you have a heart to beleeve nay thy prosperitie thy blessings are cursed unlesse thou hast this grace of faith faith will make thee honourable in thy honour faith will make thee blessed in prosperitie Iohn 6.28 O how shall we worke the workes of faith marke how hee answereth Why this is the worke of God that you beleeve why would you doe that which God might take contentment in O this pleaseth the Lord admirably and contenteth him wonderfully when he seeth the soule leaves honour and leaves prosperitie and leaves the world and commeth to Christ and lieth at his footstoole and will never leave him nor forsake him this pleaseth the Lord admirably it is true all duties are good with this grace but none of them will please God without this thou maist pray untill thy eyes are weary untill thy heart sinketh and thy Spirit fainteth yet without faith the Lord careth not for thy best performances if a poore Christian whose parts are not so strong whose prayers are not so powerfull can but sob and sigh out a prayer in faith this is more pleasing to the Lord Eccles 7. a man will doe any thing that he may live all a mans labour it is that he might live what wilt thou labour for clothes to cover thee and meat to nourish thee and wares for thy shop and not for Christ and faith to save thy soule therefore when your carnall friends would withdraw your endevours and say what needeth all these prayers and what needeth all these endevours answer what would you not have me live observe the scope of all motions and the end of all labour is rest the poore sea-faring man his eye is upon the shoare when his hand is tugging at the oare the traveller his body is in the way and his heart is at home the souldier fighteth that he might have a peaceable victorie the people in the wildernesse were travelling and at last they had rest Heb. 4.3 wee are thus wildering wee are thus travellers and wee are thus poore sea-faring men that are tossed up and downe the waters of the world and in seas of sorrow and the truth is we are so in wrath and vengeance 〈…〉 horrour of conscience and would not you have rest Heb. 4.4 He that doth beleeve doth enter into that rest he hath entred into that rest Brethren the truth is we are tossed we are thus troubled miseries without horrour within Would you not now be at rest there is no more horrour to trouble you no more vengeance to plague thee no more wrath to haunt thee let thy eye be upon the shoare pray to beleeve and heare to beleeve and labour to beleeve labour for that rest For the further clearing of the point I will here discover three particulars 1 I will shew you the hindrances of faith 2 I will shew you the means to get faith 3 I will shew you the motives to perswade you to labour for it 1 What these be that hinder a man from getting faith and here in the generall know thus much they are very many and very dangerous it is therefore a point of wisedome to bee carefull to foresee these hindrances and to be watchfull to prevent these Satan above all doth labour to hinder a poore soule this way hee would not have a man chaste hee would not have a man regenerate he would not have a man meeke and humble but above all hee would not have him beleeve for then he knowes he is gone If he bee so violent to cast hindrances in our way wee should bee as watchfull and carefull to avoid these hindrances It is that wee shall observe concerning Peter Satan saith our Saviour desires to winnow thee Now that Christ aimed at was that he would winnow his faith and Christ laboured to fortifie that for saith he I have prayed that thy faith faile not as if he had said if faith holds all holds the Devill sights neither against small nor great but onely against faith he deales with faith as one enemy doth with another in the field in fight one against another if the enemy perceive that there is some castle or some trench to which the contrary side have resort upon all occasions all their aiming is to cut off their passage the bridge that they may not come to the shelter and then they can conquer them and prevaile against them as they list This is an ordinary care that one enemy hath against another So Satan deales with the soule hee easily perceives that the Lord Jesus Christ and his promises are the castle of a distressed soule they are the trenches wherein the soule may refresh it selfe and finde succour upon all occasions Now Satan labours to cut off the passage of confidence and take away the bridge of beleefe when hee hinders a man from resting and beleeving in Christ he cuts him from comming to his shelter and castle therefore he can prevaile against him as hee please Therefore let the soule bee so much the more wary to prevent these hindrances because Satan is so carefull and watchfull to lay hindrances in the way and to fortifie all sides that we may not beleeve in Christ this is the greatest labour of Satan to hinder us let it bee our greatest endevour to attaine it Now to deale more plainly the hindrances that Satan casts in our way to keep us from beleeving are of two sorts The first are those hindrances that doe disinable a man from comming to Christ as having no title to him no interest in his mercy some hindrances doe really withhold a man that he cannot rely upon and repaire unto the Lord Jesus Christ Other there bee againe that doe not take away our interest in the promises they doe not hinder our title we have to Christ but wee hinder our selves from comming to Christ because wee are not wise to prevent these hindrances as wee should and avoid them as we ought First wee will beginne with the former and the question is what are those reall hindrances that keepe the soule that it cannot beleeve in the Lord Iesus that it never shall beleeve in the Lord Iesus upon these termes in that estate and condition those hindrances are especially foure The first is this A blinded carelesse and senselesse security and presumption which commonly takes possession of the hearts of men whereby they content themselves with their condition because they know not the misery of their condition Marke what I say this same sluggish senselesse this same carelesse presumption of a mans welfare when there is no such matter he is only blinded and deluded When men cry peace peace to their soules when they conclude their estates are good they desire to be no better because they see no other because they see not the misery of it These cannot see the excellency of faith therefore cannot make a step to goe to Christ by faith such a soule is rivetted and scrued to his base wretched condition therefore
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
he that now is accused condemned shall now be hanged so here Others beare their hopes and sustaine their hearts upon the privileges that God bestoweth upon them and the meanes they have and in regard of the duties they doe discharge and though they thinke they have faire hopes and great hopes of heaven why say they God will powre downe his wrath upon those that know not God and that call not upon his name but what doe you make of us are we heathen are not we Christians have not wee beene baptized and the Lord hath inabled us to doe something wee call upon his name and seeke him by fasting and prayer and therefore he that hath done so much for us and hath done so much to us sure hee will give us heaven I answer that this bottome is not sufficient to beare up this hope all the privileges thou hast all the meanes ordinances thou enjoyest unlesse thy heart be humbled and thy soule brought to Christ all these will fall under thee and thou wilt goe to hell Rom. 2.28 He is not a Jew that is a Jew outwardly the Jewes they bragged of this they were circumcised and the Heathen were not circumcised they were the seed of Abraham but the Heathen were not Paul vilifieth all this he is not a Jew that is a Jew outwardly thy baptisme thy praying and thy hearing there is no profit by them no comfort in them if thou maintaine a wicked life and a naughty heart therefore this will not serve the turne you know it and the Scripture speaketh it Iudas an Apostle Iudas called by Christ he sat with our Saviour and dipped his hand in the dish he was a Devill then and is with the Devils now the foolish virgins had a trim profession as well as the others thou professest and hearest and prayest thou wilt lye too and cousen too and sweare too thou art naught and this bottome will never beare thee up When they see all this will come to nothing then they make a shift to plead mercy and they hope that will stand then in stead and doe them good when nothing else will and therefore you shall heare carnall wicked men confesse themselves naught their sinnes many and they vile but there is mercie enough in God to releeve them and they hope that will save them Brethren I confesse mercie is able to save thee and if thy hope can lay hold upon it it