and eyes opened to understand the truth and will of God to give all credit and yield all obedience thereto and shall be brought out of that spiritual mist and darkness wherein they were before involved And Isai 29 24. They also that erred in Spirit shall come to understanding and they that murmured shall learn doctrine Such as were wandring out of the way of understanding into wayes of error and wickedness and were ready to murmure be impatient and discontented to have their hearts rise against any that went about to stop them in their evil courses and thence were ready to quarrel or speak untowardly of the messages or messengers of God these shall come to themselves and set themselves to seek wisdome and understanding to learn the doctrine and will of God and shall betake themselves to and walk in the wayes of wisdome More passages to the same purpose we have in Isai 35.5 6.7 Then when by the foregoing afflictions Gods people being now fitted for mercy God shall be pleased to afford it The eyes of the blind shall be opened Those that were spiritually blind before shall now being enlightned see conceive and understand both the mystery of Godliness revealed in Gods word and his mercy and goodness manifested in his works And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped They shall now listen to the word of God speaking in his book and by his messengers that had no list to hearken to either before Then shall the lame man leap as an Hart Men shall be cured of such spiritual defects in their Souls whereby they were disabled unto sincere upright constant and chearful walking in Gods wayes And the tongue of the dumb sing Those that have least tongue or had no tongue at all to ought that is good yet shall they for joy sing and chant out the praises of him that had done so great things for them For in the wilderness shall waters break out and streams in the desert A type of the spiritual watering whereby such persons and places become fertile and fruitful that were barren of all grace and goodness before And the parched ground shall become a Pool and the thirsty Land springs of water In the habitation of dragons where each lay shall be grass with reeds and rushes The same thing in other terms Engl. Annot. Thus do these Scriptures hold forth to us the great alteration that should be wrought in sinners by the pouring out of Gods holy Spirit upon them One might then see them lamenting and abandoning their former folly and vanity and minding heaven in good earnest acknowledging and confessing their iniquity begging pardon with great earnestness flying to Jesus Christ relying on him and faithfully endeavouring to live the life of Christ to exalt him by a gospel becoming conversation Oh what a wonderful sight would this be to see such dead bones live How would this effect and ravish the hearts of those that are good How would the heart even the heart reins of godly parents rejoice when the heart of their children shall be thus wise and their lips speak right things Prov. 23.15 16. What think you of this you whose hearts are mourning for the dissoluteness of or at least that you can see no more of godliness or hopefulness in your children You are now often ashamed and your face waxes pale with care fear and distress for your poor wandring children but if you could once see them thus the work of Gods hands being formed moulded and fashioned for God how full would your hearts and mouths then be of the praises of the holy one of Israel How would you sanctify and glorify him Isai 29.22 23 Jacob shall not now be ashamed neither shall his face now wax pale But when he seeeth his children the work of my hands in the miast of him they shall sanctify my Name and sanctify the holy One of Jacob and shall fear the God of Israel 2. We should then see Christians perfecting holiness in the fear of God Making Religion their business Studying to keep all Gods commandments and ordinances blameless and to do all those things that are pleasing in his sight Labouring to be eminently holy both in their religious and civil actions Careful to prepare and dispose themselves to wait upon God in his service conscientiously rising up to meet with God in the attendance on his Ordinances Humbly reverently religiously attentively waiting upon God that one might see that the service of God is heartily intended by them and that communion with God is sincerely breathed after by them in duties and Ordinances Then we might hear them full of heavenly spiritual and lively discourse sweet and savoury words and speeches flowing from the good treasure and abundance of the heart See them edifying teaching and admonishing one another Col. 3.16 considering one another exhorting and provoking to love good works Heb. 10.24 25. Then you might see sweet agreement affection cordialness faithfulness and peaceableness among brethren bearing and forbearing one another in love Then you might see Christians amiable and exemplary in their civil conversation not in the least seeking to defraud or go beyond others not unsteady in their words or promises not conforming themselves to the world or the customes or manners thereof not disorderly not proud not froward not unmerciful not churlish not intemperate not ungrateful not worldly nor any way at least not so many wayes unbeseeming in their carriages or actions but carrying an even thred of holiness and spiritualness throughout the whole of their conversation Herein exercising themselves to have a conscience altogether void of offence both toward God and toward man with a single eye and exactly minding the Rule in all their carriage towards both Oh what desireable times would these be when piety and holiness should thus flourish When those many and grievous and too just complaints as of the profaneness and dissoluteness of many unruly and ungoverned persons so of the unchristian and unworthy carriages of Professors in many respects should cease and be no more to be found And the glory of God the honour of his Name and esteem of his Ordinances and wayes should be highly advanced by the holy and amiable lives of all his Servants This would be the consequent of an abundant gracious effusion of the Spirit upon a people 2. There would be great happiness Happy would the people be that were in such a case Their condition would be exceeding comfortable And that 1. In the enjoyment of inward peace quietness and assurance Text ver 17. And the work of righteousness shall be peace and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever They should be kept in perfect peace Isai 26.3 Their Souls setled in quiet assured apprehensions of the grace and favour of God to them enjoying that great peace which they have that love the Law of God without any offensive disquietment There should not then be such dismal horror feizing the
