be in bitternesse for them before the Lord will passe them by it is not every trouble that will serve the turne look that it be such as separates thy soule from thy sin or else it will separate betweene thy soule and God I know it is not in your power to breake your owne hearts no more then to make the rocks to bleed yet remember he that bids thee cast up and prepare the way of the Lord he hath promised that every mountaine shall be brought low and the crooked wayes made plaine and the rough smooth and the valleys filled He only can doe it for thee and will doe it for some it may be for thee he that broke the heart of Manasseh and Paul after their blood and blasphemies when they never desired any such thing he can break thine much more when thou art desiring him to doe it for thee here are many of you that feare you were never humbled nor burthened enough I say feare it still feare lest there be a stone in the bottome not so as to discourage and drive thy heart from Christ but so as to feele a greater need of his grace to soften thy heart and to take thy senslesnesse away the Lord doth purposely command thee to plough up thy fallow ground that thou mightest feel thy impotency so to do and come to him to take it away every thing will harden thee more and more untill the Lord come and take thy stony heart away by his owne hand all Gods kindnesses will make thee more bold to sin and all Gods judgements more fierce and obstinate in sinne unlesse the Lord put to his hand if Pharaohs heart be softned for a time it will grow hard againe if the Lord take it not away The means therefore for thee to get this compunction is 1. To feele the evill of thy hard heart no surer token of Reprobation then hardnesse if continued in especially for thy heart to grow hard under or after softning meanes as it was in Pharaoh 2. To look up to the Lord in all ordinances that he would take it away Have not you great cause of abundant thankfulnesse into whose hearts the Lord hath let in feares and sorrowes concerning your estates the blind world lookes upon all troubles of conscience as temptations of the devill to despaire and the very way to run mad but consider what the Lord hath done for you that have such what if the Lord had left you without all feeling as those in Eph. 4.19 what if the Lord had smitten you with a spirit of slumber as those Rom. 11.8 would not your estate have beene then lamentable and have you no hearts to acknowledge his unspeakable goodnesse in awakening of you in shaking thy very foundations dost thou think that any ever had such a hard heart as thou hast dost not say so in secret before the Lord sometimes oh then what rich grace is this to give thee any sence and feeling of thy sin and danger by it though it bee never so little in thine eyes some think these terrors are a judgement it is true if they were meerly imaginary or worldly and desperate but saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 7.7 I thanke God I made you sorry Suppose thy sorrow should be only in regard of the punishment of sin yet this is the Lords goodnesse to make thy heart so far sensible that once didst goe like a beast to the slaughter fearing no danger at all the very meanes to prize favour from God is to feel wrath as well as sin and the very reason why the Lord hath let thee feele thy punishment heavy is that thy soule might feel the evill of sin by considering that if the fruits be so bitter what is then the cause be not therefore weary of thy burthen so as to think the Lord powres out his vengeance on thee while thy trouble remaines oh consider that this is the hand of the Lord Jesus and that he is now about to save thee when he comes to work any compunction in thee especially such as whereby he doth not onely cut thy heart with feares and sorrowes but cut thee off from thy sin so far only as humbles thee and drives thee to the Lord Christ to take them away And so I come to the third particular of Humiliation SECT IV. The third Act of Christs power which is Humiliation THe Lord Jesus having thus broken the heart by compunction is not like a foolish builder that leaves off his work before he hath fully finished it and therefore having thus wounded a poore sinner hee goes on to humble him also for though in a large sense a wounded contrite sinner is an humble sinner yet strictly taken there is a great difference between them and therefore he is said to dwell with the contrite and humble i. e. not onely with those that bee wounded with sin but humbled for sinne although it is certaine the soule is seldome or never effectually wounded but it is also humbled at the same time A man may bee wounded sore even unto death and yet the pride of the man is such that he will not fall downe before him that smites him so it is with many a poore sinner the Lord hath sorely wounded him that hee will resist no more yet he will rather fly to his duties to heale him or dye alone and sinke under his discouragements then stoop Oh beloved man must downe before the Lord Christ will take him up and therefore in Isay 40.5 6 7. the glory of the Lord is promised to be revealed but what meanes must bee used for this end Cry saith the Lord what should I cry saith he the Lord answers that all flesh is grasse and that the glory of it fades and that the people are this grasse i. e. not only that mens sinnes are vile but that themselves also are grasse nay their glory and excellency is withering and fading and therefore not only mountains must be pull'd downe but all flesh and the glory of it wither before the Lord shal be revealed I shall briefly open these foure things 1. What is this humiliation 2. What need there is of it 3. What meanes the Lord useth to work it 4. What measure of it is here required What is this humiliation Look as pride is that sinne whereby a man conceited of some good in himselfe and seeking some excellency to himselfe exalts himselfe above God so Humiliation in this place is that work of the Spirit whereby the soule being broken off from self-conceit and selfe-confidence in any good it hath or doth submitteth unto or lyeth under God to be disposed of as he pleaseth 1 Pet. 5.6 Levit. 26.41 That look as compunction cuts the sinner off from that evill that is in him so humiliation cuts it off from all high conceits and self-confidence of that good which is in him or which he seeks might be in him and so the soule is abased
more by tradition in these dayes by the report and acknowledgement of every man rather then by any speciall act of conviction of the spirit of Christ for what man is there almost but lies under this confession that he is a sinner the best say they are sinners if we say we have no sin we deceive our selves and I know I am a sinner but that which the Spirit principally convinceth of is some sinne or sins in particular the Spirit doth not arrest men for offences in generall but opens the writ and shewes the particular cause the particular sins Rom. 3.9 we have proved saith the Apostle that Iewes and Gentiles are under sinne but how doth the Apostle being now the instrument of the Spirit in this worke of conviction convince them of this marke his method verse 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18. wherein you you shall see it is done by enumeration of particulars sins of their natures there is none righteous sins of their minds none understandeth sins in their wills and affections none seek after God sins in their lives all gone out of the way sins of omission of good duties there is none that doth good their throats tongues lips are Sepulchres deceitfull poysonfull their mouthes full of cursing their feet swift to shed blood c. And this is the state of you Jewes verse 19. as well as of the Gentiles that all flesh may stand convinced as guilty before God If it be here demanded What are those particular sins which the Lord convinceth men of I answer in variety of men there is much vaâ—iety of speciall sins as there is of dispositions tempers and temptations and therefore the Lord doth not convince one man at first of the same sins of which he doth another man yet this we may safely say usually though not alway the Lord begins with the remembrance and consideration of some one great if not a mans speciall and most beloved sin and thereby the spirit discovers gradually all the rest that arrow which woundeth the heart of Christ most the Lord makes it fall first upon the head of the sinner that did shoot it against heaven and convinceth and as it were hits him first with that How did the Spirit convince those 3000 those patterns of Gods converting grace Acts 2.37 did not the Lord begin with them for one principall sinne viz. their murder and contempt of Christ by embruing their hands in his blood there is no question but now they remembred other sinfull practises but this was the Imprimis which is ever accompanied with many other Items which are then read in Gods bill of reckonings where the first is set downe Israel would have a King 1 Sam. 8.19 Samuel for a time could not convince them of their sin herein what doth the Lord doe surely he will convince them of sin before he leaves them and this he doth by such a terrible thunder as made all their hearts ake and how is it now what sin doe they now see they first see the greatnesse of that particular sin but this came not to mind alone but they cryed out 1 Sam. 12.19 We have added unto all our evills this in asking to our selves a King Look upon the woman of Samaria Iohn 4. the Lord Christ indeed spake first unto her about himselfe the substance of the Gospell about the worth of this water of life but what good did shee get untill the Lord began to convince her of sin and how doth he that he tels her of her secret whoredome she lived in the man that now shee had was not her husband and upon the discovery of this shee saw many more sins and hence verse 29. she cries out Come see the man that hath told me all that ever I did in my life And thus the Lord deales at this day the Minister preacheth against one sin it may be whoredome ignorance contempt of the Gospell neglect of secret duties lying Sabbath-breaking c. This is thy case saith the Spirit unto the soule remember the time the place the persons with whom you lived in this sinfull condition and now a man begins to goe alone and to think of all his former courses how exceeding evill they have been it may be the Lord brings upon a man a sore affliction and when he is in chaines crying out of that the Lord saith to him as to those Ier. 30.15 Why criest thou for thy affliction for the multitude of thine iniquities I have done this it may be the Lord sometimes strikes a mans companion in sinne dead by some fearfull judgement and then that particular sinne comes to mind and the Lord reveales it arm'd with multitudes of many other sins the causes of it the fruits and effects of it as a father whips his child upon occasion of one speciall fault but then tells him of many more which he winked at before this and saith Now sirrah remember such a time such a froward fit such undutifull behaviour such a reviling word you spake such a time I called and you ran away and would not heare me and you thought I liked well enough of these wayes but now know that I will not passe them by c. Thus the Lord deales with his and hence it is many times that the elect of God civilly brought up doe hereupon think well of themselves and so remaine long unconvinced of their wofull estates the Lord suffers them to fall into some foule secret or open sin and by this the Lord takes speciall occasion of working conviction and sorrow for sinne the Lord hereby makes them hang down the head and cry uncleane uncleane Paul was civilly educated he turned at last a hot persecutor oppressor blasphemer the Lord first convinced him of his persecution and cryed out from heaven to him Paul Paul why persecutest thou me this struck him to the heart and then sin revived Rom. 7.9 many secret sins of his heart were discovered which I take to begin and continue in speciall in those three dayes Acts 9.9 wherein he was blind and did through sight of sin and sorrow of heart neither eat nor drink As a man that hath the plague not knowing the disease he hopes to live but when he sees the spots and tokens of death upon his wrist now he cryes out because convinced that the plague of the Lord is upon him so when men see some one or more speciall sins break out now they are convinced of their lamentable condition yet it is not alway though usually thus for some men the Lord may first convince of sinne by shewing them the sinfulnesse of their owne hearts and wayes the Lord may let a man see his blindnesse his extreame hardnesse of heart his weaknesse his wilfulnesse his heartlesnesse he cannot pray or look up to God and this may first convince him or that all that he doth is sinfull being out of Christ the Lord may suddenly let him see the deceipts of
his owne heart and the secret sinfull practises of his life as if some had told the Minister or as if hee spake to none but him that he is forced to fall down being thus convinced and to confesse God is in this man 1 Cor. 14.25 Nicodemusâ—â—ay â—â—ay first see and bee convinced of the want of regeneration and thereby feel his need of Christ the Lord may set a man upon the consideration of all his life past how wickedly it hath been spent and so not one but a multitude of iniquities compasse him about a man may see the godly examples of his parents or other godly Christians in the family or town where he dwels and by this be convinced that if their state and way bee good his own so far unlike it must needs be starke naught the Lord ever convinceth the soule of sins in particular but hee doth not alway convince one man of the same particular sinnes at first as hee doth another whether the Lord convinceth all the elect at first of the sin of their nature and shewes them their original sin in and about this first stroake of conviction I doubt not of it Paul would have been alive and a proud Pharisee still if the Lord had not let him by the law see this sin Rom. 7.9 and so would all men in the world if this should not bee revealed first or last in a lesser or greater measure under a distinct or more indistinct notion and hence arise those confessions of the Saints I never thought I had had such a vile heart if all the world had told me I could not have beleeved them but that the Lord hath made me feel it see it at last was there ever such a sinner at least in heart which is continually opposing of him whom the Lord at any time received to mercy as I am 2 The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule of its sinne in particular but also of the evill even the exceeding great evill of those particular sins The Lord Jesus doth not onely convince of the evill sinne but of the great evill of sinne Oh thou wretch saith the Spirit as the Lord to Cain Gen. 4.10 what hast thou done whose sins cry to heaven who hast thus long lived without God and done this infinite wrong to an infinite God for which thou canst never make him amends That God who could have long since cut thee off in the midst of thy sins and wickednesse crusht thee like a moth and sent thee down to those eternall flames where thou now seest some better then thy self mourning day and night but yet hath spared thee out of his meere pity to thee That God hast thou resisted and forsaken all thy life time and therefore now see and consider what an evill and bitter thing it is thus to live as thou hast done Ier. 2.19 Look as it is in the wayes of holinesse many a man void of the Spirit may see and know them in the literall expressions of them but cannot see the glory of them but by the Spirit and hence it is hee doth not esteeme and prize them and the knowledge of them above gold So in the wayes of unholinesse many a man void of the spirit of conviction of sin may and doth see many particular sins and confesse them but he doth not cannot see the exceeding evill of them and thence it is though he doth see them yet he doth not much dislike them because he sees no great hurt or evil in them but makes a light matter of them therefore when the Spirit comes it lets him see and stand convinced of the exceeding greatnesse of the evill that is in them Ioh. 36.8 9. In the time of affliction which is usually the time of conviction of a wild unruly sinner he shews them their transgressions but how that they have exceeded that they have been exceeding many and exceeding vile Oh beloved before the Lord Jesus comes to convince we have cause to pray for a pity every poore sinner as the Lord Jesus did saying Lord forgive them they know not what they doe You godly parents masters how oft doe you instruct your children servants and convince them of their sinfulnesse untill they confesse their faults yet you see no amendment but they goe on still what should you now doe oh cry out for them and say Lord forgive them for they know not what they doe Their sins they know but what the evil of them is alas they know not but when the Spirit comes to convince he makes them see what they doe what is the exceeding evill of those sinnes they made light of before like mad men that have sworne and curst and struck their friends when they come to be sober againe and remember their mischievous wayes and words now they see what they have done and how abominable their courses then were Oh you that walk on in the madnes of your minds now in all manner of sinne if ever the Lord doe good to you you shall account your wayes madnesse and folly and cry out Oh Lord what have I done in kicking thus long against the pricks The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule of the evill of sin but of the evill after sin I meane of the just punishment which doth follow sin and that is this viz. that it must dye and that eternally for sin if it remaines in this estate it is now in Rom. 4.15 The Law works wrath i. e. sight and sense of wrath Rom. 7.9 When the Law came sin revived and I dyed i. e. I saw my selfe a dead man by it so the soule sees cleerly God hath said The soule that sinneth shall dye I have sinned and therefore if the Lord be true I shall dye to hel I shall if now the Lord stop my breath and cut off my life which he might justly and may easily doe Death is the wages of sin even of any one sin though never so little whan then will become of me who stand guilty of so many exceeding the number of the haires on my head or the stars in heaven Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge the Minister hath said so the Lord himselfe hath told me so Heb. 13.4 I am the man my conscience now teares me and tells me so what will become of me The Lord Iesus will come in flaming fire to render vengeance against all that know not God and that obey not the Gospell This I beleeve for God hath said it 2 Thes. 2.7 8 9. and now I see I am he that hath lived long in ignorance and know not God I have had the Gospel of grace thus long wooing and perswading my heart and oftentimes it hath affected me but yet I have resisted God and his Gospel and have set my filthy lusts my vaine sports my companions cups and queanes at a higher price then Christ and have loved them more then him
