true the Saints of God are sometimes discontented and discouraged but when they see it they are content that the Word should worke upon them against it and they complaine of these wretched hearts and when they finde this discontentednesse they quarrell with themselves for it and a good man would even pull out that heart which quarrels against the Word of God and he saith is not this the Word of God by which we must be saved and is not this the power of Christ and shall I be angry with it God forbid But these distempers are naturall in a carnall man and though he be reprooved for a foolish fashion yet hee will hold his corruptions still he puls and the Minister puls the Minister would pull downe his proud heart and take away his corruptions but he will have his pride and foolish fashions and his corruptions still then keepe them and perish with them and know that thou art a wretched man the humble heart contends with his corruptions and sinfull distempers and hee is not quiet therewith As it is with a treason If it be revealed to a Traitor and a good Subject the Traitor keeps it secret but the true Subject reveales it and complaines of the Traitor and the Treason and calles for justice against them so it is with a gracious good heart Hee seeth these cursed distempers and sometimes finds bublings of heart against the Word of God and this shakes his Free-hold yet when a good heart seeeth the Treason he doth not joyne with it but he complaines to the Lord of it and saith Oh treason Lord this vile heart will bee my destruction good Lord reveale it yet more to mee and take away all these corruptions take thou the possession of mee that I may serve thee here and be with thee for ever hereafter Thus much for the use of Examination Vse 3 Is it so that the heart truly humbled and prepared for mercy is content to be at Gods disposing as you have heard then what shall wee say of those that lift up themselves against the Almightie this discovers the fearefull condition of every such Soule It is certaine the haughtie Soule is furthest of all from Salvation how proove you that hee that is furthest of from Humiliation he is furthest of from the beginning of grace here and from perfection afterward the gate of grace is meerely here for except you become as little children that is except you be humbled you cannot enter into the Kingdome of Heaven a proud heart is farre from grace now and from happinesse in the end of his dayes For the discovery of this mans misery let mee lay open foure particulars and I would have my selfe and you to consider them that our proud hearts may be puld downe First Foure degrees of a proud mans misery Pride is professely against God and is the most directly contrary to the whole beeing of God and that in the whole man Indeed Pride opposeth God all sinnes are nothing else but a kinde of crossenesse to the Lord of Hosts and a kinde of thwarting of some Attribute or other in God As falshood crosseth the Truth of God impatience crosseth the patience of God and injustice crosseth the Iustice of God So that these sinnes goe against the Almightie in their measure some against one Attribute some against another but a proud heart smites at the whole Essence and Being of God Nay he doth as much as in him lyeth labour to take God out of the world and he would be God himselfe and have no God but himselfe The Lord doth principally Attribute two things to himselfe which can bee in none but himselfe God is the first of all causes and the last End of all All things were created by him for himselfe He made all by his Will and Wisedome and by his Wisedome and Providence he governes all for himselfe Before any thing was God was and all must returne tribute of praise and thankesgiving to God A man may be like God in Mercy and in Iustice though not so perfectly yet sincerely and a man may be like God in other of his glorious Attributes but God onely is first and last If it bee a creature then it was made but here is the venome of a proud heart he would be first and last He doth all by his owne power and hee will promote his owne praise in all that he doth As the great King Nebuchadnezzar saith Dan. 4.30 Is not this great Babel that I have built by the might of my power I built it there is the first for the honour of my Majestie there was the last So it is not the wisedome and pleasure of God that must stand but his owne proud heart it must not be what God commands but what he would have all of a proud man is against the Almighty The Saints of God have wondered that the Lord is able to beare a proud man that thus out braves God in regard of his speciall prerogatives it is a wonder that God sends not some lightning from heaven and even stamp them to pouder and send them downe packing to hell suddainely I take this to be the sinne of the devills that are now chayned up in eternall darknesse untill the judgement of the great day nay I take this pride of a mans Spirit of his minde his reason his will and affections to bee an other old man of sinne Drunkennesse is a lymme of this old man and so is adultery and other sinnes but pride is as it were the old man it selfe This is the broader the Spawne and the very mother from whence the sinne against the Holy-ghost growes and there wants nothing but the illumination of the truth to come in upon the heart when a mans understanding is enlightned and this Illumination comes upon the heart and hee is violently carried against the truth with indignation this is the sin against the holy ghost 2. Pride opposeth the covenant of grace Secondly as Pride is opposite to God himselfe so it is opposite to the covenant of grace beleive and live for the truth is that which wee call infidelitie and the ingredients of it are pride as the Apostle saith Rom. 3.7.7 Where is boasting then it is excluded by what Law by the Law of workes no but by the Law of faith If there be beleeving then away with carnall reasoning and with pride Therefore I may say by collection if faith exclude all boasting then pride or boasting opposeth the covenant of faith Faith is excluded by this pride of a mans Spirit and by this swelling of heart and the holy Prophet Habakkuk saith Habak 2.4 the Soule that is lifted up himself is not not upright within him hee that swells and bubles up in his heart and puffes up himselfe against the word of God hee hath no upright Spirit within him but the just man shall live by his faith above all see that place in Esay hearken to
