is exclusive in respect of sinners but inclusive in respect of penitents not all sinners but all repenting sinners shall be pardoned is indefinite to repentance and I beseech you mark this point God doth not say I will pardon sins simply but if men repent and forsake sins they shall have mercy So againe in promising pardon to Repentance he doth not promise it respectively and conditionally but absolutely and fully What is that That is God doth not say If you repent of such or such sinnes then you shall have pardon but hee saith simply and absolutely If you repent So that let the sins be never so great never so many yet if they be sinnes of which thou now truely repentest they are assuredly pardoned Esa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake Esa 55. 7. his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Here you see a promise of abundant pardon to be made unto the penitent though he hath had thoughts though he hath had wayes yet if he forsakes them the Lord will pardon and shew mercy Againe because that pardon is promised to actuall repentance indefinitely therefore let the sinner be what he will let him be a person who was not converted before or let him be a person already converted yet if he begins true repentance or the other renews his true repentance they shall be pardoned And the reason is because it is not sinne simply in such an estate which God pardons but it is sinne repented of which God doth promise to pardon And therefore if an evill man whose life hath been a course of sins repents and leaves his sins he shall have mercy Or if a good man fall accidentally into sin upon his repentance he may confidently plead out Gods promises of pardon for he shall have mercy upon his repentance as you may see Prov. 28. 14. He that forsakes his sinnes shall find mercy Ezek. Pro. 28. 14 18. 32. Turne your selves and Eze. 18. 32 live See ver 21 22. If the wicked will turne from all his sinnes ver 21 22. they shall not be mentioned unto him Whence we may infer that if God will forgive his enemies he will then upon the same repentance forgive his children If a King will pardon a returning Traitor wil he not Simile receive then a returning son It was a pious speech of S. Chrysostome Si Deus promittat gratiam nobis offendentibus quid faciet nobis poenitentibus If he promiseth grace unto us when we are sinning what then will he confer on us if we be repenting 2. Christ is of great vertue stil and as able to put away the sins after conversion as well as before therefore is he called the same yesterday to day and Heb. 13. 8. for ever And the Apostle reasons it in the Romans If when Rom. 5. 10 we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son how much more being reconciled shall we be saved by his life We must think of the pacification by Christ of the atonement of the propitiation of the satisfaction not as confined to any one sinne or to any one estate but in respect of its sufficiency reaching over both estates and all the sins in both What is that That is the death of the Lord JESUS was not onely to reach the sins thou didst commit in thy unconverted estate and the rest afterward in thy converted estate thou art to satisfie for by thine owne power some other way What is this but that Popish leaven that self-justification those humane satisfactions What is this but to divide our salvation twixt Christ and our selves What is this but to restraine either the sufficiencie or the efficacie of his death No Christ is unto us in respect of sins before and sins after conversion as the Lord was to the Israelites a pillar of a cloud and a pillar of fire Jesus Christ is a cloud in the Christ a pillar of cloud and a pillar of fire day in the time of conversion to cover our sins upon our repentance and a pillar of fire by night for the times of former darknesse upon our repentance to consume away our sins c. The difference of our estates doth no way adde or diminish to the strength and efficacie of his death His bloud can cry as loud now as heretofore and is not lesse effectuall to get pardon for our falls in the way then for our sinnings when we were not in the way as is evident in the sins of Paul before his conversion and in sins of David and Peter after their conversion for Christ is our continuall Mediator and everliving Intercessor But you will reply These Ob. sins cut off all our interest in Christ and all relations and therefore no hope now I answer though the comfortable Sol. No sinne that thou cāst grieve for cuts off our communion interest interest be cut off untill the time of sound repentance yet the radicall interest is not As the leprous person was debarred the use of his house untill he was cleansed yet he was not debarred the title and right of his house and therefore thou mayest upon thy repentance sue unto the Lord by the bloud of thy Saviour the pardon of these sinnes 3. The Lord is mercifull still unto repentants You shall read in Psal 136. that his Psal 136. mercy is set downe 26 times with the adjunct of everlastingnesse His mercy endureth for ever And Psal 86. 5. Thou Psal 86. 5. Lord art good and ready to forgive and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee So ver 13. Great is thy mercy towards me And ver 15. Thou O Lord art a God full of compassion and gracious long-suffering and plenteous in mercy and truth So Micah 7. 18. Who is a God Mica 7. 18 like unto thee that pardoneth iniquitie and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage He retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy 19. He will turne againe he will have compassion on us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea Mercy is not strange unto God it is his nature it is his delight and repentance will not be hid from his eyes if it be not hid from our hearts He calls us to repent and causeth us to repent that he might shew us his mercy and everlastingnesse of his mercy 6. A sixt spring of doubtings was indisposition unto or about spirituall duties Whence we feare the truth of grace which is active and lively and doubt our acceptance with God by reason of our dulnesse and deadnesse For the curing of this consider 1. That dulnesse in holy duties is possibly incident to men truly sanctified Beloved there is a great difference betwixt a dead heart
