when we come to see him we may be pierced and be in bitternesse for him Yea 3. That a Soul may truly and in earnest feel and discern its need of such a Jesus to bear and deliver from that wrath When such a glimpse of God upon it such a shaking such an abasement in its own vilenesse such a tasting of wrath then a Christ to quiet and calm a desolate soul is worth looking after indeed But it will presently be enquired whether every Soul is brought into Christ this way I will first open the height of this tempest upon a Soul and then I will satisfie this Query It is thus When God musters up our sins and sets them in order before our eyes Psal 50.21 When he will make sin appear exceeding sinfull to be abounding sin When God writes bitter things against a Soul and makes it to possesse the iniquity of its youth I need seek no further then the 38. Psalm for this tempest and the 88. In both of them you have a description of this tempest upon a poor creature Thine arrows stick fast in me There is no rest in my bones because of my sin Mine iniquities are gone over my head and are a burthen too heavy for me to bear Troubled and bowed down and go mourning all the day filled with his terrours as Heman To this as it may be conceived to have been the case with David and Heman in both these Psalmes is usually added some sharp affliction either of sicknesse or of the imbittering some choice creature-comfort our spirits were inordinately let out unto which causeth this shaking and tempest to be the more grievous that we become as David speaks even as broken vessels under the mighty hand of God This also by the sufferance of God is often heightned by Satans violent assaults black and horrible suggestions blasphemous accusations representing sin as unpardonable joyns with an accusing conscience and all our fleshly reasonings that God is in a way of destroying and beginning of wrath here and therefore is apt to suggest self-destruction so crossing Gods design perswading the Soul to fly from God as an Enemy when Gods main design is mercy to turn it to him Now then take all these the appearing of a great and holy and terrible God shaking a poor earthly creature the powerfull awakenings and enlightenings of his Word a sense of his fierce wrath the dread of a miscarrying soul the burthen of sin the accusations of conscience the afflicting hand of God the desperate assaults of Satan these like several windes make a tempest in the whole man and make it to cry out Thy waves O Lord and thy billows go over my soul who is able to abide thine appearance These like severall windes meeting in a cranny of the earth make a concussion and mighty shaking upon the spirit of a sinner when the Lord thus takes him in hand Now to answer the question whether every Soul be brought in to Christ such a way in the height of this tempest This is more then I dare assert yet that many a poor Soul comes thus shipwracht Christ thus tempestuous and forlorn I know I need not insist to prove This I may call the storming of a Soul when Christ takes a Soul by his great power suddenly breaks down all the strong holds and high things 2 Cor. 10.5 This is usually the way of an open sinner though not in the same height neither in every open sinner at his first conversion But then sometimes Jesus Christ takes a Soul as I may so speak upon easier terms brings it in leni afflatu with a more gentle gale yet so that in the progresse of it there will be some shakings something of this tempest upon it though the Soul hath a glimpse of Christ and his hand more sensibly supporting it which I clear thus First If the seed of grace be sown early in the heart as sometimes it is that some Souls cannot remember the first work of it yet if the Soul grow up to any measure of experience it must be more shaken in order to its further subduing and purifying It will meet with some kinde of tempests ordinarily I never spake with any as to this Point but more or lesse did allow of it But when the work of God is begun at some further ripenesse of years then certainly it shall meet with what I have set forth in some measure Consider for a Soul to be awakened out of the deep sleep of carnall security which sin hath bound him in To have Satan the strong man dispossest by a stronger then he To have the guilt and filth of sinne discovered by the holy Spirit To have Christ destroy the works of Satan the power and peace of corruptions that will set against him with all the reasonings of flesh and bloud mustered up To have in a word the secure dead earthy dark hard proud atheisticall unbeleeving heart of an obstinate wretch of death to become life of darknesse light of a stone flesh To have a grain of faith break through all naturall impossibilities spirituall wickednesses all discouragements within and without when nothing within us to help forward beleeving but every thing against us as I shall further shew Though all these be not enough to hinder the Lord Jesus when he by his strong arm will work Isa 43.13 I will work and who shall let it yet certainly this work is not wrought forth in a dream as we use to speak of things insensibly done not without some shaking and concussion upon the spirit something of this tempest upon it partly in the beginning and partly in the progresse of conversion Fides non fit sine multo motu saith Melancthon faith is not wrought forth without much motion in the Soul Yea I might here shew into how many tempests from without and within many a poor Soul specially such whom God will most humble and fit for some speciall service fals into how many overwhelmings of spirit and gusts of temptations it is frequently shaken with but I intend to keep my self chiefly to the discovery of the souls first approach to Christ It may yet be further enquired What is the lowest measure of such conviction in the bringing in of a Soul to Christ In this there have been extreams somtimes I presume gracious men giving forth the tenour of their own conversion as a generall rule to all others But in this case I may safely assert that the first work of the Spirit is to convince of sin Joh. 16.7 And that such a convincement that shall give a creature such a sight of sin that it must appear exceeding sinfull to be abounding sin Rom. 5.18 to be tyrannizing fin filthy sinne condemning sinne which must not only flote in the head but convince the conscience and affect the heart that it must needs humble and abase a creature as he goes out of himself and rowls upon Jesus Christ yea he shall come in a
to the next Point Thus having shew'd the condition of a humbled convinced sinner coming to Jesus Christ in a perishing condition and waiting for the voice of comfort and assurance I shall in the next endeavour to state such a faith which Christ in the Text cals a little faith Why are ye fearfull c. Doct. 4. True faith may be consistent with many fears and weaknesses and yet may engage the heart of Christ to succour By what hath been opened we may give forth this description of faith 'T is a coming to Christ in a perishing condition for salvation which Divines usually stile faith of recumbency relying and rowling upon Christ which is not alwaies accompanied with assurance this being but the height and excellency of faith not of the absolute being of it that is that without which faith cannot be So assurance is not of the nature of faith That which I am to clear is That this Faith may be consistent and mixt with many fears and that yet it may engage the heart of Christ to succour 1. From example Mar. 9.22,24 Lord I beleeve help thou my unbelief Faith so weak that he knew not whether he might venture to call it faith or not I beleeve but straight takes himself off as if he were afraid to stile it faith Lord help mine unbeleef or if I do not beleeve Lord help me to beleeve In such a suspense the words imply him to be and yet 't was a faith that sped in its errand So Mat. 8.2 In the case of the Leper Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean I beleeve thou hast power enough but whether thou wilt receive and help such a miserable creature that 's a hard question He only viewed the power of Christ but much doubted what his heart might be toward him In the commended faith of the Centurion v. 6. he only spreads the poor creature before him comes to him and 't was enough v. 13. As thou hast beleeved so be it unto thee and he was healed the same hour So Mat. 9.20 c. in the case of the diseased woman first she came behinde him from her self-unworthinesse and so doubting and fearing to come before his face she said within her self she had many parlies and reasonings within her self whether she should go to him or not but at last resolved on it and to do it by stealth see the same laid down by Mark 5.33 't is there expressed she came fearing and trembling no question as doubting of her acceptance fell down before him in acknowledgement how unworthy a creature she was for his notice and told him all the truth what a despicable creature she was how she had spent all she had and now must be helped by him or perish and so misery had made her bold and she ventured to come to him hearing what a mercifull man he was The very posture of a poor humbled soul in its need a poor open-hearted sinner coming to him and then observe how ready the Lords answer was no accusing her and reasoning the matter with her to tax her of her unworthinesse but bespeaks her kindely Daughter be of good comfort thy faith hath made thee whole go in peace and be whole The very errand a poor soul comes to Christ for And 't is very remarkable what Christ answered to the two blinde men coming to him Mat. 9.28 Beleeve ye that I am able to do this Only if he was able not whether he was willing If it be objected all these were for temporall blessings I answer That under these spiritual mercies and salvation are couched or if not there 's the same reason of both yea further to clear this if you will look into the histories of those eminent beleevers and Saints Heb. 11. do but mark what weaknesses you may finde in their faith Sarah her self if you look to Gen. 18. she laughed within her self and said Shall it be so a high questioning of the word of the Lord and that upon which she rested was the power of God only which the Angels gave forth in that confirming word Is there any thing too hard for the Lord and so of Abraham himself that God was able to preserve Concerning his heart and willingnesse of that no mention Reasons We shall enquire into the Reasons of this Why Faith is mixt with such fears 1. Because flesh and bloud is against beleeving the wisedom of the flesh is highly against it for a soul to go out of it self to another for righteousnesse the wisedom of flesh and bloud is full of these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 10.5 imaginations reasonings and disputings against it 't is against the pride of flesh and bloud to be beholden to another for righteousness against all those issues of pride self-love self-sufficiency and self-confidence Now flesh and bloud being thus set against beleeving in the Lord Jesus 't is disputing and reasoning against it as Joh. 1.12,13 which were born not of bloud nor of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God So when Peter Mat. 16. had confessed his faith saith Christ Flesh and Bloud hath not revealed this unto thee but my Father which is in heaven 2. Man is naturally under a power of unbelief Rom. 11.31 concluded under unbelief not only a heart unapt to beleeve but under a power of the contrary Heb. 3. ult They could not enter in because of their unbelief a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an impossibility from unbelief while remaining so Now this power is not wholly vanquished and subdued but will still be mixing and rising up and opposing more or less in all beleevers c. 3. A Soul findes nothing in himself to encourage him to beleeve as in the case of Peter at his conversion Luk. 5.8 Depart from me Lord for I am a sinfull man so when the voice of the Lord is heard in the soul it fears before him and begins to see to purpose that he is a sinfull creature it is ready to depart from the Lord and to bid the Lord depart from him that which indeed should have been Peters ground of going to Christ or to have besought him to come to him his being a sinfull man he useth as a reason to bid the Lord depart from him Lord canst thou endure to look upon such a sinfull worm such a filthy wretch as my self Oh 't will offend thy pure eyes but to glance upon me So the Centurion Master I am not worthy thou shouldst come under my roof Sense of unworthinesse causeth a Soul to put up hard pleas against it self and so the heart being taken up and overwhelmed and abased in the sense of self-vilenesse and unworthinesse forgets and dares not so heartily pleade Christs free grace and tendernesse to receive it 4. The accusations of conscience being awakened as before mustering up sinne upon sin joyned with the aggravations of Satan like a cunning disputer who musters up all his forces to make