when your hearts are hankering after these crazie holds stay them and deale by your hearts as the Lord sometimes did with the people of Iuda In their distresse they did not goe to the Lord but they went to Egypt and Nilus â—eremie 2.18 and therefore the Lord saith unto them What hast thou to doe in the way of Egypt to drinke downe the waters of Nilus c. When they were thus ranging for their owne reliefe in the time of their trouble the Lord as it were cals after them and saith you will downe to Egypt what have you to doe there Deale so by your owne Soules when thou findest thine heart hammering helpe from itselfe and catching it out of the fire thou seest thy sinnes and art troubled and now to quiet all thou wilt heare and pray and performe duties and thus thou thinkest to forge comfort out of thine owne shop therefore call upon thy owne heart and say what hast thou to doe to rest upon these broken staves upon thy praying and hearing and professing these if not accompanied with faith in Christs merits will lay thee in the dust and if thou makest Gods of them the Lord will plucke them away Iudas prayed and preached and heard and received the Sacraments too and yet hee is a divell in hell this day and except thou have more then he had thou wilt be no better then he was and therefore thinke thus with thy selfe what have I to doe to stand here in these duties I may be deluded by these but saved and comforted by them I cannot be therefore use these I will but rest upon them I will not If I could looke up to heaven and speake to Abraham and Paul and David and say how were you saved they would all make answer and say oh away to the Lord Christ it is he that saved us or else we had never come here and he will save you too if you flye to him Therefore brethren bring backe your hearts from these and dreame not to receive any saving succour from what you have or what you doe unlesse you relye on Christ But mee thinkes I heare some say Oh Question it is marvellous difficult and hard wee hang upon every hedge and we are ready to thinke that it is enough if wee can but take up a taske in holy duties How shall we pluck our hearts from resting upon them Answer For the answer to this question suffer mee to answer two things First I will shew the meanes whereby wee may find all these hopeles and helpelesse resting upon them Secondly I will shew when these meanes drive the heart truly to despaire of all succour in them Now that we may find these meanes to bee so to us as they are in themselves and that our Soules may be able to say It is true these are the holy Ordinances of God but it is in vaine to expect any salvation or justification from them alone I say the meanes are mainely foure and I will handle them something largely because if I bee not deceived here is the maine sett of a Christian and herein appeares the root of old Adam we will not part with our selves the meanes are foure First consider seriously with thy selfe and bee convictingly settled and perswaded of the unconceiveable wretchednesse of thy naturall condition If thou canst but see this throughly it will make thee see how vaine it is to look for any succour from thy selfe labour to see the depth of thine own misery because of thy sin and to see how thou hast sunke thy selfe into such a desperate gulfe of misery that all the meanes under heaven will bee short to succour thee unlesse the Lord Iesus come downe from heaven and his infinite power bee let downe to plucke up thy Soule from that misery wherein thou art there thou lyest and there thou art like to perish for ever if God in mercy succour not Now that I may pul down the pride of every vile wretch give mee leave to discover the depth of our miserie in these foure degrees Foure degrees of our misery by nature First consider that by nature thou art wholly deprived of all that abilitie which God formerly gave thee to performe service Whatsoever is borne of the flesh Ioh. 3.6 Rom. 7.18 is flesh saith our Saviour and therefore the Apostle Paul saith I know that in mee that is in my flesh dwells no good thing All men by nature are flesh and therefore thinke thus with thy selfe and say there was never good thought in my heart nor good action done by mee for in mee dwells no spirituall good thing there may bee morall good in us but though we are good morally yet we are nought spiritually howsoever you pranke up your selves and thinke your selves some body yet there is no spirituall good in you unlesse God worke upon your hearts whatsoever you have thought or done is all in vaine Secondly thou art not onely deprived of all spirituall abilitie 2. Degree of our misery Ephes 2.1 but thou art dead in trespasses and sinnes What is that a man is wholly possessed with a body of corruption and the Spawne of all abhomination hath overspread the whole man and it leavens all the whol lump of body and mind You often read this phrase in Scripture but you perceive it not as it is with a dead body being deprived of the Soule which did quicken it and enable it to doe the workes of a reasonable man there comes a kind of sencelesnesse and after that all noysome humours breed in the body and all filthy vermin come from the body and therefore a man may bury it but hee cannot quicken it any more Iust so it is with the Soule that is deprived of the glorious presence of Gods Spirit and grace which Adam had in his innocency For looke what the Soule is to the body the same is the grace of Gods Spirit to the Soule When the Soule is deprived of Gods Spirit there followes a senselesse stupidnesse upon the hart of a man and all noysome lusts abound in the Soule and take possession of it and rule in it and are fed there and appeare in a mans course in this kind There is no carrion in a ditch smels more loathsomely in the nostrills of man then a naturall mans workes doe in the nostrills of the Almightie There are some workes of a dead body it rots and stinkes and consumes so all the workes of a naturall man are dead workes nay all the prayers of the wicked are an abhomination to the Lord. If you can but say over the Lords Prayer you think you do a great piece of worke but though thesr are good in themselves yet because they come from a corrupt heart they are dead and loathsome prayers in the nostrils of the Almightie as the wise man saith Hee that turneth his eare from hearing the Law Prov. 28.9 even his prayer is abhominable The prayers of a drunkard
and reforme thy wayes and blessed be God for what hee hath made thee able to doe but this I must tell thee If thy repentance and reformation be all thy hope and thou relyest upon them as the Iewes did upon their Legall righteousnesse thy Soule and all will sinke everlastingly if thou looke no further for helpe for all these cannot procure thy acceptance before God in that great Day of accounts nor give any satisfaction to Gods Iustice Now the weakenesse of all these priviledges and duties may appeare in five particulars First Thou canst not do that which God requires of thee Rom. 8.14 in all this that thou so much braggest of Thou hast a hard heart and canst not repent If thou canst doe what God requires of thee then why doest thou not breake that hard heart of thine It is a heart that cannot repent The Saints of God finde this though they see their sinnes yet their hearts will not breake Thou art as able to rend the rocks in pieces as to breake thy hard heart The good that I would doe saith Saint Paul Rom. 2.5 I cannot doe and the evill that I would not doe that I doe The Church complaines of it and saith Why are our hearts hardened from thy feare Therefore God may justly take exception against thee Secondly Thou art not many times carefull to doe what thou canst sometimes thou lettest passe opportunities and if thou takest the occasions it is marvellous slightly and hoverly though God have put power and abilitie into thy heart to performe holy duties so that thou seest the occasions yet thou slightest them over most shamefully Iam. 3.2 In many things we sinne all saith the Apostle Saint Iames and the Prophet Esay saith Esa 64.7 There is none that calleth upon thy name neither stirreth he up himself to take hold of thee It was the common fault of the wise Virgins they all slumbred Matth. 