the word and the seed of the promise which is sowne in our hearts by the vertue of the seed and the Spirit of grace accompanying that seed wee have power to receive Christ and the Spirit of Christ and so to become the Sonnes of God This is the reason of that phrase in Scripture We are not children of the flesh but of the promise also of this in Gal. 3. last verse We are made heires by the promise it makes us heires that is looke whatever ground or hope or hold of eternall life and glory blessednesse you hold it by the vertue of the promise all is by a promise grace and goodnesse is communicated to us by a promise this is our life and all our hold therefore the Gospell is made to be the testament of Jesus Christ as by ones last will and testament a man leaves his goods and lands to his posteritie so the Lord Jesus Christ out of his free good will leaveth one legacie of mercie and grace and pardon and strength to all humble broken hearted spirits Galath 3.15 though it be but a mans covenant saith hee when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it but if a man seale it and confirme it with his bloud then it is fully established no man will no man can disanull it So Christ leaves a Legacie of mercie to you and of favour and compassion to all broken hearted sinners by promise and therefore it is established nay it is the last promise the last Legacie and Testament therefore the promise no man can alter Ioh. 1.14 He doth not leave peace then as the world doth they wish it but cannot give it they wish it but cannot bestow it but Christ leaves a legacie of mercie and peace behind him nay he hath ratified it by his bloud and he will make it good to the soule for ever Partic. 3 The witnesse makes the soule yeeld unto what the spirit hath witnessed As the witnesses in open court in a matter of law they make the case cleare and evident the Jury they take it the Judge observes it you all know how the case goes the witnesse sufficient c. So when the witnesse of Gods Spirit comes bringing the hand of God the Father and the hand of the Sonne touching Gods acceptance it casts the cause clearely Now this judgement of the sinner yeelds and cannot but close and submit it selfe unto the truth this is the meaning of that phrase before the text they shall be taught of God they shall not only learne but they shall be taught they shall have their lesson without booke they shall be made to learne and therefore the tenor of the covenant is this I will write my Law in their inward parts and they shall all know mee from the highest to the least observe the 2 Pet. 1.3 it is a place of marvellous difficultie this I take to be the meaning there is enough to satisfie any man according to his divine power he hath given unto us all things that is the Lord by his almighty divine power hath given unto us all things either appertaining to this present life here or eternall life hereafter But how comes this to passe that God doth this the Text saith It is through knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue the word in the originall is through their acknowledgement of him that hath called us The soule doth not onely barely know that this is grace and mercy in Christ the eye of the understanding is not only opened but hee now comes to acknowledge the same and subscribeth thereby thereunto God saith I will save thy soule I will be thy God the soule saith It is true Lord I will deny it no more I will gain-say it no longer In a word then gather up the point if it be so that the Spirit by the witnesse thereof doth discover the interest we have in grace if it doth ratifie the interest which it doth discover nay if it makes the judgement yeeld to what it hath ratified it certifies effectually and undeniably the truths of grace and mercy thus prepared and ratified to the soule and the soule saith I confesse it Lord and closeth therewith Quest Why may some say if this bee so how then comes it to passe that many of Gods deare children how comes it that many humble hearted creatures never knew they were called never had any speciall intimation of Gods favour they cannot say in truth they are the Lords Answ I speake of him that hath had the work of preparation fully and substantially upon his soule I speake this that no scrambling hypocrite nor sinfull wretch may come and scramble for comfort and so goe away and deceive himselfe in this kind know therefore for answer thereunto There is a double knowledge the first is this A naked simple apprehension of a truth a meere closure of a mans minde with a naked plaine truth revealed so that the judgement saith it is so Secondly there is a reflecting act when a man lookes over his understanding and labours to discerne the worke thereof not only apprehending what was laid before him but when he doth apprehend that he doth apprehend when he knowes that he doth know it marke that place for wee will carry Scripture with us 1 Ioh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him saith the Text if wee keepe his Commandements A man may know a thing and yet not know that he doth know so then it is cleare every Saint of God hath the first knowledge that is every man that is truly called in truth doth apprehend and undoubtedly close with the worke of the Spirit making knowne unto him the mercie of Christ many may worke and most men doe the second worke they doe not know that they know the Scripture saith that the Devill himselfe rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience that is he casts in a seed of errour and delusion and corruption into the hearts of wicked men and by his delusions they entertaine those errours embrace base courses Now not one among a thousand can say that the Devill doth thus this is done by vertue of Satan and yet he doth not see it nay there is a veile of Satan upon the soule there is a seed of Satan in the soule and the soule closeth with it and yet hee apprehends it not so every faithfull soule is ruled by Gods Spirit and the seed of Gods Spirit is flung into his minde and closeth therewith but hee cannot discerne the worke of the Spirit working upon him the one governed by Satan the other enlightned by the Spirit but neither can apprehend nor know what they doe know in this kinde Reas 1 Because onely the Spirit of the Lord knowes the Lords minde it is only privie to Gods counsels and it only understands the secrets of Gods love and therefore it only can reveale them and communicate them Matth. 11.27 Now because the holy Spirit proceedeth from
seeke after him whom her soule loved and prized and from whom she expected that good she needed It ought to bee so with our desires they must proceed only from the sparke of the spirit The smoking flax God will not quench Matth. 12.20 all flax of it selfe will not smoke but a sparke must come into it and that will make it catch fire and smoke thus lay your hearts before the Lord and say Good Lord here is only flax here is only a stubborne heart but strike thou by thy promise one sparke from heaven that I may have a smoking desire after Christ and a longing desire after grace that I may walke with more care and more conscience with thee hereafter using the meanes thou hast appointed for my good that they may at the last worke unto my good this take notice of above all the rest for he that thinkes to get a desire from himselfe will not labour to obtaine from the hands of the Lord. Therefore labour to use all meanes and labour to see a weaknes in all means and expect this desire onely from the hands of the Lord. Thus we see the means how we may get this desire Thus we see how the Lord learnes every faculty his lecture the mind hath beene inlightned we have done with that hope hath beene stirred and desire quickned these we have likewise finished We come now in the fourth place to treat of two other faculties of the soule Love and Ioy which because they are so neerly combined together both in nature and forme as we shall heare hereafter therefore with your patience handle them together and read one Lecture to them both But before I proceed to meddle with the particulars let me premise something in the generall that wee take all rubs out of the way and that none may stumble at that which shall be delivered Therefore let no man thinke it strange that I come here to meddle with Love and Joy as though I would make sanctification to goe before justification for wheresoever we finde love and joy they seeme rather the effects that follow faith than to be the seeds and spawne to bring in faith Methinkes these doubts should not trouble any if they did but consider what wee have spoken already in the worke of preparation But a little to take away these rubs take notice of three ensuing passages which will cleare the way to that which afterward shall be spoken Passage 1 Know in the first place it is not mine intendment to perswade any to thinke that sanctification is before justification for the truth is I conceive the thing is not agreeable to truth taking sanctification in a narrow strict sense as it must be so conceived in this place neither can the Doctrines which I have delivered if they bee understood aright according to the explication thereof shew so much this is the first Passage 2 Secondly looke by what right and reason many judicious Divines of late yeares having by experience observed in their owne spirits and judiciously scanned and delivered it that there is a saving desire by which God brings in and breeds faith in the soule It is the speech of judicious Perkins Nay the Spirit seemes to me to intimate as much when it saith Ho every one that thirsteth Iohn 7.37 come and drinke there must be first thirsting then comming and beleeving which thirsting is nothing else but a saving desire Therefore as there is a saving desire by which God causeth both grace to breed and faith to spring in the soule by the same reason there may bee a kinde of Love and Joy by which as spawnes and seeds of faith faith may bee communicated and stamped upon the soule for the same ground that is for the one is also for the other and it is a thing to me incredible that the soule of a man should fall and rest upon the promise and yet never desire it nor hope for it being absent and imbrace it love and delight in it with joy when it is comming For looke with what authority and right there is thirsting before comming and a desire before faith for faith is all this while a hatching and breeding by the same right and authority there is a saving kinde of love and joy before faith whatsoever wee speake of the one wee must necessarily speake of the other Passage 3 The third thing is this wee must understand that all these saving workes of the affections are no sanctifying I call them saving that is such workes as doe accompany salvation for there is a difference betweene a saving worke and a sanctifying taken in the proper narrow sense of it Know therefore that desires and loves are of a double nature some in vocation are observed some in sanctification are considered as there was a sorrow in preparation a sorrow in sanctification so there is one desire and love and joy in vocation stirred another in sanctification expressed both joyne one with another but they are not the same The frame of the heart and the worke upon the soule in vocation is not the same which is in sanctification Briefly in vocation in this call which I speake of the Lord worketh this worke upon me I have no power of my selfe but onely receive it from the Lord. At the first conveying in of the power of hope and desire and love and joy God communicates them unto me but in sanctification I worke from a principle which I have received from the power of grace which Christ hath communicated to me being called and sanctified and having received the Spirit of Adoption So that the graces I now speake of usher in and lead the way for the comming in of faith when faith comes into the soul it is there as the King in his privy chamber it rules and commands all his servants Now the way being cleare if you meet with hope and faith love and faith put for one another understand that they are not literally to bee conceived but in a figurative sense So then to proceed to the Doctrine I meane to stand upon which is this Doctrine The Spirit of the Lord kindles in an humbled heart and inlightned sinner love and joy to entertaine and rejoyce in the riches of his mercy there are three passages to be considered that so we may see the compasse of the point in hand Passage 1 First this love and joy is no where to be found but in a heart humbled and inlightned for unlesse the soule bee humbled before God it seeth no need of grace or mercy and therefore despiseth it and disclaimes it and is carried with a hatred against that grace that would master his corruptions and purge them Nay the soule is carried with a kinde of wearisomnesse and is pestered with the power of grace that would frame his heart anew his corrupt heart is rather troubled with it than any way delighted in it and if humbled and not inlightned be could not be
of those that have it for if every man by nature is dead in sinne and hath no good of himselfe and can receive no good but rather oppose it then if hee have any saving worke wrought in him it is Gods free gift therefore first the Lord meets with a poore sinner and reveales himselfe to him before he be aware of it as many a man haply drops into the congregation or fals into a house where there is conference and mercy and grace shines upon him before he is aware of it and doth effectually draw the soule home from sinne to God as Ioh. 6.44 No man comes to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him the Lord bindes the strong man in preparation and humiliation for the Devill will not goe out by intreaty no the Lord Jesus must binde him and then the Lord Jesus is pleased to separate the soule from sinne to himselfe and he takes possession of him and in vocation hee perswades the soule effectually and brings it home and when he is brought home he gives him his good Spirit to sanctifie him Thirdly and this I would have you marke though all grace come from the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of his Spirit yet the Lord workes the worke of his grace and Spirit after a divers manner and the manner especially which is remarkable is this no man hath grace by nature nor any good and all that he hath is the proper worke of God and this God workes though differently some workes God workes upon us to bring us to himselfe and some workes God workes in us to bring us into a nearer communion and 2 Tim. 1.14 That excellent thing which was committed to thee keepe fast how by the Spirit that dwels in us this excellent thing was the doctrine of the Gospell now Saint Paul perswades us to keepe it by the Spirit that dwels in us this is a matter which blindes many a poore ignorant man that otherwise would bestow himselfe upon the free grace of God we truly say that all grace comes from Christ hereupon many a man thinkes that he must first be in Christ before he can have any grace we receive Christ by faith and therefore we must have faith before we can have him and wee come to Christ by faith and therefore we must have faith before wee can come to him now the Lord Jesus is the Authour of all grace in the hearts of his owne the Lord workes some grace upon us to bring us himselfe as the worke of preparation and vocation this is a saving worke of Christ but yet it is the worke of the Lord to bring us home to himselfe but now when we are come by faith then God conveyes another worke to us he doth justifie a sinner and adopt him and sanctifie him as in this similitude the first Adam by way of a naturall generation must beget a childe before he can imprint his image of corruption upon him and he must be the sonne of Adam before he can receive corruption from Adam so that generation is the way to corruption else it is no corruption as in that place Adam begat a sonne in his owne image that is as blinde as stubborne as proud as Adam so that generation is the way by which wee receive corruption from the first Adam so it is in the second Adam he doth by spirituall regeneration and after a speciall manner worke upon the hearts of his to bring them home to him before he will imprint his image upon them which is the image of sanctification the Lord Jesus will by the worke of vocation and preparation as by a spirituall union bring the soule to himselfe before he will imprint his image upon him sanctification now preparation and vocation goe before sanctification and yet they are not sanctification in the strict sense as generation went before the imprinting of the fathers image so vocation to Christ is before the image of Christ can bee imprinted I use to expresse my selfe by this similitude looke as it is with a clocke that hath the wheeles turned the rong way what must a man doe to make these wheeles goe right First he stops the wheeles and the wheeles doe not stop themselves and then he turnes the wheele and the wheele doth not turne it selfe and when hee hath done so then he gives it a poise or plâ—â—â— and by vertue thereof the wheeles run right and the clocke strickes right all these are severall workeâ— upon the wheele the stopping is not the turning and the turning is not the striking so it is with the soule of a poore sinner the heart of man iâ— like this wheele it was made for God to please him and to serve him and was altogether heaven-ward but now it is hell-ward and sin-ward and world-ward and it is quite unjoynted now how must God worke upon this heart to bring it into the right frame againe First the Lord stopâ— the poore sinner and that is by preparation he shewes him his sinne and the punishment of it and when he is posting on to hell the Lord writes bitter things against him and saith friend this is not the way to happinesse friend if you goe that way there is the pit of destruction before you and so with a mighty strong commanding hand he stops the sinner by godly feare and sorrow and hatred and turnes it from wickednesse Secondly the Lord turnes the heart to himselfe in vocation and the Lord saith come hither thou poore sinner doe not goe to thy lusts they will kill thee but goe to the Lord Christ and he will save thee goe not to the world it will delude thee but goe to the Lord Christ and he will inrich thee thou art filthy but goe to Christ and he will purge thee thou art miserable but come to Christ here is happinesse and that will save thee by thiâ— time the wheele is stopped and also turned the right way and every wheele is where it should be and then the Lord justifies a poore sinner and is well pleased with him and is reconciled to him and he giveth his Spirit in adoption and that is as the poise that so he shall no more be ruled by the world nor by his lusts but by the good Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ and the hand of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ doth assist that poore soule for ever Thirdly the soule having received the Spirit by faith as Gal. 4.5 receives hereby the adoption of sonnes Fourthly now the whole frame of the heart runs right and is towards God and for God and loves God and hath the spirituall power and a new principle of it selfe and this is the maine worke of sanctification if you will take sanctification in the stricktest sense all the rest are saving workes but this is the maine worke of all Fiftly as the clocke when it is thus framed strikes right and when it is two it strikes two and when it is
three it strikes three so the soule is thus led by the Spirit of God as Rom. 8.14 and then it obeyes God and doth every good duty and loves God above all and his neighbours as himselfe in truth and in uprightnesse so that the soule is stopped in humiliation and is turned in vocation it receives the poise in adoption and renovation in sanctification and it obeyes God in all things then the conclusion is this all these are saving workes and such as doe undoubtedly accompany salvation but all this while one is not another for two of these are wrought upon us that is preparation and vocation and these are by a passive worke the wheele workes because it is moved and in the other three the Lord conveyes his Spirit to us and mercifully workes the power of sanctification in us and makes us able to serve him and obey him Acts 26.18 Paul was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes to turne them from the power of darknesse to God that they may receive forgivenesse of sinnes and an inheritance amongst them that are called and sanctified marke all the passages of it from darknesse and Sathan that is in preparation to God and to light that is in vocation and as Saint Peter saith Acts 3.19 Repent and be converted that yee maâ— receive the forgivenesse of sinnes repent there is preparation and bee converted there is vocation turned from Sathan and the power of the Devill that they may be under the power of the Lord Jesus and lye at his foot-stoole as a souldier is turned from such a captaine when hee is content to be under another so the soule is turned from sinne and is content to take presse money and to become a souldier of Iesus Christ Thirdly that he may receive forgivenesse of sinnes that is in justification and an inheritance among them that are sanctified that 's in sanctification all these are done by faith the scope of the holy Ghost there is to discover the frame of grace in the heart and therefore it is not to be understood of the nature of Sanctification but of the worke of it that a man should receive his sanctification by faith and yet is but sanctified in part these are contraries The fourth is onely the worke of sanctification and lastly from the question thus resolved from hence that question falls to the ground and from hence first a man may see it clearly that sanctification comes after justification and secondly whether repentance is before faith or whether repentance is before justification or justification before faith and repentance and thirdly whether there be any other instrument to beleeve in Christ but faith No there is no other for they all concurre by faith Thus much for the first use a word of confutation and information Vse 2 Secondly if it be so that faith is a resting upon God and a receiving of mercy from God then this is a word of terrour to all that still remaine in unbeleefe they are to see their sinne and misery by sinne their sinne is most hainous and their plagues are intolerable if it bee faith that brings a man to Christ and suits a man with all comforts from Christ then all you unbeleeving sinners let your soules shake in the apprehension of all these plagues of which you are guilty It is the misery that befalls poore creatures they are loth to be knowne to be drunkards or theeves or robbers because shame will come to them but not to beleeve the promise and to despise the Lord Jesus Christ you make nothing of this you draw the harrowes lightly after you you confesse this sinne and the other sinne and you doe welcome it but in the meane time no man lookes to his unbeleeving heart and yet this is the greatest sinne of all other and brings the greatest misery as Heb. 3.12 Take heed why what 's the matter For the Lord Jesus Christ his sake take heed lest there be in any of you an evill heart of unbeleefe to depart from the living God this unbeleefe makes you depart from the Lord God you will take heed of whoring and drunkennesse and you will say you are not so and so but I say thou hast an evill and unfaithfull heart and thou art a dead man and a miserable man and thou art gone from the Lord God the God of all happinesse and therefore thou art but a damned man This is the root and the worst of all take heed of an unbeleeving heart it departs away from the living God this is the nature and misery of this sinne What is the estate of the damned in Hell and this shall bee the sentence that is past against the wicked in that day when the Heavens shall melt and the Goats shall stand on the left hand and the Sheep on the right hand and when ye shall see all the Heavens on a flame and you shall heare that fearfull voyce saying arise you damned unbeleeving wretches stand forth and heare your doome what will bee your greatest misery in that day even this Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting flames this is the upshot of vengeance and the sharpest sentence would you not thinke this terrible if you did heare it Now therefore away thou varlet bee gone to Hell I doubt not but the very proudest wretch in hell would then be content to hang upon mercy before hee went to Hell and hee would beg that he might yet breathe to call after mercy If thou wouldest take heed of this sentence then take heed of an unbeleeving heart for by unbeleefe thou passest the sentence against thy selfe thou needest none other to condemne thee Oh therefore get you home and humble your selves in secret and say thus The Lord hath given mee a heart to see the evill of my heart I blesse the Lord thou hast kept my hand my eye my life but good Lord I never saw the horrible nature of sinne which will be my bane to this day I was never burthened with it Oh that I might now take heed of it what shall I say to mine owne heart depart thou wretch to Hell the Lord forbid Oh strive mightily with God and with your owne soules and rest not till you get some strength from Heaven and say if that voice should come againe Oh woe to mee for ever well my unbeleeving heart doth this and hath past the sentence upon mine owne soule you heare these and if you would but take home these truths they would make you stagger See what our Saviour saith Iohn 5.40 You will not come to mee that yee may have life but I know you that yee have not the love of God in you comming is beleeving is this sinne so heavy the Lord fasten it upon your hearts what shall any man goe away and say I will not beleeve there is such a generation whither will you goe If the world calls yee run if the devill calls ye goe presently but will you not
your selves the Lord Jesus came into the world in an acceptable time and hee had this covenant made with him that he should draw poore soules out of darknesse and say to the prisoners come forth God the Father hath sent him for this end and hath promised to heare him when he calls for mercy in the behalfe of poore sinners you poore creatures remember this for I doubt not but here are some that have faith though no question there are many of you in this place that are yet unbeleevers and marke this if you were never yet sensible of your unbeleefe in some measure I say you never tooke one step towards grace nor Christ wee cannot helpe our selves wee cannot goe to Christ and Christ cannot come to us so long as this iron barre is betweene us therefore intreat him for his covenants sake to accomplish that he hath said and tell him that thou art a poore prisoner and that Christ came for this very end plead hard with him and say Blessed Redeemer it is but one word of thy mouth say to a poore prisoner and an unbeleeving heart rest thy selfe upon the promise plead thus with the Lord and this is the only way to obtaine this mercy of the Lord it is a sinne that undermines all our comforts and makes all meanes unprofitable whatsoever we have and yet we never looke after it nor care for it Oh hate all sinnes but hate this infidelitie above all other sinnes Vse 3 In the next place is it so that the Spirit of the Father must perswade the heart before it can rest upon the free riches of Gods mercie in Christ then here we collect the difficulty of the worke of faith the conclusion not onely followes apparantly but undeniably that the worke of faith is of marvellous difficulty and beyond the reach of all created power and beyond all the power of man to have power of himselfe to beleeve the promises of God the point followes thus if we cannot come to God further than God carrieâ— as and if we have not legs to goe to the Lord Jesus Christ no further than the Lord gives us legs I meane spirituall power then let us all know it and conclude it that it is not only hard and difficult but also impossible for man from any power of his owne to rest upon Gods promises by the worke of faith it is true indeed we can doe thus much wee can settle our selves upon our owne bottomes and rest our selves upon our owne sufficiencie and if a man have parts and gifts wee can wee doe naturally stay our selves upon these broken props and our soules goe that way naturally as heavie things naturally goe downward this we can doe out of the power of corrupt nature thus we are our selves and we rest upon our selves in a word when a man findes parts and gifts and meanes and then to rest upon God and to cast away all carnall confidence and to cast our selves upon the free grace of God it will cost us much worke to doe it nay it is beyond all our power it is the worke of God to doe it I speake this the rather for these two ends First to crush that vaine conceit of a company of poore ignorant creatures that make it a matter of nothing to beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ and thinke it is all one to beleeve as to say they beleeve Oh they beleeve in their sweet Saviour and man nor Devils shall not perswade them to the contrarie hence is that speech of a poore creature standing by a man ready to dye when a Minister of God who was there did exhort him to rest upon the promise and urging him to many things that way and the poore creature complaining much that hee could not beleeve here upon his carnall friend standing by said Beleeve thou foole canst thou not beleeve A man would not imagine it almost but that experience hath made it good and others have informed us of it that many wise judicious men are not ashamed to speake it that if people knew the current of the Scriptures and were able to understand the texts of Scripture it were not so hard a matter to beleeve as men would make it but men are not able to dive into the nature of Scriptures and to conceive of the mysteries thereof which if they did it were an easie matter to beleeve this is the conceit of a company of poore deluded creatures though otherwise learned and judicious follow these men home and you shall finde this true that either they are carelesse in their families or else they have some tang of some strong corruption now to overthrow these two let mee doe it upon these two grounds First see the difficulty of the worke of faith in regard of the feeblenesse of all that a man hath or doth to make him beleeve Secondly in regard of the extraordinary greatnesse of the worke that may hinder a man from doing what he may for the first that which may dis-inable all those things that a man expects comfort from there are but foure things that a man can put any confidence in first the excellencie of his parts or secondly the height of his privileges or thirdly the performance of his duties or fourthly the powerfulnesse of those meanes that he hath to summe up these briefly and to overthrow them first hadst thou that strength of judgement sharpnesse of wit and quicknesse of memorie and all naturall abilities none of all these can make thee able to worke faith in thy selfe Matth. 11.25 26 27. when Christ had considered the hardnesse and difficultie of the worke of faith and had upbraided the Pharisees because they beleeved not at last hee saith I thanke thee heavenly Father Lord because thou hast hid these things from the great and wise of the world and hast revealed them unto the babes it is so Oh Father because it seemed good in thy sight if wisedome and prudence and skill in arts and sciences would have carried men to Jesus Christ the Scribes and Pharisees would then have gone to him but God hath hid these things from the wise and prudent so it will be in every man bee his parts and abilities never so great for the worke of faith it is not in thy parts and gifts but in the Lords revealing it is not thy selfe but the Lord that must worke it babes themselves shall have these things revealed and shall be made able to beleeve when thou with all thy parts and gifts and wisdome shalt be cashiered and thrown downe to hell and then he shewes the reason of it All things are delivered to me of my Father and no man knoweth the Son but the Father and he to whom the Sonne will reveale him so then it is not what we have or doe but what the Lord Christ can and will doe for us all the wit in thy head and all thy skill and parts will never make thee able to know the Father
Christ the soule must be brought from under the jurisdiction of sin and the dominion of Satan before it can be translated unto the kingdome of God Acts 26.18 the Apostle was sent to the Gentiles to open their eyes and to turne them from darknesse to light and from the power of Satan to God Every man by nature is in darknes and under the power of sin now the Apostle must turne them from the power of sin before he can bring them to God and all this must be done before a man can receive remission of sins and justification by the blood of Christ Now darknes and sinne and Satan expresse their dominion over the soule and wee cannot have sinne and Satan to bee our Lord and have Christ our Lord too This must be wrought in preparation Matth. 12.29 The strong man must bee bound and cast out before another strong man can come to take possession Satan is the strong man who by the power of sinne takes possession of the soule now the power of sinne and Satan must bee east out by the power of preparation and humiliation Now for a man to plucke a poore soule from the power of sinne and Satan and to wrest the keyes from the hand of the devill and to rescue a poore soule from the malice of the devill aâ—â— to breake that leâ—gâ—â— and combination betweene sinne and the soule and to withdraw the heart from these corruptions and from that power which sinne and Satan and Gods justice would expresse in the soule no man can doe it but onely hee that hath a greater power than both these which none but the Lord Jesus Christ hath Revel 1.18 which hath the keyes of hell and of death now the key is a signe of command now the Lord Jesus Christ only hath the key of hell death t is he that hath led captivity captive t is he that triumphed over all his enemies therefore he only can pull the soule from the government of sin and Satan and so prepare a way for faith and thereby bring the soule to God Secondly consider the glorious nature and the excellencies of this grace of faith looke upon the surpassing excellency of the worke of faith above all other graces for we have made it good by argument heretofore that faith is a worke above man in his corrupt estate so that a man may truly say that this worke of faith is more than naturall now for nature to worke above nature t is above common sense that a tree should see and walke and a beast to reason these things nature abhorres Now because faith is above corrupted nature therefore it is impossible for man to worke it in himselfe this I take to be the reason why this gracious worke of God findes more contradiction in the heart than any grace I know A man findes a greater doe with his owne heart and a greater hardnesse and crosnesse in the heart to come in and beleeve than to doe any thing else a man will heare and read and pray and doe any thing and mourne but to beleeve it is that which a man scarce considers of and this is the reason of it because not onely corruption opposes the worke of faith but even a mans gifts and selfe and sufficiency which God gives him that now and then seemes to bee the hinderance of faith it s through our corruptions indeed in other things it is not so we would faine get sorrow and therefore we labour for it and we would have love and therefore we labour for it But all this is out of our owne power or abilities we would keepe us in our selves but faith would have us goe out to Christ and our parts would worke this in us but faith sayes wee must goe to the Lord Jesus Christ or else wee are not able to doe that which he commands So now you see that a mans parts and abilities are sometimes great hinderances and barres to keep a man from beleeving and this is the reason why if God opens a mans eyes and discovers a mans corruptions by nature we fall to doing to repenting formally and all this while never see a need of a Christ but rest in our selves and our owne abilities and will never goe to Christ Thousands goe to hell this way the most that professe the Gospell and perish they perish upon this point So then the work is more than naturall Thirdly if wee consider the manner of Gods working upon the soule in beleeving the Lord doth not concurre in an ordinary common kinde of providence as meeting with some power and abilitie in the soule to helpe forward the worke as God moves and wee move and wee are co-workers with God in severall passages and so it is in all the workes of sanctification which comes after faith There is still something that concurs with God in the worke but now it is a true miracle hee findes nothing in the soule but meere feares and oppositions at first and therefore Divines doe truly say that it is more to make the soule beleeve than to create a world for in the creating of the world the Lord had no oppositions he onely spake the word and all was made but now sinne and Satan and the world and all set against the poore soule If a man gets a knocke by the Ministery of the Gospell and begins to be humbled then carnall friends begin to perswade and every man hath a blow to hinder him from receiving the powerfull impression of the Word of God so that the Lord in this worke findes more fierce oppositions than in any worke and moreover when these oppositions are opposed and removed and the Lord comes into the soule the soule is very emptie and cannot receive nor close with any grace As it is with a dead man hee hath no power to quicken himselfe as Ephes 19.20 What is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us ward who beleeve according to the working of his mighty power which hee wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead the same Almighty power which raised up Jesus Christ from the dead the same power the Lord puts forth in bringing a dead soule to beleeve So that as the dead body hath no living vertue in it selfe to quicken it selfe so the soule hath no ability to beleeve of its owne selfe but see how the Apostle cannot content himselfe to speake of this worke of God you shall see five degrees in it what is the exceeding greatnesse of his power to us that beleeve First the power of God Secondly the greatnesse of it Thirdly the excessivenesse of this greatnesse Fourthly the excessivenesse of that mightinesse Fifthly the working of all together so that there is the exceeding greatnesse and the excessive greatnesse and the mightinesse of that excessivenesse and then the worke of all as if he had said view you the heavens search all the stories and behold all the miracles that ever God wrought and
