who is sencible of his withdrawing from God So also to discover in the third place the sweet Entertainment that the soule finds with God when he is brought home As I desire to declare sutable to what God hath declared to me so I desire to speake it from that Scripture in and by which the Lord was pleased to speake it forth to me by which he did very much refresh and encourage my poore and unworthy Spirit The Text is in these words following A Discovery of the sweet and unexspected Entertainment that wandring hearts meet with in their Returnes to God The Prodigalls Entertainment with his Father discovered Luke the 15. and the 20 verse And he arose and came to his Father but when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him BEloved Friends These words doe cleerly and sweetly Anatomise the tendernes of Gods affection as he is a Father and the truth is those hearts that doe by the Spirit of the Lord Really view God in these words as he is presented cannot but as a Sonne be melted and overcome in the sence of the Fathers kindnesse As for the first part of the words Concerning the Prodigalls rising and coming towards his Father I shall not say any thing having spoken at large what is there included in our former discourses I shall onely speak to the unexpected Entertainment the poore Prodigall found with the Father and that is implyed in these words But when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell upon his neeke and kissed him All which doth wonderfully manifest the full free and tender kindnesse of God to unkinde Greatures Before we come to speake of the Entertainment it selfe wee might speake something of the party Entertained And as to him we might say something of his resolution to come his preamble in coming his apprehensions about his coming and how much his Entertainment did Extend all All which you may see in the dependance of these words on the foregoing verses but I shall passe over that and onely summe up all in this generall Conclusion which wee shall observe from the words as they have dependance upon the former verses Doct. That soule which is brought home to the Father through a sence of his owne wandrings meets with unexpected Entertainment with the Father when he comes If you reade the former verses you will not finde the Prodigall expecting to meet the Father before he came to the Father And for the Father to runne when he onely went And for the Father to fall upon his necke before he fell downe before his Father Nay his Father kissed him before he could confesse how unworthy he was of a kisse truly the very thoughts of this is a Cordiall sufficient to put Life to a dying Spirit and doth exceedingly advance the glory of Gods grace and Love Especially if you see how God by this Love doth not onely give unexpected Entertainment and so in that went beyond the apprehensions of the Prodigall but he did also prevent the Prodigall in his practise for the poore wandring heart being sencible of his wandrings and what a breach by it he apprehended he had made in his Interest in his Father he now resolved to doe that which all poore Soules in the like Condition doth endeavour to doe in their returning to God to prompt their expectation of their Entertainment with God they resolve to doe and say something to make way for their Entertainment As the Prodigall here in these words I will arise and goe to my Father and will say I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne make me as one of thy hired servants Poore soules when they have these preparations and resolutions they have some hopes that God by it may be wrought upon to manifest Love againe Dearely Beloved that God may shew you the emptines of this foundation see how God goes beyond the poore Prodigall Before ever he said any thing the Father saved him and when he did but come the Father did runne and before he ever performed his resolutions his Father transcendently answered his expectation and desires falling on him and kissed him before he fell downe in the presence of his Father Beloved the Father is God and not man he moves all but is mov'd by none preparations are wrought by him but they are no Causes moving and procuring Entertainment with him * Job 32.6 7. Psal 16.2 Effects of his Love cannot be the Cause this would all Prodigalls say in their Returnes if they were sencible what God is and they will be drawne to acknowledge it from their Injoyment of the unexpected Entertainment with the Father Poore David when he had sinned against God said He would confesse his sinne but saith he when I said I would confesse God forgave Psal 32. and the 5. So that when he did onely Resolve to confesse before it was done God did actually forgive The very same you may see in Ephraim Ierem. 