long inwardly groane under the burthen of it till they feel it as fire hid and smothered within them or their consciences as a close-stopt burning oven whereby at length they are forced through Gods goodness to them to give vent to the fire to seek ease to their consciences by acknowledgement of their sin to God and also to men as the case may require which they might much sooner have attained unto if they had sooner sought to or made use of the remedy This was Davids case Psal 32.3 4.5 This may teach such when with these converts here they are inwardly smitten and pricked in their heart to take heed of bleeding inwardly which is ever dangerous It s dangerous to keep the divels counsel let them rather without denying or concealing any longer their sins seek after the meanes of helpe and cure And if they have any doubts or temptations within themselves let them be sure not long to conceal or smother the same or to bleed inwardly This were to keep the Divels counsel which hath had in some very fearfull and dismall effects whereas the making known of such doubts and inward close temptations upon suggestions of Satan hath both defeated him and freed them of their anguish and many desperate feares The longer such things are concealed the longer at the best are the patients held in torture and the more doubtfull if not desperate the cure will prove 2. Hearers once made to tremble and troubled by the word must take and make use of the season 2. A more generall Use is for hearers whose consciences doubtless are often touched so that whilest with Felix they hear discourses of righteousnesse temperance and judgement to come their guilty consciences make them to tremble and do inwardly prick smite wound and sting them Now what should they do in this case Shall they with Felix shuffle off the businesse this great and weighty work till they have a convenient season God forbid so did Felix indeed but that season never came yet so that his trembling proved to him but a summoner to hell and a harbinger to Gods judgement as the like trembling neglected will prove now to others who make no better use of it then he did Oh no the only season is now when God by his word faithfully taught and brought home to the soul doth begin to trouble the conscience For as when the Angel Joh. 5.4 went down at a certain season into the pool of Bethesda and troubled the water whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had So the season would be watched and presently taken when the Angel or messenger and minister of God by the word smites wounds and troubles the conscience to procrastinate or put all off to another season till sickness dispatch of other business old age or time of death is desperately to neglect a mans self and soul If then thou wilt follow wholsome advice Wholsome advice which is presently to get the sting and thorn removed so soon as thou findest thy conscience struck by the word and thy heart pierced so soon after hearing retire thy self into thy closet withdraw thy self from vain company examine wel thy conscience help to drive and strike home these nails to the head defer not to step in presently for cure into these waters which are healing look up forthwith being thus stung to Christ figured by the brazen Serpent put it not off till some other time least thou die of the wound and stinging Be here in this case as the shot or wounded Hart which presently seeks to dittanie as his only remedie to cause the dart fall out If you have received into your bosome any such dart seek presently to get it pulled out least otherwise it be your death Learn of Paul who not only at his first conversion being struck and charged in conscience with his sin of persecuting of Christ in his members Acts 9.6 sought to Christ for direction but afterward having some sting prick and thorn left sticking in him 2 Cor. 12.7.8.9 deferred not but early and late sought to Christ by earnest prayer to have it plucked out and he received a gracious Answer of which he had comfort Yea learn of these here who when upon heating they were pricked in heart presently seek for direction and remedy and not so only but wisely also they seek to the true meanes of cure of their consciences and betake themselves to Peter and to the other Apostles seeking help ease and direction from them which is the third point to be considered CHAP. XXV SECT 1. Where and of whom to seek comfort to our troubled Consciences only of Gods faithfull Ministers And said unto Peter and to the rest of the Apostles Third Point The parties of whom they sought cure and direction Considered according to a threefold relation 3. THis is the third circumstance concerning the parties to whom they spake and of whom they sought help and cure Now these here are to be considered in a threefold relation 1. To God as his messengers or as the Apostles of Christ 2. To these converts and as the same that wounded them 3. To some of these again as being the same who formerly had beene neglected yea mocked and derided by them 1. To God and as his Apostles and Ministers Who are considered 3. wayes 1. These here sought unto are the Apostles of Christ Peter and the rest whom according to the Text we will consider First and chiefly according to the quality of their persons or nature of their office Secondly according to their Order here mentioned Thirdly Number 1. These Apostles here were properly the eleven with Matthias added unto them by lot in the room of Judas 1. According to their office who were Apostles Acts 1.16 who were immediatly chosen and called by Christ whilst he remained on earth Matth. 10.2 3 4 c. First specially to preach to the Jewes only or to the lost sheep of the house of Israel vers 5 6 7. to prepare them to receive Christ himselfe and his doctrine What is that Mat. 28.17 20 then after his resurrection and ascension to preach to the whole world and to plant Churches among the Gentiles being first commanded to wait at Jerusalem for the promise of the Father untill they should be endued with power from on High Acts 1.4 and Luke 24.49 Which accordingly the tenth day after his Ascension on this day of Pentecost they received whilest the Holy Ghost was in visible manner poured out upon them and they thus solemnly inaugurated ordained and declared to be the Apostles of Christ as it were then given from heaven by Christ unto the Church These were to be speciall witnesses of Christs Resurrection Ephes 4.7 11 Acts 1.22 and Ambassadors sent of him into the whole world there to plant Churches being immediatly inspired by the Holy Ghost both to
or find content in their present condition they were stung and till they got ease in a very hell Thus it was with these Converts here what will then be the condition and sorrows of such as do remain live and dye impenitent Let it then be hence observed that sinne must never want sorrow Observe Sinne carries a sting with it never wants sorrow it carries a sting with it which will shew it self at one time or other It s like those locusts spoken of Revel 9.7.10 which have faces like men but stings in their tails like scorpions Such a thing is sinne though at first it may seem to have a beautifull face and appearance yet such as dally with it will find it will leave pricks at least and venemous wounds in the conscience such as have been named And though the conscience at length grow to be seared Though the conscience be seared senseles sometime yet it wil awaken here or in hell yet not onely the searing of it is not without pain or without many conflicts and terrours before it be deprived of all fence but God after awakens it to feel the horrour of hel even in this life though he deny such repentance as we see Judas Julian Nero Brutus King Saul who having an evil spirit which formerly had haunted him yet though as Brutus his malus Genius or Ghost which haunted him at Rome having for a while left him yet met with him at Philippi a little before his death though I say it left Saul often yet often it returned especially at Endor where Satan in the likenesse of Samuel told him that to morrow he should be with him 1. Sam. 28 29.20 which struck him with horrible amazement as there was cause Let this be thought on by all such as can find no delight in any thing but in sinne Vse For such as delight in sinne to expect bitternes Prov. 9.17.18 or so farre as there is sinne in the same The forbidden fruit seemed even because forbidden to promise more delight then all other trees yet it proved bitternesse in the end as sin will do so stollen waters and bread of deceit end in hell and prove like poyson given in sugar which may go down sweetly Which young men Eccles 11.9 but kindleth a fire in the bowels and bereaves of life Think of this you young men and rejoyce but know c. as you have lately heard remember the threefold sting which accompanyed and followed that of sin especially that of Conscience and of eternall torments Think of this ye Joviall and merry men of the world and merry men should think of how can ye be merry when so many thousand woes curses and vengeances belong unto you and hang over your heads sorrow you will find enough one day which may be to you without repentance but know assuredly that true repentance and conversion cannot be without sorrow seeing then sorrow must and will follow sin And either by godly sorrow in time to prevent it 1 Learn in time to sorrow soundly for sinne to be pricked wounded and in heart truly grieved for your sinne for such sorrow onely will prove saving and prepare you for through conversion and for sound and lasting joy as in these converts here 2 Otherwise know that you will gain nothing by sin or by living in it 2 Or assuredly to to look for it Grief of heart and pricking and wounding of the soul in some measure is the easiest which if you be afraid of chusing rather to enjoy your ease pleasures liberties then to be interrupted in the same by godly sorrow There is nothing gained by sinne then expect nothing in the end but hellish horrour terrours and torments not a pricking but piercing of the heart a breaking an opening a cutting a cleaving of it it may be even in this life and then a wounded spirit who can hear Prov. 18.14 but assuredly hereafter and for ever in hell For the prevention of which consider now well what you do what will be the end of your courses what the bitter and accursed fruits of your sinnes and of your smothering of the checks of your conscience Be now in time sensible of these things and consider this you that make nothing or but a jest of sinne or of conscience Take heed of lading A wounded name estate and broken bones nothing to the wounding of the spirit Psal 38.4 wounding and piercing your souls by voluntary and wilfull transgressions The soul hereby though for the present it be not perhaps so sensible yet insensibly is wounded and burthened with the guiltinesse of sinne whereby wrath is a treasuring up the burthen increaseth so long till at length your iniquities grow and go over your heads and as an heavy burthen prove too heavy for you Sinne long harboured within will at length fester break out into torments and in a word prove the death of the soul eternally The madnesse of men in falling into the greater evil for avoiding the lesse How is it to be wished then that men were as sensible of pricks and wounds in their hearts and spirits which by sinne are alwayes made though not perceived or believed or that they feared these half so much as they do a wounded body estate or name how sensible are men of the one and how fearlesse of the other hence they receive wounds on the inside and gashes in their consciences that the outside may be saved they will steal and do wrong to prevent poverty and yet poverty no such burthen as the guilt of theft they lye will falsifie word promise and oath to prevent or get out of debt and yet debt with man is no such burthen as debt with God which will exclude them out of heaven They will voluntarily smother the checks of conscience and repell the reproofs of the word that they may sinne more securely and with lesse trouble and yet this fire which thus smothered will once yea and for ever break out into flames doth infinitely surpasse that small seeming sorrow or lesser prickings which are in repentance They will go to witches to gain health and yet no sicknesse so ill as to be the devils devoted slave yea to save their skin their liberties their offices and to avoid reproach for Christ and persecution they will deny the truth of God and give the soul a thousand gashes to keep the skin whole and yet no losse to that of the soul Mark 8.36 What madnesse * Mr. Harris of a wounded spirit saith one is this This is to prick the hand to save the glove to hazard the head for the saving of the hat or of a feather to prick and wound the heart yea to kill the soul rather then to forgo a little vain and sinfull pleasure gain or honour alas they know not yet neither will they be told what the sorrows of a wounded spirit and conscience meane when God shall
without pain ere ever it consent to marry to Christ Now can there be a divorce wrought between loving couples otherwise most loth thereunto without sorrow ask Phaltiel who being married to Michal when David her first husband sent for her 2 Sam. 3.16 went with her along weeping behind her 3 From the nature of Conversion which is such a change as a man cannot but be sensible of it first or last 3 This brings us to consider of the nature of conversion which implyeth as much as I intend which being a change from darknesse to light from bondage to liberty in a word from one contrary to another how should a man discern of his contrary new estate without feeling in some measure the horrour of his former condition under darknesse and bondage at least he can have no comfort in his Conversion unlesse he find and feel a difference between the one estate and the other which cannot be felt without some shaking and affrightment as he apprehends the greatnesse of the benefit of his deliverance by Christ so is he touched with a proportionable fence of his danger either imminent or passed as we have heard of some who having at first in their sleep drink or otherwise ignorance passed some very great danger as over some narrow or broken and crackt bridge pit or the like being brought after to see their danger they have quaked trembled been amazed if they have not wholly expired and given up the Ghost Thus such as perhaps at the very first are not so sensible of their dangerous condition or yet of their change as others are Christ being truly in them yet afterwards when they come to better consideration and deeper apprehension of their wayes and former dangers they find a proportionable measure of inward trouble terrour yea and grief for such their hainous offences whereof they were not so sensible before and so they have their portion of terrour first or last in lesse or greater measure Lastly whom doth Christ call to Repentance 4 From Christs calling of such Matth. 9.13 Even of such onely as are sinners and laden and 11.29 Lost enemies 2 Cor. 5 Isa 27.5 in bondage Rom 8.15 2 Tim. 1. he came to call sinners to repentance such as in their own sense are sinners and if Christ call none but such to repentance who can have repentance but such yea but such as are heavy laden with sin and sense of Gods wrath for sin for these and such onely he calleth also to come unto him And as he came to call such so to save the lost sheep but who are these but such as feel themselves to be lost Christ calls and sends his Ministers to call us to be reconciled to him and to make peace with him but who will ever thus do that doth not first find and feel himself under his displeasure and can a man find that and not be troubled he calls us to liberty and must we not then first be under the spirit of bondage that unto fear In a word how can any either hunger after Christ or prize him aright as a Saviour and Redeemer till they through fence of misery and of their hopelesse helplesse worthlesse and desperate condition see their need of him or who will ever fly to him till by the Law as by a Schoolmaster discovering their fearfull condition to them they be whipped and scourged and so forced to go out of themselves to him This Law then must go before and as the needle by pricking doth pierce the cloth and make way for the threed to follow and sow so it must prepare the way for faith to follow by which we are knit to Christ otherwise we would prove but loose Christians and break off when we list as we know many Libertins to do who tell us much of comfort and joy they find in and by Christ and his Spirit but neither they nor any other can tell us of any sorrow wounding or pricking going before I shall ever suspect that joy yea that Conversion which issues not in some measure out of true sorrow pricking compunction and contrition for sinne It s but a dream of joy and a false conception and birth This point yet further cleared and it shewed that though all be wounded yet not all alike Here then for the further clearing of this point of doctrine we must know that all who are truly converted do not suffer trouble and terrour of conscience in the same measure or yet manner neither doth God deal with all alike some are pricked onely as with a Pinne others as with a spear yet all pricked There are three degrees as in divers Resemblances and all of them saving by Gods mercy 1 A pricking as in my text wherein were some grudgings of conscience and such a hurt as was presently healed again and they filled with the holy Ghost 2 A wounding or a wounded spirit and who can bear that such as was sometime in Job and David from whom God seemed to withdraw himself by forsaking them c. and in such as wrestle long with God yea and with diffidence in themselves even many yeares before they can out wrestle their sorrows which at length they do And 3 there is a killing whereof Saint Paul speaks Rom. 7.9.10.11 Sinne revived and I died and the commandement which was ordained unto life I found to be unto death for sinne taking occasion by the commandement deceived me and by it slew me and yet lo Paul alive to God so All are shut up under the spirit of bondage as in a prison Gal. 3.23 before faith come we are kept under the Law shut up unto faith some as Jeremy let down to a dungeon Jer. 38.6 some as Paul put into an inner prison and his feet fast not in the mire in which Jeremy did sink but in the stocks some onely as Joseph who though a prisoner yet found favour and had more liberty Gen. 39 20.21.22 And so all being locked up under infidelity some are more easily set at liberty and their hearts sooner opened being like new and fresh locks easily opened whereas others are like old rusty locks which the key hardly and with much ado opens if at all so that they must not be broken by force and violence such is the difference of mens hearts some kept clear from rusting by restraining grace good education and example others are old rusty and cankered in sin whose doores must be broken open by strong hand and consciences awakened by terrours All hearts are hard naturally as we have heard but some as stones some as mettal which must not onely be broken but molten and as among stones some are softer then others and soon crushed some are harder as the flint without seams and sutures so is it with hearts some sooner humbled and made to relent then others some are more hardy bold crabbed and crooked then others an angry word or look will work more upon
