Verily verily I say unto you you must be born again Iohn 3. 5. O sinner that hard Heart of thine must be humbled thy stubborn and refractory Will must be bowed all the powers of thy Soul must be unlockt and opened unto Christ he must come into thy Soul or thou canst never see the face of God in peace It is Christ in you that is the hope of glory Col. 1. 27. Till thy Heart be opened Christ with all the hopes of glory stand without thee And if hopes from the death of Christ without us without the application of his person be enough to save Men then why are any damned Consult 1 Cor. 1. 30. Adams sin damns none but only such as are in him and Christs righteousness saves none but those only that are by faith in him the eternal purposes of the Father the meritorious death of the Son puts no Man into the state of Salvation and happiness till both be brought home by the Spirits powerful application in the work of saving conversion T is good news good indeed that Christ died for sinners t is good news that Christ is brought to our very doors in the tenders of the Gospel and that the Spirit knocks at the door of our Hearts by many convictions and perswasions to open to him and enjoy the unspeakable benefits of his death these things bring us nigh to Christ the next door to Salvation and yet all this may be eventually but a dreadful aggravation of our damnation and will certainly be so to them whose Hearts are but almost opened to Christ. V. Inference See hence the necessity of fervent prayer to accompany the preaching of the Gospel Without the Spirit and power of God accompanying the Word no Heart can ever be opened to Christ Alas such Bars as these are too strong for the breath of Man to break Let Ministers pray and the People pray that the Gospel may be preached with the holy Ghost sent down from Heaven 1 Pet. 1. 12. It greatly concerns us that preach the Gospel to wrestle with God upon our knees to accompany us in the dispensation of it unto the People to steep that seed we sow among you in tears and prayers before you hear it and I beseech you Brethren let us not strive alone joyn your cries to Heaven with ours for the blessing of the Spirit upon the Word How doth Paul beg of the People as a beggar would beg for an alms at the door for their assistance in Prayer Rom. 15. 30. I beseech you brethren for the Lord Iesus Christ sake and for the love of the Spirit that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me For want of such wrestlings with God in prayer there is so little efficacy in Ordinances Martha told her Saviour Iohn 11. 21. Lord if thou hadst been here my brother had not died and I may tell you that if the Spirit had been here your Souls had not remained dead under the Word as they do this day Oh when the Sabbath draws near let fervent cries ascend from every Family to Heaven Lord pour out thy Spirit with thy Word make it mighty through thy Power to open these Gates of Iron and break asunder these Bars of Brass Second Vse of Exhortation Seeing the Case stands thus that all Hearts by nature are barr'd and shut up against Christ let every Soul do what it can and strive to its uttermost to get the Heart and Will opened to Christ Strive to enter in at the straight gate Christ is at the Door Oh strive with your selves as well as with God now to get it opened now that Salvation is come so near to your Souls Object But have you not told us that no sinner can open his own Heart nor bow his own Will to Christ Answ. True he cannot convert himself but yet he may do many things in order to it and which have a remote tendency towards it which he doth not do and so he perisheth not though he cannot but because he will not Divers things may be done by poor sinners with their own Hearts which are not done and though in themselves they are insufficient yet being the way and method in and by which the Spirit of God usually works we are bound to do them As for Example 1. Though it be not in your power to open your Hearts to Christ yet it is in your power to forbear the external acts of sin which fasten your Hearts the more against Christ Who forceth thine Hands to steal thy Tongue to swear or lye who forces the cup of excess down thy Throat 2ly Though you cannot open your Hearts under the Word yet it is in your power to wait and attend upon the external Duties and Ordinances of the Gospel Why cannot those Feet carry thee to the Assemblies of the Saints as well as to an Ale-house 3ly And though you cannot let the Word effectually into your Hearts yet certainly you can apply your minds with more attention and consideration to it than you do Who forces thine Eyes to wander or closes them with sleep when the awful matters of eternal Life and Death are founding in thine Ears 4ly Though you cannot open your Hearts to embrace Christ yet certainly you can reflect upon your selves when the obvious characters of a Christless state are plainly held forth before your Eyes God hath given you a self-reflecting power The spirit of a Man knoweth the things of a Man 1 Cor. 2. 11. When you hear of Convictions of sin compunctions of Heart for sin deep concernments of the Soul about its eternal state hungerings and thirstings after Christ restless and anxious Days and Nights about Salvation others have felt you can certainly turn in upon your selves and examine whether ever it were so with you and if not methinks it were not hard to aggravate your own misery to take your poor Souls aside and bemoan them saying Ah my poor Soul canst thou endure everlasting burnings What will become of thee if Christ pass thee by and his Spirit strive no more with thee Why can't you throw your selves at the Feet of God and cry for mercy Prayer is a part of natural Worship distress usually puts Men upon it that yet have no Grace Ionah 1. 5. Do but this towards the opening and saving of your own Souls which though it be not in it self sufficient nor puts God under any meritorious obligation or necessity to add the rest yet it puts you into the way of the Spirit And is not thy Soul sinner worth as much as this comes too Have you not taken a great deal more pains than this for the trifles of this World And will it not be a dreadful aggravation of sin and misery to all eternity that you perished so easily Dont you see many striving round about you for Christ and Salvation whilst you sit still with folded Arms as if you had nothing to do for another World
believing and hungering after Christ Their examples shall be your Judges These are Gods Witnesses Secondly Next let us consider what are the object matters unto which they give their testimony and that will be found two-fold according to the two-fold event the Gospel hath upon them that hear it of both which the Apostle gives us this account 2 Cor. 2. 16. Vnto some we are the savour of life unto life and unto others the savour of death unto death Accordingly a double Record is made 1. Of the obedience and faith of some which Record will be produced to their joy and comfort in the day of the Lord when he shall come to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired in all them that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day Ministers are Instruments of espousing Souls to Christ and Witnesses to those espousals and contracts made betwixt him and them 2 Cor. 11. 2. Both these offices are exceeding grateful and pleasant to every faithful Minister 2. A Record is made and Witness taken of all the refusals disobedience and slightings of Christ by others Thus Moses will be the accuser of the Jews John 5. 45. Do not think I will accuse you to the Father there is one that accuseth you even Moses in whom you trust This is the saddest part of a Ministers-work the fore-thoughts of it are more afflictive than all our Labours and Sufferings There is a three-fold Record made in this case 1st Of the time men have enjoyed under the means of Salvation how many years they have sat barren and dead hearted under the labours of Gods faithful Ministers Luke 13. 7. Behold these three years I come seeking fruit on this Fig-tree and find none Behold the same term of Notification with that in the Text applyed to the time of Gods patience towards them And again Ier. 25. 3. From the thirteenth year of Josiah even unto this day that is the three and twentieth year the word of the Lord hath come unto me and I have spoken unto you rising early and speaking but ye have not hearkened Oh consider all the years and days you have spent under the Gospel are upon your Dooms-day-book 2dly Records are also made of all the instruments that ever God employed for the Conversion and Salvation of your Souls So many Ministers whether fixed or transient as have spent their labours upon you are upon the Book of your account Ier. 25. 4. The Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the Prophets rising early and sending them but ye have not hearkened nor enclined your ear to hear They have wasted their Lungs dropt their compassionate tears and burnt down one after another as Candles to direct you to Christ and Salvation but all in vain 3dly Every call perswasion and argument used by them to espouse you to Christ is likewise upon the Book of account Prov. 1. 24. 25. Because I have called and you refused I have stretched my hand and no man regarded but you have set at nought all my counsels and would none of my reproofs These calls and counsels are of too great value with God though of none with you to be lost and left out of your account Thirdly we shall in the last place inquire into the grounds and reasons of these Judicial procedures of God why he will have every mans obedience and disobedience Registred and Witnessed for or against him under Gospel administrations and there are two weighty reasons thereof First that wherever the end of the Gospel is attained in the Conversion of any soul that soul and all that were instrumentally employ'd about the salvation of it may have their proper reward and comfort in the great day 2 Cor. 1. 14. As also you have acknowledged us in part that we are your rejoycing even as ye also are ours in the day of the Lord Iesus This will be matter of joy unspeakable both to you that shall receive and to them that shall give such a comfortable testimony for you Oh the joyful congratulations that will be in that day between Laborious Faithful Ministers and their Believing Obedient Hearers Lord this was the blessed instrument of my happy Illumination and Conversion though I might have ten thousand Instructers in Christ yet not many Fathers for by the blessing of thy Spirit upon this mans Ministry my Soul was begotten to Christ. And on the other side Lord these are the Souls for whom I travelled as in birth until Christ was formed in them 'T is a glorious thing to say as the Prophet Here am I and the children God hath given me Nay those that were but collaterally useful to help on the work of God begun by others must not lose their reward in that day Iohn 4. 36. And he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoyce together Secondly Records are now made and Witnesses taken that thereby the Judicial Sentence of Jesus Christ in the last day may be made clear and perspicuous to all the world that every mouth may be stopt and no Plea or Apology left in the mouth of any condemned Sinner For Christ in that day cometh to convince all that are ungodly Iude ver 15. to convince by demonstration that all that are Christless now may be found speechless then Matth. 22. 12. Here it is said Psal. 1. 5. That the wicked shall not stand or rise up in the Iudgment And no wonder when so many full testimonies and unexceptionable Witnesses shall come point blank against them the Minister that preach'd the word they preached their own consciences and the examples of all Believers will be produced against them 1. INFERENCE First The undoubted certainty of a day of Iudgment is hence evinced To what purpose else are Records made and Witnesses taken but with respect to an Audit day this is a truth sealed upon the consciences of the very Heathens Rom. 2. 15. their consciences bear witness But in vain are all these Records made unless there be a day to produce and plead them and of that day the Prophet Daniel speaks Dan. 7. 10. The Iudgment was set and the Books were opened And again Rev. 20. 12. And I saw the Dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of Life and the Dead were judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works Believe it Friends these are no devised Fables but most awful and infallible truths according to the saving effects the Gospel now hath it will be a time of refreshing to our Souls Acts 3. 19. to all others a day of terrour wrath and amazement 2 Thes. 1. 7 8. The day in which the Lord Iesus shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming Fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not
the Gospel of our Lord Iesus Christ. 2. INFER What a spur is here to Ministerial diligence and faithfulness 'T is an awful work that is under our hands the effects of the Gospel which we preach will be the savour of life or Death to them that hear us If the Lord prosper it in our hands we shall be witnesses for you it will be an addition to our glory in Heaven Dan. 12. 3. They that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the brightness of the Firmament and as the Stars for ever and ever But if we be Ignorant Lazy Men-pleasers our people will come in as swift Witnesses against us and their blood will be required at our hands it will be an intollerable aggravation to our misery in Hell to have any that sat under our Ministry thus upbraiding us O cruel man thou sawest my soul in danger and never dealt faithfully and plainly with me the same time and breath which was spent in idle and worldly discourse might have been instrumental to have sav'd me from this place of torment Let Ministers consider themselves as Witnesses for God and their People as Witnesses for or against them and under that consideration so study preach and pray that they may with Paul take God to record that they are free from the blood of all men no sort of men upon earth have more spurs to diligence and faithfulness than we have 3. INFER What a Pill is this to purge formality out of all that hear us every Sabbath every Sermon is recorded in Heaven for or against your souls at what rate soever you attend to the word all that you hear is set down in the book of your account think not you shall return as you came the word will have its effect and end it shall not return in vain but shall accomplish the end for which it is sent Isaiah 55. 11. The decrees of Heaven are executed by the Gospel some souls shall be quickened and others shall be slain by the words of Gods mouth Ezek. 47. 9 10. The Gospel is a River of the waters of Life which quickens and refreshes every thing that lives but the myre and marish places shall not be healed How weighty therefore is that caution of our blessed Lord Luke 8. 18. Take heed how you hear When you come under an ordinance you are sowing seed for Eternity Gal. 6. 7 8. Which will spring up in the world to come Preaching and hearing may be considered two ways Physically or Morally in the former respect these acts are quickly over and pass away I shall by and by have done preaching and you hearing this Sermon will be ended in a little time but the consequences thereof will abide for ever Therefore for the Lords sake away with formality no more drowsie eyes or wandering thoughts Oh when you come to attend upon the Ministry of the Gospel that such thoughts as these might prepare your minds The word I am going to hear will quicken or kill save or damn my soul if I sit dead under it and return barren from it I shall with one day that I had never seen the face of that Minister nor heard his voice that preached it 4. INFER What a dreadful condition are all those in that are real and professed Enemies to the Gospel and them that preach it That instead of embracing and obeying the message of the Gospel reject and despise it instead of opening their hearts to receive it open their blasphemous mouths against it to deride it and hiss it if it were possible out of the world Ah what a book of remembrance is written for such men I fear there never was an age since Christianity blessed this Nation that was more deeply drench'd in the guilt of this sin than the present age How are the Messengers of the Gospel slighted and rejected What have we done to deserve it Is not our case this day much like that of the Prophet Ier. 18. 20. Shall evil be recompensed for good for they have digged a Pit for my Soul remember that I stood before thee to speak good for them and to turn away thy wrath from them What bruitish madness hath possest the souls of these men but alas it is not so much they as Satan acting in them he is a jealous Prince the Gospel allarms him his Subjects are in danger of revolting from him No wonder therefore he makes an out-cry at the liberty of the Gospel as is used to be made when an Enemy invades a Kingdom In this case Christ directs his Ministers to shake off the dust of their feet for a testimony against them Mark 6. 11. The signification and meaning whereof is this that look as you shake off the dust of your feet even so Jesus Christ will shake off those men that despise the Gospel and abuse its Messengers 5. INFER Hence it likewise follows that the case of the Pagan world will be easier in the day of Iudgment than theirs that live and dye unregenerate and disobedient under the Gospel of Christ. There are more Witnesses prepared and Records filed against the day of your account than can possibly be against them they have abused but one talent the light of nature but we thousands even as many thousands as we have had opportunities and calls under the Gospel Upon this account Christ saith Matth. 10. 14 15. Whosoever shall not receive you nor hear your words shake off the dust of your feet Verily I say unto you it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of Iudgment than for that City Ah what a fearful Aggravation doth it put upon our sin and misery that we are not only accountable for all the light we had but for all that we might have had in the Gospel day Capernaum was lifted up to Heaven in the enjoyment of means and precious opportunities and had an answerable downfall into the depth of misery from that height of mercy as the higher any one is lifted up upon a Rack the more terrible is the jerk he receives by the fall Matth. 11. 23. 6. INFER Lastly hence it appears that the day of Iudgment must certainly take up a vast space of time For if God will bring every thing into Judgment Eccles. 12. 14. not only sinful actions but words Matth. 12. 36. not only words but heart secrets Rom. 2. 16. If all the Records and Registers now made shall then be opened and read all the Witnesses for or against every man examined and heard judge then what a vast space of time will that great day take up Some Divines are of opinion it may last as long as the World hath lasted but this is sure things will not be hudled up nor shuffled over in haste you have taken your time for Sinning and God will take his time for Judging Consider the multitudes multitudes without number that are to be Judged in that day even all the posterity of
