ready at hand always good and kind to Man but then especially when Man stands in most need of him as all the Saints have found and testified Manasses in Prison Hagar in the Wilderness Daniel in the Lions Den and they in the fiery Furnace Job David Hezekiah in great distress and anguish of Spirit When the Bottle is dipped under Water he saveth it from drowning The more grievous their Oppression the more gracious hath been his Redemption And the reason hereof is good First Because none else can do it Not Men or Angels much less the Gilded Toys of the World or all that exteriour Lustre which charmeth the Eyes of so many esteemed by a troubled Mind but as a Cloud in painting a petty vapour of Water or as Chaff driven of the Wind. The Jews have a saying common among them viz. It is he that openeth our Heart in his Law i. e. By his Spirit he enableth the Heart to understand and effect Spiritual things it is a branch of his Prerogative Luke 24.45 He opened their Vnderstandings by removing Impediments by breathing into them the Holy Ghost and bestowing further Functional Graces As S. Ambrose expounds and explains that Text by some passages of S. Paul 1 Cor. 12.8 9. God toucheth the Heart as the Musician doth the strings of his Instrument and it soundeth what he pleaseth Secondly He hath Undertaken and Promised it by Himself to our First Parents and by his Prophets unto the Church in every Age successively It is the sum and end of the New Covenant to accept those who deny themselves to raise up them that are cast down to inrich those that are poor in Spirit and to speak comfortably to those who will not be comforted any other way He brings them into this Wilderness for this end that he may speak and not speak in vain unto them Till then commonly Man is like an untamed Heifer or wild Asses Colt that runs and revels here and there that breaks all Bonds and will hear no Advice When Sin is discovered and Conscience awakened one syllable of the Gospel one word of Comfort is as good News out of a far Country In every natural Man there is a three-fold Bar hindering the entrance of Spiritual Light and Life Ignorance in the understanding it is covered with Ignorance as the Deep was at first with Darkness there is a very Chaos Hardness in the Heart like that of Nabal's which became like a Stone and a malitious pravity in the Will which is like a noisom Sepulchre so that as such he can neither understand receive nor affect this Supernatural Work till the Lord hath removed them by his Spirit Cooperating with the Law and Gospel It is said of Lydia that the Lord opened her Heart i. e. effectually called her as Calvin saith He gave her Divine Light and Grace without which special Concurrence of his Paul's labour had been fruitless In effect it is all one with this I will speak unto her Heart i. e. I will speak Friendly Plainly and Effectually Conceive this Evangelical Work to go on in this Order First The Lord revealeth himself to such a Heart so dejected and troubled as a Wise and Loving Father not willing nor suffering any such to perish As St. Ambrose told Monica Filius tantaram lachrimarum c. A Son of so many Tears as she shed for her Augustine cannot perish Now these brought by a Voice into the Wilderness are all Sons of Sorrow many Tears are shed by them as a living Fountain sends forth plentiful Streams and often many Tears are shed for them therefore they cannot Perish And this the Lord doth in three degrees 1. He makes it evident that there is a possibility of Ease Purity and Peace And to that end he brings many presidents to their Mind of old hard rusty Hearts renewed softned and opened For they are recorded in Scriptures for that purpose Paul saith he obtained Mercy for this cause 1 Tim. 1.16 For a pattern to them which should hereafter believe The Lord speaks to some as bad as might be compared to Sodom and Gomorrah Isa 1.9 Yet in the 18. ver there is Come let us reason together though your sins be as Scarlet c. Others are bespatter'd with Idolatrous filthiness yet I will cleanse you from all your filthiness is God's Promise Ezek. 36.25 Besides many others with the Apostles black Roll 1 Cor. 6.10 11. Such were some of you but ye are washed and sanctified These and the like Instances are here brought to mind as evidences of Divine Favour and incouragements to Faith 2. He discovereth Christ and acquaints them with the New-Covenant as the only Remedy to make up the breach of the First-conditions Behold saith the Lord my Son a Lamb slain from the beginning to take away the Sins of the World Behold him in Union with your Nature and in Unction to the Office of Mediatorship Behold him in his Obedience Active and Passive assuming the Crime and Curse of your Nature undergoing the penalty and fulfilling the Precept of the Law in his own Person but in your stead and room Behold him in his Meritorious Viatory Office by way of Purchase and Conquest as also in his Applicatory-Intercession for all burdened Souls who seeing you are truly weary of Sin behold the Mediator by a real tender of his own Merits prevailing for you among the rest 3. He offereth Christ unto all such upon condition of Faith and Repentance to the performance of which Condition he enableth in his Offer So that they will to do what they are required saying often with grief and fear O that we could Repent and Believe O that we could take the Lord's offer c. Although Actual Faith be not yet in the Heart as some are of Opinion tho Mr. Perkins judgeth the contrary yet it is very near and shall infallibly follow Hagar had her Eyes opened to see the Well before she went to it and stooped down to take and taste it Faith comes in by exercise to manifest it self by certain steps and degrees And let all those who find themselves past any of them thankfully acknowledg God's Work and be humbly constant in the use of Means for the Lord will speak again Phil. 1.6 He which hath begun a good Work in you will perform it c. And pray as Luther wonted to do Confirm O Lord in us what thou hast wrought and perfect the Work that thou hast begun in us to thy Glory As Queen Elizabeth prayed Look upon the Wounds of thine Hands and dispise not the Work of thine Hands thou hast written me down in the Book of Preservation with thine own Hand O read thine own Hand-writing and save me Secondly He openeth the Heart towards himself and that in three Degrees 1. He persuadeth it of the truth of those Passages formerly revealed and discovered and that the Lord doth seriously intend them to all in this condition 2. He raiseth up in it an
c. Whosoever steps in when the Angel moves the Waters shall be healed Neglect not any opportunity as many do The Loss of Opportunity is an irrecoverable Loss Say not we shall meet with enough hereafter a day pasâ— cannot be recalled Every thing is beautiful in its season God takes delays for refusals Saul lost his Kingdom by not discerning his Time Archimedes drew lines so long in the dust till his City was taken and the Souldiers brake in upon him and slew him So many that have thoughts of Repentance lose their precious Souls by sinful delays Consider the foolish Virgins and be wise Let not such a Sun set on Earth by the Beams oâ— which you should walk to Heaven 3. Entirely submitting to all means oâ— Salvation even those which to human Reason seem weak and mean yea contrary to ouâ— proud Capacities and the bent of our Affections He that will be saved must deny his own Will crucify his own Affections captivate his own Imaginations resign up his own Desire and Pleasure give up his Heart as a Blank that God may write down what he shall please Man must not be Funambulus Virtutum to use Tertullian's Phrase go in a narrow Tract of Obedience pick and chuse what he will do and what not follow God only in such Duties as will suit with himself and no further There must be an illimited Resolution for all the ways of Salvation To slight any is to slight the Author 4. It must be sincerely and constantly used in obedience to God's command leaving the Lord free for time and measure Confine not the Holy one no not in your thoughts or desire Limit him not to time or means Deus non alligat gratiam Sacramentis further than he is pleased to confine and limit himself It was a bold carriage of Popilius the Roman Ambassador towards Antiochus when he drew a Circle round about him and bad him give answer ere he stirred out of it for he would be put off no longer Men are more bold than welcom to God who dare to set him bounds where he hath left himself free Learn to wait for him you shall reap if you faint not Attend in the Morning and absent not thy self at evening thou knowest not whether this or that or both may prosper Leave not off because thou prevailest not at once or twice He that endureth to the end shall be saved Importunity prevails at length no Oratory like to it 2. It may be concluded hence that we may not rest on the means A Man may put his Hand but not his Heart on them God commands the one but forbids the other Noah's Dove might make use of her Wings to fly but trusted only to the Ark a Man useth his Feet to go over a Bridg but trusteth to the Bridg for safety Christians may and must walk and fly with the Wings of Obedience but in the mean time they must trust to the Ark to the Bridg Christ to carry and lead them over the devouring Sea of Destruction otherwise they rob God of his Honour like Michal who put an Image in David's room they put the Means in the room of God and themselves of the Help and Comfort To advance the Means above their place is a most compendious way to render them useless to make the River a barren Wilderness as to lay too much weight upon the Pillars raised by any Man's hands is the way to pull the whole Frame upon their Heads