God as the Apostle did not by sense nor what we feeâ— though never so much yet that must not be our life or if never so little that must not be our death but still live by faith in the son of God who liveth for ever and therefore his people shall not dye nor their Lamps be put out in obscure darkness 3. Consider then have we not declined have not our Lamps burned much clearer then now they do hath not our light been clearer then now it is and our warmth been more then now it is this is matter of humbling to us Have we not received much mixture of error in these erting times we cannot imagine how much darkness it brings upon our Lamps to have one error mixed with much truth Besides may not the Lord Jesus say to us all I have somewhat against you all in that you have left your first love Time was when you were zealous for the house of God and it did even eat you up now you are grown to a Gallio's spirit care not for these things Now we seek our own things and nest our selves in security it is well with us and therefore we consider not the danger poor souls are in by such as go up and down with the power of delusion few mourners in Zion for these things If the Church were under persecution it is likely we should lament truly I look upon its present state as more destructive to it so many Vipers â—ating at the very heart and bowels of Religion where is our burning of zeal for God against these things sure it should humble us 4. We see that Believers may decline and these times do give an abundant proof of it how many that have been as burning and shining lights have been benighted and inveloped in the most Egyptian darkness entertaning the most desperate opinions walking after their own Lusts and yet afterwards have been restored O how should this make us fear before him be not high-minded but fear here thou seest one and there another their lamps next to a being quite extinct yet thou hast light and heat maintained O boast not thy self lift not up thy self but fear before the Lord humility indeed is a kind of a nurse of the graces conservatrix virtutum as Bernard saith If he spared not the Angels in their pride will he spare thee A Novise is in danger of falling into the condemnation of the Devil in danger of being puffed up He giveth grace to the lowly but resisteth the proud Some do observe that word be ye cloathed with humility 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 be ye cloathed the word cometh from a word signifying a knot because it ties all together as I may say and so knitteth the graces together as pearls upon a Braslet if the knot be broken they are quickly lost It is indeed brethren the thief in the candle the great waster the Moth in the cloath consumeth it and spoyleth the beauty and strength of it It is the worm at the root of the Guord it will smite it and we see it by sad experience when men grow so proud and pretend to Angelical perfection in our days they fall as low as hell and brutish bestiality in their lusts O therefore let us labour to walk humbly with God be not high-minded though at present we stand and flourish and shine and burn we are liable to declinings 5. If we be so liable to declinings then it should teach us so much the more to be diligent in improving I am sure the Apostle giveth it as a preservative against declining and apostatizing But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ grow in grace and in knowledge knowledge is that whereby the Lord doth reveal himself to his people from grace to grace as you have it in that place of the Apostle whom beholding as in a glass c. But observe here keep your selves that is fall not from your own stedfastness and how should this be One means is to grow in grace If we would not have our Lamps burn dim and low we must labour to supply them so as they may increase the path of the just is as a shining light which shineth more and more to the perfect day and the wind of that Spirit which bloweth where it listeth it riseth higher and higher as some note O see to it then ordinarily while the fruit is in growth the leaves wither not nor the fruit fals except in some great storm or wind Labour to grow then first in bigness then in sweetness grow more mellow sweet full of love humility and self-denial 6. If we be so liable to decline it should teach us to avoid all those things which tend to a declining else we shall never avoid the thing it self we must take heed of sleeping then for though our Lamps be never so bright when we begin to sleep when we awake they will burn low if not extinct and will have great need of trimming up Security is the undoing evil in all things where was the joy of Davids faith when he began to be secure Psal 30. 7. Take heed of putting off the day of his appearing that will gender to security and that security will bring a neglect of our Lamps and then they will grow low and decline 2. Take we heed of false Teachers try the Spirits whether they be of God or no they have a strange influence upon the life and liveliness of mens profession were they not these that hindered the Galathians Ye did run well who hath hindered you who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth Ye did run well in the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the rase wherein they had Lamps or Torches but who hath hindered you The Apostle Peter maketh it the immediate cause of the backsliding and declining at least if not utter apostacy Beware saith he lest ye also being led away with the error of the wicked and fall from your own stedfastness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is to be carried out of his way to go with another the power of error is greater then we are aware of The Apostle speaks thus This I say lest any man deceive you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with enticing words beguile you They have cunning craftiness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cogging with the die Satan changing himself into an Angel of light and his Ministers into Ministers of light and cogging with the die like cunning and deceitful Gamsters how easie is it to deceive the hearts of the simple yea the hearts of his but that they are kept by that power But a great way they may prevail and so we may lose our stedfastness and therefore take heed what spirits we give ear to Alas do we not see in our days what fearful work Satan hath made among Professors how many have their Lamps quite put out that went for zealous
Christians are become meer Atheists how many have suffered a great abatement in their zeal and vigour and life and closeness of walking with God by this means O therefore take heed of falshood at the beginning 3. Take we heed of learning their ways by conversing with dead-hearted Professors where there is not that life and power that light and heat but a cold luke-warm frame for such as our Company is such shall we be in a great measure why must men make no friendship with an angry man lest he learn his ways And truly brethren a formal Professor a loose Professor that hath little of the power of Godliness upon him he is a quench-coal and by degrees you shall find your selves growing to a more listless indifferency then before therefore though you may pity them pray for them stir them up and provoke them as occasion serveth yet that inward familiarity as to lie in their bosoms which will be followed with a conformity to them take heed of you shall find it will work a declining 4. Take heed of deceiving our selves with false measures and weights The Apostle tell us of some that compared themselves with themselves and were not wise or comparing themselves with some others which are haply behind them this maketh them slack So the Church of Laodicea what was the reason of their lukewarmness they lost their love the heat and burning of their Lamps were gone whatever light they had why they thought they were rich and had need of nothing they needed not that eye-salve to buy of Christ nor gold nor raiment O this is the desperate undoing sin indeed when men think now O they bless God they are rich it is for others to press forward they need not walk so painfully as others their corruptions are more subdued then others Si dixisti sufsiciat periisti See Phil. 3. I forget what is behind c. 5. Arm your selves against the smiles and discouragements of the world for though like Sampsons foxes they look with their faces contrary waies yet the effect is one and the same not to fire but to quench that light and heat that is in a believer for the smiles of the world are her embraces she doth use to smother with them and as I may say overlay a soul when Davids mountain was made strong and by Gods favour too then he began to be secure to fal asleep and his Lamp was almost gone when God hid his face from him his comfort was lost in a great measure How many Demas's are there which forsake the work of Christ for this present world yea indeed many that can endure the frowns of the world yet are overcome by her smiles Jesurun kicked not nor forgot the God of her salvation so much as when she waxed fat So in that of Nehemiah they took strong Cities and a fat land and possessed houses full of all wels digged vineyards and olive-yards and fruit-trees in abunndance so they did eat and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in the great goodness notwithstanding they were disobedient and rebelled against thee and cast thy Law behind their backs c. and slew the Prophets which testified against them O watâ—h against this take heed we do not abate our earnestness after more and more of Christ lest while we are panting like the Hart after the water brooks we take up with a drop for all the Creature-comforts in the world are no more and our thirst after spirituals be more cooled and we solace our selves under our Guord instead of the Aple-tree the sweet shadow of Christ And to this end alway keep fresh upon your hearts the love of Jesus his smiles when the Diamond is present the Load-stone cannot draw Again Arm we our selves against the frowns of the world discouragements we must expect to meet with sooner or latter specially if we do not like a hollow-hearted bulrush bow and bend and comply with every thing a notable embleme of an Hypocrite If we stand firm like an Oke or Cedar we shall feel strong gusts It may be some of us have known what they meant and some have had experience of their weakness to bear up against them O how should this humble us and make â—s double our watch Satan will raise a storm if the Lord permit him thinking on a sudden to blow out our Lamps but we must arm against it and be sure to go on though it be weeping As the Milch-kine that carried the Ark up from the Philistins to Bethlehem they had their Calves left at home which were a strong avocation and yet saith the Text they went strait forward lowing and lamenting after their Calves but yet they went forward It may be we may be put to it as that Marquess of Vioum in Italy even Galeacius that forsook house and lands and wife and children and all for Christ It may be we cannot do it without some reluctancy yet it must be done it may be we shall have many discouragements from our own hearts strong temptations violent temptations haply more then ever yet we have had so that we cannot go on but weeping and wailing yet resolve upon it by his grace however we will go on such a well-grounded resolution often renewed with a waiting upon the Spirit for his strength to perform it will carry a man on far 6. Be sure not to neglect the Ordinances of Christ nor be slight in the using of them And one of the two I doubt we are often guilty of and therefore we may thank our selves for much of the deadness that groweth upon us daily these are the golden Pipes whereby this Oyl is conveyed continually from the Lord Jesus for the keeping our Lamps alive and lively Would you not wither but continue your verdour and greenness you must keep close to the waters of the Sanctuary they shall be like Trees planted by the rivers of water his leaf shall never fail he that delights in the Law of God meditates in it day and night there is private conversation with God And they that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God yea in old age they shall flourish and bâ—ing forth more abundantly when many times it is the declining time A diligent careful serious use of all the Ordinances with an eye to faith seeing through them all but as empty pipes without his presence to fill them this exceedingly conduceth 7. Be sure your aim be as high as heaven and the perfection which shall be at the resurrection of the dead So the Apostle Nâ—t that I count that I have attained but I press hard forward and all his diligence was that he might attain the resurrection of the dead by a Metonymie of the Adjunct it is put for the perfection of that 〈…〉 aâ—e at the resurrection see how high he aimed at and therefore he did not languish nor
dost thou grow in that is thy communication much more seasoned and savoury is it all savoury tending to minister grace to the hearers heretofore thou hadst it may be scarce a thought of God in a day now he is the object of the workings of thy soul the thoughts of him are pleasant to thee this is an high condition it argues thou hast grown thou art in a growing condtition but this is not all Brethren Secondly Is that more fruit you bring forth better then it was before is it more mellow then formerly or if thou bring forth no more in number is it more in weight for God takes not our services by number but by weight and it is a sottishness of the poor blind Papists to think that God is pleased with their much speaking with pattering over so many Avy Maries and Pater Nosters or principles of the Doctrine of Christ I wish our practises be not too like theirs It may be heretofore thou couldest not enlarge thy self in prayer and now thou canst and thou thinkest thou art much grown it may be in bulk but not in goodness are thy prayers now more the breathings of the Spirit of Christ within thee and less of thine own Spirit O how much strange fire mingled with our sacrifices and strange incense strange zeal even our own passions instead of a zeal for God! Now Brethren is our zeal and fire more pure coming down from heaven even from the Spirit of Jesus Christ warming our hearts Look to this do we find that we grow more spiritual in duties in prayer do we act our faith more strongly wrestle with God in spirit more then in words children are apt to be taken with bables and pictures and flowers in the corn and we wâ—th sweet and quaint expressions but now have we learned to worship him more in spirit and in truth to know that the great work of our duties lie in the frame of our hearts toward God in prayer in preaching in hearing of the Word It is childishness Brethren for one never to be well or to place so much in it to be alway upon the lap and dandled do we find that now we would rather be made serviceable to him and do it with more pure hearts more pure ends not for our selves but for his glory we ask not gifts parts grace to spend it upon our lusts as heretofore not â—or our own peace that we might take our ends but that we might be fitter instruments in his hands for his glory not for our own praise and honour among men O look to this I tell you there is nothing sticks closer to us then this now doth this sowrness crabbidness of our fruits wear away by degrees is it better with us in these respects then before this is a sign of growth indeed I will add but one more and that shall be this Dost thou â—ind that thou growest by the opposition thou meetest with in the work of grace either from without or from within or any way whatsoever First I say from opposition without grace will grow and gather strength and this either from men or from the Lood from men when they oppose the way of God wherein we walk we must look to it that we grow so much the stronger for that is the nature of grace Brethren as when Paul preached the faith which once he had destroyed and the people were amazed saith the Text and they spake of him as a changling is not this he that wasted them that called upon his name in Jerusalem but Saul waxed so much the stronger and confounded the Jews that dwelled at Damaseus proving that this was the Christ As the fire they say is hotter by antiperistasis in coldest weather the Palm-trees they grow like as you heard in the proof that raiseth it self up under a weight of opposition Well look to this Brethren I do not mean an Ish 〈…〉 elitish spirit that is against every one and every mans hand against it and that a man should out of a cross crooked disposition do any thing or vex and gall persons that oppose them but grace will then be stirred up as the fire by the wind that bloweth it this way and that way it is in vain to blow it out to offer it for it increaseth the flame there is no resisting that Spirit whereby the Saints a 〈…〉 ted look to it is it thus with us or do we find that opposition from men doth cool us discourage us dishearten us so that we dare not own the Lord Jesus and his truth and way Truly it is to be feared it is not right with us Secondly From the Lord there is some opposition sometimes he wrestleth with us Jacobs wrestling with God implyeth some opposition of God as I may say he wrestled with him let me go saith he this stirreth him up so much the more earnestly to lay hold upon him when the Lord would take his leave of him and you see the poor man in the Gospel when he was rebuked for crying after Jesus Christ he cryed so much the more earnestly and so our Saviour when he was in that great agony or striving under the displeasure of his Father saith the Text he prayed so much the more earnestly So the Lord doth sometimes hang back or hide his face that he might draw out more and more his peoples hearts toward him as a Fisher draweth away his bait to make the fish follow it the more eagerly Well consider this now do we thus grow even by opposition if the Lord say to us we are dogs not fit for childrens bread can we conclude the worst against our selves and yet gather upon him for the crums at the least But then there is opposition from our selves from within and that is from the rebelling of our lusts they rise and swell and many times over-bear us we are foiled do we grow by this this may seem somewhat strange that the acting of sin should tend to the encreasing of grace for that we must know that it is not proper for every act of sin properly doth strengthen the habits of sin and the stronger sin is in the soul the weaker grace is like to be as the more the water cools the less heat there is remaining in it but it is by accident as water cast upon a coal-fire at present it seemeth to put it out but afterward it burns so much the hotter and fiercer So grace takes occasion hereby to stir up it self so much the more to set it self so much the more in opposition to it it maketh a child of God so much the more humble so much the more watchful and full of prayer if it be right with them and neither sin nor Satan gets by this at all So if Peter be tost in that sieve of vanity that temptation and fall O how it humbles him and how afterward it fetcheth him off his own bottom how valiant he
frustrated Yet such was his zeal for God and love to the truth so transcending his own private concernments and the respects of men that preaching on that Text Thou knowest all things c. he vindicated the Deity of Christ from those vile aspersions and abhorred calumniations that were cast upon it and by the dint of argument battered down the blasphemous suggestions of contradicting Gain-sayers to the exasperation of those that were tainted and not as yet convinced of the errour embraced The day that he preached Captain Whitworth invited him to dinner some contests arose by reason of his preceding smart discourse insomuch that one in a fury and discontent rose up from the table and reproachfully reviled him with the unbeseâ—ming expression of foolish and ignorant Mr. Murcot in obedience to Scripture command doth not render reviling for revileing but seriously and sadly said I am so but as for you the Lord give you an humble frame which meek and mild answer so far convinced and silenced his Adversary that he quietly sate down at the Table again These harsh Ocurrences and uncomfortable incounters put a period to all Overtures concerning his removal to Chester so that now he saith I will be gone to Ireland I cannot live without the Ordinances at West-kerby nor like a Salamander in the fire at Chester His debate concerning a tranfretation to Ireland is now ripened in to a resolution Wherefore taking his leave of his people he imbarques himself in a small vessel though others of considerable Forâ—e and Burden presented the rather because she was bound directly for Dublin when others intended to make an halt at the I le of Man which was now to be assaulted and in order thereunto a Fleet and souldiers prepared Being near Holy-Head the wind though not contrary began to arise and grow impetuous and was but a degree below a down-right storm so that the master thought it most convenient to cast Anchor under the shelter of a rocky Iland till the force of the wind should be somewhat abated Mr. Murcot is desired by some godly Passengers to present their condition before that God in prayer who is the Hope of the ends of the earth and of them that are afar off upon the Sea which he did with inlarged affections and desired success The wind is presently confined and made a Prisoner to Omnipotency and no wonder A more gâ—ateful Gale comes blowing into Gods bosom from the Region of a devout heart The groaning Gusts and swelling Surges are husht into silence and calmness when once the soft and sweet breathings of the Spirit approach the ears of the Holy one of Israel Jonah's prayer was a line to pluck him up out of the deep Mr. Murcots a bladder to keep him and many others from sinking into it The night coming on it was resolved to put to Sea hoping by the morning-light they would be near the Bar of Dublin and by this means be secure from those Piratical Rovers who were now abroad and much infested the Coast As they are thrusting into the Bay of Dublin a ship is espied near the head of Hoath and not without cause suspected to be an enemy for it presently made towards them and as they prepare to flie their Rudder is unhanged and they in danger of being made a Prey but diligence being used it is again fastened and before the Adversary approach so near as to make them feel the force of his sharpened claws he hath his Rudder also unhanged which being set to right again the Lord took away his heart that he ceased to pursue and gave over the chase and this he confessed being two daies after taken by a Man of War belonging to the Parliament Drawing near to the Bar of Dublin which as yet had not water enough to warrant a safe passage over it a small vessel which was there at Anchor weighs as fearing a surprisal and flies when none pursues Much of God will be seen by considering what this little bottom was and in what condition its trembling Passengers were A vessel of four guns set sail from Lever-pool water the same tyde with this Mr. Murcot was in but did not cast Anchor at Holy-Head as she did but chose rather to keep to Sea by which means they fell into the hands of an hungry Pirate who lay in wait to destroy Their four guns are not of force sufficient to beat off the assaulting enemy In the contest some powder is fired several Passengers are blown up into the air and fall into the Sea both Elements as it were conspiring their ruine the one by scorching and the other by suffocation Others are miserably wounded rent torn mangled who being taken out are put into this small vessel which the Man of War had by him How free is that grace that saves some whilest others are destroyed and keeps their feet from running into that snare in which others are intangled to their undoing The Lord hath more work for Mr. Murcet to do and therefore he shall not dye but live and declare the Name of the Lord. Arriving at Dublin he is hospitably and kindly entertained by Sir Robert King in his own house who conduced much towards his coming over A while after observing with a strict eye the Church at Dublin and approving its soundness in doctrine and severity in discipline he assayed to joyn himself unto them and was readily embraced they unanimously and chearfully giving unto him the right hand of fellowship And now like a slip placed in a rich soil he sprouted up apace which appeared by a visible increase of Gifts and Graces His leaves were not only broad and beautiful but his fruit was fair and full and of proportionable dimensions His Spikenard sent forth the smell thereof to the refreshing of many and his smell was as the smell of a Field that the Lord had blessed Preaching on a Fast-day before the Commissioners of Parliament he got cold and by a dangerous Feavour was brought to the brink of the Pit Being in a very great and ill-portending sweat his Physitians gave him over as thinking that his life and sweat would expire and cease together but the Lord had mercy on him and therein on many others especially his absent wife who was not yet come to him The means of his Recovery this His Nurse seeing him in such a deplorable condition resolved to try her skill and commit the success unto God wherefore mingling some Sack with his broth she gave it him to drink with which his wasted spirits are refreshed his sweat leaves him and with it his disease The Commissioners of Parliament having occasion to go into the West take him along with them as knowing that he would be of use to them and to the several places through which they were to pass and indeed so he was leaving a sweet savour behind him upon the spirits of many Being at Cork his continuance and fixing there was desired and
One day instanced in as a taste Good Evil. In morning Closet duty not altogether without his presence studied my Sermons not altogether without him blessed be his Name My heart but in a listless frame this day In evening Closet duty by way of preparation very sweet meltings and outgoings of my soul after the Lord blessed be the Lord. Yet some distractions 1. He was very observant not only of the Out-breaches of sin but of its internal stirrings and more spiritual actings The very thoughts of his heart if irregular he carefully recorded and bitterly bewaited Instance O my proud thoughts rising and bubbling up this day 2. He set a watch not only before the door of his lips but before the door of his heart also with which he took unwearied pains being indeed the Fort-Royal either of Christ or Satan Instance 1. This day I could not get my heart in tune though I took an hour or two hours pains with it 2. Endeavouring some hours with my heart and yet alas it remained very untoward I could do little or nothing 3. Through mercy I desire a clean heart 3. Time he accounted precious and improved it to spiritual purposes and the best advantage Instance This day up early or This day lay long sluggishly Read 4. Hebrew Chapters with notes profitably Read 60. pages in Dr. Preston Studied my Sermons 4. The sight of sin did exceedingly sadden Instance 1. In examination of my self March 9. 1652. Through mercy I have a sight and sense of my sins and am affected and pained under the burthen of my daily wants 2. In closet-duty much humbled for the sins of the day before and melted 3. Many wandrings to the burthen of my soul 5. The sinful adherences of the best duties he recorded with regret and sadness of spirit Instance 1. Not altogether without him in duty though but dry and some wandrings of heart in duty At Supper-Ordinance ah my wandrings In prayer poor and in preaching 2. In morning closet-duty I could do nothing my heart very untoward full of vain thoughts in the evening meditation which put me out of order 3. In afternoon prayer before Sermon but little affected and though my self had little enlargement this day yet I perceive it was profitable to others God would hide pride from mine eyes 4. Distracted and formal in singing 6. Powerful assistance in holy services he gratefully recorded Instance In Baptizing of my son Job my heart much drawn out in prayer 7. Yea the least income and assistance was not passed by in silence Instance Not altogether left in evening closet-duty 8. The ebbings and flowings of the Spirit he distinctly considered Instance In the morning closet-duty not so much of his presence as in the evening closet-duty though indeed much melted after some pains taken with my heart 9. Diabolical injections he detested with highest indignation against which he was a reverberating wall of brass Instance This day pestred with blasphemous and horrid thoughts to my loathing to my wounding O horrid O abominable 10. To the distressed he gave friendly visits Instance Spent this day in visiting a condemned man and divers widows in sickness and sorrow 11. He made God the ultimate end of all his actings Instance Though much mixtures of self yet I desire to make God the great end of all my duties preachings prayers 12. He was wholly at the dispose of God contented to follow the conduct of Providence even through thorny waies Instance I hope I am made willing to come to him through any condition any tribulation taking up the Cross 13. When any spiritual distemper was upon him he would presently inquire into its causes Instance What may be the cause of my streightness and deadness now 1. Haply not being so thankful for enlargements when I had them 2. Haply because I cannot bear such enlargements I have not humility enough 3. Haply because I satisfie my self with them and not follow that which I preach 4. Haply a spirit of envy against others 5. Haply I more affect to have the hearts of the people ther the heart of God 6. Because I want love to poor souls and may mind more the setting forth my self then edification 7. Haply because I mind more enlargements and gifts then grace 8. Haply because I do not take the fittest time when my heart is in the best frame for study 9. Haply because more troubled at the want of enlargement then at all the sins which have caused it 10. Haply for want of searching Scriptures diligently constantly 14. Success of labours O how sweet and solacing Instance The 14. day His presence with me in preaching and prayer very much blessed be his name Several touched by that Sermon as the Nurse and my maid and Mrs. Taylor and my sister Hastings her maid who came to me afterwards A sweet pledge of his presence and since I hear divers others were stirred through much mercy at that Sermon 15. He was much inlarged in a way of thankfulness for mercies received Instance 1. In my journey from Cork to Dublin neer the passage to the Long Iland not looking to my horse he was ready to step down a deep precipice near the Sea Watchless over my thoughts that day 2. Afterwards at Clemell I had like to have run up into an infected house but the Lord prevented me I had much sweetness in Communion with God before 3. Delivered from fire in my study which lay smothering under the harth three daies undiscovered 4. The maid Elisabeth set fire on the bed with the child in it which if the Lord had not prevented all had been consumed 5. My wife and children wonderfully preserved two Bricks falling down the chimney they sitting by the fires side 16. The Lord God he made the object of his ardent desire and delight Instance Before the Supper upon examination I could find none in heaven or earth I did desire in comparison of God 17. He sought not happiness in himself or any other creature Instance Through mercy I renounce my own merit and all things in the world as an happiness and therefore resolve to seek the chief Good in Gods favour in Jesus Christ 18. Christ was high in his esteem and the dearly beloved of his soul Instance Through mercy I desire to prize the Lord Jesus above all that he may be precious to me 1 Pet. 2. 6. 19. In preparation for Fast-daies he would unbosom and unbowel himself before the Lord He did not only skim off the uppermost froth of his heart but would search every nook and crany and fetch up mud from the very bottom Instance 1. O how proud and apt to be lifted up upon all occasions 2. How envious against others 3. Of late I have been very dead and formal in all services publike and private 4. Very backward to any service of God not constrained by love 5. Very trifling away my precious time 6. Very sluggish not up early about things
of so great weight 7. But negligent in preparation to holy duties publike and private 8. How empty and vain in discourses and unprofitable 9. How distempered in hearing publikely and in conferences with the Church 10. Vile thoughts even in the time of reading and meditation which are deep hypocrisie 11. Yet back-slidden even since the last Lords Supper 12. Yet little pure love to the Saints as Saints 13. Yet not a sensible heart of the dishonour of Christ in these times 14. Yet not a tender nor believing heart in holding out the word of reconciliation 20. In preparation for the Supper-Ordinance he would bring himsels unto the Test and to say the truth was very clear in the discovering and making out of his own condition being well acquainted with the way of Gods dealing with the soul and with the way of the souls closing with Christ Instance April 3. 1653. upon search I find 1. My self an undone creature 2. That the Lord Jesus sufficiently satisfied as Mediator the Law for sin 3. That he is freely offered in the Gospel 4. So far as I know my own heart I do through mercy heartily consent that he only shall be my Saviour not my works or duties which I do only in obedience to him 5. If I know my heart I would be ruled by his word Spirit Behold in a few words the summe and substance of the Gospel 21. The Lord blessed his enquiries with gracious returns when he set himself seriously to clear up his interest in him Instance October 30. 1652. As I was questioning and searching whether I were a child of God or no me thought this was suddenly spoken in me or to me If I be not thy Father what am I then to thee Am I an enemy to thee which did much affect and melt my heart through much mercy In preparation for the Lords Supper Jan. 1. 1652. as I was upon the same Question within my self whether I was a child of God yea or no me thought this was suggested within me If I be not thy â—ather why dost thou follow me so hard and breath after me which also did much affect my heart at that time 22. He got ground on his corruptions and his grave-cloaths fell off apace while he was yet alive Several daies I find good recorded and no evil Instance Good Evil. In morning read a long Hebrew Chapter in closet-duty not altogether without his presence studied for my Sermons and the afternoon spent much what in preparation of my self for the Lords Supper and not altogether without his presence for blessed be his name he humbled me and melted me in the â—ight of my own vileness  About 7. weeks before his translation returning from London he found his Family in a languishing condition by reason of a feavourish distemper which had crept in among them It being the Lords wont to send some forerunning waves to dash against and wet us before he send that mountainous one with which he will overwhelm us His youngest child save one departs this life on Friday night being the 11. of Nov. 1654. How often are the little Lambs taken from the sides of their dams from whom they received life and carried to the place where they met with their deaths An hopeful branch must be lopt off before the Root it self dry up and wither Saturday morning that Chapter came to be read in course which contains Davids Fasting and mourning for his child whilst it lived c. Comparing his own condition with that of David he said Davids mourning went before but mine must follow after The duties of the Family being over he retires again into his study keeps the day as a Fast and being awakened by this affliction is put upon serious self-reflexions and searching endeavours to find out the cause of this smart-stroke of Gods hand an account whereof taken out of his Diary you have as follows God taking away my little babe Job November 11. 1654. Searching my waies c. 1. Not returning according to his multiplyed mercies to us not thankful enough the heart not endeared to him 2. More lax in watching over my thoughts 3. A foolish stupidity and security before this blow from the the Lord far from waiting for changes Jonah-like fast asleep 4. An unnatural heart to him and the rest insensible of his pains 5. Grown very slight in the Lords service though wofully distracted and dead in every duty almost yet not sensible of it nor humbled under it had lost of that spiritualness and heavenly-mindedness once I had through grace 6. Partial affection to the sons more then to the daughters therefore God took this away and smote the other His wife would have had the Funerals deferr'd till Munday but he would not give way saying I have other work to do tomorrow At even the people being come together he accompanied the Corps unto the grave into which he was observed to look very wishly as if he had been curiosly looking for a resting place for himself shortly to lye down in and had thus bespoken his dead child I shall shortly come to thee but thou shalt not return to me Coming home he was very raised and chearful and comforted his wife with this saying among many others Come love he has but got the start of us It being my work to track him and tread upon the print of his heels I must follow him even through the valley of the shadow of death which was not so frightful to him in its approach as to me uncomfortable in its description The time of his departure is at hand and no wonder He was ripe betimes and therefore gathered and taken into Gods Granary He had done his work and must therefore go to receive his wages and this I may be bold to say that he did God more service in a little time then many others whose line of life was twice as long as his He cannot be far off from his center because of the swiftness of his motion He was alwaies much upon the wing but towards his latter end he was wont to soar very high and took many a turn in Paradise every day and would be often hovering about the Casements of the Star-chamber which having delightfully peept and pryed into he came down again though not without much regret and grief yet solacing himself with this consideration that he should shortly meet the Lord in the air and then be ever with the Lord. During the time of his pilgrimage and abode in the Lords Vineyard he served his God and his Generation with all his might He ran faster then others and was therefore sooner out of breath He screwed up the peggs so high that the strings of his several faculties crack and can hold out no longer He did with so much vehemency and contention of spirit continually stir up himself to take hold on God and followed so hard after him that he sunk under the burden of his own
men run headlong to the pit of destruction and the way to hell be thronged as broad as it is and some sinners can scarce have room to go together in it this is no warrant to him he walks not exactly that resigneth himself up to follow the steps of the most in his journey whether his way and theirs lye together or no so far as their way lyes together he can walk together with them but when they part fare them well he is for them no longer so may we in things civil yea and many externals of holy worship which are common to Saints and sinners walk together have fellowship with them but when their ways depart we must shake hands with them if we would walk exactly it is careless loose heedless walking when a man shall follow his company more then his way Noah was upright and walked with God though all flesh had corrupted their way that was no warrant for him to do it and though he was likely to be derided for his singularity it matters not he must mind his way though he be alone in it rather then wander for company sake and so Lot and Caleb a man would have thought those many waters rushing as they did I mean the peoples violence drawing one way had been enough specially considering with what rage it was threatning to stone him to have born one poor Caleb and Ioshua down the stream no they had another spirit they must bear up against it let the hazard be what it will in such a case they are called to it this is exact circumspect walking except men be circumspect indeed they are in danger many times to be drawn aside by following the company of others 2. Yea exact walking excludeth also the following the examples of the Saints any further then they follow Christ and here is yet more need of circumspection for when we have some eminent Saints persons in admiration we are apt many times to be pinning our faith upon their sleeve and dancing after their pipe to take their examples in the gross and by it to be led into gross mistakes so the weak brethren looking upon the stronger the more knowing as fit to be their guides and seeing them eat things offered to Idols because they knew an Idol was nothing this incouraged them to do the same though they made a breach upon their consciences by it here now through weakness they mistook their way and warped that might be lawful for the strong that might not for the weak which stumbled whether they might eat them or no yet they would venture upon it leaning upon the examples of the strong and so they went aside you know what force the example of Peter had to draw others in when he dissembled and did not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but halted as I may say between two he vvould eat vvith the Gentiles but when some came down from Iames then he withdrew so many of the Iews and Barnabas also was drawn away by their dissimulation but Peter was to be blamed as the Apostle hath it he compelled by his example the Gentiles to vvalk as the Iews did and yet himself being a Iew did vvalk vvith the Gentiles before and they were to be blamed for being drawn aside they did not vvalk uprightly as the vvord is before therefore Paul propounds his example not vvithout its limitation Be ye followers of me as I also am of Christ now this is exact walking indeed to follow the sootsteps of the flock of the Saints both before us and contemporary with us yet where they run out of the way and over the hedge set about us not to follow them which requireth much circumspection indeed This is the third Fourthly Exact walking is when a man mindeth not only the external part of the rule but the very inside and spirit of the rule he mindeth and eyeth and endeavoureth to come up to it and so the word in its notion seemeth to import 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from going from the bottome to the top of the rule the Law is spiritual saith the Apostle It is spiritual brethren reaching the very inwards of our souls the frame and disposition of our hearts all the very first motions of the soul before any tickling by them or consent to them those come under this rule and therefore a man that walks exactly he labours to answer the Law in this and he is labouring with his heart to bring it to such a frame as this and therefore he setteth not up his rest as most do in an outward conformity to the Law of Christ except he can get his heart framed by it nor will an inperfection in the frame of his heart satisfie him and therefore nothing but the resurrection of the dead will be his rest this is to walk exactly accurately indeed and so in duties to mind not only the matter but the manner and circumstances it is not enough to work righteousness except he rejoyce and work righteousness to give except he do it with singleness of heart simplicity and chearfulness it is not enough to pray except he do it in the Spirit and with affection and faith and fervor of Spirit it is not enough to admonish reprove except he do it in season with bowels of compassion and Wisdom and discretion so tempered as that it may not miscarry through such a defect in them O this is to walk exactly indeed Fifthly To walk exactly then is to carry an even course toward heaven not to walk at peradventures and by fits and starts making many balks in our obedience it is to follow God and to follow him fully when we will not leap over an hedge to avoid a foul step but keep to the way that is set before us so in the Proverbs Turn not to the right hand nor to the left the meaning is not that no man walks exactly if he live not without sin for in many things we offend all but by such a backwardness vve mean some eminent notable miscarriage to the wounding of their consciences or dishonour of God and offence of others this is to vvalk exactly indeed God doth not stand too strictly with his people the tenure of vvhose course is vvithout such balks and notable turnings aside though sometimes they may fall in such a manner and degree yet he acconnts them exact vvalkers as David and Peter and Moses and Hezekiah and the rest the meaning therefore is that the tenure of a mans life is to be vvithout such eminent fallings or he cannot pass for an exact vvalker vvith God and vvhen ever a man so fals in that particular he doth not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as David vvas upright except in the matter of Vriah so then this is the Fifth an exact vvalking is an even vvalking he that ploweth exactly doth not every foot make a balk Sixthly He that vvalks exactly doth make it his work so
that have the name of Christians and yet altogether neglect the honest and harmless conversation among men and are altogether taken up with some small duties of Worship and shews of Religion as the Proverb hath it Angels in the Church and Devils in the House Devils in their Callings such were the Idolatrous Iews the Prophets with one voyce do testifie against them for this thy cried The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these c. but considered not that they made this Temple of the Lord a Den of Thieves a Sanctuary to defend them a cover and cloak for their wickedness and so the Prophet again This people draw near me with their mouths honour me with their lips but are far from me and the conversation also which answers more to their hearts then to their lips it is the very counterpane of their hearts usually 〈◊〉 this an exact circumspect walking do you think thus to impose upon the holy one of Israel doth not he regard think you what your dealings are between man man and how you carry it in your Families in your Shops as well as in the publike altogether this is very reproof worthy our Saviour thought it so and all the Prophets thought it so and O that he would speak this to every carnal Gospellers heart this day Again secondly There are others that are all for morality and honesty of conversation they give every one their own they are not injurious they are no extortioners with the Pharisee they are no drunkards but for the worship of God they know nothing what it meaneth to worship in Spirit and truth this is not an exact walking with God these things you should do and not leave the other undone else you follow not God fully indeed there is many a Moralist that is rather an Atheist then a Christian but I will not stand upon this Pour out thy c. Again thirdly There are a sort that neither fear God not reverence man and yet will not indure but to be called Christians for the worship of God if they come at it in the publike there are their bodies but their hearts are gone they come to see and be seen to mind faces and fashions and so sin and trifle away the Ordinances of God in their houses nothing but hellishness all their words full of deceit and poyson their accents are oaths it is all the emphasis and grace they think of their speech their lives what are they but rottenness and fraud and pride and over-reaching they have no regard to right or wrong good report or evil report all actions are alike to them being past feeling and under a reprobate sence they cannot judge of good or evil but call evil good and good evil Is this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to walk uprightly exactly Ah surely brethren if it be exactness it is of the devils coyning when men teach their tongues to speak falsly as in Shops many do and make nothing of it and teach their hands to work deceit and wickedness this is to walk exactly with the devil to walk as other Gentiles do whose hearts the God of this world doth mightily work to their own destruction the Lord rebuke this power of sin where ever it is Again It may serve to reprove another sort and those are they who are so far from walking circumspectly or exactly that there is nothing more the object of their scorn and contempt then this it is the drunkards song as David was and so preciseness and strictness of walking is ordinary the world cannot bear the burning and shining conversations of some of the Saints they are so cuttingly reproved by them that with those Heathens they curse the Sun that by its shining doth scorch them It is no new thing the seed of the Serpent did alway persecute the seed of the Woman and he that was born after the flesh persecuteth him that was born after the Spirit even so it is now saith the Apostle and so it is now may we say Ismael mocked Isaac and is it not so still or if it be not so bold a sin as formerly it is because the times not sinners hearts are changed they malign them still watch for their halting report say they and we will report it well remember this you that are scorners at strictness and circumspect and exact walking with God you are set down in in the scorners chair the Lord be mercifull to you for few that arrive to that pitch and take up their rest in sin that are therein setled are brought on to Christ you are the Ring leaders in the way which leads to destruction this is another The next Use then shall be a word of Exhortation to us all If it be a duty so much lying upon us then to buckle our selves to it to walk exactly O see to it I charge you all and the Lord lay the charge upon mine own soul as you will ever lift up your faces without spot and with comfort at the day of your summons and appearing before the Judgement seat so walk circumspectly I know none of our hearts but they do or may accuse us of much unevenness in our walking do you know it brethren and will you dare to continue in it I may not descend to particulars but do not your hearts smite you for looseness of spirit towards God hanging back often neglecting shuffling and cutting with God putting him off with any thing and is not this a cursed thing to do Gods work negligently to bring a female when he have a male doth not your hearts smite you for this you do not take heed to your ways lest you sin with your tongues there is much falshood therein lightness and foolishness if not poyson and destruction there nor to your feet they make haste to vanity you shun not occasions of sin as you would an infected person or family O surely if it were not so an importunate duty the Apostle would not so charge it upon Christians that make Christianity their business to walk so exactly but a little to move us to it I will add some few Considerations and then some words â—f Direction which you may look upon as an Appendix of this Use or else as a distinct Application of this Point First Motive Consider that the way wherein you walk is all overspred with snares and nets to trap you and that your ways 1. To trap you in sin 2. To trap you for sin First To trap you in sin had not the Bird need to he wary and heedfull and make good use of her sences to discover where she may light without danger when every place is full of Limetwigs is there an hook under every fair baite and had not the fish need to take heed how she biteth or nibleth lest she be taken this is the case there is a truth and a great one in it there is nothing we
sitâ—ing or standing may sometimes but presently awake aliquando bonus dormitat Homerus But then the sleep is a deeper security when the eyes are altogether closed and a man is fast though some sleep faster then others do some set themselves to sleep they give themselves to it others are overtaken with it it seizeth upon them like an armed man sometimes and herein they agree the Saints and hypocrites formal and powerful professors of Christ they all slumbered and slept they were all it seemeth overcharged with the cares of this world or somewhat or other that their watch was down and they were surprized And alas Brethren if the day of the Lord Jesus should come upon us almost any day would it not find us sleeping or if not sleeping yet slumbering at least but of this more afterwards Sixthly They all arose saith the text when the cry came at midnight It was high time then to awake as souldiers that watch for an enemy they fall asleep set some to watch suddenly there is an out-cry an alarum O how quickly are they raised If the last trumpet be the cry it shall raise all both hypocrites as well as Saints only the dead in Christ shall rise first be awakened out of the sleep of death If the cry be the Ministry of the word by some smart visitation it will rouze them all let hypocrites be as secure of their condition as they will they shall have a time of awakening Seventhly and lastly They trimmed their Lamps Some say only the wise Virgins trimmed their Lamps for the foolish had only dead Lamps such as gave no light shining before men but why then are they said to be extinguished or to be gone out Beloved the words of the Text carry it for all they all arose and trimmed their Lamps the copulative joines both sentences together and therefore the universal reacheth the latter part as well as the former except there were some limitation It should seem Brethren that hypocrites may make as fair a shew and deceive themselves or being deceived by their own hearts even very long to the very last they thought now to arise with Sampson and shake themselves when they have been sleeping upon the lap of their Dalilah but alas their Lamps were out they trimmed them and stirr'd them up to see if they would burn any longer but they were gone out or going out as some render it A sad thing Brethren for us to deceive your selves even to the very last cast until there be no remedy O what treacherous hearts have we Eighthly They agree also in the number here in the Parable five were wise and five were foolish for this we must remember what was premised that every particular is not to be squeezed and prest too sore nor can we conclude from hence an equal number of real Saints or painted hypocrites in the Church no more then where there are Chap. 13. three evil sorts of ground and but one good we can cònclude that there are three to one unsound professors who receive the word to one honest and good heart which bringeth forth fruit to perfection there may be more there may be less our Saviour in the general tells us many are called but few are chosen he might therefore here haply have some respect to the number of Virgins which might accompany the Bride which some say were five because the number consists of the first equal and the first unequal number even two and three because in a marriage a superiour and inferiour male and female are joyned together but that is a nicity however this we may take up from it in the general that there are some which are not what they profess some are foolish and some are wise in the Church Now I come to speak somewhat to that which is distinguishing in the Parable between formal and real professors of Jesus Christ in this Kingdom First then in the general the one are foolish and the other are wise all are not wise that are within the Church there are some fools Why but is it folly then for any man to prosess Christ No it is not folly simply considered in it self but a duty to confess him and hold him out before men but to stick here is folly as we shall see more hereafter blessed be the Lord that there are some wise though there be many foolish some that will not be put off with forms nor shadows but must have the substance the bread of life and not husks they will not satisfie them O that we were every one of us such Brethren Secondly The foolish they took no oyl in their vessels though their Lamps burned afterward were extinguished when they should stand them in stead to enter with the Bridegroom they had no oyl What is meant here by oyl and what by vessels for the first some say one thing some another some as the Papists say good works is the oyl which is the life of faith without which it is dead which is as if a man should call the flame of a Lamp the oyl that feeds it therefore Brethren according to the Scripture expression elsewhere by oyl I understand the saving grace of the spirit of Jesus Christ true justifying faith repentance never to be repented of and love out of a pure heart unfeigned faith unfeigned repentance unfeigned love and indeed all the graces of the spirit These are they that feed the flame in the Lamps of the Saints whatever hypocrites have which maketh a flame and their Lamps do burn by it of which more afterward because I would not stay you too long in the opening of it this they wanted they cared not to make sure of this to have this true saving grace so they had but as much as would make a blaze among men that they might be seen to have Lamps burning and shining as well as others the rest they cared not for Secondly For the vessels some say the Lamps they had no oyl in them but me thinks the Text distinguisheth between the Lamps and the vessels they took no oyl with their Lamps he doth not say in them but with them and the next verse the wise took oyl in their vessels with their Lamps 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it is of a large extent but it signifieth somewhat believed the Lamp It is likely they had some vessels they carried about with them full of oyl that when the Lamp needed they supplyed it still else it would go out so here the vessel may be meant the heart brethren a truly contrite heart is the vessel into which the Lord pours the oyl of his grace and spirit and hence there is a continual supply like the oyl in the Cruse it fails not Now this the foolish they cared not for but they had somewhat at present that would make their Lamps burn for holding out they forecast not for that therefore provided no oyl in their vessels no
