THE SOULS ENGRAFTING into CHRIST.  
By T. H.   printer's or publisher's device 
LONDON, Printed by J. H. for Andrew Crook, at the sign of the Bear in Paul's Churchyard. 1637.   

THE SOULS Engrafting into CHRIST.  MAL. 3.1. 
Behold, I will send my Messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his Temple: even the Messenger of the Covenant whom ye delight in: Behold he shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts.  
FOr the Preface two things are considerable. 1. What we have done. 2. What we will do. We have finished the scope of our endeavour, which was to show how Christ's Merits are applied to the Soul, how it stands possessed of grace here and happiness hereafter. Now these two things must be wrought in the Soul, before it can be made partaker of saving grace: 1. A preparation. 2. an Implantation. A preparation there must be, for a sinner naturally as he hath no grace, so he is not naturally capable to receive grace. This appears in 2. things: 1. On God's part, he breaks the cursed Combination betwixt Sin and the Soul, he draws us from sin to himself. 2. Something on our part touching the disposition of our hearts: and that in 2. works. 1. Contrition, 2. Humiliation. Now there was a necessity of these two to be in the Soul, as we then disputed, for these are the two main hindrances of our Faith: 1. Security, when the soul being blinded takes rest and sees no need to be better, therefore desires it not, hence natural men think it Curiosity, therefore the Lord sends in this work, and causeth us to know the misery of sin, and pierces our souls with it, and so upon this we desire a change, for else it sees it must be condemned. 2. When the sinner thus sees his misery, than he gins to scramble for his own comforts, that he may relieve himself, he will reform sin and do superficial duties, and so think to make amends, this is Carnal confidence, thus many a man perisheth, resting on these husks, for Means are not Mediators, and Services are not Saviour's; Now in the place thereof God discovers that there is sin enough in the best services. The Soul being thus plucked off from sin and from all his lusts, and pared from his abilities, renouncing all confidences, and being nothing he is fit for Christ to be all in all unto him; thus fare we have gone. All this while the Soul is like the children of Israel partly wand'ring in the valley of Tears, partly wildring in the desert of Humiliation. Egypt was a Type of a man's natural condition, Moses a Type of the Law, josuah a Type of Christ, the wilderness a Type of these two. Now the soul having passed through all these, is just upon the Coast of Canaan. The soul is like a graft, first, it is cut off, then pared, and then engrafted: So Contrition cuts us off, and Humiliation pares us. The next Point is, the engrafting into the Lord Jesus, the heart being thus prepared, it is implanted into the true vine, the Lord Christ.  
Touching the work, we will discover these 2. things: 

1. We will open it in general.  
2. We will discover the parts of it.    
What it is in general, our implantation into Christ, is the work of the Spirit, whereby the humbled sinner stands possessed of Christ, and is made partaker of the Spiritual good things in him.  
3. Things in the Description.  
The humbled sinner, for else nothing to do with Christ, stands possessed of Christ, I use the word possessor, because it is rather wrought upon the soul, than comes out of any Principle in the soul; Christ possesses him, and hence he comes to be possessed, Gal. 4.9. as if he should say, It is not, how we can perceive him, but how he will know us. Philip. 3.12. Still a man is more passive than active, the work lies on God's part. The child holds the father, because the father holds him. So we hold God, because he holds us.  
He is made partaker of the good things in Christ, still the action lies on Christ's part, we work so far, as we are wrought on.  
These two things are general in all the works of application. 1. To be possessed of Christ: 2. To be made partaker of the Spiritual good in him.  
As in vocation, Christ draws the soul, he challenges more of him, than the being possessed, and the soul following him there is the spiritual good.  
In Justification, Christ lays down a price, there is the possession, and withal, the soul is freed from the guilt and punishment of sin; there is the spiritual good.  
In Adoption, Christ, not only calls a sinner, and justifies him, but adopts him, and makes him of a sinner a son, there is a nearer possession, and he hath the privileges of a son; there is the Spiritual good derived from Christ.  
In Sanctification, the Lord Christ, by the power of his Spirit leaves a stamp of his Image, grace for grace, he is marked for his own, this is the further possession; he is freed from the power of corruption; this is the Spiritual good. Thus in all we see, the soul is possessed of Christ, he is partaker of the Spiritual good in him.  
All this is done by God's Spirit: a graft cannot put itself into the stock, but the same hand that cut it off, and pared it, must engraft it, to the same Spirit that wrought Contrition, and humiliation, comes to be the Spirit of grace and promise. Now for the ground of our discourse, we have chosen this Text, which is a Prophecy of john the Baptist.  