is with his word in the dispensation of it and what workings of the word there are upon and in the hearts of hearers What impression the Word of the Gospel laboured in takes Whether it tends to hardning or softning whether it be a seed sown upon good ground or as seed thrown by the way side or hath only some lighter impressions Particularly 1. What subduing of hearts and wills is wrought by it What strong holds pulled down what vain refuges discovered what sinful pleas taken off thereby Do we see those that are Enemies to Christ falling down before him when he rides forth conquering and to conquer by his word Psal 110.2 The Lord shall send the Rod of thy stringth out of Zion The preaching of the Gospel accompanyed with the mighty working of the Spirit of Christ is the Rod of strength or the strong Scepter whereby Christ doth mightily subdue and govern his people Jacks in loc And where there is a presence of the Spirit accompanying the dispensation of the Word it will subdue hearts 2. What heart-breakings and Soul-meltings there are under the Word of God How does the hammer of Gods word wielded by the Spirit break the rock in pieces Jer. 23.29 Is not my word like a hammer that breakth the rock in pieces Does the word divide betwixt the joynts the marrow pierce to the discerning of the inward thoughts and intents of the heart Do men and women sit trembling under the hearing of Gods word Are their Souls plainly and wholly laid open to be wounded and bealed by the word of God Does the word move and work kindly and sweetly upon the heart to perswade to draw to instruct to correct to awe to unite the heart to God Does it fully unravel our own woven webs kindly humble us and make us fall all to pieces as in our selves that we have no kind of thing to take to and does it sweetly allure and work up our hearts to an earnest hearty and thankful devolving the whole weight and concernment of our restless helpless Souls upon the everlasting Arms of a tender and gracious Father in Christ Jesus Does it bring us to clasp about a strong gracious and faithful Redeemer and Saviour as who will hold there and not let him go because else we shall perish Or is it so that the heat of Gods word dispensed will not thaw or melt our frozen hearts how oft soever they are held to this fire Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord 3. What affection there is to the word of God What love to longing for and desire after it Is it the delight joy and rejoycing of persons to be hearing reading and practising according to the holy word of God Is it as it was with David Psal 119.97 Oh how love I thy Law Psal 42.1 2. As the hart panteth after the water-brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O God My Soul thir steth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Psal 84.2 My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord Psal 122.1 I was glad when they said unto me Let us go into the house of the Lord. Or are we little affected to and our hearts little drawn out after the word of God 3. Consider What tenderness of heart and heart-smiting for sin there is among us Where there is much of the grace of the Spirit the heart will be tender and such a mans heart will smite him upon every offence against God and upon every appearance of his anger As Josiah's heart was tender and he humbled himself before the Lord upon the hearing of what God speake against Judah 2 King 22.19 And Davids heart smote him upon his inconsiderate rash actions 1 Sam. 24.5 and 2 Sam. 24.10 Now what of this heart tenderness and grief and mourning for sin and Gods anger is there among us Does the least transgression or miscarriage wound and grieve the Soul Is a vain thought a trouble Is an hypocritical frame or inclination a grief Any appearance of evil disquieting that the least corruption cannot be born without crying to God for deliverance Or can persons bear away with lighter and lesser evils and it may be grosser miscarriages also Let sin go without lamenting or bewailing it or being much concerned about it be loose in their lives and ungirt in their Religion and yet full peace 4. Consider What lively vehement outgoings of Soul to God in prayer there are among us What of humble and holy access freedome and familiarity with God in seeking him Doe persons even Christians freely easily and as it were naturally pour out their Souls to God Can they by Faith take hold of God and wrestle it out with him and not let him go till he bless them The spirit of grace is a spirit of supplications also Zech. 12.10 Or is it so that many neglect calling upon God wholly others do it in hypocrisie many in meer formality and even Christians themselves find it exceeding difficult to get up their hearts at any time to any earnestness or suitableness in this duty 5. Consider what concernment of Soul there is for the glory and work of God among us Are we deeply engaged in heartily taken up about and diligently labouring in the promoting of Gods work and procuring of his glory Is it our chief care and principal endeavour that the work of Christ may be upheld continued and