rather And if you tell the humble Soul that they that Sin against the Holy Ghost never heartily repent of it and no Man in this Life can certainly conclude himself reprobated because for ought any knows he may repent and turn to God He will yet object Object 6. It may be God will be so merciful as to save Sinners that are deeply and kindly humbled for their Sins and full of the Spirit of mourning and 't is Mercy indeed if he will save such But I have an hard heart and an uncontrite Spirit I cannot grieve for Sin to any purpose though I know my self to be one of the chief of Sinners All these and many more such Objections will be unanswerable if the Soul considers only the absolute Mercy of God For God may indeed be merciful and gloriously merciful in saving Sinners though he should only save some of the most restrained and least provoking the soonest yielding and most signally humbled and mourning Sinners and so the Soul that judges worse of himself can have no hope of his Salvation But the Mercy of God in Christ is such as that he freely offers his Salvation to all even the worst of Sinners to whom the Gospel is preached inviting and commanding them to accept it and rely upon him for it And this answers all Objections The worst the Soul can say against himself exempts him not from the number of Sinners and Salvation is freely offered to all Sinners in general He is one of them let him make as bad of himself as he can And though he thinks it never so unreasonable for him to hope for Mercy yet no reason in the World can have any force against the Command of the most High God which requires him to repose his hope and trust in Christ for his Salvation Thus 't is evident that the ground of a Christian's hope or that which he relies and rests upon in his hope of Salvation is the free Mercy of God in Christ And therefore is Faith commonly in Scripture called a trusting or believing in Jesus Christ because the Satisfaction which he has given to the Law and the free tender of Salvation which he makes in the Gospel to Sinners in general is the only sufficient ground that any Soul has to stay and rest upon in hope of his Salvation John 3.15 16 18 36. John 6.35 1 Pet. 2.6 Acts 11.17 Acts 16.31 and many other places Faith is a believing in God But 't is a believing on him looked upon and considered as he is in Jesus Christ The Soul cannot believe or trust in God for Salvation but as he trusts in Christ 1 Pet. 1.21 Who by him believe on God who raised him from the dead c. It is a trusting or hoping in the Mercy of God Psalm 15.5 Psalm 147.11 But 't is a trusting in Mercy only as 't is expressed displayed and offered to Sinners in Jesus Christ It is a trusting or hoping in the Word Psalm 119.42 74. in as much as it declares and propounds that Mercy of God in Christ on which alone the Soul may rest it self in hopes of Salvation Thus have we seen the Sinner brought by the several Steps of Consideration Conviction Humiliation c. to a fiducial Faith or believing on Jesus Christ And now is he in the state of Effectual Calling or Conversion 1 Thess 2.13 Then Men are called and converted when they believe in Jesus Christ as 't is fully proved in Rom. 1.16 with 1 Cor. 1.24 Now is the Soul set safe from Condemnation and therefore is this Faith called Justifying Faith Rom. 5.1 Now is the Soul adopted and entitled to everlasting Life And therefore is Faith called saving Faith or believing to Salvation Heb. 10. Yea now the Soul is by the work of the Spirit possessed of all Graces necessary to qualify and prepare him for Heaven the heart being purified by Faith Acts 15.9 and taken up by the Lord Jesus for his Habitation Ephes 2.22 with Ephes 2.17 where-ever there is Faith in Christ there is also Love to God Obedience Patience Humility Self-denial and all other Graces in which the Law is written on renewed Hearts The Exercises and Encreases whereof come next to be considered The Sum of all is 1. The Sinner takes the estate of his Soul into serious Consideration Ezek. 18.28 He considereth and turneth away from his Transgression 2. He finds himself to be in a lost and perishing Condition Luke 15.17 I perish for hunger 3. The sight of himself in this estate affects his Soul with deep Sorrow and distressing Trouble Acts 2.37 When they heard this they were pierced at the heart 4. This distress puts him upon a studious consultation and enquiry for a Remedy of his Estate And they said Men and Brethren what shall we do 5. Upon this enquiry God directs him to a serious and heedful attention to the Gospel Acts 11.14 Send for Peter he shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy House shall be saved And Acts 10.33 We are all c. 6. Thus attending the Gospel he comes to understand and believe the Doctrine therein contained and to receive it for certain truth upon God's Testimony Acts 2.41 They that gladly received his word were baptized John 6.45 They