and therefore though I may be spared for a while yet there is a time wherein Christ himselfe will come out against me in flaming fire To this purpose doth the Spirit worke for beloved the great meanes whereby Satan overthrew Man at first in his innocencie was this principle although thou dost eate and so sin against God yet thou shalt not dye Gen. 3.4 Ye shall not surely die the Serpent doth not say Ye shall not die for that is too grosse an out-facing of the Word Gen. 2.17 but he saith Ye shall not surely die that is there is not such absolute certainty oâ— it it may be you shall live God loves you better then so and is a more merciful Father then to be at a word and a blow Now look as Satan deceived and brought our first parents to ruine by suggesting this principle so at this day he doth sow this accursed seed and plant this very principle in the soyl of every mans heart by nature they do not think they cannot beleeve that they are dead men condemned to dye and that they shall dye eternally for the least sinne committed by them Men nor Angels cannot perswade them of it they cannot see the equity of it that God so mercifull will be so severe for so small a matter nor yet the truth of it for then they think no flesh should be saved And thus when the old Serpent hath spit this poyson before them they sup it up and drink it in and so thousands nay millions of men and women are utterly undone The Lord Christ therefore when he comes to save a poore sinner and raise him up out of his fall convinceth the soule by his Spirit and that with full and mighty evidence that it shall dye for the least sin and tels him as the Lord told Abimelech in another case Gen. 20.3 Thou art but a dead man for this and if the Spirit set on this let who can claw it off I tell you beloved never did poore condemned Malefactor more certainly know and hear the sentence of condemnation past upon him by a mortall man then the guilty sinner doth his by an immortall and displeased God therefore those three thousand cry out Act. 2.37 Men and brethren what shall we doe to be saued We are condemned to dye what shall we doe now to be saved from death Now the soule is glad to enquire of the Minister Oh tell me what shall I do I once thought my selfe in a safe and good condition as any in the Town or Countrey I lived in but now the Lord hath let me heare of other newes dye I must in this estate and t is a wonder of mercies I am spared alive to this day There is not onely some blind feaâ—es and suspitions that it may possibly be so but full perswasions of heart dye I must dye I shall in this estate for if the Spirit reveale sin and conviâ—ce not of death for sin the soule under this work of conviction being as yet rather sâ—nsuall then spirituall wil make a light matter of it when it sees no sensible danger in it but when it sees the bottomlesse pit before it everlasting fire before it for the least sin now it sees the hainous evill of sin the way of sinne though never so peaceable before is full of dâ—nger now wherein it sees there are endlesse woes and everlasting deaths that lye in wait for it Rom. 6.21 And now saith the Spirit you may goe on in these sinfull courses as others doe if you see meet but oh consider what will be the end of them what it is to enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season and to be tormented for ever for them in the conclusion for be assured that will be the end and hence the soule seeing it selfe thus set apart for death looks upon it selfe in a farre worse estate then the bruit beasts or vilâ—st worme upon the earth for it thinks when they dye there is an end of their misery but oh then is the beginning of mine for ever hence also arise those feares of death of being suddenly cut off that when it lyes downe it trembles to think I may never rise againe because it 's convinced not only that it deserves to dye but that it is already sentenced for to dye hence also the soule justifies God if he had cut him off in his sin and wonders what kept him from it there being nothing else due from God unto it hence lastly the soule is stopt and stands still goes not on in sin as before or if it doth the Lord gives it no peace Ier. 8.6 Why doth the horse goe on in the battell because it sees not death before it but now the soule sees death and therefore stops oh remember this all you that never could beleeve that you are dead condemned men and therefore are never troubled with any such thoughts in your mind I tell you that you are far from conviction and therefore far from salvation if God should send some from the dead to beare witnesse against this secure world concerning this truth yet you will not beleeve it for his messengers sent from heaven are not beleeved herein woe be to you if you remaine unconvinced of this point But you will say how doth the Lord thus convince sin and wherein is it exprest which is the third particular All knowledge of sin is not conviction of sin all confession of sin is not conviction there is a conviction meerely rationall which is not spirituall there are three things in spirituall conviction There is a cleare certaine and manifest light so that the soule sees its sin and death due to it clearely and certainly for so the word Ioh. 16.9 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies to evidence a thing by way of argumentation nay demonstration the Spirit so demonstrates these things as that it hath nothing to object a mans mouth is stopped hee hath nothing to say but this behold I am vile I am a dead man for if a man have many strong arguments given him to confirme a truth yet if he have but one objection or doubtfull scruple not answered he is not fully as yet convinced because full conviction by a cleare sun-light scatters all dark objections and hence our Saviour Iude 15. will one day convince the wicked of all their hard speeches against him which will chiefly be done by manifesting the evill of such wayes and taking a way all those colours and defences men have made for such language before the Spirit of Christ comes man cannot see will not see his sin nor punishment nay he hath many things to say for himselfe as excuses and extenuations of his sin One saith I was drawne unto it the woman that thou gavest me and so layes the blame on others Aâ—other saith It is my nature Others say All are sinners the godly sinne as well as others and yet are saved at last and so I hope shall
with them in the same way as they doe Suppose some Reprobates doe see sin yet the Lord puts a secret vertue in that work of conviction upon thee which makes thee cry to heaven for a Spirit of brokennesse for sin which without this sight of sinne thou wouldst never so much as have desired and this they have not However conviction is a work of the Spirit though it should be but common and wilt not be thankfull for common mercy suppose it be but outward how much more for this that is spirituall though it should be common especially considering that it is the first fundamentall work of the Spirit and is seminally all Sense of sin begins here and ariseth hence as ignorance of sin is seminally all sin Remember that the discovery of Faux in the Vault was the preservation of England we use to remember the day and houre of the beginning of some great and notable deliverance oh remember this time wherein the love of Christ first brake out in convincing thee of thy sin who els hadst certainly perished in it And thus much of this first work of Conviction now the second followes Compunction SECT III. The second Act of Christs power in working Compunction or sense of sin COmpunction pricking at the heart or sense and feeling of sin is different from conviction of sin the latter is the work of the understanding and seated in that principally the other is in the affections and will and seated therein principally a man may have sight of sin without sorrow and sense of it Dan 5.22 with 20.21 Iames 1.24 Rom. 2.20 21. Yet that conviction which the Spirit workes in the Elect is ever accompanied with compunction first or last For the better unfolding of this point let me open these foure things to you 1. That compunction or sense of sin immediately follows conviction of sin in the day of Christs power 2. The necessity of this work to succeed the other 3. Wherein it consists 4. The measure of it in all the Elect. That compunction followes conviction is evident from Scripture and Reason Acts 2.37 When they heard this that is when they saw and were convinced of their sinne in crucifying the Lord of life which they did not imagine to be a sinne before what followes next it is said They were pricked at the heart Loe here is compunction Ephraim also in turning unto God Ier. 31.19 hath these words After that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh as men in great calamity befallen 〈◊〉 use to doe I was ashamed even confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth The men of Nineveh hearing by the Prophet they were all to dye within forty daies it is said they beleeved God in the work of conviction and then fell to sack-cloth and ashes in the work of compunction which did immediately follow Iosiah 2 Chron. 34.27 in his renewed returne unto God after hee heard the words of the law his heart melted and he wept before the Lord. For what is the end of conviction is it not compunction for if the Lord should let a man see his sin and death for sinne and yet suffer the heart to remaine hard and unaffected the Lord did but leave him without excuse nay the Lord should but leave him under greater misery under a more fearfull judgement viz. for a man to see and know his sin and yet unaffected with it and hardned under it hardnesse of heart is one of the greatest judgements to see sinne and not to be affected with it argues greater hardnesse For it is no wonder if they that see not and know not sin remain senselesse of sin alas they know not what they doe but for a man to be enlightned and see his sinne and yet unaffected Lord how great is this hardnesse and how unexcusable will such a man be left before God when the Lord shall reckon with him for his hardnesse of heart â— What is the end of that light the Lord lets into the understanding in other things is it not that thereby the heart might be affected throughly with it Why doth the Lord let in the light of the knowledge of Christ and of his will Is it that this knowledge should like froth float in the understanding and be imprisoned there No verily but that the heart might be throughly and deeply affected therewith And doe you think the Lord will in the light of conviction imprison it up in the mind is there not a farther end that by this light the heart might be deeply affected with sinne if any say that the end of conviction is to drive the soule to Christ I grant that is the remote and last end of it but the next end is compunction For if the understanding be convinced of misery and the heart remain hard the mind may see indeed that righteousnesse and life only is to be had in Christ yet the heart remaining hard the wil and affections will never stir toward Christ its impossible a hard heart remaining such wholly unaffeâ—ted with sin or misery should be truly affected with Jesus Christ but of this more hereafter What necessity is there of this compunction to succeed conviction I speak now of necessity in way of ordinary dispensation not of Gods unusuall and extraordinary way of working where hee useth neither Law nor Gospell as ordinaâ—rily he doth to work by Many have been nibling lately at this doctrine and demand What need is there of sorrow and compunction of heart A man may be converted only by the Gospell and God may let in sweetnesse and joy without any sense of sinne or misery and in my experience I have found it so others godly and gracious also feele it so why therefore doe any presse such a necessity of comming in by this back-doore unto Christ This point I conceive is very weighty and much danger in denying the truth of it yet withall there needs much tendernesse in handling of it lest any stumble and therefore before I lay downe the reasons to shew the necessity of it give me leave to propound these rules both for the clearing of the point and answering sundry objections usually made about this point In this work of compunction doe not think that the Lord hath not wrought any true sense of sinne because you find it not in such a measure as you imagine you should desire to have and that others feele sense of sin admits degrees I doubt not but Iosephs brethren were humbled yet Ioseph must be more he must be cast into the ditch and into the prison and the iron must enter not onely into his legs but into his soule Psal. 105.18 He must be more afflicted in spirit because he was to doe greater work for God and was to be raised up higher then the rest and therefore did need the more ballast some are educated more civilly then others and thereby have contracted lesse guilt and stoutnesse of heart