transmitted to posterity Is every one in his place and capacity thoughtful and careful about this in good earnest that it may be done Or are we no whit or little concerned about the glory and work of God among us Are not our own concernments minded more If we can look to our selves let Christ look to himself and his work as the Apostle complains Phil. 2.21 All seek their own not the things which are Jesus Christs Are there few upon whose hearts doth rest the care and sollicitude what will become of the Lords work It is the property of such as inherit any good measure of a true Gospel spirit to seek the glory of God These are some of the motions and operations of the Spirit which we are to observe in our selves and others and by which we may be directed to discern the times what God is doing or about to do and what is like to become of us When these things shall be we may look for good times If there be much of these things there is good hope if little little hope if none no hope Only we may here as alwayes elsewhere reserve to God his absolute Soveraignty in working Be we never so bad he may of his Soveraign grace save or at least spare us Or be we never so good he may of his Soveraign power and dominion and in perfect Justice also hold us under affliction in this life But according to ordinary dispensation we may expect that he will be with us as we be with him As
sincere desire and fervent prayer for their Conversion Churches by upholding a powerful dispensation of the word and all Ordinances and a full supply of all provision in the house of God especially a full and compleat Ministry according to Christs appointment that all means may be used and all duty performed toward the Children of the Covenant and the rising Generations which is necessary unto their Conversion that they may not perish in their unregeneracy through the neglect of that duty and want of help to discharge it fully which is and is yet more likely to be the sad case of these Churches O let us pray the Lord of the harvest to thrust forth Labourers into this great harvest The Ministry by travailing in birth with Souls till Christ be formed in them and by the full and saithful discharge of duty as Labourers together with God in that work wherein therefore they are to labour in a way of dependance upon Christ for assistance and success and that both publickly and privately in all wayes and by all means to gain and bring home Souls to him as that which is the great end of their ministrations wherein notwithstanding they are under great discouragement at present from the diminution of that grace and blessing which might make their labours more effectual unto the work of conversion The godly and religious Magistracy by the improvement of civil Authority in a way of full and direct subverciency unto the work of Christ the progress of which is the highest and most saving good and end of government unto a Religious people who are in the most happy and prosperous estate when the Mountains bring peace and the little hills Righteousness Truly then it is high time for all orders degrees societies of men in New-England by faith in prayer to seek the Lord until he come and rain righteousness upon us until he open Rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of Valleys and make the wilderness a Pool of water and the dry Land Springs of water until he pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground 'till he pour out his Spirit upon our Seed and his blessing upon our Offspring until he send us the great promise of his Spirit in the accomplishment of it by pouring out of his Spirit in a general plentiful dispensation of converting grace upon us our Children Familyes Churches this whole people both the standing and the rising Generations Which would be a blessed Refurrection and as life from the dead unto us It is much for our encouragement that in this our perishing condition God hath by his Spirit in the Ministry of many of his Servants proposed this great promise expressing his own gratious disposition to open and apply it in the saving grace and blessing of it and withal pressed us from the consideration of inevitable destruction without a full and perfect salvation by the application of it and furnished us with all Arguments of faith to labour and prevail with him in prayer for the obtainment of it which also is the more solemnly observable in that God hath providentially ordered the labours of divers of his Servants in this same great and most necessary subject to be published at this time as a Testimony unto this Generation what their main work and duty is whereby he hath shewed us what is good and what it is that the Lord doth require at our hands God grant that it may not be rejected and so be left upon Record as a Testimony against this Generation to condemn it the more deeply under the aggravated guilt of total final Apostacy The Reverend and worthy Author of these Sermons having been through the abundant grace of God sanctified and seperated from his youth unto the Ministry he hath had a more early call into that work wherein he hath been more happy then most of his fellow Servants and being himself coaetaneous with and amongst the choicest of the first ripe fruits of this young Generation his Soul hath laboured and doth labour with the more fervency of holy and sincere love to and zeal for the salvation of their Souls modesty and humility being inherent in him as gifts both of nature and grace it would be too much an injury to him to give his work deserved commendation It shall therefore suffice to say that the powerful and we hope saving impression which it had in the ministration of it upon the hearts of the hearers is a Testimony of divine approbation and commendation the suitableness and seasonableness of the Subject unto this time and the necessity of this people the copiousness and yet withal conciseness of the method it being expressive of so much of the general message which