things might have been observed to you and by a curious eye more distinctly to you Yet pro modulo I have endeavoured to make it plain to you And I hope so plain as that now every understanding is able to take up many Doctrinal Observations from them thus explained For the Application or inference from all Watch therefore for you know not That we shall make use of likely in some of the Applications of some of the observations from the words There is much variety in them and I had hoped to have reached one at least from the connexion of this parable with that which goeth before he inculcates the same thing upon them by another parable which he had taught them immediately before The first Doctrine shall be from the consideration of the words with what went before much of the former Chapter was spent before in stirring them up to watch for the appearing of Jesus Christ by a double Argument Taken from the end of such as watch the end of such men is blessedness and peace blessed is the man whom the Lord shall find so doing And the end of such as watch not but presume upon his delay to give liberty and the reins to their lusts they that have time enough to repent he will come in a day he thinketh not off and will cut such a servant asunder Beloved the former Arguments the uncertainty of his coming c. one would have thought now here had been enough said upon this argument for what could be more plainly spoken and what more cuttingly and pressingly then this Are there any weightier Arguments then lif and death the best of lives even a life of blessedness and the worst of deaths a portion with hypocrites who have the Free-hold and sink deepest into the lowermost pit and there is no question there was no affection wanting in Jesus Christ when he spake to his Disciples and therefore it may seem considerable and it is so surely that sometimes he is pleased to prosecute the same Argument again all along through this whole Parable and the next is not much unlike it neither It is requisite to inculcate and beat upon hearers the same truth the same things again and again Surely if it had not been so the Lord Jesus would have spared this pains he did all things well and as he was no niggard so he was no prodigal of his pains if he would not have the Fragments of the bread to be lost he would never crumble away the bread of life in vain to no purpose but that there was a necessity for it and sure we may follow his example safely herein for there is nothing extraordinary in it but rather a great condescention in Jesus Christ stooping to the weakness and necessity of his hearers his Disciples he spake as never man spake and therefore if it had been sufficient at any time or for any person to tye themselves up to such a strictness of speaking as never to repeat the same things again surely it had been sufficient for him who spake as never man spake with that Authority and Majestie and commanding efficacy many times but yet you see he is pleased to go over and over things again and again and to inculcate and beat things upon his Disciples We need not go further then our Saviour his example for it for as he said of Goliahs sword there is none to that So there is no pattern to this of Christ the great feeder of his people with knowledge and understanding who stands and feeds them in the strength of the Lord. And I doubt not but many of you can make it out from many other instances in his example how he did often beat the same things upon his Disciples how often doth he press upon them that of humility Learn of me I am meek and lowly And except you be converted and become as little children ye cannot enter into the Kingdom and so in his washing his Disciples feet How much ado hath he with them to beat upon them that his Kingdom was not of this world but spiritual they would be fitting some on his right hand some on his left hand and he told them often his Kingdom was not of this world that he came to suffer and not to raign among men and so how often doth he press it upon them the Doctrine of love one to another or takes not up with once one exhortation as if that would answer the end of his coming to reveal to his Disciples the whole counsel of God which he had heard of his father no but again and again he presseth it upon them It is given as a command to Parents I wish we that are parents and have children who have souls either to be saved or perish would remember it thou shalt whet these things upon them saith the Text these things which I command thee this day shall be in their heart I if we were of Maries spirit to lay up the words there or Davids to hide the Commandements in our hearts or took Pauls advice let the word dwell richly in us if we had a treasurie there we should have to draw forth continually as occasion serveth And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thy house and when thou walkest by the way when thou lyest down and when thou risest up c. diligently teach them the word is whet them upon them It is not the drawing the knife over the whet-stone once that will set an edge upon it but often again and again The best of us are too like children in understanding and had need of it or at least many of us I shall give a few Arguments to consirm it and then Apply it First The understanding is very dull in many though there be som it may be more acute to whom it may be a dulling to beat their earsoften with the same things yet for the most part Brethren we are dull of understanding childrens capacities we have you know the Disciples were so our Saviour upbraideth them with it and yet they were good men do you not yet understand are ye also yet without understanding And when he was risen from the dead he expounded the Scriptures the Prophets concerning his death and resurrection alas until he opened their understanding though he had often told them this had preached it to them again and again and even before his death immediately and alas yet they understood not until he opened their minds But you will say this was before the pouring out of the spirit there was more need then but that unction that teacheth us all things was given in so large a measure c. I answer It is true the spirit is given now in a larger measure and therefore the greater shame is the dulness of our capacities many of us I speak not of all Brethren
doth grate upon It may be brethren to come a little nearer thou hast long heard of coming to Jesus Christ that thou mightest have life and thou hast been as much woed and intreated as many others and thou art even weary of this lesson What ado is here about coming to Christ what do we not come to him do we not follow him Ah dear friends It is the work of your whole lives and why may it not be the work of our whole lives yea it is to be feared thou with whom so sweet a word relisheth no better that thou hast never known the worth of it experimentally Be not deceived brethren you may be mistaken and far enough off from him when you think you come to him but suppose you are come to him may you not draw nearer then you are come have you not many back-slidings Do you not miss a stroke sometimes and are carryed down the stream the Lord knoweth how far and had you 〈◊〉 need of hearing then of coming to Christ renewing your acquaintance with him Alas Brethren if many of us had not had this truth beaten upon us often we had never come to him canst thou tell how often thou hadst in the Gospel a crucified Christ held out to thee before thou hadst a heart to look on him and mourn over him and over thy self whose hands have been imbrued in his blood here thou hast seen him here crucified and there crucified in this Sermon and that Sermon in this Sacrament and that Sacrament and yet alâ—s thy sullen heart would not bleed now if thou hadst never heard of him more it had not been prest upon thee any more what had become of thee if notwithstanding all this thou hadst been sealed up in hardness and unbelief for ever What narrow-mouth'd bottles are we receiving now a drop and then a drop though much be poured out many times little staies or if our heads fill our capacities being large apprehensions quick and memories strong how little is it that sinketh any further there is need of pressing and boring and unspeakable mercy it is if at last the passage between head and heart be opened that so what we have known long it may be yet now we may come to know after another manner even as we ought to know it not to be puffed but humbled to be warmed melted changed by it How often Brethren have we had the Doctrine of love pressed upon us even as John had nothing else in his mouth almost my little children love one another my little children love one another when he could not go as the story saith of him and can we hear it so often but there is somewhat yet to learn that we have not learned may we not grow in it abound in it more and more as the Apostle saith to them even the Thessalonians Ah where is a heart wherein it abounds love to Christ love to his people a little unlikeness to our selves in a thing of no great moment is able to quench our love so far it is from being as strong as death a little earthly enjoyments a house a wife a company of sweet children pretty taking vanities they have such a hold upon our hearts that they stifle our desires to be dissolved and to be with Christ O we see not nor have learned how far better it is to be with him is there not more to be learned by us all in this point And if we can or do love the Saints in whom the Image of Jesus Christ is alas may we not do it more fervently then we do if there be some fervor appearing may we not do it with a purer heart meerly because Christ hath loved them who is the beloved of our souls what meaneth else our having the faith of Christ with respect of persons what meanth else our loving men more for their gifts then for their graces for the common then the special inspiration of the spirit upon them Do we not know men after the flesh and yet haply are ready to be wearie of the Doctrine of love What needeth so much ado to press it upon men the Lord shew us our shortness and humble us under it But I will come a little nearer to the purpose in the Text and the thing in hand which lies before us the Ordinance to which some of us are now called for this of watching for the appearing of Jesus Christ I might have raised indeed a closer observation and more particular when I had finished this but I would not hold you too long upon this which is but the coherence of the words we shall likely meet with it before we have done with the Parable And that is the necessity of pressing this great duty of watching for the appearing of Christ much upon people for this is the thing here our Saviour so muchin sists upon and often in many other places What I say to you I say to all watch And so Luk. 12. 35. Surely there is somewhat more in it then ordinary The duty is more spiritual then ordinary and then our carnal hearts are as hardly drawn to it as a Bear to the stake It hath many a time I know been prest upon us all to get ready and stand ready to wait and watch for his appearing Have we done it How many of us brethren if Christ should come this day would be found sleeping some dead asleep upon the lap of the pleasures and honours and riches of this world and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to be disturbed we never dream of his coming Would men think you if they had learned this lesson dare to multiply incumbrances in the world upon them and with so much diligence be casting out their roots in the world as if they would never be pluckt up as if their portion were here below how often have we been warned in the name of Jesus whos 's the warning is take heed your hearts be not over-charged with surfeting and drunkenness and cares of this life and that day take you at unawares hath this sunk with us have we made conscience any of us to ease our selves of any unnecessary incumbrances that we might wait upon him without distraction What day almost brethren goeth over any of our heads or what hour of the day wherein we shall be ready to open if he should knock for us Alas some of us brethren care not how long he defers his coming if he would never come we should be the better pleased for our hearts tell us it will be a woful day to us we have no oyl in our vessels we have no grace in our hearts nor any do we look after we know we are not in him nor are we solicitous to be found in him we are for our building and planting and rejoycing in our youthful vanities and leave these serious things to melancholly Spirits Ah dear friends had not this truth need to be prest upon you your danger is great
if you could as easily put by the coming of Christ as you can make a shift to smother the thoughts of it your hearts indeed might chear you and your condition were something like But he will come and though you be asleep in the Arms of your lusts know that your judgement sleepeth not and your condemnation slumbereth not And make what haste you can to be rich or to be honourable and such persons are not innocent make what hast you can in your career of sinning it travels as fast you and will be sure to meet you at the gates of death and hell if not sooner But it may be we think we have done this great work we are through grace acquainted with the Lord Jesus and his spirit which hath effectually wrought in us to believe in his name to love him the main is done with us and therefore sure we may have more liberty then others now Is it so but is this all that must go to watch for his appearing do we not find our hearts thrusting away from us that day and our hands fail and security setzeth upon us the Disciples were in danger to be surprized as well as others Is there any of us so liveth as that we could readily and cheerfully meet the Lord Jesus at an hours warning a daies 〈…〉 and who knoweth he shall have so much to set his house in order O there is need to press this duty upon us all brethren be our condition what it will we have yet somewhat to learn of it and shall have let us hear it as often as we can But I will leave what further may be said unto its proper place in the handling the Parable A word or two to the present occasion we are many of us now called to this sealing Ordinance And though we have been often stirrd up and taught our duty concerning it is there not need to chafe the oyl in upon our hearts our affections still Alas how often have we heard that what it findeth it sealeeth And yet do we not dare to come some of us with hard hearts with covetous hearts uncircumcised hearts I would not speak brethren to grieve the heart of any the Lord would not have grieved as they that have least cause will be most sadly assayling themselves with condemning thoughts but the Lord grant there be none found among us guilty kind As often as ever we come we hear how dangerous a thing it is to come unworthily prepared to it and yet the Lord knoweth how often we have thrust in here some of us without a wedding garment And that you have not been bound hand and fooe bound up in our grave-cloaths and cast out of his sight for ever it is unspeakable mercy O that this might melt us and humble us and though blessed be his holy name I believe there are many poor trembling souls who go about these things with trembling hearts least they should miscarry and grieve him and bring his blood upon their heads I doubt there may be some of us found whose hearts are far from such a frame had we not need then to be put in mind and remembrance again and again of these things It may be we have faith and love to Jesus Christ it may be we have humility and self-loathing it may be we have a mourning spirit over our sins that have grieved the Lord Jesus put him to all that grief for us it may be we have a thankful heart but are these graces now in action are they upon the wing how often have we been minded thereof that we must be actually prepared Alas alas haply some of us have not taken the pains with our hearts which we might and which others would have done if they had had the hearts which we have haply some of us have been striving but in our own strength and have done little haply others may have been helped in the preparing our hearts to seek him herein but by our pride or carnal confidence have lost our frame again It may be some of us brethren have not been very negligent but yet not so diligent as we ought O brethren how needful are these things bear with me if I do press you to them it is not tedious to me because I hope it is safe for you O! that I could do it with such a spirit and such bowels as the Apostle did the Lord set it upon all our hearts we are exceeding dull to believe and more dull to practise and do his will revealed to us Though the good be our own the glory onely his But I will not insist any further here the Lord give us understanding and believing hearts Now for the words of the Text. The Kingdom of Heaven is like to ten Virgins which went forth to meet the Bridegroom I shall begin according to the former method And first speak concerning Jesus Christ with respect to his Church And touching him there are many things in this Parable First he is the Bridegroom 2. His delay of his coming 3. The cry before his coming 4. The coming 5. The time of his coming at Midnight To begin with the first The Bridegroom 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 However it be that the scope of the parable be to stir up all men that profess the Lord Jesus to a perseverance in watchfulness to stand ready for his coming which being apprehended there is no necessity of pressing each particular in the parable yet I conceive according to our Saviour His opening of other parables we may insist upon the chief things therein as where HE would let us see what need we had to take heed What or How or Whom we Hear by the parable of the several sorts of Ground receiving the seed of the Word he not onely tells us the difference of the Grounds but what the seed is and who the Sower is or else in that parable of the good seed and the Tares he tells us particularly what is meant by each And therefore I must not here pass over this of the Bride-groom The Virgins went forth to meet the Bridegroom The note will be The relation between the Lord Jesus and his people He is the Bridegroom and stands in that relation to his people that this is so we need go no further then this parable for who else is it that cometh and with whom they that are ready do enter into the Mâ—rriage then Jesus Christ who is our life who appearing we shall appear with him in glory Again the foolish virgins cry to him Lord Lord open to us Who is the Lord but Jesus Christ as will appear by comparing this with that speech of our Saviour Not every one that saith to me Lord Lord shall enter but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven Many will say to me Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name in whose name but in the name of Jesus Christ and in
person Alas our hands are withered as to any thing that is good and our Legs are Lame throug Hypocrisie we halt between two we are very Criples indeed no strength not so much in our Ankle-bones as to stand upon our Legs We are blinde and cannot see deaf and cannot hear pride like a Tympany swells us All manner of deformities gathered into one are the very picture of a poor sinner O brethren who could affect such a creature were not this free altogether free We must have something or else we cannot take a person into such a relation we must have beauty and parts and birth and wealth and wisdom and what not we are blacker then Ethiopians more bruitish then fools viler then the earth poor and naked and miserable and what not and O that ever the Lord Jesus should take such as we are in such a condition well this is the first 2. He doth it so willingly as to rejoyce in it It may be it may make a man more serious and Melancholly in such a condition if he be sensible of the weight of the things he goeth about but now the Lord Jesus knowing the issues of things and that it will be eternally happy for the poor soul and he shall have glory in it he doth it and not onely so but he rejoyceth in it even â—s a Bride-groom rejoyceth over his Bride as the Prophet hath it The words of the Text are very Emphatical as a young man marryeth a virgin so shall thy sons marry Thee he speaks of the Church of the Jews their sons shall abide with her as one that marrieth another and dwells with her and they shall not be removed but a young man marryeth a virgin a chosen young man the freely chosen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 happily because they used to choose young men for explâ—its in war or otherwise as being of more strength and activity such an one marrying a virgin not an old man a virgin nor a young man marrying a widow or Ancient woman but a young man a virgin so an old man an old woman the reason of it is that hereby God might set forth how every way there being a suitableness to give full content and satisfaction he rejoyceth therefore over his people he thus espouseth as a young man over his virgin his Bride that he marryeth therefore she is called Hephsibah my delight is in her and Beulah she is marryed And this if it be not full enough take another place and it is that of Zeph where he prophecyeth in like manner of the restoring of Jerusalem and Gods taking her again after she was put away as it were the Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty he will save he will rejoyce over thee with joy he will rest in his love he will joy over thee with singing Minde you he will rejoyce over thee with joy that is to say exceedingly rejoyce as in another case the friend of the Bridegroom rejoyceth with joy 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he rejoyceth with joy that is to say GREATLY yea he will rest in his love he is fully satisfied and contented yea rejoyceth with singing an outward expression of it How many expressions are here whereby he would have us know the largeness of his heart towards us in this his espousing any of us to himself and Alas all little enough to poor trembling souls to raise a drooping spirit to believe any thing of this kind and it is not onely a flashy ungrounded empty joy but he will rejoyce over such a soul to do them good I will rejoyce over them to do them good as if he had said it is the very joy and rejoycing of my heart to do you good Though you think happily that Jesus Christ is hard to be intreated and you have sought him long c. and you finde little O entertain not such thoughts for surely he doth rejoyce over his people to do them good but so much for that 3. He doth it brethren so firmly in every respect to all after-claps being provided for it shall never be broken There is many a man espouseth a wife and happily through weakness of the disposition or some disease or the like which afterwards being discovered procures a disrelish and happily breaks all or the like but I will a little insist upon this because it is very considerable and therefore 1. The Lord Jesus he doth it in such a way as that sure he will be that Justice shall be satisfied to the utmost in the behalf of a soul whatever the debts brethren have been if 10000 Talents whatever the offences have been you have been guilty of which happily may lie sore upon you O you are afraid of the justice of God he is just and dreadful and though he may forbear me for a while thinketh the poor doubting soul yet he may afterward come upon me for all and what will become of me then no the Lord Jesus he hath before-hand satisfyed all that can be demanded he hath paid to the uttermost for them being a Saviour to the utmost all the black and bloody bills chargeable upon thee were charged upon him It is true indeed hrethren if this contract or espousal between Christ and the soul were made without provision of satisfaction to justice he might come UPON THE SOUL AFTERWARDS and break and undo all again but our Saviour is wiser in his negotiations then so he hath first cleared all as to the merit and having taken satisfaction in his son and given him an acquittance being well pleased in the Lord Jesus he cannot now again return upon thee for arrearages that is a great and rich Scripture indeeed he came to be a propitiation then through faith in his blood that God might be just the justifier of them that believe that he might be justifier and yet so as himself be just not onely in fulfilling his promises of Christ his coming but be just that is to say his justice fully satisfied and yet his infinite mercy take place 2. That he is real in what he doth he doth not mock and delude poor creatures indeed a man that is variable and changeable as the shadow he may make a shew of much love and carry on a Match far and when all cometh to all cast her off and take up other resolutions but the Lord Jesus surely he is real in what he doth indeed God hath much ado with us many times to perswade us to this that he meaneth as he saith and we shall finde him full as good as his word and his offers because alas we judge him by her own unconstancy because our hearts are so hollow we think his may be also but remember his thoughts are above our thoughts and his ways above ours saith the Lord I will betroth thee unto me I will betroth thee to me and again the third time he repeateth it I will I will I will
to set his love upon his soul he believeth no such things nor the Papists neither Nor many a poor hypocrite Alas they think they have somewhat that deserveth him I some beauty is in us that the Lord saw and so it was meet for him to lay out his love upon us proud wretches that we are it is well we have an infinitely condescending love yea and powerful that can overcome our pride and swallow it up and love not onely poor creatures nothing-creatures but such as falsly suppose themselves somewhat when they are nothing else what would become of many of us Well sure it is because we know not our selves or know not what this love means else we should all of us easily subscribe to this 2. That he would be at such a price for such for alas brethren 〈◊〉 who would lay down his life almost for the cho cest of persons though some in an Agony of Passion and discontent have made themselves away for them they have doated upon yet here was some proportion between the persons loving and loved yea happily the person loved might be the more eminent person and therefore might stand off and a man when he doth this alas he is beloved himself he is wrapt by the violence of his passion out of his choice his understanding and judgement dethroned and then the Affections like wild horses O whither will they not hurry a man but in such a case a man is not a man but now in sobriety of minde consider it and who would lay down their lives and dye for the obtaining the rarest creature in the world for a spouse surely none O no Skin for skin saith the Devil and though a man imagine more to be in what he hath never injoyed then he findeth by experience in what he hath had the flower and cream of yet notwithstanding if a man be himself he will prize his life above all but if he would dye would he dye a most shameful death to have his life taken away by the most violent destructions and convulsions of minde so strongly working upon the body as to moulder it away by degrees surely hardly any man would ever venture in such a case as this Alas What is this to what the Lord Jesus hath willingly undertaken for worms what man would dye for a worm that it might live and he might have it put in his bosom or rather would be contented to â—ay down his body take up the form of a worm and therein dye the most miserable death that he might have worms saved from death and be his nearest relations for ever O doth not this transcend the love of Angels brethren Alas what is this to what Jesus Christ hath paid for poor worms at the best sinful dust and ashes and that we might live and live in union and fellowship with himselfe for ever Ah Brethren if God would but make us sensible what we are at the worst and what the Lord Jesus underwent in some measure for apprehend it fully we cannot but such as have ever tasted what it is to sip of the cup may apprehend more then others what dregs were at the bottom a drop how doth it put the soul into an Agony upon the rack that thou wouldst choose death rather then life O what then was the whole cup brethren that he should undergo this and should with his most precious blood be willing to purchase such poor abjects forlorn Creatures to be a spouse to him yea with his blood drawn from him through the very pores of the body by the very distractions of his soul and wresâ—ling with wrath O was there ever grief like this that the father put him to and was there ever love like this brethren O that we had hearts indeed to admire it 3. That after all this is done he should be at such pains to bring us to himself to wooe us to come himself to send us his messengers to strive with us by his Spirit as you know he strivd long with the old world and strived long with the Israelites in the wilderness and many of our souls can say it by experience he hath striven long with us by his spirit when we have been convinced our ways have been folly and misery and yet we would not yield how hath he followed us up and down with motions of his spirit and waited to be gracious and all but to have our consent to take him for ours Dear friends who are we that the Lord Jesus should thus ambire make so much ado with us to have our consent to take him to accept of him for a Husband O what desperate enmity is in our hearts against him that there must be so much ado to overcome it You would think that poor begger either a very crooked cross piece full of bitter hatred against a Prince or Noble-man that sues to her with all the intreaties that can be sends messenger after messenger cometh himself and beseecheth her to accept of him and yet she will not no is she well where she is desireth not either you will say she believeth not what he saith that it is in reality it will not enter into her heart to think he is real he is so far above her though he tell her he knew that is sensible of it yet maketh love to her meerly because he will and his heart is towards her not for any thing in her self she believeth not or else that she is a desperate enemy and hater of such a Noble-man and would rather perish there or languish in such a condition as an abject then accept of him O this is the condition of many of us brethren some poor deject dunbelieving souls alas their hearts even fail within them to hear that J. Christ should make love to them O it canot be sure to such a worm such a wretch so poor so filthy so full of rags vermin so full of sores and wounds full deeply indebted so deformed and loathsom every way O they know not how to receive this Others they are even stout and proud and care no more for these things then if Jesus Christ had said nothing at all as for them they are well enough if he will let them alone they desire not to mend their conditions by closing with him Now brethren to both these how doth the Lord Jesus apply himself Never were there more powerful Arguments used and never more powerfully prest then he presseth them and that with more diligence and patient waiting upon us and O what love what manner of love is this that all this floweth from A little to touch upou each of them brethren happily the Lord may be pleased to breath in them to some poor soul and as he doth at other times thus so this day brethren Even to you he is pleading with you for this very end that some poor sinners would be perswaded to close with him First then The Arguments are the most
so humble Abigail and from Bâ—az so humble Ruth and shall not this love of Jesus Christ infinitely greater then all humble such poor filthy creatures upon whom he hath set his love Thirdly Let us hence take notice then of the many precious priviledges of the Saints We live much below them because we study them not keep not the relish of them upon our hearts I mean endeavour not so to do the Lord give us hearts now lifted up to him First then As many as by believing are espoused to Jesus Christ they are one with him in the nearest union Surely it is not for nothing that the H. Ghost delights so to set forth the believers relation to Christ by this of a spouse to a husband you know that this is the nearest union among men of one person to another Kindred are near a man his children his brethren they are usually called their bone and their flesh as the men of Judah spake to David we are thy flesh and thy bone but this is aâ— a greater distance but now in Marriage two persons that were strangers one to another never saw the face one of another within a little while by this Ordinance of God are brought to such a nearness as that Father and Mother and Children if they had any before yet they are not so near to them they shall leave Father and Mother and be joyned to their Husband here this union is the stranger by how much greater the distance between the persons were and how much the closer the union is now it is made the distance was great whether we respect the dignity of the person there was no proportion a King and a Beggar are but a shadow and a dark one too to set forth this a King and a worm to take it and lay it in his bosom is nothing to this but chiefly in respect of enmity of mind alas that such as we are at the deadliest feud haters of God and of Christ not only strangers but enemies through evil works that those should be brought so near to Christ as to be made one with him this is something indeed An impotent and weak enemy that could do nothing against him not so much as move any longer then he upheld us and yet we should be look't upon indeed a potent enemy happily in policie may be concerned to such an union but a weak enemy rather would be trampled under foot But then the nearness of the union man and wife are one flesh saith the Apostle but he that is joyned to the Lord is one spirit The union of soul and body is nearer then of man and wife if too bodies could be acted by one and the same soul this were a near union indeed Why the Lord Jesus and the saints are one and the same Spirit whereby they are knit together in love this is a near union indeed Is this a light thing a small thing to be made so near the Lord of life and glory even the Children of Israel a people near to him who is like them that have Christ so near them of that are so near him Secondly There is a sweet Communion and Fellowship ariseth upon this a blessed imparting now of all his fulness to such a soul all that is Christ's is now yours his righteousness yours therefore the Holy City the name of it is called the Lord our righteousness Now his honour is yours where he is King you are Queen as in the old custom with the Romanes they used to say where you are Caius I am Caia saith the woman where you are Lord I am Lady be the poor Creature never so contemptible yet marrying with a noble person it dignifieth her with a rich person it enricheth her because she hath an interest in all But beloved that though this be matter enough to insist upon if I could enlarge things for fear of being too tedious There is fellowship-Communion between the Lord Jesus and the soul that others know nothing what it meaneth the Lord Jesus is more open hearted to them his secrets are with them they are the hidden Manna and they again are most free to power out their souls to Jesus Christ into his bosom to power them out like water as he will hide nothing from Abraham so Abraham will hide nothing from him such a confidence hath the poor Believing soul that he speaks boldly freely 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with speaking all so the original word properly imports that which none else in the world shall know they will make known to Jesus Christ they can be more free with him then any other And not only because he already knoweth the heart as I conceive but out of a sweet confidence they have in him and experience of his bowels yerning over poor souls in such a Condition so that if he knew not all that was in their hearts they would out of this freedom open it to him Yea the Lord Jesus he dyed our death and grieves our griefs and we rise his resurrection and rejoyce in his rejoycings he partaketh with us yea indeed bears the heavier end and all indeed of our miseries and we partake of his joys the oyl of gladness we are anointed with But this is the second Thirdly another is the cohabitation of Christ with his people I will dwell with them and I will walk in them when the new Jerusalem comes down from heaven the Church of the Jews shall come in then he will especially dwell in them then the Tabernacle of God is with men but now saith the Apostle that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith though he be absent indeed in some respect at the right hand of his father absent in body yet he is present in spirit as the Apostle saith of himself as he would have us to be in Heaven have our hearts there and so to dwell there to have our conversations there our love there and where the heart is there the man is Animus non est ubi animat sed ub i amat well we then dwell with him and he dwels with us with him will I dwell saith the Lord. It is a Marriage duty to dwell one with another and if a believer have an unbelieving yoke-fellow if he or she will live with the believer they must not put them away they must not depart from them so it is here the Lord Jesus dwels with his people and this is no small priviledge to the Husband the Bridegroom at hand alway ready to pity and compassionate us in our sufferings within or without But this the third Fourthly he nourisheth and cherisheth them No man hates his own flesh saith the Apostle but he nourisheth it and cherisheth it as you have it there in Nathan's parable one poor Ewe Lamb and he laid it in his bosom and it did eat of his bread and drink of his cup by which are meant all manner of supplies
not think of him until he first think ofâ—hee nor work towards him until his heart hath been working towards thee and is not that demonstrate that he is willing to receive thee to make a match with thee though we be worms and no men have cause to cry out if we were never so holy Lord what is man that thou art so mindful of him as to visit him with such salvation make him so near thy self in thy son Yea surely he is willing he would not have moved towards thee else he doth not use to mock poor Creatures to make them believe his heart is towards them and when their heart echo again and say thy face Lord will we seek then to shut up his bowels and shut out their desires Brethren take heed of too much being alive to the Law for that seemeth to be the savour of our spirit while unworthiness is the obstruction to our coming to Jesus Christ we must be dead brethren to the Law and the righteousness thereof all our performances and best duties else we cannot live to Jesus Christ The Lord Jesus never matched with a Creature because it was worthy of him of so near an union with him for alas what creature being but a creature can be wotthy of such an union with the Lord of life and glory No no he â—akes an Ethiopian and washeth her clean from her filthiness before he hath done with her nothing but that fullers sope will fetch out the spots Yea I will say one thing more that the Lord Jesus never Matched with any that thought themselves worthy of him there is an encouragement to such poor drooping soâ—lâ— did Paul think himself worthy of Christ nothing less nor any of the Saints He that will not have Christ freely is never like to have him I will love them freely saith he No saith many a proud sinner thou shalt not love us freely we hope to approve our selves worthy of thy love I tell you brethren such a soul hath not known what the meaning of grace is to this day Well then remember be you as unworthy as you can in your own apprehension all the mercies of God purchased by the blood of Jesus Christ they are freely offered and tendered to you this day to thee man to thee woman that art viler then the earth in thine own eyes yea to hard hearted sinners that see not themselves they are tendered to melt them down and if this will not do it nothing will do it O that I could speak of these bowels with such bowels as some of your hearts might be stirred and moved this day but so much for this second 3. Motive the Lord Jesus is not only willing thus to communicate himself to poor sinners but it is his delight so to do It is the satisfaction of the soul of Jesus Christ when he beholdeth the precious mercies purchased by his blood accepted of by poor sinners and to work mightily in them and to them He shall see his Seed and shall be satisfied the father is satisfied and the son is satisfied when they behold this this is all that they expect the father for his love such a love as the world cannot paralel a Sic without a Siout God so loved the world It is all he expecteth that those mercies which he hath purchased should be freely be bestowed upon and freely accepted of by poor sinners and it is the satisfaction of Jesus Christ also it is all he expecteth of us I say the continual streaming of that fountain opened for sin and for uncleaness they are as if he had said I have enough for all my pains my sweat my agony my eclipsing for the pangs of hell in my soul for my death and blood and burial all the contempts powred out upon me and the sorrow â—endured though there was never grief like mine yet this is enough saith he he shall be satisfied if he do but see poor sinners to receive him and so become his Seed close with him and so become his spouse for it is the same thing though clothed with a diverse Metaphor Brethren iâ— may be you would satisfie Christ another way you would do this and that for him Labour as abundantly as you can be as holy as you can perform your duties in as lively a manner as you can but when you have done all if you hang your peace and comfort upon this and not in your free acceptance of Christ and with Christ you seem yet to be marryed to the Law and not to Christ or at least you turn aside to your former Husband a Covenant of works this is a dissatisfactiou to Jesus Christ as if there were not riches of grace in him to swallow up all your unworthiness O Brethren that the Lord would perswade your hearts this day what a delight and satisfaction it is to him to see poor sinners come and lye at his foot and willing to receive him to match with him notwithstanding their unworthiness 4. Consider but how little a thing will do the deed and espouse thee to the Lord Jesus Alas you will say you find it a hard thing to believe as hard a thing as to keep the Law It is so in respect of our strength but many they mistake and think except they have such and such a strength of faith they have none at all nor do not close with him nor he with them If they could say with Thomas my Lord and my God or with the spouse my beloved is mine and I am his then there were some encouragement indeed Brethren if it be but as a grain of Mustardseed it will do the deed look upon me all ye ends of the earth and be ye saved A look upon a woman to lust after her is Adultery in heart it is a heart union of two to one flesh for it is yet the heart the mind that seeth more then the eye the eye may look upon many things and discern nothing distinctly if the mind be upon another thing so here why should not a look after Jesus Christ to desire him when the soul hath a sight of him passing by in his Glory O that he were my Husband O that I were Marryed to him that he would accept of me O happy souls that enjoy seeking communion with him This Brethren at the first is enough to make a Match between us As the Lord Jesus is willing to have thee art thou willing poor trembling soul to have him have him thou shalt yea thou hast him already though this saith must grow up to a greater measure happily before thou cast discern it or have the comfort of it Only lest any should be mistaken I will here give a word or Direction or Caution First take heed of thinking thou art willing when thou art not for as there are many poor drooping souls who think they are not willing to have Christ when it is that their souls do ever break for
day put on your Ornaments and make ready for his appearing for while your hearts are out of order your Spirits out of frame you are not fit to meet the Lord Jesus and therefore you will hang back but so much of this Exhortation The last Application will be a word of comfort to such as through grace have yielded up themselves to the Lord Jesus or are desirous or do so to be espoused to him according to the several conditions of such creatures there may from hence be a various and strong consolation administred from this Doctrine First Then alas you will say withal your souls you close with Jesus Christ there is nothing you more gladly undertake but you know he is a righteous God most just and most pure of eys and therefore he will surely be displeased with you and you shall have little comsort yea you do finde that your fruitlesness of walking doth provoke him and therefore you are afraid sooner or later he will cast you off before you come to enter with him into the marriage O I shall one day fall by the hand of this Pride of this uncleanness of this lust or the other For Answer to this remember 1. That the Lord when he doth betroth he betretheth forevâ—r and he doth it in faithfulness so that if the saithfulness of Jesus Christ could fail who hath espoused thee thou mightest miscarry Men indeed after espousals if they discover any deformity which they knew not before may be apt to change their minds yea sometimes where there is no cause at all but their own fickleness and changableness but there is no variableness nor shadow of turning with him hath he spoken it and will he not perform it I will never leave thee saith he to Jacob until I have performed all the good which I have spoken concerning thee But a little more fully to open it 1. I say by way of Concession he may sometimes be angry with his spouse or at least withdraw himself properly he is not angry at all nor subject to any passion but he may behold that in his people for which he may sometimes put them to a little grief and make them believe that he will cast them off as you have it in many of the Psalms he may frown and hide his face from his people but as on their part every withdrawing from him is not a breach of the marriage-Covenant so neither is every withdrawing of his refreshing presence a breach of his Covenant yet when he doth so withdraw brethren alas his heart works towards his people as to Ephraim I do earnestly remember him still he may give his people sharp words sometimes which will be a cutting to the souls that are deeply in love with him but they go to his own heart as well as they do to theirs here is the difference brethren between our withdrawings from him and his withdrawings from us that are his people our hearts are many times gone in a great part to sit loose from him though not altogether for the Church when she slept her heart waked but now with him it is otherwise his heart is never gone in the least from his people onely he may speak sometimes a bitter word to them but all this while his heart is full of sweetness and love to them this is one 2. Remember this also as a pillar of the former that he hath builded and founded this espousal and union between him and his people so sure as that it can never be shaken upon the freeness of his grace and therefore it cannot be moved Upon his full knowledge of what we would be indeed if the Lord Jesus had not known what fruitless froward creatures we would prove how unthankful how unkind it had been something for a poor doubting soul to have fed his fears with but he knew long before brethren and if he had seen that he had not had bowels enough to swallow up all our unworthiness he would never have made love to us for he is God and his work is perfect he would never have begun except he had been able to lay the top-stone Again the satisfaction of the Justice of God is to the full this is that which amazeth and alrighteth many a poor soul they forget themselves and look upon their failings as those which expose them to divine vindicative justice which is a great mistake for that was once fully satisfyed in Jesus Christ and he is well pleased in him with all that can bring him in their arms if we can but come to God with Jesus Christ in our arms he hath no more to say to us all is made even in Christ there was never such a declaration of the Justice of God as in giving his own son to be a ransom a sacrifice once for all and the Apostle saith it was to declare the righteousness of God therefore he was given to be a propitiation for the remission of sins there God appeared righteous indeed that the flames of hell must kindle upon his son yea and burn to the lowermost hell in a sort that he might be satisfyed that justice might for ever lye still and be silenced as to his people it is more that Christ suffered then if thou and ten thousand such as we are should suffer to eternity we could never have paid the utmost farthing which he paid to the uttermost else he could not have saved us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 besides we should have been long paying that we payd he at once payd all and therefore this Marriage is so founded brethren upon this satisfaction of Jesus Christ that it cannot be shaken Yea 3. As to that of afflicting his people and frowning upon them he is not forward to it he is not strict to mark what is done amiss to take notice of every slip and failing if he were we should never have comfortable moment no he is rather strict to mark what is good in us what beauty there is in us if there be but one beauty or fair place in the midst of many spots his eye and his heart is rather upon that as some observe in that of Sarah there is but one good word in her speech calling Abraham Lord all the rest savours of unbelief and yet the Holy Ghost takes notice of that So Rahab Jos 2. 4 5. Heb. 11. 31. Alas what miserable mangled Services do we offer up to our own eys there is not any thing desirable that is ought Well if there be but one sigh one groan in sincerity he is more ready to take notice of that then of all your failings and therefore is not forward to put his spouse and people to grief O he is full of kindness and tenderness to us Yea 4. It is observable that he is said to rejoyce over his people continually as a Bridegroom over a Bride not onely his heart is constant to them but it is constant in the same
deep hypocrisie that is in mens hearts or if they had do I think they were to use it but serve Gods holy ends in following Christ his example who suffered a Devil though a white one he was indeed in the likenes of an Angel of light yet he did suffer him in his family until it broke out into scandal There is much in this one reason 1. What deep hypocrisie may lurk in the hearts of men under a plausible profession so that men can suspect nothing many times as you see Ananias and Saphira Simon Magus and others Judas carried it so cunningly and seemed so zealous and full of charity O why was this waste c. when the Spirit of Christ went with his spirit and saw his fetches and deep ends he said it because he had the bag and was a thief the more he had to row in the more bold he might make with it and it would the less be mist but his paint was so exact and so near the life that the Disciples took him to be as real as themselves any of them rather suspecting themselves then him his heart was too deep for them to fathom Because 2. They had not such an infallible spirit given nor have any of the Churches now such a spirit given whereby to know the secrets of mens heart nor do I find that the Apostles had such a spirit given them now and then indeed they had some secret things and actions revealed to them but not that incommunicable property of God to search the heart I the Lord search the heart and try the reins Peter indeed had that private action and falshood of Ananias revealed to him and from thence he concluded Sathan had filled his heart in that he lyed against the Holy ghost but what is this to the searching of the heart and this that was revealed was but for an act now and then in Acts 10. He knew not that there were men sent for him from Cornelius until the Spirit of God told him and revealed it to him so that he had not that knowledge which he had of secret things not made known in an ordinary way by sense he had it not habitually but by several acts Or if they had such a spirit which none can prove they did not act by it in admitting persons for then such as those would never have been admitted Yea 3. If the Church had such a spirit it is very likely she were not to act by it in admission For our Saviour himself though he knew whom he â—ad chosen and knew from the beginning who should betray him yet he did admit him that he knew would prove a Devil and therefore he acted therein according to his humanity and to leave us a pattern that though we may suspect happily such or such a person and not savour them according to that discerning which God hath given us of the spirits of men yet if not scandalous not to reject them making such a profession of Christ as according to charity and Scripture-rules we ought to hope well of And methinks there is somewhat in that Parable of the tares though while in the blade they were scarce discernable from the wheat yet it seemeth by the Parable that now they were come to such a growth as they did discern them therefore came with that Question whether they should pluck them up and yet he would not have if so they were not thorns and thistles and such as would altogether choak the Corn though they might hinder it if only Hypocrites though discovered if they can be discovered without prophaness and scandal they are not to be pluckt up from among the good Corn and hence it is that there are good and bad in the visible Church though the bad seem to be good all are Virgins but all are not wise virgins For the Application of this We may hence take notice of the great indulgence of God and the largeness of his grace and the riches of his patience and long-suffering to poor Creatures in that he takes many as his own within the verge and comprehension of this his Covenant that never really partake of the saving benefits of the Covenant So you know it was with Israel though they were as the sand of the sea yet a remnant should be saved All are not Israel that are of Israel that is true and yet they are of Israel though they be not Israel that is as true Now that the Lord should admit of such to be of Israel that never were nor are like to be Israel this is largeness of bounty Alas how many wild Olives are graffed in among the branches which remain and partake of the fatness of the Olive the priviledges and ordinances and gifts of God bestowed on his Church for edification and yet shall be cast out as branches broken off dryed and withered shall be taken away as barren and unprofitable and burn for ever if thou continue not in this goodness thou shalt be cut off It is not the manner of men to plant such in their vine yards as they know will bring forth nothing but leaves no fruits but sowr the grapes of Sodom and yet this the manner of God to such as shall be cast out into utter darkness yet should be admitted to be the children of the kingdom 2. That he owneth many as separated to himself in such a way before they come to own him and though they dwell under his shadow and shine and in droppings and dew of heaven yet a long time bring forth nothing do nothing but abuse his grace and this riches of his goodness and yet at last notwithstanding all he should go on to separate them to a nearer holiness to himself seize upon their hearts put another principle and seed into them whereby they should be fruitful for the time to come Ordinary experience teacheth us this how many years many a poor formal Professor hath walkt under the means of grace and passed for a Saint and yet hath been in the gall of bitterness but the Lord out of his infinit mercy and rich grace hath healed him afterward It is no question it is the case of some that that very grace which they have so long hypocritically pretended to and abused was that at last which seized upon them Why but you will say this is no priviledge nor mercy to be members of Christ his visible Church if we therein enjoy not Christ and for our Children to be owned as those separated to Christ and yet though Children of the kingdom and be cast out for none are like to sink so low into hell as those which are cast out of the kingdom such as so often abuse mercies and Gospel-grace tendered to them I answer It is true the name of the Lord our God is great and fearful as in that place of Deuteronomy And the nearer a people have been drawn to Christ within the