you have a heart to beleeve nay thy prosperitie thy blessings are cursed unlesse thou hast this grace of faith faith will make thee honourable in thy honour faith will make thee blessed in prosperitie Iohn 6.28 O how shall we worke the workes of faith marke how hee answereth Why this is the worke of God that you beleeve why would you doe that which God might take contentment in O this pleaseth the Lord admirably and contenteth him wonderfully when he seeth the soule leaves honour and leaves prosperitie and leaves the world and commeth to Christ and lieth at his footstoole and will never leave him nor forsake him this pleaseth the Lord admirably it is true all duties are good with this grace but none of them will please God without this thou maist pray untill thy eyes are weary untill thy heart sinketh and thy Spirit fainteth yet without faith the Lord careth not for thy best performances if a poore Christian whose parts are not so strong whose prayers are not so powerfull can but sob and sigh out a prayer in faith this is more pleasing to the Lord Eccles 7. a man will doe any thing that he may live all a mans labour it is that he might live what wilt thou labour for clothes to cover thee and meat to nourish thee and wares for thy shop and not for Christ and faith to save thy soule therefore when your carnall friends would withdraw your endevours and say what needeth all these prayers and what needeth all these endevours answer what would you not have me live observe the scope of all motions and the end of all labour is rest the poore sea-faring man his eye is upon the shoare when his hand is tugging at the oare the traveller his body is in the way and his heart is at home the souldier fighteth that he might have a peaceable victorie the people in the wildernesse were travelling and at last they had rest Heb. 4.3 wee are thus wildering wee are thus travellers and wee are thus poore sea-faring men that are tossed up and downe the waters of the world and in seas of sorrow and the truth is we are so in wrath and vengeance 〈…〉 horrour of conscience and would not you have rest Heb. 4.4 He that doth beleeve doth enter into that rest he hath entred into that rest Brethren the truth is we are tossed we are thus troubled miseries without horrour within Would you not now be at rest there is no more horrour to trouble you no more vengeance to plague thee no more wrath to haunt thee let thy eye be upon the shoare pray to beleeve and heare to beleeve and labour to beleeve labour for that rest For the further clearing of the point I will here discover three particulars 1 I will shew you the hindrances of faith 2 I will shew you the means to get faith 3 I will shew you the motives to perswade you to labour for it 1 What these be that hinder a man from getting faith and here in the generall know thus much they are very many and very dangerous it is therefore a point of wisedome to bee carefull to foresee these hindrances and to be watchfull to prevent these Satan above all doth labour to hinder a poore soule this way hee would not have a man chaste hee would not have a man regenerate he would not have a man meeke and humble but above all hee would not have him beleeve for then he knowes he is gone If he bee so violent to cast hindrances in our way wee should bee as watchfull and carefull to avoid these hindrances It is that wee shall observe concerning Peter Satan saith our Saviour desires to winnow thee Now that Christ aimed at was that he would winnow his faith and Christ laboured to fortifie that for saith he I have prayed that thy faith faile not as if he had said if faith holds all holds the Devill sights neither against small nor great but onely against faith he deales with faith as one enemy doth with another in the field in fight one against another if the enemy perceive that there is some castle or some trench to which the contrary side have resort upon all occasions all their aiming is to cut off their passage the bridge that they may not come to the shelter and then they can conquer them and prevaile against them as they list This is an ordinary care that one enemy hath against another So Satan deales with the soule hee easily perceives that the Lord Jesus Christ and his promises are the castle of a distressed soule they are the trenches wherein the soule may refresh it selfe and finde succour upon all occasions Now Satan labours to cut off the passage of confidence and take away the bridge of beleefe when hee hinders a man from resting and beleeving in Christ he cuts him from comming to his shelter and castle therefore he can prevaile against him as hee please Therefore let the soule bee so much the more wary to prevent these hindrances because Satan is so carefull and watchfull to lay hindrances in the way and to fortifie all sides that we may not beleeve in Christ this is the greatest labour of Satan to hinder us let it bee our greatest endevour to attaine it Now to deale more plainly the hindrances that Satan casts in our way to keep us from beleeving are of two sorts The first are those hindrances that doe disinable a man from comming to Christ as having no title to him no interest in his mercy some hindrances doe really withhold a man that he cannot rely upon and repaire unto the Lord Jesus Christ Other there bee againe that doe not take away our interest in the promises they doe not hinder our title we have to Christ but wee hinder our selves from comming to Christ because wee are not wise to prevent these hindrances as wee should and avoid them as we ought First wee will beginne with the former and the question is what are those reall hindrances that keepe the soule that it cannot beleeve in the Lord Iesus that it never shall beleeve in the Lord Iesus upon these termes in that estate and condition those hindrances are especially foure The first is this A blinded carelesse and senselesse security and presumption which commonly takes possession of the hearts of men whereby they content themselves with their condition because they know not the misery of their condition Marke what I say this same sluggish senselesse this same carelesse presumption of a mans welfare when there is no such matter he is only blinded and deluded When men cry peace peace to their soules when they conclude their estates are good they desire to be no better because they see no other because they see not the misery of it These cannot see the excellency of faith therefore cannot make a step to goe to Christ by faith such a soule is rivetted and scrued to his base wretched condition therefore
heart saith I shall not know what Gods minde is or I shall not doe what I know or it will not succeed or no it is not in my power Now we leave all these with God and meddle not with them but put them over to the Lord and meddle with thy owne duty and worke and let God alone with his and say thou unto the Lord In truth Lord it is not in my power it is not in my parts or worke either to compasse that wisedome that is able to direct my selfe or to have any power to doe all that is commanded much lesse to give good successe Lord I will not meddle with that but leave it to thy Majestie if thou in thy power canst not nor in thy faithfulnesse and goodnesse carest not for thy poore helplesse creature then I am content and if thou wilt not be faithfull then I am content to bee miserable and so thou maist suppose a man that hath promised to undertake some businesse for a friend and then in the end it proves somewhat troublesome and therefore he wisheth his friend to take it againe into his owne hands for it is very troublesome but a man will leave it unto him and say he hath ingaged himselfe to doe it and hee will not looke after it I will not meddle with it any more so what end it is that is in Gods royall prerogative leave it with God and doe not meddle with it let God looke to it leave it to Gods faithfulnesse and power to accomplish it So did Abraham Rom. 14.18 19 20 21. verses Abraham above hope beleeved under hope that he should be the Father of many Nations Sarahs wombe was barren and his body dead and yet he must have a sonne and therefore he sets Gods power on worke and saith in the 21. verse Lord this body is dead and Sarah is barren there is no helpe here but thou art able and thou hast ingaged thy selfe to doe it he sets Gods power to worke and puts over all the right and burthen of the care upon the Lord. Hester 4.14 Therefore Mordecay saith If thou hold thy peace at this time comfort and deliverance shall come from some other place hee was resolved that God had deliverance for his Church and would not deny his owne truth salvation will come saith the text he knowes not the place or by what means but he knowes that salvation will come So set thou Gods power and faithfulnesse to worke and not thy owne care commit it to the Lord and hurle thy care upon him so far as concernes the burthen of it Direction 2 Secondly by faith goe to the promise againe for helpe and power to wait upon God in that way and to looke towards God in the use of those means that hee hath appointed for the attaining of that good which his power will work for thee God will worke it and so thou must meet God in the course of his providence in the improvement of the means he hath appointed for thy good Observe thou his providence and doe thou what God requires for otherwise we live not by faith but tempt God and throw away the promise and all and deprive our selves of that good which God would bestow unlesse wee walke in that way which he hath appointed Luke 24.49 When our Saviour was to goe to Heaven he said Behold I send the promise of my Father amongst you but tarry you in the cittie of Ierusalem untill you bee indued with power from above Christ would endue them with the Spirit but they must tarry at Jerusalem and wait for it So I say wouldst thou have grace and the spirit from above and the wealth of the world then walke in that way which God hath appointed stay at Jerusalem and bee in the way and meet God in his providence and then receive from his power and faithfulnesse what thou needest Thou wouldst have God blesse thee in thy estate and yet thou wouldst bee idle and carelesse but this will not doe the deed God would give thee a blessing but thou art not there to take it this is the excellency of the promises of God as they require conditions before they bestow mercies so they make us able to be partakers of the conditions and give the conditions as for example Ezech. 36. The Lord in the former part of the Chapter promiseth to give many things to them but how It must bee by prayer and humbling themselves before him hee will give a blessing in thy family by prayer in it and a blessing in private by praying in private and strength against sinne and power against corruption but I will bee sought unto for all these saith the Lord and the text saith Blessed is the man that walketh in his integritie and his children after him therefore walke thou in the integrity that is the condition of a Christian in generall or as a husband or as a wife or as a servant in the particular this the promise requires but marke this now the same promise that requires the condition will help us to performe the conditions and the same Lord that saith I will bee intreated and sought to for all these the same Lord saith Psal 10.17 Hee prepareth their hearts to pray goe thou therefore to God to help thee to pray that he may bestow his blessing upon thee which he hath promised Ezech. 26.27 He will first give them a new heart and then teach them to walke in his wayes so if thou wilt walk in Gods wayes thou shalt have his blessings therefore go thou by the power of faith to the promise of God for strength and grace and that thou must use the means appointed and then expect a blessing from it in the course of his providence now is Gods power and faithfulnesse set a worke Direct 3 Thirdly we must set it downe and conclude it that God will doe and wee shall receive in the wayes of his providence whatsoever he hath promised to give that 's the worke of faith and that is to draw sap and vertue from the promise Iohn 3.33 There by leaning is called sealing to the promise this is the nature of sealing when a man hath drawen the articles of agreement and when they have sealed all is done so faith must make the promise authenticall and put a seale to it that is true and saith it is done in heaven and I am fully resolved and setledly perswaded thereof that I shall have whatsoever I have beleeved and thou hast promised and I have used meanes for in the way of thy providence famous is that of Abraham Gen. 22.5 the Lord had bidden him sacrifice his sonne and yet hee said that hee should live and therefore when hee came to the place he said to his servants Abide you herewith the asses for I and the childe will goe yonder and sacrifice and will come againe to you he thought to sacrifice him and yet by faith he beleeved that he should bring
THE SOVLES VOCATION OR EFFECTVAL Calling to CHRIST By T. H. 2 PETER 1.3 Through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glorie and vertue LONDON Printed by Iohn Haviland for Andrew Crooke and are to be sold at the Black Beare in S. Pauls Church-yard 1638. A TABLE OF THE Contents out of JOHN Doctrine I. THe soule humbled and inlightened must learne the fulnesse of the mercie of God that there is fulnesse of sufficiencie of mercie with him p. 37 Use I. Looke only to Gods mercie after that thou hast learned the lesson of contrition and humiliation p. 43 Doctrine II. That the teaching of the heart effectually is the proper taske and worke of God p. 49 Reason Because the worke is an almightie worke p. 50 Use I. It is of admirable comfort to all weake silly feeble minded creatures p. 51 Use II. If it be the worke of God then goe to him p. 52 Use III. Doth the Father teach then acknowledge you have it as from God p. 57 Doctrine III. That the word of the Gospell and the worke 〈◊〉 â—â—irit goe both together p. 62 The manner how the Word and Spirit goe together p. 63 Reason I. Because the Lord would have all use the meanes p. 65 Reason II. Because the Lord would not have men be couzened by their owne fancies p. 65 Reason III. Because the Lord would have all to bee watchfull and carefull in not losing their comfort p. 60 Use I. Instruction to teach us the worth of the Gospell above all other things in the world for it is accompâ—nied with the Spirit and it brings salvation with it p. 65 Use II. For triall hence a man may know whether wee have a spirituall heart or no. p. 67 Use III. Direction hence we may observe the ground why many of Gods faithfull people understand not that they have the Spirit of God p. 68 Use IIII. Terrour wee may see the hopelesse condition of those men that live under the Gospell c. p. 69 Use V. Exhortation you are to submit to the Word of the Lord. p. 70 The meanes to submit are three p. 71 Doctrine IIII. 〈…〉 Spiâ—â—â— of the Lord gives speciall notice of Gods acceptance to the soule truly humbled p. 72 The manner how the Spirit doth it is in three passages p. 74 Reason I. Because onely the Spirit of the Lord knowes the Lords minde p. 88 Reason II. Because the Spirit onely can breake thorow all those â—â—â—sts and clouds of ignorance and blindnesse that are in the mindes to oppose this worke p. 90 Those hindrances are of two sorts p. 91 Use I. Is of triall to examine your selves whether Gods Spirit hath given you speciall notice of Gods acceptance p. 94 The speciall notice of the Spirit from all other is to be tried and differenced by foure particulars p. 95 Use II. It is an use of direction to teach you what meanes you must use to get the notice and evidence of Gods love to your owne soules p. 101 The meanes to get the witnesse of the Spirit are foure Ibid. 1. You must labour to bee such a one to whom the Spirit doth belong p. 102 2. You must not hearken to carnall reason of your owne hearts p. 103 3. You must labour to understand the language of the Spirit p. 105 4. You must labour to keepe the promise by you for ever p. 107 The Motives to this are two Ibid. Use III. Instruction to teach you that the humbled sinner of meanest capacitie doth know more of grace and salvation and Gods love in Christ than the most wise and learned in the world that are not humbled p. 108 Use IIII. It is to shew the certaintie of the assurance of faith p. 109 Now we come next in order to shew how that the Lord must teach all the affections to come unto the promise and the first affection is the affection of hope p. 110 Doctrine V. The holy Spirit of the Father doth stir the heart of an humbled and inlightened sinner to hope for the goodnesse of the Lord. Ibid. Reason I. Why the Lord doth in the next place proceed to stir up hope is because it is the fittest facultie of the soule to wait upon mercy p. 112 The manner how God doth stirre up the heart of an humble broken hearted sinner to hope is in three passages p. 113 1 The Lord doth sweetly perswade the heart that a mans sinnes are pardonable p. 113 2 The Lord doth sweetly perswade the soule that all his sinnes shall be pardoned p. 118 3 The Lord letteth in some rellish into the soule of the sweetnesse of his love ibid. Use I. Reproofe of two sorts of persons first of those that despaire secondly of those that presume p. 119 The hainousnesse of the sin of desperation is set forth in two particulars 1 As io is most injurious to God p. 120 2 As it is most dangerous to the soule p. 121 The sinne of presumption of carnall Hypocrites is set forth p. 123 The grounds of the unreasonable hopes of carnall Hypocrites are five 1 The ignorants hope that the Lord that made him will not damne him p. 125 2 Another hopeth that God is his God because of his prospertie in outward things ibid. 3 Another hopes he shall be saved because he hath had an hell of affliction in this life ibid. 4 Another hopes for salvation in regard they enjoy the means of salvation p. 127 5 Another hopes he shall be saved because there is mercy enough in God to save him p. 129 Use II. An use of consolation to every poore broken hearted sinner canst thou but looke to God and hope I say thy condition is good p. 133 There are foure signes to know the true grounded hope of the Saints from all false and flashy hopes of Hypocrites The first signe of true hope is that true hope hath a peculiar certainty in it p. 135 The second signe is this that a true grounded hope is of great power and strength to hold the soule to the truth of the promise p. 137 The third signe is this that the excellency of this hope doth overshadow all the hopes in the world that can be offered propounded desired p. 139 The fourth signe is this a true grounded hope alwayes lendeth supply and succour when all the rest of a mans abilities doe faile in his owne sense and apprehension p. 140 Use III. Of exhortation to beseech every one to labour for this true and grounded hope p. 143. The Motives to stirre you up to seeke this hope are these three 1 Because there is nothing more usefull than this grace of hope p. 143 2 Because nothing is more needfull to the soule than this true hope p. 144 3 Because by this true hope the hearts of the Saints are kept both in love to God and in obedience unto him p. 145 The Meanes to attaine this true grounded Hope are these three 1 You must labour to cast out all carnall sensualitie p.
145 2 You must labour to be much acquainted with the precious promises of God p. 146 3 You must maintaine in the heart a deepe and serious acknowledgement of that supreme authoritie of the Lord to doe what hee will and how hee will according unto his owne good pleasure p. 148 Doctrine VI. The Spirit of the Lord quickneth the desire of an humble and enlightned sinner to long for the riches of his mercy in Christ p. 150 The reason why desire commeth next in order and the manner how God the Father doth quicken up the desires of the soule to long for mercy are p. 152 Use I. It is an use of strong consolation to stay the hearts of poore sinners in the midst of their infirmities canst thou but finde thy smoking desire thy condition is then good p. 156. The signes of sound desires are these three 1 Signe of a sound desire is this that as the desire is so the endevour will be p. 157 2 Signe of a sound desire is this he that truly desires mercy and grace desireth Christ for himselfe 158. 3 Signe of a sound desire is this the soule that truly desires mercy is ready to receive it with thankfulnesse and will entertaine the meanes and messenger that may bring home Christ and mercy to his soule p. 159 Use II. It is of reproofe to all them that yet have not these true and sincere desires after grace and salvation wrought in them p. 160 There are three sorts and rankes of professours and hypocrites whose desires are unsound the Lazy Hypocrite Stage Hypocrite Terrified Hypocrite p. 161 There are foure sorts of lazy professors and lazy Hypocrites that are void of these sound and sincere hopes 1 Sort of lazy Hypocrites are such who when they enjoy the means of salvation yet they esteeme not thy blessing they prize not the meanes p. 164 2 Sort of lazy Hypocrites are such who when God hath taken away and deprived them of the ordinary meanes of grace and salvation they are well contented to be without the same they sit downe very well satisfied p. 166 3 Sort of lazy Hypocrites are such who when they have the meanes of grace and salvation are content to use them and if they want the meanes will seeke out for them but yet are not carefull to prevent those inconveniences which hinder them by receiving benefit from the meanes p. 168 4 Sort of lazy Hypocrites are those who though they heare the duties commanded yet they neglect all duties commands p. 169 There are two sorts of stage Hypocrites that are void of these sound and sincere desires p. 172 The first sort of stage Hypocrites are such as will take up so much of Christ and the Gospell as may stand with their credit and with their estate p. 173 The second sort of stage Hypocrites are such that will use all Gods ordinances but will part with nothing and will suffer nothing for the Lord Iesus p. 175 The third sort that are void of sound and sincere desires are the terrified Hypocrites p. 177 The signes of a terrified Hypocrite are two 1 He will be lingering and hankering after some corruption p. 178 2 The terrified Hypocrite he will slight and slubber over small sinnes and small corruptions p. 178 How farre this terrified Hypocrite will goe and what he may doe vid. p. 179 Use III. Is of Exhortation wherein you are intreated in the bowels of the Lord Iesus to long and desire after the Lord Iesus Christ p. 191 Means I. The Means are foure the first is this be acquainted thorowly with thy owne necessities and wants with that nothingnesse and emptinesse in thy selfe p. 192 Means II. The second is consider the necessitie after grace and goodnesse it is no matter of complement and indifferencie p. 197 Means III. The third is labour to spread forth the excellencie of all the beautie and surpassing glory that is in the promises of God p. 198 Means IV. The fourth is thou must know that it is not in thy power to bring thy heart to desire grace p. 199 Doctrine VII The Spirit of the Lord kindles in an humbled heart and inlightned sinner love and joy to entertaine and rejoyce in the riches of his mercy p. 205 The opening of the Doctrine consists in 3. passages Passage I. Is this that this love and joy is no where else to be found but in an heart humbled and inlightned p. 205 Passage II. Is this that the love and joy is enkindled by the Spirit of the Father p. 206. Passage III. Is this that the love and joy being kindled they may entertaine and rejoyce in the riches of Gods mercy p. 207 Reason I. Of the point is this because that love and joy doe follow desire p. 209 The Spirit of the Father doth enkindle the love and joy in these three particulars p. 217 Particular I. Is this God the Father by the Spirit doth let in some sweetnesse and rellish of his love into the soule that doth warme the heart p. 221 Particular II. Is this that the freenesse of Gods love doth enkindle a love in the soule p. 222 Particular III. Is this that as the sweetnesse did warme it the freenesse kindles it so the greatnesse of the sweetnesse of this love doth set the soule in a flame p. 224 Use I. It is an use of instruction to enforme you that there is no sufficiencie in a naturall heart to be carried to the Lord Iesus Christ or to the worke of grace p. 226 Use II. Iâ— is an use of consolation to stay and refresh the hearts of those that have received the gracious worke p. 233 Use III. It is an use of triall to examine your selves whether your love and joy be sound true and sincere and how it doth differ from the fained wilde and hypocriticall love in the world p. 237 The soundnesse of true love from counterfeit Hypocriticall love appeareth in these five trialls Triall I. Is this observe the root and rise of thy love ibid. Triall II. Is this observe if thou entertainest thy Saviour as a Saviour that is as a King p. 242 Triall III. Is this thou must observe if thou labourest to give contentment to Christ p. 244 Triall IV. Observe whether thy heart doth rejoyce to see the happinesse of the thing you love p. 251 Triall V. Is this it is the nature of true love to covet nearer union with the thing beloved p. 254 Use IV. It is of repose to all those upon whom this worke of love and joy in Christ was never wrought p. 261 Most men have not this love to God but hatred against him p. 263 The persons that doe not love the Lord Iesus Christ they are referred to three ranks p. 266 Sort I. Are such as are open enemeis to Christ and who these are are largely described in p. 267 Sort II. Are those glozing Neuters that halt betweene two opinions p. 273 Sort III. Are those fawning Hypocrites that are faire
will make with the house of Israel I write my lawes in their hearts and they shall not need to be taught Men must know God and beleeve in the Lord. Now as the Lord requires this as the condition of the covenant so the Lord will work this in them as he requires this of them Iohn 1.12 the text saith To them that beleeve he gave them power to be the sonnes of God Now if a man will beleeve he shall be saved Now then hee makes a man beleeve that he may be a sonne This is the second passage whereby the soule of a sinner comes to be cheered or that there is not onely abundance of sufficiency in the Lord Jesus Christ but that mercy as it is able to doe him good so it will make him partaker of the good The third particular is this That as mercy hath all good and will make us partakers of what it hath so also it will dispose of us and of that it bestoweth upon us Mercy will not onely have a sinner but it will rule and order that grace it hath bestowed upon the soule For if mercy purchase a soule at so high a rate as the blood of the Lord Jesus it is right that the soule purchased by grace and supplyed with grace that mercy should dispose it for the honour of God You are not your owne saith the Apostle but bought with a price therefore you must glorifie the Lord in body and soule Nay it is not onely right that mercy should doe it but reason and beneficiall to the soule that mercy should doe thus Nay I say unlesse that mercy should rule a man he had not beene able to give full content to the soule If the Lord should leave any poore soule to the destiny of his owne heart and the malice of Satan hee would runne to ruine presently he is not able to supply his owne wants and to dispose of his owne spirit and employ aright his owne soule For if Adam in his innocency had a stocke in his owne hands fell and perished then if mercy should put a man into the same estate that Adam was a man should bring himselfe into the same misery that Adam was brought into but there is that fulnesse of that mercy that is in Christ that it wil bestow all good needfull for me so also it will dispose of that good in me so that Satan shall never prevaile the world shall never overcome nor my corruptions beare sway in me but the Lord shall rule me for ever and this is the fulnesse of Gods mercy Gather up the point then that we may see what wee must learne There is sufficiency in mercy to supply all wants nay there is ability in mercy to communicate that it hath and we stand in need of Nay mercy will preserve us and that it giveth to us against all oppositions that can befall thee This is the lesson that the soule must learne that it may be able in some measure to see the way and learne the path that leadeth to everlasting happinesse This is the first lesson that the soule must learne of God the Father Vset For the use of this Is this the lesson the soule must learne then looke wisely upon it and when this comes upon thee and sorrow assailes thee heavily doe not looke into the blacke booke of conscience and thinke there to finde supply neither looke into the booke of the privileges and performances and thinke to finde power out of thy owne sufficiency Looke not on thy sinnes to pore upon them whereby thou shalt be discouraged neither look into thy owne sufficiency thinking thereby to procure any thing to thy selfe These are but lessons of the lower forme It is true thou must see thy sinnes and sorrow for them but this is for the lower forme and thou must get this lesson beforehand and when thou hast gotten this lesson of contrition and humiliation looke onely to Gods mercy and the riches of his grace and be sure as you take out this lesson take it not out by halves for then you wrong mercy and your selves too if you thinke that bare workes will serve and that is all No no mercy will rule you therefore take all the lesson out and then the heart will be cheered and thy soule in some measure enabled to come on to the Lord and will see some glimpses of consolation from the Spirit Quest 2 We see the lesson what must be learned now we must see the reason why the Lord must teach this lesson Answ I answer It is not appropriated to the Father alone for the Father teaches not alone but the Sonne and the holy Ghost teach too But why then doth the Text give it to the Father Here I answer directly because the Father was directly offended with the sinne of man 1 Iohn 1.7 If wee sinne wee have an advocate with the Father namely the Lord Jesus Christ to plead for us with the Father He doth not say wee take an advocate with an advocate that doth not plead with himselfe the reason is God the Father was directly offended though all the persons in the Trinity were offended yet the Father more directly Now he that is directly offended favour and mercy must come from him to the party that doth offend and that is the reason why Christ especially cast this upon the Father Take a creditor that hath money or creditors that are bankrupts now this is no meanes to helpe and succour these men but it lyeth upon the creditor that oweth the debt for he onely it is must come to forgive the debts for it is here God the Father being directly offended by the sonne of man therefore from him in the first place must proceed the pardon and mercy to the sonne of man Hence it comes to passe that the text saith the Father must teach this lesson Quest 3 The third question is this After what manner doth the Lord teach the soule Christ speakes now of the worke of the Spirit and that you may not be mistaken know this that the worke of the Spirit doth alwayes goe with and is communicated by the word therefore if the question be After what manner doth God teach the soule to spell out this lecture of mercy and pardon Answ I answer brieflâ— The Lord teacheth the soule by his Spirit I told you that before that not only the Father but the Sonne and holy Ghost also teacheth the Father from himselfe the Son from the Father and the holy Ghost from both Therefore understand what I say the Spirit of the Lord doth not onely in the generall make known Gods mercy but doth in particular with strength of evidence present to the broken hearted sinner the right of the freenesse of Gods grace to the soule nay it holds those speciall considerations to the heart and prefenâ—eth the heart with them not onely so but in the second place the Spirit doth forcibly soke in the reâ—â—ish of that grace
