Salvation and further built up in our most holy Faith That is the second Direction 3. Receive the Ministration of the Gospel with humility of Spirit and meekness I say receive it with all humility and meekness of Spirit that is the way whereby it may be made effectual to Salvation When people come and say they can tell as much as the Minister can tell them and they had as good stay at home and read a good Book and not câ—ming to it as Gods Ordinance with a teachable frame of Spirit being willing to hear what the Lord will say how can the Word become effectual but now when a Soul comes with meekness of Spirit to hear what the Lord will say and then as Psal 25.9 The Lord will teach the meek and saith the Apostle James 1.21 Receive with meekness the ingrafted Word which is able to save your Souls receive it with meekness with an humble Spirit to receive whatsoeever the Lord shall please to direct his Servants to speak And let me add but one thing more and I will have done and that is this 4. Be careful to receive the Word and Truth in the Love of it and to mixe it with Faith Receive it in the Love of it Truly if so be we have no Love to the Truth and the Word when we come to attend upon it it may be just with God to give us up to believe Lies as that hath been the very Judgment of God upon the Antichristian World for these 1200 years together for this very Sin for not receiving the Truth in the love of it 2 Thess 2.11 12 13. Because they received not the Truth in the Love of it therefore God gave them up to strong delusions to believe Lies And Antichrist hath prevailed to this Day upon that very account Therefore remember that we be ready to receive the Truth in the Love of it as to say This is a Truth of God and though I have heard it before yet it is a Truth and the Lord would have this Truth spoken to me and I must receive it in the Love of it and then mix it with Faith Hâ—b 4.2 They had the Gospel preached to them as well as we and The Word preached did not profit them that heard it why because they did not mixe it with Faith in their hearts What is this mixing the Word with Faith Truly when the Lord perswades the Heart to receive whatever is spoken as spoken from the Lord to me this Word the Lord doth intend for me and makes a particular application of it this is the proper work of Faith to apply the word spoken to our selves as spoken from the Lord to us And thus the word cometh to be effectual through the Spirit either in a way of Conviction or Conversion or for the Furtherance of the Salvation of the Souls of any But thus much shall suffice at this time The Holy Ghost convinceth of Sin SERMON IV. JOHN 16.9 Of Sin because they believe not on me YOU have heard the scope of these words already which in short is this Christ would here comfort his Disciples against their sorrow which they had for his going away from them Because I said these things unto you saith he Sorrow hath filled your hearts Now Christ is speaking here in a way of Comfort to sustain and support the hearts of his Disciples against that grief and sorrow that did possess them And how doth he comfort them He tells them that his spiritual presence shall be more advantagious to them than his bodily presence could be The presence of the Spirit which he would send to them saith he he shall be a Comforter to you If I go away I will send the Comforter to you and that shall be more than my bodily presence to you whereas If I go not away the Comforter will not come Ay but how shall the presence of the Spirit be in stead of Christ's bodily presence to them and make up that loss to them Christ tells them for that wherein the presence of the Spirit with them after his going away would be equivalent and correspondent to his own bodily personal being with them But wherein He tells them namely because when the Spirit comes he shall co work with them in their Ministry so as their Ministry shall be made efficacious and effectual to the furtherance of the Salvation of many Souls The Spirit shall go along with their Ministry and this Christ gives in by way of Comfort to his Disciples Hence we Observed the last time That it is matter of exceeding great Joy and Consolation to the faithful Servants of Christ that through the operation and co-working of the Spirit their Ministry is made effectual for the good of Souls This is a great matter of joy and rejoycing for observe it Christ doth lay this down as a comfort to preponderate and out-weigh their sorrow that they had in their hearts in respect of his going away from them But I shall not speak to any thing that was then spoken to But still it may be said But how shall the Spirit concur with our Ministry to make it effectual for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Saith Christ When he is come he shall convince the World The presence of the Spirit with your Ministry shall convince the Men of the world Convince them Of what Now here he tells them You heard in the general from the 8th Verse He shall convince the World of Sin and of Righteousness and of Judgement But now in these 9 10 and 11 Verses he comes to shew particularly the work of the Spirit in convincing the World and he gives the reason of every particular that the Spirit shall convince the World of Of Sin Because they believe not in me And again He shall convince the world of Righteousness Why Because I go to the Father and ye see me no more And again He shall convince the world of Judgment Why Because the Prince of this World is judged I shall speak only to the first of these at the present through the Lords assistance He shall convince the world of Sin Of Sin and this in order to their Conversion and Salvation Why Because Christ speaks this by way of Consolation to the hearts of the Disciples now this would be matter of Comfort indeed that their Ministry should be made efficacious for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls Therefore this convincing the world of Sin is in order to Salvation There are two Points to be spoken to from the Verse But I shall only take up one to speak to at present through the Lords assistance and that is this Doctrine That it is the first work of the Spirit of God in order to the Conversion and Salvation of any Soul to convince the Soul of Sin I say the first work of the Spirit of God in order to Conversion and Salvation of Souls is to convince of Sin For here Christ speakes of the work
little evil in the sin of unbelief why and whence is it that so many Professors are so little sensible of the sin of unbelief though unbelief be such a great sin the greatest of all sins as you have heard though it be such a sin as to make God a liar and it doth kick and spurn away the loving kindness of God and by our not believing we put the greatest contempt upon the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God that can be yet I fear there are very few Christians do really and truly see the greatness of this sin they can be humbled for other sins and confess how they have provoked God by slighting and despising his Word by being formal and careless and wanton and prophaning Sabbaths and Ordinances but this sin of unbelief is little laid to heart there is little real humiliation for that and what is the reason because it is the work of the Spirit of Christ only to convince of this sin And therefore as we do desire more and more to see the evil of this sin of unbelief truly we had need to look up for the Spirit to discover it to us that all that we can do can never please God unless we do believe on Christ whatever prayers we make whatever duties we perform yet all doth not please God but we must be accepted only by faith in Christ and it is the work of the Spirit to shew us how we have been out of the way of salvation all this time I have gone on in a course of duties and performances in a way of moral Righteousness but I have been out of the way of life and salvation all this time If the Spirit do not convince us we shall never be convinced of this sin of unbelief it is not all that I have spoken nor all that all the Saints in the World can speak in laying open this sin of unbelief that can convince us of it except the Spirit of the Lord come and convince of this sin of unbelief Therefore look up for the Spirit and wait for the Spirit to be given out to convince us of this sin of unbelief That is the first 2. To end all hereby we may come in some measure to discern our spiritual estate and condition whether we be