31.18 19 verses he there bemones himselfe being ashamed and confounded thorough a sence of his owne unsutablenes crying out to be turned to God as knowing himselfe undone without him but see in the 20 verse what a transcendant and unexpected Entertainment he found with God Exprest in these words Ephraim my deare Sonne is he a pleasant Childe for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. O what sweet soule melting Expressions are these It was an Entertainment far beyond Ephraims Expectation and as Ephraim so all poore soules who have strangely wandred from the Father and are ashamed in their Returnes to beg Entertainment even in the lowest degree They undoubtedly shall be sweetly Entertained beyond what they doe or can expect If you aske me the reasons why wandring hearts in their Returnes finde Entertainment beyond their Expectation The reasons are these First Because Gods thoughts are not our thoughts Esay 55. the 8 and 9. but as the heavens are above the Earth so are his thoughts above ours in relation to the dispensation of mercy to undone soules The confirmation of which truth is Gods intent in that Chapter and those Verses Alas the poore heart that is wounded in the sence of his owne sins and desires nothing more then Entertainment if it were but to look upon God at the doore and to be owned by him though he did not sit at the Table with him and had but asmile though not kisses and lookes of Love though no Imbraces Though as a Servant yet he would thinke himselfe happy Dearely Beloved You shall not onely stand at the doore but * Can. 2.4 Cant. 3.10 Isa 62.5 sit downe at the Table and not onely have smiles and lookes of Love but varieties of
thee But I shall say no more of this use nor of this conclusion but I shall speak a word or two of the last Conclusion and so conclude Psalme the 116. and the 7. verse Returne unto thy rest O my soule for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee THe third and last Conclusion is from the ground of Davids resolution in these words For he hath dealt bountifully with me The Conclusion from thence is this That the knowledge of the fullnesse and bounty of God is the chiefe ground to turne a soule to God which hath withdrawne from God I shall speak very briefly of this because I shall have an occasion in my speaking to the third thing viz. The Entertainment a soule finds with God to speake much of the bounty and plenty he injoyes in God The word plenty implyes fullnesse without any emptinesse readinesse without any backwardnesse freenesse without reluctancy to doe that which he is a doing and upon all those accounts Gods bounty is fully and clearly demonstrated * Psa 26.5 Psal 12.7 Psal 13.6 Eph. 1.23 in the discoveries of himselfe to us for he doth not onely tender grace freely but in that holds forth a supply fully and in dispensing he doth it readily and delightfully It is the joy and delight of God to give out Love to lost heares never did any soule withdraw from God apprehending a want in him nor never doth a soule turne home againe to God but through the knowledge of the bounty and plenty that is to be injoyed in him That which moved and carryed on the Prodigal was the remembrance that there was enough in his Fathers house Luke the 15. and the 17. 'T is that which here in this Text is fully discovered for he calls upon his soule to turne saying He hath dealt bountifully with him If you look in the 5th of the Canticles you shall see that that was the ground which drew the Spouse after Christ with so much eagernesse it was the fullnesse and matchlesse excellency she saw in Christ as you may see at large from the 10 verse to the last and she tels you that he is the chiefest of 100 verse the 10 and so shee goes on and in the last verse she saith His mouth is most sweet nay he was altogether lovely this discovery of bounty and love did not onely draw the Spouse but did also cause the daughters of Jerusalem to enquire after Christ chapter the 6. and the 1 verse Where is thy beloved gone that we may seek him with thee this was the ground that caused Israel to return to God Jeremiah the 3d in the last part of the 22 verse Israel saith We come unto thee for thou art the Lord our God in the 3. verse he tells you it was in vaine to hope for salvation from the hills or from the multitude of the mountaines for in the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel which words imply as a safety in God so a sufficient supply from God So that from all these Scriptures you may clearly see That the discoveries or knowledge of the bounty of God doth draw and turne a soule to God that is withdrawne from God If you ask me the Reasons they are these First It is Gods way to conquer a soule and crucifie a soule to things below himselfe by appearing more full and glorious then all things besides