the sincerity of Christ in those gracious offers he makes unto coming Souls Be satisfied he speaks his very Heart in them to thee the Devil labours to sow jealousies and beget suspicions in the Hearts of poor convinced sinners that they will not find such a welcom entertainment with Christ as he seems to promise them in those encouraging Scriptures Matth. 11. 28 29. Iohn 6. 37. But that something else lies hid in those Scriptures as a mystery which they understand not and so by shaking the assenting act labours to hinder the accepting act of Faith this is a case as common as it is sad the Lord help poor Souls to avoid this snare lest in stead of honoring Christ by a resolved adherence to him they make him a lyer and impute insincerity to the God of truth For he that believeth not hath made him a lyer IV. Direction Fourthly Look up to God for power to enable you to come to Christ in this supernatural and difficult work of Faith. Dont think Faith is of the growth of thine own Heart No Man can come unto me saith Christ except my Father which hath sent me draw him There is a legal Spirit working under Evangelical pretences in many Souls they look within them to find that which is quite above them the Apostle points you to the fountain of Faith in Eph. 2. 8. It is not of your selves it is the gift of God. 'T is one of the greatest difficulties in the World to believe For if the power of God must be owned as the cause of every new degree of Faith in the greatest believers in the World as is plain Luke 17. 5. The Apostles said unto the Lord Increase our Faith. How much more is the production of Faith it self and the first vital act thereof to be ascribed to the Almighty Power of God V. Direction Fifthly Keeping thine Eye of Expectation upon that Almighty Power pray and plead with the Lord assiduously and importunately for the exerting of that Power upon thy Soul and give not over thy Suit till thou feel that Power coming upon thee The time of believing is a time of earnest pleading thine own danger and necessity and the Spirit of the Lord improving them will abundantly furnish thee with Pleas and Arguments to enforce this Suit. Such as these 1. Lord I have thy call and invitation yea I have thy command to encourage me to believe it is not presumption therefore in thy poor Creature to come after thou hast invited and commanded me hadst thou not encouraged me I durst not have moved towards thee Lord whose Word is it 1 Ioh. 3. 23. is it not thine own This makes my Faith an act of obedience 2. Yea Lord I have thy promise as well as thy command made upon no other condition but my coming to thee blessed Jesus hast not thou said Iohn 6. 37. Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out An invitation is much but thy promise is more 3. O my God I have not only thy command making it my duty to believe and thy promise to encourage me to that duty but I have the examples of other sinners that came unto thee long ago and thou didst not reject them nor do I abuse those examples in drawing incouragement from them for it was thy very design in recording them that they might be so many patterns to all that should hereafter believe on thee 1 Tim. 1. 16. 4. O my God I am shut up under a plain necessity I have no other way to take thus stands the case with me I am beaten off from all other refuges there is no help for me in Angels nor Men in duties or self-righteousness in thee only my Soul can find rest I am shut up to thee as to the only door of hope Gal. 3. 23. here I must speed or perish my Soul is burthened and wearied I know not how to dispose of it but into thy Hands nor where to lay the burden of my guilt but upon thee if I miss here I am gone for ever 5. Lord I am willing to renounce and abandon all other hopes refuges and righteousness and to stick to and rely upon thee only Duties cannot justifie me tears cannot wash me reformation cannot save me nothing but thy righteousness can answer my end I come to thee a poor naked Creature saying as the Church Hos. 14. 3. Asshur shall not save us c. for in thee do the fatherless find mercy Thus plead it with God and still remember you are pleading for Life yea for your eternal Life VI. Direction Sixthly Labour to make a resolved adventure upon Christ amidst all those encouragements let the issue be what it will resolve to venture though you have not the least degree of assurance that you shall be accepted and pardoned This is that brave and noble act of Faith which carries the Soul to Christ much as Hester came to the King Yet will I go in to the King and if I perish I. perish Hest. 4. 16. It pities me to think how the saving act of Faith is grosely mistaken in the World the generality think it is enough for them to believe that Christ died for sinners and therefore for them as well as any other but you see Faith is another matter O there are great difficulties and mighty wrestlings in the Work of Believing 't is a great matter for a poor convinced sinner in the face of so much guilt and viâ—eâ—ess and amidst such manifold damps and discouragements from Satan to cast and adventure himself upon Christ and that upon such self-denying terms but the pinch of necessity will bring the Soul to this for now it reasons with it self as the Lepers did 2 Kings 7. 4 5. If we go to the Camp of the Assyrians we can but dye and if we abide here we must certainly dye thus here if I sit still in the state of Nature and still continue demurring and delaying my damnation is unavoidable to Hell I must go and if I cast my self upon Christ I can but be rejected but he hath said He will not cast out those that come unto him in this way of Faith there is a possibility of Salvation yea there dawns from it a strong probability this therefore is my only way To him I will go and if I perish I perish VII Direction Seventhly Never measure the grace of God nor the mercy of Christ by the rule of your own narrow conceptions and apprehensions of him but believe them to be far greater than your contracted and narrow understanding represents them to you Our casting of the pardoning power and mercy of God into the mould of our own thoughts disfigures and alters them so that they look not like themselves but with a very discouraging aspect upon our Souls by this Satan keeps off many a Soul from coming to Christ the Lord knows how to forgive thee though thou scarce knowest how to forgive thy self for the
