heart hath formerly received from Gods Spirit For sanctification comes after justification and after the soule hath received faith and grace then the heart hath a new power given unto it whereby it is able to set forth it selfe into any holy action so that in this a man is a free worker whereas sorrow in preparation is a worke wrought on me and I am a patient and doe onely endure it but I have not any spirituall power to doe any thing of my selfe Now mark what I say both these are saving for rows but they differ marvelously many thinketh at every saving work is a sanctifying work w ch is false for every saving worke is not a sanctifiing worke as the Apostle saith Those whom he calleth them he also justifies and whom be justifies he glorifies Glorification implies sanctification here in part and glory for ever hereafter there is a saving worke and calling but yet not sanctifying worke for vocation is when God so farre enlightenâ— the minde as to buckle the heart and to turne it away from corruption to him and then afterwards God brings the heart to be justified and then sanctified they are first called and then justified and then glorified The difference of those 〈…〉 is thus to be conceived in this similiâ—udâ—â— as it is with the wheeles of a clocke thâ—◠〈◊〉 quiâ—e wrong what must a man doe to set this clocke â—ight againe he must 〈◊〉 stoppe it 〈…〉 no longer wrong and then turne it and set the wheeles right now all this while the clocke is a patient and the workâ—man doth all Secondly wherein is thuâ— set right then the work man puts the plunmets and weights on it and now the wheeles can runne of themselves by vertue of that poise and weight they have gotteÌ„ so that these two are plaine different actions Just so it is with the 〈◊〉 of the soule the will and the affections which are as the wheeles of this great and curâ—ous clocke for the soule goes hel-ward and sin-ward and the minde knows nothing and the will and the affections imbrace nothing but hell and sinne now to bring these into any holy order the Lord must stoppe the soule and that is done by the discovery of sinne and by this humiliation of heart when the Lord lets a man see his sinne and saith to him If thou wilt have sinne thou must have hell and all together and then the soule saith if it be so I will meddle no more with sinne the adulterer will be uncleane no more and the drunkard will bee drunke no more Now when the soule is thus turned it looketh heaven-ward and God-ward and is content Christ should rule over it All this while the soule is a meere patient this is a saving worke a worke of Gods Spirit where ever it is soundly wrought and will in the end be faith and grace But now when the soule is seâ— heaven-ward God justifies a poore sinneâ— and pluckes him to himselfe by faith and adopts him to be his child then the Lord gives him of his Spirit and this is as the weight of the soule then by the power of that spirit the soule is able to runne right hath a principle of grace in it and the poise of the spirit of grace which doth possesse the soule makes it able freely to mourne for sinne and to have the heart inlarged in the service of God this is mainely the sanctifying worke Quest. The second question is this whether doth the Lord worke this in all and whether doth he worke it in all alike or no. For I perceive the hearts of many poore Christians are gasping for this the Lord never wrought upon me in this maner and my heart was never thus battered bruised therefore how shall we know whether the Lord doth worke this in all or no and in all alike Answ. For the answere of this question I will handle three things First the worke is the same in all Secondly the maner is different in the most Thirdly many have it in them and yet perceive it not how or when it was wrought First this work of contrition of heart is wrought in every one in this worke of preparation before he is or can be planted into Christ for the truth of this and the substantiall nature of it Scripture is plaine and reason is pregnant Scriptures are many I will only name three as that in Luke our Lord Jesus Christ came to seeke and to save that which was lost We may observe two things first the qualification of that party whom Christ will seeke and save he must be a lost man in his owne apprehension secondly see the certainty of salvation of such a one Christ came for this end he came to seeke up and save that which was lost Now Christ will not misse of his end he came for the lost sheepe then the lost sheepe he will have though the lost sheepe cannot seek nor save theÌ„selves yet Christ will save them Thus you see all men must be thus disposed before they can be saved and if thus fitted and disposed they shall be certainely saved It is not enough for a man to be in a miserable estate and damnable