finde my selfe I hope the Lord will save me though I cannot save my selfe But the hopes of the wicked hang like a cloud they are not grounded upon the evidence of the Scripture they crowd all in the generall I hope to fare as well as others and other had mercy and why not I And hence the hopes of the wicked are unstedfast and wavering but a man might here demand are not the hopes of the Saints so too Doe they not waver and stagger many a time Answer It is true but with this difference the hopes of Gods servants are like an anchor which though sometimes it is shaken yet it holdeth the faster but the hopes of the hypocrites are like the waves of the seas and they come to nothing Prov. 8.28 The hope of the righteous shall be glad but the expectation of the wicked shall perish as who should say though the waves be great and the stormes violent yet the anchor shall bee fast and the ship shall come safe to haven but it is otherwise with the wicked their hopes doe perish What is become of your hopes now you thought you should bee saved and that you should doe as well as others but when the day of judgement commeth and the last great day of account shall be what then shall become of all your hopes You shall see it is as if a man should plead for a mans inheritance because he did dwell in the same towne and were of the same name But now the Saints of God when they come to lay claime to mercy they bring a hold a word Isay 61.3 He appointeth them that mourne in Sion will you have a legacy of joy mercy and pitty here it is the Lord Christ left it you I bequeath this and leave it to all you broken hearted sinners to all you humble mourning sinners in Sion this is your legacy sue for it in the Court and you shall have it for ever Hence David ventureth all for this hope hee taketh this as a childs part Psal 33. the last verse Let thy mercy come unto us as our hope is in thee not according to our sense and assurance but according to our hope thy desires may faile and endevours faile and the means faile yet let thy mercy come unto me according to my hope The second is this a grounded hope is ever of great power and strength to hold the soule to the truth of the promise the Spirit you know wee shewed stirreth the heart to hope now hee turneth hope so to God that the eye of the soule goeth that way and cannot bee taken from it but it will goe promise-ward and God-ward Hence take a poore sinner when hee is at the weakest under water when all temptations oppositions corruptions grow strong against them the Lord letteth them loose against the soule nay letteth the poore soule come to joyne side with Satan against himselfe and the goodnesse of the Lord and hee saith the truth of it is I shall one day perish by the hand of Saul this proud foolish filthy heart of mine it will be my bane it had better for me never to have beene I shall never get power strength and grace against these sinnes here is the lowest under of a poore soule If a man should now reply why then cast off all hope and confidence reject the meanes and turne to your sins Marke how hope steppeth in and saith it is true what ever I am and doe what ever my condition is I will use the means I am sure all my helpe is in Christ all my hope is in the Lord Jesus and if I must perish I will perish seeking him and waiting upon him Why this is hope now and I warrant that soule shall never goe to hell Psal 119.81 My heart fainted and my hope was in thy salvation Isay 8.7 I will wait for the Lord who hath hid himselfe from the house of Iacob the Lord hideth himselfe he doth not shew himselfe he hath not manifested himselfe yet I will hope in the Lord that hideth his face Psal 69.3 But the hope of the wicked is not so 2 King 6. and the last verse this evill commeth of the Lord and why should I wait any longer Prov. 14.32 The hope of the wicked is driven away that though a man stood upon his bottome and all the world could not perswade him to the contrary but that he should be saved and hee should goe to heaven though proud still though vaine still but his hope shall bee driven away but the righteous shall have hope in his death friends faile life faile and wealth faile but yet he hath hope in his death Signe 3 As the strength of this hope is great in regard of all opposition that commeth to the contrary so also the excellency and surpassing worth of this hope which overshadoweth all the hopes in the world that can be offered propounded desired all seeme nothing to this hope which the soule hath to God that when the soule commeth to be drawne to God and to hope in him all other hopes hold no weight hopeth not for honour for profit nor liberty nor delight it discovereth the basenesse of these so that the soule careth not for any thing else in comparison It is in this case with the soule as with the hound the hound haply followeth the game untill hee bee spent and tyred yet if there come a fresh hare yet the very sent of a fresh one will make him leave all so it is here though heretofore hee hath had many games in the world he hoped for honour and profit and his soule run all amaine upon them but when the soule hath beene brought to know the riches of Gods mercy in Christ it leaveth the old profits the old contents the old delights that he had Heb. 11.13 All these died in the faith when they had saluted the promises And observe here a carnall hearted Hypocrite his hopes be vaine idle and uncertaine the truth is if the world giveth other hopes of honour and profits and delights he leaveth his hope and with Demas he embraceth the present world but the Saints of God are not so Heb. 11.25 Moses might have had great honour but he forsooke his honour and had an eye to the recompence of reward Signe 4 The last is taken from the vertue of hope and the speciall fruit and effect that it worketh in the soule A grounded hope it alwayes lendeth supply and succour when all the rest of a mans abilities faile and are not able to sustaine and support his soule when desire faileth and love faileth I meane in his owne sense and apprehension I say then hope supporteth the soule Psal 16.9 My flesh shall rest in hope that is hope will give a man rest in the most miserable forlorne condition that may be that when the heart is ready to say where is the meanes that I have had and the good dayes that I have seene this dead heart cannot
the word and the seed of the promise which is sowne in our hearts by the vertue of the seed and the Spirit of grace accompanying that seed wee have power to receive Christ and the Spirit of Christ and so to become the Sonnes of God This is the reason of that phrase in Scripture We are not children of the flesh but of the promise also of this in Gal. 3. last verse We are made heires by the promise it makes us heires that is looke whatever ground or hope or hold of eternall life and glory blessednesse you hold it by the vertue of the promise all is by a promise grace and goodnesse is communicated to us by a promise this is our life and all our hold therefore the Gospell is made to be the testament of Jesus Christ as by ones last will and testament a man leaves his goods and lands to his posteritie so the Lord Jesus Christ out of his free good will leaveth one legacie of mercie and grace and pardon and strength to all humble broken hearted spirits Galath 3.15 though it be but a mans covenant saith hee when it is confirmed no man doth abrogate it but if a man seale it and confirme it with his bloud then it is fully established no man will no man can disanull it So Christ leaves a Legacie of mercie to you and of favour and compassion to all broken hearted sinners by promise and therefore it is established nay it is the last promise the last Legacie and Testament therefore the promise no man can alter Ioh. 1.14 He doth not leave peace then as the world doth they wish it but cannot give it they wish it but cannot bestow it but Christ leaves a legacie of mercie and peace behind him nay he hath ratified it by his bloud and he will make it good to the soule for ever Partic. 3 The witnesse makes the soule yeeld unto what the spirit hath witnessed As the witnesses in open court in a matter of law they make the case cleare and evident the Jury they take it the Judge observes it you all know how the case goes the witnesse sufficient c. So when the witnesse of Gods Spirit comes bringing the hand of God the Father and the hand of the Sonne touching Gods acceptance it casts the cause clearely Now this judgement of the sinner yeelds and cannot but close and submit it selfe unto the truth this is the meaning of that phrase before the text they shall be taught of God they shall not only learne but they shall be taught they shall have their lesson without booke they shall be made to learne and therefore the tenor of the covenant is this I will write my Law in their inward parts and they shall all know mee from the highest to the least observe the 2 Pet. 1.3 it is a place of marvellous difficultie this I take to be the meaning there is enough to satisfie any man according to his divine power he hath given unto us all things that is the Lord by his almighty divine power hath given unto us all things either appertaining to this present life here or eternall life hereafter But how comes this to passe that God doth this the Text saith It is through knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and vertue the word in the originall is through their acknowledgement of him that hath called us The soule doth not onely barely know that this is grace and mercy in Christ the eye of the understanding is not only opened but hee now comes to acknowledge the same and subscribeth thereby thereunto God saith I will save thy soule I will be thy God the soule saith It is true Lord I will deny it no more I will gain-say it no longer In a word then gather up the point if it be so that the Spirit by the witnesse thereof doth discover the interest we have in grace if it doth ratifie the interest which it doth discover nay if it makes the judgement yeeld to what it hath ratified it certifies effectually and undeniably the truths of grace and mercy thus prepared and ratified to the soule and the soule saith I confesse it Lord and closeth therewith Quest Why may some say if this bee so how then comes it to passe that many of Gods deare children how comes it that many humble hearted creatures never knew they were called never had any speciall intimation of Gods favour they cannot say in truth they are the Lords Answ I speake of him that hath had the work of preparation fully and substantially upon his soule I speake this that no scrambling hypocrite nor sinfull wretch may come and scramble for comfort and so goe away and deceive himselfe in this kind know therefore for answer thereunto There is a double knowledge the first is this A naked simple apprehension of a truth a meere closure of a mans minde with a naked plaine truth revealed so that the judgement saith it is so Secondly there is a reflecting act when a man lookes over his understanding and labours to discerne the worke thereof not only apprehending what was laid before him but when he doth apprehend that he doth apprehend when he knowes that he doth know it marke that place for wee will carry Scripture with us 1 Ioh. 2.3 Hereby we know that we know him saith the Text if wee keepe his Commandements A man may know a thing and yet not know that he doth know so then it is cleare every Saint of God hath the first knowledge that is every man that is truly called in truth doth apprehend and undoubtedly close with the worke of the Spirit making knowne unto him the mercie of Christ many may worke and most men doe the second worke they doe not know that they know the Scripture saith that the Devill himselfe rules in the hearts of the children of disobedience that is he casts in a seed of errour and delusion and corruption into the hearts of wicked men and by his delusions they entertaine those errours embrace base courses Now not one among a thousand can say that the Devill doth thus this is done by vertue of Satan and yet he doth not see it nay there is a veile of Satan upon the soule there is a seed of Satan in the soule and the soule closeth with it and yet hee apprehends it not so every faithfull soule is ruled by Gods Spirit and the seed of Gods Spirit is flung into his minde and closeth therewith but hee cannot discerne the worke of the Spirit working upon him the one governed by Satan the other enlightned by the Spirit but neither can apprehend nor know what they doe know in this kinde Reas 1 Because onely the Spirit of the Lord knowes the Lords minde it is only privie to Gods counsels and it only understands the secrets of Gods love and therefore it only can reveale them and communicate them Matth. 11.27 Now because the holy Spirit proceedeth from