sin as horrible as ever he argued it pleasant and commodious yea his chief darts lie at the faith of a beleever to be reasoning against the grounds of beleeving questioning their election severing the promises out of their sight mudding and darkening their sight of Christ accusing them for unsound and hypocrites tempting them from means which make for strengthening of faith Peter saith Christ Satan hath desired to winnow thee but I have prayed that thy faith fail not implying Satans design lay most against his faith through the malice and subtlety of Satan faith is put hard to it till the Lord rebuke him 5. Faith is wrought forth gradually in the soul by degrees at first sown as a grain of mustard-seed a small seed corruptions and reasonings like overspreading tares ready to choak it therefore being sown as I may so speak in weaknesse at first 't is thus put to it for comfort therefore Paul tels the Thessalonians 1 Thes 3.10,13 that there was something lacking in their faith and the establishment of their faith is much praied for by him 6. The Lord suffers it to be so that his power in the supporting of a weak soul may the more appear Faith is called the operation of the Son of God 1 Thess 2. and that your faith might stand in the power of God when a soul is full of fears and mis-givings and ready to sink under them theu the hand of the Lord is more visible in sustaining then we see by his power alone we stand Had we a strong setled faith presently we should rather be lifted up in our selves or rest upon grace received and so not glorifie the Lord Jesus and live upon him for strength as he requires Therefore the Lord suffers these fightings and reasonings within that we might have continuall recourse to him for support and that we might see that the beginnings life and growth of faith it is all in and from Jesus Christ as the Authour and Finisher of it For these Reasons viz. the wisedom and pride of flesh and bloud the natural power of Unbelief not being wholly subdued sense of unworthinesse the depth of guilt accusations of conscience and the disputings of Satan faith sown in weaknesse at first and all this suffered to ends of glory to the Lord Jesus Christ that his power and grace may be the more magnified therefore true faith is mixt with many reasonings doubtings misgivings disputings fears which do annoy it I will first endeavour to apply this before I prove further that such a faith may engage Christ to succour 1. If true faith be thus mixt with fears and reasonings It meets first with the easie faith that the most of people please themselves in as I thank God I alwaies beleeved God forbid but I should beleeve in Jesus Christ 'T is easie very easie indeed to presume away a precious soul 't is easie to flatter a mans self with an opinion of beleeving and indeed 't is nothing else but a customary opinion of Christ But to beleeve in Christ Jesus and savingly and effectually to apply his bloud by his Spirit enabling this is hard ah hard indeed to a poor convinced soul that hath deep thoughts of heart about the pardon of sins Lord help my unbelief and Lord if thou wilt and the like This easie beleeving is the dead sleep of sin upon the conscience and a generall opinion in the brain that Christ died for sinners even for all sinners to whom he is preached heightned by the strong delusion of the devil whose work it is to perswade souls that have nothing but a dead generall faith that they beleeve well and on the contrary to dispute against the faith of true beleevers that they do not truly believe And this among others may be a discovery of true faith unbelief is still mixing and Satan disputing against it as in the reasons shew'd If so much faith against beleeving pardon of sinne in the Lord Jesus how can it choose but be so but it must be a hard thing to a poor soul to fasten upon Christ in a promise for remission of sins when so much opposition to it Therefore this is an infallible note true beleevers deeply feel and are humbled for unbelief Oh 't is the deep evil of their hearts and that they most tremble at but take a carnall formall dead-hearted Protestant and no such matter with him He could beleeve a thousand years together and if he have any scruples they be as nothing a little praier or the like will quickly hekl it And herein also is another great snare Naturall conscience that is a conscience not savingly enlightned and sanctified may give some checks before in or after the commission of a sin and then unregenerate persons do most usually gather that they have truth of grace because they have some little conflicts within which they fasten upon from Rom. 7. the thing that I would not that do I but that former I is meant of the regenerate nature distinct to and warring against the fleshly part and not a little conflicting of the naturall conscience from common enlightenings of the word So also as to doubting and some small mis-givings these argue not a truth of saith unlesse these are only allayed by the going out of the soul to Jesus Christ and the evidence of the work of saith with power wrought forth in us If thy doubtings be such that do not settle again till thou hast made a true entire close with Jesus Christ in self-renouncing then they are of the spirit subduing sin and unbelief in thee Therefore look narrowly to unbelief as true faith interests the soul in Christ and all his grace and promises so unbelief excludes while unsubdued from all of Christ It sins against totum dei every attribute of God So then they could not enter in because of unbelief An utter impossibility upon it And this may reign through deluded mis-perswasion of true faith though the conversation in the eye of men civil and regular I desire to acknowledge to the praise of the rich grace of God that the opening of the power of unbelief by a holy Preacher of the Gospel was the first time of the Lords speaking to me in powerfull convincement that I was in the state of unbelief though before full of confidence of the safety of my condition Oh therefore Soul whoever thou art be jealous of thy own heart in this particular unbelief is a close spirituall undiscerned evil till the Lord come in and shew thee what the strength of it is by casting in a grain of faith to grapple with it which without the continuall supply of his Spirit will be overwhelmed by it Therefore let me presse thee with a serious triall of thy self this way that this is a dangerous snare easinesse to beleeve pardon of sin and peace with God So that unlesse thou canst make out a work of faith with power by the word and spirit Question all and so
THE TEMPESTUOUS SOUL CALMED BY Jesus Christ BEING An Extract of severall SERMONS PREACHED By ANTHONY PALMER Pastor of the Church at Bourton on the Water in Gloucester-shire LONDON Printed by A. M. for E. Brewster and G. Sawbridge and are to be sold at the Signe of the Bible on Ludgate-hill MDCLIIII To my dear Father Brothers and Sisters and others of my Beloved Kindred and Friends c. IF I know my own heart there were two Reasons prevailed with me for sending forth this Treatise into the light First to witnesse what the Lord to the praise of his abundant grace hath done for my own poor soul Secondly As drawn forth by tender affections and yerning bowels I desire more and more to put on for your immortall souls which my hearts desire is should be as dear and pretious to me as my own yea that my heart might be enflamed with that zeal of holy Paul Rom. 11.14 If by any means I may provoke to emulation them which are of my flesh and might save some of them In this brief Treatise though chiefly pointing at the comforting a disquieted spirit yet there is laid down in the former part of it what may suit with your severall conditions and so to set up a rest lesse enquiry in your spirits after the Lord Jesus till he shall fill your souls with this blessed calm of his own presence here shadowed forth unto you If it should be objected by any other that I might have directed you to other Books before extant of which blessed be God there 's abundant choice I answer and I verily beleeve will you with me that the room I have in your affections will render something from my self though far short of the excellencies of other Pieces more gratefull to you and that you will be the more inclined to reade it Vpon which account I send it to you with my breathings to heaven for the blessing of the Spirit of grace to be with it and all others to whose hands it shall come craving a candid interpretation with them I Rest Yours most affectionately in Christ Jesus A. P. Bourton on the Water Sept. 21. 1652. July 12. 1653. Imprimatur Joseph Caryl The Tempestuous Soul Calmed by Jesus Christ MAT. 8.23,24,25,26,27 And when he was entred into a Ship his Disciples followed him And behold there arose a great tempest in the Sea insomuch that the Ship was covered with the waves but he was asleep And his Disciples came to him and awoke him saying Lord save us we perish And he saith unto them Why are ye fearfull O ye of little faith Then he arose and rebuked the windes and the Sea and there was a great calm But the men marvelled saying What manner of man is this that even the windes and the Sea obey him THe Words contain an entire work and miracle of the Lord Christ so that we need not look for coherence They are usually held forth by Divines to set forth the presence of the Lord Jesus with his Church in all the tempests that come upon it which if I conceive may without wresting be also used to discover the presence of Christ calming a particular soul in all the tempests that befall it At least by way of Allegory it will hold as Austin saith there is such a spirituall use to be made of every miracle of the Lord Christs And in this sense I shall make use of them and so unfold them into these six Ohservations 1. When Jesus Christ draws in a Soul to himself he usually raiseth a tempest in that soul There arose a tempest c. 2. The Soul when thus in a tempest it comes in a perishing condition to Jesus Christ Lord save us we perish c. 3. Jesus Christ seems for a time to take no notice of a soul in such a tempest and perishing condition He was asleep c. 4. True faith may be mixt with much weaknesse and fear and yet may engage the heart of Christ to succour Why are ye fearfull O ye of little faith 5. A word from Christ can rebuke that tempest upon a Soul He rebuked the windes c. 6. The Soul that is thus calmed is filled with the wonders of Christs power and love They marvelled saying What manner of man is this that the windes and Sea obey him These I shall open in their order When Christ draws in a Soul to himself he usually raiseth a tempest in that soul The word for a tempest in the Originall is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which properly signifies an Earthquake which causeth a shaking of che Earth The same word is used by the Septuagint in Ezekiel frequently to signifie a rushing winde a noise a shaking Now then this doth very well fit our purpose to discover this tempest upon a poor soul as drawing in to Christ which is a kinde of earthquake a shaking of an earthy heart whose principles and aims were earthly as promised by the Lord Christ Isa 11.4 And he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth when he comes in with a rushing and a noise like the voice in Ezekiels Vision Cap. 3.22 when the awakenings and enlightenings of the Word and voice of God fall in shaking the spirit of a dead sinner like the noise of many waters Rev. 11.15 Thus when the fear of a miscarrying soul laies hold upon it such a kinde of shaking and tempest is upon it Now the Lord ordereth it to be thus with a Soul for these Reasons 1. God causeth a glimpse of his holinesse to passe by a Soul that the Creature by such a reflexion from God may see in some measure what sin hath done upon him at what an infinite distance it hath set him at with the most holy God how unlike unto him sin hath made him That he may in some measure see and feel what he is when the great and righteous God takes him in hand which makes him ready to cry out with Peter at the appearance of Christ to him Depart from me for I am a sinfull man Luk. 5.8 And as Moses in his self-abasement when God appeared to him Exod. 3.6 Moses hid his face for he was afraid to look upon God And ver 11. Who am I that thou shouldst send me A glimpse of God causeth such an abasement upon a soul and even a shaking to be upon it That the creature may magnifie the greatness and purity of God and be vile in its own eyes before him This is the first Reason of it 2. He raiseth such a tempest and shaking upon a sinfull worm To cause him in part to taste what a bitter cup it was he could so delightfully and boldly quasse of yea to have a taste of that bitter cup that Jesus Christ drank brim full of his fathers wrath that if one dram of it be so unsupportable to a soul what were the full vials of it that were poured forth upon the sinless soul and body of Christ that thence
