild-fire about mine eares than hell fire upon my conscience any thing that will cure mee and heale mee shall be well-come it is hell where I have beene and it is horrour that hath seized upon my soule and I had rather doe or suffer any thing than thus continue and all this is for ease now for horrour of conscience is greater than all the plagues in the world and therefore he will be content to beare that one so he may be rid of the other hee had rather bee shamed than plagued
a matter of complement and indifferencie No no I may call it the very wheeles of faith upon which faith is carried for all this while faith is a sowing into the soule Looke as it is with a waggon knocke off the wheeles and all lyes in the dust so take away this desire and faith is in the dust the tenour of all the promises run upon this the thirstie they are invited the hungrie they shall be satisfied nay not onely so but observe further the necessity of this when desire comes all good workes goe forward and our hearts are not only set upon the dutie but the dutie is crowned and credited by this desire It is like the mill damme the fuller the damme is the faster the mill goes so get but desire and all will goe forward the more desire the more paines in seeking after grace this gives a crowne and a credit to all our actions thou prayest haply halfe an houre it is not thy tongue that the Lord accepts but thy desire thou performest many duties outwardly God cares not for that he lookes only at thy desire to approve thy selfe to God in those duties this is the thing that gives credit to all our actions Meanes 3 The third meanes is this labour to spread forth the excellencie of all the beautie and surpassing glorie that is in the promises of God Looke wisely daily and judiciously upon them as occasion serves and when thou seest that admirable and incomparable vertue and beautie that is in Christ and in the precious promises and canst but view them in their proper colours Oh they will even ravish thee and quicken up thy desire If a man carry a packe of never so rich commodities and never opens them no man will have a desire to buy Or if a man have a cabinet full of never so precious jewels if he doe not unlocke it no man will be stirred with a desire after them Even so it is with the promises all those unsearchable riches that are in the Lord Jesus and all the comforts both of this life and that which is to come they are all shut up in the promises Now set open the Gospell and unlock the cabbinet of the promises and then the soule will earnestly desire the same I tell you God is a God of comfort and all the promises are yea and Amen in the Lord Jesus Christ read them daily and examine the excellencie and beautie therein that so thy heart may be brought to prize them and the comfort arising thence Thy soule is discouraged there is mercie to comfort thou wantest grace there is grace to quicken thee See the worth thereof more fully Luke 24. When Christ came and walked with the two disciples that were travelling towards Emaus Luke 24.32 opened Did not our hearts burne within us say they while he opened the Scriptures the Latine word signifieth to burne with desire But how came this they did not talke a word and away but the Lord Jesus Christ opened the Scriptures to them the riches of grace and salvation were unlocked and by Christ opened and then their hearts burned againe with desire Oh that Christ and that mercie and that pardon c. So view thou the promises of Christ and grace and salvation you doe not see the value and riches that are therein but if you will but talke and conferre about them your hearts will burne with desire doe not cast an eye and be gone doe not looke over a promise and away no wonder though your hearts are not affected because the excellent things therein contained are not opened and propounded to you Meanes 4 In the fourth and last place after all this thou must know that it is not in thy power to bring thy heart to desire grace thou canst not hammer out a desire upon thine owne anvill digge thy owne pit and hew thy owne rock as long as thou wilt that is a worke out of thy abilitie and strength Nay let all the Angels in heaven and all the Ministers on earth provoke thee yet if the hand of the Lord be wanting thou shalt not lift up thy heart nor step one step towards heaven therefore I beseech you marke and acknowledge this and goe to him who is onely able to worke this desire in thy soule It is the complaint of Christians and they mourne under it and it is a great miserie Oh they are troubled because they cannot fetch a good desire from their owne soules and one falls another sinkes and a third shakes and they are overwhelmed with discouragement And their complaint is this What a wretched heart have I Object Grace No no the world I can desire the life of my childe I long for that nay every trifling profit and pleasure my soule covets it and I say with Rachel Let me have honour or else I dye But I cannot buckle my heart nor worke this vile nature of mine to bee carried after and long for the unconceivable unsearchable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ And will the Lord shew mercie to me Shall I attaine any favour either here or hereafter Answ Marke the deceit in this case desires grow not in your garden they spring not from the root of your abilities you cannot frame your soules nor order your spirits to desire Christ no struggle while thy eyes sinke in thy head and thy tongue falters when thou prayest and yet thou shalt not procure any longing desire after Christ whiles the world stands desire comes from the quickning vertue of the spirit Therefore seeke to God and confesse In truth Lord I cannot it is not in my power I have not any sufficiencie to frame my heart to this desire I expect it not from my selfe it is not this vile and sinfull soule it is not this wicked base wayward heart of mine that can lift up it selfe it is earthly and heavie but it is thou O Lord from whom come all our desires it is thou that must worke it it is thou that hast promised it good Lord quicken thou this soule and inlarge this heart of mine thou only art the God of this desire none of thy Saints that ever panted after and longed for thy mercie David himselfe had it not in his owne power and sufficiencie it must come from thy power and thy promise and thy grace and blessing Now good Lord worke this in the heart of thy poore servant I would faine have a desire Lord from heaven thus hale downe a desire from the Lord and from the promise for there only you must have it this is the course whereby you may partake of this desire from the hand of the Lord. When the Church was lazie and sluggish and would not rise Cant. 5.4 the hands of her beloved dropped mirrhe upon the handle of the doore and this raised and pulled up the heart of the spouse and she lingred after him and followed him and pursued him and her heart was quickned and inlarged to
newes of a Lord Jesus Christ and of mercie and the soule thus continues wandring and seeking till at last the Lord Jesus Christ comes into the soule when the soule hath hungred and longed for him At length the Lord is pleased to shew himselfe in view behold thy King commeth so the Lord saith Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away thy sinnes Oh thou poore broken hearted sinner here is thy Saviour hee is come downe from heaven to speake peace to thy soule in the pardon of thy sinnes thou that hungrest for a Christ here he is to satisfie thee thou that thirstest for a Christ hee is now come to refresh thee thou that hast long sought him hee saith here I am and all my merits are thine Now when the Lord Jesus is pleased to present himselfe to the soule now desire hath met with the Lord there are two other affections sent out by the Spirit to entertaine Christ and they are love and joy Suffer me I beseech you to expresse my selfe after this manner that I may discover the frame and guise of Gods Spirit in this gracious worke It is in this case with a sinner as it is with a malefactour or traitour observe what I say who is pursued with a Pursevant and is fled to the sea coasts and hath taken a hold and he is there besieged And now hee seeth there is no hope of favour nor no hope of escape therefore hee is even content to submit to the Kings pleasure Simile and yeelds his neck to the block that hee may receive punishment for his offence Now comming to execution he heares an inckling from the messengers there is yet hope that this man may be pardoned with that the poore malefactour in the tower his heart is stirred up to hope Nay then he heares another messenger from the King himselfe say if he will come unto the Court and seek unto his Majesty and importune his Grace for mercy and favour it is like he shall be pardoned this is the second voyce one saith thou mayest be pardoned the other saith nay if thou wilt submit thy selfe thou shalt be pardoned Then hee makes haste and desire carries him to the Court to sue for favour from the King So that he will bee continually there listning and enquiring of every one saying did you heare the King speake nothing of mee how stands the Kings minde towards mee I pray how goes my case then some tells him the truth is the King heares you are humbled and you sory for it you are like to heare more newes hereafter At last the King lookes out of the window and seeth the malefactour and saith is this the traitour they say yes this is the man thar is humbled and intreats for mercy and desires nothing so much as favour The King tells him the truth is his pardon is drawing and comming towards him with that his heart leaps in his belly and his heart is inlarged to his Majesty and he saith God blesse your Majesty never was there such a favourable Prince to a poore traitour His heart leaps with joy because his pardon is comming towards him haply it is not sealed yet Now when it is sealed and all the King calls him in and delivers it and that is the last stroke of faith So it is with a poore sinner hee is this malefactor you that have committed high treason you thinke not of it but take heed God will pursue you one day haply the Lord lets you alone for the present but he will surprize you on the sudden and conscience will pluck thee by the throat and carry thee downe to Hell And now the Lord pursueth him with heavie and terrible indignation and le ts flie at his face and sets conscience a worke as Pursevant and that saith these are thy sinnes and to hell thou must goe God hath set me to execute thy soule Now the poore soule seeth hee can by no means escape from the Lord and to purchase any favour he sees it is impossible therefore he is resolved to lie downe at Gods feet and saith I confesse Lord there is but one way let me be damned so thou maist be glorified If the Lord will shew favour so it is but he cannot desire it almost because he hath so sinned against him Now comes the great voyce he heares a noyse afarre off by the ministery of the Gospell thy sinnes are pardonable with this the soule lookes up and hope stirres the heart and saith then it may be a damned creature may bee saved then it may be a dead dogge may live and a traytor may be pardoned Then the soule heares another voyce if thou canst see the excellency of mercy and long for it and seeke after it thou shalt be pardoned Why goe then saith Desire and he fills heaven and earth with his cries and his closet with his prayers and the congregation with his teares and will enquire of the Minister of God and other good Christians Sirs you are of the bed-chamber you are acquainted with God I pray how goes my case will the Lord thinke you pardon me did you heare the Lord say nothing of me how stands it with me Now the Ministers of God that understand the frame of the heart aright will say The Lord heares you are an humble sinner and that you long for mercie and lye at the court gate and will not away without mercie wee heare God intends well towards you you shall heare more hereafter thus farre now desire goeth At last Christ presents himselfe to the sinner and speakes to his soule by the ministerie of the Word he lookes downe from heaven and gives him a sweet looke of mercie and that makes his heart leape againe and that is done in this manner for still understand that God doth it by the ministerie of the Word doe not now looke for any strange dreames or miraculous imaginations the Lord speakes by his Word and saith thou hast a broken heart thou hast longed for my salvation goe thy wayes I have heard those prayers of thine and observed those endevours of thine and thy pardon is granted bee it to thee as thou hast desired and thy pardon shall afterward bee sealed and delivered Now when the Lord tels the soule It is done it wants only sealing and delivering the heart of a poore sinner when it findes some comfort and refreshment from the Lord in the word he saith The Minister said I was the sinner and God intends good to me and that my sinnes are pardoned as the Prince saith Fiat let it be done so the Lord saith Mercie is comming towards thee and mercie is granted to thee Now the heart leapes with joy and blesseth the Lord let my soule blesse him for ever How ought I to blesse that God that hath done so great things for my poore soule What I pardoned and what my sinnes forgiven what is the pardon granted and now sealing onely it wants delivering why then
if I never see more of it but goe downe to hell yet this is my comfort that I have seene a smile from God this makes my heart leape within me though I burne in hell for ever this is the next voice Now that brings in love and joy See a passage this way Esay 40.2 opened Esay 40.2 Comfort yee comfort yee my people saith the Lord speake comfortably to Jerusalem and crie unto her that her warfare is accomplished and her iniquitie is pardoned tell Ierusalem shee is accepted tell her so saith the Lord. So the Lord speakes to poore hungrie broken sinners after he hath seene their desires to be sound and thorow the Lord saith to his Ministers Speake to the heart of a poore sinner tell him from mee tell him from heaven tell him from the Lord Jesus Christ tell from under the hand of the Spirit his person is accepted and his sinnes are done away and he shall be looked upon in mercie So Esay 66. Esay 66.2 opened the text saith The Lord lookes to him that is of an humble and contrite heart and that trembles at his word The poore creature cannot but observe every word and tremble at every truth Here is salvation indeed saith he but it is not mine here is mercie but that is not mine and so he shakes at the apprehension of it that he should heare of it and not enjoy it The text saith The Lord lookes at such a trembling soule that is he casts sweet intimations of his goodnesse and kindnesse upon him and saith Thou poore trembling sinner to thee bee it spoken I have an eye towards thee in the Lord Jesus Christ this as I take it is the meaning of the place Ephraim is the picture of a soule truly humbled we may see his behaviour towards God and Gods dealing towards him the text saith Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe here is the heart broken and thirsting and what more thou hast chastized mee Ier. 31.18 19 20. and I was chastized as a bullocke unaccustomed to the yoake turne thou me and I shall be turned thou art the Lord my God surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth Here wee see Ephraim lamenting himselfe as if the sinner should say I am the wretch that have seene all the meanes of grace in abundant measure and beautie and yet never profited under the same the Lord hath corrected me but I would not be tamed the Lord hee hath instructed mee but I would not learne Lord turne mee thou art my God I have nothing in my selfe Nay now I see the evils which before I never perceived and I observe the basenesse of my course now which before I never considered and I am ashamed of my former abuse of Gods grace revealed I am even confounded in regard of the abominations which my soule hath harboured this is the mourning of a poore sinner Now marke Gods answer Ephraim is my deare sonne hee is a pleasant childe for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercie upon him The Lord kindled the fire of his indignation in his heart and spake bitter things against his conscience yet hee remembred him all the while as who should say I observed all those desires and considered all those teares and heard all those prayers and tooke notice of all those complaints and my bowels earne towards a poore sinner that desires my mercie in Christ and the truth is I will shew mercie to him thus wee see the behaviour of God to the soule as also the behaviour of the soule to God and thus you see the order of the affections when God is absent hope waits for it and desire longs after it when the good is in view love entertaines it and joy delights and sports and playeth with it love is like the Host that welcomes the guest and joy is like the chamberlaine that attends upon him and is very ready and pleasing to entertaine the promise and the Lord Jesus Christ this is the very guise of the heart as I conceive The second thing observable is the motives whereby the promise comes to inflame these two affections and to worke this frame in the heart namely by the Spirit of the Father which kindles in an humble and inlightned soule love and joy to entertaine and reioyce in the riches of his mercie as beseemes the worth thereof Quest But how doth the Spirit kindle this love and joy Answ I answer thus it is when the Spirit of the Lord in the promise lets in some intimation of Gods love into the soule the weight lieth upon these two words le ts in some inckling conveyeth some rellish of the love of God into the soule I beseech you marke it when the Lord doth expresse his favour and goodnesse in that same powerfull manner unto a heart humbled longing for his favour that it doth force the soule to bee affected with it and doth prevaile with the soule and by a holy kinde of might prevaileth and makes the soule to be affected with the rellish of his favour this is the ground A possible good stirres up hope a necessarie excellencie in that good setleth desire and a rellish in that good setled kindles love So that in the promise there is a fulnesse to take up the whole frame of the heart The phrase is admirable in the Psalmes The Lord shall command his loving kindnesse in the morning Psal 42.18 a strange passage it is a phrase taken from Kings and Princes and great Commanders whose word is a law So that the Lord shall send forth his loving kindnesse with a command as if he should say Goe love and everlasting kindnesse take thy commission and I charge thee goe to the poore humble sinner goe to the poore hungry and thirstie sinner goe and prosper and prevaile and settle my love upon his heart whether he will or no and let my kindnesse be setled upon his soule that hath longed for it Experience tels us this the Lord doth by an Almightinesse give a charge and put a commission into loving kindnesse hands that hee shall doe good to a poore soule even then when hee sinkes under the burthen of his sinnes and under the apprehension of his weaknesse What shall I have mercie No no. Will the Lord Jesus Christ accept me No surely Could I pray so and had I those parts and could I performe duties after this and this manner then there were some hope but alas there is no mercie for me But hearken I beseech you what the word discovers your estate to be is it thus and thus with you yes then I speake from the Lord mercie is yours and heaven is yours No no saith the soule I cannot beleeeve it such a wretch as I
a poore miserable creature commend my love commend my mercy to such a poore soule and tell him though hee hath beene an enemy to me yet I am a friend to him tell him though he hath beene a traitor to mee I have beene a good King to him he hath beene a rebell to mee but tell him I have beene a good God to him commend my love to him and let him know that all his sinnes are done away for the Lord Jesus died for sinners when they were sinners This is the argument of Saint Iohn If God so loved us as that he gave his onely begotten Sonne for us how ought wee to love one another I collect from hence But how then ought we to love God himselfe It was this that kindled the frozen heart of Saul he had a heart almost as cold as ice and yet this did worke upon him Marke what the text saith When David had taken Saul on the hip 1 Sam. 24.19 and had him at advantage and might have taken away his life and yet would not when hee saw that David was so kinde and would doe him no hurt David knew Saul persecuted him and desired to kill him hee was the most profest enemy he had and was the onely man that stood betweene him and the kingdome Now when David had him in his hands and spared him this kindnesse of David wrought even upon the heart of a Saul and kindled a kinde of love in him as the text saith Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rewarded mee good and I have rewarded thee evill and thou hast shewed this day that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered mee into thine hands thou killedst me not for if a man finde an enemy will hee let him goe well away wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day So that wee see a Saul is warned and his love is kindled towards David for his kindnesse So when the soule considers what is the Lord thus gracious to me who ever found an enemy and slew him not Had it not beene just with the Lord to take advantage against me Had it not beene just that I which lived in sinne should have perished for my sinne Had it not beene just that I which loved my corruption should have perished for my corruptions But that the Lord should finde an enemy and not slay him nay that the Lord should finde an enemy and send his Sonne to save him is wonderfull Let my soule for ever love that God and rejoyce in that mercy this would work almost upon a Devill If the soule had but the sap and sweetnesse of this it could not but warme the heart of an humbled sinner and kindle in him an abundant love to God who hath beene so loving to him Particular 3 Lastly the greatnesse of the sweetnesse of the mercy of God this inflames the soule the sweetnesse warmes it the freenesse kindles it and when the greatnesse meets with these it sets the soule all in a burning flame This is the ground the Apostle presseth to the Ephesians he desireth that they may be rooted in love that is stablished with mighty strong love how shall that be Why the text saith comprehending with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge as who should say can you but once comprehend the unmeasurable dimensions of Gods love and goodnesse this will kindle and inflame your hearts with admirable love to the Lord Jesus When the sinner thinkes thus with himselfe I that have done all that I could against so good a God that my heart even bleeds to thinke of it there was no name under Heaven I tore in peeces but Gods Name his wounds and heart and life I have torne all nay there was no command in the world that my soule so much despised as the command of the Lord Jesus There was no spirit that ever spake to me which I so much resisted as the Spirit of the Lord. Oh how many sweet motions hath the Lord let into my soule that he might plucke mee from my base courses and sinfull practices but I have flowen in the face of his blessed Spirit If I had lien in a dungeon and had beene plagued with torments all my life time yea though I had another world of misery to live in it is infinite mercy so the Lord would passe by these base dealings and pardon these rebellions of mine But that God should send his Sonne to love mee so incomparably so unconceivably that I could not hate him so much as he loved me I could not so exceed in unkindnesse towards him as he hath exceeded in kindnesse towards mee Oh the height of this mercy beyond my desire Oh the breadth of this mercy without all bounds Oh the length of this mercy beyond all times Oh the depth of this mercy beneath all miseries Were my eyes made of love I could nothing but weepe love were my tongue made of love I could nothing but talke love were my hands made of love I could nothing but worke love and all too little for that God that hath loved mee so admirably so unmeasurably What shall I love if I love not the Lord I love all things but I love God above all things Psal 18.1 I love thee dearly O Lord my strength saith David this is the last particular whereby the soule comes to bee all on a flame and hath a burning affection towards the Lord Almighty Vse 1 We come now to the application of the point that so wee may reape some good to our soules thereby First then it is a ground of instruction which I desire to presse unto you because it is both seasonable and profitable From the former Doctrine therefore wee collect and conclude undeniably that there is no sufficiency in a naturall heart to be carried to the Lord Jesus Christ or to the worke of grace wee have not this before God doth give it unto us nay we cannot move towards God or be carried in the least kind to love or delight in him further than the Lord will carry us himselfe and beare up our hearts by the hand of his Spirit It is true and wee finde it by wofull experience it is in our power to love the world it is in our power to delight in our lusts Nay being but naturall men it cannot be but that we should love our selves and love our honour and our ease and profit and applause in the world There is enough of this foolish wild-fire there is enough of this carnall selfe-love in every mans heart But to love the Lord Jesus Christ and to have a heart inlarged with joy to him this is a worke of grace which groweth not in our gardens there is not one sparke of this holy fire and spiritual delight in our hearts Nay we cannot buy it nor borrow it
that is if father and mother stand betweene thee and Christ if they would be married to thy soule hate and abhorre them love them so farre as they lead to a Saviour but when they step into the place of a Saviour abominate and hate them Difference betweene a sound and false heart in the entertainment of Christ This I take to bee the difference betweene a sound and false heart in the entertainment of the Lord Jesus a sound heart entertaines a Saviour as a favourite entertaines a Prince he comes into his house and disposes and orders every thing as he sees fit what he will is done and no more but now an in keeper hee entertaines him that comes next he will take any mans money and give welcome to any man for he loves the gaine of all but loves the person of none so a gracious soule entertaines Christ as a Prince all give attendance to the Lord and all the courtiers are welcome because they are serviceable to his Majestie but if a man be an enemy to his Majesty he will rather imprison him than entertaine him he will rather punish him than welcome him but now an hypocrite entertaines the Lord Jesus as a stranger into an inne if honour or profits or riches come first they are first served all are welcome they and Christ and Christ and they but loves not Christ but he loves himselfe in all Triall 3 Thirdly he that truly loves Christ labours to give contentment to Christ for love alwayes gives contentment to the thing beloved so it must bee with every Christian heart that is truly humbled and hath this affection kindled beseeming our Saviour the soule that thus entertaines him is studiously carefull and marvellous watchfull lest it doe any thing that may grieve the Lord Jesus and discontent his Spirit and send the good Spirit of the Lord sad or in any dislike to Heaven it is carefull lest the Lord Iesus should bee displeased with him and offended at him or goe away in anger and displeasure the heart feares lest hee should doe any thing that may cause this and it would be almost death to him if hee should doe this Marke the guise and behaviour of the Spouse she never left seeking of her beloved till she had found him Cant. 3.7 and when she had found him shee layes hold of him and when she hath done so she brings him home and when hee was there shee gives charge to all the house I charge you O ye daughters of Ierusalem by the Roes and the Hindes of the field that you stirre not up nor awake my love till he please Look as it is when men of great place come into a mans house there is a great charge warning given see there be no noyse about such a place lest such a man be raised before his time What basenesse is this that wee should have our hearts inlarged to any thing but Christ A good heart wil do as the spouse did here when the soul hath received the Spirit of a Saviour found the mercy of a Saviour it keeps watch ward within it selfe and gives peremptory charge to all in the family I charge you profits and pleasure and riches and honour and all the things of this life love and joy and all the faculties of the soule it gives them warning I charge you that you stirre not I charge you that you grieve not I charge you that you disquiet not the Spirit of the Lord let there bee no motion but entertaine it no command but obey it no advice but receive it thus the soule gives peremptory charge not to grieve the Spirit of the Lord or to doe any thing that may distaste it See this in Lot who when he had received the two Angels into his house the cursed Sodomites came to the doore and thought to abuse his strangers Now marke it I beseech you Lot could be content that rather any hurt or distaste should befall himselfe than them therefore observe how he pleads with those base people Lot went out unto them and shut the doores after him and said Gen. 19.8 I pray you brethren doe not so wickedly Behold now I have two daughters which have not knowne man let me bring them out unto you and do to them as is good in your eyes onely to these men doe nothing for therefore came they under the shadow of my roofe This was kinde honorable entertainment As Lot deale with the Angels so a loving heart will deale with the Lord Iesus let my soule bee wounded saith the loving heart but let not Gods Spirit be grieved let my honour bee laid in the dust but let not God be dishonoured let temptations oppositions persecutions and disgrace befall mee but let Gods glory be advanced The soule is willing and content to beare any thing but it will doe nothing against Christ it will doe nothing against the Gospell of the Lord Iesus The soule saith you may doe what you will with me my life and honour and wealth is in your hands but to the Lord doe no harme blaspheme not his Name resist not his Spirit doe no dishonour to his Gospell doe not contemne his grace what ever betides me This is the frame of the soule that truly loves Christ They that entertaine Persons which they highly respect are inquisitive of those that appertaine unto them to know what their minde is what likes your master and what takes he most contentment in this they doe that they may prevent him with a kindnesse though he aske not for it what ever will best content him they seeke for it and what ever will distaste him they labour to avoid it So a gracious loving soule never satisfieth it selfe but labours to give content to the Lord Iesus that hee may have his will onely Therefore such a soule will come to a faithfull Minister and aske him how must I order my family What shall I doe in regard of my selfe and children How may I please the Lord better And how may I entertaine the Lords Spirit better What duty is to be performed What service is to bee discharged What course is to bee taken that I may please Christ You are acquainted with Christ you know what will content him I pray you tell me how I may pray so and performe duties so that nothing may distaste him or be offensive unto him This I take to bee the difference betweene an honest sincere heart which entertaines Christ as beseemes him and a naughty hypocriticall spirit that would fawne upon Christ Iesus this is the difference betweene faithfull true love and joy and dissembling love and joy There is the same ods betweene them which is betweene a man that entertaines a servant and another that entertaines a noble friend or a King into his family A man entertains a servant that he may please him Simile and not that hee may please his servant he seeth he is wise to order his
occasions and diligent to dispatch his businesse and therefore hee receives him that hee may get contentment from the servant not that hee may give contentment to the servant but if hee findes any inconveniency in his estate or receives not that satisfaction from him which hee desires and expects hee turnes him out of doores But now hee which entertaines a Noble man after a noble manner and he which entertaines a King after a kingly manner labours to give him all content hee will not please himselfe nor fulfill his owne minde but studies how hee may give content to the Noble man or to the King Nay it is admirable to see what men of great place will doe in this case When they entertaine a King they themselves will bee servants while the King is there haply hee is a man of great estate and hath many to attend upon him yet hee gives charge to his servants I care not what becomes of me but bee sure let his Majesty be pleased and if any comes to speake with him hee tels him hee cannot possibly speake with him now hee must attend upon his Majestie So it is betweene a sound faithfull loving soule that entertaines Christ and an Hypocrite the one receives Christ into his soule as a servant into his family and all the while Gods Gospell or Grace may promote his honour or ease or credit so farre as these may serve his turne so farre as profit and honour and riches come in by this means welcome Gospell and welcome Christ But if he sees danger will come or inconvenience befall or misery betide then he turnes Gospell and Christ and profession and all out of doores because hee entertained the Gospell onely as a servant to content himselfe But hee that entertaines Christ and the Gospell as a King into his soule labours to give him all content he will not please himselfe or his lusts or his pride or vaine glory or any thing in the world Nay when Christ comes once to be received into the soule he which before had his retinue and all to attend upon him they must all serve Christ now nay he will not give Christ distaste in the least thing he cares for no honour now but to honour him he cares for no advancement now but to advance him he esteems of no riches now but so farre as they may credit the Gospell Nay to goe further they that were his neerest and deerest friends if they come and desire his company he tels them no he cannot the Lord Iesus must bee pleased and the Spirit must bee contented Nay his old lusts and his old acquaintance his old base haunts of heart and his old sinfull courses that have beene at inward league with his soule though they come and plead for acceptance the poore sinner regards none of all these he respects Christ onely Nay he will displease a fashion rather than he will displease Christ he will displease all the great men under Heaven rather than hee will displease Christ Nay all that same glory and pride of his which hath beene so much beloved of him the soule that hath beene truly humbled and brought to an apprehension of Gods goodnesse will rather displease that than displease the Lord Iesus Christ This is an entertainment that beseemes the Lord and this is the guise that beseemes him which gives contentment to a Saviour You must now and then receive the Gospell when it pleaseth you and anon fling out the Lord Iesus and currishly behave your selves towards him but you must give all content unto him and bestow all attendance upon him It is admirable to see what love will doe how men will square their mindes and hearts to the mindes of those that are tendered by them they will be where they please doe what they will Psal 40.8 and talke of what they will I delight to doe thy good will O my God saith David the originall carries it thus It is my good will to doe thy good pleasure So it is the good will of the soule that loves God to please him above all things wee should so speake and worke and walke as beseemes the Lord as will give sweet contentment to the Lord that hee may delight to love us and walke with us and bee a good GOD unto us for ever Triall 4 The fourth triall is this He that loves a thing it is his happinesse and good to see the happinesse and good of the thing he loves observe it this is an undoubted argument of sound affection that a man should bee willing that that which is affected by him should have all good though hee in the meane time misse of it if there bee any prosperity befals the party he loves he thinkes himselfe blessed if any honour comes to him hee thinkes himselfe honoured nay he had rather hee should be honoured and advanced than himselfe this is true love indeed But see a patterne of love and a blessed mirrour of a heart inlarged with affection When David was anointed to the crown and Saul pursued him heavily and thought to defeat him of the Kingdome and dealt wretchedly and cruelly with him 1 Sam. 23.17 Now Ionathan meets him after an heavy affliction and labours to cheer up the heart of David and saith Feare not for the hand of Saul shall not finde thee thou shalt bee King over Israel and I shall bee next unto thee A man would thinke why should not Ionathan rather labour for the crowne himselfe hee was next heire apparant thereunto hee might have said Saul is my father and why should not I succeed him in the crowne why should David start in before me No this comforted his heart and rejoyced and cheered his soule David shall bee King and I shall bee next unto him hee loved David dearly and therefore this refreshed him thou shalt bee King in Israel and it is the comfort of my heart that I shall be next unto thee As who should say it contents me more that thou shalt be honoured than if I my selfe were honoured So it is with a good heart that loves Iesus Christ and his Grace and his Gospell Oh the happinesse of the Gospell and the promotion thereof is the greatest good and comfort that can befall him The Christian saith let God bee honoured though I bee disparaged it skils not Is the Lord advanced and doth his Gospell thrive Is his Glory promoted Doth the worke of grace goe forward It is enough what becomes of my honour or parts or liberty or case it is no matter Let it goe well with the Gospell and let honour be given to the Lord Iesus in the use of the means and ordinances which he hath bestowed upon us let Gods cause finde that acceptance amongst his servants which it ought it is sufficient it rejoyceth my heart See this in Iohn the Baptist when Christ began to set forth the Gospell and to baptize and many came unto him the Disciples of Iohn grudged