and never rest till you get this blessed grace of faith that you may bee happy by it for ever Sort. 3 The third sort which we will meddle withall and discover that have no part in this saving faith are the meere civilized and seemingly judicious professors such as beare up themselves marvellous comfortably upon their owne wisedome and judgement howsoever these have a name yet it is but a name and no more and for this man that we may discover him and that he may know himselfe we will doe it in three things First I will shew him in his fashion Secondly wherein his falsenesse doth appeare and wherein he falls short Thirdly wherein hee discovers himselfe to fall short First he is a man that will deale very honestly and fairely betweene man and man hee is not scandalous in his practices hee is a man of good parts and deepe understanding and deepe reach if you will beleeve him and he exceeds the most nay even the best in his private paines he is very studious and reads much and can remember well and can expresse himselfe marvellous well and so will carry all before him nay this man is so lifted up in his imagination that hee could almost undertake to teach Ministers how to preach if any man out of weaknesse would condescend to him but if you follow him home to his family there he prayes but once a weeke and if misery and sorrow and affliction come then haply hee can pray twice unlesse some carnall base friend come into his family which haply would scorne him and his profession then he prayes once and scarcely that because hee would not offend his friend and hence it is that poore people make this man an oracle and this mans words and judgement and determinations they are of great weight and if a poore soule which can dive deeply into his owne heart comes and questions his faith and to make some doubt of his graces all is in an uproare presently what say they such a man have no faith the Lord be mercifull to us then if a man of such judgement and parts hath no faith then what shall become of us this mans words cast the ballance any way and his words are of great weight amongst the vulgar sort of people and hence it is that the poore ignorant creatures beare up themselves upon this mans judgement and say they for a man to pray twice a day it is not required and it is more than is needfull and if a man have a minde to stay at home may hee not read the Word in his owne house and get as much good by it as by going to Church wiser than wee thinke so and if it were not so doe you thinke such a man would professe it a man of parts and good judgement and many times Gods owne servants out of the sight of their owne weaknesse and the discouragements of their owne heart and when they see themselves so farre outbidden by their parts then they have such a one in a high account and preferre him above themselves by many degrees now see the guise of this man hence it is that this man falls in love with himselfe and is lifted up into a fooles paradise and he begins to admire at himselfe and for any matter of faith hee doth not question it what a man of such wisedome and such understanding what not he faith he makes no question hee cannot misse of faith and so he goes away comfortably and contentedly thus you see the faith of this man Secondly wee come to view and to see where he falls short now you see him Oh that the Lord would make him see himselfe and brethren observe thus much few of these men are ever brought home by the powerfull preaching of the Gospell and the reason is because their owne wisedome is beyond the ministery of the Word and they say such a Minister is a good Scholer but had hee that wisedome and those parts and the like thus they reare up bulwarkes against the Word of truth that it sinkes not into their hearts therefore to make this man knowne to himselfe observe thus much in the generall the basenesse of this mans faith for it is no better but that he is deluded that he cannot see it it discovers it selfe thus it is bred in his bookes and in his judgement and goes no further and it is far from saving faith therefore that the inditement may lie cleare and that we may outbid him in his booke learning and all know thus much the maine ground of this mans mistake may be discovered thus there are two things in the nature of faith First illumination Secondly application as wee tearme it illumination not onely is when a man hath the common rumours and intimations of the truths of God in the Gospell and knowes the reason of the texts and the meaning of the scriptures this the reprobate may have and this he hath but there is also an operation of the Spirit upon the affections and then there comes an application wherein the soule goes out to the promise and takes that for his good which is thereunto appointed now observe this judicious man hee hath a generall apprehension of the truths of the Gospell but as for that speciall working upon the will and to enter in upon the promises of God and to have the sap and sweet of these and to goe out to Christ and to take all from Christ he is a stranger to this and it goes beyond all his booke learning and hence it is that when the Minister comes to handle these points he saith the Minister was something confused to day and the reason why he faith so it is because hee did not understand them these men are ignorant in the spirituall turnings of the heart Iohn 3.8 9. when Christ came to teach Nicodemus he was at a losse and thought that Christ spoke without booke therefore Christ reads the lecture againe and saith I speake of the spirituall worke that which is borne of the flesh is flesh and that which is borne of the Spirit is Spirit Oh saith he how can these things be he could not gainsay Christ and yet because hee could not understand it therefore hee would not yeeld so it is with this man it befalls this man as it is with some wise Lawyer hee reads over a mans writings and the leases and hee rehearseth the tenour upon which the lands are holden and what right the man hath to them hee layes open all the questions of the law and he reads his name in the will and yet he never reads his owne name there nor any right that he hath to them Just so it is with this judicious professor he is able to dispute of the maine points of the Gospell and shewes that others have right to them and he reads the writings but never comes to partake of them himselfe as it was with the wise men that came to inquire for Christ
grace for the Lord gives what he will when he will and after what manner he will therefore stint not God in his giving but wait when and what hee will bestow upon thee Thirdly know that thou restest upon thy owne duties and endevours and goest not out to God that blesseth both the meanes and thy endevours for thy good and that is the reason why thy heart is not enlarged and grace communicated the fault is thy owne because thou restest in thy performances and in the meanes and goest not to God that would have done more than all and wrought more than all these If I thinke and am perswaded I have power to goe out of my selfe in conceiving I have power and staying there I stay in my selfe when I thinke to goe out of my selfe it is a supernaturall worke and the same hand must bring us out of our selves that must bring us to Christ the same hand must pluck us out of our selves and sinnes that must bring us to the Lord Jesus Christ therefore if I thinke and through Satans delusion conceive that I have abilitie to goe out of my selfe I repose upon my owne abilitie when I profesly renounce my owne abilitie I maintaine a repose upon my owne abilitie when I renounce it I say I can doe nothing and yet rest upon that I can doe it is a point very profitable therefore marke what I say this is selfe deniall in truth when the soule knowes it hath nothing and therefore is over-powered by the almightie worke of Gods Spirit and is stopped as it were in so much that the soule of a sinner doth not looke to expect any power or any principle from it selfe or any creature or any dutie the soule of an humble sinner knowes he is a dead man in sinne hee cannot direct his owne wayes therefore when he is brought to deny himselfe it is by the almightie worke of Gods Spirit when the Lord drawes the soule that it lookes not inward it lookes not downward it lookes not to the creature it expects no principle from within no power from the meanes to performe any dutie when then I thinke with my selfe I have power and abilitie to goe out of my selfe then I say I have a power within me to doe something pleasing to God namely I can denie my selfe which is contrarie for to denie a mans selfe is to looke for no power or expect any power or sufficiencie from himselfe or from the creature to performe that God requires therefore wee must listen and looke onely to the voice of Christ he that cals us from darknesse must call us to the glorious light of himselfe we must as well listen to the voice that must pluck us out of our selves and expect power from Christ to pluck us out of our selves as wee must expect power from Christ to goe unto him the conclusion therefore is this I would have a sinner say and thinke with himselfe I expect no power Lord from my selfe I intend to wait upon the Lord that hides himselfe from the house of Israel and I will looke up I will use all meanes and improve all helpes I can but I will not looke to hearing from that to receive any thing I will not looke to the Minister from him to receive any thing but in these meanes of hearing and prayer and in the use of all ordinances I will looke up unto God that hides his face from his servant for the while and will looke up to that wisdome to be informed that is wiser than the wisdome of the meanes and I will looke up to that power to be strengthened that is stronger than the power of the meanes Habak 3.17 when he saw all began to faile though the fig-tree blossome not and the vine flourish not yet will I rejoyce in the Lord and stay my selfe upon the God of my salvation marke this when all meanes under heaven faile when the figge tree blossomes not when the vine flourisheth not when all means faile yet there is mercy with the Lord there is power and strength and sufficiency in the Lord to doe my soule good and say thou though my sinnes be great and exceeding great though my heart be hard and comes not under the power of Gods ordinances and the means of grace work not upon my soule yet I will looke up to the Lord and my eyes shal be towards him my eyes shall not bee inward to looke upon any thing in my selfe but my eyes shall looke upon to the Lord and expect all from him and thus much shall suffice for the second hinderance Object Hinderance 3 The third hinderance which hinders a poore sinner from comming to Christ is the want of sense and feeling and therefore the distressed sinner complaines I never knew what it was to have the assurance of Gods love I never received any sound sensible comfort unto my soule and shall I thinke that I have grace shall I thinke that my heart is fitted to receive that mercie which God hath promised to his Saints the Scripture reveales it not the Saints have found it that they which beleeve rejoyce in the Lord but I am a stranger to that joy and that is a stranger to me how can I thinke then that I have any interest to the promise or any faith whereby I may depend upon the promise Ans I answer this hinders not that thou maist not come unto God by beleeving and receive good from him therfore remember these 3. particulars First thou must not thinke to have joy and refreshment before thou goest to the promise but thinke to expect it when thou doest beleeve when thou doest chew and feed upon the promise and continuest so doing know that joy and sweet refreshment it is a fruit that comes from faith first beleeve and then have joy doe not thinke to have joy and then beleeve the heart is filled with peace and joy not before beleeving but by beleeving and after beleeving then rejoyce with joy unspeakable and glorious when faith is rooted in the heart and hath had many sun-shines of Gods favour upon it then expect those admirable ravishments and sweet consolations which the word speakes of and thou maist obtaine Secondly these joyes and sense and feeling are things which may be separated from faith a man may have a good faith and a strong faith and yet not have that comfort and sweet refreshment a sinner lookes for and desires a man may want sparkes and yet want neither life nor heat a tree may want leaves and yet not want sap so it is with those consolations faith may bee strong when a mans feeling may be nothing Restore to mee the joy of thy salvation saith David hee was justified and sanctified and had faith and yet had not this joy nay Iob had faith and yet he had no sense and feeling of Gods favour Thou makest me a bâ—â—â— to shoot as faith he and thine arrowes have drunke up my spirits and yet
into the heart and by the over-piercing worke doth leave some dint of supernaturall and spirituall vertue on the heart The Spirit doth not onely with truth bring home the evidence to the heart but it iâ— stâ—ll whispering and calling and making knowne the same and forcibly soketh in the rellish of the freenesse of Gods grace and leaveth a dint of supernaturall vertue upon the soule We will expresse the points because it is somewhat difficult and is the scope of that place 2 Tim. 1.7 The Lord hath not given you the spirit of feare but of a sound minde The spirit of feare is the spirit of bondage in humiliation contrition When the Spirit sheweth a man his sinnes and sheweth him that he is in bondage and in fetters le ts him get out how he can this is the spirit of feare and of bondage In the second place there is the spirit of power But what is this spirit of power You must imagine this spirit of power doth not intimate any particular grace but as it were the sinewes and strength of the worke of the Spirit conveying it selfe through the frame of the heart and this I terme to bee the effectuall worke of the Spirit of God When the soule is humbled the Lord sweetly communicates into the soule a supernaturall and spirituall vertue Lastly as it is in nature take a knife if it be rubbed on a Loadstone it will draw iron unto it now it cannot doe that because it is a knife but because it is rubbed on a stone and receives vertue there from So it is with a heart humbled it is a fit subject for the grace of God to worke upon the love of God is like the loadstone and if the heart he rubbed thereupon and affected with the sweetnesse thereof it will bee able to close with that mercy and come to that mercy and goe to God from whence that mercy comes Quest 4 What is the behaviour of the soule when it hath learned this lesson from the Lord Answ I answer When these two things meet together in the soule then it hath learned this lesson The first is this when the soule having heard of that plentifull redemption that is in Christ as also having apprehended the revelation thereof it commeth to close with the worke of the Spirit revealing presenting and offering grace to the heart nay it comes to give entertainment to he riches of that mercy revealed to the soule There is in the mercy of God and in the blessed truth of the promises a great excellency Now when this is so plentifully brought home to the heart that it breakes through all oppositions which may hinder the worke of the Spirit upon the soule when it is brought home by the spirit of God and the heart gives way and closes with it so that there is nothing betweene that and the soule this I take to be the first frame of the soule that beginnes to learne this lesson it beginnes to close to the truth to give way to the sweetnesse that is in it and bids adieu to all delight and sinnes and whatsoever may be a hindrance unto it from receiving of this grace into the soule This is the first passage The second with which I will conclude is this that as the soule closeth with that mercy and welcommeth it and the heart is content to take up mercy upon those termes so in the second place there is an impression and disposition left upon the soule that it is framed and disposed there is a kinde of print which the soule hath with it so that as the mercy of God is revealed to the soule and communicated to the soule so there is a kind of impression