will joyn righteousnesse with thine In a word in stead of being a well-conceited Pharisee for 't is uo better Go and be a poor sinner at Christs feet and be willing to let him have all the glory in thy salvation Even put on Jesus Christ by an humble free totall resignment of thy self unto him to undertake thy cause as hath been shewd to work all thy works for thee and in thee And in stead of thy own defiled righteousnesse thou hast stood a tip-toe in the entire obedience of Christ shall be thine and thou shalt appear before God in that full pure spotlesse acceptable righteousness of the Son of his in which the soul of God is infinitely delighted Ah Soul what a change is this to part with filth and abomination for the glorious righteousnesse of the Son of God to be clad in it and even shine forth before God in it 4. Well do the same as to any considence in all thy Church-priviledges of being baptized being a Protestant no heretick Do the same as to all creature-refuges as hath been shewed and being undone and shattered in them do not dare to be safe in them any longer no no pretension to safety till thou shalt be safe in the Lord Jesus by a clear and full closure with him till thou hast him in thy arms by faith thy soul embracing and twining it self about him till he shall say unto thee I am thine and thou shalt finde power and vertue coming from him From what hath been said maist thou now with deep thoughts of heart say thus within thy self Ah wretch that I have been fond self-pleasing self-flattering wretch how well conceited of my self how able thought I my self to do every thing how confidently have I stood before the perfect God in the performance of my carnall duties when they were as filthy as sin could make them and God was loathing of them Now I see one Jesus Christ is ten thousand times better then them all Now I will cast anchor into him now I will contend for him as for life Now I will enquire seek wait upon his voice his spirit enabling me till I shall finde him and all those Blessings are reported to be in him Now I will be diligent in duties upon a better account not as they are able to render me accepted and justified before God so I do and ever will renounce them but as means blessed be God to conveigh Christ to my soul and as the testimony of my obedience to him And now if by the Lords blessing unto thee what hath been said or thou wast such before even a more perishing sinner in thy own eyes take yet what farther is implied in the heart of these words Lord save I perish which may be enlarged in such a plea as this Oh blessed Lord Jesus of Life and Glory Here 's a soul at thy feet with the weight of numberlesse sins upon it but not one dram of righteousnesse to cover him a desolate forlorn shipwrackt worm that stands bound over in thousands of debts to the just and dreadfull God of heaven and earth But hath not so much as one mite to pay him unlesse with the forfeiture of my immortall soul Here I come with thee as thou hast commanded and throw my self upon thee He venture an immortall soul with thee If thou hast not treasures enough to spare lying by thee the infinite merits of thy own bloud If thou wilt not freely satisfie for me and take the debts of my sins upon thee and so stand between a just God and a condemned sinner If thou hast not favour enough with the righteous God to prevail for me Oh I must perish everlastingly perish Lord It implies thou art mighty and able to do it for all power is committed to thee If there be not power enough with thee thou who art the mighty God the Prince of Peace and so able to rescue my darling soul I am contented to sink before thee but thou thou alone art the Lord of Life oh magnifie thy great power upon me and even be my Lord my Lord other Lords beside thee I would have none Lord save c. Save 'T is for a great and weighty matter that I pleade that I come unto thee for No lesse then to be eternally saved saved from the everlasting wrath and vengeance of God saved to everlasting life and glory in the glorious presence of God for evermore O thou Saviour of men that 's thy Name and honourable Title didst thou not passe through many abasements when thou wast upon earth very unsuitable to thy glorious person didst thou not drink of a most bitter cup full of the wrath of divine justice And was not this then in thy heart did not this then bear thee up that thou shouldest save ah save poor helplesse souls that could never have been saved without thee Oh hadst thou not infinitely delighted in saving lost souls thou hadst never been at so much pains and travell and cost in the work Oh therefore Save Lord Save Yea Save I perish Must will perish If thou dost not save Save for the waters are come over my soul I am sinking without thee Master Master I perish Luk. 8. Master Carest thou not that I perish Mar. 4. Oh let it never be told in Gath that even a complaining forlorn soul perished at thy feet What at the feet of a Jesus Alas if thou carest not that I perish who will If thou pitiest not who will or can Oh for the honour of thy own Name pity If I should now perish in the view of harbour now I have seen and cried to a Saviour Thy enemies will speak evil of thy Name Well blessed Lord thou seest all the arguments I have to move thee That which I will stick upon and never give thee over with is that I must perish perish without thee yea perish in thy sight if thou succour me not Lord save I perish Well now Soul If thou dost in this or the like manner pant after Jesus Christ in such a perishing posture and thine eyes are upon him and followest him and waitest what he will speak unto thee I will a little prevent thee and shew thee a copy or two of his tender heart in this particular See Luk. 19.10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost He came 't was his errand his businesse 't was the main thing he had in his heart What that which thou so earnestly look'st for even to save yea more to seek whom he might save but what kinde of persons even such as thou presentest thy self unto him that which is lost souls that come as lost and perishing in themselves to seek him Have the worst thoughts of thy self it can reach but to be a lost soul and such saith Christ if he be worthy of credit with thee he came to seek If thou art seeking him why he was seeking thee before He left it
upon record in his Gopel and he is in heaven to see it made good So much will that Scripture afford thee and beleeve it Another Isa 45.22 Look unto me and be ye saved Well now dost thou look up with a longing expectation to Jesus Christ for salvation to hear what he will speak unto thee why now saith Christ to such a looking expecting soul Be ye saved Be it unto you as you will To confirm it to thee hear him further in the same Scripture I am God and none else None but me is able and as for his good will and faithfullnesse in performing it he further saith I have sworn by my self the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousnesse And then observe ver 24. what he assures thee of how fully he answers thy errand Surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength Mark while thou art seeking and looking for it thou hast it while thou art perishing in thy own thou hast found it fully in Jesus Christ And therefore as it follows there In the Lord thou shalt be justified and glorified Yea more saith Christ that thou maiest not think it a common matter to him as if he did not care or it did not much concern him Rejoyce with me saith he in Luke as shewed for I have found that which was lost But yet there remains one Objection in thy heart that as yet thou dost not taste the comfort of this thou dost not yet so powerfully hear the voice of Christ nor so comfortably see his face The reasons of this are to be cleared in the next point Jesus Christ for a time seems to take no notice of a tempestuous perishing soul though nigh unto it But he was asleep Now this seems not consistent with all those gracious and melting invitations of Christ of poor wearied souls to come unto him that bespeak the yearnings and pantings of his bowels towards them but yet see how consistent it will be 1. That 't is his usuall way of dealing See Mat. 15.22 The poor woman there cried after Christ for mercy to her daughter but it holds and is so applied in spirituall mercies also for she came in saving faith The Lord at first answers not a word as if he were carelesse of her as if it had been no part of his businesse in the world to take notice of poor sinners at his feet and when he did answer for she would not from him without her errand his words were full of discouragement Send her away say the Disciples ver 23. I am not come but to Israel yet still she worshiped him Lord help me And yet a more reserved Reply It is not meet to cast the Childrens bread to dogs Yet still she pressed and had her errand though Christ seem'd thus to chide her So with Mary Magdalene Joh. 26.11 Mary was seeking Christ alone and seeking him in a proper notion a crucified Christ and she sought him in a sweet posture weeping after him restlesse till she found him Now Christ seemed for a time to take no notice of her though he were standing by her and his heart full of love to her See the Spouse Cant. 3.1,2 I sought him but I found him not c. There are many choice Reasons of the Lords dealing thus with a soul for a time 1. This works for the heightning and drawing forth of faith for a soul to follow after Christ when the tempest is upon it in a perishing condition and Christ seems to take no notice of it When his present dealings seem to thwart with his Invitations and promises this heightens faith as in the woman of Canaan and draws it forth to pursue Christ the more 2. When Jesus Christ thus withholds his smiles and comfort for a time he is preparing the heart to be a fit place for him to break the pride and stubbornnesse of our hearts to subdue the roughnesse of them to make crooked things straight and then when our spirits are thus subdued and broken there 's no more but for Christ to come in and dwell with us when our hearts are thus prepared to receive him 3. He for a time thus clouds himself seems to take no notice of a poor soul that the' soul may the more experimentally see that all other refuges cannot quiet the tempest upon it A soul will be apt to be making trial in such a case of creatures and fly from one created contentment to another and to try what they are able to afford in such an hour And when the soul can finde quietnesse in none but still restlesse as I have already shew'd it will be Then it will closely and strongly cleave to Christ Then it will clearly see when Christ speaks that all its quietnesse comfort peace was from Jesus Christ alone 4. It makes for the honour of the Lord Jesus for a poor creature to continue seeking and panting after him and will not off even when Christ hides his face from it This gives more honour to Christ then to live upon him when he sweetly reveals himself to a soul 'T is an honour to a friend to trust him when absent from him yea when he seems to frown so for a poor soul to follow and beleeve Jesus Christ sweet and gracious and faithfull though it never tasted him gives most glory unto him 5. When Christ thus withholds himself for a time it makes his presence the more welcome when he comes The Lord Jesus loves to come welcome to a soul And how welcome is he what a heaven is his appearance to a poor tempestuous clouded perishing soul When we have looked for a dear frieud till we are ready to give off expectation and then he comes suddenly upon us with smiles and kindenesse what a joy is it So when the poor friends of Christ who lay hold on the Covenant of his peace and cry after him Ah when Lord when And then he comes with a sudden smiling voice Why Soul I am thine and I have betrothed thee unto me yea but one word as to Mary Magdalene Mary and she answers Rabboni oh my Master This reason may be further illustrated in the case of Joseph and his Brethren Gen. 44. When they came to him as distressed men Joseph reserves himself for a time did not make known himself though his heart were full of yearnings after them and what was it for but to make way for the greater endearments of them unto him So much unexpected love let out upon them that it even brake their hearts for they were troubled at his presence saith that Scripture being overcome with the loving-kindeness he shewed them whether Joseph were in this a type of Christ I shall not dispute but the way of Christ is sometimes the same His stays and reserves ere he smiles upon a distressed soul do make way for sweeter endearing heart-breaking love to be let out upon it And further indeed As Josephs Brethen were troubled at his
