who is sencible of his withdrawing from God So also to discover in the third place the sweet Entertainment that the soule finds with God when he is brought home As I desire to declare sutable to what God hath declared to me so I desire to speake it from that Scripture in and by which the Lord was pleased to speake it forth to me by which he did very much refresh and encourage my poore and unworthy Spirit The Text is in these words following A Discovery of the sweet and unexspected Entertainment that wandring hearts meet with in their Returnes to God The Prodigalls Entertainment with his Father discovered Luke the 15. and the 20 verse And he arose and came to his Father but when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him BEloved Friends These words doe cleerly and sweetly Anatomise the tendernes of Gods affection as he is a Father and the truth is those hearts that doe by the Spirit of the Lord Really view God in these words as he is presented cannot but as a Sonne be melted and overcome in the sence of the Fathers kindnesse As for the first part of the words Concerning the Prodigalls rising and coming towards his Father I shall not say any thing having spoken at large what is there included in our former discourses I shall onely speak to the unexpected Entertainment the poore Prodigall found with the Father and that is implyed in these words But when he was yet a great way off his Father saw him and had compassion and ran and fell upon his neeke and kissed him All which doth wonderfully manifest the full free and tender kindnesse of God to unkinde Greatures Before we come to speake of the Entertainment it selfe wee might speake something of the party Entertained And as to him we might say something of his resolution to come his preamble in coming his apprehensions about his coming and how much his Entertainment did Extend all All which you may see in the dependance of these words on the foregoing verses but I shall passe over that and onely summe up all in this generall Conclusion which wee shall observe from the words as they have dependance upon the former verses Doct. That soule which is brought home to the Father through a sence of his owne wandrings meets with unexpected Entertainment with the Father when he comes If you reade the former verses you will not finde the Prodigall expecting to meet the Father before he came to the Father And for the Father to runne when he onely went And for the Father to fall upon his necke before he fell downe before his Father Nay his Father kissed him before he could confesse how unworthy he was of a kisse truly the very thoughts of this is a Cordiall sufficient to put Life to a dying Spirit and doth exceedingly advance the glory of Gods grace and Love Especially if you see how God by this Love doth not onely give unexpected Entertainment and so in that went beyond the apprehensions of the Prodigall but he did also prevent the Prodigall in his practise for the poore wandring heart being sencible of his wandrings and what a breach by it he apprehended he had made in his Interest in his Father he now resolved to doe that which all poore Soules in the like Condition doth endeavour to doe in their returning to God to prompt their expectation of their Entertainment with God they resolve to doe and say something to make way for their Entertainment As the Prodigall here in these words I will arise and goe to my Father and will say I have sinned against heaven and against thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Sonne make me as one of thy hired servants Poore soules when they have these preparations and resolutions they have some hopes that God by it may be wrought upon to manifest Love againe Dearely Beloved that God may shew you the emptines of this foundation see how God goes beyond the poore Prodigall Before ever he said any thing the Father saved him and when he did but come the Father did runne and before he ever performed his resolutions his Father transcendently answered his expectation and desires falling on him and kissed him before he fell downe in the presence of his Father Beloved the Father is God and not man he moves all but is mov'd by none preparations are wrought by him but they are no Causes moving and procuring Entertainment with him * Job 32.6 7. Psal 16.2 Effects of his Love cannot be the Cause this would all Prodigalls say in their Returnes if they were sencible what God is and they will be drawne to acknowledge it from their Injoyment of the unexpected Entertainment with the Father Poore David when he had sinned against God said He would confesse his sinne but saith he when I said I would confesse God forgave Psal 32. and the 5. So that when he did onely Resolve to confesse before it was done God did actually forgive The very same you may see in Ephraim Ierem. 31.18 19 verses he there bemones himselfe being ashamed and confounded thorough a sence of his owne unsutablenes crying out to be turned to God as knowing himselfe undone without him but see in the 20 verse what a transcendant and unexpected Entertainment he found with God Exprest in these words Ephraim my deare Sonne is he a pleasant Childe for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. O what sweet soule melting Expressions are these It was an Entertainment far beyond Ephraims Expectation and as Ephraim so all poore soules who have strangely wandred from the Father and are ashamed in their Returnes to beg Entertainment even in the lowest degree They undoubtedly shall be sweetly Entertained beyond what they doe or can expect If you aske me the reasons why wandring hearts in their Returnes finde Entertainment beyond their Expectation The reasons are these First Because Gods thoughts are not our thoughts Esay 55. the 8 and 9. but as the heavens are above the Earth so are his thoughts above ours in relation to the dispensation of mercy to undone soules The confirmation of which truth is Gods intent in that Chapter and those Verses Alas the poore heart that is wounded in the sence of his owne sins and desires nothing more then Entertainment if it were but to look upon God at the doore and to be owned by him though he did not sit at the Table with him and had but asmile though not kisses and lookes of Love though no Imbraces Though as a Servant yet he would thinke himselfe happy Dearely Beloved You shall not onely stand at the doore but * Can. 2.4 Cant. 3.10 Isa 62.5 sit downe at the Table and not onely have smiles and lookes of Love but varieties of
