sweete voice of Christ Iesus rather then the murthering sophistry of Satan if in good maners thou wilt come when thou art called and not retire in a sinfull and cruell modesty thou shalt be presently lightened Yea but saith the Tempter thy heart hath been so strangely hardened and soakt in sinne heretofore now such an heâ—…sh cloud of darkenesse hath seized vpon it that there is no hope nor possibility But what saith the Word Seeke him that maketh the seuen starres and Orion and turneth the shadow of death into the morning It is hee alone that can most easily change the dismall midnight of thy present spirituall misery into the glorious midday of sweetest peace and lightsomnesse of heart Yea but saith he further thou hast lien long vpon the Rocke of guilty horrour had much counsell and been vnder the hands of many spirituall physicians and yet no comfort comes And what then Heare what the Spirit of truth tels vs Since the beginning of the world men haue not heard nor perceiued by the eare neither hath the eye seene O God besides thee what Hee hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Isa. 64. 4. Waiting patiently for the Lords comming to comfort vs either in temporall or spirituall distresses is a right pleasing and acceptable dutie and seruice vnto God which hee is woont to crowne with multiplyed and ouerflowing refreshings when he comes See Isa. 40. 31. Nay and shouldest thou die in this state of waiting if thy heart in the meane time sincerely hate all sinne heartily thirst for the mercy of God in Christ and resolue truely vpon new vniuersall obedience for the time to come thou shalt bee certainely saued because the Holy Ghost saith Isaiah 30. 18. Blessed are all they that waite for him 6. That defects distractions failings in our spirituall exercises and vndertakings groaned vnder grieued for and striuen against by an vpright heart are so farre from nullifying grace that they should not bereaue vs of peace of conscience or interrupt our sweet communion and comfortable walking with our God 7. Not to confine vnderualue and extenuate the mercies of God promises of life the holy Spirits sauing worke vpon thy soule and the present graces thou possessest in truth c. These cautions premised let vs come to the examining and answering of some complaints and counterpleas against entertainement of comfort which are wont to arise in troubled consciences out of ignorance and misconceite of the mercifull wayes of God and the mysterie of his free loue through Christ and doe thou conceiue that proportionable soueraigne Antidotes and counter-comforts may bee collected also in abundance out of Gods blessed Booke against the rest or any reply whatsoeuer And to begin with the first cryes of a Christian in the pangs of his New birth I. A poore soule hauing wallowed long in vanity of villanies and vanities of lust and licentiousnesse is now by diuine blessing at this or â—…e other Sermon struck thorow by the Sword of the Spirit with penitent remorse and his heart broken into pieces by the hammer of the Law In this depth of heauiest distresse and bleeding case he casts his eyes vpon Iesus Christ lifted vp in the Ministerie as an Antitype â—…o the brazen Serpent for his comfortable binding â—…p and euerlasting cure Those Messengers of God who are able to declare vnto Man his vprightnesse assure him in the Word of life and truth and charge him in His name who was anointed by the Lord for that purpose and appointed by the Father of mercies to comfort all Mourners in Sion that now being truly cast downe vnder Gods mighty hand thirsting for the blood of Christ and sincerely resoluing vpon a new course for the time to come He would turne his legall terrours into Euangelicall weeping ioy put on beauty for ashes the garment of praise for the spirit of heauinesse That he might be called a Tree of righteousnesse the planting of the Lord that hee might bee glorified Oh no saies he out of the deepe sence of his bottomelesse vilenesse The newes is too good to be true to wit that now the blessed Sonne of God and all the precious rich purchases of his vnualuable passion should belong vnto mee the sinfullest wretch that the earth beares who haue desperately spent my dayes and strength so long in the furious seruice of Satan and mine own sensuall lusts c. whereupon he refuses comfort and chooses rather to sinke againe and languish vnder the horrours of guiltinesse and feare Whereas he should incomparably more honour and please the God of all comfort by trusting his mercy sealing to his truth then by vnseasonable suspecting his iustice and power Here then hee wofully failes and forgets himselfe in a distrustfull vnder-prizing Gods incomprehensible greatnesse Almightie mercy vnlimited liberalitie and freenesse of his loue He is in this case not so much to consider what is fit for him to receiue as conuenient for the ability and bounty of so great and good a God as the mighty Lord of Heauen and earth to giue who as I told you before vpon other occasion doth all things like Himselfe If hee build he makes a