of those who vnderstand what a wofull thing it is to bee a stranger vnto Christ to be yet vnreconciled vnto God by him is that they would with yerning bowels commiserate the lamentable condition of their poore ignorant brethren which they shall meet with every where especially in most country Villages I haue obserued vpon occasions much table merriment which hath beene made by tales which passe about of such absurd senselesse answers as silly Christians haue given being demanded a reason of their faith perhaps vpon their death-beds or at their comming to the Lords table Let such vnnaturall mirth be farre from those who are to striue to haue the same minde in them which was in Christ Iesus You who by the blessed change wrought in your soules haue passed from death vnto life consider with a thankefull reflexion vpon the Father of lights that had not he vouchsafed you a more ingenuous education fairer opportunities to grow acquainted with the mysteries of grace more distinct call of his fanctifying spirit and more illuminated apprehensions to discerne them you might haue groped and stumbled in a thicker mist of stupidity then now befooles your vnnurturd brethren you might haue dishonoured that blessed name by which you are called by as wild miscoâ—â—â—its and horrid follies as any come from them and whatsoever is ridiculous in them might haue bin more prodigoius in you you know what price to set vpon your owne soules You know the soule of the meanest idiot is of equall value with yours and that it cost the redeemer of the World as many stripes and wounds as yours O then pitty thy brethren so likely to perish for whom Christ died yea the rather because they being stuffed with sottish conceipts will be ready to laugh at those who shall pitty them Take all opportunities to doe them some spirituall good as occasion shall be offered conferring with them and praying for them and let Christian sympathies bee the least you can afford them you know what you meane when you pray daily that Gods kingdome may come remember you pray not in earnest vnlesse you doe your faithfull endenuour to helpe it forward as in your owne hearts so in the hearts of your brethren with which at any time you converse Consider I beseech you what a dismall fogge of Popery doth yet darken this Iland Popery which few thinkes of I meane that blind absurd implicite faith of beleeuing as the Church beleeues For there is not a pin to choose betweene him that beleeues in grosse what the Church of England beleeues and him that beleeues as that synagogue of Satan the Church of Rome beleeues it neither knowes any thing explicitly what either Church beleeues Meditate on this and what zeale what conrage what indignation you feele in your breasts against the Antichristian impostures of Rome let them fly I beseech you vpon all occasions against this Protestant Popery But I see no hope but that the Colliars faith will haue the greatest number of professors whilst accurate Catechizing of all sorts of people which did so much good in the primitiue Church is in ours so generally neglected But I conclude bespeaking you in the words of S. Iude But yee beloued building vp your selues on your most holy faith praying in the holy Ghost Keepe your selues in the loue of God looking for the mercies of our Lord Iesus Christ vnto eternall life And of some haue compassion making a difference And others saue with feare pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh O thou father of mercies and God of all consolations looke downe from thy throne of eternity and take notice of vs thy poore servants who doe now desire to muster vp all the faculties which thou hast given vs and to employ theÌ„ in an acceptable thankesgiuing vnto thee O Lord wee desire to spend our best spirits even to exhale our dearest soules in thankefull ejaculations vnto thee for that most incomprehensibly admirable contrivance of our salvation by the death of the sonne of thy loue O Lord we desire to be transported with a holy amazement as often as wee thinke of this mystery of mysteries and even to empty our hearts of their secrets in halleluiahs and voices of exultation Most holy Lord wee praise thee for the marvelous light of thy Gospell which hath acquainsed vs with those wonders of mercy which thy Christ hath performed for our soules for those comfortable evidences of our justification by him with which our bruised consciences haue beene most gratiously revived Wee praise thee likewise for those wounders of a new creation which thy blessed spirit hath begunne in our hearts for that it hath begunne to weaken and wast the body of sinne to crucify those corruptioÌ„s which heretofore hath beene most insolent in vs to weane vs froÌ„ those vanities which heretofore haue beene our chiefe comforts and to make vs more willing to bee kept within a holy compasse O Lord we desire wee desire with most enlarged hearts to blesse thy infinite goodnesse for all those ravishing irradiations and glorious Prefaces of our blessed immortality by which