is punished for all his prosecuting doth but pierce into his owne spirit and all his stirring doth but rouse up guilt in his owne heart and all his rubbing doth but rub upon his owne soare which doth much kill disturbe and disquiet his owne spirit which causes many men in Authoritie when they are a punishing to wish they had not knowne it and they are apt to curtayle and lessen it if not cover it And all this is occasioned as a fruit of sinne from which wee may observe thus much That none are like to be good Common-wealths men but they that are godly and honest men for them that have a chiefe Authoritie in the State or in Counties or Parishes can never suppresse vice vertuously if themselves are strangers to vertue and practisers of vice In the close of this remember but this Scripture Prov. the 28. and the first verse The wicked flies when no man pursues but the righteous is as bold as a Lyon Thirdly It is Injurious to a man as he is a Master of a familie and that thus It binds him up in Exhorting his familie to walke holily when he knowes that his familie knows that he himselfe walks unholily or can he reprove vice when he himselfe is vitious No he cannot do it If it be it is very cold poore emptie The guilt in their owne hearts produced by their unsaint like carriage doth exceedingly straiten their hearts and tye their hands not onely to themselves as reproving and correcting but also to their familie reproved and corrected for at the very best their familie who are sencible of their evills will judge it as the Devill correcting sin Therefore in the close of this let all that desire to be profitable in their families in suppressing evill and encouraging good Let them first shew it in their * 1 Tim. 6.2 Mat. 7.5 practice before they first shew it in their power But I shall say no more as to the Effects of sin though there be many more but I shall come to the reasons why sin to a Saint-like sencible heart is an Insupportable Burthen and the Reasons are these A Saint sees that sin hath brought him into a Condition so bad and so low that himselfe with all the world cannot recover him * Act. 2.37 Act. 16.30 Job 7.20 If a Christian had any crevis to behold helpe besides Christ he would have some way to uphold his heart and inable him to beare his burthen without going to Christ but sin is so large and so broad and so full of weight that it sincks all things under on this side of Heaven which goe to beare it And this a Saint sees and therefore sin to his heart is an unsupportable burthen Secondly Sin takes away the ground of patience and therefore unbearable and that it does why because though there are promises to beare all oppressions yet no promises to beare the practice of sin Therefore my former thus That Condition which is without promise is unbearable but the practice of sin as the practice of sin is without promise Ergo * Gal. 3.29 The third Reason which makes sin so unreasonable and so unsupportable to a Saint-like sencible heart is because he sees that sin is not onely a * Rom. 7.11 lye in speaking that which it will nor cannot doe but whatsoever is contrary to sins promise is brought upon him Contradiction in Expectation works distraction but no where so unsupportable as the busines of sin for there is no contradiction like that It expects joy but beholds sorrow it promised Light and Life but behold Darknesse and * Rom. 6.23 March 24.50 51. Death Fourthly That which makes sin so unsupportable to a Saints heart is this though it be the last it is not the least It is this That Light and Love which discovers a mans sins to him and by it his Lost Condition it doth sweetly make up his Losses by supplies from it selfe that makes the soule in seeing sin to see that it hath not onely sinned against Law but against that Light and Love which discovers and * Zech. 12.10 Luk 15.21 Isal 51.4 supplits And for a heart to see that he cannot lye safely no where but in the Fathers Love and for him to Reflect upon himselfe and see how much not onely below but contrary to that Love he hath lived in Oh! how much doth this breake the heart and wound the spirit I leave to that Soule that after all his owne unkindnesse hath now all his Refreshments from the sweet Incomes of the Fathers loving kindnesse he cannot choose but there see to the continuation of the Fathers nature as he is the Father yet the want of his owne as he is a Childe and he cannot but see how much hee indeavoured to kill that by which he now lives 't is impossible to declare how much the Reflection of this Love doth kill and Crucifie a Saints Spirit The knowledge of which doth make sin to be unsupportable but no more of the Reasons but a word or two of use The first Use Is an use of Information to Informe us of the miserable Condition of those who make light of sin If sin be so unsupportable to one that is made alive sure these people must needs be dead But some will object and say They blesse God they see sin and they conceive sin is cast out and subdued in them In this there may be a very great mistake for men may see sin and yet not Saint-like sencible of sinne And in some the Devill is said to goe out when he is not Cast out according to that Scripture Matth. the 12.43 44 45. But know this sin be onely gone out and not conquered it will Returne againe according to the same Scripture and if you see sin and not Saint-like you may see it and be sencible and yet nothing As Pharaoh Cain and Judas c. And therefore for feare of mistakes I shall propound two