condition but he must also see it and his heart must be truly affected with it and finde and feele the but then of it not so much for the punishment but for the sinne whereby his heart is estranged from God and also God from his soule Now that the sensiblenesse of his lost condition is there spoken of and this man that hath it shall be saved may appeare because the sensiblenesse of a mans condition in regard of the punishment of sinne is such as a man may have and yet never have grace and salvation Cain had the feeling of Gods wrath and felt the punishment of it and so did Iudas also and yet they were never sought up nor saved The second place of Scripture is out of Iohn No man commeth to me except the father draweth him by comming you must conceive beleeving as in that famous place of Iohn He that comes to me shall never hunger and he that believeth in me shall never thirst Now this text implyes two things and they are profesly granted by the intendment of the Apostle for the people murmured why the Pharisies and the great ones beleeved not and followed not Christ to whom Christ answeres Vnlesse my father from heaven draw them they cannot come so that these two things are cleare first a man must be drawne secondly if he be drawne he shal surely come This drawing is thus much when God opens the eye of a man and makes knowne his sinne sets downe the heart in the acknowledgement of sinne so that he feeles the vilenesse and the burthen of it and is content to part with the fame When the Lord shal lay all a mans abominations upon him all his adulteries and all his thefts and
thing done by the soule the Lord is now fitting and preparing the soule for the presence of his blessed Spirit And in this great worke of preparation the Lord workes these three things First he stoppes the soule from going on any longer in sinne Secondly he wearieth the soule with the burthen of sinne Thirdly by hatred the soule is brought to goe away from those carnall lusts and corruptions with a secret dislike of those sinnes which he hath been wearied withall In all these the soule is a patient and undergoes the worke of humbling and breaking rather then it is any way active and operative Thus the heart is turned away from sinne and set against those corruptions which heretofore it was burthened with as it is with wheels of a clocke when the wheeles have runne wrong before a man can set them right againe he must stop it and turne it to its right place and all these are meerly wrought upon the wheele by the hand of the workeman for of it selfe it hath no poise nor weight to runne right but when the clocke-master puts to his plummets then it is able to runne of it selfe though the workemans hand be not there So the will and affections of a man which are the great wheels of this curious clock of the soule these wheels do naturally of thēselves run all hel-ward and sin-ward and devil-ward now before the soule can receive a new principle of grace first the Lord unmaskes a man and makes him come to a stand and makes him see hell gaping for him thus the heart is at a maze Secondly the Lord laies the weight of sinne and corruption upon him and that doth sincke the soule with the horrour and vexation and loathsomnesse of his sinnes Thirdly then the soule is carried away from sinne by hatred and dislike and saith Is this the fruit of sin that delighteth me oh then no more malice no more drunkennesse thus the heart is turned away but after the soule is once brought on to God by faith and goes to God receives the spirit of sanctification of which we shall speake afterwards this is a new principle of life and out of this gratious disposition the soule is now growne to hate sinne freely and to knocke off the fingers from corruptions and beat downe his lusts and to love God freely out of that power of grace which the Lord hath put into the soule Now you must know that all this while I speake of the first worke when the soule is turned by the spirit against his sinne being formerly burthened with the same sinne This doth ever accompany a heart truly broken for sinne There is this difference betweene sorrow and hatred sorrow feeles the burthen but hatred flings it away sorrow loosneth the heart but hatred lets out the corruption sorrow saith doth sinne thus pinch the soule and hatred saith no more sinne then thus the Lord by his Spirit prepares the soule For the proofe of this point see what the Prophet saith You shall consider your waies and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves A poore Christian would teare his heart in pieces in the apprehension of his owne vilenesse and saith Good Lord shall I ever be plagued and annoyed with this sturdy malitious heart and shal I ever carry this vile heart about me that wil one day carry me to hell if thou be not the more