Wherein observe 2. things.  
The words are spoken of john the Baptist.  
First, Consider the work of john the Baptist, he was the Messenger of God, and was to prepare the way for Christ. 2. We have the Consequence, The Lord will suddenly come into his Temple: We come to the point, but before I can discover the several particulars, give me leave to open two words, that so the doctrine may be undeniable.  
First, what is meant by Temple. 2. What, by Christ's coming into the Temple.  
First, the word Temple, besides the natural and literal sense of it, it is also taken Mystically and Spiritually, and so it is here to be conceived, and then it implies partly the Church of God, I mean the company of the faithful which serve God in uprightness of heart, and as in general, all the company of the people fearing God, are said, to be the Church of God, and his Temple, so also in particular, every man that is faithful, is the Temple of God, 2 Cor. 6.10. Ye are the Temple of the Holy Ghost. Look as it was in the material Temple in Jerusalem, the text saith, the Glory of the Lord fell upon it, and the Lord said, he would abide there, and reveal himself there, so the heart humbled and prepared is the Temple of the Lord, and the Lord takes possession of it, and rules in it, and will provide for it for ever. Look as a man dwells in a house prepared for him, so the Lord dwells in a humbled Soul. Thus we have showed what is meant by Temple.  
What is meant by the coming of the Lord into his Temple: as the Temple was Spiritually to be conceived, so is this coming. By coming, is here meant, when the Lord comes to take possession of the Soul truly prepared, observe it that the Lord Christ comes as a King, therefore he hath a Harbinger before him, he hath one to prepare all things for him.  
A King comes 2. ways, first he takes sovereign possession at the place where he is; If he come to a town or to an Inn, the Guests that took up the place, must be gone: so the Lord comes as a King, he comes to take sovereign possession of the Soul. 2. All Kings bring furniture with them, when he comes to a place, his own furniture must be hung up. So Christ comes these 2. ways, he takes full possession of the soul, and provides mercifully for the soul. Thus we have the words opened, and now the point is plain enough. The English of the text is this: When john the Baptist, by the power of the Word and Spirit of Contrition, and Humiliation, hath laid the Souls of God's servants, humbled and willing to be at God's dispose, then suddenly and immediately, the Lord Jesus will come, and he will command as a King, and take possession of an humble Soul, and provide graciously for it, he comes to the naked walls, he brings his provision with him, he cares for nothing but a Soul prepared and emptied, and he will bring provision enough of Vocation, Adoption, Justification, and Sanctification: now we will gather the points as they lie.  
Doct. 1 That the Lord Jesus cannot be hindered from coming into an humbled Soul.  
Doct. 2 That the Lord Christ takes possession of the Soul, as a King, and will provide for it.  
The first is, that Christ cannot be hindered from coming into a Soul truly humbled, he cometh speedily, as who should say, he layeth all other work aside, as though he cared for nothing, looked after nothing, intended after nothing, but how all might come into the heart prepared: the wicked of the world, he will not come at them; though the rich cry, he will not hear them; though the honourable perish, he will not look after them; but the Lord will come suddenly into an humble Soul, nay, to speak with reverence, he leaves all Company, he leaves Heaven and the blessed Angels, he leaves all, and only desires to be in, and to live with an humble broken heart, it is the manner of the Phrase; he comes suddenly, as who should say, he lets all alone, he cares for nothing, go he must, and take possession of a broken Soul; this is the cause that the Scripture doth not content itself, in expressing the marvellous tender respect, that the Lord hath toward such a Soul, the delight the Lord hath in an humble Soul, he will lie with a broken heart, and dwell with it, and sleep with it; he will suddenly come into his Temple, Luke 15.16. We may see it in the father of the prodigal: the prodigal he resolved to return to his father, and say, I have sinned against Heaven and against thee, etc. the father he observes this, that he is content to be at his dispose, and he lieth at the door, and desires to come into his family, though his condition were base, and he was ragged; the father he might say, go to your Queans, let them comfort you if they can; no, the text saith, he saw him a fare off, and he ran and had compassion on him, and fell upon his neck, and kissed him, before the prodigal could speak a word, or kneel down, he ran, and kissed him.  