lest And that we might bestow our tears not our tongues on others sinning he should be over-exalted so to many Christians the Lord doth returne unto them the sensible sting of some notable guilt to abase their hearts to put them in mind of themselves For this reduction of former gilt it gives up unto us our base and treacherous natures and the births of our owne hearts Ah! faith such a person this heart this nature of mine what was it what is it if the Lord leaves it See here the grapes the sowre grapes of this wild-vine little reason have I to be so highly conceited of my self as long as I perceive such loath some accounts and issues from my selfe And veriâ—y it makes us oft-times to despise our selves to abhorre our selves in dust and ashes And this is one great Our present graces make us good and the sense of former sins keeps us humble end and use which the Lord makes of former sins To keep the heart in a very humble frame We must have something or other still put unto us of our owne which will let us see how foolish we are by nature that is Davids phrase and how brutish we were that is Solomons phrase 3. To make us more carefull For the sharp remembrance of sinne doth in a godly heart work stronger detestation and stronger watchfulnesse God doth make their Remembring the gall the wormwood Lam. 3. new considerations to be our present preventiâ—â—s Future commissions of sinâ—â—e are many times prevented by new impressions of former sins What should I sinne thus again saith the humble heart have I not reason to crush these births to crucifie that bitter root to pray against it to watch against it to resist it to deny it which hath beene and is now a sword in my conscience But now consider that there is a double carefulnesse wrought by the new rising of sinne 1. One respects the guilt of it and here our care is to get our acquitance renewed and inlarged O how doth the Lord by these risings of sin soone cause the soule to rise up in suing out his grace and favour It causeth many a teare many a prayer many a wrestling with God many pressings upon the promises many an earnest beseeching to have our pardon and discharge more fully sealed unto our consciences by the bloud of Jesus Christ and testimony of the Spirit 2. Another respects the sins themselves in their corrupt qualities and inclinations and motions and this is a greater study against them firmer resolutions strengthning of covenants confirmations of grace of circumspection of detestation of resistance of any thing or way by which the powers of sin may be more subdued and cast downe 4. To make us more thankfull Perhaps the Lord hath pardoned those sins which rise anew in thy heart they doe not alwayes rise because God hath not discharged their guilt but because thou hast not discharged thy new debt they arise as a debt for the discharge of a debt as we use to put men in mind of their former miseries not that thereby they are made miserable but because thereby they should be made thankfull Beloved to have former sins discharged it is mercy I say mercy yea and a rich mercy greater then to give a condemned person life or to give an imprisoned person liberty far greater No such mercy as that which blots out our sins which saves a soule from hell and gives it pardon and life Now great mercies should be answered with great thankfulnesse Thou didst in the sense and sting of thy guilt go with an heavy heart with bitter sighes with deep oppressions O that I had mercy O this burden O this wound O this sinne Yea and with deep protestations If the Lord will but pardon it If he will shew me mercy If he would receive me graciously he should have the calves of my lips I would love him indeed I would serve him I would praise and thank him I would speak good of his name I would say Who is a God like him that forgiveth iniquities transgressions and sins and passeth by the sins of his people Well the Lord hath shewed himselfe like himselfe a God very gracious and mercifull but we perhaps have shewed our selves like our selves in distresses earnest and full of promises but in our exemptions flat and full of forgetfulnesse Now the Lord doth exceedingly dislike this vanity and doubting of heart he loves that mercy should be still acknowledged to be mercy he would have us to look back as well as to look up and to give him thanks for that mercy for which not long since wee would have given all the world and our soules too And therefore doth he cast unto us our accounts he lets us thereby see what they were and what he hath done that wee may confesse our error for not answering great mercy with great thankfulnesse But perhaps you will inquire Ob. What if we our selves for our part be the cause of reviving of former guilt and sting of former sins I answer If it be by way of Sol. humiliation to seek the pardon and to make confession to the God of mercy and to get victory over them this should no way discourage us for this is no more hurt or