Luke 10. 〈…〉 when our Saviour Christ sent out his Disciples to prepare way for himselfe he saith into what house soever ye enter say first peace be unto this house and if the sonne of peace be there your peace shall rest upon it if not it shall turne to you againe By peace is meant here all prosperity whatsoever all good temporall and eternall it was the manner of the â—â—lutation of the Hebrews to say Peace be unto you therin including all good things whatsoever now saith the Text if the house be worthy that is if the house be truely disposed if the son of peace be there that is he which hath a soule so disposed towards peace as a Son is towards his Father that is he that desires peace upon that Soule peace shall rest a blessing shall be upon that soule but if the house be not worthy that is if the heart will not receive the Gospell of Salvation if the Sonne of peace be not there if he be a rebell against God and against peace in this kind then let your peace returne to you againe there is no footing for Salvation in the soule of that man that refuseth the Gospell and the meanes of Salvation which God hath tendered and as our Saviour Christ before he comes in doth knocke at the doore that he may come in so whensoever the doore is opened Reve. 3.20 he will come in Reve. 3.20 there saith the Text Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man will heare my voice and open the doore I wil come in to him and suppe with him and he with me The doore is the heart if the doore be opened if the will be opened to prize and entertaine Christ then Christ and his Father will come into that soule and dwell with it for ever and refresh it with all spirituall comfort and in the 15. of Luke Luk. 15.17.18 the 17 and 18 verses when the Prodigall sonne was returning to his Father when hee saw that hee was in misery and how the case stood with him no body succoured nor releeved him he returned to himselfe saith the text and reasoneth thus with himselfe How many hired servants in my fathers house have bread enough and to spare but I perish with hunger as who should say Now I know what it is to be â—n a fathers family here no man considers meeâ— no man regards me or respects me and though I bee 〈◊〉 sonne yet there are many in my fathers house which are but servants which have bread enough â—ut I though a sonne have want of all things and â—m ready to famish here is the prize now that hee â—utteth upon a fathers house hee thinkes now it is good to be in a fathers house hee thinks now oh â—he provision and love of a father happy are they that have it blessed are they that doe enjoy it and when hee had set this prize upon his fathers house Then he ariseth and saith I will go to my Father and say Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy sonne make me as one of thy hyred servants Then the soule doth put a prize upon Christ and returneth to him when it seeth the excellency that is in him The father of the Prodigall sonne when he saw this that his sonne returned unto him and humbled himselfe and confessed his fault he made much of him The Prodigall had a purpose a will a desire to come to his father And assoone as his father saw him afarre off he went out to meete him and fell on his necke and kissed him and made much of him and commanded to bring forth the bestrâ—be put it on him put a ringâ— on his hand and shooes on his feete The Prodigall is a sinner and hee that is enlightned so farre forth as to see his wretchednesse and is able to set a prize upon the mercy of Christ hee that hath runne away from God the base sinfull wretch that never made any account of the word if the Lord hath awakned his hâ—â—rt so farre forth as that heâ— can set a high prize upon the word and say I wondered heretofore 〈◊〉 see men runne to sermons so fast and make such hast to the house of God when the bels rnuge woe is me I could never doe so but oh happy are they 〈◊〉 and blessed are they that did so 〈◊〉 oh one promise now is worth a world now the assurance of the forgivenesse of sinnes is worth all the world besides when the soule of a poore sinner begiâ— thus to prize Christ and resolves to go to Christ and expects mercy from him then the Lord seeth this soule a farre off and is resolved to give entertainement to it to afford comfort thereunto But you will say what is the reason of it that if a maâ— wils Christ and salvation he shall have it I answer the reasons hereof are three The first is this because the Lord requires no more at the hands of a poore sinner nay the Lord Iesus is fully contented when the soule commeth to give entertainment to him this alone will give contentment wholy to the Lord Iesus Christ It is the meaning of that speech of the Wiseman in the Prov. My sonne give me thy heart by heart in that place is not meant the substance of the soule as it was created of God this is not that which God looketh for but My sonne give me thy heart that is let the actions of thy heart bee set upon mee prize mee and choose me this is that with which the Lord is contented nay it is the maine thing with which the Lord is fully pleased In the 5. of Deut. 29. Deut. 5.29 when the people heard the voyce of Moses and were â—esolved to yeeld obedience to Gods Commandements they sayd Whatsoever the Lord hath spoken by thee that will we doe when the Lord heard that â—hey would attend and obey his word which hee â—oke by his servant Moses these are very good words saith the Lord But oh that there were such a â—eart in them to feare mee and keepe my Commandements alwayes that it might bee well with them and with their children for ever God hee tooke their outward profession and appearance in good part but oh that there were such a heart this strikes all dead this gives God full content and therefore we shall observe that when all other things are weake in us though there be many failings and many distempers in a poore soule yet when the heart is sound and sincere that is that which giveth the Lord full contentment hee goeth away fully satisfied with that In the 2. of Chron. 15.17 2 Chron. 15.17 there the text saith of Asa that hee did not take away the high places out of Israel neverthelesse the heart of Asa was perfect all his dâ—yes though he failed in many things yet his heart was perfect and upright and
he can have grace but how shall a man come to know when he wills grace I answere first when the soule of a poore Christian seeth an excellency in Christ when he holdeth the Lord Iesus at a high rate when he hath him in an high estimation answerable to the worth of him when a poore soule can put a price upon the Lord Iesus answerable to the sufficiency that is in him and agreeable to the grace and goodnesse that is in him then the soule doth partly Will the Lord Iesus and grace and Salvation by him when the soule is able to see a greater good in the Lord Iesus and have a greater esteeme of the grace which is in him when it can set a higher rate upon the goodnesse which proceedes from him than upon any thing else in the world whatsoever when he hath the Lord Iesus in higher estimation than riches or honour or preferment than of riches that may advance him or of honour that may promote him when hee esteemes Christ above any thing that the world can afford or the heart desire then he partly willeth Christ and grace the soule will never will a thing truely but when he seeth some good in the thing and hath an high estimation of it according to the goodnesse thereof Col. 3.11 Col. 3.11 there saith the text Christ is all in all when a soule can say that Christ is all in all that it desires nothing else then this is the value of him many will be content to have Christ but they doe not court him worth a great price but they that will truely will Christ must know and apprehend the excellency that is in Christ and esteeme him answerably thereunto as you may see in the third chap. of the Lament and 24. verse there saith the text The Lord is my portion therefore will I hope in him now a mans portion is his chiefest good and David also saith thy Commandements have I chosen as mine inheritance that is as the chiefest good that could befall me or be received of me So when the soule can truely apprehend that Christ is the better part when the soule can say it is not necessary to bee rich it is not necessary to be learned it is not necessary to be honourable nor to have pleasure or delight but it is necessary to have Christ it is necessary to have grace it is necessary to have sinnes pardoned when wee can say Christ is our portion and our inheritance when we can see the excellency that is in him and can set a price upon him answerable thereunto then we are sayd to will Christ in the first place The second thing whereby a man may know whether he wills Christ or no is this when the soule seeth as the Church in the Canticles that all pleasantnesse is in Christ when it seeth that he is better than friends better than riches better than health and liberty when the soule as it setteth an high price upon Christ So in the second place can choose Christ answerable to that price it sets upon him when it can choose him above all things let the world goe that takes Christ to it selfe let friends goe that takes Christ to it selfe that chooseth Christ above all things when the soule can doe this then it may be sayd to will the Lord Iesus the Phrases of Scripture are very sweete in this kind in the 37 Psalme the Prophet David there is troubled with the things here below and his soule almost staggered when he saw the wicked prosper in the world and increase in riches In vaine saith he have I washed my hands in innocency for the wicked they have what they can desire their eyes start out with fatnesse and they have more than heart can wish but all the day long I have beene plagued and chastened every morning but when hee went into the Sanctuary and knew their end how God did set them in slippery places and did cast them downe into destruction when he saw that his portion was better than theirs then hee cryes out Whom have I in heaven but thee and who is there in earth that I desire in comparison of thee as who should say take your gold give mee Christ take your pelâ—e give mee grace Whom have I in heaven but thee then the heart chooseth God when it thinketh better of God than of all other things whatsoever Who have I in heaven but thee and who is there in earth as I desire in comparison of thee and therefore in the last verse of that Psalme hee saith It is good for me to draw nigh to God as who should say let the covetous man have his money and pelfe and let the ambitious man have his honours and proferments but it is good for my soule to draw name to the Lord Heb. 11.24 and therefore it is sayd Heb. 11.24 that Moses when he was come to yeares he refusâ—d to be called the Sonne of Pharoahs daughter chousing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than 〈◊〉 enjoy the pleasures of sinne for a season as who should say Let me suffer persecution let me have neither coate to my backe nor meate to my belly let me dye in prison let me undergoe any crosse or calamity give me but Christ and I care not whatsoever becomes of me this is to will Christ Iesus when a man cares not what becomes of all other things whatsoever so he may but enjoy Christ he wils a good truely that wils a good in order as if it be the chiefest good if I will will it truely I must will it and desire it in the first place so when I can hold Christ at a high value above all things and my soule can choose him above all things then I am sayd to will Christ in the 10. of Luke and last verse there faith our Saviour Martha is troubled about many things but Mary hath chosen the better part she chose this and let all other things alone he that chooseth a wise he is not said to choose her unlesse he choose her to be in that place which best befits her he that saith hee chooseth a wife and keepesa whore he maketh not her his wife truely so it is with the soule though it see an excellency in Christ yet if it choose not Christ in ranke and order as the chiefest good and in the first place it doth not truely will Christ Iesus and this is the second thing wherein the willing of Christ is discovered namely when the soule chooseth Christ in the first place answerable to the excellency that is in him Thirdly when the soule hath prized Christ above all and chosen him above all so in the third place if the soule truely will Christ Iesus it will be carryed towards Christ to close with him never to sever from him againe for he is said to wil a thing that closeth with it and will never part from it as for example he that