Observe here four particulars: He saw him a fare off, and had compassion on him, ran to meet him, and kissed him. He never now remembers that he was riotous, a whorer, a drunkard, that he had lavished out all his substance: all this was forgotten: but when he sees him come humbly, and brokenly, he saw him a fare off, before the prodigal could see his father; nay he compassioned his wretchedness, before he could confess it, nay, he ran to meet him more speedily than he could come to him, and when the prodigal fell down before him, he fell on his neck and kissed him, before he could speak a word; this Scripture doth not satisfy itself, it cannot tell how to express the marvellous ready enlargement of the Lord, to give entertainment to an humbled Soul, and it is remarkable, after the prodigal had said, Father I have sinned, etc. Fetch out, saith he, the best robe; to cover him, and put a ring on his finger, etc. As who should say, 'tis no matter for thy stubbornness and rebelliousness; a prodigal thou hast been, I care not for it, bring this robe to cover him, kill the fat Calf to feed him, and the ring to adorn him. So Luke 15.4. A man that hath an hundred sheep, and one be gone astray, he leaves there 99 and he goes seeking for that, and when he finds the straggling sheep, though it cannot come home, he takes it upon his shoulder and brings it home: The lost sheep is the lost Soul, that is bee-wildred, the Lord Jesus after all mercies vouchsafed to him, and kindness enlarged towards him; yet the lost sheep will be straggling, the Lord leaves all now to seek him: and mark the phrase and the degree thereof, he leaves all to seek it, and will never leave till he find it, he doth not seek hourly, but he seeks till he hath found it; when he hath found it, he brings it home. The Lord will leave all, to seek an humbled sinner; the more need thou hast of Christ, the more labour he will bestow in seeking of thee, and he will never leave seeking, till he hath found thee; and when he hath found thee, though thou canst not go, he will carry thee upon his shoulders, to everlasting happiness. This is to express the marvellous readiness and bounty of the Lord, towards a poor humble sinner, Matth. 13.45. This is the scope of the Parable of the Pearl; the text saith, The Kingdom of God is like unto a Pearl, which when a Merchant had found, he seld all he had, and bought it. First, we will open the text, then apply it to our purpose. The Pearl is nothing else but the rich Mercy of God, and Grace, and Salvation in Christ: the Merchant man is every poor sinful creature, that wants mercy to comfort him, and grace to pardon him; for what is all the world, if my Soul wants mercy? well he knoweth where the Pearl is; the bargain is thus, he must sell all and buy this Pearl: He comes to God's terms, & buyeth it at his rate, and there is no more words: this selling of all is, when a man parts with all sins, and confidence in himself: then he hath sold all, when he will neither trust to his own worth, nor rest in his own sufficiency, and seethe himself miserable by corruptions committed, and seethe that he is unable to relieve himself out of his misery, and then he is willing to part with all; and when he hath done this, than there is no more words to the bargain, but the Lord bids him take the Pearl, he hath bought it, and carry it away with him: so than the case is clear, if you be good chapmen, and bid roundly, and come to God's price, there is no more words to the bargain. You would have sin and Christ, God and Devil; no, no, but sell all and the pearl is yours: you may take it in your hand, and carry it home with you: thus much for the proof.  
Reasons. I come now to the Reasons, whence comes it, that the Lord will not delay to come into an humble soul, the marvellous readiness of the Lord, it is admirable to think on it: the reasons are three:  
Because the Lord Jesus was sent, for this very end, by God the Father, Matt. 15.24. And he came also to this very purpose, Luke 19.10. Gather up the places. I am not sent, but to the lost sheep of Israel; and in the other place, there he came to seek, and save that which was lost, that is, lost in the sight and sense of his own misery, lost in regard of his own ability and sufficiency to help himself: Then lastly, willing to be disposed by another, this is the nature of a lost man. The man that is in the wilderness, if he knew not the way out, there is no means to secure him; therefore he is willing and contented, that any man should direct him the way out: if a man should say, this is the path that leads you out of the wilderness to such a place, would he not yield to his advice, he were but a lost man; so dost thou see, that thou art lost, if thou liest in the wilderness of sin, thou art a damned man; and then lost, dost thou see that thou art unable to come out and secure thyself, art thou contented to be informed by God, and disposed by him, then mark what the text saith: The Son of man, the Lord Jesus came to seek such sinners, and the Lord will never leave till he find thee, and when he hath found thee, he will never leave till he hath saved thee: the Lord, though thou canst not seek him, he will seek thee; and when he hath sought thee, he will save thee too. Then if the end of Christ's coming, and the scope of his sending, be to save a lost sinner, then above all, he will attain his own end, fulfil what was betrusted to him, he will seek and save him.  

