The Souls Humiliation, Doctrine 2

The Souls Humiliation · Doctrine 2

p. 192. Doctrine.

The broken hearted ſinner finds no help; nay, he hath no hope to receive any help from himſelfe in the matter of justification.

You ſee the ground of the point is cleare: The Citizen relieved him not, but hee gives himſelfe as as loſt, and ſaith; I cannot help my ſelfe, and no man will ſuccour me, and therefore I periſh for hunger. This is the picture of a ſoule that is famiſhed for want of the ſenſe of Gods favour, though hee uſe meanes; and heareth, and praieth, and faſteth; yet he finds no good, and no ſound comfort in all theſe: not that a man muſt not uſe theſe meanes, but hee muſt not reſt upon theſe: a man muſt not thinke that his bucket can quench his thirſt; but he fetcheth water from the fountaine with it: So, theſe duties are as the bucket, a man may famiſh for all theſe p. 20duties, unleſſe hee goe to the Fountaine of Grace, and pardon, and mercy, and in the uſe of all theſe ſee a need of Chriſt, and goe to God for a Chriſt by them; theſe meanes muſt be uſed, but theſe cannot be ſaviours of him; theſe meanes muſt bee uſed to bring him to a Chriſt, yet they cannot ſave him without a Chriſt. What was ſpoken temporally to Ephraim, it is true of the Soule ſpiritually: When Ephraim ſaw his wound,Hoſea 5.13.Hos 5:13 and his ſickneſſe, hee went to Aſhur and King Iarib, but they could not help him, nor cure his wound. It is true, this Text mainly aimes at a temporall deliverance, but this may draw us to conſider the ſucceſſe that a poore Soule finds in his duties, reſting upon them. When a poore Soule is broken in the ſight of his ſinne, and weary of it; he ſends downe to praier, and hearing, and the like; but theſe cannot ſuccour him without Chriſt:Eſay 55.2.Isa 55:2 and therefore the Prophet Eſay ſaith, Why lay you out your money for that which is not bread, &c. The Lord accounts the paines of his faithfull ſervants good labour, and would not have them lay it out for that which is not bread. All the profits that may inrich a man, and all the honours that may advance a man; nay, all the priviledges that a man hath; as Word, Sacraments, and Ordinances; and that a man is baptized, and hath often come to the Lords Table; theſe come no farther then the very bare huske; if they goe no farther, and have not an eie to their Saviour; theſe are no true bread: the horror of heart cannot bee quieted, nor his ſinnes pardoned, barely by theſe duties doing: the meate of the Soule, is not the bare Word, nor the bare Sacraments; p. 21but a Chriſt in all theſe: this is the prop of the Soule: all the bare duties in the world cannot ſuccour us, if we reſt upon them, without juſtification through Chriſt.

The Apoſtle Paul, a learned Phariſee,Phil. 3.5, 6, 7.Phil 3:5Phil 3:6Phil 3:7 and a man of an unblameable life, becauſe hee was a man of a good life, of the Tribe of Benjamin, and a Iew circumciſed the eighth day; hee thought to doe great matters, and hee thought he had done enough; hee counted theſe his priviledges, gaine. What, learned Paul? reverend Paul, unblameable Paul; What, not he goe to Heaven? hee accounted theſe his greateſt gaine; as if he would lay downe enough upon the naile to purchaſe Heaven to himſelfe: but theſe were ſo farre from ſaving of him, that he found them to be loſſe. Thus you ſee that a diſtreſſed ſinner finds himſelfe helpleſſe, and hopeleſſe, in regard of any ſufficient ſuccour in himſelfe, or the creature, if he goe no further then the very duty.

Now the Soule finds that there is no ſaving ſuccour to be had in theſe duties barely: I ſay, he comes to ſee it by theſe three meanes.

Firſt, from his owne experience that forceth him to confeſſe it.

Secondly, from the examples of others.

Thirdly, The greatneſſe of the evill that lyes upon him, makes him ſee an utter inabilitie to receive any good from that which he doth.

Firſt, From his owne experience. Though hee thought to take up a new courſe, and to performe holy duties, and thought that without all queſtion theſe would ſave him, yet hee finds now that theſe p. 22will not doe the deed, hee hath no ſaving good in theſe; and that appeares by theſe three particulars. Firſt, He ſeeth that the guilt of ſinne ſtill remaines, and the juſtice of God, being unſatisfied ſtill purſues him, though he pray, and heare, and performe many duties, as the Lord told the people, when they were ſharking for their owne comfort, and they thought to give God content by their new courſes. Yet the Lord tells them, Though thou waſh thee with Nitre, Ier. 2.22.Jer 2:22and take thee much ſope, and though thou uſe all meanes of reformation, yet thy ſinnes are ſealed up, and thy iniquitie is marked before mee. It is with a poore ſinner as the Pſalmiſt ſaith of himſelfe; Whither ſhall I goe from thy Spirit, Pſal. 139.7, 8, 9.Ps 139:7Ps 139:8Ps 139:9or whither ſhall I flie from thy preſence, if I aſcend up into heaven thou art there, if I lye downe in hell thou art there, if I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermoſt parts of the Sea, even thither ſhall thy right hand leade mee, &c. So, let a poore ſinner goe where he will, and do what he can, the guilt of ſinne will ever be with him, it will lye downe, and riſe up, and walke with him in the way. His ſinnes remaine unpardoned, and the wrath of God is not appeaſed: and hence it is that all his prayers, are but as ſo many inditements againſt him, and he dare not reade the word for feare hee ſhould reade his owne damnation. Nay, at every Sermon that he heares, he ſeeth more vileneſſe in himſelfe, and every Sacrament that hee receives, increaſeth (not his comfort but) his horror, and he thinks thus with himſelf, good Lord, I have taken my bane this day for I come unpreparedly, and the Lord knowes, what an unfaithfull, and unbelieving heart I have.

p. 232Secondly, as the guilt of ſinne cannot be remooved by all his duties, ſo his conſcience cannot be quieted by all that he doth; if his heart be throughly pierced by the Sword of the Law, ſtill conſcience calles upon him, and quarrels with him, and takes exceptions againſt him in the beſt of his duties, ſo farre they are from yielding any ſatisfaction to God, or from bringing any peace to his conſcience; if hee reſt upon the bare performance of them. I ſpeake of a broken hearted ſinner: for the conſcience is now Eagle eyed, it was full of filme, and ſcales before, but now it is open, and Eagle eyed, and can ſpie, all his weakeneſſes, and picke matter of diſquiet, even in the beſt of all his duties that are done. The Soule thought them very good payment, yet now the heart is touched, and conſcience is awakened, and tells him of his barrenneſſe, and deadneſſe, and roaving thoughts, when hee doth pray, and how inſufficient, he is to pray, and therefore he dare not pray with his Family, and conſcience ſaith to him, you have formerly contemned prayer: and now you cannot pray. And when the Soule comes into the congregation, there Conſcience notes him, and when he goes home, Conſcience ſaith thus unto him, how dead were you, and how unreverently did you attend to the Word, and how unwilling was your heart to be in ſubjection to the Word, thus Conſcience becomes Gods Serjeant, and ſaith, doeſt thou thinke that theſe prayers will ſave thee; Nay, they are rather a meanes to condemne thee, ſo heartleſſe, ſo cold, and ſo dead hearted thou art in them; and is this hearing ſufficient p. 24to ſave thee: Nay, will not the Lord curſe thee for thy weake performance of theſe duties? Now the diſtreſſed Soule comes to a ſtand with it ſelfe, and he ſeeth ſo much weakenes in his duties, that he almoſt leaves off all, ſaying: I had as good not goe to the Word at all, for I profit not by it; and I had as good not pray at all, as pray thus deadly, and untowardly: thus the Lord drives the Soule out of himſelfe; and when Conſcience thus picks quarrels with him, and ſaith; Will prayer, and hearing, and theſe duties ſo meanely performed, ſave you? Nay, may not God juſtly confound you for them? It is admirable mercy that God did not confound you in hearing, and ſtrike you dead in praying! and then Conſcience calls him in queſtion for his old ſinnes, and ſaith; If God may condemne thee for theſe duties, and for theſe praiers? Then what may God doe for thy old drunkenneſſe, and railing at good men,1 John 3.20.1 John 3:20 and good meanes? as the Apoſtle ſaith, If our conſcience condemne us; God is greater then our Conſciences, and knoweth all things: ſo the Soule ſaith, I know thus much by my ſelfe, but God knowes more.