the Word shall come whom by the Spirits particular application like that of Nathans to David Thou art the Man then all the powers of the Soul are rouzed and allarmed now it pierces as a two-edged Sword Heb. 4. 12. divides the Soul and Spirit the superiour and inferiour Faculties of it Cuts down by the back-bone lays open the secret guilt and innermost thoughts of a Man's Heart before which the sinner cannot stand The secrets of his Heart are made manifest and falling down on his Face he must acknowledg that God is in the Word of a Truth 1 Cor. 14. 24. O these convictions of the Word are such a rap such a knock at the door of the Conscience as will never be forgotten no not in Heaven to all Eternity 2ly Christ knocks in the Word by its terrible comminations and awful threatnings menacing the Soul that opens not with eternal ruine these are dreadful knocks O sinner saith Christ wilt thou not open Shall all the tenders of my Grace made to thee be in vain Know then that this thy obstinacy shall be thy damnation Thus the Word denounces ruine in the name of the great and terrible God to all wilful impenitents and obstinate unbelievers Iohn 3. 36. He that believeth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath ef God abideth on him O dreadful sound like unto which is that Iohn 8. 24. If ye believe not that I am he ye shall dye in your sins q. d. Thy Mittimuâ— for Hell shall be made and signed will you not come to me that you might have life then I will foretel what death you shall dye you shall even dye in your sins Oh it were better for thee to dye like a Dog in a ditch than to dye in thy sins These are loud knocks of the Word terrible sounds yet no more than needs to startle the drousie Consciences of sinners And then 3ly The Spirit knocks by the gracious invitations of the Word the sweet allurements and gracious insinuations of it and without this no Heart would ever open to Christ. It is not frost and snow storms and thunder but the gentle distilling dews and cherishing Sun-beams that make the flowers open in the Spring The terrors of the Law may be preparative but the grace of the Gospel is that which effectually opens the sinners Heart The obdurate flint will sooner fly when smitten upon the soft pillow than upon the anvil Now the Gospel abounds with alluring invitations to draw the Will and open the Heart of a sinner such is that Matth. 11. 28. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest O what a charming voice is here He that considers it may well wonder what Heart in the World can resist it like unto this is that in Isa. 55. 1. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money let him come yea let him come and buy Wine and Milk without money and without price q. d. Come sinner come though thou have no qualifications no worthiness nor righteousness of thy own though thou be but a heap of sin and vileness yet come my grace is a gift not a sale and such is that in Iohn 7. 37. In the last day the great day of the feast Iesus stood up and cried If any Man thirst let him come to me and drink q. d. My grace is no sealed Fountain 't is free and open to the greatest of sinners if they thirst they are invited to come and drink This is that Oyl of Gospel grace which makes the Key turn so pleasantly and effectually amongst all the cross wards of Man's Will. And thus you see how the Word preached becomes an instrument in the Spirit 's Hand to open the door of a sinners Heart at which it knocks by its mighty Convictions dreadful Threats and gracious Invitations Secondly We next come to the Second Hammer by which the Spirit knocks at the sinners Heart and that is the providential Works of God. These in subserviency to the Word are of excellent use to awaken sinners and make them open their Hearts to Christ. God hath magnified his Word above all his Name yet there are some of the providential Works of God greatly serviceable in this case the Word sanctifies Providences and Providences assist the Word and make it work Now there are two sorts of Providential Dispensations which the Lord Jesus makes use of to gain entrance for him into the Hearts of Men. Viz. 1. Judgments 2. Mercies 1. Judgments and Afflictions the Word of God many times works not till some stroak of God come to quicken and assist it thus did the Lord open the Heart of that Monster of wickedness Manasseh the Word would not work alone but a smart rod quickned its operation 2 Chron. 33. 10 11 12. And the Lord spake to Manasseh and to his people but they would not hearken Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the Captains of the host of the King of Assyria which took Manasseh among the thorns and bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon And when he was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers Thus the Heart of this Man relented under the Word assisted by the Rod. Ah 't is good that God take such a course with some sinners else the Word would do them no good and to this purpose is that in Iob 36. 8 9 10. And if they be bound in fetters and holden in cords of affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgression that they have exceeded and openeth their Ears to discipline This is that rough course the obstinacy of Men's Hearts makes necessary for their recovery and therefore it is very observable that some words of God have lain dead in some sinners Hearts for years together and at last have begun to work under some smart and close Rod. Alas while all things are pleasant and prosperous about us the Word hath but little operation and effect Ier. 22. 21 22. I spake unto thee in thy prosperity but thou saidst I will not hear this hath been thy manner from thy youth that thou obeyedst not my voice The wind shall eat up all thy pastures and thy lovers shall go into captivity surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness q. d. Your Eyes are so dazled with the beautiful Flowers and your Ears so charmed with the Syren Songs and Lullabies of earthly delights that my Word can take no place upon you Let an East-wind blow and wither up these Flowers then the Word shall work and Conscience rescent the concernments of Eternity this course God is feign to take with many of you here you sit from Sabbath to Sabbath under the Word and nothing takes place upon your Hearts Will you not hear the voice of my VVord go Death saith God and smite that Man's Child dead I