Sea O how welcom then must Peace be to that Soul that hath been tossed upon the tempestuous Ocean of its own fears and terrours blown up and incensed by the terrible blasts of the Law and Conscience It was a comfortable sight to Noah and his Family to see an Olive leaf in the mouth of the Dove by which they knew the waters were abated But oh what is it to hear such a voice as this from the mouth of Faith Fury is not in me saith the Lord his anger is turned away and he comforteth thee Fear not thou poor tempestuous Soul the God of Peace is thy God. 6. Faith doth not only bring the tempestuous Soul into a Calm but it is the Grace also which opens to the Soul a door of access into the gracious presence of God without it there is no coming to him acceptably Hebr. 11. 6. He that cometh unto God must believe This liberty and access to God is indeed the purchase of the Blood of Christ he procur'd it at a great Sum But Faith is the Grace that brings the Soul actually into the presence of God and there helps it to open and ease its griefs and with liberty of Speech to discover all its grievances fears and burthens to the Lord. And truly this world were not worth the living in without such a blessed vent to our troubles as this is The Believer only hath gotten the key that opens the door of access unto God if he have any sins wants burthens affictions temptations c. here he can ease them Ah Christian the time may come when thy heart may be filled with sorrows to the brim and there may not be found a person of thy acquaintance in all the world to whom thou canst turn to ease thy sorrows or give vent to thy troubles Now blessed be God for Faith. O the ease one act of Faith gives a troubled Soul which is like Bottles full of new Wine and must either vent or break well may it be said The Iust shall live by Faith how can we imagine we should live without it Certainly our Afflictions and Temptations would swallow us up were it not for the sweet assiduous reliefs that come in by Faith. 7. And yet farther to enflame your desires after Faith this is the Grace that gives you the Soul reviving sights of the invisible world without which this world would be a dungeon to us Heb. 11. 1. 'T is not only the substance of things hoped for but the evidence of things not seen O'tis a precious Eye how transporting are those visions of faith 1 Pet. 1. 8. Whom having not seen we love whom though now we see him not yet believing we rejoyce with joy unspeakable and full of glory We that preach of Heaven to you cannot shew you the glorious person of Christ there nor the Thrones Crowns and Palms that are above but faith can make these things visible That 's an Eye that can penetrate the Clouds and shew you him that is invissible Heb. 11. 27. 8. The grace of faith which I am recommending to you this day is instrumentally the livelyhood of your Souls in this World Hab. 2. 4. The just shall live by his faith When God gives a Soul faith he gives it him for a livelyhood and expects he should keep house upon it while he is in this World and God reckons he hath made plentiful provision for your Souls when he hath given them faith and furnished out such variety of precious promises for your faith to feed upon Abraham Moses David and all the Saints kept house upon no other provision but what faith brought in and at what a high and excellent rate did they live Here Man eateth Angels food 'T is a store-house of Provision 't is a shop of Cordials I had fainted unless I had believed Psal. 27. 13. A believer lives the highest life of all Men upon earth and as the believers Soul is dayly fed by faith so all the other graces in his Soul are maintained and dayly supported by the provisions faith brings them in The other graces as one saith like the young birds in the nest live upon that provision this grace of faith gathers for them and puts into their mouths Take away faith and you quickly starve the Soul of a Christian will not all this engage your desires after faith Why then 9. consider this is the grace whereby we dye safely as well as live comfortably as you cannot live comfortably without it in this World so neither can you dye safely or comfortably without it when you go out of this World Heb. 11. 13. These all dyed in faith not having received the promises but having seen them a far off and were perswaded of them and embraced them Mark here how these excellent persons died they all died embracing the promises in the arms of their faith An allusion to two dear friends hugging one another at their parting O precious promises saith the dying believer of what unspeakable use and benefit have you been to me all the days of my pilgrimage You are they to whom I was wont to turn in all my troubles and distresses but I am now going into the life of immediate Vision farewel blessed Promises Scriptures Ordinances and Communion of imperfect Saints I shall walk no more by faith but by sight 10. In a word and that a great word to this is the grace that saves you Eph. 2. 8. By grace are you saved through faith Your salvation is the fruit of free grace but grace it self will not save you in any other method but that of believing The grace of God runs down through the channel of faith faith is the grace that espouses your Souls to Christ here and accompanies it every step of the way until it come to his full enjoyment in Heaven and then is swallowed up in vision It embarques you with Christ and Pilots you through the dangerous Seas till you drop Anchor in the Haven of everlasting rest and safety where you receive the end of your faith the salvation of your Souls O then in consideration of the incomparable worth and absolute necessity of this precious grace make it your great study make it your constant cry to Heaven night and day Lord give me a believing Heart an opening Heart to Jesus Christ. If you fail of this you come short of the great end and design of the whole Gospel which is to bring you to faith and by faith to Heaven SERMON X. Revel 3. 20. If any Man hear my voice and open the door I will come in to him and sup with him IN the former Sermons we have considered Christs suit for a sinners Heart we now come to the powerful Arguments and Motives used by him to obtain his suit which are two 1. Union I will come in to him and sup with him 2. Communion and he with me These are strong and mighty arguments and encouragements able one would think to open
â—ffigies of Iohn Flavell Aetatis suoe 59 AnÌ„o Dom 1689. Englands Duty Under the Present GOSPEL LIBERTY FROM Revel III. vers 20. Wherein is Opened The Admirable Condescension and Patience of Christ in waiting upon trifling and obstinate Sinners The wretched State of the Vnconverted The nature of Evangelical Faith with the Difficulties Tryals and Means thereof The Riches of Free-grace in the offers of Christ Pardon and Peace to the worst of Sinners The invaluable Priviledges of Vnion and Communion granted to all that receive him and the great Duty of opening to him at the present Knocks and Calls of the Gospel with the danger of neglecting these Loud and it may be last Knocks and Calls of Christ discovered By Iohn Flavell Preacher of the Gospel at Dartmouth in Devon. Rom. II. 4. Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance London Printed for Matthew Wotton at the Three Daggers near the Inner-Temple Gate in Fleetstreet 1689. Licensed Septemb. 29 th 1688. AN EPISTLE TO THE READER Candid Reader THE following Discourse comes to thy hand in that Native plainness wherein it was Preached I was conscienciously unwilling to alter it because I found by experience the Lord had blessed and prosper'd it in that dress far beyond any other composures on which I had bestowed more pains Let it not be censured as vanity or ostentation that I here acknowledge the goodness of God in leading me to and blessing my poor Labours upon this Subject Who and what am I that I should be continued and again employed in the Lords Harvest and that with success and encouragment when so many of my Brethren with their much richer Furnitures of Gifts and Graces have in my time been called out of the Vineyard and are now silent in the Grave 'T is true they enjoy what I do not and 't is as true I am capable of doing some Services for God which they are not In Preaching these Sermons I had many occasions to reflect upon the mystical sense of that Scripture Amos 9. 13. The Plow-man shall overtake the Reaper and the Treader of Grapes him that soweth Seed Sowing and Reaping time trod so close upon one another that in all humility I speak it to the praise of God it was the busiest and blessedst time I ever saw since I first Preached the Gospel England hath now a day of special Mercy There is a wide door of opportunity opened to it O that it might prove an effectual door 'T is transporting and astonishing that after all the high and horrid provocations the Atheism Prophaness and bitter enmity against Light and Reâ—ormation this sweet Voice is still heard in England Behold I stand at the door and knock The Mercies and Liberties of this day are a new Tryal obtained for us by our potent Advocate in the Heavens If we bring forth fruit well if not the Ax lieth at the root of the Tree Let us not be secure Jerusalem was the City of the great King The seat of his Worship and Symbols of his presence were fixed there It was the joy of the whole Earth the House of Prayer for all Nations thither the Tribes went up to Worship the Tribes of the Lord unto the Testimony of Israel For there were set Thrones of Iudgment the Thrones of the House of David Psal. 122. 4 5. These priviledges she enjoyed through the succession of many Ages and had ramained the glory of all Nations to this day had she known and improved in that day the things that belonged to her peace but they neglected their season rejected their mercies and miserably perished in their sins for there ever was and will be found an inseparable connection betwixt the final rejection of Christ and the destruction of the Rejecters Matth. 22. 5 6 7. The contemplation whereof drew those compassionate Tears from the Redeemers eyes when he beheld it in his descent from the Mount of Olives Luke 19. 41 42. Let all that are wise in Heart henceforth depose their animosities sadly reflect on their past follies encourage and assist the Labours of their Brethren in the Lords Harvest and rejoyce that God hath set them at liberty by Law whose assistance in so great an opportunity is so necessary and desirable It is against the Laws of Wisdom and Charity to envy the Liberty and much more the Success of our Brethren 1 Cor. 13. 4. If the Workmen contend and scuffle in a catching Harvest who but the owner suffers damage by it If after so miraculous recent and common a Salvation as this we still retain our old prejudices and bitter envyings if we smite with the Pen and Tongue when we cannot with the Hand and study to blast the Reputations and Labours of our Brethren and still hate those we cannot hurt In a word if we still bite and devour one another we shall be devoured one of another let us not lay the fault upon others we our selves have been the Authors and Instruments of our own ruin and this must be the inscription upon our Toomb-stone O England thou hast Destroyed thy Self I am more afraid of the rooted enmity and fixed prejudices that are to be found in many against holiness and the serious Professors of it and inflexible obstinacy and dead formality in many others the tokens of a tremendous infatuation than I am of all the whispered fears from other Hands or common Enemies upon our borders To prevent these mischiefs and promote zeal and unanimity among the Ministers of the Gospel I have presumed to address to them in the following Epistle I judged it necessary on several reasons to write it in Latin as what allowed me a greater freedom of expression than might seem convenient in the common Language I am conscious of my own unworthiness to be their Monitor and of the defects their Iudicious Eyes will easily discern in the style wherein it is written and yet can promise my self a becoming reception of what is so faithfully seasonably and honestly designed for their good I am satisfied that no candid and ingenuous Person will put Words upon the Rack quarrel a Similitude or expose a Trifle when he finds the design Honest and the matter Good and Necessary As to the Treatise it self thou wilt find it a Persuasive to open thy Heart to Christ. Thy Soul Reader is a magnificent Structure built by Christ such stately Rooms as thy Vnderstanding Will Conscience and Affections are too good for any other to Inhabit If thou be in thy Vnregenerate state then he solemnly demands in this Text admission into the Soul he made by the consent of the Will which if thou refuse to give him then Witness is taken that Christ once more demanded entrance into thy Soul which he made and was denied it If thou hast opened thy Heart to him thou wilt I hope meet somewhat in this Treatise that will clear thy
him with his cross of sufferings and his yoak of obedience Matth. 16. 24. Matth. 11. 29. An exception against either of these is an effectual Bar to thy Union with Christ he looks upon that Soul as not worthy of him that puts in such an exception Matth. 10. 38. If thou judgest not Christ worth all sufferings all losses all reproaches he judges thee unworthy to bear the name of his Disciple So for the duties of Obedience called his yoke he that will not receive Christs yoke can never receive his Person nor any benefit by his Blood. V. Mark. Every Heart that opens sincerely and Evangelically to Christ opens to him in deep humility and sense of its emptiness and unworthiness all self-righteousness is given up as dung and dross thus Abraham came unto him as to one that justifieth the ungodly Rom. 4. 5. Now unto him that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly his faith is accounted for righteousness Yea here 's the true way of Justification indeed where the imputed righteousness of Christ comes all self-righteousness vanishes before it By him that worketh not understand not an idle lazy believer that takes no care of the duties of obedience no no an idle Faith can never be a saving Faith but the meaning is he worketh not in a Law sense to the ends and intentions of the first Covenant to make up a righteousness to himself by his own working to cover himself-with a robe of righteousness of his own spinning and weaving a home-made Cloth no not a rag of that Thou must receive Christ into an empty naked unworthy Soul or not receive him at all Blessed Paul heartily rejected all his own righteousness cast down that House-Idol to the ground that he might be found in the imputed righteousness of Christ Phil. 3. 8. cast that Idol out of door it stands in the way of a better righteousness There be diverse ways wherein sinners maintain their own righteousness to their own ruin there is a gross and more refined self-righteousness the one more palpable and easily liable to conviction the other much harder to be discovered and cured Ask some Men upon what their hopes of Salvation are grounded And they will tell you they are just in their dealings with Men and constant in their prayers to God that 's all and therefore they doubt not of their Salvation Thus they substitute a righteousness of their own in the room of Christ's blood and are their own destroyers by seeking this way to be their own Saviours But then there is a more refined way of self-righteousness drest up with such pretences of humility that Men are hardly to be convinced of it I pitty many poor Souls upon this account who stand off from Christ dare not believe because they want such and such qualifications to fit them for Christ. O saith one could I find so much brokenness of Heart for sin so much reformation and power over corruptions then I could come to Christ the meaning of which is this if I could bring a price in my Hand to purchase him then I should be in couraged to go unto him Here now lyes horrible pride covered over with a vail of great humility Poor sinner either 〈◊〉 naked and empty-handed according to Isa. 55. 1. Rom. 4. 5. or expect a repulse for Christ is not the Sale but the Gift of God. VI. Mark. Lastly Whatever Soul opens savingly to Christ it opens finally and everlastingly to him the Heart once opened to Christ must stand open for ever to him never to shut out Christ any more And here is a very observable difference betwixt a Man that comes to Christ in a suddain fright of Conscience and parts with him again when that fright is over and a Man that receiveth Christ not to sojourn but to dwell in his Heart by Faith Eph. 3. 17. when Christ comes into the Heart he saith Here will I dwell for ever and Lord saith the Soul So I receive thee this is the day of union O let me never know a day of separation let it never be in the power of Life or Death Angels Principalities or Powers things present or to come to make a separation between thee and me Soul saith Christ thou shalt be mine whilst I am in Heaven and Lord saith the Soul I will be thine whilst I am on Earth I will never leave thee nor forsake thee saith Christ Oh my Lord saith the Soul hold me fast in thy Hand that I may never leave nor forsake thee my Estate Liberty and Life may and must go but it is in the fixed purpose of my Heart never never to let thee go The espousals betwixt Christ and the Soul are for ever Hos. 2. 19. I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea for ever and here lyes another great difference betwixt the Hipocrite that takes Christ with a politick reserve that will venture with Christ at Sea no farther than he can see the shore and the upright Heart that imbarks it self with Christ without reserves come what will that saith to him as Ittai to David when perswaded to go back in a time of danger nay saith he where my Lord Jesus Christ is whether it be in Liberty or in Prison in Life or in Death there also will I be Flesh may perswade to a retreat nay saith the Soul I cannot retreat but where-ever the truths of Christ the interest and glory of Christ are there also must I be for upon these terms I first received him and opened the door of my Heart to him These things are no surprises to me Christ and I have debated them long ago he delt fairly with me and I must deal faithfully with him Now Brethren view over these six Tryals Have your Eyes been opened to see sin in its vileness Christ in his beauty and necessity Have your Hearts been prick'd and wounded with compunction and sorrow for sin Are the loves and delights of sin gone out of your Souls Have you no exceptions either to the cross or yoke of Christ Have you given up all your own righteousness whether gross or refined for dung and dross and received Christ for ever Then thy Heart is savingly opened to him Fourth Use. The last Use that closeth this Point will be Consolation to all those whose Hearts the Lord hath thus opened to receive Christ at his knocks and calls of the Gospel Hath God indeed opened any of your Hearts and made you sincerely willing to receive Christ then there are ten sweet Consolations like so many boxes of precious oyntment to be poured forth in the close of this discourse upon every such Soul. And I. Consolation The first shall be this the opening of any Mans Heart to receive Christ is a clear solid Scripture evidence of the Lords eternal love to and setting apart that Man for himself from all eternity I do not say that every Man whose Heart is opened by Faith is thereupon immediately assured