frame and print which the heart retaineth and hath wrought upon it by this grace and free favour of God made knowne therefore that phrase Rom. 6.17 is a marvellous patterne to our purpose the Text saith they were delivered to this forme of doctrine Looke as it is with a seale if the seale be set to the wax and leave an impression just so many letters upon the wax as in the seale then it is wholly sealed So the Spirit of God through Christ in the promises doth reveale al the freenesse and grace of mercy in Christ Now when the Spirit doth leave an impression on the soule that man is delivered into the truth I conclude all in Acts 26.18 when Saul was sent to preach to the Gentiles the Text saith he was but to bring them out of darknesse into light mark when the Lord doth come to worke effectually upon the soule he brings men from under the power of darknesse whereas the understanding was darke and blinded when the Spirit comes it turnes it from the darknesse and power of sinne unto the power of light and grace Lastly the power of the heart doth these two things for not onely some of the heart must bee brought to God but the whole heart therefore in the precious promises of grace and savation there is fulnesse of all good to draw all the faculties of the soule unto the Lord and therefore the faithfulnesse and the truth of God is mainly revealed in the promises now that fits the understanding and makes it looke to God for pardon for power and mercy As the promise is a true word so it is a good word this answers all the will and affections there is a possibility in mercy to save a man hope expects it but then the soule must looke onely to Christ for mercy desire long for it for that there is a certainty that a man shall have mercy if he can desire it love doth welcome and delight in it nay the soule doth say The Lord hath said thou must be saved nay thou must looke to Christ for mercy it is no where else to be had nay if thou dost desire it thou shalt have it and then the Lord determines the point it is done mercy is thine and then the will addes full consent and sayes Amen Lord let it be as thou hast said Gather them up briefly When the Spirit of God doth so cleerly present mercy to the soule and doth leave by the over-powring worke thereof a supernaturall worke upon the soule that the spirit closeth therewith and receives the print and impression thereof now the lesson is fully learned this may suffice for the opening of the severall things now therefore we will addresse our selves to gather the doctrines out of the Text. And first for the generall in that the Father is said to teach Doct. That the teaching of the heart effectually is the proper taske and worke of God It is not you that can teach your selves neither can all the meanes and friends under heaven doe it no it is the work onely of the Father All these meanes and ministers are usefull but God is the chiefe master and all these are but underling ushers to convey the minde of God unto us but the master is God himselfe
his sins but the Word reveales them and the Spirit settles them thou maist take thy pleasures and live in thy sins but the end will be bitter for all these sins God will visit thee God will execute judgement upon thee then the soule trieth his heart examines his paths and begins to pore on his corruptions when Satan sees this he labours to draw him away and sends drunken companions unto him that they may take his minde off from his sins Policie 2 But if Satan cannot keepe him from seeing his sins then he shall see nothing but sin before hee was frolicke and braved it out and kickt mercie into the kennell and he would doe what he list Ministers tell mee of grace no no I will follow my course now it is otherwise with him he can see nothing but iudgements and plagues and corruptions and so sinks downe in discouragements as therefore there is nothing that can pursue a sinner and make him see his sins but God so there is none but the Spirit that can let downe a cord of mercy and draw a poore sinner out from the bottome of hell so the Spirit knowes the secrets of God if the Spirit once settles these things upon the soule and takes away all hinderances that doe oppose the evidence of Gods favour then the Spirit must only certifie Gods love and mercy and goodnesse to the soule of an humble broken hearted sinner Vset Triall will you put your selves upon triall will you over-see whether you ever had any notice of Gods acceptance observe then the author of it whence and of whom you had it this will discover the truth of it when we mistrust good newes from a farre Country we use to say it is good indeed but is it certaine whence had you it had you a letter from beyond sea or heard you from some Noble man that heard the letter read then it is certaine So there be glad tidings of peace and mercy there is good newes from heaven God hath pardoned vile sinners God saves millions of men good newes but if your hearts perswade you for certain doe you thinke so or doe others tell you so is it nothing but idle ale-house talke hath Gods Spirit sealed it doth God say to thy soule thou art his servant he thy King thou his son he thy Father if it be so thou maist pawne thy life on it trust to it the notice is good If a malefactor were condemned and a rogue that hath beene burnt in the hand who goes up and downe with a passe suppose the one to forge his pardon the other to counterfeit his passe A wise man he knowes and understands the falsenesse of the partie and he shall never get any good by it hee will stop the rogue with the passe in his hand and hang the traytor with his pardon about his neck So it is here wee are all malefactors and poore rogues running up and downe the face of the earth and we are walking and looking after another Country now what must be our passe the evidence of the Spirit thou that saist thou doubtest not of Gods mercy and the pardon of thy sins under whose seale hast thou this pardon did it come from a right Office and from a right Seale then it is good else the Lord will stop thee with thy passe in thy hand and hang thee with thy pardon about thy necke Quest But then you will say how may wee discerne the notice of the Spirit of the Lord from another notice and how may the Saints of God discerne it Triall 1 Differs in these three particulars First in the specialitie of it it is an evidence that comes home particularly to the soule Looke as it is in the conveyance of lands and leases by joynt inheritance therein haply the lease was made before the man had a childe now if afterwards he have halfe a dozen children every one in particular hath a title to it interest in that land as though they were mentioned in particular So the Gospell propounds grace and mercy to all humbled soules broken hearted sinners are mâ—de joynt heires and inheritors of everlasting mercy you that will come out of your sinfull courses and will touch no uncleane thing thou hast particular interest in Gods mercy as if thou wert called by name Robert or Richard c. Now mark al the notice and evidence that any hypocrite under heaven hath of the freenesse of Gods mercy is this hee hath only some common inkling and heare-say of salvation they are within the hearing of the promises made to others and they either not rightly apprehend or else mis-applying the sense and meaning of the promise to themselves they cosen their soules and never have any particular evidence of the truth of it to their soules by the worke of the Spirit there is haply an expectation among the prisoners in Newgate that there wil be a pardon come cut at the end of the Parliament and some man passeth by and saith there is a pardon for Newgate The prisoners that heare this it makes them rejoyce but when the Parliament comes out there is a pardon only for such persons for such facts of such a quality and nature and so haply he that rejoyced so much in the consideration of a pardon hath nothing to doe with it now the generall heare-say will doe no good but the particulâ—r evidence so it is betweene a cunning Hypocrite and a childe of God when an Hypocrite hath beene driven to extreme horrour for his sins then he lookes out for mercy his heart is terrified and his soule perplexed and he heares there is abundance of mercy in Christ and Christ came to save sinners the Hypocrite is delighted with this in the generall this is only overly and common he over-heares a promise and so quiets himselfe therein but when it comes to the triall God came to save sinners but what sinners humble broken hearted sinners But the Hypocrite is not such an one therefore it belongs not to him Differ 2 The second difference of the Spirit is such that it can hardly be rased out of the soule the testimony of the Spirit brought home to the soule cannot bee taken away for when the Spirit witnesseth to the soule it leaves the light upon the minde of an humbled sinner that will never be plucked off but hee will turne his eye towards it while the world lasts This evidence that is brought home and cast in by the Spirit it is so unexpected and so pleasing and so incomparably strong and wonderfull and withall so unconceiveable excellent that an humbled sinner when once he sees the glimpse and inckling thereof it will ever be prying and looking that way nay in the most desperate discouragements that can befall and in the greatest desertions that can betide the soule nay notwithstanding all those subtilties of temptations that Satan hurries into the soule to make a man at a losse and to make him leave looking
after the freenesse of grace in Christ yet the poore soule will ever be lingring after this Light looke as it is with a great torch carry it out of one roome into another by-roome and though the torch be gone yet it will leave such a glimmering so that a man may follow the torch so it is with the soule truly humbled it hath received the testimony of the Spirit though the torch the glory of the testimony of this witnesse goeth aside a little in temptation yet the Lord leaves such a kind of glimmering or inkling of goodnes that the soule looks after the lampe light in this kinde and followeth it for ever Ionah 2.4 Ionah was there stubborne with the Lord he was sent to Ninive he goes to Tarshish wel God sends a whirlewind after him and tosseth him into the sea and sent also a great Whale an unruly ferry-man to carry him to land Now being in the belly of the Whale hee begins to apprehend himselfe and then is joyfull and there he made a question of Gods everlasting love but yet when he was in the belly of hell and mountaines of water went over him yet marke how the holy man behaveth himselfe I will still looke towards thy holy presence He had some illuminations of Gods goodnesse in Christ and howsoever the glory therof was eclipsed yet there was some glimmering left behinde But now the flashes of the Hypocrite they are sudden the lightning of Gods love that is in his minde but it passes thorow the soule suddenly and leaves it in the same hazard ignorance and at a losse as formerly for howsoever an hypocrite may have a glimmering and a kinde of flash and take notice of the powers of the world to come yet it comes like lightning suddenly come suddenly gone and it draweth the minde for the while and the understanding for the present but in conclusion the soule is where it was before when this flash is gone and the lightning is over it is just at the same losse and danger it was before Differ 3 From this authority of the Spirit it is of great authority and of marvellous powerful command so that the whole frame of the soule comes to be ordered and the heart comes to be framed sutable and agreeable thereon Looke as it is with a mighty streame all the lesser streames runne that way so it is with the blessed streame of this evidence of truth what the Spirit of God lets into the minde of the Saints it carries all with it and beares all before it and makes the whole streame of the soule be answerable thereunto Take notice between the vision Saint Paul had and which Balaam had God let in a light into Balaams soule What wilt thou curse Iacob Oh the glory that I will bestow upon them This made his teeth water at the goodnesse of the Lord and he saith Let mee die the death of the righteous Numb 24.2 the Text useth the phrase The Spirit of God was upon Balaam the meaning is he intimated the happie condition of the Saints of the Lord and in stead of cursing he blessed them though this cursed Witch Balaam had this common enlightning to know the excellencie of the condition yet his heart was never the better was covetous and malicious still towards Iacob But looke Acts 26.19 Saint Paul saith hee was not disobedient to the vision as who should say The blessed truth that was revealed to me the voyce that spake to me from heaven my minde was framed thereby and answerably disposed thereunto and I submitted and came in at the voyce of the Lord. Hence the phrase in Scripture They that know thee will trust in thee as who should say Grounded knowledge brings in confidence So Ioh. 4.10 Christ saith Hadst thou knowne me it is not every knowledge that will doe the deed a man may talke of grace but hadst thou understood better the evidence thou shouldest have asked grace and received it this is the reason of Iobs speech when God takes a man in hand he will command a man to returne fron iniquitie there is a commanding power in the obedience of truth the Lord lets in a commanding power and turnes the heart from sin and makes it yeeld to the obedience of God Whereas the light of the hypocrite is like lightning in the evening a flash and away and leaves no heat behinde it The Sunne doth not only give light but it leaves a heat behind it so it is with the Spirit of God when the sunshine of the heavenly light comes into the heart it leaves a heat of holy affections behinde it framing and disposing the heart of a man to be at the call and command of God Observe when wee lay forth arguments before men and convince their consciences that their course is nought notwithstanding whatsoever we can speake they returne to their wicked speeches and base practices their lives are as wicked their tongues as prophane as ever but when the Spirit of God will take those arguments we propound out of Scripture and make knowne those troubles to the understanding it communicates unto thee and them that power to the soule that it comes to be disposed thereunto Differ 4 The testimony of the Spirit goes upon very good ground it is a wise Spirit and a Spirit of truth and therefore goes wisely to worke Now Hypocrites they beare up their hearts with admirable evidence of Gods love but aske them what reasons they have for it what arguments to maintaine it they have nothing at all to say this is an undoubted argument of a besotted befooled hypocrite Come to your ancient people and enquire of them in the time of their sicknesse aske them if ever they were perswaded of Gods favour they say they thanke God they never doubted of it they reply they were worse than Reprobates if they should but they have no ground at all to confirme this this is an undoubted argument of a soule that never had any sound evidence of Gods love for where the Spirit comes it goes upon good ground Vse 2 Direction and Exhortation hence wee learne what course wee must take what path wee must tread in what meanes we must use to get this notice and gaine this evidence of Gods love to our soules learne the ground get the witnesse of Gods Spirit get but the Spirit to seale it and all is thine It was the speech of Sampson when he propounded a Riddle to the Philistines they knew not how to answer it because they understood it not before he had told his wife and shee them then they related the Riddle to them hee confesseth their answer to be good But saith he had you not plowed with my Heifer you could not have expounded my Riddle I use the same comparison for our purpose use Gods meanes if you would know Gods minde take counsell of him that is privie Counceller of Heaven would you be perswaded of Gods love and affection