prejudice to the soule then the after laying open of the wound to the Chirurgion to dresse and cure it is prejudiciall to the safety and welfare of the body But if it be by way of commission either by relapsing into the same sins or multiplying of sinne in another kinde both which will dig up again our buried and fore-past guilts then I know no way of peace and safety no way to allay these renewed accusations and stings but by renewed sorrow and repentance And verily what I delivered unto you heretofore about recovery from relapsing that is the course presently to be taken here O let us haste in before the Lord with hearts trickling down with tears of bloud for old and present wounds the very abundance of sorrow the bitternesse of griefe the art of self-affliction I cannot say that sorrow of sorrow that hatred of hatred that indignation of indignation that revenge of revenge that repentance of repentance which are here necessarily required and that too with longest continuance Doe what thou wilt shuffle off cut to thy selfe a peace thou shalt never have it thy sinnes shall ever and anon gall and vexe and wound thee untill thou hast renewed thy bitternesse of most humbled sorrow for renewing thy filthinesse and basenesse of thy audacious sinning But then suppose that Satan Ob. through his malicious art doth revive our former guilt by his accusations for our greater interruption and disquietment what is now to be done I will shew you here briefly Sol. two things 1. One is how you may know that the reviving of former guilt be from Satan or no. 2. Another is what is then to be done by us 1. You may know that
is ready to break and like a full vessell it must have vent Many a time he must and doth consider this vile sin and hies him alone to poure out his grieved heart before the Lord and shames himselfe before him and confesseth with confusion of face his treacherous and unworthy dealing against his God There is you know a naturall Three sorts of sorrows sorrow as for the losse of children and a politicall sorrow as was that for the good King Josiah and there is a spirituall sorrow which is for our sins This must now be exceedingly renewed and you may raise it by consideration of mercy O Lord what have I How to raise our sorrow done Why have I done this Thou shewedst me mercy in opening my eyes in changing my heart in calling me to holinesse in pardoning of former sins yet after all this I have sinned against thee I have wounded my heart dishonoured thy Name turned thy grace into wantonnesse lost thy favour broke my peace injured my Christ grieved thy Spirit turned away thine eare given advantage to Satan and deserved for ever to sit in darknesse c. Beloved if you find your hearts unhumbled you shall finde your hearts still to be unbeleeving For besides that great sins are great provocations to our Note gracious God they are also til we are humbled for them great impediments to faith faith cannot do service for us it cannot uphold us it cannot bring a comforting Promise unto our hearts untill our hearts are humbled for our sins God comforts none but mourners and faith cannot fall in with him untill our hearts fall out with our selves And here take heed you be not sleight and too quick if you be you shall have your doubtings againe God doth seldome or never speak easie peace after a great sin If you skin up a sore it will break out againe If your sorrows be not deep and sound your fears will be fresh and multiplyed but let them be pious and serious and then the soule will after a while recover it selfe and plead and find mercy with God and be able to answer and silence all the doubtfull reasonings which will rise against faith in its wonted communions and applications But you will say If wee Ob. should sorrow thus yet wee should still doubt of mercy and Gods favour I answer Sol. 1. Thou hast now to answer A great current wil bear down the dam and true sorrow will carry away our doubtings thy doubtings True I did sin thus but I have truely grieved for this sinne and though I might not apply mercy because I sinned yet now I may because I am grieved 2. See Gods disposition to Ephraim Ier. 31. 18. I have surely Jer. 31. 18. heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe c. ver 19. I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth But then ver 20. Is Ephraim my dear son Is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Though God be offended with our sins yet he is delighted in our sorrows and nothing melts him more then to see us come melting before him The mournfull behaviour of Iosephs brethren moved him and the returning Prodigals The father likes the sons submissions though not his rebellions falling downe to his Father and cryings out went to the heart of him And it is not without cause that David prayes Regard my teares that fall And Are not my tears registred And Put thou my teares into thy bottle Melting teares doe melt a tender God and Father 2. To renew our repentance in which I would comprehend both detestations and forsakings These sins must be made very hatefull to the soul you must imbitter them you must purge out all the sweetnesse of them all the liking of them Nay you must set upon them as on things most abominable Hence that phrase of loathing your abominanations Ezek. 36. Ezek. 36. S. Iohn Rev. 2. 5. adviseth decayed Rev. 2. 