verse in the removal of that Objection which the Heart puts up against this blessed Truth ROM 3. last Do we then make void the Law through Faith God forbid yea we establish the Law THE former Verses intermitted might have afforded us much choise matter in the opening the Doctrine of Grace and the Righteousnesse of Jesus Christ namely that God is just in the remission of a Believer upon Faith in the bloud of Jesus from verse 26. And that the Doctrine of Grace excludes all boasting from the Creature from v. 27. That Jew and Gentile all that are saved must come to God and be justified in this way and no other from v. 29 30. But I must contract my self I come now to the Objection that the Heart so far as it is carnal doth naturally make against this Doctrine namely If a Soul be onely justified by grace through the righteousness of Jesus Christ doth not this then make void the Law and all obedience to it What need then of our Obedience God forbid saith Paul we establish it that is the Doctrine of justification by Faith doth rather establish it The Law doth stand establisht in a three-fold sense First Jesus Christ hath establisht it by fulfilling it whereby the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled upon us Rom. 8.4 Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law and kept it and so makes over the righteousness of it to Believers as hath been shewed and so the Law stands establisht Secondly The Law stands establisht as a meanes through the Spirit to convince of sin and of our shortness of the righteousness of it as ver 20. And so Christ often made use of it for such ends Thirdly The Law stands establisht as an everlasting Rule of Righteousness and Holiness promised in the New Covenant to be written in the Heart Heb. 8. So that though Jesus Christ in justifying by his bloud hath quit the sinner from all guilt and condemnation by the Law yet he hath not given the Believer a discharge from all obedience of it And therefore to evince this I shall lay down this Position That Observ Though all a Believer hath done or can do cannot justifie him before God yet there are other blessed ends why he should obey God and delight in his Law 1. Obedience to God is placed as the great end of our redemption Luk. 1.74 75. That we might serve him without fear a fear of bondage in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life God had not onely in his purpose the remission and salvation of the sinner but that thereby he would have all that are called into this grace to serve him in Holiness And this end is to be upon the heart of the Believer when justified by Faith The purpose of God in this is that I should serve him in holiness 1 Tim. 1.9 That I should live to God Rom. 6.11 as hath been shewed 2. From the Soveraign Command of God who saith Be ye holy 1 Pet. 1.15 16. This is enough to a Believer that God hath commanded it though there should be no other end in it 3. Holiness and Righteousness is the Soul's conformity unto God it is a Beam of God an Image of God which he designs to be renewed upon all that shall be saved as shall be further shewed 4. Justified Believers do see an equity goodness and blessedness in the Law of God in all his holy and righteous Precepts though they were not commanded The Law is holy just and good Rom. 7. saith Paul speaking after the regenerate part So David Psal 119. often Thy Commandements which I have loved They give God his due and the Creature his due and therefore to be walkt in though not thereby justified 5. There is a principle of love to God shed abroad in the heart of every justified Believer from the sense of his rich pardoning-grace the freeness of his love which acts and constrains a Soul to take delight so far as it is regenerated in every Command of God Rom. 5.5 2 Cor. 5.14 15. For the love of Christ constrains us because we thus judge that if one dyed for all then were all dead And that he died for all that they which live should not live to themselves but to him that dyed for them 6. Called and justified Believers have blessed sight of Jesus Christ that wonderfully take their hearts they have glimpses of the beauty of his Holiness and would therefore be made like unto him 1 Joh. 3.2 3. They would obey the Will of the Father as Jesus Christ did They would be holy and righteous and wise and patient and Heavenly as Jesus Christ was 7. Believers in the way of their Duty and Obedience have blessed fellowship and communion with God Saith God of his Ordinances Exod. 25.22 There will I meet thee and commune with thee And Exod. 20.24 In all places where I record my Name there will I come unto thee and bless thee They are everlasting Promises to all the ways of obedience wherein the people of God do walk before him in They pray they read hear they partake of the Supper in Christs way and there they have life and blessing to their Soules and many a sweet intimation of love and mercy they have whispered into them they set themselves to walk with God in his fear and counsel and God walks with them and their lives if they keep close to God are sweet and comfortable to them And this is even as much to them as if they were thereby justifyed They would not miss the sweetness they meet with in such ways of Duty for all the World 8. By their Sanctification and Obedience their justification is comfortably evidenced to them Rom. 6.16 Know ye not that to whom ye yield your selves servants to obey his servants ye are to whom ye obey whether of sinne unto Death or of obedience unto Righteousness And Ye know that every one that doth righteousness is born of him 1 Ioh. 2.29 We know that we have passed from Death to Life because we love the Brethren So that no doubt Believers may come to a sweet and blessed Evidence of their good estate and of their justification by the work of Sanctification in them and their willing obedience to God though a Believer doth not always and at all times fetch in his Evidence of Believing and of comfort this way but sometimes from the Promise and from the more immediate Testimony of the Spirit But though a Believer doth not and it may be cannot always fetch in his consolation and peace from Sanctification and Obedience yet that Soul that wholly neglects it and sleights Evidences from Humiliation Sanctification and Obedience had best timely look to it that the Witness in himself he pretends to be not from imagination of his own heart from the wicked ones delusion and from some overly notions of grace that may affect his heart but leave him on this side Regeneration 9. Believers do
when a Sinner so sees his sin as great sin in order to pardon 6. One thing more which I shall but mention such a confession of sin as hath the promise of mercy is accompanied with a firm resolution through grace to forsake sin every sin in heart and life He that confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall find mercy Prov. 28. as before Mark well that famous promise Esay 55.7 Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon here 's forsaking wayes and thoughts sins of heart and life and not a forsaking or leaving of some great sins but forsaking and warring against a sinfull disposition sinfull thoughts and not onely a mere leaving of sin but a returning to the Lord which he cannot do if held under the love of but one sin and a turning to God only upon the account of free mercy and then God abundantly pardons A good word suited to a poor soul under the sense of sinning abundantly therefore need of abundance of mercy and pardon Use 4. Therefore the next Use will be of Examination Have you bin under such a trouble as before opened about sin and the pardon of it such a trouble that would not be quieted but by clasping about Jesus Christ hath the Lord smitten you with the deep sense of a particular sin your bosome sin and thereby bin brought to a deep sense of the evil of all sin Have you been upon your knees your faces in as particular a confession as your could hating loathing sin and your selves in it Oh have you driven sin to the root the fountain oh there 's a Hell of it within Say do you know what it is to have broken hearts under the weight of sin and the sense of the patience grace and love of God held forth to you in Jesus Christ Do you know what soul-abasement is acknowledging in confusion of face that you are worthy of nothing from the Lord for ever not so much as a glimpse of mercy a good look from him because you have so sinned against him Have you glorified God though he never pardon you and is he holy and blessed though you are banished from him for ever Have you been so reduced to see that there 's not the least atome of good to commend you to the Lord and so layn down as nothing else but a sinnerr before him Thousands of sins to damne thee but not a drop of righteousnesse to cover thee and so creep to the seat of mercy infinite free mercy yea hast thou seen and felt the difficulty of such a self-emptines that thou wouldst rather part with all thy sinne then thy righteounesse yea rather be righteous and holy than be humble and empty ☞ A poor soul would take up from sin upon conviction of the damnablenesse of it and be more righteous and holy but to be reduced first to Nothing nothing else but a poor vile unrighteous weak empty creature and so to Christ here the pride of heart sticks Now soul be narrow and close in the search of this for faile here and fail in all But I intend a larger discourse to further this Conviction Use 5. Let it exhort you that have never bin under any trouble about your sin and the pardon of it that you do dot ward off and get from under such convincing searching words that may trouble you many poor sinfull Creatures resolve they will never hearken to such a word as shall trouble them and cannot bear such preaching as would trouble their consciences One word with you Why soul Hast thou bin dishonouring God abusing his patience and mercy transgressing his holy Commands slighting his grace and yet thou must not be troubled for it wilt thou have thousands of sins upon thy soul unpardoned and tread upon the brink of Hell every step thou goest and not be troubled about it It seems then thou resolvest not to trouble thy self much about that petty businesse as thou makest it of being damned for ever or saved for ever No nothing about sin guilt pardon heaven and hell must trouble thee Alas poor deluded creature what a care is there to get to hell peaceably for never any one got to heaven so that was never troubled about getting his sins pardoned Away away with such a cursed peace and let it now trouble thee that thou hast put off this work so long that sin and thy soul have bin at such a peace so long Be now at a professed war against it and take part with the Lord and his word that is teaching thee how yet to arive at the blessed haven of peace not with sin but with the blessed God against whom thou hast so greatly sinned Oh look unto him to smite a hard secure heart to strike at a bosome hellish lust for whose peace thou hast so long and so foolishly contended yea go in secret and fall down before the great God particularly confessing and shaming thy self haring loathing humbling till thou cry out as David here Oh pardon what a great matter t is for any poor soul to be pardoned Now great mercy for a great sinner or I am lost for ever Out-sinned pardon thou hast not if thou comest in this posture to God for it But you may further enquire how doth God bring a poor soul to this passe to such a deep sense of sin such a sight of himself so as to be thus before the the Lord in self-loathing and abasement I intend also if God will a fuller and set-discourse as to this matter Only now a word 1. When a soul is brought to this passe God lets out an appearance of himself in measure upon a poor creature such a glimpse of light and purity that makes the creature fall down and cry out oh I am vile vile as the dust I tread on 2. God gives out his spirit in the word which convinceth and searcheth the soul shewes it its condition state sin the damnablenesse and pollution of it the greatnesse of it as was shewed The spirit opens the holiness and spirituality of the Law Rom. 7.9 and shewes the sinner as in glasse what he is The spirit gives a sight of Jesus Christ peirced with the sins of such as will come unto him Zach. 12.10 These do cause loathing and bitternesse upon the soul of a poor sinner drawing near to the Lord for pardon Therefore 't is great wisdome to be where God speakes where God appeares where God gives out his spirit which is usually in the word preacht powerfully among the Saints meetings or setting thy self in secret to muse and ponder about an eternall condition or when the afflicting hand of God is upon thee do not say I am not so great a sinner as to make so much a do about pardon or heaven if that be thy temper thou art the most likely to be
in the road-way of hell in a peace that will end in woes and sorrows of any soul in the world Oh wait for Gods appearance and every little sin will be great a hell of sin within thee though outwardly civil and sober wait for the Spirit in the Word and go and pray for it 'T is one thing to know sin by the Letter of the Law which commands this and forbids that and another thing to know see feel sin and the infinite evil of it the exceeding sinfulness and pollution of it by the conviction of the Spirit so as to see it most in the fountain in thy nature and there loath and bewail it because it makes thee unclean and unholy and unlike God and unfit for God and holy communion with him which is the way and most certain evidence of the Spirits saving conviction of sin as distinguishing from that which a hypocrite may have and carries a soul to the fountain opened Zach. 13.1 that its iniquity may be thoroughly cleansed Use 6. If sinners that come to God for mercy pardon see their sin as great then it will also follow that great sinners may be pardoned saved You that are great sinners old sinners Oh hearken to this you are yet within the reach of grace and mercy and pardon if you will come to Jesus Christ for it the greatness of your sin is no barr to you but if you fail of pardon 't is because you will not come to Christ for it and accept it upon Gospel-terms you will not have pardon with a new heart and new life or you make a slight matter of pardon or you think 't will come of course or you are afraid to enter into a serious review and debate with your selves because your sins are so great they will terrifie you or take you off your pleasure and peace of your minds and joy in the world Away away with any of these pleas though thou hast sinned much greatly long with all thy might come to Jesus Christ those great sins are no more before his blood to wash them away then the least sin if any be little that ever was committed and pardoned Esay 1.18 Do not hence say securely Oh 't is well that great sinners may be pardoned I ever thought so what need so much ado Do not thus harden thy self and make such a cursed use of so blessed a truth but therefore come in lay down thy weapons with which thou hast been fighting against God Wilt thou hold up rebellion and yet cry pardon Is it equitable thou shouldst expect it No fall down at the feet of that God against whom thou hast so greatly sinned in the posture hath been shewed thee and then though sin hath abounded yet grace doth much more abound Rom. 5. last Great sinners have become great Saints 1 Cor. 6.11 Such were some of you who were they Idolaters Adulterers Revilers Sodomites c. and such like You that have been such like God may have as much glory in your pardon as he hath had dishonour by your sin only be not such a Devil to thy self as to turn thy back upon it and when thou hast thus long rebelled to tell God he must stay thy leasure for thy acceptance of his pardon thy sins are too sweet to leave as yet I tell thee soul and I have shew'd it that Gods pardons cost him dear and are precious and if thou deal thus they may be lockt up in Heaven from thy wretched soul to all eternity Who but a desperate wretch but would take mercy and grace from Heaven that may make him blessed for ever when God offers it by his dear Son let thy sins be never so great why wretched man or woman Hast thou not done God wrong enough already but must thou stay yet longer in thy cursed sin and wrong him yet more Hast not done enough already to damn a thousand souls but wouldst do more and make as sure of hell as thou canst I beseech thee sinner great sinner young or old do not put me off nay do not put the Lord off with a pardon in his hand a promise of grace ready to be sealed by the Holy-ghost if thou wilt now from thy soul readily say why then be it so Lord Jesus I come to thee If the tearms be leaving all this deceitful sin and to be made like unto thee be it so I accept of it tear my lusts from my heart I have served them long enough too long Oh now if there be any mercy in Heaven let me have it save me not in but from my sins Oh Lord for they are great great indeed I will saith the Lord and he speaks it in Ezek. 36.29 I will save you from all your uncleanesses 't is as much as if the Lord should have now spoken it from Heaven mark every tittle in such a promise Now thou cryest Oh will will the Lord save I will saith the Lord Oh but will he save me from such uncleannesses yea from uncleannesses what from All yea from All thy uncleannesses fall down and Adore and cry out Oh grace free rich infinite glorious grace admire Angels Saints sinners Behold one of Gods wonders A great sinner saved Use 7. And so seventhly it may serve to exhort blessed souls brought into a state of peace and pardon still to keep an eye upon the greatness of mercy If mercy were not great how could any sin be forgiven Thus this blessed man David is breathing forth Blessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven Oh bless the Lord Oh my soul who forgiveth all thine iniquities Oh how great is thy mercy towards me and thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell So should pardoned called redeemed souls see themselves call'd and taken out of hell it self out of a hell of abominations pollutions wrath under which they were fast held by the powers of darkness Say did ever such a soul get to Heaven shall I not be the wonder of Heaven and hell how I got to Heaven and escaped that wrath in which thousands that were better then I are now plunged there 's no other reason but because mercy is great greater then the greatness of sin with which I shall conclude the second Point namely When sinners come on to find pardon they see their sins great Obs 3. The great reason of Gods pardoning a sinner and the plea that a poor convinced sinner hath with God is that he will pardon for his own Names sake For thy Names sake Oh Lord pardon c. That is not for any worth that is in a poor creature not for my sake but for thy own glories sake thy mercies sake grace and mercy will be hereby glorified God gets himself a Name by the pardoning of a poor sinner that Name which he proclaims to Moses Exod. 34.6 The Lord merciful and gracious c. Now God hath given forth the ground of this plea in the New Covenant where his Name is
keeping of the law is made void by one sin and so see an absolute necessity of righteousnesse another way and out of themselves by Iesus Christ though it be preacht by many good men yet few very few in this Generation live in the practicall sense and sight of it yea how many professours not hereby to reproach any have confessed to the Glory of God and their own abasement that since the breaking forth of a fuller light of the nature of the New-Covenant Gospel-grace the righteousnesse of Christ they have bin shaken in their bottomes being legall and thought if they took up from their sins and had a kind of sorrow for them and then set themselves to obey the law strictly be close in the sabbath and some such duties that God would accept them being still ignorant as least practically that when they were convinced of sin they were to see where to have a righteousnesse and how to get into Christ and have life and strength in and from him for their new obedience which is that I drive at in this and my afterwards discourse in opening the New-Creature as in Christ Having premised this I come to speak to the first promise laid down namely Observ 1. Every son and daughter of Adam in their naturall estate are under the Law By the Law I do not mean the Mosaicall or old Testament way of worship but by the law I understand that which we style the morall law the law of the 10 Commandements that was written in Adams heart and afterwards given out by God unto Moses at Mount Sinai and promised in the New Covenant to be written again in the hearts of all that are really called into the grace of the Covenant Ezek. 36.27 To be under the Law is an expression familiar to you you know what it is to live under a law To be under this law of God then bespeakes these things 1. To be under it is to be bound over to the exact fulfilling it see Rom. 10.15 For Moses describeth the righteousnesse which is of the Law that the man which doth these things shall live by them that is it to be bound over to the fulfilling and doing of the law which if done exactly without the least deviation there is life promised to it But upon the least transgression of it to be lyable to the penalty which God hath pronounced against the transgressors of it 2. It followes thence that to be under the Law is to be bound over to the whole Law in its full and perfect latitude as it reacheth the whole man Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the Law to do them Mark well the tenour of these words Here is required of Every one an exact doing not onely purposing and thinking to do and that not onely of some or the most of the law but in all things and that not onely for a time but a Continuance of doing so or else under the curse One sinfull thought hath a curse belonging to it as well as the breach of the whole law if under the law Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law 1 John 3.4 3. To be under the law is to be subject to and to be under all the curses threatenings judgments wrath that it threatneth to the transgressours of it here and for ever Whatsoever the law saith in point also of judgment and wrath it saith to all that are under it 4. To be under it is to be bound to make God satisfaction in our own persons for the breach of it I mean while under it every soul is so obliged to make satisfaction to the justice of God If a poor soul be in his naturall estate and so under the law he must stand or fall to the law God expects personall satisfaction from every soul that sinneth against it that will stand to his keeping the law in whole or in part and God in his justice can bate nothing of what he hath spoken Now That all men and women are by nature as of and in the first Adam thus under the law to wit to be bound up to it and to have life onely upon the exact and perfect fulfilling of it to be bound up to the whole law subject to the curse of it upon the transgression of one part bound to make God satisfaction in his own person for any breach thereof I briefly prove Saith Paul Rom. 6.14 Ye are not under the law but under grace Implying till a soul is brought under grace the Covenant of grace justifying sanctifying grace in and by Jesus Christ he is under the law whoever he be so Gal. 4.5 To redeem them that were under the law c. implying also that all mankind are naturally under it till under the power and efficacy and priviledge of Christs Redemption The main reasons of it are All are under this law because all mankind were bound up under the same Covenant with Adam who was a publick person representing all mankind as a man may bind up himself and his posterity to such and such conditions and such a Covenant decree or obligation binds his posterity in Law so was Adam bound up to God see Rom. 5.12 the speciall Scriptures that prove this truth Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned so verse 16.17 18 19. by one that sinned c. by one mans offence death reigned by one by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation By one mans disobedience many were made sinners Implying clearly that the guilt of Adam as representing all his posterity was and is imputed to all and therefore all were and are bound over to the same Law bottomed upon that word of the Lord to Adam by which God put the Covenant upon him Gen. 2.17 For in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely dye Adam had the law of holinesse and righteousnesse the morall law written in his heart before and his nature perfect which bound him over to obey every command of his God now God gave out that external law unto him by way of tryal in which the form of the Covenant was implyed but sinning against that he transgressed the morall law written in his heart also which bound him over to obey God in all things so that the sin of Adam was at least virtually a transgression of the morall law now abiding and obliging mankind which law we all brake in him as it was given to all in him and being written in Adams heart it was as much as if it had bin actually written in the hearts of all mankind which doth also appear by the remnants of the law as that there is a God and man should be just yet remaining in the hearts of all Therefore by nature we are all bound up to and are under this law 2. It doth appear that