world If he be angry with the world hee sends a floud ouer the face of the whole earth If hee goes out with the Armies of the Saints hee makes the Sunne stand still the Starres to fight the Seas to swallow vp the most dreadfull Armadoes If hee loue the precious hearts blood of his owne Sonne is not too deare If he deliuer any man Hee puls him out of the hand of the Prince of darknesse and frees him from euerlasting flames If any become his Fauourite through Christs mediation He wil make him a King giue him a Paradise and set a Crowne of eternitie vpon his head Earthly Princes at their pleasures ennoble those they loue with Dukedomes Marquesdomes Earledomes What then doe you thinke shall be done vnto the man whom the King of Heauen desires and delights to honour Let vs then I say in such cases consider not so much what is fit for vs silly wormes to receiue as for so great a God to bestow If wee can once bring hearts bruised and broken with the burden of our sinnes bleeding and weeping vnto his Mercy-seate Hee will thinke all the meritorious sufferings of his Sonne all the promises in his Booke all the comforts of his Spirit all the pleasures in his Kingdome little enough for vs. If wee looke vpon our selues sinful wretches we might iustly feare the extremest torments fiercest flames and lowest dungeon in hell infinitely rather then expect a Kingdome But Hee loues vs freely Hos. 14. 4. It is his pleasure to giue vs a Kingdome Feare not little flocke saith Christ for it is your Fathers good pleasure to giue you the Kingdom Luk. 12. 32. If it be the good pleasure of the King of Kings to bestow a Kingdome vpon a truely humbled soule which hee makes in the
assistance and exercise of Faith an vnutterable sweete communion and humble familiarity with his holy Maiestie In a word to liue in Heauen vpon earth Proofes Gods Couenant and commandement to Abraeham and in him to all the faithfull vnto the Worlds end requires it Gen. 17. 1. The practise and protestations of the Saints and seruants of God seale vnto it Enochs walking with God chap. 5. was an happy preparatiue to his extraordinary translating to glory The Lord before whom I walk saith Abraham chap. 24. 40. will doe thus and thus I will walke before the Lord in the Land of the liuing saith Dauid Psal. 116. 9. O Lord God of Israel saith Salomon 2. Chron. 6. 14. There is no God like thee in the Heauen nor in the Earth which keepest couenant and shewest mercy vnto thy seruants that walke before thee with all their hearts I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart saith Hezechiah 2. King 20. 3. And herein doe I exercise my selfe to haue alwaies a conscience voyde of offence toward God and toward men saith Paul Acts 24. 16. which sounds the same way Let their money perish with them who esteeme all the gold in the World worth one dayes societie with Iesus Christ and his holy Spirit said that Noble Marquesse of Vico well skilled and experienced in an heauenly conuersing with his God Reas. 1. And it must needs be so For howsoeuer naturall men and worldlings out of their obnoxiousnesse and secret terrors slauishly retyre doe not willingly neither dare they draw neere to that God which to them is a consuming fire yet all those who haue truly tasted how gracious and glorious he is shall find their hearts out of a secret sence of Gods loue vnto them first kindlily inflamed with infinite desire to liue vnder the comfortable influence of his pleased countenance to enioy his holy Maiestie with constant peace and an humble spirituall accesse and acquaintance continually His spirit of Prayer infinite loue exercise of repentance temptations and troubles from Satan pressures and oppressions from the World losse of inward peace faintnesse of Faith want of spirituall strength assault of some speciall sinne sweetnesse of meditation daily fauours showred downe vpon him without number and aboue measure sore-thought of the great and last Account motions of the blessed Spirit spirituall desertion c. but aboue all the inexplicable blessâ—…dnesse goodnesse and excellency of that highest Maiestie it selfe driues him to his God many times a day 2. All Gods loues vnto vs His louing kindnesses protections preseruations bounty patience diuine illuminations spirituall blessings in a word euery linke of that golden chaine of Mercy Grace and Glory farre thicker set with sweetest blessings in all kinds then the Heauen with Starres which our happy Soules haue doe or shall enioy from the first springing of it vp if euerlasting could haue any beginning out of the adored Fountaine of his free Grace to the last moment of eternitie in highest heauenly blisse if eternitie could possibly euer determine should be so many keene spurres deepest oblâ—…gations strongest chaines to draw our hearts most greedily to this infinite delight in him and thus with an humble familiaritie to conuerse with his holy Maiestie 3. Consciousnesse of our former walking comfortably with God sanctified by the life of Faith will mightily and incredibly support our spirits and courage in