signifies as much and the same word is used in the Corinthians 1 Cor. 7.1 opened It is good for a man not to touch a woman that is to cleave and to cling unto her and it is taken from those peeces of buildings which are let one into another her affection was such that she would not part with her Saviour when she had met him This is a lively picture of that love which many a poore soule possesseth when the Lord lets in the glimpse of his love into the heart when the soule hath waited long for mercie and comfort and the Lord is pleased at last to refresh it and cheare it therewith and to let in some sweet incklings and intimations thereof many of Gods Saints begin to bee light headed because they are so ravished therewith they are alwayes cleaving thereunto insomuch that many times they are almost besides themselves Looke as it is with parties that live in the same family Simile and their affections are drawing on one towards another in marriage they will cast their occasions so that if it be possible they will be together and have one anothers company and they will talke together and worke together and the time goeth on marvellous suddenly all the while their affections are drawing on so it is with the soule that loves Jesus Christ and hath this holy affection kindled it thinkes every place happy where it hath heard of Christ and thinkes that houre sweet wherein it put up its prayers to the Lord and enjoyed love-chat with him hee thinkes the Sabbath marvellous sweet wherein God is revealed in the power of his ordinances any glimpse of Gods goodnesse and notice of his mercie in Christ is marvellous comfortable to the soule And it is the desire of the soule to fit by it as the drunkard doth in another kinde so the loving soule would fit by this mercie and love of God that he may be more acquainted with it and more quickned and cheared by it the soule is ravished therewith and overcome as it were with the apprehension thereof Psal 84. David envyed the porter that kept the doore of Gods temple where Gods presence was and the very birds that built their nests there as if hee had said You have liberty to see the sacrifices offered and you may heare the voices of Gods people and you may build your nests in the temple of my God and my Lord and Lord am not I as good as birds therefore his heart was inflamed with the want of these ordinances of God Nay old Simeon when hee had seene our Saviour incarnate his heart was so inlarged therewith that he would have beene content to have left his body that he might have had his full of his Saviour Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seene thy salvation as if he had said stand by body let me come to my Saviour let mee bee for ever with him I have beene long enough in this sinfull world already A spouse that is contracted thinkes every day a yeare and every yeare twenty till that day comes shee blesseth the very place where the bridegroome is and she thinkes the parties happy that talke with him and she takes every token that comes from him marvellous kindly but yet shee thinkes if that day would once come wherein she might possesse him and be possessed of him that she and she alone might enjoy her husband Oh this would bee a happy day her heart would bee cheared and exceedingly refreshed therewith so a loving soule that hath beene truly humbled and inlightened in the apprehension of Gods love and mercie and is contracted as I may so say unto Christ hath many thoughts when will it once be that I may be married to Christ and possesse him and bee possessed of him to bee with Christ is best for me such a one thinkes every token marvellous welcome and every promise and every word that reveals any intimation of Gods kindnesse but yet oh when will the day come that I shall be forever with the Lord Jesus this is the highest pitch that Saint Paul speakes of 1 Thess 4. We that are alive and remaine saith he shall bee caught up together with them in the clouds and meet the Lord in the aire and so shall wee bee ever with the Lord thus the soule thinkes when will that day come that I may never be with sinne more never with the world more never with corruptions more never with base company more but with that mercie and that Spirit and that grace and with that Christ for ever and ever this is the guise of the soule and the frame of the heart that is kindled in sound love to the Lord Jesus nay such is the strong and gluing nature of true love that it will make a man bee with the thing beloved though hee bee in never so great misery When Iacobs sonnes came and told him that Ioseph was slaine Iacob was grievously distressed because he loved him deerely now marke what the text saith All his sonnes and daughters rose up to comfort him but he refused to be comforted and said I will goe downe into the grave to my sonne Ioseph he would rather be in the grave than not to be with Ioseph and hee will goe downe into the grave that he may be with him so the wife that loves her husband when hee is in prison shee will bee there with him shee is sorry that it should bee so with her husband but shee will rather bee in the prison with him than want his company so an humble soule that hath his heart kindled in earnest and sound affection to Christ is content even to goe into the grave with the Lord Jesus yea into prison with the Lord Jesus let mee bee with Christ saith he though I be in persecution let me be with the Lord Jesus though I be in dishonour it is a griefe to the soule if Christ bee so but a greater griefe if he may not be with him where hee is Cant. 2.6 when the spouse had wanted her bridegroome a great while and at last the Lord was pleased to reveale himselfe unto her she fastens upon him and rests contented with him and desires no more my beloved is mine and I am his as who should say thou art mine and I am thine let the world thinke what it will I am thy wife and thou art my husband so saith the soule Christ is mine and I am his and if I may have more of that grace and holinesse which is in Christ I have enough I desire no more but without that I cannot be contented I cannot be satisfied Secondly there is a holy restlesnesse and impatience in the soule till it can attaine this it will take no nay at the hand of the Lord but sues for the match though Christ seeme to forbid the banes and it were worth the while to observe how restlesse the soule is and how
it be stirres it selfe to attaine neerer union with the Lord Jesus even when he seemes to absent his presence from the soule but we cannot prosecute that so that by this time then it doth appeare what it is to love the Lord trulâ— and wee have laid downe the triall whereby we may know whether wee have this love or no. Vse 3 The third use is a word of reproofe you have heard the ground of consolation already therefore when the pill is sugered I hope it will down the better Here then wee have a just ground of reprehension and it comes marvellous heavy as a witnesse to accuse many nay as a Judge to condemne many in the world this is sufficient to shake their hearts and to make their soules that live in the bosome of the Church almost to sinke in the consideration and sight of their owne miserable and fearfull condition upon whom this worke was never stamped in whose soules this grace of God was never yet kindled certaine it is such never loved the Lord nor ever rejoyced in Christ Woe to their soules therefore and beloved this is the condition of the greatest part of those that live in the Church and are counted professors among us they love not Christ they rejoyce not in him yet they will not bee perswaded of it therefore give a little attendance I beseech you to what I shall say This is the cunning that Satan hath to deceive poore soules withall because these holy affections are inward and retired as hope and desire and love and joy because I say they are secret things in the soule and doe not discover themselves outwardly to the view of the world further than the fruits thereof manifest the same Therefore men not knowing these affections themselves and not conceiving of the nature of them that is the cause that many leane upon the expectation of what they have in frame of heart though they want in the course of their lives this is that which every man almost doth challenge to himselfe as that whereby he will beare up his heart in time of trouble and cheere up his soule in the day of distresse Wicked men when every one cannot but see and behold their base courses and loath their sinfull practices nay when they themselves cannot but confesse their filthy behaviours c. Why they confesse they fall foully and they fall dayly and scandalously but that which heals all helps all is this they say it is true it is so with their lives but yet they love the Lord Jesus with all their hearts every vile varlet will say thus when hee hath sworne by a Saviour and torne his flesh in peeces his blessed body his blood his wounds and all yet when he hath done this he loves a sweet Saviour still Oh poore deluded miserable sinfull wretch that I may apply my selfe particularly to such a one I beseech you give mee leave to doe two things First I will make it good that most men have not this love of God Secondly I will plead the Inditement and then when I have laid out the Inditement and pleaded it and shewed who they are that have not this love of God the point will be cleere First it is sure and most certaine 1 Most in the world have no love to God but hatred against him that most in the world that live in the bosome of the Church have not their hearts carried in any love of God but in a hatred and desperate opposition against the Lord Jesus Christ In him was life and this life was the light of the world and the light shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not the meaning is this the Lord Jesus Christ was the life of the promise in him was life the promise of life was in Christ and that promise of life was a light to teach men the way to life and salvation but when this light of the promise of grace shined to the world the darke world comprehended it not they knew it not Christ came unto his owne Iohn 1.11 and his owne received him not There the Lord speakes of the Jewes that were his chosen people and his owne by covenant His owne by reason of the privileges and benefits and ordinances which he bestowed upon them His owne by profession they tooke the Name of Christ upon them Christ came not to heathens and pagans but to his owne and they received him not How many are there amongst us who professe the Name of the Lord Iesus and take up the Gospell of Christ and yet being Christians in profession will not entertaine the love of the Lord Iesus Christ which should make us Christians in dâ—ed Christ comes to many a mans doore and knocks and calls and intreats entrance but few will entertaine him when hee comes nay let mee say more my heart trembles to speake it nay my heart were it as it should be would grieve to thinke it Wicked men are so farre from prising Christ and loving the Lord Iesus that they hate him more than sinne nay I had almost said yet I am loth to speake it my heart shakes to thinke it but that I hope you are willing to heare the worst why then I will speake it and they are the words of the Scripture wicked men hate Christ more than the devill himselfe the Lord be merciful to such poor sinful creatures good Lord that ever men should be created by the Lord and enjoy mercy and meanes from the Lord and yet love sinne and the devill himselfe more than God Object But you will say are there any such is it possible that ever any man that breathed and received mercy from the Lord Iesus should deale so sinfully and unkindly with him why the devill would not doe it Answer I say to you as the Prophet said to Hazael in another case I know saith he the evill thou wilt doe to the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire 2 King 8.12.13 and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with childe but Hazael said what am I a dogge that I should doe this the Prophet told him the Lord hath shewed it unto me I know saith the Prophet the cruelty and venome of thy spirit though thou knowest it not So when I speake of these things men will bee ready to say what are there any such dogs to deale thus with the Lord Jesus I tell you the Lord knowes this and the Word seeth all thy venome and spight and hatred against Christ the Lord seeth and knoweth it Most men in their hearts doe hate Christ though they see it not beloved your hearts are more vile than you can conceive and more base than you can imagine the Word will make it cleere The greatest evill of all wee know is sinne the Devill is not to be loathed but for his sinne and the reason why he is
than God doth convey this and communicate to the soule a man naturally is as well able to keepe the law which is doe and live as hee is of himselfe in himselfe so considered to beleeve in the Gospell and to keepe the second covenant of grace which is beleeve and live but the difference is here the Gospell requires abilitie and gives it the Lord cals us to come and inables us to come whereas the law reveales a mans corruptions but never gives him power against them but as the Lord called Lazarus so the Lord gave Lazarus power to rise so when the Lord cals a poore sinner he gives strength and spirituall ability to come according to the call which the Lord reveales that he may come by that saving and precious faith as S. Peter cals it therefore it is of necessity required that as the soule beleeves the Lord must give strength that it may beleeve and therefore it is effectually perswaded Now that I might meet with that erronious opinion of Pelagians consider what I say they say it is of necessity required that a poore sinner have his minde inlightened but the will of man is unaltered and left free to refuse or chuse grace if it please so that they put a kinde of ability in the will to take or refuse Christ and grace when it is offered but here is a deepe mistake because the will of man is as farre averse from God as the minde is blinde nay it is more averse from God than the minde is blinde and it is more hard to be framed therefore there must be this effectuall perswading as the understanding must have the truth cleered to see a Christ so the will must be perswaded that it may receive power from him as it is with the sea and the thames there is ebbing and flowing now the natutall Philosophers observe that the ebbing and flowing comes not from any inward proper principle of it selfe but the light and heat of the moone leaves its beames upon the water and drawes the water after it this makes it to flow and when the moone is gone the water returnes backe againe and this is ebbing just so it is with the soule of a man humbled and enlightened there is no power in the soule to goe any further than it selfe to flow unto a Christ and to goe towards the promises further than the Lord lets in by the power of his Spirit the beames of his mercie upon the soule and sheds in the freenesse of his grace into the heart and that makes the soule flow againe so that as it ebbed and went away from God by sinne so it now flowes and comes to God againe but it is by the power and Spirit of God Quest. Now if you aske mee what it is to have the heart thus perswaded of Gods goodnesse in Christ Answ It is nothing else but this first as it is undeniably inlightened to see this mercie of God so there comes in a streame of the freenesse and riches of Gods grace and doth affect the heart with the sweetnesse and rellish of Gods grace that it findes a marvellous sweetnesse in it Quest Secondly what is it to be effectually perswaded Ans It is thus much not a touch and away and a little sip and begone nor a hourly kinde of tasting but take notice of these two things in it First when the prevailing sweetnesse in the promise and that goodnesse in the promise is let in by the Spirit of the Lord that it sinkes into the heart roots and it comes to take possession of the soule of an humble sinner and is next the soule there is nothing next the soule but that the world and pleasure c. are without the heart but the goodnesse of the promise and the freenesse of Gods grace hath its privie chamber in the heart of a man this I take to be the meaning of that phrase of rooting the promise in the heart and this was the fault of the stony ground-hearers Matth. 13.21 The seed grew up suddenly and perished suddenly why because it had not depth of earth the seed of the promise had not the depth of his heart but there was a stone in the heart and the world lay next the heart and a stone of lust and pride was betweene the word of the Lord and the heart so that the promise had not root and hence it was slightly affected with the truth but never thus powerfully to have it goe downe to the roots of the heart the good word of the Lord in this case comes to the heart not as an owner but as a travellour this is the meaning of that place Hosea 2.14 I will allure her and draw her into the wildernesse that is by preparation and then I will speake comfortably to her that is I will speake to her heart so it is in the originall there is a kinde of prevailing sweetnesse of the grace of God in Christ that will be at the roots of the heart that it may give allowance unto it now marke what followes from hence and this is the first part of the effectuall perswading of the heart when the heart saith away with profit and the world and all let me have the Lord and his grace Oh that goes to the bottome of the heart hence it is that the soule thus prevailingly is sweetned with the goodnesse of the promise can taste nothing in the world without this it is now out of love with all other things it had loved and doted on before most immoderatly the sweetnesse of the promise hath stolne away the heart of a poore sinner and gotten the good will of the soule to be only for Christ and to have his heart to close with Christ and to be nothing in the world without him this effectuall perswading it is the meaning of that place Act. 3.19 Amend your lives repent and turne that your sinnes may be done away repent and be converted that is be truly prepared in the worke of humiliation and be converted that is have a through heat of the heart for grace in vocation that your sinnes may be done away in justification so then when the soule is first humbled in preparation and the heart now all for the Lord Jesus Christ and can taste nothing but Christ and nothing in regard of him and God hath gotten his good will then followes justification that your sinnes may be blotted out this was the practice of the repenting Church when the Lord had hedged her way and built a wall that she could not finde her old lovers Hos 2.7 at last the Church saith I will returne to my first husband for then it was better with me than now as if the Church had said Oh the mercies of God and the consolation of Christ are better than all my delights in sinne the soule comes now to see a bettering in Christ Oh to have my heart purged and my sinnes remitted it were better than to wallow
in my lusts still now the heart is going out of the world to the Lord Jesus Christ when there is an overpowering vertue of the sweetnesse of the promise that prevailes with the soule above all and affects the heart with the good thereof more than all the rest this is then to be effectually perswaded Now the will and the heart is gone that way let all the temptation and the darling delights of sinne come in never so fast yet the prevailing power of the promise out bids and goes beyond all these and affects the heart more than all these I would have you retaine those things that ye may trie whose hearts are sound many pretend to have a lingering desire after Christ and to seeme to bee for Christ and yet the worke was never sound they were never perswaded powerfully as I now speake and as there is a strong and effectuall perswading so there is a kinde of hourly and feeble perswading and a slight motion of it the heart may seem to make out toward Christ yet never get â—ut because it was never effectually perswaded â—hese slight motions and hourly perswasions are â—ike the untimely birth of a woman that vanishâ—th away and comes to nothing in the end Many a man hath had his eyes opened and the sweetnesse of the promise revealed and the soule â—ad begun to purpose and to be at a hay now â—ay and then he will goe to Christ and yet sinks â—owne againe and falls back and perisheth everâ—stingly As it is with a waggon that passeth by a â—angerous pit being well loaden which if it passe â—ot by hee is undone he is at a set well they will use their skill they pull with might maine â—nd now it is going and then it is comming it 〈◊〉 ever at a hay now hay at last the traces breake â—nd it falls downe irrecoverably So it is with a â—arnall false hearted Hypocrite that hath had maâ—y of these feeble perswasions to pluck a base â—ile heart from his corruptions the Lord hath â—id some hand upon him by the terrours of the â—aw and let in some intimation of mercy and â—t him see what good he might have if he would â—art from his sinnes and he hath many good reâ—lutions the drunkard will be drunke no more â—e adulterer will bee uncleane no more and the â—roud person will never be proud any more it is â—et at a hay now hay but because hee is not â—fectually perswaded hee falls off from his halfe â—odging with God and is wholly overcome with â—nne never to be recovered more this was the practice of Agrippa Act. 26.27 where Paul shewing his conversation and what God had done for him when Agrippa heard this he was even at a dead lift and said Thou hast almost perswaded me to become a Christian almost holy almost humble and almost to forsake my sinnes I will never be more malicious against God and as the originall word saith Thou hast almost perswaded mee in a few things but hee never came to any good at all This is the guise of many that come to some outward reformation and get some knowledge and some parts and some duties performed so that a man would thinke they were making forward toward Christ and yet they recoyle and fall back againe to their old base courses most fearfully Of this generation was this spoke Heb. 6.4 that had a taste of the Heavenly gift that is saving faith they liked the promise but it was never at the heart roots Oh said they comfort ease and salvation is good to be had but they did not take downe the promise and disgest it and make it good blood they wanted this sound perswasion somewhat was neerer to the heart than the promise and therefore it came to nothing An Hypocrite that is tickled and hath some flashy desires as the stony ground was is a little affected with the Word of God This man may entertaine iâ— some kinde of hourely perswasion somewhat of the promise for some respect the promise is this that God will pardon the iniquity of his poore children and ease them of all their miseries and glorifie them for ever The Hypocrite heares this that there is salvation to be had and grace is now offered Oh it is pretty saith the soule then I hope it is possible for something to come to my share in conclusion hee entertaines the promise to pardon him but the promise and the prevailing power of it goe not deepe enough to loose him from his corruptions and to purge him hee would sip of the promises but make a meale of his lusts But a good heart doth the contrary the promise is the standing dish and the Lord â—esus Christ to be loved and embraced that is his meale onely he may sip now and then at his lusts â—nd corruptions The Hypocrite will have his â—ase haunts and his corruptions still but in the meane time hee could bee content to thinke on Christ to pardon him and that these evils might â—ot befall him Part. 2 Now you see what it is to bee effectually perswaded nothing but God can doe this and in his lies the excellency of faith to rest it selfe upon the freenesse of Gods grace that it may have â—n interest in the good thereof that is the end â—f faith there lies the marrow of faith that is the â—ertue and spirituall efficacy of faith that as hope â—aited for mercy and desire longed for it and â—â—ve and joy welcomed it and they all bring the â—romise home to the soule so then the will â—ith Amen Lord let it be so I will goe no furâ—her It is in this case as it was with the woman â—f Samaria Iohn 4.29 When Christ had opened â—er eyes and shewed her the vilenes of her heart â—nd also told her that shee had seven Husbands saying thou art an adulterous woman now when she had heard this away shee goes to the Citie and said Behold a man that hath told mee all that ever I did is not he the Christ Just so all the affections come to the will the great commander and plead in this case and thus begin to strive with the heart Oh saith hope I have waited for this goodnesse of the Lord and my eyes have failed with looking for it And desire saith I have longed for this goodnesse and saith love I have received it and joy saith I have felt the sweetnesse of it is not this mercy worth the receiving Then the will saith is it so indeed hast thou waited for it hope and hast thou longed for it desire and hast thou felt the sweetnesse of it joy then we will all goe to that mercy and seeke no further Let base corruptions and lusts doe what they will wee will goe to that mercy Foure things or Acts. and repose our selves therein Now this resting of it selfe discovers a foure-fold act Act 1 First it implyes a going out of the soule to Christ that the soule
runnes and reacheth after a Christ for a man can never rest on a thing before he come to lay hold on it and to deliver all his strength and lay all his weight upon it This is implied necessarily and it is one maine proper act of faith when the soule seeth this that the Lord Jesus is his aid and must ease him and pardon his sinnes then let us goe to that Christ saith he see what our Saviour saith Iohn 6.35 He that commeth to me shall never hunger and hee that beleeveth in mee shall never thirst the phrase of comming and beleeving they are both one Ier. 3.22 there the Prophet makes the answer of the humble sinner the Lord calls upon by his Spirit and sets on his mercy effectually and saith Come to me yee rebellious sinners and I will heale your rebellions Though a poore Minister speake the word yet the Lord from heaven saith come to me ye loose hearted c. Now this voyce comming home to the heart and the prevailing sweetnesse of the call overpowring the heart the soule answers Behold we come for thou art the Lord our God The soule goes out and falls and flings it selfe upon the riches of Gods grace thus setled and revealed Come to mee all yee that are weary saith Christ when the Lord saith come I have mercy though thou hast none and I have comfort though thou hast none nay I not only have it but am ready to bestow it and come to me thou poore burthened sinner I have undertaken for thee and I will ease and helpe thee Now as for you that were never humbled nor brought low God will pull downe your proud hearts and make you stoope but you that have beene burthened and have seene your sinnes and mourned under the loathsome burthen of them to all such the Lord saith Come to mee thou poore broken hearted sinner I will heale thee and I have undertaken for thee we goe then saith the will to that Christ and that promise and that mercy and that grace that will pardon all and subdue all whatsoever is amisse It is with a sinner as it is with a Sea-faring man that is tossed with the windes and driven to a hard set with the tempest hee labours to betake himselfe to a shelter and to land at some Haven This is the nature of beleeving in the Hebrew phrase as Esa 25.4 Thou hast beene a strength to the poor and needy in trouble a refuge against the tempest a shadow against the heat c. Now when a poor sinner is weather-beaten and can see no comfort and finde no evidence for the pardon of his sinnes the Lord is pleased to make knowne the goodnesse of Christ through the promise then the soule shrowds it selfe under that shâ—dow and that goodnesse thus offered and revealed Psal 118.11 Davids soule had gotten away from God and he began to quarrell with Gods providence saying I said in my haste all men are liars see what an hasty spirit is hee hoysed up saile upon the maine Ocean and he had imaginations and conclusions of feare and despaire At last he got the Haven againe and said where art thou Oh my soule thou hast gone from God and from his promise Returne to thy rest O my soule let us goe to the promise and keepe us there to see land and make haste to it and labour to hold the heart close to the Lord Jesus Christ now the soule is come to Christ The next Act of resting is this it layes fast hold upon Christ and when the Lord saith Come my Love my Dove and come away behold I come saith she and when she is come she fastneth upon Christ and saith my Beloved is mine and I am his When she is come to Christ shee will not away againe In the Hebrew phrase to beleeve is nothing else but Amen the Heathen say that the answer of a man is this let it be done which thou hast promised that 's faith So after the soule hath walked a great while in horrour and vexation and the soule sinks in the apprehension of it the Lord lets in the comfort of his promise and saith thou poore burdned heart thy person is accepted thou art unworthy but Christ is worthy thou art sinfull but hee is mercifull Now when the soule heares this voyce it saith even Amen Lord let it be so Lord. This is the hold of the heart hope and desire love and joy have discerned a world of mercy and the will saith so be it let us stay and hold here and goe no further Esay 64.7 There is none that calleth on thy Name neither that stirreth up himselfe to take hold of thee Faith layes hold on the Lord and will not let mercy goe but cleaves unto it it is sweet to see faith in conflict with the Lord. When a man hath it as in Iob see how faith holds its owne God makes him even the Butt of his wrath as it were but Iob saith though he slay mee yet will I trust in him Me thinkes I see how the Lord makes his hand all goare blood and yet faith holds his owne it is able to fasten it selfe upon the promise of God in Christ 1 King 20.32 33. when Ahab was deeply provoked with a drunken Benhadad who said take him alive c. they entred the combat now when the day went against Benhadad for hee had dealt basely with Ahab and hee could not with any face looke for any favour from him yet when hee was driven to a stand his servants being worse than their master came to him and said Wee have heard that the Kings of Israel are mercifull Kings we pray thee let us put ropes about our neckes and sackcloth on our loynes c. Because the poore servants were like to come into danger as well as their master they went to Ahab and said thy servant Benhadad saith I pray thee let me live and Ahab said is he yet alive he is my brother and the servants catched at that word and said he is yet alive and they went away rejoycing This is a lively picture of a broken hearted sinner after he hath taken up armes against the Almighty saying shall he be at Gods command he will never doe it whilest the world stands but he will have his lusts his profit and ease c. and the Lord and hee are at open warres and now the Lord lets in justice and hee seeth the anger of God bent against him and even frowning upon him and the wrath of the Lord dogging him from day to day saying thou art an enemy to me saith the Lord and I will be an enemy to thee Now the soule seeth that he cannot avoid justice neither can he beare it and therefore the soule reasons thus I have heard that though I am a rebellious sinner yet none but sinners are pardoned he is a gracious God and therefore the soule falls downe at the footstoole of the Lord and saith Oh