and death for sin that this end might be attained Gal. 3.22 And therefore feeling of sin and death and misery being the meanes must precede the other as the end and therefore as grace may be seen by conviction of misery so the sweetnesse of it only can be felt by feeling misery in this worke of compunction But you will say What is this compunction and wherein doth it consist This is the third particular to be opened in generall it is whereby the soule is affected with sin and made sensible of sin but more particularly compunction is nothing else but the pricking of the heart or the wounding of the soule with such feare and sorrow for sin and misery as severs the soule from sin and from going on toward its eternall misery so that it consists in three things 1. Feare 2. Sorrow 3. Separation from sin The Lord Jesus when hee comes to rescue his elect look as Satan held them in their misery First by blinding their eyes from seeing of it Secondly by hardening their hearts from feeling of it So the Lord Jesus having cut asunder the first cord of Satan by conviction breakes asunder the second by compunction and causing the soule to feele and be affâ—cted with its misery and as the whole soule is unaffected before he comes so he makes the whole soule sensible when hee comes and therefore hee sils the conscience with feare and the heart with sorrow and mourning so as now the will of sinne is broken which was hardened before these feares and sorrowes seised upon it Let me open these particularly that you may tast and try the truth of what now I deliver I sâ—y the Lord Christ in this work of compunction lets into the heart of a secure sinner a marvellous fear and terrour of the diâ—efull displeasure of God of death and hell the punishment of sin Oh beloved look upon most men at this day this is the great misery lying upon them they doe not feare the wrath to come they feare not death nor damning even then when they heare and know it is their portion but their hearts are set to sin Eccles. 8.11 The Lord Christ therefore lets in this feare that look as the Lord when hee came to conquer the Canaanites Exod. 23.27 28. He sent his hornets before him which were certaine feares which made their hearts faint in the day of battell and by this subdued them so the Lord Christ when hee comes to conquer a poore sinner that hath long resisted him and would goe on to his owne perdition le ts in these feares that the soule shrinkes in with the thoughts of its woefull estate and cryes out secretly Lord what will become of me if I dye in this condition Paul trembles astonished at his misery and wickednesse and now he begins to cry out the Jayâ—â—ur was very cruell against Paul but when the Lord Jesus comes to rescue him from this condition you shall see him trembling The Lord had let in that feare that now he is content to doe any thing to be saved from the danger he saw he was now in when a man sees danger and great danger neare and imminent now man naturally feares it before Christ come the soule may see its misery but it apprehends it farre off and hoping to escape it and hence doth not feare it but when the Lord Jesus comes hee presents a mans danger death wrath and eternity neare unto him and hence hath no hope to escape it as now he is and therefore doth feare and seeing the misery exceeding great he hath an exceeding great though oft times deep feare of it as men neare death and apprehending it so begin then to be troubled and cry out when it is too late The Lord Jesus deales more mercifully with the elect and brings death and eternity neare them before they draw neare to it whiles it is callâ—d to day the poore Jaylor began to think of killing himselfe when feares were upon him and so many under this stroke of Christ have the same thoughts because they see no hope but this measure is not in all this work is in all Put them in feare oh Lord that they may know they be but men before this feare comes men are above God and think they can stand it out against him the Lord therefore le ts in this feare to make them know they bee but men and that as proud and stout great as they are yet thaâ— they are not above God and that it is in vain to kick against the pricks and goâ— on as they have done for if they doe he will not endure it long The spirit of Bondage makes makes men feare before the spirit of Adoption comes these feares therefore are such as the regenerate after they have received the spirit of Adoption never have and therefore they are such as pursue the soule with some threatning of the word pronouncing death and perdition to him in that estate Ex. gr He that beleeves not is condemned already thus the word speakes to conscience Iohn 3.17 Thou beleevest not saith a mans owne conscience the Spirit witnessing with it therefore thou art condemned saith conscience now the spirit of Bondage is the testimony of Gods Spirit witnessing to both the premisses and conclusion now this Spirit no regenerate man indeed ever hath after this time but the feares he hath arise from another principle of corruption of conscience and malice of Satan through the present desertion of the Spirit leaving him not from any positive witnesse of the Spirit of any such untruth which yet is truth while the soule is under this strâ—ake and not regenâ—â—ate marke therefore diligently that this â—eare is the worke of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus and hence it followes 1. That these Fears are not meerly naturall as those Rom. 2.15 arising from naturall conscience only which only accuse of sinne but never affect but they are supernaturall they are arrowes shot into the conscience by the arme of the Spirit so dreadfull that no word nor meditation of death and eternity can beget such feares but creates them 2. Hence it followes that they are cleare feares for the Spirits work is ever cleare before he leaves it Eph. 5.13 they are not blind confused feares and suspitious and sad conjectures whereby many a man is afraid and much afraid and affrighted like men in a dreame that thinke they are in hell yet cannot tell what that evill is which they feare but they are cleare feares whereby they distinctly know and see that they are miserable and what that misery is 3. Hence it followes that they are strong feares because the almighty hand of the Spirit sets them on and shakes the soule they are not weak feares which a man can shake off or cure by weake hopes sleep or businesse c. like some winds that shake the tree but never blow it downe but these feares cast down
the tallest Cedar and appall the heart and coole the courage and boldnesse of the most impenitent and audacious sinner The Spirit presenting the greatest evill in eternall separation from God hence no evill in this world is so dreadfull as this I had better never been borne then to beare it saith the soule and hence casts off all other thoughts and cannot be quiet and hence it is that these feares force a man to fly and seek out for a better condition A man like Lot lingers in his sinne but these feares like the Angell drive him violently out the Lord saying to him A way for thy life lest thou perish with the world for thy sins are come up to heaven thou maist dye before one day be at an end and then what will become of thee Ah thou sinfull wretched man may not the Lord justly doe it are not thy sins grown so great and many that they are an intollerable burden for the soule of God to beare any longer and hence you shall observe if the soul after sad fears grows bold carelâ—sse againe the Spirit pursues it with more cause of feare and now the soule cries out Did the Lord ever elect thee Christ shed his blood to save his people from their sins thou livest yet in thy sins did hee ever shed his blood for thee thou hast sinned against conscience after thou hast been inlightned and fallen back againe hast not thou therefore committed the impardonable sin thou hast had many a faire season of seeking God but hast dallyed and dreamt away thy time is not the day of grace therefore now past it is true the Lord is yet patient and bountifull and lets thee live on common mercy but is not all this to aggravate thy condemnation against that great and terrible day of the Lord which is at hand are there not better men in hell then thou art that never committed the like sin thus the Spirit pursues with strong feares till proud man falls down to the dust before God The soule is now under feares not above them and therefore cannot come out of these chaines by the most comfortable doctrine it heares nor particular application of it by the most mercifull Ministers in the world untill the Lord say as Laâ— 3.57 feare not the Lord onely can asswage these strong winds and raging waters in which there is no other cry heard of this soule tossed thus with tempests but Oh I perish I only the Lord making way for the spirit of Adoption by these in his elect drives them out to seek if there be any hope and so they are not properly desperate feares yet as I say strong feares not alike extensively yet alike intensively strong in all a small evill when tidings is brought of it doth not feare but if the evill be apprehended great and neare too the very suspition of it makes the heart tremble when a house is on fire or a mighty Army entred the land and neare the city children that know not the greatnesse of the evill feare them not but men that know the danger are full of feare The wrath of the Lord that fire those armies of everlasting woes are great evils the blind world may not much feare them but all the elect whose minds are convinced to see the greatnesse of them cannot but feare and that with strong and constant feares nor is it cowardize but duty to feare these everlasting burnings And hence the soule in this case wonders at the security of the world dreads the terrours of the Lord that are neare them and usually seeks to awaken all its poore friends I once thought my self well and was quiet as you bee but the Lord hath let me see my woe which I cannot but feare oh look you to it Thus the Lord works this feare in some in a greater in others in a lesser measure Oh consider whether the Lord hath thus affected your hearts with feare oh secure times what will God doe with us many of you having heard the voyce of the lyon roaring and yet you tremble not The Lord hath foretold you of death and eternall woe for the least sin doe you beleeve it and yet feare it not how art thou then forsaken of God Many of you that like old Mariners can laugh at all foule weather and like Weather-cocks set your faces against all winds and if you be damned at last you cannot help it you must beare it as well as you can and you hope to doe it as well as others shall doe Oh! how far are such from the Kingdome of God the Lord not yet working nor pricking thy heart so much as with feare 2. Sorrow and mourning for sinne is the second thing wherein Compunction consists And look as Feare plucks the soule from security in seeing no evill to come so Sorrow takes off the present pleasure and delight in sinne in a greater measure then Fear doth The Lord therefore having smitten the soule or shot the arrowes of feare into the soule it therefore growes exceeding sad and heavy thinking within it selfe What good doe wife or children house or lands peace and friends health and rest doe me in the meane time condemned to dye and that eternally it may be reprobated never to see Gods face more the guilt and power of sin in heart and life lying still upon me And hereupon the soule mournes in the day and in the night desires to goe alone and weep and there confesseth its vilenesse before God all the dayes of vanity and sins of ignorance thinking Oh what have I done and seeks for mercy but not one smile nothing but clouds of anger appeare and then thinks if this anger the fruit of my sinne be so great oh what are my sins the causes hereof VVhen the Angel had set out the sin of the Israelites in making a league with the Canaanites and told them that they should be thornes in their sides they sate downe ver 4. and lift up their voice and wept so t is with a contrite sinner Note narrowly that eminent place of Scripture Esay 61.3 the Lord Christ is sent to appoint beauty for ashes and the oyle of joy for the spirit of heavinesse to them that mourne Out of which note these foure things for the explication of this sorrow or mourning First It is such a mourning as is precedent unto spirituall joy And hence it is not said I will give the spirit of gladnesse to beget mourning though the Lord doth so after conversion but this goes in order before that Ephraim-like who seeing what an unruly beast he had been unaccustomed to Gods yoke smites upon his thigh and bemoans himselfe It is Gods method after Gods people have sinned to sad their hearts and then to turne mourning into joy much more at first beginning of Gods work upon the soule they shall first mourne and lament and smite upon the thigh If God wounds the soule for sin it
me no more therefore in asking Whether a Christian is in a state of happinesse or misery in this condition I answer he is preparatively happy he is now passing from death to life though not as yet wholly passed Nor yet whether there is any saving work before union I answer No for what is said is one necessary ingredient to the working up of our union as cutting off the branch from the old stock is necessary to the ingrafting it into the new indeed without faith it is impossible to please God nor doe I say that this work doth please i. e. it doth not pacify God for that is proper to Christs perfect righteousnesse received by Faith yet as it is a work of his owne Spirit upon us it is pleasing to him as the after-worke of Sanctification is though it neither doth pacify him nor doe I see how this doctrine is any way opposite to the free offer of grace and Christ because it requires no more separation from sin then that which drives them unto Christ nay which is lesse that makes them by the power of the Spirit not resist but yeeld to Christ that he may come unto them and draw them you cannot repent nor convert your selves Be converted therefore saith Peter Acts 3.19 that you may receive remission of sins and in this offer the Spirit works and verily hee that can truly receive Christ without that sense of misery as separates him from his sin as explained to you let him beleeve notwithstanding all that which is said and the God of heaven speakes peace to him his Faith shall not trouble me if hee bee sure it shall not one day deceive himselfe Of lamentation for the hardnesse of mens hearts in these times as it is said the Lord Jesus mourned when he saw the hardnesse of the peoples hearts Mark 3.5 are there not some so farre from this as that they take pleasure in their sins they are sugar under their tongues as sweet as sleep nay as their lives and you come to pul away their limbs when you come to pluck away their sinnes though they have broke Sabbaths neglected prayer despised the word hated and mocked at the Saints been stubborne to their parents curst and swore which made Peter goe out and weep bitterly though lustfull and wanton which broke Davids bones though guilty of more sinnes then there bee moates in the Sunne or Starres in heaven though their sins be crimson and fill heaven with their cry and all the earth with their burthen yet they mourne not never did it one houre together nay they cannot doe it because they will not if you are weary and loaden where are your unutterable groanes if wounded and bruised where are your dolorous complaints if sick where is your enquiry for a Physitian if sad where are your teares in the day in the night morning and evening alone by your selves and in company with others Oh how great is the wrath of God hardning so many thousands at this day whence comes it that Christ is not prized but from this senselesnesse name any reason why the blessed Gospell of peace and all the sweet promises of life are undervalued but from hence and what doe you hereby poore creatures but onely aggravate your sins and make those that are little exceeding great in the eyes of God whence it is that you treasure up wrath against the day of wrath Rom. 2.2 3 4 5. This hardnesse is that which blunts the edge of all Gods ordinances whence Gods poore Ministers sit sorrowfull in their closets seeing all Gods seed lost upon bare rocks oh this is the condition of many a man and which is most fearfull the meanes which should make the heart sensible make it more proud and unsensible Tyre and Sydon and Sodom are more fit to mourne then Chorasin and Capernaum that have enjoyed humbling means long Nay how many be there that mourne out their mournings confesse out their confessions and by their owne humiliations grow more senselesse afterward did wee ever live in a more impenitent secure age wee shall seldome meet with one broken with sin but how few are broken from sinne also and hence it is many a tall Cedar that were set downe in the Table-Book for converted men once much humbled and now comforted stay but a few yeares you shall see more dangerous sins of a second growth one turnes drunkard another covetous another proud another a Sectary another a very dry leafe a very formalist another full of humerous opinions another laden with scandalous lusts woe to you that lament not now for you shall mourne Dost thou think that Christ should ever wipe off thy teares that sheddest none at all dost thou think to reap in joy that sowest not with these showers verily God will make his word good Prov. 29.1 Hee that hardens his owne heart shall perish suddenly heare this you secure sorrowlesse sinners if ever Gods hand bee stretcht out suddenly against thee in blasting thy estate snatching away thy children the wife of thy bosome the husband of thy delight in staining thy name vexing thee with debts and crosses short and sore or lingring sicknesses know that all this comes upon thee for a hard heart but oh mourne for it now you parents children servants the tokens of death are upon you desire the Lord to breake your hearts for you lye under Gods hammer be not above the word and suffer the Lord to take away that which grieves him most even thy stony heart because it grieves thee least meditate much of thy wofull condition chew that bitter pill remember death and rotting in the grave that many are now in hell for thy sins that Christ must dye or thou dye for the least sin remember how patient and long suffering the Lord hath bin to thee and how long he hath groaned under thy burthen that it may be though hee would yet hee cannot beare thy load long let these things be mused on that thy heart may bee at last sorrowfull before it bee too late But oh the sad estate of many with us that can mourne for any evill except it bee for the greatest sinne and death and wrath that lye upon them Of exhortation Labour for this sense of misery this spirit of compunction how can you beleeve in Christ that feel not your misery without him a broken Christ cannot doe thee good without a broken heart bee afflicted and mourne yee sinners turne your laughter into mourning tremble to think of that wrath which burnes downe to the bottome of hell and under which the eternall Sonne of God sweat drops of blood great sins which thou knowest thou art guilty of cause great guilt and great hardnesse of heart and therefore are seldome forgiven or subdued without great affliction of spirit they have loaded the Lord long they must load thee Little sinnes are usually slighted and extenuated and therefore the Lord accounts them great and therefore thy soule must