transgression of the law and shew what the sense of guilt is which few there are that have in a saving way Observ 3. Every soul in the world is guilty before God of the transgression of the Law And all the world may become guilty before God This hath been proved where we have shew'd that All have sinned and come short of the glory of God This guilt is threefold which is set home upon every sinners heart when convinc'd of sin by the spirit 1. The guilt of Adams sin which stands charg'd upon every sinner in the world while under the law Rom. 5.18 2. The guilt of the corruption of our natures sinne in the fountain as I have shewed which is likewise upon every Son or Daughter of Adam they are all corrupt Psal 14.1 wherein lies the exceeding sinfulfulnesse of sin 3. The guilt of actuall rebellion against God sinne brought forth and acted in the outward man against God Now under this threefold guilt is every sinner in the world while under the law the effect of which if not reconciled is punishment sutable to the guilt which is Thou shall surely dye And The wages of sinne is death eternall death Rom. 6. last Use 1. This may therefore inform and convince that every sin brings guilt upon the soul and so deserves death and everlasting wrath from God you that make light of sin to lye to profane the name of the Lord be in worldly discourses on the Lords day in any way of sin whatsoever weigh this in thy conscience There 's not the least sin but makes thee guilty before the tribunall of God God the law Angels Conscience are all witnesses against thee where 's the soul that will think to avoid this charge shall I prove every soul of you guilty and that before God If this were proved by the power of the word in the conscience I know what and I shall shew it you will be the effect of it lay your consciences to the Word and if thou art found guilty before the Lord this day go home with the sense of it upon thy soul and do as a guilty sinner should do 1. Consider first as to what concerns God immediately The Law requires Thou shouldst have no other Gods but him Exod. 20. Which Jesus Christ interprets is to love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul now Hath God had thy whole heart and soul darest thou say so Hath not the world had more of thy heart then God Dost not thou love the world and the things of it Do not thy affections thoughts desires of thy heart even day and night go after it yea you cannot but grant that 't is so Then God and Angels are witnesse that thou art guilty of the damnable sin of Idolatry And such a one shall not as such enter into the kingdome of God Eph. 5.5 Know by that Scripture A covetous heart may send thee to Hell as well as any sin in the world No Covetous man who is an Idolater shall enter into the kingdome of God read over the place every day and tremble at it Here 's guilt already enough to damn thee 2. Thou hast worshipped God superstitiously and idolatrously after the traditions and commandments of men you that are elderly people are all guilty here in a grievous manner in the time of your ignorance when superstitious Ceremonies were practised and the Common-prayer-Book worship was upheld when you polluted the Ordinances of Jesus Christ coming to Sacraments with sins upon your souls from which sins you are not converted and changed to this day which the Apostle calls eating and drinking damnation or judgment under which guilt you still lye and would heap up more of this guilt were not some more tender of your souls then your selves Here 's guilt to purpose who is free from it and how many unhumbled under it to this day Art thou not now ready to cry out Oh hold hold you need go no further my conscience is smitten oh guilt great guilt lyes upon me Oh that 't were the cry of many souls before the Lord how might it end in mercy that shall be for ever 3. But yet further to pursue thy conscience for that 's the nature of guilt doth not the Lord require in his law that thou shouldst not take his Name in vain Exod. 20.7 Now sinner stave off this guilt if thou canst How oft hast thou abused and profaned this great and dreadfull Name the Lord thy God by swearing or in thy by-words crying oh Lord oh God for Gods sake for Christs sake upon every foolish vain occasion with no more reverence of his Name then the most Common name in the world And some of you have as many dayes as you have lived since your childhood bin frequently guilty of this great evil which thou hast made a small matter of which if ever God pardon it it will appear to be odious guilt from the height of thy heart-Atheism How oft hast thou heard the word and thy heart bin after the world and thine eyes gazing up and down that t is easie to discern thou regardest not what is spoken from God to thee and the same in prayer how oft hast thou babled ore the Lords prayer like a charme with no reverence of Gods Majesty upon thy soul in thy bed it may be in a drowsie manner or if otherwise not understanding the words thou speakest much lesse thy heart affected with them or it may be saying over the Creed and the Commandements or some Service-book prayers as abundance do grievously profaning Gods Name and offering lip labour which his soul abhorreth yea know what hath bin often proved that thy prayers and all thy worship and good deeds as thou callest them are an abomination to the Lord while thou art in thy sin an unconverted and unholy person yea the way of thy worship in which thou placest thy greatest confidence hath bin the highest aggravation of thy sin in offering up to God that which his soul hateth Esay 1.11 12 13 14 15. When you make many prayers saith the Lord I will not hear you c. And as to the sanctifying the Sabbath which thou shouldest make a holy rest unto God thou hast made it a meer fleshly rest consuming the day upon thy lusts in vanity idlenesse carnall and worldly discourses in families in the streets to the high dishonour of the Name of God and hardening of thy heart against the truths of God rendring thereby the preaching of the Gospel wholly unprofitable to thy soul A carriage farr unlike a man that hath the grace of God upon him and a most invincible argument to thy conscience that thou makest not God his word ordinances sabbaths a holy delight and knowest not the excellency and sweetnesse of Communion with him Say sinner and lay thy conscience to this conviction is hearing and that with love praying praising meditating conferring of holy things the very heaven of thy
soul and so longest for such exercises as the joy and strength of thy heart Nothing lesse Thy own conscience being Judge but hear drowsily and negligently it may be despisingly revile the preacher speak evil of the word out of thy grosse ignorance and hatred to be reformed speak vainly carnally worldly with such as are like thy self Here 's guilt enough to send thee to a thousand Hells if God smite not thy heart for it and thou turn not unto him for pardon and a better heart to be given to thee Adde to all this an unthankfull and unholy use of Gods good Creatures it may be thou hast bin betrayed by the devil thy own ready heart to some secret sins which thou thinkest enough if thou canst hide from man not considering the judgment of God that hangs over thee But if not so yet a heart full of uncleannesse envy wrath malice which our Lord Jesus Christ in his opening the law in its spirituality Mat. 5.21.22 27 28. convinceth to be murder and adultery which it may be thou hast never considered of so thou hast not bin an actuall adulterer or murderer In a word There 's not a vain thought in thy heart the first rising of it but brings thee under the guilt of condemnation of the law and as thou art under the law as if a transgressour in thought word and deed of the whole Law This may seem strange to thee but see it proved James 2.10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of all But it hath bin proved that thou art guilty of the breach of every Commandement of God from thy youth up But see further sinner that some word of God or other may hit thee this law could not condemn thee wouldst thou have bin convinced of guilt and made in to grace by Jesus Christ but thou art under the guilt of Gospel Contempt Come sinner saith Jesus Christ and see what I can and will do for thee I le save thee from this condemning Law I le take away the curse I le remove all thy guilt blot out all the charge that is against thee I le put a righteousnesse upon thee I le bestow my spirit upon thee I le give thee a heart to love God and his law and in the inward man to delight to walk in it and then take thee to Heaven and fill thee with glory for ever All this Heaven of mercy and free grace thou hast sleighted and sinned against and brought thy self under greater condemnation than by the law And yet by the way Jesus Christ will do as much for thee still as I have spoken of and more though thou hast thus sinned against law and gospel if thou wilt come a poor undone guilty soul unto him which is that I aime at in thus pressing upon thee And were the sense of guilt indeed upon thy soul thou wouldst seriously hearken to me Therefore yet futher bear with me Take home this guilt to thy conscience And say Oh guilty guilty of all that hath bin this day charged from the righteous God upon me Oh may the Lord find thee out this day and lay-in the fresh sense of the guilt of sins even of such thou hast long since committed Do not justifie nor excuse thy self any longer for that 's the naturall way of thy heart as thou hast bin shewed Never did guilty prisoner at the barre find more shifts more subtle pleas then the proud and shamelesse heart of a sinner will do till God himself pronounce guilt in the conscience and then the guilt of one sin laid-in brings in the guilt of all other and they sometimes come in like waves and billowes upon thy soul oh let the sense of thy lying swearing profaning the Sabbath slighting the word refusing Jesus Christ out of thy secret hatred of holinesse reproaching the people of God because in their practise they condemne thee or thy being guilty of the blood of the Lord Jesus 1 Cor. 11.27 a crying sin indeed Oh let this any all seize upon thee and fly not from it but go and lye low before the great God in it judging charging condemning thy self and say God and his word hath found me out this day and I go home with an arrow of God in my conscience I am the man or woman that am found the guiltyest soul in the Congregation how to be delivered and saved from it that 's my businesse now Blessed be the advice and counsell now which formerly I despised of any good man that speakes in the name of the Lord unto me and will shew me There is yet hope for so wretched a Creature as I am Particularly these are the effects of the sense of the guilt of sin wrought by the holy Ghost upon the conscience of a poor soul in order to his salvation 1. Fear of wrath to come more or lesse possesseth the heart Can a man be guilty and not fear if truly sensible of it This was upon Adam after he had sinned and heard Gods voice which struck him with sense of guilt Gen. 3.10 I heard thy voice and was afraid so when guilt came upon Belshazzar his thoughts troubled him Dan. 5.6 Felix trembled Acts 24.25 The Jaylour came trembling Acts 16.29 The fear of wrath the fear of a mis-carrying soul the fear of eternity seizeth upon the spirit of a poor creature and then t is an infinite weighty matter with a poor soul to be saved 2. Shame is another effect of guilt brought in upon the conscience so Adam likewise was ashamed and hid himself because he was naked Gen. 3. What fruit had you in those things whereof ye are now ashamed Rom. 6.21 So Ezek. 16. last That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee for all that thou hast done sayth the Lord See also Ezek. 43.10 11. Oh how is a sensibly guilty soul ashamed before God Angels men of such wayes and carriages in which he impudently before delighted himself and lyes down in his shame and confusion of face even covering his face before God and ashamed to look up unto him 3. The soul walkes up and down with a burthened spirit those creature-comforts delights contentments which before would still the spirit now will not sense of guilt eates out the heart of them the soul must now have something else than wind and vanity for so are Creatures become to such a poor soul It may be the deceitfull heart carryes a poor creature to this thing and that but finds no satisfaction there the burthen stills remaines the arrow that God hath shot sticks fast till Jesus Christ pluck it forth and heales all with his blood and spirit 4. Guilty souls make out for deliverance sue to heaven are enquiring how the law may be satisfied how guilt may be removed how atonement may be had how bondage taken off in a
man in their obedience of the law as to place their acceptance in it Adde to this the reasons of it why the hearts of all the sons and daughters of Adam are naturally apt to rest upon the law and their own doings and to hope for peace by it 1. Every naturall man hath something of the remaines of the law which God at first wrote in the heart of our common Father Adam Rom. 2.14 15. which being a little drawn forth by the Letter of the Law it makes a poor creature set himself to endeavour to keep the law and hopes to attain to such a degree as to be accepted with God for it Now there is no such thing as any remote profession in the heart to come to Christ or to have righteousnes in another therefore a soul sets himself to the law and endeavours more or lesse the keeping of it naturally 2. Man would faign make up the breach he hath made with God upon his own account As a man had naturally rather do a thing himself then be beholding to another therefore upon conviction of guilt he sets himself to make up the breach to satisfie God by some atonement or other that his own heart can contrive his sorrowing and repenting he hopes may pacifie God or some new sacrifice of more performances or being better for the time to come thus the heart workes secretly and upon his own account God letting forth some mercy as he thinks where he failes he hopes to make up any breach that sin hath made between God and his soul and thus he is still upon the Old Covenant under the law 3. A sinner is more apt to keep to the law then go to Christ from a secret pride of heart he would not be found at a totall losse with God to be wholly undone and unable to do any thing towards his own peace and salvation A soul naturally had rather part withall sin and have his nature made perfectly holy then be quite undone in himself and come to have all his righteousnesse in another in Jesus Christ And here it is that most souls stick in the coming off their own bottoms to be justified in Iesus Christ In a word man had rather do any thing then come a poor destitute sinner to Jesus Christ for all 4. Because t is not sutable to the light of naturall reason that a soul should satisfie God or become righteous any other way then by his own endeavour To be righteous in another is of divine Revelation which till a soul hath he cannot let go the principle of self-justification The next thing to be considered will be this If all men are under the law and the curse of it under the guilt of the whole law without all excuse before God under an impossibility of attaining righteousnesse or acceptance with God by the best keeping of the law and yet a natural and strong aptitude to rest upon the law and that a soul may reforme and take up be strict in obedience and yet still be under the law how then may a soul know whether in the way of his obedience he be yet under the law and not under grace Some Discoveries I shall lay down at present reserving a fuller discussion of this And by the way know and consider that though thou art under the profession of the Name of Jesus Christ and pretendest salvation by him yet practically and really thou mayest be still under the law 1. If thou hast never bin convinc'd of this close evil in thy heart of resting on thy praying and repenting and endeavouring to keep the law as well as thou canst I say if the spirit of the Lord hath not convinced thee of it and of the great danger of it and so humbled thee and brought thee off it thou art certainly under the law as yet 2. If thou doest not watch against this evil and doest not find a great difficulty not to rest upon a performance of any duty to God thou doest then certainly rest upon it 3. If thou art well satisfied that thou art kept from outward grosse sins and the sin of thy nature is not thy greatest burthen mourning under the weight of it then thou must know that thou art yet under the law 4. If thou thinkest God will accept of the will for the deed if thou doest as well as thou canst in every duty so as to accept thee thereby as if it had bin done perfectly this also bespeakes thee under the Law 5. If thou canst not experience how the Lord by the light and working of his word and spirit hath brought thee off thy legall foundation thou wast building upon and shew'd thee that such things as thou didst account gain became but losse unto thee for Jesus Christ Phil. 3.7 6. If thou art not troubled about the Hypocrisie of thy heart and not abased for it even in thy best performances then thou art yet upon the bottome of the law and restest in it 7. If thou art not mostly troubled about believing and doest not find it the most difficult work of thy soul If no complaint to God of an unbelieving heart then thou art indeed a Hypocrite and under the law 8. If thou art not humbled to God for the sinfull mixtures of thy dutyes the deadnesse distraction of them and so seest thy acceptance cannot be in them but in Jesus Christ then thou restest in them 9. If thou dost not give up thy self to the leadings of the Spirit and doest not find that in the main of thy course thou art led by the Spirit then thou art under the law Gal. 3.18 But if ye are led by the spirit ye are not under the law 10. If thou art not troubled about thy inward growth in mortification of all sin and more holy Communion with God then thou art also under the law One under the law that is somewhat strict and consciencious may grow in the bulke of outward dutyes but not in inward holinesse 11. If thy care be not to live in the sense of thy justification by grace through Jesus Christ and to preserve the light and peace of a justified state which thou hast bin called to by grace then thou livest in self-justification 12. If thy great care be not if thou findest it not thy greatest difficulty to be kept a poor empty creature in thy self and live in the fulnesse of Christ If self-fulnesse self-exaltation be not the great evils thou watchest against at least in some measure thou art sensible of the roots of them then thou art yet under all I have bin proving the law guilt and a curse and all thy duties and doings as I have shew'd abhorred of God Examine thy heart by these particulars over and over and if by these thou canst not make out that thou hast bin through rich grace brought off from thy own foundation upon the law and so come with much difficulty to the Gospel-grace and righteousnesse by Jesus Christ
this Snare many of the Jewish Professours of Christ fell short as 't is clear from the Epistle to the Galathians and did frustrate the grace of God 3. A sinner hath a secret thought of making God satisfaction by his sorrow and amendment and so makes void the Free-grace of God 'T is the easiest thing in the World to put up legal sorrow and amendment of life to God as that which may make God amends yea to make an atonement of every Duty which is the closest and most desperate evil of the heart so did the Jew by his sacrifices and obedience which caused the Lord to pronounce of them That his soul loathed them Isa 1. 4. A sinner doth not savingly close with free grace from a secret pride of heart he would not be found so poor and helpless so unrighteous ungracious as to be beholden to free mercy for all Many persons will rather starve then beg then live upon another mans mercy 't is so between a sinner and the Lord till God humble him hee 'd rather venture Hell then come and acknowledge utter condemnation nothing but sin upon him and so stoop to free mercy 5. The sinner stands off from free-grace because he will make his own termes he will condition for his carnall ease his self-interest his bosome lust the love of the world and hopes God will allow him his termes which he proposeth to himself and herein he is ruined Now God hath drawn up the tenour of his free grace in the way of a Covenant and though there are no conditions left to the creature to make good on his part by his own power for that will easily imply a self-sufficiency in him and is absolutely derogatory from the grace of God in the Gospel-Covenant yet God hath drawn up as I may so speak what other good things he will bestow on the subjects of his free grace Namely The Law to be new written in their hearts the gift of the Spirit Newnesse of heart with the making good of all those promises in a degree that hold forth holinesse and new obedience which must accompany the free pardon of sins and make indeed the free grace of God more glorious Inasmuch as when he pardons them he will save them from the service of sin work his Image upon them bring them to a blessed conformity to himself which considered aright sweetens and heightens the free grace of God and makes the termes of it more blessed In a word Mercy and holinesse must go together A Saviour and Sanctifier which a sinner from the cursed love of ease and satisfaction to his lusts sticks at and so comes not up to Gods termes which are blessed and holy and so misseth of grace and mercy for ever because he chooseth sinne rather then holinesse 6. Yea a sinner and I speak all this while of such as pretend to an interest in free mercy misseth of this grace because he takes up the termes of God in his Covenant of grace in his own strength will repent and come up to new obedience before he comes to the promise to the free grace of God for it which is also a dangerous snare A sinner's first work being convinced as we have opened is to throw himself upon the free grace of God for all to give all to work all and so to follow God by vertue of promises of such good and grace as the tenour of the Covenant holds forth T is an usuall thing for poor souls first to think to convert themselves make themselves holy and then come to God and Jesus Christ this is an indirect course Oh! a poor soul must begin at the fountain of Gods free grace for Christ for pardon for the Spirit for conversion for holinesse for all as held out in promises and then the worke will be sure and prosper and nought shall hinder it 7. Sinners fail of this free grace of God from a neglect and sleighting of it Heb. 2.3 How shall you escape if you neglect so great a salvation Sinners do hear that though they are sinners and condemned in a damnable estate yet Jesus Christ will save them if they will come unto him fit them for heaven and do it himself for them and in them yet through a desperate folly security and careless temper the heart being in a dead sleep they wretchedly neglect it 8. From the power of unbelief which they are under and see it not Thus have I shew'd those speciall hinderances that cause poor souls that hear of Gospel-grace to withstand it and for ever to misse of it Oh that this word of the Lord might find you out and might be as a glasse to shew you your own hearts you who by a willfull obstinacy have withstood the Gospell-calls hitherto Oh! now fall down before the Lord and cry I yeeld I yeeld thou blessed God thy patience thy freest grace hath overcome me Lord take away a rebellious obstinate heart from me Ah Lord Thou hast waited to be gracious and Christ and Mercy and Heaven have been offered to so vile a Wretch freely Now Lord I throw my self at thy feet a thousand Hells are too good for me but if grace infinite grace be free there 's yet hope for me If there be not grace enough in Heaven for me let me go to the depth of Hell but Lord I take hold of thee I desire to do it Oh do thou take hold of me and I shall not perish You who have stood upon your terms and hoped you had Righteousness enough to cover you and God would look upon that and not upon your sin you are the most abominable in God's sight you who secretly in your hearts think your sorrowing and reforming makes God amends you who have wrapt your selves in these Cobwebs and through pride of heart will not lay them down Oh! if thou wilt have mercy thou must have all in a way of mercy and grace all freely or nothing at all see all thy righteousness made void by one sin against the Law and therefore cursed and condemned by it therefore thou hast no Plea but free mercy and grace Oh lay down all thy other Pleas they will never be heard in Heaven and now cry out Oh 't is of grace proud selfish Wretch that I have been 't is all of free grace if ever I am saved If God cannot pardon freely bestow Jesus Christ freely I am undone for ever Oh the wicked castings of my heart this way and that way Oh there 's nothing nothing but infinite mis ry to move mercy All my goodness is an accursed thing as from my self there 's an infinite Fountain of sin and self-righteousness in men Oh could I come to an infinite Fountain of grace Thus thou wilt come to God when he shall smite thy heart Which now look up unto him to do You who have been making your own terms of ease and lusts and world Oh render up your hearts to the gracious blessed holy