That Stomach will râ—main unsatisfied that feeds on the Dish instead of the Meat Nothing can avail without God's blessing After all to him we must fly and on him we must wait till he be pleased to bestow what he offers and of this we may be assured in his time because as it follows in the fourth and last Observation hence Viz. Doct. 4. That the Lord is earnest in his Offer of Grace to all under the Means so that if any perish it is through their own default Behold I will allure and I will speak He meaneth what he saith indefinitely and will do what he meaneth unless Men turn the deaf ear and through stubborn resistance exclude themselves As it fares with some Persons who are wilfully set to destroy themselves notwithstanding they have many excellent Remedies and Means to the contrary This Point will appear two ways 1. From the truth of the Means designed by the Lord for such an end The Means are for the End and the End is as truly and more really intended than the Means if I may so speak Now it is certain and presupposed that the Lord is earnest in the Means therefore much more in the end A Man may love the End for it self but the Means are ever chosen and loved for the End I cannot see how it can stand with the Wisdom and Goodness of God to be earnest in the Means and not to intend the End or to offer that to any which he hath no purpose to give The Lord never said to the Seed of Jacob Seek ye my Face in vain But whoso doth seek him in the use of means shall find him 2. It appears from the qualification of the Means 1. It is proportioned to the Nature of a reasonable Creature The Lord works not upon Men as on Blocks or Brutes or on the Stars who being irrational and uncapable of acting by any Rule are therefore acted and run their Course by the mighty Word of God's Power they live of the Spirit 's Omnipotency and immediate Acts. But on Men he worketh as upon Creatures endued with understanding and Will he enlightneth allureth speaketh unto the Heart and persuadeth by such Arguments and Motives as cannot be gainsaid A Sign that the Lord doth really intend what he doth pretend 2. It is followed close with Precepts enjoining them Constancy in the use of such means pressing Line upon Line day after day here a little and there a little and divers Promises of acceptance and success See those pathetical and affectionate Expressions which hold forth not only his Will but the strength and height of it in this matter Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord then the Ingemination of it Turn ye turn ye with a vehement expostulation Why will ye die And in divers other places Which does assure us that the Lord doth really purpose what he speaks and is more ready to give than Man is to accept We are Ambassadors for Christ as if God did beseech you by us we pray in Christ's stead to be reconciled to God And who can think or say he doth not desiré our Reconciliation It is highly injurious to conclude Deum non sincerè velle quod se velle dicit sub conditione That God doth not truly and really will what he saith and willeth under the conditions of Faith and Repentance What Comfort or encouragement is there for a poor Sinner to come home to God if this fail In and from whom these three Grounds are required
earnest longing after them as the only good to be desired with which they may be happy and without them they must be everlastingly miserable The wise Spiritual Merchant having once found this Treasure hideth it and makes haste for joy that there is some possibility of enjoying it he selleth all that he hath and resolveth to purchase it whatever he pay whatever the conditions be As the hunted Hart longs after the running Stream so these Men do now cry out Give us Christ or else we die They Hear Reade Fast and Confer O they will part with all they will do any thing for Christ A Sight a Touch a Taste of him is more worth than the World 3. After many Conflicts Doubts and Fears the Heart is wrought upon not only willing to receive Christ for so it was before but actually to cast it self upon Christ to rest on him and to resign it self wholly to his dispose O the sweet Repose which a fainting Soul finds in a Promise rightly applied after a storm of Spiritual Trouble The Heart is ever with him the Eye is alway upon him and the Tongue is delighted often to mention him Sweet Jesus hast thou done and suffered so much for me Was thy Heart pierced was thy Head bowed was thy Body nailed to the Cross for my Redemption How unworthy am I such a wretched Creature such a rebellious Prodigal such an impure lump of Sin to hear of such Mercy much more to taste thereof But seeing it was thy great Love to do it and thy Bounty to prevent me by offering it 't is my duty to receive it with all readiness of Mind and thankfulness of Heart Tho thou should'st kill me yet will I trust in thee tho thou should'st after cast me into Hell by me merited yet would I come unto thee Lo Lord Jesus lo a dumb deaf and lame Leper before thee if thou wilt thou canst make me clean and whole and if thou wilt not none else can do it I resolve to sink at thy Feet and if it were possible to perish in thine Arms. Thirdly The Lord speaks again to this same Heart thus far wrought upon three times he spake unto Samuel before he knew what and to whom to answer and the end and effect of it is three-fold 1. By the power of his Word he turneth out the old Inhabitant for intus existens probibet alienum Satan who did reign there by Sin and brings another into possession even Christ by his Spirit and Graces 2. He changeth the natural Disposition of the Heart truly for Parts though not perfectly for Degrees There is no part but is bespangled with Grace As Air in respect of Light so is the Heart in respect of Grace of a double he makes one single a hard and stony Heart he softeneth Understand not this of any Natural Moral or Legal yielding all which are presupposed but of an Evangelical softness a tenderness following upon serious deliberation and consideration of God's infinite Love Christ's bitter Sufferings and the odious nature of Sin And lastly Of an impure deceitful hypocritical Heart he makes an honest clean sincere Heart Ego non sum ego It is not what it was Such power and healing Vertue there is in the Word of God 3. By his Divine Breath and Power this Marriage between Christ and the Soul is consummate the Spiritual Bond apprehended and the Mystical Union manifested as it followeth in this very Chapter I will betroth thee unto me for ever yea I will betroth thee unto me in Righteousness Judgment Loving-kindness and in Mercies i. e. In him in whom Mercy and Justice meet and are reconciled I will do it truly and firmly so that all his Benefits shall be made over by way of Joynture or Dower thy Poverty and Deformity shall be accounted his his Riches and Beauty thine This is that the Lord speaks to the Heart finally for this he allured her into the Wilderness that he might win her to himself and thus is this Work finished The manner of Conversion as for the present we apprehend it to be ordinary thus far concluded and briefly in the Heads only unfolded we may for further satisfaction light and benefit require Quest First When is the Lord said to speak unto the Heart Answ I answer 1. When he overcomes the natural hardness of the Heart and begins to let out that Spiritual Impostume or mass of Impurity which lieth hid in every one by Nature This is a Work to which neither Men or Angels are able to set their Hands The Heart-maker is the only Heart-breaker and he alone that knows the Heart can purifie or purge it When Rocks are turn'd into streams of Water and the Mountains melt like Wax and clods of Earth are made like Stars of Heaven surely then God putteth forth his Power then he speaketh to the Heart 2. When he raiseth any comfort in distressed Minds by closing with them in some promises of Pardon or power over Sin This is the Voice of God for he only can prepare a Door of Hope in every Valley of Trouble provide Manna in the Wilderness Water in every dry Rock and Light in every Dungeon There is no precious Electuary for sick Souls but by his Prescription and Administration 3. When he answereth the desire of the Heart against such and such a Sin or in a timely supply of such a Grace either in truth where it is not or for degrees where it was in a little measure before All Grace is originally from Heaven it comes from above James 3.17 i. e. from God the first and second preventing and assisting God bids the Soul to mortifie such a Lust and the Soul complains as Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 20.12 I have no might against this great Army then the Lord comes in with Auxiliary Forces and his Grace hath been sufficient God bids him to pray for such a Mercy and he finds himself very unfit his Heart at first was dead and flat but on a sudden he is carried above his own strength his Tears drop his Love flames God hath then spoken then he came in with assisting Grace If the Heart burn in Prayer God hath struck the Fire the Spirit hath been tuning the Heart therefore it maketh sweet melody 4. When there is a close concurrence and an orderly subordination between God's Word and the Heart When the Word is not only delivered to the Heart but the Heart also is deliver'd up unto the Word By the closing of these two our Wills are wholly taken up in God's Will So that the Heart ever saith after as Christ did not my Will in any thing but thy Will be done in all O Lord This is one reason alledged by St. Augustin why he would have all sorts to reade the Scriptures and frequently to hear them Quia in illis loquitur Deus ad Cor indoctorum atque doctorum Because therein God speaks unto the Heart of the Learned and Unlearned Aug. Epist 3.