into the heart and by the over-piercing worke doth leave some dint of supernaturall and spirituall vertue on the heart The Spirit doth not onely with truth bring home the evidence to the heart but it iâ— stâ—ll whispering and calling and making knowne the same and forcibly soketh in the rellish of the freenesse of Gods grace and leaveth a dint of supernaturall vertue upon the soule We will expresse the points because it is somewhat difficult and is the scope of that place 2 Tim. 1.7 The Lord hath not given you the spirit of feare but of a sound minde The spirit of feare is the spirit of bondage in humiliation contrition When the Spirit sheweth a man his sinnes and sheweth him that he is in bondage and in fetters le ts him get out how he can this is the spirit of feare and of bondage In the second place there is the spirit of power But what is this spirit of power You must imagine this spirit of power doth not intimate any particular grace but as it were the sinewes and strength of the worke of the Spirit conveying it selfe through the frame of the heart and this I terme to bee the effectuall worke of the Spirit of God When the soule is humbled the Lord sweetly communicates into the soule a supernaturall and spirituall vertue Lastly as it is in nature take a knife if it be rubbed on a Loadstone it will draw iron unto it now it cannot doe that because it is a knife but because it is rubbed on a stone and receives vertue there from So it is with a heart humbled it is a fit subject for the grace of God to worke upon the love of God is like the loadstone and if the heart he rubbed thereupon and affected with the sweetnesse thereof it will bee able to close with that mercy and come to that mercy and goe to God from whence that mercy comes Quest 4 What is the behaviour of the soule when it hath learned this lesson from the Lord Answ I answer When these two things meet together in the soule then it hath learned this lesson The first is this when the soule having heard of that plentifull redemption that is in Christ as also having apprehended the revelation thereof it commeth to close with the worke of the Spirit revealing presenting and offering grace to the heart nay it comes to give entertainment to he riches of that mercy revealed to the soule There is in the mercy of God and in the blessed truth of the promises a great excellency Now when this is so plentifully brought home to the heart that it breakes through all oppositions which may hinder the worke of the Spirit upon the soule when it is brought home by the spirit of God and the heart gives way and closes with it so that there is nothing betweene that and the soule this I take to be the first frame of the soule that beginnes to learne this lesson it beginnes to close to the truth to give way to the sweetnesse that is in it and bids adieu to all delight and sinnes and whatsoever may be a hindrance unto it from receiving of this grace into the soule This is the first passage The second with which I will conclude is this that as the soule closeth with that mercy and welcommeth it and the heart is content to take up mercy upon those termes so in the second place there is an impression and disposition left upon the soule that it is framed and disposed there is a kinde of print which the soule hath with it so that as the mercy of God is revealed to the soule and communicated to the soule so there is a kind of impression frame and print which the heart retaineth and hath wrought upon it by this grace and free favour of God made knowne therefore that phrase Rom. 6.17 is a marvellous patterne to our purpose the Text saith they were delivered to this forme of doctrine Looke as it is with a seale if the seale be set to the wax and leave an impression just so many letters upon the wax as in the seale then it is wholly sealed So the Spirit of God through Christ in the promises doth reveale al the freenesse and grace of mercy in Christ Now when the Spirit doth leave an impression on the soule that man is delivered into the truth I conclude all in Acts 26.18 when Saul was sent to preach to the Gentiles the Text saith he was but to bring them out of darknesse into light mark when the Lord doth come to worke effectually upon the soule he brings men from under the power of darknesse whereas the understanding was darke and blinded when the Spirit comes it turnes it from the darknesse and power of sinne unto the power of light and grace Lastly the power of the heart doth these two things for not onely some of the heart must bee brought to God but the whole heart therefore in the precious promises of grace and savation there is fulnesse of all good to draw all the faculties of the soule unto the Lord and therefore the faithfulnesse and the truth of God is mainly revealed in the promises now that fits the understanding and makes it looke to God for pardon for power and mercy As the promise is a true word so it is a good word this answers all the will and affections there is a possibility in mercy to save a man hope expects it but then the soule must looke onely to Christ for mercy desire long for it for that there is a certainty that a man shall have mercy if he can desire it love doth welcome and delight in it nay the soule doth say The Lord hath said thou must be saved nay thou must looke to Christ for mercy it is no where else to be had nay if thou dost desire it thou shalt have it and then the Lord determines the point it is done mercy is thine and then the will addes full consent and sayes Amen Lord let it be as thou hast said Gather them up briefly When the Spirit of God doth so cleerly present mercy to the soule and doth leave by the over-powring worke thereof a supernaturall worke upon the soule that the spirit closeth therewith and receives the print and impression thereof now the lesson is fully learned this may suffice for the opening of the severall things now therefore we will addresse our selves to gather the doctrines out of the Text. And first for the generall in that the Father is said to teach Doct. That the teaching of the heart effectually is the proper taske and worke of God It is not you that can teach your selves neither can all the meanes and friends under heaven doe it no it is the work onely of the Father All these meanes and ministers are usefull but God is the chiefe master and all these are but underling ushers to convey the minde of God unto us but the master is God himselfe
it is the powerfull operation of the Spirit that must doe the soule good all other meanes are but like the cane that conveyeth the voyce but the voyce is the Lord. Iohn 14.26 I wil send the Comforter and he shal teach you all things And who is that that is the Spirit of God We speake to your outward eares but it is the Spirit of God that must give you mindes to discerne and spirits to embrace that is the onely worke of the Spirit We shall observe Matth. 11. towards the latter end I thanke thee Father c. how comes it to passe that the wise are befooled and fooles instructed I thanke thee Father saith hee that thou hast revealed these things to babes and sucklings and hast hid them from the wise How comes this about It is thy good will Father It is a wonder to see a silly creature of weake capacity and almost a foole and yet he knoweth more of sanctification and faith than many great Schollers Take a rush candle and a lampe the lampe is a great deale bigger than the rush candle yet the rush candle giveth light and the lampe none because the rush candle is lighted the lampe is not So it is here a Christian out of a blinde dotage and a meere simplician in other things yet he will talke well of the free mercy of God and the worke of grace in his heart when as many great wise men are novices in these things Reason 1 The reason is because God hath lighted his candle from heaven because the worke is an Almighty worke it is not an easie matter to goe to heaven you must not say What have I lived thus long and are we children still Ah children you are and children you will dye unlesse the Lord from heaven teach you though all men and Angels teach you the work will not goe forward 1 Cor. 4.6 the Text saith The same God that brought light out of darknesse shineth in your hearts Wee know at the beginning of the world when darknesse was upon the deepe the Lord said Let there be light now that Almighty God that brought light out of darknesse which none else could doe why the same God shineth in your hearts saith the text unlesse the Lord say Let there be light the minde can never be enlightned the soule can never bee cheered nor the conscience pacified This is a ground of admirable comfort to all weake silly feeble minded creatures I doubt not but your hearts are grieved when you consider the marvellous ignorance which is in you and how little you know concerning life and salvation when the Lord hath layd line upon line precept upon precept and the heart sometimes covets and desires to entertaine the same the soule commeth to the congregation and saith Good Lord let â—he word worke upon my soule enlighten my minde awaken my conscience and when the word comes thus home to the heart the soule hopes that it shâ—ll retaine and remember it but when it is gone all fals to the ground and the heart in private reasons thus with it selfe What shall I say when my heart approves of the word and my soule closed with it even then so soone as I come out of the Church I forgat all what a blind mind and a hard heart have I can there be any grace or mercy conveyed to such a soule as mine surely I shall one day perish An ignorant heart is a naughty heart a base wicked heart my sinnes are many my conditions fearfull Would you have any comfort why then marke what I say The Lord will teach and if the Lord be the teacher t is no matter what the scholler be Reason thus with your selves My memory is weake my capacity is smal my understanding feeble but yet the Lord is my teacher and if the Lord will informe who can let it but I shall bee informed Prov. 1.23 marke what the Text saith Returne you simple ones you scorners and fooles and follow me and I will learn you wisedome This may move you to depend upon God in the use of the meanes the soule may say I am simple and I have beene a scorner too and that is a great misery and therefore no marvel if God blinde my minde and harden my heart for I have beene a scorner and can any good come unto me can such a soule receive grace and wisedome Why Ah saith Wisedome come unto me and I will poure abundance of wisedome upon you Sec ndly if it be the worke of God then goe to him for it is a comfort to goe to a father when therefore the meanes are received and God gives a heart to improve them then come not to the congregation but to God and when the Minister reproves say Father set home that reproofe to my soule and conscience dost thou reprove father and when the Minister exhorts and informes thee daily the argument from the Scripture plaine when the Minister is thus exhorting and you cannot come off cleerly looke up to heaven exhort Father teach Father the Minister he speakes to thee but Father informe us but Father seale to us the assurance of thy love in Christ All you that heare me this day and come and bringest thine with thee and commest with thy family into the congregation looke up to thy God and say Lord here is a vaine rude servant a silly wife and a weake foolish childe and I am as base and blinde as any of them and all the Ministers under heaven and all the Angels in heaven cannot teach and informe us but doe thou teach us and worke upon our mindes and frame our hearts that wee may know the things belonging to our peace But thou wilt say Alas we have come and looked up to God but we thrive and prosper not for all this we receive not that helpe and instruction from him which he first promised and we stand in need of Why I say the fault is thine owne the Lord is not wanting to his owne word but thou art wanting to thy owne comfort But how then shall wee so carry and order our selves that we may seeke God so as we may partake of that good we desire and stand in need of I answer These foure meanes are very usefull for this purpose First labour to lay thy owne conceitednesse and abilities downe and all thy carnall imaginations that shut out the truth of God and are professedly opposed to the obedience of Christ if thou leanest on thy owne wisedome and bearest up thy selfe on thy owne abilities thou wilt never have direction from God and thou shalt never be taught by him if thou thy selfe can teach thy selfe therefore down with those haughty imaginations in regard of thy owne parts and abilities if thou hopest that God shall guide thee and learne thee in the way of truth Therefore let every one be a foole that he may be wise when thou art a foole in thy selfe then God will inform thee when thou
canst lay down all thy owne conceits and captivate all thy carnall reasons then thou art like to be taught of the Lord But before these hinder the Lord from informing thee in the way of truth He that sets up his owne wit above the wisedome of the Lord he shall never be exalted by the Lord of heaven This I take to bee the reason why some men of deepe reaches and of great understandings are marvellously besotted in a christian course in the way of life salvation The reason is because they trust to their owne wisedome and rely upon the arme of flesh and upon their owne policy and upon the depth of their owne understandings and that is the reason why the Lord leaves them to their foolish imaginations and as the Text saith to the Romanes when they thought themselves wise they became fooles Iames 5. at the beginning If any man want wisedome let him aske of the Lord. The word in the Originall is if any man be like a begger that beggeth up and downe for bread when he is hungry for if thou beest empty of thy selfe and a begger in thine owne apprehension if thou dost lay down all they conceit of thy owne wisedome then the Lord will give thee wisedome abundantly Reason 2 Secondly doe what thou knowest and then the Lord will informe thee much more in what thou shouldest doe improve that little sparke and knowledge thou hast and then the Lord will increase that knowledge of thine Gen. 18.19 when God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah Why saith he shall I hide this thing from my servant Abraham The end God teaches a man is to improve his knowledge and when God hath taught him one lesson perfectly then the Lord will teach him another presently When thou hearest the word doe that duty which God commands reforme that sinne and amend that course which God forbids and he will teach thee abundantly Iob 7.12 he that doth Gods will the Lord will instruct that man The master of a family will not give a man fire and candle to sit up and doe no worke by it it will not quit cost Wisedome and knowledge is the candle of God if thou wilt walk by this light and walke by this candle the Lord will increase thy knowledge till thou art become a perfect Christian Reason 3 Thirdly we must not onely doe what we know but must be marvellous painfull and study and indeavour to the uttermost of our power to get knowledge doe not make it onely a holy day taske but labour continually in the use of all meanes for to get knowledge You come here to the congregation and attend to the word you doe well but very few that will make this your taske and study at home to furnish his heart with spirituall understanding It is a shame that a man should alwayes be fed with a spoon and hold the spoone in his mouth as children use to doe that is to goe and come to the congregation and get little or nothing Hos 2.3 When you labour more and more pray more heartily study more diligently bee thinking men and meditating men and chewing men setting themselves upon the truth till this I never look that they should come to any saving or judicious knowledge of life and salvation Reason 4 Last meanes take heed of bearing any secret grudge against any word and truth of God bee it never so crosse to thy corruptions if you doe the Lord in stead of directing you will delude you and in stead of informing you will besot you and give you over to blind minds and hard hearts This we know by experience men of great knowledge great parts and abilities are taken aside with dotage and fall into those errours which a man would wonder how a man of judgement should fall into The reason is they will not entertaine the truth of the Lord Rom. 1.28 as who should say Oh this strict way and this teaching preaching and the thundring of judgements wee cannot beare them we cannot undergoe them we have no delight to these take heed lest the Lord say Blindnesse take him hardnesse take him reprobate sense let him never entertaine the word of God to informe him let him never know the wisedome of God to his comfort here and everlasting happinesse hereafter Vse 3 In the third place doth the Father teach you acknowledge you have it as from God labour so to improve this wisedome that God may get something by it you are but stewards of it and therefore you must improve it for his advantage as the steward that receives money from his master c. so hath the Lord given thee a stocke of wisedome and hath cleered that eye and that judgement of thine use it to his glory Therefore doe not lift up thy selfe in regard of thine owne parts and sufficiency but if you finde your hearts to swell and rise within you for knowledge is a very airy metall as the Apostle saith it puffes up a man therefore when thou findest thy heart thus bubling with those cursed distempers reason thus Why should I be proud of a borrowed suit my minde was as blinde as any under heaven therefore let basenesse bee mine let wisedome be the Lords Gal. 5. The apprentice that is taught by his master must not presently trade for himselfe but he workes for his master and gives him the commodity so let us doe we are Gods schollers and prentices we are now come into his schoole Hath the Lord taught thee any skill in prayer any wisedome to conceive doe not worke now for your selves doe not set up presently but labour to returne all to him and to make the Lord partaker of the good he hath bestowed upon thee Thus much in generall that the Lord is the author of this teaching but now we come to particulars to see how the Spirit in speciall manner doth this This I tell you that the whole soule must come to God For as the whole soule in this gracious call of God both the minde that discovers that mercy and hope and desire and love and joy have bad entertaining thereof and the wil which is the great wheele of the soule that falls on that mercy and rests thereupon and gives answer to the call of God therein Give mee leave to propound two things by way of preface for the cleering of the following truths they will be as a key to open the doore to all the following discourse Thing 1 First those faculties of the soule which especially goe out to God and carry the soule thereunto are especially to be considered in this great worke of going unto God and beleeving in him Now there are two things in the worke some evill and some good the evill to be refused the good to be embraced Now answerably to these 2. things the Lord hath placed in the soule of a man two sorts of feet some feet carry the soule from evill some feet againe carry the soule
dead letter It is true the Lord can worke above meanes we know also God can appoint other meanes for to call the soule but it is not our meaning we must not looke for revelations and dreames as a company of phantasticall braines doe but in common course Gods Spirit goes with the Gospell and that is the ordinary meanes whereby the soule comes to be called God can make the ayre nourish a man but he doth not If a man should expect to be fed by miracle hee himselfe would be a miracle Gal. 3.2 for there goes a spirituall power with it it raiseth the dead in sinne to life it is a living word and the word discovers also the secrets of mens thoughts Now that word which raiseth the dead and discovers the secrets of mens hearts it must needs have a marvellous power with it and accompanying of it For the opening of it observe two things first the manner secondly the reasons Point 1 After what manner doth the word and Spirit goe together and you must know I do not mean that the Spirit is in the word no otherwise than in all other things but in a more speciall manner and that conceive in three things First the Lord hath ordained and set apart the preaching of the word hee hath sanctified it and set it apart to call the soule Looke as it is with the brazen Serpent God appointed it to heale those that were stung now if 500. men should have made another Serpent it could not have healed one man though they had lookt their eyes out of their heads So it is with the Gospell there is no other usuall meanes to call the soule Hence it is casted the word of the Gospell Now if five hundred men make five hundred Gospels besides this they could never convert or comfort one soule Or as it is with a mint if a mint master coyne money it will goe currant but if twenty other coine money though the stampe were as good yet it is but counterfeit coine so it is here 1 Cor. 1.21 Let a man study all the arts and tongues that can be devised he never shall nay hee never can know one drop of Gods mercy and goodnesse in Christ Why but how then may a man know it saith the Text by the foolishnesse of preaching that is wicked men count it foolishnesse The Lord doth appropriate the saving worke of his Spirit to goe with the ordinance not that God is tyed to any meanes but he tyeth himselfe to this meanes Why doth not aire nourish all as well as meat because onely God hath set meat apart for this purpose Hence this Gospell is called the power of God to salvation because the power of God ordinarily and in common course appears therein the waters of life and salvation run only in the chanell of the Gospell There are golden mines of grace but they are onely to be found in the climates of the Gospell Nay observe this when all arguments prevaile not with corruption to perswade the heart to goe to God one Text of Scripture will stand a man in stead above all humane learning and inventions because the Spirit goes forth in this and none else God doth undoubtedly as he will when he will and how he will give successe to his ordinance Isay 55.10 11. The word of the Lord doth ever accomplish that for which it is sent For it is true many a man is called after the word is delivered a long time Why is that it sokes into the soule as the snow in December sokes into the earth but the fruit of it is not seene untill May. The word is a savour of life unto life it is a living savour of death to death it is a poison a deadly savour and though it hardens some yet the worke goes forward Reason 1 Because the Lord would not have any carelesse of his owne glorie and our good as he will humble the soule that he may doe good to it so hee will make him use the meanes If a gentleman should go after a begger with an almes how proud would he be and rather thinke himselfe a master than a begger So if God should follow us with mercy we would rather goe from him but he hath laid mercy in the myne of the Gospell that wee may dig for comfort in the cisterne of the Gospell that we may draw all our consolation from thence Reason 2 Because may not be cozened by our owne fancies the Lord to prevent all inconveniences and conceits of Eatonists and Familists that thinke they have the power of the Spirit in themselves whereas Gods Spirit goes alwaies with the word 1 Iohn 4.1 Every Minister preaches with a spirit some out of the spirit of envie some out of the spirit of sinceritie some heares out of the spirit of love some with the spirit of malice to carpe at the Minister try therefore the spirits and if they hold not with the word they are naught Reason 3 That we may be watchfull and carefull lest we lose the comfort that we have lightly come lightly goe got with little paine lost with lesse care therefore the Lord will make us seeke unto the meanes Vse 1 Instruction to teach us the worth of the Gospel above all other things in the world for it is accompanied with the Spirit and it brings salvation with it What if a man had all the wealth what if hee had all the policie in the world and wanted this hee were but a foole What if one were able to dive deepe into the secrets of nature to know the motions of starres and yet know nothing belongs to his peace what availes it what if a man could speak with the tongues of men and Angels yet without this he is a novice in knowledge Why doe we value a myne but because of the gold in it and the cabinet but because of the pearle in it oh this is that pearle wee sell all for 2 Cor. 2.1 2. Vse 2 For triall a man may know whether we have a spirituall heart or no Iudg. 19. he that hath not the Spirit is a fleshly sensuall man Wouldest thou know whether thou art carnall or spirituall this doctrine tells thee How came the Spirit If thou hast it it ever came with the Gospell therfore see now how thy soule stands affected with the Gospell and so it stands affected to the Spirit If thou wilt none of the Gospell thou wilt misse of the Spirit then Christ will none of thee Now reason with your owne soules Why unlesse I take the Spirit woe be to mee I may owne my selfe Christ will never owne me Is it so that I will not suffer the word to prevaile with mee remember the time will come that you must dye as well as your neighbours and then you will say Lord Jesus forgive my sins Lord Jesus receive my soule then Christ will say Away be gone you are none of mine I know you not Any man whether noble or
it hath beene prepared for them from the beginning of the world to this very day Now this gives a light into the businesse the evidence is sure that this man hath title to all the riches and compassion of the Lord Jesus Acts. 2.39 Every poore creature thinkes that God thinkes so of him as hee thinkes of himselfe and hee thinkes God intends marvellous grievous things against him and if there be any judgement denounced or any plague revealed the soule sits and sincks and thinkes with himselfe thus I wretch the Lord spake to mee and intended mee the Lord threatned mee and denounced judgement against mee and one day he will bring all these plagues upon mee all shall be made good upon this wretched heart of mine one day whereas the Spirit of the Lord judgeth otherwise and God meanes well towards him and intends good to all you that have beene broken for your sins and there is witnesse of it in heaven and it shall be made good to your owne consciences Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners broken abased vile wretched carnall sinners doe not thinke hee will keepe any old reckonings in minde Christ came into the world only to succour sinfull humbled wretches hee only came to call sinners not your proud haughty justiciaries that trust in their owne performances no but miserable vile broken abased sinners therefore now here is some ground and light come in that wee have to doe with mercy Psalm 80.3 Cause thy face to shine upon mee If a man be in a deepe darke dungeon he cannot tell when it is light hee may aske is it light but else hee cannot tell But an humbled sinner is like a man standing full upon the Sunne rising this face of Gods mercy shines full upon him the Lord lets in the inclination of his kindnesse and makes knowne the surenesse of his favour in the Lord Jesus Christ now the soule hath some apprehension that he hath to doe with mercy Partic. 2 The Spirit doth ratifie that interest as the soule now hath as intended towards him and prepared for him hee makes it good to the heart and establisheth it and makes it sure to the soule This is the nature of a witnesse if it be sufficient as the Lord provides That in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word shall bee established so it is with the testimony or testification of Gods Spirit for the Spirit doth not beare witnesse alone but the Father from heaven and the Sonne in heaven doth joyne witnesse with the Spirit and the court is in heaven where this controversie must be scanned and now the Spirit doth by witnesse promise that all this mercy shall be made good and given the humbled heart shall be made possessor thereof hence it is that the soule comes to be deeply setled herein for God cannot deny himselfe nor his promise this is the maine ground and tenour whereupon wee hold everlasting happinesse you know in men of great estate if their lease had beene naught and their tenour false this staggers them deeply therfore every man labours to make his tenour as good as hee can thinke on it the maintainer of all this good that a Saint of God hath all his hope of life and salvation hangs upon the maine hold the free promise of the Lord the certaine faithfull promise of the Lord in through Jesus Christ by the testimony of the Spirit you that are sanctified by Christ know nothing unlesse you know how to live by a promise in some measure Now this promise is not only a bare word of God and a bare intimation of some will and intendment of good but it is a kind of ingagement when the Lord doth lay his truth to pawne here is good surety for a poore humbled soule it shall undoubtedly be bestowed upon him he doth not only intend well unto him hee doth not only prepare mercy for him but now he ties binds himselfe so that he cannot goe back you see now this is the bottome to beare up the truth when the Lord doth please to ingage himselfe to a broken hearted sinner that hee shall be made to beleeve and made to live by his beleeving I beseech you take notice of it this is the tenour and covenant of God with a broken sinner hee calls him graciously and then promises to bestow mercy upon him 2. Cor. 6.18 Come out from among them what then what shall I forsake all my old companions shall I renounce all commodities that I have coveted all the honour in the world which I have affected Yes saith the Lord come out from them all abandon them lose all riches and be impoverished lose all honour and be abased ah but what shall wee get by it why then I will be your God that is I will ingage my selfe and passe over the title of all my mercy and goodnesse and compassion and all that I have you shall have all is yours and what then You shall bee my people marke that hee is obliged to a poore humbled heart as if he had said I will be your God and supply your wants and work graciously for you as it was with Abraham the Father of the faithfull so it must be with the faithfull servants of God Gen. 12.3 Now what there is promised to Abraham he promiseth to all his children to all the faithfull it is thus with thee that is thou must bid adue to thy country and friends and though thou livest with thy Father yet thou hatest his base courses and though thou livest with thy friends yet thou hatest their wicked practices and thou hast forsaken thy god pride and thy god covetousnesse and thy god drunkennesse and the like thou knowest God will blesse thee he hath bound himselfe and cannot goe backe this is the ground of the speech 1 Iohn 2.25 Eternall life is the thing there promised but how can wee intitle ourselves in this the text saith this is the promise he hath promised that is he did freely and frankly and of himselfe and out of his owne good will ingage himselfe to give and bestow this promise upon us here is the root and ground of all his promise This is the difference betweene the first and second covenant God did covenant with Adam that he should live upon the ground that he should doe Now because the covenant of eternall life depended upon doing it was not certaine to him and his posterity but lost it but our eternall life dependeth upon the promise of God and therefore it is sure because God cannot faile cannot change his promise cannot be altred if we observe the conditions eternall life is sure unto a broken hearted sinner hence come all those phrases in this kind Wee are called children of the promise what is that why the very promise of God makes us children wee are begotten and made the Sonnes of God he is called in Esay The everlasting Father hee hath begotten us by
the Father and the Sonne he can nay he doth make knowne the Counsels of both and so removes all objections and cleares all cavils it is a point of consideration to you that are weake ones satisfaction is by the meanes of Christ the Sonne layeth downe the price and doth satisfie the Spirit doth certifie it unto the soule that the Son hath satisfied for the neglect of what God ever required at our hands and for the committing of what ever God hath forbidden now the soule is fully satisfied As for example Take a creditor to whom the debtor oweth money haply the debtor is arrested for his not paying the debt the surety he comes and layes downe the debt now the debtor is unacquainted with this unlesse there be a messenger that brings a certificat under the hand of the creditour that he is paid and the surety hath discharged the debt and hee is quitted when he heares this his heart is fully quieted So here the Lord Jesus is the Surety the Father is the Creditour our soules are the debt now the Spirit of God he is the Messenger and he brings under the hand of God of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ an acquittance to our soules that what ever sinnes wee have committed are pardoned through Christ and this fully contents the soule Marke 1 Cor. 2.10 yea the deepe things of God as who should say how can you tell that Gods minde is towards us and that hee will pardon why these are secrets aye but the Spirit of the Lord knowes and searcheth the deepe things of God that which eye never saw that which the Angels in heaven cannot tell you that which all the men in the world cannot reveale unto you without God be with them that your names are written in the Booke of Life you shall bee accepted these are deepe things but the Spirit reveales them This is the first Reason the Spirit onely knowes the minde therefore it only can give notice thereof unto the soule Reas 2 The Spirit only can break thorow al those mists and clouds of ignorance and blindnesse that are in our minds which oppose this worke nay it can beare downe all those distempers and discouragements which make us unfit and unable to receive the evidence of Gods love and goodnesse in the Lord Jesus Christ for these two things are in the heart of a sinner that marvellously oppose the evidence of Gods favour unto the soule Hindr. 1 That every man hath a veile of ignorance over his heart 2 Cor. 3.15 Now the veile of ignorance no hand can rend it none can remove it but only the Spirit of God The god of the world blindes the eyes of the wicked why then it must be the Spirit of God the Spirit of another world I meane the Spirit of Christ that must open the eyes and take away the veiles and clouds and mists that the god of the world casts before the eye Hindr. 2 Are desperate discouragements when a poore sinner is plunged in the apprehension of all the evill which he hath committed and in the aggravation of all those sins whereby God hath beene dishonoured when the soule observes this hee thinkes and sayes This proud heart will never be humbled this unregenerate heart will never be sanctified the Lord never intends good to my soule it is impossible that so many corrections so long continued should ever be pardoned here the soule sinkes downe in desperate discouragements now there is none but the Spirit of God that can let a light into the soule there is none but the hand of the Lord that can rend and pluck and pull a poore fainting despairing dying sinking heart under the burthen of his manifold abominations none but the Almighty hand of an Almighty God can doe this when it is night all the candles in the world cannot take away the darknesse so all the meanes of grace and salvation all the candle-light of the Ministery they are all good helps but the darknesse of the night will not be gone before the Sun of Righteousnesse arise in our hearts Hence it comes to passe that it is a very difficult matter to give comfort to a poore distressed soule Psal 40.1 Marke what a coâ—le there is to give comfort all the world cannot comfort them and perswade them I shall one day perish say they I shall one day goe downe to hell let all the Ministers under heaven say what they will Comfort yee comfort yee saith the Lord as who should say they will not be comforted they will not thinke nor be resolved of it I mercy and I comfort it is a likely matter it will never be it never can be I shall never see that day will the Lord pardon me I doe not thinke it I cannot beleeve it God is a just God and a righteous God and I am a vile wicked wretch it is mercy that I have despised and trampled under my feet and I mercy no certainly there is no such matter this makes the Lord have such a doe Comfort yee comfort yee the third time and yet they will receive none We Ministers of the Gospell observe by experience that we meet with some soules that are gone to the bottome of hell sometimes by their distempers and wee make knowne the promises propound arguments lay downe reasons but nothing takes place nothing prevailes all is presently forgotten and you had as good say nothing all is forgotten therefore none but Gods Spirit can doe it hee must come from heaven and say Comfort yee comfort yee my people let me therefore speake to you that are Ministers you doe well to labour to give comfort to a poore fainting soule but alwayes say Comfort Lord say unto this poore soule thou art his salvation Lord speake comfort and say to such a one his sinnes shall be pardoned mercy shall bee bestowed upon him his iniquities are forgiven it is that wee observe in the policie of Satan Satan hath two Policies Policie 1 First if he can hee will keepe a man that hee shall never see his sins therefore hee labours to doe away all plagues and judgements from the apprehension of the soule and therefore when the Minister comes home to the conscience and saith What you have heaven what proud and profane and oppose God and his ordinances and you goe to heaven No no such matter marke what the Devill suggests take thy pleasure it is but halfe an houres work when you lie upon your death-bed if you can but then cry to God for mercy and for forgivenes it is enough this is the first Policie to keepe a man from seeing his sins and thus the soule is content to carry hel-gates on his backe and a thousand abominations and is never troubled Well haply the Lord enlightens the soule of such a sinner and sets his sinnes before him and saith here are thy sins and for these thy sins thou shalt be sent packing to hell now he cannot look off