shall be all taught of God Every one therefore that hath heard and learned of the Father cometh to me 7. Upon the belief of the Doctrine of the Gospel he proceeds to an hearty reliance on the free Mercy of God in Christ in hope of his Salvation For Gal. 2.16 Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but by the Faith of Christ Even we have believed in Jesus Christ that we might be justified by the Faith of Christ 1. Believing the Gospel he is informed of the excellency of Christ's Salvation and so desires it earnestly for himself 2. Believing the Gospel he sees this Salvation is freely offered to Sinners in general and so conceives hope that he may have it 3. Believing the Gospel he sees that Salvation is procured and granted only through the Mercy of God in Christ and therefore he rests only upon that Mercy in hope of his Salvation PART II. Of the Progress of a Believer from his Conversion to his Perfection under the work of Sanctification 1 PETER II. 2. As new-born babes desire the sincere milk of the word that ye may grow thereby THE Text is an Exhortation to an earnest desire after the Word Where note first 1. The Persons exhorted they are lately converted Christians compared to new-born Babes so young and incompleat Christians are called 1 Cor. 3.1 And I brethren could not speak unto you as unto spiritual but as unto carnal even as unto babes in Christ Babes in Christ because the work of Sanctification had gone on but a little way in them they being hitherto very Carnal 2. The matter of the Exhortation a desire after the Word Where note First First The object of this desire
Souls that have been troubled about Sin remaining in them 4thly God raises great Joy in their hearts in consideration of that immutable love of God on which their Salvation depends When they come to see and consider that 't is not their love to God but his love to them that saves them This mightily refreshes their Souls after a weary Combate wite Despair and Diffidence occasioned by the sense of Sin remaining and much prevailing in their Soul Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ c. Rom. 8.1 That is to say I see now my safety is not in that I can do for my self against my Sin but in what Christ Jesus has done and suffered for them that are in him who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit 5thly God gives them a delightful prospect of their future Happiness When they have known the trouble of Sin and are wearied with it he shews them their remaining rest as Psalm 73.24 Thou wilt guide me with thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory Then no more Sin in my Soul No more Temptation in my way but pure Holiness shall enrich adorn and delight my Soul for ever Now a word or two of the Reason why God is pleased to quiet the Souls of his People when revived after Soul-trouble for Sin Reas 1. God revives them in greater Measures Because he pities them in their Sorrow and Trouble they have had about their Sin remaining as Jer. 31.19 Surely after that I was turned I repented and after I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth As if he had said I cannot but affectionately think how his heart has been troubled at what I have said against him therefore my Bowels are troubled for him I earnestly remember him still As Christ had compassion on his poor Disciples when he saw them toiling in the Storm Matth 14.24 and so in Lam. 3.32 Though he cause grief yet will be have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies Because 2dly Soul-trouble prepares a Christian for good measures of spiritual Comfort Sorrow is not given to Christians for it self but to fit them for the receipt of Comfort they are cast down that they may be lifted up Particularly they are thus afflicted with Sorrow in themselves for a time 1. That they may know 't is a free gift and not meerly raised up and reasoned out by themselves They may have Grace in their Souls and Promises to that Grace and yet little comfort till God sends it in to them 3dly That they may the better manage it when it comes Men must be well humbled or comfort will make them forget themselves As Paul was in danger to be lifted up 2 Cor. 12.7 lest I should be lifted up above measure there was given me a thorne in the flesh Soul Trouble and Affliction is a gift of God to a Christian when in danger to be lifted up 4thly It 's given them in a way of gracious recompence to all their Labour and Pains in striving against their indwelling Sin Heaven indeed is the great recompence and this is some beginning of it God freely rewards Christians for the care and pains they take in preserving their own Souls against the hurt of Temptations when they are tempted to despair in time of Trouble and crying out O wretched man that I am It 's a remarkable thing the story of Pharoah's Daughter who had Compassion on Moses when she saw him weeping It 's said she hired