God is sending unto his people and of that which the Spirit is now speaking unto these Churches in so few Sermons doth render it the more fit and useful for the publick The motion of the Spirit of God upon the hearts of those pious and judicious hearers who have we believe been thereby moved with a godly zeal for the saving good of the Generation to desire request and undertake for the publication of it doth promise it Patronage from Heaven The special promised presence of our Lord Jesus with this his Servant for his assistance in the Ministry of his word as also in the whole course of his ministration is a singular token and pledge of his special grace and favour unto that pretious Church in and unto which he is called to minister The Lord make them more and more thankful profitable and fruitful and prosper his work with them granting unto them more clear and full discoveries of his mind and will concerning their duty in order thereunto that they may stand more perfect and compleat in all the will of God and be more fully replenished with his spiritual and gracious presence inriched with all the gifts and graces of his Spirit setled together with all our Churches under the saving dispensation of the Covenant of grace strengthned unto stedfast perseverance in the faith obedience and order of the Gospel unto the end Which is the prayer of Your Servants for Christ our Saviours sake Samuel Torrey Josiah Flint REader The old Plea The Authors absence from the Press being stil of force occasions this further desire of thee viz. that before thou readest thou wilt with thy pen mend these following faults Pag. 4. l. 8. for as in read and. l. 34. r. Isai 29. p. 5. l. 12. blot out once p. 8. l. 4. r. enumeration l. 5. r. when p. 10. l. 27. for sit r. set p. 11. l. 16. r. fiercer p. 15. l. 32. r. Scale p. 16. l. 33. r. the things l. 37. r. an abundant p. 17. l. 16. for to have r. and have p. 18. l. 13. r. affect p. 20. l. 18. r. sight p. 23. l. 3. after Estates r. or l. 5. after serious r. as p. 24. l. 2. r. set p. 25.
the working of his Spirit is in us so the presence of his mercyes and blessings will be with us his presence or absence will be much according as our spirits are working towards or from him 2 Chron. 15.2 The Lord is with you while ye be with him and if ye seek him he will be found of you but if ye forsake him he will forsake you So Psal 18.25 26 27. If any shall say Then setting aside what God in his Soveraignty may do We hope it will go well with us It is probable it will so For there are sure these workings of the Spirit among us In Answer hereto I shall only add that it will be needful to consider these things further 1. Whether these workings of the Spirit supposed among us may in any sense be said to be general That there are some few here and there one that keep themselves close to God and have a good measure of the Spirit breathing in them for whose sakes we fare the better is I suppose beyond question But whether there be a sufficient number to obtain the sparing or saving such a place of light and means as New-England is at least without the feeling of more sorrow first may yet be a question For I am ready to take this for granted that the same number of righteous persons that might save a sinning Sodom would yet not be enough to save a sinning Israel And that because of what the Lord sayes Am. 3.2 You only have I known of all the Familyes of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities 2. Whether those workings of the Spirit that appear among us be for the most part effectual and saving Whether they be not mostly or in great part common and ineffectual and so issue only in formalities It is the inward saving and effectual operation of the Spirit that gives us grounded hope of the expectation of sure mercyes and blessings 3. Whether the breathings and workings of Gods Spirit are more or less among us then when we were first set under a dispensation of Judgement If they be less yea if they be not more there is little likelihood that we should be delivered from under that Judgment For it is not probable that that should remove anger which was not sufficient to keep it off If the want of such and such graces and fruits of the Spirit hath brought us under the Lords displeasure the same defect will sure be like to continue us there This therefore must not escape our consideration what difference there is betwixt us then and now That there is more sin and that iniquity abounds more since Gods hand hath been out against us I think is the general observation of all that take notice of any thing According to that Zeph. 3.7 I punished them but they rose early and corrupted all their doings 4. Whether the workings of the Spirit are now growing or decaying among us If there be more more of this gracious work of the Spirit breaking forth dayly it is well But if it grow more rare and less and less and the loss of good men and women in whom the Spirit of God eminently was is not in some good measure made up by the resting of the same Spirit upon others rising up in their stead our case looks threatning But I shall say no more in this matter Who is wise and he shall understand these things prudent and he shall know them For the wayes of the Lord are right and the just shall walk in them but the transgressors shall fall therein Hos 14 9. VSE 5. Of Exhortation 1. To all such among us as have any Interest at the throne of grace earnestly to pray that God would pour out of his Spirit upon us from on high Let Gods favourites among us be earnest in crying unto God in this matter If there be any strength for wrestling with God left improve all the Interest you have with God and with his Son that you may prevail for this blessing For Motive Consider Mot. 1. It is the manner of and is becoming to Gods people to supplicate and wait upon him for all their mercyes It is meet we should receive all our special blessings from God upon our knees Thus Gods Servants have done Psal 123.1 2. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes O thou that dwellest in the heavens Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God until that he have mercy upon us We must not expect to receive any signal mercy unless God say the word and that in answer to our earnest prayers What ever mercy God bestows on his people he will be sought to by them for it When he hath any mercy to bestow on his people he is wont to stay till his people ask it though it is God that puts it into their hearts to ask it Hence we are bidden in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving to let our requests be made known unto God Phil. 4.6 We must ask the Father in Christs name for all And therefore for this great blessing of the pouring out of the Spirit there is all reason that we should wait upon God by humble prayer As the Apostles were commanded to wait at Jerusalem for the promise of the Father the sending down of the Spirit Act. 1.4 and most or much of that time they spent in praying ver 14. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication And this no doubt was a special or main part of their prayer that God would accomplish his promise in the actual pouring down of his Spirit 2. Nothing else is like to do us good unless God will pour out his Spirit on us We have had experience of the inefficacy of means upon us to bring us into order and to a good frame Much and frequent instruction and warning by the word hath not done it We have been taught what people this day in the world more It may be said of us as Zeph. 3.5 The just Lord is in the midst thereof every morning doth he bring his Judgment to light he faileth not The word of the Lord hath been to us precept upon precept line upon line We have been in that respect planted in the house of the Lord But have we not been as the fig-tree barren Or as the Lord speaks of his Vineyard Isai 5.4 Wherefore when I looked that it should bring forth grapes brought it forth wild grapes Judgements have not done it We have been under many But yet may it not be said of us after all as of them Am. 4. Yet have ye not returned unto me saith the Lord How true is it of us The people turneth not to him that smiteth them We have not received correction but refused to return Deliverances do not do it We have been respited And when we have seen there hath been respite have we not been secure still As it was said of Pharaoh Exod. 8.15 But when Pharaoh
hearts to the words of God to feel them in through meditation that they may be our life One Truth felt in Meditation is worth a world Mr. Mitchels Let. Hence David Psal 39.3 My heart was hot within me while I was musing the fire burned A religious pondering frame would greatly make way for the presence of the spirit of grace in the Soul Psal 119.59 I thought on my wayes and turned Direct 2. Be sure not to resist or quench the Spirit When the holy Ghost is moving upon or towards you beware of opposing or stifling its motions As they did Act. 7.51 Ye Stiff necked and uncircumcised in heart and cars ye do alwayes resist the holy Ghost If persons will alwayes resist the holy Ghost when it is moving towards them how should they come by it to be partakers of it Hence are we so expresly charged 1 Thes 5.19 Quench not the Spirit If when the Spirit moves by the word or moves in your hearts to leave sin to follow God and after holiness if now you withstand refuse or neglect to attend its motions you are not like to obtain the Spirit If you will not give entertainment to the Spirit of God nor embrace its motions how can you be like to receive it Therefore be very attentive to embrace its motions and obey them Hearken diligently to his Counsel and Commands When the Spirit of God is knocking at your hearts and stirs your hearts to accept of him and of his graces which he is willing and ready to work in you by no means neglect them or slight them but lay hold of them presently as one of the greatest mercyes that God is intending towards you bless him cherish them and beseech him to go on with his work in your Souls Do not reject any work of the Spirit neither grieve him by neglecting his good motions Prov. 1.23 Turn you at my Reproof behold I will pour out my Spiâ—â—â— unto you I will make known my words unto you Sedgwick on the Covenant p. 641. Direct 3. Remove all prejudices against the Spirit out of your hearts Our hearts naturally are full of prejudice against the Spirit and the wayes and workings of it of which we must labour to get them cleared There are those things wont to be mentioned as in the Author but now quoted p. 639 wherein we are apt to take up prejudice against the Spirit 1. Against the humbling work of the Spirit 2. The mortifying work of the Spirit 3. The sanctifying work of the Spirit 4. The Derisions that besal men for the Spirits sake That which I have especial reference to here is that we should get removed all prejudice against the mortifying and sanctifying work of the Spirit Beware of being offended at the way of walking in the Spirit for the strictness of it as if it were too streight to be restrained from these and those flesh pleasing actions and to be tyed to these and those religious dutyes and services Be so far from looking upon these as unreasonable as that on the contrary you may account them most equitable and indeed most pleasant As Prov. 3.17 Her wayes are wayes of pleasantness And account that it is your naughty heart only that makes you think them tedious and irksome By all means get your hearts reconciled to those wayes in which the Spirit of God leads those he dwels in that you may from the heart account those happy who by the help and grace of the Spirit can and do walk in them and that you should account it your own greatest happiness if you could obtain to have and walk in the Spirit and in all the wayes thereof and that every way and work of the Spirit of God may be very precious desireable to you They are the most excellent