intends to such undeserving ones as we be His own good will being the only 〈◊〉 of any saving work he is pleased to put forth upon the hearts of those who appertain to the Election of Grace This was that which the Lord proclaims and which he urges upon all drooping and discouraged Spirits to make them put on more cheerfully in the pursuit of life and happiness 〈◊〉 55. 1. Oh every one that thirsteth come to the waters and he 〈◊〉 hath no money come buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price It s very remarkable how the Spirit of God labors to remove that which will and most usually doth hinder the fainting hearts of dismaied sinners in their endeavor after Mercy They fondly conceit they must come with their cost they must bring some Spiritual abilities and 〈◊〉 with them unless they have that money they are like to miss of their market they shall not be able to purchase Gods acceptance the Graces and Comforts of his Spirit signified by Wine and Milk The Lord therefore that he might wholly dath these dreams and take off these 〈◊〉 thoughts he puts it beyond all Question and Doubt by a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the contrary He that hath no money that is No Spiritual 〈◊〉 or worth let him buy question it not yea I speak it seriously and mind what I say therefore I say again without money doubt it not yea I 〈◊〉 as I say openly and plainly without money or money worth no in 〈◊〉 no weakness no unworthiness shall hinder be not needlesly suspicious I intend not to sell my Graces and Comforts but to bestow them freely upon such who have an open hand to take them and an empty heart to carry them away This was the ground of Encouragement whereby the Prophet emboldned those rebellious Jews to take words and resolution also to themselves to press in with some hope to speed with the Lord Hos. 14. 2 3. Take unto 〈◊〉 words and say Receive us graciously But the Lord might have replyed You have no worth in your selves you deserve no favor therefore it s added with thee the Fatherless find mercy As if 〈◊〉 should have said Thou doest not vouchsafe mercy to sinners because of any excellency they have any friends they can make any abilities they can bring but the helpless friendless fatherless orphane souls such as be destitute of all succour no eye to pitty no friend to provide no strength to support themselves such find mercy with thee such we are therefore Lord shew us mercy If the Dole or Alms was to be bought and purchased then the 〈◊〉 who had most and needed least would 〈◊〉 be possessors of it but because its only out of the 〈◊〉 to bestow it freely he that 's poor hath never a whit the less but the more hope to receive it so it is here in the Dole of Grace when 〈◊〉 thou considerest the infinite baseness of thy heart on the one side the incomprehensible worth of mercy on the other and withal conceivest an utter impossibility ever to attain it ever to expect it settle this Conclusion in thy heart as matter of marvelous Encouragement yet mercy is free others have received it and why not I Lord If the multitude of thine 〈◊〉 plead against thee if Satan be busie to discourage thine heart and drive thee to despair Why dost thou Canst thou Expect any kindness from the Lord since thy frailties so many thy rebellions so great against the offer of his mercy and the work of his Grace How utterly unable 〈◊〉 thou to do any thing to procure any Spiritual good How unfit to receive it And is it not a folly than to hope for it Thou hast hence to Reply Be it I am as base as can be imagined yet my 〈◊〉 cannot hinder the work of Gods Love for it s altogether Free True I have nothing to purchase it Abraham had not I can do nothing to deserve it David could not I have no right to challenge it at the hands of the Lord nor yet had Paul any thing to plead for him in the like case and yet all these were made partakers of mercy and why not I Lord Put in for thy particular and plead for thy self and say Blessed Lord thy mercy is not lessened thy wisdom decayed thy arm shortned what thou didst freely for Abraham an Idolater 〈◊〉 a Rebel for Paul a Persecutor do for my poor 〈◊〉 also my vileness cannot hinder the freeness of thy Compassions If it be here Replyed That this affords small ground of Comfort for if the Dispensation of Grace depend upon Gods Free Will he may fail us as well as help us he may deny it as well as give it The Answer is He may give it as well as deny it and that 's Argument enough to sustain our hopes and to quicken our endeavors put it then to the adventure Thus the Prophet Joel pressed the Israelites to 〈◊〉 to God for the removal of a Judgement and the Pardon of their Sins upon this very possibility Rent your hearts and not your garments and turn unto the Lord who knows if he will return and leave a blessing behind him Joel 2. 13 14. Thus the 〈◊〉 Ninivites provoke themselves to importune the God of heaven for the with-holding of the destruction threatned Let us cry mightily unto God who can tell if he will turn and repent Jonah 3. 8 9. When then thy Spirit sinks under the unsupportable pressure of thy sins and the expectation of the righteous Judgements deserved thereby here is that which will ad Comfort and Encouragement to look upward to the Lord for refreshing Who knows but God may who can tell but God will yet shew mercy therefore I will yet hope because no man can tell but I may at last be made partaker thereof Lastly Those who want and seek for mercy from the Lord in the use of the means which he hath appointed they are to be exhorted from the former truth to arm themselves with patience to stay Gods time and to 〈◊〉 his pleasure if it seem good to his Majesty to with-hold this Favour or delay the work of his Grace Beggars must not be chusers we must not be Carvers of Gods kindness it s a Free Gift and therefore as he may give what he will so he may give it when it seems most fit to himself Just cause we have to wait no reason at all to murmure against him Hast thou then endeavored after this work of Grace and canst not attain it Endeavor still Hast thou begged it and yet findest not thy desires answered Crave still with perseverance It s good to hope and to wait also for the Salvation of the Lord Lam. 3. 26. both must go together to wait without hope is uncomfortable and to hope without patience is unprofitable We know 〈◊〉 what time God will take it is our duty and will be our wisdom and comfort to
day the things belonging to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eyes Will you suffer Christ to stand thus knocking at the door of your hearts and not let him in Take heed of this Christ knocks this day at your hearts if you now give him his last Answer and shut the door against him it may prove to be the last knocking you may hap never to see him more A plain and powerful Ministerie is the only Ordinary Means to Prepare the heart soundly for Christ. Hence it is when our Savior would have this work done he prepares a workman fit for it and furnisheth him with abilities which might enable him to the discharge thereof the work is great and the service difficult and therefore Elias is fitted with a Spirit suitable with Power answerable unto that purpose for which he was appointed an Instrument as we say for the nonce John the Baptist he also inherits these abilities and that Minister must be an Elias i. e. must have his Spirit and Power in proportion if ever this great work of preparation followeth his hand with Comfort and Success As it was in the Material so also is it in the building of this spiritual temple in which the holy Ghost doth dwell The Elect of God are like trees of righteousness the Word is like the Ax that must be lifted by a skilful and strong arm of a cunning Minister who like a Spiritual Artificer must hew and square and take off the knotty untowardnrss in the Soul before we can come to couch close and settle upon the Lord Christ as the Corner stone Paul calls the Saints Gods husbandry 1 Cor. 3. 9. A powerful humbling Ministery is like the Plow to plow up the fallow ground the thorny sensual hearts of sinful men to receive the immortal seed of the Word of Promise and the Spirit of Christ thereby For the Opening of the Point Two Things are 1 What is meant by a plain and powerful Ministery such as that of Elias 2 How this hath force to effect so great a Work The plainness of the Ministery appears When the Language and Words are such as those of the meanest Capacity have some acquaintance with and may be able to conceive when the Preacher 〈◊〉 his Speech to the shallow understanding of the Simplest Hearer so far as in him lies alwayes avoiding the frothy tinkling of quaint and far 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which take off and blunt as 〈◊〉 were the edge of the blessed Truth and Word of God 〈◊〉 the Apostle rejects the wisdom of Words as that which makes the Cross of Christ that is The Doctrine of Christ Crucisied revealed in the Gospel to lose his proper and powerful effect when it is lo Preached where let it be observed that it is not only the vanity and emptiness of Words which is here condemned but even that pompous gaudiness and elegancy of 〈◊〉 which after an unsuspected manner steals away the mind and affection from the truth and stayes it with it self when it should be a means both to convey both Attention and Affection from it self to the truth He that puts so much Sugar into the Potion that he hinders the strength and the work of it by such a kind of mixture though he please the Pallat of the 〈◊〉 yet thereby 〈◊〉 wrongs both the Physick and his Health So here in Preaching For the excellency of Eloquence and entising words of humane Wisdom which in case were commendable to be used by him who is an Orator or a Declamor in the School in the 〈◊〉 becomes ever Fruitless and many times hurtful and prejudicial to the saving success of the Gospel Hence the Apostle makes these as Opposite 2 Cor. 2. 4. My Speech and my preaching was not with entising words of mans wisdom but in the demonstration of the Spirit and of Power taking this for granted as it appears in 〈◊〉 of the Speech the pompe of entising words 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be discovered if we would have the Spirit in the powerful work of it be demonstrated and made to appear so much sweetness of words as may make way for the 〈◊〉 of the Gospel may be admitted and no more And as all kind of Curiosity and 〈◊〉 is to be avoided so all obscure and unusual 〈◊〉 dark Sentences and Expressions strange Languages are much more to be rejected as opposite even to the end of speaking much more to plainness of the Preaching of the tuth Words are appointed by God in his Providence to be Carriers as it were by whose help the thoughts of our minds and the savory apprehensions of truth may be communicated and conveyed over to the understanding of others whereas by mystical and dark Sentences he that comes to hear can by no means profit because he cannot conceive and so both Hearer and Speaker must needs miss their end and lose their labor since the one doth no good in his Speech because he so speaks that the other can receive no benefit He that hath a Pastoral heart must be so affected in dispensing the Doctrine of Grace as Paul was in writing Rom. 1. 7. to all that are To all that be at Rome so should he labor to reach out mercy and comfort to every soul in the congregation by every sentence he delivers as much as in him lies whereas mystical cloudy discourses which exceed the capacity and understanding of most in the assembly it s not possible they should work powerfully upon their Consciences That which the Mind conceives not the Heart affects not Ministers should be and if faithful they wil be as nurses to the people they will prepare milk for the meanest and weakest and meat for all but never give dry crust or 〈◊〉 in stead of bread to any for that was not to feed but to starve the Child Hence the Apostle concludes strange Languages in the delivery of the truth to be a Curse sent of God upon a people and therefore the Minister that so Communicates the Word he is the Messenger that brings a Curse to the 〈◊〉 1 Cor. 14. 21 22. In the Law it is written with men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people wherefore tongues are fore a sign not to them that believe but to them that believe not whereas Prophecying should be in that openness and familiarity of Language that the unbeleiving yea unlearned should be convinced and have the secrets of his heart made manifest to his own Conscience that so he may be truly humbled and acknowledge Gods power and presence in the virtue of his own Ordinance blessed by him 1 Cor. 14. 24. It was the complaint of God Job 38. 2. That Counsel was darkened by Words without Knowledg It was not allowed in Jobs Conference and debate of Questions with his friends it cannot but be much more condemned in publishing the mysteries of Life and Salvation to others Its the scope of the Calling and Work of
it was said to him in the story when the Prophet in his own person would discover the Kings carelesness to him he disguised himself as the King passed by and so passed by him and said 1 Kings 20. 39. Thy 〈◊〉 went out into the midst of the 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 a man brought a man to me saying Keep this man if by any means he be missing then shal thy life be for his life and as thy servant was 〈◊〉 here and there he was gone and the 〈◊〉 of Israel said so shal thy judgment thy self hath decided it Let me speak to thee in a like manner The Lord hath given thee his holy commands in charge the Grace of God the Gospel of Grace which hath appeared and which bringeth Salvation teacheth men to deny ungodly unworldly lusts to live Godly soberly in this present evil world to be Zealous of good works 2 Titus 13. 14. that we 〈◊〉 mortisy the deeds of the flesh that we might live Rom. 8. 13. but if we walk after the flesh we shal dy these Evangelical commands thou art bound to observe if by any means they be awanting thou loosest thy lise if thou loosest them forget these and God wil forget thee Now thou returnest thy excuse that while thou wert busie here and there busie in planting and building busie in plotting and contriving thine own carnal contents thy heart busie and eager in the pursuit of earthly occasions and imployments thy thoughts busie in devising and acting meanes in observing and improving opportunities thy hand busie in endeavouring to the utmost of thy power and skil to accomplish these either sinful or at the best earthly conveniences thou mindest these so much the other was wholly out of thy mind out of thy own mouth shalt thou be condemned so shal thy judgment be thou heedless sinful creature thou hast decided the matter they that forget God shal be turned to Hell Psal. 9. 17 They who mind earthly things their end is damnation Phil. 3. 21. God in mercy wil not mind thee he wil not mind the prayers thou makest he wil not mind thy complaints thy necessities thou presentest before him Thus generally For a particular answer I shal do two things 1. Shew who those be that make this shift 2. How this aggravates their sin Who those be that make this excuse that each man may take his portion that those may not be burdened by mistakes who desire to burden themselves that we may not bruise the broken in spirit There be two sorts of forgetful persons First such who in the sence of their own feebleness and brickleness of memory are not able to keep the wholsom truths those heavenly treasures which many times are commended to their care observance but those precious promises precious comforts directions they slip away out of their weak memories like pure liquor out of a leaking vessel which makes them sit down in silence and their hearts sink in discouragement loaded with the loathsomness and greatness of the evil that they cannot tel how to bear it nor yet to bear up their hearts under the weight of it they conceive it so hainous so dangerous a sin that which we cannot retain say they how shal we have the use of it how shal we answer the loss of such glorious truths and the very weight of the evil shakes their very hopes many times And you shal ever observe the favour the Lord shews to such weak ones and the work of his grace in them that though through the scantness and narrowness of their memories they are not able to keep things in their order to make report of them yet so much as they have present use for they wil have that at hand and such truths which they shal have need of for after times they are never generally call'd to the practice of them but they are call'd to their minds Gods spirit brings them to remembrance their hearts by faith received them and hold them Mat. 13. 23. but the narrowness of their memory was like a house that had but scant roomes kept them in a lumber together but there they were and therefore the 〈◊〉 brings them forth John 14. 26. The comforter 〈◊〉 bring all things to your remembrance These are not the persons we now speak unto for they lighten a d lessen their evil by this means these find it heavie and load 〈◊〉 heurts with Godly sorrow for it 2. There is therefore another sort whose wound of 〈◊〉 lyes not in the weakness of their memories or scantness of 〈◊〉 that they cannot retain the truths commended to them and come within their charge but such who stuff their minds and memories so ful of earthly occasions or attendance to some distemper that either they keep out or croud out the rememberance of their duty and think because it was not in their minds therefore they have plea sufficient if it be not in their practice and thus their disposition and spirit is worse than their carriage and behavior and this their excuse it encreaseth their sin in three things or ads a three fold aggravation to it They give in undeniable evidence that they do not only neglect the service but that they have no love to it not only their endeavours are wanting but their hearts and faithfulness are wanting also to the Lord and his work love and faithfulness wil cause attendance and remembrance where ever it is The man whose heart is endeared to the woman he loves he dreams of her in the night hath her in his eye apprehension when he awakes museth on her as he sits at table walks with her when he travels and 〈◊〉 with her in each place where he comes So it would be with thee If thou 〈◊〉 little and makest that thy excuse its certain thou lovest little if thou mindest not thou 〈◊〉 not the Lord and his waies Psal. 119. 97. Oh 〈◊〉 I do love thy law it is my meditation day and night so the Saints Isa. 26. 8. The 〈◊〉 of our hearts are towards thee and the remembrance of thy name And therefore the Psalmist again 〈◊〉 thy Commandements are ever with me The heart of the lover keeps company with the thing beloved If thou mindest not to practice the duty its certain thou may est conclude thou 〈◊〉 yet hadst love to the Lord Jesus and his service This forgetfulness not minding that which is thy charge shewes thou never hadst a high esteem never yet sett'st a price upon the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 of the ways and wil of God thou undervaluest thy duties and lookest at them as things of little worth and therefore are out of sight and out of mind refuse things that are of mean account with us we lay them by cast them into any blind corner we judg them not worth the remembrance and therefore we bestow not our memories upon them but if there be a pearl of price some special and rare jewel each
measure of Grace and Godliness Surely not as other men use to do and therefore it 's a great suspicion he came not truly by his Grace nor is he truly that he seems to be great sins cost other men great sorrows grievous scandals cost great grief of heart great heart-breakings humiliations and satisfactions great Grace and power against sin great pains and the highest strain of exactness in speeches and practices they that knew and see the Conversations of such never saw nor knew any such matter it 's certain he and al the Christians in the world may justly question his uprightness 〈◊〉 yet he be not worse than nothing if there were a true inventory taken of his Estate in Grace out of the depth of prophaneness to come to the height of holiness at unawares it 's a work of delusion not of true conversion to God Trees that are planted in Gods Orchard they take root downward and then bring forth fruit upward Upstart Christians are like Jonah his Guord grow 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 presently flourish and fade and al in a day Untimely births are never true nor yet of continuance when an old sore is healed too hastily it never proves sound it 's 〈◊〉 over 〈◊〉 cured festers inwardly proves more grievous and dangerous than at the first The skilful Chyrurgeon wil tel you it must be searched lanced tented before it attain its ful and perfect Cure So it is with that cankered corrupt 〈◊〉 of thine who hast lived and continued in those loathsom abominations which thou hast hugged in thy bosom it must be lanced by the cutting knife of the Law and the dreadful curse thereof searched by the soul-saving preaching of the Gospel and dayly tented with constant contritions and breakings of heart otherwise know assuredly that those hellish lusts of thine wil imposthume within thy soul and in issue break out more loathsomly and thy latter end wil be worse than thy beginning To find little or no hardness in that which in thy reason thou conceivest and concludest to be the hardest work of all how canst thou but suspect thou art cozened and mistaken Make it thine own case in another thing and be thine own Judg 〈◊〉 thou enjoyned to drain a Quagmire or a dirty rotten Swamp to fit it for the Plough and should any man seem to perswade it would cost but litte time or labor might easily be dispatched thou would'st scarsly with patience hear such an expression as that which is expressly contrary to common sense why should men speak of impossibilities or think that men should conceive that reasonable that is against Reason not only Trees felled stubbed removed but the ground gained which is not arable and al this in a short space with ease Look now into thy condition with this resemblance and be thine own Judg thou hast a dunghil heart a soul like a dirty swamp those hellish abominations which have taken up thy mind and will and affections in which thou hast continued and unto which thou hast been accustomed so that thy heart is like a standing puddle of prophaneness which have weakened and wasted the very faculties of thy soul so that thy heart is not fallow ground as the Prophet speaks Plow up the fallow ground Jer. 4. it 's not 〈◊〉 ground even abilities so wasted and disordered with thy wretched and unreasonable lusts and dost thou think that these abilities can be 〈◊〉 easily and thy Spirit made good soyl even a good and honest heart without extraordinary power on Gods part and more than ordinary labor on thine When the covetous yong man that was glewed to the world and had his heart riveted in restless and immoderate desires after these Earthly things so that all the directions which our Savior gave and the great offers he made of Heaven and Salvation could not take off his affections but he went away sorrowful saies our Savior How hard is it for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven it 's easier for a Cable rope to enter in at the eye of a Needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Grace here and Glory hereafter Matth. 〈◊〉 22 23 24. He spake of one it 's true of all by the like proportion how hard is it for a rich man it 's as true to say how hard is it for a riotous unclean malitious voluptuous self-conceited rebellious wretch he that hath scandalously continued in these accustomed himself to these how hard is it for such saies the Text. And doest thou find it easie a Holy-day task and a trifling labor that which may suddenly be done without such trouble either Christ is deceived or thou art mistaken either the Word fails or thy apprehension fails Whether the Scriptures or thy Conceit is to be beleeved let thine heart judg unless thou wilt be an Atheist The Word in reason never wrought that work nor wil it give in Evidence and approbation thereof The Prophet Isai. 46. last describing a rebellious sinner he thus speaks of him Hearken ye stout-hearted who are far from righteousness A man that hath gone many yeers and that with much speed and labor one way which is down-hil to return to the same place when the way is more difficult with a little time and less labor there is little probability if possibility in reason So here thou hast hurried headlong in the waies of wickedness hast had ful wind and tide Satans temptation thine own corruption to carry thee with mighty violence many yeers together in thy 〈◊〉 course dost thou think suddenly and easily to 〈◊〉 back No beleeve it thou must take many a weary step send out many a heavy sigh tug at it with continual prayers and tears and the utmost improvement of al thine 〈◊〉 nay it will cost thee hot water the setting on before thou seest that day I read of a double expression 1. Of the Devils going out 2. Of his casting out 〈◊〉 12. 43 When the unclean spirit goes out c. which is done by 〈◊〉 outward and serious reformation and some sudden resolution wrought out of terror to forsake such and such courses this smoaks Satan out of his house c. COMFORT This is ground of great support and in Truth of strong consolation to shore up the hearts of forlorn and scandalous Creatures when they lie under the most direful strokes of Gods heaviest displeasure When the loath somness of their lives and hellish abominations of their hearts are presented to their view their Consciences now accuse and the Lord from Heaven by his infinite indignation encamps against them with Armies of terrors so that to their sight and sence there is nothing appearing but present ruin and confusion Yet out of the strong comes sweet greatest safety issues out of the heaviest searchings and breakings of heart Here is now ground of strong support to bear thy 〈◊〉 above all these devouring horrors which like so many waves would overwhelm thy soul. The
