which defile a man Which defilements unfits the soul for communion with God they make a filthy puddle in the Soul and what a case is a poor Creature in to come to God in Duty in such a pickle 5. Evil Thoughts do pervert the Heart from God which should be fixed upon him they draw away the strength of the heart from God they suck up the juice and marrow of the heart which should be spent in spiritual things in Jesus Christ 6. Such Thoughts do grieve the Spirit Nothing more the Spirit cannot delight to teach and comfort when the heart is mostly acted by foolish and unholy Thoughts 7. When such Thoughts are acted in the Soul God may leave you to the power of them to break out to some grievous fall and so may ship-wrack your peace and comforts for a great while and go with broken bones and it may cost you much bitterness before you are healed 8. If vain carnal Thoughts are not resisted at first but given way to they are hardly check't and subdued and turned upon other Objects and therefore to watch the first Risings of them Now not one of these Considerations but may make a Child of God to tremble how he lets forth his heart into vain carnal idle defiling thoughts and musings which do so much wast a gracious Spirit and lay him open to such woful dangers as these are To help a Child of God in this spiritual Work of looking to and a holy ordering the Thoughts of his Heart 1. Be deeply humbled to God with abhorring and loathing for Atheistical unclean proud vain foolish worldly thoughts that croud in upon you when you make them your Burden you will be the sooner eased 2. Delight thy self much in the Word of God not only in Publick Hearing but Daily Reading and not only Reading but getting some good word upon thy heart that may season thy thoughts and affections Saith David I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Psal 119.113 The love of the Word of God made him be so far from cherishing vain Thoughts that he did hate them It doth appear this was a special part of David's exercise of Spirit to get some blessed Word upon his heart and he thinking of it and so it did turn into the sweet and wholesom nourishment of the New-creature Oh how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Blessed and holy practice worthy a gracious Saint indeed you have one word especially that David had much on his heart out of the Books of Moses for we know not whether any other Scripture were then exant 't is that of Exod. 34.6 where the Lord saith he will proclaim his Name and Glory The Lord God merciful and gracious long-suffering abundant in goodness and truth which you have in Psalm 103.8 Psal 86.15 and 145.8 Happily one of those sweet words which he often magnifies How hath a single word dwelt upon the heart of a Child of God and hath kept the heart savoury for Christ 3. The next Remedy against such Thoughts is Much Prayer diligence fervency pouring out the heart to God till the heart melts and runs forth sweetly spiritually and is engaged with God and hath a sight of him and a divine impression of God's Majesty left upon the soul 4. Get more and more brokenness of heart for sin when the Heart hath been broken 't will not so easily get into Vanity again At least a Child of God should take care that it should not when the heart is broken and mourning the Spirit doth wonderfully in that work refine the heart All the sleightness vanity defilement distraction that comes upon the New-Creature is mostly for want of this 5. Mortification of that Corruption that is most apt to stir doth much cure our thoughts Inordinate Affections are the Saints greatest Evils and do bespeak an unmortified heart as to what a Child of God should still be pressing after even to be dead and crucified with Christ Those that are Christs have crucified their Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.22 6. Contending for a Spiritual Heart So far as the Heart is spiritual it acts spiritually 'T is the carnality of Heart that works up all those frothy distempers that defile us Paul's corruption was much let out upon him when he cries out of the carnality of his Heart Rom. 7. which should be the daily complaint of God's poor Children 7. A great help to the preserving the Thoughts of the Heart according to the New-Creature will be to consider How precious the thoughts of God are to his people Psal 139.17 How precious also are thy thoughts O God unto me How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number than the sands c. David in v. 2. was considering how God's Eye was upon his Thoughts and 't was a means to rectifie them and then David's Thoughts run forth in the sweet and blessed apprehension of the preciousness of Gods thoughts in him from all Eternity and in the ways of his Covenant towards him If Gods thoughts to us be holy and precious and ever towards us the thoughts of his Servants should be so also and as little common and unsavoury as may be More particularly let us yet consider what blessed and excellent and glorious things such as are New-Creatures in Christ have to exercise their thoughts about 1. Gracious Souls have the Attributes of God to exercise the thoughts of their Hearts in the Infiniteness of God his Greatness Holiness Glory c. A blessed Exercise for Saints indeed So we find the Scripture-Saints sweetly taken up with contemplation and admiration of the Excellencies of God himself Thou art glorious in Holiness Exod. 15.11 saith Moses But Thou art holy saith David Psal 22. Oh how great is thy Goodness Psalm 8.31 as might be abundantly shewed and the exercise of the thoughts this way hath a powerful influence upon the Heart as to its abasement purity sincerity 2. Saints have the riches and freeness of the grace of God in Jesus Christ towards poor sinners to be taken up withal Oh the free rich distinguishing Grace of God to a poor Creature that was posting to Hell that was a Rebellious Wretch a vile Hypocrite the worst of sinners the most unlikely to be converted of any sinner in the world We have David and Paul's hearts swallowed up in this above any other as David in many Psalms is in the admiration of grace and Paul in most of his Epistles makes it his great scope as the great Argument to be not only believing but humble and holy and heavenly all their days especially Col. 1. and Ephes 1st 2d and 3d. Chapters 3. Saints have the unsearchable Riches of Jesus Christ to take up their thoughts with the Excellencies and Dignities of his Person the Beauty and Glory that is in him the depths of his love the matchless price of his blood his bowels to sinners his care of his Churches Oh