The second ground.  Because an humble broken soul, is the fittest subject to set forth the glory of the riches of God's grace and Salvation, that is in Christ purchased, and through Christ conveyed to the soul: I say they are the fittest subjects for God to work upon, for the Lord to come to and dwell in, and to set forth the honour of the work of Redemption as it deserves, Ephes. 2.11.12. The text saith, he worketh all things according to the counsel of his will, and why so? namely, to the praise of the glory of his grace. Now observe it, there is no soul so fit to set forth the praise of the glory of the grace of the Lord, and the great work of Salvation, as a broken soul, and self denying heart: for an humble soul denies all in itself, but expects all from grace, and the free favour of God. It saith, it is unworthy to receive mercy, that it needs and begs, and therefore an humble soul is the fittest of all to set forth the great work of God, all the Council of God; to set forth the riches of his grace, that all may be said to be grace, as in that of Zacharie, when the temple was built, thy cried, Grace, Grace, Grace, as who should say, grace layeth the first stone, and grace layeth the last stone; all is of grace, from beginning to ending: so an humble soul setteth forth the freeness of God's grace abundantly, and saith, I deserved nothing but hell, and if I have any thing but hell, it is from God's mercy. But a proud heart, he opposeth the work of God; all the workmanship of the grace of God: The proud heart will have something of itself, and take something to itself to boast of, and where is grace now? it's not grace, but your parts and abilities that you attribute all to, and by that means hinder the setting forth the riches of God's mercy in Christ: Therefore an humble soul is the best shop, wherein the great work of redemption, and frame of salvation may be seen: the poor soul will say, Look what the Lord hath done, and it is marvellous in our eyes, it ought to be marvellous in our hearts. Look as it is with men; No wise man will dwell in an house, where his credit may not be maintained, and where he may not have all conveniences necessary, and therefore no marvel though Christ comes into an humble heart, it is the fittest place for the credit of Christ: Christ would work all in the soul; the humble soul is content, he shall take notice of it. It is a school rule, there is no wise man that disposeth of the frame of a building, but if he hath disposed of it, he will set it up, and dwell in it, unless he wants power or wisdom; power, in that he hath begun a thing, and was not able to finish it; none of these can befall God: God is a wise sufficient cause, he never disposeth of a matter fully, but he brings a frame and a form to the matter disposed: Now when the Lord hath prepared a building, and framed an humble soul to dwell in, if he will not finish his frame, he must want power and wisdom: But these cannot be wanting, to an almighty, and most wise God, therefore he that hath fitted the heart for his own credit, and for all conveniences, that all may be wrought by him, and all glory may come to him, surely that powerful God, that cannot be hindered, and that wise God, that doth nothing but out of wisdom, he will rear up the building of grace, and salvation shall be bestowed upon the soul.  

The third ground.  Because now all hindrances are taken out of the way that should stop him, and all impediments that should let him, are removed wholly, therefore the place being for him, and he ready to come, he must of necessity come: for if there be any hindrance, to stop the coming of Christ into the soul; it must either lie on his part or on our part, but it shall appear that there is no hindrance either on God's part, or a broken souls part, therefore there is nothing can hinder the Lord from coming: if there be any thing on our parts to hinder him, it is either because we love ourselves, or cleave to our sins: Now a broken heart hath renounced both these; an humble soul saith, sin shall not rule in me; and a self denying heart saith, I cannot rule myself, and therefore Lord guide me with thy grace, now the way is ready, the soul is divorced from all other matches, therefore it is ready for the Lord; the humbled soul hath renounced sin, and all authority of itself, and would have Christ rule over it: Now therefore all impediments must be on Christ's part, that which cannot be, Revel. 3.20. Our Saviour Christ is so fare from being unwilling to come into the soul, that he stands knocking at the door; he knocks at a proud lose heart, at a base drunken heart, Forsake these sins, and entertain a Saviour: renounce these corruptions, and entertain thy own salvation: be not under the power of corruption, that will undo thee, but submit to Christ, that will redeem thee: He knocks and knocks again, Open my Love, my Dove, my undefiled one: the Lord knocks thus at the door; therefore if the door be open, he will surely come in: nay he protesteth himself, I stand at the door and knock: he hath stood often at the heart of many stubborn sinners, and knocked by mercies and judgements, and knocked by the word, and all blessings he hath bestowed, and saith, If any will open, I will come in and dwell with him. Now then, he that promiseth, that if the door be open, he will come in, if the door be open, that he may come, there is no unreadiness in him to come into the soul, but in an humbled soul, the door is open, away sin, away self, I trust you not, let the Lord come and rule in, & take possession of the heart of mine; the door is wide open now, and the Lord knocked before, is glad to take the occasion, and comes speedily into the soul prepared and humbled. So than if it be the end of the ruling and coming of Christ, if the glory of his mercy be advanced thereby, if there be no hindrance, neither on our parts, or on Christ's part; then the soul being thus disposed, immediately expect our Saviour, for he will come. Thus much for the proof.  
