in mans heart and resolve with David to waite for the Salvation of the Lord with God is the gate of mercy the fountaine of mercy and this mercy is free therefore use the meanes still though God heare not pray still though he accept not resolve though thy heart fails and thy eyes faile yet to roule in the dust and call for mercy and say Lord thy mercy is free therefore blesse me Lord even me also The 2 conclusion in the text is that not withstanding this mercy of God is free yet a man must have a will to receive grace and mercy before he can have it for saith the text whosoever Will let him take of the water of life freely and heere we have the reasonablenesse of the condition together with the universality of it it is not a great thing that God calleth for but if a man will have mercy and grace and Salvation he shall have it First a man must will mercy before hee can have mercy and whosoever doth will it shall have it and herein is the universality of the condition so that the doctrine which ariseth naturally out of the text and which is the second generall circumstance of preparation is this viz. that the soule must bee willing to receive Christ and grace before it shall have Christ and grace God will not save a man against his will Rev. 3.20 there saith the text Behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any man heare my voyce and open the doore I will come in to him c. the doore is the heart the knocking is the striving of the Lord in the use of the means God stands this day knocks at this and all other the like opportunities the Lord knockes this day and will come and knocke againe the next Sabbath and the next the next Lecture and the next opportunity when the minister comes God comes when he perswades God perswades when hee threatens God threatens when he reprooves God reprooves sometimes the Lord knocketh at the doore sometimes hee pickes the locke thus every way striving to come in stands thus knocking and intreating exhorting perswading he knocks with much patience and long suffering if any man will but open here is all the Lord requires all that he expects and lookes for the opening of the doore that is all the doore is the heart the opening of the doore is the enlarging of the heart to entertaine Christ if any man will but open now here is all the Lord desires hee will come and suppe with that man and he with him and in the 16. Mat. 16.24 of Mat. 24. there saith our Saviour If any man will come after me let him deny himselfe and follow me what a strange phrase is this If he will follow me let him it is a pretty collection of Divines out of that place that a man must will to follow Christ before he can follow him the truth is the will never commeth after the following of God but if a man hath a heart that way a will to the businesse then hee may follow him then all goes forward cheerefully this will is the great wheele that turnes all and the power of the soule that workes all in this case and we may observe when the Lord is pleased to prepare a people for ruine hee then shutts up the doore of their hearts Acts 28.27 in the Acts 28.27 there saith the text The heart of this people is waâ—â—ed gross e and their eares are dull of hearing and their eyes have they closed least they should see with their eyes and heare with their eâ—â—es and understand with their hearts and should be converted and I should heale them in the 24. verse saith the text some beleeved and some beleeved not how comes this to passe now that some beleeved not the reason is â—endred in the 27 verse the heart of this people is waxen fat or gros s e least they should be converted and I should hedle them if a soule will be converted then God will heale it but if the heart of the people be stopped up if the heart be fatted up with sinne and corruption then the Lord will never heale he will never have mercy upon that soule eating and sleeping makes a man naturally to be fat and grosse so it is with the soule when a mans heart feedes upon his corruptions when a man lyes securely in his sinnes this fat 's the soule and this is the fore-runner of confusion some beleeved and some beleeved not why their hearts were fatted up they had no will to receive Christ and Salvation by him and therefore looke as it was with the cure of the Lame man Iohn 5.6 our Saviour saith unto him Iohn 5.6 wilt thou bee made whole so it is in spirituall things the Lord will have a man to will mercy and Salvation by Christ before he will bestow it upon him and therefore in the 5 of Iohn the 40. the text saith Ye will not come to me that you may have life and this is the reason that they had not life and that they were not saved You would not come that you might have life as who should say You must will to come before you can come to have life and when you have once got this will then there is hope that there is life coming but a man must first will life before he can have life so that then the point is cleere and evident namely that a man must will to receive the Lord Iesus and grace before he shall have the Lord Iesus and grace and Salvation by him for the further opening of the point we must observe two passages first what is meant by the will secondly wherein this will discovers it selfe and by that time we shall have somewhat to hold our selves unto And first for the former what is meant by will in this place we must understand that this word will it carryeth a double signification with it And first it discovers that naturall power and faculty wherewith every man is endued to will but this is not meant here viz. the very faculty and power wherby a reasonable man is enabled to will for then every man should have life and salvation for every man hath this naturall will for it is with the soule as with a clocke that runneth the wrong way and striketh false it hath the same wheeles like other clocks but it doth not strike true as other clockes doe and herein lies the difference so it is with the nature of man fallen from God the wheele of his will that is the power of his understanding remaineth still the nature of the soule still existeth but the quality of it is altered this naturall faculty of the will is not meant here for then the devils should be saved for they have a naturall will and therefore in the second place by will in Scripture we must understand the actions and operations which proceed from the
otherwise you never shall you never can receive grace and yet notwithstanding what is that which carryeth away men in the world they are naught and wicked reprove them for it they heale all and make up all presently they beleeve in Christ and they repent them of their sinnes and shall not they bee saved They say indeede that they doe beleeve and they doe repent but the text saith they doe not so and the Lord in his word saith it is not talke it is not wishes but it is the willing of Christ and grace that will obtaine grace In the 15 of Mathew Mat. 15.8 9. and the 8 and 9 verses there saith the text In vaine doe these men worshippe mee for they draw nigh unto mee with their mouth and honour mee with their lippes but their heart is farre from me they draw neere Christ with their lippes that is they speake as good words as can bee they say they are sinners and that the Lord came to save sinners and they are humbled for their sinnes and attend their Church diligently and hurt no body But their hearts are from me saith the text why because that hearts are still upon their sinnes they are as proud as ever as ignorant as ever as vaine as ever their hearts still runne after sinfull courses and wicked practises and therefore away with this talke and such vaine pretences as men make in this case unlesse your hearts goe together with your words all is worth nothing what a fond imagination is this that a man should thinke his words should doe him good when his heart goeth against them when their mouthes professe Christ and their hearts oppose Christ Thou sayest thou prizest Christ above all things and yet thou wilt not lose a base sinne for Christ thou wilt not forsake any wicked lust or corruption for Christ you will say you prize Christ above all and yet many of your prophane drunkards will not lose a cup for Christ nay you will not lose any base custome for Christ you were prophane and you will be so still you were proud and you will bee so still thy heart and thy words doe not goe together and therefore never thinke that thy words will save thee Thou sayest thou beleevest but thy heart saith the contrary thou professest thou hast grace but thy heart denieth it and therefore it is a very sottish conceit to thinke thy words will doe thee any good when thy 〈◊〉 denieth what thy tongue professeth goe home therefore and examine your owne hearts and thinke thus with your selves I have talked much and I have said that I had faith and grace but oh wretch that I am my heart saith the contrary What a wretch am I doe I thinke that God will have mercy on mee because I say and professe that I am a sinner and because I say that I pray unto God for the forgivenesse of my sinnes no no those very words will condemne me because my heart goes not with my words it had beene farre better for these men that they never had spoke these things for these very words will rise up in judgement against them nay these words will keep them from the true willing of grace for they thinke they have it already because they say they have it this is a very dangerous conceit and therefore know that words will not carry all away to say we repent and beleeve and have grace these doe us no good at all wee must will grace before wee shall have grace but this is not a willing but onely a talking of grace The