resolved to pursue effectually the compassing of this so great a blessing of getting thy soul in a pardoned estate Do but weigh with me the matchless blessedness of such a condition and methinks thy heart should not but be taken with it 1. The first is Peace with God Jesus Christ having made Peace Rom. 5.1 Col. 1.20 2. Consider Pardoned souls become the dear Children of God see Eph. 1.5 c. Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his Will to the praise of the glory of his Grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgiveness of sins c. The glorious grace of Adoption comes in upon the forgiveness of sins therefore Chap. 5.1 the Apostle further hints this so blessed a priviledge Be ye followers of God as dear Children and Gal. 4.5 the Apostle gives it out as the great and blessed fruit of Redemption that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Oh! to be translated from being amongst the children of wrath to be numbered among the dear Children of God to come under the protection care tender love of God as a Father What soul would not be restless till he attain unto it 3. Pardoned souls have access to God Eph. 2.18 12. In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need This is the blessedness of pardoned souls they have free access to God as a Child to a Father to speak and plead with the Lord As soon as ever they come before the Lord they are admitted into his presence and God's eye and ear is towards them and they have their requests either in kind or a better thing given to them This is another inestimable good of blessed pardoned souls 4. As they are Gods dear Children and have free access to him so when once he hath freely and fully pardoned them he loves them with an infinite unmixt unchangeable Love Behold what manner of love is this c. 1 John 3.1 The Lord doth freely let out love full love to his pardoned ones as if they had never sinned because he never looks upon them out of Christ when God takes a poor sinner to himself he doth not barely and meerly pardon him and save him from wrath and no more as earthly Princes pardon many whom they love not but God sets his Love upon them as it can never enter into his heart to hate them He that loveth me saith Christ shall be loved of my Father Joh. 14.21 And if God afflict them 't is to make them better more like unto himself to bestow more grace upon them Heb. 12.10 and Gods Love to his blessed children is like himself infinite unmixt everlasting This is another infinite blessing of pardoned souls to be thus loved by their God 5. Pardoned souls are brought into a justified state from which they shall never fall Thus runs the tenour of the new Covenant the bottom of all this blessedness I will remember their sins no more Heb. 8.12 No more Words of a sweet and blessed sound to whom they are spoken by the Holy Ghost that when poor souls that have come to Jesus Christ in a Gospel way for pardon and have pleaded and taken hold of promises of grace for that end and yet sometimes unbelief is stirring Oh! will not God one time or other call back to remembrance all my former iniquities and charge them upon me No saith the Lord it shall never enter into my heart I will remember them No More Blessed words and blest condition indeed Ah! who would be without it 6. Pardoned souls shall be kept in the hand of the Lord in all their ways 1 Pet. 1.5 His Love Fear Laws Power Spirit shall be in their hearts that they shall not fall from him Jer. 82.40 And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me He preserveth the souls of his Saints he keepeth the feet of his Saints Psal 97.10 1 Sam. 2.9 for their good Rom. 1.28 And if they fall the Lord humbles them heals them takes them up again puts new strength into them and his kindness must not depart from them c. 7. Pardoned souls are Gods Heirs Gal. 4.7 Rom. 8.15 c. Heirs of God through Christ and joynt-heirs with Christ Heirs of all his Promises of an incorruptible inheritance that never fadeth away reserved in Heaven for them 1 Pet. 1.9 Though the Lord give them no inheritance of earthly possessions yet they are his special Heirs of the heavenly inheritance Not the poorest believer in the world but may say with a heart full of blessed and humble rejoycing Though I am worthless in my self and am so accounted in the world yet through infinite grace I am one of the richest Heirs in the world a Co-heir with Christ of an exeeeding eternal weight of glory Vse 1. If such and more than is or can be named be the blessedness of pardoned souls Ah! what poor secure sinner that must also be everlastingly damned without it would miss of it Say sinner instead of being cursed hated damned and that for ever for as is mercy and love to pardoned ones so is to such as miss of it for ever I say instead of that which any heart but what is plagued with hardness would melt and tremble at to become a dear child of God and have free access to God be loved of God for ever justified no sin for ever remembred against thee every thing befall thee for good and be an Heir of God and be even as blessed as God can make thee and that for ever Ah! where 's the sinner that would be without this Who would slight that word of the Lord that would teach you and lead you to this blessedness Who would despise or neglect the day of grace now while within the reach of it who would run a dreadful hazard of being given up of God if you thus trifle with Gospel-salvation Ah! the good Lord pity you that do thus you are fit to be mourned over had we hearts to do it with tears of blood Yet once more Awake awake you careless ones before your bodies drop into the grave and souls into hell Oh! do not do not take pleasure in soul-murder do not put off the one only main necessary work and leave it undone till it may be impossible to have it done Tell me in good earnest canst thou well be without the pardon of thy sins here and for ever Soul thou may'st well enough be without much Land and much Money and many great friends and yet be well exceeding well contented nay better if
Reprobate living Remember the same Paul that thought himself a blameless man Philip. 3.6 afterwards cries out of exceeding sinfulness Rom. 7.13 yea the greatest the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 But I hope to meet with thee and with thy conscience as to this conviction more hereafter The next inquiry will be when a poor soul may be said to be under such a discovery of the greatness of sin as may lead him to get pardon through Jesus Christ 1. One discovery I have named already which is such a soul doth not go about to lessen his sin but greeaten it to his greater abasement 't is his fear he doth not see his sins great enough to lay him low enough before the Lord. 2. When such a sight and discovery of sin it begets trouble upon the spirit In Psal 28. you have David under a great discovery of sin and he cries out there is no rest in my bones because of my sin I am troubled I am bowed down I go mourning all the day such a trouble that will not admit of peace and healing but from Jesus Christ till it can take hold of Jesus Christ in a promise of Grace and Pardon and come to him and close with him to be justified and Sanctified by him and in him as I am at large to shew if God will I speak this because there is a trouble for sin that often ends in a more dangerous peace Many poor creatures have for a time been troubled for sin and they have made one shift or other to quiet themselves it may be leave their sins and do a little something more but never come in a Gospel-way to Christ which I am also through grace to evidence in the discovery of a false Conversion However so it is