a phrase taken from a man which makes love to a partie so the truth of God makes love to many a man it makes love to thy naughtie and corrupt heart and would plucke thee away from these things here below and would draw thee from thy base haunts and filthy lusts and sinfull courses and it would wooe and winne thy soule to take place in it that it may shew comfort to it the truth of God makes love to the world and the world will none of the truth Christ came to the world and the world received him not they were so farre from seeking a Saviour and comming to him that they would not receive a Saviour when hee came unto them Therefore know thou hast a heart that can hate the Lord Jesus Christ but thou hast not a heart to love him thou hast not a heart that can delight in his good Spirit thou hast not a heart that can take content in his rich grace The second reason why I presse this point is this I would discover the disorderly dealing of many poore Saints of God wâ—th their owne soules Many a poore childe of God labours extremely and takes great paines to worke his soule and bring his heart to love Christ he falls out with himselfe because he cannot love God and he is ready to curse himselfe hee cannot get his heart up to heaven where is more riches than is in the best riches of the world where is more honour than in the greatest honour upon earth where is more pleasure than in the greatest delight here below they labour and can finde no good successe they take paines but their worke doth not succeed prosperously the reason is this they doe not begin at the right end they worke the wrong way goe to the sea of love and goe to the sunne of righteousnesse and to the beames of Gods mercie which onely can worke thy heart to love God and delight in him doe not goe to thy cold earthly frozen heart and thinke to fetch love from thence thinke not to bring love to the promise but looke to receive love from the promise but it is the love of God towards thee that must draw love from thee to God againe It was the speech of Christ when he was to send the Comforter to his Disciples Iohn 16.14 He shall receive of mine saith the text and give it unto you marke the phrase all graces and all spirituall abilities are Christs goe thy wayes therefore and presse the Lord Jesus with this promise of his and say The truth is Lord the heart to love thee and delight in thee is thine and thou hast said thy Spirit shall take of thine and give to us therefore give to us of thine Lord that thou mayst receive of thine from us Our hearts cannot love nor delight in thy Majestie but it must come from thee give it to us therefore Lord that wee may give thee of thine owne Vse 2 The second thing I gather from this doctrine is this namely strong comfort and consolation to stay and refresh the hearts of those that have received this gracious worke What ever thy weaknesse be it skils not Is thy love in truth Is thy joy sound it is enough thy soule may bee comforted in that the Lord hath bestowed this gracious worke upon thee in any measure if thy love be in truth it will carry thee through all occasions in this pilgrimage of thine and bring thee to everlasting happinesse it is a ground of admirable refreshing to the soule that findes in his heart this love and delight in God The text telleth us a man by nature cannot doe this Therefore if thou hast this goe thy way cleare thy soule and blesse God for it and make much of it and say Thou hast more than all carnall men than all cunning hypocrites under heaven can have pretend what they will and professe what they please thou that hast the love of God in any measure though in much weaknesse thou hast more than they all This may refresh the hearts of many of you poore ones though haply many other things goe ill with you yet this appeares in the younglings of Christ though they cannot doe any thing for their Father yet they can love him it is a loving childe we say it can love the Father though it can doe nothing for him so you poore weake Christians that have small meanes little abilities haply thy understanding is not so deepe to fadome the mysteries of life and salvation thy tongue is not so glib to talke so freely and conferre so comfortably of heavenly things thou canst not be enlarged in holy duties thy understanding is marvellous blinde thy memory marvellous weake thy parts exceeding feeble so that thou art even ashamed of thy selfe and of what thou hast and dost But I aske thee this question Canst thou love Christ and reioyce in the Lord Jesus mee thinkes many a poore soule replies Yes I blesse the Lord that is all I have to uphold my heart withall I thinke all the profits and pleasures and friends in the world cannot draw my love from Christ it is my delight to love him and rejoyce in him Goe thy wayes then and the God of heaven go with thee this sparke is a sparke of that immortall Spirit of the Father which will never dye it is a worke of grace which will never leave thee it is a badge it is the cognizance and the proper liverie which the Lord Jesus Christ gives only to his Saints there was never a hypocrite under heaven that ever wore this God intended it not for them but those and onely those which the Lord hath effectually called and will glorifie with himselfe hereafter weare this and therefore thou that wantest all yet hast this comfort thy selfe with this in the want of all and say I love the Lord and the Lord knowes it and my soule knowes that I love the Lord Jesus I can say but little for Christ my understanding is weake I conceive not my memorie is weake I retaine not but yet the Lord knowes I love him and delight in him Yea and know thou it too and comfort thy selfe therein the Apostle provoâ—es us to love one another Iohn 4.7 because love comes from God now if the love to the brethren comes from God because wee see Gods image in them then the love of God hath a much more expresse worke in it therefore reason thus with your selves The time was that this wretched vile carnall worldly heart of mine could finde no relish in the promise I could not bring this naughtie soule of mine to entertaine the Gospell of grace nor the Spirit of grace but they were tedious and irksome to my soule but the Lord blessed be his name hath beene pleased to helpe me so that I can doe that which I never could doe I finde the Lords promise and goodnesse much more comfortable to me than all the corne and wine
of God and the powerfull worke thereof may marvellously snub and wound sinne but infidelitie will heale it againe and will restore life to it againe I compare reformation to the retreat of an army when one side is weake and the other side is too strong and they are not able to make their parts good then they make a retreat and goe home againe to their trenches and hee that wisely retreats himselfe though he may lose the day yet he loseth not a man and the Commander saith such a man was wounded and such a man was hurt a little but we came all well home they retreat into the trenches and get more strength and then they levy our their forces againe So it is with outward reformation haply a man lives under a powerfull Minister under a good master and in a good family and all these make sin retreat and hee dares not sweare and he cannot walke in his wicked wayes his master curbs him all this while his sinnes make a retreat but there is none of them gone the life of never a one of them is gone so long as he hath an unbeleeving heart let the unbeleever enjoy never such means and live in never so good a family yet he hath not one sinne killed they are onely retreated and so unbeleefe nurseth them and makes them grow out with greater violence This I take to be the reason why many a man that hath professed the Gospell and hath had much horror of heart and many good resolutions and much care expressed outwardly after many yeers his corruptions breake out againe and get ground and they are armed afresh and they run violently and for any thing a man knowes they goe downe to hell how many professours have turned to be uncleane persons and to be drunkards because their old sinnes were but onely snubbed by good company and the word c. But they never had their hearts throughly broken the root that nursed all was still the same and therefore they breake out notoriously to the dishonour of God the scandall of the Gospell and the confusion of their owne soules if God be not mercifull Fourthly as unbeleefe keepes God from the soule and makes all meanes unprofitable and maintaines all sinne in the strength and life of it So lastly it makes the soule of a poor sinner to be in a desperate estate and a man continuing in this condition is past hope help recovery beleeving is the last covenant that ever God hath exprest a man may be saved and not doe the law but a man cannot be saved if he doe not beleeve that 's the last covenant and condition of all and if hee stick here he is past all recovery without a wonderfull worke from Heaven Heb. 3.18 There the Lord takes a solemne oath that they that would not beleeve should never enter into his rest to whom did he sweare thus to them that beleeved not God never takes an oath that hee that keeps not the law shall not bee saved or that hee that cannot performe to keepe all the Commandements shall not be saved and never see happinesse no but he takes an oath that they that beleeve not shall never see happinesse and when God once sweares the thing is unchangeable God never swore that if Adam did not doe hee should not live but if he had not beleeved in that Christ that was promised hee had never beene saved but though we cannot live by exact doing yet we may live by beleeving and we may goe to another to doe what God requires of us and this is the reason of that peremptory curse which God sealâ—s downe upon the hearts of unbeleevers Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth is not condemned but he that beleeveth not is condemned already hee hath one foot in hell but why is it so I answer looke as it is with a man that hath a case to be tried if it be tried in all the courts of England and he cast in them all there is no more trouble to bee made nor no more hope of recovery So it is in this hee that beleeveth not is cast in all Courts in Heaven and earth Law and Gospell both condemne him justice will not save him for it must bee satisfied and mercy will not save him for he is an unbeleever so that there is no trial to be lookt for the sentence is passed upon him in heaven and earth onely there wants a Jaylor to bring him to the gibbit that is death and the devill who is the hangman to turne him off into hell for ever there to plague him nay unbeleefe bindes Gods hand and hinders the power of God as may be said with reverence he may justifie a sinner but he will not justifie an unbeleever in his estate of unbeleefe Marke 6.5 He could doe no miracle there because of their unbeleefe the text doth not say hee did not great workes there So S. Matthew hath it but he could doe no great workes there so the Lord hee can doe mighty workes he can justifie a sinner and comfort the discomforted and cleanse the polluted and save the polluted but he will not save the unbeleever hee cannot worke this mighty worke upon him and therefore doe not trouble thy selfe so much for mercy towards thee if thou bee an unbeleever never dreame of comfort for God cannot save thee will God goe against his owne words then he should not bee truth hee hath sworne that an unbeleever shall not enter into his rest this word and oath shall stand for ever Therefore goe to God that hee may give thee a beleeving heart and then mercy will come and pardon and glory will come to the soule but remaining in unbeleefe hee cannot save thee hee will not deny his Word nor his oath for never an unbeleeving wretch under Heaven Now if you doe conceive the nature of your sinne and your misery thereby then for the Lords sake you that heare the Word this day all you unbeleevers that never had this worke of faith in your soules hie you out of this miserable condition goe your wayes and give no quiet to your soules nor no comfort to your consciences before the Lord shew mercy to you in removing this corruption from your soules and shew mercy to you Now whether you have true faith or no I shall shew afterwards when I shall come to trie every mans evidence and that yee may come out of this unbeleeving condition labour to see the danger of it in three particulars and establish thy heart with these considerations that thou maist never bee in quiet till thou have some power against them and grace to come out of them First know and consider seriously that whatsoever thou dost so long as thou art an unbeleever it is all unprofitable and to no purpose at al couldst thou heare with attention and remember sufficiently whatsoever is revealed and pray with abilitie and understanding beseeming a Christian man in that case didst thou reforme
in shew but false in heart p. 279 Here are further to bee discovered foure sorts of Hypocrites 1 There is a whining Hypocrite p. 280 2 The wrangling Hypocrite p. 280 3 The glorious Hypocrite p. 280 4 The presumptuous Hypocrite p. 280 We are now come to the worke of the will p. 283 Doctrine VIII The will of a poore sinner humbled and inlightned comes to be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest upon the freenesse of God in Christ that it may be interested therein p. 284 The opening of this Doctrine consisteth in 4 particulars Particular I. That this worke must be in an heart humbled and enlightned p. 285 Particular II. The will must be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father p. 287 Particular III. By the power of this perswasion it casteth it selfe upon the rich grace free mercy of God in Christ p. 295 Now this resting of the soule upon the rich grace of God in Christ discovereth it selfe in a 5. fold Act. Act I. It doth imply a going out of the soule to Christ that the soule runs and reacheth after a Christ p. 296 Act II. Of resting is this it layeth fast hold upon Christ p. 298 Act III. Of resting is this it flings the weight of all his occasions and troubles upon Christ p. 302 Act IV. Of resting and reposing is this it doth draw vertue and derive power from the Lord Iesus Christ for succour and supply p. 305 Faith doth draw vertue from Christ by a three-fold Act. p. 307 Act I. Is this Faith doth appropriate and apply the promise to it selfe in particular ibid. Act II. Faith doth jog the hand of God and sets Gods power on worke p. 309 Act III. Faith urgeth God with his owne Word and presseth Gods promise and challengeth God on his faithfulnesse and truth not to be wanting unto him for the acceptation of his Person and the pardon of his sinnes p. 311 Act V. Of resting is this it doth leave the soule with the promise p. 312 Particular IV. Is the finall cause why it doth rest that it may be interested into all the good that is in the promise and to have supply of all Spirituall wants from the promise p. 315 The Spirituall wants of the soule which faith doth supply are of 3. sorts p. 316 Sort I. Of Spirituall wants are these that the soule is gone away from God and is estranged to God now faith bringeth the soule againe to God ibid. Want II. Is this the soule being departed from God hence the soule is deprived of all good grace and life now faith doth not onely bring a sinner to God but it doth communicate from God to a sinner p. 320 Want III. Is this the heart is fearfull lest it should lose that grace now faith it is that doth keepe a man grace p. 322 Question How doth the soule come to beleeve Answer There are three things in the promise where by the will of man is drawne to beleeve p. 327 Motive I. Is the All-sufficiencie of the freenesse of Gods love p. 328 Motive II. Is this that this mercy is intended for thee p. 329 Motive III. Is this that God doth earnestly desire thee to come and to take this mercy p. 330 Use I. Of information that saving faith is no part of that holinesse which Adam had nor no part of that Image to which wee are restored by Sanctification p. 335 Use II. â—t is an use of terrour to all that still remaine in unbeleefe p. 349 The fearfulnesse of this sinne of unbeleefe is laid open in foure Particulars p. 352 Particular I. Because unbeleefe it doth keepe off the riches of mercies from the soule that are in Christ that it cannot enjoy them p. 352 Particular II. Vnbeleefe it doth make all meanes to be unprofitable p. 356 Particular III. Vnbeleefe all sinne in the strength and power of it in the heart of a sinner p. 361 Particular IV. Vnbeleefe maketh the soule of a sinner to be in a desperate case and condition p. 366 The danger of unbeleefe doth appeare in these three Particulars p. 369 Particular I. Consider it seriously that whatsoever thou dost so long as thou art an unbeleever it is all unprofitable and to no purpose at all p. 369 Particular II. All the good things an unbeleever doth enjoy will prove uncomfortable p. 370 Particular III. Vnbeleefe is the breeder and maintainer of all the rest of the sinnes of an unbeleever p. 371 Use III. It is a collection concerning the difficultie of the worke of faith that the worke of faith is beyond the reach of all created power p. 374 Use IV. It is to shew the benefits that come by faith to the soule p. 390 What these benefits are in particular vid. p. 394. and p. 396 Use V. It is an use of consolation and great comfort to all the servants of God that through his mercy have received this grace p. 416 The knowledge of true saving faith from a false faith appeareth in these three trials p. 423 Triall I. Is this observe the root and rise of thy faith the cause by which thy faith was wrought and from whence it came p. 423 Triall II. Observe whether thy faith doth make choice wholly of Christ and doth resolve to match with Christ only p. 428 Triall III. Observe whether thy faith doth beare it selfe upon the promise in all its extremities and is satisfied with it p. 431 Use VI. It is a word of reproofe against all those that never yeâ— were made partakers of the blessed worke of grace p. 434 Most that live in the bosome of the Church want saving faith p. 437 The reasons of it vid. p. 440 There bee foure sorts in particular that have no faith p. 446 Sort I. The ignorant persons p. 447 Sort II. The carnall Gospellers that doe live scandalously and trade in their wickednesse p. 450 Sort III. The meere civilized or judicious professours that beare up themselves much upon their owne wisdome and judgement p. 455 Sort IV. The counterfeit that have a forged kinde of false faith they have their alcumie faith p. 464 Of these counterfeit beleevers there are three sorts p. 465 Sort I. The first sort of counterfeit beleevers are the temporarie beleevers p. 465 Sort II. The second sort of counterfeit beleevers are the sturdy hypocrites p. 483. Sort III. The third sort of counterfeits are the shifting stately hypocrites p. 500 Use VII It is an use of exhortation to desire you to labour to get this grace of faith p. 515 The hinderances of faith are of two sorts some are reall hinderances that doe hinder the soule from Christ others doe not hinder the soules interest in Christ p. 519 The reall hinderances are foure p. 520 The hinderances that doe not hinder the title to a Christ are three in particular p. 538 Sort I. The first kinde of seeming hinderances are those discouragements which oppresse the soule through carnall reasoning p.