glorious profitable and desireable wayes and works and it is the perverseness of mans heart and will that makes them at any time seem otherwise which perverse esteem of them we must labour to get rid of Dir. 4. Get your hearts pressed with the intollerable load and burthen of sin of which you can no way be eased but by the presence and help of the Spirit of God Never rest nor be quiet till you come to see the intollerable infinite endless evil that is in sin to be sensible that it is an unsupportable burthen That is the reason why many are so little concerned about obtaining the Spirit of God to help and relieve them they are not duely sensible of the dreadful burthen and load of their sin that lyes upon them They have some lighter convictions and humiliations it may be for some grosser sins but they are not deep soaking nor through enough They are not sick unto death of their sin and hence they do not look for or not very earnestly for the Physitian It may be they have some physick of their own something compounded in their own Kitchin some course or work of their own that they account will do the deed expiate for their sin and preserve them from perishing and so they look no further Or if they do look out to this great Physitian of Souls it is only to get some directions what they may do themselves for themselves and they themselves will get it work it and administer it and so they rest still upon their own doing They are not brought so low in themselves as utterly and for ever to despair of their own strength and skill to recover themselves and hence they do not yield themselves wholly and fully to be healed by the Spirit of Christ they do not see such need of it Labour therefore by all means to see clearly the deadly wound that sin hath given you and to have your hearts broken all to pieces under the sense thereof So long as you are whole in your self or think you can make your self whole you will see no need of the Physitian But if you be thus sick heart sick of sin you will then feel an absolute need of the Physitian you will then prize and look after him Math. 9.12 They that be whole need not a Physitian but they that are sick Sit not down at quiet till sin become most exceeding bitter Go on humbling to be humbled and to see such intollerable evil in sin and to be so burthened with the wrath of God lying upon you for it as it may make sin everlasting ly odious to you force you to fly for refuge to lay hold on the hope sit before you and to have strong consolation there Mr. Mitchel Lee. Do not shun sorrow and mourning for sin Of necessity you must be troubled for sin in this life or in Hell and it is far better to come mourning to God for sin here then to go mourning from him for his Judgement hereafter If we be indeed cast down for sin be in extream bitterness of Soul about it from the sinfulness of it and its contrariety to God appearing to us
then we shall be fit objects for the Spirit who is the comforter to manifest his gracious work upon Isai 57.18 I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and on his mourners Penitential mourners for sin stand fan in the way to be comforted by God Thus it is said the Spirit of the Lord was upon Christ for this end Isai 61.1 2 3. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tydings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to preclaim liberty to the Captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning If we do not feel sin to purpose as it is to be feared few in these dayes do whatever common convictions many have there is little hope that we should have this blessed Comforter sent to us to take up his abode with us Mourning for sin cannot be too much if it raise the price of Christ in the Soul and draw out a more earnest desire of the applying work of the Spirit to be wrought in the heart Direct 5. Cry mightily to God for his Spirit Ask this boon of Heaven When you feel an utter want of the Spirit of God in you then run flee to the throne of grace and let your Soul cry out to the living God for this mercy Tell the Lord in humble manner what need you have of his Spirit what your misery is without it and earnestly beg of him that he will give you his holy Spirit to work faith repentance and all other graces in you And for your encouragement consider what Christ sayes Luk. 11.13 If ye then being evil know how to give good gifts unto your Children how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him and Prov. 2.3 4 5. But you will say We cannot pray without the Spirit Answ But yet go and present your selves before God and spread your case before him as well as you can Bemoan your wants your inability to good your insensibleness of your misery Plead as well as you can for mercy for the bestowing of his Spirit upon you Who knows but when you are endeavouring seeking and striving God may give in his holy Spirit to you and help you to pray to acceptation with him It is our duty to wait let God take his time way to work But be sure to pray that with great earnestness from a deep sense of your distress and danger that God will speedily help you Psal 70.1 Make haste O God to deliver me make haste to help me O Lord Psal 143.7 Hear me speedily O Lord my Spirit faileth hide not thy face from me lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit It must be with humble and earnest prayer on our part that the Spirit of God will come into our Souls if ever it come there Look therefore to the Infinite mercy of God in Christ to help in this matter Direct 6. Be exceeding diligent in the use of all means especially in attending upon the word of God for the obtaining of the Spirit As we must pray so we must use all due means with praying over them Seek for the Spirit wherever there is hope it may be found in all those wayes which God hath instituted for the giving forth of grace mercy and good to the Souls of men Let Sabbaths be observed Ordinances attended meditation self examination