mercifull this makes a man even fall out with himselfe Againe see what the Apostle saith for this thing you have had godly sorrow but what hath it wrought in you doth it worke a holy indignation and revenge against your sinfull courses that when thy soule seeth his filthy abominations rising swelling and bubling within thy heart it takes on exceedingly and wil scarce owne it self but lookes away from sinne and is weary of it selfe in regard of the same Nay if it were possible that thou couldest be content to live without a heart even to forgoe thy selfe that so thou maiest not be troubled with that vile heart of thine and so dishonour God no longer I beseech you observe it when a man is brought thus farre oh he cries to God and saith Lord was there ever any poore sinner thus pestered with a vile heart Oh that this heart should ever be so opposite against the Lord Lord except I had a better heart I would I had none at all thus the heart loathes it selfe and in what measure the soule is carried with a restlesse dislike of sinne as it is sinne in the same degree it is most violent against those sinnes whereby he hath most dishonoured God as you may see in Zacheus his heart did most rise against his master sinne so the Lord having humbled the repentant Church thou shalt defile thy graven Images of silver and the ornaments of thy golden Images thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth and say get you hence They hated all sinne but especially their Idolatrous courses so it will be with the heart that is truly broken he will cast away with hatred all his pleasing and profitable sinnes thus much of the first passage Quest. 2 The second passage is this Wherein doth this true hatred consist that a man may know whether he have sinne or no Answ. Answere this hatred or dislike consists in these foure particulars First if the soule doth truly hate sin then it is very willing to make search for it in every corner of the heart And any sinne that he cannot know himselfe he is willing that any Christian or any friend should make them knowne unto him A King that hates a traitor that would kill him and a man that hates a thiefe that would robbe him they are willing that any man should discover that traitor or thiefe and they will entertaine him kindly and reward him for it When the Ziphites came to Saul and told him where David was mark what he saith Oh blessed be yee of the Lord for you have had compassion upon me Just so it is with a broken bleeding heart that hath an open hatred against his corruptions if any Minister or Christian will make knowne some base lusts that lurke in his soule he will not flye out and say What is that to you Every tub must stand upon his owne bottome and if I sinne I must answer for it Nay hee will blesse the Lord for it and say Blessed be the Lord and blessed be such a Minister blessed be such a neighbour for they have shewed mee my sinne and had compassion upon my soule Secondly as the soule desires to have sinne revealed so it desires to have sinne killed and it makes no matter how it be killed or by whom so it be killed at all Hence it comes to passe that the soule which truly hates sinne is ever seeking to those meanes that are most able to give strength to him and to over come his corruptions and is
79.26.187 83.2.18 103.3.6 119.36.13 59.83 Pro. 8.19.24 Esay 5.19.49 7.18.5 17.11.29 Ier. 4.3.162 15.42 8.6.12 31.29.12 Lam. 3.19.82 20. ib. Eze. 16.16.223 30.31.244 Ezek. 36.31.11 Dan. 12.4.83 Hos. 2.2.65 15.211 3.3.175 Zac. 11.10.13 Mal. 3.45.22 Mat. 7. last 62 12 37◠43 21.45.66 27.4.240 46.57 Luke 3.11.64 12. ib. 19.10.58 23.40.222 29.42.36 Ioh. 6.44.171 Acts 3.17.38 Acts 4.22.69 5.3.235 16.30.180 Ro. 7.7.38 8.15.138 2. Co. 3.2.62 Eph. 3.19.215 20. ib. 1. Th 5.8.213 2. Ti. 1.17.138 3.14.84 4.1.72 Tit. 1.13.72 Heb. 6.19.212 2. Pet. 2.8.82 Re. 22.17.173 CHristian Reader thou hast here some sermons brought to light which by reason of the Authors absence are presented to thy view both with some lesser escapes and in more homely termes then his judicious eye would have suffered The principall faults I have here corrected those which are smaller may in the reading be easily discerned Page 30. for many read may p. 51. f. the r. they p. 63. f. sorces forces p. 78. f. carelesse carelessenesse p. 89 f. slave salve and line 32. insert is p. 94. ◠cup. p. 98. f. wherfore whereof p. 173. f. brad bad p. 142. and so in other places for happily perhaps p. 149. f. it him p. 67. f. fece fence p. 275. f. pulked plucked p. 56. blot out not p. 119. blot out this and that p. 143. blot otu the. p. 149. blot out and so forth p. 153. blot out for it is so in the second place p. 155. blot out which p. 160. blot out how I dispute p. 141. blot out in the second place p. 112. l. 11. blot out those evils and. THE SOVLES PREPARATION