THE SOULS IMPLANTATION INTO THE NATURAL OLIVE. By T.H. Carefully corrected, and much enlarged, with a Table of the Contents prefixed. JAMES 1.21. Receive with meekness the ingraffed Word, which is able to save your souls. LONDON, Printed by R. Young, and are to be sold by Fulke Clifton on New-Fish-street-hill. 1640. THE CONTENTS. TWo ways God prepareth the heart for Christ, Pag. 1 It is also prepared by contrition and humiliation, 2 Doct. None but a broken heart is an house for Christ, 3 Two lets of faith removed by brokenness of heart, 6 By faith the soul goeth out to another for all-sufficiency. 11 Use 1. Reproof to them that would have comfort without brokenness of heart, 15. and them that dislike broken-heartedness in others, 18 Use 2 To get comfort begin in sorrow, 22 Use 3 Comfort to the in two respects, 25 Doct. The heart must first be prepared for Christ, 31 Preparation for Christ standeth in three things, 35 Use 1. Those reproved who think to have mercy and heaven upon a sudden, 40 Use 2 A miserable estate to live in the old sins, 47 Use 3 Prepare for Christ, or think not to enjoy him, 55 Motives to prepare for Christ, 56 Doct. The Ministry a special means to prepare us for Christ, 68 A powerful ministry consisteth in three things, 71 How a powerful Ministry works upon the heart to prepare it for Christ, 79 Affliction prepares the heart for the Word, the Word for God, 88 Use 1. Much fault in Ministers, that their people's hearts are not fitted for Christ, 84 Use 2 Fearful is their estate whom a powerful Ministry works not upon, 88 Use 3 Let the Word be powerful to prepare thy heart for Christ. 90 Two things keep from Christ, 95 What engraffing into Christ is, 99 Doct. Christ delays not to come into an humbled heart, 106 Use 1. Great comfort to each humbled soul, 114 Use 2 They are of a naughty spirit who endure not broken spirits, 118 Use 3 Choose the for companions, 120 Use 4 Be thankful for this great respect of Christ to thy poor soul, 122 Use 5 They that would have Christ dwell in them, must be willing to be humbled, 125 Christ near the soul, yet not discerned, for four reasons in us, 133. and for three reasons in Christ, 147 Doct. Christ takes possession of every humbled soul, 157 Three ways he disposeth the heart to himself, 168 Use 1. Reproof of them that keep Christ out of possession, 171 Use 2 Give all to Christ, whose it is, 176 Doct. Love and joy by the Spirit wrought in a broken heart, for embracing mercy as it deserves, 180 The reason of God's order in working these graces, 187 Gods promise the ground of our love, and how, 195 His love to us begets love in us toward him, and how, 201 Use 1. Nature breeds no love to Christ, 206 Saints love not duly, because they rely not on the promise, 211 Use 2 Comfort to them that love Christ, 213. and blessedness, 216 Notes of true love to Christ, 217 Use 3 Reproof of them that love not Christ in truth, 231. sorts of them, 238 Enmity against Christ shown three ways, 240 Glozing neuters described and shamed, 243 Hypocrites enemies to Christ, four sorts of them, 246, 247, etc. Discoveries of not loving Christ, 250 He that wrangles against truth, never loved Christ, 2. arg. 254 Expression of sorrow for sin limited, 258 Continual sorrow as needful as continual believing, 261 Use 4 Love the Lord Jesus in sincerity, 272. means, 273 Three hindrances of loving Christ, ibid. 274 Three things in Christ to make us love him, 282 Three things done by Christ for a sinner, though as yet he want assurance. 286 Two means to bring our hearts and the promises together, 291 Doct. In greatest wants true Christians have cause enough to rejoice in God, 300 Use 1. Retain comfort in God whatsoever thou wantest, 302 Use 2 Reproof to them that grow uncomfortable for crosses, 304 Use 3 Make this sure, God is the God of my salvation, 305 Six means to rejoice in evil times, ibid. Doct. The sorrowful seedtime of true Christians (in the exercises of humiliation and mortification) yields them a rich and joyful harvest, 312. 313 Causes of true joy assured by mourning, 314 Use 1. Sharp Preachers make you gainers, ibid. & 315 Use 2 Enemies help the joy of Christians, 315 Use 3 Esteem none by present grievances, 316 Use 4 Sow still, though in tears, ibid. Use 5 Be patiented in suffering for God, 317 Use 6 Comfort in death, our own or friends, 318 Use 7 Be painful in thy calling, ibid. Use 8 Encouragement to repent of sin, and renew our repentance. 319 THE BROKEN HEART. ESAY 57.15. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose Name is holy; I dwell in the high and holy place; that is, in heaven, which is his throne: and I will dwell with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the heart of the humble, and the heart of the contrite ones. THere are two main parts of the preparative work for Christ: First, the manner of the work on God's part: and this discovers itself in these two particulars. 1. In proposing Christ in the Ministry of the Gospel, as the most beautiful object which the soul can view or affect; Psal. 2.12. Cant. 5.9. with 6.1. 2. That God doth by an holy kind of violence pluck the sinner from sin to himself; as in that place, john 6.44. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me, draw him. The second is on our part; a frame and temper of the heart that God works upon us by this holy kind of violent drawing. This discovers itself in these two particulars: 1 Contrition. 2 Humiliation. For the handling of these two, we have chosen this place of Scripture. And I intent not to trade with every particular in the Verse, but so much in it as fitteth my intendment in hand. Expos. That which I aim at, is in the middle of the Verse: I dwell with him that is of a broken heart. Give me leave to open the words. The great God of heaven, that inhabiteth eternity in glory, for the comfort of every poor sinner, God's two houses. saith, he will dwell with him. The Lord hath but two standing houses; the one is in heaven in glory, the other is every broken heart, and every shivered soul. How he dwells in the heart. Now how doth God dwell in the heart of a poor sinner? The Apostle, Ephes. 3.17. tells us, Christ dwells in our hearts by faith: and it implies the constant abode of Christ by his Spirit in the soul, being received, and entertained by faith. So that first there must be a broken heart, before there can be faith, or before Christ will dwell in our hearts to our comfort. Consider what a kind of heart it must be wherein God will dwell. It must be an humble and a shivered spirit. He dwells in heaven by his glory: yet, though thou wert as low as hell in thyself, God will come and take possession of thy heart marvellous graciously. In the words, so fare as they concern my purpose, the thing mainly observable is, the necessity, and excellency of this broken and humble soul. It is the only receptacle of the Lord jesus Christ. If you will have Christ and grace to dwell in you, you must get humble spirits. Doct. So the Doctrine in general from hence is this: The soul must be broken and humbled, None but the broken heart is an house for Christ. before the Lord jesus Christ can, or will dwell therein, and before faith can be wrought therein. There must be contrition, before there will be an inhabitation of Christ in the soul. As men, specially great men, will have their houses ayred, before they come to lie there; so this contrition is the airing, or sweeping of the soul, that so it may be inhabited. Foretold. This was typified and foretold in the old law. When the people of Israel were to go into the Land of Canaan (which shadowed the kingdom of grace here, and of glory hereafter) they must go through the vast, terrible, troublesome, and roaring wilderness, and through those straits and extreme hazards, before God brought them to the Land of Promise. Whereby the Lord typified thus much unto us, that before the soul can be truly possessed of Christ, it must go through these rocky ways of contrition and humiliation, Hos. 2.14. Therefore behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, Ad aperiendam spem. Hieron. and speak comfortably to her. And in vers. 15. I will give her the valley of Anchor for the door of hope, and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the days when she came out of Egypt. Compare that 15. verse with joshua 7.25. The sloodgate of sorrow, a door of hope. The door of hope is nothing else, but the expectation of all good things from God, which he hath promised. And here remember the story of Anchor: Achan had stolen the wedge of gold, and the Babylonish garment, and therefore God departed away from the Campe. Now the Lord pursued him, and caused the people to stone him with stones; and they called the place, The Valley of Anchor, to this day, i The Valley of trouble and affliction. The Lord hath reference to his former dealing As he did before in the time of joshua; he first subdued Achan, and then he gave them success against all their adversaries: (As if he had said, I will give them the Valley of contrition and humiliation for the Gate to all comfort and sweet refreshing, here and hereafter:) So you must go through the wilderness to this Valley of Anchor, before you can come to this door of hope, to this Land of Canaan: you must stone these corruptions of yours, which have troubled the Spirit of God, and then there is a door of hope set open for you. And as it was foretold, so it was the end why the Lord jesus Christ was sent: as Isa. 61.12. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, (saith Isaiah in the stead of Christ,) because the Lord hath anointed me to preach glad tidings unto the meek, he hath sent me to bind up the , to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to comfort all that mourn. Nay, 2. Accomplished. the Lord hath not only sent Christ to this end, and promised this, but he hath done as he did promise. And this is the condition upon which he hath promised and given all comfort to his people: as in Psal. 34.18. The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. He is near them, to comfort them, and to assist them, and deliver them: and thus the Saints of God have found it; as 2 Chron. 33.12. where the Text saith, that Manasses humbled himself mightily before the Lord, and he found peace to his soul, and the Lord pardoned his sin. He was a mighty sinner, and had mighty rebellions, and mighty pride of heart, and therefore the Lord laid him as low as the dust, though he were a King. As he had been a mighty sinner, so he was now a mighty pattern of humiliation, and the Lord had mercy on him. Two reasons of the point. The reasons and grounds of God's dispensation this way; are these two especially. 1 Whether we consider the receiving of faith, and Christ with it; or, 2 The keeping and maintaining of faith, being received. In both these it is plain, that God will break our hearts, before he gives us Christ or faith. I say, it is necessary in the way of his providence. Reas. 1 1 It is an especial means to make way for faith, and for Christ, because all the lets and impediments which hinder the entrance of faith into the soul, are removed by humiliation and brokenness of spirit. Two let's of faith removed by brokenness of heart. Now besides many other bolts and springs (as in a lock there are many springs and little bolts, besides the main bolt; so I say) there are two main bolts which make the soul uncapable of faith, which being removed, faith will come into the soul. The first let which is an hindrance to the work of faith, is this: 1 Lett. To seek contentment in the natural condition. there is a settled kind of contentment which the soul taketh up in its own estate: and the heart of a sinful creature sitteth down well paid in that sinful miserable condition wherein he is, and he desireth no other; nay, he would have no change in this kind. This is one main bolt which stoppeth the way, and keepeth faith from coming into the heart. This is the frame of every man's heart naturally. So we see in Deut. 29.19. And if it come to pass, that when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine own heart, or add drunkenness to thirst: The Lord will not spare him, but the anger of the Lord, and his jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book, shall fall upon him, and the Lord shall blot his name from under heaven. People bless themselves in their condition, notwithstanding all the promises of blessing, and threatening of judgement. If any man have such a root of bitterness in him, and shall bless himself in this condition, and say, I will promise my self an happy end, let Moses threaten what he can: I tell thee, the wrath of the Lord shall smoke against that man. See that notable place in job 21.14. It imports so much: For they said to God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways: that is, we are as we would be. When wholesome counsels and exhortations are ministered, namely, that they would take up a better course, and be more holy before God, and yield obedience to him in his Word; and the Minister biddeth them take a farewell of their pleasures and profits, and they think we invite them to loss: now all the while that a poor sinner quiets his heart in this condition, it is merely impossible, (in the course of providence,) nay, it is a flat contradiction, that ever grace should be bestowed upon that soul, or that ever faith should come there. For faith purgeth the heart, wheresoever it comes: as the Apostle saith, 2 Cor. 5.17. All things are become new, all old things are passed away. There must be a new frame of the heart, and a new course of life and conversation. Now for the soul to approve of its condition, and yet desire to go out of it, these two cannot stand together in reason; and therefore know, that while people please themselves in this condition, and, let the Minister say, what the will, and let God reveal what he will, still they think they cannot be in a better estate: I say it is impossible, that ever, upon these terms, faith should come into the heart: for faith will bring a change. Therefore when the Lord will do good to a soul, he will make him see his sins, and make him weary of them, and tyre him with the sense of his condition, and show him the necessity of faith, and that he must be a new man: and then he is content to take that way, whereby he may be better disposed of by the Spirit of God. In the Gospel the phrase is this, Mat. 9.12. The whole need not the Physician. He thinks himself well, and therefore what need he go to Physic? And it is so in common reason. No man can rear up a new house, but he must first pull down the old. If a man be fish-whole, what need doth he see of Christ? as many people see no need of this humbling, and this strictness, and they think they love God in their own apprehension, and therefore they quiet themselves in that condition. But God will pluck down this old frame, and then there is a way to build a new frame in the heart. Before the heart is broken, the soul would not be otherwise, and therefore it cannot be content to be under the power of faith, which would work a change of the heart. The second main hindrance of faith is this: 2. Let. To seek a sufficiency at home: Suppose the soul were sensible of its condition, and were wounded and broken, and could be content to have ease and relief: yet the soul seeketh for secure from its own sufficiency: and when as the Word hath discovered our condition unto us, and now we see we have need of relief, we have recourse to some shift of our own. And this doth wonderfully cross and oppose faith: nay, faith cannot come into the soul, till the Lord undermine this corruption of heart. This is a fruit of Adam's rebellion; for when the Lord put into his hands a stock of grace, that he was made perfectly happy and righteous, and able to do whatsoever God commanded, while he continued in this estate of innocence, he needed not to go out of himself to find succour and relief, he had no need of Christ. This is the sinful temper that hangeth upon all the posterity of Adam, that (though fallen from God) we will scramble for our own comfort, and do what we can by our own strength to procure comfort, and ease, and shelter to our own souls in the day of distress. Happily God layeth a man upon his sick bed, and awakeneth his conscience; and in this condition men will promise and resolve any thing, that, if God would spare them, they would do any duty to get God's favour toward them; and they think it is some outward reformation of some ungodly practices that will give God contentment: and so they rest in themselves still. And hence it is, that after a great deal of horror of conscience, in conclusion they fall bacl to their old courses, or else they content themselves with an outward and overly reformation of life, and take up a calm civilised course, till they come to their deathbed, and then their hearts fail them: and the reason is this, because the heart was never throughly humbled. And it may be a man thinks, if he shall now pray, and hear, and do some duties, than all will be well, never seeing an utter insufficiency in himself, that he may receive mercy from the Lord. This is the lowest and last hindrance of all, and there is nothing more cross to faith than this. It is commonly the shift that Satan puts upon men in their troubles, merely to make them do something out of their good parts, and good gifts, and there to rest themselves, and so to sink down into the Pit before they be ware. Now this crosseth the work of faith: By faith the soul goeth out to another for all-sufficiency. for the nature of faith is this; it is the going out of the soul to another, and to see all sufficiency in another, and to fetch all from another. To have supply in a man's self, and to see all-sufficiency in Christ, these two cannot stand together. So that while the soul is thus possessed with his own sufficiency to procure ease to himself, it is certain this stops the work of faith, and hinders the pouring in of faith into the soul, whereby you should go wholly out of yourselves, and fetch all from Christ. Therefore mark now what follows. As contrition took away the former hindrance, so the Lord hath this work of humiliation, whereby he shuts bacl this bolt, and makes him to see an utter inability in himself to procure or receive any good. For there are many sins which formerly he hath committed, and many weaknesses and wants whereof he is guilty. Now when this is done, than the bar is removed, and the lets taken away by these two, contrition and humiliation. Consider that place 1 Cor. 3.18. If any man would be wise, he must be a fool, that he may be wise: and if any man will be made rich, he must see himself poor; and if any man will have succour in his misery, he must see himself unable to relieve himself; and then the Lord will do it for him. There cannot be faith in the soul, if either of these do remain in the soul still. Now these being taken away, the soul is fit to receive the work of faith. Simile. As it is with a man that would take a graft from a tree, and graft it into a new stock, first it must be cut off from the old, and then, secondly, be pared and made fit for the other: so it is here; all the sinful sons of men grow upon the root of Adam's rebellion, and we prosper and thrive there. Adam was the old and wild Olive, and Christ the true Vine, and the new Olive. Now before we can be transplanted from the old Olive into the true Olive, God must first cut us off from our old sins by contrition; and secondly, pair us and fit us by humiliation: and then we are fit to be engrafted into Christ. Where these two graces are wrought, the soul cannot be void of faith: and as surely as God is in heaven, he will undoubtedly pour faith into the soul. So the substance is this: If by this brokenness of heart, and this contrition and humiliation of spirit, the two main bars and lets of faith are removed, than it is necessary that God work this in the soul. But the first part is cleared, and marvellous plain, and therefore the other cannot be denied. If you will be in your sins, and in yourselves, you cannot be in Christ: you cannot be in yourselves and in Christ too. This is enough for the first argument, and it is the life of the point. 2. This brokenness of heart is marvellous necessary, Reas. 2 because by this means faith is preserved. For when the heart is truly broken, there follows this thing; The soul prizeth faith and Christ, and is thankful for the least mercy God giveth. He that stands in need, will be thankful for any mercy or favour: as in Psal. 35.10. All my bones shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee? Me thinks I see David in his distress, besieged with many miseries: and when the Lord had eased him, and freed him, see how he reasons with himself: O Lord, the heart that thou hast healed, this broken spirit that thou hast bound up; nay, all these bones which were once shattered all to pieces, thou hast set them again, and they shall say, Lord, who is like unto thee? As if he had said, Here is mercy indeed, for mine heart hath found it, and mine eye hath seen it, and mine hands, and all my bones can say, Lord, who is like unto thee? Before he was burdened with his sins, and now he prizeth mercy wonderfully. One dram of faith is worth a hundred thousand worlds to a weary burdened soul. As it was with the jews, they had a year of jubilee, wherein every servant was set free, and every bondman, and every debtor set at liberty: this is nothing else but the year of the Gospel, The acceptable year of the Lord, Esa. 91: 2. and the glad tidings of Salvation that is offered to all in the same. The Master, or he that lent the money, cared not for this yerre; but the servant and the borrowers, they only longed for that year, and for that day, that they might be delivered. So it is here with a poor soul: he that never felt the burden, nor the bondage of sin, cares not for the glad tidings of the Gospel; but the poor oppressed creature, that hath been in the house of bondage by Satan tempting, and his own sinful heart plaguing him, when the day of salvation is offered, he receives it thankfully. And, as the soul prizeth grace, so it will hardly part with it, when it hath it, because it was got with so much difficulty. We use to say, Lightly come, lightly go: but when the soul hath gotten faith with so much difficulty, and had many troubles of soul, before ever God gave an assured evidence of his love and favour, he will not suffer sin or Satan to pluck it away. Oh, it cost him many a heavy heart, and many a troublesome day, before he got a little mercy, and shall he now part with it for a little pleasure or profit? that he will never do. Then it is very reasonable, that God should wound a man, and break his heart to make him taste his meat, and to relish mercy. Thus you see the heart must be broken and humbled, before the Lord Christ will come to dwell therein. Now what's the Use? Use 1 The first Use is for reproof; Of reproof to them that would have comfort without brokenness of heart. and it checks the opinion and practice of two sorts of people. If this be God's way, that before he will come into the soul, he must have the heart fitted and prepared, the house must be ayred: then (I say) it confutes the conceits of a company of carnal persons that be in the world. 1. The mere civil Professor, that would sleep in a whole skin: he could be content to have heaven, and mercy, and he hopeth he is in the right way; but this melting of the soul, and this bruising of the heart is more than God requireth, or more than God looketh for: only he hath invented a new way, and a shorter cut to heaven than ever God revealed. He thinks some melancholy man only may be troubled and perplexed; but otherwise it is not that which God requireth at the hands of men. And therefore after a sleepy kind of profession, without any life, or power, or soundness, he goes on: job 21.13. They spend their days in ease, saith the Text, and in a moment go down to hell. There are a world of poor sinners that are thus deluded: and because God hath given them some restraining grace to keep them within compass, therefore they go on in a kind of cheerful contentedness, and think that all is well. And when they come to their sicke-beds, In sickness false comfort faileth, they have nothing to say for themselves; nay, we cannot force comfort upon them, for than they fly out, and say it is not for them. And if we tell them of what they have done, and that they have made a fair profession, and have prayed, and done many duties, and been well accounted of, and so forth: see what they answer: It is true, I have done this, or that, but this is only the outside: but oh, this heart of mine was never broken truly; only I reform myself outwardly, and made a profession indeed, but the bottom was never truly laid. As it is in sailing, so it is in living. Though a man have a fair calm day, and see the Sun, yet this will not bring him to the haven: he must have a wind to drive the ship. So it is with many a sinful creature in the world: he puts forth to Sea, and he will needs go to heaven, and taketh a sweet kind of sleepy lazy course, and will reform himself outwardly, but his heart was never broken nor humbled: he will never be landed, before he was never tossed. Tossed he must be, and that with some violence too: but this man that was never troubled, shall never be comforted. I have observed it; as it was in the material Temple which Solomon built, all the stones were hewed and polished before they were put in the building: so here Christ is the Temple, and every true Christian is a stone for it, as the Apostle Peter saith, 1 Pet. 2.5. Ye also as lively stones be made a spiritual house. Will the stones come close together in any building, except first they be hewed and fitted? or will the heart ever come to close with God, except it be humbled and broken? so those knotty proud hearts of yours must be planed and hewed, before you will rest upon God for mercy, or yield obedience to him. How fare God breaketh and humbleth, we will show afterward. 2. Those reproved, who dislike brokenness of heart in others. 2. This may fall heavy upon the brave Spirits, and boon Gallants of the world, that are not able to see and approve this brokenness of heart in others; they count it a womanish and weak kind of disposition, and make a mock of this humility of heart; and when God hath wounded, and humbled a poor sinner, they tread upon him, and follow him with desperate disgraces, reproaches, and discouragements. I need not mention their language in this case, I wish we were freed from them. What say they? And are you one of these broken hearts and tender consciences? Take heed how you sin: for if you do, you must weep out your eyes, and mope out your days in a corner, even for ever. Good Lord, is it possible that ever there should rest such inhuman, desperate, devilish profaneness in the heart of any man upon earth? Let me press a passage or two to this end, that such as are guilty of this sin, may take notice of it; as there are too many of them in this age. This argues a man almost forsaken of God, and (I had almost said) reserved to everlasting destruction. There is no greater token, that God never purposeth any good to that man. Consider that place in Psal. 69.23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28. The holy Prophet makes many fearful imprecations, as though he would pluck justice from heaven: Let their eyes be darkened that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake. Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold upon them. Oh what a strange passage is this, that a man that was inward with God, should rend the heavens to pull down vengeance thence for such men! Who are all these? Surely they were some Devil's incarnate, and no men, that God's Prophet would pray against: Let their habitation be desolate, and no man to dwell in their tents. Why? what's the matter? For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and they talk to the grief of those whom thou hast wounded. Lord (saith he) add iniquity to their iniquity, and let them not come into thy righteousness. You that are guilty of this, consider it. Methinks it might make the soul of a sinful man to shake at the hearing of it. When God hath wounded the heart, and awakened the conscience, and the Lord hath spoken bitter things to his heart, wilt thou grieve those that God hath smitten? It is an argument of a man whom God hath devoted to destruction. Were a man's eyes opened, and his conscience awakened, it would make him tremble. Thou that hast been an enemy to the Saints of God, and because the Saints of God cry mightily, and dare not do as they have done, to join with thee in thy wicked courses; wilt thou (I say) reproach them, and lay more burden upon them, and say, What, you have had Sermons enough? Now you are wounded, and you must mourn, and you must be holy. The God of heaven hath spoken this by his holy Prophet David, who knew those wicked wretches. Though I know none such (it may be) for the while, yet no question there be such in the Congregation. He that now makes a mock of contrition, shall break for ever; and he that will not now be broken, shall have the wrath of God to burn in his heart for ever in hell. The Lord in mercy break the hearts of such men, and make them to say, Good Lord, is this the brand of a reprobate? and what? shall my name be blotted out of the book of life? I have persecuted such and such a man, and such a woman: the Lord grieved him, and I grieved him too. His was the sorrow, but mine was the sin, and shall be my shame for ever, for aught I know. Another passage is, Deu. 25.17, 18, 19 When the people of Israel came from Egypt, Amalek took advantage against them when they were weak. Remember (saith the Text) what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when you came forth of Egypt; How he smote thee when thou wert faint and weary. Therefore it shall be when the Lord thy God shall give thee rest from all thine enemies, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. And 1 Sam. 15.2.3. seventy years after, the Lord remembered that. For the Text saith, I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he laid wait for him in the way when he came out of Egypt. Now therefore go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, both infants and sucklings, and oxen, and the like. What this Amalek did, even so do these wicked men. When a poor soul is humbled, and will forsake his sins and his wicked ways, and he groweth faint and feeble-hearted, and wonderful heavy burdened, wilt thou now turn Amalek? Wilt thou kill him that is now burdened under the heavy wrath of God? and wilt thou now rail upon him? Curse Amalek. I will remember him, saith God. Take heed lest God remember thee, and root out thee and thy posterity from under heaven. Nay, the Lord himself, and all the Saints do rejoice in the ruin and destruction of an ungodly wretch: as in the example of Doeg, Psalm 52.3, 4, 5. Thou lovest evil more than good, and lying rather then to speak righteousness. Selah. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou false tongue God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place. Selah. Thou lovest grieving words. Well: God will serve thee in thy kind; and when thou art in hell, the righteous shall rejoice over thee, and say, Lord, this is he that grieved the hearts of such as were humbled: this is he that had a proud herrt, and scorned to be humbled, and therefore shall everlastingly the damned. The Devils themselves will rejoice in thy torments, and say, What, are you become like to us? This is the man that scorned to be humbled, and to have his heart broken: what, is he come down to hell now? The hearts of the damned shall be enlarged to glory in thy confusion. Indeed if a poor soul feel any weight of sin upon him, than all the Town is up in arms against him. Oh see your sin, and go and break your hearts for this sin. Dislike not in others, what yourselves are bound to be, and to do. This of the first Use. 2. Use 2 To get comfort, begin in sorrow. It is a word of direction and instruction, how to get this grace at the hands of God; go God's way, and go the ready way. If ever thou wilt receive grace from God, do that which God doth: as Hosea 2.14. Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her. Be throughly wounded first, and then look for comfort and ease. Simile. As it was in the Sacrifices of the law, they did first kill the Sacrifice, before they did offer it, and first they did pound the incense, then burn it: so your souls must be broken by true contrition, before you can receive any comfort: as in joel 2. Rend your hearts, Joel 2.13. and not your garments, and then turn to the Lord. First rend the heart, and then offer the heart in sacrifice to God. We use first to burn the wax, and then seal with it. As it is with vessels that are old and bruised, a little washing and mending will not serve the turn, but they must be all taken in pieces, and made up new: so we are all vessels of wrath by nature, and a little patching will not serve the turn. It is not enough for a man to say he is sorry for his sins, but his heart must be throughly humbled and broken; then he is fit to be made a vessel of grace here, and of glory hereafter. Of all things in the heart, God cannot endure this patching in the work of grace, to sow grace and sin together. As in daniel's Image, which was partly clay, and partly iron, and partly brass, so it is in a Christian course, a man may easily be an Image of a Christian, but not a sound Christian: he will not have an heart humbled and broken before God easily. Therefore in vain they worship God, and labour to approve their hearts to God, that think to come to salvation, and yet in the mean time this brokenness of heart will not down with them, And the reason why so many men fall bacl from a good course, and come to such desperate discouragements, is, because they do not walk in God's way. When a man will rear up a frame of grace in his fancy, as he that set up a brave house in the sand; when the winds blow, and the storms come, it falleth by and by: so when you rear up frames of grace in your imaginations, and think you are holy, and shall have Christ, but yet you never felt this powerful work of grace; if any temptations come, or any thunderbolt from the Word, this shakes all in pieces. Dig deeper therefore, and labour for this humbled and broken heart, and build upon that, and then the heavens shall sooner fail than this shall come to nothing. This also may be a word of advice to the Ministers of God, to teach us to begin as God gins; not to press faith upon them presently. No, no: lay down these proud hearts, and let all these mountains be laid low, and these crooked thoughts be made strait, and then all flesh shall see the salvation of our God. This only is, not to heal and daub with untempered mortar. Let us walk with God in his way, and follow his course, for the good of others, and for the furthering of our own account in the day of the Lord jesus. And, you people must not think, that we must always speak that which will please you. There is a wholesome severity and sharpness. The Surgeon helps by lancing and applying corrosives, aswell as by gentle salves. 3. Use 3 Comfort to the . This is for comfort to all that have entered into this condition; that they may continue and carry themselves boldly therein. If thou canst say God hath truly broken and humbled thee, do not labour to free thyself from this, and to find an healing from hence, but labour first to comfort thyself in respect of thine own present condition: secondly, in regard of the reproaches, and disgraces of wicked men. 1. 1. In respect of their present heaviness. In regard of the misery that such poor souls are in. Though the burden be heavy, yet it is the way of comfort. When the reed is bruised, it is farthest off from breaking. If thou hast an heart broken with the burden of thy sins, and smoking with any poor desires towards God, comfort thyself: though the way be tedious, yet the end will be comfortable; for God is now making way for himself to come and dwell with thee, and for thee with him. Object. Oh but, will some say, the wrath of God is marvellous fearful, and wondrous heavy. Answ. I answer, it is so; yet God's anger is like the thunderbolt, that melts the sword, yet hurts not the scabbard. The wrath of the Lord, if it comes against a proud rebellious sinner, will break him in pieces: but if the soul tremble at God's wrath, and hath an heart to yield in obedience, the Lord will never hurt that man; and he never wounds him so fare, but that he may heal him. Who would not be cut, that he might be cured? What though we have our hearts broken, and our consciences wounded? Now the house is ayred, God will come anon. Now the gold is melting, God will make it a vessel of glory anon; and therefore cheer up yourselves in this kind, It is a foolish fear that the child hath: the child seethe his father pressing the grapes, and thinks he will spoil them: and so, when he seethe the gold melting. If thou hast a wife perplexed, and burdened for her sins, comfort thyself, and let it not grieve thee, God is now pressing the grape, and melting the gold, that he may make good wine, and pure gold; he is humbling thy heart thereby, that he may bring thee in obedience to him, that so thou mayst receive mercy from him for ever. Who would not go on in sackcloth awhile, that he might wear silk for ever? Who would not be humbled, that he may be for ever comforted? as Esay 61.3. God hath appointed comfort for them that mourn, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. If you have the spirit of heaviness upon you, and there are many miseries threatened, and many corruptions burdened of you; well, go your ways cheered, you shall have a suit of joy and gladness put upon you, and then you will never repent you of all the sorrows, and burdens that you have undergone. When God shall give you the assurance of his love, it will never repent you in the day of your death, when all your tears shall be requited with abundance of joy and comfort: therefore herein be comforted, and know that God intends good to thee by this dealing of his. They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. 2. As to comfort yourselves in regard of your present heaviness, 2. In respect of evil men discountenancing. so also in regard of the disgraces and reproaches which are cast upon you: when your neighbours grow strange, and look afar off, let this be your comfort, God is near to such as are of a broken heart. It may be, thy husband or thy wife are gone, and are weary of thy company; let this comfort thee, God will not be weary of thy company. Though there is malice near to pursue thee, yet there is mercy near to comfort thee; and God will dwell in thee, though it may be thy neighbours will not dwell by thee. Psal. 51.17. The sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. There the Prophet David saith, that the Lord prefers this Sacrifice before others. What though men distaste thee, if the Lord accept and regard thee? What if men refuse and despise thee, if the Lord love thee, and delight in thee? Therefore all you sinners take this word of comfort, go on, and go cheerily, and the God of heaven be with you. Though you be poor in the world, and live in a smoky cottage, yet the Lord will dwell with you in that poor cottage, and in that poor family of yours, and he will revive that poor heart of yours. Where the King is, the Court must be prepared for; and when the Lord jesus Christ comes to dwell in the heart of a poor sinner, he will comfort him. He that sitteth in heaven, and hath ten thousand thousand of Angels to minister unto him, hath but two Thrones, the highest heavens, and the lowest heart. What a consolation is this to thee? Go your way therefore, and cheer up your hearts with this, and say, I thank God, I have now an humble and broken heart, I hope comfort is coming. THE PREPARING OF THE HEART FOR TO RECEIVE CHRIST. Luke 1.17, To make ready a people prepared for the Lord. BEfore the soul of a man can share in the merits of Christ jesus, and receive benefit thereby, and comfort therefrom; before it can be made partaker of those spiritual benefits which God hath promised to bestow upon his own, two things are required: first, there must be a preparation of the soul to receive and entertain the Lord jesus Christ; and secondly, there must be an implantation of the soul into Christ: and then being thus engrafted into Christ, it hath a title to all those good things which he hath purchased for his Elect. For the conclusion of Saint john is peremptory in this kind, john 3.36. He that hath the Son (saith he) hath life; and he that hath not the Son hath not life. As if he should say, There is no hope of receiving any good from the stock, unless the graft be implanted into the stock: before the foul be cut off from the rebellion of Adam, it cannot be implanted into Christ, and unless it be engrafted into Christ, it can have no comfort from him. But if we can once get into Christ, we shall have the participation of all spiritual things which he hath prepared for his chosen. But it is impossible for flesh and blood thus to enter into Christ, and be implanted into him: and therefore that we maybe implanted into him, we must be prepared. First, there must be a preparation of the soul to be in Christ, before it can be made partaker of Christ and his benefits. This preparation is the fitting of a sinner, for his being in Christ. The Lord Christ being to come in person, and to take upon him the ministry of the Gospel, he sent john the Baptist as his Harbinger to prepare his ways, and therefore he was endued with all gifts this way: He had the spirit of thunder, he was endued with the spirit and power of Elias, to make the way plain for the Lord Christ jesus: and in that spirit he came and preached to ungodly men, and taught them repentance: he came to level mountains, and make crookked things strait: to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. This was Saint john's task, to prepare men's hearts for the receiving and entertaining of Christ when he should come. The point of Doctrine to be observed from hence is this: Doct. That the soul of a poor sinner must be prepared for Christ, The heart must first be prepared for Christ. before he can have any heart to entertain him. This is the main scope of the Text, the main drift of john Baptist his ministry: The hearts of men were not fitted for Christ, and therefore he was sent before Christ jesus, to make way for him, and to make people's hearts fit to receive Christ, that when the Lord jesus came, he might take place in his, and work effectually in the souls of his, to their everlasting peace. For the proof of the Doctrine, it is that which was prophesied before, Mal. 3.1. for this Prophet was the last of the Prophets: for john the Baptists was a kind of intermingled ministry, it was neither Prophetical, nor Apostolical properly. Mark what Malachy speaks there of him; Mal. 3.1. Behold (saith he) I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to his Temple. It is plain to be observed, that john the Baptist is there prophesied of. The jews sought for a Messiah, and for comfort through Christ; now john the Baptist was to make way for Christ; and when the way was prepared, than the Lord would stay no longer, Mal. 3.1. but would suddenly come into his Temple (saith the Text) that is, into the souls of his children that were willing to receive him upon such terms as he offered himself. And as this was prophesied of john the Baptist, so it was also performed by the ministry of john, Luke 3.4. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. That which Malachy foretold of john, is done: he comes according to the Prophecy, and fulfils what God intended he should do, and what he was sent for to do. Simile. Kings when they go to any place, send messengers and harbingers before them, to make all things ready for their entertainment when they come. Now Christ is a great King, Christ is at King spiritually. not temporally to be considered, but he is a spiritual King, and rules in the hearts of all those that belong to his election of grace: and for his enemies, if they will not be ruled by his golden rod, with his iron rod he will break them in pieces. Now as with great Kings there must be a preparation that all things may be ready to receive them, so it must be with our Saviour Christ: he never cometh into the soul of any unawares, or on the sudden, but he sends his messengers before him, his Ministers to prepare them for the receiving of him, to humble men's souls, to make mountains low, to make crooked things straight, to pull down every thing that exalts itself against God: and when the heart is thus fitted and prepared, than Christ sends his Spirit to take possession of it, and rule in it, and be a direction of it in the way of life and happiness. And the preparation for him is spiritual. That this preparation is spiritually to be understood, is clear, Mat. 3.12. In those days (saith the Text) came john preaching, and saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of God is at hand. Here john proclaimeth the coming of Christ, and laboureth to prepare all things fitting for him: so than the heart of a poor sinner, is the highway wherein Christ walketh. This way of itself is unfitting for Christ, but this preaching of the Gospel doth fit and prepare it, and then the Lord Christ cometh, and takes possession of, and ruleth in that soul to whom he cometh. In the material Temple, when it was to be built, there was a caveat given, that there must be no hammer heard, but that all the stones should be fitted and hewn, ere they were brought thither. When Christ came into his Temple he found money changers, John 2.15. and the Text saith, he made a whip, and whipped them out, and fling down their provision. As it was with the material Temple, so it is with the spiritual Temple. The soul of a poor sinner is like unto this material Temple, whereof this was a type: 1 Cor. 3.16. for, saith the Apostle, You are the Temple of the living God: You are that which the Temple signified, that is, as God did show himself marvellously in his Temple, so he will in the souls of his people; he will dwell with them, and assist them in every good work. Now before we can be fitted to be the Temple of the Lord, before Christ will come into our souls, he will whip out all distempered affections; and when these are removed, he will make himself known to be the King of his servants, and provide all things for their comfort and consolation. And thus we see the truth of the point, that the soul of a sinner must be prepared for Christ, before it can receive and entertain him. For the opening of the point two things must be considered: first, how we may conceive and understand the compass of this preparation, that we may see how fare it reacheth, and know wherein this preparation of the soul discovereth itself; and then, secondly, we must know the reason why the heart must be prepared for the Lord jesus, before he will take possession of it. And when these two things be opened, the point will be plain. First, we must see the compass of this preparation, and wherein it consists; Preparation of the heart for Christ standeth in three things. which makes itself known in three particulars. We will speak of preparation only in general here; for we shall come to the particulars of it hereafter. The first of the three passages wherein this general preparation consists, is this; 1. In breaking off the league with old sins. The soul of a sinner breaks that league which sometime it had with former lusts and corruptions: there is a separation made between the soul and those darling sins which it before so much delighted in; and the heart gins to rebel against those base tyrants which before usurped authority over it, whether they be corruptions, or profits, or pleasures, that before bore a great sway in the soul, the league is broken, there is a secret kind of mutiny which the soul setteth up against those distempers: in so much that the separation being made, and the soul having cast off the yoke of her corruptions, the heart reserves itself for the Lord Christ jesus. And observe it, always there is a separation of the soul from sin, before there be a reservation made for Christ. It is with the soul, as it is with a wife that is an adulteress, and hath gotten herself a base name, and an evil report by her lewd and wicked courses; after the Lord hath opened her eyes, and discovered to her the baseness of her practice, than she cometh to detest all her former courses, and abandoneth all her former wicked companions; and though she be laid at continually by them, and importuned upon every occasion, yet she never hearkeneth unto them, but looketh only unto her husband: and if he will but receive her, and entertain her again, than she will keep close unto him, and show more love unto him than ever she did before: so the soul of a poor sinner was created for God, and it ought to have been married to God: the end of our creation and redemption was, that we might have communion with God; but all of us have played the adulteresses, we have had our wicked lovers. The heart that will have the world, the profits, and pleasures, and vanities thereof, will be married to lusts and corruptions; every man doth bestow his soul upon these wicked practices. But then the eyes of the soul are opened, when the Lord discovereth unto it, that lose practices will bring the soul to everlasting confusion and destruction: the soul than doth stand at a maze, it trade's no more with those beloved lusts and corruptions, it breaks the league with all former sins and distempers, with pride, and covetousness, with malice and envy, with the world, with the profits and pleasures thereof, and sits as a widow divorced from all these, and waiteth for the Lord Christ jesus alone: then the soul saith to herself, Oh if Christ would come to me, and speak to me again, than I will give him better entertainment than ever I did before. The ungracious heart, however it hath gone from the Lord, yet if it hath got any hope to receive Christ again, than the soul will say, I was not borne to sin, sin shall be my husband no more; but if the Lord will show any favour towards me, than I will reserve myself for him alone: for it was better with me formerly, than now. And this the Scripture speaketh of Hos. 14, 3.8. see what the Church saith there in the third verse, Ashur shall not save us, we will not ride upon horses, neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for with thee the fatherless findeth mercy. And in the eighth verse, Ephraim shall say, What have I to do with Idols? Every man naturally hath his gods, his god pride, his god covetousness, his god malice, his god envy: now when the soul is divorced from these, than it returneth this answer, We will pray no more to our gods, we will not submit ourselves to any, as unto a god, but only unto the Father of lights. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do with Idols? He was before addicted to Idolatry, yet now his eyes being opened, and his soul converted, he saith, What have I to do with Idols any more? and the drunkard saith, What have I to do with drunkenness any more? and the proud man saith, What have I to do with pride any more? nay, What have I to do with any unlawful practice? but I will reserve myself wholly for the Lord jesus Christ: so in Psal. 45, 10, 11. there is a marriage between Christ and his Church: for the Text saith, Harken (O daughter) and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thy own people, and thy father's house. So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty: for he is thy Lord, and worship thou him. Take notice, there must be a forgetting of the father's house; that is, of all lusts, sins and corruptions, profits and pleasures; all must be forgotten and forsaken. Simile. A woman when she is married unto a husband, must not think always to be at home, and to live in her father's house: so we, when we are married to the Lord Christ jesus, must leave all our darling sins, and forsake all our beloved lusts, and reserve ourselves wholly for our husband. So that then the heart is prepared for Christ, when all is laid aside, when all former wicked courses are forgotten, so fare as to love them, as to remember to hate them, that so the soul may be ready, and the heart fitted to receive and entertain Christ jesus when he cometh. And this is the rule which Christ himself giveth to any which will be his Disciple. Mat. 10.37. He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me: that is, he is not fitted and prepared to receive me. He that is not content to part with all profits, pleasures, and delights, for the Lords sake, he is not fit to receive the Lord jesus Christ: that soul is not yet prepared to entertain him, and to give any welcome to him. So that this is the first passage; there must be nothing between Christ and the soul, he must lie next the heart: as there must none lie in the Privy Chamber but the King, so there must nothing but Christ lie next the heart. The second thing wherein this preparation discovers itself, is this, 2. In giving way to Jesus Christ. As the soul must reserve itself only for Christ, so the soul in the second place must be willing to give way to Christ jesus. For howsoever the soul in the very point and instant of preparation hath no more power, or grace, or strength, to get dominion over sin than it had before, yet it is willingly content that jesus Christ should come into it, and overthrow all that opposeth him: it is content to join sides with Christ, it goeth along with him: it is content that Christ should do what pleaseth him in the soul; if there be any corruption that the soul cannot get mastery of, it wisheth, Oh that Christ would come and remove this corruption. Thus the soul is content to have Christ make havoc of all, and set up his kingdom in it, and do whatsoever pleaseth him. The soul that is prepared for Christ, how soever it hath not grace, and power, and strength, in the particular moment of preparation: though it hath not attained that power to kill and crucify all corruptions, yet it is willingly content that Christ should come and take all the keys of the house; it is willing to open the gates of the City unto him, and let him do what he will therein: it is content that the Lord jesus should every way overthrow the power that comes against him, and dispose of all things to his own glory and honour. In Esay 26.13. There is a pretty passage: saith the Text, Other Lords besides thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy Name. The people of the jews here would not bear the Lords yoke, and therefore they had hard taskmasters: and when they saw enemies on the one side, and enemies on the other, than they complained, Many vexations have we found at the hands of unreasonable tyrants, but now we will remember thy Name only; that is, if our God will now come and rule over us, we would rebel against our other lords, and let God be Lord only over us, and do what he will unto us. In 2 Kings 10.3.4. when jehu had overcome two Kings, he sendeth messengers to the people of Israel to choose a King, and set him up over them. But (saith the Text) behold two Kings stood not before him: how then shall we stand? But in the fifth verse they sent word unto jehu, and said, We are thy servants, and will do what thou wouldst have us to do, we will not not make any King: do what is good in thine own eyes, This is the frame of the heart prepared for the Lord jesus. When Christ cometh against a soul, and saith, You have set up your corruptions to be your gods, you have cast away my Commandments, defend therefore yourselves, and know that God is angry with you, and I am coming against you to take vengeance, if the soul now submits itself, and saith, Lord do what thou wilt, and what is good in thine own eyes, our humours shall not be followed any more we will not follow our own minds and affections, but we will do what thou commandest us: do Lord even what is good in thine eyes: if a soul be thus disposed, than it is prepared for the Lord jesus. The prodigal son, Luke 15. when he saw that poverty pinched him, and that he must come home by weeping cross, when by woeful experience he saw that want befell him, and that famine came close unto him, than he confessed, What a wretch am I? there are they in my father's house, yea the servants, there have bread enough; but I starve here for hunger: upon this he resolves to go to his father, he doth not stand upon terms with him, and say, I will be so and so advanced; but he saith, Luk. 15.18.19 Father, I have sinned against heaven and against thee, & am no more worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants. Now if he can come within his father's doors, he cares not; he will stoop and be conformable in every case. So it is with the soul prepared for Christ: those that have stubborn hearts, they will not obey the Lord, but they will be gone, as the prodigal son did; yet they will one day be found when misery hath seized upon their souls, and then they will say, Oh happy are those that live under the ministry of the Word: If the Lord would but once receive me to mercy again, than I would obey every command, and stoop to every word of the Lord, than I would willingly give place ever to the Lord. And this is the second thing, wherein this preparation manifests itself; when the soul of a poor sinner is willing thus to give way to Christ, and to let him take possession of it, to overthrow whatsoever hindereth and opposeth him, and to dispose of all things to his own good pleasure. Thirdly, 3. In giving up all the room unto Christ. when the soul doth rebel against her former sins, and is reserved only for Christ, and is content thus to receive God, and is willing that Christ should overthrow whatsoever opposeth him, and do whatsoever pleaseth him, then in the third place this is only observable, the manner how the soul prepared giveth way unto God. It gives the Lord way in the whole ability of it, that God in all things may rule in it: it doth not give God place in some things only, and say, God shall rule in mine eye, but not in my hand; God shall rule in my hand, but not in my tongue; God shall rule in my tongue, but not in my heart: but the soul giveth way to Christ in all things whatsoever. Simile. A great man that is to entertain his Prince and Sovereign, doth not put him into a corner of his house, but he giveth him all the room, and shifts out all his servants, and puts out every one, both friend and foe: every place he showeth him, and giveth him all the keys, and lets him dispose of all things. So a soul that is prepared for the Lord jesus, doth not crowd him into a corner, and say, I must have one corner for a covetous heart, another corner for a proud heart: no, no, but a prepared heart giveth up all to God, it reserveth no privy corner in this kind, but ability, faculty, and whatsoever it is, the soul giveth up all to God, that he may dispose of all. A sinful soul that is prepared, is not perfectly able of itself thus to overrule his heart: but, as it is with a man, when he gives up his house for the entertainment of the King, do what he can there will be some base fellows peeping in; but he is not pleased with it, it is against his mind that they should so do, and he would with all his heart have his Majesty use some means for the restraining of them: so it is with a soul prepared for the Lord, it resigns all unto him, hand, eye, and tongue, and heart, and practice; but yet there will be some base lusts and sinful corruptions, there will be hypocrisy, and pride, and self-love, peeping into his heart: but it is against the mind of a prepared sinner, it is his mind that God should root out all those, and order all to his own glory. And this is the third passage: so that the soul which hath broken the league with all corruptions, and reserveth itself for Christ; the soul that is willing to give way to Christ and let him overthrow all whatsoever opposeth him, and do whatsoever pleaseth him; that soul I say which doth not thrust Christ into a corner, but gives up all unto him, that soul is prepared for the Lord jesus Christ. The next thing to be considered for the opening of the point, 2. Reason why the heart must be so prepared for Christ. is the reason why Christ requires this preparation of the heart: and this will cut the throat of abundance of carnal conceits and imaginations. Men think that Christ will come suddenly from heaven into their hearts, at a beck; they think that, Lord have mercy upon me, will fetch him. No, no, Christ will have the soul prepared before he will come & take possession of it; and the reason is, because it cannot stand with the all-soveraigne holiness of Christ to come there. It's so in common sense, there cannot be two Kings in one Throne, Non capit regnum duos. there cannot be two Suns in one Firmament, there cannot be two Gods in one heart, we cannot serve God and Mammon. Some would have their souls divided; and have God to be King, and reign therein to day, and their sins and lusts to morrow; or else they will have Christ reign in one corner of their hearts, and their sins and lusts in another: but God will have all, or none at all, in this case either not God, or one God in thy heart. Our Saviour Christ, Math. 12.29. disputeth, How can one enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, unless he first bind the strong man, and then spoil his goods? The strong man is sin and Satan, and the house is the heart; now Christ cannot go into the heart, and exercise authority there, until he hath wrought a separation between the soul and these, and hath thrown out this god, and then the God of heaven and earth takes possession of the heart. First sin and Satan must be thrown out of the soul, before the Lord will take possession. He that takes possession of a house, if there be any in the house besides himself, it is not good in law: if there be any take possession of the heart, and bear sway there, Christ will bear no rule: for it cannot stand with the holiness of Christ to have any competitor, to have another bear rule with himself: and Christ himself plainly determines this, Matth. 6.24. Ye cannot serve God and Mammon. You think you may have the Devil rule in you one fit, and God another; but you cannot serve God and Mammon: one Master must be renounced, before another can be received. This is the argument, You cannot have two Gods in the heart, therefore the soul must be severed from sin and Satan, and the lusts of the flesh, before it can be prepared for the Lord jesus Christ, before he will come in and take place in it. The Use of the point is threefold. Use 1 Those reproved, who think to have mercy and heaven all on the sudden. The truth being granted, and the doctrine cleared, the first Use is a Use of reproof. We may here discover, and also condemn the fond dreams, and vain imaginations of many poor, sinful, ignorant creatures, who have invented a new way, a back door to carry themselves to heaven, more than ever the Word revealed, and it is this; Men think that they may have Christ, and mercy at command, and that they may catch at, and obtain blessedness and happiness at unawares, and on the sudden, and yet notwithstanding live in sin, and continue in sin, and approve of sin, and addict themselves thereunto; and then when sickness comes, if they can but say, Lord have mercy on me, they must go to heaven all on the sudden. Be persuaded at length to see the folly and sottishness of this conceit: this is not the way which the Word reveals Christ by, it makes no such agreement with us; unless a poor sinner think that Christ will carry him to heaven with his uncleanness and abominable sins, when as he hath said, that no unclean thing shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. No, no, if the harbinger goeth not before, the King will not come: where there goeth no preparation before, there can be no receiving of Christ. He that will receive Christ, and benefit by him, and comfort and salvation from him, must receive him at those terms whereupon he hath offered himself, or else he shall never receive him. 2 Cor. 6.17. the text there saith, Come out from among them, and be separate, saith the Lord, and touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you. Mark here the agreement that God maketh: thou must first come out from among them, yea, come out from thy sins; thou must come out of thy lusts and corruptions, before the Lord will come in. Can any man put good gold into a purse that is filled with stones before? can the soul of a sinner entertain Christ jesus when it is full of lusts, and they do altogether possess it? No, no, Come out, saith Christ, and touch no unclean thing; that is, be not married unto it, (for that is the meaning of the words:) let thy affections, be removed from all lusts and corruptions, and then I will come and dwell with thee, and walk with thee; that is, I will bountifully provide for thee, for the consolation of thy soul here and hereafter. It was the order of God, Luke 3.5. when john the Baptist was to make way for Christ: mark here how he was levelling and undermining, Every mountain and hill shall be brought low, every valley shall be filled, and the rough ways made plain, and the crooked things straight: And then all flesh shall see the salvation of the Lord. If you will have a mountain before your salvation, or go into a ditch, you shall never see salvation sound and surely: but if you purpose to see salvation, down with those mountains of pride; you must lay them flat to the ground, you must be teachable, stoop, and be conformable; you must not lift up yourselves against Christ, you must not walk in your own ways. No, no, down with those mountains, down with those stubborn and disobedient hearts: for you shall never see salvation as long as these mountains remain; but your souls must be made pliable to Christ, and then you shall see the day of comfort approaching, and drawing nigh unto you. Do you think it is fit if a man were to entertain the King, to put his servants in the chief room, and afford the King some out-roomes only, and let him be as a servant to his servants? What a base and absurd thing is this, that Christ should come into thy soul to be a servant, as it were, to thy base lusts? They that have made their base, lewd, and wicked courses, their gods, one man in one kind, and another in another kind, let them as they love their own souls, be persuaded to consider of this. They that have thus set up any thing above God, and before him, when God at the great and dreadful day of judgement shall come in flames of fire (as the Apostle hath it, 2 Thes. 1.8.) to take account of them, whom they have served; God will then send you home to your gods: he will say, Go to your gods that you have served, the Devil and sin, and not me; you have cast off my yoke, you have broken my law, and transgressed my statutes: go then to your lusts and your sins you have so much hunted after, let them save you now, and show mercy towards you; for they were your gods, and they shall save you if ever you have salvation. Think of this, and be throughly persuaded of this, and cut off that sinful conceit, that Christ and corruption will stand together, and come on the sudden with one word speaking: think not if you can say, Lord have mercy upon me, and receive the Sacrament from the hand of some factious Minister, than Christ will presently come to your hearts. No, no, you must have your hearts prepared, before Christ jesus will come into your souls: the the heart must be broken, and the soul severed from sin and corruption, before Christ will come and take possession of it. Take heed of this foolish and sottish conceit, that Christ will come into your hearts all on the sudden. Use 2 The second Use showeth the woeful estate and miserable condition of those which entertain their old courses and conversations. A miserable estate, to live in the old sins. It is a glory that men take unto themselves, they are no changelings. Oh poor fools, they must become changelings if ever they look to be saved. They glory in this, what they were they are, where you left them one year you may find them the next. But mark what we may conclude: here the condition of the man is marvellous miserable that never had his heart prepared, never humbled, never changed, never fitted for the Lord jesus: for Christ will never come into that soul that is most certain. You that content yourselves with this, I never knew what it was to be humbled: the precise Ministers indeed talk of preparation, but I never knew what it meant: Oh poor creatures, they know now not what belongs to the Ministry of God in this kind, but in the mean time be sure of this, that if thou hast not the former, thou canst not expect the latter: if thy heart be not prepared for Christ, there can be no receiving of Christ. Salvation is fare from the wicked, because they keep not thy laws, saith the Prophet David, Thou that hast no care to walk with God, dost thou dream of salvation? Alas, alas, it never came near thy heart, it is a hundred thousand miles of from thee, it is not near thy habitation, thou art not prepared to entertain the Lord jesus, and therefore thou canst not expect Christ and salvation by him. Appeal to your own consciences in this kind; If a man should go to a great house, and see the best part of it stuffed with ordinary commodities, and a great deal of it with base baggage and filthy trash, he will presently conclude, the King will not come here: and why? because there is no preparation for him, there is therefore no expectation of his Majesty in this place. And it is a good argument, when a man shall see the hearts and lives of men stuffed not only with a great deal of ordinary trash, but full of worldly affections, full of the world in their hearts, lives, and conversations: yea, when a man shall see every place full in this kind: as when the whole man is full of sin, and of base corruptions, will any think that this man shall be saved? Can any man in common sense imagine that Christ will come; into that man's soul where there is no preparation for him? Mountain's must be leveled, crooked things made strait, and the rough ways made smooth, and all to make way for Christ, before he will come: and therefore surely where there is no fitting of the heart this way, there is no hope, no expectation, that Christ jesus will come in thither. Men prepare for the world continually, and prepare only how they may may shut out Christ jesus. One man prepares honours, and his person, that must have preferment, another man provides for his ease, and therefore he will make any shift, that he may not endanger himself, he will be content to make any show of reason, rather than he will come into office whereby his ease may be hindered: another man will provide for his family, that that may be comforted and sustained; and though religion and a good conscience be shaken, he cares not, he must make preparation for the maintenance of his family, oh what will become of that! He cares not what become of Christ: though the word be opposed, though he takes rebellious courses, and throws out Christ, he cares not. Is this to make preparation for Christ, or to make opposition against Christ? Nay, when men come to fairs and markets, oh what preparation is there then for covetousness on every side! Some prepare false weights, others false measures. The seller saith, It is exceeding good, when it is stark naught. The buyer saith, It is naught, it is naught, when it is good: and so both dishonour God Nay, (which is most lamentable) men prepare for drunkenness: Oh, say they, at such a fair we will be merry: then every Alehouse is full of bad company: they resolve to sit at the pot from morning till night, until they go reeling about the streets. There is great preparation in this kind: Nay men will remove some sins, that others may come in their rooms, and they will perform some good duties, to make them free for sin: this is a very cunning trick. You shall see a man that will read, and pray and hear Sermons, and make a great profession; and what is his purpose herein? namely, that he may have praise or profit thereby, that he may get the better custom to his shop, that he may cheat without controlment, that he may cousin without division or distraction. I beseech you think of these things: If it be so that Christ must be thus prepared for before he will come, then examine your own souls, and reason with yourselves thus, what have I done? have I sold, my soul to do evil? I have dreamt that I might have Christ at a beck; and not be prepared for him. and therefore it is I that have not received him. Will any man sow his seed before the ground be ploughed? Will any man build before the foundation be laid? Do we think that the Lord will rear up the building of grace in our hearts before the foundation be laid? Will he sow the seed of grace in our hearts before our fallow grounds be ploughed up? Do we think that Christ will come and take possession of our hearts, before our sins and lusts be removed and abandoned? Do we think our souls can receive and entertain the Lord jesus before they be prepared for him? Impossible. Use 3 The third Use is to exhort you and to in treat you in the bowels of the Lord jesus, Prepare for Christ, or think not to enjoy him. Mat. 3.3. that you would suffer the voice of exhortation, even the voice of john Baptist to sound in your ears, Prepare ye the way of the Lord make his paths strait. If ever you think to share in the salvation that Christ hath purchased with his own blood, if ever you think to partake of any thing that Christ hath wrought; if you would have him, dwell with with you, and do good to you, either prepare for him, or else never expect him. And here, that you may deal wisely, consider the hindrances, and obstacles that keep Christ from coming. Are your hearts prepared? Christ is marvellous ready to come, only he watcheth the time till your hearts be ready to receive and entertain him. Mark that phrase, Mal. 3.1. it is marvellous comfortable: there the Text saith The Lord whom ye seek, will suddenly come to his Temple. Do but get hearts fitted and souls prepared; for Christ doth but wait for a message. If the soul be but broken and humbled, he will come presently, and not break an hair with you. Truly this preparation is the very entrance into salvation: and therefore take notice of it. Men are loath to leave all for Christ in this case, they are loath to lose their profits and pleasures, their lusts and corruptions: they are like Innkeepers, they are loath to thrust their profitable guests out of their houses, they would be loath to hinder themselves that way, yea and though the King were to come thither, they would secretly wish that his Majesty would turn another way: so it is a hard matter for men to dis-lodge all profits and pleasures, and to vomit up those sweet morsels and beloved corruptions, that Christ might come into their souls. Some poor soul may speak to me as the Devil did to Christ, Why art thou come to torment me before my time? so many men will be ready to say, Why doth the Lord jesus come to torment us before our times? What, must we now abandon all our profits and pleasures if we will receive Christ? They could secretly wish that Christ would go another way, It is a very hard thing to bring the soul thus to be divorced from corruptions: it is very hard when a man must give a bill of divorcement, and never see the face of his corruptions more this is very hard with a poor sinner. Motives to prepare for Christ. And therefore the Arguments to move us hereunto had need be forcible, and maybe taken from two grounds: first, from the consideration who we are that must receive Christ: secondly, who Christ is that is to be received. First, let us consider ourselves, 1. We are unworthy to receive such a guest. a company of poor, sinful, wretched, miserable, and damned creatures, sinful dust and ashes, dead dogs. Consider this, and think with thyself, Will the Lord of heaven come down? Will Christ dwell in my heart? Will he vouchsafe to look in, yea, to call as he goeth by the soul of me such a sinful creature? And let this move thee to prepare for his coming. If a King will but call at a poor man's window as he rideth by, he will count it a great favour: much more it is for the great God of heaven and earth but to look in, and reveal himself unto the heart of a poor sinful creature. We are not worthy that the Lord should come under our roof. 1 Kings 8.27. there Solomon saith, Will God indeed dwell on the earth? will he dwell in a house made with hands? As if he should say, Is it possible? can it be imagined, that thou Lord being the great God of heaven, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, shouldst once vouchsafe to dwell in a house made with hands, in the Temple which I have builded? And what may we say? Is it so? can it be, shall it be, that God will come and dwell under our roof? that he will come and dwell in our rotten and sinful hearts? that he will dwell in our wretched and sinful souls? Why he will, he hath said it, he hath promised it, he will perform it: and therefore let us consider our own unworthiness to receive Christ, as a motive to stir us up to make preparation for him. For the base the place is that should entertain him, the greater the preparation ought to be. We ought to wonder that the Lord will vouchsafe to come into our sinful souls, and therefore we had need to prepare the more for his coming. The Lord hath promised to come into our souls if we humble them, and make them fitting to receive his Majesty: and therefore sweep your hearts, and cleanse those rooms, cleanse every sink, brush down every cobweb, and make room for Christ: for if thy heart be prepared, and divorced from all corruptions, than Christ will come into thy soul, and take possession of it. Remove therefore all corruptions out of thy heart. And when thou hast swept every corner of thy house, do not leave the dust behind the door, for that is a fluts trick: do not remove sin out of thy tongue, and out of thy eye, and out of thy hand, and leave it in thy heart. No, no, out with all, let every chamber be dressed up, let every part and faculty be right disposed, that the Lord may come and dwell in thy soul. The second motive that may stir us up to prepare for the Lord jesus, 2. Christ is most worthy, for whom we should prepare. is his transcendent worthiness, in regard of which all preparation may seem too little. You are not to entertain an ordinary person: it is not a man, it is not a King, it is not a Monarch; but it is a King of Kings, that will come into your souls to comfort them, yea, his holy and blessed Spirit will remain with you for ever. Therefore do all that possibly may be done, to prepare for his coming, and for the entertainment and welcomming of him when he comes. In Psal. 24.7. David calleth upon his own soul, and other of God's people (for so the words are to be expounded:) there he saith, Lift up your heads, O ye Gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors: and the King of glory shall come in. As who should say, Be enlarged, love, joy, hope, set open, give way, for the Lord is coming. But who is the Lord? It is the Lord of hosts, the Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle, ver. 8. And with that he knocks again, Lift up your heads, O ye Gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors: for the King of glory shall come in, ver. 9 As if he should say, What, shall the Lord knock? shall the King of glory stand? Open suddenly, and make all preparation. Did David do thus? Why, do you so then. Christ knocks by promises, he knocks by judgements, he knocks by threats, yea, he speaks this day unto your souls, and labours this day to make way for himself: make therefore all preparation, let nothing be wanting, that when he comes, he may take possession of your souls, Particulars. and be a God unto you for ever. There will come a great deal of benefit by this means unto your souls. And this also may encourage us. The Lord cometh into our souls, not to trouble and charge us; no, he cometh to bring everlasting salvation and happiness to our souls. Look what Christ said to Zacheus, Luk. 19.5, 8, 9 when he went up into a Sycamore tree to see him, Make haste, and come down Zacheus (saith he) for I must abide with thee in thy house. Zacheus made no cavilling, but made haste and came down, and received him joyfully. And mark what Christ saith unto him, This day salvation is come into thine house. So likewise it shall be with you, when Christ cometh, salvation cometh with him; when he cometh, everlasting happiness and salvation cometh; when Christ cometh, go home and witness against all your carnal neighbours, that they that refuse Christ, and do not make preparation for him, refuse salvation and everlasting happiness that is offered unto them. Amos 4.12. when the Lord had sent a great plague, and a heavy judgement upon jerusalem, he saith, Thus will I do unto thee, Oh Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. I will do thus unto thee, O Israel, that is, I will send mildews, plagues, and pestilence, and famine; I will draw you out with hooks, and your posterity with fishhooks. And what followeth? Prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. If God come against us to plague us, we must prepare to meet him. Reason now with your own souls upon strong grounds, to your everlasting comfort. Should the Lord come in judgement to torment us, should the Lord come to scourge and punish us; if we must then prepare to meet him, than what preparation ought we to make for his coming, when he shall not come thus in judgement, to condemn us, but in his mercy to save us, in his goodness to enrich us, in his compassion to comfort us? then now if ever prepare to meet thy God, O Israel. Let every heart persuade itself of this particular; and reason and consider with your own souls in this case: Is Christ so gracious, and so merciful? doth he send down from heaven unto us, and say, he will come? if any man keep my Commandments I stand at the door and knock; Rev. 3.20. if any man will open, my Father and I will come in, and sup, and dwell with him. Why, where is the heart in the mean time? And if ever, now prepare to meet the Lord. But if neither the judgements of God will persuade us, nor the mercies of God allure us, yet let the complaints and moans of Christ jesus prevail with you to prepare for him. Consider our Saviour Christ hath taken a great journey from heaven to earth to save us miserable, wretched, and sinful creatures: conceive you saw those streams of blood trickling down his cheeks: conceive you saw him upon the cross with his hands thrust thorough with nails, and his side pierced with a spear, enduring the wrath of God for our sins; and behold now he standeth at the door, and saith with the Church, Lam. 1.12. It is nothing to you, have you no regard, O ye that pass by? behold and see, if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, etc. Imagine you heard Christ say, I have suffered these, and these things for you; these hands of mine were nailed, this side of mine was pierced, this heart of mine was melted with anguish of spirit. Imagine you saw Christ standing and knocking at the door of your hearts, as indeed he doth, and say, Ho all you within there, ho all you proud hearts, ho all you covetous and malicious hearts, have you no regard of a poor Saviour? have you no regard of a crucified Saviour? he that died for you, even the bitter death upon the cross for you, and now laboureth to do good unto you? Would not this move you to prepare your your hearts for him, and to let him in? Nay, mark what Christ saith to the Church, Cant. 5.2. Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night. As if he should say, I have had an ill journey, a bad way, and unkind entertainment, and therefore come away my love, my dove, my undefiled, and open unto me. So he saith to every one of our souls, This day I have traveled a great way for you, and have had a very hard journey; I have suffered many crosses and afflictions, many mocks and scoffs; many buffets, yea, even death itself, for you: will you now suffer the Lord jesus, wearied and perplexed, to stand knocking and calling, and weeping, and saying as he said to jerusalem, Luke 19.42. Oh that thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things belonging to thy peace: but now they are hid from thine eyes? Will you suffer Christ in this plight, thus saying unto you, as he did to jerusalem, to stand knocking at the door of your hearts, and your souls? Take heed of this, Christ knocketh this day at your hearts; if you now give him his last answer, and shut the door against him, it may prove to be the last knocking, you may hap never to see him more. The Church in the place before named, Cant. 5. ver. 3. shifted off Christ, and would not let him in when she heard him knock: I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? But after she risen to open to her beloved, and her hands dropped myrrh, and her fingers sweet smelling myrrh, upon the handles of the lock, for 5. And then she opened to her beloved, but he had withdrawn himself, and was gone: and then she sought him with many troubles and knocks before she found him: The watchmen found her, and wounded her, the keepers of the walls took her veil from her. If you put of Christ, and give him delays when he knocks at the doors of your hearts, than perhaps he may never knock more, and then you may seek him, and desire him earnestly, and perhaps never find him more, or receive comfort from him, and salvation by him. Oh therefore take heed how you drive away your crucified Saviour; but even now make all preparations for his entertainment, and for receiving of him, that you may receive everlasting life, and salvation from him. In jer. 2.12. the Prophet saith, Be astonished, O ye heavens, be ye horribly afraid, be ye desolate, saith the Lord. What is the reason of this? It is in the 11. and 13. verses: The Heathen have not changed their gods, which are no gods, but my people have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, & hewn out to themselves cisterns even broken cisterns that can hold no water: they have changed their glory for that which profiteth not. Be astonished at this, O ye heavens. Turks have their gods, and Infidels have their gods, and what care have they to obey them, when as yet their gods are no gods? And shall a Christian have a Saviour to save him, and to redeem him, and show mercy upon him, and then shut him out in this kind? Remember what the Prophet David saith, Psal. 132.4, 5. I will give no sleep to mine eyes, nor slumber to mine eyelids, until I have prepared a place, an habitation for the God of jacob: and if he had said, I have houses, and I have palaces, and God's honour lieth in the dust; no more sleep, no more rest, no more content, until I have prepared an habitation for the God of jacob. What David did, that do you. There is no material Temple to be prepared; but we are the Temple, and the Church of God, prepare therefore an habitation, an heart for the Lord jesus Christ. And every soul that hath heretofore cast out the Lord jesus Christ, and given him no entertainment, let him now resolve to do it, and let every one say to their husbands and friends, We have this, and we have that, this blessing, that benefit: but the Lord hath come often and asked a room for himself: O let us not sleep, nor give rest unto our hearts, nor contentation to our souls, until we have prepared an habitation, until we have prepared an heart fit for the entertainment of the mighty God of jacob. If thou dost not now prepare for him as a Saviour to save thee hereafter, thou must receive him as a judge to condemn thee: and therefore delay no longer, but every night, and every morning call upon one another to prepare for the Lord jesus. Object. And now what can hinder but Christ may be prepared for of us? Why alas, many friends must away, we must turn out many profits and pleasures before we can prepare for the entertainment of Christ jesus: all these must be abandoned. Answ. Why, imagine these earthly things were gone; the time will come that all these must go, and then God will make them base and vile in the sight of men and Angels at the day of judgement, when the last trump shall blow. Nay, go but to the time of death, what shall your honours do then? What shall your profits do then? what will they then do for you? And then after death, when you that for love of your profits and pleasures could not, nor would not prepare for Christ, come into hell, What profit then will those things do you, Rom 9.21. whereof you are now ashamed? What? will you now swear, and profane God's name? Oh than you shall see the baseness and vileness of those things; then the drunkard will wish he had never taken cup in his hand; then the swearer will wish he had never swore oath, nor ever took God's name in vain; then the covetous wretch will wish he had never been so greedy of his gain, and in the mean while neglected his salvation. Consider this; that God one day will make those things seem vile in our eyes, one day it shall come to pass that we would give a world for a Saviour, one day Christ will be welcome unto us, if he would come. When you come to the last period of your lives, than (in your last wills, and testaments) you commit your body to the ground, and your soul into the hands of God. Yea, but it is a question whether Christ will then take it: therefore prepare to entertain and receive him now that he may receive you then at that day. Hath he prepared heaven for thee, and wilt thou not prepare a heart to receive him? Therefore remove, renounce, abandon all profits, all pleasures, sins, lusts, & corruptions, that you may be fitted to entertain & welcome the Lord jesus, that Christ may dwell in your souls, and give you the consolation of his spirit. But you will say, Quest. How may we prepare for Christ, that there may be an hopeful expectation of his coming? This is a hard task. How then may we prepare for him? by what means may our hearts be fitted and disposed to receive Christ jesus? Answ. I answer, that a powerful ministry is the only ordinary means which GOD hath appointed sound to prepare the heart of a poor sinner for the receiving of the Lord jesus: Doct. The Ministry a special means to prepare us for Christ. which is the second doctrine which ariseth out of the Text, and it is a point worth the while. Object. But you will say, How do you gather the doctrine out of the Text? what ground have you for the doctrine out of the words of the Text? Answ. Yes, it is one of the main passages of the Text; it was the scope, and purpose, and sending of john the Baptist: for the Text saith, He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias. Who shall go before jesus Christ? john the Baptist. How shall he be fitted? He shall have the spirit and power of Elias. And what shall he do? He shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord, Luke 1.17. The Lord prepares a fit workman for this work. john was to prepare a people for the Lord, and therefore he comes in the spirit and power of Elias: That is, he had a wonderful ability bestowed upon him by God, whereby he might deliver the Word of God to men's hearts so powerfully, as thereby he might fit and prepare them for the receiving of the Lord jesus; and he made a company of desperate sinners to quake, yea, he made Herod, who was a sinful wretch, to stand in fear of him. So then we see God fitted john with a powerful ministry, with the spirit and power of Elias: and being so fitted of God, he was sent for the purpose to prepare men's hearts for the receiving of the Lord jesus. And therefore this must be a special means sound to prepare men's hearts for the entertaining of the Lord jesus Christ. So the doctrine is clear and plain out of the Text. jer. ●3. 29. the Lord there speaking of his Word, compares it to fire: in the 28. verse the Lord was speaking of dreamers; There are a company of dreamers, saith he, but let him that hath a dream, tell a dream; and he that hath my Word, let him speak my word faithfully. Is not my word like fire? ver. 29. there is the power of the Word. Simile. Look as it is with the Gold smith, his mettle is full of dross, and he must try it, and cleanse it, and purify it in the fire, before it be fit to make a vessel of: so it is with the drossy souls of sinners; every heart hath abundance of dross, for many sinful abominations harbour in the poor soul of a man. It must be a powerful ministry that is able by the power of the Lord to set fire on the hearts of men, to melt their souls, to pull down their haughty spirits, thereby to fit and prepare their souls for the receiving of the Lord jesus Christ, that so they might receive comfort and consolation from him. In Hosea 6.5. it is a phrase we shall meet withal: for there the Text saith, I have hewn them by my Prophets. The Church is compared to a Vineyard, the godly to the Branches, the Word to the pruning and cutting of these Branches. As it was with the building of the material Temple of Solomon, there were many sturdy Oaks and tall Cedars that were to be hewn and fashioned before they would be fit for the building: so it must be here with the trees of righteousness, our sinful souls: some of us have sturdy hearts like Oaks, and some have proud and lofty hearts like the tall Cedars of Lebanon: these stout hearts and lofty spirits must be cut down by the axe of God's word, and leveled and fitted to lay hold upon, and be settled unto the Lord jesus Christ. Every man's soul, especially those souls that belong to the election of grace, are ground that must be tilled and ploughed by the word of God; their fallow grounds must be broken up, before any seed of grace can be cast into their souls. 1 Cor. 3 9 there the Apostle saith, You are God's husbandry; and therefore God by his word must blow up the weeds of sin and corruption which are in you, before he can sow the graces of his holy Spirit in your hearts. And that place, Acts 2.37. will make the Doctrine clear and evident: Saint Peter was a man of a stout and courageous spirit, and he spoke home unto the jews, he tells them that God hath made that jesus, whom they crucified, the Lord and Christ. And when they heard these things (saith the Text) that is, the word powerfully delivered and brought home to their souls, they were pricked in their hearts, and said, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Now they were prepared in some measure to seek after salvation. For the better understanding of this point, two things are to be considered: first, what a powerful ministry is, and wherein the power and efficacy of it consists: secondly, how this powerful ministry doth work upon the soul to prepare it for Christ. First, what is this powerful ministry? 1. A powerful Ministry consisteth in 3. things. wherein doth the power of the ministry, and of Elias consist? It is discovered in three particulars: First, in a particular application of the truth to the souls of men, with courage. When a faithful Minister out of undauntedness of spirit doth in a special and particular manner apply the Word unto the souls of them, over whom he is set: this is a powerful ministry. 1 Kings 18.21. there the ministry of Elias is mentioned: for the Text saith, Elias came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal be God, follow him. It was in a time when people had departed from the Lord. Elias at this time did not come to one man alone in a corner, and say, You should do well to consider of the case, how it stands; it is very desperate, I would wish you to return unto the Lord, it will be your best course: he doth not do thus, but he came to all the people: and mark how he speaks, If Baal be God, follow him; if the Lord be God, follow him. Away with this halting: what? neither hot nor cold? A man cannot tell where to have you: intent one thing or other: if Baal be God, why so if the Lord be God, so: make something of it in this case: thus he spoke to all the people, saith the Text. And we shall observe the same in john Baptist, that had the power and spirit of Elias, Matth. 3.7. he did not go there behind the door to speak, but he spoke to the Pharisees and Sadduces after this manner, O ye generation of vipers, who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come? As if he had said, You are they that opposed Christ, and set yourselves against the Gospel, you have hardened your hearts, you will not enter into heaven yourselves, not suffer others to enter in. Why who hath forewarned you to flee from the wrath to come? Neither is this a strange course or unprofitable: for our Saviour Christ himself useth it, in Mat, 23.23. from thence to the end of the chapter, the phrase goes thus, Woe unto you Scribes, and Pharisees, Hypocrites. Our Saviour Christ hath given us this pattern. The explication of the point is nothing else but the drawing out of a sword: and the particular application of it to the hearts of the people is like the striking of the blow. The word is compared to a sword: as, if a man should draw a sword and flourish it about, and should not strike a blow with it, it will do no harm: even so it is here with the Ministers, little good will they do if they do only explicate, if they do only draw out the sword of the Spirit: for unless they apply it unto the people's hearts particularly, little good may the people expect, little good shall the Minister do. A common kind of teaching when the Minister doth speak only hoveringly, and in the general, and never applies the word of God particularly, may be compared to the confused noise that was in the ship wherein jonah was, when the winds blue, and the sea raged, and a great storm began to arise. The poor Mariners strove with might and main, and they did endeavour by all means possible to bring the ship to the shore: every one cried unto his god, and cast their wares in to the sea, and all this while jonas was fast asleep in the ship, but when the Mariners came down, and plucked him up, and said Arise thou sleeper, and asked him, Who art thou? whence art thou? what is thy name? call upon thy God, lest we perish. When they thus behaved themselves toward jonah, than he was awakened and roused out of his sleep. The common delivery of the word is like that confused noise: there is matter of heaven, of hell, of grace, of sin spoken of, there is a common noise, and all this while men sit and sleep carelessly, and never look about them, but rest secure: but when particular application comes, that shakes a sinner, as the Pilot did jonah, and asks him, What assurance of God's mercy hast thou? what hope of pardon of sins, of life, and happiness hereafter? You are baptised, and so were many that are in hell: you come to Church, and so did many that are in hell: but what is your conversation in the mean time? Is that holy in the sight of God and man? When the Ministers of God shake men, and take them up on this fashion than they begin to stir up themselves, Simile. and to consider of their estates. This general and common kind of teaching is like an indictment without a name: if a man should come to the assizes, and make a great exclamation and have no name to his indictment, alas, no man is troubled with it, no man fears it, no man shall receive any punishment by reason of it. So it is with this common kind of preaching, it is an indictment without a name. We arrest none before we particularly arraign them before the tribunal of the Lord, and show them these and these are their sins, and that unless they repent and forsake them, they shall be damned: for then this would stir them up, and make them seek to the Lord for mercy; this would rouse them out of their security, and awaken them, and make them say as the jews did to Peter and the rest of the Apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do to be saved? Acts 2.37, The second thing wherein this powerful ministry discovereth and manifests itself, is, when the Ministers of God out of soundness of argument, and plain evidence of the will of God, and the spirit of God, make truth known to the spirits of men: when a man's doctrine goeth so guarded and confirmed with Scripture, and sound and plain demonstration of argument, that they stand as Mount Zion, and are undeniable. This is the second thing wherein the powerful delivery of the Ministry consists; and this is Saint Paul's meaning, when he saith, The kingdom of God consisteth not in words, but in power, 1 Cor. 4.20. The kingdom of God, that is, the Gospel of the kingdom whereby God ruleth in the hearts of his chosen. Now this consisteth not in words only, nor in a company of fine gilded sentences, where there is nothing but a jingling and a tinkling, nothing but a sound of words; there is no kingdom all this while, no power all this while in such a kind of preaching: this will not work effectually in the hearts and consciences of men. It is with this kind of preaching as it is with rotten buildings, which are all painted over, but have scarce a sound beam, or any other timber to bear up the house: so it is in this case, all this jingling and tinkling of words may delight the ears of the hearers, but the power is wanting that should drive men to a stand. Thirdly, a powerful ministry appeareth in this, when there is a kind of spiritual heat in the heart, when there are holy affections, Si vis meflere dolendum est primùm ipsi tibi. and the heart of the Minister is answerable to that he communicates and delivers unto the people. Look what those truths be which he communicates to others, his own soul should be affected with them before, and at the time of delivery of them, that so he may speak home to the hearts of the people: Mat. 12.34. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh: saith our Saviour. So that the foundations and pillars of a man's speech are not in the tongue, but they proceed out of the heart. When the speech is raised out of the several affections, we use to say, Gracious speeches, merciful speeches: the meaning is, words arising out of grace, and words arising out of mercy. When the heart of a minister goeth home with his words, than he delivers the word powerfully and profitably to the hearers. He that mourneth for sin when he speaks of it, will make others mourn also: he that carries a holy indignation against sin, he stirs up the same indignation in the man that hears him, And observe that when a man speaks from the heart, he speaks to the heart: and when a man speaks from the head only, and from the teeth outward, (as we use to say) he speaks to the ear only, he speaks to the conceit only. We lose the the greatest part of our speech, and the strength of our speech unless we speak out of the abundance of our souls. When a man speaks against sin, he should speak with a holy hatred of it from his very heart. When a man speaks of the misery of poor creatures that are in the gall of bitterness, and under the power of Satan, he should mourn for the judgement that God hath appointed for them: and if men would do thus, they would make others mourn also. It was an observation of a holy man upon this place, We have piped but ye have not danced: we have mourned, but ye have not weeped: That he that would affect others with any thing, must first be affected withal himself, he must mourn before others will sorrow: his heart must be affected with the truth that he delivers to others, before he can make others to be affected with it. I compare a man's word and the delivery of it to an arrow: draw it up to the head in a bow, and then it will both carry level, hit sure, and fasten to the mark the word we speak is the arrow, the delivery of it coldly, like the shooting of the arrow with a small strength; but the delivery of it with true and hearty affection, is the drawing it up to the head, and then somewhat will be done, than we shall shoot home into the hearts and consciences of men, and make them at a stand. It was a speech of Moses, Deut. 32.2. Let my doctrine drop as the dew, as the rain upon the grass. Moses his doctrine is compared to dew and to rain, now if there come a great rain, and a mighty wind with it, especially a whirlwind, it carrieth all before it; sometimes it breaks up the foundations of houses, and sometimes rends up trees by the roots, and overturnes all things with the violence of it. The Doctrine and truth which the Ministers of God deliver, is as the rain: now the holy affection wherewith it is delivered, is like the whirlwind. When the truth of God is delivered with a holy violence, and hearty affection by God's servants, evermore it makes way, it beats down, and breaks all before it, it wets more and sinks more and fare deeper, than any kind of other teaching. So then he particularly and sound applies the word of God to men's hearts and consciences, that evidently by Scriptures and strong arguments convinceth others with an holy and hearty affection, this man performs the ministry of God powerfully. Now we must see how this powerful ministry works upon the soul and heart of a poor sinner, How a powerful Ministry works upon the heart to prepare it for Christ. to fit and prepare him for Christ jesus. And first, this kind of preaching doth discover the very secrets of a man's soul, together with the vileness and wickedness that is in the heart: so that the soul seethe that it never saw before, and apprehendeth that which before it never conceived. The soul of a poor sinner that before lay under a lazy ministry, when it comes to be under a powerful ministry, and sees things particularly applied & followed, oh, how then it gins to be at a stand! Heb. 4.12. there the Text saith, The word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul, and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. When a man preaches powerfully, he preaches as if he were in the bosom of a man: he may tell him things in his ear which he thinks no man knows of, Therefore, saith Saint Paul, 2 Cor. 4.1.2, seeing we have this ministry, as we have received mercy we faint not. But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, not handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. As if he should say, We do not set another colour upon the word of God: as (the word implieth being taken from tradesmen that would set a fair colour & gloss upon their wares, and make them seem otherwise than they are:) we do not do thus, saith the Apostle: but our word goeth home unto your consciences, and discovers what is in your hearts. Secondly, as the word powerfully preached doth discover what is in a man's heart, and driveth his soul to an amazement by reason of the sin that is in it: so also it drives the soul into an awe of sin, so that it dares not meddle with sin as it did before; it overpoureth the soul of a poor sinner, and makes him afraid of sin; and nothing but the word can do it, nothing but the powerful delivery of the word will do it. Luke 3.9, 10. when john preached the word powerfully, the people came to him, and asked him, saying, What shall we do? Then came the Publicans (which were ranked among the worst company) to be baptised, and said unto him, Master what shall we do? And the soldiers asked him, What shall we do? So that all came under the powerful ministry of S. john. So Matth. 