this the Lord accepted Secondly as God onely requires this namely the willing and choosing and prizing of Christ so also by this worke of the soule a poore sinner comes to bee inabled to close with God it is the will that is the maine thing whereby wee are fitted to close and lay hold of God and to fasten with the Lord Iesus for it is a rule which we have iâ—â—â—turall causes that all good properly is the object oâ— the will of a man truth is the object of the understanding but the object of the will is good looke as it is with the body of a man it hath severall sences and those sences have severall operations about which they are exercised as the eye that seâ—th colours the eare heareth sounds and the tongue that relisheth the meate a man eateth now all these have severall things about which they are exercised and they are not able to reach one unto the worke of another as the eye cannot heare sounds nor the eare discerne of colours and neither of these can taste or relish any goodnesse in that which a man â—ateth but the eye that seeth and the â—are that heareth and the tongue that onely is exercised about tasting every one of these have severall operations so it is here all things are made for man the body for the soule the understanding for the will and the will for God the understanding that seeth truths and discernes the excellency that is in God but there is nothing that relisheth and tasteth the goodnesse which is in God but the will so that looke as the eye cannot heare not the care see and neither of these can relish any goodnesse in the meate a man eateth but this is proper to the tongue onely so there is nothing in a man that is able to relish and receive the goodnesse or the mercy of the Lord but the will of a man all things are made for man the body for the soule the understanding for the will and the will for God the understanding is the Councellâ—r that seeth all but the will is the Queene of the soule that taketh all that good which the understanding seeth and discerneth and which is offered and tendred unto it In the 2 of Hosea and the beginning this was the ground why the repentant Church came home to God it is in the 2 of Hos 7. there saith the text She shall follow after her lovers Hosea 2.7 but shall not overtake them and she shall seeke them but she shall not finde them then shall she say I will returne unto my first husband for it was better with me than than it is now she would returne to her first husband she would give entertainement to the Lord why what is the reason of this why saith she it was better with me than than it is now when the soule can see that it is better to performe the holy services which God requires than enjoy all the things of the world when it can say it is better to be with God than any where else then it returneth to Christ and this is the reason why a reasonable creature onely is able to receive grace and salvation reasonable creatures onely can receive it because they onely have to receive it so that we see the willingnesse of the soule is the heart whereby we lay hold upon the Lord Iesus whereby our soules are inabled to close with the graces and goodnesse of God The third reason is this because the want of this same willingnesse and heart to receive and embrace Christ and grace is that which breaketh the match betweene God and the soule it is a point of some weighty consideration there is no lacke on Gods part there is no failings on Gods side which may hinder or debarre a poore soule from receiving the Lord Iesus Christ the fault is our owne and lyeth at home for God commandeth all to believe in Christ nay he beseecheth and intreateth them that they would receive the Lord Iesus Christ and comfort and salvation by him nay it cannot be because God is just and holy but he must will that the soule should receive the Lord Iesus and beleeve in him and bee willing to give entertainement to him in this case So that it is evident that there is no backwardnesse on Gods part God doth freely will that every soule that heareth the Word of God and hath Christ offered that they should receive the Lord Iesus and benefit thereby and comfort there from to their soules but the failing is onely in our part wee have not a will to receive Christ Iesus when hee is offered and give entertainement to him and this is that which breedeth the jarre betweene God and our soules it is not want of obedience to the Commandements of God that will condemne if the soule be but contented to receive Christ and entertaine the worke of grace but this is that which breaketh the match and maketh a separation betweene the soule and God because men will not entertaine that grace nor embrace that faith which should procure the forgivenesse of their sinnes A man may be saved though hee doe not keepe the Commandements of God so perfectly as God required Adam should doe for God sayd unto Adam Doe this and live but though a man doe not so now he may live but a man cannot live unlesse hee beleeve in Christ and have a will to receive Christ Iesus The first covenant that God made with Adam was doe and live because he created him after his owne Image in righteousnesse and true holinesse and made him able to performe obedience to all his commandements but though we have never so many weaknesses never so many infirmities and sins yet if wee will but be content to receive Christ Iesus and grace from him all our weaknesses shall be strengthned our wants supplied and our sinnes pardoned but when a man commeth to this passe that hee is naught in himselfe and will not take Christ to be made better then hee must needs perish and come unto everlasting destruction and this is that which breaketh the match and breedeth the opposition betweene God and the soule Matth. 23.37 Matth. 23.37 38. there saith our Saviour O Ierusalem Ierusalem thou which killest the Prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee how often would I have gathered thy children together even as a Hen gathereth hâ—r Chickens under her wings and yee would not Behold therefore your house is left unto you desolate the fault was on their parts the Lord woed them and strived with them hee would have gathered them as a henne doth her chickings but they would not and this caused the jarre betweene the Lord and them and therefore their house was left unto them desolate So Psal 81.13 there saith the text Psal 81.13 Oh that may people Israel had hearkned unto me and had walked in my wayes I should soone have subdued their enemies and turned my hand
Lord saith that man is a naturall man Now many soule can say I am not perswaded of these things which the Gospell reveales why then the cases cleare thou sayst plainely thou canst not receive the things of God why then the Lord saith the Text saith and God of heaven saith that thou art a naturall man as thou camest into the world and that thou hast not the grace and spirit of Christ But then some may say if I be a natural man what then what hurt is it And therefore in the fourth place it is an use of terrour I presume many that have heard this will say wee are so and shall a man bee ashamed because he is a naturall man Therefore observe from the former doctrine a word of terrour to all naturall creatures under heaven I am almost afraid to speake of the misery of a naturall man my tongue trembles to discover the wretched fearefull damned miserable estate that every naturall man is in you thinke it is nothing to be in a natuturall estate but I tell you did you but know what the Lord hath revealed concerning a naturall man it were enough to breake the backe of a man a naturall man why it is enough to make thee goe sighing to thy grave though thou livest a thousand yeares if thou beest a naturall man thou hast not received Christ nay thou art not neare the things of a better life nay you are not onely still to attaine those things but you are not able to receive the things of the Lord Iesus whereby you may be quickned to entertaine those things and this is that which maketh the soules of naturall men miserable and the misery of those soules the more miserable because they are not onely unwilling to bee out of this condition but they are unwilling to be made willing to be out of it they boast that still they remaine in it for marke what naturall men say they bring a reproach upon Gods Saints and children what say they you are a man of the Spirit you are a spirituall professor one of the holy brethren are you miserable wretch dost thou professe thy selfe that thou art not so but that thou art a naturall man why then thou art a miserable man a naturall man why then a damned man a naturall man why thâ—â— an accursed man thou that professest thou hast no part and portion in the Lord Iesus take heede that one day hee doth not professe that hee hath no part in thee Rom. 8.9 If any man hath 〈◊〉 the Spirit of Christ Rom. 8.9 he is none of his thou that dost make a matter of mocking at those that doe walke uprightly before God and that have the Spirit of God in them thou that proclamest to the world that thou hast not the Spirit of God the Lord proclaimes it as openly to thee that the Lord Iesus will not owne thee hee will have nothing to doe with thee and then what shall become of thee 〈◊〉 the devill must take thee at the last day when all flesh shall appeare before the judgement seate of God and the booke shall be opened and the actions of men made manifest to Saints and Angells Oh one drop of mercy then one dram of comfort then will bee worth a world Oh then you will wish Oh that Christ would save us no no you that were naturall men Christ will not owne you now you had none at all of the Spirit you have opposed the good Spirit of God and flouted it these are your spirituall men these are your holy ones thus you have mocked and blasphemed you have sayd the Spirit of Christ is not mine and therefore Christ saith hee is none of thine thy estate therefore here is miserable but thrice wretched and miserable will it be hereafter men may imagine great matters and boast of themselves of their riches and their wisedome and their honour and preferment in the world but if they be naturall there is small good at all in them they may have lands and preferments and honours but they have small good in them and therefore miserable needs must their estate bee here but farre worse hereafter Doe not thinke ye may climbe up to heaven by your owne imaginations good Lord how can a man that is in a naturall condition sleepe quietly with what contentment can hee walke when a man goeth into his fields to recreate and delight himselfe and then considers the meanes that God hath offred him whereby hee might attaine unto grace and salvation when the soule thinks with it selfe I may goe into my ground to be eased and refreshed but alas I am but a naturall man what therefore shall become of this poore soule of mine he considers with himselfe I am but in a naturall condition and therefore in a miserable damned condition and then when hee returnes home still this strikes in his minde I aâ—â— but naturall flesh and blood and therefore never shall receive any spirituall comfort but when these things shall neither helpe me nor I be helpefull unto them Oh what then shall become of me I have had no part in Christ here and therefore I can never looke that hee will owne me hereafter it is a great evill for a man to have no good but this is the misery of a man that hee cannot procure any good and this is the misery of all miseries that he cannot desire to be out of this misery and yet this is the condition of every naturall man you therefore that are naturall goe into comers and mourne for your selves and those that belong unto you and for those to whom you have relation you husbands that have wives which be naturall and you wives who have naturall husbands goe and mourne for them and for you selves and sigh to heaven for mercy and pray to God that hee would be mercifull unto them and forgive them their sinnes and bring them out of their naturall estate and make them able to entertaine Christ and grace and salvation Parents mourne for your children that are naturall when thou lookest upon thy child whom thou dearely lovest and whom perhaps hath good naturall parts and is obedient unto thee in outward respects when thou beholdest this child of thine and considerest that hee is in a naturall estate then this may peirce thee to the very heart then thou mayst burst out and say woe is me that this child of mine was ever borne for he is in a naturall condition and therefore in a miserable condition hee is a naturall child and herefore a child of the divell truly he is my sonne and for ought I know if God have not mercy upon him the child of the divell also a naturall child is a damned child a naturall man is an accursed man consider this doth not the Word say this doth not the Lord say this that a naturall man cannot receive the things of God and therefore deale with your owne soules and with the soules of
be wrought in your hearts and that you may be converted And therefore I will advise you of three things which are in the power of natural men to performe as directions to the use of the former meanes appointed by God for the working of grace First I would have every naturall man throughly convinced of the misery hee is in and informed of his owne insufficiencie Ier. 10.23 there saith the Text O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himselfe it is not in man that walketh to 〈◊〉 his owne steppes and the Apostle Paul 〈◊〉 taketh it to himselfe I know saith hee that 〈…〉 selfe there dwelleth no good thing this is a 〈◊〉 matter that wee presume of our selves we 〈◊〉 we can stand of our selves though we never use the meanes to have our weakenesse strengthned 〈◊〉 this is the reason that wee never seeke to God 〈◊〉 the use of the meanes take therefore 〈◊〉 course of the Apostle and say in me dwelleth 〈◊〉 good thing suffer your selves to be throughly â—â—formed and convinced of your owne miserie 〈◊〉 weakenesse and confesse this truth I confesse I am a naturall and carnall man and therefore a my flesh there is no good at all Secondly 〈◊〉 you have thus done and when your hearts are â—â—â—swaded of your owne misery and you coâ—â—â—â— there is no good in you when you can say 〈◊〉 what a stout heart have I what a many graâ—â—â—â— promises and godly councells have I had and 〈◊〉 never would receive or give way to any of theâ— and therefore there is no good in mee and 〈◊〉 thirdly when you have done this then convâ—â—â— your owne hearts that there is an All-sufficiencie in the promise that the Spirit is able to doe good unto your soules Ezech. 11.18 Ezech. 