if we consider in the second place the meanes of true Connersion Namely the Word of God assisted by the blessed Spirit which in that it consists of two partes to wit the Lawe and the Gospell Howsoeuer by the Law we are brought to a sight of sinne and so thereby prepared to Conuersion and as it were entred therein as beeing cast out of our selues and cast vpon IESVS CHRIST yet by the sweete promises of the Gospell wee are allured and perswaded to beleeue in the Lord IESVS which is the very worke and perfection of our true Conuersion So are our hearts more and more suppled and broken through the loue of CHRIST shead abroad in our hearts So are we bound vnto our GOD with the cords of loue as that we attaine a most glorious libertie of the sonnes of God So are wee led captiue vnder sinne that in the inward man we delight in the law of God So are we subiect to Afflictions as that wee are more then Conquerours ouer them So is Death the end of our sinne and entrance to our glorious libertie Thus doth the Word discouer the estate of our conuersion thus doth it allure and satisfie vs in the whole processe and consummation thereof And doth not the manner of our Conuersion auouch as much that it is by perswading and mollifying of our hearts Doth not the Lorde himselfe allure and inuite vs to embrace these meanes proffering vs wares with money wooing of vs to open vnto him by testimonie of his patience and pledges of his loue stretching out his hands vnto vs all the day long And those not emptie but dropping downe myrthe and tendering most invaluable riches the rather to allure vnto him Doth not wisedome invite vs to a Feast and allure vs with her delicates Doth not the Lord preuent vs with his grace that we may be plentifull in good works Doth he not allure vs to holinesse when he imputes the righteousnesse of his Sonne vnto vs and not onely accounts that ours which hee freely giues but accepts that to be his which by our corruption is defiled Doth not the Lord offer parley Come let vs reason together Hath hee bene a wildernes vnto vs Nay what could hee haue done vnto vs which he hath not done Thus doth the Lord perswade and allure our Conuersion And are not his Ministers led by the same spirit Doe they come vnto vs with a rod or not rather with the spirite of meekenes Are they not his Embassadors to treat with vs Nay his Orators to beseech vs to be reconciled vnto God Are they not ready so to wooe vs that they not only are contented to deliuer the Gospell vnto vs but euen theyr owne soules so deare are we vnto them so little deare is their life vnto them in regarde of preaching the Gospell that we may be saued Are they not our fathers to beget vs in all loue and compassion to be the children of God Are they not our Noursing-mothers to dandle and suckle vs as new-borne babes with the milke of the Gospell that wee may growe vp thereby Are they not our shepheards to leade vs into the greene pastures to dresse and tenderly looke to vs as the tender lambes of Iesus Christ Are they not Gods fisher men to allure vs as with a bayte thereby not to constraine vs by force but to catch vs with a wile And doe they not in all this perswade vs reasonable men by most reasonable and tractable meanes to a matter most reasonable euen to returne vnto God For to proceede now to the substance of our conuersion and thence to proue this manner of our Calling by Alluring as also the equitie thereof Is our Conuersion any other then a restoring vs to that estate which heretofore we enioyed in Adam and lost by the malice of Sathan And ought there to bee any thing more acceptable vnto vs then to come foorth of Darknes into a maruellous light to be deliuered from bondage yea from bondage of Sathan vnto the glorious libertie of the Sonnes of God to be pluckt out of the horrible pit and aduanced to the highest Heauens to be made Lords of all who before were vassalls vnto all To be at peace with all who before had all against vs. Such is our conuersion Is there any thing more reasonable Is it not most reasonable and equall that God should haue his will who hath decreed our conuersion that he should enioy the seruice of his creature which is obtained by conuersion that he should be loued of his children that are so made by conuersion Is it not meet conuenient that we should be holie as our God is holie that to eternall happines wee should be made meete by perfect holines Ought not members of the body to haue the like 〈◊〉 Ought not citizens of the same heauenly Ierusalem to be of one minde Nay ought not fellow-heirs of the same kingdom be of the same nature of the like beautie and glorie Such are we with Iesus Christ and such are wee made by conuersion And is it not most equall that the Lord Iesus should haue what hee hath purchased at so deere a rate 1. Pet 1. 