FOR CHRIST ACTS 2.37 Now when they heard this they were pricked in their hearts and said to Peter and the other Apostles Men and brethren what shall wee doe to bee saved IN this great worke of preparation for Christ Observe two things First the dispensation of the worke of Grace on Gods part he pulls a sinner from sinne to himselfe Secondly the frame and temper of spirit that God workes in the hearts of those that he doth draw and that makes its selfe knowne in two particulars partly in Contrition partly in humiliation For our better proceeding in the prosecution of these two maine points I shall handle them severally and at large And first we will sift out what this Contrition and humiliation is that we may not deceive our selves and thinke we have them when it is nothing so This Contrition as I conceive is nothing else but namely when a sinner by the sight of sinne and vilenesse of it and the punishment due to the same is made sensible of sinne and is made to hate it and hath his heart separated from the same and the sight of sin makes it selfe knowne in three particulars First when the soule is sensible of sinne Secondly when it hath a hearty and sound sorrow for the same and an earnest detestation of it Thirdly when he hath his heart separated from his corruptions All these are not wrought so much by any power that is in us as by the Almighty power of God working in us for the sinner would not see his sin but the Lord forceth him as the holy Prophet saith Thou holdest my eyes waking I am so troubled that I cannot speake the Lord holds sinne to a carnall sinfull wretch so that his sinne walkes and sleepeth and goeth with him nay the soule of a poore sinner would beat backe the blow and would not have the word to touch him he labours to shift off the arrowes of the Almighty which the Lord shooteth into the soule but the Lord will not suffer him so to doe Thy arrowes sticke fast in me and thy hand presseth me sore Psalm 38.2 As if the Prophet had said I would faine have beate backe thine arrowes but they sticke fast in me and I would have shaken off the burden that lay upon me but thine hand presseth me sore so then at last when the sinner sees hee cannot shake off the arrowes then he is content to bee separate from his corruptions This is in generall in the text wherin you shall plainly see these three particulars fully expressed First the sight of sinne by the hearing of Peters words and it was not by the bare hearing of his words onely but when Peter came somewhat roundly home to them and said This is Christ Iesus whom ye have crucified then followes the former worke namely the acknowledgement of their sinnes and the first cause that made them see their sinne was a particular application of their sinnes hee came punctually and particularly to them and said you are they that have crucified the Lord Christ this touched them and made them see their sinnes Secondly the daily and serious meditation and apprehension of their sinnes and of those truths which were delivered in the word hearing that is daily pondering and considering of the evills that were committed by them and shewed to them Thirdly they were pricked they did not pricke themselves but the Lord followed that truth that was delivered and by his Almighty hand did make that word prosperous to their soules and though they would not pierce themselves yet the Lord pierced them The second part of it is in these words They were pricked in their hearts not in their hands or eyes but in their hearts The third part is the separation from sin in these words Men and brethren what shall we doe Whatsoever you would have us to doe we will doe it and whatsoever sinne is forbidden wee are content to be rid of it nay nothing was too hard or too much for them Give mee leave to take a doctrine by the way from the words they when they heard this who were these they see this in the 36. verse them that had crucified the Lord of life What will some say is it possible that ever they should be so pierced frō their sinnes it was said of Iudas that betrayed Christ it had been good for that man that he had not beene borne What shall we thinke of those that murther Christ. If Iudas was damned for betraying of Christ then much more they for killing of him Is it possible the Lord should doe good unto them yes even they came to be pricked in their hearts From these words this doctrine ariseth It is possible for the most stubborne sinners upon earth to get a broken heart They that stoned the Prophets and killed them that were sent unto them and sleighted all the meanes of grace they that refused Christ and would not heare him they are now brought upon their knees and are resolved now if any course might bee taken to get Christ and mercy Titus 12.13 one of their owne Prophets said the Cretians are alwayes lyers evill beasts and slow bellies a man would thinke it a vaine thing to medle with them they are such desperate wretches but the text saith Reprove them sharply that they may be sound in the faith so