in a way of salvation or no Brethren you may see it plainly in the Text saith Christ I will send the Spirit and he shall convince the World of sin of this sin of unbelief in order to salvation Well then Consider I pray seriously between the Lord and your own souls whether or no you have been convinced of sin and especially of this sin of unbelief hath the Holy Ghost discovered the evil of this sin to you I pray consider seriously of it for this is the work of the Spirit in order to salvation to convince of this sin of unbelief Objection You will say Well I hope the Lord hath been at work upon my soul I hope the Spirit hath been convincing me of sin I think I have been convinced of many sins I hope the Spirit hath made me to see my original sin and hath convinced me of the sins of my youth the Lord hath written bitter things against me and made me to possess the iniquities of my youth he hath brought to my remembrance how I have been disobedient to my Parents and Superiors the Spirit I suppose hath convinced me that I have been given to lying to purloining defrauding and stealing from Parents and Masters and I have been convinced of Sabbath-breaking c. Answer But I pray consider have you ever been convinced of this sin of unbelief I pray consider it seriously what of the evil of unbelief hath the Spirit discovered to you I tell you Brethren if so be you have not been convinced and seen something of the evil of unbelief truly you have cause to question whether ever the Spirit of God hath been at work upon you in order to salvation Let me tell you plainly and I pray bear with me you may have been convinced of sin and yet the Spirit hath never been at work upon you in order to salvation No when the Spirit doth work in order to salvation it doth sooner or later convince of this sin of unbelief Therefore if you be perswaded that the Spirit hath been at work upon your hearts in convincing you of sin in order to salvation then wait for it and look that the Spirit shall discover this sin of unbelief to you wait for it for the Spirit will go on if he have begun a convincing Work in order to salvation and eternal life he wil convince you of the evil of unbelief sooner or later you will be brought in some measure to see the real evil and sinfulness of it therefore look and wait for it and then also wait for the work of the Spirit to convince you of Righteousness for so it follows in the next words I will send the Spirit and when he is come he shall convince the World of Sin because they believe not on me And of Righteousness because I go to the Father and ye see me no more But thus much shall suffice for this time The Holy Ghost revealeth Christ's Righteousness SERMON VII JOHN 16.10 Of Righteousness because I go to my Father and ye see me no more YOU have heard before That the first work of the Spirit of God upon the Soul in order to Conversion and Salvation is to convince it of Sin and in a special manner of the sin of Unbelief And when he is come he shall convince the World saith Christ in the former Verse of Sin Because they believe not on me Now then where the Spirit begins to work in order to Salvation by convincing of sin he goes on also to convince of Righteousness And so I shall fall immediately upon the Point before us which is this Doctrine That when the Spirit of God doth begin to work upon a Soul in order to Salvation by convincing it of Sin he goes on also to convince it of Righteousness When he is come he shall convince the World of Sin saith Christ Ay but he doth not stop there but goes on also to convince of Righteousness Brethren it is the first work of the Spirit of Christ to convince us of our own Unrighteousness and his next work is to convince us of the Righteousness of Jesus Christ I confess I had it in my thoughts to have spoken to some other subject at this time but casting about and considering with my self what might be of most and greatest concernment the Lord was pleased to turn my thoughts again upon this Subject for verily if it were the last Sermon that ever I should preach to you in this world as the Lord knows whether it be or no if so be that any of you were going out of the World and I should be called to speak to you I do not know what I should say that is of more or
clear off from its own righteousness and not only so but it leads the Soul to follow after Righteousness still after our own righteousness too This is the work of the Spirit the Evangelical work of the Spirit to take a Soul off from its own righteousness and cause it to lean only upon Christs righteousness and yet to follow hard after its own righteousness it is a mystery to the World ay but the Spirit of the Lord doth lead a Soul in this way whereas now one that hath but a notional conviction of the righteousness of Christ and that his own righteousness cannot save him alas he will be ready to be formal and slighty in looking after his own righteousness he will be formal and careless in duties and ordinances or else he will be ready to neglect them he thinks under a notion of Christs righteousness that he shall be saved by the righteousness of Christ and so he neglects following hard after his own righteousness Brethren this is that the Spirit of the Lord doth when he convinces a Soul of the righteousness of Christ in order to Salvation it still causes the Soul to follow hard after its own righteousness though not to be accepted of God for it not to be saved by it but for such ends as I told you of before This is the way now that the Spirit of the Lord doth work upon the Soul in in order to its salvation And then 2. Again this also the Spirit is wont to do when he convinces of righteousness he doth convince effectually and powerfully as I told you he doth so convince the soul of the Righteousness of Christ as to perswade the soul to venture to lean its everlasting condition upon it to lean there to rest there I say this is the work of the Spirit And let us consider with our selves I pray whether the Spirit hath been thus at work upon our hearts in order to salvation Well to conclude and take my Farewel of you As we desire to obtain life and salvation through the righteousness of Jesus Christ take but only these three words which I shall leave with you and so have done 'T is a matter of everlasting concernment closing with this Righteousness of Christ fall short of the Righteousness of Christ but a hairs breadth and you fall short of eternal life and salvation for There is no Name under Heaven whereby you can be saved but by Christ and his Righteousness this is the new way of the Covenant of Grace to be saved for righteousness indeed and a perfect Righteousness too as perfect as ever Adams was but not for our own but for the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ therefore I say let me commend but three Words to you and so I have done First Study earnestly and diligently to understand this Righteousness of Christ though possibly you may think you do understand it in some measure yet there is a great deal more of it to be understood it is a great Deep a great Mystery therefore still let us be much in the study of this Righteousness of Christ Secondly Beg and pray earnestly for the Spirit to be given out unto you to convince you of this Righteousness more and more to convince you effectually and powerfully so as to enable your souls to venture to lean upon it Thirdly And then indeavour every day frequently to be exercising your selves in leaning and resting the weight of your Souls upon this Righteousness of Jesus Christ do not only beg for the Spirit to convince us of this but let us be indeavouring to exercise our selves frequently in leaning the weight of our Souls upon the Righteousness of Jesus Christ to be accepted of God to eternal life I will repeat them agaiâ— and then have done First Be very diligent in studâ—ing to understand what the Righteousness of Christ is Our eternal life is in it as Moses said Set your heart to this Word for it is your Life So I say this is your life this Righteousness of Christ therefore set your heart to study it make it your work and business to study to understand still more and more of this Righteousness of Christ Secondly Beg earnestly for the Spirit of Conviction that Christ would send down his Spirit to convince us of this Righteousness to convince us effectually and powerfully of it so as to be enabled to rest upon it Thirdly Let us be exercising our selves frequently in leaning and