Moses's Mother to nurse her own Child Exod. 2.9 Take this child away and nurse it for me and I will give thee thy wages Now for the Uses Use 1. Is to inform us of the exceeding great love of God to believing Souls that has so much pity to them when they are troubled in themselves and is so careful to revive them When the poor disquieted Soul is thinking Sure God has no favour for me has cast me off and left me to my self and Satan Then is he meditating mercies and comfort to that Soul and preparing the Soul for the receipt of it Isa 55.8 My thoughts are not your thoughts I know the thoughts that I think toward you saith the Lord thoughts of peace Jer. 20.11 Use 2. Is to encourage Christians labouring under Soul-troubles especially about Sin dwelling and remaining and working in them such trouble serves to prepare Christians for comfort and lays a good foundation for it Your Comfort is at hand Say to your Souls as David to his in the 42d Psalm ver 5. Hope in God for I shall yet praise him PHIL. IV. 13. I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me THE seventh Period of a Christan's motion or progress toward perfection that I shall treat of is A setled dependance on the strength and power of Christ for the performance of the whole Work and Charge of Christianity When a Christian under some comfortable persuasions of his peace with God has set upon reformation of his Life and finding himself strongly hindred in that work by his indwelling Sin has made earnest essays to mortify his Lusts and cleanse his heart from wickedness and when by reason of the difficulty of that Design he has been sadly troubled and disquieted in himself it pleases God in sitting time to raise up and revive the weary and disheartened Combatant with spiritual consolation of which lately and now the Soul having had so much experience of it self and of God his own insufficiency and the All-sufficiency of Divine Grace resolvedly betakes himself to a fiducial reliance on the gracious Power of Christ for the carrying on and management of all the duty incombant on him as a Christian which is intimated in this Text I can do all things through Christ that strengtheneth me That we may clearly understand them it 's to be noted 1st They are words of self-encouragement to so great and weighty undertaking As Joel 3. Let the weak say I am strong i. e. Let him put on a noble and generous Resolution and gird up the loins of his mind to warlike Enterprizes Thus Paul here I can do all I am strong for all things ready armed and furnished with strength for all things which God sets me to do 2dly The work to which he so encourages himself is the whole duty of Christianity to do that which is to be done in a state of Prosperity and to suffer what is to be undergone in a day of adversity as verse 12. to do and suffer as a Christian this is all That is it comprehends the Work and Duty of a Christian as Eccles 12.13 Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man This is all of man 3dly The Argument wherewith he thus encourages himself is not any opinion of his own strength yea his words import a denial of any such confidence I am strong for
sorrow yet no man attains the true Spirit of Godliness till first he has had a taste of this sorrow This is so natural and necessary a product of Conviction that no man can totally escape it that has once known what 't is to be convinced of Sin and Misery And yet there is one way that Persons strongly convinced of the evil and danger of their estate have to divert themselves from that pressing trouble and anguish which is usually the effect of a sound Conviction and that is an hope of being brought over into a better estate hereafter though they are now in such a condition as wherein to dye were certainly to go to Hell yet they hope they shall have the Grace at one time or other e're they dye to return to God and make their Peace with him The Example of Foelix is very apposite who being convinced of his bad estate so far as that he fell a trembling under Paul's Doctrine yet shifted off his trouble by adjourning his cares to another time and stopped the mouth of his Conscience by promising the Apostle a further Audience Acts 24.25 Some Persons are so much convinced that they are in an evil and perishing estate that they will not stick to say They think verily if they should dye as they are they should be damned and perish without remedy And yet they are very little troubled at the matter because they hope they shall turn to God and get Peace with him yet in time to come But where God undertakes the great work of Salvation Conviction is always attended with a deep Humiliation and Contrition of Spirit as the Jews in Acts 2. were pierced to the very heart wounded though not to death yet to extremity of pain a wounded spirit who can bear And the Terrors of God fell so vehemently upon the Jailor Acts 16. that he could not forbear