at any time God would give repentance that they may acknowledge the truth and come to amendment of life out of the snares of the Devill It is onely but peradventure it is a rare worke and few have it Thirdly some will say God may give me repentance Quest. Christ came into the world to save sinners and why may he not save me Answ. I answere is that all is it come to this and who knows but that God may damne thee too if that be all why may you not say more truly what know I but that God may give me up to a hard heart and a blinde minde for ever and I may for ever be cast out of the presence of God is it but It may be all this while And therefore for a full answere consider these two things to shake off this carnal security wherby men resolve to pin their salvation Gods mercy though they purpose to oppose his mercy First know this that there is a time wheÌ„ God will not shew mercy Behold saith God I gave her a time of repentance but she repented not therefore I will cast her upon the bed of sicknes and as our Saviour saith to Ierusalem Oh that thou hadst knowne in this thy day the things belonging to thy peace but now they are hid from thy eyes God had sealed up hâ—s mercy and the day of salvation was past and when the day is over though Noah Daniel and Iob should pray for a people they should save neither sonne nor daughter And if thy father did pray for thee that art a childe if mercy be past the Lord will not spare that man saith the text as if the Lord had said I have abundance of mercy but thou shalt never tast of it nay for ought I know the Lord may set a seale of condemnation upon thee and so give thee over to all evill to all sinne to all curses and blot out thy name from under heaven Are you yet perswaded that this is Gods word if you were but perswaded of the sorrow some have had it would make you looke about you The Wise man saith that wisedome professeth to poure out abundance of mercy saying Oh you simple ones how long will you contemne and despise puritie and holinesse Now marke when a people hath had this mercy and wisedome offered to them and yet they will despise it then shall the cry and call but I will not answere saith God they shal seeke me early but shall not finde me The period of Gods patience is come to an end and there is no expectation of mercy call and call you may but God will not heare you you whose consciences flie in your faces tel you that you have despised mercy you would none of Gods Counsells you hate the knowledge of his wayes Do you think to get it now by crying when the date of mercy is out No no you would have none of Gods mercy before and now he will none of you Doe you think it fit that grace and mercy and the spirit should still stand and waite upon you and strive and alwayes be despised Is it not marvellous just that that word which you have despised should never worke more and that mercy you have refused should never be offered to you any more It is just and you shall finde it so in the end and take heed the termes of mercy be not out Lastly if we cannot avoyde it then we are resolved to beare it as we may if we be damned we shall undergoe it as we are able This is that we poore ministers finde too often by woefull experience that when we have taken away all cavills from wicked men and then if we could weepe over them and mourne for them and beseech them to consider of it aright Marke what they say Good sir spare your paines we are sinners and if we be damned then every tub must stand upon his owne bottom we will beare it as well as we can What is the winde in that doore Is that all you can say O woe to thee that ever thou wert bone O pooâ—e creature if I should cease speaking all of us joyne together in weeping and lamenting thy condition it were the best course It is impossible thou shouldest ever beare Gods wrath with any comfort And let these three considerations be remembred retained which wil make any man come to a stand even the vilest wretches who will blaspheme and sweare and if they be damned they say they have borne something and they will also beare this as well as they can First judge the Lyon by the pawe judge the torments of hell by some little beginnings of it and the dregges of Gods vengeance by some little sipps of it And judge how unable thou art to beare the whole by thy inabilitie to beare a little of it in this life In the terrour of conscience as the Wiseman saith a wounded spirit who can beare When God layes the flashes of hell fire upon thy soule thou canst not indure it what soever a man can inflict upon a poore wretch may be borne but when the Almighty