resting the weight of our Souls upon this Righteousness giving up our selves frequently day by day to lean and rest the weight of our Souls upon the Righteousness of Christ for acceptance with God to eternal life and salvation Well I have done only this Word I shall add in a Word He that hath ears to hear let him hear Thirsty Sinners invited to Christ SERMON VIII JOHN 7.37 In the last day that great day of the Feast Jesus stood and cried saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink YOU have heard before the Words that Christ spake when the Pharisees and Rulers sent Officers to take him at the 30 Verse At the 33 and 34 Verses he told them that whatever their design should be to take him Yet notwithstanding saith he yet a little while I am with you and whereas you are now desirous to be rid of me Ere long I shall go away and you shall see me no more and though you may desire it You shall seek me saith Christ and shall not find me and where I am thither you cannot come Now mark what an effect these words had upon them what use did the Jews make of that word of Admonition that Christ gave and that gracious Counsel he gave instead of making a good improvement See v. 35.36 they made use of his words to scoff at and mock him say they Yet a little while and he will go away will he go to the dispersed among the Gentiles speaking in derision and scorn will he go among the dispersed Gentiles Christ spake plain enough if they had not been maliciously blind Yet a little while saith he and I go to him that sent me and so they made a meer mock So that here we may take notice that Malicious minded men in stead of receiving any Word of Counsel and advice will be ready rather to rail mock and scoff at them who give it And so here to the Jews it was a word of Admonition that Christ gave but they fell a mocking and scoffing at him And so it was of old 2 Chron. 14.20 you read there how King Jehoshaphat sent about Priests and Levites throughout the Cities out of Compassion to their Souls to teach the Word among them and to put them in mind of their duty and it is said they mocked those that came they mocked the messengers of the Lord for the words which they brought were for the welfare of their Souls And so you read concerning the Lords Prophets that he
THE WAY OF THE SPIRIT In bringing SOULS TO CHRIST Set forth in X. SERMONS ON JOHN 16.7 8 9 10. And CHAP. 7.37 By that able and faithful Servant of Jesus Christ Mr. Thomas Allen late Pastor of a Church in the City of Norwich London Printed in the Year 1676. To the Reader HAving a sight of these Sermons before they went to the press I thought fit to speak something of them and something of the Author 1. As to these Sermons The design of them is excellent First they shew that the Holy Ghost in bringing Souls to Christ doth first convince them of sin so making them to feel their need of Christ working in them to hunger and thirst after him prize him above all and count all things loss and dung in comparison of him Secondly In these Sermons is excellently set forth the fulness and righteousness of the Lord Jesus whereby he is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by him Thirdly here is set forth how freely Christ admits sinners to come unto him that they may have life not standing upon any merit or worthiness in us but only works our hearts to a sense of our own vileness and unworthiness and by a secret work of his Spirit draws the humbled and convinced sinner to take of the water of life freely Possibly some may meet with a few passages in some of these Sermons that they may not clearly understand Let such consider that these Notes were neither intended nor prepared by the Author for the Press but taken in short hand from the mouth of the Preacher in which case there must be great allowance Likewise some may think the Author did inculcate things too much and was not so concise and sententious as were to be desired In answer to that I would say that in my poor judgment I always looked upon it as one of the many excellent gifts of God bestowed upon him that he had a great dexterity in clearing and urging things with variety of expressions As he was a heart Christian so he was a heart Preacher and those things that are to be wrought upon the hearts of the hearers are to be sufficientey cleared to their understandings and earnestly set home to their Souls and Consciences though God can set in with a short hint to convert a soul and enlarge that with great light and power upon the hearer that was not sufficiently cleared and urged by the Preacher yet truly 't is an excellence in a Preacher to set forth the truths of God plainly and fully with power and authority in the name of Christ 2. As to the Author of these Sermons that burning and shining light Mr. Thomas Allen now with Christ I must needs say something having such an opportunity of the exceeding grace of God in him 1. I will speak of him as a Christian He was one that obtained mercy to fear the Lord from his youth and soon grew up to sueh a measure of grace as to be one of the highest form in Christs school he attained to be more than one of the children or young men in Christ even to be one of the Fathers one of the most grown and most experienced Christians full of Faith and of the Holy Ghost His heart was much awed with a holy reverence of God he was a man of a tender conscience fearful to offend God Christ was exceeding precious to him he made him all his salvation and all his desire he was full of holy zeal valiant for the Truth he had a heart for God and a tongue for God upon all occasions In communicating to others necessities he was so free that usually he did beyond his estate he was every way eminent in grace adorning the Gospel with a holy fruitful conversaion 2. As a Minister he was very able and faithful he was an excellent Preacher plain and powerful in his doctrine and though he was a learned man yet he preached without all ostentation he did not confound his hearers with obscure terms and fantastical expressions but endeavoured to set forth the Truths of God in the most plain and convincing way to the consciences of men He preached not himself but Christ he was not desirous of vain glory In his preaching he was not in jest playing with his Text and with the souls of men as the manner of some is but was in sober sadness and good earnest to bring souls to Christ and build them up in him He was eminent in self-denial he made not the Ministry a trade to get mony his design was not to make himself rich in the World but to make others rich in grace In those places in which he laboured he might say with the Apostle that he sought not theirs but them not their goods but their good It 's no dishonour to a Minister of Christ to live of a little and to leave but little when he dyes Proud lordly self seeking high living Ministers no way suit the Gospel of Christ which was first preached by a company of poor men without any worldly splendor who went through wonderful hardships and difficulties in fulfilling the Ministry which they received of the Lord Jesus 2 Cor. 6.4 5. 2 Cor. 11 23 24 c. but are rather like the Merchants of Babylon who grow rich and great with the abundance of her delicacies Rev. 18.3.11.12 Another thing that I would mention of this worthy man was his marvellous condescension in private discourses to his brethren in the Ministry who were much inferiour to him in age and gifts not standing upon his own great worth never exalting himself but preferring them above himself hearing their judgments in any matter with as great reverence and respect as if they had been his Superiors Surely his humility was extraordinary and a notable example to all that knew him As he was a Scribe instructed to the Kingdom of God in all points of the Doctrine of Religion so he was expert in all Questions about Church-discipline above many for which he had been much advantaged by living so long in New-England and having there such intimate acquaintance with those famous men Mr. Bulkly Mr. Hooker Mr. Cotton Mr. Shephard and others there who lived in his heart when they were dead and he delighted to speak and to relate some remarkable passages of them One thing more I would take notice of in this man of God he was full of compassion to those that were under violent temptations and terrors of Conscience and very judicious to direct them in the way to find rest unto their souls Whil'st I commend this Servant of Jesus Christ let none be offended as if I thought or spake of man above what is meet I know indeed there is in these days a kind of man-worship a crying up this man and the other and having their persons and preaching in admiration without cause when in the mean while who almost cryeth up the Lord Jesus and maketh him all in