Quest. I confess, nothing should be dear (and if I know myself) there is no sin, but I am content it should be loosened from me, my sin I have abandoned, myself I have renounced, and yet I find no comfort, so that this doctrine is not true, or my heart not cured.  
Answ. Is it thus with thee? then Christ is come, but thou perceivest it not. When jacob awaked out of his sleep, Surely (said he) the Lord is in this place, and I perceived it not: And so the Lord is in thy soul, and thou perceivest him not.  
Quest. But can Christ be, and not be seen?  
Answ. I, 'tis too too often, and the hindrances are of two sorts.  

1. On our part.  
2. On Christ's part.   
Those on our parts, are of four sorts.  
Christ is come into thy soul, and thou dost not know him. Matt. 14.26. When Christ was nearest to comfort etc. they thought it had been a spirit to terrify them. So thou sayest, thy sins are ugly to thee, thou thinkest this is not Christ, but it is: Jesus Christ is there, and thou seest it not. john 20.15.16. The poor soul of the woman longed for Christ's society, and she thinking it had been a gardener, enquired of a Saviour, for a Saviour: So a broken hearted sinner seeks a Saviour; if you know how I may obtain favour with God, counsel a poor sinner. It is Christ that gives thee the heart to seek him, and that Christ thou seekest: by the virtue of a Saviour, thou seekest for a Saviour, as a man looks for a candle, by the light of his candle. john 14.9.  
Thou attendest not to our Saviour when he comes; he that comes, quietly conveys himself, and thou seest him not: as to his Disciples, when they were all shut up in a Chamber, than he appeared in the midst, Luk. 24. Why seekest thou the living among the dead. So we rub the sore daily, and think, can grace come into such a heart: Whilst thou art thus looking on corruption, thou canst not see Christ: Why seekest thou the living among the dead, why seekest thou a Saviour to comfort thee, among corruptions that would condemn thee. It was not the fault in Hagars' eyes, that she saw not the fountain, but she attended not to it; so we sit disconsolate, and Christ is in us, but we look not after him: A man that waits for a Nobleman; if he come not at the hour appointed, he goes into a corner and weeps, because he thinks he hath taken distaste, and this, whilst the Nobleman approaches, and is there a great while, before he knows it; so while we go drooping under our corruptions, the Lord Christ comes not, and we go to discouragement, and in the mean time Christ comes, and we see him not. He that goes in a dungeon shall never see Sunshine, though it shine never so clearly; so when this Son of Righteousness shines, we go into the dungeon of discouragement, and so perceive him not, though he shines most clearly.  
We also are not able aright to know when Christ is in us: because we judge him by sense, and some extraordinary sweetness, we imagine should be in us: woe judge upon false grounds; every sinner sets up a fancy in his own Imagination, that if Christ comes, strange matters will be wrought. Now framing this fancy in his conceit, he will take no other evidence of Christ's coming.  
It was the fault of Gideon, judges 6.13. he judges God's presence there, upon false grounds; for he was with him, as well to help him bear the misery, as to deliver him from it; so it is with an humble sinner burdened with the sight of his abominations; when the Ministers say, The Lord is with you, you broken sinners, they reply, If the Lord be with us, why is all his befallen us: what, say some, distempers so violent, corruptions so many, and can the Lord be here? where are those miracles the Saints heretofore have found? Behold what God did for David, for Elias, for Paul, they led captivity captive, and were more than Conquerors over their corruptions, and yet we are burdened with our sins. I answer, the Lord is as well present to help thee contend against sin, as to make thee domineer over it. The same Apostle that was more than Conqueror at one time, was led captive at another, Rom. 7.23. And had the flesh lusting against the Spirit, Rom. 8.1. Gal. 5.17. This is your conceit; you think if the King come, there will be no Traitors; but Traitors will follow the Court: you think if the King come to your hearts, he must needs promote you to some place of honour. This is the apprehension of a broken heart: Were Christ in me, than I should have such and such sufficiency; these are desperate mistakes, john 20.25. It is a pattern of a broken Soul that depends upon some stirring apprehension, if I had that ability, if my heart could so break, if I had such assurance, than Christ were come: You will not believe the King is come, unless he hug you in his bosom. Thus we judge according to sense, not according to the promise of Christ, who is blessed for ever: It befalls the Soul as jacob, Gen. 45.24. He would not believe their word; but when he saw their Chariots, than he was persuaded of it: this is the frame of disconsolate spirits. We have the word of God, to confirm the presence of Christ, unless you be Charioted with that ability, as to triumph over all sins, your spirits are not revived, you believe not that joseph is yet alive, your Saviour is with you.  