thy coÌ„forting spirit hath so often encouraged vs to patient continuance in well doing Wee blesse thee for all the heavenly thoughts affections desires resolutions which thou hast put into vs at any time wee praise thee for that portiou of thy good word which thou hast afforded vs at this time O thou that delightest to pardon abundantly pardon all the errours imperfections which haue come either from me in delivering or any of thy people in entertaining thy message Let it not bee a savour of death vnto death vnto any maÌ„ who hath beene within the sound of it but let it some way or other bee beneficiall vnto him in respect of thy kingdome And now oh thou that dwellest in vnapprochable splendor quite out of the ken of mortality seeing thou hast suffered dust and ashes to approch so neere to thee in thy ordinances dismisse not any one of vs wee beseech thee without a blessing send not any one of vs without a comfortable beame of thy countenance shining into his heart Thou art the fountaine of holinesse send vs not therefore out of thy presence without some more cleerenesse in our apprehensions of thy saving mysteries and heavenlinesse in our affections vnto them Send vs not from thy throne of grace but with a heavenly calme in our soules or with such tempests of repentance as may prepare vs for an everlasting serenity O Lord send vs not away but either with that joy which passeth all vnderstanding or that godly sorrow which may prepare vs for it To thee O Father with thy beloued Sonne and blessed Spirit three most glorious Persons one infinite Deity be ascribed all Honour Power Praise Might Majestie and Dominion by vs poore sinners here militant on earth and all the glorified companies triumphant in Heaven from this time forth for evermore Amen Amen
bee moued to more tender passions by a Tragicke fable created by the braine of a Poet cannot sympathise with his Sauiour in that passiō which should haue beene his cannot by his serious cōpunction share with him in those agonies which should haue been all his owne cannot take these mercies so deepely to heart as with the earnest pangs of yerning affections to desire to bee crucified with Christ as S. Paul speakes of himselfe Gal. 2. 20. and to liue the rest of his life in the flesh by the faith of the Sonne of God who loued him and gaue himselfe for him questionlesse that man offers his Sauiour the most cutting iniury and does him the most villanous spight that it 's possible for a mortall wretch to offer vnto the Lord of Glory That mans ingratitude is more painefull vnto Christ Iesus then all the thornes were in his head and wounds him more deepely then the nayles did his hands and feete and therefore wee cannot imagine a lighter curse then Anathema Maranatha to bee due vnto him For by his sottish neglect of that death of which his sins aswel as any mans else were a cause he becomes guilty of the murther of the Sonne of God yea one of those 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I vnderstang 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and English it who crucifie as much as in them lies the sonne of God 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and expose him like a◠malefactour to publique shame Heb. 6. 6. 3 Lastly whosoever instructed in the Gospell doth not in earnest loue Christ Iesus hee vexes grieues the third person in Trinity the Holy spirit whose chiefe businesse here below is to worke our our hearts vnto the loue of Christ and as I said before to solicite the match betweene him and our soules And this is one reason why our saviour being to leaue this world speakes so much in Saint Iohn of what the comforter should doe for him after his departure He shall testify of me Iohn 13. He shall glorify mee 16. 14. Whosoeuer therefore makes the Holy spirit to labour in vaine not suffering his perswasions to make any impressions vpon his heart or to get thence any glory for him whose agent hee is but thinkes hee does Christ Iesus kindnesse enough in that he suffers himselfe to be called a Christian rather then a Iew or a Mahumetan or Protestant rather then a Papist In what a fit of discontent in what a chafe may we thinke doth that man send or rather driue away the spirit of Grace All that I haue said in this second consideration is comprised in that terrifying place Hebr. 10. 28. 