world But you will say Wherein should I expresse this humiliation and subjection Bee highly thankfull for any little the Lord gives Lam. 3.22 23. Be humble and judge thy selfe worthy of nothing when the Lord denies and verily you shall find the Lord Jesus ere long speaking peace unto you and giving you rest in his bosome that now art quietly contented to lye still at his feet For some helps thereunto 1. Remember whose thou art viz. the Lords clay and he thy Potter and therefore may doe with thee what he will Rom. 9.20 2. Remember what thou art viz. a polluted vessell a kind of infinite endlesse evill as I have oft said see the picture of thy own vilenesse in the damned in hell who are full and shall through all eternity powre out all manner of evill Iob 40.3 4. 3. Remember what thou hast been and how long thou hast made warre against Christ with all thy might and heart and strength why should the Lord theâ—efore choose thee before others Ier. 3.5 when as aske thy conscience was there ever such a wretch since the world began as thou hast been 4. Remember what thou wilt be fit for no use to Jesus Christ good for nothing but to pollute his holy name when thou medlest with it and why should the Lord take up such a dry leafe Isay 64.6 and breath upon such a dry bone 5. Remember how good the Lords will is even when it crosseth thine he shall have infinite glory by all his denials to thee of what thou wouldst he shall gaine that though thou losest thy peace and quietnesse that good which thy foolish sinfull will desires at his hand Iohn 12.27 28. and if so blessed be his name let God live but let man dye and perish that he may be exalted of vile man 6. Remember the sweet rest thou shalt have by this subjection to the Lord nothing is mans crosse but mans will a stubborn will like a stubborne heifer in the yoake galls and frets the soule Learn meeknesse saith our Saviour of me in taking my yoake on you and then you shall find rest Hell would not bee hell to a heart truly humbled Sometimes you find inlargements then you are glad sometime none then you sinke sometimes you have hope of mercy then you are calme sometimes you lose your hopes then the Sea workes when the Lord pleaseth you then you are well but if a little crosse befall you then your spring is muddy and a little thing troubles Oh be humble vile in thine owne eyes and verily such uncertaine fits of peace and trouble are done and the dayes of all your mourning are now ended Of thankfulnesse to all those whom the Lord hath truly humbled Time was when the Lord first convinced you that so long as you could make any shift find rest in any duties you would never lye down at Christs feet now the Lord might have left you to have stumbled at that stumbling-stone and to have stuck in those bushes but you may see that the Lord will save you even then when you would not be saved by him and especially take notice of two passages of Gods dealings with you wherein usually you find matter of discouragement rather then of acknowledgment of Gods goodnesse to you therein 1. That the Lord hath withdrawn all feeling of any good which it may be once you felt and that the Lord hath let out more of the evill of your hearts then ever you imagined was in them nay so much evill that you think there is none like unto you who hast now no heart nor power to stirre think defire will or doe any thing that is good oh blesse the Lord for this for this is Gods way to humble and empty and make thee poor the Lord saw though it may be you did not that you rested in that good you felt and was or would be lifted up by these and therefore the Lord hath broke those crazy crâ—tches famisht now brought you downe to nothing made you like dry desarts all the hurt the Lord aimeth at in this being only to humble you and though these desertions be bitter for the present yet that by these he might doe you good in your latter end Oh brethren the Apostle stands at a stay and desires the Corinthians to consider You see your calling saith he 1 Cor. 1. Not many mighty not many wise but things that are not doth he call that no flesh might glory The Lord saith Moses Deut. 8.2 3. suffered thee to want that was the first and then fed thee that he might prove thee and humble thee remember this saith he So say I to you remember this mercy that when the Lord makes you worst of all not really but in your own eyes that then the Lord is about this glorious work 2. That the Lord hath kept you it may be a long time too from sight and sense of his peculiar love one would wonder why the Lord should hide his love so much so long from those to whom he doth intend it the great reason is because there is in many a one a heart desirous of his love and this would quiet them if they were sure of it but they never came to bee quieted with Gods will in case they think they shall never partake of his love but are above that oppose and resist and quarrell with that unhumbled under that the Lord therefore intending to bestow his favour onely upon a humbled sinner he will therefore hide his face untill they lye low and acknowledge themselves worthy of nothing but extremity of misery unworthy of the least mercy The people of God Lam. 1.16 cry out that the comforter which should refresh their soule was farre from them what was Gods end in this you shall see the end of it verse 18. the Lord is righteous here the Church is humbled for I have rebelled or as Sanctius reads it I have made his mouth bitter that the Lord speaks no peace to me but bitter things The cause is in my owne selfe and therefore if he never comfort me nor speak good word unto me yet he is righteous but I am vile and you will find this certain that as the Lord therefore humbles that he may exalt so the Lord never refuseth to exalt in hiding his face but it is to humble And is this the worst the Lord aimes at and will you not be thankfull why are you then discouraged when you find it thus with you doe not say the Lord never dealt thus with any as with me suppose that the reason then is because the Lord sees never had any such a high heart as thou hast but oh be thankfull that notwithstanding this he will take the pains to take it downe Thus much for humiliation I come now to the fourth and last which is Faith SECT 5. The fourth and last act of Christs power is the worke of Faith THe Lord having wounded
it with abundance of glory Ioh. 4.14 and 7.38 You despise it because it is but little I tell you this little is eminently all and containes as much as shall be powred out by thee so long as God is God T is true thou sayst its weake and oft foiled and gives thee not compleat power and victory over all sinne yet know that this shall like the house of David grow stronger and stronger and it shall at last prevaile and the Lord will not breake thee though thou art bruised by sinne daily untill judgement come to victory and the Prince of this world be judged and thy soule perfected in the day of the Lord Jesus SEC 5. Fiftly Audience of all Prayers This is the fift benefit which though it be a fruit of other benefits yet I name it in speciall because I desire it might be especially observed and I place it after our sanctification because of Davids speech If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not heare my prayer Psal. 66.18 and that of the Apostle 1 Joh. 3.22 Wee beleeve what ever we aske we receive because wee keep his Commandements and doe those things which are pleasing in his sight As the Lord hath respect to the prayers of his people not only in regard of their justification but in some sense in regard of their sanctification also a justified person polluted with some personall or common sins of the times may want that audience and acceptance of his prayers I am now speaking of That God will heare all the petitions of his people can there be a greater priviledge then this yet this our Saviour affirmes twice together because it is so great a promise that we can hardly beleeve it Iohn 14.13 14. Whatsoever you aske the Father in my name that will I doe mark the scope of the words our Saviour had promised that he that beleeves in me shall doe greater works then I have done now because this might seem strange and impossible the Lord in those verses tells them how for saith he Whatsoever you aske in my name I will doe for you I will doe indeed all that is to be done but yet it shall be by meanes of your prayers Christ did great works when he was upon the earth but for him to doe what ever a poore sinfull creature shall desire him to doe what greater work of wonder can there be then this This is our confidence saith the Apostle That what ever we aske according to his will he heareth us 1 Iohn 5.15 The greatest question here will be What are those prayers the Lord Jesus will heare I confesse many things are excellently spoken this way yet I conceive the meaning of this great Charter is fully exprest in those words In my name If they be prayers in Christs name they shall be heard and it containes these three things 1. To pray in Christs name is to pray with relyance upon the grace favour and worthinesse of the merits of Christ thus this phrase is used to walke in the name of their Gods is in confidence of the authority and excellency and favour of their Gods that they will beare them out in it so to pray in Christs name is to pray for Christs sake thus Eph. 2.18 through him i. through his death and satisfaction rested upon we have accesse with confidence unto the Father Eph. 3.12 In whom we have beleeved and accesse with confidence by the Faith of him There are three evills that commonly attend our prayers when we see God indeed 1. Shame and flight from God the Apostle saith therefore that by Faith in Christ we have accesse 2. If we doe accede and draw neare to him there is a secret feare and straitnesse of spirit to open all your minds therefore saith he we have boldnesse the word signifies liberty of speech to open all our minds without feare or discouragement 3. After we have thus drawne neare and opened all our desires and mones before God wee have many doubts viz. will the Lord heare such a sinner and such weak and imperfect and sinfull prayers therefore he also affirms that we have confidence and assurance of being heard but all this is by Faith in him for look as Christ hath purchased all blessing for us by his death and hence makes his intercession for those things dayly according to our need So we are much more to rest upon and make that satisfaction the ground of our intercession because Christs blood purchased this therefore oh Lord grant this 2. To pray in his name is to pray from his command and according to his will as when we send another in our name wee wish him to say thus Tell him that I desire such a thing of him and that I sent you so it is here and thus the phrase signifies Iohn 5.43 I am come in my Fathers name i. By his authority and command To pray in Christs name therefore is to pray according to the will of Christ and from the will of Christ when we take those words the Lord puts into our mouthes Hos. 14.1 2 3. and desire those things only that the Lord commands us to seek whether absolutely or conditionally according to his will revealed and with submission to his will concealed 1 Iohn 5.14 what ever we aske according to his will he heares us Psal. 27.8 Rom. 8.26 If you aske any thing not according to Gods will you come in your owne name he sent you not with any such â—â—essage to the Father 3. To pray in his name is to pray for his ends for the sake and use of Christ and glory of Christ thus the phrase is used Mat. 10.41 42. To receive a Prophet in the name of a Prophet i. for this end and reason because he is a Prophet A servant comes in his Masters name to aske something of another when he comes as from his command so also for his Masters use So when wee pray for Christs sake i. for his ends not our owne these ever prevaile Iames 4.3 You aske and have not because you aske amisse to spend it on your lusts Ioh. 12.27 28. Ps. 145.18 this is to aske in truth to act for a spirituall end to make it our utmost end ariseth from a speciall peculiar supernaturall presence of the Spirit of life and consequently a Spirit of prayer which is ever heard And hence you shall observe the least groan for Christs ends is ever heard because it is the groaning of the Spirit because it is an act of spirituall life the formality of which consists in this that it is for God Gal. 2.19 the Lord cannot deny what we pray for Christs ends because then he should crush Christs glory and therefore let a Christian observe when he would have any thing of God that concernes himselfe not be sollicitous so much for the thing as to gaine favour and nearnesse to God and a heart subject unto God in a humble contentednesse to be
their owne duties 4. Presumption or resting upon the mercy of God by a Faith of their owne forging so on the contrary there is a fourefold act of Christs power whereby he rescues and delivers all his out of their miserable estate The first act or stroake is Conviction of sin The second is Compunction for sin The third is Humiliation or self-abasement The fourth is Faith all which are distinctly put forth when he ceaseth extraordinarily to work in the day of Christs power and who ever looke for actuall salvation and redemption from Christ let them seek for mercy and deliverance in this way out of which they shal never find it let them begin at conviction and desire the Lord to let them see their sins that so being affected with them and humbled under them they may by faith be enabled to receive Jesus Christ and so be blessed in him It is true Christ is applyed to us nextly by Faith but Faith is wrought in us in that way of conviction and sorrow for sin no man can or will come by faith to Christ to take away his sins unlesse he first see be convicted of and loaden with them I confesse the manner of the Spirits work in the conversion of a sinner unto God is exceeding secret and in many things very various and therefore it is too great boldnesse to mark out all Gods footsteps herein yet so farre forth as the Lord himselfe tels us his work and the manner of it in all his wee may safely resolve our selves and so farre and no farther shall we proceed in the explication of these things It is great prophanesse not to search into the works of common providence though secret and hidden Psal. 28.5 and 92.6 much greater it is not to doe thus into Gods works of speciall favour and grace upon his chosen I shall therefore beginne with the first stroake of Christs power which is conviction of sin SECT II. First Act of Christs power which is Conviction of sinne NOw for the more distinct explication of this I shall open to you these 4 things 1. I shall prove that the Lord Christ by his Spirit begins the actuall deliverance of his elect here 2. What is that sin the Lord convinceth the soule thus first of 3. How the Lord doth it 4. What measure and degree of conviction he works thus in all his 1. For the first it is said Iohn 16.8 9. that the first thing that the Spirit doth when he comes to make the Apostles Ministery effectuall is this it shall reprove or convince the world of sinne it doth not first work faith but convinceth them that they have no faith as in verse 9. and consequently under the guilt and dominion of their sin and after this he convinceth of righteousnesse which faith apprehends verse 10. It is true that the word conviction here is of a large extent and includes compunction and humiliation for sin yet our Saviour wraps them up in this word because conviction is the first and therefore the chiefe in order here the Lord not speaking now of ineffectuall but effectuall and thorow conviction exprest in deep sorrow and humiliation Now