3Thirdly, as the guilt of ſinne cannot be removed, nor Conſcience quieted, meerely in the performance of duties, if the Conſcience be truely inlightened: ſo in the laſt place, the ſinne that hath taken poſſeſſion in the heart cannot bee ſubdued by the power of any performance that hee doth. I ſpeake ſtill of one that is not yet ingrafted into Chriſt: rebell againſt his ſinne he will; but kil it, and ſubdue it, that hee cannot: and hence it is, that the Lord lets p. 25in upon the Soule a great many infirmities, and a ſwarme of weakeneſſes that are preſent with the Soule: and ſo hee ſeeth an utter inabilitie in himſelfe to help himſelfe againſt them; the one of theſe two things befalls him. If hee be a man of meane parts, and ſmall gifts, hee ſeeth himſelfe ſo weake, and ſo unprofitable under all meanes, that his Soule almoſt ſinkes downe in deſperate diſcouragement; and when he gets nothing by all the duties that he doth, he falls out with himſelfe, and pineth almoſt to deſperation. And if hee be a man of great parts, and gifts, and learning, and hath wiſedome to conceive of things; the Lord ſuffers many corruptions to fall upon him: and when hee comes to humble himſelfe before God, he ſaith, I am able to diſcourſe of this, and that; and I can heare, and pray; but (oh) this heart of mine: a man had as good move a mountaine, as move my heart; this hard heart will not ſtirre, nor be broken under all, and helped againſt theſe as it ſhould bee. Now, the Soule upon theſe termes is even content to leave off all: and it befalls the heart in this caſe, as it did Hagar: Gen. 21.15, 16.Gen 21:15Gen 21:16When her bottle of water was ſpent, ſhe caſt the child under a tree, and ſate a farre off, becauſe ſhee would not ſee the child die; ſo it is with the Soule. When the bottles of theſe Saints, and ſcantie duties are done, the ſoule ſits down in diſcouragement, and ſaith, Good Lord, it will never bee, my Soule ſhall never bee accepted, and my ſinnes will never bee pardoned; and the heart begins to reaſon thus with himſelfe, and ſaith; I have had as good meanes as ever any poore creature had, and many gracious friends have counſelled p. 26mee, and yet the guilt of my ſinnes is ever before mine eies; and my Conſcience is not yet quieted: Nay, theſe ſinnes, this blind mind, and this hard heart will not bee ſubdued; but the Lord Ieſus Chriſt can doe more then thou, and the world too. The Lord will make thee ſee that thou and the world can doe nothing, that Chriſt may take away the guilt of ſinne, and quiet thy Conſcience, and ſubdue thy corruptions for thee: thus much hee ſeeth from his owne experience.

The ſecond paſſage is this; as his owne experience makes the Soule confeſſe that there is no hope of good in himſelfe; ſo the example of others doth confirme a broken hearted ſinner in this; that all the creatures in the world, and all the duties under Heaven without Chriſt, cannot purchaſe ſalvation to the Soule; becauſe the Soule now ſeeth, and conſiders in the Scriptures, that many thouſands have had all theſe priviledges, and done many duties, and yet come ſhort of perfection. Many reprobates have had theſe priviledges as well as Gods people; and the Soule thinkes thus with it ſelfe: If beautie, or honours, or riches, might have purchaſed eternall life; then Pharaoh, Abſolon, and Nebuchadnezzar, ſhould have beene accepted of God: therefore, What have I that many thouſands have not had? and, What doe I that reprobates have not done, and yet for ought I know, it never did them good? Iſaac was circumciſed, and ſo was Iſhmael too; Abell offered Sacrifice, ſo did Cain too; and the ſtony ground received the Word with joy, and many there were that waited upon God in the uſe p. 27of his Ordinances, as you may ſee in the Prophet Eſay. Ahab faſted, and Iudas repented,Eſay, 58.2, 3. and yet he is a divell now in hell this day:Pſal. 130.3.Ps 130:3 And the Prophet David ſaith, If the Lord ſhould marke what is done amiſſe, who could abide it? there was enough in Davids praiers to condemne him; and if all theſe did thus, and much more then I can doe; Then why ſhould I thinke to find more helpe in my praiers then they did: thus the Soule ſeeth that Gods people never had Iuſtification from any priviledges that they enjoyed, nor from any duties that they did, without relying on Chriſt.

Thirdly, the greatneſſe of the evill which now the Soule ſeeth, and the deſperate miſery wherein it is, is ſo great, that now it finds an utter in-abilitie, that all the creatures under heaven ſhould ever remoove the evill of it. For the ſoare that is made, and the wound that is given by ſinne, is broader then all the ſalve (that the creatures can apply) is able to cover. The Word, Sacraments, Prayer, and duties cannot reach the evill that lyes upon the heart in this particular; and this is conſiderable; the meanes that muſt comfort and quiet the heart in diſtreſſe, muſt be able to beare the wrath of God, and to take away the venome and poyſon of the wrath of the Almightie. Now, the Soule ſeeth that no creature can doe this; no creature can beate backe Gods wrath but it will fall; and hence it is that the Lord ſaith, hee hath laid ſalvation upon one that is mightie; there are mightie corruptions, and mightie indignation, and mightie guilt, and therefore the Lord hath laid ſalvation upon the mightie. p. 28It muſt be more then a creature, that muſt beare or remoove the wrath of the Creator; As the text ſaith, There is no other name under heaven, whereby you can bee ſaved but only by Chriſt. Prayer ſaith, there is no ſalvation in mee; and the Sacraments and Faſting ſay, there is no ſalvation in us; there is ſalvation in no other but in Chriſt. The other are ſubſervient helps, not abſolute cauſes of ſalvation; As the holy Prophet Ieremy, Ier. 3.23.Jer 3:23ſhewing the peoples deſperate condition and there miſery therein, ſaith, In vaine is ſalvation hoped for from the mountaines; hee had ſaid before in the 22. verſe, Returne againe, oh, diſobedient children and I will heale your rebellions, and they anſwered, behold wee come Lord for thou art the Lord our God, and in vaine is ſalvation hoped for from the mountaines: By ſalvation in the mountaines is meant the Idols ſet up in the hilles, which the poore people worſhipped, and thought they were able to ſuccour them, but in the day of trouble, they ſaid, wee come Lord, for in vaine is ſalvation hoped for from the mountaines. So, if thou truſt in thy praying, and hearing, and good works, though thou hadſt a mountaine of them, they can doe thee no good, unleſſe with the eye of faith, thou lookeſt upon Chriſt for acceptance: but in the Lord our God is ſalvation for evermore. Then gather up all: if the Soule ſeeth by experience, that no good will come by theſe, and if examples ſhew ſo much, and if the greatneſſe of the evill, ſhew that it is impoſſible for any comfort or pardon to be brought home to the Soule; barely by theſe meanes, then the heart concludes thus, and ſaith; theſe will p. 29not doe the deed, I may have all theſe priviledges, and performe all theſe duties, and yet ſalvation is not in theſe; if I truſt in them, there is no pardon in them, and no hope of redemption from them ſaith the Soule. The Soule doth not deſpaire of all good in Chriſt, but the Lord is compeld (as I may ſay with reverence) to weary us from this confidence in our ſelves, and from ſeeking any ſuccour from our ſelves, that he may make us goe to Chriſt.

Vſe 1 This is a word of Exhortation. You ſee that apoore Soule finds nothing, and he hopes for no ſaving ſuccour from any meanes enjoyed, or duties performed, therefore we ought to have our deſires quickened, that ſince we ſee the way, and the duty required, we muſt not reſt upon any thing here below. Since our hearts muſt be brought to this, and we muſt not reſt upon the bare performance of holy duties, (though I doe not diſhonour theſe duties, but onelyonly ſpeake againſt reſting upon them) Oh, therefore ſtrive to come unto this, it will make you ready for the riches of Gods mercy and goodneſſe in Chriſt Ieſus. Let us have our hearts raiſed up from our owne bottomes, and let us plucke downe the foundations that we have had in priviledges, or any ſervice done by us at any time. This is that which above all things we muſt doe; all the Saints of God have found this, from day to day, after ſearch made, then why ſhould we ſeeke for ſuccour from theſe; I ſay, we muſt not neglect theſe duties, but we muſt not reſt upon them. Bee perſwaded to pluck off the handle of hope, from of any thing that we doe, or any priviledge that God gives us. p. 30Let us doe what we may, but yet goe beyond all that we can doe in this caſe; when your hearts are hankering after theſe crazie holds, ſtay them, and deale by your hearts, as the Lord ſometimes did with the people of Iuda. In their diſtreſſe, they did not goe to the Lord, but they went to Egypt, and Nilus, …eremie 2.18.and therefore the Lord ſaith unto them: What haſt thou to doe in the way of Egypt, to drinke downe the waters of Nilus? &c. When they were thus ranging for their owne reliefe in the time of their trouble, the Lord (as it were) cals after them, and ſaith, you will downe to Egypt? what have you to doe there: Deale ſo by your owne Soules, when thou findeſt thine heart hammering helpe from itſelfe, and catching it out of the fire, thou ſeeſt thy ſinnes, and art troubled; and now to quiet all, thou wilt heare, and pray, and performe duties; and thus thou thinkeſt to forge comfort out of thine owne ſhop; therefore call upon thy owne heart, and ſay: what haſt thou to doe to reſt upon theſe broken ſtaves, upon thy praying, and hearing, and profeſſing; theſe, if not accompanied with faith in Chriſts merits; will lay thee in the duſt, and if thou makeſt Gods of them, the Lord will plucke them away. Iudas prayed, and preached, and heard, and received the Sacraments too, and yet hee is a divell in hell this day, and except thou have more then he had, thou wilt be no better then he was: and therefore thinke thus with thy ſelfe; what have I to doe to ſtand here in theſe duties? I may be deluded by theſe, but ſaved and comforted by them I cannot be, therefore uſe theſe I will, but reſt upon them I will not. If I p. 31could looke up to heaven, and ſpeake to Abraham, and Paul, and David; and ſay, how were you ſaved; they would all make anſwer, and ſay, oh, away to the Lord Chriſt, it is he that ſaved us, or elſe we had never come here; and he will ſave you too, if you flye to him. Therefore (brethren) bring backe your hearts from theſe, and dreame not to receive any ſaving ſuccour from what you have, or, what you doe, unleſſe you relye on Chriſt.