the times of confusions and feare The hearts of sensuall worldlings for want of reconcilement and acquaintance with God in calme and comfortable times sinke and tremble in the Day of distresse and Gods dreadfull visitations as the heart of a woman in her pangs and fall asunder in their brests like drops of water But that happy One who in his prosperity hath made God his portion and walked humbly in his presence shall in the time of trouble stand like a strong vnmoueable mountaine impregnable against the rage of wind and weather against the cruell incursions of all aduersarie power when the wicked shall tire the Mountaines with bootelesse cries to couer them he shall be able to say with Dauid The Lord is my refuge and my strength c. therefore will I not feare though the earth be moued and the Mountaines fall into the midst of the Sea He shall by the mercies of God and humble dependance vpon his omnipotent Arme encounter and entertaine the terrours euen of the euill day of the houre of temptation of the King of feare and last Iudgement with confidence and peace 4. Thy walking with God will make thee extraordinarily powerfull and mightily preuaile in prayer one of the greatest blessings and sweetest comforts which can be named or enioyed in this life As the Kings Fauourite who stands still in his presence and vnder the immediate and gracious influence of his Royall eye doth farre sooner and much more easily obtaine both his owne and friends suites then those who are more estranged from the Court So it is in this case 5. But aboue all that which should most quicken and keene vs to this duty is that particular interest we haue by Iesus Christ in Iehoua himselfe blessed for euer A mysterie which if I should offer to open and enlarge I should be endlesse and yet come infinitely short Oh then let vs infinitely loue and learne exactly the most sweete and heauenly Art of walking with God! For a more comfortable illightning and guiding vs wherein before I come to giue some generall instructions giue mee leaue to premise these quickning preparatiues 1. Looke that thou lyest not in any one knowne sinne against thy conscience hating to be reformed do not cherish allow or goe on in any lust corruption or lewd way in thine heart life or calling suffer not any worke of darknesse or seruice of Satan to reigne and domineere in thee For if so thou art so farre from abilitie or possibilitie of walking with God or delighting in him that thou wearest the Diuels brand and art yet most certainely one of his See and search the true meaning of such places as these 1. Ioh. 3. 3. 6 8 9. Iames 2. 10. Ezech. 18. 21. Psalm 66. 18. and 119. 6 101. Ezech. 18. 30. Matth. 18. 8 9. 2. Cor. 7. 1. Sutable hereunto is the concurrent iudgement and doctrine of our best Diuines and worthiest Writers graciously instructed vnto the Kingdome of Heauen These are their seuerall assertions to the same sense in their owne words 1. A man can haue no peace in his conscience that fauoureth and retaineth any one sinne in himselfe against his conscience 2. A man is in a damnable state whatsoeuer good deeds seeme to be in him if he yeeld not to the worke of the holy Ghost for the leauing but of any one knowne sinne which fighteth against peace of conscience 3. So long as the power of mortification destroyeth thy sinfull affections and so long as thou art vnfainedly displeased with all sinne and doest
meane time his Royall Throne here vpon Earth Isai. 57. 15. what can Man or Deuill or any distrustfull heart say against it And why shouldest thou being such an one be so vnmannerly and vnthankfull nay so vnnecessarily cruell to thine owne heauy heart as not to open the euerlasting doore of thy soule by the key of Faith to let the King of glory knocking with his hand of mercy come in and crowne it with grace and glory with comfort and euerlasting peace II. But alas sayes hee my sinnes are moe then any mans Now when I am searching into the sinke of them I can finde neither banke nor bottome Vnnumbred swarmes of grosse impieties and iniquities thorow my whole life of abominable impurities and pollutions which haue continually defiled my mind heart and affections armed with seuerall stings of terrour doe so restlesly presse vpon my wounded conscience and oppresse it that I cannot I dare not thinke vpon or looke towards any comfort Let them bee what they are and adde thereunto all the sinnes which haue are and shall bee committed by all the sonnes and daughters of Adam from the Creation to the end of the World excepting sinne against the holy Ghost and yet in an hart truly humbled vnder them heartily hating them all cōming with a sincere spirituall hunger at Christs Call to bee disburdened of them they can make no more resistance against the mercies of God then a little sparke of fire against the mighty Sea rhrowne into the midst of it nay infinitely lesse For all these sinnes would still be finite both in nature and number but Gods mercies are euery way infinite Now betweene that which is finite and that which is infinite there is no proportion and so no possibilitie of resistance Whence it is that the Prophet inuiting his people to repentance Esa. 55. 