will save thee if thou be so within the reach of mercie mercie is able to save thee and will save many other besides but thou art not capable of this mercie thou art not within the roome and compasse of mercie what availeth it to talke and speake and hope for mercie and to see a great deale of mercie in Christ a great deale of merit in Christ a great deale of vertue in Christ able to save thee and a thousand more and yet thou not in the compasse of mercie not capable of mercie but sinkest in thy owne sinnes before thou gettest any mercie from God Isa 27.11 hee that made them will have no mercie upon them as who should say it is true here is abundance of mercie mercie enough mercie that saved a poore company of poore Jewes that crucified the Lord Jesus Christ mercie that saved Paul a persecutour Manasses an Idolater but I will shew no mercie unto thee he that confesseth and forsaketh his sinnes shall finde mercie mercie owneth those mercie doth good unto those but unto thee that lovest thy sinnes that embracest thy sinnes that hidâ—st thy sinnes the text saith it thou shalt never finde mercie delude thy selfe thou mayst but thou never shalt have mercie Luke 14.24 there was a marriage made and a rich marriage feast enough to have fed many thousands but those that were bidden did not come they shall not so much as taste of them they shall have none of them so there are sweet comforts strong consolations admirable refreshings able to sustaine a thousand soules but you that would keepe your sinnes and have the pride of your hearts but you that stand it out with the world and will not yeeld to the authoritie of the truth heare what the Lord saith from heaven he that is the God of comfort thou shalt never be comforted he that is the Authour of salvation saith it thou shalt never be saved thou shalt never have a crum of these dainties nor a drop of these sweet wines of spirituall consolation what a world now of men are shut out by these trials that are found guilty of these particulars you poore ignorant creatures doe not many of you lift up your heads full high and many a poore presumptuous hypocrite beare up themselves upon rotten hopes Object but I tell you when you come to the day of judgement all this will faile you but you will say in the former use you laboured us from despaire and incouraged us to hope and yet now you take away all our hopes why if neither creation may comfort us nor the experience of Gods kinde dealing with us may incourage us nor the afflictions that wee have endured in this world nor the privileges that we have enjoyed nor the mercie of themselves may give us any hope to receive mercie why then it seemeth you would have us despaire and cast away all hope of any good Answer The truth is as I must not make the way broader than it is so I must not make it narrower than I ought therefore know these two things As long as thou retainest and keepest a proud stubborne unconverted heart there is no hope in heaven or earth that God should ever shew mercy unto thee and save that hard stonie impenitent unbeleeving heart of thine unlesse thou thinkest that God will bring all thy pride all thy loosenesse and sinfull delights unto heaven God cannot shew thee mercie unlesse he will deny himselfe and crosse his holinesse follow peace and holinesse without which no man shall see God God taketh a corporall oath of it an unbeleeving man that liveth under grace despising it and contemning it God taketh an oath he shall never be saved now the oath of God shall ever stand there be two immutable things namely himselfe and his oath himselfe cannot be changed his oath cannot be broken now the Lord sweareth such a man shall not enter into his rest a man may be saved that cannot keepe the law fully of himselfe but a man cannot be saved that will not humble his soule before the Lord and receive mercy from him and hence Ephes 2.12 Without God without Christ without hope the Lord hath said the Lord hath sworne it that an unbeleeving an unrepenting sinner shall never come unto heaven he cannot save thy soule untill he hath humbled thy soule hee cannot save thy soule as long as thou retainest an unbeleeving soule This is that which you must take notice of that I may let in a little crevise of comfort to every naturall man that I
rather bee banished than terrified rather imprisoned than tormented yet onely seekes his owne ease not a Christ all this while And therefore experience hath taught us this that many after a great deale of terrour and horrour of heart when the pang is over have returned and beene as vile and as base and as sinfull nay haply worse than ever they were before the reason is they have gotten their desire now and they care for no more they have gotten their ease and quiet now and as for Christ and grace and holinesse they care no more for them because they have no more use of them Nay to goe further observe it this poore creature may in his owne sense and feeling apprehend and thinke that he doth renounce all sinne truly and that he puts the highest esteeme and greatest account upon the Lord Jesus Christ above all things in the world if hee looke into his owne apprehension he may thinke he doth thus and yet the union and league betweene sinne and his soule was never broken all this may bee in sense and feeling and an honest Minister if he be not very wise in charitie will judge so as shall appeare by this instance Take water seething hot though in nature it is the coldest of all elements yet while it continueth on the fire it growes so hot that a man shall feele no cold at all in it but yet there is a principle of cold remaining in it as the Philosopher conceives for plucke the fire from the water or the water from the fire and it will returne to coldnesse againe and freeze the sooner because when it is taken from the fire it beats out the heat with the more violence Now the reason why the cold was there and yet not perceived was because the fiercenesse of the heat did over-master it and made it retire and not expresse it selfe in outward appearance So it is with this terrified hypocrite in these pangs of extremitie and horrours of conscience when the soule is possessed with the fierce indignation of the Almightie when the flashes of everlasting vengeance seize upon the heart of a sinner this takes off the pleasure delight and content which the heart had in sinne though the soule love it and the heart embrace it and the spirit close with it yet he can find and feele in his owne apprehension no pleasure at all in sinne nor no sweetnesse in his lusts by reason of the domineering vengeance of the Lord which takes off all the pleasantnesse that was in it before And therefore the adulterer that hath his dalliances every morning if God let the flames of his vengeance once into his soule as hee hath flamed in lust all his sweetnesse and delight in sin will vanish away in his owne apprehension but yet his soule cleaves to his base lusts still and his heart is knit to them and the league and combination betweene sinne and his soule was never broken and parted So that by this we may see why a sinner in his owne apprehension may thinke hee hath no delight in sinne and yet there is a league betweene sinne and the soule still and this Hypocrite may thus continue all the while the sound of the stroke is upon him If haply his affections be stirring after some sinne then saith conscience You remember what was done before you remember what you did such and such a time would you fain be in hell againe I will arrest you for this one day saith conscience and so his soule flieth off from his cursed distempers not that the union between sinne and his soule is broken but onely his corruptions for the present are abated for acting By this time you see the reason why I entred upon this point which was this to undermine the bottome that beares up the soules of many carnall men in the world and to cut off all pleas and to raze the foundation of all carnall confidence under heaven therefore I beseech you marke it you will say this is marvellous hard these truths are marvellous terrible Quest. But some may say What doe you thinke that all those which will not come under the power of the Gospell that enjoy it Doe you thinke that all that will not seeke out for the Gospell that want it Do you think that all those who are not carefull to prevent those inconveniences which may hinder them from the benefit of the Gospell Doe you thinke that every man that is informed and convinced of a duty and will not take it up hath no desire after godlinesse Doe you thinke if a man will not part with all and be content to bee vile and base for Christ that hee hath no desire after Christ Doe you thinke a man may take up all duties for his owne ease and seeke Christ in them Ans Beloved I speake not my owne thoughts but it is cleare out of the Word of God that none