When our eyes are held, namely when the sting of Conscience seals, or when the fierceness of temptation presses in, or else when some worldly inconvenience sits close, so that the thoughts of a man's heart are wholly bestowed upon that object, the Soul cannot own Christ, though he were close by him. A man that hath his heart swayed with sad meditations, though he meet with a man of his acquaintance, yet he would not know him: So it was with the disciples, look Luke 24. vers. 32. Did not our hearts burn in us; as who should say, there was testimony enough, of a divine presence, it was a Christ that spoke, but we were not able to see it: So when the soul is taken up with two hurries, partly with temptation, partly with worldly occasions, it sees not Christ, though the heart burns towards him: this is the ground, why, when Satan lets fly, though we propound never so many promises, always those perplexed Spirits forget what is spoken, and their mind is only upon temptation: They attend not Christ in the promise, because their eyes are held, though they be in their privy Chamber, and may talk with our Saviour, Psalm. 13.23.  
The Lord Jesus, out of our just desert, doth hide himself, Esay 8.17. Psalm. 31.22. Now Christ hides himself in these three cases.  
When the Saints fall into some foul gross sin, or else are at truce with some bosom corruption, though but an infirmity, than God doth withdraw his presence, for obedience is the term of God's presence, 2. Chron. 15.1. He is with us, while we are with him: If then the Saints break company, no marvel though Christ withdraw his society, john 19.21. This is the tenure of Christ's manifestation, provided we love him; but if not, he is gone, Psalm. 51. Create a new Spirit within me, (as who should say) all is to begin a new. This God doth so show his indignation against sin, he will not bear nor bolster it, no not in his own, and this God doth not only when they sin foully, but when they are at truce with a distemper, though but an Infirmity: as for example, if a Christian be overtaken ordinarily with a choleric distemper, if a Christian be eager of the world, or grows dead in services, it is just with God, that these men should be destitute of their comforts.  
When the Saints of God grow wanton, abusing the sense and sweetness of the feeling of his favour, thereupon growing careless, now God seeing a man abusing his goodness, it is just with him to estrange himself from that Soul, that he may labour for his former strength again, Cant. 5.2. Psalm. 30.6.  
The Lord hides himself by way of prevention, as thus; he will not make some of his to apprehend his favour, lest they should prank up themselves in the privilege, and censoriously contemn their fellow brethren; but holds out the heart at the staff end, so much mercy as may serve his turn, that he may be a little comforted, and yet humbled. If the Father see the child grow proud, he keeps him upon dependence, that he may have better obedience. So God sees we have unruly hearts, and therefore keeps us upon dependence, that he may have more obedience, john 16.12. If there were high sails upon a little Bark, they would drown it in stead of carrying of it: So men proportion their sails, according to their Bark. This is one main ground, why God takes away the sense of his favour: The Sea is the world, the Soul sails about, and a little gale carrieth it on, but if it should have great sails, they would drown it; not that grace doth this, the fault is not in the sails, but in the boat that will not bear, etc. So the fault is not in grace, but in the Soul, that cannot bear it: This is the reason why many men have smoken out their days in sorrow, and at their death have great assurance: It was the speech of a good man, that God will not always give his servants a cup of Sack; his meaning was, he would not always comfort them; the comforts of God's Spirit are better than wine, now much of this comfort with a proud heart, would cause him to trample upon every man: Therefore God keeps the cup to the last. If while therefore God keeps us under hatches, if while he withdraws his hand, we do contend with the Almighty, and often say, why should I pray, and God answers not, hear and God accepts not? if when we are kept low, and do thus, if then we had what we would, certainly we would turn our backs to the Almighty and say, as they in jeremy 2.31. We will come no more unto thee: Therefore it is good for God to do thus, we are not able to bear this sail, else God would give it.  