may say on which faith stands and whereby it is able to rest it selfe upon the promise Thirdly the nature and forme of faith is this the reposing of the soule upon the Lord and his speciall favour so reported for the ground why any man goes to God is because he was effectually perswaded of and also affected with the goodnesse of God as it is with some outlawed traitour he dares not goe to the court unlesse he will goe to his ruine because hee knowes there is nothing expected but cruell execution but if once he come to see his pardon sealed under the broad seale and that there is some hope of mercy then hee willingly goes to the court what was the ground of his going home even this because hee was effectually perswaded that the King had a favour to him so it is with an humbled sinner humbled in the fight of his sinne and broken because of his Lords displeasure against him and when the soule hath this certification from tâ—e hand of the Spirit that the Lord intends good to him then the soule goeth and saith Lord I durst not have beene here but that I have heard thou art a mercifull God And lastly the finall cause of faith is this the soule comes to be fitted with all good according to is necessity Object But some may say I heare nothing of the beleevâ—r all this while it seemes he doth nothing if the Spirit bee the efficient cause and if the Spirit workes it and makes the soule able to worke upon Gods free grace and if the Spirit be the finall cause of all then the beleever doth nothing c. Answ This worke of beleeving is a worke of the Spirit upon the soule rather than any worke wrought by the soule or issuing from any principle which the soule hath in it selfe as it is with an eccho when God saith thy sinnes are pardoned thy person accepted faith sounds againe my sinnes pardoned my person accepted good Lord let it be so then this perswades the heart and that marvellously to rest it selfe there for all good but it is done upon the soule rather than by the soule as Phil. 3.12 we are said To be comprehended of God and not to comprehend God so we know God because we are knowne of him now give mee leave in a word to describe the cause of it what it is in the promise that thus effectually perswades the heart that it may beleeve and herein I will goe no further than the promise and therein shew the motives in the promise and how the heart comes to beleeve and these will discover the reason of the point There are three things in a promise 3. Things in a promise whereby the will of man is drawne to beleeve First the all-sufficiency of the freenesse of Gods favour that is an admirable cause to perswade the heart to come on cheerefully it is the speciall prerogative of the promise to answer the soule wholly in all the desires of it nothing under heaven doth or can doe this but the promise haply a man desires wealth and when hee hath it this cannot make him honourable and the ambitious man desires honours and when hee hath them they cannot make him rich so each thing of it selfe hath but a particular helpe but the promise hath all-sufficiency to answer all the heart would have the will of a man naturally desires good and so consequently all good now the promise hath all good in it as in that place open thy mouth wide and I will fill it there is a fulnesse in the promise to answer all the pantings and desires of the soule thou saist thou art a poore dead sluggish creature and the promise calls upon thee as the Angel did and saith come hither and here is life that will quicken thee and thou art a weake creature come hither saith the promise and I have grace to make thee strong and thou art a damned creature come hither then saith the promise here is mercy to pardon all sinnes of all kindes the consideration of the rich provision in his fathers house carried the prodigall home so there is mercy grace pardon comfort enough in the promise you poore hungerbitten sinner away away away for shame to that enough of the promise and there refresh your selves for ever it is that which Elisha said to Naaman 2 King 5.8 Let him come hither and he shall know that there is a God in Israel and that there is a healing God though not a helping King so the promise saith to every fainting languishing and leprous soule if thou art a truly humbled heart and art sick of thy sinnes and even drawing on to despaire and all thy prayers and dayes cannot prevaile nor doe thee good but still thy sinnes thy sorrowes thy corruptions prevaile and thy condemnation sleepes not but is drawing on apace upon thy soule now see what the promise saith let him come hither and he shall know that there is a God in Israel that is able to cure all and to loose him from all his corruptions Object Oh but saith one I confesse there is enough in the promise to be had but what is that to me if the Lord intend it not to my good Ans 2 Thou being humbled and broken hearted God doth seriously intend it for thy good and on Gods part there is nothing to hinder thee from it it is not more cleare that the promise is all sufficient then it is certaine the Lord intends it for thee if thou beest humbled God sent his Sonne to save thee Esa 61.1 Christ came to binde up the broken hearted and to comfort all that mourne Iohn 12.47 God sent not his Sonne to condemne the world c. Nay Christ being sent of his Father freely came to this end 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners that is humbled and broken and meeke hearted sinners and not some of them neither but all that are broken hearted and all that are lost sinners but never a proud stout-hearted and sturddy sinner under heaven hee came not to call the righteous that is those that trust to their owne righteousnesse but sinners to repentance Nay God doth earnestly desire thee to come and take this mercy ho every one that will let him come to the waters of life c. and behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any will open c. and the Lord intreateth you to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.20 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and be that commeth I will in no wise cast away Ioh. 6.37 the originall saith cast away no no thou poore distressed soule though thou art never so meane in parts or gâ—fts or never so much distressed in the world though thou weare a leatherne pelt and though haply great men may despise thy society yet the Lord Jesus Christ will not cast thee away thou mayst cast away thine owne comfort if thou wilt through thy pride
and peevishnesse but the Lord Christ will not cast thee away if thou come to him he will never doe it Object 4 Let me adde a fourth motive I confesse saith the soule there is no want of willingnesse on Gods part but I have a heart which cannot beleeve what is that to me to see provision of mercy and have no heart to receive it Oh this unwilling and distrustfull heart it cannot beleeve Answ If I finde a cure in the promise for this then I hope you will yeeld therefore know that the Lord hath provided in the promise a meanes whereby thou mayst bee made to beleeve and thou shalt be able to beleeve first that sufficiencie which is in the promise and which God intends for thee Now the Lord strikes up the match 2. Things and that the Lord doth this it shall appeare if you consider the manner of Gods worke in two things First God the Father in the promise gives an humble broken hearted sinner into the hands of â—esus Christ that hee may make him able to beâ—eeve Secondly he gives Jesus Christ into the hands of a poore sinner that hee may take him and receive mercy from him Now though thou canst not beleeve yet if Jesus Christ take that heart of thine in hand he can and will make thee beleeve This was the end of his office and comming Iohn 6.44 No man commeth unto me except the Father draw him and I will raise him up at the last day I will make him beleeve and in the grave I will love his poore body and not lose so much as his â—shes but will preserve them there and raise him up from thence and at last I will bring both body and soule to honour and make both happy in Heaven for ever for Christ his sake thinke on this earnestly that every broken hearted sinner is given to Christ as if God the Father had said Oh my Sonne looke well to such a man he lives in a base world and hath many corruptions in his heart but looke thou to him Iohn 10.16 Other sheâ—pe I have which are not of this fold and these I must bring home saith Christ there are many of Gods people called and converted but there are many yet which are in the gall of bitternesse and I know such a drunkard and though hee bee a woolfe now yet he is one of my sheepe and him I must bring home It doth my heart good to thinke that there is many an enemy of Jesus Christ and many that hates grace and goodnesse many a wretched drunkard many a covetous and uncleane wretch that shall bee brought home One goes up and downe this way and another that way as a company of poore sheepe that wander up and downe one falls into this ditch another into that and another in such a grove so there is many a poore sheepe that goes away from God and all goodnesse the Lord give us hearts to pitty them howsoever God hath opened your eyes and brought your hearts and my heart home to himselfe yet there are many other sheepe that as yet goe from God Oh what a blessed mercy is this If Christ hath once undertaken for you hee will seeke you out wheresoever you are The Lord seekes you out many times in the congregation you might come home then if you would well the Lord will make the fire of hell to flash upon the conscience of a man and drag him home but it is no matter which way the Lord brings him home so he come to heaven at last Iohn 17. Thou gavest them to me and I have given them eternall life There is no more difference than this the Father gives the sheep to Christ and saith looke to him and Christ saith you are given to me take you everlasting life betweene you and take eternall glory I give it to you as freely as ever God the Father gave your soules to me Secondly God the Father gives Jesus Christ to the poore soule and saith I give thee him freely with his bloud and all his merits his grace and goodnesse Oh saith the poore sinner blessed be God that Jesus Christ hath undertaken for me and that God the Father hath given mee Christ but alas I cannot pay the price I am notable to purchase the pearle as in a marriage when the parties are both agreed if there bee a quarrell about the feffment all breakes off so it is in this case the soule is now inabled to rest upon Christ but what will the Lord require for I am base and poore well saith God the Father I will not sell my Sonne but I give him to thee and thou must not thinke to purchase him Ioh. 19.26 27. when Christ would commend Marie to the care of Iohn hee saith Woman behold thy sonne and to Iohn he saith Behold thy mother so God the Father saith to Jesus Christ My blessed Sonne behold that poore broken humbled sighing sinner behold thy sonne take him for thy owne and thou poore sinner behold thy Saviour take him to thy selfe and the soule receives that gift at the hand of God the Father Ioh. 10. So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. that is God so set his heart upon those whom he would save that hee gave Jesus Christ to bee received from him and to doe all good for them according to all their necessities thus I hope the heart hath no starting holes the promise is sufficient saith the soule if I had it and God sadly intended it therefore I may take him and God hath given Christ the care of me to make me to beleeve now the will is fully perswaded and saith to hope and desire and all the other affections here is good enough and come hope expect it for ever and come desire here is mercy enough that thou hast desired and come love and joy here is that mercy whereof you have felt the sweetnesse nay saith the will let us rest here and settle our selves upon the freenesse and favour of the mercy of God in Jesus Christ as our Saviour said to the Disciples Ioh. 6.27.28 Will you also goe away oh saith Peter whither shall we goe thou hast then words of eternall life the world cals and our lusts call and pleasures call and the more they call for our hearts the more wee cry after thee out Christ whither shall we goe if not to thee for there is none so gracious none so mercifull to sinners none so ready to doe all good for us and as there is sufficient in the promise and as here is sufficient in thee and enough for sinners so upon thy mercie we will hang upon thee our Saviour wee will live and dye and upon the promises will we put our selves to receive all the comfort and good they will affoord and upon this will we feed for ever Thus much for the opening of the point Vse 1 The first use is for information to rectifie our
another poore heart cheared yet thy unfaithfull heart is like a barren heath no good shall come to thee in it there is no mercy nor consolation for that soule in all the meanes that God continues and vouchsafes this is the maine cause of all the inconveniences that come upon us that after all the meanes continued and multiplied there is almost no good at all done every family is 〈◊〉 a barren heath there is no good comes to such a childe nor to such a servant they are all infidels I doe not meane Pagans but unbeleevers and they receive not that mercy which Christ offers nay it is just that it should bee so that thou shouldst never get good though all the Angels from heaven should come and reveale Gods minde and though all the Devils should come from hell to terrifie thee because unbeleefe drawes away thy heart and pluckes away the soule and makes the power of the truth not to prevaile with it so that when the Lord would come in upon the heart unbeleefe pulls away the heart from the truth of God Rom. 11.20 The Iewes were broken off because of unbeleefe they were cut off from bâ—ing Gods people and from enjoying the meanes of grace that when the Lord would lay hold upon a poore soule unbeleefe plucks the soule from the word that it may turne from it Quest But some will say if unbeleefe makes all meanes unprofitable then an unbeleever should use no meanes at all Answ I answer Yes use all the meanes as may be because the word may take away thy unbeleefe and as thou usest all meanes so labour to have thy heart subdued and overmastered the word tampers thy tongue and thy fingers but looke thou up to the Lord and say Good Lord let thy word be powerfull to come in upon my heart and to take away my unbeleefe Thirdly it is unbeleefe that maintaines all sinne in the heart of a sinner in the strength and power of it so much as may be in this case unbeleefe is the mother of all corruptions and breeds many it nurseth and nourisheth them so that they are fat and well liking and they come up marvellous well that 's the meaning of the Apostles phrase 2 Thess 3.2 That we may be delivered from the hands of unreasonable and absurd men how came they to bee so because all men have not faith that is he that wants faith will never want him and he that wants faith will ever be unreasonable and absurd drunkennesse stares men in the face and out-faces the officers and contempt of God and prophanation of the Lords day and the world carries all before them as if they were the only commanders of the world what 's the reason of it all men have not faith they doe not beleeve the word of God that condemneth those sinnes and which would direct them to cast away those sinnes and therefore they goe on with marvellous violence let the word of God come in publike or private they make nothing of all these but they will have their owne wayes I use to call unbeleefe the protectour of the estate of corruption as it is with some lower states and princes as in the Low-countries and in Germany they are not able to subsist of themselves and therefore they are in league with some other that they may be protected by them and receive succour from them and if they defend them they hope to make their parts good with any so this unbeleefe maintaines any sinne good in its rank and state indeed restraining grace may curbe corruption and keepe in the distempers of the heart but there is nothing that can kill corruption but onely the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of his grace Rom. 8.2 The law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Iesus hath freed mee from the law of sinne and of death sinne sets up a law and rules in the heart as you shall finde it in your owne hearts pride saith you shall bee proud there is a soveraigne rule and a tyranicall authority which pride expresseth in the heart now the Spirit of the Lord Iesus sets up another law and there is more commanding power in that than in the corruption of the soule and the law of the Spirit taketh away the power of sinne that would prevaile against a poore sinner the law of meeknesse in Christ takes away the law of anger in the heart and the law of patience in Christ takes away the law of impatience and the law of courage takes away the law of cowardize and the law of chastity takes a way the power of uncleannesse so that there is no sinne can be subdued but by the power of Christ and the work of his Spirit now unbeleefe keepes the heart wholly from Christ therefore it can receive no good from Christ and from hence it is that all sinne is maintained in the soule in the full vigour of it there is no unbeleever in all the world but he hath all sinne strongly in him and not one sinne that ever was slaine it is strange to see when unbeleefe previles but a little in the heart of a poore Saint how all other sinnes put out their heads and shew themselves a maine as Luke 22.32 Simon Simon Satan hath desired to sift thee as wheat but I have prayed that thy faith faile thee not Sathan laboured to shake the hold of Peters faith and thereupon many corruptions were expressed in his life because Peter did faile and did not beleeve that which Christ had said to him so soone as unbeleefe prevailes then false-heartednesse exprest it selfe and he presently denied his master and then base cowardlinesse sayes I know not the man and his want of reverence to the name of God discovers it selfe for hee fals to sweare that he knew him not and there was self-love in all these thus you see when a man will not beleeve every corruption breakes forth and that amaine and this unbeleefe will fat all corruptions in the soule and all cursed distempers and makes them fat and well-liking as it is of faith in the spirituall man so it is of flesh in the corrupt man 1 Pet. 2.11 The flesh lusteth against the soule there is a kinde of armour of the flesh and of corruption as well as the armour of the Spirit which procures comfort to the soule sinne hath its armour as well as grace now looke as it is in the spirituall armour of a Christian faith is a shield a shield defends not only the body but all the armour of the body so faith it defends not onely the body but the soule and all the graces of the soule so it is also with this infidelity in regard of a mans corrupt nature corruption it is maintained by infidelity as by a shield it is the shield of a mans corruptions as faith is the shield of the spirituall man I confesse that reformation and the meanes thereof out of the ordinances
there is none equall to his to bee compared with this worke of beleeving I say of faith as Iacob did of Reuben Gen. 49.3 Reuben thou art my first borne my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignities c. So I say of faith it is the first borne of all other graces it is the might of God and the beginning and the excellency of the might and power of God for as the first borne hath a double portion appointed by God so this is the first borne and hath a double portion of that Almighty Spirit of his So then if it be so that all the parts that ever a man had and all the highest privileges and meanes and duties cannot reach this worke and are not able to worke faith but are too feeble to worke faith and if it bee so that this worke is extraordinary great and so are the hindrances to be removed and none but Christ can doe it and if faith bee supernaturall the opposition against this worke of God bee so fierce let then every man that heares the word of God this day yeeld that it is unconceivable how it is done and therefore much more out of our power to worke it in our owne soules therefore you that have heard and understand the minde of God that out of ignorance have beene deceived to you I now speake you are to be intreated in the name of the Lord to goe home and say and take shame to your selves and confesse your owne folly thou that hast made it a easie worke to beleeve saying if people were but judicious to understand the Scriptures it were easie to beleeve now take shame to your selves and say thus Lord the truth is I condemned such and such a poore soule I heard such a man a mourning and saying hee could not beleeve in the meane time I thought it was easie or else they wanted wit but I thought that by my parts and abilities and because I was able to see the depth of Scriptures that therefore I could beleeve and that it was an easie matter to doe it but poore deluded creature that I was I see now that I am no more able to beleeve out of my owne power than to pull the sunne from the heavens consider it sadly and know that he that beleeves must beleeve through grace therefore parly with the promise and say Lord I must beleeve through grace it is not parts nor privileges meanes nor duties I must beleeve through grace if I could meditate till my eyes sunke into my head yet Lord it is through that grace that I must beleeve through that grace of thine inable thy servant and strengthen him in hearing prayer and all meanes that I may receive the good and benefit of faith to my comfort and brethren whensoever yee appeare before the Lord in the use of the meanes doe not sticke upon the meanes and say now I shall beleeve but looke to him that by all these can doe more than thou canst doe and say Good Lord thou hast appointed the ordinances to worke faith and the messengers have knockt at the doore of my heart and would faine have had me come home to the Lord Jesus but alas this heart would not yeeld I will not beleeve nor rest upon the promises nor goe to Jesus Christ nor denie all carnall confidence in parts and gifts and the like therefore good Lord thou that hast the keyes of hell and death doe not onely stand and knock but Lord shake off these iron gates of unbeleefe from the hinges it is thy owne worke doe it Lord for the good and comfort of thy servant this we must doe or else it will never be done it is the Lord that must doe it you know a little before my text the Scribes and Pharisees said How did he come downe from heaven Let no man saith Christ be offended with this for no man can come to mee except the Father draw him and in the 28 29. verses they said How shall we worke the worke of God This is the worke of God saith Christ that ye beleeve in the Sonne of God this is the Master peece and the first-borne of God and the exceeding greatnesse of his mightie power and in the text Hee that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth to me and Christ saith I have called you out of world the Disciples were setled upon the world and Christ calls them now if all the Angels in heaven had called they would not have heard but Christ saith I have called you from the world and from that evill and sinne in which ye were c. when you heare of there workes treasure them up in your heart and plead thus with the Lord and say Lord thou hast bidden us come unto thee and it is our dutie but no man can come unto thee though he have never so many parts and gifts except thou draw him Lord draw this heart of mine to beleeving no man can know the way to thee except thou teach him Oh therefore teach thou this blinde minde of mine it is not our worke can make us beleeve it is not in our power to frame our hearts to this blessed worke Lord doe thou it and let that excessive greatnesse of thy mighty power be manifested in making mee beleeve and draw home this soule by the greatnesse of thy power Lord here are great hinderances and great sinnes and mightie great basenesse and loosnesse of heart Lord thou hast that exceeding great power to doe it Lord worke mightily upon my heart and over-power this greatnesse of sinne with the greatnesse of thy power and over-power this mightinesse of corruption by that mightinesse of thy power you must goe to God for this power or else it will never bee for though you had all the meanes and helpes that ever any had yet this carnall confidence will never out before the almighty power of God come downe from heaven seeke for that power and never be in quiet till you have it that you may have this worke of faith to your comcomforts for ever Vse 4 Hence in the next place wee collect the exceeding great benefit that will come by beleeving to the soule the difficultie in getting of it cannot be so great but the benefit of it when it is gotten will bee as great every way and that is thus faith makes the life of every man that hath it most easie and brings full content to the soule of him that hath it these are the two heads to which I will referre the benefit of faith First it makes the life of a Christian most easie Secondly it gives full content to the heart of a poore Christian these follow from the former truth in this manner if this be the nature of faith to cause the soule to rest upon the free grace of God in Christ and to furnish the soule with a supply of spirituall wants from hence then this must needs make the life
it not take a man in contempt and disgrace and scorne and no man lookes after him if this man were regarded and honoured of men all were well and the man were healed and fully contented now the Lord accepts of thee thou faithfull soule he hath honoured thee so farre as to make thee his sonne and to give thee a kingdome why should honours comfort thee when the honour of Gods love and favour in Christ will not doe it the reason is because wee are carnall and see not these if a man could but see his privileges and say the world shames mee but God accepts mee this would quiet his heart for ever therefore take speciall heed of those earthly and carnall affections that take off the price of the promise an earthly heart would have more than it ought I say take heed of these affections and know that thou hast a title to the promise and know that one promise and the sweetnesse of Gods mercie in Christ is better than all the honours in the world to advance thee better than all the riches in the world or than all the parts that ever any scholler had prize these at this rate and then thou canst not but be contented with it Rule 3 Thirdly labour to keepe the promises ever at hand that you may have a ready recourse to the promise at a trice and at a turne and that you may not have the promises to seeke when need is what is it to mee though I have a thing in house if I have it not at my need if a man should say I have as good cordiall water as any is in the world but I know not where it is what folly were this to set his bottle he knowes not where haply the man is ready to swound and dye and he saith I have as good cordiall water as any is in the world but I know not where it is hee may swound and dye because hee knowes not where his waters are so thou hast a title to rhe promises of grace and thou settest not a high price upon the promise but out of thy carelesnesse leavest one promise here and another there and thou hast taken up thy heart with the world and when miserie comes and thy heart is surcharged thou saist Oh some comfort to beare up a poore fainting drooping soule my troubles are many and I cannot beare them Christ and a promise would have done it but you throw them in a corner it is your owne carelesnesse and that breeds all your miserie keepe the promises at hand and let them be within your reach he that is ready to faint often will bee sure to carry his bottle in his pocket and will set it at his beds head every night that whensoever hee should faint hee may finde it presently now for the Lords sake let me intreat you to be wise for your poore soules there is many a fainting and aguish fit and qualme comes over the heart of many a poore Christian persecutions without and sorrowes and corruptions within therefore keepe your cordiall about you and bee sure that you have it within your reach and have it not to seeke when you have need to use it I would have a poore Christian acquainted with the promise in the darke that so at midnight when God frowns and the Devill threatens and corruptions boile within you you may have it ready at hand set the promise ever at your beds head take one and bring another and be refreshed by another and goe singing to your graves and to heaven for ever in the 63. Psalme 5 6. verses marke the connexion of those two verses My soule shall bee satisfied as with marrow and fatnesse but when shall this bee looke the 6. verse When I remember thee upon my bed and meditate upon thee in the night watches he was now in the wildernesse but when he left his house he tooke the promises with him he would not leave his cordiall behinde him my soule shall be satisfied enough Lord enough I am satisfied as with marrow but when is all this when I remember thee upon my bed hee remembred well where hee had set the promise when I remember the mercie of the Lord that though all my friends be gone yet I remember thy mercie that doth all and thy faithfulnesse and goodnesse that satisfieth all fully I le warrant you that the promise will fetch you againe though you were fainting and going away Rule 4 Well I have now a title to the promise and though I have not wealth nor honours nor friends yet I have a Christ and though I cannot doe this and that yet I hope to goe to heaven in spight of all the Devils in hell Now lastly be sure to drinke a heartie draught of the promise if a man drinke a little and spet it out againe it will never doe him good therefore stand by the promise feed and drinke heartily of the promise and as Eliphaz said Iob 22.21 Acquaint thy selfe with God bestow thy selfe upon the promise every houre whensoever thou dost finde the fit comming this is the only way to finde comfort it is the counsell that the Lord Christ gives to his spouse Cant. 5.1 the Lord hath fitted all things to refresh his poore children and marke what the manner of feasting is â—nd what every man that comes to this feast must doe Eat Oh friends and drinke yea drinke abundantly Oh well beloved the word in the originall â—s in drinking drinke ye cannot be drunken with â—he Spirit as ye may with wine therefore drinke â—bundantly looke as it is in nature were the greatest dainties in the world prepared and the tables furnished send a hungar-starved man to the place if he only take a bit and away hee must needs goe away an hungred the fault was not in the meat for there was enough for him but the fault was here hee did not feed heartily hee did not drinke it downe thinke of it sadly you faithfull Saints of God they come now and then and take a snatch of the promise and then comes feare and temptation and persecution and all is gone there is enough in the promise for thee and all thy posteritie but to take a snatch and begone and to thinke of the promise and flye off againe presently this is the cause why you come â—hirstie and goe away thirstie you come discomforted and so you goe away it is your owne fault brethren experience tels us thus much take a poore distressed soule much burthened and pinched and he wants the sense of Gods love and is not worthy the ground hee goes upon bring this man to the word of God and to holy confeâ—ence and the like and hee will say I blesse God my heart is very well quieted now and hâ—s trouble is over and his temptation is gone yet hee is no sooner gone from the congregation or from the place of conference but hee is the same man that he was before still doubting of
I an unfaithfull man yet and doe not I and my wife and my family want faith yet Oh that I could know who they are in particular that want faith thâ—â— we might know what to hold our selves to noâ— I will referre them to these foure sorts The first is the ignorant person The second is the carnall Gospeller The third is the meere civilized or the judicioâ—â— professour and a man that hath a great reach for judgement and parts and haply able to put a Minister to a set and yet hath nothing in thâ— world in him touching the power of faith Fourthly the counterfeit that hath made a viâ—zard of faith and hath his alcumie faith as I tolâ— you the Alcumists have that skill to make alcâ—â—mie silver and so cunningly that it will beâ—â— touch but yet it is not true because it will 〈◊〉 heare the fire and the hammer so there is a great deale of copper faith in England not that I speake against the Doctrine of faith of the Church of England for we are to blesse God that hath given the King a heart to maintaine it but I speake of that copper and counterfeit faith which many have framed to themselves which is not good for if trouble and dayes of persecution should come they would forsake God and Christ and the Gospell and all Sort. 1 Now for the ignorant person the ignorant man is an unfaithfull man I doe not meane a weake and a feeble Christian and one that hath smaller and meaner parts than others have for we all know but in part even the best of Gods people and the choisest of Gods Ministers they know but in part but I meane such as are grosly and carelesly and wilfully ignorant as we are pestered with them and I doubt not but my fellow-brethren finde much to doe with them in other places they are content to goe up and downe as the horse in the mill and yet know nothing aske them what is Gods name and what it is to hallow it and what is to be understood by the comming of Gods kingdome they know nothing at all and they are wilfully ignorant and doe not labour to get knowledge neither doe they mourne for the want of it this grosse ignorance is thus much they will not suffer other men to helpe them nor they are not able nor willing to helpe themselves many come to our Sermons it is little they understand but it is lesse they remember and if a Minister come home to their families and catecâ—â—â— them Oh say they we are past children wee are not schoole-boyes ever you cannot helpe your selves nor you will not suffer us to helpe you you are thus ignorant and this ignorance faith cannot stand together be not it is that the promises of God and Christ and grace as these substantiall truths of salvation and the truths of the Gospell they are as a sealed letter to them take away the name of Christ and the name of sinne and the name of faith and the truths that are under these names and the most ignorant creature understands them not it is almost impossible to thinke that men should be so desperatly ignorant you that are masters of families when you come home catechize your families and see whether they are thus or no this may bee where faith is not yet faith cannot be where saving knowledge is not in some measure I meane where the knowledge of spirituall truths is not which may reveale to the soule the way of grace and the meanes how to get it I take it that these three things must beeâ— some measure apprehended of every man that hath any faith First he must have a through knowledge of 〈◊〉 sinne and of the want of faith and of Christ and all Secondly he must have the knowledge of the excellencie and goodnesse of a Christ which hee wants and he must know the Lord Jesus Christ and the good things in the Lord Jesus Christ which the soule now informed of sinne and feeling himselfe lost he findes a supply there Againe he must be thorowly informed in the way how he may come to Christ All these three must be and are learned of every faithfull soule that ever did or ever shall beleeve for that which a man sees not nor knowes not of he can never beleeve and when a man knowes not the excellency and goodnesse of Christ he will not rely his whole life and salvation upon him specially if he be wise and judicious and faiâ—h is a judicious grace They that know thy Name will trust in thee saith David and therefore those that know not Gods Name cannot trust in him and therefore see what Christ saith â—o the woman of Samaria Iohn 4.10 A silly woman she was and therefore see what our Saviour saith to her thou poore silly creature that ignorance of thine is the cause of thy pride for hadst thou knowne the gift of God and who it is that saith unto thee give me drinke thou wouldst have asked of him and he would have given thee water of life had she knowne this shee would have asked it it is such a knowledge as will bring in faith You that are ignorant be humbled for this great sinne of yours which doth barre out faith you that know not Christ though you meet him Looke as it is with men in darknesse Exodus 10.23 When the Lord sent that plague of darknesse upon the land of Egypt the Egyptians saw not one another neither did any man remove from his place for three dayes there was no passage all that while so it is with an ignorant man that sits in Egyptian darknesse hee seâ—s not the way nor he cannot finde it nor hee hath no power to goe on in it he sits still and yonder is Christ and grace but he cannot stirre one foot for hee is fastned to his sinne and riveted to his corruptions by reason of his blindnesse See what the Apostle saith Ephes 4.18 They were ignorant of the life of God from all that goodnesse and holinesse that is in God for that is Gods life his mercy goodnesse wisedome holinesse c. but how came they so through the ignorance that is in them you that know how ignorant your husbands are at home and how ignorant your children are goe home and mourne for your selves and them and say wee are strangers from God there is a great deale of mercy and grace in Christ but wee are all strangers to it why because we are carnally ignorant wee are a thousand miles off from him and wee shall never have any part in him continuing thus you that are thus be humbled and ashamed of it give no rest to your soules before the Lord awaken you and let you see the want of this blessed grace and make you labour to get it an ignorant heart is a wicked heart and if you be ignorant it is certain you have no faith for except you will deny the Word of God you