of all these sorts of persons ever yet attained a true longing desire after the Lord Jesus Christ You told mee in the beginning if I could prove this you would yeeld the day therefore take these truths home to your soules and reason and parly soundly and thoroughly with your owne hearts after this manner Why how farre am I from heaven If the Lord hath not yet opened mine eyes and humbled my heart and enlarged my soule If I never yet had a longing after a Saviour what not desire heaven how then can I dreame or thinke that God will shew mercie to my soule in the pardon of my sinnes If no desire no Christ no desire no Heaven but I have no desire therefore no Heaven no Christ no happinesse The Lord settle these things upon your soules that you may never give quiet to your hearts nor rest to your soules till you finde this sound desire wrought in you Beloved what will you doe for heaven if you cannot so much as desire to come to Heaven and Happinesse Quest But here some will say this is a very strict course this is a very narrow passage indeed let us see how we may not bee couzened in our condition nor deceived by resting in our performances c. Ans I referre my answer to these three conclusions Conclusion 1 First thou must know that the remainders of those distempers that a man should rest upon the merit of duties performed are such remainders of sinne as will sticke to us and remaine with us so long as we live on the face of the earth But when once the Spirit of the Lord takes possession of the soule it counterworkes and digs deeper than these distempers for the good Spirit of the Lord that seizeth upon the heart truly humbled goeth betweene sinne and home it goeth betweene sin and the soule continually and makes a greater evill appeare in the soule than is the evill of punishment and makes knowne a greater good to the heart than ease and the removall of the outward plague and horrour The
a matter of complement and indifferencie No no I may call it the very wheeles of faith upon which faith is carried for all this while faith is a sowing into the soule Looke as it is with a waggon knocke off the wheeles and all lyes in the dust so take away this desire and faith is in the dust the tenour of all the promises run upon this the thirstie they are invited the hungrie they shall be satisfied nay not onely so but observe further the necessity of this when desire comes all good workes goe forward and our hearts are not only set upon the dutie but the dutie is crowned and credited by this desire It is like the mill damme the fuller the damme is the faster the mill goes so get but desire and all will goe forward the more desire the more paines in seeking after grace this gives a crowne and a credit to all our actions thou prayest haply halfe an houre it is not thy tongue that the Lord accepts but thy desire thou performest many duties outwardly God cares not for that he lookes only at thy desire to approve thy selfe to God in those duties this is the thing that gives credit to all our actions Meanes 3 The third meanes is this labour to spread forth the excellencie of all the beautie and surpassing glorie that is in the promises of God Looke wisely daily and judiciously upon them as occasion serves and when thou seest that admirable and incomparable vertue and beautie that is in Christ and in the precious promises and canst but view them in their proper colours Oh they will even ravish thee and quicken up thy desire If a man carry a packe of never so rich commodities and never opens them no man will have a desire to buy Or if a man have a cabinet full of never so precious jewels if he doe not unlocke it no man will be stirred with a desire after them Even so it is with the promises all those unsearchable riches that are in the Lord Jesus and all the comforts both of this life and that which is to come they are all shut up in the promises Now set open the Gospell and unlock the cabbinet of the promises and then the soule will earnestly desire the same I tell you God is a God of comfort and all the promises are yea and Amen in the Lord Jesus Christ read them daily and examine the excellencie and beautie therein that so thy heart may be brought to prize them and the comfort arising thence Thy soule is discouraged there is mercie to comfort thou wantest grace there is grace to quicken thee See the worth thereof more fully Luke 24. When Christ came and walked with the two disciples that were travelling towards Emaus Luke 24.32 opened Did not our hearts burne within us say they while he opened the Scriptures the Latine word signifieth to burne with desire But how came this they did not talke a word and away but the Lord Jesus Christ opened the Scriptures to them the riches of grace and salvation were unlocked and by Christ opened and then their hearts burned againe with desire Oh that Christ and that mercie and that pardon c. So view thou the promises of Christ and grace and salvation you doe not see the value and riches that are therein but if you will but talke and conferre about them your hearts will burne with desire doe not cast an eye and be gone doe not looke over a promise and away no wonder though your hearts are not affected because the excellent things therein contained are not opened and propounded to you Meanes 4 In the fourth and last place after all this thou must know that it is not in thy power to bring thy heart to desire grace thou canst not hammer out a desire upon thine owne anvill digge thy owne pit and hew thy owne rock as long as thou wilt that is a worke out of thy abilitie and strength Nay let all the Angels in heaven and all the Ministers on earth provoke thee yet if the hand of the Lord be wanting thou shalt not lift up thy heart nor step one step towards heaven therefore I beseech you marke and acknowledge this and goe to him who is onely able to worke this desire in thy soule It is the complaint of Christians and they mourne under it and it is a great miserie Oh they are troubled because they cannot fetch a good desire from their owne soules and one falls another sinkes and a third shakes and they are overwhelmed with discouragement And their complaint is this What a wretched heart have I Object Grace No no the world I can desire the life of my childe I long for that nay every trifling profit and pleasure my soule covets it and I say with Rachel Let me have honour or else I dye But I cannot buckle my heart nor worke this vile nature of mine to bee carried after and long for the unconceivable unsearchable riches of the Lord Jesus Christ And will the Lord shew mercie to me Shall I attaine any favour either here or hereafter Answ Marke the deceit in this case desires grow not in your garden they spring not from the root of your abilities you cannot frame your soules nor order your spirits to desire Christ no struggle while thy eyes sinke in thy head and thy tongue falters when thou prayest and yet thou shalt not procure any longing desire after Christ whiles the world stands desire comes from the quickning vertue of the spirit Therefore seeke to God and confesse In truth Lord I cannot it is not in my power I have not any sufficiencie to frame my heart to this desire I expect it not from my selfe it is not this vile and sinfull soule it is not this wicked base wayward heart of mine that can lift up it selfe it is earthly and heavie but it is thou O Lord from whom come all our desires it is thou that must worke it it is thou that hast promised it good Lord quicken thou this soule and inlarge this heart of mine thou only art the God of this desire none of thy Saints that ever panted after and longed for thy mercie David himselfe had it not in his owne power and sufficiencie it must come from thy power and thy promise and thy grace and blessing Now good Lord worke this in the heart of thy poore servant I would faine have a desire Lord from heaven thus hale downe a desire from the Lord and from the promise for there only you must have it this is the course whereby you may partake of this desire from the hand of the Lord. When the Church was lazie and sluggish and would not rise Cant. 5.4 the hands of her beloved dropped mirrhe upon the handle of the doore and this raised and pulled up the heart of the spouse and she lingred after him and followed him and pursued him and her heart was quickned and inlarged to
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