Use 1 If this be so, let every Soul take his part and portion: All you stout disobedient spirits, that will not obey the Gospel of God, all hearts not broken, and spirits not humbled, I have nothing to say to you for the while: But you that have any obedience of the work of the spirit, and grace in your Souls, you that are now willingly conte●●●d, and resolutely persuaded to give way to Ch●●●● and break open door to a Saviour: if there be any Soul that hides himself according to the former doctrine, you humble, broken hearted sinners, go your ways with comfort, and the God of heaven go with you, nay, he is with you, he will meet with you at home, nay, he will meet with you in the midway; what ever thy sins, or miseries, or wants be, here is consolation, yea abundant consolation, to support the heart, if thou be'st a poor broken hearted sinner, it is enough, the Lord Christ will come into your souls, and let then what will, or can come, the Lord Jesus will come, and that suddenly. But you will say, So many are the sins that lie upon me, my corruptions like clouds, come in upon me, all my oaths and drunkenness, all pride, and looseness, and vanity, and earthly mindedness, all my corruptions come in upon me, and the guilt remains, and they are not pardoned: their horror remains, and I cannot get my soul pacified in the assurance of the forgiveness of them: that pride, and adultery, and drunkenness, army after army, Legion after Legion of sins, press in upon me. Are your souls thus perplexed with miseries? why, I beseech you, consider what I say: art thou humbled thou polluted heart? art thou oppressed with thy corruptions? doth thy soul say, it is the greatest burden I have, the greatest wound I feel; if my heart were but rid of my sins, my soul should be quiet, and my heart pacified; why then, If the Lord seethe thee humbled, he will never see thee corrupted, he will come suddenly: let all thy corruptions come accusing, let all thy sins rise up at arms against thee: yet if thy heart be broken for these, and humbled in the consideration of these, and resolved to forsake them, the Lord will come suddenly, and then mercy will come to pardon all, to subdue all these cursed distempers that hang upon thee: But you will say, What, will this Lord come into my soul, this wretched soul, these mud-walls, this abominable heart; what to me, will the Lord come to my temple? such hideous sins have I committed, and the Lord come into such a rotten cottage, and such a base cursed heart as mine? Ay, mark what the text saith, I stand at the door and knock; If any man will open, I will come in. He knocks at the door of every proud person, and adulterer, and drunkard: if any adulterous person will open, the Lord will come and sanctify him: If any unclean wretch will open, the Lord will come and release him from all abomination: what a comfort is this then? let Satan accuse us, and sin condemn us, if the Lord will comfort us, who can discourage us? if the Lord will save us, who can condemn us? Again, as this is comfort against all sins, so there is marvellous comfort against all extremities and miseries: If thou art humbled, let miseries come, and troubles and temptations come, and Christ will come too, into an humble Soul, in all weaknesses, Christ will come, to strengthen in all disgraces: and will come to honour thee, here is comfort: The favour of men goeth away, the nearer a man goeth to God, the farther they go from him, he is a stranger now to his brother, and an alien to his mother's Son: why, let thy wants be what they will, and let troubles come, and weakness come, though they come, the Lord will not go away; though friends be fare off, the Lord will be near unto thee: Be therefore comforted, for even the wise man saith, a man will change honour to get a commodity, sometimes he will part with honour, for profit, and money will supply all; whatsoever the world can do, money can do. Therefore this quiets the rich man; I have it by me, I have many wants, that is no matter, I have it by me in money: haply he wants a house, that's no matter, he hath it by him in money, and therefore can build him one: he wants  to  him; but he hath it in money, and that will buy them, (thus money answers to all.) You that are broken hearted sinners go home cheerfully, eat your bread with glad hearts: the Lord accepts you, and how ever men will not look after you, but look aloof: go home, and the Lord comfort you more and more, know the Lord Christ comes suddenly and answers to all; it was the speech of Christ to his Disciples: Fear not little flock, it is your Father's will to give you a Kingdom: You are troubled, you shall have a Kingdom, that will quiet you: you are disgraced, you shall have a Kingdom, that will honour you: you are in persecution, you shall have a Kingdom, that will comfort you. Let an humble Soul go down into the Sea, and fly into the uttermost parts of the earth, yet it will comfort thee, the Lord will come suddenly, and bring his provision with him; wheresoever thou art, he will be with thee, to comfort thee and cheer thee. You little ones that are humbled, it is not your Father's pleasure only to give you a Kingdom, but his Son and he answers all: what though thou hast many miseries? thou hast a Christ that is the God of all mercies: thou hast many sins, what of that? thou hast a Christ, that is the God of all grace; where ever thou art, he will be with thee; though thou wert banished, yet he will wander up and down all the wilderness, but he will find thee and bring thee upon his shoulders, to cheer thee, and comfort thee here, and give the end of thy hopes hereafter: If we be not comforted hereby, it is a shame, therefore let every sad Soul take his part: if you have Christ, you have enough, though you never see good day after.  
Now we come to the second doctrine.  
Doct. 2 When the Lord Jesus comes to the humbled Soul, he takes possession of it as his own: now when the soul is at God's dispose, that mercy may do what it will with him: and then the Lord takes possession, Ezek. 16.8.  
Quest. Wherein lies the Sovereign possession?  
Answ. It appears in two particulars.  