the Text saith the Lord begins thus not with some one or two but with the world of Gods elect who are to be called home by the Ministery of the word which our Saviour speaks as any may see who consider the scope purposely to comfort the hearts of his Disciples that their Ministery shall be thus effectuall to the world of Jews and Gentiles and therefore cannot speak of such conviction as serves onely for to leave men without excuse for greater condemnation as some understand the place for that is a poore ground of consolation to their sad hearts Secondly I shall hereafter prove that there can be no faith without sense of sinne and misery and now there can be no sense of sinne without a precedent sight or conviction of sin no man can feel sin unlesse he doth first see it what the ey sees not the heart rues not Let the greatest evill befall a man suppose the burning of his house the death of his children if he doth not first know see and hear of it he will never take it to heart it will never trouble him so let a poor sinner lye under the greatest guilt the sorest wrath of God it will never trouble him untill hâ— sees it and be convinced of it Act. 2.37 When they heard this they were pricked but first they heard it and saw their sin before their hearts were wounded for it Gen. 3.7 they first saw saw their nakednesse before they were ashamed of it Thirdly the maine end of the law is to drive us to Christ Rom. 10.4 if Christ be the end of the law then the law is the means subservient to that end and that not to some but to all that beleeve now the law though it drive to Christ by condemnation yet in order it begins with accusation It first accuseth and so convinceth of sin Ro. 3.20 and then condemneth it 's folly and injustice for a Judg to condemn bring a sinner out to his execution before accusation conviction and is it wisdom or justice in the Lord or his law to doe otherwise and therefore the Spirit in making use of the law for this end first convinceth as it first accuseth and layes our sins to our charge Lastly look as Satan when he binds up a sinner in his sin he first keeps him if possible from the very sight and knowledge of it because so long as they see it not this ignorance is the cause of all their woe why they feele it not why they desire not to come out of it the Lord Jesus who came to unty the knots of â—atan 1 Iohn 3.8 begins here and first convinceth his and makes them see their sin that so they may feele it and come to him for deliverance out of it Oh consider this all you that dreame out your time in minding only things before your feet never thinking on the evills of your owne hearts you that heed not you that will not see your sins nor so much as ask this question What have I done what doe I doe how doe I live what will become of me what will be the end of these my foolish courses I tell you if ever the Lord save you he will make you see what now you cannot what now you will not he will not only make you to confesse you are sinners but he will convince you of sinne this shall be the first thing the Lord will doe with thee But you will say what is that sin which the Lord first convinceth of which is the second thing to be opened I answer in these three Conclusions 1 The Lord Jesus by his Spirit doth not only convince the soule in generall that it is a sinner and sinfull but the Lord brings in a convicting evidence of the particulars the first is learnt
I Others professe they cannot part with sin they would be better but they cannot and God requires no more then they are able to performe Another saith I will continue in sin but a little while and purpose hereafter to leave it Others say We are sinners but yet God is mercifull and will forgive it Another saith Though I have sinned yet I have some good and am not so bad as other men endlesse are these excuses for sin In one word I know no man though never so bad though his sin be never so grievous but he hath something to say for himselfe and something in his mind to lessen and extenuate sin but beloved when the Spirit comes to convince he so convinceth as that he answers all these pulls down all these fences teares off all these fig-leaves scatters all these mists and pulls off all these sâ—ales from the eyes stops a mans mouth that the soule stands before God crying oh Lord guilty guilty as the Prophet Ieremy told them Ier. 2.23 Why dost thou say I am innocent looke upon thy way c. so the Spirit saith why dost thou say thy sin is small it is disobedience as Samuel said to Saul 1 Sam. 15. 23. which is rebellion and as the sinne of witchcraft and is that a small matter the Spirit of conviction by the cleare evidence of the truth binds the understanding that it cannot struggle against God any more and hence let all the world plead to the contrary nay let the godly come to comfort them in this estate and think and speak well of them yet they cannot beleeve them because they are certaine their estates are wofull hence also we shall observe the soule under conviction instead of excusing sin it aggravates sinne and studies to aggravate sinne did ever any deale thus wickedly walke thus sinfully so long against so many checks and chidings light and love meanes and mercies as I have done And it is wonderfull to observe that those things which made it once account sin light make it therefore to think sin great ex gr my sin is little the more unkind thou saith the Spirit that wilt not doe a small matter for the Lord my sin is common the more sinfull thou that in those things wherein all the world rise up in arms against God thou joynest with them God spares me after sin the greater is thy sin therefore that thou hast continued so long in against a God so pitifull to thee the dearest sins are now the vilest sins because though they were most sweet to him yet the Spirit convinceth him they were therefore the more grievous unto the soule of God you poore creatures may now hide and colour and excuse your sins before men but when the Lord comes to convince you cannot lye hid then your consciences when Jesus Christ the Lord comes to convince shall not be like the Steward in the Gospell that set down 50. for a 100 l. no the Lord will force it to bring in a true and cleare account at that day There is a reall light in spirituall conviction rationall conviction makes things appear notionally but spirituall conviction really the Spirit indeed useth argumentation in conviction but it goes farther and causeth the soule not only to see sin and death discursively but also intuitively and really reason can see and discourse about words and Propositions and behold things by report and so deduct one thing from another but the Spirit makes a man see the things themselves really wrapt up in those words the Spirit brings spirituall things as well as notions before a mans eye the light of the Spirit is like the light of the Sun it makes all things appeare as they are Iohn 3.20 21. It was Ierusalems misery she heard the words of Christ and they were not hid from them but the things of her peace shut up in those words were hid from her eyes Discourse with many a man about his sin and misery he will grant all that you say and he is convinced that his estate is most wretched and yet still lives in all manner of sin what is the reason of it truly he sees his sin only by discourse but he doth not nay cannot see the thing sin death wrath of God untill the Spirit come which only convinceth or sheweth that really A man will not bee afraid of a Lyon when it is painted only upon the wall why because therein he doth not see the living Lyon when he sees that he trembles So men heare of sin and talke of sin and death and say they are most miserable in regard of both yet their hearts tremble not are not amazed at these evills because sinne is not seen alive death is not presented alive before them which is done by the Spirit of conviction only revealing these really to the soule and hence it is that many men in seeing see not How can that bee thus in seeing things notionally they see them not really And hence many that know most of sin know least of sin because in seeing it notionally they see it not really And therefore happy were it for some men Schollers and others that they had no notionall knowledge â—f sin for this light is their darknesse and makes them more uncapable of spirituall conviction the first act of spirituall conviction is to let a man see clearly that he is sinfull and most miserable the second act is to let the soule see really what this sin and death is Oh consider of this many of you know that you are sinfull and that you shall dye but dost thou know what sin is and what it is to dye If thou didst I dare say thy heart would sinke if thou dost not thou art a condemned man because not yet a convinced man If you here aske how the Lord makes sin reall I answer By making God reall the reall greatnesse of sin is seen by beholding really the greatnesse of God who is smitten by sin sin is not seene because God is not seen Iohn 3. ep v. 11. He â—hat doth evill hath not seen God No knowledge of God is the cause why blood toucheth blood the Spirit casts out all other company of vain and foolish thoughts and then God comes in and appeares immediately to the soul in his greatnesse and glory and then the Spirit saith Lo this is that God thy sins have provoked And now sin appeares as it is and together with this reall sight of sin the soule doth not see painted fire but sees the fire of Gods wrath really whither now it is leading that never can be quencht but by Christs blood and when the Spirit hath thus convinced now a man begins to see his madnesse and folly in times past saying I know not what I did And hence questions Can the Lord pardon such a wretch as I whose sinnes are so great Hence also the heart beginnes to bee affected with sinne and death because it sees them
against God and his wayes therefore these have not such cause of trouble and being lesse rugged have lesse need of axes to hew them some mens sorrow breaks in upon them more suddenly like storms and breaches of the sea and the Lord is resolved to hasten and finish his work in them more speedily and it may be more exemplarily for every Christian is not a faire coppy as in those Acts 2.37 In others their sorrowes soake in by degrees Gutta cavat lapidem the Lord empties them by continuall droppings and hence feele not that measure of sorrow that others doe every Christian is not a Heman Psal. 88. who suffers distracting feares and terrours from his youth up ver 15 who is afflicted with all Gods waves ver 7. for he was a man of exceeding high parts and gifts as you may see 1 King 4.31 and therefore the Lord had need of hanging some speciall plummets on his heart to keep it ever low lest it should be lifted up above measure Some sense of sin the Lord will work in all he sayes but not the same measure the Lord gives not alway unto his that which is good in it self its good I confesse to be deeply affected and humbled but that which is fit and therefore best for thee Doe not think there is no compunction or sense of sin wrought in the soule because you cannot so cleerly discern and feele it nor the time of the working and first beginning of it I have knowne many that have come with complaints they were never humbled they never felt it so nor yet could tell the time when it was so yet there it hath been and many times they have seen it by the help of others spectacles and blest God for it When they in Esay 63.17 complained Lord why hast thou hardned our hearts from thy feare doe you think there was no softnesse nor sensiblenesse indeed Yes verily but they felt nothing but a hard heart nay such hardnesse as if the Lord had plagued them with it by his owne immediate hand and not borne and bred with them onely as with other men Many a soule may think the Lord hath left it nay smitten it with a hard heart and so make his mone of it yet the Lord hath wrought reall softnesse under felt-hardnesse as many times in Reprobates there is felt softnesse when within there is reall hardnesse The stony-ground-hearers were plowed and broken on the top but were stony at the bottome Some men may be wounded outwardly and mortally this may easily be discerned The Lord may wound others and they may bleed out their sorrow is more inwardly and secretly and therefore cannot point with their finger to their wound as others can Doe not think the Lord works compunction in all the Elect in the same circumstantiall work of the Spirit but onely in the same substantiall work the Lord works a true sense of sin for the substance and truth of it yet there are many circumstantiall works like so many inlargements and comments upon one and the same Text. Ex. gratia The same sin that affects Paul it may be doth not affect Lydia or Apollos The same notions for the aggravation of sinne in one doe not come into the mind of the other the same complaints and prayers and turnings of spirit in the one may not be in the same circumstances and with the like effects as in the other and yet both of them feele sin and therefore complaine they both feele sin yet by means of various apprehensions and aggravations This I speak because you may the better understand the meaning of Gods servants iâ— opening the work of humiliation You may heare them say the soule doth this and thinks that and speaks another thing it may be every one doe not so think in the same individuall circumstances and therefore are to be understood as producing onely exemplum in re simili something like this or for the substance of this is there wrought In this work of compunction we must not bring rules unto men but men to rules Crook not Gods rules to the experience of men which is fallible and many times corrupt but bring men unto the rule and try mens estates herein by that For many will say Some men are not humbled at all never had any precedent sorrow for sinne Gods mercy onely hath melted their hearts and experience proves this and many finde this who are sincere and gracious Christians I answer we are not in this or any other point to be guided by the experience of men onely but attend the rule if it be proved that according to the rule men must be broken and affected with their sin and misery before mercy can be truly apprehended or Christ accepted what tell you me of such or such men let the rule stand but let men stand or fall according to the rule many are accounted godly and gracious for a time much affected with mercy and Christ Jesus yet afterward fall or wizen into nothing and prove very unsound What is the reason Truly the cause was here their first wound and sorrow for sin was not right as hereafter shall be made good many thousands are miserably deceived about their estates by this one thing of crooking and wresting Gods rules to Christians experiences let all Gods servants tremble and be wary here wrack not the holy Scriptures nor force them to speak as thou feelest but try all things by them 1 Thes. 5.21 Doe not make the examples of converted persons in Scripture patternes in all things of persons unconverted do not make Gods work upon the one run parallel with Gods work upon the other Some say that many in Scripture are converted to Christ without any sorrow for sin and produce the example of Lydia whose heart God sweetly opened to receive Christ and the Eunuch Acts 8. converted in the same manner I answer these are examples of persons converted to God before who did beleeve in the Messiah but did not know that this Jesus was the Messiah which they soon did when the Lord sent the meanes to reveale Christ and therefore Lydia a Jewish proselyte is called a worshipper of God Act. 16.14 and so was the Eunuch Act. 8.27 and in the same condition as the Centurion Act. 10.2 who feared God and whose prayers were accepted ver 4. which cannot be without faith yet did not know that this Jesus crucified was the Messiah untill Peter came unto him So that suppose here was no sense or sorrow for sinne at this time doth it therefore follow they never had any when the Lord at first wrought upon them are these examples in persons converted fit to shew forth Gods work in persons unconverted in some things indeed they are examples in others not so their examples of beleeving in Christ are not in that act examples of sorrow for want of Christ. And yet let me adde to say that God opened Lydia's heart to beleeve in