5. Ephesus to remember from whence she was falne and to repent Beloved this is not a condition to stay in This water is deep and drowning is possible if we lie in it But if wee rise out of our sinnes then our doubtings will fall It is with our consciences as it is with water in a pot if you put no Simile fire under it it is quiet but if you kindle a fire the water will boyle and bubble it hath no quiet So though conscience be quiet and kind and molests us not if yet fire come under if any notable sin come in and kindle in the heart now the boylings now the feares and doubts of the soule And in these tumblings the way to cease them is to remove the fire and then you shall see how the water grows to a stilnesse again and by degrees The sea will be calme if the winds cease leaves fuming So will our soules come to a pacified temper to a setlednesse if once our sins be removed leave the Esay 1. 16 17. Cease to doe evill learne to doe well 18. Come now and let us reason together c. sins and ordinarily the doubts will leave the sinner For as sinne is our unquiet sea so Repentance is our secure harbour Any knowne sinne unrepented still puts in and inlivens doubts in us but Repentance plucks out the venome and the rage An amended child comes againe before his Father and a reformed Christian and penitent may * Loc. cit yet be confident 3. Sue out a speciall assurance You may see by Davids disposition after his speciall sins that a generall acquitance would not serve the turne for speciall sins you must sue out speciall assurance of pardon Your consciences will never be quiet else Nay this will not satisfie thee that yet they are pardonable that they are such as doe not exclude thee out of the Proclamation thou wilt never be quiet untill God speaks peace untill he doth put his seale to acquit thee of particular sins Sin will rise it will lie uppermost thou shalt feele it so it will fly in thy face it will come up in serious times untill thou repent of it and sue out thy discharge therefore be earnest with the Lord for pardon of it for a speciall acquitance If the Lord Jesus did seale his blood upon thy heart thy doubtings would cease But you will say There is Ob. now no hope though wee should grieve though we should repent though wee should sue for pardoning mercy there is now no hope for these are sins after conversion and they are great ones too and besides we find no particular promise to ease our souls upon Let me answer this doubt Sol. fully for it is a folded one there are many in it Consider therefore 1. The promise of pardon Three things The pardoning promise
be disclosed and Gods righteous judgement shall be evident to the hearts of all the world Whence it is that in this day of meeting they shall cry unto the mountaines to fall on them and the rocks to hide them but in vaine from the wrath of him who sits upon the throne 2. There are severall causes of the rising of sin Some are Divers causes of sins rising afresh on Gods part some on our part some on Satans 1. For Gods part God doth many times cause our former sins to rise by the power of his mighty spirit in the ministery of his Word For whereas the sinner would hush his fears and griefs and conscience asleep yet the Lord will not have it so He doth rub the sore and gall the conscience makes it sensible of the guilt and wounds Hee doth pierce by the two-edged sword of his Word even to the dividing asunder of soule and spirit and of the joynts and marrow and discernes the very thoughts and intents of the heart He meets the person oft times many years after the commission of the sinnes and most expresly revives and remembers them in all the acting circumstances which the sinning person either had or would have buried in silence and forgetfulnesse 2. For our part Thus there is double cause of new rising of old sins One whereof is good and the other is bad 1. A new commission of the old sins which brings back upon us the sting of the old guilt for relapses into the disease occasion a relapse of the burden and ache Cut thy finger againe and it will smart againe fall into thy ague againe it will make thee shake againe Relapses have ever this judgement with them that they make a fresh wound and the old also to bleed againe You know in some Wells there are two buckets put downe the one and you bring up the other so the falling into the same sin againe brings up the old burden againe Though we may not revive sinne to practise it yet we may to mourn for it 2. Renewed humiliations for then we doe voluntarily look back upon our former accounts that thereby we may more humbly sue out a totall discharge Though wee may sin the sin over no more yet we may weep it over and over and though the acting of it may be no more yet the bewailing of it should last us ever 3. On Satans part who like an envious and malicious wretch never gives over to throw unto us our errors and failings though corrected with truest reformation So Satan who is the great cause and incentive to sin will not cease after our truest repentance to vexe and sad and if he could to despaire our hearts with the fresh memory of former and forsaken sins so that we seldome or never lay hand on a blessed promise or gaine our selves into the comfortable favour of God or delight our selves in the sweet peace of conscience but he falls in and checks and troubles us with the representations of former sins and perchance makes us let goe our gracious hold with the feares and suspicions and chargements of former guilts 3. Now according to the variety of the causes fetching up upon us our former guilts must we deliver unto you severall helps and remedies Consider therefore on Gods The ends of reviving of sin part there are severall ends in respect of severall persons why he brings on the sinnes againe 1. To make the ground-work more deep and sure We make our tents too short for our wounds Wee sinne much and defile our