towards you will you know how your case shall goe at the last day would you know if your name is written in the Book of life if you would why then know the way to obtaine it seeke it of the Spirit of the Lord for he searcheth the chiefe things of God consider what our Saviour tels you Luke 11.12 Why then must this Spirit only certifie the pardon of sin Why looke up to heaven then and plead thus with him Lord I am a father and give my childe what hee wants and if I see him in need I releeve him why I need thy Spirit Lord I beg it thou hast promised it Lord give that Spirit to the soule of thy servant and let it restifie to my conscience that thou art reconciled to me Object But how shall we get the Spirit home to a man in this case Answ The meanes are two Meanes 1 Thou must labour to be such a one to whom the Spirit belongs Labour to be an humble hearted sinner and then the Lord will send his Spirit and give notice to thee of his acceptance for the Lord doth not passe over his comfort or mercie or compassion to any soule in the world but onely to those that are broken hearted before God there is no mercy for thee that art stubborne no compassion for thee that art stout hearted wouldest thou have the Spirit make a lye for thee and come from Heaven to make a new Scripture to bring a loose stubborne drunkard or adulterer to heaven it will not bee so it cannot bee so never thinke to bring the Spirit of the Lord and make him speake mercy to thee when it belongs not to thee 1 King 14.1 2 c. Doe not thinke to complain it with the Lord Jesus and put the finger in the eye weep a few teares and say I confesse my rebellions are sinful I am sory for my sins and will repent me of my sins the Spirit wil say Come out thou proud wretched hypocrite doest thou feigne thy selfe to be an humble broken hearted sinner doe not I know thy reservations doe not I know thy by-wayes and back-doores Come out thou proud wretch and sturdy hypocrite I am sent to thee with heavie tidings you may cozen man but you cannot deceive God therefore never thinke he will give grace and mercy unto thee unlesse thou be fitted for it Meanes 2 Be sure you harken not to your carnall cavils of reason nor to the clamours of a corrupt heart nor to the bawlings of Satan all which stop and hinder the testimony of the Spirit and with their loud cries drowne the voyce of the Spirit that it cannot be heard It is a fashion amongst Lawyers at Assises or Sessions when in their Courts there comes in a wise judicious witnesse and the Lawyers plead a base cause they feare him and therefore before he can speak out his tale one speaks and another speakes and so hinders this that hee cannot bee understood then the man saith hee came for a witnesse and not thus to be disturbed then the Judge commands silence and then hee hath liberty to discover what he knowes and then the case is cleare so it is with the soule and carnall reason and the Devill The triall is whether a man hath any interest in Christ or no. Now the Spirit of the Lord working graciously upon the heart would bring in a faire testimony of Gods grace to the soule but when the soule commeth to a faithfull Minister to tell him how God hath wrought upon him and met with him and how he was burthened with his sins Oh saith Satan you were burthened with your sins but you returned to them againe then the soule saith he was humbled for his sinnes yet the goodnesse of God was never sealed to him aye saith Satan but you continue in your sins still aye saith the soule I am weary of these sins aye and you are weary of labouring against them too saith Satan Thus the soule is tyred by carnall reasons temptations of Satan now let the evidence of the Spirit bee never so plaine he cannot perceive it be watchfull therefore in this case if you heare what feare or feeling or suspition saith feeling saith I find nothing feare saith it will never be suspition imagineth I shall never see that day but now command silence to every one to feare suspition feeling and unworthinesse and say now speake blessed Spirit then you will see the case cast presently It is said of Abraham he considered not Sarahs barren wombe for imagine Abraham had thus reasoned I never had childe for mee to beare a childe it is against nature shall a man that never begat beget a childe in his old age I will never beleeve it If hee had done thus for ought I know though hee had lived unto this time hee should never have had a childe but he never considered of any of these things and therefore the Promise was accomplished Therefore be sure not to hearken what failings feare and doubt and corruption saith for they will be ever against thee there is no mercy from corruption no grace from feare and suspition but consider not your dead barren wretched hearts but attend upon Gods promise and you shall finde Gods Spirit witnesse unto you the acceptance of your persons before God Object But you will say may not a man consider of his sins and attend to the corruptions of our owne hearts Answ I answer a man may nay must in a fit time after a right manner to a good end for he that never seeth his sins can never be humbled for them but this consideration only fits us for mercie and can never get assurance of any interest in mercie The consideration of our sins will give us notice of these three particulars 1. It gives us notice of our owne vilenesse and basenesse the laying these upon the soule it is a maine meanes to breake the heart and bruife a filthy stubborne soule It gives us notice of the emptinesse and infirmity of all outward parts and gifts and meanes and helpes to doe us any good It will make us see the absolute necessity of a Saviour and of the great worke of redemption which Christ hath wrought for us nay it will drive us out of our selves and force us to fall at the foot-stoole of Gods mercy that so wee may gaine Gods favour to us but it is impossible that the consideration of my sins should certifie mee of my interest in Gods mercy Meanes 3 Labour to bee informed and to understand aright the language of the Spirit Looke as it is with a poore man in the Court a wise witnesse comes in and speakes plainly but it will doe the poore man no good to heare the witnesse unlesse he understand it so though we heare the Spirit and doe not understand the language of the Spirit it is as if we never heard it Now the language of the Spirit is nothing else but the tenour
of those gracious promises which God hath made to poore humbled sinners Now if we be not able to cast the sense and meaning of the promise it is like an uncertaine sound though the witnesse bee good and plaine yet I cannot be comforted thereby 2 Cor. 6.16 17. This is the language of the Spirit Now let a poore humble hearted soule come and lay his heart levell to the promise one saith it is true if it were so with mee then God would be my God that promise is made to them that touch no uncleane thing but I am defiled with sins and abominations and carried aside by them therefore no share in this promise Now the meaning of the testimony is mistaken the witnesse is as good as can be and will cast the cause on your side but you understand not the meaning of the witnesse therefore we will spell the words what is it to touch no uncleane thing it is not to bee lightly acquainted with it therefore art thou content to sue out a bill of divorce to all thy sins how ever heretofore thou wert married to them yet now thou art resolved to bed with them no more art thou contented God should make knowne what ever is amisse in thy soule and subdue every distemper that is the meaning of the promise and if it be thus with thee the promise belongs to thee Meanes 4 Labour to keepe the promise by you for ever and have a readie recourse thereunto upon all occasions forget not the promise be not a stranger to it be not unacquainted be not unaccustomed to have daily trading with the promise which is so profitable to us Prov. 3.3 marke what counsell God gives by wisdome Let not mercy and truth forsake thee mercy and truth will forsake a man Satan would plucke them away but suffer them not saith the Text to depart from thy soule Iob 22.21 so the originall hath it have a daily intercourse to the promise meditate therein and muse thereupon see thou looke a ready way and have recourse to the Lord upon all occasions Motive 1 To perswade us to use these meanes is this because this most concernes our good if a man had all the good things the world could afford and his hearts desire if he had friends to respect him wealth to enrich him and honour to promote him yet if the Lord should send this heavie Message into his conscience God will curse those blessings and dam thy soule and person that newes from heaven of Gods indignation would take away the sweetnesse of all the comforts of this life but had a man good tidings from heaven were the Lord pleased to give notice of his love and mercie in Jesus Christ it would support us in whatsoever miseries or troubles should befall us nay when our owne hearts and consciences tell us hard tidings these evils thou hast committed and they will be thy plague and for this thou shalt be damned and frie in hell this is ill newes but this will beare up a mans heart if hee can but looke up to heaven and take good tidings and notice of Gods favour this will joy and refresh a mans soule Motive 2 As this most concernes us so Satan is most cunning to deprive us of the same if hee can stop any intelligence and take away any evidence of Gods love and mercie to the soule this is that Satan labours for for if the heart gets evidence this way and have notice under the hand of the Spirit what love what joy what power and vertue will be in the soule what courage and undauntednesse will be in the heart to walke in the wayes of godlinesse then learne from the Devill himselfe he labours to keepe from you what will doe you most good therefore be you as carefull to get this notice of Gods love to your soules from the Spirit in the promise as Satan is to hinder you from the same Vse 3 Instruction Hence I conclude that the poorest humbled sinner of the meanâ—st capacity doth know more of spirituall truths concerning grace and salvation and Gods love in Christ than the most wise and learned in the world that are not humbled In a word take the meanest Saint that ever breathed on the earth and the greatest scholler for outward parts and learning and reach and policie the meanest ignorant soule that is almost a naturall foole that soule knowes and understands more of grace and mercy in Christ than all the wisest and learnedst in the world than all the greatest schollers and most pompous Cardinals these were never humbled How doe I conclude this why thus if Gods spirit onely give notice of this favor to the humble then all other bee their parts what they will bee God doth not informe them the humble are informed they not instructed therefore the other know not what they cannot conceive As suppose one dull blocke and a quicke wit are both set to one trade yet if the dullard had an expert master and did beat into him the skill of the trade and the quicke spirit was with a master that could not teach him his trade wee see that the dull blocke is more wise in his trade than the other so it is here they have the Lord for their master Vse 4 To shew us the certainty of the assurance of faith if the spirit of God gives notice and certifie a thing it must needs be certaine and hence it is that the assurance of faith must needs bee infallible and undeniable in those that have it I ground it thus That which commeth from the notice of the spirit is most undeniable but the assurance thereof commeth from the notice of the spirit that faith is most undeniable hence commeth those triumphs I know my Redeemer liveth I am perswaded that neither height nor depth c. shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ The worke of God upon the understanding we have spoken of at large now wee come to the worke of God upon the affections as the understanding apprehendeth the truth of the promise so the heart looketh at the goodnesse of the promise Now therefore the Lord he must teach all the affections to come unto the promise and the first affection that commeth next in order is the affection of hope Doctrine The Doctrine is this The holy Spirit of the Father doth stir the heart of an humbled and inlightned sinner to hope for the goodnesse of the Lord The Lord calleth all the affections come joy come desire come love but the first voyce is to hope only observe this passage it must come from a heart humbled and inlightned for nothing commeth to the heart to be affected but onely by the head and understanding therefore before the soule can hope the heart must bee humbled and inlightned humbled in regard of preparation and inlightned in regard of the certification of Gods goodnesse Secondly it must be stirred up to doe it the spirit
much sustained What is there yet hope that my offence may bee pardoned will the King receive mee to mercy So when the Lord humbleth the soule discovereth his sinnes maketh knowne his judgements these are thy sinnes that thou hast committed and for them thou shalt be plagued the great judgement of the great God shall come upon thee and the great God whom thou hast dishonoured will come against thee and to hell thou must Now the poore soule seeth no hope no helpe no means of supply now the poore soule heareth a voyce from heaven there is no hope in thy selfe nor in meanes yet in the Lord Jesus Christ thy sinnes are pardonable thy soule may be saved thy heart may be quickned that place in the Psalmist Let Israel hope in the Lord for with him is plenteous redemption this upholdeth and sustaineth the heart of Gods servant yet there is plentifull redemption and this may discover it selfe in three particulars The infinitenesse of Gods power though thy sinnes are many though the guilt of sinne is mighty and powerfull to condemne the soule yet when the soule apprehendeth an infinitenesse in the power of the Lord to over-power all his sins all the guilt of corruption this lifteth up the heart in some expectation that the Lord will shew favour unto a man though it is a hard thing to hope when the soule is thus troubled can this hard heart be broken can these sinnes bee pardoned can this soule bee saved now commeth in the power of God God can pardon them never measure the power of God to that shallow conceit of thine as Christ when he had told his Disciples it is hard for a rich man to be saved they said how can any man be saved the Lord Christ saith all things are possible to God though not to men and it is said of Abraham hee hoped above hope he looked to the Lord that was able to doe what he promised to supply what he wanted he considered not that he had a dead body but he considered he had a living God not Sarahs barren wombe but the gracious goodnesse of God able to make it fruitfull nay hee beleeved in the God that can make things that are not thy soule is not humbled the Lord can humble it thy sinnes are not pardoned the Lord can pardon them thy soule is not converted the Lord can convert it though I cannot see it though man cannot imagine it yet the Lord can doe it As the infinitenesse of Gods power so the freenesse of his grace and promise that is a thing that marvellously taketh up the heart and maketh it hope for wee are ready naturally to expect no kindnesse from God the Lord is able to doe it that is true but I am unworthy the Lord will not bee wanting to them that can desire it but I am wanting now here is comfort the Lord will not sell his mercy his mercy is not to be merited it is not to bee discovered it is to bee given and to bee bestowed Malach. 7.18 Who is a god like unto our God we say Oh if I could please God if I could walke with God nay but God saith mercy pleaseth him and that place in Esay I for my owne Name sake will doe this not for thy workes sake I for my owne sake not for thy obedience sake this is certaine as there is no worke in any poore creature can discover any mercy from God so there is no wickednesse in the heart of a sinner that can hinder the Lord when hee will bestow grace and mercy in Jesus Christ Object But the world will say Then a man may live as he list and doe what he will if grace be free Answ No no the Lord will pull downe thy proud heart and lay thee in the dust the Lord will abase thee and humble thee before thou shalt receive any mercy from him hee can as well sit thee for mercy as bestow it upon thee The abundance of the riches of Gods goodnesse that exceedeth all the basenesse and vilenesse of man though thou hast sinned against heaven and the Lord in heaven yet there is mercy above the heaven bee thy sinnes and rebellions for the nature of them for the number of them for the continuance of them never so hainous yet they may bee pardoned Here the soule saith My sins are so many so great of such a nature what shall I beg mercy and oppose it shall I desire grace and resist it as that place clearly sheweth Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded grace superabounded hee is the Father of mercy and the God of all consolation Iam. 2.13 there the holy Ghost saith mercy triumph above justice justice cannot bee so severe to revenge thee as mercy is gratious to doe good unto thee if thy sinnes be never so many Gods justice never so great yet mercy is above all thy sinnes above all thy rebellions this may support the soule So then you have the first ground to stirre up hope thy sinnes are pardonable this is possible what thy sinnes be it skilleth not what thy iniquities be it mattereth not there is more mercy in God than sin in thee to pardon more power in God to shew mercy to thee than power in sin to destroy thee The Lord doth sweetly perswade the soule that all his sinnes shall be pardoned the Lord maketh this appeare and perswadeth the heart of his that he intendeth mercy that Christ hath procured pardon for the soule of a broken hearted sinner in speciall and that it cannot but come unto it So that hope commeth to bee assured and certainly perswaded to looke out knowing it shall bee accomplished the former only sustained the heart and provoked it to looke for mercy but this comforteth the soule that undoubtedly it shall have mercy The Lord Jesus Christ came to seeke and to save that which was lost he came for this purpose it was the scope of his comming now saith the broken and humble sinner I am lost did Christ come to save sinners Christ must faile of his end or I of my comfort God saith Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden I am weary unlesse the Lord intended good unto me why should he invite me and bid me for to come surely he meaneth to shew mercy to me nay hee promiseth to releeve me when I come therefore he will doe good unto me The Lord letteth in some rellish and taste of the sweetnesse of his love some sent and savour of it so that the soule is deeply affected with it marke this there is yet a further dint a setling and an assured kinde of fastning of the good unto the soule so that the heart is deeply affected with it and carried mightily unto it that it cannot bee severed It is the letting in the riches of his love that turneth the expectation of the soule another way it overshadoweth all outward good Looke as the covetous man is up early to contrive his riches
may set open a peepe-hole of mercy know therefore this that though the Lord will not nay the Lord according to his oath cannot save a continuing unbeleever yet here is all the hope thou hast and blesse God for it and bee thankfull that thou hast it though whilest thou art an unbeleeving creature thou canst have no mercy from God yet God can make thee a beleever he can breake that heart he can make thee good therefore I say blesse God that thou art yet in the land of the living and say good Lord this is mercy that I am on this side hell if I had died I had as certainly gone to hell as the coat upon my backe hath not the Lord said it did not the Minister speake it and the Word reveale it that as long as I had a proud naughty stubborne wretched heart I should never finde mercy unlesse I should thinke that God would make new Scriptures turne the course of his providence to save a company of base wretched creatures Oh my brethren you that are yet in the gall of bitternesse and bond of iniquity proud before and proud still that live and lie in your sinnes I say every morning and every evening that yet you live thinke with your selves Hath God given me this hope this liberty and that my life is continued why now bestirre your selves to get mercy I beseech you thinke oâ— it if you be not wrought upon by the Word if Heaven and Earth should meet together to save thee and an Angell from Heaven would speake comfort unto thee all would faile therefore you see by this time in what case these are goe aside and mourn for your selves and neighbours this say if you will continue proud and wicked there is no hope for you all the hope is this you are yet alive the Lord may humble that heart hee may enlighten your eyes he may worke upon thy soule else there is no mercy for thee Vse 2 It is an use of consolation and I hope you will be content to heare that I beseech you therefore to observe what I say take notice here that every poore broken hearted sinner may take some ground here to stay his soule though much disquieted though exceedingly perplexed when the soule seemeth to be aloofe off from the Lord when the Lord doth not shine abroad the sweetnesse of his mercy upon the soule when the Lord withdraweth himselfe and his grace in assisting and comforting his Saints when thou hast no sense no feeling thou canst not bee perswaded of it or thy heart beleeve it canst thou but looke up to God and hope I say thy condition is good thou art a good scholler in the Kingdome of the Lord Jesus Esay 40.18 The Lord waiteth upon his Saints to doe them good but marke what the Text saith Blessed is every man that waiteth upon the Lord he doth not say blessed is the man that hath sense of Gods favour blessed is the man that hath assurance of Gods mercy but blessed is that man that waiteth upon the Lord thou saist thou canst not doe this and thou canst not doe that I say if thou canst but wait and hope for the mercy of the Lord I say thou art a rich Christian if a man hath many reversions though he hath them not for the present men that judge of his estate will not judge him for his present estate but for his reversions which hee shall have haply thou hast not for the present the sense and feeling of the assurance of Gods love away with that feeling doe not dote upon it thou hast reversions of old leases ancient mercies old compassions such as have beene reserved from the beginning of the world and know thou hast a faire inheritance this is observable Rom. 8 28. We are saved by hope now hope that is seene is no hope for why should a man hope for that which a man hath wee are saved through hope now if you would have hope to be seene you have no hope in conclusion though thou hast it not in thy eye yet if thou dost hope it is enough that hope will save thy soule It is the folly of our sinfull proud hearts that sometimes in the sense of our owne sinnes and sight of our owne unworthinesse we almost disdaine to looke upon what God hath done for us and we consider not the kindnesse of the Lord. That place in the Psalmist The eye of the Lord is upon them that feare him and wait for him it is the wretched distemper of the soule we can fall out with heaven and our selves because we cannot have what we would nay we quarrell against the means of grace what availe meanes and helpes as long as I have such a stubborne naughty heart Psal 174 1â—1 The Lord taketh pleasure in those that feare him and wait for his mercy alas brethren out of the pride of your owne spirits you fall out with God and your selves and so deprive your selves of this comfort Object But you will say were my hopes of the right stampe and of the right coyne then a man might comfort himselfe therein though he wanted the sense of Gods love and the assurance of his mercy but there are many false hopes flashy hopes leane hopes how shall a man know that his hope is sound and good and will comfort him Ans You may know it by these foure particulars The first is this a grounded hope it hath a peculiar certainty in it it doth bring home unto the soule in speciall manner the goodnesse of God and the riches of his love in Jesus Christ this same grounded hope doth not stand upon Ifs and And 's but it saith it must be undoubtedly it must certainly bee mine and this you must know it is the nature of hope to make a thing to be certaine Hope maketh things infallible and undoubted and withall there is a kinde of speciality a bringing home of Gods goodnesse unto the soule in a peculiar manner hope alwayes if sound it hath something to say for it selfe alwaies it hath a ward to hang and hold upon Psal 130.5 I wait upon the Lord and I hope in his Word and so Rom. 15.4 All things are written for our instruction that through the comfort of the Scriptures wee might have hope here is hope not through your conceits imaginations and dreames but through the Scripture we might have hope a grounded hope is a Scripture hope it is a word hope and therefore those that cannot bring a word and give a reason for their hope I would not give a rush nor a farthing token for a hundred cart load of such hopes No it is Law hope it is Gospell hope Scripture hope Word hope so that the soule can say the Word saith the Lord came to save those that are lost why I finde my selfe to be lost and therefore I hope the Lord will seeke mee though I cannot seeke him I hope the Lord will finde me though I cannot
he might still continue but if his head-peece be gone all is gone a Christian may want many inlargements many comforts many abilities but if his head-peece be gone if his hope be cut off alas he hath nothing to support and sustaine himselfe in the time of trouble Motive 3 This hope is that whereby our hearts are kept both in the love of God and provoked unto obedience unto God Iude 21. Keepe your selves in the love of God expecting the mercie of God now this is nothing but the worke of hope and brethren this is a rule unlesse we expect some mercie from God we will never looke after him we will never obey him never walke with him but when wee expect some good thing comming unto us then wee love him and follow after him but some might here say it is true we doubt not of the comfort and benefit that commeth by it but what meanes are there that might helpe a man to hope in the goodnesse of God how shall a man uphold his soule in some measure in expecting mercie from the Lord Answ The meanes are three Meanes 1 Labour above all to cast out all carnall sensualitie that commonly creepeth upon us and would prevaile over us I meane this that wee would faine live by sense our carnall hearts be sensuall creatures we would faine live by our sense what we see with our eyes and feele with our fingers and have in our hands that we can be sure of but wee can have nothing in hope now when the soule is taken up with and bestoweth it selfe upon the present things then you put hope out of office Rom. 8.24 You are saved through hope and hope that is seene is no hope a man doth not hope for a thing that he hath but hope alwayes expects a good that is to come this is the marvellous sottish distemper of our wretched hearts that wee will trust God no further than wee see him Acts 1.9 wilt thou now restore the kingdome to Israel just now so here saith the soule may I now have grace may I now have assurance may I now have the evidence of Gods love but I would have it now where now is hope all this while you take away the worke of hope when you would have things present wee know the childe must wait for his portion before hee hath it so you must stay your time and be contented with the dealing of the Lord toward you in this kinde Meanes 2 You must daily attend and labour to bee much acquainted with the precious promises of God to have them at hand and upon all occasions for those are thy consorts those are they that support thy soule that looke as the body is without comfort unfit for any thing nature groweth feeble and weake a pale face a faint heart a feeble hand and the like so it is here unlesse a man hath that provision of Gods promises and have them at hand daily and have them dished out and fitted for him his heart will faile Rom. 15.4 What ever was written was for our comfort that through the Scripture we might hope Verse 13. That we might abound in hope through the Gospell as who should say it is not in your power to support your hope it is not in any power here below but through the Scripture yee might have hope and through the power of the holy Ghost brethren I beseech you observe it while wee looke upon our owne infirmities on one side and the feeblenesse of the meanes on the other side this is the next way to dampe our hope to dead our hearts and to take away all our comfort and assurance this is not the way to abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost I beseech you observe it all these things here below cannot give any comfort a man may as soone wring oile or water out of a flint as wring comfort out of these meanes In all these outward things there is no sound comfort or hope there be these three things either wee shall not finde comfort or contentment in them or else not sufficient content or else no constant no continuall content It is with the hope of a poore Christian as with Noahs dove she found no rest upon the earth for the sole of her foot so it is with our wretched hearts wee send out our hope to our abilities to the meanes we doe enjoy to our prayers and performances wee doe discharge and thus all our hopes breake and faile us for in all these things there is no foot-hold for hope we must ancker our foot-hold in Christ what I want Christ can supply what I need Christ can give what is good for me Christ can bestow what I have done amisse Christ can pardon though I barren he is full though I dull he hath enough grace and enlargement for me it is said of Naamans leprosie Let him come and hee shall know there is a God in Israel though the King cannot heale yet a God can though the meanes cannot yet the Lord can so it is here the hope that a man hath in these things here below and the hope in the Gospell A man sendeth out his hope having a wounded conscience hee now goeth to his gifts that they should pacifie him he sendeth out his hope to his prayers that they should ease him marke what they say are wee God we cannot helpe but heare what the promise saith though prayers cannot though parts cannot though outward helpe cannot yet there is a God in Israel there is a promise that is able here is mercie enough here is power and comfort enough Meanes 3 Maintaine in thy heart a deepe and serious acknowledgement of that supreme authoritie of the Lord to doe what he will and how he will according to his owne pleasure brethren I beseech you to observe it this I take to be the ground why the heart of a poore sinner is marvellous taken up with passion and distemper and a kinde of teachy shortnesse wee thinke to bring God to our bow we have hoped thus long and God not answered wee have stood so long and no comfort and shall we wait still wait I wait and blesse God that you may wait if you may lye at Gods feet and put your mouth in the dust and at the end of your dayes have one crum of mercie it is enough therefore checke those distempers what if God will when a wretched sinner wrangleth with God for his dealing with him Paul cutteth him short what if God will so when thou thinkest the time long when Lord and how long Lord what if God will he oweth thee nothing thou deservest nothing what if God will damne thee and will send thee to hell it is a most admirable strange thing that a poore worme worthie of hell should take up state and stand upon tearmes with God and he will not wait upon God who must wait then must God wait or man wait must the Creatour wait
a matter of complement and indifferencie No no I may call it the very wheeles of faith upon which faith is carried for all this while faith is a sowing into the soule Looke as it is with a waggon knocke off the wheeles and all lyes in the dust so take away this desire and faith is in the dust the tenour of all the promises run upon this the thirstie they are invited the hungrie they shall be satisfied nay not onely so but observe further the necessity of this when desire comes all good workes goe forward and our hearts are not only set upon the dutie but the dutie is crowned and credited by this desire It is like the mill damme the fuller the damme is the faster the mill goes so get but desire and all will goe forward the more desire the more paines in seeking after grace this gives a crowne and a credit to all our actions thou prayest haply halfe an houre it is not thy tongue that the Lord accepts but thy desire thou performest many duties outwardly God cares not for that he lookes only at thy desire to approve thy selfe to God in those duties this is the thing that gives credit to all our actions Meanes 3 The third meanes is this labour to spread forth the excellencie of all the beautie and surpassing glorie that is in the promises of God Looke wisely daily and judiciously upon them as occasion serves and when thou seest that admirable and incomparable vertue and beautie that is in Christ and in the precious promises and canst but view them in their proper colours Oh they will even ravish thee and quicken up thy desire If a man carry a packe of never so rich commodities and never opens them no man will have a desire to buy Or if a man have a cabinet full of never so precious jewels if he doe not unlocke it no man will be stirred with a desire after them Even so it is with the promises all those unsearchable riches that are in the Lord Jesus and all the comforts both of this life and that which is to come they are all shut up in the promises Now set open the Gospell and unlock the cabbinet of the promises and then the soule will earnestly desire the same I tell you God is a God of comfort and all the promises are yea and Amen in the Lord Jesus Christ read them daily and examine the excellencie and beautie therein that so thy heart may be brought to prize them and the comfort arising thence Thy soule is discouraged there is mercie to comfort thou wantest grace there is grace to quicken thee See the worth thereof more fully Luke 24. When Christ came and walked with the two disciples that were travelling towards Emaus Luke 24.32 opened Did not our hearts burne within us say they while he opened the Scriptures the Latine word signifieth to burne with desire But how came this they did not talke a word and away but the Lord Jesus Christ opened the Scriptures to them the riches of grace and salvation were unlocked and by Christ opened and then their hearts burned againe with desire Oh that Christ and that mercie and that pardon c. So view thou the promises of Christ and grace and salvation you doe not see the value and riches that are therein but if you will but talke and conferre about them your hearts will burne with desire doe not cast an eye and be gone doe not looke over a promise and away no wonder though your hearts are not affected because the excellent things therein contained are not opened and propounded to you Meanes 4 In the fourth and last place after all this thou must know that it is not in thy power to bring thy heart to desire grace thou canst not hammer out a desire upon thine owne anvill digge thy owne pit and hew thy owne rock as long as thou wilt that is a worke out of thy abilitie and strength Nay let all the Angels in heaven and all the Ministers on earth provoke thee yet if the hand of the Lord be wanting thou shalt not lift up thy heart nor step one step towards heaven therefore I beseech you marke and acknowledge this and goe to him who is onely able to worke this desire in thy soule It is the complaint of Christians and they mourne under it and it is a great miserie Oh they are troubled because they cannot fetch a good desire from their owne soules and one falls another sinkes and a third shakes and they are overwhelmed with discouragement And their complaint is this What a wretched heart have I Object Grace No no the world I can desire the life of my childe I long for that nay every trifling profit and pleasure my soule covets it and I say with Rachel Let me have honour or else I dye But I cannot buckle my heart nor worke this vile nature of mine to bee carried after and long for the unconceivable unsearchable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ And will the Lord shew mercie to me Shall I attaine any favour either here or hereafter Answ Marke the deceit in this case desires grow not in your garden they spring not from the root of your abilities you cannot frame your soules nor order your spirits to desire Christ no struggle while thy eyes sinke in thy head and thy tongue falters when thou prayest and yet thou shalt not procure any longing desire after Christ whiles the world stands desire comes from the quickning vertue of the spirit Therefore seeke to God and confesse In truth Lord I cannot it is not in my power I have not any sufficiencie to frame my heart to this desire I expect it not from my selfe it is not this vile and sinfull soule it is not this wicked base wayward heart of mine that can lift up it selfe it is earthly and heavie but it is thou O Lord from whom come all our desires it is thou that must worke it it is thou that hast promised it good Lord quicken thou this soule and inlarge this heart of mine thou only art the God of this desire none of thy Saints that ever panted after and longed for thy mercie David himselfe had it not in his owne power and sufficiencie it must come from thy power and thy promise and thy grace and blessing Now good Lord worke this in the heart of thy poore servant I would faine have a desire Lord from heaven thus hale downe a desire from the Lord and from the promise for there only you must have it this is the course whereby you may partake of this desire from the hand of the Lord. When the Church was lazie and sluggish and would not rise Cant. 5.4 the hands of her beloved dropped mirrhe upon the handle of the doore and this raised and pulled up the heart of the spouse and she lingred after him and followed him and pursued him and her heart was quickned and inlarged to