29. which I know is there applyed vnto Apostates but wee must note that all hypocrites are Apostates in Gods fight and therefore what wee may apply vnto an Apostate in particular because hee discouers the rottennesse of his heart in the sight of men wee may apply vnto hypocrites in generall because there is in them the same evill heart of vnbeliefe though wee cannot so particularly smell them out the words are Hee that despised Moses Law died without mercy vnder two or three witnesses of how much sorer punishment suppose yee shall hee be thought worthy who hath troden vnder foote the sonne of God and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the blood of a common man or a malefactor not as the blood of a sacrifice and hath done despight vnto the spirit of grace Applic. You see the fearefully accursed estate of those professors of Christianity who deale falsely with their Saviour and loue him not at the heart you see vpon what slippery tearmes wee stand betweene the greatest curses and the greatest blessings If wee haue indeed made Christ Iesus our portion if wee haue beene so feelingly affected with his favours towards vs that now with the Spouse in the Canticles wee are even sicke with loue of him If as the Apostle prayes for the Ephesians Wee are so rooted and grounded in loue that we can bring good proofes that with a constant resolution we preferre the intellectuall pleasures which issue from his reconciled countenance before whatsoeuer else is most pretious and deare vnto vs O then we may hugge our selues as men over-joyed for as sure as God is God all his rich promises in Christ Iesus shall be yea and Amen vnto vs. But on the contrary if those heauenly raptures and glorious trances of sweetest entercourse betweene Christ and our soules sound as Phantastique dreames harsh Paradoxes vnto vs if wee stupidly content our selues with an empty profession of his name and heartlesse conformity vnto the outward garb of the Gospell never striuing either to expresse or to feele the inward power of it if wee goe on in a heavy sluggish dull manner never retiring vnto our Saviour but in some melancholy moodes which wee are quickly weary of blindly presuming of much from him and caring not how little hee hath from vs O then we most grossely delude our selues for the curse of curses Anathema Maran-atha doth most certainely belong vnto vs I presume almost there is not any man in this assembly but would thinke himselfe much wronged if one should seriously tell him hee did not loue Christ Iesus Not loue Christ Why we imagine wee all doe it naturally wee take it as the custome of the country to say so It is not my purpose to dishearten any man would to God that the least sparke of loue vnto Christ in any mans heart here were a glorious flame But yet I would haue no man to deceiue himselfe in this point then which nothing more easy nothing more dangerous God is not mocked he requireth truth in the inward parts and the exactest kinde of loue that can be imagined Doe you thinke beloued but that the Iewes in our Saviours time were confidently perswaded that they loued God they persecuted our Saviour indeed because they could not apprehend him to be the sonne of God but for God himselfe they made full account that they and none but they loued him aright Here was I dare say as strong a perswasion of loue to God if confidence would beare out the matter as in the greater part of Christians of their loue vnto Christ But behold how miserably they were deceaued Joh. 5. 42. our Saviour expressely tels them But I know you that yee haue not the loue of God in you The like grosse deceit of the Iewes may be observed in the same chapter about their loue vnto Moses why they were 〈◊〉 and naile for Moses The Law and name of Moses was the glory of their nation for which no doubt but many if they had beene put to it would resolutely haue lost their liues in our Saviours time as their ancestors had done before or their posterity since so that one would haue thought hee might haue sworne they loued Moses but yet when the matter
comes to scanning you shall finde there was no such matter for indeed they were so false hearted to Moses that at the last day hee shall bee their chiefe accuser witnesse our Saviour verse 45. There is one that accuseth you in whom yee trust that is on whom yee presume for had you belieued Moses c. Lastly to rouze vs out of the slumber of our presumption let vs take notice of one example more taken out of Mat. 7. 22. Luc. 13. 26. where we reade that many shall come at the last day vnto Christ presuming vpon their familiarity with him some telling him they had eaten and dranke in his presence some expostulating with him Lord haue wee not prophesied in thy name cast out divells and done many wonderfull workes Would you imagine all this could bee without great loue vnto Christ O how confident should we be if we had such evidence of our vnion with him How safe should we thinke our selues could we challenge acquaintance with him vpon the same te armes when he shall come in his glory to judgement But yet you see all this might doe vs no good seeing our Saviour will send many such packing with an angry protestation that hee knowes them not and if he will not know them you may bee sure they were such as had not for all these florishes dealt kindly and louingly with him Wherefore beloued you see how much it concernes vs to pause a while on this matter We all thinke we loue Christ Iesus it were well if thinking would serue the turne but wee see that many who thought as confidently as wee and perhaps vpon better grounds shall then perceaue themselues mistaken when it shall be too late to remedy it O then let vs not venture our selues vpon such