7. by assuring them of Gods sweet mercifull and gracious disposition lest any too fearefull and deiected spirit vndervaluing Gods mercy should thinke thus within it selfe Bee it so yet alas my sinnes are so many and such a sonne of Belial haue I been and so endlesly prouoked the glory of his pure eye that I can expect no mercy the pollutions of my youth haue been so prodigious and infectious that I haue no face to presse vnto his Throne of Grace c. God himselfe doth there purposely preuent the obiection and speaking to our capacitie which cannot comprehend infinity replyes to this sence Oh say not so Stay all such despairefull thoughts doe not cast the incomprehensiblenes of my mercy in the narrow mould of thy finite shallow conceite doe not so vnworthily abridge and confine the vnlimited and boundlesse compassion of the mighty Lord of Heauen and Earth For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your wayes my wayes For as the Heauens are higher then the earth so are my wayes higher then your wayes and my thoughts then your thoughts Many a bruised reede would not exchange the comfort which the weakest faith may extract out of this sweetest place for all the Kingdomes of the earth For he saith not that his wayes and thoughts of knowledge and wisdome but his wayes and thoughts of mercy are as farre aboue ours as the Heauens are aboue the Earth Indeed as himselfe is aboue man which is infinitely But take notice by the way that the mercies of God doe exercise this infinite vnresistable power onely in truly humbled beleeuing soules heartily hating and sincerely set against all sinne I say so lest any impenitent should peruert this precious point or trample vpon this Pearle For as in such a soule no sinnes either for number or notoriousnesse can possibly withstand or stand before Gods infinite mercies so not one drop of all those infinite merceis belongs vnto any that goes on willingly and delightfully hating to bee reformed in any one knowne sinne or that he might know and wilfully forbeares to bee informed As the vnualuable blood of Christ turnes the very scarlet sinnes of the truly broken beleeuing heart into whitest snow so it will neuer wash away the least sinfull staine from the proud heart of any vnhumbled Pharise Let none therefore that goes on still in his trespasses take vp any vaine confidence or mis-grounded conclusion of false comfort from hence by misconceiuing thus Is it so that the infinitenesse of Gods mercy cannot bee resisted by the greatnesse or multitude of sinnes being euer finite both in their number and nature how is it possible then that I should misse of those infinites mercies Why may not I comfortably hope that my sinnes also shall be swallowed vp in that bottomlesse Sea I will tell thee why As the power of God though it be infinite yet is limited by his will so the mercies of God though they bee infinite are regulated by his truth He is able to make millions of Worlds moe but yet wee see his Will was but to create one His mercies transcend with immeasurable distance the height of Heauen and depth of Hell and are indeed as Himselfe infinite but his Truth hath told vs that none shall haue part in them but those alone who repent and beleeue Gods Truth reuealed in his Word must euer confine the current of his compassions and is the touchstone to try and qualifie those to whom his mercies belong See then what kind of people are partakers of Gods infinite mercies by the testimony of that Word of Truth by which we must be iudged at the last Day Prou. 28. 13. Luke 4. 18. Isai. 61. 1 2 3. Psal. 15. Ezek. 18. 21. Psal. 147. 3. Isai. 55. 7. Psal. 34. 18. Salomon saith in the cited place Hee that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall haue mercy How then can he expect any mercy who takes them not to heart but lyes in them still III. Of the pardonablenesse of my other sinnes saith another I could bee reasonably well perswaded but alas there is one aboue all the rest which now vpon discouery and remorse I finde to be full of ranke and hellish poyson of such a deepe and damnable die to haue strooke so desperately in the dayes of my lewdnesse at the very face of God himselfe and farre deepelier into the heart of Iesus Christ then the speare that pierced him bleeding vpon the Crosse and thereupon at this present stares in the eye of my newly awaked and wounded conscience with such horror and grieslinesse that I feare mee diuine iustice will thinke it fitter to haue this most loathsome inexpiable staine rather at length fired out of my soule with euerlasting flames if it were possible that eternall fire could expiate the sinfull staines of any impenitent damned soule then to bee fairely washed away in the meane time with His blood whom I so cruelly and cursedly pierced with it Oh! this is it that lies now vpon my heart like a mountaine of Lead farre heauier then Heauen and Earth and enchaines it with inexplicable terrour to the dust and