compass of this Covenant of Grace and afterward perish the deeper will they sâ—nk those will burn with a witness that are cut off from the Vine the visible Church of the Olive as unprofitable dead and barren branches Yet it is a priviledge and a great act of grace to be of the Olive Is it nothing to be one of Gods houshold or family to be under his provision his protection and guidance in a special manner to be in the state of separation to God of old and sealed up therein to God by Circumcision It was profitable much every way the Apostle said Yea I will say more That the greater force a thing hath to aggravate the condemnation of poor Creatures the greater the mercy is Shall we say the Preaching of the Gospel is not a mercy because this is the condemnation indeed that light is come into the world The second use may be to help the people of God over a stumbling block which may be an offence to them happily in some Churches of Christ either such as themselves walk with or others It may be there are some in such or such a Church whose spirits thou canst not savour thou hast them in suspition and therefore thou canst not be free to have fellowship with them Or if thou be in Fellowship thou art ready to withdraw upon such an account First be sure to take heed of making breaches in thy love It thinketh no evil hopeth all things that are hopeable And dost thou know how much smoke there may be with some fire how much corruption and ashes there may be and yet some fire Therefore take heed of judging the state and Condition of men where they are not in the course of their lives prophane and scandalous 2. Much more take heed of that dividing and separating upon such an occasion as this for did not our Saviour walk with his disciples though he knew Judas a devil and doubtless it was more a grief to him then it can be to us the less holiness the less evil will grieve and a man is more tender there must needs be all tenderness where there is no sin to harden it O then let us arm our selves with the same minde There were great abuses in the Church of Corinth and yet he stirreth not them up to division but love rather Why but you will say when they become scandalous what should we do then Why then the Church ought to deal with them judiciously to enquire into them admonish them censure and cast them out if the other preparative means with waiting upon God in them will not do it That is clear in the incestuous person and again If any that is called a brother be a drunkard or a rayler c. with such a one no not to eat it is clear whether they might so withdraw from him before the Church had censured him under tryal I think not for then he was to be as a heathen in respect of communion and yet not accounted an enemy but esteemed as a brother now truly if the Church be so over-run with this hem 〈…〉 k for want of weeding like the slothful mans vineyard over-grown with thorns and thistles Through the sloth of the Church and officers the ordinance of excommunication so neglected that now they are grown so corrupt as there is no way lefâ— according to the rule of Christ to purge them what other means is left in such a case but withdrawing I do not understand 3. It may teach us notwithstanding the sad condition of such as continuing members of the visible Church yet remain in an unregenerate state happily we all look upon our selves to be members of the Church of Christ but have we this grace in our hearts this oyl in our Lamps we have a name and profession but can we say that Christ is in us the hope of glory If not brethren our condition is sad indeed we are a people that happily the world can lay nothing to our charge we may put the best side outward like painted sepulchers but what is within what is within but rottenness remember that though men cannot judge your hearts but hope the best of you brethren yet there is one which searcheth the heart and judgeth the heart and of you according to your hearts though his Disciples cannot finde out Judas yet our Saviour would finde him out at last hâ—s eys are like a flaming fire Let your hypocrisie be as deep as it may it shall not be hid from the light nor from the scorching heat thereof Yea consider seriously brethren that those things you glory most in and pillar up your selves with they will be your ruine if you remain in this condition and that is the Ordinances you have the Covenant preached and sealed to you from time to time and communion with the Saints you think this is enough you cannot miscarry the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord you trust in lying words for they will deceive you may you not be children of the Kingdom and yet cast out yet will not this be the thing which will sink you that you have been children of the kingdom and yet fall short of the kingdom You come to the feast for theâ—e is a wedding feast the Gospel and the Ordinances are whereof see pag. 106. which you are to understand all the administrations of the grace in the Kingdom the Gospel-Ordinances this is the feast of fat things the fat things of heaven you may be admitted to this feast to all the Ordinances not a dish upon the table but you may eat of it But alas brethren if you be yet in the gall of bitterâ—â—ss though you go for sweet Christians all turns to gall and poyson to your souls It is impossible for such a man or such a woman ever to come worthily to partake of the Ordinances a child of God hath much ado with his heart to bring it into frame to get the spirit fixed to sing and give praise to prepare his heart and much pains many times and the work done but in a little part yet there is mercy to accept where we do our best there is habitual preparation there are the graces of the spirit and there is Christ put on by faith for righteousness and holiness but the graces are not so lovely so stirred up and much ado to blow away the ashes and they flye about our ears sometimes that we even lose our selves in the work But yet God will be mercifull and cover our shortness if we reach but this the sense of our unpreparation and be â—uâ—bled for it But now thou that art a hypocrite and an unregenerate man thou canst never be prepared to come to hear to receive the Supper and so they prove the savour of death to death thou hast no promise thou canst build upon but that they will be thy bane Alas poor soul how many times hast thou
drunk the cup of the Lord and it hath been a cup of deadly wine to thy soul thou hast eaten and drunken thy judgement and condemnation so often that thou art even stupifyed and past feeling it is to be feared it not onely argues a desperately hard heart to come and look upon Christ crucifyed held out in those Ordinances as our meat and drink to nourish us and not to relent but it hardens us so much the more Thou mayst yet come oft ento receive the Supper of the Lord but as often as thou dost it thou dost but more deeply poyson and fill thy soul O! Brethren that the Lord would let us see this day whether this be our condition and we have rotten hearts covered over with a glorious profession that we might not dare to draw near for we cannot have a Wedding-garment upon us brethren if we have not the habits of grace if we have not Christ for righteousness and holiness how can we act that grace which we have not Thou art fit for any thing else but for the worship of God thou art fit for thine own occasions and fit to serve the Devil to be at his beck but not to worship God in those Ordinances remember remember brethren though you may have somewhat now to answer us when we preach this word and to answer your own consciences and can make a shift to silence them when they tell you though you have a profession and name and are reckoned among the Saints yet you never were born again never did put on Christ indeed you cannot have a wedding garment though you may brethren deceive your selves and us and take this and that for a wedding-garment when the Lord Jesus shall come and ask you how comest thou in hither without a wedding garment thou hadst not a dram of grace thou never puttest me on for righteousness in believing how camest thou hither how durst thou be so bold as to draw nigh to my table to meddle with my precious blood and body broken for sinners when thou haddest not a wedding garment on you shall then be speechless it shall be so evident O take him bind him hand and foot hang these Ordinances and priviledges which he hath so long abused my blood and body which he hath eaten and drunk that is to say Sacramentally the signs of them as those in 1 Cor. 10. they did all eat the same spiritual meat c. and yet most of them perished sink him sink him he hath trampled my blood under his foot counted it an unholy thing else he would never have cared to have come with an unholy heart to it therefore now I will trample his soul in my fury unto the lowermost hell O! how this will sharpen the teeth of the gnawing worm to eternity O how this will inrage the flames of those everlasting burnings therefore consider this your sad condition let it be a terrible word to you the Lord give you hearts to tremble at it And in the last place Let us take heed how we rest and lean upon a profession and a name Methinks there needs no more Arguments to move us then what hath been spoken already What folly is it for a man to hang his weight upon that which he is told will break and then he falls into an irrecoverable gulf O! that we had that alway sounding in our ears in the seventh of Mat. Lord Lord open to us we have done this and that heard thee preach done wonderful works they were visible Saints surely at least and yet he calls them workers of iniquity which they might do in secret acts with pretences for God but intending themselves What if Simon Magus had had that power to give the gift of the Holy Ghost and had done it and replenished his purse by it for likely he that would have bought it would have been as ready to have sold it again he might have past for a Saint but what would his end have been O Brethren consider your latter end the Lord teach you that one point of wisdom that so in time 〈◊〉 may flee from that wrath to come But so much for this Doctrine also Verse 3 and 4. And they that were foolish took their Lamps and took no oyl with them But the wise took oyl in their vessels with their Lamps WE may read a wise man or a fool in his actions and so here the foolish took no oyl with their Lamps and what more foolish then that For the opening of the words I shall not need to say much by the Lamps I understand here a profession of Jesus Christ a name a shew the Apostle speaks of the Saints as light-bearers they should be burning and shining lights as John was Light there is and sometimes appearing heat even in formal professors as you see in the case of John how zealous for God And Judas a man would have thought him zealous when he said Why is this waste but it is like the light of the glow-worm touch it and it hath neither light nor heat they are indeed sparks of our own kindling as it is in that place of Isaiah the sparks there may be the action of Devotion and Duty which may be elicited or educed by the help of nature and of education and custom the conscience being enlightened by the Law of God in some measure and self-love working somewhat in men will put them on to do something to quiet their Consciences but alas these sparks quickly go out and the Lamp is put out in obscure darkness There may be also somewhat of Common-grace some enlightning of the minde and some kinde of affection as the second ground received the word gladly and Herod heard John gladly but a great difference between these and the Disciples who receiveed the word gladly the one rejoyced happily in that which in the word is suitable to a carnal appetite as the Eloquence as those in the Prophet thou art to them as one that plays on an Instrument but the other rejoyced in that of Christ which is therein found So the Bee is pleased with the Flower the Sheep with the Blade the Bird with the Seed and the Swine with the Root But new for the oyl in the vessels what is that The foolish took no oyl in their vessels with their lamps By this I understand brethren the oyl of the Spirit ye have received an anointing the Spirit of grace and the grace of the Spirit of Christ the Spirit dwelling in us there is a Cruse opened that will never be drawn dry like the Fountain of waters or Rivers springing up with eternal life it never sails By this then I understand the true saving work of grace in the heart a receiving of the Spirit of grace the Spirit of Christ by faith as the Apostle speaks by the hearing of faith by the Gospel the word of faith which was blessed to the working of saith in
your souls Now this spirit works faith and that works by love and that never fails but is perfected in heaven so humility self-denyal and all those graces And not onely the graces of the spirit but this Spirit of grace dwelling in the Saints which continually supplyeth their wants so that the Lamp shall not go out forwant of oyl From the words thus understood this note will arise He that contents himself with a profession of Christ without the real saving work of grace upon his heart is a fool but he that looks to the main thing the getting grace in his heart as well as making a shew before men is a wise man Profession without the enjoyment of the Spirit of grace is but folly I will put them both together that contraries may the better illustrate one another juxta se posita and if either of them be proved both of them are proved for they will infer each other by the rule of contraries Nothing is more ordinary in Scripture then to call sinners fools sinners of all sorts are fools committing wickedness is committing folly in Israel but no fool to the wise fool wise in his own conceit there is more hope of a fool then of such a man and who are usually more wise in their own conceits then formal professors are he that hideth hatred with lying lips is a fool he that hideth hatred to God a rotten heart with lying lips whereby he professeth much love to him and carryeth a fair shew he is a fool in grain If we would know where wisdom beginneth or what the sum of wisdom is the wisest of men shall tell you the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom or the sum of wisdom some read it so And so Job who was no child in Christianity to man he saith to fear the Lord that is wisdom and to depart from evil that is understanding Mark you Whatever men place wisdom in or folly in this is the very sum of wisdom to fear God fear is put for all grace a manfearing God and eschewing evil was the highest character the Lord gave of Job It is indeed the root of all that good we do and evil we avoid and I will and but one Scripture in the â—hiddenarts thou shalt make me to know wisdom it is one thing to be wise headed and tongued and another to be wise hearted and therefore in Scripture nothing more ordinary then to set forth wisdom that is true indeed by the heart God himself is said to be wise of heart Foolish creatures Eph. a silly Dove without a heart They may have head enough notion enough flashing light appearing to others enough but they are without a heart they have not the great work there a new head and an old heart a full head and an empty heart a light and burning profession and a dark dead and cold heart he that takes up in such a condition is a fool an errant fool For the further clearing of this I shall enquire a little wherein the nature of wisdom and folly lyeth and then shew you how it is Applicable in truth unto this profession of Christ without the possession of him Wisdom then I conceive may consist of these three generals 1. In the obtaining what we want the good we want and therfore come short of happiness because we want it 2. In the keeping the good we have when once we have it And 3. In avoiding the evil we fear which would render us miserable in these three things I take it wisdom consists Now to speak a little to each of these and see how we may prove the formal professor by his defect and falling short in each them in all of them and for the first the obtaining of the good we want to make us happy Alas you know brethren we are all fallen short of the glory of God and by nature are without him and without Christ in the world and have not the things which accompany salvation neither he then is a wise man in general 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 who knoweth those principles and ends which are universally necessary to a mans good his chiefest and most general good So that there are I conceive three things in this respect under this head and so proportionably under the other which go to the compleating of wisdom First there must be a knowledge of the end and a propounding of this end to a mans self an end you know is nothing but that which is good either really so or appearingly so for that is the object of the Will goodness as truth is the object of the Minde and understanding a man cannot appetere malum as it is malum and be a man to delight in evil as it is evil is diabâ—lical to delight in sâ—n or folly as it is pleasant as it is suitable to the corrupt nature to the soul the Will crooked and deprayed this is humane because though a man do thus pâ—opose sâ—n as his â—nd yet not as it evil but as it is good to his corrupt judgement and Will that is to say suitable and convenient to him An so sor suffering there is no man living can prevail with himself to be willing to be miserable they would be happy Well then it is good which is the end either real or apparent But now here in this spiritual wisdom and folly we must understand his end suitable that is to say understand it of the most supreme principle and ultimate good and that is God for what good else is there that can indeed make the soul happy but God in Christ for that good which must make blessed it must be commensurate to the soul so as to be able to fall and satisfie it else theâ—e will be somewhat wanting still and alas for all other goods below God it may be said that which is wanting cannot be numbred Now there are two things considerable in the soul of a man especially to which there must be an answerableness in the end which is to be followed unto injoyment else the soul cannot be happy The first is the vast capacity and comprehension of the soul to which there must be an answerable fulness in the object and the end else the soul cannot rest upon it as its Center and happiness and this we may take notice of especially in those two faculties of the Understanding and the Will the Affections they are but as it were the several motions of the Will a kind of Appendix to it Now to these two faculties in the supreme and ultimate end there must be an answerable ratio veri boni great enough to fill or satisfie the understanding or mind that hath for its object truth and not one truth or another but all truth it is not satisfyed with the partial discoveries of truth or here and there a little but it would have all now the Lord is the highest and the best in
that this is folly but the world counteth this the greatest folly that can be to make so much ado about the soul-affairs to trouble themselves so much about the interest in Christ they are the wise men that have heads deep and large to compass their designs for the world and to have a profession of Christ the thing may be of some use but the thing it self it is but a burthen they will never trouble themselves with a Lamp and a Vessel full of Oyl besides it is enough to have a Lamp But surely Brethren the Lord judgeth otherwise you see who is the fool in Christs sense and what will it avail if a man the world account him a wise man and he himself deem himself a wise man and Jesus Christ accounteth him a fool he never giveth names for nothing they are sure to answer them sooner or later the easiest course Brethren is not the wisest then the Sluggard were the wisest man 2. It may serve to reprove and convince us of much folly then that is among us Stultorum plena sunt omnia all Proressions are ful of fools and none more then the Profession of Jesus Christ for the higher the end the greater the folly in pretending to it and missing of it I doubt brethren all the Congregation are full of such fools as these are it appears to be so in the Prophets time Who is wise saith he and he will consider these things c. and Prudent and he shall know them Who is wise by this interrogation there is implied a paucity of them as in that Who is there among you that walks in darkness and seeth no light they are not very ordinary so again Who hath believed our report and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed May I not take up the Prophets complaint now and say who in this Congregation is wise who so wise as to consider their latter end to provide for it not to rest in a name in a profession Some I doubt not but there are who are able to produce their Evidences Christ in them the hope of Glory but are they so many as were to be wished brethren do you not take up short of Jesus Christ rest in the means as you have heard before 3. Then it shall serve to stir us up to awaken us to look about us for that is one thing also which that interrogation imports to stir us up to Consider our wayes and our Condition and State Whether we have this oyl in our vessel as well as in the Lamp surely Brethren For Motives 4. This is a very pressing one which our Saviour covertly giveth in the Text they were foolish virgins which took no oyl and the Prophet Who is wise and he will consider these things for men would not be counted fools of all things men had rather be wicked and counted so then be counted fools and will rather shew their wit in froth and jests and over-reaching then be counted fools you know the affectation of wisdom was the first temptation and ever since vain man would be wise though he be born like a wild Asses Colt we are most stupid Creatures and yet would have a name to be wise and are indeed contented to be fools in Gods account rather then we would not be wise men in our own account and the account of the world desperate fools this is cum ratione insanire if any thing be O brethren if we would be wise indeed take the advice of wisdom it self or the wonderful Councellor take heed of resting in this Condition without oyl in your vessels he is wise indeed that is wise in the latter end that thou mayst be wise in the latter end he that liveth in reputation of a wise man he thinketh himself so and dyeth a fool in the account of God himself and all others this is the fool in grain the more care to get and keep our vessels full of oyl the more wiser we shall approve our selves 2. Dear friends Consider seriously now You think you follow Jesus Christ and your Lamps are burning but what a sad disappointment will it be and confusion For hope disappointed confounds a man as it is in Job they are confounded because they hoped you hope for heaven now if you be disappointed and your Lamps go out in obscure darkness just when you have the most need of them O how will you be able to bear it O therefore whatever you do labour to get this oyl make sure of this brethren never give the Lord over follow him up and down in all the wayes of grace until thou have gotten thy vessel full thy heart filled with grace with his fear his love with humility self-denial O look to it that thou close with Christ that you do not mistake somewhat else instead of him beg the Spirit Brethren to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith and you may have all grace to abound towards you and in you that having an al-sufficiency alway in all things you may abound in every good work your hearts being ful there being a Spring to eternal life that your Lamps may never be put out but you may appear wise in your latter end which trieth indeed which are the wise and which the foolish Virgins O be diligent in improving all the Ordinances for that end received ye the Spirit by the works of the the Law or by the hearing of Faith You have heard it is the dew wherein the Manna descends it is the vehiculum we come to hear all of us O take heed how you hear with what hearts you come before him and how you attend to this word do you know in what part of it the Spirit will descend will come upon the heart at which Sermon in which part of the Sermon O brethren if we come with vessels full conceited with Pride full of Earth stopped up with the world how can we expect this oyl should be poured into us therefore Come labour to bring your empty vessels to the Lord in his Ordinances for it is observable as long as there was an empty vessel the oyl run in the widows case and so it would be here he never sent a poor empty broken Spirit a poor Creature poor in spirit to come humbled and trembling in sense of its wants and worthlesness he never sent them away empty when the vessel is full he will not pour out the oyl it would be lost there is no room to receive it Again Labour to number your days brethren that you may apply your hearts unto wisdom to this wisdom to salvation this is a rich piece of skill that is not to be learned but in the school of Christ to number our days Consider the shortness of our time how short we cannot tell for ought we know this night he was a fool in grain
a carelesness in us for if he came more speedily what is the language Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall dye whether he be a swift witness against men or whether he tarry all is one if he do not speedily execute the Sentence which is past upon men evil doers their hearts are fully set in them to do wickedly and if he do threaten to come speedily and avenge himself upon them let us eat and drink for to morrow c. forgetting the after-clap that after death cometh judgement do not then pretend brethren this for your selves and lay the fault upon God as Adam did and all the sons of Adam are ready to do Say not then If God had threatened as he did Niniveh Yet forty days and Niniveh shall be overthrown yet forty days and thou shalt come to judgement sinner thou wouldst have repented as well as they did no but as Abraham speaks to the rich man in the parable if they will not believe Moses and the Prophets they will not believe though one rose from the dead So in this case if thou wilt not repent and believe though the coming of Christ do tarry a while I will be bold to say thou wouldst not repent if thou shouldest know that within forty days or forty hours thy soul should be taken from thee the fool in the Gospel when he thought he had many years before him and goods laid up for them he nourished his heart as in a day of slaughter and when it was told him that this night his soul should be taken from him do you think the fool had so much wisdom to repent we read it not nor do I see any cause to think it A second sort which are to be reproved or convinced of sin are such as mock at the coming of Christ It is a prophecy of the last days in the last days there shall come scoffers walking after their own lusts saying where is the promise of his coming for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were since the beginning of the world That these are the last days if we had no o her Argument the impudence of many now adays denyinng resur ection and judgement and any such things as these are are too clear a proof of it Observe Where is the promise of his coming a promise to the people of Christ for he cometh to give them the Crown of righteousness having fought their fight and finished their course c. but a threatning to the sinners of the world as that the seed of the woman shall break the Serpents head Well you tell us of a glorious appearing of Christ but where is it we see no alteration all things continue as they were there is no sign of such a coming O what wretched Athiesm is in the heart brethren that because the hand of God doth not presently seize upon us therefore we make a mock at it thinking there is no such thing O this unbelief is the ground of all departing from God do not your actions proclaim this that you expect not his coming you rather make a mock at it you make so light a matter of sin of the most horrid sins Yea some that seem not to Question his coming though I think that is the ground of it their secret unbelief that there will be any such or no they do even provoke the Lord and pluck him out of his place they challenge the God of heaven that say Let him make speed and hasten his work that we may see it and let the counsel of the holy one draw nigh and come that we may know it that we may feel it for we fear it not this is the language of the men that declare their sin like Sodom heed it not stout-hearted sinners that set God at defyance bid him do his worst they will abide all that cometh rather then they will part with their lusts wherein they walk as the Apostle hath it they would fain see who shall controul them who should cut their Cart-ropes and Cords of vanity wherewith they draw iniquity and toyl and tear themselves like horses in the drudgery of sin Well I will speak a word or two to all these it is a terrible one indeed the Lord give us trembling hearts at it First However long it seems to stay it will come before thou art ready for it and for all this gallantry of spirit that sinners cloath themselvs with the stoutest-hearted sinner that heareth this word when that cometh shall quake and tremble What cared Belshazzar for the God of Israel he thought it was nothing to carouse in the vessels of the Sanctuary but you see with two or three words writing what an Agony it wrought him into Amos 5. 18. You desire the day of the Lord poor creatures you do not know the day of the Lord is darkness and not light your hearts will dye within you like stones when it cometh upon you Observe it brethren usually those that are the most stout-hearted in setting the Lord at defiance are most dejected when it cometh I will the Atheist say if this were true that this day would ever come it were something but we see no appearance of it Why Brethren are you such Atheists I hope there is none such here but will own the Scriptures to be the word of the living God and how often have you it there written he hath appointed a day wherein he will judge the world by Jesus Christ and God is not slack as men count slackness as some count it as if he would never come believe it believe it Sinners your judgement lingers not and your damnation slumbereth not but travels as fast as you do and it will meet you one day and seize upon you O if God should send such a hand to write upon the wall of the Taverns where men are carouzing c. mene mene thou art weighed c. this night shall thy soul c. Deut. 5. 5. He that believeth not these things is an Atheist indeed worse then the Devil himself who believeth and trembleth James 2. 19. But me thinks reason it self should evince it and teach us that the first Principle of all things made himself the end of all things He that is first must also be the last and therefore such as would not serve that end and honour God here he will honour himself upon them he must needs be righteous and give every one according to his works Now Sinners do not receive according to their works many times here but they are lively and grow old and are mighty in power their seed are established before them c As it is in that place of Job their houses are safe from fear neither is the rod of God upon them they have no changes and therefore they fear not God they spend their days in wealth and in a moment go down to the grave
The people of God which are wise to salvation as well as foolish formal professors are lyable to slumber and sleep the best men and women are lyable to it That the Saints may fall into slumbering and sleeping when they had most need to be awake as you see in this case Happily I may handle them distinctly if I see it may not be too tedious For the first that the best of the Saints such as are wise to salvation yet may slumber and sleep I think there needeth not much to be said by way of confirmation you see this is plainly the heart of the Parable we have in hand or else I know not what it is Jonah you know he was fast asleep in the side of the ship it was bodily sleep indeed but it was an effect of this spiritual sleep that was upon him his graces were now sleeping his fear of God against whom he had sinned in running away from him and his self-denyal these were asleep and made him so secure that though they were in a storm he feared it not as a drunkard that sleepeth upon the top of a Mast in greatest danger and seeth it not nor so much as dreameth of it and it is thought by some also that Zachary that good Prophet who had so many visions from the Lord that he was drowsie and sleepy notwithstanding more then was meet his mind as well as his body but there shall be no question made of the Disciples they were the best of men then alive they were first chosen out of the world the world is a wilderness they were as a garden inclosed therefore the best considered in respect of others and yet you find how often our Saviour endeavours to stir them up to watchfulness What I say to you I say to all watch watch and pray And how much in these chapters surely it argues they were lyable to sleep they were prone to it else that lesson would not have rung so much in their ears Or would David have come over so often with that quicken me O Lord according to thy word quicken me according to thy word but that he found himself going napping and nodding But if we will go to the Christian of Christians the flower in the garden inclosed there were three Disciples that were favourites it seemeth that the Lord Jesus took with him as witnesses of his transfiguration before and now to his passion and Agony yet notwithstanding these favourites when they should watch with Christ they fall asleep their souls were asleep in a great part and therefore their bodies also were asleep However our Saviour saith the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak the spirit is in part weak and unwilling else if perfect it would have kept them awake there is a willingness and unwillingness and for an act the unwillingness may prevail against the willingness as in this case Peter should be carryed whether he would not and yet sure he would there his willingness prevailed but I will not stand any longer onely note you here brethren one thing farther is this that they fell asleep the second time and the third time after they had been reproved for it again and again and that sharply that they had nothing to say they knew not what to say saith the Evangelist and yet they fell to it again if these were so apt to fall asleep sure then much more such poor weaklings as we are in comparison of them Well then if any one further enquire What this slumbring and sleeping is By slumber and sleep I understand brethren the unbending the bow of our souls as sleep is a cessation of the animal actions of a living creature by the obstructon of the animal spirits by the abundance of vapours ordinarily there are some other cases but this is not so much for our purpose Slumbring is when there is a little shorter failing or cessation of the actions of a living creature when the senses are binding as I may say but they break through it and so awaken the person doth there is a double principle in man in every child of God I mean there is a corrupt and regenerate part there is flesh and spirit as you have it in that of our Saviour the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh this flesh this corrupt part we may not unfitly brethren resemble to the vapours that continually arise from the stomach toward the head And the Spirit to the Nerves the instruments of action the graces of the spirit are the nerves of the spirit indeed and by some of them as by the nerves the continual supplies of grace and fulness of Christ the head where the fulness of the animal spirits are is communicated to all the parts to the strengthening of all graces that is to say by our faith Now this being so I take it then a man slumbers and sleeps When his corrupt part doth either with a less or a thicker steam of lusts seize upon as I may say and hinder the graces of the spirit from doing their work from acting specially that grace of faith which indeed doth derive from the head Jesus Christ the spirits lively influences therefore not unfitly is corruption compared to wet moorish places a moorish â—ennish heart that is full of such corruption or a body full of such humors you know is much more sleepy then another Well then to bring it to an issue when sin so fully prevails over us as to damp the graces of the spirit either for a shorter time it being quickly dispelled there is a slumbring or for a longer time there is a sleeping aliquando bonus dormit at Homerus So that brethren when ever we are called to act any grace of the spirit and we do it not though it be but for an act that is as I may say a slumbring though you may quickly recover your selves If it be for more acts or continue any time it is a sleep Thomas his faith was asleep he would not believe his unbelief prevailed much seized upon his faith bound it as I may say and so ignorance and blindness prevailing over the understanding But for faith methinks that is plain When the son of man cometh whether it be to that general day or any particular day of avenging his people shall be find faith upon the earth faith in act to believe this alas people will be asleep their faith surprized and so for love which is another grace it is prophesied of the latter times the love of many shall wax cold the Church of Ephâ—sus had lost her first love she was fallen asleep this is the active grace faith works by it now this action ceased as in a man asleep his members languish and hang down and are not fit for any action so their love waxed cold And so when instead of a holy
Yet methinks this should so much the more have quickned their spirits But alas brethren we are even so prone to sleep that if the spirit of the Lord do not watch with us continually to keep us awake we shall sleep if it be on the top of a Mast Little dream men And this is the case of us all as you see in Ionas O that this were much upon us that God would humble us for this the very inclination of our hearts to slumber and sleep and laziness whereby he is robbed of his glory and our souls much of our comfort and the profit we might gain as will afterward appear A little further to amplifie this Use Surely brethren It is matter of great mourning to look upon the sad effects of mens sleeping among us look without us look within us look into the Church look into our Families look into our own hearts and do you not finde brethren that generally there hath been a sleeping O the Lord reprove us for it and shame us out of it as he did his own Disciples Is not the Church of Christ the Vineyard of the Lover-run with Weeds with Nettles and Hemlocks and poysonous weeds which do even kil the good plants When was the face of this field the Church of Christ in England and Ireland so over-grown with such weeds when was there such a face of things It is true it is not long since the Wilde-Boars of the Wood did wast and such as would have pluckt and rooted it up and laid it waste had not the Lord wounded them but now how doth it swarm with little Foxes that spoyl the Vines which have tender grapes and is there much difference between plucking up a Corn field by the roots and letting it be over-grown with weeds unto chaoking How cometh this to pass Surely brethren the reason is because we have slept While men slept the enemy did this Magistrates who are the keepers of the Lord his Vineyard they have slept surely the good Lord pardon it and open their eys they have not kept the Vineyard but exposed it to the evil man to do what he would in it they have drunk in that unsound principle many of them that they have nothing to do about the Church and Kingdom of Christ and this like a poyson of Poppy or Opium hath laid them fast asleep as to this if God had not watched over his Vineyard better then men that have the charge of it what had become of it before this Were it not a sad thing think you for a nursing father to have no more care of his Charge then to let any one who would come into the Nursery go in and out and bring what poyson he would with him and give it when or to whom he pleased would this be a discharge of his duty this is a sad nursing Well sure I am Magistrates are Nursing fathers and ought to be so and if it be not their duty as much to hinder the poysoning as to further the feeding of the Church I do not understand Well they have slept they have not kept the Vineyards of the Lord. For Ministers they have slept also surely they have not been so diligent they have not seen afar off when the evil hath been coming and given warning of it O how did Paul warn the people day and night with tears for he knew that after his departure grievous Wolves would come in where hath there been almost such a spirit as this of Paul doubtless brethren there have been some who have stood in the watch-Tower and have seen these things and have blown the Trumpet O but there hath not been that tenderness of doing of it it hath not been done in that lively manner as it should be it may be if there had been more mourning in secret then for these things if they would not hear it might have been otherwise And have not the people of God been to blame are not they the remembrancers of God as well as his Ministers yea that make mention of the Lord or are his remembrancers and have not they slept while men slept the enemy hath done this Indeed we are apt to eye the miscarriages of others and impute the sad condition of the Churches to this person and that person to the male administration of Magistracy and Ministry and surely they are not excusable before the Lord but all this while we forget to smite upon our thighs and cry out Ah what have we done that the Vineyard of the Lord Iesus is thus overgrown with weeds have we not given the Lord rest he would have us give him no rest we have let him alone that is to say we have not even wearyed him with our complaints our sighs and tears and groans and prayers of faith whence doth deliverance come usually but from the prayers of such as are Princes with God it may be sometimes we pray a little and sometimes are affected with it but we fall asleep again and give the Lord rest hath not he the hearts of Magistrates in his hands and cannot he turn them as the Rivers of water whithersoever he will and so the hearts of Ministers can he not giue them such a spirit as day and night to warn the people with tears O surely if we did speak less to men then sometimes we do happily and more to God it might do better But then the Prayers of Faith are wanting we are ready to despond our hands hang down when our hopes are not lively and therefore no marvel if iniquity abound and prevail surely brethren there is a general sleeping among us The sad effects in our own Families what sad work is there many times and all for want of watching Parents asleep Masters asleep act not their Faith in Prayer for their in a relations it may be and therefore they miscarry many of them manner But to come nearer Alas brethren in our own souls what a strang temper are we in many times not fit for any thing O how doth Corruption grow upon us as pride and passion and Earthliness and what is the reason we sleep but though we sleep Satan never sleepeth O how doth he watch such an opportunity to water his plants in our hearts when we are asleep alas can we tell how often brethren we have lost our frame of heart when the Lord hath humbled and melted and enlarged our souls Our Wine is quickly turned into water again and we know not how we lost it Surely brethren we were asleep and then what sad Lamentings there are after the Lord again till we come to our selves Well the Lord make us sensible of it both for our own souls and for the Churches of Christ If the Lord Iesus should come to us brethren as he did to his Disciples now and reprove us and ask us what are ye all asleep could ye not watch with me one little while How comes it
to pass that your Churches your Families your hearts are so choakt with tares and weeds What could we answer him should we have a word to say for our selves well the Lord affect our hearts with it so much for this Vse The next use of the point shall be a distinguishing word between the sleep of Formalists sinners and the sleep which is incident to the Saints the people of God the wise Virgins slept their sleep and the foolish theirs and however in the expression there seems to be no difference yet there is a difference sure between them to be found for it may be this may trouble some poor souls who may think because they sleep therefore they are surely of the foolish Virgins And others may be emboldned and their hands strengthened What the best sleep as well as others therefore though this be my Condition yet all shall be well I would therefore add a word or two to this First Then remember this Sinners at the best and Hypocrites at the best their hearts are asleep and the Saints at the worst their hearts are awake indeed in naturals we use to say when a person is ready to drop asleep his heart is asleep already but it is not so in Spirituals with the people of God Judas when he was at the best that ever he was before he discovered his covetousness in the business of the poor he was unsound at the heart his heart was dead indeed it is a dead sleep that is upon their hearts and yet he walkt up and down as men in a deep sleep sometimes will do in a strange manner but his heart was asleep Now Peter he he fell asleep too in the matter of his denial of Christ but his heart was awake though the senses were closed up for a time yet when the Son of righteousness broke forth upon him lookt upon him you see he presently waked so the Church I sleep but my heart wakes in the deepest sleep of the Church of Christ the heart is awake there are divers apprehensions of this Some understand it thus I sleep but my heart wakes that is to say Christ who is as the heart to the Church the seal of life and vital spirits he wakes or else taking the Church Collectively she sleepeth but the heart waketh that is to say she may miscarry in some lesser matters as External but in the main the fundamentals the heart of religion in that she never fals altogether But we shall speak to it as it respects particular persons as wel as the general as doubtless it doth I sleep but my heart waketh the Church was Lazy and drousie slumbred and slept but yet not so but that the heart was awake it was not a dead sleep and this will appear if we consider two or three things 1. The Church then hath a Conscience not altogether past feeling but in fome measure awakened and then 2. The will and affections not altogether lost and gone in such a Condition 1. Then the Conscience that hath yet some stirring and that will appear because 1. The Church here knew the voice of her beloved even when she was asleep when he came and called to her my love my dove my undefiled open to me She now knew the voice of Christ so many a drousie soul that is slumbering and sleeping knoweth the hints and motions of the Spirit which he hath but alas hath not power to obey for sleep hath so overcome them security hath so seized upon them that though they hear yet they do not as me thinks in that very business of Jehoshai which I have thought strange of when his Conscience was awake he would hear the voice of the Lord in Micah he thought all the rest of the Prophets of Baal were false he would have the Word of the Lord from the mouth of a true Prophet a man would have thought now he should have done it presently being an upright hearted man also no yet if you read the text you shall find he went with Ahab notwistanding here he had a Conscience awake plainly but yet he did not obey he was so far engaged now to Ahab not only in affinity but his word was out and his honour at stake and though Conscience likely might check him for the thing as well as put him on to enquire of a true Prophet yet those Lusts now love to his own honour and carnal interest and affection laid him asleep he went up notwithstanding well this is the case in this place Can we not many of us set our seals to this truth how often in a fit of security have we had Convictions and Checks we have heard the voice of Christ open to me my love let my word have rooâ— in thee this thou dost is not pleasing to me O why wilt thou shut me out deal so unkindly with me yet your persons asleep though we hear many things we heed them not much but turn upon our beds as the door upon the hinges and cannot get off 2. Conscience is so awake usually in the people of God as to tell them they are asleep they have somewhat secretly whispering them in the ears that they are not in the right way they are slothful or sluggish David I think was in a deep a sleep as any that we read of yet I can hardly think but David had this within him some grudgings and misgivings that all was not well with him at that time But because happily this may be common to them with Hopocrites except they be very fast asleep indeed therefore I will rather insist upon the third 3. I say usually the People of God as they know they are asleep when they are asleep so they complain of it they rest not so questionless sinners do usually there is nothing disturbeth them so far as to complain of it I sleep saith the Church but my heart is awake it appeared the heart was awake indeed because she complained of it as a man that is droufre and cannot keep his eyes open he naps and nods it may be and wakeneth again or if he apprehend himself in danger to have any pressing business upon him if he sleep longer it is unquietly his mind is troubled with the thing and it wakes him often and he wouldshake it off but cannot laboriosius dormiunt quam vigilant saith one â—o our Annot. So the Conscience might then when asleep lash them stir them up many times tel them they do amiss prick them for it Nowan Hypocrite will hardly complain of his sleepiness not in reality â—f it be a practice that may â—et him off with men to be whining and complaining he will complain happily more to men then to the Lord but this poor Creature that sears the Lord his sleep O it lieth like lead at his heart he groans under it But then for the Will that also is awake in part when a Child of God sleepeth It was so with Paul
do which may advantage himself or others how can a man pray when he cannot act his faith nor act his love nor his zeal and fervency of Spirit but all are a sleep Ah what weak service hath the Lord from many of us upon this account 4. Another Consideration shall be this the unseasonableness of the thing Every thing is beautified by the season and if it be out of season it is uncomely It is not a walking honestly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 honestly or comely to sleep now brethren it is enough for â—inners that are of the night that never â—aw the day-star appear nor the Sun of righteousness arise upon them for them to lie sleeping now it is something suitable for they that sleep saith the Apostle sleep in the night and they that are drunk are drunk in the night the night was for sleep naturally and therefore man goeth forth to labour and to his work until the evening So in spirituals it is most unsuitable to sleep in the day-time brethren if you believe you are of the day and not of the night as the Apostle saith We count him a Drone a Lusk or Lurden that shall sleep in the day-time It was David his fault to be upon the bed in the day-time And so likely Isâ—bosheth except the Custom of the place being hot might excuse it Well then hath the Lord in in finite riches of grace brought thee out of the dark night made it day with thee when it is night with many families and poor souls about thee and wilt thou make it â—ight by sleeping it is unseasonable it is enough for them that are in darkness to sleep Again 2. Consider It is the time wherein you are called upon to act for God and for your own souls It is not only the day but the time for work It is our harvest brethren wherein should lay up not for many years as the fool in the Gospel said but for eternity treasure up grace for eternity lay up a good foundation for the time to come O how richly laden are some of the Saints over others are that have made a profession of Christ as long as they live what is the reason why they have slept while they should have gathered he that gathereth in Summer is a wise son but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame there the one is opposed to the other that soul will cloth himself with shame and Confusion one day that sleepeth in harvest in the time of labour wherefore doth the Bridegroom tarry but to give you space to repent to work out your salvation in and instead of working shall we sleep out this time and will it be Comfortable in the end will it be comfortable if instead of labouring in the vineyard we sleep all the heat of the day what account shall we make when we come to receive the recompence 3. Yet more unseasonable it is also If you consider that usually the time of this falling asleep is after a good while converse and walking with God then men fall a napping the wise virgins they had their oyl and their Lamps burning it is true they had provided for the main and it is likely went forth to meet him but in the way the nearer they came to their journeys end for there must be some good competent time sure before they would conclude that the Bridegroom tarried and then they lay aside all and fall asleep Remember that of the Apostle knowing the season saith he that now it is high time for you to awake for now is your salvation nearer then when you believed Now is the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to awake out of sleep now is salvation nearer What is the meaning of this the meaning is now is the most unseasonable time of all other for you to be asleep now you should press hard forward now just at your journies end as a Traveller or a man in a race holds up his head all the way and maketh speed and when he is near the journies end and should lay hold upon the goal that then he should sit down and sleep this is unseasonable and utterly unsafe if he expect to obtain by his running Ah brethren sure you would obtain else why did you run if you expected not a reward Now may I not say with the Apostle you did many of you run well but who hindred you how came it to pass you dropt asleep or are you inclining to it O take heed it is not safe at the end of your race the night is past the day is come or the night the time of this ignorance for our life is compared to the vision of God in heaven may well be compared to a night and that to day well this day is at hand it is nearer then when you began to believe for that is the meaning of that Phrase as such a King reigned that is to say began to raign ordinarily in Scripture Well then it is utterly unseasonable therefore let me beg of you brethren and the Lord prevail with our hearts to take heed of it Fifthly Another Consideration shal be this that while you lay your selves to sleco you lose God and Christ you lose their presence when the soul open to Jesus Christ he cometh in and the father and Holy Spirit with him and they bring their dainties with them and abundantly refresh the soul with his love which is better then wine and as long as the soul doth give him entertainment and followeth to improve its Communion with him he will sâ—ay but truly brethren if we sleep he will not then tarry but he takes his leave and leaveth us sleeping and alas before we are aware we have lost him and know not where to find him It was Sampsons case alas his strength was in the presence of God with him when he departed he was as as another man he lies down upon Dalilahs lap and then he fals asleep and at last he was robbed of his strength God was departed from him he he had many forewarnings but he was bewitched with a Lust it did so imprison his reason that he could not see what he was to do at last he wist not that God was departed from him he went thinking to shake himself as at other times but alas his strength was gone Ah brethren if a man have a Dalilah it is sive to one but sooner or later it will lull him asleep and if it can but get him asleep it is easie to get away the Lords presence from him and he know it not untill afterward Sixtly Another Argument shal be not only that not only when we fall asleep we not only lose the Lord Jesus and the presence of his Spirit but we then shall keep him out also the senses are locke up A Servant fast asleep when his Master cometh home he may knock long enough before he open to him why alas