open the understanding to open the heart We read the heart of Lydia was opened when she heard Paul preach but it was not Pauls preaching but the Spirits going along with it that did open her heart and she attended to what was spoken by Paul and so the Spirit with the Word is mighty to draw a Soul to Christ not the Word alone no saith Christ John 5.44 45. No man can come unto me except the Father draw him that is there must be the mighty Power of the Spirit of God concurring to work with the Word to draw and perswade and convince by the Word and then it works And so the Spirit with the Word will cause a Soul to grow and encrease in a Spiritual Estate Paul may plant and Apollos may water but it is the Lord must give the encrease to make the growth So it is one may preach and another may preach but still there must be the concurrance and work of the Spirit or else all our preaching will be but like the watering of a dead plant but the Spirit of the Lord must come and be present and then our preaching our planting and watering may be blessed for those ends for which God hath appointed it And the reason is this That without the Spirit of God the Word though it be ordained of God to be a Means of Conversion and Salvation yet the Word alone without the Spirit cannot do it because the Ministry of the Word is too weak to make an Impression upon our hard hearts Take a Seal and set it upon a Rock or Stone it makes no Impression Why Because there is no pliableness in the Rock or Stone to receive the Impression Thus it is with our hearts our hearts are naturally like so many Stones therefore see what the Lord promises To take away the heart of Stone and to give a heart of Flesh a soft heart the hardness of it shall be taken away that when the Word comes as a Seal to make an Impression upon the heart the Spirit doth change the heart and makes it pliable to receive the Impression which othewise it could not do You may as well make an Impression upon a Rock or Stone as upon any Heart till the Spirit come and soften the heart and make it pliable to receive the impression of the Word and therefore hence you may observe That sometimes when divers hear the same Word preached there are diversity of effects in the same hearers hearing the same Word some are converted and others not some believe and others not As Acts 17. When Paul had been preaching to them Verse 32 34. When they heard of the Resurrection of the dead some mocked and others said We will hear thee again of this matter Howbeit certain clave to him and believed Ay some received the Gospel and others not some believed and others not As I remember 't is said Acts 28.24 Some believed the things that were spoken and some believed not And What is the Reason The Spirit doth work effectually with the Gospel upon some hearts but not upon others that is the reason that some believed and some believed not And hence it is again that sometimes some are more hardned by the very word of the Gospel So far from being converted and brought into a state of Salvation that they are more hardned and set further off nearer to their damnation What is the reason Because there wants the presence of the Spirit and therefore you shall see Isa 6.9 saith the Lord to the Prophet he was an Evangelical Prophet Go saith the Lord make this peoples heart hard go and harden their hearts that they may hear and not understand that they may not be converted and saved Let their hearts be more hardned saith God by hearing the Gospel preached nay sometimes what is the reason that the most eminent ablest Preacher of the Gospel in the World that their Ministry is sometimes less efficacious than the Ministry of them that are far inferiour to them what is the reason Because the Concurrence of the Spirit goeth along with the one and not with the other You shall see Christ himself the most eminent Preacher that ever was under Heaven John 22.36 37. He preaches there and though he did Miracles before them yet they believed not on him that the saying of Isaiah the Prophet might be fulfilled Lord who hath believed our Report and to whom hath the Arm of the Lord been revealed And therefore they could not believe because Isaiah saith again He hath blinded their Eyes and hardned their hearts These things said Isaiah when he saw his glory and spake of him when he saw the glory of Christ when he was most Evangelical in his Ministry then he spake these Words whereas Peter now that was far inferiour to Christ having the presence of the Spirit mightily poured down upon him Acts 2. where the Holy Ghost fell down upon the Apostles like so many fiery cloven tongues Peter preached to them and he converted three thousand Souls at one Clap because of the powerful presence of the Spirit together with the Word Therefore Brethren still let us not satisfy our selves with hearing the Gospel preached though we had the most eminent preacher that ever was in the World though we should have heard Christ himself but look for the Concurrence of the Spirit the breathings of the Spirit wait upon God for the communicating and giving out of his Spirit that they may make the Gospel to be the Ministration not of the Letter but of the Spirit for it is the Spirits Work to make the Gospel effectual and operative for the Conversion and Salvation of Souls 3. In a Word that As the Preaching of the Gospel of it self cannot convert or save any Soul So neither will the Holy Ghost without the Concurrence and preaching of the Gospel You heard before that the Preaching of the Gospel cannot do it alone But cannot the Spirit will not the Spirit do it alone It can do it alone indeed But mark I pray the Spirit will not ordinarily convince and convert effectually and savingly any Soul without the Ministration of the Gospel To give you but a Scripture or two for this Acts 9. You see there Christ himself speaks to Paul you know how he met with him as he was going to Damascus to persecute the Saints and Christ spake immediately to him Saul Saul why persecutest thou me well who art thou Lord saith he I am Jesus whom thou persecutest Well Verse 6. You shall see saith Paul Lord What wouldest thou have me to do Mark now Christ doth not preach the Gospel immediately himself but he sends him to one to preach to him Go into Damascus and there it shall be told thee what thou shalt do and there Christ sent Ananias to preach the Gospel to him Christ himself would not preach the Gospel from Heaven to him nor he would not convert nor save his Soul without the Ministration of the
go along with our Ministry Our Sermons had need to be watered and soaked in earnest prayer for the Spirit 2. Here is now a mighty Word of Encouragement unto poor Souls to be ready to entertain and receive the Gospel and the Ministration of it to be ready so to receive it into your hearts as it may be a good Word of Conversion and Salvation to your Souls Ay this would be matter of Joy and Rejoycing to the Servants of Christ more than all that ever you can do for them if they may be but instrumental for the Conversion and Salvation of your Souls it will be more Comfort and joy to them than all the World besides Joy to them Ay it will be Joy to the very Angels in Heaven Luk. 15.10 11. There shall be Joy in Heaven over one Einâ—â—â— that repents The Angels of Heaven observe how you come into the Congregation they observe your Carriage and how you take the Word and what impression it makes upon your hearts to Coâ—vâ—ction and Conversion and Salvation it is the Joy and Rejoycing of the Angels in Heaven to 〈◊〉 a poor Soul brought in by the Ministry of the Gospelâ— and do not you think you your selves will have as much cause of Joy and Rejoycing Whereas on the other side if so be the poor Servants of Christ do come and take pains they study and labour and hold forth the Word of the Gospel to you and people come and receive it into their ears and not into their hearts no good done upon them but they remain as carnal as worldly and unbelieving as before and they see no fruit of their Ministry this is the grief of their hearts and Souls they labour and labour and question whether the Lord doth own their Ministry or no they have cause