will make with the house of Israel I write my lawes in their hearts and they shall not need to be taught Men must know God and beleeve in the Lord. Now as the Lord requires this as the condition of the covenant so the Lord will work this in them as he requires this of them Iohn 1.12 the text saith To them that beleeve he gave them power to be the sonnes of God Now if a man will beleeve he shall be saved Now then hee makes a man beleeve that he may be a sonne This is the second passage whereby the soule of a sinner comes to be cheered or that there is not onely abundance of sufficiency in the Lord Jesus Christ but that mercy as it is able to doe him good so it will make him partaker of the good The third particular is this That as mercy hath all good and will make us partakers of what it hath so also it will dispose of us and of that it bestoweth upon us Mercy will not onely have a sinner but it will rule and order that grace it hath bestowed upon the soule For if mercy purchase a soule at so high a rate as the blood of the Lord Jesus it is right that the soule purchased by grace and supplyed with grace that mercy should dispose it for the honour of God You are not your owne saith the Apostle but bought with a price therefore you must glorifie the Lord in body and soule Nay it is not onely right that mercy should doe it but reason and beneficiall to the soule that mercy should doe thus Nay I say unlesse that mercy should rule a man he had not beene able to give full content to the soule If the Lord should leave any poore soule to the destiny of his owne heart and the malice of Satan hee would runne to ruine presently he is not able to supply his owne wants and to dispose of his owne spirit and employ aright his owne soule For if Adam in his innocency had a stocke in his owne hands fell and perished then if mercy should put a man into the same estate that Adam was a man should bring himselfe into the same misery that Adam was brought into but there is that fulnesse of that mercy that is in Christ that it wil bestow all good needfull for me so also it will dispose of that good in me so that Satan shall never prevaile the world shall never overcome nor my corruptions beare sway in me but the Lord shall rule me for ever and this is the fulnesse of Gods mercy Gather up the point then that we may see what wee must learne There is sufficiency in mercy to supply all wants nay there is ability in mercy to communicate that it hath and we stand in need of Nay mercy will preserve us and that it giveth to us against all oppositions that can befall thee This is the lesson that the soule must learne that it may be able in some measure to see the way and learne the path that leadeth to everlasting happinesse This is the first lesson that the soule must learne of God the Father Vset For the use of this Is this the lesson the soule must learne then looke wisely upon it and when this comes upon thee and sorrow assailes thee heavily doe not looke into the blacke booke of conscience and thinke there to finde supply neither looke into the booke of the privileges and performances and thinke to finde power out of thy owne sufficiency Looke not on thy sinnes to pore upon them whereby thou shalt be discouraged neither look into thy owne sufficiency thinking thereby to procure any thing to thy selfe These are but lessons of the lower forme It is true thou must see thy sinnes and sorrow for them but this is for the lower forme and thou must get this lesson beforehand and when thou hast gotten this lesson of contrition and humiliation looke onely to Gods mercy and the riches of his grace and be sure as you take out this lesson take it not out by halves for then you wrong mercy and your selves too if you thinke that bare workes will serve and that is all No no mercy will rule you therefore take all the lesson out and then the heart will be cheered and thy soule in some measure enabled to come on to the Lord and will see some glimpses of consolation from the Spirit Quest 2 We see the lesson what must be learned now we must see the reason why the Lord must teach this lesson Answ I answer It is not appropriated to the Father alone for the Father teaches not alone but the Sonne and the holy Ghost teach too But why then doth the Text give it to the Father Here I answer directly because the Father was directly offended with the sinne of man 1 Iohn 1.7 If wee sinne wee have an advocate with the Father namely the Lord Jesus Christ to plead for us with the Father He doth not say wee take an advocate with an advocate that doth not plead with himselfe the reason is God the Father was directly offended though all the persons in the Trinity were offended yet the Father more directly Now he that is directly offended favour and mercy must come from him to the party that doth offend and that is the reason why Christ especially cast this upon the Father Take a creditor that hath money or creditors that are bankrupts now this is no meanes to helpe and succour these men but it lyeth upon the creditor that oweth the debt for he onely it is must come to forgive the debts for it is here God the Father being directly offended by the sonne of man therefore from him in the first place must proceed the pardon and mercy to the sonne of man Hence it comes to passe that the text saith the Father must teach this lesson Quest 3 The third question is this After what manner doth the Lord teach the soule Christ speakes now of the worke of the Spirit and that you may not be mistaken know this that the worke of the Spirit doth alwayes goe with and is communicated by the word therefore if the question be After what manner doth God teach the soule to spell out this lecture of mercy and pardon Answ I answer brieflâ— The Lord teacheth the soule by his Spirit I told you that before that not only the Father but the Sonne and holy Ghost also teacheth the Father from himselfe the Son from the Father and the holy Ghost from both Therefore understand what I say the Spirit of the Lord doth not onely in the generall make known Gods mercy but doth in particular with strength of evidence present to the broken hearted sinner the right of the freenesse of Gods grace to the soule nay it holds those speciall considerations to the heart and prefenâ—eth the heart with them not onely so but in the second place the Spirit doth forcibly soke in the reâ—â—ish of that grace
into the heart and by the over-piercing worke doth leave some dint of supernaturall and spirituall vertue on the heart The Spirit doth not onely with truth bring home the evidence to the heart but it iâ— stâ—ll whispering and calling and making knowne the same and forcibly soketh in the rellish of the freenesse of Gods grace and leaveth a dint of supernaturall vertue upon the soule We will expresse the points because it is somewhat difficult and is the scope of that place 2 Tim. 1.7 The Lord hath not given you the spirit of feare but of a sound minde The spirit of feare is the spirit of bondage in humiliation contrition When the Spirit sheweth a man his sinnes and sheweth him that he is in bondage and in fetters le ts him get out how he can this is the spirit of feare and of bondage In the second place there is the spirit of power But what is this spirit of power You must imagine this spirit of power doth not intimate any particular grace but as it were the sinewes and strength of the worke of the Spirit conveying it selfe through the frame of the heart and this I terme to bee the effectuall worke of the Spirit of God When the soule is humbled the Lord sweetly communicates into the soule a supernaturall and spirituall vertue Lastly as it is in nature take a knife if it be rubbed on a Loadstone it will draw iron unto it now it cannot doe that because it is a knife but because it is rubbed on a stone and receives vertue there from So it is with a heart humbled it is a fit subject for the grace of God to worke upon the love of God is like the loadstone and if the heart he rubbed thereupon and affected with the sweetnesse thereof it will bee able to close with that mercy and come to that mercy and goe to God from whence that mercy comes Quest 4 What is the behaviour of the soule when it hath learned this lesson from the Lord Answ I answer When these two things meet together in the soule then it hath learned this lesson The first is this when the soule having heard of that plentifull redemption that is in Christ as also having apprehended the revelation thereof it commeth to close with the worke of the Spirit revealing presenting and offering grace to the heart nay it comes to give entertainment to he riches of that mercy revealed to the soule There is in the mercy of God and in the blessed truth of the promises a great excellency Now when this is so plentifully brought home to the heart that it breakes through all oppositions which may hinder the worke of the Spirit upon the soule when it is brought home by the spirit of God and the heart gives way and closes with it so that there is nothing betweene that and the soule this I take to be the first frame of the soule that beginnes to learne this lesson it beginnes to close to the truth to give way to the sweetnesse that is in it and bids adieu to all delight and sinnes and whatsoever may be a hindrance unto it from receiving of this grace into the soule This is the first passage The second with which I will conclude is this that as the soule closeth with that mercy and welcommeth it and the heart is content to take up mercy upon those termes so in the second place there is an impression and disposition left upon the soule that it is framed and disposed there is a kinde of print which the soule hath with it so that as the mercy of God is revealed to the soule and communicated to the soule so there is a kind of impression frame and print which the heart retaineth and hath wrought upon it by this grace and free favour of God made knowne therefore that phrase Rom. 6.17 is a marvellous patterne to our purpose the Text saith they were delivered to this forme of doctrine Looke as it is with a seale if the seale be set to the wax and leave an impression just so many letters upon the wax as in the seale then it is wholly sealed So the Spirit of God through Christ in the promises doth reveale al the freenesse and grace of mercy in Christ Now when the Spirit doth leave an impression on the soule that man is delivered into the truth I conclude all in Acts 26.18 when Saul was sent to preach to the Gentiles the Text saith he was but to bring them out of darknesse into light mark when the Lord doth come to worke effectually upon the soule he brings men from under the power of darknesse whereas the understanding was darke and blinded when the Spirit comes it turnes it from the darknesse and power of sinne unto the power of light and grace Lastly the power of the heart doth these two things for not onely some of the heart must bee brought to God but the whole heart therefore in the precious promises of grace and savation there is fulnesse of all good to draw all the faculties of the soule unto the Lord and therefore the faithfulnesse and the truth of God is mainly revealed in the promises now that fits the understanding and makes it looke to God for pardon for power and mercy As the promise is a true word so it is a good word this answers all the will and affections there is a possibility in mercy to save a man hope expects it but then the soule must looke onely to Christ for mercy desire long for it for that there is a certainty that a man shall have mercy if he can desire it love doth welcome and delight in it nay the soule doth say The Lord hath said thou must be saved nay thou must looke to Christ for mercy it is no where else to be had nay if thou dost desire it thou shalt have it and then the Lord determines the point it is done mercy is thine and then the will addes full consent and sayes Amen Lord let it be as thou hast said Gather them up briefly When the Spirit of God doth so cleerly present mercy to the soule and doth leave by the over-powring worke thereof a supernaturall worke upon the soule that the spirit closeth therewith and receives the print and impression thereof now the lesson is fully learned this may suffice for the opening of the severall things now therefore we will addresse our selves to gather the doctrines out of the Text. And first for the generall in that the Father is said to teach Doct. That the teaching of the heart effectually is the proper taske and worke of God It is not you that can teach your selves neither can all the meanes and friends under heaven doe it no it is the work onely of the Father All these meanes and ministers are usefull but God is the chiefe master and all these are but underling ushers to convey the minde of God unto us but the master is God himselfe
towards good Now the affections of the soule that doe respect evill are especially three if any evill be comming first feare is a watchman and the heart trembles and shakes and gives in Hence comes palenesse in the face because feare goes downe into the very castle of a man which is the heart and then sorrow greeves and mournes and laments under the weight of that evill wee feare evill to come but we sorrow for evill that is come Thirdly hatred that carries it selfe with a kinde of indignation and takes up armes against that evill feare is preventing sorrow feeling hatred opposing any evil that comes Now these three affections that goe from evill have been wrought upon in contrition and humiliation namely when the Lord the eye of a poore sinner discovers unto him that hell is gaping for him and the God of justice preparing vengeance for him the soule staggers and shrinks in the apprehension of it then the Lord lets in the fire of indignation into the soule and makes the soule feele that before he threatned and then the soule grieves and because his sinnes have beene so tedious unto him his heart is brought to a hatred and indignation against those evils So that if any evill or provocation or temptation come to a soule broken if the old loose companions old corruptions old swearing old blaspheming old dalliances come to call upon the soule let us have our fill of love untill the morning let us take up our old delights when these call the soule and would plucke the soule home againe unto them then these foure fence the soule against all those inchantments in so much that when the drunkard seeth his company comming towards him hee thinkes that is my plague that is the man and his perswasions and counsels hee remembers his old corruptions and his old horrors and his old burthens and heavie loads that lay upon his heart and the soule hates the drunkard and will not yeeld to his perswasions they so fence the way that the voice of sinne cannot be heard it may call and call but the doore is shut they stop the currant that no streame of distempers may prevaile any more this now is done before so that now wee come to the second worke So there are other affections that carry the soule unto good if there be any good propounded or offered then there are foure other affections that the will sends out to entertaine that good hope and desire looke for the good that is absent hope saith I marvell it comes not desire saith I long after it when the goodnesse is neere then love welcomes it and delights in it and joy rejoyceth and all these hope desire love and joy all bring carry and convey all the good to the will which is the great commander of the soule Love and joy tell the will We have found much goodnesse and taken great delight and much content in the goodnesse and mercy of the Lord. The truth is wee have taken delight in sinne and base courses but oh the comfort but oh the consolation and goodnesse of mercy you cannot have a better good than mercy Then saith the will We will have grace mercy wee will rest here Thus wee see how the head and the foot of the affections doe come on to embrace that good now the understanding doth stand sentinell all the while and discovers all the good and musters up hope and desire and love and joy and these foure are the maine wee must meddle with all the other went from evill and they have their proper worke before we doe not hate and sorrow for mercy wee doe not feare to receive mercy but wee feare and withdraw our selves from sinne and corruptions that we may entertaine the call of mercy Thing 2 There is the promise of grace and mercy in Christ a fulnesse of mercy which doth so powerfully and effectually draw the soule by this good that it brings all these affections after it Therefore in this fulnesse of mercy and goodnesse of God there are these particulars that like so many claspes draw all these faculties to God to follow and close with God for their good The promise is a true one and truth is that which marvellously pleaseth the understanding as a mans palate tastes meat so the understanding tastes words There is nothing so pleasing to the understanding as the truth of God Now of all truth there is none like the truth of a promise therefore the evidence of it doth cleere the judgement and the certainty of it doth establish the judgement of a poore sinner Eph. 1.13 The promise of God is a good word Heb. 6.5 therefore as the truth of the Gospell fils the understanding so there is a goodnesse in the promise of grace and mercy which will answer all and satisfie all the faculties of the soule as in the good word of the Lord mercy is a proper object of hope that it may be sustained a proper object of desire that it may be supported there is a proper object for a mans love and delight that they may be cheered nay there is a full satisfactory sufficiency of all good in the Gospell that so the will of a man may take full repose and rest therein Therefore the Lord saith Come unto me all that are weary and heavy laden come hope and desire and love and will and heart they answer We come all the mind saith Let me know this mercy above all and desire to know nothing but Christ and him crucified let mee expect this mercy saith hope that belongs to me and will befall me desire saith Let me long after it nay saith love let me embrace and welcome it let me delight in it saith joy nay saith the heart let me lay hold on the handle of salvation here we will live and here we will dye at the footstoole of Gods mercy thus all goe minde hope desire love joy the will and all lay hold upon the promise and say Let us make the promise a prey let us prey upon mercy as the wilde beasts doe upon their provision Thus the faculties of the soule hunt and pursue this mercy and lay hold thereupon and satisfie themselves herein Hence wee will raise these two points Doct. 1 That the word of the Gospell and the word of the Spirit goe both together this is grounded in the Text they must first heare then learne heare the Gospell and learne by the Spirit Doct. 2 That Gods Spirit gives speciall notice of Gods acceptance to an enlightned soule and that is the first voice of the Spirit to the understanding Now to the first doctrine Doct. 1 The word of the Gospell and the worke of the Spirit alwayes goe together the point is grounded in the Text after this manner they must first heare then learne heare by the word and learne by the Spirit The hearing of the Gospell without the Spirit is nothing else but a beating of the ayre and a