Christ himself God-man in and by the order of that most absolutely perfect form and frame of prayer which he left as a pattern to his Church according to which all our desires and wills should be regulated and bounded in all things That petition which more directly and immediatly concerns God in his glory is premised and set in the first place for order and eminencie In which Gods glory is to be respected first and last as the rule measure and square of all the rest First Hallowed be thy name Yea that respect of Gods glory bounds and shuts in all the former Petitions all which are by us no otherwise to be made nor will by God be otherwise accepted then as they are referred to the same end seeing therewith in the end of our prayers we are to conclude yea and to bind God by urging him with respect to his own glory saying For thine is the Kingdom the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen By which Attestation of our faith and desire we confirm that we beg nothing but so far as may stand with Gods glory yea that God thereby may be glorified A double end of man 1. Gods glory 2. His own salvation And wheras the chief end of man and of all his desires and indeavours is or ought to be in the first place and most principally and universally the glory of God 1 Cor. 10.31 and secondarily his own and others eternall good happiness and salvation which before all earthly things he is to desire Matth. 6.33 See ye first the kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof The Lord teacheth us so much This last subordinate to the first by making our own and others spirituall and eternall good to be desired in the next and second place directing us to say and pray after the other Thy kingdome come whereby we pray that we and others may be of or belong to Gods Kingdom to raign with him in this life by grace and after in glory for evermore Now though this be mans chief end in regard of himself yet in regard of the former which is the glory of God the hallowing and sanctifying of his name it is secondary and subordinate For so Gods eternall decree hath made it Ephes 1.5 6. which is shewed God hath predestinated us to be adopted through Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his will But to what end to the praise of the glory of his grace Yea and contrariwise in the reprobation and damnation of the wicked Rom. 9.17 Even for this same purpose saith God unto Pharaoh have I raised thee up that I might shew my power in thee and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth And Prov. 16.4 The Lord hath made all things for himself yea even the wicked for the day of evill Not that he is author of his wickednesse but that he according to his eternall purpose permits him through his own impiety to oppresse such as are good reserving him to the day of wrath and punishment that he might shew in him his power and justice by which his name is glorified Job 21.30 2 Thes 1.6 7 8 9 10. The like reason in the generall and in respect to Gods glory is to be considered in such as everlastingly perish be they young or old though they be not so apparantly wicked as the four last petitions are to the four first as those named and intimated So that as the other four petitions in the Lords prayer and our desires of such things whether 1. the purchasing of good 1. Spiritual as the third 2. Temporall as the fourth Or 2. the removall of evill 1. Past and committed the pardon of sin Or 2. such as may hereafter be admitted by the temptation of the Divell should be subordinated to these two ends named Gods glory and our own and others eternall good and glory So the second of these is and ought to be subordinate to the first and not simply and absolutely sought but with like subordination to the first at least with submission thereunto as also to Gods will we being taught in the next Petition in case we be denied the former to say not only Hallowed be thy name but Thy will be done From this ground we infer that we are so far to deny our selves in our own if need were and in others salvation as to subordinate all unto Gods glory and just will Two Inferences hence 1. For others dear unto us and with relation to our love and respect to them whether dead or dying or as yet living 1. Concerning the salvation of others I know first that divers good Christians both can and doe so far submit to Gods will in the death or dying condition of their nearest and dearest friends and tender young children and others brothers sisters parents and associates whether wives or husbands as to rest therein 1. Dead or dying being dear and near to us and in our doubts of their salvation and be content to be denied the comfort of them on earth Only troubled they are and know not what to say or thinke or how to comfort themselves through doubt of their eternall salvation and good estate with God after this life If they could be satisfied herein they would take up and moderate their sorrows and not so excessively mourn as David by some is thought upon this ground to have mourned for the death of Absolom But what can we be content in the one to submit and deny our selves We are howsoever to rest in Gods will and in this that God glorifieth himself in them whether they die apparantly in their sins and not if need be in the other Is not God alike just and holy in both and doth he not in the one as well as in the other seek his own glory and the hallowing of his Name and should not we likewise so do I know it cannot nay ought not but be a cause of very great sorrow to any godly soul to see such as otherwise in naturall respects they love dearly to die apparantly in their sins in the act as well as habite thereof without shewing any signs of remorse or repentance Yet in such case we must in due season moderate and put limits to our sorrow yea and thoughts and so far deny our selves as without grudging gainsaying reasoning against God or replying and questioning his justice holiness and soveraignty lay the hand upon the mouth silence our own thoughts as well as words and rest in his most holy will suffering him to glorifie himself which way soever he please whether it be by the way of mercy or justice will and soveraignty ever mindfull of that He hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardneth where we are not to reply or dispute against God And dashing such in the teeth as are ready to lay all blame on him from off themselves
wholly and only on him we lose the benefit of his death and of pardon and so die in our sins 3. As an example to us of all Holiness 3. He is moreover a most perfect example to us of all holiness in our nature of humility meekness patience sobriety temperance chastity to take us off from bragging of any of these in our selves and to shame and humble us who come so far Behind 4. As our Iudge 4. Let us conceive of Christ as of him that must be our Judge and before whose bar and judgement seat we must all appear and stand Rom. 14.10.11 12. 2 Cor. 5.10 So shall we not stand upon our own justification but in all self-deniall judge our selves that we be not judged of him for ever with the judgement of condemnation 2. Christ is to be admired in his Fulness and All-sufficiency 2. Learn we to admire Christ in his fulness and all sufficiency that we may be all in him when by self-deniall we are nothing at all in our selves So we shall be no loosers by denying our selves in other things as these here were not They flying out of themselves were sent by the Apostles to Christ only and directed to profession of his name alone by being baptized into the same Acts 16.30 31 38. and 10.43 to faith in his Name and to repentance for the remission of sin so as that through his Name whosoever beleeveth in him shall receive remission of sins Now here let our care be above all by faith and self-denyall to get into Christ to attain a new Being in him to regain our selves being lost in the first Adam in him the second Adam in whom onely All fulnesse of grace life righteousnesse holinesse is stored up and of all good and saving things besides and from whom onely as from a full fountain we can hope to have them derived and conveyed unto us who is a fountain of grace to us God hath set and pitched his love onely on Christ his Son and loves no man savingly but onely in him He makes him a fountain of life grace and glory to his chosen For so it pleaseth the Father that in him should all fulness dwell Col. 1.19 And that of his fulness we should receive and grace for grace John 1.16 grace according to our necessity and measure for and according to that fulness and variety of all grace laid up in him as our Head and proposed as an Head and second Adam for us to be dispensed to us according to our severall necessities diversities of our callings severall measures of grace and so as no grace laid up in Christ as in a treasury for us shall be wanting to us as our need shall be Our chief care should be to be all in him There is a Being 1 Out of Christ before the fall and since 1 A naturall 2 Sinfull and 3 Worldly Being Prefer we then in our thoughts that Being which is in Christ before all other Beings without him We had a Being out of him as a Saviour first before the Fall in innocency which was happy but not stable Secondly after the Fall and that both a naturall Being for in him as God we live move and have our being Acts 17.28 this is good but not saving As also in and under Sin and Misery which Being we have onely in the first Adam Rom. 5.12 1 Cor. 15.22 and it is a miserable being Yea and a worldly Being as a being rich and wealthy a being wise after the flesh a being mighty a being noble c. And this is a Being such as most desire yet not most desirable But the Being which most of all we should admire desire and delight in is a Being by faith in Christ 2 In Christ by faith not by bare and outward Profession onely as some whole Churches are said to be wherein all were not so sound as 1 Cor. 1.2 Gal. 1.22 but a Being in Christ by true faith and according to power such as Paul preferrs before all outward priviledges and righteousnesse of the Law when denying all these he so preferrs and desires to be found in Christ Phil. 3.9 and speaking of himself I knew saith he a man in Christ c. 2 Cor. 12.2 This is that Being which we read of 1 Joh. 5.20 where it is said And we are in him that is true even in his Son Jesus Christ this is the true God and eternall life This our Being in Christ in effect is all one with Christs being in us whereby also Christ it in us whereby God and Christ is said to dwell in us and we in him 1 Joh. 4.15 16. of which Christ saith He that eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood which is not orally and carnally but by faith dwelleth in me and I in him John 6.56 and Abide in me and I in you he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit Joh. 15.4 5. Thus we once being in Christ are one in him and in the Father John 17.21 As thou Father art in me prayeth Christ and I in thee that they also may be one in us This Being in Christ is to be admired and preferred before all other Beings as alone being 1 Stable and better then that we had in the first Adam This is the Being to be desired of us above all Beings else as being 1 A stable Being and therefore much better and firmer then that we had in Adam before the fall or then that which many yet would have and hold in the first Adam whilest they ascribe to themselves such a power of will and naturall abilities that being especially helped generally by the illustration of grace they have power to beleeve and repent if they will and so to stand and persevere if they will and if they will to fall but how in comparison of this our stable and established Being in Christ who are assured of it by being annointed sealed and by receiving the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Cor. 1.20 21 22. are we if we had even Adams innocency as well as power of will to deny our selves in the same 2 Spiritual better then either our naturall or worldly Being 2. It is a spirituall Being and therefore better then any naturall Being we have on earth which for it when the case so requires is to be denyed As is also our worldly Being and all earthly respects Hence the Apostle opposeth this our Being in Christ for the comfort of such as were otherwise base and could deny themselves in other things against being wise mighty noble in the flesh God calls not many such but chuseth foolish weak and base things of the world that no flesh should glory in his presence or stand upon such terms with him But saith he to such as were chosen and savingly called though otherwise but mean in all these worldly respects of him are ye in Christ Jesus
ministeriall pains and conceptions which with some of my ancient hearers proved altogether abortive will yet find better acceptance here and such as I blesse God with many other of better temper among my ancient hearers they have found and that the seed cast on the thornie and stonie ground and hearts of many in England will take better root and thrive better in another soil as some trees transplanted do I recommend this mite of my good will to your Worships and to their perusall here as also to the Churches service and use elsewhere resting Dantzick June 28 1642. Your Worships and the Churches Servant R. J. An Advertisement to the Reader KNow that this insuing Treatise was sent into England and should have been printed in Anno 1642 but what by the death of one undertaker after the book was approved according to Order of Parliament and what by the inconstancy of another who after hee had printed the first three sheets gave it over and fell to a more gainfull trade of printing Diurnals it hath been laid aside thus long But now since my return into England the Copy being recovered and the printing of it by a third person procured I thought good though after six yeers of the date of it to let it passe in the stile it was written in at first and so as if I were still with my Hearers at Dantzick Judge of it then according to time place and persons when where and to whom it was preached and it being of generall use make improvement of it for thine own spirituall good for which thou hast the prayers of the unworthy Author The general Contents of each Chapter of this Treatise and of the several Sections under their several Chapters respectively containing the chief doctrines handled therein As for the many particulars under each Chapter and Section they may by a short glance of the eye be viewed in the margine of the booke it self CHAP. I. Concerning the time of mens Conversion Section 1. But first of the Change which is in Conversion Section 2. Why Christ converted not so many at any one Sermon as Peter and the rest here did with Uses Section 3. Why mens Conversion is often so long delayed by God with Reasons and Vses CHAP. II. Concerning the Persons converted by Peter c. their Quality Number Section 1. That some otherwise devout men need Conversion Section 2. God freely singles out some of many of whom his Church consists And of the freenesse of Gods Grace with four Vses CHAP. III. Concerning the Means of Conversion the hearing of Gods word preached Section 1. Of the Act of hearing and of the power of Gods Word whence it is with five Vses Sect. 2. Of the profit of hearing Gods word aright whence it is with three Vses CHAP. IIII. The Object of hearing generall and speciall here And what doctrine is like to do the greatest good even that which most advanceth Christ and debaseth man with reasons sons and uses respectively CHAP. V. The effects of saving hearing of Gods Word Section 1. 1 Pricking of heart Section 2. Pricking of heart considered 1 As the work of the Word And that the best kinde of preaching is that which pricks the heart Why With two Vses Sect. 3. Pricking of heart considered 2 As the fruit of sin And that sin carries a sting with it With Vse Section 4. Pricking of heart considered here as the first step to true Conversion And that Conversion must begin at the heart With two Reasons and three Vses CHAP. VI. How these Converts in the Text came to be pricked in Conscience CHAP. VII Shewing that all true Converts must first in some measure be pricked in heart Section 1. The Explication of this point of Doctrine and of whom and how it is meant with the difference between the Elect and Reprobate in their legall sorrows Sect. 2. The former point illustrated by Scripture and examples Sect. 3. That all in some measure must be pricked in conscience though not all alike Where four Reasons why Sect. 4. Who are more roughly and who more gently dealt withall in their Conversion Which difference is shewed with respect of their different conditions 1. present 2. past 3. to come Wherein Gods wisdome wonderfully appeareth CHAP. VIII The Demonstration of the former Point with the Reasons both on mans behalf and Gods why God will have all Converts of age to be first brought under the spirit of bondage CHAP. IX Of the Order of Conversion and 1. As it depends on Love in God Where ten approaches of Gods grace towards us all free CHAP. X. Sect. 1. Conversion is also a work of Gods power Sect. 2. The Order of Conversion as it depends on Power And first In regard of the Persons and Means imployed in working of it which is onely the Word and no other means without the word neither Sacraments Miracles Afflictions c. without it Sect. 3. The order of the work it self of Conversion And first seven orderly works of the Law Sect. 4. Eleven orderly works of the Gospel CHAP. XI Containing anVse of Triall as preparative to the rest CHAP. XII Vses for such 1. as have not been pricked And first The danger of a false peace and the desperate estate of secure sinners CHAP. XIII 2. A large Exhortation to the secure And Motives urging them to be afflicted and to mourn for sinne CHAP. XIIII Containing Means of Contrition and first A removall of Lets Sect. 1. Such lets removed as hinder the Word of God to pierce And they are six Sect. 2. Le ts removed which make the soul senselesse And first Sensuality and worldlinesse Sect. 3. Three moe lets removed Which are Great sins Little sins Custome of sinning Sect. 4. Two moe Lets Gods secret vengeance and Hardnesse of heart with the nature and danger of it and means to prevent it CHAP. XV. 2. Of the Means of true Compunction and Sensiblenesse Sect. 1. And first Of Gods Word heard recalled and applyed With the power of it in pricking the heart Sect. 2. Of the Consideration of sin Originall and Actuall in the aggravations of it Sect. 3. Gods judgements on our selves past present and to come should humble us Sect. 4. Others sufferings especially Christs should move us Sect. 5. Gods high Majesty well thought on would abase us Sect. 6. Earnest prayer with God a meanes of Humiliation and a way to derive power from him when especially it is joyned with watchfulnesse Sect. 7. A reproof of the secure with an exhortation and caveat CHAP. XVI Vses for such secondly as have been wounded Sect. 1 And first that they return not to sins for which they formerly have smarted Sect. 2. That secondly they goe on with the work of humiliation and that they seek not ease too soon Sect. 3. An Exhortation hereunto that we follow home Gods strokes till we be throughly humbled and cured Sect. 4. Divers reasons why men are not to take up with legal qualms til they
armes did they thus go forth conquering whithersoever they came yea and subduing spirituall and infernall power 2 Thess 2. Their weapons were not carnall but spirituall yet mighty not of themselves but through God c 2 Cor. 10.4 5. Thus Christ came to be set up in his throne and thus in after times after that great defection foretold Antichrist began to be cast out in many Kingdomes by the preaching of Luther in whom God shewed his mighty power and of whom one writes thus saying Vir sine vi ferri vi verbi inermibus armis Vir sine re sine spe contudit orbis opes He was one who without sword or speare by the onely power and weapons of the word of God without strength wealth and hope in himself overcame and subdued the power and strength of the world Alexander was renowned admired because with so few he subdued so many but here are conquests more admirable then his whereby moe and greater enemies even the powers not of the world only but of hell are subdued and that by fewer and to outward seeming weaker means Vse 1 Vse 1. This power of God in his word by which he then did and doth still goe on triumphing It s for terrour to the opposers of the word as he will till he have brought the necks of all his enemies in subjection to him one way or other is to be admired and acknowledged and we thence assured that the Lord Christ and his cause and Gospel shall in his good time prevaile against all opposition of men devils and Antichrist and that it howsoever supprest sometimes yet shall not be wholly oppressed it is like fire Which to them will prove like fire which though kept under and halfe smothered down yet will worke it self free having a consuming power in it to devour all combustible matter which stands in its way The word cannot be restrained as the Arke detained by the Philistines wrought it self out and as the people of Israel in Egypt by strong hand delivered it self and made the enemies weary of it Which may be terrour to all enemies of the Gospel and of the sound preaching and Preachers yea and Professors of it And a fair caveat to all that they meddle not with such edge-tooles the word will prove a sharp sword to them as a mall hammer or as a burthensome stone to crush such as heave at it or are enemies to it or yet do resist it in themselves Vse 2 2. For Confutation we hence conclude To confute first the errour of Vniversall grace and of free-will in man to accept of grace And secondly of mans power to resist Gods grace that to the conversion of a sinner there is more required then the hearing of the same word or the same common-motives and in a word then common and universall grace there must a speciall and an effectuall power go along therewith but that is no power of mans free-will but of Gods free and powerfull grace which therefore would be begged so oft as we heare Gods word Secondly That where God will convert any indeed it is not in the power of man to resist finally But these being points of Controversie I list not to insist upon them Onely for them both Know that conversion of soules and faith is made the affect as of the word preached The power of God in working faith Ephes 1.13 20 so of the power of God the greatnesse of his power yea the exceeding greatnesse of his power yea of the might of his power even effectually and actually and therefore irresistibly working as it is there also said according to the working of his mighty power even the same power by which he raised Christ from the dead i. e. the power of the Godhead Therefore as a man conferres nothing of his own to his bodily raising to life The same by which Christ was raised from death or to his own creation so he hinders it not when God will raise him up as we see in Lazarus he rose not of himself neither could he hinder his own rising he arose not by his own power and yet it was he even Lazarus who did rise Even so is it in our spirituall resurrection from the death of sinne which is wrought by the power of Christs word Ephes 5.14 saying Awake thou that sleepest and arise from the dead And we do so but then it is Christ who by his word which is operative gives us light and life Yet we must know that man in his conversion though it be thus both infallibly and powerfully wrought Yet man is not compelled is not forced or compelled to it but according to Gods wisedom as well as power is first made willing so Gods works though powerfully yet sweetly he so draws us as that wer un willingly after him Which teacheth us to live to Gods glory This overthrowes the contrary errour of Jesuites Lutherans and Arminians and teacheth us to give the whole glory of our conversion to God from whose mercy and power it is to depend on him for a continuall supply and influence of his grace to live wholly to him whose creatures we are both by nature and grace c. 3Vse Of comfort and Encouragement 1 To Preachers having a refractory people 3. It is a point of comfort and encouragement and that both to Ministers and to people 1. Ministers are hence encouraged to preach the word with power and with authority as knowing whose Ministers they are and that they have their Commission from him whose is all power and who according to that power calls and sends them forth promising to be with them to the end of the world so though they meet with opposition in their Ministery Neither to be daunted or otherwise have a refractory people of hard hearts and necks to deal withall opposing deriding and mocking them so that through discouragements they be ready with Jeremiah Jer. 20.8.9 who so found it to resolve to give over preaching or at least such plain and home-teaching yet ought they not to be discouraged but at Christs bidding to cast in their net again Not to despair of them otherwise we disobey yea and distrust the power of our Master Christ whose word if with Jeremiah we offer to shut up we also finde it in our heart as a burning fire shut up in our bones which will make us weary with forbearing that we cannot hold In case then that with Peter wee fish all night and catch nothing yet at Christs bidding let us cast in againe as he did and we shall in his time catch and make a great draught Joh. 21.11 as Peter did of an hundred fifty three great fishes thereby was but foresignified to him this great conversion of so many thousand soules by his Ministery whereby Christs promise to him at his calling to the Apostleship was made good unto him I will make