25.5 this befals even those that are the most beloved of the Lord. Thirdly Doe what thou canst in the best of all thy services when thou commest to the highest pitch of the holinesse of thy heart and to the most ferventest prayers that ever thou didst make and the most broken heart that ever thou haddest and the most exactest way of godlinesse I say in the very best of all thy duties there is still some imperfection and for which God may in exact rigour frown upon thee now Iudge this can that service save thee in which there is enough to condemne thee that 's impossible in the best of thy duties there is enough to make God frowne upon thee And therefore the Priest that was to offer Sacrifice Heb. 7 27. Was to offer Sacrifice for the sinne of his offering Where we see that even the holiest service that ever the Minister puts up to God and in the best care that ever he exprest he hath need to offer Sacrifice for his offering and so it is in all your services You little thinke that God may condemne you for your Prayers and Sacraments and Fastings But I will make it cleare to you for this is a common rule we all beleeve in part we know in part and we love in part so that though our hearts are renewed yet they are but renewed in part there is some hatred mixed with our love some unbeliefe with our faith and some ignorance with our knowledge And as the Apostle saith Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh so that these two are contrary the one to the other There is so much corruption in thee so that when thou wouldest doe good thou canst not doe it with that readinesse that thou oughtest thou canst not doe it with all the whole streame of thy heart The Law requires that wee should love the Lord with all our hearts and with all our strength So that we have no hangings backe in our duties but in all our prayers and hearings and readings there is flesh that opposeth the spirit and corruption that crosseth the worke of grace So that we are not able to performe any service as God doth require of us how backward are we to duties and how weary in duties what wandring thoughts what privy pride and what seeking of our selves have we in them You know nothing if you know not this but whether you know it or no it is so There is much corruption opposing and thwarting the worke of the Spirit and therefore you had need pray for the repentance of your repentance and to begge the pardon of all your prayers and whereas you thinke that you will repent and amend and heare and pray and the like I tell you that though it be commendable to pray and heare yet there is so much sinne in your amendment and repentance and duties that in exact justice God may curse all that you doe and execute his Iudgements upon you for the same therefore these cannot save you He that heretofore hath prophaned the will now Sanctifies it and soe he thinks all is quit but I tell thee that in all thy sanctification of the same thou hast neede of a Saviour Fourthly Were it graunted and let it be supposed which I confesse will not nay can never bee but Imagine it were so that after God hath opened a mans eyes and broken his heart he should never commit the least sinne in all the world and never have any failing in holy duties nor any distemper in his Soule though this cannot bee but Imagine it were so that he did never sinne after his repentance yet even the sinne of his nature which he brought into the world with him were enough to make the Lord take the advantage of him for ever and to cast away all that ever he doth as abhominable from his presence Our repentance and our exactest performance of duties though we could doe them even to the uttermost it is a duty that we are bound to doe and the doing of that which we owe can never satisfie for that which hath beene done amisse by us but our repentance of sinne and our reformation is a duty which the gospell requires and therefore will not satisfie for that which is done amisse before our conversion As a Tennant that is run behind hand with his Land-Lord soe many hundreths and at last he begins to consider with himselfe what hee hath done and he bringes the rent of the last halfe yeare when his lease is out will this man thinke that hee hath now satisfied his Land-Lord if he should say now Land-Lord I hope you are contented and all is answered and have fully paid all that is betweene you and mee you Land-Lords would be ready to reply thus and say this satisfies mee for the last halfe yeare past but who payes for the odde hundreths so it is with a poore soule be it so that after those arrerages that thou hast run upon the score with God after
is blanke and justice carries him downe to the place of execution and he shall not come thence till he have paid the utmost farthing And then the Soule saith some comfort some mercy and consolation for mee oh saith he I have received the Sacrament and prayed and fasted and professed canst thou not feede of these oh no! saith the Soule these are huskes bread for me as the world thinkes of a man that hath got nothing by his trading such a man that made wonderfull shew in the world to day so many hundreths and thousands worse then nothing this is lamentable Iust so it will be with thee if thou hast not gotten Christ If a man have gotten Christ in his hearing and praying hee will answer all easily and when the divell comes in and saith Thou hast many sinnes who shall satisfie Gods Iustice for them The Soule makes this answer Christ hath paid all Oh but thou hast broken the Law of God saith the divell Oh saith the Soule Christ hath fulfilled all righteousnesse for mee You have many corruptions saith the divell but Christ hath purged mee saith the Soule Oh but you shall be damned saith the divell to him Nay saith the Soule there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ but I am in Christ and therefore shall not be damned Thus the divel shall goe away ashamed and say That man is out of my reach I shall never get him downe to hell he hath gotten Christ But here this question may be asked Question how may a man goe beyond himselfe in all his duties Answ Because this is a skill above all skills therefore for the answer hereof take these three directions First The first Direction labour to see an absolute necessity of a Christ in all these priviledges that thou hast and in all the duties and services that thou performest First in all thy priviledges See a need of Christ to make all these powerfull to thy Soule Hearing and reading and fasting will doe thee no good except thou have a Christ to goe with all these As a Ship that hath faire Sailes strong Masts except there be a winde it can never goe So the Soule is like the Ship and the precious ordinances of God are faire Sailes and good Masts and it is good hearing and good reading and good fasting but except the Spirit blowe with these thou canst get no good by them the Spirit bloweth where it