cannot but confesse it Sort. 2 The second sort to be reproved are the carnall Gospellers which live scandalously and live and trade in their wickednesse they come and heare sometimes and they thinke that God is much beholden to them for it one man will sweare and another will be tipsee in a corner and beare some good will to the truth but fall off grosly another cheats and cousens and keeps false balances and yet professeth the Gospel and thinks it a high dishonour if hee be not respected now though these will come to the meanes of grace yet if the word of God doe but reveale these mens sinnes and sharpen a reproofe against them and come somewhat keenly upon their conscience they are all up in armes and make defiance for their sinnes and their great Diana of Ephesus is like to fall and they will rather part with Christ and Gospell and all than with their lusts these men thinke they have mercie in a string and Christ at command and power to beleeve and you cannot perswade them that they doe not beleeve What a swearing faith and a cheating faith and a drunken faith the Lord keepe mee and all Gods people from it you cannot perswade them but that they beleeve in a Saviour and Christ must save them this Doctrine will dash all their vaine hopes they that beleeve will submit to the Spirit of grace they that beleeve are effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father in the promise and they are pluckt away from their lusts and corruptions but these take up armes and are in open defiance for their sins they that beleeve are humbled for faith will not grow but in a heart that is humbled and contented to part with sinne and selfe and all but these keepe both sinne and selfe and all they that have faith rest upon the freenesse of Gods grace and depart from their corruptions and only cleave unto and rest upon Christ but these rest upon their corruptions and goe from God and Christ and grace few of these people come into the congregation but if there be such a fellow here this day Oh that God would meet with him and let him see that he hath no faith What thou faith faith comes by hearing and not by resisting faith comes by yeelding and submitting to the Spirit in the word and not by opposing it therefore know that faith never came in that wretched heart of thine 1 Iohn 3.6 Whosoever sinneth hath not knowne him nor seene him and in the 8. verse Hee that committeth sinne is of the Devill that is hee that makes a daily trade of sinne and whose occupation is nothing else but rebellion he that committeth drunkennesse and adultery and makes a trade of them shall never see God nay he is the childe of the Devill but he that beleeves is not the childe of the Devill all the world knowes that now if thou trade thus in sinne thou art the childe of the Devill and therefore never hadst faith and continuing thus thou shalt never have it Iohn 5.44 How can you beleeve saith our Saviour which seeke honour one of another and seeke not the honour that commeth of God so say thou to thy owne soule how can I beleeve and yet harbour my lusts and attend to them and doe not yeeld to the truth of God revealed and made knowne to mee mee thinkes these owles should not abide the light of the sunne brethren all that we intend towards you it is that you may see sinne and what mercie wee desire for our owne soules the same wee desire for you but you must see your want of faith before you can know the way to get faith therefore suffer us to trade freely with you Oh get you home and howle you drunkards and swearers and enemies of God and of his grace get you apart as the leper did and cry I am uncleane I am uncleane Oh that the Lord would worke upon thy conscience and make this truth good to thy soule this day get you now into your corners and there cry and say I have an unbeleeving husband you wives joyne with your husbands and cry with your children and say we are all unbeleevers and he that beleeveth not is condemned already Now if any cavill be cast in upon thee and if the devill would make thee presume and if some carnall friends come to thee and say if you beleeve the Minister he will make you goe out of your wits and no man must have faith but they that are of his sect therefore say as it is spoken of Esau Hebr. 12.16 He sold his birth-right for a few pottage and so Iudas he sold Christ for thirty peeces of silver so when the devill would cast in some temptations and make you to presume reason thus with thy owne heart and say Esau sold Christ and Heaven and Grace and all for a few pottage and Iudas was a wretch and is now in Hell this day and as his heart was full of covetousnesse here so it is full of horrour in hell but I have sold Christ for a base lust and for my pride and envy and abominable lusts and drunkennesse which I get nothing by What I faith nay the devils have as much faith as I have When Pilate said to the Jewes whether will you that 〈◊〉 let loose to you Barrabas or Iesus which is called Christ they said not Christ but Barrabas did they beleeve in Christ which would have a wretch and a murtherer before Christ let your consciences speak◠plainly nay they loathed and crucified Christ and did not beleeve in him thou saist true thou that dost refuse the Lord Christ and chusest thy murther and pride and spleene and envy and all dost thou embrace a Christ and rest upon him the Lord perswade your hearts and make you know that you are these carnall Gospellers and such as have no faith You that have beene brethren in iniquity and you that have beene drunke together and adulterous together if any of you have hearts to pray goe and pray together and if you cannot pray then cry together and say wee are these carnall Gospellers and these ignorant persons that have no faith If any of you have more gifts than others goe and pray for poore drunkards and say Good Lord we have beene led by our lusts and have made a trade of sinne and to this day we have no faith Oh goe home and as you have beene sinfull together so howle together who knowes but the Lord may be gracious to you If the Lord would but give you one dramme of faith it would save you from all that drunkennesse and adultery of yours is it not worthy the having Oh stirre stirre for the Lords sake and as you have provoked one another to sinne and wickednesse so now provoke one another to goodnesse and goe seeke God one for another and every morning and evening pray for those sinfull soules of yours that have beene polluted by others
I was in heaven and yet because I have no faith I am now cast downe to hell it is thus much when the Lord lets in a glimpse of the exelencie of the grace of faith and the glory of heaven and the sweetnesse of the pardon of all the sinnes of the faithfull and the Lord lets in a glimpse of all these which goes home to the top of the affections and will that the Lord by a spirituall kinde of flash suddenly passeth by the will so that he leaves some kinde of dew and some remembrance of those glorious things which are thus let in upon the minde of a poore sinner insomuch that his heart is marvellously tickled and ravished with it I expresse it thus as it is with the water in a standing poole and the water that runneth through a pipe the standing water soakes and goes down-ward and settles inwardly in the earth but the water that passeth by suddenly leaves only a little dew behinde it but soakes not at all so it is with this temporary beleever the streame of the heavenly truths of the Doctrine of Christ passeth by suddenly as namely that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that Christ came to take away the iniquitie of his servant this doth passe by suddenly and leaves a little dew behinde it so that he saith Oh this is good this is sweet I may be saved too may I not Oh I never heard a man speake so comfortably this word bedewes the heart a little but it soakes not downe it goes not to the root of the soule therefore observe it this is a work which the hypocrite may have only observe thus much he sips of grace and salvation and makes a meale of his corruptions but the gracious man onely sips of his corruptions and makes a meale of grace of holines mercy in Christ Looke as it is with seed that is cast into the wombe of a woman the seed is enough to beget some fruit but if the wombe be a miscarrying wombe it comes to nothing so it is betweene the stirring of the Word in the heart of a poore Saint and in the heart of an Hypocrite the Spirit of the Lord workes in the heart of a Hypocrite by the Word and is able to moysten him but the heart miscarries in the worke and resists and gainsayes and never comes to any good hee never comes to bee a faithfull man rightly proportioned whereas the same Spirit of God working rightly upon the heart of a beleever it makes him a very proportionable Christian the other remaining but a confused lumpe Now see what this man may doe when he comes to this let him bee thus bedewed with this taste of the excellency of faith and never have faith strengthned and rooted in him yet hee will bee very eager in the pursuit of the Word and marvellous constant in attending upon the Word because it is his delight and hee will bee marvellous painfull to get the Word for a man will doe any thing to get his delight and he may bee angry with such as would hinder him in the pursuit of the Gospell which is his delight this a man may doe and yet all come to nothing and so may perish everlastingly for looke what joy and delight will doe for a push the same a carnall temporary may doe But that this man will doe all this it is plaine of this kinde was Balaam that wretched man of whom you may see divers passages in the 23. 24. chapters of Numbers hee was a witch as Divines hold and hee was going to curse the people of God but the Lord stopt him and how did he it why he let him see the excellency of the condition of the Saints of God and said Oh thou wretched man loe there and behold the happy condition of my people and see all the good that I have given them and wilt thou curse those that I love so dearly Now see how he was taken up with it Oh that I might die the death of the righteous this was a glimpse of the glory that was let in upon him to stop him and to awe his heart yet hee returned to his old byas againe the third Scripture is in Matthew 25.8 I know Interpreters vary in it but I will be bold to suggest what I thinke the five foolish virgins said give us of your oyle for our lampes are gone out they had lamps but no oyle how could they kindle their lamps except they had oyle they had a little oyle in their lampes but none in their vessels their lampes was their excellent and glorious profession and the oyle which they had was nothing but the taste of the heavenly gift they had so much stirring of the will and affections as might carry them on to professe the truth but they had not oyle in their vessels which might sink downe into their hearts to subdue their corruptions and to quicken up their grace they had not this power to frame their hearts strongly towards the Lord and to feed their profession with constancy and perseverance to the end so that you see what hee can say for himselfe and me thinkes he speakes marvellous probably The Lord bee mercifull to us if a man goe thus farre and come to nothing it is wonderfull he is farre beyond the judicious professor Oh saith he I had a rellish of the sweetnesse of the good Word of God and a taste of the heavenly gift and my heart was ravished with the sight of the glory of it and I could even have gone to Heaven now you see the best of him But now secondly what is the falsenesse of this man and wherein is his failing and why where he falls short of faith and what it is that would make him an honest man Now the second thing is this that notwithstanding the sudden push of this man hee will wither and will turne his backe upon the truth and commonly he is an enemy to that truth to which his love was carried and which was his chiefe delight and this hee doth upon these two grounds commonly First when he seâ—th the bitternesse and misery and affliction and vexation that accompanies the Word hee is weary of the Word rather than he will beare those afflictions that doe accompany the Word he will follow our Saviour no longer than prosperity follow him for he will rather forsake Christ than to forgoe these hee was made a professour all upon a sudden and hee receives the Word suddenly with joy when hee heares of the glorious grace and mercy of God he faith Oh that Jesus Christ should come from Heaven to save sinners and to wait upon poore drunkards and adulterers and vilde wretches Oh sweet and admirable mercy saith hee and so all upon a sudden he turnes Christian and Professour but if afflictions and trouble come for the truth then hee turnes off all Christ and truth and his profession and all Oh saith he
that walkes in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the Lord and stay upon his God there is a comparison made betweene the Saints of God that will listen to the voice of the Lord and the direction of his servants and those that will follow their owne humours and carnall reasonings and stay thereupon he that walketh in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord that is though a sinner bee never so perplexed with sorrow of heart though there be nothing but miserie without and horrour of heart within yet if hee will heare the voice of Gods servants you broken hearts that have not stopped your eares to the comfort that God hath revealed let them trust in the Lord but now marke what is said in the last verse Behold all that kindle a fire and are compassed about with sparkes walke you in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that you have kindled this shall you have at my hands you shall lye downe in sorrow I will first open the place and then apply it what is meant by fire and sparkes here in a word in the old law there was alwayes fire kept in the sanctuarie heavenly fire that came downe from heaven and this did shew the wisdome and direction of God in his word but now there was strange fire which Nadab and Abihu offered that is they did not take of the fire of sanctuarie which God sent from heaven but they tooke fire of their owne that is their owne devices and imaginations and disputes the sparkles and pleas of your owne thoughts they are your owne fire every poore creature carries his tinder box about him and is anvilling and forging his owne conceits I thinke it not I conceive it not I am not perswaded of it this is your owne fire that is the first thing then marke what followeth walke in the light of your fire and in the sparkes that you have kindled you shall lie down in sorrow walke in the light of your fire Hee doth not allow this but he takes it as a thing forlorne as who should say You will follow your owne conceits and imaginations you have hammered out sparkes and you will strike fire out of your owne carnall reasonings and you will bee taken aside by them there is no reproving of you there is no removing of you from it so that two things are cleare First the heart will coyne carnall reasons and forge sinfull conceits and then it will persist in them and marke what followeth this is that which you shall have at my hands you shall lie downe in sorrow this will bring sorrow to thy soule when the fire of the sanctuary burnes cleere when comforts are plain and Scriptures are pregnant and reasons undeniable you will kindle your owne fire and compasse your selves about with your owne sparkes and you will attend to them and bee ruled by them well doe so but this I tell you there is no hand shall succour you and bring comfort unto you you shall have this at the hand of the Lord you shall lie downe in sorrow and then you shall repent you happily and fling away your tinder box and your carnall reasonings and imaginations this is the second cure Cure 3 The third cure is this be marvellous wary and exceeding watchfull that you enter not into contention with Satan upon these termes whereupon you cannot determine a controversie I cannot tell how to expresse my selfe better Enter not I say into the lists of dispute with Satan concerning those things which belong not unto you as for example If I bee elected then I shall bee saved but I am not elected I have injoyed Gods ordinances and lived under the precious means of grace and salvation and they have not wrought upon my heart I perceive that God intends to doe no good unto my soule therefore all my labor is in vain when I have done what I can I shall perish Sometimes againe the soule saith the day is past and the time is gone Oh the times of grace and dayes of mercy that I have seene the Lord came kindly to my soule and was pleased gratiously to reveale my sinnes to my soule but then hard hearted I and stubborne wretch I I shut the doore against the Lord Jesus Christ and now mercy is gone the day is over the time is past and the sunne is set there is now no hope of mercy If the devill catch a man upon these lists there is no determination of the point for upon this ground a man shall never gaine answer to himselfe hee shall never gaine ease to his conscience for if I know not the things of this nature and if no man else knowes them how shall any man administer comfort or how shall I be able to receive comfort therefore take heed of it It is in this case with a sinner as it is with a traveller theeves overtake him and pretend to lead him a faire way at last they carry him into a wildernesse and lead him into a desert where no man comes by where no mans voyce can bee heard and there they doe what they list because there is no helpe to bee expected no passenger comes neere So it is with the soule when Satan gets him into these straits and wilders him in the desarts of Gods secret counsels of election and the like there is no passenger comes by this way no man can apprehend these secret things of Gods counsell and therefore no man can administer succour or comfort therefore for your caution and direction in this case I will suggest these three rules Rule 1 The first rule is this let thy soule in this perplexity stay it selfe and its owne staggering upon the power of God Ephes 3.20 the text saith that God is able to doe exceeding abundantly above all that we can aske or thinke Gen. 17.1 I am God All-sufficient attend to Gods sufficiency and rest upon the Almightinesse of his power and support thy heart thereby Object But the soule may say what is this to me I know the Lord is able enough and all-sufficient but how doe I know that God will shew mercy and doe good to my soule Answ I answer and marke what I say if thou beest throughly perswaded indeed of Gods all-sufficiency it will helpe thee this way for if God can doe exceeding abundantly above all that wee can aske or thinke then God can will for ought thou knowest above all that wee can thinke or ask thou canst not know or conceive of Gods power thou canst not desire so much as God is able to doe nor conceive so much as he is able to performe therefore God may be willing to doe thee good though thou conceivest it not for this I take to bee a truth that generally the soule doth never sadly doubt of Gods Will but in some measure it doubts of Gods Power for if God be able to doe more than I can apprehend
and more than I am able to desire then God hath as well power to will to doe me good as hee is able to doe me good he hath power to will to doe mee good above all that I can thinke or desire and hee that doubts of the one doubts of the other Rule 2 The second rule is this checke thy owne soule for prying into Gods secrets blame thy selfe and that deeply for thy curiosity in that thou lookest beyond thy last as it is in the proverbe and soarest too high and medlest with those things thou hast nothing to doe withall you meddle with Gods Election and with Gods Will and secret Counsell I charge you meddle with your owne businesse meddle with that you have to doe withall meddle with your owne duties and occasions and keepe your owne station checke your owne hearts therefore and when Satan would lead you out into a wildernesse and suggest these things unto you How doe you know God hath elected you doe you pray and what if you doe pray doe you heare and what if you doe heare When it is thus with thee checke thine owne heart for prying into Gods secrets and meddle with that thou hast to doe withall Deut. 29.29 Secret things belong to God revealed things belong to us and our children What have you to doe with Gods secrets what hath that proud heart and curious minde of yours with Gods secrets Election belongs to God it is his prerogative 1 Corin. 2.16 Who hath knowne the minde of the Lord You that will be aloft in the skie and mounting up to heaven who ever knew the minde of the Lord Satan and your thoughts tell you so that you were never elected why Satan is a lyar he knowes it not nor thou knowest it not neither who ever knew the minde of the Lord minde you your owne matters doe you what God commands performe those duties God injoynes you keepe your owne station all the Angels in Heaven and all the men upon Earth never knew the minde of the Lord therefore never prie into Gods secrets Ionah 3.9 When God had threatned Ninivie to destroy it and had sent Ionah to speake fire and powder Oh all you drunkards of Ninivie and all you blasphemers of Ninivie and all you prophane wretches of Ninivie vengeance shall come upon you and fire from Heaven shall destroy you they were now at a maze and driven to a stand now marke what the King saith Hee caused a fast to bee proclaimed both for man and beast and commanded all to cry mightily unto the Lord and to turne from their evill wayes for who can tell saith he whether the Lord will turne away his fierce wrath from us that wee perish not who can tell but that the Lord may yet shew mercy and favour in the pardoning of us so say thou when Satan tempts thee and temptation suggests unto thee You seeke to God for pardon in the use of the means that God hath appointed and you injoy the precious means of grace and salvation But it is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy but God will never shew any favour to you God will never vouchsafe any mercy to you God will never bestow any grace upon you if you pray till your tongue falters and your eyes sinke in your heads and your heart failes it will doe you no good God will never give you grace why how can Satan tell this all the devils in hell know not this all the Angels in Heaven know it not therefore walke thou in thy owne wayes follow thine owne talke doe that thou oughtst to do and performe what God requires and let God doe what hee please and say let me doe what I should who can tell what God may doe who knowes but God may break my hard heart who knowes but God may pardon my sinnes who knowes but God may give me power over my corruptions nay who knowes but God will too Satan himselfe cannot tell that is the second rule Rule 3 The third rule is this measure not the riches of God nor the freenesse of his mercy according to the scantling of your owne imaginations and according to the fadome of your owne conceits doe not thinke because you cannot doe it therefore God cannot doe it because you cannot conceive it therefore God cannot worke it stint not limit not the Holy one of Israel so as hee must stand at your tribunall in this matter and be within your lists and compasse It is a sweet passage Esay 55.7 Marke there the exhortation of the Prophet Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous man his owne thoughts and returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon As if he had said all you unrighteous you that have couzened and detained and dealt falsely and unjustly you that have lived wickedly and prophanely let them all forsake their wicked wayes and turne from their vaine imaginations and returne unto the Lord and returne not to themselves and their owne conceits but let them come unto the Lord and hee will abundantly pardon but the soule replies Object Will the Lord pardon all these sinnes Answ Why I he is abundantly able to pardon Object But can he pardon the abundance of my pride will the Lord forgive the abundance of my base distempers of my heart will the Lord remit all my stubbornnesse and rebellion against the Gospell I cannot thinke it I cannot conceive it Answ You cannot conceive it you cannot thinke it but marke what the Prophet ads My thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes saith the Lord as if hee had said a poore sinner thinkes his sinne unpardonable and conceives that it is impossible to get his sinnes subdued and his soule comforted indeed it is true you are sinfull men you have foolish thoughts But as the Heavens are higher than the earth so are my wayes higher than your wayes and my thoughts higher than your thoughts therefore I can give you mercy though you cannot conceive it I can doe you good though you cannot thinke it but the poore soule will still bee ready to object and say Object There was never any in that case that I am in received to mercy and therefore why should I expect it Answ Why Matthew 9.33 when Christ had there done a miracle the text saith the like was never seene in Israel all the people stood gazing and were taken up in admiration at the power of the Lord and said Never was any such thing done in Israel therefore God can doe things that were never done before Imagine the Lord did pardon never any as bad as thee which is false yet God can doe that which was never yet done nay the place is incomparable Iob 9.10 Hee doth great things past finding out yea marvellous things without number the Lord doth great things which are unsearchable and workes
must as much as in us lies labour to plucke away all those props that the soule leans upon and all those outward succours and whatsoever outward contentment it is which a poore sinner doth repaire and betake himselfe to for releefe and helpe that when all these are taken from us wee may bee forced to goe for succour there where it is to be had Marke 5.26.27 when the poore woman in the Gospell had spent all her goods upon the Physitians and if she had had but a little means left yea but one farthing token for any thing I know shee would never have gone to Christ but when all these failed then shee was forced to seeke to Christ that was ready and willing to doe any thing for her distressed nature so our soules must have something to support themselves upon for they cannot live without some support Now therefore when all our carnall hopes are taken away wee must needs stay upon the promise because we have nothing else yet I say it is not requisite that a man should cast away those outward comforts that God affords him but take them when God gives them but onely this that though you have all yet labour to get your hearts to see the vanitie and acknowledge the emptinesse of all these and let not the heart seeke too much content in them for these are all but lying vanities and broken staves which will not onely cozen a man but pierce him too Now when the soule seeth these things cannot succour him but lay him in the dust then he will be content to have his heart severed from them It is with the soule as it was with Noahs Dove When the Arke began to rest upon the mountaine Arraret Noah sent out the Dove but the Dove found no rest for the sole of her foot no question there were many dead darkasses but the Dove found no rest till shee came to the Arke againe So when a man findes no rest in any thing the creature affords and can get no footing for the soule to to stay it selfe upon them then it betakes it selfe to Christ and goes home to the promise and rests there and expects from thence what is needfull as in the Art of swimming hee that will swimme must plucke his feet from the bottome and commit himselfe to the streame to beare him up so we must plucke our hearts from these things here below and them from us and though wee have honour and preferments yet wee must not put any confidence in them but learne by our beleeving to commit our selves wholly to the power of the promise and receive comfort from thence onely as Rabshakeh said sinfully Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad c. Rely not upon them for the gods cannot helpe you so should wee reason when wee finde our hearts hankering after honour riches pleasure c. why say let not the gods of this world honour and profit and pleasure deceive thee did the pride of Pharaohs heart deliver him did the riches of Dives save him did Herods applause that he had deliver him did these gods secure them nay have they not left them in the lurch therefore let us take our hearts off from these things and have a base esteeme of them and see a vanitie and emptinesse and insufficiency in them that wee may bee forced to seeke to Christ and say as David said Helpe Lord for vaine is the helpe of man vaine is the helpe of all other things Means 2 Now when this is done there is a little way made that the promise may come to the soule and therefore labour in the second place to have your hearts possessed throughly and perswaded effectually of the fulnesse of that good which is in the promise and of that satisfactory mercy and freenesse of the grace of God in Christ that so the soule may bee establisht with that full content which is to bee had in the riches of the promise but marke what I say perswade your hearts of it and content not your selves that you are able to speake of it and talke and dispute somewhat fully of the excellency of the promise and of the riches of Gods free grace what is this to the purpose that the heart knowes this and yet is sore-stalled that it comes not to the promise therefore leave not thy heart till it come to make that account of the promise as the word saith it is worth I say leave not thy heart till thou see the promise of grace most beautifull in thy eye and that thy heart may gain some earnest touching of the goodnesse of God and the riches of his grace towards thee and bring thy heart to know and see that the promise is better than all the riches and honours that thou canst have or the world can bestow David saith Psalme 9.10 They that know thee will trust in thee for thou Lord hast never failed them that seeke thee this kinde of knowledge ever breeds confidence and resolution and perswades the heart Wee dare trust a friend whose faithfullnesse wee have tried and rest upon that which we know by experience the promises are of a tried truth seeke from one end of the Heavens to the other turne all the Bible over and see if ever any man leaned on the promise and the Lord did not performe that which he had promised for the good of his soule Psal 119.92 Except the Lord had beene my delight I should have perished in my troubles Psalme 73.26 David saith my flesh faileth me and my heart also but thou art the strength of my heart and my portion for ever againe I had perished in my affliction but that thy Word vpheld me the promises are worth trusting to leaning upon though David in the midst of his affliction was ready to sinke yet then the promise upheld him Esay 26.4 Trust in God for in Iehovah is everlasting strength now there is not strength in these things below or not everlasting strength but in Christ in the promises is everlasting strength here lies a great weight and it is a worke of marvellous difficulty and great necessity and therefore that thy heart may sit downe satisfied in the sufficiency of the promise I will propound three rules how you may improve the promise for your uttermost benefit Rule 1 First labour dayly to present to thy soule a greater good in the promise than thou canst see any where else it is a mans skill and it should be his endevour daily to watch his heart and to look what it is that the heart desires most and present a greater good to thy soule therein than in al things thou canst have elsewhere doe honours or riches or the applause of men or any earthly pleasures offer thee content and satisfaction then perswade thy heart there is a greater worth and excellency in the promise than can be had in all the world outbid the world and tell thy heart and say heart wouldst
thou have honour and glory why here is an exceeding weight of glory hee that hath the promise shall bee made a king and shall have glory that will never vanish doth thy heart hanker after earthly joy and mirth thou shalt finde a greater mirth in the promise than in the crackling of these thorns In the promise there iâ— joy unspeakable and indurable my joy I give unto you and none shall take it away here are rivers of pleasures and so I may say of any thing else doth thy heart hanker after riches tell thy heart that there be unsearchable riches in Christ and through him we have title to all the promises of this life and a better we know he that offers most for the bargaine carries it away therefore wee should observe the goings out of our hearts and what offers it selfe to give us most content and present our soules with a greater good in God in Christ in the promise than in all things else looke as it is in marrying if parts give content then the wisest prevaile if they would have riches then the wealthy obtaine why now wooe thy soule and looke what will please it best and make it appeare to thy soule there is a greater good in the promise honours and riches have spokes-masters and seeke commendations had I but such honour oh it were admirable had I but so much wealth oh it were excellent all this while the promise is shut out and it cannot come to the speech of the soule labour therefore to have accesse to the promise with thy soule and speake a good word for it and say stand by world stand by riches profits and pleasures and preferments roome for the Lord Jesus Christ and put a wonderfull price upon the promise whatsoever the soule doth account as best that it will chuse and leave all others for it doe as Dalilah did shee besieged the heart of Sampson and would not leave him till he powred out his heart to her so let the promise have ingresse and regresse let the promises besiege thy heart that thy heart may give up it selfe to it Hosea 2.7 I will returne to my first husband for then it was better with mee than now so when the heart comes to see and know that there is better riches ease pleasures profits preferments in Christ in the promise than in all the world then it will returne thither I would have the soule outbid the world and labour to out-shoot the Devill in his owne bow and those things which the Devill casts in thy way for hindering thy soule from comming to the promise let those things bee as meanes to usher in the promise as thus when thou seest thy heart looke after friends let those friends usher the way to thinke on the infinite love and favour of God in Christ and when thy heart would faine hunt after wealth let this usher a way to the promise and say if the heart finde such content in riches what would it finde in the riches of Gods grace in Christ thus present a greater good in the promise than in any thing else Rule 2 The second rule is labour to convince thy heart of this that all the things in the world without the promise are not good and hadst thou all that the earth can afford without a promise they were rather a curse to thee than a blessing Heb. 11.1 Faith is the substance of things hoped for it gives a kinde of being and substance to all there is no substance in honour and riches if they bee not in faith they are clogs and snares to a man except faith give a blessing therewith all our prayers have no substance in them but are poore and empty words without faith in the promise to have what we pray for the most broken and meane prayer if it bee mingled with faith it is a very powerfull prayer and the substance of all your hearing and my preaching lyes chiefly in faith otherwise they are but lost labour for faith is it that gives a kinde of being to whatsoever we speake or doe Rule 3 The third rule in this second meanes is this labour to acquaint thy heart with the goodnesse of the promise before carnall reason comes and possesses thy heart how that the promise is most sure and will come when it is most seasonable and is best for thee and when God sees it most fit we shall certainly have it David saith Thy Word is sure in heaven and Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace that we may receive comfort and mercie in time of need not when I see it sit but when God sees it fit this is it which carries away many poore sinfull hearts from resting upon the promise of God sometimes the heart is a little affected with the excellencie of the riches of Gods grace and seeth what great things the Lord hath done for his soule and saith Oh that I were such a one and let mee dye the death of the righteous but when it comes to passe that hee hath not present ease and comfort then hee casts away the good promise of the Lord and the Devill prevailes wonderfully with those poore creatures therefore saith the Prophet Heb. 3.17 When the fig tree shall not blossome neither shall the fruit be on the vines when the labour of the olive shall faile and yeeld no fruit then will I rejoyce in the Lord and joy in the God of my salvation let the promise so surpriâ—e thy heart that it may be possessed with the all-sufficiencie of it and therefore perswade thy heart the good of the promise will come when it is most seasonable let riches satisfie when death comes then call for your cordiall I tell you the promise will help when all faile Meanes 3 In the third place see that thou expectest all the good which thou needest and canst desire from that sufficiencie of the promise goe to the promise for all good there are all the cords of mercie that must draw thee and there is the all-sufficiencie that can supply all thy wants looke for all from thence and expect power from the promise to inable thee to doe whatsoever thou wouldest in the promise is authority to rule thee expect power from the promise to make thee able to beleeve the promise Object It is a weake plea for a man to say I dare not looke to the promise I cannot beleeve if I could beleeve then I might expect some good Answ Thou shalt never beleeve upon these termes thou must not first have faith and then goe to the promise but thou must first goe to the promise and from thence receive power to make thee able to beleeve the promise Psal 119.49 O Lord remember thy word to thy servant wherein thou hast caused me to trust when men are inlarged in love to a man and make faire promises this perswades the heart to trust to them and to rely upon them for good therefore a