unperswadable to comply with the difficulties and severities of Religion This is the first thing what the opening of the door or consent of the Will to receive Christ is Secondly The next thing to be opened in its order is How it appears that Jesus Christ will not refuse to come into the Soul of any sinner be his sins or unworthiness never so great when once he is made heartily willing thus to embrace and receive Christ upon his own terms O sinner what good tydings are these to thy Soul that Christ will not disdain to be in union and communion with thee as vile as thou art if thy Will thus stand open to him The tydings are sweet and I hope thou wilt find them as sure and certain as they are sweet and comfortable when thou shalt have seriously perused and pondered the following Evidences I. Evidence The truth of this sweet assertion clearly evidenceth it self from the form and manner of Gospel invitations they are designedly put into large general free and most extensive terms to assure sinners that Christ will not be shy of the worst sinner in the World thus made willing to embrace him they are so framed on purpose to anticipate or take away all objections from sinners No other condition is put in the Gospel but this only Art thou heartily willing to take Christ upon his own terms The offers of Christ are extended to all that thirst and desire after him Iohn 7. 37. To the greatest of sinners upon this only condition that they be willing and obedient Isa. 1. 18 19. Go Preach the Gospel to every Creature He that believeth shall be saved Mark 16. 15 16. 'T is extended to all Nations For in Christ Iesus there is neither Greek nor Iew Circumcision nor Vncircumcision Barbarian Scythian Bond or Free Col. 3. 11. If there be any poor Soul of any quality or condition whatsoever under the cope of Heaven whose Will is wrought up to an hearty compliance with the terms of the Gospel Christ will not be shy of coming into that Soul though it have been never so vile and abominable the Heart of a Mary Magdalen which had been an Habitation of Devils the Soul of a Saul a Bloody raging Persecutor will make as delightful Habitations for Christ as the Soul of the most civilized person in the World when once the Will is thus opened II. Evidence The truth of this assertion further appears from the incouraging Promises made by Christ unto all who are thus made willing to come unto him All the Promises with one Mouth assure the willing sinner of a welcom with Christ so doth that glorious Promise to which so many thousand Souls have been beholding for encouragement and help at their first coming to Christ Iohn 6. 37 38. All that the Father hath given me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out For I came down from Heaven not to do mine own will but the will of him that sent me Note here 1. That this is not a Promise made to them that are already in Christ that they shall never be cast out by Apostacy or final desertion but it is a Promise made to coming Souls to such as are moving towards Christ under great discouragements fears and tremblings when a poor sinner looks to Christ sees his fulness and suitableness and feels the pinching need and want of him Oh saith he that I had an interest in him though I should beg my Bread in desolate places But looking into his own Heart and seeing such an heap of guilt and unworthiness there then saith he how can I think that ever Jesus Christ will come into such a Heart as this These are the persons upon whom this Promise casts an encouraging aspect 2. And because the fears of such poor Creatures are double to the fears that others have Christ hath put a double negative into this Promise for the Souls encouragement I will not not in no case or at any Hand cast out such a Soul as this 3. And to put all out of doubt he doth not only assure the Soul that he will not but condescends to gives it the reason why he will not cast it out for saith he vers 38. I came down from Heaven not to do mine own Will but the Will of him that sent me As if he should say This was the very errand upon which I came from Heaven it was my great business to receive all that were made willing to embrace me for this I had my Fathers Commission Isa. 61. 1. To preach good tydings to the meek and to bind up the broaken Hearted and to comfort all them that mourn I cannot be faithful to the trust committed to me by my Father should I shut the door upon such Souls How can Christ comfort the Soul that mourns but by opening his Arms of mercy to receive it If Christ should say to a convinced mourning sinner hold thy peace Soul I will give thee Riches Honors and Pleasures in the World but as for me thou canst not have union with me I say this would never comfort the Heart of a convinced sinner 't is Christ and none but Christ can quiet it Like unto this is that Testimony and Promise made on purpose for the incouragement of willing Souls Acts 10. 43. To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins This you see is a truth confirmed by the Testimony of all the Prophets who foretold what his gracious readiness to receive poor broken Hearted sinners should be and sure they neither did nor could conspire to deceive the World These gracious Assurances and Promises cut off all pleas against Faith from the greatness of sin and why should we except where God hath not excepted Had Christ said all sinners of such a size and degree may come unto me but let all others stand back the case had been otherwise but this Promise assures us all that are sincerely willing shall be truly welcom to Jesus Christ. Moreover these universal Promises take away all fear and doubt of presumption in coming to Christ. That 's the case of many a poor Soul I am affraid I am running out of despair into presumption I doubt I am an unbidden and therefore shall be an unwelcom guest to Christ. All this is prevented and cut off by those sweet universal Terms inserted on purpose in these Promises for our encouragement That 's the Second Evidence of this Truth III. Evidence The willingness of Christ to receive the willing Soul how many and great soever its sins and unworthiness be appears from the actual grants of Pardon and Mercy even to the vilest sinners that ever were upon the Earth when they thus came unto him Here you see how the Waters of Free Grace rise higher and higher an Invitation is much a Promise of welcom is more but the actual grants of Mercy is