and is not this matter of singular consolation If Salvation be not what is No wonder that the Eunuch went home rejoycing when he had received Christ by Faith Acts 8. 39. That the Iaylor rejoyced with all his House Acts 16. 34. Neither blame nor wonder at Men for rejoycing for 't is the day of their Salvation 'T is true their Salvation is not finished that day there be many things yet to be done and suffered by them before the compleating of it but it is begun that day the foundation is layed in the Soul that day and the Top-stone shall be set up with shouting in due time crying Grace Grace unto it VI. Consolation The opening of a sinners Heart to Christ makes joy in Heaven a triumph in the City of our God above Luke 15. 7. I say unto you likewise that joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth more than over ninety and nine just persons which need no repentance As when a young Prince is born all the Kingdom rejoyceth the Conduits run with Wine all demonstrations of joy and thankfulness in every City and Town 't is much more so in Heaven when a Soul is born to Christ under the Gospel 't is a satisfaction to the Heart of the Lord Jesus who now beholds more of the travel of his Soul and to all the Angels and Saints that another Soul is espoused to him Beloved when the Gospel is effectually brought home by the Spirit to the Heart of a sinner and wounds him for sin sends him home crying oh sick sick sick for sin and sick for Christ the news thereof is presently in Heaven and sets the whole City of God a rejoycing Christ never rejoyced over thee before thou hast wounded him and grieved him a thosand times but he never rejoyced in thee till now and that which gives joy to Christ may well be matter of Joy to thee that 's the Sixth Consolation VII Consolation And then Seventhly That day thy Heart is unlockt unbarr'd and savingly opened by Faith that very day an intimate spiritual and ever lasting union is made betwixt Christ and thy Soul from that day Christ is thine and thou art his Christ is a great and glorious person but how great and glorious soever he be the small and feeble Arms of thy Faith may surround and embrace him and thou maist say with the Church My beloved is mine and I am his for mark what he faith in the Text If any Man open to me I will come in to him That Soul shall be my habitation there will I dwell for ever that Christ may dwell in your Hearts by Faith what Soul feels not it self advanced by this union with the Son of God Hereby the Believer becomes a Member of his Body Flesh and Bones this is an honour bestowed upon thy Soul above and beyond all that honour that ever God bestowed upon any Angel in Heaven to them Christ is an Head by way of Dominion but to thee by way of vital influence Angels are as the Barons and Nobles of his Kingdom but the Believer his Spouse and all the Angels of Heaven ministring Spirits unto such That 's the seventh Consolation VIII Consolation And then in the Eighth place The opening of thy Heart to Christ brings thee not only into union with his Person but into a state of sweet Soul enriching communion with him So he speaketh in the Text If any Man open the door I will sup with him and he with me Poor Soul thou hast lived many years in the World and never hadst any communion with God till this day Christ and thy Soul have been strangers till now 'T is true thou hast had communion with Ordinances and communion with Saints but for communion with Christ thou couldst know nothing of it till thou receivedst him into thy Soul by Faith. Now thou maist say Truly my fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Iesus Christ 1 John 1. 3. And thenceforth thy communion with Men is pleasant and desirable IX Consolation The opening of a Mans Soul to Christ by Faith is a special and Peculiar mercy which falls to the share but of a very few God hath done that for thee which he hath denied to Millions Who hath believed our report and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed i. e. to how small a remnant in the World Isa. 53. 1. And the Apostle puts the work of Faith among the great mysteries of Godliness among the wonders of Religion 1 Tim. 3. 16. Preached unto the Gentiles believed on in the World. The found of the Gospel is gone forth into the World Many are called but few are chosen There were many Widows in Israel in the days of Elias but to none of them was Elias sent save unto Sarepta a City of Sidon unto a Woman that was a Widow Luke 4. 25 26. To allude to this there were many hundreds that sat under the same Sermon which opened thy Heart to Christ but it may be unto none of them was the Spirit of God sent that day to open their Hearts by Faith but unto thee thou wilt freely acknowledge thy self as unlikely and unworthy as the vilest sinner there Oh astonishing mercy X. Consolation And then lastly In the same day thy Heart opens by Faith to Christ all the treasures of Christ are unlockt and opened to thee In the same hour God turns the key of Regeneration to open thy Soul the key of Free-grace is also turned to open unto thee the unsearchable riches of Christ then the righteousness of Christ becomes thine to Justifie thee the wisdom of Christ to guide thee the holiness of Christ to sanctifie thee in a word he is that day made of God unto thee wisdom and righteousness Sanctification and redemption 1 Cor. 1. 30. All is yours for you are Christs and Christ is Gods 1 Cor. 3. ult And thus I have shewn you some of those great things God doth for those Souls that will but do this one thing for him Viz. open their Hearts to receive Christ upon the tenders and terms of the Gospel SERMON IV. Revel 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock c THE verb 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 here rendred I stand is of the praeter tense and would strictly be rendred I have stood but being joyned with a verb of the present tense is here rendred I do stand a frequent Hebraism in Scripture and it notes the continued patience and long suffering of Christ. I have stood and still do stand exercising wonderful patience towards obstinate sinners Which gives us this fourth Observation IV. DOCT. That great and admirable is the patience of Christ in waiting upon trifling and obstinate sinners Thus Wisdom i. e. Christ expresses himself Prov. 1. 24. I have called and ye refused I have stretched out my Hand and no Man regarded Here you have not only Christs â—arnest calls but suitable gestures also to gain attention The stretching out
the Son of God. Had they not been precious in his Eyes he would never have shed his most precious Blood to ransom them 2. Were they not highly valuable in his Eyes he would never wait with such unwearied Patience to save them as he doth He hath born Thousands of repulses and unreasonable denials from you Sinner Christ hath knockt at thy door in many a Sermon in many a Prayer in many a sickness in all which thou hast put him off denyed him or delayed him yet still he continues knocking and waiting Thou couldst not have made the poorest Beggar in the World wait at thy door so long as thy Redeemer hath been made to wait and yet he is not gone At this day his voice sounds in thine ears Behold I stand at the door and knock Here 's clear demonstration of the preciousness of thy Soul in the Redeemer's Eyes And then Lastly When Christ ends the Treaty and gives up the Souls of Men for lost and unperswadable with what regret and sorrow doth he part with them Never did one Friend part from another with such demonstrations of sorrow as Christ parteth with the Souls of sinners The Bowels of his compassion roul together for the knows what is coming upon them and what that eternal misery is into which their wilful rejection of him will cast them In Luke 19. 22. you find the Redeemers tears wept over obstinate Ierusalend And when he came nigh to the City he wept over it and said O Jerusalem Jerusalem that thou hadst known at least in this thy day the things that belong to thy peace but now they are did from thine Eyes Like unto this is that expression Isa. 1. 24. Ah I will ease me of mine enemies c. Though it be an ease to his Justice yet he cannot give them up without an ah an interjection of sorrow so in Hosea 11. 8. How shall I give thee up Ephraim How shall I deliver thee Judah I must do it but how shall I go about it All these expressions shew the great value God hath for your Souls and did you know it also certainly you would not make Christ wait one hour longer V. Inference Hence it follows That greater is the sin and severer will be the condemnation of them that perish under the Gospel than of all other People in the World. Let me speak freely to you that hear me this day Jesus Christ hath spent more of the riches of his Patience upon you in one year yea in this very day than he hath spent upon the heathen World in all the days of their lives they never heard of Christ and the great Salvation they have had no calls to Faith and Repentance as you have had dont think God hath dealt at this rate with other Nations You have his Sabbaths Ministers Calls he hath not dealt so with other Nations and as for these things they have not known them Psal. 147. 19. God hath dealt in a peculiar way with us and these special favours will make dreadful accounts He told the Iews among whom he had preacht and wrought his Miracles It would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorah in the day of Iudgment than for them and in his Name I will tell you this day that Barbarous Indians and Americans will have a milder Hell than you Mitius ardent and as the Lord told Ezechiel chap. 3. 5 6. Thou art not sent to a People of a strange Speech and of an hard Language whose words thou canst not understand surely had I sent thee to them they would have harkned unto thee but the house of Israel will not harken unto thee for they will not harken unto me For all the house of Israel are impudent and hard hearted Ah Brethren 't is a sad Truth that the Ministers of Christ have found more fruit of their Labours among the Salvage Americans than in England a People born and bred up under the Gospel Had heathenish People your Sabbaths your Ministers and Bibles they would not deal by Christ as you have done But look you to it for certainly the severity of his Justice will at last recompence the expence of his Patience There are two Glasses turned up this day and both almost run down the Glass of the Gospel running down on Earth and the Glass of Christ's Patience running down in Heaven Be sure of it that for every sand of Mercy every drop of Love that runs down in vain in this World a drop of wrath runs into the vial of wrath which is fitting in Heaven VI. Inference If Christ have exercised such admirable Patience and Long-suffering towards you before he could gain entrance into your Hearts then you have all the reason in the World to exercise your Patience for Christ and account all long-suffering to be your unquestionable duty Christ was not weary in waiting upon you be not you weary in waiting upon him or for him Now there are three things wherein the People of God will have much occasion to exercise their Patience with respect to Christ 1. You will need a great deal of Patience to wait for the returns and answers of your Prayers you knock and wait at the door of Mercy and no answer comes hereupon discouragement and weariness seizeth your Spirits Possibly some of you have Prayers many years agone upon the file in Heaven some upon Spiritual accounts and some upon Temporal and because the answer is not dispatcht your Eyes are ready to fail with waiting for the Lord may bear long with his own Elect Luke 18. 7. The seed of Prayer lyes under the clods and will at last spring up for he never said to the seed of Jacob Seek me in vain none seek God in vain but those that seek him vainly Now you should not be too quick and short breathed in waithing upon God for the returns of Prayer considering how long you made Christ wait upon you 2. You will have occasion to exercise your Patience in bearing the burden of reproaches and sufferings for Christ For to you it is given in the behalf of Christ not only to believe but also to suffer for his sake Phil. 1. 29. Sufferings you see are the Gifts of Christ the Comforts of sufferings is his Gift and so are the abilities to suffer-also and that which will encrease your suffering-ability will be the confideration of Christ's long-suffering towards you and the hard things he endured for you and from you 3. You will have occasion to exercise your Patience for the day of your compleat Redemption and Salvation If you love Christ fervently the time of your separation from him will be born difficultly vehement love needs the allay of Patience 2 Thes. 3. 5. The Lord direct your Hearts into the love of God and into the patient waiting for Christ. Others need much Patience to dye but such will need as much Patience to live but whatever the exercises of your Patience shall be whether in waiting for