to complain as the Prophet Isa 49.6 I have laboured in vain I have spent my Strength for naught and in vain So the poor Servants of Christ go with a dead heart into their Studies and come to preach with a sad heart when they see no good done no saving Work wrought this is a very Cut to their hearts and Souls and they would rather if they might have their wills cease mentioning of the Name of Christ to people Therefore let it be the desire and endeavour and care of people so to hear and receive the Word into their hearts that it may become effectual and an Instrument in the Lords hand for the Conversion and Salvation of their Souls Objection But you will say Is it in our power I know you think so in your hearts to make the Word convincing and converting and saving Answer I do not say 't is in your power but thus much I may say you may oppose and resist the saving Work of the Gospel upon your hearts and therefore to be found waiting upon the Lord in his way you cannot tell but the Lord may make the Gospel effectual to you for your Conversion and Salvation And therefore let me commend three or four Words by way of Direction in this case and so I shall leave all to the blessing of God Do you desire to have the Word of God made effectual for the convincing and converting and saving of your Souls Then 1. Be much and earnest in praying for the Spirit to go along with the Preaching of the Word into your hearts and Souls Ay pray much for that O! before you come you should be careful to wrestle with God for the presence of the Spirit to go along I fear Brethren that people are careless in this Point they come reeking out of the World and from their business and never wrestle with the Lord for the presence of his Spirit to assist the Preaching of the Word that it may become effectual and profitable to your Souls and so you go away as you come Therefore I say as the Apostle Jude v. 24. Be building up your selves in your most holy Faith But how shall we build up our selves in our most holy Faith how shall we do it why saith he Praying in the Holy Ghost that is the way Beg earnestly for the Spirit for the Holy Ghost to accompany the Word and make the Word profitable and effectual to you That is one Direction I do but name it I pray remember it 2. As we do desire to have the Word made effectual for Conviction Conversion and Salvation to our Souls Then attend upon the Preaching of the Gospel as the Lords Ordinance for that very End that he hath appointed it namely for Conversion and Salvation This is the very End for which God hath appointed the Preaching of the Gospel to be a saving Word a Word of Salvation to poor Souls that is the very End of the Gospel it is appointed for that End Eph. 4.11 12. saith the Apostle Christ when he ascended up on high he gave Gifts to men Ministerial Gifts he gave Pastors and Teachers for the edifying of the Body for the bringing home of Souls to the Body for the perfecting of the Saints So that those that are Saints should still attend upon the Gospel for more edifying for the saving work to be carried on This is the very Intendment of the Preaching of the Gospel God hath ordained it for this end and purpose therefore wait upon it for that end attend upon it as the Word of God which he hath appointed for that end 1 Thess 2.13 We are always bound to give thanks to God for you beloved Brethren because when you heard the Word you received it not as the Word of man but as it is indeed the Word of God which worketh effectually in them that believe Ay receive it as the Word and the Word of God for that End that God hath appointed it and through the presence of the Spirit it will become effectual Mark how it wrought in Cornelius and his Family Acts 10. Cornelius was directed to send for Peter to preach to him and Cornelius in the mean time had gathered together the Congregation his Friends and Relations he had got them together that they might hear the Gospel as well as himself when Peter came he preached Christ to them Now saith Cornelius we are all here before the Lord to hear whatever God hath directed thee to speak to us we are here to attend upon it as the very Word of God and Peter opened his mouth and preached the Gospel to them and it is said The Holy Ghost fell upon them all that heard it v. 44. and then saith Peter verse 47. Can any man forbid Water that these should not be baptized which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we Attending upon the Preaching of the Gospel as Gods Ordinance and Institution for saving ends and purposes for Conversion and Edification and Salvation this is the way whereby we may have the Gospel made effectual to us we shall be brought to receive it and receiving of it we shall be brought into a state of
him that Soul will be unstable its Comforts will be unstable and though he may hold up his head so long as all is calm and clear above him but when the assaults of the Devil come and the powers of Hell are let loose upon it to try its Foundation if the foundation be not deep rooted all the building will come to nothing it is like a Plant or Tree that is planted but shallow in the Ground and will be apt to wither so Christ compares it Mat. 13.21 The Seed that fell upon the stony ground sprang up for a while but when the Sun did rise when temptations came scorching temptations and tribulations and tryals came they withered away because they wanted depth of earth for the root they had no rooting they were not humbled and convinced of sin they took up a Profession and confessed Christ and professed Christ but never were truly convinced of sin and this is the great reason why Professors are subject to so many doubts and scruples about their condition when they come into sickness and dangers then they are ready to question their condition What is the reason why possibly this may be one Because they were never convinced truly of sin by the Spirit of God And therefore you see now upon all these accounts That Conviction of sin is very necessary for sinners in order to their Conversion and Salvation So now I have finished the second Thing propounded I should now have come to the third Thing to shew you That convincing of sin is the Work of the Spirit of God But that and some other things I must leave till another opportunity The Holy Ghost convinceth of Sin SERMON V. JOHN 16.9 Of Sin because they believe not on me YOU have heard the coherence of these words before and therefore I shall not trouble you with that and the Point you may remember what it was that was last propounded from these words Namely That it is the very first work of the Spirit of God in order to Salvation to convince the Soul of Sin For so Christ here is comforting of his Disciples against their sorrow upon his departure from them and he tels them That he would send the Comforter to them and he tells them what the Comforter should do he should assist them in their Ministry towards the conversion and salvation of Souls and the first thing he shall do he shall convince the World of Sin and then of Righteousness and then of Judgement but this is his first work to convince the world of Sin There were four things propounded to be spoken to for the clearing of this Point 1. To shew you what we are to understand by this Conviction of Sin which is the first work of the Spirit and wherein it lay and that you heard in three things 2. You heard the necessity of it why this work of convincing of Sin is so necessary in order to conversion and Salvation You heard the necessity of it in five or six things upon which account it was necessary in order to salvation to be convinced of Sin Well there are two things yet remain to be spoken to for the opening of this Point 3. The third thing is to shew that this work of convincing of Sin is the proper work of the Spirit Nothing short of the Spirit of God can really and truly convince the soul of Sin in order to salvation And then 4. That it is not only the work of the Spirit but the first work of the Spirit in order to Salvation These two things I shall now proceed to through the Lords assistance 3. Well then we are to fall upon the third to make it evident to you that the work of convincing of Sin is the proper work of the Spirit of God And how doth that appear Briefly I shall give you two or three Demonstrations of it 1. It appears from the opposition that is in every carnal heart to be convinced of Sin There is a desperate opposition in our hearts naturally we are utterly