questions and give my Answer to them according to what Experience I have found in the like Case The first question is What the difference betwixt a Saint-like sence of sin and the sence of sin a man may have and be nothing Secondly What are the demonstrations to discover that sin is not onely gone out but cast out To the first The difference betwixt a Saint-like sence and a bare seeing lyes in these things First Where it is really Saint-like it is alwayes sencible of that most which is by men seene least Rom. 7.24 Psal 51. â—0 Jer. 17.9 I meane the emptinesse barrennesse basenesse and unsutablenesse of its owne heart But others who are Judas-like are sencible of that which men see most If they are but conformable to what is without they are never troubled for what is within but he that is made sencible of sin by the comings in of grace he is so sencible if God should cut off all dead branches without yet that will not
unlesse you speak of Gods bounty in a providentiall sense but according to our intent in this discourse God is love and love is God according to Johns words the first Epistle of John the 4 Chapter and the 8 verse and so the bounty of God is one with God and God one with that and he that loves one must love both but not as two but one for they are one But no more to the Objection A word or two briefly of Use and so conclude The first Use is an Use of Reproofe and of sad Complaints against those that are wantonly gone from God If there be any such here give me leave to desire you seriously to consider your condition and to weigh well from what you are fallen Was there not enough in God why went you from him The truth is that saying lyes sad upon my owne spirit yet give me leave to tell you and my owne heart there is not that abroad which we find at home and whatever you may * Pro. 20.1 Rom. 7.11.1 Cor. 6.9.2 Tim. 3.13 Heb. 3.13 Isa 57.21 Rom. 6.23 be possest of through the delusions of a seeming delight in sin which prompts flesh to plead for that sinfull liberty Yet know though it may seem sweet in the palate when it comes to concoction it will be so far from communicating strength to life that it will bring forth nothing but sorrow weaknesse and death Beloved friends amongst all the people in the world that undervalue the bounty of God and goe from him none so desperately dangerous as those who have often refreshed themselves with Gospel-discoveries from whence they have injoyed much strength and by it seem to trample upon all transitory contents for these to goe again down to Aegypt * Isa 33.14 Heb. 6.6 Heb. 10.26 and to shake hands with their old enemy endeavouring to make friendship there I meane with sin and corruption their condition is very sad and they are not able to give a reason for what they doe if they would exactly and candidly examine their owne hearts they would be ashamed There is no soule that thus acts but he is worse then Esay who sould his Birth-right for a messe of pottage * Heb. 12.16 Mat. 26.15 and worse the Judas that sould Christ for thirty pieces of silver Let the sinnes that they practice bring all the honour pleasure and profit it will not be able to weigh downe Judases and Esay's portions and doe but view what was the result of them and you may see your selfe in them and a great deale worse Alas Judas sould a Christ without but you endeavour to sell a Christ within Esay sould a portion that was in some sense but earthly but yours is a heavenly Oh it is a mercy that our title in heaven stands upon such a foundation that we doe not retaine that but that retaines it selfe for us and though we like the Prodigall change abroad yet our portion with our Father is unchangeable at home Dear hearts the knowledge of this is no ground at all for loosnesse * Rom. 6.1 2. but the sence of this will exceedingly wound our spirits when we are made sensible how ill we have dealt with him that deals well with us O doe but consider your selves under a dispute with God say he should say unto you as he did unto the Church Isaiah the 5th and the 4th What could I done more to you then I have done or Hosea the 6th and the 4th O Ephraim What shall I doe unto thee O Iudah what shall I doe unto thee Adding this which in your owne hearts you must needs equcast with if you have experience of Gods bounty Did not I saith the Lord lay thee in my bosome and carry thee in my arms and * Can. 2.4 Isa 40.11 had thee often into my Wine-Celler and refreshed thee with flaggons of wine and my banner over thee was love didst thou ever come to my bosome and went away crying for want Nay whatsoever thou hadst thou mightest have had more then why wouldst thou goe from me Alas what will you answer the Lord O that the same effect upon such a discourse may be seene in you that was seene in the people of Israel the 2 of Judges the latter part of the 4 verse When the Angel had reckoned up the kindnes and goodnes of God in the former verses The Text sayth The people of Israel lift up their voyces wept I know no Arguments can divert a heart who is gone from God till God comes My own experience proves that or els I should use many Arguments but I shall at present cease onely mourning over them desiring the Lord through the discoveries of his Bounty to returne them then they will see the truth of what I have heere said But I shall forbeare and say no more to this Use The second Use Is an use to Exhort all those hearts that have withdrawne from God and thorough the discoveries of his bounty are brought home againe to God to blesse and praise God O what hath God done for your poore soules nay Consider not what he hath done but how he did it It was thorough a discovery of his owne bounty he might have done by you as you have done by him but alas he cannot he remembers the contract he made with thee in thy youth Ezekiel the 16. and the 59 and 60 verses You have great Cause for ever to speake out in your Life the kindnesse and love of God who is pleased not onely to lay up a portion in his bounty for you but thorough the