Christ and yet opened not her heart to lament her sinne and misery in her estate without Christ suppose she were without Christ is more then can be proved from the Text for t is said Her heart was opened to attend unto the things that were spoken by Paul and can any think that Paul or any Apostle ever preached Christ without preaching the need men had of him and could any preach their need of Christ without preaching mens undone and sinfull estate without Christ and doe you think that Lydiae was not made to attend unto this doe you think that when Philip came to open the 53. of Esay to the Eunuch that Christ was bruised for our iniquities that he did not let him understand the infinite evill of sinne and misery of all sinners and of him in speciall unlesse the Lord Jesus was bruised for him In examples recorded in the Scripture of Gods converting grace doe not think they had no sorrow for sinne because it is not distinctly and expresly set downe in all places for the Scripture usually sets downe matters very briefly it oftentimes supposeth many things and refers us to judge of some by other places as Acts 6.7 it is said Many of the Priests were obedient to the faith doth it therefore follow that they did immediately beleeve without any sense of sinne Look to a fuller example Acts 2. and then we may see as the one were converted to the faith so were the other having a hand in the same sin 1 Tim. 1.13 14. Paul he was a persecuter but the Lord received him to mercy and that Gods grace was abundant in faith and love doth it hence follow that Paul had no castings down because not mentioned here If we look upon Acts 9. we shall see it otherwise Doe not judge of generall and common workings of the Spirit upon the souls of any to be the beginnings of effectuall and special conversion for a man may have some inward and yet common knowledge of the Gospel and of Christ in it before there be any sorrow for sinne yet it doth not hence follow that the Lord begins not with compunction and sorrow because common work is not speciall and effectuall work when the Spirit thus comes he first begins here as we shall prove The terrours and feares and sense of sinne and death be in themselves afflictions of soule and of themselves drive from Christ yet in the hand of Christ by the power of the Spirit they are made to lead or rather drive unto Christ which is able to turn mourning into joy as well as after mourning to give joy and therefore t is a vaine thing to think there is no need of such sorrows which drive from Christ and that Christ can work well enough therefore without them when as by the mighty power and riches of mercy in Christ the Lord by wounding nay killing his of all their carnall security and self-confidence saves all his alive and drives them to seek for life in his Son These things thus premised let us now hear of the necessity of this work to succeed conviction Else a sinner will never part with his sin a bare conviction of sin doth but light the candle to see sin compunction burnes his fingers and that onely makes him dread the fire Cleanse your hearts ye sinners and purifie your hearts ye double minded men saith the Apostle Iames Chap. 4.8 But how should this be done He answers verse 9. Be afflicted and mourne and weep turn your laughter into mourning So Ioel 2.12 the Prophet calls upon his hearers to turne from their sin unto the Lord but how Rend your hearts and not your garments Not that they were able to do this but by what sorrow he requires of all in generall he thereby effectually works in the hearts of all the elect in particular for every man naturally takes pleasure nay all his delight and pleasure is in nothing else but sinne for God he hath none but that Now so long as he takes pleasure in sinne and finds contentment by sinne he cannot but cleave inseparably to it Oh t is sweet and it onely is sweet for so long the soule is dead in sinne Pleasure in sinne is death in sinne 1 Tim. 5.6 So long as t is dead in sinne it is impossible it should part with sinne no more then a dead man can break the bonds of death And therefore it undenyably followes that the Lord must first put gall and wormwood to these dugs before the soule will cease sucking or be weaned from them the Lord must first make sinne bitter before it will part with it load it with sinne before it will sit downe and desire ease And look as the pleasure in sinne is exceeding sweet to a sinner so the sorrow for it must be exceeding bitter before the soule will part from it T is true I confesse a man sometime may part with sin without sorrow the uncleane spirit may goe out for a time before he is taken bound and slain by the power of Christ. But such a kind of parting is but the washing of the cup t is unsafe and unsound and the end of such a Christian wil be miserable for a man to heare of his sinne and then to say I le doe no more so without any sense or sorrow for it would not have been approved by Paul if he had seen no more in the carelesse Corinthians in tolerating the incestuous person but their sorrow wrought this repentance No the Lord abhors such whorish wiping the lips and therefore the same Apostle when he reproves them for not separating the sinner and so the sin from them he summes it up in one word You have not mourned that such a one might be taken from you because then sin is severed truly from the soule when sorrow or shame some sense and feeling of the evill of it begins it Not onely sinne is opposite to God but when the Lord Jesus first comes neare his elect in their sinfull estate they are then enemies themselves by sin unto God And hence it is they will never part with their weapons untill themselves be throughly wounded and therefore the Lord must wound their consciences minds and hearts before they will cast them by Now if there be no parting with no separation from sin but sin is as strong and the sinners as vile as ever before hath Christ who now comes to save his elect from sinne the end of his work what is the man the better for conviction affection to Christ name what you can that remains still in his sins When the Apostle would summe up all the misery of men he doth it in those words Ye are yet in your sinne So I say thou art convicted but art yet in thy sinne art affected with Christ and takest hold of Christ but art yet in thy sin He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin shall find mercy You
shall smart and bleed too before God will heale Secondly It is a great mourning because it is called a spirit of mourning As a spirit of slumber is a deep slumber When the poore Jewes shall be converted their great sin shall then be presented before them of cursing and crucifying the Lord of life as it was to those Acts 2.36 And by reason of this there shall be a great mourning that they shall desire to goe alone in secret every one apart and take their fill of mourning before the Lord open the fountaine of grace It is not a summer cloud or an April showre that is soone spent but a great mourning For 1. Before this spirit of sorrow come a mans heart takes great delight in his sinne t is his God his life and sweeter then Christ and all the joyes of heaven and therefore there must be great sorrow sin must be made exceeding bitter A man that is very hungry and thirsty after his lust must finde such meat and drink exceeding bitter else he will feed on it Solomon took great content in women but what saith he when the Lord humbled him I find a woman more bitter then death Heare this you harlots and you that live in your wanton lusts the Lord will make your sweet morsels more bitter then death to you if the Lord saves you 2. Because the greatest evils are the objects of this sorrow viz. Sin and death It is true a man may mourne for smaller evils sooner but when the Spirit sets on the greatest evils then they sad much more Mine iniquities are too heavy to beare Why so Many a man can bear them without sinking True but in the Elect the Spirit sets on loads the soule herewith A wounded spirit who can beare Because the greatest evils lye upon the most tender part of a tender soule pressed down by the omnipotent hand of Christs Spirit For now the multitude of sins more then the haires on the head come now to mind as also the long continuance in them cradle sins No sooner saith the soule did I begin to live but I began to sin Obstinacy also in them lyes very heavy I have had warnings checks resolutions against them and yet have gone on The power of sinne also sads it that as it is said Prov. 21.9 When the wicked reigne the people mourne so doth the soule when it feeles sin reigne I cannot subdue it nay the Lord will not that I feare the Lord hath left me over to it The increase of sin it feeles makes it mourne also I grow worse and worse saith the soul the leake comes in faster then he can cast it out the greatnesse of sinne makes it mourn Was there ever such a sinner as I And lastly the sense of condemnation for sin lyes upon him this is the fruit of your evill wayes saith the Spirit The soule doth not let sinne passe by it now as water downe the mill but being stopt by conviction and feare of the evill of it it swells very high and fills the heart full of griefe and sorrow that many times it is overwhelmed therewith 3. Because Christ wil not be very sweet unlesse this mourning under misery be very great the healing of a cut finger is sweet but of a mortall wound is exceeding sweet a little sorrow will make Christ sweet but great sorrow under sense of deadly wounds is exceeding sweet and without this Christ hath not his honour due to him if he be not onely sweet but also exceeding sweet and precious 4. Because it is such a sorrow as nothing but that that hath wounded the soule can heale it Let men have the greatest outward troubles outward things can cure them or else they will weare away As if a man be sick or in debt physick and money can cure these but this wound neither can or over shall be healed but by the hand that wounded it And hence a man can take no comfort in meat drink sleep friends mirth nor pastime while this wound this sorrow lasts for if any thing else can heal it it is not the right wound or sorrow the Lord breeds in his elect An adulterous heart indeed may be quieted with other lovers Cain can build away his sorrow Nay I le say more this wounded soule cannot comfort it selfe by any promises till the Lord come David had a promise of pardon from Nathan yet he cryes out to the Lord to make him heare the voyce of joy and gladnesse that his broken bones might rejoyce Did not the Lord make him heare the voyce of joy by Nathan Yes outwardly but the Lord that had broke his bones must make him heare inwardly Nay when the Lord comes himselfe to comfort much adoe the Lord hath to make him heare it as the Israelites that hearkned not to Moses voice because of their hard bondage that unlesse the Lord did invincibly comfort it would lye bleeding to death and never live It must needs therefore be great sorrow which all the world men nor Angels can remove 5. You may be confirmed in this if lastly you consider the many wayes the Lord takes to beget great mourning if the soule will not be sorrowfull as sometimes great afflictions Manasseh must be taken in the bushes and cast into chaines Sometimes strange temptations hellish blasphemies Is there a God Are the Scriptures his Word Why should the Lord be so cruell as to reprobate any of his creatures to torment it so long c. Sometimes long eclipsing of the light of Gods countenance no prayers answered but daily bills of indictment And sometimes it thinks it heares and feeles a secret testimony from God that he never had thought of peace toward it and that his purpose is immutable Sometimes it questions Can God forgive sinnes so great Can it stand with his honour to put up so much wrong Sometimes it feels its heart so extreamly hard and dedolent that it thinks the Lord hath sealed it up under this plague till the judgement of the great day And sometimes the Lord makes melancholy a good servant to him to further this work of sorrow But thus the Lord rebukes many a hard hearted sinner that will not beare the yoke nor feele the load and now the Lord turnes the beauty of the proudest into ashes and withers the glory of all flesh Nay sometimes you shall observe the Lord though he comes not out as a Lyon to rend yet as a moth he frets out by secret pinings and languishings the senselesse security of man that he shall mourne to purpose before he leave him I doe not meane by this as if all men had the like measure of sorrow but a great sorrow it is in all Every child is delivered by some throwes those that stick long in the birth may feele them longer and very many Nor yet doe I presse a necessity of teares or violent and
did not know that lust or the secret concupiscences and first risings of the soule to sinne were sinne he saw not these secret evils in all that which he did and â—ence he rested in his duties as one alive without Christ but the Lord by discovering this let him see what little cause he had to lift up his hand for any good he did So it is here when the soule sees that all its righteousnesse is a menstruous cloth polluted with sin now those duties which like reeds it trusted to before run into the hand nay heart of a poor sinner and therefore now it sees little cause of resting on them any longer now it sees the infinite holinesse of God by the exceeding spiritualnesse of the law it begins to cry out How can I stand or appeare before him with such continuall pollutions 2. By irritating or stirring up of originall corruption in making more of that to appeare then ever before that if the soule thinks all I doe is defiled with sin yet my heart is good and so it rests there the Lord therefore stirres that dunghill and lets it see a more hellish nature then ever before in that the holy blessed command of God to its feeling makes it worse more rebellious more averse from God When the commandement came sinne revived saith Paul and that which was for life was death to him sin taking occasion by the law and hence Paul came to be slaine and dye to all his selfe-confidence It was one of Luthers first positions in opposing the Popes indulgences that Lex voluntas sunt duo adversarii sine gratiae irreconciliabiles for the law and mans will meeting together the one holy the other corrupt make fierce opposition when the soule is under any lively worke of the law and by this irritation of the law the Lord hath this end in his elect to make them feel what wretched hearts they have because that which is in it selfe a meanes of good makes them through mans corruption more vile to their feeling then ever before and hence come those sad complaints on a soul under the humbling hand of Christ I am now worse then ever I was I grow every day worse and worse I have lost what once I had I could once pray and seek God with delight and never well but when one duty was done to be in another but now I am worse all that joy and sweetnesse in seeking of him and in holy walking is gone I could once mourne for sin but now a hard heart takes hold of me that I have not so much as a heart to any thing that is good nor to shed a teare for the greatest evill It is true I confesse you may grow to your feeling worse and worâ— and it is fit you should feel it that the Lord hereby might pull downe your proud heart and make you lye low it is the Lords glorious wisdom to wither all your flowers which refreshed you without Christ that you might feele a need of him and therefore I say the Lord pulls away all those broken planks the soule once floated and rested upon that the soule may sinke in a holy despaire of any help from any good it hath the Lord shakes down all building on a sandy foundation and then the soule cryes out It is ill resting here 3. By loading tyring and wearying the soule by its own indeavours untill it can stir no more for this is in every man by nature when he sees that all he doth is sinfull and all he hath his heart and nature to be most sinfull yet he will not yet come out of himselfe because he hopes though he be for the present thus vile yet he hopes for future time his heart may grow better and himself doe better then now and hence it is that hee strives and seeks indeavours to his utmost to set up himself again and to gain cure to all his troubles by his duties now the law whose office is to command but not to give strength and the Spirit that should give strength withdrawing it selfe because it knowes the soule would rest therein without Christ hence it comes to passe that the soule feeling it selfe to labour onely in the fire and smoake and to be still as miserable and sinfull as ever before hereupon it is quite tyred out and sits down weary not only of its sin but of its work and now cryes out I see now what a vile undone wretch I am I can doe nothing for God or for my selfe only I can sinne and destroy my selfe all that I am is vile and all that I doe is vile I now see that I am indeed poore and blind and miserable and naked the truth is beloved here comes in the greatest dejections of spirit for when the Lord smites the soule for sin it hopes that by leaving of sinne and doing better it may doe well but when it sees that there is no hope here of healing the breach between God and it selfe now it falls low indeed and I take this to be the true meaning of Mat. 11.28 Ye that labour i. e. You that are wearied in your own way in seeking rest to your soules by your own hard labour or works as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies and are tyred out therein and so are now laden indeed with sinne and the heavie pressure of that finding no ease by all that which you doe come to me saith Christ and you shall then find rest unto your soules the Jewes seeking to establish their own righteousnesse seeking I say if by any meanes they might establish it lost Christ the Lord therefore will make his elect know they shall seek here for ease in vaine and therefore tyres them out 4. By clearing up the equity and justice of God in the law if the Lord should never pity nor pardon it nor shew any respect or favour to it for this is the frame of every mans heart if he cannot find rest in his duties and endeavours as he once expected he should but sees sin and weaknesse death and condemnation wrapping him about like Ionahs weeds in all he doth then his heart sinkes and quarrells and falls off farther from Christ by discouragement and growes secretly impatient that there should be no mercy left for him because it thinkes now the Lords eternall purpose is to exclude him for if there were any thoughts of peace toward him he should have found peace before now having so earnestly and frequently sought the Lord and having done so much and forsaken his sinfull wayes according to his owne commandement from him and hence it is you shall find it a certaine truth that the soule is turned back as far from God by sinking discouraging sorrowes for sin as ever it was in a state of security by the pleasures of sin and hence sometime it thinks it is in vaine to seek any more and hence leaves off duties and if conscience force