trembling though a man of a Spirit sturdy and rugged enough till he had received some information about the way and means of obtaining Life eternal I perish for hunger said the poor Prodigal O sad and doleful speech the language of an aking heart you may be sure Yea Judas himself proceeded thus far towards Conversion when he was Convicted he repented with a Legal Repentance as 't is commonly distinguished a Repentance wherein the Soul is troubled and tormented about Sin under apprehension of the wrath of God This Humiliation and Anguish of Spirit doth proceed especially upon 1. The apparent danger of the Wrath to come The Poor Sinner looks upon himself as already Sentenced for Hell and it torments him before-hand to think how soon he may be thrust into it so that he is always crying Woe woe to himself in thoughts of dying in that estate 2. The Remembrance of the sins whereby he has brought himself into that estate It 's a torment to him to consider that for so vile and base a thing as Sin is he should make himself so miserable as the Jews in Lam. 5.16 Woe unto us that we have sinned And the more pleasing any sin has been to him the greater pain it is to him to reflect upon it he is out of all patience with himself to think how foolish how bruitish and how like a beast he has been before God even in those things he thought a little while ago he did gallantly and wondred at those that run not with him into the same excess 3. Conscience of his refusing Counsel and neglecting Opportunity to take a better course now he remembers what warnings he has had and how he has often been called upon and earnestly entreated by God and man to fly from the wrath to come and avoid the misery into which he sees himself now falling and still refused to be perswaded and was as the deaf Adder that stops her ears against the voice of the Charmer c. The calling over of these things makes the poor Sinner a burthen and a terror to himself See how Solomon represents it in Prov. 5.11 12 13 14. This then is the Third step of this great work a Soul-Afflicting Humiliation This is the state of men weary and heavy laden as Mat. 11. This is that Spirit of bondage of which the Apostle speaks Rom. 8. That Spiritual sickness which makes men feel their need of a Physician that wound at the heart which puts men upon enquiry What they shall do to be saved Which is next to be attended The Fourth Step or Degree of this work is a studious Consultation about a Recovery When a man is thorowly convinced of his misery and affected with sorrow for it it is proper for him to enquire what course he may take to get out of the evil estate which he is in and escape the misery which he expects But yet some Convicted Persons and Persons deeply affected with a Legal Humiliation fall short of this Step towards Conversion and never come to any serious Enquiry after the way and means of Salvation Such are they who seeing themselves undone and apprehending the wrath of God ready to come forth against them immediately fall into a despairing sorrow and conclude peremptorily against themselves that there is no help for them Thus Cain when he heard his judgment fell presently into a sad and sorrowful consideration of the evil that was now invading him till he had made it in his own opinion impossible for his wound to be healed his iniquity to be forgiven never enquiring in the least how he might get out of the unhappy estate into which he was fallen but sinking in his Sorrows without any further question But where God proceeds in a design of saving a poor Soul when once he has brought him to an humbling Conviction of his sin and misery he puts him upon a serious enquiry after the way and means of his recovery So the Jews Acts 2. Men and Brethren what shall we do and the Jailor Acts 16. Being deeply sensible of the evil of their present estate they search diligently for some way and means to get out of it as the Unjust Steward when he saw that he should be turned out of his Office fell presently a considering what course was to be taken that he might not perish as he was now like to do for want of house and harbour Luke 16.3 What shall I do This Consultation is managed with some variety Sometimes the affrighted Soul confines his terror to himself and takes counsel with his own heart as Psal 13.2 which is never like to come to any good conclusion sometimes he sets to reading Scripture and other good Books And though this be indeed the way to get information yet many there are who in this distress for want of skill to understand what they read perplex themselves more instead of finding out the proper cure for their disease But generally where the work goes on to good effect it pleases God to direct such Souls to some able Ministers or experienced Christians to whom