But, mee thinkes I heare ſome ſay; Oh,Queſtion. it is marvellous difficult, and hard; wee hang upon every hedge, and we are ready to thinke that it is enough, if wee can but take up a taske in holy duties; How ſhall we pluck our hearts from reſting upon them?

Anſwer. For the anſwer to this queſtion; ſuffer mee to anſwer two things. Firſt, I will ſhew the meanes whereby wee may find all theſe hopeles, and helpeleſſe reſting upon them. Secondly, I will ſhew when theſe meanes drive the heart truly to deſpaire of all ſuccour in them,

Now, that we may find theſe meanes to bee ſo to us, as they are in themſelves, and that our Soules may be able to ſay, It is true; theſe are the holy Ordinances of God, but it is in vaine to expect any ſalvation, or juſtification from them alone. I ſay, the meanes are mainely foure, and I will handle them ſomething largely; becauſe, if I bee not deceived, here is the maine ſett of a Chriſtian; and herein appeares the root of old Adam; we will not part with our ſelves: the meanes are foure.

Firſt, conſider ſeriouſly with thy ſelfe, and bee convictingly ſettled, and perſwaded, of the unconceiveable p. 32wretchedneſſe of thy naturall condition. If thou canſt but ſee this throughly, it will make thee ſee how vaine it is to look for any ſuccour from thy ſelfe; labour to ſee the depth of thine own miſery becauſe of thy ſin, and to ſee how thou haſt ſunke thy ſelfe into ſuch a deſperate gulfe of miſery; that all the meanes under heaven will bee ſhort to ſuccour thee, unleſſe the Lord Ieſus come downe from heaven, and his infinite power bee let downe, to plucke up thy Soule from that miſery wherein thou art: there thou lyeſt, and there thou art like to periſh for ever, if God in mercy ſuccour not. Now, that I may pul down the pride of every vile wretch; give mee leave to diſcover the depth of our miſerie, in theſe foure degrees.

Foure degrees of our miſery by nature.Firſt, conſider that by nature thou art wholly deprived of all that abilitie, which God formerly gave thee to performe ſervice. Whatſoever is borne of the fleſh, Ioh. 3.6. Rom. 7.18.John 3:6Rom 7:18is fleſh: (ſaith our Saviour) and therefore the Apoſtle Paul ſaith, I know that in mee, that is, in my fleſh dwells no good thing. All men by nature are fleſh, and therefore thinke thus with thy ſelfe, and ſay, there was never good thought in my heart, nor good action done by mee, for in mee dwells no ſpirituall good thing: there may bee morall good in us, but though we are good morally, yet we are nought ſpiritually; howſoever you pranke up your ſelves, and thinke your ſelves ſome body, yet there is no ſpirituall good in you: unleſſe God worke upon your hearts; whatſoever you have thought, or done, is all in vaine.

Secondly, thou art not onelyonly deprived of all ſpirituall p. 33abilitie,2. Degree of our miſery. Epheſ. 2.1.Eph 2:1 but thou art dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes. What is that? a man is wholly poſſeſſed with a body of corruption, and the Spawne of all abhomination hath overſpread the whole man, and it leavens all the whol lump of body and mind. You often read this phraſe in Scripture, but you perceive it not; as it is with a dead body being deprived of the Soule (which did quicken it, and enable it to doe the workes of a reaſonable man) there comes a kind of ſenceleſneſſe, and after that, all noyſome humours breed in the body; and all filthy vermin come from the body, and therefore a man may bury it, but hee cannot quicken it any more. Iuſt ſo it is with the Soule that is deprived of the glorious preſence of Gods Spirit, and grace which Adam had in his innocency: For, looke what the Soule is to the body, the ſame is the grace of Gods Spirit to the Soule. When the Soule is deprived of Gods Spirit, there followes a ſenſeleſſe ſtupidneſſe upon the hart of a man; and all noyſome luſts abound in the Soule, and take poſſeſſion of it, and rule in it, and are fed there; and appeare in a mans courſe in this kind. There is no carrion in a ditch ſmels more loathſomely in the noſtrills of man, then a naturall mans workes doe in the noſtrills of the Almightie: There are ſome workes of a dead body; it rots, and ſtinkes, and conſumes: ſo, all the workes of a naturall man are dead workes: nay, all the prayers of the wicked are an abhomination to the Lord. If you can but ſay over the Lords Prayer, you think you do a great piece of worke; but, though theſr are good in themſelves, yet becauſe they come from a corrupt p. 34heart, they are dead, and loathſome prayers in the noſtrils of the Almightie; as the wiſe man ſaith, Hee that turneth his eare from hearing the Law, Prov. 28.9.Prov 28:9even his prayer is abhominable. The prayers of a drunkard, of an adulterer, or of a blaſphemer, are an abhomination to the Lord, Hee cannot abide them; they are ſuch unſavory, dead, ſtinking prayers, that the God of heaven abhors them: I would to God you were perſwaded of it. I would have a man to reaſon thus with himſelfe, and ſay; This is juſt my condition; How many gracious commands have I ſleighted, and deſpiſed? How many precepts have I trodden under my feete; therefore even my beſt prayers are abhominable to the Lord; and if my prayers bee ſuch? then what is my perſon, and all my ſinnefull luſts? Looke what wee doe with a dead body, we may pitty him, and bury him, but we cannot quicken him: So, wee may pity a poore drunkard, and pray for him, and bury him with teares; but we cannot ſave him: Nay, all the meanes in the world will not ſave him, except the Lords mightie power come from heaven to worke upon his heart.

Three degrees of our miſery.Thirdly, the ſentence of condemnation is now already paſt upon him, and one foot is in the pit all-ready.Ioh. 3 18.John 3:18 Hee that believes not, is condemned already: Hee doth not ſay, he may be condemned; but the ſentence is already paſt upon him: his hard heart was never ſoundly broken, and his proud heart was never content to part with it ſelf and all for Chriſt, and therefore he goes to endleſſe torments for evermore. Every naturall man is an unbeliever, and p. 35therefore ſtands under the ſentence of condemnation: So that, unleſſe the Lord bee pleaſed to open his eies, and to breake his heart, and to draw him from that eſtate, he is like to periſh, and goe to hell for ever.