second use is a word of terror to shake the hearts of all wretched sinfull creatures under heaven those whom wee may condemne out of their owne mouthes they professe they will not have grace and therefore wee may conclude they never shall have grace their owne words will witnesse against them for when the Ministers list up their voyces like a Trumpet and cry night and day and cal upon them this is the good and ancient way walke in this way in the way of faith and repentance what answer doe men give they openly professe they will not doe this they will not walke in this way The Lord tendereth grace happinesse and salvation unto us and yet many do professe they will not come they will not attend upon God in his ordinances they will not embrace nor they will not entertaine Christ and grace and salvation they will not come to the meanes of grace and therefore they shall never have grace they never shall bee made partakers of it A man must will grace before he can have grace but you will it not you desire it not and therefore as sure as the Lord liveth you cannot have it Another generation there is that come to the house of God and sit as Gods people do and heare as Gods people doe but their hearts runneth after their covetousnesse when in your soules you can say our bodies are here indeed but our hearts are after our lusts and corruptions after our profits and pleasures if it be thus with you then still you resolve that your hearts shall not will the grace of God and therefore it is cleare and evident that you have not yet received grace Men resolve to doe as they did in the 18 of the Prophecy of Ieremie verse Ier. 18.12 12. They said there is no hope but wee will walke every one after our owne devices and doe the imaginations of our evill heart When the Lord called upon them to walke in the good way oh they would none of that but they would walke after the imaginations of their hearts And did these spirits thinke yee dye in those times are not some such now among us in these times wherein men say wee will not reforme our families nor wee will not pray with them wee will not keepe the Sabbaths nor wee will not leave our swearing and our swaggering our pride and our covetousnesse no all the Ministers under heaven shall not perswade us wee will take up our owne lewd and wicked courses we will bee prophane still and wee will sweare still wee will not amend our lives nor reforme our families in what a miserable accursed damnable estate are those men they will not leave and forsake their lewd practises and therefore they cannot will grace and if they cannot will it then we may certainely conclude they shall never obtaine it But you will say you would leave your wicked courses and reforme your families if you could doe it but you cannot I answer is it nor in your power to plucke your children and your servants into the Lords house on the Sabbath day is it not in your power to use the meanes whereby you may reforme your lives you can doe it but you will not doe it you will take up your owne wayes and your owne practises and therefore the case is plaine you will not take Christ and therefore you shall never have him
is the time of rewarding as our trading and labouring is here in this life so shall our injoying and rewarding be hereafter in the life to come A◠〈◊〉 soweth so shall a man reape Gal. 6.8 if hee sow to the flesh he shall reape to the flesh Gal. 6.8 if hee yeeld to the corruptions of his owne nature and gives way thereunto and be carried aside thereby hee shall have the wages of sinne but hee that is willing for to stoope to the Commandements of God he that serves God here and walkes uprightly before him shall receive everlasting life and eternall happinesse hereafter and so much for the proofe of the first Point after this life is once ended there is no hope of life and salvation Secondly together with our lives wee must also have the meanes of grace continued unto us for the making up of that season wherein God will if ever fit us and prepare us for mercy I meane by the meanes of grace the preaching of the Gospell for this was one part of Ierusalems day here spoken of and therefore this is the second part of every mans day namely when we have the glad tidings of the Gospell vouchsafed unto us 2 Cor. 6.2 in 2. Cor. 6.2 the Apostle doth conclude that when the meanes of life and salvation is afforded this is the time of salvation he laieth his finger as it were upon the season of life and happinesse for he saith I have heard thee in a time accepted and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee now some may say when is this time of salvation The Apostle doth particularly make this good in the words following now saith hee behold is the accepted time behold now is the day of salvation Now while the Lord is pleased to vouchsafe the meanes of grace and salvation to you and to send the Doctrine of salvation among you why now is the time accepted now is the day of your salvation Luke 19.9 and therefore Luke 19.9 Zacheus when hee had a strong desire to see Christ and to meete with the Lord Iesus and could not by reason of the prease hee gets him out of the croud and came before into a Sycamore tree that so hee might the better behold him but before Zacheus could see Christ Christ saw him and calleth to him Make haste Zacheus and come downe for to day I must abide at thy house and Zacheus made haste and came downe joyfully and then the Lord Iesus when hee came with him to his house said unto him this day is salvation come unto this house why because this day hee was made the sonne of Abraham as wee may see in the words following this day it pleased Christ to bring that desire of Zacheus unto some perfection this was the day of Zacheus while then the Word is revealed and while the meanes of happinesse is laid open while God makes a tender of grace and salvation to a soule this is the day of every mans salvation so then wee have the proofe of the point plaine out of Scripture namely that while life and the meanes last that is the season that God hath appointed and set apart to doe good to the soules of those whom hee meaneth to convert unto himselfe The next thing to be considered is the reason of this how it commeth to be thus that the time of a mans life and the time wherein God vouchsafeth the meanes that this is the time wherein God offereth salvation to a poore soule and wee will lay downe the reasons of both parts severally First concerning the time of a mans life and the reason of this is because when this crazie frame of ours beginnes to be dissolved then comes Gods definitive sentence Gods definitive verdict then passes upon a man God then passeth a sentence upon a â—an which hee never meaneth to recall a man at the time of his death when death closeth a mans eyes hee is then either everlastingly happy or else everlastingly miserable there is then afterwards no alteration to be expected Heb. 9.27 There saith the Text Heb. 9 27. it is appointed for all men once to die but after that comes judgement as death leaves a man so judgement findes a man hee doth not say after death comes amendment after death comes repentance after death comes Purgatory no no this is a dreame of the Papists they thinke that a man may after death be in trouble a while and be in Purgatorie and then be brought out by the treasure of the Church but alas this is a vaine dreame to inlarge the Popes coffers and to make the Popes Kitchin hot as Divines use to say that so the Pope may have a great deale of money they say if a man have leâ— never so wicked a life if yet he will bestow such a legacie upon the Popes holinesse though hee have beene in Purgatory a great while hee shall yet by the treasure of the Church be released but this is a fond foolish sottish dreame the case is plaine enough after death judgement comes next a man shall either goe into everlasting happinesse or else into everlasting confusion there is no third place for a soule to goe unto but a man must either goe to hell for ever or to heaven for ever every man that is saved is saved by Christ Ioh. 3.36 Ioh. 3.36 He that beleeveth on the Son hath everlasting life and he that beleeveth not the Sonne shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him so then now if a man beleeve in Christ hee is perfectly saved if he beleeve not in Christ hee is pâ—â—fectly damned Ioh. 3.18 Ioh. 3.18 Hee that beleeveth on him is not condemned but hee that beleeveth not is condemned already that is hee hath one foote in hell as it were hee is now in the gall of bitternesse and if hee liveth thus and endeth his dayes in this condition hee shall as surely be damned and goe to hell as if hee were there already All that beleeve in Christ are fully saved and therefore to heaven they must goe 〈◊〉 if they beleeve not in Christ they are as surely damned and therefore to hell they must go so theâ— the case is cleare the sentence of God is firâ—â— and the virdict that God passeth upon a 〈◊〉 sinner at thet time of death is most certaine there is no repealing of the sentence there is no recalling of the verdict and this is the reason why the time of a mans life is the season wherein 〈◊〉 man shall receive grace and salvation if ever hee receive it The second thing to be prooved is this why the meanes of salvation makes up the opportunitie wherein God meaneth to save poore sinners if 〈◊〉 they be converted and wee shall observe that the ground of this lieth in the very nature of a season if wee aske what makes a season of grace I answer that it will appeare that only the revelation of