will 92 It discovers two dangerous mistakes about the work of Application  1 When a man catcheth at the general offer of mercy and Christ without getting a special title thereunto  2 When a man takes hold of Christ from self-love for self-ends 93 See the folly and madness of men who are unwilling to be made happy  See the Justice of God in the destruction of such as will not have Christ.  〈◊〉 The manner and Order how this 〈◊〉 good made ours  The soul for whom Christ hath purchased  1 Is made capable of it  2 Hath a right unto it 〈◊〉 3 Is estated in it 〈◊〉 4 Hath liberty to use all as it 's own  Uses five hence  Admiration at the riches and freeness of Gods grace in Christ. 95 He works that in all his which he requires of them  2 Humiliation in the sight of our own vileness 〈◊〉 unworthiness 〈◊〉 3 Encouragement 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the hearts of the 〈◊〉 sinners sinking under 〈◊〉 apprehension of their own  1 〈◊〉 not able to reach this work  2 Crossness to it and 〈◊〉 against it  4 Direction shewing the 〈◊〉 way how to set 〈◊〉 the work of Application  1 Look at Christ first all our good being laid up 〈◊〉 him  2 Look at all Graces either as leading to Christ 〈◊〉 coming from him  3 When we would have our Graces acted 〈◊〉 to them but to Christ as the Author and 〈◊〉 of all 〈◊〉 5 Exhortation to the Faithful  1 Make sure keep sure your Evidences for Christ.  2 Challenge and make use of all the good things 〈◊〉 Christ.  3 Grow rich upon the revenues of the Gospel  III. The Causes of Application 〈◊〉 1 The Principal Cause is 〈◊〉 himself  1 The 〈◊〉 is satisfied by Christ.  2 Christ as Mediator and Head of the 〈◊〉 Where that of Christ from whence 〈◊〉 issues is the Resurrection of Christ 〈◊〉 Use Hence distressed sinners should look to the 〈◊〉 surrection of Christ.  3. The Spirit sent from the Father and the 〈◊〉 make this Application  2 That Power by which the Spirit works in 〈◊〉 tion is an Almighty power 〈◊〉  Rea on s two 〈◊〉 Because  1 Of that Hellish opposition in us against it  2 That good that is to be communicated is a 〈◊〉 natural good  The Instrumental Causes are those means which the Lord is pleased to appoint and 〈◊〉 viz. The Word in the Ministry of it 133 1 The Power resideth in Christ and his 〈◊〉  2 From thence it is in the Word  3 From thence to the Administration thereof by the 〈◊〉  〈◊〉 four hence  Information  1 The Work of Application is not wrought by moral 〈◊〉  2 It is 〈◊〉 136 Tryal whether we have found the impression of Gods Power by the means  Support unto sinners sinking in the thoughts of  1 The 〈◊〉 between this work and them  2 Their opposition against it  Exhortation to attend upon God in his own means 138 1 Slight not any but try every Ordinance  2 Fear 〈◊〉 we should fall short of Gods Power in an 〈◊〉  3 When the Lord works by an Ordinance take heed of withdrawing our 〈◊〉 from under his working power  BOOK III. On Luke 1. 17. To make ready a People 〈◊〉 for the Lord. DOCT. 1. The soul must be fitted for Christ before 〈◊〉 can receive him 144 1 What this Preparation is in four things  1 Arenouncing the Authority of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Of our own abilities 〈◊〉 3 Of our own worthiness 〈◊〉 4 A readiness to side with Christ 〈◊〉 2 The manner of this 〈◊〉  1 The soul is passive herein  2 It 's an act of the Spirit dispossessing sin  3 This being done Faith certainly follows  4 The soul prepared yields wholly to Christ 〈◊〉 Reasons why there must be such a Preparation 〈◊〉 taken from  1 The testimony of several Scriptures  2 Else the soul should be implanted into Christ 〈◊〉 it is in a state of Nature  3 The soul must be cut off from the root of old Adam before it can be 〈◊〉 into Christ the 〈◊〉 Adam  Uses five hence 〈◊〉 1 Instruction Christ cannot be united to the soul 〈◊〉 in its 〈◊〉 For  1 Such a one cannot receive the Spirit  2 He is in the state of Cendemnation  3 He doth oppose Christ.  4 He is under the Covenant of Works  5 He is under the Power of Sin  2 It discovers the folly of carnal men who conceit they may have Christ without any preparation for him 3 Tryal whether we have come to Christ in the right way 166 The difference between restraining and preparing Grace 166 Gods ends in restraining men  1 To shew his Dominion over the worst of men  2 To provide for the Societies of men  3 That he may put his Servants to a narrower search  Gods end in preparing Grace is That he may implant the soul into Christ.  This 〈◊〉 Evidence against four sorts  1 Such as 〈◊〉 this Work as 170 1 〈◊〉 secure sinners  2 Presumptuous Atheists  2 Such as come to Christ and yet renounce 〈◊〉 their corruptions  3 Such as come to Christ and renounce not their own abilities  4 Such as renounce not their own worthiness  4 Encouragement to distressed 〈◊〉 such are in way of preparation therefore in way to Christ.  5 Exhortation to prepare for Christ  1 Consider how sinful and miserable we are 〈◊〉 must prepare 200 2 Who it is we must prepare for  Here consider  1 The worthiness of Christs person  2 The good he brings with him  3 He beseeches you to receive him  DOCT. 2. A plain and powerful Ministry is the ordinary means to prepare the heart for Christ. 20 1 Plain in  Words Matter 2 Powerful as delivered with  1 Evidence of Reason 212 2 Zealous 〈◊〉 213 Reasons two 〈◊〉  1 Such a Ministry discovers the secrets of sin  2 It over-powers Corruption and sets an awe upon the spirits of men  Uses three hence 216 1 〈◊〉 may see the reason of the little success they find viz. Want of plain and powerful preaching  2 See the fearful estate of such as have lived long under such a Ministry and yet not prepared for Christ.  3 Exhortation Attend upon the Word that the end of it may be attained viz. Preparation for Christ.  BOOK IV. On 2 Cor. 6. 2. In an acceptable time have I heard thee in the day of Salvation have I succored thee 221 DOCT. 1. The VVork of God is altogether free  1 In appointing  2 In revealing  3 In blessing the Means 229 Reasons three Because  1 〈◊〉 we have can purchase it  2 Nothing we can do can
nor can testifie that For he is the Spirit truth he cannot be deceived himself he will not 〈◊〉 ceive us he is the Spirit of God he cannot lye 1 〈◊〉 he cannot tell it much less give approbation or 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thereunto But the former 〈◊〉 made appear undeniable That it is a Falshood and an 〈◊〉 to say any man living hath right to or can challenge 〈◊〉 spiritual good in Christ before he doth Beleeve 〈◊〉 is no such thing to be found in the Word of 〈◊〉 Therefore the Spirit will never testifie that To affirm that the Spirit should say to any 〈◊〉 that he is in a state of Grace when he is in a state 〈◊〉 Sin that he is justified when he is Condemned 〈◊〉 little less than Blasphemy If the Spirit doth reveal a mans good Estate to 〈◊〉 it is for this purpose that he may know it and he 〈◊〉 inable him to receive that intimation that he may discern it else the one of these Two will follow 〈◊〉 Spirit should reveal this for no end if no good 〈◊〉 got by it or else not attain his end if the party 〈◊〉 not be able to understand what it doth reveal If 〈◊〉 former he should not be a wise Worker If the 〈◊〉 he was not a powerful Worker But know and understand this Testimony the Soul cannot by any power either of Nature or Corruption 1 Cor. 2. 14 The natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God neither can he know them because they 〈◊〉 spiritually discerned Nay Rom. 8. 7. The 〈◊〉 of the flesh is not subject unto the law therefore 〈◊〉 unto the Lord nor his Spirit If it be beyond Nature or Corruption then it 〈◊〉 be Grace that must help a man to discern it and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be a qualification and the first 〈◊〉 of this k nd of saving knowledge must be an 〈◊〉 unto Faith if not Faith it self Fides est ex 〈◊〉 notitia This is eternal life to know thee the 〈◊〉 true God Joh. 17. 3. Two Inferences from the former Cases of Conscience thus Resolved These Two Cases being thus cleered 1 That an 〈◊〉 hath no right to any spiritual Good in 〈◊〉 And 2 That the spirit of God doth never 〈◊〉 known this to such a Soul Hence it s cleer 〈◊〉 manner and order that men have devised to make own the mind of God to a man and to give comfort the Soul in distress being cross to these truths now 〈◊〉 is an Erroneous and False way As for 〈◊〉 You being in distress about your Sins and 〈◊〉 under the Spirit of Bondage you must first lay 〈◊〉 in the bottom lay him in the foundation Christ 〈◊〉 first be yours and so united to you and your 〈◊〉 forgiven by him before you have any Faith or 〈◊〉 qualification wrought in you This Opinion 〈◊〉 sayes That Christ may be united to the Soul and 〈◊〉 be Justified and Adopted before he have any 〈◊〉 it is a dangerous Opinion a desperate 〈◊〉 that I may say no worse of it Mark what 〈◊〉 here 's the plot of all prophaness the ground of loosness and famalism A man may have Christ 〈◊〉 be Justified and Adopted while he is without 〈◊〉 and therefore while he is under the power of Sins and the Spirit of God may witness this And 〈◊〉 though a man fall into any Sin or live in any sin 〈◊〉 it be he may have recourse to this 〈◊〉 this witness of the Spirit and that 's enough If a man say Prove it Are you in a state of Grace Is Christ yours Prove it then Prove it say they that I cannot do but the Spirit witnesses this to me Ay but prove this witness of the Spirit that it is from God according to his Word They will be forced to confess I cannot prove it neither to my self nor to another only thus I must beleeve it and you must beleeve me I was in trouble and distress about my Sins and then there was a voyce from Heaven the spirit did witness to me That Christ was mine and my Sins were pardoned c. This is a Spirit of Delusion the Devil is there Whatever the Spirit of God sayes it is that which the Scriptures say Therefore if you have a testimony which is not to be found in the Scripture nor can be proved and made good by the Scripture it is the testimony of the Devil not 〈◊〉 the Spirit of God for the Spirit of God and the Word of God ever go together therefore if you say you Have a witness of the Spirit and the Word say No I 'le say It is a Delusion Secondly Hence it follows also There are 〈◊〉 Promises wherein any saving good is Revealed or Evidenced to the Soul but either they are such 〈◊〉 God promiseth to work the Condition or suppose the Condition already wrought either 〈◊〉 mentioning a qualification or necessarily implying 〈◊〉 including the same out of other places to be collected where the same is professedly handled All spiritual good Redemption Justification Salvation purchased by Christ were intended only for them that do beleeve therefore there is no Promise in the Scripture but doth evidence this Sometimes you have the Covenant laid down in 〈◊〉 lump as it were in a brief Expression as in a 〈◊〉 sum comprehending all the whole frame and then 〈◊〉 several actions in their distinct order and manner 〈◊〉 Gods working are to be attended and conceived as though they had been more fully and in the several branches set forth unto us Take a tast of some few Gen. 3. 5. The seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head The head of Satan implys Three things Policy Power and Poyson To break this head is to crush and confound all these The Policy and and Power of Satan is overthrown in the work of vocation when the Soul is turned from darkness to light from the power of Satan to God the venom and poyson of Satan is taken away partly in the 〈◊〉 and punishment which is done away in Justification partly in the stain and pollution of sin which is removed in Sanctification All these Christ doth in 〈◊〉 hearts of all his and some of these all the Saints of God must have evidence of before they can gain evidence that they are within the compass of this Covenant Thus the Apostle John disputes 1 Joh. 3. 3. to 5. Every one that hath this hope purifieth himself as Christ 〈◊〉 pure Why For sin is the transgression of the law and Christ was manifested to take away our sins therefore vers 6. whosoever abideth in him sinneth not Christ came to take away sin and therefore he that abideth in Christ cannot abide in sin and vers 8. The Son of God was manifested to destroy the works of the Devil So again Jerem. 31. 33. I will be their God and they shall be my people Zach. 13. last I will say it is my people and they shall say thou art the
Lord our God Here again is the sum of the Covenant comprised and all the particulars with the manner of the work included and presupposed as the Apostle once for all expounds these and the like passages 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will be their God and they shall be my people wherefore come out from among 〈◊〉 and be ye separate and touch no unclean thing and I will receive you and will be a father to you and ye 〈◊〉 be my sons and daughters saith the Lord 〈◊〉 If they touch no unclean thing but be separate 〈◊〉 Sin Self and the Creature and so come out of 〈◊〉 these in preparation and come to him in effectual vocation then he will be a father to them in his Christ and make them his Children in Adoption and then he will write his laws in their hearts and renew them to that Holiness which in Adam they lost and so enable them to walk in his wayes And therefore when the Lord promiseth by the 〈◊〉 Isa. 43. 25 I am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for my own names sake and will not remember 〈◊〉 sins that is I do justifie thee freely when I have made thee to beleeve by my free grace For it cannot be conceived that the Lord would pass the Sentence of Absolution upon her while she remained in the 〈◊〉 of Unbelief For then that of the Apostle should fail It s one God that justifies the Jews by Faith and the Gentiles through Faith Rom. 3. 30. Therefore look the 20 and 21 vers of this Chapt. for we must not have one place justle against another and there you shall 〈◊〉 it is said I will do this and that for my People my Chosen which are Beleevers and of them and unto them it is said vers 25. I will blot out thy sins for my own sake The resolving of these Cases and information of these Doubts infers undeniably thus much That there is no Absolute Promise that either gives or maintains assurance of our good estate but such only wherein God engageth 〈◊〉 to work the Condition or else doth of necessity imply it wrought It will be said That the Covenant of Grace is free and issues out of the free Mercy of God in Christ and therefore the Lord hath not in it any respect to any thing we have or do It s all confessed and yet there is no prejudice at 〈◊〉 accrews to the Cause in hand Free Grace is the Fountain of all It makes the 〈◊〉 it works the Condition it maintains the 〈◊〉 which is wrought Ephes. 2. 8. By Grace 〈◊〉 ye saved through Faith And though God both require and work the 〈◊〉 Eph. 2. 8. Faith is the Gift of God Yet it not for our Faith or for the worth of any Grace 〈◊〉 is in us that we have life and salvation but by 〈◊〉 and those as means and wayes by Grace 〈◊〉 and provided to give life 〈◊〉 is of 〈◊〉 Grace doth it not therefore require 〈◊〉 in 〈◊〉 Party that is Justified nor yet suppose him to be 〈◊〉 The Apostle openly contradicts such a 〈◊〉 Rom. 8. 30. Whom he called them he justified 〈◊〉 is also of Free Grace and yet doth it 〈◊〉 suppose Sanctification and Holiness in the Party 〈◊〉 must possess it Without Holiness no man shall 〈◊〉 the Lord Heb. 12. 14. As my Glorification doth 〈◊〉 hinder the freedom of my Justification because it 〈◊〉 before it so my Justification doth not hinder the 〈◊〉 of my Vocation because Vocation goes 〈◊〉 it but only shewes the order and manner of Gods 〈◊〉 Third Case of Conscience Though a man can have no Right to any Spiritual 〈◊〉 in Christ without Faith and though the 〈◊〉 never witnesseth this without or before Faith 〈◊〉 when Faith is there when some gracious 〈◊〉 is wrought may not doth not the Spirit 〈◊〉 a mans good estate without any respect to 〈◊〉 or any gracious Qualification existent in the 〈◊〉 I Answer So marvelous secret and unsearchable are the Dispensations of the Spirit unto the Soul 〈◊〉 as the wind blows where it 〈◊〉 thou hearest 〈◊〉 sound of it thou knowest not whence it comes 〈◊〉 whither it goes So it is here The hidden 〈◊〉 ousness of the manner of the Spirits work in the 〈◊〉 of it is so hard to discern that to make any approach so as to discover the way of God and to undermine an Error entrenching thereabout by 〈◊〉 of Reason is more than ordinarily 〈◊〉 and therefore for our better proceeding in Answer 〈◊〉 this Question I shall Endeavor to do these 〈◊〉 Things 1 State the Question and open it in the 〈◊〉 thereof 2 Give in such Arguments as we conceive 〈◊〉 plainest Evidence with them to settle 〈◊〉 Truth 3 Answer some such Objections as are of greatest weight For the right 〈◊〉 of the Question in 〈◊〉 to the Case propounded I lay down this Conclusion The Spirit of God never gives in immediate 〈◊〉 of any right we have to or that we are made 〈◊〉 of any benesit from Christ without respect 〈◊〉 some Qualification gracious Disposition or Condition in the Soul There are Three Particulars to be Opened for the right understanding of this Conclusion First What is meant by Evidence Answer 〈◊〉 light of 〈◊〉 let in on Gods part and 〈◊〉 on ours whereby either we have or may have 〈◊〉 true and never failing ground of right discerning 〈◊〉 what is so manifested and apprehended so that Evidence 〈◊〉 First That God by his Spirit manifests his 〈◊〉 and our Good and that we either do or may 〈◊〉 it for our Comfort For it s the aim of the 〈◊〉 to understand this Evidence with Application 〈◊〉 the truth to our own particular estate For we 〈◊〉 not now what the Word is in it self or what 〈◊〉 Spirit doth in the ordinary dispensation thereof 〈◊〉 that is light in it self and makes all things 〈◊〉 indifferently at all times Eph. 5. 13. but here we 〈◊〉 this Discovery and Manifestation of the Mind 〈◊〉 God as it comes home to our Particular that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and hearts may be settled As Luke 24. 32. He opened the Scriptures vers 45. He opened their 〈◊〉 that they might understand the 〈◊〉 and so the truth was more cleer and their sight 〈◊〉 cleer 1 Cor. 2. 12. He hath given us his spirit 〈◊〉 we may know the things that are freely given to 〈◊〉 of God 1 Joh. 5. 20. He hath given us an 〈◊〉 that we may know that we know him Secondly This right discerning on our part is not 〈◊〉 a certain knowledge or science of that good 〈◊〉 is thus witnessed to us but an assurance of Faith whereby the heart embraceth it as true to it 〈◊〉 good for it The one of these is a help to the 〈◊〉 sanctisied reason or reason exercised about 〈◊〉 truths is an instrument appointed by God in the and of his Spirit to beget this act of Faith for 〈◊〉 exercised about the Word and
〈◊〉 World or another World of Men. The ground 〈◊〉 is this Because our Saviour being the head the second Covenant as Adam of the first a 〈◊〉 Person in the room of al such whose persons he 〈◊〉 His merits the very same individual 〈◊〉 death and obedience are apylyed and do 〈◊〉 appertain unto al as Paul had al so Adam 〈◊〉 Noah had al and the same death and 〈◊〉 belongs to any other Beleever as wel as to 〈◊〉 For as Adams actual sin was equally imputed 〈◊〉 al his original equally convayed So Christs 〈◊〉 and righteousness to al His. Adam must 〈◊〉 sin before he can condemne one and if 〈◊〉 it condemnes many thousands as wel as one Christ dies to save one and no more to save 〈◊〉 thousands For the sufficiencie of our 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 must be 〈◊〉 as we do the sufficiencie of 〈◊〉 cause which is ever considered according to 〈◊〉 end at which it looks and for which it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that it doth not exceed it is not to be attended 〈◊〉 to the thing in which it doth appear 〈◊〉 end of our Saviours sufferings and merits was save his seed and such for which he had 〈◊〉 and should beleeve whether never so many never so few but for al that come within that 〈◊〉 As a ful tide or stream is sufficient 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 al Vessels that come upon it yet not 〈◊〉 to carry one Vessel that is not 〈◊〉 So here The Ocean of Gods love and Sea of Redemption 〈◊〉 Christ is sufficient to carry and convay al that 〈◊〉 unto eternal Salvation but not sufficient 〈◊〉 save one that doth not Beleeve And therefore 〈◊〉 any Orthodox Divine the meaning of this 〈◊〉 Sufficient for all Is the sufficiencie of Christs 〈◊〉 in the room of al Is the sufficiencie of 〈◊〉 death intended and performed for the spiritual 〈◊〉 of al they wil al renounce both the sences 〈◊〉 what reason they wil put upon these words 〈◊〉 than that I have now expressed I cannot tel 〈◊〉 only looking at the internal virtue of Christs 〈◊〉 with this condition there is value enough in it 〈◊〉 save al that come within this condition of 〈◊〉 ving As the sin of the first Adam was sufficient 〈◊〉 infect Milions of Worlds if they should 〈◊〉 of him by natural generation and yet not 〈◊〉 to infect one if he did not so proceed But why then are Reprobates commanded 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 leeve and punished for not Beleeving 〈◊〉 which any is bound to Beleeve that is a truth 〈◊〉 each Reprobate that hears the Gospel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to Beleeve that Christ dyed for him 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a truth This is an old deceit which hath much 〈◊〉 the World and wherein the enemies of Gods 〈◊〉 have seemed to triumph and yet in truth it 〈◊〉 fallacie a false form of reasoning But to let 〈◊〉 pass we shal examin whether the 〈◊〉 of it 〈◊〉 true The first part That which any is bound to 〈◊〉 is true may admit many sences A man is bound to Beleeve upon a 〈◊〉 ground Either 1. Of Charitie Or 2. Of 〈◊〉 taintie I am bound sometimes to Beleeve that 〈◊〉 Charity which in it self is not and in the issue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 true But upon Certainty things revealed and 〈◊〉 here I am bound to Beleeve nothing but 〈◊〉 is a truth Again another sence is this The object upon 〈◊〉 my faith is placed is a truth or true 〈◊〉 But to the second part That Christ dyed for me 〈◊〉 the Pronoune is in place of a Noune for me 〈◊〉 Reprobate And then it is a falshood It s not 〈◊〉 in any Gospel that I know nor required in 〈◊〉 Scripture of God that I should beleeve this for 〈◊〉 truth that Christ dyed for Reprobates If it be replyed that therefore a Reprobate is 〈◊〉 bound to Beleeve I Answer the consequence hath no colour of 〈◊〉 I am not bound to beleeve this falshood 〈◊〉 I am not bound to Beleeve The command to 〈◊〉 carries two things with it First that I must 〈◊〉 al means appointed by God to get faith 〈◊〉 when I have got it I must put forth the act 〈◊〉 in resting upon and receiving from the Lord what 〈◊〉 need The sum is Because a Reprobate is bound 〈◊〉 use al means appointed by God to get Faith and 〈◊〉 he hath got it he is bound also to exercise 〈◊〉 faith by resting upon Christ therfore he is 〈◊〉 also to Beleeve this proposition that Christ 〈◊〉 for Reprobates this consequence is cross to 〈◊〉 and in truth to common sence What ever therefore can be said to the contrary 〈◊〉 it is that unbeleif makes a man uncapable of 〈◊〉 of the spiritual good which Christ hath 〈◊〉 and is willing to communicate unto His. So the 〈◊〉 determins this cause Jer. 17. 5 6. Cursed 〈◊〉 the Man that trusteth in the arm of flesh and 〈◊〉 heart 〈◊〉 from the living God he shall be 〈◊〉 the heath in the Wilderness he shal never see when good comes Art thou such a one set thy heart at 〈◊〉 then There is mercie enough saving good 〈◊〉 in Christ and its comming to this and that 〈◊〉 thy Neighbour thy Child thy Servant who 〈◊〉 they shal have it they shal partake in it 〈◊〉 thou shalt never see it never share in it Rom. 〈◊〉 32. It s that which the Apostle describes the condition of such Men by They are shut up under 〈◊〉 so that there 's no way for any means to 〈◊〉 upon them to come at them or to do good 〈◊〉 them al the passages are not only stopped but 〈◊〉 tercepted by the power of Satan and infidelity 〈◊〉 the Soul the soul being shut up under that 〈◊〉 shuts out the power of the Word it works not 〈◊〉 motions of the spirit they perswade not al 〈◊〉 al judgments al ordinances al means they 〈◊〉 not come at the Soul and therfore it s not 〈◊〉 that any spiritual good either Pardon or Peace 〈◊〉 or Comfort should ever come in Exhortation 1 To provoke our hearts to 〈◊〉 Faith 2 How to carry our selves when we 〈◊〉 it First this should whet our desires and provoke 〈◊〉 endeavours since there is al good Purchased 〈◊〉 Christ and al for those that 〈◊〉 Beleeve 〈◊〉 would not now be a Beleever above al our 〈◊〉 get Faith since we are sure to gain so much by 〈◊〉 be the time trouble or prayers pains what 〈◊〉 wil be its worth our labour though it cost 〈◊〉 so much in the getting it wil quit cost when 〈◊〉 we have it first or last you wil find it It was said when the Jews prospered and 〈◊〉 led in the time of Mordecai they had joy and 〈◊〉 ness and a good day and many became Jewes 〈◊〉 would undergo the same condition that 〈◊〉 might have the same comforts And it s an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which nature hath left upon the minds and hearts 〈◊〉 all Men the places which have Priviledges Profits 〈◊〉 Endowments annexed to them carry the