of those gracious promises which God hath made to poore humbled sinners Now if we be not able to cast the sense and meaning of the promise it is like an uncertaine sound though the witnesse bee good and plaine yet I cannot be comforted thereby 2 Cor. 6.16 17. This is the language of the Spirit Now let a poore humble hearted soule come and lay his heart levell to the promise one saith it is true if it were so with mee then God would be my God that promise is made to them that touch no uncleane thing but I am defiled with sins and abominations and carried aside by them therefore no share in this promise Now the meaning of the testimony is mistaken the witnesse is as good as can be and will cast the cause on your side but you understand not the meaning of the witnesse therefore we will spell the words what is it to touch no uncleane thing it is not to bee lightly acquainted with it therefore art thou content to sue out a bill of divorce to all thy sins how ever heretofore thou wert married to them yet now thou art resolved to bed with them no more art thou contented God should make knowne what ever is amisse in thy soule and subdue every distemper that is the meaning of the promise and if it be thus with thee the promise belongs to thee Meanes 4 Labour to keepe the promise by you for ever and have a readie recourse thereunto upon all occasions forget not the promise be not a stranger to it be not unacquainted be not unaccustomed to have daily trading with the promise which is so profitable to us Prov. 3.3 marke what counsell God gives by wisdome Let not mercy and truth forsake thee mercy and truth will forsake a man Satan would plucke them away but suffer them not saith the Text to depart from thy soule Iob 22.21 so the originall hath it have a daily intercourse to the promise meditate therein and muse thereupon see thou looke a ready way and have recourse to the Lord upon all occasions Motive 1 To perswade us to use these meanes is this because this most concernes our good if a man had all the good things the world could afford and his hearts desire if he had friends to respect him wealth to enrich him and honour to promote him yet if the Lord should send this heavie Message into his conscience God will curse those blessings and dam thy soule and person that newes from heaven of Gods indignation would take away the sweetnesse of all the comforts of this life but had a man good tidings from heaven were the Lord pleased to give notice of his love and mercie in Jesus Christ it would support us in whatsoever miseries or troubles should befall us nay when our owne hearts and consciences tell us hard tidings these evils thou hast committed and they will be thy plague and for this thou shalt be damned and frie in hell this is ill newes but this will beare up a mans heart if hee can but looke up to heaven and take good tidings and notice of Gods favour this will joy and refresh a mans soule Motive 2 As this most concernes us so Satan is most cunning to deprive us of the same if hee can stop any intelligence and take away any evidence of Gods love and mercie to the soule this is that Satan labours for for if the heart gets evidence this way and have notice under the hand of the Spirit what love what joy what power and vertue will be in the soule what courage and undauntednesse will be in the heart to walke in the wayes of godlinesse then learne from the Devill himselfe he labours to keepe from you what will doe you most good therefore be you as carefull to get this notice of Gods love to your soules from the Spirit in the promise as Satan is to hinder you from the same Vse 3 Instruction Hence I conclude that the poorest humbled sinner of the meanâ—st capacity doth know more of spirituall truths concerning grace and salvation and Gods love in Christ than the most wise and learned in the world that are not humbled In a word take the meanest Saint that ever breathed on the earth and the greatest scholler for outward parts and learning and reach and policie the meanest ignorant soule that is almost a naturall foole that soule knowes and understands more of grace and mercy in Christ than all the wisest and learnedst in the world than all the greatest schollers and most pompous Cardinals these were never humbled How doe I conclude this why thus if Gods spirit onely give notice of this favor to the humble then all other bee their parts what they will bee God doth not informe them the humble are informed they not instructed therefore the other know not what they cannot conceive As suppose one dull blocke and a quicke wit are both set to one trade yet if the dullard had an expert master and did beat into him the skill of the trade and the quicke spirit was with a master that could not teach him his trade wee see that the dull blocke is more wise in his trade than the other so it is here they have the Lord for their master Vse 4 To shew us the certainty of the assurance of faith if the spirit of God gives notice and certifie a thing it must needs be certaine and hence it is that the assurance of faith must needs bee infallible and undeniable in those that have it I ground it thus That which commeth from the notice of the spirit is most undeniable but the assurance thereof commeth from the notice of the spirit that faith is most undeniable hence commeth those triumphs I know my Redeemer liveth I am perswaded that neither height nor depth c. shall be able to separate me from the love of God in Christ The worke of God upon the understanding we have spoken of at large now wee come to the worke of God upon the affections as the understanding apprehendeth the truth of the promise so the heart looketh at the goodnesse of the promise Now therefore the Lord he must teach all the affections to come unto the promise and the first affection that commeth next in order is the affection of hope Doctrine The Doctrine is this The holy Spirit of the Father doth stir the heart of an humbled and inlightned sinner to hope for the goodnesse of the Lord The Lord calleth all the affections come joy come desire come love but the first voyce is to hope only observe this passage it must come from a heart humbled and inlightned for nothing commeth to the heart to be affected but onely by the head and understanding therefore before the soule can hope the heart must bee humbled and inlightned humbled in regard of preparation and inlightned in regard of the certification of Gods goodnesse Secondly it must be stirred up to doe it the spirit
a phrase taken from a man which makes love to a partie so the truth of God makes love to many a man it makes love to thy naughtie and corrupt heart and would plucke thee away from these things here below and would draw thee from thy base haunts and filthy lusts and sinfull courses and it would wooe and winne thy soule to take place in it that it may shew comfort to it the truth of God makes love to the world and the world will none of the truth Christ came to the world and the world received him not they were so farre from seeking a Saviour and comming to him that they would not receive a Saviour when hee came unto them Therefore know thou hast a heart that can hate the Lord Jesus Christ but thou hast not a heart to love him thou hast not a heart that can delight in his good Spirit thou hast not a heart that can take content in his rich grace The second reason why I presse this point is this I would discover the disorderly dealing of many poore Saints of God wâ—th their owne soules Many a poore childe of God labours extremely and takes great paines to worke his soule and bring his heart to love Christ he falls out with himselfe because he cannot love God and he is ready to curse himselfe hee cannot get his heart up to heaven where is more riches than is in the best riches of the world where is more honour than in the greatest honour upon earth where is more pleasure than in the greatest delight here below they labour and can finde no good successe they take paines but their worke doth not succeed prosperously the reason is this they doe not begin at the right end they worke the wrong way goe to the sea of love and goe to the sunne of righteousnesse and to the beames of Gods mercie which onely can worke thy heart to love God and delight in him doe not goe to thy cold earthly frozen heart and thinke to fetch love from thence thinke not to bring love to the promise but looke to receive love from the promise but it is the love of God towards thee that must draw love from thee to God againe It was the speech of Christ when he was to send the Comforter to his Disciples Iohn 16.14 He shall receive of mine saith the text and give it unto you marke the phrase all graces and all spirituall abilities are Christs goe thy wayes therefore and presse the Lord Jesus with this promise of his and say The truth is Lord the heart to love thee and delight in thee is thine and thou hast said thy Spirit shall take of thine and give to us therefore give to us of thine Lord that thou mayst receive of thine from us Our hearts cannot love nor delight in thy Majestie but it must come from thee give it to us therefore Lord that wee may give thee of thine owne Vse 2 The second thing I gather from this doctrine is this namely strong comfort and consolation to stay and refresh the hearts of those that have received this gracious worke What ever thy weaknesse be it skils not Is thy love in truth Is thy joy sound it is enough thy soule may bee comforted in that the Lord hath bestowed this gracious worke upon thee in any measure if thy love be in truth it will carry thee through all occasions in this pilgrimage of thine and bring thee to everlasting happinesse it is a ground of admirable refreshing to the soule that findes in his heart this love and delight in God The text telleth us a man by nature cannot doe this Therefore if thou hast this goe thy way cleare thy soule and blesse God for it and make much of it and say Thou hast more than all carnall men than all cunning hypocrites under heaven can have pretend what they will and professe what they please thou that hast the love of God in any measure though in much weaknesse thou hast more than they all This may refresh the hearts of many of you poore ones though haply many other things goe ill with you yet this appeares in the younglings of Christ though they cannot doe any thing for their Father yet they can love him it is a loving childe we say it can love the Father though it can doe nothing for him so you poore weake Christians that have small meanes little abilities haply thy understanding is not so deepe to fadome the mysteries of life and salvation thy tongue is not so glib to talke so freely and conferre so comfortably of heavenly things thou canst not be enlarged in holy duties thy understanding is marvellous blinde thy memory marvellous weake thy parts exceeding feeble so that thou art even ashamed of thy selfe and of what thou hast and dost But I aske thee this question Canst thou love Christ and reioyce in the Lord Jesus mee thinkes many a poore soule replies Yes I blesse the Lord that is all I have to uphold my heart withall I thinke all the profits and pleasures and friends in the world cannot draw my love from Christ it is my delight to love him and rejoyce in him Goe thy wayes then and the God of heaven go with thee this sparke is a sparke of that immortall Spirit of the Father which will never dye it is a worke of grace which will never leave thee it is a badge it is the cognizance and the proper liverie which the Lord Jesus Christ gives only to his Saints there was never a hypocrite under heaven that ever wore this God intended it not for them but those and onely those which the Lord hath effectually called and will glorifie with himselfe hereafter weare this and therefore thou that wantest all yet hast this comfort thy selfe with this in the want of all and say I love the Lord and the Lord knowes it and my soule knowes that I love the Lord Jesus I can say but little for Christ my understanding is weake I conceive not my memorie is weake I retaine not but yet the Lord knowes I love him and delight in him Yea and know thou it too and comfort thy selfe therein the Apostle provoâ—es us to love one another Iohn 4.7 because love comes from God now if the love to the brethren comes from God because wee see Gods image in them then the love of God hath a much more expresse worke in it therefore reason thus with your selves The time was that this wretched vile carnall worldly heart of mine could finde no relish in the promise I could not bring this naughtie soule of mine to entertaine the Gospell of grace nor the Spirit of grace but they were tedious and irksome to my soule but the Lord blessed be his name hath beene pleased to helpe me so that I can doe that which I never could doe I finde the Lords promise and goodnesse much more comfortable to me than all the corne and wine