is best at ease they dwell like civill good neighbours by Christ and the Gospell and now and then they will doe Christ a good turne provided they may not hazard themselves and that they may serve their owne turne they will welcome all persons of all rankes if a blasphemer or riotous person comes in they will suit with them and welcome them if they be never so vile and base they will say nothing little said is soone amended they will not reprove them because they should not censure them againe nay if they will take up sinfull courses though they will not doe the same with them yet they will stand by and looke on and secretly give allowance thereunto nay further I beseech you observe it as they will welcome such persons so they will often invite a Minister to their houses and intreat him to preach on the sunday and they will straine marvellously â—oâ— some holy talke because they know the heart of a poore Minister cannot brooke idle conference but this neuter likes those Ministers best that will not meddle with any personall fault in his family but if a Minister will speake only in the generall hee hath what hee would and hee commends highly the judgement of the man hee thankes him extraordinarily for his paines and desires much more of his company and commends him for a very discreet man and one that knowes how to carry himselfe I and he knowes how not to meddle with him you must understand that too if the Minister will preach doctrinall things only and take up points and lay them downe and have halfe a score points in his sermon then hee extols him for a judicious and learned man in the Scripture and he gathers the very creame of the Scripture but if he come home to the conscience and apply personally and discover particularly the basenesse of his heart and the basenesse of his life hee then takes his Bible and fals to reading hee cannot heare with that eare but wisheth that men would follow their text and I could wish every one did so Now this neuter intrencheth upon articles of agreement betweene him and the Gospell for he made this covenant with the Gospell that he will not trouble the Gospell not persecute it neither will not have that to meddle with him but if the Gospell come home to him and would drive him out of his pace hee wisheth the Minister would keepe his text this man counts zeale in a good course like a fever in a mans body and hee thinkes it dangerous to be sicke and therefore he will keepe a cold temper in his body for constitution and a cold luke warme temper in his profession and then he is admirable healthfull and â—he will be talking much of the customes of men in the world that are in great place and if there be any thing which is naught authorized by great men he takes much upon him those two words Church and state and holds them up as ensignes and hee thinkes it a strange thing and thinkes it to be high treason and false Latine that any man should question on what he speakes in this case the English of it is this he is resolved to see the strongest side and he will be with that side whether it be with the Lord Christ or the power of his grace he cares not but he will be sure to sleepe in a whole skin so that these base sinfull men care not for the power of religion they love themselves and love not Christ these men deale with profession as the neuterall townes in the Low countries deale with the armies and souldiers of the Emperour and the King of Denmarke they will leane to both that they may be subject to neither they will not take sides with the Emperour nor yet with the King of Denmarke but they will be content for to live at ease and they will doe any thing that they may not be troubled but if any of both sides begin to set upon them they turne head presently they will doe no harme to them if they will not hurt them but if they seeke to bring them under authoritie they are not able to beare it but resist them so it is with these neuteralists in a Christian course they will fashion themselves to the world that the world may not despight them and they will fashion themselves in profession to the better side that they may not distaste them a man will pray in his family in the morning and leave Christ there and payeth tribute that way onely Christ must give him leave to couzen in his shop at noon â—et him have what he would and hee will pay triâ—ute to the Gospell and Christ and all he will pay â—ribute of all hands that he may not bee troubled This is observable of men in great place a great man will have one or two good servants in his family to credit himselfe that way and hee will â—ave a knave and a drunkard too that they may â—lose with those of that ranke and so get credit â—n both sides but if the Gospell besiege this man â—nd the power of the Word flies in the very face â—f him and hee must lay downe his owne aimes â—nd ends and he must lay downe his applause of â—he world and his owne credit and his civilizing â—ourses then they turne head presently and are â—ot able to beare the authority of the truth to â—oope thereunto and be framed thereby for the â—ords sake thinke of it these men entertaine Christ in this case as sometimes men doe their â—eighbours they entertaine them lovingly if they â—ill keepe within their bounds and looke to â—heir owne ground that hee may suffer no harme â—y them but now to entertaine him as a Landâ—ord and as a Conqueror that hee should take all â—om them and they depend upon him this they â—annot beare Now the Saints doe this they can â—ntertaine the Lord Iesus as a Landlord and as a Commander but these newters entertaine the Gospell and Christ as good neighbours all the â—hile the Gospell troubles them not and puts no â—azard upon them they will welcome it but if the power of the truth will by force presse in upon them and make them either better or worse they cannot beare it with patience but are in a devillish fume with the power of the Gospell that is revealed with evidence unto them Let these men know that they which are not with Christ are against Christ in his account though a man stand still and doe nothing and therefore thinks all shall bee well with him and all shall bee quiet with him let him know that all the wrong which is done to Christ and to his Gospell which he sees and assents unto and is not an helper against the Lord will require it at his hands and they are guilty of it before the Lord Câ—rsâ— yee Merosh curse him with a bitter curse because hee went not out to helpe the Lord
than God doth convey this and communicate to the soule a man naturally is as well able to keepe the law which is doe and live as hee is of himselfe in himselfe so considered to beleeve in the Gospell and to keepe the second covenant of grace which is beleeve and live but the difference is here the Gospell requires abilitie and gives it the Lord cals us to come and inables us to come whereas the law reveales a mans corruptions but never gives him power against them but as the Lord called Lazarus so the Lord gave Lazarus power to rise so when the Lord cals a poore sinner he gives strength and spirituall ability to come according to the call which the Lord reveales that he may come by that saving and precious faith as S. Peter cals it therefore it is of necessity required that as the soule beleeves the Lord must give strength that it may beleeve and therefore it is effectually perswaded Now that I might meet with that erronious opinion of Pelagians consider what I say they say it is of necessity required that a poore sinner have his minde inlightened but the will of man is unaltered and left free to refuse or chuse grace if it please so that they put a kinde of ability in the will to take or refuse Christ and grace when it is offered but here is a deepe mistake because the will of man is as farre averse from God as the minde is blinde nay it is more averse from God than the minde is blinde and it is more hard to be framed therefore there must be this effectuall perswading as the understanding must have the truth cleered to see a Christ so the will must be perswaded that it may receive power from him as it is with the sea and the thames there is ebbing and flowing now the natutall Philosophers observe that the ebbing and flowing comes not from any inward proper principle of it selfe but the light and heat of the moone leaves its beames upon the water and drawes the water after it this makes it to flow and when the moone is gone the water returnes backe againe and this is ebbing just so it is with the soule of a man humbled and enlightened there is no power in the soule to goe any further than it selfe to flow unto a Christ and to goe towards the promises further than the Lord lets in by the power of his Spirit the beames of his mercie upon the soule and sheds in the freenesse of his grace into the heart and that makes the soule flow againe so that as it ebbed and went away from God by sinne so it now flowes and comes to God againe but it is by the power and Spirit of God Quest. Now if you aske mee what it is to have the heart thus perswaded of Gods goodnesse in Christ Answ It is nothing else but this first as it is undeniably inlightened to see this mercie of God so there comes in a streame of the freenesse and riches of Gods grace and doth affect the heart with the sweetnesse and rellish of Gods grace that it findes a marvellous sweetnesse in it Quest Secondly what is it to be effectually perswaded Ans It is thus much not a touch and away and a little sip and begone nor a hourly kinde of tasting but take notice of these two things in it First when the prevailing sweetnesse in the promise and that goodnesse in the promise is let in by the Spirit of the Lord that it sinkes into the heart roots and it comes to take possession of the soule of an humble sinner and is next the soule there is nothing next the soule but that the world and pleasure c. are without the heart but the goodnesse of the promise and the freenesse of Gods grace hath its privie chamber in the heart of a man this I take to be the meaning of that phrase of rooting the promise in the heart and this was the fault of the stony ground-hearers Matth. 