selves much and we think that a little washing will serve the turne O! this businesse of self-tryall of laying the axe to the root of the tree of diving into the secrets of sin of applying the corrasives unto the core heart of our natures this goes against us wee are quickly weary of it Indeed some trouble and some bitternesse we grant to be convenient but to be still accusing our selves before God still to be lashing and wounding our hearts for wounding of God Ah this this goes against us You shall see people sometimes very sensible of their diseased bodies O now some physick were good they find such aches such distempers surely some physick were good and some they take which makes them excessively sick but then away with it no more physick yet at length the disease comes upon them againe and the Physitian prescribes more physick even that which must goe to the root of the disease which though it makes them more sick yet it procures their safety and better health Beloved God would have men perhaps a longer space to sit upon their sinnes they stint themselves after great sins and make themselves friends with God prefently Now the Lord knowes that this skinning of the sore will spoile all and therefore after a short time he returnes them their sins againe makes Conscience to startle at the guilt againe and deales with us as the skilfull Chirurgion with a man whose leg is broken and ill set he breaks it againe that it may be well set So doth the Lord he breaks our soules againe with the guilt of sins He will make us know that wee must bring him more broken hearts we shall know what it is to sinne against him and shall not make a reall and lasting peace without a sound and solid humiliation And truly this is the great mercy of his wisdome to work thus for hereby he makes our foundation low and sure and hereby he prevents subsequent stirs and makes way for our surer and more comfortable apprehensions and applications of his love in Christ You know that a wise Schoolmaster when a boy skips from a hard lesson to that which is more easie he puts him back againe and makes him say it over and over ere he takes it forth Men think to be catching at Christ however they love to lay load on him and throw their vile burdens upon him though perhaps they never yet weighed their vile sinings and dishonourings of God But the Lord will turne them back againe he will take off these pragmaticall presumers and set them to learne their first lesson better He will make them more sensible of their vile hearts and waies and actions they shall not so easily come off from their accursed transgressions the Lord will hold up the comfortable answers of his favours and the sweet tasts of the Lord Jesus Christ and make them againe to sit downe in bitter sorrow for piercing the Lord Christ and shedding his bloud and grieving of his Spirit and all that men might be more humbled and more really fitted for Christ 2. To make us more humble I assure you oft times our very victories make us proud and that very grace which should be a cause to abase us occasionally and accidentally is a means to puffe us we rise too often above our selves beyond measure And therefore as to Paul there was given a sting to abase him
and a dull heart That heart is properly A dead heart termed dead which wants a living spring and therefore spirituall duty is contrary unto it it hath a secret a versnesse to holy services it cares not for holy prayer there is not onely an indifferency whether the work be done but a determinate dislike and positive The difference twixt a dead heart and a dull heart unwillingnesse or rather a Nolition a nillingnesse to the same Whence ariseth that shuffling carriage in wicked men to find diverting occasions and arguing reasonings against the strictnesse and spiritualnesse of duty But againe that heart is A dull heart properly termed dull which hath in it a living spring but hath not a lively operation The Spirit is willing said Christ there the spring was open but the flesh is weake there the operation was narrow The Christian may say with David My heart O Lord Rom 7. 21 22. is ready my heart is prepared and as Paul I would doe good and I delight in the Law of God after the inward man but yet saith he I find a law that when I would doe good evill is present with me And I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind So in the Galatians The flesh lusteth against Gal. 5. 17. the spirit c. and these are contrary one to the other so that ye cannot doe the things that yee would Ye would doe but yee cannot do Ye cannot alwayes do the work ye would do and ye cannot do it in such a manner as ye would doe it You know that a full vessell which hath a narrow neck it cannot send out the waters so speedily nor so fully and a sick man who would fetch more then a turne about his chamber he cannot doe that sometimes if he doth it it is Simile with extream wearisomnesse not of his mind but of his body Or as a lusty and able man escaped out of prison with a great chaine about his leg he would run away but the chain hinders him and vexeth him so that it doth indispose him in the motion In like manner is it many times with good people The heart the will is bent it is resolved for Prayer for hearing c. but then there is a chaine clogs them there is a spirituall weaknesse there is flesh in them as well as spirit and this doth dull them this doth indispose them about the doing about the exercise of their intentions and desires Therefore let us take heed of denying or concluding the absence of grace from the infirmity of working David Psal 119. 