that every soul that is unbottomed from a false peace a peace in sin or resting in his duties he comes under trouble more or less in and for his sin as he gets to pardon 3. God smites a soul for some special particular sin Jer. 3.13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy ways under every green tree c. General acknowledgment of Sins comes to nothing 't is the note of a Hypocrite but particular Sins lying upon the soul speak forth spiritual convictions when joyned I mean with other workings of heart we are now setting forth So Christ dealt with the woman of Samaria Joh. 4.16.29 Found her at and smote her in her particular Sin 4. As God smites so the sinner is in particular confession before the Lord loads his heart with Sin till it breaks Object But who will not confess himself a Sinner you will say Answ Truly few in a Scripture saving sense A word or two more to this That confession of sin before the Lord is a duty and such as hath the promise of forgiveness of Sin such places of Scripture will clear Psal 32. I acknowledge my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins 1 John 1.9 This being a duty to which so blessed promises are annexed 't is of much concernment to souls that are very serious about forgiveness to have it stated aright according to Scripture and saving Experience There is a confession of sin that doth not entitle to the promise which a hypocrite may reach to so Pharaoh Exod. 9.27 I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked here 's confession but no pardon so Judas Matth. 27.3 4. I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood so Saul 1 Sam. 15.29 I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandment of the Lord Here are verbal inforced confessions when the hand of God was upon them and yet did not end in mercy The confession of a Hypocrite proceeds only from judgment felt or feared but that which is sincere and ends in mercy and pardon goes upon better grounds 1. As first Confession that hath the promise of pardon is accompanied with hatred of sin So in that blessed draught of the New Covenant Ezek. 36. I will save you from your uncleannesses c. verse 29. and verse 31. Then shall you remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for you abominations Then when God comes in a way of mercy and pardon then God will make them remember their wickednesses that they had even forgotten and had thought that God had forgotten them also They thought they were good ways before but now the Lord shews them they were not good and they loath themselves Sin is not only a terror but a loathsom thing to them hateful to the soul that is under this conviction 2. Whence secondly Saving confession respects the pollution of sin They shall loath themselves c. That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee In that 38th Psal David is in self-loathing this doth arise as presently I shall shew from a glimpse of Gods holiness which I humbly conceive no reprobate in the World doth reach to to loath sin because it makes him an unholy Creature 3. It follows therefore that such confession follows sin to the root to the fountain there sees it most abominable odious infinite So David Psal 51.5 I was shapen in iniquity c. A Hypocrites confession ends in outward gross sins from terror only and reacheth not to heart-sin pollution of nature and if he can reach to reform such outward gross sins he hath done as he thinks the utmost but never comes to loath and so to mortifie through the spirit sin at the root But sincere souls touched by the Holy Ghost with a saving sense of sin do drive sin home to its original to its root in the universal corruption of heart and nature and there the severest edge and indignation against it is let forth 4. Brokenness of heart for sin is an effect of such confession Psal 51.17 Isa 61.1 57.15 And this ariseth upon sense of Gods patience goodness love as hatred of the pollution of sin ariseth from a sight of Gods Holiness Pharaoh crys out he had sinned when he smarted with punishment but was still under the plague of his hard heart Ex. 9.27 34. There is indeed a kind of brokenness that the hammerings of terrour by punishments or by the Word may work which may a little wear and rough-hew the heart and yet go no further but yet leave the heart under its natural hardness but now that which is the Spirits saving work kindly melts
pitty for my own holy Name ver 21. Thus saith the Lord God I do not this for your sakes but for mine holy Names sake ver 22. I will sanctifie my great Name ver 23. And when the Lord had shewed what he would do for the poor Jews in special and so for all Sinners taken into Covenant with him that he would sprinkle clean water upon them cleanse them from their Sins give them a new heart put his Spirit upon them write his Laws in their hearts and so take them to be his people he again concludes with the same ground as before that all this was still for his own Name ver 32. Not for your sakes I do this be it known unto you c. And yet that he would as certainly and fully do it as if all the engagements from man in the world had been upon him as undoubtedly make good every part and article of the Covenant he adds ver 36. I the Lord have spoken it and I will do it you may safely abide by it Neither should his grace and power come hardly from him as poor doubting souls surmise as if 't were as much as ever the Lord could do to give out mercy and grace to poor Sinners but saith the blessed God in another place upon the same account having given out the promises of Grace in the New Covenant Jer. 32.37 and so on He subjoyns I will do it with my whole heart and my whole soul mark it poor souls with my whole soul will I pardon you love you never turn away from you to do you good and never suffer you to turn away from me If poor souls for whose sake I put it should here ask what is this Covenant what do you mean by it only a word here God at first when he made man agreed with man to be his God to give him life for ever upon these terms that man would keep the Law that God gave him and 't was a Law that would have given all glory to the Creator preserved the creature in a holy and blessed order and been a blessing to the whole Creation but man transgressing here the blessed God from his own good pleasure for his names sake gives out another Covenant provides in it terms of reconciliation for the first breach of the first Covenant sends his eternal blessed Son Jesus Christ to be a mediator of this new Covenant gives him commission to offer it to all and that freely and to let the World know that if any Sinner in the World never so great come and put up his plea make his claim enter his claim accept of this Covenant and new agreement with God accept of the terms of it give up himself mutually to God back again then will God be his God and that upon better terms than before with Adam pardon own love bless unite to himself never suffer him to fall mercy built upon an unmoveable foundation The foundation of God standeth sure 2 Tim. 2.19 This briefly is the meaning of the New Covenant upon which all our mercy is built now