against reason sense and religion and all Now thy faith begins to wrastle with him and his dealings and conscience checks and thou wilt teare thine owne heart out of thine owne bosome brethren this will not doe it When a ship of a hundred tuns is upon ground the mariners may pull and tug their hearts out before they can get it goe O goe then and say it is not I that can be patient and put up a wrong be quiet and expect it not from hence let the heart lie still till the winde and tide and promise come and that will carry thee Rule 2 Bring the promise home to thy heart that the promise may bring thy heart to it I meane thus I told you before that the heart renounceth all abilities of it selfe as the first principle and saith it is in an impatient heart it is not here Lord downe be quiet and still goe thou to the promise and bring that first to thy soule and when the promise comes it will bring thy heart home to it I will tell you how you must goe to the promise and say thus It is not in mine owne power to quicken my selfe yet Lord this I know that there is sufficiencie in the promise to supply all my wants and there is authoritie in the promise to rule and order mee in all my courses therefore take the promise and reason thus I conclude that the Lord Jesus Christ by the power of his Spirit is in the promise undeniably and undoubtedly and unspeakably accompanying in his manner as hee shall see fit This I say that the almighty Spirit of Christ doth really and continually accompany the promise for the good of his hence it is called the spirit of promise for there is an Almighty creating worke goes along with the promise and I reason thus that word that discernes the thoughts of the hearts of men that word must needs have the Almighty worke of Gods Spirit accompanying of it so far as God hath promised it not haply when thou seest fit but when God sees fit Hee doth it as a voluntary workman therefore thou considerest that there is an Almighty power and a fulnesse in the promise then lay that promise upon thine heart and know it and conclude it and looke for vertue from thence to draw thy soule to it again I have severall passages to expresse my selfe by it you may understand it Iacob would not beleeve that Ioseph was alive or if he were alive he had but little means was poore Gen. 45.26 27 28 29. but when he saw the Chariots that Ioseph had sent him then he beleeved and said I have enough Ioseph my son liveth the Chariots sent from Ioseph to Iacob brought Iacob to Ioseph so every beleeving soule is poore and feeble and dis-nabled to goe to God and to beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ therefore looke thou unto the Chariots of Israel first and that will convey thee to the promise As it is with the miller first he pares the mill fitly and orders all the occasions thereof and when the stones are fit and laid to goe yet it will not goe till the sluce be pulled up and the water runs that drives the mill so the soule is humbled and lies levell with the Lord and his truth and is content to yeeld to his conditions but the soule of it selfe in it selfe cannot goe It hath not the principle of going but let downe the sluce of the promise and let that come to thy heart and it will bring thy soule home to the Lord. The promise must come to thee and make thee come to it It is not here Lord but in the promise bring that promise and set open the sluce and let the wind blow and it will convey thee comfortably as Luke 19.9 This day salvation is come to thy house not to the wals of thy house but to the men that are in the house they did not come to salvation but salvation came to them the Lord sent salvation to salute the house of Zacheus and that brought him to salvation this is the foiling of many poore beleevers O say they if I could beleeve then the promise did belong unto me but I dare not venture upon it but I say unto thee whomsoever thou art thou shalt never live by faith upon these termes thou must first let the promise come to thee and then it will carry thee unto it Rule 3 When the promise is thus come home and thou seest the sufficiency and authority of it then all thou hast to doe is this in the streame of that promise be carried and in the vertue thereof be conveyed home to the Father Luke 15.4 The Prodigall is said to be like a lost sheepe marke this for it concerneth you poore creatures The poore sheepe is wildered up and downe now in the mouth of the Lion and then in the briars and sometimes in the pit The text saith He leaveth the ninety nine to seeke that that is in comparison of what care he expresseth to the lost sheepe hee leaveth a man regenerate not carelesly but hee will not expresse so great love as to a poore lost man and though thou canst not find the way to Heaven yet hee will finde thee lie thou upon the shoulders of Christ as in the 5. verse of this Chapter when thou findest thy heart feeble and weake and thy selfe unable to beleeve then the Lord Jesus Christ brings the spirit of grace and that comes to seeke and Jesus Christ will lay that soule of thine upon his shoulders that is upon the riches of the freenesse of his grace therefore let thy heart bee transported by the power of that grace and by the vertue of that mercie that God hath made knowne unto thee for thy everlasting good when the chariots are come get thee up into them the Lord Jesus Christ is gone up to heaven and hee hath sent his chariots for thee therefore get thee up and say Lord take mee up with thee let the Lord convey thee by the power of his grace when the mariner hath sea roome enough hee cares for no more if hee can but observe the channell hee lookes not so much at his oare or any thing so he can observe the channell this channell is the full tide of the promise therefore lay thy selfe upon the promise and say Lord in the vertue of that grace and in the power of that Spirit carry mee and in the riches of that mercie of thine Lord convey the heart of this poore sinner and make mee happy with thy selfe for ever Passage 2 It is presumed that thy faith now is come to the promise now the skill is how hee may take and improve the good of the promise and receive all the incomes thereof There are two things especially observable First labour to husband the promises and to mannage them wisely when wee have them for our best advantage Secondly labour to live by the sweetnesse of the promises
145 2 You must labour to be much acquainted with the precious promises of God p. 146 3 You must maintaine in the heart a deepe and serious acknowledgement of that supreme authoritie of the Lord to doe what hee will and how hee will according unto his owne good pleasure p. 148 Doctrine VI. The Spirit of the Lord quickneth the desire of an humble and enlightned sinner to long for the riches of his mercy in Christ p. 150 The reason why desire commeth next in order and the manner how God the Father doth quicken up the desires of the soule to long for mercy are p. 152 Use I. It is an use of strong consolation to stay the hearts of poore sinners in the midst of their infirmities canst thou but finde thy smoking desire thy condition is then good p. 156. The signes of sound desires are these three 1 Signe of a sound desire is this that as the desire is so the endevour will be p. 157 2 Signe of a sound desire is this he that truly desires mercy and grace desireth Christ for himselfe 158. 3 Signe of a sound desire is this the soule that truly desires mercy is ready to receive it with thankfulnesse and will entertaine the meanes and messenger that may bring home Christ and mercy to his soule p. 159 Use II. It is of reproofe to all them that yet have not these true and sincere desires after grace and salvation wrought in them p. 160 There are three sorts and rankes of professours and hypocrites whose desires are unsound the Lazy Hypocrite Stage Hypocrite Terrified Hypocrite p. 161 There are foure sorts of lazy professors and lazy Hypocrites that are void of these sound and sincere hopes 1 Sort of lazy Hypocrites are such who when they enjoy the means of salvation yet they esteeme not thy blessing they prize not the meanes p. 164 2 Sort of lazy Hypocrites are such who when God hath taken away and deprived them of the ordinary meanes of grace and salvation they are well contented to be without the same they sit downe very well satisfied p. 166 3 Sort of lazy Hypocrites are such who when they have the meanes of grace and salvation are content to use them and if they want the meanes will seeke out for them but yet are not carefull to prevent those inconveniences which hinder them by receiving benefit from the meanes p. 168 4 Sort of lazy Hypocrites are those who though they heare the duties commanded yet they neglect all duties commands p. 169 There are two sorts of stage Hypocrites that are void of these sound and sincere desires p. 172 The first sort of stage Hypocrites are such as will take up so much of Christ and the Gospell as may stand with their credit and with their estate p. 173 The second sort of stage Hypocrites are such that will use all Gods ordinances but will part with nothing and will suffer nothing for the Lord Iesus p. 175 The third sort that are void of sound and sincere desires are the terrified Hypocrites p. 177 The signes of a terrified Hypocrite are two 1 He will be lingering and hankering after some corruption p. 178 2 The terrified Hypocrite he will slight and slubber over small sinnes and small corruptions p. 178 How farre this terrified Hypocrite will goe and what he may doe vid. p. 179 Use III. Is of Exhortation wherein you are intreated in the bowels of the Lord Iesus to long and desire after the Lord Iesus Christ p. 191 Means I. The Means are foure the first is this be acquainted thorowly with thy owne necessities and wants with that nothingnesse and emptinesse in thy selfe p. 192 Means II. The second is consider the necessitie after grace and goodnesse it is no matter of complement and indifferencie p. 197 Means III. The third is labour to spread forth the excellencie of all the beautie and surpassing glory that is in the promises of God p. 198 Means IV. The fourth is thou must know that it is not in thy power to bring thy heart to desire grace p. 199 Doctrine VII The Spirit of the Lord kindles in an humbled heart and inlightned sinner love and joy to entertaine and rejoyce in the riches of his mercy p. 205 The opening of the Doctrine consists in 3. passages Passage I. Is this that this love and joy is no where else to be found but in an heart humbled and inlightned p. 205 Passage II. Is this that the love and joy is enkindled by the Spirit of the Father p. 206. Passage III. Is this that the love and joy being kindled they may entertaine and rejoyce in the riches of Gods mercy p. 207 Reason I. Of the point is this because that love and joy doe follow desire p. 209 The Spirit of the Father doth enkindle the love and joy in these three particulars p. 217 Particular I. Is this God the Father by the Spirit doth let in some sweetnesse and rellish of his love into the soule that doth warme the heart p. 221 Particular II. Is this that the freenesse of Gods love doth enkindle a love in the soule p. 222 Particular III. Is this that as the sweetnesse did warme it the freenesse kindles it so the greatnesse of the sweetnesse of this love doth set the soule in a flame p. 224 Use I. It is an use of instruction to enforme you that there is no sufficiencie in a naturall heart to be carried to the Lord Iesus Christ or to the worke of grace p. 226 Use II. Iâ— is an use of consolation to stay and refresh the hearts of those that have received the gracious worke p. 233 Use III. It is an use of triall to examine your selves whether your love and joy be sound true and sincere and how it doth differ from the fained wilde and hypocriticall love in the world p. 237 The soundnesse of true love from counterfeit Hypocriticall love appeareth in these five trialls Triall I. Is this observe the root and rise of thy love ibid. Triall II. Is this observe if thou entertainest thy Saviour as a Saviour that is as a King p. 242 Triall III. Is this thou must observe if thou labourest to give contentment to Christ p. 244 Triall IV. Observe whether thy heart doth rejoyce to see the happinesse of the thing you love p. 251 Triall V. Is this it is the nature of true love to covet nearer union with the thing beloved p. 254 Use IV. It is of repose to all those upon whom this worke of love and joy in Christ was never wrought p. 261 Most men have not this love to God but hatred against him p. 263 The persons that doe not love the Lord Iesus Christ they are referred to three ranks p. 266 Sort I. Are such as are open enemeis to Christ and who these are are largely described in p. 267 Sort II. Are those glozing Neuters that halt betweene two opinions p. 273 Sort III. Are those fawning Hypocrites that are faire
honourable let him be what he will be and let his parts be what they will if he hath not the Spirit hee is none of Christs his you are to whom you obey but pride and covetousnesse you obey and malice and spleene you obey you are therefore none of Christs Pride will say This heart is mine Lord I have domineered over it and I will torment it Corruptions will say Wee have owned this soule and wee will damne it You that heretofore have made a tush at the word this wind shakes no corne and these words breake no bones thinke what you have done little do you think you have opposed the Spirit Acts 7.5 what resist the Spirit Oh thinke of this Why what shall I say by what spirit wilt thou be sanctified by what spirit wilt thou be saved Can thy owne spirit save thee no the Spirit of God must save thee and have you resisted that Spirit me thinks it is enough to sinke any soule under heaven Hereafter therefore thinke this with thy selfe were hee but a man that speakes yet I ought not to despise him but that is not all there goeth Gods Spirit with the word and shall I despise it the Lord keepe me from this there is but one step betweene this and that unpardonable sinne against the holy Ghost onely adding malice to thy rage thou opposest thy Father haply the Son mediates for thee thou despisest the Sonne haply the holy Ghost pleads for the but if thou opposest the Spirit none can succour thee therefore looke to it Vse 3 Direction Hence we may observe the ground why many of Gods faithfull people understand not that they have the Spirit of God nor yet the increase of it they looke not to the promise by which it is conveyed but to corruption by which it is hindred you listen not to the verdict of the Gospell Let every one ask this great question How may I know when the Spirit is in me That you know it not the fault is your owne look into the word It is with a poore soule as with little children the childe in the night being hungry seekes for the dug but if he doth not lay hold of it he gets no good bâ— it so thou hast been a long time musling about a dry chip and hast got no comfort Be sure therefore to lay hold upon the promise hold it and thy spirit shall be filled with marrow and fatnesse If there be marrow in a bone thou must breake it before thou canst get any out So it is with the promises they are full of sweetnesse but you must chew them breake them and bestow thy heart on them An Alchimist that distils oyle doth draw out the spirit of metalls but it is by distillation so it is with the promises they are excellent metall there is a great deale of comfort in them but if you will have benefit by them you must distill them by meditation Obt. I but some soules may say We have done thus often but yet returne as emptie as before Answ I answer You should have staid longer upon the promise it must not bee at your carving and disposing in reason a man must swallow his pills and eat his cordials but wee should doe the contrarie we should chew the promises and that is done by meditating on them but we swallow the precious promises of Christ that should comfort us therefore chew them if you desire comfort over and over againe eat these daily and you shall finde much comfort and consolation therein and benefit thereby Vse 4 Terrour we may see the hopelesse condition of those men that live under the Gospell and their hearts are not wrought upon them If the Spirit of God and the Gospell of God will not worke upon thee if thou hast the eye of a man about thee thou maist see thy wofull and lamentable condition If a bungling servant cannot tell how to hew a peece of wood for a building it is no marvell but if it be such a peece that the master Carpenter cannot make it fit for the building then it is good for nothing but to be burned So it is here with the soule if the Spirit of God can doe thee no good who can if we a companie of bunglers cannot doe it no marvell but if our master Christ if he takes a stubborne sturdie heart in hand and cannot doe it it is fit to bee damned Is not that man miserably ignorant that wisedome it selfe cannot make wise is not he sicke of sinne whom the Gospell cannot cure 1 Cor. 4.3 I desire those whose conscience to this day accuse them that yet they are blinde and those that brave it out and say Shall I feare the face of a man no no I scorne it I beseech you let me deale with you doe not brave it out so for it is the greatest miserie under the Sunne for thou dost as good as to say thou wilt not have the word of God to worke upon thee Iames 1.21 The word of God is able to save thee and to sanctifie thee and art thou yet polluted and defiled Oh take heed of it goe and be moue thy soule to the Lord and say Good Lord such a drunkard thou hast met with such a proud heart thou hast humbled and such a stubborne heart thou hast pluckt upon his knees and if drunkards be humbled if the ignorant be instructed then what a cursed heart have I that was loose and vile and base and profane before and so I am now I tell thee what can you thinke of your selves if the Spirit goe with the word and thou mocke at it thy condition is lamentable Vse 5 Exhortation Then you are to be intreated in the bowels of our Lord Jesus Christ when ever you heare the word of the Lord and the Gospell of God you must come trembling and submit to that good word Exod. 23. When ever the word of the Lord is revealed the Spirit of God blessed for ever is there accompanying of it therefore good reason the creature should submit to the Creator Wee speake not a word for our selves we preach the good word of the Lord and how ever our selves have spoken this if you oppose it know it that it is the Lords word therefore when you heare the word doe what you will with us onely submit to the word of the Lord doe what you please with us as Ieremy saith onely embrace the word of the Lord. It is Gods word therefore take heed of opposing and gainsaying it labour to awe your soules to settle all distempers wipe out all carping and cavilling at the word as they presse in upon thee Obt. But how shall we bring our soules to doe this Answ By considering these two or three meanes Labour not onely to have thy soule convicted that the holy Ghost is there accompanying the word as it doth or else how could it reveale thy sinnes but also perswade thy heart that it is so apprehend the power
of those gracious promises which God hath made to poore humbled sinners Now if we be not able to cast the sense and meaning of the promise it is like an uncertaine sound though the witnesse bee good and plaine yet I cannot be comforted thereby 2 Cor. 6.16 17. This is the language of the Spirit Now let a poore humble hearted soule come and lay his heart levell to the promise one saith it is true if it were so with mee then God would be my God that promise is made to them that touch no uncleane thing but I am defiled with sins and abominations and carried aside by them therefore no share in this promise Now the meaning of the testimony is mistaken the witnesse is as good as can be and will cast the cause on your side but you understand not the meaning of the witnesse therefore we will spell the words what is it to touch no uncleane thing it is not to bee lightly acquainted with it therefore art thou content to sue out a bill of divorce to all thy sins how ever heretofore thou wert married to them yet now thou art resolved to bed with them no more art thou contented God should make knowne what ever is amisse in thy soule and subdue every distemper that is the meaning of the promise and if it be thus with thee the promise belongs to thee Meanes 4 Labour to keepe the promise by you for ever and have a readie recourse thereunto upon all occasions forget not the promise be not a stranger to it be not unacquainted be not unaccustomed to have daily trading with the promise which is so profitable to us Prov. 3.3 marke what counsell God gives by wisdome Let not mercy and truth forsake thee mercy and truth will forsake a man Satan would plucke them away but suffer them not saith the Text to depart from thy soule Iob 22.21 so the originall hath it have a daily intercourse to the promise meditate therein and muse thereupon see thou looke a ready way and have recourse to the Lord upon all occasions Motive 1 To perswade us to use these meanes is this because this most concernes our good if a man had all the good things the world could afford and his hearts desire if he had friends to respect him wealth to enrich him and honour to promote him yet if the Lord should send this heavie Message into his conscience God will curse those blessings and dam thy soule and person that newes from heaven of Gods indignation would take away the sweetnesse of all the comforts of this life but had a man good tidings from heaven were the Lord pleased to give notice of his love and mercie in Jesus Christ it would support us in whatsoever miseries or troubles should befall us nay when our owne hearts and consciences tell us hard tidings these evils thou hast committed and they will be thy plague and for this thou shalt be damned and frie in hell this is ill newes but this will beare up a mans heart if hee can but looke up to heaven and take good tidings and notice of Gods favour this will joy and refresh a mans soule Motive 2 As this most concernes us so Satan is most cunning to deprive us of the same if hee can stop any intelligence and take away any evidence of Gods love and mercie to the soule this is that Satan labours for for if the heart gets evidence this way and have notice under the hand of the Spirit what love what joy what power and vertue will be in the soule what courage and undauntednesse will be in the heart to walke in the wayes of godlinesse then learne from the Devill himselfe he labours to keepe from you what will doe you most good therefore be you as carefull to get this notice of Gods love to your soules from the Spirit in the promise as Satan is to hinder you from the same Vse 3 Instruction Hence I conclude that the poorest humbled sinner of the meanâ—st capacity doth know more of spirituall truths concerning grace and salvation and Gods love in Christ than the most wise and learned in the world that are not humbled In a word take the meanest Saint that ever breathed on the earth and the greatest scholler for outward parts and learning and reach and policie the meanest ignorant soule that is almost a naturall foole that soule knowes and understands more of grace and mercy in Christ than all the wisest and learnedst in the world than all the greatest schollers and most pompous Cardinals these were never humbled How doe I conclude this why thus if Gods spirit onely give notice of this favor to the humble then all other bee their parts what they will bee God doth not informe them the humble are informed they not instructed therefore the other know not what they cannot conceive As suppose one dull blocke and a quicke wit are both set to one trade yet if the dullard had an expert master and did beat into him the skill of the trade and the quicke spirit was with a master that could not teach him his trade wee see that the dull blocke is more wise in his trade than the other so it is here they have the Lord for their master Vse 4 To shew us the certainty of the assurance of faith if the spirit of God gives notice and certifie a thing it must needs be certaine and hence it is that the assurance of faith must needs bee infallible and undeniable in those that have it I ground it thus That which commeth from the notice of the spirit is most undeniable but the assurance thereof commeth from the notice of the spirit that faith is most undeniable hence commeth those triumphs I know my Redeemer liveth I am perswaded that neither height nor depth c. shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ The worke of God upon the understanding we have spoken of at large now wee come to the worke of God upon the affections as the understanding apprehendeth the truth of the promise so the heart looketh at the goodnesse of the promise Now therefore the Lord he must teach all the affections to come unto the promise and the first affection that commeth next in order is the affection of hope Doctrine The Doctrine is this The holy Spirit of the Father doth stir the heart of an humbled and inlightned sinner to hope for the goodnesse of the Lord The Lord calleth all the affections come joy come desire come love but the first voyce is to hope only observe this passage it must come from a heart humbled and inlightned for nothing commeth to the heart to be affected but onely by the head and understanding therefore before the soule can hope the heart must bee humbled and inlightned humbled in regard of preparation and inlightned in regard of the certification of Gods goodnesse Secondly it must be stirred up to doe it the spirit
rather bee banished than terrified rather imprisoned than tormented yet onely seekes his owne ease not a Christ all this while And therefore experience hath taught us this that many after a great deale of terrour and horrour of heart when the pang is over have returned and beene as vile and as base and as sinfull nay haply worse than ever they were before the reason is they have gotten their desire now and they care for no more they have gotten their ease and quiet now and as for Christ and grace and holinesse they care no more for them because they have no more use of them Nay to goe further observe it this poore creature may in his owne sense and feeling apprehend and thinke that he doth renounce all sinne truly and that he puts the highest esteeme and greatest account upon the Lord Jesus Christ above all things in the world if hee looke into his owne apprehension he may thinke he doth thus and yet the union and league betweene sinne and his soule was never broken all this may bee in sense and feeling and an honest Minister if he be not very wise in charitie will judge so as shall appeare by this instance Take water seething hot though in nature it is the coldest of all elements yet while it continueth on the fire it growes so hot that a man shall feele no cold at all in it but yet there is a principle of cold remaining in it as the Philosopher conceives for plucke the fire from the water or the water from the fire and it will returne to coldnesse againe and freeze the sooner because when it is taken from the fire it beats out the heat with the more violence Now the reason why the cold was there and yet not perceived was because the fiercenesse of the heat did over-master it and made it retire and not expresse it selfe in outward appearance So it is with this terrified hypocrite in these pangs of extremitie and horrours of conscience when the soule is possessed with the fierce indignation of the Almightie when the flashes of everlasting vengeance seize upon the heart of a sinner this takes off the pleasure delight and content which the heart had in sinne though the soule love it and the heart embrace it and the spirit close with it yet he can find and feele in his owne apprehension no pleasure at all in sinne nor no sweetnesse in his lusts by reason of the domineering vengeance of the Lord which takes off all the pleasantnesse that was in it before And therefore the adulterer that hath his dalliances every morning if God let the flames of his vengeance once into his soule as hee hath flamed in lust all his sweetnesse and delight in sin will vanish away in his owne apprehension but yet his soule cleaves to his base lusts still and his heart is knit to them and the league and combination betweene sinne and his soule was never broken and parted So that by this we may see why a sinner in his owne apprehension may thinke hee hath no delight in sinne and yet there is a league betweene sinne and the soule still and this Hypocrite may thus continue all the while the sound of the stroke is upon him If haply his affections be stirring after some sinne then saith conscience You remember what was done before you remember what you did such and such a time would you fain be in hell againe I will arrest you for this one day saith conscience and so his soule flieth off from his cursed distempers not that the union between sinne and his soule is broken but onely his corruptions for the present are abated for acting By this time you see the reason why I entred upon this point which was this to undermine the bottome that beares up the soules of many carnall men in the world and to cut off all pleas and to raze the foundation of all carnall confidence under heaven therefore I beseech you marke it you will say this is marvellous hard these truths are marvellous terrible Quest. But some may say What doe you thinke that all those which will not come under the power of the Gospell that enjoy it Doe you thinke that all that will not seeke out for the Gospell that want it Do you think that all those who are not carefull to prevent those inconveniences which may hinder them from the benefit of the Gospell Doe you thinke that every man that is informed and convinced of a duty and will not take it up hath no desire after godlinesse Doe you thinke if a man will not part with all and be content to bee vile and base for Christ that hee hath no desire after Christ Doe you thinke a man may take up all duties for his owne ease and seeke Christ in them Ans Beloved I speake not my owne thoughts but it is cleare out of the Word of God that none of all these sorts of persons ever yet attained a true longing desire after the Lord Jesus Christ You told mee in the beginning if I could prove this you would yeeld the day therefore take these truths home to your soules and reason and parly soundly and thoroughly with your owne hearts after this manner Why how farre am I from heaven If the Lord hath not yet opened mine eyes and humbled my heart and enlarged my soule If I never yet had a longing after a Saviour what not desire heaven how then can I dreame or thinke that God will shew mercie to my soule in the pardon of my sinnes If no desire no Christ no desire no Heaven but I have no desire therefore no Heaven no Christ no happinesse The Lord settle these things upon your soules that you may never give quiet to your hearts nor rest to your soules till you finde this sound desire wrought in you Beloved what will you doe for heaven if you cannot so much as desire to come to Heaven and Happinesse Quest But here some will say this is a very strict course this is a very narrow passage indeed let us see how we may not bee couzened in our condition nor deceived by resting in our performances c. Ans I referre my answer to these three conclusions Conclusion 1 First thou must know that the remainders of those distempers that a man should rest upon the merit of duties performed are such remainders of sinne as will sticke to us and remaine with us so long as we live on the face of the earth But when once the Spirit of the Lord takes possession of the soule it counterworkes and digs deeper than these distempers for the good Spirit of the Lord that seizeth upon the heart truly humbled goeth betweene sinne and home it goeth betweene sin and the soule continually and makes a greater evill appeare in the soule than is the evill of punishment and makes knowne a greater good to the heart than ease and the removall of the outward plague and horrour The
goe to heaven No heaven shall rather fall than I come there Thus the discouraged sinner knocks off mercie and shuts the doore against it Now when all carnall reasonings and high imaginations as Paul cals them have raised up strong holds against mercie and comfort when the word cannot doe it for the present God is faine at last to command loving kindnesse and send him with a commission from heaven saying I charge you breake open the doore of the heart of such a sinner rend that veile of ignorance and teare that cursed veile of carnall reasoning And I command thee goe to that soule and cheare it and comfort it goe to that soule and refresh it and fill it tell him his sinnes are pardoned his person accepted and his soule shall be saved tell him his sighs and groanes are heard and his prayers observed in heaven make this good to his soule I charge you before you come backe againe this is the admirable goodnesse of the Lord the soule many times hath so many trickes and shifts and windings and yeeldings to carnall reason that no comfort will come in So that the Lord is faine to send loving kindnesse to cheare the soule As it is with some unruly fellowes who will not give a man possession of his right till the high Sheriffe comes and gives him possession by force whether they will or no So loving kindnesse is Gods high Sheriffe now when a company of base fellowes as carnall reasonings and the like would keepe out mercie and favour that is due to a sinner the Lord commands loving kindnesse to breake open the doore and speake comfort to him and now take notice of what I say as a good to come was the ground of hope and if there be any necessarie excellencie desire longs for it So when the good is not only present but expresseth his presence and leaves some kinde of remembrance as it were and discovers it selfe in some manner effectually to the soule that stirres up love continually and that must be done before any love can be kindled I open it thus Looke as it is with touching which is a facultie of nature if the thing lyes upon a man leaves a strong impression upon him then a mans touch will feele it but if it be marvellous light then it may lye upon a man and be present with him and yet not be perceived as a feather lay it upon a mans finger on the sudden or a mote in a mans face because it leaves no impression hee feeles it not but if there bee any weight laid upon his hand then he feeles so if it be water that moistens him or fire that scorcheth him he is sensible of it so love in the soule is like touching in the body now when loving kindnesse is not set on upon the heart though it be present with the soule yet because it leaves no impression upon the soule hence it comes that the heart cannot be stirred with any love towards it nor be touched and affected with it nor returne that joy and delight as becomes the favour of God So that there must be the love of God letting some sweet intimations into the heart and expressing it selfe to the soule and affecting the heart therewith and then our love comes to bee kindled towards God againe Gods love setling upon the soule drawes and puls our love to God againe This is the ground of that the Apostle speakes We love him 1 Iohn 4.19 because he loved us first It must be the beames of Gods love that must fall upon the soule before the soule can returne love to God againe Hosea 11.4 So in Hosea I drew them saith the text with the cords of love and with the bands of a man as who should say God lets in the cords of his love into our soules and that drawes our loves to him againe But most excellent is that place of the Canticles marke the manner of the guise of the Spirit of God expressing himselfe to the soule He brought me to the Banquetting house Cant. 2.4 and his Banner over me was Love and what followeth Stay mee with flaggons and comfort mee with apples for I am sicke of Love When the Banner of Christs love is displayed over the soule the soule comes to bee sicke of love to Christ againe In warre when the Captaine displayeth the banner three things are done by it First it argueth the presence of the Generall Secondly it commands all the Souldiers to come to it Thirdly all come under it Now observe the excellency of the sweetnesse of the sense of the Spirit of God when God displayeth the banner of his love in the perfect colours and beauty of it to the soule then all the hearts of poore fainting sinners come in as Souldiers and they are sicke of love to him now this love of God begets love in us againe in three particulars Particular 1 First there is a sweetnesse and rellish which Gods love le ts into the soule and that warmes the heart When a man is fainting aqua vitae comforts him Thy loving kindnesse is better than life saith the Prophet David there is aqua vitae indeed the Lord lets in but one glimpse of his love and that warmes the soules This is that observable in the Canticles Cant. 2.3 opened Let him kisse mee with the kisses of his mouth for thy love is better than wine because of the savour of thy good oyntment thy Name is an oyntment powred forth therefore doe the Virgins love thee Every poore sinfull creature thou that drinkest water if thou hast Christs love thou thinkest it better than the best wine under heaven Let him kisse me with the kisses of his lips that is with the comforts of his Word and Spirit so that marke what the soule saith Let the Lord Jesus Christ refresh my soule with the sweet comforts and consolations of his Word and it will be better than wine But first he must kisse him with the kisses of his lippes before his love can be better than wine that is the Lord by the power of his Spirit in the ministery of the Word must expresse his love to the soule and that drawes the love of the soule to God and marke what followeth because of the savour of thy good oyntments therefore the Virgins love thee by Christs oyntments are Christs graces signified Now when the Lord Jesus Christ doth communicate the sweet savour of his grace into the soule then the Virgins which are loosened from sinne love the Lord Jesus but first the savour of the oyntment must be spred abroad before they can love him Particular 2 Secondly as the sweetnesse of Gods love warmes the heart so the freenesse of the same doth even beginne to kindle a love in the soule Herein saith the Apostle God commends his love towards us Rom. 5.8 in that while we were yet enemies unto him Christ died for us The Lord sends from heaven to