lead them also and restore Comforts unto them This cannot be misliked Only a third sort may be adjoined viz. of those who take them adversatively also denoting the Order in any business as 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in Greek and postea in Latin and then the meaning is as if the Lord had said Seeing the former means doth it not I will assay another I will add my Spirit to her Affliction and to corporal Rods I will bring in spiritual Troubles to the Law the Gospel which shall not fail of my proposed end Therefore behold in the last place I will undertake to do it verily truly undoubtedly Here are several useful Doctrines arising worthy observation Viz. Doct. 1. That the Lord can and doth turn great Sinners into eminent Saints He turns a Wilderness into a River As in several Changes in the World Stars fall from the Firmament to be changed into Dunghils so here the Dunghils of the Earth mount up to Heaven to be metamorphosed into Stars So much he promiseth to do and it is usual with him to advance them highest in his favour who have been least esteemed in the World Not many wise Men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble but God hath chosen the foolish things of the World to confound the wise 1 Cor. 1.26 27. Christ's Disciples were not fetch'd from among the Roman Conquerors no Augustus or Alexander or high noble Blood of the Earth gave denomination to their Pedigree neither took they their Rise from among the Jewish Rabbins They were not seasoned with Athenian Eloquence nor beautified with any gay and splendid matters of this World They were obscured with Poverty and shadowed with meanness in respect of Name and Gifts of a poor contemptible Trade even Fishermen called from catching of Fish to lay out for Souls The Lord cutteth out his Mercuries of the most unlikely pieces of Timber he will have his Temple built of rough and unpolish'd Stones When Jerusalem was in such misery that she could not help her self no more than a poor Infant and for others they would not Ezek. 16.5 No eye pitied her to do any thing for her or to have any compassion upon her Then I passed by saith the Lord and looked upon thee c. Lo here Heaven smiled upon Hell An old broken Instrument is tuned and made melodious tho it be the same String yet it is quite otherwise tuned Hath not God chosen the Poor of this World Jam. 2.5 He hides Treasure under the Bark and Mantle of mean Persons base and abject in appearance The lost Sheep and sick Men as they have most need both in truth and in their own apprehension so have they most benefit by the Physician Did not our Saviour tell the Priests and Elders among the Jews that notwithstanding all their Traditions and Ceremonies Publicans and Harlots would believe sooner and enter the Kingdom of Heaven before them Mat. 21.31 And that many should come from the East and West to sit down with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven when the Children of the Kingdom who had so good conceit of themselves as if out of danger should be cast into utter Darkness Manasses did evil in the sight of the Lord like the abominations of the Heathen he built the high Places and strange Altars he observed Times 2 Chron. 33.3 4 5 6. Yet the Lord brought him home at length through this Wilderness into Canaan Mary Magdalen was a None-such of uncleanness she was possess'd with seven Devils yet Christ cast them out and of a Den of Devils made her a Temple for the Holy Spirit to dwell in St. Paul was a Blasphemer a Persecutor mounted in his way to Damascus to hale the poor Christians to Prison but the Lord had chosen him and now changes the Serpent into a white Rod. St. Austin was greatly infected with the Sin of his Country which was as contagious for Chastity as the North Wind for Plants for a great Writer speaking of Afric saith it was a Country of Loves and that it was as strange a Man should be an African and not be an African as to be an African and not to be lascivious He had a Soul as it were of Sulphur so much was it disposed to take fire that he hastened to throw himself into the midst of Flames In short he fell into the Snares he desired and was involved in wonderful Labyrinths where the end of one sinful Passion was the beginning of another But behold here an admirable sport of Providence way-laying and contriving the Salvation of this great Soul who became a rare Spectacle and worthy the consideration of noble Spirits for of an earthen Pot he is made a Vessel of Gold Luther in whose Conversion the Divine Power was most resplendent of a mad Monk as he called himself was made a zealous Protestant Basilides was sometimes a cruel Executioner of Christians that afterwards was called and died for the Testimony of Jesus Aretius speaks of a certain Man in his time it is no feigned Story saith he for I saw the Man with my own eyes who was a vile desperate Sinner a Drunkard Swearer wanton c. and so continued for many years but at length God brought him into the Wilderness where he laid down the flowery Crowns which he bare on his Head his Drunkenness and unthrifty Riots and enkindled with zeal to God lived holily and died comfortably Not to mention others who converted from a dissolute prophane Conversation found Mercy and became eminent Instruments in the Church of God Few experienced Christians Divines especially but can add Instances of their own Observation how strangely the Lord hath turned Men from Wantonness to Chastity from Drunkenness to Sobriety from common Swearing to fear an Oath even then when they were running in a violent and deligthful motion towards Hell Now why the Lord suffers his own to run out so far before he reclaim them we may with reverence and submission conceive it is First for the declaration of his own Goodness both in regard of his wonderful Power and absolute Freedom Of his Power effecting this in some without any ordinary means as he dealt with Abraham and Paul in others by weak and unlikely means as by the Ministry of poor Fisher-men preaching the Cross The great God out of small Acorns brings up huge Oaks and usually hangs great weights on little Wires whereby he sets out to the view of all the splendor of his Omnipotent Agency And in a third sort he doth it against all ordinary means as when he occasions Conversion by some Sin Affliction or Persecution as the curious Alchymist doth by his Skill extract Gold and Silver out of baser Metals and as the wise Physician correcteth poysonful Ingredients and maketh them Medicinal And as of his Power so of his absolute Freedom to do what he will with his own dispensing his Grace both when to whom and how he will passing by
noted by the way is this Viz. Doct. 2. That the Lord often useth variety of means to attain one end Many Messengers to call home his straying Servants unto him Sickness of Body with variety of Afflictions sometimes depriving them of good things sometimes laying heavy Rods upon them He useth Fire and Steel to cure those Mad-men rather than comply with their Malady to render it incurable His own Word he sends both in Threaâ—nings to terrify and Promises to allure and the Spirit followeth upon both to make them effectual Some of these means prepare the Subject others work the Cure the second beginning where the first leaveth all so knit and ordered that they make up but one integral mean to produce such an end It is the Lord's Patience and Wisdom so to deal with froward Man no want of power he could do it by few and weak means as great Ships are turned by a small Helm and as some say stopped by a very little Remora yea without any but it is Man's frowardness that requires this variety of means To bring home and keep the Jews his first beloved People in Order and Safety he planted a Vineyard fenced it and gathered out the Stones Isa 5.2 He hewed them by his Prophets sending them early and late Hosea 6.4 He laid his Hand upon them so that the Head was sick and the whole Heart faint Isa 1.6 Concluding when none of these prevailed O Ephraim what shall I do unto thee O Judah how shall I persuade thee Hos 6.4 Which is as if God should say I have done mine utmost and more than you can challenge from me And the like expostulary Expressions of complaint are to be found in many other places And this the Lord doth Reas 1. To set forth the Riches of his Mercy and Greatness of his Love not willing that Men should perish but rather return and live Ezek. 33.11 2 Pet. 3.9 God might have dealt with us as with the Angels who were the eldest Off-spring of his Love the purest production of that Supreme Light no Mercy interposed to avert or suspend their Judgment but they were immediatly expell'd the Divine Presence and left without remedy Heb. 8.16 To which of them hath he appointed a Word of Reconciliation And again He took not upon him the Nature of Angels But O Goodness Divine he made sudden way for our recovery high Mountains were levell'd and great Depths fill'd up that we might arrive at Happiness He had Bowels only melting over lost Man As it is with a tender-hearted Father towards his weak and sick Child he desires the continuance of his Life and if it were in his power with some of his own Blood to give him health he looks and sighs he weeps and complains O my Son what shall I do for thee To the opinion of one he adds the Consultation of many Physicians he makes use of this Receipt and applies that Remedy and all to try what may do him good Thus but in a more transcendent manner removing Passion and Imperfection Ignorance and Weakness found in Man conceive of God Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant Child Jer. 31.20 Since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him my Bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him And Why will ye die ye House of Israel And again