13.21 The seed grew up suddenly and perished suddenly why because it had not depth of earth the seed of the promise had not the depth of his heart but there was a stone in the heart and the world lay next the heart and a stone of lust and pride was betweene the word of the Lord and the heart so that the promise had not root and hence it was slightly affected with the truth but never thus powerfully to have it goe downe to the roots of the heart the good word of the Lord in this case comes to the heart not as an owner but as a travellour this is the meaning of that place Hosea 2.14 I will allure her and draw her into the wildernesse that is by preparation and then I will speake comfortably to her that is I will speake to her heart so it is in the originall there is a kinde of prevailing sweetnesse of the grace of God in Christ that will be at the roots of the heart that it may give allowance unto it now marke what followes from hence and this is the first part of the effectuall perswading of the heart when the heart saith away with profit and the world and all let me have the Lord and his grace Oh that goes to the bottome of the heart hence it is that the soule thus prevailingly is sweetned with the goodnesse of the promise can taste nothing in the world without this it is now out of love with all other things it had loved and doted on before most immoderatly the sweetnesse of the promise hath stolne away the heart of a poore sinner and gotten the good will of the soule to be only for Christ and to have his heart to close with Christ and to be nothing in the world without him this effectuall perswading it is the meaning of that place Act. 3.19 Amend your lives repent and turne that your sinnes may be done away repent and be converted that is be truly prepared in the worke of humiliation and be converted that is have a through heat of the heart for grace in vocation that your sinnes may be done away in justification so then when the soule is first humbled in preparation and the heart now all for the Lord Jesus Christ and can taste nothing but Christ and nothing in regard of him and God hath gotten his good will then followes justification that your sinnes may be blotted out this was the practice of the repenting Church when the Lord had hedged her way and built a wall that she could not finde her old lovers Hos 2.7 at last the Church saith I will returne to my first husband for then it was better with me than now as if the Church had said Oh the mercies of God and the consolation of Christ are better than all my delights in sinne the soule comes now to see a bettering in Christ Oh to have my heart purged and my sinnes remitted it were better than to wallow
great and marvellous are thy workes and in the 107. Psalme 8. when the Prophet had shewed the great workes that God had done for his people Israel he saith Oh that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare his wonderfull workes before the sonnes of men This was also a type of our spirituall comming home to Christ wee are all slaves to the Devill and in spirituall bondage under sinne hell and death but faith sets a man upon the shore and brings him home unto Christ as Iohn 5.24 He that doth beleeve is passed from death to life Lord saith the poore soule I confesse I was in the mouth of hell but now I am passed from death to life faith sets a man beyond sinne and death and all therefore the soule should be thankfull and sing a song of praise unto the Lord his God Now there are two bottomes from the former Doctrine which give foot-hold to your comfort First by beleeving all the goodnesse and mercie of God is thine and he cannot nay he will not deny thee therefore thou mayst with boldnesse challenge the good of all that mercie and goodnesse of his When God hath engaged himselfe to be a God to thee and to thy seed after thee he cannot take away his mercy from a faithfull soule because hee cannot deny himselfe hee will not denie his truth and his promise therefore the Saints of God cannot but be partakers of all this mercie and goodnesse the Apostle saith Ephes 3.17 Christ dwels in our hearts by faith so Coloss 2.3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge now gather up all and the summe is thus much and there you may see how the comfort comes by faith I lay hold upon a Saviour in whom dwell all the treasures of wisdome and knowledge and so I lay hold upon these what would you have and what is it that may comfort you thou art beggerly in wisdome and in consolation and in all the graces of Gods Spirit but if thou hast faith thou hast a Christ and in him are all the treasures of wisdome and mercie take your treasure and be inriched for evermore you may doe it it is your owne Secondly all the sinnes that thou standest guilty of and all the temptations of Sathan cannot hinder thee from injoying that light and receiving that good which thou hast need of there is no sinne that hath beene committed can stand betweene thee and eternall life be thy corruptions never so many for number never so vile and strong for nature never so long for continuance in them and all those old bruises and old lusts of youth which make thee say can the Lord pardon me and is it possible for such a wretch as I am to have mercie that have all these corruptions I answer it skils not what thy sinnes be see thy faith and repentance bee sound it matters not what thou hast beene a rebell even against God if now thou canst beleeve and rest upon God and repent thee of thy sinnes Quest But now the point growes on the soule is in some reasonable manner satisfied that if it had faith then it could be satisfied but many seeme to have faith and have it not if my faith were true I could gaine some sound comfort to my selfe that all would goe well with mee but how shall I know that Answ I answer I confesse that the faith of the most men in the world is but a meere delusion as I shall discover in the next use of reproofe but that thou maist be undoubtedly perswaded of the truth of this grace that though thy faith be never so little yet it is saving justifying faith I will therefore lay downe some trials I will not now intrench upon any of the particulars that come afterward but onely lay open such particulars for triall as are in the doctrine I know faith purifies the heart and workes by love c. and faith makes a new creature but these come too farre off I will onely gather somwhat from the point in hand Triall 1 First observe the root and rise of thy faith the cause by which thy faith was wrought and from whence it came and this will be an undoubted evidence whether thy faith be good or not therefore when thou dost begin to brag and say I doe beleeve then aske thy heart this question and say how came I by it prove it have I faith make it good then it is not enough to say so but let mee see that it is so didst thou bring it into the world with thee did thy wits contrive it did thy parts and abilities worke it and because thou hast more wit and learning than others and thou thinkest it as easie a matter to beleeve as to understand a hard writing if it bee thus thy faith is a delusion and no faith at all it is true here of faith which Iob speakes of wisdome nature saith it is not in me and eloquence saith it is not in me I know not the way to it all these say I have heard the newes of faith but I am not acquainted with it God onely knowes the way thereof and is the worker of it the text saith Every man than hath heard and learned of the Father commeth unto me the Father must first teach this lesson or else no man can understand it except the Father give thee a heart to know Jesus Christ there is no power in thee that is able to give this grace to the soule hast thou thy faith from heaven then it is like to bee of the right kinde but it must bee from thence it ariseth not from the earth it comes not from parts and gifts and learning it must come from heaven or else it is not of the right kinde all the coine that is currant is minted in the tower by authoritie of the King if not it is not currant in 1 Pet. 1.7 the Apostle cals it precious faith it must bee stamped by the Lord Jesus Christ by the hand of the Spirit it must come from the tower of Zion or else it is copper faith and not saving justifying faith nor that which will stand in steed in the day of triall here or in the day of judgement hereafter as wee say in nature the Alcumists are growne to that skill that they will make Alcumie appeare to be perfect silver and gold and much of it will beare the touchstone insomuch that a man can hardly discover some of it it is so cunningly made but when the fire and the hammer comes it will beare neither of them but the true gold comes from the gold oare and will endure the fire and hammer the alcumie gold comes not from the right place where the gold is it comes not from the minerals from the golden mines so there is a great deale of this alcumie faith for the world is come to this passe that they have a faith of their owne faining