The Lord Jesus undertakes for the Soul.  
He disposeth of it to his best advantage.  
He undertakes for it, (namely) he takes upon him, to shelter it from all the evil which it could not avoid: I told you before, the sinner sees his vileness of sin, and desires now to be freed, but cannot deliver himself, and therefore sues to Christ. Now our Saviour steps in, and says, he will undertake to pay all: If men be oppressed with some outrageous enemy, they seek to some sorraigne Prince, and submit to him, if he will take the protection of them. So when the Soul is oppressed with too many sins, with too heavy pangs, it falls down and desires Christ to be Lord protector of it; and then presently Christ comes and frees it from the evil. 35. Numb. 25. it was an Injunction, that the  should fly to the Cities of refuge, and they should open the gate to him: the  is the poor sinner that is pursued, now he flies to the Lord Jesus, his refuge (as David often speaks.) Now Christ receives and delivers him from the hand of the avenger. The dangers of an humble heart are three, for which Christ undertakes; first, the justice of the Father not satisfied; secondly, the temptation of Satan not conquered; thirdly, Sin, not yet subdued: All these the Soul sinks under, and cries, who will deliver me: when the heart is thus, Christ is come to rescue it, and saith, be comforted: the justice of my Father I will satisfy, the malice of Satan I will cross, the power of corruption I will cashier.  
The sinner sees a just God, that will have his glory: when thus justice makes out, Christ puts in Bale. When a man is arrested, if some great man give his word, he is acquitted: so when the venom of God's vengeance pursues thee, Christ passeth his word, he will see all satisfied, be therefore comforted, Christ's word will go, he desires no other pacifier.  
Temptation is subdued, sin and Satan must give way: That supreme authority makes sin and Satan vanish. Rev. 1.18. A key is an ensign of authority, he that hath the Key, may let in and shut out whom he will. So Christ can bring out whom he will, Ephes. 4.8. Look how Conquerors lead captived slaves, so Christ leads sin and death, Luke 10.18. When the Sceptre of Christ was displayed, Satan fell like lightning.  
Sin comes to be cashiered, sin pleads prescription in the Soul, and challenges a title; yet Christ having taken possession, he will have all charges; when sin saith, I have possessed the Soul from my youth, therefore why should I out, Christ replies, it is usurped, all this title is but forged, it is mine, and I come for my own, therefore sin departed, Rom. 8.3. Christ condemns sin in the flesh: to condemn sin, is as much as, when a man hath cast in his cause, he lays claim to a thing, and is cast by law. So sin lays claim to the Soul: and Christ comes and condemns sin in the flesh: He makes the cause go against sin: for sin claims right on this ground, every son of Adam is the child of disobedience, he is under my power, and death is his due from me. Now Christ answers, Those for whom the sin of Adam hath been satisfied, over those sin hath no possession: but the Soul is such; doth adam's sin remain? I have satisfied for it. Is sin strong? I have led captivity captive: thus sin loseth his cause, this is to condemn sin in the flesh, Acts 26.18. First they were turned from the power of Satan, and then followed remission of sins, and sanctification.  
He disposes of the Soul for his best advantage; when Satan the strong man kept the house, and the soul was at his manage, and tillage, it either lay fallow ground, as jer. 4.3. overspread with thorns. When sin and Satan rule the heart, they blind it, and the whole entertainment on our part, as God calls, so the Soul entertains that call: and that appears in two things.  
The sinner receives the work of grace and mercy, being empty: The Lord may pour in what he will, there is room in the Soul to entertain any thing: and this is called passive receiving, namely hereby God fits the Soul to receive mercy, and prepares it, that it may come, and the soul being emptied, entertains the work of mercy.  
The soul being emptied, and having received virtue from God, returns an answer to this call; and this we call active calling. The soul having received power, by virtue of that power returns an answer to the call of God, as it is with an echo; first the air is moved by the voice, secondly, being moved it returns the same voice: So it is with the answer of the Soul, Psal. 27.8. Like that of the men of Syria 1 Kings 20.32.33. When Ahab said, my brother Benhadad, so the sinner waits and looks, when will God have mercy, at last God saith, my son, and the Soul answereth, thy Son Lord, jer. 3.22. mark how they answer: Behold we come, for thou art the Lord our God: The Lord saith, come away, and the Soul saith, behold I come, 1. Cor. 6.17. It's the same voice that echoes, the same beam that reflects from the wall: So it is the same spirit that returns the voice: and this answer of the Soul, we term faith. Now we have cut out our work, and for the further handling, we have chosen this text, which is, to discover this work of vocation.