O Jerusalem Jerusalem how often would I have gathered thee c. Reas 2. It is to leave all without excuse Men shall have nothing to say but justify God when he speaketh Judg I pray you between me and my Vineyard Isa 5.3 4. What could I have done more to my Vineyard than I have done Where the Lord clears himself from all Objections and Repinings whatsoever And it is as if the Lord had said What fault can be found in me after so much care and waiting Or as some render it better What is now more to be done in so desperate a case but what he answers in ver 5. but to take away the Hedg c. Nothing can be alledged as an Error in him unless that he hath done so much as he had done as good Authors paraphrase that Text. Reas 3. To instruct his Ambassadours how they should carry themselves towards a proud ignorant gainsaying People to try all means to use all lawful ways and to become all things to all Men if it may be possible to save some that they may gain them 1 Cor. 9.21 A Metaphor taken from Merchants who are never weary of taking Money It is their Duty if the Lord be so patient and diligent be instant in season and out of season i. e. tho it be to their Loss in other things as Calvin and Estius have it and tho the People on the worser side should think it unseasonable like Snow in Harvest yet be doing as often as there is any opportunity or hope of doing good Ministers must be frequent and resolute now to thunder in the Threatnings of the Law and then to shine upon troubled Minds in the Promises of the Gospel It is their Duty to be resident and diligent among their People so that they may feed them with Alms good Example and wholsome Doctrine Yea and last of all to add Patience to their Pains Learn of the Husbandman after ploughing sowing harrowing guttering weeding c. he waits for Heaven's Dew and Sun so must Ministers meekly instructing those which oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them Repentance by any means at any time to the acknowledging of the Truth Caution Yet first Let none hereupon presume to live in Sin and to mis-spend younger years vainly upon this Ground See what will follow if you so do Either you may be cut off even for that Sin of Presumption perish before you come to be converted As Milâ— Crotoniates who was tearing asunder the Stock of an Oak his Strength failed him and the Stock closing was held so fast by the hands that he became a Prey to the Beasts of the Field So may all the Abusers of Mercy become a Prey to the Justice of God that will rend and tear them in pieces ere they are aware of it If God's to day be too soon for thy Repentance thy to morrow may be too late for his Acceptance It is said by some and justly feared by others that many are now in Hell who had such confused purposes and hopes that they would and should be converted but the time was not yet come their Fancies were fill'd with fair Promises while they suffered their Hearts to be carried away with the current of their unmortified Concupiscence Or if not so yet the longer you go on in Sin by so much the heavier painful and difficult will your turning be Old Sins like an old Oak are hardly to be removed Can a Man be born again when he is old Where Satan pleads Antiquity he usually pleads Propriety And 't is well known the longer the Poison stayeth in the Stomach
the more mortal it is As a Disease the longer it groweth the harder will the Cure be or as it is in a Journey the further we go out of the way the more Toil and Time will be required ere we get in again Rejoice O young Man and play the Prodigal yet know for all this God will bring thee to Judgment Then thou must turn again by weeping Cross or nâ—ver enter Heaven Old Sinners are rare Converts Grace is seldom grafted on such withered Stocks Who can expect Water from a drained River The common Proverb is true As is a Man's Life so is his Death a wicked Life a cursed Death 2. Let no Man judg his Brother touching his final Estate What he is at present you may say but what he will be you cannot Mount not into God's Chair judg nothing before the time It is the Office of Angels to sever Sheep from the Goats the Tares from the Wheat Those that undertake peremptorily to determine of Mens final Estates they know not what Spirit they are of with the Sons of Zebedee they take too much upon them with the Sons of Levi they understand not what they say or whereof they affirm with those Impostors in Timothy Indeed it is a kind of Apostacy and Rebellion against God's Providence to judg without calling God to be a President into our Council As was intimated before we may judg the Tree by its Fruit leaving the final Doom to the Searcher of all Hearts censure him for the present to be God's Enemy and in a most wretched Estate but leave him under the charitable Influence of Heaven Suppose thy Neighbour be now wild he may hereafter be tamed he is now unclean hereafter he may be washed as the Corinthians were he is now intemperate he may be sober there is Blood and Merit enough in Christ Of great Sinners the Lord hath and can make great Saints to be so much the more zealous for God in his Service as they have been desperately mad and furious in the service of their own Lusts Let all Men in hope attend upon all Means constantly if one Means work not another may if it work not now it may anon Who knoweth what a day may bring forth Neglect no Means delay no Duty and still remember to crave God's blessing upon all For as it followeth in a third Observation Doct. 3. No secondary Means can avail to work Grace without a concurrence of the first Cause Means are used for the reducing of Israel Prophets were sent and divers Rods laid upon them yet the Lord addeth I will allure her Without his helping hand there is no success to be expected Means cannot turn or encline themselves to our help unless God turn encline and command them If God do not act and use them the Instruments can do nothing It was not the Clay and the Spittle that cured the blind Man but Christ's anointing his eyes with them What Music can the Organ Pipes make without breath Paul may plant and Apollos may water but God giveth the increase The reason is because they are not natural Agents working by inherent Virtue but ordained thereunto and qualified by an higher hand He that chose them maketh them effectual According as God is pleased to work or not to work so they prove Assistances or not Assistances to us All the means in the World in themselves considered are but as a Mill which grinds not the Corn unless the Wind come to it or like a Dial on which if the Sun shine it may direct us but if the Sun lies under a Cloud it is of no present use to us So if God hold off from the means if he breath not upon them and cast not a lively Influence into them they can do nothing for us Means are not absolute Lords of their own Operations but subordinate Agents and depend upon God as for being so for operation or restraint As a Master that puts a rich Cabinet of Jewels into his Servant's Chamber but keepeth the Key himself none of the Jewels can be given out but by his will and appointment In like manner God hath put an aptness in the means to do us good yet himself keeps the Key to give out according to to his good pleasure Vnde tanta virtus Aquae ut Corpus tangat Cor abluat nisi faciente Verbo Whence hath Water such power by touching the Body to wash the Heart but from the Word Aug. Hence it may be concluded 1. That all Means must be used We have God himself for a Pattern he could enlighten us without the Sun and afford Fruit without the Earth but he will have his creatures operate and so we are commanded to serve Divine Providence and to leave the Issue to him Man goes not to Heaven as the Ship moves in the Tide whether the Master sleeps or wakes We must with the skilful Mariner have our Eyes on the Stars and our Hands on the Stern Provided still that the right means be used hearing of the Word preached Receipt of the Sacraments Meditation and Prayer that the Lord would be pleased graciously to add his Influence that thereby Grace may be begun and strengthned in the several Acts thereof because the Lord will not work by any means but such as are of his own appointment Naaman must be cleansed by washing in Jordan a River in Israel not in Abana or Parphar Rivers in Damascus Now the forementioned means are of the Lord's appointment as may be read in Isa 55.3 Rom. 10.17 2 Tim. 2.7 Jam. 1.5 And as you must use the right so you must be careful to use them as Means that is First Subordinately with respect to the Lord upon whose hand and blessing the whole depends 2dly Regularly with respect to those Directions set down in Scripture which are principally such as follow viz. 1. Diligently both in regard of frequency of Action and fervency of Spirit as Men are diligent in such matters whereby their Lives might be preserved To this is the Promise made Ask seek knock Such a diligent Hand maketh rich Be stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the Work of the Lord. Therefore David prays Quicken us O Lord that we may call upon thy Name Psal 80.18 Therefore we have Line upon Line Precept upon Precept to provoke our diligence A Neglect or careless use of the means is little better in the sight of God than contempt of the means yea of Himself He that despiseth you despiseth me 2. Opportunely and seasonably Every one hath his day there is an acceptable hour when the Lord will be entreated while God calls and waits while Grace is dispensed Days of Grace have their dates The Vision is for an appointed time Hab. 2.3 What the Prophet said of the Prophetical Vision may be said of other Divine Dispensations The Means of Grace have their Limits Prov. 1.24 Because I called and ye resused c. Therefore will I laugh at your Calamity