from first to last from the first to the top-stone of it from Election to Glory all is done and made good for the Lords own glorious Names sake Souls elected the Covenant transacted between God and Christ Jesus Christ sent the Sinner called forgiven justified sanctified adopted kept glorified All for his Names sake See the promises running thus in most places Isa 43.25 I even I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions Why for my own sake Purge away our sins for thy Names sake Psal 79.9 This is the bottom of all This name he hath revealed in Jesus Christ Exod. 23.21 Now because the further clearing of this blessed truth is my design through Grace in the next discourse I shall speak but a word more by the way of use only Vse 1. If it be thus that whatever God gives out to poor souls is for his own Names sake that this is the plea a poor Sinner hath let it then be for your information and instruction that you have no other plea to be heard in Heaven but this the plea of Jesus Christ being upon the same bottom Don't make a sorry pile of carnal duties and works and say for the sake of these Lord do me good and pardon where I have failed the Lord may send fire from Heaven to consume thee and them because of their pollution and that 't is a cursed offering but never hear thee and bless thee upon such a plea No no say in thy soul and that from full conviction If ever I have any thing from God on this side Hell it must be for his own Names sake I expect I plead I wait upon no other ground Vse 2. If the Lord's Names sake be the only plea for grace then let poor Sinners drawing near to God by Jesus Christ be perswaded that 't is a good plea and most acceptable before the Lord. Now this is the way of the heart of poor creatures from rooted self-self-love and pride we think if God could give out good unto us for our sakes it were something if there were any thing to be beheld in us that were commendable to the Lord I could go with some confidence but seeing 't is thus that I am nothing else but vile before him how can I go to him with what face or how can he give out unto me Sinner be as low as thou wilt or canst but reason not so with thy self If God can as freely as fully do thee good all good for his own Names sake and hath thereby the more glory by it why shouldest thou so stand upon thy terms with God and not be as willing as contented to accept of Mercy all mercy for Gods own Names sake as well as for thy sake 'T is thy pride be it known unto thee Sinner as thou thinkest thou art and not thy lowliness know for thy comfort God can more readily easily do thy soul good upon the terms he now is for his own sake and so the thing be done thy soul pardoned blessed saved and all shall end in everlasting love upon thee let the Lord have all the Glory though thou hast nothing to boast of for thy own sake And yet also know that when the Lord saith he doth it for his own sake he doth not exclude that he hath no respect and love unto thee but that the great and highest motive with God was and is his own Name his own glorious grace why he ever had a thought of good to an undone creature that there was no motive in the creature unless misery which is no glory but all is done given estated upon souls undone poor Sinners freely for his own sake 3. Let it exhort souls to make use of this plea therefore and that with great though humble confidence It never failed poor Souls since the world was that made use of it when they were low and helpless and eyed
vilest sinner in order to my acceptance with Jesus Christ Nay if this Conviction take upon thee thou wilt say to the glory of God and thy own Confusion If there be any difference 't is that thou art the greatest sinner having mock'd the Lord rested in out-side service dealt hypocritically with the jealous God offered him abominable sacrifice and therefore fit to be abhorred of the Lord for ever Oh! that this might be the posture of thy Soul and so thou may'st come and lye prostrate at the feet of Jesus Christ crying Oh! no more no more a righteous person but a sinner a guilty sinner a condemned sinner a poor blind naked sinner nothing else but a sinner Away with all my former confidences tear them from my heart Lord. Now Lord Jesus I cast my self upon thee Oh! let me creep unto thy blessed feet Oh! I come to thee not because I am righteous for I would abhor my self for ever in the thought of it but as a poor perishing sinner the worst of sinners an hypocritical sinner Oh! that I could take hold of thy righteousness to cover my naked Soul I expect it only upon the account of thy Free-Grace Oh Lord I come unto thee do not do not reject me And thus I have been endeavouring to lay the sinner before Jesus Christ in such a posture having proved him under the Law excuseless in his transgressing of it guilty before God under an impossibility of reaching to an acceptance with God by the best keeping of the Law laboured to beat him off such props and confidences that the Heart naturally cleaves to and stript him of all naked as Adam when he had sinned before the Lord as nothing else but a Sinner which is that I have driven at I now come to speak of the way of a poor Souls justification and acceptance with God by Jesus Christ as the Lord shall assist to the capacity of the weakest ROM 3.24 Being justified freely by his Grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ c. I Am now come to open the Gospel-righteousness wherein a poor sinner finds acceptance with God which in ver 21. of this third of the Romans is said to be now manifested that is more fully manifested by the Revelation of Jesus Christ in the Gospel being witnessed before by the Law and the Prophets Even the righteousness of God which is by the Faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe ver 22. called the righteousness of God namely that whereby God doth only justifie and accept of a Sinner wrought forth by the obedience of Jesus Christ and made over and imputed to a poor Soul that doth embrace it by Faith whether Jew or Gentile outwardly righteous or profane All that ever come to God must come this way and stand before him in this Righteousness or perish for ever which I shall begin to open from ver 24 25. 1. Being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Cheist 2. Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through Faith in his blood c. We have endeavoured in the former Discourse to go along with the Apostle in proving that by all the Deeds of the Law all the best Obedience that a sinner can reach unto he cannot be justified before God neither in part nor in whole that your good deeds will not procure pardon nor poise down your sins but all by the Law equally under condemnation Of what importance then is it for poor condemned souls to be well acquainted with and really and practically invested in that way of justification that God in infinite wisdom mercy and love hath set forth in the Gospel which is that I now design The Apostles arguing is thus If all fall short of righteousness and acceptance with God by their own obedience if all have sinned and come short of the glory of God then are all and that equally condemned If so condemned then acceptance with God and justification and remission of sins must come in another way The Rise and Fountain of which must necessarily be Gods free mercy and grace If made righteous it must be in the righteousness of another wrought forth by another Justice must be satisfied by another a price paid to God for a sinners redemption by another which is Jesus Christ blessed for ever From the words then I shall first lay down this plain Observation viz. Observ Gods free mercy and grace is the first Fountain of any sinners salvation or 'T is upon the account of Gods free grace that any sinner is saved Thus runs the current of the whole Gospel the main design of the Gospel being to glorifie the riches of Gods Free-grace by Jesus Christ Among many other Scriptures the Apostle doth most convincingly discourse in Rom. 5. from the 15th to the end setting the Free-grace of God unto Justification in opposition to a sinners condemnation But not as the offence so also is the free gift for if through the offence of one many be dead much more the grace of God and the gift by grace which is by one man Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many To the same import runs the rest of the verses The free gift of many unto Justification much more they which receive abundance of grace and the gift of Righteousness shall reign in life by one Jesus Christ All of Grace and of Free-gift abundance of Grace from first to last That as sin reigned unto death so might Grace reign through Righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord verse last So the Apostle in that Epistle to the Ephesians wherein the Doctrine of Grace is blessedly given forth drives all the spiritual blessings in heavenly things in Christ mentioned Chap. 1.3 c. to this blessed Fountain Chap. 2.4 c. But God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ for by Grace ye are saved so verse 7. That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his Grace and ver 8. For by grace ye are saved it is the gift of God Therefore the invitation of the Gospel to sinners runs upon this score Ho Every one that thirsteth come to the Waters of Life Isa 55.1 And Whosoever will let him come to the Water of life freely Revel 22.17 I might illustrate this in all the particulars of a sinners salvation God's fore-ordaining and choosing any to salvation 't was to the praise of the glory of his grace Eph. 1 5 6. The gift of his Eternal Son Jesus Christ from free love and grace John 3.16 The New Covenant and all the Promises of it freely given out for his own Names sake Ezek. 36. Effectual Calling from free grace 2 Tim. 1.9 The gift of Faith actual Justification Tit. 3.7 Sanctification Perseverance Eternal Life and Glory all flowing from the same fountain of Free-grace Some
it by fulfilling it whereby the righteousness of the Law is fufilled upon us Rom. 8.4 Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law and kept it and so makes over the righteousness of it to Believers as hath been shewed and so the Law stands establisht Secondly The Law stands establisht as a means through the Spirit to convince of sin and of our shortness of the righteousness of it as ver 20. And so Christ often made use of it for such ends Thirdly The Law stands establisht as an Everlasting Rule of righteousness and holiness promised in the New Covenant to be written in the Heart Heb. 8. So that through Jesus Christ in justifying by his blood hath quit the sinner from all guilt and condemnation by the Law yet he hath not given the Believer a discharge from all obedience of it And therefore to evince this I shall lay down this Position that Observ Though all a Believer hath done or can do cannot justifie him before God yet there are other blessed ends why he should obey God and delight in his Law 1. Obedience to God is placed as the great End of our redemption Luke 1.74 75. That we might serve him without fear a sear of bondage in holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life God hath not only in his purpose the remission and salvation of the Sinner but that thereby he would have all that are called into this grace to serve him in Holiness And this end is to be upon the heart of the Believer when justified by Faith The purpose of God in this is that I should serve him in holiness 1 Tim. 1.9 That I should live to God Rom. 6.11 as hath been shewed 2. From the Sovereign Command of God who saith Be ye holy 1 Pet. 1.15 16. This is enough to a Believer that God hath commanded it though there should be no other end in it 3. Holiness and Righteousness is the Soul's conformity unto God it is a Beam of God an Image of God which he designs to be renewed upon all that shall be saved as shall be further shewed 4. Justified Believers do see an equity goodness and blessedness in the Law of God in all his holy and righteous Precepts though they were not commanded The Law is holy just and good Rom. 7. saith Paul speaking after the regenerate part So David Psal 119. often Thy Commandmeats which I have loved They give God his due and the Creature his due and therefore to be walkt in though not thereby justified 5. There is a principle of love to God shed abroad in the heart of every justified Believer from the sense of his rich pardoning grace the freeness of his love which acts and constrains a Soul to take delight so far as it is regenerated in every Command of God Rom. 5.5 2 Cor. 5.14 15. For the Love of Christ constraineth us because we thus judge that if one died for all then were all dead and that he died for all that they which live should not live to themselves but to him that died for them 6. Called and justified Believers have blessed sights of Jesus Christ that wonderfully take their hearts They have glimpses of the Beauty of his Holiness and would therefore be made like unto him 1 John 3.2 3. They would obey the Will of the Father as Jesus Christ did They would be holy and righteous and wise and patient and Heavenly as Jesus Christ was 7. Believers in the way of their Duty and Obedience have blessed Fellowship and Communion with God Saith God of his Ordinances Exod. 25.22 There will I meet thee and commune with thee And Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my Name there will I come unto thee and bless thee They are everlasting Promises to all the ways of obedience wherein the people of God do walk before him in They pray they read hear they partake of the Supper in Christs way and there they have life and blessing to their Souls and many a sweet intimation of love and mercy they have whispered into them they set themselves to walk with God in his fear and counsel and God walks with them and their lives if they keep close to God are sweet and comfortable to them And this is even as much to them as if they were thereby justified They would not miss the sweetness they meet with in such ways of Duty for all the World 8. By their Sanctification and Obedience their justification is comfortably evidenced to them Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sin unto Death or of obedience unto