11.18 there saith the Text I will give them one heart and put a new 〈◊〉 within them I will take away their stony heart 〈◊〉 give them a heart of flesh so that however it is 〈◊〉 that we have no sufficiencie in our selves yet 〈◊〉 Lord Iesus hath enough the spirit is able to the that for us which wee are not able to doe for 〈◊〉 selves and therefore in the third place 〈◊〉 thou art throughly informed of these two things then come unto Gods ordinances and looke up unto God and waite upon him in the use of this meanes it is a fine passage of David Lord saith he teach me the way of the Spirit as if hee had sayd Lord I have a naughtie spirit I have a naughtie heart but Lord thou hast a good Spirit lead 〈◊〉 by that good Spirit of thine in the wayes of uprightnesse Thus doe you waite upon God in 〈◊〉 ordinances and say Lord thou hast promised thaâ— thou wilt put a new soule into thy people and create a new heart in them and throw their sinnes 〈◊〉 the bottome of the sea and that thou with 〈◊〉 them to walke in thy wayes Thou hast promised to give thy Spirit to them that seeke it Lord 〈◊〉 good this thy promise unto mee take away 〈◊〉 wretched sinfull heart of mine and 〈◊〉 a new heart in me and direct me by thy Spirit to 〈◊〉 in the wayes of thy Commandements It is 〈◊〉 Lord a Leaper cannot take away his spoâ—â— a Blackamoore cannot change his hew but 〈◊〉 thou canst make a Blackamoore white 〈…〉 canst cleanse the Leaper though I be a dead 〈◊〉 thou canst put life into me though 〈…〉 thing yet thou canst doe all things I 〈…〉 more but thou canst make me of a 〈…〉 am a Leaper but thou canst take away my 〈◊〉 I am naturall and carnall in me there 〈◊〉 thing but Lord thou eanst make me 〈…〉 rituall things good Lord grant that thy 〈◊〉 Spirit may teach me to know the things 〈◊〉 to my everlasting peace this doe above all take heede that you doe not deferre the time Oh deferre not the wayting upon God in the use of the meanes Why because you have no power in your selves to helpe your selves it is not in you power to receive Christ and entertaine salvation and therefore begin speedily to attend upon 〈◊〉 ordinances that at length the Lord may put a 〈◊〉 spirit into you and worke upon you to your ever lasting peace and comfort I exhort you 〈◊〉 all things not to deferre the time and say wee 〈◊〉 gather the flower while it is greene while 〈◊〉 youth continues we will follow our pleasures 〈◊〉 take up out sports and when wee come to be 〈◊〉 then we will turne over a new leafe and on our death beds then wee will repent alas alas 〈◊〉 wilt thou thinke to doe it in thine old age whâ— thou couldst never doe it in thy youth and therefore doe not thus delude thy owne soule thoâ— thinkest when thou lyest on thy death bed if 〈◊〉 doest but send for a Minister then hee will 〈◊〉 salvation to thee presently but I tell thee thoâ—gâ— all the Ministers under heaven should preach mercy unto thee though all the Angels in heaven should exhort and intreat thee to entertaine salvation though thou shouldest have all glory and all happinesse layd downe as it were upon a table before thee if the Lord should say here is all glory and happinesse doe but beleeve and take it and it shall be thine thou shalt be made partaker of if for ever yet consider in thy naturall condition thou hast no power to receive happinesse and glory thus offered if God should open heaven gates and bid thee goe into heaven yet thou hast no power if thou beest a naturall man to receive mercy and salvation upon those tearmes which God hath offered them thou couldst not enter into heaven though God should open the gate wide and intreate thee to enter in what a thing is this then when neither Minister can perswade thee nor Angels exhort thee nor Christ himselfe intreat thee to take mercy yet thou shouldst thinke in thy old age or upon thy deathbed to have mercy and salvation at command why deferre not therefore this worke untill the last but make speede beginne betime and hold on constantly to the end that at last God may take away your corruptionâ— and give you his spirit and raise you out of the graver of your sinnes doe this because you see it is needfull to be done it is not in your power to doe good unto your soules or receive good and therefore 〈◊〉 â—â—ginne betimes and wait upon God in the meanes that so you may have grace and salvation thereby EZECH 11.19 I will take away their stony heart and give them a heart of flesh ACoording to our Order intended and Course propounded wee have laid downe five generall circumstances have chosen severall texts answerably whereout we might observe the same foure of those five we have already handled and now we are come to the last Circumstance which is this Howsoever a naturall man cannot receive the Lord Iesus yet the Lord will make all his that belong to
the election of Grace willing to receive him and then he will bestow Christ Iesus upon them and grace and salvation by him and for this purpose I have chosen this text and as our course is I will not meddle with every Doctrine in the text which are sixe in number but chuse that onely which fits best for our purpose But before I can come to lay downe the point of Doctrine two passages must be opened first what is meant by heart secondly what is meant by a stony heart and what by a fleshy heart and these two being opened the Doctrine will be plaine and lie faire first for the first a heart in Scripture besides that which it signifieth naturally is applied to the will of a man or to that ability which is in a reasonable soule whereby he willeth or rejecteth a thing this is put for a heart in Scripture together with love delight joy hatred and griefe which are attendants upon this will as a man will have such a thing why because beloves it and delightes in it and hee againe refuseth such a thing and will not have it why because hee hates it and because it is displeasing unto him and this is the meaning of that place Mat. Mat. 15.19 15.19 Out of the heart proceede evill thoughts murthers adulteries fornications thefts false witnesse blasphemie Secondly the Will is put in phrase of Scripture not onely for ability of the soule whereby it wills but for the same spirituall disposition that is in the will affections of a man in this kind the temper and frameablenesse of the Will to any action is termed by the name of heart in Scripture for there is somewhat in the Will whereby it is carried to any worke looke as it is with a Bowle it runneth because it is a round thing but that it runneth at such and such a marke is because it hath a Bias upon it whereby it is swayed and carried to that marke so it is with the heart of a man there is not onely an abilitie therein whereby a man is inabled to will but there is a frame and a disposition in the Will either to good or evill either to grace or sinne and as the will of a man is biassed and swayed so a man is said to will good or evill not in regard of the naturall faculty of the Will but in regard of the disposition of that facultie which doth carrie the faculty to the performance of any worke now a righteous man out of the disposition of his heart is carried to yeeld obedience unto Gods commandements and a wicked man out of the frame and temper of his heart is carried after lusts and distempers and sinnefull abominations and this is the meaning of that place Deut. 29.4 Deut. 29.4 The Lord hath not given you a heart to perceive to this day why they had a heart for they were naturall men they had the naturall faculty of the Will and the understanding and affections but the meaning is they had not the gracious disposition in their wils whereby they might be carried and inabled to will that which was pleasing to God and might be comfortable unto themselves it is a pretie phrase Match 12.35 Mat. 12.35 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things and an evill man out of the evill treasure of his heart bringeth footh evill things there is a heart in both and there is a treasure in both also but there is a good treasure in the heart of a godly man and out of this comes good things so out of the treasure of a wicked mans heart comes evill things there is a treasure of love and holinesse and goodnesse in the heart of a gracious man whereby hee is carried to walke holily and unblameably before God and man good words and good actions come from the good treasure that is from a good disposition of the soule againe a wicked man hath a heart and he hath a treasure also he hath a treasure of pride and a treasure of covetousnesse and a treasure of all manner of corruptions and these carry him to wicked speeches and leud actions hee talkes loosely lives basely so that there is a disposition good or bad in the soule of a man and this is termed a will or a heart in Scripture now in both these senses wee understand not a heart here in the Text but in the latter onely God will give them a heart that is God will give them wills and hearts disposed to that which is good The second passage to be opened is this namely what is meant by a stony what by a fleshie heart First what is meant by a stony heart a heart is said to be stonie by way of resemblance because it is of the nature of a stone looke what the nature of a stone is such is the nature of a heart compared thereunto a stony heart that is an unsensible and an uncapable heart a stone that is insensible it receiveth no impression set a seale upon a stone and presse it downe never so hard you may break the stone in peeces but it will receive no impression it wil take no print but now set a seale upon waxe and that will receive any impression that a man stampes upon it so it is with a stony stout sturdy heart though God knocke it in peeces it will not be humbled it will receive no impression but resists and beates backe the meanes of grace and salvation offered and revealed unto it if the Lord set a stampe of humilâ—ation upon it that will not be humbled it will receive no stampe but makes it flie backe and bound upward so that a stony heart is a hard sturdie heart capeable of no impression Secondly what is meant by a heart of flesh and that is quite contrary to a stony heart it is like unto flesh soft tender easie and pliable willing to take any impression that comes upon it so that now a fleshie heart is nothing else but a heart lovingly teachable and humbly tractable to the Lord willing to entertaine any impression that it shall please the Lord to stampe upon it if God commands any thing that obeyeth it God threatens that trembles it is said of Iâ—siah that he had a melting heart looke as it is with waxe if you set a seale upon it just as the print of the seale is so is the print in the waxe which it leaves behinde it so it is with a fleshie lowly pâ—â—pâ—â—able heart it receives any stampe that God puts upon it when the Lord faith feare that trembles when the Lord saith love that entertaines it when the Lord commands any thing that yee les obedience to his coÌ„mands this is an humble and a pliable spirit and this is the substance of the Text and the intendment of the Prophet therein is thus much In the beginning of the Chapter about the seventh Verse the Lord threatned
the one and give the other First if we consider the nature of the stony heart and the distempers thereof it will appeare that it must bee the worke of the Lord onely to take it away and not to follow any other similituds then the Text affords I will shew the similitude and resemblance that is betweene the sturdy stout heart of a sinner and a stone by which it shall bee made manifest that none but the Almighty power of God is able to remoove it Now in a stone observe three particulars which discover the nature of it first the ground of all the hardnesse which is in the stone is from hence there is a close fastning combining and knitting of the parts together which is the ground of the hardnesse that is therein as for example take a path if it be continually plowed up it will bee soft and loose but if many walke upon it if it be continually trod upon then it will be hard what is the reason of this namely this hardnesse proceeds from the close fastning and setling of the earth together this it is which makes the way hard but if it were daily plowed and the earth continually loosened it would then 〈…〉 soft but when there is a naturall fastning and compiling of the earth together it cannot but bâ—e hard Secondly from this fastning of the parts of a stone together as there comes hardnesse so also from this hardnesse ariseth a great strength in the stone and that is the reason that the hardest things are marvelous strong a child before his joynts be setled is but weake he is not come to his strength but a man when his parts are setled and his joynts throughly knit together then wee use to say bee is come to his full strength and so it is in mettals those mettals that are closest knit together and most nearely concocted they are sayd to bee strongest mettalls as Gold is sayd to be a stronger mettall then Silver and Silver is sayd to bee a stronger mettall then Lead because the parts thereof are more nearely setled and more closely concocted So it is the nature of stones those stones whose parts are most combined together as Flints they are sayd to be the hardest stones and those whose parts are not so closely knit they are sayd to be more soft and of lesse strength Thirdly from the hardnesse and strength of a stone there comes a resistance against any thing from without it because the parts of a stone are knit together therefore it is hard and from the hardnesse thereof proceedes strength and being hard and strong in the third place it resists and beaâ—s backe any thing that falls upon it as if you knocke against a stone with a hammer it resists it and makes it â—lie backe by reason of the strength and hardnesse of it Even so it is with the soule of every poore sinner of 〈◊〉 sinfull creature under heaven it hath an inward secret kind of union betweene sinne and its selfe betweene corruption and its owne nature The heart of a poore sinfull soule hath a neere combination with sinne there is a fast closure betweene sinne and the soule and therefore sinne in the Scripture is tearmed by the name of the old man as who should say The sinne and corruption that is in a poore sinner is as it were another nature in him in so much that the union and combination that is betweene sinne and the soule is farre stronger then any other bond of nature and this is the reason of that phrase Luke 21.16 there saith the Text Luke 21.16 Yee shall be betrayed also of your parents and of your brethren and kinsmen and some of you shall be put to death and yee shall be hated of men all for my names sake this is the reason because the union that is betweene sinne and the soule of a wicked man exceeds all other bonds of nature as for example if a naughtie wicked father have a godly religious child the father will neglect those duties to his child which even nature it selfe 〈…〉 him to performe and if a wicked lewd for the 〈◊〉 a good father he will not discharge those 〈◊〉 unto him which nature binds him unto but the â—ather he hates the sonne and the sonne he hates 〈◊〉 father the mother hates the daughter 〈…〉 daughter hates the mother and they breake 〈◊〉 bonds both of nature and religion the 〈◊〉 father will doe any thing against his sonne before the bond that is betweene sinne 〈…〉 soule shall be broken before this union 〈…〉 broken he will not abide the presence of his sinne nay that which is most unreasonable to consider a wicked lewd ungracious man will lose his life he will spend his owne heart blood before hee will leave one sinfull beloved lust or corruption and the reason of this is because there is a nearer 〈◊〉 on and a closer combination betweene sinne and the soule then betweene all relation that nature can put upon a man insomuch that a man will rather have his sinnes and his lusts then his owne child nay such is the union betweene sinne and the soule that it becomes 〈◊〉 God unto the soule looke as it is with a stone the parts thereof being closely fastned and nearely setled together it becomes marveilous strong and hard so when God hath forsaken the soule and it closeth with his corruptions this union that is betweene the soule and its corruptions is marveilous strong and firme nay so strong and firme that there is no meanes under heaven no creature in the world that is able to breake this union and dissolve this combination that is betweene sinne and the soule unlesse the Lord by his Almighty power come and breake this concord and conspiracy that is betweene sinne and the soule against himselfe and the glory of his name and for the truth hereof observe this all outward meanes are too scant too narrow too short to breake the union betweene the soule and sinne as it is with the body of a man if there were a great and an old distemper in a mans stomacke if a man should put a rich doublet upon him and lay him in a Featherbed and use all other outward meanes this would doe him no good because the disease is within and is become as it were another nature in him it is an old distemper that hath eaten into his very bowels and therefore all outward meanes cannot make a separation betweene the disease and the body because the disease being inward they cannot come neare it Iust so it is with the soule of a man a mans heart will have his sinne there is an inward combination betweene the soule and sinne now all meanes as the Word and the like is outward and can doe no good in this kind they cannot break the union betweene a mans heart and his corruptions unlesse God give a blessing to these meanes unlesse the Lord by his Almighty power and