1. Cor 6. Lastly what true marke is there of our cōuersion which doth not owne this truth that we were not compelled but perswaded allured therunto Haue wee peace of conscience and so are at peace with God who could haue procured this vnles God had giuē it how could wee haue receiued this vnlesse the minde had bene allured and nourished with the loue of God no entertainment of Gods loue but by ouercomming the heart with loue No true euidence of Gods loue vnto vs but by out loue vnto him againe No sound euidence of our loue vnto our God but by our readinesse to forsake all for his sake but by our delight in the excellent inlarged heart towards them not by constraint but of a ready minde 1 Pet 5. 3. 4. So much we loue our God as we desire his continuall presence and perpetuall fruition of his blessed society By this do we know that we are of God that we come boldly to begge or rather chalenge his promise that we will not be saide nay but are answered in our chiefe desires Thus God freely promiseth and offereth meanes to vs not deseruing it that so we may not be discouraged but rather inuited to embrace the same And because Gods loue is free therefore it preuailes vpon the most vnlikely deliuering the captiue giuing sight to the blinde swallowing vp dispaire in mercie and crowning corruption in glorie And because he maketh vs partakers of y e diuine nature therfore also he enables vs freely to loue him and cheerfully to obey him to runne the way of his Commandements after hee hath set our hearts at libertie yea he maketh our feet like Harts feet so that by the helpe of our God we leape ouer a wall yea hee giueth
Euen Prayer vnto God that he would hasten his worke in the blessing of Iapheth in the calling of the Gentiles 1. So must the Saints pray for the accomplishment of Gods will Prayer is the most effectuall meanes to preuaile with God So doth the Sonne of God teach vs to pray That the will of God may bee done 2. So haue the Saints practized vsually to obtaine Gods mercies 1. Sam 2. Iam 5. Ioh 14. Math 12. Math 6. 3. So haue they preuailed for the remoueall of his iudgements Ion 3. Esay â—8 37. Psalm 105. 4. And so hath God promised by this meanes euer to be found of vs both to deliuer vs out of euill Psal 50. 15. And to heape blessings vpon vs. And no maruell For 1. Is not Prayer that life of our Faith wherein we renue our right in Christ Iesus and so in him preuaile with God Ephes 6. 18. 19. for all things that make for our good Psal 34. 1. Cor 3. 2. And doth not Prayer sanctifie the blessing vnto vs that as we haue it in loue so wee may vse it to Gods glorie and therein laye vp a good foundation against the day of Christ 1. Tim 4. 5. 1. Timoth 6. 17. 3. Nay doth not our prayer comfort vs that though wee obtaine not what we desire yet we haue done Gods will and so shall haue better then we desire euen the grace of sweete Communion with our blessed God yea the grace of patience to waite his leysure yea the grace of Contentment in him aboue all things yea the grace of Supplie of that which shall enable vs in our wants yea the grace of aboundant recompence of our stay a double Restitution of whatsoeuer wee haue wanted yea an hundreth folde in this life an infinit recompence in heauen 2. cor 4. 17. 18 4. And shall not Israel that preuailes with God preuaile also with men Osee 11. 2. 3. Genes 32. Exod 16. Vse 1. Surely so we pray in Faith 1. 6. without doubting and Ignorance In Patience without wearysomnes submitting to the will of God Math 27. Galath 6. so our prayer be in loue to our God respecting his glory in loue to our selues desiring the best for vs and in loue to our neighbour without wrath or enuie so we pray in hope So contenting our hearts with the enioying of the present as that still we waite and begge for the things to come forgetting what 's behinde in respect of that 's before Phil 3. Howsoeuer the Lord neede not to be put in minde what hee will giue yet we must pray to put our selues in minde of what we haue need as also to approue our right for the supplie thereof Assuring our selues that the Lord will fulfill the desires of them that feare him Psal 25. 21. Psal 14. 5. And hee will certainely fill the hungrie with good things so they witnesse vnfainedly theyr wants by theyr earnestnes in begging and labour to bee found of GOD not hauing theyr owne righteousnes but cloathed with the righteousnes of IESVS CHRIST as well Praysing God for what they haue as begging what they want and submitting to Gods will for the manner of the supplie though being otherwise confident on God that he will certainly prouide Genes 22. If we be denied either wisely faulting our selues that we haue asked amisse or not faulting God howsoeuer who giueth how and when iâ— pleaseth him sufficient to our Faith though happily crossing â—ence reason Comforting our selues that the crossing of nature will be the triall and encrease of grace so that we doe still vse our spirituall weapon of Prayer thereby