listeth and except the Lord Iesus Christ by the power of his Spirit go breath upon thy hearing Preaching and upon all the ordinances they can doe thee no good When the Lord was to come into his Garden which was the Church The Spices are the graces of Gods Spirit The Spices could not growe because the Spirit would not blowe upon them and therefore the Spouse saith Arise oh North Cant. 4.16 and come oh South and blowe on my Garden that the Spices thereof may flowe out As if she had said Good Lord blowe this way and that way and give a blessing to the meanes and then comfort will come indeed And as there is need of Christ to blesse all meanes so secondly there is need of Christ to make all thy services acceptable to God the Father Oh send to heaven for a Christ that he may hide all thy weaknesses and present all thy duties to God his Father in his merits and righteousnesse They that brought a Sacrifice in the time of the Law were to offer it upon the golden Altar and no Sacrifice was accepted without it So if thou wilt have thy hearing and praying and fasting acceptable to God lay them upon the golden Altar the Lord Iesus Christ And know that thou hast need of Christ to cover all the failings weaknesses in thy duties The second Direction Secondly In all the beautie and excellencie of Gods ordinances that thou seest and prizest See a greater beautie and excellencie in the Lord Iesus Christ then in all these See what comfort it is that thou wouldest finde and what sweet is it that thou wouldest get from hearing and reading praying and professing goe beyond all this and say if the beames be so sweet what is the Sunne it selfe and if the ordinances of God be so sweet and comfortable what is the Lord Iesus Christ then You come to heare and it is well that you will come What would you have in hearing You would have some life to quicken you and some wisedome in your mindes to direct you and some grace into your Soules to purge you and then mee thinks I heare you say Blessed be the Lord this day I found my heart something more quickned and my Soule somthing inabled to hate sinne and to walke with God blesse God for that But is a little life in the word so good and is a little grace in the Sacrament so sweet Oh then away away higher if these be so sweet what is the Lord Iesus the God of all wisedome grace and power If the Word doe so much quicken thy Soule what would the Lord Iesus doe if thou couldest get thy heart possessed of him Let all these drops of life and mercie draw up thy heart to heaven When the Spouse in the Canticles had sought after her beloved see how she describes him Can. 5.10.16 his mouth is white and ruddie and so forth and in the 16. verse shee saith Hee is most sweet yea hee is altogether lovely The originall hath it he is altogether pleasant yea pleasantnesse it selfe You have some comfort and some discomfort with it you have some wisedome and some folly some power and some weaknesse with it but the Lord Iesus is all comfort and no discomfort he is all power and no weaknesse he is all life and no deadnesse therefore in all the ordinances of God carrie your hearts a little higher and looke upon that fulnesse that is in Christ Thirdly Let us labour in the use of all meanes The third meanes as to see the beauty of a Christ surpassing all meanes so let us be led by all meanes into a neerer union with the Lord Christ As a wife deales with the letters of her husband that is in a farre Country she findes many sweet inklings of his love and shee will read these letters often and daily shee would talke with her husband a farre off and see him in the letters Oh saith shee thus and thus he thought when he writ these lines and then shee thinks hee speakes to her againe shee reads these letters onely because shee would be with her husband a little and have a little parlee with him in his pen though not in his presence so these ordinances are but the Lords love-letters and wee are the Ambassadors of Christ and though wee are poore sottish ignorant men yet wee bring mervailous good newes that Christ can save all poore broken hearted sinners in the world You doe well to come and heare but it is all
and that suddenly Oh let us pitie them will you not yield now but you will stand it out to the last man The Lord comes out in battell aray against a proud person and singles him out from all the rest and when the vyalls of his wrath are poured out upon all wicked ones mee thinks the Lord saith Let that drunkard and that swearer alone a while but let mee destroy that proud heart for ever You shall submit in spite of your teeth when the great God of heaven and earth shall come to execute vengeance and doe not think to scarre God with your mocks you that wil sweare a man out of your company Consider that place in Iob and see how the Lord comes with all his full might against a proud man Iob 15.25.26 27. It is good to read this place often that God may pull downe our proud hearts For he stretcheth out his hands against the Almighty saith the text and strengtheneth himselfe against God and he saith I will do it though my life lie at the stake for it he strengthens himselfe and will doe it Surely God is afraid of him he comes so well mann'd the Lord must deale some way with him to overthrow him Mark what the text saith The Lord runnes upon him even on his neck upon the thick bosses of his bucklers because hee covereth his face with his fatnesse and maketh collops of fat upon his flankes the Lord comes upon him not at the advantage but in the height of his pride and in the rage of his malice the Lord will come upon him and ruinate him for ever Those that now stand it out and cast off all carelesly throwing away the commandements of God I would have them at the day of their death to out-stand the curse of God The Lord God commands to sanctifie his Sabbaths and to love his truth and his children yet you will not but you will strive against all I would haue you to out-stand the curse of God in the day of judgement and when the Lord Iesus shall say Depart from me yee cursed into everlasting fire stand it out now and say I will not goe to hell Lord I will not be damned No no you broke the cords here but the Lord will binde you in chaines of darknesse for ever remove those chaines if you can No Esay 2.17 the haughtinesse of men shall be brought low and the loftinesse of men shall be abased and the Lord shall onely be exalted in that day Vse 2 The second Use is for instruction to shew unto us that an humble Soule is mervailous teachable and tractable and is willing to yeeld unto and to be guided by any truth it submits and there is no quarrelling against the commandements of God one word of Gods mouth is enough If the Lord reproves it takes the same home to it selfe if the Lord promiseth it beleeves and if the Lord threatens it trembles It is easie to be convinced of whatsoever it is informed if it have no good reason to gaine-say it It is not of that wayward and pettish disposition that it will not be satisfied though all his reasons be answered and all objections taken away It is not led by his owne humours as many a man is though his conceits be against reason and opposite against God and his grace Nay it is