discoveries of his bounty to bring you home to him when after you have done all the ill you can against him God doth most Eminently appeare in this to be a father not onely free and full but unchangeable O declare where-ever you come the unsearchable mercy and kindnesse of God how often have you frowned upon him but he still smiles upon you you have runne from him but he runs after you And though you have caused him to stand knocking at the doore begging entertainment till his head was filled with dew and his lockes with the dropes of the night Canticles the 5. and the latter part of the 2 verse O Consider this and as he hath prized you prize and praise him and remember that when he returnes you he doth not onely bring you to bounty but thorough the discoveries of bounty he returnes you The worke is his doe not onely praise him but lye low before him Considering how much you are bound to him and goe no more from God But I shall say no more to this use nor to this Conclusion but the Lord make you sencible of what hath been said Beloved Friends I did engage my selfe to make knowne to you what the Lord hath made knowne to mee as in relation to the unsupportable burthen of sinne to a sencible heart and the restles longings of a Soule to returne to God
Kisses and Imbraces and Entertainment far beyond thy Expectation beleeve it to be so for Gods thoughts are not thine Second Reason Every poore wandring soule in his Returne is apt to look upon God thorough himselfe if not thorough his Corruptions yet thorough the narrow measure of his owne Resolutions and Reformations and doth measure his mercy and Entertainment in the Compasse of those narrow Limits But alas that is not a glasse to behold God in or a measure to measure his mercy by Sutable to God is his kindnes and Love and sutable to that measure is our entertainment The Creatures Entertainment is sutable to its apprehension apprehension is sutable to the glasse it apprehends the object in Now seeing the poore creature eyes God his entertainment with God thorough the narrow Compasse of himselfe his Expectation must needs be low and fall much short of that which a wandring soule returned finds when he is sencibly possest with it but no more of the Reasons but a word or two of Use First Use is an use to Reprove the people of God who after they have wandered from God and are thorough reall Convictions returning home to God yet are feareful and question their entertainment with God thinking he must needs deale hardly with them who have dealt so unkindly with him * Psal 77.9 Psal 42.9 Psal 31.12 Isa 49.14 Deare Friendt I must confesse the state and condition of such poore soules is much to be pittied for they are surrounded with temptations in a double and treble sence yet give me leave to Reprove them as Christ said in another Case Matth. 22.29 You erre not knowing the Scriptures So you feare your entertainment not knowing the endeared affections that live in God when once you come to be possest with it you will Reprove your owne Spirits and say what I now say to you Was it not enough to sin against Love but must you now sin in questioning Love Was it not enough to sin in running from God but must you now sin in thinking God will run from you Was it not enough for you to sin in clouding the nature of a Sonne but must you now sin in questioning the nature of the Father O leave off those disputes and goe with boldnes beleeving that God is what he was though you are not so and know your entertainment will be farre beyond what you doe or can expect A second Use is an use of Comfort and Consolation to all poore broken Spirits who have wandred from God and thorough a sence of their own unkinde dealings with the Father they are ashamed to looke upon him and afraid to goe up to * Luk. 18.13 him and yet cannot live without him There is great Comfort to these poore broken Spirits in the Consideration of the sweet entertainment that poore wandring hearts finde in their Returne to God Know that the Father is God and not Man It will goe better with you then with Hester in her desperate attempts to the King Ahasuerus in the 5 of Hester she according to a Common Expectation looked for nothing but Death but see in the 2 and 3 verses how the King holds forth his Scepter and tells her that her Request should be granted if it were to the halfe of his Kingdome and Entertainment beyond her expectation Deare hearts know that in your approachments to the Father he will not onely hold out a Scepter to you but fall upon the neck of you and will not answer your desires to the halfe but to the whole of his Kingdome for all shall be yours and he will not onely speake words of kindnesse to you but will give you power to speak out your unkindnes before him he will not onely passe by and pardon your adulterous withdrawing from him as you may see Jeremiah the 3d at the beginning of the Chapter but he will also heale your back-slidings v. 22. And though you with the Prodigall desire to be but a Servant he will entertaine you as a Son and before you confesse he will pardon and before you acknowledge how unworthy you are of Love he will manifest Love he will not onely entertaine you expecting exactnesse in the future but he will also meet you and kisse you with the kisses of his mouth saying Thou art mine * Isa 43.1 Isa 44.1 2 Isa 45.4 and he will pay off all the old scores and arreares that are produced by your former Ramblings from a close Communion with his Love At your leisure reade those words Luke the 10.34 where you see Christ did not onely find them in their bloud wounded but he also with great pitty and love powres in oyle binds up their wounds takes them up and carries them to his owne Inne which Inne was Gospel Imbracements in the heart of God and what Entertainment was at that Inne you may see it was far beyond the Expectation of the poore wounded Soule The Case is thine I am certaine thy condition cannot be worse and know your Entertainment will be as good It was a wounded soule