averse and unwilling to be convinced of Sin We are loth to come to the Light as Christ tells us John 3.20 Every one that doth evil hateth the Light neither cometh to the Light least his deeds should be reproved lest he should be convinced It is the same word with this in the Text He is loath to be convinced of sin it is the natural frame of our hearts to be averse and opposite to conviction of sin therefore there must come a stronger power the power of the Spirit to this work of convincing of sin else we shall never be convinced for I pray mark what this convincing of sin is For a soul to yield to the convictions of sin is to yield to its own sentence of condemnation and do you think that any one is ready to yield to the sentence of its own condemnation Now if a soul yield to the conviction of sin he yields to the sentence of condemnation For the soul that sinneth shall dye And if a soul yield that he is guilty of this or that sin now he yields to the sentence of Death and Damnation And do you think the soul will yield to the sentence of Condemnation passed against it self You see sometimes a Malefactor at the Bar Is he willing think you to be convinced of his crime which he is accused of No he will stand out against it and deny it as long as he can and if he cannot deny it he will mince it and will not yield to the conviction so long as he can possibly hold out against it and this is the guise of our hearts naturally not to yield to conviction but we will hold out against it as long as ever we can let any man come to us to convince us and reprove us we will hold against it and shift it off and mince it and avoid it all that ever we can this is natural to us as it was with our first Parents when God called them to an account for their first sin they shifted it off Adam to his Wife his Wife to the Serpent and would not willingly be convinced Just as I told you before it was with Saul 1 Sam. 15. When Saul had disobeyed the Commandment of the Lord in going against Amalek God gave him a severe charge to cut off all Men Women Children and Cattel Well he cuts off the generality of the People but he spared Agag and he spared the best of the Cattel Well Samuel comes to him afterward and Saul he comes boasting saith he Come thou blessed of the Lord I have fulfilled the Commandment of the Lord hast thou fulfilled the Commandment of the Lord saith Samuel What meaneth then the bleating of the Sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the Oxen well he would not be convinced saith he 'T is true some of them are saved alive for sacrifice for the Lord he would not yield to the Conviction until such time as Samuel was
first work of the Spirit in order to Conversion and Salvation for so the Point was laid down That it is the first work of the Spirit in order to Conversion and Salvation to convince a Soul of sin Now how doth that appear Briefly in two or three Words 1. Thus because The Lord in the Work of the new Creation doth ordinarily use the same Method that he did in the old Creation You know in the first Creation of the World the first particular Work that God wrought was Light saith God Let there be Light and there was Light Light is that whereby things are discovered light makes things manifest So now God comes in the new Creation when he is about the great Work of the new Creation upon the Soul the first thing God works in the soul is to create Light Light whereby the soul may come to see and discern what is in himself he comes to see and discern sin saith the Apostle 2 Cor. 4.6 God that commanded Light to shine out of Darkness hath shined into our hearts In the new Creation he doth cause a soul to see and discern its own unrighteousness and there where true righteousness is to be had the righteousness of Jesus Christ of which we may speak afterwards if the Lord please He shall first convince the World of sin and then of righteousness but the first Work is to create Light in the soul and such Light as to discover sin as Christ told Paul when he called him to preach the Gospel Acts 26.18 saith he I have sent thee to turn people from Darkness to Light That is the first Work commonly the Spirit doth in order to Conversion and Salvation to bring in a light into the soul to discover sin the soul was in darkness before and saw no great evil in sin but now there is a light brought in whereby the soul is made to see and discern sin and so is convinced of sin 2. It is the first Work of the Spirit in order to Conversion to convince the soul of sin because Till a Soul be convinced of sin it will never much heed the Gospel of Grace Alas the Gospel and the glorious Grace that is held forth in the Gospel is a very slighty thing to a carnal heart they make a light matter of it they do even mock at it as a very simple foolish thing as in Acts 17. When Paul was Preaching to the Athenians say they What will this Babler say v. 18. It is but a kind of babling So sometimes some of your learned Doctors have counted the preaching of the Gospel but prating and babling so v. 22. When they heard 〈…〉 the resurrection of the dead some mocked They made a slight matter of it and disregarded it but now when a soul comes to be convinced of sin then it will be ready to attend the Gospel the soul will then be ready to hear what God speaks in the Gospel See that example again Acts 2. You read there those that were converted by Peters Sermon at first they did not regard what the Apostles said say they These men are drunken with new wine and they talk they know not what but afterward they came to be of another mind when Peter had preached to them and the Spirit had gone along with him to convince them of sin then Men and Brethren what shall we do now we will hearken to you and hear any thing you will say to us I say upon this account it is the first work of the Spirit to convince the soul of sin because the soul makes but a slight matter of the grace of God in the Gospel till it be convinced of sin it will make but a mocking matter of it But when a soul comes to be convinced of sin by the holy Spirit of God then the Word of the Lord will be precious to him and then we will hear thy Words for they are sweet 3. And lastly The Spirit doth first convince the soul of sin in order to Conversion and Salvation Because till such time as a Soul be convinced of sin the Soul is not fit to be married to Christ There must be first a Divorce before there can be another marriage if a woman be to be married the second time she must not marry whilest her Husband lives without a Divorce so 't is in this case a Soul cannot truly be married to Christ till such time as it be dead to the law of sin The Apostle speaks very elegantly to this purpose Rom. 7.1 2. Know you not Brethren I speak to them that know the Law how the Law hath Dominion over a man so long as he liveth And so on And at the 4 v. he comes to make Application Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him that was raised from the dead You cannot be marryed to Christ till such time as you be clear from your first Husband and how come we to be divorced from the Law of sin but by conviction of sin when the Spirit of the Lord comes to convince of sin then there is a Divorce then the heart is taken off from sin Indeed as I told you before if the soul be not convinced by the Spirit he is not convinced of sin as sin but when the Spirit of the Lord comes and convinces a Soul of sin here is a Divorce and now the Soul is made fit to marry with Christ And so you have seen the Point opened Application Now one word or two by way of Application and I have done 1. Then Hereby we may come to discern or have a near scantling about our spiritual Estate whether we have had the Work of Conversion wrought in us or no. I shall speak but a Word to it and leave it to your further Consideration Consider whether the first step towards Conversion hath ever been set that is the Work of Conviction by the Spirit Hath the Lord by his Spirit ever convinced you of sin hath the Spirit come and brought sin unto you and set it home upon you hath the Spirit of the Lord so set home sin upon you that you have not been able to make any evasion for that as you heard is the nature of true Conviction and hath the Spirit so set home sin upon you that your heart came to be affected with it and afflicted for it that you are made to humble your selves before the Lord under the sense of sin Well have your souls ever been thus convinced of sin or no if not then you have not set the first step towards Conversion I pray mind it You will say yes I hope I have been convinced of sin I have had some sins so set home upon me that I could not deny it nor avoid it but my heart hath been greatly afflicted under it that I could not rest day nor night and I have been afraid I should