newes of a Lord Jesus Christ and of mercie and the soule thus continues wandring and seeking till at last the Lord Jesus Christ comes into the soule when the soule hath hungred and longed for him At length the Lord is pleased to shew himselfe in view behold thy King commeth so the Lord saith Behold the Lambe of God that taketh away thy sinnes Oh thou poore broken hearted sinner here is thy Saviour hee is come downe from heaven to speake peace to thy soule in the pardon of thy sinnes thou that hungrest for a Christ here he is to satisfie thee thou that thirstest for a Christ hee is now come to refresh thee thou that hast long sought him hee saith here I am and all my merits are thine Now when the Lord Jesus is pleased to present himselfe to the soule now desire hath met with the Lord there are two other affections sent out by the Spirit to entertaine Christ and they are love and joy Suffer me I beseech you to expresse my selfe after this manner that I may discover the frame and guise of Gods Spirit in this gracious worke It is in this case with a sinner as it is with a malefactour or traitour observe what I say who is pursued with a Pursevant and is fled to the sea coasts and hath taken a hold and he is there besieged And now hee seeth there is no hope of favour nor no hope of escape therefore hee is even content to submit to the Kings pleasure Simile and yeelds his neck to the block that hee may receive punishment for his offence Now comming to execution he heares an inckling from the messengers there is yet hope that this man may be pardoned with that the poore malefactour in the tower his heart is stirred up to hope Nay then he heares another messenger from the King himselfe say if he will come unto the Court and seek unto his Majesty and importune his Grace for mercy and favour it is like he shall be pardoned this is the second voyce one saith thou mayest be pardoned the other saith nay if thou wilt submit thy selfe thou shalt be pardoned Then hee makes haste and desire carries him to the Court to sue for favour from the King So that he will bee continually there listning and enquiring of every one saying did you heare the King speake nothing of mee how stands the Kings minde towards mee I pray how goes my case then some tells him the truth is the King heares you are humbled and you sory for it you are like to heare more newes hereafter At last the King lookes out of the window and seeth the malefactour and saith is this the traitour they say yes this is the man thar is humbled and intreats for mercy and desires nothing so much as favour The King tells him the truth is his pardon is drawing and comming towards him with that his heart leaps in his belly and his heart is inlarged to his Majesty and he saith God blesse your Majesty never was there such a favourable Prince to a poore traitour His heart leaps with joy because his pardon is comming towards him haply it is not sealed yet Now when it is sealed and all the King calls him in and delivers it and that is the last stroke of faith So it is with a poore sinner hee is this malefactor you that have committed high treason you thinke not of it but take heed God will pursue you one day haply the Lord lets you alone for the present but he will surprize you on the sudden and conscience will pluck thee by the throat and carry thee downe to Hell And now the Lord pursueth him with heavie and terrible indignation and le ts flie at his face and sets conscience a worke as Pursevant and that saith these are thy sinnes and to hell thou must goe God hath set me to execute thy soule Now the poore soule seeth hee can by no means escape from the Lord and to purchase any favour he sees it is impossible therefore he is resolved to lie downe at Gods feet and saith I confesse Lord there is but one way let me be damned so thou maist be glorified If the Lord will shew favour so it is but he cannot desire it almost because he hath so sinned against him Now comes the great voyce he heares a noyse afarre off by the ministery of the Gospell thy sinnes are pardonable with this the soule lookes up and hope stirres the heart and saith then it may be a damned creature may bee saved then it may be a dead dogge may live and a traytor may be pardoned Then the soule heares another voyce if thou canst see the excellency of mercy and long for it and seeke after it thou shalt be pardoned Why goe then saith Desire and he fills heaven and earth with his cries and his closet with his prayers and the congregation with his teares and will enquire of the Minister of God and other good Christians Sirs you are of the bed-chamber you are acquainted with God I pray how goes my case will the Lord thinke you pardon me did you heare the Lord say nothing of me how stands it with me Now the Ministers of God that understand the frame of the heart aright will say The Lord heares you are an humble sinner and that you long for mercie and lye at the court gate and will not away without mercie wee heare God intends well towards you you shall heare more hereafter thus farre now desire goeth At last Christ presents himselfe to the sinner and speakes to his soule by the ministerie of the Word he lookes downe from heaven and gives him a sweet looke of mercie and that makes his heart leape againe and that is done in this manner for still understand that God doth it by the ministerie of the Word doe not now looke for any strange dreames or miraculous imaginations the Lord speakes by his Word and saith thou hast a broken heart thou hast longed for my salvation goe thy wayes I have heard those prayers of thine and observed those endevours of thine and thy pardon is granted bee it to thee as thou hast desired and thy pardon shall afterward bee sealed and delivered Now when the Lord tels the soule It is done it wants only sealing and delivering the heart of a poore sinner when it findes some comfort and refreshment from the Lord in the word he saith The Minister said I was the sinner and God intends good to me and that my sinnes are pardoned as the Prince saith Fiat let it be done so the Lord saith Mercie is comming towards thee and mercie is granted to thee Now the heart leapes with joy and blesseth the Lord let my soule blesse him for ever How ought I to blesse that God that hath done so great things for my poore soule What I pardoned and what my sinnes forgiven what is the pardon granted and now sealing onely it wants delivering why then
a poore miserable creature commend my love commend my mercy to such a poore soule and tell him though hee hath beene an enemy to me yet I am a friend to him tell him though he hath beene a traitor to mee I have beene a good King to him he hath beene a rebell to mee but tell him I have beene a good God to him commend my love to him and let him know that all his sinnes are done away for the Lord Jesus died for sinners when they were sinners This is the argument of Saint Iohn If God so loved us as that he gave his onely begotten Sonne for us how ought wee to love one another I collect from hence But how then ought we to love God himselfe It was this that kindled the frozen heart of Saul he had a heart almost as cold as ice and yet this did worke upon him Marke what the text saith When David had taken Saul on the hip 1 Sam. 24.19 and had him at advantage and might have taken away his life and yet would not when hee saw that David was so kinde and would doe him no hurt David knew Saul persecuted him and desired to kill him hee was the most profest enemy he had and was the onely man that stood betweene him and the kingdome Now when David had him in his hands and spared him this kindnesse of David wrought even upon the heart of a Saul and kindled a kinde of love in him as the text saith Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rewarded mee good and I have rewarded thee evill and thou hast shewed this day that thou hast dealt well with me forasmuch as when the Lord had delivered mee into thine hands thou killedst me not for if a man finde an enemy will hee let him goe well away wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day So that wee see a Saul is warned and his love is kindled towards David for his kindnesse So when the soule considers what is the Lord thus gracious to me who ever found an enemy and slew him not Had it not beene just with the Lord to take advantage against me Had it not beene just that I which lived in sinne should have perished for my sinne Had it not beene just that I which loved my corruption should have perished for my corruptions But that the Lord should finde an enemy and not slay him nay that the Lord should finde an enemy and send his Sonne to save him is wonderfull Let my soule for ever love that God and rejoyce in that mercy this would work almost upon a Devill If the soule had but the sap and sweetnesse of this it could not but warme the heart of an humbled sinner and kindle in him an abundant love to God who hath beene so loving to him Particular 3 Lastly the greatnesse of the sweetnesse of the mercy of God this inflames the soule the sweetnesse warmes it the freenesse kindles it and when the greatnesse meets with these it sets the soule all in a burning flame This is the ground the Apostle presseth to the Ephesians he desireth that they may be rooted in love that is stablished with mighty strong love how shall that be Why the text saith comprehending with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height of the love of Christ which passeth knowledge as who should say can you but once comprehend the unmeasurable dimensions of Gods love and goodnesse this will kindle and inflame your hearts with admirable love to the Lord Jesus When the sinner thinkes thus with himselfe I that have done all that I could against so good a God that my heart even bleeds to thinke of it there was no name under Heaven I tore in peeces but Gods Name his wounds and heart and life I have torne all nay there was no command in the world that my soule so much despised as the command of the Lord Jesus There was no spirit that ever spake to me which I so much resisted as the Spirit of the Lord. Oh how many sweet motions hath the Lord let into my soule that he might plucke mee from my base courses and sinfull practices but I have flowen in the face of his blessed Spirit If I had lien in a dungeon and had beene plagued with torments all my life time yea though I had another world of misery to live in it is infinite mercy so the Lord would passe by these base dealings and pardon these rebellions of mine But that God should send his Sonne to love mee so incomparably so unconceivably that I could not hate him so much as he loved me I could not so exceed in unkindnesse towards him as he hath exceeded in kindnesse towards mee Oh the height of this mercy beyond my desire Oh the breadth of this mercy without all bounds Oh the length of this mercy beyond all times Oh the depth of this mercy beneath all miseries Were my eyes made of love I could nothing but weepe love were my tongue made of love I could nothing but talke love were my hands made of love I could nothing but worke love and all too little for that God that hath loved mee so admirably so unmeasurably What shall I love if I love not the Lord I love all things but I love God above all things Psal 18.1 I love thee dearly O Lord my strength saith David this is the last particular whereby the soule comes to bee all on a flame and hath a burning affection towards the Lord Almighty Vse 1 We come now to the application of the point that so wee may reape some good to our soules thereby First then it is a ground of instruction which I desire to presse unto you because it is both seasonable and profitable From the former Doctrine therefore wee collect and conclude undeniably that there is no sufficiency in a naturall heart to be carried to the Lord Jesus Christ or to the worke of grace wee have not this before God doth give it unto us nay we cannot move towards God or be carried in the least kind to love or delight in him further than the Lord will carry us himselfe and beare up our hearts by the hand of his Spirit It is true and wee finde it by wofull experience it is in our power to love the world it is in our power to delight in our lusts Nay being but naturall men it cannot be but that we should love our selves and love our honour and our ease and profit and applause in the world There is enough of this foolish wild-fire there is enough of this carnall selfe-love in every mans heart But to love the Lord Jesus Christ and to have a heart inlarged with joy to him this is a worke of grace which groweth not in our gardens there is not one sparke of this holy fire and spiritual delight in our hearts Nay we cannot buy it nor borrow it
nor receive it from any creature under Heaven further than the Father sends downe some beames of his love to kindle this in us further than the blessed Spirit of God is pleased to blow these sparkes when they are kindled further than the Lord Iesus Christ is pleased by the power of his merits to feed these sparkes of love thus blowne in our soules It is almost impossible that any man in his naturall estate should be so deluded as to thinke hee can love the Lord or delight in him 1 Tim. 1.13 14. opened The Apostle Paul tels us plainly hee was a persecutor and a blasphemer and injurious Paul could doe this and thou haply canst doe this thou canst be a blasphemer against Jesus Christ and thou canst be a persecutor of Jesus Christ but Paul cannot beleeve in Christ nor love the Lord Iesus how comes hee to this Why the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Iesus marke that As if hee should say it was Gods abundant grace that over-powerd my unfaithfull heart and made it faithfull It was Gods abundant grace that over-powerd my stubborne injurious heart and made it a loving heart But how comes this that the grace of the Lord was abundant in faith and love Why it is in Christ saith the text from Christ this faith was rooted from Christ this love was kindled As if he had said I could persecute and blaspheme and despise and cast off God and his grace I was a wretch a villaine that I could doe But that I should love the Lord being injurious and that I should beleeve the Lord being unfaithfull this was from Christ alone In experience we finde it the ball must first fall upon the ground before it can bound up againe and returne from the ground So the Lord Jesus must dart in and fling in this love of his into the soule before the soule can rebound in love and joy backe to him againe We must receive the Spirit of love from God 2 Tim. 1.7 before the Lord can receive any spirituall and holy love from us In a word what the Lord spake in some case to the Jewes is true of every man naturally I know that you have not the love of God in you Iohn 5.42 As if he should say you know not your selves you thinke you have hearts inlarged to God and you pretend great kindnesse to God but you are deceived in your soules and cozened in your corrupt natures for I know full well that the love of God is not in you I pursue the point the rather for these two ends First it discovers and confutes the carnall conceits of a company of carnall Gospellers that pretend they doe not delight to set out themselves in shew so much and they doe not heare and pray and fast so much as these and these doe But say they as for the soundnesse of our love to the Lord Jesus wee defie any man in the world that speakes against us they finde no difficulty in the matter to love the Lord they are certainly perswaded they doe that Therefore if the Minister shall presse upon them and challenge them of want of love to God and his grace they flie in a mans face presently What not love the Lord Jesus Christ why then it is pitie a man should live upon the face of the earth they doe love him and they will love him all the world shall not perswade them from the loving of Christ Oh poore silly creature it is a great argument that thou never hadst this love to God because thou sawest no hardnesse to get it It is an argument thou never didst expresse any delight in Christ because thou thinkest it an easie matter to delight in him Most men thinke it a matter of nothing what not love the Lord Jesus Christ why who cannot love Christ Who cannot I say neither thou nor I nor any man under heaven can love Christ by any power in himselfe Nay let me speake peremptorily thou art as able to save thy owne soule nay thou art as able to redeeme thy soule without Christ as thou art able unlesse the Lord by the Almightie helpe of his Spirit-inable thee to love the Lord Jesus Christ Nay marke what I say you that love Christ and yet doe nothing for him but pretend great kindnesse inwardly how ever you expresse not your selves in outward appearance I tell thee if a man might have happinesse by it if he might have heaven laid downe upon the naile as wee say if he could love Christ I say upon these conditions if thou hast but nature in thee thou wouldst never goe to heaven thou wouldst never be happie No no it will cost thee more than that comes to it will cost thee much paines it will cost thee many prayers and many teares before that day come It is not an easie matter to love the Lord Jesus the Father from heaven must learne you that you must goe to another manner of schoole than ever you have beene at yet if ever you learne this lecture thou mayst pray till thy eyes sinke in thy head and till thy heart failes and yet thou canst not love Christ unlesse the Spirit inable thee thereunto Thinke of this you that thinke it is nothing to love the Lord Jesus Christ If it were nothing but to talke of love and to complement with the Lord Jesus to make a cursie to Christ and to make a leg to the Lord and yet hate him inwardly then it were an easie matter indeed it is nothing to buckle to him in this fashion and in the meane time oppose him and the power of his grace but to entertaine and welcome a Saviour sutable and agreeable to the worth of him this nature will not cannot doe it is the worke of the Lord. Observe it I beseech you I say as nature cannot doe this so nature will not doe it first nature cannot doe it 1 Iohn 1.5 God is light and in him is no darknesse Ephes 5.8 saith the text at all and Ye were darknesse but now are light in the Lord A man naturally is nothing but darknesse and God is nothing but light a man by nature is nothing but unholy and God is nothing but holy Now darknesse will resist light and not give way to it and wickednesse will oppose holinesse and not give way to the same this is thy condition thou hast an ignorant carnall blinde heart and God is light pure and holy and thou canst resist a Saviour but not entertaine him doe what thou canst Nay further as a man cannot naturally doe this so in the second place I say he will not doe it The Apostle affirmes of the Thessalonians That they would not receive the love of the truth 2 Thess 2.10 opened that they might be saved he doth not say They would not receive the truth but they would not receive the love of the truth It is
a phrase taken from a man which makes love to a partie so the truth of God makes love to many a man it makes love to thy naughtie and corrupt heart and would plucke thee away from these things here below and would draw thee from thy base haunts and filthy lusts and sinfull courses and it would wooe and winne thy soule to take place in it that it may shew comfort to it the truth of God makes love to the world and the world will none of the truth Christ came to the world and the world received him not they were so farre from seeking a Saviour and comming to him that they would not receive a Saviour when hee came unto them Therefore know thou hast a heart that can hate the Lord Jesus Christ but thou hast not a heart to love him thou hast not a heart that can delight in his good Spirit thou hast not a heart that can take content in his rich grace The second reason why I presse this point is this I would discover the disorderly dealing of many poore Saints of God wâ—th their owne soules Many a poore childe of God labours extremely and takes great paines to worke his soule and bring his heart to love Christ he falls out with himselfe because he cannot love God and he is ready to curse himselfe hee cannot get his heart up to heaven where is more riches than is in the best riches of the world where is more honour than in the greatest honour upon earth where is more pleasure than in the greatest delight here below they labour and can finde no good successe they take paines but their worke doth not succeed prosperously the reason is this they doe not begin at the right end they worke the wrong way goe to the sea of love and goe to the sunne of righteousnesse and to the beames of Gods mercie which onely can worke thy heart to love God and delight in him doe not goe to thy cold earthly frozen heart and thinke to fetch love from thence thinke not to bring love to the promise but looke to receive love from the promise but it is the love of God towards thee that must draw love from thee to God againe It was the speech of Christ when he was to send the Comforter to his Disciples Iohn 16.14 He shall receive of mine saith the text and give it unto you marke the phrase all graces and all spirituall abilities are Christs goe thy wayes therefore and presse the Lord Jesus with this promise of his and say The truth is Lord the heart to love thee and delight in thee is thine and thou hast said thy Spirit shall take of thine and give to us therefore give to us of thine Lord that thou mayst receive of thine from us Our hearts cannot love nor delight in thy Majestie but it must come from thee give it to us therefore Lord that wee may give thee of thine owne Vse 2 The second thing I gather from this doctrine is this namely strong comfort and consolation to stay and refresh the hearts of those that have received this gracious worke What ever thy weaknesse be it skils not Is thy love in truth Is thy joy sound it is enough thy soule may bee comforted in that the Lord hath bestowed this gracious worke upon thee in any measure if thy love be in truth it will carry thee through all occasions in this pilgrimage of thine and bring thee to everlasting happinesse it is a ground of admirable refreshing to the soule that findes in his heart this love and delight in God The text telleth us a man by nature cannot doe this Therefore if thou hast this goe thy way cleare thy soule and blesse God for it and make much of it and say Thou hast more than all carnall men than all cunning hypocrites under heaven can have pretend what they will and professe what they please thou that hast the love of God in any measure though in much weaknesse thou hast more than they all This may refresh the hearts of many of you poore ones though haply many other things goe ill with you yet this appeares in the younglings of Christ though they cannot doe any thing for their Father yet they can love him it is a loving childe we say it can love the Father though it can doe nothing for him so you poore weake Christians that have small meanes little abilities haply thy understanding is not so deepe to fadome the mysteries of life and salvation thy tongue is not so glib to talke so freely and conferre so comfortably of heavenly things thou canst not be enlarged in holy duties thy understanding is marvellous blinde thy memory marvellous weake thy parts exceeding feeble so that thou art even ashamed of thy selfe and of what thou hast and dost But I aske thee this question Canst thou love Christ and reioyce in the Lord Jesus mee thinkes many a poore soule replies Yes I blesse the Lord that is all I have to uphold my heart withall I thinke all the profits and pleasures and friends in the world cannot draw my love from Christ it is my delight to love him and rejoyce in him Goe thy wayes then and the God of heaven go with thee this sparke is a sparke of that immortall Spirit of the Father which will never dye it is a worke of grace which will never leave thee it is a badge it is the cognizance and the proper liverie which the Lord Jesus Christ gives only to his Saints there was never a hypocrite under heaven that ever wore this God intended it not for them but those and onely those which the Lord hath effectually called and will glorifie with himselfe hereafter weare this and therefore thou that wantest all yet hast this comfort thy selfe with this in the want of all and say I love the Lord and the Lord knowes it and my soule knowes that I love the Lord Jesus I can say but little for Christ my understanding is weake I conceive not my memorie is weake I retaine not but yet the Lord knowes I love him and delight in him Yea and know thou it too and comfort thy selfe therein the Apostle provoâ—es us to love one another Iohn 4.7 because love comes from God now if the love to the brethren comes from God because wee see Gods image in them then the love of God hath a much more expresse worke in it therefore reason thus with your selves The time was that this wretched vile carnall worldly heart of mine could finde no relish in the promise I could not bring this naughtie soule of mine to entertaine the Gospell of grace nor the Spirit of grace but they were tedious and irksome to my soule but the Lord blessed be his name hath beene pleased to helpe me so that I can doe that which I never could doe I finde the Lords promise and goodnesse much more comfortable to me than all the corne and wine
occasions and diligent to dispatch his businesse and therefore hee receives him that hee may get contentment from the servant not that hee may give contentment to the servant but if hee findes any inconveniency in his estate or receives not that satisfaction from him which hee desires and expects hee turnes him out of doores But now hee which entertaines a Noble man after a noble manner and he which entertaines a King after a kingly manner labours to give him all content hee will not please himselfe nor fulfill his owne minde but studies how hee may give content to the Noble man or to the King Nay it is admirable to see what men of great place will doe in this case When they entertaine a King they themselves will bee servants while the King is there haply hee is a man of great estate and hath many to attend upon him yet hee gives charge to his servants I care not what becomes of me but bee sure let his Majesty be pleased and if any comes to speake with him hee tels him hee cannot possibly speake with him now hee must attend upon his Majestie So it is betweene a sound faithfull loving soule that entertaines Christ and an Hypocrite the one receives Christ into his soule as a servant into his family and all the while Gods Gospell or Grace may promote his honour or ease or credit so farre as these may serve his turne so farre as profit and honour and riches come in by this means welcome Gospell and welcome Christ But if he sees danger will come or inconvenience befall or misery betide then he turnes Gospell and Christ and profession and all out of doores because hee entertained the Gospell onely as a servant to content himselfe But hee that entertaines Christ and the Gospell as a King into his soule labours to give him all content he will not please himselfe or his lusts or his pride or vaine glory or any thing in the world Nay when Christ comes once to be received into the soule he which before had his retinue and all to attend upon him they must all serve Christ now nay he will not give Christ distaste in the least thing he cares for no honour now but to honour him he cares for no advancement now but to advance him he esteems of no riches now but so farre as they may credit the Gospell Nay to goe further they that were his neerest and deerest friends if they come and desire his company he tels them no he cannot the Lord Iesus must bee pleased and the Spirit must bee contented Nay his old lusts and his old acquaintance his old base haunts of heart and his old sinfull courses that have beene at inward league with his soule though they come and plead for acceptance the poore sinner regards none of all these he respects Christ onely Nay he will displease a fashion rather than he will displease Christ he will displease all the great men under Heaven rather than hee will displease Christ Nay all that same glory and pride of his which hath beene so much beloved of him the soule that hath beene truly humbled and brought to an apprehension of Gods goodnesse will rather displease that than displease the Lord Iesus Christ This is an entertainment that beseemes the Lord and this is the guise that beseemes him which gives contentment to a Saviour You must now and then receive the Gospell when it pleaseth you and anon fling out the Lord Iesus and currishly behave your selves towards him but you must give all content unto him and bestow all attendance upon him It is admirable to see what love will doe how men will square their mindes and hearts to the mindes of those that are tendered by them they will be where they please doe what they will Psal 40.8 and talke of what they will I delight to doe thy good will O my God saith David the originall carries it thus It is my good will to doe thy good pleasure So it is the good will of the soule that loves God to please him above all things wee should so speake and worke and walke as beseemes the Lord as will give sweet contentment to the Lord that hee may delight to love us and walke with us and bee a good GOD unto us for ever Triall 4 The fourth triall is this He that loves a thing it is his happinesse and good to see the happinesse and good of the thing he loves observe it this is an undoubted argument of sound affection that a man should bee willing that that which is affected by him should have all good though hee in the meane time misse of it if there bee any prosperity befals the party he loves he thinkes himselfe blessed if any honour comes to him hee thinkes himselfe honoured nay he had rather hee should be honoured and advanced than himselfe this is true love indeed But see a patterne of love and a blessed mirrour of a heart inlarged with affection When David was anointed to the crown and Saul pursued him heavily and thought to defeat him of the Kingdome and dealt wretchedly and cruelly with him 1 Sam. 23.17 Now Ionathan meets him after an heavy affliction and labours to cheer up the heart of David and saith Feare not for the hand of Saul shall not finde thee thou shalt bee King over Israel and I shall bee next unto thee A man would thinke why should not Ionathan rather labour for the crowne himselfe hee was next heire apparant thereunto hee might have said Saul is my father and why should not I succeed him in the crowne why should David start in before me No this comforted his heart and rejoyced and cheered his soule David shall bee King and I shall bee next unto him hee loved David dearly and therefore this refreshed him thou shalt bee King in Israel and it is the comfort of my heart that I shall be next unto thee As who should say it contents me more that thou shalt be honoured than if I my selfe were honoured So it is with a good heart that loves Iesus Christ and his Grace and his Gospell Oh the happinesse of the Gospell and the promotion thereof is the greatest good and comfort that can befall him The Christian saith let God bee honoured though I bee disparaged it skils not Is the Lord advanced and doth his Gospell thrive Is his Glory promoted Doth the worke of grace goe forward It is enough what becomes of my honour or parts or liberty or case it is no matter Let it goe well with the Gospell and let honour be given to the Lord Iesus in the use of the means and ordinances which he hath bestowed upon us let Gods cause finde that acceptance amongst his servants which it ought it is sufficient it rejoyceth my heart See this in Iohn the Baptist when Christ began to set forth the Gospell and to baptize and many came unto him the Disciples of Iohn grudged
it be stirres it selfe to attaine neerer union with the Lord Jesus even when he seemes to absent his presence from the soule but we cannot prosecute that so that by this time then it doth appeare what it is to love the Lord trulâ— and wee have laid downe the triall whereby we may know whether wee have this love or no. Vse 3 The third use is a word of reproofe you have heard the ground of consolation already therefore when the pill is sugered I hope it will down the better Here then wee have a just ground of reprehension and it comes marvellous heavy as a witnesse to accuse many nay as a Judge to condemne many in the world this is sufficient to shake their hearts and to make their soules that live in the bosome of the Church almost to sinke in the consideration and sight of their owne miserable and fearfull condition upon whom this worke was never stamped in whose soules this grace of God was never yet kindled certaine it is such never loved the Lord nor ever rejoyced in Christ Woe to their soules therefore and beloved this is the condition of the greatest part of those that live in the Church and are counted professors among us they love not Christ they rejoyce not in him yet they will not bee perswaded of it therefore give a little attendance I beseech you to what I shall say This is the cunning that Satan hath to deceive poore soules withall because these holy affections are inward and retired as hope and desire and love and joy because I say they are secret things in the soule and doe not discover themselves outwardly to the view of the world further than the fruits thereof manifest the same Therefore men not knowing these affections themselves and not conceiving of the nature of them that is the cause that many leane upon the expectation of what they have in frame of heart though they want in the course of their lives this is that which every man almost doth challenge to himselfe as that whereby he will beare up his heart in time of trouble and cheere up his soule in the day of distresse Wicked men when every one cannot but see and behold their base courses and loath their sinfull practices nay when they themselves cannot but confesse their filthy behaviours c. Why they confesse they fall foully and they fall dayly and scandalously but that which heals all helps all is this they say it is true it is so with their lives but yet they love the Lord Jesus with all their hearts every vile varlet will say thus when hee hath sworne by a Saviour and torne his flesh in peeces his blessed body his blood his wounds and all yet when he hath done this he loves a sweet Saviour still Oh poore deluded miserable sinfull wretch that I may apply my selfe particularly to such a one I beseech you give mee leave to doe two things First I will make it good that most men have not this love of God Secondly I will plead the Inditement and then when I have laid out the Inditement and pleaded it and shewed who they are that have not this love of God the point will be cleere First it is sure and most certaine 1 Most in the world have no love to God but hatred against him that most in the world that live in the bosome of the Church have not their hearts carried in any love of God but in a hatred and desperate opposition against the Lord Jesus Christ In him was life and this life was the light of the world and the light shined in darknesse and the darknesse comprehended it not the meaning is this the Lord Jesus Christ was the life of the promise in him was life the promise of life was in Christ and that promise of life was a light to teach men the way to life and salvation but when this light of the promise of grace shined to the world the darke world comprehended it not they knew it not Christ came unto his owne Iohn 1.11 and his owne received him not There the Lord speakes of the Jewes that were his chosen people and his owne by covenant His owne by reason of the privileges and benefits and ordinances which he bestowed upon them His owne by profession they tooke the Name of Christ upon them Christ came not to heathens and pagans but to his owne and they received him not How many are there amongst us who professe the Name of the Lord Iesus and take up the Gospell of Christ and yet being Christians in profession will not entertaine the love of the Lord Iesus Christ which should make us Christians in dâ—ed Christ comes to many a mans doore and knocks and calls and intreats entrance but few will entertaine him when hee comes nay let mee say more my heart trembles to speake it nay my heart were it as it should be would grieve to thinke it Wicked men are so farre from prising Christ and loving the Lord Iesus that they hate him more than sinne nay I had almost said yet I am loth to speake it my heart shakes to thinke it but that I hope you are willing to heare the worst why then I will speake it and they are the words of the Scripture wicked men hate Christ more than the devill himselfe the Lord be merciful to such poor sinful creatures good Lord that ever men should be created by the Lord and enjoy mercy and meanes from the Lord and yet love sinne and the devill himselfe more than God Object But you will say are there any such is it possible that ever any man that breathed and received mercy from the Lord Iesus should deale so sinfully and unkindly with him why the devill would not doe it Answer I say to you as the Prophet said to Hazael in another case I know saith he the evill thou wilt doe to the children of Israel their strong holds wilt thou set on fire 2 King 8.12.13 and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword and wilt dash their children and rip up their women with childe but Hazael said what am I a dogge that I should doe this the Prophet told him the Lord hath shewed it unto me I know saith the Prophet the cruelty and venome of thy spirit though thou knowest it not So when I speake of these things men will bee ready to say what are there any such dogs to deale thus with the Lord Jesus I tell you the Lord knowes this and the Word seeth all thy venome and spight and hatred against Christ the Lord seeth and knoweth it Most men in their hearts doe hate Christ though they see it not beloved your hearts are more vile than you can conceive and more base than you can imagine the Word will make it cleere The greatest evill of all wee know is sinne the Devill is not to be loathed but for his sinne and the reason why he is