7.29. where the Text saith, Christ taught as one having authority, and not as the Scribes and Pharisees: what is the meaning of this? The meaning is, he taught as he would command men's consciences: not that he converted all he preached unto (for it is probable that Saint Peter converted more than ever Christ did:) but he did command the consciences of men, he made men either yield to his doctrine, and be humbled, or else he made them know, that they should be condemned by his word for ever. Our Saviour did not preach as the Scribes and Pharisees, that made a lazy tale to the people, and when he was gone, no man was affected with it. No, no, Christ commands the consciences of men, and either made them seal to his truth, or else sealed them up to condemnation. His doctrine drove the souls of his hearers to a stand, he did convince their consciences that that which he taught was true, they could not deny it. And this is to teach with authority, this is the nature of the work of the Lord in the ministry of the word when it cometh with power: so that it is plain, that a powerful ministry, which with a particular application courageously applieth the word of God to men's souls, and with soundness of argument convinceth, and with zealous and fervent affection is delivered, will both discover sin, and overpower sin in the hearts of men, and so fit and prepare them for the receiving, entertaining, and welcomming of the Lord jesus Christ. Reasons of the point. The Reasons of the point are two: First, God appoints this powerful ministry as the means only to prepare men for Christ: therefore nothing can do it besides. Secondly, God worketh only with this means, and blesseth it only; this is the sword of the Spirit. The Spirit of the Lord moveth only with this means: and therefore nothing but this can do it. Ob. I but (some may say) corrections and afflictions prepare men for the Lord; how then is a powerful ministry the only means to do it? Ans. I answer, Affliction prepares the heart for the word, the word for God. that afflictions may prepare men's hearts for the word, but not immediately for God: that is, these, if they be blessed unto men, go thus fare, they open the eyes of a man in so much that he is willing to hear and attend unto the word, and be informed by it, and is content to take the counsel of God: but the word is that, which immediately prepares men's hearts for the Lord. These crosses and afflictions may make a man to think and consider of himself and of his sins; yea they may make him think of a better estate, and to desire the word, and send for a faithful minister, and hear him: but the word, that must work beyond afflictions, to prepare men for the Lord. Ob. But some may object again, that the word of God doth sometimes harden men, how doth it then alone prepare men's hearts for the Lord? Answ. I answer, that the word of God is but an instrument: now the Lord is a free-worker, a voluntary agent, as we use to say; he may do what he will, and when he will with his instrument, A powerful ministry is the only ordinary means to prepare men's hearts for Christ: but God worketh with this means where he will, and upon whom he will. And as he may prepare a man for himself by this means, so he may harden him by it: the word is able to prepare a man, but God worketh with it, upon whom he will, and how he will, as it pleaseth him. Use 1 The Use of this point is first for Ministers. Is it so that a powerful ministry is the special means ordinarily to prepare the soul for the Lord? Much fault in Ministers, that their people's hearts are not fitted for Christ. then from hence the Ministers of God may see the reason of the little good they do in that course and place wherein God hath set them: here lieth the ground of it, we preach and take pains, but the work of God prospereth not in our hands; after many years hewing there is not one mountain leveled, scarce one sinner brought home to the Lord jesus, and truly prepared for him. What is the reason of this? Surely leaving secrets and times unto God, (for God may convert when he will, and there are seasons wherein God will not vouchsafe any saving grace unto men: but leaving these things to God,) this we know in general, that God is as powerful as ever he was, the ministry is as effectual as ever it was, if it be performed in a right manner. We need not complain as Elisha did, Where is the God of Elijah,? He is not wanting: but if the spirit and power of Elias be wanting in us, the fault is ours. For the sword of the spirit is as powerful as ever it was. If the ministry of God were dispensed as it should, it would be as effectual as ever it was, it would work to salvation. But where lies the fault? Alas that lieth in the ministers of God, who do not perform the work of the ministry as it should and with that power they ought. A sword in a child's hand, though never so sharp, will do no harm: but if it be put into a strong man's hand, he will make it cut deeply. Too many of God's Ministers have weak hearts, little affection have they to the people of God, little labour is there in their hearts to pluck men unto heaven, they do not strive with souls as they ought to do, they do not struggle with the hearts of men: if they have their profits and liberties, they care not. And hence it is that little good is done by them, they do so marvellously fail in the former particulars. Where is that particular and courageous applying of the truth to men's fowls and consciences? Alas, what cover they have friends, they must not be displeased: and great men they are afraid they should be offended. It is pity but their tongues should cleave to the roofs of their mouths, if they speak any thing the less for these base and by respects than God reveals and requireth of them. Their slighting and passing by is the reason that men profit so little by their ministry: they are ashamed to tell, and afraid to speak to the hearts of men, and reprove them for those sins which they are not ashamed or afraid to do in the face of the world. They convince not so sound as they ought to do, they do not gather in those arguments which may make those truths undeniable, and men's consciences at a stand. If they can but carelessly, and idly talk out the hour, what becomes of the seed, what becomes of the word, what becomes of men's souls they care not: again they want that holy spiritual affection which they should deliver God's word withal unto his people. This is the sum of all, Ministers do not deliver the word with a heavenly, hearty, and violent affection, they do not speak out of the abundance of their affections. If they would speak against sin with a holy indignation, it would make men stand in awe of sin, they talk of it overly, and say, It is not good to profane God's Name & his Sabbaths, and to live an ungodly life: but they do not speak from their hearts in this kind. A sturdy messenger,, if he come to a man's house, to speak with him, he will not be put off, he will take no denial, but he will speak with him, if it be possible, before he goes away: but send a child of a message to a man, if a servant do but tell him his master is not at leisure, or that he may speak with him another time, he will easily be put off, and go away before he hath delivered his message. So it is with a Minister that performs his office with a hearty affection. For when a man speaks from his heart (in this case) he will have no answer, he will not be dallied withal, he will take no denial, but will have that he came for. If a man should say, he is not at leisure to speak with him, or to hear him now, he will speak with him another time; he will not go away with this answer, but he will tell him, I came to speak with your hearts, and I will speak with your hearts: he will say to the people, Tell your hearts you that love the world, and the profits and pleasures thereof (and my heart tells you) did you but know the good things that are in Christ jesus, did you but know what a happy thing it is to have the assurance of God's mercy, you would never love sin, or delight in wickedness as you have done heretofore I came to speak with your hearts, and will speak with them before we part. Grieve no more for the things of this world, but for your sins. The day is coming when the heavens shall melt with fire, and ye shall hear the voice of the Archangel, saying arise ye dead, and appear before the judgement seat of God; where you shall hear that woeful and bitter sentence, Away from me all ye workers of iniquity, I know you not. Mat. 7, 23: Oh this may be one day your case. And we that are Ministers of God, do mourn for you, and tell your souls, we must have sorrow from you: we came to speak to your hearts, we came for hearts, and we will have hearts before we go. And this is the first use of the point, to discover unto us what is the reason that the Ministers of God do so little good in their places; it is because this power is wanting in them. Use 2 Fearful is their estate, whom a powerful Ministry works not upon. The second use discovereth unto us the fearful estate and miserable condition of those that have lived a long time under a powerful ministry, and yet have not found their souls fitted and prepared for the Lord by the same; it is a fearful suspicion that God will never confer any good to that soul: he that hath lived under a powerful ministry many years, and yet is not wrought upon and framed to the truth o● God, it cannot be certainly concluded, but it is greatly to be suspected, that the means will never profit that man, Look as it is with the Master Carpenter, Simile. when he hath turned every piece of timber, and taken what he will for his turn, he tells them that be under him, Let this be hewed, and this be framed and made fit for the building; afterward he finds one piece broken, and another cracked, and another knotty: Why what? saith he, here is no squaring of it, these pieces are fit for nothing but for the burning, they are fit for no place in the building. Oh take heed, when God's ministers have been cutting and hewing, now exhorting, now persuading, now cutting the heart with reproofs, and yet find here a cracked heart, and there a stubborn soul, that will not be squared to the Word, lest then the Lord should say; These will never be fitted and prepared for me, they are fit for nothing but for the fire. Oh take heed of it, he that will not be fitted for grace shall be made a fire brand in hell for ever: and therefore go home you that have lived under a powerful ministry, and are not yet prepared, go home, I say, and reason with your own souls, & plead with your own hearts, and say, Lord, why am not I yet humbled and prepared? shall I stand at this hacking and hewing, and never be framed? Such a man, and such a man, that was stubborn, was wrought upon, the Lord hath brought him upon his knees: there was another drunkard so wicked, and so profane, that all the world gave him for lost many days a gone, and yet the Lord hath brought him home, and he is become a broken hearted Christian. Nay, if the Devil himself had had those means that I have had, and any hope of mercy, he would have been bettered by it; those reproofs, those instructions, those admonitions which I have had, would have done the Devil himself good. But what shall I think that am not fitted and prepared for Christ by this great means? Alas, thou mayst justly suspect that God never intends good to thy soul: it is no absolute conclusion, but it is a great suspicion, that those which have lived under a powerful ministry half a dozen years or longer, and have got no good, nor profited under the same, it is a shrewd suspicion, I say, that God will send them down to hell: therefore suspect thy own soul, and say, Lord, will exhortations ever prevail? will instructions do me any good? will terrors and reproofs ever strike my heart? Why, I have heard Sermons that would have shaken the very stones I trod upon, that would have moved the very seat I sat upon, the very fire of hell hath flashed in my face, I have seen even the plagues of hell, and if terrors can do me good, why not then those exhortations, instructions, admonitions, and reproofs; that I have often had? I have had as powerful means as may be, which yet never did me any good. The Lord be merciful to such a poor soul. The Lord turn the heart of such a poor sinner, that he may lay hold of mercy in due time. Use 3 Let the word be powerful to prepare thy heart for Christ. The third use is a use of exhortation. Is it so that a powerful ministry is able to prepare the soul of a poor sinner for the Lord jesus? Why then when you hear the word of God powerfully preached, labour that the word may be so to you, as it is in itself: it is a preparing word, labour you that it may prepare your hearts to receive Christ. You that be hearers every one labour to save the soul of another: let the father speak concerning his children, and the husband concerning his wife and his family, and the wise concerning her husband, Oh when will it once be, when will the time come that my child may be fitted for the Lord, when will it be that my poor family, my poor wife, my poor husband shall be prepared for the Lord? the Lord grant that he may be prepared, if not this sunday, yet on another; if not at this Sermon, then at the next. Lord humble your hearts, and give way to the word of God, and suffer your souls to be wrought upon by it: for the word of God is powerful to prepare you for the Lord; but the Minister must hue your hearts, and hack them, he must frame and fashion your souls before they can be prepared. Give up your souls therefore to the word, and come unto it with holy dispositions: let the Ministers of God cut and hue you, let them do any thing that may do you good, let the word of God fall upon you and fashion you, and frame and prepare you for the Lord jesus. As it is with men, when they set Carpenters on work to build an house, than they come every day, Simile. and ask them, How doth the work go on? how doth the building go forward? When you go home, so do you reason with yourselves, and ask your own hearts how the work of the Lord goeth forward in you? Is my heart yet humbled? am I yet fitted and prepared for Christ? I thank God I am in some measure fitted and humbled, and therefore I hope the building will go forward. Thus try and examine your hearts whether they be fitted and prepared to receive the Lord jesus. THE SOULS ENGRAFTING INTO CHRIST. Mal. 3.1. And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come into his Temple. THE last day (as you remember) I finished the doctrine of humiliation of soul, whereby the heart is prepared, and the soul is emptied of itself, and of all carnal confidence in any outward excellency, and so is contented to be at the dispose of the Lord jesus Christ. But before I come to that which is to follow, give me leave to preface for myself, that the order of the work may be more better and clearly conceived, and that the weak may be helped in their condition, and have their hearts enlarged to seek unto God. Now in the way of preface let me show how fare we have gone: secondly, let me show you how I mean to go on in this work, if God give leave and liberty. For the first: I told you that the main which we aimed at, is, to take notice how the soul may come to have an interest and a title to Christ, and how to come to be possessed of him, and of all that great redemption which he hath wrought. Now the application of this discovers itself in two things: first, there must be a preparation: secondly, there must be an engrafting of the soul into Christ before the heart can come to be partaker of that sap, or of that saving grace which is in Christ, and which will flow from him to all that have any interest in him through faith. There must be a preparation, before the sinner can come to receive Christ. For as before conversion he wanted grace, so he is not capable in the next passive power to receive grace. For as the Apostle saith, the carnal man is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be; for the natural man perceives not the things of the Spirit of God, nay, 1 Cor. 2, 14. he cannot receive them, because they are foolishness to him. So that there must be a preparation of the soul, before Christ will come and take possession of it: and an emptying of the soul, before Christ will fill it. Now this preparation made itself known, Preparation for Christ, stands in two things. (as you remember) in two particulars: first in the dispensation of the work on God's part, that is, the Lord draws the sinner from himself and his corruption, and breaks that cursed league and combination that is between sin & the soul: he rends the heart from it: for as our Saviour Christ saith, No man can come to the Son, except the Father draw him, john 6.44. Secondly as the dispensation on God's part: so there is something for the disposition which God works upon the hearts of all that he will prepare for Christ: and that is known in two works, contrition, and humiliation, which we have already handled. Two things keep from Christ. These were not things of mere compliment, but of necessity required, as we have disputed: and it is requisite, that the soul have both the works of contrition, and of humiliation. For there are two main hindrances which keep the soul off from Christ: as first, security in his own estate, whereby the heart is blinded and deluded, and sets up his stand, and is at rest and quiet in his condition, and he seethe no need of any better: and from hence natural men think it needless for Ministers to disquiet them; and they say, What would you have done by us? And they think it a matter of curiosity, either to have their hearts changed, or their lives reform. Now therefore the Lord sends in this work of contrition, and pierceth the heart thorough, and lets in the horror of his vengeance, and makes the soul see that if he will have his sin, he must have his damnation too: and by this time the soul comes to see need of a change: and he seethe if he continue thus, he is an undone man, and shall be damned for ever. Thus the Lord plucks away the soul from that security wherein naturally it is settled. The second thing which keeps him off from Christ, is carnal confidence: for when the sinner seethe his misery by reason of his sin that lodgeth in his heart, and that hath been committed by him, than he gins to seek succour, and to scramble for his own comfort. Well, he seethe that sin is dangerous, and he will mend now, and reform all that God condemns him in, and he thinks out of his own power to save his own soul, and to give God content, and to make amends for all that he hath done amiss. This is his carnal confidence which he hath in his own selfe-sufficiency: and here many thousands of souls perish, resting merely in the husk and shell of their prayers and hearing, which in themselves are good and commendable, but they are no Mediators or Saviour's to us. Therefore, that the Lord may pluck the soul from this carnal confidence, he sends out another great work of humiliation, and makes the soul see the weakness, and emptiness of its duties, and that there is enough in its best services to condemn him, and for which the Lords wrath may confound him for ever. And now the soul seethe that notwithstanding all his prayers and hear, yet his sin remains, yea remains unpardoned, his corruptions are not subdued, his conscience not quieted: and therefore despairing of all help in himself, or in the creature, he falls down at the foot of the Lord, and is content to be at God's dispose: and when the soul is thus fitted, than it is prepared to go out of itself, and to lay hold upon the Lord jesus Christ, and upon the fountain of all that good that works all good in him. This humiliation works, and this is the fitting of the soul for Christ. Thus fare we have gone: all this while the poor sinner is like the children of Israel travelling in the wilderness, partly in the valley of tears, and partly in the vast wilderness; they did not immediately come into the Land of Canaan, but were wand'ring under the hands of Moses, which was a type of the Law, and joshua a type of jesus Christ, and Egypt the resemblance of a man's misery under sin and Satan; and their wand'ring in the wilderness was like the humbling and breaking of the soul, that the Lord may do it good. Now we are just upon the coasts of Canaan, and hard by all those spiritual good things that Christ hath purchased for us: and when the soul is thus fitted and prepared, there is nothing to be done but to go into the good land and take possession: I mean when the heart is thus rend from himself and his corruption, than he must lay hold upon Christ, and enter into the good Land: but before we go, we must have the command of our spiritual joshua to set us in possession of it. Thus you see the soul is like a graft cut off from the old stock by contrition, and also pared and fitted by humiliation, in regard of any selfe-sufficiency. Now the nex part that we are to handle, is the engraffing of the soul into Christ: and I will do two things in the handling of this great work of engraffing. First, I will discover the general nature of this work, leaving all the difficulties and particulars of it till afterward, See it in the 2. Doctrine. if God give liberty: secondly, I will show you how the soul is ingraffed into Christ. 1. What this engraffing is. What engraffing into Christ is. This being in Christ, may be thus described to you: It is a work of the Spirit of God, whereby the humbled sinner stands possessed of Christ, and all the good that is in Christ. In this description you may take notice of three things, which are the special guides to you for the understanding of that which we will treat of. First, that the humbled sinner stands possessed of Christ: for he that is not humbled and broken hearted, hath nothing to do with Christ, nor comfort coming from him. I use this phrase, He stands possessed of Christ, rather than that, He possesseth Christ; because the work lies on Christ's part. The Spirit of the Lord jesus takes possession of and humbled sinner, and makes him part of his care; and he comes by that means to be interessed into the care of Christ: Christ possesseth him, and by this means he comes to be possessed of Christ: so that all he hath, is merely the work of the Spirit of God upon him: as the Apostle saith Gal. 4.9, But now that you have known God, or rather are known of God. It is not what we conceive, or what we know, but what he knows and conceives: and in Phil. 3.14. Saint Paul strove hard, If that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of him. He doth not say that he is able to apprehend God, but that God comprehends him: As it is with a little child, that is not able to go of itself, the father takes the child in his hand and then it is able to go. The child holds the father, not because it hath any power of itself, but because the father holds him: so we hold the Lord jesus Christ, because we are holden of him: for the humbled soul stands possessed of Christ, because Christ maketh him his care, and his charge, and takes possession of him, and therefore he comes to have an interest in Christ. Secondly, as he stands possessed of Christ, so he is made partaker of all the spiritual good things that are in Christ: still the action lies chief upon Christ, and we so move, as we are first moved by him; and we so work as we are wrought upon by him: He is made partaker of all the good in Christ, not because he can challenge it, but because the Lord will convey and communicate it to him. These two things you shall observe to be general operations, and to go through all the works of application of Christ: as in vocation, the Lord by his Spirit doth draw the soul after him; there is the possession of Christ, and then the soul follows Christ, and comes to him: and in justification, Christ undertakes for the sinner, and lays down the payment of the debt for him, and then he freeth the sinner from the debt: thus the soul is nearer still: and in adoption, God the Father taketh him in the room and right of a son, and then he stands further possessed of grace; and withal the Lord estates him in all the privileges of grace, in meekness, and holiness, and he sets his seal to him, and gives him his mark: and withal, he is free from the power and dominion of his corruptions. So that these two are general things, and have a kind of conveyance of themselves over all the whole work of application of Christ. Thirdly, the last thing in the description is this; All this is done by the work of God's Spirit. For the graft cannot be planted, till it be cut off and pared. It must have the same hand that cut it off, and pared it by contrition and humiliation: for the same hand of the same Spirit must engraft the soul into Christ. Now for the following discourse, we have chosen these words of the Prophet Malachy, from which we will take only so much as will serve our turn for that we have to speak. These words are nothing else but a Prophecy of the ministry of john Baptist, and in them two things principally considerable: First, the work of the ministry of john Baptist, Mal. 3.1. Behold, I send my messenger to prepare my way before me. Secondly, The consequent good that flows from this, And the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come into his Temple. As great men have their harbingers to make ready their way before them, and to make preparation for them before they come to any place; so it is with the Lord of life, he is the great Commander of the world, it is he that takes possession of the hearts of all that belong to life and happiness: but before he comes to take possession, he sends john Baptist to prepare the heart and when it is fitted, than he comes suddenly into his Temple. Here consider, First, What the Temple is. Secondly, What it is to come into his Temple, and how Christ cometh into it. This word Temple, besides the natural and literal sense of it, wherein it aims at the material Temple of jerusalem, which we will not meddle with, Christ's temple is spiritual. is taken spiritually, and so it is to be conceived here: and then it implies the Church of Christ in the number of the faithful. You shall see the phrase of Scripture to intimate so much, 1 Pet. 4.17. If judgement begin at the house of God, what shall the end of the ungodly be, that obey not the Gospel of God? There the house of God is opposed to them that obey not the truth of God, so that they that obey the truth, that are willing to be at the dispose of God, and reform their lives after his will and word: they are the house and temple of Christ. As in general, all the people of God, thus obeying the word of God: so in particular, every Christian man and woman is the Temple of Christ. As the Apostle saith, You are the Temples of the living God. 2 Cor. 6 16; As it was in the material Temple in jerusalem, the glory of the Lord filled it, and the Lord said he would dwell in it for ever: so the heart truly prepared is the Temple of the Lord, and the Lord Christ takes possession, and rules in it, and fills it with all grace. This is the meaning of the first word. It is plain by force of argument: The word Temple is to be taken in the same sense in which the way to the temple is taken: As also the way to the Temple. but the way to the Temple is the fitting of the soul and the heart for Christ; for so all the Evangelists express it: john saith, Repent ye for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, Mat. 3.2. Isa. 40.3. Also Isaiah saith Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths strait. So that the preparation of the way to the Lord is nothing else but for people to repent of their sins. Repenting and preparing are both one. But more especially that place of Saint Luke, ch. 1. ver. 15.17. where speaking of john Baptist, he saith, He shall be full of the holy Ghost: nay, He shall come in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord: The way is in the heart of a man, and this preparation is the turning of their hearts to the way of the just men. And that other place in Luke 3.5.6 can admit of no other sense, Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low: And all flesh shall see the salvation of God. These words cannot be literally understood, for there was no mountains to be removed, nor no valleys to be filled up, for Christ was no temporal King: but the meaning is, a removeall of all those mountains and impediments that stood between Christ and the soul. Thus you see the Temple prepared is nothing, but the heart truly broken and humbled. Secondly, let us see what it is to come into this Temple. And Christ's coming to it. As the way and the Temple was, so the coming into this Temple is to be spiritually understood, and that is, when the Lord jesus Christ comes to take possession of him: but consider this, he comes like a King, and therefore he hath john Baptist to make way for him, The coming of a King discovers itself in two things: first the King taketh the Sovereign command of the place where he is, and if there be any guests there, they must be gone, and resign up all the house to him: so the Lord jesus comes to take sovereign possession of the soul. Secondly, the King brings all his provision with him so the Lord Christ brings all provision for the soul with him. So then the meaning is this; When john Baptist by the power of the word hath wrought upon the soul, and made it humble and low, and willing to be at the Lords dispose: when the broken heart seeks for a Saviour, than the Lord comes suddenly, and like a King. You humble souls consider this he will take possession of those humble broken hearts of yours, and he will bring his own provision with him; he cares for nothing but a vessel emptied, and a heart thus fitted and prepared: he will bring provision enough, of comfort, of vocation, of adoption, of sanctification, and the like. In this part of the verse thus opened we have two doctrines: first, that the Lord jesus Christ will not delay to come into the heart that is truly humbled and broken. Who is the Lord? Christ. What is the Temple? The heart truly humbled. And when comes he? Suddenly: this is the ground of the doctrine. The second is; the Lord jesus takes possession of the soul humbled, and provides for it as his own: he comes like a King, as I said before. This is the ground of the second point, which discovers the nature of the implantation: the first discovers the appurtenances of it. Doct. Christ delays not to come into an humbled heart. For the first. The Lord jesus will not delay to come into the heart truly humbled: as I may say, he layeth all other works aside, as if he did look for none but this, how he may come home to the heart truly humbled. The Lord will not come at a proud worldly minded man: No, the Lord leaves all; yea heaven and all the world, and only looks after, and love's to live with the humble broken heart. For proof of the point. This is the reason why the Scripture doth not content itself to show the marvellous delight that God hath in such a spirit. See how plenteous the Scripture is to show how ready the Lord is to call in at the heart of the humbled soul, and to rise, and lie, and rest, to eat, and drink, and sleep with the humble heart: nay when he is come, he will not away again, as we may see in that example of the lost son, Luke 15.20. He said, I will arise and go to my father, and say, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy son, make me as one of thy hired servants. As soon as ever he resolved of the work, mark how the father behaves himself towards him, though he were base and beggarly in his condition. He might have said, Let thy Harlots and thy Queans help thee: But he saw him a far off, and ran to meet him, and fell upon his neck, and kissed him. Though he were a wretched creature yet now he because the father saw him humble, he remembers not that he had been with Harlots, all was forgotten; the father saw him afar off, before the child could spy him; he pitied him before he could confess his sin: he was more ready to meet him than he was to come, and he kissed him before he could receive any acknowledgement from him. This is the marvellous enlargement of the Lord to receive an humble broken heart And when he had kissed him, Luk 15.21, 22 the lost child said, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring upon his hand, and so forth: as if he had said, It is no matter what thou hast been now thou art come home, and hast humbled thyself, I am glad of it: Thus he passeth by all the former misdemenours. And so it is in the same Chapter, ver, 4.5.6. If a man have an hundred sheep, and lose one, will he not leave the ninety nine, and seek that which was lost? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calleth together his friends, and saith, Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep. The meaning is this: The lost sheep is the lost sinner that is wandered from the Lord jesus Christ. The soul, that after all the mercies and favours that God hath showed to allure him, he goes away from God, and then one drops in a ditch, and another is lost in the wilderness or Forest: yet he leaves all to seek the lost sheep, and leaveth not seeking till he findeth it, and if he hath found it he rejoiceth. For the Lord will leave all to seek a poor lost sinner, and the more need thou hast, and the more lost thou art in thyself, the more labour will the Lord take to find thee out: and though thou canst not go the Lord will carry thee upon his shoulders; and when thou art come home, he rejoiceth exceedingly. This shows the marvellous bounty of the Lord to poor sinners: it is the scope of the Parable concerning the Pearl, Matth. 13.45.46. The kingdom of heaven is like unto a wise Merchant man, who having found one Pearl of great Price, went and sold all that he had to buy it. The pearl is nothing else but that rich mercy of God in his son Christ, and Christ in the promise is the Pearl, and the Merchantman is every Christian man that wants mercy and comfort to relieve him; for he saith, What is all the world to me if my soul wants mercy? Well he knows where the Pearl is. What's the price of it? Sell all. Selling of all is nothing but this when a man is content to part with sin and all carnal confidence in himself, and he seethe himself miserable because of sin, and utterly unable to secure himself, and is content to part with wit, or parts, or gifts, and all that he hath for the Lord jesus Christ then suddenly he hath the Pearl. If it be so saith the Lord, that nothing will quiet thee but the Lord Christ, and mercy from him, then take mercy. If chapmen bid roundly, you shall not need to stand higling for it. Would you have Christ to comfort you, and pardon you? then lay away all your lusts and corruptions, and the world, and all the haunts of your hearts, and all the distempers that are in them. Do this, and the Lord will give you the Pearl, he will give you Christ, and mercy from him. The Reasons why the Lord will not delay to come to the humbled soul, are three: Reason 1. The Lord jesus Christ was sent for this very end by God the Father, as Mat. 15.24, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And not only so, but Christ came for that end: as Luke 19.10. The Son of man is come to seek, and to save that which was lost: the end of God the father's sending of him, and the main scope of his coming was, to seek and save that which was lost, that is, that is lost in the sight and sense of his own misery, and lost in regard of his own insufficiency to help himself; for the lost man is willing to be guided by another. If you should find a man in the wilderness, and say, Friend, this is not the way, would not he be contented to hear and to yield to it? So if thou be lost, if thou seest thy own misery for sin, and that if thou lie in this estate thou art a damned man, and if thou see thyself lost in regard of thy own insufficiency to help thyself, and that thou art not able to get out of this condition and misery, wherein thou art willing to be reform, and to be disposed of: then know that the Son of man, the Lord Christ jesus, came to seek and save such lost sinners; and when he hath found them, he will not leave them in this lost estate, but will save them. If this be then the end of God the Father's sending him, and the scope of Christ's coming to save the lost sinner, then certainly above all he will be faithful in that for which he came, he will undoubtedly save those that are lost. Reason 2. Because the humbled broken hearted sinner is the fittest subject to set out these praises of this glorious work of our redemption; he is the fittest for God to work upon, and for the Lord Christ to dwell in, and he is the fittest to set out the praise of that rich grace in Christ, as the Apostle saith, Ephes. 1.11. Who worketh all things according to the counsel of his own will. Why? That we should be to the praise of his glorious grace. Therefore now consider it; there is no soul so fitting to set forth the glorious grace of Christ, and the great work of our redempption; as the poor humbled selfe-denying heart: for the humbled soul waits for all grace from God, and is willing to return all to God again; and he saith, I am not worthy of the least mercy I need; and therefore he is contented that God deny him any thing. This man is the fittest to set forth the great work of God, and to further the aim of God in setting forth the riches of his glorious grace: it is all grace from the beginning to the end, as Zechariah hath it, chap. 4.7. Grace laid the first stone, and grace laid the last stone, and all the people cried, saying, Grace, Grace, so the humbled soul sets forth the praise of God, and saith, I deserve nothing but hell, and whatsoever I have more than hell, it is all from the Lord and all glory is due to him: it is grace that I live, and it is grace that I persevere; it is all grace, from election to glorification: whereas the proud heart spoils all the work of God. And it is no wonder though God will not dwell with a proud heart. The proud heart, for what he hath, and for what he can do, gives all to himself: where is grace now? The humble heart is like a great shop, where the great frame of man's salvation may best be seen: (for there are many dark shops that deceive the buyer, and mar the wares too): for the humbled heart saith, The work of the Lord is marvellous in our eyes and aught to be marvellous in our hearts. No man will dwell in a house, but where his credit may be maintained, and for his conveniency: if either of these may be hindered by it, he will not dwell in that house. It's no wonder then though the Lord jesus come to dwell in the heart of an humbled soul. Christ would work, and the humbled soul is contented with it; and Christ would have all the glory from the humbled soul, and he is well contented to give all the glory to God. We use to say in the schools, If any man have disposed of his dwelling, and framed the building, and fitted it, he will set it up except he either want wisdom, and knows not how to do it; or else power, and is not able to perfect that work which he hath begun. These cannot befall God. A wise efficient cause never framed any matter, but he brings in the frame, and sets it up. He that hath fitted and framed all the materials of his building, if he will not make up the frame for himself, it is either because he wants power and cannot do it, or else wants wisdom and knows not how to do it; but the Lord that hath fitted the heart for himself, that all may be done by him, and all the glory of the work come to him again, he neither wants power nor wisdom to finish the work; he hath begun, and therefore he will not defer, but will come suddenly and take possession of him. Reason 3. Lastly, the Lord will not defer to come to dwell in an humbled heart, because all hindrances are now taken away, and therefore the place is ready to receive him, and he ready to come, certainly he will come without delay. If there be any hindderances to keep out Christ it must be either on Christ's part, or on our parts: but in the humble heart there is nothing to hinder it, If any thing keep us off from Christ, it is either because we love ourselves, or our corruptions. Now the humble heart hath renounced both of these, and the humble soul saith, My sin shall not rule me, and, myself cannot save me, therefore let the Lord jesus Christ come and take possession of my heart. The humble heart hath renounced sin and himself, and now he would have the Lord jesus Christ to be his King and Saviour. Now all the hindrances must be on Christ's part: and that cannot be granted for Christ is so fare from being unwilling that he desires to come in: for he hath knocked at many a proud heart: Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open unto me, I will come into him and will sup with him, and he with me, Rev. 3.20. And in other places he saith, Forsake thy sins and corruptions, and receive thy own salvation and be not under the rule of sin and those base lusts. Cant. 5.2. Open my love, my dove, my undefiled. Surely if the door were open he would come in: nay himself saith so professedly, as in that place aforenamed. Oh he hath knocked many a time at the heart of a poor wretch, and said, If any man will open to me, I will come in. If any; He that promiseth to come in if the door were open, there is no unwillingness on his part: but in the humbled soul there are no more lets, for he hath thrown away sin in himself, and said, I love you not, I regard you not, let the Lord jesus come and rule in this same broken heart of mine. Thus gather up all: If it be the end of God the Father's sending Christ, and the scope of Christ's coming, and if the glory of his grace be much more advanced this way, and if there be no hindrances, then immediately expect him, he cometh suddenly. Use. 1 Great comfort to each humbled soul. Use 1. The uses are manifold: First, it is a ground of marvellous comfort to every humbled soul: let not stubborn and rebellious wretches that say, We will not have this man rule over us; let not such, I say, meddle with this comfort. To you I have nothing to say now, hereafter I shall say something to you to your cost. But all you souls that are willing to give way to Christ jesus, and to break open door for Christ, and all you that have any evidence of this work, I say all you broken hearts go your way with comfort, Christ will comfort you, nay, he will meet you at home Me thinks this is enough to comfort the heart of any in the world. Then let what can befall us, the Lord Christ will come suddenly. But some will say, Quest. Many are my sins that lie hard upon me, and my abominations come in like troops, and all the old train band of looseness and vanity they are come in against me, and all the sins that I have committed, the guilt of them yet remains, and I cannot get strength against them, but still they prevail; for my conscience is not quieted, but my old sins fly in my face. Answ. But are your hearts thus perplexed with the sight of sin, and with the expectation of the misery of them, as in truth there is much cause to lament? Art thou thus broken hearted, and thus perplexed? And canst thou say, Were my heart rid of my sins, I should be comforted? Then, I say, notwithstanding all thy sins, if the Lord see thee humbled, he seethe not thy sins, he will come and comfort thee: let all thy sins come and rise up in arms against thee, the Lord Christ will come suddenly, and then mercy will come to pardon, and grace will come to secure thee against thy sin. Quest. But what? will the Lord come into this wretched, vile, corrupt heart of mine? What? will jesus Christ come into this Temple? Indeed he may come to such a man that is humbled, but he will never come to such a wretch as I am; I have sinned thus and thus. Answ. See what the Text saith, Apoc. 3.2. Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man will hear and open: he doth not say, I stand at the door of a Nobleman, but at every base adultererer and drunken wretch. If the drunkard and the adulterer will open the Lord will come in and sanctify him, and take possession of him, and rule in him, and cleanse him from all his lusts and corruptions. Though thy lusts and abominations be many, that will not hinder him. And as there is admirable comfort against sin, so there is admirable comfort against all misery. He knows nothing that knows not that all the Christian world is in an uproar, and that the enemy doth work abroad. But though you do not see these, you may see the world opposing, and the Devil temptting, and the wicked casting reproach upon all hands, and your hearts begin to be daunted, and say, I would profess Religion, but my father would be discontented, and shame, and disgrace will come in amain, and misery and persecution will come, notwithstanding the Lord jesus Christ is coming into those souls of ●ours. For if you be sound humbled, Christ comes suddenly, and then come what can come, in all troubles Christ will comfort you, and in all weaknesses Christ will strengthen you, yea, he will let the spirit of glory rest upon you here, and glorify you with himself for ever hereafter. In all wants there is comfort: though friends, and means, and all go, yet Christ comes: and the further thy friends go from thee, the nearer will Christ come to thee. Eccles. 10.19 Let your souls be herein refreshed for ever. Money, as the Proverb is, answers all. A man will change honour, and leave his place for money: and we use to say, Money will do it. If you want honour money will buy it, and whatsoever the world can do, money can do. And hereupon it is that the rich man saith, I have it by me: if he wants a house, he hath money that will buy it. You that are humbled go your ways, and eat your meat with glad hearts the Lord accept of you, the God of comfort refresh your hearts yet more against these troublesome times. Luke 12.32. It is the speech of Christ to his disciples, Fear not little flock, it is your father's will to give you a kingdom. If a broken and humbled soul go into prison, Christ will go to all the prisons in Christendom but he will find him out, and there he will comfort him. If the humbled soul go into the Indies, Christ will be there with him: nay, if it were possible for the humbled soul to go down to hell, the Lord Christ would come into him: for wheresoever he is, Christ will be. Fear not, be not dismayed, Christ is thine, you have not only a Kingdom but a Christ, and he answers to all. Christ is the God of all comfort, and the father of all mercy: thou hast many wants and weaknesses, and Christ is the God of all mercies; from him comes every good and perfect gift, and he will comfort thee. Wheresoever thou art, Christ will look in: if thou art banished, he will wander up and down all wildernesses but he will find thee, and save thee for ever. If we be not comforted, it is a shame for us, considering what wonderful privileges we have in Christ. Use 2 Use 2. The second use is for examination and trial. They are of a naughty spirit, who endure not broken spirits. Doth Christ come suddenly into the heart truly humbled and prepared? Let us try then, and take a taste of the spirits of such men that are not able to bear nor endure the presence of poor broken hearted sinners. If the servant will not lie for the master's advantage, and if the child leave his base courses, and will not give a carnal father content according to his mind, mark how their spirits rise against such men, their hearts rise with marvellous desperate indignation against such men, they cannot think of them with any quiet, they cannot brook the sight of them: if it be a servant never so lose and vile, he is regarded; but the humble child is trampled upon, and they say to him, You had best go to your holy brethren, and to the company of such and such precise ones. This is the undoubted argument of a graceless spirit: either Christ errs, or else thou art out of the way; either Christ is to be blamed for his practice, or thou. Doth he come to such as are humbled and art thou weary of them? Thou art a graceless soul, and an enemy to the Lord of life, When the people of Israel began to speak of going into the wilderness to sacrifice to the Lord their God, they did stink, and were abominable in the eyes of Pharaoh and the Egyptians: indeed the Egyptians did always dislike them, Exod. 5.21. but now they were an abomination to them, This was nothing else but a type: Pharaoh is the Devil, and this Egyptian servitude is our spiritual bondage under sin. How doth thy heart stand towards these poor souls? Art thou carried with indignation against them? It is an argument of a heart void of grace, and that thou art an Egyptian to this day, therefore the Lord will requite thee in thy own kind: and that thou art now weary of their society, and art not able to live with them, and art loath to be seen amongst them, and darest not show thyself to come within the compass of a broken heart, lest thy drunkken companions revile thee for the same, and say, art turned a Puritan now? will you be of their company? and than thou swearest thou knowest them not. This is a shrewd sign thou shalt never enjoy the company of those poor Saints in glory. Use 3 The third use is a ground of instruction: and we hence learn how to make choice of our companions. Choose the for companions. Learn of our Saviour, the broken hearted sinners, are the best for society in the world, and therefore rejoice thou in their company. Let us not think much to come to such, as Christ comes to: let us not think that the baseness of their persons, or the meanness of their estates, will be any cause for us why we should discard or disdain their company. Be sure that thy soul be fare from this carnal distemper. Happily thy carnal friend will say, Thou wilt disgrace thy person to keep company with such as those are. Make answer for thyself, and against their face, and say, They are my betters: yea the Lord jesus Christ blessed for ever, keeps company with them, and shall not I do it too? The Lord jesus desires no better company, and shall I go any further? If he be a sound broken hearted sinner, it's no matter what his condition be. As the Apostle Saint john saith, That you also may have fellowship with us, 1 john 1.3, Why, (may some say) what great matter is that? The Apostle saith, our fellowship is no small matter: for it is with God the Father, and with jesus Christ. There is never a poor soul, though he go barely, and far meanly, but if his heart be truly humbled, his fellowship is with jesus Christ which is no little matter. Zech. 8.23. when the Lord had honoured the jews there came many citizens to them, and took hold of the skirt of a jew, and said, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. So do thou. Dost thou see a broken hearted man, lay hold on his skirts, dwell in that house if thou canst, and say, I will live with thee for ever. God is with thee: nay, the Lord is in thee: yea, the company of an humbled soul is even a corner of heaven here upon earth. It is so in truth, and therefore let it be so in your judgements. What is it to be in heaven? We shall be ever with the Lord: this is to be in heaven, 1 Thes. 4.17. Is this to be in heaven? Then wheresoever thou art, thou art with Christ, thou art in heaven. Whensoever thou art in the company of a broken hearted sinner, thou art with Christ, and therefore in heaven: and whensoever thou comest into their company, Christ jesus will give thee the meeting. Your fashionmungers count it a matter of credit to have Court fashions: this is the Court fashion, and the Court is where Christ our Lord and King is: Christ dwells in such a house, and in such a heart; and therefore as thou dost hope to be with Christ for ever, rejoice to be with such persons: this is the only way that a man must take to choose his company. Do good to all neighbours, and all Christians, and hope well of all, but rejoice especially in those whose hearts are truly broken in the sight and presence of the Lord. Use 4 4. It is a ground of thankfulness to all that are truly humbled before God. Be thankful for this great respect of Christ to thy poor soul. Thus you ought to have your hearts stored with thankfulness: nay, to stand and wonder at the goodness and kindness of God, I would have a man spend all his time this way. When the Lord jesus hath gone through many Countries; and passed by many rich, and honourable, and great ones of the world, and that he should look in at a poor family, and knock at a poor man's door, and that he should look in at a poor wretched heart of a wife or of a child, this is marvellous mercy. If a great person, especially a Prince or Monarch, did look into a poor man's house, or come to visit a man in prison, what would the world say? Oh, the like was never heard of, the King himself in his own person lighted there, and stayed there, and went into the dungeon, and conferred with him a great while, Men would be besides themselves if they had this favour from the King. In Luke 1.43. when Mary was with child of the Lord, and came to visit Elizabeth she said to Mary, Whence is this to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me? I see no ground nor reason for this, there is no worth on my part that I should look for such favour. Now if she were so ravished with the presence of Mary the mother of Christ, what mayst thou be then in regard of the presence of Christ himself that is come to lodge in thy heart? Thou hast cause to be ravished with admiration, and to say, Whence is it that not only the mother of my Saviour, but even my Saviour himself, should come to me? What to visit me that opposed him? and to visit me that have preferred my base lusts before the blood of the Lord jesus Christ? Whence comes this? It was that which Solomon took notice of in the first of Kings c. 8. v. 28. for when he had built the Temple, and the Lord had engaged himself by promise to come and dwell in the same, he said, Is it true that the Lord will come to dwell upon the earth? Behold the heaven of heavens is not able to contain him, much less this House that I have made. As it was in the material Temple, so much more in the spiritual Temple: for thy heart is his Temple. Therefore thou mayst reason thus with thyself, and say, Is it true? will the Lord dwell upon the earth? the heaven of heavens cannot contain him; and shall this earth-then mud wall, this earthly Tabernacle, and this sinful wretched heart? Oh that the Lord should come to dwell in such a soul! this is a mirror of mercy. Do you humble souls as the Centurion did when Christ was come into his house. I am not worthy (saith he) that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be whole. So say thou Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under the roof of this sinful wretched heart, only send thy Angels to visit me, and thy word to comfort me: but for to come in thy own person from heaven to such a poor creature as I am; the Angels must come from heaven to wonder at this mercy, and to magnify the Lord for it: therefore as you have received Christ, walk worthy of him and be thankful to the Lord for the same. Use. 5 The last use of this Doctrine is for exhortation. You see the means that God appointed for the conveyance of grace, They that would have Christ dwell in them must be willing to be humbled. and mercy to you, nay, that Christ himself may take possession of you, and it is the way and means that will never deceive you. Would you have Christ to dwell in you? then be humbled, and be not wanting to yourselves, and then Christ will never be wanting to you: labour to get this humiliation, and Christ will come immediately into your souls. Have a heart but rightly disposed, and without all question Christ will come to comfort and refresh thee upon all occasions. You see the way to get a Saviour to come and dwell in you, then walk in that way, and give no rest to thine eyes, or any quiet to thy heart, before thou hast gotten this frame of heart. Take heed of all distempers, do not think the time long, and say, I have waited long, and many a year, and I have looked many a wishly long look and yet I cannot hear of the Lord jesus to visit this poor perplexed heart of mine. If the Lord seem to delay in the performance of his promise, say as David did, Ah, when wilt thou comfort me? Psal. 119.82. Nay, lay the blame where the blame is, and consider thy own sturdiness and vileness: it is thy own fault why Christ comes not: thou wilt not open, and therefore Christ is not come: thou dost not prepare for him, and for this cause it is that thou dost not enjoy the company of such a blessed Saviour: at St. Peter saith, 2 Pet. 3. ●. The Lord is no● slack, as some men count slackness, but the Lord takes the be●… season, and is long suffering towards us. When the season is, we shall have it; for it is not his slackness. The time is not long, do not think so, he hath not forgotten to be gracious to a poor humbled soul: but look into thy own heart and way and see thy own folly there Hast thou prepared often, and waited long, and yet thou hearest no news of a Christ, and of mercy? Ah go to thine own heart, and say, Surely I am in fault, the wound is in myself: others have received a Christ, and he would have come into my heart too for ought know. Nay, he is as willing to come to thee as to any, but thy own hasty heart shuts the door against him: therefore be a based kindly, and the Lord will come, and not tarry. Did you ever account of the coming of christs presence to you? Was the presence of Christ ever worth the having? and would you not have him to come into your hearts, that will bring grace and glory, and mercy, when he comes? as L●ke 19.9. when Christ was come in●o the house of Zacheus, he said, This da● is salvation come to thy house. So that when Christ comes, mercy and all comfort comes. Is not Christ, and salvation by him worth the having? If ever you hope for Christ, whip out all buyers and sellers out of the Temple, and then you shall hear news of a Saviour to take possession of you. I have spoken of the means how to get an humble heart; now let me give you two motives to provoke you to it. Motives 1 First, consider what an unreasonable thing it is, that thou shouldest rather keep out the Lord jesus Christ, than cast out a company of base lusts. It will stick one day hard upon that man's heart, when he shall see the marvellous excellency of that redemption which Christ hath wrought, and the beauty of that grace which Christ works in the hearts of his, and the glory and happiness which he hath prepared for, and will bestow upon his servants: when (I say) in the hour of death, or in the day of judgement, he shall see himself utterly deprived of this grace in Christ, he will then gnaw his own flesh that he hath lost heaven and happiness (it may be) for one base lust. The covetous man will say If I had cast away the world, I might have had Christ and mercy: and the Adulterer will say, If I would have cast away my base lusts and corruptions, Christ would have dwelled in my heart, and would have purged my heart: and the proud hypocrite will say, If I had laid away my own vanity, and my own pride, the Lord would have taken possession of my soul, and he would have brought glory, and salvation, and comfort. Ah woe to me that ever I was borne, that I would not part with base lusts, and with wealth, but that I was content rather to part with Christ jesus, than to forgo these corruptions. What an unreasonable thing is this? he will curse himself one day for it. 2 As it is unreasonable, so in the second place what an uncomfortable thing will it be: Ah think of it in time: for the time will come, at the great day of account, when we shall need a Saviour and crave his presence, and be forced to desire Christ to come to us, What a cut to our hearts will it then be, that we have shut our hearts against him? When the sins of thy youth shall seize upon thee, and thou shalt see hell gaping ready to swallow thee up, and destruction ready to take possession of thee, and Satan shall lay grievous accusations against thee; and time (I say) shall then come that thou wilt say, Ah that Christ would come to save and help me a poor forlorn wretch! Will it not then be a gall to a man's heart to think of it? It will make him say, With what heart can I look for grace or mercy from Christ, before whom I have preferred the world, and my base lusts, and the delusions of the world? and when the Lord jesus Christ by his mercy did labour to allure me, and said openly to me, My sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled, I would none of him: it is that Christ whom my heart rejected, and whose blood I trampled under my feet, and shall I now come to him for mercy? Nay, how justly may the Lord answer me as he did those people in jeremy? jer. 2.27. who in the time of their trouble did say, to the Lord, Arise and help us: but the Lord made them answer, and said, Where are the Gods that thou hast made thee? let them arise if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy Cities are thy gods, O jacob. So will it be with you: you must away one day, and go before the Lord jesus: die you must, and to judgement you must come, to give an account for all. Can you answer one of a thousand? can you stand against the fierceness of his wrath: Ah, how will those wounded souls be helped? Only by a Christ. Then Christ and grace will be worth something. When you lie looking every hour for the last gasp, than you will cry for mercy, and Christ, and would give a world for him: but Christ will make you answer, and say, Remember the time wherein thou wouldst not have me to rule, or right that heart of thine: thou wouldst not have me to sanctify thee, and wouldst thou have me to save thee now? No, no: let thy base lusts and corrupt companions save and secure thee, and procure consolation to thy soul, woeful comforters are they all: you will then think it a terrible thing that this Christ jesus (which now you will not have your Saviour to purge and sanctify you) shall then be your judge, 2 Thess. 