preuayle wee shall still with God howsoeuer we decrease in the flesh and who would not weaken such a treacherous and noysome enemie Can we better disgrace and abuse the same then when wee haue done our best therein yet not onely we craue a blessing from God thereon therein signifying it vtter inabilitie in it selfe to good but further also intreate the Lorde to pardon the best endeuouts and not to enter into iudgement with vs for our best seruices Psal 143. Oh how doth this vtterly condemne and crucifie the flesh Nay doth not heere a gracious hart wholly abase and denie himselfe that so hee may fully and whollie be interessed in the free mercies of God in Iesus Christ So doth Noah by prayer interesse his sonne Iapheth and his posteritie in the Couenant of grace and so by Faith doth hee prophesie of the Calling of the Gentiles And so from these words as a Prayer we come now to consider them as a Prophesie God perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tents of Shem That is The Lord shall in the acceptable time by the Ministerie of his Gospell through the mighty operation of his holy spirite encline and allure the heart of the Gentiles to returne vnto him by kissing the Lord Iesus and for their saluation relye onely on the merites of the promised Messiah For the better opening of which Prophecie consider wee briefly these particulars therein 1. The Author that must accomplish this great worke of the couersion of the Gentiles Namely the Lord our God God perswade 2. The manner and meanes whereby this conuersion is accomplished namely by perswasion and alluring the reasonable part God perswade Iapheth 3. The Parties to be conuerted or rather returned to the embracing of Iesus Christ namely Iapheths posterity eueÌ„ the GeÌ„tils 4. The Religion and Faith to which they are to be conuerted Namely the Religion of Shem and this is amplified First by the subiect of this Religion namely Shem signifying therein diuers especiall markes of true Religion As First in that heere the true worship of God is noted by the Tents of Shem as hauing it Agnomination from him who was the eldest in his Fathers house the father of the Iewes which were the first borne first in the Loue of God First in the simplicitie and puritie of diuine worship First in the outward endowment of the Mariage bed First in the priuiledges and loue tokens of the Bridegroome doth not this make to the confirmation of that excellent truth that Truth is most Ancient and so therein leades vs to an excellent mark of the true Church namely whose foundation is that first and most ancient Truth Secondly In that the Church of God is heere confined to the Tents of Shem who though he were the Father of that posteritie which afterward as a figure of the inward beautie of the true belieuers was enlarged in outward pompe multitude and beautie yet now in the greatest puritie and simplicitie of godlinesse which shee was to recouer and practise vnder Iesus Christ was neyther for multitude so populous nor for outward glorie and beauty so conspicuous Doth not this also leade vs to two other marks of the true Church of Iesus Christ namely that it is a little flocke in respect of those which are without And 2. that it is
vs wings as to auoyd vnnecessary and desperate extremities so to flie speedily in the execution of the will of God That by this willing minde we might not onely be comforted in respect of our outward failing seeing the Lord hath promised Not to quench the smoaking Flaxe nor breake the bruised Reede but encouraged also and enabled to constancie and perseuerance that so continuing to the ende the Crowne may not be taken from vs. Thus by the marks of conuersion is the manner thereof confirmed vnto vs Thus by this manner thereof are we assured of the continuance of the same And is our Conuersion then a worke of grace and free compassion from the Lorde Is it accomplished by the word of peace and sweet promises of the Gospell applyed to the fainting soule by the Spirite of grace and Compassion Is it conueyed vnto vs by vessels of Infirmitie which might better haue compassion on vs and allure vs to mercie as being subiect to it and therefore hauing experience of our miserie Is it effected by melting the heart with the apprehension of the loue of God Is is perfited by enlarging the heart to the obedience of our God Well then may fire and fagot confound both bodie and soule well may Antichrist enlarge an earthly monarchy with sword and outward violence but the milde voyce of the Gospell must conuert the soule The meanes to fill Heauen must be the alluring of the spirit Oh why dispaire we to conuert though now miracles are ceased seeing by the power of the Word the secrets of the heart are made so manifest that God wil be acknowledged to be in vs that so we may conuert vnto God If they will not belieue Moses and the prophets neither will they belieue