who was stript and left naked though he was alive yet he lay in his blood and though he was beloved yet he was very unlovely he was robbed and stript of all and had no accommodation but his owne blood and soares Deare hearts can your condition be more sad that is impossible And what encouragements or comforts can you propound to your selves but they will be doubled and trebled with God He will not onely meet you when you meet him but he will meet you before that so you may meet him he will not love you because you are lovely but he will love you being loathsome to make you lovely * Ezek. 16.8.14 Deut. 7.7 8. and he will not entertaine you when you come but he will meet you before you come and answer you before you ask O what a comfort is there to poore soules that desire nothing more then to be re-entertained with God I beseech you consider seriously what hath beene said and let not the dispute with your owne unworthy heart nor the dictates of the Devil draw a cloud over Gods kindnesse or hinder your confidence in your Entertainment God takes nothing so ungratefull as to question his kindnesse Truly it is impossible for any one though with the tongue of men and Angels to speak out the tenth part of Gods tender kindnesse and sweet imbracements to a poore unworthy heart that is gone from him and now returned againe did broken hearts know what great delight God takes in healing broken spirits * Ps 147.3 Mat. 5.3 4. Mat. 11.28 in making the poore rich and setting at liberty them that are in prison and to exalt them that are low and to recover them that are lost they would not dispute so much against the imbracements of grace and mercy At your leisure read the 66. of Esay and the two first verses the 16. of Ezekiel the 11 of Matthew and
her knee delighting to serve that then more then in the service she expects from her Child afterwards This is eminently in God * Isa 49.15 Mat. 9.11 Mat. 12.7 for he delights more in dispensing mercy then in receiving sacrifices from us and the Reason is because he is made up of it his nature prompts him to it he delights in it The third Reason we may draw from the promise of God Beloved if you look upon all the tenure of Gods promises they run out to poore low undone and broken spirits At your leisure view these Scriptures Isaiah the 55. the 12. Isaiah the 66. the 2. Matthew the 5. the 3 4 5 6. verses Matthew the 11. the 18. Truly it is in this as in the mountaines who give downe their water to their valleyes that are very much below and far from them so the high and glorious love of God in the promises which are the Gospel-mountaines which the Prophets often speake of they give out their sweetnesse and marrow to low poor undone and broken spirits though a far off and much beneath them that is to say they are not yet come up to that height of knowing beleeving and conforming which the Gospel requires They have eyes but they are dim onely see men like trees they have mouths but they are very narrow that they cannot be otherwise fed then with milk like Children Heb. 5.12 Yet God will in Gospel-discoveries nourish them there and communicate discoveries answerable to that strength he gives them to receive it Mark 4. 33. The fourth Reason why God will imbrace poore low spirits and that with compassion though a great way off it is that he may by it bring glory to his own grace and love it is that which the Apostle drives at in Romanes the 3 4 5 Chapters where he discovers the ground why God justifies the ungodly and dispenseth grace freely to unworthy creatures it is that no flesh may glory in his presence and that his grace alone may be exalted * Deut. 7. 6 7. Psa 50.15 Isa 25. 1 2 3 4. were there any good in the creature before God loved it we should be apt to conceive that there were reason why God should love us and so sacrifice to our owne goodnesse but when the soule is sensible that there is no goodnesse in it to move God but sees that all good must flow from Gods love as well as to be a cause to carry on Gods love it is then brought to lye low before God and to give all glory to him Had the Prodigall performed his Resolutions and brought them forth to practice before God met and imbraced him Gods grace and love had not been so naked and appeared so glorious as now it doth But I shall say no more as to the Reasons but a word or two briefly to this Conclusion The first is an Use of Comfort to all poore soules who through a sense of their owne unworthinesse and unkindnesse towards God are exceedingly broken and cast downe in their owne spirits apprehending that they are at so great a distance from God that they shall never meet with him Let all such know that God doth see them and will imbrace them with great compassion though a far off The heart cannot be so low but the high God can reach it and they cannot be so unworthy in their own eyes and so great a distance from God but he that is infinit in mercy and kindnesse can and will meet them Therefore Beloved friends if there be any of you in this condition consider what hath been said of Gods dealings towards David and his kindnesse in dispensing mercy according to that which we have already spake of in Esay the 42. and the 3. the 5. of Esay and the 10. and also the deare and sweet carriage of the Father to wards the Prodigall which Scripture is written for thy learning that through faith and patience thou mightest have hope Beloved know that God is the same God still retaining the same endeared love and pity to poor and undone spirits as I know it is the Devils way to prompt poore hearts presenting varieties of fancies to draw them from God and when withdrawne hee uses all means to keep them from returning either by presenting new objects of delight in sin or by blinding and stifling their consciences through often sinning if that and many other wayes will not doe rather then faile if he sees any conviction lyes upon them from God or his word he will cause them to question the truth of both but if that way will not take he