〈◊〉 Power of God in the conversion of a 〈◊〉 is far more secret and Spiritual such as we are 〈◊〉 able to reach It is the prayer of the Apostle for the Ephesians Chap. 1. 17 18. that they might know the working of his mighty Power in working Faith it is the most mysterious of all the works of God it shakes the 〈◊〉 of the ablest Divines upon Earth Comfort to releeve the hearts of sinners against desperate discouragements when the floods of iniquity 〈◊〉 in amain upon the soul the sinner looks to his 〈◊〉 to Gods Ordinances and Providences and 〈◊〉 the Work of God that should be wrought in him and 〈◊〉 what ods and disproportion there is between his Soul and that blessed Work that should be in him why truly this is the only help to a soul in such a case with man it is impossible but not with God for with him all things are possible Matth. 19. 26. Though there be such a vast disproportion between thy own ability and this Work that thou shouldest never attain 〈◊〉 if thou wert left to thy self yet know that Christ by the Almighty Power of his Spirit is able to do it for thee But the soul will say the truth is there is not so much disproportion but there is as much opposition in my soul to the work of Grace why should God ever give me that mercy which I would not have and that Grace which my soul hath so much opposed this is another depth Why yet know thou that Gol can overwork all these and will do so for thee if thou seek unto him But know this to thy ever lasting terror That if thou do 〈◊〉 thus in the hardness and opposition of thy heart against Christ and his Grace that this Power of the Lord that would convert thee will put forth it self to confound thee to thine eternal ruine Exhortation Not to defer the time 〈◊〉 Grace but every soul of us with trembling hearts to attend upon the Lord in the use of means that he may be pleased to work his own good Work in us It 's that the Apostle exhorts unto Phil. 2. 12. Workout your 〈◊〉 with fear and trembling and he gives the reason of it For saies he it's God that worketh in you to 〈◊〉 and to do of his own good pleasure that is it is in Gods hand to help us or to forsake us either 〈◊〉 make the means effectual for our saving good or else to withdraw his presence and blessing from them while we do enjoy them 〈◊〉 Be 〈◊〉 fearful not to slight any Ordinance God hath appointed as Naamans 〈◊〉 said to him Go and try it he that now counsels you to it may bless it and work by it if it please him Secondly Tremblingly fear to fall short of Gods Power in an Ordinance for a man may fall short of God and Christ and Grace and all good even while he doth enjoy the Ordinances of God and live under them therefore say as Elisha did Where is the Lord God of Eliah Here is the Word and here is the Ordinance but where is the Lord God of this Word the God of Preaching and Praying It is not in the Minister or the means to do good to my soul but Lord speak thou the word and it shall work upon my soul as he said 2 Kings 4. 29 30. As the Lord lives 〈◊〉 will not leave thee till thou go with me do thou so when the Lord gives thee means say I will not leave the Lord until he make this Counsel this Word this Ordinance effectual for my saving good Be also tremblingly fearful when the Lord works by any Ordinance lest you should go out from or with draw your self from the power of it when you find and feel somthing more than Man and Means and Ordinances Oh let it not slip away the Lord was in that word do not suffer that stroke to go away because God is there now the Lord is working be you sure to follow the blow and give not over wrastiing 〈◊〉 striving with the Lord until he bless you with the 〈◊〉 working of his Word and Spirit and so apply unto thy soul all Spiritual Good in Jesus Christ. BOOK III. LUK. 1. 17. To make ready a People prepared for the Lord. HAving dispatched the Nature of Application in the General The Parts thereof come to be Considered in the next place These are Two 1 A Preparation of the Soul for Christ. 2 An Implantation of the Soul into Christ. That so having the Son we may be sure to have life 1 Joh. 5. 12. possessing him who is the heir of all we may be possessed of all both Temporal and Spiritual Blessings with him But before the Soul can be engrafted into the true Vine Christ Jesus it must be prepared and fitted thereunto by the powerful work of the Spirit of God upon it being not fit to receive a Christ by Nature and unable to fit its self thereunto by any liberty of Will or any sufficiency natural it hath When then these Two Works are imprinted upon the Soul the Sinner comes to take full possession of a Savior and to have all those Spiritual good things which Christ hath Purchased applyed unto him And thus these Two taking up the whole Nature of Application it 's manifest they must be the Parts of Application as reason inforceth The First is thus Described Preparation is a fitting of a sinner for his Being in Christ. The words of the Text will afford us full ground for the Handling and Discovering of this Truth To prepare a People fitted for the Lord Which words make known the main Task that was imposed upon John the Baptist and that great Work of his Ministery being the Forerunner of our Savior Christ wherewith he was betrusted and for which he was every way fitted with Gifts and Graces proportionable Therefore it s said in the beginning of the Verse He shall come in the Spirit and Power of Elias i. e. He shall have that large measure of gracious and Ministerial Gifts that special presence and assistance of the Spirit of the Lord accompanying of him as somtimes Elias had that so in the corrupt and declining state of the Church which was now exceeding great he might set things in a better frame build up the Breaches made taking off those Dissentions Errors and Divisions which had spread over the Body and eaten into the Bowels of the Church of the Jews like a Gangrene or Cancer And therefore as it was foretold of him so it was performed by him Matth. 17. 11. He did restore all things Namely such was the lively and over-ruling power of his Ministery that he wrought the Hearts of the Children otherwise 〈◊〉 and rebellious to the wisdom of the just men that laying aside all carnal wisdom of the 〈◊〉 which was enmity against God and caused 〈◊〉 and strifes among men they came to judge 〈◊〉 of things that were excellent to
good of any While life lasts and the Gospel is continued that is the particular Season and Period wherein the Lord expresseth his good pleasure to work graciously upon the Souls of His. Its in this Season and day of Salvation he performs his Promise For as the Lord may take what time he will so hath he made it known it is his Will to take this time and season when he purposeth to fasten upon the Soul of a sinner for his Spiritual good To omit the Two Former wholly the Two Latter Points we intend only to trade in and to entreat of To Begin then with the First The Work of God is altogether Free It proceeds meerly out of Gods favor and good will it s his acceptation not ours Unless he put forth that Almighty hand of his and take us unto his Grace it s not in our liberty nor ability to take hold of the offer of his Mercy or to reap any saving benefit therefrom Rev. 21. 6. To him that thirsts I will give of the water of life freely It s a gift and free also though one thirst never so earnestly desire it never so constantly endeavor to attain thereunto yet unless the Lord do more out of mercy than any can procure by any sufficiency or worth of his own he will gain nothing As it was in the Building of the Material Temple the laying of the bottom stone upon which it was founded and the adding of the top stone when it was finished and attained its perfection the whole multitude with one consent and one voice acknowledged the only Cause thereof Grace Grace Zech. 4. 7. Much more is it true in the rearing up and erecting of the Spiritual Frame in the Soul from the first entrance of it in Preparation till it come to be consummate in Glorification all comes from the Favor and Free Grace of God This Freeness of this Work appears in Three Particulars First Free it was for God whether he would provide any other Way and Means of Salvation whether he would appoint another Covenant when the first was broken and made void through Adams default The Lord was not bound to set up Adam again when by his carelesness and neglect he had mispent that stock of Grace he had bestowed upon him The Lord was not bound to Recover and Redeem Adam from the power of Sin and Death when through his own folly he had cast away himself and posterity In a word Free it was to the Father to 〈◊〉 this Covenant Free to Christ to Undertake it Free to the Holy Ghost to accomplish it God gave his Son Joh. 3. 16. Christ gave himself Tit. 2. 14. Both gave and sent the Holy Ghost as Commissioner from them both to be the finisher of this work Gal. 4. 6. And if wholly given then it must be wholly free As its Free for God to appoint so it depends upon his good pleasure to reveal and make known the means of Grace as seems best to his heavenly Wisdom why it rains upon one City and not upon another why the dew of heaven the Doctrine of his holy 〈◊〉 is sent to one people and not to another That he reared up a wall of Separation between Jew and Gentile Ephes. 2. 11. 14. That light is in Goshen and darkness in all the parts of Aegipt besides Exod. 10. 22. 23. That to the Jews were committed the Oracles of God Rom. 3. 1. But he dealt not so with other Nations neither have they not known his wayes Psal. 147. last Why Paul is sent for into Macedonia and forbidden to go into 〈◊〉 Acts 16. 6 7 8 9. The Apostles charged not to go into the way of the Gentiles ' Mat. 10. 5 6. not to enter into the Cities of Samaria but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel His own will is the Rule of all this and there is no other Reason to be rendered There were many Widdows in Israel when the 〈◊〉 were shut up three yeers and six months 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 great 〈◊〉 was through all the Land but 〈◊〉 of them was Elias sent save only to that one Woman a Widdow of Sarepta Luke 4. 25. 26. There was many Leapers in Israel in the time of Elizeus but none Clensed save only Naaman the Syrian In a word All these Blessings are Gods Own and may he not Do with his Own what he will Free Lastly in regard of the work of the Means that ever they prove profitable unto any or work 〈◊〉 in the hearts of any for their eternal welfare its only from Gods good pleasure to give good success to some which he denyes to others This is the ground which the Evangelist gives of this different Dispensation of a Blessing upon the same Means Mat. 13. compare 11. with 13 14. The Scribes and Pharisees in Hearing they hear and not understand in Seeing they see and not perceive that is They attend dayly and yet do not profit observe dayly and yet do not prosper in their endeavors their hearts waxt fat when others were humbled their ears made heavy when others were bored to entertain the truth And if the cause be enquired our Savior answers Verse 11. To you my Apostles it s given to know the Mysteries of the ' Kingdom but unto them it s not given It is beyond the compass of all inferior Causes that can be conceived That Paul breathing out threatning against the Church coming in open field in 〈◊〉 and professed Rebellion against Christ should have the Lord Jesus revealed to him and in him this I say is beyond the reach of any cause in Nature and therefore the Apostle points at a higher hand It pleased God saith the text to reveal his Son in me Gal. 1. 15. And then also when he opposed and fiercely persecuted his Son in his Members was there at this time any improvement of natural abilities or the remainder of the image left 〈◊〉 man after his fall was there at this time any 〈◊〉 trading with the Talents of Common Graces which should move the Lord in way of 〈◊〉 to give 〈◊〉 and spiritual Graces Was there any 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 fitness now in the Spirit of Said to 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of truth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 are groundless dreams of men meerly cozened and 〈◊〉 with their own carnal devices Again That the great Doctors of the Law who were honored as Guides of others for their Parts and 〈◊〉 should despise the Counsel of God against themselves and the 〈◊〉 and Publicans people of most desparate and for 〈◊〉 courses should entertain the Baptists Doctrine and Gospel The resolution of all at last must come to this The 〈◊〉 of the Lord shall stand and 〈◊〉 do whatsoever he will Thither our Savior repairs and there 〈◊〉 rests I thank thee O 〈◊〉 Lord of Heaven and Earth that thou hast hid these things from the 〈◊〉 and prudent and 〈◊〉 revealed them unto 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 Even so O Father for so it 〈◊〉 thee
Grace and Salvation but be they never so weak God can 〈◊〉 be they never so stout God can bend be they never so fast rooted in their rebellions God can and doth separate betwixt sin and their souls and recover them Behold this is the Finger of the Almighty When the Disease hath entred 〈◊〉 the Bowels and rotted in the bones of the sick the Physick then to cure the Physitian then to recover that is skill more than ordinary by the confession of all So here in the soul to make the Black-more to change his hew the Leopard his spots to make a gray headed sinner whose corruptions like a canker hath eaten up his heart by dayly custom to bring him to sound contrition and broken heartedness therein the outstretched arm of the Lord is expressed in his utmost strength My Power is made perfect in weakness saith the Lord 2 Cor. 12. 9. It 's the perfection of Power to prevail over such difficulties Thus of the First Part the Second follows God doth call most of his before Old Age. And therefore when he went forth at the Eleventh hour he reproves them before he entertains them Why stand ye here all the day idle as who should say You have lost the season of your work and hope of your reward the day is over there is no time for you to labor and there is no reason that I should either hire you or reward you it 's not my usual course nor custom yet for once go you also into my Vineyard Therefore the most usual time of Conversion is betwixt the third and the ninth hour in our middle Age about twenty and betwixt thirty and forty many are before some are after but most and most usually are wrought upon at this time There is a good pleasure as the Original hath it a season for every thing Eccles. 2. 1. and this seems to be the fittest time for this work whether we respect Man or God A man at this Age hath better Materials as I may so say wherein or whereupon the frame of Conversion may be erected or imprinted by the 〈◊〉 of the Spirit and that firstly If we look at the composition of Nature and the constitution of soul and body for in Infancy a man lives little 〈◊〉 than the life of a Plant or Beast feeding and sleeping growing and encreasing or else he takes up himself with delights of outward objects most agreeable to his Sences Walks after the sight of his own eyes Eccles. 11. 9. both which exceedingly 〈◊〉 the work of reason but when these are towards 〈◊〉 full perfection and Nature hath attained her 〈◊〉 work then the Understanding begins to shew 〈◊〉 self in her operations Invention is then most 〈◊〉 to apprehend the Judgment to discern Memory to retain and the Affections tenderest and nimblest to imbrace any thing offered and most pliable to be wrought upon As it is with Wax if it be made too soft it cannot hold any impression if too hard it will receive none but when it 's in temper most pliable then it 's most fit to receive and retain the stamp So Infancy is too weak and waterish it 's not able to fadom or fasten upon the depths of Argument Age grows sturdy with 〈◊〉 and will not listen to the Reasons of those Truths it s not willing to imbrace only in the middle Age when Reason is come to some ripeness there is then some more convenient advantages to be taken for the Lord to imprint the stamp of Grace upon the soul which the hand of his own Spirit can only do Look we again at Corruption In this Age 〈◊〉 Understandings are sooner 〈◊〉 as having not so long continued in the known practice of 〈◊〉 whenas the aged and decrepit who 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the burden of their sins being setled long and 〈◊〉 upon their 〈◊〉 wedged in their 〈◊〉 and incorporated into sinful customs their hearts grow hard their understandings blind and their affections overcome with the deceitfulness of sin difficult it is to perswade their Reason to acknowledg the vileness of their sin but almost impossible to have their hearts wrought to a deteftation of it Trees withered and rotten are altogether unfit to be transplanted nor likely to prosper if they be So is it with aged men like these Trees withered in their wickedness yea as Jude speaks Corrupt Trees twice dead Jude 12. First by Original corruption Secondly by a continued and setled custom in Actual 〈◊〉 who have taken 〈◊〉 root in their rebellions they are most unfit to be transplanted and ingrafted into the true Vine Christ Jesus by Conversion and Faith The Bow that 's often 〈◊〉 and stands long one way is not bowed the other way but with much violence The soul proportionably which is turned from God and hath 〈◊〉 bent by long continuance in a base course though it 's possible it may be brought back again and put into a right frame yet it will cost the setting on before it can be accomplished and a world of difficulties must be gone through usually before it be done Thirdly and lastly As this is the fittest Age in regard of the Subject that must receive it so likewise in regard of the End why Grace is given which is to 〈◊〉 forth the praise of God and the Power of his Grace and by an holy Conversation to express the 〈◊〉 of him who hath called us from darkness to his marvelous light 1 Pet. 2. 9. for Grace destroyes not the powers and faculties of Nature but 〈◊〉 them removes not abilities but rectifies them doth not take them away but turns them to their 〈◊〉 end and use while then the parts of the body 〈◊〉 powers of the soul are in their prime best 〈◊〉 then may they be improved by the blessed Spirit 〈◊〉 the Lord and his Grace to the best advantage of 〈◊〉 Name Thus Grace damps not deads not the 〈◊〉 ction of love if strong and lively but directs it 〈◊〉 God his Truth and Children Grace abates not 〈◊〉 edg of Courage and Resolution but brings as stout and yet stragling Soldier into his right 〈◊〉 and Rank to be imployed in the defence of the Gospel Though God can work with any tool yet 〈◊〉 in he manifests his Wisdom that he will chuse 〈◊〉 to whom he gives great fitness to the performance 〈◊〉 those great and honorable imployments unto 〈◊〉 they are designed Hence Paul might in many other so in this respect also be called a choyce 〈◊〉 to carry Christs Name among the Heathens 〈◊〉 9. 15. being his Zeal was fiery his Love earnest 〈◊〉 Courage resolute his Judgment deep his Spirit undaunted and fit for dispatch all these faculties being as so many vessels filled with Grace prepared and guided by the Power of Gods Spirit might be fit Instruments to carry and convey the Gospel and the glory of the unsearchable Riches of Christ to the ends of the Earth Who sitter to care for all the Churches 2
successively As the same vessel is capable of puddle and pure water the same eye is capable of sight and blindness So the Will at several times as several impressions may be made upon it is capable of Sin and Grace Jer. 4. 3. Break up 〈◊〉 fallow ground of your hearts The Nature of man is arrable ground though now it lie fallow by 〈◊〉 of the weeds of wickedness the brambles of Baggage base lusts have over-run it yet it may be 〈◊〉 the soul may be converted again So men are called Living stones 1 Pet. 2. 5. Though the frame of the heart like that goodly building of Jerusalem have not a stone left upon a stone yet the stones wil 〈◊〉 again And hence though there be not the next passive power in a soul possessed with sin to receive the things of God because the soul is wholly possessed with corruption so becomes wholly indisposed thereunto It being impossible that Two Contraries should be in the same subject at the same time that the body distempered with unnatural heats should receive a natural and moderate temper at the same time cannot be yet remove the unnatural and the body is capable of the natural Hence it is the soul hath ever in it a remote power to partake of Grace As the Soul is ever seeking of a better but because it cannot meet with it it is unsatisfied which shews it was made for a better Which makes me that I cannot yet see Why there is any need to flye to the Obed ential power which men marvelous Judicious betake themselves to in this Dispute When a Creature hath not a capability in its kind and nature to entertain such an impression further than it yeilds to the Almighty hand of God to make it what he wil As Matt. 3. 9. God is able of stones to raise up Children unto Abraham Stones wil yeild to God to make them Children But under favor I conceive that is not here needful That God should make a new Faculty or give another natural power than before as he must do if he make Bread or Children of stones As a Wheel that runs wrong you need not another Wheel but another and a right 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 The Faculty of the Will attended only in its natural being and ability cannot Will a spiritual or supernatural good but must have aspiratual and supernatural power put into it to enable it to put forth a 〈◊〉 work Because nothing can act beyond the bounds of its being and ability The Trees grow but move not the bruit Creatures move but Reason not Wicked men can Reason and Will natural and corrupt things because they have Reason Nature and Corruption And Morral things also because they have some 〈◊〉 of the Spirit as wil carry them to act seemly between man and man but to close with God and his Holiness and the purity and spiritualness of a Rule they cannot 1 Cor. 2. 14. The natural man receives not the things of God Prov. 24. 7. Wisdom is too high for a fool If the Will out of a Nature Ability or Faculty could chuse a supernatural good then where there is this Faculty this act may be put forth Then the Devils and Damned in Hell may love God above al make choice of the chiesest good and close with the last end and so might be happy For they have this faculty of Will The Promise is full and free Let him that Wills take of the water of life and live for ever Rev. 22. 17. Hence its plain its a false Opinion and grounded on a false bottom and principle that to have an indifferency to any thing propounded to take it or not to take it is that liberty which issues from the nature of the Will Because it issues not from the Faculty at al to wil a supernatural good no more than from a dead man to take meat As a Wheel doth not run round because wood or iron but because the art of wheel-making is imprinted upon it because so framed and fashioned If therefore the question be asked If the Will be not free in Preparation Answ. There is no Will in the first work of Preparation there is the Faculty of Will but not the act of Will The Corruption that takes possession of the Will and rules in it it utterly indisposeth the soul to receive any spiritual power from God and consequently disenables it to put forth any spiritual or supernatural work It is not subject to the Law of God neither can be Rom. 8. 7. It wil not beat the impression of the power of the Spirit Job 8. 37. The Word of Christ found no place in the Jews that were under the power of their Corruptions Acts 13. 46. They put away the Word from them yea Truth is a trouble and a torment to a Carnal heart and the nature of the thing evinceth so much Matthew 6. 24. Ye cannot serve two Masters God and Mammon Joh. 5. 44. Ye cannot believe that seek honor one from another Rom. 2. 4. The hard heart cannot repent Shut up we are under unbelief and we shut out the Lord Jesus who comes not unless the door be opened It is not possible that contraries should be at the same time in the same subject Though there be no force afforded to the Faculty of the Will yet the power of Corruption must by a holy kind of Violence be removed before any spiritual power can be imprinted upon the soul wherby it may put forth any spiritual act First I say There is no violence offered to the Faculty of 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 For that as it hath been proved before is a capable subject both of Grace and Sin successively and in order as the air is capable of light and darkness indifferently and the one being removed the other is entertained with ease and readiness without any compulsion there needs none it requires none here As the same wax wil receive several and contrary impressions at several times so the soul which hath been made partaker of the image of God is also capable of the print impression of the image of old Adam when once the gracious disposition hath been defaced it 's capable of receiving the impression of Gods Image again when once Adams image is dispossessed Yet Secondly There must be a holy kind of violence offered unto Corruption before it can be dispossessed and removed and so way and room made for the entertainment of Faith and Christ thereby Reasons are Either Corruption must by violence be taken away or else it wil naturally and of its own accord go away and depart from the soul. For it hath been in the former Conclusions manifected That there must be a spiritual power put into the will before it can put forth a 〈◊〉 act And while Corruption takes place there is no place of entertainment 〈◊〉 this spiritual ability therefore Corruption must be removed by violence Naturally it wil not go away therefore by