the Earth bringing Pardon and Salvation with him to stand so long unanswered let who will cry up the goodness of Nature I am sure we have reason to look upon the vileness of it with amazement and horror You could not have found in your Hearts to have made the poorest beggar wait so long at your door as you have made Christ to wait upon you VII Exhortation Seventhly and Lastly Let us all bless and admire the Lord Jesus for the continuation of his Patience not to our selves only but to that whole sinful Nation in which we live We thought the Treaty of Peace had been ended with us many good Men looking upon the iniquities and abominations of these times considering the vanities and backsliding of Professors the Heaven-daring provocations of this Atheistical age concluded in their own Hearts that God would make England another Shiloh Many faithful Ministers of Christ said within themselves God hath no more Work for us to do and we shall have no more opportunities to work for God. When lo beyond the thoughts of all Hearts the merciful and long-suffering Redeemer makes one return more to these Nations renews the Treaty and with compassions rolled together speaks to us this day as to Ephraim of old How shall I deliver thee Look upon this day this unexpected day of Mercy as the fruit and acquisition of the intercession of your great Advocate in Heaven answerable to that Luke 13. 7 8 9. Well God hath put us upon one Tryal more if now we bring forth fruit well if not the ax lyes at the root of the Tree Once more Christ knocks at our doors the voice of the Bridegroom is heard those sweet voices Come unto me Open to me your opening to Christ now will be unto you as the Valley of Achor for a door of hope But what if all this should be turned into wantonness and formality what if your obstinacy and infidelity should wear out the remains of that little strength and time left you and that former Labours and Sorrows have left your Ministers Then actum est de nobis we are gone for ever then farewel Gospel Ministers Reformation and all because we knew not the time of our Visitation What was the dismal doom of God upon the fruitless Vineyard Isa. 5. 5. I will take away the hedge thereof and it shall be eaten up and break down the wall thereof and it shall be troden down I will also command the Clouds that they rain not upon it The hedge and the wall are the Spiritual and Providential presence of God these are the defence and safety of his People the Clouds and the Rain are the sweet influences of Gospel Ordinances If the hedge be broken down God's pleasant Plants will soon be eaten up and if the Clouds rain not upon them their Root will be rottenness and their Blossom will go up as dust Our Churches will soon become as the Mountains of Gilboa therefore see that you know and improve the time of your Visitation III. Vse of Consolation I shall wind up this Fourth Doctrin in two or three words of Consolation to those that have answered and are now preparing to answer the design and end of Jesus Christ in all his Patience towards them by the compliance of their Hearts with his great design and end therein O blessed be God and let his high-praises be for ever in our Mouths that at last Christ is like to obtain his end upon some of us and that all do not receive the Grace of God in vain And there be three Considerations able to wind up your Hearts to the height of Praise if the Lord have now made them indeed willing to open to the Lord Jesus I. Consideration The Faith and Obedience of your Hearts makes it evident that the Lords waiting upon you hitherto hath been in pursuance of his design of Electing Love. What was the reason God would not take you away by death though you passed so often upon the very brink of it in the days of your unregeneracy And what think you was the very reason of the revocation of your Gospel-liberties when they were quite out of sight and almost out of hope why surely this was the reason that you and such as you are might be brought to Christ at last Therefore though the Lord let you run on so long in sin yet still he continued your Life and the means of your Salvation because he had a design of Mercy and Grace upon you And now the time of Mercy even the set time is come Praise ye the Lord. II. Consideration You now also see the Sovereignty and freeness of Divine Grace in your vocation your Hearts resisted all along the most powerful means and importunate calls of Christ and would have resisted still had not Free and Sovereign Grace over-poured them when the time of Love was come Ah it was not the tractableness of thine own Will the easie temper of thy Heart to be wrought upon the Lord let thee stand long enough in the state of Nature to discover that there was nothing in Nature but obstinacy and enmity Thou didst hear as many powerful Sermons melting Prayers and didst see as many awakning Providences before thy Heart was opened to Christ as thou hast since yet thy Heart never opened till now and why did it open now Because now the Spirit of God joyned himself to the Word victorious Grace went forth in the Word to break the hardness and conquer the rebellions of thy Heart The Gospel was now preached as the Apostle speaks 1 Pet. 1. 12. With the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven which things saith he the Angels desire to look into Ah Friends it is a glorious sight worthy of Angelical observation and admiration to behold the effects of the Gospel preacht with the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven to see when the Spirit comes along with the Word the blind Eyes of sinners opened and they brought into a new World of ravishing objects to behold Fountains of Tears flowing for sin out of Hearts lately as hard as the Rocks to see all the Bars of Ignorance Prejudice Custom and Unbelief fly open at the voice of the Gospel to see Rebels against Christ laying down their Arms at his Feet come upon the Knee of submission crying Lord I will rebel no more to see the proud Heart centered and wrapt up in its own righteousness now striping it self naked loading it self with all shame and reproach and made willing that its own shame should go to the Redeemer's glory These I say are sights which Angels desire to look into Certainly your Hearts were more tender and your Wills more apt to yield and bend in the days of your youth than they were now when sin had so hardned them and long continued custom riveted and fixed them yet then they did not and now they do yield to the calls and invitations of the Gospel Ascribe all to Sovereign Grace and
Grace but Christ within you by the Work of Grace which must be unto you the hope of Glory Colos. 1. 27. He is not only among you in respect of external Means but he is come into your Understandings and Consciences Yea some motions of his you may feel upon your affections there wants but a little more to make you eternally Happy O what would one effectual touch upon your Wills be worth now The Head-Work is done but O that the Heart-Work were done too You are almost saved but to be almost saved is to be wholly and eternally Lost if it go no further 'T is a sad thing for a Man that hath one Foot in Heaven to slide from thence into Hell. 'T is sad to be Shipwreckt at the Harbours mouth Thirdly Jesus Christ hath an unquestionable right to enter into and possess every one of your Souls Satan is but an Usurper Christ is your lawful Owner and Proprietor thy Soul sinner hath not so full a Title to thy Body as Christ hath to thy Soul. Satan keeps Christ out of his right Christ knocks at the door of his own House he built it and therefore may well claim admission into it it is his own Creature Col. 1. 16. By him were all things made whether they be visible or invisible Bodies or Souls The invisible part thy Soul is his Workmanship a stately Structure of his own raising He hath also a right by Redemption Christ hath bought thy Soul and that at the invaluable price of his own Blood. Who then can dispute the right of Christ to enter in to his own House But alas he cometh to his own but his own receive him not Fourthly Open the door to Christ for a train of blessings and mercies comes in with him a troop of privileges follow him In the same day and hour that Christ comes into thine Heart by a full consent and deliberate choice a pardon comes with him of all the sins that ever thou committedst in Thought Word or Action Will such a pardon be welcome to thy Soul Then let Christ be welcome for where Christ comes pardon comes if you open to Christ you open to peace and who would shut the door of his Soul against Peace If peace be welcome let Christ be welcome for peace follows faith in Christ Rom. 5. 1 Where Christ comes liberty comes Iohn 8. 36. If the Son therefore shall make you free then are you free indeed Are you in love with Bonds and Fetters Satans Laws are written in Blood Christs yoak is easie and his commands not grievous If you love liberty love Christ. In a word where Christ comes Salvation comes for he is the Author of eternal Salvation to all them that obey him If therefore you love Pardon Peace Liberty and Salvation shut not the door against Christ for all these follow him where-ever he goes Fifthly Christ this day solemnly demands entrance into thy Soul he begs thee to open to him 2 Cor. 5. 20. He commands thee to open to him 1 Iohn 3. 23. He denounceth eternal Damnation to those that refuse him entrance Now consider well here is entrance demanded under pain of the eternal Wrath of God this demand is filed and recorded in Heaven at your own peril be it if you shut the door against him only this I will say in my Redeemers behalf if you refuse bear witness Heaven and Earth this day that Christ solemnly demanded entrance into thy Soul and was refused bear witness that the door was shut against the only Redeemer who intreated commanded and threatned eternal Damnation to the rejecters of him O methinks that Scripture Prov. 1. 24. 25. is able to strike terror into the very center of that Soul that refuses the offers of Christ. Sixthly And so I have done my Masters errand if you now refuse the knock of Christ at your Hearts he may never knock more and where are you then There is a knock which will be the last knock a call which will be his last call and after that no more knocks or calls but an eternal Silence as to any overture of Mercy or Grace But if I do open to Christ he will never come into such a filthy polluted sinful Soul as mine is Who saith so Who dare affirm so impudent a falshood in the very face of the Text If any Man open unto me I will come in to him If I open to Christ I must bid farewel to ease and rest in this World reproaches sufferings losses follow him If Christ Pardon and Salvation be not worth the enduring and suffering these small things sure thou valuest Christ and thy Soul at a low rate Oh who can sufficiently bewail the ignorance and folly of Unbelievers that will fell their Souls and hopes of Heaven for such trifles And if Christ and thy Soul must part upon these terms then hear me sinner and let it sink into thy Heart thy Damnation will be both 1. Just and Righteous 2. Unavoydable and sure 1. Thy Damnation will be Just for thou hadst thy own choice and deliberately preferredst the insignificant trifles of this World before Christ and Salvation It was plainly told thee what the issue of thy rejecting Christ would be and yet after sufficient warning thou adventuredst upon it whatever other sinners will plead I know not but as for thee thou must be speechless Matth. 22. 12. If thou dye Christless thou must appear at his Bar speechless and the day of Judgment will be the day of the revelation of the righteous Judgment of God Rom. 2. 5. 2ly It will also be Unavoidable for there is no other way to Salvation but this Acts 4. 12. No Christ no Heaven no Faith no Christ How shall we escape if we neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2. 3. Mercy it self cannot save thee out of Christ for all the saving Mercy of God is dispensed to Men through him Iude vers 21. 'T is to no purpose to cry Mercy Lord Mercy when Christ in whom all the Mercies of God are dispensed to Men is rejected by thee III. Vse for Consolation This Point winds up in Consolation to all such as hearing the knocks of Christ have opened or are now resolved to open their Hearts unto him and that nothing henceforth shall keep Christ and their Souls asunder To such I shall address the following grounds of Comfort I. Consolation An opening Heart to Christ is a work wholly and altogether Supernatural A special work of the Spirit of God never found upon any but an elect Soul. There are common gifts of the Spirit such as Knowledge vanishing Convictions c. but the opening of the Heart by Faith is the special saving and peculiar work of the Spirit Iohn 6. 29. This is the work of God that ye believe Yea it is the effect of the Almighty Power of God the exceeding greatness of his Power is exerted in the work of Faith Eph. 1. 19. it
rises not out of Nature as common gifts do but of this it is expresly said Eph. 2. 8. It is not of your selves it is the gift of God. Where this work is effectually wrought we may reason as solidly as comfortably from it both backward to the electing love of God and forward to our eternal glorification with him Rom. 8. 30. II. Consolation The opening of thy Heart to Christ by saving Faith gives thee interest in Christ the very same hour the relation is then constituted the conjugal tye or bond is fastned betwixt him and thy Soul Iohn 1. 12. To as many as received him to them gave he power viz. right or privilege to become the Sons of God even to as many as believed on his Name You neither need nor may expect an extraordinary messenger or voice from Heaven to tell you that Christ is yours and you are his you have a better foundation in this Word and Work of Faith for my part if God will give me the clear and satisfying experience of this Work upon my Heart I would never desire more satisfaction on this side Heaven I know not but the Devil may counterfeit an extraordinary voice and cheat the Soul by a lying Oracle but if I really feel my Heart and Will sincerely opening to Christ upon Gospel terms I am sure there is no deceit in that III. Consolation The opening of thy Heart to Christ by Faith is a good assurance that Heaven shall be opened to thy Soul hereafter Heaven is shut against none but those that shut their Hearts against Christ by Unbelief Will you bar Christ out of your Souls by Ignorance and Unbelief and then cry Lord open to us No God will open to none but them that open to Christ. Etâ—rnity it self shall but suffice to bless God for this opening act of Faith He that believeth shall be saved Mark 16. 16. IV. Consolation The opening of thy Soul to Christ by Faith makes it Christs habitation for ever in that hour outgoes sin and Satan and incomes Christ and Grace If any Man open unto me I will come in to him saith the Text of such a Soul Christ saith as it was said of the Temple Psalm 132. 13 14. The Lord hath desired it for his Habitation This is my rest for ever here will I dwell for I have desired it Thy Soul now becomes an hallowed Temple to the Lord as he hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and will be their God and they shall be my people 2 Cor. 6. 16. O what an Heaven upon Earth is here Christ dwelling in the Soul is the glory of the Soul as Gods dwelling in the Temple was the glory of the Temple V. Consolation In a word the opâ—â—ing of the Heart to Christ is that work which answers the great design of the Gospel Wherefore hath God set up Ordinances and Ministers yea wherefore is the Spirit sent forth but to open the Hearts of sinners to Christ by Faith When this is done the main end and intention of the Gospel is attained and answered the union is effected betwixt Christ and the Soul it is now put out of hazard The whole Work of the Gospel after that is but to build up confirm and comfort the Soul ripen it s implanted Graces and make it meet for glory And thus through the assistance of the Spirit I have finished the fifth Observation That every Conviction of Conscience and motion upon the Affections is a knock or call of Christ for entrance into the sinners Heart SERMON VI. Revel 3. 20. Behold I stand at the door and knock c. I stand and knock HEre 's pains and patience all means used by Christ to gain entrance into the Souls of sinners It speaks the earnestness of his suit and vehemency of his desire to be in union with the Souls of Men. The sixth Observation therefore will be this VI. DOCT. That Iesus Christ is an earnest suitor for union and communion with the Souls of sinners This Point lyes directly and fully in the very Eye and intention of the Text. In the opening of it two things must be spoken to in the Doctrinal part viz. 1. The demonstration of this Truth that he is so 2. The marvelous and admirable grace and condescension of Christ that he should be so First For Demonstration of this Truth That Christ is an earnest suiter for union and communion with the Souls of sinners I shall draw down the Demonstration of this Truth from a view and consideration of the dispositions carriages and actions of the Lord Jesus towards poor sinners from first to last And when you have compared them all together and by them seen the temper of his Heart how great and clear a light will shine upon this Point That his Heart hath still enclined towards union and communion with sinful Man will evidently appear by considering him in a fourfold state and time 1. Before his Incarnation 2. In the days of his Flesh. 3. At his Death And 4. At and since his Ascension into Heaven First Consider him before his Incarnation and you will find too things in that state which plainly speak his desires after union with us 1. In the Covenant of Redemption he made with God concerning us before this World had a being for such Covenants and Promises did really pass betwixt him and the Father before all time or else I know not how to understand that Scripture Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternal Life which God that cannot lye promised before the World began To whom could that Promise be made but unto Christ which bears date before the Creation what else can this mean but the Covenant of Redemption made betwixt the Father and the Son the terms whereof are set down in Isa. 53. 10 11. where you find what Christ was to do Viz. To put his Soul an offering for sin And what should be his reward for pouring out his Soul unto Death viz. To see his Seed to see the travail of his Soul even a Church purchased with his own Blood Whether this be not a great demonstration of the propension and inclination of Christs Heart and Desire towards union and communion with poor sinners let all Men judge O what a value did Christ set upon our Souls that upon such costly terms he would consent to redeem them Unto this agreement God the Father held him Rom. 8. 32. God spared not his own Son. And this very covenant Christ pleaded with the Father Iohn 17. 6. I have manifested thy Name to the Men which thou gavest me out of the World thine they were and thou gavest them me This plainly shews the vehement desire of Christs Heart to be in union with Men according to that Prov. 8. 31. Rejoycing in the habitable parts of his Earth and my delights were with the Sons of Men. Blessed Jesus nothing but the strength of thine own desire and love could ever have drawn thee