1. That he be persuaded of God's love unto him that he willeth indeed his Health and Safety in particular 2. That the Terms on which he willeth it are the Conditions of the new Covenant Faith and Repentance 3. That an unfeigned submission to God's own Ordinances is the right and ready way to enable the Soul to perform these Conditions and so to attain the End Whoso would be saved must be well grounded and throughly persuaded of this And so much for the first thing mentioned in the beginning The second and third follow which contain the main Business intended and are the Marrow of the Text. Viz. II. The Preparation of the Soul for Grace I will allure her into the Wilderness And herein are two things remarkable 1. The legal work of the Spirit in breaking the Heart of Stone and drawing it under sound Humiliation Lactabo eam I will entice her so Rivet Inclinabo eam I will encline or bend her to my Mind saith Zanchy Reddam eam flexibilem mihi I will bring her pliant to my hand so Calvin Ego seducens eam ire faciam desertum so Arius Montanus Seeing others have done so to her hurt I will seduce her for good I will allure and bring her into a Wilderness of saving Trouble and wholesom fear So our last Translation rendreth it The very Name of Noah's eldest Son by birth to whom this Promise was first revealed doth explain this Phrase and illustrate this Work Gen. 9.27 God shall enlarge Japhet c. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 seductus pellectus persuasus Which may be and is often taken in the worser part yet the Context here and in Genesis enforceth us to take it in the best sence only I will seduce allure persuade her for good As the Devil and his Instruments had seduced her to hurt so the Lord in tender mercy and pity would seduce another way for her good Even as Lovers use to improve all their Art and Skill to persuade and obtain the good Will of those whom they love and affect to marry So the Lord being in love with his People and desiring to marry them to himself in and by his Son for ever speaks thus in the Lovers Dialect I will allure her and cause her to do what she would not that afterwards she may do what she should Others I find who judg it more sound to derive Japheth from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies dilatare to enlarge to open the Heart and affect it with Joy Which doubtless may be admitted as a Consequent of the former both serving to set forth this preparative Work as a necessary disposition preceding Conversion For as Faith is the Condition of the Covenant so is this Preparation the Condition of Faith No Faith ordinarily without it in Truth although many have Faith without it in regard of Sense The thing may be done truly and yet not observed distinctly 2. A second thing to be noted here is the State and Condition of all such as are under this preparative Work of the Law They are said to be in the Wilderness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi locus à sermone remotus a remote Place far from Company from Conference and from human Comforts where she should meet with none to quench the Motions of the Spirit none to dawb with untempered Mortar no Egyptian Reed to rest upon none to complain unto or to seek Comfort from but the Lord alone Into such a place or condition the Lord would bring her as that none should hinder his Work any longer So that by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Wilderness here is not to be understood a Cell or a Monastery as Aquinas glanceth 2. 2 dae q. 188. art 8. nor a desert Place properly called a Wilderness but rather the State and Condition of the Parties to be converted 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a Wilderness so Hierom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 into the Wilderness so a latter Edition of the Septuagint more agreeable to the Original importing three things viz. 1. A turning of those to be converted out of all the deceitful Holds of Nature wherein Men usually shelter themselves against the Power of the Word of God The ready way we know to take the Hare is by driving her from her Coverts and Burroughs wherein she doth use to hide her self from the Dogs that pursue her so here 2. A presentation to the eye of the Understanding of many spiritual Dangers as so many roaring Cannons on every side wherewith a Christless Person is environed so that he who thought all to be well with him before while he remained securely asleep in the state of Nature now seeth all to be quite naught and out of order He dreamed he was rich happy and wanted nothing but being awake he seeth himself poor miserable and naked Alas for wo Within him he hears Conscience telling him the truth above him he beholds God offended frowning and turning his loving Countenance from him beneath him he seeth and feeleth Hell opening her Mouth to receive him having deserved as he now judgeth the lowest Room the darkest Corner and the fiercest Flames there about him trouble and fear is on every side He is weary of Life because of Sin and yet afraid to die because of the account alone he is tempted and terrified and in company he is defiled or grieved What to do or whither to go he knoweth not This is a Wilderness indeed As it is with a wounded Hart who feeling the Shaft runs from the Woods to the Plain and from thence to the Woods again but finds no ease at all Haeret lateri laethalis arundo the deadly Shaft sticks fast in his side Or as it was with the ancient Hebrews when they were led by Moses and Aaron from Egyptian Bondage into the pleasing Liberty of fruitful Canaan but through a vast Wilderness full of Troubles Conflicts Trials So it is with the Woman the Church and every Member thereof out of Christ but coming on towards him they begin to see their Sins they hear the terrible Threats of the Law they fear the Wrath of God as a just Judg they run up and down here for advice and there for comfort like Men afrighted to distraction for so the blind World judgeth them and cannot be comforted till the Lord speak unto their Hearts 3. It imports variety of Afflictions following upon the former Efficacy and Discovery of the Law And these are both positive and privative sometimes one and sometimes both as need requires Privatively the Lord deals with Men when he deprives them of Sacrifices Sacraments of Wealth Honour Food House Friends or Liberty and the like to pursue and follow them with Infamy Poverty Imprisonment or Captivity and all to humble and make them pliant to his Hand for their good He made Jeshurun look with lean Cheeks that he might leave kicking and learn Righteousness I will take away the bravery of thy tinkling Ornaments and instead of
Gentle Expostulations frequently and movingly here and there as unto Adam and Gehazi Gen. 3.9 2 Kin. 5.26 Tell me poor Soul was it not â—ven so hast not thou done thus and thus went not my Spirit with thee and was not mine Eye over thee Confess thy Sin ease thy self and give glory to God O how loving is the Lord even in his Terrors and Enditements In the midst of Judgment he remembreth Mercy Tho his Robes be red they are not without some streamings of white and if he be compelled to pronounce Judgment as it was said of Augustus he doth it even with Tears in his Eyes 2. Instances very pertinent and those either direct as Psal 50.18 c. or Parabolical As Nathan dealt with David so the Lord deals with those whom he intends to restrain and renew You are the Men saith he that have been so much addicted to and delighted with Idleness Wantonness Luxury Pride Covetousness Slandring Drunkenness Swearing Lying and the like 3. Threatnings are added where the former avail not Cursed is every one that doth not all which is written in the Law He shall be pursued with Judgments of divers Natures to one end sometimes with prosperity on the right and anon with adversity on the left hand and last of all which is the worst of all dying impenitently he must needs be damned Thus the Lord thundereth in his Law against some whom nevertheless he intends to sanctify and save as a Father may threaten and terrify that Child whom he intends to make his Heir But withal you must know that he doth inwardly and secretly support them that they dash not upon Presumption nor sink under final Despair So that at length being driven from all their hiding Places they are brought into this Wilderness and forced freely to take upon themselves all those Sins discovered by the Law to fall down before God and to acknowledg their Guilt and Desert before the Throne of his Majesty resolving there to lie prostrate till he raise them in Mercy Now say they we see we feel we know how true the Word of God is how faithfully such Ministers dealt with us while we slighted and laughed them to scorn and how deceitful Sin is that appears at first small sweet and clean when as it is weighty bitter and filthy They cry who will take this Dagger out of my Heart this Mill-stone off my Back this Fire out of my Loins this Sting out of my Conscience Now the seeming sweetnesâ— of Sin is turned to Gall. O Sin how grievous is thy remembrance Away ye wicked we will henceforth endeavour to keep thâ— Commandments of our God No morâ— Swearing much less Perjury no Drunkenness no more Uncleanness When thesâ— knock at the door the answer is O thesâ— are they that cost us dear at such a time wâ— yet feel the sad Impressions of our former Afflictions for them we find a Pardon no easy Enterprize nor Repentance so pleasing a Potion we would not for all the World bâ— under that Anger of God nor feel one drop of his scalding Indignation which we have perceived for those Offences Thus the biâ—â—â—â— Child dreads the Fire And this with submission is the Course that Ministers musâ— take in opening and pressing the Law firsâ— which is God's Instrument effectually