so loathsome is because hee is so sinfull Now marke what the text saith this is the condemnation Iohn 3.19 that light is come into the world and men loved darknesse more than the light the Lord revealed light that is Christ to the world but the world loved sin and the temptations of Satan and the corruptions of their owne hearts more than Christ and more than mercy that was tendered to them in the Lord Jesus it is cleere therefore it was so it will be so and it is so to this day Men love their base lusts and sinfull corruptions more than the Lord Jesus Christ and the power of his grace which he expresseth to their soules and consequently they love the delusions and suggestions of Satan more than the motions of Gods Spirit and the comfort thereof Thus now we have laid downe the Inditement let us also plead it a little wee see there be many in the Church that doe not loâ—e the Lord Jesus Christ but who are they of that we will now speake for when we lay the charge we must name the man the Inditement in generall is nothing we will therefore referre these men that love not Christ to three rankes The first are open enemies to Christ The second are the glozing newters of the world The third are the fawning Hypocrites that are faire in shew but false in heart all these are guilty of this Inditement wee will therefore plead it against them desiring the Lord to convince their consciences thereof Ranke 1 First for the former and they are open enemies to the Lord Jesus we will not spend much time here but stand longest there where is most need First therefore there are open enemies to Christ and they are many such as Isaiah speakes of ye stiffe necked and hardhearted ye have resisted the Spirit of the Lord Those which set their mouthes against Heaven and stand in open defiance against the Lord Iesus and against the power of his Grace and the worke of his Spirit in the hearts of his and in the ministery of the Word and these we referre to two heads Sort. 1 First such as are profest opposers of the evidence of the truth those whereof Christ spake the Housholder let out his Vineyard to Husbandmen Matth. 21.33 and when the time of the fruits drew neere hee sent his servants to the Husbandmen that he might receive the fruits of it and the Husbandmen tooke his servants and beat one and killed another and stoâ—â—â— another at last he sent his sonne and said surely they will reverence my sonne nay when hee came they all combined and conspired together and said this is the Heire come let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours this was an intimation of the Scribes and Pharisees the Chuch was the Vineyard and it was let out to them and God sent his Prophets among them they persecuted them then hee sent his Disciples they stoned them and when his Sonne came they conspired against the Lord Iesus with one open mouth with one joynt endevour Come said they this is the Heire let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours And doe you thinke that the Scribes and Pharisees are dead and have left none of their cursed brood and generation behinde them I tell you beloved there are many persecutors of Christ and his Gospell to this day which are the leaders of the campe which stand in open defiance of the God of Heaven but if you aske mee what entertainment their lusts have among these men they find all welcome possible temptations whisper not occasions come not corruptions stirre not so soone be the company never so base the course never so vile the practice never so wicked but these miserable sinfull creatures give audience and attendance and acceptance and entertainment to these base courses nay they invite them and provide for them nay they bestow a great deale of cost for the entertainment of their lusts they seeke out occasions to commit their sinnes the adulterer goeth in the twi-light to meet his queanes and the drunkard goes to the Ale-house to meet with his base companions thus they invite their lusts and provide for their lusts this is that the Apostle disswades us from Rom. 13.14 make no provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof yet these men make provision for their base lusts their mindes are plotting and their endevours labouring to provide all courses that may give entertainment to their lusts therefore no marvell they finde such long continuance in their sinnes because they make such provision for them but now if you will observe how these men entertaine Christ you may discover it by these two passages Passage 1 First observe how they entertaine the power of Christs Spirit in the ministerie of the word and secondly how they entertaine the presence of our Saviour in the graces of his children First concerning the ministerie of the word if it be so that the ministery of the word comes powerfully home to the conscience and would open the eyes and awaken the heart of ungodly men and would plucke them from their sinnes Oh what an uproare there is and how doe men take up armes against the truth and beat off the power of the word that it may not prevaile with the heart and awaken them and that it may not rule in their lives Christ notes such as these for opposers of goodnesse Luke 19.27 Bring hither mine enemies that would not that I should reigne over them and slay them before my face the word would plucke the cup from the drunkards mouth and the adulterer from enjoying his dalliances with his mate but their hearts swell and they groane to be under that truth and under the rule thereof and to be swayed thereby nay they doe not only withdraw themselves from yeelding obedience to the holinesse of the word but they will not so much â—s acknowledge the truth of the word which the Devill himselfe did when Paul was preaching the grace of life and salvation the text saith Acts 16.17 The damsell that had the spirit of divination met him and the Devill said These men are the servants of the most high God which shew unto us the way of salvation the Devill acknowledged that this was the word and the very truth the Devill acknowledged these were the services which God commands and these were the duties which ought to be discharged but wicked men will not be perswaded of this they will not beleeve that they must be holy as he is holy neither will they beleeve that they must be pure as he is pure these men doe not give God so much honour as the Devill did but die out and say I will never be of that opinion all the world shall not perswade mee to it five hundred Ministers shall not make me thinke so Beâ—oved this is profest opposition and desperate hatred against the Lord not onely to withdraw â—he
heart from obedience but the understanding from the acknowledgement of the truth which â—he Devill himselfe confesseth Lord what hearts â—ave these men and what distempers are in their â—pirits who will not doe that which the Devill â—imselfe will doe Passage 2 Nay in the second place looke how they behave themselves when they come into Christs presence doth not that man hate a man that cannot endure to be in his sight and enjoy communion with him if Christ come amongst these and presse into the societie of them in the presence of his children their hearts are transported with infinite indignation against the appearance of grace in the lives and against the appearance of holinesse in the courses of those which are the servants of the Lord observe this they that hâ—â—e poore Christians for the holinesse and grace which they have received from Christ they haâ—e Christ more and holinesse more fearfull is the case of such and their condition lamentable Oâ— that they would at last goe home and parley with their owne soules and reason with their hearts after this manner and not suffer themselves any longer to be deluded say thus to thy soule I have beene heretofore deluded and I have deceived my selfe I pretended I hated such men because they were dissemblers and hypocrites no no I hate the picture of grace much more grace a selfe in them if a man cannot endure the picture of a man much lesse can he endure the person of that man so is it with the soule I beseech you be at last convinced of it and say I hate the shew and forme of godlinesse in Gods children but I hate the vertue and power of godlinesse muâ—â— more if I hate the beames of the sunne I haâ— the sunne much more if I hate the sonne for the fathers sake I hate the father much more if I hate a Christian because Christ hath humbled and brought him home then I hate Christ infinitely then I hate his Spirit infinitely then I hate his grace infinitly much more if I hate the lanthorne for the lights sake then I hate the light much more a thiefe cannot endure a lanthorne if it be a light lanthorne if it be a darke one haply hee can away with it but if it be a light lanthorne hee loathes the lanthorne and hee loathes the man that brings it but he hates the light much more than the lanthorne so is it with every sinfull opposer of the practice and profession of Gods grace a Saint of God hath a rush candle light of Gods grace and purity and uprightnesse and he carries this among a company of blasphemers and opposers of God and his grace now when they see this light of holinesse they hate the man that beares it much more holinesse it selfe which is in him for which hee is so opposed anâ— resisted To this ranke also belongs your poore ignorant carnall creatures and civilized carnall Gosâ—elers however they will not doe what these â—en doe yet they will approve of what they doe poore silly things that know nothing of God and grace and can doe nothing against the truth of God of themselves though they are not brought to this height of wickednesse to be profeâ—â— opposers against that which is holy yet they will joyne sides with the wicked and what they doe they commend and applâ—â—d and approve of â—f a poore Christian be banded from one place to another to the losse of his liberty and griefe of his heart nay say these poore deluded creatures and carnall gospellers it is no matter they must be more holy than others and they must be more precise than others it is no matter now see what they get by it these men now approve of what a company of persecutours doe and their heart is the same though they do not do the same they are guilty of it because of their approvement of it as the Scribes and Pharisees conspired against our Saviour the souldiers they took our Saviour Pilat he condemned our Saviour now the poore crowd they cried below Crucifie him crucifie him they did not condemne him nor take him but they were guilty of crucifying Christ because they gave their consent and approvement thereunto as S. Peter saith Ye have crucified the Lord of life so there are a company of poore creatures Acts 2. you know you old poore husband and your old poore father though poore fooles they can doe nothing against the Gospell yet it doth their hearts good when it is opposed and they say it is well it is pitty but it should be so I tell thee thou aâ— guilty of opposing Christ as well as he that persecutes Christ marke what Christ saith to the Scribes and Pharisees Your Fathers slew the Prophets and you build their sepulchers that is thâ—â— approved the practices of their fathers so thâ—â— looke as it is with a campe there are some leadâ—â— and commanders and there are some souldiers and there are others which are followers of thâ— campe and carry the baggage now though 〈◊〉 be not leaders and captaines and souldiers yet all are of the same campe so there is a great long traine in the Devils campe there are some leaders and profest opposers of Christ which the sunne is wearie to behold and the earth is weary to beare these are the souldiers and captaines and commanders and poore ignorant creatures and carnall gospellers that follow the baggage they are of the black guard too though they are the taile of the armie yet they are of the armie of the Devill and they are all young Satans though their talents bee not so long and their clawes so sharp as others are they have not learned the skill to make a prey of a poore man as others have but yet they will approve of that which others doe consider this then all ye that stand in open defiance against Christ all you that joyne sides with and give a kinde of allowance to such ungodly courses you are guiltie and found tardy in this case though the sinne be not yours by action yet you make it by approvement thus the open enemy to Christ is gone as also the poore ignorant creature and carnall gospeller and civilized person who though the will not doe a thing yet it is rost meat to him to see it done Ranke 2 The second sort that comes here to bee reproved are glozing neuters these also love their sinnes more than Jesus Christ and love not him in truth these are those that halt betweene two opinions your linfie-woolsie men as we speake in the proverb these tame fooles that will doe no body no harme providâ—d that no man hurts them the highest pitch of these neuters is this that they may procure safety among all men and gaine some respect amongst the best they wish all should doe well but their resolution is this they will not trouble themselves nor be troublesome to others they say hurt comes by medling and he that meddles lest