Gods love that the Lord should beseech us oh that you would receive pardon for your sinnes and bee blessed for ever why this is wonderfull mercy and admirable goodnesse if this Cord will not draw a man what will do it this makes a poore soule to stand agast and amazed and say good Lord is this possible that the great King of Heaven should come and beseech such a traytor such a rebell as I am to take pardon if the King of England should proclaime a pardon to some notorious Traytor that had plotted some dangerous treason against his person this were much but that the King should lay downe his Crowne and come creeping to him and beseech him upon his knees to take mercy and not to be punished why this is a thing beyond all expectation no man will do this no man should doe this but when the soule shall thinke what a King intreat a Traytor a Rebell a Conquerer intreat a slave to take mercy what shall heaven stoop to earth shall majesty stoope to misery shall the great God of heaven and earth that might have condemned my soule that is a God holy and just and if I had perished and beene damned might have tooke glory by my destruction is it possible is it credible that this God should not only entertayne me when I come and command me for to come but intreat and beseech me to come and receive mercy from him oh the depth of the incomprehensible love of God! imagine you saw God the Father intreating you and God the Sunne beseeching you as he doth this day come now and forsake your sinnes and take mercy which is prepared for you and shall bee bestowed upon you would not this make a soule think thus with it selfe what for a rebell not only to have mercy offered but to bee intreated to receive mercy and pardon why then if I will not take it it were pitty but I should goe to hell and be damned for ever nay I tell you this mercy one day if you refuse it will plunge you into the bottomlesse pit of hell I tell you you were better heare ten Sermons of judgement than one of mercy if you do not take the same when it is offered The Lord hee complaineth why will ye die as I live saith the Lord I desire not the death of a sinner the Lord takes an oath upon it that he desires not the death of a sinner and calls after sinners turne ye turne ye why will ye die ye sinfull sonnes of men Mercy is offered you the Lord Iesus reacheth out his hand to you to pluck the drunkard out of the alehouse and the adulterer out of the company of his whore I tell you you had beene better have beene at the East-Indies where you might never have heard of mercy than slight it when it is offered if you do break this cord I know not what to say unto you this is able to breake a mountaine in peeces shake O mountaines saith the Psalmist why because God hath redeemed Iacob the redemption of Iacob was enough to shake a mountaine when thou hast been a great sinner and heaped up transgression upon transgression and drunk in iniquity like water why yet after all this the Lord offereth mercy unto thee and beseecheth thee to receive it I tell thee if thou wilt not have mercy now it is pitty but thou shouldest goe to the Devill and if thou dost goe to hell then thank thy selfe it was thy owne fault thou mightest have had mercy and wouldest not and this is the third cord of Gods mercy he intreats a poore sinner to come unto him and receive mercy from him but if the soule bee yet awke and untoward and will not come but say if mercy be so free then we will let it alone a while and take it hereafter if God bee so carefull of us then wee will bee a little carelesse our selves why then there remaines but one cord more and if thou breakest this thou art in a miserable condition and that is this The Lord doth wait and stay in long patience suffering Fourth Cord. to see if at any time a sinner will turne unto him our Saviour followes poore sinners from Alehouse to Alehouse and sayes I beseech you you drunkards take mercy and have your sinnes pardoned the Lord tyres himselfe so and wearieth himselfe with waiting one day after another and one weeke after another it may bee this day this weeke this Sabbath this Sermon a sinner will turne unto me what will it never be why are you not ashamed that the Lord Iesus should thus wayt your leisure and follow you from house to house and into the field nay that Christ should every morning appeare unto your understanding and every night come to your bed-side and say let this bee the last night of sinning and the next day the first day of your repenting oh when will you be humbled when will you receive mercy that it may goe well with you and yours for ever why for shame if none of all the other will move you yet let this cord draw you unto the Lord this is the last cord of Gods mercy he stayeth our leisure the Lord will not wait alwaies but hee waiteth a long time for our amendment hee stayed above a hundred yeares for the old world Ier. 13.27 there God taketh upon him the person of a travelling woman oh Ierusalem wilt thou not bee made cleane oh when will it once bee a woman that is in travell and oppressed with paine oh how she expects and longs for her delivery when the throâ— comes then she cryes when will deliverance come and then the throb comes the second time and then she cryes would death would come so deliverance would come and thus her heart breaks almost with waiting in this kind for the birth of the child which is to be delivered God the father doth take upon him the person of a travelling woman he is travelling even unto death untill he can bring forth his first borne untill some soule be converted and brought home unto him oh Ierusalem wilt thou not be cleane oh when will it once be I have wayted one yeare ten yeare twenty yeare forty yeare why when will it once be if a woman should be in travell forty yeares she would be accounted the wonder of the world nay it were impossible she should endure so long but the Lord hath travelled twenty yeares yea forty for the birth of poore sinners and how many throbs think wee hath the Lord endured in this time saying oh yee men of England will you never be cleane when will it once be the Lord thus travels in patience looking when we will receive mercy oh when will it once be will it never be that those proud hearts will be humbled will it never be that those stubborne hearts will be softned will it never be that those unregenerate hearts will be sanctified will it never be that
free with God whether he would enlighten any mans eyes and bring Salvation unto him why doth God raine upon one Citty and not upon another that is why doth the dew of the Gospell raine upon one place and not upon another it is for nothing but because it is Gods will it should be so in the 4 of Luke the 25. the place is very pregnant for this purpose There saith the text many widdowes were in Israel in the dayes of Elias when the heavens were shut up three yeares and sixe moneths but to none of them was Elias sent save unto Sarepta a City of Sidon unto a woman which was a widdow and this was onely out of Gods free grace he may take the meanes from one man and give it to another he may send his Gospell and the meanes of Salvation to one poore soule to one poore towne in a Shire or County and not to another according to his owne good pleasure for his mercy is free looke into the 17 of the Acts the 30. together with the 6 of the Acts the 1. for those two places interpret one another in the 17 of Acts the 30. the text saith And the times of this ignorance God winked at now the word winked as is the saâ—e with the word neglected Act. 6.1 there saith the text There arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrewes because their widdowes were neglected in the dayly ministration the word in the Originall signifies not to regard a thing and the same doth the word winked at â—ignifie in Acts 17.30 The Lord winked at this ignorance as if he should say the Lord over-looked and regarded it not the heathen they never had the knowlede of his lawes he neglected the heathen and had an eye onely upon the lewes he vouchsafed his grace and ordinary meanes of Salvation to them onely and why was this it was of his free mercy of his owne good pleasure and for the others the abuse of their knowledge and as the freedome of Gods grace and mercy appeareth in the appointing of the meanes and in Revelation of the meanes so Thirdly it appeares in the blessing of the meanes it is in the free mercy of God that any meanes of Grace and Salvation are blessed unto men and that they worke upon the soules of men 1 Cor. 1.21 there saith the text after that in the wisdome of God the world by wisedome knew not God it pleased God by the foolishnesse of Preaching to save them that beleeve how comes it to passe that men beleeve and are saved why it is because it pleaseth God it is not because men could procure this but it is of Gods meere good will of his free goodnesse and mercy and this was the cause of our Saviour Christs great thankes-giving Math. 11.25 26. many poore soules were converted by the Preaching of his Apostles and therefore saith Christ I thanke thee O Father Lord of heaven and earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast reveal'd them unto babes even so father for it seemed good in thy sight the reason why God did this was because it was his good pleasure so then the point standeth faire in regard of explication Namely that the offer of grace is free free in regard of the meanes that God hath appointed free in regard of the Revelation of the means appointed free in regard of the blessing of the meanes revealed But you will say what is the reason of this by what argument can you proove that the offer of grace is thus free The reasons briefely are three First this offer of grace musts needes be free because there is nothing in man that can purchase this