thou poor formal out-side Professour who never didst feel the vertue healing life and warmth of the bloud of Christ upon thy heart Oh rest not in good thoughts of it onely but come believingly to it as thou hast been exhorted Say and that with thy heart Now Lord I would know the power and efficacy of this Redemption upon my poor soul Wash me Lord wash me I renounce all but the blood of this Christ as to making way to God for me Oh! let it pacifie my conscience and purge my conscience and I shall be clean If the Spirit of the Lord shall work thy heart to come as a guilty helplesse unholy sinner in thy self to this blood of Jesus and make thy approaches to God daily and argue for grace and remission upon it and purging thy soul these inestimable blessings will be the issue of it which I will but name to thee 1. Thou shall Certainly find forgivenesse of thy sins In whom we have redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of our sins Ephes 1.7 God will remember them no more against thee and thou shalt have peace with thy God for ever 2. God will let forth an infinite unchangeable love upon thee Rom. 5.5 which love he bore thee from eternity but will now manifest it to thee and estate thee in it for ever 3. Thou shalt have boldnesse of accesse to God Rom. 5.2 even into his intimate presence to speak with God face to face and ask of God what thou wilt according to his will Heb. 10. 4. All the promises of mercy grace and all blessings here and for ever shall be thine made over sealed in the blood of Christ 5. Thou shalt rejoyce in the hope of the glory of God Rom. 5.2 with all Saints and see thy self an heir of heaven 6. Thou shalt be still a washing and purifying and fitting for Heaven till thou shalt be taken up unto God and live in the Ocean of his love to all eternity Now if ease in thy sin and the world can do better for thee than this that I have named then keep in but if not as most certainly it cannot Arise and come to this blessed Redemption and get thy part and portion in it and thou shalt say Blessed be thy counsell and advice for evermore But now upon this Redemption of Iesus Christ how is a sinner said to be justified that is to be put into an actuall possession of the Redemption of Iesus Christ through the free grace of God 1. When the Compact was made between God the Father and Iesus Christ as to the salvation of those that the Father gave to Iesus Christ and Iesus Christ undertook the fulfilling of the Condition of the Covenant ☞ God did purpose in himself to justifie them from eternity and look't upon them as in Christ 2 Tim. 1.9 Ephes 1.4 So they were justified as to the purpose of God from all eternity 2. When Iesus Christ performed the condition of obedience in his dying and paid unto God what he required at his hands for the sinners redemption then did God as in the Court of Heaven discharge the sinner though not in the court of Conscience and when Christ arose and came to Heaven the Father gave him in an absolution of them all from the guilt of sin and obligation to death and so at the death of Christ all the Elect were meritoriously justified inasmuch as the price was paid and accepted of the Father Rom. 5.10 3. When according to the purpose of God through the purchase of Iesus Christ a sinner is called by grace hath faith given him as purchased also for him to embrace Iesus Christ in the Promise to receive him as offer'd in the Gospell and with him all spirituall blessings then is the soul put into the actuall possession of what God in his purpose and love determined to give him and Iesus Christ by the purchase of his blood gave him a right to before and so there is an Act of Gods pardoning mercy passeth upon the sinner he hath an actuall discharge given in unto his Conscience hath the obedience of Iesus Christ imputed to him and so is lookt upon by God not as a sinner under guilt but as righteous in the righteousnesse of Christ which bespeakes him Justified that is made just and righteous before God by the imputation and making over Christs righteousnesse to him as if righteous in his own person upon which Act of God there is a full remission of sinne as in the Text and the believer is put into another state a state of justification unto life through Iesus Christ Rom. 8.18 who before was in a state of death and condemnation Before I speak of that faith which through grace puts a soul in his pardoned and justified state I will breifly apply this to the Capacity of the weak 1. It may informe and instruct you in this great Mystery that any sinner that is saved must be thus justified made righteous by the obedience of Iesus Christ he must come to see the justice of God made up his sin satisfied for a price paid unto God and this to be actually made over to him as we shall presently shew Most of sinners 't is to be feared do not consider this that speak of mercy and pretend they hope in mercy but are never convinc'd of the righteousnesse of Iesus Christ and what it is to passe from a state of guilt to a state of righteousnesse by Iesus Christ from a state of condemnation to a state of justification without which there can be no salvation Oh be convinced sinners of this great matter of the necessity of the righteousness of Christ his obedience in fulfilling the Law to be made over to you to be brought into a justified state or you can never have pardon of sin and be accepted with God you can never stand before God but in the righteousness of Iesus Christ Say If I do not get the righteousness of Christ made mine If I do not get thus justified I must never expect pardon of my sin and acceptance of my poor soul at the great day of the Lord. This is the Work of the Spirit to be savingly convinced of this Ioh. 16.8 Oh look up to the Father for the Spirit thus to convince you not onely of sinne and the damnableness and sinfulness thereof but of your infinite need to get not onely some general hope of mercy and pardon but the righteousness of the Son of God to bring you into a state of pardon reconciliation peace with God 2. It may further clear unto you that your justification before God is not within you but without you wrought forth by Iesus Christ for such as are or shall be called by grace and imputed to them not inherent or wrought in them 'T is not grace in you that doth or can justifie you though renewing grace shall be wrought in all that are so pardoned and justified Therefore though thou must be
changed in thy self pray and be holy and obey God in all things yet canst thou not be hereby justified but still thy justifying righteousness is in Christ and not in thy self as the onely procuring-meritorious cause of pardon and peace with God Ierem. 33.16 Isa 54. last 3. The great question therefore that should come upon thy heart is Whether thou art in a state of condemnation or justification If not justified thou art still as I have shewed under the condemnation of the whole Law nothing thou hast yet done or shalt ever be able to do will stand between Wrath and Hell and thy poor soul till thou comest to be justified in the bloud and righteousness of Iesus Christ Oh sinners ponder of this great thing that is now laid before you Can you say from a Testimony within you Oh! I was thus and thus once under the reign power guilt condemnation of sin but now now blessed be rich and free grace I am washed justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus Christ See that Word 1 Cor. 6.10 11. And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the Name of our Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God Or at least that I may speak to poor weak willing trembling soules Is this it that your soules are restless after Oh that I were that I were in such a blessed state Oh that I could but believingly say the righteousness of Iesus Christ were mine and that now I am I am justified Oh what peace and sweetness and joy would fill my heart Why Soul If this be indeed the breathing of thy Soul Iesus Christ is thine and thou art justified and pardoned and God will at last give in unto thee if thou continue to follow him the sense and comfort of it in thy poor Soul Onely by the way take a Discovery or two of the reality of thy Heart in this matter 1. If thy Soul from a Spiritual Conviction be under a real making out after justification by Iesus Christ then thou would'st also be as really sanctified be made holy 'T was as much in the purpose of God to call thee out of a state of sinne and to sanctifie thee as to pardon and justifie thee 1 Ep. John 5.6 2. If thou art brought into a justified state thy soul making out after it thou art made alive in the Spirit Rom. 8.1 Thou art in Iesus Christ and wouldst walk no more after the flesh and the lusts thereof but after the Spirit Gal. 5.18 If ye are led by the Spirit ye are not under the Law namely to condemn you but are freed from the curse of it and verse 23. Against such there is no Law that is such as would walk after the Spirit be led by the Spirit and shew forth the fruit of the Spirit And this is that which the Apostle intimateth 1 Ep. Joh. 5.10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the Witness in himself namely of the Spirit So that every justified person hath the Spirit of Christ according to the measure of the grace of God dwelling in him is quickned in the Spirit being once dead prays in the Spirit mortifies sin through the Spirit is taught by the Spirit and so in all other saving and sanctifying vertues of it If it be not thus with thee thou as yet hast no part in this blessedness but art under condemnation unto death And therefore sinner come before God in the sense of thy condemned estate and give up thy self to Jesus Christ to be washed justified sanctified and then blessed for ever 3. Let called and sanctified Believers labour to live in the sense of a pardoned-justified state that God is not off and on with them in the matter of justification though it may be sometimes darkned and clouded as to the evidence of it Oh! do you labour to preserve the sense and sweet and blessed peace of it in your souls give glory to the riches of grace for now there is No No condemnation to you you are passed from Death to Life and the Blessed God imputes no sin unto you Let this be the highest and strongest Argument to Holiness and love to the glory that possibly may be and if indeed you walk in the comfort of it it will be so unto you Onely let me give caution here to young Converts whose hearts at the first discovery of the free and glorious grace of the Gospel and of Iesus Christ are wonderfully taken and affected with it but after a time are apt to want on with it unless the first humiliation be the deeper and to wax sleight in Duties and so their Lusts recover strength again and return upon them and either they fall or are near unto it to the fresh wounding of their Soules This hath been the condition of many therefore be well caution'd in it and walk with fear in the midst of your joyous apprehensions of the sweetness of grace and the endearing love of the Lord Iesus to you Having briefly shewed what the nature of justification is what it is to be in a justifyed state before God I now come to open more particularly how a Soul comes to be partaker of this justification through the redemption of Iesus Christ namely Through Faith in his bloud ver 25. of this 3d of Rom. Observ As God through Free-grace hath set forth Iesus Christ to work forth Redemption for sinners so there must be a special believing on and applying the bloud of Iesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins by every one that is saved Therefore justification is attributed to Faith Rom. 5.1 Therefore being justified by Faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ So Gal. 2.16 3.11 In all which places Faith is put in opposition to the Works of the Law And so the righteousness of Christ is called the righteousness of Faith Rom. 9.30 10.6 in opposition to righteousnesse by Works Not as if Faith were the matter of our justification that it did as an Act or Work in the Soul justifie before God but that God doth thus make over the bloud and righteousness of Iesus Christ to a Soul by inabling the Soul to come unto to take hold of to apply to it self to appropriate the merit of the bloud of Iesus Christ for its own Redemption and Salvation which may afford us a plain Description of justifying Faith precisely considered namely Faith is a work of the Holy Ghost in the Soul inabling it to appropriate or apply to it self the bloud and righteousness of Iesus Christ for the remission of sin and its justification unto eternal life So it is called the work of Faith with power 2 Thes 1.11 and 't is expressed by receiving of Iesus Christ Joh. 1. and believing on his Name coming unto him resting upon him So that plainly Faith is a going out to believing in trusting on another namely the Lord Iesus Christ for what it
to be better this will not do if it be no more or such as have heald your selves and have not bin healed by coming to the Lord Iesus Christ by a more exact way of some outward duties know it and be convinc'd that the core will break out again and you are yet to seek for a well grounded peace and are none of the Gospel New-Creatures Now another degree of mistakes of the New-Creature doth arise from the taking of Common grace which a Hypocrite may reach to for truth of renewing sanctifying grace And know that every Hypocrite doth not know himself to be such but a Hypocrite is one that appeares to himself and others to be what he is not He takes himself to be a good Christian a believer a new Creature and is not so The ground of some of these great mistakes I shall mention As first A poor Creature thinks himself safe because what he doth he thinks he doth it all with a good heart No one so confident of the goodnesse of his heart as a Hypocrite because he knowes not his own heart in that great Reformation in Iosiahs time Ieremiah speakes of Chap. 3.10 that Iudah turned to the Lord but feignedly not with the whole heart yet the people thought otherwise of themselves as t is likely when they entred into a Covenant with God with good Iosiah This is it that most poor sinfull Creatures do bolster up themselves with in their ignorance and security that they do all to God and men with good hearts whereas a renewed soul doubts of the goodnesse of his heart and hath matter of humbling for it in every duty 2. Another mistake of poor souls is as to the Gospel New-Creature from a misprision of sins of infirmities for such as are indeed reigning damning sins As to instance to lye for advantage to swear petty Oaths sometimes by faith and troth by the masse to mention Gods name frequently as a by-word crying Oh Lord Oh God slightly vainly or sometimes to drink to excesse or the like evils 'T is common to hear wretched souls when convinc'd of them to excuse the matter Why 't is their infirmity whereas it proceeds from a heart wholly unregenerate and under the power and reign of sin Infirmities of the Children of God are not allowed by them but humbled for mourned for every day watch'd against the root of them they endeavour to mortifie through the Spirit which the common professour that calls all his sins his infirmities doth not Oh! Souls there 's a vast difference between the infirmities of such as are indeed New-Creatures and between the reigning sins of naturall men sin reigns in its peace power habit in the heart no subduing crucifying purging which a New-Creature doth and hath 3. This mistake of the New-Creature doth arise from a misconceiving of the reluctancy of a naturall conscience before or in the committing of sin taking it for the conflict that is in a truely regenerate Soul between the Regenerate and the carnall part which mistake usually is bottomed upon a misunderstanding of that place of Paul Rom. 7.15 For that which I do I allow not c. Hence say many unregenerate gracelesse persons Why though they do break out into such and such hings and omit such and such duties yet they do not allow themselves in it that is their conscience is not wholly seared and so make some resistance and this they take to be saving grace A grosse and most dangerous mistake Now take such a person and he hath not a delight in the Law of God in the inward man as Paul had vers 22. doth not cry out as inwardly burthen'd wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death No such daily complaints and groanings under the weight of it No tying God through Jesus Christ for deliverance from it No serving the Law of God with a renewed inward man No walking after the Spirit as Paul professeth to do so that unlesse it be so with you that no-allowance in the conscience and yet do it it comes to nothing and an Hypocrite may and doth as much till given up to a seared conscience past feeling 4. From a mistake of faith taking that for sound and saving which is common to a Reprobate such as James describes in his Epistle speaking of men who say they have faith and have not really A faith that believes that God is the Scriptures the dying and rising of Jesus Christ and all other Gospell truths as it pretends yea that he believes on Jesus Christ and hopes to be saved by him as well as the holiest and upon this they have a kind of peace I have spoken before of Justifying faith only a word as to the New-Creature know therefore That faith which hath convinc'd the soul of its own weaknesse and so brought it to Jesus Christ for life that doth not teach a soul to deny it self that doth not purifie the heart that doth not live upon Jesus Christ and so created into him is not the faith of the New-Creature but a common dead putrifying faith that suffers the soul to putrifie in sin and works not to the cleansing of it 5. To instance in some other graces as namely repentance which souls do take to be onely a wishing the sin had not bin committed with a little fear and sorrow after it and this they think to be true repentance which when true is accompanyed with loathing of the sin and our selves and our corrupt natures brokennesse of heart for it and from it and turning to God by Jesus Christ and eyes the honour patience holinesse love of God in its sorrowing more then his wrath and hath for its effects carefulnesse indignation against it self vehement desire after more holinesse by Jesus Christ 2 Cor. 7.11 6. A false and carnall hope of Heaven mistaken for a gracious saving hope deceives the soul in this matter many poor souls yea it may be feared the most think they shall go to Heaven because they hope so and think they ought to hope Now a saving hope of pardon and Heaven is rightly bottom'd namely upon the riches of Gods grace Titus 3.7 Upon the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ Gal. 5.5 Upon some speciall promise of God Upon experience of God Rom. 5. And purifies the soul 1 John 3.3 as I may have occasion more at large to speak Oh! this false and carnall cursed hope that is not thus bottom'd serves onely to shut up the heart against the power of the word and a saving closing with Jesus Christ till a soul is dasht in this hope it will never get a better 7. A form of knowledge specially if encreas'd under the Ministery of the word may much deceive a soul in this great and weighty concernment so Paul speaks of the Jews Rom. 2.20 having a form of knowledge and of the truth of the Law Many have a Catechisticall form of knowledge they can describe what faith and
believing of Jesus Christ and Free-grace 3. Though such souls may reforme many things yet there is some unsubdued lust in the heart that at last breaks out and carryes an end the heart as with Simon Magus and Demas 4. Under all such enlightenings and tastings which may for a time affect the heart the heart still remaines unchanged and so no New-Creature 5. They are not rooted into Jesus Christ which we have shew'd is the root of the New-Creature Not rooted and built up in him Col. 2.7 Therefore t is said of the hearers with joy for a time that they had no root Math. 13. What hath bin spoken as to this may put the more forward professours upon a close and diligent search and to see if their attainments in enlighning tasting knowledge gifts reformation be no more then what a Reprobate may attain to and to lay their hearts under the searching power of the word and to open their hearts to God and cry unto him and keep a godly jealousie over their Spirits And rest not till you get poor and emptyed and humble your selves your hearts broken for sin every lust subdued and crucified the heart changed and your souls rooted into Jesus Christ by a saving union with him yea to give up your hearts to what we shall further say through grace as to the plain opening the reall Gospel New-Creature The Gospel New-Creature positively opened I Might here shew you how every faculty of the soul is renewed As the understanding by the infusion of new and divine light into it which is styled the Enlightening the eyes of the understanding Ephes 1.18 and to be renewed in the Spirit of the mind Eph. 4.23 How the will is altered and changed the affections made new the conscience purged and sanctified with all the powers of the soul but I shall not take this Method but rather pursue a more familiar way more particularly shewing the make of the New-Creature in reference still to its being so in Christ which is our principall scope First then 1. To the making and framing the New Creature there must be a New-Nature If there be a New-Creature formed there must be a New-Nature to make it so hence believers that are in Christ are said to be partakers of the divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 Which is wrought by the incorruptible seed of the word 1 Pet. 1.22 Whereby we are said to be born again And I am 1.28 Of his will own will begat he us with the word of truth c. Which seed is the seed of God in believers the seed of every grace in the soul which is something of the likenesse of God wrought in the soul and so acts the soul towards God which is styled the infused habits of every grace in the soul this New-Nature works contrary to the old corrupt nature and it is styled The regenerate part the new inward man Ephes 4.24 and assoon as it is wrought and formed in the soul it works against the sinfull dispositions of the old Adam in us and there is a new war or conflict begun within us which is something more then the resistance of a naturall conscience as we have shewed I see another Law in my members warring against the Law of my mind Rom. 7.23 c. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary to each others Gal. 5.17 And under this daily conflict and war within is every New-Creature while we abide in the fleshly tabernacle This is the first peculiar distinguishing Workmanship of the New-Creature there 's a new seed a new divine nature infused into the soul 2. As there is a New-Nature so it followes that this New-Creature hath a new life it is a Living New-Creature so regenerate persons are said to be quicken'd in Christ who were before dead in sins and trespasses Eph. 2.1 5. And The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God and live John 5. And they are said to be Alive unto God Rom. 6.11 Christ liveth in me Gal. 2.20 Which new life must necessarily be because 1. Every naturall man as hath bin already hinted is dead in sin and is said to be without this life of God Eph. 4.18 The Life of God departed from the soul whereby it had Communion with God upon our fall in the first Adam therefore if we are recovered we must have a new Life from God infused into us 2. If there be not a new life breathed in us we can put forth no spiritual vigour in any duty towards God and so all our duties services worship would be dead fleshly duties this I have also hinted in shewing the necessity of being in Christ if a New-Creature 3. As there is a new nature and a new life to begin the New-Creature so thence there 's anew breathing The Soul falls a breathing after God and after Jesus Christ As the life which God breath'd into man at his first Creation is call'd the breath of life Gen. 2.7 And assoon as ever there is life this new life breath'd by the Holy Ghost in the New-Creature there 's presently a breathing of this life as indeed one of the first discoveries of it as breath is the most immediate acting of Life the soul breathes and pants and cryes after God himself Psal 42.1 As the hart panteth after the water-brookes so panteth my soul after thee Oh God I opened my mouth and panted Psal 119.131 So that prayer that is spirituall it is the breath of a living soul Paul that breath'd out cruelties against the Saints when converted and made Alive he falls a breathing after God Acts 9. Behold he prayeth And this doth indeed arise from the very nature of saving grace which is to carry a soul to God through Jesus Christ to set it a longing not only after mercy and pardon and peace but after God himself Psal 63.1 My soul is a thirst for God the living God c. As also from the dissatisfaction and emptinesse the soul begins to find in all Creature-enjoyments which now it cannot having had a view of Christ be satisfied and contented with but the soul must have God must have Jesus Christ must have the likeness of Jesus Christ and so it breathes cryes pants after God and the possession of him and communion with him as the Souls highest perfection 1. Now therefore before I go any further let this be well-weighed Have you this breathing in you which when you were dead in sin you had not This is the least degree of grace if the soul be not thus breathing panting thirsting longing after Jesus Christ so that you cannot must not be satisfied but in the enjoyment of him verily you are dead and the grace of God is not in you so that it may be for a true discovery of your states Consider what your hearts do most breathe after what they most earnestly pant for Oh! Is it for Jesus Christ himself The hearts