groundlesse surmises but while wee haue time to make all sure Let vs make it a businesse to settle the estate of our soules which hang vpon such nice points let not our shallow presumptious conceipts of our loue to Christ let not the lazinesse and vntowardnesse of our flesh hinder vs from a speedy impartiall industrious examination of our hearts whether they haue indeed the loue of Christ in them or no. If vpon due enquiry wee finde in our selues the true ground of loue vnto our Saviour to wit a tender affectionate apprehension of our infinite deserued miseries and his infinite vndeserued mercies if wee feele the fruits of it a constant even vniversall resolution to please him in all things at all times in all companies a disesteeme of whatsoever is honourable or pleasant in the world in comparison of his favour a continuall hunger and thirst after a neerer and more sensible communion with him I say if vpon exact triall thou finde in thy selfe these infallible notes of reall loue vnto thy Saviour then I hope it will not repent thee of thy labour For now thou knowest vpon what ground thou standest now thy ioy may bee full assuring thy selfe that thou shalt haue a confidence which shall not deceiue thee before thy Sauiour at his appearing Contrariwise if when thou entrest into thy heart thou findest no sacred fire vpon the hearth but all cold and vncomfortable if thou hast not yet beene acquainted with those prickings of heart and affrightments of conscience for thy sinnes which vsually put poore humbled soules into those vehement fits of loue vnto our Sauiour If thou canst giue no reason of thy supposed loue vnto Christ from any thing that thou hast felt in thy selfe but onely froÌ„ what other men say froÌ„ the Lawes customes of the place where thou art a subiect then thou findest thy selfe but in an vnhappy case yet thou art happy in this that thou knowest the worst of thy selfe and maist seeke out betimes for an effectuall remedy If this bee thy case consider seriously that thou art yet vnder the heauy curse in my Text and therefore impatient of this accursed estate recollect thy selfe and call a speedy assembly of thy best wits and then bethinke thy selfe that Christianity is no luâ—dicrous or iesting matter that the professioÌ„ of Christ the most serious businesse in the world that therfore questionlesse there is a great deale more in it then the formalities of comming to Church carrying a bible hearing a sermon that without doubt Christ requires a reall inward disposition of the soule which should season all these complements and make them acceptable 3. Consider in the next place the summe and scope of Christianity which is onely to shew how miserable thou art by sin and how happy thou mayst bee in Christ When thou art come thus farre set the looking-glasse of the Law before thee and terrify thy selfe with the vgly deformities and loathsome staines of thy soule through the guilt of sinne then turne vnto the Gospell and consider how Christ Iesus out of the abundance of his loue with which hee loued thee being his enemy shed his deerest blood to wash away these staines from thy soule as very a wretch as thou art as well as any mans else 4. Lastly hauing thy soule attentiuely fixed vpon this betake thy selfe to earnest prayer with strong cries groanes improtune the spirit of grace to enlighten the eyes of thy vnderstanding that thou maist bee able to comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth length and height and depth and to know the loue of Christ which passeth knowledge Eph. 3. 19. Doe this from thy heart and continue in it a while with an eager patience and then I dare bee bold to say that thou shalt feele a strange alteration in thy selfe then shalt thou feele 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not one simple commotion in thy soule but an assembly and throng of passions then shalt thou bee acquainted with those scalding affections to Christ Iesus which holy men haue felt in all ages and striued to expresse in their soliloquies but could not yea the greater sinner thou hast beene the more wilt thou with MARIE Luc. 7. lay about thee with teares of sorrow and teares of ioy and in a holy kinde of distraction striue to loue much because much is forgiuen thee Lastly thou wilt plainely see how villanously hitherto thou hast dissembled with thy Sauiour and what a deale of Angelicall coÌ„fort thou hast lost by being a stranger vnto him and hauing once after some cloudy scuds of penitent sadnes recouered the light thou wilt reioyce as the wise men when they recouered light of the starre with exceegreat ioy and follow it through thicke and thinne through all difficulties and oppositions whatsoeuer til thou shalt come to see him as he is in incomprehensible splendor amongst infinite millioÌ„s of glorified Saints and Angels To whom with the Father and blessed Spirit the three glorious persons and one most infinite Deity bee ascribed all honour power might maiestie and dominion now and for euer Amen FINIS EPHES. 6. V. 24. Grace bee with all them that loue our Lord Iesus