that it mix not nor break out into carnall joy And indeed when such a holy fear doth arise and mingle it self with our joy then it is most spirituall and doth best distinguish a fleshly joy from a spirituall And now having thus farre stated the case of a poor willing hardly-beleeving soul as coming in a perishing condition to Christ with such considerations which may be for a stay unto it till Christ speak as in the Text Why art thou fearfull We will now set the tempestuous Soul in this perishing condition in weaknesse of faith before Jesus Christ and so briefly consider what this rebuking voice of Christ is able to do Only I will first question with this fearfull soul in Christs words Soul why art thou fearfull thou wilt answer readily From thy sins and unbelief 1. Hath Jesus Christ power enough to subdue them Sure he hath I will subdue them and Isa 43.13 I will work and who shall let it or turn it back When he will work in any businesse his Father hath committed to him whereof this is one of the chief even to receive and comsort weak souls that come unto him Isa 40.10,11 Behold the Lord God will come with strong hand and his arm shall rule for him behold his reward is with him and his work before him What work is this he owns with so much power and puts such a Behold upon See in the next verse He shall feed his Flock like a Shepherd He shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them with his bosome and shall gently leade them that are with young Now mark Soul Here 's his power to work and none none shall turn it back and the work thou hast for him to do is his own work and businesse therefore with encouragement spread it before him commit it to him and neither sins nor unbelief shall stand before him 2. Is' t his will and purpose to receive such a weakling This hath been opened in part before But consider Soul 't was his very purpose in coming down from heaven 1 Joh. 3.8 and having wrought forth his purpose in order to it here below Now he is passed into the Heavens to make it good to poor souls to whom to such who come on set purpose for it Therefore when 't is Christs great purpose that which his heart is full on and also thou goest and seekest to him on purpose for it what needst thou stagger and be fearfull Now that this is the work that is still before Christ to do and his purpose not changed is left upon record in his last words to John Rev. 22.17 Let him which is athirst Come which was spoken after his ascension into glory But still it may be thy minde runs upon this This power and purpose of Christ towards my self I beleeve in the general to be true of the Lord Jesus Christ but whether I am one of those to whom it is meant Mark whosoever will answers that as I have reasoned before Shew me how thou canst exclude thy self from that generall invitement or thou must grant it takes in thee also that desirest to come to him And if thou still reasonest as to thy particular case as receiving such aggravations which every ordinary sinner doth not I answer There is no stating of cases but Whosoever will and whosoever is athirst know in a word That 't is written as with a beam of the Sun for clearnesse that the Gospel excludes no soul from salvation because he is such or such a sinner but for not coming in the sense of it to Christ that he might have life in him If thou shouldest catch at that and say Thou fearest thou art not sensible enough know that is a measure of sensibility of sin and such as may upon a true account send to Christ And therefore Soul say what thou wilt within thy self and reason from thy self and so maist put in these demurres do but eye Jesus Christ in his power purpose free and generall invitement and thou hast no ground to be fearful And therefore why art thou fearfull Thou hast no reason if thou eyest Christ to be so specially if thou consider what is next to be opened Obs 5. That Jesus Christ can with a word rebuke all the tempests and fears upon a poor soul coming and seeking to him In the handling of which I shall be very brief He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still Psa 107.27 True in this case also In Mar. 4 the parallel place to the Text He said unto the Sea Peace and be still and 't was enough He that could command the windes and Seas by his word can much more still the troubles and fears of a poor soul coming to him This hath also in part been confirmed by observing the answers that Christ gave to those who in such difficult cases came to him Be thou clean Go in peace and these were presently effected by the word of his mouth As in the Creation of the word God said Let there be c. and it was so Now as to this work upon a poor soul there 's the same mighty power promised and goes along with his word which he speaks in and by in the Gospel Thou hast the words saith Peter of eternall lise 'T is often cal'd The Word of Life The power of God The arm of the Lord The red of his Strength even such a power as is described Psa 29. The voice of the Lord upon the waters The voice of the Lord is powerfull and full of Majesty it breaks the Cedars of Lebanon and shakes the wildernesse c. So is it able to subdue all the high things all the reasonings 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the strong holds and heights of our Spirits It can make the wildernesse and the solitary place the place of singing and of joy even what the Psalmist concludes in that Psalm mentioned at vers 11. The Lord will give strength unto his people The Lord will bless his prople with peace And this is spoken as a conclusion to all those mighty things that are spoken of the voice of the Lord. Much might be said for the further explication of this but being a truth so clear and granted I shall only briefly apply it Vse I might return here to the dead-hearted professour and inform him of his misery by this Truth That so much vertue and might in the holy Word of God and he never felt this shaking or quickning him And thence that he might come under this that no work of God with power upon his heart to this day and so to counsell and encourage the poor dead blinde deaf sinners with diligence to attend upon Christs voice saith Christ Isa 43.8 Bring them to me Hast thou a heart like a wildernesse come to him and it shall blossome as the rose Hast thou a heart of earth I will smite it Isa 11. Nor sins
nor lusts nor barrennesse nor earthlinesse nor deafnesse nor blindenesse shall stand before him Come then oh come with such and expectation and thou shalt know the mighty power of his word But to the fearing Soul I need not I hope further encourage thee to come to Christs Ordinances Only a word Hast thou waited on them but not a comfortable answer yet Consider well Hast thou come to hear Christ speak I will hear what God the Lord will speak Hast thou not too much hang'd on the Preacher upon his lips This may be a snare Eye the promise Isa 57.19 I create the fruit of the lips Peace Peace saith the Lord and I will heal them So Is 55.10,11 speaking of the word It shall accomplish that which I please know If all the host of glorified Saints and Angels should joyn with all the holy Preachers of the Earth and should encompasse thy soul to speak life or peace unto it and beseech thee to be comforted unlesse Christ speak by them 't would be all fruitlesse Therefore get thy heart into a clear expectation for Christ to speak to thy heart by the Preacher that is to distill the dews and consolations of his spirit by it or all to no purpose So the Spouse Cant. 2.8 The voice of my Beloved v. 10. My Beloved spake and said unto me Rise up my Love and fair One and come away So Gant 4.16 Awake O North-winde and come thou South and blow upon my Garden that the Spices thereof may flow out which is the Spirit of Christ blowing upon the Ordinances causing the vertues thereof to flow out Therefore if thou still continuest a disquieted fearing perishing soul and pants after comfort and assurance Pray thy heart may be raised up to abstract from any power as the voice of man but wait that the Spirit of Christ may breathe in the voice and then thou art in a readier posture for the Lord to rebuke the Tempest of fears upon thee A poor Soul may take further encouragement beside the promises from the blessed experiences of many and many a comfortlesse creature who after many tempests perishings fears sinkings of spirit have at last by waiting publikely and privately for Christs voice found the rebuking power of it and their distempers sweetly allayed And even a sudden heavenly calm upon them There was a great calm saith the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to smile such a calmnesse stillnesse such a wonderful serenity that is after a storm when the heavens and the earth seem as it were to smile So Christ smiles upon a soul having withheld his face and beauty and causeth a blessed serenity clearnesse quietnesse to be upon it sometimes by a sudden breaking in sometime by a secret graduall illapsing into a soul that it becomes comforted it knows not how ere it was aware Oh blessed for ever blessed the souls that wait and finde this And finde it Soul thou shalt if thou art in this posture described Let the Storm be what it will the clouds never so dark one ray and beam from Christ shall raise even a heaven in thy Spirit c. Thus far have I brought a Soul bottomed upon free and faithfull promises to the immediate expectation of Christ to rebuke the tempest and fears upon it to succour its perishing condition The Lord grant it may settle thee upon the power promise purpose delight of the Lord Jesus to do it I will a little speak of the wonders thou maist expect Obs 6. The calmed Soul is filled with the wonders of Christs power and love They marvelled saying What manner of man is this that the Windes and the Sea obey him His Name Isa 9. is called Wonderfull described to be Wonderfull in Counsell Excellent in Working Isa 28. last We may view those Meditations of the Saints when thus in the admiration of his wonderfull goodnesse and sweetnesse Psal 90.5 Many O Lord my God are thy wonderfull works which thou hast done and thy thoughts which are to usward they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee If I would declare and speak of them they are more then can be numbred So Psal 34.2 c. My Soul shall make her boast in the Lord c. Oh magnifie the Lord with me and let us exalt his Name together I sought the Lord and he heard me and delivered me out of all my sears This poor man cried unto him and he saved him out of all his troubles Oh taste and see that the Lord is good Blessed is the man that trusteth in him Psa 36.7 How excellent is thy loving kindenesse O God c. Psa 116.7 Return unto thy Rest O my Soul c. And what shall I render unto thee So Mic. 7.18,19 The Church is brought in so admiring Christ Who is a God like unto thee why that pardonest iniquity and passest by transgressions c. He will turn again though he hide his face he will have compassion upon us yea it will break forth Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will declare what he hath done for my Soul yea then Soul thou shalt know what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power towards them that beleeve according to the working of his mighty power Eph. 1.19 These wonders of Christs power and love will be thus enlarged in thy soul Oh the wonders of his power Who is like unto thee Indeed Lord who wast able at first to lay hold of me and take me as a brand out of the fire Oh Am I not saved as a brand out of the fire Zech. 3.2 Thou who wast able to say unto me Live when I was in my bloud dead as a stone in my sins Thou who wast able to subdue all the strong rebellion and obstinacy of my heart to turn the violent stream of it from earth to heaven yea thou wast able to deal with all mine iniquities and corruptions the least of which had been too strong for me yea thou wast able to rebuke all the tempestuous assaults of Satan such tempests such a perishing condition such fears upon a poor soul to command the waves to be still and they were so Oh who is like unto thee my Almighty glorious Lord Joyn this to the greater wonders of thy free-love who hadst love and bowels enough to regard such a rebellious wretch when thus in his bloud serving his lusts and loving pleasures more then God When I was daringly and delightfully sinning against thee Oh infinite Love to pity and support and succour such a poor tempestuous wretch as I was after thou hadst awakened me when fitter my self being Judge to have been a cast-away from thy presence for ever Oh the Ocean of grace Oh the wonders of thy love Oh the unfadomed heights and depths of it Eternity will but serve to admire and adore thee in it So sings the Spouse in the Song c. 3.6 filled with the loves of Christ Who is this that cometh out of the Wildernesse like pillars