Matth. 2.1 2. verses the Scribes and Pharisees could tell you where Christ was to bee borne and bid the wise men goe to Bethlem but they would not goe themselves so these men have wisedome enough to say here is the way to Heaven but their owne hearts are not humbled nor framed to walke in that way and to goe home to Christ nor to receive mercy from him Know therefore you that are weake that beleeving carries two things with it in the phrase of Scripture First the assent of a mans judgement to the truth when a man is so farre convinced that hee sits downe and acknowledgeth that whatsoever the Word hath revealed his judgement saith it is all true and yeelds fully with the whole streame of his minde this is that which the Scripture sometimes calls beleeving and it is nothing but the bare assent to the truth saying it is so Secondly when the will embraceth that good in the promise formerly revealed when the will of a man claimes Gods Statutes and casts his heart and hope upon the goodnesse of the promise Now the judicious professour hath faith in the first sense hee assents to all the truths of the Scriptures and acknowledgeth that they are true the devills in hell have this faith too and all that have no more than this faith shall goe to the devill too as Iames 2.19 in the 14. verse the Apostle saith if a man say hee hath faith and hath not workes will that profit him and in the 19. verse thou beleevest there is one God thou dost well the devils also beleeve and tremble that is they assent to all the truths of Scripture that God reveals and this is the beleeving of this great man which wee have discovered in his fashion when a man can dive deepe into the Scriptures and understand all the texts and unty every knot and dispute all questions and is able to judge of the reasons of them is this thy faith the devill himselfe will outbid this faith If cunning and judgement and knowledge be thy faith the devils have this faith they know the Lord Jesus Christ is the Sonne of the most high God they know that the mercy of the Lord Christ is great and that they shall never taste of it they know that the Lord Jesus shall bee the Judge of all the world and that hee shall condemne them they assent to it and tremble at it Marke 5.8 when our Saviour came amongst the devils they said We know thee who thou art even the holy one of God and Acts 16.17 there was a Devill in a woman which was a Diviner and a Witch and she said These men are the servants of the living God which shew unto us the way of salvation it was the Devill in the woman therefore the Apostle bad him goe out of her because he hindered their worke I wish that the Devils in hell might not rise up in judgement against many of our unbeleevers which will not yeeld to the truth of God this is the bottome which beares up that kinde of boldnesse which many carnall creatures have upon their death-beds which never had the power of grace in their soules Come to a carnall man that knowes nothing savingly and sanctifyingly and he will say I beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ with all my heart I have admired at it and sought to know the bottome of it and it is this they thinke this is beleeving to acknowledge that Jesus Christ is come into the world and that they are not infidels they assent unto the truth and yeeld unto it in their judgements they thinke this is faith and that it is sufficient too Oh you poore creatures that have your friends or parents or husbands that thus lay hold upon Christ and are perswaded that this is faith understand what the meaning is they only assent to the truth but never make application to their owne soules What 's that to thee that thou knowest the way to life and salvation and never walkest in it and what 's that to thee to heare that the Lord Christ came to save sinners and to know that there is mercie enough in him and yet never partake of it Thirdly I come to the evidences which make it cleare to us that he hath no more than this and those evidences are two First you shall finde this man past feare and almost carelesse but he is without doubt of the difficultie either of getting or maintaining his faith hee never comes to question whether hee hath faith or no and he accounts them silly Christians that are so daily troubled and disquieted for their estates whereas he carries the matter very confidently and scarcely lookes after it but beares it out with marvellous boldnesse and confidence which in truth is an undoubted argument that this man never knew what this faith was our Saviour saith Strive to enter in at the straight gate for the gate is narrow that leadeth to life and few there are that finde it and so the Apostle 2 Pet. 1.5 Give all diligence to make your calling and election sure yet this man makes it a matter of nothing nay when many seeke and labour and take much paines and never attaine it by reason of their former strength of it as Prov. 1.28 They shall call upon me but I will not answer they shall seeke mee early but they shall not finde mee yet this man thinks to have it with a wet finger that faith which is wrought by the Spirit of God in the soule and is thereby kept it hath daily opposition in the soule so that every godly man that hath faith he must fight against the Devill and all enemies and oppositions yet this man never comes to blowes the Lord Christ found it thus by experience and thus the Apostles and the Saints of God found it yet this man hath found out a shorter cut and an easier way to heaven and he is not ashamed to confesse it and say If a man were exercised in the word and if men had but his skill and were but trained up in his schoole it were not such a hard matter to get faith and so it is true for they may easily get that faith which thou hast Secondly follow this man home and close with him in his private chamber and attend upon him in his other occasions and there he hath no power of godlinesse in his life he hath practice without any pith and a course without any kernell and hee performes superficiall duties without any strength all his duties are as dry as a chip only he carries all out with this he is wise and learned and judicious and this answers all if hee doe omit or neglect duties and doe them carelesly this comforts him that hee is a judicious man it is certaine this man wants that grace which he seemes to have hee that hath so much faith without wavering must needs have his conversation answerable he that hath so much faith in
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
a full eare with all the graine of it and is as greene as a leeke but it continues not greene still and comes not to ripenesse and perfection because the thornes choake it so this man hath his full eare and is as greene as a leeke you will fast and pray so will he you will professe so will he you will conferre holily so will he in the outward appearance but he never comes to good because he bestowes the strength of his affections upon the world or upon some base lusts you cannot beat this man to lay downe his profession and to make him say I confesse I am dead and my heart is vilde and my profession is nothing but hypocrisie no hee will have his profession and his corruption too thus observe the chapman when a Christian comes into his shop hee will tell him a fine religious discourse and so in the end couzen him and if a vilde wretch comes in he hath another tale for him hee joynes with him onely that hee may put a crackt commodity into his hand and he joynes with the good man that hee may couzen him too so the Inkeeper when a Christian comes to his house hee tels him a fine religious tale and if a drunkard comes it he gives him his full measure thus his thornes grow and his corne too hee holds his profession and his corruptions too The second evidence of this mans falsnesse is this he is weather-wise that is he observes how the state of things stand and hee gives a shrewd guesse which way