he is asleep herein indeed is the exceeding riches of his grace that though we grieve him by our slighting of his presence and Communications of himself to us so as to fall asleep in the midst of them that he will abide no longer yet his heart yearns toward us and his Love perswadeth him to return again to the soul and he will try again if we will let him in but we are asleep Behold I stand at the door and knock it is wonderful indeed that he should do so but so he doth and how long doth he stand at some of our hearts when we by a sleepy spirit grieved him away how long doth he tarry before we open you see in the Case of the Church I sleep but my heart waketh open to me my love my dove my undesiled how sweet compellations he useth though thou hast shut me out like a kind love yet my love open to me my Locks are wet with the dew of the night much he endures before we open and do but observe when she knew it to be his voice yet she hath many excuses I have put off my Coat c. and all this while he stays but what unkind dealing is this when by his word he knocks alas it sinketh not any further then the ear there it dyeth knocks by the voice of his Spirit and by rods and afflictions sometimes and yet we keep him out this is the sixth Seventhly When we fall asleep we little know how longwe shall lie in that Condition therefore take heed of it O when David fell into that sleep how long did he lie in it nine months at least and he might have lain nine years except the Lord had taken a more then ordinary course with him So the Patriarchs how long did they lie in their sleep and their Consciences neveâ— awaked until their affliction this is clear in the very case of the Church in the Canticles how long did he call and call again and wait upon her and yet she is not awaked a little stirred she is but alas lies down again as a man half awaked until at last he was pressed to come nearer to her to put his hand in at the hole-of the Lock and then at last she got off her bed with much ado First He was fain to come nearer to her with some inward touch and offer of his grace offering as I may say with his hand to open the bolts wherewith her heart was bolted against him and then she waked and not before you see these virgins here slept until the Cry came and how long they slept who can tell O it is a sad thing brethren to be so long without Communion and Fellowship with the Lord Jesus to be so long under weakness and inability to exercise our graces that we can do nothing but poor weak service so long to keep out Jesus Christ and when do we know that he will come so near to us as throughly to awake us what if he should never do it until our dying day what a sad end would that be Eighthly Remember this brethren though you may think of case in such a Condition of sleeping it will be no case to you but trouble for usually what is the râ—ason we unbend our bows loose the Cords we think we may have ease take on more easily and fairly for heaven then we have done now the main part of our work is done we have gotten the oyl in our vessels and a little assurance it may be of his love therefore now we may take our ease and so fall asleep believe it brethren it will be a little case to you and it will appear if you consider these two or three things 1. While you are in that sleep if you be believers indeed you will not have ease what distempered sleeps do men sleep that are in continual fear or that should not sleep and know they should not sleep it will hazard their lives is their sleep sweet ordinarily surely no when a man sleepeth and in his sleep is terrified with dreams how unquiet is he truly a believer he never sleepeth heart and all if he did it were somewhat like now a Hypocrite doth he sleepeth heart and all that is first asleep that never was awake and therefore he may take more pleasure But alas the Child of God all the while he is off from Christ and the enjoyment of him he is like a stone from its center like an Iron pluckt from the Loadstone that hath yet a â—ingering towards him will not rest until it return to him again so it is not quiet altogether therefore of all men the people of God are the veriest fools when they give way to sin or lie down upon the lap of sinful delights and fall asleep because they have a still principle within them which is kept awake a seed of God which still interrupteth them and they cannot take their fill of delight nor rest in sin therefore to them it is returning to folly when once peace is spoken to them I appeal to the experiences of all the Saints whether when they are in a sleepy frame a fit of security hath seized upon them the presence of Christ is departed whether they have that rest and quiet in their spirits it is an uncomfortable condition to them 2. Because usually when his people are in such a Condition the Lord is sain to take some violent course with them more then he would to awake them so that not only their sleep is troublesom but their awaking is also sad to them Here there is a Cry made whether it be by the voice of the word lifted up terrible threatnings Or whether the voice of his rod which cryeth it is terrible it is not a still voice happily will do it but it must be something that will make both our ears to tingle as it was in Elias case poor man he was asleep a Lust had so besotted him that is to say his carnal affection to his Children he honoured them above God that love devoured his love and eat up his zeal for God and the Lord warns him sendeth a Prophet to him and tels him what he was like to trust to he had set his Conscience a little to work before so far as to reprove them But if nothing else will do it awake him throughly What then I will do a thing that shall make both the ears of him that heareth it tingle It shall awaken him and awaken others the boring of the ear may cost us something he will give us an alarm a strong one at least if he do not beat up our Quarters where we lie lurking And you that are souldiers and have been in this Condition hath it been comfortable to you when you have been so beaten up I think not sure O what hurrying then and terrour is upon every man when he is so surprized So nothing else would do to the Brethren of
Jesus knoweth it and he will acknowledge it O he is strict to mark what is good if but a little spark in much smoak or under much ashes when to all mens thinking the life is gone he seeth there is somewhat alive and awake within a Seed of God within and he will take notice of it for the comfort of his poor people If ever in any example we would have thought men had slept will and all we would have thought so of the Disciples that notable example that being so often shakt with such sharp and shameful rebukes yet they should forth with be asleep again as if they had not 〈…〉 heeded Jesus Christ at all yet at last when they came to themselves and could sleep no longer for the enemies were upon them Now sleep if you can lest this should too sorely assail them that they had slept so soundly under such awaking means as they had and be swallowed up of to much grief O saith our Saviour the spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak he knew their Consciences would be ready to load them and Satan would help forward their overwhelming grief they wist not what to say to him nor for themselves and therefore our Saviour himself letteth them know that there was some willingness within them the spirit was willing but the flesh was weak and that he took notice of it and accepted according to what they had and not according to what they had not where there is a willing mind O here is comfort indeed to have to do with such a Master such a father such a Bridegroom as both knoweth and that little willingness that is in sincerity in his peoples hearts not to sleep though they themselves could not say so he puts an answer into their mouths to Satans accusing and the smitings of their own hearts and a plea in their mouths to himself to prevail with him for pity and sparing of them Remember this that though sleep and slumber and many woful interruptions are in thy service of God yet remember Jesus Christ he hath served without any such slumbrings and such imperfections and this is thine he will render unto man if he do acknowledge to God he hath sinned that is to say freely feelingly faithfully acknowledge it Ah brethren it was a time of prayer and a duty for the Disciples to pray when our Saviour prayed but they were all asleep if now their righteousness peace and salvation had depended upon themselves where had it been or if Jesus Christ had slept as well as they where had it been but he was wrestling and praying for himself and for them in himself at that time he never was heavy in his prayers he never fell asleep nor slumbred neither with this spiritual slumber he fulfilled all righteousness to a tittle O then remember this brethren this must be the ground of our grace and comfort you must have it in another and not in your selves And magnifie this rich grace of God in Jesus Christ that hath laid up for such poor sleeping sinners such a watchful Ordinance 6. Another word may be this though it be true in thy sleep thou art in great danger as you heard before which indeed is enough to alarm us continually yet if we do strive and stir up our selves aâ—d yet are overcome though sore against our wills and so are in danger of some deadly blow are weak and feeble and the least temptation may smite us to the ground much more then dreadful temptations and without all question Satan never lulls us asleep but he hath a design upon us to take away our life our God our Christ our peace our comfort our strength from us Yea to smite us to the ground at once and smite us no more As Abishai said to David and as he begged he might have leave so doth the Devil even beg O how fain he would have leave to smite us then as he moved the Lord against Job so continually this accuser and enemy whose work it is to devour O when he findeth such a prey how edged is his appetite but remember this for thy comfort and say not surely Satan will smite me to the heart at one time or another poor trembling soul the Lord that keepeth Israel and watcheth them he never slumbreth nor sleepeth Indeed if the Lord had slept as we are apt to think he doth when he with-holds from us his quickening or comforting presence for a time and were apt to cry out as I may say to awake him yet he never sleepeth he watcheth and wards many a secret thrust and blow that when we are asleep poor creatures we cannot be aware of and though thou mayest grieve him by a sloathful spirit and he may make thee smart other ways for it yet surely he wiâ—l not give up the life of dear Saints the price of this life of his dear dear Son to the will of Satan No they were bought at too dear a rate 7. Again O what a comfort it is to a child of God that he hath to do with such a Christ such a Bridegroom the wise Virgins belong to are espoused to as when they do sleep is willing to take so much pains to awaken them This indeed it should grieve us so much the more that we should put him to it yet it is a comfort and no weak one neither that he is willing to be at suh pains with us to awake us How long doth he stand at the door and knock before they will open they lye asleep still he cals them with the sweetest compellations My love my dove my undefiled O thou dear and precious soul it is I thy dear Saviour It is I whom thy soul loveth wilt thou rise and open to me I am wet with the dew of the night canst thou finde in thy heart to put me to stand without and induâ—e the cold and the injuries of the night and weather and keep me out of thy heart the place which I have chosen for my habitation and wherein is all my delight O what workings of his bowels are here one would think this were enough to awaken No yet she shifts and maketh excuses and very frivolous ones as people will when they are not very willing of a thing Well now a man would have thought the Lord Jesus might have been justly grieved so as to depart and leave her sleeping No saith the Text He came nearer and put his hand in at the hole of the door Poor souls he s 〈…〉 eth that the spirit is willing the flesh is weak that is to say So far as carnal we are weak the strength of the flesh maketh us weak and nothing else will do therefore he is fain to come and take her by the heart to touch her heart to begin to unbolt the door himself he cometh in some nearer sweeter powerful breathings of his spirit within that now she is overcome and
heart of the Lord is most widely opened This should be matter of deep humiliation to us all that we are so apt to sleep when we have most need to be awake The other Doctrine gave us a humbling word but this much more If we consider these two things 1. The more grace we have received the worse we grow turn the grace of Christ into wantonness for usually at the first when the soul is awaked out of its dead sleep O how hard it followeth after God it giveth no sleep to its eyes nor slumber to his eye-lids until he find out a place for the Lord an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob in the soul Well it is true the Lord hath done something for that poor soul he hath opened his eyes to see the want of Christ and touched his heart so that now he followeth him and cannot but follow him this is unspeakable mercy But now when the Lord hath done much more for the soul hath poured upon it his Spirit given the oyl of gladness as well as of grace that then it should fall asleep the more engagements of Love the Lord Jesus lays upon the soul the more liâ—tless the more lazy it should grow The Apostle took it unkindly and well he might the more he loved them the less he was beloved and this could not but shame them if they had any ingenuity and may not the Lord Jesus take it as unkindly that the more he loveth us the less he should be loved of us as his love groweth hottest our love should grow coldest O for a spiritual ingenuity that we might lie down in shame before the Lord continually for this O what ungodly hearts c. and how unkind may poor creatures be and are they who have received greatest kindness from him Paul labored more abundantly because grace bad more abounded toward him then others We are prone to it if we be not left to it the more grace we have received the more listless to grow which ariseth noâ— from the nature of grace but from self-confidence and resting in our receivings which lays us fast asleep a man that hath one talent improveth it but he that hath ten lays it to sleep c. 2. What a shame is it for us that when we have most need to act our grace we have the least use of it for what was grace given us for brethren but for action not to lie idle and rust for want of using but to exercise it for his glory our own comfort and others good Now how do we fall short of these ends when we cannot use it in our greatest need is in those times before mentioned how would a man be ashamed that is or should be a man of his hands and when there is not such need he can sence and use his hands exactly to defend himself or offend his enemy but when he cometh to it indeed that his life is in danger he is in a deep sleep as the Psalmist speaks and none of the men of might find their hands A man is very rational at all other times only at a pinch when he hath more then ordinary need of it he is a very child and can do nothing this is a great shame The Saints that have received much grace and therefore should act strongly for God what a shame is it that when temptation cometh or when any more then ordinary occasion to exercise their grace they are like Children sleeping in their Cradles can do nothing Then If this be so Let us learn never to trust our hearts when they at the best in their highest frame most spiritual most enlarged Alas they are like a deceitful Bow it seemeth firm until you come to draw it but when you have need of it draw it it will deceive you fall asunder he that trustoth in his own heart is a fool saith the wise man and who more likely to know then he who beside the Spirit whereby he spake had had experience what a sad thing that self-confidence and security had been how fatal it had proved to himself be sure brethren if there be any time more then another that we need our hearts to be present or graces to be in act they will be asleep our corrupt part will cloud them and bear them down Do but observe it if it be but to watch one hour with Christ in an holy duty as prayer or the like It is strange but it is true our hearts will be less present then then at any thing else Let the duty be done or before it begin and you shall not be troubled with such a stream of vain and impertinent if not sinful thoughts but once go about this duty and O how do they thrust upon the soul and how lively sometimes when there is not so much need are the affections and how dull and flat are they then therefore trust not any frame you have at any time received for indeed it will prove a broken reed even grace it self if you lean upon it it will fail you and pierce you also Then what need had we brethren to ply the Throne of grace to sit down by the fountain and fulness of life and quickning influence even Jesus Christ David did even when he was at the best frame as in penning the 119. Psalm when do we find more flaming affections towards God and Heaven and his Law and Worship so strong as to break through all oppositions of men and Satan and Corruption and yet how sensible was he of his falling flat even in the midst of such a rapture O quicken thou me quicken thou me according to thy Word saith he alas this vigor will not continue except thou supply it with continual refreshing and renewing of strength And so in that place O that thou wouldst keep this upon the imagination of the thoughts of their hearts for ever alas else he knew if there were a like occasion for a free spirit in the service of God and his Temple it would be far from them O therefore ply the throne of grace brethren live by the faith of the Son of God Faith will draw water out of the wels of salvation And O what need had we to keep in with the Spirit of grace lest he leave us in a time of need It is true when we aprrehend a danger or an hour of temptation coming and the soul be any thing awake O then what mean it will make for the presence of the Spirit but brethren he deals with us as we deal with him If when we have peace and a calm and in our ordinary waking we slight him and sit loose to him believe it in our time of greatest need he may justly stand at a distance from us and let us see what our own strength is and what can we do without him O therefore let us take heed of grieving this holy Spirit which is that Spirit
such persons of all others 4. It will be a word of Terror then to all hypocrites and formalists and all sinners in that this day of the Lord will surprize you and come upon you at unawares What maketh death so terrible to poor sinners when they come to it but the judgement which followeth it so that let a sinner have warning of it and it is terrible but when it cometh upon a sudden and unexpected this exceedingly addeth to the terror of it it amazeth astonisheth O what a terror must it needs be to the old world that when their hopes were in the spring in their verdure then all on a sudden the world was on a flood the fountains of the deep and the clouds above conspired to swallow them up And will it not be think you as great an astonishment when the world at the end shall look for nothing less and before they are aware the world shall be on a flame about their ears O then the sinners in Sion will be afraid and fearfulness will surprize the hypocrite put as good a face upon it now as you can How terrible is a sudden storm upon the poor Mariners which they never lookt for they are all inveloped in darkness the clouds and seas seem to come together How terrible was the coming of Gideon upon the Midianiâ—es on a sudden at midnight when all asleep likely to see and hear so many Trumpets blowing so many pitchers clattering so many Lamps burning such a cry the sword of the Lord and of Gideon all on a sudden O how terrible it was it put them besides themselves they knew not what to do they thrust their swords in one anothers bowels O that we had but hearts to believe how terrible a day it will be to us if it overtake us as a snare Yea surely it will have somewhat of amazement terror in it to the people of God themselves that shal be found sleeping with whom it shall be midnight in respect of security And though they may avoid the ruine and destruction of the day they shall have a share in the distraction and terror of it but poor sinners poor hypocrites poor formalists shall have the amazing terror and never come to themselves never recover themselves but perish for ever by it 5. Then knowing the terror of the Lord we perswade men to this watching which is the main thing intended in the Parable And concerning which you have heard somewhat already having spoken so largely to the Privation or defect of this watching in the slumbering and sleeping of the Virgins Nor do I intend to insist largely upon this watching here only here I suppose it most naturally falls into this main part of the Parable Watching here is as much as diligent taking heed to our selves that that day come not upon us at unawares As a man that watcheth against an enemy is surprized he takes diligent heed so our Saviour take heed to your selves that that day come not upon you as a snare so take heed to your selves and the flock over which the Lord hath made you overseers c. Watch therefore saith he for after my departure grievous wolves will enter As a party of soldiers when they would take diligent heed to themselves lest they be surprized by their enemy they watch they express it that way so here then The Exhortation is brethren to us all To take diligent heed to our selves lest we be surprized by the coming of Jesus Christ for we know not when he will come there is no determined time and if we take not diligent heed it will come upon us unawares You have had some of the Motives to press this duty heretofore or the Caution against sleeping I pray you remember how you cannot be too often put in mind of them surely our Saviour cometh over with it so often again and again you have heard the danger you are in while you sleep But we will rather take up a Consideration or two from hence First the difficulty of the duty so continually to take so diligent heed If the good man had known what hour the thief would have come he might more easily have watched to have prevented him it is much more easie to hold out such a watch for a while then constantly now every hour being in danger because we know not what hour he will come this is more difficult which should not discourage us but whet us on to double diligence Jam per periculum animâ— Alexandri It is an easie thing to be a Christian as many are lazy droans listless sleepy Professors that alas alas would scarce ever be found upon their watch when ever he should come But it is a matter of great difficulty and will work all your faculties to the utmost to watch for his appearing 2. The dreadfulness of the thing if you be surprized would you have Jesus Christ find you with your ornaments laid aside find you naked how will you hold up your heads and look him in the face either you will perish with the foolish Virgins and I doubt that will prove the portion of many of our souls or else you will be saved but you must run through fear through some shame confusion distraction when you are taken unawares Besides you are not of the night but of the day saith the Apostle that that day should not take you at unawares 1 Thes 5. 5. And otherwise we give not God the end of his dispensations which is that we might watch What then should we do surely brethren There are two things specially for us to do according to the scope of this Parable which our Saviour thus applyeth because the foolish Virgins and the wise both by their sleeping suffered such loss the one lost all their precious souls all the world not being able to recover them the other lost their comfort and sweet peace and quiet and had much coniusion in their latter end the soul being in a hurry to make ready when it should go forth to meet the Lord Jesus should have nothing else to do but to dye Therefore this watching being opposed to both their sleeping I conceive there are two things specially in it First That you be sure to have your oyl in your vessels ready that we have grace in our hearts Take heed to your selves diligently then in the name of Jesus Christ that you give not sleep to your eys nor slumber to your eye-lids give not the Lord nor your souls rest until you have this Communication of Christ to your poor souls how many poor hearts that hear this word have not a dram of grace though you have long had a name to be Christians yet that hath been all Brethren What do you mean can you dye comfortably hopefully except you have grace in your hearts this oyl this Spirit of grace dwelling in you will any thing else enable you to lift up your faces before him but his
righteousness and holiness made over to you imputed unto you as an Inner and Outward Garment or Cloathing I have hope of you you would not prove Foolish Virgins and that you are not so careless as not to regard whether you be found to have grace yea or no If there be any such let me tell such a man his Condition is next to desperate the Lord smite such sinners hearts but if you do not care there will come a time when you will care and every vein in your hearts will ake when you shall find alas you have trifled away your time your day you had to get grace in and now you have none Do you think brethren to go to heaven without grace must there be a wedding garment to his Supper here and must not there much more be a wedding Garment upon them that come into that nearest Fellowship with the Lord Jesus for ever Do poor sinners eat and drink judgement to themselves if they come without grace to the Supper O brethren do you think he will endure you to enter if you have not grace to sit with him at his Table to eternity No believe it Sinners shall not stand in the Congregation of the upright O that the Lord would perswade you How far are many of us from the Apostles temper he counted all things dung and dross not worthy his thoughts in comparison of being found in Christ and do not we count these things dung and dross in comparison of the world if it were not so surely men would lay out some of their care some of their thoughts some of their time for the getting Christ and grace 2. We must labour also to have our graces to get and keep our graces in act in a lively frame our hearts flaming towards the Lord continually the wise Virgins they slept and while they slept they could not watch now they had grace in their hearts but they kept it not in use in exercise as they should have done and therefore they underwent much inconvenience as you have heard and therefore our Saviour exhorts us to watch to take diligent heed that we run not the like hazard with them no more than with the foolish virgins Therefore labour to get your graces lively how should we think with our selves often when we find a listless fâ—ame growing upon us O what would my Condition be if the Lord Jesus should come this day to my poor soul Labour to keep your faith lively your Love lively so your humility and self-abasing that you may exalt him But alas you will say how can we do this we are poor imperfect creatures and therefore can we be alway acting our graces is it likely we should keep them alway in act that is enough for Angels and glorified Saints to do who are therefore called watchers I answer to this It is true it is not required we should always be acting of grace for then we should be able to do nothing else then we should neither sleep nor follow the works of some of our callings which require the intention of the mind as well as the labour of the hand therefore that is not the meaning nor indeed were we able to do it our spirits would fail us But how then Why We must be acting our graces when we are called to act them when ever is a time Mephibosheth eats bread continually at Davids table not that he did nothing else but eat without any intermission but at meal-times he did eat continually Note brethren we should see to it that upon all occasions we act our graces upon every temptation wherewith we are assaulted we should act our faith upon every tryal our patience upon every manifestation of himself to us to act our love and humility and thank-fulness But specially in our drawings nigh to him then see to it that we have our graces in act which alas how sar short do we fall of as in our daily performances prayers publike secret So meditating reading hearing receiving the Lords Supper if we would have them bright we must exercise them at these times how should we now renew our repentance in washing our hands in innocency as clean as if washed in innocency it self and so compass the Altar of God How should we as Jacob his family besides putting away their Idols change their garments also we should labour to get cloathed with another Spirit another frame then ordinary when we come before him upon these occasions It is said concerning the Steward which specially concerneth the Ministers of Christ Blessed is that servant whom his Master shall sind so doing giving every one their portion in due season A slothful servant is a wicked servant our Saviour saith he that receiveth grace in vain improveth it not stirreth not up himself to lay hold upon Christ upon special occasions such as are on foot upon such a day as this oporteâ— Episcopum concionari saith one eminent in his time The Lord hath given his Spirit to all believing people they have the habits of grace and he giveth it them as a stock to trade with as principles to act for him in their places O blessed is that servant whom his Lord shall find so doing he saith not whom his Lord â—hall find with grace in his heart but so doing acting his grace Ah blessed souls whom he shall find praying keeping up those duties in a lively manner whom he shall find receiving the sealing Ordinances and with a wedding Garment upon him a lively frame of spirit fit for it You have the Spirit of Christ dwelling in you if you be his and will you let such a precious principle lie idle it is given to mortifie to sanctifie O blessed soul that shall be found so doing even by the Spirit to mortifie the deeds of the Flesh surely brethren nothing will keep us more awake then action will if we be found sleeping it will not be comfortable to us therefore look to the acting of your graces I beseech you Again Labour to love his appearing so as that we may wait for it for indeed if we love it not we shall be apt to put the thoughts of it far from us labour either to love it or fear it according to thy Condition if thy Calling and Election be made sure if thou knowest the things freely given thee of God then be ashamed that any thing in the world should lie so near thee as not to desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ renew these desires day by day nothing but the greater glory of God should make us willing to be here indeed action for Christ and his honour is of a high nature and ought to have great weight with us as the Apostle hath it but yet methinks the burthen of sins should make us groan for it methinks if we have an eye upon the recompence of reward the joy that is set before thee that full enjoyment
out of their hearts so to hinder this work among them Well remember this such as are more forward then others are there may be heat as well as light and yet but foolish Virgins but hypocrites when all is done Thirdly An hypocrite he may be careful in avoiding much sin not only in an imperfect will which is overcome by an interest such as Herod and Darius had who were wretches though not so properly hypocrites but an hypocrite may go as far as they surely they may forgo their Idolatry and gross wickedness as Simon Magus left his Sorceries and these virgins therefore they are called virgins though foolish virgins likely though I will not build much upon it but yet we see the unclean spirit may go out of a man for a time and yet enter again he may forsake his gross pollutions and yet return to that folly again wallowing in them as the swine and the dog in that second of Peter there is an escaping the pollutions of the world and yet notwithstanding a returning to them again he that stole stealeth no more I was a drunkard may some one say but now I thank the Lord I am none I was a filthy wretch but now I am filthy no more this is very far and yet all this may be but hypocrisie a profession and no more in the end we may appear to be foolish Virgins Fourthly An hypocrite may have conflict within himself concerning sins that others can take no notice of and this is more then the former there may be an inward regretion and re 〈…〉 ctanâ—y against our secret evils the Conscience being inlightened and di 〈…〉 ng â—hose vain thoughts should be abandoned this pride of heart is loathsom against God it quarrels with the Affections and Will if it be a sin a man would keep and so there is a busle in the soul and many of us may mistake our selves and think it is the lusting of the flesh against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh in us when it proveth nothing so Fifthly They may also do much many duties services be much in action not Napkin up their Talent but act and act much as the foolish virgins you see they went as far as the wise for ought appears step for step Did not Judas act as well as the rest following Christ up and down going forth to preach the Gospel as well as the rest did not Jehu act in an high manner for God Come and see my zeal for God he did much more then many would do And did not Joash reform much in Jehoiadahâ— time he was zealous for the Temple of the Lord and blamed 〈◊〉 Priests they were not so forward as himself was and yet what 〈…〉 d he at the last have we not fearful examples in our own times how many diligent Christians as they seemed to be and yet alas how went they out yea truly I will say one thing more sometimes there may be a doing very great self-denying actions Was not that a self-denying action of Rehoboam and far greater then this of Jehu he had an Army ready to fight with Israel when they revolted 180000 fighting men and yet when the word of the Lord came and told him it was of God and bid him cease he obeys though a kingdom lay at the stake and he was in so fair a posture for it and yet he is but a Rehoboam still and one that forsook the Law of his God when he was strengthened though before he made much of the servants of the Lord. Sixthly An hypocrite may have the assisting inlarging presence of God with him in his service They had preached in the name of Christ his presence had been with them also and yet you see they are cast out It is said of Saul that he had another spirit given him from that day forward a spirit to gift him for the government and when God had rejected him and his service the spirit departed from him and an evil spirit vexed him he had a more then ordinary presence of God with him and yet but a Saul a wretch many a Minister that preacheth your souls to heaven and salvation may perish himself he may have great gifts given and much of Christ his presence with him in the exercises of them and yet perish for all this As the Nurse though for the present eats dainty fare not for her own sake but the sake of the great mans child whom she nurseth So may it be with us the Lord prevent us with his loving kindness And you that are Christians God may give you a gift of Prayer a gift in conferring you may be eminent therein God may assist you much therein It is for his peoples sakes that he will build up thereby refresh thereby your selves may perish notwithstanding O brethren Is not this faâ— that an hypocrite may go Seventhly He may hold out very long and yet in the end prove but an hypocrite and this is the saddest of all the rest and this you see plainly here in the Text the foolish Virgins had well nigh gone to the end when the Cry came they were found with the wise indeed in a sleeping condition but they were as forward as they for externals had not their Lamps gone out it is strange to 〈…〉 der that Judas should be such a rotten creature at the heart and yet should follow him so far many of his Disciples were quickly offended at him and went backward and never walked with him again but Judas went far it may be we may think the better of our selves for our continuance so long in the ways of God it is good if it be right in the root so that it hold oâ—t to the end Hypocrites may hold until they come as I may say within the sight of heaven or the pâ—ice of the Goal and then they tyre and give up Joash how long did he continue following God it was a long passion considering it was not a new nature in it that was the principle a torrent without a Spring to feed it to run very long indeed and so it may be with many a poor soul do but consider under this head two things 1. They may continue and weather out a persecution endure the storm and yet perish in a calm may have indured persecution for Christ his sake for his name and cause and yet alas fall short as for instance the third sort of ground it was not scorched with the Sun when it was up but continued and yet alas brought not forth fruit to perfection for the Thorns choaked it he not only withers like the Bull-Rush before other hearts but sometimes like a tree he continueth and abideth the heat of the Sun Job 8. 17. And that Alexander that indured so much for the Apostle hazarded his life for him Act. 19. 32. is thought by some to be that Alexander which did him much evil of which he complains
the mouth that maketh a profession but a suitableness of conversation walking in Christ Jesus the Lord now there may be remission of these acts The acts of a moral man which he elicits from the power of nature by moral precepts or the power of Education are called sparks in that of Isa which are of a mans own kindling the works of holiness righteousness in the Gospel is called the light of a Believer which shines before others and is indeed the main thing let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works Now I say a Believer he may have interruption in this remission in this he may either neglect them or else do them in a slight manner and that ordinarily So the Apostle speaks to the Philippians that their care again towards him had flourished by which is implyed it had flourished before but now it had languished and faded they had not put it forth for him as they might have done but now it revived As a man in a fit of passion hath not the use of his reason so the best of the Saints when the wills or lusts of the flesh prevail as they may in the best they have not the use of their spiritual part But so much for the first thing I am brief because I have had occasion to speak much what to the same purpose before The second will be this That these declinings may be in the people of God even near their end and the coming of Jesus Christ This will be justified by the Parable here the cry cometh which rouseth the wise Virgins and when they awaked and came to themselves their consciences were awaked then they saw that their Lamps wanted trimming they burned low when they should burn the brightest they are dim dull you need not much to be said for the proof of this part of the Doctrine for of Solomon after he had lived long and followed God and had had extraordinary appearances of God to him again and again publike and privately yet when he was old saith the text and should have grown better he then began to love many wives and then fell to countenance Idolatry which is a blemish upon him to all posterity And so you see it in Asa his case a good man and a man very forward and diligent for the reformation and yet in his last daies see how many failings are noted of him his unbelief resting upon an arm of flesh his imprisoning the Prophet that reproved him his going to the Physitians and not to God his oppressing of many of his people the lower he ran his day ran the more dregs he ran he ran not clearest at the bottom So Sampson some twenty years after he had been overtaken with a Philistian woman and likely repented of it yet twenty years after he goeth in to an harlot there And the Reason is plain for this because that grace at the best when it is at its perfection it is but a creature and depending upon God as the beams upon the Sun and as the stream upon the Fountain and therefore no longer then he is pleased to feed it will it subsist let our vessel be never so full of oyl our hearts never so full of grace yet it depends upon the Lord Jesus and his fulness and the Spirit like the two Olive trees that empty the golden oyl into the vessels uphold me with thy free Spirit saith the Psalmist And O that the Lord would keep this upon the frame or imagination 〈…〉 of their hearts for ever Thou maintainest my lot Psal 16. Now if he withdraw and forbear to empty out of that fulness upon us let our conditions be what it will alas grace will languish our Lamps will burn dim 2. Because truly many times this is the time the people of God grow most secure they have long followed hard after God and now they think they may slack their pace a little we are exceeding prone to set up grace received in stead of Christ when our mountain is made strong we lean upon it whereas we should only lean upon our beloved as the Church And then no marvel if he let us see to our sorrow that grace is but a creature and loseable in its own nature the child getteth most falls when it thinketh it can go it self without any holding and this much for the second The third thing is That though the Lamps of the wise Virgins come to want trimming to burn low and dim and at such a time as this yet they are not put out which is the complaint of the foolish Virgins in the following verse The declensions of a godly man at the worst they are recoverable An emblem of this was the fire upon the Altar in the Sanctuary it never went out after once it was kindled It is said of the good womans Candle it goeth not out by night she may sleep it may be but it is by Candle-light as persons that intend to rise again and haply not to sleep long will sleep by a Candle Believers may fall asleep and the Candle may burn dim but yet it goeth not out Indeed it is true a child of God his profession of Christ may be at such a low ebb sometimes as scarce to be visible A candle in the socket sometimes will burn so low that a man would think it were even out but it riseth again So we would have thought Peters profession had given up the ghost when he denyed and forswore his Master in such a sad manner And so David his profession was very low And so some of the Martyrs that subscribed a recantation as Cranmer So Tho. Whittle and Benbridge Bilny and others Fullers lives pag. 122. now we could hardly see the light yet it broke forth again and shone gloriously in them all Again It cannot be denyed but that a child of God may decline and lose divers degrees of grace which for ought we know he may never recover again never have his Lamp trimmed up as it was before but yet it never goeth quite out And so for comfort they may live and dye haply without the light of his countenance and yet their Lamps burning Our Saviour himself dyed without the sense of the Love of his Father he had his supporting presence but not that sweet refreshing presence My God my God why hast thou forsaken me for this is not necessary to the being of a Christian as to believe with the heart and confess with the mouth is in persons grown Now that it is so that their Lamps do not go out neither the light nor heat altogether nor the acts of holiness and righteousness towards God and towards men are not altogether lost and laid aside It will appear First by Scripture the path of the just is as a shining light which shineth more and more to the perfect day Some interruptions there may be
know not what it is to be almost gone and blown out at the brink of obscure darkness know not what that mercy is but such as have been made to believe that God would cast them into the bottomless pit that he would utterly destroy them and forsake them O how sweet a truth must this needs be that though their flesh and heart fail them yet God will never fail them whatever he may seem to do for a season but so much for this Doctrine The second Doctrine is this When a Believers profession groweth so low and he is declined specially at such a time it is his duty to trim his Lamp to renew his profession to look after a restoring So here they arose and trimmed their Lamps when the Cry came and this did the wise Virgins as well as the foolish Concerning the foolish Virgins I have nothing here to say nor shall I trouble my self or you with what haply might be spoken of the Hypocrites trimming his Lamp wherein it differs from the Believers The wise Virgins trimming I have spoke the last-day to that purpose shewing how far they might go But I will speak here to the wise Virgins because I would not dwell too long upon these things So you find Solomon his declinings were great and that at his latter end but he arose again and repented as appears by his Book of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs c. written after this his backsliding as is generally conceived And so the Church of the Philippians their love and care of the Apostle suffered a nipping a winter and had ceased to flourish as formerly but they renewed it again It hath flourished it again saith the Apostle Eurychus may fall down and almost beat his life out of him but it is still in him and there must be means used to draw it forth as there is pains taken with Trees that have a fit of barreness come upon them Spiritual life runs to the heart and there appears little or nothing without sometimes as conquered men do from their outworks to the Tower but it must be brought forth again we have a command for it to those two Churches in the Revelations Sardis had a name to live and was dead likely the most of them were dead and yet there were some things remaining which were ready to die and these must be strengthened the things which remain which were ready to die for their works were not perfect before God O it was hypocrisie that did eat them out of their life of Godliness it s a consuming thing indeed And so the Church of the Laodiceans their love was waxed Luke-warm neither hot nor cold neither dead altogether nor lively now saith the Lord be zealous therefore and repent But you will ask me here What it is to trim these Lamps that is here required I will speak but to two or three particulars First then In the trimming of the Lamp there is usually a supply of the Oyl if it wanted as when it hath burned long if it be not supplyed the oyl being spent it will not live except it be supplied And it was high time for these Virgins now to be awaked hereunto they might else have slept until all had been spent and the Lamp had gone out as well as the foolish grace being but a Creature it liveth by a continual supply of the Spirit of grace the first cause of it So then in the trimming of the Lamp there must be a fetching in of more grace a recourse to the fulness that is in Jesus Christ for the Lamp is ready to languish or dye else for want of oyl 2. There is a stirring up also of the grace which doth remain some oyl remaineth that must be made ready the ready passage between the Vessel and the Lamp the heart and the conversation it must indeed be cherished for being little haply it is ready to dye like a spark among much ashes stir up the gift that is in thee there is none that stirreth up himself to lay hold upon God The wick in the Lamp must be raised it being burned low so it is in this case It may be in such a declining condition of a poor soul there is more grace lying deep and low lying asleep in the habit more then the soul is aware of this must be stirred up faith stirred up and love to Jesus Christ and his people stirred up 3. In the trimming of the Lamp there is a taking away the filth and the dross that it gathers and snuffing the wick which would hinder the light and burning of it that it would be very dull and dim Now what is this brethren but the putting away those iniquities repenting of those evils whatever they have been that have thus far prevailed against their profession that security that carnality that self-confidence those things which laid them asleep which choaked the Lamp that it could not burn Whenever we are under any declining do but search and see commune with your own hearts and you will find there is some evil which lies close some soil we have gathered and hereby the spirit of grace hath been grieved and he is departed from us Now this snuff must be taken off deal not gently with it this filth and dross must be removed if we would trim up our Lamps For the Application then of this briefly in a word It may serve to stir us up every one to this duty If our Lamps be at present or shall hereafter come under any declining Alas brethren do we not slumber and sleep often and neglect all this while the trimming of our Lamps and will they not quickly burn low and dim and need a serious trimming of them I doubt this duty will be incumbert upon us and required of us oftner then we are aware of Do we know how soon the Bridegroom will come his voice goeth before him we have often heard but have we trimmed our Lamps to this day are our professions more glorious then formerly And for Motives hereunto consider First Such a restoring is a thing feizable hough the duty be thine yet the work is Gods he engageth to help yea to do it indeed he restoreth my soul saith David and it is for his own name sake for the glory of his Grace David had many decays and backslidings witherings and faintings but God restored his soul still and he is as ready to do it for his people now as ever he was therefore do not say alas this is a work too difficult or hard or there is no recovery my Lamp is so near extinct as there is no hope for me he that kindled it at first is able to restore it It is indeed a work of some difficulty and will cost you something but yet it is feizable Peter was at as low an ebb as ever poor Believer was what was become of his profession and yet Peter is recovered and after the recovery
endure every profession will not abide but it overcometh them But haply they may go down quietly and go away with confidence in their conscience a strange confidence have many poor blinded hypocrites whose consciences are seared Yet Thirdly Be sure brethren It will not carry them through the Judgement after the death the Judgement we may make a shift to pass through this world and haply delude our selves and think all is well and through death and yet never dream of our misery but if we be hypocrites be sure that a form will not endure to appear in Judgement before the ever lasting burnings the consuming fire There the Lord will examine mens hands what ever their professions have been and their hearts as it is said of Tiberius when he examined a fellow that pretended to the Crown he was so confident and cunning he could not trap him in his words at last he examined his hands and finding them hard with labour he found him to be but a servile mechanick fellow he was then so startled saith Mr. Caryl that he had no more to say So the Lord will examine mens works then and the principles of their works from which they acted and they shall be forced to confess they are hypocrites and their mouthes shall he everlastingly stopt depart from me ye workers of iniquity you tell me ye have preached in my name or prophesied c. let me see your hands you are workers of iniquity For the Application then What a terrible word to all formal professors who have only a Lamp a form of godliness but deny the power of it in heart and in their conversations Let all such if any such be here present know First Your profession will fail you sooner or later You think when you have done so many duties you have acquired such gifts and such supposed graces of the spirit and 〈…〉 w all is well these are enough to lift you up to heaven a Tower a Ladder that will reach to heaven But alas it is not so it is but a Castle builded in the air they are lying words you trust in who cry The Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord the Temple of the Lord are these You are his people and have his Ordinances a fine web a spider weaves takes great pains spins it out of her bowels but alas it never cometh to any thing it will not make a garment to cover their nakedness from the Lord Jesus Hypocrites rest in a formality and some observances of the Law as if it were their hope that should secure them from all storms and injuries whatsoever but alas it will not these things will fail Secondly Is it not worthy observation also that an hypocrite if he go to decay in this life his hypocrisie be discovered he decaies quickly suddenly more suddenly then another man ordinarily therefore he is compared to a Bull-rush that withers before any other plant when they are once blasted cursed as God doth curs them many times alas the next day they are gone and withered as the tree that was dryed up by the root which the Disciples wondered at a sad thing to-have leaves without fruit a form without power the withering curse doth light upon them soonest sooner then prophane persons and how quickly are they withered they are like the grass upon the house top that withereth before it groweth up Thirdly It will be sure to sail a man when he hath most need of it as in the hour of temptation the hour of affliction the hour of death and the hour of judgement in all these usually it fails as a man standing him in no stead◠as the brooks run in the winter when there is no need of them but in Summer when the traveller is ready to perish for thirst then are they dryed up in that place of Job Like the Apples of Sodom if a man come to touch them would be refreshed by them they turn to dust poor creatures think they have faith until an hour of temptation or affliction when they should act it then they have none So they think they have love and bowels but when an opportunity is offered and they have most need of them then they fail like the house there in Matth. 7. It was builded as fair to see to as another as the wise mans house and served him while it shone upon his Tabernacle but when once the storms arose the winds came and the waves beat against it alas it fell and great was the fall thereof Fourthly that which will set an edge upon all the former is the sad disappointment of the hypocrite or formalist in all this for his hope is cut off like a spiders web there are two Pillars he leans upon as Sampson upon the Pillars in the house the Jachin and Boaz What are they but the good things of this world and life eternal and alas both fail him For the good things of this life they many times leave him the mire and the water which made the Bull-rush to grow they are dryed up what is become of his hope then he leans laies hold on his house and is loath to let it go but let him hold it as fast as he can yet down it must go when the Lord cometh to manifest his displeasure against him Secondly For things eternal those he expecteth and is as high until he be discovered to himself in his expectation of heaven as any other but alas he is but in a golden dream all this while as an hungry man dreameth he eateth c. but it is nothing but a fancy when he awakes he is never the fuller but rather vexed so much the more being disappointed for a man to have his hope cut off is the greatest cut in the world nothing breaks the creatures heart more then this O how great hope may a Minister be raised to being an instrument in the hand of God to save others that he also shall be saved they themselves have means to castout the Devil and shall they go to the Devil It is indeed the very emphasis of damnation to be cast down from such a height of hope to be so near to heaven in their hopes and yet miscarry O how should this make us afraid of hypocrisie and formality which is ready to creep upon us how bitter a thing is it in the end to hypocrites yea to the people of God in their way when God opens their eyes to behold it in its colours therefore let us be exhorted every one of us to take heed of it lest it be found in such prevalency among us as to denominate us hypocrites believe it brethren If we be hypocrites our duties will not commend us to God be they never so many never so plausible because our hearts are not changed which is a notable sign of an hypocrite he doth much duty but never reacheth to a better heart is not changed