the Word compared to pure Milk the sincere Milk of the Word that is the Word which is for you as pure Breast-milk is for the new-born Babe sweet and pleasing nourishing and strengthening the means appointed to the perfecting of the Work of Sanctification John 17.17 Sanctify them by thy truth thy word is truth And Edification unto Glory Acts 20.32 The word of his grace which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified Secondly Secondly The desire it self described by the appetite of new-born Infants to the Nurses Milk that is a vehement and importunate desire and such as will not otherwise be satisfied Thirdly The end of this desire growth in Grace that ye may grow thereby What that is in which they should intend a growth appears plainly by the Sequel of the Apostle's Discourse to be Faith and Holiness The Grace wherewith the Souls of Christians are qualified by the Spirit of God unto Salvation as 't is expressed in the last words of the next Epistle Grow in Grace Growth is the gradual process of living Creatures to their due Measures and Maturity And of all the growths the growth of Children which is here the Apostle's Similitude is a very slow and imperceptible Motion Such is the tendency of saving Grace in the Souls of Christians towards its proper and purposed Perfection Mark 4.27 the Seed springs and grows up we know not how And hence we way observe Direct 1. That saving Grace begun in converted Souls goes gradually on to its perfection under the sanctifying work of God Justification is perfected at once and with it Adoption But the work of Holiness is begun in low degrees and brought on by steps to it its intended height and fulness See this proved in Phil. 1.6 He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ So again in Prov. 4.18 The path of the just is as the shining light which shineth more and more unto the perfect day So likewise Hosea 6.3 His going forth is as the morning And Mark 4.26 The Kingdom of God is as if a man should cast seed into the ground c. The Kingdom of God is his work of Grace in the Souls of Men in which he begins that which in its perfection is the Kingdom of Glory So Grotius and some others understand those three Ages 1 John 2.12 13. I write unto you little Children because your sins are forgiven you I write unto you fathers because ye have known him that is from the beginning I write unto you young Men because you have overcome the wicked one But I shall prosecute this Doctrine in a distinct Consideration of the several advances of Grace in the Souls of Christians towards perfection from their first Conversion And that in ten successive periods of their Motion First The first Period or Point of a Christian's Motion towards Perfection that I shall speak of is 1. A vehement pursuit of some clear and comfortable assurance of Salvation When once Men are brought through the Terrors of the Law by the Invitations of the Gospel to believe in Christ for his Salvation they presently become very laborious to get some comfortable Assurance that they are in a saved Estate They do not indeed neglect the duties of Obedience the mortifying of Lusts well ordering of their Lives and the glory of God as the end of all But that which they especially and most ambitiously intend now at their first setting out is a Soul-quieting certainty that all is well between God and them Though they do believe in Christ and know that he that believeth shall be saved yet 't is usually a great while before they can clearly understand themselves to be Believers in Christ and by Faith saved Persons A man must be of necessity a Believer before he can know himself to be so and Faith is sometimes very long unevident to him that has it And though he do perceive the believing act in himself and dares not deny it yet he is very doubtful whether it be true saving Faith or no and very impatient of the doubt And this is commonly the main Intention of young Converts and their great affair to assure themselves that they are in Christ and not perishing with the World 'T is true the very act of Faith through the Grace of Christ brings in a sweet calmness of Spirit easing the Soul of those despairing and tormenting fears with which 't was overwhelmed before and therefore Faith it self is in Scripture called a resting on the Lord and a staying of the mind on God Isa 26.3 But a positive Assurance of ones being in the state of Salvation is a further benefit and must be sought after in the use of means appointed to the making of our Calling and Election sure And this is usually the great study of new Converts as Hosea 6.2 He will receive us that was it in prosecution whereof they stirred up themselves to follow on to know the Lord. And that they do mainly intend and follow this appears First In their eager desire after Ordinances and means appointed to this end to confirm Faith and work assurance As soon as the Eunuch was converted he was presently ambitious to be baptized upon the first opportunity Acts 8.36 37. And the Eunuch said See here is