in the world and my heart is cheared with the consideration of the same The Apostle saith Rom. 8.28 All things shall worke together for the best to them that love God namely to those that are called according to his purpose that is to those that so love God that their love came by calling according to Gods everlasting counsell He called them in his good time from darknesse to light and he called them from the love of the world to the love of God therefore all things shall worke together for the best to them let nothing therefore discourage thee in this case but say All things shall worke for my good because God hath given me a heart to love him nay be cheared herein I charge you and let not your hearts droope and quarrell not with the Lord for a greater portion but blesse God for that you have received your lot is fallen into a faire ground and the Lord hath dealt lovingly with you you need no more for a childes part David desired no more Looke upon mee O Lord saith he and doe good unto me how as thou usest to doe unto those that love thy name As if hee had said I desire no more for my life and everlasting happinesse and the comfort of my soule deale with me no otherwise but just so as thou doest with those that love thy name I know thou wilt love them that love thee I know thou wilt save them that love thee I know thou wilt comfort them that love thee I know thou wilt glorifie them that love thee thus Lord doe good to thy servant I desire no more I crave no other but as thou doest as thou usest to doe good to those that love thy name if I have that I have enough David a King a glorious Saint desired no more expected no more if thou hast so much know that thou art beholding to the Lord and be contented therewith Haply you have not that vaine of talking and conference which others have this is commendable but there is a great deale of pride and vanitie in it now adayes thou canst not crancke up thy selfe in performances but thy heart closeth with God and thy affections are set upon him and thy soule burnes with love towards the Lord why that is enough to bring thee to heaven if there be ever a Saint in heaven thou art one now shalt be in heaven forever hereafter But now here is the difficultie if a man had that love which comes from God according to his purpose this would stand us in stead but there is much feigned wilde hypocriticall love in the world Quest How shall I therefore know my love whether it be true of the right nature or no Answ Here is the skill therefore we will skan the matter a little if it be true love and right joy God will accept it therefore put this love and joy upon the triall and we will say no more than what we have ground for out of the doctrine of the text Examine thy love and joy by this whether thou welcomest and entertainest the Lord Jesus Christ as beseemes him whether thou entertainest grace answerable to the worth of grace for that is the nature of this love and joy which God kindles and workes Now this appeares in five particulars The first is this if thou wilt know the truth and soundnesse of thy love and joy for what I say of the one I say of the other if love be good joy will be sound for they grow both upon one root onely the one hath more sweetnesse of Gods favour shed into the heart which makes the soule sport with it c. I say therefore to discover the soundnesse of this love of thine observe these trials Triall 1 First observe the root and rise from whence thy love came and wisely consider this for it is a point of great weight and hard to discover yet it is that which will never faile it is the narrowest search in the world if thy love come from the right mint it is currant and warrantable it is such as our Saviour approves of It is Christs royall prerogative to mint love and coine such love as he will take for payment and accept of therefore doth thy love come from the Spirit of the Father then it is made fit to close with the Father and to close with the Lord Iesus and with his good Spirit and consequently the Father allowes this and will give acceptance to it You know great men must be entertained answerable to their worth for a man to have meane fare and scant provision this may content a poore man but the choisest and best deare bought and farre fetched beseemes men of great ranke and place So there is a kinde of leane love this earthly and naturall love that growes only out of thy owne strength and naturall parts it is scant provision it beseemes not it suits not with God the Father it is not answerable to the place and state of the Lord Iesus Christ It is good enough for these base things here below earthly love for earthly things carnall love for carnall things it is good enough for these things But will you entertaine the Father of heaven Will you entertaine the Lord Iesus Christ I tell you then you must have dainties you must have spirituall love to welcome a spirituall Father otherwise it will not be sutable to his worth Looke as it is with flowers those flowers which are sowen and planted and by the skilfull hand of the gardiner inocculated are choise ones both for sent and sight are your province roses and the like are of great account but your common hedge roses no man cares for them So it is with the worke of Gods Spirit and all other common graces there is province love and province joy which is planted and wrought in the heart by the skilfull hand of God and his blessed Spirit these make a sweet smelling savour in the nostrils of God Aye that love saith the Father Aye that love saith the Lord Jesus wee cannot better please them than by entertaining them after this matter but these hedge roses this carnall love and carnall joy that growes upon the hedge of our owne naturall hearts the Lord cares not for this love and joy it beseemes him not in any measure therefore observe this canst thou say I love God because hee loved me this is a love of the right coine it came from the right mint and know it for ever that that God which cannot but love himselfe he cannot but like that love of thine which is of his owne nature which came from his owne selfe who is the God of all love I would faine have you understand what I speake is thy heart therefore affected and inlarged with love to the Lord because thou hast found and felt and received the sweetnesse of the rellish of the riches of his grace into thy soule doth love and joy grow upon
at it and said unto Iohn Iohn 3.29 Rabbi He that was with thee beyond Iordan of whom thou barest witnesse behold the same baptizeth and all come to him Now marke how Iohn speaks His Disciples were stirred because they thought the honour and credit went away from them As if they had said Master there is one now that carries all before him every mans eye is towards him and every mans heart is after him Now Iohn loved Christ and marke how he replies He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroome but the friend of the bridegroome which standeth and heareth rejoyceth greatly because of the bridegroomes voice this my joy therefore is fulfilled As who should say Christ is the Bridegroome I am but the friend of the Bridegroome who labour only to prepare hearts for Christ Is the Lord honoured Is the Lords worke prospered if this bee so my joy is full I have enough let the Lord increase though I decrease let the Lord have the praise that is due unto him and what ever befals me I care not This also was that of Mephibosheth when he was dealt falsly with and some false reports had beene suggested to David against him he was content to put up all the wrong and when David returned in peace and hee saw the Kings face and that he had gained the day and got the field David began to comfort and refresh him 2 Sam. 19.30 and bade him divide the land which hee had taken from him betweene Ziba and him now marke how hee replieth Let him take all for as much as the King is come againe in peace to his owne house as who should say as for the land it skils not as for my selfe and the field and my life I passe not for as much as you my King are come home in peace it is enough it is sufficient that I have seene your Majestie in peace this was better to him than the field or any thing else whatsoever could befall him Beloved many a man is all a mort because his honour fals to the ground and because his credit lies in the dust but if he may have his owne honour and credit he is not troubled though Christ and his Gospell and Gods honour and glory lye in the dust this man loves not the Lord for he that loves the Lord makes him his portion and his glory it is enough Christ is mine it is sufficient that his glorie and Gospell prospers what ever befals me I care not let the world take my ease and liberty and life and all let the Gospell be advanced I care not Brethren such are the base dispositions of too too many amongst us they can tread upon Christs shoulders and lift up him that they may appeare above him they can labour to lift up Gods Gospell that they may lift up themselves thereby this is a base disposition that harbours in the heart of most men but I beseech you lye downe in the dust and be content that the Lord may be advanced though thou be disgraced be content that the Lords name may bee praised though thou be dishonoured what though every mans mouth be against thee and every mans hand opposit unto thee yet if God be honoured let that comfort thee nay if any of Gods people advance God more than thy selfe rejoyce in it and let this be the aime of all our endevours for ever Triall 5 The fifth triall is this it is the nature of sound love to covet nearer union with the thing beloved and to have a kinde of earnest impatience and restlesnesse till it attaine a greater measure thereof Observe it this is a thing which flowes from the nature of love especially from this love I now speake of which beseemes the Lord who is the best of all other things which the soule can desire or the heart possesse 2 Branches There are two branches of the point I will handle the one largely and only touch the other Love I say therefore is first of a linking and a gluing nature and it will alwayes carrie the soule with a streame and earnestnesse to enjoy the possession of and union with the thing beloved it cannot have enough of it it is never satisfied with it it covets nothing so much riches now seeme loathsome and profits and pleasures are tedious vanities to him the soule is out of taste with all worldly delights and desires nothing so much as to enjoy Christ this is that he would have Let the wicked have what they will and possesse what they please but let me enjoy that only and I care not When David had beene doting on the things here below at last he came to see better things in God and see how he stayeth his heart Psal 73.25 Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee he bids adieu to all other things and marke what followes It is good for me to draw neare to God As if hee had said let the rich man have his wealth and let the ambitious man have his honour let the drunkard have his cup and the adulterer his sweet dalliances let them drinke and swill and whore and goe downe to hell much good doe it them with their sops let them have what their hearts can desire but it is good for me to draw nigh unto God Oh the pleasures that are at Gods right hand Oh the mercie and holinesse which hee hath prepared and will bestow upon those that are upright When Marie had beene seeking and weeping for a Saviour Christ said unto her Woman why weepest thou Iohn 20.16 Whom seekest thou Marke now what Marie did being moved with love to the Lord she conceived Christ to be the Gardiner and shee spake thus Sir if thou hast borne him hence tell mee where thou hast laid him and I will take him away She would be content to have the body of a Saviour rather than want a Saviour she would have a dead Saviour rather than none but when our Saviour revealed himselfe to her when shee saw that he lived and was risen againe she flew upon him and with marvellous violence embraced our Saviour for so the words must of necessitie be understood for Christ saith Touch mee not for I am not yet ascended the meaning is this Marie was very eager of her Saviour Have I againe seene my Saviour And doe I againe possesse him I will never part with him more Christ saith unto her Marie and so discovers himselfe she saith unto him Rabboni that is to say Master and there she holds as if she would never leave him more now Christ checks her because she depended so much upon his outward presence Hee saith unto her Touch me not for I am not yet ascended as if he had said I shall live many dayes upon the earth and thou shalt bee satisfied with my presence therefore doe not cling so fast unto me for the word touch
come to the Lord Jesus when he calls you then Hell is to good for you beare witnesse of it many a soule here this day is still resolved to goe on in his sins and sayes I am resolved to have my owne courses and I will be as proud as ever and sweare and drinke as much as ever and I will not goe to Jesus Christ whither will yee goe then Will yee goe to destruction I call the Angels and all the Saints to record you will not come then you must to destruction there is no other way to come to Jesus Christ but by beleeving in him Now further to discover the fearfulnesse of this sinne and the misery of them that continue in it let mee lay it open by foure particulars whereby it shall appeare that howsoever unbeleevers make no great matter of it yet if they have the hearts of men about them they shall see the misery of their owne soules and that in thâ—se foure particulars First it keeps off the riches of mercies that are in Christ from the soule that it cannot enjoy them there is no happinesse but onely by communion with God and now infidelity keeps off God from us and keeps out that goodnesse which God is willing to bestow upon us if we had hearts fitted to receive it Infidelity shuts up a poore sinner that hee cannot looke out nor looke up towards Heaven and that 's the reason why when the Lord chaines ups poore sinner under the power of his chiefe displeasure he gives them up to hardnesse of heart and unbeleefe Rom. 11.32 He hath shut up all in unbeleefe it is a comparison thus to be conceived as it is with a hainous malefactour that hath conspired against the King and when he is taken they put him into little ease or some such close darke dungeon and clap cold irons upon him and if any friend come to bring him any thing hee cannot speake with him nor he cannot receive it because he is close prisoner So the Lord doth in his heavy displeasure hee locks up the soule in unbeleef and holds the heart in the chaines of unbeleef that howsoever judgements passe up and downe the world yet all these judgements cannot awaken him nor all mercies why because the unbeleever is sure enough hee cannot so much as looke to that mercy prepared and offered in Iesus Christ and that 's the reason why when the Lord comes by in all his glory and mercy as he did Exod. 33.6.7 saying the Lord the Lord strong mercifull and glorious When all these passe by the unbeleever fits in his seat but his heart is lockt up that hee cannot looke up and that 's the reason why the Apostle saith Rom. 11.8 He hath given them the spirit of slumber eyes that they should not see and eares that they should not heare to this very day that though he hath all the calls of mercy yet he hath eyes and sees not and all is still and nothing stirring in the soule nay it is not onely shut up and cannot come to God but unbeleefe barres the doores that Jesus Christ cannot come to it therefore Iohn 1.11 He came to his owne and his owne received him not but in the 12. verse to as many as received him to them he gave power to be the Sonnes of God this unbeleefe barres the doores and raiseth Forts against him and closeth every crevis of the heart that not a beame of mercy not a glimpse of pitty can be let into the soule so long as it is in this condition I beseech you observe it unbeleefe is a fin not so much of one faculty of the soule but it is that as carries the whole man with it as when a man sets himselfe in any unruly will and will be ruled thereby so that it stops every passage and there is no entrance for mercy for looke as it is with faith the root of it is in the will but the rule of it is over all the whole man and therefore faith carries all the whole soule to God love and hope and joy and all goes towards God and the very same nature unbeleefe hath to carry the soule from God the root of it is in the will but the rule of it is in the whole man and keepes the soule under the power and authority of it as by faith wee goe home to the Lord Jesus Christ and are content that he should doe what he will with us so unbeleefe keepes the soule under command and will dispose of all at his owne pleasure this is the poyson and venome of this corruption it stops all the passages of the soule that Christ cannot come at it nor it at Christ so that if eternall life and happinesse were laid downe upon the naile yet unbeleefe will not suffer the soule to stretch out a little finger to it and saith love and joy I charge you delight not in that mercy and desire looke not out after it nay if the wrath of God bee revealed from Heaven against the soule yet it stops the soule that the wrath of God moves it not because unbeleefe rules and saith feare tremble not at Gods judgements and sorrow mourne not you for sinne come all this way and sorrow for the losse of profits and pleasures and because my will is crossed but I will not have you so much as looke after God This is the cursed nature of unbeleefe that there is nothing of God of grace and happinesse can come neere the soule unlesse the iron gate of infidelity bee pluckt off the hinges and the bars be broken asunder this is that which the holy Prophet speakes of Isay 7.9 when the Lord would expresse the power of himselfe in an extraordinary manner he bids Ahaz that he should looke for a miracle and yet he saith If you beleeve not you cannot be established so that though God expressed never such miraculous power of mercy and goodnesse yet so long as the heart is lockt up in unbeleefe there is no mercy can come at him nay which is worse if worse can be unbeleefe not onely shuts the doore against Christ and will not receive him when hee intreats for entrance but it sets open the doore to all base lusts to sinne and Satan than which there can bee no greater indignity offered to the God of heaven and earth as Ier. 2.12.13 Oh ye heavens be astonished at this why what is the matter my people have committed two evils they have forsaken me the fountaine of living waters and digged to themselves broken pits that will hold no water This is not onely unreasonable but unnaturall and the heavens they shake at it it is against the course of nature that a man should depart from the Almighty that would strengthen him and to rest upon his owne folly and goe from the wisedome of God that would direct him in every good way nay it chuseth a mans owne base corruptions and lusts and in the meane time departs away
from the Lord and his grace and his mercy and it preferres sinne and the Devill before the Lord and all that sufficiency of good that is in him and therefore the Prophet wisheth the Heavens to bee astonished at this weake things naturally incline to that which may strengthen them and heavy things will not rest untill they come to the earth because that will sustaine them Oh what a basenesse is this the Heavens are weary of a base wretch that will trust to his owne corrupt heart and renounce grace and Christ and happinesse and all this is the first passage Secondly unbeleefe it makes all means to bee unprofitable that is when a man is setled upon his folly and is resolved to rest upon his rebellious will and to bee ruled by that hee will not looke out nor attend nor give entertainment to whatsoever is revealed to the contrary This makes all meanes unprofitable bee the meanes never so precious and powerfull and though they have done never so much good in quickning the hearts of others yet they never doe these men good this unbeleefe makes all meanes to be spilt upon the ground and they never doe good to an unbeleeving heart as Heb. 4.12 let us feare therefore lest at any time by forsaking the promise of entring into his rest any of you should seeme to be deprived of the grace and mercy of God for the word was preached first to us as also unto them but it did not profit them that heard it because it was not mixed with faith there is the cause be the reproofes and threatnings never so fierce that it would almost affright the heart of a Devill and the comforts never so sweet and the heart of a poore Minister never so enlarged to worke upon the hard-hearted yet infidelity is as the buckler that beares off all and he saith I will never beleeve it all his words fall to the ground and enter not unto the heart no reproofe terrifies no exhortation prevailes the heart is unbeleeving it beats backe and shuts out all this is the reason why the Devill labours to make up this fortresse above all the rest because he knowes if any man have an unbeleeving heart it will make all meanes unprofitable the Devill is content that men have parts and gifts and these will carry a man to hell that hath an unbeleeving heart and therefore many wicked men that are the Devils factours and schoolmasters the first lecture they read to a poore soule that is comming on because they feare that hee will bee wrought upon by the word and the light of the word is come into his minde and his eyes are inlightned and hee saith If this bee true that the word saith then hee saith I am a miserable man the Lord be mercifull to me now see what the carnall wretch that is the Devils familiar saith to him I hope you have more wit than to bee perswaded of whatsoever he saith he speakes out of passion and he must say something and threatned men live long c. thus nothing workes upon him and the Minister had as good speake to the pillars for all comes to nothing and we finde it in nature thus that the not beleeving of any thing keepes the heart from being affected with it as for example thus let there bee never so many threatnings as that the Spanyard hath an invincible navie of so many ships set out the merchant that understands any thing knowes that the Spanyard cannot make such a navie and therefore they beleeve it not but in eighty eight every mans heart begins to shake and every man begins to bestirre himselfe nay let the promise be never so faire and sweet yet if wee are not perswaded of it we never care for his kindenesse and we looke not after it and say these are good words and faire words make fooles faine but wee beleeve it not just thus it is with an unbeleever when hee comes to receive all the meanes of grace from the Lords hands and when all judgements are denounced from heaven and the wrath of God against sinne and the word saith Be not deceived God is not mocked if you soâ— to the flesh and walke after it you shall reape everlasting perdition and againe No adulterer nor drunkard shall enter into the kingdome of heaven they heare these and consider of them and make a small mater of it and will not beleeve it and therefore they tremble not at it and are not affected with that cursed condition in which they are Deut. 29.18 19. when the Lord had denounced all the judgements that could be expressed all the mercies that could bee revealed in the end he saith Take heed lest there be in any of you any root of bitternesse so then when yee heare the words of this curse yee blesse your selves in this estate and say I shall have peace though I walke in mine owne wayes as if he had said if any man come to this that hee can heare all the flashes that come from hell and see hell gaping for him and here the thundering of Gods judgements and beleeves nothing but blesseth himselfe and saith the Prophets and Ministers must say something and they must have leave to speake but yet I shall bee blessed for all this this wipes of all the authority of the truth of God looke as it is in nature that physick which the stomack is not able to retaine though it bee never so good it will never purge and the meat though never so comfortable yet if the stomack cannot take it downe and digest it it will never nourish a man so be the word never so physicall and cordiall yet if a man have 〈◊〉 unbeleeving hâ—â—â—t that he will not take downe the truth it is marvellous certaine that that word cannot profit an unbeleeving heart and thatâ— the cause of that curse which Ieremiah speakes of chap. 17.5 Cursed bee the man that trusts in man and hee that maketh flesh his arme and withdraweth his heart from the Lord for hee shall bee like the barren heath in the wildernesse that it shall not see when good commeth as it is with a barren heath though the seed bee never so good and the seasons never so comfortable and though the sunne shine never so fairly upon it and though the dewes come from heaven never so sweetly yet there will not be a graine of good corne because it is a barren heath so it is with that unbeleeving heart of thine thy heart shall be like a barren heath and thou shalt never see when good commeth much good will come to thy family it may be there will one childe be humbled and it will come to the same chamber one servant is hardened and another saved the wife converted and the husband is hardned and the husband is converted and the wife is wayward and froward still now though the dewes of heaven bee never so comfortable so that one poore soule is strengthened and
whatsoever is amisse outwardly thou seest the evill and labourest to reforme it and whatsoever service is required to God or man thou dost it as thou art able and walkest unblamably all this is to no profit if thou remainest in unbeleefe The God of Heaven never receives the prayers of an unbeleever bee his prayers never so glorious and his attendance on the means never so diligent yet the God of heaven regards not the performances and therefore say of thy unbeleeving soule as Haman did of Mordecay Ester 5.13 when the King had granted him all that his heart could desire and his requests were ever made good and his malice ever satisfied and the posts dispatched it to root out the Jewes and was invited to the Queenes feast yet one thing tooke away all the contentment of the other when he saw Mordecay sit in the Kings gate and reverenced him not this overthrew all as he did sinfully and foolishly so doe thou wisely and with great judgement and reason thus and say good Lord what availes it me to heare and pray and live unblamably so long as I see this unbeleefe perking it selfe in this corrupt heart of mine So long as this remaines all my praiers will doe me no good these will bring the wrath of God upon mee nay the wrath of God is upon mee and I am condemned already in my fasting prayer and all my holy duties Secondly confider that all the good things thou hast will prove uncomfortable to thee whiles this unbeleefe continues in thy soule it is very observable you know the heart of a man is sometimes cheared and the soule is contented partly with the good things of the world which it receives partly with other things not onely temporall but also spirituall which God gives now I would have an unbeleeving heart take off the contentment of these with the feare of this danger and this will dash all thy delights and spoile all thy pleasures and mar all thy mirth let that alwayes come for a back reckoning wee should thinke of this it might bee as gall to our corrupt hearts Thou liftest up thy parts and saist my parts are greats my abilities many I am able to conferre to performe duties bee it so that thou hast all these and another saith thou seest thy barnes full and store-house full thou hast honours to advance thee and riches and all delights to give thee content and I grant this and yet thou hast an unbeleeving heart to depart from the living God and when thou hast these Oh woe to that miserable soule of thine Good brethren thinke of these things it is good to heare of this now and better it is to know them now than to know them when it is too late now you have your houses and beds and pleasures to comfort you but you have an unfaithfull heart goe thy wayes poore wretch thou hast enough thou hast that about thee that will sink thy heart for ever Oh let this be written upon the palmes of your hands and graven upon the testures of thy bed and say this is a goodly house and I have goodly riches but I have an unfaithfull heart too labour to be affected with this for the Lords sake you know what Esau said prophanely when hee was like to die What 's my birth-right to me if I die for hunger Gen. 25.32 I tell you it will be as gall and wormewood to you when the drunkard is in his cups and the adulterer in his dalliances you may say I have this and that but what availes these when I have an unbeleeving wretched heart about me I carry my bane and that which will be my breake-necke Lastly when you begin to see some sinne base and vile and odious in the account of the world and sometimes in your owne account then thinke thus with your selves and say doe I see a basenesse in this and that sinne what then shall I thinke of my unbeleefe which is the breeder of all these could I see mine owne base heart it is the mother and breeder of all these sinnes thou art loth to be seene drunke in the street because the boyes would hoot at thee and thou art afeard of murder or theft because thou wouldst not be taken for a jayle-bird thou art ashamed of these wert thou but a witch or a traitour or a man condemned wouldst thou not be ashamed hadst thou but reason in thee thy soule would shake at it and say Oh wretch that I am that I should live to bring such discredit upon my selfe and all good men Oh goe thy way and looke into thy heart and say I may thanke an unbeleeving heart for all these if I had not had an unbeleeving heart I had not beene overtaken with any of all these sinnes nor dishonoured God by this sinne as I have done unbeleefe is the authour of all and therefore to be hated more than all I would faine have people looke inward thou hast stollen such a thing from such a man and thou art ashamed of it now infidelity can rob God of his honour and by this sinne thou hast refused the Lord Jesus Christ and thus dog thy owne heart ever and anon and when thou hast done so be earnest with the Lord to take these cursed corruptions from thee sigh especially under this sinne and labour above all to be freed from this sinne and then all the rest will dye and decay in thee I would have a poore unbeleever doe as the prisoners doe in New-gate what lamentable cries will they utter saying good your worship remember the miseries of poore prisoners good Gentleman spare a farthing to the wants of poore prisoners so thou art shut up in unbeleefe therefore looke out from the gates of hell and from under the barres of infidelity and crie that God would looke on thee in mercy and spare Lord a poore unbeleeving wretch lockt up under the barres of unbeleefe good Lord succour and deliver in thy good time and as the Prophet David saith Psal 79.11 Let the sighing of the prisoners come up before thee though that was meant of the bodily imprisonment yet the argument prevailes much more in regard of the spirituall thraldome good Lord let the sighing of the prisoners come before thee so goe thou thy way home and humble thy selfe in thy secret closet and cry out of the prison of unbeleefe and say Let the sighing of poore distrustfull soules come up before thy Majesty send helpe from heaven and deliver the soule of thy servant from these wretched distempers of heart deale in this case as men that are ingaged for prisoners so doe thou with the Lord Jesus Esa 49.8 9. it is the office of Christ and for this end hee came into the world and the Lord saith In an acceptable time I have heard thee and in the day of salvation have I helped thee that thou mayst say to the prisoners goe forth and to them that are in darknesse shew