25. My soule cleaveth to the dust that â—as low enough quicken thou me c. 28. My soule melteth for heavinesse strengthen thou me according to thy word prayed often to be quickned and so may we and yet bee alive It is one thing to have Life and livelihood are different life another thing to have livelihood That may be present when this is absent for a Christian 1. may have a dull temper of body not able to render unto him the spirituall sense of spirituall duties melancholy doth intercept the vitality not onely of nature but of grace 2. He may not so seriously meditate and dwell upon the wayes and motives of livelihood hee may have but remisse and unpiercing or unapplying thoughts of Gods great love and mercy of Christs blood and intercession of the Promises's goodnesse and fulnesse and therefore his spirit may be dull 3. He may not have such The oyle may not be on the wheel nor that gale to the ship an actuall aid and speciall influence from the Spirit of Christ to excite his spirituall frame and temper and then if that wind be more slack our ship will move on with lesse forwardnesse Or lastly perhaps he may have over-lasht he hath been improvidently or accidentally in the dulling wayes hee hath been surfetting upon some sin or too greedily embracing the heavy world or been idle in his particular calling But Whatsoever the cause may be this is certaine that Indisposition Indisposition is not fundamentall is not fundamentall it is not such a case which nullifies the estate of Grace For as in our most lively times there is more duty then wee Note can throughly doe so in our dullest times there is not more duty then we would doe And this know that the Christian condition keeps up for truth of being notwithstanding the many pauses the many eclipses the many indispositions which may and doe accompany it But yet againe secondly be informed of this that God observes the bent of the heart in the duty and accordingly accepts of it You know that place in the Chronicles how that the good Lord did pardon 2 Chro. 30. 18 19. every one who prepared his heart to seek him though he Gods eye is more on the intent of the workman theÌ„ on the extent of the work were not cleansed according to the purification of the Sanctuary The greatest actions managed from a corrupt heart are not accepted with God All the superfluous and abundant Note gifts of the Pharisees were worthlesse yet the Widowes mite found acceptance The meanest duties set forth with a perfect heart are acknowledged by God he will take notice of them for God looks to the heart He eyes not so much thy behaviour he listens not so much to thy words but through these he considers thy heart if that come with life though thy body come with dulnesse though thy tongue be not so fluent yet if there be life and truth in the heart he will find duty and accept of it You remember that Simile Simile of the Goldsmith who hath a skilfull eye to find out the smaller and neglected wayes of gold though covered with much drosse and many times there is much fire and much gold when both are hidden with dust and cole So is it with the Lord he can sent out the secrets of our desires and what we would doe is observed and taken with him for Our grones are not hid from him well done notwithstanding the many indispositions which cover our Altar Therefore it is Davids counsell 1 Chron. 28. 9. to Solomon his son Know thou the God of thy Father and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind for the Lord searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts If thou seek him he will be found of thee c. Beloved we are mistaken God can find duty in speechlesse tears and sighs grones Rom. 8. about duty we judge it not to be duty unlesse the tongue can speak much and our behaviours be fresh c. as if a man were not a man and did no work in course cloathes But know we that the sealing of spirituall service with integrity of heart is duty And that is it which God considers and unto which he hath made many promises of
be heires of the Promises The good of them shall be setled upon us See also Esay 25. 9. and Esay 49. 23. None shall be ashamed Esa 49. 23 who wait on me From all which we infer If God hath made sure Promises If hee hath hitherto performed those Promises unto such as wait upon him Then if we wait we shall surely speed c. 2. The things you desire are great and worth the waiting You would thinke him Simile a strange man who would not wait the sealing of the pardon which the King hath promised him It is a wonderfull thing that when God promiseth us pardon of sinnes wee cannot have patience to seek and wait the sealing of it Yet pardon of sinnes is such a thing as our very life lies in it So againe Is not grace a singular thing Is not mortifying of sin an excellent thing And is it much that the Lord puts us to more frequent seekings to iterated prayers and duties for those gifts and grants which are so high in their nature so admirable in their use so saving in their end can you be better imployed 3. The answers will sweeten and easily recompence all the times and labours of seeking When the man-child is borne all the labour in travail is forgotten the joy of it drownes the sense of that Let As the Wisemen when they saw the star rejoyced God but lift up the light of his countenance on thee it will answer and quit to all the prayers that ever thou madest in thy life I found him whom Cant. 3. 