partaker of the blessed Sacraments but what better reason can hee giue why these Sacraments can doe his soule good then a Turke may why his circumcision should be beneficial vnto him hee hath heard the Scriptures read and expounded but what better reason can he giue why he supposeth the Scriptures to be the word of God then the Turke will why he is so confident that the Alcoran came downe immediatly from heaven in that laylatto-Hanzâ—li as they call it the night of demission Lastly he stifly conceits himselfe to be one of the only true faith and all Turkes to be abhorred infidels but what peculiar evidences hath hee that the Turkes are mistaken and not himselfe seeing they are as coÌ„fident on the other side that Christians are Cafirouna Infidels as they tearme vs that themselues are the onely Moslimina or Musulmans that is right beleeuers If then the Christians being pressed with these demands can produce nothing from any supernaturall alteration which hee hath felt wrought in himselfe if he be not able from spirituall selfe experience of that cutting convincing power of the Scriptures and of those admirable vertues comfortable influences of the Sacraments if he be yet altogether vnacquainted with those caelestiall flashes irradiations and inward testimonies of the spirit which vse to put all these things out of questioÌ„ in soules truly Christianiz'd Lastly ' if for want of better Apologie he be forced to retire to those poore dishonourable impertinent rather excuses then reasons of his religion taken form the lawes and customes of his countrey it is too too manifest that hee adheres vnto Christ vpon no better motiue then others blaspheame and persecute him and even spit at the motion of his name But here some may put in howsoever such a Christian may be out-braved yet that which he saies and thinkes is true he is in the right though he cannot demonstrate like a Scholler how he came to it therefore hee is sure howsoever men may prate to speed well enough No such matter it is a very disputable case whether such a one as liues and dies a Christian vpon custome or a Turke be in the grosser error This may seeme very harsh but you may easily espie the truth of it if you please to remember that both the assent of our vnderstandings and choice of our wills may bee misguided into errour two waies either by assenting vnto and approving that as true and good which in it selfe is false and evill or by assenting vnto or approâ—ing that which is both true and good in it selfe vpon weake incoherent insufficient inducementes I cannot stand to comment vpon this distinction and it is so triviall that I conceaue it need not much to bee exemplified Applied vnto my purpose it cleerely shewes the ignorant Christian not to bee a whit more in the right then the Turk The obiect of his assent and loue is most right absolutly in it selfe because it is not an object vnto him for that truth and goodnesse by which it 's distinguished from all other objects but for those coÌ„mon corrupt grounds which abstractly considered equally encline the soule to any object as well to the grossest errors as the purest truth to the extreamest evil as to the chiefest good So that this comparison is like to light most heavily vpon the Christian seeing the goodnesse of the object will not excuse or justifie but rather shame and condemne him who professing much loue vnto it passeth by that which alone was louely in it For the present indeed the Christians case is infinitely the better because hee may with more ease correct his errour and hath all requisite opportunities to that purpose but if he neglect to doe it hereafter the Turke will get the better of him wheÌ„ at the day of judgement he that hath died such a Christian will bee glad to change places with him In the meane time there is not any difference in their errors discernable to reason for this is certaine that diversity of objects cannot put any difference in the assents where the grounds are exactly the same yea if some of the acutest moderne disputers haue rightly determined that the assent vnto the premises and the coÌ„clusion is but one and the same assent being originally to those and terminatiuely to this I can scarce allow the difference to be so great For then it skills not how false or true the conclusioÌ„ be absolutly in it selfe but how strongly or weakly it 's inferred out of it's premises and therefore though one conclude an infallible truth and another a monstrous falshood out of the same faulty premises the errour of both is the same if they assent vnto their conclusions vpon no other medium then this insufficieÌ„t one vpoÌ„ which they both agree For example the principle vpon which the ignorant Christians assent vnto the Gospell stands is this That Religion which my Parents haue taught mee my Soveraigne commanded me and the common cry of my country approued is surely the best The Turke changing only the appropriating circumstances supposeth likewise that