THE GOSPEL Nevv-Creature WHEREIN The Work of the Spirit is opened in awakening the Soul to the getting pardon of Sin and an interest in JESUS CHRIST Without which it is undone to all Eternity DISCOVERING The false refuges and vain hopes for Heaven of ignorant and formal Professors in this Nation tending to rouze them out of their carnal Security before it be too late Whereunto is added By way of Comfort to all Dejected Soules The Tempestuous Soul calmed by JESUS CHRIST By A. PALMER Preacher of the Gospel at Bourton on the Water in Gloucester-shire LONDON Printed for Edward Brewster at the Crane in Pauls Church yard 1658. THE GOSPEL Nevv-Creature WHEREIN The Work of the Spirit is opened in the Soul's saving awakening to the getting pardon of sin Conviction of sin Self-emptying Gospel Justification and creating into JESUS CHRIST Discovering The false refuges and hopes for Heaven of ignorant carnal formal professors in this Nation and the counterfit Legal New-Creature so called Preacht more at large in Publick from several Scriptures and now published for the good of others In much plainness to the capacity of the Countrey People By A. Palmer Preacher of the Gospel at Bourton on the water in Glocester-shire Gal. 6.4 Let every man prove his own work c. London Printed for Edward Brewster at the Crane in Pauls Church yard 1658. To the Reader THat which drew these Papers from me will be Argument enough for me against the censure of what weaknesses are mixt in this Poor piece Which I must needs so call as it comes from my self but dare not undervalue what of the least of the Spirit of God appears in it every drop and tast of which is of an infinite price where ever it appear Some years since the Lord for so through grace I find the issue put upon my heart to send forth a little token of soul-experience to my friends stiled The tempestuous Soul calmed c. Which I found God made a blessing to some poor souls so can the Lord make use of weak things and I have been called upon and sent to by strangers for Books but had none of them The Stationer also sending me word that he desired to reprint it and that I would make some addition to it if I thought meet These importunities were as the voice of the Lord to me and being then preaching upon the subjects I have here added which were but as an enlargement to the other in the former part but carryed further in the opening the New-Creature It came upon my heart that I could not give out as I humbly apprehended what might be more generally useful in these dayes for the Country-people among whom chiefly my poor labours are laid out wherein they may as in a glasse particularly and plainly see if God open their eyes the woful mistakes and heart-delusions in the great business of Heaven the most it may well be feared lye under fit to be mourned over with tears of blood had we Preachers hearts to do it 2. Add to this the infinite obligation that lies upon me I must say above any soul upon the face of the earth from my dear Lord Jesus to do for him with all my might to leave no way unattempted wherein I might witness to his blessed Name and the wayes of his Grace and help-on poor sinners to him who have had my hands so deep in the blood of my Lord over whom I would mourn and in the blood of the souls of sinners when I helpt on to my everlasting abasement be it spoken and the magnifying of grace their hardening in sin and condemnation in the daies of my high rebellion against the long-suffering of my God 3. I have many dear Relations and Kindred with others to whom I am known specially in this County of Glocester where I have found mercy in my labours and an effectual door opened with other my Fellow-labourers in Christ in whose hearts I have room which I would wonder at and something this way from my self would be acceptable happily rather then that which is more worthy from a stranger which considerations do much secure me against censure Upon which account I give it up to the Lord in the simplicity of my soul and beg a gracious blessing upon it to every soul into whose hands it may come Specially My friends after the flesh to whom I have not frequent opportunity to speak otherwise whose souls are upon my heart to mourn for I beseech you and charge you in the bowels of Christ Jesus that you will never rest in your spirits till through infinite mercy and blessing upon your diligence you shall find what is here written to be your own gracious experience upon your souls Oh! do not dare to rest in a general notion of mercy in a blind hope-well a sober and righteous through reformed conversation or in a mere taking up to a better obedience no nor in mere notions of free-grace and of Jesus Christ but get as convinced of sin so emptyed of your selves and all your own righteousness to come as nothing else but sinners to Jesus Christ for all to be justified in his righteousness and rooted into him and so become New Creatures in him and in him have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Which things are the main scope of this Piece directed chiefly to you The same things I would say to you who were the hearers of these discourses as preach'd unto you Such of you who yet stand off from the fellowship of the Gospel Oh! may this word take you in a serious reading whom it hath not in the preaching of it Baffle not Oh do not with your own Convictions Consciences any longer Oh! may you yet break off from your snares lying-hopes offences self-righteousnesses heartless formalities and wait for the Spirit of the Lord Jesus in the ministration of the Gospel yet the hand of the Lord is stretched forth unto you Oh! be not any longer a disobedient and a gain-saying people God and Angels and your own Consciences will witnesse how oft the Lord Jesus Christ hath called by me and you have not answered To you who have before the Lord and one another professed obedience to the call of Christ and subjection to his Gospel I will say no more but this that I hope you never expect to look the Lord Jesus in the face at the day of his appearing but as you are justified only in his righteousness rooted in him and are new Creatures in him That I may be your rejoycing and you mine in that day Study exactly the evidences of the New-Creature and through grace walk after them which I would also presse upon such of the Professors of godliness who may peruse this plain Piece specially the Churches of Christ I have special Communion with in these parts Let not young Converts rest only in having lively affections but get distinctly bottom'd upon the saving mystery of the Gospel
through Jesus Christ grounded rooted establish'd upon and in a Scripture-Christ as the truth is in Iesus and abandon any other spirit but a Scripture-Spirit which blessed be rich grace hath hitherto kept you and led you in the way of life and peace Now the Lord of Peace himself give you peace alwayes by all means The Lord be with you all 1 Thes 5.16 Reader who ever thou art if thou art by grace helpt-on to Jesus Christ by what is here presented to thee or in the walk of the New Creature in Christ Give the Lord the glory and pray that he may do so also even in every thing who would gladly approve himself The servant of Christ and of all his A. P. Bourton on the Water 23 of the first Month 1657. THE GOSPEL New-Creature THE FIRST TREATISE Discovering The weight of the Pardon of Sin the Spirits Conviction of Sin and the Souls emptying and reducing into nothing in its self PSAL. 25.11 For thy Names sake O Lord pardon mine iniquity for it is great IN this Psalm you have David's sins laid-in with weight upon his Conscience and in the deep sense of their guilt pleading with God about mercy and pardon The sense of that one great sin in the matter of Uriah meant specially in the Text brought-in the sense of other sins of his youth upon him as is usually Gods way in humbling a sinner and at ver 7. you have him at the feet of God begging as for his life as to the remission of them all Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions According to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness O Lord And here at the Text for thy Names sake O Lord c. That which I design to lay before you from the words is to open to you and presse upon you the weight and blessedness of a pardoned condition that you may be awakened to it while the day of mercy lasts and may indeed be in very good earnest about it till through infinite grace you may obtain it and live and dye in the sweet and blessed peace comfort of it through our Lord Jesus Christ That which I intend to give out from hence through the Spirit of grace assisting is but as praevious and preparatory to the opening of a justified estate and the New Creature in Christ That if God will your consciences may be brought to a thorough awakening a spiritual sight and conviction of sin and a self-emptyness which is the good and safe way of a Soul to Jesus Christ which from this Scripture take in these plain Observations Obs 1. That great and weighty concernment that should most of all take up the thoughts of the hearts of poor sinners is that their sins may be pardoned 2. Such who come to God by Jesus Christ to have their sins pardoned they look upon them as great sins for it is Great 3. The great reason of Gods pardoning a sinner and the Plea that a poor sinner hath with God is that God will pardon for his own Names sake 1. To begin with the first proposition viz. That great and weighty thing that should most of all take up the thoughts of the hearts of all the Children of men is that their sins may be pardoned This may be evinced from the frame of blessed David's spirit and other the pardoned ones of the Lord up and down the holy Scriptures exercised with such a violence and importunity with the Lord in this matter of the Pardon of their sins as if they had no other thing besides what conduced thereunto to beg of God in the world and all that God gave them in the world as indeed it is not were nothing without it therefore you have them thus wrastling with God about it According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions Psal 51.1 If there be any mercy in heaven let a poor guilty soul have a drop of it yea David layeth a kind of violence upon God Psal 65.2 As for our transgressions thou shalt purge them away thou shalt do it I cannot must not will not be denyed this thou shalt do it for me So Moses interceding for the people Exod. 39.9 If I have found grace in thy sight Oh Lord let my Lord I pray thee go amongst us for it is a stifnecked people and pardon our iniquity and our sin and take us for thine inheritance with what vehemency of heart doth Moses cry if I have any favour with thee let it be layd out this way Oh Lord let my Lord c. Otherwhiles when the blessed sense of a pardoned condition is upon their hearts Blessed is he whose transgressions is forgiven Blessed man or woman as ever he was born Blessed He and onely blessed and fully blessed and for ever Blessed whose sins are pardoned And then admiring the blessed God in such riches of grace as to pardon sinners Who is like to thee a God pardoning iniquity Micah 7.18 Thou art a God ready to pardon gracious and merciful c. Neh. 9.17 Psal 103.1.2 3 10. Blesse the Lord oh my soul and all that is within me blesse his holy name why what had the Lord done see verse 3. Oh who forgiveth all thine iniquities who forgiveth and forgiveth All great sins as well as lesse sins of nature as well as life sins before conversion and sins since conversion sins of knowledge as well as of ignorance for David was under all these yet All All All forgiven and that freely too onely because the Lord is gracious verse 8. and so forgiven them as never to come before him any more As far as the East is from the West so far hath he removed our transgressions from us verse 12. I shall hint some Reasons of the Truth why it is that the pardon of sins doth or should so greatly take up the hearts of sinfull creatures Reasons 1. The pardon of sin should thus greatly take up the hearts of all that indeed expect pardon because t was the greatest thing if I may so speak that ever took up Gods heart how a sinner might be pardoned He laid forth more of his wisdome and goodnesse about it then in the making of the Heavens and the Earth The framing of the New Covenant the giving out of his eternall Son Jesus Christ God manifested in his flesh such a glorious way of reconciling justice and mercy through the death of Christ the choicest piece of divine wisdom that ever was brought forth they were all conversant about and their proper tendency was about this great and weighty concernment how and that a sinner might be pardoned when Moses had that blessed enterview and parley with the Lord Exod. 33. 34. and Moses getting nearer and nearer to God who was glimpsing out a ray of glory upon him breakes out Shew me thy glory I will saith God I will shew thee what way of glory I most design to my self among the Sons of men I
great Judgment it will not be so No nothing but upbraidings of Devils for neglecting Gospel-grace and refusing the termes of pardon and for grosse security This will be the portion of every unpardoned sinner that neglects the day of his salvation Therefore the pardon of sins requires the deepest thoughts of heart and can never be made too sure to a poor sinfull Creature Use 1. If the pardon of sin be of so great and infinite weight how doth this meet with the wretched deplorable carelesnesse of a world of souls in this day that think of nothing lesse then whether their sins are pardoned that will hear of nothing that may call this great matter into question or way awaken them to it Oh how many poor souls I fear too many of you though so often and earnestly prest to it that were never before the Lord mourning after the pardon of your sins What a leight matter would it be to be pardoned if there should be no more in it not care about it then most sinners that call themselves Christians make about it Ah sinners why do you make no more ado no more matter of it why so sensless of that which is alone worthy all the thoughts of thy heart if thou shouldst live a million of years to dispatch this one thing to get thy sins all pardoned You that are Elderly people have a large reckoning specially upon your account of sinning against Gospell-light and grace make haste what you do do quickly lay hold on eternall life the sun is ready to let upon you and wo with you as ever you were men and women if you fail of a good and sure dispatch of this one corcernable thing your sins being pardoned And you that are younger take heed lest the day of grace set upon you and you be given up to your own hearts lusts and no word that is spoken from God or man shall ever reach you Oh tremble at tryfling with convictions and light but begin to honour the Lord Jesus and bow unto him and wait for the promised effusion of his spirit and the joy of the Lord shall be the joy of your youth and the love of the Lord will be very sweet and precious to you 2d Exhort Oh then let every soul of us be deeply affected with this weighty matter let your souls say within you Oh the dreadfulnesse of an unpardoned condition what tongue can expresse it to have all my store little or much house corn cattle all under a curse and enjoy it as a curse and onely to further my eternall damnation to be hated of the great God and not loved to be under all the condemnation of the Law where ever I read of wrath and wo it belongs to me to have not one of my prayers or any thing else accepted of the Lord to be in a condition of expecting nothing from Jesus Christ at his coming but go ye cursed when I shall see so many blessed souls that took paines for Heaven enter into the Kingdome and my self shut out Wo is me if I speak peace to my soul in such an estate one moment more Awake my soul Awake Away in to the blessed God for mercy pardon grace Christ his blood spirit holinesse eternall life I will go the Lord helping me and cry in the bitternesse of my soul for them all and if 't were possible to weary the Lord with the cryes of my poor soul I will do it till he have mercy upon me and bid me go in peace The gracious God shall as hardly deny me as ever he did any poor sinner that lay bleeding at his feet for mercy and grace from heaven to heale a poor condemned soul Oh what have I been doing in the world all this while get a little something and my sins unpardoned in daily danger of dying in them and so be lost without all remedy for ever Oh! such will be the great thoughts of heart about the pardon of sins when the Lord shall speak to a poor sinner and the Conscience shall be thoroughly awake about it Oh! let me yet in the name of the Lord argue out this matter with thee Be serious for once and ponder it in thy heart what is health or wealth what is it to have something about thee in the world lay up yearly thou go deeper in debt with the just God every day What if all the world be at Peace with thee and God thy enemy and hate thee as thou hast been shewed What if all the world say of thee Blessed if God and his holy Word of truth pronounce thee Cursed because thy sins lye upon thy soul and the Spirit of grace is not upon thee Ah! poor Creature Do not do not let thy sins lye upon thy precious soul any longer do not be contented to be a child of Gods wrath any longer Oh! do not thou poor carelesse soul if there be a spark of pity in thee Do not as the Devil flatters rest in this and say I hope better and I hope 't is better with me and I hope I am or shall be pardoned and so fall asleep till thou drop into hell You that think it an easie common matter to be pardoned know not what it is you have yet no part in this blessednesse Saith a poor convinced soul 1. 'T is a great matter that any sinner in the world is pardoned much more such a one as I if ever I attain to it 2. Souls that get pardon do make it their greatest care to be assured of it they do not leave the matter at sixes and sevens and put it off with bidding the heart hope well but they labour after a Gospel assurance of it 3. Such souls will labour to see that nothing be wanting that must accompany pardon of sin and a state of salvation Heb. 6.9 4. They try all their pretences to pardon and grace over and over and will take nothing upon trust from their hearts or the Devils flatteries or the flatteries of carnal Ministers but search and prove and lay their hearts under the Word and Spirit till it be sealed by the Holy Ghost and that they are wrought of God for this self same thing and that he hath given them the Earnest of the Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 Well therefore say in thy heart in good earnest Oh! it hath not been so with me I have been carelesse I thought well of my self I nere questioned this weighty matter to purpose Oh! the Lord give me grace to take pains in the use of means to be violent for Heaven Oh! I will not rest Oh! let me not till I am assured indeed that my my sins are done away and Christ is mine Go and say and do it and the God of all grace and might be with thee in it But yet further to presse the weight of this matter upon thy Conscience that thou mayest go off thoroughly convinced and resolved to pursue effectually the compassing of this so
great a blessing of getting thy soul in a pardoned estate Do but weigh with me the matchless blessedness of such a condition and me-thinks thy heart should not but be taken with it 1. Consider Pardoned souls become the dear Children of God see Eph. 1.5 c. Having predestinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jesus Christ unto himself according to the good pleasure of his Will to the praise of the glory of his grace wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved in whom we have Redemption through his blood the forgivenesse of sins c. The glorious grace of Adoption comes in upon the forgivenesse of sins therefore Chap. 5.1 the Apostle further hints this so blessed a priviledge Be ye followers of God as dear Children and Gal. 4.5 the Apostle gives it out as the great and blessed fruit of Redemption that we might receive the Adoption of Sons Oh! to be translated from being amongst the children of wrath to be numbred among the dear Children of God to come under the protection care tender love of God as a Father What soul would not be restlesse till he attain unto it 2. Pardoned souls have access to God Eph. 2.18.3.12 In whom we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him Heb. 4.16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need This is the blessedness of pardoned souls they have free accesse to God as a Child to a Father to speak and plead to the Lord As soon as ever they come before the Lord they are admitted into his presence and God's eye and ear is towards them and they must have their errand either in kind or as good or a better thing given to them This is another inestimable good of blessed pardoned souls 3. As they are Gods dear Children and have free access to him so when once he hath freely and fully pardoned them he loves them with an infinite unmixt unchangeable Love Behold what manner of love is this c. 1 John 3.1 The Lord can as freely let out love full love to his pardoned ones as if they had never sinned because he never looks upon them out of Christ when God takes a poor sinner to himself he doth not barely and meerly pardon him and save him from wrath and no more as earthly Princes pardon many whom they love not but God sets his Love upon them and it can never enter into his heart to hate them He that loveth me saith Christ shall be loved of my Father Joh. 14.21 And if God afflict them 't is to make them better more like unto himself to bestow more grace upon them Heb. 12.10 and Gods Love to his blessed children is like himself Infinite unmixt everlasting This is another infinite blessing of pardoned souls to be thus loved by their God 4. Pardoned souls are brought into a justified state from which they shall never fall Thus runs the tenour of the New Covenant the bottome of all this blessedness I will remember their sins no more Heb. 8.12 No more Words of a sweet and blessed sound to whom they are spoken by the Holy Ghost that when poor souls that have come to Jesus Christ in a Gospel way for pardon and have pleaded and taken hold of promises of grace for that end and yet sometimes unbelief is stirring Oh! will not God one time or other call back to remembrance all my former iniquities and charge them upon me No saith the Lord it shall never enter into my heart I will remember them No More Blessed words and blest condition indeed Ah! who would be without it 5. Pardoned souls shall be kept in the hand of the Lord in all their wayes 1 Pet. 1.5 His Love Fear Lawes Power Spirit shall be in their hearts that they shall not fall from him Jer. 32.40 And I will make an everlasting Covenant with them that I will not turn away from them to do them good but I will put my fear in their hearts that they shall not depart from me He preserveth the souls of his Saints He keepeth the feet of his Saints Psal 97.10 1 Sam. 2.9 yea he will keep them from evil and nothing shall befall them but for their good Rom. 8.28 And if they fall the Lord humbles them heals them takes them up again puts new strength into them and his kindness must not depart from them 6. Pardoned souls are Gods Heirs Gal. 4.7 Rom. 8.15 c. Heirs of God through Christ and joynt-heirs with Christ Heirs of all his Promises of an incorruptible inheritance that never fadeth away reserved in Heaven for them 1 Pet. 1.9 Though the Lord give them no inheritance of earthly possessions yet they are his special Heirs of the heavenly inheritance Not the poorest believer in the world but may say with a heart full of blessed and humble rejoycing Though I am worthless in my self and am so accounted in the world yet through infinite grace I am one of the richest Heirs in the world a Co-heir with Christ of an exceeding eternal weight of glory Use 1. If such and more then is or can be named be the blessedness of pardoned souls Ah! what poor secure sinner that must also be everlastingly damned without it would miss of it Say sinner instead of being cursed hated damned and that for ever for ever for as is mercy and love to pardoned ones so is wrath to such as miss of it for ever I say instead of that which any heart but what is plagued with hardness would melt and tremble at to become a dear child of God and have free access to God be loved of God for ever justified no sin for ever remembred against thee every thing befall thee for good and be an Heir of God and be even as blessed as God can make thee and that for ever Ah! where 's the sinner that would be without this Who would sleight that word of the Lord that would teach you and lead you to this blessedness Who would despise or neglect the day of grace now while within the reach of it Who would run a dreadful hazzard of being given up of God if you thus trifle with a Gospel of salvation Ah! the good Lord pity you that do thus you are fit to be mourned over had we hearts to do it with tears of blood Yet once more Awake awake you careless ones before bodies drop into the grave and souls into hell Oh! do not do not take pleasure in soul-murder do not put off the one only main necessary work and leave it undone till it may be impossible to have it done Tell me in good earnest Canst thou well be without the pardon of thy sins here and for ever Soul thou mayst well enough be without much Land and much mony and many great friends and yet be well exceeding well contented nay better if thou hast Christ and grace then
with them But say canst thou canst thou well be without the pardon of thy sins Canst thou well live and dye hated by the great and righteous God Canst thou well be where the fire is never quenched and the worm never dyes Say canst thou well miss the presence of the ever blessed God to all eternity Are damned screeking Spirits good company for ever and ever Away away sinner to the blessed God betake thy self put it not off an hour longer to crying repenting mourning to God for free pardon for Christ for the Spirit and look up to the Lord to give thee a heart to do it wait humbly and carefully on the Gospel of grace preached and yet though thou hast hitherto been idle thou mayest attain to this blessedness as well as the blessedst Saint in the world if thou wilt be serious diligent earnest as so weighty a matter requires about it The good Lord give thee a heart to do it 2 Do not rest in false evidences false hopes of pardon Many sinners might seem to have got pardon and gone well to Heaven if they had not vainly and foolishly hoped so Oh rest in nothing and never rest without it as I have pressed thee in love till thou canst say from a well grounded Gospel-evidence wrought forth with fear and trembling Now I have the blessedness that accompanies pardoned souls Now oh now rejoyce with me blessed souls I am I am a child of God I have access to the blessed God and my soul pleads with him every day Ah now God my God doth love me Now I am justified in a state of justification from which my God will never let me fall Ah my sins though great shall be remembred no more no more I shall be kept safely kept in all my waies If I fall the Lord will take me up and I shall not utterly fall however it is or may be with me as to the world and the things of it I am rich though poor worthless nothing in my self with all the riches unsearchable riches of my Christ I am an Heir of God I need nothing Oh the sweetness peace joy contentment Heaven of such a blest for ever blest condition Now tell me sinner and let it stick with thee till thou art got well to Heaven is not is not the pardon of thy sins the work of the greatest weight before thee on this side the grave which is that I first promised thee to prove to thy Conscience from the first Observation 3. I might from hence insist to stir up poor souls who have been awake for Heaven and have been and are crying and waiting for the pardon of your sins to be in this matter with all your might because you see 't is wonderfully weighty and concernable to you beyond all imaginations get your doubts and fears and misgivings of heart well removed see from whence your doubts do arise and follow them home to your hearts and then be with the Lord much and in his Word and Ordinances till the Lord make it clear day in thy soul and thou walk in a sweet spirit of Adoption before him 4. Let pardoned ones whom it hath cost much as to means to get it made good to you make much of your comfort and do not Triflle it nor sin it away and keep the sense of a pardoned condition warm and lively upon your spirits and then you will love the Lord much Luke 7.47 Lord thou hast forgiven much as much as to any Oh let me let me love love much very much Conviction of sin and self-emptiness THe second Consideration we observed from the words and proposed to be opened was this Obs 2. Such who come to God to have their sins pardoned they look upon them as great sins Pardon my iniquity for it is great c. The Original word as well signifies Many as Great my sins are great and many Many great sins lye upon me pardon Oh pardon them oh Lord c. Thus you have this blessed man David in several Psalms aggravating his sin Psa 38.4 Mine iniquities are gone over my head and are a burden too heavy for me to bear against thee only have I sinned Psa 51. So blessed Paul Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners whereof I am chief That sin by the Commandement might become exceeding sinful Rom. 7.13 So Peter at the first glimpse of Christ and a word from him falls upon his knees cryes out Depart from me for I am a sinful man c. Luke 5.8 So the Publican God be merciful to me a sinner a great vile sinner nothing else but a sinner So the Prodigal Father I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight c. Luke 18.13 ct 15.21 In the opening of this Point first I would shew Why such as come in a right way for pardon do look upon their sins as great sins 2. How they come to see them so 3. When a sinner may be said to have seen his sins so great as a pardoned soul should do First Sinners that come to God for pardon and find it do look upon their sins as great sins because against a great God great in power great in justice great in holiness I am a worm and yet sin and that boldly against a God so great for a worm to lift up himself against a great and infinite God Oh this makes every little sin great and calls for great vengeance from so great a God 2. Because they have sinned against great patience despising the goodness forbearance and long-suffering of God which is call'd treasuring up of wrath Rom. 2.4 5. Oh saith a poor abased sinner at Gods feet How have I wearied the patience of God I have not wearied thee saith God but thou hast been weary of me and hast made me to serve with thy sins and wearied me with thine iniquities Esay 43.23 24. Oh this is an humbling and heart-breaking word to a poor soul before the Lord this makes his sin appear great indeed I have wearied the blessed God with my sin and yet he calls upon me that he may pardon me ver 25. of the same Chapter This greatens sin to purpose to a poor soul that hath abused much patience 3. Sins do appear great because against great mercies Oh against how many mercies and kindnesses do sinners sin against and turn all the mercies of God into sin Oh saith a poor soul drawing near to God I turned all the mercies of the Lord against him took his mercies and fought against him with them and served the Devil and my lusts with them If God will come and account with me for them how shall I answer him 4. That which greatens sin in the eyes of poor sinners that cry for pardon is that they have sinned against great light light in the Conscience this heightens sin exceedingly specially to such as are under Gospel-means and is indeed the sin of all in this Nation there 's nothing more abaseth