water what doth hinder me to be baptized And Philip said If thou believest with all thine heart thou mayst And he answered and said I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God And they went down both into the water both Philip and the Eunuch and he baptized him Baptism being a confirming Ordinance a seal of the Promise and Covenant of Grace he was very desirous to have that Doctrine sealed to him by washing which he had lately heard preached out of Isa 53. And Paul when converted assayed to join himself with the Church Communion with Saints being a good means to inform us of our own good estate Acts 9.26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem he assayed to join himself to the Disciples 2dly Their earnest hearkening after Promises and such parts of the Word as declare the love of God to poor Sinners They are not at first so studious of that Word which sets forth that Reward which Saints shall have in Heaven as of that Word of Promise which serves to give humbled Souls notice of their Interest in Christ and the Love of God They go to every Sermon that they hear in hope of a word of peace And are mightily taken with that Word which sets forth the love of Christ descending and stooping down to poor unworthy Wretches Though they heartily like a Boanerges a Son of Thunder and bless God that ever they have heard the Terrors of the Lord in the Doctrine of the Law yet now they are sore and wounded and most earnestly desire after Barnabas the Son of Consolation to pour some Oil into their Wounds
the flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God THE fourth Period space or interval of a Christian's motion towards Perfection that I shall speak of is a laborious endeavour to mortify in-dwelling Sin which is intimated in these words as here laid in an Exhortation from Chapter the Sixth When a Christian under persuasions that he is in a state of Grace has for some time made it his business to reform and rectify his life though he meets with no small obstacles without yet he manifestly perceives at length that the greatest difficulty of his work arises from the evil that is within him that other law of which the Apostle speaks so fully Rom. 7.23 But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind and thereupon proceeds to the great Design of mortifying his inherent Lusts and Corruptions Let us cleanse our selves c. The Apostle Paul here represents himself and the Corinthians 1. First As in a state of Grace and Salvation Having the Promises in which God undertakes to be their Father and takes them for his Children 2dly As being comfortably persuaded that they were in that happy estate 3dly As intending to perfect holiness That is to perform the Will of God in a course of obedience Perfecting holiness in the fear of God And in order to this he stirs up himself and them to a strenuous and diligent endeavour to purge out their yet remaining and indwelling Sin Let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit And hence we have this Doctrinal Observation Doctr. That Christians heartily intending obedience to God in their Lives are thereupon effectually disposed to mortify Sin dwelling in their Souls Heb. 21.1 Let us lay aside every weight and the sin that doth so easily beset us and run with patience c. They that are heartily intended to run the race of duty are thenceforth put upon it to cast off the weight and fetters of inherent Sin Such is Paul's report of his own Example in the 1 Cor. 9.26 I so run not as uncertain that is that I may certainly obtain There is his intention of obedience And that he may so obey he mortifies the body of Sin I keep under my body and bring it under subjection Now that a man does indeed intend the mortifying of his Sin that is within him will appear if we consider these Evidences following First Evid 1. Such Christians they are full of sorrowful complaints of the evil and naughtiness of their hearts they would go forward in a way of holiness but being hindred by evil Inclinations and Indispositions to duty they sadly bewail the unhappy temper of their Souls which plainly argues a great desire and inclination to a better and more purified Estate Men that are always complaining of the evil posture of things Political State-matters Maleadministrations and Mis-governments are usually looked upon as studying Innovations So here The man that is generally querulous against the Corruptions of his own heart is certainly to be accounted a man aiming at the purging them out and endeavouring a thorough Reformation within his own Territories Thus Paul O wretched man that I am Rom. 7.24 Earnest complaints against Persons and Parties in a Nation are plain indications of a desire and intention to expel them if it may be and drive them out Christians What is your Errand to God when you make your secret Applications to him is it beside other things of like importance