prayer secret Family and publick prayer reading the word of God And especially the Ministry of the word Oh wait there By that the word of God dispensed the Spirit is pleased to convey himself The Gospel is called the ministration of the Spirit 2 Cor. 3.8 We read of those upon whom the holy Ghost sell while they were hearing the word Act. 10.44 While Peter yet spake these words the holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word The Galatians Gal. 3.2 received the Spirit by the hearing of faith i.e. the word of faith which the Apostles preached Therefore attend diligently to the Ministry of the Word pray before you come pray when you go from hearing of the word that it might be a blessed means to conveigh the Spirit to you And when you come to the word attend with all your might hear as for your lives do not heedlesly let slip any one Sentence without your careful attention Expect wait long look when by what sentence by what word spoken God will let in his spirit into your Souls Oh if persons would set themselves in good earnest to attend upon the word of the Gospel as the word of God as the Ministry of the Spirit who knows what God might do for them Let the word of God be precious if ever you would have the Spirit of God with you and in you Dir. 7. Enquire seriously and consult with those that have the Spirit of God If you have any serious christian friend you can open your heart to be plain with him beseech him to be plain with you Enquire the way of the Spirit from those who have had experience thereof Jer. 50.4 5. In those dayes and in that time saith the Lord the children of Israel shall come they and the children of Judah together going and weeping they shall go and seek the Lord their God They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward Where you meet with difficulty in the way seek for instruction Listen what others what Christians of approved godliness and experience say concerning the way of the Spirit of God in their Souls if so be that you thereby might go forth by the footsteps of Christs flock and find him whom your Soul seeks after This is the direction the Lord gives to her Cant. 1.8 If thou know not go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock It is of exceeding use for persons whose desires are intensly set after the Spirit of God to be opening their hearts and conferring seriously one with another about the same Oh the holy breathings of the Spirit that have many times been kindled in the Souls of persons when they have been seriously and sincerely conferring concerning the things and wayes of the Spirit of God! Direct 8. Continue seeking striving and waiting in the use of all means till you find till the Spirit be poured out from on high upon you If the Lord do not come and give his Spirit to you presently yet take heed of giving over or slacking your endeavours Many being some way or other rouzed for a fit are very earnest but not finding the Spirit of God to come quickly they give over they are soon cooled and content themselves with their former formalities in the exercises of Religion Take heed we do not cast away our Souls here How many many perish here Rosolve never to give over seeking and waiting till God be gracious to you and pour out his Spirit upon you If God give you not the holy Spirit to be your Comforter resolve never to take comfort but ly down in sorrow Let nothing divert you from this seeking let nothing satisfy you till you have found the thing you seek for Hos 6.3 Then shall we know if we follow on to know the Lord. Importunity and constancy may at last prevail Luk. 11.5 10. Yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth c. and Luk. 18.1 And be spake a parable unto them to this and that men ought alwayes to pray and not to faint The Lord Jesus spake these things to encourage to importunity and constancy in prayer And for the prevalency and good effect of this we have the famous example of the woman of Canaan Math. 15.22 -28 Direct 9. Make this the business of your lives Look upon it as the main thing you came into the world for Lay out the strength of your Souls about it Drive on this as if you had nothing else to mind or do Make this your work to get the Spirit of God to be in you and all other things subordinate and subservient to this Do not think that for a sinner to obtain all the gracious operations of the Spirit in himself to get a due sense of sin as most odious and loathsome and to rest his Soul upon Christ as most pretious and to shew forth all the blessed fruits of the Spirit in his conversation is a work easily or quickly done And yet you must not rest till you come to this till there be the apparent manifest full breathings and operations of the Spirit in you As Mercy is not like to come to us till the Spirit be poured out upon us from on high So let us wait and labour till the Spirit be poured out upon us fingly and generally that the wilderness may become a fruitful field and the fruitful field be counted for a Forrest and so those mercyes and blessings which are consequent to this may be derived down to and setled upon us For a close let every sincere one whose heart is upon the work and glory of Christ heartily and earnestly joyn with the Psalmist in that prayer profession of his Psal 53.6 O that the Salvation of Israel were come out of Zion When God bringeth back the Capivity of his people Jacob shall rejoyce and Israel shall be glad FINIS