is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 send the Lord Jesus I shal shortly open both 1 Why it is ascribed to the Father And 2 Why to the Father as sending the Lord Jesus Unless the Father which hath sent me draw him First then Why the Father is said to Draw This Drawing as we have Disputed formerly implyes Two Things in it of necessity 1 〈◊〉 from whence the soul is drawn and that is sin upon which the soul was 〈◊〉 2 Somthing unto which the soul is drawn and that is 〈◊〉 Now both the Expressions serve both these Intendments in a most pregnant manner Because the Fathers manifesting himself in his displeasure unto the soul doth 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and most 〈◊〉 the work of that holy violence 〈◊〉 is 〈◊〉 unto the soul 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 of the 〈◊〉 from it and 〈◊〉 which this drawing we know is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which may 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be conceived The sin of Adam falling from his Creation in which the 〈◊〉 of the Fathers working is especially discovered in that he is the original in the Deity first in Order and Working from himself and Creation is the Original of things there they have their beginnings Hence in Scripture it is said to be 〈◊〉 directly against him and indirectly against the Son and the Holy Ghost because that work wherein though they al wrought yet the manner of the Fathers dispensation did principally appear 1 Joh. 2. 1. Little Children sin not at al but if any man do sin we have an Advocate with the Father He sayes not We have an Advocate with an Advocate Christ is not properly and firstly and directly an Advocate to himself but an Advocate is to plead with the party offended in behalf of him who stands guilty and hath offended and therefore he is said to be an Advocate with the Father because he was the offended party properly and directly Christ an Advocate to plead the Cause of his people the Spirit the Witness to Certifie of the Success what the Advocate hath done for them and what acceptance he hath found with the Father in their behalf Hence the Fathers Displeasure in the fierceness of it comes as most cross and directly contrary unto sin and so the sinner because directly wronged and therefore hath most reason and is most ready to offer violence to the sin for the destruction of that and the Confusion and Condemnation of the sinner because of that And hence therefore the resistance of sin comes to be destroyed and the soul of the sinner most affrighted for it and wearied with it and so compelled to part And therefore our Savior who was in our stead and became our surety and bore our sorrows the chastisement of our peace being upon him He sayes Shall I not drink of 〈◊〉 Cup which the Father will give me Joh. 18. 11. By Cup is meant those sufferings in our behalf 〈◊〉 the Father had appointed and did also lay upon him and so Consequently upon us in him If the fierceness of the wrath of the Father as the Partie directly offended is most cross to the sin of 〈◊〉 sinner and most dreadsul to his soul as guilty 〈◊〉 the Expression thereof even in that regard is most fit by a kind of violence to remove sin from the soul and to force the soul from it Again The Father as he sends Christ 〈◊〉 unto him Because when he so makes himself manifest unto the sinner he shews the soul whither 〈◊〉 should go and what certain success it may expect yea easie and ready acceptance with the Father and deliverance from his wrath and the vengeance deserved if it'do go For when the sinner comes indeed to look upon the ghastly visage of sin to see the heinousness and the unsufferable bitterness of that Evil that doth undoubtedly attend upon it He now Concludes he must either part from sin or else he must needs perish in it it cannot be avoided Go he must from his sin but whither to go he cannot tel that the filth and guilt of sin may be removed from him and he delivered from the wrath of the Father which he hath deserved by it When he hath sought far and neer for succour and shelter that Heaven and Earth professeth there is no salvation to be had in us Holy Ordinances and Duties say We have heard of the Name thereof but we neither have it nor can give it only we have heard tel there is Salvation in Christ and in no other Name under Heaven The 〈◊〉 therefore intends to make out to a Christ but 〈◊〉 the Question and Doubt meets him Though Christ can Discharge my Debt lay down and present sufficient pay It s yet doubtful whether the 〈◊〉 being the Creditor wil accept of it and rest 〈◊〉 with it or no Yea sayes the text The Father hath sent him for this purpose to be his salvation unto the ends of the earth and therefore he wil not refuse him briefly therebe Three things 〈◊〉 in this sending which may draw the 〈◊〉 of the sinner towards Christ. 1 That God hath appointed him in his 〈◊〉 purpose and Counsel to accomplish this work 〈◊〉 49. The Lord hath called me vers 1. And he 〈◊〉 unto me Thou art my Servant in thee will I 〈◊〉 glorified vers 3. Thou shalt be my salvation to 〈◊〉 ends of the earth vers 6. Joh. 6. 27. For him 〈◊〉 the Father sealed A Comparison taken from Princes when they would send any with certain Evidence of their Appointment and Approbation they 〈◊〉 him a Commission and signifie their mind under 〈◊〉 Hand and Seal So the Commission and 〈◊〉 of the Father is as it were the Evidence and 〈◊〉 undeniable that he was Designed to this 〈◊〉 2 That he hath fitted and furnished him with all 〈◊〉 abilities and sufficiency to discharge the 〈◊〉 of Redemption committed to him Psal. 89. 19. He hath laid salvation upon one that is mighty 〈◊〉 save Yea Isa. 61. 1. 2. The spirit of God was 〈◊〉 him and he hath anointed him i. e. 〈◊〉 him with Grace that he might suit al the 〈◊〉 and desires of his people yea with the spirit above measure Joh. 3. 34. 3 That he accepts of him and his Service and Mediation in the behalf of al those whose 〈◊〉 and places he sustains Matt. 3. last This is my 〈◊〉 in whom I am well pleased Not with whom only but in whom with al those whose place he sustains and whose surety he was If God the Father who was offended and that deeply with my sin and therefore is now come out against me either to destroy my sin or to ruinate and condemn my soul he hath appointed the Lord Jesus his Son to deliver poor Creatures from their sins and from his wrath and he hath fitted him for this so great a work and he wil accept him only and al that sue for acceptance in him He only appointed fitted and accepted for sinners let us therefore look towards him and go to him The Father that hath
draw forth the act of that power to the performance of the work As to draw a Boat c. This comparison will 〈◊〉 the truth of the work As it is with the Sons of the first Adam in the work of their Generation naturally and the perverting and turning aside their souls from the Lord So it is with the Sons of the second Adam in their spiritual Regeneration and Conversion But in the 〈◊〉 the work is wrought in them without them so it is said 〈◊〉 Adam He begate a Son in his own image Gen. 5. 3. That the Son was begotten in point of natural Constitution and that he was in Adams Image his mind darkned his will perverted and the whole frame and disposition of the whole Man turned aside from God all which is wrought in the Child without any act on the Childs part So 〈◊〉 is with every one that is begotten unto God by a new Conversion There is an impression of Gods Spirit to turn them from 〈◊〉 unto God without any ability of their own further than it was given them by God and acted by his Spirit Jam. 1. 18. Of 〈◊〉 own will begat he us Joh. 1. 13. Born not of the will of blood nor of flesh nor of the will of man but of God Hence then it follows in the second Place That the Conversion of a sinner depends not upon 〈◊〉 is lastly resolved into the Liberty of mans Will which is the proper Opinion of the Arminians and somwhat more 〈◊〉 than the 〈◊〉 themselves wil own The sum of it and the full sense of it will appear in the Answer to this Question Suppose that all outward means have been used and improved by providence upon Two Persons indifferently in the same place enioying the same helps say Judas and Peter who were both trained up under the wing of Christ and received the droppings of his daily counsels alike their minds both so far enlightned and their Consciences convinced of the things of God and Grace that they see what the will of God is and what their way is to Happiness by Beleeving in Christ. Here grows the Question Why doth Peter receive Christ and Judas reject him Why the Answer and last Resolution of Arminians is here It was in the Liberty of their own Wills and Peter would close with Christ Judas would refuse him But the Orthodox Divines Answer out of the Word The Lord gives a heart of flesh to Peter and enables him which he denies unto Judas as he 〈◊〉 may and Judas hath justly deserved he should The wretchedness falseness of the former Opinion appears as from the former ground so also from these following Arguments If the Will of it self hath not the next Passive power to receive Grace and Christ then it is not in its Liberty to chuse or refuse But it hath not the next Passive power Rom. 8. 7. It is not subject to the law of God nay it cannot be subject to receive the Work therefore not Chuse the Work much less If it be in the Liberty of the Will either to Chuse or Refuse and that our Conversion is lastly resolved into that then it is in a mans own proper power and freedom to make himself to 〈◊〉 from another which the Apostle peremptorily and professedly denies 2 Cor. 4. 7. Who makes thee to differ And What hast thou that thou hast not received Why the Arminians will say It was my own Will that made me to differ the Liberty of my own Choice because I used and improved my freedom wel which another did not That which exalts the Will of man above the power and will of God and makes it the more principal Cause of our Conversion that is injurious to Gods Grace and opposite to his truth and the aim of his counsel which is to work al for the manifestation of the Glory of his free Grace But this Opinion doth so For it makes it in the power of mans will to frustrate and over-power al the Means which are provided and the operations of the Spirit upon the soul For for al these the soul may not be Converted But if this be put forth then the work is accomplished and brought to perfection without fail That in genere 〈◊〉 this in genere causae efficientis proprie sic dictae That is only to stir up power this alone puts forth the power by 〈◊〉 it is wrought This Delusion is exceedingly derogatory to the Glory of God deprives God of that Praise and Thanksgiving which is due unto his Name for upon this ground a Reprobate wretch who shal perish for ever in the bottomless pit stands as much bound to God for his Grace and Bounty as he that is saved For they were al equal in the Means provided in the operation of the Spirit and the offers tendered for good had the one the Ordinance the other had so to Had the one Priviledges Abilities the other shared equally herein Was the one enlightned perswaded so was the other That the one received Christ that was his Free Will he may thank himself for that and not God But the Saints when they come to acknowledge the Son of God at the meeting of al the Churches they do profess the contrary It was not their prayers their tears nor hearing 〈◊〉 resolutions 〈◊〉 performances for al these their guilt still remained the power of their Corruptions not removed It was not any ability or parts natural that could do it for they see the spawn of al sin in their hearts and had certainly had the strength of al distempers in their Lives that they are not in the dungeon with Witches upon the chain with Malefactors they cannot thank their good nature for it Nay it was not in al the means though spiritual and powerful the Ministers they shewed the way they set forth the glorious things of God and Grace but it was not that which did it but it was only in God that shewed mercy meerly only wholly out of the free mercy of the Lord. Hence Our conversion depends not upon nor issues not from the congruity of al such means or the 〈◊〉 suitableness of al such Circumstances which may help forward those forcible perswasions which the Lord doth present to the Soul and whereby he would so call the soul of a sinner to himself as that his call may certainly find success I conceive it meet to ad this Collection to the former partly because this is the proper place to which it ought to be referred and where it should be disputed and from the former Doctrine receives its Doom and Confutation The Brain of the Jesuites is the Womb that bare it and their Forgery gave it its first being a Brat of their Brain a Conceit which they Forged and Anvilled out of the Froth of their own imaginations For when they saw that it was a Conclusion absurd and unreasonable yea that which sounded harshly even to Common Sense to affirm 〈◊〉
give entertainment to him but unless the heart be broken and humbled we cannot receive Faith that we may receive Christ. And while the soul is thus breaking and humbling Faith also is coming in a right sense rightly understood whereof we shal speak somwhat largely if the Lord give us leave to come to that place The Words thus opened the Point is the very letter of the Text which looks full upon every Hearer or Reader that will look upon the Text. The Heart must be broken and humbled before the Lord will own it as His take up his abode with it and rule in it There must be Contrition and Humiliation before the Lord comes to take possession the House must be aired and fitted before it comes to be inhabited swept by brokenness and emptiness of Spirit before the Lord will come to set up his abode in it This was typified in the passage of the Children of Israel towards the promised Land they must come into and go through a vast and a roaring Wilderness where they must be bruised with many pressures humbled under many over-bearing difficulties they were to meet withal before they could possess that good Land which abounded with all prosperity flowed with Milk and Honey The Truth of this Type the Prophet Hosea explains and expresseth at large in the Lords dealing with his People in regard of their Spiritual Condition Hos. 2. 14 15. I will lead 〈◊〉 into the wilderness and break her heart with many bruising Miseries and then I will speak kindly to her heart and will give her the Valley of Achor for a door of hope the story you may recal out of Jos. 7. 28. when Achan had offended in the execrable thing and the hearts of the Israelites were discomfited and failed like water spilt upon the ground because they had caused the Lord to depart away from them the Text saies they having found out the offender by lot they stoned him and they said thou hast troubled Israel we will trouble thee and they called it the Valley of Achor and after that God supported their hearts with hope and encouraged them with success both in prevailing over their Enemies and in possessing the Land So it shall be Spiritually the Valley of Consternation perplexity of Spirit and brokenness of heart is the very gale and entrance of any sound hope and assured expectation of good This I take to be the true meaning and intendment of the place and part of the description of a good Hearer Luke 8. 15. Who with an honest and good heart receives the Word and keeps it by strong hand and brings forth fruit with patience the fruit is Obedience Patience is part of Sanctification and the holy disposition of heart that must be in the heart that brings and bears such fruit that which makes the heart good is Faith in Vocation which enables the soul to lay hold upon Christ in the Word and from him to receive that lively vertue of Patience and readiness to every holy word and work And an honest heart is a contrite and humble heart so rightly prepared that Faith is infused and the soul thereby carried unto Christ and quickened with patience to persevere in good Duties As we say of Grounds before we cast in Seed there is two things to be attended there It must be a fit ground and a fat ground the ground is fit when the weeds and green sword are plowed up and the soyl there and made mould And this is done in 〈◊〉 and Humiliation then it must be a fat ground the soyl must have heart we say the ground is plowed well and lies well but it 's worn out it 's out of heart Now Faith fats the soyl furnisheth the soul with ability to fasten upon Christ and so to receive the Seed of the Word and the Graces of Sanctification and thence it produceth good 〈◊〉 in Obedience Upon this condition Gods favor is promised Psal. 34. 18. The Lord is nigh to them that be of a contrite spirit and saveth them that be of a broken heart Isay 61. 3. He gives the Garment of praise to those that have had the spirit of heaviness it will suit none fit none it 's prepared for none but such it 's their Livery only Upon this condition it is obtained Mat. 18. 3. Unless ye be converted and become as little Children ye can in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven 2 Chron. 33. 12. It 's said of Mannasseh he humbled himself greatly and made supplication and the Lord was intreated of him such persons and services are highly accepted Psal. 51. 17. A broken and contrite heart O God thou wilt not despise nay he wil undoubtedly accept of it The Reasons of the Point are taken partly in regard of the heart which without these will neither be fitted nor enabled to act upon God in Christ for any good partly in regard of God all his Ordinances and Dispensations will be unprofitable and unable to do that good which he intends and we need To the first in regard of our Hearts those Lets and impediments which put a kind of incapability yea and impossibility upon the soul whereby the coming of Faith into the Heart and so the entrance and residence of the Spirit are hindred are by this disposition wrought and removed These Impediments are two The 〈◊〉 which stops the way and work of Faith is a setled kind of contentedness in our corrupt condition and the blind yet bold and presumptuous confidence that a natural man hath and would maintain of his good condition Each man sits down willingly well apaid with his own estate and portion sees no need of any change and therefore not willing to hear of it Each man is so full of self-love that he is loth to pass a sentence against his own soul to become a judg and self-condemner and consequently an executioner of all his hopes and comforts at once and so put his happiness and help out of his own hand Besides we are Naturally afraid out of the privy yet direful guilt of our own Consciences to profess the wretchedness of our own miserable and damnable Condition as to put it upon a peremptory conclusion and that beyond question I am undone I am a damned man in the Gall of bitterness in the bonds of iniquity lest they should stir such horrors which they are neither able to quiet nor yet able to bear And therefore out of the presumption of their own hearts they would easily perswade and delude themselves they have no cause to alter their condition and therfore they should not endeavor it Hence the carnal heart is said to bear up himself against all the assaults of the Word Deut. 29. 19. When all the Curses of the Law were denounced with never so much evidence yet the presumptuous sinner blesseth himself promiseth all good to himself and secretly feeds himself with vain hopes that he shal attain it therfore he wil
thought nor expectation that thou shalt receive any Grace nay that Grace that thy rebellious and proud heart hath opposed and resisted will work thy own ruine Thou art the mark of Gods direful indignation and vengeance he plants all his Forces against thee If all the Wisdom in Heaven can contrive thy confusion all the Power in Heaven work it all the Justice there determine it it shall be done God is nigh to them that are of a contrite heart he saveth such as be of a broken spirit Psal. 34. 18. true and mark it Of such but such thou 〈◊〉 not such thou deridest scornest whose hearts fail them under the weight of their abominations thou lookest at them as mopish silly despicable men well such you shall see saved for ever when such untamed 〈◊〉 proud wretches as thou art shall be turned into Hell But we do see our 〈◊〉 and have had many girds and galls of Conscience for them True It may be there hath 〈◊〉 some blows upon thine heart Conscience it hath 〈◊〉 thee the 〈◊〉 of the Word it hath laid 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but it 〈◊〉 not broken thy heart to this day 〈◊〉 that is thus 〈◊〉 to go no further now than the very expression of the Text. If thy soul be beaten to 〈◊〉 with this oppression of thy distempers for so this brokenness of heart was opened before then as it is with the hardest flints when they are broken to dust they are easily 〈◊〉 and give way to take the impression of the hand or whatever is laid upon them The stone which out of its hardness before opposed and started aside from the strongest 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 was laid now it s turned into dust the least and easiest touch leaves a print and impression upon it so it is expounded as appears in this opposition 2 Chron 30. 8. Be not stiff-necked but yield your selves Observe then is it so when the power of the Word comes the Scriptures are pregnant Arguments 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweet 〈◊〉 sharp and 〈◊〉 yet 〈◊〉 heart shifts and starts aside and hits back the Authority of the truth which thou canst not gain-say The heart may be battered but it was never broken it may be over powred and awed but it was néver humbled to this day It s that of Prov. 3. 32. The froward in heart is an abomination to the Lord but the upright he that lies level and bows to the Truth are his delight A froward man that is he that turns off from the Authority of the Truth Is this thy temper thy heart was never broken to dust to this day but frampful and froward know thou art an abomination to the Lord. If thou shouldst go to Heaven to dwel there truly God would go out of Heaven he would not dwell with thee Pharaoh is the pattern of all proud Hearts he hardened himself in his wickedness against the Word of the Lord. But a broken and humble heart either lies right or will come right it will come to that bent of the 〈◊〉 that is revealed Hard things makes that which is 〈◊〉 soft to assimilate to them easie and yielding things assimilate to whatever they close so Water in a round Vessel 〈◊〉 that form in a three square Vessel takes that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To teach us to delight in such to desire the 〈◊〉 of such as are 〈◊〉 and humble men ' to dwel there where God dwels seem their persons never so mean their conditions never so base their estates never so low themselves never so despitable yet if they be men of broken Spirits God is with them Go into their Societies as men that resolve to go to the Court for where the King is the Court is and where God is Heaven is the Lord hath two Thrones the one of Glory in Heaven where he is all in all to his another here on Earth an humble heart where he doth all only of himself and for himself Therefore as they in Zachary 8. last Ten men shall lay hold on the skirt of a Jew and they shall say we will go with you for we have 〈◊〉 God is with you Much more here for the Lord is not only with humble hearts but he dwels in them we should therfore entertain such Servants into our Families such Inhabitants into Plantations and such Members into Congregations for so you entertain God himself Resolve as Ruth to Naomi Entreat me not to forsake thee for where thou 〈◊〉 I will live thy people shall be my people thy God my God where thou diest I will die and there will I be buried and nothing but death shall part thee and me Nay go further ye blessed Spirits say death shall not part us I will be broken-hearted with you and humble with you and God shall dwel in us and we shal dwel with him in Heaven for ever Oh now ye are right keep here and be happy here for ever Exhortation To perswade us all and to prevail with us to take the right way to enjoy Gods presence not only to seek for mercy but seek it in Gods Order not only to covet Gods presence but in Gods 〈◊〉 labor to be humble and broken-hearted Christians then expect we may that the Lord will manifest the presence of his Grace and Spirit with us and in us but not else Every man catcheth at Christ and Mercy and Comfort but not in a right Method and therefore they lose him and their labor also This is Gods order First be humble and broken and then he will revive your Spirits with his presence 2. Cor. 6. 19. Come out from among them and touch no unclean thing then I will receive you and be a Father to you In a word strive to enter in at the straight Gate of Contrition and Humiliation and then you will hit the right way to Christ and eternal Life The Tenth Book ACTS 2. 37. And when they heard this they were pricked in their Hearts and said unto them Men and Brethren what shall we do THere be two Things especially observable in that disposition of Heart which the Lord requires and works in those he will draw to Christ 〈◊〉 and Humiliation The necessity of both these we declared the last day as that they were not only to be looked at for complement and conveniency but such as are of necessity required that the heart may be fitted for the impression of Faith and by it for the entertainment of the Lord Christ for if the sinner be so settled in secure Contentment of his own condition as that he thinks he need not change or if he must he is so confident of his own ability that he can change himself and out of himself and out of his own strength relieve himself he wil never go out to another for succor and supply Contrition loosens a man from his sin makes him see an absolute necessity to be another man or else he is a damned man Humiliation loosens a man from himself makes him see an