knowledge of it but under these things his vain hopes lived and flourish'd until the spiritual sense of the Law came home to his heart by the teaching and voice of the Spirit and then his vain hopes gave up the ghost and his sin and guilt stared in the face of his Conscience VII Character The voice of Christ whereof we now speak is generally and ordinarily conveyed to the Souls of men through the Word preached which is the chosen Organ or Instrument of its Conveyance We cannot absolutely and universally affirm that Christ always speaks to men this way but certainly this is his standing and ordinary course 1 Thess. 1. 5. Our Gospel came not to you in word only but in power and in the Holy Ghost Our Gospel because preached and ministred by us but had that been all it had come to you in word only as it doth to many thousand others in the world who hear and feel nothing in it more than what is human but unto you it came in power and in the Holy Ghost that is our words were the Vehicle or Organ through which the vital power of the Spirit was conveyed into your Souls Providences have their voices as well as the Word and sometimes the voice of Christ hath accompanied the voice of Providence to the conversion of mens Souls but this is more rare and unusual The established and ordinary way of Christ's speaking to the hearts of Sinners is by the Word and especially the Word preached which upon that very account and consideration as it is the Organ of conveying the voice and power of Christ to the Soul is therefore called the power of God to salvation Rom. 1. 16. This Instrument the Lord generally 〈◊〉 and honours for the conveyance of spiâ—itual life into the Souls of men though it be despised and contemned in the world The preaching of the Cross is to them that perish foolishness but unto us which are saved it is the power of God 1 Cor. 1. 18. i. e. the chosen Instrument by which the saving power of God communicates it self to the Souls of men And although God may exert his saving power through Providences yet we seldom or never find he doth so where the Word may be had but is despised and neglected And truly herein God consults our peace and satisfaction for suppose he should make use of another medium as a voice from Heaven c. and after Calling which is an usual case the called Soul should question all and say How do I know bâ—t all this may be a Delusion may not Satan impose upon poor Mortals and this voice from Heaven be a counterfeit voice my Eternal estate depends upon it and I had need to be sure it was the very voice of God himself In such a case as this it would be hard to give such clear distinguishing Characters as might be to the satisfaction of the Soul and clearly difference the one from the other But now when God makes the Word his Instrument in this matter it yield abundantly more satisfaction we have a more sure Word of Prophesie surer than a voice from Heaven 2 Pâ—t 1. 19. And though Paul was converted by a voice from Heaven yet the Lord sends him to Aâ—anias to preach the Gospel to him Acts 9. 17. The Lord will honour his Word Providences may make way and prepare the heart but the Word is the Instrument by which the Lord puts forth his power ordinarily to salvation VIII Character The voice of Christ leaves abiding effects and lasting impressions upon the Soul that hears it The words of men are scattered into the wind but the effects of Christ's voice are durable and lasting things Psal. 119. 93. I will never forget thy Word for by it thou hast quickned me How many hundred Sermons have we heard and all those excellent Truths vanished away as a Dream Oh but if ever thou heardest Christ speaking to thy heart in any Sermon or Prayer to be sure that will stick by thee for ever His words are sealed upon the Soul for ever they are written in the heart Ier. 31. 33. What Iob wished concerning his words that is really perform'd in the words of Christ they are written as in the Rock for ever We have slippery Memories but the weakest Memory will and must retain the words of Christ spoken to the heart by his Spirit for they are sealed upon it Iob 33. 16. He sealeth their instructions and this secures them Thus you have the innate Characters of Christ's voice Fourthly I shall next speak unto the personal Objects unto whom Christ ordinarily directs this his internal efficacious and saving Voice or Call. And although it be true that the Spirit of Christ is a free Agent acting with the greatest liberty and calleth whom he will according to that Iohn 3. 8. The wind bloweth where it listeth And it is true de facto That Christ hath made some of all sorts and ranks of men to hear his voice yet if we consider the way he commonly takes we shall find that it is very rare and seldom that Christ directs this saving voice or call of his to the great and wise of this world 1 Cor. 1. 26. You see your Calling Brethren how that not many wise men after the flesh not many mighty not many noble are called He saith not any but not many Some Christ doth call Lest as one notes the world should think that Christians were deceived through their simplicity and weakness One rich Ioseph of Arimathea one honourable Niâ—odemus but not many Men of the greatest fame and renown in the world have been the greatest and fiercest Enemies against Christ. Gallen the chief Physician Porphyry the chief Aristotelian Plotinus the chief Platonist Lybanus and Lucian the chief Orators were all the professed Enemies of Christ. Two things make a man great in the eye of the world The external endowments of Providence heaping up Riches and Honours upon the outward man and internal gifts and endowments of the mind adorning the inward man as strong Reason sharpness of Wit c. when both these meet as many times they do in one and the same person they make him great in the eye of the world and usually in his own eyes too yea too great to stoop to the simplicity of the Gospel and the humbling self-denying terms thereof These the Lord usually passes by and directs his voice to the poor the poor receive the Gospel God hath chosen the poor of this world rich in faith and Heirs of the Kingdom James 2. 5. And this choice of God Christ blesseth him for Matth. 11. 25. I thank thee O father Lord of Heaven and Earth because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent and hast revealed them unto babes even so Father for so it seemeth good in thy sight And indeed the wisdom of God deserves our admiration in this dispensation For 1. hereby the freeness of his Grace is vindicated None can