from glory to glory but he prayeth and sinneth and weepeth and sinneth getteth no strength against corruption Again an hypocrite he will rest and lean to his duties he leans to his house which is of his own building Now truly Brethren true grace where it is if we should lean to it instead of Christ it would not stand much less a counterfeit the believer he rests upon God alone his presence in the Valley of the shadow of death not upon his house upon the web of his own weaving but would be found in Christ And lastly how much comfort is here to a poor child of God though it may be he flourish not so and have not such a glorious shew and formality such a compleat form of godliness as another yea his own conscience beareth him witness before the Lord that his heart is right before him and he hath a power of grace upon his heart to subdue that to the Lord. Surely brethren it is much rather to be chose a little spring then a great swelling torrent for there is a living principle it will continue and hold out it will not dry up in the day of drought and disappoint our hopes but as great Rivers in their heads are small streams many times so here it will increase and grow from one degree to another to a place of broad Rivers until it empty it self into that fulness and so of glory to all eternity Look to the truth of it Brethren if there be oyl in the vessels you see the wise Virgins though they had their Lamps to trim yet they were not gone out but so much shall serve for this Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Having considered already that a form of godliness without the power will not carry the hypocrite through all conditions it will fail him sooner or later I am now to consider of their reflection upon this failing of their Lamps They were out and they saw that they were out and thence it is that they go a begging for oyl the note I will raise from hence shall be as comprehensive as may be we will hasten It is this Though an hypocrite may long be hiding himself yet at last when it is too late he shall be discovered to himself this is the very case of the foolish Virgins in this place There will be two or three things considerable if we take the Observation asunder As first That an hypocrite may long lie hid from himself 2. That at last he shall be discovered to himself 3. That ordinarily this is when it is too late For the first That they may long lie hid from themselves this is plain from the Parable for how long did the foolish Virgins walk with the wise and thought their penny as good silver as theirs all this while but they were asleep they had good thoughts of their condition else they would have had little lift to sleep the wise Virgins would hardly have slept if they had not had some assurance their mountain had not been made strong by the favour of God and the foolish as foolish as they are would hardly have slept if they had not had a good opinion of their conditions If their consciences had been awaked and their worm gnawing could they have slept if they had seen their danger now to have their portions with hypocrites being such themselves In that place formerly mentioned you have seen the hypocrite hath a hope until it be cut off and his confidence is great he leans upon his house as the foolish builder in the Gospel he thought his house a good security against all storms whatsoever And so doth many a poor Formalist think his form of godliness the green gourd shaddow enough from the everlasting burnings Did Judas suspect himself he was not so jealous of himself as it should appear by the story as the rest of the Disciples were but was last in the enquiry And it is likely enough Jehu when he proclaimed his zeal for God spake as he thought poor man what was under those broad leaves of that profession yet appeared not As Hazael Is thy servant a dog It may be if one had told Jehu how afterward he would play the wretch and the carnal Polititian and build the things he now destroyed or do Gods work to the halves no farther then his own interest led him he would have thought as strange as Hazael did Now the grounds of this may be such as these in a word or two 1. The depth of our own hearts hypocrisie of all other works of darkness hateth the light and therefore if there be any more deep and remote corner of the heart then another there it lurks O saith the Holy-Ghost the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked who can know it the most sharp and strong sight the most eagle-eyed creature in the world cannot find it out to the bottom indeed Brethren there is darkness and depth enough in every one of our hearts to deceive all the world the most piercing discerning spirits are blinded and deluded as Juglers they say can cast mists and make a man believe strange things when it is nothing so but that is not so much but the depth of the cunning of the heart is such that they can deceive themselves It is great cunning to deceive others but if that cunning be yet out-witted and be deceived by it self this is more Yea I will say it Brethren with a holy reverence that if any thing in the world could lie hid from God himself it would be the cunning heart of a sinner If there be more difficulty or could be in Gods discerning one thing then another here it would be and therefore his knowledge of the heart is set forth by a searching of it indeed he knoweth all things but after the manner of men he speaks if men cannot easily find a thing it lies hid in the darkness in some corner then they must search as searching for the lost groat or else if they would find out any thing to perfection then they search So here it noteth the perfection of Gods knowledge of the heart and withall the difficulty of the finding out the heart though not to himself yet after the manner of men if any thing were difficult to God this would be If any man seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue his Religion is in vain he deceiveth his own heart he is a cunning Jugler indeed that can juggle himself into a belief of his own juglings c. 2. From the subtilty of Satan All his care is to keep a poor soul in ignorance of its condition and how doth he be 〈…〉 ir himself he knoweth if once the disease be discovered it is in a way to be healed and therefore it is said of sinners altogether in darkness that they are under the power of Satan to turn them from darkness to light
conform to Gods Ordinances you have some knowledge and there is the light of the Lamp though it may be but little a Glow-worm or the Moon no heat in it no affections to Jesu Christ you never felt your hearts burn within you when he conversed with you never knew what it was to be sâ—ck of love for him to delight in him and yet you are secure and think all is well with you because you hear and read and keep the external part of Sabbaths though you know not what it is to sanctifie it in your hearts you think all is well Alas brethren I pray you consider did not Judas follow Christ up and down and did more then many of us have done yet at last appeared to others and himself to be but an hypocrite though I discommend not but encourage you to do these things and to abound in him yet let me tell you and O that God would speak it to your hearts you may do it and much more and yet be but Hypocrites God looks not so much at the multitude of your sacrifices as he doth at the frame of the heart the truth in the inward parts at the sacrifice of a broken and contrite spirit that is to say a heart made truly sensible of its own vileness and emptiness so that it expecteth nothing for it self but lies at Christs foot for healing and mercy and mourns after him Now I pray you brethren you that are so confident of the goodness of your condition in the midst of all your Sabbaths you keep and duties you perform have you ever found such a heart yea or no O that the Lord would awaken you yea are there not some that ground their confidence upon their own security because they never doubted never suspected themselves they can bless God for it they have alway had a good heart towards God and they never had cause to suspect their hearts and affections towards him and shall they begin now Brethren let me tell you this is a truth in Jesus that a notorious Hypocrite may go on long and never question his condition yea it is rather the sign of an Hypocrite that he never did question his condition Was Judas ever the better for his backwardness to question his condition because he was the last that we read put the question Lord Is it I Surely no he was a Judas the Lord pitty you for you know not the danger you are in poor confident secure Creatures You may take your selves to be sweet Christians and yet be in the gall of bitterness and the bond of iniquity your Lamps may burn long and yet no oyl in the vessel and at last go out and then you will cry out with the foolish Virgins alas our Lamps are gone out our profession is gone it will stand us in no stead now 2. Another word shall be an Exhortation to us all then If it be thus that an Hypocrite may thus long lie hid from himself and yet at last be discovered and that when it is too late O how should this quicken us Brethren to work out our salvation with fear and trembling O be not high-minded but-fear You see these foolish Virgins they had a glorious profession and we may in our dayes come to the like pass and when discovered be made a Magor Missabeb O fear and tremble before the Lord lest this prove our own condition how should we be much in the great duty of self-exanimation and searching whether we have misgiving hearts or no yet let us search if we have misgiving of heart that it is not right with us O how inexcusable shall we be that we were so lazy we would rather venture our immortal precious souls then take a little pains to search and secure their condition Is there any man that suspects his estate that will think much of his pains to spend day after day and time after time to search into it and if it be possible to secure it Why what account do we make of our souls brethren that we can be so wretchedly careless of them do you believe you have souls do you believe they are immortal do you believe it brethren that they shall live for ever in the enjoyment of God or else in unexpressible misery do you believe brethren that hypocrites shall have the deepest damnation And do you suspect your selves to be hypocrites and yet will not be perswaded to be at a little pains with your deceitful hearts yea much pains and often to secure the eternal welfare of your poor and yet precious souls 2. Suppose you do supect your selves to be hypocrites how do you make a shift to quiet your consciences do they not trouble you are your hearts so desperately heardned that you have no disquietness seizing upon you can you enjoy your selves I believe you must needs then sometimes have a terrible apprehension of wrath approaching why will you not search It may be you may find your condition better then you expected and so may live more comfortably and sweetly then now you can while you have such a suspition of your selves your condition may be safe but cannot be comfortable and you cannot be satisfied without this comfort in respect of your outward condition Is that so great in your eyes and this so little O for sin and shame let us set a higher value upon these things be more afraid of losing our souls then of losing the world But then see if thou be confident of thy condition either this confidence is well grounded or groundless and whether soever it be there is great need of searching still If well grounded Brethren yet we must know that the renewed searching and discovery of the soundness of our confidence and the truth of our condition is that which will renew our joy in the Lord our thankfulness to him for the impressions of these things upon our hearts they are apt to wear away with time and therefore if we would keep them fresh upon our hearts the sweetness and safety of our condition that our hearts may be more enlarged toward the Lord then we must be often perusing our evidences and the grounds of our confidence Besides alas Brethren how much doth daily intervene which is enough to darken and cloud all if we do neglect this great work of searching it may be within a while our hearts will be so over-grown with weeds that we shall not discern the root of the matter within us so much ashes that we shall scarce find the fire O therefore keep up this inward difficult differencing duty of a diligent impartial search and trial of our selves And then if we be confident upon no good ground we had most need of all to search yea and how shall we come to know the grounds whereupon we are confident to discern them clearly except we search it may be thou maist upon the search find that thy condition is dangerous thou art but a
Formalist is it not better then that thou shouldst know it then be ignorant of it is not the knowledge of the disease half the cure if it be curable is it not better to disease thy self a little now then to go to hell in a golden dream Again the time must come that thou must know it when it is remediless if thou know it not there is nothing hid that shall not be revealed do not think your Figleaves will always hold before the everlasting burnings they will quickly scorch and burn and then your nakedness and shame and confusion shall swallow you up s 〈…〉 it not better for a man to know his wound before it prove incurable surely it is Again consider yet further the higher your confidence is now the lower will your hearts sink when you come to see your disappointment a fools Paradise the Proverb hath it is the wise mans hell you are foolish Virgins and please your selves with a light of your Lamp and can take as much delight as any other upon the best grounds remember Brethren it will be the cutting of your souls asunder when you shall find too late that you were so befooled out of your immortal souls You have had heretofore many of you the signs and marks whereby you may judge in some measure of your condition make use of them and the Lord give you to understand wisdom in the hidden part But when you have done all this is the result that you cannot find but your hearts are right with him Bâ—g of God to search you for indeed he only can search the deep things of a mans heart as it is in that 17. of Ier. and so the Psalmist tells him Lord for ought I can discern thou hast made me willing to part with all iniquity for Christ to receive him as my Lord but my heart is too deep for me O do thou search me and try me that if I be not willing thou wouldest discover it to me If I be that thou wouldst seal it up to my soul that which I know not shew thou me c. Lest any poor soul should gather discouragement from hence whose portion discouragement is not I wil speak a word to such to stay their hearts Some will be ready to say alas If this be so then sad may be my condion for ought I know I may long be hid from mine own iniquities and yet at last come to see I am an hypocrite and rotten 1. Consider it may be so indeed oftentimes and it may not be so look not only upon the black and terrible part of the cloud but upon that which may prove a door of hope to thy poor soul therefore be up and doing searching that thou maist find out the uprightness of thy heart and then be sure though thou maist see afterward much hypocrisie in thy heart thou shalt never see thy self to be an hypocrite truly I deny not but a child of God may come in an hour of temptation to misjudge his condition and mistake himself for an hypocrite when his heart may be sound towards God but if once sound for ever sound thou never wilt lose it again only be sure thou run not away with mistakes concerning thy self 2. If thou do now or hereafter see thy self an hypocrite yet there is hope concerning this thing to recover and restore thee out of this condition though hypocrisie be a dangerous sin yet it is not desperate 3. For the discovery of it when it is too late which some may catch at and say I here is a word indeed a killing word to my soul for I cannot but suspect or judge my self an hypocrite now I see my condition though I have been led by a deceived heart all this while therefore sure now it is past time for God ordinarily discovers hypocrites to themselves when it is too late First be sure thou make not a false judgement of thy self that thou be not now under an hour and power of darkness when thou canst not judge aright of thy condition thou maist upon the search be able to approve thy heart upright to the Lord though now thou take thy self for an hypocrite be not rash in so serious and everlasting a concernment as this is 2. Thou bewailest it mournest under it and this is no sign of the time being past usually then God seals up men under hardness if they sink not into dispair Why but did not Esau that sold his Birthright when the Blessing was gone seek it with many tears yea he sought the Blessing but he sought not Repentance they were not tears of repentance for his wickedness and prophanness in selling his Birthright if they had likely he had not miscarried thou mournest and what is the matter It is for thy hypocrisie O thou wouldst fain have a chanâ—ged heart a right spirit renewed in thee this thou breathest after this thy soul breaks for longing for be not discouraged brethren this is no sign the time is past But blessed be the Lord and magnifie his grace towards thee that he hath not let thee go on any further untill the time might have been expâ—red and the door of hope shut against thy soul thus of this Doctrine The next thing is the Question or Request that the foolish made to the wise Give us of your oyl for our Lamps are gone out c. Give us of your oyl This short Question is a double demonstration of their folly First that they had their oyl their grace to get at such a time as this when they should have been ready to have entred in with the Bridegroom Secondly that they sought to the creature and not to Christ for it Give us of your oyl From the first we may note thus much It is very great folly to put off the getting of grace untill the last Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and the righteousness thereof and these things shall be added saith Christ the Wisdom of the Father Say our own hearts seek first the world and the pleasures of sin and afterwards the Kingdom of God when there is no more content to be taken in these things thus we walk contrary to God to Christ and therefore surely that is folly They are foolish Virgins indeed that had their oyl to get when if ever they should use it I will not stay upon it to give you more Scripture But a few Considerations by way of Arguments which if not singly yet put together I doubt not will amount to a demonstration of this folly First then this shall be first It may be had though it be difficult yet it is not impossible you see many daily some at least do obtain it Labour in vain we count him a fool that will take it upon him to wash an Ethiopian to wash a Boyl it will never be white or clean so if this were in vain it would speak men to be wise that do neglect it delay it
was not long after the Israelites came in out of Egypt before the Lord denounced against them Said in his wrath they should not enter into his rest though he bore their manners indeed afterward yet they had quickly lost their hope of Canaan Believe it brethren God is now more swift and more peremptory in his determination against souls in these days of Gospel-light then heretofore O how shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation saith the Apostle your judgement is nearer then when you had no profession no name If a man continue a wild Olive or prove an empty branch he will not be long endured now if men did believe this sure they would count it gross folly to trifle away the season specially being so short a season and so uncertain a season who can tell if he putoff Christ how soon his heart shall be sealed up and the everlasting doors of his soul have locks and bolts to clap upon them that they shall never lift them up to receive the King of glory and then they are undone for ever First Use then will be to reprove us all of this folly as many as are guilty how many poor graceless souls hear this Word this day you think you are the wise men who by your wits can live and by your industry increase your selves for the world but if you will believe God rather than your own deceitful hearts or Satan you are fools was he not a fool that provided so industriously for many years when he had not a day to live This night shall thy soul be taken away from thee and not one thought nor act of care for eternity nor for his precious soul though he might be sure he must live to eternity Psal 49 1â— and 13. you hope that your selves or else your houses shall continue for ever which maketh you so industrious to build inlarge and beautifie them and fill them with treasures Ah poor creatures that spin their bowels out to make a Cobweb one stroke with a Wing sweeps it quite away Psal 39 6. In vain do men trouble themselves geting goods and know not who shall enjoy them whether themselves shall enjoy them one day or whether any of theirs shall enjoy them a day but you are sure that you must indure an eternity your souls must last whether your houses do or not either with God or separated from him and yet you generally neglect them are we not fools are not the most part of us such fools many deal with God thu so youth they must take their pleasure in old age they will not take so much pains as Diong when he took the golden cloak from Apollo said This garment neither agreeth with Summer nor Winter in Summer it is heavy in Winter it hath no warmth c but because men have some secret reserves of others that they think will bear them out they can ward off many such blows as these they never reach their hearts because they have a privy coat of Male some carnal reasonings or other wherewith they oyl their spirits that this Ink will not stick will not take impression therefore I will inforce this Use with some Considerations which I intend as to cut off the very sinews and strength of a Formalists security First We have not one day at command this is that which men do not believe they think they have much time before them specially those that are young and indeed old sinners dote in this point as well as others they always think they may live a year longer still if they were never so old yea they promise themselves long life and then they cannot but believe themselves they have so good an opinion of the faithfulness and wisdom of their hearts but alas do you not know the number of your moneths is determined and have you one day at command Guido Bituricens reports that one inviting Menodamus to a Banquet to morrow he asked him why he did invite him to morrow he durst never promise himself to morrow expecting death every hour we are but a breaths distance from eternity who can say he hath such an interest in the dispensation of God as to say he shall live unt ll to morrow who can say that is in unbelief but he shall be in hell before the morning light before another Sabbath do you not believe this wherefore was that written Thou fool this night c. but for our learning that sinners might hear and fear Men have not leisure to provide for their souls untill they have filled such a bagg compassed such an estate then they shall be at leisure They must go to such a City and buy and sell get gain but what if in the midst of all that thou be cut off and have not grace what will become of thee then you cannot command a day Can you say with Ioshua Sun stand still and hasten not or Sun go backward will the Lord hearken to your voyce as he did to theirs that so you may have a little time when your glass is run to work out your salvation with O that ever we should be so vain to believe our own hearts without the least ground in the world and not to believe God where there is all the reason and arguments and all the experience in the world to confirm it Secondly Remember this brethren We have not God at command the Spirit bloweth not where we but were it self listeth therefore Millers and Marâ—iners will not lose the wind they have it not in their fist This is a deep deceit in the opinion that lays men to sleep they are so secure putting off the main Work they dream they have God and grace at command as if he were bound to give them grace and heaven when ever they shall think they have enough of sin O no brethren he will not be commanded by us no sure will he be alway intreated by us there is a time when he will not be found It is not your Lord Lord open to us that will move him if once the door be shut against you Then shall they call but I will not answer they shall seek me early but shall not find me and what reason is there you should expect God should be at your beck when you have so long resisted his Spirit in his Word and his Spirit stirring and moving upon your hearts whereby he hath striven and taken pains with you when the Lord had his bosome opeâ— his wing spread his hands stretched out his voyce lifted up his Embassadors sent to woo you you would not know when the grave and hell shall swallow you up or open for you and you think you can have God at your call believe it believe it He will not be found He is not at your command Thirdly Remember this That you have not your hearts at command neither you cannot alway move towards God this is usually a
reserve to sinners against the fear of the other though God be not at our beck yet he hath promised if we return and repent he will accept be it when it will I but what comfort is this except men believe thatthey can return when they please they can receive Christ and close with him at any time Can you so Surely brethren if this were so no man would hardly go to hell that is convinced there is a Christ to be had and salvation through him and him alone O be not mistaken you know not your selves how many resolutions of reformation have many of you broken you see you cannot command your hearts Epâ—r im was sensible of it O turn thou me and I shal be turned can you think a good thought of your selves what solly is it then for men presuming upon their own strength which is none to neglect the season when the Lord offers his Spirit and grace yea and striveth with us by his Spirit many times and yet we will not but put it off Then it may serve to stir us up every one to cut off all delaies whatsoever and now brethren while it is called to day to get this oyl in your Vessels that you may not have it to do when you should in the greatest extremity use it Alas brethren I am a child and cannot speak and O that the Lord would perswade by his Spirit this day now since he hath given you another Sabbath and another opportunity to be called upon what doth the Lord yet say unto thee Seek his face will you not be clean will you not close with Iesus Christ O when shall it once be O answer the Lord and say to day Lord Jesus to day will we close with thee we will put it off no longer blessed be the Lord that hath not taken the advantage against us and put an end to our day of grace long since O admire that mercy and now improve it lay hold upon the opportunity Shall I a little stir you up to this 1. Consider I pray you and believe that it is the greatest design of Satan to fool us out of our salvation to draw away from us day after day untill we have not one day more to live when God cries to day to day to day If you will hear his voyce harden not your hearts who is it think you that crieth to morrow to morrow that Corvina vox as Augustine calls it Cras cras Surely it is Satan that Lier that will not stick to contradict the Lord and what is the devills intent in this think you doth he mean you shall repent to morrow as he saith no I warrant you but when to morrow is come it will be to morrow still and the next day it will be to morrow still and O how this pleaseth him to steal away our precious time and rob us of our lives our day of grace and our souls at once If you be ignorant of this device of Satan know it this day for a truth The devil careth not if all the world were such Christians in the future tense Semper vic 〈…〉 as Seneca saith but never live indeed they will and they will but never do it the Lord make you wise to discern this cunning craftiness of the wicked one 2. Do but consider How long a day of grace you have had many of you already you have even grown old under the means of grace and yet are to begin to get grace me thinketh this should shame us and warn young ones for it is likely many that are older thought they would repent and believe and close with Christ long enough before this but that to Morrow never came if we had any shame in us it might wound us and shame us that Jesus Christ should waite so long upon us and we never had a heart to give him any entertainment yet to this day If many a poor soul had had but half the patient waiting upon them what would they have been long before this 3. Though you delay the getting your grace remember that your Judgement lingers not nor Condemnation slumbreth not it cometh on apace whether you go towards heaven or no there is a set time to every poor soul wherein he shall get grace or else not for ever and how doth this hasten upon you do you know how near it is and there is a set time for â—udgement to seize upon you if you be found without grace O therefore be exhorted now while it is called to day there will be no Manna found upon the seventh day if you get it not before you are undone they found it so by experience 4. Do not expect brethren to have a second day of grace if you trifle away one if once the Apostles shaked the dust off their feet against a people sad was their condition when the Apostles turned away to the Gentiles and the Sun set among the Jews did it ever rise again surely no. Though we have a day yet remember it is but a day and one day and no more if we let it slip we are und one because we shall never have a second day Foelix put off Paul when he was so far wrought upon as to tremble he put him off untill a fitter opportunity but it never came for ought we read well if the Spirit do move and stir and strive with thee take the opportunity strike while the Iron is hot thou dost not know but this may be the last hour of the day with thee and that thou shalt never feel any such breathings more but thy heart shall ever be like a dead Sea and seared and past feeling any more 5. Untill then all our services are abomination to God let our professions be what they will and let us think as well of our conditions as we can believe it breth en our Prayers our Hearings our Receivings are abomination what do we do here to receive the Supper if we have no grace no faith no love no repentance can we be prepared do we not imbrew our hands in the blood of Jesus Christ and is not this an abomination were not the Sacrifices of the Jews abomination as if they slew a man as if they cut off a dogs neck was or could this be acceptable did not his soul hate these things and what are our sacrifices but the slaying and crucifying Jesus Christ Ah while we come with ungratious hearts to those Ordinances O how often hath many an hypocrite had his hand in the blood of Jesus Christ every such service and duty he performeth to God and is not this sad is it not high time to look about us 6. Lastly If at last you do come to get Christ and God will waite upon you so to the last as to overcome you at the last and you shall not mifcarry Suppose it be so though this is not ordinary that men should so desperately presume upon it yet it cannot
is called a new creature to shew us the great transcendent power whereby Jesus Christ is formed in a soul It is the Fathers proper work through the Son by the Spirit the Father giveth it the Son purchaseth it the Spirit applyeth it and works it Create in me a clean heart O God renew a right Spirit within me saith David holiness is a creation and peace is a creation he will create the fruit of the lips peace peace a creation is of nothing or somewhat utterly unfit to receive such a form or being so that the fruit of the lips they are weak and cannot reach such an effect it is Gods Almighty power and the same power that raised up Jesus from the dead that must raise a dead soul to believe in Jesus Christ When Rachel would have of Jacob that which was beyond his power to give he saith Am I in Gods stead that I should give thee children So may the people of God and Ministers say to some sometimes who come to them as if they could give them peace or comfort and expect that as soon as ever they speak a word presently all their doubts and fears should be quelled and subdued no no it is too heavy a weight you lay upon them it is a thing above their reach This the second Thirdly If they were able to do it they have no authority no commission to do it and therefore they may not do it Jesus Christ was annointed for this very end to do the thing I come to do thy will O God in the 40. Psal and what is that will Why that none that the Father hath given him should be lost or perish but his blood and Spirit should be given to them grace and glory should be given to them this is the will of God even your Sanctification and this will he came to do it was that the Father designed him to to deliver his people from their sins therefore was the spirit poured out in such a full measure yea without measure upon the head of this our high-Priest that it might run down to the very skirt of his garment to the very lowest Christian that belongs unto him It is not every member in the body nor any other but the head which is made the seat of the animal Spirits to communicate them to the least and lowest member Now it is not what men are able to do but what they have Commission to do that is authentick If they were able there is no Commission the Lord Jesus only came Authorized to open the Prison doors to Preach deliverance and to give deliverance to the Captives This the third Fourthly If all these did concur in men yet they might want a heart when all is done and then all the rest would avail little to us in our necessity and though it be true the Saints do retain bowels of mercy and do put them on and long-suffering and patience yet alas how short-nostrilled are the best of the Saints in comparison of God Moses his patience was at an end yet the weakest man and had often interceded for them yet ye Rebels must we fetch water out of the rock for you though the murmuring was not against him but against God If a sinner put off getting grace and coming to Christ until the last our patience will hardly hold out so long let the power of my Lord be great as thou hast said c. herein our weakness doth much appear we are ready to cast off and give up men if they come not in quickly and if afterward they do come in we are ready to shut our hearts against them But if there were a heart yet there is no power and that will answer all therefore if we go to the creature for grace we are like to have a denyal Before we apply this or else as a part of the Application shall be to speak somewhat by way of satisfaction to a doubt This seemeth to cross the Scriptures are not the Saints bound to communicate one to another to do good forget not is not this of a larger sense then meerly giving a little of our estates to them if in want So again when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren saith our Saviour to Peter and how can you say then that if we go to the Saints for grace we are like to have a denyal To this I answer the Saints may and ought to communicate their experiences to others as their necessity requireth the humble shall hear hereof and be glad how when his soul made her boast in God And so again the Psalmist as a type of Christ He brought me up out of the horrible pit out of the mierie clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings he hath put a new song in my mouth c. And what then Many shall see it and fear and shall trust in God And so saith the Apostle That ye may comfort others with the comforts wherewith your selves are comforted of God this is doubtless a duty to communicate our experiences and also to exhort one another while it is called to day as the Apostle hath it and to reprove one another this is a duty but this is far from giving of grace For the more distinct understanding therefore of this note only two or three particulars 1. For any merit of our works we cannot give for indeed there is none at all If we deserve any thing at the hands of God it is wrath and ruine it is meer mercy we are not consumed every time we approach this consuming fire with our filthy garments upon us because his compassions fail not when we have done all commanded if we could do it we are but improfitable servants but alas how infinitely short do we fail of what is commanded in many things in all things we offend all for who doth any thing as he should our sufferings of this life are not worthy to be compared to the glory there must be a proportion in merit now they are light that is weighty they are for a moment that is eternal and a far more exceeding and eternal weight Now no man can give that which he hath not 2. The glory of our works That we cannot give away that is the Lords that others may see them and glorisie your Father which is in heaven Mat. 5. 16. 3. The influence of them upon others hearts That we cannot give neither we may speak and do plant and water but it it God that giveth the increase the husband-man may plough and sow and harrow but he cannot give the rain of heaven former and later he cannot give power to the seed to dye and rise again it is beyond his reach who can touch the heart but the Lord he is the God of the Spirits whose dwellings are with our spirits especially and he can fashion them as he pleaseth
to this readiness a making the calling and election sure by adding faith to faith and grace to grace as it is in that place of the Apostle Peter Then when Simeon had gotten Jesus Christ into this arms of his faith as well as of his body and saw his salvation with the eye of faith as well as of the body then he cryeth out Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace Now he was ready to enter into glory And so the Apostle Paul had such a perswasion and therefore he was ready henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of glory c. 2. There goeth many times if not alway to this abundant entrance as a readiness or preparation to it an earnest waiting of the soul for its change a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ which is far better There is many a poor heart when the body of death weigheth them down and tryeth them groan earnestly and could be contented to dye that sin might dye with them As Sampson said let me even dye with the Philistians if no other way will destroy their lusts But alas when they are to seek in point of assurance they look upon death as a dark passage that leadeth them they cannot tell whither this maketh them fly back this kills those desires nippeth them as soon as they put forth they come to no maturity But now when a man hath the right art of believing notwithstanding his body of death he groans under as the Apostle that yet he is perswaded through Christ it is pardoned and shall be utterly dissolved and not hinder him then he can bless the Lord and desires with Paul to be dissolved So many of the Patriarks it is said of them they dyed full of daies satisfied with daies that is to say they lived as long as they desired they had now a desire to be at home knowing that while they are present in the body they are absent from the Lord from that near and sweet and full Communion with him whereof they have had a little taste and earnest but if they know not that they shall be present with him by departure but for ought they know more separate from them no marvel if they go to death with drawing back Yet I deny not but a child of God may be ready before he desire it And may desire it before he be ready for this entrance I say a child of God may be ready before he desire it as in the case before mentioned and upon other grounds as Hezekiah and David that I may declare thy power to this generation may be ready and not have such an assurance but he is not ready for an abundant entrance until the Lord come with a full sealing of his love to his heart 2. He may desire it before he be ready as in some passionate impatient fit as Elijah 1 King 19. 4. weary of his life the King persecuting him and thinking he should fall by his hand would have God take away his life from him but he had not yet done his work And so Job God had not yet done with him he must pass through more changes and prosper and flourish again and hold forth his name to that generation before he departed he had not done his work But I speak of the serious settled well-grounded frame of a Believers heart upon a sound perswasion of the Love of God in Jesus Christ and a knowledge that he hath finished his course then for such a one to wait for his change when the blessed hour will come is a part of readiness for an entrance an abundant entrance into glory But this is not the portion of every child of God many Suns set in a Cloud c. For the second thing which are the arguments of the point they are such as these First because else Gods work would be in vain he hath prepared an inheritance for the Saints a Kingdom prepared before the world was and his work upon our hearts what is it but to prepare us for this Kingdom as the Apostle speaks he that hath wrought us to this self-same thing is God he hath wrought us to it there is no suitableness between heaven and an ungracious heart a glorious Kingdom and a vile filthy spirit therefore the Lord takes much pains with us to purge us to himself to purifie us to adorn us with the rich graces of his Spirit and all is to work us to heaven to salvation to prepare us for this entrance and therefore when God hath done this shall his work be in vain surely no not a soul that is so wrought up by the Lord to a heavenly frame and temper and nature that shall miss of an entrance when it is thus prepared else Gods work were in vain the greatest work of God 2. Because else the Lord Jesus would fail of his purchase and prayer for his poople who did buy us at so dear a rate as his own most precious blood was it think you to suffer us for ever to be at such distances from him whom he so dearly loved did his love to us draw him out of heaven to us and will it not think you draw us to heaven to him he will not have his Spouse that he hath redeemed with his blood to be absent from him any longer then is needful for his Fathers glory and their good It is a fruit of his death and of his prayer Father I will that where I am there they may be for they are the fulness of Christ and he accounteth himself as I may say imperfect without them and therefore he will have them there Indeed Brethren so dear is the heart of Jesus Christ to his people that he would not suffer so long an absence at so great a distance from them but that there is a necessity in it though at his first pitching his love upon us he looks at nothing but notwithstanding all blackness and deformity and loathsomness his love overcometh all Yet before they come to this Communion and fellowship with him they must be purified with spices and odors as those were for the King of Assyria and for other holy ends 3. Because else the promise of God and hope of the Saints would fail and heaven and earth shall sooner fail then the word of promise Christ hath promised not only to give life but eternal life God hath promised to give not only grace but glory there is a Crown laid up in the purpose and promise of God and if they should miss of this they would be made ashamed of their hope now this cannot be the Psalmist prayeth that he might not be ashamed of his hope which is virtually a promise it shall not be never any yet were disappointed that hoped upon right grounds Indeed if men make Promises to themselves of heaven let them live after the imaginations of their hearts or whether they truly believe or
they come to see to it in some measure 2. Others are ready and know it but are not so thankful for it have not the sweetness of their condition so fresh upon their spirits because they do not oftentimes review their condition 3. There are many that are unready and think themselves ready and O how is it likely it should be better with them until they come to know how the case stands with them will any go to buy Gold that they might be rich or white Rayment that they might be cloathed untill they see they are poor and naked surely no. 4. Others are unready and though their hearts misgive them they are unready yet they care not much for it or else they know not how it is with them and they are contented to be ignorant Now except the Lord perswade us all brethren to look into our state it is never like to be better with us such as we are such shall we be found at the appearing of Christ yea every day farther and farther off Therefore shall I beg of you brethren that you would consider it set some time apart it is the weightiest business you have to do in the world you will have a time for all other necessary things your eating drinking managing your civil affairs and is the soul-concernment the least that you should so slight it Well then wil you this day retire your selves deal effectually with your hearts what if this night you should be taken away or you should never see Sabbath more are you ready for the coming of Jesus Christ I doubt our hearts would answer no alas our work is to do alas how many poor souls that have not a week a moneth haply to live yet have not one dram of Grace O put that question have you this oyl have you the Spirit of Grace and Supplication given to you have you Christ dwelling in you and transforming and changing you into his image from Glory to Glory Ah dear friends what mean our loathsom conversations then what mean the vileness of our hearts the fulness and rottenness and sin that is there are you mortified in any good measure or no It may be you have forsaken the pollutions of the world but is the heart of sin killed hath it its deaths wound out of which continually the life and spirits of sin are emptying are you weary of it do you loath it and your selves for its vileness O do not deceive your selves Again Are your Graces lively It may be thou hast a spark but it is buried in the ashes Indeed I doubt brethren these times of prosperity to the Church bury more Christians alive then any days that ever we saw why now are we ready are our Lamps burning our loins girded O how active and stirring and lively are the Graces of the Spirit in some over they are in others you are so far unready for the coming of Jesus Christ and so far it will be uncomfortable to you besides do ye live by faith above all this for righteousness else we are not ready Is this the top of all that we might be found in him saith the Apostle search and see take heed you have to do with desperately wicked and deceitful hearts Again Are we ready for the abundant entrance how few of us have this perswasion our calling and election is not made sure we do not know what would become of us if God should call for us how can his coming be comfortable to us we are so far from waiting for his coming that every thought of it goeth cold to our hearts that which should most warm us refresh us O brethren let me beg of you for Jesus sake no longer to slight this great and necessary work give your hearts no rest until you see whether you be ready or no. Suppose you shall find your selves unready it is better to know it in time then when it is too late now there is hope if you be not ready you may obtain mercy you may make the more haste to get ready that that day may be a blessed a comfortable day to your souls 3. Then brethren If we be not ready for his appearing shall I beg of you brethren for Jesus sake and for your poor souls sake that you would now resolve whatever business be done you would not leave this at six and sevens It is the one thing necessary you have to do nothing will yield you a dram of comfort nor arm your hearts against the fears of death but this nothing will give you entrance into Glory but this Indeed if riches would be an entrance or he that keeps the doors and openeth and no man shutteth could be bribed with the multitude of gold it were somewhat for men to heap it up as the dust and raiment as the clay if men were admitted according to their glorious apparrel or if the riches of the head and treasuries of humane knowledge would do it Scholars might do well to spend all their time in searching after that and none or little or none to make ready for the appearing of Jesus Christ but surely brethren surely you will find nothing will find an entrance but readiness for his coming The Lord give you believing hearts this day how unwearied are men for other things which are trifles and will not profit and not one hour in an hundred spent seriously with their own souls And though some men have more time then others yet surely brethren he that is most busie must find time for this great work or misearry O therefore labour press hard after it use all means possible you must take pains brethren such unready hearts as we have will not be had in readiness without much and constant pains-taking As a Garden that is quickly overgrown with weeds it must be taken pains with again and again so here c. And so in keeping an house clean and ready there must be pains taken with it Ah brethren except your souls follow hard after Christ you will never find him to your comfort The Lord touch your hearts and then you shall find him Again you will say Why I hope I am ready Well then labour to maintain this readiness Alas how soon is the sweetest frame lost think not I have now done the main work therefore you may take more liberty then other men now you may indulge your selves take more ease more liberty about the world then other men Alas brethren how soon will the world and cares of it overcharge you how hard a thing is it to buy as if you possessed not to use it as if you used it not and if you be overcharged with the cares of the world this day will overtake you at unawares Yea I tell you brethren if that day take you at unawares as I doubt if it should come at any day upon us it would take many of us when we are overcharged O ease your selves of some of your burthen have
the evil savour of their sins upon them such as have their prison cloaths their rags by the exactest righteousness that ever creature performed upon them no no you must first come to Jesus Christ have these bolts knockt off He it is that looseth the prisoners you must first have your â—ilthy garments taken away from you and be robed with the royal apparrel such as is put upon them whom the King of Heaven delights to honour with so near an aporoach to himself for ever you must have the savour of his Oyntments anointing â—our head his Spirit poured out upon you first brethren as they used to annoint their heads with sweet oyl at their seasts before you can come to that feast sinners do not think you shall croud into heaven in the condition you are in but be perswaded in the Name of Jesus Christ first to come to him to get your hands and hearts and all washed in innocency it self in the blood of the spotless Lamb else believe it there will be no entrance for you 2. There is an external communion also which men that have no more but a profession may have eating the spiritual bread and drinking the Sacramental feast brethren which the Saints ought to come to have communion with the Lord Jesus and his people will until he come again it is not an indifferent thing Do this in remembrance of me and as often as you do it ye keep in remembrance the Lord his death until he come Now brethren we do immediatly invite you to come to Jesus Christ to close with him that you may be washed and cleansed through faith in his blood and have your hearts purified by faith in him and then to this Sacramental Communion with Jesus Christ which is a sign and pledge of this Marriage-feast in heaven as plainly our Saviour tels his Disciples I wâ—ll henceâ—oâ—th drink no more of this fruit of the Vine until I drink it new with you in my Fathers Kingdom Well this is but the first Secondly brethren that by your now coming in to Jesus Christ you do as I may say take up your room in your places before hand at his Table in his heavenly Kingdom In which respect the Saints now are said to sit together in heavenly places and hereby you will come to have fellowship with the Lord Jesus in his Resurrection and Ascention and his Work in heaven which is to prepare a place for his people and as I may say to keep it for them and as one sweetly expresseth it wriâ—ing as I may say every ones name over his Mansion over his Place even with his own blood that none shall take it from them over their heads If Jesus Christ prepared not a place for you in heaven now brethren you will find no room at his Table Therefore now brethren Let me press this Exhortation upon you that you would come to him now even now while it â—s called to day it is his voyce brethren that speaks to you O that your ears were bored to hear the fatted Calf is killed the Lord Jesus is Crucified for sinners the Wine is mingled all is ready there wants nothing now but your coming to Dine and Sup with Jesus Christ yea indeed but your opening to him he knocks he will come to you to feast with you bring his royal dainties with him and his wine of the Kingdom his Royal Wine with him O his love which is better then wine if you will but open to him O do not nectere moras now can the Lord Jesus brethren find in his heart to have his blood poured out to become royal Wine indeed full of spirits sweet and cordial to a poor fainting soul to give his own flesh to eat which is bread indeed it is virtually all dainties therefore the Scripture setteth it forth by Wine and Milk and Honey and Bread and Marrow and Fatness the fat of the Kidniâ—s of the Wheat by Apples and Flagons Is he willing brethren to be the Feast to be fed upon and shall we not come O therefore come where the Carkass is follow not your Carrion any more the stirâ—king loathsome delights and pleasures of sin for a season Be ye no more drunk with wine but be ye filled with the Spirit of Christ saith the Apostle be Inebriated as some read it abundantly satisfied with the goodness of his House and with the flowings of his heart towards you poor sinners But me thinketh now I hear the returns that sinners make to Jesus Christ to this invitation say some I have a feast already Stoln waters are sweet and bread eaten in secret is pleasant and shall we forsake these delights we have in the world for we know not what Ah poor souls you know not what you say if this be the language of your hearts If you mouths were not much out of taste you would never judge sin a sweet thing a poor child of God that hath his taste healed though but in part he drinketh nothing in the world so bitter to him as sin that which goeth down so merrâ—ly with many Were not the Israelites mouths much out of taste when they preferred their Onions and Garlick stinking things of Egypt before their sweet their heavenly Manna their Angels bread fit for them to eat or which came by their Ministry 2. Remember this brethren though it be sweet to the taste it turns to bitterest gall as the Wise man speaks of wine that moveth it self aright it sparkles is lovely sweet to the taste at last it biteth like a Serpent and stingeth like an Adâ—er Behold such are all the delights of sin and whether you believe it or no now you shall be sure to feel it after a little season for your pleasures are but for a season So that you know not what you say if any thus excuse himself for coming Again Shall you change for you know not what Indeed you do not know for eye hath not seen nor ear heard neither can it enter into the heart of man to conceive before he hath had experience of it himself O that I might but perswade you brethren to make a tryal and if you do not find one days communion of Jesus Christ be not worth a thousand with your companions in sin then believe not this Gospel any more there is much sweetness indeed in the breasts of the world to a wordly Pallate O what drink golden drink do poor Earth-worms drink and this is their Nectar Believe it brethren if the Lord do but bring you and set your mouths to the wounds of Jesus Christ set your mouths to the sweet promises of pardoning grace and purging mercy to draw from them strong consolation you will find the other but Gall and Wormwood to you O let them perish saith Galeac and his money with him that preferreth all the world before an hours communion with Jesus Christ I pray you therefore do not
many a sight of Jesus Christ sitting with his people at the round table and thou knowest not what thou losest yet if it be meer tenderness of Conscience which keepeth thee off and not perverseness thou hast sure much of the inward fellowship and communion with Christ otherwise he can if he please supply it otherwise but however though not admitted among men thou shalt enter in with Christ unto the Marriage-supper for ever and this will make amends for all Though far be it from me to strengthen any mans hands in the neglect of the Ordinances of Christ on earth and take heed that our excuses will speak loud enough for us in Gods ears whatever they do in mans But if thou canst not be admitted to the pipe Is it not a comfort that thou shalt be admitted to the fountain to the sea O methinks this should put on such above others make a vertue of necessity and so much the more long for his appearing to thee that thou mayst enter in with him to the Marriage-feast Fourthly and lastly It may serve to allay the bitterness of death It is a bitter thing not only to the wicked it is bitter it must needs having the sting of sin in it and being a trap-door as I may say to let them sink or drop into the everlasting flames this must needs be bitter But to the Saints it is in some sort bitter also nature is dissolved by it it is the fruit of sin and we find by continual experience of the Saints that there is a hanging back But methinks this consideration that it is an entrance into this Marriage-feast should much sweeten it to a child of God Our Saviours death was the bitterest that ever was endured O it was a deadly cup but this was it that sweetned it the consideration that he should drink this new wine with his people in his fathers kingdom there feast with him for ever for the joy that was set before him he endured the Cross so brethren do but set before you continually this joy this pouring out of this love of Christ upon your souls those immediate sincere full constant and eternal delights of your souls in the light and love of the Father and of the Son and see if it swallow not up the bitterness of death unto you But so much for this Doctrine 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here is the second Consideration of this coming of the Bridegroom a doleful consideration it is to all such as were not ready for the door was shut what is the sence of shutting the door in the Parable I suppose is easily understood that is to say an entrance is denied to them that were without as well as they that were within were shut in by the shutting of the door But I conceive that is the thing meant here the scope of the Verse being to shew the different end of a believer and an hypocrite the one is received into the Marriage-feast the other is shut out the door is clapt against them The Doctrine will be a sad word it is this That the Gate of heaven or the door will be clapt against all formal Professors and foolish Virgins that are not ready to enter with Christ for this is implied in the other part of the words they that were ready entred with Christ into the Marriage and the door was shut upon whom surely upon them that were not ready for that his coming whatever hopes they are big with now they prove abortive There is a door of entrance into Heaven and an outer door as I may say which I may call a door of hope which the Hypocrite hath not when it cometh to a pinch not a well-grounded hope The wicked is driven away in his wickedness but the righteous hath hope in his death There is a door of hope to him but none to the wicked but his hope which he had before many times at death is like the giving up of the Ghost without are dogs c. either filthy persons such as with the Dog returneth to the vomit again after their sorrow and vomiting up their sweet morsels such as with the Dog are sometimes sin-sick and seem to repent to vomit up the bottom of their stomacks but return to it again with delight after their repentance and tears and prayers these are shut out Dogs also who are they but such barking biting foul-mouth'd false Teachers such as the Apostle speaks of Beware of Dogs evil workers of the concision beware of such as would bring in the circumcision as necessary to Salvation beware of these they are Dogs though they may seem never so zealous and holy have a sheep-skin upon them they are Dogs and Woolves and all manner of workers of iniquity as Sorcerers Whoremongers and Idolaters and whosoever loveth and maketh a lye Why you will say these are not Hypocrites sure they are down-right profane persons brethren a man may live in these sins many of them and yet carry a fair shew but the gate shall be shut against them whoever they be As for Adultery or whoring though men be not guilty of the outward act is there not heart-adultery is there not contemplative wickedness against which Job resolveth I made a Govenant with mine eye why should I think upon a maid he that lusteth after her beauty in the heart commits adultery with her in his heart yea brethren by the thoughts the very spirits as I may say and oyl of sin are squeezed out or extracted as in a Limbeck and that is more deadly and dangerous a man may eat a thing and do him no great hurt but the oyl of it is deadly haply So the Murtherer it may be many a man that hath a form of Godliness never imbrued his hands in blood but his heart hath been steeped in blood full of envious and malicious thoughts he can with wishes and desires of revenge and malice murther and bury all his neighbours And so though it may be we make no pictures of Images or fall down before them to give them any absolute or relative worship yet we have Idols in our hearts we love money are covetous it may be and this is idolatry and fall down to our own parts our own gifts and live in this like it well these brethren shall have the door shut against them and such as love and make lyes though officious lyes to help others nothing more ordinary in mens Callings and Shops then to lye and speak falsly for a little advantage and yet it may be have a colour and a shew of Profession and allow themselves in these things They shall be shut out the door shall be clapt against them many shall seek to enter but shall not be able No marvel for the Gate is not only strait but shut against them it is strait when it stands open in mens lives and they will not strive and therefore fall short