religion which his Sulâ—an Parents and Countrey men haue commended vnto him to bee questionlesse the best Both then proceed vpon the same medium and therefore though by the intervention of other casualties the Turke bee cast vpon execrable blasphemies impieties and the Christian vpon heavenly and holy truths their error is directly the same though more fortunate in one then in the other And howsoever such a ChristiaÌ„ hath his assent imaginary loue by lot of his birth and education actually fixed vpon sauing truths yet vntil he bethinke himselfe of more proper and solid reasons for his choice he retaines still in his breast habitually and implicitly the seeds of all those hellish impostures which by other men in other places haue beene entertained and swallowed vpon the same occasions Suppose a Christian who can make no better defence for his profession then such a one as I haue laboured to make him ashamed of immediatly after his birth in England had beene conveyed into Turkie and there insteed of Baptisme circumcised after the Turkish manner and there so cunningly trained vp in the Turkish superstition that hee had no occasion giuen him to suspect himselfe not to haue beene borne a Turke no question but he would haue bene as zealous there for the rascall Mahomet as now being bred in England he is for the blessed Lord of the world And no marvel for the very same occurrences which haue made him a christiaÌ„ here must needs haue made him a Mahometan at Constantinople seeing that whatsoeuer arguments drawn from lawes customes birth educatioÌ„ pleade here for Christ would there perswade as effectually for Mahomet Neither speake I this as if this would argue any notorious imperfection in the man for doubtles this would be any mans case Suppose any of those renowned Champions of Christ whoÌ„ Queene Mary sent to
FINIS THE TRIALL OF our sincere loue to Christ EPHES. 6. V. 24. Grace be with al them that loue our Lord Iesus Christ in sincerity I WIL not discourage your attentiō with a tedious repotition of what I haue heretofore in another audience deliuered vpon this Scripture something must needs be recalled to guid your attention into the ensuing discourse to knit that vnto a former but I wil not trouble you with a word more then the necessity of methode shall enforce me vnto To winde vp then as much as is necessary in a breife introduction We liue in an age of a Presumption as peremptory as vniversall they are rare men that make any question of their salvation and which is most to be pitied they are for the most part such as haue least reason I am perswaded there was never yet any time when men were generally more confident in their hope of heaven or lesse able to giue a wise reason for it insomuch that it may be but too probably conjectured that to one that perishes through dispaire there miscarry hundreds through presumption This generall presumption stands vpon these two general suppositions 1. That Grace that is all the gracious precious promises of God concerning a better life doe infallibly appertaine to all such as loue Christ Iesus in sincerity that is to all such as are true serious resolute Christians 2. That wee our selues are all such men that we are all Christians good enough to serue the turne though wee are not so forward and exemplary though we keepe not such stir with our profession as some others doe The first suppositiō is out of all question and can never bee brought into disputation by those which submit to the Scriptures it being the scope not only of my Text but also of the whole Gospell ye a of the Law and the Prophets So that with reverence bee it spoken it shall bee as possible for God that is the eternall truth it selfe to lye as for that supposition to fayle any man who observing the conditions of it casts himselfe vpon it so that in strict propriety of speech it is not of it selfe any prop of presumption but only by accident as it's subject to mis-application by vs. Well then presumption stands more directly and leanes more heavily vpon the second supposition and therefore all our care must bee every man for himselfe to see that wee are not mistaken in our account at home to bee sure wee are all such men as wee deeme our selues to be that is such Christians as may vpon good sufficient grounds lay clayme vnto and plead interest in all the glorious promises in Christ Iesus Vpon this I observed all the conditions required on our part and by consequent the whole tryall of our assurance to be comprised in this sincerity of our loue towards him and farther for the exact triall and through examination of this I imposed vpon my selfe the handling of three most cōsiderable points which make vp it selfe and evidence vnto vs the sincerity of our loue vnto Christ 1. The true immediate ground or originall of it 2. The requisite degree or intension of it 3. The especiall fruits and effects of it Concerning the originall of our loue vnto Christ amōgst many insufficient deceauable grounds of it I vndertooke the discovery of one which I foūd