4. And David doth forget the aking of his bones c. when God did answer him my soule loveth I held him c. 4. Doubled services have usually doubled mercies for when God prepares the heart he will incline the eare and when he intends a great mercy he first enlargeth the heart to a greatnesse of desire and seeking Every true seeking of God opens the heart wider and secretly addes to the stock The more prayers we have put Prayers are our money at use up to use in the hands of God the larger will the returne of them prove When we have been long suiters God doth ordinarily at length dismisse us with more then what wee aske So that he will answer us not onely for our prayers but also for our time 4. We shall have the best things in the fittest times therefore we should not accufe our services as lost for God will answer them but then it shall be in the best things at the best times O will you say Is it not Ob. more then time that I had more grace and sin more subdued I answer Perhaps not God Sol. doth know that thou hast a proud temper and thou growest big and art apt to swell upon enlargements Thou art apt to despise others and to make glorious conceits of thy selfe and therefore he doth answer thee not by victory but by combat That is he doth not presently subdue thy sinne that it shall not trouble thee but lets it alone that it shall exercise thee thou shalt find matter to keep thee low and humble when still thou feelest such remnants and workings of corruption To the resistance of which God doth yet enable and after thy heart growes more emptied thou shalt have victory Againe though thou prayest against thy sins yet thou dost venture upon the provocations and occasions of sinne and therefore the Lord may justly hold up because thou holdst not in Now the Lord by his silence will teach thee in these times forbearance on thy part as well as forbearance on his part and then upon thy next prayers accompanied with this watchfulnesse and avoidance of occasions he will let fall more strength and power to mortifie thy sinfull dispositions Wherefore let us not faint in case of suspensions for God doth suspend his grants to the times when thou art fitted to receive them and when it is fit for him to open them Is it sin that thou wouldst have subdued Doe thou seek his subduing power and withall decline inviting occasions either from thy selfe or others and then God will heare thee Now thou art fitted and now is it fit for God to help thee but if thou wilt pray against the disposition and runne still upon the occasion God will not answer thee Is it grace and eavennesse in duty which thou wouldest have Then thou must use former grace and stick close with humblenesse and diligence and reverence to the meanes and now God will supply all thy wants Untill thou hast a more humble and doing heart thou art not fitted for more grace God giveth more grace to the humble saith James James 4. I say he will give thee more grace Thou shalt have enough for thy condition and enough for thy salvation although thou hast not such an equall measure with others whom God intends for more publique use and service then he doth thee 5. Gods forbearings should not occasion cessation but earnestnesse He is not silent that we thereby should become speechlesse but that our desires should grow more fervent You know that the skilfull Simile Angler doth not draw back his bait that the fish should not bite but that by this meanes he should the more greedily leap after the bait And the tender mother steps aside not that she would not have the child seek her but that it may even dote after her So doth God many times draw back and step aside and as the Prophet Jeremie speaks Jer. 11. 8. He becomes as a stranger and as a way-faring man who turneth aside c. And as David speaketh He is as one that sleeps Why What Is it that hee He knowes our thoughts long before doth not know us No. Is it that he doth not hear us No. Is it that he will not speed us No. His eare is open and before they call I will answer Esa Why then Surely because 1. He delights in this musick he smels a sweet odour and savour in all our humble sacrifices he delights in the broken Whiles they are speaking I will answer Loc. cit Ro. 15. 30. Hos 12. 3 4 heart 2. He loves that we should strive with him for his grants that is the phrase Rom. 15. 30 and wrastle with him as Jacob and so prevaile upon him And that we should give him no rest Esay 62. 7. untill he hath satisfied Esa 62. 7. our soules with mercy and established them with his grace 3. He would inhance the goodnesse of the things desired and make us to weare the answers with more thankfulnesse to himselfe with more comfort to our selves and with more benefit to others 8. An eighth cause of doubtings was weaknesse of judgmēt about the essentials of salvation which necessarily doth cause doubtings both in respect of those suspicions and errors mistakings to which it is subject as also in respect of that scrupulosity which ever adheres to the conscience
Conscience condemns thy person I confesse thou hast no reason to beleeve mercy for thy selfe If thy conscience tels thee to the face of God thou art in a foule sinfull course and hast been called upon by the voice of the Word and its voice to come out of it and thou dost not leave it nay art resolved to pursue it and to insist on it now God is greater then thy conscience and will assuredly condemne thee 2. If conscience condemns thy actions onely then thou mayest notwithstanding that condemnation beleeve on mercy My meaning is this Though the conscience by its discerming light represents unto thee much sinfulnesse in thy nature and former course and though it doth condemne these to be vile and most fit to be crucified abhorred and forsaken this condemnation hinders not the right of beleeving Nay no man indeed should beleeve unlesse his conscience doth condemne