1.8. The Lord jesus shall come in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to all that know him not. Thou that wilt not have Christ to take away all thy sin, & to rule in thee, and thou that hast thrust Christ out of thy heart, and from thy house, thou wilt wish that thou mightest never come to judgement: but Christ will come to thy cost. Thou wouldst not have Christ to rule in thy heart: therefore he will come in vengeance to execute upon thee all those plagus threatened, and which thou hast deserved; and then stop him in judgement, if thou canst. Now the way is ready, and the means set fair before your eyes: take the right course, and the Lord jesus will not defer to come suddenly, do you what you should, and Christ will do what you desire. Ob. Ah, saith one, it is marvellous hard to bid adieu to all lusts and corruptions, and to cut off the right hand, and to cast away the right eye, and to part with every darling distemper. Ah, saith the covetous man, if I could have Christ and the world too then I could be contented to have Christ: and the Adulterer saith, If I could have Christ, and my Queans, and my lusts: and the Hypocrite saith, If I might have Christ and my secret haunts of heart, than I would be willing to yield; but if all those corruptions must be sacrificed, and if Christ must take away all my corruptions from me, and work all in me, this will be tedious. Answ. It will be bitter and tedious at first, but it will quit all cost in the end, and it will never repent you then of all your tears that you have shed, nor of all the anguish of heart which you have had, when you shall have mercy and be for ever comforted thereby, and by this means have a way made to everlasting life. I would have the heart of a poor Christian do as Shechem saith the heart of Hamor did when he would marry Dinah Gen. 34.22.23. Come let us be circumcised as they are. Shall not their cattles, and their substance, and every beast of theirs be ours? Their herds are great and their wealth is mighty, and all this shall be ours. Thus he persuades the hearts of the people to yield to him in it only, but through the desire of their goods. Let me plead so with the soul of an humble sinner in this kind: thou must think of humiliation as the Shechemite did of circumcision; I must never see the face of drunkenness more, I must bid adieu to all carnal profits and pleasures: Ah this goes to my heart, this pinches indeed, this strikes to the quick. They would be circumcised though it were painful: how much more mayst thou reason with thy own heart, and say, It is tedious and irksome, but it will be comfortable hereafter. Let us be circumcised and bid adieu to all our lusts, shall not all the substance of Christ jesus be ours? Let us forsake the world to have Christ, and not only mercy shall be ours, but even every grace and comfort shall be ours, as the Apostle saith, The God of all comfort and consolation is ours. If thou wilt be humbled, and part with the world, and cut away every lust, and throw away all whatsoever, than all the pleasures of his right hand shall be ours: and all the happiness of heaven shall be ours; nay, all the fatness of the earth shall be ours: Suppose I must part with these, Affatim dives est, qui cum Christo pauper est, Hieron. I shall have Christ for my riches; and if I part with friends, I shall have Christ to stand by me, and if I part with honour here, I shall have Christ to honour me; and if I part with joy here, I shall have those joys which are not conceived by the heart of man. You fathers speak of it to your children, and you husbands speak of it to yourwives; let every soul be humbled, and take all mercy. Shall not all be ours? Father's advise your little ones, and friends advise one another. Ob. But the poor soul saith, I confess nothing should be hard, and nothing should be dear, and I hope nothing shall be too hard for me, so that I may gain a Lord jesus Christ, if I know mine own heart, and if I know it not, let the Lord make it known to me. I see no sufficiency in myself, over my sin to secure me, and I have had a care to be burdened, and yet I see not a Saviour. Answ. I answer to this; Is this true? and is thy heart humbled as thou sayest? then I say, the Lord jesus Christ is come, and hath come many a day though thou perceivest it not. So soon as thy soul is thus disposed, the Lord jesus comes, and that suddenly too, though thou knowest not at what time. As when jacob fell asleep upon the stone, and the Lord had made known himself to him, he said, Surely the Lord was in this place, and I was not ware of it. So I say, thou hast been truly humbled, and the Lord Christ is truly come, and thou knowest it not. Ob. But can this be that the soul should be possessed of Christ, and not apprehend a Christ? Answ. Yes, it is not only possible, but it is too ordinary: and the reasons why it is so, and the hindrances which keep a soul from seeing, they are these four in particular: for there be four lets on our part. 1. First, Christ may come into thy soul, and thou dost not know him. As one man comes to another man's house, and happily one that he hath loved and desired too yet his guess is such, and the distance of the time so long since he saw him, that he may be there and his friend never the wiser; so thou mayst complain that the Lord Christ is not in thy soul, & yet knowest not when he is there: this is the ordinary mistake in the soul, as it is in the sight. Mat. 14.25, 26.27. Christ comes to his Disciples walking upon the sea, and they were all afraid, because they had thought they had seen a Spirit, and they cried out for fear: but Christ said, Be not afraid, it is I. Christ was then most near to comfort them, when they had thought it had been a Spirit to affright them: and the fault was in their understanding, they could not discern him. As it was in the bodily sight, so it is in the spiritual eye: thou sayest, it is many a day since the Lord jesus did open mine eyes, and burden my soul, and made me weary, and made my sins loathsome to myself, and I could even be content to be rid of myself, to be rid of my sin. Whence comes it that thou art content to see thy sin? and whence is it that thou art burdened with it, and that thou art content to be rid of thyself, and sin, and all? Is it not from Christ thy Saviour? whence is it that thou art content to lie under the word of God, and to be disposed by it? Is it not from Christ? Did you never hear of a poor countryman that went to the King in his hunting, and asked him where the King was? It hath been so in many dear saints of God; as john 20.13.14, etc. after the death and resurrection of Christ, Mary went to look for him, and the Angel said, Why weepest thou? and whom seekest thou? Oh, saith she, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. Her soul did yearn after Christ, and she inquires of Christ, for Christ, and thought him to be the Gardener. Christ said to her, Marry why weepest thou? then she turned herself, and said, Rabboni, that is, Master. Marry loved Christ and was acquainted with a Saviour; yet now because of the suddenness of it, she understood him not, and therefore she asked him for a Saviour. So I may say to thee poor humbled soul, Why weepest thou? and thou sayest, Oh, I seek a Saviour, if you can tell me the way whereby mercy may be derived from him to my soul, I beseech you advise me of it; if you know the way how I may carry myself before the Lord, that I may find mercy in his sight let me know it. The truth is Christ is there, it is he that makes thee look after a Christ, and it is Christ that makes thee seek unto him for mercy; thou seekest to a Christ for a Christ. Secondly, as the soul of a poor sinner knows not Christ though he meet him in his way, and out of the weakness of his judgement, and by reason of his ignorance, he knows not his presence: so in the second place thou attendest not to the Lord jesus when he is come: therefore he comes meekly, and quietly, and calmly and spiritually, notwithstanding thou regardest him not. Christ came into the midst of his Disciples when all the doors were shut, and they attended not to him: so thou knowest not of a Christ, because thou attendest not to him and his coming. Consider this well: the main hindrance is this, when the heart of a poor Christian is marvellously taken aside with his own weakness, and distempers, and troubles, and his mind is all upon them, Christ passeth by and he regardeth not: as Luke 24.5. when Mary came to seek for Christ, the Angel said to her, Why seek you the living among the dead? So this hinders an humble soul from the knowledge of Christ: we look upon our corruptions and rebellions, and rub the sore daily, and we think thus, can grace be in such a heart as this? and will the Lord dwell in such a heart as this, thus vile, and thus pestered with many base corruptions? Thou canst never see him there. Why seekest thou a Christ to comfort thee, amongst thy own corruptions, that would hinder thee from seeing him, and from receiving mercy from him? It was not for want of eyes that Hagar did not see the well, but because she did not search for the Well: so it is with a poor soul. The well of life is in Christ, there is the fountain of all grace and mercy; the well is hard by us, nay it is within us: but alas we sit like Hagars', and thus we lie and perish in our discouragements. Simile. If a man prepare for some great person, happily some King or dear friend, and one that he hath long looked for: if he comes not, than he gets him into a close walk, and there he sits sighing and mourning for his absence; and while he sits thus, the man is come and hath been long in the house before he thinks of any such matter; and when he comes in, he gins to ask if the King or his friend be come. Oh, say they, he is come long ago: where have you been? we wondered what was become of you. Just so it is here: for when we are weldred in our own sorrow, and think thus, Oh, when will it once be? The soul looks long for Christ to comfort him, and because he receives not comfort, he goes into the dungeon of desperate discouragements: and then the Lord jesus comes to refresh that soul, though he perceives it not. Simile. A man may sit long in a dark cellar or dungeon before he can see when the Sun comes into the house and shines there: but let him come from the cellar, and then he shall see the Sun shine clearly. So when the Son of righteousness shines into a man, and reveals himself, he gets him down into his distempers, and will not look to a Saviour; the Son of righteousness is come and shines, and he perceives it not. And as Philip said, john 14.8. Show us the Father and it sufficeth. Then jesus saith unto him, have I been so long atime with you, and yet hast thou not known me? he that hath seen me, hath seen the Father: he desireth to see the Father, and yet when he seethe Christ, he seethe the Father. So it is with this blessed frame of soul: for when a poor soul mourns under the burden of sin, and desires that the word of God may prevail with it, and take all away, than he desireth to see Christ: this is the Spirit of Christ humbling, and breaking, and waking: it is the Spirit of Christ that makes you willing to part with sin. Hath Christ been so long with you, and do you not know him? The third is, because we judge Christ's presence by our own sense, and by some extraordinary sweetness that the soul imagines should be with him if Christ were there. This is the nature of every poor creature: he sets up a kind of imagination in his own head, and thinks if Christ were come once there would be extraordinary sweetness and joy. Now setting up this imagination in his own conceit, he will hear no other evidence if he cannot find this, and so mis-judgeth the presence of Christ. This was the failing of Gideon; for the spirit of Christ, came to him, and said, The Lord is with he, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon said, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles that our Fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites judges 6.12.13. The Angel knew what he said: but mark what he replies; And he would not be persuaded that the Lord was there, because the enemy had the upper hand: he thought God was not present with them, because the enemies were vexing them, and prevailing against them: but the argument was naught, for the Angel was certain of that which he spoke. Just so it is for all the world with the poor sinner that now is oppressed with many corruptions. Sometimes when the faithful ministers speak to them and say, Go in peace you sinners, the Lord is with you; Oh, say they, if the Lord were with us, why doth all this befall us? Why are our minds so ignorant, and our hearts so vile and sinful? and why are our corruptions so violent. Can the Lord be here and so many weaknesses too? The Lord hath done great matters for them, that he hath done good too, and they have rejoiced with joy unspeakable and glorious: the Saints of God have been more than conquerors through him that loved them, and have subdued their corruptions: but yet we are under the power of our sinful, poisonful, venomous hearts still. Can the Lord be with us, and all these abominations not only press in upon us, but even captive us? Yes, you mistake the presence of Christ, he is as well with you in the opposing of sin, as in the overcoming thereof: therefore the argument is false. The same Apostle that was sometimes more than a conqueror, was sometimes led captive, as Rom. 7.23. and he that did walk after the spirit of Christ, had the Flesh lusting against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the Flesh, Gal. 5.17. This is your imagination, that if once the King come to your house, and keep court, no Traitor must come there: yes, Traitors are ever where the court is, they follow the court; for there they think to accomplish their villainy. And you think if the King come to your house, he must hug you in his arms, and presently promote you to all honours: so the soul saith, If Christ were with me, I should have ability to do my duty, and I should have more power against corruption. Though wheresoever Christ is, there is sight of sin; yet this extraordinary sweetness doth not follow: but because they have not this, they think they have not Christ. It is just with the soul in this case, as if some Gentleman should receive the King into his house, Simile. and yet he would not be persuaded the King was come, because he did not presently send for him into the presence chamber, and advance him to some great place of honour: he is there, though he will not presently send for you. This was the fault of Thomas, john 20.25. he would have tied the certainty of Christ's resurrection to his own sense, and if he could not do this, and that, he would not believe that Christ was risen: for so the Text saith, the Disciples all saw it, and did witness it, but he confines all to the compass of his own sense; except he could see in his hands the print of the nails, and thrust his hand into his side, he would not believe Just so it is for all the world with the poor humbled, broken soul: When a man depends upon sense and some stirring apprehension: Oh, saith he, if I could see that evidence of God's love, and had that assurance, and if my heart could thus break for my sin, and if I had this ability with all care and cheerfulness to all holy duties, than I could believe that Christ were come: this I told you before, you will not believe that the King is come to your house, except he will send for you presently into his privy chamber, and make you the favourite of the Kingdom. And therefore it befalls the soul of a poor sinner as it did good old jacob, Gen. 45.26. his sons told him that his son joseph was alive, but his heart did faint, for he could not believe it: but when he saw the Chariots that his son had sent for him, his spirit revived within him, and he said, It is enough, joseph my son is yet alive, etc. Thus it is with us, we have the messengers of God, and the testimony of Scripture to confirm the presence of Christ; but we will not believe except we be charioted with that power and ability, and that feeling; and except you have your hearts fully satisfied according to your own imaginations, you will not be persuaded that Christ is come into your hearts. The fourth also is on our part. Be it so that either we have ability to know a Christ and that we see his coming in, and that we do not mis-judge the presence of Christ and do not account of his coming by our own sense: yea, though we were in the chamber of presence, and have had much experience of Christ's presence with us; yet there is another hindrance which keeps off the poor soul, and that is, when our eyes be hindered that we cannot see Christ though he were before us: when the sting of conscience remains, and the fierceness of some temptaion presseth in upon us, or some worldly inconvenience sits hard upon us, and that our thoughts are wholly taken up with them, and the strength of our imagination is wholly bestowed upon those, how to prevent them, so that we cannot see Christ: when a man's mind is thus wholly employed, and all his thoughts thus busied, partly about the guilt of sin, how his conscience may be quieted; and partly about temptation, how it may be removed so that he hath no leisure to see Christ, though he knew him well if he were but in the calmness of his heart: It befalls a poor soul in this case as it did the Disciples that were going to Emmaus, Luke 24.16. for when Christ came and joined sides with them in their travels, and went with them, the Text saith, that their eyes were holden that they should not know him. See the ground of the holding of their eyes: Christ presented himself in his own proportion; therefore the fault was not in the substance that they did see. The fault was not in the ear, for that was not hindered in any measure; neither did Christ blind their eyes any way, for their eyes were thus fare opened, as to see the way, and walk cheerfully in it. What did hold their eyes then? leaving extraordinary things to God: it was this, their thoughts were so busied about the death of Christ, and his resurrection, that they did not know Christ though he were with them and therefore Christ asked them this question; Luke 24.17. etc. What manner of communication is this that you have one to another, and are thus sad? And the one of them said to him, Art thou only a stranger in jerusalem, and hast not known the things which are come to pass there in these days? And he said unto them, What things? And they said unto him, Concerning jesus of Nazereth, which was a Prophet, mighty in deed, and word, before God, and all the people. We trusted that it had been he which should have redeemed Israel: and beside all this, to day is the third day since these things were done, and whether he be risen again we know not. We find this by common experience, a man that hath his mind possessed with some sad meditation, though his familiar friend be near him, yet he discerns him not: so the Disciples saw not a Saviour though he were in their presence: therefore in the 32. verse, when Christ had opened the Scripture, and revealed himself to them, see what they said, Did not our hearts burn within us, when he talked with us? As if they should say, We had pregnant testimony enough of the divine presence, but we had no eyes to see it: the burning of our hearts was argument enough that it was Christ that spoke to us. So when the soul of a poor sinner is taken up partly with the hurry of imaginations, partly with the violence of some temptation, and partly in regard of some worldly misery that falls upon it, it is so taken up with it, that it cannot see the Lord jesus Christ, though he hath sensible experience of Christ, and the heart burns in love to Christ. This is the reason why many a poor soul, when Satan lets fly at him, and some heavy temptation presseth in upon him, reveal never so many comfortable promises, yet by reason thereof we find it by experience, that always those distressed spirits forget whatsoever is spoken, & all their mind and talk is upon the evil, and the violence of the temptation, and they attend not to the comfort, and to the promises revealed to them: their eyes are held in this manner, that though they are near to Christ, and even in the privy chamber, yet they will not take notice of Christ, because their hearts are thus held off from the apprehension of his presence. In Psalm 73.23. when the Prophet David was fallen into a desperate perplexity, because of the prosperity of the wicked, so that he began to question his own condition, at last he said, Nevertheless, I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. He could not see God's providence over him, and his presence with him, because his mind was so taken up with the prosperity of the ungodly: he saw all their pomp, and their glory, and how their eyes stood out with fatness, and that he was beaten every night: by reason hereof (I say) he saw not God upholding of him, and going with him. So gather up the former passages; partly through ignorance, because we know not Christ when we see him, and partly through carelessness, because we attend not to him when he is come, and partly because we mis-judge the presence of Christ upon false grounds, and partly the eyes are hid by the hurry of some temptation, or some worldly extremity, that we cannot see Christ though he be with us: these be the first hindrances on our parts. And as it is thus with us, And for three reasons in Christ. so there are other hindrances which let us that we cannot apprehend a Christ; and they are these. First, in general; as we deprive ourselves of consolation in Christ, so the Lord jesus through our just deserving doth withdraw himself from us: As in Esay 18.7. I will wait upon the Lord that hideth his face from the house of jacob, and I will look for him. And in Psalm 31.22. I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplication, when I cried unto thee. Both these places do make it clear, that many times though the Lord jesus is near the soul, yet he apprehends it not. Now the Lord jesus hides himself upon three causes especially. 1. When the Saints of God fall into some gross sin, and some scandalous offence, or else tamper with some bosom corruption, and are at truce with it, though it be but some infirmity; then the Lord jesus justly hides himself, and withdraws the apprehension of his presence from such a soul. For these are the terms whereupon the Lord hath promised to reveal himself, to wit, so fare as we labour to walk with him. If the Saints of God fall off from him, and break off themselves, it is no wonder though the Lord jesus hid himself from them: he is with them while they are with him. No longer, no further doth Christ engage himself to be with us, but upon these terms. john 14.21. He that hath my Commandments, & keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me, shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifest myself to him, The Lord will manifest himself to us: upon what grounds? If we will love him and keep his Commandments. But if we break the condition on our parts, and falsify that we have promised to do, no wonder though the Lord withdraw himself from us. You see it is the tenor upon which he promiseth his presence. Now if the Saints of God fall scandalously, and be overtaken with some gross sin, this builds up the partition wall, that Christ cannot be discerned: as it was with David, Psal. 51.10. where he saith, Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me: he was even to begin the world new again. And it is Gods wise dealing with his own servants: for God will not brook sin in his own servants: and they must know, if they will have him to dwell in them, they must not give way to any base sin, if they do, he will withdraw himself from them: not that God forsakes finally whom he loved once, but he will take away the sense and apprehension of his presence; that though he is there, yet the soul shall not see it. And also when they give way to some secret distemper, and are at truce with some infirmity, and they will be parlying with it, and meddle too much with it, it is just with the Lord, and ordinary, to withdraw the presence of his grace from such a man's soul. If a Christian be overtaken somewhat more than ordinary, with a peevish spirit, or if he be something too eager for the world, so that he grow cold in holy duties, and is in danger to lie and dissemble for his gain, it is just with God, that this man should scramble for his comfort, and welter up and down without any evidence of God's love, And also though a Christian commit not sin outwardly, yet if he give leave to any sin, and beat truce with it, though they seem to hate it, and yet let their meditations run upon it, and parley with some secret imagination, etc. it is just with God to hid himself from them. And others there are that live with men, and see their evils, and yet will not reprove them. I have known many of those to have gone out all their days without any comfort. And it is no marvel though they cannot see Christ, because they themselves build up the partition-wall between Christ and them: the Lord jesus Christ is not able to brook it, that he is thus slighted and neglected, and that any sinful base distemper should be attended to, to keep company with it rather than with Christ: Christ jesus distastes it infinitely, and therefore withdraws the apprehension of his presence from such a person. The second cause why the Lord hides himself, is, when the faithful servants of God begin to grow careless and luskish to holy duties; and because God hath made known his good will to them, therefore they begin to grow careless and secure. When the Lord seethe this, that they do abuse his favour, so that now they begin to grow secure and heartless, and to slag, and to grow sluggish, it is just with the Lord to estrange himself from that soul, and it is just that that soul should find himself lost, that he may quicken up himself. When Christians grow cold in prayer, and careless in holy duties, the Lord taketh away the light of his favour, and he leaves those sluggish hearts to themselves: nay, God is forced even against his will and mind, even for the good of those Christians, to take away the comfort of his presence: so that now they begin to think they never had grace. If the Lord did not thus, they would never mend their pace, nor quicken up themselves to any holy duties. And this is the reason why many lie down in sorrow, and think they never had any grace at all: the Lord seethe it, and perceives it, that unless he should bring them to this extreme hazard, they would never be drawn out from that desperate security: but by this means in the end God makes them find their hearts and tongues again, and makes them consider from whence they are fallen. Oh, saith the Lord, mercy is as good when you have it, as when you want it; the time was, when you filled heaven and earth with your prayers, and you could pray earnestly, and you could give the Lord no rest; you prized opportunities, and now you have many opportunities and slight them. It is just with God, when we begin to be thus tonguetied, and to be secure, and to think all is well (now the Lord hath humbled our souls, and pardoned our sins, and shown us his favour) for a time to leave those souls of yours, though he save you in the end: to send you a hell upon earth, that so you may strive to receive that mercy and comfort which formerly you had, and now have slighted. Thus he dealt with the Church in Cant. 5.2, 3. when Christ knocked at the door, and said, Open to me, my sister my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night: she made answer in this manner, I have put off my coat, how shall I put it on? I have washed my feet, how shall I defile them? Now when Christ withdrew himself, than she found her feet again, and followed Christ with much labour from place to place, and could not be content till she had found him. And so it was with the holy Prophet, Psal. 30.6. I said in my prosperity, I shall never be removed: but when he saw God going away from him, see how he bestirs himself: 2 Sam. 22.7. Oh, saith he, I cried to thee, O Lord, in the time of my trouble. Then he could pray, and hear again, and recount Gods former goodness, and perform his former duties. Simile. I have seen the father deal so with the child; when the father is going on in his journey, if the child will not go on, but stands gaping upon vanity, and when the father calls, he comes not, the only way is this, the father steps aside behind a bush, and then the child runs and cries, and if he gets his father again, he forsakes all his trifles, and walks on faster, and more cheerfully with his father than ever. So when the Lord jesus Christ sometimes makes known himself to us, and would carry us on in a Christian course cheerfully, we are playing with trifles, and grow careless, and cold, and worldly, and remiss in prayer, and dead-hearted; the only way to quicken us up, is, to hid himself, and to make us give ourselves for lost; and then they that could scarcely pray once a week, now will pray three or four times aday. Thirdly and lastly, the Lord doth hid himself in his infinite wisdom and fatherly care by way of prevention, that his servants and children might not fall into some evil. He will not bestow the sense and sweetness of his favour upon them, lest they should be proud thereof, and prank up themselves in regard of their privileges, and be carried with contempt of the weakness of their fellow brethren: nay, if they had that which they desired, there were no living with them: therefore the Lord in his care and goodness is feign to hold them to hardmeat, and to keep them to a spare diet. He seethe it suits best with the hearts of wayward sinners; only he lets in some incklings of his favour and grace, and upholds the heart with so much mercy as may bear it up, and yet but with so much. Thus the Lord deals with us as a wise father doth with his child, Simile. he seethe if he had his portion in his hands, he would be riotous and careless, and therefore it is wisdom not to trust him with his estate, but to keep him low, and to keep him upon dependence, that he may have better subjection from his hands. So it is with the Lord, he seethe that we have unruly hearts, and that if we had that evidence of God's mercy made known to us that we would have, we would be so proud, and so haughty, and so full of contempt, and so censorious, that there were no living with us: therefore the Lord keeps us short, and holds such souls low, and keeps us only in some hope, to hold up our souls: and the more dependence the soul hath, the more observance hath the Lord from us. Experience proveth it true, I have many things to write unto you; but you are not able to bear them now; you are not capable of them yet. As it is with a little bark, Simile. if it should have a great main mast, and broad sail , then in stead of carrying it, it would be overthrown by them: therefore men proportion their mast according to their ship or bark; and if it have skilful Mariners, they strike sail when they come into the shallow or narrow Seas. This is the reason why the Lord deals so with us: the soul is like the ship, and the sense of God's love and mercy is like the sail that carries us on in a Christian course: and if we get but a little sail of mercy and favour, we go on sweetly and comfortably; but if God give us abundance of assurance, our cursed rotten hearts, would overturn, and in stead of quickening of us, it would overthrew us: so that though God doth it the fault is in our selves. That I take to be the ground, why many a poor Saint of God hath smoked out his days in doubting and making question of God's mercy and goodness and at the hour of death God hath given them a full assurance of mercy, Note. and so carried them full sail to heaven: they were not able to bear this before. As a faithful Minister of God once said to a poor woman that had been long time questioning herself, and doubting of her salvation, when at last the Lord made it good unto her soul that Christ was her own, than the Minister said to her, The Lord will not always give his children a cordial, but he hath it ready for them when they are fainting. The comfort of God's spirit is better than wine, Cant 1.2. Now when a man hath a proud, haughty, self-conceited heart, if he had much of this cordial, he would forget himself, and trample upon every one; and therefore the Lord reserves this great mercy to the last: this deprives a Christian of abundance of sweetness, that otherwise God would bestow upon him. Let every man therefore go to his own heart, and examine it; if while God is pleased to keep us under hatches, and to knock off our wheels, and leave us in the dust, if yet in the meanest degree we can snarl with God's providence, and say, Why do I pray, and God answers not? others cry, and God heareth them, and why doth he not hear me? If when we are under we do thus, then what would we do if we might have what we would? we would say as the people in jeremies' time, We will come no more at thee, we are Lords, jeremy 2.31. Therefore that the Lord may prevent this proud spirit of ours, and that we may walk in humility before him, it is just with God to withdraw his Spirit from us; if you have not comfort, thank yourselves for it. So then, gather up all, and the sum is this; If we have not the apprehension of Christ's presence with us, though he is there, then either it is because of our own ignorance or carelessness we know him not, or attend not when he comes; or else we mis-judge the presence of Christ; and only esteem of his favour and presence according to the extraordinary sweetness that we would have, and that we imagine should accompany the presence of Christ; or else because our eyes are held with the hurry of some temptation, and some worldly inconvenience, that we cannot see the Lord Christ though he be within us; or else the Lord justly hideth himself from us, because we are fallen into some gross sin, or else parley with some private infirmities, and do not labour to humble ourselves mightily for them, and strive against them; or else we do abuse the favour of God; or else we have proud hearts, that we are not able to bea●e that comfort that we would have: therefore (I say) the Lord hides himself from us to prevent evil in us. This I take to be the answer to the question in hand. Come into his Temple. Here is a word that gives us foothold for the second Doctrine: into his Temple. This is a word of propriety; as in that place when Christ came into the Temple, and saw those that bought and sold in it, He made a scourge of small cords, and drove them all out of the Temple, and the sheep, and the oxen, and cast out the changers of money, and overthrew the Tables, john 2.15. and he claimed the house for his own, saying, My house shall be called a house of prayer, Mat. 21, 13. This word (I say) is a word of propriety. He comes not like a stranger, or like a foreigner, but like a King to his Palace, to take possession of it. So the Doctrine is this: Doct. 2 Doct. 2. Christ takes possession of every humbled soul. When the Lord jesus comes to a soul truly humbled, he taketh possession of it as his own; he comes into his Temple. This is the scope of the comparison: he comes as a King to his Throne where he sits, and to the Kingdom where he rules. I told you before that the engraffing of the soul into Christ, is nothing else, but when the Lord by his Spirit comes to take possession of the humbled soul: so that the soul stands possessed of Christ, and is made partaker of all those spiritual good things that are in Christ. This is general to all the works of application of Christ, and the footsteps are to be seen in all the works of of vocation, justification, adoption, sanctification, and the like: the Lord jesus gets ground in the heart by all these. As, in vocation, the Lord draws the soul to himself, and the soul follows him; in justification the Lord undertakes for the sinner, and unites the soul to himself, and makes it one with himself; in adoption the Lord makes him a son, and in sanctification he sets a stamp upon him: but in all see and consider there is possession, so that this work of possessing the soul is general to all, and so is fit for this place. See how fitly it suits to the work of preparation: the sinner resigns himself into the hands of the Lord, and he falls down before his footstool, and lets the Lord do what he will with him; and when the soul is come to this, the Lord Christ comes immediately and takes possession of him, and doth engage himself to provide for him. This is the scope of that place, Ezek. 16.8. the Lord Christ saw the Church in her blood, and took charge of her, and saith, Thou becamest mine: and then follow all the works of justification, as in the 9.10.11. Verses: where the Lord entered into a covenant with the Church, and took a charge of her: as if he should have said, Art thou content to be at my dispose? then I will take thee to myself, and dispose of thee as may be for my own glory. Rom. 11.28. speaking of the Gentiles that were ingraffed into Christ and the jews that were cut off, that he might crush the proud hearts of the Gentiles, that they might not be high minded, there he saith, Thou bearest not the root, but the root beareth thee: the root is the Lord jesus Christ. For so it follows Verse 17. If some of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild Olive tree art graffed in amongst them. Every man naturally is a branch of the wild Olive tree, and the root that he must be planted into, is the Lord jesus, and this plant must grow no more upon the old root: therefore the Lord jesus must in mercy take that soul, and by the power of his might bear up the soul; and as the root feedeth the branches, and giveth fatness and strength to them, so whensoever the soul is truly severed from sin, the Lord Christ takes it to himself, and bears it up, and provides for it as his own. Quest. But some will say, Wherein doth this possession stand? Ans. This supreme possession of the soul doth discover itself in two particulars, and those will give the reason of it. First, the Lord jesus undertakes for the soul truly humbled: secondly, he disposeth of the soul so fare as may make for his own glory. Reason 1 First, the Lord takes upon him to shield the heart from evil, whereunto it was subject, and from which it could not be freed by any strength of its own; what it could do not for itself, the Lord jesus Christ takes in hand to do for it. I told you formerly, that when God opened the sinner's eyes, and he hath seen his sin truly and throughly, and is pierced with horror in the apprehension of his sin, and he finds it to be the greatest vexation that can befall him; the sinner is weary of his corruptions, and desires to be freed from them: but he hath no power of himself, as from himself and therefore the soul in this horror of heart dares not meddle with sin, yet he cannot free himself from the power of it. Hereupon he sues out a sequestration, and stands waiting if any man will take possession of him; It will not submit to sin, and yet cannot save itself. Now the soul being in this case, the Lord jesus steps in as the Umpire, and saith I will take all, and pay all, and stand between all the hazard that can befall the soul in this case: as if a house be sequestered, the man stands to see if any will take possession of it, and be the Protector of it: so Christ takes it upon him, and resolves to stand between the soul, and all the misery that can befall the soul. Simile. And as it is in other countries (and as it hath been the state of the Low-Countries) if they be oppressed with some potent enemy that is too great and mighty for them, they seek to some foreign Prince, and yield to him, that he may lay what tribute he will upon them, provided that he will take the protection of them: When they had rebelled from under the King of Spain, Queen Elizabeth took the protection of them: So it is in the heart that is thus oppressed and besieged with the sin that lieth heavy upon it, and with many plagues that are set so close against him: What doth the heart do in this case? it falls at the feet of jesus Christ, and is content that he shall do what he will with it; only he beseecheth the Lord Christ, that he would become Lord Protector of his poor broken battered soul. Now the Lord Christ becomes Protector of him, and takes a charge of him, and will free and deliver him from that evil which it is oppressed withal, and from which it cannot save itself. In Num. 25.11.12.13. when any person had slain a man unawares, he might fly to the City of Refuge, that he might be free from the hand of the Avenger: the Lord jesus Christ, is this City of Refuge, and the manslayer is every poor sinner, that is beset with his sin, and burdened with misery by reason of it; he submits to the Lord jesus Christ, and the mercy of Christ gives entertainment to him, and rescueth him from the evil which he feared. There are three dangers upon which the broken heart lies, and from which the Lord jesus Christ undertaketh to free him. Against 3. dangers Christ undertaks for us. First, the justice of God the Father is provoked, and the poor sinner seethe his divine justice incensed, and that he is not able to bear it: and secondly, Satan lays heavy things against him, and lays claim to him: and thirdly sin is powerful and tyrannous, and would still domineer over him. Now the soul groans under all these, and saith, Oh, who will deliver me? Then the Lord jesus comes into rescue him: and when the heart is content to be freed from sin, Christ makes answer saying, Be thou comforted thou poor broken hearted sinner, I will undertake for thee, and I will satisfy Gods divine justice, that it shall not execute wrath upon thee, and I will answer Satan's accusations against thee, and I will subdue all thy sins that they shall not prevail against thee to thy destruction, but thou shalt be delivered. First, for divine justice: the soul seethe a holy God, that will not put up the wrong that hath been done against him, but will have his glory here in his humiliation, or else in his confusion hereafter. Now when divine justice makes out against a poor sinner, the Lord jesus Christ comes in and puts in bail for him: Simile. As it is with a man that is arrested, by the Sergeant, he may have this liberty, to put in a bail; so when the wrath of the Almighty drinks up a man's spirits, and drags down his soul to hell in his own apprehension, than the Lord promiseth the poor soul to see all satisfied. Comfort yourselves you broken hearts, the Lord Christ's bail will be taken for more debts than you own: nay, the Father desires no better surety; as he himself saith, Mat. 3.13. This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: he doth not say with whom I am well pleased, but in whom, that is, in him, and all that come to God the father in his name. Thus the Lord jesus Christ doth, and so a sinner is freed from that wrath of the Almighty. Secondly, the power of Satan is crushed, so that he shall never more be able to be Lord and Ruler over the soul truly humbled: but wheresoever the Lord jesus Christ comes, Satan gives way to the supreme authority of the Lord Christ; and the Lord jesus makes all to vanish, and no more to appear or have any thing to do in the heart: as he himself saith in Rev. 1.18. I have the keys of Hell and of death. You know that he that hath the keys doth all, he opens and shuts, he lets in and puts out whom he will: so the Lord Christ hath the supreme command over hell and death, and he can unlock hell gates and bring out from the gates of death any poor sinner that is wronged by Satan: and therefore when the Lord jesus Christ arose he led captivity captive, as a valiant triumphant Conqueror leads a company of poor captives. Now than Christ having conquered hell and death, wheresoever he comes, Satan gives way, and dares not meddle there any more: Therefore Christ saith in Luke 10.11. I saw Satan fall down from heaven like lightning, that is, when the Sceptre of Christ was set up in the Gospel, than the Devil that cruel tyrant fell down on a sudden, and was feign to give way, and not to lay claim to the heart. Thus sin is shaken off, and comes to be cashiered from that soul for whom Christ hath undertaken. Sin as it were challengeth prescription to the soul; but Christ having taken possession, he satisfieth all quarrels and bears all the charges of whatsoever sin makes against the soul; and when sin saith I have had a possession of his soul from his very birth to this day, and why should I go out now? then the Lord jesus saith, the issue is out: and thus sin challengeth a right to the heart, but Christ saith it is forgiven. And therefore though sin be never so violent, yet the Lord jesus saith, that soul is mine, and was created by me for my own glory; and howsoever sin hath crept in, yet now departed, I am come to take possession of it, Rom. 8.3. there the Apostle saith, What the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh: The phrase that fits our purpose, is this, the Lord Christ condemned sin. The judgement of Mr Calvin is this, To condemn sin in the flesh is nothing else but thus; as it is with a man that is in law, when the cause goes against a man, and he is cast in that he laid claim to, we use to say he is condemned. Sin layeth a kind of claim to the soul of a poor sinner, and claimeth a kind of right, upon these grounds: Every son of Adam is a child of disobedience, and so the child of wrath: But that man is a child of Adam, and therefore the child of disobedience, and consequently death and damnation is due to that man, and hereupon he is mine. Now Christ answers all these pleas of sin, and makes sin fall off from the cause, and saith, It is true that those that are charged with the sin of Adam, and are under the power of that corruption which they receive from Adam, they are the children of disobedience, and so no wonder though they are subject to wrath. He grants all this, but yet saith he, They for whom the sin of Adam hath been satisfied, and from whom the guilt of it removed, and they for whom Christ hath conquered sin, they ought not to be condemned, for they are delivered from this wrath: but such is this humble soul for whom I have undertaken. Is the sin of Adam imputed? I have satisfied for it: doth the sin of Adam prevail against him? by my death I have overcome sin and hell, and he shall have the benefit of my victory. Now sin falls off from the claim and loseth the day. If the first Adam hath sinned against God, the second Adam hath suffered: if the first Adam hath polluted the sons of men, the Lord jesus by the power of quickening, hath subdued the power of corruption, so that neither the guilt of sin can be imputed, nor the power of sin prevail against the poor sinner for whom Christ undertaketh. So than it is plain that the Lord jesus undertakes for the soul, and provides for it, as in all the three particulars: this is the first particular of the possession. Reas. 2 Secondly, Christ doth dispose of the soul for his best advantage. This is one specialty, that a man will dispose all his occasions for his own convenience, for his own behoof, so fare as may be for his own benenefit and comfort. So when the Lord jesus Christ comes to take possession, he will have the rule and command of the heart: But when Satan that strong man armed keeps the house, and sin rules in the soul (in a man's natural condition) and that the soul is at their managing, and at their framing and teaching, it either lies barren and fallow, or else brings forth nothing but thorns and thistles; as in jer. 4.3. Break up the fallow grounds of your hearts, and sow not among thorns: for the soul naturally being ruled by sin, is overspread with thorns, and is altogether corrupt and detestable, and Satan and sin rule in the heart and affections: so that now the whole frame of the soul bringeth out fruits of darkness to Satan. And hence it is that the Apostle saith, Rom. 6.20. When ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness; that is, when ye were under the power of sin, ye did not work for God, ye did all to satisfy your own lusts: the drunkard is free from the power of sobriety, and the thief is free from the power of justice, and so the graces of God's Spirit rule not in a man. But now when the Lord hath (by the power of his grace) bond the strong man, and cast him out by contrition and humiliation, than he takes the soul, and it is in the hands of the Lord jesus Christ, and he disposeth of it, so as may be for the comfort of the soul, and for the furtherance of the glory of his rich grace. In Matth. 