it to them yet it sinkes againe because its foot is not stablisht upon the rock Christ but upon the weaknesse of the waters of its owne abilities and indeavours what therefore should the soule doe in this case to come to God it knowes not it cannot â—ly from him it dare not it shall not the spirit therefore by revealing how equall and just it is for the Lord never to regard or look after it more because it hath sinned and is still so sinfull makes it hereby to fall down prostrate in the dust before the Lord as worthy of nothing but shame and confusion and so kisseth the rod and turnes the other cheek unto the Lord even smiting of him acknowledging if the Lord shew mercy it will bee wonderfull if not yet the Lord is righteous and therefore hath no cause to quarrell against him for denying speciall mercy to him to whom hee doth not owe a bit of bread And now the soule is indeed humbled because it submits to be disposed of as God pleaseth thus the Church in her humiliation Lam. 3.22 having in the former part of the Chapter drunke the wormewood and the gall at last lies down and professeth it is the Lords mercy it is not consumed and verse 29. he puts his mouth to the dust if there may be any hope and verse 39. why should a living man complaine for the punishment of his sinne You think the Lord doth you wrong and neglects your good and his own glory too if he doth not give you peace and pardon grace and mercy even to the utmost of your asking and then thinke you have hence good cause to â—ret and sinke and be discouraged No no the Lord will pull down those mountaines those high thoughts and make you lye low at his feet and acknowledge that it is infinite mercy you are alive and not consumed and that there is any hope or possibility of mercy and that you are out of the nethermost pit and that if he should never pity you yet he doth you no wrong but that which is equall and just and that it is fit your sinfull froward wills should stoop to his holy righteous and good will rather then that it should stoop and be crooked according unto yours Beleeve it brethren he that judgeth not himselfe thus shall be judged of the Lord how can you have mercy that will set your selves up in Gods Soveraigne Throne to dispose of it and will not lye downe humbly under it that it may dispose of you for are you worthy of it hath the Lord any need of you have you not provoked him exceedingly was there ever any that dealt worse with him then you Oh beloved lye low here and learne of the Church Micah 7.9 I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him It was a most blessed frame of spirit in Aaron when he saw Gods hand against him in cutting off his children and Aaron held his peace so if the Lord should cast thee off or cut thee off never take pleasure in such a polluted broken vessell unfit for any use for him hold thou thy peace quarrell not be silent before him and say as they did 2 Chron. 12.5 The Lord is righteous but I am vile let him doe with me what seems good in his own eyes and thus the Lord Jesus by the law doth dead the soule to the law untill it be made to submit like wax or like clay to the hand of the potter to frame it a vessell to what use he pleaseth and as the Apostle most excellently Rom. 7. diverceth it from its first husband i. e. Sin and the Law that it may be marryed unto Iesus Christ. In a word when the Lord Christ hath made the soule feele not onely its inability to help it selfe and so saith as Paul Gal. 2.20 It is not I but also it s owne unworthinesse that the Lord should help it and so cryes out with Iob Behold I am vile now at this instant t is vas capax a vessell capable though unworthy of any grace Iam. 4.6 The last Question remaines What measure of Humiliation is here necessary Look as so much conviction is necessary which begets compunction so much compunction as breeds humiliation so so much humiliation is necessary as introduceth faith or as drives the soule out of it selfe unto Christ for as the next end of conviction is compunction and that of compunction is humiliation so the next end of humiliation is faith or comming to Christ which wee shall next speak unto And hence it is that the Lord calls unto the weary and heavy laden to come unto him Mat. 11.27 So much as makes you come for rest in Christ so much is necessary and no more If any can come without being thus laden and weary in some measure let them come and drink of the water of life freely but a proud heart that will make it selfe its owne Saviour will not come to the Lord Jesus to be his Saviour he that will be his owne Physitian so long cannot send out for another Nay let me fall one degree lower if the soule cannot come to Christ as who feel not themselves unable when the Lord comes to draw and find not the Lord Jesus comming unto them to draw them and compell them in yet if the soule be so far humbled as not to resist the Lord by quarrelling with him and at him for not comming to him as unworthy of the least smile as worthy of all frownes verily the Lord will come to it and no more is requisite then this and thus much certainly is For thus the whole Scripture runs He gives grace to the humble James 4.6 I dwell with the contrite and humble Esay 57.16 The poore afflicted shall not alway be forgotten Psal. 9.12 18. When their uncircumcised hearts are humbled so as to accept of the punishment of their iniquity the Lord then remembers his Covenant Lev. 26.41 42. Conceive it thus There can be no union to Christ while there is a power of resistance and opposition against Christ. The Lord Christ must therefore in order of nature for I now speak not of order of time first removere prohibens remove this resistance before he can and that he may unite I doe not meane resistance of the frame of grace but as was said of the Lord of grace when he comes to work it Now there is a double resistance or two parts of this resistance like a knife with two edges 1. A resistance of the Lord by a secret unwillingnesse that the Lord should worke grace Now this the Lord removes in compunction and no more brokennesse for sinne or from sinne is necessary there then that 2. A resistance of the Lord by sinking discouragements and a secret quarrelling with him in case the soule imagines he will not come to work grace or manifest grace Now this the Lord takes away in humiliation and no more is
there is a subjection arising from the sense of the sweetnesse and exceeding goodnesse of Gods call and promise Psal. 110.2 3. As a woman that is overcome with the words of her loving suitor the man is precious and hence his words are very sweet and overcome her heart to think why should such a one as I be lookt upon by one of such a place it is no presumption now but duty to give her consent so it is here when the Lord is precious and his words oh accept me oh come to me are exceeding sweet and hereupon out of obedience gladly yeelds up it selfe to the Lord takes possession of the Lord this is no more presumption then to sanctifie a Sabbath or to pray or heare the word because the Lords commands are herein very sweet If Repentance accompanies Faith t is no presumption to beleeve Many know they sinne and hence beleeve in Christ trust to Christ and there is an end of their faith but what confession and sorrow for sinne what more love to Christ followes this faith truly none nay their faith is the cause why they have none for they think If I trust to Christ to forgive them he will doe it and there is an end of the businesse Verily this hedge faith this bramble â—aith that catches hold on Christ and pricks and scratches Christ by more impenitency more contempt of him is meere presumption which shall one day be burnt up and destroyed by the fire of Gods jealousie Fie upon that faith that serves onely to keep a man from being tormented before his time Your sins would be your sorrowes but that your faith quiets you But if faith be accompanyed with repentance mourning for sin more esteem of Gods grace in Christ so that nothing breaks thy heart more then the thoughts of Christs unchangeable love to one so vile and this love makes thee love much and love him the more as thy sin increaseth so thou desirest that thy love may increase and now the stream of thy thoughts runne how thou mayst live to him that dyed for thee This was Maries faith who sate at Christs feer weeping washing them with her teares and loving him much because much was forgiven who though shee was accounted a presumptuous woman by Simon and Christ himselfe suffered in his thoughts for suffering of her to come so neare unto him yet the Lord himselfe cleares her herein and justifies her before God and men many a poor beleever thinks if I should beleeve I should but presume and spin a spiders web of Faith out of my owne bowels and hence you shall observe this not beleeving stops up the work of repentance mourning and love and all chearfull obedience in them and on the contrary if they did beleeve it would be with them as themselves think many times if I knew the Lord was mine and my sins pardoned oh how should I then blesse him and love him and wonder at him how would this break my heart before him c. now I say let all the world judg if that which thou thinkest would be presumption be not rebellion because it makes thee worse and stops up the Spirit of grace in thee Whereas that Faith which lets out those blessed springs of sorrow love thankfulnesse humblenesse c. what can it bee else but such a saving faith as is wrought by the Spirit because it lets in the Spirit more abundantly into a dry and desolate heart 2. The subject or matter of Faith This is the second thing in the description of Faith the soule of an humbled sinner is the subject or matter of Faith I doe not meane the matter out of which Faith is wrought for there is nothing in man out of which the Spirit begets it but that wherein Faith is seated I meane also the habit of Faith not the principle of it for that is out of man in the Lord Jesus who is therefore called our hope as wel as our strength the soule therefore is the subject of Faith called the heart Rom. 10.9 compared with Mat. 6.21 for we cannot goe or come to Christ in this life with our bodies we are here absent from the Lord 2 Cor. 5. but the soule can goe to him the heart can bee with him as the eye can see a 1000 miles off and receive the species or image of the things it sees into it so the soule inlightned by faith can see Christ a farre off it can long for choose and rest upon the Lord of life and receive the lively image of Christs glory in it 2 Cor. 3. ult If Christ were present upon earth the soule not the body onely could truly receive him Christ comes to his elect only by his Spirit and hence our spirits only are fit to receive him and close with him thousands heare Christ outwardly that inwardly are deafe to all Gods calls their spirits see not tast not feel not it is therefore the soule that is the subject of Faith and I say it is an humbled empty soule which is the subject for a full proud nbroken spirit cannot nay will not receive Christ as wee have proved and therefore Luke 14. the servant is commanded to bid the poore halt and blind and lame to come in they would not make excuses as others did they that were stung to death with fiery Serpents were the only men that the brasen Serpent was lifted up for them to look upon and so be healed Iohn 3.14 and therefore the promise doth not run If any man have wisdome let him aske it but if any man want wisdom Iames 1.5 so if any man want light life want peace pardon want Christ and his Spirit let them aske and the Lord will give away with your mony if you come to these waters to buy and take freely If any man would be wise let him be a foole saith the blessed Apostle an empty nothing a soule in a perishing helplesse hopelesse condition is the subject of faith such only feele their need of Christ are glad at the offer of Christ and therefore such only can and will receive Christ and come unto Christ by faith and truly if we had but hearts the consideration of this might be ground of great comfort confidence unto all Gods people whose soules come unto Jesus Christ for that which was in Thomas Iohn 21. is in all men naturally if we could see Christ with our eyes and feel him with our hands and embrace him as Mary did with our arms if we could heare himselfe speake we could then beleeve as they said if he will come from the Crosse so we say if he will come downe from heaven thus unto us we will then beleeve if we want this we fear we may be at last deceived because we want sense and cannot come to close with our eyes and hands the objects of our faith but oh consider this point we are made partakers of Christs life and salvation by him only yet