of smoak perfumed with Myrrhe and Frankincense with all Powders of the Merchant c. A little to enlarge this I will shew what considerations they are that make any work appear wonderfull and they will be found in this of the Lord Christs to his People 1. A repugnancy in nature to the effect wrought forth this causeth wonder So is it in the whole work of Christ for us and in us That which was for us being but as one continued rich glorious mystery Col. 1.26 All of nature against it As to his work in his people what reluctancy obstinacy strivings with the holy Spirit before a proud hard rebellious self-exalting heart will yeeld to bow before the Lord Jesus Not only listnesnesse heartlesnesse impotency but a strong enmity and resolute opposition against the work of grace yea as to our case in hand the quieting of the tempest upon a soul what resistency to comfort by the carnall part what putting up of fresh reasonings and doubtings and will not beleeve Jesus Christ upon his word till the spirit of power perswade command enables to do so 2. Such things do beget wonder which are unexpected or unhoped for so is the first appearing and work of Christ to and in us When a Soul securely sits with folded arms in the shadow of death in the grosse darknesse that is naturally upon it the strength of the heart after vanity when little expectation of such a voice of Christ as hath been shewed in the first Arise Awake Come away c. Matthew sitting at the Receipt of Custom little expected that the Lord Christ whom he never lookt after should come and speak to him in such a commanding voice and he should presently leave all so wealthy an income and follow a persecuted Christ He would have been like enough to have spit in the face of him who should have prophesied such a thing to him as every sinfull wretch is till the Lords voice be heard within him And so in the matter of comfort when poor and languishing and complaining a tempest is up then even before we are aware above what we durst to expect comes a Christ and speaks and calms all 3. Things formerly unknown to us when they appear beget wonder so are the things that Christ works and reveals to us we are utterly ignorant and know not what preciousnesse in Christ rill he open his heart to us What refreshings what treasures of all goodness and sweetnesse are in him 4. Things that are seldome done beget wonder so comparatively with the world of souls that are passed by 't is but seldome and rare work for Jesus Christ to lay hold upon souls here and there a soul he chaseth forth And saith a poor delivered soul What was I more then another that the Lord should passe by abundance of poor creatures who haply never dishonoured God so much as I have done Oh this consideration makes grace appear abundant and admirable this is a heightning enlarging Meditation upon a poor calmed soul indeed In a word the Lord Jesus so convays himself to his own that it shall be marvellous in their eyes That they may attribute the first motion of light and life in the soul from him the perfecting and continuing of it That his children may be kept humble and lowly before him and ascribe all to him and depend upon him that they may have nothing to rejoyce in but only in the name of the Lord Jesus Vse If a calmed soul be thus full of the wonders of Christs power and love first By this any soul may know whether the calm that is upon his spirit be from Christ or not If so then his hand his power and love is admired and extolled in it Consider therefore any soul by the way What are the wondrous things upon thy Spirit what are the things thou hast deep thoughts of heart about Canst thou feelingly say Oh how wonderfull have been the thoughts of Christ towards me what wonders hath he wrought for me and in me Who is a God pardoning iniquity like unto thee Mic. 7.18 That 's the temper and voice of a pardoned soul So he breaks out into the admiration of him A pardoned Soul cannot have such sleight thoughts about it as the pretenders to a dead hope of it have If it be not so with thee let me once more counsell thee to go to Christ and tell him what wonders thou hearest he can doe And pleade with him that there 's an object before him to manifest one upon even by raising up such a worm dead in sin as thou art unto life Tell him he shall have the glory of the Miracle Oh let him say unto thee Live and thou shalt live in his sight 2. If Jesus Christ be able to work forth such wonders upon and for poor souls Videant quam tutò se committunt Sancti c. saith Bucer See then how safely we commit our selves to such a Pilot who can guide and anchor us through all storms and difficulties can cease our tempests within or without to make way for sweeter Sun-shines and calms And therefore should not the Saints pierce through the thickest darkest tempests and hang upon him when all appears but in a perishing way yea will not the Lord Jesus pierce through them all to us and make our hears melt with chiding us for our little faith Say not Fainting Soul within thy self that because 't will be a wonderfull thing for thee to be raised up comforted whatever thy condition be and therefore it will not be No No Say thou hangest upon a Christ whose works are all wonders and therefore it shall be so And now what will this poor Soul do that is thus through the abundant grace of Christ silled in some measure with such precious wonders of Christ when it is blessedly calmed by Christs refreshing voice For so I will now suppose that soul either already or shall be so who hath been or is in this tempestuous perishing condition at Christs feet and is or shall be thus calmed Will it not to this purpose break forth O welcome ten thousand times sweetest Christ Come Lodge for ever in my soul though a mean habitation for I cannot let thee go Ah will not that soul study returns of love and honour to Jesus Christ Will it not love him and love him more abundantly Will it not lay it self at his feet to be disposed by him Will it not smile upon and embrace reproaches for him Shall any thing be too dear and precious to part with for Christ No It shall not Shall the pursuit of empty creatures come in competition with him Let me ask thee Soul in earnest Wilt thou canst thou seek great things for thy self and let Christs honour be slighted Go then and daily treat with Christ to this purpose Say unto him Master Master what shall I do for thee For whom shall I live and die but for thee Dear Lord let me some way or other bring honour to thy tender glorious Name among the living before I come to thee and adore thee for ever Now Soul to point thee out thy particular duty that livest in the sense of the favour and love of Christ is more then I designed in this brief Treatise only I will minde thee with a word or two and so have done Art thou a Soul that hast been by the strong arm of the Lord carried through some of these experiences as have been set forth in this Treatise If thou art a poor Soul not yet attained to this measure of comfort and joy I have endeavoured to lay down Directions to thee and what may by the blessing of the Spirit with it uphold thee till these wonders shall be made good upon thy soul But now to a Soul that in some measure enjoyeth them 1. Consider that though Jesus Christ hath made such a calm upon thy Spirit yet know that there 's more than enough in thy heart to distemper all again though at present kept under Therefore thou art to look up to the same mighty hand to keep all in peace and in a comfortable frame as well as at first to create it and to give in new refreshings else that which is within thee already will decay and wither If Jesus Christ withdraw his hand all is in a mutiny again Oh therefore walk humbly and jealously before him and still be committing all to him and be drawing fresh supplies from him or else the sense of this blessed calm will grow dead in thee 2. Beware how carnal joy mixeth with thy spiritual by fetching in too large additions from Creature-comforts whence will follow lightnesse and vanity of spirit and then comes a Cloud ere thou art aware 3. Be vigilant as I have before hinted and diligent in such waies wherein thou hast speciall communion with God By which thou shalt finde greater wonders by the strong arm of the Lord then thou hast yet felt The danger of this neglect is spoken before 4. Do not sit down in a slender stock of Grace and the Knowledge of Christ There are depths in Christ and depths in thy own heart to be searcht which haply doe yet lie close undiscerned upon thy spirit 5. Be in the frequent remembrance of how much is forgiven and this will raise up thy love and zeal and quicken it when it begins to slack 6. Beware of venturing on the least sin do not say 't is a little one and thou maist venture 't will like an Achan disturb all The fear and hatred of the least evil maintains a solid setled communion with God vain and carnal company as hath been shewed dulls a mans spirit as also a frothy carriage and liberall jesting 7. Much might be said but in a word know 'T is the hardest work of a Beleever to manage comfort and assurance The heart the carnal part of it is apt to be lifted up in it Indeed a comforted Soul at the first coming of it is apt to conceive that such a temper can never be lost But this is a vanity Lastly Get the aims of thy heart more raised after purity and likenesse of God then joy and comfort To be like God and see him at he is 1 Joh. 3.2 is the highest aim of a gracious Soul which the blessed holy God give thee and me to aspire after till we shall be fully with him and so see him as he is to all eternity Amen FINIS
him First Then Consider with thy self what it is thy heart most earnestly pursues if thou hast not truly found and sought Jesus Christ and life in him 't is certainly to compasse some such worldly design which may render thee esteemed in the world without dependance on other men estimation with men riches pleasures to make up as thou thinkest a full contentment these are the goodly pearls in the eyes of a naturall man consider then how empty and disquieted thy spirit is left after such a pursuit made good and presently the thoughts of some new one or else thy spirit will languish in the former and grow weary of it Secondly Consider the miserable uncertainty of all outward enjoyments how liable to spoil lose decay Pro. 23. they taken from thee or thou from them in a moment Much might be said to this Thirdly When thou hast compassed all thy designs so much earth thou canst call thy own thou must at last be content with just so much as will cover thy carkasse a feast for worms Now compare this with the salvation of a soul First What it is that is to be saved A Soul a precious darling Soul a Soul worth more then the whole world Luk. 9.25 Consider what a value God puts upon Souls the whole could not be a ransome for one Soul had the whole Creation been in mans power and he had offered it to God for the sin of his soul it had not been a valuable price No the bloud of the Son of God was the high price of Souls Ah consider the preciousnesse of a Soul and it will awake thee Secondly Compare this with what the Soul is doing till 't is ensafed in Christ 't is treasuring up wrath till the day of wrath and the revelation of the righteous judgement of God as if not wrath enough in hell already 't is treasuring up more that wrath that made the holy Son of God cry out as 't was poured upon him the everlasting weight of wrath of the just avenging God all the judgements that ever thou heardst or readst of are but as mercy to this Now consider with deep thoughts of heart if all thy pursuits of outward enjoyments here will poize salvation from such such wrath Thirdly Compare it with what the full enjoyment of salvation is and here we are swallowed up the holy blessed full eternall rest of God with a weight of glory crowns of glory transformed to be made capable of enjoying it where we shall never be tempted to sin nor sin any more Oh to be in the bosome of Jesus Christ filled with the fullnesse of love continually satisfied and yet never nauseated pleasures peace rest joy glory God hlmseif whose presence thou shalt as fully enjoy as a glorified creature can possibly be able Now then I say consider if the salvation of such a precious Soul from such unsupportable wrath to such a fullnesse of glory with the infinite God be worth hazarding for disquieting earthly accomodations enjoyments to cause thee so securely to neglect such salvation Heb. 2.3 where mark 't is not said the open scorning the means of such salvation but the neglecting of it Yet a little further Consider 3. things as to this condition here below that thou maist not think thy good is all in expectation 1. That the least of Jesus Christ is better then all the world shouldst thou only suffer with Christ here more glory in it then in all the world The Spirit of God and of glory resteth upon thee 1 Peter 4.14 The reproach of Christ is better then the pleasures of Pharaohs house Heb. 11. how better that sweet and heavenly fellowship with him thou maiest here attain unto that thou maist be able to say Thou hadst rather have one hour with Jesus Christ then all the treasures of the world for ever Ah hadst thou one taste of his love how wouldest thou thirst after him though this be as a riddle to a dark carnall heart that knows and savors him not 2. Consider That all these restlesse desires affections and windings of thy heart shall be raised and refined and meet with that abundant satisfaction in Jesus Christ far above what thou canst propose to thy self in the pursuits of things here below solid and durable soul-contentment Prov. 8.18 though with some disturbances by reason of distempers from sinfull flesh yet 't is here The more of Christ the more composure of spirit sweetnesse rest which is not so in the more gain of earthly advantages these do only widen and enlarge but not satisfie desires 3. Consider that with Jesus Christ thou hast the promise of all other things best for thee Rom. 8. what wouldest thou have more unlesse thou wouldst be thy own carver in the world and not take in the wisedom of God to dispose them to thee Say Men of the world they would make as sure provision as they may for themselves and families and so contrive design eat the bread of carefullnesse but let thy purchase gain and interest thou aimest at be thy part in Jesus Christ Count but all things losse to win Christ and then thou gainest right to all things and so if thou wantest any outward mercy 't is not because God thinketh it too good for thee but not so fit for thee God seeth that mercy would haply lessen thee in the sweeter closer enjoyments of Jesus Christ why then consider if that be the reason why the Lord withholds such and such things from thee thou wilt consider now I have more of Jesus Christ for it and so no looser by the hand no need of repining of spirit in me but to want them chearfully and gladly yea this will be thy blessednesse that whereas now thou canst not misse such or such things but thy heart sinks within thee then thou wilt know how to answer all thy cares of spirit and see the wise hand of God ordering all for thy good So that here 's the way to provide all to unsafe all to sweeten all to have part in Jesus Christ to be earnest in the pursuit of him till he will say unto thy soul I am thine and a Covenant passed between thee and him and he is fairer then the children of men and all beauty and goodnesse in him then whereas others have meer creatures thou hast the love and goodness of God in them thou hast the not by common providence but by a covenant of love by Jesus Christ by promise the least mercy is sweet unto thee for the kindenesse of God is in it Take then these three together the least of Christ better then all the world all enjoyments which are promised in the creatures eminently in him with him the promise of all other things What can thy spirit be opened to more O wretched principle of Atheism and unbelief what hath sinne and devils done upon a poor worm that he should in the darknesse deadnesse emptinesse disquietness of the creatures be seeking light