Fourthly, and laſtly, if this be not enough,The fourth degree of our miſery. hee is not onelyonly deprived of all ſpirituall good, and dead in ſinne, and ſtands under the ſentence of condemnation, though this were enough to lay out hearts low before the Lord. You ſee the ſinner in the pit; But will you ſee him ſinking into the bottome? I am loath to ſpeake the worſt: Nay, I durſt not have thought it, had not the Lord Chriſt ſpoken it in his Word. Therefore ſee what hee ſaith,Ioh. 6.70.John 6:70 Have not I choſen you twelve, and one of you is a Divell? Who was that? It was Iudas. Why, what did he? What, a dead man, and a damned man, and a divell too: What will become of ſuch a poore forlorne creature? It is ſaid of Iudas, that the Divell put it into his heart to betray Chriſt, out of a covetous humour to get money, and the Divell entred into Iudas. Thus the divell puts it into his mind,Ioh. 13.27.John 13:27 and ſuggeſted it into his heart, to deviſe a way how to compaſſe his end: nay, the Divell entred into Iudas, not by a corporall poſſeſſion; but by a ſpirituall kind of rule, which the divell did exerciſe over Iudas, that is, when the divels counſell, and adviſe tooke place with Iudas to betray his Maſter: this is not Iudas his condition alone, but it is the condition of all men by nature. That, looke as it ſaid of the Apoſtles, They were inſpired with the Spirit of God; Act. 1.4.Acts 1:4and as it is ſaid of all ſound Chriſtians. They are led p. 36by the Spirit of God: So, on the contrary, the wicked are led by,Epheſ. 2.2.Eph 2:2 and with the ſpirit of the divell, He rules in the hearts of the children of diſobedience: The divell caſts wicked thoughts into their hearts, and carries them into the commiſſion of thoſe evils, which formerly he had ſuggeſted: The divell rules in them; he ſpeakes by their tongues, and workes by their hands, and thinks, and deſires by their minds, and walkes by their feet;Revel. 2.10.Rev 2:10 The divell ſhall caſt ſome of you in priſon, ſaith Saint Iohn. All men are naturally under the power of Sathan, and therefore Saint Paul was ſent to preach the Goſpel that he might deliver them from the power of Sathan to God. Acts 26.18.Acts 26:18You thinke your ſelves brave men, and you can deſpiſe the word, and the grace of God and abuſe his Miniſters: Alas, the divell hath power over you; as it is with a dead ſheepe, all the carrion Crowes in the Countrey come to prey upon it, and all baſe vermin breede and creepe there: So, it is with every poore naturall ſinfull carnall creature under heaven; a company of divels, like ſo many carrion crowes prey upon the heart of a poore creature, and all baſe luſts crall, and feed, and are maintained in ſuch a wretched heart. Now (brethren) thinke of all theſe, and ſearch ſeriouſly. It is better to know this now, then to know it when there is no remedy: I ſay no more for pitie; is it ſo with thee, and mee, and all of us by nature? Then judge the caſe clearely, and paſſe the verdict. Doeſt thou thinke that a few faint cold prayers, and lazy wiſhes, and a little horror of heart can plucke a dead man from the grave of his ſinnes, and a damned ſoule from the pit of hell, and change the nature p. 37of a divell to be a Saint? No, it is not poſſible; and know that the worke of renovation, is greater then the worke of thy creation; and there is no helpe in earth, either goe to Chriſt, or there is no ſuccour for thee. We can pitty poore drunkards, and ſorrow for them; but we are as able to make worlds, and to pull hell in pieces; as to pull a poore Soule from the paw of the divell. Nay, he is a divell, and a damned divell, as you have heard: if this were well conſidered; it would daſh in pieces, all thoſe carnall conceits of a great many, which make nothing of turning a divell to be a Saint.

Secondly, conſider ſeriouſly the infirmitie,The ſecond meanes. and feebleneſſe, and the emptineſſe of all meanes that we enjoy, and all duties that we doe: it were argument enough, to perſwade a poore broken-hearted ſinner, not to relye upon a poore broken reede that will deceive him when he hath moſt need: therefore ſince they cannot ſuccour us, let us draw our hearts from reſting on them. This is a matter of great weight alſo; for the Soule being thus broken for ſinne, ſets a great matter of excellency, and ſufficiency in holy duties. Nay, people hang all their hope of eternall life, upon what they have, and what they can doe. Come to a poore broken hearted ſinner, and tell him of his ſinne, that he ſtands guiltie of. Marke what his reply is. I confeſſe (ſaith he) it is true; I have beene ſo, and ſo, but the world is well amended, I meddle not with my ſinnes, and I have reformed all thoſe baſe courſes. Nay, the Lord knowes that my corruptions have coſt mee hot water, my heart hath beene exceedingly vexed with p. 38them, I hope, I have had my hell here, and I ſhall no hell hereafter. Alas, poore wretch, is this the hooke that upholds thy heart, and is this all the ground that thou goeſt upon? it is good that thou doeſt repent and amend, and reforme thy wayes, and bleſſed be God, for what hee hath made thee able to doe; but, this I muſt tell thee; If thy repentance, and reformation be all thy hope, and thou relyeſt upon them, as the Iewes did upon their Legall righteouſneſſe: thy Soule and all will ſinke everlaſtingly; if thou looke no further for helpe, for all theſe cannot procure thy acceptance before God in that great Day of accounts; nor give any ſatisfaction to Gods Iuſtice. Now the weakeneſſe of all theſe priviledges, and duties, may appeare in five particulars.

Firſt, Thou canſt not do that w^ch God requires of thee,Rom. 8.14.Rom 8:14 in all this that thou ſo much braggeſt of. Thou haſt a hard heart, and canſt not repent: If thou canſt doe what God requires of thee; then why doeſt thou not breake that hard heart of thine. It is a heart that cannot repent. The Saints of God finde this; though they ſee their ſinnes, yet their hearts will not breake. Thou art as able to rend the rocks in pieces, as to breake thy hard heart. The good that I would doe (ſaith Saint Paul), Rom. 2.5.Rom 2:5I cannot doe, and the evill that I would not doe, that I doe. The Church complaines of it, and ſaith? Why are our hearts hardened from thy feare. Therefore God may juſtly take exception againſt thee.

Secondly, Thou art not many times carefull to doe what thou canſt; ſometimes thou letteſt paſſe p. 39opportunities; and if thou takeſt the occaſions, it is marvellous ſlightly, and hoverly; though God have put power, and abilitie into thy heart, to performe holy duties; ſo, that thou ſeeſt the occaſions, yet thou ſlighteſt them over moſt ſhamefully.Iam. 3.2.Jas 3:2 In many things we ſinne all, (ſaith the Apoſtle Saint Iames) and the Prophet Eſay ſaith,Eſa. 64.7.Isa 64:7 There is none that calleth upon thy name, neither ſtirreth he up himſelf to take hold of thee. It was the common fault of the wiſe Virgins, they all ſlumbred: Matth. 25.5.Matt 25:5this befals even thoſe that are the moſt beloved of the Lord.

Thirdly, Doe what thou canſt in the beſt of all thy ſervices; when thou commeſt to the higheſt pitch of the holineſſe of thy heart, and to the moſt ferventeſt prayers that ever thou didſt make, and the moſt broken heart that ever thou haddeſt, and the moſt exacteſt way of godlineſſe; I ſay in the very beſt of all thy duties; there is ſtill ſome imperfection, and for which God may in exact rigour frown upon thee: now Iudge this; can that ſervice ſave thee in which there is enough to condemne thee? thats impoſſible; in the beſt of thy duties there is enough to make God frowne upon thee. And therefore the Prieſt that was to offer Sacrifice;Heb. 7, 27.Heb 7:27 Was to offer Sacrifice for the ſinne of his offering. Where we ſee that even the holieſt ſervice that ever the Miniſter puts up to God, and in the beſt care that ever he expreſt, he hath need to offer Sacrifice for his offering: and ſo it is in all your ſervices. You little thinke that God may condemne you, for your Prayers, and Sacraments, and Faſtings. But I will make it cleare to you: for, this is a common rule, we all beleeve in p. 40part, we know in part, and we love in part, ſo that, though our hearts are renewed, yet they are but renewed in part, there is ſome hatred mixed with our love, ſome unbeliefe with our faith, and ſome ignorance with our knowledge: And as the Apoſtle ſaith,Gal. 5.17.Gal 5:17 The fleſh luſteth againſt the ſpirit, and the ſpirit againſt the fleſh, ſo that theſe two are contrary the one to the other. There is ſo much corruption in thee, ſo that when thou wouldeſt doe good, thou canſt not doe it with that readineſſe that thou oughteſt; thou canſt not doe it with all the whole ſtreame of thy heart. The Law requires, that wee ſhould love the Lord with all our hearts, and with all our ſtrength; So that we have no hangings backe in our duties; but in all our prayers, and hearings, and readings, there is fleſh that oppoſeth the ſpirit, and corruption, that croſſeth the worke of grace. So that we are not able to performe any ſervice, as God doth require of us: how backward are we to duties, and how weary in duties? what wandring thoughts? what privy pride? and what ſeeking of our ſelves have we in them? You know nothing, if you know not this; but whether you know it or no, it is ſo. There is much corruption, oppoſing and thwarting the worke of the Spirit; and therefore you had need pray for the repentance of your repentance; and to begge the pardon of all your prayers: and whereas you thinke, that you will repent, and amend, and heare, and pray, and the like; I tell you; that though it be commendable to pray, and heare; yet there is ſo much ſinne in your amendment, and repentance, and duties; that in exact juſtice God p. 41may curſe all that you doe, and execute his Iudgements upon you for the ſame, therefore theſe cannot ſave you. He that heretofore hath prophaned the will now Sanctifies it, and ſoe he thinks all is quit; but I tell thee that in all thy ſanctification of the ſame, thou haſt neede of a Saviour.