him * Isa 40.15 16 17 18 21. The Sun drawes up all mens eyes to admire it from other Lights that are below it by out-shining and out-glorying every light besides it selfe The Father never comes but he brings so much in his hand and heart that the soule cannot see or enjoy elsewhere Second Reason It must needs be so for that light and life which turns a soule to God through the discoveries of God doth present and discover God to be as he is if so then it must needs be a knowledge of the bounty of God for God is bounty * Psa 113.4 5. it selfe Whosoever hath a view of God * Psal 86.8 Isa 46.9 must needs see all variety and plenty in him for it is not onely of him but so one with him that we cannot view one but we must view both for there is all variety in unity Psal 16.11 Revel 7. ult Third Reason As it is Gods way to present himselfe so and as it must needs be so because he is so so there is a great necessity for it for a soul is no sooner in his way towards God but sin and the Devil with varieties of Arguments doe endeavour to encounter the soule and presents it with varieties of objects to perswade the heart to bow downe and worship it it was the very same way the Devil took with Christ as you may see in the 4th of Matthew verse the 8. and the 9. Luke the 4 the 5 and 6 verses But take notice of all the Devil and sin presents it is not onely a lye but in the best it is but things relating to this transitory and empty being but truly did not God speak out that which the Devil and sin cannot speak out the hearts of poor creatures would very much stumble but the Father is pleased not onely to unspeak what the Devil saith but to out-speak and out-say whatsoever the Devil and sin can say and by it the Father is pleased not onely to put words into a Saints mouth but also ability in his heart by which the soule is made able to resist sin and Satan I am sure that heart which is acquainted with this condition knowes what great need and necessity there is of those discoveries to supply him with strength when he is with temptation surrounded But I shall say no more as to the Reasons Obj. Some may Object and say What hath been said to these Reasons holds forth so much as if the drawings and discoveries of God were the good we injoy by him and not the Essentiall good that is considered in him and if so that kind of Love and Life must needs be selfish An. In Answer to this Objection I shall present you with these particulers First Those hearts that thus Reason I feare are not acquainted with the discoveries of God for if they are they know it is impossible for a soule to injoy the streames but they must be swallowed up in the fountaine and it is impossible for a heart to love God for loaves and not for himselfe that is acquainted with his Loves It is not here as it is in Creature-contents for the soule is no sooner in this sense in Gods hand but at the same time he is seated and centred in Gods heart I speak after the manner of men but those hearts which Live in the Loves of God know what I mean Secondly The bounty we receive by God in a metaphoricall discourse seems to be distinct from God but in Gods sense and that Saints see the bounty of God and God is both one
that which is at this time most sencible in my heart to speake to you from what God hath spoke to me in my present Condition is three things The first is a discovery of the unsupportable Burthen of sinne when discovered by the light of Gods love Secondly The restles resolution of a Saint when he is Saint-like sencible of his withdrawing from God to turne to God Thirdly The gracious and sweet Entertainment the soule finds with God when that he is brought home And I shall declare it from three portions of Scripture The first from Psalme the 38. and the 4th verse the second from Psalme the 11 6th and the 7th verse The third from Luke the 15th and the 20th verse but I shall begin with the first at this opportunitie Psalme the 38. and the 4th verse For my Iniquities are gone over my head as a heavie Burthen they are too heavy for me DEare friends this Scripture I have formerly viewed and have formerly spoke something from it but I am now constrained to declare what God hath preached to mee for he hath been pleased thorough a discovery of my unsutablenes and my unkindnes by which he hath not onely broken my bones but he hath left no soundnes in my flesh I doe not meane by flesh fleshly nature but all the fleshlines of my owne Righteousnes by which formerly I refreshed my selfe with the sparkes of my owne performance and refreshed my selfe with the peace and tranquilitie I gathered from thence But now my wound is too large to be healed with such a salve but no more of that but to the words and in them you may consider in generall an affirmation wherein you may first