pricking in heart is an effect of Peters Sermon it will teach us this lesson that The best kind of teaching and preaching is that which pricks mens hearts and toucheth woundeth and convinceth their consciences I call it best and that both in regard of Gods glory whose word is thus by convincing men most magnified whether it prove the savour of life or of death seeing men once convinced by it God can more glorifie himself whether in his mercy or justice manifested towards convicted sinners and also in regard of our good and conversion and that for these reasons 1. Because this course is according to Gods own order in the conversion of souls 1 God convinced Adams conscience and so prepared him for the promise of the Messias 2 Christ began his Ministery by preaching repentance 2 Sonne Matth. 4.17 he so dealt with the Jews and with the woman of Samaria Joh. 4 18. 3 yea the comforter 3 Yea the first work of the Comforter is to convince men of sin to their condemnation before he convince them in their judgement of righteousnesse in Christ to their justification see John 16.8.9.10 for indeed there is no true consolation but out of deep humiliation no true joy and comfort but such as issues out of straits of conscience if we speak of men capable and legal convictions The spirit before it comfort it shakes a man and makes him fear see Hebr. 2.14 c. It s a course which God prescribes us his Ministers to use even to cry aloud and not to spare to tell men of their sinnes 2 God prescribes the use of it to cause them to know their abominations and to give them warning of their danger Isa 58.1 2. Ezek. 3.17 and 16.2 3 he blesseth it 3 Lastly its that method which God most blesseth as in Nathans plain dealing with David thou art the man and in other Prophets and in the Baptists preaching Vse 1 For Ministers thus to preach and to leave stings behind them Matth. 3.7 8.9.10 or Luk. 3.7.8 9. with 10 11 c. in his Apostles preaching here Vse 1. It is for the direction of us Ministers who as occasion serves must be full of the wrath of the Lord not preaching pleasing things to tickle the eare but sound saving and wholsome things to prick and wound the heart leaving stings behind us in mens hearts before we bring hony to please their tast first using corrosives by pouring in wine then lenitives oyl to supple heal The words of the wise saith Solomon are as goads and as nails fastened by the Masters of Assemblies whech are given from one shepheard Eccles 12 11. Jer. 23.29 yea Gods word in the mouth of his servants is like a hammer not onely to break the rock in pieces but to drive in those nails even to the head into mens not skins onely goads pierce the skin but flesh and hearts too thence to fetch and draw teares which Saint Augustine calls the blood of the soul Our manner of teaching should be such as not to seek applause to our selves but sobs and tears in you our prayse should be your teares your sighs not your hemms not the clapping of your hands To wring tears from their hearers or Plaudite as at a play but the knocking of your breasts and Plangite as at a funerall It was said of one after an oration made to the people of Athens that he left certain stings in their minds so did Peter here and so should we send you home as much as we can weeping to your closets Pericles in a sence of sinne and danger and so should we wield this sword of the spirit as to aim chiefly at your hearts and so stedfastly and strongly follow home the thrust like Masters of defence as not to suffer you to put it by And to convince 1 Sam. 15.13 14. c. Though such conviction prove not saving Gen. 4.7 Call to Newcastle or methods for discovery of sinne in the Ministers method by your shifts evasions excuses extenuations justifications no more if we had the skill then Samuel would suffer King Saul to evade him till he had convinced him and brought him to confesse his sin And this we must do though our reproofs and convictions do not alwayes prove saving so did not Samuels so did not Gods own reproof and conviction of Cain And Stephens reproof and conviction of the Jews to be the murtherers of Christ had not the same effect with Peters here it was the same sword or word of God but with the point it pricked the one savingly and with the one or both of the edges of it it being not kindly received cut the other to the heart and wōunded them mortally 2 For hearers 1 to submit meekly to the reproofs of the word but of this more elsewhere 2 This teacheth you to desire such kind of teaching not to be displeased with such as so faithfully deale with your souls and to learn of these here who though deeply charged by Peter yea pricked and wounded did not rise against him or say what or who is he this that thus boldly chargeth us but meekly receiving the word of reproof and as guilty persons convinced of their sinnes what shall we do its true alas we indeed are guilty neither should you shew your selves unwilling to have your wounds searched to the bottome 2 Therefore the law is now to be taught under the Gospel 3 It s a good sign to be pricked Treat on Ezek. 16.2 or Gods charge to his Messengers concerning conviction of sinners p. 237. c. or to have your sins discovered and brought to triall seeing all sinne is a traytor to God and his glory and by your unwillingnesse to have it found and brought to judgement you make your selves more guilty But of this as also other uses concerning the needfulnesse much more lawfulnesse of preaching the Law now in time of the Gospel not to justification but to the conviction of sinners and to prepare and bring them to Christ as also that it is no ill signe simply to be met withall netled pricked and troubled in conscience by the word so that we seek or accept of ease and help by the word I say of these and such like uses elsewhere more largely and purposedly CHAP. V. SECT 3. Pricking of heart considered as the fruit of sinne and that sin carries a sting with it 2 The second relation which this Pricking hath is to the sinners themselves and to their sinnes THE second Relation that this pricking hath is to the sinners themselves and to their sinne the fruit whereof we see is at best sorrow fear pricking and wounding of the heart and spirit The word they heard brought to remembrance their sinne and their sinne presented them with wrath and so their heart is struck with horrour fear amazement and confusion the conscience awakened would not suffer them any longer to rest
be throughly converted CHAP. VIII Shewing the reasons why God will have all Converts of age to be first brought under the spirit of bondage THese Reasons I reduce to these two generall Heads 3 The Demonstration or reasonâ— of the main Doctrine And why God will bring all Converts under the spirit of bondage This he doth with respect 1 to their good 1 To their profit 1 Mans own Good 2 Gods Glory 1 God will in his providence have our hearts to ake by bringing us in some measure under the spirit of bonage and have us thus wounded at least pricked before he receive us for our own Good who otherwise would neither know our selves aright nor acknowledge our want and need of Christ whilst we missed him not nor prize him aright For methods sake know the good which God intends his elect by thus dealing with them is according to that usuall division of good Profitable Comfortable Honourable 1 The Profit of this method which God useth with his so far as it is to be reaped in this life may be referred to their Justification and Sanctification 1 God thus brings home to himself wandring sinners as he did the Prodigall 1 To their Justification who never had any thought of returning to his fathter till all outward means and succours failed him and till he saw himself destitute of mony friends food yea of very husks the meanest of meats he like a man out of his wits and not himself never came unto himself neither thought of coming or returning to his father till then Luk. 15. Now in this prodigall every wandring sinner who proves a true Convert is meant who is also compared to a lost or wandring sheep after which the shepherd sends out his dog to bring it into the fold Particularly God will have us feel somewhat of our own burthen and see as it were the flashes of hell-fire Particularly and so he turns the Law loose upon us a while both in the strict commands of it 1 To cause them see their own guiltinesse as also in the curse annexed to the transgressours of it 1 That we might acknowledge see and be convinced of our own guiltinesse and of the infinitenesse of our desert and debt which our Saviour signifieth unto us in the parable of the debter who ought his Master ten thousand talents which howsoever he at length did graciously remit yet before he forgave it he strictly required the whole debt of him commanding all he had to be sold even wife and children that it might be paid yet this was but to bring him on his knees that he might desire beg sparing and compassion Matth. 18.25 26. God thus wounds the spirit and lets men feel the burthen of their sinne which who can beare that so they may cry out with Davd Mine iniquities are gone over mine head Psal 38.4 as a heavy burthen they are too heavy for me 2 God thus doth 2 To humble them in sight of their inability that in a sense of our burthen of our own inability to undergo it we might be humbled and have those proud high and lofty thoughts which we have had or have of our selves brought down and levelled with the ground Till this be done the sinner will ever find something in himself to oppose against the work of grace who els would never seek to Christ Luk. 8.43.44 either his own righteousnesse and morall vertues and civil life his own power of will or somewhat ese like the woman in the Gospel whom Christ healed of her bloody issue who so long as she had any thing of her own left to bestow upon Physicians she never thought of Christ onely when after twelve years she had spent all her living upon Phsicians neither could be healed of any she sought to Christ and was healed Man naturally is like the wild asse colt or like the asse used to the wildernesse Jer. 2.24 that snuffeth up the winde at pleasure which must first be taken down and tamed and like the wild young horse that must be ridden in deep and tough lands run against the wall and otherwise affrighted by being brought to the brow of some high hill and rock before it be tamed or made serviceable 3 To make them willing to seek after help 3 Thus God makes the heart plyable and bores the ear to receive instruction and to hearken after the means by which it may receive help or ease making it to seek help out of it self else where as Paul smitten down from his horse Lord what wilt thou have me to do and as the Jailour humbled by an earth quake What shall I do to be saved and as these in my Text who when they were pricked in heart said What shall we do as the hunted or shot hart flees to his harbour or to Dictamnum the herb which causeth as they say the dart to fall out or as the stout lion which sought to Androgeus a man to get the thorn pulled out of his foot 2 Cor. 12.4 Or to accept of it being offered as Paul having a thorn in the flesh sought earnestly and often unto Christ 4 At least men thus are made willing to accept of help when it is offered which so many daily having never been in such straiâ—s nor suffered any pangs of conscience do neglect the sick only not the whole do see their need of the Physician 5 To prize Christ 5 God will thus beat men off their own bottomes to see their accursed condition that they may more highly prize Christ and his benefits as thirst makes us relish our drink and by sickness we better know how to value health by imprisonment liberty and in a word as one contrary makes us better to judge of the other None can ever so truly prize the worth of Christs bloud as those that have groned under the burthen of their sinne and have been filled with Gods wrath God then by such stings in the conscience causeth men seek to Christ and make use of him as of old he sent fiery serpents Numb 21.8 that such as were stung by them might look to the brazen Serpent which was a type of Christ crucified and be healed as Absolom set Joabs corn on fire 2 Sam. 14 30. to cause him to come unto him 2 God takes this course with sinners 2 Their sanctification and to affright them from sin to make them weary of their sin and willing to part with it which otherwise would never be there is that nearnesse yea Onenesse between the soul and sin as hath been said The corruption of the soul would never be let out but for this pricking When are men willing to pluck out the right eye or When do they yield their hand or foot to the surgeon to be seared or cut off but when they see and are perswaded that they cannot retain these and their lives too when the Gangrene
suppose beginning in the hand or foot if it be suffered further to spread will be their death when Zipporah saw her husbands life endangered if not her own she circumcised her son and cut off his foreskin which otherwise she was loath to do Thus God presents sinners with a true apprehension of his eternall wrath due unto them for their sinne and sets hell-gates open before them in the way of their lusts and fills their hearts with such terrours and horrours that they see no safety to their souls in the ways of sin and so as Pharaoh by strong hand at length did let the people go and the Philistines sent home the Ark so God if he love us especially makes us weary of sin and saves us even by fear not to say that such as have most smarted for sin at first in the pangs of their new-birth are not so easily drawn back to such or any other sins Again the spirit of bondage becomes to them a spirit of sanctification and it may be observed that such of all others as have been deep liest wounded at the first prove the holiest Christians afterward throughout the whole course of their lives 2 As the spirit of bondage proves a spirit of liberty freeing men from sin 2 God doth this to the increase of their joy and of Sanctification delivering from the power of sin so also it leads men to sound and solid joy and true comfort there is no comfort but to such The first work of the Comforter even when it is sent by that name and to that intent is first to convince of sinne so Habbak 3.16 and Psalm 94.12 13. Ease to sores which being whole do throb and rage is got by pricking lancing searching sleep is sweetest after labour and a pardon from the King most acceptable when after judgement passed the head hath been laid on the block and joy follows the labour of child-bearing 3 as also for their greater honour Rom. 8. 3 I might adde that God takes this course with such as he will convert to glorifie them the more thus to sanctifie them and to make them the more glorious in holinesse and holinesse we know or sanctification is the beginning of our glorifications Yea it is their glory thus to be made vessels to bear the name and glory of Christ before men which none do more then such as have been deepliest humbled Such of all other are fittest and ablest to glorifie God as having most experience of his justice mercy wisdome goodnesse and can best speak to his praise which to do is our glory more then his God gets nothing by us our acknowledgement of him makes him no wiser juster holier happier then he ever was even before any creature was made when he then sets and imprints on us the stamps of his glory and shews forth in us his justice mercy goodnesse c. That is in deed and for substance our gloglory not his There is somewhat excellent truly added to us nothing to him 2. God takes this course with converts for his owne honour And yet we may truly say God takes the aforesaid course with those he means to convert for his own glory that is for the further manifestation of the same and for this main end that the whole worke of conversion may appear to be his not ours 1. That of his Justice 1. His very Justice manifests its selfe in and by these terrours of conscience whilst the convicted sinner is made to see the depth of his own ill deservings is presented with the sight of hell which by such is acknowledged and made inwardly to acknowledge that it were but justice in God to cast him into the same yea so strong is this apprehension in some that for a long time they can see nothing but justice Howsoever this makes them at first and ever after to confesse and give the glory of justice to God acknowledging how just their condemnation should be if God did deal with them according to their deserts being ready ever to justifie God as cleer whensoever he judgeth Psal 51 4. Rom. 3.4 Thus all by sin are brought under the Law and the Law is let loose upon sinners threatens damnation and nothing but justice appears and vers 19. that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God God will not in this work of conversion suffer his justice to be swallowed up of mercy he must and will be acknowledged just before mercifull taking us as it were by the throat Mat. 18.28 bidding us pay all we owe when indeed with that poor woman 2 King 4.1 we have nothing at all to pay And so in every convert he takes away all matter of glorying letting them see the depth of their desert and their own both unworthinesse of mercy and inability and impotency to make themselves any help Isâ— 66.2 Job 9.13 2 His mercy which thus is more felt And by so doing whilst the best are made to tremble before him and that the proud helpers do stoup under him he makes way for his mercy that he may be the more glorified both by shewing mercy and by the acknowledgement of mercy by those that finde mercy as it is Gal. 3.22 The Scripture hath concluded all under sin that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that beleeve or as Rom. 11.32 God hath shut up or concluded them all i. both Jew and Gentile in unbeleef that he might have mercy on all For so by shuting all up under sin and wrath his mercy is more felt and admired by such as finde mercy and thankfully acknowledged The foregoing terrours of justice in the converted which makes them smart makes mercy relish better with them and be more esteemed by them yea all the world may now see and that acknowledge the receiving and conversion of sinners is meerly of mercy None derogate more from Gods mercy and the freenesse and power of his grace then such as not sensible enough of their wounds and misery by sin ascribe somewhat in their conversion to themselves neither can they be so truly thankfull as others And by thanks or offering praise unto God God professeth himself to be glorified So that God by thus humbling men Pal. 50.23 as is said with terrours doth but make way and prepare matter of praise and thanksgiving to himself in due time which accordingly we see given unto him by Paul even upon this ground 1 Tim. 1.13 14 15 16 17. I saith he being before a blasphemer and persecuter and injurious obtained mercy And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant Christ came to save sinners of whom I am chief howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all long-suffering Now unto the King eternall c. be honour and glory for ever and ever Amen So elsewhere crying out in a sence