are ordained to eternal Life shall believe and feel the power of Gods truths upon their Hearts Acts 13. 48. And methinks it should be of a startling consideration when you shall see others struck to the Heart cast into fears and tremblings by the same Word that doth not in the least touch your Hearts It may be you think this is but fancy and melancholy that very thought is an artifice of Satan to blind your Eyes I am sure Christ makes another use of it when he told the secure and self-righteous Jews Matth. 21. 32. John came unto you in the way of righteousness and ye believed him not but the Publicans and Harlots believed him and ye when ye had seen it repented not afterward that ye might believe him q. d. What shift did you make to quiet your Consciences when you saw other poor sinners so humbled and bronght to Faith under Iohn's Ministry 'T is strange there should be no reflections in your Consciences upon your own state and condition but thus it must be one shall be taken and another left to some it shall be the savour of life unto life and to others the savour of death unto death O who can look over so great a part of a Congregation without melting bowels of compassion Considering that unto this day the Lord hath not given them Eyes to see nor Ears to hear They have heard multitudes of Sermons they have heard also what effects they have had upon other Mens Hearts but none upon theirs O that such poor Souls would cry to the Lord Jesus in such Language as that Cant. 8. 13. The companions hearken to thy voice cause me to hear it Lord let me not sit under the Word any longer deaf to the voice of thy Spirit in it Open and unstop the Ears of my Soul that I may hear thy voice and feel thy power otherwise the external ministerial voice will be ineffectual to my Salvation 'T will be but a Rattle to still and quiet my Conscience for a little while and a dreadful aggravation of my misery in the issue II. Vse of Information Secondly The Point before us presents five other Truths with equal clearness to ous Eyes I. Inference In the first Place hence it follows That we have this day before our Eyes a great Seal and confirmation of the truth of the Scriptures No miracles can seal it firmer than the events of it do which are visible to all that will observe them What you read in the Word you may see every day fulfill'd before your Eyes you read 2 Cor. 2. 15 16. We are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish To the one we are the savour of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto life And again Acts 28. 24. it is observed that when Paul in his lodgings had expounded and testified the Kingdom of God to the people and perâ—wading them to believe from morning till-evening it is observed I say that some believed 〈◊〉 things that were spoken and some believed not Here you see the different yea contrary events of the preaching of the Gospel according to the Scripture account of it it quickens some and kills others it brings some to Faith and leaves others still fixed in unbelief Compare this account with what is daily before your Eyes do you not see Souls differently influenced to contrary effects under the same word One melting and tender another hardned and wholly unconcerned Tell me you that are apt to ascribe all to nature how comes it to pass that men exercising reason alike men that have the same inbred fears and hopes of things eternal who have the same passions and affections and are in the self same condition and state with others yet one Mans Heart shall be wounded and go away trembling from under the self same word which affects the other no more than if it had been preached among the Tombs to the dead that lye there Say not some have more courage than others or clearer understandings for it is most certain the Word hath convinced as rational and courageous persons as those upon whom it hath had no such effect I doubt not but the Jaylor that was cast into such tremblings and astonishment Acts 16. 30. was as stout and rugged a person as any to whom Paul usually preached his very office bespake him such a Man wonder not what it is that makes Men fright at such a sound which you hear as well as they but it affects you not The Lord speaks in that voice to their Hearts but not to yours and so it must be according to the account the Scripture gives us of the contrary events of the Gospel upon them that hear it which is I say a fair and firm Seal of the truth of the Scriptures and highly worth the due observation of all Men. II. Inference What dignity hath God stampt on Gospel Ordinances in making them the organs and mediums through and by which Christ speaks life to dead Souls This greatly exalts the dignity of the Gospel and deservedly endears it to all our Souls I deny not but God can convey Spiritual life immediately without them but though he hath not tyed up himself yet he hath tyed us up to a diligent and constant attendance upon them and that with the deepest respect and reverence to them Luke 10. 16. He that heareth you heareth me and he that despiseth you despiseth me and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me Behold how the sin is graduated and aggravated to the hight of sinfulness The contempt of the Gospel runs much higher than Men are aware of We think it no great matter to neglect or contemn a messenger of Jesus Christ but that contempt flies in the very face and authority of Christ who gave them their Commissions yea in the very face of God the Father who gave Christ his Commission Christ speaks in and by his Ministers they are as his mouth Ier. 15. 19. Moreover the sin sticks at our own Souls and we injure them as well as Christ For the Word preached is his appointed Instrument to convey spiritual life the best of Blessings to our Souls Upon which account it is called the Word of life Phil. 2. 16. and the power of God to salvation Rom. 1. 16. We then militate against our life and salvation when we despise and neglect the Ordinances of God. 'T is good for men to lye under them and continually wait on them who knows when the Spirit of God will breathe life to your Souls through them What if yet you have found no such benefit from them the very next opportunity may be the time of life the appointed season of your salvation Bring your carnal Relations to them as they did their sick and diseased Friends in the days when Christ was on Earth laying them in the way he was to pass Christ will honour his Ordinances