life fulnesse contentment which they are not able in the least measure to give and one drop of Jesus Christ and Grace brings them all as fountain'd up in him One word more and I trust thou shalt say thou art inexcusable O man Rom. 2.1 If these things be so and there it thus but one choice in the world that can quiet the restlesse spirit of man the chosen one of God in whom his soul delighteth for ever why do we lie doting and puzling our selves in darknesse and disquieting our selves in vain why do we not break off these Idols from our hearts and call them in and set them to Jesus Christ Oh let my soul choose him let him be the dear dear choice of my soul give me him or I die 2. If he be the chosen of God the delight of his soul Isa 41.1 the heart of the infinite incomprehensible God can be delighted satisfied filled from and to all eternity with and by him well-pleased and never weary of him Shall not the finite spirit of a poor creature be overcome with the ocean of his goodnesse that is in him shall it be afraid and stand reasoning whether it shall have earth or him Oh the folly of the sons and daughters of men to hear of such a prize such an Indies of all sweetnesse and treasure and but a short time to venture for him loose him now and give a thousand worlds for him hereafter and now gaining a look from him though now his bowels more yearn and his heart beats and pants after souls with more fervency then all the creatures desires can make in one yet that wretched creatures enslaved to a cursed peace kept by Satan idolizing empty nothings fullfilling lusts that restlesly hurry them up and down should have lower baser thoughts of Christ then of the basest thing they enjoy for they will not misse one of them to gain him the poorest meanest thing they enjoy hath more of their heart more care and thoughts of their spirits toward it then Jesus Christ hath Consider thy own heartlesnesse how seldome thou art in the thought of Jesus Christ and eternall life in him how seldome the deep sense of salvation in him is upon thee and this 't is thou must needs say 't is thus with me wretch that I am what do I bestow the strength of my spirit upon why then poor creature as thou art what shouldst thou do but like that wise Merchant man Mat. 12. who having found one pearl of great price he went and sold all that he had and bought it Ah such a pearl the pearl of God the pearl of heaven and earth the pearl of souls 't is sweetest Jesus Christ whatever is precious is laid up in him Now then sell all that thou hast how so that is be contented to venture the losse of all for Christ and thou gainest ensurest all as shewd yet all thy riches pleasures enjoyments under thy feet for Christ let all all and ten thousand times more go so thou hast Christ Ay but how shall I buy him Will gold and silver do it The meaning is to gain him 't is spoken comparatively As Merchant men will sell all to buy a pearl of inestimable price so will poor souls that truly beleeve these things to be in Jesus Christ as the holy Spirit of God and the experiences of his own witnesse to be in him divorce their hearts from all venture all to winne to winne Jesns Christ But must I then cast off all my calling all my possessions No but subject them to the pursuit of Jesus Christ get them loosened from thy heart let it not be a weight upon thee to depresse thy soul from soaring after him keep them but as under-things things thou must have or be without and not be the lesse blessed and so in obedience to God and submission to his good pleasure be industrious in thy calling but the motions strength aims of thy spirit to win and enjoy love and honour Jesus Christ and such will the Father honour Joh. 5. No losse of time to seek him in his word no self-deniall for him no motion or good word for Christ in sincerity no witnesse for his Kingdom Gospel People but the Father treasureth it up and will put honour upon thee for it And now having thus a little dwelt upon this to take off all Objections from thy ensnared heart Be not afraid to be awakened and deeply considering the state of thy poor soul though distempers and disquietnesse arise though it be tempestuous with thee for a time see the blessed and glorious recompences of it by the Lord of life and glory here and to all eternity Aud now I will conclude thee as stupid as a worm groveling in the earth as thou dost if these so weighty and important considerations doe not upon thee being such as Jesus Christ left to move and pierce the Rocks of mens hearts to leade them to life in himself and such as if thou putst them off will be as Swords in thy bones will flash back upon thee as a thousand Witnesses against thee if thou receive them not into thy heart if thou receive them not into thy heart as thou wouldest do things that are most precious to thee Why doth Christ so often knock and thou wilt not own him thou art gone abroad or asleep In a word then either put in thy plea to God or submit and own it that 't is better to passe through a small tempest to Jesus Christ then to enjoy a world of empty contentments here and be a castaway under the furious tempests of Gods wrath for ever and ever Ah Soul once get hold on the skirts of Jesus Christ and he will anchor thee to a safe harbour windes and waves sin conscience fears unbelief Satan all obey him A word from him quiets all Be not like great debtors afraid to enter into the consideration of thy debts thy sinfull estate for fear of disquietnesse that is to resist the strivings of God with thee and he will not strive alwaies but set the sins of heart and life before thee though they swell to a numberlesse summe in bloudy characters I am yet to shew thee Jesus Christ the best and safest pay-master in the world But thou wilt say What is that to thee spread them before God and seek him to sue all thy Bonds and Debts upon Jesus Christ and God will take him thy Surety 't was the good pleasure of Jesus Christ to cancell and kill them all they did their worst upon him so get to him and in him and the worst is over and all the blessednesse I have pointed at is thine but I shall prevent my self These I have laid down as awakening exciting considerations to a poor soul to whom the experiences of these things are yet but dark and so the Lord blesse them to thy soul and I passe to the next thing 2. Saith a poor soul Well I have had some good
thoughts Christ-ward and have made resignment of my self unto him but I fear I am too much asleep as yet That may be Therefore be more awakened look back to the sins thy soul hath been divorced from but not so as to loosen the present hold thou hast on Christ but to humble and abase thee more and so cause thee to pursue and prize him more Haply thou art a soul whom Jesus Christ takes more gently to himself by degrees with a softer hand and so the tempest not so great But if the least of him be better then the best of all the world to thee a Covenant with him He is a chosen one and pearl to thee yea if it be thy daily mourning he is no more a pearl unto thee no more precious thy heart so dull and then thou callest to him to come and make a more powerfull and fuller abode in thy soul then be sure he is thine though a trembling jealousie upon thee to the contrary Now if the Lord in much mercy hath awakened thee by this or any other voice or more awakened thee then thou wast I would still keep thee company in this discourse till thou findest in Jesus Christ what I have here proposed to thee And so to shew thee yet further of the dealings of Christ to thee as thou comest as a way-faring soul to him in the next proposition Doct. 2. When a Soul comes savingly it comes in a perishing condition to Jesus Christ Lord save us we perish 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 we are lost or are in a lost condition lost do thou save us This doth rightly answer to the heart of Christ and his purpose revealed in the Gospel I am come to seek and to save 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that which was lost or ready to perish that really is so and that shall see it self to be so Luk. 19.10 So in that threefold Parable Luk. 15. to set forth such a sinner that Christ draws in to his salvation I have found my Sheep which was lost ver 6. Rejoyce with me I have found the piece that was lost vers 9. And so of the Prodigall Let us eat and rejoyce my Son was lost and is found ver 23 24. 'T is Christ's rejoycing to finde sinners lost in themselves To this purpose Paul Phil. 3.9 That I may be found in Christ implying he was lost in himself Now to open this how a soul is said to come to Christ in this lost and perishing condition First Perishing in sinne such a sight of sin as before is described if it stay in its sinne it must certainly perish Sinne cannot ensafe The least sinne is able to damn much more the multitudes of them that lie undischarged upon it Secondly A Soul that comes truly to Christ comes perishing in its own strength 'T is likely those who were ready to perish in the Ship with Christ in the tempest that they toiled long in their own strength rowed with their own oars with much painfulnesle till they saw all was in vain and then they throw down all Master save or we perish So a poor creature after some conviction and awakening 't is apt at first to be toyling in its own strength it s own naturall sufficiencies sets to repentance duties obedience in its own strength turns in the outward man from the grosser evils of his waies but then backslides again and all because he would be his own deliverer work for and by himself at least contribute something himself But to come weak and strengthlesse to Jesus Christ helplesse in it self this goes hard To acknowledge to the glory of God and our own shame That if any thing be left on our score to make good with God perish we must this goes to the quick indeed our pride and self-love is very unwilling to yeeld to this a creature would not be found to be at such a totall losse with God so farre to have spoiled and undone himself to be so wholly weakened and deadned by sin as not to be able to help the Lord Jesus one little in saving us but the whole stresse must be laid upon him yet thus it is when we were without strength Christ died Rom. 5.6 And so when Christ comes to give a soul the blessing of his death and to estate him in it It causeth the soul to know and feel that it is without strength and helplesse and then 't will be at his feet perishing in it self without him Nothing is more strongly setled upon the spirit of a sinner then this self-sufficiency and opinion of its own power He can pray repent hear the Word receive be just do all and acceptably enough to God as he deemeth and still on the lees of his own strength not knowing what belongs to the spirituall performance of any duty and so befools himself Now this is the first thing a soul coming into Christ is to perish in in all its own strength 3. It is to perish in all its own righteousnesse 'T was in vain for these poor men in the Ship to be hiding themselves In cabins of their own when the Ship was so tossed and shaken to lie nuzling in their own wares though never so precious No all the precious merchandise must over-board passe for nothing So when a soul comes to Christ for help all its own cabins of its own righteousnesse must be cast away All thy former service of hearing praying being just and sober if thou werst so which was thy cabin thy covert in the room of Christ must be lookt upon as thy sins as that which is but an abomination in the pure eyes of God Pro. 15.8 The prayer of the wicked that is of every person out of Christ is an abomination to the Lord As for thy publique worship that haply thou reposest most in What saith the Spirit of God of it Isa 1.13 vain oblatition abomination it is iniquity the solemn meeting they are a trouble to me I am weary to bear them And as for private praiers plainly saith he When you make them I will not hear them v. 15. And why because the sins of such a person are not pardoned his person not justified he is not in Christ he doth not sanctifie Gods Name in his services not directed to right ends and so hatefull to the pure and righteous God And yet fond man is apt to hide and secure himself in these things as Adam in his fig-leaves So he prays a little in a customary dead-hearted manner with some kinde of outward reverence so he gives alms goes to publique worship is righteous to men things good in themselves if aright and to right ends performed And if he slip a little repentance of his own added and Christ to make up what he wants this is the hold of the most and sends as many souls away empty from Christ as any thing whatsoever What formall professours I mean the common bulk of the people of this Nation reach so