very much to give in Accusations against your proud Hearts your sensual Hearts your covetous worldly hypocritical Hearts This is a great sign you are endeavouring the mortification of your Pride Sensuality Covetousness and Hypocrisy Christians at first mostly confess their actual sins especially which lay upon their Consciences but after some progress made in Christianity and some essays to reform their Lives they come in with new complaints against themselves for the Sin that is within them that gives rise and egress to all their actual Sins 2dly Such persons are utterly unsatisfied with all their former humiliations for sin as finding themselves worse and more desperately wicked than ever they thought they were all the Sorrows that ever they have had for Sin seem nothing in proportion to that vileness and wickedness which they observe in their hearts and therefore their common complaint is of a hard heart a stony heart c. Now this is manifestly an assay to mortify their Sin to drown and choak it as I may say In godly sorrow an indeavour in the language of the Prophet to wash the heart from wickedness Jer. 4.14 as the words may be expounded by James 4.8 9. Cleanse your hands ye sinners and purify your hearts ye double-minded Though sorrow and mourning do nothing to the washing away the guilt of Sin yet it doth much to the removal of the filth of it Though it has no validity to satisfaction for sin yet it has much efficacy to purification of the Soul from it 3. They are always inquisitive after means and directions to the bettering of their hearts What may I do says one to get an humble heart an heavenly mind Inquiring how to suppress evil Thoughts and keep them out to subdue unruly affections and resist sinful Desires As before they were much in asking what is the will of God that they might do it so they are now in seeking how they may withstand and overcome their own Wills which they find rebelling against the known Command of God As Diseased Persons are always asking when they meet with those that are skilful what is good against a Consumption a Dropsie the Scurvy c. so Christians heartily intending holiness and mortification of their Sins are much disposed to Questions though not in the Jewish sense about purifying Questions about healing of Soul-diseases and purging out of evil Humours That Word that Sermon is most acceptable to such a Soul which gives most proper Directions and prescribes most hopeful Remedies against evil and sinful Inclinations and gives him most assistance against himself as he is corrupt and sinful He is not so much taken with a fine notion or an ingenious gloss upon a Text or a witty Interpretation as a solid direction against the evil of indwelling Sin 4thly They are always calling for the help of the spirit against their sins as finding themselves unable to destroy and mortify them Who shall deliver me that is to say wilt not thou O God as Psalm 60.9 10. At first newly converted Souls are all for the comforting operation of the Spirit but now for his Soul-sanctifying Work that they may through the spirit mortify the deeds of the body Rom. 8.13 and as David requests in Psalm 51.10 Create in me a clean heart O God 5thly They are altogether uncontented with the good apprehensions that others profess to have of them Yea rather discontented at them because they know so much evil by themselves which others are
speaking to the Colossians bids them mortify their members that is to say your hands your feet your eyes which is the very language of our Saviour If thine eye offend pluck it out Mat. 5.29 And that of David Psal 38.4 5. is most plainly and naturally resolved into this sense Mine iniquities are gone over mine head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me He was engaged as every good man is in a Combat against Sin and the work too hard for him and his Sin a burden too heavy and that distressed him Troubles of Christians about Indwelling Sin 1. The first Trouble is That it seems to increase and grow upon them It 's a very grievous thing to be conflicting with a growing Adversary as David says Psal 3.1 Lord how are they increased that trouble me A great discouragement and heart-killing thing to a Christian striving against Sin when he apprehends it more and more abounding in him When the Body of Sin appears in him like the Hydra of which the Poets give us their Fictions of a Serpent of Fifty Heads whereof when one was cut off two more presently grew up in the stead of it what hope off overcoming such an Adversary and the unlikeliness of the Victory must needs be a sore trouble to the Combatant Thus Paul complains that he was sold under Sin verse 14. as a Captive or a Slave that is sold in the Market by him that has him in his power to do what he will with him as 2 Tim. 2. ult Taken captive by Satan at his will He that 's sold is more hopeless than he that is but newly taken Alas says