a soul then this nothing makes it more difficult to believe pardon when humbled for it therefore 't is that many poor souls fear they have sin'd the unpardonable sin against the Holy Ghost because they have sinned against knowledge and light which though while they are humbled before the Lord it cannot be that they have so sinned unpardonably yet in as much as 't is the sin that borders next upon the sin against the Holy Ghost it much greatens sin to a poor soul under the sense of it Such a sinner is said to reproach the Lord Numb 15.30 31. Therefore to him that knoweth to do good and doth it not to him it is sin James 4. last To him it is sin that is great sin of which God will take the severest account Therefore such as have the profession of Christianity and the knowledge of the Word in some measure and yet go on unpenitently in sin they are the greatest sinners in the world will have the greatest damnation And this circumstance in sin makes or should do so such souls that never lived in notorious sins be under deep abasement because though their sins were not so gross as many others yet they were against great light and knowledge which makes every little sin continued in great in the account of God and great in the account of the sinner when he comes before the Lord in the sense of it Oh I pleased my self in sins that I knew to be sins and was convinced by the word of God of them yet I went on and loved them 5. Continuance in sin much greatens sin to a poor soul that is after pardon specially such as are not very early converted God will wound the hairy scalp of such a one that goeth on still in his trespasses Psal 68.21 Oh I added sin unto sin saith a poor soul spending the choise time of my youth in sin when I might have been getting the knowledge of Jesus Christ and honouring of God This lay close upon David's spirit as appears in this 25th Psa 7. Oh remember not the sins of my youth c. Yet we do not find that Davids youth was notoriously sinful but in as much as he spent not his youth to get knowledge and to serve the Lord fully 't was his burden and complaint before the Lord much more such whose youth was spent in nothing but vanity prophaness lying swearing prophaning of the Sabbath sports pastimes excess of riot and the like when God layes it in upon their consciences must be grievous and abominable to their souls 6. Multitudes of sins do make sin appear great this made David cry out for multitude of mercies Psa 51. and Psa 40.12 Innumerable evils have compassed me about mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more then the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me One sin but a sinfull thought is worthy of a thousand hells much more multiplyed numberless infinite sins in thought words walkings calling worship in all I have done I did nothing else but sin therefore the least sinner in the world is a great sinner when God lays his account before him 7. Another thing that greatens sin is that it was against purposes and resolutions of forsaking such and such sins and yet all broken sometimes against solemn vowes against prayers this consideration upon many a poor soul sticks hard and layes low and makes his sin grievous indeed that against purposes vowes prayers he should return to his sin this makes him cry out Oh my sin is great great indeed Doth will the Lord pardon such a wretch c. 8. Sin appears great when seen by a poor soul because it was reigning sin Rom. 5. 6. Sin reigned to death c. Oh saith a poor humbled sinner I did not only commit sin but I was the servant and slave of sin I obey'd sin as a lord and that willingly I obey'd it in the lusts thereof where God Christ his Spirit Word Law should have dwelt and reigned there sin and lusts bore sway and had the command of my soul A little sin when a reigning sin is a great sin All that sin can do is but to rule the sinner and so it doth the least sinner that is under it though it break not forth into grosse notorious actings against the Lord and this doth much greaten it 9. Sin in the fountain makes it great As it may be said there is more water in the fountain then in the pools and streams it makes because there is a continual issuing and flowing out of it which is able to make far greater streams so sin in the nature in the heart is there as in the fountain and therefore 't is more there than in the breakings forth of it in the outward man so that though a sinner in his youth hath been restrained from many great sins yet in as much as sin in the fountain was as full as in any sinner in the world though restrained pent in which the sinner was not beholding to his own heart for it renders him a great sinner before the Lord when savingly enlightned The want of this consideration makes outwardly righteous persons not look upon themselves as great sinners they see and feel not sin infinite in the fountain of it which mostly greatens it above all the actings of it in life 10. A sinner drawing nigh to God for pardon sees his sin as great because thereby he was led captive by the Devil at his will He that committeth sin is of the Devil 1 John 3.8 comitteth sin so as in a state of sin under the power of sin and not born of God why such a one is of the Devil under the power of the Devil of the Devil and not of God and this because of sin which gives this dominion to the Devil Oh saith a poor Creature I that was the creature of God and should have lived to him lived to the Devil and the service of him and took part with him against Christ his Word his Saints and was an enemy to them this greatens my sin before the Lord. 11. Sin appears great because great is the wrath of God against sin sinners are said to heap up wrath Rom. 2. and they are called the Children of wrath God to manifest his displeasure against sin is fain to powre out everlasting wrath upon an unpardoned sinner to leave the sinner under endless torment of soul and body God hates nothing but sin and for sin and so hates it that infinite endless wrath must be the vengeance of it Oh when God gives a sinner a glimpse of this Oh the greatness of every little sin to deserve such wrath How shall I flee from and escape the wrath to come who can stand before such wrath who can bear it 12. The way of any sinner's deliverance from such wrath shews sin to be exceeding great in the price and ransome
that is paid for the salvation of him from his sins the price of the blood of the eternal son of God How great was sin how sinful and damnable the nature of it in the eye of the righteous God when justice could not be satisfied but by such a way Oh saith a poor soul that comes for pardon what a damnable thing is sin which was once nothing to me that redemption from it is at such a rate God had no greater a price to give then what he layd down to save a wretched sinner from his sin Oh 't was great sin that must crucifie the Lord of life and glory therefore doth my soul hate it 13. Lastly This consideration also greatens sin in as much as a poor creature hath drawn and tempted others to sin with him specially such as have lived more vainly loosly it lies hard upon many a poor soul after thorough conviction Oh how many have I drawn to sin not only by my example but encouragement and perswasion that may be now in hell for such sins or are under a state of impenitency and hardned by me Oh this is an abasing consideration to a poor convinced humbled sinner when God smites his heart with it Use 1. Before we go further let us labour to apply this to the consciences of all I have shewed you the matter we are upon is the weightiest that ever took up Gods heart the pardoning of a sinner and therefore how should it swallow up the hearts of poor undone souls that are so infinitely concern'd in it I beseech you therefore lay to your hearts what hath been spoken as to the greatness of sin And consider If souls that come to God by Christ for pardon see their sins as great sins and 't is their great trouble that they cannot see them greater First then This may serve to take off that woful deceit of heart and delusion of the Devil of poor careless souls that dream of pardon and yet never in any measure thus saw their sins as great This shews the heart was never touched of God never smitten for sin as yet This is the way indeed of unpardoned sinners they are lessening their sins to God and themselves finding out circumstances to lessen them of others tempting them and the Devil and the like and many or most of men or women allow themselves in the same or they were overtaken or the like they think they can easily pacifie God again and that God makes not so great a matter of it thus a deceitful heart and a cheating Devil juggle together and sooth Conscience in a damnable peace And such souls call their great reigning sins their infirmity and God will not be so exact as some of the Preachers make him here 's a sinner riverted in a cursed estate But now take a soul whom God as I shall shew hath made sensible of sin and the weight of pardon and comes to the feet of the Lord for it 't is quite otherwise Oh my sins wretch that I was and am were little sins to me before but now they are great sins I called it my infirmity to lye swear profane the Sabboth allow my self in any excess but now I see 't was reigning sin soul-damning sin great oh great sin Oh that I am out of hell Oh the patience of God! Is there mercy for such a wretch What a wonder will it be if I get to Heaven How great will that mercy be that pardons me 2. Therefore in the second place examine how it is with you and whether you have had some such workings of heart Have you been before the Lord in David's posture Oh mine iniquity is great Oh I have sinned against a great God wearied great patience turned great mercies into sin Oh I have sinned against great light How shall I be pardoned Sins continued in and multiplyed from my youth up and these against serious purposes under the reign of it there 's an infinite fountain of all evil within me If I have been any way restrained no thanks to my own heart for it Oh saith a poor soul I was led by the Devil befool'd by the Devil served the Devil against God And now what can I challenge at the hands of God What belongs to me but wrath great wrath everlasting wrath infinite wrath If one sin deserves a thousand hells what do innumerable transgressions do If mercy be not infinite how shall I look up to God or how shall God look down upon me Oh I say let your Conscience answer hath it been thus in some good and real measure though not so deep as your soul desires I know there are degrees and I also know till God come to let out Himself in such a way as this that sin is ☞ great and greater in mine eye then ever we make but slight work of it in out spirits want of this makes many in these dayes run away with pleasant notions of Grace Christ Light though blessed be the Lord for ever for the more glorious Revelation of all these but I speak of abuses but sin was never great by the appearance of God and so they wanton with such notions which at last weare off and so they come to nothing but a reproach to the Gospel 3. In the third place therefore let it serve to exhort sinners to look back upon your lives even from your youth up you may find one more of the discoveries mentioned of the greatnesse of sin that you will fall under specially such as have bin given to the profanesse and vanities of the age you live in lying swearing profaning of the Sabbath to riot ungodly pastimes and sports reviling the godly or other more secret wickednesses and pollutions any of which may be speak thee in a state of sin and wrath joyned with thy living in the neglect of known duties upon which neglect God hath pronounced a curse as the neglect of secret or Family-prayer Jer. 10. ult Or if thou hast not been engaged in grosse sins but hast bin sober and well carriaged from thy youth up yet thou mayst be still in a state of sin but go a little more soberly to hell and in more danger of being damned in thy civill sober carriage then great sinners with which thou art apt to compare thy self and seeing thy self not so bad as them thinkest all is well But remember well what hath bin proved that sin is greater in the Fountain then the streames though it make a greater noise or shew to others in the streame of ones life thou hast a Hell in thy nature an infinite fountaine of any wickednesse that ever any of the Sons or Daughters of men did commit An Idolater An Adulterer A Murderer A Sodomite A devil in thy heart and whole frame thy nature In a word one sin which thou callst little reigning but in thy heart and cherished there is enough to send thee to hell as if thou wert the veryest reprobate living
Remember the same Paul that thought himself a blamelesse man Philip. 3.6 afterwards cryes out of exceeding sinfulnesse Rom. 7.13 yea the greatest the chief of sinners 1 Tim. 1.15 But I hope to meet with thee and with thy conscience as to this conviction more hereafter The next inquiry will be when a poor soul may be said to be under such a discovery of the greatnes of sin as may lead him to get pardon through Jesus Christ 1. One discovery I have named already which is such a soul doth not go about to lessen his sin but greaten it to his greater abasement t is his fear he doth not see his sin great enough to lay him low enough before the Lord. 2. When such a sight and discovery of sin it begets trouble upon the spirit In Psal 38. you have David under a great discovery of sin and he cryes out there is no rest in my bones because of my sin I am troubled I am bowed down I go mourning all the day such a trouble that will not admit of peace and healing but from Jesus Christ till it can take hold of Jesus Christ in a promise of grace and pardon and come to him and close with him to be justified and Sanctified by him and in him as I am at large to shew if God will I speak this because there is a trouble for sin that often ends in a more dangerous peace many poor creatures have for a time bin troubled for sin and they have made one shift or other to quiet themselves it may be leave their sins and do a little something more but never come in a Gospel way to Christ which I am also through grace to evidence in the discovery of a false conversion However so it is that every soul that is unbottomed from a false peace a peace in sin or his duties he comes under trouble more or lesse in and for his sin as he gets to pardon 3. God smites a soul for some speciall particular sin Jer. 3.13 Only acknowledge thine iniquity that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God and hast scattered thy wayes under every green tree c. Generall acknowledgment of sins comes to nothing 't is the the note of a Hypocrite but particular sins lying upon the soul speak forth spirituall convictions when joyned I mean with other workings of heart we are now setting forth 4. As God smites so the sinner is in particular confession before the Lord loads his heart with sin till it breaks Object But who will not confesse himself a sinner you will say Answ Truly few in a Scripture saving sense A word or two more to this That confession of sin before the Lord is a duty and such as hath the promise of forgivenesse of sin the issue of all we are driving at such places of Scripture will clear Psal 32. I acknowledged my sin unto thee and mine iniquity have I not hid I said I will confesse my transgressions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sinne Prov. 28.13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper but he that confesseth and forsaketh them shall find mercy If we confesse our sins he is faithfull and just to forgive us our sins 1 John 1.9 This being a duty to which so blessed promises are annexed 't is of much concernment to souls that are very serious about forgivenesse to have it stated aright according to Scripture and saving Experience There is a confession of sin that doth not entitle to the promise which a hypocrite may reach to so Pharaoh Exod. 9.27 I have sinned this time the Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked here 's confession but no pardon so Judas Math. 27.3 4. I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood so Saul 1 Sam. 15.29 I have sinned for I have transgressed the Commandement of the Lord Here are verball inforced confessions when the hand of God was upon them and yet did not end in mercy The confession of a Hypocrite proceeds only from judgment felt or feared but that which is sincere and ends in mercy pardon goes upon better grounds 1. As first Confession that hath the promise of pardon is accompanied with hatred of sin So in that blessed draught of the new Covenant Ezek. 36. I will save you from your uncleannesses c. verse 29. and verse 31. Then shall you remember your own evil wayes and your doings that were not good and shall loath your selves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations Then when God comes in a way of mercy and pardon then God will make them remember their wickednesses that they had even forgotten and had thought that God had forgotten them also they thought they were good ways before but now the Lord shews them they were not good and they loath themselves sin is not onely a terrour but a loathsome thing to them hateful to the soul that is under this conviction 2. Whence secondly Saving confession respects the pollution of sin They shall loath themselves c. That thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified towards thee In that 38. Psal David is in self-loathing this doth arise as presently I shall shew from a glimpse of Gods holiness which I humbly conceive ☞ No reprobate in the world doth reach to to loath sin because it makes him an unholy Creature 3. It followes therefore that such confession drives sin to the root to the fountain there sees it most abominable odious infinite So David Psal 51.5 I was shapen in iniquity c. A Hypocrites confession ends in outward grosse sins from terrour onely and reacheth not to heart-sin pollution of nature and if he can reach to reforme such outward grosse sins he hath done as he thinks the utmost but never comes to loath and so to mortifie through the spirit sin at the root but sincere souls touched by the holy Ghost with a saving sense of sin do drive sin home to its originall to its root in the universall corruption of heart and nature and there the severest edge and indignation against it is let forth 4. Brokeness of heart for sin is an effect of such confession Psal 51 17. Isa 61.1 57 15. And this ariseth upon sense of Gods patience goodness love As hatred of the pollution of sin ariseth from a sight of Gods holines Pharaoh cryes out he had sinned when he smarted with punishment but was still under the plague of his hard heart Exod. 9.27 34. There is indeed a kind of brokennesse that the hammerings of terrour by punishments or by the word may worke which may a little wear and rough-hew the heart and yet go no further but yet leave the heart under its naturall hardnesse but now that which is the spirits saving work kindly melts the heart makes it soft and so it can powre out it self to
and highest motive with God was and is his own Name his own glorious grace why he ever had a thought of good to an undone creature that there was no motive in the creature unless misery which is no glory but all is done given estated upon souls undone poor sinners freely for his own sake 3. Let it exhort souls to make use of this plea therefore and that with great though humble confidence It never failed poor souls since the world was that made use of it when they were low and helpless and eyed and pleaded mercy for mercies sake they had it and never went away but blessed Gospel-Justification The Second TREATISE WHEREIN The Souls emptying of all its own righteousness is further evinced and Gospel-justification stated how a poor sinner is made partaker of it and the evidences thereof laid down ROM 3.19 20. Now we know that what things soever the Law saith it saith to them who are under the Law that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God Therefore by the deeds of the Law shall no flesh be justified in his sight c. HAving spoken as the Lord hath helped me as to the weight of the pardon of sin and the praevious way to it I now come to open the compleating this mercy in a poor souls cōpleat justification before God So it hath pleased the Wisdom of God to order the way of his glorious mercy to poor sinners that shall be saved that he doth not only let forth free grace for the remission of their sins merely pardon them but hath so blessedly ordered the matter to bring them in a state of Righteousness a compleat perfect righteousness as Adam in his perfect estate was in not by making the sinner perfectly holy righteous in himself in his own nature but by giving out his eternal Son Jesus Christ to fulfil all righteousness in their stead by satisfying keeping the perfect Law of righteousness which is imputed to the Believer as if he had fulfilled it were wholly righteous in his own person In which lies the great mystery of the Gospel I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ saith Paul c. for therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith c. Rom. 1.16 namely that righteousness of Jesus Christ whereby God will justifie put in a state of righteousness made over to them by faith that shall be pardoned and saved To endeavour to evince and discover the necessity of such a justification and the nature of it and how a poor soul comes to be invested in it to have a right unto it is my design as the Lord shall graciously assist in this ensuing discourse Oh that I might do it in the simplicity of the Gospel plainly convincingly spiritually as I ought to speak In the prosecuting hereof I shall first shew that righteousness is not to be attained any other way not by the exactest keeping of the Law so as to commend us to God not by setting our selves to keep the Law of God as well as we can and so we hope God will accept of it which being naturally rooted in the hearts of all I find it the hardest piece of conviction and most hardly received of any other souls are a thousand times more easily beaten off grosse sins then beaten off the confidence of the good they think they do and so come as ☞ Nothing else but sinners to Jesus Christ want of this conviction makes all the Hypocrites in the world This is that part therefore I shall first begin with according to the Apostles method in this Epistle The Apostle layes down his doctrine which he was to prove in the 17. verse of the 1 Chapter The just shall live by faith to make way for which he first proves in the remaining part of the first Chap. that the Gentiles knowledge of God which they had by the things that are made The Creation of and Providence of God over the world left them in unrighteousnesse because they held the truth of the being of a God in unrighteousnesse even the wisest and learnedst of them such as professed themselves to be wise verse 22. and brake forth into Idolatry and all abominations for which cause God gave them up c. verse 26.28 At the 17th verse of the 2d Chap. The Apostle undertakes the Jew strikes off all his priviledges and at the 9th verse of the 3d. Chapter concludes both Jew and Gentile in the same condition as to the obteyning of such a righteousnesse by the Law that might commend either to God What then Are we who are Jews better then they who are Gentiles No in no wise for we have proved that Jews and Gentiles are all under sin As it is written there is none righteous no not one Which he further proves by severall Scriptures to the words of the text In which the Apostle prevents an objection namely that some might urge The Scriptures urged may concerne some few and grosly wicked persons and not all mankind in generall No such matter whatever the law saith it saith to them that are under the law which are all the Sons and daughters of Adam as in their naturall corrupt estate All under the law from whence the Apostle inserrs 1. That therefore every mouth is stopped 2. All the world is guilty before God 3. That no flesh within or without the Church can be justified by the Law From whence I draw these 4 plain observations to prove what is my main design viz. That no man can attain to such a measure of righteousnesse by all that ever he can do in his best keeping the Law as may commend him to God which 4 are these 1. Every son and daughter of Adam in their naturall estate are under the Law 2. That a transgressour of the Law hath nothing to boast in nor to excuse himself from his sin or the righteous judgment of God due unto him That every mouth may be stopped 3. Every soul in the world is under guilt and condemnation that all the world may be guilty before God 4. Every soul lies under an impossibility of reaching to such a Justification by the best keeping of the Law as for God thereby to accept of him I intend briefnesse in the opening of these and what plainesse also the Lord shall help me with This is a principle rooted in the hearts of all the Children of men That still there is a sufficiency in them to keep the law of God in such a measure as God will accept them for it This being heightned by the ignorance of times and darknesse of Gospell-light and of the New-Covenant of grace upon the spirits of this Generation they are most hardly beaten off it say poor souls If I keep Gods law as well as I can and worship God and do not harme my Neighbour God will accept me and pardon where I fail but to be convinced that all that