infinite wisedome make a separation betweene sinne and the soule and dissolve this union The soule saith I will have my sinne and I will have my life and I will have my God though I die for it there is a strong league 〈◊〉 betweene the heart of a sinner and his lusts 〈◊〉 therefore all outward meanes cannot possibly breake this league looke as it is wiâ—h a strong stomack if you give it any ordinary meate the strength of the stomake is above the meate and turnes the meate into the nature of it selfe â—o it is with a corrupt heart that hath made a league 〈◊〉 his lusts all outward meanes and of 〈…〉 God a corrupt heart converts them and 〈◊〉 them aside to his everlasting destruction the instrumentall cause is alwayes under the 〈◊〉 the soule of a man is a soveraigne commander this way all outward meanes are but instrumentall mâ—ses and the heart of a man is above them and therefore they may as well â—arden a man as soften his heart and humble his soule a man can receive no good thereby unlesse it please God to overpower this distemper that is in a man and break the neare union and firme league that is betweene sinne and the soule Secondly as there is a neare union betweene sinne and the soule so in the second place as from the knitting of the parts of a stone together there comes a strength to resist the blow so there is a marvelous power a soveraigne command that sinne setteth up and Sathan possesseth in the soule nay so strong a power it is for therein lyeth the strength of the argument that nothing can over-power it and overcome it but the Almighty come it power of the Lord for this is the meaning of that place â— Cor. 15.56 of Saint Paul 1 Corinth 15.56 The sting of a eath is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law so that a man may see so strong as the Law is so strong is sinne and therefore the strength there of must needs be great I open that place of the Apostle thus The sting of death is sinne and the strength of sinne is the Law looke as it is with a King when a male factour is apprehended and convicted of high treason the king giveth up the malefactour into the hand of the jaylour and giveth him authoritie to keepe him in what prison or dungeon 〈◊〉 will and tyrannize over him as he list the jaylour now hath not power of himselfe onely but is armed also with authority from the King he hath a commission from the King that hee may dispose of the Traytour as hee pleaseth hee may keepe him in what prison hee will and tyrannize over him as he pleaseth and as hee seeth good and the reason is because hee hath authority from the King to backe him and he hath as much authority as the King because the King doth this by him so it is with the blessed will of God every poore soule rebells against him and breakes his Lawes and therefore the Lord taketh notice of it and treason is brought against him and hee is condemned for it and then he delivers him up into the power of sinne and into the hands of the devill as who should say Take him sinne and take him Sathan and hale him into damnation and tyrannize over him according to your owne minds thus God giveth them authority over him mee thinkes I heare the Lord say thus Let all occasions domineere over him let all corruptions take place in him hee hath opposed my Lawes I will never helpe him more hee hath transgressed my Commandements my Spirit shall never assist him more take him sinne take him Sathan and dispose of him according to your owne pleasure so that now sinne and Sathan have not onely their owne power over this soule but they have power from God and they are backed with authority from the Law in this kind Sathan may say This soule must 〈◊〉 damned I have Law for it by the vertue of the Law I prevaile against him and domineere over him God hath given mee authoritie to tyrannize over him thus the strength of sinne in the Law Now he that must come and rescue this soule and deliver it from the power of sinne and Sathan must be able to equalize and answer the strength of the Law and this none can doe the Law of God none can beare the strength of it but he that is perfect God none but the Lord Iesus Christ none can deliver the soule and rescue it from the power of sinne and Sathan but hee this is the reason of that unconceiveable and admirable power that a mans corruptions have over him a man would wonder to see that a base lust or corruption should so domineere and tyrannize over a man and make a man such a slave thereunto the reason is because the strength of sinne is the Law God in his just judgement hath given over a sinner into the hand of sinne and Sathan now the Lord Iesus onely commeth and taketh away this power and over commeth this strength for the rescuing of a poore soule this way and hereby wee may conceive that the wisedome and power of Gods mercy goeth beyond the power and wisedome of Gods justice as I may so say for what saith the Law and what doth the justice of God require the Law saith Doe and live justice faith if Adam dee obey the Commandements of God hee shall be saved if Adam sinne he shall be damned But then the wisedome and power of Gods mercy comes and saith a man shall not die though he doth not keepe all Gods Commandements but how is this done namely this way Christ which is perfect God and man commeth and suffereth for man hee comes and doth that which man should have done and therefore though man doe it not yet he shall not be condemned so that our Saviour by his death did satisfie for us and gave full contentment to the Law of God so that now the justice of God hath nothing to say to a poore soule and Christ by his resurrection he did overcome the power 〈…〉 and Satan so that now marke what followes if any thing hindereth the soule from being saved it is because either Gods justice is not satisfied or else because the power of sinne and Satan is not abated but Christ by his death did satisfie the Law of God and by his resurrection did overcome sinne and Satan and therefore these cannot hinder it from salvation and this is the ground how it commeth â—o passe that the Lord onely and no 〈…〉 can deliver a soule from the strength of 〈…〉 power of Satan which have the strength of the Law to backe them Thirdly as in a stone there is a close setting 〈◊〉 a neare knitting of the parts thereof together 〈◊〉 whence comes the hardnesse thereof and secondly as from this hardnesse there proceedes strength and as in the third place from this strength ariseth a resistance against
why though you be not able yet here is the comfort of a poore foule the worke is the Lords and he whose worke it is is able to bring it to passe what though thou beest weake yet God is strong and therefore quiet thy soule and content thy heart a man may say I have a hard heart from within and it will receive no good from without the Word prevailes not the Sacraments have no power over me why all the meanes and cost and charges that God hath bestowed upon me is lost and my heart is not yet humbled my corruptions are not yet weakened be yet comforted though meanes cannot doe it which God useth at his pleasure though these cannot doe it yet the Lord can doe it there is nothing hard or difficult to him that hath hardnesse it selfe at command hee is a God which hath all things at command hee can command the devill himselfe and therefore hee hath the hardnesse of thy heart at command also there is nothing hard to him that hath hardnesse at his command nay though all things be impossible to man yet nothing is impossible with God God can doe what man not meanes cannot the Lord hee sheweth mercy upon us why because wee will no because he wills and though we cannot cast away our sinnes yet the Lord will remove them Oh then saith the soule this is somewhat comfortable that the Lords mercie depends not upon my will but upon Gods will And I would tell you somewhat by experience in this kinde for I knew one that was over whelmed with dispaire a whole yeare together because hee thought hee had committed the sinne against the holy Ghost and yet at last was comforted by this meanes he refolved with himselfe if my conversion were in my will onely then I should be damned but it is not because I will but because God will doe good to my poore soule aye but the soule will say I confesse it is not in my will but it is in Gods will that hee sheweth mercy and this is some comfort yet but oh my corruptions are old sinnes of a long time can those be pardoned they are become as another nature in me can those therefore be removed yes the Lord is able to remove those also for saith the Prophet the Lord hath laid salvation upon the mightie so that though thy corruptions be mightie and powerfull yet there is a mighty God that is able to undoe that cursed combination that is betweene thy soule and thy corruptions and therefore quiet thy selfe in the consideration hereof and say I must confesse that I have many corruptions but the mighty Lord of hosts hath promised that hee will take away my stony heart and give me a heart of flesh and hee is able to doe it also be herein quieted and supported and looke up to heaven for comfort In the third place it is a word of exhortation to all those that are in the bond of iniquitie and under the power of Satan to those which carry a stony heart about them it is a word of exhortation to these see your owne wants and be exhorted in the name of the Lord Iesus to have recourse to this great God and intreate him to take away your stony heart from you looke as it is with men if there be a Physition of excellent skill that cures all diseases that are brought unto him why then all men will repaire to him why so it is here God alone is able to doe this cure for us and herefore he should have our custome if a man should set up a bill upon the market post that he would cure all that come to him which were troubled with the stone in the reines or any other grievous disease and if wee should meete with many comming from him that were healed by him why then wee would be ready to say such a one went and hee was healed such a one went and hee was cured and this will stirre up all to repaire unto him and every one would bring those that appertaine unto them and were troubled with this disease unto him that they might be cured by him the Lord hath set up a bill this day that he will cure all those that come unto him of their stony heart and all the Sonnes of God have found proofe hereof to the comfort of their owne soules the Lord is hee that will doe this hee will take away your stony heart you wives therefore that have husbands which have stony hearts and you parents that have children that are troubled with stony hearts goe home with comfort and tell them that you have heard this day of a Phisitian that will undertake to cure them of this disease and exhort them therefore to repaire unto him Our Saviour Christ when hee had healed many of their diseases the Text saith in the third of Matthew That all came unto him and brought their sicke that hee might heale them In the bowells of the Lord Iesus be intreated you that have stony hearts to goe unto the Lord that so you may be cured you were better have a milstone about your neckes then have this stony heart we have all of us this stony heart more or lesse as it is with a man that hath beene cured of a disease perhaps the disease is much mitigated but there will still be much weakenes and some reliques of the disease remaining in him a long time after So the Sonnes of God have the strength of this stony heart somewhat lessened and abated in them but they are not altogether freed from it but those that were never cured of this disease those that never had this stony heart in any measure removed they were better have a milstone about their neckes for it will sinke them into the bottomlesse pit of hell and destruction if death take them away while they carrie this stony heart about them they will be surely damned therefore 〈◊〉 them as they love their owne soules be 〈…〉 and perswaded to come to this Physitian God 〈◊〉 I will take away your stony hearts and I will 〈◊〉 you hearts of flesh come therefore and 〈…〉 selves to the hammer of God that your stony hearts may be taken away when you 〈◊〉 this Ministers teach then say Lord I beseech 〈◊〉 teach thou mee in the meane time when the Minister perswades then say Lord doe thou over rule and perswade this sinnefull heart of mine take thou away this power of corruptions which is in my heart and remove thou the rebellions of my heart goe home and be exhorted to goe to this Physition and importune the Lord in this case put him in minde of all those many savours which he hath vouchsafed to you put the Lord in remembrance of that which he hath desired in his Word Oh that people had such hearts as would feare me and keepe my Commandements alwayes say unto the Lord that it is as easie for him to create such hearts in you as to