in the 8 of the Acts 19.20 when Simon Magus saw that the Apostles by laying on of hands conveyed the grace of the Spirit into mens soules he thought to have gotten a booty and have done so also and offered money that he might receive that gift but marke how Saint Peter tooke him up with indignation Thy money perish with thee because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter It was a marvelous fearefull sin and therefore the Apostle Peter bad him pray that if it were possible the thought of his heart might bee forgiven him It is a vaine thing to conceive and a great sinne to thinke or imagine that grace can be purchased from God by any thing that we have received for there must be some proportion betweene the price and the thing that is bought in common reason but in the 3. of the Prov. 14 15. Salomon saith That the Merchandize of Wisedome that is of the wisedome of God wrought by the Spirit of God is better than the Merchandize of silver and the gaine thereof than fine gold shee is more pretious than Rubies and all the things thou canst desire are not to bee compared unto her There is no proportion between any thing and this wisedome no no they that thinke that God loves them any whit the better because they are rich and learned and honourable let them know that all those things are dung in regard of the graces of Gods Spirit If any thinke to buy grace they shall perish and their money with them for the offer of grace is free And secondly as there is nothing that can purchase grace so wee can do nothing that can merit grace for some man may say however I have no money to purchase it yet I can worke it out as poore men use to say to those for whom they worke when they would have any commodity of them they tell them they have no money to pay them for it but they will worke it out by their handy labour But alasse there is nothing that can bee done of the sinfull sonne of man that can procure any thing from God this way as we may see Rom. 9.16 It is not in him that willeth nor in him that runneth but in God that sheweth mercy It is not our willing our working our running what ever wee have or can doe is nothing for the procuring of grace in this kinde it is God alone that sheweth mercy Thus he will have mercy on whom hee will have mercy and compassion on whom hee will have compassion and whom he will he hardneth Rom. 9.18 If thou shouldest marke what is done amisse saith the Prophet David who could abide it If God should enter into judgement with any poore soule upon the earth there were no living for him hee could expect nothing but death and the fierce anger of God continually to pursue him and therefore farre it is from man to have any thing that can procure grace at the hand of God Thirdly a man naturally hath no ground whereby he can challenge this by way of promise from the Lord no naturall man hath any promise in this kind The promises are Yea and Amen to them that
are in Christ to them that are called and converted and brought home to Christ to those they are all yea confirmed and amen concluded yea made and amen performed but a man by nature can claime nothing at Gods hands but hell and damnation and therefore all the plagues and punishments that befall wicked men are the fruits of their owne labours they are their owne they have the fruit of their owne tree so Iudas is said to goe to his owne place In the 3. of Esay the 9. there saith the text Woe unto the wicked for they have rewarded evill to their owne soules the reward of their hands shall bee giver them for they shall eate the fruite of their doings They can challenge confusion and everlasting destruction this is their owne Iudas went to his owne hee had his owne share and his owne condemâ—ation they were his owne his owne sinnes procured them but as for the obtaining of Christ and of grace and salvation there is nothing that can doe it it is of the free mercy and goodnesse of God Godlinesse â—s great gaine saith the Apostle it hath the promise of this life and of the life to come but an ungodly man there is no promise at all made unto him hee can challenge nothing from God by way of promise so that by this time wee have the proofe of the point namely That the offer of grace is altogether free for we have nothing can purchase grace wee can do nothing that can procure grace wee have no right whereby wee may challenge grace by way of promise naturally and therefore the case is cleare That we have grace freely from the hand of God We see the point cleared the doctrine confirmed and established The use of it is two fold partly to the Saints of God that have received grace partly to those that want grace First for the Saints of God that have received grace I beseech you thinke of it it is a truth that cannot be denied proved by reason strong and Scripture plaine that whatsoever wee have from the beginning of conversion to the end of salvation is free grace Why mee thinkes your hearts should answer we ought to be stirred up the more to magnifie the mercy of God and so much the more to bee thankefull unto him for this mercy which our poore soules have received at his hands the freer the grace of God is which hee offereth unto us the greater our thanksgiving the greater the acknowledgement of the goodnesse of the Lord ought to bee those whom God hath given any assurance of sound grace that Christ is there that salvation is there they doe not know how much beholding they are to God for the same for this proceedeth altogether of his free mercy looke up therefore unto God and blesse God for it this is that which did drive the Prophet Micah to a stand Mica 7.18 19. there faith he Who is a Godlike unto our God that pardoneth iniquities and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his people he retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy he will turne againe he will have compassion upon us he will â—ubduâ— our iniquities and thou wilt cast all our sinnes into the bottome of the sea as who should say here is a God indeed who is like our God who hath pardoned all our sinnes why because his mercy pleased him because hee delighteth in goodnesse no God like Iehovah no Redeemer like Christ no Comforter like the Spirit all sins pardoned all iniquities cast into the bottome of the Sea but what is the ground of all because his mercy pleased him as if hee had sayd Men will doe no good unto us unlesse they see good in us unlesse they expect some good and profit from us but who is like our God no man is like unto him hee hath passed by our transgressions and subdued our iniquities and given us the graces of his spirit not because wee pleased him or did any thing that could deserve this at his hands but it was his free mercy that moved him all our peevishnesse all our loosenesse all our carelesnesse all our sinnes subdued and thrust into the bottome of the Sea and pardoned and why because wee pleased God no because his mercy pleased him this is God full of grace full of mercy full of goodnesse and compassion no God like our God no mercy like this no grace no goodnesse no compassion like unto this and therefore you poore Saints that have received any grace from the hand of the Lord goe into some secret place and say unto your soules and plead with your owne hearts and provoke your soules to thankesgiving for Gods mercy towards you reason with thy heart and provoke thy spirit to take notice of Gods mercy and say How is it Lord that many that have lived in the same towne in the same family nay the same man that is under the same ministry that I am that heares the same Sermons that I doe and sits in the same seate with me how is it that such a poore man or woman is still in the gall of bitternesse in the bond of iniquity still in the snare of death and under the power of Satan Father how comes it why is it that my mind is enlightned why was my heart humbled why didst thou give me any care to walke with thee and to forsake my sinnes and abandon my former lusts and corruptions why is this Lord it was of thine owne free mercy Lord for I had nothing which could purchase this at thy hands I could doe nothing that might procure it I could claime no promise naturally from thee in this kinde if thou canst thinke thus and say thus goe thy wayes and be as thankefull as thou canst to such a God that hath done this for thee and plead with the Lord as the Prophet David did What is man that thou shouldst be so mindfull of him and what is the sonne of man that thou shouldst regard him why Lord thou mindfull of me when I forgot my selfe when I ranne headlong into all wickednesse as prophane as ever any soule was oh those dayes which I now remember with griefe of soule when my heart rose up against thee and thy ministers and yet thou Lord mindfull of such a sinfull wretch as I am that forgot my selfe and my owne salvation why what am I Lord and what is this poore soule of mine that thou shouldest remember me oh doe thus and thinke of this and remember that our Saviour Christ when the Apostles Preached the Gospell here was a poore man on one side converted and a poore woman on another when the Lord Iesus saw this why I blesse thee Father saith he Lord of heaven and earth that thou hast revealed these things to the poore of the world and denyed them to great ones take this to your hearts the poore receive the Gospell the rich they are so full and so delighted in