consider the partic affirming that is David Secondly the affirmation it selfe that is twofold first That his iniquities are gone over his head Secondly They were a heavie burthen too heavie for him Thirdly You may consider the time when it was when God had shewed him so much of his own nothingnes that he had nothing left to live upon besides free love There was no rest in his Bones nor no soundnes in his flesh by bones and flesh wee are not to understand it naturally but spiritually and by flesh we are to understand it in a double sense according to these Scriptures Galatians the 5. and the 19 verse Gal. the 6. and the 12 verse Philippians the 3. and the 3 and 4 verses Deare friends wee might observe a Conclusion from the party affirming the affirmation it selfe and the time when and the manner how but wee shall draw up all into one Conclusion and that is this Doct. That sinne to a Saint like sencible heart is an unsupportable Burthen In the prosecution the Conclusion observe these foure things First the proofe of it by Scripture Secondly Consider what sin is Thirdly What a Saint-like sencible heart is Fourthly The reasons why sin to a Saint-like sencible heart is an unsupportable burthen First The Scriptures to prove the Conclusion are these In the first place view the Text which cleerly Confirmes the Truth of the Conclusion Further see Romaines the 7 and the 24 verse how Paul cryes out as a restles man under the sense of sin You may further see Psal 51. the 1 2 3. and 4 verses Jeremiah the 3. and the 25 verse Lamentations the 5. the 15 16 17 verses All which doe discover how unsupportable the Burthen of sinne is to a heart that is Saint-like sencible of sinne Deare friends wee need not much proofe to him that knowes it as I am confident every heart that is acquainted with God hath sufficient Experience of this to confirme it The daily heart-breakings in that soule who is sencible of his owne unkindnes by reading Gods kindnes doth demonstrate it But I shall adde no more but this That heart which needs Confirmation of this truth without himselfe and hath not a sufficient proofe within himselfe his Condition is sad Secondly let us Consider what sin is And in that Consideration wee will Consider three things First The nature of sinne Secondly The Concomitants of sin And Thirdly The Effects First What is sin the Apostle tells you in the first Epistle of John the 3 Chap. and the 4 verse That sinne is the Transgression of the Law had there been no Law there had been no sinne The variation from a Law is sinne To speake out the nature of sinne is almost as impossible as to speak out the nature of God For sinne in all things is contrary to God Whatsoever you can say of Darknes of Death of Hell and Devils you may say of sinne Sinne comprehends all and is one with either John in the Revelations tels us of the depth of Satans Temptation Revel 2.24 which Temptation peradventure is but the limbe of the least lust Oh! what a depth is there then in the whole body Whatsoever happines and glory is seene in Light the contrary is found in Darknes whatsoever content and freedome you finde in love Light the contrary misery and bondage you finde in Death but the perfections of all these miseries is comprehended in sinne as the body of them both That heart which is most sencible of sinne is not able to speake out the nature of sinne But I know that that heart which is Saint-like sencible of sinne and doth see sinne to present himselfe as it doth so ugly in his owne eyes thinkes sin can never be presented ugly enough and especially because they see that in sinning they doe not onely crosse Law but Love they do not onely pierce paper but the precious tenders of grace love Zech. 10. It is endles boundless to Anatomize the nature of that where not so much as nature dwels but is inslaved by it Secondly Consider the Concomitants of sinne There are many but I shall onely present so many of them as it at present in my owne view First It s that which drawes a darke Cloud over a mans eyes and hinders him in his cleare beholding of God Though a Christian hath never so glorious a view of divine Light Love that lives in God if God suffers that heart to be padling and medling with sinne and Darkness Isa 59.2 Psal 30.7 Cant. 5.2 3 4 5 6. and then the heart goes expecting to view God as before though God be as he was before an unalterable God yet there is a thick myst drawne upon the eye that he is like a man in a myst and knowes not where he is nor what he sees just like a man whose eyes are fixed upon the Sunne and there he beholds glorious objects than takes them off from that Sun and looks upon the Earth and then goes to looke up to the Sunne againe his eyes dazell that he can see neither Though it is true It is not the glory that we view in God that covers our eyes but rather the thick myst that intercepts our view of that unchangeable object And therefore the Example of