treasures of his mercy in the Lord Jesus If a man have no eye hee cannot see if hee have an eye and have no object nor colours before him hee cannot see first therefore the Lord gives an eye to the humbled heart and when hee hath given him an eye then hee layes colours before him that hee may see and looke and fall in love with the treasures of mercy and compassion 2 Cor. 3. the foure last verses the Text saith The vaile of blindnesse is taken from our minds and then the faithfull Soule beholds as in a glasse all the grace and mercy and compassion that God layeth before him in Christ the humbled sinner hath now gotten an eye and some spirituall eye-sight that the Lord hath brought within his view all the riches and treasures of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Soule saith oh that mercy and grace and pardon were mine Oh that my sinnes were done away The Lord saith I will refresh them that are heavy laden Oh that I had that refreshing saith the Soule You shall have rest saith God Oh that I had rest too saith the soule Now the Soule beginneth to looke after the mercie and compassion which is laid before it Passage 3 The Spirit of the Lord doth witnesse or certifie throughly and effectually to the Soule that this mercy belongs to him that is the upshot of the notice God gives to the Soule The third stroke of the Spirit strikes through the bargaine and makes the understanding close with that grace and mercy set forth unto it and without this the Soule of an humble broken hearted sinner hath no ground to goe upon Beleeving in Scripture is called comming Now no man can goe without some ground now this is the ground without which the Soule hath no bottome to beare it up either to come to Christ or perswade it selfe of mercy in Christ What good doth it doe any hungry stomacke to heare that there is a great deale of cheere and dainties provided for such and such men what is it to him if he have them not Take a begger that hath a thousand pound told before him hee may apprehend the summe of so much gold and so much silver but what is that all to mee saith he if in the meane time I die and starve It falls out in this case with a broken hearted sinner as with a prodigall childe the prodigall he hath spent his meanes and abused his Father the prodigall hath now much need the famine is in the land and poverty is befalne him and hee knowes there was meat enough and cloaths enough in his Fathers house but alas hee can expect no kindnesse from his Father but only his heavy displeasure if any man should say goe to your Father hee will give you a portion of a hundred pounds againe doe you thinke the prodigall would beleeve this no no he would answer thus haply my Father will imprison mee or send a Sergeant to arrest mee or an executioner to take away my life it is my Father that I have offended my portion I have spent and his anger I have incensed and what will hee receive mee no I will never beleeve it Indeed had I beene a good husband I might have had his favour and increased my estate but I have lost his favour my owne estate patrimony and all but if a man should come and tell him now that he heard his Father say so and bring a certificate under his Fathers hand that it was so this would draw him into some hope that his Father meant well towards him so it is with the sinner when he is apprehensive of all his rebellions that hee hath heaped up against Gods mercy and spirit and grace by his declining from the truth If a man should tell such a soule goe to God he will give you a pension of a hundred thousand pounds a yeere that is hee will give you abundance of mercy and compassion the Soule cannot beleeve it but thinkes what I mercy no no blessed are they that walke humbly before God and conforme their lives answerable to Gods word let them take it but the truth is it is mercy I have opposed it is grace that I have rejected no mercy no grace for mee you cannot wooe the soule to be perswaded for to thinke that there is mercy for him But if God send a messenger from heaven or if under the hand of his spirit that hee doth accept of him and will doe good to him and passe by all former sinnes and shew favour to him this makes the soule grow into some hope this is the ground whereupon the soule goeth to the Lord. This the Lord performeth to the soule That which David prayes for Psalm 35.3 the Prophet was not contented that there was salvation in Gods hand hee knew that God had a world of mercy and salvation and pardon lying by him but David prayes to God Say unto my soule thou art my salvation testifie it speake it home Lord once more plainly effectually and sensibly there is salvation with thee Paul was saved and Abraham was saved but what is that to mee say unto my soule thy sinnes shall be pardoned thine iniquities shall be forgiven thy person accepted Quest But now the question growes on But how shall a man discover this testification and this witnessing of the spirit to the heart of a humble broken hearted sinner that these things are so Answ This third worke of the spirit makes knowne it selfe in three particulars Partic. 1 The spirit doth evidence to the soule broken and humbled That the soule hath an interest in this mercy that it was appointed for it and he hath to meddle with it in reason we may observe that a witnesse in a cause doth marvellously cleare it if he be wise and judicious and the thing that before was doubtfull comes now to be apparant as now in a point of Law two men contend for land now if an ancient wise man of some place is called before the Judge at the Assises and hee beares witnesse upon his knowledge that such Lands have beene in the possession of such a generation or family for the space of many yeares this is a speciall testification that this man being of that generation he hath interest to these lands So it is with the witnesse of Gods Spirit there is a controversie betweene Satan and the soule the soule saith oh that grace and compassion might be bestowed on mee why saith Satan dost thou conceive of any mercy or grace and Salvation marke thy rebellions against thy Saviour marke the wretched distempers of thy heart and the filthy abhominations of thy life dost thou thinke of mercy Here is the controversie whether an humble sinner hath title to or interest in the mercy of God Now the Spirit of God comming in that casts the cause and makes it evident if such a poore heart have interest and may meddle and make challenge to mercy and salvation because
the word and the seed of the promise which is sowne in our hearts by the vertue of the seed and the Spirit of grace accompanying that seed wee have power to receive Christ and the Spirit of Christ and so to become the Sonnes of God This is the reason of that phrase in Scripture We are not children of the flesh but of the promise also of this in Gal. 3. last verse We are made heires by the promise it makes us heires that is looke whatever ground or hope or hold of eternall life and glory blessednesse you hold it by the vertue of the promise all is by a promise grace and goodnesse is communicated to us by a promise this is our life and all our hold therefore the Gospell is made to be the testament of Jesus Christ as by ones last will and testament a man leaves his goods and lands to his posteritie so the Lord Jesus Christ out of his free good will leaveth one legacie of mercie and grace and pardon and strength to all humble broken hearted spirits Galath 3.15 though it be but a mans covenant saith hee when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it but if a man seale it and confirme it with his bloud then it is fully established no man will no man can disanull it So Christ leaves a Legacie of mercie to you and of favour and compassion to all broken hearted sinners by promise and therefore it is established nay it is the last promise the last Legacie and Testament therefore the promise no man can alter Ioh. 1.14 He doth not leave peace then as the world doth they wish it but cannot give it they wish it but cannot bestow it but Christ leaves a legacie of mercie and peace behind him nay he hath ratified it by his bloud and he will make it good to the soule for ever Partic. 3 The witnesse makes the soule yeeld unto what the spirit hath witnessed As the witnesses in open court in a matter of law they make the case cleare and evident the Jury they take it the Judge observes it you all know how the case goes the witnesse sufficient c. So when the witnesse of Gods Spirit comes bringing the hand of God the Father and the hand of the Sonne touching Gods acceptance it casts the cause clearely Now this judgement of the sinner yeelds and cannot but close and submit it selfe unto the truth this is the meaning of that phrase before the text they shall be taught of God they shall not only learne but they shall be taught they shall have their lesson without booke they shall be made to learne and therefore the tenor of the covenant is this I will write my Law in their inward parts and they shall all know mee from the highest to the least observe the 2 Pet. 1.3 it is a place of marvellous difficultie this I take to be the meaning there is enough to satisfie any man according to his divine power he hath given unto us all things that is the Lord by his almighty divine power hath given unto us all things either appertaining to this present life here or eternall life hereafter But how comes this to passe that God doth this the Text saith It is through knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue the word in the originall is through their acknowledgement of him that hath called us The soule doth not onely barely know that this is grace and mercy in Christ the eye of the understanding is not only opened but hee now comes to acknowledge the same and subscribeth thereby thereunto God saith I will save thy soule I will be thy God the soule saith It is true Lord I will deny it no more I will gain-say it no longer In a word then gather up the point if it be so that the Spirit by the witnesse thereof doth discover the interest we have in grace if it doth ratifie the interest which it doth discover nay if it makes the judgement yeeld to what it hath ratified it certifies effectually and undeniably the truths of grace and mercy thus prepared and ratified to the soule and the soule saith I confesse it Lord and closeth therewith Quest Why may some say if this bee so how then comes it to passe that many of Gods deare children how comes it that many humble hearted creatures never knew they were called never had any speciall intimation of Gods favour they cannot say in truth they are the Lords Answ I speake of him that hath had the work of preparation fully and substantially upon his soule I speake this that no scrambling hypocrite nor sinfull wretch may come and scramble for comfort and so goe away and deceive himselfe in this kind know therefore for answer thereunto There is a double knowledge the first is this A naked simple apprehension of a truth a meere closure of a mans minde with a naked plaine truth revealed so that the judgement saith it is so Secondly there is a reflecting act when a man lookes over his understanding and labours to discerne the worke thereof not only apprehending what was laid before him but when he doth apprehend that he doth apprehend when he knowes that he doth know it marke that place for wee will carry Scripture with us 1 Ioh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him saith the Text if wee keepe his Commandements A man may know a thing and yet not know that he doth know so then it is cleare every Saint of God hath the first knowledge that is every man that is truly called in truth doth apprehend and undoubtedly close with the worke of the Spirit making knowne unto him the mercie of Christ many may worke and most men doe the second worke they doe not know that they know the Scripture saith that the Devill himselfe rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience that is he casts in a seed of errour and delusion and corruption into the hearts of wicked men and by his delusions they entertaine those errours embrace base courses Now not one among a thousand can say that the Devill doth thus this is done by vertue of Satan and yet he doth not see it nay there is a veile of Satan upon the soule there is a seed of Satan in the soule and the soule closeth with it and yet hee apprehends it not so every faithfull soule is ruled by Gods Spirit and the seed of Gods Spirit is flung into his minde and closeth therewith but hee cannot discerne the worke of the Spirit working upon him the one governed by Satan the other enlightned by the Spirit but neither can apprehend nor know what they doe know in this kinde Reas 1 Because onely the Spirit of the Lord knowes the Lords minde it is only privie to Gods counsels and it only understands the secrets of Gods love and therefore it only can reveale them and communicate them Matth. 11.27 Now because the holy Spirit proceedeth from
towards you will you know how your case shall goe at the last day would you know if your name is written in the Book of life if you would why then know the way to obtaine it seeke it of the Spirit of the Lord for he searcheth the chiefe things of God consider what our Saviour tels you Luke 11.12 Why then must this Spirit only certifie the pardon of sin Why looke up to heaven then and plead thus with him Lord I am a father and give my childe what hee wants and if I see him in need I releeve him why I need thy Spirit Lord I beg it thou hast promised it Lord give that Spirit to the soule of thy servant and let it restifie to my conscience that thou art reconciled to me Object But how shall we get the Spirit home to a man in this case Answ The meanes are two Meanes 1 Thou must labour to be such a one to whom the Spirit belongs Labour to be an humble hearted sinner and then the Lord will send his Spirit and give notice to thee of his acceptance for the Lord doth not passe over his comfort or mercie or compassion to any soule in the world but onely to those that are broken hearted before God there is no mercy for thee that art stubborne no compassion for thee that art stout hearted wouldest thou have the Spirit make a lye for thee and come from Heaven to make a new Scripture to bring a loose stubborne drunkard or adulterer to heaven it will not bee so it cannot bee so never thinke to bring the Spirit of the Lord and make him speake mercy to thee when it belongs not to thee 1 King 14.1 2 c. Doe not thinke to complain it with the Lord Jesus and put the finger in the eye weep a few teares and say I confesse my rebellions are sinful I am sory for my sins and will repent me of my sins the Spirit wil say Come out thou proud wretched hypocrite doest thou feigne thy selfe to be an humble broken hearted sinner doe not I know thy reservations doe not I know thy by-wayes and back-doores Come out thou proud wretch and sturdy hypocrite I am sent to thee with heavie tidings you may cozen man but you cannot deceive God therefore never thinke he will give grace and mercy unto thee unlesse thou be fitted for it Meanes 2 Be sure you harken not to your carnall cavils of reason nor to the clamours of a corrupt heart nor to the bawlings of Satan all which stop and hinder the testimony of the Spirit and with their loud cries drowne the voyce of the Spirit that it cannot be heard It is a fashion amongst Lawyers at Assises or Sessions when in their Courts there comes in a wise judicious witnesse and the Lawyers plead a base cause they feare him and therefore before he can speak out his tale one speaks and another speakes and so hinders this that hee cannot bee understood then the man saith hee came for a witnesse and not thus to be disturbed then the Judge commands silence and then hee hath liberty to discover what he knowes and then the case is cleare so it is with the soule and carnall reason and the Devill The triall is whether a man hath any interest in Christ or no. Now the Spirit of the Lord working graciously upon the heart would bring in a faire testimony of Gods grace to the soule but when the soule commeth to a faithfull Minister to tell him how God hath wrought upon him and met with him and how he was burthened with his sins Oh saith Satan you were burthened with your sins but you returned to them againe then the soule saith he was humbled for his sinnes yet the goodnesse of God was never sealed to him aye saith Satan but you continue in your sins still aye saith the soule I am weary of these sins aye and you are weary of labouring against them too saith Satan Thus the soule is tyred by carnall reasons temptations of Satan now let the evidence of the Spirit bee never so plaine he cannot perceive it be watchfull therefore in this case if you heare what feare or feeling or suspition saith feeling saith I find nothing feare saith it will never be suspition imagineth I shall never see that day but now command silence to every one to feare suspition feeling and unworthinesse and say now speake blessed Spirit then you will see the case cast presently It is said of Abraham he considered not Sarahs barren wombe for imagine Abraham had thus reasoned I never had childe for mee to beare a childe it is against nature shall a man that never begat beget a childe in his old age I will never beleeve it If hee had done thus for ought I know though hee had lived unto this time hee should never have had a childe but he never considered of any of these things and therefore the Promise was accomplished Therefore be sure not to hearken what failings feare and doubt and corruption saith for they will be ever against thee there is no mercy from corruption no grace from feare and suspition but consider not your dead barren wretched hearts but attend upon Gods promise and you shall finde Gods Spirit witnesse unto you the acceptance of your persons before God Object But you will say may not a man consider of his sins and attend to the corruptions of our owne hearts Answ I answer a man may nay must in a fit time after a right manner to a good end for he that never seeth his sins can never be humbled for them but this consideration only fits us for mercie and can never get assurance of any interest in mercie The consideration of our sins will give us notice of these three particulars 1. It gives us notice of our owne vilenesse and basenesse the laying these upon the soule it is a maine meanes to breake the heart and bruife a filthy stubborne soule It gives us notice of the emptinesse and infirmity of all outward parts and gifts and meanes and helpes to doe us any good It will make us see the absolute necessity of a Saviour and of the great worke of redemption which Christ hath wrought for us nay it will drive us out of our selves and force us to fall at the foot-stoole of Gods mercy that so wee may gaine Gods favour to us but it is impossible that the consideration of my sins should certifie mee of my interest in Gods mercy Meanes 3 Labour to bee informed and to understand aright the language of the Spirit Looke as it is with a poore man in the Court a wise witnesse comes in and speakes plainly but it will doe the poore man no good to heare the witnesse unlesse he understand it so though we heare the Spirit and doe not understand the language of the Spirit it is as if we never heard it Now the language of the Spirit is nothing else but the tenour