Gen. 3.15 and that both on the behalf of the Jews to whom he was made known by promises sacrifices and types as we know and also of us Gentiles Isa 42.1 4 His Exhibiting of Christ to the world in the fulnesse of time 4 The Exhibition of Christ in person by incarnation Gal. 4.4 Joh. 3.16 when the two natures divine and humane were in the womb of the Virgin united into one Person the humane assumed into the unity of the person of the Son of God 5 As our surety by imputing our sin to him 5 Gods imputation of our sinnes to him as our surety who was therefore made under the Law Gal. 4.4 and our Champion to maintain our quarrel against Satan that braving Goliah and all other enemies as well as to discharge our debt with God which Imputation was yet of force to them who before his Incarnation believed on him the Messias to come as well as to us as those other effects of his love which follow 6 His making him a Sin offering also for us and a curse 6 As a Sacrifice for us Gal. 3.13 2 Cor. 5.21 whose death was an expiatory sacrifice he carrying as our sinnes so our griefs and sorrows Isa 53.3 and 12. Heb. 9.26 28. Herewithal we may consider the sufficiency of this his sacrifice yea the efficiency of it seeing he offered it by the eternal spirit Heb. 9.14 and his blood was the blood of God Acts 20.28 All sufficient 7 Gods acceptation of it 8 with his invitation of us to partake of it 7 Gods Acceptation of it as sufficient for all and efficient and effectuall for the elect Matth. 3.17 and 12.18 Ephes 5.2 the Kingdome of heaven being thus opened 8 His Invitation of us hereupon and Calling us by the preaching of the Gospell to faith and to Conversion which Gospell he freely according to his eternall love and purpose sends so to one place as at the same time not to another Act. 16.6 7. c. See for this his invitation 2 Cor. 5.19 20 21. Isa 55.1 2 3 c. 9 His acceptation of us by vertue of it 9 His Acceptation of us the elect who do believe by vertue of Christs Sacrifice and for his Sonnes sake in whom he hath made us accepted Eph. 1.6 or which is all one in effect his imputation of it to us and of all his benefits 1 Cor. 1.30 31. 2 Cor. 5.21 This implies Remission or the not imputing of our sins to us 2 Cor. 5.19 and then the imputation of his satisfaction righteousnesse and obedience All these are meere acts of Gods Love most free and depend on no condition in us unlesse you will say the last named which requires faith as a condition before the Love of his good pleasure become also the Love of his Complacency concerning which I list not contend 10 His reall Communication of saving grace to us 10 Lastly as depending on all the former there is Gods Communication of all grace unto us the grace of effectuall calling Conversion faith and other saving graces which is done by the power of his spirit Christ being a Saviour both by the merit of his death and efficacy of his grace and spirit whereby Christ comes to be formed in us Gal. 4.19 and we are made to partake of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.3.4 But this belongs to his power Vse To shew us 1. the freenesse of his grace The Vse of what is said shall be briefly to take notice hence of the 1 freenesse 2 firmnesse 3 fountain of all grace in us call it Conversion Faith habituall and actuall holinesse or if you will of the whole work of our salvation 1 These are free gifts and benefits grace in us depends originally on Gods Grace that is his free love and favour to us being all of them effects of his Fatherly Love which in him is an act of his goodnesse not of Justice as if deserved or procured by any thing done or foreseen to be done by us 1 To humble us Which teacheth us 1 humility not to ascribe any grace to our selves any worthinesse any thing which might move God to elect us before others or in his eternal Predestination to prepare grace for us or to bestow it upon us in the temporall dispensation of it 2 To make us thankfull 2 Thankfulnesse in the acknowledgement of his free grace in our free love of him who first loved us and in a free consecration of our selves wholly to his honour and service But of these more fully * In notes on 1 Cor. 1.30.31 pag. 255. c. pag. 85. c. 2 The firmnesse of his grace to assure us of our perseverance else where 2 These benefits are firm also as depending on God and on his love not as yet to say power and not on us or on anything in us and so as the freenesse of his love prevents our pride so the firmnesse of it or fears of falling away assuring us of our finall perseverance in grace once truly received which flows to us from such a spring as never drieth up And so the Originall of all grace in us well considered prevents our errour c. 3 The fountain of all grace 3 We are hence taught and directed whither to go for true and saving grace for conversion faith and all other grace The Fountain of all is in heaven in Gods free love so that though we may and must use the meanes of grace the word preached and other ordinances of God yet we must not rest in them These are but streams leading to the fountain for our direction that we take not up with the means and being separate from the free grace of God in Christ they are but empty cisterns The word ministers sacraments may all say faith the grace of conversion perseverance c. are not in us One main reason why many misse of grace of faith other benefits is because they seek them from the meanes only from the minister his person or from themselves and their own indeavours in which they rest and with which they take up But we are hence directed to begin at Gods love to look first to God in Christ then to the meanes First to Gods love then to his power so to use the meanes as from Gods power in and by the means to expect a blessing yet first and withall to pray earnestly and to beg the blessing from God and from his free grace And thus of this work of Conversion as it is an effect of his love CHAP. X. SECT 1. Of the Order of Conversion as it is a work of Gods power and that in regard both of the persons and means working it as also of the work it self 2 Conversion is also an effect of Gods power BUt we are chiefly to consider this grace of conversion and so of faith as an effect and work of Gods power and effectuall grace in us
is of the Hand in and by works but because they explain themselves dangerously in these and because a reprobate may have them all as well as their converts for all three were in Judas I leave them The order noted which some others observe Others much better make the order this by reducing the whole work to these six heads 1. This trouble of minde and conscience upon sight of sin and misery 2. Consultation hereupon what in such case to do 3. To be broken-hearted humble and contrite 4. Secret desire of forgivenesse with confession of sin and hope 5. Forsaking of all and highly prizing the pearl of the Gospel 6. Application of Christ and his promise Thus that worthy Divine old Mr. Rogers See also who list Mr. John Rogers of Faith Seven Treatises Treat 1. Chap. 4. Treat of the Christians Apparelling by Christ part 3. Sect. 73. on 1 Cor. 1.30 pag. 117 c. Chap. 2. I have also my self endeavoured to shew how faith is wrought and from thence discovered many mens false faith Onely now I will briefly note thus much Before the grace of Conversion and Faith be fully wrought the Spirit works orderly by the word assisted as is said sometimes by Miracles Afflictions c. so that there is first a work of the Law then of the Gospel not but that the Gospel hath also some work on the soul like unto that of the Law which therefore so far I refer to the work of the Law if not of Moses There is a double orderly work of Gods power both of the Law and Gospel 1. By the precept Mark 11.15 yet of Christ The Law then yea and so the Gospel hath a work 1. In and by the Precepts of it as when it saith Thou shalt have no other gods besides Mee and so in the other Commandments Yea so also the Gospel Repent ye and beleeve the Gospel and so it works on the understanding 2. In the Sanction of it 2 By the Sanction Gal. 3.10 Deut. 27.26 whereby it is established and a curse annexed to the breakers of it Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them So faith the Gospel Except ye repent ye shall all perish And Hee that beleeveth not the Son Luke 13.5 shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 3.3 6. And thus it works on the Conscience By both which works men are brought under the spirit of bondage brought to self conviction and beat out of themselves despairing wholly of themselves or of any help or succour from their own wisdome righteousnesse holinesse power The distinct works of the Law The distinct and 〈◊〉 works of the 〈…〉 1 Revealing of sin 2 Increase of sin and orderly proceeding of it I take to be this whereby it makes way for the mercy of the â—â—â—â—â—el This it doth 1 by revealing sin which formerly lay hid Rom. 3.20 2 By increasing sin not but that the law is holy but this it doth accidentally through our corruption for the commandment once coming to the conscience and shewing its spiritual nature sin which lying in the heart as well as in the outward man was thought to be dead reviveth Rom. 7.9 and taking occasion by the commandment Vers 11. deceiveth us and thereby slayeth us and worketh in us all manner of lust when the commandment cometh sin aboundeth and appeareth to be sin yea out of measure sinfull This the law doth in and by the precepts of it 3 Causing of wrath 3 By causing wrath that is by revealing foreshowing and threatning of wrath convincing the soul thereof and shewing God to be truly angry Rom. 1.18 that his wrath is revealed from heaven against all ungodlinesse and unrighteousness of men and against theirs in particular 4 Horrour and fear 4 Hereupon follows horrour and amazement through fear of this wrath and of the Justice of God The soul is at a stand the hammer of the Law hath given it such a blow that it is dazzeled confounded and knows neither what to think of it self nor what to do as it was with Saul posting to Damascus yea it with Belshazzar see 's the vengeance written and the hand-writing of condemnation against it self apprehending nothing but some fearful and sudden wrath ready to befall it so that it begins to quake and tremble as he did in the midst of his jollitie in an expectation of some fiery indignation his life even that of his soul hanging in doubt before him fearing day and night as having no assurance of it and having nothing in his eye but his sin the cause of his fear and damnation and death as the wages and fruit of his sin which seeing God hath him in chase he knowes not how soon or suddainly it may befall him And this is that spirit of fear 2 Tim. 1.7 Rom. 8.15 and of bondage spoken of in scripture Heb. 2.14 5 Sorrow and griefe 5. Now with this or upon this apprehension of cause of fear there goeth or followeth sorrow wounding pricking of heart stinging of conscience and present feeling of hell torments lesse or more For what is painfull when it is present is not without pain in the certain expectation of it as on the contrary a man may and the true Christian doth even under affliction rejoyce in hope of glory so these I speake of do sorrow and feel sensible grief in the fear of hell the soul is wounded pierced and stabbed as with the point of a sword hell is already begun in the conscience which saith I have thus and so sinned against a just God and damnation is my portion and thus the curse of the Law particularly seizeth upon the soul 6. Self-despair 6. This is accompanied with self-Judging and through a sight of its own inability to help it self with self-despair also whereby the soul lies plunged as a bull in the net and by striving is more intangled seeing its own help-lesse and so hope-lesse condition lying in bondage under the fear of death and of eternall wrath Now this as the three former is as from the Sanction of the Law and curse annexed and denounced to the breach of it so especially it flowes from the conclusion of that practicall syllogisme spoken of which conscience makes where is both self-judging an act of conscience and affections sutable stirred up in the will and soul 7. Consultation and a driving of a man out of himself 7 Now this desperate condition of the soul makes it it may be but alwayes with those whom God will convert look about to see as it were if any help or meanes of help be neer and causeth a consultation and an inquiry after them if possibly there may be cure as in these here in Saul or Paul and in the Jaylour and this I make also a work of the Law and of natural conscience the law being
sins unsorrowed for an enemy to God how much better then to be pricked here for our curing as a tumor gets ease by pricking then to be put to indure the whole wrath of God hereafter and to be stung to death forever Where we may also note and might consider for our encouragement and seeing wee shall not lose by sorrowing here that the greatest sorrows we here suffer when wee mourn for our sins savingly are in comparison but prickings Note The greatest sorrows of the elect are but prickings yea as flea-bitings considered with the eternal torments of the damned which by timely sorrow now may nay undoubtedly shal be prevented as it was with these mourners here who though whilest they looked on Christ whom they pierced they mourned for him as one mourneth for his onely son and were in bitterness for him as one is in bitterness for his first born and shall be much more so at their calling and at the conversion of their whole scattered Nation and though some few be longer holden under sense of sin and wrath here then most other converts are which should incourage us yet what lost these Jewish converts by this their sorrow and smaller wounds by pricking when they were presently healed and withall obtained the pardon of their sins ver 38. the favour of God freedom from condemnation Rom. 8.1 and from eternal sorrows in hel yea and right of sons and heirship to eternal life and glory No more shalt thou lose by thy sorrow here if in time thou give over thy profane carnal worldly courses and secure living and betake thy self in time to the serious exercises of Repentance and godly sorrow Dost thou think 〈◊〉 â—xhortaâ—â—◠〈◊〉 by Motives or canst thou imagine that thou hast no cause so to do Come tell me have you who are now so secure and merry no true cause of mourning or of being touched and pricked in conscience and soul 1 From the consideration of our sin 1 Orginiall 1. Are ye without sinne 1. Are ye not inwrapped all of you in the guilt of Adams transgression I wil not charge you to have brought each of you for your parts in that regard sorrow sin and damnation upon all men that are or shall be damned though some wil have it so and yet I cannot say but that thou art guilty and sharest in the guiltiness of that sin which did all this And if so it wel weighed were enough to break thy heart that thou and I and each of us have had in our first parents a part in bringing damnation on our selves and others But howsoever know that there is in regard of Original sin that corrupt fountain within thee that leaven that bitter root seed and sink of sin in thy nature whereby as thou art wholly indisposed yea backward and ready to oppose all goodnesse and truth so inclined to do as wickedly as ever did sinners even as did the Sodomites and other heathen and as Judas and those Jews who betrayed Christ and crucified him yea as such Christians as sin that unpardonable sin the sin against the holy Ghost nothing hindering but Gods mercy restraining or sanctifying them And is not this enough to humble thee should it not make thee fear lest taking such liberty in thy ways as thou now dost God leave thee to thy self and to these thy natural and corrupt inclinations and give thee over to commit the same or like wickedness and to come to like ends 2 Actuall 1 Our own considered with their aggravations Job 13.11 which are many 2. But I am sure thou canst not but confess thy self to be guilty of many actuall sins which are obvious to every eye and ringing in every mans ear that lives neer thee Wil not these bring thee to be ashamed of thy self or should they not trouble thee Is not the least of thy sins 1 Against the great and holy God and then shall not his excellency make thee affraid and his dread fall upon thee 2 Against his mercies and goodness and art thou not ashamed of thine unthankfulness and of thy base usage of him and abuse of his favours 3 Against his threats and examples of his judgements on others and shall not that daunt thee 4 Against thy conscience and knowledge especially in these days of light and doth not conscience smâ—te and prick thee See Luk 12 47 Wilt thou stil hold the truth in unrighteousness and yet not fear Gods wrath revealed from heaven against such Rom. 1.18 5 Against thy Covenant with God and vows often renewed and dost thou not fear to receive the just reward of a traytor and of perfidiousness Wherefore should God be angry at thy voyce Eccles 5.4 5 6. Why dost thou by breaking wedlock with him for by covenant thou art become his provoke the eyes of his jealousie and glory against thy self canst thou thus do and yet live secure Ezek. 16.8 3. Other mens which we make ours helping to damn them 3. Nay Besides thine own personal sins think how many thou hast helped to send to hel before thee by having an hand head or heart in their sins Didst thou never intice any to commit folly with thee to cast in their lot with thee in some wicked enterprise Didst thou never incourage provoke counsel or command any to do evil Hast thou never made other mens sins thine own by thy silence consent connivance commendation defence or at least want of sorrow for them Hath not thine example presence and familiarity with sinners in their vanities drawn many into sin and hardened them in the same and hast thou not by such means become a murtherer of their souls And if they be dead in their sins in hel before thee hast not thou sent them thither or helped at least And if so what comfort canst thou have on earth Matth 18.7 to have them so many of them there to curse thee continually unlesse by hearty and timely sorrow thou get the pardon of all thy sins sealed to thy soul Which our sins should cause in us great sorrow Here know it also for certain that if ever thou wouldest kindly grieve the Law must not onely reveal sin unto thee and give thee cause of sorrow but it must cause the offence to abound and so afford thee cause of great sorrow so that if ever thou partake of Gods abundant grace Rom. 5.20 or be saved thou must by the Law see thy sin to be exceeding sinful and to abound considering how they abound 1 For hainousnesse Which therefore see First for hainousnesse according to all the aggravations of it and in the vilenesse of it as by sinning against so much and so long patience in God and against such means of grace which have wrought so effectually in many others 2 Multitude Secondly For multitude and that thou hast been a sinner not in this or that particular being ready to justifie thy self
blood if it be done and therefore becoming man for us his head was pricked with thorns his hands and feet pierced with nails his heart pricked pierced and wounded with a spear his body broken for us yea his soul heavy grieved wounded in a sense of his Fathers wrath against him making him not onely sweat drops of blood being in an agony but complain and cry out My God my God why hast thou forsaken me All this and more then I can expresse the onely beloved Son of God suffered from his Father ere he overcame death or recovered the sense of his Fathers love or yet a possibility of salvation for thee And what we Vnlesse here we sorrow savingly and dost thou think to passe thy whole time in pleasures ease vanity and sinne and yet not so much as be pricked in heart or wounded in conscience for thy sin and troubled in sould in the fear and apprehension of thy so justly deserved damnation yea wilt thou also expect and presume of heaven and the joyes thereof Let me then tell thee from God that unlesse thou in time beest pricked in thy heart for thy sin yea many sins especially such as these converts as hath been said were pricked for crucifying of Christ unthankfulnesse unbelief impenitency rejection of him in the offers of his grace hardnesse of heart obstinacy ignorance and disobedience c. I say neither shal Christs pricking and piercing his wounds and sufferings avail thee any thing and which more is thou thy self in thine own person most inevitably shalt and must suffer the vengeance of everlasting fire must in our own persons suffer in well and all those sorrows eternally which the Son of God did suffer as thy surety if thou couldst believe and rest on him and repent and which made him so cry out And then see how thou wilt be able to endure it or rather O my brother O my sister O every one of you now in love to your own selves consider this in time O consider this saith God himself unto you what your own ill doings and desert Psal 50.22 and yet my patience and forbearance a while now consider this ye that forget God lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver Consider that the sins thou hast not sorrowed for which would be considered thou must sorrow for here or hereafter chuse where thou wilt have thy portion whether here where thy sorrow may be saving accompanied with inward and true joy and followed with eternall and unspeakable comfort or hereafter where endlesse sorrows in soul and body shall be the just reward of thy security now Thy sins will be thy ruine one day Sin else will be our ruine and tear thee in pieces if thou be not their ruine now by mortification of them and of thy self so farre as to be pierced and wounded savingly for them in time God forgets them not though thou do they are written before him as with a pen of iron and point of a diamond in his book which one day will be opened against thee and be more terrible to thee then was the hand writing against Belshazzar for such an hand writing there is for every sinne of thine unrepented and uncancelled how many then are the curses wraths and vengeances that are due to thee and will most inevitably befall thee for thy so many sins not repented of A wonder that any in this case can be merry Isa 5.14 how can you then be merry or light-hearted when so many thousand woes belong unto you compasse you about and dog you continually at the heels all waking and watching against you like so many hungry bears starved wolves and lions yea when hell it self gapeth for you enlarging her self and opening her mouth without measure as for all other sinners so particularly for such as follow strong drink and in whose feasts are the harp and viol tabret pipe and wine but no regard of the works of the Lord with 11 12. no consideration of the operation of his hands or of any thing either their own sins or Gods judgements which is seasonable Futher to convince the secure a few questions are propouneded to them O then in the feare of God be convinced of these truths and of the necessity of such sorrow and let me ask thee yet a a question or two 1 Dost thou so live or canst thou so live as not to sin or transgresse Gods Law surely no thou wilt say at least thou wilt find that is impossible Wel then 2 art thou able to undergo the curse and penalty of the Law by suffering Gods wrath everlastingly no alas thou accountest that and well mayest intollerable 3 I ask again what wilt thou then do seeing thou art so many wayes a transgressour and liable to all this wrath If thou resolvest to do nothing but sittest still in thy security and setlest still on thy lees thou mayest certainly conclude against thy self as the foure lepers at the gates of Samaria suffering a famine within and a siege of strong enemies without that thou shalt undoubtedly perish and die Oh then be sensible at length of thine own danger see thine own inevitable destruction unlesse in time thou humble thy self with God and judge thy self that he judge thee not in hell be sensible of the fire of his wrath and of hel hold no skreens any longer between thee and it seek to quench it in time by thy tears and hearty sorrow for sin lest thou be cast into it irrecoverably and in consideration of the torments of it now cry earnestly to God in Christ O Lord here give me my part of sorrow and teach my heart more truly to mourn for my sinne and be mercifull unto me here O God here burn cut launce wound prick and pierce my heart savingly that I never may know what belongs to everlasting burnings woundings and gnawings 4 Or now again to bar thee off and to stop all starting holes dost thou think that thou art exepted and exempted from this curse and wrath Will God be partiall for thy cause Doth not thy sin bring thee under this curse and wrath as well as others Deceive not thy self see Deut. 29. where verse 10 c. All without exception of any present or absent born or not yet born are either in their own persons or persons of their Parents presented before the Lord Deut. 29.10.18 19 20. c. to enter into his covenant lest saith Moses there should be any among you man or woman or family or tribe whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God c. And it cometh to passe when he heareth the words of this curse that he blesse himself in his heart saying I shall have Peace though I walk in the imagination of mine heart The Lord will not spare him but then the anger of the Lord and his jealousie shall smoke against that man and all the curses