alas what can Nature do in such a case if God wil not help Is it equal that men be put upon impossibilities or that they should be punished for that which cannot be avoided It 's not in man to direct his own waies to subdue his own sins we are nothing else but a lump of corruption the Lord knows we do what we can and we hope we shal not be condemned for what we cannot do I Answer The Lord knows and thy Conscience knows and the world knows thou speakest a horrible fal ehood or to use the Phrase of Scripture Thou lyest and speakest not the Truth More particularly I answer Four things Thou doest not what thou mayest and canst do 〈◊〉 Lord hath left in thee the remainder of many natural abilities hath lent thee the help of many common 〈◊〉 and Graces which by Art and Education have grown to some ripeness and thou hast found the strokes of his Spirit partly restraining of thee from evil and constraining of thee to good and thou neither hast nor dost put forth actions and endeavors answerable in any measure It was said of them it 's as true of thee Rom. 1. 21. When they knew God they 〈◊〉 him not as God The unprofitable Servant was not condemned so much because he had no Talent but that when he had received a Talent he idled away his time and Talent hid it in a napkin he traded not gained not consequently Matth. 25. 25. This is thy condition thou art in his rank thy sin the same and thy sentence wil be the same thou hast 〈◊〉 one but many Talents hath not the Lord given thee a mind to conceive and a memory to retain things why canst not thou lay out these for the Lord and his Truth as wel as to lavish out both in the pursuit of the world and thine own lusts and lying vanities thou mayest read the Bible as wel as other vain Books seek the communion of Saints and thy legs would carry 〈◊〉 to them as wel as to riotous company Nay thou art not only faulty in not doing what thou canst but even neglecting 〈◊〉 opposing the practice of those Duties unto which thy judgment would carry thee and 〈◊〉 constrain thee Rom. 1. 18. thou holdest down the Truth in unrighteousness when thy reason props it thy Conscience provokes and calls this thou shouldest this thou oughtest to do and yet thou neglectest it Yea let thine own Experience give in evidence in this behalf thou laziest away thy time in the waies of thy Calling and the work of the Lord reads not 〈◊〉 not prayest not in private recallest not the things heard 〈◊〉 not in thy place with meekness but crooked carriages peevish and froward speeches rugged behaviors attend thee in thy dayly course Answer me out of thine own heart Would not so much money hire such reward promised and performed perswade thee to do such duties or reform such sins Would not the fear of some displeasure at least the sharpness of some punishment compel thee to reform outwardly to find thy heart and tongue and mind and force thee to pray and read and recal make thee bite thy lip and compose thy carriage not to speak a cross word or vent a passionate speech Thou wretch doth twenty pound or a whipping post give thee any Grace thou hadst therefore ability which thou never didst improve as thou mightest Secondly Be thy weakness whatit wil be or inability that is not the worst but that which ads to the heap of the 〈◊〉 of thy evil and the height of it Thou art not yet WILLING to be made ABLE to receive the grace which the Lord in the Gospel hath prepared and now tenders and would give thee 〈◊〉 thou but willing he should Rev. 22. 17. Oh every one that wil let him come to the waters for the Gospel doth not require that a man should beleeve by his own power nor yet condemn him because he doth not but that he wil not encline his Ear and suffer the power of the Truth to take place with him and prevail with him for good Christ comes to his own and he comes with Grace and Life but they receive him not John 1. 10 11. yea our Savior professed it to them Ye will not come to me that you might have life John 〈◊〉 40. And light is come into the world but men love darkness rather than light John 3. 19. men love their distempers hug and 〈◊〉 their lusts they are weary of the Word that would reveal and remove their corruptions Rom. 8. 7. The wisdom of the flesh is enmity against God it is not subject to the Law nor can be It hath not any Spiritual good it wil not bear the power of the Truth that would pluck away our corruptions and take place in us Do not plead so much therefore thou art not able but go to the bottom thou wouldest not be made able thou would'st have thy proud heart and not be made humble thou wouldst have thy loose heart and not be purged when thou art in Hell and art tormented with these and for these know thou hast thy will and therefore why dost thou complain Nay it is thy disposition to withdraw thy self from those means and not to give attendance and leave thy self under the stroke of the Word that would take away thy unwillingness John 3. 20. He that doth evil hates the Light and comes not to the Light he went away sorrowful Matth. 19. 22. And after that time many of his Disciples went away from him and walked no more with him because his words were spiritual and piercing which they could neither hear nor bear Not attending for redress and help against the frowardness and perversness of thy heart it 's a just and righteous thing with God to stake thee down under all thosedistempers that thou mayest be deluded with them hardened in them and damned for ever for them and thou hast no more than thou hast righteously deserved 2 Thess. 2. 10 11. Because they did not entertain the Truth in the love of it therefore he gave them up to the activity of Error that they might beleeve lyes and it 's the best Reason that ever yet appeared to my apprehension why the Woman who in Reason could not but know the Serpent could not speak yet would and did talk with it But she had begun before not to love the Truth being set to till the Garden and to keep it Gen. 2. that is to keep the wild beasts out of it she did not so therefore God gave her up to be deluded by the Serpent the like may be said of Balaams conference with his Ass in reason he should have fled from his Ass not have fallen in conference with him but when men delight not to have God in knowledg no marvel that he delivers them up to a reprobate sence Rom. 1. What ever difficulty and impossibility attends thy weakness thou art the cause of it
Prophet David that he would take up this service Psal. 119. 15. I will meditate in thy precepts and have respect unto thy wayes vers 23. Princes did sit and speak against me but thy servant did meditate in thy statutes again 〈◊〉 48. I wil meditate in thy statutes And he doth not this as a special conveniencie nor yet as a peculiar duty proper to him but upon such grounds as belong to al and therefore wil cal for it of al vers 97. Oh how I lovethy Law it is my meditation al the day Thou wilt not deny but thou art bound to love the Law of God and then certainly if that cause be there this effect wil of necessity follow Nay it s the guise of al the Saints Psal. 1. 1. 2 its as necessary as not to sit in the seat walk in the counsells and stand in the way of sinners so necessary is it to meditate in the Law of God and that to have thy set meals thy appointed times and turns for meditation 2. The want of this is given as the cause why men are carryed head long to the Practice of loathsom evils 〈◊〉 44. 19. No man considereth in his heart Jer. 8. 6. I 〈◊〉 and heard but they spak not 〈◊〉 No man sayes with himself what have I done the want of this hastens the righteous judgments of the Lord Psal. 28. 5. because they regard not the operation of his hands therefore he will destroy them and not build them up 3. The use of this affects and fits the heart to the duties that are to be discharged It 's a preparative to many daily perfourmances in our Christian course it quickens the holy dispensations of the soul chargeth it with confessions and petitions feasonable and savory that they may be delivered with feeling and affections when the heart is boyling of a good matter Psal. 45. 1. So Psal. 102. 1. I will pour out my meditation that is his prayer meditation was the mint or Anvil upon-which our prayers should be made And therefore Divines refer it to the third Commandment as that which is an Harbenger to al holy duties we do to God stirring up the faculties of the whol man to that reverend attendance which becomes the majesty of the Almighty Eccles 5. 1. and the advice of the wise man is to look to our feet as in the publick so in private also As by way of preparation it fits for spiritual services before we do them so it confirms and settles the good of them unto our souls when they are done then shal your profiting appear if you meditate upon these things 1 Tim. 3. 15. Sermons wil not profit though we hear and that attentively Sacraments wil not profit conference reading wil not profit though we studiously for the present turn bestow our selves therupon unless we meditate afterward As exercise before meat to stir up the stomach to receive meat So digestion after meat if we hope to have any strength meditation is both it stirs up the affection to the duty and then digests the good and sap of the service and turns it into good blood Tuum illud est quod Meditatio facit 〈◊〉 Secondly Men complain they have no time occasions so many buisines crouds in so with such multitudes our minds and heads and hearts and thoughts are so taken up one crouds out another we have no time I Answer 1. Hast thou no time to repent and to break thy heart for sin no time to fit and quicken thy Spirit to Service no time to profit by al the Spiritual means Then have no time to be saved to maintain the comfort and peace of thy Conscience 2. Must God only be loser and his Worship go to the wal must he only be crouded out of our minds and heads and hearts how unreasonable is this 3. Redeem the time Eph. 5. 16. Pluck some opportunity and rescue it from meat and sleep and company and recreation Psal. 119. 148. I prevent the morning watches that I might meditate in thy Statutes he had as many imployments as thou being a King and yet he did attend this Duty so mayest thou and so shouldest thou 4. I desire no more time to this Duty in the day than each day thou squandrest and spendest away unprofitably and let any man observe his own course and record but his expence and that needlesly of his time he wil say thus much I spent vainly here and thus much there and why might not that have been spent in meditation for the helping forward of the Work of God in my soul The great Complaint is The unsteadiness of their 〈◊〉 thoughts which as they conceive 〈◊〉 from some kind of natural 〈◊〉 whereby they are wholly disenabled in their own apprehension and common experience to keep their minds to any set imployment and exercise in this so serious a work of Meditation they are so off and on upon every occasion a 〈◊〉 and wandring frame of Imagination that cannot dwel upon a thing nay though they resolve it sadly withdraw themselves from al other occasions into their private Closets and there retire and set themselves on purpose about this business as being convinced it is so needful and being perswaded it would be so profitable to them yet immediately they are taken off they are gone from their task when they had begun now to bestow their attention upon the Duty that look what a shaking palsey is to the head there is no stilling of it while a man lives it wil follow him so this shattering and giddiness of our minds unsettles us when we would be most serious and doth accompany us in every retired corner and that upon every turn as a disease and distemper of our natural apprehension and it seems there is an impossibility to reform this feebleness and therefore we hope we may be excused if we cannot perform this service which is so necessary and which we also endeavor but as al men may see we cannot accomplish I Answer 1 Generally 2 Particularly Be it that this shaking Palsey this Vertigo and giddiness of Spirit be a disease which hath seized upon the faculty of the Understanding as an haereditary Curse which comes from the sin of Adam and is communicated more or less to al his Seed Thou shouldest labor to look at it as a sickness and therefore not to maintain a disease but seek a Remedy how thou maiest be recovered out of it Thy understanding is ful of blindness and ignorance naturally is one part of the image that was imprinted upon thee by the nature of thy first Parents received thou wouldest not therefore plead for thy ignorance and sit down wel satisfied with it but be more studious to amend it and seek to Heaven and be studious and painful in the use of al means that thou mayest be healed and cured of it So do here take this giddiness of mind as a fruit of the forbidden tree
Authority of it we know our compass but once go off and we know not whither we shal go or where we shal stay Be watchfully careful to observe the first wandrings and out-strayings of thy thoughts how they first go off from the attendance to the work in hand and look off from the matter thou settest thy self to meditate in 〈◊〉 immediately recal them back bring them to their task again and set them about their intended 〈◊〉 If 〈◊〉 they fly out and follow fresh occasions that 〈◊〉 or a mans corruptions shal suggest take them at the first turn and often again settle them upon the service until at last by constant custom our mind and thoughts wil buckle handsomly to their business after they be kept in by a daily care I have heard Hunts-men say when they have young dogs raw and that hath not been entred nor accquainted with their sport if a fresh 〈◊〉 come in view or some other unexpected prey cross them in their way they forsake the old sent and follow that which is in their eye but their manner is to 〈◊〉 at them off and cal them away from that and then to bring them to the place where they left their former pursuit and there set them to find the sent afresh until at last being often checked and constantly trayned up they wil take and attend the first game so here with our wandring minds which are not trayned up to this work of meditation if they begin to fly off and follow a new occasion suffer not thy thoughts to range but bring your mind back again and set it upon the former service and then by thy constant care and Gods blessing thy mind wil fal in sweetly and go away with the work or as men use to do with some kind of wand that is warped bent somwhat much one way they bend it a little at the first there hold it Bend it hold it at last it comes fully to the fashion they desire it So here often bend and hold thy mind bent to the work in hand Heb. 2. 1. let us give earnest heed to the things wee have heard our roving thoughts are like riven vessels if the parts be not glewed and the breaches brought together again by strong hand they wil leak out so here c. The fourth Hindrance which is here pretended is their unskilfulness and unhandiness to this service which many even Consciencious Christians in the bitterness of their souls complain off as that which wholy 〈◊〉 and discourageth them to the work They say that 〈◊〉 of the truth and the dictates of their own Conscience doth give in ful evidence and undeniable that they should attend the duty in obedience to Gods Command they set about the work but at the very entrance they are at an utter loss at a period in their own thoughts at a stand within themselves and cannot stir a 〈◊〉 forward They want materials one while upon which they should spend their thoughts another while they want skil after what manner to exercise their apprehensions about it that they might do good on it In a word their weakness they find to be so great and the service to be so strange and hard to them that they cannot but conceive it to be impossible to them ever to attain the skil and to what purpose is it to endeavour it if they cannot attain it I answer what need any further argument than thine own words to constrain thee to the duty now discovered the more unskilful thou art the more need thou hast to learn the greater the weight and worth of the duty the greater diligence in reason thou shouldest use in 〈◊〉 attendance thereunto There is neither weaknes nor want of power nor skil in God to do thee good what ever weaknes or want thou findest in thy self and if thou need much as he hath much in his hand so he wil give abundantly to satisfy thy desire and to fit thee for the perfourmance others have attained it why mayest not thou receive it he hath bestowed it upon others why mayest not thou expect it Wisdom gives subtilty to the simple and sharpnes to the Ideot Prov. 1. 4. thy dullness and heaviness should encrease thy diligence and and endeavor and not discourage thee when the tool is dull men 〈◊〉 to more strength Eccles. 10. 10. every thing must have a beginning while wee are endeavoring God is blessing if we never set about a work we shal never compass it thou wilt not expect the child should know a trade before he learn it and art wel content the child see seaven years over his head before thou lookest to see him attain any perfection And in the greatest works and where we have leaft ability why should we think to attayn any dexterity without long endeavor and this adds to our encouragement it s the season and time wherein the Lord hath promised much of his spirit and presence and therefore we may look for it The weak shal be as David Zach. 12. 8. David we know was eminent and marvailous 〈◊〉 in this service thou 〈◊〉 weak and foolish and feeble be it so yet thou hast a promise thou mayest be as David who made David so skilful why the same God lives stil who is alsufficient and therefore can who hath promised and therefore wil help thee also A word of caution Hence loose company is a deadly enemy and hindrance to the conversion of a sinner that which doth exceedingly prejudice the work of Meditation and so of brokenness of heart that hinders the work of Conversion for that is the way thereunto But there is no greater hindrance to be found on Earth to holy Meditation than froathy Company and Companions while a man is in the croud amongst such wretches there is no possibility in reason that one should search his own heart and examine his own way take any account by serious consideration what his course hath been or what his condition is there is little hope of any possibility that ever the word should settle upon the soul or stay with the sinner in the evidence or prevailing power of it or that the mind or heart of a poor creature should settle upon that suck out the sap and virtue of it and continu under the stroke and authority of it while he continues with such varlets which like the greedy fowl of the ayr pick out the seed of the word out of the minds of such with whom they do converse and stop the passage as it were with their prejudices they cast against man and message that they may never attend it or if yet they talk with it as a passenger yet never entertain it as an in-dweller to continue with them And therfore they act the part not of Gods Ministers or such as would be helpers to the spiritual good of others but the part of Satans factors when God is pleased to parly with a