to charge the Conscience with Sin and to bring a Person into this Wilderness 2dly The People may learn to join with the Lord in his Ambassadors so to furtheâ— this Work of the Law when and where iâ— is once begun and to follow the Lord undeâ— his Cloud and after this Fire into this Wiâ—derness And that 1. By a serious Meditation of these many Impediments which keep Men out of it oâ— hinder them much in the way towards it when the Lord is about to bring them into it Eye them that you may avoid them For instance to esteem of the Law as a strange thing as not appertaining to them or wherein they are little or nothing concerned to interpose some beloved Sin between these two Lights of the Law and Conscience that they cannot join This alone hindered Herod's Conversion under John's piercing Ministry the interposition of his Herodias caused a fearful and final Eclipse So likewise to go away unthankfully and carelesly from a good Discourse doth hinder the Work and quench the Sparks which might have bred a Flame 2. By frequent Meditation on divers good Subjects moving this way as 1. Upon the Mercies of God bestowed upon you in particular from time to time This Course the Lord took to humble David 2 Sam. 12.7 8 9. And whosoever hath tried will say It is a very piercing way to bring the Heart into a through and kindly grief I have read of one who reading a Pardon sent him from the King fell a weeping and burst out into these Words A Pardon hath done that which Death could not do it hath made my Heart to relent As the Sugar-Loaf is dissolved and weeps it self away when it is dipp'd in Wine so will Penitents dissolve and melt themselves away in the sweet sence of Divine Love and their neglect or abuse of it Without doubt the very Behaviour of the Prodigal's Father brake his Heart with more thawings and kindly mourning than ever his former Hardship and Misery did O this that ever he should run to meet him that he should fall upon his Neck and kiss him This kindness of his Lips wounded his Heart with the deeper sence and judging of his own unkindness When the Surface of the Water is glazed with Ice the Sun-beams dissolve it such operation hath the Grace of Christ upon frozen Hearts which are never truly melted into Contrition but by Evangelical Beams Surely when a Sinner shall consider the great Love the sweetest Kindness the freest Pardons offered the choicest Mercies bestowed his Heart cannot but melt into a River What all these to and for me Lord yea for thee What after such deep Rebellions and Refusals yea after all and that most freely and willingly Good Lord how can the Soul but weep and mourn now 2. Meditate for that purpose upon the Justice and Power of God able to revenge the Quarrel of his Covenant and to bruise all his proud and stout Enemies with a Rod of Iron He is not only a Rock of Refuge to the Godly but also a Rock of Destruction to dash the Impenitent in pieces The strength of the Rock is seen as in upholding the House that is built upon it so in breaking the Ships that dash against it The force of Fire is manifested as in refining the Gold so in consuming the Dross There is none like unto thee O Lord thou art great and thy Name is great who would not fear thee thou King of Nations Jer. 10.6 And It is a fearful thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God Heb. 10.31 As a Lion he tears in pieces the Adversaries Psal 50.22 There is no standing before him if his Wrath
ad Volus Quest Secondly It may be further demanded How a Man may know when and whether the Lord hath or doth speak unto his Heart Answ First By an awful dread which fills the Heart when God hath spoken unto it Josiah trembled at the Voice of God in his Law And that is a testimony of God's speaking to him But thus it is with every Creature that hears the Voice of God the Devils tremble and Men quake and as the Worms when it thundreth wriggle into the corners of the Earth so for all their lofty looks though when all is quiet they may puff up themselves with a conceit they are more then ordinary like Caligula who thought himself a God imitating Joves Thunder But when the True God gave forth his Voice from Heaven he that before was so high was now as low in spirit running under his Bed or into any Bench-hole for preservation So let the Lord but arise to speak the tallest Cedar the highest Tower the loftiest Spirit of Godless Men can dare it no longer but will think the holes of the Rocks and Caves of the Earth to be their best shelter Yea even the inanimate Creatures shew the impressions of his powerful Voice The Sea flies the Mountains skip the Earth trembleth and the whole Creation shaketh at the Voice of God Therefore Secondly It may be known by love and longing after him As it was with Elisha after Elijah had saluted him he was presently inflamed as if a spark of Fire had fallen down upon him so that he would unseparably follow him Thou O my Soul art Elisha God is Elijah if he once speak unto thee thou wilt follow him crying My Lord and my God! O lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me When shall I come and appear before the presence of God All the days â—f my appointed time will I wait Such drawing Vertue is in the Word of Christ it is as an Ointment poured forth therefore the Virgins love him Love is the Whet-stone of Love and the Love of Christ in speaking to his People constraineth them to love him 2 Cor. 5.14 Thirdly By those Evangelical Effects formerly mentioned When God speaks unto a poor grieved Heart as the Father unto his Prodigal Son Luke 15.20 c. The Heart is raised to admire God in all his Attributes and Ways and is ravisht with desire of his Glory What shall I â—â—nder for so much undeserved favour I will take the Cup of Salvation and call upon the Name of the Lord I will dwell in the House of the Lord to behold the fair Beauty of the Lord for ever Fourthly By that speedy reply which the Heart returns unto God Speak on Lord for thy Servant heareth and thy Face will I seek Psal 27.8 The Heart doth eccho out as it were an answer to the Voice of God as Jer. 3.22 the Lord speaks Return ye Backsliding Children and I will heal your Backslidings They readily answer Behold we come unto thee for thou art our God! Every gracious Person hath the duplicate of God's Law in his Heart and is willingly cast into the mould of his Word When Men have their Ears only spoken unto in it at the best they do but dwell on Duties and place the sum of their Religion in a bare outward profession but when God hath once spoken unto the Heart then they look more into the substance of Religion Quest Thirdly If it be demanded What a Man should do when the Lord hath or doth speak unto the Heart Answ I answer With all readiness and humble reverence the Heart must speak unto the Lord again So much is expected and good Manners will teach a Man so much to speak when he is spoken unto especially by such a Superiour Now the language of the Heart consists in two things viz. Receiving and Returning In receiving what the Lord offers by a flexible yielding unto the Work and Word of God and by a concurrence both of consent in respect of his Promises and of obedience in regard of his Commands In returning Praise Prayer and all hearty service Praise for that God is pleased to take notice of you so mean so vile Great Men are thought to grace their Inferiours if they vouchsafe to speak unto them I am sure it is so here by speaking to us the Lord doth exceedingly honour us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Chrysostom God's condescention is incomparable he speaks to his People as a Man would speak to his Friend thus he graceth them inwardly outwardly and so maketh them gracious and amiable in the Eyes of Men. Prayer that as he hath begun so he would finish the Work till the Heart be throughly moulded into a spiritual temper of Flexibility and Purity according to his own Heart Vse 1. From hence the Erroneous Opinions and Irregular Practices of all those are justly to be taxed and reproved First Who ascribe this Work either to inward power and strength of nature or to some outward means as if Man could speak unto the Heart or the matter of a Sacrament did contain to convey Grace by the work wrought Pelagians old and new go the first way Papists with their followers the latter way Both joyning to derogate from the glory of his Grace who ascribeth this work unto himself I will speak unto the Heart These Men do undertake to sail without the Stars and labour without the Sun They set Dagon before the Ark equalize the Creature with the Creator If this were true then St. Paul mistook to say Not I but the Grace of God in me and it is God that giveth the increase Gratia non est gratia ullo modo nisi sit gratuita omni modo is St. Austins rule Let them with their Wit and Learning endeavour to set up the Idol of Free-will and strength of Nature let us with the sacred Scriptures labour to set up the Free-Grace of God who worketh in us both to will and to do of his own good Pleasure Secondly Who being in the Wilderness of Spiritual Distress will not stay till the Lord speak unto them but make haste to drink Water out of any Puddle to snap up Carnal Ease from Worldly Jollity in Eating Drinking Gaming and other Pastimes to drive away such Melancholy Dumps Some by busie Imployments as Cain thought to do Others by Musick as Saul a third sort by variety of Flesh-pleasing-Company Being herein not much unlike to many weak and crasie Patients that are ready to fancy any new Medicine they hear of and to tamper with that rather than to expect a Recovery through a course of Physick prescribed by the Physician All which you may be sure will say as the Scribes and Pharisees did to Judas What is that to us see thou to it Either they will cast you off desperately saying Now you are mad this you have got by reading and hearing so many Sermons or else they will slight it with Gallio and care for none of these