may and doth leave a sinner without all excuse for sinning against him this the Apostle argues as to this very purpose Rom. 1.20 For the invisible things of him from the Creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made even his eternall power and god-head so that they are without excuse c. The creatures could not say we will make our selves thus and thus and subsist in such an order and harmony therefore there was one first Infinite being who made all things and by the same power doth uphold them to which first Being all the creatures must owe their homage and conformity Now though such a glimmering of light can never suffice to lead a soul to the true worshipping of God as the Apostle there argues yet it leaves the creature without excuse which is that I am proving from it 6. All the Children of men do sin presumtuously willfully and obstinately against the Law of God mans sin being not so much from his weaknesse to obey the law though weak he is but from the rebellion of his will against God and his law As it is in the case of disobeying the call of the Gospel also Now whatsoever a man doth presumptuously willfully it leaves him without all excuse And this is it that is charged upon the Children of men by the holy Ghost in the word that their sin was obstinate rebellion against the great God From all these the truth of the assertion doth appear that every transgressour of the law is without all excuse before God 7. As the creature hath no excuse for his sin so it followes he hath no pretence against the righteous judgment of God we are sure the judgment of God is according to truth Rom. 2.2 and Chap. 3.4 That thou mayst be justified in thy sayings and clear when thou art judged that is what ever any sinner may dispute to the contrary God is righteous when he judgeth If the Law be just and holy and good once written in his heart and had a power to have kept it that God hath given out this law again to him the remnants of it in his heart so much to be known of God in the creatures and that he sins presumptuously and wilfully against God and so blessed a law made for his own good certainly must every sinner conclude The Lord is righteous when he judgeth and every mouth must be stopped Use 1. If it be so that no sinner in the world hath any justifiable excuse for his sin then let this truth come in into your consciences and strike off all vain pretences and wretched excuses when you have sinned against the Lord which usually are such as these when sinners break forth into this or that rebellious way they cry Oh t is my nature my naturall disposition and then they think that excuseth or allayeth the matter whereas it aggravates for we ourselves corrupted our natures Saith another I have bin so accustomed to such a way to drink to excesse sometimes to swear to use the Lords name vainly and as a by-word whereas the custome of sinning is the greatest and most grievious aggravation of it Saith another 't is my company that drawes me or the example of others or 't is my temptation when they are under the Spirit that worketh in the Children of disobedience Or that they do keep the law as well as they can and think this will excuse whereas nothing no plea that ever a sinfull deceitfull heart put up or that the Devil suggests can before God excuse any sinner in the world rich or poor knowing or ignorant from the exact and perfect keeping of the law if they are yet under the law but upon one transgression of it the law doth most justly condemn and curse them Nothing is more naturall to fallen man under sin then when having sinned to devise an excuse and thinks and surmiseth that because such an excuse will be taken by his own blinded conscience therefore God will also accept of it so flatters himself in his own eyes till his iniquity be found to be hatefull Psal 36.2 Thus Adam as assoon as he had sin'd he thought how to excuse the matter puts it off to the woman and the woman to the devil which trade sinners have well learnt and have driven it on ever since to their own damnation Observe this If every sinner yet under the law and the power of sinne had not some vain pretence and excuse to ensilence conscience and foolishly thinks to insinuate unto God he or she must needs fall down before the Lord see all their pretences and coverts to be damnable flatteryes and soul-cheatings and so Judge themselves and pronounce God most righteous if he damn them for ever Oh therefore sinners Away with all your pretences no more excusing but judging and go to the great God and fall down at his feet crying out oh I am a transgressour the law condemns me no excuse will be taken my mouth is now stopped what ever God do with me he is most holy and righteous If I were going to Hell I must justifie God and cannot say unto him why doest thou thus Thus t is with a poor soul when the Lord by his word and spirit opens sin reveales the law layes it in upon the conscience discovers the holinesse and exactnesse of his justice that the law shewes no mercy but cryes out for fulfilling or pronounceth absolute condemnation then I say a sinner cryes out Oh I am cast by the Law I am gone by the Law All my pleas are found too light All my endeavour to keep it is worth nothing if guilty in the least while I am under the law I must find out a righteousnesse else where another way or condemnation just condemnation is my portion for ever Here 's the first stroke of a convinced sinner when God is outing him from himself and all his coverts or excuses and brings him naked to put on the righteousnesse of his Son Jesus Christ freely held out in the gospel which is the work in hand 2. If no excuse can be heard or taken for the transgression of the law for but one breach of it but every mouth is stopped how much lesse will any excuse be taken for withstanding the gospell of grace by Jesus Christ saith our blessed Lord. If I had not come and spoken unto them they had not had sin that is not so great sinne and condemnation but now they have no cloak nor excuse for their sinne If a righteous law leave all the world without excuse much more a gospel that offers free grace and pardon and righteousnesse by Jesus Christ to any sinner condemn'd by the law that will come in as so condemn'd and accept of the free gift of righteousnesse by him But that I may yet a little further labour to bring in the sense of guilt upon the soul I shall prove every soul guilty before God of the
dead in sins hath quickned us together with Christ for by grace ye are saved so ver 7. That in the Ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace and ver 8. For by grace ye are saved it is the gift of God Therefore the invitation of the Gospel to sinners runs upon this score Ho Every one that thirsteth come to the Waters of Life Isa 55.1 And Whosoever will let him come to the Water of Life freely Revel 22.17 I might illustrate this in all the particulars of a sinners salvation God's fore-ordaining and choosing any to salvation 't was to the praise of the glory of his grace Eph. 1.5 6. The gift of his Eternal Son Jesus Christ from free love and grace John 3.16 The New Covenant and all the Promises of it freely given out for his own Names sake Ezek. 36. Effectuall Calling from free grace 2 Tim. 1.9 The gift of Faith actual Justification Tit. 3.7 Sanctification Perseverance Eternal Life and Glory all flowing from the same Fountain of Free-grace Some Reasons of the Design of the Blessed God in this may be gathered from the Scriptures The Free-grace of God is the Fountain of all in any sinners salvation 1. Because There is nothing in the Creature that may move God to save him Nothing at all All we know or do could not move God to mercy Deut. 7.7 8. The Lord did not set his love upon you because you were more in number then any people but because he freely loved you c. Not for your sake do I do this c. Ezek. 36.32 2. As God saw nothing in him so the sinner is able to bring nothing to God to draw out mercy of his own Therefore saith the Lord Isa 55.1 let him come without his price As the sinner lost all his good so he can procure none a new to bring to God that may in the least move the heart of God to give out more to him 3. If it were not all of grace then the Creature would have occasion of boasting but the Lord in infinite wisdome so laid the Project of a sinners Salvation that no Creature should have the least ground of boasting So the Apostle having given out the Doctrine of grace in this Scripture we are upon draws this conclusion ver 27. Where is boasting then It is excluded c. So in the 1 of Cor. 1.29 the Holy Ghost lays down this as the main scope of God in the Gospel That No Flesh should glory in his presence Therefore Salvation is all of grace of Free-grace 4. If it were not so The glory of God would not be so great in the Salvation of a sinner 'T is now so laid that all might be to the praise of the glory of his grace Ephes 1.6 It being the highest piece of glory that the Wise and Blessed God did ever design unto himself that his free rich abundant infinite grace might be made known in the Salvation of a Sinner That he might make known the riches of his glory on the Vessels of Mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory Rom. 9.23 Vse 1. If Gods Free-grace be the Fountain of all in a poor sinners Salvation then let it establish our judgments in this Doctrine Therefore God had no respect to any fore-sight of Faith or Works in the Creature God had no respect to the freenesse of his Will for he knew he had none God had no respect to any conditions to be wrought in us but all he did and doth was from absolute Independing-grace Nothing moved him but his own Free-grace The same Free-grace that pardons gives and workes all in us All from the same Fountain 2. If all be of Free-grace then there is no meritorious-procuring Cause in us that moves the Lord to mercy Now the contrary is naturally rooted in our hearts poor Soules are most apt to conceive that if they can grieve for their sins repent and reform this will sure move God to mercy and pardon A most dangerous snare from which a Soul after much conviction is hardly wrought off Now though God in the way of a Sinners Salvation hath promised to give Repentance Act. 5.31 and a Spirit of mourning for sinne yet a poor Soul must take heed that he make not this a procuring cause of Pardon Many a Soul sticks here before emptyed of himself even of his very repenting and so come for grace and mercy upon the account of the Free-promise onely How many a Sinner might have been saved if he would have been saved freely 3. If God hath so laid the Design to save a Sinner freely then how great how just is the Condemnation of guilty sinners that will not hasten in unto it how could the Lord have laid it more freely then he hath Oh that any sinner for ever condemned to Hell without it should withstand it Why sinner Shall the Blessed God that might have much glory in condemning thee to all Eternity be willing to save thee freely and wilt thou not come and bow unto him accept of it All the contempt of God in all his Holy Commands is not like this to turn the back upon Free-Mercy Free-Salvation This will be the Worm that never dyes to any of your Soules that shall not come into and rightly accept of Gospel-salvation that you might have been saved freely have had grace remission of sins Jesus Christ the Spirit Eternal Life freely and yet turned your backs upon it But you may demand How is it that any sinner doth so What is it that causeth any Soul to forego Free-grace and mercy when held out unto him that we may beware of such hinderances I will therefore shew you such Hinderances that keep Soules from accepting of Gods free grace in Jesus Christ when held out unto them 1. Wilful Obstinacy Joh. 5.40 Ye will not come unto me that you might have life Ye will not such is the stubbornness rebellion of the heart of a sinner that he will not as we speak because he will not to such a height hath sinne raised the heart of the rebellious children of men for every natural man till made sensible of unbelief thinks he hath Power of himself though he hath not but his Rebellion lyes in his Will I would have gathered you and ye would not Mat. 23. last 2. A sinner doth not accept of Free-grace because he stands upon his self-justification as we use to speak he will not be perswaded he hath so much need of all Free-grace as the Gospel discovers as hath been shewed at large though he hath sinned yet also he hath obeyed and so he puts one against the other his obedience against his sin and so hopes to get that mercy he hath need of And upon this ground more sinners even that profess the Name of God do miss of Heaven then any other in the World 'T is not so easie a matter to submit to Gods Free-grace alone as many do imagine Upon
terms that God proposeth Why should'st thou not be willing to be made holy Why should not the Lord rather rule thee then sin and the Devil What more beautiful and glorious then the Image of God Oh accept of holiness with mercy through the Lord Jesus Christ Come unto him for both be willing to be set apart for God a Vessel purged and sanctified for his use and thou shalt behold the face of God shining upon thee and whatever is laid up in Christ in Promises in Heaven and glory shall be thine You who have thought to make your selves holy and then come to Christ to be justified be convinced of your great errour and now come as sinners to Jesus Christ to be justified and sanctified in him and see all grace laid up in Jesus Christ for such as come unto him Say Oh blessed Lord Jesus I cannot fit my self for thee If thou canst not accept me as a poor undone helpless sinner coming unto thee I never expect a blessing from thee And you who have sleighted this free and rich and glorious grace see what you have done and be abased for it see how you cast back mercy upon the face of God who would freely be reconciled with you pass by all the grievous injuries you have done him enter into a Covenant with you bestow his Christ upon you fit you for communion with himself here and for ever and all this you have sleighted and yet must unavoidably be for ever damned without it Sinner who can plead for thee when thou shalt go on to despise neglect sleight such grace To Hell without pitty of God Angels or Men when freest mercy and grace shall be sleighted I do therefore stand this day in the Name of Jesus Christ to acquaint you that he will save you freely if you will come unto him be your sins what they will so you come not as righteous but as sinners to him so you take his Righteousness to cover you and his Spirit of grace to unite you to him and make you holy and will give up your selves unto him All which he will help if you will come and cry to him yea if you cannot come he will draw you if you are unwilling he will make you willing if you have no heart he will give you heart What more Wretched man or woman that shall stand off one moment longer Is not Hell too good for thee if thou shalt now turn thy back upon such grace Let me have your Answers this day Let me know that sinner that will go home resolved to be as careless as he formerly hath been as well-opinioned of himself as much resolved against Holiness as thoughtless of being damned if he with-stand the Lord in his Free-grace one day more Oh! Will not your hearts stirre dead stupid soules Shall God's Free-grace his Christ go a begging this day and will not a sinner come up to his terms Old sinners that are going into the grave and Hell too will not you accept of Free-grace of Christ the Spirit this day that are upon the brink of the grave and everlasting burnings and have many a thousand sin yet unpardoned Is all this nothing to you but rest in a blind hope of mercy without coming to Jesus Christ without care of being made holy and fit for Heaven Oh you have been fast asleep in sin deceived by your own hearts abused by the Devil fourty fifty sixty years Is' t not time for you to bethink your selves to go and cry to the Blessed God Oh! grace pardon Christ Heaven upon any terms My righteousness I have trusted in are poor Cobwebs my Confidences vain Oh! for a drop of free-mercy and grace from that Ocean that is in God and 't were better then all I have done for Heaven yet Oh Lord Now now I come to thee Is there free-mercy and grace for one that hath sleighted it Yea though thou hast gone on frowardly in thy own heart yet he can heal thee Isa 57.17 18. And you that are younger 't is a desperate thing now in times of Gospel-Light when it glares upon your faces to shut your eyes to go on in the way of your own hearts to sleight Gospel-grace to harden your selves and cry Hereafter hereafter Alas thou knowest not what shall be on the morrow the Thread of thy Life is quickly cut with a stroke from God Beside to go on long from year to year against the loud and frequent Call of Jesus Christ against Convictions that thou shouldest do otherwise is the way to be given up to utter hardness and the Lord to move upon thy heart no more There 's a day of grace to every Soul which if he suffer to set and go down upon him he is irrecoverably lost for ever Look to it you younger men and maidens that have yet no work upon you that are the same you were under the means you have lived that have not the Spirit of grace and mourning upon you when others are praying and wrastling with the Lord and taking the Kingdom of Heaven by violence Oh up and be stirring the day of grace hath shined long upon you Hold out no longer Come come come you careless Sons and Daughters and the way is open to you the door of Free-grace is open Christs Arms are open you may be saved and blessed for ever if you come in now you are invited I can take no excuse Come or say I am resolved for Hell and to venture the utmost in the condition I am in Oh bold and fearless Atheist What shall I say to thee if that be thy Resolution But I cannot be so answered Say you sinners as if I should name you Are you for Heaven or Hell for Free-grace or your own patcht-up Righteousness for Carnal ease or any Pains for Heaven for your Lusts or for Holiness for Jesus Christ or the Devil Let thy Heart answer in good earnest this day Now shall I at last have this Answer Hold I am resolved for the Free-grace of God for the Lord Jesus Christ If all the sinners in the Congregation yea in the World should turn their backs upon him The Word of the Lord hath overcome Oh Lord Jesus may I come such a Wretch as I come Yea saith the Lord Jesus Rev. 22.17 Whosoever will let him come Grace is as free as ever it was Say then Oh Lord I come draw me and I will come Into the Arms of Free-grace I throw my self my Righteousness is an abominable thing Ah! a Christ upon any tearms Oh let let me creep unto thy Blessed Feet let me have the Lowest-Room in thy Heart Take what way thou wilt to purge me so I may but get well unto thee Now Lord as much Holiness as thou wilt let thy precious bloud wash me all over Well! go thus and acquaint the Lord Jesus with it from day to day Wait he will speak to thee love to hear more from him and of him in his Gospel and
this Redemption and the necessity of it and how it makes atonement merits mercy and pardon procures peace and reconciliation with God so they would come and accept of it and fall down before the righteous God and plead it to him Thou hast heard the way of Gods letting out mercy to sinners and no mercy but in that way but by justice being satisfied by the death and blood of Jesus Christ whereby he becomes the Saviour of sinners Now this bloud is offered up to God the price is paid and accepted with God and in the Gospel of God t is revealed and preacht to the guilty world and t is freely offered to any poor sinner that will come and accept of it and make claim to it and plead for mercy and forgivenesse upon the account of it and will come to the termes of it which is to be accepted and pardoned alone by vertue of it to be washed and sanctified and actually deliver'd not onely from the guilt and condemnation of sin but the power and reign and pollution of it Oh Sinner be awakened and stirred up by the word of the Lord to get actuall deliverance from the guilt bondage reign service of thy sin go and cry to God offer him up the blood of his own eternall Son tell him thou seest he may let out justice upon thee to destroy thee and damn thee for ever of thy self thou hast no plea against it But aske the blessed God if it may not be more glory to him and his grace mercy glorified by it if he will accept of satisfaction by his own Son Jesus Christ plead to him that thou hearest he dyed in the room of guilty condemned sinners such as thou art ungodly Rom. 5.6 yea tell him with an humble adoration of his mercy and love in it that thou hearest in his blessed Gospel that 't is offered to any sinner that will come and accept it and that 't is proclaimed from heaven that there 's satisfaction made by the blood of a Iesus for the greatest sinner such as thou art Oh! cry unto him that therefore thou comest and beggst to be heard in thy plea and that it may be entred in Heaven that thou comest for all the ends of his death thou art weary of the service of thy lusts and the pollution of thy nature and therefore thou wouldst have thy nature cleansed thy conscience purged all which thou findest the bloud of Jesus Christ is able to do yea tell him and plead it with some humble boldnesse that thou art acquainted that Jesus Christ prayes in Heaven for such sinners that come and plead his bloud to thee and that he is heard in what he prayes and that therefore forgivenesse must be had yea say thou will hold on thy plea thou hast no other and art resolved against any other If thou shalt to Hell pleading the bloud of a Saviour be it so but I am resolved to plead it to the utmost yea tell him cry to him that it cannot repent him that he hath ordained the sacrifice of the bloud of his own Son and therefore why shouldst thou be rejected Yea Come to this issue through the Spirit of faith upon thee that if it can be that a sinner crying out for pardon upon the account of the death and bloud of Jesus Christ and for sanctification may go to Hell then thou wilt willingly lay thy hand upon thy mouth and open it no more but sinke under divine vengeance to eternity Oh! That every poor sinner might go home with this plea in his heart written there by the holy Ghost and pierce Heaven with his or her cryes and groanes and put the bloud of Jesus Christ before him and plead for mercy and holinesse to be pardoned and sanctified till God say Go in peace thou art pardoned redeemed and blessed for ever Yet a little to excite a poor drowsie sinner to this eternall Concernment 1. Consider thou art under the guilt of thousands of sins one whereof is enough to sink thee to Hell Guilt if continued is Hell begun and wants nothing but the execution of vengeance upon thee Oh what should a guilty sinner do but close with a Saviour and get an interest in Redemption from it 2. Specially considering that all the Duties and Obedience thou hast performed towards God or ever shall have not made nor ever will the least payment to God for thy sins thou art as much in debt to God as ever thou wast as much behind with him All the Items for the sin of thy Nature thy Thoughts Words and Actual Wickedness and thy sinful Neglects stand uncancelled all ready to be charged upon thee And nought will be accepted for payment but the death of Jesus Christ the onely Price that God will hearken to Nothing will cancel the Book where all thy sins are recorded Nothing will blot out the Hand-writing that is against thee but the blood of Iesus Christ Col. 2.13 14. 3. God is resolved never to forgive you the Debt till you have put in this Plea and it be recorded in Heaven and you have it in a Gospel-way No forgiveness of sins but by Redemption pleaded claimed possessed and sealed by the Holy Spirit Ephes 1.7 14. 4. Thou art yet under the Bondage and Reign of thy sin and therefore under condemnation the Law is gone out against thee thy Sentence pronounced Cursed is every one that transgresseth c. saith the Law And thou art in bondage yet and hast not procured actual deliverance from it If a Prisoner be condemned and lye in Fetters in a Dungeon and hears of a Ransome paid for him What 's this to him till he have his liberty So for a sinner to be in the Fetters of his Lusts held fast by them a Bond-man to the Devil hear of a Christ laying down a Ransom What is this to him unless he sue it out and get actual deliverance and liberty the liberry of the Sons and Daughters of God and have a Spirit of Adoption to cry Abba Father Gal. 4.4 5. That being made free from sinne the Reign and Power of it by the power of the Lord Iesus revealed in him you may become servants to God and have your fruit unto Holiness and the end everlasting life 5. Consider as thou standest in thy filth and uncleanness of thy sins thou art unfit for God either to please him in any thing thou doest or to be with him in Heaven hereafter thy person and services are loathsome to the Soul of God therefore get washed and purified in the bloud of Iesus Christ Go on to cry and wait and beg a heart to do it and that in Faith till thou shalt feel peace coming in by thy constant Plea of the bloud of Christ till thou shalt feel cleansing vertue of it upon thy Soul till thou shalt experience the power of his death destroying sin in thee and so shalt finde thou hast fellowship with him and so a