satisfie him so long as there is an old Coare within but he will cry out as Paul O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sinne The people of God know that Actions without are but branches though they oppose that yet they minde the body most which is the uncleane fountaine within and therefore you shall alwayes finde them crying out of an unsutable heart quite contrary to others practice who will sometime complaine of such unsutable and sinfull acts but at that time they will say they have a good heart and a good desire alas can the streames be foule and the fountain cleere that 's impossible Secondly A Saint-like sencible heart when it is most sencible of pardon it s most earnest for power quite contrary to the other which never cryes for power but when it is sencible of a want of pardon and if any thing comes in the Imagination to prompt phansie so as to cause any conceit that it enjoyes pardon it is then not more but lesse earnest for power and so their apprehensions of Liberty doth immediately beget Loosenesse But that heart which is Saint-like sencible of sinne the more God discovers pardon the more they are earnest for power for all the discoveries of Gods love to such a heart bindes up the heart more in Gods love and the sence of his kindnes produces double indearments of their hearts to God Thirdly A Saint-like sencible heart is alwayes as thankfull to God for power as he is for pardon Rom. 7.25 1 Cor. 15.56 57. nay I dare say that that heart which ever was really wounded thorough the discoveries of his owne darknesse by the comings in of Gods Light thinkes it selfe so much bound to heaven for any sin as well as pardon that when he doth enjoy any power he is with as much Light and Love carried out to blesse God for that mercy as he is for pardon quite contrary are other hearts who see sin but not Saint-like they have some carryings out sometimes to acknowledge mercy in pardoning sin but at that time they are cold in begging power nay if they could see into their owne hearts they would see that they had a heart that would thinke it a mercy to Enjoy pardon of sin and with it Liberty to sin not lesse but more Fourthly Those hearts which sees sin Saint-like their sorrow for sin doth very much swallow up the sense of danger but others that are onely sencible of sinne by the Convictions of a Law without the Comings in of his Love they through the sence of danger are so swallowed up in horror that there is hardly any roome for a godly or a Gospel sorrow Deare friends if God would give us hearts to minde our hearts in this thing wee should see very great mistakes in Relation to this godly or Gospel sorrow but I shall leave that knowing all soules that live with God see the difference of that in their owne spirits And to make others see before God gives them Eyes it is impossible Fifthly A Saints sence of sin makes him run not lesse but more to God The other mans sence of sin makes him run not lesse but more from God The one runs like the * Luk. 15.19 20. Prodigall Sonne to his Fathers house or rather his Fathers heart The other is farre from it but it rather causes him like * Mat. 27.5 Judas to run to the place of Execution Truly in this there is a very strange Paradox that Light and Love which comes into a Saints heart doth not onely discover sin but produce much shame upon the heart upon the sence of sin and most when it drawes neerest God yet the soule cannot chuse but run to God and is never well but when it is neerest God Sixtly A saint-like sence of sin is alwayes so strict upon his watch to prevent sin that he feares the appearances of sin as well as the power but another heart is not so but no more of this but to the second question to demonstrate the difference betwixt sins going out and sins being cast out First If sin be cast out it alwayes leaves an awfull feare and care behinde it but if it onely went out it leaves a man very secure as you may see by the Text Matt. the 12th and the 45. verse Secondly That heart which Christ hath conquerd in and cast out sin for when it is sensible it is not lesse but more humble and it must needs be so for that Light and Life that did conquer sin and doth discover sin doth discover to the heart its unsufficiency as before to subdue sin now again to keep under sin that the soule cannot chuse in that sence but lye very low But it s otherwise with that heart where sin onely went out They thinke highly of themselves and are apt to sacrifice to their owne nets or like the Pharisee Luke the 18.11 I thanke thee that I am not as this Publican but alas it is not so with a heart that is sencible of sin by the commings in of Christ he