she wil be forced to mind and attend them and her own help whether she wil or no. The fear and dreadful expectation of Gods righteous Judgments deserved and threatened let them seize upon the sinner and let him travel under the terror of the Almighty If God should come and cal me to answer how should I help my self If the Lord do as the times are in his own hands what should I judg or think of my condition In a sinful and miserable estate I am I am sure and how soon the pit may shut her mouth upon me that I may be past hope and help I know not high time therefore to think how to be affected with this and how to be freed from this damnable condition If the good man of the house did know the Thief would come he would certainly watch he would listen attentively at every stirring Matth. 24. 43. Fear saies the evil wil come and makes a man ever be thinking how to prevent it before it comes As in a Siege he that keeps the noise of the Drum the sound of the Trumpet the clattering of Spears the report of the Canon in his ears and fears he wil be kept a waking and be forced to attend upon his watch and stand 〈◊〉 his Guard for his life So do thou as the psalmist said Psal. 9. last Put them in fear O Lord that they may know themselves to be but men they wil know they are sinful and mortal and wretched 〈◊〉 that must come to death and judgment Awaken Conscience cal for the help of it and put it into commission and it wil put forth an overruling power for the settling of our apprehensions in their attentive employments when somtimes they are routed and put by their proper exercise by the unruly and inordinate distempers of our hearts For reason and understanding are the underlings as it were of inferior and lower ranck and can but as servants and attendants offer and propound to the wil and affections what they 〈◊〉 and conceive may be most convenient and the wretched way wardness of our hearts wil either snub or silence them reject or cast them away you befool reason damp and pervert the light of judgment tel reason she is a fool and is deceived and drive it to another search somtimes in the Saints 〈◊〉 and wil are for the work The one pleads for it the other approves and desires it and yet the violence and outrage of some overbearing corruptions take off Meditation and hinder it against the heart and hayr against our judgment and desire Now conscience is to be called in who hath received a supream authority to oversee both to right al such disorders and to see that the mind have its free scope for the exercise of Meditation in his times and turns And that this is so Experience of all men in al ages wil give in evidence undeniable the Godly their Conscience is controuler in their whol course by the beck and least iutimation of whose authority the frame of their spirits inwardly and their carriages outwardly are 〈◊〉 so as they can do nothing against the truth 2 Cor. 13. 8. dictate of their Conscience they could do any thing against their credit and comfort and profit yea their very lives 〈◊〉 not against their Conscience Witness again the wrastlings of the spirits of the ungodly when their 〈◊〉 reason hath contrived al waies and shifts their hearts earnestly desired also how to stifle and stop the mouth of Conscience to silence his dictates that they might proceed in the practice of their lawless course without stop and trouble and disquiet and the sad remembrance of that guilt and 〈◊〉 which Conscience tyres them with but al in vain when Conscience is armed with authority and exerciseth that authority which is given it is in his place and doth the 〈◊〉 of 〈◊〉 place but I say you must put it into commission God can and doth when he wil but we should also give way and help forward this work as we are able according to that direction for our spiritual good in this behalf for it is with Conscience as it is with men of worth in the countrey from whence we came though they be as holy and gracious and wise when they are out of the commission of the peace as when they are in yet then when they are out of the commission though they be willing and desirous according to the 〈◊〉 the Lord hath given them to see and so to reforme al wrongs and disorders yet they want power So it is with Conscience when through our careless and rebellious carriage it is either blinded or stifled and so his place and exercise of his power is utterly hindred we must therefore 〈◊〉 Conscience into his commission as much as in us lyes i. e help forward the exercise of that soveraign authority with the right whereof Conscience stands possessed according to the place the Lord hath set him in Here are three directions Let nothing joyn with Conscience in the command it gives and power it exerciseth but the holy and righteous Law of God This is that which makes the simplicity of the eye which our Saviour mentions Math. 6. 22. and that which addes that overruling vertue and 〈◊〉 thereunto insomuch that the text tells us where the eye is single the whol body is ful of light That eye I suppose is not bare reason or understanding enlightened though that sence is savory and included but there is I conceive somewhat more that eye is here meant according to the light and direction whereof the whol body is acted and ordered that is a mans whol course and conversation is guided in a right way That is by vertue of Conscience especially which hath an overpowring command with it to act and carry out al the dispositions of our hearts and actions of our lives suitable to the light and level of the law of God according to which it accuseth or excuseth This single eye is a conscience sincere when nothing interrupts the work of Conscience but the law acts it and it acts the man thus the office Conscience exereiseth is from God and for God Keep Conscience trembling and tender that it may be Eagle Eyed and easily sensible of the least evil and do thou accustome thy self to be sure to take notice of the least intimation it gives This gives as I may say encouragement to Conscience and helps forward the work and honors that authority which it exerciseth Thus David was at the beck of his Conscience even for the appearance and bordering of evil 1. Sam. 24. 〈◊〉 his heart smot him because he had cut off Sauls skirt Take undoubtedly the sentence of Conscience rightly guided to be Gods own sentence That which he wil own and make good upon al the sons of men at the great day of 〈◊〉 It wil pass current and prevayl then either for thy Condemnation or for thy absolution It should therefore prevail
world The 〈◊〉 abilities of wit and learning the nobility of birth the priviledg of our place and state The Lord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 whol course of carnal excellency he chooseth the 〈◊〉 to confound the wise the weak to confound the mighty base things that are not to bring to nought things things that are nothing of any probability or possibility in an ordinary way that might have attained any good being wholly set against it nothing of ingenuity or moderation or common 〈◊〉 but when they grow desperatly wicked yet then the Lord doth good that no flesh may glory in his presence that it is not in your wealth or parts or endeavours or outward pomp behold these poor base creatures base in their condition and yet more base in their carriage scant worse in the bottom of Hel yet these are called Oh how wil it confound the wise to see the foolish of the world brought to the knowledg of Christ when they never knew the things belonging to their peace how wil it confound the Civilian and subtil hypocrite who had painted over his profession with appearance of Godliness to see a prophane wretch whose leudness time was when he loathed as though his person were not fit to be looked on yet now pulled out of his sink and dunghil made a glorious saint in heaven when he shal be cast out amongst dogs So the Prophet Ezek. 16. last Look we at the Work it self There is also a depth of infinite wisdom in this Dispensation to bring that about in many hearts and that by this means and that with most success the Lord suffers many to go to a great excess of sin before he laies hold upon them or seems to take them to task that the grossness of the evils might make way for their more easie conviction and so for the entry of the Word upon their souls and their subjection to the power and evidence thereof Men or Hypocrites of a smooth refined carriage when they carry a conformity in their course to the waies of Godliness and have strength of carnal reason to make the best of an unblameable life it 's hard for any to come within them either to pass a Sentence of their present condition because love hopes the best when it can bring no evidence of the contrary evil much less to perswade their estate is unsafe and not sincere but when the Lord lets loose Satan or some loathsom lusts upon them that they become scandalous and notoriously 〈◊〉 and their 〈◊〉 appears in their fore-heads then they yield to go out of the Camp and confess they are unclean As the Physitian when he would cure the cold Palsey he is content to cast his Patient into a burning Feaver because he can tel how to come the better to the Cure So here our Savior wisheth Rev. 3. 17. I would thou wert either hot or cold because then he could tel how to deal with her if either truly good he would encourage if openly naught he would then convince her he knew how to apply the means and she would be content to receive it bu when she conceives her self rich she wil receive nothing wise she wil hear nothing So I have known some in experience that would take it in indignation that any should question their Grace until the Lord left them to some foul fals gross cozenage scandalous drunkenness c. that hath made them go deeper c. The 〈◊〉 operation of the Word the breaking and so converting the heart of a sinner depends not upon any preparation a man can work in himself or any thing he can do in his corrupt estate for the attaining of life and Salvation For had the Lord expected the good use of a mans free wil in the imployment and exercise of the works of civility and outward moral behavior had he looked for the husbanding of the stock of those moral abilities which are left in corrupt nature or 〈◊〉 by the 〈◊〉 of providence in the restrainning strokes of common grace or had the Lord stayed until these 〈◊〉 had either valued the worth of the Apostles and their administrations and painfully improved the advantages of the means of grace and 〈◊〉 now brought home to their dores or brought a teachableness of spirit to the ordinances If either the preparation and saving conversion of the souls of men had depended upon any such emprovement of themselves it 's certain they had not now been made broken-hearted sinners or savingly brought unto the Lord and for ought any man can tel had never attained it But when cross to the course of humanity they mocked and scorned both 〈◊〉 persons message of the Apostles contrary to truth they cast reproaches and contumelious contempt upon them 〈◊〉 men are ful of new wine nay when they were carried with professed opposition malignant enmity against their persons and dispensations yet now the Lord presseth in upon them by the prevailing power of his spirit and word and doth good to them when they set themselves by al the policy and rage they could to oppose the work of the Lord and their own everlasting welfare clear it is therefore that this spiritual dispensation of breaking or calling of them home depends not upon any preparation which was done nor any performances al which for the present were professedly opposite to their own welfare but meerly upon the power and good pleasure of the Lord and the work of his spirit which he puts forth when it seems best unto himself it s not in him that wills or runs sayes the Apostle he puts both together and denies success unto both that so he may take off al the cavils that could be made or indeed pretended For had it been said the means were powerful and in a plentiful manner bestowed but men would not do what they might and ought may be there was a slight 〈◊〉 some powerless wishing but there wanted the strength of endeavor behould he excludes both It 's not him that wils only nay let him run for it put to the best of his abilities that wil not do the deed It 's not there but in the good pleasure of him that shewes mercy Rom. 9. 17. And hence it is that the very spirit of bondage terror and astonishment and sensible troubles of heart which many times wicked men that fal finally short of saying grace yet attain in some measure or degree even that is beyond the reach of a mans own power Wee have not received the spirit of bondage to fear Rom. 8. 15. even that is a gift and must be received and is dispensed freely al that a natural man can do cannot cal for his old terrors and troubles which out of his sensuality he hath devised wayes to wear out unless the Lord wil set them on by his hand And hence the Apostle makes the exception so general to Timothy 2. Tim. 1. 9. Who hath saved us and called us with a holy calling not according
delivers touching Gods Dispensation and I know not but it may hold here Psal. 18. 27. With the froward thou wilt deal frowardly the place is hard for the apprehension of it in the fair and full sence of it The words that go before will give in some light With the bountiful thou wilt shew thy self bountiful with the perfect thou wilt be perfect with the pure thou wilt shew thy self pure and with 〈◊〉 perverse or froward thou 〈◊〉 shew thy self froward thou wilt make thy self deal frowardly To speak to the pinch of the Point but in two words I conceive 〈◊〉 to be the meaning 〈◊〉 the place and the mind of God in it He that walks with God in the exercise of the Rule in a 〈◊〉 manner God 〈◊〉 meet with him in it and give him the 〈◊〉 and comfort that follows and flows from it he that conscienciously keeps the Rule shal be more fitted for to keep it and to share in the blessing and 〈◊〉 of it he that deals bountifully in vertue of the Rule he shal be more apt to that Duty and shal find bountiful dealings from the hands of others God and men he that is upright thorough and simple in Spirit and practice he shal be more exact every way and find peace and praise as the fruit of that he that is pure that is not only contents himself to be simple and sincere hearted in his whol course but is dayly purging himself and clensing his own heart 〈◊〉 severing himself from such taints and remainders of distempers that appear and 〈◊〉 to cleer up the Rule in the beauty and excellency thereof to himself that he may see more of it submit more freely and fully to it the Lord will make himself pure to him So the word God wil let in pure instructions that no darkness or dimness may stumble him or cause him to mistake pure evidence of pardon and acceptance no guilt may unsettle him pure comforts and peace that no doubts or fears may discourage him pure holiness and power of 〈◊〉 that no strength of corruption may blur the Image of God in him or darken the Evidence of the Work of Grace received But 〈◊〉 a man will be froward crook the Rule go cross to the Command and wil walk in the vanity of his own 〈◊〉 and stubbornness of his own Spirit oppose the power of the Truth not willing to look upon or abide to hear of the purity of it God will shew himself froward towards such a one he wil 〈◊〉 you and cross you in your whol course and in al your comforts you crook and wind away from the Rule to content your sins God by his Righteous Law by vertue of the provoking power therof wil deliver you up to the power of your sins and to al the terros and plagues and expressions of his 〈◊〉 that attend thereupon and in the daies of thy distress when nothing wil help thee but the holy Word of God God wil then deal with you and follow you with the 〈◊〉 of your own 〈◊〉 thou would'st not see the holiness and purity of Gods Precepts thou 〈◊〉 have a mind not able to attend or receive or remember any thing that may be for thy direction support or comfort but only live upon thine own guilt and the terrors that attend thereupon and the perversness of thine own heart wil be thine own plague In your froward pangs you flinch and fling care not what you say or do God can be as 〈◊〉 as you nor hear prayers nor regard your complaints nor pity your necessities but pursue you with his plagues let fly on every hand the fierceness of his displeasure God can and wil hamper thee if thou had'st a heart as sierce as a 〈◊〉 of Hell make thee weary of thy part be as perverse as thou wilt or canst be And therefore the word in the place is marvelous pregnant it signifies to contend with another as one that wrastles wil do wreath and 〈◊〉 and turn his body every way that he may meet with his adversary with whom he is to grapple So the Lord will meet with thee at every turn the greater thy opposition hath been against him the greater expression of his displeasure shalt thou be sure to 〈◊〉 and that in the most dreadful manner The sins of Manasseh were high handed and hellish abominations mighty provocations out of measure sinful 2 Chron. 33. 11. Therefore God abased him mightily fettered and 〈◊〉 and humbled him mightily and made him cry mightily before he could 〈◊〉 audience and acceptance with him the cruel and harsh carriage of the Jaylor Acts 16. exceeded his Commission and so the bounds of common Humanity to deal worse with the distressed than either their Fact deserved or the Law permitted or Authority allowed him in that behalf a 〈◊〉 transported with deadly indignation against the waies of God and his People and as it appears by the circumstances of the story a man that pleased 〈◊〉 in such unreasonable practices the Lord therefore handles him answerably to the harshness of his spirit makes the Earth quake and the Prison totter the bolts break and the door fly open and at last his heart begins to shake and die within him notwithstanding the fierceness of his Spirit So Paul Acts 9. he comes trembling to crave the Counsel of those whose presence formerly he loathed There is a Three-fold Ground from whence the Reasons of this Point may be fetched which will Evidence That this manner of proceeding best suits with the insinite Wisdom of God look we at God at others at the sinner himself with whom the Lord is now trading The Holiness of Gods Nature and exactness of his Truth not only commends but even seems with some kind of comely necessity to call for such a manner of Dispensation The Lord stiles himself the holy One of Israel a God of purer eyes than can endure to behold iniquity not able to pass by sin in the least appearance of it and therefore leaves so strict a charge beware lest there be an evil thought in thy heart and abstain from all appearance of evil 1 Thes. 5. When the Lord is to convince the sinner of sin to express his mind and displeasure against him because of those his evils so scandalous and detestable to al that have but the least spark of saving knowledg and Grace yea loathsom to the very light of Conscience in corrupt Nature Should the Lord casily and overly 〈◊〉 them by with some smal 〈◊〉 of some little dislike it could not but impeach his Purity and make himself accessary to the dishonor of his own Holiness When Eli proceeded not with that zeal against 〈◊〉 evil of his Sons as the 〈◊〉 thereof might justly have provoke 〈◊〉 him unto but after a slight manner manifested a heart-less dislike of it the Lord 〈◊〉 1 Sam. 2. 39. That he honored his sons before him rather respected their carnal content that they might not be
grievous yet the plague-sore of their sins was heaviest upon their hearts and most in their thoughts so it is with a contrite sinner his complaints and thoughts return hither as to their center publish the comforts promises and priviledges of the Gospel the sinner acknowledgeth the promises are precious the comforts are sweet the priviledges great and happy they that ever they were born that have a title thereunto But alas what have I to do with these my heart is yet hard and my sins yet unsubdued Those keep good things from me Lay open al the threatnings of the word the plagues the Lord hath prepared the curses iudgments and punishments that are recorded in the scripture and ever were inflicted by the justice of the Lord the contrite sinner looks presently beyond these plagues to his sins which is the cause of al these and worse than al these and that gives the sting and evil unto al these evils what shal I do I have sinned deliver me from blood guiltiness O God not from the sword though that was threatned but from his sin The sinner that hath his heart thus truly affected and pierced through with his sins is marvelous tender easily to be convinced of a yielding disposition i. e. freely and readily enlarged in the open acknowledgment of an evil that is discovered he stands guilty of As it is with the body when it is pierced or pricked with a stiletto He bleeds inwardly it may be but so as the blood hath no vent nor the party relief hence the life is in hazard but when it s thrust quite through though the wound be greater and wider yet the danger is less because the party bleeds kindly and naturally the wound is more 〈◊〉 to be cleansed and healed there is no fear of festering and rankling inwardly but the Chirurgeon may readily come at it for the cure So it is when the soul is wounded aright with Godly sorrow for its sin it bleeds kindly and naturally ready to see the evil the core the root of that corruption from whence it comes and willing and open hearted that the saving word of the truth either of instruction reproof comfort or exhortation may be applyed for cure and recovery A broken hearted sinner fals immediately before the power of the word takes the sin presently home to himself when ever or what ever is presented with evidence to him without cavilling or gainsaying shifting or winding away from under the authority thereof That resistance and gainsaying opposition is now removed which formerly took possession and the irresistible power of the spirit hath flung down those strong holds of Satan and sin hath conquered and captivated the high thoughts of the mind and sturdy rebellions of the heart unto the obedience of the Lord Jesus and therefore there is an entrance and easy passage made for the truth to take place and the heart to take the impression thereof with some pleasing content parts of the body which are wounded broken and sore and very sensible of the least stir or touch of any thing that comes nigh them they feel presently and are affected with some trouble Oh say we it s my broken Arm my sore Hand the least touch it goes to my heart It 's so with broken spirits they are presently sensible of the least touch of any truth the least intimation or discovery of any sin that comes by the by if from a work that fals occasionally it feels it forthwith yields it and owns it without any more ado That 's the deceit of my heart which I never saw before that 's my distemper unto which I have been addicted the law is holy and good but my heart naught and sold under sin Rom. 7. this was the temper of good 〈◊〉 at the reading of the law which the Lord observes and so much 〈◊〉 2 Chron. 34. 27. because thy heart was tender melted when thou heardest the words of this law he took the impression of the truth at the first without the least appearance of any opposition in any particular or rising of spirit against them though the severity and sharpness of the threatnings were marvailous cross not onely to a corrupt heart but to the outward comforts eminent priviledges of his place pomp and prosperity of his Crown and Kingdom the heart is melted and broken is conquered by the truth and therefore can do nothing against it But can do any thing against its own lusts and the pleasing corruption of his own nature this is part of that preparation which the Baptist the Harbenger of our Savior made to make this plain for his coming into the hearts of his as into his temple Luk 3. The rough things shal be made plain and crooked things straight the rugged and sturdy gainsayings of a rebellious heart are taken away and it 's made easy and readily yielding to the evidence of any part of Gods wil it finds a plain passage into the soul no rub in the way no rising against the righteous and good wil of God If any thing be doubtful he is easy to be informed amiss to be reproved and amended thereby Those crooked aymes and by ends also whereby falshearted hypocrites serve their turn of the Lord Jesus seek for grace and mercy either to quiet the horror of their 〈◊〉 promote their own credit or under a profession against sin to get more liberty to commit sin to sin without suspicion or distraction these rugged distempers must be levelled and the spirit of a man made plyable simple and sincere and then all flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord. And unless this de done set thy heart at rest thou canst never see Gods Salvation True indeed I confess the truth many times may be secret and such as at the present exceeds the reach and apprehension of weaker judgments And here wil be and in some 〈◊〉 may a long inquisition and painful and tedious search for the right discovery where the narrow way lyes But there is great ods betwixt an inquisition and serious enquiry that we may see the truth And a quarrelling against the evidence thereof that we may not see it Inquisition is one thing contention against the truth is another that al the Saints should endeavour this none but the ungodly wil practise for it 's given as a never failing note of a graceless person who is appointed to destruction to them who are contentious and obey not the truth but obey unrighteousness Rom. 2. 8. for where the one is not the other wil be contentious persons joyn sides with their sinful distempers against the truth authority of the righteous law of God openly to maintain a professed opposition against the truth is so loathsom to common sence and 〈◊〉 even to the remainders of light left in the 〈◊〉 of a natural man that hardly any man is come to the height of wickedness that he dare openly own a course so hellish and