must stir up the heart unto it when a poore sinner is truly abased and cut off from every thing in himselfe and is content to be at Gods dispose yet the soule cannot dispose of it selfe it cannot carry it selfe to the affecting imbracing of any supernaturall grace or good by the power of nature looke as it is with a wind-mill it is fitted for to goe and if the winde blow it will goe but now the saile will not stirre the mill unlesse the winde stirre the saile So here though the soule bee humbled and content to bee at Gods dispose yet I say an humble broken selfe-denying heart is not able to stirre of it selfe Thirdly To hope groundedly it is not a flashy hope a vaine hope an idle hope as the wicked men they hope for grace they hope for mercy but they have no ground to beare them up but the hope of such men will perish but this hope is upon good ground the Lord calleth the soule to wait upon him to expect him this is hope which will not make a man ashamed Rom. 5.5 We have a hope as an anchor of the soule more sure and stedfast Hebr. 6.19 this is the nature of hope to stand still and wait for mercy and salvation of God and to looke when the Lord will have mercy upon the soule and this grounded hope the spirit of God must stirre and worke or else there will never be any hope the proofe of the point Lament 3.24 The Lord is my portion saith my soule that is all the good and all the comfort I have in heaven and earth he is my portion life gone and health gone and friends gone yet the Lord is my portion for ever and ever therefore will I hope in him therefore the soule expecteth that mercy looketh after it waiteth for it Hos 2.15 I will allure her in the wildernesse and speake comfortably unto her and give her the valley of Achor for the doore of hope therefore the Lord will allure her in the worke of humiliation and did speake comfortably unto her in vocation thou wantest mercy mercy is prepared for thee thou wantest grace grace is provided for thee that staggering soule of thine shall be strengthned that troubled soule of thine shall be pacified and then the soule commeth to hope when the heart is throughly humbled and abased then followeth hope Now for the further discovery and explication of the point wee will shew two things First the reason why after a soule humbled and the minde enlightned the Lord worketh upon this affection of hope Secondly the manner how the Lord stirreth up the heart to hope what breedeth it what feedeth it and upon what it groweth and what maintaineth it in the soule and then the Doctrine will be very cleare First the order why the Lord doth proceed in the next place to stirre up hope I answer the reason is this because when the Spirit of God hath enlightned the understanding and given evidence that mercy is prepared for an humbled soule why brethren the fittest faculty of the soule that ought to bee imployed to lay hold upon this it is the facultie of hope it is the maine office of this affection in the heart to looke and expect for a good to come for hope is nothing else but that extent of the soule whereby it earnestly affecteth a good to come it must be a knowne good and to come that hope expecteth if the good be present wee love it and joy in it but if it be absent the soule looketh out for it and waiteth for the same it is a fine passage of hope 1 Phil. 20. according to my earnest expectation of hope hope is a faculty of the soule to looke out for mercy it is a similitude taken from a man that looketh after another and lifteth up it selfe as high as he may to see if any man bee comming neare him looking wishly about him so here the soule standeth as it were a tiptoe expecting when the soule will come as the man that is to meet another in such a place they doe set the time appointed and then goeth up to a high hill and looketh very earnestly round about him wondreth he commeth not and yet he hopeth he will come so an humbled sinner when the Lord saith mercy is comming towards thee mercy is provided for thee now this affection is set out to meet mercy a farre off namely hope this is the stretching out of the soule O when will it be Lord thou saist mercy is prepared thou saist mercy is approaching the soule standeth a tiptoe O when will it come Lord. As now something that hath a strong sent a man that hath a good nose can smel a good way off though it findeth it not though it feeleth it not yet it may and saith hope this sinful soule of mine it may through Gods mercy bee sanctified this troubled perplexed soule of mine it may through Gods mercy be pacified this evill and corruption which harbour in me and hath taken possession of me it may through Gods mercy be removed Now for the second thing how doth God stir up the heart of an humbled broken hearted sinner to hope this is worth a while a little to consider of the ground to get and maintaine this hope may be referred to these three heads First the Lord doth sweetly stay the heart and fully perswade the soule that a mans sins are pardonable and that all his sinnes may be pardoned and that all the good things he wanteth they may be bestowed this is a great sustainer of the soule hope is alwayes of a good to come now when a poore sinner seeth his sinnes the number of them the nature of them the vilenesse of them the cursednesse of his soule that he can take no rest he seeth no rest in the creature nor in himselfe though he pray all day yet he cannot get the pardon of one sinne the soule is out of any expectation of pardon or power of mercy in any thing he hath or doth though all meanes all helpes though all men and angels should joyne together yet they cannot pardon one sinne of his yet the Lord lifteth up his voyce and he saith from heaven thy sinnes are pardonable this is a voyce a great way off thy sinnes may be pardoned in the Lord Jesus Christ Looke as a traitour that doth apprehend the anger of the King against him and that he is sent for to be attached hee and cry is made after him the Pursevant pursueth him the poore creature flieth from court to countrey from countrey to city and so to the sea coast seeking for some shelter the Pursevant besetteth the sea coast for him the poore soule is now almost in despaire of mercy from the Prince hee seeth no hope of pardon from him but when he overheareth a man that saith in truth you had better open the doore and yeeld your selfe to the King there is hope the poore soule is
much sustained What is there yet hope that my offence may bee pardoned will the King receive mee to mercy So when the Lord humbleth the soule discovereth his sinnes maketh knowne his judgements these are thy sinnes that thou hast committed and for them thou shalt be plagued the great judgement of the great God shall come upon thee and the great God whom thou hast dishonoured will come against thee and to hell thou must Now the poore soule seeth no hope no helpe no means of supply now the poore soule heareth a voyce from heaven there is no hope in thy selfe nor in meanes yet in the Lord Jesus Christ thy sinnes are pardonable thy soule may be saved thy heart may be quickned that place in the Psalmist Let Israel hope in the Lord for with him is plenteous redemption this upholdeth and sustaineth the heart of Gods servant yet there is plentifull redemption and this may discover it selfe in three particulars The infinitenesse of Gods power though thy sinnes are many though the guilt of sinne is mighty and powerfull to condemne the soule yet when the soule apprehendeth an infinitenesse in the power of the Lord to over-power all his sins all the guilt of corruption this lifteth up the heart in some expectation that the Lord will shew favour unto a man though it is a hard thing to hope when the soule is thus troubled can this hard heart be broken can these sinnes bee pardoned can this soule bee saved now commeth in the power of God God can pardon them never measure the power of God to that shallow conceit of thine as Christ when he had told his Disciples it is hard for a rich man to be saved they said how can any man be saved the Lord Christ saith all things are possible to God though not to men and it is said of Abraham hee hoped above hope he looked to the Lord that was able to doe what he promised to supply what he wanted he considered not that he had a dead body but he considered he had a living God not Sarahs barren wombe but the gracious goodnesse of God able to make it fruitfull nay hee beleeved in the God that can make things that are not thy soule is not humbled the Lord can humble it thy sinnes are not pardoned the Lord can pardon them thy soule is not converted the Lord can convert it though I cannot see it though man cannot imagine it yet the Lord can doe it As the infinitenesse of Gods power so the freenesse of his grace and promise that is a thing that marvellously taketh up the heart and maketh it hope for wee are ready naturally to expect no kindnesse from God the Lord is able to doe it that is true but I am unworthy the Lord will not bee wanting to them that can desire it but I am wanting now here is comfort the Lord will not sell his mercy his mercy is not to be merited it is not to bee discovered it is to bee given and to bee bestowed Malach. 7.18 Who is a god like unto our God we say Oh if I could please God if I could walke with God nay but God saith mercy pleaseth him and that place in Esay I for my owne Name sake will doe this not for thy workes sake I for my owne sake not for thy obedience sake this is certaine as there is no worke in any poore creature can discover any mercy from God so there is no wickednesse in the heart of a sinner that can hinder the Lord when hee will bestow grace and mercy in Jesus Christ Object But the world will say Then a man may live as he list and doe what he will if grace be free Answ No no the Lord will pull downe thy proud heart and lay thee in the dust the Lord will abase thee and humble thee before thou shalt receive any mercy from him hee can as well sit thee for mercy as bestow it upon thee The abundance of the riches of Gods goodnesse that exceedeth all the basenesse and vilenesse of man though thou hast sinned against heaven and the Lord in heaven yet there is mercy above the heaven bee thy sinnes and rebellions for the nature of them for the number of them for the continuance of them never so hainous yet they may bee pardoned Here the soule saith My sins are so many so great of such a nature what shall I beg mercy and oppose it shall I desire grace and resist it as that place clearly sheweth Rom. 5.20 Where sinne abounded grace superabounded hee is the Father of mercy and the God of all consolation Iam. 2.13 there the holy Ghost saith mercy triumph above justice justice cannot bee so severe to revenge thee as mercy is gratious to doe good unto thee if thy sinnes be never so many Gods justice never so great yet mercy is above all thy sinnes above all thy rebellions this may support the soule So then you have the first ground to stirre up hope thy sinnes are pardonable this is possible what thy sinnes be it skilleth not what thy iniquities be it mattereth not there is more mercy in God than sin in thee to pardon more power in God to shew mercy to thee than power in sin to destroy thee The Lord doth sweetly perswade the soule that all his sinnes shall be pardoned the Lord maketh this appeare and perswadeth the heart of his that he intendeth mercy that Christ hath procured pardon for the soule of a broken hearted sinner in speciall and that it cannot but come unto it So that hope commeth to bee assured and certainly perswaded to looke out knowing it shall bee accomplished the former only sustained the heart and provoked it to looke for mercy but this comforteth the soule that undoubtedly it shall have mercy The Lord Jesus Christ came to seeke and to save that which was lost he came for this purpose it was the scope of his comming now saith the broken and humble sinner I am lost did Christ come to save sinners Christ must faile of his end or I of my comfort God saith Come unto me all you that are weary and heavy laden I am weary unlesse the Lord intended good unto me why should he invite me and bid me for to come surely he meaneth to shew mercy to me nay hee promiseth to releeve me when I come therefore he will doe good unto me The Lord letteth in some rellish and taste of the sweetnesse of his love some sent and savour of it so that the soule is deeply affected with it marke this there is yet a further dint a setling and an assured kinde of fastning of the good unto the soule so that the heart is deeply affected with it and carried mightily unto it that it cannot bee severed It is the letting in the riches of his love that turneth the expectation of the soule another way it overshadoweth all outward good Looke as the covetous man is up early to contrive his riches
finde my selfe I hope the Lord will save me though I cannot save my selfe But the hopes of the wicked hang like a cloud they are not grounded upon the evidence of the Scripture they crowd all in the generall I hope to fare as well as others and other had mercy and why not I And hence the hopes of the wicked are unstedfast and wavering but a man might here demand are not the hopes of the Saints so too Doe they not waver and stagger many a time Answer It is true but with this difference the hopes of Gods servants are like an anchor which though sometimes it is shaken yet it holdeth the faster but the hopes of the hypocrites are like the waves of the seas and they come to nothing Prov. 8.28 The hope of the righteous shall be glad but the expectation of the wicked shall perish as who should say though the waves be great and the stormes violent yet the anchor shall bee fast and the ship shall come safe to haven but it is otherwise with the wicked their hopes doe perish What is become of your hopes now you thought you should bee saved and that you should doe as well as others but when the day of judgement commeth and the last great day of account shall be what then shall become of all your hopes You shall see it is as if a man should plead for a mans inheritance because he did dwell in the same towne and were of the same name But now the Saints of God when they come to lay claime to mercy they bring a hold a word Isay 61.3 He appointeth them that mourne in Sion will you have a legacy of joy mercy and pitty here it is the Lord Christ left it you I bequeath this and leave it to all you broken hearted sinners to all you humble mourning sinners in Sion this is your legacy sue for it in the Court and you shall have it for ever Hence David ventureth all for this hope hee taketh this as a childs part Psal 33. the last verse Let thy mercy come unto us as our hope is in thee not according to our sense and assurance but according to our hope thy desires may faile and endevours faile and the means faile yet let thy mercy come unto me according to my hope The second is this a grounded hope is ever of great power and strength to hold the soule to the truth of the promise the Spirit you know wee shewed stirreth the heart to hope now hee turneth hope so to God that the eye of the soule goeth that way and cannot bee taken from it but it will goe promise-ward and God-ward Hence take a poore sinner when hee is at the weakest under water when all temptations oppositions corruptions grow strong against them the Lord letteth them loose against the soule nay letteth the poore soule come to joyne side with Satan against himselfe and the goodnesse of the Lord and hee saith the truth of it is I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul this proud foolish filthy heart of mine it will be my bane it had better for me never to have beene I shall never get power strength and grace against these sinnes here is the lowest under of a poore soule If a man should now reply why then cast off all hope and confidence reject the meanes and turne to your sins Marke how hope steppeth in and saith it is true what ever I am and doe what ever my condition is I will use the means I am sure all my helpe is in Christ all my hope is in the Lord Jesus and if I must perish I will perish seeking him and waiting upon him Why this is hope now and I warrant that soule shall never goe to hell Psal 119.81 My heart fainted and my hope was in thy salvation Isay 8.7 I