judges himself the worst of Creatures * Psal 22.6 Eph. 3.8 Thirdly If sin be cast out the Light and power that cast it out teaches that soule to leane more upon Gods power and to goe lesse upon his own Legs but it is not so with the other Fourthly That heart which sin is cast out of and doth not goe out is so sencible of what is done for it that it doth not onely lye low before God and feare the appearances of sinning against God but it is much carried to blesse and give glory to God Rom. 7.25 1 Cor. 15.57 But where sin onely went out that man is not wounded thorough the sence of his own sin and weaknesse so as to give glory to God for any victory over sin but rather minde his own Industry and strength and attributes much to his owne care but little to Gods kindnesse But I shall say no more in answer to those questions but another word or two of some other uses and so conclude The second use is an use of advise to the people of God by any meanes to beware of sin I might use many Arguments but I desire you to minde what I have said before and doe not onely consider how unsupportable a burthen it will be and how much it will wound you when the Lord causes you to returne but consider withall these things following First Consider the nature of sin how low base and unworthy a thing it is you shall never see what it sayes unlesse it be in the last pangs when God makes it speake out its own nature and that is death and darkness * Rom. 6.21 Mat. 24.50 51. Secondly Consider how much it is below a Saints * Hos 14.8 spirit nay the truth is if you consider sin well as Sin it is below the Reason of a naturall man t is so poore base and
Ignoble that Reason in a naturall man were his eyes but open in his own Reason he would kick it out of doores It is a meere Jesuiticall Tyrant speaking faire to accomplish its owne ends and by it to bring the Creature to slavery and bondage The truth is if the people of Gods heart were often with God and fed upon those glorious noble and divine injoyments Sin would not finde so easie an entertainment in their hearts but they being so often abroad and so little at home I meane in their fathers house or rather in his heart is that which occasions many slips and falls by harkning to those deluding Intisements which afterwards will appear to be an unsupportable burthen Thirdly Consider most of all against whom you sin It is not onely against Law but against Love and against that deare Love which is your life Truly if the people of God had alwayes power from God to consider how injurious and unkinde they are to Gods heart when they shake sin by the hand they would have much more Resolution against sin and say as Ephraim What have I to doe any more with Idolls Hosea the 14. chap. and the 8. vers or say as Joseph Genesis the 39. and the 9. How can I doe this and sin against God or as the Apostle saith Roman the 6. the 1 and 2. I know it is not in the Creatures power to minde it selfe but I am sure when God gives power it is a great advantage to us and disadvantage to sin to weigh well the great opposition sin makes against the Comings in of Divine Loves nay how much it wounds the Lord Christ afresh Some thinke that the worst that even sin did was to bring Christ upon the Crosse but I must tell you though that was great yet know also that every time the people of God sin Heb. 6.6 Heb. 10.29 they doe as it were crucifie Christ afresh for Christ is as really crucified within us as he was upon the Crosse for us and therefore every time you sin know this that in your owne soule you accuse you arraigne condemne crown with thornes spit in the face and smite with the hand nay pearce and wound that dearly beloved unction that is come downe from God and truly had we but power to consider that indeared Love and Life that from God speaks to us nay that woes and intreats for Entertainment with us not to adde to it selfe but to advance us undoubtedly such thoughts would much conquer us and sin in us There are many other motives but I shall leave them onely take notice it is dangerous to be a Dydimus not to beleeve till you feele Take notice of this from what my soule knowes that sence will be very sad and the rather because there is no Reliefe when you are wounded but in that you have wounded by that which wounded you oh what will you say when you come for Reliefe from that deare heart and to draw life from those sweet Loves that you did no lesse then throw dirt in the face of oh if there be any of the people of God who are so farre deluded as under the notion of Liberty are run into loosnesse oh I beg nay I would beg with teares for them to consider from whence they are fallen and to remember their first Love Revela 2.4 5. It is possible some may be made so unsensible by their wanton sinning as that they may