man is not able to abide an admonition when he cannot endure to be informed or councelled exhorted or reproved when the ministers nor the Word of God can have any power over men when these poore creatures shall come into hell then they shall have elbow roome to fulfill their lusts and corruptions wherein they so much delighted they tooke pleasure in wickednesse they would not they could not abide the meanes of grace and salvation you would have no reproofes you would endure no admonitions it was well with you when you had no ministers to checke and reproove you but alas poore soule when you are gone downe into the bottomelesse pit of everlasting perdition then you may have your full swing then you shall never be reprooved more then you shall never be councelled more you shall never be admonished more you shall then never be prayed for any more but be damned in hell for ever from everlasting to everlasting you shall then have your full pleasure in your sinnes is it not just with God that you who would live in wickednesse and prophanenesse and would not receive grace and mercy when it was offerd that God should give you up to the hardnes of your owne hearts and blindnesse of your owne minds send you into everlasting condemnation for ever First look as it is with a malefactor that is convicted of high treason for plotting some wicked practise against his Prince or for proceeding into rebellion for the overthrow of his Countrey after all the sinnefull passages of his be discovered and made knowne both to himselfe and the world if the King after this make the Proclamation that if hee will leave of his wicked enterprizes hee shall be pardoned nay if the King shall send message after message unto him secretly to tell him that if he now will lay downe armes and take his pardon he shall freely be remitted and graciously received into favour if this Traytor shall rather fling away his pardon then his weapons I appeale to your owne consciences in this case if the King should â—â—ife an army and overcome him and take him and execute him without any pitty or mercy is he not justly rewarded what will the world say they will say execution and death is too good for him so he had a faire offer of pardon if hee had had a heart to receive it hee had pardon proclamed unto him nay the King sent messenger after messenger to tell him that if he would stoope to him he should receive mercy and favour from him and therefore seeing be refused and neglected so kinde an offer he is executed justly it is pitty but condemnation should befall him because hâ— would not take the meanes of consolation this is the condition of every poore soule under Heaven truely we are all Rebels and Traytors against Heaven by our â—â—thes and blasphemies we fet our mouâ—â— against Heaven we have often taken up armes against God and yet after all our pride and stubbornenesse and loosenesse and prophanenesse and contempt of Gods Word and Ordinances and yet the Lord is pleased to proclame mercy still to every one that will receive it all you that have dishonoured my name all you that have prophaned my Sabbaths and contemned my Ordinances all you cursed wretches come come who that will and take pardon let them lay aside all their weapons and receive it and salvation by him when it is offered to them and they shall have their sinnes forgiven and they shall be received to mercy now if any soule will stand out against God and say I will not have Christ and Salvation but will shift for my selfe and try it out to the last I will walke in my owne wayes and take up my owne courses I will be proud still I will breake Gods Sabbaths still and I will be malicious still and breake Gods Commandements still if any man shall be thus disposed if then the great God of Heaven and Earth shall come with tenne thousand thousand of judgements and execute them upon that man if he shall bring a whole legion of devils and say Take him devils and torment him devils in hell forever because he would not have mercy when it was offered he shall not have mercy because he would not have Salvation when it was tendered unto him therefore let him have everlasting condemntion if God should thus deale with that man the Lord should be just in so doing and he justly miserable And this is the second use it is an use of terror to all those that will not receive Christ and grace and salvation by him Thirdly in the third place it is a word of exhortation it should set an edge upon your desires and provoke your soules to give no sleepe to your eyes nor slumber to your eye-lids to give no quiet to your soules nor contentment to your hearts untill you have brought your soules to be willing to receive Christ Iesus you are the Spouse of Iesus Christ it is good for you therefore to consider and thinke of your estate in this kind if you will but have Christ that is all he careth for if he can but get your good wils he lookes for no more and therefore you are to consider of it and lie at your hearts daily you should daily be perswading of your soules and never cease till you have brought your hearts in some measure to be willing to receive the Lord Iesus and bid him welcome and give entertainement unto him and the more to prevaile with you in this case consider of the reasonablenesse of the condition and this may be a motive to provoke your soules hereunto because the offer is marveilous easie as faire as can be the tearmes of agreement are as faire as any heart can desire nay there is very good consideration in the goodnesse which the Lord hath tendred to us and that is thus much If we will but receive Christ Iesus all that he hath shall be ours the treasures of wisdome and grace and salvation they shall be all ours if we will but entertaine the Lord Iesus let us therefore reason with our owne soules and commune with our owne spirits concerning this gratious offer of salvation the soule should say What hath the Lord offered salvation at so easie a rate will hee notwithstanding what ever I have beene heretofore full of corruptions and abhominations though my soule stands guilty of my sinnes and distempers though I bee possessed with many weakenesses and infirmities yet notwithstanding all this will the Lord be pleased to pardon all to supply all to passe by all onely upon this condition if I will welcome and entertaine him may I have Christ for taking of him may I receive grace for carrying it away why good Lord if I will not doe this for Christ and grace I will do nothing doth God require no more why then if grace and mercy and salvation bee not worth this they are worth nothing if I will
good of men a gracious foote will be swift to runne the wayes of Gods Commandements now the wisest workeman will not chuse an instrument that is broken and unfit for service now an old man is a broken and crazie instrument little honour can God have by his tongue when it faulters little good can God have by his understanding and learning and wisedome when as in regard of his age he is become a child againe and therefore it is marvellous reasonable that God should take this time for the expressing of his grace for when a man is in the strength of nature then grace turnes all the members of his body and faculties of his soule the right way and a man runnes as earnestly forward in a good course as hee did before in the wayes of wickednesse so then gather up the point if in regard of the constitution of his body a man is then fittest to receive the things of grace if in regard of corruption he is not so hardened to resist grace if also then he is fittest to glorifie God for bestowing grace upon him then it is reasonable that as God can call when he will so it is most fit that he should call him before he is in his old declining age when his body is fit for nothing but to be carried upon a coffin and laid into the grave now we see then that it is cleare God can call at any time but God doth most usually call most of his servants before their old age Let us now see what use we can make of the Point and first observe from hence a ground of Instruction we must take heede that we be not too rash giddily censorious in setting downe a finall censure upon men seest thou men running on headlong in the wayes of wickednesse yet never conclude therefore that God will never shew mercy and favour unto them and worke upon the soules of them for we know that God can call at the eleventh houre and therefore be not too rash in censuring this way 1 Cor. 4.5 but receive the exhortation of the Apostle 1 Cor. 4.5 There saith the Text Iudge nothing before the time untill the Lord come c. FINIS THE FIRST TABLE Out of Revel 22.17 WHosoever will let him take of the water of life freely Doct. I. That the offer of grace from God is free page 6 It is free in regard of the preparation and the meanes of grace that God hath invented p. 8. Secondly it is free in regard of the revelation of the meanes p. 9. Thirdly it is free in regard of the blessing the meanes of grace and salvation to any soule p. 10 Reas I. This offer of grace must needes be free because there is nothing in man to purchase this p. 11 Reas II. Because the creature can doe nothing to merit it p. 12 Reas III. Because no naturall man hath any promise to challenge grace p. 13 Vse I. It is a word of advice to the Saints that have received grace to magnifie the mercy of God p. 15 Vse II. It is to the wicked that want this mercy a ground of encouragement to seeke after this mercy seeing it is free p. 19 Vse III. It is a Vse of Exhortation to all poore creatures that are burthened under the multitude of their sinnes to hope for mercy from the freenesse of of it p. 23 Doct. II. That the soule must be willing to receive Christ and grace before it shall have Christ and grace p. 27. What is meant here by the will p. 30 Quest But how shall a man come to know that he wills grace and Christ Answ A man may know whither he will grace or Christ by these 3. particulars First when the soule seeth such an excellency in Christ and grace