intermission till the Lord look down and behold from Heaven For it is an everlasting Truth Sorrow for sin if right ever drives a man from sin to God never from God to sin that which is appointed in way of Providence to take off the resistance of the corrupt heart against God and our crossness to him that in reason cannot make way for any resistance or crossness against him to convince the soul. He that truly sorrowes for his departure from God as contrite sinners do he is driven nearer to God but never departs away from him by his sorrow And therefore he that by reason of the horror of his heart is hurried and carried to the commission of sin in his ordinary course he never truly found the burden of sin for common sence wil teach men that hath any consideration about him he that is truly sensible of his burden and in earnest willing to be freed from it wil not purposely and willingly ad to his burden He that is 〈◊〉 God should take away his distemper he wil not go away from God that so he may keep his distemper he went away sorrowful sayes the text therefore his sorrow was worldly causing death he went away to his own ruin Achitophel to the rope Judas to the gallowes Cain to the Land of Nod the knife the pit being hideous sins comes from a sorrow that chooseth sin before misery not from a sorrow that burdens with sin more than misery and therefore he never puts an end to his cryes before he sees an end of his sins As a man oppressed and crushed under his burden and hath no power to help himself and none by to succor him heark how he cryes help help and never ceaseth to cry help till he dyes Again he is not satisfyed in haveing any thing but deliverance from sin by Christ If nothing but a Christ can ease and deliver him nothing but he can satisfy him it 's certain if any thing cured thee besides a Savior something wounded thee and troubled thee besides sin thou hast been in horror of heart anguish and perplexity of spirit in the very flames of hell and under the fiercness of the fury of the Almighty and now the terror is 〈◊〉 and trouble is over quieted and eased healed and comforted but how comest thou by quiet and comfort how healed how recovered did time and continuance were it away thy pleasures and delights remove it did thy prayers perfourmances put in bale upon thy Conscience and thou stoppest the mouth of it with this thou hast seen confessed resolved or doft thou lick thy self whol by thy reformations thou hast not been put beyond thy shifts by the Almighty thou hast made a shift to pray it out weep it out fast it out when those fayl shifted it off by thy promises and vowes and resolutions and so 〈◊〉 sa west an absolute need of a Christ nor what it was to be brought to him but hast made a shift to scramble it out It 's certain as the Lord lives and thy soul lives thou never knewest what sorrow for sin meant or conversion meant or Christ or Salvation meant to this very day It was that which Paul speaks of himself 3. Phil. 8. 9. That I may win Christ and be found in him c. his brokenness of heart and sorrow for sin did in a restless way drive him thither he could not be satisfyed without Christ. The Reasons of the Point Because this sorrow is onely true God accounts it and the Saints Sinners shal so find it Al other sorrowes what ever pretences or appearances are put upon them they are in truth but counterfeit and false and men wil fail in their hopes and fal short of their ends and expectations that trust thereunto they are not of the right make nor have they the right stamp of the spirit of contrition upon them sorrow for the shame that befals the punishment that pincheth and lyes heavy wrath and vengeance that scorcheth the Conscience though this is good in his place as it makes way for another yet if it go no further men fal short of this work and in the end of their comforts also This is in the way but he that sits down here wil never come to his end untimely travels 〈◊〉 untimely births this we must do but this is not al and if we find no more our sorrow is no true sorrow Truth ever carryes conformity to the nature of the thing the palate that rasts a thing truly it 〈◊〉 it as it is bitter things as bitter he sees a thing truly that sees it as it is But he that shal tast 〈◊〉 things sweet he that shal cal black blew we say it and sence 〈◊〉 it he is deceived So here he that finds the burden of the punishment and feels his plagues heavier than his sins he doth not feel things as they are nor passeth a righteous judgment upon them according to their 〈◊〉 for it hath appeared hath been proved that the least sin weigheth down the heaviest plague The heart tasts evils as the stomack tasts meat if thy sin be less than thy miseries thy mouth is out of tast It was that which he charged upon Job Job 36. 21. thou hast chosen sin rather than affliction Because without this sorrow the heart can never be separated from his darling corruption the league betwixt the soul and sin cannot be broken and dissolved Happily there may arise some brabbles and slighty quarrels betwixt the heart of a sinner and his distempers but that there should be a real divorce without this sorrow rightly set on it is impossible for its open to every mans experience that which is sweet pleasant to the soul that wherein it finds content it wil never cast away love and delight are affections of union where things appear pleasant there is no cause of parting sorrow and 〈◊〉 are affections of separation unless the Lord therefore take off these pleasing contents and imbitter the baseness and filth of his lusts unto the soul and force him to feel them as such to be the bane of the soul he wil 〈◊〉 part company therefore it is these go together when wickedness 〈◊〉 sweet he 〈◊〉 it spares it and forsakes it not things that are sweet the stomack holds them they must be bitter and then it vomits them happily a sinner may wrangle for a turn and fal out with his distempers because they do him some unkindnesses 〈◊〉 his commodity or ease c. but they wil fal in hand pat if there be no further ground of 〈◊〉 and forget al those unkindnesses Luk. 23. 34. the wicked wil rather loose his life than his rayling distemper The Dog returnes to his 〈◊〉 because he loved not the pain of his 〈◊〉 he casts out the vomit yet because he loved the 〈◊〉 he returns to his vomit again yea 〈◊〉 is not restrained by his terror from his sin but is acted by
conceive much less endure First Thy Case to common Reason leaving secret things to God seems past cure it 's a great suspicion the day of Grace is over the date of mercy past the period of Gods Patience come to an end all means have been used and conclusions tryed with thee the invincible stiffness of thy Spirit hath won the day thou hast tried Masteries with all means Law and Gospel Promises 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 the unconquerable hardness of thy heart hath out-bid all Dispensations thou art Cannon proof Law proof Gospel proof Threatning proof there is no other means of good in Heaven or Earth and thou art worse by them all which are provided to better others and have so done without means thou hast no reason to think that God wil work and thou hast had the try al of al and thou art beyond 〈◊〉 in thy stifness and therefore beyond all helps in an ordinary way Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved 〈◊〉 his heart shall be destroyed and that without remedy he that casts away the salve that should cure him spils the Physick that should recover him casts away the meat that should nourish him how should he be either cured or supported There are no Commands that awe no Promises perswade no Terrors awaken then there is no Remedy He must be deluded that opposeth the Wisdom that only can guide him he must be cursed that resists the mercy that only can save him he must be damned that 〈◊〉 upon the blood of Jesus that only would redeem him there is no other Remedy no other Name but the Name of Jesus wherby men must be saved Acts 4. 12. Nay not only means fail him but God himself seems to forsake Gen. 6. 3. My Spirit shall not alwaies strive with man He hath striven by his Terrors by his Mercies striven and laid hold upon thee by heart-breaking 〈◊〉 Turn ye why will ye die turn ye and cause others to return and so iniquity shall not be your ruin Ezek. 33. 11. Oh that there were such a heart in them to fear me alwaies that it might be well with them Deut. 5. 29. but thou hast wound away from Gods hand and forsaken him and he hath forsaken thee there is Word and Promises but no God in them Terrors and 〈◊〉 but no God in them Thou art without God and art thou not then without hope When the throws of a travelling Woman leave her her life leaves her So here It 's said of a company of Despisers of Christ That they 〈◊〉 him again unto themselves Heb. 6. 6. When they resist one Christ and resist that Salvation that hath been offered either they must have another Christ or he anew crucified if ever they be saved So there must be a new Christ and new Scriptures before such miserable wretches can be relieved the Blood of Jesus the Spirit and Promises of Jesus Grace and Salvation hath been tendered to these stubborn-hearted and they have opposed and cast all away either there must be another Christ or he must die again All the Commands and Comforts in the Word all the Rules and Directions 〈◊〉 and Counsels have been used and tryed without any profit and prevailing power therefore there must be another Covenant 〈◊〉 and Scriptures if thou beest saved that 's incredible therefore the other impossible 〈◊〉 can ye escape that neglect so great Salvation Heb. 2. 2. I appeal to your selves You will go from the Law to the Gospel from justice to mercy but whither wil you go when you have departed away from mercy and mercy is departed away from you Thy judgment hastens thou canst not not escape it nor prevent it and truly it's coming more speedily and suddenly then thou art awar of Thou bringest upon thy self swift destruction though thou sleepest yet thy damnation sleeps not Hebr. 6. 8. the earth that often receives rain from heaven and yet brings forth thorns is near unto cursing look every day that God should curse al thy comforts thy out-goings and thy in-comings Prov. 28. 14. He that bardens his heart fals into mischief fals into it and is overwhelmed with it al of a sudden he may fal into any tempration he opposeth that counsel that should preserve him falls into sins he casts away that grace and resists that spirit that should strengthen him nay being past feeling such a one wil run to commit al wickedness with greediness Eph. 4. 19. Hell and Divills and 〈◊〉 are let loose upon such the light of nature evidence of reason dictates of of Conscence authority of the law terrors of judgments intreaties of mercies the hard heart hath cast away al these and therefore rusheth into what evil comes next against Conscience command reason sence nature men put of the principles not of humanity but of sence and become more base than the beasts themselves do that which beasts wil not do and morality is ashamed to speak As the ship when the anchors are broke and cable cut and a mighty tempest arises she is wholly left to the rage of wind and weather When men harden their hearts God swears they shal never enter into his rest Hebr. 3. last Ground of COMFORT to support the sincking spirits of broken hearted sinners when they seem to faint under the fierce displeasure of the Almighty and to be 〈◊〉 with the unsupportable weight of the wickedness of their own souls which they are neither able to avoid nor 〈◊〉 to undergo Here hence is matter of sound refreshing both to the parties that are the patients and bear 〈◊〉 bitterness and burden of their sorrow to their friends who as spectators do mourn with them and are affected with a fellow feeling of the evil of that which they find experimentally let me speak a word severally to them both Know therefore to thy comfort thou distressed soul this sorrow and anguish which now oppresseth thee it s not unto death nay it s the onely way and means to deliver from death from the death of sin and that security in which thou lyeft without either sence of thy misery or the least appearance and possibility of deliverance from the death everlasting of thy soul unto which thou wast hastening amain As it is with a dead body when with rubbing chafing and pouring in of hot waters there is some kind of warmth coming and overspreading the parts there is good hope the soul is again returning the man reviving again It s so in this spiritual quickening of a soul dead in sin stone dead stiff insensible of the distempers that lodge within him take possession of the whol frame of the inward man as stif coldness takes possession of a dead body when the Lord begins to affect the sinner und makes throughly sensible with Godly sorrow by rubbing and chafing in of sharp reproofs and passionate exhortations there is a kind of spiritual warmth coming into the soul and certain evidence like a harbenger or immediate
forerunner of life and 〈◊〉 which wil undoubtedly take up their 〈◊〉 in the soul he that goes in the vally of tears he 〈◊〉 on comfortably because he goes in the right way to Zion they shal go weeping and mourning with their faces toward Zion 〈◊〉 50. 4. this is the guise and the way of such who are travailing towards the holy land Immanuels Land the land of Promise they may be content to bear the hardness of the way when they are sure to attain the end of their journey the salvation of their souls that wil pay the charges and recompence the labor and quit cost in the issue it 's the travellers conclusion that carries them through the harshest way they meet withal he hath never an il day that hath a good night and when he finds the marks of the way that are given him the directions that are suggested to discover his approach to his own home that makes him 〈◊〉 al the rest as happily they may be to this purpose 〈◊〉 you are passed so many dayes journey you shal come 〈◊〉 last to a most tedious and heavy way and deep waters such as you must be forced to swim can feel and find no bottom yet if you keep the right causey there is no danger at al It 's a sad way but sate and then know you may you are nearer home 〈◊〉 danger is past and the worst is over ye are within sight of your own house when the traveller who hath taken these directions and retaynes his marks in his mind when he finds that by experience which hath formerly been spoken the way mervailous heavy tedious he sticks fast in the mire and clay anon the waters are so deep that he feels no bottom he remembers and concludes now I know where I am I am sure I am in the right way and certainly near home this makes him devour al the difficulties wet and weary he feels he fears nothing he thinks of nothing but his wife wil welcome him his children rejoyce in him his friends refresh and accompany him there he shal take up his lodging and refresh his weary nature so here in thy spiritual travel when the weight 〈◊〉 thy sins which of al other is the heaviest the loss of a God and his favor and presence which are depths and floods of distress which come even to the soul there thou findest no bottom they are unsufferable unsupportable then lift up thy head know this is the right way to Christ and thou near home even within the ken of the Promise of eternal life Thou wilt come immediately to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant thy head and husband who wil wipe awayal tears from thine eyes who wil embrace and welcome thee in the armes of his mercy thee into the bosom and bowels of his love rejoyce over thee with everlasting joy come thou mourning weary and weatherbeaten sinner I have wept for thee and died for thee and prayed for thee and looked many a long look for that distressed soul Oh be humbled be estranged and divorced from thy lusts when wil it once be Oh welcome though come weary and tired no sooner there arrived but the spirit of comfort shal poure peace into thy Conscience which passeth al understanding joy unspeakable and glorious al the first born of God they wil come about thee and be glad to enjoy thy fellowship and the innumerable company of Angels wil sing Hallelujahs in heaven peace on earth and good wil towards men God and Christ Heaven and Earth Men and Angels rejoyce in thee and thy condition and why may est not thou be refreshed in it There is no other way whereby God can according to covenant convey spiritual good to thee no other way whereby thou eanst receive it Be therefore forever comforted in thy condition God must cut if he cure thee of a stony heart God must wound that secure and careless soul of thine if ever he heale it so himself professeth it is the method he takes in relieving the misery and distressed and sinful condition of a son of Adam Isa. 19. 22. The Lord shal smite Egipt and shal heal it and they shal return to the Lord and be wil be entrated of them and he wil heal them Oh but my terrors have been many formerly but never as now passing strength my burdens were 〈◊〉 before but never such as now beyond al extremity above al the ability I have beyond al possibility I can conceive to endure and not to dy under them in everlasting discouragement never to look for any good Therefore thy comfort never so near as now As in child-birth so in this new birth the stronger and sharper the throwes the more speedy and successeful the deliverance As it is in the cure of an old festered sore al the while it breaks and runs there is some ease but there is yet no cure while the core remains when that is pressed out though it be with much pain and extremity yet then the healing comes on with most speed When thy sorrowes have seized upon thee and thou hast breathed out thy sighs and complaints to God there hath happly been some ease Oh but there was a core of some bosom lust or corruption that lay within and yet not loosened and dislodged and there is no perfect cure or healing wil befal so long as that remaines and there must be much pressing much struggling by word and paryer before that wil part and when thy heart parts from that know undoubtedly health and Salvation and comfort is near Comfort Alas what do ye speak to me of comfort who am unfit and unworthy nor have any right unto it Light is sowen for the righteous and joy for them that are upright in heart yea but they have it hardly for whom it was prepared even planted and sown of purpose it 's their harvest let them reap it and receive it But what have I to do with it to put my sickle into anothers corn who am a sinful unrighteous wretched creature Not onely the righteous who by the power of grace can subdue sin but even the mourners in Sion who by the spirit are burthened with their sins these I say have allowance and that from God to share in this comfort Blessed are they that mourn they shal be comforted Math. 5. 3. thou Sayest thou art not thou findest none for the present be it so that is not in the promise but it's sure enough thou shalt be that is sufficient God wil make thee stay for it and beg for it and prize it before it come that thou mayest be thankful for it when it comes it shal be in Gods time and in due time and if thou wouldst have it before know thou art not sit to receive nor God willing to bestow thou hast it not in hand but its 〈◊〉 in hope it wil be and wil not fail and the reversion of it
to maintain the practice or 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 scandalous and wicked but layes open 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the bitter root of those base distempers out of which those evils were brooded and brought 〈◊〉 they are the cause of al and worse 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 together with those by ends and base 〈◊〉 and those 〈◊〉 a 〈◊〉 that 〈◊〉 ed the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lord what ever aggravating circumstances hath any weight in the apprehension of the soul it sets 〈◊〉 al the scandal wil apparently argue these and a wise 〈◊〉 christian wil 〈◊〉 al these in their working and a sincere heart desires to take most shame 〈◊〉 these and therefore is ful in the confession so David goes to the root of those 〈◊〉 miscarriages even 〈◊〉 sin and his accursed contrivements to give content to his lusts and therefore he complaines of that Psal. 51. 3. 4. thou lovest truth in the inward parts and the truth I have despised and opposed This is to be attended as another thing in the comparison to pour out the heart like water in acknowledgments there is nothing that remains behind as there is in oyl and those kind of things that be of a more tenacious disposition This was eminent in the acknowledgment of the holy Apostle 1 Tim. 1. 13. I was a blasphemer a persecuter and injurious but I did it ignorantly through unbelief not to lessen his evil but that he might look to the bottom of it A true contrite 〈◊〉 deals with these hid treasures of evil as 〈◊〉 did with the treasures of his house to the Babylonish 〈◊〉 Isa. 39. 4. then said Isaiah what 〈◊〉 they 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 answered al that 〈◊〉 in my house there is nothing in 〈◊〉 treasures that I have not shewed them so it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a simple hearted convert he wil turn the inside of his heart outward there wil be nothing amongst the hid treasures of iniquity when he is called to confession that he wil not nakedly present 〈◊〉 God and the world and that without stickage without demurs and 〈◊〉 he wil not cut off his 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 as though his heart 〈◊〉 for what he had 〈◊〉 but 〈◊〉 open the floodgate to the ful that he may leave nothing behind that he may fully and plainly see the bottom he is ready to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 frame of 〈◊〉 as 〈◊〉 were wrought 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 heart that so he 〈◊〉 dissolve 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and undo the web and work of 〈◊〉 and therefore he wil tel you my 〈◊〉 you 〈◊〉 and the world knowes it hath been scandalous my carriage loathsom Oh but my heart in that sin was worse than my carriage the pride and malice perversness and 〈◊〉 of mine own heart carried me by main force against many checks of my Conscience and in ward misguidings to that practice to serve mine own distempered lusts and when it was done and discerned to be scandalous the invincible 〈◊〉 of mine own heart would not suffer me to stoop to the evidence of the truth but I set carnal reason on work that since I could not deny it were done yet I might put color construction some meaning and interpretation upon it that it might appear to be done lawfully at the utmost that it was onely a mistake and out of ignorance which the most able and exact is incident unto And al this was with reluctance and against mine own 〈◊〉 therefore if I found any that were easy and favorable and were ready to be carryed away with some 〈◊〉 appearances to those I often repayred to them I complained and professed my simplicity and yet willingness to see that so I might screw my self into their affections to pity me and so to be unwilling to hear any thing against my person or cause and 〈◊〉 the man speaks honestly and means plainly I wish there may be no prejudice and then sat I in counsel with my own corrupt heart and mind how to carry the frame of the buisiness in the fayrest pretence I plotted how I might make an escape and wind away from such evidences and expressions which pinched most narrowly and there I would put in some word or else 〈◊〉 they were spoken to some other end or start up some new occasson to 〈◊〉 the discourse another way and to another thing and made them loose the pursuit of that which indeed pinched and thus I committed many evils in the defending of one and broke many rules under prtence of making up one breach but from these wretched grounds to these wicked ends in this disorderly manner by a plotted kind of studied villany I have wronged God the truth my profession my 〈◊〉 mine own soul this is my wretched disposition I would see and say the worst of it c. this is as I said to 〈◊〉 the clew of a wretched course that he may see the end and utmost of it So to lance the sore that the core may come out from the bottom and then the cure wil undoubtedly follow which cannot be so attayned as long as it continues Sometimes persons that want bouldness and ability cannot so fully open themselves in publick alwayes yet the frame of their spirits and expressions wil ever aym at such a thing to the apprehension of such as have any spiritual eye salve about them because their confessions 〈◊〉 ever minted out of their own hearts and the loathsomness of such evils wherewith they are and have been loaded But for a man that comes to confess his evil to forget the main evil he came to confess is such a heavy hand of God to discover a counterfeit confession that it would make a moral man that had but understanding about him sit down confounded under the 〈◊〉 curse of Gods displeasure and the right consideration of the 〈◊〉 of his heart And this is the second ingredient into a serious confession it must be ful the whol compas is contained 〈◊〉 these two particulars that I may sum up that shortly which hath been largely spoken 1. Ful in regard of relation of the things My sonsayes Joshua give Glory to God and tel me what thou hast done bide nothing from me Jos. 7. 19. 2. Ful in regard of opposition of the heart the 〈◊〉 fully relates al the heart fully opposeth al sets it self wholly to drag al to the place of judgment and see execution done upon al As it were said in the law and enjoyned to him that should discover a brother or a friend that inticed to Idolatry his eye should not pity nor his hand spare but he should fling the first stone at him so here in 〈◊〉 we should bring out al our distempers yet they may receive the sentence of Condemnation neither should I pity nor your hearts spare but see execution upon them that I may take away evil to confess is to speak as God doth to speak together with him to see sin to sentence sin as the Lord doth To make a ful relation of a sin and yet the heart to maintain