content to yeeld to the authority of the truth and to take the impression of every truth it heares and yields Iob 34.32 and obeyes and frames it selfe answerably As Iob saith That which I know not teach thou mee and if I have done any iniquity I will doe so no more The humble Soule is content to confesse his ignorance and to submit to any truth that may enforme him and it is content to receive that mercy and grace that is offered by what meanes soever God seeth best to Communicate it Nay the heart that is truly submissive is as willing to take comfort when it is offered upon good grounds as it is to performe dutie enjoyned By a foolish pettishnesse the divell withdrawes the hearts of Gods owne people from much comfort that God hath dished out of purpose for their benefit For howsoever the Soule of a poore sinner be truly touched yet for want of this lowlinesse and this teachablenesse and submission it refuseth that sap and sweet that it should take and receive from the Lord. Take a poore sinner that hath many sinnes burthening of him and hee is crushed with them and that in truth he desires comfort but receives none Let the Minister of God come and answer all his arguments and satisfie all his quarrels that he can make and set him on a cleare boord and tell him that the work of grace is cleare and mercy is appointed for him Now marke how he flyes of through that sullennesse and untoward peevishnesse and pride of Spirit hee casts away the mercy and yields not to the comfort offered though he is content to yield to the duties enjoyned and so he deprives himselfe of that mercy and comfort that is offered and thus when all is done time after time the Soule saith I see it not and I perceive it not and all the world shall not perswade me of it Why what are you wiser then all the world what a pride of heart is this Oh saith he another man may be cozened and deceived but I know my owne heart better then any Minister doth But you tell the Minister what your condition is and so what you know hee knowes and hee hath more judgement to enforme you then you have of your selfe Then saith the Minister all your cavils and objections are answered and remooved and all that worke of grace that God hath wrought you have made it knowne and revealed and all this is made good by the Word of God now if all these quarrels be answered and if all the reasons and evidences of the worke of grace be made cleare that you cannot deny them then why may not you take comfort Downe with that proud heart of yours that will not beleeve whatsoever the Minister saith Oh the height of pride and haughtinesse of heart in this case I speake to you to whom comfort and mercy is impropriated downe with those proud spirits I say It is not because you cannot but because you will not It is said in Esay God prepares the garment of gladnesse for the spirit of heavinesse When the Lord seeth the soule prepared and humbled Esa 61.3 he takes measure of it and disheth out a comfort answerable he prepares a consolation as fit as may be and yet the Soule will not put it on nor be warned and refreshed with it as it is with some way-ward untoward childe who when his father hath prepared a suit of cloathes fitting for him because he hath not such and such a lace hee will not put it on but throwes all away Oh it is marvellous pride of spirit a rod
a point of subjection and the want of this horrible pride This is marveilous divellish pride that a man should set up the lusts of his owne righteousnesse and duties and thinke to finde acceptance and reconciliation with and pardon from the Lord because of these So that now the Soule is nothing and the Lord saith unto him thou shalt goe in ragges all thy dayes that Christ may be thy righteousnesse Thou shalt be a foole that Christ may be thy wisedome and thou shalt be weake that Christ may be all thy strength and I will make the submit to that righteousnesse of Christ Nay the Lord saith further if you thinke to finde acceptance and to purchase mercy by what you can doe then come your way and bring all those prayers and duties and see if they can all answer my exact Law of righteousnesse and satisfie my Iustice Thus the Lord is faine to emptie a man of himselfe this is an admirable worke of the Spirit when the heart is thus content to be at Gods carving and to have nothing of its owne to be ignorant weake and meane and to have all from a Christ This is considerable every man would faine bring something with him even where God hath wrought grace and then we are all dead in the nest and all amort when we find it not and we are ready to say if I had these and these enlargements then God would accept mee but because I have not the Lord will reject mee What is this but to set up the merits of a mans parts and duties therefore it is that the Lord will bring the Soule to this to be content to be justified not for what he hath but for something in another besides what hee can doe to entitle himselfe to heaven and happinesse Therefore the Apostle saith Rom. 4.5 To him that worketh not but beleeveth on him that justifieth the ungodly is faith accounted for righteousnesse This is our nature We would faine be Ioynt-purchasers with Christ and have something of our owne of merit to make us finde acceptance with God as well as Iesus Christ in the point of Iustification But the Lord will bring the heart to this it shall come as an ungodly wretched traitor that the Lord may Iustifie him in Christ Why dare not a poore sinner sometimes come to Christ and looke to him for mercy Oh he is not worthy But art thou not content to see thy unworthinesse Yes saith he but I see such pride such lithernesse in holy duties and such corruption that I dare not goe to Christ for mercy If this be a burthen to thee and if thou art content to be rid of this then Christ hath prepared mercy for thee and thou maist take it the Lord will make thee know that thou art not accepted because thou art worthy but through Christ The Lord justifies the ungodly The second thing that the Soule must be content with The second part of the Lords dispose that hee brings the Soule unto it is this As the Soule must looke for what it hath from another so in the second place it must be content to take what mercy and what that other will give Not what the Soule thinkes fitting but what mercy accounts the best for him Now see this blessed frame of heart in these three particulars First The Soule is content that mercy shall deny what it will to the Soule and the Soule is content and calmed with whatsoever mercy denyes If the Lord will not heare his prayers and if the Lord will cast him away because hee hath cast away the Lords kindnesse and if the Lord will leave him in that miserable and damnable condition which hee hath brought himselfe into by the stubbornesse of his heart the Soule is quiet Though I confesse it is harsh and tedious and long it is ere the Soule be thus framed yet the heart truly abased is content to beare the estate of damnation because hee hath brought this misery and damnation upon himselfe In a word the Soule seeth that it deserves nothing at Gods hands and therefore he is content if God deny him any thing 2 Sam. 15.25.26 and it befals the