20.15. when the servants began to quarrel, because they had but every man a penny, the Master said, Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? so when the Lord hath cast out corruption, and saith, This heart, and this hand, and this tongue is mine, is it not lawful for me to do what I will with them? This tongue shall praise my name, and shall never speak vainly and foolishly, and this heart shall love me, and this hand shall work for me, I will dispose of all for the advantage of my great name. Three ways Christ disposeth the heart to himself. This the Lord makes known in three particulars; for we keep ourselves to the general, that we may not encroach upon those particular works which are to follow: I say, there are three particular acts upon the soul. First, the Lord jesus fits the soul for his service, which otherwise is altogether unfit for any spiritual service; the Lord jesus puts those spiritual abilities into the soul, which may make it fit for Gods turn, so that it is now a fit pattern to express the riches of his grace in Christ jesus: As it is with a man that hath passed over some part of his possession into the hands of some prodigal son, Simile. or some naughty tenant, and the land is out of heart; when he taketh possession of it again, he will be sure to order it that it may be fit for use; he will dig and dung and manure it, that so he may expect some fruit from it: just so it is with every sinner, he lies lay, and that wretched heart of his never desired any good, and his lose tongue never spoke any good, it lay fallow, and it brought forth nothing but base practices, but when sin and Satan hath driven the soul out of heart, that it hath no power to do any good, than the Lord Christ comes and takes possession of the heart, he taketh it in from the common of the world, and he manureth it with the grace of his spirit, as it is in that phrase, Rom. 11.16, Thou art partaker of the root and fatness of the Olive tree. Though it were a barren mind, and a sinful and corrupt heart, and a wanton eye the Lord hath taken these parts of the body and soul, and mannured them, and convaieth such fatness and grace, that the soul becomes fit to do him honour, and to receive comfort from him. Secondly, as the Lord fits the soul for his service, so he maintains that fitness and that gracious disposition of soul and spirit wheresoever he hath bestowed it; so that the soul, if it be not negligent of its own salvation, cannot lose that fitness altogether, and the Lord jesus cannot lose that glory which he expects from it: as in Psal. 16.5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup, thou maintainest my lot. The Lord jesus allows a portion of grace to every soul that he comes in, and he maintains that grace. Lastly, he doth improve that fitness for the praise of his great name; the Lord Christ ever receives some income of service and obedience, and that soul ever receives some comfort and consolation from him. This is the difference between the first and second Adam: the first Adam had grace, but he neither kept it nor improved it aright, he did not improve that wisdom which God had given him to repel the temptations of Satan and he did not improve his strength and ability to keep him from falling from God but when the Lord jesus comes to take possession of a poor soul, he will not only keep and maintain the grace that he hath given him, but he will quicken it, and provoke that soul to do what he should do in all obedience, and to receive what comfort the Lord hath in store for him. See this in some passages of Scripture: joh. 15. 1, 2. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Every poor Christian, every poor woman, and every poor Apprentice and little child, whom God hath called, shall bear fruit, he purgeth them, and so the Lord receives some improvement of his graces, that he gives to those that he takes possession of. So then, let us gather up all; If the Lord jesus undertakes for the soul, so that justice cannot proceed against him; and if he doth dispose of the soul, and fit it for his service, and maintain that fitness, and improve it for his glory; then certainly he doth take supreme possession of the soul: and he that undertakes for the soul takes possession of the heart. Use 1 Use 1. Reproof of them that keep Christ out of possession. I cannot tell whether we have matter of lamentation or reproof. How few have given entertainment to the Lord jesus Christ! have we not cause to lament our condition, that the Lord jesus hath passed by all our coasts, and is not regarded? How often hath he come to thy bedside, and besought thee to receive favour, and to be reconciled to God, and receive pardon from him? how often hath he entreated thee to consider of that which was for thy peace? how often hath he said, Come to me you rebellious children? and, Ah, every one that will, come, and take of the water of life freely, and live for ever? Where is the man that can say, Christ is come, and that he hath given entertainment to him? as the man, when he had found the evidence of God's love, after much doubting, Mr. Glove● Martyr. said, He is come, He is come. Where shall a man find the Lord jesus Christ? If a man should go from house to house, and from heart to heart, who keeps possession? doth Christ dwell in that heart, and doth he rule in that soul? Oh, woe to us, that we have suffered the Lord jesus Christ to desire entertainment, and yet would not receive him: we have taken notice of him, but we would none of him. Who rules in that heart? The old Tyrant, the old lust and corruption, as pride and covetousness these bear rule every where, both in the closet and at the table: the husband and the wife, and all are proud; these will not out but retain their hold there still. And profaneness, and contempt of God and his ordinances, this is the tyrant that rules in many families, and in every coast in our land. The father swears, and the child swears; the master reviles God's Ministers, and the servant knows the length of his Master's foot, and he rails too, and the child hears it and follows the same course. If these bear rule in you, the Lord jesus Christ is fare from you. May I not complain as sometime jeremiah did? jer. 17.13. when the Lord was going from the people, the holy prophet looks longly after him, and saith, O Lord the hope of Israel, why art thou as a waifairing man? So may we not justly complain and say, Oh that Christ should come and offer himself and not be regarded? When the Devil shall drag down your souls to hell and destruction, than you will cry after him, and say, Oh thou the hope of Israel, why dost thou departed. In Gen. 19.2. when the two Angels came to Lot in Sodom (the one was Christ) Let compelled them to go in. Christ is not now unwilling, but he knocks and calls, and saith, Open to me my love, my dove my undefiled: he entreats the lose person to forsake his base practices, and the covetous person to leave his oppression, and to receive mercy: but you suffer Christ to lie in the street; and despise that word of his, and will be at your own carving. This especially falls foul upon two sorts of persons. The first sort is all carnal profane opposers of the Lord jesus. The carnal gospeler is content that Christ should undertake for him, and be his Protectort, to defend him from the plague of sin; but he is not content that Christ should rule in him. He doth as the Inne-keeeper, that receives a guest into his house, to make an advantage of him: for as the Innkeeper will come to his guest, and pretend great matters to him, not because he would have his guest to possess him, but because he would be possessor of his money; so the carnal gospeler would have Christ for his own turn, he would dispose of Christ and mercy for his own purpose: and hence come all those speeches, God is merciful, and, Hath the Lord Christ created men to damn them? Oh, but mercy is sweet, and pardon is good. This is thus much, you would have Christ to pardon sin, that you might commit it with less fear and more freedom. If you did see no Saviour, but that you must needs be damned for it, you would startle at it. But you would have Christ to stand by you that you might sinne the more freely. Oh be not deceived; do you think that Christ will come to be an underling to your lusts, and a drudge to your base distempers, whose condemnation is just, saith the Apostle? No, you are deceived, you shall not have Christ a servant to carry your lusts and pleasures to heaven with you. The truth is, the Lord jesus will never bring comfort nor consolation to thee, that wilt not be possessed of him, either have both or neither, choose whether you will. The second sort to be reproved, are a company of sly hypocrites, that would part stakes with Christ, and part houses with him they could be content that he should have some room in the house, but they will dispose of all themselves: as a man that lets some rooms in his house, Simile. upon this condition, that he may have them when he lists. You will pray against sin, provided that now and then Christ will give you leave to practise it; and you will cry out against it, provided that you may have a privy seal, or some secret licence for it; and you will profess bitterly against base courses, so you may have some back door and inward lust still. The Lord jesus doth not share with any man: can he have a part and the Devil a part? nay, he will have either all or none. It was the trick of an adulterous heart: for when there was contention for the children, the harlot said, 1 King 3.26. Let it be neither thine nor mine, but divide it: Nay saith the mother, let her have all. She was the harlot,, that would have the child divided. So it is with an adulterous and dissembling heart, that saith, Let Christ have a part, and the world a part; let lusts and pomp have a part, and Christ a part, this is dissimulation with GOD, and shall receive condemnation: there must be no sharing. If your hearts be guilty of this I charge you in the name of the Lord jesus consider it, the Lord never came into your souls: you must resign all to him, and then he will save all: he will pardon all sin, and give power against it. What a fearful thing were it, if the Lord should deal with you as you deal with him? Suppose thou couldst be half damned; wouldst thou be content to have thy heart go to hell, and thine eye to heaven, or thy body to hell, and thy soul to heaven? therefore that thy body and soul may both be saved, resign up up all into the hands of thy Saviour, and let him dispose of all here in the kingdom of grace, and then he will take all to himself in glory for ever. Use 2. If the Lord jesus be the possessor of all the house, then let every one have his own, Give all to Christ whose it is. do not with draw from Christ that which is his. Whose image and superscription hath the soul? Christ jesus hath the protection of it, therefore let him have all. Let thine eye see his works and wonder and admire at them: let thy mind know jesus Christ, whom to know is eternal life; but do not withdraw any thing from the true owner thereof, that hath purchased it full dear. 1 Cor. 5.15. Shall I take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbidden. Thine eye, and thy tongue, and thy hand, and thy heart, they are all Christ's members, he hath bought all with his blood and thou hast nothing to do with that which Christ hath bought: therefore whensoever thy corruptions stir, and Satan tempts and begs for the use of thy mind or heart make answer and say: Shall I take that heart that is Christ's, and think basely? God forbidden: Shall I take the hand of Christ, and work wickedness with it? The holy Apostle is marvellous peremptory in this case: as 1 Cor. 6.19. Glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are Gods, and he hath bought you with a price: your bodies and souls are the Lords, he undertakes for both, therefore glorify God in both. If a man did come to your house, and take the meat and drink that you have provided, and rob you of your money, you would take it very hardly, and say, It is my own: So, you are not your own. Therefore if the Devil or the world would prevail with you, and enter into the use of your heart or mind, tell him they are not thy own, they are the Lords: JESUS CHRIST hath come into thy heart and mind in mercy, and therefore say it is the Lords, let him do what he will with it. ⁂ SPIRITVALL LOVE AND JOY. Gal. 5.22. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, goodness, faith, etc. THE sure mercies of David, which faith believeth, love embraceth. And who so getteth this field and treasure, must needs go away rejoicing in so good a bargain. All this and all other graces and comforts worketh one and the same Spirit: directing the heart to God, uniting it unto Christ, and thereby comforting it abundantly. All is his fruit in us. At this time of love and joy. The point of Doctrine is this. Love and joy by the spirit wrought in a broken heart, for embracing mercy as it deserves. Doct. The Spirit of the Father kindles in the soul of a sinner, truly humbled and enlightened, love and joy, to entertain and rejoice in the riches of his mercy, so as beseems the worth of it. There are three passages considerable, that we may know the meaning of this Doctrine. First, this love and joy is not where to be found nor seen, but only in a heart humbled and enlightened: For unless the heart be humbled, it seethe no need of this grace and mercy, and therefore despiseth it, and is rather carried with a hatred against that grace and mercy that would purge him; and troubled with a kind of weariness of the power of that grace that would reform his life and conversation. And though he were humbled, yet if he were not enlightened to see this mercy and goodness of God, he cannot delight in it. I know there is wild love and joy enough in the world, as there is wild Thyme and other herbs, but we would have garden-love and garden-joy, of Gods own planting: for such hypocritical love and joy we will not meddle with here. Secondly, this love and joy is kindled by the Spirit of the Father; for the Father learns us the lecture, and (as I told you before of the mind enlightened) kindles this holy fire, which is rightly compared to the fire of the Sanctuary, as in Leu. 9.24 There came a fire from before the Lord, and consumed upon the Altar the offering; even those sparks of the pillar of fire which did typify Christ to them. But whether this be so or no, I will not now dispute, for as the Lord provided the sacrifice, so the Lord caused the fire to come down from heaven: and hence it was that when Nadab and Abihu offered strange fire, the Lord consumed them, Leu. 10.1, 2. so it is in this holy fire of love and joy, we may strike and endeavour, but our steel and our flint will not work this endeavour, nor strike this fire of love and joy. It is jesus Christ from whence all spiritual sparks of grace do come, and amongst the rest these of love and joy; all other love and joy, that is not wrought by the Spirit of the Father, must be cashiered and abandoned, it cannot reach to God, nor be pleasing unto him: It is that which the Apostle infers in the general, Rom. 8.8. They that are in the flesh, cannot please God; but it must be joy of the spirit, which must please him. Now though the soul truly humbled and broken, that heretofore hath felt the weight and burden of his sins, and is now separated from them, so that he dares not meddle with them, he dares as well take a Bear by the tooth, and fall quick into hell, as take up those courses again, yet he hath not power of himself to be enlarged in any love to entertain Christ, or spiritually to joy in him, further than the power of the Lord jesus in the promise shall enable him thereto. Suffer me to enlarge myself thus: The soul is like an empty vessel, it stands not at the dispose of sin, or itself, but it is at the Lords disposition; if the Lord will kindle any love and joy, so it is, for of himself he cannot do it. As it is with some Gentleman in the Country, Simile. he will be content to let the King have the use of his house for a while, but he is not able to provide necessaries for him, because he is a mean man, therefore the King sends his provision before, and then comes himself: Just so it is here with a poor humble sinner; the poor soul is marvellous well content that the Lord should come and dwell in him, and dispose of him, but he is not able to give him any entertainment: he hath not any heat of holy affections, or love, or desire, to welcome the Lord as becomes so great a Majesty: therefore the Lord is feign to infuse love and joy, that by them he may be welcomed into the soul of the humbled sinner. Now when the soul is come to this degree of sanctification, than it can work by itself. Or thus: Simile. It is with a sinner, as with a burning glass; take such a glass, it will burn any thing by the heat of the Sun, yet it hath no heat in itself, but receives it from the Sunbeams, by virtue whereof it burns whatsoever is before it: Just so it is with a sinner. But all stubborn sinners are like water, that will not burn at all. I will go no further than the work of preparation. It is neither sin nor self shall have power over me, sin shall not, and self cannot rule me: therefore I will wait till the Sun of righteousness will shine forth from heaven, from the beauty of his sanctuary; and having received the beams of God's love and favour effectually upon my soul, and being warmed by the Sun of righteousness, I shall be able to return the heat of love to God again. Thus the Spirit of the Father kindles love and joy in a heart humbled and enlightened. Thirdly, the Doctrine saith, that love and joy are kindled, that they may entertain and rejoice in the riches of God's mercy, in the worth of it. This last clause is added to discover the distinct nature of this love and joy, from all the feigned love and joy, that all carnal and hypocritical wretches pretend to have to jesus Christ; there is a kind of loving and joying in the hearts of hypocrites, as afterward you shall hear: So says judas, Hail Master; so the Pharisees and the people cut down branches of the trees to welcome Christ, and crid, Hosanna, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. And in Matth. 8.19. A certain Scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And so the stony ground, Matth. 13.20. did hear the Word with joy; and so love and joy go together: But it is not that kind of love which came down from Heaven, nor that which will ever carry yourselves as beseeming the mercy of God in Christ; for he that said, Hail Master, betrayed his Master with a kiss: and Christ might have said, Is this thy love and joy wherewith thou welcomest me? And the Scribes and Pharisees follow Christ a while, and then forsake him; and so they that before cried, Hosanna, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, within a while after they cry, Crucify, crucify him; and the stony ground received the Word with joy, and a while after came to nothing. This is wildfire, and foolish fire, as the Philosopher saith, it is bred and hammered out by our own ends and aims; but they do not carry themselves beseeming the riches of Gods free grace in jesus Christ: that is thus; An heart thus kindled, bestows the best love and joy upon the Lord jesus Christ, because he is the best good. This is the meaning of that phrase so often intimated, Whosoever loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. He that prizeth any thing more in love, or delights in any thing more with joy, than in Christ, is not worthy of Christ: So then, whosoever bestows love or joy upon any carnal contents, more than upon Christ, his love and joy is not brought from Heaven, it is a false love that will fade, and will not bring him that comfort which he looks to receive from it. This love is called the spiritual love, 2 Tim. 1.7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind: we have not received the spirit of bondage that is in preparation, but the spirit of love that is in vocation. It is called spiritual love, because the Spirit of God in the promise kindles it, and joy goes with it, as you shall hear anon: and it is that affection also, in the example of Zacheus, Luke 19.6. he had a month's mind to see Christ, and (as the learned well interpret it) he had a blind desire, but well set on by Christ; and therefore see how he labours to preventall opportunities and occasions: he runs before the crowd, and gets up into a tree, and when he was there Christ saw him, and said, Come down quickly, for I must dine at thy house. Here was the voice of Christ, and the kindness of Christ too, and this kindled the fire, and wrought love and joy, for these two go together; and therefore the Text saith, He came down and received him joyfully. This seems to me to be the reason and meaning, why sometimes in the phrase of Scripture, love is put for believing, as in joh. 3.18, 19 He that believeth is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he believeth not in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness more than light. The Text saith, He that believeth not, or he that receiveth not, for they are both one: he proves this, that a man not believing shall be damned: why? for this is the great condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men love darkness more than light: because he will not love Christ, and will not receive him, he receives darkness, and loves darkness more than Christ, intimating the near combination between these two, and the working and acting of them. There are many other places that speak of love and joy, but none that fits this place of vocation. Now to make this good, there are two things necessary to be propounded and handled: First, to show the reason of the order of God's work, why after hope and desire there comes this love and joy. Secondly, the ground of this love, and what it is in the promise, that will kindle and strike fire upon these two affections, and bring them home to the Lord; this being cleared, it will then appear, how the Spirit of God in the promise doth kindle this love and joy. First, for the former. What is the reason of the order of God's work? Why after hope and desire God works love and joy in the soul. why comes love and joy next after hope and desire? I answer; There are but two affections, and there need no more (God being perfectly wise hath appointed it) whereby the soul should send to meet with any good that is absent: if the good be absent, than the understanding saith, that is a good to be desired, and very comfortable, oh that I had it: than it sends out hope, and that waits for that good, and stays till it can: see it: and if that good come not, than desire hath another proper work, it goes up and down wandering, and seeking, and suing for jesus Christ, and this desire goes from place to place, from East to West, from North to South, & saith, When shall I, and how may I come to the sight of jesus Christ? As the Spouse in the Canticles sought to the watchmen to inquire after Christ, so desire wanders up and down. For so I told you, it is the wandering of the heart, and it never ceaseth going and enquiring, if it can gain any intelligence of jesus Christ. It goes to prayer, to see if it can speak with Christ there; and from thence it goes to the Word, to see if that will reveal Christ; and to conference, if that will mention it, and saith, See you the Lord jesus Christ? The hungry soul comes to the Church, to see if it can hear any news of Christ: And thus it continues, till at last the Lord jesus Christ is pleased to come himself, after the soul hath hungered for him, and sought for him, as Marie said: Oh if you can, tell me where my Lord is: So the soul goes from one place to another, from Prayer to the Word, and from the Sacrament to Fasting, and asketh of the ordinances, Where is my Saviour? and saith, If you know where he is, tell me of him, that I may be possessed of him. After this, the Lord jesus Christ is pleased to come himself into the view of the heart, which longeth thus after him, and saith as the Prophet, Behold, thy King cometh: So he saith, Oh thou poor sinner, here is thy Saviour, he is come down from Heaven this day to speak peace and comfort to thee, and thou that hast so long time prayed; to thee he saith, Here I am, and all my merits are now become thine, and to thee that dost thus hunger and desire Christ, he is now come to comfort thee. Now when the Lord jesus Christ is come within thy view, and thy desire hath met with him, than there comes the other two affections: he is come within sight, and now there are other affections stirred up, and sent out by the Spirit of the Lord to give entertainment to Christ jesus. Love leads him into the soul, and tells the will of him, and saith; Lo here is jesus Christ, the Messiah, that hath ordered these great things for his Saints and people; and joy is the attendant to wait upon him, when he is come. Suffer me to express myself thus in this manner, because I would show the guise of the frame of the heart in this work. It is with a poor humbled sinner, Simile. as it is with a malefactor or traitor, who is pursued with a Pursuivant, that hath laid wait for him as fare as the Sea, and at last he is resolved to yield and come in. He hath offended his Sovereign, and he is driven to a stand, he cannot procure a pardon, nor he cannot escape; therefore he is content to come in, and yield his neck to the block, that as he hath offended, so he may receive his punishment accordingly. Now as he is going, he hears an inkling that there is some hope of a pardon, and thereupon the poor man gins to rejoice, in hope that he may be pardoned; and then heareth other news, which saith, if he will but be humbled before his Majesty, and come to the Court, and importune him for pardon, it is likely that he may be pardoned, nay it shall be so. Marry (saith he) that I will with all my heart; and so he sets forward, and comes to the Court: his desire carries him thither. Thus it is (I say) with a poor sinner: he is brought home to the Court, and about the Court he attends, and asks for every man that comes forth, Did you not hear the King speak of me? and, What do you think of my case? At last some of the bedchamber say to him, The King heareth that you are mightily humbled, and earnestly desire his favour, you shall hear more from him ere long. At last, the King himself looks out at a window, and saith, Is this the Traitor? Yes, this is he that hath been humbled, and lies at your mercy. Then the King calls out and saith, His pardon is drawing, and it is coming by and by, and so the King smiles on him. Oh than his heart leaps in his breast, and he saith, The Lord preserve your Grace, I think there was never such a merciful Prince known in the world. This is the love and delight that is stirred up. Now when the Pardon is sealed and granted, than you shall see the work of faith. A poor humbled sinner is this malefactor, that hath committed high Treason against the God of heaven (for every sinner hath rebelled against the God of grace.) The stubborn rebellious heart hath stood out against the Lord God, which is high Treason, though you little think it, when you go on wilfully, and say, This man shall not rule over me. Well, be humbled now in time, while you have mercy offered: for if you be not humbled, the Lord shall send a ●aylor to take and throw you down to Hell, and therefore you had better hear of it now than hereafter, when there is no remedy. Perhaps the Lord now pursueth a man with his heavy indignation, and let's fly at him, and sets conscience on work to follow him, and to dog him, saying, This is thy sin, and hell is thy portion, to hell thou must. Now the soul being beset with God's wrath, in conclusion seethe he cannot escape the Lords hands; and how to purchase mercy he knows not, nor is it possible otherwise for him to escape, and yet he hath nothing to purchase mercy withal; therefore he is content to lie down before God, saying, I confess I have sinned, Oh Lord be thou glorified, though I be damned for ever, my sins are so many and so vile, I cannot almost desire mercy, but if the Lord will, who can let him? Now when the heart is thus humbled, then there comes a noise a great way off in the Ministry of the Gospel, and that saith, Thy sins are all pardonable: so he looks up, and hope saith, Lord it may be a damned creature may be recovered, a dead dog may be restored to life, and a Traitor may be pardoned & received. Then the Lord sends another comfortable message, namely, That if thou canst but see a need of mercy, and look out and wait for him, thou shalt be pardoned: hereupon the penitent goes to the Court gate, that is, he comes mourning to the Word, and saith, Oh ye faithful Ministers of God, you are of the bedchamber, and you know God's mind, I pray what doth God intent towards me? Hereupon we that are the Ministers of God, we tell him, your case is right, and happily if you attend upon God, you may hear more of him hereafter: for the Lord hears that you lie at the Court gate, and that you are exceedingly humbled; and thus fare desire goes. At last the Lord jesus Christ shows and presents himself to the sinner, and speaks with him in the Ministry of the Word, and saith, That fainting, weary, loaden heart of thine shall be refreshed, and then giveth him a look of mercy, so that his heart danceth within him. (Still you must understand, that the Lord always speaketh by the Ministry of the Word, and therefore look for no strange dreams and visions) while the Lord saith, Thou art he that longs for my salvation, go thy way, I have heard thy prayers, thy pardon is granted and drawn, it shall be delivered to thee afterward. Now when a poor sinner finds some cheering of heart, he may say, The Lord spoke to me, it's done in heaven, mercy is coming towards me, the pardon is now granted, and is in drawing, and shall be delivered to me in due time: now again his heart leapeth within him, and he saith, Bless the Lord, O my soul, who ever heard of such mercy? what? my sins be pardoned? and is the pardon granted and drawn? if I never hear more of it, and if I go down to hell, it is enough, that God hath once smiled upon me in his love, it is enough though I have the pains, of hell upon me for ever for it. Esa 40.12. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. So the Lord saith to poor sinners, after they have waited long enough, and God hath seen their desires to be sound, the Lord, I say, saith, Tell that poor man from heaven, and from the Lord Christ, and under the hand of the Spirit, that his sins are pardoned, and he shall be received to mercy. Esa. 66.1, 2, 3. The Lord looks to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembles at his word. The poor creature comes and trembles at every truth; and when he hears of mercy, he saith, Oh that is sweet mercy indeed, but it is not mine, and he shakes in the consideration of mercy, that he should hear of it, and not receive it. The Lord looks to him, that is, he casts a sweet look upon him, and lets in some sweet intimation of mercy, and saith to the poor creature, I have an eye to thee, and my love is unto thee in the Lord jesus Christ; and with that his heart leaps in his bosom. Of this kind I take that to be, jer. 31.18, 19, 20. I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning and lamenting himself thus (there is a heart humbled, broken, and thirsting) thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned, thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was turned I repent: and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. Here you see Ephraim bemoaning himself, as if he had said, I am the man that have enjoyed all the means in abundant plenty, and yet never profited; the Lord hath corrected me, and I was not humbled, Oh turn thou me then, O Lord, for there is no ability in me. Now I see the sins that before I could not see, and the baseness of my evil courses, and I am even ashamed of the former abuse of God's graces, and the many abominations harboured and liked. Now mark what God answers in that place, Verse 20. Is Ephraim my dear son? is he a pleasant child? as if the Lord had said, Since I spoke to him, I still remember him; all the while that the Lord let in the fierceness of his wrath into his soul he earnestly remembered him. I saw all his desires, and I observed all his tears, and my bowels are towards that poor hungry and longing sinner, that longs for my goodness in jesus Christ, and I will show mercy to him. This is the behaviour of the Lord to the soul, and of the soul to the Lord again. Thus you see the reason of the order of God's work; love is like the Host that welcomes the guest, and delight and joy, is like the Chamberlain that waits upon the guest. This is the very guise of the heart. Now in the second place I come to the Motives, or that spiritual good, God's promise the ground of our love: and how. whereby the promise comes to work this. First, what is it in the promise? Secondly, how comes the promise to work this in the hear●, and then we have the whole frame of the work opened. I answer; for the opening of the point, and the discovery of the truth in hand, consider thus much. It is when the spirit of God in the promise lets in some intimation of God's love into the soul. The weight lies upon these two words, Let's in; let's in (I say) and conveys some relish of the love of God into the heart, when the Lord doth express any love, and favour, and goodness, in that powerful manner to the heart humbled, and longing for his favour, so that it doth prevail with the soul, and makes the soul to be affected with that relish of his favour; This is the ground of love, the certainty of a good stirreth up hope, and the excellency of that good quickens up desire, and the presence of this good kindles love: there is a fullness that takes up all the whole frame of the work upon all the affections of the soul, In Psal. 42.8. it is said, Psal, 42.8. expounded. The Lord will command his loving kindness in the day time: what is that? it is a phrase taken from kings and princes, and great Commanders in the field, whose words of command stand for laws; so the Lord shall send out his loving kindness, and say, Go out my everlasting love and and kindness, take a commission from me, and go to that humble, thirsty and hungerbitten sinner, and go and prosper, and prevail, and settle my love effectually upon him, and fasten my mercy upon him, I command my loving kindness, to do it. The Lord doth put a Commission into the hands of his loving kindness, that it shall do good to the poor soul, yea, though he withdraw his soul, saying, what I mercy? will jesus Christ accept of me? No, no, there is no hope of mcrcy for me: Indeed if I could pray thus, and hear thus, and perform duties with that enlargement, and had those parts and abilities, than there were some comfort, but now there is no hope of mercy for me. We demand, Is this your case? is it thus and thus? Yes: you are thus humbled, and have thus longed for the riches of his mercy in Christ, have you not? Yes. Then (say we) grace and mercy is yours. I cannot think it, saith he; what? such a wretch as I go to Heaven! no, no, Heaven would rather fall than such a sinner as I should come to be received there. Thus he puts off mercy, and shuts the door against it; and at the last cast, when carnal reason builds up forts against mercy, and sets up strong holds against comfort & consolation, and neither Word nor Minister can comfort them, than the Lord (I say) is feign to put a commission into the hands of his loving kindness: when the poor sinner hath been sighing, and longing, and nothing will content him but Christ, then, than the Lord gives out the commission, and saith, Go home to that poor soul, and break open the doors upon that weary weltering heart, and knock off all those bolts, and rend off that veil of ignorance, and carnal reason, and all base arguments; go (I say) to that soul, and cheer it, and warm it, and tell him from me, that his sins are pardoned, and his soul shall be saved, and his sighs, and his prayers are heard in Heaven: and I charge you do the work before you come again. Here is the goodness of God, to express himself thus mercifully in his Word to the soul: if it were in man's power, no comfort should ever come to the soul; but the Lord (blessed be his Name for it) he commands his loving kindness to break in upon him. As it is with an High Sheriff, when a man will not deliver up quiet possession to the owner, he comes with his men, and breaks open all before him, and will estate the man into his possession: so this loving kindness is the Lords High Sheriff, and when a company of Rake-shames of carnal reason would keep out mercy, the Lord is feign to send his loving kindness with a commission to seize upon the heart. Now take notice of this, the ground of a man's love is any good which expresseth his presence to him: as a good to come was the ground of hope, and the necessity and excellency of that good, makes the soul to long after it; so now, when a good is not only present, but expresseth his presence, and leaves a kind of remembrance upon the soul, that stirs up love continually: but this must be done before love will come. As it is with the natural body, if that which lies upon a man, carries some weight with it, than it is easily felt: but if it be marvellous light, it may lie upon us, and we not perceive it, as a feather, a fly, or the like; and if there comes any weight that affects the hand, either wet, or cold, or warmth, than he feels it; but if it be light he perceives it not, as a mote may be on the face, and not be felt nor seen: so love in the soul is like this touching of the body. Now when loving kindness is not set on upon the soul, and when it leaves no expression in the soul, the heart cannot be affected with it, nor return that joy and delight that otherwise it would do: so that there must be a present good, and a good expressing itself to the heart, and affecting the heart therewith, and then this love comes to God again, God's love affecting the heart, and settled upon it, it breeds a love to God again, that is the ground which S. john speaketh of, 1 joh. 4, 19 We love him because he loved us first. As I told you in the example of the burning-glasse, it must receive the heat of the beams of the Sun, before it can burn any thing, so there must be a beam of God's love to fall upon the soul, before it can love God again; as in Hosea 11.4. I drew them with the cords of a man, even with the bands of love. God lets in the cords of love into the soul, and that draws love again to God. But above all, that place Cant. 2.4. (mark the manner how God's Spirit expresseth himself to the soul) He brought me into the banqueting house, Cant. 2.4. opened. and his banner over me was love; stay me with flagons, and comfort me with apples, for I am sick of love. And so when the banner of Christ's love is spread over the soul, the soul comes to be sick in love to Christ. As it is in war, when the Commander displays the banner, these three things are signified by it; First, that there is the presence of the Commander: Secondly, the displaying of the banner commands all to come to it: Thirdly, while it is held out, all keep to it. Now see the excellency of the Spirit of God in the Scripture. The Church was then in some trouble, but the Lord Christ brings the Spouse into his chamber, nay, into the wine-celler, and the banner that was displayed over her was love: and first Christ came as a Commander to redeem her, and to save her from all troubles and afflictions. Secondly, it commands the soul to come to the banner. Thirdly, when God displays his love in the beauty of it, in any measure, than all the company of poor sinners come in unto it; and so they love the Lord, because the Lord hath loved them. This love of God doth beget our loves in three particulars. First, God's love to us, begets love in us towards him: and how? there is a sweetness, and a relish which Gods love let's into the soul, and warms the heart with: you shall see how the fire is kindled by and by. As when a man is fainting, we give him Aquavitae; so a fainting sinner is cold at the heart, and therefore the lets in a drop of his loving kindness, and this warms the heart, and the soul is even filled with the sappinesse of the mercy of God: as Cant. 1.1, 2. where the Spouse saith, Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for his love is better than wine. The poor soul, though he drink water, yet he drinks better wine than any carnal man under Heaven: the kisses of his mouth are the comforts of his Word and Spirit. The soul saith, Oh let the Lord refresh me with the kisses of his mouth, that is, of his Word and Spirit; let the Lord speak comfort to the heart, and this is better than wine. (For the Lord must do it, before he can be apprehensive of his love:) yea, let the Lord express the comfort of his precious promises in jesus Christ to me. And again in the second verse, Because of the savour of thy garments, thy name is as an ointment poured forth; therefore the virgins love thee. Christ was the ointment, Christ's ointment is his graces; and the savour or the communication of this, is the expression of his love to the soul: the virgins are the souls truly humbled that love the Lord. Secondly, as this warms the heart, so the freeness of the love of God thus let in, and thus intimated, gins even to kindle this love in the soul, that it sparkles again. Rom. 5 8. see how God sets out his love to us, Seeing (saith the Apostle) that while we were sinners Christ died for us. This commends the love of God, the Lord sends to poor, miserable, sinful, sinners, and saith, Commend my mercy to such a one, and tell him, that though he hath been an enemy to me, yet I am a friend to him; and though he have been rebellious against me, yet I am a God and a Father to him; and let him not think, that because he hath offended me, therefore he shall not receive mercy from me: but here is my love, and it is worth the commendation. Christ died for poor sinners, when they were enemies; therefore if God so loved us as to die for us, when we were sinners and enemies, how ought we then to love one another? But much more how ought we to love the Lord? What was it that kindled that frozen, and vile, and stubborn, and wicked heart of wretched Saul, who had a heart as hard as ice? 1 Sam. 24.19. when David had him upon the hip, and might have slain him, but would not, even this wrought upon the heart of Saul, and kindled a fire of affections of love towards him, and made him say, Come again my son David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. And thou hast showed me this day, how that thou hast dealt well with me: forasmuch as when the Lord hath delivered me into thine hand, thou killed'st me not. For who ever slew not his enemy, when he found him at such an advantage? wherefore the Lord reward thee good for that which thou hast done unto me this day. saul's heart is all on fire with this kindness. So when the poor sinner considers this with himself, and saith, Is the Lord so merciful to me? who ever thus found his enemy, and slew him not? I that loved my sins and continued in them, had it not been just that I should have perished in them? But will the Lord not only not slay his enemy, but give his Son for me? Oh let my soul for ever rejoice in this unconceivable goodness of God Be thy heart never so hard, if it have but the sense of this, it cannot but stir thee to humiliation. Lastly, the greatness of the freeness of this mercy of God, being settled upon the heart, inflames it. This sweetness warms the heart, this freeness kindles the fire; and when the greatness of the sweetness comes to be valued, this sets the heart all upon a fire. In Eph. 3.17, 18. the Apostle desires that Christ might dwell in their hearts, and that they might be rooted in love; but how shall we come to this, that we may be able to comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height of the love of God in Christ? As if the Apostle had said, If I once come to see the unmeasurableness of God's mercy, this will blow up the soul, and inflame the heart with admirable love again to the Lord, and make the soul say, I that have done all that I could against the good God, it breaks my heart to think it: there was no name under Heaven that I did more blaspheme, and tear in pieces more than this: I have despised no command so much, as the command of God, and of Christ, and I have grieved no spirit so much, as the good Spirit of the Lord, against those sweet motions that God hath let into my soul, and struggled with me, to pluck me from my company, and to contend with me. I have taken up arms against Almighty God. If I had but gone to the top of Hell, it had been infinite mercy, and if I had been in a dungeon all my days, and had another world to live, and lived it all in misery, it had been infinite mercy for the Lord to send down Christ, to look upon me a poor wretch in the dungeon, and to speak to me out of the gates of hell, and to tell me of this mercy, oh it had been an infinite mercy: but to send a Son to save me, it is incomparable; I could not conceive to do so much evil against him, as he hath done good to me: oh the breadth of that mercy beyond all limits, oh the length of that mercy beyond all time, oh the depth of that mercy below a man's misery, oh the height of that mercy above the height of mine understanding! If mine hands were all of love, that I could work nothing but love, and if mine eyes were able to see nothing but love, and my mind think of nothing but love, and if I had a thousand bodies, it were all too little to love that God, that hath unmeasurably loved me a poor sinful hellhound: Psal. 18.1. I will love thee dear, O Lord my strength. Oh have I gotten the Lord jesus Christ to be my comfort, my buckler, my shield? If I have any good, he gives it, and if any good be continued, it is he that doth it, and if I have any comfort in it, it is he that blesseth it to me; therefore I will love thee dear, Oh Lord my strength. Thus the point is clear, and stands upon his right bottom. Now I come to the Application of it, that we may reap some good and comfort to our own souls. And the use of the point is fourfold: for Instruction, for Consolation, Nature breeds no love to Christ. for Reprehension, for Exhortation. Use 1. First, for Instruction, which I desire a little to commend to you, because it is seasonable. Is it so that the Spirit of the Father kindles this love in the heart truly humbled and enlightened, & c? then conclude this undeniably, That there is no power in nature, or in a natural heart, I say, there is no sufficiency in the power of nature, to be carried to any love towards Christ: we have not this before God gives it, nay, we cannot move ourselves in love to God, before the Lord let in the sparks of love into our souls. True it is, we find it by woeful experience, it is in our power to love the world, and to delight in base lusts, and being but natural men, it cannot be but that we should love ourselves, and the things of this world: there is enough of these wild fires, and of this base worldly lust in every natural soul to express itself; but to love the Lord jesus Christ, and to have a heart enlarged towards him, it is a work of grace that grows not in our hearts; I say there is not one spark of holy love, and of this holy fire of love in our hearts at any time, neither can we buy or borrow it at the hands of any under heaven, further than the Spirit of the Lord is pleased to kindle it, and to inflame this grace of love to the Lord jesus, and further than the Lord by the power of his merits is pleased to feed this in our souls. It is an unconceivable misery, that any man should be so fare deluded, as to think that he can do it by his own strength and power: Saint Paul expresseth it in discovering the vileness of himself by nature, and the freeness of God's grace: 1 Tim. 1.13, 14. I was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, but I obtained mercy: I wronged jesus Christ, and was malicious against him, and opposed against his children: Paul could do this of himself; so thou canst be malicious against the Lord, and against the power of his grace and truth, this a natural man can do; but for him to love the Lord jesus Christ, and to believe in him, how came Saint Paul by that? Why the grace of God was exceeding abundant towards me, with faith and love, which is in jesus Christ. As if he had said, it was abundant grace that over-powred my unfaithful heart, and made me believe; and it was abundant grace that over-powred my injurious heart, and made me love Christ. But how was this? it was by the grace of Christ, from Christ this faith was wrought, and in Christ this love was kindled. As if he had said, I thought to cast off the Lord and his grace, I was a persecuter and a villain indeed; but that I should believe the Lord, and love him, this was from Christ, it was in grace, and not in Paul. The ball must first fall to the ground, before it can rebound bacl again; so the Lord jesus must first dart in his love into the soul, before the soul can rebound in love and joy to him again; we must receive from grace, before we can rebound bacl any love to God: as 1 Tim. 1.7. God hath not given us the spirit of bondage, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. See what the Lord spoke in some case of the jews, john 5.40, 42. (speaking home to their hearts) he saith, I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. Verse 40. he saith, Ye will not come to me: and in the 42. verse I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. As if he had said, I know it, you know it not yourselves, and though you think you have this love to me, yet you are deceived, you know not what you are, nor what you know, but I know: and it is as true of every corrupt heart under heaven, the love of God cannot be in the heart of any natural man whatsoever. The reason why I press this point so much, is this; it is for these two ends, you shall see a double benefit by it. Carnal men conceive no difficulty, to love Christ. First, this confutes and overthrows the conceits of a company of carnal Gospelers that say, they fast not, nor pray not, nor profess not so much as such and such, but for the truth of their love to Christ they defy all the world, they find no difficulty in the matter, and they make no doubt thereof; and therefore if any Christian man, or any faithful Minister of God, shall begin to challenge them with the want of love to Christ and grace, they will answer, What? not love the Lord jesus? it is pity that ever that man should live; they have loved him, and will love him for ever, and all the world shall not persuade them to the contrary. Oh poor deluded creatures! it is an undoubted argument that thou never hadst the love of God in thee, because thou thinkest it such an easy matter to love him. Many men make nothing of it, they make it but an holiday task, and say, Who cannot love Christ? I say, neither thou nor I can do it by any power or virtue in ourselves; nay I say thou art as able to save thy own soul, and to redeem thyself without Christ; as thou art able to love Christ, unless he by the power of his spiritenable thee to do it. Nay, you that make nothing of it, to love Christ, mark what I say: If a man might have happiness in hand, and heaven laid down upon the nail, if he could love the Lord jesus of himself, I say, if he had no more but nature, he would never go to heaven, nor never be happy: Nay, it will cost more than so, it will cost time and pains, and many tears and prayers; you must have the Father come down from heaven to teach you, and you must go to another school than ever you were at yet, before you can learn it: and unless the Father make you able to love Christ, you can never do it. It is true, if it were nothing but prattling and professing, and yet to stand in open opposition to the power of grace and the spirit, this cannot be: for to welcome a Saviour, to receive Christ answerable to the worth of him, a man cannot do it by the mere power of nature, it is the work of the Lord, as the Apostle Saint john saith, 1 joh. 1.5. God is light, and in him is no darkness: and Ephes, 5.8. You were darkness: God is nothing but holiness, and you are nothing but darkness. Now you know darkness can oppose light, and wickedness can oppose holiness, but never give way to it nor receive it: This is thy nature and condition, thou hast an ignorant dark heart of thine own, but the Lord is altogether holiness and light, and thou canst not receive it, nor wilt thou receive him. As 2 Thess. 