last day that ever I shal speak the last day that you shall ever heare If I were now breathing out my last breath I would breath our this legacie to all Christians which I leave behinde me This is the accepted time this is the day of salvation He that hath an eare to heare let him now heare he that never had a heart let him now have a heart to embrace these things whilst grace and salvation is offered unto him let him entertaine this offer It doth mee good to consider if the soule of a man would but receive mercy and grace now while it is offered him this day what comfort he may have for ever both here and hereafter he might then say this day I received comfort I was never humbled before but this day I was humbled I could never before receive any mercy but this day I received it this was a good day to me Oh if men would but be exhorted to take the opportunity while it lasts and entertaine the meanes of grace and salvation while they are offered Oh what comfort might men gaine hereby then at the last day they should receive an everlasting crowne of glory they should then receive the fruits of their labours even the salvation of their soules Let us all therefore as wee love our owne soules be exhorted to entertaine the things of grace here that wee may obtaine the things of glory hereafter MATTH 20.3 4 5 6. And he went out about the third houre and saw others standing idle in the market place and said unto them Go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right I will give you and they went their way Again he went out about the sixt houre ninth houre and did likewise and about the eleventh houre hee went out and saw others standing idle and saith unto them Why stand you here all the day idle They said unto him because no man hath hired us he saith unto them Go ye also into the vineyard and whatsoever is right that shall ye receive WEe have heard heretofore that all men being dead in sinnes and trespasses are so farre from working out their owne salvation from themselves as that they are not able to receive grace and mercy offered unto them from the Lord for the comforting of their hearts here and obtaining of happinesse hereafter and therefore the last generall circumstance of preparation we did handle was this That howsoever a naturall man is not able to understand the things of the Lord yet the Lord will make all those which belong unto him able to receive the Lord Iesus and then he will bestow the Lord Iesus and grace and salvation upon them Now concerning this point there are two circumstances of speciall consideration The first is the circumstance of time in regard of the meanes and that wee have already handled out of Luke 19.42 and the point then delivered was this When God continues life and the meanes of salvation to a people then this is the time when God meanes to bestow mercy and salvation upon them The second circumstance concerning the time of this worke is in respect of the men upon whom God will worke and some he workes upon in their tender age some in their riper yeares and some in their old age at all times God doth call some and this is the circumstance we will now grapple withall and for this purpose I have chosen this part of the Parable and in the Parable as in all other Parables besides the outside and letter of the Parable we must understand the sence and meaning thereof When therefore we heare in the parable of a vineyard and of the master of the vineyard and of the servants that were hired to worke in this vineyard and of the severall houres wherein they are hired these are onely the outsides of the Parable the meaning thereof is this by vineyard is meant the Church of God and by the Master of the vineyard is meant the Lord Iesus the hiring of the servants into the vineyard is nothing else but the powerfull calling of poore sinners by the worke of the Ministery to the knowledge of the truth here and happinesse hereafter and in that he calls some at one houre and some at another the meaning is that God calls some at one time some at another some in their tender yeares some in their middle age and some in their old age some older some younger but that wee may understand the sence of the Spirit in these words The third houre the sixth houre ninth houre and the eleventh houre We must understand that the Iewes and the Romanes used to divide their dayes which consisted of twelve houres into foure parts from sixe to nine was one parcell of the day from nine to twelve was the second from twelve to three was the third part and from three in the afternoone till sixe at night was the last parcell of the day Now therefore the third houre was nine of the clocke the sixt houre was twelve of the clocke the ninth houre was three of the clocke in the afternoone and the eleventh houre was five of the clocke an houre before night Now the Lord doth provide some soules for himselfe at nine a clocke in the morning some at three in the afternoone and some at the last cast at five of the clocke when the Sunne beginns to set in their old decrepit age the Lord meant to convert some unto himselfe Some understand this parable of the calling of Ministers good and bad and in that it is said here They were hired every one for a penny they understand by this that some will be Ministers for this living some for that some for preferment some also come into the Ministery for the salvation of soules but this cannot be the meaning of the Text here and the reason is this This Parable must be understood of those men of whom the last clause in the 19. Chapter is understood in the 30. Verse of the 19. Chapter the Text saith Many that are first shall be last and the last shall be first Now this Parable is set downe here in the beginning of this Chapter and brought in by the Spirit of God meerely for the manifestation of the Scripture going before therefore it is cleare that this Parable is to be understood concerning those persons spoken of before in the former Chapter Of those also this Parable must be understood to whom it is applied afterward in the 16 Verse of this Chapter it is said also The last shall be first and the first shall be last So that the case is cleare this Parable being brought in by the Spirit for the illustration discovery of the former truth therefore who ever they be that were there understood and whoever they be to whō this Parable is afterward applied of the same the Parable here must be understood but it is cleare that that Verse must be understood of those that are gracious for the
Gods mercy that he deales thus with the soules of poore sinners it is the reason of that passage in the 15. verse of this Chapter there the Master of the vineyard called the labourers together and they received every man a penny now they that came first and had borne the heate of the day when they saw that they which came last had as much as they they murmured against the master of the vineyard saying These last have wrought but one houre and thou hast made them equall unto us which have borne the heate of the day but then the master answered saying Friend I doe thee no wrong is it not lawfull for me to doe what I will with mine owne as if he had sayd I called thee at the third houre and him at the sixth houre and this man at the eleventh houre it was out of my mercy that I called thee and out of my mercy that I called him is it not lawfull to doe what I will with mine owne mercy is mine and love is mine and reward is mine it is my mercy that I will call any at any time and therefore I may dispose of it as I please Secondly as the Lord doth expresse hereby the freenesse of his grace so the Lord also hereby doth mervelously magnifie his great power and All-sufficiency in saving the soules of poore people that is able to doe what hee will in heaven and in earth and so likewise in the hearts of his servants there are many little ones that are fooles and have no knowledge and yet the Lord is able to convert them and make them understand the mysteries of salvation there are many strong men that snuffle up the wind like the Asse in the Wildernesse they will not stoope they will not be humbled but they will doe what they list and yet the Lord is able to over power this sturdy heart of a young and strong man and he is able to support the weake nature of a young one And so men that are weatherbeaten in their sinnes and screwed into their corruptions God is able to overpower these and convert these also and bring them home unto himselfe if hee be a weake silly child yet God is able to inlighten him if hee have a sturdy heart yet God can bring him downe and if he be a weatherbeaten and an old sinner yet God is able to call him and convert him also and hereby the wonderfull power of the Lord is seene in that hee is able to worke how hee will when hee will and upon whom he will in this kind looke as it is with a Physitian when a man hath a disease which lies low in his body and breedes rottennesse in his bones insomuch that it is almost past cure then the Physitian that can recover this man sheweth admirable skill and he sheweth admirable power in regard that he is able to provide such meanes and apply such meanes as thereby the party may bee cured by this meanes the skill of the Physitian and the power of him is magnified so it is with this great God when all sorts of sinners are called and all corruptions subdued your little ones that know nothing yet God inlightens them and supports them Timothy did sucke the sincere milke of the Gospel on one side as he did sucke the milke of his mothers brests on the other side and then there is a stubborne heart on another side which breakes all bonds and snappes all cords apeeces hâ—e cares for nothing he will be ruled by no man and then there is your old forlorne sinner his sinnes are become a rottennesse in his bones old incanlâ—â—ed pride and incancred covetousnesse and malice God now to conquer all these and helpe these doth not this shew admirable power in the Lord 〈◊〉 to worke and thus to order things for the good of his people so that wee see that God doth and can call in all ages We come now to the next passage and that is this however the Lord doth at severall times convert severall of his servants and there is no time alotted to him yet most and most usually God doth call them before their old age and that some interpreters wittily observe out of the Text it is sayd that the master of the Vineyard went out at the third sixt and ninth houre and saw some standing idle and he sent them into his Vineyard he went then on purpose to see and hire and send in Labourers to work in his Vineyard but the Text saith he went out at the eleventh houre not to hire any for he did not expect to see any then idle but hee went out upon some other occasion and seeing some then standing idle hee wondred at it and sayd Why stand yee all the day idle as if he should say no man will hire you now it is but one houre to night it is time for men to leave working and not to beginne to worke he went out occasionally and meeting with these unexpected hee wondered at these and therefore they observe that if there had not beene great mercy in the master of the Vineyard this was no time to hire Labourers in so that the case is cleare some are called in their youth some in their middle age some in their old age some in their tender yeares some in their riper age some old some young but this is most true than those whom God doth call it is most commonly in their middle age before they come to their old age this is the generall course of God he call many before some after but most then Eccles 3.1 there the wise man observes that there is a time appointed for every purpose and it appeareth that the middle age is the fittest time for this purpose it is true indeede that all things depend upon Gods will but yet there is wisedome in this God and he ordereth things according to wise dome and this seemes to bee the fittest season wherein the Lord should deale thus graciously in converting of a sinner if wee consider either the nature of man or the end of Gods giving grace in both these respects first if wee looke to man and regard either the constitution of his body or the gifts qualities of his minde we shall see that it is most fit for God to worke upon him in his middle age he can doe it and may doe it at another time but that is the fittest time and that first in regard of the constitution of his body for it is observed by Philosophers that a man in his tender infancie lives the life of a tree onely he onely eates and growes and so it is with little children in their swadling cloathes afterwards when he comes into further yeares when he comes to be ten or twelve yeares old then hee lives the life of a beast he is taken away with those objects that are then most sutable to him for a child to consider of the mysteries of life salvation is