against the mighty It is nothing for a man to say I did not such a thing and I was loth to put my finger in the fire before I was called I tell thee thou wert called to it such a man such a Minister that saw the Gospell lie at the stake and had not a heart to grieve for it and a hand to succour it hee is guiltie thereof the Lord will spew such newâ—ets out of hiâ— mouth Revel 3.16 I would thou wert either hot or cold because thou art neither therefore I will spew thee out of my mouth that is either openly prophane or soundly sincere be something appeare in your colours either a Saint that may be saved or else a Devil that may bee damned otherwise the Lord will vomit you out of his mouth cold water is best digested and a mans stomacke by hot water is least offended but luke warme water is most loathsome so the Lord hates and abhors a luke-warme Laodicean foole that is of no side because â—he is not sincere hearted of any side Ranke 3 The third and last sort is your fawning Hypocrite who pretends extraordinary zeale for Christ and expresseth outwardly much love to goodnesse and will speake for a good cause and hazard himselfe therein and yet when he hath done all and shewed himselfe a friend to Christ in profession hee proves in conclusion a most bitter enemy Saul was just such a fawning Hypocrite God commanded him to goe against the Amalekites 1 Sam. 15.3 and destroy all Now Saul pretends great matters what he would doe and what he had done for the Lord and when Samuel came to meet him Saul said Blessed be thou of the Lord I have performed the Commandement of the Lord as if he had said I am glad you are here that I may give up my account I have done what the Lord enjoyned me to doe and am glad that I may approve my heart unto thee herein but Samuel presently convinced him and said What means then this bleating of sheepe in mine eares and this lowing of Oxen which I heare As who should say hast thou done the commandement of the Lord No though I were silent yet the lowing of Oxen and the bleating of Sheepe can testifie that Saul is an hypocrite and a dissembler and hath not discharged nor performed the duty God commanded him he bade kill all but thou hast saved some But leaving these I come a little to discover divers other sorts of Hypocrites amongst us and they may bee ranked into foure sorts First there is a whining Hypocrite Secondly the wrangling Hypocrite Thirdly the glorious Hypocrite and fourthly the presumptuous Hypocrite I shall hardly peruse any of these at this time I will onely touch the second a little which I thinke to bee seasonable and that is the wrangling hypocrite There are a company of wretched men in the world that fawn and flatter and pretend to doe great kindnesses and they professe they are at your command to serve you to doe what you will and performe what you please but trie them and prove them and you shall finde it otherwise they will not openly professe that they will not doe the thing but when all comes to all they pretend these and these inconveniences will follow if they should doe it they will not professely say they will not doe the kindnesse but they will make a plea that they ought not that they should not doe it and it is against reason that you should require it so these Hypocrites they resolve to live no longer they resolve that they would not enjoy any thing in this world they would not bee any thing or doe any thing but onely so farre as the Lord Iesus may be honoured and his Gospell promoted If they thinke they should promote the Gospell of Christ more another way than this they would not undertake it but when it comes to this passe that a man must leave his honour and livings and profits which so neerly concerne him for Christ then his tricke is this hee doth not professe â—y say I will have pleasure or profit and not Christ but he will wrangle with Christ and stand upon tearmes with God and say hee ought not to doe this it is not fit he should doe it there is no command for the thing Beloved it is admirable to observe the spirit of these men when the word comes cleere to them when the duty is revealed and required at their hands Oh how they will search farre and neere to invent arguments to make it no duty and turne over all bookes and as he spake wittily rake the Devils skull that so they may have some shift not to doe that which they ought It is a pretty trick to bee observed amongst great men that follow the fashion First they resolve to conforme themselves to the Word of God revealed but when the fashion comes up they will plead for that too and now the question is not what they must doe but what they will doe for all fashions must bee lawfull because they are resolved to use them I will propound one truth onely to these men observe it in thine owne soule doe not thinke to wrangle out the truth and to quarrell with the Gospell or to make any pretence against that way which God hath chalked out before thee and against any duty God commands thee But art thou in good earnest content that that should bee true which God will have to bee true Art thou willing those things should bee naught which the Word of God saith are naught Men may talke what they will but they have their reservations still and there is a league betweene them and their base courses which they will not bee convinced of There is a secret way of sinning which they will not leave but plead for it that their Conscience may not flie in their faces and that they may not goe professely against the evidence of the truth Beloved these men give no contentment to Christ but to their owne corrupt hearts One gives content to the fashion and weares that another gives content to his libertie hee will not bee hazarded Therefore hee will do any thing rather than he will be undone now this man loves freedome and not the truth of Jesus Christ hee will not suffer imprisonment for it This gracious worke of the Spirit was never wrought in these mens hearts JOHN 6.45 Every man that hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto mee WE are now come to the worke of the will which is the great wheele as it were the great commander of the soule we are now come to the chamber of presence the former affections I told you they were but as handmaids to usher in Christ and the promises The minde saith I have seene Christ hope saith I have waited desire I have longed love and joy say that is here which wee have received and entertained here is that which will supply all wants that
and it is ready to cousen the touch I meane of able judicious Christians but now this faith never came from the right place for if it were right it must come from the mine of mercie and from God and the worke of his Spirit from thence thou hast it if thy faith bee sound Rom. 10.17 Faith comes by hearing the word faith is not in us it comes to us it is not wrought or purchased by our owne worthinesse or power the word is the conduit to convey it but the Spirit of the Lord Jesus is as the fountaine that sends it into the soule so that you must not thinke to have faith here first but hast thou found faith here first then it is not of the right but if the good Spirit of the Lord hath wrought upon thee if it be so then thy faith is right but some will say we heare the word diligently and we doe attend upon God in his ordinances and have wee not faith I answer hearing is the meanes to convey it but it is the Spirit of the Father that conveyes it by the meanes and that Spirit thou must receive by the meanes if ever thou have it there is the pitch of the point Object But how shall we know when the Spirit of God is pleased to worke this in our soules and to put it into our soules by hearing Ans There is all the difficultie and it is worth the while to consider sadly of it for I know the worke of Gods Spirit by the word in the soule by these particulars First the Spirit sheweth to the soule of a poore sinner that hee hath no faith nor no abilities 〈◊〉 worke it of himselfe this the word workes first but we are not yet at the bottome Secondly when the Spirit hath shewed thee that thou art an unfaithfull soule and that thou hast to power to worke it of thy selfe then the Spirit of the Lord by the word breathes upon the soule of a poore sinner and by the sweetnesse thereof overmasters and breakes downe all those secret cursed distempers of heart that brought under the soule and kept him in himselfe every man is brought in bed with his corruptions as Iob speakes namely thus The Spirit of God in the word drives the soule to a restlesse disquiet and makes him see that hâ—e must not stay here but hee must seeke out and goe from hence and seeke for another condition or else hee must perish for ever rest not here saith the Spirit you must bee gone and the soule saith If I rest here I am an undone man therefore hee will out and seeke for another condition Thirdly as the Spirit of God doth overpower those distempers and drives the soule to a restlesse condition till it looke out for a better condition so lastly the Spirit of God shewes that poore soule an impossibilitie of finding mercie but from God and therefore turnes the face and sets the frame of the heart that way to looke God-ward and to be for God and this is the meaning of that place Iohn 16.9 when the Spirit of God comes to bring faith and peace to the conscience the text saith Hee shall convince the world of sinne because they beleeved not on him this place implies two things First the Spirit of God sets downe all sinfull carnall pleas and pretences that the heart can make and perswades the heart that he is in a sinfull and most lamentable estate and condition and must change Secondly it convinceth the heart that there is good to be found in another and with that the heart is turned that way to looke towards a Saviour and to wait for him till mercie come from thence and then if thou canst say this to thy soule The truth is Lord I was an unbeleever and an unfaithfull creature and the Lord made mee see it and left me not there but by the power of his Spirit and the ministery of the word he drew me from thence and laid fast hold on me and left some remembrance of his indignation upon my soule and made me restlesse in myselfe and opened mine eyes to see a better way and said thou must goe on in another way and in a better way and so opened to me a glimpse of his mercie and goodnesse so that the foule is now comming on to God where this is it will never end but the Spirit of God will worke faith and faith is now comming home to the soule and the soule will come home to the flood oâ— conversion is nothing else but a setting of the soule for God as it is plaine in all the phrases of the Scripture this is the first triall Triall 2 Secondly if thou wilt judge thy faith whether it is true or noe doe thus faith makes choice wholly of Christ and resolves to match with Christ onely the meaning is this it chuseth Christ wholly for now the match is made up when once the soule comes to beleeve the preparation to the match was before in desire c. but now the match is made up and now the soule makes choice of Christ as he on whom he will bestow himselfe he chuseth Christ wholly and that you shall perceive thus when he is thus cald home by faith whatsoever it is that Christ brings the soule chuseth all of that whatsoever belongs to a Christ and is of Christ and in Christ he chuseth all Christ Christ is not only the Saviour of all his but hee is the God of all grace and hath grace to bestow upon the soules of all those that beleeve in him now faith chuseth the holinesse of a Christ and whatsoever grace is in Christ the soule chuseth that as much if not more than pâ—â—don of sinne and removing the guilt of sinnes there is the authority and rule of Christ and faith chuseth that and had rather to be under the government of Christ than under any other Scâ—pâ— in the world and faith chuseth the life of Christ whatsoever life Christ lives that life faith will chuse the woman is now content to conforme her selfe to the estate and condition of her husband she must not thinke to live as she list and to be in this place and that place and that fashion therefore thinke of it that thou didst never as yeâ— beleeve in a Christ except thou didst chuse the patience and holinesse and meeknesse of a Christ and the rule and life of Christ many Lords have ruled over us saith the text when thy cursed corruptions come and would rule thee if then thou art content to bee ruled by a Christ and to live and converse as he did this is an undoubted argument that thou chusest Christ aright nay thou must chuse the shame and disgraces and the crosse of Christ and the crowne of thornes too that is that whatsoever it is that comes with a Christ thou must make choice of it and say I will have Christ and all that comes with Christ as it is with a
both parts are true as in this position I am not a rich man and yet I am a poore man both parts are true so it is in this position I may give my body to be burned and yet I may want love both parts are true then it is plaine that a man may dye in the profession of religion and yet bee damned when he hath done thus much for the proofe of it by Scripture the reasons that doe confirme it besides many other the maine argument is this there are many things in the heart of a wretched man which will make him die rather than forgoe his profession A man sturdily proud may give way to be burnt and to dye for faction c. hee dyes onely to content his owne proud heart not because God requires it and that God may be honoured but only in sturdinesse of heart and because he will dye in that profession wherein he hath beene brought up Secondly his falsenesse doth appeare in this howsoever afflictions and persecutions cannot pull him from the truth yet case and profit and pleasure and lust will suck out the heart these troubled him not because he had them not but when he hath had them and felt the sweetnesse of them he is thereby overcome and so forsakes religion and all Thus the devill hits him in the right nicke the devill could not dampe him with troubles and with persecutions and disgraces but the devill provides dainties for him and there he eats and surfets and kils himselfe these take off the soule from Christ when all the persecution in the world cannot daunt him Take a man that is ingenuous and hath a stout heart of his owne haply he is called to battle and he scornes to be outbraved by any man but when you cannot prevaile this way yet by fawning and flattering you shall turne him which way you will the onely way is to flatter him This is the reason why many a man that hath gone farre in the profession of religion and hath stood strongly for it yet when some have come and given him a bait hee lies downe upon his belly and will doe any thing as it is in fishing a man doth not catch the fish by beating the water with his rod but by baiting his hooke so it is with this man the bait catcheth him when the hook could not We have an old parable of a traveller the winde though it blew and blustered yet it could not pull away his cloake but hee held it so much the faster but when the Sun shined hot upon him he threw off his cloake and coat and all when a man hath no honours then persecution makes him hold the closer to the truth but when the fine gleames of honour and profit come and a man is lifted up into fools paradise he puts off all religion and honesty the sturdy hypocrite may die for the truth and yet all out of a sturdy spirit because he scornes to bee subject It is said of the thorny ground that the thorns did choake it the Sunne did not parch it hee could have gone to a prison or to a stake but when prosperity and honour and pleasure came they choake all that hee had that so hee hath not a word to say thus it was with Demas I doubt not but he had many a storme with Paul and shared with Paul in all his troubles but when hee had gotten good means he left Paul because he could not attend those and goe with Paul too therefore hee left Paul for he thought with himselfe that Paul would not let him goe on so and therefore