the winde and tide will goe and he will be sure to goe that way and to be on that side he sees the winde begin to rise and the stormes to bluster therefore he will provide and shift for one and doe any thing provided that his honour and ease may not be lost he will be of that side that the thornes of profit and pleasure may not be plowed up and therefore it is observable that those things which may hazzard his liberty he will not by his good will question them but he carries out the matter bravely before him so long as a man may have the substance saith he that is Christ and religion hee would not have men to trouble themselves about lesser matters but the Lord Christ saith hee that is unfaithfull in the least is unfaithfull in much and hee that makes not conscience of the smaller circumstances will not make conscience of the substance and if hee bee compeld to enquire and to make question of his course he will be satisfied by those shewes and that argument shall content him which may content his honour and maintaine his ease and honour and liberty and hee goes away well apaid and fully quieted and when this man is put to it and the dent of the truth dasheth all those probable truths of his then his last hold is this he doth not beleeve it and he cannot thinke it but if you cannot beleeve and entertaine that which you cannot answer then it is a signe that thy heart is naught and if a man follow him further and say if a man set himselfe and lift up himselfe and his conceits against the truth of God that mans heart is naught then saith he all the Ministers under heaven shall not make me beleeve it but when hee can say nothing against the truth he will keepe his hold still and he will not beleeve it thus you see this man at his full breadth and height as it is with a plow that goes to plow up a thorny tree they tug and pull and make the traces flye and breake the plow but the tree stands still it will not yeeld so it is with this wretched hypocrite all the reasons in the world and all the truths cannot prevaile with him he is resolved to stand to it and not to beleeve it wilt thou not now beleeve it well thou shalt beleeve it when thou art in hell past hope past helpe thou wilt beleeve it then thus the thornes choake the word that is strangle the truth and stop the breath of the truth so hee saith I passe not I beleeve it not this stifles all reasons and the power of all Scriptures that all prevailes not with him nor takes no place in him to make him know what it is to be a grower in the truth by this time I presume you may easily guesse at him what his fashion is and what hee can say for himselfe and wherein his falsenesse lyes and wheresoever you finde these that both the corne and the thornes grow together and that hee doth thus as in the former two then this man is one of the sturdy hypocrites Now I come to the third thing namely to shew wherein this man fals short of saving faith that a man that seeth it may amend when he comes after him and that he may not faile as the former have done the failing of this man appeares in two particulars First hee failes in the point of humiliation hee was not rightly humbled as in that place of the parable hee had horrour of heart enough for the measure of it but not enough for the uprightnesse and sincerity of it hee plowed deep enough but he left some thornes standing and hee had some lusts that his heart was more affected with hee would not be thus but there were some base inordinate earthly affections which were closely fastened to his heart and his heart glued to them hee would not plow them up and this was ill husbandry if he had done right he would have plowed up every thorne as well as some all the passages of Scripture run this way as Luke 3.5 Every valley shall be filled and every hill and mountaine shall bee brought low and every crooked thing shall bee made strait hee doth not say this or that mountaine but every mountaine not one sinne but every sinne not the heart to bee loosened from one particular sinne but from every sinne whatsoever if ever you bee humbled and that you make worke of it you must blow up all as Matth. 13.44 the wise merchant man went and sold all to buy the field not sold some but all so this sturdy hypocrite should have sold all his lusts and corruptions and every cursed haunt of heart and every sinfull withdrawing of soule you know the privie prankes of your hearts if there be but one sinfull lust maintained and continued in it will condemne you as well as an hundred thousand there is no bargaine to be made with Christ if you dally with him and stand dodging he will not yeeld to you no no you must sell all this man had his heart humbled in the consideration of some sinne and it was either for the feare of the punishment of his sinne in generall or else for feare of plague and of hell and of Gods wrath or else because of the shame and disgrace that would come thereby but if he had beene truly troubled for sinne
of God you that travell up and downe mourne in secret and say Here is every man busie in the world one makes haste this way another that way so many chapmen and clothiers going up and downe every weeke and yet how few goe home to Christ by faith and receive mercy from him in truth I condemne my owne soule because I have not a heart to mourne for them we reprove their sinnes and condemne them for their sinne and wee must doe so but where are the heart bloud petitions that wee put up for them and where are the teares that wee make for the slaine of our people if they will needs goe to hell let us bury them with bitter lamentations and not only should we doe this but also you tender hearted mothers and you that live one with another you tender hearted wives you have husbands and you prize them and love them and some good you have from them consider this when you see your husbands take lewd courses let your hearts breake over them and say Oh woe is mee for that poore husband of mine Iohn 3.18 He that beleeveth not is condemned already hee is cast in heaven and in earth both by law and Gospell there is no releefe for him can you sit by a condemned husband and eat and drinke and lye by a condemned husband and never mourne for him haply you follow him from one taphouse to another and still a condemned man doe you love your husbands if they were poore you would mourne for them if they were dead you would mourne for them and say alas I am left a poore widow but he is a condemned husband and hath not a dram of faith and yet you cannot mourne for him mee thinkes the sight of this should make you sinke againe but alas our hearts are flinty and we cannot mourne and the like I may say of you mothers there are many of you whom God hath given children beautifull obedient and wise Oh mourne for them that so many come into the world and so few come home to Christ by faith the Lord be mercifull to us in this last age of the world wee meerly scramble for our owne comfort and regard not our salvation therefore get you home and mourne for them and say Oh these poore children which I have brought up and had much comfort from they are poore condemned children this were enough to sinke us Secondly it should bee a ground to make us search into our selves and thinke that the staffe stands at our doore imagine the hand-writing comes upon every man then let every man take his portion and say No faith no Christ and so consequently no salvation by Christ looke to thy owne soule and say Have I found faith in the Lord Jesus Christ if there be not then I can tell my owne doome the sentence is past already shall we thinke of these and yet live quietly lay this under your pillow and say How can I sleep a condemned man and sleep what if God should take away my life ere morning hell is prepared and I fall into it let every man take account of his owne heart and say Have I any faith husband wife childe hast thou any faith It may be saith one I have it as well as another but how doe you prove it and how will you doe if you have it not no ignorant person no carnall Gospeller none of all these hath faith what so many men that have so much knowledge and yet fall short of faith and salvation Lord what shall become of mee is there any faith here make it good then or else yeeld the day and confesse that there is no faith and then there is some hope say I am a thousand miles off from faith I never knew what it was to be thus inlightened and to bee wounded for sinne I can commit sinne and play with sinne but I never knew what it was to be wounded for sinne I never knew what it was to be zealous in a good course there are many strict truths that I have not a heart to receive I confesse I have no faith now if you yeeld this then there is some hope that you may get out therefore take this advice goe to some faithfull humble experienced Christian and to some faithfull Minister and intreat them to