to be most dangerous and vniversall to wit natural instincts of religion in generall restrained to Christianity by birth education This discovery I haue already elsewhere at large as God enabled me performed In the second place I promised a declaratiō of the true proper and sure ground of sincere loue vnto Christ this by the assistance of the blessed spirit you shall haue paid at this time Well then what is the most immediate and proper ground of the sincere loue of a poore sinner vnto his Saviour Iesus Christ I answere out of the question when in earnest hee finds himselfe to bee a miserable sinner and apprehends Christ Iesus to be his gracious Saviour and one of whom hee stands in infinite need Or to to deliuer it more fully it is a cleare distinct particular tender apprehension of his owne infinite wants and miseries by reason of sinne of those miracles of loue mercy which Christ hath performed to cure these and supply those that as freely purposely for him as for any man elfe To cleare and confirme this excellent point I will as God hath directed my meditations 1 First proue it to be so 2 And then demonstrate why it is so That it is so appeares by sundry places of holy Scripture out of which I will cull some few which seeme to me most pregnant and pertinent First I loue the Lord saith holy David Psalm 116. 1. marke his reason because hee hath heard my voice and my supplications But what kinde of supplications were these vpon what occasion were they made you may see both v. 3 4. The sorrowes of death compassed me about and the paines of hell gate hold vpon me then called I vpon the name of the Lord O Lord I beseech thee deliver my soule These were my supplications which the Lord hath heard and therefore I loue him yea because he hath inclined his care vnto me in these my spirituall agonies I will call vpon him as long as I liue 2. we haue an eminent place 1. Ioh. ◠19. We loue him marke his reason because he first loued vs. True some may say God hath loaded vs with innumerable expressions of his loue in our creation and preservation and we doe reciprocally loue him for them but what 's this to the loue of Christ To omit as impertinent to this place that in some sort we owe both our creation temporall preservatiō vnto Gods loue in Christ seeing it is not probable but the whole frame of nature should haue beene dissolued presently vpon the fal had not God of his mercy intended a Redeemer for mankinde to be revealed in the fulnesse of time but to let this passe S. Iohn in these words because he first loued vs vnderstands that loue of loues that boundlesse incomprehensible loue of God wherewith hee hath loued vs in Christ as it plainly appeares by comparing 9. 10. veries In this that is in this infinitely more then in any mercy of creation or preservation was manifested the loue of God towards vs because that God sent his onely begotten sonne into the world that we might liue through him Herein is loue that is herein infinitly more then in any thing else not that we loued God but that he loued vs and sent his sonne to bee the propitiation for our sinnes To recollect and to bring it home to the point in hand when as the fame S. Iohn speakes v. 16. Wee haue knowne and beleeued the loue that God hath to vs when we find our selues to have been eeven dead men and that God sent his Son that we might live
subdivided 1. Into Ordinary loue which proceeds from a weaker degree of that last act of faith and though sincere yet being imperfect is mixed with anxiety in the same proportion as that is with doubting And 2. into Heroicall loue which springeth from a more eminent and transcendent pitch of perswasion concerning our owne reconciliation in particular this is that perfect loue which S. Iohn saies casteth out all feare to wit of distruste bringing vs into a more intimate familiarity with God I call the first Ordinary because most Christians though effectually called doe ordinarily feele but such a timorous loue in themselues The second which I call Heroicall in that sense in which eminent vertues haue their Epithite is constantly only in such as either beside the evidence of the word and spirit haue had some speciall revelation to put them out of all doubt concerning their estate to Godward on such as by a constant close walking with God haue beene long exercised in a Christian course haue often entertained Christ Iesus at supper in their hearts and habituated themselues into a more familiar acquaintance with that holy spirit which brings all the good news from heauen to those diligent soules which carefully wait for it Thus haue I according to the skill that is giuen mee proued the originall of the syncere loue of a sinner vnto Christ Iesus blessed for ever to be a serious tender apprehension of his own extreame need of Christ and of Christs superabundant loue vnto him I haue likewise explained this truth and vindicated it from such exceptions as crossed my way I come now to discouer the demonstratiue reason of this truth and after I haue shewed that it is so to shew you now why it must be so Wee are all borne into the world 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 haters of God and while wee continue in that naturall stupid condition wherein we were borne wee are all strangers both vnto God and Christ yea enemies in our mindes through wicked workes as the Apostle speakes Col. 1. 