certainly by faith Now this faith is not by seeing him with our eyes comming neare to him with our bodies but comming to him with our soules the soule is the seat of faith Now this you may doe though you never thus saw him whom though you see not yet beleeving you rejoice this comming of the soule to Christ doth make a firmer union between thee and Christ then if thou wert bodily present with him in heaven For many touched and crowded him that never were truly united to him or received vertue from him If our soules were in the third heaven with Christ who of us would then doubt of our portion in him I tell you if your soules goe out of sinne and selfe unto Christ Jesus and there rest this makes you nearer to him then if your soules were under his wing in the highest heavens The poore Sea-man when hee is neare dangerous shores when he cannot goe downe to the depth of the Sea to fasten his ship yet if hee can cast his anchor twenty or forty fathom deep and if that holds this quiets him in the sorest stormes when we are tossed and cannot come to Christ with our bodily presence yet if our soules can come if our faith our anchor can reach him and knit us to him this should exceedingly comfort our hearts How and where should my soule come to Christ who is now absent from me Christ comes to you in his Word and Covenant of Grace there is his Spirit his truth goodnesse love faithfulnesse receive this you receive him embrace this you embrace him as among our selves we see great estates are conveyed and surrendred by Bond and Writings Act. 2.41 When they received the Word they received Christ. Ioh. 15.7 If my words abide in you i. e. if I abide in you by my words you shall be fruitfull By the Word let thine eye pitch upon the person doe not onely account the Promise true but with Sarah account him faithfull who hath promised and then let thy heart roll it selfe upon that grace and faithfulnesse revealed in this word leane upon the breast of this beloved and thus the soule by the chariot wheeles and wings of the Word is possessor of Christ in it and carryed up to Christs crosse as dying Gal. 3.1 and from thence to his glory in his Kingdoâ— by it Heb. 10.19 22. As a man that gives a great estate by some writing to us we beleeve it as if he were present and by this we doe not onely beleeve the writing to â—e true but the man to be be faithfull and loving to us and hereupon our hearts are carryed after the man himselfe though afar off from us Thus we ascend to Christ in the cloud of faith as Iacob though he could hardly beleeve yet as soone as he was perswaded Ioseph was yet alive his spirit presently revived and it was immediately with him before his body came to him so t is with faith the soule goes unto Christ before our bodies and soules both together shal have immediate communion with him 3. The forme of Faith This is the third thing in the description of Faith the comming of the whole soule out of it selfe unto Christ is the forme of Faith and that wherein the life and essence of it consists and which doth difference it from all other graces of the Spirit The first act of Faith as it unites us to Christ is not assurance that he is mine but a comming to him with assurance that hereby he is become mine Come unto the waters and so buy wine and milke i. e. now make them your owne The weary and heavy laden shall not have rest unlesse they come to Christ for it Faith doth nothing for life for that is the Law of Works it onely receives him who hath done all for it it comes out of all it hath or doth like Abraham that left his servants behind him when he went up to God in the mount unto Christ for life Conceive it thus Adam had a principle stock of life in himselfe in his owne hand and therefore was to live by this to live of himselfe and from himselfe and therefore had no need nor use of faith he lived by the law of works which the Apostle sets in a direct opposition to the Law of Faith but Adam being now falne hath lost his life and became not like the man that fell among theeves betwixt Jerusalem and Jericho stript wounded and halfe dead but wholly dead Ephes. 2.1 so that let any man seeke life from himselfe its impossible he should live for if there had been a Law that could have given life our righteousnesse should have been thereby Gal. 3.21 Hence it followes if any man will have life he must goe out of himselfe unto another viz. the Lord of life for it Iohn 5.40 Iohn 6.27 28 29. Now observe it this very comming this very motion of the soule to Christ a grace which Adam neither had nor had power to use is Faith the Spirit of Christ moving or drawing the soule the soul is thence moved and so comes to Christ Iohn 6.64 65. The soule by sinne is averted from God and turns his back upon God the turning or comming of the soule not unto duties of holinesse for that is obedience properly but unto God in Christ againe is properly and formally Faith All evill is in mans selfe and from himselfe all mans good is in Christ and from Christ. The soules of all Gods elect seeing these things forsake and renounce themselves in whom and for whom is all thâ—ir evill and come unto Christ in whom and from whom is all their good This motion of the soule betweene these extreames through that vast and infinite distance that is betweene a sinfull wretched man and a blessed Saviour is faith for by faith principally we passe from death to life Iohn 5.24 The soule of a poore sinner wounded and humbled sometime knowes not Christ and then cryes out as those Act. 2.37 What shall I doe Whither shall I go sometimes dares not sometimes cannot it hath no heart to stir or come it therefore looks up and longs and goes unto the Lord to draw it like poore Ephraim Ier. 31.18 Oh turne me Lord and then I shall be turned Lam. 5.21 and this is the lowest and least degree of faith But at some other time the soule mourning for want of the Lord the Lord comes unto it with great clearnesse glory and sweetnesse of grace and peace hence the soule cannot but come and close with him and cry Rabboni and say Oh Lord is it thy good pleasure to have respect to such a clod of earth to tender such riches of grace to one so unworthy and to bid nay to beseech me to come and take Lord behold I come This is faith Would you have proofe of it Consider therefore these particulars 1. Consider these Scriptures Iohn 6.35 I am the bread
and so all his benefits with him 3. Can any man have eternall life that not only hath not the benefits flowing from the Sonne but that wants the Son himselfe I am sure the Apostle expressely affirmes it 1 Iohn 5.12 He that hath the Son hath life he that hath not the Son hath not life Faith therefore must come for Christ himselfe as in marriage the woman consents first to have the man and so to have all other benefits that will necessarily follow upon this 4. The happinesse of all the Saints consists in two things First union to Christ Secondly communion with Christ. Faith therefore pitcheth first upon Christ himself that it may have sure and certaine union to him for our union is not unto any of the benefits flowing to us from Christ we are not united unto forgivenesse of sinnes nor peace of conscience nor holinesse c. but unto the person of the Son of God himselfe and then secondly commeth for the communication of all the benefits arising onely from union as Paul Phil. 3.9 10. esteems all things dung and losse first to be found in him that so he might have his righteousnesse in justification and feele the power of his death and resurrection in sanctification c. in one word Faith first buyes the pearle it self and then seeks to be inriched by it it finds the treasure of grace glory peace mercy favour reconciliation in Christ but then buyes the field it selfe that it may have the treasure also Mat. 13.44 the Lord Christs great desire is that all his might be with him to see his glory Iohn 17.24 and Faith desires first to have him and be for ever with him and so to partake of that glory the Lords great plot is first to perfect the Saints in Christ Col. 2.10 yee are compleat in him then to make them like to Christ by communicating life grace peace glory from him Col. 3.3 4. 1 Iohn 3.1 2. Faith therefore first quiets it selfe in him then seeks for life from him it comes first for Christ and then for all the benefits of Christ. Oh that this truth were well considered how would it discover abundance of rotten counterfâ—it faith in the world some seeking for peace and comfort and caâ—ching at promises without seeking first to have the person of Christ himselfe in whom only all the promises are Yea and Amen Others despising the benefits of Christ especially grace holinesse and life from him because say they Christ is all in all to them Ask them Have you any grace change of heart c. tush what doe you tell them of repentance and faith and holinesse they have Christ and that is sufficient they have the substance what should they doe now with shadowes of Ordinances Ministeries or Sacraments they have all graces in Christ why should they look either for being of or evidence from any grace inherent in themselves they have a living holy head but Christs body they say is a dry Skeleton a dead carcase and they are but dry bones is it so indeed then look that God should shortly bury thee out of his sight assuredly you that want and dâ—spise the bâ—nâ—fits comming from him shall never have part nor portion in him at the great day of Account Christ is a Saviour to save men from their sins not to save men and their sins Christ is King and Priest of his Church holy and separated from sinners Heb. 7.26 and if you have any part or portion in him he hath made you Kings and Priests also to God and his Father and hath not left you in your pollution but washt you from it in his owne blood Rev. 1.5 6. The law of God is written on the heart of Christ Psal. 40.8 with Heb. 10.5 6 7. and if ever hee wraps you up in the covenant of grace he will write his law in your hearts also Heb. 8.10 Let all deluded Familists tremble at this that in advancing Christ himselfe and free grace abolish and despise those heavenly benefits which flow from him unto all the elect Let others also mourne over themselves that have with much affection been seeking after Christs benefits peace of conscience holinesse of heart and life promises to assure them of eternall glory but have not sought first to embrace and have the person of the Lord Jesus himselfe Oh come come therefore unto the Lord Jesus for Christ himselfe and for all his benefits I say for All his benefits This is that which the Apostle prayes for with bended knees for the Ephesians that they might not take in a little but comprehend the height depth length bredth of Christs love that so they might be filled with all the fulnesse of God This is that which our Saviour expresly with much vehemency calls for Iohn 7.37 Let all that thirst come unto me and drinke not sip and taste a little as Reprobates and Apostates doe Heb. 6.4 5. but drinke and drinke abundantly as it is Cant. 5.1 And observe it that upon these very termes the Lord tenders grace and mercy Rom. 5.17 the Apostle doth not say They that receive alittle but abundance of grace shall reign by righteousnesse unto eternall life Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it Psal. 81.11 12. And most certainely this is one principall difference between the faith of the Elect and Reprobates and if I mistake not the principall the elect close with Christ for that end for which the Father offers him which is that they might possesse his Sonne and all his benefits and therefore come poore and empty for all the reprobate come not for all but for so much and no more then will serve their owne turne in misery they would have Christ to deliver them but what care they for spirituall mercies in trouble of conscience or after their foule falls into filthy lusts and sins they come to Christ to forgive them and comfort them but what care they for holinesse and a new nature some sinnes they would have Christ save them from but they regard not redemption from all they cannot come to Christ that all the powers of darknesse may be perfectly subdued that their owne sinnes and selves conceits and wills may be led away captive by this mighty Conquerour that Christ in all his authority grace peace life glory might be for ever advanced in them and by them It was Austins complaint in his time of many of his hearers that Christum assequi to have Christ was pleasing to them but sequi Christum to follow Christ this was heavy To close with Christs person is sweet to many but to close with his will and to come to him that he would give them a heart to lye under it this benefit they desire not All Christ is uselesse and needlesse but something from Christ is precious to them for the Lord Iesus sake beloved take heed of this delusion if any thing hath been bought for us at a deare rate and cost much if
should be ground unto thee to come as a poore begger that hath no promise absolutely given him of reliefe yet if a rich man sends to him and bids him come to his doore and wait he thinks he hath good ground and warrant to come It is a sure ground against all feares all doubts of presumption all sense of unworthinesse and of the greatnesse of the good promised c. For the Saints have many fearâ—s whereby they dare not come they feare they may presume they see themselves most vile and unworthy of the least smile the benefits are so exceeding great to which they are called that they think it is too good for them c. but beloved when the soule sees evidently the Lord invites me perswades me commands me waits for me strives with me that I would come in and because his grace is free therefore requires no more but only to come take come and drinke this forceth the soul to confesse I am sure it is no presumption to obey the call of Christ and what though I am unworthy and this good is exceeding great and precious yet if it be the Lords grace to call such a poore wretch to receive and accept of it why should I not rather thankfully receive it then out of my own head superstitiously refuse it but this I am sure and certaine of the Lord calls me thus to doe if God should speak from heaven to you to come unto his Sonne it is not so sure a ground as the call of God from out of the Oraâ—le of his word in the blessed Gospell of his deare Sonne It is a strong ground and of great power and efficacy to force the soule to come for you may object no man can believe or should believe and come of himself I say so too but how would you have the Spirit of Christ enable you to come verily it is by this call and therefore Ier. 3.22 when the Lord said Returne ye back-sliding children they presently answered Lord we come the dead shall heare this voyce of the Sonne of God and live Iohn 5.25 thou saidst Seeke ye my face my heart answered Lord thy face will I seeke Oh iron stony Adamantine heart that canst heare so sweet a voyce as this word come and yet not be overcome This call honours grace most for what more free then for the Lord to say Come and take of the water of life freely what more free then for a rich man to require of his debtor only to receive so many thousands of him to pay his debts to set him up again Verily brethren as the Lord honors his grace by commanding us to come so we honour it when through the mighty power of the same call we doe come Thus much for Explication of this call now let me put an end to it in a word of Application Let this perswade all sorts of persons young and old one and another to whom the Gospell is sent to come in to Jesus Christ for those that God calls should come but the Lord calls at least outwardly all sorts of persons nay every individuall person to come in Marke 16.15 16. Paul told the stout Jaylor If thou beleevest thou shalt be saved and look as the Law speakes particularly to every man Thou shalt have no other Gods c. so doth the Gospell also Rom. 10.9 that so every man might look upon himselfe as spoken to in particular And indeed if there were not such a particular call then men should not sin by refusing the Gospell nor should the Lord be angry for so doing but their sin and condemnation is great that so doe Iohn 3.19 And the Lord is more wroth for this sin then any other Ps. 2.12 Luk. 14.18 Heb. 3.10.11.19 In one word either the Lord would have thee who â—ver thou art to receive Christ or to reject and so despise Christ and if the Lord would have you reject him he would then have you sin and continue in it which cannot stand either with the honour of Gods holinesse or of his rich grace I shall here therefore open two things 1. Set downe means to enable you to come 2. Shew you how and in what manner you should come The meanes 1. Consider who it is that doth call you is it Man or Ministers think you you might never come then no it is Jesus Christ himselfe that calls you by them Why doe many discouraged Spirits refuse to come it is because they think deceitfull man or charitable men call them but the Lord hath no respect unto them Oh foolish conceipt I tell you their Ministery is not an act of their charity wishing well to the salvation of all but it is an act of Christs love and soveraigne authority Mat. 28.18 19 20. So that what they doe it is in Christs stead 2 Cor. 5.19 20. if Christ was present he would call thee to him with more bowels then any compassionate Minister can I assure you to receive them is to receive Christ to despise them is to despise Christ Iohn 13.20 and therefore Eph. 2.14 although the Apostles preached to the Ephesians yet it is said that Christ came and preached to them If any Minister preacheth any other doctrine of grace then what Christ hath delivered let him be accursed But if they publish his mind and his call look upon them as if the Lord himself called unto you lest the Lord accurse you and all their Ministery to you the Lord Jesus did not cast off the Jewes for crucifying of him and shedding his blood untill the Gospell of grace published by his messengers came to them and that was rejected then Paul waxed bold and said because you put away the word from you wee leave you Acts 13.46 Oh beloved if you did beleeve Christ called you poore prodigalls that have run riot and sinned against him as much as you could home unto him suppose Christ was present would it not draw you in suppose he was with thee in the chamber where thou art crying after him or in the Church where thou art waiting for him and he should appeare visibly before thine eyes opening his bosome and bowels and blood before thee and calling unto thee to this purpose I doe beseech thee and intreat thee by all these teares I have shed for thee in the dayes of my flesh by all those bitter agonies I have suffered for thee by all these tender bowels which have been rowled together toward thee come unto me embrace me lay thy wearied head in this blessed bosome of mine crucifie me no longer by thy sins treâ—d me not under foot by thy unbeleef any more and I will pardon all thy sinnes though as red as crimson I will heale thy cursed nature I will carry thee in my owne bowells up to glory with me where all siâ—s and teares and sorrowes shall be abolished c. who would not now come in to him let me see the man that hath a heart