will overcome all corruptions that mercy that will pardon all our sinnes then saith the will content it shall be so and this makes up the match for now the match commeth to bee made when the will saith Amen to the businesse and this is that great worke of the will the spawn and the seeds of faith went before now faith is come to some perfection now the soule reposeth it selfe upon the Lord and Divines say that here commeth in faith what the minde hath knowne and hope expected and desire longed for and love embraced then commeth in the great wheel the great commander the will which saith I will have it Goe no further it is the best match wee can make you saw the seeds of faith before in the affections but now you shall see the root of faith and the full growth of faith in the will So from hence the point of Doctrine is this Doctrine The will of a poore sinner humbled and enlightned comes to bee effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest upon the free grace of God in Christ that it may bee interested therein and have supply of all Spirituall wants from thence For the better clearing of this Doctrine consider these foure particulars First the worke must be in an heart humbled and enlightned Secondly the will must be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father Thirdly by the power of this perswasion it casts it selfe upon the rich grace and free mercy of God in Christ Fourthly the end of it that it may bee interested into all the good that is in the promise For by faith wee come to have a title to all that ever Christ purchased and God hath prepared for his people and as by infidelity wee went from God so now by faith we come again to God Particul in the doctr 1 For the first passage this grace of faith the root whereof is seated in the will it is in an heart humbled and enlightened if either of these two bee wanting it is not possible that ever sound saving faith should be in the soule I doe not now dispute of the measure of these how farre a man must bee humbled and how much enlightened these I have handled before I abate a man of the measure and leave that to the good pleasure of God but the heart must bee truly humbled and soundly enlightened First The heart must be humbled that is loosed from sinne and from selfe if the soule be not thus truly humbled there is no roome for faith for the worke of humiliation cleeres the coast â—nd clenseth the roome for if the soule of a poore sinner be not loosened from sinne and made weaâ—y of it but takes fast hold of it as Ieremie saith Ierem. 8.5 They hold fast to deceit and would not returne so when a man will hold his pride and his corruptions that man is carelesse of Christ and not onely so but also opposit from going to Christ he will not goe to Christ that he may receive power for â—he subduing of his corruptions because he is resolved to keepe his sinne still and therefore know â—hat it is not possible to receive Christ and to â—leave to sinne too Secondly suppose the soule be truly burdened â—nd the heart be surcharged with sinne and the â—eart seeth an absolute necessity of a change and â—e saith if this be certaine then I am a miserable â—an and either I must reforme my way or else perish in my way now when the soule is come to this if the heart will yet shift for it selfe and thinke to recover it selfe seeing it must needâ— change it will change it selfe it will hinder faith for whatsoever it is that keepes a man in himselfe that alwayes hinders the worke of faith for faith ever goes out to another for grace and power to ease him of corruption and for strength to subdue his sinnes if the soule say either I need not change or if I must change I will change my selfe and save my selfe what need have I of a Saviour these hinder faith therefore if ever faith be there the heart must have thiâ— wrought he must see himselfe in a lost condition that is that by all the meanes under heaven heâ— cannot succour himselfe this is the meaning of that phrase Luke 19.10 The Lord Iesus came 〈◊〉 seeke and to save that which was lost a lost man indeed every man is lost under the power of sinne and dominion of Satan but he must see himselfe lost how the guilt of sinne is condemning him and therefore lost in regard of pardon to save him and also how he is polluted and therefore lost in regard of power to subdue corruptions and when he seeth this indeed that nothing can helpe him but a Christ then the soule makes out for a Christ this is the meaning of that place Iohn 1.12 To as many as received him he gave c. so that we must receive a Christ when we are gone oâ—â— of our selves by humiliation then are we fit to goe to God by vocation Quest But may not a man beleeve and is it not lâ—â—full to beleeve unlesse a man be thus humbled Answ It is lawfull at any time if thou canst but I say it is impossible for thee to beleeve untill thou be thus humbled as Iohn 4.44 the Lord Christ comes to the Pharisees and saith I know you will not come to mee that you may beleeve nay in the next place he saith How can ye beleeve that receive honour one of another how canst thou beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ to subdue thy lusts and yet wouldst bee uncleane still and live in thy lusts still how canst thou beleeve in Christ to master thy rebellious heart and yet wouldest be rebellious still it is impossible heaven and earth cannot meet together no more can these two stand together therefore set your hearts at rest a man must be truly humbled and broken hearted â—f ever he beleeve Secondly the soule must be enlightened I â—oyne these two together in this clause for though faith be above reason yet it is with reason it is not that colliers faith of the Papists â—hat put out his owne eyes to see by another mans this is a delusion and an implicite faith â—herefore I say a man must be inlightened to see â—he grace and mercie and freenesse of Gods love â—n Christ as Psal 119.10 They that know thy name â—hall put their trust in thee it is against common sense that the soule of a man that is reasonable â—hould fall upon any thing and rest it selfe there â—nd yet never seeth whether it bee a sufficient helpe or no this is by the way of preparation Particul in the doctr 2 It is effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest it selfe c. this I adde in the second place upon the same ground because a man hath no legs of himselfe to bee carried to the Lord Jesus Christ to beleeve in him further
than God doth convey this and communicate to the soule a man naturally is as well able to keepe the law which is doe and live as hee is of himselfe in himselfe so considered to beleeve in the Gospell and to keepe the second covenant of grace which is beleeve and live but the difference is here the Gospell requires abilitie and gives it the Lord cals us to come and inables us to come whereas the law reveales a mans corruptions but never gives him power against them but as the Lord called Lazarus so the Lord gave Lazarus power to rise so when the Lord cals a poore sinner he gives strength and spirituall ability to come according to the call which the Lord reveales that he may come by that saving and precious faith as S. Peter cals it therefore it is of necessity required that as the soule beleeves the Lord must give strength that it may beleeve and therefore it is effectually perswaded Now that I might meet with that erronious opinion of Pelagians consider what I say they say it is of necessity required that a poore sinner have his minde inlightened but the will of man is unaltered and left free to refuse or chuse grace if it please so that they put a kinde of ability in the will to take or refuse Christ and grace when it is offered but here is a deepe mistake because the will of man is as farre averse from God as the minde is blinde nay it is more averse from God than the minde is blinde and it is more hard to be framed therefore there must be this effectuall perswading as the understanding must have the truth cleered to see a Christ so the will must be perswaded that it may receive power from him as it is with the sea and the thames there is ebbing and flowing now the natutall Philosophers observe that the ebbing and flowing comes not from any inward proper principle of it selfe but the light and heat of the moone leaves its beames upon the water and drawes the water after it this makes it to flow and when the moone is gone the water returnes backe againe and this is ebbing just so it is with the soule of a man humbled and enlightened there is no power in the soule to goe any further than it selfe to flow unto a Christ and to goe towards the promises further than the Lord lets in by the power of his Spirit the beames of his mercie upon the soule and sheds in the freenesse of his grace into the heart and that makes the soule flow againe so that as it ebbed and went away from God by sinne so it now flowes and comes to God againe but it is by the power and Spirit of God Quest. Now if you aske mee what it is to have the heart thus perswaded of Gods goodnesse in Christ Answ It is nothing else but this first as it is undeniably inlightened to see this mercie of God so there comes in a streame of the freenesse and riches of Gods grace and doth affect the heart with the sweetnesse and rellish of Gods grace that it findes a marvellous sweetnesse in it Quest Secondly what is it to be effectually perswaded Ans It is thus much not a touch and away and a little sip and begone nor a hourly kinde of tasting but take notice of these two things in it First when the prevailing sweetnesse in the promise and that goodnesse in the promise is let in by the Spirit of the Lord that it sinkes into the heart roots and it comes to take possession of the soule of an humble sinner and is next the soule there is nothing next the soule but that the world and pleasure c. are without the heart but the goodnesse of the promise and the freenesse of Gods grace hath its privie chamber in the heart of a man this I take to be the meaning of that phrase of rooting the promise in the heart and this was the fault of the stony ground-hearers Matth. 13.21 The seed grew up suddenly and perished suddenly why because it had not depth of earth the seed of the promise had not the depth of his heart but there was a stone in the heart and the world lay next the heart and a stone of lust and pride was betweene the word of the Lord and the heart so that the promise had not root and hence it was slightly affected with the truth but never thus powerfully to have it goe downe to the roots of the heart the good word of the Lord in this case comes to the heart not as an owner but as a travellour this is the meaning of that place Hosea 2.14 I will allure her and draw her into the wildernesse that is by preparation and then I will speake comfortably to her that is I will speake to her heart so it is in the originall there is a kinde of prevailing sweetnesse of the grace of God in Christ that will be at the roots of the heart that it may give allowance unto it now marke what followes from hence and this is the first part of the effectuall perswading of the heart when the heart saith away with profit and the world and all let me have the Lord and his grace Oh that goes to the bottome of the heart hence it is that the soule thus prevailingly is sweetned with the goodnesse of the promise can taste nothing in the world without this it is now out of love with all other things it had loved and doted on before most immoderatly the sweetnesse of the promise hath stolne away the heart of a poore sinner and gotten the good will of the soule to be only for Christ and to have his heart to close with Christ and to be nothing in the world without him this effectuall perswading it is the meaning of that place Act. 3.19 Amend your lives repent and turne that your sinnes may be done away repent and be converted that is be truly prepared in the worke of humiliation and be converted that is have a through heat of the heart for grace in vocation that your sinnes may be done away in justification so then when the soule is first humbled in preparation and the heart now all for the Lord Jesus Christ and can taste nothing but Christ and nothing in regard of him and God hath gotten his good will then followes justification that your sinnes may be blotted out this was the practice of the repenting Church when the Lord had hedged her way and built a wall that she could not finde her old lovers Hos 2.7 at last the Church saith I will returne to my first husband for then it was better with me than now as if the Church had said Oh the mercies of God and the consolation of Christ are better than all my delights in sinne the soule comes now to see a bettering in Christ Oh to have my heart purged and my sinnes remitted it were better than to wallow
what shall I doe What shall I doe unto thee Oh thou preserver of men and the broken hearted and terrified sinner craves that he may yet live in the sight of the Lord. And at last when the soule hath beene sufficiently humbled the Lord lets in his sweet voice of mercy and saith Thou art my sonne and thy sinnes are pardoned with that the soule catcheth at that mercy and saith mercy Lord and a sonne Lord pardon Lord and love Lord the soule is marvellous willing to heare of that consideration But it will not away from the Lord againe as they catched at the words of Ahab and said thy brother liveth so the soule saith beleevingly and â—eccho-like pardoned Lord accepted Lord love and mercy in Christ Lord the heart holds it selfe there It is the fashion of a drowning man when hee seeth himselfe going and sinking if any man come to helpe him when he hath taken hold hee will rather die than leave him hee holds for his life Just so it is with a drowning sinner that is tossed up and downe with the floods of Gods indignation He that formerly made nothing of all and a mock of Christ and thought hee might goe to heaven with all his lusts now the Lord opens his eyes and sets upon him and tosses him up and downe that the heart smites with it and hee seeth himselfe lost and going downe to the pit â—nd hee expects nothing but damnation and at â—ast the Lord lets in a record of mercie and the promise of grace and salvation when the soule â—eares hereof hee catcheth it greedily and knowes if that faile his soule must needs faile â—nd therefore he will never let it goe Act 3 The third act of resting is this it flings the waight of all its occasions and troubles upon Christ as the porter that is weary of his waight and hath no way to helpe himselfe but to be eased of his burden so when the soule hath fastned upon Christ it layes all the waight of all its guilt and power of corruptions upon the Lord Jesus Christ Christ hath promised to give ease and power to pardon and the soule now layes all upon him as Psal 35.7 Commit thy way to the Lord and trust in him commit thy way that is the waight of all thy occasions roule thy way upon the Lord as it is with a barrell that is tumbled up and downe the earth beares the waight of the barrell but some body moves it so the soule casts the waight of all its disgrace dishonour temptation and all upon Christ Esay 50 10. Hee that walkes in darknesse and hath no light let him trust in the name of the Lord and stay upon hiâ— God that is if any man be in extremes hopelesse in misery and seeth no helpe for himselfe neither in himselfe nor the creature and walkes in desperate discouragement and hath no light of comfort let him trust upon the name of the Lord and stay upon his God as when a man cannot goe of himselfe hee layes the waight of all his body on another so the soule goes to a Christ and layes all the waight of it selfe upon Christ and saith I have no comfort all my discomforts I lay upon Christ and I relie upon the Lord for comfort and consolation and when the soule hath thus leaned upon Christ it leaves it selfe there and sucks and drawes all the good that it needs from Christ Cant. 8.5 Who is this that commeth up from the wildernesse leaning upon her beloved the party comming is the Church the wildernesse is the troubles and vexations the Church meets withall and the beloved is the Lord Jesus Christ now the Church comes out of trouble and out of her selfe and leanes her selfe all upon her husband the Lord Jesus Christ she only walked with him but he bare all the burden for her and as the Jewes after their Passeover had their feet shod with sandals and staves in their hands the promise to the soule is like that staffe which did testifie the promise when we are going to the land of Canaan the promise of grace and mercy is the staffe which wee leane upon and it is not a broken staffe that will faile us but a strong staffe which a man may trust to and lay all the waight of life and happinesse upon it and the subduing of his sinnes also 1 Pet. â— 7 Cast all your care on him for he careth for you the originall is hurle your care upon the Lord as â—f a man should say suffer not your care to rebound backe againe but hurle it upon the Lord as a man doth with a ball when it rebounds hee beats it backe againe the Lord will not thanke you for carrying your cares and troubles about you but he requires you should hurle it upon the Lord for he careth for you All that faith would have the soule doe is this First that the soule should labour to finde out the meanes of grace Secondly that it should practice what it knowes Thirdly that it improve all meanes when it hath gotten them now that it may bee able to doe this faith layes all the weight of the worke and burden of the day upon the Lord Jesus Christ so that I shall know what I should doe or the Lord will pardon what I doe not know and either I shall be able to doe what I know or else God will accept of my poore endevours and either I shall finde successe in that I doe or else God will make me contented so that all the burden is gone therefore what if thou doest not know what thou shouldst doe seeing God will pardon thy ignorance and what if thou dost not that which thou knowest if God will pardon thee in it and what if thou hast not that successe thou desirest if God will accept of thee without it and therefore David chides his owne heart and rocks his owne soule asleepe where it was golling Psal 42. Why art thou cast downe O my soule c. I am banished from my house and from my friends and especially from the house of my God and have not I cause to be disquieted no hee had not but how shall I amend my selfe in all these troubles still trust in God for he is yet the helpe of my countenance and my God and I will yet give him praise as if he had said thou shalt not need to be distracted discouraged nor vexed inordinately still trust in God and cast all thy care upon him the faithfull soule viewes all his sinnes that he hath committed and all the miseries that are intended and inflicted and when it hath done all it conclude thus with it selfe and saith It is not in my power nay it is not my duty to determine of all these troubles I lay all the weight of my sinnes upon Christ to pardon them and all the weight of my corruptions to subdue them and then I know he will care for me that hath undertaken mercifully for
may say on which faith stands and whereby it is able to rest it selfe upon the promise Thirdly the nature and forme of faith is this the reposing of the soule upon the Lord and his speciall favour so reported for the ground why any man goes to God is because he was effectually perswaded of and also affected with the goodnesse of God as it is with some outlawed traitour he dares not goe to the court unlesse he will goe to his ruine because hee knowes there is nothing expected but cruell execution but if once he come to see his pardon sealed under the broad seale and that there is some hope of mercy then hee willingly goes to the court what was the ground of his going home even this because hee was effectually perswaded that the King had a favour to him so it is with an humbled sinner humbled in the fight of his sinne and broken because of his Lords displeasure against him and when the soule hath this certification from tâ—e hand of the Spirit that the Lord intends good to him then the soule goeth and saith Lord I durst not have beene here but that I have heard thou art a mercifull God And lastly the finall cause of faith is this the soule comes to be fitted with all good according to is necessity Object But some may say I heare nothing of the beleevâ—r all this while it seemes he doth nothing if the Spirit bee the efficient cause and if the Spirit workes it and makes the soule able to worke upon Gods free grace and if the Spirit be the finall cause of all then the beleever doth nothing c. Answ This worke of beleeving is a worke of the Spirit upon the soule rather than any worke wrought by the soule or issuing from any principle which the soule hath in it selfe as it is with an eccho when God saith thy sinnes are pardoned thy person accepted faith sounds againe my sinnes pardoned my person accepted good Lord let it be so then this perswades the heart and that marvellously to rest it selfe there for all good but it is done upon the soule rather than by the soule as Phil. 3.12 we are said To be comprehended of God and not to comprehend God so we know God because we are knowne of him now give mee leave in a word to describe the cause of it what it is in the promise that thus effectually perswades the heart that it may beleeve and herein I will goe no further than the promise and therein shew the motives in the promise and how the heart comes to beleeve and these will discover the reason of the point There are three things in a promise 3. Things in a promise whereby the will of man is drawne to beleeve First the all-sufficiency of the freenesse of Gods favour that is an admirable cause to perswade the heart to come on cheerefully it is the speciall prerogative of the promise to answer the soule wholly in all the desires of it nothing under heaven doth or can doe this but the promise haply a man desires wealth and when hee hath it this cannot make him honourable and the ambitious man desires honours and when hee hath them they cannot make him rich so each thing of it selfe hath but a particular helpe but the promise hath all-sufficiency to answer all the heart would have the will of a man naturally desires good and so consequently all good now the promise hath all good in it as in that place open thy mouth wide and I will fill it there is a fulnesse in the promise to answer all the pantings and desires of the soule thou saist thou art a poore dead sluggish creature and the promise calls upon thee as the Angel did and saith come hither and here is life that will quicken thee and thou art a weake creature come hither saith the promise and I have grace to make thee strong and thou art a damned creature come hither then saith the promise here is mercy to pardon all sinnes of all kindes the consideration of the rich provision in his fathers house carried the prodigall home so there is mercy grace pardon comfort enough in the promise you poore hungerbitten sinner away away away for shame to that enough of the promise and there refresh your selves for ever it is that which Elisha said to Naaman 2 King 5.8 Let him come hither and he shall know that there is a God in Israel and that there is a healing God though not a helping King so the promise saith to every fainting languishing and leprous soule if thou art a truly humbled heart and art sick of thy sinnes and even drawing on to despaire and all thy prayers and dayes cannot prevaile nor doe thee good but still thy sinnes thy sorrowes thy corruptions prevaile and thy condemnation sleepes not but is drawing on apace upon thy soule now see what the promise saith let him come hither and he shall know that there is a God in Israel that is able to cure all and to loose him from all his corruptions Object Oh but saith one I confesse there is enough in the promise to be had but what is that to me if the Lord intend it not to my good Ans 2 Thou being humbled and broken hearted God doth seriously intend it for thy good and on Gods part there is nothing to hinder thee from it it is not more cleare that the promise is all sufficient then it is certaine the Lord intends it for thee if thou beest humbled God sent his Sonne to save thee Esa 61.1 Christ came to binde up the broken hearted and to comfort all that mourne Iohn 12.47 God sent not his Sonne to condemne the world c. Nay Christ being sent of his Father freely came to this end 1 Tim. 1.15 Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners that is humbled and broken and meeke hearted sinners and not some of them neither but all that are broken hearted and all that are lost sinners but never a proud stout-hearted and sturddy sinner under heaven hee came not to call the righteous that is those that trust to their owne righteousnesse but sinners to repentance Nay God doth earnestly desire thee to come and take this mercy ho every one that will let him come to the waters of life c. and behold I stand at the doore and knocke if any will open c. and the Lord intreateth you to be reconciled 2 Cor. 5.20 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me and be that commeth I will in no wise cast away Ioh. 6.37 the originall saith cast away no no thou poore distressed soule though thou art never so meane in parts or gâ—fts or never so much distressed in the world though thou weare a leatherne pelt and though haply great men may despise thy society yet the Lord Jesus Christ will not cast thee away thou mayst cast away thine owne comfort if thou wilt through thy pride
of God and the powerfull worke thereof may marvellously snub and wound sinne but infidelitie will heale it againe and will restore life to it againe I compare reformation to the retreat of an army when one side is weake and the other side is too strong and they are not able to make their parts good then they make a retreat and goe home againe to their trenches and hee that wisely retreats himselfe though he may lose the day yet he loseth not a man and the Commander saith such a man was wounded and such a man was hurt a little but we came all well home they retreat into the trenches and get more strength and then they levy our their forces againe So it is with outward reformation haply a man lives under a powerfull Minister under a good master and in a good family and all these make sin retreat and hee dares not sweare and he cannot walke in his wicked wayes his master curbs him all this while his sinnes make a retreat but there is none of them gone the life of never a one of them is gone so long as he hath an unbeleeving heart let the unbeleever enjoy never such means and live in never so good a family yet he hath not one sinne killed they are onely retreated and so unbeleefe nurseth them and makes them grow out with greater violence This I take to be the reason why many a man that hath professed the Gospell and hath had much horror of heart and many good resolutions and much care expressed outwardly after many yeers his corruptions breake out againe and get ground and they are armed afresh and they run violently and for any thing a man knowes they goe downe to hell how many professours have turned to be uncleane persons and to be drunkards because their old sinnes were but onely snubbed by good company and the word c. But they never had their hearts throughly broken the root that nursed all was still the same and therefore they breake out notoriously to the dishonour of God the scandall of the Gospell and the confusion of their owne soules if God be not mercifull Fourthly as unbeleefe keepes God from the soule and makes all meanes unprofitable and maintaines all sinne in the strength and life of it So lastly it makes the soule of a poor sinner to be in a desperate estate and a man continuing in this condition is past hope help recovery beleeving is the last covenant that ever God hath exprest a man may be saved and not doe the law but a man cannot be saved if he doe not beleeve that 's the last covenant and condition of all and if hee stick here he is past all recovery without a wonderfull worke from Heaven Heb. 3.18 There the Lord takes a solemne oath that they that would not beleeve should never enter into his rest to whom did he sweare thus to them that beleeved not God never takes an oath that hee that keeps not the law shall not bee saved or that hee that cannot performe to keepe all the Commandements shall not be saved and never see happinesse no but he takes an oath that they that beleeve not shall never see happinesse and when God once sweares the thing is unchangeable God never swore that if Adam did not doe hee should not live but if he had not beleeved in that Christ that was promised hee had never beene saved but though we cannot live by exact doing yet we may live by beleeving and we may goe to another to doe what God requires of us and this is the reason of that peremptory curse which God sealâ—s downe upon the hearts of unbeleevers Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth is not condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already hee hath one foot in hell but why is it so I answer looke as it is with a man that hath a case to be tried if it be tried in all the courts of England and he cast in them all there is no more trouble to bee made nor no more hope of recovery So it is in this hee that beleeveth not is cast in all Courts in Heaven and earth Law and Gospell both condemne him justice will not save him for it must bee satisfied and mercy will not save him for he is an unbeleever so that there is no trial to be lookt for the sentence is passed upon him in heaven and earth onely there wants a Jaylor to bring him to the gibbit that is death and the devill who is the hangman to turne him off into hell for ever there to plague him nay unbeleefe bindes Gods hand and hinders the power of God as may be said with reverence he may justifie a sinner but he will not justifie an unbeleever in his estate of unbeleefe Marke 6.5 He could doe no miracle there because of their unbeleefe the text doth not say hee did not great workes there So S. Matthew hath it but he could doe no great workes there so the Lord hee can doe mighty workes he can justifie a sinner and comfort the discomforted and cleanse the polluted and save the polluted but he will not save the unbeleever hee cannot worke this mighty worke upon him and therefore doe not trouble thy selfe so much for mercy towards thee if thou bee an unbeleever never dreame of comfort for God cannot save thee will God goe against his owne words then he should not bee truth hee hath sworne that an unbeleever shall not enter into his rest this word and oath shall stand for ever Therefore goe to God that hee may give thee a beleeving heart and then mercy will come and pardon and glory will come to the soule but remaining in unbeleefe hee cannot save thee hee will not deny his Word nor his oath for never an unbeleeving wretch under Heaven Now if you doe conceive the nature of your sinne and your misery thereby then for the Lords sake you that heare the Word this day all you unbeleevers that never had this worke of faith in your soules hie you out of this miserable condition goe your wayes and give no quiet to your soules nor no comfort to your consciences before the Lord shew mercy to you in removing this corruption from your soules and shew mercy to you Now whether you have true faith or no I shall shew afterwards when I shall come to trie every mans evidence and that yee may come out of this unbeleeving condition labour to see the danger of it in three particulars and establish thy heart with these considerations that thou maist never bee in quiet till thou have some power against them and grace to come out of them First know and consider seriously that whatsoever thou dost so long as thou art an unbeleever it is all unprofitable and to no purpose at al couldst thou heare with attention and remember sufficiently whatsoever is revealed and pray with abilitie and understanding beseeming a Christian man in that case didst thou reforme