will goe in a more fine spun way and endeavour to draw wrong notions from a Saints liberty to prompt them to loosenesse but for all this if he sees God will bring them home through a sence of their wandrings from God then he will lay load upon load bringing all their sins to their sence to multiply their sorrows and to cause them to see their distance between God and them so great as if it were impossible ever to meet Beloved if this was or is your condition know you are such a soule that God did and still doth see and imbrace with great compassion though a far off And therefore be not discouraged but hold up your head for your redemption draweth * Lu. 21.28 Isa 42.16 Isa 29.18,19 Isa 35.5,6 nigh And take notice that God sees you when you doe not see him and though you cannot rejoyce before him yet he in his love rejoyces over you and he hath long Lines of Love to Embrace a poore heart though they be a far off The Lord make you to beleeve it that you may rejoyce in it and live up to his Love in the benefit of it The second and last Use is an Use of Reproofe to many of the people of God who in their practice walke very unlike God in this thing for they are so farre from meeting or minding a poore Soule that is a farre off that they will not so much as cast an Eye of Encouragement upon them nor give out any discoveries of Compassion to them And of these sort of people there are these two which principally I will speake to The first are those who in their apprehensions have attained to a high discovery of Light and Enjoyments of Love yet cannot nor doe not manifest any endeared affection to poore groaning Spirits * Phil. 2.5 Jam. 3.17 who are not come up to that Light and Love Truly I dare not Censure these men but give me leave to Censure their sinne and tell them their walking lookes very much unlike Gods Love I feare they have forgotten their Rocke from whence they were hewen or the varieties of Gods dealings with them in the Wildernesse before they came into the good Land O remember beloved if any of you be * Rom. 11.20.1 Cor. 10.12 such that though you now stand you may fall and though you are high you were low
and though now strong you were weake and further Consider that your strength is not your owne and seriously weigh what the Apostle saith to the Gentiles Rom. 11.18 19 and 20 verses And further minde what Paul saith of himselfe concerning the Joy and Comfort he had more then others it was not for himselfe alone but to Comfort others with the same Comforts the 2 Ep of the Cor. the 1 and the 4. O therefore sutable to the practise of thy Father lend thy helping hand and goe meet encourage embrace poore groaning Spirits meeting them with compassion though a farre off from the measure of thy Light and Enjoyments and remember when thou art in the banquetting house with thy Beloved and his banners over thee are Love Cant. the 2 the 4. Minde them which stand begging at the doore knowing that thou wast once there though now thou art exalted Therefore to them that are now poore and naked O act God-like binding up their wounds and manifest some breathing Roome for their opprest Spirits and if their oppression be so great that they cannot speake it out speake it for them by declaring what God hath done for thee in the like kinde and endeavour to Remove their mourning by mourning over them and give out the soule melting mercy which is the Cause and if they cannot beare the Ravishing discoveries of Love which thou dost enjoy by living in Gods heart then tell them what God did for thee when he first tooke thee by the hand O beloved Friends this is and ought to be the work of Saints and this is that Labour of Love which the Gospel calls * Gal. 6.2 Joh. 21.15 16.1 Pet. 4.10 for happy is that heart which is imployed in it The second sort of the people of God who come under this Reproofe are such who doe not nor will not manifest ownning affections to any unlesse it be such as are brought up to or brought over to live in the same forme of worship or practise of Ordinance with themselves What ever they thinke they are far from a Gospel frame of Spirit and they have forgotten where they first met God or rather where God first met them they have forgotten and are now apt to despise the day of small things Zech. the 4 and the 10th Beloved if there be any such here doe you not know the day when you were not brought up to this nay saw nothing in it peradventure opposers of it and yet you dare not but then say that God was with you and you were with God O remember that and remember Gods practise and in Imitation of that manifest love and tendernes to any that you see any worke of grace upon them though it be never so little Follow the practise of the Spouse in Cant. 8. the 1 2 and 3 verses and doe not as Jehue did in a wicked way in another sence saying If you are as I am give me your hand the 2 of the Kings the 10th and the 15th If any object and say they know no such people as I here reprove Beloved what makes all this opposition strange censorious dealings that are between the people of God who live in particular formes one saying he is of Paul and another of Apollo the 1 of the Cor. the 3 and the 3 and 4 verses Beloved without all question there are very precious hearts deare to God amongst the Presbyterians and Independents and them also which are falsly called Anabaptists and many others which are in neither of these formes and yet if a Christian goes to looke upon any of these or either of these and see how their affections runnes out to them which are brought up to them in that forme where they are and what little pittie kindnesse or compassion is given to them which are not yet brought up It would make a poor heart in the very thoughts of it blessed Beloved if any such be here O Consider what I have said and know though it be lawful to stand up and contend for truth yet you must doe it with a Gospel frame of Spirit that is Instructing those with meeknes that do oppose you 2 Tim. 2.25 And be imployed in the