2.10. they would not receive the truth of God in the love of it: the truth of God makes love to thy carnal heart, and would pluck thee from thy base lusts and corruptions, and would woe and win thy soul, that it might take place in thy heart, the world will not receive it. jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, but the world would not receive him, so fare were they from seeking to a Saviour; that they would not receive him though he came to offer himself to them; thou hast a heart that hatest jesus Christ, and cannot love him; and thou hast a heart that can oppose him and his grace, but canst not take contentment in that grace and rich mercy of his: if thou hast not grace and mercy, thou hast but what thou wouldst have, and therefore it is just thou shouldest never have it. The second cause, Saint's jove not as they might and should because they rely not on the promise. why I press this instruction, is this, To show the disorderly proceed of many poor Saints, that labour extremely to work their own souls, and to bring their hearts to love Christ, that they even fall out with themselves, and curse their base hearts, that can love the world, and cannot love jesus Christ: they labour much, and would bring their hearts to love him, but they cannot do it, because they go to work the contrary way, they would bring love to the promise, and not receive love from the promise, as if a man should bring water to the sea, or light to the sun. It is as if he would have a sun of his own: and yet there is but one sun of righteousness, that can kindle this love of jesus Christ, to carry itself worthy of him. Therefore be wise herein, and think not to bring love to the promise, but come to the promise for it, and go to the sea for water, and look up to the sun of God's love, and be under the beams of God's mercy, and look not down into that dead frozen heart, of thine own: for if thou wouldst never so feign, thou canst not receive one sparkle of this love from thy own abilities. See his love therein, and be thereby drawn to love him again, and see the fullness of those pleasures at his right hand which endure for ever: joh. 16.14. the Lord Christ saith, He shall send the Spirit the Comforter, and he shall take of mine, that is, take of Christ's. All spiritual graces are Christ's, therefore go thou thy way, and tell the Lord thus much saying, In truth Lord I have not a heart to love thee, it is thine own work, and thou hast said that thy spirit shall take of thine and give it to thy servants that thy servants may also give thee of thine own again: that love; and that delight is thine to give, that we may give thee of thine own, as David spoke of the building of the Temple. Thus much of the use of instruction. Use 2. Comfort to them that love Christ. In the second place here is a strong consolation to sustain and refresh the hearts of those that have received this gracious work: though they have some small weaknesses, it skills not, be the work sound it is enough; thy soul may be comforted that the Lord hath enlarged himself to thee in this gracious work; I say it is a ground of admirable sweet refreshing of soul to any that find this gracious love unto Christ. A man by nature cannot have this, therefore hast thou this by grace. Go thy way, as he that hath found a treasury, and make much of it, and say, and know, thou hast something more than all carnal wretches can have, and thou hast more than all the cunning close-hearted hypocrites under heaven can have, let them pretend, and fain, and flatter what they will. Me thinks this should wonderfully refresh the hope of you poor ones: for though many times other things go not well with you, yet this is enough to cheer up your hearts for ever. You know a child will love his father, though he can do little for him: he is a child, and therefore though he can do little for his father, yet if he love his father, he is contented: so they that have little means, and small sufficiencies towards any servants of God, and it may be their understandings are not so deep as others be, and their tongues run not so glib as such and such, and they cannot talk so freely of the things of grace and salvation; and thou hast meaner parts, and canst not enlarge thyself in holy duties, and holy services (though this is commendable where it is) and thou canst not dispute for a Saviour, and perform such duties as others can do, yet thou canst love jesus Christ, and rejoice in him. Methinks there is many a poor soul would say, I bless the name of the Lord, that's all that I have; the Lord knows that all the friends I have, and parts, and means, and abilities in the world, they are but as dung and dross in comparison of Christ: Oh it were the comfort of my soul, if I might be ever with him. Go thy way, and the God of heaven go with thee, this is a work of God that will never leave thee, and it is a badge and a proper livery that the Lord jesus gives only to his Saints: never a mere professor under heaven ever wore it, nay there was never any hypocrite under heaven to whom God did intent it, but only those whom he hath effectually called, and whom he will save: therefore though thou wantest all, thou hast all to comfort thee in the want of all, and thou mayst say, I can say little for Christ, my tongue falters, and my memory is weak, yet the Lord knows I love the Lord jesus, 1 joh. 4.7. it is the encouragement that the Apostle gives, saying, Love one another, for love cometh of God, and every one that loveth is borne of God. Indeed he presseth it in regard of the love to the brethren: but the arguments serve for our purpose; for if the love of the brethren come from God, than the love of God is a more special work of God. Therefore can you plead thus with your hearts, and say The time was, Lord, that this wretched sinful carnal heart of mine, could find no relish in the promises of grace, and I could not bring this base heart to love the Lord jesus Christ, and the promise was wearisome to me; but now I thank God I can do that which before I could not do, I thank God that the promise of life, and the light of God's countenance is more to me now than all the contentments of the world: surely I love the Lord jesus Christ. And is not this of God? Yes, I warrant there: it is not of thyself, thou hast been taught from heaven; it was not the school of the flesh and the world, that taught thee this lecture, it is from heaven, and the Spirit of the Father hath over-shadowed thee in his promise, and hath kindled this sparkle of love in thee, and thou hast that which is sound and true: therefore be comforted and rejoice in it, thou canst say, more than any man under heaven can say, that hath not this sound love in his heart. And likewise blessedness. And as this is a ground of comfort, so also it is a ground of blessedness, Rom. 8.28. All things work for the b●st to those that love God. Methinks the Apostle speaks of such a love as is wrought by the Spirit of the Father in our vocation: they work for the best to those that are called according to his purpose: he minded well towards them, and called them from the love of the world. And therefore since nothing can harm thee, go thy way, and let nothing dismay thee, nor discourage thee; nay, go away ever cheered I charge you. David desired no more but what God was wont to do to his children that loved his name. Do to me (saith the Text) as thou usest to do to those that love and fear thy Name. Psal. 119.132. I know thou lovest them that love thee, and wilt save and glorify them in the end. I desire no more but this, Do as thou usest to do to those that love thy Name. Be quieted with thy child's part; thy lot is fallen into a marvellous fair ground; David a King desired no more, and if thou hast so much as he had, it is enough. Ob. Oh, but, some will say, this is all the difficulty, if a man had this love which came from God effectually calling him, it were enough, and a man might have comfort in it, but there is a great deal of false love and false joy in the world; therefore how shall I know, whether mine be any otherwise than theirs, that I may not be deceived as they are? How may I know if this be of the right stamp? For if it be right love, God will own it. Answ. Notes of true love to Christ Now for the answer to this question: let every man put his love upon the trial, and we will say no more than that which we have ground for from the doctrine delivered. Therefore examine thy love and thy joy thus; Whether dost thou welcome Christ and grace according to the worth of them? Now mark this, if I prove I love God, than there will be joy there too, for they both grow upon one root, only this joy hath a little more of the sweetness of God's love in it. Now whether we welcome Christ according to the worth of it, it will appear by these five particulars: First, observe the root and rise from whence thy love came; 1. Trial. consider this and weigh it sadly, for it is of great difficulty, yet it is never failing, and it is the narrowest search that I know of: therefore look well to it; if it come from the right mint, it is currant. You know it is the privilege of Kings and Princes, Simile. that all the coin that comes from his Mint and is coined with his stamp, is warrantable: but if there be any other Mint, the King will not allow of it, but rather punish him that did it, lust so it is with this love, it is the privilege of the Lord jesus Christ, the Son of God's love, to mint and to coin love that may be currant love indeed, that he may take for good payment. Therefore doth thy love come from the Spirit of the Father? then it is only fit to close with a Saviour, with the Father, and the Spirit, and so consequently the Father allows it. Great men must be entertained answerable to their persons: Another. for such a man to have poor and lean diet, it is not meet for him; the greatest delicates that can be, do beseem such men of place. So this lean, and earthly, and natural love, that grows only out of thy own parts and abilities, or whatsoever it is, it is but lean love, and poor provision, and suits not with God the Father, nor jesus Christ. Base love and base things for base men, and mean love for mean things, and natural love for natural things: but would you entertain the Father from heaven, and a spiritual Saviour? then you must let your love be spiritual, to welcome a blessed Saviour. This besuits him, Simile. and otherwise he will not be entertained. As it is with flowers, the flowers that are of special planting, (as jeremy speaks of the jews) and the flowers that are inoculated by the hand of the cunning Gardener, as the Provice Rose, or the like, there is much care and pains about them; but your ordinary hedge row Roses, there is no care taken for them. Just so it is with the work of God's grace, and all other common graces in the world, there is a provice love and joy, that is a love that comes from the planting, and a joy that comes from the inoculating of the spirit. This provice love and joy is wrought by the Spirit of God, and this makes a sweet savour in the nostrils of Almighty God, and of the Lord jesus Christ; and the Lord Christ will say, Oh that love pleaseth me. They cannot welcome the Lord better than with this love; but the other love and joy pleaseth him not. Canst thou say, I love the Lord, because he hath loved me? then thy love is of a right mettle; and know it for ever, that that God which cannot but love himself, he cannot but like that love which came from himself, who is the God of all love, and which comes from his own divine nature. Is thy soul affected and enlarged in love to the Lord, because thou hast felt and received the relish and sweetness of his grace? Dost thou love and joy in God upon this ground, namely upon a grounded affection of God's love to thee, settled and sealed to thyself? so that thou canst say, The Lord, hath let in the glimpse of his favour, and the Lord hath said it in his truth, he looks to him that trembles at his word: the Minister said it, and the Spirit saith it, that my mercy is registered in heaven, and my desires are received and granted. Oh how shall I love the Lord? My sins are many which I have bewailed, and my sighs and sobs I have put up to heaven, and at last the Lord hath given me a gracious answer. O how may I love the Lord my strength dearly! Lord thou hast looked down from heaven in love and mercy upon me, and therefore my soul shall ever look up to heaven to thee in love. If it be thus with thee, thy love is sound, and will never fail thee: but if any man's love comes from himself, and therefore loves God, that love will only bring all to himself, and there is the end of it. A man hath a love to his parts and abilities, and prayer, and preaching and reading and conference, and understanding, and policy; he loveth these, and therefore he would fain be beholden to jesus Christ, to help him to honour and to glorify these parts of his. This love was from his parts, and brought to his parts, and in the mean time the Lord jesus lay in the dust, and his glory was not regarded: whereas the love that is wrought by God, it always doth draw the love of the soul again to God, and so love from him draws love to him. This is the excellency of this love, and this is love of the right kind. But if the love of parts and profits draw me to honour and glorify parts and profits, than I love my profits and not Christ. Think of this often, this is certain, this will be the mainest difference between all the love of carnal hypocrites, and of the Saints of God. I would express myself to you thus: As it is with meat which a man takes down inwardly and digests it, this breeds good blood; but that meat which a man eats and spits out again, and tarries not long with him, this breeds no blood at all: So it is in the heart of a poor humbled sinner truly wrought upon to receive Christ in the worth of him, and with the hypocrite. A heart truly wrought upon by God's Spirit, it takes down the promise and feeds upon it, and it breeds good blood and complexion. True love is like this good blood, and true joy is like this complexion. Mark this, the promise of God settled upon the heart nourisheth and feedeth the heart, and it breeds good blood: but the foolish hypocrite, that hath a kind of flattering sweetness, this tickles the heart with vain conceits, but they never go down. And hence it is, that that love which comes from hence, it is but a fading love, and there is no good blood, nor no good complexion comes from it, but rather corruptions and overture. Secondly, 2. Trial. as the root of this love must be from the kindling of the Spirit; so if thou entertain thy Saviour as it beseems him, True love of Christ, entertains him as a King. thou must entertain him as a King, and that is thus, give up all to him, and entertain none with him upon terms of honour, but such as retain to him, or be attendants unto him: this is the manner of receiving great Princes. Love all in a Christ, and for a Christ, but express thy love and thy joy to a Christ above all: he is as the King, and all the rest are but as retainers, and all his servants are as servants to him. He that loves any thing equal with a Christ, it is certain he did never love a Christ: but he that sets up any thing cheek by jowl with Christ, he despiseth him, and never receives him. It is all one as if a man did put a slave into the same chamber with the King, which is all one as to drive him away. So if thou dost set up any thing with Christ, thou dost drive him away with such base behaviour. As in james 4.4. O ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is an enemy of God. A man cannot retain fellowship with Christ jesus and with the world too upon point of honour; Simile. As the woman that loves her husband, she loveth other men as friends and neighbours, and will give them very courteous entertainment, and welcome them kindly: but if they come to claim the love of a wife, she abhors and detests them. So a loving heart that loves jesus Christ as the Bridegroom, he loves Christ only, and all for Christ, and the rest as friends, etc. The soul will love honours, or profits, or credit, or parts and privileges, that they may be friends to speak for a man, and to give a man occasion to speak with a Saviour: as the wife loves the husband firstly, and all the rest she regards only as they may further the match this way; so the Lord Christ and his grace is chief to the soul, but the world, and ease, and credit, these are merely as friends to lead him to a Saviour, and make him acquainted with a Saviour. The soul loves the word, and prayer, and all God's ordinances, to speak a good word to a Saviour for him, but all the rest are despised by him; and if any of them come to claim the love of a soul from a Christ, it hates them deadly: as Luke 14.26. If any man come to me, and hate not father and mother in comparison of me, he is not worthy of me: that is if father and mother stand between thee and Christ, and would have thy soul married to them again, the soul hates them. This is a plain difference between a sound heart and a false heart; in the receiving of Christ the sound heart receives him as a favourite receives a Prince, he gives up all to him, Simile. and lets him have the command of all: (but now an Innkeeper entertains him that comes next to him; he will take any man's money, and will give welcome to any man, if it be the best man that comes he cares not, he loves gain in and above all.) So a good heart resigns up all to a Christ, and whatsoever is pleasing to a Christ he will do it, and whatsoever comes from a Christ is welcome: but if any man be an enemy against his Majesty, and would do any violence against him, he cannot endure it. But the hypocrite receives Christ as the Innkeeper doth his guest, if the world come it shall be served, and if honour come it is welcome, if he may have gain from them they are all welcome, and therefore all is welcome because he may have gain by all; and so he loves himself in all, and not Christ. 3. Trial. It avoids matter of grief and displeasure. Thirdly, the soul that thus entertains Christ, and studies wholly to give contentment to him, he is marvellous wary and watchful that he may not sad that good spirit of God, and grieve him, and cause him to go away as displeased, or to take away the sweetness of it for the present; the penitent fears lest there be any thing that may cause this because he entertains him as a marvellous loving friend: and therefore if he should do any thing to grieve him, it would vex him to the heart. See this, Cant. 3.4.5. the Spouse sought long for her beloved, and at last brought him home; and when she had welcomed him, she gives charge to all the house not to stir nor awaken her love till he please. When a Prince comes into the house of a great man, what charge is there given to make no noise in the night, lest such or such a man be awakened before his time? (And were it not a baseness in us, if we should have our hearts more in love with any thing than the service of Christ?) The soul also when it hath received the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ, gives a peremptory charge to keep watch and ward, and gives a charge to hope, and desire, and love, and joy, and the mind, and all, not to grieve nor molest the good spirit of the Lord; let there be no motion but entertain it, no advice but receive it, and do nothing that may work the least kind of dislike. In Gen. 19.5, 6, 7, 8. when Lot had received the 2 Angels into his house, the cursed Sodomites came about the house to abuse them; but see how Lot pleadeth with those base wicked people; I pray you, my brethren, do not so wickedly: Behold now I have two daughters which have not known man, them will I bring forth unto you, and do unto them as seemeth good unto you, only to these men do nothing, for therefore are they come under the shadow of my roof. This is kind and honourable entertainment indeed; he would rather suffer himself than they: so a loving heart will do with Christ; he saith, Let my soul be wounded, and my honour lie in the dust, that God's name may be honoured; let persecution, and shame, & disgrace, and any thing come to me, I am willing to endure all: but I will do nothing against Jesus Christ, nor against the credit of the Gospel, nor speak evil of God's name, no nor dishonour the work of his grace, whatsoever befall me. Simile. As one that loves a friend, will ask his servants what doth your Master like best? and what doth he desire to eat? because he would prevent him with kindness, so marvellous careful is he to avoid whatsoever may displease him. So a soul truly humbled is not content unless God may have his will, and therefore it comes to the faithful Ministers of God, and saith, How may I please God better? and how may I come to entertain the motions of his spirit better? show me what duties must be done, and what sins must be avoided. You know Christ's will, and what will please him; I beseech you advise me, that I may hear, and pray and walk, and approve my heart so to him, that nothing may displease him. This I take to be the main difference between a good heart, and a false hypocritical one. Simile. For look what difference there is between a man that takes a servant into his family, and a Nobleman that receives a Prince, so much difference there is between a good heart, & a false hypocritical heart: Now a man entertains a servant into his house, to the end he may serve & please himself, and that the servant may give contentment to him, because he is wise, and able to dispatch his occasions, and likewise diligent to look throughly to all: and therefore it is that the servant is entertained, not for the servants sake, but that he may content his master. But he that doth receive a Nobleman into his house, he labours to give him all the content that may be, he lays by all, and attends only upon him: and though he be a man of great state; and hath many to attend on him, yet all the servants are charged to see that nothing be wanting to his guest; nay, he will rather discontent himself than him: because he comes out of an honourable respect to visit him, therefore he will receive him as beseems his state and person. Just so it is with a faithful soul, that receives Christ in the worth of him, and one that receives him for gain only: the one receives Christ as a servant into his family; and so all the while that the Gospel, and the profession of it, and the Lord Jesus, may promote his ease, and honour, and credit, then welcome Gospel; but if his profits, and honour, and credit, and the Gospel cannot agree together, he turns all out of doors, and of a professor he proves a loather of Jesus Christ, because he received him to content himself withal: But he that receives Christ in the worth of him, will not please himself, and his lusts, and his pride, and vainglory, but though they that are his nearest friends call him, and say, they must have his company and his attendance, yet he replies, No, he cannot, the Lord Jesus Christ must be attended; and when the old haunts of heart, and old lewd courses that have had inward league with the poor sinner, come and crave, and plead for acceptance, he regards them not; nay, an humbled soul will rather displease all the great men in the world, yea, the nearest man that he depends upon, and all that glory and pomp, than Jesus Christ. 4 Trial. It rejoiceth most to see Christ honoured. 4 Fourthly, he that loves any thing in the worth of it, it is his good and happiness to see the good and happiness of that thing which he loves: this is an undoubted argument of sound affection, that that which he loves should have all good, though he miss it; If any good befall that thing which he loves, he thinks himself happy, and had rather see that honoured than himself: this is true love, & a marvellous sweet passage of a loving heart, yea, it is the very picture of true love. 1 Sam. 23.17. When Saul had made a cunning search for David, and he was fled, Jonathan comes to him, and cheers him, saying, I know that my father shall not prevail against thee, but that thou shalt be King over Israel, and I shall be next thee. Jonathan was saul's Son, and he might have said, I am my father's heir, and why may not I be his successor in the kingdom? but he loved David, and rejoiced in his good, and therefore he said, Thou shalt be King over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee: As if he should say, I am more glad that the Crown shall be set upon thy head, than if it were set upon mine own; for my soul is thereby comforted and refreshed. So it is with a good heart that loves Jesus Christ, and his grace, and his Gospel in truth; the happiness, glory and the honour of the Lord Jesus is the greatest good that can befall him; wherefore he saith, If the Lord may be honoured, though I am disgraced I care not; it is enough to me if may stand to behold and see it, joh. 3.26.29. When the Lord Christ began to set forth the frame and glory of the Gospel, and to baptise, the Disciples of John came to their Master, and said, Rabbi, he that was with thee beyond Jordan, to whom thou barest witness, behold the same baptizeth, and all men come to him: they began to be troubled because the Lord Jesus baptised, and the praise went from them: as if they had said, There is one come that carrieth the hearts of all men after him. Now mark what John answered, He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom; as if he should say, The Lord Christ is the Bridegroom, and I am only the friend of the Bridegroom: all my care was to prepare hearts for him; and hath he now gotten those hearts? and hath he prosperity? then have I enough: if I hear that the case goes well with him, I have enough; let the Lord have the praise that is due to him, and let me have whatsoever is due to me. 2 Sam. 19.30. when Mephibosheth had been wrongfully accused to David, and David had taken away the inheritance from him, and was returned in safety, so that he saw the King's face again, David began to comfort him, saying, Thou and Siba divide the land; but mark how he replies, Yea (saith he) let him take all, for as much as my Lord the King is come again in peace. It matters not for the inheritance; and for myself, and my life I pass not, sith the King is returned in peace: it is enough that I enjoy thy presence, which is better to me than goods, life, and liberty. So it is with a kinde-loving heart, when he is not able to endure to see Christ's honour and glory lie in the dust, but if his praise be advanced, than he is glad; this is a good and loving heart indeed which saith, Lord I have enough that Christ is mine, and that his honour and glory is magnified: Let the world take all, if I may have Christ, and see him praised and magnified. Labour to bring thy soul to this pitch: a minister in his place, and the master in his place, and every Christian in his place; let it be all our care, not only to honour God ourselves, but let it be our comfort if God may be better honoured by others than by ourselves. This is our baseness of spirit; we can be content to lift up Christ upon our shoulders, that we may lift up ourselves by it: this too much prevails amongst all men. But be content to lie in the dust, that the Lord may be praised, though thou be disgraced; And though every man's heart go opposite against thee, yet let this content thee, if the Lord Jesus may thrive and prosper; yea if any of God's people thrive and prosper more than thou, let that be thy only joy. 5. Trial. More & more it desires union with Christ Lastly, it is the nature of sound love to covet a near union with the thing that is loved, and to have a kind of impatiency, and to be restless till it do attain the greatest measure thereof. This flows directly from the nature of love, especially of this love to Christ, who is the greatest good: love is of a linking and glewing nature, & will carry the soul with some kind of strength & earnestness to enjoy full possession and fellowship of the thing that is loved; it cannot have enough of it, and it is not satisfied with it upon any occasion. As it is (in reason) with a child, Simile. happily when the father entertains him at the table, he gives him a little sweetmeat, as some Conserve, or the like, which is so sweet that he can taste nothing but that, and his mind is still upon it, that he may receive more of it: the father commends this and that, and praiseth a third, and extols a fourth dish, but yet the child cries, More of this, because he felt the sweetness of it: So it is with a soul that truly loves Christ; when it hath tasted how good the Lord is, and hath had a good look from heaven, it covets union, not so much with any thing as with that; riches, honours, profits, seem as irksome as may be, in regard of that, & the soul desires nothing so much as this, and craves more of Christ, more of that mercy, and holiness, and grace, and love that is in him: let the wicked talk what they will of the world, if he have that he hath enough. Psal. 73.25. when David had been doting upon the world, and the vanities of it, see what he saith; Whom have I in heaven but thee, and whom on earth in comparison of thee? and than see what follows, he bids adieu to the world, and saith in the last verse, It is good for me to draw near unto God: as if he had said, Let the ambitious belly-gods have their pleasure, & drink, and swill, and go down to hell: But oh let me have that mercy, and that good which God hath provided for, and will bestow upon those that love him. You shall observe it, Joh. 20.15, 16, 17. Marry was a marvellous loving woman, and therefore when Christ said to her, Woman, why weepest thou? whom seekest thou? she supposing him to be the Gardener, saith unto him, Sir, if thou hast borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, & I will take him away: She would be content to have the dead body of her Saviour rather than none at all. But when the Lord Jesus had revealed himself to her in the 16 verse, she said, Rabboni; and when she saw it was he, she flies upon him, and with marvellous violence embraceth him (for so the text is to be conceived) though he forbade her to touch him, because he was not yet ascended: saying, Do I once possess thee again? I will never part with thee any more; thus she held him by the feet, till he checked her, because she depended too much upon his outward presence. Touch me not (saith the Text) for I am not yet ascended: thou shalt enjoy my presence before I part with thee; but as yet be not so earnest: so it is expressed, 1 Cor. 7.1. This is a lively expression of that love and joy which many poor souls are possessed withal, after they have waited long for mercy, and God is pleased to refresh them therewith: many times they begin to lose their sleep, and meat, and begin to be lightened by it, because they are ever holding of it, till they almost overthrow themselves with it. Simile. As it is with parties that have lived long together in one house, whose affections are linked together in the way of marriage, they will ever desire to be talking together, and ever to be drawing on to the marriage: So it is with the soul that loves the Lord Jesus, & hath this holy affection kindled, and his spirit enlarged therein; when the Lord hath let in some glimpse of his love, he thinks the hour sweet when he prayeth to the Lord Christ, and hath a great deal of sweet conference with his Saviour; he thinks that Lords day marvellous sweet, wherein God revealeth, by the power of his holy ordinance, any of that rich grace and mercy of his. It is admirable to see how the heart will be delighted to reckon the time, and place, and means, when and where the Lord did reveal it: and the soul saith, Oh this is good, oh that I might ever be thus cheered and refreshed; it cannot have enough of this if it might have what it would, but, as David Ps. 84.2, 3. saith, My soul longeth, yea even fainteth for the Courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh cryeth out for the living God. Yea the sparrow hath found an house, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may lay her young, even thine Altars, O Lord of Hosts, my King and my God; as if he had said, Go you blessed birds, you may build your nests by the Altar of my God, and come into his house; Lord, am not I as good as birds? His heart was marvellously inflamed with the want of that which he loved. Nay, in Luke 2.29. good old Simeon had his heart so enlarged to Christ, that he could have been content to departed this life, so he might have his fill of Christ. The spouse that is contracted, thinks every day a year till she enjoy her beloved. Oh, saith she, would that day were come that I might enjoy him, and take full satisfaction to my soul in him: so it is with a loving soul, that hath been truly humbled and enlightened, is now contracted to Jesus Christ, how it longs after him! Oh when will that day be (saith it) that I shall ever be with him who is best of all? it takes hold of every word it hears, every promise that reveals any thing of Christ; but oh, when will that day be that I shall ever be with Christ? This is the highest pitch of Saint Paul's speech, Phil. 1.23. For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to departed and to be with Christ, which is best of all: as if he had said, that I may ever be with that mercy, and grace, and spirit that is in Christ, and be filled with his fullness for ever and ever. This is the frame of the soul that is in love with Christ, yea this is the strong and glewing nature of love, that it will make a man desire to be with the thing loved, though he must undergo never so great misery to obtain it: as Gen. 37.35. when jacob's sons brought the particoloured coat to their father, he said, It is my son's coat, an evil beast hath devoured him: and he rend his , and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons, and all his daughters risen up to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted: and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning: he had rather be in the grave, than not to be with his son Joseph. If a woman's husband be in prison, it is her wonderful grief that it is so, but most of all that she may not be with him there; Thus also is it with the soul that entirely loves Christ, it is content to go to the prison with him, and saith, Let me be with Christ though he be persecuted. It is his grief that Christ is persecuted, but it is a greater grief that he may not be with him in persecution. As the Spouse, Cantic. 2.16. My beloved is mine, and I am his; and as the wife saith, Husband, let the world do and say what they will, thou art mine, and I am thine: So the soul saith, mercy is mine, and Christ is mine, if I may have that, I have enough, but without it I cannot be quieted. Secondly, there is an holy impatience, and restlessness of spirit, when it cannot come to close with Christ. Oh it is good to express the earnest desire of the soul to Christ, though he seem to hid his face away, and to forbid the banes of ask. Thus it appears what it is to love the Lord Jesus. Use 3. Now the pill is sugared, Reproof of them that love not Christ in truth. it will go down the better, therefore now let us come to the use of reproof; and this is as a swift witness to accuse, & as a Judge to condemn many in the world: this is sufficient to shake the heart, and to make the hearts of most that live in the bosom of the Church, to sink at the very sight of their woeful condition, in whose heart this blessed grace of God was never yet received; I mean, that never loved the Lord Jesus; woe to their souls: yea, this is the greatest part of their woe, that though they do not love Christ, yet they do not think so; nay, they will not be persuaded to it. This is the cunning that the Devil useth to deceive poor souls withal, because these affections are secret and inward, neither discover themselves evidently to the heart, further than practice goes: therefore they think others know them not, and here they rest: they lean upon a company of sottish delusions which will fail them; thus they and their hopes perish for ever. Wicked men cannot but confess their own vileness, that their communications are vain, and their fall scandalous; but this is that which salves all, they say, their lives are so indeed, but they love the Lord Jesus with all their hearts. When these wretches have sworn by their Saviour, and have torn his sacred body in sunder with their oaths and blasphemies, yet they love Christ with their souls: poor deluded sinful men! Now for the better convincing of these men, first let me make it good, that most men have not this love of Christ, and so lay the indictment Secondly, let me plead the indictment, and show who they are that have it not. Most in the Church love not Christ. First, most that are in the world, yea that live in the bosom of the Church, have not their hearts carried in love to God, but in a hatred and desperate opposition to the Lord Jesus: as in Joh. 1.3, 4. In him was life, and the life was the light of the world. The Lord Jesus was the life and light of the promise, and that promise of life was a way to lead men on to eternal happiness; this light shineth to the dark world, but they comprehend it not: as it is in vers. 11. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. His own, by reason of their privileges, and the badge of the ordinances; his own, because they by profession took his name upon them, as the Churches of the Gentiles are Gods own by the outward, not the inward covenant of Sanctification, or in the aim of Election. We take up the profession of his Gospel, and yet we will not take up the Lord Jesus Christ, that he may make us Christians. His own received him not; those that were baptised, and had received the Sacrament. The Lord Jesus comes and knocks at each man's door, but few entertain him: Nay, I would not outspeake the truth, (for they are the words of sobriety, and it grieveth me to speak it) The most men upon earth hate Christ more than sin: I had almost said it, and yet I had almost thought it unfit to be spoken, though they are the words of our Saviour: Wicked men hate the Lord Jesus more than either sin, or the Devil himself. Good Lord be merciful to us! what a misery is this, that ever any man should be created by him, and receive mercy from him, and yet love the Devil and sin more than him. But some will say, as Hazael did to the Prophet, 2 King. 8.12. Do you think we are such dogs, that having received such mercy from the Lord Jesus, we should do so? Yes for so saith Elisha to him, I know the evil that thou wilt do to the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. So, I say, and the Spirit knows it is so in the hearts of most men this day. You know it not, you think it not; but your hearts are more vile than you can imagine. We know the greatest evil of all is sin, for the Devil himself is not to be loathed but for sin, and for it only: This is the condemnation (saith our Saviour in John 3.19.) that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. That men loved darkness more than light, and more than Christ, nay, more than mercy and grace that was tendered, the case is clear; it was so, and is so, & will be so: I say it is most certain, that they love their lusts and corruptions more than Christ, and the temptations and delusions of Satan, more than the good motions of the Spirit. Now we have laid the indictment, therefore in the second place let us plead it. And the several sorts of them. 2. Secondly, who are they that hate Christ? We must name the men; therefore we refer them to three ranks: First, all open enemies to Christ: Secondly, all glozing Neuters of the world: Thirdly, all fawning hypocrites. 1. First, the open enemies of Christ; and they are many, such as Saint Steven spoke of Act. 7.51. saying, Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart, and cares, ye do always resist the holy Ghost, as your fathers did, so do ye. They that set their mouths against heaven, and stand in open defiance against the Lord Jesus, and the power of his grace, may be referred to two heads: First, those whom our Saviour mentions, Mat. 21.34. speaking of the Vineyard: Open enemies of Christ's two sorts. When the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. But last of all, he sent unto them his son, saying, They will reverence my son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir, come, let us kill him. This is an intimation of the Scribes and Pharisees. The Church was the vineyard, the servants sent out were the Ministers and Prophets, and the Son is Christ Jesus: now when Christ came, they said with one consent and voice, This is the heir, come, let us kill him. Do you think that these kind of men are all dead that have such a kind of spirit? Surely, no, there are many Leaders of the Devil's camp, aswell Ministers as others. But if you ask me what entertainment their lusts have; I say they have all the welcome that can be: occasions come not, corruptions within their hearts stir not, and the Devil's temptations allure not so soon, but these miserable sinful wretches give all the kind welcome that can be unto them: nay, they invite their villainies, they provide for them, yea, and seek for all occasions that they may sinne: the Adulterer loves the twilight, and the covetous man his money, their minds are ever puffing, and their affections labouring to contrive all occasions that may give all possible contentment to their vile corruptions: and it is no marvel though they have so long continued in their sins seeing they give such good entertainment to them. But if you ask me how they entertain Christ, Enmity against Christ shown three ways. let me show it by two things; you shall see them up in arms, and at deadly hate with him: For first, they oppose the word of God: the ministry of the word is the ministry of the truth; it would open the eyes, and come home to the conscience, and take away their sins, but they contemn it; and mark upon this what an uproar there is, they take up arms, striving to put out the light that would show them their sins, beating bacl the truth, and labouring that it may not rule their lives: They are such as our Saviour speaks of, Luk. 19.27. Bring hither those mine enemies, that would not have me rule over them, and slay them before my face. They oppose themselves against that truth that would pluck the cup from the Drunkard's mouth, and the whore from the Adulterers arms: their hearts swell for anger, and they scorn to be under the power thereof. Nay, they not only withdraw themselves from yielding obedience to the holiness of the word, but they will not so much as acknowledge the truth of it, which the Devils themselves did, Act. 16.16, 17. when Paul and Silas were preaching the word of truth, the Devils said, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. The Devils could do all this, yet these men will neither be informed nor convinced, that the duties that God commands, are, To be holy as he is holy, and pure as he is pure, and not only to make conscience of outward abominations, but of inward corruptions: But they fly out, and say, I will never believe it, and, I will not be of that opinion. The Devils could say, These are the servants of the living God, and, this is the way of life, and, these are the services commanded. Lord be merciful to us, what hearts have these men, that go not so fare as the Devils themselves! Secondly, see how they behave themselves when they come into the presence of Jesus Christ; if the Lord comes amongst them by the presence of his children, their hearts are desperately carried against all the appearance of grace in them; now they that hate poor Christians for their grace which they have received from Christ, hate Christ and holiness more. That which I have to say to these men, is this; that they would not suffer themselves to be so deluded, but would go home, & reason with themselves in this manner, and say; the truth is, I have heretofore deceived myself, and might have been damned, had not the Lord been merciful to me: I pretended to hate them for their dissembling, but it was for their grace and holiness. If any man hates the picture of a man, surely he hates the man himself much more; so if they hate the show of holiness, much more do they hate the power and virtue of it. Do I love the beams of the Sun? then I love the Sun much more; and if I hate a poor Christian, because God hath brought him home, than I hate Jesus Christ, and his grace much more: if I hate the lantern for the lights sake, than I hate the light much more. A poor Saint hath a little rush candle of holiness and purity, of grace and meekness, and he carries this before a company of base drunkards, and filthy adulterers, that the country cries shame of; now if these hate the man that bears the light, will they not much more the light itself? Again, of this rank of open opposers, are all simple and ignorant creatures, that know nothing of grace nor holiness; who though they can say nothing either against the truth, or the people of God, yet they will commend what the wicked commends, & join side with them: they not only approve what these do, but in their hearts and hands are the very same: The Scribes and Pharisees sent to take Christ, and the people cried, Crucify him, Crucify him: they did it not, yet they gave their voices; & therefore the Apostle Peter saith, Ye are they that have crucified the Lord of life. By this you know what will become of your husbands, wives, and friends. Mat. 23.29. your forefathers slew the Prophets, and the Scribes and Pharisees builded their Sepulchers, that is, approved of what they did And as it is in a Camp, some are Captains, and Leaders, and Commanders, and some attend upon the carriage; now though all be not Captains and Leaders, yet all are of the same Camp: so there are some Leaders and Commanders, and gross persecuters of Christ, which the people of God find hard measure from; but the poor carnal Gospelers, they follow after, they are but the tail of the Devil's army, yet they are of it; they are all young Devils, only their teeth are not so sharp, nor their claws so long as others; they have not learned that skill, to make a prey of a poor Christian. 2. Glozing neuters described and shamed. The second rank are the glozing Neuters of the world; these also love their sins more than Christ, nay they love not him at all in truth; these are they that halt between two opinions, your fair fools, that would harm no man; so no man would harm them: the highest pitch that these come to, is this, that they may get respect and credit among the best, and they say, He that meddles lest is happiest: these are pretty good civil neighbours, and will sometimes do a man a good turn, provided that they may not hurt themselves: they will be of all strains; if a wretched man come, they will be like him, and now and then strew forth faith and troth: they will not reprove others, because they shall not censure them. And, as they will gloze with them, so sometimes they will invite a Minister to their house, and now and then get him to preach, and sometimes strain hard for a little good conference; but above all, those Ministers please them best, that will not meddle with any personal sins. If the Minister will be only general, they commend him highly, and say, Oh he is a very wise discreet man, and knows how to carry himself; yes, and he knows not how to meddle with them, you must mark that: and if he will preach Doctrinal things, and take five or six Doctrines in a Sermon, oh then he is a judicious man, and takes the very cream of the Scriptures; but if he come to discover their baseness, and to meddle with their corruptions, Oh then they fall to reading that they may not hear, and wish that the man would keep him to his text. These men do as it were entrench upon the articles of agreement between the Lord Jesus Christ and the Gospel; they covenant that they will not trouble nor persecute the Gospel, and they would not have the Gospel to trouble them. And if the Minister come to touch upon any particular sins, and labours to bring them a step higher, Oh then they are weary, and think a mean between both is best; they account zeal in a good course like the hot fit of a fever, very dangerous, and therefore they like best of a cold lukewarm temper in their profession, for those spirits are admirable wholesome. They eat out the power of Religion in this manner, and they love not the Lord Christ: These men do with profession as the Neutral cities do in other countries, they will not join with the one side nor with the other, but do any thing that they may not be controlled: yet if the stronger side begin to take up Arms against them, and labour to bring them in subjection, they then will side for their advantage: This is the true picture of formal Neutralists in a Christian course, they will fasten themselves to the world, that the world may not distaste them; and to the better side, that they may not distrust them. He will pray in his family, only that he may cozen in his shop. He that is a formal Neutralist, will have two or three good servants to entertain such as are good; but he will have a knave and a drunkard also, to close with such as are bad; and thus he plays with both hands: But if the powerful preaching of the Word come to close with him, and say he must leave all his base ends and aims, and lay down himself and his base courses, Oh then he turns against the Gospel, and he is not able to stoop to it, nor to be framed by it. These men deal with Christ as men that entertain a neighbour liberally, to this end, that he will look to his own grounds only, and not entrench upon his; for to have him a Landlord or Commander over him, and to be in dependence upon him, this he cannot bear: But the Saints of God do the second, they entertain Christ as a Landlord, but the other only as a neighbour. Let these men know, that all those that are not with Christ, are against him: though a man stand still and do nothing, and love not war, because he would be in peace, let him (I say) know that all the wrong that is done by others, if he be not a helper against it, the Lord will require it at his hands, as if he had done it himself, as in that place, Curse ye Merosh, Judge 5.23. because she came not to the help of the Lord against the mighty: as if a man did say, I am loath to meddle before I am called to it. But I say thou art called; the Gospel was persecuted, and thou wouldst not stir; therefore the Lord will deal with thee as he did with that lukewarm Church in the Revelation, the Lord will spew thee out of his mouth: lukewarmness is loathsome to the stomach; therefore appear in your colours what you are, that you may be known either a Saint or a Devil: lukewarm water goes against the stomach, and the Lord abhors such lukewarm tame fools. Hypocrites, enemies of Christ. 