the Soul I am at that pass now that one sight of a tempting Object one word one thought will hurry away my Soul into sinful desires and reaching after forbidden things which awhile ago were abominable to me and I thought all the Art of Hell could never reconcile me to them sure I am much worse than ever O wretched man that I am Besides this growth of Sin appears in a woful backwardness and indisposition to Duties of Holiness to which the Soul was much inclined heretofore Time was when I found no hindrance to Duty but worldly business or the prohibition of Superiors or the Scorns of Neighbours c. And if I could but get time from my Calling and leave of my Friends and liberty of my Superiors I easily broke through other discouragements and found nothing to stay me but now when I have leisure enough and leave enough to wait on God in Duties my heart stands off from them I am fain to force and drive my self to them and many times cannot do so much certainly Sin is encreasing and growing in me against all my Prayers Resolutions and Endeavours to forsake it 2dly They very much suspect themselves to be altogether graceless and unrenewed They see so much Sin in themselves and that so hateful and abominable that they can hardly think it possible it should stand with Grace It 's true the Apostle Paul could in this case distinguish between himself absolutely considered and himself in his flesh or fleshly part and therefore when he was saying In me there dwells no good thing he limited it to the flesh in me that is in my flesh but every Christian has it not in a readiness so to distinguish Many sincere Christians conclude themselves to have no Grace because that they see they have so much Sin and this is a sore Affliction I had hoped says a Christian that I was in Christ and took much joy in my supposed saved Estate after much fear and terror I had my heart quieted and I thought upon right grounds then I set upon Reformation and I thought was acted in it by the Holy Spirit but now I fear the work of Conversion was never soundly wrought in me as the Disciples were distressed with fear that Jesus was not the Christ We hoped it had been he that should have redeemed Israel I find my self so proud so sensual so under the power of brutish and base Lusts that it seems utterly improbable there should be one spark of saving Grace in me Oh sad Case so many Convictions so many Sorrows endured so many Hope 's conceived so many Prayers for Mercy poured out and so many Purposes and Resolutions of Obedience taken up and all lost and am I a graceless Sinner yet O wretched man that I am Such a Soul knows by what it has formerly felt and suffered under condemnings of Law and Conscience what 't is to be in an unregenerate Estate and therefore is most sadly afflicted when it falls under fear of being yet in that Estate 3dly They many times fear they shall never prevail against their Indwelling Sin because they find it so strong and active They labour sadly under bondage to their Lusts and they fear it will never be better with them and this must needs be a sore trouble to a Soul that has so much Grace as to make Sin a burden to him and to make him hunger and thirst after Righteousness It was a grievous thing to David that God seemed to forget him but that made it a full Affliction indeed that he begun to fear that it might be so for ever Psal 13.1 To be always thus enslaved to vile affections c. it 's a woful misery What should I do in this Case says the Soul if I humble my self acknowledge my Sin flie to mercy and cry out for help from Heaven c. it 's but the same I have done already and for ought I see the evil Spirit prevails upon me as that of old did upon the Sons of Sceva and if this be the success of such Assays what hope but I must be a Slave to Satan and to abominable Lusts while I live 4thly They charge themselves as Hypocrites in all their Profession and Practice of Christianity hitherto If they had been sincere they think they could not have been so bad and so base as they now find themselves to be within No sure such an heart as mine is must needs be unsanctified and graceless and then have I dissembled with God and Man all this while How often have Ministers comforted me as a Convert and Christians received me and prayed for me as a Believer and thought a good Work was wrought in me and were glad of it and alas I fear I have been all this while but a painted Hypocrite as the Martyr said of himself This is a sore trouble to him that knows the danger that Hypocrites are in but much more to him that hates Hypocrisy 5thly They sadly fear they shall return to their former wickedness or more in their lives Seeing they have so much Sin in themselves they can hardly hope better but that God will give them up to the Lusts of their hearts and then they believe they shall be as bad as any Work Iniquity with greediness to their own shame and the shame