practise of bearing and forbearing and if you see a poore Soule who is broken under the sence of his owne unkindness and though he be not come up to you go you as farre as may be to him taking him by the hand endeavouring to lead him to the knowledge of your Fathers heart Let it appear to all the world that you owne Ordinances but as a way to expresse love by and not as a foundation to love upon let all see that your love is not onely to some but to all the Saints Ephes the 1. and the 15. and let the same Spirit dwell in you that lived in Paul Phil. 3.15 If any be otherwise minded waite with patience and love conquering them with kindnesse knowing God in time will reveale it and if you meet with a poore member that is uncomely put more comelinesse upon him 1 Cor. 12.23 Deare friends Paul tells you 1 Cor. 9.21 That he became to them that were under the Law as under the Law and them that are without Law as being without Law Nay his Condescension was more to all that he might winne some this Scripture was written for our Example O therefore minde it and among all that you minde thinke of remember to give out much love compassion to poore broken Spirits that long for nothing more then a looke of Gods love And know nothing presents you more God-like then humilitie love* and by your practice shame confound the World in their Censures of you who say there is more Censorious walking amongst the Tribes of Israel then amongst them that are not one with them O be not wanting to love one another from a sence of your oneness with Jesus suffer not your differences of things without but own Christ wheresoever you find him though it be in a poore Prodigall who is gone no further then under the resolutions to Confesse his unworthinesse before God and know it is a higher and more glorious imployment to be abringing home a lost Sheep then to stay at home and Rejoyce with the ninety and nine Luke 15.5 6 7. Herein you present God and follow the practise of God the Lord make you all sencible of it But I shall say no more to this use of Reproofe nor to this Conclusion but I shall speak briefly a word or two to the next in these words And he ran fell upon his neck kissed him First To the word ran which Implies Gods readines sweetnes and swiftness to manifest grace kindnesse to poore broken spirits who are sencible of their wandrings The Doctrine from thence is this Doct. There is a sweet readines in God in mercy to minde and meet poore wandring hearts in their Returnes to God The truth of which the Scripture doth
as matter to be received And further take notice that all this he doth by bringing strength into weaknes and manifesting Light in darknes causing the glory of his Love to shine breake forth in our poore base loathsome forme thorough which he doth breake downe all the corrupt fabrick that lives in mens fancies there places the Authoritie of his owne beames of Love sweetnes wisdome and meeknes by which the Creature becomes a partaker of the Divine matter 2 Pet. 1. Thirdly Consider for whom he doth it it is to a people that are altogether worthlesse * Isa 61.1 2 Isa 65.1 2 3. Ephes 2.3 they have not onely been ignorant of him but all along have endeavoured to bring dishonour to him they are not onely one with and carry on designes for the Power Prince of darknesse but they shut their eyes against the tenders of Light and Love As you may see Joh. 1.11 Joh. 3.19 20. They are so farre from being objects to attract and draw on Love that they are altogether loathsome lying in their bloud Ezek. the 16. the 5 and 6 verses Truly it is Endles to reckon up the Creatures nothingnesse Whatsoever may be said of an Enemy of a Traytor of a Runnagate that spends all and despiseth every thing and mindeth nothing but what may dishonour God These are they whom God doth all this for and that he waiteth all the day long for and whom he in mercy finds meete and seekes before they seeke him Isa the 65. the 1 and 2. Nay he is pleased not onely to doe so but to wooe us and beseech us to be reconciled to him the 2 of the Cor. the 5. and the 20. Beloved if you doe seriously weigh what hath been said in these 3 things you will see how much God Condescends to us in dispensing mercy and grace to poore wandring Spirits and it may fitly be Expressed in this word falling which holds forth the great Condescension of God as well as the familiaritie of God And he fell upon his neck and kissed him Beloved you may observe from thence this Conclusion Doct. That it is Gods way to bring all poore hearts upon whom he casts his favour into a friendly and a neere familiaritie and communion with himselfe Joh. 15.15 Jonathan and Davids love and affection and neere communion was never more Exprest then when they fell upon each others neck 1 Sam. 20. Wherein did Josephs love appeare more to his Brethren then when he fell upon their necks to manifest his love by weeping over them and kissing of them Gen. 45.14 15. But farre beyond all this doth God manifest his Love and sweetness to poore broken hearts falling upon the neck of the soule kissing and embracing it and bringing it into a deare and neere friendly communion with himselfe at your leisure reade these Scriptures following Cant. 2.4 5. Cant. 5.1 Isa 61.10 Isa 62.5 Now Beloved I should further illustrate this Conclusion and speak more largely to it being that which is worthy of our minding and worth our beleeving and embracing I know all hearts that have tasted of this Love and Life after the bitter pangs and throws of sorrow death through a sense of their wandrings from God will freely acknowledge this and declare a hundred times more then I can here expresse But I having spoken largely of that which relates to this in the former Conclusion I shall briefly speake a word or two of the Use of this and the other Conclusion and so conclude The first is an Use of Information to Informe us from what hath been said in relation to these three last things Viz. Gods ready running forth in mercy to minde and meet poore wandring