3. The third rank of those that love not Christ, are the fawning hypocrites, that will fawn upon the Lord Jesus, that make admirable fair weather, and profess marvellous affectionate love unto him; and will speak for a good cause and hazard himself in it, and when all is done, he is an inward hater of Christ. Of this sort I take Saul to be, 1 Sam. 15.13. the Lord gave a commandment to go and kill all the Amalekites; who, when he saw Samuel coming toward him, saith, Blessed be thou of the Lord (here mark the trick of an hypocrite) I have performed the commandment of the Lord, and therefore blessed be God that I see thee, that I may give up my account unto thee: But, saith he, What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear? I need not speak, for the bleat of the sheep show that Saul is an hypocrite. These men may be discovered by these two passages: They do not desire to give contentment to Jesus Christ, but to themselves; and withal, they lift up their own glory with Christ. Four sorts of hypocrites. Of this rank there are four sorts; The wrangling hypocrite, The whining hypocrite, The vainglorious hypocrite, The presumptuous hypocrite. The first sort is the wrangling hypocrite: I know many men that will profess they are at your command, to serve you, and to do what they shall be commanded, and, they shall think themselves happy to be employed by you, and yet in conclusion they intent no such matter. They desire to live no longer & to do nothing but that which may promote the honour of the Lord Jesus, and if they did not think to honour him by this or that, they would not do it: but if it come to this, that a man must leave his profits, or live, or honours for Christ, he will not say expressly he will not do it, and that he will not part with his honours and profits for Christ, but yet he will stand to quarrel, and say, It is not fit to do it, and, there is no command for it. It is admirable to see and to conceive the vileness and baseness that is in the spirits of these men; for when the duty is revealed and enjoined, they will search far and near to make it no duty, they will rake the Devil's skull, and invent some new shifts to prove that it is not needful to be done, that so they may avoid the doing of it: as it is amongst some that follow the fashions of the times, though they pretend to do things comely, and to keep close to the Word, yet if a new fashion come up, though never so absurd, they will forget their promise and plead for it, not questioning what is lawful, but what most pleases their humour. But observe this in thy own soul, do not think to quarrel with thyself about duties which the Lord requires at thy hands: But art thou in good earnest content that the Word should be true as God would have it, and to have that accounted naught which God saith is naught? It is certain many will say it for shame, but they have an inward league between them and some sin, they will not have that lawful that they may not do, and they will not have that to be sin which God saith is sin, that they may commit it with quiet, ease, and liberty, striving more to content their own hearts, and the fashion, than Christ. They must content their liberty, they will not be imprisoned, and therefore will give full content to a spirit that desires freedom. These never had this fire of love to Christ kindled in their hearts. Now before I come to the next, give me leave to unmask this hypocrite, and to dog him to his own door: and for this end, First, I will show what this pretence of love to Christ is: Secondly, I will show the pranks that he hath to cover his hypocrisy withal; and when both these are opened, it will appear that he only intends to wrangle, and that he hath not this true love of Jesus Christ. For first, he will join side with Christ in the general, & in the common; nay when it comes to the particular case, wherein his heart withdraws, yet therein also he will vow openly, that he doth nothing but what his conscience tells him is fit to be done, and that which his judgement is fully satisfied in. Alas poor conscience! he hath cozened thee before, or else kerbed and charmed thee by saying, I am resolved that it is not so, & therefore conscience you must be of my side; yet conscience replies, You should not do this or that; let the Lord have the glory, and take you the shame, that all may be warned for ever. Thus it was with the old Prophet, 1 Ki. 13.18. when he came to cozen the young Prophet, he said, I am a Prophet also as thou art, & an Angel spoke unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, bring him back with thee into thine house. And thus it is with this wretched hypocrite in his pretence of love unto Christ, it is clear in his conscience, he dares not do any thing against the Lord Jesus, and in his judgement and in his conscience he thinks so, and so he hath peace at home: but let him go with his peace. Again, he will talk marvellously of God's honour, and of the promoting of the Gospel, & the public affairs, and they are of great force to make him do any thing: and this is ever in his mouth, that the general good may go on; and, if good may be done to the Church, that's all he cares for. The bottom of the business is this, there is a good living that he must keep, and a private good that he aims at; he pretends a general good, but he aims at his own good: Wretch that he is, he labours only to give contentment to his honours, and ease, and credit, but he gives no contentment to the Lord Jesus. In 1 Sam. 15.21. Saul comes to meet Samuel, and says, I have performed the commandment of the Lord, Hast thou? No, God had thee kill the Amalekites, and thou hast not done it: Oh, saith he, The people spared the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the Lord thy God: he would pretend to do God a courtesy; He doth not pretend his own good and benefit, but the public good, the worship and service of God; and therefore he saith, They have saved them for to sacrifice to the Lord; and in the mean time he wrongs God, and neglects his service. As some great Courtier will do with a plain Countryman, he useth him very lovingly, pretends great kindnesses, till at last he so deludes him, that he thinks he doth him a great favour not to do the thing which he asks at his hands: so the hypocrite thinks with himself, what great honour God may receive, and what good the people of God may have from him; but that is not the thing he looks after, he would make God and Christ believe he doth them a courtesy, not to do the duty they require of him: But the Lord Jesus is wiser than to be thus cozened by a wretch, and therefore Samuel saith vers. 22. Obedience is better than sacrifice, and to hearken then the fat of rams: so when a wretch saith, What great good may God's people have by this? and what glory may come to God? etc. the Lord Jesus will say to all such, No no, have I so much delight in sacrifice? cannot I promote my glory without your lie? take your lies and your sins, and go down to hell together. Discoveries of not loving Christ. Secondly, observe the pranks whereby he discovers himself to have no love to the Lord Jesus; and they are three. First, the main guise of the spirit is this, In the multiplicities of opinions he will be sure to join with that side that may make for his own ends, though he know not the men that hold it: he saith, many men many minds, therefore I think as such and such think; his meaning is this, he is resolved to do that which he thinks may be most beneficial to him, & therefore it is enough that any man doth as he would have him, because he would do so, though he had no ground for it. Secondly, he will be loath to be studiously careful in the diligent search after those things which he makes doubt of; and though he will not say so, yet mark what I say, many in the anguish of conscience have confessed so much. As he is loath to inquire himself, to know those truths; so he is unwilling to come into the society of such, and to continue with those that he knows to be of a contrary opinion to himself, that will force him to a sad and serious consideration of his ways: and he thinks thus with himself, If I be there they will be every man upon my crown, for they are ever in hand with such and such things; so that while he is there he stands upon thorns, and saith, What if they should talk of this or that? Thus it was with Ahab, the wretched sottish king was not willing to hear Michaiah speak, for he knew what he would say; for when Jehosaphat said, Is there not here a Prophet of the Lord besides, that we might inquire of him? Yes, saith he, there is one Michaiah, but I hate him, for he never prophecies good to me, 1 King. 22.7, 8. Thus the young man, Matth. 19 when he heard that which was contrary to him, went away sorrowful; whereas a good heart would have come sorrowful, and said, I bless the Lord for this mercy that I may live to hear of the hypocrisy of my heart: Lord I desire a better opportunity to hear more of this matter, my heart is worse than I imagined. This hypocrite cannot endure to hear of that ear: and if he be in the company, he is weary of the speech, and saith, There is better communication, and more useful than this; but the reason is, he would not be troubled in his way. Thirdly, the guise of this wrangling hypocrite lies here, that if he be forced to a serious consideration of his way and opinion, than he will enter upon the work, but it is very tediously; he will pretend a fair hearing, and consult on both sides, but when he comes home, he makes a secret conspiracy against the Lord Jesus: Is it not so conscience? & he saith, I am thus resolved, that that is true which I would have: either it is so, or else I will make it so, therefore let us agree upon it, conscience. In Act. 23.15. see what those wicked people said, Ye with the Council signify unto the chief Captain that he bring him down unto you to morrow, as though ye would inquire some thing more perfectly concerning him, & we, or ever he come near, are ready to kill him: Here they pretended a fair equal hearing, and yet they intended another matter. Such a course this hypocrite takes up against the truth of Christ; he will talk and inquire of this & the other, as if he would know more of God's will; and read this and that book, & inquire of this Minister and that Christian, but he is resolved never to be persuaded nor convinced of the truth of it: Thus they break the neck of the truth, and shall break their own necks in hell too. In Acts 4.16. there is a great work done; that cannot be denied, but let us take heed that it go no further. It is with these hypocrites, as it was with the Scribes and Pharisees, who, though the glory of the truth shone upon them, yet would they stop it, and, that it might get no hold upon them, knock off the fingers of it. It is admirable to observe this hypocrites guise, if there be any man that will but say any thing that may tend to his way, he applauds that man, and delights much in him, and, though he know no reason for it in his conscience, yet he contents and satisfies himself: but if there be never so good arguments to the contrary, never so many reasons that cannot be gainsaid, yet he is not satisfied, neither can he be persuaded by all these arguments; The reason is, he is resolved to do whatsoever he hath purposed for his honour and safety, and therefore it must be lawful that he may do that which he hath purposed: Let there be but some frothy Minister, or some foolish man or woman, that will commend fashionableness, the fashion-monger will hug him in his arms, and say, He spoke marvellous wisely to the point, and very judiciously, though he had not one argument; & whatsoever is spoken to the contrary, he will not believe it: but the Scripture hath no such thing; for where are those words of yellow starch, bands, and the like? Well, it is sufficient that he is fashionable to the world: the issue is this, he is contented to give himself honour, and ease, and liberty, but he will not content the Lord Jesus Christ; and therefore I say he never had this love of God, nor this saving grace in his heart. Rom. 2.8. But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness; not those that are contentious with their neighbours, but against God's truth: What of them? why, to them shall be indignation and wrath. Such were they 1 Tim. 6.4. He is proud, knowing nothing. When a man should come and join side with the word of truth, he is puffed up in his vain mind, and hath no sound work of grace in his heart: He that wrangles against truth, never loved Christ: I do not say that he which is ignorant in any truth of Christ, but he that thus wrangles with any truth of Christ, that man cannot have any sound evidence of God's love in this blessed work of grace: and this I prove thus. 2. arguments. First, he that will have this evidence of God's love, must entertain the truth aright, that is, in the love of it, not for his own private ends & aims, not because it is profitable or honourable, but because it is true; and he that entertains one truth in the love of it, will entertain every truth so far as it is revealed: but this hypocrite doth not entertain the truth in the love of it, and therefore he cannot have any sound evidence of God's love. Secondly, never any man had, as yet, this work of true grace, that is not yet come from under the power of sin and Satan: for no man is come from under the power of sin, or the dominion of Satan, that will join side with sin and Satan against the truth; but this man doth join side with sin and Satan against the truth of God, and therefore was never come from under the power of sin, and so consequently never had this work of grace. I compare this wrangling wretch to the Merchant, that will trade with other Princes, but not submit to them as King: so this man will trade with the Gospel, but not subject himself unto it; and therefore he is but a hang by and a retainer, and one that makes a booty of the Gospel. Thus much of the wrangling hypocrite. The second sort is the whining hypocrite, who will continue daily to abuse the Gospel, and to grieve the Lord Christ, and he thinks to make up his wrongs, by laying open his sorrow that he hath done so, and thus he thinks to be friends with him again. As it is with some servant, whom the Master will neither let go, nor yet use as a servant: so it is with these whining hypocrites; they have great need of the power of the Gospel, and yet they are not willing to be under the power of it; however they keep it in, and fawningly flatter it, and if they come and say, they are sorry for this and that, than all shall be well, and they entreat the Lord not to take it ill at their hands, they will mend it, etc. so that in truth they love not the power of the Gospel, but only to make gain of it to themselves. Simile. As it is with some whining debtor, that partly out of covetousness would not, and partly through indigency cannot pay, he will come and complain of his hard pennyworth, and desire some respite, not that he may give content to the Creditor, but to himself: So it is with this whining hypocrite, he will ever be complaining, but never amending. I speak not against sorrow and complaining, as though they should be altogether quit of the body of death, and of distempers, and of their cursed lusts and corruptions; (for if a man love Jesus Christ as much as ever any mortal man did, yet he shall never be quit of this body of death so long as he is here) but I speak against those that are still complaining and vexing themselves in the outward appearance, who have tears at command, because of some violent passion, or for some discredit to the Gospel, or some disgrace to themselves, and yet stand just at the same stay. Oh varlets, that confess their sin to Christ, and yet forsake it not, that they may love him! that thus they may fawn upon Christ, making their sorrows a plea for their sin, and think to cry and whine it out, and yet return to their old courses again! Thus it was with Ahab, 1 King. 21.15. who killed Naboth for the vineyard, and in the 27 verse, hearing Eliah denounce such heavy threaten against him, & knowing himself to be guilty of that sin, he fasted, and prayed, and rend his clothes, yea prayed in print, as the proverb is, but yet he returns to his old bias again, for in the next chapter he hated Michaiah still. This is but the bathing of a man's sins, not the drowning of them: he thinks to please Christ, and to keep Christ with him, because he cannot be without him; and though he sin against him, yet he thinks to make all whole with complaining. This is too ordinary in the world. The rebellious hearted sinner, that is cross and peevish, and froward, he will be a professor in a high strain, and pretend great love to the Lord Jesus Christ, and complain of his froward heart, but yet he falls into passion upon every occasion, and he to, by his complaints, thinks to make all whole again. This is base false hypocritical love, and not the love of the Father that will enable a man to give content in those things that he may easily do. I can hire these men from their passion for money, and scare them from it by the Magistrate; And shall a reward hire thee, or a Magistrate scare thee, and shall the Lord Jesus have no power over thee to cause thee to do it? Go thy way, thy heart is naught: if thy love were sound, it would work more than all this comes to; that is not love at all, that is not able to do so much as this for Jesus Christ: the like I may say of the untoward doggedness of some husbands and masters; it is their life to fret and talk like madmen; and thus the cunning chapman will cheat you to day, and whine to morrow, and he thinks this pleaseth the Lord Jesus very well. She is not accounted a loving wife, but an adulteress, that when she hath played the harlot, will come and whine to her husband, and yet go to it again; no, if she had a true heart to her husband, and sought for peace, she would not have returned to her vile courses again: So it is with the soul, it is adulterous and base love, and not the love of the Spouse of Christ, to confess and bewail sin, and yet to commit it. That sorrow which loosens the heart from sin, and makes it come nearer to God, and so to be rid of corruption; that sorrow, I say, gives content to Christ; but that sorrow which indeed doth encourage a man, and rather give way to the commission of sin, than loosen the heart from it, gives no content to the Lord Jesus, but to thyself; and stands not with the allegiance of him, but of sin: but yet if thou canst say so, and sorrow so, as to be loosened from thy sin, than thou contentest the Lord Jesus; but if thou thinkest thou hast a warrant, or a privy seal for thy sinful practices, because thou hast sorrowed, this argues little love to Jesus Christ. Object. But some will say, May not a man make his moan, and express his grief for sin? Expression of sorrow for sin, limited. Answ. I answer, Yes, it is fitting and necessary; yet consider these two rules. 1. First, make it not an ordinary tabletalk, for that smells too grossly of false hypocrisy: as if a man did say, Now I hope every man will take notice how I mourn for sin; but rather if thy heart be full, and surcharged with grief, inquire what is the danger of such and such corruptions, and the cause of them, and how thou mayst get power against them, but keep thy sorrow in secret. 2. Or else in the second place, thou shouldst make thy sorrow known to some godly Minister, or faithful Christian, out of the burden of thy sin, and not for fashion sake: thus do, that thy heart may be loosened from thy sin, and thou see thy need of a Saviour. A third sort is a new upstart hypocrite, that is newly come up; many of them are in other parts, and some near unto our own selves: they are such as are full of carnal confidence, and are proud of their believing; but faith shuts out boasting. They are as full of hypocrisy as an egg is full of meat, or a toad full of poison. Such an hypocrite I will discover to you thus. He is a man that hath long professed the truth, and hath seen his sin, and been awakened to his own sense, and hath had a kind of attendance to the Gospel, and a kind of brainish acquaintance with the promise in Jesus Christ, so that now he is fully persuaded that Jesus Christ is his, and he is Christ's. And yet after all this, when he is come thus fare, he looks no more after himself, but looks all to the Lord Jesus Christ, insomuch that the Lord Jesus becomes a drudge to him. Now the guise of this man is this, he casts away all sorrow, and reasons thus: For me to see my vileness, and to be sensible of the body of death, and to bleed inwardly, and mourn daily for my wickedness, I think is needless: these are passed with him, for he saith, I have mourned before this day, and now I have gotten Jesus Christ: thus he thinks he needs not be afflicted with his sins, nor mourn for his many failings; but the Lord Jesus, who he thinks is at his command, must do all, and thus he surfeits on his sins still. This is the root of the doctrine of the Familists, that cursed, hellish, & unconceivable baseness that is in them. I have heard of many of them, that after long profession and much zeal and exactness in a Christian course, have fallen unto this strain, and come to just nothing. A poor sinful deluded Sot thou art, thou poor creature; dost thou entertain the Lord Christ as a Commander, when thou wilt not have him so much as to dispose of thee, but as thy drudge, that thou mayst take what mercy thou wilt, and leave what thou wilt? They will have Christ to pardon their sin, but not to make them mourn for it, as if (in truth) they meant that he should stand at their beck. They rest upon their faith, and will not have themselves and their faith to rest upon Christ: for this is their conceit, they apprehend they do believe, and there they rest, and so in conclusion they never go to Christ to have their hearts humbled and brought under; as if a man should go and grasp with his hand, and take no hold of the rock, he neither finds strength to himself, nor any hold to his hand: so they rest upon their faith, and neither they nor their faith upon their Saviour. Thou sinful deluded hypocrite, the Lord Jesus will make thee come under, and stoop, and force thee and thy carnal confidence to lie in the dust, and beg for mercy. Can any man in reason judge this to be love, which in deed is nothing but a marvellous cursed distemper? They say, the law hath nothing to do with them, and they live by the law of love; and yet they have not any love to the Lord Jesus. Must the Lord Jesus Christ pardon thy sins, and thou remain in them? Must the Lord Jesus seal to thy soul the forgiveness of thine iniquities, and thou dally with it? No, the Love of the Lord Christ will compel thee to do any thing to give contentment to the Lord Jesus. Esa. 57.15. Psal. 51.17. An humble heart is the only house where Christ dwells, and the only sacrifice that he accepts of, and the only guise of spirit that Jesus Christ looks to: and if thou love the Lord Jesus, thou must be sure to provide this dainty dish for him. Ob. But some will say, What need have I of this sorrow, seeing Christ Jesus must do all? Ans. I answer, What need then hast thou of faith, for Christ must in that do all for thee? Though I do not say thou hast as much need of sorrow and brokenness of heart, as of faith, Continual sorrow as needful, as continual believing. yet there is a kind of proportionable need of a continual sorrow, as well as of continual believing; and that upon these grounds. First, thy sorrow helps on thy faith, that it may be more strongly carried to Jesus Christ; for the more weight and burden of thy sins thou feelest, the more need thou wilt see of Christ. As it is with a sharp sauce, though it breed not a stomach, Simile. yet it stirs up a stomach; so this godly sorrow, though it is not the work of believing, yet it stirs up the stomach (of faith) to go go to the Lord Jesus: for faith is the going out of the soul to Christ, and he that finds the burden of his sin, will be the more ready to go out to Christ. Again, this makes a man the more fit to receive the assurance of God's love; this, I say, makes the soul more ready and fit to receive the evidence of God's love to be expressed to the soul, which thou canst not have so expressed to thee, except thou have this godly sorrow: 1 Joh. 1.9. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness: he speaks there of them that now had faith, & yet shows that before the Lord would seal to the man that hath faith, the assurance of the pardon of his sins, he will make him humble, and cry, and sorrow for them, and as to live comfortably, so sorrowfully too: as 1 King. 8.38. 2 Chron. 6.36. If the people return to thee in the land of their captivity, and pray unto thee saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly; then hear thou in heaven, etc. When the Lord seethe their hearts humbled for their sins, and sorrowful for them, than he seals up the pardon of them. So then the way to have this assurance, is to have this frame of spirit here spoken of. Thirdly, this godly sorrow ought to be continually in such as have this love of Christ, that so our hearts may be carried with a more deadly hatred of sin. These are the benefits of godly sorrow; and if a man sorrow not for sin, he will not sorrow for the wrong and dishonour done to God by other sinful men: as David, Psal. 119.136. Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law. EZech. 9.4. The Lord said to the Angel, Go and set a mark upon the foreheads of all the men that sigh, and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. Now how can a man mourn for the abominations of others, when he hath not the heart to mourn for it in his own soul? Ob. But some will say, Must we never rejoice in the Lord? Ans. I answer, Yes. I say, sorrow daily for thy sins, and yet daily rejoice in thy Saviour; and the more thy heart is broken for the one, the more thou wilt be comforted by the other. Thou that makest no matter of being sensible of the body of death that hangs upon thee, and hast no care to be sensible of thy own failings, take heed that the Lord give thee not up for ever to thy own baseness, to be rushed headlong into some vile scandalous courses, and so thou perish for ever; as we find by experience, many, by this means, have grown the most profane creatures that ever lived: And this is the damnable heresy of the Familists. The fourth sort is the vainglorious hypocrite; and he is marvellous zealous for God and his truth in outward appearance. That God may be honoured, and his Gospel advanced, it is admirable what he will do; he will hazard himself, his life, his estate and all, nay be content not to live, if he may but leave a little vain breath after him. We know what vainglory doth amongst the Papists, who, that they may be canonised for Saints, will endure any thing, and suffer death itself: this vainglory is above life and all. Simile. As some great Courtiers will do by a man that they mean to make a booty of, they make him their only favourite, and express a great deal of kindness to him, that he may help them to more honour and glory: So this wretch doth lift up the Gospel, that the Gospel may advance him, and fill his sails full of wind: therefore he will do great matters for this end, that he may receive glory from it. Even as the Stage-player that sets up a great stage that he may be above the people; Another. so it is with a vainglorious wretch; prayer is a good stage, and fasting, and hearing, and preaching are very fine stages for him, upon which he acts his part, that others may see him, that glory may come to him, and not that the glory and grace of Christ may be extolled: he would lift up himself to heaven, and cast down Christ to hell. Such an one was Saul: when Samuel gave him the left hand, and would not go with him into the City, 1 Sam. 15.30. He said, I have sinned, yet honour me I pray thee before the people, and turn again with me, that I may worship the Lord thy God: Walk with me, and then the people will say, Oh what good friends they be! surely he is a good man, the Prophet goes with him. It is a great honour to those that are wise, because they are willing to join side with those that are holy and gracious; so Saul will honour Samuel, that Samuel may honour him, and that he may stand upon his shoulders, as it were, that the people may say, See how inward they are, and what a good man he is, the Prophet goes on with him: but the turn and the issue of the hypocrite is this, it is merely for himself; which will appear thus: If once the wind begin to turn, and the gale of honour grow somewhat cold, and other men are a little lifted up, so that he may not be in the forefront; or if his profession will not carry him out with honour, but his credit is laid in the dust, and he sees he cannot get honour, his heart dies in him, and he saith, It is as good to leave off all: and if he cannot get glory from the Gospel, either he will grow desperately wicked and oppose the Gospel, and join side with the wicked, and help them; or else he will flag and die in a base carnal course, and come to nothing; and that's the best of him. This hath been the bane of many men, who, when they have miss of the glory that they looked for from the Gospel, they have become persecuters: These men deal with Christ as the Innkeeper doth with his guests; If a man will pay the Ordinary, Simile. he is welcome, but if once his money fail, he turns him out of doors: so if Christ will pay his Ordinary, and if he may have credit and honour, so as men may say he hath good parts, and that he fasts more than the world knows; I say, if the Gospel will give him this Ordinary, it is welcome, and he is carried on cheerfully: but if Christ and the Gospel will not give him that which he would have, he turns his back upon it. The Lord Jesus convince your hearts of it. I take this to be the state of a great many: but a gracious heart is of another strain or temper. Happily God hath given a man parts, and gifts, and credit, and yet if the Lord withdraw himself, a good soul saith as John did, Joh. 3.40. He must increase, I must decrease; so a good heart saith, If another man deserve and have more than I, yet let this proud heart lick the dust, and never lift up itself; if the Lord Jesus may increase, and have his honour and glory, let me be trodden in the dust: this is a heart worth gold. When a man entertains the King, he is content, though the King put him out of his own house, to be his servant for the while; and if his Majesty may be contented, he cares not: so it is with a gracious humble heart, if the Lord will blast a man's parts and comforts, and take all from him, and give him Christ naked, and only that honour that is in him, he is contented: This heart is right, and he will say, It is Gods will to take away these parts, honours, credit, etc. and if the Lord Jesus say, I will not assist nor comfort thy soul, he lies down and saith not a word, but this, Let the Lord be honoured though I be as the dung in the streets; whatsoever become of me, though I be damned, so the Lords glory may be advanced, I am content. Suppose this should be (which indeed cannot be) that a man were left destitute of all comfort, friends, and means, and all that he hath loved heretofore, and in stead of honour were to have shame; and imprisonment for liberty; and want and dishonour in stead of friends: the soul saith, It is Gods will to do so, and to take away honour and parts, who must order the business but he only? Doth it please the Lord Jesus to do so? blessed be his name for it, I shall now be contented, let me lie at his feet; though I go down to hell let me wait on him, and let him do what he will. Now all you that are of any of these sorts, to you is the Word of the Lord spoken this day, and I beseech you in the name of Christ, take it in love, and as spoken out of indignation to your sins: to you, I say, the Minister and the Word saith, The Lord be merciful to you, you are haters of the Lord Jesus, there is none of the love of God in the hearts of any of this generation to this day. Now do not go away and say, Let the Minister say what he will, for he must say something to hold out the hour: What? wilt thou show thyself to be a most notorious wrangling hypocrite? Conscience, speak, is not thy heart met withal, as in all the former particulars? Conscience saith so, and the Lord saith so; Oh be persuaded therefore, and yield the bucklers, and say, Now I see it is not in truth, all that I have done is wrong and false; Oh that I could once at last fall upon the right way! The Lord persuade your hearts to conceive of it, and to say, I am still a hater of Christ, I am yet an enemy; Do I yet live to be saved by Christ, and do I hate him? think of thy sin, and consider thy sorrow. 1. Think thus much with thyself, This sin of all other is most unconceivable, and not to be named, much less to be practised and retained. Oh that ever any wretch that hath received so much from Christ, should still hate him! Good Lord, that ever there should be such a wretch upon the earth! and yet Lord I am the man, I am he that have approved of the practices of the wicked: thou art an open enemy to the Lord Jesus, and therefore think what thou hast done all this while. Rom. 1.19, 20. That which may be known of God, is manifest in the creatures. But in the mean time think but what thy sin is, that thou hast not only the creatures to preach to thee, but the Lord Jesus who came down from heaven: It is a wonder that ever he came for such wretches as we are; he hath torn his bowels in pieces for thee, and entreated thee to bathe thy soul in his death, and be saved for ever; Luke 19.42. yea, he hath wept over thee, and said, Oh that thou hadst known, even thou at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace, yet thou regardest not. Oh thou poor ignorant profane carnal wretch! nay the blood of Christ, and his tears, and the offer of his mercies, and his spirit, speak to thee, and entreat thee to believe in him and live for ever, and yet thou continuest an infidel. You know the spirit of love hath met you in your Churches, and in your houses, and walked with you in your journeys, and said, Now open, the Lord Jesus calls & tenders mercy, and you have snubbed it. Good Lord, is it possible that the blood of Jesus Christ should speak to us, and that a company of wretched creatures should trample upon that blood, and grieve that spirit, rather than forsake their lusts and corruptions! You children tell your fathers of this, and you wives your husbands, and say, Is it possible that we have done this, and yet live still? it is a wonder. Therefore reason thus with yourselves, and say, If a heathen shall be condemned that had but trees preaching to him, and his conscience open; then what shall become of me, that have had Christ and his blood to preach to me? what will become of me? what sin is mine? it is a scarlet sin, it hath in it all abominations. 2. Secondly, think of thy sorrow, how will the Lord Jesus be revenged on thee! Dost thou say, Oh he is merciful, and will forgive all? What will the Lord suffer his son to be trampled upon will God the Father suffer this? think what will be the end of it; Oh thy judgement is intolerable and unrecoverable, continuing as thou art. Consider the heaviness of thy plagues: 1 Cor. 16.22. If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ; let him be had in execration, or be accursed, or be made Maranatha; that is, All the curses of heaven and earth, and all the curses of the world, to the highest strain of cursing: as if he should say, All you Churches on earth, and all you Angels in heaven, curse ye that man, and all ye Devils in hell torment that man, nay, let him be accursed for ever; and then, blessed Redeemer, take this man into thy own hands, and let him be accursed for ever: As in Judas 14. And Enoch also the seventh from Adam, prohecied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his Saints, to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them, of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. You think it is nothing to speak against the Lord Jesus; thousands of Angels shall minister to him, and ten thousands shall go before him, and say, The Lord is coming to execute judgement upon all that work wickedness, and upon those that have spoken against him. So that when the Church of Christ, and the Angels in heaven, and the Devils in hell have conspired to torment a man, than also the Lord Jesus will come to torment him. Oh that my heart could bleed, and if it were possible, break in sunder for the misery in which you are: in that day the Lord Jesus will say to such, as he doth Luke 19.27. Those mine enemies which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither and slay them before me: He will say, Bring hither that enemy of mine, he hath opposed me, and grieved my spirit, and slighted my mercy; bring my enemies hither, not the Heathens or Pagans, I regard not them so much, but him that hath been a hater of me and of my Gospel; and then shalt thou see the intolerableness and unavoydablenesse of thy punishment. Oh poor soul, what wilt thou say or do when thou art put to such a plunge; (as joseph's bowels did earn within him when he talked with his brethren, that he could forbear no longer, I wish that I had a heart to mourn in secret for thee) I say, what will become of thee, poor wretch? Happily thou wilt say, there is mercy: It's true, but thou hast hated that mercy, which should save thee: or, wilt thou think that the blood and merits of the Lord Jesus will save thee, thou hast trodden upon them. Wilt thou say, The good spirit of the Lord will prevail with this wretched heart of mine? with what heart canst thou crave aid from the spirit, when thy own conscience can say, I have hated that good spirit of the Lord, and that mercy which should save me? And when all is done and thou art come to the period, go your way home to your husbands and wives and mourn for them, for there is neither mercy nor Christ for them, for they also have hated him. And when this is done, imagine thou didst see the heavens opened, and the fire melting round about thee, and the Lord Christ coming in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to all that obey not the Gospel, lay thy hand upon thy breast & say, that's I Lord, that's my husband, or my child, he is come against us, to render vengeance to them that have lived with me, and have opposed the Gospel, and the riches of grace and of mercy in Jesus Christ. Think of these in God's name and labour to prevent them here, that thou mayest be freed from the punishment of them hereafter. Love the Lord Jesus in sincerity. Use 4. The last use is for Exhortation; Oh that God would please to work our souls to this duty, which the Saints take up, and all of us ought to labour after! You hear how the Lord works in the hearts of his, and how they which are truly called of God, have this love kindled in their hearts; Oh therefore what remains, but only this, be exhorted, since you see the way, to walk in it; and since we see what the Saints of God have and do, let us labour to express this frame of heart, that so the Lord Jesus may make us partakers of their hapnesse: I say, let us labour after it, and when we have it, express our loves to the Lord Jesus Christ as we ought: It was that which took up the heart of David, Psal. 18.1. when he saith, I will love thee dear O Lord my strength. As it is with a woman with child, though the infant in the womb have life, yet the mother's love is not so great towards it till it be borne; but then she clasps her arms about it with much tenderness; so he saith, I will embrace the Lord with much love, I will love him; as if he had said, All the world shall not hinder me but I will love him, though I love not myself: and he persuades all the Saints of God to do the like, Psa. 31. 23. saying, Love the Lord all ye his Saints; who will you love if you love not him? Oh you poor ones, love you the Lord, for you have need of him; and all you rich ones love you the Lord, for you have cause to do it; and you little ones too (if there be any such in the congregation) he knocks at every man's door, and persuades every man's heart, and he deals faithfully with his Saints: therefore if you have but this grace, it is an undoubted argument, that you are the Saints of God: nay, though out of thy blindness thou couldst never know the way to Christ, and out of thy weakness thou couldst never close with Christ, yet if thou wilt but love him, thou shalt know him, and be with him for ever: 1 Joh. 4 12.16. No man hath seen God at any time: God is love, and he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him. If thy heart be persuaded to continue in God, and to be with God for ever, then love him, and he will dwell in thee, for he is love itself; for so saith the Apostle, Love is of God. Ob. Oh but some will say, it is true, we know it is fitting, and we ought to do it, but it is a difficult thing, and we are unable to do it, though we know it is requisite to be done. To love the Lord Jesus we find is a difficult work, and hard, although the world think it not so. Ans. I would to God you did find it difficult: and mark what I say, that man never loved Christ aright, who found it not difficult. He that saith, Oh such an one as will not love the Lord Jesus, it is pity he should live: it is to be feared he did never love Jesus Christ aright: Poor silly deluded creature, it will cost thee hot water before that day; yet when thou hast it, it will quit all thy cost and labour. Oh but some will say, Means to love Christ. what are the means to prevail with us? and how may we draw our sturdy rebellious wayward hearts to this love of Jesus Christ? I refer the means to these three heads. 1. First, there are some hindrances to be removed. 2. Secondly, labour to see the beauty and excellency of Jesus Christ in the promise. 3. Thirdly, when the promise is come near, and the heart made empty, then learn the skill to make the soul and the promise meet. Means, 1. First, that you may love the Lord Christ, there are some hindrances which lie upon the heart, which are marvellous causes of dissension between Jesus Christ and the soul, and these must be taken away. Now the hindrances of this sort are these three. Hindrance, 1. The first is this, To take off the soul from the love of these base things here below. I beseech you observe it, be marvellous wise that you lavish not out your souls upon these lying vanities: for as it is with a stream, Simile. if the bank be cut, and all the stream run that way then the proper channel must needs lie dry, because all the stream runs another way; so is it with the stream of a man's affections, if the stream of love & joy be let out upon profits, or pleasures, or honours, you cannot have & spend, you cannot have your affections still, when you have spent them upon other things; therefore be sure to knock them off from the world, that you may give them wholly to the Lord. 1 Joh. 2 15. Little children love not the world. What if we do, may some say: If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. You must not think to have heaven and hell too, to have Christ and the world too: It is impossible in reason, that a wise should have a true affection of love to her husband, and an adulterous affection to her filthy mates too; the mate must be abandoned before the husband can be loved as he ought to be. Jam. 4.4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? This is meant of spiritual adulterers and adulteresses, those that withdraw their hearts from the Lord, and have their backdoors for the world; O ye adulterers (saith he) know ye not that he that loves the world cannot love God? These two cannot stand together; either make these two at odds, or else there can be no love to Jesus Christ. Another. As it is with the body of a man, when the heart is hot, the heat of the sun draws all the heat outwards, and leaves the stomach cold, insomuch that many times he swelters away; so when the profits & pleasures of the world come marvellous strongly in a good booty or bargain, and shine hotly upon your fouls, and draws out your hearts to that, than they are cold to grace, and Christ, and the promise, as if you were dead men; nay, many a man hath died and perished everlastingly by this way and means. When a Gentleman hath stocked his man with money, Simile. and sent him to the market for such things as he hath need of, he will not lay out his money upon babbles and rattles, because the more he lays out, the less he hath for his market; but he will keep his money together: so when the Lord hath stocked your souls with strength of grace, so that now you have very violent affections of love and joy, if you lay out these affections upon profits and honours, when you come to provide for Christ, all is already spent. One man lays out his love upon his lusts, and another upon his chambering, and when they come to Christ and grace, than their hearts are dead, and lose, & adulterous, and have spent all. Therefore in a word, when the world, and profits, and honours come & say, Let us have so much love, and keep so much for Christ; tell the world thus, and say, Nay, we must keep our choice affections for the best things, we must love Christ, and therefore let the world stay, and let its better be served first. This is the first hindrance. Hindrance 2. 2 Secondly, take heed, and cast off those vain and groundless surmises and suspicions, which either Satan casts in, or thy own heart breeds against the Lord Jesus and his goodness. There is a cavilling jealousy which is in every man's heart by nature, whereby we are subject to think hardly, or at least to surmise sinfully against the Lord and his deal with us; look how thou dost suspect God to be unto thee, Simile. so art thou unto him: As it is with two friends, if they once begin to be jealous of one another's love, and if I once surmise in my heart that he hath some ill will towards me, this is the next way to breed in my heart an ill-will towards him: therefore be sure to quit thy heart of these. A loving conceit makes the thing lovely that we meddle withal, but a groundless suspicion turns all another way, and also makes us think ill of the Lord; it takes all with the wrong hand; for, if a man have the blessings of this world, than the soul saith, It is true indeed, God hath given me these, but it is as a hook, the Lord makes my table my snare, and only fits me for the slaughter: For when the Lord lets in the horror of his wrath into the soul, all those blessings come to nothing, and are forgotten, because the heart hath God in a jealousy, and thinks that God only fat's him to the slaughter, and to ruinated him for ever, whereas the Lord could as well destroy him presently as bear ill-will towards him. Again on the other side, if the Lord gives but a small pittance and allowance, than the soul saith, The Lord loves not me, how straight-handed is he towards me! if he did love me, it would be otherwise. As the naughty stomach turns the best diet into ill humours, and as the green glass makes all seem green to him that hath it; so it is with the heart that is uncharitably conceited toward the Lord, for we, notwithstanding all his loving kindness, still think we have him upon the worst hand, and are provoked in our hearts against him. Therefore take heed of harbouring any ill thoughts, or groundless suspicious jealousies against the God of heaven; this is ordinary, yea, too ordinary with our base hearts, a vile heart is a breed-bate, between the Lord and us; for it accuseth God to the soul, and then the soul to God: and therefore when haply we labour to bring a poor sinner to look towards God, and to consider of God's goodness to him, No, no, (saith he) It is true, I confess God is very gracious, and it is his goodness that I have the means of salvation, but I shall one day perish, and God only serves his turn of me, the Lord never gave me that assurance of his love that such and such have, God will one day leave me in the lurch. And then the heart is transported with a secret dislike of the Lord Jesus. Wretches that we are! whereas a good and a charitable conceit of God would make a good construction of his deal, as the wife of Manoah did, Judg. 13.22, 23. when Manoah offered a sacrifice, and an Angel appeared (which Angel was the Lord Jesus Christ) he said, We shall surely die, for we have seen an Angel (for this was their opinion in ancient times, that if a man did see an Angel he should die:) the Angel received the sacrifice, and did wonderfully accept it, and yet he saith, We shall surely die. Here was a groundless suspicion: but mark how she reasons, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a offering and a meat offering at our hands: as if she had said, Oh do not you think so hardly and uncharitably of the Lord, as that he will kill us; why did he thus and thus? we may rather expect good from God, becuse he hath done good to us before: So I say, and so I would have thee to say to thy soul, The Lord doth me no harm, and therefore why should I think that he intends any unto me? I have received nothing but good from the Lord, and therefore why should I think so ill of God? Oh take heed of this. 3. The third hindrance is this, Hindrance 3. Judging the goodness and kindness of the Lord according to thy own desires, what thou wouldst have; not after thy own unworthiness, nor the kindness which others do enjoy better than thyself; murmuring that thou art not worthy, whereas thou art not fitted that God should do any thing for thee. This misjudging many times carries the heart with a special mistaking against the Lord: as it is with a poor creature that hath had the means, but not received the like comfort and mercy thereby that others have, see how the heart reasons saying, Others have such and such assistance, in the mean time God leaves me; and such and such have evidence of his favour, but God regards not me: had I but such power against corruptions, and such evidence of God's love and favour as God hath given to such and such Christians, fare younger than I! I seek, and pray, and entreat, and have not: and with that the heart is carried with a secret heartburning against the Lord; this breeds a secret kind of wrangling, and quarrelling, and withdrawing from the Lord. Therefore labour thou to still those distempers, and to rectify thyself, and to judge as thou oughtest. Judge not thyself by what others have, and by what thou deservest, but say, Blessed be God I am not as I might have been, and blessed be God, I am not as I have deserved: for than I had either been upon the chain with felons, or upon the gallows with thiefs and robbers, or in the Alehouse at my abominations; for my nature is prone to it as well as others. I confess I am not so holy as I ought to be, but blessed be that mercy in Jesus Christ that I am as I am: I have not what others have, and yet it is a wonder that I have any thing at all at the hands of the Lord, so unthankful and dead-hearted as I am: others are meek, and patiented, and heavenly, and painful, and therefore it is a wonder that I have any thing at all. Go thy way, and be contented with the Lords goodness, and quarrel no more, and mis-judge the Lords kindness no more. Thus you see the hindrances removed; now there is a way made, that the soul may come to some terms of love with God. Means 2. 2. When the soul hath been thus ordered, we must labour to be throughly acquainted with the beauty and sweetness of Christ in the promise, that this may provoke our souls to love the Lord, and to rejoice in him. When these hindrances are removed, there is way made for the promise to come and meet with the soul, these breed-bates are sent out of town, and now there may be some possibility of love, and this is the next way to work and draw our hearts to Christ, and to kindle in us these affections of love and joy. The soul that is loosened from all the causes of jars and dissensions between Christ and him; that soul is ready to match with the promise, and to bestow itself in love upon Christ. In a marriage a man must know the party first, and the portion, and understand both, or else he can love neither; so thou must see the beauty and excellency of the promise before thou canst love the Lord Jesus. As it is in the base affections, the covetous man seethe a good bargain before he loves it: so that it is the eye that makes the bargain, as one well observes; so thou must look wisely upon the promises, and be able to know them, and this will make thee love them: as in Psal. 91.14. Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my Name. How came he to love the name of the Lord? because he knew him; as it is Cant. 1.2. when the name of our Saviour was as an ointment poured forth, then did the virgins love him: this name is the graces of our Saviour revealed and communicated to us: and Cant. 4.9. see what our Saviour saith, My sister, my spouse, thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck: this is by way of comparison from the less to the greater: the Spouse of Christ is the Church of Christ, and by eye and neck is meant nothing else but the beauty of his grace in the heart truly humbled; now the Lord Jesus Christ looks upon these graces, and loves them, and is ravished with the fight of them. Now if the work of grace in the heart of a poor sinner ravished the heart of Christ, who is the God of all grace, then much more if our hearts could but see one finger of the excellency that is in Christ, they would be ravished with earnest love, and kindled with violence towards him. There are three things that ought mainly to be respected in the promise, that we may eye and apprehend, and that our hearts may be kindled with love to the Lord; and these three work love any where. First, the worth of the party in himself. Secondly, the desert of the party. Thirdly, the readiness of the party in himself to seek our good. Three things in Christ to make us love him. So it is with the Lord Jesus, first, he is worthy of our love, in himself considered. Secondly, he hath deserved it. Thirdly, he seeks our love. Thou that dwellest in a poor cottage, wilt hardly believe this; but I say, he seeks thy love. First, Christ is worthy in himself. I wonder that the Lord Jesus Christ will suffer himself to be beloved by such wretches as we are: if we had a thousand hearts to bestow upon him, we were never able to love him sufficiently: for as Nehemiah said, Nehem. 