Fourthly, Were it graunted, and let it be ſuppoſed (which I confeſſe will not, nay can never bee) but Imagine it were ſo; that after God hath opened a mans eyes and broken his heart, he ſhould never commit the leaſt ſinne in all the world, and never have any failing in holy duties, nor any diſtemper in his Soule, though this cannot bee; but Imagine it were ſo: that he did never ſinne after his repentance, yet even the ſinne of his nature which he brought into the world with him were enough to make the Lord take the advantage of him for ever, and to caſt away all that ever he doth as abhominable from his preſence. Our repentance, and our exacteſt performance of duties, though we could doe them even to the uttermoſt: it is a duty that we are bound to doe, and the doing of that which we owe; can never ſatiſfie for that which hath beene done amiſſe by us: but our repentance of ſinne and our reformation is a duty which the goſpell requires, and therefore will not ſatiſfie for that which is done amiſſe before our converſion. As a Tennant that is run behind hand with his Land-Lord ſoe many hundreths, and at laſt he begins to conſider with himſelfe what hee hath done, and he bringes the rent of the laſt halfe yeare when his leaſe is out, will this man thinke that hee hath now ſatiſfied his Land-Lord? if he ſhould ſay, p. 42now Land-Lord, I hope you are contented, and all is anſwered and have fully paid all that is betweene you and mee, you Land-Lords would be ready to reply thus, and ſay, this ſatisfies mee for the laſt halfe yeare paſt, but who payes for the odde hundreths: ſo it is with a poore ſoule, be it ſo that after thoſe arrerages that thou haſt run upon the ſcore with God, after all thy contempt, and pride and all thy Stubbournes of Spirit, at laſt God opens thine eyes, and breakes thy heart, and gives thee a fight of, and ſorrow for theſe ſinnes; wilt thou come before the Lord, and ſay, Lord, I hauehave repented of my ſinnes paſt, and ſoe I hope thy Iuſtice is ſatisfied, and all accounts made euen betweene thee and mee, the Lord would anſwere, it is true thou doſt repent and reforme thy ſelfe, the goſpell requires it, but who payes the od thouſands and who ſatisfies for thy old drunkennes, and for thy thouſands of pride and Stubborneſſe, and all thy careleſnes, and all thy contempt of God and his grace, and who ſatisfies for all thy blaſphemies, and omiſſions of holy duties, and the like, the Lord may juſtly take the forfeit of thy Soule and proceede in Iudgement againſt thee to thy deſtruction for ever. our repentance and amendment is a new dutie which the Lord requires of us from the goſpell, but it is not the paying of the old debt; for if we do not repent, we ſtand guiltie of the breach of the goſpell, and ſoe muſt ſatisfie for that ſinne. The breach of the Law is ſinne, and the wages of ſin is death, the wages of ſinne is not repentance nor amendment, but it is death; then repentance will not ſatisfie for ſinne: noe, noe, the wages that muſt bee laid downe for a mans ſinne, is death. As the Lord p. 43ſaid, In the day that thou eateſt of the forbidden fruite, Gen. 2.17.Gen 2:17thou ſhalt dye the death. And therefore the Apoſtle ſaith, Gal. 3.10.Gal 3:10curſed is every one that continues not in all things written in the Law to doe them. Repentance is onelyonly a worke of the goſpell to bring our hearts in frame againe, but the breach of the Law muſt be ſatisfied for; ſoe that, having ſinned againſt the Lord and wronged his Iuſtice we muſt either dye our ſelves or have one to dye for us; then, there is noe laying downe of any ſatisfaction to God by any thing that we can doe in this caſe but we muſt have recourſe to our Saviour who onelyonly can ſatisfie gods wrath for our ſinnes.

Fifthly, As a ſinner is utterly unable to bring himſelfe into a good eſtate, by all the meanes that he can uſe; ſo he is unable to maintaine his lot: and to keepe himſelfe aforehand in a Chriſtian courſe, when he is brought unto it. Therefore as it neceſſary to have a Saviour to pardon us: So, it is neceſſary to have a Saviour, to continue that eſtate of grace to us for our good. When the Lord in mercy had given to Adam in his innocency, perfect holineſſe, and righteouſneſſe; inſomuch that hee was able to keepe the Law, and to purchaſe favour for himſelfe, Adam then fell, and ſpent all that ſtock of grace; and if we had our ſtocke in our owne hands, we ſhould ſpend all and be ruinated for ever, if God did leave us to our ſelves. If Adam having no ſinne, could not keepe himſelfe in that happy eſtate; much leſſe are we able that have much corruption in us; therefore it is not onelyonly required to goe to Chriſt for grace to pardon us; but we muſt goe to Chriſt to maintaine our grace, and to keepe our hearts in frame p. 44here, and to bring us to a Kingdome for ever hereafter. When Adam had ſpent all the ſtocke of grace; and proved a bankrupt, the Lord would raiſe him up againe; but he would not put the ſtocke into his owne hands againe; but he puts it into the hands of Chriſt. As, a man that gives his childe a portion, and he ſpends it all; now his father will raiſe him againe, but will not put it into his owne hands, but into the hands of ſome friend, and will have his Sonne goe to that man for his allowance every day, and for every meale: So, it is with the Lord our heavenly Father, becauſe we have miſpent all that wiſedome, and holineſſe, and righteouſneſſe, which God gave Adam, and in him to all of us; therefore the Lord would not put the ſtock of grace into our owne hands againe, but he hath put it into the hands of Chriſt, and will have us depend upon Chriſt for every crum of grace; yea, even for the will to doe any good; and we muſt goe to him, that he may preſerve and maintaine the worke of grace in us; and wonderfull happy are we that it is ſo. For, ſhould the Lord ſet the divell, and us together, all were gone. The Lord Ieſus gives grace, and continues it, and helps us to perſevere in grace; and ſo makes us come to the end of our hopes, even the ſalvation of our Soules. Oh therefore, looke up to the Lord Ieſus Chriſt; and ſay, Oh, it is a bleſſed mercy; that when my heart is proud, vaine, looſe, and fooliſh; that then I may goe to the Fountaine of grace,1 Peter. 1▪5.1 Pet 1:5 for humilitie, and for grace. We are kept (ſaith Saint Peter) By the power of God through faith unto ſalvation: As if he had ſaid, all the powers of p. 45hell and darkneſſe are come about us, and a world of wickedneſſe beſets us, and all the powers of the world, and the corruptions of our owne hearts allure us. Now, we cannot ſtand by our own ſtrength, therefore we have need of a Chriſt, that we may be kept by his power, and be able to ſuffer, and to doe any thing for his names ſake, and that hee may preſerve us in that great day of accounts.1 John 4.4.1 John 4:4 And the Apoſtle Iohn ſaith, Little children you are of God and have overcome the world, for greater is hee that is in you, then hee that is in the world. Hee doth not ſay, greater are you, then he that is in the world, but greater is he that is in you, &c. Hee doth not ſay, greater is your humilitie then your pride; greater is your patience, then your impatience; and greater is your love, then your hatred; but he ſaith, The Lord Ieſus is greater in us, to ſuccour and to helpe us; then all the temptations of the divell, and the corruptions of our hearts that can preſſe in upon us, to doe us any hurt, or to hinder us in a Chriſtian courſe. Doeſt thou thinke thy owne hearing, and praying, and duties will ſerve the turne and ſave thy Soule? No, no, thou art an undone man, if thou reſt upon thy owne crazie bottomes? Amend thou mayeſt, and pray thou oughteſt; but theſe will not ſave thee; theſe will not cauſe the acceptation of thy perſon with God; nor juſtifie thy Soule before his Tribunall. All theſe are poore, weake, and crazie meanes? For, if thou canſt not doe what God requires; and if thou doeſt not what thou art able, and if in the beſt of thy ſervices, there is pride, and ſtubbornneſſe enough to condemne thee, and when p. 46thou riſeſt up from prayer, thou hadſt need pray againe for pardon of thy prayer: Nay, couldſt thou doe all that thou ſhouldeſt after converſion; in the moſt ſtricteſt and exacteſt manner; yet that doth not ſatisfie for the ſinne, that thou hadſt committed before converſion; and if thou canſt not maintaine thy owne grace, then there is an abſolute neceſſitie of going to Chriſt for all. Nay, aske your owne hearts, and ſervices; and ſay thus? prayer, wilt not thou ſave mee, and hearing? wilt not thou ſave me; they will all profeſſe plainly, and ſay; ſalvation is not in mee (ſaith prayer), and ſalvation is not in me (ſaith hearing), and ſalvation is not in me (ſaith repentance, and amendment; Indeed, wee have heard of a Chriſt; that hee hath dyed, and ſatisfied, and ſuffered, and riſen, and delivered his poore ſervants; and pluckt poore Soules from hell; and we need a Saviour to pardon us, alas, we cannot ſave our ſelves. All thy duties will ſay to thee, as the King ſaid to the woman; when the famine was great in Samaria: And the King was going upon the wall, there cryed a woman to him, 2 King. 6.26, 27.2 Kgs 6:262 Kgs 6:27ſaying, Helpe, oh King. And the King made this anſwer, If the Lord God ſuccour not, how can I helpe? So, mee thinkes the Soule ſaith; When it is beſieged with the wrath of God? Oh helpe prayer, and hearing, and Sacrament, and the like? Mee thinks, I heare them reply in this manner; Alas, how can we helpe, you have prayed ſinfully; and heard the Word untowardly; and received the Sacraments unworthily? Oh, let us all goe to heaven for a Mediator; good Lord, pardon the ſinne of theſe prayers, and theſe hearings, and the unworthineſſe p. 47of theſe Sacraments; and all this frothineſſe, and deadneſſe in hearing: Thus they will all ſend you to heaven for a Chriſt; and ſay, alas, I cannot ſave you; how many commands have I diſobeyed? how many duties have I ſlighted, and therefore ſend to Chriſt for pardon; we are weake, and feeble, and onelyonly come to the eare, and to the eye; but the Lord Ieſus muſt come downe from heaven, and be powerfull, every way to doe good to your Soules. You muſt goe to a Chriſt, to batter the proud fleſh; and to pardon all that is amiſſe, and to performe all duties that you would have done. When Eliſha tooke up the cloake of Eliah, he ſaid, where is the God of Eliah; he did not ſay?2 King. 2.14.2 Kgs 2:14 Where is the the cloake, but where is the God of Eliah. All the ordinances of God, are but as the barke of the tree; but Chriſt and the Promiſe are the pith. The heart, and life, and power of all is in Chriſt onelyonly: therefore looke higher then theſe, for they doe all proclaime; that there is no ſuccour but in Chriſt.