there is none equall to his to bee compared with this worke of beleeving I say of faith as Iacob did of Reuben Gen. 49.3 Reuben thou art my first borne my might and the beginning of my strength the excellency of dignities c. So I say of faith it is the first borne of all other graces it is the might of God and the beginning and the excellency of the might and power of God for as the first borne hath a double portion appointed by God so this is the first borne and hath a double portion of that Almighty Spirit of his So then if it be so that all the parts that ever a man had and all the highest privileges and meanes and duties cannot reach this worke and are not able to worke faith but are too feeble to worke faith and if it bee so that this worke is extraordinary great and so are the hindrances to be removed and none but Christ can doe it and if faith bee supernaturall the opposition against this worke of God bee so fierce let then every man that heares the word of God this day yeeld that it is unconceivable how it is done and therefore much more out of our power to worke it in our owne soules therefore you that have heard and understand the minde of God that out of ignorance have beene deceived to you I now speake you are to be intreated in the name of the Lord to goe home and say and take shame to your selves and confesse your owne folly thou that hast made it a easie worke to beleeve saying if people were but judicious to understand the Scriptures it were easie to beleeve now take shame to your selves and say thus Lord the truth is I condemned such and such a poore soule I heard such a man a mourning and saying hee could not beleeve in the meane time I thought it was easie or else they wanted wit but I thought that by my parts and abilities and because I was able to see the depth of Scriptures that therefore I could beleeve and that it was an easie matter to doe it but poore deluded creature that I was I see now that I am no more able to beleeve out of my owne power than to pull the sunne from the heavens consider it sadly and know that he that beleeves must beleeve through grace therefore parly with the promise and say Lord I must beleeve through grace it is not parts nor privileges meanes nor duties I must beleeve through grace if I could meditate till my eyes sunke into my head yet Lord it is through that grace that I must beleeve through that grace of thine inable thy servant and strengthen him in hearing prayer and all meanes that I may receive the good and benefit of faith to my comfort and brethren whensoever yee appeare before the Lord in the use of the meanes doe not sticke upon the meanes and say now I shall beleeve but looke to him that by all these can doe more than thou canst doe and say Good Lord thou hast appointed the ordinances to worke faith and the messengers have knockt at the doore of my heart and would faine have had me come home to the Lord Jesus but alas this heart would not yeeld I will not beleeve nor rest upon the promises nor goe to Jesus Christ nor denie all carnall confidence in parts and gifts and the like therefore good Lord thou that hast the keyes of hell and death doe not onely stand and knock but Lord shake off these iron gates of unbeleefe from the hinges it is thy owne worke doe it Lord for the good and comfort of thy servant this we must doe or else it will never be done it is the Lord that must doe it you know a little before my text the Scribes and Pharisees said How did he come downe from heaven Let no man saith Christ be offended with this for no man can come to mee except the Father draw him and in the 28 29. verses they said How shall we worke the worke of God This is the worke of God saith Christ that ye beleeve in the Sonne of God this is the Master peece and the first-borne of God and the exceeding greatnesse of his mightie power and in the text Hee that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth to me and Christ saith I have called you out of world the Disciples were setled upon the world and Christ calls them now if all the Angels in heaven had called they would not have heard but Christ saith I have called you from the world and from that evill and sinne in which ye were c. when you heare of there workes treasure them up in your heart and plead thus with the Lord and say Lord thou hast bidden us come unto thee and it is our dutie but no man can come unto thee though he have never so many parts and gifts except thou draw him Lord draw this heart of mine to beleeving no man can know the way to thee except thou teach him Oh therefore teach thou this blinde minde of mine it is not our worke can make us beleeve it is not in our power to frame our hearts to this blessed worke Lord doe thou it and let that excessive greatnesse of thy mighty power be manifested in making mee beleeve and draw home this soule by the greatnesse of thy power Lord here are great hinderances and great sinnes and mightie great basenesse and loosnesse of heart Lord thou hast that exceeding great power to doe it Lord worke mightily upon my heart and over-power this greatnesse of sinne with the greatnesse of thy power and over-power this mightinesse of corruption by that mightinesse of thy power you must goe to God for this power or else it will never bee for though you had all the meanes and helpes that ever any had yet this carnall confidence will never out before the almighty power of God come downe from heaven seeke for that power and never be in quiet till you have it that you may have this worke of faith to your comcomforts for ever Vse 4 Hence in the next place wee collect the exceeding great benefit that will come by beleeving to the soule the difficultie in getting of it cannot be so great but the benefit of it when it is gotten will bee as great every way and that is thus faith makes the life of every man that hath it most easie and brings full content to the soule of him that hath it these are the two heads to which I will referre the benefit of faith First it makes the life of a Christian most easie Secondly it gives full content to the heart of a poore Christian these follow from the former truth in this manner if this be the nature of faith to cause the soule to rest upon the free grace of God in Christ and to furnish the soule with a supply of spirituall wants from hence then this must needs make the life
great and marvellous are thy workes and in the 107. Psalme 8. when the Prophet had shewed the great workes that God had done for his people Israel he saith Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men This was also a type of our spirituall comming home to Christ wee are all slaves to the Devill and in spirituall bondage under sinne hell and death but faith sets a man upon the shore and brings him home unto Christ as Iohn 5.24 He that doth beleeve is passed from death to life Lord saith the poore soule I confesse I was in the mouth of hell but now I am passed from death to life faith sets a man beyond sinne and death and all therefore the soule should be thankfull and sing a song of praise unto the Lord his God Now there are two bottomes from the former Doctrine which give foot-hold to your comfort First by beleeving all the goodnesse and mercie of God is thine and he cannot nay he will not deny thee therefore thou mayst with boldnesse challenge the good of all that mercie and goodnesse of his When God hath engaged himselfe to be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee he cannot take away his mercy from a faithfull soule because hee cannot deny himselfe hee will not denie his truth and his promise therefore the Saints of God cannot but be partakers of all this mercie and goodnesse the Apostle saith Ephes 3.17 Christ dwels in our hearts by faith so Coloss 2.3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge now gather up all and the summe is thus much and there you may see how the comfort comes by faith I lay hold upon a Saviour in whom dwell all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and so I lay hold upon these what would you have and what is it that may comfort you thou art beggerly in wisdome and in consolation and in all the graces of Gods Spirit but if thou hast faith thou hast a Christ and in him are all the treasures of wisdome and mercie take your treasure and be inriched for evermore you may doe it it is your owne Secondly all the sinnes that thou standest guilty of and all the temptations of Sathan cannot hinder thee from injoying that light and receiving that good which thou hast need of there is no sinne that hath beene committed can stand betweene thee and eternall life be thy corruptions never so many for number never so vile and strong for nature never so long for continuance in them and all those old bruises and old lusts of youth which make thee say can the Lord pardon me and is it possible for such a wretch as I am to have mercie that have all these corruptions I answer it skils not what thy sinnes be see thy faith and repentance bee sound it matters not what thou hast beene a rebell even against God if now thou canst beleeve and rest upon God and repent thee of thy sinnes Quest But now the point growes on the soule is in some reasonable manner satisfied that if it had faith then it could be satisfied but many seeme to have faith and have it not if my faith were true I could gaine some sound comfort to my selfe that all would goe well with mee but how shall I know that Answ I answer I confesse that the faith of the most men in the world is but a meere delusion as I shall discover in the next use of reproofe but that thou maist be undoubtedly perswaded of the truth of this grace that though thy faith be never so little yet it is saving justifying faith I will therefore lay downe some trials I will not now intrench upon any of the particulars that come afterward but onely lay open such particulars for triall as are in the doctrine I know faith purifies the heart and workes by love c. and faith makes a new creature but these come too farre off I will onely gather somwhat from the point in hand Triall 1 First observe the root and rise of thy faith the cause by which thy faith was wrought and from whence it came and this will be an undoubted evidence whether thy faith be good or not therefore when thou dost begin to brag and say I doe beleeve then aske thy heart this question and say how came I by it prove it have I faith make it good then it is not enough to say so but let mee see that it is so didst thou bring it into the world with thee did thy wits contrive it did thy parts and abilities worke it and because thou hast more wit and learning than others and thou thinkest it as easie a matter to beleeve as to understand a hard writing if it bee thus thy faith is a delusion and no faith at all it is true here of faith which Iob speakes of wisdome nature saith it is not in me and eloquence saith it is not in me I know not the way to it all these say I have heard the newes of faith but I am not acquainted with it God onely knowes the way thereof and is the worker of it the text saith Every man than hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me the Father must first teach this lesson or else no man can understand it except the Father give thee a heart to know Jesus Christ there is no power in thee that is able to give this grace to the soule hast thou thy faith from heaven then it is like to bee of the right kinde but it must bee from thence it ariseth not from the earth it comes not from parts and gifts and learning it must come from heaven or else it is not of the right kinde all the coine that is currant is minted in the tower by authoritie of the King if not it is not currant in 1 Pet. 1.7 the Apostle cals it precious faith it must bee stamped by the Lord Jesus Christ by the hand of the Spirit it must come from the tower of Zion or else it is copper faith and not saving justifying faith nor that which will stand in steed in the day of triall here or in the day of judgement hereafter as wee say in nature the Alcumists are growne to that skill that they will make Alcumie appeare to be perfect silver and gold and much of it will beare the touchstone insomuch that a man can hardly discover some of it it is so cunningly made but when the fire and the hammer comes it will beare neither of them but the true gold comes from the gold oare and will endure the fire and hammer the alcumie gold comes not from the right place where the gold is it comes not from the minerals from the golden mines so there is a great deale of this alcumie faith for the world is come to this passe that they have a faith of their owne faining
I was in heaven and yet because I have no faith I am now cast downe to hell it is thus much when the Lord lets in a glimpse of the exelencie of the grace of faith and the glory of heaven and the sweetnesse of the pardon of all the sinnes of the faithfull and the Lord lets in a glimpse of all these which goes home to the top of the affections and will that the Lord by a spirituall kinde of flash suddenly passeth by the will so that he leaves some kinde of dew and some remembrance of those glorious things which are thus let in upon the minde of a poore sinner insomuch that his heart is marvellously tickled and ravished with it I expresse it thus as it is with the water in a standing poole and the water that runneth through a pipe the standing water soakes and goes down-ward and settles inwardly in the earth but the water that passeth by suddenly leaves only a little dew behinde it but soakes not at all so it is with this temporary beleever the streame of the heavenly truths of the Doctrine of Christ passeth by suddenly as namely that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that Christ came to take away the iniquitie of his servant this doth passe by suddenly and leaves a little dew behinde it so that he saith Oh this is good this is sweet I may be saved too may I not Oh I never heard a man speake so comfortably this word bedewes the heart a little but it soakes not downe it goes not to the root of the soule therefore observe it this is a work which the hypocrite may have only observe thus much he sips of grace and salvation and makes a meale of his corruptions but the gracious man onely sips of his corruptions and makes a meale of grace of holines mercy in Christ Looke as it is with seed that is cast into the wombe of a woman the seed is enough to beget some fruit but if the wombe be a miscarrying wombe it comes to nothing so it is betweene the stirring of the Word in the heart of a poore Saint and in the heart of an Hypocrite the Spirit of the Lord workes in the heart of a Hypocrite by the Word and is able to moysten him but the heart miscarries in the worke and resists and gainsayes and never comes to any good hee never comes to bee a faithfull man rightly proportioned whereas the same Spirit of God working rightly upon the heart of a beleever it makes him a very proportionable Christian the other remaining but a confused lumpe Now see what this man may doe when he comes to this let him bee thus bedewed with this taste of the excellency of faith and never have faith strengthned and rooted in him yet hee will bee very eager in the pursuit of the Word and marvellous constant in attending upon the Word because it is his delight and hee will bee marvellous painfull to get the Word for a man will doe any thing to get his delight and he may bee angry with such as would hinder him in the pursuit of the Gospell which is his delight this a man may doe and yet all come to nothing and so may perish everlastingly for looke what joy and delight will doe for a push the same a carnall temporary may doe But that this man will doe all this it is plaine of this kinde was Balaam that wretched man of whom you may see divers passages in the 23. 24. chapters of Numbers hee was a witch as Divines hold and hee was going to curse the people of God but the Lord stopt him and how did he it why he let him see the excellency of the condition of the Saints of God and said Oh thou wretched man loe there and behold the happy condition of my people and see all the good that I have given them and wilt thou curse those that I love so dearly Now see how he was taken up with it Oh that I might die the death of the righteous this was a glimpse of the glory that was let in upon him to stop him and to awe his heart yet hee returned to his old byas againe the third Scripture is in Matthew 25.8 I know Interpreters vary in it but I will be bold to suggest what I thinke the five foolish virgins said give us of your oyle for our lampes are gone out they had lamps but no oyle how could they kindle their lamps except they had oyle they had a little oyle in their lampes but none in their vessels their lampes was their excellent and glorious profession and the oyle which they had was nothing but the taste of the heavenly gift they had so much stirring of the will and affections as might carry them on to professe the truth but they had not oyle in their vessels which might sink downe into their hearts to subdue their corruptions and to quicken up their grace they had not this power to frame their hearts strongly towards the Lord and to feed their profession with constancy and perseverance to the end so that you see what hee can say for himselfe and me thinkes he speakes marvellous probably The Lord bee mercifull to us if a man goe thus farre and come to nothing it is wonderfull he is farre beyond the judicious professor Oh saith he I had a rellish of the sweetnesse of the good Word of God and a taste of the heavenly gift and my heart was ravished with the sight of the glory of it and I could even have gone to Heaven now you see the best of him But now secondly what is the falsenesse of this man and wherein is his failing and why where he falls short of faith and what it is that would make him an honest man Now the second thing is this that notwithstanding the sudden push of this man hee will wither and will turne his backe upon the truth and commonly he is an enemy to that truth to which his love was carried and which was his chiefe delight and this hee doth upon these two grounds commonly First when he seâ—th the bitternesse and misery and affliction and vexation that accompanies the Word hee is weary of the Word rather than he will beare those afflictions that doe accompany the Word he will follow our Saviour no longer than prosperity follow him for he will rather forsake Christ than to forgoe these hee was made a professour all upon a sudden and hee receives the Word suddenly with joy when hee heares of the glorious grace and mercy of God he faith Oh that Jesus Christ should come from Heaven to save sinners and to wait upon poore drunkards and adulterers and vilde wretches Oh sweet and admirable mercy saith hee and so all upon a sudden he turnes Christian and Professour but if afflictions and trouble come for the truth then hee turnes off all Christ and truth and his profession and all Oh saith he
before ever you can bee comforted as for this temporary beleever his eyes were never opened convictingly to see his sinnes and his heart was never burthened with them nor loosned from them that so the Lord Christ and his comforts might be setled upon therefore in Hosea 2.14 I will allure her and bring her into the wildernesse and speake friendly to her and I will give her vineyards from thence and the valley of Achor for the doore of hope first in the wildernesse and then in Canaan first in sorrow then in comfort the valley of Achor is the valley of consternation and then the doore of hope this is the way toward Zion but this temporary hath invented a new way to Zion he doth as Ruffians doe they will goe in the â—oad way so farre as they finde good way but when they come into bad way they breake over hedges and finde a new way whether lawfull or unlawfull they care not so doth this man he takes his comfort as soone as ever it comes hee snatches at all the comforts of the Gospell and thinks they are all his owne and all on the sudden he is a forward professour at three or foure dayes warning and his heart snatcheth at every Sermon of mercie and he is as good a Christian by and by as many a poore soule which hath tugged hard for it many a yeare but his conscience was never awakened he never felt the burthen of his sinnes nor the wrath of God against him for his sinnes this temporary promises to himselfe nothing but ease and peace and prosperity therefore when sorrowes and troubles and miseries come he goes away with as much speed as he came like Ionahs gourd that came up suddenly and withered as suddenly so in the beginning of the yeare hee is a hot professour and before the fall of the leafe he is gone againe the wound of this man was this he wanted the worke of the law not onely that through-worke of the law which none shall have but such as have faith but also that legall worke of the law which should breake and hammer his heart this is the stonie ground-hearer he wanted depth of earth what that was wee shall dispute anon when occasion serves the meaning is thus much in the generall the plow which should have given earth and mould enough it was the sharp law which should have torne up his proud sturdy rebellious heart all in peeces but this man never had this worke and therefore his proud heart beat backe the worke of the promise that it never had roome in his heart comfort and consolation will never sticke nor abide upon a proud heart nor upon a stubborne and unbroken heart which was yet never broken for sinne plaisters may be made but they shall never finde ease and comfort by them as they desire you may goe away comforted and say God is mercifull and Christ is gracious and he came to save sinners and though our workes will not justifie us yet the Lord Jesus Christ will save us your plaister will not sticke thus he failes in the entrance to the promise Secondly he failes in his application of the promise for the ground upon which he goes or the cause and reason which carries him to roame after the promise it is onely the generall notice of mercie and of the salvation that God offers the glimpse and the shine whereof being let in upon the heart and passing by jogs the soule and so the heart snatcheth at it he comes to heare the abundance of mercie and the rich redemption and plentifull goodnesse of Christ to pardon all sinnes the sinne against the holy Ghost onely excepted and the freenesse of mercy to all sorts of sinners be they never so many for number never so vile for nature yea he heareth that there is a fountaine set open for all to wash in when he heares this hee saith that 's well then I may come to heaven too and there is some hope that I may receive mercie never considereth the condicions upon which God promiseth and bestoweth mercie whereas the man that is a true beleever hath not only a common kinde of apprehension of the mercie of God in Christ but he hath a particular application of it I will open it thus that every man may take something the temporarie hath a common hear-say of mercie and the common hear-say of mercie in the bare letter of them as that Jesus Christ came to save sinners it is in the bruit of it onely but the humbled soule hath it under the hand of the Spirit and the Spirit seales it and makes it good to him the promise of life slides and passeth by the temporary beleever but now the Spirit of God settles it and it takes a deep and a through impression in the heart of a beleever by application the Spirit of God only as it were jogs the heart of a temporarie beleever but he sets it on deeply upon the heart that is humbled and fitted for it as the Angell said unto Gideon The Lord is with thee thou valiant man so the Lord faith to every humbled soule not onely that the Lord is gracious and mercifull for thus he saith to the temporarie beleever but he is gracious and mercifull to thee and hee will speake peace and comfort to thee which hast spoken trouble and terrour to thine owne heart as in the 1 Cor. 2.12 Wee have not received the Spirit of the world but the Spirit which is of God that we might know the things that are given to us of God God not only gives us good things but he hath given his Spirit that we may know that it is he which hath given us these good things Thirdly and lastly this temporary beleever failes and fals shott upon this ground also I told you the soule is effectually perswaded to rest upon the free grace of God and to fall into the armes of his mercie now the temporary failes also in the worke of relying that which feeds his hope and stayes his heart is nothing else but the taste and present sweetnesse which he had in the promise he relyes upon the taste and sense which hee had by the sip of the promise and hence it is that when the taste is gone the sweetnesse of the present push is gone that then there comes trouble and sorrow more heavie and more able to vex him than all the other was to comfort him then hee begins to repent him of his match and thinkes that all his profession will not quit cost now when that taste and that comfort which he had failes him and sorrow and afflictions come and overpowers his sweetnesse and comfort then hee fals away but a man that hath true saving faith rests himselfe not upon the taste and sense of this good but upon the goodnesse of God in the promise and upon the all-sufficiency of God in the promise he seeth more good in the promise than in all the
the Lord there is no time to late if a man have a heart to returne Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers that is thou hast followed many sinnes and addicted thy selfe to many distempers yet returne unto mee If a man put away his wife for fornication will he receive her againe no he will not doe it yet you have had many base haunts and backdoores yet returne unto me after all that stubbornnesse whereby you have opposed my grace and slighted my mercy yet returne unto me and receive grace offered There is no limit of the pardon and free grace of God offered to a poore sinner except the sinne against the Holy Ghost the Lord stands and waits and knocks if any man will open though he call till hee bee hoarce and knock till he be weary yet if any man will open bee the drunkard never so base the adulterer never so vile if hee will open the Lord will come and will bring his comforts with him and will sâ—p with him and restore consolation to him Object But you will say Aye that 's true if I had but a heart to mourne for them see my sinnes I doe and I cannot but acknowledge my corruptions but I am not sensible of the load that lyes upon me I cannot be burthened with the evils that oppresse me I have a heart not only that doth not but that cannot mourne Answ I answer this hinders not neither provided thou beest troubled because thou canst not bee troubled provided thy heart be weary of it selfe because it cannot be weary of its sinnes if this be thy temper and frame this hinders thee not from the mercie of God which is offered and thou needest for that Christ that freely pardons sinne can and will and that easily breake thy heart and fit it for pardon Micah 7.18 The Lord pardons sinnes and subdues iniquities not because thou pleasest him but because mercie pleaseth him wherefore did the Lord shew most mercie to Saul when he shewed most hatred against him Saul is posting to Damascus and breathing out threatnings against Christ the Lord is opposed by Saul and the Lord in the meane time pities and shewes mercie to Saul Saul persecutes him and he makes his moane to Saul Saul Saul why persecutest thou mee the bloudy jaylour that opposed the meanes of grace the Lord overcame him by the meanes of grace he that resisted the meanes of grace was brought home by the power of the meanes to the Lord Jesus Christ Object But the soule saith this is that which overthrowes mee you are now come to the quicke this very word is like a milstone about my neck that will sinke my soule into discouragement for ever for this is my misery the meanes doth not better me though Saul and the jaylour were bad enough yet they were bettered by the meanes but this is the hopelesse condition of my heart prayer will not worke the meanes of grace will not prevaile sometimes I thinke Lord this Lords day will doe and this sermon will worke it but to this very day the word of the Lord profits not nor workes upon mee for my good and is there such a heart in hell is there any hope that I shall ever have grace when the meanes which should worke grace will doe mee no good this is the last plea of the soule and indeed of Sathan whereby hee holds many a distressed foule in hand that God intends no good towards him Answ I answer yet this hinders not but at least thou maist have a hope of mercie to support thy heart in the expectation of good and that I may speake cleerely observe three passages First the word and meanes doe worke if it doe make thee more sensible and more apprehensive of thy owne hardnesse and deadnesse though indeed it workes not that good and after that manner thou wouldst and desirest and expectest yet if it make thee see thy owne basenesse and observe thy owne wretchednesse in regard of that body of death that hangs upon thee it workes marvellous well after the best manner because it is after Gods manner though not after that manner which thou desirest and seest best in thy owne apprehension observe it that physick workes most kindly that makes the patient sicke that salve that drawes before it heales cures most safely so it is with the word it workes kindly when it makes thee sicke of these distempers when it shewes thee the stubbornnesse and deadnesse of thy owne heart and makes thee apprehend that a broken spirit is the gift of God and not of man and meanes therefore the Lord will make thee looke to him to worke it and continue it therefore know that this is a worke of God for to see deadnesse is life and to feele hardnesse is softnesse onely beware that there bee not a haunt of heart and distemper that thy soule cleaves to and pants after and thou art loth to part withall for then the word will harden thee because thou hardenest thy selfe but if thou art content that the word should lay open the bowels of thy heart and discover what ever is amisse and reveale what ever is crosse to Gods command and plucke away every corruption and distemper then if the word reveales any hardnesse in thee know that the word workes comfortably that reveales hardnesse and basenesse and doth drive thee out of thy selfe to God for succour Secondly thou art the cause why thy heart is not softned thou art the fault why the word prevailes not because the distemper of thy heart hinders the worke of the word and the dispensation of Gods providence and the tenor of the covenant of grace when a man will stint the Lord and limit the holy One of Israel just this sermon and this quarter and this season this hinders the nature of the covenant and crosses the worke of the covenant of grace the Lord doth not stand bent to thy bow the Lord is not at thy call he will not give thee grace when thou wilt but when he pleases no it is not for us to know the times and the seasons that God hath appointed what if thou goest upon thy hands and knees begging of mercie to the last gaspe and if then the Lord be pleased to shine in a drop of goodnesse and mercie it is more than the Lord owes therefore heare to day and attend to morrow thou knowest not whether God will blesse this sermon or that meanes or the other ordinance and doe not complaine upon the meanes but attend Gods leisure and remember the Lord hath waited long for thee in the time of your rebellion in the day of your ignorance before you looked towards the Lord and therefore if the Lord now make you wait for mercie and assurance of his love know that the Lord deals equally and kindly and lovingly with you and so as all shall be best for you and know that this distemper of heart opposeth the tenor of the covenant of
grace for the Lord gives what he will when he will and after what manner he will therefore stint not God in his giving but wait when and what hee will bestow upon thee Thirdly know that thou restest upon thy owne duties and endevours and goest not out to God that blesseth both the meanes and thy endevours for thy good and that is the reason why thy heart is not enlarged and grace communicated the fault is thy owne because thou restest in thy performances and in the meanes and goest not to God that would have done more than all and wrought more than all these If I thinke and am perswaded I have power to goe out of my selfe in conceiving I have power and staying there I stay in my selfe when I thinke to goe out of my selfe it is a supernaturall worke and the same hand must bring us out of our selves that must bring us to Christ the same hand must pluck us out of our selves and sinnes that must bring us to the Lord Jesus Christ therefore if I thinke and through Satans delusion conceive that I have abilitie to goe out of my selfe I repose upon my owne abilitie when I profesly renounce my owne abilitie I maintaine a repose upon my owne abilitie when I renounce it I say I can doe nothing and yet rest upon that I can doe it is a point very profitable therefore marke what I say this is selfe deniall in truth when the soule knowes it hath nothing and therefore is over-powered by the almightie worke of Gods Spirit and is stopped as it were in so much that the soule of a sinner doth not looke to expect any power or any principle from it selfe or any creature or any dutie the soule of an humble sinner knowes he is a dead man in sinne hee cannot direct his owne wayes therefore when he is brought to deny himselfe it is by the almightie worke of Gods Spirit when the Lord drawes the soule that it lookes not inward it lookes not downward it lookes not to the creature it expects no principle from within no power from the meanes to performe any dutie when then I thinke with my selfe I have power and abilitie to goe out of my selfe then I say I have a power within me to doe something pleasing to God namely I can denie my selfe which is contrarie for to denie a mans selfe is to looke for no power or expect any power or sufficiencie from himselfe or from the creature to performe that God requires therefore wee must listen and looke onely to the voice of Christ he that cals us from darknesse must call us to the glorious light of himselfe we must as well listen to the voice that must pluck us out of our selves and expect power from Christ to pluck us out of our selves as wee must expect power from Christ to goe unto him the conclusion therefore is this I would have a sinner say and thinke with himselfe I expect no power Lord from my selfe I intend to wait upon the Lord that hides himselfe from the house of Israel and I will looke up I will use all meanes and improve all helpes I can but I will not looke to hearing from that to receive any thing I will not looke to the Minister from him to receive any thing but in these meanes of hearing and prayer and in the use of all ordinances I will looke up unto God that hides his face from his servant for the while and will looke up to that wisdome to be informed that is wiser than the wisdome of the meanes and I will looke up to that power to be strengthened that is stronger than the power of the meanes Habak 3.17 when he saw all began to faile though the fig-tree blossome not and the vine flourish not yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and stay my selfe upon the God of my salvation marke this when all meanes under heaven faile when the figge tree blossomes not when the vine flourisheth not when all means faile yet there is mercy with the Lord there is power and strength and sufficiency in the Lord to doe my soule good and say thou though my sinnes be great and exceeding great though my heart be hard and comes not under the power of Gods ordinances and the means of grace work not upon my soule yet I will looke up to the Lord and my eyes shal be towards him my eyes shall not bee inward to looke upon any thing in my selfe but my eyes shall looke upon to the Lord and expect all from him and thus much shall suffice for the second hinderance Object Hinderance 3 The third hinderance which hinders a poore sinner from comming to Christ is the want of sense and feeling and therefore the distressed sinner complaines I never knew what it was to have the assurance of Gods love I never received any sound sensible comfort unto my soule and shall I thinke that I have grace shall I thinke that my heart is fitted to receive that mercie which God hath promised to his Saints the Scripture reveales it not the Saints have found it that they which beleeve rejoyce in the Lord but I am a stranger to that joy and that is a stranger to me how can I thinke then that I have any interest to the promise or any faith whereby I may depend upon the promise Ans I answer this hinders not that thou maist not come unto God by beleeving and receive good from him therfore remember these 3. particulars First thou must not thinke to have joy and refreshment before thou goest to the promise but thinke to expect it when thou doest beleeve when thou doest chew and feed upon the promise and continuest so doing know that joy and sweet refreshment it is a fruit that comes from faith first beleeve and then have joy doe not thinke to have joy and then beleeve the heart is filled with peace and joy not before beleeving but by beleeving and after beleeving then rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious when faith is rooted in the heart and hath had many sun-shines of Gods favour upon it then expect those admirable ravishments and sweet consolations which the word speakes of and thou maist obtaine Secondly these joyes and sense and feeling are things which may be separated from faith a man may have a good faith and a strong faith and yet not have that comfort and sweet refreshment a sinner lookes for and desires a man may want sparkes and yet want neither life nor heat a tree may want leaves and yet not want sap so it is with those consolations faith may bee strong when a mans feeling may be nothing Restore to mee the joy of thy salvation saith David hee was justified and sanctified and had faith and yet had not this joy nay Iob had faith and yet he had no sense and feeling of Gods favour Thou makest me a bâ—â—â— to shoot as faith he and thine arrowes have drunke up my spirits and yet