Vse III. It is of Exhortation to labour to get out of thy naturall estate p. 119. The meanes p. 121 EZECH 11.19 Doct. THe taking away of the indisposition of the soule to any good duty and the fitting of a soule to performe any spirituall service is the alone worke of God p. 132 The Reasons why the Lord onely can doe it vid. p. 135 Vse I. It is an use of Instruction to shew you that this worke of preparing a sinner to entertaine Christ it is a worke of marvellous difficultie p. 145 Vse II. It is a ground of comfort to support the hearts of those that are hard hearted p. 147 Vse III. It is of exhortation to those that carry a stonie heart about them to have recourse to God p. 149 LVKE 19.42 Doct. THat while life is continued and the meanes of grace afforded to a people is the season wherein God meaneth to worke the heart to receive life and salvation p. 160 Vse I. Instruction to be thankefull to the Lord for the enjoyment of the meanes of salvation p. 168 Vse II. Exhortation to pitty the estate of such men that neglect the meanes of salvation p. 185 MATTH 20.3 4 5 6. Doct. THat God can and doth call in all ages some in their younger some in their riper some in their old age p. 192 FINIS PREPARING FOR CHRIST Iohn 6.44 No man can come unto me except the Father which hath sent me draw him and I will raise him up at the last day FOr the application of the merits and obedience of Christ Iesus to the soule of a poore sinner and for the enjoying of the same there are two things mainly observable First the soule must be prepared for the Lord Iesus and secondly it must be ingrafted and implanted into Christ Iesus before it can be made partaker of the saving grace and salvation in Christ contained and from Christ communicated to those that love and feare his name Now concerning this great work of preparation wherein is the 〈◊〉 of a Christian for if the heart bee but prepared the Lord will then suddenly come into his Temple as the Prophet Malachy speakes Now this preparation consists of two parts First the dispensation of Gods gracious work upon the soule of a poore sinner Secondly the frame and disposition that God works upon the soule in converting it to himselfe Vpon these two hangs the maine work of preparation and herein lyeth the great drift of a Christian for the mercy of God is very free but we cannot make men fit to receive this mercy And therefore in preparation hereunto wee must apprehend two things somewhat must prepare secondly somewhat must be prepared he that doth prepare is the Lord he that doth receive the work and is prepared is the soules of those whom God hath elected to salvation So that as I said before something on Gods part must bee observed something on mans part must be considered on Gods part the dispensation of his work and on mans part the disposition that is wrought in the soule I come â—o the first thing which is the maine thing to be 〈◊〉 out of the Text namely the manner 〈◊〉 God worketh upon the soule when hee prepares 〈…〉 himselfe and this discovereth it selfe in two particulars we will handle them both together 〈◊〉 God doth pluck a poore sinner from his corruptions and darling sinnes to which he was glued and fastned and secondly as he draweth the soule from sinne so he draweth it to himselfe to beleeve in him and to receive mercy from him First God plucks the soule from sinne secondly he drawes it to the Lord Iesus And for this purpose wee have chosen this text that so we may have some footing for that which we speak out of Scripture and my purpose is not to handle all particulars in the Text which are many but to choose those that do concerne our present purpose and best fit us in our proceeding And the two maine points which I meane to discover out of the Text are these First that every man in his naturall condition is fastened and settled in the state of sinne and corruption Secondly that the Lord by a holy kind of violence plucks off the soule from sin and draweth it to himselfe These are the two things which in the Text I aime at but the second is the main thing I look at we must handle them both because the drawing of a thing from another implyeth that the thing which is drawn was fastned to some thing from whence it is to be drawne and therefore when the Lord saith he will draw a poore sinner to himselfe it implyes that wee were stuck fast and glued to our corruptions from whence we must be drawne and when this is once done then the face is towards heaven towards Zion then it is fitted to receive mercy from the Lord Iesus and because this drawing unto God doth imply a fastning of the soule unto sinne from whence it must be drawne the point therefore is this namely that every mans naturall estate and condition is fastned and settled and riveted to his sinnes and corruptions a poore creature by nature is not onely ingrafted into sinne but he is rooted into the rebellions of Adam and is growne strong with sinfull corruptions and distempers of his owne soule nay a man is not able to expresse the strong combination betweene sinne and the soule it is scrued into sinne and riveted into corruptions which have beene convaied thereunto and derived from our first parents and that the soâ—â—le is thus fastned and settled and glued to sinne wee may observe it in two particulars Partly in the dominion that sinne and Satan hath over the soule Partly in the amity that the soule hath to sinne First then consider the dominion that sinne hath over the soule that soveraigne and uncontroulable command which sinne exerciseth over the soule of every poore creature under heaven which is in a naturall estate in the bond of iniquity and under the power of Satan and we shall see that the soule is fastened to sinne Acts 26.18 the text saith that they are under the power of Satan To open their eyes saith the text that they may turne from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God If you aske me how the Devill hath power over poore sinners the Apostle telleth you That he catcheth them at his pleasure the proud man must go no further than he will and the covetous man must do nothing but that which he list but this is not all neither though this be sufficient to discover the power that Satan hath over the soule of a sinner but when hee hath thus taken a poore soule and fettered him in this case he then shuts him up in prison Tim. 2.2.26 there the next saith that the divell takes poore sinners prisoners at his will Gal. 3.22 it is said that all men by nature are under the law shut up under sinne it
under sinne and Satan and have beene in the same condition our selves we know what it is to be shut up under a hard heart and a blind mind and distempered affections we know what it is to be prentise to the devill and therefore this should move us to deale pittifully with poore miserable captived creatures we our selves were in the same condition we our selves lived without God in the world heretofore as those do now Nay this is that which the Apostle presseth Tit 3 1 2 3. there saith the text Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers and to speak evill of no man to be no brawlers but gentle shewing all meeknesse unto all men for we our selves also were sometimes disobedient foolish deceiving serving divers lusts and pleasures living in malice hatefull and hating one another you that have beene prisoners and have had your soules pierced with bolts and fetters why remember your own estate and pitty poore prisoners that are now in that estate that you have formerly been in Hath the Lord opened thy eyes and humbled thy heart hath the Lord broke thy bonds and knocked off thy bolts and let thee out of prison why then pitty poore prisoners you were such once your selves hating God and hatefull one to another and that you are not so blesse God for it You know what it is to be in such a condition to be troubled with a hard heart you that have beene in prison and know what it is to have hard hearts and dead soules and blind minds why pitty poore prisoners that are in the same case and cry to heaven for help for them intreat God to free and deliver them from the bondage of sinne and Satan in the 12. of Matth. 9.10 it is that our Saviour presses upon the Pharisees there saith the text what man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep fall into a pit on the Sabbath day and will not lift it out how much then is a man better than a sheep so say I if any of you should have a child or a father or a husband fall into a Well would you not use all meanes possible to lift him out oh here one would be breathing and would scarce speake there another would be hoarse with crying help help for the Lords sake my child my father my husband is drowning thus you would do and you do well and mercifully but have you care of oxen and of the bodies of your sonnes and your fathers and husbands and have you no pitty no compassion upon their soules you that see the soules of your husbands sunk down into a durty pitt into a filthy dungeon into a drunken â—rophane course thou that seest thy wife fallen into a course of chambering and wantonnesse if thou seest this why then call and cry for succour and reliefe and pray for help and labour by all meanes possible to pluck out these soules out of the gall of bitternesse and out of the bond of iniquite labour to pluck them out of sinne here and damnation hereafter Look as a man deales with carriage if a Cart be at a stay or at a sett in the high way why then the Carter that drives it doth what he can himselfe he sets his shoulder to the wheele and labours as much as in him lyeth to lift the Cart out but if this will not doe then he craves the help of some others especially if there go two or three teames together then he gets all the other teames set to this load to draw it out and especially if the load be going then they cry it is comming it is comming and labour by all meanes possible to lift it out altogether Dost thou see the heart of thy father or the heart of thy child at a stand under pride covetousnes and prophanenesse why then pray thou what thou canst and do what thou mayst put thy shoulder to the wheele and use all meanes to pluck them out but if this will not do use all helps that can be by the supply of others and crave their help in this case intreat them to help thy father or thy child or thy husband at a dead lift say my father or my husband is sunk forty fadam deep into the earth he is buried in the world and in his corruptions especially if thâ— load be comming if he be almost perswaded to become a Christian then labour earnestly and cry one pluck for my poore husband one pluck for my poore father he is comming he is comming therefore pull pull for the Lords sake and go further and cry mightily unto the Lord that it would please him to pluck him out of the ground look up to heaven and intreat the Lord to lend his helping hand if man cannot nor neighbours will not why then look up higher unto heaven for succour and say good Lord my father is a prisoner and a bondslave to sinne and Satan therefore good Lord I beseech thee break those bonds and knock off those bolts of pride and infidelity and the like in the 12. of the Acts when Peter was taken prisoner it is said that prayer was made without ceasing of the Church unto God for him and the same night when Herod would have brought him forth Peter was sleeping between two souldiers bound in two chaynes and the Keepers before the doore kept the prison and the Angell of the Lord appeared unto him and a light shined in the prison and he raysed him up and said Peter arise and the chaines fell off from him afterwards he came unto an iron gate that lead unto the City and that opened of its own accord Why that God that was able to knock off the bonds of Peter and was able to make the iron gate open of it selfe unto him that God is able to break the bonds of sinne and Satan wherewith thy father husband or friend are fetter'd he is able to break the brasen doore of their hearts which hinders the light of the Gospell from shining in and therefore cry to this God for help and succour and mercy and say good Lord thou that wert able to break off the fetters wherewith Peter was bound and to make the iron doore to open good Lord I beseech thee do thou work upon my father my husband or my child especially that he may never be so hardened slip the lock and break in upon him and humble him here that he may be saved hereafter especially when you see the load is comming then draw oh then draw with all your power when you see their minds are inlightned and their judgements informed why then the load is comming pray therefore then to God especially for help who knowes but God may humble them and convert them to himselfe and therefore strive amayne with God use all meanes both ordinary and extraordinary for the benefit of them and this shall suffice for the first passage namely that the soule of a man by nature is
in the text for Christ having taught a spirituall and an heavenly Sermon the Pharisees murmured and said Is not this Iesus the sonne of Ioseph whose father and mother we know how is it then that he saith he came down from heaven Iesus when he perceived their murmuring said unto them Why murmur you among your selves and that he might prevent the offence that the feeble ones might take at the example of the Pharisees he saith unto them No man can come unto me except my father draweth him as though he had said be not you troubled and perplexed because these great scollers do not beleeve my doctrine and embrace it it is not in them willing but in mee drawing do not you think ill of my doctrine of salvation because your wise men and your brave men will not beleeve it for I tell you though these have had arguments propounded to perswade them to this yet they cannot embrace my doctrine and beleeve unlesse my father draweth them they have had their hearts convinced and their mouths stopped but yet all this will not do unlesse my father draweth them Secondly this kind of caution except my father draweth him no man come unto mee is implyed that if my father doth draw him he will come and the Papists themselves confesse this that a man may have this morall drawing arguments perswading and reasons alluring to come unto God and receive mercy from him and yet he may not come but they that have this drawing meant in the text they will undoubtedly come no man comes unto mee except the father which hath sent mee draweth him and therefore whosoever the father doth draw he shall come and certainly will come and therefore this drawing that is meant here is not a morall drawing by outward perswasions thus much for the clearing of this poynt namely that a morall and externall drawing is not to be understood in the text This will not serve the turne there is more in it than so we must therefore search further into the nature of this word drawing and God is said to draw a poore sinner unto himselfe in the second place when he is not only pleased to enlighten a mans mind and offer arguments to his understanding and lay truths and propound promises unto him for this will not doe it this is only an outward drawing but when the Lord is pleased to put a new power into the soule of a sinner and with all to carry the will to the object propounded that it may embrace it when God is pleased not onely to offer good things to the soule but to enable the soule to lay hold upon the things offered not only to offer Christ and salvation but to work effectually upon the heart and make it able to give entertainment to Christ then the Lord is said to draw a sinner unto himselfe from sinne and corruption and this is tearmed an internall kind of drawing and this is meant here in the text it is not only the propounding of arguments to move and pluck the soule but the Lord doth by his effectuall power draw the soule from sinne and bring it unto himselfe And therefore observe two things touching this internall drawing namely that there is a seperation first wrought betweene sinne and the soule the union that is betweene finne and the soule is broken Secondly that when the soule is once severed and broken off from sinne then it