will wait for the Lord who hath hid himselfe from the house of Iacob the Lord hideth himselfe he doth not shew himselfe he hath not manifested himselfe yet I will hope in the Lord that hideth his face Psal 69.3 But the hope of the wicked is not so 2 King 6. and the last verse this evill commeth of the Lord and why should I wait any longer Prov. 14.32 The hope of the wicked is driven away that though a man stood upon his bottome and all the world could not perswade him to the contrary but that he should be saved and hee should goe to heaven though proud still though vaine still but his hope shall bee driven away but the righteous shall have hope in his death friends faile life faile and wealth faile but yet he hath hope in his death Signe 3 As the strength of this hope is great in regard of all opposition that commeth to the contrary so also the excellency and surpassing worth of this hope which overshadoweth all the hopes in the world that can be offered propounded desired all seeme nothing to this hope which the soule hath to God that when the soule commeth to be drawne to God and to hope in him all other hopes hold no weight hopeth not for honour for profit nor liberty nor delight it discovereth the basenesse of these so that the soule careth not for any thing else in comparison It is in this case with the soule as with the hound the hound haply followeth the game untill hee bee spent and tyred yet if there come a fresh hare yet the very sent of a fresh one will make him leave all so it is here though heretofore hee hath had many games in the world he hoped for honour and profit and his soule run all amaine upon them but when the soule hath beene brought to know the riches of Gods mercy in Christ it leaveth the old profits the old contents the old delights that he had Heb. 11.13 All these died in the faith when they had saluted the promises And observe here a carnall hearted Hypocrite his hopes be vaine idle and uncertaine the truth is if the world giveth other hopes of honour and profits and delights he leaveth his hope and with Demas he embraceth the present world but the Saints of God are not so Heb. 11.25 Moses might have had great honour but he forsooke his honour and had an eye to the recompence of reward Signe 4 The last is taken from the vertue of hope and the speciall fruit and effect that it worketh in the soule A grounded hope it alwayes lendeth supply and succour when all the rest of a mans abilities faile and are not able to sustaine and support his soule when desire faileth and love faileth I meane in his owne sense and apprehension I say then hope supporteth the soule Psal 16.9 My flesh shall rest in hope that is hope will give a man rest in the most miserable forlorne condition that may be that when the heart is ready to say where is the meanes that I have had and the good dayes that I have seene this dead heart cannot
he might still continue but if his head-peece be gone all is gone a Christian may want many inlargements many comforts many abilities but if his head-peece be gone if his hope be cut off alas he hath nothing to support and sustaine himselfe in the time of trouble Motive 3 This hope is that whereby our hearts are kept both in the love of God and provoked unto obedience unto God Iude 21. Keepe your selves in the love of God expecting the mercie of God now this is nothing but the worke of hope and brethren this is a rule unlesse we expect some mercie from God we will never looke after him we will never obey him never walke with him but when wee expect some good thing comming unto us then wee love him and follow after him but some might here say it is true we doubt not of the comfort and benefit that commeth by it but what meanes are there that might helpe a man to hope in the goodnesse of God how shall a man uphold his soule in some measure in expecting mercie from the Lord Answ The meanes are three Meanes 1 Labour above all to cast out all carnall sensualitie that commonly creepeth upon us and would prevaile over us I meane this that wee would faine live by sense our carnall hearts be sensuall creatures we would faine live by our sense what we see with our eyes and feele with our fingers and have in our hands that we can be sure of but wee can have nothing in hope now when the soule is taken up with and bestoweth it selfe upon the present things then you put hope out of office Rom. 8.24 You are saved through hope and hope that is seene is no hope a man doth not hope for a thing that he hath but hope alwayes expects a good that is to come this is the marvellous sottish distemper of our wretched hearts that wee will trust God no further than wee see him Acts 1.9 wilt thou now restore the kingdome to Israel just now so here saith the soule may I now have grace may I now have assurance may I now have the evidence of Gods love but I would have it now where now is hope all this while you take away the worke of hope when you would have things present wee know the childe must wait for his portion before hee hath it so you must stay your time and be contented with the dealing of the Lord toward you in this kinde Meanes 2 You must daily attend and labour to bee much acquainted with the precious promises of God to have them at hand and upon all occasions for those are thy consorts those are they that support thy soule that looke as the body is without comfort unfit for any thing nature groweth feeble and weake a pale face a faint heart a feeble hand and the like so it is here unlesse a man hath that provision of Gods promises and have them at hand daily and have them dished out and fitted for him his heart will faile Rom. 15.4 What ever was written was for our comfort that through the Scripture we might hope Verse 13. That we might abound in hope through the Gospell as who should say it is not in your power to support your hope it is not in any power here below but through the Scripture yee might have hope and through the power of the holy Ghost brethren I beseech you observe it while wee looke upon our owne infirmities on one side and the feeblenesse of the meanes on the other side this is the next way to dampe our hope to dead our hearts and to take away all our comfort and assurance this is not the way to abound in hope through the power of the holy Ghost I beseech you observe it all these things here below cannot give any comfort a man may as soone wring oile or water out of a flint as wring comfort out of these meanes In all these outward things there is no sound comfort or hope there be these three things either wee shall not finde comfort or contentment in them or else not sufficient content or else no constant no continuall content It is with the hope of a poore Christian as with Noahs dove she found no rest upon the earth for the sole of her foot so it is with our wretched hearts wee send out our hope to our abilities to the meanes we doe enjoy to our prayers and performances wee doe discharge and thus all our hopes breake and faile us for in all these things there is no foot-hold for hope we must ancker our foot-hold in Christ what I want Christ can supply what I need Christ can give what is good for me Christ can bestow what I have done amisse Christ can pardon though I barren he is full though I dull he hath enough grace and enlargement for me it is said of Naamans leprosie Let him come and hee shall know there is a God in Israel though the King cannot heale yet a God can though the meanes cannot yet the Lord can so it is here the hope that a man hath in these things here below and the hope in the Gospell A man sendeth out his hope having a wounded conscience hee now goeth to his gifts that they should pacifie him he sendeth out his hope to his prayers that they should ease him marke what they say are wee God we cannot helpe but heare what the promise saith though prayers cannot though parts cannot though outward helpe cannot yet there is a God in Israel there is a promise that is able here is mercie enough here is power and comfort enough Meanes 3 Maintaine in thy heart a deepe and serious acknowledgement of that supreme authoritie of the Lord to doe what he will and how he will according to his owne pleasure brethren I beseech you to observe it this I take to be the ground why the heart of a poore sinner is marvellous taken up with passion and distemper and a kinde of teachy shortnesse wee thinke to bring God to our bow we have hoped thus long and God not answered wee have stood so long and no comfort and shall we wait still wait I wait and blesse God that you may wait if you may lye at Gods feet and put your mouth in the dust and at the end of your dayes have one crum of mercie it is enough therefore checke those distempers what if God will when a wretched sinner wrangleth with God for his dealing with him Paul cutteth him short what if God will so when thou thinkest the time long when Lord and how long Lord what if God will he oweth thee nothing thou deservest nothing what if God will damne thee and will send thee to hell it is a most admirable strange thing that a poore worme worthie of hell should take up state and stand upon tearmes with God and he will not wait upon God who must wait then must God wait or man wait must the Creatour wait
or the creature wait Acts 1.9 wilt thou now restore the kingdome to Israel it is not for you to know the times and the seasons as who should say hands off meddle with that you have to doe withall it is for you to wait it is for you to expect mercie it is not for you to know so I would have you to doe when you begin to wrangle and to say how long Lord when Lord and why not now Lord and why not I Lord why checke thy owne heart and say it is not for me to know it is for me to be humble and to be abased and to wait for mercy but it is not for me to know the time Thus much concerning Hope Now followeth next Desire JOHN 6.45 Every one that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me c. IN this great worke of vocation there are two things considerable First the call on Gods part by the preaching of the Gospell Secondly the gracious answer to Gods call Now as all the soule departed from God so it must bee all brought backe againe to God Therefore first the understanding is enlightned and that gives notice to the soule that mercy is intended towards it then hope expects that mercy and then desire wanders about from ordinance to ordinance and longs for that mercy Doctrine The Doctrine then which ariseth hence is this that The Spirit of the Lord quickens the desire of an humble and inlightned sinner to long for the riches of his mercy in Christ For the right conceiving of this Doctrine three passages are to be understood First that this desire is in the heart humbled and inlightned if either of these two be wanting this desire cannot grow there Secondly this desire is quickned by the Spirit for though the soule bee humbled and made nothing and be content to be at Gods disposall yet it is not able through any principle of life which it hath of it selfe to bee carried to any such supernaturall worke as this desire is therefore the Spirit must quicken and move the heart thus humbled and inlightned to long for the riches of Gods mercy and this desire is called the lifting up of the heart after the good it wants As the Infant cannot go without the hand of the Father so a poore sinner in himselfe considered is as an Infant and not able to lift up himselfe to this desire any further than the Lord inables him by his grace and spirit The bowle is fit to runne yet it can runne no longer than the strength of the hand sticks upon it So the humble in lightned soule is fit to come to Christ yet it will not nay it cannot stir further than the hand of the Spirit moves it Note Let every poore broken hearted sinner take notice of it for this will informe you of a strange kinde of truth remember this you must not thinke to bring desire with you to the promise but receive desire from the promise It is a vaine thing to thinke that if the oares be in the boat the boat must needs goe indeed the oare will move the boat but the hand of the Ferri-man must first move the oare The soule is like the oare and unlesse the hand of the Spirit moves our desire it cannot move towards the Lord. Lastly the Doctrine saith the spirit quickens up the heart to long for the riches of Gods mercy the desires of the wicked are flashy lazy and feeble and come to nothing But even as the longing desire of a woman with childe will not leave her till her life doth leave her so the desires which the promise workes will never leave the soule till it be possessed of the thing it desires Our Saviour saith Matth. 12.20 A bruised reed shall he not breake and that smoaking flax shall hee not quench Now wee all know that flax will not smoake unlesse the sparkles come to it but when the sparkles have taken the flax then it doth smoake and will not leave till it come to a flame The soule is like the flax and it will never smoake in desire towards the Lord till the Lord by his Spirit in the promise doth strike fire upon it the Lord must first strike fire by the promise upon the soule before it can ever flame in a desire towards the Lord and when it doth once smoake in a holy desire the Lord will not let it faile before he brings it to a perfect flame and before it bee possessed of Christ and mercy which it longs for Reason The reason of this order of Gods worke why desire comes next after hope is this because desire is that other affection which serves the great commandresse of the soule the will for these affections are as hand-maids to serve the will The will saith I will have this or that good and therefore hope wait you for it and desire long you after it Hope is the furthest and greatest reach of the soule for when the soule is doubting and quarrelling and saith will the Lord doe good to such an unworthy wretch as I am yes saith the mind inlightned mercy is intended towards thee then hope goeth out to wait and looke for this mercy Now when the soule hath waited a long time and yet this mercy comes not and he marvels at it and saith the Lord hath said the weary soule shall bee refreshed Oh where are all those precious promises then the will sends out desire to meet with that good which will not yet come and so desire goeth wandring from one ordinance to another till it bring Christ home to the soule As a gentleman doth when he expects some noble personage hee sends out a man to wait in such a place and bring him word whether he seeth him or no afterwards when he returnes and saith he seeth him not the gentleman sends out another messenger to meet him afarre off and so likewise to bring him and give him entertainment So it is with the soule of a poore sinner in this case Quest. Now how doth the Lord by that promise quicken up this desire Ans I answer the cordials that God lets in and the motives that make the soule wander towards God are three or thus There are three speciall considerations of good in the promise that doe effectually worke upon the heart to bring desires after Motive 1 First there is a peculiar good in the promise that is sutable to all the wants of the soule there is a salve for every sore Esay 61.1.2 Art thou a dead soule goe to the promise there is quickning for thee Art thou a weake soule goe to the promise there is grace to make thee strong Art thou a damned lost soule goe to the promise there is salvation to save thee Art thou a polluted soule goe to the promise there is grace to purge thee Doe you see your sinnes and feele the burthen of them Oh away to the promise there is abundance of comfort in