see Christ from the Cross casting forth a threefold cord which is not easily broken to draw the Hearts of sinners to him Fourthly to Conclude What mighty Demonstrations of the desires of his Heart towards us did our Redeemer give at and since his Ascension into Heaven As the whole Life of Christ upon Earth was a perswasive Argument to draw sinners to him so his Ascension to Heaven hath many things in it which are mighty attractives to the Hearts of Men. I will only mention two 1. The gifts he bestowed at his Ascension 2. The ends and designs of his Ascension 1. The gifts he bestowed on Men at his Ascension for this very end and purpose whereof the Psalmist gives this account Psal. 68. 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast received gifts for Men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them He alludes to the Roman Conquerors who in the day of their triumph did Spargere missilia scatter their largesses among the people Thus Christ at his Ascension shed forth the gifts of the Spirit in various kinds qualifying Men for the Work of the Ministry to enable them to plead with your Souls and carry on his suit when he should be in Heaven These gifts were extraordinary in the first Age as the gift of Tongues and Miracles c. and ordinary to continue to the end of the World Eph. 4. 8 9. To some he gives depth of Learning and Judgment to others a mighty Pathos a melting influence upon the Affections but all designed to win over your Hearts to Christ. This shews what care he took and what provision he answerably made for the success of his great design to draw the Hearts of sinners to him 2ly The ends of his Ascension as they are declared in Scripture plainly speak the vehemency of Christs desire to draw Souls to him Now the declared ends of his Ascension were 1 to make way for the Spirits coming to Convince Convert and Comfort the Souls of all that come unto him Iohn 16. 7. Nevertheless I tell yon the truth It is expedient for you that I go away for if I go not away the Comforter will not come to you but if I depart I will send him unto you And when he is come he will reprove the World of sin and of righteousness and of judgment Without the Conviction of these things no Man can come to Christ and no such Convictions can be wrought upon the Conscience of any Man without the Spirit and the Spirit could not come to effect these things upon Mens Hearts if Christ had not ascended Iohn 7. 39. But this spake he of the Spirit which they that believe on him should receive for the Holy Ghost was not yet given because that Iesus was not yet glorified Thus Christ provided for the carrying on of his great design upon your Hearts when he was entring into his own Glory The thoughts of that Glory made him not to forget his great design upon Earth 2 Another end of Christs Ascension was to make Intercession with the Father for all and every Soul that should come unto him that their future sins might make no breach of the bond of the Covenant betwixt God and them A Privilege able to draw the Hearts of all sinners to him 1 Iohn 2. 1 2. My little Children these things write I unto you that ye sin not Mark it the intercession of Christ must incourage and embolden no Man to sin that would be a vile abuse of the Grace of God. But if any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Iesus Christ the righteous and he is the propitiation for our sins i. e. If sin surprize and deceive any gracious Soul the bent of whose Heart is against it let him not be discouraged he hath a potent Advocate ascended into the Heavens to continue the peace betwixt God and that Soul. O what an encouragement is here to gain the consent of a sinners Heart to embrace Jesus Christ 3 Another declared end of Christs Ascension was to lead captivity captive as in the forecited place Psal. 68. 17. that is to captivate and triumph over Satan as a conquered Enemy who led us captive in the days of our vanity He conquered Satan upon the Cross Col. 2. 15. but he triumphed over him at his Ascension And without such a conquest and triumph no Soul could come to Christ. 4 In a word Christ ascended into Heaven to prepare Mansions of rest and glory for every Soul that should embrace him in the way of repentance and faith in this World Iohn 14. 2 In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you q. d. It satisfies me not to enjoy my glory in Heaven alone all that come unto me by Faith shall be with me where I am let them know for their encouragement that the glory which God hath given me I have given them Iohn 17. 22. All these things loudly speak the fervent desires of Christs Soul after union and communion with poor Sinners which was the thing to be demonstrated 2ly Having proved the Point that Christ is an earnest Suiter for union and communion with the Souls of sinners we next come to shew the marvellous and admirable Grace and Condecension of Christ that it should be so And this will appear five ways to the astonishment of every considering Soul. 1. Though Christ be thus intent and earnest in his suit for your consent yet he gaineth nothing by you when you do consent the gain is to your selves but not to him He is over all God blessed for ever Rom. 9. 5. above all accessions from the Creature What doth the Sun gain by enlightning and animating the lower World Or what doth a Fountain gain when Men drink and are refreshed by its Waters If any Soul that heareth me this day should presently resolve henceforth to break asunder all the tyes and engagements betwixt him and sin to subscribe the Articles of the Gospel to give away himself Soul and Body to Christ to live henceforth as an hallowed dedicated Creature to the Lord Jesus this indeed would turn to the infinite and everlasting advantage of such a Soul but yet Christ cannot be profited thereby 2ly And that which still encreaseth the wonder is this that though Christ makes no gain or profit by our Conversion yet hath he impoverished himself to gain such unprofitable Creatures as we are to him He hath made himself poor to make us rich so speaks the Apostle in 2 Cor. 8. 9. For ye know the grace of our Lord Iesus Christ that though he was rich yet for your sakes he became poor that ye through his poverty might be rich He expends his riches makes no advantage unto himself his incarnation impoverished his reputation Phil. 2. 7. How poor was Christ when he said Psal. 22. 6. But I am a worm and no man a
no conclusion or agreement made Christ and you may yet part The Lord help you therefore to ponder and deliberate with all speed and seriousness the terms propounded by Christ in the Gospel to count the cost and yet not always to be deliberating neither but to bring matters to an Issue and that with all the convenient speed you can in order whereunto lay two things before you weigh and seriously ponder them 1. What are the advantages you will gain by Christ 2. What is the most you can lose by your consent to his terms and then bring your thoughts to an Issue I. Ponder well the advantages you will gain by Christ these are so great and manifold that it is impossible for me to enumerate or value them it shall suffice in this place to shew you one of those bunches of the Grapes of Eshcol that by it you may estimate the riches and fertility of that good Land setled upon you by Christ as a Dowry or Joynture and these are four 1. The payment of all your debts to the Law 2. An Honour above Angels 3. An eternal inheritance in Heaven 4. A glorious and joyful presentation of you to the Father in the great day by Christ as his Spouse and Wife 1. The same day and hour you give your cordial consent to take Christ upon Gospel terms that is to say Christ with his yoak of obedience and Christ with his Cross of Sufferings all your debts to the Law are discharged and paid what have you been doing ever since you came into the World but runing upon score to God deeper and deeper every day O what a vast sum owest thou to his Justice And not able to pay one farthing If thou consent not to Christs offer the Bailiff and Executioner Death and the Devil will shortly be upon thy back and hurry thee away to that prison from whence thou shalt not come out until thou have paid the last farthing Matth. 5. 25 26. If thou consent to Christs terms thy debts are paid upon thy marriage day thy bonds cancelled and thy discharge in Heaven sealed Rom. 8. 1. There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ and the reason is given vers 4. in this That the righteousness of the Law is fulfill'd in us that believe But how in us Certainly the meaning is not that the To credere the act of Faith doth as it is a work of ours satisfie the demand of the Law and fulfil its righteousness no but it apprehends the righteousness of Christ applies it and makes it ours and so the righteousuess of the Law is fulfilled in us that believe Is it an ease is it a comfort to be out of debt Then embrace the offer of Christ for after thy espousals to him the Law cannot touch thee by any act of condemnation it goes to the Husband Christ thou art discharged Well then resolve what to do shall the debt run on and increase till Justice come to levy it upon you in Hell Torments Or will you accept of Christ and the riches of righteousness that are in him and so be fully and finally acquited from all your debts at once and so be able to lye down in peace and enjoy your lives without slavish fear He that ows nothing fears no Bayliffs but may as we use to say whet his Knife upon the Counter threshold 2ly Your consent to Christs terms will advance you to an Honour above and beyond the Honour of Angels 'T is said That the Children of the Resurrection shall be equal unto Angels and it is most sure that in some respect their union with Christ advances them far above Angels for the Apostle tells us Heb. 1. 14. They are ministring Spirits sent forth for the good of them that shall be heâ—rs of Salvation As the great Peers and Nobles in a Kingdom count it no dishonour to perform their service to the Heir apparent The Ministry of Angels is a mystery which we little understand but by it we receive great and manifold advantages and it certainly puts a great deal of Honour upon all the Members of Christ. 3ly Christ will not only pay all your debts and exalt you to a dignity above Angels but in that day wherein you cordially consent to his terms he will intitle you to the most glorious inheritance purchased by his Blood You shall be heirs of God and joynt heirs with Christ Rom. 8 17. O what an inducement is here to close the match betwixt Christ and our Souls If I consent to take Christ upon Gospel terms I shall thereby be intitled to all the glory that is in Heaven it shall be mine as truly as it is Christs 'T is true the glory of Christ will in some respects far surpass the glory of the Saints he will shine among them as the Sun compared with the Stars but yet the glory which God gave him that is the communicable glory shall be truly theirs as it is his Iohn 17. 22. The glory which thou gavest me I have given them Tell my Brethren saith he Iohn 20. 17. I ascend unto my Father and your Father to my God and your God. This you shall gain also by closing this Treaty with an hearty consent to Christs terms and proposals 4ly If you will consider and consent you shall be presented by him to the Father pure and spotless with exceeding joy and gladness in the great day This will be such a presentation of your persons to God as will make your Hearts leap for joy to read what the Scriptures speak about it This methinks should induce every Soul without further delay to present himself Soul and Body chearfully and willingly to Jesus Christ. For 1. Christ will bring you in the great day to his Father in the shining beauty of perfect holyness not a spot or wrinkle upon your Souls Ephes. 5. 27. The Blood of Christ perfectly washes off every spot of guilt for then the Spirit of Christ hath perfectly cleansed the Soul from all the desilement and filth of sin so that it shall come to God a pure and beautiful Creature out of Christs Hand 2. This presentation will be made with greatest honour and solemnity we little think in what state and triumph Christ intends to bring the poorest believer to his Father Psal. 45. 14 15. With joy and gladness shall they be brought c. So Iude vers 24. They shall be presented faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy Joy running over Joy upon all Hands God himself will rejoyce that ever he created such a Soul as hath sincerely bestowed it self upon Christ. Jesus Christ will rejoyce that ever he shed his Blood for that Soul that now places his sole righteousness therein the Holy Spirit will rejoyce that ever he came with a commission from the Father and the Son to draw such a Soul to Christ who hath obeyed his voice the Angels will rejoyce with joy unspeakable Luke 15.
10. There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth If the consent of any of your Souls shall be this day gained to Christ if the Word you have heard this day shall send any poor Soul hence to his Closet or into a Corner there to make his Covenant with Christ for that 's the way of making up the match with Christ in that hour the news of it will be in Heaven and excite joy among the Angels of God lay these and many other Privileges together which I want time to mention but the Scriptures will abundantly furnish you with them and then consider what a rich bargain what an advantageous match Jesus Christ is for your Souls II. Upon the other-side cast up the account what you may lose by your consent to be Christs and whether those losses be sufficient to ballance or preponderate the gain that comes by such a consent that so your choice of Christ may be a deliberate and full choice and you may never repent afterwards of the choice you have made It is a rule in the Civil Law Non consentit qui non sentit he cannot consent that doth not think understand and deliberate and this is the reason of so much flinching from Christ and shameful apostacy in times of Persecution Men did not think of such sufferings and losses they are meer surprisals to them to forelay all such occasions of offence our Lord deals candidly and openly with us and tells us before Hand what are the worst things that may besal us for his sake Iohn 16. 1 2. These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended they shall put you out of the Synagogues Yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think he doth God service But vers 4. he adds These things I have told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that I told you of them q. d. Remember your selves in times of Persecution that all these things were propounded considered and consented to they were the very terms you subscribed to me had you not liked them you might at the everlasting damage and ruin of your immortal Souls have refused and rejected them Now the things you are to ballance with the gain of Christ must by you be'sorted into two Ranks 1. Things that must be parted with 2. Things that may be parted with for Christ. I. The things that you must part with viz. your Lusts and all the vicions pleasures you have had in them how much profit or pleasure soever they have brought you in away they must go they must be devoted to destruction and mortification or you can have no interest in Christ You must shake Hands for ever with all your sinful courses and companions Rom. 6. 16. His Servants you are to whom you obey Be they as pleasant and profitable as your right Hand or Eye they must be pluckt out and cut off Matth. 5. 29 30. Doth this sound harsh and unpleasant to your Ears Doth this cause the demur O consider what it is to part with sin it is but to part with the Disease of your Souls and the instruments of your everlasting ruin which of you would not be glad to part with a Fever the Stone or Dropsie What is Passion but the Fever of the Soul What is a hard Heart but a Stone What is Covetousness and Earthly-mindedness but the insatiable Dropsie of the Soul Now if Men would be glad to be rid of such dreadful Diseases in their Bodies and be restored to Soundness Ease and Health how much more should you be glad to be rid of your Corruptions and have the rectitude ease and pleasure of your Soul restored again Yea instead of those impure vicious bruitish pleasures you have taken in sin you shall enjoy the pure divine suitable and everlasting pleasures of holiness Consider now and accordingly make your choice whether you will take the pleasures of sin which are but for a season in exchange for the everlasting joys which are at Gods right Hand for ever II. There are other things which you may be called to part with and give up for Christ it is uncertain whether God may actually call you to part with your Liberties Estates Relations and Lives for Christ. Many are never actually called forth to such sufferings but because many are and every one of you may be so called you must reallize them ponder them and subscribe those very terms making full account of these things as if they were now before you Luke 9. 23. For so Christ hath propounded them but then with all weigh these troubles with the gain and advantages you shall have by them and not singly and alone by themselves for so Christ hath presented them to you Matth. 19. 28. And every one that hath forsaken Houses or Brethren or Sisters or Father or Mother or Wife or Children or Lands for my Name sake shall receive an hundred fold and shall inherit everlasting Life Now if you think such gainful troubles such Soul-enriching losses be worth accepting for Christs sake then close the match with Christ and bring the matter to a conclusion Do not befool your selves with a fond and groundless presumption that these things will never befal you I fear many flatter themselves with such vain hopes the Lord knows how soon these suppositions at a distance may be turned into realities before your Eyes You have much reason to expect them and much more to embrace them when ever Christ shall call you to them This is the great Work you have now to do and really you cannot safely demur any longer this matter must come to a conclusion and the sooner the better For you know 1. that your Lives are immediately uncertain and it is an unaccountable madness to let the great concern of your Salvation lye one day or night at hazard your breath is continually coming and going and that which is going must at last be gone Iames 4. 14. You Souls hang over everlasting dangers by the single thread of that feeble breath which plays in your Nostrils and every Disease like the flame of a Candle held under that thread and can it either be safe or comfortable to delay so great a Work as this upon which all your expectations and eternal Blessedness depends 2. Not only your Lives are hazardous and uncertain but the enjoyment of the Gospel and all the opportunities and means of your Conversion are as uncertain as they 'T is true and to the glory of God be it acknowledged we now enjoy the freedom and fulness of Gospel mercies but where hath God made any such settlement of these blessings upon you as puts the enjoyment of them out of hazard The rain is over but yet the clouds may return after the rain we are upon our good behaviour if it bring forth the fruits of your Conversion well if not the Ax lieth at the root of the trees Matth.