that are meanest in their own apprehensions Such shall understand this secret and partake in it to sit on Thrones as crowned Kings and Queens for evermore Vse 3. Lastly What transcending Comfort doth this Truth and Text afford to all troubled Minds Such I mean as have been stayed by Divine Power when they were running towards Hell in all sorts of Vanity and Prodigality and had been there ere this had not God in Christ been more merciful to them than they were careful about their own safety If the King should vouchsafe to speak to a mean Person before many what an honour would it be what ravishing thoughts would arise and what applause would it procure How much more should it be so here when the King of Kings speaks and that unto the Heart of a forlorn Creature comfortably I have heard thy Prayer I have seen thy Tears behold I will heal thee c. so the Lord spake unto the Heart of Hezekiah 2 Kings 20.5 Thy Prayers and thine Alms are come up for a memorial before God c. so the Lord spake unto the Heart of Cornelius Acts 10.4 And how often did our blessed Lord and compassionate Saviour Jesus Christ raise up disconsolate Souls with such words as these Son be of good chear thy Sins be forgiven thee Daughter great is thy Faith go in peace thy Faith hath made thee whole Yea all the precious Promises are such Cordials See Prov. 28.13 Who so confesseth and forsaketh his Sins shall find Mercy Job 33.27 28. He looketh upon Man and if any say I have sinned and perverted that which is right and it profiteth me not he will deliver his Soul from going into the Pit c. Isa 1.18 Come now let us reason together saith the Lord though your Sins be as Scarlet they shall be as white as Snow c. Chap. 55. ver 7. Let the Wicked forsake his way and the Righteous Man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have Mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon Mich. 7.19 He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our Iniquities and cast all their Sins into the bottom of the Sea Hos 14.4 5. I will heal their Back-slidings I will love them freely Mal. 4.2 To them that fear my Name shall the Son of Righteousness arise with healing in his Wings Mat. 11.28 Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest Rom. 8.1 Now therefore there is no Condemnation to them that are in Christ c. 1 John 1.9 Rev. 21.6 So almost in every Book of that holy Volume may be found such Stars of Light such pieces of Treasure such Bezar-stones to keep sick Souls from fainting under their Sins and Sorrows Promises wherein the Lord speaks something to the Hearts of believing Penitents to this effect The Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpent's Head Whatsoever Christ did or suffered was for you by his satisfaction God is reconciled to you all your Sins are pardoned and your Souls shall be saved This is to speak to the Heart of a poor Sinner Now as some Artificers after long poring upon a piece of Black Work and finding a dimness in their Eyes are wont to refresh themselves with the beholding the Verdure of Meadows or lustre of Emeralds so let poor Penitents wearied and heavy laden with the consideration of their Sins for their refreshment make use of those Gospel-Cordials the Promises they will be chearing to the Eye of Faith But 't is sufficiently known that those to whom this Comfort belongs are most ready to put it from them as none of their Portion The troubled Spirit makes Darts of every thing it can to fight against Reason and kill it self not suspecting its own Poyson The conclusion therefore of this subject shall endeavour to prevent that mischief by proposing and answering some Cases which may contain the complaints of such troubled Spirits Object 1. My Sins have been so many and great that I fear to apply any Promise Answ Nay therefore you should be the more ready and willing to apply this Lord come unto me for I am a sinful Man and have most need of help Save me Lord or I perish Greater Sins should hasten all to the Mercy Seat the greater Wounds to the Physician No Man flies his Counsel because his Cause is great and intricate but plies him the more Especially while you consider the extent of his Power and Love who speaketh His Power passeth the nature and number of your Sins whatever they be Christ is a great Saviour He is called a Mighty Saviour and the Salvation in him is called Great Salvation and the Redemption in him Great Redemption 1 John 2.1 If any Man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous And for his Love that extends to all sorts of Penitents to Manasses Mary Magdalen to the Romans and Corinthians to foul Sinners griping Oppressors sharp Persecutors Sinners in the highest form 1 John 2.2 And he is the Propitiation for our Sins c. In the Levitical Law there were Sacrifices for all sorts of Sins and what did they prefigure but the ample efficacy in Christ's Death which was an Atonement for Sins of all kinds and was as the daily Sacrifice for the Expiation of the continued and augmented number of Transgressions Even where Sin hath abounded there Grace hath after much more abounded So if you consider the nature of those Promises made unto distressed Souls both for Constitution and Condition For Constitution they are absolutely free no Foreign Power to enforce them from him that made them nor any Natural Abilities in Man to reserve them And for Condition they are Evangelical bringing with them what they require of you Be of good comfort when he calleth you fear not refuse not to receive what he offereth Say rather Speak Lord and speak home for thy Servant desireth to hear Object 2. But alas it is pleaded my Corâ—â—ptions have been and are strong and abominaâ—â—â—â— that I know not what to do Answ The sense of Sin 's strength is no â— hopeful symptom nor prejudice to Faith â—f all tempers the hardned is most dangeâ—â—us and Sin hath the greatest strength â—here there is the least sense When a Patiâ—â—t is deadly sick he saith and thinks he is â—ell and feels no pain but when he is reâ—â—vering he is full of sense and complains â—s Head is weak his Stomach sick his Bones â—me all is amiss every thing is too hard â—â— him There is more hope of one sensible â—â—nner than of a thousand presumptuous â—â—rdned Wretches Sense of Sin doth ever â—â— before sense of Christ Besides the powâ—â— of God's Voice will weaken them and â—â—e Efficacy of his Spirit mortifie and subâ—â—e them Here it may be said as it was of â—â—thage a little before it was taken Moriâ—â—ium bestiarum violentiores esse morsus dying â—asts
thing to sin against the Lord. He fasteth and prayeth weepeth and sigheth saying often or to this effect O Lord rebuke me not in thine Anger neither chasten me in thy hot Displeasure have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am weak O Lord heal me for my Bones are vexed My Soul is sore troubled but thou O Lord how long Return O Lord deliver my Soul O save me for thy Mercy-sake I am weary with groaning all the Night make I my Bed to swim I water my Couch with my Tears mine Eye is consumed because of grief How long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide thy Face from me My God my God why hast thou forsaken me Why art thou so far from helping me and from the words of my Roaring O my God I cry in the Day-time but thou hearest not and in the Night-season and am not silent I am poured out like Water and all my Bones are out of joynt my Heart is like Wax it is melted in the midst of my Bowels my strength is dried up like a Pot sheard my Tongue cleaves to the roof of my Jaws Have Mercy upon me O Lord for I am in trouble my Eye is consumed with grief yea my Soul and my Belly My Life is spent with grief and my Years with sighing my strength faileth because of my Iniquities and my Bones are consumed Make thy Face to shine upon thy Servant save me for thy Mercy-sake Day and Night thy Hand is heavy upon me my moisture is turned into the drought of Summer Blessed is he whose Sin is covered and whose Transgression is forgiven O Lord rebuke me not in thy Wrath neither chasten me in thine hot Displeasure For thine Arrows stick fast in me and thy Hand presseth me sore There is no soundness in my Flesh because of thine Anger neither is there any rest in my Bones because of my Sin for mine Iniquities are gone over my Head as a heavy Burden they are too heavy for me I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the Day long My Loins are filled with a loathsome Disease there is no soundness in my Flesh I am feeble and sore broken My Heart panteth my Strength faileth me my groaning is not hid from thee Yea Lord all my desire is before thee Have mercy upon me O my God according to thy loving Kindness according to the multitude of thy tender Mercies blot out my Transgression wash me throughly from mine Iniquity and cleanse me from my sin for I acknowledg my Transgressions and my Sin is ever before me Purge me with Hssyop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter than Snow Make me to hear the voice of Joy and Gladness that the Bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Hide thy Face from my Sins and blot out all mine Iniquities create in me a clean Heart O God and renew a right Spirit within me Cast me not away from thy Presence take not thy Holy Spirit from me Restore unto me the joy of thy Salvation and uphold me with thy free Spirit Then will I teach Transgressors thy Ways and Sinners shall be converted unto thee I remembred God and was troubled I complain'd and my Spirit was overwhelmed Thou holdest mine Eyes waking I am sore troubled that I cannot speak Will the Lord cast me off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his