Righteousness And Ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him 1 John 2.29 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren So that no doubt Believers may come to a sweet and blessed Evidence of their good estate and of their justification by the work of Sanctification in them and their willing obedience to God though a Believer doth not always and at all times fetch in his evidence of Believing and of comfort this way but sometimes from the Promise and from the more immediate Testimony of the Spirit But though a Believer doth not and it may be cannot always fetch in his consolation and peace from Sanctification and Obedience Yet that soul that wholly neglects it and slights Evidences from Humiliation Sanctification and Obedience had best timely look to it that the Witness in himself he pretends to be not from imagination of his own heart from the wicked ones delusion and from some overly notions of grace that may affect his heart but leave him on this side Regeneration 9. Believers do perform their Duties as returns to God Every called Believer saith in his heart as David Psal 116.12 Oh! What shall I render to thee How gracious hath God been and now how holy should I be Who shall love the Lord and fear before him and praise him If I shall not To whom shall his Name Laws Ordinances be precious if not unto me Who is more bound to love the blessed God than I and how shall I love him but by obeying him Thus doth a Believer perform his obedience as a Testimony of a thankful return to God though I do not say that this is all his motive 10. By the Obedience and Holiness of Believers God is much glorified in the World 't is the greatest glory that God designs to himself in the World even by the holiness and willing gracious obedience of his people to him When the World lies in wickedness and makes war against the great and Holy God this is that which honours God that he hath a people called by his grace that set forth the glory of holiness in the world that are witnesses to the holiness of God the holiness of his Worship and all his ways and profess and endeavour to walk
from natural temper can bear much and it hath an appearance of of grace but yet here may be no work of the Spirit all this while humbling meekning the soul in its own vileness no mortification of contrary lusts no humbling for pride of heart without which no true gracious humility no meekning by the Gospel and the power of Christs love upon their Spirits and yet upon this account you shall have poor carnal souls pretend much as I have often heard it urged by them to the fruits of the Spirit mention'd Gal. 5.22 of love joy peace goodness patience temperance when t is nothing but disposition ingenuity or from civil education 10. As great a deceit there is about the fear of God many poor souls do fear the punishment and wrath of God which is all they do and then they think this is the fear of his Servant the fear of the Lord which God promiseth to put into the hearts of his own people Jer. 32.40 is a fear of God because he is holy because he is gracious because he hath pardoned iniquity They shall fear the Lord and his goodness Hos 3. last which fear is mixt with a sweet and blessed love to God and consolation of the Spirit at least a waiting for it 11. A misapprehension of good works causeth a mistake of the New-Creature many are convinc'd that works of Mercy and Charity and Justice are to be done and so from a pittiful nature or from vain-glory or from a secret thought to appeâ—se God or from Legal conviction at least they will be ready to do Charitable works things good in themselves and this they think discovers their Faith And herein lies a common deceit in the vulgar professors of the people of England Now all the good works falsly so called done out of Christ are fleshly and not accepted with God A Papist and many a carnal Protestant even also for the sin of his soul doth much this way but good works properly so called do flow from a living Faith from love to Jesus Christ and design not a self-justification but the glory of God And gracious Souls do find it very hard to perform them with holy ends 12. Mistake of a good conversation which may only be a moral conversation civil sober righteous as to Men but minds not Holiness to God which is the special part of a Gospel-Conversation And yet the most of people go away with this that they are believers and in a good state for Heaven because they have a good conversation which they greatly mistake That which the word of God calls a good conversation as an evidence of Faith is not only a meer outward blamelesness which the Pharisees had but to walk with God from a Gospel-principle from Gospel Grace and the love of God in the heart chiefly respecting holiness to the Lord and the fear of the Lord upon the heart now a soul that hath nothing of this may be outwardly blameless a Jew and Heathen may be so and nothing of the grace of God upon them Vse Now the Lord make this to be a convincing searching Word to you you that have left some gross sins from the word upon your consciences from afflictions from worldly advantages from age be it known unto you this you may do and more and be still the Children of Wrath in an unpardoned condition and not the New-Creatures we are speaking of yea though thou hast taken up to New-duties and makest conscience of many sins and many duties thou may'st still be out of Jesus Christ And you that call your daily sins which have dominion over you your infirmities when not humbled nor mourn for them nor cry for strength against them this your way is your folly and the Devil and your own hearts greatly deceive you yea you call such sins your infirmites meaning as if they were the infirmities of the children of God that cannot consist with truth of grace such as common lying and common prophaning the Lords Name in your mouths and neglecting to sanctifie his Sabbaths and living in the neglect of secret spiritual Prayer And such of you that have some striving in you consciences before and after the sin know it iâ— may be so and yet not a drop of saving grace in you no regenerate part wrought forth in you and yet how many bear up themselves upon this score and think thence they allow not themselves in the sins they commit in Paul's sense look to this or you may for ever perish in this snare I have given some marks how you may know it Take you heed also that you take not that which is called Common-Grace which is common to Reprobates for true grace There 's a false Faith a false Repentance a false Hope and so of the rest in which you may assuredly go to Hell you may have a harmless conversation and do some good works of Charity and yet perish for ever you may have nothing of the New-Creature in you and yet give all your goods to the poor In a word you may leave outward gross sins have convictions of wrath to come have purposes such as they are to be better take up to New Duties have common grace think you have Faith Repentance hope that you are humble patient have a good conversation and do good works and yet not be New-creatures in Jesus Christ as we shall