9.5. The name of the Lord is above all praise: and as the name of God is above all praise that we can give him, so the name of the Lord is above all the love that we can bestow upon him. Will you let out your love and affections? (as we use to say in the market) it is a good penny worth, it is worth more money than you shall pay for it: so if you will lay out all the affections that you have, you may lay them out here, and that with good advantage too. What would you have? you may have enough for your money: Wouldst thou have beauty? then thy Saviour is beautiful: Psal. 45.2. Thou art fairer than the children of men; yea, he is full of grace: nay, the Spouse, Cant. 5.10. saith, My beloved is the chief of ten thousand: and in the 16. verse, He is altogether lovely, he is a very beautiful husband. There is no beauty in the world, but it hath its blemish, nor no day so fair but it hath its clouds; but the Lord Jesus Christ is altogether love: if beauty will please thee, he is altogether excellent. Would you have strength? Psal. 45.3. he is all strength: A wife would not have a cowardly husband, therefore the Text saith, Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty, ride on prosperously; so that Kings are slain, and people shall fall before him, and his right hand shall teach thee terrible things, therefore, if beauty will please thee, he is the fairest of all: if strength will please thee, he is the strongest of all: if riches will please thee, he is more rich (if it be possible) than he is strong; for Heb. 1.2. he is the heir of all things; he is not for a Crown, or a Kingdom, or lands, or revenues, but the heavens are his, and the earth, and the sea fare and wide, and all the depths thereof are his, yea, and thine also, if thou wilt have him: He is rich likewise, in regard of his grace, as the Apostle saith, Col. 2.3. In him are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. What wouldst thou have? eternal life and happiness? then he that hath Christ, hath all these: for Christ is the Author of life and happiness to all that have him; and he hath not only these in himself, but he will infeoff thee in them, if thou wilt but match with him. If the world, and beauty, and strength, and life, and salvation will prevail, it is all thine; let the Lord Jesus Christ once have your love, and it is done. See what the Prophet David saith, Psal. 63.3. Thy loving kindness is better than life, therefore my lips shall praise thee. You know what we use to do in the world: if a man match with a maid where there is much wealth, we say he is made for ever; so say I: Truly the world cannot, nor will not do so for you; it promiseth fair, and performs nothing. If thou set thy heart upon riches and honours, they will fail thee. Where is all the beauty of the world? Some sickness or other makes many a men ready to run out of his wits for grief: A man is here in health to day, and in hell to morrow; but if thou wilt love the Lord Jesus Christ, he will never fail thee: he only is worthy of the choice of thy affections, therefore set them not upon that which cannot comfort thee: if thou wilt have Christ, set them upon him, and all that he hath is thine. Secondly, Christ, as he is worthy of our love, so he deserves it; if his worth cannot win our love, yet let his desert have it. It is a great matter to win the affections of a man. If a man be never so worthy of himself, for his parts, and gifts, yet if he have wronged me, and dealt basely with me, and expressed the part of an enemy, saith a woman, I will not have him, no not though he had all the world: But it is not so with the Lord Jesus Christ: for as he is worthy of all love in himself, so he hath dealt mercifully and graciously with you, and therefore he deserves your love; deal equally with him, and give him what he deserves. We have had hard deal from the world, and base usage from these base things, never a man here but hath found it so; for it hath promised much, and done nothing, and all the pleasures it afforded us, have left nothing but vanity and emptiness behind them. Let the adulterer come forth, and show what pleasure he hath ever had by his filthy dalliances and base courses: he hath had but an ill match, a galled conscience for the present, and the expectation of plagues and punishments for ever. The world also hath vexed the covetous man, and pleasure hath disquieted the ambitious man; but the Lord Jesus Christ hath ever dealt graciously and mercifully with his servants. In your sickness who helped you? in your want who supplied you? in anguish of heart who revived you? was it not the Lord Jesus Christ? and therefore do not only what religion requires, but what reason requires. If you love them that love you, do not the Publicans even the same? they do good to such as do good to them. The Lord Jesus Christ hath loved you, therefore love you him, and enlarge your hearts to him for ever. Ob. Oh but (saith the soul) I confess the Lord hath been merciful, and it is his mercy that I live, and he hath enlarged himself towards me, but yet I grow graceless. What love is this if the Lord Jesus Christ give me these, and deny me that which is better than these? what love is this? I now speak to all that want assurance; To all such I answer in three things. Three things done by Christ for a sinner, though as yet he want assurance. Ans. I will tell thee what he hath done for thee, taking thyself in the worst condition. First, consider that thou livest in the bosom of the Church, and that Jesus Christ hath brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel; many thousands of poor Infidels and Heathen would be glad to gather the crumbs that fall from thy Table. The Heathens never knew the way to a Saviour, they never had the means to comfort them; and is not this mercy then, that God hath brought the word of life and salvation to thee, and set thee under the means? for he hath not dealt so with other Nations, neither have the Heathen knowledge of his ways: he hath not dealt so with many better than thyself, I mean better, in regard of many actual transgressions of thine. Oh therefore love him for this favour. Secondly, consider farther what the Lord Christ hath done for thee; he hath not only brought the means of grace to thee, and planted thee in a land of Goshen, where thou didst enjoy them, but after thou hadst resisted and opposed them, and cast his kindness behind thy back, and slighted his Spirit, sinful wretch that thou art, he hath often come and entreated thee to receive mercy; and though again and again thou hast opposed it, yet he hath been patiented and good to thee: love him for it. Again, the Lord Christ takes no advantage against thee, as thou surmisest: He might have done it, and that justly too; thou that resistest the means of grace, it is just that thou shouldst never have them. If God had sent thee one way, and the Gospel another, it had been just; but he hath not done so: therefore love him, he deserves it at thy hands. Thirdly, he hath not only brought thee under the means of grace, and been patiented to thee, though thou hast resisted the means; but he hath let in some inkling of his love, and come nearer to thee than all this. Why should Jesus Christ offer mercy to thy wife and child? it is extraordinary kindness: thou canst not but know that there are many in the same family, that have the same means, and yet remain in a miserable condition: and why are thy eyes opened, and thy conscience awakened in any measure? every morning you rise, and every night you go to bed, bless and magnify the Lord Christ that hath dealt thus mercifully with you; for he is worthy of it, as Judas said, Joh. 14.22. Why wilt thou reveal thyself to us, and not to the world? why wilt thou show mercy to a poor cottage, and enlighten a blind mind, and a sottish spirit in this manner? Oh this is love, Oh love him again for it, he deserves it. Thirdly, Christ seeks thy love; here is the admimiration of mercy, that our Saviour that hath been rejected by a company of sinful creatures, should seek their love: for shame refuse him not, but let him have love before he go. Had the Lord received us when we had come unto him, and humbled our hearts before him with deep importunity; and had he heard us when we had cried unto him, nay, when we had spent all our days, and all our strength in begging and craving one good look from heaven, and at the day of our departure taken compassion upon us, it had been an infinite mercy; but when the Lord Jesus Christ shall seek to us by his messengers (as all the Ministers are his messengers) to accept of his love, this is beyond all expression: I say, if he had only sent a love letter from heaven, and said that he was willing to match with us, and had left us to find out the way and the means, it had been beyond all wonder; but that the Lord Jesus Christ should come and wait upon us, and seek our love, it is the wonder of mercies. When a company of base lusts and sinful desires have found acceptance with us, and the door hath been open upon all occasions to talk with them, though the Lord Jesus Christ hath often come and said, Oh muse upon my name, and not upon the world and these lusts; and we would not hear him: when, I say, you and your adulteresses have been upon the bed of dalliance, and Christ hath been at the door, and could get no audience, nor acceptance: yet after all this, he hath not only called, but seriously besought us to be reconciled to him, that is, to love him, and to be beloved of him, and blessed by him for ever; these are the terms of his love. What shall I answer the Lord? will the Lord seek our love? then return him this answer, and say, Shall he seek love and not have it? shall he crave it, and I not give it? Oh God forbidden. Can the Lord Jesus Christ be in love with me? In truth Lord I am out of love with myself, by reason of my base heart, and filthy thoughts; I have abused thy Majesty from time to time, by following my base lusts, adulteries and abominations; I have not only loved the world, but filled myself therewith: and thus my adulterous heart hath gone away from thee to them. But will the Lord Jesus love such a wretch as I am? Yes, he will; for the Lord saith, Hosea 14.5. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely. He looks for no portion, no he will take thee with all thy wants. Is not the Lord worthy of thy love? he desires no more, and sure he deserves no less. Deut. 10.12. when the Lord had recorded all his kindness towards the children of Israel, mark how he infers this, saying, And now Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul? So I say to thee, after all the sinful abominations of thy heart, and all thy sinful practices committed, what is it that the Lord doth require of thee when all thy sins are pardoned? only that thou love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. Let me therefore tell you what to do; get you home, and every one in secret labour to deal honestly and truly with your own hearts, and make up a match in this manner, and say, Is it possible that the Lord should look so low? that the great Prince should send for the poor peasant? that Majesty should stoop to meanness? and heaven to earth? and God to man? Hath the Lord offered mercy to me, and doth he require nothing of me but to love him again? call upon your own hearts, I charge you, and say thus; Lord, if all the sight of mine eyes were love, and all the speeches of my tongue were love, it were all too little to love thee: Oh let me love thee dear, O Lord my strength. Say you had a fair offer, and that a poor Minister of God did wish you well; be not coy and squeamish, the Lord may have better than you every day; lie down therefore and admire at the mercy of the Lord, that should take a company of poor dead dogs; I say, be sure that you be not coy and squeamish: say as the Prophet did, Lift up your heads ye gates, and be ye lift up ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in, Psal. 24. Now the hindrances are removed, and the promises are brought home, we will come to see if the match be liked of. Means 3. Lastly, it is our skill and cunning to draw these two together. Ye see what we have said, the hindrances are removed, and the promises are brought home, now if we can but affect a Saviour he is our own; he that will not now be beloved of the Lord JESUS CHRIST, let him be ever accursed. There are two particulars considerable, to fasten these two together. First, Two means to bring our hearts and the promises together. labour to give attendance daily to the promise of grace and Christ, drive all other suitors away from the soul, let nothing come between the promise and it, and forbidden all other banes; that is, let the promise confer daily with thy heart, and be expressing and telling of that good that is in Christ daily to thy heart. Simile. You know if all things be done and agreed upon between the parents of two parties to be married, and there wants nothing but the fixing of their affections one upon another, the only way to draw their affections to one another, is to keep company together, and daily to meet and see one another: so let thy soul daily keep company with the promise, and let not thy heart only see the promise once in a week, but daily; shut out all others besides, and keep company only with that, and see what beauty, and strength, and grace there is in the same; and say, Oh wretch that I am if I had had either wit or grace, I might have been made happy long ago. Thus keep company with the promise, that thy soul and it may dwell together. Secondly, labour by undeniable reason, as to discover, so to conclude the unconceivable good that will come to thy soul by this: many men will promise that such and such things shall be done, if the match may but go forward, and do not only talk of it, but make it good too: so do thou by undeniable arguments make good to thy own soul, the unconceivable good that will come to thy soul; nay, God hath pawned his truth to thee for it. As it was with Sechem Hamors son, Gen. 34.24. when he would persuade the Citizens to join side with him, he doth two things; First, he did commune with them in the gates, and then he shows what undoubted good they should be sure to get by it: Shall not their cattles, and their substance, and every beast that they have be ours? and hereby will they consent, if every one be circumcised as they are. He communed of the business, and of the good that comes by it: so likewise let us commune with the good of the promises. Secondly, conclude that the good thou expectest, shall come thereby, and that all happiness shall come unto thy soul. If thou match with Jesus Christ, shall not all his mercy, all his excellency, all his merits and love, yea, & all his comforts and grace be thine? Yes, every grace of Jesus Christ, and all the comforts, not only of this but of a better life. We stand demurring upon the matters of agreement; if we might have a good engagement what would we do? lay all these aside, and know, that if thou wilt have Christ thou must part with all, and then thou shalt find in him what ever thy heart desires: 1 Corinthians 3.23. All is yours, and ye are Christ's, and Christ is Gods: so I say to every of you, if Christ be thine, than all is thine; nay, all the Devil's malice shall promote that which shall make for thy good. Therefore, is this so, that the Lord Jesus Christ is worthy of your love, and hath deserved it? is he worthy of more love than all that you have, and doth he seek it? (for he hath sent me this day to entreat love at the hands and hearts of all you poor sinners) you then that are in higher ranks and places, the Lord Christ is worthy of your affections, and he doth offer love to all you that are weary and have need, to every poor soul: now what answer shall I return to him in the evening? shall I say, Lord I have tendered thy mercy, and it was refused, and they slighted thy mercy and thy promise, and they would none of Christ; they have taken up their hearts with the world, therefore they cannot give up their hearts to thee? Brethren, it would grieve my heart to return this answer: Christ Jesus becomes a suitor to you, and doth beseech you through me to be reconciled to him, and to be blessed by him for ever: Will you love the Lord Christ? let him have but love from you, that is all he cares for. I beseech you for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, if you will not love him nor his grace and mercy, yet love your own selves; deny not this gracious offer, lest hereafter you seek for love, and mercy, and compassion, and be refused and condemned for ever. Therefore give up all, and bid adieu to all other Lovers. And because it is not in your power to love Christ, go to the Father of love, and to the Spirit of love, and entreat him but to strike one spark of love from the promise, and say, good Lord, is it true, I have a base vile heart, and I have contemned thee my only comfort: but thou that requirest love, thou that art the God of love, kindle but one spark of love in the heart of thy servant, that I may love thee more than myself, and all things here below. Hitherto of the love of Christ. Next we will speak of joy in God. Spiritual Joy. HABAKKUK 3.17, 18. Although the Figtree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines: the labour of the Olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat, the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no heard in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. THIS Text may fitly be called, Order. The poor man's comfort in a dear year. It was the Prophets stay in the great desolation which he foresaw to be coming by the Chaldeans. In the first Chapter he complains of Israel's sin, and the Chaldeans cruelty. In the second, he sees a vision of comfort for the Church, and the destruction of the enemies. In the third, he prays for accomplishment, and strengthens his faith in prayer, by recounting the old deal of God with his people. Now toward the conclusion, he professeth his own hope and confidence in God; which, by his example he would work all godly men unto. True, he was greatly afraid at the vengeance of God; but by fearing before hand, he procured a sweet security for time to come, verse 16. That I might rest in the day of trouble. And in the text he speaks more fully, Although the Figtree shall not blossom, etc. Parts. In the words is, 1. A supposition of great evil which probably might come upon the Jews, vers. 17.2. A proposition of his own unmoveable comfort amidst it all, vers. 18. Exposition Of the supposition. In many particulars the Prophet sets forth an extreme vastation and desolation of their country; all commodities should fail, which concerned both delight and necessity: that is, Corn, Wine, Oil, & other fruits, both small and great Cattles, those in the fold, those in the stall, Sheep and Oxen; all should come short of the wont plenty. I name four ways whereby such misery invades a nation, and the particular inhabitants. First, by War, and the Sword, which lays all waste where it comes, as in Germany; the vines cut, the fruit trees rooted up, the corn burnt, or not sowed, flocks and herds driven away, Temples and houses laid in their rubbish, and people slaughtered. Neither Eastern nor Western Babylonians can afford better terms of agreement with the Israel of God: Prov. 12.10. The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Secondly, by drought, or other calamities of ill weather, when the year of restraints cometh, Jer. 14.1. and then he describes a grievous famine; the former and latter rain is withheld, the sweet influence of the Pleyades is restrained, Job. 38.31. the heaven made as brass, the earth as iron, unkindly winds, devouring worms, blast, mildew, and other evils which we have endured. Thirdly, by losses and casualties which the wisdom of man cannot foresee, nor his power prevent. Thus the folds and stalls of Job were made empty, and the like hath befallen many a rich man, and may hereafter. To the world-ward none can rightly be accounted blessed, but he that is fairly buried: Others have wine, and oil, and olives, and other dainties in plentiful measure; but this or that man hath lost his part, and hath much ado to sustain his necessity. Fourthly, by mere poverty, and utter disability to make such provisions: Some never had these fine things, mentioned in the Text, nor have, nor are likely ever to have, unless at other men's tables: with some, every year is a dear year, through their whole life, though some pinch them more than other. A poor, empty, smoke-bound cottage, with course bread, and water out of the next ditch, must contain and content them till their dying day. Yet to such as these the proposition of Habakkuk extendeth itself: If the persons and causes be alike, the joy also shall be alike: I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. If Christ be come into the house, and by him salvation, who shall forbid them to be comfortable, as Zacheus and the Jailor? I will rejoice in the Lord: or, because of the Lord, Bajehova; and so in the next clause, Baelohi: God is left unto me, when all else is taken away: still I I have a God to take comfort in. And First, he is greater matter of comfort, than any of those things can be of sorrow and dejection: for those are finite evils, but God an infinite good. Secondly, he is higher than they all; my comfort lies out of the reach of all enemies, and all adversities. Psal. 46.1. Thirdly, he is nearer than any of them: a very present refuge in the time of trouble. Losses and crosses go near to the heart, and to the quick, but God is nearer. Fourthly, he is Jehova, in whom I rejoice, hath his being of himself, and gives being to all the creatures, and preserves it so long as him pleaseth: Therefore by his benefit I shall subsist, when all the secundary means of maintenance are intercepted: Matth. 4.4. Man lives not by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Fifthly, he is the God of my salvation: that is, he saves my body and natural life, whether I have means, or no means: it is he that strikes the main stroke in my preservation: by an Hebraisme oft called, The God of salvation: and this not only temporally, for the body, but spiritually and eternally, for the soul. And then the argument is easy; He that doth the greater, will do the less too: God that saves us from hell & the Devil, will save us from starving, and the like miseries: Jehova, that became the Lord Jesus to us when we had no strength, will never stick with us for trifles in comparison. This sweet and blessed name meets him that reads the Text in the Original: Baelohi jishgni, which Saint Jerome translates, in God my Jesus, or Saviour: just as the Virgin sang, Luke 1 47. De civet. Dei, l. 18. c. 32. My spirit rejoiceth in God my Saviour: and Saint Austin prefers the using of this, nomen amicius & dulcius, before the Septuagints, Deo salutari meo. Certain it is, that by Christ only we have interest in God, and can rejoice in him: There is no salvation in any other: Act. 4.12. nor any other name given under heaven, by which we can be saved. And in him do all true Christians triumph, Phil. 3.3. not in the righteousness of the Law, nor in any legal and carnal privileges. And we have ample cause to rejoice in him, even in the greatest failing of natural comforts, and greatest desolations that can come upon us. Although the figtree blossom not, etc. Although there be another drought, & another, and ten years one after another, and a greater mortality of pestilence, and the sword too, with all the mischiefs that accompany it, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. In greatest wants true Christians have cause enough to rejoice in God. Doctr. However the world goes for comforts of nature, yet in Christ we have full cause to rejoice, and so should stir up ourselves to do. See Psal. 42.5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. and 73.25, 26, 27, 28. Dying Jacob lifted up himself, by thinking on the salvation which God had wrought for him: Gen. 49.18. Job stripped of all, praised God, as when he had all about him. Moses, seeing him that is invisible, feared not the wrath of the King. Micaiah, having seen God in a vision, was nothing daunted at the presence of two glorious Kings. The three children, believing in God, regarded neither NebuchadneZZars anger, nor the furnace extraordinarily heated. So the Apostles, Acts 4. and 5. and the Martyrs in several histories of the Church. Reason 1 Eccles. 1.2. One reason whereof may be taken from the vanity of the creature. Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities (saith the Preacher) all is vanity and vexation of spirit. They are good comforts of nature where they may be had, and a good man will make them so many encouragements in the way of grace: But God never appointed them to be part of the Saints portion: Gen. 15.1. No, I am thy portion, thy buckler, and great reward: and so the Christian makes account, Lam. 3.24. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope in him. And he sets no such high price upon wine, oil, or other comforts, as that without them he should not rejoice in his God. So he either parts with them the more easily, or wants them the more joyfully. Reason 2 The other is taken from the superabundant excellency of the Creator: Both in respect of his Attributes, on which whiles a Christian meditates, he shall ever find something to set against his particular malady, with a large overplus of comfort. And in respect of his Works, both of Creation and Providence; and this, both for preservation and gubernation, Psal. 92.4, 5. Thou, Lord, hast made me glad through thy work: I will triumph in the works of thy hands: O Lord, how great are thy works! and thy thoughts are very deep! And these very evils, drought, dearth, war, etc. are they not by God's permission? and limited how long they shall continue? and ordered to a good end? Rom. 8.28. And in respect of his Ordinances: The Word is our song in the house of our pilgrimage, and the joyful tidings of our salvation. The Sacrament is a marriage supper of the great King for his only Son: Eat, O friends, drink, yea drink abundantly, Cant. 5.1. Psal. 84.1. O beloved. And the Tabernacles of God are amiable, the only joy of David. And in respect of his unspeakable benefits in and by Christ: that one word (Salvation) is an epitome of all blessings, it comprehends the causes, means, effects, and perpetuity of our blessedness, and absolute overthrow of the enemies; and specially the immediate author of salvation, which is Christ. It would ask an hour's discourse, and more, to tell in particular what ample cause we have to rejoice in Christ; that if we had nothing left us, but naked Christ, in naked Christ we should have Peace and Joy enough, John 16.33. Christ at the worst and poorest is a rich treasure; Quod cunque Deo indignum est, mihi expedit. Tert. Whatsoever became him not as God, is expedient and profitable unto us: even his shameful & accursed death. And if his death be so joyous and blissful, what shall his resurrection be, his ascension, session at the right hand of his Father, and intercession for us, with all the gracious execution of his Kingly and Prophetical office? Why should the want of temporals disturb our joy in this God of salvation? Retain comfort in God, whatever thou wantest. Jam. 1.9. Use 1. Of exhortation: To retain our comfort, as the Prophet here doth. As all truehearted Christians should stir up themselves to rejoice in God, and the sure mercies of David, while the means of grace and of worldly comfort do continue, so especially, the brother of low degree should rejoice because he is exalted (in spiritual things) as high as any, and hath equal share in the God of salvation. In deep poverty, in falling from a great estate, in dear years, in desolation by war if it should come, in all troubles and afflictions, still we have a ground of joy, while God is in heaven, and can have recourse to the Christian heart at pleasure: Hold thine own, remember thy evidences, make use of thy provisions; now is a time and occasion to say as the Prophet, Although the Figtree blossom not, Psal. 46.1.— 5. etc. and as the Psalmist, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble: therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed, etc. Although the stone cut my reins, my spleen pain me, or other diseases torment me; although I be put beside my means, turned out to the wide world, my wife and children set to begging, myself shut up in prison, and wait for the day of execution; although I meet with a peevish and pestilent adversary at the law, be defamed, know not how presently to clear mine innocence, but go for an evil doer, etc. Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. None of all this can drive away the great Comforter from me, but rather he will solace me the more for these discomforts in the world: Christ is left still, and the love of God, and the kingdom of heaven, to receive me out of the most miserable shipwreck. And the same God that now admits me a guest at his table, to eat of his sweet and fat things, will one day make me sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. O my brethren, were not we our own foes, and stood in our own light, what comfortable lives should we lead even in the midst of the valley of the shadow of death! Were it not for passion, Psal. 23.4. impatience, covetousness, doting on the fine things of the world, love of credit and reputation among worldlings, living too much the life of sense, formality in holy duties, security in putting away the evil day, and other corruption, certainly we should joy in our God all the day long, whatever the year be, or can bring forth: we might do what we are commanded, Phil. 4.4. Rejoice in the Lord always, and again, I say, Rejoice. No dearth, or other evil should take us unprovided. It is our own fault, that we totter or stagger at any time. Faith, hope, patience, contentment, and other graces, with the comforts of Gods holy Spirit, will set us as unmoveable as a rock in the sea, amidst the greatest waves and storms whatsoever. Reproof to them that grow uncomfortable for crosses. Use 2. Of Reprehension: It is utterly a fault in Christians, if they be melancholy and dejected, because of cross years, bad harvest, loss in that or any other kind, casualties, calamities, or other evils, that come by the hand of God or man: as if you had no hope in God, but only in this present life, or in the things of this life; or as if God were not sufficient for your comfort and blessedness without these temporals; or had tied himself to means, as you are tied to the use of them: or as if you must needs gain so much, at least save yourselves harmless, otherwise God and you will be friends no longer. I know that in arguing you will not stand to these inferences, as truths, and will deny the adoption of God's children to depend on outward comforts. But, he that whines, pines, sighs, is cast down by the want of them, perhaps because he is something abridged of his former plenty, what doth he but say in effect, that outward prosperity is one sign of the child of God? Consider and beware. It is a diabolical strain, to call our adoption into question, for present want of comforts for the body: If thou be the Son of God, Matth. 4.3. command that these stones be made bread. We dishonour God, torment our own hearts, tear our own flesh, shorten our days, hazard our part in heaven, or at least make our way thither more unpleasant than we need to do. Use 3. Of Instruction. We see by this doctrine, Make this sure, God is the God of my salvation. what is the main thing which we had most need to do, even in our greatest peace and prosperity, namely, to do the same as the Prophet here had done; make this sure to our hearts, that the Lord is the God of our salvation; and every particular Christian to his own heart in particular, he is the God of my salvation, therefore I will rejoice in him; although these and these evils should come, strange, grievous, tedious, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. Quest. This were worth the having; but how should I get it? I would do any thing for it. Answ. Tracke the footsteps of this Prophet throughout this prophecy. It is not for every profane or sensual liver to say, he will rejoice in God, etc. Such are sent to weep and howl for the misery that shall come upon them; and, woe unto you that laugh now, ye shall weep; and, Jam. 5.1. Luke 6.25. Amos 6.1. woe to them that are at ease in Zion; only the righteous are called to rejoice in the Lord, and they that are upright in heart to shout for joy and be glad, Psal. 32.11. Therefore, First, look to the main, and be sure your peace be made with God. Means to rejoice in evil times. None but believers can rejoice in God when great trials come; none else are righteous; none else have a faith to live by, Hab. 2.4. The just shall live by his faith. He that deceives himself in his faith, deceives himself also in his joy: Fancy, presumption, and self-love will leave a man in the suds, when he hath most need of comfort; well it may uphold him while the figtree blossoms, etc. but in the defect of these it faileth too, and makes him as pensive as before he was jocund. Secondly, after the sorrows of conversion at the beginning, be sure also to be duly affected with fear and sorrow when God is showing his terrible works in the land, such as pestilence, dearth, drought, divisions of Reuben, etc. The wise of heart will consider and lay it to heart, and by renewing his repentance, take off the controversy, so fare as it concerns himself, if it cannot be done for others. So did this Prophet, chap. 3.16. When I heard, my belly trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble. When we teach joy in God amidst great calamities, we teach not an Atheistical & Cyclopicall contempt of the judgements of God: God forbidden; but to take off the edge & sharpness of afflictions by the exercises of humiliation. Even reckoning makes long friends: which is true of God and his people, If we would judge ourselves, 1 Cor. 11.31. we should not be judged. Thirdly, be much and often in the duty of prayer: the Prophet's course in this chapter, vers. 1. A prayer of Habakkuk the Prophet upon Sigionoth. No stream of joy will run in a dry year, but that which springs up from the mountain of heaven. If we make our moan to our Father in heaven, and get a comfortable answer from him, that is comfort that will stick by us, and stay with us when we have most need of it: Joh. 16.24. Ask, that your joy may be full. Fourthly, because Beggars must not be choosers, nor may the holy One of Israel be limited, therefore resolve to wait the Lords leisure, till he have mercy upon you, Psal. 123.1, 2. with Hab. 2.1. I will stand upon my watch, and set me upon the tower, and will watch to see what he will say unto me, and what I shall answer when I am reproved. Stay with God in his good ways, at last there will be a vision of comfort. Hastiness of spirit loseth many a comfortable return of prayer. He that believeth, Isai. 28.16. must not make haste. Fifthly, in seeing iniquity abound, which thou canst not help and redress, yet be not senseless, but moan thyself & the evil times before God, by fasting and prayer. Thus our Prophet made his moan, Chap. 1.2, 3, 4. O Lord, how long shall I cry and thou wilt not hear! even cry out unto thee of violence, and thou wilt not save! why dost thou show me iniquity? etc. They that mourned for the abominations of Jerusalem in the time of peace, were marked in the foreheads in the time of trouble and desolation. Ezek. 9.4. None shall have the victory over sin, and the sad effects of it, but he that holds up the quarrel against it, though in present he get but little ground both in himself and others. Lastly, in seeing the oppression of men, (which Solomon said, Eccles. 7.7. is apt to make a wise man mad) look up to God, & complain to him, and refer to him the righting of all injuries: So did our Prophet, ch. 1.12. Art thou not from everlasting, O Lord my God, mine holy One? we shall not die, O Lord, thou hast ordained them for judgement: and, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction. They are mighty, but God is mightier than they, and will pay them one day for all the desolations they have made on earth. Down shall come tumbling one day both the Chair and Tower of Babylon, and the whore that was drunken with the blood of Saints, Rev. 17.6. and of the Martyrs of Jesus. Now they lay whole country's waste and desolate, to establish their idolatry and superstition; The figtree blossoms not, neither is fruit in the vines, etc. yet both these Churches in their miseries have cause to rejoice in the God of their salvation, and we for them. If we ply him well in prayer, we may yet see them reap in joy, after their sowing in tears; and as much rejoice with Zion as ever we mourned for Zion. And in the mean time, Psal. 73.1. at the very worst, Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. Ob. All this while you discourse of temporals, which it may be easy to want, and yet rejoice still in the Lord; but what say you to persecution, to the broken heart, to the terrors of God in the soul, and other spiritual evils? how can we now rejoice in the Lord, or joy in the God of our salvation? Answ. None of these may banish all joy from the heart of a poor believer; Prov. 15.33. Before honour (saith Solomon) goeth humility; and before consolation, humiliation. They that sow in tears shall reap in joy, Psal. 120.5. We will open this Text something largely, and therein satisfy the objection the more fully. It is to be understood, 1. Of the Church in general. The common estate of God's Church in this world, is to be under the Cross, and the end of that is the Crown of joy and glory. A good issue there is of all the Saints trials: So in this Psalm, the Jewish Church had been seventy years in the hard captivity of Babylon: They hanged up their harps at the willows; Psal. 137.1, 2, 3. they wept at the remembrance of Zion: their enemies flouted them, and required songs in their heaviness: too grievous to last always, their God raiseth up a Cyrus for them, who shall send them home to their own country, and not send them empty, but with great riches and encouragements: and, sooner or later, the Church shall be rid of all tyrants and persecuters, Antichrist, Gog and Magog, and every enemy. 2. Of the particular members of the Church. Each child of God which is now under hatches, and often forced to water his plants, shall one day receive of the Lord double for all his sorrow and perplexity: as in instances. First, in the act of conversion unto God, there is much fear & sorrow, both by the law condemning, and especially by the Gospel aggravating sin to the height of heinousness. The Christian is weary, heavy laden, Mat. 5.3, 4, 11, 28. poor in spirit, mournful, ready to despair. But here Christ comprehends him, and gives him faith to lay hold on his merit, whereby he is blessed and comfortable, Math. 5.3, 4. and godly sorrow worketh repentance unto salvation. 2 Cor. 7.10. Secondly, in the holy acts of renewing our repentance: for example, before a Sacrament, in time of calamity, at the work of the Ministry, awaking and summoning the heart to make peace with God again for relapses: this costeth the Christian some pains and trouble of conscience, and sometimes he is very low brought; but all is for settling a stronger and firmer peace in his soul, Psal. 30.5, 11. After a storm Christ ever brings a great calm into the heart. Thirdly, in mourning for the abominations of the times. This takes away the comfort that others have to the world-ward, and macerates a Christian with vexing, grieving, sighing, praying, fasting: but will procure the mark of deliverance in the evil day, Ezek. 9.4. and joy with the Church and children of God, for whom sometimes he vexed his righteous soul, Esay 66.10, 11. And (saith our Saviour) Ye shall weep, Joh. 16.20, 33. & the world rejoice, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy: in me you shall have peace. Fourthly, in enduring the afflictions of the Gospel, or of the world, shame, reproach, loss, pain, persecution for righteousness sake, shall be abundantly recompensed with joy in the holy Ghost, and the joy of heaven, Mat. 5.10, 11, 12. The like of suffering by the hand of God or men in common affairs. They that are well exercised by afflictions, shall one day be comforted, as Lazarus: all will end as a Comedy, in mirth and felicity. All this is metaphorically compirsed in the Text, by a figure of sowing and reaping, usual in the Scripture: Sow to the flesh or spirit: sow liberally, Gal. 6.8. 2 Cor. 9.6. Psal. 97.11. and reap liberally: the Lord gives bread to the sour: light is sown for the righteous, etc. A wet and cold seedtime brings the husbandman afterward a plenteous and joyful harvest: so the sad times and occasions that go over God's people, will first or last bring them a great measure of joy, comfort, blessedness. Hear the limitations a little. 1. Not the tears themselves, considered in themselves, bring forth the joyful crop, but the sowing in tears; Esau his tears were shed to no purpose: and in hell there will be weeping and wailing, but because there is no sowing, no good comes of it. It is only the precious seed (in vers. 6.) that affords the good sheaves: and it is required it be godly sorrow, 2 Cor. 7.9. that we mourn for the absence of the Bridegroom, and that we faint not when we sow, Gal. 6.9. neither in faith nor obedience. In due time ye shall reap, if ye faint not. It were unreasonable to sow in September and look to reap in October. No, stay till the month of harvest, and then see what blessing God will give: The husbandman hath patience, etc. Jam. 5.7. 2. Of the joy that is to be reaped, here put for the whole happiness of a Christian, as a Christian, both here & hereafter, according the Grecian salutation, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, They joy before thee, Isai. 9.3 according to the joy of harvest. In this life a Christian hath the beginning & first fruits of the Spirit, peace, joy, quietness, assurance for ever. In Christ he shall have peace: by the Ordinances comfort is to be had; and the afflictions would be too sharp and heavy, if there were not some mixture of joy. But in the world to come we shall have joy to the full: what is wanting now, shall he supplied then to the uttermost. This rich harvest will pay for all the cost, and labour, and patience; good measure, pressed down, and running over. 3. Of the reaping of that joy, first it shall be certain, which no husbandman can promise to himself: a Christian is sure to reap if he sow. All the promises of God are Yea and Amen. 2 Cor. 1.20. Secondly, it shall be abundant, not an hundred for one; but a thousand, yea, millions of degrees beyond our expenses, a fare more exceeding, 4.17. and eternal weight of glory. But many a poor husbandman reaps sparingly, scarce can pay his rent and live, etc. Thirdly, it shall be in joy only, all tears for ever wiped from our eyes; no chaff among our wheat, no darnel, nor weeds of any kind. The joy of this harvest is never done, the barns never emptied, the provisions never spent, the labours no more repeated. It is no proverb for these husbandmen, Their work is never at an end: No, they rest from their labours, and their works follow them: henceforth they are blessed, Rev. 14.13. Sorrowful seedtime breeds Christians a joyful harvest. Doctr. The sorrowful seedtime of true Christians (in the exercises of humiliation and mortification) yields them a rich & joyful harvest. They shall be paid for all sooner or later. They sow in righteousness, and reap in mercy, Hos. 10.12. they have their fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life, Rom. 6.22. Reas. 1. Because of the promise of God. And why? This in the Text is uttered by way of promise; and there be many the like promises in Scripture, which for the matter of them are precious, for the manner free, for the extent universal, and for certainty most faithful, confirmed divers ways, by oath, etc. 2. Because they are heirs of blessing, the Israel of God, partakers of the heavenly calling and promise. Destroy not the cluster, for there is a blessing in it, Esa. 65.8, 9 They are as an Oak, whose substance is in them, though the leaves be cast, Chap. 6.13. namely, in and by Christ, who makes them honourable before God, and capable of a sound and lasting joy. 3. Because of the precious seed which they bear forth, and must bring home again in the harvest. The seed of God abideth in them, 1 Joh. 3.9. and they sinne not as the wicked do: that is, Rom. 11.29. the gifts and graces of the holy Ghost, which are without repentance, of an immortal being, and immortal in the effect, 1 Pet. 1.23, 24, 25. 4. The very field wherein they sow, is joyous and wholesome: I mean, the duties they perform, and ordinances they frequent. Prayer yields a comfortable answer of God to the soul: The Lord's Supper affords much joy and peace of conscience: hearing receives the glad tidings of the Gospel, etc. In the field lieth a treasure, he that buys it, goes away rejoicing. 5. The shedding of these tears preventeth the matter of future sorrow: namely, the curse of sin, the wrath of God, the deadness of heart, the reign of lusts, the sting and fear of death, the bitterness of persecution. Having mourned before, and kept even with God from time to time, there is the less sorrow now to be taken. Is not the guiltiness gone? and a sure foundation laid for comfort? 6. As the causes of sorrow are removed, so the Christian by mourning makes sure to his soul all the causes of true joy: Causes of true joy assured by mourning. which are, the love of God, a part in Christ, inhabitation of the Spirit the great Comforter, the white stone and new name, the image of God in the soul, the testimony of a good conscience, interest in the prayers of all God's people, a sanctified and safe use of all mercies, and afflictions, joyful and assured expectation of the glory of heaven, Rom. 5.1, 2, 3. Grant the full and the immediate cause, and the effect will follow. Objection. What say you to the case of desertion? Answ. It is one day of the sorrowful seedtime; the harvest comes afterward, and the Eclipse will soon be over: in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto me, Mic. 7.8. Some lightsome passages there are in the mean time. Sharp Preachers make you gainers. Use. 1. If so, then by our sharpest preaching you receive damage by us in nothing; we make some weep and take on for their sins, we wring tears from them: we take them off from their pleasures of sin, which are for a moment. But while you are set a sowing in tears, you are set into the right way of reaping in joy. We give you the best counsel that can be given, and little deserve that outcry that is made against us; Oh this is bitter preaching, this man speaks not in love, he would make us all despair, I think: and, Should not a Minister come with the spirit of meekness? Yes, but not meekness opposed to zeal: meekness to the bruised reed, or broken heart; too others, sharpness. A corrosive for some is wholsomest, some patients need lancing: and all is well, that ends well. If our preaching bring you to an harvest of joy, no matter though it compelled you to sow in tears. And, what wise man will think his estate either so holy, or so safe, as to reject tears for a womanish passion? Use. 2. If so, Enemies help the joy of true Christians. than it is a bootless thing to go about to grieve or disquiet a godly Christian. Thou makest him cry perhaps; but to whom? is it not to his father in secret, who will put all his tears into his bottle? and is there not a rich crop arising out of this sad and dripping seedtime? A ridiculous conceit, to think of drowning a fish in a fair and pleasant river, it his own element, he is where he would be. Ridiculous also it is, to attempt the making a true Christian unhappy, or weary of his estate: for, even out of darkness ariseth light to him, out of tears joy, one contrary out of another: the omnipotent grace of God who promised, will also do it. Indeed for carnal men, you may so set them on weeping, that they may die upon it: 2 Cor. 7.10. Worldly sorrow causeth death: But with the godly it is not so: God will ever hold them up by the chin, and lead them through all their waves to a safe and joyful harbour. Well may Julian and his fellows mock at this doctrine, and tauntingly heap up more indignities upon the Saints; but God will bless them the more for their cursing: stay but till the appointed weeks of harvest, you shall see what it is to sow in tears. Esteem none by present grievances. Use. 3. If so, then judge not the state of whole Churches, or particular members, by present afflictions: think them not presently miserable, after the seed is cast into the ground; it abides many a cold blast before harvest come. 1 Cor. 15.36. It is not quickened, except it die, much less multiplied: in July or August you will see what is become of your Wheat and Rye. In the day of judgement at farthest, you will see the reward of true worshippers, & what confusion will befall Papists, Atheists, scoffers, hypocrites, idolaters, superstitious fools, persecutors. Then ye shall return and see a difference, Malipiero 3.18. Now there is a difference, but than it will appear: now the judgement of God is according to truth; but that is a day of the declaration of the righteous judgement of God. Rom. 2.5. Sow still, though in tears. Use. 4. To urge perseverance in the good ways of God, notwithstanding discouragements, What if thou sowest in tears to God and righteousness? what if the whole season prove a cold, wet, blustering time, as the poor husbandman sometime findeth it? What if scarce a day go over thy head, but thou either weepest, or sighest, or meetest some bitterness in thy life? yet is this an hopeful weeping; there is an harvest coming, to make amends for all: None shall abide with Christ in temptation, Luk. 22.28, 29 but Christ will appoint a Crown unto him: And, as the mother goes through all her hard labour comfortably, in hope of a child to be borne, so must the Disciples of CHRIST through all tribulations, Joh. 16.20, 21, 22. Faint not therefore, that ye may reap in due time; Be strong in the grace of Christ, Fear not: Rev. 2.10. Be thou faithful unto the death, and I will give thee a Crown of life. These are evil times for the discouraging of zeal and piety; but remember this Text, They that sow in tears, shall reap in joy. Use 5. Be patiented in suffering for God. A ground of patience in all suffering according to the will of God, especially for the cause, the service, the faith, the truth of God. Seed cast into the earth is not cast away, nor lost, but will be improved to good advantage: The husbandman willingly endures that cost, & adventures all to the blessing of God: And such is thy sickness, poverty, trouble in the world, & other calamity, when thou hast made a good use of it: A little patience will make thee gainer thirty fold, sixty, an hundred, a thousand fold more, if religion be the cause of thy trouble. The Martyrs sowed in tears, but because they carried forth precious seed, they brought their sheaves bacl with joy, singing in the prisons and flames, triumphing over their persecutors, finding no ease to their minds till they had recanted their recantations: Losing their lives, they saved them: sowing to the spirit liberally, they reaped life and immortality. Comfort in death, our own or friends. 6. A ground of comfort against death, both our own and our friends. Death is a kind of sowing, though in weakness, mortality, and dishonour, 1 Cor. 15.36. Many tears are shed at the parting of friends, of husband and wife, of parents and children, Joh. 18.14. of Pastors and people. Death is the King of terrors, it hath a sting and bitterness: but where Christ comes, not only the sting is taken forth, but the nature of it is altered, & there is a joyful resurrection, as a joyful harvest, to make the body rise in honour, in power, in liveliness, and immortality, though sown a weak and contemptible body. Christianity therefore here must command moderation to our mourning. Tears are natural expressions of love and compassion: 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. and good men (they say) are easily dissolved into tears. But seeing religion tells of reaping in joy, our hearts must thereby be fenced against immoderateness of grieving. Be painful in thy calling. 7. If so, let every one follow his particular calling painfully and faithfully, though with tears: Ministers in sowing the seed of eternal life in the hearts of their people: Rich men in sowing upon the waters, or objects where they are never likely to find their seed again, 2 Cor. 9.6. and poor men in praying abundantly for their Benefactors, for their Preachers, for their neighbours, for the peace of Zion: prayer is as seed cast into heaven, and therefore must needs be fruitful: Therefore, though praying, preaching, governing, ordering of the family, & other duties, be a sowing in tears, accompanied with many difficulties, thankless offices many times, yet hold not thine hand morning nor evening; observe not the wind nor rain; he that doth shall neither sow nor reap in comfort, Eccles. 11.4. 8. A motive it is to beginning and renewing our repentance. Encouragement to repent of sin. First, fear not the harshness of turning to God: Say not, a Lion is in the way, a Bear will meet me in the streets; some trouble there is, but soon to be overtaken with peace and joy: trouble, but with promise: trouble, but nothing to the trouble and misery which impenitent persons reserve themselves unto. No sowing in tears, no reaping in joy. A lazy husbandman, that flies wind and weather, must look for no crop in harvest: nor a lazy Christian. 2. Be willing still to renew your repentance, And to renew our repentance. specially before the Sacrament; this hath abundance of joy in it: this bread strengthens man's heart, and this wine makes it glad, as Psal. 104.15. this feast of fat and sweet things will in present make us reap in much joy, though nothing to that which remains for hereafter. Presently faith is strengthened, and the Joy of faith increased withal, and the Christian that hath gone worthily, shall walk in the strength of that banquet holily and comfortably for many days afterward. Therefore what if you sow a little in tears beforehand, whilst you examine your estate, be wail your unworthiness, confess your sins, sue for peace with God, and to lay hold on eternal life? What if due preparation cost you well the setting on? endure all in hope of the harvest. My brethren be awakened from security: you find your evidences for heaven somewhat muddy, and that you had need renew your covenant with God, and Oh that you could get the old feelings, and the comforts that sometimes you had! To do that, renew your repentance; sow a little more, though in tears; digest all well, because you do all in hope, and with a promise, that they who sow in tears, shall reap in joy. FINIS.