far as a Pharisee in all the duties they boasted in And yet observe and do it with deep thoughts of heart that in Mat. 23. when the Lord Jesus preacht his last Sermon to them after he hath seven times pronounced woes unto them he puts this confounding question to them Ye Generation of Vipers how shall you escape the damnation of hell ver 33. Most indeed perish within the pale of the Church upon this account That in Rom. 10.3 among many others is very remarkable They being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse go about to establish their own righteousnesse and have not submitted to the righteousnesse of God 1. Ignorant how holy and perfect that righteousnesse is in which God will accept of and justifie a creature Ignorant of the righteousnesse of the Law considering not that the holy and spirituall Law of God reacheth to the heart and spirit and that one motion awry if we stand to that damns a soul for ever or that the worth of his repentance and duties can make God amends for what he fails as shew'd and ignorant of the full and acceptable righteousnesse of Christ though perhaps some generall notion of it in the brain and able to discourse of it yet as to sound and spirituall discerning of it and closing with it ignorant of it and so goeth about to establish his own righteousnesse And so is establishing that which the Lord will destroy establishing that which he should be perishing in and so doth not submit to the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ through ignorance and pride and self-conceit doth not submit unto it never beaten out of and perished in their own that they might submit unto Christ to be accepted for Christs obedience and not for their own And yet having thus submitted to delight in all the holy will of God also 3. A soul must perish as to any support in its priviledges of being baptized a protestant of the true Church and the like being no Papist no Heretick nor Schismatick as people are wont to boast themselves Though these are priviledges yet to build a safe condition upon them without Christ and regeneration is a most dangerous sin 4. A soul must perish in all its outward comforts as to be a refuge for him something hath been said as to this already The spirit of a man being an active mover must fasten and feed upon something and having lost God and communion with him it turns to the creatures and would satisfie it self upon them which bearing no proportion to it cannot afford him fulnesse Therefore convinced of this it is resolved to throw them off and seeing them altogether insufficient to cover him from the wrath of God to appease the conscience to give one dram of blessing to his soul he comes to Christ as having rested such a rest as it was in perishing things and sees if he staies upon them he must perish in them In a word Consider all those lying Refuges which a soul findes out to hide himself and pacifie conscience with there doth the searching God finde him our and drive him out of them and unfastens his hold of them then doth God as it were throw him at the feet of Christ then Christs bowels yern after him and laies hold upon him Then will that soul tell the Lord Jesus that he is come to perish in his view under his eye if he do perish but resolved to look after no other helper if his good pleasure be not towards him I will yet step aside to speak to a soul that hath not yet thus perished in all but Christ Why then sinner Consider here 's that will take down thy plumes thy imbred self-conceit and self-flatteries that will undoe thee if thou any longer hearkenest to them and yet walks up and down as self-conceitedly as if all thou trustest in were as safe as heaven 1. As to thy sin I have pleaded with thee before but a word more Darest thou pretend to be safe in thy sin an hour more Darest thou walk upon the brink of hell and smile upon it Tell me Dost thou beleeve sinne as certainly damnable while thou art in it unpardoned not fled to Jesus Christ as God reigneth in the heaven and is just Dost thou beleeve it sure thou dost not else thou dost not give rest unto thy spirit till thou hast found a Saviour to take thy sin away and his Spirit witnessing the same effectually unto thee Oh then come and be as thou art and be not too proud to own it a perishing sinner at Christs feet How poor and trembling will a perishing man be that lies wholly at the mercy of another So is it with thee thou hast not so much as bread for thy soul till thou comest perishing and hungring after Jesus Christ 2. As to thy own strength a word more If it be so that thou art strengthlesse helplesse in thy self not able to move one step towards God savingly of thy self thy heart as dead and weak as water how poor a creature may this make thee in thy own eyes Is it likely that what thou hast done hitherto and performed toward God hath been in thy own naturall strength and so not accepted oh then go and pleade with God to give thee a heart even upon his own free promise Jer. 31. I will give them a heart to know me Helplesse sinner what wouldst thou have more Hast thou not a spiritual heart I will give it saith God and give it for humble asking Oh art thou willing to turn at Gods reproof then Behold I will powr out my spirit upon you Behold take notice of it as the most encouraging promise thou canst fly unto Turn thy face to Christ and hear what he will speak even upon those unanswerable arguments he laies down in his Gospel yea beseech him but to turn thee to him and himself to thee and he will do it O then go presently to him while thou seest the way open and earnestly beg his Spirit and pleade Christs own promise And that spirit shall be an humbling subduing praying renewing quickning mortifying guiding comforting Spirit in thee And so thou shalt learn to perform all in the Spirit of Jesus Christ 3. As to thy own righteousnesse let me have one word more with thee Know that though thou maist make a good estimate of thy self and that others do so also in the things thou dost towards God and man yet Consider that what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to the Lord saith Christ Luk. 15. To be round with thee Darest thou imagine to stand and appear before the infinitely righteous holy heart-searching God in such a patcht up defiled covering as thy own doings and performances make Wilt thou lie down wrapt in a cobweb such is thy hope in this Job 8.13 to cover thee from the piercing storms of God or to hide a heart full of iniquity and hypoerisie from the eye of God or dost thou think that Jesus Christ
presence between the two considerations of the injuries they had done him and the exceeding love he shewed them As for Joseph say they we sold c. so poor souls seeking Jesus Christ when he appears comfortably unto them They are even troubled at Christs presence considering the injuries they have done him and the exceeding great love he hath shewed them and this doth kindely melt the heart when they wistly look him Till Christ answer as Joseph ver 5. of Gen. 45. Come hither saith good Joseph to his Brethren for God did send me before to preserve life so saith the Lord Jesus Christ Ah poor soul come hither God did send me on purpose to preserve thy soul to bear thy sins to establish a Covenant of peace for thee And how endearing and melting is this to a soul that so enjoys him 6. Christ thus withholding himself for a time as it makes way for the greater joy and more abundant consolation to a tempestuous soul so it will make a soul more watchful and careful to keep Christ Cant. 3.4 I held him and would not let him go If so tempestuous perishing and succourlesse when I enjoyed him not Oh let them never take away my Lord Here Here his Soul clasping him let him lodge One hour of his fellowship is a heaven Oh no thou must not go my dearest Lord 'till I go with thee and lie in thy bosome to all eternity I will love thee and honour thee while I am here and therefore do not ah do not depart from me I will not let thee go But of this more in the close Is it so then that Christ may for a time cloud himself from a poor soul at his feet why then Soul let me return to the first posture I stated thee in in this Point Art thou one that hast said seriously within thy self from the sight of thy helplesse condition I will arise now and go about Cant. 3.2 I have been sitting all this while in the shadow of the vain world But now I will arise and seek him who hath life and peace in himself though but now yet I will enquire of the watchmen after him v. 3. I will wait at the posts of his doors his blessed and powerfull Ordinances till my soul findes him Well Take with thee this lesson If thou findest him not in joy and comfort assoon as thou expectest Here 's encouragement for thee not no give off thy pursuit as Satan and thy own unbeleeving heart will be still prompting thee To return to thy former ease and peace in sinne and vanity and the world again or that thou hadst a good interest enough in Christ before thou thus troubledst thy self or it may be Satan will suggest it is too late for thee and thy day of grace is over because thou hast sleighted many Well I say let none of these prevail with thee Thou hearest upon what weighty and endearing Reasons Christ may for a time withhold comfort and peace therefore let deniall encrease thy diligence and not dead and flat it Thou seest Soul that if thou wilt have Jesus Christ that he hath other work besides filling thee with perfumes and staying thee with flaggons of love And if thou beest truly convinced of sin and so of thy absolute need of Christ thou wilt be glad of him and seek to him for those works too He hath strong-holds of sinne to break down He hath Atheism Pride Self-love Obstinacy all manner of fleshly and earthy lusts to subdue within thee that have by nature the possession of thy heart and these will grapple with him and are unwilling to let thy heart go all these unclean spirits must be cast out if thou wouldest have Christ dwell there So that if thou wilt have him thou must have him on such terms thou must thus suffer him to prepare his way to have a resting-place within thee And those lusts must not domineer with him If thy debate within thy self be rather to venture his losse then to part with the old guests of thy heart that he wold cast out then thou dost not yet know what belongs to the guilt and filth and reign of sinne which thou wilt cry to be rid of when thou truly seest what mischief it hath done thee If that be indeed the terms thou insistest on 't is but a little stirring of meer naturall conscience and not the convictions of the Spirit Many souls no doubt from some such temporary common enlightning of the natural conscience go and make an essay at Christ liking well of peace and salvation but finding that lusts must die for it they give up the pursuit again or else will have him pretend to have so and make him lodge with their unclean lusts to protect and countenance them and so make him a half-Christ divide his work make him indeed like those blasphemers in the Gospel to have an unclean Spirit and sin to be nothing As many wretches in this age do assert and indeed all carnall professors of Christ do in their conversations imply when they serve their lusts and cry Christ Christ No Soul yeeld up a heart freely to him and let him make one lust after another bleed for it Let him make good his way and possession Let him subdue all opposition in thy heart and lay low all the crooked waies of it and see what a Temple he will make for himself in the close In a word follow him and hold out in his strength and thou shalt have more then thy errand 2. Learn well from hence to understand Christs meaning in his invitations not as if the thing promised were all to be enjoyed in a moment Thou maiest rest confident in this that the heart of Christ will be true to thee in them though thou waitest for a time considering that one hour of his joy is worth the waiting of an age much more a heaven and eternity by it And 't is an everlasting rest thou seekest in him 3. It chides the repinings of our hearts against this way of dealing by the Lord Christ It rebukes all our hard thoughts of him though he stay a little when we cry after him Oh be contented for his wisedom and love to order all things for his more sweeter welcome and more sure and comfortable abode with thee But yet to a soul under the impatiency of anguish of spirit Consider 1. Dost thou truly come to Christ as before dost thou frequently spread thy case before him and pleade his own bowells free invitations promises his interest with his Father with him some lie repining but not earnestly follow Christ for what they want c. 2. Consider duly If there be no Action lust that holds up its head and would not yeeld that is as a right hand or right eye go to God for a more narrow search of thy heart say as David Search me prove me and try me If there be any iniquity in my heart undiscovered reveal and mortifie it