make a jest of these sayings As for such spirits I shall leave them desiring to see my selfe in them and so rather conclude with mourning then to spend time in dispute with all the objections that such may bring and shall onely give answer to two or three objections which are more common and accustomary yet like deceiving Object How can this be when as the Apostle Saint John in the first Epistle 3.9 saith he that is borne of God cannot sin Answ In my answer to this I shall not trouble you in rehearsing how often the Devill hath presented we with this Scripture to perswade me that the people of God cannot sin but my answer to this Scripture is briefely thus The same Apostle in the same Epistle chap. 1.8 verse saith that whosoever saith he hath no sin is lyar and deceives himselfe Therefore he doth not intend but that the people of God may and doe sin but it is true that in them which are borne of God in them I meane that Saintship or unction or anoynting or spirit of life which comes from God and is one with God that doth not nor cannot sin 't is true it cannot sin because it is borne of God We may as well say we can turne Heaven into Hell and turne light into darknesse as to turne that into sin or that to sin no deare hearts that is of another nature that 's Gods little one that is placed in us to justifie Wisdome Mat. 11.19 and to condemne folly and to breath out Love and Light in opposition to darknesse and 't is so far from being capable of joyning with sin that its proper worke is to arraigne accuse and condemne the old man which was in Paul though he was a childe of God Rom. 7.20 21 22 23 verses Now this unction * 1 Joh. 2.20 21. or this thing borne of God gives us the denomination of being the children of God but though it is the power of God in us to kill sin by the nature of it selfe yet it never did nor will turne sin into grace nor yet manifest so much in this life as to fill Saints with grace and free them from all sin but they must have some Canaanites and Hittites in their hearts * 2 Cor. 12.7 Now the people of God is a generall tearme and envolves the whole person either men or women in a Scripture-sence but that generall doth include at a new so an old Man and both in one subject * Rom. 7.21 22 23. The one to be pulled down and the other to be exalted one to dye and the other to live for it is Life now when the Apostle saith that which is borne of God cannot sinne he intends that principall of Life which lives in us and doth not include the whole man and when he saith he hath no sin he deceives himselfe and is a lyar he intends the old rotten Man in our forme which is in us and as to our fleshly part is one with us Object Where there is no Law there can be no sin but the people of God are by Christ freed from the Law and if freed from it then there is to them no Law if no Law then no sin Answ That Christ hath freed beleevers from the Law the Scripture is cleare but that Christ which hath freed us from a Law hath given a Law to us which he calls a new * John 13.34 1 John 2.8 Commandement but as the Law was in the hand of Moses a condemning and a
waiting for Heaven Heaven hath stayed longer waiting for us * Can. 5.2 Isa 30.18 Thirdly Know that it shall not abide one houre or moment longer then to accomplish Gods * 1 Cor. 10.13 2 Cor. 4 17 end and though it seemes a losse that losse will be a great gaine Fourthly Though thou hast stayed long thou art not alone David groaned so long till his bones were broken and there was no soundnesse left in his flesh so when God hath destroyed thy strength and thy selfe Righteousnesse which Paul calls flesh Philip. the 3. He will then come and not tarry Object But alas I cannot thinke it is with others as with mee for my sinnes are not onely sinnes before Conversion but I have often withdrawne from God since Answ Was not the Prodigall Sonnes Condition so was it not so with David which I desire you to Consider and other two or three Scriptures which God was pleased to speake much Comfort to my heart by As Jeremiah the 3. and the 1. and so on God sayes in the first verse thus much That if a mans Wife be put away for Adultery he will never returne But sayth he you have played the harlot not with a few but many yet Returne unto me and gives them this Argument afterwards For I am married to you and againe and againe three or foure times he sayth Returne unto mee for I am thy God And these Intreaties were exprest to a people that were fallen from God and he speakes to them before they Returne that they may returne If there were such heart-earnings after them before they returned what deare affection was and is exprest when a soule doth Returne Deare friends at your leisure Reade over the 26 of Ezekiel the beginning of the Chapter discovers Gods great Love to them when