from him Or otherwise as is said by a good but ungrounded conceit of thy self and of thine own estate being alive before the Law come closer and neerer home to thy conscience thou thinkest thy self safe and in good estate Rom. 7.8 and apprehendest no danger or judgement as belonging to thee but onely to others But in a word know and remember that though thou be thus partiall towards thy self yet God is not as hath been said though thou hide cover and conceal thy bosom sin neither searching it out thy self nor suffering the word to search thee yet God will search thee and finde it out Thy safest way were to judge and condemn thy self that thou mayst not be condemned and judged of the Lord and to imitate the poor and humble Publican who smote on his brest and heart confessing and craving mercy for his sin and to beware of the proud Pharisee his self-justification 5. Flattery of soothing Prophets 5. And as part cause of the former beware of smoothing and flattering teachers who howsoever sometimes they may make a flourish and declame it may be against sin and tell of Gods judgements yet they will have a care that they come not so neer as to offend thee or to touch thee in thy speciall sin if especially thou be one in place or who mayst come even with them again These men heal before they hurt and what stings others the faithfull servants of God have left in the mindes and consciences of any they seek to pluck out and to heal the wound with their oyly words being like the false Prophets of old of whom and of the Priests it was said They have healed the hurt bruise or breach of the daughter of my people slightly saying Peace peace when there is no peace Jer. 6. v. 14. And when Gods deerest servants tell the people of particular judgements belonging to them and so by wounding and pricking their consciences bring them on in a good way towards repentance these flattering Prophets strengthen their hands that they should not return from their wicked wayes by promising them life Ezek. 13.22 onely wounding and making sad the heart of the righteous whom God hath not made sad In this case I must say to you if you would be pricked and savingly wounded for your sins as the Lord in another case said to the Kings of the Nations Therefore hearken not ye to your Prophets nor to your Diviners c. for they prophesie a lie unto you to remove you far from your Land and that ye should perish Jer. 27.9 10. and Jer. 29.8 6. Lastly 6. Vnbelief take heed of unbelief want of faith to beleeve Gods true Prophets when they tell you of the danger of your sin keeps you from applying the threatnings of God to your selves so that you reap no fruit by the word but though fairly warned and called to repentance with hope of mercy perish through your own unbelief in his wrath as it was with those of the old world whereas Noah himself by faith being warned of God of things not seen as yet moved with fear prepared an ark to the saving of his house Hebr. 11.7 So wee read of Enoch Jude v. 7. though but the seventh from Adam and in the beginning of the world who yet set the end of the world or the day of judgement before him prophesying thereof whereas secure men through their unbelief never humble themselves if then till judgements be upon them being herein like such as hearing thunderclaps far off are not moved till they be as present over their heads and some hurt in their sight be done then with Pharaoh they tremble but not till then So want of faith in Christ keeps men from being sensible of their sin and from being pricked in conscience for it When was it that these Converts in my Text were pricked in heart It was when they heard and withall beleeved that Christ whom they crucified was the true Messias So it was foretold Zech. 12.10 that when they should look upon him whom they had pierced they should be pierced themselves and mourn bitterly and be sensible of their sin which shall be fulfilled especially at the conversion of their Nation but then they must no longer abide in unbelief Rom. 11.23 Seeing then faith is the gift of God we must earnestly pray for it and carefully attend to the ministry of the word by which it is begotten To withdraw from the hearing of the word either in regard of presence of body or attention of mind is to keep our selves out of the sphere and compasse within which onely the word of God that sword of the Spirit is active and operative and will reach and pierce us SECT 2. Le ts removed which make the soul senseless And first Sensuality and worldliness 2 Lets keeping the soul from being sensible of pricking BUt men who cannot avoid the stroke of the word the scorching of that fire the smiting of heart and conscience having such teachers as smite home and will not suffer them by their evasions shifts excuses and extenuations to put by the blow yet as experience sheweth shew themselves little sensible of the same neither are they truely made sorrowful thereby being like Jacob or Israel Mens senselsness for blindnesse deafnesse incredulity senselessness and stupidity on whom it is said the Lord poured the fury of his anger and the strength of battell and it set him on fire round about yet he knew not and it burned him yet he laid it not to heart Isa 42.25 or like the drunkard who may say They have stricken me and I was not sick they have beaten me and I felt it not Prov. 23 25. being past feeling Ephes 4.19 and of cauterized consciences 1 Tim. 4.2 Now there are divers things which bereave men of all spirituall sense and pain which accordingly if we would become true mourners for sin we must carefully beware of and see that wee give no way unto them Men have ways and means by which they for the while especially become insensible of pain by pricking Divers things bereaving men of the sense of bodily pain As Deep sleep Searing burning bone-setting incision cutting off a member and the like as by the use and application of narcoticall or stupefactive medicines and potions by being cast into a deep and dead sleep by which all their senses even that of feeling are bound up so by searing and burning whereby the part is mortified and the inward humidity dried up So I have heard and read Bewithching how in the body of witches in covenant with the Divel in the place where by sucking or otherwise he sets his mark or Sacramental signe the place is so benummed and deaded that a pin of a great largeness and length may be thrust in to the head without the grief or any sense of the party by which means if that mark or bewitched place can be but once found out
be plyable and yielding both to God and man 1 It stands not out against or resists Gods word but quakes at threatnings melts at promises is humbled at judgements as 2 Chron. 30.10.11 not such as was in Zedekiah 2 Chron. 36.12 of whom it is said he did evill in the sight of the Lord his God and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the Prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord or in Belshazzar framing to his will Dan. 5.21.22 who did not humble his heart though he knew all such evils and judgements as befell his father for hardening his mind in pride verse 20. In a word the soft heart yields like soft wax to the impressions of Gods grace word and spirit and like molten metal frames to the form and obeys that form of Doctrine whereto it is delivered as the phrase is Rom. 6.17.2 The tender heart shews it self also towards others by shewing forth bowels of pity to men in misery and man by pity and kindnesse Heb. 13.3 and of kindnesse and forgivenesse to such as do it wrong Ephes 4.32 2. This heard heart I speak of as it is stiffe stony and unpliable so it is also insensible void of all spirituall sense especially that of feeling this is through want of spiritual life 2 unsensible and without life where no life is there is no sense at all and where life is though other senses may be wanting yet not that of feeling that sense though it be not the most noble for so is the sense of sight and hearing yet it is the most necessary sense there being no life without it where it is wholly wanting or lost it of all senses alone is diffused throughout all parts almost of the whole body and it being lost there is no more intercourse of vital and animal spirits or influence of them by the nerves into other parts and consequently no longer any proportion or harmony of qualities or of temperament in which proportion the native moysture and heat is founded and consisteth So that feeling and sense of pain is needful to the very being of every creature arguing spiritu-death and so is spiritual feeling as necessary to the being of the new creature so that we may conclude that the heart which is an insensible heart is a dead heart Eph. 4.18.19 alienated from the life of God at least and that is bad enough possessed with a spirit of slumber and dead sleep whilest not one but all the senses of the soul are holden in it as the bodily senses in and by bodily sleep and that through a kind of dregginesse which stoppeth the passages of the spirits Or at least a dead sleep depriving men of their spiritual senses by which the whole heart and soul is made unsensible for hereby men are without 1 Hearing Isa 6.9 2 Seeing Isa 6.9 Ephes 4.18 3 without all spiritual Tast Rom. 8.5 4 Smel 2 Cor. 2.16 Lastly without feeling Ephes 4.19 having their hearts fat and insensible Isa 6.10 yea in a dead sleep and sleep of death and therefore insensible insensible of good and evil of mercies and of judgements of grace and sin without true love desire and joy in the one and without Fear Being contrary to the sensible heart 1 Kings 3.9 shame anger and godly sorrow in the other contrary to which heart is that which having a new life put into it and it awakened out of the Lethargie or rather death of sin begins spiritually and savingly 1 to hear for so we read of an hearing heart for which Solomon prayed 2 to see Ephes 1.18 1 Cor. 2.14.15 3 to tast 1 Pet. 2.2 3. with Psal 34.8 Cantic 4.11 4 to smel Cantic 1.3.13 16. 4.10 11. 2 Cor. 2.14.16 and 5 lastly to feele when by self-denial the fat of this grosse heart as it is called Mat. 13.15 which makes it also without sense Psal 119.70 Mat. 13.15 is consumed and offered in sacrifice to God according to the type Levit. 3.3 such a sensible heart was in these converts here who being self convinced self condemned and denying themselves were pricked in heart and through sense of pain cried out and sought help elsewhere then in themselves and accordingly found it I have thus set the benefit of the tender sensible heart against the other that by the opposition I might better shew the wofull condition and miserable estate of such as who being past feeling The miserable condition of senselesse and hard-hearted sinners give themselves over whether unto Laciviousnesse or to any other sensual and sinful course of life and who accordingly are given over in Gods most terrible but just wrath to this the worst of all evills on earth even the judgement of an hard and senselesse heart and all with this further aym that hereby the sinner that would attain to true compunction and pricking of heart for his sin and so to true conversion and salvation would above all be most afraid of this heavy judgement of hardnesse of heart and of whatsoever may cause or procure the same Such as are given over to it are irrecoverably left to the judgement of the great day seeing their judgement here is to be denied all sense of their dangerous and damned condition into which they have voluntarily brought themselves and so being left to themselves and to their own lusts as incorrigible Psal 81. and to Satan Hardnesse of heart the greatest Let to saving pricking 2 Pet. 2 4. and most to be laboured against as his prisoners to be reserved in chains of darknesse of mind and dedolent and final impenitencie kept and brought forth to that judgement wherein their case is now become like that of the devil and his angels whose judgement that is Of all lets then to this pricking of heart take heed of this of hardnesse of heart for where it is the judgement is to be deprived of all sense of sin and feeling of wrath till the soul be plunged into hell and become irrecoverably miserable and then lie under the sense of Gods severest wrath and eternall displeasure not to fear it is a signe of it Oh therefore get your hearts possessed continually with fear of this dismal evil and ever be afraid to be given over to it Now let me tell you not to fear it when you hear so much of it is a signe it hath already seazed upon you and benummed your spirituall senses especially if you have any long while lived fruitlesly or presumptuously under the means Young men especially to take heed of it and therefore especially it belongs to young men to take notice hereof who by reason of their age are not yet perhaps so hardened in sin through the deceitfulnesse of it There is a naturall tendernesse in us whilst we are young or a lesser degree rather of hardnesse which gets strength and proves habituall through use and age if it be not in time prevented Let such then
it a curse when especially through your own defaults you are deprived of it yea a leaving of you and a giving up to hardness of heart if not a sealing altogether of your destruction 2 By our calling the word heard to minde 2 Having such teaching you must remember call to minde ruminate and meditate on what you have heard the word heard must ever be in your ears as here the word used in my Text implyeth a continuall act and hearing 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or when they had heard they were pricked The word left a sting behinde it they could not forget it the voice of Christs blood was ever in their ears after once they were by the word charged with it and convinced and so it came to work such a stinging effect in their hearts Thus Peter himself had formerly come to see his sin and judge himself for it It s said Hee remembred the words of Jesus and hee went out and wept bitterly Matth. 26.57 By such remembrance and meditation on the word and continuance in the things we have heard yea and seen 2 Tim. 3.14 whilest we look our selves in the glass of the word and continue therein Jam. 1.24 25. these nails at first entred by the masters of the Assemblies come to be fastened and struck further home to the pricking nay piercing and wounding of the conscience In a word remember often such truths as first or at any time wounded or touched thee wound and prick thy heart therewith in the often remembrance of them 3 By our applying the word to our selves 3. To which end Apply also to thy self what is applied to thee by thy teachers or what more generally is taught concerning such sins as thy conscience tels thee thou art guilty of Help them who have fitted the plaister to thy sore to binde and fasten the same unto thee by thine own application that by lying and continuing close to it may have its wished and saving effect Repell not what the Minister applyeth Apply to thy self especially the terrours of the Law for so is this pricking wrought especially the terrors of the Law Suffer the Preacher to do it but especially do it thy self till this be done there will be no pricking This is the way to be stung by the word in soul yea such cannot but be stung as thus apply which rightly applyed will sting As in like cases as when in body a man is stung with an adder or pricked with the point of a sword or heareth heavie news which concern himself If one of Job's messengers should come and tell thee all thou hast thy cattell thy goods are taken away violently by enemies or robbers the fire hath burnt up thy store thy sons and daughters are slain crush'd drowned or dead would not this move thee and cause thee to rend not onely thy mantle Job 1.15 16 17 18 19 20. as it did Job but thine heart When David came to Ziklag with his men and found it burnt with fire and their wives and their sons and daughters to be taken captives it is said he and the people that were with him lift up their voyce and wept 1 Sam. 30.3 4. until they had no more power to weep this was when he and they apprehended the loss as their own men weep not so commonly in other mens losses Now certainly such as shall be saved are secretly drawn Such as God wil save are secretly drawn to apply threatnings to themselves they know not wel how to be perswaded that the doctrine taught doth concern them and so to be touched with it as to judge themselves most miserable and to loath themselves for all their filthy abominations to beleeve their own misery and without any exception or self-flattery or posting it off to others to cast away all deluding conceits which may hinder the work of the word so that when it presseth them they do not repel it or cast off the burthen from them but say O wretch that I am this is my case I am the man the Scripture means 1 Cor. 6.9 10. I am that swearer whom God will hold guilty I am that adulterer whom God wil judge I am that fornicator that effeminate person that idolater that thief that covetous person that drunkard that reviler that extortioner that shall not inherit the Kingdome of God Wo is my soul I shall die in the guilt of this or these my sins unlesse I speedily repent Ah Beloved without such faith and application by faith of the threatnings of the word and so they come to be pricked and vengeance due to our sins and to us for our sins we shall never be savingly touched onely such apprehension and application will by Gods mercy do it as the condemned malefactor is as what makes the malefactor tremble at the bar but fear of the sentence of death when he seeth so many and evident proofs against him which sentence when once it is spoken of and pronounced how doth it strike him as a dagger to the heart how is hee wounded with it in the certain looking for and expectation of execution and death which now looks him in the face SECT 2. Of the consideration of our sin c. 4 By our consideration according to his word of our sins 4 AS a further help to the aforesaid duty to humiliation of the soul and to sensiblenesse learn aright to be affected with thy sins to which end follow these Directions 1. Consider and seriously think of thy birth-sin 1 Originall In which we may see what creatures wee are 1 how loathsom of the pollution of thy nature by it now loathsome thou art to God in that regard both in thy person yea in thy prayers and all thy performances yea in thy very righteousness which all of them are defiled with the contagion and hatefull plague and leprosie of natures pollution 2 how miserable Think also how thereby thou art become mortall miserable deprived of all good depraved by sin forward and prone onely to evill froward and backward to all goodnesse not favouring either goodnesse or truth in a word an enemy to God and under the displeasure of the Almighty Meditate hereon and on the vilenesse of thy nature lest otherwise thou think thy self something when thou art nothing Gal. 6.3 Thou wilt never be out of love with or loath thy self till thus thou dost thou mayst and wilt remain like a filthy dunghill which unstirred sends forth no noysom savour till it be raked into or the sun shine hot upon it 2 Actuall Which wee must finde out and remember 2. Caâ—â— to remembrance thy actuall sins to which end examine and sift thy self well and unpartially use the reason God hath given thee and be not bruitish in letting thy sins passe and escape thee without examination Here I may say to thee as God to the idolater Remember this