Soule in this case as it did David See how willingly hee takes whatsoever the Lord shall allow him Where hee saith Carry backe the Arke of God into the Citie if I shall finde favour in the eyes of the Lord hee will bring mee againe and shew mee both it and his habitation but if he shall say I have no delight in David Behold here I am let him doe whatsoever is good in his eyes As it was with David for a Temporall Kingdome So it is with the Soule for a Spiritual Mercy The Soule saith if there be any mercy for a poore rebellious creature the Lord may looke graciously upon mee but if the Lord shall say thou hast brought damnation to thy selfe therefore I will leave thee in it Behold here I am let the Lord doe with mee what hee will Object But some may here object and say Must the Soule can the Soule or ought it to be thus content to be left in this damnable condition Answ For the answer hereof Know that this contentednesse implies two things and it may be taken in a double sense First Contentednesse sometimes implies nothing else but a carnall securitie and a regardlesnesse of a mans estate he regards not his owne Soule what he is nor what he hath nor what shall become of him This is a most cursed sinne and this contentednesse is nothing else but a marveilous negligence either of Gods glory or his owne good and it is a sinne to give way to it and it is a fore-runner of damnation to that man which entertaines it The Soule that is truly humbled and abased cannot nay it dare not say so in cold blood setting aside passions and temptations Nay this contentednesse argues damnation for ever This is not meant in this place neither is it lawfull to give way to it and it is certaine upon these termes the Soule shall never be saved God will make him prize mercy and care for it too before he have it But then Secondly it implyes a calmenesse of Soule not murmuring against the Lords dispensation towards him and this contentednesse is ever accompanied with the sight of a mans sinne and the following of God for mercy The Soule that is thus contented to bee at Gods disposing it is ever improving all meanes and helpes that may bring him nearer to God but if mercy shal deny it the Soule is satisfied and rests well apaid this every Soule that is truly humbled may have and hath in some measure Yet you must not throw all at sixe and seavens no it is a cursed distemper of Spirit that you must hate as hell it self But this contentednesse is opposed against quarrelling with the Almighty and this every humbled Soule doth attaine unto though it bee not soe plainly seene As it is with
but he would not and hereupon our Saviour comes to shew the difficulty of the worke of salvation saying it is easier for a Camell to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdome of heaven It is true a rich man may be brought home but it is easier for a Camel c. There is great difficulty for a man that hath many gifts and parts to deny all and to bee at the Lords disposing If a man were fit to cut a Camell so small till he were fit to go through a needles eye what a worke would it be so it is with a great man The blind Pharisees saw this when they said do any of the rulers beleeve in him as if they had said Iohn 7.48 a company of Coblers and Tailors and the basest sort of people beleeve in him it is they onely that will not sweare and that will sanctifie the Lords Day But doe any of the great men and rulers beleeve The Apostle also tooke it for confest and therefore he said Brethren you see your calling how not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty men 1 Cor. 1.26 not many noble men are called Indeed blessed be God there are some great some wise and some noble men converted But not many For they have so much of themselves that they are hardly brought to renounce themselves Therfore commonly greatnesse and wickednesse goe both together And it is a pretty speech of the Prophet David There is that great Leviathan that great Whale little rivers have their little fishes but there is that Leviathan So there is that hideous pride of spirit and that strange resistance of God and his grace those fearefull crying sinnes in great men Yea many mightie men except God give them a great deale of grace they are pestered with a great deale of corruption Insomuch that they are hardly brought home For a rich man to become poore and a noble man to be abased and for a wise man to be nothing in himselfe this will cost hot water and yet it will be in all that belong to the Lord. See what the Prophet Esay saith Esay 2.12.13 The day of the Lord of Hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and loftie and upon every one that is lifted up and he shall be brought low and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Okes of Bashan and the glory of the Lord shall be exalted in that day As if he had said The Lord shall undermine the mountaines and make these tall Cedars fit to come in at this strait gate The poore receive the Gospel and he that will have the pearle must part with all that he hath not that God will take away all these outward things and parts but that he must loosen his affections from these if he will have Christ A poore creature that hath nothing may more easily come to the price of the Lord Iesus Christ then he that hath his hundreths and thousands a yeare What saith one must a man part with all these Yes the Lord will have the love that was set upon these wholy to himselfe Right worshipfull and beloved and you of the Ministery suffer the words of Exhortation The greater your parts and abilities are the greater is your danger and the greater your places are the more hard will it be for you to come home to the Lord Iesus Christ Therefore as ever you desire comfort to your selves goe aside into your closets and thinke thus with your selves The Spirit saith Not many noble men not many mightie men not many wise men after the flesh are called Hath the Lord advanced mee then the more care I had need have and the more I had need to tugge and toyle for Christ for it is marvellous hard to have this proud heart humbled and for an honorable man to lye and licke the dust and to take the crummes under the table You that have these honors and friends and means and parts for the Lords sake let none of these beare up your hearts against the truth of Christ and let none of all these make you swell and say because I am great or rich or honourable or wise therefore I must not be checked and shall such a man as I bee at the command of a poore Minister alas we desire not to have you at our commands onely we would have you be content to be at the dispose of the Lord Iesus Christ and that you must be if you belong to him and glad you may It is observable that when the Turke comes into the congregation or the Temple of his Idoll he layes by all his state and hath no man to attend him for the while so let every man that hath riches honors and parts let them be as if they had none You that are rich be as if you had no riches and you that are honorable as if you had no honors and you that are wise as if you had no wisedome when you come to heare the word of God humble your selves and say my wisedome my riches and my depth of