comes to a right set to a right frame and disposition towards God and then it goeth no further but here it stoppeth and this is that which I call plucking and drawing of a poore sinner from his corruptions to God in both which actions the will of the creature is wrought upon plucked from sinne and set towards God and of it selfe it doth not move at all I expresse it thus look as it is with the wheele of a clock or the wheele of a Iack that is turned aside and by some contrary poyse set the wrong way He now that will set this wheele right must take away the contrary poyse and then put the wheele the right way and and yet the wheele doth not goe all this while of it selfe but first there is a stopping of the wheele and a taking away of the poyse and secondly the wheele must be turned the right way and all this while the wheele is only a sufferer so it is with the soule of a man the heart of a man and the will of a man and the affections of a man they are the wheeles of the soules of men the Lord Iesus made them at the first to runne to heaven-ward and to God-ward but when Adam sinned then the poyse of corruptions prevailed so farre forth over them that they drew the heart the mind the will of man from God and made it runne the wrong way to the divell-ward and to hell-ward now when the Lord commeth to set these wheeles aright he must take away the poyse and plummet that made them runne the wrong way that is the Lord by his almighty power must over-power those sinnes and corruptions which harbour in the soule and have dominion over the soule as for example if a man have a covetous heart insomuch that the world will not suffer him to heare and pray and performe any good duty then God must pull away that plummet he must pluck the soule from that sinne and then he must draw it to himselfe that is he must draw it to Godward and to Zion-ward and make it to be at his command that Gods spirit as a new plummet may carry it and order it and now it doth nothing all this while God must first take away the contrary plummet that drew the soule aside and then the frame of the soule will be to God-ward it will be in a right frame and order it will runne the right way and all this while the will is only a sufferer and this I take to be the meaning of the text That God by a holy kind of violence rendeth the soule of a poore sinner and withall by his almighty power stops the force of a mans corruptions and makes the soule teachable and framable to the will of God it makes it to lie levell and to be at Gods command and this is done by a holy kind of violence and so much for these poynts of speculation without which I could not well open the poynt But now we see the bottome of the poynt namely that God doth by a holy kind of violence pluck and draw men from their corruptions unto himselfe The next thing to be considered is the meanes whereby God thus haleth the soule and draweth the heart of a poore sinner unto himselfe and the meanes are foure 1 1. The first work of the Lord is this he lets in a light into the foule of a poore sinner and discovereth unto him that he is in a wrong way and tells him there is another way that he must walk in if
ever he meane to come to heaven and this is the first meanes when the soule of a sinner is inlightned and his mind informed that he is in a wrong course and that he must take a better course or else he shall never come at heaven and this the Lord doth suddenly the sinner not perceiving of it the Lord setteth a sudden flash upon his soule and telleth him that he is going unto hell the soule presently wonders at this and marvels how it came to passe Esay 66.1 there saith the text I am sought of them that asked not for mee and I am found of them that sought mee not the Lord putteth a sudden light into soules of men which they never dreamed of Hypocrites if they can but goe to Church and sit in the Church as Gods servants do and leane on their elbowes and heare as Gods people do then all is well with them but as many of them as belong to God God will discover unto them that they are in a wrong way and he will shew and reveale another way unto them which they never dreamed of and therefore this is that we shall observe haply we shall see a man come riding into a town on a Sabboth day and when he comes there hee seeth the people going to Church well perhaps then he sets up his horse at the Inne and goes into the Church for a custome and for company sake and when he is in the Church he goes into a seat and sets down his staffe and sits down and attends the Minister and never thinks of any thing well at last the Lord sends a light into his soule and telleth him thou art now riding about thy own worldly businesse when thoushouldst be in sanctifying of my Sabboth I tell thee my friend thou art in a wrong way thou takest a naughty course thou dost wickedly and if thou continuest and goest on in this course thou wilt never come at heaven And this the Lord doth on a sudden when a man never so much as thought of any such matter And after a man is thus enlightned he will be ready to say the truth is heretofore I went to heare the word but for customes sake but when I least dreamed of any such thing it pleased the Lord blessed be his name to reveale such things unto mee as I before never knew he told mee that which sticketh upon mee to this present houre he discovered that unto mee which I hope I shall carry with me unto my grave this is that we may observe in the 9. of the Acts Paul there was running on in a resolute-course he had gotten letters at Damascus and purposed to make havock of all poore Christians where he came now while he was in his journey the Lord met him from heaven and cryed unto him Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee as he if had said this is not the way to heaven you think to persecute my poore Saints but Saul Saul I tell thee this is not the way thou takest a wrong course he called unto him as a man would call after one that is running out of his right way into some wildernesse or dangerous place And when Saul heard this he presently fell off his horse and humbled himselfe and said Lord what wilt thou that I do and so Luke 15.4 the text saith that the shepherd that had lost his sheep left his ninty and nine and went into the wildernesse to seek that which was lost and if he had not gone to seek the sheep the sheep would never have sought him alas the poore sheep was gone astray and bewilderd and if the shepheard had not followed it and sought after it that would never have found the sheepheard nay to go further many a man goeth to the word and heareth it for nothing else but to carp at the Minister and yet the Lord hath caught many such men also and hath put such a light into their hearts that he hath made them know that they were in a wrong way and mark when the Lord hath let in this light then the soule begins to be at a stand and thinks with himselfe surely if this be the right way I am in the wrong if the Minister saith true then I am not right but then sometimes the heart would put out this light it would not be informed and perswaded if the Minister tels a man that he must sanctifie Gods Sabboths here or else he shall never sanctifie a Sabboth unto him in heaven hereafter when the Minister saith that unlesse God humble us here he will break us in peeces in hell hereafter loath a man is to know this and be informed of this because hee would not be offended by this and provoked to performe this but though a sinner would shift off this yet the Lord will not leave him but will still pursue him and lay reasons upon him unanswerable the soule would fain play tricks with the Lord in this case and put out this light but God will reveale to the soule of a sinner that these things are certainly true God will lay hold upon the understanding of a poore sinner and follow him with reasons that are undeniable untill his reason shall yeeld and his understanding give verdit to that which the Lord reveales untill hee sayes I confesse Lord it is true I yeeld full assent thereto Thus the Lord knocketh at the doore or heart of a poore sinner and not only so but lifts up the latch and opens the doore of a mans heart and letteth in the light and this is the first course that God useth 2 2. The second is this after that the Lord hath thus enlightened the minde and let in the light of his spirit into the heart of a sinner and though a man would defeat the power of it yet God still followeth him with forceable arguments untill the understanding is setled and reason answered after the Lord hath done this then the second cord wherewith God draweth sinners unto himselfe is a cord of mercy whereby the Lord doth compasse a poore sinner about with kindnesse goodnesse and compassion Hos 11.4 there saith the Lord I taught Ephraim to goe taking them by the armes I drew them with the cords of love and with the bonds of a man This same cord of Gods mercy is a cable rope the abundant riches of Gods mercy is a great thick cable and we will tell you of what it is twisted it makes known it selfe in foure particulars if the illumination that God sends into the heart will not bee able to perswade the heart though it answers all objections pursueth it with arguments undeniable why then the Lord will draw us with the cord of his mercy and this great cable of Gods goodnesse is made up of foure cords First First Cord. the Lord revealed himselfe to be ready to receive and willing and easie to entertayne poore sinners when they come unto him Esay 55.7 there saith
those prophane hearts will be pure and holy why when will it once be thus Christ wayteth still and expecteth still if not this day then the next week if not the next week then the next moneth if not the next moneth then the next quarter if not the next quarter then the next yeare if not the next yeare then the next score of yeares you old sinners that are grayheaded in wickednesse how long hath the Lord waited upon you for shame let him wayt no longer but turn unto him that you may receive mercy from him and have your sinnes pardoned by him This is the last cord of Gods mercy first the Lord will entertaine poore sinners if they come secondly he doth command them to come thirdly he doth intreat and beseech them to come and lastly if all this will not do then he wayts in parience for their amendment and thus the Lord makes up his great cable roap of mercy and this one would think should melt the hardest heart under the Sunne but if this will not do if God by these cords of mercy cannot draw a sinner then he takes himselfe unto another course and as he justly may he lets in other cords in the heart you will not come with mercy will you very well I tell you the Lord will lay hooks upon you that shall bring you with a witnesse if these bonds of love will not prevayle with you the Lord hath iron cords that will pluck you in peeces and therefore the third meanes whereby God draweth a sinner from corruption to himselfe is the cord of conscience which God lets down into the soule and this same yron cord this yron chayne of conscience hath three hookes at the end of it which are able to rend the heart of a sinner and pluck it in peeces and draw the soule unto God if the cords of Gods mercy will not draw you then these yron hookes of conscience will pull you to the Lord for this same cord of conscience hath three maine hookes that is there are three great works of conscience which God useth to work upon men to draw them from sinne to himselfe First conscience is a warner of the soule and admonisheth the sinner of his waies this conscience gives a sinner an uncontrouleable command to come from sinne conscience gives him a peremptory charge upon paine of the heaviest judgement that can bee inflicted upon him not to meddle with corruption it is conscience that doth this the Lord stirreth up conscience and armes him with authority as a Vicegerent under him that he may stifle those sinfull lusts and over-power those sinfull distempers that harbour in the soule and overcome the soule it is true that wicked men by reason that they live in sinne have their consciences either blinded or asleep their consciences oftentimes come to be seared and hardened wicked men have their consciences some times under them they stifle their conscience and stop the mouth of conscience if conscience offer to reproove them they presently take him on the mouth and make him quiet they bind the hands of conscience in this kind but if a wicked man belong to God then hee will awaken conscience in this life but if they do not belong unto him then they may be sure when they are in hell to have their consciences awakened they carry a black dogge in their bosome that will teare them with a witnesse but if God purpose good unto a man then he will awaken his conscience in this life hee will arme conscience with authority and put a new commission into the hand of conscience insomuch that now conscience stands upon termes and conscience will not put it up as he hath done howsoever it hath heretofore beene stifled yet now it gives men a peremptory command upon paine of their everlasting torment as they love their own soules to take heed that they meddle not with sin for if they do it will cost them everlasting life now when conscience hath such a commanding power then the command is marvellous awfull terrible and fearefull and it maks a sinner start aside and withdraw himselfe from his former courses it makes him hang downe his head and he dares not looke out of doores he dares not runne with that courage into wicked practises as he did before it is with conscience in this case as it is with a Lievetenant or a Shreife of a countrey happily in the Kings absence a company of rebels joyne together in a conspiracy and rend the commission out of the Lievetenants hand and beset the Shreifes house the officers because the rebels are more in number dare doe little or nothing unto them they may say as David did to the sonnes of Serviah ye are too strong for me ye sonnes of Serviah and therefore he would not meddle with them and so in some unruly towne wee shall see a company of ryotous fellowes because they are more in number than the officers they set the Constable in stockes when as they are more worthy to goe to the gallowes than he to the stocks just so it is with conscience haply wicked men in former times have stifled conscience and tooke the comission out of the hands of conscience but when the King comes into the countrey and the officers shall complaine unto the King of this conspiracy then he gives them a larger command and gives them more power hee puts a new commission into their hands and furnisheth them with greater ayd and commandeth upon paine of death that there be no more such uproares made and when this is proclaymed upon the Market-post then this makes those resolute fellowes to pull in their heads and they dare not shew themselves So it is with conscience sometimes the Lord letts wicked men blind conscience and feare it wicked men oftentimes make a mock at conscience if a man reprooves them for some sin and admonisheth them for conscience sake not to cōmit wicked practises then they flout at the person that speakes unto them and say what your conscience will not suffer you to do as we do you will not drink will you why oh your conscience will not suffer you you will not commit adultery will you your conscience will not suffer you what you are a man of conscience are you and you will suffer your conscience to make a foole of you what care we for your conscience or you either thus many sinners keep conscience under but howsoever conscience be thus slighted and dispised the time will come when God will awaken conscience and put a new commission into his hands and sends him help from heaven and sayes goe to such a man and tell him you have blasphemed and you have spoken against Gods Saints you have broken Gods Sabbaths and slighted Gods word and contemned Gods ordinances and neglected the meanes of salvation be it known therefore unto thee that I have a command from heaven and from God I charge you as you will