Mercy clan gone for ever Doth his Promise fail for evermore And will he be favourable no more Hath God forgotten to be gracious Hath he in anger shut up his tender Mercies c. Stay now and look back and say Is not this a great Mourning Was not David in deep distress How many ways doth he take What words doth he use Do not you see a Penitent exceedingly humbled a Heart bleeding a sad and disfigured Face a Body made thin Sighings redoubled one upon another Here are Joints pined away with sadness here is a fixed love of Tears the joyous Harp hangs up and knows no more what Songs of Triumph mean he is wholly employed in expressing Griefs He dies to all Mortal things of the Earth and being cast upon the Sea of Repentance he makes it to eccho with Groanings and continually swell with his Weepings And all to describe his condition by the presence of his Sins and excite the Divine Compassion towards him And if David penitent David was thus pursued with the thoughts and sight of Sin if he were sent and kept such a strong Beggar for Mercy all his days for the matter of Vriah Oh what will become of most of us who sin more and desire less who are more cunning to Transgress and more careless in Praying Where is our Rhetorick our Fervour our Sighs our Tears Oh how faint are our Desires How cold our Prayers As if our many Sins were never before us or not fearful to us as if Mercy and Grace were as easie to get as to lose or as if Heaven and God's Favour would fall upon us at last without any labour which cost David so much Fasting so many Prayers so many Tears in secret And yet his Fasting his Prayers and Tears could not do it without satisfying-Blood applied and pleaded If it be so as we have proved from the Text then do you your selves set Sin before you be desirous of it and patient while others do it Yea kiss that Hand and praise God for that Means whereby it is done Attend to your Pastours look your selves in the Glass of the Law and pray with David search and try me O Lord set my Sins in order before me now that I may be wail them and thou mayest forgive them Never leave this endeavour till you be enabled to see and say Wo and alas wretched Man that I am thus to dishonour God what shall I say or do Mine Iniquities have separated between me and my God My Sins have hid his Face from me so that I cannot see him The Glory is departed and thâ—t bright Sun fearfully eclipsed towards me Can I rejoyce with the joy of other People Can I laugh and be merry while my Sins are always before me Can I sing the Lord's Song in a strange Land Call me not Naomi but call me Marah the Lord deals bitterly with me yet deservedly Sin hath been my Delight now it is my Torment I have followed Sin and now Sin followeth me See do you not see my Drunkenness here my Whoredoms there my Pride my Hypocrisie my Covetousness and Vain-glory a bundle of blasphemous Thoughts in one place and a flying roll of Lyes and Oaths in another place save me from them sweet Jesus A wounded Israelite was healed by looking upon the Brasen Serpent Wounded I am the stings of Death all of my own making for other Death hath none do stick in me and compass me about to the Lord Jesus I look unto his Arms I flie and there resolve to rest Yet me thinks
draweth in the Thred it is sometimes introductory by the blessing of God of a more excellent Way Sorrow for Sin through Love is a consequent of Grace Strangers to both are strangers to Grace They are yet in their Sins Thirdly What an heavy Judgment this dead and benummed Conscience is it never seeth Sin never grieves for Sin never prizeth Christ but goeth on in Sin day after day without feeling weight or fearing smart A wild Beast while asleep seems very tame and gentle but when awaked it begins to shew it self by flying at the Face Your Consciences are now asleep but God will one day awake them when they will never again afford you one day or hour of rest Though for a while you live in Mirth swim in the sweet waters of Pleasures and having despised the Immortal Manna lay out all your care to stuff your Intrails with corruptible Meats and Conscience letteth you alone Though you Feast to day like Nabal and make your selves glad yet there is an Abigail a Conscience which to Morrow will tell you of it and then your Hearts will die within you and be like Stones as cold and as heavy as a Stone within you This O Sinner like a Snake shall hiss in thy Bosom and bray thee like a Fool in a Morter as it were with a Pestel and beat and distress thee for ever This is the Moth that getteth into the Cloth and eateth it When thou with rebukes do'st correct Man for Iniquity thou makest his Beauty to consume away like as when a Moth fretteth a Garment Psal 39.11 This will make thy Face gather blackness and thy Spirit be overwhelm'd for evermore This is unavoidable to all that live and continue in Sin without a sight and trouble for it Fourthly That the Lord will one day set all their Sins in order before them in their proper Colours both for number and nature Sins of Infancy Youth and riper Years Sins of commission and careless omission especially presumptuous Sins and those of positive Infidelity Impenitency unthankfulness for Christ and unfruitfulness under the Means all these will come upon them all together crying out that all the World shall hear and know we are yours and you must own us when there will be neither way to escape nor time to plead Whoso is wise will consider these things and he shall understand to conclude it far better to see Sin now than hereafter now while it may be pardoned rather than hereafter when it must be punished Vse 3. Thirdly What Comfort and Encouragement may this Discourse afford to all in David's Case They have sinned grievously and their Sins are ever before them now not so much out of Fear as out of Love not by constraint but willingly They may be assured and ought to be perswaded of their being in a state of Grace although many of them cannot quiet their Hearts to believe it Their manner is to frequent solitary Places to be alone to meditate of the Lord's Holiness and Goodness ever and anon reflecting with detestation upon their own actual Sins and habitual Uncleanness then they complain sigh and cry as if there were no hope of safety for them What say they can such as we be pardoned and saved We that have committed such Sins abused such Mercies and trampled under feet such great Salvation We that have such hard Hearts impure Natures Eyes full of Adultery every object yielding fewel to this Fire and are daily followed with the memory of so many Sins Whose thoughts by Day and dreams by Night are sufficient evidences of a cursed disposition That can do nothing but Sin Day nor Night O heavy Case O wretched Condition Who shall deliver Or who can persuade us that it is possible c. When indeed this sight of Sin and trouble for it is one ground of Hope a mark of Grace and a fruit of God's Love Come therefore let us reason together say the worst against your selves for so I know you will let all out say you see your Sins for Number innumerable for Nature heinous and crying and for Weight insupportable even to corporal Weakness to Paleness and Fainting accompanied with strange Fears and Consumptions of the Body this is possible say you feel the burden of unclean Hearts and Eyes usually they go together daily and hourly that you cannot think without Sinning nor look without Lusting in sudden motions arising from every Creature any way capable of such a Passion no nor sleep without filthy Dreams symptomes of an impure Heart Say you are ready to sink every moment under fear of Despair or Apostacy by reason of the multitude and pressing constancy of all the former Was not David a Man after God's own Heart was not penitent David thus affected pursued and troubled after his Pardon was obtained and assured to him His Sin was ever before him and yet he was then in a state of Grace Be not discouraged only be careful to tread in his Steps and you shall find his Success Quest How may we know whether we see our Sins savingly as David did or no Answ By divers Marks it may be discerned as First If you see Sin in it self as it is Sin and as abstracted from Concomitants viz. Shame and Pain If you loath it and your selves for it because it is so opposite to the holy and pure Nature of God and if the bent of your affection be against it as the greatest evil that you desire freedom from Sin above all other Boons if you be weary of it to fear and hate it more than the Devil desiring it may be apprehended and killed at every Sermon you hear resolving howsoever to leave all whatever come If it be thus with you in some good measure it is a good sign you see Sin aright Secondly If you see Sin so as that for it you cannot see to remember any of your weak performances of holy Duties since your Conversion This one thing I do forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forth to those things which are before I press to the Mark saith blessed Paul David fasted and prayed sacrificed and sung Psalms stood up for the Church and relieved the Poor c. But none of these are now thought on to be mentioned his Sin only is ever before him Our best Works in a state of Grace are so far from meriting that sometimes they will not come in to yield a Man any comfort in this Case they are full of failings impure and imperfect There are more threds of Copper than of Gold in the best Web we weave Our very Righteousness is as a silthy Garment While Sin comes in full and perfect and so weighs down the Scale that our good Deeds are not in memory when Sin is before us If it be so with you it is another good sign Thirdly If Sin be heavy to you all other Crosses and Troubles are light in comparison and more easily born David was grievously afflicted by