21. We retaine indeed some obscure cloudy notions of a God but not the darkest intimations of a Saviour or least suspition of any need we haue of one In a word albeit wee are borne and bred within the shrillest sound of the Gospell yet as long as we continue 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 meere animall naturall men it will not sinke into our heads that we are in such miserable case as Preachers would make vs beleeue wee are how ill its like to goe with vs vnlesse we laboriously enquire after Christ and get to be reconciled vnto God by him Now what more effectuall method can we imagine to beate vs out of this naturall antipathy against our Creatour and Redeemer yea what other contrivance may there be to worke such peeuish wretches such froward rebels out of one extreame into another out of deadly hatred to sincere loue of the eternall Father and his only Sonne to pull downe their proud stomackes to make them crouch and craule vnto his throne of grace then to make them see in what a hell they are while they stand in this distance from him to awake their consciences against them and to make them a terrour vnto themselues to let the Law thunder and lighten into their soules vntill their wits and spirits beginne to faile them and then amidst all these amazing tempests to let the glorious Gospell of Christ shine vpon them to shew them Christ Iesus with his armes of mercy stretched out and vndertaking to free them out of all these confusions and to make their peace with his father if they will but come vnto him and trust their selues with him if they will but lay to heart and learne to esteeme admire those wonders of redemption which he hath compassed for them Had the prodigall sonnes stocke held out and hee lyen still afloate in the full-tide of his sinfull pleasures hee had set vp his staffe in that faâ—â—e country and quite forgot that hee ever had a father yea when the tide was gone and had left him vpon the sands when the revells were ended his bravery quite worne out into beggery and himselfe preferred to be an attendant of a company of hogs if he could but haue got his belly full of huskes he would hardly haue thought of returning home but when these were denyed him and hee could see nothing but death before him O now hee comes to himselfe and begins to thinke of a father hee had and resolues to goe vnto him though he might well suspect his entertainment Well whatsoever that may proue he is sure hee goes to a father and therefore on he goes and when hee was yet a farre off full of aboding feares and disconsolate muâ—ings behold his father about his necke before he was a ware of him acting an over-joyned man hee hangs about him and kisses him trims him vp with a robe and a ring conducts him home in a kinde of triumph and welcomes him with the solemnity of a feast and musicke Here was a change for the prodigall enough to haue turned his braines as we say but sure it could not but turne his heart Had that beene of marble or adamant this could not but melt it into loue O what a swelling a thronging a wrastling did hee now feele in his bowels of tendrest passions impatient for want of expression O how did he now lay about him with teares of sorrow and teares of joy being much pulled whether it would best become to prosecute his joy most or his sorrow in briefe how mad is hee with himselfe that hee had beene such a sonne to such a Father I haue insisted the longer vpon the prodigals case because indeed it is our owne For ordinarily our heavenly father vseth the same method to fetch vs his prodigall children home vnto him and to bring vs in loue with his beloued sonne Iesus Christ We are all as soone as we are born gotten into a farre country where we mispend and misemploy all those faculties and endowments with which our Creator hath furnished vs in the revels of sinne and vanity walking on merrily and confidently 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the Apostle speakes Ephes 2. 2. according to the course of this world professing indeed for fashion sake loue both vnto God and Christ but all the while denying and disclaiming them both in our hearts and conversations But God who is rich in mercy for his great loue wherewith hee hath loued vs. Ephes 2. 4. when hee hath let vs runne our selues even out of breath in these riotous courses and even tyred our selues in our journey to hell thinkes it sit to stop our progresse and first to make vs vnderstand our selues that we may the better esteeme of him and whom hee hath sent Iesus Christ First then hee inspires vs with so much spirituall life as may make vs feele our spirituall burden consisting of our sinnes and his curses