sin in him not onely shew him his sinnes but assure him that they are evill and unworthy his love nay most worthy of his detestation and mortification 2. Secondly you must distinguish of times when conscience doth condemne a man there are two times of a Christian 1. Some are open and free He is himselfe and besides that he heares both parties as well what is for himselfe as what is against himselfe yea and weighs matters in controversie in the right ballance of Gods Sanctuary not in Satans ballance of cunning suggestions Will conscience condemne thy person at such a time and under such circumstances Nay will not the Word of God acquit thee at such a time against all feares for the substance and reality of a pious condition 2. Some are clouded darkned either with melancholy or afflictions or temptations wherein the Christian seeth his face through a false glasse just as a Title is made by a deceitfull cunning Lawyer not according to truth not all of it but some of it What is past heretofore for action and affection or what hath falne out not in the course of life since a mans conversion but onely in case of surprisall and captivity Now perhaps conscience may condemne thee but this is an illegall sentence it is a corrupted judgement and is reversible God will not judge of thee as Conscience in such a case doth Nay he will repeale it and disanull it 4. A fourth cause of doubtings is a feare lest a man hath sinned that great sin against the holy Ghost And the main inducement to credit this is a sinning against cleare knowledge which is one ingredient in that sinne Now this is my condition saith a troubled soul I have not onely sinned but sinned against light shining in the Ministery and working on my conscience therefore I may rather conclude then question it Mercy belongs not to me To help a conscience thus Sol. inthralled I would wish that such a person would 1. Be informed 2. Be directed 1. The Information which I would commend in this case is fourefold First that the sinne against the holy Ghost is not any sin which a man commits through ignorance Whatsoever the sinne or sinnes have beene whereof the party stands guilty whether against the Law or against the Gospel suppose it be one or many hainous sinnes yet if the person be in a state of blindnesse and ignorance if there is a nescience of the fact if hee knowes not what he doth this ignorance priviledgeth the sinnings thus far that therefore they are not the sin against the holy Ghost Secondly the sin against the holy Ghost is not any sinne against the Gospel which is elicited and acted through a mis-beliefe or mis-perswasion If the sinne be a sleighting of Euangelicall doctrines nay a persecuting of them and of the professors of them yet if these acts of opposition depend totally on error in the judgment on a judgement mis-perswaded i. rather beleeving them not to be truths rather thinking those wayes to be false wayes I say this mis-beliefe preserves such sinnings yet from being sins against the holy 1 Tim. 1. 13. Ghost because the sinne against the holy Ghost supposeth light even to conviction and approbation See Heb. 6. 4. 5. Thirdly the sin against the holy Ghost is not every sinning against knowledge These are not reciprocall propositions every sin against the holy Ghost is against knowledg and every sinne against knowledge is the sin against the holy Ghost The former is true but the latter is not for many a converted man sinneth against knowledge who yet never sinneth the sin against the holy Ghost In two cases a man sinning against knowledge doth not yet sin that sin against the holy Ghost One is the case of a strong and violent temptation Another is the case of a sudden and turbulent passion It is the same with Peters case against his knowledg denying and forswearing his Master If Paul before his conversion had had Peters knowledge he had sinned this sin against the holy Ghost And if Peter in his denyall had had Pauls malice joyned with his knowledge he had also sinned that sinne but the mis-beliefe of the one before his conversion and the infirmity of the other after it preserved from this sinne Error mis-led the one and sudden feare surprised the other Fourthly there are three horrible sinnings which doe attend that sinne against the holy Ghost and the Scripture which wee were best exceeding warily to follow in resolving this case expresly delivers them 1. One is totall Apostasie from the truths of Jesus Christ knowne and tasted The truths of Christ must 1. be knowne and apprehended 2. knowne and tasted they must be approved 3. And then the person falls from these 4. Nay his fal is not particular which is incident to the best it is a totall fall not a falling in the way but a falling from the way of truth Heb. 6. 4. If they were once inlightned and tasted c. If ver 6. they shall fall away 2. A second is a malicious oppugnation of that truth which was once knowne and tasted and from which now the person is falne called Heb. 6. 6. A crueifying of the Sonne of God afresh And Heb. 10. 26. A And despiting the spirit of Grace wilfull sinning after that we have received the knowledge of the truth And it was evident in the Pharisees who saw and knew the light but hated and persecuted it unto the death 3. A third is finall impenitencie Whosoever sinnes the sin against the holy Ghost he neither doth repent nor can repent He is so justly and for ever forsaken of God and given up to a reprobate sense and a seared conscience that he cannot repent though perhaps he may see his course to be evill yet it is impossible saith the Apostle in Heb. 6. 6. to renew him to repentance FINIS