how David makes the conclusion David was almost disquieted and his heart disquieted with the prosperitie of the wicked therefore hee said if this bee so then have I cleansed my hands in innocencie and washed my hands in vaine yet marke how hee recovers himselfe againe saying Whom have I in heaven but thee and there is none in earth that I desire in comparison of thee therefore it is good for me to draw neere to God Let the wicked take the world and their profits and their pleasures yet there is nothing in the world that I desire in comparison of the Lord Jesus Christ and his grace and goodnesse Consider it sadly the wicked have much wealth and friends and means Oh thou beloved faithfull soule thou hast the rich treasury of grace and mercy to inrich thee all this whole world is nothing to that rich treasury of mercy which faith brings in as Salomon saith in Ecclesiastes Money answers all if a man have money he may buy meat to feed him and cloth to apparell him and cover him If money will doe so much what will mercy doe then thou hast not wealth nor friends nor meanes but thou hast mercy from God in Christ and this will answer all it is better than friends and meanes and all therefore if thou hast this let thy heart be contented and know that thou hast a childs part and thy lot is fallen into a marvellous faire ground Secondly as faith takes off all miseries and supplies the want of them so in the second place faith takes away all feares for the time to come alas saith the soule friends and means and wealth are good but they continue not ever What if sicknesse come and if povertie come what shall I doe then and so the heart shakes at the feare of evill Now pray marke how faith cures all feares and takes off the edge of all those inconveniences that may bee brought upon a man as in the 112. Psalme 7. He shall not bee afraid of any evill tidings why for his heart is fixed and he beleeveth in the Lord for although heaven and earth may shake yet God and Christ and the promise will never faile and hee casting his heart there by faith he must needs hold What is it that a man may feare we feare the power and policy and malice of the devill and his wicked instruments now faith outbids these and faith rests upon the precious promises of God in Jesus Christ and faith perswades the heart that they have no power but from God and they cannot use that power further than God gives leave and they cannot have successe further than God goes with them they can goe no further than God gives a Commission Now sayes faith that God which orders the power of all these he is my God hee is the God of Hosts and none of all the armies can either command peace neither can they hinder peace therefore I adde a little more faith levies new forces from heaven against all the sorces of earth are the wicked politique then sayes faith the Lord is much more wise and is able to dash all their enterprises and are the wicked fierce and violent then faith lookes to God where there is more power to defend him than they can have to hurt him doe wee see the wicked maliciously bent and full of spleene to wrong the people of God faith sees mercy and goodnesse in the Lord that is more able to releeve us than all the wicked can bee to hurt us faith sayes if hell gates were open and all the devills were about thy eares they can doe nothing further than God gives them power and gives a Commission to them therefore I may bee quieted because God is more able to keepe me than they are to hurt me Thirdly faith it is that inables a man to all duties for imagine a man had all the power in his owne hands and had no wants present nor feared no wants nor troubles to come if yet hee were not able to doe what God required this would disquiet his heart therefore by faith the Lord inables a man to doe every duty that the Lord commends to him or expects from him It is the ground that Paul contents his heart withall Phil. 4.13 I can doe all things through the power of Christ which strengtheneth me I can bee poore and beare it and I can be rich and yet not surfet of the world I can doe all but how through the power of Christ inabling me therefore famous is that of Abraham Rom. 4.18 God had promised Abraham a childe and yet his body was dead and his wife barren and it was even against nature for him to beget a childe or for her to beare any Now how doth God provide for this Abraham under hope beleeved above hope and in the 21. verse because he was fully perswaded that he that had promised it was able to make it good there was no hope in nature that Abraham should beget a child his body being dead and no hope that she should beare any therefore faith goes to God that was able to quicken them hast thou a barren a dead heart as theirs was and therefore thy soule complaines and thou saist I shall never be able to goe through the worke required I know it is the complaint of many poore soules Oh send faith up to Heaven and beleeve in him that is able to succour you and to quicken you to whatsoever he requires content thy heart in this manner and say when thou findest thy heart dead I am ignorant but the Lord is able to inlighten my blinde minde and I have a dead barren heart but the Lord who is the God of power hee is able to quicken me and to releeve a poore dead blockish sinner Hee beleeved in him saith the Text which calleth things that are not as if they were Abraham is not lively and Sarah is not fruitfull but the Lord can make them so and therefore faith goes to God so thou shalt be wise and have thy heart quickned to whatsoever duty concernes Gods prayse and thy owne comfort so then hee that hath what hee will or can desire or stand in need of and he that hath all his feares removed and is inabled to doe all duties commanded nothing more can bee added to this man therefore why should not hee be contented what would you have you poore beleevers Quest Then the question here growes namely if it be so that faith makes a mans life easie and gives him full contentment in every condition then why is it thus as Gedeon said so if faith thus contents the soule then how comes it to passe that those poore silly creatures are so troubled with discouragements and discontentments and none so cast downe with their owne basenesse and vilenesse as they they hang downe their heads and goe drooping all the day long either saith one I have not faith or else if I have faith then why
that speech Iohn 16.9 it is the cause why our Saviour Christ doth challenge that sin where hee saith I will send the Comforter to the earth and when he is come he shall convince the world of sinne because they beleeved not on him a Minister may haply convince a man of his drunkennesse and the Magistrat may convince him of his swearing but the Lord from heaven by that almightie power of his must set downe the heart and convince it of this sinne or else a man cannot see that he beleeves not nay let a man goe from pole to pole and aske all the drunkards and all the vile rakeshames and tell them thus You are a drunkard a swearer and the like they say I confesse it is true it is my infirmitie and I confesse it but tell them of unbeleefe and they will not acknowledge that but this fine spun wickednesse and this spirituall wickednesse of the soule is a meere turning off from God and so from Christ and the truth and the promise and therefore not easily discerned Reason 2 Secondly as it is hard to see the want of this grace of faith so it is marvellous difficult to see the use and need and benefit and helpe that will come from this grace nay wee are more ready to bee perswaded of the need and benefit of any grace naturally than of this grace of faith as an ignorant man and a weake man when he is asked a question and a point of dispute hee saith Oh that I had learning and were able to dispute the reason is because hee is sensible of his want of knowledge in that kinde and when a poore Christian comes to joyne in prayer and in conference with others it may be his abilities are small and when he heares such a man pray so holily and able to give such wholesome counsell hee saith Oh that I had that gift in prayer and those parts and abilities what a happy man should I be he is sensible that hee wants the power of prayer and abilities to conferre and all this while he saith not a word of his unbeleefe he complains not of that the reason is because all those abilities that carrie a man to his duty towards men we are more sensible of the want of them because that our credit and respect lies upon them because a man thinkes if he want these it is a discredit and hee shall want that respect that he might have therefore because these carry a man to his duty towards man and make for our credit wee are sensible of the need and use of them but faith in the next worke of it is to close with God and to fasten upon him and to rely upon the precious promises all these are beyond the reach of the world â—nd unbeleefe is the withdrawing of it selfe from God and Christ now because unbeleefe doth not so much hinder us in our duties towards man and because faith I meane in the next worke of it for faith doth fit us for duties and the like but because faith in the next worke of it doth not so much furnish us with abilities to carry us outwardly towards man and also because unbeleefe hinders us not in the same therefore wee are not sensible of the need and use of faith nor of the hurt and the danger of the other Reason 3 Thirdly hence it followes undeniably that as a poore sinner is hardly brought to see the want of faith and sees lesse need of faith than of any other grace because hee hath lesse need of it outwardly in the next worke of it therefore a Christian bestowes least care and time about faith and hath small and feeble desires after it and little care to get it but it is plainly proved before that a Christian is hardly convinced that hee wants faith and seeth lesse need of faith naturally than of any other grace and therefore hee hath lesse care to get it for that which a man seeth but little need and use of that he hath least care to get this I desire to make use of and so I desire my fellow brethren and Ministers this is the common course of the world take a sinner whose eyes God hath opened and revealed his sinnes and corruptions to him and let him see his wrath from heaven against him and drives a man to a stand so that hee saith if this be so then I am a damned man and so he is even staggering now in this extremitie marke the behaviour of this poore soule hee will doe any thing but beleeve and seeke for any thing but for faith hee will confesse and crie out of his sinne and resolve amendment and the drunkard loathâ— his old company and the adulterer will not goe after his lusts any more and the covetous mâ—â— in the horrour of conscience will rid his hands of all his ilâ— gotten goods and send for one man and call for another and make restitution and all this while not one word of faith nor of going our of himselfe to a Christ for mercie and succour for him â—ay those that have beene desperat persecutours of God and of his much and grace upon their death-beds they will turne to God and love his people and now those will pray which formerly have scorned prayer and they will doe this and that and yet all this while not one word of this precious faith the reason issues from the â—wo former things because they are not convinâ—ed that they want faith and doe not see the â—eed and use of faith and therefore doe not desire nor looke after it so gather up all and the summe is this if all men by nature are marvellous â—ardly convinced that they want faith and see the â—â—rtle and if all men bestow least care how to get his faith then the case is cleare and it is no marâ—ell though the most men want faith now wee have laid the inditement and it is marvellous â—aire you see and you cannot but confesse it for 〈◊〉 is against reason to deny it as some stuâ—dy hyâ—ocrites doe that will beleeve nothing but what â—hey list and yet they will be beleevers too Now let us come to plead the inditment â—ow mee thinkes every mans heart should tremble within him and â—â—e thinkes your very countenances doe suggest what your hearts doe desire let every man cast his head up and downe and paâ—ly wiâ—â— himselfe in this manner and saâ— Good Lord is it so that many families in the kingdome are unbeleevers and many people in the bosome of the Church want faith then why not my family too if most parents want faith thâ—â— why not my parents too and if many children want faith then why not my children too and if many soules want faith then why not my soule too nay it is ten to one that many that heare the word of God this day and many that liveâ—â— the bosome of the Church want faith mee thinkes I heare some say and am not
his heart must needs have a gracious and a godly life if a man have much sap within and no signe of it without it is certaine it is no true faith as it is with a tree the tree that hath much sap in the root will have much fruit in the branches and the more sap it hath the more fruit it will have looke as it is with the floud-gates the wider the sloud-gate is the greater is the streame which comes thorow it so were thy faith the faith of Gods elect then the more faith a man had to lay hold upon the Lord Jesus Christ the more sap and grace he would receive from Christ and the greater would be the streame of grace that would run out in all holy obedience to the Lord Jesus Christ but when a man brags that he hath much faith within yet if his conversation be without pith and savour it is nothing but a conceit and an apprehension as for the power of Christ and the life of Christ this man never knew it nor never had it The fourth and last sort is the counterfeit that hath a forged kinde of faith in such a manner that they will sometimes bee ready to couzen a holy judicious man and themselves too they exceed all the former and there is no disputing of the difference betweene those two that are past and this man that followes I told you that hee was a Chynicall and an Alcumie man and one that hath something to say for himselfe hee hath the picture of faith drawne marvellous curiously and he hath the appearance of some plea for himselfe and he hath the resemblance of this blessed worke and that prettie lively too of these there are three sorts one exceeds the other in degrees and yet all fals short of this blessed work of faith First the temporarie beleever wee take him as the lowest forme a man is called a temporary bleever that beleeveth for a time and is hot at first hand and admirable fierce in the pursuit of the truth for the present push but hee slides off and goes away and you shall see him no more now that wee may deale home in the businesse for hee that will search in a narrow case cannot doe it suddenly therefore suffer mee to lay this man open in three particulars First we will give him audience and heare what he can say for himselfe hee shall come as it were into the open court and plead his owne cause Secondly I will shew where he failes Thirdly give you the reasons why he fals short For the first he shall discover it himselfe And for the second the word shall lay it open And for the third I will shew you how and what he is For the first of these let the temporary speake in his owne language and put his plea in his owne behalfe and give him but a faire hearing and you shall have thus much of him hee professeth clearly that hee hath not onely as the judicious man had an apprehension of the truth onely and an assent that the Scriptures are cleare and true but hee saith thus much that his affections are carried on in a kinde of longing after it and they are taken aside and stirred by the Word of the Lord and both his heart and affections have a rellish of the goodnesse of Gods word this is his profession and he will make it good to you too this comes something neere faith and there is some colour for him to plead that hee hath some confidence in God there are three things in Scripture that he saith for himselfe as Luke 8.13 the stony ground there is the temporarie and the text saith two things of him That he receives the word with joy and beleeveth for a time these two things are there averred and are in the heart of this man the receiving of the word with joy is the tickling of the affections with the apprehension of the sweetnesse of the truth and his beleeving is not onely a bare assent to the truth but a worke of the will in a kinde of hourlinesse in application these fall short of the spirituall worke namely thus when the treasures of wisdome and holinesse are laid open before the soule of a poore sinner and when the unsearchable riches of Gods love in Christ are let in and come home to the heart of a stony ground hearer the will is tickled therewith and his inward man is stirred and bedewed hourely with the sweetnesse thereof this is the beleeving for a time Iohn 15.35 our Saviour saith Iohn was a burning and a shining light and you were willing for a season to have rejoyced in his light one man that is at a losse and out of his way or another that is benummed and set with cold the one seeth the fire and is content to come to it to warme himselfe but when it burns him away goes he so they delighted in the ministery of Iohn and it was pretty good while it was new but when it begun to scorch then they would heare him no more thus it was with those temporaries that flew off from Christ Iohn 6.34 when Christ told them that Moses gave them not that bread from heaven but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven for the true bread is hee which came downe from heaven and giveth life to the world and they said Lord evermore give us this bread but they that would ever have of this bread they soone after vomitted him up againe and said This is an hard saying who can beare it the second instance of Scripture is this Heb. 6.4 5. It is impossible for those that were once inlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and were made partakers of the holy Ghost and have tasted of the good word of God and the powers of the world to come c. this is such a kinde of taste as may be and is in such a man as shall never have share in life and salvation as the Apostle afterwards makes it cleare the heavenly gift is the grace of faith and the good word of the Lord is the goodnesse of the word I will open my selfe thus observe that this taste cannot be the taste of the understanding properly for if hee were once inlightened and hath tasted saith the text to say inlightened and inlightened is without sense and makes a kinde of unreasonablenesse in the dispute of the Apostle and therefore it is something more than the work of judging and assenting Secondly it is not the disgesting of the heavenly gift for this man hath onely the taste of the heavenly gift now a man may taste of a precious liquor and a man may sip of a cordiall that hath no power to make perfect use of it Againe thirdly it is a worke and stroke of the will and affections here you may see the carnall hypocrite even almost at heaven and yet he fals short and when he is in hell he shall say I had thought
before ever you can bee comforted as for this temporary beleever his eyes were never opened convictingly to see his sinnes and his heart was never burthened with them nor loosned from them that so the Lord Christ and his comforts might be setled upon therefore in Hosea 2.14 I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speake friendly to her and I will give her vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for the doore of hope first in the wildernesse and then in Canaan first in sorrow then in comfort the valley of Achor is the valley of consternation and then the doore of hope this is the way toward Zion but this temporary hath invented a new way to Zion he doth as Ruffians doe they will goe in the â—oad way so farre as they finde good way but when they come into bad way they breake over hedges and finde a new way whether lawfull or unlawfull they care not so doth this man he takes his comfort as soone as ever it comes hee snatches at all the comforts of the Gospell and thinks they are all his owne and all on the sudden he is a forward professour at three or foure dayes warning and his heart snatcheth at every Sermon of mercie and he is as good a Christian by and by as many a poore soule which hath tugged hard for it many a yeare but his conscience was never awakened he never felt the burthen of his sinnes nor the wrath of God against him for his sinnes this temporary promises to himselfe nothing but ease and peace and prosperity therefore when sorrowes and troubles and miseries come he goes away with as much speed as he came like Ionahs gourd that came up suddenly and withered as suddenly so in the beginning of the yeare hee is a hot professour and before the fall of the leafe he is gone againe the wound of this man was this he wanted the worke of the law not onely that through-worke of the law which none shall have but such as have faith but also that legall worke of the law which should breake and hammer his heart this is the stonie ground-hearer he wanted depth of earth what that was wee shall dispute anon when occasion serves the meaning is thus much in the generall the plow which should have given earth and mould enough it was the sharp law which should have torne up his proud sturdy rebellious heart all in peeces but this man never had this worke and therefore his proud heart beat backe the worke of the promise that it never had roome in his heart comfort and consolation will never sticke nor abide upon a proud heart nor upon a stubborne and unbroken heart which was yet never broken for sinne plaisters may be made but they shall never finde ease and comfort by them as they desire you may goe away comforted and say God is mercifull and Christ is gracious and he came to save sinners and though our workes will not justifie us yet the Lord Jesus Christ will save us your plaister will not sticke thus he failes in the entrance to the promise Secondly he failes in his application of the promise for the ground upon which he goes or the cause and reason which carries him to roame after the promise it is onely the generall notice of mercie and of the salvation that God offers the glimpse and the shine whereof being let in upon the heart and passing by jogs the soule and so the heart snatcheth at it he comes to heare the abundance of mercie and the rich redemption and plentifull goodnesse of Christ to pardon all sinnes the sinne against the holy Ghost onely excepted and the freenesse of mercy to all sorts of sinners be they never so many for number never so vile for nature yea he heareth that there is a fountaine set open for all to wash in when he heares this hee saith that 's well then I may come to heaven too and there is some hope that I may receive mercie never considereth the condicions upon which God promiseth and bestoweth mercie whereas the man that is a true beleever hath not only a common kinde of apprehension of the mercie of God in Christ but he hath a particular application of it I will open it thus that every man may take something the temporarie hath a common hear-say of mercie and the common hear-say of mercie in the bare letter of them as that Jesus Christ came to save sinners it is in the bruit of it onely but the humbled soule hath it under the hand of the Spirit and the Spirit seales it and makes it good to him the promise of life slides and passeth by the temporary beleever but now the Spirit of God settles it and it takes a deep and a through impression in the heart of a beleever by application the Spirit of God only as it were jogs the heart of a temporarie beleever but he sets it on deeply upon the heart that is humbled and fitted for it as the Angell said unto Gideon The Lord is with thee thou valiant man so the Lord faith to every humbled soule not onely that the Lord is gracious and mercifull for thus he saith to the temporarie beleever but he is gracious and mercifull to thee and hee will speake peace and comfort to thee which hast spoken trouble and terrour to thine owne heart as in the 1 Cor. 2.12 Wee have not received the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are given to us of God God not only gives us good things but he hath given his Spirit that we may know that it is he which hath given us these good things Thirdly and lastly this temporary beleever failes and fals shott upon this ground also I told you the soule is effectually perswaded to rest upon the free grace of God and to fall into the armes of his mercie now the temporary failes also in the worke of relying that which feeds his hope and stayes his heart is nothing else but the taste and present sweetnesse which he had in the promise he relyes upon the taste and sense which hee had by the sip of the promise and hence it is that when the taste is gone the sweetnesse of the present push is gone that then there comes trouble and sorrow more heavie and more able to vex him than all the other was to comfort him then hee begins to repent him of his match and thinkes that all his profession will not quit cost now when that taste and that comfort which he had failes him and sorrow and afflictions come and overpowers his sweetnesse and comfort then hee fals away but a man that hath true saving faith rests himselfe not upon the taste and sense of this good but upon the goodnesse of God in the promise and upon the all-sufficiency of God in the promise he seeth more good in the promise than in all the
of God you that travell up and downe mourne in secret and say Here is every man busie in the world one makes haste this way another that way so many chapmen and clothiers going up and downe every weeke and yet how few goe home to Christ by faith and receive mercy from him in truth I condemne my owne soule because I have not a heart to mourne for them we reprove their sinnes and condemne them for their sinne and wee must doe so but where are the heart bloud petitions that wee put up for them and where are the teares that wee make for the slaine of our people if they will needs goe to hell let us bury them with bitter lamentations and not only should we doe this but also you tender hearted mothers and you that live one with another you tender hearted wives you have husbands and you prize them and love them and some good you have from them consider this when you see your husbands take lewd courses let your hearts breake over them and say Oh woe is mee for that poore husband of mine Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already hee is cast in heaven and in earth both by law and Gospell there is no releefe for him can you sit by a condemned husband and eat and drinke and lye by a condemned husband and never mourne for him haply you follow him from one taphouse to another and still a condemned man doe you love your husbands if they were poore you would mourne for them if they were dead you would mourne for them and say alas I am left a poore widow but he is a condemned husband and hath not a dram of faith and yet you cannot mourne for him mee thinkes the sight of this should make you sinke againe but alas our hearts are flinty and we cannot mourne and the like I may say of you mothers there are many of you whom God hath given children beautifull obedient and wise Oh mourne for them that so many come into the world and so few come home to Christ by faith the Lord be mercifull to us in this last age of the world wee meerly scramble for our owne comfort and regard not our salvation therefore get you home and mourne for them and say Oh these poore children which I have brought up and had much comfort from they are poore condemned children this were enough to sinke us Secondly it should bee a ground to make us search into our selves and thinke that the staffe stands at our doore imagine the hand-writing comes upon every man then let every man take his portion and say No faith no Christ and so consequently no salvation by Christ looke to thy owne soule and say Have I found faith in the Lord Jesus Christ if there be not then I can tell my owne doome the sentence is past already shall we thinke of these and yet live quietly lay this under your pillow and say How can I sleep a condemned man and sleep what if God should take away my life ere morning hell is prepared and I fall into it let every man take account of his owne heart and say Have I any faith husband wife childe hast thou any faith It may be saith one I have it as well as another but how doe you prove it and how will you doe if you have it not no ignorant person no carnall Gospeller none of all these hath faith what so many men that have so much knowledge and yet fall short of faith and salvation Lord what shall become of mee is there any faith here make it good then or else yeeld the day and confesse that there is no faith and then there is some hope say I am a thousand miles off from faith I never knew what it was to be thus inlightened and to bee wounded for sinne I can commit sinne and play with sinne but I never knew what it was to be wounded for sinne I never knew what it was to be zealous in a good course there are many strict truths that I have not a heart to receive I confesse I have no faith now if you yeeld this then there is some hope that you may get out therefore take this advice goe to some faithfull humble experienced Christian and to some faithfull Minister and intreat them to advise you how to get faith but doe not goe to a faithlesse heart that hath no savour of grace nor godnesse in him how can he tell that which he never had experience of make privie search whether ever you had grace or no and if not then labour to know the way how to come to it if a mans state did lye at hazzard he would have every mans opinion and hee would inquire of this man and that man whether his evidences were sound and his title good and he would spare for no paines not cost much more should we doe it for the title of eternall life there is much conterfeit faith in the world and thousands perish upon this ground like motes in the sunne and never know where they are till they are in hell therefore goe to the Lord by prayer aske the counsell of some faithfull Minister and never rest till thy heart is perswaded of it Vse last It is of exhortation you that see the way walke in it you that know the way I should set an edge on your desires and endevours labour I say hard for this blessed grace as for you that have beene labourers you are to be encouraged continue your prayers and quicken those endevours every day more and more you that never did yet you are to be provoked to the performance of the dutie and give no sleep unto your eyes nor rest unto your selfe untill you have this and here are two things to be done First you must labour to get it Secondly you must labour to use it when you have it First you must labour to get faith we ought to make it our daily taske and study the aime of a mans desire the maine white and marke that we should shoot at in all our labours I would not have men account this as a matter of course a dutie reserved for a rainy day as sometime I have observed here in the countrie they will delay their base services their lesser necessities for a rainy day when they can do nothing else but O let us count it the most necessary duty and not to reserve faith for a sick bed an old age a crazy body only to get faith to goe unto Christ when weare going out of the world no this is unseasonable this is unreasonable and therefore take this home to you and make it the maine businesse of thy life to get faith I would have a Christian count all the endevours that he did besides his duties and performances to count them all losse wherein he hath not made some step in this glorious grace why alas your hearing your sacrifices will never profit you unlesse
thinke hee will cast off you take heed of that depart not from the Lord for that is to follow lying vanities and that is to forsake your owne mercies so the soule of a poore sinner should reason thus T is true my sins are many my wants are exceedingly multiplied I have sinned against God and am discouraged and shall I be more discouraged and sinne more against God I am miserable by departing from God and shall I depart more from God and be more miserable thou darest not goe to Christ for mercie why because thou hast sinned and wilt thou depart from God still and be more sinfull that is against all reason Cure 2 The second cure is this all this while I speake to broken hearted sinners those that are obstinate wicked and ungodly men stand you by you must give mee leave to deale the childrens bread to them you had your portion formerly let the children have their bread also and take their share too the second cure therefore is this make conscience either not to attend to or not judge thy selfe or thy estate by any carnall reason without a warrant I will repeat it againe because I would not have you forget it make conscience I say either to attend to or judge thy selfe or thy estate by any carnall reason or carnall plea without reason or warrant as thus it is the fashion of poore distressed spirits to passe heavie doome and to set downe heavie sentences upon themselves upon false or weake or groundlesse arguments as I never found Gods mercie I never felt it I never was perswaded of it I feare it will not be so thus we have these carnall pleas which our mindes invent and Satan suggests and wee judge our selves by these as the witnesses that should warrant our estates as the Judge that should determine of our estates now make conscience of judging thy estate in this manner you that are broken hearted for to you I speake this kinde of course is naught and this sinne is more hainous than you imagine for when thou concludest certainly thy estate is naught and God hath given you no grace upon these grounds mark against how many Commandments thou sinnest first thou dost wrong thine owne honour that God hath put upon thee in giving thee grace thou sinnest also against the third Commandement in wanting that reverence which is due to Gods name and the worke of grace hee hath wrought in thy soule thou dampest thy owne heart and art a spirituall murtherer and so sinnest against the sixt Commandement thou robbest thy selfe of that comfort of heart and refreshment of minde that God hath prepared for thee and offered unto thee and so sinnest against the eighth commandement nay you doe beare false witnesse infinitely you speake against your selves to the overthrowing of your soules and you beare false witnesse against Christ and his Spirit and the worke of his grace whereby you are sealed up to the day of redemption and you joyne sides with the Devill in this case But you will say Object Truly I speake as I thinke and affirme as I am perswaded Answ I answer this hinders not but thou bearest false witnesse if thou affirmest a thing thou hast no ground for thou bearest false witnesse though it be true this is a rule which Divines hold if a man should affirme peremptorily such a man is a drunkard and yet he knowes it not though he be so yet hee beareth false witnesse because a mans witnesse must bee upon ground and knowledge so thou peremptorily affirmest what I grace no will God vouchsafe any good to mee I will never beleeve it now thou certainly affirmest of thy selfe that thou hast no true grace when there is no ground for it but suspition and feare and the like and therefore thou bearest false witnesse against thy soule observe this the rather because of the sinfull distempers that creep into the hearts of many Christians broken and humbled and it is usuall and common this is their guise out of a selfe will of carnall reasonings and out of a base haunt of heart they swell against themselves and their owne soules their hearts come to bee perswaded that they are not in a right course that they walke not in a right way unlesse they bee quarrelling and opposing the worke of Gods grace in their soules and out of a selfe conceit of theirs that they are moulded into by custome they thinke they have libertie to doe so and that they doe well in so doing now thinke of it you that are humble know that you sinne fearfully all this while and it is very remarkable to take notice of the soule in this kinde in a case of conscience when a poore broken hearted sinner hath his judgement informed when reasons are plaine and when the comforts are cleerly evidenced when Scriptures are undeniable these poore creatures now doe not so much attend what you speak and what the Minister saith and the Word delivers but all their care is how they may answer a mans reason and put off the force of an argument and they count it a matter of weaknesse if they cannot answer any thing that is propounded to them for their comfort it is admirable to consider and but that daily experience teacheth us wee would not speake it nor could we beleeve it therefore take notice of it and know that howsoever you give leave to your owne soules to doe this and have invented reasons and arguments to gainsay the power of the truth and to defeat the power of the Word goe aside and wonder that the Lord hath not taken away from thee all the worke of his grace and all the comfort of his Spirit admire at this that when thou hast cast off all grounds of comfort yet God doth vouchsafe it to thy soule the Prophet David prayeth that the Lord would turne away his eyes from beholding of vanitie now if a man must turne away his eyes from beholding of vanitie he must turne away his thoughts from attending to vanitie much more hath God ever given me a minde to consent to Satan hath God ever given me a tongue to parly with Satan I have something else to doe I must attend to the counsels of God I must attend and listen to the voice of God I must not listen to the suggestions of Satan that I have nothing to doe withall I sinne deeply in so doing no man in reason will deale with a cheator if hee know him to be a cheator unlesse he meane to be couzened so it ought to be our wisdome carnall reason is a cheator and an old deceiver let us not therefore attend thereunto nor be ruled thereby unlesse we resolve to be cheated but if the sinne cannot scare you yet let the miserie that will follow thereupon force you and drive your hearts from it in Esa 50.2 last verses the text saith Who is among you that feareth the Lord let him heare the voice of his servant he