3. 10. And if God remove the Gospel from among us as our delays and triflings provoke him to do then the Treaty is ended and there 's little probability that any thing further will be done betwixt Christ and you Luke 13. 25. 3. Bring this matter to an issue with all due speed because you are not capable to give one sound reason for a moments delay of so great and weighty a concernment can you be safe too soon Can you be happy too soon Certainly you cannot be out of the danger of Hell too soon and therefore why should not your close with Christ upon the terms propounded be your very next work For certainly if the buisness the main work and buisness of every Mans life be to fly from the wrath to come as indeed it is Mat. 3. 7. and to fly for refuge to Jesus Christ as indeed it is Heb. 6. 18. Then certainly all delays are highly dangerous in such a buisness as this the Manslayer when flying to the refuge City before the avenger of Blood when his Heart was hot within him did not think he could recover the City too soon and now set all your own reason to work upon this matter put the case as really it is I am fleeing from wrath to come the Justice of God and curses of the Law are closely pursuing me is it reasonable that I now sit down in the way to gather flowers or play with trifles For such are all our other concernments in this World compared with our Salvation 4. Bring this Treaty to an issue with all due speed because most Souls that perish perish by delays Men think they have time enough before them and that to morrow will be as to day and so Satan gets part by part what he had not confidence to demand in the whole lump Most that perish under the Gospel had convictions upon their Consciences and vain purposes in their Hearts but not 〈◊〉 them to a speedy execution that was their undoing Iames 1. 24. He beholdeth himself and goeth his way and straight way forgetteth what manner of person he was It is an allusion to a Man that looks in the morning into a Glass where he discerns a spot upon his Face and resolves with himself anon to wash it off but some diversion or other falls in other matters take up his thoughts and so the spot remains all day and he carries it with him to bed at night O these delays are the undoing of millions 5. Delay not to close this Treaty with Christ because all delay increases the difficulty and the longer you neglect the more will your Hearts be hardned by the deceitfulness of sin Heb. 3. 13. Continuance in sin and quenching of convictions do sensibly harden the Heart and stiffen the Will Under the first convictions the Heart is tender the affections flowing O if this advantage were apprehended and pursued how soon might the work come to a comfortable conclusion but after a while those Soul-affecting words Sin Christ Heaven Hell Death and Eternity will become words of a common sound 6. And lastly Beware of delays in this matter because you can never expect a fitter and fairer opportunity and season for the dispatch of this great concernment than by the special indulgence of Heaven you enjoy this day 2 Cor. 6. 1 2. Now is the accepted time now is the day of Salvation You have now the Wind and Tide with you if you will not weigh Anchor now you may lye Wind-bound to your dying day what advantages can you reasonably expect which God hath not furnished you with at this day You have the means of Grace among you you have liberty and freedom to attend on those means without fear Say not I have such or such troubles and encumbrances in the World for you must never expect to be without them except you only shall find the World another thing than all others find it have you health O what a precious season and advantage is that Art thou sick O what a spur is that What is to be done must be done quickly III. Vse for Direction But it may be some Souls will plead ignorance that they know not how to manage and transact so great a concernment with Christ and therefore set not about it and it is very likely there may be much truth in that plea. For the help and assistance of such Souls I will gather up the sum of what hath been and ought to be further spoken about this matter in the following Directions so that nothing but your unwillingness and slothfulness shall remain to hinder you I. Direction First If ever you bring the Treaty betwixt Christ and your Souls to an happy issue and conclusion you must as before was noted sit down and count the cost Luke 14. 28. 't will be in vain else to engage your selves in the profession of Religion it is not Christs design to draw you under a rash inconsiderate engagement and so to reap more dishonour by your apostacy and hypocrisie than ever he shall have glory by your Profession No he would have you to foresee and seriously bethink your selves of all the outward troubles and inconveniencies you may afterwards meet with for his sake You are to embark your selves with Christ and abide with him in storms as well as halcyon days you must follow the Lamb whether soever he goeth Rev. 14. 4. There 's no retreating after engagement to Christ If any Man draw back my Soul shall have no pleasure in him Heb. 10. 38. 'T is eternal death by that martial Law of Heaven to run from Christs colours in the day of battle Well then retire thy self into the innermost closet of thy Soul sit quiet and patiently there till thou hast debated this matter fully with thine own thoughts and hast ballanced the good and the evil the profits and losses of Religion for want of this the Church is filled with hypocrites and Hell with inconsiderate and rash Professors the more we deliberate the better we shall conclude II. Direction Secondly Having debated the matter over and over in thy most sedate and serious thoughts let not Satan discourage thee from casting thy Soul at Christs Feet with an hearty consent to all his terms for want of such and such qualifications as thou canst not find in thine own Soul 'T is usual for Satan to suggest at this time the want of greater sorrow and humiliation for sin that the Soul hath not layen long enough under the humbling work of the Law that the aggravations of its sins have been such that there is no hope of acceptance free thy Soul from these snares of Satan by the consideration of this unquestionable truth That Christ expects from thee no more humiliation than what produceth such a hearty deliberate consent as thy Will is now to give and such a consent once gained no aggravation of sin is pleadable against the duty of believing III. Direction Thirdly Distrust not
or that Minister time or place yet he hath tyed us to a diligent and constant attendance upon them Rom. 10. 14. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher I confess it seems a very unlikely means a weak and foolish method according to the dictate of corrupt humane wisdom yet by the foolishness of preaching it pleases God to save them that believe 1 Cor. 1. 21. That which the wisdom of Man derides God makes effectual unto Salvation And oh how many are there that will have cause to bless God to all eternity for gifting and sending such Ministers among them whose Doctrin the Lord blessed unto the conversion of their Souls Fourthly In the next place let us consider the scope and intention of this great design wherein these instruments are employed There are no great designs in the World but aim at some end to be accomplished by them Now there are two things in the Eye and intention of this design which are worthy of it 1. The exaltation of his own grace and the riches of his goodness before Angels and Men to all eternity The Name of God is never made so glorious in this World as it is by bringing over the Hearts of Men and Women to believe God reaps more glory from the faith of a poor creature that comes to Christ empty and weary than he doth from the other works of his Hands He hath not the like glory from the Sun Moon and Stars as from such poor creatures whose Hearts open to Jesus Christ under the Gospel call Thus they are fitted to manifest the glory of his grace Eph. 1. 5 6. To the praise of the glory of his grace c. God will have his rich and glorious grace praised and admired by Angels and Men for evermore and every converted Soul is as it were a monument erected unto the praise of his grace Heaven will ring with praises for ever that the great God would humble himself to come into the Heart of a vile sinner and dwell and walk therein as the expression is 2 Cor. 6. 16. O this is admirable that the high and lofty one who inhabits eternity will take up his dwelling place in a poor contrite sinner that trembles at his Word Isa. 57. 15. 2ly The eternal Salvation and blessedness of the Soul so opened to Christ is also the design and aim of this work of opening the Heart Luke 19. 9. When the Soul of Zacheus was opened by faith This day saith Christ is salvation come to this house You do not only believe to the glory of God but to the Salvation of your own Souls Heb. 10. 39. The opening of our Hearts to Christ now is in order to the opening of Heaven to us hereafter This is both the finis operis operantis the end of the work and intention of the worker 1 Cor. 1. 21. It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that do believe It presently puts them into a state of Salvation though they be not yet actually and compleatly saved There is a necessary connection betwixt Conversion and Salvation though betwixt Conversion and compleat Salvation there may be many groaning hours sick and sad days and nights but full deliverance from sin and misery is secured to the Soul in the work of Faith Col. 1. 27. Christ in you is the hope of glory Fifthly Thus you see this great and glorious design projected and managed and that this is the very scope aim and intention of the whole Gospel even the opening the Hearts of sinners unto Christ by faith will evidently appear by considering the several parts of the Gospel which have a direct aspect upon this design and the declared end of the Spirit who is sent forth to make it effectual to this very end and purpose 1. To this the commands of the Gospel look it lyes full in the Eye of the preceptive part of the Gospel 1 Iob. 3. 23. And this is his commandment that we should believe on the Name of his Son Iesus Christ. And it is a very great encouragement if rightly considered that faith is constituted a duty by a plain Gospel precept for this cuts off that vain pretence and plea of presumption What such a vile wretch as thou saith Satan presume to believe in Christ But this cuts off the plea. Here 's a command from the highest Sovereignty the contempt whereof Men shall answer at their utmost peril 2ly This also is the declared end and scope of the Gospel promises and threatnings whereby the Souls of sinners are assaulted on both sides As for Promises how are all the sacred pages of the Bible adorned with them as the Firmament with radiant Stars Amongst which that in the Text seems to excel in glory If any Man open to me I will come in to him Like unto which is that Iohn 6. 35 37. I am the bread of life he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out Such rich and excellent encouragements to faith had never been put into the promises but for faiths sake and then for Gospel threatnings though they have a dreadful sound yet they have a gracious design what a terrible thunder-clap is that Iohn 3. 36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him To which another Threatning echoes with a like terrible voice Mark 16. 16. He that believeth not shall be damned There be dreadful things you see threatned in the Gospel against unbelievers but what is the intention of those threatnings but to scare Men out of their unbelief and carnal security unto Christ And thus both the promises and the threatnings though of far different natures conspire and meet in the self same design even to open the Heart to Christ by faith 3ly For the sake of this design all Gospel Ordinances and Officers are instituted and appointed maintained and continued in the World unto this day Why did Christ at his Triumphant ascension shed forth such variety of gifts upon Men but that God might dwell among them Psal. 68. 18. Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for Men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them The whole frame of Gospel ordinances is declaredly set up for this purpose to bring Men to Christ and build them up in Christ Eph. 4. 12 4ly All the Scripture records of converted sinners whose Hearts God hath in any age opened were made for this very purpose to encourage other Souls by their examples to believe in or open unto Christ as they did For this purpose that famous and memorable conversion of Paul was graciously recorded 1 Tim. 1. 16. Howbeit for this
might be pardoned did not this sin lye in the way were this gone all the rest were gone too but whilst Unbelief remains they also remain upon thee 2ly Of all the sins that are upon the Souls of men this is the most difficult sin to be removed and cured Other sins lye more open to conviction but this hath the most specious pretences to countenance and defend it Men commit this sin out of a fear of sin They will not believe lest they should presume They dare not believe because they are not qualified The strength of other sins meets in this sin of Unbelief it is the strongest Fort wherein Satan trusteth Take an Adulterer or a profane Swearer and you have a fair open way to convince him of his sin shew him the Command he hath violated and he hath nothing to say in his own defence but the Unbeliever hath a thousand plausible defences 3ly This is the great damning sin of the world I do not say but all other sins deserve damnation for the wages of sin is death but this is the sin in the virtue whereof other sins damn and ruin the Soul. This is the Condemnation John 3. 19. And as it is a damning sin so it is a sin which damns with aggravated damnation 2 Thess. 1. 8. O then let us mourn over and tremble at this dreadful sin which opposes and so often frustrates the great design and main end of the whole Gospel IV. Vse for Exhortation Is it the main scope of the Gospel to bring men to Christ by Faith then be perswaded heartily to comply with this great design of the Father Son and Spirit Ministers Ordinances and Providences in opening your hearts to receive Christ this day by Faith unfeigned And oh that I could suitably press this great Point which falls in so directly with the main stream and scope of the whole Gospel And oh that whilst I am pressing it you would list up an hearty cry to Heaven Lord give me faith whatever else thou deny me open my heart to Christ under the Gospel Calls I do not only press you to a general and common assent to the Truths of the Gospel that Christ is come in the flesh and laid down his life for sinners but unto an hearty Evangelical consent to receive him upon Gospel terms to close with him in all his Offices subjecting heart and life unto his Authority living entirely upon him for righteousness and to him by holiness The value of such a Faith as this is above all estimation For 1. this is the Grace which God hath dignified and crowned with Glory and Honour above all its fellow Graces It s singular Praises and Encomiums are in all the Scriptures This is called precious faith 2 Pet. 1. 1. Soul enriching faith Iames 2. 5. That 's a miserable poor Soul indeed that is destitute of it whatever the Largesses of Providence have been to him And he is truly rich to whom God hath given Faith whatever he hath denied him of the comforts of this life This Christ calls the work of God Iohn 6. 29. This is the work of God that you believe Why so are all other things that your eyes behold they are the works of God the Earth the Sea the Sun Moon and Stars they are his handy-work True they are so but this is the work the most eminent glorious and admirable work of God sine pari excelling all his other works which your eyes behold And 2. that which exalts and dignifies it not only above all the works of God's hands but even above its fellow Graces the works of his Spirit is that high Office unto which it is appointed in the justification of a Sinner God hath singled out this Grace from among all the other Graces to be the instrument of receiving and applying the righteousness of Christ for the justification of a guilty Soul Rom. 5. 1. You are never said to be justified by love hope or desire but by faith 'T is true all other Graces are supposed in the person justified but none apprehends and applies the righteousness of Christ for justification but this only And the justifying act of faith being a receiving act the Glory of God is therein secured therefore it is of Faith that it might be by Grace 3. The Grace of Faith which I am recommending to you this day is not only the instrument of your Justification but it is also the bond of your union with Christ Eph. 3. 17. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by Faith. 'T is the uniting Grace the Marriage Knot 't is that which gives interest in and title to the person and benefits of Christ. The great thing upon which the eyes of all the awakened world are intently and solicitously fixed Whatever apprehensions you have of an interest in Christ and whatever his benefits be worth in your eyes neither himself or them can ever be obtained without Faith. O Brethren there is a day coming when they that now sleight and neglect this interest and concern of their Souls would gladly part with ten thousand worlds for a good title to Christ could it be purchased therewith But it is Faith and nothing without Faith that intitles you to Christ and to his benefits 4. That which should yet more endear this Grace of Faith to you is this that it is the hand which receives your pardon from the hand of Christ the Messenger that brings a sealed Pardon to a trembling Sinner Acts 10. 43. And by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the Law of Moses Cleared of all those sins from which the Law could never clear them nor any Repentance Restitution or Obedience of their own without Faith O what a welcom Messenger is Faith and what joyful tydings doth it bring you would say so if ever you had felt the efficacy of the Law upon your Consciences if ever you had lain as some sinners have with a cold sweating horrour upon your panting bosoms under the apprehensions of the wrath God. This fruit of Faith is rather to be admired than exprest Psal. 32. 1. 5. Faith is not only the Messenger that brings you a Pardon from Heaven but it is as I may say that heavenly Herauld that publishes Peace in the Soul of a Sinner O Peace how sweet a word art thou how welcom to a poor condemned Sinner Beautiful upon the Mountains are the feet of them that publish peace Now 't is faith that brings this blessed News and publishes it in the Soul without which all the publishers of peace without us can administer but little support Rom. 5. 1. Faith brings the Soul out of the Storms and Tempests with which it was tossed into a sweet Rest and Calm Hebr. 4. 3. We which have believed do enter into Rest. Is the quiet Harbour welcom to poor weather-beaten Seamen after they have past furious storms and many fears upon the raging