will overcome all corruptions that mercy that will pardon all our sinnes then saith the will content it shall be so and this makes up the match for now the match commeth to bee made when the will saith Amen to the businesse and this is that great worke of the will the spawn and the seeds of faith went before now faith is come to some perfection now the soule reposeth it selfe upon the Lord and Divines say that here commeth in faith what the minde hath knowne and hope expected and desire longed for and love embraced then commeth in the great wheel the great commander the will which saith I will have it Goe no further it is the best match wee can make you saw the seeds of faith before in the affections but now you shall see the root of faith and the full growth of faith in the will So from hence the point of Doctrine is this Doctrine The will of a poore sinner humbled and enlightned comes to bee effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest upon the free grace of God in Christ that it may bee interested therein and have supply of all Spirituall wants from thence For the better clearing of this Doctrine consider these foure particulars First the worke must be in an heart humbled and enlightned Secondly the will must be effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father Thirdly by the power of this perswasion it casts it selfe upon the rich grace and free mercy of God in Christ Fourthly the end of it that it may bee interested into all the good that is in the promise For by faith wee come to have a title to all that ever Christ purchased and God hath prepared for his people and as by infidelity wee went from God so now by faith we come again to God Particul in the doctr 1 For the first passage this grace of faith the root whereof is seated in the will it is in an heart humbled and enlightened if either of these two bee wanting it is not possible that ever sound saving faith should be in the soule I doe not now dispute of the measure of these how farre a man must bee humbled and how much enlightened these I have handled before I abate a man of the measure and leave that to the good pleasure of God but the heart must bee truly humbled and soundly enlightened First The heart must be humbled that is loosed from sinne and from selfe if the soule be not thus truly humbled there is no roome for faith for the worke of humiliation cleeres the coast â—nd clenseth the roome for if the soule of a poore sinner be not loosened from sinne and made weaâ—y of it but takes fast hold of it as Ieremie saith Ierem. 8.5 They hold fast to deceit and would not returne so when a man will hold his pride and his corruptions that man is carelesse of Christ and not onely so but also opposit from going to Christ he will not goe to Christ that he may receive power for â—he subduing of his corruptions because he is resolved to keepe his sinne still and therefore know â—hat it is not possible to receive Christ and to â—leave to sinne too Secondly suppose the soule be truly burdened â—nd the heart be surcharged with sinne and the â—eart seeth an absolute necessity of a change and â—e saith if this be certaine then I am a miserable â—an and either I must reforme my way or else perish in my way now when the soule is come to this if the heart will yet shift for it selfe and thinke to recover it selfe seeing it must needâ— change it will change it selfe it will hinder faith for whatsoever it is that keepes a man in himselfe that alwayes hinders the worke of faith for faith ever goes out to another for grace and power to ease him of corruption and for strength to subdue his sinnes if the soule say either I need not change or if I must change I will change my selfe and save my selfe what need have I of a Saviour these hinder faith therefore if ever faith be there the heart must have thiâ— wrought he must see himselfe in a lost condition that is that by all the meanes under heaven heâ— cannot succour himselfe this is the meaning of that phrase Luke 19.10 The Lord Iesus came 〈◊〉 seeke and to save that which was lost a lost man indeed every man is lost under the power of sinne and dominion of Satan but he must see himselfe lost how the guilt of sinne is condemning him and therefore lost in regard of pardon to save him and also how he is polluted and therefore lost in regard of power to subdue corruptions and when he seeth this indeed that nothing can helpe him but a Christ then the soule makes out for a Christ this is the meaning of that place Iohn 1.12 To as many as received him he gave c. so that we must receive a Christ when we are gone oâ—â— of our selves by humiliation then are we fit to goe to God by vocation Quest But may not a man beleeve and is it not lâ—â—full to beleeve unlesse a man be thus humbled Answ It is lawfull at any time if thou canst but I say it is impossible for thee to beleeve untill thou be thus humbled as Iohn 4.44 the Lord Christ comes to the Pharisees and saith I know you will not come to mee that you may beleeve nay in the next place he saith How can ye beleeve that receive honour one of another how canst thou beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ to subdue thy lusts and yet wouldst bee uncleane still and live in thy lusts still how canst thou beleeve in Christ to master thy rebellious heart and yet wouldest be rebellious still it is impossible heaven and earth cannot meet together no more can these two stand together therefore set your hearts at rest a man must be truly humbled and broken hearted â—f ever he beleeve Secondly the soule must be enlightened I â—oyne these two together in this clause for though faith be above reason yet it is with reason it is not that colliers faith of the Papists â—hat put out his owne eyes to see by another mans this is a delusion and an implicite faith â—herefore I say a man must be inlightened to see â—he grace and mercie and freenesse of Gods love â—n Christ as Psal 119.10 They that know thy name â—hall put their trust in thee it is against common sense that the soule of a man that is reasonable â—hould fall upon any thing and rest it selfe there â—nd yet never seeth whether it bee a sufficient helpe or no this is by the way of preparation Particul in the doctr 2 It is effectually perswaded by the Spirit of the Father to rest it selfe c. this I adde in the second place upon the same ground because a man hath no legs of himselfe to bee carried to the Lord Jesus Christ to beleeve in him further
and peevishnesse but the Lord Christ will not cast thee away if thou come to him he will never doe it Object 4 Let me adde a fourth motive I confesse saith the soule there is no want of willingnesse on Gods part but I have a heart which cannot beleeve what is that to me to see provision of mercy and have no heart to receive it Oh this unwilling and distrustfull heart it cannot beleeve Answ If I finde a cure in the promise for this then I hope you will yeeld therefore know that the Lord hath provided in the promise a meanes whereby thou mayst bee made to beleeve and thou shalt be able to beleeve first that sufficiencie which is in the promise and which God intends for thee Now the Lord strikes up the match 2. Things and that the Lord doth this it shall appeare if you consider the manner of Gods worke in two things First God the Father in the promise gives an humble broken hearted sinner into the hands of â—esus Christ that hee may make him able to beâ—eeve Secondly he gives Jesus Christ into the hands of a poore sinner that hee may take him and receive mercy from him Now though thou canst not beleeve yet if Jesus Christ take that heart of thine in hand he can and will make thee beleeve This was the end of his office and comming Iohn 6.44 No man commeth unto me except the Father draw him and I will raise him up at the last day I will make him beleeve and in the grave I will love his poore body and not lose so much as his â—shes but will preserve them there and raise him up from thence and at last I will bring both body and soule to honour and make both happy in Heaven for ever for Christ his sake thinke on this earnestly that every broken hearted sinner is given to Christ as if God the Father had said Oh my Sonne looke well to such a man he lives in a base world and hath many corruptions in his heart but looke thou to him Iohn 10.16 Other sheâ—pe I have which are not of this fold and these I must bring home saith Christ there are many of Gods people called and converted but there are many yet which are in the gall of bitternesse and I know such a drunkard and though hee bee a woolfe now yet he is one of my sheepe and him I must bring home It doth my heart good to thinke that there is many an enemy of Jesus Christ and many that hates grace and goodnesse many a wretched drunkard many a covetous and uncleane wretch that shall bee brought home One goes up and downe this way and another that way as a company of poore sheepe that wander up and downe one falls into this ditch another into that and another in such a grove so there is many a poore sheepe that goes away from God and all goodnesse the Lord give us hearts to pitty them howsoever God hath opened your eyes and brought your hearts and my heart home to himselfe yet there are many other sheepe that as yet goe from God Oh what a blessed mercy is this If Christ hath once undertaken for you hee will seeke you out wheresoever you are The Lord seekes you out many times in the congregation you might come home then if you would well the Lord will make the fire of hell to flash upon the conscience of a man and drag him home but it is no matter which way the Lord brings him home so he come to heaven at last Iohn 17. Thou gavest them to me and I have given them eternall life There is no more difference than this the Father gives the sheep to Christ and saith looke to him and Christ saith you are given to me take you everlasting life betweene you and take eternall glory I give it to you as freely as ever God the Father gave your soules to me Secondly God the Father gives Jesus Christ to the poore soule and saith I give thee him freely with his bloud and all his merits his grace and goodnesse Oh saith the poore sinner blessed be God that Jesus Christ hath undertaken for me and that God the Father hath given mee Christ but alas I cannot pay the price I am notable to purchase the pearle as in a marriage when the parties are both agreed if there bee a quarrell about the feffment all breakes off so it is in this case the soule is now inabled to rest upon Christ but what will the Lord require for I am base and poore well saith God the Father I will not sell my Sonne but I give him to thee and thou must not thinke to purchase him Ioh. 19.26 27. when Christ would commend Marie to the care of Iohn hee saith Woman behold thy sonne and to Iohn he saith Behold thy mother so God the Father saith to Jesus Christ My blessed Sonne behold that poore broken humbled sighing sinner behold thy sonne take him for thy owne and thou poore sinner behold thy Saviour take him to thy selfe and the soule receives that gift at the hand of God the Father Ioh. 10. So God loved the world that he gave his only begotten Sonne c. that is God so set his heart upon those whom he would save that hee gave Jesus Christ to bee received from him and to doe all good for them according to all their necessities thus I hope the heart hath no starting holes the promise is sufficient saith the soule if I had it and God sadly intended it therefore I may take him and God hath given Christ the care of me to make me to beleeve now the will is fully perswaded and saith to hope and desire and all the other affections here is good enough and come hope expect it for ever and come desire here is mercy enough that thou hast desired and come love and joy here is that mercy whereof you have felt the sweetnesse nay saith the will let us rest here and settle our selves upon the freenesse and favour of the mercy of God in Jesus Christ as our Saviour said to the Disciples Ioh. 6.27.28 Will you also goe away oh saith Peter whither shall we goe thou hast then words of eternall life the world cals and our lusts call and pleasures call and the more they call for our hearts the more wee cry after thee out Christ whither shall we goe if not to thee for there is none so gracious none so mercifull to sinners none so ready to doe all good for us and as there is sufficient in the promise and as here is sufficient in thee and enough for sinners so upon thy mercie we will hang upon thee our Saviour wee will live and dye and upon the promises will we put our selves to receive all the comfort and good they will affoord and upon this will we feed for ever Thus much for the opening of the point Vse 1 The first use is for information to rectifie our
of those that have it for if every man by nature is dead in sinne and hath no good of himselfe and can receive no good but rather oppose it then if hee have any saving worke wrought in him it is Gods free gift therefore first the Lord meets with a poore sinner and reveales himselfe to him before he be aware of it as many a man haply drops into the congregation or fals into a house where there is conference and mercy and grace shines upon him before he is aware of it and doth effectually draw the soule home from sinne to God as Ioh. 6.44 No man comes to me except the Father which hath sent me draw him the Lord bindes the strong man in preparation and humiliation for the Devill will not goe out by intreaty no the Lord Jesus must binde him and then the Lord Jesus is pleased to separate the soule from sinne to himselfe and he takes possession of him and in vocation hee perswades the soule effectually and brings it home and when he is brought home he gives him his good Spirit to sanctifie him Thirdly and this I would have you marke though all grace come from the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of his Spirit yet the Lord workes the worke of his grace and Spirit after a divers manner and the manner especially which is remarkable is this no man hath grace by nature nor any good and all that he hath is the proper worke of God and this God workes though differently some workes God workes upon us to bring us to himselfe and some workes God workes in us to bring us into a nearer communion and 2 Tim. 1.14 That excellent thing which was committed to thee keepe fast how by the Spirit that dwels in us this excellent thing was the doctrine of the Gospell now Saint Paul perswades us to keepe it by the Spirit that dwels in us this is a matter which blindes many a poore ignorant man that otherwise would bestow himselfe upon the free grace of God we truly say that all grace comes from Christ hereupon many a man thinkes that he must first be in Christ before he can have any grace we receive Christ by faith and therefore we must have faith before we can have him and wee come to Christ by faith and therefore we must have faith before wee can come to him now the Lord Jesus is the Authour of all grace in the hearts of his owne the Lord workes some grace upon us to bring us himselfe as the worke of preparation and vocation this is a saving worke of Christ but yet it is the worke of the Lord to bring us home to himselfe but now when we are come by faith then God conveyes another worke to us he doth justifie a sinner and adopt him and sanctifie him as in this similitude the first Adam by way of a naturall generation must beget a childe before he can imprint his image of corruption upon him and he must be the sonne of Adam before he can receive corruption from Adam so that generation is the way to corruption else it is no corruption as in that place Adam begat a sonne in his owne image that is as blinde as stubborne as proud as Adam so that generation is the way by which wee receive corruption from the first Adam so it is in the second Adam he doth by spirituall regeneration and after a speciall manner worke upon the hearts of his to bring them home to him before he will imprint his image upon them which is the image of sanctification the Lord Jesus will by the worke of vocation and preparation as by a spirituall union bring the soule to himselfe before he will imprint his image upon him sanctification now preparation and vocation goe before sanctification and yet they are not sanctification in the strict sense as generation went before the imprinting of the fathers image so vocation to Christ is before the image of Christ can bee imprinted I use to expresse my selfe by this similitude looke as it is with a clocke that hath the wheeles turned the rong way what must a man doe to make these wheeles goe right First he stops the wheeles and the wheeles doe not stop themselves and then he turnes the wheele and the wheele doth not turne it selfe and when hee hath done so then he gives it a poise or plâ—â—â— and by vertue thereof the wheeles run right and the clocke strickes right all these are severall workeâ— upon the wheele the stopping is not the turning and the turning is not the striking so it is with the soule of a poore sinner the heart of man iâ— like this wheele it was made for God to please him and to serve him and was altogether heaven-ward but now it is hell-ward and sin-ward and world-ward and it is quite unjoynted now how must God worke upon this heart to bring it into the right frame againe First the Lord stopâ— the poore sinner and that is by preparation he shewes him his sinne and the punishment of it and when he is posting on to hell the Lord writes bitter things against him and saith friend this is not the way to happinesse friend if you goe that way there is the pit of destruction before you and so with a mighty strong commanding hand he stops the sinner by godly feare and sorrow and hatred and turnes it from wickednesse Secondly the Lord turnes the heart to himselfe in vocation and the Lord saith come hither thou poore sinner doe not goe to thy lusts they will kill thee but goe to the Lord Christ and he will save thee goe not to the world it will delude thee but goe to the Lord Christ and he will inrich thee thou art filthy but goe to Christ and he will purge thee thou art miserable but come to Christ here is happinesse and that will save thee by thiâ— time the wheele is stopped and also turned the right way and every wheele is where it should be and then the Lord justifies a poore sinner and is well pleased with him and is reconciled to him and he giveth his Spirit in adoption and that is as the poise that so he shall no more be ruled by the world nor by his lusts but by the good Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ and the hand of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ doth assist that poore soule for ever Thirdly the soule having received the Spirit by faith as Gal. 4.5 receives hereby the adoption of sonnes Fourthly now the whole frame of the heart runs right and is towards God and for God and loves God and hath the spirituall power and a new principle of it selfe and this is the maine worke of sanctification if you will take sanctification in the stricktest sense all the rest are saving workes but this is the maine worke of all Fiftly as the clocke when it is thus framed strikes right and when it is two it strikes two and when it is