part in this blessed Redemption we have been treating of 6. Now to encourage a poor sinner to this coming to God with the Plea of Christ's bloud in his heart and mouth and to draw forth the Faith of a poor humbled doubting soul Consider the All-sufficiency and worth of the price of the death of Iesus Christ to satisfie the justice of God and procure pardon and sanctification for a poor sinner which may appear from such like Scriptures The Apostle in the 7th of the Hebrews having been opening the excellency of Christ's Priesthood which is chiefly conversant in this Work of Redemption in the offering up of himself a Sacrifice concludes v. 25. of that Chapter Wherefore he is able to save them to the utmost that come unto God by him To the utmost that is with a perfect Salvation that nothing more can be desired to it So in the 9th Chap. v. 11. c. the Apostle reasoning from the Levitical Sacrifices to this of the bloud of Christ argueth the full perfection of it By his own blood he entred in once into the holy place namely into Heaven having obtained eternall Redemption for us and thence concludeth verse 14. How much more shall the blood of Christ purge the conscience c A much more upon that above all the Sacrifices that were offered up to God Which will appear 1. Because of the eternall God-head of Christs person by which he offer'd up his bloud unto his Father Heb. 9.14 Who through the eternall Spirit offered up himself without spot to God Which put an infinite value and efficacy upon the offering of his bloud Inasmuch as Jesus Christ was God as well as Man though he could onely dye in his humane nature yet the efficacy of his God-head had an influence upon the price of his dying which put an infinite worth upon it and so renders it full and perfect redemption 2. The price of the bloud of Jesus Christ did not onely give a bare satisfaction to the justice of God but it had an infinite merit in it a redundancy of merit whereby it deserved at the hands of God that sinners that are interessed in it should have remission of sins grace the love of God and glory to come spirituall blessings which the death of Christ purchased for the elect which being also by the free purpose and Compact of God there must necessarily arise an infinite merit in it 3. The all-sufficiency of the price of Christs blood is evidenced by his resurrection ascension into glory implying that he wrought forth full and perfect Redemption by his death therefore he is said to rise again for our justification Rom. 4. last and to be justified in the Spirit 1 Tim. 3. last that is God by raising him from the dead justified him in the atonement he had made by his death and that he did chearfully accept of satisfaction by it 4. The blood of Christ procures boldnesse of accesse to God therefore there is an infinite worth in the price of it Heb. 10.19 Having therefore Bretheren boldnesse to enter into the Holiest by the blood of Jesus which boldnesse doth arise from the full satisfaction that is made to Divine justice in as much as God upon the acceptance of it hath nothing to charge upon the sinner himself no quarrell against him having charged his sins upon Christ and therefore the poor sinner may come with an humble boldnesse into the presence of God and this is that which puts boldnesse into the Conscience of a believer when he appears before God 5. From the experience of it the foulest sinners that have come unto it have bin washed from their sins by it as 1 Cor. 6.11 Idolaters Adulterers Sodomites Drunkards Revilers have bin washed and justified and sanctified by it The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin 1 John 1.7 6. It cleanseth and perfects them for ever therefore call'd eternall redemption once for all and for ever Heb. 10 10 19. For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified once justified and for ever Now from this satisfaction merit all-sufficiency of the sacrifice of the blood of Jesus to cleanse a sinner to commend him to God how safely may a sinner venture his soul upon it which is the first act of faith A poor sinner when under conviction and the terrour of the Lord hath taken hold of him lyes trembling before the Lord whether God will let out justice or mercy upon him he is ready to give glory to the Justice of the Lord if he reject him for ever But now if a poor soul get a sight of the blood of Christ how it deales with the justice of God what full and all-sufficient satisfaction it hath made to God for the sins of such as plead it to him how God more delights in it then in the condemning of the sinner what a stay is this to the wavering doubtfull Spirit of a poor sinner when he can come to see justice to have its due and so God can freely let out remission to a poor soul upon the very first Act of a poor sinners closing with it though not presently evidenced in his conscience Oh sinner venture the issue of all upon this price of the blood of Jesus thou mayst see thou hast the greatest reason in the world to do so thou wilt never come to have a safe bottome for thy soul till thou comest thus to deal with the justice of God as fully satisfied by the blood of Jesus Christ thou wilt still be off and on about free mercy till thou come to fix here and be in some good measure establisht in it Be daily in exercising thy soul in such ventures and castings upon it and the spirit will at last witnesse peace and reconciliation to thy conscience In a word sinners you that have had no stay to your spirits for the forgivenesse of your sins but a blind hope of mercy look up look up to the Justice of God and see this way of accesse to God for you by the blood of Jesus Oh! let not any profane sinner trample it under foot cast it back upon the blessed face of God Say not in thy heart let God take the blood of his Son to himself I le not be washed from my sins I le not be sanctified I le rest as I am Desperate sinner Of how much sorer punishment shalt thou be thought worthy then any sinner under Heaven who rejectest the onely worthy price of a sinners salvation Know the great God will let out all his Justice upon thee to the utmost and Oceans of his death shall fall upon thee if thou thus a-abuse the blood of his Son a greater guilt then all thy ungodlinesse thou hast hitherto bin wallowing in from thy youth up Oh! Come thou despiser and cast thy soul under the droppings of this blood and it shall cleanse thee though thy soul were as black as Hell Zach. 13.1 And
from that which is called in appearance a Legal-New-Creature c. Now let a soul fail in either of these and lost for ever fail of a saving-cloze with Jesus Christ for righteousness or being a New Creature in Christ and you perish in your sins and the wrath of God will overtake you I shall not now take up time in opening the coherence of the words nor will it much be desired as to our Design I shall therefore draw this plain conclusion from them namely Observ There 's an absolute necessity in order to the Salvation of every soul to become a New Creature in Christ Having proved it we shall open the way of being a New-Creature and how in Christ Then how distinguisht from an appearing New-Creature but not so indeed and so give forth the Evidences of it Those Scriptures that speak of the necessity of being born again of the Spirit Ioh. 3.3 5. and of being converted Mal. 18.3 do evince the same truth Gal. 6.15 Neither Circumcision nor Vncircumcision avail any thing but a New Creature For we are his Work-manship created unto Christ Jesus c. Eph. 2.10 He that hath wrought us for this self-same thing is God and hath given us the Earnest of his Spirit 2 Cor. 5.5 The necessity of this New-Creature doth arise 1. From the tenour of the New-Covenant in which way God hath obliged himself to give out mercy and in no other Now thus runs the New-Covenant this is the great Article of it Make you a new heart and a new Spirit Ezek. 18.31 Which God promiseth to give to all he takes into a Covenant of mercy and peace with himself I will put a new Spirit within you and a new Heart will I give unto you Ezek. 11.19 And to the same purpose Ezek. 36.26 Wherein as we shall shew lyes the special part of the New Creature 2. Because the Old-man all that is of the First Adam the whole frame thereof is corrupted and polluted therefore it must be repaired renewed be made new if ever it enter into glory Ephes 4.22 That ye put off concerning the former Conversation the Old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful Lusts and be renewed in the Spirit of your Mind And that ye put on the New-man that after God is created in Righteousness and true Holiness 3. Whosoever shall be saved shall be a new Creature from the great Design of God in giving out his Son Jesus Christ which was that all the Elect should be made conformable to the Image of his Son Rom. 8.29 For whom he did fore-know he also did predestinate to be conformed to the Image of his Son that he might be the first-born among many Brethren Jesus Christ is called the express Image of the Father Hebr. 1. And to that Image all Believers shall be conformed Jesus Christ the first-born and all his Brethren to be made conformable unto him God was infinitely pleased with such a Pattern and resolved all that he gave to him and designed for glory should be conformed to his likeness 4. All the services that a sinner offers to God are not accepted till a New-Creature till a Soul shall act from a new-living holy-principle towards God Pray and hear and give Alms God regards it not till a New-Creature So the Word of the Lord often casts back the services of unregenerate men upon their faces as loathsome to the Lord because they proceed from the old corrupt Adam from unchanged Natures Isa 1.15 When you cry I will not hear you Why You are in your uncleanness therefore Wash you make you clean Vse Oh let this make for your instruction and conviction that if ever you come to God in glory you must first be New-Creatures If you will have mercy you must have it in the way of the New-Covenant and if so you must be made new While you have nothing but the Old-Adam you are corrupt and polluted and abominable If you shall become the Brethren of the first-born Jesus Christ you must bear his Image and have it renewed upon you Oh you that are yet in your old sins and walk after your Old-Lusts you are not New-Creatures You will not think so therefore sit down with this Conviction That as yet you have no part in this blessedness Oh! All of you who are the same that ever you were whether living in gross sins or sober and civil from your Youth up you are yet of the Old Adam nothing but corrupt Nature upon you your hope is vain and you are blinded in your sins and the grace of God is not in you 2. Oh! Let me before I go further put this to tryall and suffer the word of the Lord which shall one day judge you Can you say in good earnest Old things are past away and all things are become new in me Now I am a vessell in the hand of God wrought by his Spirit and there is through infinite grace a new work manship upon my soul I shall lay down rules for the particular discovery of this only at present yeild up your conscience to the power of the world do not slink from under it If it find you out in your sin in nature the same that ever you were give glory to God and say The word of the Lord is quick and powerfull and go off with this conviction in power upon thy soul I never expect to go to heaven and glory if I become not through grace a new Creature But before I go further I would open that every soul that is a new Creature must be in Christ and why So saith the Apostle to these Corinths in this Epistle 13. Chap. 5. Examine your selves prove your own selves know you not that Jesus Christ is in you except ye be reprobates ye are created into Christ Jesus Eph. 2.10 If a man abide not in me he is cast out as a branch and is withered Joh. 15.6 Now herein lyes the great Mystery of Godlinesse into which all our evidences for Heaven are resolved and therefore this is a weighty enquiry I am to speak of it specially as it relates to the making and forming by the new Creature This being in Christ is expressed by being rooted into Christ Col. 2.7 Planted into him Rom. 6. Built up in him Col. 2. All which bespeak a reall union with him that this is not a mere imaginary thing but as true and reall as the union between the root and the branches Ioh. 15. and the foundation and the building Eph. 2. which is wrought by the Spirit of the Lord Iesus drawing and uniting true believers unto him The same Spirit dwelling in them Rom. 8.9 10 11. By his Sprit that dwelleth in you Now to consider Why all that are new Creatures according to the Gospell must be so in Christ 1. Such as are Gospell New-Creatures must be in Christ because if they be New-Creatures they must be Living Creatures Now God hath laid up all life that shall be
the great Comprehensive Duties but there is not any one thing more mistaken then what this good conscience is Too many Preachers presse this carnally and carnall people go away with it that they have Faith yea they never doubt it and for a good conscience they discharge it I have spoken of Faith already but now that which such poor seduced souls take to be a good Conscience is onely to wrong no body to be just to all not to purloyn others goods to take and keep nothing but their own they take it to be chiefly conversant about the duties of the second table concerning their Neighbour A little to rectifie this soul-damning mistake 1. A Scripture-Conscience is an enlightened conscience which before was shut up in darknesse Eph. 1.18 The light of the word of God is set up in the conscience whereby it discovers those truths in their power and worth which before it was dark unto 2. A good conscience is a conscience searcht by the power of the word convinc'd to be under sin and guilt and pollution whereby trouble doth arise in it God laying in the weight of guilt the damnableness of sinne the pollution of it upon the Conscience so that the soul cries out What shall I do How shall God be pacified and the soul saved 3. And hence it is an awakened Conscience which before was asleep Awake thou that sleepest Eph. 5. The voice of the Spirit doth awaken that Conscience that before was asleep in sinful security 4. A good Conscience is convinced that all the keepings of the Law and keeping a Conscience to men cannot justifie the soul before God cannot commend it to God which a Second-Table-Conscience imagines it will and so is in peace Paul kept a Conscience as to many things Act. 23.1 I have lived in all good Conscience before God untill this day meaning I conceive from his youth up when he was a Pharisee but when his Conscience was convinced and awakened and came to see Jesus Christ he saw that all his keeping a Conscience as to many Sins and Duties could not in the least commend him to God 5. A good Conscience is sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus Christ Heb. 10.22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of Faith having our hearts sprinkled from an evil Conscience How much more shall the blood of Christ who through the Eternal Spirit offered himself to God purge your Conscience from dead works to serve the living God Heb. 9.14 So that this is the efficacy of the bloud of Jesus Christ upon the Conscience of a Believer it pacifies it in the sense of the forgiveness of sins towards God so as it can draw near to God and it purgeth it from dead works sin and pollution to serve God acceptably This is a good Conscience indeed 6. A good Conscience respects all the Precepts of God as well of Holiness to God as Goodness to men which the Conscience we have been speaking of doth not Such a one makes not conscience of this great and absolute Precept Be ye holy 1 Pet. 1. It makes not conscience of purging the heart of secret mourning to God of the purity of Gods Worship It makes no Conscience of lesser sins as we have shew'd not of all sin as Herod heard the Word gladly but made no conscience of persecuting John to death when he stood in the way of his Lusts Now I say a good Conscience respects precepts of Holiness secret as well as publique Duties inward as well as outward sins lesser sins as well as greater 7. A Scripture-good Conscience is much taken up about godly sincerity So Paul 2 Cor. 1.12 For our rejoycing is this the testimony of our Consciences that with simplicity and godly sincerity not with fleshly Wisdome but with the grace of God we have had our Conversation in the World c. Thus a soul that walks with a good Conscience towards God labours to a prove it self in all things with a godly sincerity to do all as unto God Lastly a good Conscience labours to keep it self pure and undefiled it is accompanied with a pure heart 1 Tim. 1.5 Now the end of the Commandement is love out of a pure heart and of a good Conscience and of Faith unfeigned A soul that would keep the Conscience good would keep it pure and the whole inward man pure as a Temple unto God Vse Now see how many ingredients go to make up a good Conscience in a Scripture-sense and what a great mistake is in this weighty matter and how far abundance of people that make conscience of their dealings with men conclude thence they have a Scripture-good-conscience to God when they are not savingly enlightned their Conscience never searcht by the power of the Word and throughly awakened out of a natural condition never humbled for resting in themselves and their Duties not having their Conscience sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus Christ and purged thereby not having a tender respect to all the Precepts of God not to walk before him in godly sincerity nor with a pure heart You then that are short of these things you are wholly to seek in that which you so much pretend to and speak peace to your selves in the having or keeping a good Conscience you have as yet no part in this matter 2. What hath been spoken of a good Conscience may be for instruction and direction to the Called Ones of Christ how to preserve the Conscience good and peaceable and so to live and dye in the peace and comfort of it through Jesus Christ our Lord. Get it sprinkled with the bloud of Jesus Christ every day and under the searchings of the Word and awake unto God and pure and undefiled respecting all the Holy Precepts of God as binding to your Conscience so will the Conscience be tender and peaceable and God will witness in your Consciences your acceptance with him in his Son Jesus Christ I would give out further some Notes of Tryal Whether you rest in false common grace or not as to what we have already spoken in so weighty a matter 1. By your never-suspecting the truth of your grace but taking all upon trust never doubting but you have Faith and do repent and so of all the rest That soul that never suspected his grace may well fear that his pretended grace is no more then what a Hypocrite may reach unto The poor called Children of God are exceedingly jealous their Faith is not sound that they are short in every grace because of the woful mixtures that they find more Unbelief then Faith more hardness of heart then softness more pride then humiliation and so of all Now that soul that goes away with an unsuspected confidence of every grace sure flatters himself and his way will be found to be deceitful 2. That soul that draws back his Conscience from the searching power of the Word when it gives out ways of tryal of sincerity and
Wilderness perfumed with Myrrhe and Frankincense Chap. 3.6 So saith that Word of Promise Chap. 4.6 His smell shall be as Lebanon And when Jesus Christ breathes in his Ordinances upon blessed Souls it is as a sweet and delightsome Perfume to them Fifthly There is a new feeling wrought as an effect of this new life which the Soul hath in Christ when a new Creature is in him The natural man is without feeling as a dead man is let never so great a weight lye on a dead man and he feels not but now take a Soul created into Christ and he feels a new Weight within him Heb. 12.1 Sin is not onely a burden as to the weight of guilt but every corruption even when the sense of guilt is removed by Jesus Christ is a Weight to the Soul under which the Soul cryes out mourns groans to be delivered Rom. 7.24 Oh wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death Sin hangs like a dead body about him Vse If the Gospel-new-creature is a living new creature and doth exercise Spiritual Life and hath new spiritual senses Let this then be a word of Tryal to discover the state of your Souls Can you say I that was dead am alive I was once spiritually dead without feeling did neither see nor hear nor taste in a Spiritual way but now the Lord in rich grace hath opened my deaf Ear and my blind Eyes now I have heard the Lord himself speak to my soul now I have seen the Lord and my Heart is taken with him Now I savour the Word of Grace and the Ministration of the Gospel is a sweet savour in Christ to me the Name of Jesus Christ is as good Ointment to me Now I feel a body of sin and groan under it and press after the destroying and crucifying of it Souls If this be not your Experience you are dead you are without the Life of God and Christ in you Oh! go to God sinners as you have been exhorted and cry to him to open your ear to hear and your eye to see Be convinced that as yet your Ear hath been stopt as to hearing the Lord himself speak to you Oh say Woe is me that I am where the Lord useth to speak under the Ministration of his Gospel and yet he never spake to my Soul Doth the Lord love me and never speak to me Pity Lord Pity a poor deaf blind stupid unsavoury Wretch and breathe life into me And then wait for the Lord's Voice in his Word Now let the Spirit himself speak unto me and unveil my heart that I may see into the Mysteries of Jesus Christ and may savour them upon my poor Soul 2. Let living Souls in Christ exercise their Spiritual Senses keep the Ear open to and waiting for the Spirits Voice be prying into the mystery of God in Christ and all Gospel-Truths get a clearer sight of Jesus Christ till you shall be infinitely taken with him and love him for himself And keep the heart savoury and the precious scent of Gospel-grace upon your Spirits and labour so to feel the weight of the body of sin how it poyseth polluteth cloudeth the Soul that you may come to that frame to cry out to be delivered from it And let it be abundant matter of praise to the riches of grace that God hath given life and senses to your souls which he might have left under the death of sin to all Eternity 5. The next Discovery of our Gospel New-Creature is this namely He hath a new heart So Ezek. chap. 18.31 Make you a new heart and a new spirit which the Lord hath in Free-grace promised in the New-covenant Chap. 36.26 A new heart will I give you which I shall precisely consider and shew particularly wherein the heart is made new 1. The heart naturally in its old corrupt frame is a rebellious heart Jer. 5.23 This people have a rebellious heart the usual complaint of the Prophets Now when the Lord makes the heart new he begins to take away the rebellion of heart as it naturally opposeth the Word Power and Spirit of God and the heart is made obedient and plyable to the power of the Word the Spirit 's Teachings Isa 1.19 If ye be willing and obedient you shall eat the good of the Land but if ye refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured c. My people shall be willing in the day of my power Psal 110. The heart of it self is stubborn obstinate unwilling to stoop to the power of Truth to yield to Jesus Christ but when it is made new it becomes of an yieldable frame to the practical Obedience of Gospel-Truths 2. The heart as an effect of the former is naturally hard and impenitent Rom. 2.5 cannot mourn for sinne But When 't is made new God makes it soft Ezek. 36.27 I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh which is a soft and tender heart whereby a Soul can pour out its complaints to God yea the heart will pour out it self like water to the Lord Lam. 2.19 The Heart receives impressions of truth as by its softness 't is more and more wrought to a new frame as in the hand of the Lord. 3. The Heart is naturally proud and makes the sinner self-conceited and well-opinioned of his own condition and will not suffer the sinner to abase himself to God and to take shame to himself But when a new Work of God's upon it the sinner humbles himself under the mighty hand of God bears his reproach before him and cryes out Oh! What shall I do for an humble heart Lord take away subdue Pride in a wretched creature Jam. 4.10 Now he becomes a poor self-emptyed creature undone helpless and to a full Christ he at last goes 4. The Heart is naturally hypocritical The hypocrite in heart heaps up wrath Job 36.13 Now when God makes the heart new then it begins to be sincere in some good measure for God before the poor deceived sinner thought he did all with a good heart that he did bear much upon that he did all with a good heart but when God shews him his heart by the Candle of his Word and Spirit then the poor Creature sees what a Hell of Hypocrisie was and is within him that he acted in all Duties as from himself so to himself and not uprightly unto God But when the Lord new frames the heart then the Soul is after new sincere holy aims for God in all it does is most abased for selfish and hypocritical mixtures and would account nothing well done but as God is designed in it and labours to walk in simplicity of heart and godly sincerity as of God and in the sight of God c. 2 Cor. 1.12 5. The old Heart is full of all uncleanness and impurity and cares not to be cleansed So saith Christ to the Jews Mat. 23.27 Within you are