Satan to God. So Luke 11. 21 22. When a strong man armed keepeth his pallace his goods are in peace But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted and divideth his spoil Fourthly Thy present vileness and unworthiness can be no bar to Christs entrance into thy Soul because Christ never yet objected to any man his unworthiness but his unwillingness to come unto him Iohn 5. 40. You will not come unto me that you might have life And again Matth. 23. 37. How oft would I have gathered thy Children and ye would not Indeed you find something like a repulse from Christ to that poor Canaanitess Mat. 15. 24 26. Lord help me said that poor distressed Soul but he answered and said It is not meet to take the childrens bread and cast it to dogs However harshly and discouragingly these words sound yet certainly it was none of Christs intent to damp and discourage her faith but to draw it forth to a more excellent and intense degree which effect it obtained vers 27. Fifthly Neither would Christ have made the tenders of mercy so large and indefinite had he intended to have shut out any Soul upon the single account of personal unworthiness provided it be but willing to come unto him Cast thine Eye poor discouraged Soul upon Christs invitations and proclamations of grace and mercy in the Gospel and see if thou canst find any thing beside unwillingness as a bar betwixt thee and mercy harken to that voice of mercy Isa. 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat come buy wine and milk without money and without price i. e. without personal desert or worthiness So again Rev. 22. 17. The Spirit and the bride say come and let him that is athirst come and whosoever will let him take the water of life freely Here you see personal vileness and unworthiness is no obstacle in the way of Christ. Once more see Iohn 7. 37. In the last day that great day of the feast Iesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come to me and drink Thus you see what Christs coming into the Soul is and what evidences there are that when once the Soul is made truly willing Christ will certainly come into it and no former vileness or present unworthiness shall be a bar to obstruct his entrance Thirdly In the next place I shall shew you That when Christ comes into the Soul he will not come empty handed 'T is Christs marriage day and he will make it a good day a festival day bringing such comforts along with him as the Soul never tasted before he spreads as it were a Table furnishes it with the delicates of Heaven I will sup with him saith the Text What those Spiritual mercies are which Christ brings a long with him to the opening willing Soul comes next in order to be spoken to And 1. When Christ comes into the Soul of a sinner he brings a Pardon with him a full a free and a final pardon of all the sins that ever that Soul committed This is a feast of it self good cheer indeed Christ thought it to be so when he told the poor Palsey-man Matth. 9. 2. Son be of good cheer thy sins are forgiven thee He doth not say Be of good cheer thy Palsey is cured thy body recovered from the grave but be of good cheer thy sins are pardoned O how sweetly may the pardoned Soul feed upon this And this is not any peculiar mercy designed for some special favorites but what is common to all believers Acts 13. 43. By him all that believe are justified from all things Christ and pardon come together and without a pardon no other mercy would relish no feast no musick no money or honour have any favour or comfort with them to a condemned man but the comfort of a pardon reaches to the very Heart Isa. 40. 1 2. Comfort ye comfort ye my people saith the Lord Speak comfortably to Jerusalem or as in the Hebrew Speak to the heart of Jerusalem But what are the ingredients of that cordial that will comfort Ierusalems Heart Why Say unto her that her iniquities are pardoned that carries along with it the Spirit of all consolation And there are four things in the pardon of sin that make it the sweetest mercy that ever the Soul tasted comfort which is impossible to be communicated to another with the same sense that the pardoned Soul hath of it Rev. 2. 17. First That which makes the pardon of sin ravishingly sweet is the trouble that went before it The labourings and restless tossings of the troubled Soul which were antecedent to this pardon make the ease and peace that follows by it incomparably sweet As the bitterness of Hell was tasted in the sorrows of sin so the sweetness of Heaven is tasted in the pardon of it Secondly The nature of the mercy it self is incomparably sweet for it is a mercy of the first rank Pardon is â—uch a mercy as admits no comfort to come before it nor any just cause of discouragement can follow after it If God have not spoken pardon to the Soul it can have no fetled ground for joy Ezek. 33. 10. And if he have there can be no just ground for dejection whatever the troubles be that lye upon it Isa. 33. 24. The inhabitants shall not say I am sick the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquities Thirdly The third thing that makes this mercy delicious and ravishingly sweet to the Soul are the properties of it which are four 1. God writes upon thy pardon frank 't is a free mercy which cost thee nothing Rom. 3. 24. Being justified freely by his grace Thou hast bought me no sweet Cane with money yet I even I am be that blotteth out thy transgression for my own names sake 2. God writes upon thy pardon full as well as free the pardon extends to all the sins that ever thou committedst Acts 13. 43. By him all that believe are justified from all things The sins of thy nature and practice the sins of thy youth and age great sins and lesser sins are all comprehended within thy pardon Thou art acquitted not from one but from all Certainly the joy of Heaven must come down in the mercy of remission O what a feast of fat things with marrow is this single mercy a pardon free without price full without exception And then 3. its final without revocation the pardoned Soul never more comes into condemnation Thine iniquities are removed from thee as far as the East is from the West as those two opposite points of Heaven can never meet so the pardoned Soul and its pardoned Sins can never more meet unto condemnation Psal. 103. 12. 4. God writes upon the pardon another word as sweet as any of the rest and that is sure 'T
is a standing mercy never to be recall'd vacated or annulled Rom. 8. 33 34 35. The challenge is sent to Hell and Earth Men and Devils Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect 'T is God that justifies who is he that condemneth It is Christ that died c. Who can arrest when the Creditor dischargeth Who can sue the bond when the debt is paid 'T is Christ that died The Table is spread and the first mercy served in is the pardon of sin Eat O friends drink yea drink abundantly O beloved Now the labouring Conscience that rowled and tossed upon the waves of a thousand fears may drop Anchor and ride quiet in the pacifique Sea of a pardoned State. What joy must stream through the Conscience when the sweetness of that Scripture Rom. 8. 1. shall be pressed into thy cup of Consolation The pardoned Soul may speak and think of Death and Judgment without consternation yea may look upon it as a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord Acts 3. 19. This is heavenly Manna the sweetness of it swallows up all expression all conceptions no words no thoughts can comprehend the riches of this mercy II. And yet this is not all behold another mercy in consequence unto this brought in to refresh and cheer the consenting Soul and that is peace with God. Pardon and peace go together Rom. 5. 1. Being justified by faith we have peace with God. Peace is a word of a vast comprehension peace in the language of the Old Testament comprehends all Temporal good things 1 Sam. 25. 6. And peace in the New Testament comprehends all Spiritual mercies 2 Thes. 3. 16. the blessings of Heaven and Earth are wrapt up in this word The Soul that opens to Christ hath peace of reconciliation in Heaven the enmity that was betwixt God and that Soul is taken away through the blood of Christ Isa. 12. 1 2. O Lord I will praise thee though thou wast angry with me thine anger is turned away and thou comfortest me This must be an invaluable mercy for the purchase of it cost the blood of Christ Isa. 53. 5. The chastisement of our peace was upon him He made peace by the blood of his Cross Col. 1. 20. and this peace of reconciliation is setled by Christ upon a firm foundation His blood gives it a more firm and steady basis and foundation than that of the Hills and Mountains Isa. 54. 10. And that which makes it so firm and sure is the Advocateship of Jesus Christ in Heaven 1 Iohn 2. 1. 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father There is also peace in the believers Conscience peace as it were by Proclamation from Heaven and this is built upon the peace of Reconciliation We cannot have the the sense of peace till we are brought into a state of peace the latter is the result of the former And this is a special part of that supper Christ provides to entertain the Soul that receives it How sweet this is is better felt than spoken A dreadful sound was lately in the Ears of the Law-condemned sinner but now his Heart is the seat of peace And this peace is 1. the Souls gard against all inward and outward terrors Phil. 4. 7. The peace of God shall keep 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the word is guard your hearts and minds The persons of Princes are secured by guards of armed and valiant Men who watch while they sleep Thus Solomon had his royal guard because of fear in the night Cant. 3. 7 8. This peace of God Christian is thy life-guard and secures thee better than Solomons threescore valiant men that were about him Time was when thou wast affraid to sleep for fear thou shouldst awake in Hell Now thou maist say with David I will both lay me down and sleep for thou Lord makest me to dwell in safety Now come life come death the Soul is safe the peace of God is its royal guard 2. This peace is ease as well as safety to the Soul 'T is heart-ease no sooner doth God speak peace to the Conscience but the Soul finds it self at ease and rest Heb. 4. 3. We which have believed do enter into rest It is with such a Soul as it was with the Dove Noah sent out of the Ark that poor creature wandred in the Air as long as her wings could carry her had her strength fail'd there was nothing but the waters to receive her O how sweet was rest in the Ark 3. This peace is news from Heaven and the sweetest tydings that ever blest the sinners Ear next unto Christ Heb. 12. 24. The blood of Christ speaketh better things than that of Abel And you are come to this blood of sprinkling the same day and hour that Christ is come into your Souls This is the voice of that blood Thou hast sinned I have satisfied Thou hast kindled the wrath of God And I have quencht it The Angels of Heaven cannot feed higher their joys are not more delicious than those prepared for believers are whereof this is a foretast whatever circumstances of trouble a man be in this effectually relieves him Paul and Silas were in sad circumstances shut up in the inner-prison their feet made fast in the stocks their cruel keeper at the door their execution designed in a few days God did but set this dish upon the Table before the prisoners and they could not forbear to sing at the feast Acts 16. 25. At midnight they sang c. III. After these two royal dishes Pardon and Peace a third will come in viz. Ioy in the Holy Ghost this is somewhat beyond peace 't is the very quintessence and Spirit of all Consolation The Kingdom of God is said to consist in it Rom. 14. 17. 't is somewhat near to the joy of the glorified 1 Pet. 1. 8. 't is Heaven upon Earth All believers do not immediately attain it but one time or other God usually gives them a taste of it and when he doth it is as it were a short Salvation O who can tell what that is which the Apostle calls The shedding abroad of the love of God into the Heart by the Holy Ghost which is given to us Rom. 5. 5. It is a joy which wants an Epithet to express the sweetness of it 1 Pet. 1. 8. Ioy unspeakable and full of glory It hath the very scent and taste of Heaven in it and there is but a gradual difference betwixt it and the joy of Heaven This joy of the Holy Ghost is a spiritual cheeriness streaming through the Soul of a believer upon the Spirits testimony which clears his interest in Christ and glory No sooner doth the Spirit shed forth the love of God into the believers Heart but it streams and overflows with joy Joy is no more under that Souls command and this will evidently appear if you consider the matter of it it arises from the light of
and above all the comforts of this world 6 In a word the joys of Heaven are unspeakable Joys no words can make known to others what they are When Paul was caught up into Paradice he heard unspeakable words 2 Cor. 12. 4. And are there not times even in this life wherein the Saints do feel that which no words can express 1 Pet. 1. 8. Rev. 2. 17. Now if such earnests of the Spirit do follow after believing if opening the Soul to Christ do bring it into these Suburbs of Heaven who then would not receive Christ into his Soul and such an heaven upon earth with him And thus I have shewed you what some of those heavenly rarities are with which Christ entertains Believers upon earth the fulness and perfection whereof is reserved for Heaven and hereby secured to the opening or believing Soul which was the first thing to be discovered Secondly Next we shall enquire into the reasons why Christ thus entertains feasts and refreshes the Soul that receives him And First This he doth to express the great joy and satisfaction his Soul hath in the faith and obedience of poor Sinners We read Isa. 53. 11. of the hard travel of Christs Soul and the great satisfaction he hath in the fruit and issue thereof He shall see of the travel of his Soul and shall be satisfied O what pleasure and satisfaction doth it give him to behold the eternal counsels of God and sore travels of his Soul brought to such a birth there is no pleasure like it to the Soul of Christ in this world As it is abundant satisfaction to a man to behold the accomplishment of a design upon which he hath laid out many thoughts and much cost at last happily finished Or as it is to a Woman that hath had a hard labour a sore travel for a Child to behold the fruit of her Womb to embrace and smile upon that Child she travail'd for So and much more than so it is to Christ and therefore as the Father of the Prodigal manifested the Joy of his heart for the return of his Son who was to him as dead and lost by a feast and musick So doth Christ here answerably manifest the content and satisfaction of his Soul by entertaining the Believer with these royal dainties of Heaven 't is the Souls welcom home to Christ. Secondly This Christ doth to relieve and refresh poor distressed Souls who have endured so many fears and sorrows from the time of their first conviction until this day of their union with Christ by Faith. The way of faith is a very humbling way there 's much cutting work in antecedent convictions and humiliations sad nights and sick days with many poor Souls and these things bring them very low They see the Law broken by sin wrath hanging over them in the threatnings the bitter tast thereof they have in their consciences they have dwelt with fears and horrors a long time and they need succour and support which the Lord Jesus is now resolved to give them lest the spirit fail before him Isa. 57. 