greater concernment If I were immediately to go out of the World and were to preach my last Farewel Sermon I know not what Truth to commend to you of more concernment than this of the Righteousness which the Spirit doth convince the world of in order to their Salvation Now that I may open it to you if the Lord please and the Lord open our hearts that we may understand it I shall only speak to these three things 1. To shew you in the general what we are to understand by Righteousness 2. To shew you more particularly what this Righteousness is which is the work of the Spirit to convince us of And 3. Shew you How or in what way usually the Spirit doth convince a Soul of Righteousness or what work the Spirit doth in a Soul in order to the convincing it of Righteousness I shall bound my discourse in speaking to these three particulars if the Lord please 1. Then What are we to understand by Righteousness in the general for that will make way for our understanding what this Righteousness is In the general then Righteousness is nothing else but a perfect exact conformity to the Law of God or to the revealed Will of God an exact conformity to it both in Heart and Life That is Righteousness in the general I say a perfect conformity to the whole Will of God revealed not only in the outward conversation but in the inward frame of the Heart and Soul You know when Adam was at first created when he came immediately out of the hands of God he was made perfectly righteous God made Man upright that is Righteous Well wherein did that Righteousness of Adam consist What was the Righteousness that Adam was created in It is said He was made in the Image of God Now wherein did the Image of God in Adam lye What only in the conformity of his outward actions to the Law and Will of God No alas that was the least part of the Image of God in Adam but Adam was made in the Image of God Upright and Righteous and Holy in his inward man especially in his Soul he was made exactly conformable to the Will of God in every thing that he required of him and therefore now when Adam did sin and fall he lost the Image of God he lost that Righteousness that was in his inward man and you see after his fall it is said That every imagination of the thought of mans heart were only evil and that continually Gen. 6.5 Not only every action that he did was evil no but the very thoughts of his heart the inward frame of his heart and spirit was only evil and that continually therefore on the contrary his Righteousness did consist in the conformity of his inward man to the Law and Will of God 1 John 3.7 8. saith the Apostle He that doth righteousness is righteous he that committeth sin is of the Devil but he that doth righteousness is righteous Every sin is a transgression of the Law so that now when a man or woman is exactly conformable to the whole Will of God not only in his outward conversation but also in his very thoughts and frame of his heart then he is said to be perfectly righteous this is perfect Righteousness For Brethren a man may possibly be outwardly conformable to the Letter of the Law and yet not be righteous in the account of the Holy Ghost as the Pharisees you know were very righteous in respect of the Letter of the Law Ay but saith Christ they are inwardly unrighteous and therefore he tells them They were like whited Sepulchres which appeare beautiful outwardly but inwardly are full of corruption and putrefaction therefore saith Christ Mat. 5.18 Except your Righteousness exceed the Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees you shall never enter into the Kingdom of Heaven They were very righteous and exact as to the Letter of the Law and therefore saith Paul when he was a Pharisee Touching the Righteousness of the Law blameless The Pharisees were exact as to the Letter of the Law but still they did not look to their inside to their heart there they were unrighteous so that by this you see what is meant by Righteousness in general It is to be perfectly and exactly conformable to the whole Will and Law of God revealed both in heart and life That in general 2. But Let us in the second place enquire a little more particularly What is this Righteousness here which Christ saith the Spirit shall convince the World of What Righteousness doth Christ here mean Brethren It cannot be meant of a man 's own Righteousness that the Spirit doth convince of for the Spirit doth rather convince men of their own Vnrighteousness therefore it cannot be a mans own Righteousness Therefore saith Paul I would not for all the world be found in mine own Righteousness Phil. 3.9 Neither is it that Righteousness which is called the Righteousness of the Law for that is still the same with a man 's own Righteousness which is when a man is obedient to the Letter of the Law as the Apostle speaks in that third of Philip. 9. And be found in him not having on my own Righteousness which is of the Law Well what Righteousness then is it which Christ here speaks of when he saith The Spirit shall convince the World of Righteousness What Righteousness is it In brief It is that Righteousness which is called the Righteousness of God in opposition to a mans own Righteousness The Righteousness of God as the Apostle speakes Rom. 10.3 And so in other places The Jews being ignorant of the Righteousness of God went about to establish their own Righteousness So that the one is set in opposition against the other A mans own Righteousness and God's Righteousness is contrary distinst and in opposition to one another The Righteousness of God is that Righteousness which God himself doth require in order to our salvation and it is that righteousness which God will accept of and no other righteousness for our salvation and this Righteousness is also called The Righteousness of Faith Rom. 10.16 So Rom. 9.30 He calleth it The Righteousness which is of Faith because it comes in in a way of faith and believing Question Now you will say Wherein lies the difference between the one Righteousness and the other That we may understand things as we go along Wherein lies the difference between that which is called our own Righteousness and the Righteousness of the Law and that which is called the Righteousness of God and the Righteousness of Faith What doth the Difference lye here namely that our own Righteousness or the Righteousness of the Law must be exactly conformable and agreeable to the whole Will and Law of God to a Tittle and the Righteousness of God not so No Brethren The Righteousness of Faith is an exact conformity to the Law of God to a tittle as well as the other What saith
personal righteousness of Jesus Christ Brethren this is the work of the Spirit of God to discover and reveal this to the Soul that God will accept of the righteousness of Christ on the behalf of poor sinners He was made sin for us that knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him 2 Cor. 5.21 Well this the Spirit of God doth discover and reveal to the Soul when he comes to convince it of righteousness Nay and let me add further concerning this righteousness namely the Spirit doth discover to the Soul the way whereby he may come to have an interest in this righteousness the Spirit doth discover that to the Soul namely that it is in a way of faith and believing and leaning and resting upon the righteousness of Christ that Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have everlasting life and Christ is the end of the Law for righteousness to every one that believeth Rom. 10.4 This is the work of the Spirit to discover this to the soul when he comes to deal with the soul to convince it of righteousness in order to salvation This is the second thing that the Spirit doth first it takes us off from our own righteousness and then it reveals and discovers to the Soul this righteousness of Christ what it is and which way it is to be attained But then 3. A third Work that the Spirit doth which is the upshot of all and that is this when the Spirit comes to convince a Soul of righteousness in order to salvation then The Spirit doth convince powerfully and effectually that is the Spirit comes powerfully and perswades