comes in battaile array against a poore soule how can he undergoe it witnesse the Saints that have felt it as also wittnesse the wicked themselves that have had some beginnings of hell in their consciences When the Lord hath let in a little horror of heart into the soule of a poore sinfull creature how is he traÌ„sported with an insupportable burthen When it is day he wisheth it were night and when it is night he wisheth it were day All the friends in the world cannot comfort him nay many have sought to hang themselves to doe any thing rather then to suffer a little vengeance of the Almighty And one man is roaring and yelling as if he were now in hell already and admits of no comfort If the droppes be so heavy what will the whole sea of Gods vengeance be If he cannot beare the one how can he beare the other Secondly consider thine owne strength and compare it with all the strength of the creatures and so if all the creatures be not able to beare the wrath of the Almighty as Iob saith Is my strength the strength of stones or is my flesh as brasse that must beare thy wrath As if he had said It must be a stone or brasse that must beare thy wrath Though thou wert as strong as brasse or stones thou couldst not beare it when the mountaines tremble at the wrath of the Lord shall a poore worme or bubble and a shadow endure it Conceive thus much if all the diseases in the world did sease on one man and if all the torments that all the tyrants in the world could devise were cast upon him and if all the creatures in heaven and earth did conspire the destruction of this man and if all the devils in hell did labour to inflict punishments upon him you
punishable by the Law of man were abominable and God was incensed against them but what will every wicked thought sinke the soule into hell unlesse God pardon it and is God so just and so severe and will he punish all sinners and must I answere for all my petty oathes If I shall be condemned for my words and thoughts it is a strange thing well I will inquire further of the matter it is marvelous hard if it be true Many a man hath beene thus and goeth no further for the present Well then Secondly he resolves to heare the minister againe and he fals to reading and conferring with others to try if it be so as the minister before revealed unto him and commonly he goeth to heare the same minister againe and by this meanes what with hearing and reading conferring he seeth the thing he doubted of is too certaine and that the thing be questioned before is without all doubt the Law is just the word is plaine if God be true this is true The wages of sinne is death Yea of every sinful thought and He that beleeveth not is condemned already so that now the sinner beginnes to consider that the condemnation threatned sleepes not and that God hath him in chase and that punishment that God threatens shall be executed upon him sooner or latter thus the soule from a generall amazement comes to see that it is so and by this meanes he is surprised with a sudden feare of spirit in expectation and suspition of what is discovered left God should lay it upon him in so much that the soule saith What if God should damne me God may doe it and what if God should execute his vengeance upon me the soule feareth that the evill discovered will fall upon him the nature of his feare is this he knoweth there is cause of feare and he cannot beare the evill when it is come He saith I am a sinfull wretch and God may damne me for ought I know and what if God should damne me this is the reason of those phrases of Scripture Wee have not received the spirit of bondage to feare againe the spirit that shewes our bondage and thence comes this feare Hence it is that the Apostle saith to Timothy God hath not given us the spirit of feare That is the spirit of bondage that workes feare therefore the Lord saith by Moses Thy life shall hang in doubt before thee and thou shalt feare day and night thou shalt have no assurance of thy life It is with a soule in this feare as it was with Belshazzar when he commanded the cups to be brought out of the house of the Lord that he and his nobles and his concubines might quaffe in them brave against the God of Israel then came a hand writing against him on the wall and when he saw it his thoughts troubled him and his face beganne to gather palenesse and his knees knocked one against another as if he should say surely there is some strange evill appointed for me and with that his heart began to tremble and shake Just so it is with this feare he that runnes ryot in the way of wickednesse aud thinkes to despise Gods Spirit to hate the Lord Almighty and to resist the work of his grace and saith within himselfe Let us goe heare the minister that we may cavill at him and persecute him Now it may be there comes this