the lusts of men and the will of the Gentiles yea fulfil the desires of the flesh and walk after the Prince of the Air. Eph. 2. 2. As a man cannot turn himself so this first Aversion from sin and the Creature is not wrought by any gracious habit that is put into the soul by the Lord i. e. That is not the way and means by which this first Aversion and turning from sin is wrought And the Reasons are First All gracious qualities and habits as all other accidents and attendants upon things never have any being but in a subject and therefore must first be there before they can put forth any operation Wisdom must first be in the mind before a man can act wisely Skil must be in the Head and Understanding of the Artificer before he can work build and plant skilfully Holiness Righteousness Patience in our Hearts before we can work holily patiently and that 's the Reason though we have the same faculties of mind and wil before our Conversion as we have after yet we neither do nor can put forth any gracious action before but after Grace Hence it follows That if the first Aversion from sin were wrought by a habit of Grace we should first have this i. e. The Habit of Grace should be in the soul before it should work this Aversion of the soul from sin but that implies a contradiction that a man should have Grace and yet be wholly averted from God for the least moment Secondly If the soul be uncapable in that condition and under that consideration to receive the Habit of Grace then there cannot be a gracious habit in the soul to work any thing but while the soul is wholly possessed and acted by sin it is not capable of a gracious habit no more than it 's possible to be in light and darkness together The wisdom of the Flesh is enmity against God it is not subject nay it cannot be subject to the Law if not subject then it cannot receive the gracious impressions of it Rom. 8. 7. and John 14. 17. it 's said of the Comforter that the world cannot receive him the issue is if a gracious Habit neither is nor can be there in the soul wholly possessed and averted from God by sin then this Aversion from sin cannot be wrought by it Though the Lord doth not put a gracious habit INTO the Soul by which this may be done yet the Spirit of Contrition puts forth an irresistible power by which it works UPON the Soul thus turned from God to sin to return it from sin to God For the Spirit in the Work of Application sustains a double Office and so a double Respect As a Spirit Assisting As a Spirit Inhabiting And yet the same Spirit of Regeneration in such as shall be saved taking Regeneration in the breadth thereof including the whol Work though the operation be double or divers according to the diversity of the subject as the soul of a sinner upon which the work of Application must be made according to the degrees thereof The Spirit works upon the Soul in Preparation to make way for gracious habits but never inhabits the heart makes the soul a Temple without some gracious qualisication 1 Cor. 6. 18 19. Ye are the Temples of the holy Ghost Christ dwels in our hearts by Faith Eph. 3. 17. there is the Spirit inhabiting yet it is said The world cannot receive the Spirit because they do not see him nor know him but you know him for he dwels in you and abides with you John 14. 17. yet those who are nothing for the while but the world the Spirit doth work upon such to cal them out of the world by turning of them from darkness to light The Lord Christ as the Second Adam and the Head of those whom he shal bring back and beget unto God the Father in the vertue of his death he brings a Release from under the hand of Divine Justice to reverse that Commission which sin and Satan had to fasten the soul to the Creature and so to sin and by sin and the Creature to rule in it For when Adam jarred and justled against the Law the Law was strong and hard i. e. just the Law and the Lord in Justice pushed Adam away from him sin takes occasion to fall in and by that advantage when Divine Justice by reason of his provocation pushed him away it carries him to the Creature and the Devil by sin and the Creature challengeth Soveraignty over him The Lord Jesus by and in the vertue of his death suffering and satisfying Divine Justice delivers both himself and his from the Authority of sin God raised him from the Grave because it was impossible be should be held by the sorrows and power of the grave and therefore not by the power of sin and darkness Acts 2. 24. for they had no power but by vertue of Divine Justice which being now appeased their Commission is reversed and repealed By Death Christ destroyed him that had the power of Death that is the Devil Heb. 2. 14. So our Savior gives the ground of comfort and release to his I was dead and 〈◊〉 alive and behold I have the keyes of Hell and Death Rev. 1. 18. The Lord saies to sin hands off that soul is mine and doth therefore by the power of his Spirit not only stop the work-of sin but over-bears and abolisheth and takes off the right of Rule which Satan by sin challenged he brings the soul off from the Soveraignty of sin into another Jurisdiction The Lord having forced the sinner whereof I formerly disputed to feel sin as it is sin to be cross to the end of his being though not to the corruption of the soul yet to the Nature of the soul and therefore as it 's possible that the soul may be forced to 〈◊〉 so now upon feeling the soul finds it to be a most bitter thing and that unto the being of the soul as an immortal Creature made next for God as its last end And therefore Observe though it want Spiritual and Supernatural ability to enter into combate or vanquish a corruption by any Grace received yet being sensible by the Spirit of Contrition of the evil of it and so loosened from it it becomes subject stands readily prepared to 〈◊〉 any impression of the power of the Spirit whereby the exercise and power of sin may be stopped the challenge of any right of Rule and Soveraignty may be shaken off and for ever destroyed and the soul be carried to God in Christ to be owned ruled and blessed for ever So that when Christ as the Second Adam and Head of the Covenant comes to take a soul and to 〈◊〉 him from sin to God the Father look by what irresistable power he acts in opposition and 〈◊〉 against it as cross to his Glory the soul wanting power of its own it takes advantage to fall in
the vulgar Herbs of this Nation wherein is shewed how to cure a mans self of most Diseases incident to Mans Body with such things as grow in England and for three pence charge Also in the same Book is shewed 1 The time of gathering all Herbs both Vulgarly and Astrologically 2 The way of drying and keeping them and their Juyces 3 The way of making and keeping all manner of useful Compounds made of those Herbs The way of mixing the Medicines according to the Cause and Mixture of the Disease and the part of the Body afflicted 5 A Directory for Midwives or a Guide for Women Newly enlarged by the Author in every sheet and Illustrated with divers new Plates 6 Galen's Art of Physick with a large Comment 7 A New Method both of studying and practising Physick 8 A Treatise of the Rickets being a Disease common to Children wherein is shewed 1 The Essence 2 The Causes 3 The Signs 4 The Remedies of the Disease Published in Latin by Dr. Glisson Dr. Bate and Dr. Regemorter translated into English And corrected by N. 〈◊〉 A Godly and Fruitful Exposition on the first Epistle of Peter By Mr. John Rogers Minister of the Word of God at Dedham in Essex The Wonders of the Load-stone By Samuel Ward of Ipswitch An Exposition on the Gospel of the Evangelist St. Matthew By Mr. Ward Clows Chyrurgery Marks of Salvation Christians Engagement for the Gospel by John Goodwin Great Church Ordinance of Baptism Mr. Love's Case containing his Petitions Narrative and Speech Vox Pacifica or a perswasive to peace Dr. Prestons Saints submission and Satans Overthrow Pious Mans Practice in Parliament Time Mr. Symsons Sermon at Westminster Mr. Feaks Sermon before the Lord Major Mr. Phillips Treatise of Hell of Christs Genealogy Eaton on the Oath of Allegiance and Covenant shewing that they oblidge not Eleven Books of Mr. Jeremiah Burroughs lately published As also the Texts of Scripture upon which they are grounded 1 The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment on Phil. 4. 11. Wherein is shewed 1 What Contentment is 2 It is an Holy Art and Mystery 3 The Excellencies of it 4 The Evil of the contrary sin of Murmuring and the Aggravations of it 2 Gospel Worship on Levit. 10. 3. Wherein is shewed 1 The right manner of the Worship of God in general and particularly In Hearing the Word Receiving the Lords Supper and Prayer 3 Gospel Conversation on Phil. 1. 17. Wherein is shewed 1 That the Conversations of Beleevers must be above what could be by the Light of Nature 2 Beyond those that lived under the Law 3 And sutable to what Truths the Gospel holds forth To which is added The Misery of those men that have their Portion in this Life only on Psal. 17. 14. 4 A Treatise of Earthly-Mindedness Wherein is shewed 1 What Earthly-mindedness is 2 The great Evil thereof on Phil. 3. part of the 19. Verse Also to the same Book is joyned A Treatise of 〈◊〉 and Walking with God on Gen. 5. 24. and on Phil. 3. 20. 5 An 〈◊〉 on the fourth fifth sixth and seventh Chapters of the Prophesie of Hosea 6 An Exposition on the eighth ninth and tenth Chapters of Hosea 7 An 〈◊〉 on the eleventh twelfth and thirteenth Chapters of Hosea being now compleat 8 The Evil of Evils 〈◊〉 the 〈◊〉 Sinfulness of Sin on Job 36. 21. 9 Precious Faith on 2 Pet. 1. 1. 10 Of Hope on 1 John 3. 3. 11 Of 〈◊〉 by Faith on 2 Cor. 5. 7. Twelve several Books of Mr. William Bridge Collected into one Volumn Viz. 1 The Great Gospel Mystery of the Saints Comfort and Holiness opened and applied from Christs Priestly Office 2 Satans Power to Tempt and Christs Love to and Care of His People under Temptation 3 Thankfulness required in every Condition 4 Grace for Grace or the Overflowing of Christs Fulness received by all Saints 5 The Spiritual Actings of Faith through Natural Impossibilities 6 Evangelical Repentance 7 The Spiritual Life and In-being of Christ in all Beleevers 8 The Woman of Canaan 9 The Saints Hiding-place in time of Gods Anger 10 Christs Coming is at our Midnight 11 A Vindication of Gospel Ordinances 12 Grace and Love beyond Gifts A Congregational Church is a Catholick Visible Church By Samuel Stone in New England A Treatise of Politick Powers wherein seven Questions are Answered 1 Whereof Power is made and for what ordained 2 Whether Kings and Governors have an Absolute Power over the People 3 Whether Kings and Governors be subject to the Laws of God or the Laws of their Countrie 4 How far the People are to obey their Governors 5 Whether all the people have be their Governors 6 Whether it be Lawful to depose an evil Governor 7 What Confidence is to be given to Princes The 〈◊〉 Samaritan Dr. Sibbs on the Philippians The Best and Worst Magistrate By 〈◊〉 Sedgwick The Craft and Cruelty of the Churches Adversaries By Matthew Newcomen A Sacred Penegerick By 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Barriffs Military Discipline The Immortality of Mans Soul The Anatomist Anatomized King Charls his Case or an Appeal to all Rational Men concerning his Tryal Mr. Owens stedfastness of the Promises A Vindication of Free Grace Endeavoring to prove 1 That we are not elected as holy but that we should be holy and that Election is not of kinds but persons 2 That Christ did not by his Death intend to save all men and touching those whom he intended to save that he did not die for them only if they would beleeve but that they might beleeve 3 That we are not justified properly by our beleeving in Christ but by our Christ beleeving in him 4 that which differenceth one man from another is not the improvement of a common ability restored through Christ to all men in general but a principle of Grace wrought by the Spirit of God in the Elect. By John Pawson Six Sermons preached by Doctor Hill Viz. 1 The Beauty and Sweetness of an Olive 〈◊〉 of Peace and Brotherly Accommodation budding 2 Truth and Love happily married in the Church of Christ. 3 The Spring of strengthening Grace in the Rock of Ages Christ Jesus 4 The strength of the Saints to make Jesus Christ their strength 5 The Best and Worst of Paul 6 Gods eternal preparation for his Dying Saints The Bishop of Canterbury's Speech on the Scaffold The King's Speech on the Scaffold The Magistrates Support and Burden By Mr. John Cordel The Discipline of the Church in New England by the Churches and Synod there A Relation of the Barbadoes A Relation of the Repentance and Conversion of the Indians in New-England By Mr. Eliot and Mr. 〈◊〉 The History of Monstross and his Actions for 〈◊〉 the First His passions for Charles the Second King of Scots The Institutes of the Laws of England by John Cowel Octavo A description of the Grand Signiors Seraglio or the Turkish Emperors Court By John Greaves Octavo The reigning error Arraigned at the Bar of scripture and
the parts and proportions of wickedness as in 〈◊〉 womb a mans practice doth but like the Midwife bring them into the world into open view it makes the evil appear but evil in the very hainousness was there before Nay the Mind hath not a hand in the plotting only of al these evils but it puts forth a special power in the execution of the works which otherwise would be at a stand The mind doth not only conceive but it travels for deliverance and brings it forth into action that is the meaning of the place which carries both depth of difficulty and excellency in it Isai. 5. 18. There is a Generation which draw iniquity with cords of vanity and sin as it were with Cart-ropes We wil open two things here 1. What these Cords and Cart-ropes are 2. How they draw First Cords are Counsels false pleas forged and plausible pretences which are ordered and contrived as though they were twisted together as a Cord strongly to perswade and prevail and they are Cords of vanity which the vanity and misguided apprehension of carnal 〈◊〉 hath twisted Cart-ropes have the same sence only with this aggravation it implies more strength and subtilty the most sedulous contrivements the most subtil and restless underminings of colorable excuses that may take off al the strength of argument that oppose the way 〈◊〉 inconvenience that might hinder the work so that they carry al before them Thus God is said to 〈◊〉 the Cords of the wicked Psal. 129. 4. when they drew their Plow over the backs of the righteous To draw iniquity is by the strength of cunning contrivements the greatest subtilty of the most fained pretences that carnal Reason can coin by these I say prevailingly to perswade and carry even without fear or opposition to the practice of sin that is to draw c. that look when the Load is at a stand and the Cart at a stall they set more force to it and draw it out notwi hstanding al 〈◊〉 and resistance to the contrary So here Thus the unjust Steward Luke 16. 3 4. he said within himself I am resolved what to do Thus the Harlot when the yong man seemed not willing to listen to her first Allurements but came on heavily she put to her Cart-rope and plucked him by force Prov. 7. 14. 21. See the contrivings of her carnal reasonings as the twistings of so many Cords to make even a Cart-rope to hale him with a kind of violence to this villany Arguments she 〈◊〉 to perswade him impediments she removes that may hinder him Her Arguments are subtil and secretly contrived she pretends which is not common amongst Harlots her Profession yea serious practice of Relsgion she had Peace-offerings with her that is the remainders of them and so provision and that in a plentiful manner for her support and that which was more then she had offered her free-will Offerings that of purpose she came to meet him that God in providence had put the opportunity into her hands Lo I have found thee and that al conveniences and contents are fitted at home As touching any inconveniency that might be suspected or feared that coast is cleer the good man is not at home and thus she 〈◊〉 him with false pretences So the Prophet declares the prevailing power of carnal Reasonings that they carry a man uncontroulably in his course that he cannot be stopped Isai. 50. last Hence it is the wise man passeth Sentence of a mans estate by the common rode of his thoughts As the mind is the man is as the frame and constant stirring of the heart so is his estate and condition Prov. 12. 2. A good man obtaineth favor of the Lord but a man of wicked devices will he condemn because such a man is an ungodly man who must not look to find favor with him or acceptance from him Again Look we at the large extent of this spiritual wickedness of the mind which cannot be bounded the unavoidableness of it it cannot be prevented and in both we shall see and be forced to confess the aggravation of this evil There is a compass wherein a mans words and actions may be confined a man cannot vent the venom of his words or express his poysonous and wretched practices amongst all men not amongst many many times but there are no limits nor bounds to be set to the thoughts of a mans mind or the lusts and desires of the heart Were a man never so ful of malice and hatred he cannot murder many happily he dare not adventure upon one but yet his mind can plot and his heart desire and both privily assent and approve the the destruction of many millions yea most of the world at one clap as the Tyrant that wished that al in Rome had but one neck that he might cut it off at a blow Herein is the extent of the murder of the mind this may be multiplied and acted every hour of the day and each minute of an hour The Adulterous mate hath not liberty and it may be not possibility to satisfie his lust by commission of it with one whom his heart is 〈◊〉 after yet he can lust after her and many thousands more and the thoughts of the mind can inwardly conceit the villany 〈◊〉 give assent to it and this is the Adultery of the heart this may be acted and continued each moment of the day So that there is an endless boundless kind of infinitness in this evil of the mind it meets with an infinite God and so swerves in an infinite manner from him Again in an ordinary course and look at the power of the Creature it cannot be stopped nor hindred we may gag the tongue manacle the hands fetter the feet and so prevent their actions yet in al places at al times upon al occasions in al companies let all men do what they can the thoughts will be working and the affections of the heart stirring after such evils as they be addicted to As the evils of our whol course have their rise and cause from our thoughts so are they nourished also hereby Our imaginations are the womb where wickedness is conceived So are they also the breasts and dugs where they are maintained and nursed up the sinews of the strength of our distempers lie in the lustings of our mind and heart when the soul sucks the sweet of a distemper by dayly meditation lies at the dug as it were draws out the Spirits and Quintessence of any noysom lusts and temptations by dayly attendance bestowing his mind and thoughts thereupon whence the soul comes to be incorporated into a lust and wholly under the strength and power of it So that though the evil is not outward and scandalous yet it becomes more hainous in the sight of God as it is in distillations the spirits of Wine and some drops of Chymical Oyl are of more force than a great part of the substance taken in the grossness of its Nature
and do more cheer and quicken and comfort in a cordial manner So it is in the soul by the dayly musing and acting of our thoughts upon the occasion of any corruption presented our Meditation is the distillation which draws out the Spirits of pride or passion or lusts and becomes marvelously confirmed in these and transported by these to our spiritual prejudice they grow strong in us and we under the power of them thus Jonah while he sits down in a muddy distemper and attends the vanity of his own thoughts he rows drunk with his passion so that he neither knows God nor himself not only doing that which is naught but he wil 〈◊〉 that which he doth I do well to be angry unto the death saies he Hence it is the Apostle suggests that Caution Rom. 13. last Make no provision for the flesh the Meditation and musing of our minds is the plentiful provision we make for the welcoming and maintaining of any distemper when we let our thoughts loose to view the compass 〈◊〉 any harsh carriage and injurious dealing we make provision for anger and revenge and the heart comes to be carried with violence of wrath and rage Thus and thus he dealt with me so unkindly so injuriously and that to my disparagement in the presence of such and this sets him al on a flame when we pore upon our infirmities and weaknesses we provide for discouragements and we sit and sink down under them and so strengthen those corruptions that otherwise have received their deaths wounds and would be weakened and wast away As it is with old decayed Bodies which are subject to fainting fits and are ever and anon swooning away the powring in of some Cordial Water wil fetch them up again and ad new strength and cheer The Flesh here is original corruption the old Man which in the Saints is dying away and decaying dayly but our Meditation puts as it were Aqua vitae into the old mans mouth adds vigor afresh and somtimes makes it with violence to prevail Lastly while the swarmes of vain imaginations keep through-fare in our minds and the noysom steems of sinful affections are rising boyling and bubling in our bosomes there is little expectation that the power of any meanes should come in upon the soul or prevayl with it for good the croud of imaginations stop the passage so that there is no comming to speech with the soul the hurries of 〈◊〉 to transport it and take up the whol strength of it that it can neither attend nor stay upon any thing besides 2 Cor. 10. 4. therefore called the strong hould where Satan intrencheth and fortifyeth himself against al the means of Grace 〈◊〉 may cast him out for while the stream of the thoughts are turned another way the ear hears nothing the understanding minds nothing the heart embraceth nothing there is no place or room there and thence it is as our Saviour speaks the word cannot take place in them John 8. 37. therefore the prophets advice to Jerusalem when he would have her clensed and saved he directs her to dislodge her vain thoughts wash thy heart O thou Jerusalem that mayest be saved how 〈◊〉 shal vain thoughts lodg within thee Jer. 4. 14. those vain thoughts are those carnal reasonings whereby the sinner would put bye the authority of the truth that so the sinner might neither see the loathsomness of his sin nor the danger of his estate or the necessity to recover himself out of it and if these thoughts lodg in him there wil be no entertainment for the power of any ordinance or counsel that wil take place with him nor reproof awe nor exhortation perswade he casts out and keeps off any thoughts of any necessity to be washed and so to be saved If then by those vain thoughts thy heart is estranged from God and carryed in 〈◊〉 against him If they be the cause of al sins committed and continued in if the hindrance of al means that might procure our God then is their evil exceeding 〈◊〉 and therefore we should so judg it and so be effected with it Wee come now to speak of a third 〈◊〉 alleadged to excuse sin and to shew the slight 〈◊〉 the soul 〈◊〉 of it viz. suppose the failing was in practice yet because the matter or thing wherin the offence was committed was but SMALL men look at it as a petty business a very trifle not worthy 〈◊〉 taking notice of and therefore account it as an 〈◊〉 of folly and childish weakness to be troubled with so 〈◊〉 a thing or to have the heart deeply affected with it more than the matter deserves and a man in reason should It was but taking of a penny or shilling too much putting off a cracked Commodity without suspicion by slight of hand lazying out a mans time ever seem to be doing and yet do little out-bid a man in a bargain by a wile and he never the wiser these are but tricks of wit matters of no consequence and what needs Conscience be troubled for these a man is 〈◊〉 the worse for them why should he judg the worse of himself or his condition such 〈◊〉 in a mans coat make it never a whit the more unseemly such poore petty things in a mans carriage makes it never a whit the more uncomfortable As the eye of man happily discerns not these things the Law cannot reach them nor the magistrate punish them why should any man punish himself or 〈◊〉 a torment and rack to his Conscience for them The things are little and petty The less the things are more hainous thy fault is and the greater thy guilt as it thus appears The less LOVE thou shewest to the Lord if thou wilt BREAK with him for a trifle Sets the honour of his great name Obedience to his holy Law contentment to his good spirit at so low a rate as that thou wilt dare to justle injuriously against al these for a very shadow which in thine own account is as much as just nothing where there is truth and strength of Love the hardest things seem light and things of the greatest worth little As Jacob served seven years for Rachel and it seemed short and time little because he loved her Gen. 29. 20. Ask me what thou wilt for dowry sayd Shecher Hamors son and I will give it only give me the mayd Gen. 34. 12. Amongst men in ordinary converse which lyes within the compass of humanity he never prizeth a mans friendship or fayor who fayles him in common curtesies and deny their desires or refuse to gratify them in things of no great worth I thought I might have commanded a greater matter at your hands than so but when I see you stick with me for such a trifle there is little love when so little a matter can hinder the work of it A gracious heart wil part with all for Christ and thou wilt part with Christ and his mercy rather than part