16. He delights to comfort them that are cast down 2 Cor. 7. 6. Christ is of a compassionate nature he is as ready as able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. That word which we render Succour signifies to run in by way of help at the cry of one that is in distress Many emphatical cries have gone up to Heaven from the distressed sin-sick Soul these the compassionate Jesus hears and now comes in seasonably to succour and refresh it He hath rich Cordials for fainting hours the Soul hath had a bitter break-fast and therefore Christ will give it a comfortable Supper I will come in to him and sup with him Thirdly Those that open their hearts to Christ must expect to meet great troubles sufferings and temptations in that new course whereinto they are entred Their way to Heaven lies through much tribulation all our troubles are not over when we are got into Christ nay then commonly our greatest outward troubles begin Heb. 10. 32. After ye believed ye endured a great fight of affliction Carnal relations now scoff frown and cast off the world hates them and marks them out for persecution Now that poor Christians may not utterly be discouraged when they meet with those troubles in the way of their duty Christ will chear and hearten them by these spiritual refreshments This is a stock laid in for a rainy day Christ himself had a voice from Heaven Matth. 17. 5. This is my beloved Son a little before his great combat much more do his poor people need such consolations to support and encourage them The wise God foresees and by this provision forelays the troubles they are to meet with An hour of Sealing fortifies the Soul for an hour of Suffering It hath been the observation of some Christians when they have felt more than ordinary comforts of the Spirit that some great tryal hath been near them and the event hath confirmed it Whatever comforts Christ gives his people at their first entrance into his Service they will have need enough of them all before they finish their course To these first sealings they will need often to run back and have frequent recourse to them and all little enough to support them in after-tryals Fourthly Christ comes in to the opening Soul with such divine Cordials and refreshments to defeat and countermine the plot of Satan who hath so often and so lately been discouraging them by representing the ways of Christ as sad melancholy ways telling them they shall never laugh more never be merry more after they have embraced and espoused the ways of holiness Spiritus Calvinianus est spiritus melancholicus Well their own experiences shall now confute it for they now taste that pleasure in Christ in faith and obedience which they never tasted in the ways of sin thus that scandalous libel of the Devil is experimentally confuted They find they were never truly merry till now Luke 15. 24. All true mirth commences from our closing with Christ and they began to be merry Now these spiritual refreshments are by Christ here called a Supper because the Supper among the Jews was their best meal Luke 14. 17. and because it is the last meal This is not only the best meal that ever a believer made but upon these spiritual comforts though much more refined and perfect they are to feed for ever in Heaven O Christian well maist thou be contented with thine outward lot of providence however it shall fall in this World with respect to thy outward-man Will a King from Heaven come and sup with thee Doth he feed thy Soul with pardon peace and joy in the Holy Ghost Seals an earnest of future glory then thou livest at an higher and nobler rate than any of thy carnal neighbours do Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ who hath blessed us
will clear up the mistakes of both VII Motive Obedience to Convictions will not only produce peace at Death but it will give you present ease present relief and refreshment in hand No sooner did David resolve to obey the voice of his Conscience in confessing his sin but he had sensible ease in his own Spirit Psal. 32. 5. So Isa. 32. 17. the fruit of Righteousness is peace quietness and assurance for ever On the contrary you find in Iob 20. 20. Wicked Men have no quietness in their Bellies that is in their Consciences For Guilt lies boking there as a Thorn doth in the Flesh And what is Life worth without ease To live ever in pain to live upon the Rack is not worth while to live If then you love ease and quietness obey your Consciences Pull out that Thorn I mean that Sin that sticks fast in thy Soul and akes in thy Conscience Who would endure so much anguish for all the flattering pleasures of sin VIII Motive Convictions followed home and obeyed are the inlets to Christ and Eternal Salvation by him they are the first leading work of the Spirit in order to union with Christ Iohn 16. 8. till you obey and yield up your selves to them Christ is shut out of your Souls he knocks but finds no entrance at your peril therefore be obedient to their calls All the while you parly with your Convictions and demur to their demands Christ stands without offering himself graciously to you but not admitted so that no less than your Eternal Happiness or Misery depend on your Obedience or disobedience to the Voices and Calls of your Convictions IX Motive Obey your Convictions Honour their Voices and restrain them not then shall your Consciences give a fair testimony for you at the Judgment seat of Christ You read 1 Pet. 3. 2I Of the answer of a good Conscience towards God than which nothing can be more comfortable This gives a Man boldness in the day of Judgment 1 Iohn 4. 17. Believe it firs 't is not your Baptism your Church-priviledges the Opinion Men have of you but the testimony of your Consciences that must be your comfort I know Men are not justified at Gods Bar by you own Obedience nor any exactness of Life 't is only Christ's Righteousness that is the Sinners plea but yet your Obedience to the Calls and Voices of God and Conscience are your evidence that you are in Christ. X. Motive Lastly Consider what a choice Mercy it is to be under such Calls and Convictions of Conscience as are yet capable of being obeyed 'T is not so with Mens Convictions after this Life Conscience convinceth in Hell as well as here but all its Convictions there are for torment not recovery Oh 't is a choice Mercy your Convictions are yet Medicinal not purely Poenal that you are not malo obfirmati so fixed in the state of Sin and Misery as the damned are but may yet enjoy the saving benefit of your Convictions but this you will not enjoy long therefore I beseech you by all that is dear and valuable in your Eyes Reverence your Consciences and let go the Lords Prisoners that lye bound within you III. USE I next come to expotulate the matter with your Consciences and propound a few Convictive Queries to your Souls this day I cannot but look upon this Assembly with Fear Jealousie and Compassion I am afraid there be many of you in this wretched case Men and Women that hold the Truths of God in Unrighteousness though the Wrath of God be revealed from Heaven against all them that do so Let me Demand I. Demand Do not some of you stand convinced by your own Consciences this day that your Hearts and Lives your Principles and Practises are vastly different from the People of God among whom you live and whose Characters you read in Scripture Do not your own Consciences tell you that you never took that pains for your Salvation you see them dayly to take that there be some it may be in your Families nay possibly in your Bosoms that are serious and heavenly whilst you are vain and earthly that are in their Chambers upon their knees wrestling with God whilst you are in your Beds or about the things of the World And doth not Conscience sometimes whisper thus into thine Ear Soul thou art not right something is wanting to make thee a Christian Thou wantest that which others have and except something further be done upon thee thou wilt be undone for ever If it be so let me advise thee to hearken diligently to this voice of Conscience Don't dare to adventure to the Judgment-seat of God in such a case Ponder that Text Matth. 21. 32. and let the disparity your Conscience shews you betwixt your own course and others awaken you to more diligence and seriousness about your own Salvation How canâ—t thou come from the Alehouse or thy vain Recreations and find a Wife or Child in Prayer and thy Conscience not smite thee It may be they have been mourning for thy ' in s whilst thou haft been committing them It may be there lives not far from thee a Godly poor Man who out of his hard and pressing Labours redeems more time for his Soul in a week than ever thou didst in thy Life O hearken to the voice of thy Conscience Else thou art he that holdest Truth in Unrighteousness II. Demand Did thy Conscience never meet thee in the way of Sin as the Angel of the Lord met Balaam with a drawn Sword brandishing the threatnings of God against thee Did it not say to thee as a Captain once said to his Soldiers about to retreate he cast himself down in their way saying if you go this way you shall go over your Captain You shall trample him first under your feet Stop Soul stop said thy Conscience this and that Word of God is against thee If thou proceed thou must trample upon the Soveraign Authority of God in this or that Command yet thy impetuous Lusts have hurried thee forward Thou wouldst not fairly debate the case with thy Conscience and then did not thy Conscience say to thee as Ruben spake to his Brethren Gen. 42. 22. Spake I not unto you saying do not sin against the child but you would not hear therefore also his blood is required of you If this have been your course of sinning verily you are the persons that have held the Truths of God in Unrighteousness and against you the Wrath of God is revealed from Heaven III. Demand Have you not seen the Wrath of God revealed from Heaven against other Sinners that have gone before you in the very same tract and course of sin in which you now go and yet you persist in it notwithstanding such dreadful Warnings Thus did Belteshazzar though he saw all that the God of Heaven had done to his Father Dan. 5. 20 21 22. You have seen great Estates scattered and their Owners that got
this life 't is the love of the World that makes men warp from the Rules of their own Consciences 2 Tim. 4. 10 't is this that makes men strain hard to get loose from the ties and bonds of their own Consciences The young man was convinced but the world was too hard for his Convictions Luk. 18. 23. the degree of his Sorrow was according to the degree of his Love to the Creature 'T is not the having but the overloving of the world that ruins us 'T is a worldly Heart which makes men twist and turn shuffle and dissemble at that rate they do in time of Temptation Could you once dethrone this Idol how secure and safe would your Consciences be The Church is described Rev. 12. 1. as clothed with the Sun and the Moon under her Feet The most zealous Age of the Church was the Age of Poverty Try these few considerations upon your hearts to loose them from the inordinate love of the World. 1. What good will the World do you when you have lost your Integrity for its sake and peace is taken away from the inner man VVhat joy of the world had Iudas and what comfort had Spira If you part with your integrity for it God will blast it and it shall yield you no joy 2. Except you renounce the world you are renounced by Christ. Disclaim it or he will disclaim you Luke 14. 33. No man can be admitted into Christs Service but by fealing those Indentures with him 3. VVhat ever loss or dammage you shall sustain for Christ and Conscience sake he stands obliged to repair it to you and that with an infinite overplus Mark 10. 29. 30. 4. In a word all the Riches Pleasures Honours and Liberties in the world are not able to give you that Joy and heart-refreshing Comfort that the acquitting and chearing voice of your own Consciences can do Settle these things in your hearts as defensatives against this danger VII Direction Lastly Beg of God and labour to get more Christian Courage and Magnanimity for want of this Conscience is often overborn against its own Light and Conviction Christian magnanimity is Consciences security 'T is excellent and becoming a Christian to be able to face any thing but the frowns of God and his own Conscience All the famous Champions of Truth and VVitnesses for God that came victorious out of the Field of Temptation with safe and unwounded Consciences were men of Courage and Resolution see Dan. 3. 16. Heb. 11. 27. Acts 21. 13. and what is this Christian Courage but the fixed resolution of the Soul to Encounter all dangers all sufferings all reproaches pains and losses in the strength of assisting Grace that shall assault us in the ways of our duty and so it stands opposed in Scripture to the Spirit of Fear Heb. 11. 27. to Shame Mark 8. 38. to Apostacy Heb. 10. 39. He must neither be afraid nor ashamed nor lose one inch of ground for the sake of what dangers he meets with and that because he hath embraced Christianity upon those terms and was told of all this before Ioh. 16. 1. because there 's no retreating but to our own ruin Heb. 10. 38. because he owes all this and much more than this to Christ Phil. 1. 29. because he understands the value of his Soul above his Body and of Eternals above and beyond all temporals Matth. 10. 28 and in a word because he believes the Promises of Gods Assistance and rewards Heb 11. 25 26 27. O my Friends were our fears thus subdued and our Faith thus exalted how free and safe would Truth be in our Consciences He that owns any Truth to live upon it or accommodate a carnal Interest by it will disown that Truth when it comes to live upon him let Conscience plead and say what it will but he that hath agreed with Christ upon these Terms to be content to be miserable for ever if there be not enough in Christ to make him happy this man will be a steddy Christian and will rather lie in the worst of the Prisons than to imprison Gods known Truths in Unrighteousness The Conclusion I have now done my Message I have set before you the Lord Jesus in the glory of his Free Grace and condescending Love to Sinners Oh that I had skill and ability to have done it better I have woed and expostulated with you on Christs behalf I have laboured according to my little measure of strength to cast up and prepare the way by removing the stumbling Blocks and Discouragements out of it This hath been a time of Conviction to many of you some have not been able to hold their Convictions any longer under restraints but many I fear do so and therefore I have in the close of all handled this startling and awakening Scripture among you to shew you what an horrid evil it is to detain Gods Truths in Unrighteousness I have also in the Name and Authority of God demanded all the Lords Prisoners his suppressed and restrained Truths at your hands If you will unbind your Convictions this day cut as under the bonds of carnal fear shame c. with which you restrain them those Truths you shall so make free will make you free If not but you will still go on stifling and suppressing them in your own Bosomes remember that there are so many VVitnesses prepared to give evidence against you in the Great Day And Oh that whilst you delay this Duty the sound of this Text may never out of your ears nor suffer you to rest For the wrath â—f God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness FINIS â—act lib. 70. de divina praemio p. 578 579. Secundo Lact. de justitia l. 5. p. 382 383. Bernardi Sermo 33 in â—antic Casus Consc. lib. 3 p. 116. S. Ford. Ambitio Sac. Animalis homâ— Durham in loc 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cornu sic fit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 per syncoâ—en 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Doct. â— â— Reason 2. Reason Mr. Anth. Burgesse on 1 Cor. 3. Object Answ. Object Sol. Isa. 48. 8 9. 1. Reas. Isa. 27. 4. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Reas. 5. Reas. Mr. Lockier in Colos. 1. Consid. 2. Consid. 3. Consid. 4. Consid. 1. Motive 2. Motive 3. Motive 4. Motive Ephes. 1. 7. 5. Motive 6. Motive 1. Obj. Answ. 2. Obj. Answ. 1. Demonst. 2. Demonst. 3. 〈◊〉 4. Demonst Isa. 44. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Qualiscunque fuerit peccator Hypocrita qui diu obstitit Evangelio 7. Doct. Object Sol. â— Iâ—fer II. Infer III. Infer IV. Infer V. Infer VI. Infer Object Answ. 8. Doct. * Clamor hic est pulsatio significant cogitata a Deo injecta ad monendam peccatoris conscientiam id Deus aliquandiu facit non semper Pools Synops in loc Quest. Answ. 1. Sign 2. Sign 3. Sign 4. Sign 5. Sign 9. Doct. I. Infer Mr. Anthony Burges in his Spiritual Refining 2. Infer 4. Infer 10. Doct. Method of Grace p. 25 1. Reas. 2. Reas. 3. Reas. 4. Reas. 1. Infer 2. Infer Object Sol. 3. Infer 4. Infer 1. Plea. 2. Plea. 3. Plea. 4. Plea. 5. Plea. Quest. Answ. Dr. Iacom in Rom. 8. p. 69 84. 1. Evid 2. Evid 3 Evid 4 Evid 5 Evid 6 Evid 7 Evid 8 Evid 9 Evid 10 Evid Text. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