that he highly priseth Christ and grace p. 35. Secondly whereby a man may know whether he will Christ or no is this when the soule can chuse Christ above all things p. 36. Thirdly if the soule truly wills Christ it will be carried towards Christ to close with him p. 39 Vse I. It is for reproofe and condemneth all those carnall Gospellers that thinke to be saved though they have no will to receive Christ. p. 41 Vse II. It is a word of terrour to all sinnefull creatures that doe professe by their wicked lives and conversations they will not have Christ. p. 45 Doct. III. Whosoever in truth doth will to have Christ shall receive him and salvation by him p. 51 Reas I. Because the Lord requires no more at the hands of a poore finner p. 54 Reas II. Because by this willing of Christ the creature is made fit to close with God p. 56 Reas III. Because the want of this wilingnesse to receive and embrace Christ is that which breaketh the match betweene God and the soule p. 58 Vse I. It is a ground of instruction to wonder at the riches of Gods bountie and goodnesse in his reasonable dealing with poore suiters onely to take Christ and mercy offered p. 62 Vse II. It is a word of terrour to shew the just heavie condemnation of all such as perish as are damned and goe to hell it is because they will be damned they will have none of Christ and grace p. 65 Vse III. It is an use of exhortation to stirre you up never to be quiet untill you have brought your soules to be willing to receive Christ p. 72 1 COR. 2.14 Doct. NO man of himselfe by nature can will to receive Christ p. 85. What is meant by a naturall man vid. p. 85. What is meant by the things of the Spirit vid. p. 87. That a naturall man hath no power to will Christ appeareth in foure particulars p. 90 Part. I. That the things of salvation must be first made knowne unto a naturall man else be can never of himselfe finde them out yet when these things of Christ and salvation by Christ are made knowne unto naturall men they cannot entertaine these spirituall truths p. 90 Part. II. When these things of life and salvation â—e brought home to the soules of naturall men yet the heart cannot but resist and oppose the Spirits worke p. 92 Part. III. If the Lord followeth a naturall man further that he may give him grace yet in himselfe he is not capeable of this grace p. 94 Par. IV. The naturall man is unwilling to be wrought upon that he might be made capeable to receive grace p. 97 Reas I Because a naturall man cannot receive the things of God p. 100 Reas II. Because all naturall men are fleshly and wholely overpowred with sinne p. 102 Reas III. Because a dead man hath no power to procure life unto himselfe p. 104 Vse I. It is to condemne that foolish conceit that â—arbours in the mindes of many poore ignorant soules that they brought grace into the world with them p. 105. Vse II. It is an use of Examination to trie whether you are naturall or spirituall p. 111
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
the text let the wicked for sake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and hee will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon The word in the original is this the Lord multiplyeth pardons the Lord hath not uttered all his pardons the Popes pardons indeed may bee all sold but Gods pardons are not at the bottome no no hee hath a multitude of pardons The Lord is ready to give thee pardon for all thy transgressions what ever thy corruptions bee whatsoever thy abominations be the Lord standeth to multiply mercy and pardon and forgivenesse that so thou mayest have mercy for all and forgivenesse to all thy sinnes and distempers hast thou multiplyed rebellion why the Lord doth also multiply pardons the bowels of compassion are still open and the armes of mercy are still spread abroad and when the soule seeth the attributes of God in Scripture that hee pardons all poore sinners that come unto him stubborne Manasses he was humbled and resolute Paul hee was converted when the soule seeth this then the soule thinketh why not I Lord why not I pardoned also why yes thou mayst bee received to mercy and pardoned also for the Lord doth still multiply pardons Manasses had some mercy and Paul had some and yet there is mercy for thee also and for a thousand thousand more the Lord is ready to pardon poore sinners and willing to entertaine them Secondly Second Cord. the Lord is not onely ready to forgive when men will come unto him but hee doth also call and command them for to come for the poore sinner when he heares this that God is mercifull and ready to forgive he may bee amazed and at a stand and thinkes with himselfe oh but may I shall I dare I goe unto the Lord for mercy may I be so bold to presse in for favour at the hands of the Lord it is the Lord indeed that sheweth mercy but may I come unto the Lord I have beene a gievous sinner and have heaped abomination upon abomination and therefore I am affraid to approach neere unto the presence of the Lord why I â—â—ll thee thou mayest come and the Lord willeth and commandeth thee to come upon the penalty of his everlasting wrath hee chargeth thee to come unto him and entertayne that favour hee hath provided for thee in the 3. of Ier. 22. there sayth the Lord come unto me yee rebellious people and I will heale your rebellions you that never prayed nor never came to heare all rebells come unto me and I will heale your rebellions and then the people answer behold we come unto thee for thou art our God be not to full of nicenesse in this case do not stagger and say I have dispised Gods goodnesse and slighted Gods mercies and therefore may I bee bold to come why I tell you you may goe to God for mercy come to me yea rebellious people and I will heale your rebellions mercy will answer all your sinnes they shall bee no impediment unto you in the 3. of Ier. 1. it is a fine passage there saith the text They say that if a man put away his wife and shee goe from him and shee become another mans will he receive her againe but thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet returne againe to me saith the Lord if a man should put away his wife for an adultresse would hee take her againe no certainely all the world will say an adultresse whore away with her after so many injuries wrongs done unto her husband there is no expectation of mercy or kindnesse from him but the Lord saith thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet returne unto me whatsoever we delight in more or love more than God they are our lovers now the Lord saith though thou hast had pride and covetousnesse and malice drunkennesse and adultery for thy lovers yet returne unto me notwithstanding all thy base doings and wicked practises yet come unto me saith the Lord this is great incouragement to a poore sinner that all his sinfull abominations should not hinder him from receiving mercy this workes wonderfully upon the soule of a sinner and he begings to wonder and say Lord shall all my sinnes bee pardoned shall all those oathes and all that prophanenesse of mine be forgiven after so many mercies slighted and so many abominations committed yet forgiven why aye saith the Lord come unto me and you shall be forgiven thou hast played the harlot yet come unto me thou proud heart and bee humbled come unto me thou stout stubborne sturdy heart and be softened come unto me yet for all this thou covetous heart and be sanctified and this is the second cord of this cable of mercy the Lord doth not only reveale unto the soule of a sinfull creature that if he doth come unto him he shall be accepted but hee commands him to come and receive mercy from him Thirdly Third Cord. the Lord doth not only command a poore sinner to come unto him but to go further it is marvellous strange to consider when a sinner in the sight of his unworthinesse is hardly brought to goe to the Lord for mercy but sayes it is true there is a great deale of mercy with God but not for me when a sinner thus goeth away from God and flyeth from mercy the Lord followeth him still and fendeth another cord after him and pursueth him with mercy and kindnesse that so if it were possible he might winne him and wooe him to receive mercy and forgivenesse It is almost impossible to conceive the wonderfull goodnesse of the Lord in this kind he doth not only command poore sinners to come unto him but hee entreates and beseeches them to come and receive mercy and this one would think should move the heardest heart under heaven 2 Cor. 5.20 there saith the Apostle Now then we are ambassadours for Christ as though God did beseech you by us we pray you in Christs stead be you reconciled unto God the matter here wee see is past all question the Lord doth not only command you to come but rather then you shall goe away hee will beseech you to come and take the mercy that the Lord offereth to you and you have so much need of mercy will come and kneele down before you and beseech you and intreat you for the Lord Iesus sake to pittie your poore soules and receive pardon for your sinnes to receive sanctification and justification here that you may be blessed and glorified for ever hereafter this is that which a sinner is not able to comprehend but he begins to be at a stand and at amazement It is a great matter that God should command a sinner for to come unto him and that he should be accepted when he doth come but that God should beseech and intreat a poore sinner to receive mercy herein is discovered the incomprehensible depth of