I was in heaven and yet because I have no faith I am now cast downe to hell it is thus much when the Lord lets in a glimpse of the exelencie of the grace of faith and the glory of heaven and the sweetnesse of the pardon of all the sinnes of the faithfull and the Lord lets in a glimpse of all these which goes home to the top of the affections and will that the Lord by a spirituall kinde of flash suddenly passeth by the will so that he leaves some kinde of dew and some remembrance of those glorious things which are thus let in upon the minde of a poore sinner insomuch that his heart is marvellously tickled and ravished with it I expresse it thus as it is with the water in a standing poole and the water that runneth through a pipe the standing water soakes and goes down-ward and settles inwardly in the earth but the water that passeth by suddenly leaves only a little dew behinde it but soakes not at all so it is with this temporary beleever the streame of the heavenly truths of the Doctrine of Christ passeth by suddenly as namely that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and that Christ came to take away the iniquitie of his servant this doth passe by suddenly and leaves a little dew behinde it so that he saith Oh this is good this is sweet I may be saved too may I not Oh I never heard a man speake so comfortably this word bedewes the heart a little but it soakes not downe it goes not to the root of the soule therefore observe it this is a work which the hypocrite may have only observe thus much he sips of grace and salvation and makes a meale of his corruptions but the gracious man onely sips of his corruptions and makes a meale of grace of holines mercy in Christ Looke as it is with seed that is cast into the wombe of a woman the seed is enough to beget some fruit but if the wombe be a miscarrying wombe it comes to nothing so it is betweene the stirring of the Word in the heart of a poore Saint and in the heart of an Hypocrite the Spirit of the Lord workes in the heart of a Hypocrite by the Word and is able to moysten him but the heart miscarries in the worke and resists and gainsayes and never comes to any good hee never comes to bee a faithfull man rightly proportioned whereas the same Spirit of God working rightly upon the heart of a beleever it makes him a very proportionable Christian the other remaining but a confused lumpe Now see what this man may doe when he comes to this let him bee thus bedewed with this taste of the excellency of faith and never have faith strengthned and rooted in him yet hee will bee very eager in the pursuit of the Word and marvellous constant in attending upon the Word because it is his delight and hee will bee marvellous painfull to get the Word for a man will doe any thing to get his delight and he may bee angry with such as would hinder him in the pursuit of the Gospell which is his delight this a man may doe and yet all come to nothing and so may perish everlastingly for looke what joy and delight will doe for a push the same a carnall temporary may doe But that this man will doe all this it is plaine of this kinde was Balaam that wretched man of whom you may see divers passages in the 23. 24. chapters of Numbers hee was a witch as Divines hold and hee was going to curse the people of God but the Lord stopt him and how did he it why he let him see the excellency of the condition of the Saints of God and said Oh thou wretched man loe there and behold the happy condition of my people and see all the good that I have given them and wilt thou curse those that I love so dearly Now see how he was taken up with it Oh that I might die the death of the righteous this was a glimpse of the glory that was let in upon him to stop him and to awe his heart yet hee returned to his old byas againe the third Scripture is in Matthew 25.8 I know Interpreters vary in it but I will be bold to suggest what I thinke the five foolish virgins said give us of your oyle for our lampes are gone out they had lamps but no oyle how could they kindle their lamps except they had oyle they had a little oyle in their lampes but none in their vessels their lampes was their excellent and glorious profession and the oyle which they had was nothing but the taste of the heavenly gift they had so much stirring of the will and affections as might carry them on to professe the truth but they had not oyle in their vessels which might sink downe into their hearts to subdue their corruptions and to quicken up their grace they had not this power to frame their hearts strongly towards the Lord and to feed their profession with constancy and perseverance to the end so that you see what hee can say for himselfe and me thinkes he speakes marvellous probably The Lord bee mercifull to us if a man goe thus farre and come to nothing it is wonderfull he is farre beyond the judicious professor Oh saith he I had a rellish of the sweetnesse of the good Word of God and a taste of the heavenly gift and my heart was ravished with the sight of the glory of it and I could even have gone to Heaven now you see the best of him But now secondly what is the falsenesse of this man and wherein is his failing and why where he falls short of faith and what it is that would make him an honest man Now the second thing is this that notwithstanding the sudden push of this man hee will wither and will turne his backe upon the truth and commonly he is an enemy to that truth to which his love was carried and which was his chiefe delight and this hee doth upon these two grounds commonly First when he seâ—th the bitternesse and misery and affliction and vexation that accompanies the Word hee is weary of the Word rather than he will beare those afflictions that doe accompany the Word he will follow our Saviour no longer than prosperity follow him for he will rather forsake Christ than to forgoe these hee was made a professour all upon a sudden and hee receives the Word suddenly with joy when hee heares of the glorious grace and mercy of God he faith Oh that Jesus Christ should come from Heaven to save sinners and to wait upon poore drunkards and adulterers and vilde wretches Oh sweet and admirable mercy saith hee and so all upon a sudden he turnes Christian and Professour but if afflictions and trouble come for the truth then hee turnes off all Christ and truth and his profession and all Oh saith he
I have heard of much comfort and peace and that the Lord would be good to his and would save and deliver those that trust in him you told me so did you not Had you told me of shame and disgrace and miseries which I now finde I could have told how to answer you and how to order all my occasions when the Sunne riseth hot upon him and troubles and afflictions befall him then hee leaves Christ Jesus and all rather than hee will part with his comforts and ease and the like thus it is in Matthew 8.19 A certaine Scribe seeing Christ like to prove a great man and thinking to have a good booty out of him he said I will follow thee whither soever thou goest he thought Christ would bee preferred and if I can but get under his wings I shall be a made man for ever Take heed what thou dost saith our Saviour if thou wilt follow mee thou must take all miseries that come I have not a bed for my selfe and therefore if thou want one thou must be content The Foxes have holes and the Fowles of the aire have nests but the Sonne of man hath not whereon to lay his head so hee was gone and wee heare no more of him The second ground upon which he commonly departs is this when the good Word of the Lord comes home close to his heart and reads the blacke side as well as the white side when the Word of God pursues him home to his conscience and shewes his sinnes and discovers his base practices and tells him thus it is true there is mercy and salvation enough to be had in Christ but there is none for such as will not part with all for Christ nor for those that will not lose all to finde and entertaine Christ Now when the Minister comes to shake this mans hold and to tell him you follow after Christ for the loaves your profession is faire but your heart is naught there is no sound worke nor saving grace wrought all that you have done is lost and come to nothing then hee is profesly at daggers drawing with the truth of Christ and saith what is it all come to this This man doth not preach as hee was wont to doe what mercy was he wont to discover and what consolations would hee reveale to all the poore servants of God he preacheth now as if he would vex men and not comfort them as Iohn 6.34 The Disciples were very desirous to have their meat drest for them and Christ saith to them I will doe it for you the bread of God is he which commeth downe from Heaven and giveth life unto the world Oh said they Lord evermore give us of this bread well saith Christ you shall have enough of it I am that bread of life hee that commeth to me shall never hunger and he that beleeveth in me shall never thirst he that eateth my flesh shall never hunger the flesh profiteth nothing the words that I speake they are Spirit and they are Life this must be done by faith spiritually now marke these men in the 60. verse they fall to open quarrelling and opposing this is an hard saying who can beare it as if hee had said you desired evermore to have of this bread but you must bee humble and feed upon me by faith and lay downe all confidence in parts and gifts Oh then they loathed this bread and care not for it it will not downe this is bread that no man can digest what thus holy and thus heavenly minded to man can endure it So from that day forward they went away So Gal. 4.15 16. the Galathians there did entertaine the Word of the Lord marvellous contentedly and their hearts were ravished therewith insomuch that they could have beene even content to pluck out their eyes to doe the Apostle good and yet presently after they would have pluckt the soule from his body and all this was because hee would not dally with them nor nourish them in their sinnes but spoke the truth which would have pluckt away their corruptions from them When the Prophet came to the widowes house and bade her take meale out of the barrell and draw oyle out of the cruise all the while that this lasted he was welcome but when the childe died she saith Oh thou man of God art thou come to call my sinnes to remembrance by slaying my sonne when shee conceived that he had seene her sinnes shee falls out with him so it is with this temporary beleever all the while the meale and the oyle continue and while a Minister will tell them of ease and liberty and prosperity and preach smooth things and fawne upon them in their base distempers and daube them up all this while the Ministers are welcome but if a man come to shake their hypocrisie and when they begin to say what a dissembler and a cheater and yet a professor then they say Oh thou man of God art thou come to shake the hold of all the hope we have wee are not able to endure it it is knowne by experience that commonly such persons turne the most bitter enemies against that truth which formerly they have professed and seemed to love Thirdly how comes it to passe that hee falls short and what wanted he you see he had something like unto faith the Saints of God were affected so was he the Saints of God had some taste of the sweetnesse of the Word so had hee where is the fault then I answer the failing was in three particulars and they are very faire and open First this was the wound of the temporary in his course he received the Word suddenly and with joy and so hee came not to the promise aright but came to just nothing for in Gods ordinary course of proceeding this is the course whereas he did receive the Word suddenly with joy he should have received it leasurely and with sorrow as Ier. 50.4 at that time saith the Lord The Chilren of Israel shall come they and the children of Iudah together going and weeping shall they goe and seeke the Lord their God and they shall aske the way to Zion with their faces thitherward If ever you would seeke the Lord and have your faces towards him you must goe weeping and mourning and this was the way that God led them and that wisely too as Ier. 31.9 They shall come weeping and mourning and with mercy will I bring them Againe I will lead them by the rivers of waters c. There are even rivers of supplications in their mouthes they powred out their hearts there and what came afterwards their hearts were filled with comfort and consolation it is that which you shall observe the Lord appoints this and it is the portion which God the great Housholder of heaven and earth prepares for his hee prepares it for them and therefore all you proud and stubborne wretches and unbroken hearts meddle not you with comfort first he discomforted
owne comfort and hopes to change himselfe and help himselfe out of misery hee conceives it is in his power to procure his safety and to satisfie all the wrong done to God he now becomes a Saviour of himselfe Where is Christ now he keeps the staffe in his owne hand now and hee will still have it in his owne power to procure his owne happinesse This is that every man is naturally given to since he must alter he will have it in his owne power to alter himselfe and save himselfe This seemes to me to bee the meaning of the young mans speech Matthew 19. when he came to trade for life and happinesse What shall I doe saith he to gaine eternall life Christ saith goe thy way and keepe the Commandements Thou shalt not commit adultery thou shalt not steale c. I have kept all these from my youth saith hee what want I yet as who should say if thou have not enough thou shalt have enough before I goe I will pay thee upon the naile I will be aforehand with thee I will not owe thee a farthing token What want I yet as though hee would not bee onely even hand but afore hand with God as who should say he could not misse Heaven if he could doe as he thought he was able to doe To have all a mans good in another to receive all spiritual good from another this is that nature is hardly brought unto and yet this must be done if ever we beleeve To make the matter plaine otu of Scripture this was the maine hindrance that kept the Jewes from imbracing Jesus Christ men thinke they are the bravest Christians in the world because they have this and can doe that because they injoy these abilities nay performe these services not that a man should now not doe these but the resting here and to thinke to helpe a mans selfe by this meanes and the taking up a mans rest in these meanes and the opinion of merit this is the bane of religion Rom. 〈◊〉 2. For I beare them record saith the text that they have zeale for God but not according to knowledge the Iewes had a zeale for God they loved religion and they were Christians and circumcised and doe not these attaine to life and salvation no for saith the text they being ignorant of Gods righteousnesse and going about to establish their owne righteousnesse have not submitted themselves to the righteousnesse of God in Christ what is the reason of this because they went about to establish their owne righteousnesse Three things there be in the third verse for our purpose First that a man cannot be saved by his owne righteousnesse but by the righteousnesse of God in and through Christ Secondly that it is a point of submission and subjection Oh marke this and it is a great point it is a point of humilitie and submission to take and receive righteousnesse from another It is a great point of submission to have all from Christ and nothing in our selves to have grace from Christ and comfort from Christ this is admirable Now what hinders this submission why thirdly the text saith They went about to establish their owne righteousnesse of their owne workes as if that could doe the deed or nothing thou must count them dung in respect of the righteousnesse of Christ that is the first the whole nation of the Jewes fell short of Christ in this point the second place is Rom. 9.31 32. marke how he reasons the◠What shall we say then as who should say you will thinke we speake strange things and it is a strange thing but it is a true thing that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousnesse have attained unto righteousnesse even the righteousnesse which is of faith but Israel which followed the law of righteousnesse have not attained the law of righteousnesse why because they sought it not by faith but by the workes of the law Three things againe here in the text consider First what shall we say is it possible what a Gentile saved and a Jew condemned what a Gentile that knew not God attaine mercie and the Jewes and people of God cast off from mercie what shall wee say then why marke the text a Gentile that never trusted to his owne righteousnesse that is a miserable sinfull creature he seeth himselfe nothing haply a cursed drunkard or an adulterer the Lord opens his eyes discovers his sinnes and makes him see he is a lost man and makes him see that a Christ must save him from the sinnes of his prayers and a Christ must save him from the sinnes of his performances or else he is an undone man for ever Another man now the Jew he sought after the law that is they were strict in the performance of the law they had their circumcision their washing and all services upon all occasions curiously how comes this to passe now that the one is saved and the other damned because the one will be beholding to Christ the other will not therefore the one hath mercie the other hath not Now we will explaine the point and the practice of it will you see how men procure their owne ruine in this kinde take a poore sinner that is fallen into a base course what is the course hee takes to save himselfe hee is informed what to doe and his conscience is awakened therefore he goeth aside and forceth himselfe and labours to force his heart to a melting for and hatred against his corruptions whereby God hath beene displeased now haply God breakes his heart and teares flow abundantly and the man riseth off his knees and here takes up his stand and thinkes all is well and in conclusion thus he lives and is as bad as ever he was before and the next temptation that is offered to him he is taken aside with the same sinne againe the reason is he went away and thought my heart hath beene enlarged I have confessed my sinnes and God hath humbled my soule and therefore I shall be saved and rests upon his humiliation and not upon Christ upon his confession and not upon Christ so that his humiliation and confession is his Saviour he hath made provision at home therefore will not goe to the Lord Jesus Christ another man God opens his eyes and makes him see his ignorance the Minister tels him he must humble his soule and pray in his family now hee findes himselfe marvellous blinde and unable to doe it now he bewailes his ignorance and carelesnesse and waits upon God in his ordinances and gets abilitie to performe those duties so that now he performes holy duties after an excellent manner and there he stayeth and in conclusion returnes to his old fashion againe what is the reason he establisheth his owne righteousnesse he settled upon dutie alone and there was an end he fell short of Christ and rested upon doing of duties and so went no further at all well then wee have the hindrances Then for