hee leaves him and the Gospell and all Now before I goe any further give mee leave to answer two questions Quest 1 First why will prosperity take off this man from the profession of the truth when you told us before that hee would lose his life in the defence of the truth if he had died hee had lost all his pleasure and ease and all why then doth prosperity take of his heare when trouble and persecution would not doe it Ans 1 To this I answer the cause why these prevailed not before it was because they were not present with him hee knew not the sweetnesse of these and haply he had no hope to attaine them but now hee injoyes them and now hee is taken aside by them haply his heart was the same before that it is now but he had not the occasions that now he hath Looke as it is with an inferiour subject haply his heart is not disquieted for the crowne of the kingdome for hee hath no hope nor likelihood of it hee lookes not to attaine it but now if hee were the heire apparant of the crowne and had by conspiracy gotten faire way to the crowne and kingdome hee would lose life and all rather than goe without it and as it is with an adulterous woman when she comes first into the family shee loves her husband and the house and all but when her companions come in and entice her to cursed dalliance then shee leaves the house and her husband and all shee was bad before but she had not the occasions before this is the falsenesse in this wretch having no hope to get wealth he is not troubled with it and having no hope to get honours hee is not troubled with it but though his heart was as bad before yet the falsenesse of it did not so discover it selfe before because he had not these occasions offered and this is the reason why many a man that hath beene very forward in profession and hath suffered much for the truth yet one man is pluckt off from the profession of the truth by the world and hee proves a muck-worme and the world eats out the power of that grace which he seemed to have And another man is taken by his base lusts of adultery or the like their hearts were as bad before but they never had these temptations before and therefore they abide troubles because these temptations came not and therefore when these come they decline and fall away and this is the cause of the base declining and falling away of all such wretches which the world is pestered withall and you that are Ministers and Christians should doe well to abandon the society of all such as make a profession of the truth but deny the power of it in their conversations Quest 2 Now the second question is why doth prosperity and ease and honour take off the love of the truth when troubles and persecutions could not doe it Answ I answer the reasons are two and there you shall see the ground of his falsenesse First because prosperity hath a great power to cousen and delude a mans judgement it comes cunningly and slides into the soule and so cousens him as the wise man saith bribes blinde the eyes of the wise all his heart is upon the bribe and though the cause be never so bad yet it seemes good
doe this though they can doe nothing else they cannot pray they cannot understand they cannot remember they cannot subdue their corruptions but they shall be taken away with company and fall into that sinne but they can beleeve in Christ with all their hearts thus we see that every man thinkes it in his power and within the compasse of his abilitie naturally to rest upon Christ Now marke what followeth why should a man desire that hee hath why should he seeke for that he hath attained why should he labour to be possessed of that which is in his owne power and he is possessed of already if I can beleeve naturally if it be in my power to goe to Christ when I list why shall I use all meanes and receive abilitie to doe that which I can doe by my owne power and this I take to be one maine ground why the endevours of men are taken off from attending and why the labours of Christians are taken off from seeking often this blessed precious grace of faith there are many grounds why men are driven to this kinde of conceit there are many reasons that make way for this conceit As first to beleeve is a spirituall thing betweene God and thy owne soule to pray and reforme belongs to the outward practice but to beleeve is a closure of the heart with an entertaining of the Lord and his truth and the giving way of our soules thereunto now because men cannot see their faith therefore no man will yeeld but he doth beleeve Secondly men conceive that it is an easie matter to take of mercie from Christ and say they is there any man that will not have mercie is it such a hard matter to receive favour offered or to take a gift when it is tendered unto us Thirdly these doe apprehend that the assenting to the Gospell of Christ wherein is revealed the riches of Gods mercie is all that is required in faith when the Lord saith He hath sent his Sonne into the world that he hath prepared salvation in him and wrougt redemption through him they acknowledge and assent to the truth and conceive this is whole to beleeve upon this ground poore creatures thinke it is in their power to beleeve and take grace and helpe from Christ though they cannot helpe themselves therefore they labour not to get grace from God to doe this worke because they thinke they can performe this worke by their owne abilitie and power The cure of this hindrance is this and it lieth specially in these three meditations First see thy selfe and convince thy owne heart how thou art cozened and thy conscience how thou art deceived in common sense when such thoughts creepe into thy minde and reason thus were it in my power alone to beleeve or in any mans power else would any man goe to hell for want of beleeving if it were in my power or any mans power else to get faith would any man perish for want of faith Take a little experience from those that lie on their death beds A riotous wretch that hath run headlong against the Lord and his truth a man that hath lived stubbornly and stoutly under the means of grace and hath taken up armes against God and his grace he lieth gasping and then hee lookes to Heaven and considers what shall become of him The Minister saith he must renounce himselfe and apply Christ and his promises to his soule Oh saith he I cannot beleeve the Lord will save mee and pardon me and comfort me I cannot rest upon the promises of God What I such a sinner and saved what I such a sinner and comforted I cannot beleeve it if all the Angels in Heaven tell it me is it in this mans power to beleeve now when he sees Hell open before him and the devils ready to receive him doe you thinke hee would rush into Hell if hee could beleeve and escape it Secondly looke into the depth of thine owne heart and weigh seriously thine owne weaknesse by the ballance of the Sanctuary and thine owne infirmities by the blessed Word of the Lord and see that thou must not onely have a gift from God to take it God must not onely give a man a gift but power to receive it Ioh. 3.27 No man can receive any thing unlesse it be given him from above therefore judge your owne abilities not according to your owne conceits and overweening imaginations but judge by the Word and judge righteous judgement that a man can receive no good thing unlesse God give him power The gift must come from above and the power must come from above whereby hee must receive it Thirdly consider and settle thine owne heart in this same determination and resolution that there must be a supernaturall power put forth to make thee beleeve or else all the power under Heaven cannot furnish thee with sufficiency thereunto a man is able to doe the condition of the first covenant as to observe the condition of the second covenant he is as well able to keepe the Law as to beleeve the Gospell unlesse there be a power to inable him Iames 1.18 Her hath begotten us according to his owne will by the Word of truth a childe cannot beget himselfe So it is here spiritually as there naturally the Lord doth beget us according to his owne will it is not in our owne will to beget our selves as the Pelagians dreamed it is not in our will to dispose of our hearts to take Christ when we will to let him stand at doore so long as we see fit and take him in when we see fit but it is the Will of the Lord that must beget us and not our will that can beget our selves Therefore that faith that groweth upon the ground of thy owne naturall abilitie it is a fancy it is no sound faith God must come down from heaven to thy soule before thou canst goe up to heaven againe faith must be first wrought in thy soule before thou canst be carried to God by faith there must bee a power in all means above all means there must be a spirit in all endevours above all endevours to helpe us to beleeve or else wee shall never beleeve while the world standeth therefore avoid those proud imaginations of heart when men thinke they may refuse grace take grace when they list shut Christ out of doores over night and take him in the morning it is against sense and there is nothing more crosse and contrary to the power of grace No goe secretly betweene God and thine owne soule and confute it what I Lord and my parts Lord what in my will Lord to beleeve and in my power and so forth no if all men and Angels should conspire together and all the Ministers under Heaven joyne together to work faith in my soule it will never bee the power of Angell Men or Word will never worke it but it must bee the power of the Lord that must worke it
thinke hee will cast off you take heed of that depart not from the Lord for that is to follow lying vanities and that is to forsake your owne mercies so the soule of a poore sinner should reason thus T is true my sins are many my wants are exceedingly multiplied I have sinned against God and am discouraged and shall I be more discouraged and sinne more against God I am miserable by departing from God and shall I depart more from God and be more miserable thou darest not goe to Christ for mercie why because thou hast sinned and wilt thou depart from God still and be more sinfull that is against all reason Cure 2 The second cure is this all this while I speake to broken hearted sinners those that are obstinate wicked and ungodly men stand you by you must give mee leave to deale the childrens bread to them you had your portion formerly let the children have their bread also and take their share too the second cure therefore is this make conscience either not to attend to or not judge thy selfe or thy estate by any carnall reason without a warrant I will repeat it againe because I would not have you forget it make conscience I say either to attend to or judge thy selfe or thy estate by any carnall reason or carnall plea without reason or warrant as thus it is the fashion of poore distressed spirits to passe heavie doome and to set downe heavie sentences upon themselves upon false or weake or groundlesse arguments as I never found Gods mercie I never felt it I never was perswaded of it I feare it will not be so thus we have these carnall pleas which our mindes invent and Satan suggests and wee judge our selves by these as the witnesses that should warrant our estates as the Judge that should determine of our estates now make conscience of judging thy estate in this manner you that are broken hearted for to you I speake this kinde of course is naught and this sinne is more hainous than you imagine for when thou concludest certainly thy estate is naught and God hath given you no grace upon these grounds mark against how many Commandments thou sinnest first thou dost wrong thine owne honour that God hath put upon thee in giving thee grace thou sinnest also against the third Commandement in wanting that reverence which is due to Gods name and the worke of grace hee hath wrought in thy soule thou dampest thy owne heart and art a spirituall murtherer and so sinnest against the sixt Commandement thou robbest thy selfe of that comfort of heart and refreshment of minde that God hath prepared for thee and offered unto thee and so sinnest against the eighth commandement nay you doe beare false witnesse infinitely you speake against your selves to the overthrowing of your soules and you beare false witnesse against Christ and his Spirit and the worke of his grace whereby you are sealed up to the day of redemption and you joyne sides with the Devill in this case But you will say Object Truly I speake as I thinke and affirme as I am perswaded Answ I answer this hinders not but thou bearest false witnesse if thou affirmest a thing thou hast no ground for thou bearest false witnesse though it be true this is a rule which Divines hold if a man should affirme peremptorily such a man is a drunkard and yet he knowes it not though he be so yet hee beareth false witnesse because a mans witnesse must bee upon ground and knowledge so thou peremptorily affirmest what I grace no will God vouchsafe any good to mee I will never beleeve it now thou certainly affirmest of thy selfe that thou hast no true grace when there is no ground for it but suspition and feare and the like and therefore thou bearest false witnesse against thy soule observe this the rather because of the sinfull distempers that creep into the hearts of many Christians broken and humbled and it is usuall and common this is their guise out of a selfe will of carnall reasonings and out of a base haunt of heart they swell against themselves and their owne soules their hearts come to bee perswaded that they are not in a right course that they walke not in a right way unlesse they bee quarrelling and opposing the worke of Gods grace in their soules and out of a selfe conceit of theirs that they are moulded into by custome they thinke they have libertie to doe so and that they doe well in so doing now thinke of it you that are humble know that you sinne fearfully all this while and it is very remarkable to take notice of the soule in this kinde in a case of conscience when a poore broken hearted sinner hath his judgement informed when reasons are plaine and when the comforts are cleerly evidenced when Scriptures are undeniable these poore creatures now doe not so much attend what you speak and what the Minister saith and the Word delivers but all their care is how they may answer a mans reason and put off the force of an argument and they count it a matter of weaknesse if they cannot answer any thing that is propounded to them for their comfort it is admirable to consider and but that daily experience teacheth us wee would not speake it nor could we beleeve it therefore take notice of it and know that howsoever you give leave to your owne soules to doe this and have invented reasons and arguments to gainsay the power of the truth and to defeat the power of the Word goe aside and wonder that the Lord hath not taken away from thee all the worke of his grace and all the comfort of his Spirit admire at this that when thou hast cast off all grounds of comfort yet God doth vouchsafe it to thy soule the Prophet David prayeth that the Lord would turne away his eyes from beholding of vanitie now if a man must turne away his eyes from beholding of vanitie he must turne away his thoughts from attending to vanitie much more hath God ever given me a minde to consent to Satan hath God ever given me a tongue to parly with Satan I have something else to doe I must attend to the counsels of God I must attend and listen to the voice of God I must not listen to the suggestions of Satan that I have nothing to doe withall I sinne deeply in so doing no man in reason will deale with a cheator if hee know him to be a cheator unlesse he meane to be couzened so it ought to be our wisdome carnall reason is a cheator and an old deceiver let us not therefore attend thereunto nor be ruled thereby unlesse we resolve to be cheated but if the sinne cannot scare you yet let the miserie that will follow thereupon force you and drive your hearts from it in Esa 50.2 last verses the text saith Who is among you that feareth the Lord let him heare the voice of his servant he