further evince I have yet one more deceit to discover and that is the Mistake of a Scripture good conscience It is true that the Apostle in 1 Tim. 1.5 19. puts Faith and a good conscience as the great comprehensive Duties but there is not any one thing more mistaken than what this good conscience is too many Preachers press this carnally and carnal people go away with it that they have Faith yea they never doubt it and for a good conscience they discharge it I have spoken of Faith already but now that which such poor seduced souls take to be a good Conscience is only to wrong no body to be just to all not to purloin others goods to take and keep nothing but their own they take it to be chiefly conversant about the duties of the second Table concerning their Neighbour a little to rectifie this soul-damning mistake 1. A Scripture Conscience is an Enlightned Conscience which before was shut up in darkness Eph. 1.18 The light of the Word of God is set up in the conscience whereby it discovers those truths in their power and worth which before it was dark unto 2. A good Conscience is a Conscience searcht by the power of the Word convinc'd to be under sin and guilt and pollution whereby trouble doth arise in it God laying in the weight of guilt the damnableness of sin the pollution of it upon the Conscience so that the soul cries out what shall I do How shall God be pacified and the soul saved 3. And hence it is an awakened Conscience which before was asleep Awake thou
that sleepest Ephes 5. The voice of the Spirit doth awake that Conscience that before was asleep in sinful security 4. A good Conscience is convinced that all the keepings of the Law and keeping a Conscience to men cannot justifie the soul before God cannot commend it to God which a Second Table-Conscience imagines it will and so in peace Paul kept a Conscience as to many things Acts 23.1 I have lived in all good Conscience before God unto this day meaning I conceive from his youth up when he was a Pharisee but when his Conscience was convinced and awakened and came to see Jesus Christ he saw that all his keeping a Conscience as to many sins and Duties could not in the least commend him to God A good Conscience is sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself to God purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 So that this is the efficacy of the blood of Jesus Christ upon the Conscience of a Believer it pacifies it in the sense of the forgiveness of sins towards God so as it can draw near to God and it purgeth it from dead works sin and pollution to serve God acceptably This is a good Conscience indeed 6. A good Conscience respects all the Precepts of God as well of Holiness to God as Goodness to Men which the Conscience we have been speaking of doth not Such a one makes not conscience of this great and absolute Precept Be ye holy 1 Pet. 1. It makes not conscience of purging the heart of secret mourning to God of the purity of God's Worship It makes no Conscience of lesser sins as we have shewed not of all sin as Herod heard the Word gladly but made no conscience of persecuting John to death when he stood in the way of his Lusts Now I say a good Conscience respects Precepts of Holiness secret as well as publick Duties inward as well as outward Sins lesser sins as well as greater 7. A Scripture good Conscience is much taken up about godly sincerity So Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the Testimony of our Conscience that with simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly wisdom but with the grace of God we have had our Conversation in the world c. Thus a soul that walks with a good Conscience towards God labours to approve it self in all things with a godly sincerity to do all as unto God Lastly a good Conscience labours to keep it self pure and undefiled it is accompanied with a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the Commandment is love out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned A Soul that would keep the Conscience good would keep it pure and the whole inward man pure as a Temple unto God Vse Now see how many ingredients go to make up a good Conscience in a Scripttre-sense and what a great mistake is in this weighty matter and how far abundance of people that make conscience of their dealings with men conclude thence they have a Scripture-good-Conscience to God when they are not savingly enlightned their Conscience never search'd by the power of the Word and throughly awakened out of a natural condition never humbled for resting in themselves and their Duties not having their Conscience sprinkled with the blood of Jesus Christ and purged thereby not having a tender respect to all the Precepts of God not to walk before him in godly sincerity nor with a pure heart You then that are short of these things you are wholly to seek in that which you so much pretend to and speak peace to your selves in the having or keeping a good Conscience you have as yet no part in this matter 2. What hath been spoken of a good Cnnscience may be for instruction and direction to the Called Ones of Christ how to preserve the Conscience good and peaceable and so to live and dye in the peace and comfort of it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Get it sprinkled with the Blood of Jesus Christ every day and under the searching of the Word and awake unto God and pure and undefiled respecting all the Holy Precepts of God as binding to your conscience so will the conscience be tender and peaceable and God will witness in your conences your acceptance with him in his Son Jesus Christ I would give out further some Notes of Tryal Whether you rest in false common grace or not as to what we have already spoken in so weighty a matter 1. By your never suspecting the truth of your grace but taking all upon trust never doubting but you have Faith and do repent and so of all the rest that soul that never suspected his grace may well fear that his pretended grace is no more than what a Hypocrite may reach unto The poor called children of God are exceedingly jealous their Faith is not sound that they are short in every grace because of the woful mixtures that they find more Unbelief than Faith more hardness of heart than softness more Pride than Humiliation and so of all Now that soul that goes away with an unsuspected confidence of every Grace sure flatters himself and his way will be found to be deceitful 2. That Soul that draws back his conscience from the searching power of the Word when it gives out ways of trial of Sincerity and truth of grace and puts it off as if not concerned in it this may well be speak a false heart A gracious heart would bring the Work over and over to the Touch-stone of the Word delivers up it self unto it yea is much with God to search him in point of a firm Work upon his Spirit as to any prevailing Iniquity in his heart as David Psal 139. When he was before the Lord appealing to him and opening his heart to him speaks thus ver 1. Oh Lord thou hast searched me c. thou hast And yet ver 23.24 begs of God yet further to search him Search me O God and know my heart try me and know my thoughts and see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me into the way everlasting 3. False Grace is discovered by its easie acting When you can easily believe easily repent easily be humble and so of all others Certainly 't is all naught There is great contradiction within and from the Tempter as to act Grace begun in a soul yea a daily supply from Jesus Christ must be to act any Grace livelily which the common pretending easie Believers are not sensible of It cannot be but every act of Grace must find more or less resistance from flesh and blood which is so vigorously opposite to the nature and acting of real grace in the Soul 4. Such as are