either want wheels or oyl to our wheels 3. How little of a praying frame of a spirit of grace and supplication is among us Where the Spirit of Christ is there are these Abba's those groanings that cannot be uttered Gal. 4.6 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts crying Abba Father Rom. 8.26 The Spirit it self maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered Where there is any good measure of the Spirit there is liberty of access to God there will be freedome of pouring out the the heart before God and strong wrestling with God holy importunity and taking the Kingdome of heaven by violence But alas how little is there of these things Our prayers are too cold dead formal lifeless insipid and wordy only How little of a melting frame in our prayers and humble brokenness therein and how little vehement breathings of Soul after and strong actings of faith upon the Lord Jesus therein How little of patient and painful wrestlings with the Lord in them How little of earnest looking after prayers and believing expectation and waiting for a gracious answer of them 4. How little studying and practising of Holiness is among us Little of a Gospel-becoming conversation Were the Spirit of God put within us it would cause us to walk in his statutes and keep his Judgements and do them Ezek. 36.27 And I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my Judgements and do them We should then live holy and amiable lives our light would shine before men and so give occasion of much glory to God But how do we walk at all peradventures with God in our conversation We are too uncertain and uneven if not unholy therein This is a thing confessed by most Oh that it were lamented and reformed by All 5. How little breathings of love to God his wayes Ordinances and Saints are among us Were the holy Ghost in the gifts and graces of it given to us in plentiful manner the love of God would be shed abroad in our hearts it would be much there Rom. 5.5 The love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy Ghost which is given to us We should entirely love God and dearly love his word Saints and wayes The bent and stream of our affections would be turned this way But alas How low does our affection run to God to his house to his word to his Ordinances and one to another How eager are we in our pursuits of other things but after these not so earnest It is too too evident that of these things mentioned there is too little among us but of their contraryes too much There is too much boldness in and impenitency for sinning too much neglect of formality and deadness in prayer too much of weariness in and under and listlessness to the worship service of God too much heedlessness carelessness unholiness profaneness in conversation too much loathing slighting undervaluing disregarding of God his word Ordinances Saints Which plainly show our want of the pouring out of the Spirit And hence is our trouble continued and growing VSE 4. Learn to observe the motions and breathings of Gods Spirit that we may discern the signs of the times We are from this Text informed that the pouring out or with-holding of the Spirit hath a great influence to alter or dispose the frame or manner or state of times and dispensations And therefore this dispensation of God concerning his Spirit is a special signe of the times a signe for us to know the times by or to understand what the work of God is or is like to be in the times we live in It is the duty of Christians to labour to discern the signs of the times for want of which our Saviour blames and sharply reproves those Math. 16.3 O ye hypocrites ye can discern the face of the sky but can ye not discern the signes of the times Luk. 12.56 But how is it that ye do not discern this time That was the time of the Messiah and his coming of which there were special signs by which they might have apprehended and understood it had they been wise and diligent to have marked the same The signes of any times they are those visible appearances of Gods providence whereby God leads us to discern that which is more inward as to his purposes intentions and expectations By these signes we may be led to observe or understand what God intends with or to a people in such or such a time which way the providence of God is at present working or like to work toward such a people what God is doing with or among them Now the Spirit of God in the pouring out or withdrawing of it being a special eminent and remarkable signe of the times by a wise and prudent observation of the motions and workings of that we may be signally led to this discerning of the times And therefore let all Christs disciples take due notice and observation of this matter And consider particularly 1. What movings of the Spirit there are in the Souls of men and women in these times What solemn awakenings and sound convictions wrought by the Spirit in the hearts of finners what wooings and allurings to draw their Souls unto God What noise there is rushing and shaking caused by the wind of the Spirit among the dry bones Do we see them coming together bone to his bone and standing up on their feet from the dead Is the Spirit of God striving mightily shaking powerfully and irresistibly working upon the hearts of secure sinners Does it force them to cry out of their sin and misery wretched and woful condition Does it terrifie them from persisting in or medling with iniquity Does it humble and make them look about them with greatest care and sollicitude how they may do to escape the wrath of God and to obtain Salvation Are these workings of the Spirit upon the hearts of smners in these times Speak you who still remain unregenerate Is the Spirit of God still dealing with you by awakening warning and not letting you alone to go on in sin and alluring you by love to Jesus Christ Or hath it done striving with you in that solemn manner and moving upon you in that winning way which formerly it hath done whereby it made you sometimes to listen to its motions Have you got the mastery of the Spirit by frequent resistance that now you will not be jog'd or moved by it Or hath the Spirit rever thus moved upon you Will you let us know how it is with you in this matter that we may the better understand what God is doing or about to do If there be these movings awakenings allurings of the Spirit in the Souls of men and women in any considerable measure among us it is a good signe But if not it is surely bad 2. Consider what presence of God