in the sight of thy meer naked condition make out for Christ as hath been before directed as if thou wert before a stranger to him 2. If true Faith may consist with so many fears and reasonings why then a word yet more to the convinced poor soul in its perishing condition in it self that hath got a view of Christ and is pressing after him but fears ah sad fears and mis-givings arise Why consider this well If it were not so thou mightst justly question all indeed whether any thing saving in thee Tell me Soul wouldest thou be again in the supposed safety thou wast once in when no such conflicts in thee No thou wilt say not fot a thousand worlds for then I was as a dead worm in sin and unbelief But thou wilt say yet I fear Ah finde it hard to beleeve and fasten upon and apply one promise so thou seest do all Gods children Reade of and ask of any the holiest and graciousest they will tell thee many a serious experience of this what travels the poor soul hath had through doubtings fears sinkings cloudings and yet all calmed sweetly calmed again as hath been shewed and am yet further to declare the staies and the props of a poor soul in this case have been opened But a word more Is it no further with thee then this then questioning of faith with the Lord help my unbelief know 't is impossile to cry after Christ with complaints of Unbelief without some truth of faith Canst thou reach but unto the power of Christ to give him the glory of being able to succour thee but doubtest of his willingnesse what his heart may be unto thee Ah thou sadly doubtest Is it with thee Lord if thou wilt still an If know Faith on the power of Christ as in the examples shewed may be saving Remember also Christs melting answers I will be thou clean Be it unto thee as thou wilt Go in peace And this to such souls who came beleeving in his power to save though trembling what his heart might be towards them I am now further to shew that such a weak pursuing Faith may engage Jesus Christ to succour which hath received some demonstration already but 't is further clear'd from these reasons 1. Faith though never so weak be it faith that is such that resolves the soul to venture all with Christ and pursue after him is a beam from Christ himself shed by his own spirit 'T is the spirit so enabling the soul to choose and follow Christ therefore Christ will own such a faith and 't will engage his whole heart to more 2. 'T is that grace by divine appointment which engageth all the priviledges and blessings of Christ to a soul Not from any worthinesse in it but by Gods own Ordination So that a Soul is not so much to reason thus Can such a poor weak faith engage Christ but he is to look to Gods Ordination and promise that it shall In a word Not to be poring upon the weaknesse of faith but to be eying and considering the free promise and so not to make an estimate of thy faith by present sensible enjoyment and feelings of comfort but by thy going out to Christ in the indefinite free invitement and promise to all humble comers for life and salvation and then say and reason within thy self The Soul that according to Christs own invitement command and promise renounceth all other and comes and follows him for life shall have and finde life in him But so doth this poor trembling soul of mine if I know any thing of my own heart renounce all other and flies to a powerfull free-hearted Jesus mighty to save Therefore I shall finde him yea I have him And this a true Scripturall spiritual reasoning grounded upon Christs own words Isa 55.1 Joh. 5.40 Joh. 6.37 Rev. 22.17 1 Tim. 1.15 But now if thou yet fearest and art jealous whether thy self-renouncing and coming to and closing with Chtist be full and entire The next and every time thou goest to him and pleadest with him and do it often protest against all other helps and now there is no witnesse but God and thy own conscience that thou dost perish in all opinion of thy self or any other all the strength and righteousnesse that thy self and all the world to help thee hath being but as dead water to thee and that thou dost protest against them and so make an entire close with the Lord Jesus alone that he may be thine and thou maist be his in Gospel terms and that thou art willing to take up his yoke and follow him Know also that such jealousies of thy self are a good argument of something sound within thee 3. Further If through thine unacquaintance with the Scriptures thou runst upon a mistake and conceivest that true faith consists in a full perswasion and assurance of salvation Thou must understand that it is not so for assurance is the height and excellency of faith such a degree that many gracious souls are long ere they attain to it yea have only some short glimpses of in this life And though some arrive to a greater measure of joy and assurance in the holy Ghost yet not enjoy'd by any in a constant renour while a bitter root of unbelief remains in us I do not here intend to give forth the consequent evidences and fruits of faith only a word or two as to the management of a weak faith while thou art thus in thy doubtings or if faith lie as it were dead and doth not act lively upon Christ Though in such a case thou art to be stirring up every grace yet do not stand poring upon such a heavy frame of heart nor do thou think to lift up the hand of faith by thy own power but go and lie before Christ go forth from thy own heart to him to requicken the habit of faith that thou maist draw new life from him and this follow him for And then though faith be even as a withered hand as sometimes it is Christ will speak to thy soul as to the man with a withered hand in the Gospel Mat. 12.10 Stretch forth thy hand and thou shalt do so and embrace Christ in thy arms and thine affections run forth lively upon him It may be objected Is it safe then to let doubtings and fears lie and be carelesse of them seeing thus mixing they do evidence truth of faith No but labour to get them supprest and subdued by the power and spirit of Christ Though it be not absolutely thy duty to have assurance yet 't is thy duty to labour and give all diligence to gain it 2 Pet. 1.10 But especially beware of such things which do deaden and stagger faith and some of those I will point out to thee as to the case of a young convert 1. After conviction enlightening and in some measure a self-emptying and renouncing as hath been shewed and so a sight of free-grace and Christ
at the very root 3. Consider that though thou hast not sensible comfort yet thou art supported of the Lord in thy present condition which thou maist indeed consider with comfort Psa 63.8 My soul followeth after thee and thy right hand upholdeth me So continue to follow hard after God and if thou findest his right hand his power sustaining thee thou maist conclude as David v. last of that Psalm But I shall rejoyce in God c. thou shalt be satisfied with his goodnesse yea if thou finde such promise breaking in upon thy spirit and thou gatherest support from it it may be an evidence a love-token to thee that God is in a way of love and comfort to thee 4. Consider that faith and sensible enjoyment of Gods love do not inseparably go together are not the same as some poor creatures be apt to fancy 't is faith and not sense therefore learn to live by faith and not by sense But yet may some poor Soul say This doth not come to the height of thy condition the very strength of this tempest in the conscience being upon thee Ah thou art a forlorn tempestuous soul indeed thou saist why now then I will particularly deal with thee Reade thy condition in Isa 54.8,9,10,11 c. 'T is spoken of the State of the Church but as truly applicable to thy condition v. 6. the Lord hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in Spirit yea v. 11. Oh thou afflicted tossed with tempest and not comforted that fits thee See v. 7 8. For a small moment have I forsaken thee but with great mercies will I gather thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee but with everlasting kindenesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer A small moment and a little wrath but great and everlasting kindenesse But may not the Lord if he please reserve and withhold these from poor creatures that come thus afflicted and tossed with tempest I answer from ver 9 10. For this is as the waters of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but my kindenesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee Here 's the Oath of God upon it and sooner shall the waters cover the earth again and the mountains remove themselves then the Lord rebuke and utterly cast off such a soul Neither shall the Covenant of his peace be removed that is as God tenders a new agreement and to be at peace with sinners contented he is yea infinitely desirous of it Can he then cast off a soul that comes tendring it self for peace with him that laies hold on his Covenant Isaiah 59.6 But yet further will a weak mis-giving heart be reasoning against God and it self I fear for all this that 't is in vain for me to seek my heart sinks within me Now mark what the Lord saith to this Isa 45.19 I have not spoken in secret in a dark place of the earth I said not unto the Seed of Jacob Seek me in vain I the Lord speak in righteousnesse and declare things that are right This the Lord doth not reserve as a secret but would have it proclaimed on the house top Let it be known to every poor weak soul that seeks me It shall not be in vain As if it were laid down on purpose as indeed it is to answer such a fond reasoning And further saith he I the Lord speak righteousnesse I do not trifle with and delude souls but speak in good earnest the things that are right and v. 22. I am a just God true to my word and therefore not to be reasoned against by men or devils Away then with such debates as thou dost foster in thy heart yea with such vile disputings against God as to say within thy self 'T is too late 'T is in vain my case is desperate God will not hear and therefore why should I seek To what purpose is it Is not this to belye the wise and holy and faithfull God so to adde abundantly to thy former iniquity In a word If thou dost seek and venture and try what God will do if thou art at last cast off thou canst but be damned And thy seeking if thou couldst fail will rather be a mitigation of thy torment then an encrease Well but yet further may a Soul object for the devil hath a world of Sophistry this way If I should be stirred up to seek upon these grounds how shall I be ascertain'd that these promises belong to me Why mark thou dost thou not say I am an afflicted soul disquieted tossed with tempest and in thy own thoughts forsaken And saist moreover that thou art contented to seek and wait seeing at worst thou canst be no looser by it why then by what plea art thou excluded what law or what caveat is put in against thee perhaps thou wilt say thy sinning with so high a hand against thy God with many grievous aggravating circumstances Why finful worm know 't is written as clear as the Sun if thou knowst any thing of the Gospel and minde of Christ that no sinner is excluded from acceptance from the greatnesse of sin but for want of coming to Christ that he might have life Joh. 5. as hath been shew'd The truth is thou art unwilling to be beholden to Christ or impatient to stay his leisure or else art resolved to beleeve the lies of the devil against him or else thou wouldst not thus parley against him Therefore bow thy self at his feet and pleade his own arguments that he hath left for thee in his word and do not stand asking whether these promises belong to thee for they are as much thine as any souls in the world if thou wilt pleade them But yet further may a poor soul complain Ah I have a dull dead heavy indisposed heart heartlesse am I to seek and cry c. I have shewed before that if thou wilt ask a heart I will give it thee saith the Lord and ask his Spirit to raise up thy heart above that indisposed distemper Nay Soul let me ask thee Canst thou truly complain of and feel such a distemper oh what a dull heavy dead indisposed heart have I 'T is of the spirit of life within thee or thou couldst not so complain And 't is an earnest of more of the spirit to be given unto thee from what hath been now and before said unto thee Soul maist thou be encouraged to seek and wait privately publikely be diligent in all means yea with some measure of contentednesse till the Lord shall speak and when thy spirit is so subdued usually comfort is not farre off But as to thy further encouragemen I will leade thee on