Isa 46.8 and shew your selves men bring it again to minde O ye transgressors This is the way to bring men to true shame and compuction withall for their sins yee shall remember your wayes saith the Lord and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled Ezek. 20.43 36.31 and ye shall your selves in your own sight for all your iniquities and for your abominations So David when upon Nathans coming to him hee confessed and bewayled his sins complaining of broken bones Psalm 51.3 8. indeed of a broken heart and sorrowfull soul which he desired might be made to rejoyce he set his sin ever before him This helped to humble him when he considered what he had done Remembrance of sin causeth sorrow whom he had offended and that his sins had deprived him of the comfortable presence of God without which consideration and viewing of a mans wayes no trouble of heart or repentance can be expected I hearkened and heard saith the Lord but they spake not aright no man repented him of his wickednesse Jer. 8.6 saying what have I done As the remembrance of a deceased deer friend reneweth a mans sorrow As of our deceased friends when he so thinks of his losse so the remembrance of such sins as whereby wee have estranged God from us or hazarded the losse of him altogether wil at least should wound the soul and cause it grieve for grieving him so good a God and particularly 1 Gather Catalogues of thy sins or read them in Mr Perkins Mr Bifield Mr Brinsley in his first part of the Watch. Dr Downams Abstract Now to this end it were good 1. To gather a Catalogue of thy daily sins both omissions or neglects of duty and commissions and to set them down in writing as some have done or often to make use of such helps as are afforded by some good Writers of late who have gathered the particular sins under each commandement and often to read the same and examine our selves therewith 2 To take the advantage of sins newly committed and presently whilest conscience is not hardened through delay to work upon thy heart 2 Look on sins newly committed seeing sin is then better known and all such circumstances better remembred by which it may be aggravated so some upon their drunkennesse have come to repentance 3 Often remember some of thy foulest faults 3 Howsoever labour to keep in memory some of thy foulest and grossest faults whether lately or longer since committed two three or moe of them being such as by which thou hast most wounded thy conscience or such as thou wouldst most of all be ashamed of if they were written in thy forehead and publickly known and compell thy self daily or often to remember them as God would have Israel do Thus the Lord would humble Israel Remember and forget not how thou provokedst the Lord to wrath in the wildernesse Deut. 9.7 So did Paul 1 Cor. 15.9 This kept Paul low in his own eyes and no question much wounded his spirit when he called often to minde and recorded it how he had been a blasphemer and a persecuter 1 Tim. 1.13 Thus David remembred the sins of his youth Psal David 25.17 intreating the Lord not to remember them and Job and Job in reading such bitter things as God did write against him had his soul imbittered whilest he was made to possesse the iniquities of his youth Job 13.26 Thou whosoever whose heart tels thee of thy wickedness or whose sins are or have been more gross and scandalous think thou of this Grosse sinners sooner repent then civil men and justiciaries Matth. 21.31 By making good use hereof thou mayst be neerer the Kingdom of heaven then such as seem to be not far from it much neerer then such as live or have lived more civilly as that rich young man Matth. 19.20 who could say All these things that is the duties of the second Table have I kept from my youth up who yet went away from Christ sorrowful So did not Publicans and harlots those great and known sinners who coming to Christ sorrowful went away from him rejoycingâ— Such commonly repent sooner then civill Pharisees Matth. 21.32 as being sooner convinced of their sins The heart of a Turk Jew or Pagan is not so hard as of a ceremonious hypocrite The vail of the Temple rent in twain the earth did quake and the rocks rent and the graves were opened and many bodies of dead Saints arose at Christs death and resurrection Matth. 27.51 52. when none of the hypocriticall Pharisees so much as trembled but remained hard-hearted senseless and still dead in their sins 4 But seeing the least sin is gross bad and foul enough it will behove thee to think and consider how foul a thing sin is 4 Consider the foul nature of every sin which made of Angels such foul fiends being impurity it self how it is compared to mire to the filthy vomit of a dog and they no better then dogs and swine that defile themselves therewith 2 Pet. 2.22 This should make thee hate and loath it and for ever to have an aversion of will from it But considering also that it is unthankfulness disobedience and the provocations in it and dishonour to God and is against his goodness and mercies against his Soveraignty yea and glory it should make thee quake pierce thy heart and bring thee to true contrition and repentance left for such thy provocations thou be utterly consumed in his wrath 5 Above p. 113. Look on thy sins in all the aggravations thereof especially 1 In their multitude 2 Thy relapses 3 Thy willingness with the weaknesse of the temptation 4 and strength of means to resist it 5 Consider thy sins in all the aggravations thereof many whereof wee have touched already to which I referr Think moreover of the multitude of thy sins how often in the same kinde thou hast relapsed how voluntarily thou hast sinned how weak and light the temptations have been nay how thou hast tempted thy self yea tempted Satan to tempt thee by walking carelesly and not watching lastly against how many and strong means of grace thou hast sinned which makes thy sin and condemnation greater then that of Sodom Matth. 11.24 So that if such Infidels as never heard of Christ shall yet perish and suffer the vengeance of hell fire Rom. 2.12 Jude 7. yea if poor Infants as one well noteth deserve death and damnation Rom. 5.24 who yet sin not actually or yet against knowledge or means what dost thou deserve and what will be thy doom Sin would thus be weighed and poised Thus take up thy sins and weigh them and though they may seem light and little and thou be not sensible of them yet thou shalt feel the burthen of them at length and be laden with them Thou perhaps now goest as lightly away with thy sins as Samson with the brazen gates of
day of the general judgement when Christ shall come in flaming fire c. as 2 Thess 1.5 6 7 8 9. Matth. 25.31 32 to the end That so by serious thoughts thereof and by timely judging of our selves we may prevent the Lords judging of us O let the terrour of that day fall upon us that at the least fear of that judgement and true love to our selves may now bring us on our knees before Christ to seek our peace with him in time by hearty sorrow for our many and great offences before we come to be judged SECT 4. Others sufferings especially Christs should move us 2. 2 God would soften us by his judgements on others so that we are to go to the house of mourning Eccles 7.2 GOd would also humble us and teach us to mourne by looking on the afflictions and mournfull condition and dispositions of others like our selves but especially on the sufferings of his onely and beloved Son Jesus Christ for us That then we may be softened in heart made sensible and learne truly to mourne let us often repair and go to the house of mourning that is much better than in our securitie to go to the house of feasting and drinking Go to to the house of mourners both bodily and in practise go also in minde and in thy meditation and so go and consider the case and condition both of private Christians of the Churches of Christ yea and of Christ the head of all Christians and Christian Churches 1 To private Christians 1 Even Enemies And for private Christians 1. It were much to bid thee go to the house of such as other wise are thine enemies and yet thus to go or thus to consider of their evils and afflictions is both a meanes to humble us and hath been done by such as knew well enough what did belong to their dutie as by David Psal 35.12 13 14. who speaking of his enemies saith They rewarded me evil for good But as for me when they were sicke my cloathing was sackcloath 2 Friends Whether their trouble be 1 outward I humbled or afflicted my soul with fasting I bowed down heavily as one that mourneth for his mother 2. But howsoever go resort to such and consort thy selfe with such as be in sorrow for the hand of God upon them whether it be by outward crosses losse of friends estate libertie or health whom thou shouldest often visit in their sorrowes sicknesse and imprisonment if especially they suffer for Christ and his cause The constancie and comfort which such do manifest in their sufferings and death 2 in minde and as they are mourners in Israel So we shall profit hath been by Gods blessing an occasion of the conversion and like sufferings even of their persecutours as hath been said or whether it be from a fight or sense of their sinnes and through tender heartednesse for so thou mayest and by Gods blessing shalt be much furthered in this worke 1. By their example 1 By their example for thou wilt readily within thy selfe reason and say Doth such an one mourne for the neglects of Dutie and is his conscience so troubled for smaller failings and slips yea to see others sin so as to question the love of God and whether he be in the state of grace or no Doth he or she make such conscience of an Oath or of prophaning and neglecting the duties of the Sabbath in publike and private yea and doth he so mourne for the miseries of the Church O then what an hard heart have I that being guilty of many mo and much greater sinnes never yet shed a tear never yet was wounded in spirit for the same yea never sorrowed either for mine own or others sinnes and miseries 2. By their exhortation and encouragement 2 By their exhortation the benefit of which we get by conversing with godly and humble Christians what is that we are kept from departing from the living God but how It followes Hebr. 3.13 But exhort one another dayly while it is called to day least any of you be hardened by the deceitfulnesse of sin Mutual exhortation then is a good meanes to prevent hardnesse of heart and to keep us from securitie and from the prophanenesse of the Times and to work and preserve tendernesse and sensiblenesse of heart in us when in this manner we in evil Times especially fearing the Lord Mal. 3.16 do oft speak one to another And how were the Disciples hearts wrought upon and as it were melted even burning within them Luke 24.35 while Christ talked with them by the way 3. By their admonitions and reproâ—fs 3. By their admonitions and seasonable reproofes which as it is a Dutie Lev. 19.17 so it hath a blessing being ordained and sanctified of God to bring men to a saving sight and sense of their sin and to keep them from hardening their hearts therein as Matth. 18.15 16 17. 2 Thess 3.15 Count not his case desperate till this course hath been taken with him In a word and generally we must seek helpe to mourn from true mourners si vis me flere c. seeing the best men and Christians are generally though chearfull in God yet of mournfull dispositions and apt to weep its good to be much in their companie that we by them may learne and be excited to be of like temper and to weep by their example Christians and especially Ministers must shew themselves sensible and reprove sin fellingly and first mourne to those whom they would bring to mourne for their sin Matth. 11.17 And such as would so do must seek this helpe not onely in publike but in private from them and from such godly Christians as justly may be called mourners in Israel as in a like case the Lord provoking his people to humiliation and repentance bids them consider and call for the mourning women Jer. 9.17 18. to take up a wailing for them to what end but that their own eyes might run down with toares and their eye-lids gush out with waters Thus allusion is made to their custome in funerals and other mournfull occasions which was it seemes to hire certain women and why not men and minstrels skilfull in singing and playing dolefull songs to increase their heavinesse and to make them more apt to mourne By like proportion we are to make use of the best helpes to provoke our selves to mourne for our sinnes and to that end to associate unto us such as are true mourners in Israel 2. 2 We are to consider lay to heart and be affected with the miseries of other Churches Go in thy meditation and present to thine own thoughts the afflictions miseries and oppressions and dolefull condition of the Churches of God in other places by the incursions violence spoiles done and evils perpetrated by the enemies of Gods Church and people by Turkes and Turkish Pyrats violently taking divers of good note
the nail home to the head that thou mayst at length be fast and close joyned to Christ if God have met with thee by the reproof of the word or stung thee by his threatnings see his mercy in it let the sting remain till his work be wrought let him have enough even his fill of thee till thy proud heart be fully humbled Lest else wee get hurt by such prickings and thy corruption drawn and purged out otherwise look for no ease but greater sorrows Wee have a little venemous flie or midge * At Dantzigk where this was preached here you know that if when it seiseth on the flesh hand face or legs you let it alone till by sucking it be filled with your blood it will leave you of it self and leave behinde it little or no venome at all Simil. onely if you put it off before and seek ease by scratching the place affected wil swell with the poyson of it and put you long to pain especially if you be bit in divers places neer together This is soon applyed to our purpose here Prickings of conscience in sight and sense of sin and judgment being suffered to have their full work in our deep humiliation whilest wee maintain the power of them and seek not ease too soon are so far from hurting that they purge us and draw out our corruption whereas the sudden and too hasty healing of them causeth the wound to fester the soul to swell with self-conceit and security and greater sorrows in the end at least to seise on it As God then by such legall terrours of conscience begins with thee so follow God in his work think not the work done when it is onely begun Go not which is an holy mans expression raw from Gods school through fear of the rod and go raw out of Gods school and service lest thou prove a bad proficient in the Universitle buy not out your time and yeers of service before you have well learned your trade lest you be forced to come and be brought again under servitude to the Law and under the spirit of bondage In a word comfort not your selves too soon If it be natural sorrow in the loss of friends wealth good name liberty c. which hath taken hold on thee first cease not till thou turn it into sorrow for sin that it may be more lasting If it be legal terrour that is a sorrow for sin not as it is sin but as it presents thee with displeasure from God and with punishment see that it end in sorrow for sin as it is sin and learn to grieve for the offence of God though there were no hell to punish thee hereafter no shame reproach pain or punishment on earth to follow it sorrow most for that which is the cause of all sorrow We must see that Compunction end in Contrition c. See that thy compunction end in true contrition that the pricking and breaking of thy heart which may stand with hardness may end in bruising and melting in some apprehension of Gods love and hope of mercy whiles it is softned melted and made pliable to Gods will See that despair in thy self send thee to hope in God that self-judging send thee to seek absolution and pardon from God that seeing thine own damned condition thou look to Christ and esteem of him above many worlds that fear of wrath make thee more earnestly desire mercy that sense of wrath make thee at least consult and cast about what to do to be saved as it did these here who being pricked in heart said What shall we do SECT 4. Divers Reasons why men are not to take up with legall qualms till they be humbled enough Why we are not to rest in every slight sorrow NOw why are we thus to do why are we not to take up onely with some few whorish tears or legall terrours but to see that we be humbled enough 1 Because it is but a preparative to Conversion in the elect 1. Because all the fore-named works of the Law are but preparations to Conversion and far off degrees thereof and indeed common to many reprobates to Pharaoh Ahab Herod Felix Cain and Judas and to many others now in hell as hath been said even to the Divels themselves who have such stings in their consciences and tremble but without hope though in and to the elect these prickings are truly preparative to their Conversion and yet but preparative 2. These prickings being common to the reprobate and elect tend as well if good use be not made of them to the hurt of the one as health of the other 2 because being not followed home in others God is provoked to give them up either yea they are but beginnings of mens damnation both furthering and increasing the same But how and why is this Because where such woundings and prickings are neglected and not followed home it is just with God yea and usual to give men over either to senselesnesse and hardnesse of heart which is the first entrance into Hell or to anguish of soul when they most stand in need of comfort yea to utter desperation so that when such men come to die it is either like Nabal as a stone and blocke or as Judas in despair 1 to senselessnes and deadnesse 1. If when conscience smites stingeth pricketh and accuseth it be neglected and that men so fairly called on and admonished by so good a friend otherwise proceed not on to godly sorrow and repent not it will ere they be aware give over its office of accusing checking and awaking them by jogging as it were and pricking yea be quiet and silent in effect saying as God himself saith Why should ye be stricken any more This is when being smitten in heart with David for sin they do not repent and seek mercie with David A wounding conscience saith one neglected will prove a dead conscience as an ungracious childe after many corrections is hardened thereby and at length quite given over and cast off A wound neglected or falsely healed festers the more and often causeth mortification of the flesh numnesse deadnesse rottennesse Neglect we not then the first stingings and prickings of conscience by which God comes near and makes some offer to us You may perhaps make light account of the rebukes of men or of us Ministers and so especially do great men rich noble and generally proud men yet if ye be wise neglect not conscience if it accuse you to your selves do you accuse your selves much more to God least otherwise he give you up to deadnesse and securitie Or 2. to anguish of conscience in their death 2. Or if not that and that is bad enough and more dangerous because more pleasing then to anguish of soul on your death-beds at least when conscience which lay asleep before and the guilt of your sin which only lay at the doore like a sleeping lion or a
dog whose mouth you had stopped will awaken against you and fly in your faces and then be your greatest terrour when you most stand in need of comfort and to have conscience your friend 3 Or howsoever you shall be given up to Desperation and therein to perish for ever as we see in Judas who repenting of his sin meerely out of horrour not hatred of it 3 or to utter desperation and neglecting in hope to seek to Christ and to shew true sorrow for his treachery against him was in Gods justice given up to desperation to be tormented by Satan in this life till he grew weary of it as is seen in Judas and to hasten his own eternall torments with him in hel Even thus little pricks or bruises neglected prove not only extremely painfull but often deathfull and rods are turned into scorpions How was it with Francis Spira whose lamentable story is so well known who smothering a good while such checks of conscience and Francis Spira as being hearkened unto would have kept peace in his conscience was given up to be lashed in his naked soul for a long while by so many strokes of conscience as with so many iron rods and at length for all that could be done or said vnto him to dye most miserably and without comfort God by such remarkable examples though they fall out rarely in such noted manner yet by the terrour of them would and doth warn all men not to neglect conscience or to whist and smother the reproofs and checks of it that so more securely and with lesse controll they may still enjoy their lusts their sinfull gains pleasures offices honours liberty favour with men and what else they are wedded to more sorrow for such things whilst stings of conscience are followed home with godly and repentant sorrow with self deniall in them will much sooner bring a man to sound ease and solid rest then the injoying of them with a false peace by silencing deading and dulling of conscience But now supposing thou art an elect child of God who art so wounded which that thou art yea in the elect there will follow thou canst not know till thou be made truly sorrowfull and be throughly converted and attain to true faith yet though thy first prickings of conscience be such as shall prove saving to thee yet I say if thou follow not home this work of humiliation and sorrow once begun these things will follow either 1 an easie return to sinne and the best thou canst expect will be either an easy return to former sinnes so sleightly sorrowed for and an often relapsing into the same sins as we see in Abraham twice denying Sarah to be his wife and may see it much more in others not onely the wicked as is said as in Ahab Judas Felix c. but even the elect of God or 2 a questioning the truth of conversion or an uncomfortable walking all thy life time with a continuall questioning the truth of thy conversion and so nothing but deadnesse and doubting or it may be or 3 a new beginning again a coming back again under the bondage of the Law as having the whole work to begin after a dead and unfound profession for many years whereby thou hast deceived thy self or 4 crosses from God further to humble them or lastly great crosses and afflictions sent from God to humble thee yet more and more as why not in Jobs cases who by afflictions was made to remember and possesse the sins of his youth perhaps not so truly sorrowed for at the first You see then that there is no resting or taking up with every light or little pang of conscience A reproof of such as 1 seek comfort and lay hold on pardon too soon many by seeking or snatching at comfort too soon do altogether misse of it they will believe the promise of pardon ere they be prepared sufficiently for it they take too great and wide a stride at once seeing there are many steps between such sleight terrours wrought by the Law and true faith to believe the pardon of sin Others after some apprehension of wrath shaking it off 2 Shake off all former sense of sin and punishment do think it basenesse to suffer themselves to be so much disquieted as sometimes they have been and hereupon most desperately harden themselves against the word and resolve to outstare the Ministers of it they will no longer be such children as they have been they will do as they have done let Jeremy if he were among them or all the Ministers in the world say against them what they will or can But for men of this stamp I must leave them seeing by this their obstinacy and hardning of themselves which is a fearfuull case they shew that God hath left them to their own gracelesse hearts in his greatest displeasure to run on headlong without fear to their own eternall destruction as not meaning and yet who knows the mind and mercies of the Lord to give them repentance that he might save them God may do much for such and in meere mercy by his mighty power soften and reclaim them but neither may they presume thereon nor dare I promise it I therefore turn mee to such as have some sense of sin and are or shall be touched with some gripings and stings of conscience though for the present it be onely in apprehension of judgement to these I would speak a word of Exhortation and of Direction SECT 5. The former Exhortation further followed The exhortation further followed that our sorrow may be to repentance TO you then I say seeing the word hath taken hold on you and wounded you See that your sorrow be to purpose that is indeed to repentance and to salvation and that it be according to God or after a godly manner that it work and bring forth carefulnese 1 Cor. 7.8 9 10 11. and other such fruits as godly sorrow wrought in the Corinthians upon Paul's reproof of them and such as this here in my Text wrought in these Jews by Peter's conviction of them the first fruit whereof was carefulness what shall wee do upon which question they were directed to repent verse 38. they were first pricked in heart yet had not repented that was after prescribed to them as a salve and as the end of their pricking So that wee see the one of these is but a beginning a preparative and the way to the other men may be wounded heavie laden and burdened with their sin and yet not converted not as yet come and brought to Christ Matth. 11.28 Men must be first sinners in their own sense that done they are called to repentance The weight of sin may lie on one and he as yet not truly or not sufficiently humbled See then yee be humbled enough And that we be humbled enough Num. 16.14 Most come short in this great work