glory as it were of divine attributes they all shine forth in him each with his peculiar glory The Temple the glory of the Lord filled it so that they could not stand before him to minister sometimes So Brethren now the Lord hath placed his name in Jesus Christ he hath filled him with his glory therefore saith the Prophet the glory of the Lord is risen on thee that is Jesus Christ is manifested to thee was not his glory so great as to confound John though a vessel fitted to be filled with those glorious revelations from-him He fell at his feet as one dead at the sight of him in that vision How glorious is an Angel that the very sight of him was an astonishment to John what is the Lord of the Angels If the Moon be so glorious what is the Sun Thirdly the Sun is full of light in it self and filsall things capable of its light and yet hath never the less the twinkling Tapers of heaven they have each of them their light some more some less and the Moon hath much light and giveth much but what 's borrowed light First she hath it not in her self nor in such abundance as the Sun hath So it s here the Saints they are lights of the Sun as our Saviour saith but alas like poor candles that burn dim and sometimes through the thickness of the damps of corruption in our hearts burn blew and are ready to go out for the most part 〈…〉 but as the light in the socket sometimes up and sometimes down and every moment a man would think it would go out the Angels and spirits of just men made perfect are like stars shining more gloriously and constantly But alas nothing to the Sun he sheds the light abroad throughout the whole hemisphere at once Set up many lights at once in a dark night they will give light but a little way and how poor and weak a 〈…〉 light so that when the Sun shineth they appear not at all and that the Sun should so long fill the world with his light and have never the less this is admirable But this is but a shadow Brethren to the light of Jesus Christ he is the true light that is such a light as that nothing else deserveth to be called a light in comparison of him as far as the subject is recipient a glorious spirit is before a vile body so far is the light of Christ in its own nature above the Suns light And then for fulness there is no comparison though there be hardly any thing obvious to ouâ— senses which are to â—et in light to the understand 〈…〉 that is more glorious and so is more â—it to set forth the Lord Jesus his fulness of Light by Light maketh manifest all things and that that maketh things manifest is the Light now the light of the Sun its true discovers much that before it arose appeared not but its possible to hide from its light Brethren in the depths of the earth in the bowels of man it discovereth not any of those much less the secrets of hearts there 's no suitableness between such a cause and such an effect But the Lord Jesus he searcheth all the deep things of men the very Marrow of their bones which is the deepest and hath the most coverings upon coverings he searcheth them So doth Christ the ends of men which are the most hidden usually in all their designs they are deep as the Marrow in the bones cloathed over with flesh and skin and bones pretence upon pretence but Christ this Light is so piercing that there is no hiding any thing from it Fourthly The Sun his Tabernacle is in heaven there he made a Tabernacle for the Sun there is the seat of the eye of the world from whence he views all that is under his Government there is his Palace and from thence he dispenceth light and influence So Brethren it s with Jesus Christ he hath his Tabernacle in heaven that is in his Church for so oftentimes the Church is called there the Lord placeth his Tabernacle as he saith of Israel of old I will place my Tabernacle among them and dwell in the midst of them He walks in the midst of the golden Candlesticks to behold them to be nigh them to dispence of his light to them and of his influence So doth the Sun communicate of his light to the Moon and to the Stars in heaven and to the inhabitants upon earth We are not to understand all this of Christ his person meerly but Christ as held out in his Ordinances in his Church therefore he is said by the Church to make manifest the mercy and wisdom of God his Ordinances are the raies and beams as afterward we shall speak when we come to open that part of the Text. But his Tabernacle is the Church thence he shines forth on many others as the earth is lightned by the raies from heaven Fifthly From the warming of the Sun how cold and frozen are those Northern parts of the world because remote from the Sun how cold is the hemisphere when the Sun is set for a time â—ow warm when it shines So the Lord Jesus it is that 's the Author of heat the Winter is past the Summer is come the rain is over the flowers appear on the earth and the voice of singing of birds heard that is Christ is revealed in the power of his love to poor sinners this is that which warmeth the coldest heart when we are frozen in our affections and as waters frozen up cannot run this way nor that way so we can do nothing nor move towards God Then Brethren it s a sight of the Sun of righteousness the Lord Jesus a hot gleamfrom him that thaws all and melts all warmeth all again and therefore in this respect also he may be compared to the Sun Sixthly because of influence which may be they say where there is no heat nor light at least and therefore Philosophers tell us that by the influence of the Sun the gold is concocted in the bowels of the earth whither its light cannot come And this is that Brethren that calls forth the fruits of the earth that in the winter for fear of cold were retired the sap recoiling to the root there to be preserved until a season for it Now the Sun the heat and warmth and influence thereof calls it forth again so that the grass and fruits plants and herbs put forth bud and blossom as we see it in the spring so the face of the earth is renewed And so it s in this case the Lord Jesus from heaven shineth forth and conveighing secretly the powerful influences of his Spirit and of the Word to poor sinners though they were as dead and dry sticks before as trees that are starven with the frost and seem dead then they put forth again then they grow green and flourishing then
is a Sun in a special manner O Brethren have you not experience of it where and how come in your warmings on your spirits is it not in the Ordinances of Christ doth he not breath there and feed there with his people if a man should be so peevish as that he would not have the Suns influence except he did shine in his chamber did move there or shine on the earth or move there were he not most justly deprived of them Here Brethren here in the Word preached and heard in the Seals and Prayer and all the Ordinances of Christ he will be found of his people and above others in private be much in maditation of the sweetness the riches of his love to poor Sinners such as thou art this is to set our faces Brethren towards the Sun O how will this clear the eyes of an Eagle indeed one that is gloriously born of heaven though Owls are blinded by it How will this Brethren darken the beauty and glory of all things here You complain of earthliness and you are fast glewed to the world O beg of God that he would turn your eyes toward himself toward the Lord Jesus behold this Sun in his strength and glory and see if this do not make all things else dull to you to have no excellence in them in comparison of Christ that you shall cry out none but Christ none but Christ O Brethren this would make us sparkle like Diamonds lying under the influence of the Sun it s for want of this that Christians are like Diamonds in the dirt this will make us sparkle as Moses face did shine this Brethren is the way to contract the beams as in a burning glass and set the heart on fire with love to Jesus Christ then our affections will flame then shall we be a zealous people of good works otherwise not Fourteenthly Arise then and shine thou poor fearing soul that liest in the dust be inlightned lift up thy eyes thou that languishest and thy spirit is ready to faint within thee thou art even dying and couldst with fears of thy condition Oh thy light is come is not the Sun in the Firmament though he may be clouded from thee what though there be much darkness in thee of ignorance of discomfort thou walkest in darkness and seest no light the Sun may be up though it appear not it may be day with thee poor soul and thou a child of light and of the day though thou beholdest not the Sun nor the bâ—â—ms from the Sun if thou hast not the light of the Sun the light of his countenance thou mayst have the influence of the Sun notwithstanding that reacheth the parts where the light cometh not And be not discouraged at the enemies of Christ what though the clouds of ignorance errour prophaness and idolatry gather together and seem to threaten the Sun Alas how soon can he dispel them consume them with the brightness of his glorious appearance what if the Dogs do bark at the Moon the Church or at Christ the Sun will that hinder him in his course what though the People when they are scorched with the heat of the Sun as some Pagans are do curse the Sun can they hinder his course O no as a strong man he will run his race and who shall hinder it and those that will not be made fruitful he will burn up and consume therefore be not discouraged and thou that hast much deadness and coldness and hardness be not discouraged there is influence enough in Christ go to him labour to act faith on him set thy self under his influence wait on him in his Ordinances and see if it come not into thee to warm to melt to make fruitful in the work of the Lord. Now for the second which is that Jesus Christ is the Sun of righteousness But lest I should dwell too long on the Text if I should at large handle every part therefore I will rather sum up several things in one Observation and its this Vnto them that fear the Name of the Lord the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings or dâ—th arise with healing in his wings Wherein I will labour to unfold several things and then come to the Application of all to our selves First then What is meant by them that fear the Lord here in this place of the Prophet I conceive by the coherence of the Text that hereby are meant such as when the Prophet had denounced the fearful threatnings of Judgement The day of the Lord to be as a fire oven to consume the stubble c. they were afraid they feared the Lord and his judgements they were apt to be too much dismayed at it but he tels them that to them it should be a day of healing and liberty and light and refreshing to his people The people of God may and ought to be afraid of the judgements of God when they hang bound up in a black cloud but yet in the womb of a threatning and so Josiah was afraid and rent his clothes and humbled himself his heart was tender and he did tremble at this fearful word the judgement threatned against Hierusalem A stout stubborn brawny hard heart never melts nor moveth but such as those are afraid or else if judgement do break out and the decree bring forth the clouds pour out upon Sinners then they are afraid So David was afraid of the judgement of God executed on Vzzah and afraid of the Angel of the Lord. Now to such as these the Lord promiseth a Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing such fear hath torment in it and anguish and therefore hath need of healing but is this to be restrained either to their persons or to their conditions surely no the prophesies are Divine they are of the nature of the author with whom 1000 years are but as one day therefore we are to allow to them a greater latitude such as is agreeable to them they are not fulfilled punctually at once but have springing accomplishment and germinant throughout many ages though the height or fulness of them may refer them to some age and of all other prophesies it is most true of that of Christ with respect to the saving vertues of his blood to his people therefore for persons we must not confine it to them no nor for things to that sort of fear which seemeth to be meant by the series of the context but this as all other promises of God are applyable to any condition of poor creatures to which its suitable As that of Joshuah I will never leave thee is applyed to want in outward things and to encourage them to walk without covetousness Therefore Secondly Fearing of God may be meant such as God hath begun to work on hath convinced them of sin and of wrath by reason of sin there is a fear wrought in such an heart as the poor Jaylour came
and feathers compass clothe and adorn the fowl whose wings they are so the rayes do clothe and compass and adorn the Sun as it were how naked would a bird be without his feathers and how naked would the Sun be without his raies and beams Secondly because of the swift motion of the Sun not only in his diurnal course as in Psalm 19. He rejoyceth as a Gyant to run his race but no sooner is the Sun up but he doth in a manner spread his raies to all the Hemisphere as a bird quickly when she riseth spreadeth her wings abroad and therefore the Egypitans Hieroglyph of the Sun was a fowl spreading long wings every way Thirdly because the wings of a fowl are those under which she gathereth her young cherisheth them refresheth warmeth them that they may grow and increase So here the wings of the Sun are those whereby the creatures in their kind are healed and cherished as you know how the body will be benummed and languish with the cold of the night when the Sun beams come to beat on it again how doth it quicken and revive But now for the wings of the Lord Jesus what are his wings as he is the Sun of righteousness whatever answers to this Sun-beams are his wings and what are these In a word then I take them to be the Word and Spirit especially not excluding other Ordinances of Jesus Christ but these especially yea truly the Spirit in the Word and in other Ordinances of Christ I take to be these wings here spoken of The Spirit in the Word even whereby he cometh and preacheth to men even to them that were asar off from Christ is said to come and preach peace by which also saith the Apostle that is by the Spirit he went and preached to the Spirits in prison that now are in prison but not when he sent to preach to them the Spirit of Christ in the Word which Noah preached to them who was a Preacher of righteousness the Lord Jesus went and preached to them I say these are the wings of our Sun of righteousness and so they are called haply for divers reasons First that these proceeding from him even as the raies of the Sun which are his wings proceed from the Sun as the Sun sends forth his beams and influences in a powerful manner so Christ sends forth his light and his truth the Spirit as a person in the Trinity proceedeth from him as from the Father but as to his office to be an enlightening Spirit a quickning Spirit a comforting Spirit so he proceedeth from Christ I will send you the Comforter from the Father he poured out of his Spirit on his Apostles and many others who were to go forth in his name and preach the Gospel to the Nations and the Word he sends it forth out of his mouth proceedeth a two-edged sword which is his Word Secondly as the beams supply the absence of the Sun so doth the Spirit of Christ supply his absence therefore while he was yet present the Spirit was not yet given not poured out in that fulness but when he was to go he comforts his Disciples with this that if he went he would send them the Comforter another Comforter himself was one and he would send them another and that was his Spirit and he should lead them into all truth bring all things to their remembrance and be their Comforter and help their infirmities and so supply the absence of Christ Yea better then if he himself were with them as we use to say the Sun is come into such an house when the beams thereof are come in which do supply the absence of the Sun and better it is for us to have the beams then the Sun in our houses Thirdly because of the swiftness of the opening of the glory of Christ to the last ages of the world O! how swift are the beams of the Sun in a moment darted from heaven to earth and over-spread the whole Horizon So the Lord his Word being quickned by the Spirit doth run very swiftly as the Psalmist hath it in how short a time as the age of the Apostles did it overspread the Horizon gotten as far as Rome and how mightily did it prevail though the Jews did contradict and blaspheme and endeavour to take off the wheels of his Chariots yet it went on never the slower for that it grew and multiplyed Converts unto the face of the Church were as thick as the morning dew on the face of the earth which is generated by the Sun Fourthly as the beams of the Sun carry light and heat and refreshing along with them to the poor languishing earth and other creatures so doth the Spirit and the Word and the Spirit in the Word carries light with it thy Word is a light to my feet and indeed it is not Christ considered alone but as he is held out in the Gospel that is here resembled to the Sun of righteousness as I told you before their sound is gone forth into all the earth that is of them that preached the Gospel of peace and reconciliation through Christ And for heat O! how doth many a poor creature come under an Ordinance with an heartless mind cold and dead and his heart doth burn within him while the Lord by his Spirit hath communion with him in those Ordinances and what refreshings do arise to a poor weary soul when the Lord createth the fruit of the lips peace peace certain undoubted peace he doubleth it for emphasis that peace which passeth understanding and it shall surely be so and suddenly too not long he delights not to hold poor souls in anxiety trouble only what he seeth needful for their humiliation fetching them off themselves and sin and making Christ sweet to them indeed that he may be precious to them Other reasons might haply be given why the Spirit and Word and Ordinances are compared to the Sun which are the wings thereof but this shall suffice The fifth thing what is meant by healing and indeed this is large and as large as our spiritual maladies are some say there is nothing more wholsom then the Sun where it cometh with its beams how doth it purge the air wherein we breath consuming the noysom vapours that arise and would infect it quickly purging the earth from its dregs or else we should quickly find the offensiveness of it So the Lord Jesus by the breaking forth of his Spirit in the Word of Truth doth heal the air consume and scatter the venomous errors of men wherewith we should quickly be all poysoned were it not for this that be makes manifest their folly to all men and they proceed no further He heals the waters the waters of the Sanctuary how often have they been polluted yea poysoned by some and the Lord hath healed them again by his Spirit Again he heals the earth of its barrenness
in Winter the earth seemeth to be languishing and all things withered and dead when the Sun returneth how doth it heal it To it s here Beloved it is the Word and Spirit that opens the earth moistens the earth sweetly refresheth it calls forth the fruits thereof The fruits of the Spirit they are called as the fruits of the earth are called the precious fruits put forth by the Sun and by the Moon which shines by a derived influence from the Sun how precious are the fruits of the Spirit Brethren love meekness joy in the Holy-Ghost humility self-denyal these are the precious fruits put forth by the Sun the Lord Jesus by his Word and Spirit beating upon our barren hearts indeed he maketh the barren Wilderness to become a garden of God Again he healeth he reviveth the spirits which languish and are ready to go out as the poor Birds that in the Winter are hard put to it and some lye you hardly know where as if they were dead or dying when the Sun returneth how doth it refresh and revive their little spirits that were left before The night brings a heaviness and burthen along with it to the body but the morning when the Sun ariseth how doth it enliven and lighten Oh! so it s in this case many a poor soul can say by experience that when darkness hath been long on them they have no light no comfort no refreshing no breathing of the Spirit to their apprehensions in his Ordinances on their hearts O how have hands hanged down and their knees feeble and knock one against another for feebleness and that which was within them was ready to dye But now no sooner hath the Lord Jesus the Sun of righteousness looked on them but they have had their ankle-bones strengthened the joy of the Lord is their strength as Neh. 8. but I intend not here much to expatiate only these two or three things First then the first thing in this healing which is brought under the wings of the Sun of righteousness is pardon for our sins who forgiveth all-thy iniquities and healeth all-thy diseases these are exegetical one of another or may so be looked on Sin Brethren cuts off a creature from God and so maketh a wound which now is healed and made up when they are pardoned Make the heart of this people fat and let their ears be heavy their eyes closed lest at any time they should see with their eyes or hear with their ears or understand with their hearts lest they should be converted and I should heal them which Mark reads thus lest they should be converted and their sins be forgiven them So then forgiveness and healing are all one and its one thing surely included in that of the Prophet Hosea I will heal their back-slidings I will love them freely the justification freely by his grace as the Apostle calls it Poor sinner thou that ever knewest what sin was what a wound it was to thy soul knewest that thy pardon is a healing to thee So then this arising with healing in his wings is by his Spirit in his Word he conveyeth the blood of Jesus Christ the merit thereof maketh it over to the poor soul that believeth to the doing away of all the guilt So as a Sun of righteousness properly he healeth and this is the first Secondly He taketh away also the anguish and trouble that did arise from sin to the soul as when a wound is healed you know the anguish and smart is taken away though while it is healing it may be when searched and tented there will be smart and sore yet afterward it s taken away by degrees I know some of you have felt and haply some at present may feel the grief of your wounds O! how they will throb and beat and burn and smart sometimes broken bones are nothing to a broken heart nor the broken flesh any thing to a broken bone the Lord heals the broken in heart he bindeth up their wounds I have seen his waies and will heal him saith the Lord he speaks to the condition of a poor disconsolate soul under the wrath of God He was wrath and smote him yea he hid him and was wrath O how this troubles a poor soul he cannot but have his heart full of darkness and terrour and trouble that hath the face of God hidden from him well saith the Lord though he did walk frowardly before me gave me not my ends in smiting him yet I will heal him and wherein doth this healing consist Alas in restoring joy and comfort to him the poor soul now was over-whelmed with sorrow his heart now was ready to sink and fail within him and lest it should so do he will heal him and how is this but by his Word and Spirit therein which is the comforting Spitit he will create the fruit of the lips peace peace to him Here is a healing indeed the healing of broken hearts and broken bones it s the work that the Father sent the Lord Jesus for into the world in an especial manner that he annointed him for poured out the Spirit upon him annointed him with the oyl of gladness above his fellows that he might speak in due season that he might bind up the broken spirits Now the Lord Jesus Brethren our dear Saviour he delighteth to do this will and work of his Father O! he loveth to be doing with broken hearts And O that we had some work for the Lord Jesus this day he is among us now to see if there be any heart in this condition that he may heal us it s his delight to do it Well this is a second he hath his cordials as well as his purgatives his lenitives as well as his corrosives Thirdly he cometh with healing under his wings as to take away the anguish so also to purge away the filth of it to heal the running putrifying sore that it may not run and defile and pollute all that a man taketh in hand How much more saith the Apostle shall the blood of Christ purge our consciences from dead works that we may serve the living God With corrosives he eats down the proud flesh and the dead flesh he dryeth up the bloody issues then the person was healed when she touched Christ but the hem of his garment This is that which troubles many a heart more then the guilt of their sins and indeed the returning and recoyling of sin on them again and again occasioneth the questioning of their peace and comfort that they have had O how one cryeth out of this sin and another of that sin and walks heavily and sadly Well the Lord Jesus he will arise with healing under his wings for all these distempers Fourthly and lastly another healing is the taking away his anger manifested in outward calamities or diseases in a people or person I will heal their back-slidings and love them freely for mine anger is
be stirred because that maketh him sensible of his condition O! such a mans condition is very dangerous and is not this the case of our souls Brethren O! what malignity is in sin the poyson and filthyness and hurt of all diseases and wounds are little enough to set it forth by and how sensible are we of a wound of a disease of the body how insensible of the diseases of the soul Well in order to a healing the Lord give us a feeling But this is but the first But a little further to open the nature of sin on this occasion which our Doctrine administers to us that which is to be healed you have heard is sin and that which needeth healing is either a disease or wound they are correlatives that you have heard already it is therefore compared to many sorts of diseases wounds and putrifying sores and bruises But now I will speak a little Brethren to the ill qualities and consequences of sin considered as such which may tend to turn our hearts against it for the time to come First then there is pain and anguish in most diseases and in every wound and bruise and especially in cankerings festered sores this is a proper passion of a disease to have pain and truly Brethren so hath every sin a pain with it first or last it is true the cup of pleasures goeth down merily with Sinners but when it s down it is a cup of trembling to them do but look on Gain when he had sinned in pouring out his Brothers blood he quenched his bloody thirst but kindled a fire in his bowels which did consume him Oh every one that meeteth me will kill me fear hath torment as John saith and see how full of fears a poor sinner is The wicked flee when none pursueth the very stones and beasts being at enmity with them they fear they shall be murthered by each of them And how did Foelix tremble when Paul disputed of righteousness temperance and judgement to come as long as they can keep out the sight of God as they think they are well But bring a Sinner and set him as it were in the face of God let him but look on him as a righteous Judge of all the world and most mighty to execute his pleasure on Sinners and then tell me whether the stoutest hearted-sinner do not quail as usually at the hour of death for truly for the most part men seldom seriously eye their condition before then How did the Jaylour spring in trembling in the Acts Ah the Sinners in Sion are afraid Fearfulness hath surprized the Hypocrites who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire who shall dwell with everlasting burnings Alas the stubble will not endure before the fire no more can sinners endure to look on God as a consuming fire it maketh the very heart ach except altogether hardened from his fear to behold him because they know themselves guilty and lyable to those burnings There is saith the Apostle a certain fearful looking for of judgement and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries Can a poor condemned Prisoner look on the Iudge think on the Tree on which he must be hanged on the fire but with fear and trembling Can Belshazzar read his sentence on the wall the hand-writing but with terrour his knees knocking one against another Ah Brethren methinks Sinners that are yet in their sins should not read a leaf in the Bible each leaf concerneth him is 〈◊〉 doom but he should even smite his thighs together there is so much terrour and fear accompanying sin Memoria testis ratio index timor carnifex saith Bern. As the Saints have some antipasts of Heaven a bunch of Grapes before they come to Cannan an earnest of that joy unspeakable and full of Glory so doubtless Sinners they have some hours of darkness coming on them some wrings and gripes of a guilty conscience that sometimes made some of them run to an halter to a sword for ease none knoweth the hell of a guilty conscience but such as have felt it Oh the wrackings the distortions of the Soul The pulling of the very heart in pieces and the rending of the very Bowels in pieces with these imprisoned passions in the Soul But secondly Even in sinners that repent Brethren though the wound be then healing there is pain also you know Now the Lord Jesus cometh in mercy to rouze the soul to shame it out of its evil courses and is shame nothing a man cannot hold up his head he is confounded ye are now ashamed saith the Apostle of the things which ye have done before can you look back on your former vain and filthy conversation and your hearts not be ashamed your consciences not be ashamed there is inward shame and confusion though it appear not outwardly So in that place of Ezekiel Thou shalt remember thy ways and be ashamed that thou mayst remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee There will be a godly sorrow which works repentance and never was there any repentance without sorrow there 's a pricking of the heart and pricking in the reins Acts 2. 37. There is no rest in the flesh by reason of the sin and broken bones That the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Is it not sin that turns away the face of God and what then can arise to the soul but trouble Thou didst hide thy face and I was troubled This is the first thing there is pain in sin and trouble it troubles our hearts and troubles our houses as it did Cains troubles the City and Country troubleth Israel Secondly In sin Brethren or accompanying it there is weakness and indisposedness when it s but growing on us it seizeth on the spirits the vigour first So how lazie and listless are we for divers days befâ—â—e it do appear and much more afterward Morbus is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 How wonderfully doth sin unbefit us for duty we even move to it as an arm or foot out of joynt when a man endeavours to bow it one way it falls quite another way 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lust where they are in prevalency they are like to wens in a mans body which suck up the strength nourishment that which should supply the rest of the members it turns to its own swelling So doth pride turn that which should humble us that which would inflame our hearts and melt us to it self and so weakens us keepeth our love at an under that we cannot so livelily vigorously serve the Lord. We complain of our weak hands and feeble knees our indisposedness to the service of God believe it this is the reason of it sin unmortified this makes men reprobate to every good work men of no judgement no dexterity at all to
by poor Sinners that he cometh to heal and yet he doth endure it and for all this healeth them Is not all this unkindness what can move him to give us over surely many of us are able to say it that if his bowels had not been unsearchable we have so often grieved him and kicked against him even since he had to do with our souls in a way of healing mercy that we had been undone for ever Oh here is unsearchable mercy we wound him and grieve him and yet he heals us we sleightly esteem of him of his blood of his mercy of his love even while he is pouring it out upon us and he so dearly loveth us that his blood is not too dear for us no nor his Spirit nor his bowels nor any thing O here is rich Grace indeed to poor froward-hearted Sinners 5. Herein the riches of Grace doth appear to poor Sinners that it is not the multitude nor the depth nor the loathsomness of our wounds or deadliness of our diseases that discourageth him to make him turn his back upon the work and let us alone O saith the Physitian when he cometh to such a Patient he hath the plague it is seized upon his heart upon his vitals it is past my ski 〈…〉 it is but labour in vain if the spots appear there is no hope no healing but now the Lord Jesus he never mâ—dleth with a Sinner but he hath the plague in his very heart not only the sores running upon their tongues and upon their hands but in their very hearts and all the blood and spirits poysoned and yet he is not discouraged he takes it in hand truly some of us if we consider how deeply rooted our â—nsts were in our very hearts it is matter of admiration that ever we were healed and though for the present there are it may be grudgings of the old disease whereby we are a grief to him and a grief to our selves yet that the plague is cured at the heart or curing rather alas do you think the Lord Jesus did not know what a weary hand he should have with us before he began with us he knew what ulcerations would be continually breaking out that must be lanced and searched and yet never turned his back upon his work upon this account when the Chyrurgion meeteth with a poor creature that is full of wounds and bruises and putrifying sores that have never been opened nor mollified but a long time have festered and rotted O saith he I am not able to endure to have to do with such a Patient the very stench of his wounds and â—ores is such I am not able to bear it Brethren this is nothing to sin the most loathsom running sores are nothing to the rottenness of sin O it is the superfluity of naughtiness it is the very scum of scums the very excrement of the Devil now how can we think that Jesus Christ should endure the stench of our loathsom souls full of running sores and yet he doth it when he cometh to heal us he never yet gave over any that he undertook to heal because of the greatness the multitude the loathsomness of his diseases I know poor misgiving hearts will be ready to sit down and mourn as poor creatures without hope when they consider how many their sores are their diseases are O what loathsom running sores bloody issues and they are loathsom to our selves that see little or nothing of them and that have a stinking nostril their minds whereby they conceive of things are impure themselves and so cannot apprehend them as so loathsom but the Lord Jesus that seeth them to the bottom knoweth the venom of them the loathsomness of them to the full O sure they are much more to him sure he will never have to do with such a rotten soul as mine saith one such a rotten heart such a wretch so besotted with the world as I have been so unclean a wretch as I have been this is a mistake the riches of Grace in Jesus Christ would never be so made manifest the exceeding abundance of Grace if he had not to do with such sinners as thou art in thine own apprehension with a Paul a Manasses a Magdalen with the chief of Sinners O say not your cases are desperate there is no healing for your wounds nothing maketh a Sinners case desperate but his own despairing his final unbelief his despair of the mercy of Christ the faithfulness of Christ in this great undertaking of poor Sinners Sixthly O what tenderness is manifested in the manner of the cure and it must needs be so when bowels themselves are the constitution of the Physitian where love it self and compassion it â—elf setteth the Physitian awork Brethren can you imagine when a Father is a Physitian and hath a poor diseased child or wounded cryeth out for healing can you imagine with what an heart he goeth about it if it would do the cure he could be content to endure all the lancings take down all bitter potions O every grone and out-cry of his Patient goes to his heart he is so tender by these affections the Lord is pleased darkly to shadow out to us his heart toward us Even as a Father pittieth his children so the Lord Jesus pittieth them that fear him that are wonnded in any kind either in their peace or in their holiness But this will appear if we consider but a few particulars First In that he himself hath taken the bitterest part of the physick O the wormwood and the gall they went into his bowels the Lord Jesus doth not delight to cure by lancings by searings and canterizings no but he took down himself the purge that set him upon such a sweat as you know alas it would have drunk up every drop of our blood and moysture and marrow that we should never have seen through it this he takes himself himself is lanced you know by the Soldiers and from thence came water and blood the ingredients of the healing medicine for poor Sinners for ever being rightly tempered like a tender Mother if the child be sick it must be purged she her self takes the purge endures the wrings of it in its working that the effect may be suckt by the child who lies at the breast this is but a resemblance of this rich Grace in Jesus Christ Brethren we see if men were our Physitians what they would prescribe us their purgations and pilgrims whippings macerating our flesh until they bleed and die but the Lord Jesus doth not so if either the Physitian or the Patient must die in this case rather then the poor diseased wounded Patient shall die the Physit 〈…〉 himself dieth that we might live that his blood might be our cordial his flesh our dyet and his blood our dyet-drink that continually by little and little might heal us O what manner of love is this Brethren who would do so let a Father but examine his
heart and see could he do so for his child though a Mother may take down much bitterness for her child yet would she be content to open a vein to bleed to death to redeem its life when ready to perish I know David in his passion said Would God I had dyed for thee but if Absalom had been alive and in cold bood he had been put to it I question though his affections were strong to his Son but they would have been as strong to himself Self is a mans nearest friend but now the Lord Jesus you see did it for his poor sinful people yea for strangers for enemies Brethren consider of it If any of us were Physitians here is a poor wounded creature lies in the way as the poor man in the Gospel fell among thieves left wounded and half-dead which of us now could find in our hearts to open our own veins and be emptied of all our blood and liâ—e that such a poor wretch might be supplied now this the Lord Jesus doth for such Sinners as we are Brethren if there must be pouncing and pricking he endures it lancing he endures it contusion he endures it For he was wounded for our transgressions bruised for our iniquites the chastisement of our peace was upon him and through his stripes we are healed his stripes are not the bodily buffetings his crown of thorns and such things were nothing in comparison no it is the lashing of his spirit the wounding of his soul the travel of his soul the agonies wrestlings with his Fathers displeasure to an agony when God laid on him so heavily that he was ready to faint and sink and his soul almost fetched at every blow O dear Saviour that ever the cure of such sinfull dust and ashes should cost thee so dear and we so little prize it But 2. That which he prescribes to us though there be some bitterness in it yet no more then must needs it may be a sprinkling from the top of the cup of trembling which may put us into a fear and trembling so much as he seeth needfull to imbitter sin to us it is true if love were perfect here below while graces are imperfect and our ingenuity perfect the looking upon a crucified Christ for us would be the greatest imbittering of sin to us in the world but we are very dull an 〈…〉 ow of heart and therefore a little taste we must our selves that we may gather from thence what the Lord Jesus indured for us we that never felt what a wounded Spirit meant and what the clouding of the face of God from us meant though we may hear of the sufferings of Christ we are not able to be sensible of them and so not to prize that love as strong as death but when a poor creature hath had a drop or two of scalding wrath fall upon his conscience a lash or two though gently upon his spirit that maketh him roar in the disquietness of his â—oul O thinketh he then if a drop or two be so full of terror and amazement what then was the whole Cup what was the dregs how should I have born that if my blessed Saviour had not taken it off for me That which did so parch him who was the Green Tree that he said he thirsted surely would have consumed the dry If he were as a Bottle dryed in the smoak it would have consumed us to ashes If it made Him sweat in such a manner it would have altogether dissolved our frame that we should have perished for ever O if a little wrath when God hideth his face be such a Hell in many souls What a Hell then had Jesus Christ in his soul when wrath was poured out to the utmost for he was not spared a jot And then to make us out of love with sin wherein doth lie the very heart of the core and of the cure surely such are the bowels of God in Christ that as he delighteth not in the death of a sinner so neither doth he delight in bringing the creature to life through so much bitterness and grief if any other means would so effectually work us out of love with sin as this for the Wise God surely would take the most effectual course it is all needfull else he would never do it Why but you will say that hatred of sin is never kindly except the love to Jesus Christ be the ground of it ye that love the Lord hate evil this takes the ingenuous spirit off from Omissions and Commissions It is true but yet consider brethren wherefore do we love Him but because he loved us when his love is revealed and manifested this warmeth melteth the heart indeareth the soul to him until the Lord Jesus be pleased to open and unfold his bowels of love to a sinner he will never love him now whereby should we estimate the love of Jesus Christ to poor sinners but by the unsearchably rich 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 he paid for them O the price of every drop of that blessed blood that run trickling down to the earth especially if it be considered by what means it was squeezed out of him this setteth a rate upon his love it is not love in word but in deed and in truth if nothing else will be a price to redeem them but his blood it shall go he is not dear of it to the last drop yea not to part with it by opening a vein but to have it extract out of the veins by the pores of his body O by the unspeakable weight of wrath upon his Spirit Now how can we judge of this except we have had a little taste of it our selves when we are put into a little sweat in our own wrestlings with the displeasure of God O then we see what our Saviour indured for us If a man would set the highest estimate upon love among men this should be the rate of it would they willingly have the face of God in Christ hidden from them for a year or two for the dearest friend they have in the world you that have felt what this lashing of your Spirit is that your breath was even gone at every blow and you were ready to perish and you had fainted except you had believed some secret undiscerned support Tell me would you redeem the life yea the souls of your dearest friends that you had in this world by lying under a wounded Spirit having a Hell kindled in your souls that should burn all your days I cannot tell I know dear Friends will do much one for another O saith one I could lay my hands under their feet to do them good O I could redeem their lives with my own Would God I had died for thee and haply because he saw he was in such a sad condition for his soul but David wouldst thou have been content to roar all thy days in the disquietness of thy soul to have his waves and billows to
go over thee not to wade in the shallows but to be in the depths to be overwhelmed with the displeasure of the Lord and that for Absolom if so it is much but it is nothing to this of Christ therefore this is the truest estimate we can take of his love and surely the higher our thoughts are and deeper of the love of Christ and the larger the greater will be our hatred of sin our loathing of sin which when it is wrought the cure is wrought what shall I play with the knife that hath pierced the heart of my Saviour Shall I harbour that in my bosom that was the sting of my blessed Saviour the poyson whereof-drank up his Spirits surely no. And then Secondly This will heighten our love to him and we shall be loth to grieve him when we love him O he hath indured enough already for me he haâ—h been wounded yea so wounded as to be all over gore for my-sins and so much as to be but all one wound and shall I grieve him more I am perswaded that the experiences of all our hearts that ever tasted of his love will subscribe to this that this is the great reason of our so often grieving of Jesus Christ because we have so little impression upon our hearts of his love to us and consequently so little love to him either we never had a strong impression or else by degrees it doth wear out and should be renewed by a serious contemplation of these things which we neglect and that is the reason else we should be very tender and fearful of grieving him after the manner we do daily But then Thirdly our own smart under the sence of his displeasure will do something do you think that the remembrance of the wormwood and gall will not do something make sinners afraid to meddle with sin and all little enough too so the Father when the childe walks frowardly takes him up I le make you remember my fingers a good while saith he so the Lord deals with his people but this is nothing to what the Lord Jesus indured for us he had the brunt he broke the waves of the displeasure of his Father who is the rock of our salvation though we that are lifted up upon that rock may be under water sometimes by those waves yet the force of them is broken upon Jesus Christ else they would dash us to pieces having not co-assistance enough to break them If ever Peter were solicited to deny Jesus Christ again do you think that the remembrance of this O how dear it cost me was not an awe upon him and so for David after those dolefull complaints from him while under the sense of his fathers displeasure do you think he was not more afraid of stollen waters though sweet and bread eaten in secret though pleasant after God had kept him awhile shut him up as I may say in the Chambers of death made him walk there awhile to make him know what he had done in sinning away the light of his countenance But Thirdly That which he himself prescribeth even the bitterest of it it is no more then he enables the creature to bear if he do lance our wounds and put us to some grief withall he giveth a Cordial that stays us from sinking it is true a right hand cannot be cut off nor a right foot a man cannot be dismembred but there will be some anguish and trouble nor a lust mortified but it will cost us some heart-aking but then he quickly stanches the bleeding keepeth the heart from sinking fainting he will not suffer us to be tryed above what we are able but maketh a way to escape he doth not leave us altogether without his presence when we are in the dark though we see him not I say if it were not for this I know the lot of Judas and Cain would fall upon every such sinner nor will he keep it a jot longer upon us then he will lengthen out our patience But what is all this Brethren to what our blessed Saviour hath taken down for us If darkness be so sad to us who never had but a glimpse of the light of his countenance what was it that the Lord Jesus felt then that had it in that fulness the creature was capable of and proportionably greater by how much the more iniquity was laid to his charge So that in a word it is our blessed Saviour that was wounded and we healed all that is done to us is but as a scratch with a pin to those wounds of his he felt all those wrings and pangs and we have the effects of the working of the Physick is not this unsearchable riches of Grace that we should be healed after such a manner as this Seventhly He doth all this most freely expecteth no reward as Physicians you know do the poor woman in the Gospel spent all that she had upon the Physicians but when she came to Christ he asked her nothing only willingness to accept of deliverance to believe his power his willingness to save and this is nothing to a reward yea and it is he himself that giveth the willingness to be healed he went up and down throughout the Synagogues and the villages healing all their diseases was it not the freest gift that ever was given to give himself his life his blood a ransom for poor sinners alas he knew we had nothing to give him and yet he cometh nevertheless freely for all he aimeth at is that his grace may have the glory and be made glorious and the poorsinner may be saved and therefore whether they have any thing or nothing it is all one yea if there be any thing that the creature looks upon as his money the Lord Jesus is so far from taking it as a reward that there is nothing hinders him more then this it is one of the great diseases indeed of the soul this holy self that Jesus Christ cometh to heal poor sinners are full of sores wounds and bruises and putrifying sores full of corruption every one hath his bloody issue now our duties or holiness which sinners sometimes so much stand upon the Apostle thought them gain once they are but as the filthy clouts upon our sores that are â—ull of the runnings of our sores as menstruous cloaths defiled with our bloody issues we think to plaister our wounds with them to salve our consciences with a few duties but alas they come off like filthy clouts from running sores and are these a reward for the Lord Jesus When a Physician cometh to heal a person of the Plague O saith he I will reward you you shall not take all this pains with me for nothing you shall have the rags that come off my sores for your pains Is not the Physician much beholding to him think you So it is here we have nothing but such rags to give the Lord Jesus and alas they must be washed clean in
like now if he were upon earth O how would poor Creeples set the best foot forward to come to him and such as had diseased creatures Lame Blind Palsie c. O how would they take themselves bound to bring them to Christ for healing and what is the body more then the soul Brethren You would think you were undone if you were lamed and could not stand upon your legs why this is nothing to have a heart and a heart Such a man is lame one leg shorter then another or walks with one foot in an higher way and the other in a lower and so halts and is this nothing O what would a tender mother give now if she had all her children and self under the plague at once or lying of the stone or gout at once one cryeth and another cryeth never pain like theirs What would a mother give now for such a Physitian and how ready would she be to carry them to him what is this to the plague of the heart and the stone in the heart and yet no out-cries at all nor care at all nay the Lord Jesus cometh himself is first in the thing visits with his salvation moveth intreateth to accept of pardon of healing and yet you will not what shall I say more Brethren 4. Consider that the Lord Jesus is most freely willing to heal poor sinners do you think if the Lord Jesus had not been in good earnest and hearty in the work of salvation of poor sinners he would have prepared such costly cordials made up of his own spirits and his own blood that so no disease might be so deadly but the soveraignty of the Medicine should be as lively Surely no did he ever refuse any that came to him for healing in the Gospel for healing of the body but rather while they came for healing of their bodies he did ex superabundanti gratia heal their souls they came to ask crums of him as the poor woman and he giveth them the childrens bread his flesh and his blood to eat and to drink to be food and Physick to heal and nourish them you have heard at large that none that come unto him he will in any wise cast out Therefore Brethren let me beg of you to labour with the Lord and with your own hearts and never give it over until he hath brought you and set you directly under the beams of this Sun of righteousness for the more direct they are the more power they have you know the reason beams of the Sun in winter will not heal the earth of its barrenness and frozenness but it s bound up and so some may have some glancing influence from Christ some kind of tasts and yet notwithstanding not amount to an healing though to an escaping of the pollutions of the world outward acts yet it is not healed to the bottom there are some lusts indeed that are like sullen weeds that will not live except it be in the shade and darkness as in wells and pits and the like where the Sun cometh not and therefore wherever the light of the Gospel cometh these are presently done away Some things are so gross as if there be but a glimmering of light discovered they fly away will not endure it but there are some secret lusts lie so close to the heart have cast out their roots so there and are so fastened in the spirit that except the Lord Jesus do shine in his strength into such a soul they will never up they will never wither nor dye nor the soul be healed but thus much for the Exhortation Lastly I shall speak a word of refreshing to such as tremble at this Word and every Word of God are indeed sensible of their condition by reason of sin and many sad complaints they make I may imagine but the Lord heareth the moan that every poor sinner maketh over his wounds and over his diseases before the Lord as you shall have a poor creature that feels he is wounded the heavy groans he fetcheth one cryeth out of the broken arm another of a wounded head a third of the stone a fourth of the plague O how it throbs and smarts when the Lord opens sinners eyes to see what they have done which they never saw before thus it is with them Why now poor sinner is this thy case dost thou see and know thy wound know this day there is healing for thee cast not away thy hope for so poor creatures are ready to say is there any healing for me there was never wound sure so deep as mine O never was there disease so loathsom so full of pain as mine yea here is a promise the Sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings upon them that fear him and now thou beginnest to be afraid of him though before thou knewest him thou madest nothing of rebelling against him yet now thou dost as they say bring a man that is guilty of anothers murther before him he will bleed afresh So the Lord Jesus when a poor sinner guilty of his blood suppose the worst and this is that which wounds thee now why his blood will issue afresh to heal poor sinners what is it that thou art troubled with is it in thine eyes is the eyes of thy understanding darkened he will heal this how ready was he when the blind men cryed to his that they might receive their sight you know he healed them What wouldst thou have thy memory healed of its slipperiness and treachery he will heal that he hath done it for many a one in a strange manner What is it thy thoughts it may be are wandering and vain he will heal that what is it thy love it may be is full of dissimulation is not out of a pure heart and not â—ervent as it should he will heal that and for thy will of its pronness to sin this sin that sin thy own iniquity he will heal that and so for the Irascible part he will heal thee of those fears and troubles and inordinate passions vanities lusts and vain desires O but saith one my disease is a Relapse I have found strength against such or such a lust but I have fallen back again Be it so he will heal their back-slidings though it be true if any sins be talents these are they Yea he will forgive an hundred talents as well as thirty pence back-sliding is a kind of compound of all sins so much the sadder it is by how much there is a slighting and undervaluing the blood of Jesus Christ wherewith we have been purged and cleansed but is this thy trouble as this Novatianism is in every poor troubled conscience to question Whether ever God will pardon or heal if they fall after repentance though I must tell you usually it costs them more smart yet the Lord will heal even such as these what was not Davids sin a back-sliding and Peters a back-sliding the most fearful sin and the most remarkable