will trust my Fathers care and love Here now is sweet communion with God under pinching wants The wants of the Body enrich the Soul Outward straightnings are the occasions of inward enlargments O see from hence how good it is to have an interest in God as a Father whatever changes of providence may come upon you Thirdly There are seasons wherein the Lord exposes his people to eminent and visible dangers when to the Eye of sense there is no way of escape Now when this produceth trust in God and resignation to the pleasure of his Will here is communion with God in times of distress and difficulty thus David Psal. 56. 3. At what time I am afraid I will trust in thee q. d. Father I see a storm rising thy poor child comes under his Fathers roof for sheâ—â—er for whether should a distressed Child go but to his Father And then as to the issues and events of doubtful providences when the Soul resigns and leaves it self to the wise disposal of the Will of God as David in 2 Sam. 15. 25 26. Here am I let him do with me as seemeth good in his sight This is real and sweet communion with God in his providences And so much for the nature of communion with God. Secondly In the next place I shall evidence the reality of communion with God and prove it to be no fancy I confess it grieves me to be put upon the proof of this but the Atheism and prophaness of the age we live in seems to make it necessary for many men will allow nothing for certain but what falls under the cognisance of â—ense And oh that they had their Spiritual senses exercised then they would sensibly discern the reality of these things but to put the matter out of question I shall evidence the truth and reality of the Saints communion with God divers ways First From the Saints union with Christ if there be a union betwixt Christ and believers then of necessity there must be a communion between them also Now the whole Word of God which you profess to be the rule of your faith plainly asserts this union betwixt Christ and believers a union like that betwixt the branches and the root Iohn 15. 4 5. or that betwixt the head and the members Eph 4. 16. Now if Christ be to believers as the root to the branches and as the head to the members then of necessity there must be a communion between them for if there were not a communion there could be no communications and if no communications no life For it is by the communication of vital fap and spirits from the root and from the head that the branches and members subsist and live Secondly There is a cohabitation of Christ with believers he dwells with them yea he dwells in theâ—â— 2 Cor. 6. 16. I will dwell in them and walk in theâ—â— The Soul of a believer is the Temple of Christ yea his living Temple 1 Pet. 2. 5. And if Christ dwell with them yea if he dwell in them and walk in them then certainly there must be communion betwixt him and them if they live together they must converse together A man indeed may dwell in his house and yet cannot be said to have communion with it but the Saints are a living house they are the living Temples of Christ and he cannot dwell in such Temples capable of communion with him and yet have no communion with them Thirdly The reality of communion betwixt God and the Saints is undeniably evinced from all the Spiritual relations into which God hath taken them Every believer is the Child of God and the Spouse of Christ. God is the believer Father and the Church is the Lambs Wife Christ calls the believer not only his Servant but Friend hence forth I call you not Servants but Friends c. Now if God be the believers Father and the believer be Gods own Child certainly there must be communion between them If Christ be the believers Husband and the believer be Christs Spouse there must be communion between him and them What no communion between the Father and his Children the Husband and the Wife We must either renounce and deny all such relations to him and therein renounce our Bibles or else yield the conclusion that there is a real communion betwixt Christ and believers Fourthly The reality of communion with God evidently appears from the institution and appointment of so many Ordinances and duties of Religion on purpose to maintain dayly communion betwixt Christ and his People As to instance but in that one institution of Prayer a duty appointed on purpose for the Souls meeting with God and communion with him Iames 4. 8. Draw nigh to God and he will draw nigh to you Now to what purpose can it be conceived such an Ordinance is appointed for the Souls drawing nigh to God and God to it if there be no such thing as communion to be enjoyed with him If communion with God were a meer Phantome as the carnal World thinks it to be what encouragement have the Saints to bow their knees to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ But surely there is an access to God in prayer Ephes. 3. 12. In whom we have boldness and access with confidencâ— Access to what If God be not there and that there can be no communion with him what means that access I will meet you saith the Lord and I will commune with you in every place where I record my name Exod. 25. 22. Certainly duties had never been appointed but for the sake of Gods communing with us and ours with him Fifthly This is yet further evidenced from the mutual desires both of Christ and his people to be in sweet and intimate communion one with the other The Scripture speaks much of the Saints vehement desires of communion with Christ and of Christs desires after communion with the Saints and of both jointly The Saints desires after communion with him are frequent in all the Scriptures see Psal. 63. 1 2 3. Psal. 42. 1. Psal. 119. 20. and the like throughout the New Testament And Christ is no less desirous yea he is much more desirous of communion with us than we are with him Consider that expression of his to the Spouse in Cant. 8. 13. O thou that dwellest in the Gardens the companions hâ—rken to thy voice cause me to hear it As if he should say O my people you frequently converse one with another you talk dayly together why shall not you and I converse one with another You speak often to men O that you would speak more frequently to me Let me see thy countenance let me hear thy voice for thy voice is sweet and thy countenance comly And then these desires are mutually exprest one to another Rev. 22. 20. Surely saith Christ I come quickly Amen even so come Lord Iesus saith the Church Now if there be such vehement