The third meanes to drive our hearts from reſting upon our duties is this.The third meanes. We muſt conſider the unconceivable hazzard, and danger, and the inconvenience that will come if we put any affiance in any of thoſe priviledges that we have, or any duties that we performe. The very conſideration hereof is able to withdraw our hearts from reſting upon them. The danger appeares in two particulars.

Firſt, This carnall confidence in what we have, and doe ſhut a man out from having any part in Chriſt. He that is guiltie of this ſinne, withdrawes p. 48himſelfe from the favour of the Lord, and he becomes uncapable of that mercy and good which God hath revealed; and Chriſt hath purchaſed for poore diſtreſſed ſinners. For this is all that the Lord lookes for at our hands, that we ſhould deny our ſelves, and wholy caſt our ſelves upon his goodnes and mercy. nay, that man which relyes upon what he doth, puts himſelfe without the reach of all that mercy and great ſalvation that is in Ieſus Chriſt. Chriſt came not to call the righteous to repentance, nor them that truſt in themſelves; nor them that thinke they can ſave themſelves, but he came to call ſinners to repentance, and thoſe that ſee an utter inſufficiency in themſelves to ſave or ſuccour themſelves in the day of trouble, there is great ſalvation in Chriſt, and plenteous redemption purchaſsed by Chriſt, and you heare of all this, and it is all true, but this I muſt tell you, all that Chriſt hath done and deſerved ſhall never doe you good, if you reſt upon your ſelves. You doe thinke that it is ſuch a great ſin, as indeed it is, ſometimes you make conſcience of drunkennes and other ſinnes, if you make conſcience of any thing, then know that this is the greateſt ſinne in the world.Gal. 5.2.Gal 5:2 See how the Apoſtle ſets himſelfe againſt this carnall confidence, where ſpeaking to the Galathians that truſted in their owne circumciſion, that anſwers to our Baptiſme: Behold (ſaith he) I Paul, ſay, I, not a bare man, but I, Paul enſpired with the Spirit in an extraordinary manner, and I, an Apoſtle that doe not, nay that cannot erre, I that have received a commiſſion from the Lord, I ſay, that if you be Circumciſed, that is, if you truſt in your p. 49Circumciſion, Chriſt ſhall profit you nothing. nay, (ſaith he) Ieſus Chriſt is made of none effect to you if you ſeeke to bee juſtified by the workes of the Law. Verſe 4.If you reſt in the merit of your prayer, Chriſt is made of none effect to you, and you ſhall never receive any power from the death of Chriſt: the bloud of Chriſt will never purge thoſe filthy hearts of yours, and his reſurrection ſhall never quicken you. Whatſoever your caſe and condition is, or can be, if your ſinnes were never ſo haynous for greatnes, continuance and for number, if you wil but renounce your ſelves and goe to Chriſt nothing ſhall condemne you, but if your ſinnes were never ſoe well reformed and amended: and reformation, nay, Chriſt himſelfe ſhall never doe you any good. It is with the Soule of a poore ſinner, as it is with the body of a man. If it had ſome ſlightie diſeaſe or ſicknes, and that may (haply) be cured, but if his throate begin to ſwell, and the vitall paſſages be ſtopped up that he can receive no meat nor phiſicke, every neighbour will ſay, he is but a dead man, all the meanes and men in the world can doe him no good, he can receive nothing downe: So it is with the Soule; it is annoyed with many baſe corruptions, and ſinfull diſtempers; and if it be wounded with many rebellions; there is meanes enough in Chriſt to cure all? If thou were a filthy beſotted drunkard, or an adulterer, the blood of Chriſt can purge thy drunken adulterous heart, one touch of Chriſt, can cure all: thy bloody iſſue. If thou wert dead in treſpaſſes and ſinnes, the Lord Ieſus could quicken thee, and raiſe thee from death to life; but if thy proud heart p. 50ſwell with thy owne ſufficiency, and thou wilt reſt upon thy ſelfe, all the merits and grace in Chriſt can doe thee no good. This is the maine concluſion,Ioh. 5.40.John 5:40 into which all the reſt is reſolved. You will not come to mee (ſaith our Saviour) that you might be ſaved. He doth not ſay; you have many ſinnes and ſhall not be ſaved; but, you will not come to me, &c. that is, you will not goe out from your ſelves to the Lord Chriſt; and therefore cannot receive mercy and grace from his Majeſties hands: though thou art never ſo baſe and vile, if thou couldſt goe to the Lord Ieſus, and reſt upon him for mercy, nothing ſhould ſtand betweene thee and heaven, but if thou ſtickeſt in thy ſelfe, all the grace in Chriſt can doe thee no good.

Secondly, This carnall confidence, makes a man unprofitable, under all the meanes that God beſtowes;Ier. 17.5, 6.Jer 17:5Jer 17:6 As the Prophet Ieremy ſaith, Curſed is he that trusts in the arme of fleſh, and departs from the Lord; Why? What ſhall become of him? the text ſaith, he ſhall be like an heath in the wilderneſſe, and ſhall never ſee good. The nature of the heath is this; though all the dew of heaven, and all the ſhowers in the world fall upon it; and though the Sunne ſhine never ſo hotly, it will never grow fruitfull, it will never yield any fruit of increaſe, but it is unfruitfull ſtill. Such a Soule thou wilt be; thou that reſteſt upon thy own ſervices &, ſayeſt; becauſe thou heareſt, and prayeſt, and doeſt ſanctifie the Lords Day; therefore thou muſt needs goe to heaven; I ſay, thou ſhalt never ſee good by all the meanes of grace; if thou makeſt them independent cauſes of ſalvation; p. 51all the promiſes in the Goſpel ſhall never eſtabliſh thee, and all the judgements in the world will never terrifie thee; thou ſhalt never have any ſaving grace wrought in thee by them: The truth is, hee that hath all meanes, and hath not a Chriſt in all; hee ſhall never ſee good by all. Therefore thou that reſteſt upon thy parts, and gifts, and upon thy duties; thou wilt have a heart ſo beſotted, that grace will never come into thy heart, and God will never quiet thy conſcience. It may be a poore drunkard is converted and humbled; but thou ſtandeſt ſtill, and canſt get no good by all the means in the world. Therefore ſay thus to thy ſelfe? doth this carnall confidence cut mee off from all the grace and mercy that is in Chriſt; and without mercy, and pardon from Chriſt I am undone for ever; and without grace I am a poore defiled wretch here, and ſhall be damned for ever after; if I reſt here, I may bid adue to all mercy: Nay, all the meanes that I have, never doe mee good. Is this the fruit of my carnall confidence? Oh Lord withdraw my heart from it.