these are things worthy the thoughts of Saints indeed 4. They have to take up their thoughts the glorious blessedness of the forgiveness of their sins What a blessed state a state of forgiveness in the blood of Jesus Christ is Blessed Oh blessed for ever are they whose iniquities are forgiven Bless the Lord O my soul who forgiveth all thine iniquities c. Psal 103. God hath not appointed me to wrath but to obtain salvation through my Lord Jesus Christ 1 Thes 5. Oh blessed extasie for a poor called pardoned Believer to be in 5. Such as are New-Creatures in Christ they have the Mystery of the New-Covenant the everlastingness of it to bring their hearts to and to work the Promises thereof upon their hearts to muse on the returns of their Prayers to behold the continual Providences of God towards them and his ways of mercy and kindness to them 6. They have the shortness of their time the vanity of their lives the certainty of Death to muse on Lord make me to know the number of my days that I may know how frail I am Yea they have a future and eternal state of Blessedness and Glory to have their thoughts swallowed up into That they shall one day see Jesus Christ as he is in all his glory and never look off him any more They shall do nothing else but love him enjoy perpetual communion of Saints be praising admiring adoring the blessed Majesty of God for ever and ever Oh! If there are such excellent and blessed things for the thoughts of the holy-ones of God to be exercised in Oh! what base Dunghil hearts have such that pore upon nothing but earth and filth Let it not be so with such that have tasted the good and sweetness of those things that have real substantial soul-filling goodness in them What matter of Complaint to God's poor Children whose hearts are too too apt to sink earthwards pois'd with weights that they cannot keep them up in the vision of God his Christ and what ever is blessed in him Oh! when the thoughts of your hearts must be taken up with your Callings which cannot be done without it keep a Watch over them let them not run forth to sinful distempers but that you may be fit to go to God and converse with him and get the blessed savour of these things upon your hearts and do not let out your thoughts to idleness and soul-defiling vanity and feed upon vanity when there are such solid glorious things to feed upon which you expect to be taken up with in an infinite unwearied delight to all eternity And do not suffer the Devil to take up his abode by his subtle and sudden suggestions or more close insinuations upon you If he make his Inroads resist check defie with abhorrency his first Attempts before he work up corruption in you And remember still your spirits and bodies are the Temples of God and the Temple of God must be holy 1 Cor. 6.19 20. What know ye not that your body is the Temple of the Holy Ghost that is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your own for ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God with your spirits and bodies which are Gods And thus much of this special evidence of the New-Creature in the newness of his thoughts and the acting of them 8. The Eighth Discovery of the New-Creature is this The New-Creature hath a new Lip a new Tongue let loose to speak of God and for God And this also I shall a little insist upon Saith our blessed Lord A good man out of the good Treasure of his heart bringeth forth good things Matthew 12.35 Good and wholsom and savoury Words To this we find the Holy Ghost in the Scriptures often pressing saith the wise man Prov. 20.15 The Lips of knowledge are a precious Jewel The mouth of a righteous man is a well of Life The lips of the righteous feed many Prov. 10.11 12. So the Apostle Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your Mouth but that which is good to the use of Edifying that it may minister grace to the hearers Ephes 4.29 Let your speech be always with grace seasoned with salt c. Col. 4.6 By which places 't is evident that a special discovery of the New-Creature is herein manifested 1. The New-Creature hath a New Tongue to speak Savourly and Experimentally of the things of Christ and the work of the Spirit Because that which the heart is exercised with it will be bringing forth Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh an evil man out of the abundance of evil in his heart bringeth forth evil things as a good man doth good things Matth. 12.25 28. If the heart and affections be spiritually exercised the Tongue will be speaking forth 2. Because thereby a New-Created Soul doth give glory to God they speak of the Testimonies works goodness grace and the wonders of the Love of God to poor sinful Creatures And hereby God is much glorified Come and hear all ye that fear God and I will tell what he hath done for my Soul Psal 66.16 3. Gracious hearts do hereby stir up the Grace of Christ in them 't is like the blowing of a spark and makes the heart to glow e're it is aware gracious Conference is the very breath of the Spirit which kindles all our Graces afresh as it was with the Disciples going to Emaus Luke 24.32 Did not our hearts burn within while he talked with us by the way 4. Good Souls do not only profit themselves in receiving good but they profit others one of the best ways that we do good is in profiting weak Saints or Sinners how hath a word spoken from a savoury person humbly and wisely dropt in upon the Soul of a sinner which hath been its first awakening And so upon a poor weak tempted Child of God how seasonably hath God ordered a word for a poor soul from conference with another Vse If a New-Creature in Christ hath a New Tongue as well as a new heart then let it be for Conviction of sinners whose Tongues as well as hearts are exercised in vanity altogether in prophane or vain or carnal or worldly Discourses this shews there is no good treasure in the heart The Apostle James follows this Conviction very closely and makes it the Character of a carnal pretending Believer or false and dead Faith James 1.26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is vain 'T is but a seeming to be religious a vain Religion where the tongue hath a carnal Liberty and he calleth the Tongue a world of iniquity set on fire of Hell Jam. 3.6 an unruly evil full of deadly poison ver 8. The evils of the Tongue that bespeak a sinner unregenerate are these and they are frequent among this generation 1. Speaking evil of the Spirit of God and