him and undoe him as well as ten thousand therefore take order with all creditors that is the wisest way so it is with the soule that lies at the mercy of the Lord that is in so deepe arrerages that it cannot helpe it selfe the onely way is to take order with all occasions not onely answer judgement that it may not object against us but labour to still conscience that it may not accuse us but bee on our side and then all will bee on our side The want of this is the cause why new suits are made and new bills put up against the soule the want of satisfying conscience as experience teacheth us in cases of conscience take a poore sinner that hath all objections and cavils answered fully aske a poore distressed soule are these all the doubts you have and objections that you have yes and are they all answered aye have you any thing to object against the answers no therefore now doth conscience say it is a sinne to deny you have any grace here he stounds and staggers and demurs upon the matter and shakes his head and saith Alas I dare not say so nay I rather say the contrary marke how reasons were answered the bookes drawne the accounts made up and yet conscience is not satisfied but puts in a new plea therefore call a court and trace the businesse againe hath not God wrought this in you that though you are now and then captived by sin yet you say you are willing to be deterred from it willing that God should take possession of you and rule you is not this in your heart the soule saith I should deny the worke of Gods grace to say the contrary why then this is the worke of grace then it is against conscience to deny this therefore conscience give up your bill and cancell all this for I say hath not this man grace yea I affirme he hath let conscience be fully satisfied in this case and when conscience is brought on our side and speaks for us all the cavils that Satan casts and the heart makes conscience will cleare the heart and stands by a man and cleareth all these cavils 1 Iohn 3.12 For if our conscience condemne us not then have wee boldnesse before God the meaning is if our conscience acquit us and speake for us then we are bold before God I know the man he is yet alive that in the extremity of horrour of heart and desperate feare said that hee had sinned against the holy Ghost and therefore would make away himselfe now that which kept him from that wicked attempt was this his conscience told him before that at such a time his heart was sincere before the Lord and that restrained him from that attempt and sustained him against the fiery push of temptation and God afterward blest him with the assurance of his love and favour Rule 3 The third rule is this wee should strive mightily to have our hearts overpowred by the evidence of the truth which reason and conscience make good to us that it may quietly entertaine it and humbly and calmly welcome it that what reason saith and conscience concludes the heart may say Amen and set his seale to that and yeeld and subject it selfe to it This is the third thing and here we sticke for these three things are in the soule of a man that doth as it were maintaine opposition against the evidence of the Word and the verdict of God therein First reason objects secondly conscience accuseth and the heart that is the will gaine-saith the will of a man will not come under submission but it is still on the thwarting hand and wee finde it by experience in the course of temptation when a man hath attended all that can be when a man hath stilled conscience and that is brought on our side yet notwithstanding the heart out of a stubbornnesse not being fully mastered and out of a stoutnesse not fully conquered it gaine-sayes it and raiseth up new and keeps the old quarrells those old quarrels that have beene answered long agoe that a man would have thought they had beene dead long agoe a mans stout heart will bring those in afresh againe it is in this case with a poore sinner as it is with a man that hath a contentious adversary that delights in wrangling the case haply hath beene tried in all the courts in England at last it comes into the Chancery and there it is concluded against him and the decree passed so that now all the businesse is established the Lawyers have pleaded it the Judge determined it and the man is overthrown and therefore now in reason he should sit downe and yeeld but the wrangling party perswades him that hee will not yeeld but hee will goe to law againe and sell all he hath before hee will let let it goe thus therefore hee begins the suit againe and puts in the old plea till at last the Judge knowing the man casts off his plea and flings off his cause and puts him in prison How dare you against the court and the sentence set downe put in the old plea and trouble the court and the law in this nature so it is with the soule the heart of a gracious man humbled in some meaâ—ure and in truth could be content now and then to yeeld to the evidence of reason and verdict of conscience and the soule comes to bee cheered Blessed be God my estate is better than I thought but there is an old breed-bate and proud stout heart a sturdy selfe-wild heart and that begins to bring in the old plea and will maintaine the old quarrell though reason confuted them and conscience condemned the weaknesse thereof and they have beene answered from day to day yet against knowledge and conscience and truth and reason and all the sinner you shall finde out of his distemper of spirit will keep his old objections and maintaine his old cavils and if they were answered over night hee will have them againe in the morning whereas a man would have thought they would never have durst appeared before the evidence of the truth any more because the case was so fully answered and so fully satisfied therefore the wound is here labour therefore to cure it namely get thy heart so far awed get thy soule so far overpowerd with the soveraigne command royall authority of the truth that it may submit it selfe and yeeld to what ever word the Lord reveals to what ever truth the Lord discovers to the soule and beware especially that thou dost not out of a selfe-wild waywardnesse reject and refuse the evidence of the truth and the verdict that the Word passeth upon thy soule for thy everlasting good that because thou hast not comfort as thou wilt therefore thou wilt have none at all it is not so much because thou canst not receive the promise but because out of a waywardnesse of heart thou wilt not entertaine the promise that causeth
all this debate here lies the root of this bitternesse and the ground of this wretched estate wee will expresse our selves by practice hence it is 〈◊〉 when the Word hath beene cleerely discovered to the soule all objections are blowne away and reason is satisfied and conscience convinced yet aske the soule are you perswaded that God hath accepted of you in Christ and intended good unto you no all the world cannot make me beleeve it I cannot bee perswaded of it Ministers are mercifull and Christians are compassionate and they speake charitably and will not discourage me but did they see that which I see did they but know those weaknesses and take notice of those distempers that are in my heart they would never thinke it what I grace it is a thing I could never perswade my heart of nay I doubt I shall never bee perswaded of it I cannot thinke it all the world cannot make mee beleeve it reason is answered and the conscience is satisfied but the heart will not yeeld it is out of stubbornnes of soule that you will not take that mercy that God offers and that grace God propounds for your good and it is horrible it is hellish it is devillish pride If there be any such spirit in the congregation let them know it and take this home with them it is infinite pride But you will say Object How can that be I cannot thinke that they are broken hearted Christians and are overwhelmed with sorrow they are ever mourning and sinke downe in sorrow in this nature and therefore it cannot bee pride in this case what ever it bee Answ I say it is devillish pride against the Majestie of Heaven and that I will shew in two particulars For a man to follow his owne conceit and selfe wildnesse of spirit against the light of the truth against the force of reason against the testimony of conscience against the judgement of all faithfull Ministers out of the Word to bee above the Word and reason and conscience and to bee above the judgement of all Gods faithfull servants is not this infinite pride this is your condition just the Word hath cast you and reason and conscience have cast you and yet you will maintaine your owne conceits of that proud heart of yours I say againe this pride appeares in this That because we have not what we would and because we have it not in that measure we desire because we finde not that sweetnesse in grace that others have and we covet therefore we cast away all this is infinite pride to fling Gods favour in his face you have not this and that and God hath done nothing for you and never vouchsafed any good unto you it is wonderfull mercy that God hath not cast off that soule of thine because God will not follow your conceits and goe your way you will have no grace at all As it is with a Client that hath a suit in law hee hath the cause determined and the conveyance made and his estate setled by the verdict of the Judge but because his evidences and conveyances are not written in great Roman letters as he would have them he flings all away and saith they will not stand in law will not all the world count him a miserable foole this is your case you have no grace because you have not so much grace you have no zeale because you have not so hor zeale you have no humiliation because not so great humiliation this is nothing but pride and a world of pride therefore marke what I shall say labour to bring thy soule to this passe and to this humble submission and subjection to the truth of God take it as well a duty to receive comfort when God gives it as to entertaine duty of love when God requires it Answerably know it is a sinne to refuse mercy when God offers it and thou hast title thereunto It is as well a sinne though not so much a sin perswade thy heart of this and bring thy soule to yeeld to this And therefore learne this lesson you poore Saints of God that have beene pestered marvellously in this kinde and have beene enemies to your owne comfort labour to eye your owne soules when they begin to slide away from the authority of the truth when reasons are sound arguments cleere and conscience satisfied and yet the heart slides off from the Lord and from under the covert of Gods wings Reason thus This is the proud surly dogged way-ward disposition of my heart what would I have what can I desire is not the Word cleere are not reasons sound and is not conscience satisfied and shall I deny this and so wrong the glory of God and the worke of his blessed Spirit in my heart the Lord forbid but the heart pleads Must I eat my owne words and never cavill more and never complaine more and must I confesse I have grace when I never thought I had grace Answ Must you say so aye and blesse God you may say so and be thankfull for ever that thou mayest upon good grounds say thus and bring under these distempers of your soule and make them yeeld and submit to the blessed truth of God you had better a great deale crosse your owne humours than crosse the good Spirit of the Lord and grieve it Esay 7.13 when the Lord offered a great offer to Ahaz to aske a signe in heaven or in earth the text saith he cast off Gods kindnesse God bids him aske a signe hee saith I will not tempt God hee refused Gods kindnesse with marvellous stubbornnesse now marke what God answers Is it a small thing for thee not onely to grieve man but the good Spirit of the Lord so thinke you with your selves when the Lord bids you take comfort comfort yee comfort yee saith my God You that have beene wearied come and bee refreshed you that have beene lost shall be found the soule faith I dare not take it I will not entertaine it doe you thinke it a small thing not only to grieve man and the heart of a poore Minister but to grieve the Lord and his Spirit Iob 15.11 Seemes the consolation of the Lord a small thing unto you that God stoopes to your meannesse and condescends to your weaknesse and supports your hearts and restores comfort to your soules that you trample his kindnesse under your feet and make nothing of it take heed of it lest that stubborne soule of thine that now refuseth consolation when God offers it thou shalt creep upon thy hands and knees and eat thy flesh and beg one offer of grace which thou hast denied often Iohn 13.8 see how Christ doth schoole the humble pride of Peter for so I terme it our Saviour Christ rose from supper and bound himselfe with a towell and went to wash his Disciples feet but when he came to Peter he was very squamish he was loth Christ should stoope so low what wash my feet thou shalt