soule then the Lord by a holy kind of violence doth pluck the soule from sinne and draw it to himselfe but all the former have beene prooved it is sinne and Satan which God binds and overcomes it is that neere union betweene sinne and the soule that God breaketh it is the power that sinne hath over the soule that God doth conquer God takes away not only the act but the power of resisting from the souse and therefore there must be some constraining power that must work this in the soule We will now proceed to the use of this point Vse 1 In the first place it is a ground of instruction to teach all people that heare this truth to goe home and stand agast and amazed at the admirable unconceiveable goodnesse of the Lord to a poore miserable sinfull damned creature it had beene a great mercy if the Lord had only provided some meanes and offered some meanes and given salvation after many troubles and much seeking but that the Lord should not only provide mercy and offer it and reveale the truth but that he should follow us and pursue us with the meanes of salvation when we never thought of it nay that the Lord should follow us with mercy and presse it upon us when we refused it that he should give us the freedome of his spirit to be delivered from our sinnes when wee go into fetters and go into prison that the Lord should not only set open the doore for us that we might come out but that he should by an almighty hand draw us out of the dungeon of our corruptions this is mervellous mercy and admirable loving kindnesse the truth of it is men and Angells are not able to comprehend this nay the Angells of Heaven desire to observe and wonder at this admirable goodnesse of the Lord the passage is observable Gen. 19.16 the text saith when Sodom was to be destroyed because Lot was a little wordly and would not come off cleverly from his profits While he lingred saith the Text the men laid hold on him the Lord being mercifull unto him and brought him forth and set him without the city and it came to passe that when they had brought him forth that they said escape for thy life looke not behind thee neither stay thou in all the plain escape to the mountaine lest thou bee consumed Marke how the holy man answereth Behold now thy servant hath found grace in thy sight and thou hast magnified the mercy which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life I cannot escape to the mountaine lest I die behold now this city is it not a little one let me escape thither and my soule shall live Here lyes the point now the Lord had told Lot that he would destroy Sodom why now he perswades him therefore to arise and away lest hee perish but the poore man he dreaming either of the profit that he might take or else loath to part from his outward contentment he lingred at length the Lord being mercifull unto him he took him by the hand and by maine force carried him and by his almighty hand convayed him and set him without the city and bade him flie for his life a great favour it was that the Lord revealed unto him the judgement that he would execute upon the city that he might escape it but that the Lord should pluck him out of the fire by force and carry him upon Eagles wings what wonderfull goodnesse was this and this Lot himselfe confesseth saying thou hast magnified thy mercy which thou hast shewed to thy servant in saving his life not only to reveale favour and shew mercy but to hale and carry one out of misery whether he will or no what admirable mercy is this It is my resolution saith the Lord that whoremongers and adulterers I will judge those that live wickedly shall perish everlastingly is it not a great mercy for God now to come to a drunkard and say I am resolved to overthrow all drunkards and it is my purpose to destroy all adulterers but if you will abstaine from these sinnes I will shew mercy unto you great goodnesse it is that a man should have his heart forewarnd of misery that he might prevent it but that the Lord should by a strong hand pluck the drunkard from his cursed companions and the adulterer from the company of his whore and to pluck a covetous man from the bottome of the earth not only to intreat him and perswade him but by his almighty hand to set him free from his corruptions and say escape for thy life never be drunk more never commit adultery more never sweare more lest thou perish but go and save thy life what a wonder is this a poore soule should therefore go in secret and say Lord herein hast thou magnified mercy towards mee for who was so nought but I was as bad who was so wicked but I was worse oh the mercies that thou hast shewed mee oh the commands that have been suggested to mee and yet I have stuck in the Alehouse and continued in my sinnes the flashes of hell fire have sparkled in my face I have seene one drunkard going to hell and the divell as it were dragging of him into everlasting destruction and an other adulterer plunged into eternall damnation and yet when I stuck fast in my sinnes all this while that the Lord should not only perswade mee and intreat me to come out but by maine force carry me out of these flames whether I would or no oh what wonderfull goodnesse is this that yet I live to praise and magnifie thy name that yet I live to get assurance of thy love here that I may reigne with thee for ever in glory hereafter no mercy is like unto this no mercy to be compared with this this is not mercy but the depth of mercy this is not compassion only but the bowells of compassion Should a King come to a Peasant and proclaime pardon unto him after he hath plotted treason against him and if in the meane time the traytor rebells and flings away the pardon were it fit that the King should yet pursue him with favour or pursue him with judgement rather for neglecting this mercy that hee should pursue him with favour this is more than nature can do or will do in this kind but here God doth not only proclaime pardon for our sinnes and reveale mercy to us but when wee contemne all and slight all and trample the pardon under our feet yet the Lord will force his mercy upon us and hee will save us whether we will or no that the Lord should thus overcome us with compassion let us walke worthy of all this riches of Gods favour for the Lord Christ Iesus sake 〈◊〉 and let no man presume because of this mercy and favour of the Lord for hee that hath those cords and hooks cast upon him spoken of before hee will bee wearied I warrant him before
hath over those sins is much more forcible though thy sturdy heart will not come off though thou hast no desire to leave thy corruptions though thou hast not put off the will of sinning yet God can take it away and make way for the power of his spirit to take place in thy heart Acts 16.24 we shall observe this in the Iaylor he was a proud sturdy dogged cruell hearted man when the Magistrates commanded him to put Paul and Silas into prison hee went further than his commission and put them into the inner Prison and made their feet fast in the stocks oh thought hee now I have gotten these nice factions fellowes into my hands I will punish them soundly Now at midnight Paul and Silas sang praises unto God and then suddenly there was an exceeding great earthquake so that the foundations of the prison were shaken and immediately all the doores were opened and every ones bands were loosed the doores flew open the prison shooke and the earth shooke God exercised his power upon the creatures and made them shake and yet the Iaylor stood still all this while and stirred not though he were a Iaylor now to the Apostles yet the Devill was a Iaylor to him also he was under the jayle of his sinnes his sturdy heart would not awaken all this while but at last the Iaylor hee shooke also and seeing the prison doores open pulled out his sword and would have killed himselfe supposing that the prisoners had fled but Paul cryed with a loud voyce saying doe thy selfe no harme for wee are all here and then hee called for a light and sprang in sayth the text and came trembling and fell downe before Paul and Silas he now saw all that pride and stubbornnesse of his whereby he handled the Apostles so basely and now he brought them out and sayd Sirs what must I doe to bee saved hee now bathed their wounds and set bread before them and dealt kindly with them and thus we see when the Lord commeth for a sinner he maketh the prison shake and the earth shake the doores shake the yron bolts shake and at last he makes the heart shake also it is not the doore that I care for nor the prison that I care for nor the earth only that I will make to shake but it is the jaylor that I will shake also it is the Iaylor that I come for the Iaylor I will have and so hee had indeed in conclusion thy corruptions are not so powerfull but the Lord will bee more powerfull to pluck thy heart from them unto himselfe The third thing that hinders a poore sinner in this case is in respect of disgrace other opposition that hee shall meet withall in a Christian course I could be content saith he to take a better course and leade a new life and become a Christian but I see how disgrace will be cast upon me and opposition be made against me and this knocks me off I am not able to suffer it and to beare it are you not so the Lord will make you able to beare it before he hath done with you you feare wild-fire do you God will make you feele hell fire before he hath done you will goe against conscience you will displease God before you will displease man wil you wel you feare man now the face of man this is but wildfire but God will send hell fire into your hearts one day he will send the horrour of conscience into your soules then you will say rather disgrace here than damnation for ever hereafter I will rather goe to hell than to sinne I will rather offend all the world then God gather up your selves therefore if God at any time hath opened your eyes though Satan pursue you and though corruptions presse upon you yet cheere your selves God in mercy will looke upon you Esa 43.6 there when the Lord commeth to gather his people together hee saith that hee will bring them from the East and gather them from the West he will call to the North give up and to the South keepe not back bring my sonnes from farre and my daughters from the end of the earth hee sayth the earth shall give account and yeeld up her dead the sea that also shall yeeld up her dead why God can make the divell yeeld up a wretched man as well as the earth give up a dead man God will say I must have a sinner divell and therefore deliver up thy prisoner God will draw thy heart out of the power of sinne and dominion of Satan though thou canst not tell how yet God is able to give thee a will of yeelding unto him and so much for the comfort of those that are unconverted there is hope that God will do you good bee your sinnes what they will bee now those that are converted and those that are in the state of grace this is a ground of strong comfort unto them that they shall prevaile against all sinnes for after times by the power of that God that hath given them victory over their sinnes in former times they may say did the Lord give me power over my sinnes when I loved them and will hee not give me power to resist them now when I have desire to forsake them it cannot bee hee that offered favour to thee when thou didst refuse it hee cannot but give favour to thee when thou beggest it at his hands and this shall suffice for that matter Vse 5 The fifth use is an use of exhortation to all Gods people is this the cord that God taketh to pluck a soule from corruption to himselfe namely by a holy kind of violence why what will you do then you that professe your selves to feare God and that say you are the children of God must not children imitate their father doth God deale thus with poore sinners then do you so likewise this is the course that God takes and this ought to be a coppy and pattern to you in the meane time as you are the Elect people of God to put on the bowels of mercy and compassion towards your brethren if ever mercy here it ought to be expressed and discovered if ever God shewed mercy to thy soule shew thou the like mercy to thy brethren did the Lord ever shew compassion unto thee shew thou the like compassion unto them did the Lord ever awaken thy eyes or humble thy heart did the Lord offer his favours to thee still calling still exhorting and perswading of you you that are the Elect people of God if ever God shewed any goodnesse unto you shew the same goodnesse mercy and compassion to your fellow brethren and therefore as God hath dealt with you and as hee doth deale with sinners let it bee your honours and your resolutions to deale answerably to God so saith the Prophet David I will reveale thy way to the wicked and sinners shall be converted unto thee oh blessed