though one come from the dead and yet to coÌ„uert a sinner is more wonderfull theÌ„ to raise froÌ„ the death How vainely do they bragge of a Church that exclude the word of God how can we hope for the continuaÌ„ce of a Church where the sound therof doth not coÌ„tinne what hope is there of coÌ„uersion where doctrine is not deliuered by which the mind is perswaded what feare of further peruersion where lawes are not executed to coÌ„pell men to perswasion where deceiuers are permitted to poyson with corrupt perswasion Who so is wise let him consider this Let him see the plague and hide himselfe Let him trie his conuersion by the perswasion of his Iudgement that he is rooted in knowledge not wauering in opinion Let him examine his effectuall calling by the readinesse of his minde and cheerfulnes in obedience euen to all the will of God not a part thereof that constantly and continually not being weary of well-doing being more ready to doe well then for the present he is able and so enabled to well doing that at length he may attaine his desire as of perfect obedience which he shall attaine so of perfect happinesse the recompence of his labours full contentment of his vtmost desires And therfore let him pray for the continuance of the gospell to quickeÌ„ his desires Let him earnestly desire the confusion of Antichrist that sonne of darknes enemy to this glorious light Let him be wise to discerne betweene the chaffe the wheate to trie the Spirits and hold what is good Let him especially make much of the Annoynting and hearken to the voyce behinde him not grieuing the Spirit nor quenching the motions thereof that still there may be light in the Land of Goshen in the dayes of Famine hee may haue enough Exod 8. Iob 5. Comforting himselfe that seeing his conuersion is from Gods alluring of free loue and perswading by a power vnresistable not desired by him therefore being conuerted he shall surely hold when Heauen and earth shall passe though thousands fall daylie at his right hand and ten thousands at his left hand yet shall not this plague of Apostasie seaze on him who is kept by the mightie power of God vnto that great day that hee may be presented blamelesse vnto the Lorde Iesus And therefore not being discouraged for theyr going out from vs that were neuer truely of vs but rather enlarged with continuall praise vnto his God that leaues not him also to himselfe to fall away with this present euill worlde but still humbles his flesh to keepe life in his soule and counts him worthie to suffer with his Christ that so the life of Christ might daily appeare for his approching to glory Thus doth God perswade Iapheth to dwell in the Tents of Shem. Thus is a Christian conuerted by perswasion And thus doth God giue him a Dowrie with his marriage Iapheth being perswaded is also enlaged The kingdome of heauen being bestowed interesses also the Faithfull in the possessions of the earth The true belieuer alone is the right owner of all Gods blessings He that first seekes the kingdom of heaueÌ„ shall haue these things also cast vpon him Matth 16. 33. So profitable is godlines aswell for this life as that which is to come 1. Tim. 4. 8. 9. So Christ being ours who is Lord of all in heauen earth Math 28. all with him is ours both in heauen and earth 1. Cor. 3. Rom 8. So haue wee onely grace to vse those well and therefore are only fit for them So are those onely fit for vs as being sanctified by vs vnto vs. Oh how vaine then is theyr boasting and labour that toyle for these things without grace how fearfull is their account that possesse them without Christ What comfort haue we in the least seeing it is vnto vs as all what hope of that which shal be sufficieÌ„t for vs What wisedome ought wee to vse to make first sure of the best what conscience in approuing our right by our holy vsing of these things What Faith in a better right by renouncing Confidence in these by our williingnes vpon iust occasion to part with them either to the good of our brother though we cast our bread vppon the waters or to the glorie of God though wee euen cast our liues after them Shall not hee which thus leaueth House or lands haue recompence an hundred-folde shall not hee finde his life that thus is willing to loose it Oh how can we better shewe our free power ouer these things theÌ„ by keeping them short that they may haue no power ouer vs neither ouer our hearts by Couetousnes which is Idolatrie nor ouer our bodies by pinching and niggardlines nor ouer our Coâ—sâ—â—â—nce by making difference where God hath made all good nor ouer our libertie by abiectnes and scrupulositie Oh that we would learne to renew and increase our soueraigntie ouer the Creature by our daily subiection vnto God in acknowledgment of our unworthines of the least in crauing his blessing euen vpon the greatest As by the sense of our vnworthines renuing our right in Christ