feare and hand-writing against him and who knowes but that it may be thus with thee whosoever thou art for this is a note of the child of the devill to hate Gods servants and ministers Now when a wicked man heares this he saith the word of God was profestly spoken against him and these are my sinnes and these are the Judgements and plagues threatned against them and therefore why may not I be damned and why may I not be plagued and thus his heart is full of feare he begins to reason with himselfe what is this the nature of sinne and are these the Judgmēts of God denounced against sinfull creatures why then what if God should lay these Judgemēts upon my soule and who knoweth but God will doe so to me this day plucke me out of the land of the living I am sure my sinnes are such and Gods Judgements are such threatned against them and therefore why may not this be and when he goeth to bed he reasoneth thus what if I never rise more and when he goeth from home what if I never returne more and God may take me with my meate in my mouth and cast me downe into hell fire for ever The soule being in this estate and the heart being thus pestered and plagued with the feare of Gods wrath that followeth a man like a Jailor he is hindred still that he cannot sinne so freely but still the wrath of God pursueth him and saith Do you not feare that God may take you away in the act of sinning and in the middest of your chambring and wantonnesse The heart being thus pestered with this feare it is not able to endure it he labours to drive away this trouble and dread from his mind and still he thinkes God is against him and he heares some behind him saying Thou must come to Judgement and be plagued Now the soule labours to drinke away and play away this Sorrow Another man haply that was a prodigall before riseth now early and will be exceedingly busied about his occasiōs all the day long that these things may take up his mind the reason is there lyeth something at the heart and he cannot tell which way to drive away his feare but he labours all in vaine For this is to make up walls with untempered morter which will presently fall downe it is as much as a man should labour to ease himself of sinne by sinning to give a man cold drinke in a hot burning feaver Thirdly in the third place the Lord pursueth the soule and when the heart cannot be rid of this feare the Lord beginnes to let fly against the soule of a sinner and discharges that evill upon him which was formerly feared and affliction enters into the heart The nature of feare is to feare an evill to come now the Lord makes the soule to see that it is not only great drunkards adulterers that are threatned but every sinfull thought and idle word The soule would faine have driven away this feare but the Lord will not let him but saith these curses shall kindle upon thee and shall continue for ever to thy perdition And hence comes this sorrow the Lord lets in some veine of his vengeance and some secret displeasure of his and makes sinne to stabbe the soule and then the curse lyeth upon him and the Lord as it were kindles the fire of his wrath upon him really and makes him see this is that which he feared Now his conscience is all on a flame within him and
saved I conclude this naturally all men are locked up under infidelity now the Lord opeÌ„s their hearts severally you know some lockes are new and fresh and therefore an easie key may open them but some lockes are old and rusty and therefore must be broken open by force of hand so it is with some mens hearts howsoever sin prevailes over the hearts of civill men and they are full of pride and the like and yet their hearts are kept cleare froÌ„ rusting by restrayning grace now the Lord will draw that man by the key of his spirit and kindly withdraw him from his sinne But if a man have beene an old rusty drunkard or adulterer no key can open his heart alas it is not a little matter will doe the deed it is not now and then a gratious promise that will breake his heart But the Lord must come downe from heaven and breake open the doore by strong hand by awaking his conscience that all the countrey rings of him You know all mens hearts are compared to stones some stones are soft you may crush them to pieces with your hands and some are flints which must have many blowes before they will breake so it is with the heart while it hath not beene melted and softned by humility the Lord must breake it open by maine force and as it is with a tree some branches are young and smooth without knots and some are old ones and full of knots now if a man come every day and give a little cut at the tender branch at last it will off easily but it is no cutting of an old tree with a pen-knife but a man must take an axe and give many a sore cut that all the people in the towne