Laſtly, When all the meanes of grace, will not plucke away the Soule from reſting upon it ſelfe,The fourth meanes. when reaſon will not rule him, nor meanes will not prevaile with a poore ſinner, as commonly a great while they will not; then the Lord tires a poore Soule with his owne diſtempers. And the Lord deales with the Soule, as an enemy deales with a Caſtle that he hath beſieged; When the Citizens will not yield up the Caſtle, he famiſheth them, and cuts off all proviſion, and makes them conſume within, and ſo at laſt they are forced to reſigne it up p. 52upon any termes. So, When the Lord hath laid ſiege to a carnall heart, and hath ſhewed him his woefull condition, and yet the heart will not of, nor will not take up any termes of peace, but ſtill hee will ſhift for himſelfe. Now, what doth the Lord doe? hee takes away the comfort of all the meanes that he hath, till hee is famiſhed with the want of Gods favour; and then hee is content to yield up all to the God of heaven and earth. It was juſt ſo with this Prodigall; all the world could not perſwade him but he might live better of his portion, and ſo away hee goes; and when hee had tried the world, and could get no ſuccour, at laſt he confeſt, it was better to be at a fathers finding, and now he ſaw that a fathers houſe was admirably good, and that the ſervants and children in their fathers houſe are happy; for they have bread enough and enough againe, and to ſpare too: and ſo hee is forced to returne. So, it is with many poore diſtreſſed ſoules: all the arguments under heaven cannot quiet them, and all the meanes in the world cannot plucke them from themſelves; and we tell them daily, that they muſt not expect grace, nor power, nor pardon from themſelves;2 Ioh. 3.2 John 1:3 It is mercy and peace (ſaith the Apoſtle). You would have peace of conſcience, and pardon of ſinne, and aſſurance of Gods love; and whence would you have it, you would have it from your duties? it is not prayer, and peace, nor hearing, and peace; but it is mercy and peace; and therefore away to the Lord Ieſus, that you may receive mercy from him: Yet we cannot get poore creatures from themſelves, but they would faine ſhuffle for themſelves, p. 53and have a little comfort of their owne, and they ſay, Lord, cannot my prayers, my care and faſting merit ſalvation? Now, what doth God then? he ſaith, to ſuch a Soule, goe try then, put to the beſt of thy ſtrength, and uſe all the meanes that thou canſt, and ſee what thou canſt doe; See if thou canſt cure thy conſcience, and heale thoſe wounds of thine; and ſubdue the corruptions of thy heart, with thy prayers and abilities: but when the Soule hath made triall, and weltred, and wearied it ſelfe, at laſt, he finds that all the meanes he can uſe cannot quiet him, nor comfort his conſcience, and the poore ſinner is pinched and wearied, and the Lord will not anſwer his prayers, nor ſweeten the deſires of his Soule, and the Lord will not bleſſe the Word to him for his comfort, and at laſt, the Soule ſaith: Such a poore Chriſtian (even a man of meane parts, and weake gifts) how is he comforted, and ſuch a profane drunkard is puld home, and hath gotten the aſſurance of Gods love; The Lord hath puld downe the proud hearts of ſuch and ſuch; and they live comfortably, and ſweetly; and I have no peace nor aſſurance of Gods love. You may thanke your ſelves for it; they ſaw nothing, and they looked for nothing from themſelves; and therefore they went home to the gate of mercy to the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and they have bread enough, if you would come home to Chriſt, you might have beene comforted alſo. Now therefore, goe to the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and as certainly, as God is in heaven; refreſhing and comfort will come into your hearts, and mercy (which is better then marrow) ſhall ſatisfie thoſe p. 54feeble fainting ſpirits of yours. You ſee what the way is, and what the helps be to pluck off our hearts from reſting upon theſe duties, and therefore thinke thus with thy ſelfe, and ſay, is my miſery ſo great? and are my duties ſo weake? and is my carnall confidence ſo dangerous; that I may be troubled for ever? for any thing that I can doe of my ſelfe; and is comfort no where elſe to be had, but in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt? Oh then Lord, worke my heart to this duty. Sticke not in your ſelves, doe all this, but goe beyond all that you can doe, and labour ſo to approve your hearts to God, that you may ſee greater mercy in God, then in all that you can doe.

Now there are two Cavils, which carnall perſons ſlander this truth of God withall; and theſe muſt be anſwered before I can come to the trials.

The firſt Cavill.The firſt cavill with which wretches are content upon this truth, it is this. Oh ſay they? What, is it ſo that all our prayers, and hearings, all our care, and deſires, and all our improvement of meanes are nothing worth? will not all theſe juſtifie us? nor make us acceptable to God? then let us caſt care away, let us ſweare, and ryot, and drinke, and live as wee liſt, wee heare that all the duties that wee can doe, will not ſave us, the Miniſter tells us ſo. Thus a company of carnall wretches runne headlong downe to eternall deſtruction, one ſweares, and another caſts all the commandements of God behind his back.

Anſw. To this I anſwer. Doth the Miniſter ſay ſo; nay, the Word, the Scripture, the Spirit of God ſaith ſo, and the Lord Ieſus himſelfe ſpeakes it. In the meane time wilt thou gain-ſay that which the Lord Chriſt p. 55hath ſpoken? Doth not the Apoſtle ſay, You are ſaved not of works, &c. And in another place, It is not in him that wills, nor in him that runnes, but in the Lord that ſhewes mercy. Rom. 9.16.Rom 9:16It is the ſpirit of God that ſaith it, and doeſt thou ſtand to out-face the Lord Ieſus Chriſt in it? But ſtay a while, and take a full anſwer with thee, and know theſe three things thou that doeſt abuſe this doctrine of Gods free favour. Firſt, howſoever thy good workes are not ſufficient to ſave thee, yet thy evill workes are enough to damne thee. As the Apoſtle ſaith,2 Theſſ. 2.12.2 Thess 2:12 that all they might bee damned which beleeved not the truth but had pleaſure in unrighteouſneſſe. You that take pleaſure in your drunkennes, and prophaneſſe, and in your jibing and jeſting at the meanes of grace, there is roome enough in hell for you all: that all you might be damned. Yea, thou that delighteſt in thy drunkennes, thou maiſt drinke downe thy laſt, and thy damnation too, and thou that blaſphemeſt againſt the truth of Chriſt, take heed that God poure not downe his wrath upon thee. It is true, though thy good workes are not perfectly good and cannot ſave thee, yet thy bad workes are perfectly naught and and will condemne thee. nay, thy prayers are an abhomination to the Lord, and will the Lord ſave thee for that which is abhominable to him? thou thinkeſt hell is broke looſe becauſe mercy is come into the world, this thy wickednes will condemne thee for evermore. Secondly, they that thus ſtand it out againſt Gods free grace in Ieſus Chriſt (the Lord in mercy open their eyes, my ſoule mournes for them and for that ſtrange puniſhment that ſhall befall p. 56them, except the Lord breake their hearts in time) as any ſinne is enough to condemne them, ſo their ſinne is of an unconceiveable hainouſneſſe, and their judgement will be anſwerable. Their ſinne is become out of meaſure ſinfull, becauſe mercy is revealed, and they have made a mock of it. The very height of all, that wrath that is in God ſhall be their portion. Good Lord, is it poſſible that ever any man ſhould dare to deſpiſe the mercy of God, and to trample the blood of Chriſt under his feete, and not onelyonly to commit wantonneſſe, but to turne the grace of God into wantonneſſe, and to make the Lord Chriſt the Patron of all their filthineſſe? How will the Lord Ieſus take it at at their hands: that, whereas the Lord Ieſus came into the world to deſtroy the works of the devill, they ſhould make Chriſt a meanes to uphold the works of the devill. Oh, that ever any man ſhould dare to ſinne, becauſe mercy abounds! and becauſe they heare that Chriſt will one day ſave them, therefore they in the meane time will do all they can againſt him that muſt ſave them. See what S. Paul ſaith againſt ſuch, Deſpiſeſt thou the riches of his goodneſſe, Rom. 2.4, 5.Rom 2:4Rom 2:5long ſufferance and forbearance, not knowing that the goodneſſe of God leadeth to repentance, but after thy hardneſſe of heart, thou treaſureſt up to thy ſelfe wrath againſt the day of wrath. Thou that liveſt in the boſome of the Church, where the Angels come downe from heaven, and rejoyce in this free grace of God in Chriſt, and haſt thou the offer of this mercy, and doeſt thou deſpiſe it? then thy drunkenneſſe is not bare drunkenneſſe, but there is a treaſure of vengeance in it. And thou ſayeſt, thou p. 57wilt be drunke, and prophane, becauſe thy ſobriety and thy good works cannot ſave thee. I tell thee, it is not bare ſcorning and bare prophanes, but there is a maſſe of vengeance in all theſe. And when thou ſhalt ſtand before the judgement ſeat of Chriſt, and ſhall be indited for a drunkard, and a ſcorner, and a prophane perſon, and ſuch a one as haſt toſſed the people of God with ſcornes upon thy Ale-bench; when the Law hath thus proceeded againſt thee, then will mercy come in againſt thee, and ſay, Lord, execute vengeance upon him for mee, and for me, ſaith another, for I have beene diſhonoured, and becauſe mercy did abound, he would have his ſinne abound alſo. And then comes in the blood of Chriſt, and cries aloud, ſaying, Vengeance againſt that drunkard, indeed Lord, there's a poore wretch that knew no other, but vengeance (Lord) againſt that drunkard, and that ſcorner, becauſe my blood was ſhed, and mercy was offered, and hee deſpiſed it. You that know your drunken neighbours and ſervants, and ſee their ryoting and ſcorning, tell them that there is a treaſure of vengeance in thoſe ſinnes; and you that are guilty of it, goe your wayes home and mourne, and the Lord give us hearts to mourne for you. You that know what this ſinne is, when you goe to the Lord in Prayer, put up one petition for them, and ſay, Good Lord take away that treaſure of vengeance. Oh, pray that if it be poſſible this great ſinne may be pardoned. Thirdly, all ſuch perſons muſt know that it is carnall confidence, in the meanes that withdrawes a bleſſing from them in the uſe of the meanes. What things were gaine to mee p. 58(ſaith Saint Paul) I accounted loſſe for Chriſt; Phil. 3.7.Phil 3:7that is, when he put any confidence in them, hee loſt the benefit of the meanes.