thinke hee will cast off you take heed of that depart not from the Lord for that is to follow lying vanities and that is to forsake your owne mercies so the soule of a poore sinner should reason thus T is true my sins are many my wants are exceedingly multiplied I have sinned against God and am discouraged and shall I be more discouraged and sinne more against God I am miserable by departing from God and shall I depart more from God and be more miserable thou darest not goe to Christ for mercie why because thou hast sinned and wilt thou depart from God still and be more sinfull that is against all reason Cure 2 The second cure is this all this while I speake to broken hearted sinners those that are obstinate wicked and ungodly men stand you by you must give mee leave to deale the childrens bread to them you had your portion formerly let the children have their bread also and take their share too the second cure therefore is this make conscience either not to attend to or not judge thy selfe or thy estate by any carnall reason without a warrant I will repeat it againe because I would not have you forget it make conscience I say either to attend to or judge thy selfe or thy estate by any carnall reason or carnall plea without reason or warrant as thus it is the fashion of poore distressed spirits to passe heavie doome and to set downe heavie sentences upon themselves upon false or weake or groundlesse arguments as I never found Gods mercie I never felt it I never was perswaded of it I feare it will not be so thus we have these carnall pleas which our mindes invent and Satan suggests and wee judge our selves by these as the witnesses that should warrant our estates as the Judge that should determine of our estates now make conscience of judging thy estate in this manner you that are broken hearted for to you I speake this kinde of course is naught and this sinne is more hainous than you imagine for when thou concludest certainly thy estate is naught and God hath given you no grace upon these grounds mark against how many Commandments thou sinnest first thou dost wrong thine owne honour that God hath put upon thee in giving thee grace thou sinnest also against the third Commandement in wanting that reverence which is due to Gods name and the worke of grace hee hath wrought in thy soule thou dampest thy owne heart and art a spirituall murtherer and so sinnest against the sixt Commandement thou robbest thy selfe of that comfort of heart and refreshment of minde that God hath prepared for thee and offered unto thee and so sinnest against the eighth commandement nay you doe beare false witnesse infinitely you speake against your selves to the overthrowing of your soules and you beare false witnesse against Christ and his Spirit and the worke of his grace whereby you are sealed up to the day of redemption and you joyne sides with the Devill in this case But you will say Object Truly I speake as I thinke and affirme as I am perswaded Answ I answer this hinders not but thou bearest false witnesse if thou affirmest a thing thou hast no ground for thou bearest false witnesse though it be true this is a rule which Divines hold if a man should affirme peremptorily such a man is a drunkard and yet he knowes it not though he be so yet hee beareth false witnesse because a mans witnesse must bee upon ground and knowledge so thou peremptorily affirmest what I grace no will God vouchsafe any good to mee I will never beleeve it now thou certainly affirmest of thy selfe that thou hast no true grace when there is no ground for it but suspition and feare and the like and therefore thou bearest false witnesse against thy soule observe this the rather because of the sinfull distempers that creep into the hearts of many Christians broken and humbled and it is usuall and common this is their guise out of a selfe will of carnall reasonings and out of a base haunt of heart they swell against themselves and their owne soules their hearts come to bee perswaded that they are not in a right course that they walke not in a right way unlesse they bee quarrelling and opposing the worke of Gods grace in their soules and out of a selfe conceit of theirs that they are moulded into by custome they thinke they have libertie to doe so and that they doe well in so doing now thinke of it you that are humble know that you sinne fearfully all this while and it is very remarkable to take notice of the soule in this kinde in a case of conscience when a poore broken hearted sinner hath his judgement informed when reasons are plaine and when the comforts are cleerly evidenced when Scriptures are undeniable these poore creatures now doe not so much attend what you speak and what the Minister saith and the Word delivers but all their care is how they may answer a mans reason and put off the force of an argument and they count it a matter of weaknesse if they cannot answer any thing that is propounded to them for their comfort it is admirable to consider and but that daily experience teacheth us wee would not speake it nor could we beleeve it therefore take notice of it and know that howsoever you give leave to your owne soules to doe this and have invented reasons and arguments to gainsay the power of the truth and to defeat the power of the Word goe aside and wonder that the Lord hath not taken away from thee all the worke of his grace and all the comfort of his Spirit admire at this that when thou hast cast off all grounds of comfort yet God doth vouchsafe it to thy soule the Prophet David prayeth that the Lord would turne away his eyes from beholding of vanitie now if a man must turne away his eyes from beholding of vanitie he must turne away his thoughts from attending to vanitie much more hath God ever given me a minde to consent to Satan hath God ever given me a tongue to parly with Satan I have something else to doe I must attend to the counsels of God I must attend and listen to the voice of God I must not listen to the suggestions of Satan that I have nothing to doe withall I sinne deeply in so doing no man in reason will deale with a cheator if hee know him to be a cheator unlesse he meane to be couzened so it ought to be our wisdome carnall reason is a cheator and an old deceiver let us not therefore attend thereunto nor be ruled thereby unlesse we resolve to be cheated but if the sinne cannot scare you yet let the miserie that will follow thereupon force you and drive your hearts from it in Esa 50.2 last verses the text saith Who is among you that feareth the Lord let him heare the voice of his servant he
that doth presse in upon the minde and dampes the heart thereof that we may so use the word that we may be established thereby Rule 1 The first rule is this as in all the conditions that concerne thy soule thou must first repaire to the word and attend thereunto daily so looke into the uprightnesse and sinceritie of thine owne soule which may in some measure answer the word heare what the word will say and see what worke of grace is in thy heart that will answer the word and joyne sides in the testimonie of the happinesse of thy estate and condition be sure to take thy soule at the best doe not alwayes consider what is the worst in thee and goe no farther doe not only see thy failings and infirmities on one side that accuse thee but see if there bee any soundnesse and uprightnesse any goodnesse and truth of heart that may speake for thee heare both sides it is injustice to heare one side and determine a cause thereby as the Lord deals with his servants so thou shouldst deale with thy selfe now the Lord doth not lye at a catch with his children to spie out their faults and so proceed against them accordingly but he takes them at the best hand Rom. 4.22 it is a thing very remarkable concerning Abraham Abraham beleeved and it was counted to him for righteousnesse when did God speake concerning Abrahams faith the time was when Abraham beleeved not his faith is discovered Genes 15. in the beginning we shall see he beleeved not but was doubting and staggering concerning Gods giving him a Sonne now God lookes not at his infirmities but God takes him at the best Abraham beleeved c. a little before Abraham doubted thou hast promised a Sonne but I perceive it not then God led him into the fields and discovered his power and goodnesse and then Abraham beleeved and this is still recorded and registred of Abraham to all posteritie so 1 Pet. 3.6 where Sarah is spoken of as a patterne to all holy women not for her broidered haire but the text saith Shee was clad with a meeke spirit and called her husband Lord Genes 18. there we shall read that she called him Lord and it was her dutie and she did well in so doing but there we shall read in the same place that shee denied the tidings of the Angell now the Lord buries her failings and doth not record and register that but hee tooke her at the best and recorded that so we must deale with our selves wee must not lye at the catch with our hearts and say this is naught and this is vile but observe what so ever is upright and sincere and blesse God for that and rejoyce in that and weigh that as well as the other nay that rather than the other if a man should have a case handled after this fashion and if the Judge should observe onely what is foule on one mans side and goe no further the most upright man might be cast in the best case therefore the course of the court is he will heare the reasons and witnesses on both sides if there be any bonds or evidences brought in or any argument to be made he will heare all read there must be an equall proceeding should a man have a suit with another about the forfeiture of a bond or indenture if the Judge heare one and not the other he might carry the cause against the most upright man therefore the other cries out and saith good my Lord heare all and let all be read one saith you may see the falsnesse of this man aye saith the other but heare all my Lord and then the Judge is sufficiently satisfied before witnesses whereas if the Judge had but heard the first part and not the second the case would have gone against the man though never so good so many Saints deale with their soules what a wretched heart what pride and stubbornnesse have I my heart will not leave the world it is unfit for service and dead in service but heare all read all is not thy soule burthened with these and is not thy heart troubled with those is it not a griefe to thy soule and doth it not lye heavie upon thy heart that thou canst not walke exactly before God Oh saith the soule it is the greatest evill that ever befell me and I would be content almost not to be that I might not be so sinfull why then thou art an upright hearted man now take thy soule on this side and heare the best of it looke as it is with a mans hand the backe of his hand cannot take hold of a staffe but his palme can if a man complaine that hee cannot hold a staffe and turne the backe of his hand no wonder turne the right side of your hand and then you will graspe it and hold it easily so turne the right side of your soule to the promise the promises of God are the staffe that upholds our soules and our soules should rest thereupon and trust thereunto now wee turne the backside of our hearts to the promise stubbornnesse great and doubtings many and corruptions fierce the wrong side of the heart is to the promise and this will hinder thee from comming to and receiving good from the word but thy soule seeth these and is willing to bee freed from these thy soule hates these and thy selfe for these this is the right side of the heart that lyes levell to the promise therefore attend the word and repaire daily thereto and attend the better side doe not attend to weaknesse and feeblenesse but to soundnesse and sinceritie that is the first rule Rule 2 The second rule is this labour to have thy conscience setled and convictingly established of that truth of that grace which reason now informed doth entertaine and the Word doth witnesse to bee in thee labour to get thy conscience setled and established powerfully touching the truth that out of the word and the evidence thereof thou hast seene marke I say if there be any want of the assurance of Gods love and setling thereof to thy soule so that the evidence of the worke of grace doth not come powerfully in upon thy heart but there is some guilt of sinne still remaining and conscience still begins to accuse thee and condemne thee the truth is though reason be informed yet haply conscience will breed new broyles at every turne and put in new pleas and so nip disquiet and torment our hearts in staggering our hearts therefore as we must have our judgements informed out of the Word that there is some good and soundnesse in our soules so wee must get conscience perswaded of it that conscience may be on our side and speake for us A man must deale in this case as a debtor if he bee ingaged to many creditors the onely way to get safety is to agree not with some but with all for if hee agree with all but one that one may imprison
all this debate here lies the root of this bitternesse and the ground of this wretched estate wee will expresse our selves by practice hence it is 〈◊〉 when the Word hath beene cleerely discovered to the soule all objections are blowne away and reason is satisfied and conscience convinced yet aske the soule are you perswaded that God hath accepted of you in Christ and intended good unto you no all the world cannot make me beleeve it I cannot bee perswaded of it Ministers are mercifull and Christians are compassionate and they speake charitably and will not discourage me but did they see that which I see did they but know those weaknesses and take notice of those distempers that are in my heart they would never thinke it what I grace it is a thing I could never perswade my heart of nay I doubt I shall never bee perswaded of it I cannot thinke it all the world cannot make mee beleeve it reason is answered and the conscience is satisfied but the heart will not yeeld it is out of stubbornnes of soule that you will not take that mercy that God offers and that grace God propounds for your good and it is horrible it is hellish it is devillish pride If there be any such spirit in the congregation let them know it and take this home with them it is infinite pride But you will say Object How can that be I cannot thinke that they are broken hearted Christians and are overwhelmed with sorrow they are ever mourning and sinke downe in sorrow in this nature and therefore it cannot bee pride in this case what ever it bee Answ I say it is devillish pride against the Majestie of Heaven and that I will shew in two particulars For a man to follow his owne conceit and selfe wildnesse of spirit against the light of the truth against the force of reason against the testimony of conscience against the judgement of all faithfull Ministers out of the Word to bee above the Word and reason and conscience and to bee above the judgement of all Gods faithfull servants is not this infinite pride this is your condition just the Word hath cast you and reason and conscience have cast you and yet you will maintaine your owne conceits of that proud heart of yours I say againe this pride appeares in this That because we have not what we would and because we have it not in that measure we desire because we finde not that sweetnesse in grace that others have and we covet therefore we cast away all this is infinite pride to fling Gods favour in his face you have not this and that and God hath done nothing for you and never vouchsafed any good unto you it is wonderfull mercy that God hath not cast off that soule of thine because God will not follow your conceits and goe your way you will have no grace at all As it is with a Client that hath a suit in law hee hath the cause determined and the conveyance made and his estate setled by the verdict of the Judge but because his evidences and conveyances are not written in great Roman letters as he would have them he flings all away and saith they will not stand in law will not all the world count him a miserable foole this is your case you have no grace because you have not so much grace you have no zeale because you have not so hor zeale you have no humiliation because not so great humiliation this is nothing but pride and a world of pride therefore marke what I shall say labour to bring thy soule to this passe and to this humble submission and subjection to the truth of God take it as well a duty to receive comfort when God gives it as to entertaine duty of love when God requires it Answerably know it is a sinne to refuse mercy when God offers it and thou hast title thereunto It is as well a sinne though not so much a sin perswade thy heart of this and bring thy soule to yeeld to this And therefore learne this lesson you poore Saints of God that have beene pestered marvellously in this kinde and have beene enemies to your owne comfort labour to eye your owne soules when they begin to slide away from the authority of the truth when reasons are sound arguments cleere and conscience satisfied and yet the heart slides off from the Lord and from under the covert of Gods wings Reason thus This is the proud surly dogged way-ward disposition of my heart what would I have what can I desire is not the Word cleere are not reasons sound and is not conscience satisfied and shall I deny this and so wrong the glory of God and the worke of his blessed Spirit in my heart the Lord forbid but the heart pleads Must I eat my owne words and never cavill more and never complaine more and must I confesse I have grace when I never thought I had grace Answ Must you say so aye and blesse God you may say so and be thankfull for ever that thou mayest upon good grounds say thus and bring under these distempers of your soule and make them yeeld and submit to the blessed truth of God you had better a great deale crosse your owne humours than crosse the good Spirit of the Lord and grieve it Esay 7.13 when the Lord offered a great offer to Ahaz to aske a signe in heaven or in earth the text saith he cast off Gods kindnesse God bids him aske a signe hee saith I will not tempt God hee refused Gods kindnesse with marvellous stubbornnesse now marke what God answers Is it a small thing for thee not onely to grieve man but the good Spirit of the Lord so thinke you with your selves when the Lord bids you take comfort comfort yee comfort yee saith my God You that have beene wearied come and bee refreshed you that have beene lost shall be found the soule faith I dare not take it I will not entertaine it doe you thinke it a small thing not only to grieve man and the heart of a poore Minister but to grieve the Lord and his Spirit Iob 15.11 Seemes the consolation of the Lord a small thing unto you that God stoopes to your meannesse and condescends to your weaknesse and supports your hearts and restores comfort to your soules that you trample his kindnesse under your feet and make nothing of it take heed of it lest that stubborne soule of thine that now refuseth consolation when God offers it thou shalt creep upon thy hands and knees and eat thy flesh and beg one offer of grace which thou hast denied often Iohn 13.8 see how Christ doth schoole the humble pride of Peter for so I terme it our Saviour Christ rose from supper and bound himselfe with a towell and went to wash his Disciples feet but when he came to Peter he was very squamish he was loth Christ should stoope so low what wash my feet thou shalt
man doth use to say I durst not have thought it nor expected if you had not promised it so the promise of God made to the soule makes the soule to rest upon it to expect faith without a promise is all one as if a man should expect a crop without seed for the promise is the immortall seed of Gods word whereby the Spirit breeds this faith in the hearts of all that are his Iohn 5.25 The houre is comming and now is when the dead shall heare the voice of the Sonne of God and they that heare it shall live it is spoken of raising of a dead man from the grave of sinne First there is the voice of Christ to the soule before there can bee an eccho againe of the soule to Christ so the power of the promise must come to the soule and wee must heare the voice of God in the promise before we can returne an eccho againe to the Lord the Lord saith Come to me and the soule saith I come Lord when thou seest much deadnesse and unfitnesse of heart doe not thou goe away and looke off from the promise and say Thus I am and so it is with mee but rather goe to the promise and say Whatsoever frailties I finde in my selfe yet I will looke to the Lord and to his promise for if I want faith the promise must settle mee more and more therein I must not bring faith to the promise but receive faith from thence and therefore I will wait till the Lord please to worke it Meanes 4 Lastly labour to yeeld to the equall condition of the promise and make no more conditions than God makes now the promise requires no more of a man but that he should come and lay hold on mercie therefore doe thou require no more than God in the promise requires there is enough in the promise to doe thee good therefore expect all good from it and be content to goe to the promise and take of God whatsoever he hath therein offered Esay 55.1 2. Bâ—y without money this is the condition that God offers mercy upon Buy wine and milke that is grace and salvation without money that is without sufficiencie of your owne for wee must not looke for sanctification till we come to the Lord in vocation for this is all the Lord requires of thee to see thy sinnes and be weary of them and be content that the Lord Jesus shall reveale what is amisse and take it away and that the Lord should give thee grace then the Lord will bring thee to himselfe and thou shalt receive mercy from him and then all thy corruptions shall fall to the ground To summe up the point briefly thus First when wee have pluckt away all carnall props there is way made for the promise to come to us Secondly when our hearts are possessed thorowly of the sufficiencie of Gods promise and grace then the promise drawes neere to the soule Thirdly when we expect all from the promise even power to come to the promise then the promise layes hold upon us Fourthly when we are content to yeeld to the equall conditions of the promise then the promise carries us quite away Thus we have seene the hinderances removed and the meanes propounded and now that wee may be moved and perswaded importunately to seeke after this blessed grace of God I le propound three motives Motive 1 The first motive is this because if you once get this grace you get all other graces with it in this you have all the rest attending and you have all the rest overplus it is a ground of comfort to set a man aworke when in the doing of one he may doe many things so it is in the worke of faith men that are wise to provide for themselves and to lay out their money for their best advantage for a purchase if they see it is well wooded and all the stocke goes into the bargaine especially if there be some golden mynes all their mindes will be upon that purchase because if they have that they have all in that so it is here get this grace and get all strengthen this and strengthen all nourish this and nourish all want this and want all once get this and then you need not seeke for wisdome for faith will make you wise it will bring holinesse with it to purge you Ah the golden mynes of mercy and salvation doe all attend upon the purchase of faith it is in this case with faith as it is in a mans body a man hath an especiall care of his stomack and liver because the stomack disgests his meat and the liver makes bloud and bloud is in all and now if all be maintained all is for health so what ever a man lookes to â—et him looke to this for by faith we lay hold on Christ and from Christ wee receive all good whereby our hearts may bee cheared and refreshed faith brings all grace and workes with all grace get faith and get all 2 Corin. 3.18 Wee all with open face behold as in a glasse the glorie of the Lord and are changed into the same image from glorie to glorie I have opened the place before to have the glorious grace of God his meâ—knesse and patience that the soule may be transformed and of an impatient man be made meeke and patient and to have the glorious grace of God imprinted upon the soule how will all this come we all by faith looke upon the riches of Gods grace in Jesus Christ Christ is the glasse and the glorious grace of God Christ is compared to the glory of the Lord therefore first we must behold grace before wee can receive it first see humility in Christ and then fetch it and there see courage to put mettall into the heart that is cowardly Secondly as all grace comes by faith for it is faith that closeth with Christ and from Christ receiveth grace for grace as the seale leaves the same impression upon the wax that is upon it selfe so secondly by faith wee are delivered from all and made conquerours over all either enemies that can assault us or miseries that can trouble us wee have many enemies the Devill and the world but especially a vile base and corrupt heart if you know and feele these miseries here is one speciall privilege of faith it will rid all these and make you conquerours over all these enemies this only faith can doe every man labours for mastery and victory this is the white that every man shoots at as it is in a pitched field though it be but for one victory how every sâ—de drawes on the forces and use all the meanes and skill that can be to get the day but if there were an engine or instrument that would overcome all enemies and breake all forts and trenches if there were any such engines no man would sticke at any price or spare any meanes and endevours to get the engine because if they have this
good man desperately poore but his heart was desperately proud therefore the Lord will make him good and make his proud heart yeeld and then bestow these things looke for that first and not for the other againe another Christian labours much for the assurance of Gods love and cannot attaine it and seekes to God in the use of the promises and yet he cannot finde it setled God will give thee comfort and consolation but in his owne order and know this that commonly the Lord never debars the soule of comfort but he sees that the heart is not fit for it thy heart would bee proud and carelesse and God should heare no more of thee and thy saile would overturne the boat therefore when God hath abased thy heart and made thee content to want what he shall deny then hee will give thee assurance but it must be in his order and this is the reason why the most smoak out their dayes in discontent the reason is there is a proud heart and a sturdy disposition of spirit that will not come unto Gods termes as it is with a Physitian he will not give a cordiall to his patient when hee will for if he were in a burning fever it were the next way to send him going first he purgeth and makes him fit and then gives him a cordiall so it is in these things which thou cravest the Lord will then give thee thē when thou shalt not surfet of comfort and assurance and prosperity when thy heart is emptied and purged and able to digest these things then the Lord will give them Rule 2 Secondly the Lord will give temporall blessings and that measure of spirituall in his owne due time not when thou and I would but when he sees most fit As Iohn 2.3 4. The mother of Iesus comes to our Saviour they have no wine saith shee she thought shee had Christ at command but hee answers her Woman what have I to doe with thee my houre is not yet come So it is with our soules wee want comfort and strength against corruptions and assurance and assistance What have I to doe with that proud heart of thine saith our Saviour My time is not yet come you would have it now as they said Wilt thou now restore the Kingdome to Israel God will doe it in his owne time and wee must wait his leisure This is one thing that doth necessarily accompany the covenant of grace as I have shewed before that the Lord should dispence of his Kingdome when he pleaseth and not when we will when the Lord seeth these blessings of spirituall mercies and temporall favours are ripe and most seasonable to thy necessities then thou shalt have them but the time is in Gods hand Rule 3 The Lord doth not promise in such a manner and measure and such a peculiar thing to give that temporall blessing and that spirituall assistance that we desire but the Lord will doe that which he knoweth is most fit And the text saith Feed me with food convenient for me there was faith he refers himselfe to God When a man comes to the taylers to have a garment made hee doth not cut out the garment himselfe but refers it to the judgement of the workman so we must doe refer our selves to God and know God promiseth nothing but as he seeth it fit for thy good It may bee thou shalt not have this blessing or that grace As it is with a Potter hee is minded to make so many vessels of honour but it is reserved in the minde of the Potter how big he will make every vessell of honour so if the Lord make thee a vessell of honour goe away contented whether thou hast so much prosperity and so much good and grace or no it skils not it is enough that thou art elected to eternall happinesse Now you see how to mannage and improve the promise aright for your best advantage and to expect from the promise that which it will yeeld The second particular in this third rule of living by faith is this how to take and how to enjoy the sap and sweet of the promise and to live by it when the Husbandman hath sowen his ground and his fruit is ripe and he hath reaped it then he must gather in his come that hee may live upon it So let us gather in the promises when we see the best advantage now let us take the gaine and live by it and that comfortably too in the proofe of Gods goodnesse therein For this end let me suggest these five rules or directions Direction 1 First thou seest what God is in the promise and thou expectest no more than God is there then eye that particular good in the promise which thou standest in most need of eye that good in Christ and in the promise and then set Gods power and faithfulnesse aworke to bring that good and his wisedome to contrive it As for instance I am in persecution and either I would have deliverance and safety that I might not be imprisoned or else comfort and refreshment if the Lord carry me thither therefore I would see all this in the promise still reserving the conditions before mentioned If thou art in prison eye liberty and preservation in Christ he that is the great deliverer of his people and carrieth his people in his hands and then set Gods power and faithfulnesse aworke that can doe it and his wisedome that can contrive it for thy good that which thou seest and needest in the promise that the power wisedome of God may comunicate to thy soule this is the meaning of that place Psalme 37.5 Commit thy wayes unto the Lord trust in him and he shall bring it to passe root thy selfe and lay all thy weight of all thy occasions upon the Lord. Therefore the Apostle saith 1 Pet. 5.7 Hurle your care upon the Lord for hee careth for you It is Gods proper office and worke He careth for thy soule therefore lay it all upon him and put over all thy care into his hands and set his power and faithfulnesse a worke only this is here a little to be scanned I speake not this that we should take no care at all but I say hang all thy weight and burthen of thy care upon the Lord. The Brewer he tumbles the barrell of beere and roules it but the earth that bears it so whatsoever trouble is in thy eare roule it upon the Lord That is thus the weight of a mans occasions lies especially in three things which a man must hurle off himselfe and lay upon the Lord either a man shall not bee able to know what hee shall doe or what hee is commanded or else secondly he shall not be able to doe what God commands and he knowes or else thirdly he shall not finde successe in what he doth It is not a trouble to doe what we can or to imploy our selves as we are able but this is the trouble when the
Isaac againe So I would have a poore Saint of God to conclude when thou findest thy comforts like Isaacks in the ashes and thy estate hopelesse and helplesse yet even then set Gods power on worke and wait upon him in the use of the meanes that hee hath appointed and then conclude it and bring patience power and deliverance and so in every kinde according to all thy necessities yet remember this expect no more from the promise than God will give in the promise but say my sinnes shall bee mastered one day and these temptations shall be one day overthrowne that have so long annoyed the soule of thy poore servant I have begged succour against these corruptions within and these temptations without and yet it is not but I know it is done in heaven it wants nothing but the taking out thou wilt bestow upon thy servant what thou seest fit 1 Sam. 1.18 Hannah wept sore and prayed to the Lord and went away and was no more sorrowfull and she said Lord I beleeve that I shall either have a childe or that which is as good or better now the businesse was done but imagine the Lord delayes and doth not suddenly accomplish what hee intends and thou hast used meanes to receive he gives not and grants not and sends not succour according to thy desire and the tenure of the covenant as thou conceivest Direct 4 Then faith must take up his stand and stay till it come as thou resolvest that it will be so stay till it be and stay it out here is much worke to doe we prevent Gods kindnesse when wee goe away before hee bee willing to bestow his kindnesse on us but faith will not doe so hee that beleeveth doth not make haste he makes haste to obey but hee stayes and resolves that it will be the vision is for an appointed time therefore wait for it thou art pestered with thy sinnes and hast laboured by faith to subdue them and thy estate is low and thou hast laboured by faith for deliverance and yet it comes not and freedome from temptations comes not therefore stay till God sees fit and it will come Psal 123.2 As the eyes of a servant looke to the hands of his master and the eyes of a maiden to her mistresse so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercie upon us not till I will and till I see fit and according to my minde but untill the Lord have mercie wee suddenly slide away from the covenant which the Lord makes with us because wee have it not when wee will therefore we goe away 1 Sam. 13.13 when Samuel carried long and the people began to murmur Saul went and offered a burnt-offering unto the Lord and therefore Samuel said unto him Thou hast done foolishly and hast not kept the commandement of thy God which he commanded thee for now would the Lord have established thy kingdome upon Israel for ever If Saul had stayed the Lords time hee would have established the kingdome upon Israel for ever but he prevented the Lords kindnesse and offered sacrifice unseasonably and sinfully so it is many times with a proud pettish rash and distempered heart if we have not what we would and just when we would then wee are all amort and murmur and say Why should wee wait any longer thou hast done foolishly hast thou prayed and looked to the promise thus long and wilt thou now give over the Lord would have comforted thee hadst thou gone on but the Lord hath withdrawn himselfe from thee because thou hast withdrawn thy heart from the promise when the carriage is heavie and the way is dead there are many sore puls and the wagon is at a stand and if a man should then goe away then all his worke were lost therefore stay thou till the Lord shew mercy thus long thou hast called and sought and looked to the promise and waited upon the Lord and attended upon the freenesse of his grace once more would have done it thy heart was almost humbled and thy sinne was almost conquered O thou silly foole why didst not thou hold it out it wil come at last my life for thine now take heed of this if the time seeme tedious and thy heart begins to sink and thy spirit is weary take heed of flying off take heed of shifting for thy owne comfort and looking to base ende and aimes no hold thy minde to and keep thy eye of faith upon the promise and stay it out till God see the time fit and know it is the best time for thee to receive it Acts 27 31. Paul saith Except these abide in the ship you cannot be safe every man was shipping over bord to save himselfe but Paul stayed them a man would have thought otherwise but the Apostle knew it was not so for the Lord had revealed it unto him so I say be thy temptations never so strong and thy sinnes never so many and thou beginnest to complaine and saist I have cryed Lord and sought earnestly and yet my condition is worse and my soule more sinfull and I am lesse able to helpe my selfe there is no more succour to bee expected now take heed of going out of the ship and from the use of the meanes keepe in the ship for in the ship you shall be safe keepe in the promise and still your hearts there you shall have a happie arrivall at heaven though it bee upon a broken board it s no matter stay Gods time Direct 5 Yet haply the Lord seemes sometimes not only to delay his poore servants and to withhold his favour but he seemes to frowne and say he will not heare and hee seemes to be angrie with the prayers of his servants and with their importunitie and he seemes as if he would not succour and supply thus he dealt with Iacob Gen. 32.26 there the Lord saith Let me goe I care not what becomes of thee I leave thee to thy selfe but Iacob layes hold upon him and would not let him goe so the last worke of faith is this In an holy humilitie to labour to contend with God and by strong hand to overcome the Lord for the Lord loves to be overcome thus bee not fancie with the Lord but in the sense of thy owne basenesse as it were catch the Lord Jesus and strive with him leave not till thou hast those comforts which he hath promised and thou hast begged this is the glory and victorie of the â—â—iumph of faith that gives the day to and layes downe the weapons and yeelds himselfe as conquered as it was Iacob when God saw he could not prevaile he said in the 28. verse Thy name shall be no more called Iacob but Israel because thou hast prevailed with God God is ready to give what he hath promised but he will have us trie masterie with him God overcomes himselfe and we by faith in God overcome God as Iam. 2.13 Mercie triumphs over justice Lord saith my