may heare it All men grow upon the root of sinne which is Adams rebellion some are young and have not growne knotty in a rebellious course every Sabbath day the Lord gives a cut at him by his counsels and by his threatnings and by his promises at last it falls off kindly and they are content to part with their sinnes and to rest upon Christ for mercy Another man is an old sturdy vile wretch an over-growne adulterer and drunkard and his heart is blinded in sinne I tell you if ever the Lord cut off this man from his base course hee must come with a mighty hand and with his book of the Law God is ever laying at his soule blow after blow and so at last hee begins to forsake his wicked courses What saith one is such a man turned hee was as heavy a persecutor as ever the Sunne saw his father was an enemy to all goodnesse and hee was as bad Like father like sonne Hath the Lord brought him home Yes now hee sends to the faithfull Ministers and to Gods people for comfort and direction The third and last part of the answer is this That when God workes gently with Christians they hardly perceive the worke though wise Christians may approve that which is done for this is certaine wheresoever Christ is there preparation was if ever man be saved Christ hath made him see his lost estate Sometime the worke is secret and the soule apprehends it not because it is so and though he doe yet it is an unknowne worke to him hee knowes not what to make of it he can finde in his heart to hate those and those sinfull courses yet he cannot see how this was wrought in him Mans spirit is such that he misjudgeth the worke but give me a Christian that God doth please to worke upon in this extraordinary manner and to breake his heart soundly to throw him downe to some purpose though it cost him deare this man walkes with more eare and conscience and hath more comfort comming to himselfe and gives more glory to God wheras the other doth but little good in his place and hath little comfort comming to him Therefore labour for soundnes in this worke and then for ever sound but if once deluded here then for ever cozened and everlastingly damned The first-Use is for instruction It is so that the soule of a man is thus pierced to the quicke and runne thorow by the wrath of the Almighty Then let this teach the Saints and people of God how to carry themselves towards such as God hath thus dealt withall Are they pierced men Oh pitty them let our soules and the bowells of commiseration and compassion bee let out towards them and let us never cease to doe good to them to the very uttermost of our power and strength And to the performance of this not onely reason perswades us but Religion bindes us and pitty moves us See what the Lord saith by Moses If a man see his neighbours oxe or asse fall into distresse by the way the Lord commanded to ease him and succour him nay to lay all businesse aside and not to hide himselfe from him Thus the Lord commands mercy to the unreasonable creature that is thus wearied with the weight that he carrieth hath the Lord care of oxen As the Apostle saith in another case It is for our sakes that the Lord requires this duty The meaning is this shall not the heart of thy brother be eased that is tired thus with the wrath of the Almighty shall not this poore fainting creature be succoured are you men or are you beasts in this kinde If a hogge be but in distresse it is strange to see how folke come about it are we divels then that we can see poore creatures burthened with the unconceivable wrath of the Lord and not pitty them doe you see these and not mourne and succour and pray to heaven for them See what Iob saith and let him speake in the behalfe of all distressed soules O saith hee that my sorrowes were all weighed they would prove heavier then the sand Marke how he cries for succour oh you my friends have pitty upon me for the hand of God is heavy upon me for the hand of God hath touched me Imagine you saw him sitting upon the dunghill mourning it is not the hand of a man or an enemy but the heavy hand of God and therefore all you my friends that see my anguish and my sorrowes have pitty upon me Those palefaces and blubbered cheekes and feeble hearts and hands of theirs say thus much unto you have you no regard of a man in misery have you no pitty saith the Lamenting Chuâ—ch so doth every grieved humbled soule their sighes and sorrowes in secret say thus much oh all you that walke in the streets have you no remorse of a poore desolate forlorne creature Had I beene only wounded or had my nature growne weake some Physitian might have eased me had I been poore some friends might have enriched me had I beene disgraced the King might have advanced me to honours but was there ever sorrow like to my sorrow of soule It is the God of mercy that shewes