people Fifthly There is another part of bondage under a slavish obedience that is to say such an obedience to the Law of God as nothing but a slavish fear is the principle of it and truly this puts on men to do many things they know it is written Cursed is he that continueth not in every thing that is written in the book of the Law to do it Now this sticks with the poor soul God requireth me to love him with all my heart with all my soul with all my strength and if I do not I am cursed therefore now he buckles a little to it as far as such terrors will carry him but alas he is not able to do it like a slave that doth his task while his Master stands over him with a rod or because he is sure to be beaten if he do it not not out of any love to the Master nor to his service at all what a grievous bondage is this Let but any Apprentice that hath a hard Master whom he serveth meerly out of fear as the Egyptians did their task because if they did them not they must be beaten and this maketh the yoke very heavy and uneasie also it pincheth exceedingly Now when the Lord Jesus cometh to a soul he breaks this yoke the Law genders to bondage the curse of it hath the very seeds of bondage in it Now I say when the Lord Jesus cometh ariseth upon a soul letteth him see that he hath undertaken for him not only the curse of the Law being made a curse but hath set his love upon him hath paid all the debt will take him to be his son no more as a servant O now when the soul beginneth to be sensible his condition is changed that he is a Son and now hath not a cruel hard Master to serve but a Father that will pity and spare where he falleth short of his duty let him do his best this doth much facilitate the work maketh the yoke easie and the burden light his Commandments are no more so grievous to the soul as they were before Now the Law of Christ is a perfect Law of Liberty to him before it was a Law gendring bondage for alas before it was only preached to the ear and that under the penalty of such a curse now it is written in the heart now there is an eccho in the soul resounding Thy will Lord will I do when he speaks any thing as the Law of love was upon the heart of Christ in the work of our Redemption now his Law is in our hearts and therefore we delight to do his will in some measure I delight in the Law of God after the inward man as the Apostle saith as a Servant it may be for a while under his Master hardly used yet afterward he changeth his manner of dealing with him offers him great immunities it may be to be of a Servant Son in Law to the King O now the Servant will be bored he will now become a willing servant and not be dragged to obedience by terrors and fears any more but willingly yieldeth up his members weapons of righteousness to holiness now the service is hearty and free his people shall be a willing people in the day of his power O saith the Apostle Ye were the servants of sin but now thanks be to God ye have from the heart obeyed the form of doctrine delivered to you from the heart that is to say out of love it cannot else well be from the heart for whom we dread with a slavish fear we hate and while the soul looks upon God as such a Judge as a cruel Master and his Law a cruel bloody Law nothing but blood and ruine to them that come not up unto it there is a hatred of God it is impossible to love him or his service and then the service such a man doth it is not from the heart a man may serve sin and yet do some service to God out of a slavish fear as most unbelievers do therefore they pray and therefore they read and therefore they do many things and yet serve sin but they never obey from the heart until this work be done the Law of love be written in their souls now you shall go forth you shall obey no more out of fear but out of love this is a Fifth Sixthly From the terrors and fears before a mans conversion which usually seize upon the creature in order to it for truly before the Lord hath to do with our hearts we are so dead asleep with the opium of sin that there must be somewhat to rouse us to awaken us usually there is a spirit of bondage which works fear and dread and terror in the soul that is to say when the Spirit of Christ breathing in the Commandment maketh sin appear to be sin exceeding sinfull and opens some of the terrors which sin doth breed in it witnesseth to the poor creature that he is in a state of condemnation that there is no way but one with him O now the soul beginneth to be amazed and startled and knoweth not what to do this runs him to the heart he had many afflictions and troubles in the flesh before never any came so near as this and no marvel because the Spirit of Jesus Christ hath wounded him at the very heart Brethren the Law of God is as I may say an Habeas Corpus or rather Animam apprehends or claps up a soul as I may say puts him in prison and therefore the Apostle useth that expression mind you the Scripture hath concluded all under sin 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath shut us up together all concluded under one prison in one dungeon that the promise which is of Faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe but before Faith came we were kept under the Law I pray you minde it we were kept as in a Garrison as the Learned interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and again 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being shut up together unto the Faith which should afterward be revealed it is just as it is with a Prince he proclaimeth Pardon to all his Rebellious Subjects but withall he sendeth out his Messengers his Pursuivants to apprehend throw in prison keep under Bolts and Shakles as many of them as he can apprehend this is not contrary to his mercy nor proclamation of Pardon but in order to it subordinate to it that so his Pardon offered might be accepted they might sue for it So it is here the Law doth thus shut up a soul as I may say as when there is an High-way open for a man to walk in but he will go another way there it is hedged up at last he is so hedged in he cannot tell which way in the world to get out again O then if he could but finde the open way he would go in it So it is in this case the Lord maketh
this terror and this bondage a means to their inlargement Ah blessed Prison that is only to make poor creatures willing to be at liberty well now this the Lord Jesus when he cometh and revealeth himself to a soul he brings him out of these labyrinths of fears and terrors letteth the poor creature see that himself is the way and the only way he hath undertaken the work for his people only if they will believe though they have no strength in them to do any thing nor to extricate themselves from the difficulties they find themselves in by reason they cannot fulfil the Law yet he is the mighty one upon whom help is laid and withal letteth them understand how his bowels do yern over them and how his heart is open ready to inlarge them and so perswadeth them to close with him and then they go forth when faith cometh so Christ is the end of the Law and the â—aw a School-Master to bring us to Christ But that is but the Sixth Seventhly Another part of this bondage is those after-claps of fears and terrours that after Christ hath been revealed to and in a soul may befall the creature alas you find it so they may be clapt up afterward in the pit of noise the horrible pit and be in the deeps and in darkness and like Jeremiahs dungeon sink in the mire where there is no standing they feel no bottom of their misery their fears are overwhelming or like Jonahs Whales belly they are in the belly of hell and all the waves and billows of God go over them O this is sore bondage however it be true that the Spirit of God is never any more a spirit of bondage to them to witness to them they are children of wrath afterward yet he doth not say but they may have bondage again and all fear hath torment and is bondage to the Spirit it doth fetter it and shut up and contract the spirits exceedingly Now I say the darkness of a mans own heart which doth naturally gender fear and Satan to help and the frowns of Gods displeasure for the present though he do not witness any more that a man is a child of eternal wrath and displeasure these may bring the poor creature into sad perplexities Well yet the Spirit of the Lord Jesus when he cometh brings also liberty with him from this bondage David will tel you so and Heman will tell you so do but consider what conditions they were in how came they to be delivered O lift up the light of thy countena nce upon me Son of God arise upon me shine upon my soul and then I shall be healed O restore to me the joy of thy salvation make me to hear joy and gladness c. Well the Promise doth extend even to this bondage also and to this may we refer the next I will speak of it distinctly Eightly There is another Bondage and that is the fears of death and judgement whereby many a poor creature is kept in Bondage all the days of their lives as the Apostle saith in that to the Hebrews to which I will speak a few words He came saith the Text and took part of flesh and blood that through death be might destroy him that hath the power of death that is to say the Devil and deliver them that through fear of death were all their life-time subject to Bondage Brethren death it self is a terrible thing the Simplex could say but hardly could he tell the reason of it for them that have no fear of God before their eyes but have put out the eye of reason and live like Beasts giving up themselves to commit wickedness with greediness though while they can keep off the apprehensions of death they may go on merrily but when that seizeth upon them it marrs their mirth it maketh a change in their faces and they are not now truly death is not so terrible in it self considered but that the stoutness of a mans spirit specially where there is no other consideration of it he may overcome it and live above the fears of it as the Heathens some of them did but now a man that knoweth indeed what death is not only a dissolution of the union between the soul and body taking down this mouldring Tabernacle but a Serpent with a sting it is where sin and guilt lies upon the soul it is the beginning of sorrows the arrest of the soul to judgement to come to receive its doom for all its bloody evils he hath been guilty of The wordling is not willing to give up his soul O he knoweth he can never answer for his wasting of his spirits and spending his time to lay up treasure here and in the mean time neglecting his soul and Jesus Christ and tenders of Grace he knoweth this well enough and therefore he will not yield up his Spirit they shall take it from him as it is in the Parable This night shall thy soul be taken from thee and so for any other sin and now I say this maketh death terrible and by reason of these fears of death men that have any sight or sense of their condition they are in Bondage all their lives long yea even the people of God themselves are in some measure under this bondage and according to the measure of the discovery of Christ to them and the power of faith in them is this fear and this bondage broken and the Lord Jesus came for this end to deliver them alas before his coming the Saints may be specially meant here who had indeed the knowledge of Christ to be crucified for Sinners and beheld him crucified though darkly in the sacrifices c. and in the promise from the foundation of the world but yet notwithstanding they had not that confidence usually but there was more room for doubtings and fears because they died still without the accomplishing of that promise now though such as had an extraordinary measure of faith and a prophetical spirit might see this clearly and so it might raise them much what above this bondage yet ordinarily I believe it was not so that they had such clear conviction of the freeness of grace and the abundance and riches of it in Jesus Christ and therefore it did not so fâ—lly quiet their Spirits in respect of fears of death and judgement they did not so clearly see the sting pluckt out therefore the Apostle saith those Sacrifices though they did hold out Christ could not make the comers thereunto perfect and therefore they were often repeated But now the Lord Jesus he hath by once offering for ever perfected compleated their salvation and therefore you shall find that the Apostle and others do so triumph over death and the grave and sin as we hardly find any before the coming of Christ and it must needs be so because now the Spirit which is the liberty of the Saints was poured out in a
the Lord who is most slighted in all this should pitty and make a way for their deliverance this is unspeakable rich grace that the Lord should as I may say study a course to make them willing to come forth to which end all the sad and fearfull Characters of this bondage in Scripture are to which end is the Law given that sin might appear to be sin and exceeding sinful and the bondage very great that they might thereby see themselves shut up to this end all those sweet invitations and powerfull expostulations with poor sinners in the Gospel O why will ye die why will ye perish and rot in prison since there is a ransom found for you the Lord takes no pleasure in your death and why will ye delight in your own death O what powerfull Rhetorick are these loving intreaties expostulations the yearnings of his bowels over them his tears over Jerusalem when they would not be gathered under his wings and all this to make the poor sinner willing and when all will not do that he should even put forth a power upon their wills and hearts inclining them to it by a sweet and yet strong though not compulsory influence of his Spirit upon them this is admirable what tenderness was there towards Lot that when he lingered and delayed the Angel took him by the hand and brought him without the City and bid him haste for his life truly there is not a soul delivered from this bondage but there is as much exercise of the patience and bowels of Christ toward them to make them willing yea to take them by the hand when they linger and make excuses as those in the Gospel I will follow thee but let me go and bid farewell to my friends I must not come off abruptly from my old Companions in sin but take leave of them handsomly I must go bury my father saith another but the Lord Jesus takes by the hand plucks us out as I may say by head and ears before we will come out Again consider how we have worn out our selves in the bondage and slavery of sin and with these fetters upon our souls or else spent so that now he may even say we our selves may say of our days there is no pleasure in them so Luke 4. 18. to set at liberty them that are bruised Dimittere confractâ—s in remissionem 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which words are not in Isaiah 61. neither Hebrew Greek nor Latine but they are added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by Luke as some conceive â—atabl and others read them vâ—lneratos persons wounded shattered worn out with the hard bondage and service they were put to bondage is a weary thing at the best but when a man is such a slave as that he must like a Gally Slave work like a horse in the service of sin O what pains sinners do take with both hands earnestly they come to iniquity and so exhaust their spirits the best milk and marrow in the bones so that they are as dry sticks that are good for nothing and yet that the Lord Jesus should to such proclaim liberty bring them forth that are able to do him no service in a manner so the thief upon the Cross and so the Jew that Andreas is said to convert hanging upon the Cross and so many a gray headed sinner that never ceased serving sin yet now c. Truly if the Lord Christ should set us free with a respect to any service we should do him afterward I doubt none would ever be set free for Brethren what can we add to him if thou be righteous it profiteth him not at all he is a God infinitely perfect in himself our goodness extends not to him all the best of Lebanon and the wood are not enough for a burnt offering so great a God he is and yet though he be not advantaged by our service when we are set at Liberty but what commandments he giveth us to observe and giveth us hearts inclineth our hearts thereunto they are for our own welfare as in that of Deuteronomy The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath for his good his advantage and so is all the services or if it were yet alas I say how are we broken many times with the bondage of sin so that we are fit for nothing the understanding and affections so weakned and wasted and besotted with sin that afterward we can do little for him because of that sad effect sin hath left upon our souls and yet he delivereth us this the fourth Vse 5. Then it shall it be for Exhortation and invitation this day to every poor sinner that is in bondage that they would close with this promise that they would go forth O Sinners that you would but accept of Deliverance and Liberty that now the Lord Jesus after so dear a purchase of it doth tender to you you see he is willing he came on purpose into the world to preach and proclaim liberty to the Captives Now art not thou a Captive and hast thou no minde to be set free And for some Motives to stir us up a little at least to a consideration of our condition and what we do all this while First Consider this is the acceptable year of the Lord as in that of Isaiah O it beginneth with the preaching of the Gospel indeed the acceptable year minde you acceptable to Jesus Christ It pleaseth him wondrous well if sinners be willing to come out of prison to be set at liberty there is many a poor soul that thinketh with himself I am willing if the Lord Jesus be willing that I shall go forth O it is the acceptable year of the Lord there is nothing more pleasing to him then to see the ransom he hath laid down for you sinners take effect and bring out many out of bondage the Apostle applyeth it to the times of the Gospel There is joy in heaven c. The Father of the Prodigal how willing was he and then it is the acceptable year to sinners too O how did men that were in bondage long for the Jubilee and breath and pant after it especially if their bondage were hard that set them all free Dear Friends Consider this is the great Jubilee proclaimed solemnly with the Silver Trumpets of the Gospel that every poor creature that will may go forth out of prison yea that if now they go forth the Lord Jesus is willing we should but if we shall trifle away this year of the Lord which we know not how long it may last to us either the Gospel may be taken away from us or else we from the Gospel or else the things which concern our peace in the Gospel be hid from our eyes that we shall never see them O that sinners would but consider this these seasons the Father hath kept in his own power that sinners might be afraid to
the hint up and be doing follow him and he will bring thee through one iron-gate and through another and thou shalt find thy self at the last set free and know thy liberty and the things freely given thee of God O beg the Spirit for he is the cause of liberty it depends upon him as light upon the Sun and the Spring upon the Fountain he applyeth what Christ hath done for us knowing the deep things of God he revealeth them he only convinceth and answers objections c. The sixth Vse of the point shall be several admonitions or exhortations to them that are set free from this bondage thou hast had the Sun of righteousness shine upon thee and art gone forth from sin from that bondage those fears terrours darkness and distractions which sin brings upon poor creatures thou rememberest the time when thou couldst do nothing but sin against the Lord and grieve him continually thou couldst not cease to sin thou wast under the command of sin and now through grace exceeding rich grace the gates of the prison are open the Lord hath pluckt thy feet thy affections out of the snare What doth the Lord thy God require of thee this should be the next enquiry of the soul me thinks after so signal mercies First surely he expecteth thou shouldst give him the glory of all praise him and exalt him alone alas what are the calves of our lips they cost us nothing the poorest have this and the richest have no more in effect but this if thou be able to do little for Christ yet thou maist praise him thou maist admire his rich grace make his name glorious Truly Brethren I believe some of us are able to say by experience that our unthankfulness for the freedom we have had hath been an occasion of our being clapt up for all the design of God in Christ in redemption of poor creatures is to make his mercy and grace glorious as he did his power in the creation and wisdom Now how is it made glorious among us but by our acknowledgment of it our lifting up the Lord Jesus not only with our hearts but our tongues art thou brought back again into darkness and into the prison after some refreshing Consider wast thou thankful for what thou hadst we are all sick of the leapers disease in the Gospel ten were cleansed but where are the nine I doubt scarce one in ten of us do praise him according to what he hath done for our souls and those that do yet scarce for one act of his loving kindness in ten in bringing of-us forth it may be he delivereth us ten times from a dead heart before we once give him the glory O this Popish principle of pride that is in us is that which seals up our hearts and stoppeth our mouths from praises but opens it in complaints in discontents when we want such a mercy O if our fâ—eece be dry when others are wet we are ready to question why doth the Lord deal so with me rather then with another why have I not as much enlargement of heart as another as great gifts freedom of speech and utterance as great grace in any kind Why am I not set above these wretched carnal delights as well as others of his people as if God should do any thing for us out of respect to us we had deserved any thing at his hands whereas we may rather expostulate with our selves O why is it not worse with me then it is why am I in no sorer bondage then I am where I am once overthrown it is mercy I have not an hundred times been over-thrown with-my lusts So on the other hand it stops our mouths for returning unto the Lord for what he hath done for us we may many of us thank our selves for much of the bondage that is upon us that we so much complain of O if every time the Lord setteth our frozen spirits a melting every time he setteth our straightned hearts at large we instead of lifting up our selves we could and did but admire that grace magnifie him loath our selves would he not much more delight to enlarge us O therefore look to this Secondly Thèn look to it thà t ye stand fast in that liberty wherewith Christ hath made you free I speak not so much here to the yoak of Ceremonies which the Lord hath taken away altogether but I speak specially to our freedom from the dominion of our sins the freedom from the Law as a Covenant of life and from outward pressures and bondages you know our fears were great when we saw this cloud of blood but hanging over our heads and many of thè precious ones of God I know when I was little and scarce able to take notice of such things yet I have been an eye and ear-witness of the sad complaints made before the Lord of it Now hath God delivered us from this stand we fast in this liberty But first thèn for that of sin and our lusts hath thè Lord broken the yoak of them set thee free when thou didst groan under it O take heed of returning to folly any more hath he spoken peace to thy troubled soul loosed the cords of thy sins wherewith thou wast held and wilt thou be tampering with sin again This was the madness and perversness of Israel they would make them a Captain and return to Egypt again to the house of bondage when they had been but a little tryed in the Wilderness but we have no such discouragement upon us as to put us upon such resolutions but meerly the unfaithfulness of our own hearts and unsteadfastness of our own spirits the Apostle speaks of some who having escaped the pollutions of the world they did return with the dog to the vomit with the swine to the mire the condition of such a soul is worse then ever it was he brings seven other spirits worse then himself and the latter end of thà t man is worse then his beginning O whén the Devil can but fasten upon such a poor creature again that once hath gotten out of the prison like a cruel Jaylor now he will lay more fetters upon him now he shall be even over-whelmed with temptations now his feet his head and his heart and all shall be put in the stocks have their bolts and chains upon them Sinners you never make work for Christ but you make work for your selves lay a grievous foundation for much bitterness to your own spirits a little care a little watchfulness here may prevent heart-breaking afterwards which we do necessitate as I may say Jesus Christ to by our back-slidings to this end therefore flie sin as Moses fled from the face of his Serpent flie youthful lusts make hast away the Devil and sin will pursue hard and cast this golden apple in our way this and that occasion O take heed of them So the Apostle flie fornication and flie Idolatry c. Secondly
all the worst when they have gotten a little peace and therefore though before they walked mournfully before God and were diligent in following hard after him now they slack their pace grow remiss they have their consolations the loaves they would have and now they may take their ease O this is a horrible abuse of this liberty for therefore the Lord speaks peace that we might not return to folly and we quite cross because he hath spoken peace to us therefore give up our selves to folly is not this to walk contrary to him and will he not walk contrary to you is not this to make our liberty a cloak an occasion to the flesh a handle for the flesh to take hold of and so to bring you into bondage again and so make more work for Christ to set you at liberty again Brethren can we make our liberty a cloak to the flesh and do you think the Lord will not pluck that cloak over our ears and shew us our nakedness again and make us know how we come by it again before we have it and therefore take heed of this I beseech you lest your liberty degenerate into licentiousness Maxima libertate minima licentia said that Antient. But yet more particularly take heed of abusing of your liberty in the use of things lawful in themselves and indifferent it is a sign of a heart that hath little fear of offending God that dare walk just at the very brink upon the very line of destruction between sin and lawful liberty if it can be assigned You find the Apostle of another Spirit rather then offend his weak Brother he would never eat meat while he lived why how would he live rather upon herbs and fruits and such things then to eat flesh as long as he lived too I tell you Brethren in our daies though there is much discourse of liberty there is little true use of it when a man will offend all the people of God and his Brethren rather then he will part with an excrement and a woman rather then sorbear her spotting and painting and bedlam nakedness If the things be lawful in themselves which I think they are not or a man will rather grieve all the people of God then cross his humor this is sad Again Brethren one man may have a greater liberty then another in this case and another greater then he in another case as for instance now Abraham might look upon Sodom when it was flaming but Lot might not because there he had his desirable things lest it should draw back his heart from the journey now commanded him and so if a man do but observe when temptations and lusts meet together where his corruption lies what is the scum of his heart and what doth use to fire his lusts there he may not give himself such a liberty as another may whose temptation lies in another thing as if a mans temptation lie to excess in eating in drinking it is not lawsul for such a man now to look upon the wine when red c. to come in the danger of such a temptation and so if a man have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease to sin he may not behold an object that another may whose temptation lies not there In a word look to it Brethren that we serve one another in love this is opposed to using our liberty as a Cloak to the flesh to bear one anothers burdens Brethren we are not at liberty one from another we may not say with Cain Am I my Brothers keeper we ought not to despise the infirmities of the weak because they see not as we see and therefore are grieved and offended at many things that we make nothing of here we ought to bear their infirmities to cover them to labour to inform them and forbear them not despise them become all things to them that we may lawfully as the Apostle became all things but a sinner to gain them this is serving one another in love and the labour of love either to God or men is a free service indeed we are rather ready to serve our selves one of another for ought I perceive generally it is so then serve one another in love Brethren I doubt there is little love for Christ sake though there may be some for our own and then all the liberty we talk of it is but bondage the Law of love is a Law of liberty indeed but enough of this Fourthly Then look to it that we being free from sin we become the servants of righteousness that is to say that you give up your selves yield your selves unto God unto Christ as instruments for the holy Spirit to play upon as instruments tools weapons of righteousness for the Lord to make use of even as he pleaseth this is the end of all that liberty held out in the Covenant of grace that we being delivered from the hands of all our enemies might serve him without fear in holiness and righteousness all the daies of our lives Now hath the Lord then set thee free brought thee out of the horrible pit broken off the shakles knockt them off set open the prison what can we do less then this spend our selves now in his service O if men would but consider how much of their strength and spirits sin hath had while we were under that bondage Me thinks it should put us on so much the more earnestly specially considering how our service addeth nothing to him it is for our own good as you heard before and it is all he expecteth for delivering of us What poor Gally-slave would not most willingly yield to a Noble-man to be his servant where his service is honourable and pleasant and delightful so be he would redeem him why this is the very case Beside if we consider the fruit here and the reward hereafter the Apostle puts both together and I will not put them asunder the first-fruits and the harvest they have their fruit unto holiness the more we serve the Lord Christ the more easie pleasant and delightful will his service be the more our souls will shine with the beauty of holiness as the bondage groweth by continuance so doth the freedom by this service I dare say the more acquaintance any poor heart hath with a diligent close humble upright walking with God the more pleasant the waies of God are to him yea and the more holy that man groweth it must needs be so because he hath more communion with the Fountain of holiness even God in Jesus Christ and the Spirit also would you be holy Brethren would you be more and more freed from the remainders of bondage which are upon you Believe it the only way is to lay out your selves more in the service of Christ the Spirit of Christ will delight to be where he is entertained where his motions are received every hint is taken and followed and improved and the
more that spirit then dwells in the heart which is his contrary principle lusting against the flesh the more the flesh must needs go down in a soul But the end is that will make up all O the reward will be according to our works when a man is rich towards God hath been faithful in a little faithful in a great deal hath laid up a good foundation against the time to come O how shall such shine in glory Me thinks our eyes should be a little forward the eye of faith as well as altogether backward to Christ and what he hath done for us to what he hath prepared for us and therefore he himself proposeth himself as a pattern to us in this very respect looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith having laid aside every weight being set free from this bondage then run looking to Jesus the Author of our Faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Cross despised the shame endured the clouding of his Fathers face from him that was the weight that made him hang the head it is the proposing of the end that sweetens the means health that is aimed at how it sugars many a bitter potion a man will endure any thing in such a case Well though we may have much ado with our froward and backsliding hearts and be many times wearied with them yet give not over but run work and so work as men set at liberty not in chains chearfully and strongly upon all the former considerations and this will be a right use of our liberty indeed Fifthly Then be not brought under bondage unto men that is to say to have our consciences inslaved either through the fear of men or favour of men surely if the Spirit of Christ be in us as it is if we be his it will free and make us go forth from this bondage You have seen it in all experiences when they threatned the Apostles commanded them they should not preach in that name the Spirit that was in them did break all those bonds though it taught them 〈…〉 ot to rebell to be tumultuous for it is pure and then peaceable the wisdom that is from this Spirit yet it taught them not to regard it whether it be fit to obey God or man judge ye they rejoyced the more that they were accounted worthy to suffer for Christ this wind that bloweth where it listeth it bears down all opposition there is no resisting of that Spirit that speaks and acts in them See the Martyrs how it did triumph over their adversaries they overcame their cruelty by the invincible patience and yielding their bodies to a torment rather then their consciences to the cruel commands of sinners which tend to their wounding Was there ever such a slave as Canaan a servant of servants shall he be when another man a great person is a servant to sin and thou for advantage or fear art a slave to him is not this to be a servant of servants to have this curse upon thy soul in the highest degree to be a slave to a slave is the deepest slavery that can be imagined Therefore take heed lest such a bondage creep upon us at unawares for our hearts are deceitful take heed of sinful compliances with the prevailing evils of the times for advantage this is to be a slave to men and to humours and not to be free-men to Jesus Christ But if you would stand fast in this liberty in all these respects then truly we must see to it that we do not grieve the holy Spirit of Jesus Christ for this is the principle of our liberty where the Spirit of Christ is there is liberty and according to the proportion of his presence with and working in any heart is the liberty and freedom of that soul he first works liberty knocks off the bolts of the soul pulls out of the horrible pit he only answers our doubts satisfieth the soul that is in bondage by witnessing love to the soul by applying the blood of Jesus Christ to the soul this the Spirit doth and he only establisheth the soul in this liberty establish me with thy free Spirit indeed somewhat else may loosen a man as to the outward practise from sin but the Spirit only can loosen the heart from sin and only can dissolve the sodering of corrupt affections whereby our hearts and their sinful objects are sodered and glued together and then the heart is broken from sin as well as for sin nor can any thing else keep up the soul in the enjoyment of that liberty by this Spirit and therefore if we would keep up and maintain our spiritual liberty we must be sure to keep in with the Spirit if we grieve him he will grieve us and leave us to fight with our own strength and fall under sin and so come to bondage again in part to the grief and wounding of our spirits some of us alas it may be thought once we had been free but have been brought into bondage again and held under the power of sin in terrours we are ready to wonder when the lusts we thought had been dead and buried do rise up again captive us to them but wonder not at it for how often is this holy Spirit grieved by us which is the principle of our liberty if we consider this well it will put an end to our admiration if we would keep our liberty not return to bondage grieve not the Spirit First he is grieved when he is neglected and slighted his motions to put us on to such a duty we shift and shuffle and make one excuse or another and will not do it either to set upon a duty we never performed or to do it in another manner then we have done at another time this grieveth him as for instance he puts us on to reprove our Brother for a sin not to suffer sin to lie upon him and we smother it we think it more offendeth another then us or else it is an unthankful office it is the way to lose a friend to be accounted a busie-body we see that men for the most part cannot bear a reproof but they will snarl at least if they do not turn and rent us and bear us upon their backs And therefore we neglect our duty and so for any other now alas how often are we guilty in this kind Secondly Take heed of all impurity uncleanness for he is a pure holy Spirit and will lie clean he cannot endure a nasty place this will grieve him if it be pollution of the flesh or pollution of the spirit if harboured in the heart it will grieve the Spirit and then as a man grieved he departeth that is his grieving indeed properly he is not grieved God is not subject to any passion or fears or sorrows c. because all things are alway present with him he seeth what we would be before he had to do
with us at all but then when we do actually thus pollute our selves he takes occasion to depart to leave us to those evils and to fill us with our own back-slidings Thirdly Take heed of sinning against conviction against light this is dangerous indeed you may come to be shut up in darkness for this to be bound in affliction and iron to endure sad things upon your spirits for if the Spirit of Christ who convinceth you this or that is a sin be so far slighted as you heed it not what if he then forbear and is it not righteous he should forbear to shine upon your graces that you should see any thing that is ought in you So that you shall walk in darkness and see no light will not this be a paying of you home in your own coyn David could not be ignorant what his sin was before he committed it and yet you see he ventured upon it and what it cost him Fourthly Take heed of deliberate sinning when a man hath time of consideration of his sin to argue the case pro and con as we use to say and doth revolve with himself O this is sinful if I do it I rebell against God I do what in me lies to undo my self O but saith lust man it shall be satisfied God is merciful there is time enough to repent or it will easily be healed afterward Now upon such deliberations as this if a man will sin there is much of the will in it and so much the more wicked and therefore now the spirit must needs be grieved what can such a poor creature expect but to be brought under bondage as you see it in David his plotting and contriving the death of Vriah these sins in cold blood when a man is not under the sudden violent heat of a temptation and yet will sin O this grieves him much if a pot be on the fire and the scum rise we throw it out we expect it would rise but if no fire be under and yet a scum arise O this is so loathsom it is not to be endured Fifthly Take heed of Ranker and Malice of grudgings of heart one against another as the Apostle saith grudge not one against another prejudices heart-burnings grudgings upon injuries real or conceived and imagined O this grieveth the Spirit who is a Spirit of pure love and will have them that look to enjoy him to be a people of love to cover much bear and forbear and forgive in love for love will cover a multitude of offences Sixthly Take heed then of pride of being lifted up for the Spirit of Christ is a Spirit of humility O he loveth to dwell in the lowly spirit if we be lifted up we rob him of his honour to arrogate that to our selves which he hath been working for us to think we are something of our own of our selves he will let us know to our sorrow that we have nothing in our hearts but darkness and bondage and sin and that all was from him Seventhly Take heed of unthankfulness for what he hath done for us when the Spirit of the Lord Jesus shall be at all this pains with us contest with the quarrellings and disputings of our own hearts against our own peace and comfort and answer all our objections and still our complaints and seal up love upon our hearts remove our trembling and fears dispell our darkness cleanse our loathsom hearts in a great measure of those lusts that did so much prevail against us and we shall forget this now and not return to him the praise but either to grow into carnal security and when we have rest from that which galled us with the nine leapers go our waies never mind whence we received it or else so much pore upon the remainder of our sins as not to exalt that grace whereby we are in so great a part delivered O this grieveth him and therefore he may justly let us step back again or let loose upon us again those lusts that we were delivered from their strength and never prized the mercy that we learn to admire that grace much more might be added but this shall suffice The next use of the point shall be for satisfaction to some doubts since we are delivered and set free from the Law as you have heard from that It may be thought First that the Law was an evil that it is such a priviledge of the Saints to be delivered from it Secondly It may be doubted how far we are set free from it and therefore I will speak a little to each of them for the first First the Apostle meeteth with it or rather prevents it for seeing that carnal reason would be so ingenuous as to find out that cavil among others against the Doctrine of faith and of freedom from the bondage under the Law as the strength of sin specially What shall I say then saith the Apostle is the Law sin that we are said to be delivered from it and that sin hath its strength from it and so deliverance from sin is a deliverance from the Law as the strength of it Or is the Law death since sin by this means doth work death No saith the Apostle the Law is holy just and good the Law giveth no occasion to sin but sin takes occasion sin will not endure to be contradicted it sucks poyson out of that holy and good Law of God meeting with opposition it swells and rageth so that indeed it is sin that is the evil the Law is holy and good O but the Law it works wrath and works death and can this then be good and how can it be such a mercy to be delivered from it is it a favour to be put into golden fetters supposing the Law to be good and holy yet since it is as we may say ginns and fetters and bolts though of gold to hold the poor soul in to keep him in and up as in a prison is this so good then To this I answer It is true by the Law is the knowlege of sin I had not known lust except the Law had said thou shalt not covet whether in the last command or in each command now I will not dispute but the first motions thoughts risings and bubblings of corruption I had not known them to be sin but that the Law hath said thou shalt not covet Why but was that then that was good made death to me saith the Apostle You must know the Apostle speaks here of a death which is the receiving as I may say the sentence of condemnation in his own spirit by conviction for this is all his knowledge of sin that sin by the commandment might appear to be exceeding sinful this is the dying there mentioned sin revived and I dyed which is in order to liberty to make the poor creature see his necessity of Jesus Christ that so he might make out after him to make a pardon welcome therefore he casts poor sinners
in the Gospel inculcate this upon the Disciples fear not him that can kill the body but fear him that killeth soul and body And so if ye live after the flesh ye shall dye but if by the Spirit ye mortifie the deeds of the flesh ye shall live these threatnings surely would not have been written to Believers except they were to make some use of them to be as an awe upon their spirits to keep them from sinning to be a quickning to their souls Now on the other hand it is true that there ought not to be in us such a fear as to distract us to drive us from to weaken our Spirits to disable us from duty to cloud and drown all our delight in his waies to blot out our apprehensions of his loveliness and compassion and bowels so as to beget hard thoughts in our hearts of God which will produce hatred of him such a fear ought not to be in us and though there may be a spice of it sometimes even in the best when they are not themselves yet this is not the prevailing principle in the soul but an holy fear of offending him which ariseth from a mixture of love towards him and holy reverence and awe of him and of his Majesty and Greatness and truly Brethren this is no enemy to spiritual liberty But I must not dwell so long upon things But secondly the main thing that I know most troubles a gracious heart is that he finds himself so much under the power of sin O I find not this freedom this liberty you speak of I am a wretch then under the power of my corruptions O the sad complaints to Christians to men continually from some poor disconsolate souls and to speak a little for their consolation if the Lord breath in it First Brethren you must know this that as sin hath had a time of settling and rooting there will be a time of unsettling it thou art of yesterday it may be and dost thou think to be so free the first day as they that have many years been wresting and fighting and praying and fasting and mourning and believing down their lusts This is a great mistake it is infinite mercy that thou hast thy hands let loose and thy feet out of the mire and clay and that thou art set upon a Rock that thou hast now a standing and liberty to fight thou must not expect a liberty from fighting and conflicting with sin while thou art in the flesh mind you the Apostles two or three verses of the same Epistle to the Romans he saith the Law of the Spirit of life the powerful working of the Spirit of life hath set him free from the Law of sin and death and yet a few verses before O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death thou groanest under the burthen whereby it appears thou art delivered in a great part thou art willing to be freed and when the will is disintangled the man is free in a great part Secondly Brethren know this for your comfort that your labour is not in vain striving against sin fighting with it you are sure to overcome though sin lie hard upon you you shall overcome it First the Lord he is able to break all the bonds if he will deliver Peter out of prison what shall hinder his chains shall fall from his hands the Iron-gates shall open of their own accord before him nothing shall be able to hold them It was somewhat hard for Israel to believe that they should be delivered out of Egypt and somewhat a strange Message of Moses at the first even as one should be sent to the great Turk to tell him the God of the Christians commands him to let them go but God tells him and them that he is that he is I am hath sent me the great God who is being it self and from himself he is what he is he is able to destroy the Egyptians dost thou believe this that he can subdue thine iniquities thy strong impetuous violent lusts Secondly then he will do it he heard Israel groaning under bondage and came down to deliver them he remembered his Covenant it was his faithfulness Brethren that brought him out the self-same day the Lord delivered them and the Lord will keep time to a day with thee that groanest under this bondage if thou werâ— but humbled if it had done its work upon thee for that and such like ends he would not suffer sin to prevail upon thee any longer for he letteth not lusts loose upon a soul to woorry it but to humble it make it out of love with sin to drive it to himself to make it for ever cleave closer to him now there is promise upon promise for this you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free he speaks this to his Disciples who did already know it in part know himself the truth the way and the life and the truth in opposition to shadows grace and truth came by Jesus Christ and it shall make you free how many promises are there as in the text therefore surely he will do it Now what an encouragement it is to fight when we are sure to overcome yea to endure hardship in this conflict But thirdly consider it is the very office of Jesus Christ the work which he received of his Father is to destroy the works of the Devil to destroy strong holds to lead captivity captive therefore he came into the world if it had not been for such poor creatures as are under bondage there had been no need of Christ he came to give himself a ransom for many and to preach deliverance to them and the opening of the prison to them that are bound you have heard already and therefore he was annointed of his Father and received the Spirit that he might set open the prison doors Now poor burthened souls if any such whose body ofsin and death presseth them down sore and they walk heavily goâ— to him spread your condition before him put him in mind wherefore he came into the world to set open the prison to loose the prisoners and thou hast an infirmity and haply been bound with it many years beseech him to exercise his Office towards thy poor soul the Lord loveth to hear his people earnest and importunate to plead it thus with him but if thou canst not yet be sure he will do the work which his Father hath given him to do and what is that but to set at liberty such prisoners as thou art that groan under the burthen and bondage of their lusts Fourthly Consider how pittiful a heart he bears to his people labouring under corruption when we are weak it may be sometimes the spirits of a poor creature are spent in labour in other services and he thinketh he should be as lively then as at another time but it is not likly so to be
at first it was little but every stone maketh some increase of the heap and yet it groweth not properly so a snow-ball it is greater with rolling but this is not properly growth nor augmentation but it is when there is somewhat inwardly received which by interchanges in man at last is turned into his substance and maketh an increase of it as a man doth his food and a râ—oâ— doth the juice of the earth which is concocted and becometh nourishment to the branches whereby they grow and increase this is properly growth Now to apply this proposition to the case in hand when we speak of growing in grace either we say the grace it self groweth or else persons do in this or that grace If the former then this doth not so suitably hold for the grace the habit of faith of love cannot properly be said to receive inwardly this or that nourishment but as qualities have added to them such or such degrees and so increase But if we say that a soul doth grow or increase in this or that grace then it will hold somewhat more exactly which is also a metonymical speech a met onymie of the subject for the adjunct to say the person groweth when indeed it is but the habit of grace which is increased the person continueth the same I say then it holdeth somewhat more near though haply the Simile will not yet run upon all four neither nor is it to be expected the poor believing soul then receiveth nourishment inwardly that is to say that which is nourishment to his faith to his love whereby he groweth therein some deeper knowledge of the riches the exceeding riches of the grace of God the riches of the Covenant of promises whereby his faith is increased and so somewhat more of the height and depth and breadth and length of the love of God in Christ towards him he knoweth which much heighteneth his love to Christ again Now remember this is not by any thing external external additions to a thing may make it appear the greater but not really the greater as a mans cloaths make him seem bigger then he is yet he is the same in them and out of them no bigger at all there is very great difference between a weight hanged upon a Clock the more weight the more the motion is hastened and a child that went but timerously and weakly the Spirit of life within him prevailing that he can run faster and so groweth in stature and agility there is much difference so there is much difference between an hypocrites growing in appearance in duties in services in zeal which appears to us for we can but judge the root by the fruit therefore we think they are grown there but all this while are mistaken for it is not the root of the matter within it is some external weight and that is hanged upon their affections some by-respect or another to their credit their profit their Kingdom as Jehu that setteth them a working so fast more then before there is great difference between such an one and a child of God such as David whose heart was perfect who from the inward revelations of Christ in them discoveries of his love teachings of his Spirit and quicknings they grow up more and more there is much difference I say But this is the second I am affraid I shall be too tedious herein yet I hope this will not be unuseful to make things as plain as I can as we go that we may understand what we speak of Thirdly The thing that groweth remaineth the same though increased the body that grows it is the same body still though much increased as a child and a man he is the same person when a babe and when a man only he is much increased by a continual nourishment So it is here a mans grace is the same the same habit of faith and of love but groweth much stronger as in the case of Thomas and the rest of the Disciples you see it it is the same that was a tender plant and now is become a strong Oak or Cedar only now it is more rooted then before and grown up and spread it self though a child of God have many shakings with contrary winds temptations and false Doctrines and sometimes his knowledge may be corrupted and sometimes his faith may be shaken yet I believe he is never pluckt up by the root and then planted again when once he hath received that grace and obtained that mercy to be faithful to believe and have the graces of the Spirit implanted in the soul these are never destroyed altogether once alive to God and that life never fails because the principle the fountain of it that feeds it never fails the seed of God abideth as the Apostle saith It is true there may be sickness and weakness and wounds and distempers that may hinder the growth of a child but yet he liveth and groweth afterward again yea more then he did before haply and this is the case and though David and Peter broke their bones though they be sore shaken yet they are not pluckt up by the roots as trees dead and so planted again nor doth any grace of Gods planting wither away altogether like Jonah's gourd the reason that is given for the withering away of some of the corn that was green is because it had not root This the third Fourthly Another consideration to make out further the nature of this growth is this there must first be a life before there be a growth either vegetative or sensitive or rational you know if there be no life in the tree if it have not a root alive to maintain it it groweth not at all stands at the same stay for proportion and groweth dry indeed and rotten and fit for burning and so there must be life in a man before he groweth when he is dead all growth ceaseth there is nothing but dissolution upon dissolution then and so it is in this case there must be a root a planting into Christ a grafting into him by his ingrafted word before we can grow up in him we must be one with Christ for you know that which had no root withered it may make a shew for a time and flourish even as the grass upon the house top but it withereth before it groweth up Paul may plant and Apollo may water but it is he the Lord that giveth the increase he that ministereth seed to the sowers both ministers bread for your food and multiplies your seed sown and increaseth the fruits of your righteousness Now this he doth in and through Christ for he is the only pipe through which grace is conveighed to us as things here are to be noted to make this out fully First that all the nourishment is from Christ as the breast-milk is from the mother that brought it forth so it is with us in respect of Christ he travelled his soul travelled with us he