judgment shall not hinder mee but whatsoever it is that is my part and my portion let the Lord speake to me as if I were the meanest and weakest in all the congregation The Lord give you hearts to do it the worke is hard and therefore put hard to your hearts to do it Secondly The second use for instruction is an humble Soule content to be at the Lords dispose then hence I collect that an humble heart makes all a mans life quiet and marvellously sweetneth whatsoever estate hee is in That which makes a man content in every condition must needs make him quiet whatsoever estate he is in howsoever the heart that is truly humbled may sometimes be tossed and troubled yet he is not distracted because he is contented as it is with a ship upon the sea when the billowes begin to roare and the waves are violent if the Anchor be fastened deep it stayes the ship let the tempest be what it will so this worke of humiliation is the Anchor of the soule the world is the sea and the ship is a soule that is truly humbled the deeper this humiliation is the more quiet is the heart and the more it is calmed When Iob in the time of his extremity gave way a litle to his proud and sturdy heart he quarrelled with the Almighty his friends and all but when the Lord had humbled his proud heart Iob 40.4 he said behold I am vile and base once have I spoken yea twice but now no more And it is observed of Ionah that when hee was in peace and in quietnesse he had a fullen heart and when the Lord said dost thou well to be angry yea saith he I do well to be angry See how distracted a distempered proud heart is but take Ionah in
againe the second time Well Christ opens the mystery of regeneration and the secrecy of it the second time and when Nichodemus could not comprehend what Christ had spoken yet hee would hold his owne and said how can this be I cannot conceive it because he could not comprehend it therefore he throwes all away Marke how Christ hits him in the right veine and strikes him to the bottome and see how hee tames him Art thou a Master in Israel and a Doctor in Law and yet art such a novice in this worke of regeneration downe with that proud heart of thine Lay downe all thy carnall reasoning and become a foole and so thou may understand this truth that is communicated to thee This is ordinary amongst us for a man to say I cannot beleeve it I see it not and I thinke not so and yet they have no reason at all to carry them but because they cannot comprehend it by that light which they have therefore they will not yeild to any reason because they cannot see it by their owne light they will not use Gods spectacles as I may so say looke how much of this carnall reasoning thou hast so much pride thou haste and this is very much specially in the most ignorantest Soules Secondly because of the weakenesse and feeblenesse of their judgements which are not able to hold a truth when they have it in their hands but it goes away like lightening and because the minds of these poore creatures are over-worne with many thoughts and cursed reasonings and troubled therewith they grow unable to helpe themselves against those distempers And hence it is that though the Word of God be let in and made cleare yet a man stoopes to those conceits and cursed reasonings that have beene attended to so that they take of the power of the truth As it is with a Ferriman hee applyes the Oare and lookes home-ward to the Shore where he would be yet there comes a gust of winde that carryes him backe againe whether he will or no So many a poore humbled creature that is truly wrought upon and hath a true title to Christ he applyes his Oare and would have assurance of mercy from Christ yet the over-whelming of carnall reasonings and cursed suggestions that are either cast in or stirred up in his heart throwes him backe againe and take of the power of the truth insomuch that he can see nothing nor yeild to any thing for the good and comfort of his Soule I take this to be the ground of all the trouble that befals a broken heart Let any man under heaven give mee the reason of this why any Soule that is truely burthened for sinnes as sinne and hath found God marvellous gracious to him this way why I say after all his cavils are remooved and all his objections are fully answered and all controversies are ended and this often done yet a poore broken hearted creature will still recoyle to his former carnall reasonings againe the reason is because all the answers that were given are now forgotten and all his cavils and carnall conceits will be fresh in his minde as ever they were partly from the haunt they have had in his minde and partly from that selfe-willy waywardnesse of the heart that is content to goe that way They that have beene long over-whelmed with these cursed carnall cavellings they will rather labour to oppose a direction then to hold it and to walke in the comfort of it onely because of the weakenesse of their understandings and their carnall reasonings are so violent against them Vpon this hindge it is that as I take it all the objections of a company of poore broken hearted doe hang and by this meanes they keepe out that comfort which they might have and in the strength whereof they might walke all their dayes I might propound many instances as thus come to a contrite Soule and say to him why walkest thou so uncomfortably seeing thou hast now a title to mercy and salvation in Christ see what he replies I a title to mercy nay I am utterly unworthy of that title it is a great gift and few have it and I have beene a vile wretch and an enemy to God and his glory what I a title to mercy we reply againe God gives grace to the unworthy he justifies the ungodly and not the godly and if he will give you mercy too what then hee replyes againe What mercy to me Nay it is prepared for those that are fitted for it had I such a measure of humiliation and so much grace if I were so and so fitted and if my heart were thus disposed then I might have some hope to receive it wee reply againe But have not you beene weary of your corruptions and are you not content that God should doe that for you which you cannot doe for your selves this is the qualification which God accepts and requires and by which hee fits the Soule for mercy unlesse you have that other of your own conceits you will have none and so you deprive your selves of mercy you have a childs part and a good portion too if your proud hearts would suffer you to see it Then the Soule saith I would have the Lord say to my Soule be of good comfort I am thy Salvation if the Lord would witnesse this to mee by his Spirit then I could beleeve it content then only let us agree upon the manner how it must be done and how God shall speake it Will you then yeild it Yes then know this what the Word saith the Spirit saith for the hand and the sword the Word and the Spirit goe both together For as the text saith My Word and my Spirit are one Then take the Word and lay thy heart levell to it and see it The Word saith Every one that is wearie shall be refreshed Hast not thou beene weary and hast not thou seene sin worse then hell it selfe The Text the Word the Lord and his Spirit saith Thou shouldst come and the Spirit saith thou shalt be refreshed Oh saith the sinner I cannot finde this assurance and this witnesse of Gods Spirit I cannot see it and I cannot beleeve it Thus he leaves the judgement of the Word and Spirit and cleaves to the judgement of his finding and feeling and thus he judgeth Gods favour in regard of his own imaginations and not according to the witnesse of the Word and Spirit the Spirit saith Thou art fitted for mercy but because thy ignorant blinde minde conceives it not hence it is that thou shuttest the doore against the mercy of God revealed and that would be setled upon thy Soule for thy everlasting comfort Thinke of this and say Whether is it fit that my wit should determine my estate or the word of God Will you determine the cause and perke into the place of judgement and say I feele it not and I feare it Is not all this carnall reason Here they runne amaine even