full of dead mens bones rottenness and of all uncleanness But now when the new creature is forming up then the Heart is after purifying Purifie your hearts ye double-minded Jam. 4.8 Then what a blessedness would a pure heart be saith a poor Creature Oh! that my heart were cleansed Wash thine heart saith God Jer. 4.14 Oh! that it were washed saith the new creature And this is one of the most special Works a new Creature will be after as he is more formed up in Holiness to keep the Heart pure as a Temple for God 6. The Heart naturally is dead as already hinted and feels not its own deadness but when renewed then the heart doth live that seeks God Psal 22.26 It feels and mourns over its own deadness and cries out Quicken Oh quicken me oh God! No Duty is well performed then but as the Heart lives in some measure in that Duty Now it feels its own burdens pollutions lusts corruptions carnality earthiness and bewails it before the Lord. 7. The Heart is naturally divided between Christ and the World Christ and Lusts Hos 10.2 Their heart is divided But under its renewings the heart as to the main bent of it makes a whole close with Christ the great business of a soul then is to give the whole heart up to Christ and fears he can never do it fully and singly enough and when the heart lusteth after other things so far as it is renewed it is fetcht in again to Jesus Christ 8. The Heart of it self is unbelieving Take heed least there be in you a heart of unbelief Hebr. 3. Now when the heart is made new there is a Work of Faith with power 2 Thess 1.11 And then the soul is made sensible of that bitter Root of Unbelief that is naturally in their hearts and they finde it the hardest work in the world to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins to fix on Promises And that a believing heart is a special gift of God and a work of the Spirit which while a poor sinner was shut up under Unbelief he felt not Use 1. To unchanged persons who are the same in heart as ever they were Oh learn by what hath been opened what is the natural make and frame of them There is in you a Rebellious Heart against the Lord and wilfull obstinacy against his Word and Spirit and therefore 't is that you cast the Word of the Lord from you and in your hearts despise it and say This is not the Word of the Lord and we will not obey it You have hard and impenitent hearts and therefore you do not mourn for sin you have proud hearts and are well conceited of your condition though damnable and therefore you do not humble your selves to God you have hypocritiall hearts and see it not full of a Hell of Uncleanness dead in sin and without feeling the heart divided between Christ and the World unbelieving and yet say you have Faith If thou canst not make out a newness upon thy heart as we have shew'd thou hast still thine old heart with its Lusts and thy estate is as yet damnable let thy knowledge profession outward blamelessness be what it will 2. Oh therefore let this Word be yet for further tryal of your estate Can you say to the praise of free and rich grace that God hath in some measure taken away your Rebellious Heart from you and you can stoop and yield to the power of Truth and rejoyce in it that God hath made your heart soft in some measure and the pride of your hearts in the false conceit you had of your selves hath a stroak from God upon it that God hath shewed you your deep and cursed hypocrisie and how your heart was divided and was wholly unbelieving And that the Remnants of these wickednesses in you of heart-rebellion hardness pride hypocrisie pollution unbelief are your greatest burden and you mourn over them daily If this be not your Experience let that man or woman know he or she is a hypocrite and unbeliever and sees it not c. 3. Therefore let it convince you and exhort you to go and fall down before the Lord and beg him to open your hearts which naturally are shut up in darkness and to abase you in the sense of your Rebellion and that he would even do this for you in much mercy to take away a rebellious hard proud heart from you and would make your hearts pliable to the Word make them soft and humble before him and to close with the whole heart with Jesus Christ through a work of Faith upon you Do this in the fear of the Lord and through his grace coming upon you and see what God will do for you and you will be your own Wonders that ever such abominations should lye hid in your hearts yet you not be confounded in your selves in the sense of them 4. Let Souls that are through infinite grace under some heart-renewings know that they have never done with this Work till they come to glory yea Soul thou hast depths of rebellion price hypocrisie pollution unbelief which yet thou hast not reacht to and therefore as thou must ascribe all to Grace for what the Lord hath done upon thee and remembers to thy greater humbling how much a do the Lord had with thee to bring thy heart under so much as it is so to consider that the Candle of the Lord must more and more search thy dark and deep heart and 't is to be thy daily work or else all these evils will again much prevail upon thee Love therefore a searching Word from the Servants of Christ that are over you 6. The next Discovery of the Gospel New-Creature is this namely The Gospel New-Creature hath new affections Briefly to instance in some of the chief 1. The New-Creature hath new fear The fear of an Eternal Condition that first usually seizeth upon a convinced sinner the fear of a just and angry God against sin and at last upon its renewing a holy awful fear of God as great and holy and good a fear of sinning against him and that because he is gracious Naturally this affection of fear in a Carnal heart is conversant about the loss of outward things about shame in the World and the like and so far as it respects God his Soul 't is a slavish fear of breaking out of some grosser sins onely least God should damn him but not fearing the Lord with a gracious Son-like fear a fear that purifies the Heart a fear that is mixt with a blessed love of God and delight in his ways 2. The Heart is exercised with new sorrow A godly sorrowing for sin such sins which were once the delight of the Heart such a sorrowing that works an indignation against the Darling-sins a taking of a kind of Revenge of our selves for it a vehement desire after pleasing of God and Holiness 2 Cor. 7.11 There is a
sorrowing over a crucified Christ and a sorrowing after him And well is a poor Soul when it can go in secret and have this affection most exercised with sighs and groans and tears and sad complaints against it self 3. There is a new joy by degrees instilled in the Soul of which though there are various measures to the Children of God yet every New-Creature can go thus far though not in that vigour of Spirit he would do that when the Spirit is free from great distemper it can say he hath some joy that he is deliver'd from the dominion and thraldome of lusts that 't is its joy to go before God I will go unto God my exceeding joy Psal 43.4 Even when under some disquietness of spirit as verse 2. why doest thou cast me off Yea will a poor soul say God and Communion with him could I see his face would be my greatest joy And the carnall joy of the heart when it breaks forth leaves the soul but more in heavinesse and the New-Creature would have his joy run spirituall 4. Upon this the New-Creature hath New delights The word of God becomes his delight seeking the face of God and the people of God Delight thy self in God Psal 37. And his chief delight is in the Saints Psal 16.3 The heart cannot as it could formerly delight it self in folly and in vanity and in vain carnall wayes and people but is rather burthened with them 5. The Soul is raised and engaged in a new Love The heart is taken with Jesus Christ above all things and Loves Him most and Loves God because he is Holy Loves his word and Loves those that Love him most Every New-Creature can say as David I Love the Lord Psal 18.1 116.1 Yea the soul is brought to Love Jesus Christ for himself He is the Beloved of the Soul and not onely the grace and peace and blessing and heaven that he gives And to Love Jesus Christ and to expresse it to the utmost is the frame of soul that a convert presseth most after and he would get the heart more purged mortified spiritualized that it might go forth in Love to Christ more strongly and sweetly and enjoy the precious perfumes of his Love more constantly 6. The Soul is raised to a new hope A new hope of Heaven and Glory which before was feigned and deceitful Now the soul is after a well bottom'd reall lively hope of Heaven Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again to a lively hope c. Oh! the new and blessed hopes that a soul doth more and more reach to when distemper and darknesse is not upon it of seeing Jesus Christ as he is Living with Him for ever of being perfectly sinlesse and holy of joyes that shall be endlesse of being swallowed up with divine glory when the spirit of the Father doth breathe most sweetly and mostly raises the heart to glimpses of Heaven Use As we go along we would put things to tryall therefore say in good earnest Soul Hast thou had new fears upon thy Soul as to an eternall condition and is the fear of sin and of the living God upon thy heart and doth this fear keep thy heart owfull and watchfull say Hast thou had new sorrows for sin and 't is thy trouble they are no more abundant Canst thou joy in going to God and in the word of his grace and are spirituall things thy delight Doest thou find a heart-closing Love to Jesus Christ above all and canst thou Love God because he is holly and thou wouldst be like unto him and hast thou new experienc'd of hopes Heaven Say soul Do all thy affections run in a new channell and the stream of them in the main turned from world and vanity to the Ocean of God in Christ his fulnesse goodnesse love grace and glory and that when thy affections or any one of them are diverted and turned aside thou canst and doest go to God to have them fetcht in again and thou wouldst have all the affections of thy Soul run freely clearly spiritually fully strongly upon Jesus Christ and thou art humbled that they are carnall and worldly in any measure If this be not thy case but the affections of thy heart are wholly fleshly worldly thy fears thy sorrows are about worldly things thy joyes thy delights about carnall pleasures and worldly encrease thy Love goeth after the world in an interrupted unmortified course thy hopes going forth about great things for thy self and thy hopes for Heaven lye at all uncertainly and thou doest suffer it to be so verily thou art unchanged and hast no part as yet in New-Creature blessednesse Onely let me add this Caution that in this matter of the New-Creature you take the whole frame together And therefore do not rest onely in this that you have had your affections something stirred in hearing the Gospel some fears and sometimes the heart a little melted and some joy for a time in the world which affections may sometime stirr in a soul whose heart is not subdued and changed and so it weares off again but carry your selves back to what I have said that you mainly look to the Rebellion Pollution Hypocrisie Unbelief of the heart that these be in good earnest still a subduing in you 3. And so also for reall Converts though you should labour to preserve your affections lively savoury yet look mostly to the sincerity and spirituality of them or else when they wax faint again as that may be you be at a great losse of your consolation neither do you alwayes measure your selves by the stirring and overflow of affections but rather by the abasement of your spirits hearts purity and sincerity and the holinesse of your affections and your acting faith in all your duties which will procure a more lasting way of peace and Comfort though when thus rectified the going out of strong and tender affections is exceeding sweet and precious and most desireable by all Saints 7. The next discovery of the New-Creature is this which I may consider with some distinction from the former The Gospel New-Creature hath new thoughts By the thoughts I understand the pondering musing part of the mind that I may speak plainly to all The imaginations fancies purposes meditatings musings of the mind of man which are very much alter'd where there is a new and divine work and power in the Soul To this the Prophet speakes as to saving conversion Esay 55.7 Let the wicked man forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return to the Lord c. So that a Soul returning to the Lord forsakes his vile thoughts and doth not give way to them and feed them as before So Jer. 4.14 How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee And Psal 119.113 I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love To shew a little why the thoughts of
a word of Exhortation to you to look to your Thoughts saith the Wisdome of God Prov. 23.7 As he thinketh in his heart so is he A Soul is before the Lord according to the thoughts of his heart Oh take heed of giving way to and feeding vain unclean unholy Thoughts of any kind and let me press it upon you with these Motives 1. Consider that such thoughts are your sins lay that to heart God may justly damn a Soul for unholy Thoughts Know thou mayst commit Adultery or Murder in thy Heart though it break not forth actually If thou hast done foolishly in lifting up thy self or if thou hast thought evil lay thine hand upon thy mouth Prov. 30.32 This will help to keep thy Heart in awe 2. That God's Eye is strictly and continually upon the Thoughts of thine Heart Psal 139.2 and therefore David cryes out to God to search his Heart for them Oh did a gracious Soul still consider this that the jealous Eye of God is upon every Thought and Motion of his Heart to sinne it would make him look closely to the Thoughts of his Heart 3. Consider that evil Thoughts and Musings of sin are the beginning of all open wickedness Jam. 1.15 Then when Lust hath conceived it bringeth forth sinne and such Thoughts are usually set on fire by the Devil 4. They do defile the soul Mat. 15.20 Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts c. These are the things which defile a man Which defilement unfits the soul for communion with God they make a filthy puddle in the soul and what a case is a poor Creature in to come to God in Duty in such a pickle 5. Evil Thoughts do pervert the Heart from God which should be fixed upon him they draw away the strength of the Heart from God they suck up the juice and marrow of the Heart which should be spent in Spiritual things in Jesus Christ 6. Such Thoughts do grieve the Spirit Nothing more the Spirit cannot delight to teach and comfort when the Heart is mostly acted by foolish and unholy Thoughts 7. When such Thoughts are acted in the Soul God may leave you to the power of them to break out to some grievous fall and so may shipwrack your peace and comforts for a great while and go with broken bones and it may cost you much bitterness before you are healed 8. If vain carnal Thoughts are not resisted at first but given way to they are hardly checkt and subdued and turned upon other Objects and therefore to watch the first Risings of them Now not one of these Considerations but may make a Child of God to tremble how he lets forth his heart into vain carnal idle defiling-thoughts and musings which do so much waste a gracious spirit and lay him open to such woful dangers as these are To help a Child of God in this Spiritual Work of looking to and a holy ordering the Thoughts of his Heart 1. Be deeply humbled to God with abhorring and loathing for Atheistical unclean proud vain foolish worldly thoughts that croud in upon you when you make them your burden you will be the sooner eased 2. Delight thy self much in the Word of God not onely in Publique Hearing but Daily Reading and not onely Reading but getting some good word upon thy heart that may season thy Thoughts and Affections saith David I hate vain thoughts but thy Law do I love Psal 119.113 The love of the Word of God made him be so far from cherishing vain Thoughts that he did hate them It doth appear this was a special part of David's exercise of Spirit to get some blessed Word upon his heart and be thinking of it and so it did tu n into the sweet and wholesome nourishment of the New-Creature Oh how I love thy Law it is my meditation all the day Blessed and holy practise worthy a gracious Saint indeed you have one word specially that David had much on his heart out of the Books of Moses for we know not whether any other Scriptures were then extant 't is that of Exod. 34.6 where the Lord saith he will proclaim his Name and Glory The Lord God merciful and gracious long suffering abundant in goodness and truth which you have in Psal 103.8 Psal 86.15 145.8 Happily one of those sweet words which he often magnifies how hath a single word dwelt upon the heart of a Child of God and hath kept the heart savoury for Christ 3. The next Remedy against such Thoughts is Much Prayer diligence fervency powring out the heart to God till the heart melts and runs forth sweetly spiritually and is engaged with God and hath a sight of him and a divine impression of God's Majesty left upon the Soul 4. Get more and more brokenness of heart for sin when the Heart hath been broken 't will not so easily get into Vanity again At least a Child of God should take care that it should not when the Heart is broken and mourning the Spirit doth wonderfully in that work refine the Heart All the sleightness vanity defilement distraction that comes upon the New-Creature is mostly for want of this 5. Mortification of that Corruption that is most apt to stirre doth much cure our thoughts Inordinate Affections are the Saints greatest Evils and do bespeak an unmortified heart as to what a Child of God should still be pressing after even to be dead and crucified with Christ Those that are Christs have crucified their Affections and Lusts Gal. 5.22 6. Contending for a Spiritual Heart So far as the Heart is spiritual it acts spiritually 'T is the carnality of Heart that works-up all those frothy distempers that defile us Paul's corruption was much let out upon him when he cryes out of the carnality of his Heart Rom. 7. which should be the daily complaint of God's poor children 7. A great help to the preserving the Thoughts of the Heart according to the New-Creature will be to consider How precious the thoughts of God are to his People Psal 139.17 How precious also are thy thoughts O God unto me How great is the sum of them If I should count them they are more in number then the sand c. David in v. 2. was considering how God's Eye was upon his Thoughts and 't was a means to rectifie them and then David's thoughts run forth in the sweet and blessed apprehension of the preciousness of God's thoughts to him from all Eternity and in the ways of his Covenant towards him If God's thoughts to us be holy and precious and ever towards us the thoughts of his servants should be so also and as little common and unsavoury as may be More particularly let us yet consider what blessed and excellent and glorious things such as are New-Creatures in Christ have to exercise their thoughts about 1. Gracious Soules have the Attributes of God to exercise the thoughts of their Hearts in the Infiniteness of God his Greatness Holiness Glory
talked with us by the way 4. Good Souls do not onely profit themselves in receiving good but they profit others one of the best wayes that we do good in profiting weak Saints or sinners how hath a word spoken from a savory person humbly and wisely dropt in upon the soul of a sinner which hath bin its first awakning And so upon a poor weak tempted Child of God how seasonably hath God ordered a word for a poor soul from conference with another Vse If a New-Creature in Christ hath a new tongue as well as a new heart Then let it be for conviction of sinners whose tongues as well as hearts are exercised in vanity altogether in profane or vain or carnall or worldly discourses This shewes there is no good treasure in the heart The Apostle James followes this conviction very closely and makes it the Character of a carnall pretending Believer of false and dead faith Jam. 1.26 If any man among you seem to be religious and bridleth not his tongue but deceiveth his own heart this mans religion is vain T is but a seeming to be religious a vain Religion where the tongue hath a carnall Liberty And he calleth the Tongue A world of iniquity set on fire of Hell James 3.6 an unruly evil full of deadly poyson verse 8. The evils of the tongue that be-speake a sinner unregenerate are these and they are frequent among this generation 1. Speaking evil of the spirit of God and wayes of God and people of God Oh! such say they have the Spirit that they be Holy and they are so strict that they will not do such and such things as others do This is a degree of Blasphemy and borders upon the brink of the unpardonable sin These are styled by the Apostle Revilers 1 Cor. 5.11 6 11. and they as such shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven The giving out of the Spirit upon plain meaning-people in the measure it now is is a new thing but not therefore to be despised and reviled Every Town ad Family almost doth abound with this wickednesse and dreadfull provocation and 't is the saddest signe upon the generality of people whatsoever onely 't is to be hoped they do it through Ignorance as Paul did 1 Tim. 1.13 and God as he hath done may humble and convert many of them to the praise of his grace onely let sinners that have bin frequently shew'd the desperate wickednesse of such speeches of scoffing at the spirit and holinesse and call it Hypocrisie tremble least God give them up when they sin against conviction and the clear light of the word in this matter Had I time to reason a little in the power of the Lord with such souls why Consider seriously and in good earnest Can you be so sottish and so wilfully blinded that have heard or read the Scriptures to imagine that you are God's and Christ's and have not the Spirit and are not made Holy nor crying to God that you may be Holy He that hath not the Spirit of Christ is none of his And without holinesse you shall not see the Lord How dare you then in the Atheism and devilish wickednesse of your hearts scoffe at the very Name of the Spirit and Holinesse The lowest place in Hell will be yours that have bin so often admonished of this unlesse God smite you to the Earth for it True Converts have the saddest humiliation for this sin as they have bin more or lesse guilty of it 2. Or you that are not so desperately carryed forth in this open ungodlinesse of speaking evil of what you know not But yet make little Conscience of lying for your profit or in excusing a matter so you may do it covertly and count it a veniall small sin or you that when provoked swear profanely and desperately tearing the Name of the great and dreadfull God wreaking your anger and wrath upon the Name of God and the blood of Christ your Tongues are set on fire on Hell and the Spirit of disobedience the devil worketh in you not a drop of the grace of God in you 3. Or you who have your petty Oathes by your Faith by your Lady and by Creatures Or make mention of the Name of God and Lord in your Ordinary discourse vainly and as a by-word crying Oh Lord upon every slight occasion and for Gods-sake and Christs sake do this and this in poor triviall matters verily there is noting of New-Creature upon you And yet these great profanesses you call your infirmities and 't is your infirmity to swear when angry and provoked and you say you forget your selves when you mention the Name of the Lord God sleightly or through ignorance plead for it that you may do so I tell you souls they are your reigning damning sins who are frequent in them And in carnal prayerless families as most are how oft in a day may these ungodly speeches be heard by men women and children If the fear of God were upon you or any work of grace you durst not do it nor indeed could do Therefore do but observe your selves a day and see how often you are here guilty and tremble before God and go and humble your selves at his feet that you may find mercy and have another heart and mouth given to you Pray and cry and waite for the good treasure of the word of grace in your hearts and 't will be otherwise with you 4. Yea you who are engaged in worldly discourses on the Sabbath day in your families at your doores in the Streets in idle and vain jesting you are not of God born again by his spirit you take no delight in the word of God the meditation of your heart is not in it you speak little of it because you savour it not Tremble you worldlings who shew it this way at that word 1 John 4.5 They are of the world therefore speak they of the world and the world heareth them If ye are of the world you are not as yet of Jesus Christ the power love of this present World ruleth in you and that may damn you for ever Know sinners you that make little conscience of vain profane words though you pretend to make some conscience of your word of promise to men for your credits sake and so think you have grace all which a Turk will do that by your words you shall be judged And of idle words you shall give an account at the day of judgment and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Math. 12.36 37. Such words as we have opened to be damning sins And therefore do not put off this guilt far from you in saying 't is your infirmity and so make light of it but know 't is guilt which will send you to Hell if the Lord humble you not and change you 'T is a certain Rule a profane heart and a profane mouth a carnal heart a carnal tongue a worldly heart a worldly yea Sabbath-days tongue