to commit any sinne againe Iohn 16.11 there Christ saith that he will send the spirit the Comforter and he shall reprove the world of righteousnesse and of sinne and of judgement In that it is said he will reprove the world of judgement thereby is nothing else meant but that the Lord will govern men and why shall the comforter convince the world of judgement because Satan is judged saith the text that is he is kept off and cannot pluck the soule to himselfe the government that Satan had over the soule is wholly removed and Christ hath the soule under his command and the soule is contented to be wholly at at his disposing In the time that Christ lived upon the earth when the divells did possesse the bodies of men the Lord saith unto them I charge thee thou uncleane spirit to come out so the Lord saith now to the divell that hath taken possession of the soules of those men which do belong to the election of grace after the Lord hath rent a poore sinner from his corruptions and haled him to himselfe then he saith come out of him Satan and never rule him more never take place in him more and then he takes the soule into his hands that he may governe him and dispose of him according to his owne good will and pleasure This wee see the cords whereby God draweth a sinner to himselfe First he inlightens the mind and reveales to the soule of a sinner that he is in a wrong way and that he must take another course if ever he meane to come at heaven and then the layes the cords of mercy and the cords of conscience upon him whereby he constraines and forces him to come unto him and the last is the cord of the Spirit whereby he doth take the soule out of the hands of Satan into his owne possession The next thing to be considered is the reasons why the Lord by a holy kind of violence Reasons or Arguments thus drawes a sinner from corruption to himselfe the arguments are three The first is taken from those tear me whereby the Scripture discovereth this work of God upon the soule of a sinner Matth. 12.29 there saith our Saviour No man commeth into a strong mans house but first he overcomes and binds the strong man before he takes possession of his house and spoyles his goods this is the parable the meaning is this the house is nothing else but the heart of a sinner the strongman is nothing else but sinne and Satan the divell and sinne taking possession of and ruling in the soule of a sinner and this is the wofull condition of many men that think their penny good silver and beare their heads aloft howsoever they lift their heads so high yet their soules are nothing else but habitations for the divell now Satan ruling and overpowering the soule by sinne is the strong man that usurps authority over the soule by reason of the corruptions that prevayle over the soule for if there were not sinne within the soules of men there were no power that Satan could usurp over men now observe it the Lord Iesus is the stronger man and before he can come and take possession of the soule and work effectually in the soule he must bind Satan and take away the weapons of Satan and then when he hath bound him and overcome him then he takes possession of the soule this is the meaning of the parable Now I reason thus conquering binding and slaying imply a kind of violence Satan will not come out by intreaty the devill must be commanded to go out or else drawn out by a kind of violence if all the Angells in heaven and all the men on earth should intreat Satan to come out of the soule he would not come out but this implyeth a holy kind of violence that Christ offereth to corruptions in the soule when he drawes the soule from sinne to himselfe In another place it is said that Christ came to destroy the works of the divell Ioh. 3.8 those works are the sinfull corruptions that were at first put into the soule by the delusion of Satan when he tempted our first parents to eat of the forbidden fruit Now Christ commeth to destroy those works now the works of Satan will not destroy themselves sinne and Satan will not bind and overcome themselves the enemy will not come out of his hold willingly but the work that must be put forth for the binding conquering and destroying of those must needs imply a work of constraint and holy violence which is offered A man offers violence to his enemy when he binds him a man offers violence to his enemy when he overcomes him a man offers violence to his enemy when he flayes and destroyes him such is the work of the Lord when he takes possession of a soule this way and this is the interpretation of Divines in this case they say that the Lord doth take away that deadnesse and stupidity of heart whereby it may lay hold on grace if it resist not the good motions of the Spirit The second Argument The second Argument is taken from the naturall union betweene the soule and corruption and then I reason thus one contrary expells another from a naturall subject by constraint and compulsion but the spirit as a contrary doth drive out sinne from the soule in the work of preparation as a contrary thereunto and therefore must do it by constraynt and compulsion Wee will open both the parts of the Argument I say one contrary driveth out another by violence and constraynt as for example wheresoever heat is if it commeth to drive out cold it doth it by a certaine kind of violence for the ground of all constraint ariseth from the crossenesse and contrariety that things have one to another wee need no constraint to to make things doe that which is naturall unto them as to make fire hot or a Lyon fierce or a Wolfe ravenous but he that will make a Lyon become a Lamb and he that will make a wolfe become a Kidd he that doth this must offer a kind of violence to the nature of the Lyon and of the Wolfe and break the combination that is betweene the fiercenesse of the thing and the thing it selfe so that it is cleare that one contrary driveth out another from a naturall subject by constraint and violence and that sinne is naturally in a corrupt heart is evident Ioh. 3.6 whatsoever is born of the flesh is flesh that is whosoever commeth from Adam is rooted in sinne now mark sinne being thus naturally in the soule the Spirit of grace and the Lord Iesus when he commeth to drive away sinne from the soule breaketh that neere union that is between sinne and the soule by a holy kind of violence Gal. 6.17 there saith the Apostle from henceforth let no man trouble mee for I beare in my body the marks of the Lord Iesue the Lord Iesus breaking
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
your minde stands deferre not the time but welcome him and give entertainment unto him now presently do not put him off with delayes but presently embrace his kinde offer and be married unto him for if you will not now take him he will come in a flaming fire hereafter to take vengeance of you all that now refuse and reject him and therefore I beseech you let 〈◊〉 get your good will for this every man that will let him take grace and salvation freely tell mâ—â— then will you have mercy and salvation oh take heed of refusing it for if you do the time will come when you shall never have it though you never so earnestly desire it if you obtaine it you are made for ever if you enjoy it not you are for ever damned returne therefore I beseech you a comfortable answere to the demand which the Lord maketh if you will receive grace and Christ and Salvation from him then speake to the Lord in this case let your soules answere him cheerefully we will Lord the Lord saith come unto me ye sinfull sonnes of men and I will hâ—ale your rebellions answere the Lord and say we come Lord for thou art our God thinke upon this and worke your soules hereunto graâ—nt Christ your good wills in this kind if you will but prize him and choose him above all things in this world if you be resolved to cleave onely to him and forsake all other things in the world for him if your soules be but willing to receive Christ I proclaime mercy and salvation unto you we are as I told you before Christs messengers sent to speake a good word for Christ and to get your good wills for him oh that we may have our errant from you shall I say to the Lord Iesus all the poore soules that have heard the Word this day and received the tender of Salvation this day I have all their hands they have all writ downe their names that they will have Christ and they will have salvation offered unto them is it thus with you if it be so then I may goe and returne a chearefull answer to Christ but doe not doe not I beseech you give me the deniall doe not say I cannot live by grace I must provide for family for wife and children can you not so why I must not take this answer from you let not Gods messengers go drooping to heaven and returne this uncomfortable answer to the Lord in this case let us not say we offered mercy no body would receive it we tendred salvation but no body regarded it shall we returne this answer no no we must have another answer from you and therefore I beseech you worke yet more upon your soules and turne unto us a chearefull answer in this case for God looketh for a comfortable answer he wooeth from heaven and therefore never give her the deniall Deut. 5.29 In the 5. of Deut. 29. Oh that there were such a heart in my people to feare me and keepe my Commandements that it may goe well with them and with their children after them thus hee writeth thus wee speake what answer shall wee have from you that you will not have Christ and you will not have grace and salvation Oh take heede of this wee come for your hearts and wee must have your hearts therefore shut up your doores against all other lovers and come and say cheerefully wee will Lord wee will cleave to thee onely goe home therefore and whatsoever you now resolve this way persevere in it and take heed that no man inveagle you and withdraw your love from the