wonders without number though you could never finde out such things yet God can doe them though the thing bee never so great he can doe it though the thing be never so hard he can accomplish it nay though thou canst not number and account them God can doe great things without number and work wonders beyond measure and therefore judge not God by what thou conceivest and imaginest judge not his infinitenesse according to the weak scantling of thy imaginations Cure 4 The fourth cure is this and it is specially to be observed above all the rest in thy proceeding with thy selfe and in thy judgement of thy selfe repaire unto the word of the Lord and passe not sentence upon thy owne soule but according to the evidence and verdict thereof you will certainly forget it I have had so much experience thereof but I beseech you thinke of it in all determinations of thy estate when thou consultest whether thou art in a good estate or in a bad estate let thy sentence and judgement upon thy selfe be passed by the word if thou art to bee approved let the Word of God approve thee if thou art to be condemned let the word of God condemne thee if thou art to be examined let the Word of God examine thee passe not care not what the world faith and what temptations suggest but heare what Christ saith and listen only what the Word of God saith and what verdict that passeth and if the Word of God speaks for thee no matter though men and Angels speake against thee and if the Word speake against thee no matter though all the friends in the world speake for thee but be sure alwayes to appeale to the Word if a man have a suit in law and some pettie lawyers would handle it if he be wise hee will not let them hee will stay till the Judge comes to the assizes then he will determine it so deale with thy soule doe not put thy estate to be tried and thy condition to be scanned with a companie of wrangling lawyers as imaginations of heart and vanities of minde and carnall reasonings but stay till the Judge comes and yeeld to the verdict of the truth Ephes 5.13 the text saith All things when they are reproved of the light shall be made manifest for it is light that makes all things manifest the light is the light of the word and the evidence of the truth now observe it all sense and feelings and carnall reasonings are like clouds and mists that a man cannot see his way but bring all to the light and then the case will be discovered and thy estate made manifest what it is Matth. 11.29 apply the counsell which Christ there gives and wee should follow Learne of me saith he for I am humble and meeke and you shall finderest unto your soules as the Psalmist observes it I will heare what the Lord saith to my soule so take Gods counsell and say I will heare what the Lord Jesus Christ will say and to him I will attend not what carnall reason or doubts or feares or suspitions will say but what the Lord will say this is the cause we want rest the cause why men have restlesse conditions and daily doubtings and quarrellings and can finde no soâ—ring for their soules to rest upon no bottome to beare no foundation to hold them up the caâ—â—e is because they will not learne of their Father and of the Lord Jesus Christ hence it is that distressed soules cast off comfort what I grace and what I ever receive good and I title to the promise that were strange no it belongs to humble and broken hearted ones were I so humbled as such and so inlarged as such Christians then there were some hope but I that am so full of weaknesses and of frailties and now and then overcome by distempers what I faith no I can never thinke it I suspect I never had it I doubt I never shall have it nay I conclude all is naught for the while who told you so where learned you that where learned you all these kindes of resolutions and conclusions why I feare it I suspect it and imagine it and the like why then feare told you so and not the Lord Jesus Christ this is the case and I exhort you that are servants of the Lord observe and take notice of this I say learne of the Lord and take notice of the truth of the Lord and then you shall finde rest to your soules you complaine you have not quiet and comfort and you shall never bee assured of Gods love but you shall goe with griefe and sorrow to your graves why it is your owne fault learne of your father and then you shall have rest you put your estates to be determined by carnall reason and your doubts and infirmities tell you so you shall never come to rest while the world stands why here is no rest to be had no ease to be expected learne of the Lord Jesus his word is sure himselfe faithfull and his promise true and when you repaire thither you shall finde rest if you rest upon a right bottome you shall have comfort and consolation vouchsafed unto you But you will say Object May not a man bee deceived and what if I should may not I as well as another and what if I should Ans Observe what now I say and I am fully perswaded that many poore soules are staggering and working with themselves about their owne estate I answer that it is possible for a man to bee couzened in regard of himselfe but I aske this question who shall teach thee and direct thee and establish thee upon a right bottome turne whither thou wilt and doe what thou canst thou must come to the word of God the word of God can only settle thy soule and establish thy conscience in the assurance of Gods love and therefore thou must come to this and before thou doest come to this thou canst never have establisht perswasions of Gods love and all those abilities thou dreamest of thou saist such a man is humbled and wert thou so gracious and so carried on in a good course it were somewhat why how doest thou know whether he be cozened or no how doest thou know his humiliation is sound and his consolation good but know that the word of God is the Judge I meane the law whereby thou shalt bee judged when all thy hopes and all thy sense and feelings and perswasions of others shall never bee heard but cast off the word of God must onely judge thee therefore now judge thy selfe by that which shall judge thee when this life shall not be Now for our direction herein foure things are observable how to order our selves aright to learne this skill to repaire to the word and to gaine evidence and cleare apprehension of our owne estates by attending to the truth these rules are especially observable and here lies the maine cure of carnall reason
him and undoe him as well as ten thousand therefore take order with all creditors that is the wisest way so it is with the soule that lies at the mercy of the Lord that is in so deepe arrerages that it cannot helpe it selfe the onely way is to take order with all occasions not onely answer judgement that it may not object against us but labour to still conscience that it may not accuse us but bee on our side and then all will bee on our side The want of this is the cause why new suits are made and new bills put up against the soule the want of satisfying conscience as experience teacheth us in cases of conscience take a poore sinner that hath all objections and cavils answered fully aske a poore distressed soule are these all the doubts you have and objections that you have yes and are they all answered aye have you any thing to object against the answers no therefore now doth conscience say it is a sinne to deny you have any grace here he stounds and staggers and demurs upon the matter and shakes his head and saith Alas I dare not say so nay I rather say the contrary marke how reasons were answered the bookes drawne the accounts made up and yet conscience is not satisfied but puts in a new plea therefore call a court and trace the businesse againe hath not God wrought this in you that though you are now and then captived by sin yet you say you are willing to be deterred from it willing that God should take possession of you and rule you is not this in your heart the soule saith I should deny the worke of Gods grace to say the contrary why then this is the worke of grace then it is against conscience to deny this therefore conscience give up your bill and cancell all this for I say hath not this man grace yea I affirme he hath let conscience be fully satisfied in this case and when conscience is brought on our side and speaks for us all the cavils that Satan casts and the heart makes conscience will cleare the heart and stands by a man and cleareth all these cavils 1 Iohn 3.12 For if our conscience condemne us not then have wee boldnesse before God the meaning is if our conscience acquit us and speake for us then we are bold before God I know the man he is yet alive that in the extremity of horrour of heart and desperate feare said that hee had sinned against the holy Ghost and therefore would make away himselfe now that which kept him from that wicked attempt was this his conscience told him before that at such a time his heart was sincere before the Lord and that restrained him from that attempt and sustained him against the fiery push of temptation and God afterward blest him with the assurance of his love and favour Rule 3 The third rule is this wee should strive mightily to have our hearts overpowred by the evidence of the truth which reason and conscience make good to us that it may quietly entertaine it and humbly and calmly welcome it that what reason saith and conscience concludes the heart may say Amen and set his seale to that and yeeld and subject it selfe to it This is the third thing and here we sticke for these three things are in the soule of a man that doth as it were maintaine opposition against the evidence of the Word and the verdict of God therein First reason objects secondly conscience accuseth and the heart that is the will gaine-saith the will of a man will not come under submission but it is still on the thwarting hand and wee finde it by experience in the course of temptation when a man hath attended all that can be when a man hath stilled conscience and that is brought on our side yet notwithstanding the heart out of a stubbornnesse not being fully mastered and out of a stoutnesse not fully conquered it gaine-sayes it and raiseth up new and keeps the old quarrells those old quarrels that have beene answered long agoe that a man would have thought they had beene dead long agoe a mans stout heart will bring those in afresh againe it is in this case with a poore sinner as it is with a man that hath a contentious adversary that delights in wrangling the case haply hath beene tried in all the courts in England at last it comes into the Chancery and there it is concluded against him and the decree passed so that now all the businesse is established the Lawyers have pleaded it the Judge determined it and the man is overthrown and therefore now in reason he should sit downe and yeeld but the wrangling party perswades him that hee will not yeeld but hee will goe to law againe and sell all he hath before hee will let let it goe thus therefore hee begins the suit againe and puts in the old plea till at last the Judge knowing the man casts off his plea and flings off his cause and puts him in prison How dare you against the court and the sentence set downe put in the old plea and trouble the court and the law in this nature so it is with the soule the heart of a gracious man humbled in some meaâ—ure and in truth could be content now and then to yeeld to the evidence of reason and verdict of conscience and the soule comes to bee cheered Blessed be God my estate is better than I thought but there is an old breed-bate and proud stout heart a sturdy selfe-wild heart and that begins to bring in the old plea and will maintaine the old quarrell though reason confuted them and conscience condemned the weaknesse thereof and they have beene answered from day to day yet against knowledge and conscience and truth and reason and all the sinner you shall finde out of his distemper of spirit will keep his old objections and maintaine his old cavils and if they were answered over night hee will have them againe in the morning whereas a man would have thought they would never have durst appeared before the evidence of the truth any more because the case was so fully answered and so fully satisfied therefore the wound is here labour therefore to cure it namely get thy heart so far awed get thy soule so far overpowerd with the soveraigne command royall authority of the truth that it may submit it selfe and yeeld to what ever word the Lord reveals to what ever truth the Lord discovers to the soule and beware especially that thou dost not out of a selfe-wild waywardnesse reject and refuse the evidence of the truth and the verdict that the Word passeth upon thy soule for thy everlasting good that because thou hast not comfort as thou wilt therefore thou wilt have none at all it is not so much because thou canst not receive the promise but because out of a waywardnesse of heart thou wilt not entertaine the promise that causeth
you to feares and suspitions you are gone Psal 119.98 By thy commandements thou hast made me wiser that mine enemies but what is the reason of it they are ever with me so Satan is wise and carnall reason and the world and temptations are subtill but blessed be our God that makes every poore ignorant creature that beleeves in him and rests upon him wiser than all his enemies wiser than the cunning serpent wiser than the subtill pleas of carnall reason wiser than the cunning of all temptations let the Word be continually with you from day to day and that will make you discover all the sleights and stratagems and all the cunning tricks of Satan and not only shew you what is amisse but thereby you shall get ground to your soules to answer all Satans pleas Satan deales with the soule of a proud sinner in this case as enemies in the warre as Iosuah 8. you know when Iosuah went to defeat the men of Ai hee towled them out of the Citie his armie fled before them as formerly and they all fallied out of the Citie upon them and when he had them out of the Citie the men in ambush circumvented them and then they that fled turned back upon them before and the rest burnt the Citie had the men of Ai kept within the Citie it is true God could have overthrowne it but yet they might have put it to the venture they might have tried it out but when they had left the Citie there was no hope so Satan deales with the soule our castle or trenches are the promises of God Gods Word and ordinances especially the promises are the trenches whereby the soules of Gods servants are fortified now if Satan can but get you out of your trenches and towle you out of your castle he hath what he would have if you will listen to every carnall reason and to every temptation and talke and parly with it then Satan hath you in ambush and will surprise you if he can make you lose ground in the promise he damps your spirits and will intangle you in temptations and hinder the comfort of your soules the advice I give you in this case is that of Iohn 1 Iohn 2.28 Little children if yee abide in Gods commandements yee abide in God if we abide in Gods counsels and ordinances and promises wee abide in him he speaks to the weake as if hee had said you are weake and feeble I know the blindnesse of your mindes how unable you are to foresee temptations and weake and unable to beare temptations and I know that Satan goes about like a roaring lion seeking whom hee may devoure and you are little lambs weake and feeble and unable to withstand him but little children abide in God keep home keep home and then you are sure to be safe Whensoever dangers are abroad or any danger in the streets we keepe the doore shut to keepe little ones within that they may catch no harme abroad and if they get out and get a knock and come crying we say why did you not keep within then who bade you goe out then so you that are little ones in the Lord Jesus Christ when Satan and all the armies of hell are combining against you keepe within your trenches dwell in God and abide in him you will goe out now and then and tamper with carnall reasons and Satans cavill and come home with a broken heart and troubled spirit and comfort is gone and assurance is gone and all is gone keepe home then I charge you what have you to doe abroad therefore intrench your selves in the promises of God and keepe your selves within the Castle of Gods Ordinances and Commandements and then be safe and sure The issue then is this judge thy soule by the Word and looke upon the sincere part and doe not take thy soule on the worst hand and what thou so judgest to be in labour to convince thy conscience thereof and to have conscience speake for thee what reason is informed and conscience convinced of labour to make thy heart subject and submit and yeeld thereunto without any gain-saying what reason allowes and conscience witnesseth let thy soule entertaine and not a word more and what thy heart submits unto hold to that and maintaine it for ever and never let it goe this is the meanes whereby a soule distressed may repaire to God in the use of Gods ordinances and may receive joy and established comfort to thy dying day and may goe singing to thy grave let Satan tempt let the world allure let corruption stirre and the heart quarrell keepe within doores keepe within your trenches and remaine safe from danger Looke as it is with a man that hath his house well prepared and his foundations firmly built when the windes blow and the stormes beat upon his house hee sleeps most quietly because hee is in a house where he is safe and free from danger the windes blow not in him the water pierces not through you that have title to Christ and grace and to the promises they are they that will keep you and defend you against winde and weather though the windes roare from East to West though the stormes beat though Satan be never so subtill and corruptions never so violent nay though hell gates were open and all the devils in hell rored upon thy soule and all the fiercenesse of temptations assault you from day to day lie close and bring your hearts to fasten to the promises of the Lord Jesus Christ keepe within doores keep within your castles sit still and repose your soules upon the promises of God and upon the riches of Gods free grace and you shall see that the storme will over and Satan will bee defeated and you shall have comfort and you may goe singing to your graves though you have many weaknesses and failings and distempers yet stay here and nothing can doe you harme Now wee come to the means that here may usefully be considered for the bringing on of the heart to beleeve but you will say what bee the means that a man may use through Gods blessing and grace to attaine this grace of faith and the use thereof for this is certaine wee must use the means but there is no means under Heaven alone will doe it yet you must wait upon God in the use of the means for it is not the meanes alone that will worke faith but the Spirit of God in the use of the means and therefore the text saith to you it is given to beleeve for faith is the free gift of God it is God that must doe it and yet he will not doe it without us because we are reasonable men and women the Lord affords us means and therefore we are to wait upon him in the use of those means let the Lord doe what he will and let us doe what wee should use the means which God hath appointed and those are these foure Means 1 First wee
into foure of five degrees of it and so fits it to be marvellous cordiall so faith makes a sweet extract out of pride and the venome of sinne and corruption without this is the overpowring worke of faith at Phil. 1.14 For this I know that by the supply of the Spirit of Christ this shall turne to my good and salvation through your prayers To winde up the point let us consider all these motives and consider whether wee can move our hearts to labour for this grace would you not be glorious in all the graces of God as humility meeknesse and patience and have conquest over all your enemies and the basenesse of your owne hearts and would you not have a blessing upon what you enjoy and would you not have all worke for your good if these bee worth the having then get this grace of faith that having this you may have all Hee that hath faith let him goe on in it and hee that hath not faith let him know that hee never had any thing To this purpose it will be very seasonable to call upon our hearts upon all occasions when you finde your hearts hunting to settle upon these things here below and when you begin to view all the contentments of this life and to say this is great Babell and I have gotten friends and meanes c. then put the question to thy soule and say hast thou faith too thou hast friends to stand for thee and means to inrich thee but hast thou faith to save thy soule if thou hast not faith thou art a begger whatsoever thou hast nay often startle your secure and carelesse hearts and put this plea to your hearts and parly with them in this manner and say doe not many and most men want faith and why may not I want it and doe not many secke faith and doe not attaine it and what if I should misse it the Lord forbid it for then thou art an undone man for ever thou hast lost all thy labour Iohn 2.8 Looke to your selves saith the Apostle that you â—â—se not the things that you have wrought thy hearing and thy praying and all thy Sacraments and all means and whatsoever thou hast or dost thou hast lost all and thou art gone downe the streame nay misse of faith and all the means under heaven cannot releeve thee I tell thee if thou missest of faith thou missest of heaven and salvation nay I may speake it with reverence mercy it selfe cannot saye thee Christ will not nay Christ cannot save thee without faith for he hath sworne he shall never enter into his rest continuing without faith therefore call home your hearts and stirre up your soules and looke up to the Lord Jesus and reason in this manner and say as Paul to the Philippians saith To you it is given to beleeve Lord it is given to thy poore servants to beleeve thou gavest Manasses Paul and the Iayler power to beleeve I am a vile stubborne prophane wretch Lord give mee power also to beleeve whether thou wilt give me honour wealth riches or no I leave that to thy selfe but Lord deny not thy servant an humble broken and beleeving heart lest I perish and be undone for ever As Rachel said Give mee children or else I die so say thou Lord give mee faith or else I perish Lord I know all my labour cannot worke faith and all meanes under Heaven cannot give it but it is thou Lord that must doe it and as the text saith Many beleeved through grace Lord therefore through that grace of thine draw this heart to thee and keepe it with thee and make thy poore servant blessed for ever Thus much for the use of exhortation namely that we should get faith Now I come to the second part of exhortation and here wee are to endevour if God bee pleased to goe out with us to perswade the heart of those that be faithfull to live by faith the Lord brought thy unfaithfull heart to beleeve now then labour to husband this grace well and to improve it for thy best good and live by it It is a marvellous great shame to see those that are borne to faire meanes I meane the poore Saints of God that have a right and title to grace and Christ and yet to live at such an under rate I would have you to live above the world though thou hast not a coat to cover thee nor a house to put thy head in yet if thou hast faith thou art a rich man therefore husband thy estate well it is a shame I say to see them that they cannot husband that happy estate which they have they live as if they had it not so full of want so full of care and pride so weake and unable to master their sinnes whereas the fault is not in the power of faith nor the promise nor in the Lord for the Lord doth not grudge his people of comfort but would have them live cheerfully and have strong consolations and mighty assurance of Gods love And therefore the text saith Rejoyce in the Lord alwayes and againe I say rejoyce and make your calling and election sure Heb. 6.18 God hath sworne that by two immutable things wherein it is impossible that God should lie wee might have strong consolations nay the Lord rejoyceth in the prosperity of his servants and therefore he hath provided mercifully and richly for you that you may rejoyce therefore wee doe the Lord and his promises a great deale of wrong and bring an ill report upon that grace and mercy of his when wee open the mouthes of the wicked and make them say Oh these precise people talke of quiet and contentment and joy in the holy Ghost there is great talking of these things but wee could never see it yet Oh brethren it is a great shame are the riches and revenues of faith so great that a christian may live like a man all his dayes Let all the drunkards and malitious wretches against God laugh and bee merry yet they cannot see one of those dayes that a poore Saint canâ— though he should lie in prison all his dayes Matthew 17.20 If a man had but faith as a graine of mustard-seed and should say to this mountaine goe hence it should be done whether this is spoken of justifying faith or no I will not now dispute but this I am sure of if you will resist the Devill he will flee from you and you may trample under all your lusts and corruptions this is the life of faith and this life may wee live and this life wee ought to live If a trades-man have a good estate put into his hand and have a faire stocke and quicke returnes if hee goes downe the winde and begin to decline and decay every man will say he wâ—â— left marvellous well but either he knew nor how to vse it because he wanted skill or else he arâ—â—ded not unto it and was carelesse another man would have lived
towards Zion a cup of poison and a stone of stumbling when he had spoken of all the bulwarks that God had made and all the goodnesse and mercy that he had shewed to his people and the malice and wrath of his enemies he saith This God is our God even for ever as if he had said The Lord did provide for his people in Egypt and overthrew proud Pharaoh that set himselfe up against God and this God is our God when thou art in the wildernesse this God is thy God when thou art in persecution this God is thy God and the God of all thus he stores up while the season lasts And as thou must observe what God doth to others Note this so labour to treasure up thine owne experiences 2 Tim. 4.18 He hath delivered us and hee doth and will deliver us saith the Apostle and the Prophet David saith I remember thy judgements of old O well fare a good old store I remember saith he how thou didst rebuke Abimelech and overthrow Nimrod and Nebuchadnezar and Achitophel Oh it is admirable to consider these things I received comfort saith he God will overthrow every enemy and this is store for thy faith to worke upon Psal 89.49 Where are thy former mercies David is afore hand with God now he is not come to buy food just at the time of famine but it is laid up before hand Rule 2 We must lay it in abundantly lay in promises of all kindes you had better leave than lack How to lay in matter for our faith and it is the wisdome of a man to have somewhat to spare and to have an overplus aforehand that a man may not live feebly and poorely and be at his wits end at every turne and knowes not which way to shift for himselfe and have no bread in his house I meane no provision of promises by him Isay 42.23 Whose is wise let him heare for after times as if hee had said You must not only lay in promises just for the present but store them for afterwards as the chapman saith I shall want this at such a time and so the husbandman saith I shall have occasion for this or that at such a time and therefore they get aforehand O that God would give us these hearts it is good as we may so say to keepe promises in pickle that wee may spend them at leasure 1 Kings 17.6 7 8 9. Iezebel had threatned to kill Eliah but shee mist of her worke for shee was slaine her selfe and he went to heaven and never died at all the text saith Hee went and hid himselfe by the brooke Kerith and when all victuals failed the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening and when all that failed too the Lord said unto him Arise get thee to Sareptha I have commanded a widow there to sustaine thee 1 King 18.4 Obadiah hid a hundred of the Prophets of the Lord by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water and in another place the text saith In the dayes of famine thou shalt have enough these precious promises will be good meat in Lent when haply thou shall sit under an hollow tree and creep among the bushes then three or foure of these promises will give a man a good meale of comfort therefore store them up for they will doe you no harme and when you are driven from house and friends and all and God takes away the Gospell from us which God of his mercy prevent Amen and give us hearts to speake to him that he may prevent it onely your wisdome will be this to get all promises for this and a better life for the getting of grace and the preserving in grace and not only to pray by a promise but to live by a promise and trade by it and to enjoy all that you have by a promise if you will have comfort in it therefore be sure that you sort the promises aright every promise is not for every purpose but each promise suits for each occasion and therefore suit them all imagine a man wants comfort and strength against sinne why then that promise will not fit them wherein the Lord saith Hee will be with them in six troubles and deliver them in seven that for a temporall deliverance he doth not want that but power against his corruptions Againe if a man feare that he shall not hold out in perseverance now that promise doth not sit wherein the Lord saith Hee will pardon all his sinnes and cast them all as a milstone into the bottome of the sea this is not for perseverance in grace if thou seekest for succour there thy hand is in the wrong box but that promise is for this purpose wherein God saith I will knit them to mee with an everlasting love and I will write my lawes in their inward parts that they shall never depart from me any more So there are promises for deliverances in trouble and for comfort in affliction and in a word Gods infinite free grace is scattered in so many promises according to so many necessities and severall occasions that is all healing and saving vertue is in God so he dispenseth it to so many drops and severall promises therefore we must doe with the promises as the Apothecarie doth with his drugs he puts Bezar stone into one and Studdine that if the body be weake and low then your Bezar stone is good for him and so for the rest so that as the Apothecary hath all drugs so he hath sorted them all so deale you with the promise and word have the command of God to owne thee and the promise of God to comfort thee and that thou maist sit thine owne soule let it be a suitable promise suppose thou findest thy heart proud and stubborne then thou maist not looke upon mercy and pardon but looke upon the justice of God and how hee lookes upon the proud afarre off hee gives grace to the humble but resisteth the proud here is studdy for thee to pull downe thy proud heart and when thou findest thy heart full of venome and malice against the Ministers of God now that Bezars stone doth not fit thee therefore apply this Hee that hates his brother in his heart is a man-slayer and no man-slayer shall enter into the kingdome of God and he that hates his brother is a childe of the Devill these are vomits that fit thee Rule 3 Lastly we must lay them up that we may have them at hand To lay up the promises bring your provision home and leave it not in the market it is a folly for a man to say I have as good provision as can bee but I have it not here Colos 3.16 Let the Word of God dwell in you plenteously and richly in all wisdome First observe the plenty of our provision it must not be scantie but richly and wisely and it must dwell in you
our hearts we onely looke to bring in this or that for our comfort and releefe as for instance that every man may take his portion in the time of poverty how doth the soule behave it selfe and unfit it selfe for the promise When a man sees that his estate is low and he is like to come to misery he saith I have some good friends that will not see mee want and I have so much means yet left and I have my health and strength and I hope I shall get a poore living and there is not one word of the promise all this while but haply death takes away all friends and sicknesse takes away thy health and strength and the fire or theeves takes away all thy goods whither wilt thou goe now then at a dead lift he is faine to goe to that mercy which endureth for ever hee might have gone thither first Therefore now reason thus I am like to be poore and my friends may die and the theeves may rob me of all my goods but the mercy of the Lord endureth for ever Againe the Minister that is faithfull desires to preach fruitfully and to benefit the congregation and then wee catch at the helps that are neere at hand and goe to our books and studies our wit and pains and thinke that these will doe the deed we doe well in thus doing but the fault is in the order of them haply God knocks off mans wheeles and a man is not able to come to the bottome of the point and if he be able to compasse the truth in some measure yet God blasts all that hee doth and there is no good comes to the soules of his people at last he is faine to goe to the promise and then the poore Minister saith Lord thou hast said thou wilt bee with thy faithfull Ministers to the end of the world little strength is in us but be thou with us Lord now the worke goes on againe the tradesman is honest and painfull and he hopes to compasse a good estate by his calling his stocke is good and great and his skill is sufficient and his penny worth shall be as reasonable as any others and his acquaintance are many then God blasteth all these and at last hee comes home to the promise and saith as it is in Psal 1.3 Whatsoever the righteous doth it shall prosper hold here and say I expect all from the promise goe first to the promise and expect mercy and succour from the promise This was the course that Iacob tooke Gen. 32.9 First hee wrestled with God and overcame him and then he wrestled with his brother Esau and saith O God of my Father Abraham and God of my Father Isacke Lord which saidst unto me returne unto thy Countrie and I will doe thee good I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies Lord deliver me from the hand of my brother Esau for I feare him Thus he wrestled with the Lord and by vertue of a promise overcame him and then overcame Esau Heb. 13.45 Marriage is honourable among all men and the bed undefiled but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge let your conversation be without covetousnesse be content with those things you have But how will you have helpe against this covetousnesse a man would have said thus you have gotten a good portion and but little charge and many friends but this course God takes for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee He doth not say thou hast much means and many friends but I say I will not leave thee nor forsake thee Now faith is fitted for the worke when I have chased away doubting then faith is ready and the shield is scoured Secondly when my heart is calme and quiet then faith may goe on there is a free passage Particular 3 Thirdly when the soule lookes out first to the promise and then to the means this is the right way that faith should goe now you may set on your journey faith is cleered and that is the right and best way to everlasting happinesse Now I come to shew how wee must come to order faith in the worke How to order faith in the worke and here two things are to be attended unto First how the soule should get to the promises Secondly how the soule should take receive and improve this sufficiency and excellency of God that is in the promise For the first how to get the soule to the promise you see all is ready and the way open and faith is fitted Now there are three rules to bee observed to shew how the soule may get to the promise or there are acts of the soule wherein this truth may bee discovered that the soule which doth beleeve may have the ready way to goe to the promise Rule 1 Renounce all power and ability in thy selfe for to beleeve and goe unto God it is a point of marvellous use though a man would not imagine it thou maist not expect faith in thy selfe or of thy selfe or from thy selfe any ability to goe to the promise though thou hast faith as it is Gal. 2.20 Neverthelesse I live yet not I but Christ liveth in me It is not I that lives by any power of my selfe but Christ liveth in me It was Christ quickning and reviving and inabling him though he had faith Ier. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe neither is it in a man to direct his owne steps so doe thou say if ever thou wouldst have thy heart fitted to goe to the promise it is not here Lord it is not in this vaine minde it is not in the power of this dead heart or any passage that ever I received whereby I am able to beleeve in thee I meane the principall of life is not here the root of faith is in the promise and from thence it comes into the soule As it is with a mariner when the ship is upon the ground in the ebbe and low water hee doth not expect to tugge his ship to the shore by any power of himselfe it is not in my wisedome that can direct mee and it is not in my weapon that can defend mee it is not this humility that can bring my soule downe it is not here it is not I Lord that can rest or goe to a promise even all our abillities are at an ebbe all that we have or can doe is to empty our selves and fit our selves and to get up the maine mast that is let the soule bee ready for the promise by vertue of that to be carried heaven ward and Christ ward take notice of this in your owne soules that the heart would begin at home if a temptation come the heart of it selfe would overcome it and if a duty to be done the heart of it selfe would performe it and if opposition come the heart of it selfe would resist it O remember that it is I a man offers an injury