the Soul to close with this righteousness This is to convince of righteousness in order to salvation so to convince as to perswade and prevail with the soul to venture to close with it this is the way whereby a Soul comes to have an interest in Christs righteousness by faith and believing on Christ and it is the work of the Spirit so to convince so powerfully so as to prevail with the Soul to give the venture Well I will venture my Soul upon it if I perish I perish I will venture my Soul upon this righteousness of Christ the Spirit secretly perswades the heart so as now the Soul is made to say with the Psalmist Psal 71.16 I will go in the strength of the Lord God I will make mention of thy righteousness even of thine only When the Spirit comes thus to convince effectually so as to perswade the Soul to venture to lean upon Christs righteousness only to be accepted of God to salvation then the soul doth make mention of Christs righteousness and that only well I will venture to rest upon that alone and then surely shall one say In the Lord have I righteousness and strength then the soul shall be made to say there 's all my righteousness I have none of my own that I dare venture on but I do now venture to lean the weight of my Soul upon this righteousness of Christ and if I perish I perish This is now the convincing work of the Spirit to convince of righteousness So now you have heard the point briefly opened namely That it is the Work of the Spirit in order to Salvation to convince the Soul of righteousness Now then briefly for the Application of it in a Word Application Here then we may come to understand whether or no the Spirit hath been at work upon our souls in order to salvation It is a great Question I suppose you will think it so when you come to ly upon your death-beds whether or no the Spirit of God hath been at work upon my heart in order to my salvation Well you see it is the work of the Spirit in order to Salvation to convince of sin and to convince of righteousness then consider I pray consider seriously between the Lord and your own souls and let us not willingly deceive our own souls Hath the Spirit of the Lord ever been thus at work upon my heart hath the Spirit ever come and convinced me of sin and of righteousness For if the Spirit of the Lord hath ever convinced you of sin in order to your Salvation it will go on also in the Work of Conviction to convince also of Righteousness Therefore I say I pray consider of it seriously Objection You will say Well I hope the Spirit of the Lord hath been at work upon my heart I hope I can say my heart hath been deeply troubled about my sin and I have gone and confessed my sin unto God and I have begged earnestly in prayer for the pardon of my sins Answer Well a man or a woman may do all this and yet come short of this convincing work of the Spirit which is in order to Salvation Therefore consider further I pray for as you heard the last time usually when the Spirit doth convince of sin in order to Salvation it convinceth the soul especially of unbelief and indeed till a Soul come to be convinced by the Spirit of the sin of unbelief his conviction of sin may be no argument to him that the Spirit hath been at work upon his heart in order to salvation Indeed when a soul comes to that discovery that the soul is convinced of the evil of unbelief then there is the greatest hopes that such a Soul is not like to miscarry for I am perswaded that the Spirit of the Lord never convinces a Soul of the evil of unbelief but it is in order to his salvation you shall never have a carnal heart to understand the evil of unbelief that is the work of the Spirit of God Now consider I pray hath the Lord discovered to you and convinced you of sin especially of the sin of unbelief Objection You will say possibly I hope the Spirit hath been at work upon my heart in order to salvation for I know thus much I am perswaded that without the righteousness of Christ I can never be saved I can never be saved by mine own righteousness I know that and I know that I must have the righteousness of Christ imputed to me by faith or I cannot be saved Answer But Brethren I pray consider of it for here may be only a meer notional knowledge a meer conviction in the notion only you may be convinced that this is a truth that there is no salvation but by Christ A man or woman may be convinced of this notionally he may have this knowledge in his head that the only way whereby I must attain to salvation must be by the righteousness of Christ by believing on Christ but I pray consider whether the Spirit of the Lord hath throughly convinced you of the righteousness of Christ Question You will say How shall I know that Answer Briefly by these two things 1. When the Spirit of the Lord doth convince a Soul of righteousness in order to Salvation it doth as you heard take a Soul
accepting of this his gracious promise I say it thy sins are forgiven thee relying upon him in the Faithfulness of his Word and Promise I say the Lord Jesus Christ hath forgiven thy sins and you may go home and record it for a Memorial that this day at such a time the Lord hath drawn out my soul to make a close with himself and now eternal life is come unto thee the Lord hath forgiven thy sins and now thou art passed from death to life Let me make the offer again unto such poor sinners as have held out all this time and have not laid hold upon this gracious invitation made by Jesus Christ that will yet venture the Lord perswading your hearts though possibly you have been enemies and opposers and possibly might come to oppose and catch and though never so far off and lost in your selves yet notwithstanding hearken to this invitation that if the Lord doth perswade your hearts to say solemnly and seriously Lord upon this Word of thy gracious Promise and Invitation I do now desire to trust and to venture upon thy Word and do expect the performance and accomplishment of thy Word that now it may be given out to thee that so you also might be brought in unto Christ to partake of this water of life Vse 1. A Word of Exhortation to you who are come to Christ Go away now even as the Virgin Mary and say My Soul doth magnifie the Lord and my Spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour for he hath regarded the low Estate of his poor creature It is said that the Eunuch went away rejoycing after that Philip was caught away by the Spirit and so hath every Believer cause to do Use 2. Another Word is That you would go unto God with a holy boldness as to your God and Father for such special mercies as you desire to have at the Lords hand Now as the Holy Ghost saith Seek the Lord while he may be found and draw nigh unto him while he is near The Lord is near to you do do you draw neer to him with a humble and holy boldness as to your God and Father and you may ask what you will and now beg that the Lord would establish his Work of Grace in your hearts and now ask for this and that mercy and for your relations even what you will In Gen. 17. Abraham falls down in a begging posture God having made a Covenant with him O Lord now that Ismael might live in thy sight so say I Go to God and desire some special mercy this day now while the Lord is nigh Use 3. You who are brought near unto God hath the Lord spoken to you Take heed that you do not stop your ear unto what God speaks and return again to folly Look that you do not walk as the Gentiles did in the vanity of your minds Eph. 4.17 Now you must take heed that you do not walk in the same vanities in your foolish pastimes in your vain conversations take heed you do not walk after the course of the World If the Lord hath taken you out of the World called you unto Christ you are now to walk in a diligent performance of all duties unto the Lord walk close with God in your particular Callings from the heart take heed that you walk exactly and inoffensively keeping a good Conscience Use 4. And lastly That still upon all occasions you would be coming to Christ We are not to content our selves with once coming unto Christ and there is an end but we must come daily even every day When you find your hearts out of frame when you are straitned and dead-hearted come to Christ even every day by vertue of this Promise through this Word leaning and resting upon Christ and O remember this blessed Word this blessed Word of the Lord Jesus Christ wherein he hath said If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink FINIS