they were in their bloud and how he brought them home and beautified them with his owne beauty that was a time of Love In the middle of the Chapter he discovers how his people had run from him and given their Jewells unto harlots and gone a whoring from God not onely once but againe and againe Now in the latter part of the Chapter verse the 59. he declares that he might doe by them as they had done by him yet in the 60 verse he tells them he will not but he will Remember his Covenant and know further for thy Comfort that he speakes this not to a people that were ashamed but to a people that had dealt unkindly and sinned that so they might be ashamed So then if God hath discovered thy sin and made thee ashamed know that he is not lesse carried out in kindnesse to imbrace thy heart though peradventure at present thou see it not according to that in the 11th of Hosea and the first verse Object But that which sads my heart is the longer I live and the more Light I enjoy I yet still see not lesse but more deadnesse darknesse and basenesse in my owne heart Answ In my answer to this objection Consider these things First Thinke it not strange for this is a truth that all Saints finde by Experience that the more they enjoy discoveries of Light from God the more unkindnesse and darknesse they see in themselves * Job 42.5 6. Isa 6.5 and it must needs be so The darker the roome the lesser the filth is discovered The brighter the Sunne the more prospectious the motes and where the beames of the Sunne give out themselves as the flowers give out their sweet smells so the dunghill gives out his noysome smell so the more the Sunne of Righteousnesse doth arise in us though the graces in us flowing from him doe give out their sweet odours in their ready giving way to him so the noysome appearances and the ugly shapes of the old man doe appeare the more as Paul tells you Rom. the 7th and the 9th That when the Law of the Spirit or the Law of grace came sinne revived and he dyed Nay it so Revived that 's to say it was not onely discovered but also Rose up in opposition against the comings in of grace that Paul at last had little els to glory in but his Infirmities Cor. the 1. and the 12 the 9 and the 10th Sin is like a streame the more it is bunged up the more it will roare Therefore deare friends thinke it not strange but rather with satifaction sit silent in the will of God knowing it to be Gods way as with one hand to Lift up thy heart thorough a discovery of kindnesse so to lay thee low by the discovery of thy unsutablenesse and he will never leave thee till he hath discovered all the rotten Roomes in thy owne Spirit and the longer you live you will not see lesse but more for there is still more to be seene Secondly Knowing it is the Devill and sinnes way to worke not onely to Endeavour to goe on in its old Course in a gracious heart but being opposed by the Spirit of God it makes still new oppositions and doth manifest it selfe with more varieties of motion in opposing Light then it doth in that heart where nothing but darknesse dwels for there is nothing to oppose it Now when the people of God see such fresh motions of Darknesse to oppose Light they presently judge their Condition worse then it was before But they have great cause to Rejoyce who are sencible of these things and for your Comfort take notice That all Saints finde not onely by comings in of Light a greater discovery of sinne but there is really new motions of the old Man in opposition to the new which never was before and in that sence Paul saith Sin revived as well as in his seeing sinne more Thirdly In the last place Consider a Cunning practise that the Devill hath not onely in making Christians question grace because they see themselves want grace but in perswading them that all motions to sinne is sinne and for that End sometimes in halfe a quarter of an houre he will cast in a thousand severall motions of sinne and though the heart doth not Entertaine them but lyes groaning as being afraid of them yet the Devill immediately will come with applications to that heart telling him that it is impossible he should have any thing of Heaven in his heart having such unheard of sinnes there and sinnes not to be reported The poore soule thorough Ignorance groanes under this burthen concluding all is truth And so is apt to exclude all Interest in Heaven upon that accompt But deare hearts take heed of such delusions and doe but minde it and you will see many such appearances every day But I shall say no more as to the answer of that objection Object But my Condition must needs be sad and much unlike a Saint for I have not power to exercise Faith in drawing any Refreshment from Christ or Comfort in applying any promise Answ Thy Condition is not alone it is and hath been