done wickedly but these sheep 2 Sam. 24.17 what have they done Let thine hand I pray thee and of Job be against me and my fathers house Job 1. Levit. 26. So Job in his sore affliction was content to receive evill at the hand of God as well as good thereby accepting of the punishment of his sin as true converts do who are sensible of their own ill deservings and others and are humbly patient under Gods hand Thus the mournfull repentance of them that escape in the finall desolation of Israel is described But they that escape of them shall escape and shall be on the mountaines like doves of the vallies all of them mourning Ezek. 7.16 and 18. every one for his iniquitie as for the rest when destruction is upon them horrour covers them and shame is upon their faces The King shall mourn and the Prince shall be clothed with desolation and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled but what they shall seek peace what peace not with God but with man that is ease from their troubles but there shall be none and 26 27. Then they shall also seek a vision from the Prophet in hope God will give them ease and deliverance such as their seducing and flattering Prophets did promise them but the Law shall perish from the Priest and counsell from the ancients there shall be none to give them any hope from God Psal 38.3 4. c. So David again being in a pitifull case in regard of some grievous sicknesse inflicted on him because of his sin which he confesseth though his sorrow which was increased by reason of the insultations and snares of the wicked was continually before him yet that troubled him not so much as his sin the cause thereof therefore saith he and vers 18. I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin So that when hee is sensible of Gods judgements and afflictions yet his sin is his greatest sorrow The troubles of mine heart are inlarged Psal 25 17 18. look upon mine affliction and my pain and forgive all my sins They were his sins which most troubled him Now I ask is thy sorrow when Gods hand is upon thee Application or upon the Church or nation and place where thou livest such as this If so thou mayest have comfort of it when thou canst turn the stream of thy worldly sorrow into the right channell and make thine eyes run down with rivers of teares because of sin Psal 119.139 thine own and others because men keep not Gods Law and canst with those in Ezekiel mourn for the sins of the place Ezek. 9. and for all the abominations thereof more then for the evill fruits and effects of sin which thou canst in all humility accept of and submit unto heartily bewailing the one and humbly submitting to the other as it was with good Nehemiah chap. 1.4 5. compared with 5 6. and with Daniel chap. 9 5 6 7 8 c. 14. But if it be chiefly for the evill effects of thy sin either felt or feared thou hast cause to sorrow afresh lest thy sorrow being only for punishment prove but the beginning of everlasting sorrow and torment to thee as to Pharaoh who when Gods hand was heavy upon him and his people shewed himself more affected with the evill he suffered then with the evill which he did and therefore cried not out to God as David did I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly but to Moses and Aaron 2 Sam. 24.10 Exod. 10.17 Intreat the Lord your God that he may take away from me this death only True sorrow is for sin as sin and as it is an offence of God True sorrow then is more for sin as it is sin and an offence of Gods Majesty and a dishonour done unto him then for any evill consequent of sin hurt perill or danger it brings men into It is therefore called a godly sorrow or sorrow according to God respecting him more then our selves being more for the object of our sorrow which is sin 2 Cor. 7 9. and 10. then for any Act of sorrow caused by sin whereof sorrowing aright for sin as sin we may have much comfort it being repentance not to be repented of and not worldly sorrow working death It is such a sorrow as wherby we lament after the Lord as they did Such is not the sorrow of hypocrites Zach. 7.5 1 Sam. 7.2 and not such as the Iews in their captivity performed concerning which the Lord bids Zacharie aske the Priests saying when ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh moneth even those seventy yeares did you at all fast unto me even to me Nor such as the Israelites formerly made shew of and of which the Lord complaineth saying They return but not to the most High Hos 7.14.16 they are like a deceitful bow And saith the Lord they have not cried unto me with their heart when they howled upon their beds they assemble themselves for corn and wine and they rebell against mee The meaning is what shew soever they make of sorrow for sin it is not in sincerity nor from the heart Whose sorrow meerly respects themselves and that chiefly in things of this life It is not for their sin as it is sin against me and my honour but it is for their adversity captivity want through dearth and famine give them ease libertie and let them have corn and wine and their sins against me will never trouble them Nay when thus they howl and cry unto me they rebell against me how much rather then would they so doe if they had their desire they seek as worldlings usually do Psal 4.6 7. not my face and favour whom by their sins they have offended and dishonoured but corn and wine the blessings of my left hand and so in their howling fasting and sorrow they have not regard to me whom by their sins they pierce and wound but to themselves and that not to their soules but to their bodies in the things only of this life Now hence it is that God having threatned his people with grievous evils for their sins against him calls on them to return and to mourn sincerely in these words Therefore also now saith the Lord Joel 2.12 13. Turn you even to me with all your heart and with fasting and with weeping and with mourning And rent your heart and not your garment c. Where the Emphasis would be observed turn you to me even unto me till ye come and reach unto me Vsque ad me shewing that our repentance and sorrow comes short of God if it be chiefly for worldly wants crosses and losses and not in sincerity of heart sorrow for sin as it is sin against God SECT 2. How to know when our sorrow is for sin as sin if
in prosperity Trials whether our sorrow be for sin as sin NOw the better to judge of our sorrow whether it be not more out of fear or feeling of punishment and shame and such like evils then for sin as it is sin Let it be considered First 1 Sorrow for sin as sin is as well in prosperity as adversity whether we can humble our selves and grieve for our sins against God as well in our prosperitie when all things in the world go well with us as in adversity in wants in our feares troubles dangers c. I know evill men and hypocrites can in their prosperity rejoyce or rather seem to rejoyce in God as their God Hypocrites hence discovered 1. By not sorrowing in their prosperity Job 27.10 but can they then mourn for their offences against God as being then more apt to sin against him then at other times I trow not Will the hypocrite alwaies call upon God No. Will he mourn for sin whiles he may yet sin in regard of health youth occasions and opportunities to sin No he makes that his time for taking liberty against God he will repent and cry God mercy and sorrow for his sin when he is old and that the yeares come in which he shall say which many take for their time of sinning I have no pleasure in them Or in case of some dangerous sickness crosse disaster bodily weakness or the like Oh thinke of this you yong men especially on whom God calls for repentance young and healthy men especially and to remember your creator in the time of your youth or as the word implieth of your elections when you may yet chuse the good yet not by any power of will of your own and refuse the evill that is before the time of age sickness and death come when through infirmity of body debility or want of occasions and opportunities you cannot sin at least in act for many kinds of sin though you would as now you will not when otherwise you may and when God chiefly expects it from you Never then tel me that your sorrow if there be any so much as in seeming in you can be sound at such time as Gods hand shall be upon you 2 By their forced sorrowing in adversitie For I know secondly That hypocrites yea very profane wretches when by affliction sickness dangers by sea or by land Gods hand lyeth heavy upon them they can then humble themselves and seem sorry as King Ahab did and the incredulous and disobedient Israelites who when God slew them they sought him they returned and inquired early after God Neverthelesse they did flatter him with their mouth for their heart was not right with him Psal 78.34 ◠36 37. and so they lying and dissembling or at least deceiving themselves in heart return but not to the most High they in grief and sorrow seek the removall of Gods stroakes but they grieve not that they have provoked God to strike them being as ready when Gods hand is removed from them and when without apparent danger they think they may to sin against God even with delight as ever before But thus either to forsake sin when sin for the acts thereof forsakes them first or to sorrow for sin onely when Gods hand is upon them or in regard of the shame or punishment of it in this life or in hell is a signe of unsoundnesse and if thy sorrow whosoever thou art be no other then this thou hast cause to sorrow and repent of thy sorrow and repentance and exceedingly to question the sincerity of it and Gods acceptance if thou canst not as heartily at least truely and sincerely mourn for thy sin in thy health as in sicknesse in thy youth as well as old age in thy prosperity as well as adversity SECT 3. True sorrow is for all sin in our selves and others True sorrow is for all sin 2 IF thy sorrow be occasioned and wrought in thee for sin as it is sin and as it is a disobedience and dishonour to God then it will be against sin not onely at all times In our selves and in others but against all sin both in thy self yea and in others also 1 In thy self Thou wilt both hate every false way and desire to be rid of all sin as well as to have all pardoned 1 In our selves 2 Tim. 2.19 yea also mourn for all as well as any one as knowing any one sin persisted in with delight will amount to as much in Gods account as if thou wert guilty of all Jam. 2.10 And though thy sorrow be not so great for some one sin as for some other all sins being not alike hainous yet it will be true and sincere against all because all sins There being the same nature of all sin though not all alike are against God and his will revealed against his holinesse soveraignty crown and dignity will and glory This quatenus or as all and each being against God when we say wee must mourn for sin as sin being a reduplicative implyeth a universality because there is the same nature in all sin every sin being against Gods holinesse wil soveraignty and glory so that he that is sorry for any one sin in that regard Quicquid propter Deum fit aequaliter fit will be sorrowfull for every sin and he that is not sorry for all sin upon the same ground and respect is truely sorry for no sin at all True sorrow is 1 For smaller sins as well as great 2 Et contrà Try then thy sorrow hence Is it 1 For lesser sins as well as greater Davids heart smote him for that which as I take it was in it self no sin even for cutting off the lap of Saul's garment 1 Sam. 24.5 2 For greater sins as well as lesser seeing hypocrites often strain at a gnat and swallow a camell 3 For such sins as the world taketh no notice of 3 Is thy sorrow as well for such sins as the world takes no notice of to wit for spirituall pride inward lustings and pleasing thy self with contemplative vanities arguing sensuality of heart covetousnesse ambition revenge c. as for more open and shamefull sins Thus it should be God is dishonoured and disobeyed by these and they are against his holinesse as well as more open sins 4 For naturall corruption 4 Art thou humbled at the uncleannesse of thy nature the depravation of thy soul yea deprivation of Gods image according to which thou at first wast made Is it a burthen and grief to thee to finde so much untowardnesse in thee and aversenesse from whatsoever is good holy or true and such a pronity and readinesse to imbrace errour admit of sin and to do evill This was part-cause of David's sorrow when bewailing his actuall transgressions hee traced them home to the root and originall confessing and bewailing saying Behold I was shapen in iniquity and
Judas some doe confess their sin or if they confess sin do it either meerly out of terror not hatred is it not meerly out of horror of conscience and a while to stop the mouth of it do they not return with Judas and Pharaoh to the same or like sins again till at length they utterly perish herein like the dog which casts up his meat not because he loaths it Simile but because his stomack is burthened and troubled with it and therefore after a little ease he returns to lick up his vomit again Or if not so wholly yet doe not many when they are called urged and pressed to confesse their faults or hypocritically and cunningly or that conscience on their sick-bed or otherwise drives them to their Minister I say do not many go cunningly to work to deceive others but indeed themselves worst of all confessing some known or smaller sins whilest confessing sins known sufficiently already and which they cannot deny or it may be some such infirmities as may stand with grace as distractions in good duties some hardnesse of heart some hastiness but concealing their bosome and greater saults angry and peevish disposition of nature and the like yet wittingly hide under their tongues and in the secret cabinet of their heart their beloved darling and bosome sin be it some base and noysome lust pride ambition covetousnesse revenge or some such like secret sin by which meanes sin still sticks at the bottome the coar comes not away Satan who hath filled their hearts keeps his hold and is uncast out though the room seem somwhat swept or at least returns to his old lodging in the heart with seven worse spirits then himself which these conveâ—ts did not It was not so here with these converts in my Text who though deeply charged by Peter and that with sins of as foul a nature as any could be even murther parricide unbeliefe ingratiude ignorance disobedience impenitency all which and more being included in the sin of crucifying Christ vers 36. yet neither denied the same nor went about to lay the blame on their rulers who perswaded them to it but in effect acknowledge all to be true they were charged withall and accordingly seek direction what to do to get comfort to their guilty and wounded consciences SECT 4. 2. Detestation of Sin an Effect of true Sorrow for Sin 2 Detestation of sin accompanieth true sorrow for it NOw secondly with confession went an inward dislike hatred and detestation of their sin and both these the fruits and effects of their contrition They finding the weight and burthen of their sin hate and abominate the same their heart is turned from it for ever and they cast it from them as a filthy and polluted thing they with Ephraim will have no more to do with it Hos 14.9 as in these here They now loath it and themselves for it and accordingly to shew their dislike of it and of all the occasions of it they forsake the society of the obstinate Iewes who as yet were not pricked in heart and of the Priests Scribes and Pharisees and joyn themselves to the despised and persecuted church of God and in other converts And thus it is with other converts they now loath what formerly they liked and hate what once they loved yea thus it should be with us if we would approve our sorrow for sin to be sound Is thy sorrow then for sin followed with hatred and loathing of it and of thy selfe for it Application To such as may seem angry with sin but hate it not It may be thou art only a little angry with it but fallest in with it presently again such indeed is the nature of anger but true hatred which is bent against an enemie aimes at his utter destruction and death so true hatred of sin seeks the death or mortification of it at least cannot endure the sight of it but through an inward loathing of it Arist Rhet. lib. 2. and seek not the death of it wisheth it and whatsoever might represent it to the soul as lovely quite out of sight as the Prophet brings in the repenting Church throwing away Idolatrous ornaments as one throwing away a menstruous clout Isai 30.12 saying to it get thee hence Sin would bee looked upon as an enemie to Gods glory and to our souls as of an enemy now the more true love we bear to God and to our selves the greater hatred we will bear against sin And as it seeks our lives for the soul that sinneth shall die death is the wages thereof so should we seek the death and mortification of that which otherwise will be our death as if we met with any venemous poysonfull Simile or hurtfull creature such especially as hath formerly end angered us or stung us we cease not so far as is in our power till we see it dead Now sin is as dangerous an enemy to the soul as any such creature or enemy can be to our bodies I now only ask Neither are well affected to the meanes of mortifying it if thy behaviour be such towards those sins of thine which thou sayest have bâ—en thy sorrow seekest thou and usest thou the meanes by which sin may be truly mortified in thee doth thine heart rise against the occasions and first approaches of sin and art thou afraid of hurt by it when it first begins to arise in thine heart as not nipping it in the head when it first riseth then seeking to dash it in the shell as a man would be loth to give a known and malicious enemy the least welcome or entertainment in his house or otherwise neer him how likest thou it when Gods Word and thy Minister seeks to make thy sin hatefull and loathsome to thee when he layes about him neither liking that Word of God which would by sharp reproofs kill it in them and not only discovers and layeth open the vileness thereof but by sharp reproofs and threatnings seeks to hit wound and kill it in thee canst thou blesse God for it c. desire or at least approve well of such teaching and teachers Thus thou shouldest do even in true love to thine own soul if thou truly batest or yet hast truly mourned for thy sin whereas wee should bitterly hate it as each thing seeks its own preservation so shouldest thou hate sin as well as sorrow for it accounting it the greatest evill of all evill as separating between thy soul and God and our hearts fret at it Thus shouldest thou not only weep for thy sin but with Peter weep bitterly as having the bitter gall of godly indignation hatred and detestation mingled with thy brinish and salt teares thy heart will not only be pricked Cant. 5.4 Frementibus visceribus Jun. but will fret within thee yet not against the Word or Minister but against thy sin and self Thus for these