so forth You must not thinke that God will bring you to heaven before you be aware of it and that a humble heart will drop into your mouthes The Saints of God have alwayes had it before they received Christ and thou must have it too if ever thou wilt have him therefore make it a chiefe part of thy daily taske to get it And suffer not thine eyes to sleepe nor thine eye lids to slumber nor the temples of thy head to take any rest before thou hast this gracious disposition of spirit You see the price the worth and excellency of this blessed grace doe not now let this grace lye lay cast it not into a bye corner but in all your desires covet this and in all your hunting up and downe after commodities prize this more then all and labour to get it above all I know one man hath his eye upon the world and another on his pleasures and every man saith what shall we eate and drinke and wherewith shall we be cloathed but doe not thou say how shall I be rich or honourable but how shall I get this humble heart What 's that to thy Soule that thou art rich and a reprobate and that thou art honourable and damned If thou bee once humbled then thou art past the worst It is the choisest good and the chiefe of thy desires should be for an humble heart Now to draw our hearts to this there are three considerations that may be seasonable and serviceable to this end And they are these First Consider that it is possible to have an humble heart Secondly Consider the danger if you have it not I will not give a rush for all that you can doe without it though you live Methuselahs dayes Thirdly Consider the exceeding benefit that will come by this grace For the first 1. Motive It is possible for any Soule present for ought I know or that he knowes to get an humble heart This may be a provocation to us to set upon this dutie If a man had no hope to get this desire he would have no heart to use any meanes for it A man had as good sit still as rise up and fall as the Proverbe is But seeing it is possible why may not thou and I or any man here get an humble heart and therefore seeke to the Lord for it and say there hath beene many as proud hearts and as stout as mine though I have beene like a divell for my pride yet they have had this grace and therefore Lord why may not I have it as well as they who knowes but God may give mee an humble heart too though my heart be now stout and stubborne and rebellious yet Lord I see no command that forbids mee not to expect this mercy and I see no truth that excludes mee no the Lord saith in his command humble your selves under the mightie hand of God Yea the Lord hath appointed meanes for the working of this grace and hath ever blessed those meanes for the good of others and why not mee Lord Lord hast thou blessed these meanes to others and made them stoope and yeild why wilt thou not blesse them to mee too Lord who knowes but God will doe it for mee as well as hee hath done it for others Therefore goe thou to God and say The truth is Lord I confesse this haughty and this rebellious heart of mine will not come downe it is not in mans power to pull downe my proud heart No it is not in the power of Angels to humble a proud heart Lord now take this stout heart and humble it and doe what thou wilt with it didst not thou tame the heart of Manasses that Witch and bloud-sucker that made the streetes of Ierusalem to swim with blood didst not thou humble him and didst not thou bring downe the proud heart of that sturdy Iaylor and didst not thou tame the heart of proud persecuting Saul Didst not thou make him come creeping in upon his knees Lord thus thou hast done Lord humble me too Thus importune the God of heaven Nay presse God with his promise and with that engagement whereby hee hath tyed himselfe The day of the Lord of Hoasts shall be upon every one that is lifted up Esa 2.12 and that is proud and lofty saith the text and he shall be brought low and upon all the Cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up and upon all the Oaks of Bashan That is upon all mighty vile sturdy and unreasonable men and what then they shall be brought full low and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day The day of the Lord shall be upon all flesh presse God with this promise and entreate the Lord to remember it and say Lord make all those sturdy hearts yield Oh that this may be the day and that I may be the man and that my heart may be the heart that thy mercy and grace may onely be admired and wondered at Thus you see that God may doe as much for you as he hath done for others and it is possible to get an humble heart therefore labour for it Secondly as it is possible to get an humble heart 2. Motive So consider that if you mistake your selves and faile here the danger is wonderfull desperate and fearefull and therfore use so much more care and diligence not to be deceived therein If you misse here never looke to be saved nor recovered hereafter Misse now and you are undone for ever it s as much as your soules be worth as your Humiliation is so your Faith so your Sanctification and your obedience will be If that be naught all will be naught It is observed by Philosophers and Physicians that if there be any fault in the first disgesture it cannot be amended in the next if the stomacke disgest the meate ill the Liver can never make good blood So a wound here can never be amended If the bottome and foundation of a building be not sound and substantiall though the frame be never so neate and handsome yet there is no mending of it it must be all puld down and the ground-worke made more sure and therefore when men set up some maine pillars to uphold a house they digge deepe and low and set them strong So if this worke of Humiliation be not deepe and low enough all the frames of a mans profession will fall downe there is no mending of it If the foundation of the house be sound though the thatch and sparres flye of there is some helpe but if that be naught the house will downe whatsoever the other be So many weakenesses may be succoured and the heart may be sustained under them all if this worke of Humiliation be good but if a man once prove false here thy faith and obedience will be naught and the Spirit of God will never dwell in thee nor quicken thee See what our blessed Saviour saith Math. 7.13 Strive to enter