grow in this Grace may he not say to us O ye of little Faith why do ye doubt why do you walk so pensively and hang the head to the dishonour of my Grace may he not say O ye of little Faith why do you perplex your selves and rack your selves with cares of the World what ye shall eat and drink and how ye shall be prvoided for doth not your heavenly Father take care of you O ye of little Faith why do ye in every perplexity and trouble as men at a loss run to this creature and that creature and not to the Lord wherein your help doth lie O ye of little Faith why do you when means fail then cast away your hope as if there were no help in God as if because the streams were dried up therefore the fountain must needs be dry also therefore Brethren labour to grow in this Grace if ever you would do any eminent service for Christ or honour him set the crown on him in any condition labour to be strong in Faith Thirdly In that Grace of Love labour to grow therein First to the Lord himself to Jesus Christ It may be thou dost love him and according to the measure of Faith and Knowledge of him the soul will love him usually but we must labour to love him much more love we take it kindly if it be from the meanest person and so doth the Lord Jesus O love the Lord ye his Saints you cannot love him too much do you alway err in his love the more you love him the more you may for there is no end of his perfections his love his mercy his bowels towards you there is no searching of them you may go yet deeper and deeper and find a ground for the increase of your love still you love Relations Husband Wife Children and more for relation then for any excellency in them many times fond we are O that we could be so fond of Jesus Christ how sick of love was Rachel yea sick to the death for children and so is many a fond mother O we cannot live without them Ah how few are thus sick of love to Jesus Christ well lobour to love him and to this end First Labour to present the Lord and Jesus Christas most lovely to thee while thou entertainest hard thoughts of Jesus Christ thou canst not love him if thou thinkest thus with thy self I would fain have him but he is not willing to have me if thou look upon him as rigorous and cruel and one that delights in your blood it is impossible that you should love him O no labour to present him to your selves as one whose bowels are continually yearning over poor souls poor sinners one full of compassions full of mercy and tenderness he desires not the death of a sinner the Lord Jesus Brethren is altogether lovely it is true for his holiness his purity as well as his grace and mercy but this is that which most moveth to love at least while we are under weakness it is an high pitch to love him for the beauty of Holiness that is in him Think often then seriously upon it what dear thoughts the Lord Jesus had to poor sinners that rather then they should perish he would interpose between them and the everlasting burnings though be were sorely scorched for it O will not this draw love look upon him with his precious blood trickling down and one drop overtaking another O what haste did love make O how lavish was his love he would not spare any pains any travel of soul that sinners might live and can you but love him then O what an heart must that creature have that can look upon the Lord Jesus wrestling with strongest wrath of his Father so that he needed the Ministry of Angels at that time and yet not love him try see whether such considerations as these will not heighten your love to him we complain of want of love Brethren we cannot love a thing we know not or that we consider not see then if you do not find still some new beauty in him for which you should love him yet the more Secondly Let it be much upon your hearts how much he hath forgiven thee Alas saith the poor soul if I knew that that my sins were forgiven I should love him indeed abundantly It may be thou hast not a full perswasion of it but hast thou not a good hope through Grace and such a lively hope as setteth a working out the scum the pollution of thy heart more and more Is not this cause of great love to him why he hath not left thee to sink in despair and perish O how much did that sinner love him because he had forgiven her much therefore she loved much Dear friends could this be think you without her heart dwelt upon this consideration it was fresh upon her spirit O the more she considered it the more apparent were the riches of Grace towards her O so many Devils cast out of me would the Lord Jesus have such precious thoughts toward such a wretch as I what an Harlot a filthy unclean wretch and would he think upon me and pitch his love upon me and pass by many others that had it may be but one devil and make love to me that had seven O she could not hold her bowels within her were ready to break she must love him she must hang upon him even upon his feet she must wash him with her tears and wipe them with the hairs of her head though before as harlots use to do she had been much in tricking and trimming her head yet now they shall be dishrifled and now they shall be a Towel to wipe the feet of Jesus Christ O here is love kiss his feet if she may not kiss his lips and blessed soul that had such an heart given her Now Brethren consider this have not some of us had seven devils have there not been seven abominations in our hearts O it may be we have been fornicators adulterers filthy unclean wretches as vile wretches as ever breathed now consider this often is it so indeed hath the Lord looked upon such as we have been pitched his love upon the vilest of us and to make us so nigh to himself and shall we not love him O where are such workings of love towards the Lord Jesus as that poor woman manifested our hearts are dead and dry So the Apostle Paul His love of Christ constrained him O he was the chief of Sinners and the Lord did so eminently save him and call him out of darkness when he was in the very height of his wickedness that then mercy should â—eet with him that then a pardon should descend from heaven when he was fighting and rebelling against heaven and he should be conquered by the love of Christ whose heart was full of blood against him O this lying upon his spirit did indear his soul to
necessity and distress O be ye merciful as your heavenly Father is merciful take him for oâ—â— pattern and there will be continual room for growth and increase So the Apostle exhorts the Corinthians that as they abounded in other graces so they would labour to abound in this also Ah where are bowels Brethren towards one anothers souls with what tenderness did the Apostle stand over the souls of those poor people warning them day and night with tears And our Saviour over Jerusalem now I tell you again weeping saith the Apostle O that God would give such a heart to us and such a heart to his people indeed there is little tenderness and bowels one towards another little pittying one another while under temptation we can rather raise our hearts one against another stomack one another entertain prejudice one against another upon this account but a spirit of meekness and love and tenderness in restoring setting one another in joint if we be faln is not found among us or very little O labour to grow here and then to abound in works of mercy to give and give much liberally and do it with a tender heart an upright heart out of obedience to God not for ostentation But fifthly Labour to grow in softness of heart to see the stone wasting day by day I do not mean by softness of heart only an aptness to melt into tears for many an one may have a soft heart that cannot weep at all though most dispositions are apt to it and where it is it is a sweet expression of the heart towards Christ often-times though I must tell you there may be much of this and yet much hardness of heart many tears shed and it may be upon the consideration of sin and yet the heart hard to this day the softness of the heart Brethren lies most what in the plyableness and yielding of the spirit to God when we are ready to do all the will of God as David I have found David my servant one that will do all my will that is ready to say speak Lord for thy servant heareth Lord what wouldst thou have me to do Now alas there is many a wretched heart that it may be under a passion weeping at the apprehension of sin and yet go away and return to it again and again the heart is not plyable but stubborn wherein did lie the hardness of Pharaohs heart it lay in this that he would not harken to the Lord nor let Israel go though he had had so many judgements and so many deliverances yet all would not soften his heart no the iron sinews in his stiff neck they remained such still though sometimes he seemed to relent yet alas no sooner the hand was off but the heart was more hard then before he strouted it out and would not yield to let Israel go So when the Lord heapeth mercy upon mercy to melt out the sâ—one in the heart to make it like wax to the fire to the mould to be put into a fashion and it may be sometimes it draweth a few tears from the eyes but the heart is never the more plyable to God And so he cometh with rod upon rod blow after blow and yet doth it gently and all to foften and make the poor creature more plyable to him it affecteth a little sometimes but is not the heart as stubborn as unteachable as far from yielding to God in all things as before O this is the softness as a piece of joyners work it is all glued together one part to another Now then it is dissolved and broken when the glue the soder is melted and one piece falls from another so it is here our hearts and their sinful objects are glued together by carnal affections now then the heart is said to be broken to a softness when these affections are dissolved when our hearts and our objects of sin fall asunder each from the other labour to grow herein Brethren Sixthly To be more spiritual in holy duties more inward in our Communion with God you have heard this spoken to in the tryall O labour then to grow in spiritualness in prayer to pray with more faith with more fervency with more purity of heart not to ask any thing to spend it upon our lusts In meditation to keep closer to it without distraction and so to read to hear to do all these duties in a better manner but enough of this already Seventhly In your holy walking with God and with your selves as the Apostle saith we be seech you Brethren by the Lord Jesus that as you have received of us how ye ought to walk and please God so you abound more and more when a man walks with God alvvay setteth the Lord as before his face as the Psalmist speaks then he vvill be able to vvalk pleasingly to him vvhen by faith he seeth him that is invisible that is to say God to be present vvith him and knovveth him to ponder his vvaies O hovv eareful shall vve be then of our thoughts as vvell as of our vvords and actions and this vve do by faith believing his presence vvith us and his all-seeing eye to be upon us still upon our hearts and all their vvorkings according to the prevailing of these persvvasions and the constancy of them upon our spirits vvill our vvaies be ordered such a man vvill not dare to harbour vain thoughts in his heart though they vvill rudely rush in as a ruffian may rudely offer violence to a chast Matron she vvill not endure it so it is here O no I dare not as Joseph you see and then vvalking vvith our selves by more and more restection upon our selves upon our actions our waies the very truth is the want of this is the great cause we grow so little or if we do that we can take so little comfort in it herein lies the excellency and glory of a man above a beast that he can recoyl upon his own actions therefore labour to improve this O be more in it reproving your selves when you find you have done amiss whip those vain thoughts which pass through your souls and give them their Pass exhort your selves stir up your selves comfort and chear your selves in your God which you cannot do except you be much in this part of an holy walking even reflecting upon your selves and your own state Eighthly and lastly that I shall speak to shall be this To labour to grow more and more in that assurance of your relative grace your adoption the growth and other grace its true is a great help unto it but labour to improve it to that end how chearfully might many a poor soul walk if they did but know the things which are freely given them of God O beg the Spirit to be a witnessing a sealing-spirit to you more and more And do the same diligence saith the Apostle to the full assurance of hope unto the end we do content
lower thoughts of thy self to see the necessity of an high-Priest the more feelingly this humbleth this emptyeth of self more and is not this a growth in grace Yea and no small improvement But thirdly If thou be put to wait for an answer know it is the excellency of faith to wait upon him to hold out as the woman of Canaan And Jacob wrestled all night with God So Daniel his answer cometh not as soon as he began to pray but he must wait a while he must go through with his duty and afterwards the answer cometh if the Lord give thee a heart to wait upon him to hang upon him not to give him over Brethren you are growing and you are not aware of it it is no easie matter to wait upon God Alas a poor sinner in a mood sometimes and in a flash under a stirring Sermon O he will go and pray and if an answer come not presently there is an end it dyeth but a child of God he waiteth upon God he will have no nay if he will not answer at one time he will to it again and again as Paul sought God thrice for the removing the Thorn before he had an answer And so Elias seven times his servant was sent and brought an answer of nothing appearing and at last but a little cloud and his prayer was fervent too as appears by the story Fourthly You must grow upon God knock harder if he come not at the first cry louder cry out so much the more importunity will overcome him at the last yea if by the delay of an answer as thou thinkest thou be kept praying and more and more fervently there is nothing Brethren wherein we more grow then in prayer it self where the Lord exerciseth us with such occasions as put us on to stir up all our strength to wrestle with him Well the Lord perswade our hearts to a diligence in this duty for we are as averse from it as from any O how our hearts do hang back and if the Lord perswade us not and by the invincible bonds of the Spirit bind us close to it we shall see by woful experience how quickly our slippery hearts will either shift themselves out of it or else into a formality in the service Fifthly Observe your answers also take heed of being alway complaining as if we had received nothing or were nothing grown whereby God loseth the glory of what he hath done for us already this is not the way to procure more this is the way indeed to grieve Gods Spirit which is the Spirit of prayer and then if he be grieved we shall find a woful declining in prayer and then our growth will go on but very slowly I beseech you pardon me for standing so much upon this point to press it upon you I know many of you cannot but see the necessity of it and truly observe it since these times of outward prosperity of the people of God mind it in your own cases lookers on may easily observe it and since our hands have been so full of the world if there be not a declining and indeed I think If I am mistaken I should be glad to be mistaken that this is the main thing wherein we are hurt we are so upon hurries and so thronged our hearts and heads and hands so full of the world that we cannot have those times and seasons to work our hearts up in this duty it is sad when our hearts have most need of pains-taking with them as in such cases they have that we should find least time to do it in What can become of this think you Fourthly Another help to this growth in grace will be this Conscientiously and diligently to use the Ordinances all of them as well as that of prayer I speak to that particular because it is of so general concernment running along with all the rest for sanctification of them to us You heard before that knowledge is the great means whereby our grace doth grow it is conveyed through the understanding the consent of the will to close with Christ it is greater or lesser according to the apprehensions which the mind hath of Christ of his goodness his loveliness the necessity of him c. therefore grace and truth came by Jesus Christ and whom beholding as in a glass we are changed into his image this glass what is it but the Ordinances of God O how fat do men grow that fare deliciously every day is there not great difference between feeding upon husks when the kernel is gone and feeding upon the finest of the wheat how quickly will the weakest man grow strong feeding upon the one and the strongest weak when he feedeth upon the other Alas when it came to that the Prodigal was almost beaten off his leggs Why the Ordinances of God they are a feast a feast of fat things marrow and wines upon the less well-refined in this mountain shall the Lord of hosts make to all people a feast of fat things a feast of wines on the lees of fat things full of marrow of wines on the lees well-refined What are these but the Ordinances of God these are the green pastures and still waters with these he promiseth to satiate the soul of the Priest with fatness and my people shall be satisfied with my goodness saith the Lord And my soul shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house there it is and in the 63. Psalm the Psalmist longs after the enjoyment of God in his Ordinances in his Sanctuary O saith he my soul shall be satisfied with marrow and fatness What can be said more Brethren Is not this the way to grow fat to increase and did not God give therefore Pastors and Teachers to dispence the Ordinances for the edifying of the body in that place to the Ephesians Well but all this will not do except we make use of these Ordinances mind you they are the fat things of the house of God we must have them in the stall in the coop in the fold in the house of God that is to say the Church of God if we would flourish indeed as the Psalmist speaks they that are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the Courts of our God and therefore the Spouse in the Canticles was so earnest Shew me where thou feedest thy flocks where thou makest them rest at noon Alas many poor Believers may be to seek where the Lord Jesus feedeth his flocks specially in these daies wherein there are so many pretences to the way of Christianity which is but one but at least me thinks this will follow from those Scriptures that the house of the Lord the Courts of his house is the Church of God therefore we should inquire where the flocks are fed that we may walk with them and among them it is the way where the Lord Jesus is found
see it by experience in all things what low minds what poor and weak apprehensions they have that are exercised upon low objects never rise higher what heightens the mind of a Prince but the thoughts of a Kingdom What difference is there between the mind of the meanest Mechanick and the deepest Polititian Such difference must there needs be between the heart of a man that is poring alway upon low things and God is very little dwelt upon It is said of Moses that is the ground of it he waxed great saith the Text not only in body but in mind and Spirit he waxed strong in Spirit was a man of a great mind his eye was upon him that is invisible the great God Jehovah Elohim who giveth being to his promises keepeth Covenant with his people and is Mighty Almighty can do what he will do in heaven and earth and all deep places This made him so great therefore he was above the fears of the Kings wrath he cared not for it Before indeed he was afraid and fled he then had not had so much converse with God and contemplation of him and knowledge of him as afterward he had Well then you say your faith is weak you know not how to get it strengthened lift up your thoughts to this great object do but peruse his name a little now and then yea often the Lord the Lord God gracious and merciful c. See if there be not an abundance there to swallow up all thy doubts and fears O thou art a miserable creature it is true but he is a merciful God and thy misery is but the misery of a creature and his mercy is the mercy of a Creator a God and what are thy thoughts of thy misery when thou hast aggravated it to the height as much as can be they are but finite thoughts and his thoughts of pardon and mercy they are the thoughts of a God infinitely above thy thoughts either of misery or mercy if his thoughts of mercy and pardon were not more then ours we were in a sad condition for then they would never answer his thoughts of our misery which are infinitely above ours of our own misery Alas but I am the most vile unworthy wretch in the world O you know not what I am alas is it for such an one as I to believe Suppose so he is gracious O it is most free infinitely free what he giveth he looks for nothing at thy hands only acceptance O but sure I have wearied out his patience he hath waited upon me so long he is long suffering O but I have such an abundance of sin my heart is so full there is an abundance of goodness abundantly pardon in him yea and truth also c. Alas but I shall never hold out nor keep my heart with him I shall quickly back-slide But he it is that keepeth mercy for thousands O if our hearts were but much in meditation of God his name the Lord our righteousness and this name his works the great things that he hath done how would it raise our spirits to believe and how would it increase our love to him and our fear of him There is mercy with thee that thou mayst be feared we should find a very great influence upon all our Graces to increase them even from the greatness the fulness the riches of this Object O his Almighty Arm whereby he laid the foundations of the heavens and earth and hanged the earth upon nothing and what then though thou be nothing he can lay a foundation of eternal comfort and an heavenly Kingdom as well as the earth upon nothing and bestow his riches of Grace as well as his power and wisdom upon nothing therefore labour much to improve this great Object O it will take the heart much off these poor little nothing vanities of the world it will make us contented with our portion it will arm us against all the fears of men and lights of the world what will it not do if the Lord be pleased but to breath upon our endeavours in fixing our hearts upon this so high an Object Eighthly Another is to use the Society of growing Christians there is much in the communion of Saints which presupposeth an union maketh increase of the Body to the edifying of it self in love as the Fellowship of the Graces of the Spirit and their co-operation or working together doth help to strengthen the whole so the Fellowship of the Saints tends very much to building up So the Church When they continued together daily with one accord 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 with one consent with one heart then the Lord added to the Church daily such as should be saved and not only so but hereby the hands of the people of God are strengthened and their spirits quickened the fire groweth to a flame when many brands are laid together if there be but one live coal and many dead ones lay them together and there will be an increase of the heat he that will walk alone and apart from the communion of Saints I do believe shall quickly know by his own spirit what the want of them is but now there are some that are move growing and grown then others are alas how many are under diseases the world or somewhat as bad that they are at a stand proced not or rather decline there is little to be got by the fellowship of such no no the people that we find are so full they are over flowing continually their lips feed many they are bringing out of the good treasury of their hearts things both new and old they are still telling what the Lord hath done for their souls or still they are stirring up others you shall receive something still if your own hearts be not out of frame to receive O how the example of a lively sensible diligent close-walking Christian will provoke us as the Apostle saith Your charity hath provoked many it will put us upon it to follow harder after God To do the same diligence with them to the full assurance of hope to the end wherefore else are the experiences and examples of the Saints in Scripture written what David found and Jacob found by experience of God in prayer wrestling with him and what their fallings cost them both but that they being dead might yet speak to us and with us and we might converse with their living examples though themselves be dead even as faithful Abel being dead yet speaketh and why should there not be such a Fellowship of Saints to communicate what they have found of God I do believe Brethren some of us may with thankful hearts bless the Lord that ever we saw the faces of some of his people that we have by their examples and by their words been much quickened much stirred up much provoked therefore if we would grow converse with such if thou be weak in faith find out some of the
you see the spirits conveighed from the head to the lowest parts it is by mediation of the other parts between the head and the foot before it cometh thither it passeth through some others I know the Lord Jesus is not bound up to any instruments he can teach by his own Spirit yea and always doth sometimes without means sometimes breathing in the means and this is most ordinary and therefore something we must look to it that we supply every one of us you have heard it is the end of all Christian Society to build up one another and it is the end wherefore the Lord intrusteth us with such Talents to lay them out for the good of others whereby our own Talents grow in the using and we are instruments in the hand of God to improve others hath the Lord then revealed himself to thee thou wast in an horrible pit where there was no standing thou sunkest yet lower and lower hath the Lord set thy feet upon the Rock what then wilt thou keep this alway to thy self when called to speak of it mind you Christ and David they speak of it what God had done And many shall hear and fear and shall trust in God it encourageth them wherefore doth Paul so often speak what he had been and he had obtained mercy O that others that should come after might believe and never be discouraged by their sins though never so great And so the Psalmist Again my soul shall make her boast in God the humble shall hear thereof and be glad this poor man cried to the Lord and he heard him No sooner did Andrew find the Messiah but he tels Simon O we have found the Messiah And so Philip saith to Nathaniel and the woman of Samaria she no sooner had the knowledge of Christ O she was full she was big until she was delivered O come and see the man that told me all that ever I did is not this the Christ I would saith the Apostle that your hearts might be knit together in love and comforted c. that to this end you should know what conflict I had for every one of you wherefore are we delivered out of temptation but to set up way-marks O take heed how you come there warn others that they come not neer such a temptation when thou art converted strengthen thy Brethren and therefore comforted that we might comfort others and therefore indued with knowledge that we might feed many Now truly Brethren as the Apostle saith of the solemn meeting so I may say of the occasional meetings together it is not for the better many times but for the worse and how a sad a thing is this when Saints shall meet together to have so sweet an opportunity of stirring up one another to love to good works that either we shall spend the time in foolish talking and jesting and looseness and looseness of Spirit I tell you Brethren observe it you little know what hurt you do your own souls by this lightness nor what hurt you do to others do you never reflect in the evening what you have been doing what company you have been in what you have done what you have gotten methinks it should make our hearts ake to consider this day through the lightness and frothiness of my Spirit I have not only sinned my self but drawn others to it this is not to grow nor to help but hinder one another Or else we are discoursing of the world of this and that bargain or else raking into the infirmities of others and pleasing our selves with that specially of those that are not altogether of our minds whereby our spirits are imbittered not to stir up one another to bowels and compassions to them How many such opportunities doth the Lord put into our hands and we have no heart to them shall I beg of you and of the Lord this day that there might be a labouring either to do or receive some good O think every moment ill spent in the Fellowship of the people of God that is not thus improved and indeed if our hearts and mouths be not set a work thus they will be working upon somewhat which is worse to the grieving and wounding of our spirits and grieving Gods Spirit Thus much for this Exhortation also The last Vse then shall be a word of comfort to every poor believing soul that it may be from what hath been said may be discouraged If it be thus that such as upon whom the Lord Jesus is arisen they are in such a growing condition then what shall I think of my self alas I am weak am very feeble am at a stand c. For answer I shall say a few things First There are several states and statures in Christ there are babes in Christ and such as have need of milk and not strong meat as the Apostle saith ye have need of milk I could not speak to you as to spiritual but as to carnal as to babes in Christ that is to say such in whom the flesh was very strong and prevailing So the Apostle John writeth to all the Saints under three states some were babes some young men in their strength and vigour some old men Fathers of grown experience in the waies of Christ Fathers in Israel and Mothers in Israel some are but just entred into the School of Christ some are of a middle form some of the highest some are but gotten within the door of the house of God and happy it is for them that are but once within for then they shall go further and further Others are gone further into the inner Chambers and are acquainted with the Lord Jesus in the most inward manner What then wilt thou conclude that because thou art not a man the first day or presently therefore thou art no child of grace No suppose thou art but a child and weak and every temptation over-turns thee draweth thee aside yet remember thou art a child though thou be not a strong deeply rooted Cedar yet thou art planted it may be lately though yet for the time we might be men spiritual perfect as the Apostle saith to bear the wisdom of God in a mysterie and yet are babes it is matter of humiliation but not of despair Secondly Another is this that the people of God though they are in a growing condition yet it is not so to be understood as that every moment they grow they have their declining fits trees and plants you know have their Winters and children have their sicknesses and fits when they are at a stand though afterward haply they shoot out so much the more for it and so many times the people of God do they are under a distemper for a while and decline and a man would think they were even withering and dying but it reviveth again many times grace in the hearts of the children of God through corruption are like the light of a candle
daub and heal them deceitfully get it skinned over a little and so the world will do it building and planting and marrying and drinking and pastimes these may skin over the wound but it heals not and miserable is the condition of poor creatures so deluded but now they that are taught of God and learn they learn this effectually and practically that there is nothing in the creature that can do it Fourthly They learn this also that though all the world be but as a cloud without rain when the soul is a fire a Well without water a broken Cistern that leaks out all a Torrent a Brook that is dried up when the soul is parched and burnt up with the scorching heat of the displeasure of God O when the Lord setteth a soul in his sight and looks upon him as a consuming fire with his eyes as a flaming fire ready with a sight of him to devour him and he cannot get out of his sight O now the world all their comforts will not skreen them from his eyes but what will only the Lord Jesus he can be a cooling shadow to shadow us from this scorching heat and this the Spirit of the Lord perswadeth the soul we all of us will talk of it O Jesus Christ is our help and hope and look for salvation in no other but in him it is grown now so cusâ—omary a thing among us that it is in every mans mouth but to how few hath the Lord spoken this to our hearts that thus it is Fifthly Again another thing that we are taught of God before we come to Jesus Christ is this that he is willing to let out of his oyntments to heal he is willing to expend that precious balm of Gilead upon us else the soul will never come to him it is that that keepeth off many a soul a long time the Spirit of the Lord perswadeth the poor soul that though he hath been an enemy to Jesus Christ and grieved him and torn his wounds and rent his flesh with horrid oaths and blasphemies trampled his blood under foot have been never so horrid a transgressor yet he perswadeth him that the Lord Jesus is willing to receive sinners without exception if they come to him Suppose there was a Physitian whose skill were so great and his store of Medicines so inexhaustible and soveraign and his heart so large as that he proclaimeth to all that whosoever is wounded though never so desperately whosoever is sick unto the death one of the Stone another of the Gout another of the plague I will cure you all O then if poor creatures did believe this were perswaded of it they would come and not before O saith one mine is a plague sore and it is past cure mine is an hereditary disease saith another and so far gone I cannot be cured they come not and perish O mine is such a disease it will cost more pains and charge then I think he will be willing to be at to cure and therefore he cometh not to him and so perisheth just so it is in this case except the Lord do secretly insinuate it into the soul how willingly the Lord Jesus writ it upon his Spirit and that the Lord Jesus is willing to receive to heal to save the soul that will not come to him but thus much for these things which in the order of nature go before a coming to Christ now for the acts wherein it formally consist First then when the heart is thus made sensible of what is in himself working to death and what is not in himself nor in any other creature to save then I say there is from the teaching of the heart how able and willing the Lord Jesus is there ariseth a desire in the soul after the Jesus Christ not as if this did flow or were produced by the former apprehensions of a mans own necessities of Christ and of the fulness in him as a fountain and the openness of the fountain which is sealed to none that come for alas one grace though never so habitual and deeply rooted cannot produce another no not faith it self produce love but the Spirit which works faith works love in our hearts also much less then can a conviction be the cause of a conviction or a turning unto the Lord Jesus but it is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus when he hath so opened the eyes of an Hagar to see the fountain opened that was near her before but she saw it not and let us see that our bottle is dryed up and all other hopes in the creature perished then I say the Spirit inclineth the Will to come to Jesus Christ then he works sweetly though strongly an inclination a desire after him It is not in these things as in nature an ordinary providence concurring with the actings of the creature according to their necessities When Hagar saw the fountain she needs no further perswasion to go unto it her necessity was a cord strong enough to draw her yea a weight a spring to carry her swiftly to it but alas when we see the bottles dryed see that the creatures say it is not in us to be had and see there is a fountain opened yet such is the waywardness of our hearts yea such the enmity in our hearts against the Lord Jesus though the streams of his love toward us were as strong as death that we will not yet come to him we had rather sit down as you see some sullen creatures taken from their damms will rather perish then receive food at the hand of man such an indisposition and aversness to man there is and so it is in this case except the Lord Jesus come in by another act of his Spirit and bow the will and make us desirous of himself O then when this act of power is put forth the soul beginneth to long to desire after Jesus Christ O that I had him O that I might but have a sight of him then there is getting upon the tree by a low Zacheus then there is an ascending in this Ordinance and that Ordinance and everywhere the desire of the soul is for Jesus Christ this is a coming for the affections are to the soul as the feet to the body that which carryeth the soul in and out in all to this object or from that object O then when shall I come and appear before him Secondly In this coming to Christ is included a passing all other stands and rests on this side Jesus Christ many a poor soul cometh near to Christ and to the Kingdom of God and yet falls short of him as an arrow not drawn up to the head falls short of the mark and there it sticks where it fastens goeth no further So here some upon their convictions the discovery of their conditions run to this Ordinance to that to this duty to that as things that of themselves as performances should give rest to them and
in him and this free-grace of God in him brings forth fruit in the greatest abundance of any other whatsoever therefore take heed of this abuse of the grace of Christ Vse 7. Seventhly Then let the people of God make this the comfort the stay of their hearts that to which they have recourse in all their doubts and fears the Lord Jesus will never cast them out labour to set a high price upon this promise it is worthy to be written in every heart of a Believer in golden letters we are too often too apt to turn aside to our broken Cisterns for refreshings when troubles seize upon us but alas how do they by their emptiness quickly cause the heart to fall off from them as a Bee cometh to a flower abideth not because it quickly emptyeth it sucks out all the sweetness and then to another and truly such are all things in the world when we go to drink at them to refresh our weary spirits but here you may drink and drink abundantly these are waters that never fail never any were occasioned to fall off from Christ because of emptiness in him nor yet because of satiety as the Horse-leach when gorged full No no Christs breasts are full of milk full of grace abundant consolation do they minister thou shalt never need to fear that hunger or thirst shall force thee away from Christ Nor yet secondly will these comforts ever forsake thee ever cast thee out relations come together and much delight they take each in other and many a man is much taken up with the imbraces of this well-favoured harlot the world what between the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eye and pride of life but alas Brethren besides the killing of the imbraces the sinner must leave them or they will leave him and what then O but once get into the arms of the Lord Jesus and those imbraces cure instead of killing and thou shalt never be cast out more O me thinks Brethren one rowling of this sweet morsel under the tongue were enough to sweeten any condition in the world happy soul that hath the enjoyment of the Lord Jesus and the sense of it Thirdly Yea more if he have not cast thee out at the first coming much less afterward in thy after-comings to him for more of his fulness of grace he will not cast thee out not send thee away empty if he would have ever thrown thee off it would have been at the first while thou wast a stranger to him yet when thou camest to him in a weary burthened condition he had respect to thy condition had pitty on thee gave thee rest admitted thee with all thy sin and guilt and took it away will he not much more have now bowels towards thee can he cast thee out now for thy defects and deformities O surely no. Brethren you that have Fathers and Mothers hearts to your children tell me you that have a poor child though by his own untowardness he falls wounds himself bleedeth fainteth deformeth himself cometh to his father O father pitty father help father heal I have what in me lies undone my self though he be angry at his miscarriage yet the bowels work towards him he doth not upon this account cast him out And it is worth noting when our Saviour was offended with his Disciples for their little faith in the storm they came and awaked him saying Lord save us we perish his tenderness was such before he rebuked them for their unbelief he rebuked the Sea and the wind O Brethren surely surely the Lord Jesus his tenderness towards his people is a feast of fat things here are the wines on the lees to revive and refresh the poor drooping spirits lose not the comfort of your condition for want of meditating upon it Object But some will say If this be so it is sad with me for I have thought I came to Jesus Christ and have found comfort and refreshing and rest in him and yet alas now he hath cast me off and therefore surely I was never truly in him for none that come to him doth he in any wise cast off For answer to this I conceive it is but a mistake such qualms as these seize upon the people of God sometimes when we will needs live by sight and not by faith And sometimes the Lord may please to hide his face from his own people and then no marvel if they be troubled in a little wrath I hid my face c. Sometimes our lusts come and steal away our Saviour bereaveth us of his presence at least the sensibleness of it and then we know not where they have laid our Saviour is our sad complaint then we mourn as children thinking themselves forsaken if the Mother be but stept aside haply on purpose upon some necessary occasion So David I said I am cast out of thy sight So Jonas What hath the Lord shut up his tender mercies hath he taken his leave of me and will he be gone for ever all this while the Mother is behind the Curtain takes notice of every sigh seeth every tear fall from the child mindeth every expression of longing and breaking desires after her and so doth the Lord this is not a forsaking a casting out but a fitting the poor soul for the receiving more of his love afterward Why art thou then so disquieted poor soul and droopest as if there were no more hope nor help for thee in Christ because he hath a little turned his face away from thee O happy soul that canst not bear his absence that followest so hard after him that mournest after him it is a sign he hath left some sweetness upon the heart to draw thee after him he hath not cast thee off but by this means would work thee more out of love with that sin that hath made the separation that so he might abide with thee for ever 2. Object Alas but I know not whether I have ever yet come to Jesus Christ I am perswaded that such as come to him aright he will never cast them out but my scruâ—le yet sticks I am afraid of deceiving my self and thinking I come to him when I come not for I have thus long come and followed after Christ and never yet got a smile from him to this day therefore he seemeth to shake me off and cast me out Let me speak a few things to this First That though he hold thee off a while and seem not to own thee in respect of the comforts his presence yet in the mean time he doth stay and support thee there is his strengthening presence else thou wert never able to endure to hold out mourning after him Secondly When thy heart is so drawn out after Jesus Christ that thou canst not live nor be satisfied without thou mournest pinest languishest after him this is a coming a true coming to Jesus Christ when thou hast all things else that heart can
no their own promises may fail but Gods promises never fail nor a lively hope founded upon them 4. That the poor weary tossed afflicted people of God may have rest in the bosom of the Father and the Son and holy Spirit there remaineth a rest to the people of God they have not their rest here expect it not but either from within or without or both we have our troubles the world casteth them out as the off-scouring of all things they are the despised hated mocked people the song of the drunkard the laughing-stock of the world and therefore because they cast them out the Lord will receive them If we have not persecution without we shall have our exercises what between corruption and temptation and sometimes the terrors of God and sense of his wrath sometimes breaking bones hiding his face from us there is no rest until we come to enter with him now we lie among the pots but then we shall indeed be made glorious like the wings of a Dove in sulness Now this is agreeable not only to the truth but the goodness tenderness bowels of the Lord to his people that his poor afflicted People should rest with himself when he hath by these filings and scourings and siftings and turnings up and down made them meet for the inheritance of the Saints in light So much for the Arguments For the Application of this that they that are ready do enter into Glory First it serveth to shew the blessed condition that the diligent lively prepared soul is in heaven Gate is ready to receive such a soul the bosom of Abraham of Christ opened ready to receive him he shall enter they have this priviledge that many that profess Jesus Christ have not many shall seek to enter but shall not be able that strive not as he doth Blessed is that servant saith our Saviour that his master shall find watching shall find ready for his coming why he will not leave any such soul behind they shall all enter into glory how blessed a condition this is may appear by many considerations more 2. Such a soul as this cannot be surprized so far as he is ready he is never surprized surprizals are terrible if Jesus Christ had come without any warning upon the wiâ—e Virgins while sleeping it had been terrible to them though they might have entred with him also but if we be ready that day will not take us at unawares indeed if a child of God be once ready he cannot be altogether surprized more though in part he may if he carry it not the better he will be still habitually ready if not actually so the foolish Virgins were not They still have the root of the matter though it may be under ground and hid from their eys and is not this a blessed thing as often as you think of the coming of Christ to think now let my Saviour come when he pleaseth I am through rich grace ready for him A servant when his work is done a Spouse when her ornaments are put on and the house trimmed and all ready for her Bridegroom now come when he will I am ready for him before the thoughts of his coming are troublesom and painful now they are pleasant and delightful 3. When death comes how shall they lift up their heads with comfort because their Redemption draweth near O how will they be able to welcome death welcome Jesus Christ welcome the kingdom of heaven it is their entrance into a kingdom though it be bitter indeed and terrible to the wicked and though there be some reluctancy in nature against death and a Paul would rather be cloathed upon then dissolved and since it is the birth of sin that brought it into the world no marvel if Grace it self have no delight in it yet considering that it is an entrance though narrow and pinching into Heaven into Glory the Saints that are ready for it they can bid it welcom As a poor weary tossed Marriner can bid his Port welcome though there may be some fear of Rocks or the like in his landing 4. Are they not blessed souls that shall enter that now all their distances between them and Jesus Christ shall be done away now he whom your souls loved and longed for yea your souls have many times broken within you for the longing for him now he cometh to take you to himself that you may be with him near him alway in his bosom Is not this a blessed Condition what tends all your striving and running and fighting your wrestling praying and weeping to but this now the end of your hope the salvation of your souls cometh upon you blessed yea for ever blessed is such a soul if Christ and heaven the Father Son and Spirit enjoyed in an unspeakable bosom-communion will not speak a man blessed nothing will but thus much for this first 2. Then methinks brethren now we should be putting the question to our own hearts now whether we be ready or no O here is blessedness indeed you cannot but judge that man or woman though a man of sorrow while in the world haply through temptations and a heavy body of death yet that shall enter in Glory when all is done sure you cannot but judge this man a blessed man that is ready for it for he and he only shall enter And can it be but you should reflect now and enquire of the Lord and of your own hearts Lord am I ready for this coming of Jesus Christ or am I not for one of the two I am Dear friends I shall not use any more arguments to you but these two or three considerations 1. How uncertain this coming of Christ to you to call for you is do you know when he will appear do you know brethren whether you shall be warned again called upon again to prepare for his coming this may be the Cry it may be the Cry is past with many of you already is it not high time to awake to look about you to consider whether you be ready or no 2. To consider That there will be then no time given to prepare If you be ready well and good you enter if not you are shut out as afterward we shall speak O then how can we satisfie our selves and quiet our Consciences with an ignorance how it is with us It is high time surely brethren to enquire 3. Except we do enquire we are not likely to take a course to make ready he that thinketh he is ready or careth not whether he be ready or no if he be unready now he is like to be unready for such a man will not set about the work O that the Lord would therefore perswade you this day to consider with your selves are you ready or are you not 4. There is very great need of this enquiry because alas many are ready and think they are unready and then cannot have the comfort of their Condition except
tell you that liberty is sweet it is not to be expressed If Paul had not been free he had had many a lash by those cruel tyrants If the soul be not free it is liable to perish to be whipped to death to eternal death with Scorpions ask but any of the people of God who have been wearied and almost worried with their lusts O the iron entered into their soul they did sit in darkness in the dungeon many a sad day and hour and at last Out of the depths they have called to the Lord he hath set them free O what an Heaven upon Earth they found it when they have been delivered in any measure from this bondage what would they take to be in the same condition again specially under the command of their lusts not all the world brethren the Lord perswade your hearts now now while it is to be had before you be called for out of prison to the judgement that you may go forth and enjoy this glorious liberty O but you would say Alas what should we do in this case we are convinced it may be some poor soul maâ— say of himself that this is a miserable bondage we are in even by sin and the consequents of it and we would fain be set free but we know not which way to go about it we are in a maze a wilderness a labyrinth a duâ—geon we grope and grope and cannot find the way out O what shall we do it may be this may be the case of some of our souls I will tell you what you shall do First Deny your own policy and wisdom know they will not set you free Judas had much knowledge and yet he hanged himself you will rather by depth of reasonings plunge your selves deeper the Gospel is foolishness to them through the pride in their carnal knowledge Secondly Labour to know the Gospel in its tenor and to close with it to believe it you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free truth truly known will set a soul free this truth is the truth of the Gospel for Grace and Truth come by Jesus Christ and it is observable that they are both put together Sanctifie them with thy Truth saith our Saviour thy Word is Truth There are three things here considerable First That there must be a through acquaintance with the bondage that we are under and the better condition of service how much the service of Christ is to be preferred before that of Satan for the truth is while a man knoweth no better he will be content to serve the worse there is never a sinner under the dominion of sin but thinketh he is the freest man and the people of God that are bound up in their Spirits to such a strict way of walking with God he thinketh they are the men in bondage but alas it is because he understandeth not his own condition nor is it a slight hint of such a thing that will usually prevail to a freedom from all sin therefore you must labour to study what this bondage is see what thou art exposed to by reason of it and see what a prfect freedom the service of Christ is O what great reward there is in the very keeping of his Commandments joy is such an inseparable attendant upon obedience that some measure of it followeth every good action as the very heathens themselves acknowledged much more then when the Lord Jesus is the Master and his service the work Secondly Thou must be acquainted with the commands of Christ his precepts are pure and they have an influence upon the heart that believeth them to bring him out of that bondage to set him free I do believe nothing more keepeth many a soul in bondage he knoweth not what the will of Christ is in such or such a particular else he would do it Be acquainted with Christ the summe of the Gospel you shall know the truth that is to say what he hath done to set poor creatures free became a servant obedient to the death was in bondage in prison in the horrible pit how he was put to it to overcome c. Thirdly and principally thou must be acquainted with the promises of the Gospel that are made to this end it is their excellency to help forward our freedom this part of the truth well known so known as to be closed with will make every poor creature free ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free and so this in the text the Sun of righteousness shall arise upon you with healing in his wings and ye shall go forth and so many other places sin shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the Law but under Grace It is the very tenure of the Covenant and of the promises in Scripture that he will deliver his people save them from all their uncleannesses and subdue all iniquities for them yea though they work iniquity with both hands Vers 3. Either we know not these things or else we make not use of them we act not faith upon them the Lord doth love to have his people use the importunity of faith for nothing is so importunate as faith nor offers as I may say such violence to heaven as that doth O Brethren the Lord help our unbelief and forgive our neglect of our faith in this point if thou canst act it but weakly yet put forth some act of faith hang upon these promises tell the Lord he hath caused thee to hope upon this his Word else thou couldest not hope and thou dost hope in this Word else thy heart would altogether sink within thee and will he now make thee ashamed of his hope hath his promise ever failed a poor creature and will it now fail thee But beside this dost thou find thy heart moved made willing indeed to part with sin Art thou in good earnest in this business O yes saith the poor soul I would rather then my life be set at liberty for what good will my life do me if I must continually serve sin and grieve such bowels of love towards me in Jesus Christ have you searched do you know your hearts in this point it may be thou hast not that heed of trusting thy heart further then thou seest it it will deceive thee then but if thou hast searched it and beg'd of God to search it and thou dost not find but he hath through infinite riches of grace made thee willing to come out if thou couldst tell how I tell you Brethren if this be so the chains are fallen off from your hands and the bolts from your legs your freedom is in a great part accomplished only thou canst not find the way out of the prison O then follow Christ follow his Spirit when he moveth thy heart at any time to search and try maketh thee tender puts thee into a frame to bewail the evils of thy heart take