have had some slight ineffectual vanishing Convictions upon you formerly the Lord Jesus once more renews his call will you now at last hear his voice 'T is an infinite mercy to have a second call I doubt not but there are many among you whilst you have sat under the Word have had such thoughts as these in your Hearts sure my condition is not right nor safe there must another manner of work pass upon my Soul or I am lost for ever External duties of Religion I do perform but I am a stranger to Regeneration Such inward convictions as these were the Knocks and Calls of Christ but they passed away and were forgotten your Convictions are dead and your Hearts the more hardned for it is in puting a Soul under Conviction as it is in puting Iron into the Fire and quenching it again which hardens it the more You have been near the Kingdom of God but the more miserable for that if you be shut out at last The quicknings of your Convictions is the right way to the saving of your Souls The Lord make you this day to hear his Voice Seventhly Such as have come hither upon vain or vile accounts for meer novelty or worse ends to catch advantages or reproach the truths of God. Scoffing at the most solemn and awful Voice of Christ. The Word that you have slighted and reproached the same shall Judge you in that great Day except the Lord give you Repentance unto Life and make the Heart tremble under it that hath scoffed at it Be not mockers lest your bands be made strong Isa. 28. 22. Eighthly To Conclude Let all whose Hearts the Lord hath opened this day for the enjoyment of the Gospel the blessed instrument of their Salvation bless the Lord that hath made it a Key by Regeneration to open the door of Salvation to your Souls And as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord so walk ye in him AN APPENDIX To the Foregoing TREATISE FROM ROMANS 1. 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness IN all the foregoing Sermons I have been pleading and wooing for Christ. And as Abrahams Servant to win the Damsels Consent told her what Treasures his Masters Son had so have I laboured to shew you some part of the unsearchable Riches of Christ if by any means I might allure your hearts and be instrumental to close the happy Match betwixt him and you and as the Apostle speaks espouse you to one Husband even to Christ. But alas How few stir towards him The most seem to be immovably fixed in their Natural State and sinful Courses All our Arguments and Intreaties return to us again and effect nothing 'T is amazing to think what is the matter that Souls which have in them the inbred Hopes and Fears of the World to come and self reflecting Powers cannot for all this be prevailed with to quit the way of sin and to embrace the way of Holiness though their Consciences mean while stand convinced that Eternal Damnation is the issue and result of the one Life Peace and Eternal Joyes of the other This hath put me upon a serious search what may be the cause and reason of this fixed and unreasonable obstinacy and in this it seems evidently to lye with most that live in an unregenerate state under the Gospel that they put a force upon their own Consciences and do imprison and hold the Truth in unrighteousness though the Wrath of God be revealed from Heaven against all that do so If by this Discourse I can but set truth at Liberty and loose the Lords Prisoners which lye bound in your Souls I shall not doubt but the value of Christ will quickly rise among you and free Convictions will make the work of your Ministers much more easie and successful than they now find it 'T is hardly imaginable but the things you have heard must leave your Souls under Convictions but if you suppress and stifle them they produce nothing but aggravations of Sin and Misery Now in order to the free and effectual working of all your Convictions and begetting that reverence which is due to them from every Soul as to the Voice of God I have chosen this Scripture the scope and sense whereof I shall next give you The true scope and aim of this Context is to prove the Justification of Sinners to be only by the imputed Righteousness of Christ in the way of Faith. To make this evident he distributes the whole World into Gentiles and Iews the one seeking Righteousness by the dim Light of Nature or the Law written in their Hearts the other viz. the Iews by the works of the Law or External Conformity to the Law of Moses but that neither can find what they seek he distinctly and fully proves He proves it first upon the Gentiles from this verse to the 17th verse of the second Chapter and then he proves it upon the Iews also from thence to the end of the third Chapter As for the Gentiles he acknowledges that they had inbred Notions of God imprinted in their Nature they had also the Book of the Creatures before them enough to leave them without Excuse ver 20. they have no pretence of ignorance but these common Notices of God and of Good and Evil they did not obey and put in practise but acted against the very Light and Dictates of their Natural Consciences For which cause the Wrath of God was revealed from Heaven against them as the Text speaks Wherein note 1. A clear and dreadful Revelation of Divine Wrath. 2. The Object or impulsive Cause thereof Vngodliness and Vnrighteousness 3. The special aggravation of this their Ungodliness and Unrighteousness that they held the truth in unrighteousness 1. Here is a clear and dreadful Revelation of Divine Wrath the wrath of God saith the Apostle is revealed from Heaven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the indignation or vengeance of God. 'T is a word of deep and dreadful signification the Damned that feel the weight of it have the fullest sense ot it 'T is said in Psal. 90. 11. Who knows the power of thine anger according to thy fear so is thy wrath That is the fears of an incensed Deity are no vain Bug-bears Nor the effects of Ignorance and Superstition as Atheists Fancy but let mens Fears of it be what they will they shall find except they repent the Wrath of God to be according to yea and far above their Fears of it If the Wrath of a King be as the Messengers of Death what then is the Wrath of the great and terrible God This Wrath is here said to be revealed 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 discovered or made manifest and so it is divers wayes it was revealed to them by the light of Nature their own Consciences gave them notice and warning of it Thus it was revealed to them by an internal Testimony