Lord Iesus and when you come at home reason with your owne soules and say Lord I have followed raâ—ties heretofore I have had profits and pleasures do looke after but now I care for nothing but for the Lord Iesus if I may but have him I care for nothing else I â—are not whether I ever see good day againe or no and therefore if pleasures call if profits entise if lusts and corruptions stirre then I will answer I am married to Christ I will have Christ and I will have salvation nothing shall make mee forsake him thus cleave fast unto Christ forever let every soule resolve that hath heard mee this day that they will have Christ and let them take heede that they never start backe from him and say to your soâ—â—es before so many witnesses in the Congregation the Lord called and asked whither I would have him and I answered I was willing and what shall I now breake off my resolutionâ— no never doe it for shame for if you doe for sake Christ and do not keepe close to your resolution at the last day when the Angels of God a whole Congregation shall come and witnesse against you what a miserable estate will you then bee in therefore resolve to hold fâ—st to Christ and keepe this resolution unto the end 1 COR. 2.14 The naturall man receiveth noâ— the things of the Spirit of God for they are foolishnesse unto him neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned WEE have propounded heretofore five generall circumstances of preparation First a man must know that the offer of grace is free Secondly that a man must will Christ and grace before hee shall have Christ grace Thirdly he that doth will Christ shall have Christ and salvation by him all which we have already handled out of that place Revel 22.17 Whosoever will let him take of the water of life freely And now wee are come to the fourth circumstance which is that no man by nature can will Christ and Grace and for this purpose I have chosen this Text. And a little to make way for our selves if you take your eyes backe to the beginning of the Chapter about the 3 4 and 5. Verses you may see how the holy Apostle doth expresse his earnest desire to preach nothing not know any thing but Christ Iesus and him crucified and therefore hee lookes not after the excellencie of humane eloquence or wisedome of men though hee could have had this too and happily expressed this also yet hee proclaimes it in the eares of the Corinthian Doctours that hee desired nothing in that Vniversity for Corinth was a famous Vniversity as Cambridge and Oxford is but to know the Lord Iesus and him crucified and therefore his speech and preaching was not with entising words of mans wisedome but in demonstration of the spirit and of power the Corinthâ—an Doctors bragged of that humane wisedome and learning wherewith they were endued but hee tells them he desired not this nor never lookâ— after it Now least some might cavill at the Apostles neglecting of this elegance whereby 〈◊〉 might sugar over his doctrine that was to be dâ—â—â—vered by him to the people least by the nor regarding of this he might bring a neglect upon himselfe and upon his doctrine the Apostle therefore to remoove these filly objections and secret
cavills discovers unto us from the fift Verse to the end of the Chapter the excellency of the Gospell of the Lord delivered in the plainenesse of it in the sixt Verse there saith he howbeit we speake wisedome among them that bee perfect yet not the wisdome of this woâ—â—â— nor of the Princes of this world that come to nought but wee speake the wisedome of God in a mystery even the hidden wisedome which God ordained before the world unto our glory as if he had said though you thinke O yee Corinthians that there is no learning but humane learning yet you must know that wee speake wisedome too and that to those that are the perfectest men in their owne understanding I tell you wee speake wisedome which the world and the princes thereof those that have the greatest parts never knew never obtained you Corinthian Doctors bragge much of your learning and knowledge but you have received it of other humane authors but wee teach unto you the wisedome of God and of the Gospell which eye hath not seene nor eare heard neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive for God hath revealed them unto us by his spirit where wee may observe by the way that hee which teacheth the Gospell in the plainenesse of it teacheth the deepest things that can be conceived for here S. Paul speaketh of things which the wise of the world never heard of never conceived But then they might reply further how can you know these things and why may not others know them as well as you These are the two objections that might bee made against that which the Apostle had before spoken of How came you to know them and why may not others know them as well as you The Apostle answereth these two questions And he answeres the first how he came to know them from the 10. Verse to the 14. God saith he hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit for the Spirit searcheth all things yea the deepe things of God now wee have received not the spirit of the world but the spirit which is of God that wee might know the things that are freely given to us of God as if he had sayd The spirit of God knoweth these things and teacheth a poore soule these things as farre as is convenient for him the Spirit of God understandeth these things and makes knowne these things to his servants they know not these things of themselves but by the power of God Spirit the Spirit of God assisting and working effectually in them teacheth them these secrets But then why doe not wicked men come to understand these great matters also To this the Apostle answers in the Text The naturall man receiveth not the things of the Spirit for they are foolishnesse unto him c. they doe not know them because they cannot A naturall man doth not know these things they are wonders and miracles unto him tell him how a poore soule comes to be humbled and broken and have his sinnes pardoned and bee received to mercy why these things are wonders to a carnall man the Text saith he doth not understand these things because hee cannot and the ground of this is because they have not the spirit to teach them this I take to be the scope of the Apostle in the Text and in the verse we are to observe onely one point meete for our purpose for as we have sayd before there are five generall circumstances of preparation observable three we have handled and the fourth is this No man of himselfe by nature can will to receive Christ and this is here plainely set open in the text and therein manifestly expressed it is the maine scope of the holy Ghost in the words a naturall man receiveth not nay he cannot receive the things of God but before wee can come to gather the point two things must be discovered unto us First what is meant by a naturall man Secondly what is meant by the things of the spirit of God First what is meant by a naturall man the Corinthians might have replyed upon the Apostle what are you a man of the spirit onely what meane you by a naturall man I answere he is a naturall man in phrase of Scripture which hath not the worke of grace soundly wrought in him which hath not the spirit of God whosoever he be that lyeth in the bosome of the Church whosoever he be that hath a name to live and yet is dead all carnall Gospellers and hyppocrites those that are coloured over with the name of Christians and religion whosoever they be that have not that saving worke of grace and the new frame of grace set up and reared in their soules by the assistance of Gods Spirit all these how ever they may be coloured over if they have not had the sanctifying worke of Gods Spirit upon them all these are sayd according to the Phrase of the Apostle to be naturall men and voyd of the spirit as may appeare by the words going before the Text and following after First compare them with the words going before in the 10. and 12. Verses Wee have received the Spirit of God faith the Text the naturall man and the spirituall are opposed one to another Wee saith the Apostle have received the Spirit so that hee that hath Gods Spirit is a spirituall man and therefore hee that hath not the Spirit of God in him hee that hath not the will of God revealed unto him by the Spirit he is a naturall man Looke also in the words after the Text Vers 15. He that is spirituall discerneth all things he that hath a heart truly humbled and a soule truly sanctified he that is adopted he is a spirituall man so that he which is voyd of the Spirit he is a naturall man the phrase is excellent in this kind Iude 19. Iude 19. these bee they saith the Text that separate themselves sensuall not having the Spirit the words there interpret one another hee was speaking before of wicked wretches and those that lived after their owne ungodly lusts in the 18. Verse saith the Text there shall be mockers in the last time who shall walke after their owne ungodly lusts where we may note that we shall never see a mocker one that opposeth Christ and the Gospell and is jearing at the Saints of God but he walkes after ungodly lusts They are sensuall men who be those sensuall men those that have not the Spirit of God as wee may see Verse 19. and therefore whosoever he be or whatsoever hee be be his appearance never so good if hee be not truly sanctified by the spirit of God though he be a new man outwardly if hee be not sound in his conversation hee is a naturall man hee that hath not the Spirit of God ruling and domineering over his lusts he is in a naturall estate The second thing which is to bee discovered is this vid. what is meant by the things of