advise you how to get faith but doe not goe to a faithlesse heart that hath no savour of grace nor godnesse in him how can he tell that which he never had experience of make privie search whether ever you had grace or no and if not then labour to know the way how to come to it if a mans state did lye at hazzard he would have every mans opinion and hee would inquire of this man and that man whether his evidences were sound and his title good and he would spare for no paines not cost much more should we doe it for the title of eternall life there is much conterfeit faith in the world and thousands perish upon this ground like motes in the sunne and never know where they are till they are in hell therefore goe to the Lord by prayer aske the counsell of some faithfull Minister and never rest till thy heart is perswaded of it Vse last It is of exhortation you that see the way walke in it you that know the way I should set an edge on your desires and endevours labour I say hard for this blessed grace as for you that have beene labourers you are to be encouraged continue your prayers and quicken those endevours every day more and more you that never did yet you are to be provoked to the performance of the dutie and give no sleep unto your eyes nor rest unto your selfe untill you have this and here are two things to be done First you must labour to get it Secondly you must labour to use it when you have it First you must labour to get faith we ought to make it our daily taske and study the aime of a mans desire the maine white and marke that we should shoot at in all our labours I would not have men account this as a matter of course a dutie reserved for a rainy day as sometime I have observed here in the countrie they will delay their base services their lesser necessities for a rainy day when they can do nothing else but O let us count it the most necessary duty and not to reserve faith for a sick bed an old age a crazy body only to get faith to goe unto Christ when weare going out of the world no this is unseasonable this is unreasonable and therefore take this home to you and make it the maine businesse of thy life to get faith I would have a Christian count all the endevours that he did besides his duties and performances to count them all losse wherein he hath not made some step in this glorious grace why alas your hearing your sacrifices will never profit you unlesse
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
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
so mannaged as it is with a man that hath a faire estate and is left marvellous well if he would have the benefit of his estate first hee must mannage it secondly hee must maintaine him and his out of the gaine of it so mannaged Particular 1 First the Lord hath left you well and you have wherewithall to live like men and like Christian men too yea an happie life that you may go singing to your graves and goe rejoycing up to heaven and you have faith too only you want some skill to use it for it is not conceived that you are well stockt and stored but it is required that you should husband the promises well and injoy them as your owne and live by the comfort of the promises the promises are ours and we have them in hand if wee can but bring our hearts to approve them aright Now that wee must mannage the promises aright two things are mainly observable though there are many others ready at hand yet I will insist upon those that are most usefull for the benefit of the worke Rule 1 Take possession of the promises and value that good in the promise as thine nay further make it present and substantiall to thy soule as the Apostle saith Heb. 11.1 not only that good which the promise will yeeld for the present but eternall and everlasting good which every promise will make thy soule assured of if thou hast a heart to improve it aright and care to bestow thy selfe thereupon The only way for a man to thrive in his estate is this hee must dwell upon his owne meanes and have it all in his owne occupying for as we use to say If a man lease it out why may not he get something by keeping of it as another by hiring of it If he would doe thus say we he must needs get more than hee doth now so it ought to be in our spirituall estate and so faith will enable us that wee may doe not only to take the present benefit that the promise will afford in this life but the promise is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seene all that glory and happinesse in heaven not yet seene and not yet in fruition faith will make all that happinesse within view and puts us into possession of them and makes them have a being to our soules faith it is that brings Christ and makes Christ present and in Christ all presented all glorie is in Christ who is the Authour of it and faith makes all that glory present all happinesse in Christ who is the worker of it and faith makes all that happinesse to be present so that by faith laying hold on thy Saviour not only to take comfort but to make all that happinesse and good that is eternally to be present as Luke 12.32 Feare not little flock but might they not say How shall we chuse but feare seeing there is nothing but sinnes within that deserve punishment and enemies without that breath forth threatnings O but a Saviour saith Feare not little flock why it is your Fathers pleasure to give you a kingdome you are not in the kingdome as yet yet you are in the way to it and though you are now in the wildernesse leading to Canaan yet you shall come to Canaan and so you shall have a kingdome remember that and so you shall be comforted and refreshed live upon this when you looke only to the present benefit of the promise it is true this is more than wee can conceive yet wee let the better part of our stock and estate lye by us for there are two parts of the promise the present good and peace and the eternall and everlasting good and comfort of it now when we looke only to the present good of it this is ill husbandry for wee let the better part of the stocke lye dead by us and doe not trade with it as it is in the world for temporall meanes so it is for our spirituall estates for spirituall succour and supply though a man have little for the present yet if hee have some old reversions to come this beares up his heart in the time of poverty and misery and he saith if he can but make a scrambling shift for so long time then hee hopes to live as well as any man in the Country So that there is not some of the promise that we have in possession but there is the reversion of old rents as old rents of farmes that were let long agoe when the leases come out they are worth treble the rent they were let at the first So there are the old rents of comfort and mercie as Come yee blessed of my Father inherit the kingdome prepared for you then no more teares no more trouble no more sorrow no more sinne get those into your hands and have them in use and say The day will come when wee shall have happinesse blisse and joy beyond all that the tongue of man can expresse or the heart of man conceive though we are buffeted with many temptations and wearied with a world of corruptions yet we shall bee saved saith faith Thus a man may make a pretty good shift to live upon these termes though we have nothing else to live upon in the world therefore remember what now I speake Labour to fasten this truth upon thy heart that there is not onely present good in thy selfe but in another and reserved by another for thy comfort and be thou content that it should be so not only to looke what thou hast but consider that the greatest part of thy glory is in the glory of a Christ and the greatest part of thy wisdome is in the wisdome of a Christ and thy liberty in the liberty of a Christ and thy riches in the riches of a Christ and know that whatsoever is in Christ thou hast it all as thine Iohn 3.12 Behold what love the Father hath shewed to us that we are now the Sonnes of God I tell you brethren this is a marvellous privilege and if you had no more but this you had a childes portion but it appeares not what we shall have we have but a glimse now what will the harvest be and now we have only some sips of it what shall then the full cup be when we shall see Christ as he is thus Moses did improve his estate Heb. 11.26 he bare all afflictions comfortably yea he esteemed the rebukes of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt why because he had an eye to the recompence of the reward we account of a mans estate for what he hath for present possession but what is like to befall him and what hee is borne unto what Moses did doe thou that thou maist account the misery and disgrace of a Christ greater riches than all the pleasures of the world have all thy estate in thy owne hand if thou wilt be a good husband as it is with
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