as we may see Ephes 1.18 The same power that brought Christ out of the grave must bring the soule to Christ or else it will never come while the world stands be perswaded of these things they are true chuse whether you will beleeve them but the Lord make you beleeve them that you may receive comfort to your soules We come now in the second place to those second kinde of hinderances which doe not deprive a man of the title to Christ but through our own folly and weaknesse they stop us from comming so readily to Christ wee have interest in a promise but through our owne ignorance and Satans subtilty wee goe not so readily to a promise wee have title to The ground of all these hinderances is one and that is this namely when men out of carnall reason contrive another way to come to Christ than ever God ordained than ever the Word revealed when wee set up a standard by Gods standard when out of the heady haughty imaginations of our mindes wee make other termes and conditions of beleeving than ever God made then ever Christ required we lay bars in the way and lay boults upon our feet and manacles upon our hands and then wee complaine wee cannot goe the fault is your owne and the impediments are many because carnall reason is fruitfull to devise and Satan followes and fires these imaginations I will onely mention three hinderances which are mainly observable by which many a gracious heart is wonderfully damped from comming to and receiving benefit from the Lord Jesus Christ Hinderance 1 The first hinderance is a desperate kinde of despaire and discouragement which sometimes oppresseth the soule of a distressed sinner the distressed soule lookes upon his owne corruptionâ— and worthinesse and sinfullnesse and then hee dares not come to Christ hee viewes the number of his sinnes so many the nature of his abominations so hainous the continuance of them so long the soule of a distressed man sends his thoughts affarre off and viewes all both the abominations of his life and the distempers of his soule and seeth his iniquities mustering up themselves and Satan helps him forward for this is his policy First hee will keepe a sinner if hee can that hee shall not see sinne and then all will be whole and the sinner thinkes there is mercy enough in a Saviour and why should I trouble my selfe but when hee sees the sinner will pore upon his sinnes then hee shall see nothing else but sinne so that he dares not goe to God for mercy this is that I desire to trade in and follow Satan as far as I can Now the sinner that is in this case tell him that mercy is in Christ and redemption offered in a Saviour hee dares not heare of it hee dares not thinke of it what saith he shall I once imagine or thinke that there is any mercy for me that I have any title to or interest in Christ that were strange and the soule is here foyled and fastned upon his owne misery and never goeth to the Physitian he stares in the wound and never goes to a Saviour for a man is as well kept from going to Christ by poring continually upon his distempers by despaire as by resting upon his owne sufficiency by presumption hee that seeth not his sinnes he thinkes he hath sufficiency and therefore will not goe to Christ and when a sinner seeth and feeleth the burden of his iniquities he dares not goe to a Saviour this is the course of Satan and here in hee is marvellous cunning but this should not be any discouragement to our hearts from comming to the Lord Iesus Christ for I beseech you observe it for whom did Christ come into the world for whom did Christ die when he came it was not for the righteous that needed him not but for the sinners that had condemned themselves and hee came to save those that could not save themselves 1 Tim. 1.15 It is a faihfull saying Christ came to save sinners whereof I am the chiefe Zachary 13.1 There is a Fountaine set open for all people to wash in all sorts of sinnes and all sorts of sinners there is a fountaine set open for them bee they what they will be be they what they can be their sins never so great the time never so long and the hainousnesse never so vilde come they that will come come and welcome There was a fiery Serpent in the wildernesse and there was a brasen Serpent to cure them that were stung so if thou beest stung with the fiery Serpent of sinne Christ is the brasen Serpent that will heale thee Esay 43.24 When the Iewes had tyred God with their wickednesse and wearied him with their distempers yet the Lord for his owne Name sake pardoned all their iniquities and remembred their sins no more I say this though our sinnes bee never so hainous never so vile and abominable in themselves if the soule can see these and be burthened with these they doe not hinder the worke of faith and the worke of mercy I would faine have you thinke of that which I now say it is not our sinfulnesse properly I meane our unworthinesse but our haughtinesse that hinders us from comming to a Saviour it is not a mans basenesse and sinne that hinders him but his owne haughtinesse that lets him from comming to a Saviour we would have somewhat in our selves and not all from Christ therefore when we have nothing in our selves we are loth to goe to Christ were your sinnes lesser and your holinesse greater then you would goe then marke what followeth thou goest to Christ not because of the freenesse of his grace but because thou hast something in thy selfe to incourage thee to goe to Christ thou wilt have something before thou wilt goe to Christ and therefore wilt not have all from Christ therefore it is not thy basenesse and thy sinnes that hinder thee from Christ but it is thy haughtinesse and pride Object But Satan suggests and the soule replies I dare not come to Christ not onely because of my sins but because it is the freenesse of the offer of grace that I have rejected Answ Why this will not hinder thee neither provided thou canst be humbled for this though thou hast cast off the kindnesse of the Lord he will not reject thee and cast off thee if thou wilt come unto him Esay 57.18 the text saith for his wickednesse I have smitten him and was angry with him yet he turned after the way of his owne heart by this means Iudah should never be recalled but marke what the Lord addes I will heale him and restore comfort unto him as if he had said poore soule I have striven with him but he scorned me I offered him grace he received it not but went after the stubbornnesse of his owne heart hee seeth not his misery but I see it and I will pardon it Ierem. 3.2 Yet returne to mee saith
that you may but step aside and have it Now you have the matter for your faith to work upon Secondly we are to fit faith for the service that it may succeed with more comfort and better speed for though a man be a beleever yet there is a great deale of dulnesse and bluntnesse comes upon this grace though he have it Luke 24.25 see how our Saviour chides his Disciples saying O fooles slow and dull of heart to beleeve c. so wee ought to whet our faith that it may line and square the promises as it is in the Hebrew that it may pierce through the vale of all the riches of the freenesse of Gods grace and so bring comfort to us It is with the hand of faith as it is with the hand of the body sometimes though the thing be neare one that he may reach it and the hand hath life yet if it bee nummed and stiffe and frozen a man must warme it and rub it before hee can lay hold upon and take the thing and doe the worke in hand so it is with the hand of faith for faith is the hand of the soule it takes hold of that mercy and comfort which God hath prepared for us in Christ Jesus now that faith is nummed and stiffe through carelesnesse and loosenesse therefore it is not enough for a man to have faith but he must supple and oile the finewes of faith that he may catch more speedily at the promise of life and receive comfort from thence Particul 2 Now for the setting of our faith to be limber and quick there are three rules to be observed Rule 1 First wee must maintaine the evidence of this grace of faith once gotten without question How to make faith limber undeniable without controlement I say a faith once gotten marke it I speak not now of those that have not faith it is in vaine to bid a man live by faith who hath no faith but it is for those in whose hearts God hath beene pleased to worke this blessed grace of faith this must be the care of every man that hath gotten faith hee must know the nature of faith in generall and of his faith in particular whither his faith bee of the right stamp and will stand him in stead in the day of accompt and whither it be of that faith which Peter speaks of for there is a great deale of copper faith in the world as that Iesus Christ came into the world to save sinners and the like now when thou hast gained evidence that thou hast faith then fill it up and keep it by thee and labour to have the demonstration of this worke so plaine in thy soule that it may be past deniall What a marvellous folly is it for a man to question when hee should use it the worke must needs be marvellously hindred though he have never so much faith when hee begins to cavill with it and to question whither it bee good or no it is a proverbiall speech hee that doubts of his way â—â—sisseth of his way for while he is doubting hee goes no way in conclusion so hee that doth question whether he hath faith or no and therefore gets little good by it tell a poore sinner of living by faith and he saith it is good newes if I had it it is poore comfort to bid a man to goe warme him when hee hath no fire to warme him by and so it is a poore comfort to bid a man live by faith when hee never had any faith the quarrelling and doubting when a man hath it it wholy hinders the use and benefit of faith that would come to us as it is with a man that hath a faire estate and hath land worth so many hundreds a yeare all the while his lands are in question and controversie hee lives exceeding poore and scarce makes so many scores a yeare whereas if his lands were settled to him hee might so many hundreds so it is here every poore faithfull soule is borne to a faire estate and hath rich promises and while he is yet in the law and makes question of his faith the truth is the promises lye by and hee dares not meddle with them and hee suspects whether hee may venture upon them or no and the reason is hee is quarrelling with and doubting of his faith when hee should live by it Matth. 24.29 30 31. when the Disciples saw Jesus walking on the sea they thought it was a Spirit but Jesus said unto them Be of good comfort it is I now when Peter knew it was our Saviour â—e being somewhat too venterous he said If it be thou Lord bid mee come unto thee on the water and Christ said Come and Peter going the waters beâ—â—â— to be something boâ—sterous his heart began to sâ—ck c. and Christ said unto him O thou of â—it the faith why doest thou doubt as if he had said â—â—t is now no time of doubting but a time of beleeving the Lord bad him to come and hee had ground enough to come and strength of faith to come but when he saw the waves great trouble some he began to doubt whereas he should have improved the promise and not have doubted of it so we doubt and sit afraid quarell with the promise improve not the grace that God bestowes it is with the soule in this case as it is with a gun or peece that is rusty and not well scoured or not well stockt he that goes to use the gun in stead of hitting the marke it recoils and hurts him because that either it was not well stockt or else it was rustie so it is with a poore faithfull soule though the heart doth beleeve and his heart is of a right stamp and is able to lay hold on the promise if that faith grow rusty with our doubting and is unstable or unsettled it recoils againe upon us and wee sit downe dismaied whereas we might have gone to Christ and received mercy from him and therefore our Saviour saith of the wise Virgins Matth. 25.7 They trimmed their lamps and when the Bridegroome came they entred with him into the chamber so it should be with our soules it is not enough for a gracious heart to have true faith and true oile but if there growes any snuffe of doubting that dims the light of our links throw it away and quarrell not and then we shall be fitted to see the way and to enter into eternall happinesse by the power thereof and I beseech you to observe this the very questioning and quarelling against the worke of faith it many times as much dis-inables a man to put forth the power of his faith as if he had no faith at all as some that are melancholy they thinke they cannot speake nor goe this hath made men not to speake for many yeares together though they can and doe speake to this day therefore for the conclusion of this first rule goe
Isaac againe So I would have a poore Saint of God to conclude when thou findest thy comforts like Isaacks in the ashes and thy estate hopelesse and helplesse yet even then set Gods power on worke and wait upon him in the use of the meanes that hee hath appointed and then conclude it and bring patience power and deliverance and so in every kinde according to all thy necessities yet remember this expect no more from the promise than God will give in the promise but say my sinnes shall bee mastered one day and these temptations shall be one day overthrowne that have so long annoyed the soule of thy poore servant I have begged succour against these corruptions within and these temptations without and yet it is not but I know it is done in heaven it wants nothing but the taking out thou wilt bestow upon thy servant what thou seest fit 1 Sam. 1.18 Hannah wept sore and prayed to the Lord and went away and was no more sorrowfull and she said Lord I beleeve that I shall either have a childe or that which is as good or better now the businesse was done but imagine the Lord delayes and doth not suddenly accomplish what hee intends and thou hast used meanes to receive he gives not and grants not and sends not succour according to thy desire and the tenure of the covenant as thou conceivest Direct 4 Then faith must take up his stand and stay till it come as thou resolvest that it will be so stay till it be and stay it out here is much worke to doe we prevent Gods kindnesse when wee goe away before hee bee willing to bestow his kindnesse on us but faith will not doe so hee that beleeveth doth not make haste he makes haste to obey but hee stayes and resolves that it will be the vision is for an appointed time therefore wait for it thou art pestered with thy sinnes and hast laboured by faith to subdue them and thy estate is low and thou hast laboured by faith for deliverance and yet it comes not and freedome from temptations comes not therefore stay till God sees fit and it will come Psal 123.2 As the eyes of a servant looke to the hands of his master and the eyes of a maiden to her mistresse so our eyes wait upon the Lord our God untill he have mercie upon us not till I will and till I see fit and according to my minde but untill the Lord have mercie wee suddenly slide away from the covenant which the Lord makes with us because wee have it not when wee will therefore we goe away 1 Sam. 13.13 when Samuel carried long and the people began to murmur Saul went and offered a burnt-offering unto the Lord and therefore Samuel said unto him Thou hast done foolishly and hast not kept the commandement of thy God which he commanded thee for now would the Lord have established thy kingdome upon Israel for ever If Saul had stayed the Lords time hee would have established the kingdome upon Israel for ever but he prevented the Lords kindnesse and offered sacrifice unseasonably and sinfully so it is many times with a proud pettish rash and distempered heart if we have not what we would and just when we would then wee are all amort and murmur and say Why should wee wait any longer thou hast done foolishly hast thou prayed and looked to the promise thus long and wilt thou now give over the Lord would have comforted thee hadst thou gone on but the Lord hath withdrawn himselfe from thee because thou hast withdrawn thy heart from the promise when the carriage is heavie and the way is dead there are many sore puls and the wagon is at a stand and if a man should then goe away then all his worke were lost therefore stay thou till the Lord shew mercy thus long thou hast called and sought and looked to the promise and waited upon the Lord and attended upon the freenesse of his grace once more would have done it thy heart was almost humbled and thy sinne was almost conquered O thou silly foole why didst not thou hold it out it wil come at last my life for thine now take heed of this if the time seeme tedious and thy heart begins to sink and thy spirit is weary take heed of flying off take heed of shifting for thy owne comfort and looking to base ende and aimes no hold thy minde to and keep thy eye of faith upon the promise and stay it out till God see the time fit and know it is the best time for thee to receive it Acts 27 31. Paul saith Except these abide in the ship you cannot be safe every man was shipping over bord to save himselfe but Paul stayed them a man would have thought otherwise but the Apostle knew it was not so for the Lord had revealed it unto him so I say be thy temptations never so strong and thy sinnes never so many and thou beginnest to complaine and saist I have cryed Lord and sought earnestly and yet my condition is worse and my soule more sinfull and I am lesse able to helpe my selfe there is no more succour to bee expected now take heed of going out of the ship and from the use of the meanes keepe in the ship for in the ship you shall be safe keepe in the promise and still your hearts there you shall have a happie arrivall at heaven though it bee upon a broken board it s no matter stay Gods time Direct 5 Yet haply the Lord seemes sometimes not only to delay his poore servants and to withhold his favour but he seemes to frowne and say he will not heare and hee seemes to be angrie with the prayers of his servants and with their importunitie and he seemes as if he would not succour and supply thus he dealt with Iacob Gen. 32.26 there the Lord saith Let me goe I care not what becomes of thee I leave thee to thy selfe but Iacob layes hold upon him and would not let him goe so the last worke of faith is this In an holy humilitie to labour to contend with God and by strong hand to overcome the Lord for the Lord loves to be overcome thus bee not fancie with the Lord but in the sense of thy owne basenesse as it were catch the Lord Jesus and strive with him leave not till thou hast those comforts which he hath promised and thou hast begged this is the glory and victorie of the â—â—iumph of faith that gives the day to and layes downe the weapons and yeelds himselfe as conquered as it was Iacob when God saw he could not prevaile he said in the 28. verse Thy name shall be no more called Iacob but Israel because thou hast prevailed with God God is ready to give what he hath promised but he will have us trie masterie with him God overcomes himselfe and we by faith in God overcome God as Iam. 2.13 Mercie triumphs over justice Lord saith my