a Witness within them and it was also revealed to them by the Instances and Examples of strokes and punishments of Sin in all Ages by the immediate hand of a justly incensed God. They came not by chance but Divine direction therefore it 's added 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from Heave◠or from God in Heaven 2. Here is the Object or impulsive Cause of this revealed and inflicted Wrath 't is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The former 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ungodliness comprizeth all sins against the first Table the irreligious lives and practices of Men living in the neglect of the Duties of Religion The other word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 unrighteousness comprizeth all sins against the second Table acts of Fraud Uncleanness c. against Men And because these two general comprehensive words are branched out into many particulars therefore he saith the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness There is not one of the many sins into which ungodliness and unrighteousness are branched out but incenseth the Lords Wrath and though he only mentions the Sins in the Abstract we are to understand the Abstract put here for the Concrete the sins for the sinners that commit them or Gods punishing these sins upon the persons of the Sinners 3. Lastly We have here before us the special aggravation of these sins or that which made them much more provoking to God than otherwise they had been And it was this that whilst they committed these Sins or omitted those Duties they held the truth in unrighteousness 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word signifies to detain stop hinder or put a Remora in the way of that Truth of God or those common Notions they had of his Being Power Goodness Truth c. as also of his Worship and the difference between Good and Evil. These Truths struggled in their Consciences as the Child in the Womb to come to the Birth Conscience instigated them to Duty and laboured to restrain them from Sin but all in vain they overbare their own Consciences and kept those Sentiments and Convictions Prisoners though they struggled for Liberty to break forth into Practice and Obedience Their Convictions were kept down under the Dominion and Power of Corruptions as a Prisoner is shut up by his Keeper Their Lusts were too hard for their Light. Thus you have both the Scope and Sense of the Text. The Point from it is this DOCTRINE That the wrath of God is dreadfully incensed against all those that live in any course of Sin against the light and dictates of their own Consciences Sins of Ignorance provoke the Wrath of God yet are they not of so heinous a nature as sins against light and Conviction are nor shall they be punished so severely Luk. 12. 47. That servant which knew his Lords will and prepared not himself neither did according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes It excuses a tanto in some measure when a man can say Lord had I known this to be a sin I would not have done it but when the Conscience is convinced and strives to keep us from such an act or course of sinful actions and we stop our Ears against its Voice and Warnings here is an high and horrid Contempt of God and his Law and gives the sin a Scarlet Dye or Tincture Sins of Ignorance cannot compare with such sins as these Ioh. 3. 19. Ioh. 15. 22. To open this Point let me 1. Shew you what Conscience is 2. What the Light of Conscience is and what its kinds are 3. How this Light binds the Conscience and makes it strive in us 4. Then instance in some Cases wherein it doth so 5. And Lastly how and why the imprisoning of these Convictions so dreadfully incenseth the Wrath of God. 1. 'T will be needful to speak a little to the nature of Conscience in general Conscience as our Divines well expresse it is the judgment of a man upon himself as he is Subject to the judgement of God. A Judgment it is and a practical Judgment too it belongs to the understanding faculty 1 Cor. 11. 31. If we would judge our selves c. this self-judgment is the proper Office of the Conscience and to enable it for this its work and office there are as is generally observed three things belonging to every mans Conscience 1 A Knowledge of the Rule or Law according to which it is to judge called the Synteresis which is a treasury of Rules and Principles without which Conscience can no more do its work than an Artificer that wants his Square or Level can do his 2 Knowledge of the Facts or Matters to be judged called the Syneidesis The Conscience of every man keeps a Register of his Actions Thoughts and the very Secrets of the Heart 3 An Ability and delegated Authority to pass Judgment on our selves and Actions according to the Rule and Law of God called Crisis Judgment Here it sits upon the Bench as Gods Vicegerent Absolving or Condemning as it finds the Sincerity or Hypocrisie of the heart upon Tryal 1 Ioh. 3. 20 21. Conscience therefore is an High and Aweful Power it is solo Deo minor next and immediately under God our Judge riding as Ioseph did in the second Chariot and concerning Conscience he saith to every man as he once did to Moses with respect to Pharaoh See I have made thee a god to Pharaoh Exod. 7. 1. The Voice of Conscience is the Voice of God. What it bindeth or looseth on Earth Clave non errante is accordingly bound or loosed in Heaven 1 Ioh. 3. 21. the greatest deference and precise Obedience is due to its Commands Its Consolations are of all the most sweet and its Condemnations only excepting those by the mouth of Christ in the last Judgment most terrible Zuinglius spake not without ground when he said What Death would I not rather chuse what Punishment would I not rather bear yea into what profound Abyss of Hell would I not rather enter than to witness against my Conscience 'T is like he had felt the Terrors of it to be more bitter than Death How many have chosen strangling rather than life under the Terrors of Conscience Wherever you go Conscience accompanies you VVhatever you say do or but think it Registers and Records in order to the Day of Account VVhen all Friends forsake thee yea when thy Soul forsakes thy Body Conscience will not cannot forsake thee When thy Body is weakest and dullest thy Conscience is most vigorous and active Never more life in the Conscience than when Death makes its nearest approach to the Body when it smiles chears acquits and comforts O what an Heaven doth it create within a Man And when it frowns condemns and terrifies how doth it becloud yea benight all the Pleasures Joyes and Delights of this World. O Conscience how glad would the damned be to have taken their