spirits in their returnes to him which is from the word Ran. 2. The great condiscention of God in dispensing grace and merey and in entertaining poore wandring soules and that is implied in the word Fell. 3. The sweet communion and near and dear discoveries of love that are given out from the Father in their returnes implied in these words He fell upon his neck and kissed him from whence we might observe many Consectaries and Conclusions that might eminently present God in his dealings with us and the high exaltation of the creature who is enriched with these enjoyments But I shall passe over all these and make brief and plaine use of them according to the dictates of God to my owne spirit and that is to informe us of these things 1. Of the great mistakes of poor broken spirits they apprehending by the Reason of their owne sin and unsuitablenesse that they have so provoked the Lord that mercy will not be easily gained O remember from what hath been said that God is not onely sweet but swift in dispensing mercy he runs mercy being not onely one with him but the delight of him Beloved take notice that he is more ready to imbrace you then you are to beg imbracements and though you can hardly goe yet he runs experience proves that he that acts in a delight is more ready then he that acts to gaine a delight O it is the joy and content of the father thus to befriend poore broken spirits in their returnes who have dealt unkindly and unfriendly with him 2. It is to Informe such hearts who through an apprehension of Gods highnesse glory and greatnesse apprehended with a sense of their weaknesse and nothingnesse apprehended so great a distance that they thinke it is impossible that ever God and they should close they see themselves unable to come up to God and they being so unkind and unsutable that they dare not conclude he will come downe to them and upon that accompt rather sit downe fearing and trembling before him then expressing faith in him O know that it is Gods way as in mercy to run forth in dispensing grace in great readinesse to meet us so it is his way and delight to condiscend to us he it is that doth manifest strength in weaknesse fullnesse in emptinesse light in darknesse O therefore let the apprehension of what hath been said take us off from all discouragements as to our entertainment with God and let us know and beleeve though we cannot come up to God God will come downe to us and it is not our weaknes nor wants that can or will hinder a poor nothing spirit from being somthing in him who is all in himself all to us 3. It is to Inform us of the sweet inrichments that poor wandring soules injoy in their returnes God falls upon the neck and kisses them that is to say they are entertained and brought into a near and dear fellowship and communion with himself O what can a soule desine more then to be made Gods bosome friend his daily acquaintance nay his near and dear darling unto whom he will give out kisses and imbraces and they shall be daily his delight The second use is an use of Comfort and Consolation to all poor wandring spirits who are carnest in their Returnes to meet the Lord yet their apprehension of the great distance from him and the consideration how much they are beneath and below him doth exceedingly discourage them O beloved if this be any of your conditions take notice for your comfort what Scripture and Experience here declares It is not our distance to him or lownesse before him or unsutablenesse to him that can hinder his dispensing of Kindnesse Love and Grace to us * Isa 1.18 Isa 38.7 Isa 44.21 22 Isa 43.25 Mat. 1.28 and he will not goe but runne and stand when we fall but he will fall on us that we may stand by him and not onely entertaine our Request when we come begging to injoy relation to him but he will enrich us with a near and dear communion with himselfe falling upon our necks and kissing us O Beloved I beg of God to give you power to beleive it and as cheerfully to entertaine that as that entertaines you But no more of this Use but a word or two of Exhortation and so conclude 3. And lastly These are to exhort all soules that are againe returned to consider what hath been said and seing God is so transcendently carried out in mercy to mind us let us be tender and carefull to owne him and know as grace transcends sin so sin becomes transcendently sinfull in transgressing and neglecting the tenders of grace At your leisure carefully and candidly read these Scriptures Heb. 2.3 Heb. 6.6 Heb. 10.26 27. O they are sad saying I beg of the Lord that you and I may never be brought to justifie the truth by woful experience O walk close with God and live up to his Loves death is near them that live below that doth God run with great readinesse in mercy to meet and mind us O what cause have we to run out to him keep neer him when he come Is he pleased to fall upon our necks let us fall at his foot is he pleased to kiss us let us chearfully imbrace him and what is commanded by him Beloved friends I beg of the Lord to make you sensible of what hath been said and not to mind the scorns of the world nor the undervaluing expressions of some who seemingly profess God as to a careful endeavour to walk close with God know it is not men but God that you must mind and consider from the consideration of the sweet entertainment that poor souls in their returns to God find with God consider I say what duty * Heb. 2.3 Ps 116.12 Rom. 12.1 2 Tit. 2.11 12.1 Jo. 3.2 3.2 Pet. 3.11 that cals for and know our time is short and our life too little to speak out his love There is much more to be said to these Conclusions and to this Use but I shall say no more but the Lord hand over the knowledge of this truth to you from his own heart that by the knowledge of it you may abide with him from his abiding with you which is the earnest prayer of him that hath declared this from what experience God hath made him find in his mistakes in wandring and from his unexpected entertainment in his returne FINIS