Saviour Mat. 18.6 Who so shall offend one of these little ones which beleeve in me it were better for him that a milstone were hanged about his neck and that he were drowned in the depth of the Sea CHAP. XXII An Exhortation to men of all sorts to get this mournfull disposition of soul for sin LAstly A Second use of exhortation to all that we labour after a sorrowfull disposition of soul for sin in our selves as a thing 1. Necessary 2. Seasonable and befitting 1. The times 2. The persons 1. Of Kings and great ones 2 Chron. 37.27 Why to conclude all Be we again exhorted all of us to be so far from condemning this mournful disposition in others that we rather conceive it needfull and necessary for our selves seeing mourn we must for sin either here savingly if we willingly undertake it and frame our hearts to it or hereafter eternally and hellishly as hath been said And it is a disposition not only such as befits the times it being the time of Jacobs trouble and of the Churches miseries in many parts of the world but all sorts and conditions of men and women 1. Kings and great ones who are tenderly brought up may seem if any most of all exempt yet behold David a King watering his couch with his teares King Hezekiah turning to the wall and weeping but above all King Josiah humbling himself rending his clothes and weeping before the Lord Why Though to other men they be as gods yet to God whom by their sin they offend they are but men and it is the great God they are to deal withall and who will deal with them as well as with others seeing he is no respecter of persons It s no shame but the honour of the best and greatest on earth to humble and abase themselves before the great and dreadfull God Who should not be ashamed to humble themselves But I am sure it shall be pride and matter of shame in meaner men not to do it when such great and godly Kings as have been named have not been ashamed so to do 2. Rich men if they be as yet unhumbled are called on to weep and howl 2. Rich men their danger being so great and their salvation so difficult by being told what else in the end will befall them Jam. 5.1 2 c. 3. And poor men should strive to be also poor in spirit 3. Poor men their outward poverty and wants inviting them thereunto as we see in the Prodigall whose poverty and wants though deeper matters be implied humbled him and sent him home unto God his Father 4. Young men should begin betimes 4. Young men and so by godly sorrow prepare themselves to do God long and cheerfull service they should make use of and maintain that naturall tenderness which is in them least by time and continuance in sin they grow more sencelesse and hard-hearted 5. And older men though perhaps lesse disposed to weep 5. Old men yet have the greater cause by reason of their long continuance in sin and as being in all probability nearer either heaven or if they have not formerly mourned hell and the everlasting torments thereof which cannot otherwise be prevented but by timely sorrow here on earth 6. Nay it concerns us all generally whatsoever our relations are on earth 6. All generally whether considered 1. As men Jam. 4.9.10 who by St. James are called on to be afflicted and mourn and weep Let your laughter your carnall rejoycing saith he be turned to mourning let it be the matter of your sorrow that you have so carnally rejoyced and your joy to heaviness Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God c. It becomes us all thus to do Are we men since sin came into the world the world it self is but a vale of teares whose condition is to be here on earth as in a vale of misery a house of mourning and mortality and surely mad mirth and laughter doth not become it or us being as men banished into a strange land from heaven the place of joy But are we Christians are we members of Christ 2. As Christians that we may Phil. 3.10 be conformable to Christ Then weeping and mourning will well become and befit us that we may be conformable to him our Head in his death and sufferings here as we hope be like him in glory hereafter 2 Tim. 2.11 12. This is a faithfull saying If we be dead with him we shall also live with him If we suffer with him we shall also raign with him saith the Apostle and suffer with him Matth. 26.37 38. Now his sufferings were for our sins when his soul was exceeding sorrowfull even to the death and he offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and teares Heb. 5.7 Now though his sorrows and sufferings being alone satisfactory were to ease and free us from everlasting sorrows yet sorrow we must not by way of satisfaction but of sympathie not by way of satisfaction but of sympathy and so far only as by tasting the bitterness of our own sin we may not only so far suffer with him but feel and expresse the more joy and thankfulnesse to him who drunke the very dregs of that cup of trembling and of wrath which we should have been made to swallow down as shall the damned who now by not sorrowing in time lose the benefit of Christs death and sufferings but whereof we who are now touched and pricked in heart for our sins do only sip and taste a little Moe lets of godly sorrow with their remedies barely named You have heard of Le ts to this godly sorrow which I endeavoured to remove and to which I do refer some moe might here be added such as are from the suggestions of Satan telling us such an austere course is a needless strictness from distractions occasioned by other men and other businesses from our selves and from that naturall indisposition unto duties of this nature and from a love of pleasures and lothnesse to bid vain pleasures adieu unto all which must be opposed watchfulnesse prayer good consideration of the straitnesse of the way and gate of life and the necessity of the duty The sweet content and true pleasure which is in these waies of God when sensuall men can find no pleasure no not in things otherwise necessary naturall and lawfull unlesse there be sin in them and some tang of the forbidden fruit and leaven of corruption Whereas there is no such pleasure as to overcome pleasure no such delight in the acting of sin as pleasure in resisting the temptation thereunto c. But we may seem to have said enough already of such things Conclusion exhorting to get soft hearts Therefore let us as we love our soules shew care to make good use of the things we have heard and known aboue all things labouring in the use of the meanes abovesaid to get
the next way to conversion and Converts they were in Gods purpose and intention saying Would you know what to do Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins c. ver 38. for the promise is to you and to your children c. where he chiefly cals on them though in words not so expresly for faith in the promise and that by repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ which presupposeth faith especially in men of yeers who shall be converted they would seek assurance of the remission of their sins which onely as the case was with them and is with others distressed in conscience would afford them comfort And first saith he Repent become other men be of other mindes then formerly let this and your other sins be your sorrow and not only confesse this your hainous sin of crucifying your Saviour And not onely to consesse by which ease pardon comes and take shame to your selves and restore to God and Christ his glory hereby whereby also you shall get ease to your Consciences as David did after his heart had smitten him and that he had confessed and acknowledged his offence 2 Sam. 12.13 and chap. 24.10 and Psalm 32.3 4 5. else not but to judge our selves Prov. 28.13 but also judge and condemn your selves Jam. 4.10 be humbled under Gods hand resigne your selves wholly unto him and to his mercy but withall lay your necks upon the block and deprecate your Judge Pray that these your sins may be forgiven you and he will be favourable unto you and you shall see his face with joy Job 33.26 27 28. This in effect is his advice to them and to others also in like case 3 To make a right use of our baptism in which pardon of sin is sealed 3. Yea saith he seeing nothing can comfort the distressed conscience but assurance of the pardon of sin to this end be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ on whom ye beleeve for remission of sins vers 39. that the promise of pardon which is made to you and to all that shall truely repent and confesse their sins Prov. 28.13 1 John 1.9 may in your baptism be sealed unto you whereby also having your beleeving hearts sprinkled from an evill conscience and your bodies washed with pure water Hebr. 10. v. 22. you may in the accusations of your conscience of Satan and of other enemies be able to make and give the answer of a good conscience towards God and so wee come to answer all doubts of conscience by your faith and repentance thus sealed in your baptism for herein the effect of saving baptism is made to consist and not in the putting away of the filth of the flesh thereby 1 Pet. 3.21 Baptism is no idle ceremony but such as is said to save as the Ark saved Noah whilest we stick to it and to Gods promise sealed by it we are safe as Noah in the Ark and need not doubt of pardon of sin and so of salvation In case of doubting then being baptized look back to baptism as men do in case their titles to lands be questioned unto their fathers and fore-fathers grants especially to their sealed Wils and Testaments In the right use of all these faith repentance baptism And to wrap up all in one consider that Baptism is into the death of Christ it is also to repentance and joyned with confession of sins Matth. 3.6 11. Rom. 6.3 Mark 1.4 Acts 13.24 And therefore if being baptized as the case is with us sin causeth in thee doubts and trouble of conscience that thou maist be comforted and assured of pardon by faith have recourse to Christ and to the promise yea humble thy self by unfained repentance and hearty confession of thy sin to God we come to be assured of pardon to our comfort Numb 14.25 Ainsw ibid. This is the way if any to finde comfort and rest to the soul Thus in a mystery the Israelites sinning in the wildernesse by murmuring and unbelief are sent back towards the red-sea a type of Christs blood wherein they formerly had been baptized 1 Cor. 10.1 2. Exod. 14. Which was to humble them by repentance that through faith in Christ they might have entrance into the Kingdom of heaven otherwise they should perish for ever as indeed their carcasses not repenting nor beleeving by making a right use of their baptism though thus occasioned by being brought back to the sight of the sea in which they had been baptized perished in the wildernesse These are such directions as the Apostles of Christ and so Christ himself do give As then in trouble of conscience for sin and sense of wrath due unto it wee are to seek our cure and comfort onely from the faithfull Ambassadours of Christ who are in Christs stead to instruct exhort and comfort Isa 50.4 or in part also from godly wise meek and experienced Christians 2 Cor. 1.4 So These Directions are to be followed and to be given by Ministers By these we may judge of other advice seeing the wisest and faithfullest give onely such directions as have been named we must both wisely judge by these of such other advice as our own mindes and judgements or other men would give us and diligently and conscionably put the same in practice yea all Ministers and others may and must from the example of Paul and Peter here learn in case they be sought unto for advice how to temper their spirituall physick especially they must make use of faith and be kept from following ill courses and from falling either into despair lest when they get no ease by common externall and false remedies they following their own distempered judgements and Satans suggestions seek to end their sorrows in a halter or by violent death and of Repentance not seeking comfort too soon lest they presume and turn Libertines both in judgement and in practice or licentiousness as many who seemingly have been humbled and in conscience it may be pricked and wounded have done Peter here directs such as were pricked in heart to repent that is to be more and further humbled and made sorrowfull as Christ calls sinners such as are sick and burthened with sense of their sin and misery Matt. 9.12 13. to repentance not to cast off all sense yea conscience of sin and fears of wrath but rather to proceed and go on in their sorrow onely converting such sorrow as is from sense of wrath for sin unto sorrow for sin it self as sin as the proper cure of the former and of all hellish or legall fears and terrours Especially by repentance As it is a very fit cure of the haemorage or bleeding of the nose to divert the flux of blood by phlebotomie or blood-letting in the arm And when once the stream of our sorrow is diverted into that channell it
is a new Creation it is either a Being of nature or a Being of grace each respectively of nothing as it is taken negatively But man and before it we the best are nothing both negatively in respect of his Being of grace since the fall through sin in which he is dead and that in all powers and faculties is nothing First negatively I mean not in regard of substance either of soul or of faculties but of the qualities of those faculties according to which he was at first made after the Image of God in knowledge righteousness holiness and in the truth of them all Col. 3.10 Eph. 4.24 so that before his calling he is a meer Non-ens and hath no being for God is said to call those things that are not 1 Cor. 1 28. So the heathen before their calling were no people and 2. privatively not before but after the habit of grace lost both in act and power Rom. 10.19 Deut. 32.21 Hos 1.10 And 2. privatively not in a physicall sense as Philosophers speak of privation who make it a principle of generation and to include in it a disposition to the habit which it precedes but in the logicall and more proper sence as it implieth a deprivation of some former habit as in our case of the image of God and that not such as sleep is but such as death is being a privation not of the act and exercise onely of the faculty as in sleep but of the faculty and power it self we being dead in sin and not made alive with respect to spirituall and supernaturall objects of which the rule holds that from the privation to the habit as from death to life thore is no return that is ordinarily and by naturall causes Otherwise if we speak of an extrordinary regresse and miraculous none who is not an Atheist makes any question Only we may grant a remote possibility and capability especially in man as also in the lapsed angels so farre as Gods most holy and just will puts no bar but we must deny all disposition in the instruments and of the subject it self to the habit but by the effectuall power of Christ and so must exclude all active power in man to his own conversion which is not by Gods grace newly infused into him who works not only the will or power to will but the deed and act of will Phil 2.13 And so Christ becomes the cause and fountain of new life unto his elect who by his mercy and power are ingrafted into him as into a new stock from whom we receive new life being as dead and buried so also risen and quickned with him Col. 2.12 13. and from whom we receive forgivenesse of sin redemption and life whereby our youth is renued like the Eagles Psal 103.3 4 5. And we return to the daies of our youth Job 33.24 25. Which change being by the renuing of our mind Rom. 12.2 is wrought by the Holy Ghost Tit. 3.5 and is continued and wrought by degrees daily whereby such as wait on the Lord renew their strength and mount up with wings as Eagles c. Isai 40.31 SECT 3. Use 1. Of Instruction and Exhortation to deniall of our selves as in other things so particularly in duties concerning Conversion Vse 1 WEe To deny our selves and to acknowledge who would shew our selves true converts and such as truly hope to be saved must hence learn in all things to deny our selves especially in this great business of our salvation and indeed to see and acknowledge our selves to be nothing in our selves at best but as a rude lumpe and Chaos like the earth at the first creation our selves to be Nothing which being made of nothing was it self then without form void and dark Gen. 1.2 We must ever acknowledge that without Christ and faith in him which in in its own nature implieth and includes selfe-deniall all our gifts of nature or of common grace are nothing so that as Paul said concerning one grace 1. In regard of gifts charity so I may say of Christ and of faith in Christ without Christ and true justifying faith in him though I had the gift of prophesie and understood all mysteries and all knowledge though I spake with the tongues of men and Angels and though I had all miraculous faith 1 Cor. 13.1 2 3. and had not Christ and true justifying saith in him I am nothing All knowledge is nothing 1 Cor. 8.1 1 Tim. 6.3 4. And as all our gifts 2. In regard of priviledges without Christ so all priviledges without Christ must be accounted nothing That of a Jew or Circumcision Gal. 6.15 and 1 Cor. 7.19 3. Of our Confidences As riches Idols Isai 44.10 1 Cor. 8.4 strength of kingdomes power of will That of the Gentile which was wisedome as we have heard is nothing All our Confidences or things which men trust in are nothing as Riches Prov. 23.4 5. with Psal 37.16 Idols in which the Gentiles trusted and Idolaters now are nothing All the strength of Kingdoms and nations with God Nothing less then nothing Isai 40.15 17. All power of will or other wise in man nothing Without me ye can do nothing Joh. 15.5 All our own endeavours like those of Peters who fished all night and catched nothing till Christ came Luke 5.5 Joh. Indeavours righteousnesse 21.3 In a word all confidence in the flesh Phil. 3.5 6 7 8. all our legall righteousnesse Phil. 3.9 Yea Christ himself Christ himself if he be not all to us if he be not all to us shall profit us nothing Gal. 5.2 Though in nothing we be behind the best yet we must say as Paul did that in and of our selves we are nothing 2 Cor. 12.11 All without Christ must be accounted but as cyphers and that is nothing So that if any man thinke himself to be something when he is nothing and that is the state of us all he deceiveth himself Gal. 6.3 We must then see and acknowledge our own nothing The knowledge hereof is rightly made the fountain of all other vertues The knowledge of our own nothingness is the beginning of all goodnesse He only that knowes what this nothing or his nothingness is First how inconstant and vain all earthly things are Secondly how weake his own nature is Thirdly how base and vile sin is and how of no reckoning evill and sinfull men are he will 1. Not set his heart on earthly or transitory things but on heavenly and divine things 2. He will be humble and distrust himselfe and set his rest and put his trust only in God his mercy truth and power 3. He will avoid sin and sinfull company as vile and as finding no content therein In a word he will love desire affect and admire nothing but that which shall be judged something and that is nothing in or of himselfe as the new creature 1 Cor. 7.19 2 Cor. 5.16 17 2.
weaknesse and knowing that if we had such an abundant measure of grace and gifts as we desire we would stand in less need of him and be prouder of the gift then of the giver and not rest in him as alone all-sufficient and better then many graces to us Which I say provided we truly thirst and labour after more grace not that upon this pretence any careless liver should take up with any measure of grace or please himself with his infirmities as he will call his grosser and more willfull sins such an one I shall discard from the number of true Christians and genuine sons of God and babes in Christ who will ever out of a true sence be crying for more food and grow by it too but that we all should labour for true grace in sincerity and comfort our selves therein and in Christ our sanctification whilest we strive but cannot attain to that strength and measure of grace which we truly and from the heart desire 2. In our having of the gifts of grace all which without Christ are but glistering sins Secondly then make we Christ sanctification to us not onely in the want but in the having of any gift of grace whatsoever without whom all our gifts and graces are but dead carkases liveless pictures meer formalities yea like the vertues of the heathen who knew not Christ glistering sins Christ is the very life and soul of all graces and must be all to us in them all as our knowledge as what is knowledge of all things else but heathenish science if we know not God in Christ All other knowledge puffeth up 1 Cor. 8.1 2. and if any man teach otherwise and consent not to the words of our Lord Jesus Christ he is proud knowing nothing at least as hee ought to know zeal 1 Tim. 6.3 4. What is our zeal if it be not according to such knowledge its rather fury and madness What is our faith faith hope if Christ dwell not in our hearts by it Eph. 3.17 What is our hope if it be not in Christ 1 Cor. 15.19 but a comfortless and ungrounded presumption What is love or charity if it be not out of a pure heart charity 1 Tim. 1.5 Eph. 5.2 and if we doe not walke in love as Christ also hath also loved us and if our love be not in Christ Jesus 1 Tim. 1.14 it s but a fained love patience 1 Thes 1.3 What is patience but a Stoicall blockishness if our labouring and not fainting and so our patience be not for Christs names sake Rev. 2.3 What are our sufferings and bonds but a thankless bearing of deserved evill Our sufferings if they be not in Christ and for Christ Phil. Our good works 1.13 What are all our good workes almes fasting prayer and generally all our wayes if they be not in Christ and living godly and what is all our godly living if it be not in Christ Jesus 2 Tim. 2.12 but a death whereby we have a name that we live and spirituall life but are dead Revel 3.1 What is our spirituall life if we be not made alive in Christ 1 Cor. 15.22 and quickned together with him Eph. 2.5 and if Christ live not in us Gal. 2.20 What is it but an artificiall and forced motion such as is in walking engines and in pictures and Images with artficiall rolling eyes or otherwise drawn or carved to the life Our mortification In a word what is mortification but a monkish holiness and apish imitation if we be not dead with Christ Rom. and humility 6.8 or our humility in worshipping of Angels or Saints as not daring come so boldly into Gods immediate presence but pride and a being puft up in our fleshly minds Col. 2.18 and the punishing not sparing or neglecting of the body and hard usage of the body but only a shew of wisedome in will-worship and humility Col. 2.23 What 's sanctification then out of Christ Why should we not deny our selves in all these and in like things further then we do suffer them in Christ In all these wee are to deny our selves that wee may be them all only in Christ 4. Make wee Christ to us Redemption in all the parts of it or why should we be discouraged in some sense of our own wants and imperfections in these when we do and suffer them in Christ in whom they are accepted and accounted sufficient Now lastly considering this Alsufficiency of Christ we have reason to make him and him onely or God in him as God hath made him to us Redemption In which benefit is included salvation from first to last not onely freedom from the guilt of sin by pardon and power over it by the Spirit and so a freedom both from the damnation Luke 1.68 69 71 c. and also domination and power thereof together with finall perseverance in grace to the end by vertue of Gods new covenant with us in Christ Jer. 32.40 but also protection and defence by the ministry of Angels Hebr. 1.14 and otherwise yea and consolation in troubles and a blessing of curses or crosses and afflictions to us in this life Let him be our Consolation 1 In all our Crosses at the end thereof a blessed death and after death a joyfull and blessed resurrection to life and glory for ever And what needs more All this and more then I can expresse to you or you and I conceive within our selves is Christ to us if once by denying our selves in all power of our own whether over sin or other enemies or in all earthly comforts we can seek to be All in all these and that onely in him Let us make then Christ all to us in these things that All in him may be ours whilest he is ours and we his 1 Cor. 3.21 22 23. And so let us make him more specially in all our losses 2 and Losses in the losse of goods name friends and what else in all which we lose nothing if we lose not Christ who is all in all these to us Have we lost our goods as 1 Of goods say we with Paulinus Bishop of Nola when the City was sackt by the Barbarians Lord let me not be troubled for the gold and silver for thou art all to me Are we disgraced 2 Name or is a fools cap in disgrace put upon us as once upon one Alexander Cane say we as he Can I have a greater honour done then to be served as my Lord Christ before Herod Have we lost our friends 3 Friends Senec in Consolat ad Polyb. who seemed to be a staffe and a stay unto us what Seneca said in the comforting in such a case of his friend Polybius a Courtier may fitlyer be applyed to a Christian concerning Christ So long as Cesar lives and is thy friend thou oughtest not to complain of thy condition whilest he is safe thou hast