The ſecond cavill.Secondly, Some will ſay, you doe nothing but reproove us for duties, and labour to plucke us from them? then, why ſhould we pray, and heare, and what good ſhall we have by all that we doe, if we cannot be ſaved by theſe meanes; then, what uſe is there of them?

Anſw. To this I anſwer. Yes, there is great uſe of them, and much good to be had by them: As the Apoſtle ſaith;Titus 3.14.Titus 3:14 Let us alſo learne to maintaine good works for neceſſary uſes. When he had ſpoken of free Iuſtification through his grace; then the Text ſaith, teach a man to maintaine good works for neceſſary uſes: and in the 4. and 5. verſes,Verſes 4. & 5. hee ſaith; After that the kindneſſe, and love of God our Saviour towards man, appeared not by works of righteouſneſſe which we have done, but according to his mercy he ſaved us by the waſhing of regeneration. Now, leaſt any man ſhould ſay, if God doe not ſave a man for his works, then why ſhall we doe good works and the like? See what he addes; Let us learne to maintaine good works, &c. There are many neceſſary uſes of the meanes, though they be not meritorious, and of abſolute ſufficiency. Were not he a mad man that ſhould ſay, what ſhall I doe with my money if I cannot eate it? and what ſhall I doe with my boate if I may not dwell in it? A man may buy meate with his money, and row with his boat. So, you muſt uſe all meanes, and improve all importunities, and if ever pray, and faſt, pray and faſt now in theſe dayes of trouble, p. 59but thinke not to bee ſaved, nor juſtified by the worth and merit of them: yet uſe them for ſome neceſſary uſes; and the uſes are three.

Vſe 1 Firſt, We muſt uſe all the meanes that gives us as guides,Of the means. to leade us by the hand to the Lord Ieſus Chriſt; and as lights to ſhew us where life is to be had. Iohn Baptiſt profeſſed plainly, that hee was not the Meſſiah, but he pointed at him, and ſaid, Behold the Lambe of God that takes away the ſinnes of the world. So, I ſay, all the ordinances of God which are honourable, and commendable, and comfortable; they all profeſſe, that they are not our Saviours: onelyonly they point us to a Saviour, even the Lord Ieſus Chriſt; the Word reveales Chriſt, and Prayer goes to a Chriſt, and the Sacrament preſents Chriſt to us; and therefore they all ſay with one accord, let us goe to the Lord Ieſus, and looke up to him. When your hearts are troubled and diſquieted, all your duties knocke at your hearts, and ſay, would you not have mercy, and power againſt corruption, and ſome evidence of Gods favour? Oh (ſay you) it is that which we want, and it is all that we deſire in this world; Come then (ſaith Prayer and the Word) we will goe to Chriſt with you; there is all fulneſſe in him: this is the end of all the holy ordinances of God, not to make them Saviours: but to lead us to a Saviour.

Vſe 2 Secondly as they are guides to lead us to a Chriſt, ſoe they are meanes to convey grace,Of the means. mercy and comfort from Chriſt to our ſoules. Though they are not meate yet they are as diſhes that bring the meate. They are the meanes whereby ſalvation hath p. 60beene revealed, and is conveyed to you. There is a fountaine of grace in Chriſt, but the word, and prayer, and Sacraments, and faſting, theſe are the conduites to convey this water of life, and to communicate this grace to us. You doe not uſe to drinke the conduite, but the water that the conduite bringes. Aske, that your joy may be full, (ſaith our Saviour) and ſo the Lord ſpeakes by the Prophet Eſay,Eſay. 55.3.Isa 55:3 incline your eare, and come unto mee, heare and your ſoules ſhall live. As if he had ſaid waite upon God in his word and ordinances, and your ſoules ſhall live. Though the meanes are not life it ſelfe, yet life is conveyed by them. In Chriſt are hid all the treaſures of wiſedome and knowledge. Colloſſ. 2.3.If you would have any grace and holineſſe, the treaſure of it is in Chriſt. The word is as the Indenture or great will of God whereby the treaſure of Gods favour is made knowne to your Soules. The bond or will is not the treaſure, but conveyes the treaſure to us, and makes us have a right, and title to it: our Saviour ſaith, my peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, and, all the promiſes in Chriſt are, yea, and Amen. yea, that is truth it ſelfe, and, Amen, that is confimed now, you muſt receive the tenure of all theſe in Chriſt. And the holy Sacraments, are as the broad ſeales whereby the Covenant of grace is confirmed, made authenticall and ratified to your Soules. When a man hath much goods and lands and would make an other his heire, he paſſeth his lands or goods over to him by will, and if the will is not onelyonly drawne but alſo ſealed, then, though this will is not the treaſure it ſelfe, yet it is a ſpeciall meanes to convey this treaſure to the p. 61heire that muſt have it. So, the Word is the will of God, and the Sacraments are the Seales of it, and all that mercy and goodneſſe in Chriſt is made knowne to you by the Word, and made ſure to you by the Sacrament; the Word and Sacraments are not this treaſure, but they are bleſſed meanes to convey this treaſure to your Soules. Therefore, when your hearts, are dead, weake and heavy, and you begin to breath for ſome conſolation, ſaying, who will tell mee how I may have my dead heart quickned, and my heavy heart refreſhed, as David once breathed for the water of Bethlem; then mee thinkes the word and prayer, and Sacraments doe all ſay, we will goe to the Lord Ieſus Chriſt for all theſe for you, and then Chriſt will ſanctifie you in his word, and if you have ſtrong devils hanging upon you, faſting, and prayer will fetch power and grace from Chriſt; and caſt all theſe devils out: So then you ſee their good uſe of all theſe. Thirdly, the laſt uſe of the meanes is this, Vſe. 3 that by the exerciſe of our ſelves in them,Of the means. and by the improvement of our times and meanes, we may glorifie the God of grace that hath given us all theſe meanes, and that we may waite upon him with feare and reverence, and honor God in his word, and come to his table, and there partake of the dainties of life and ſalvation, and expreſſe the virtues of him that hath cald us to this marvellous light, that we may ſee Gods grace in prayer, and in profeſſing, and delight in the duties of his worſhip. Theſe are all very good uſes; ſo then, the concluſion is this, you muſt not thinke that your duties can pardon one ſinne, yet they muſt be uſed, and bleſſe God for them, and (if p. 62ever) now is a time to improve all theſe, for they are a meanes to leade us to Chriſt, and to convey grace and life from Chriſt into our ſoules, and thereby we may glorifie the God of grace that hath beene ſo mercifull to us.When we doe deſpaire of all help in the meanes. The ſecond thing that I mentioned is this. When ſhall wee know that our hearts are brought to this paſſe, that the meanes of grace do worke ſo kindly that our hearts may bee brought to this holy deſpaire. I would not have you go away and ſay, the miniſter ſaith, we muſt deſpaire. Its true you muſt deſpaire of all ſaving ſuccour in your ſelves but you muſt not deſpaire of all mercy in Chriſt.

Anſwer. For the anſwer to this queſtion, you muſt know that there are three particular trialls of our owne hearts, whereby wee ſhall know when the Lord is pleaſed to deale ſo kindly and ſweetly with us, as to drive us from our ſelves to Chriſt.

The firſt triall.Firſt, the Soule of a poore ſinner that ſeeth all meanes helpleſſe and hopeleſſe in themſelves, will freely confeſſe and acknowledge (and that openly) that the worke of ſalvation is of an unconceiveable difficulty, and he ſeeth an utter inſufficiencie and impoſſibility in himſelfe, and in any meanes in the world to be ſaved of himſelfe: He ſeeth that it is beyond his power, and the ſtaffe is out of his owne hand, and the Soule almoſt ſinks under it, and conceives it almoſt impoſſible to come out of it, in regard of that which it apprehends. Hee ſeeth now that all thoſe broken reedes and rotten props, and all that boldneſſe whereby the heart did beare up it ſelfe, they are all broken in peeces, and all thoſe Caſtles which he hath built in the ayre, wherein hee p. 63comforted himſelfe with dreames of conſolation, they are all throwne downe to the ground, and battered about his eares, and now the Soule wonders how he was ſo deluded, to truſt to ſuch lying vanities, and to ſuch deceitfull ſhadowes. This is the difference that the Soule will finde in it ſelfe before this worke of converſion, and after it is wrought. Before, a man thinks it an eaſie matter to come to heaven, and judgeth it a fooliſhneſſe in people to be caſt downe and diſcouraged in the hardneſſe and difficultie of the worke of ſalvation; and hee conceives it to be a fooliſh conceit in the frantick braine of ſome preciſe Miniſters? Oh (ſaith he) God bleſſe us if none be ſaved, but ſuch as theſe, whatſoever he ſaith, a man may goe to heaven, and repent, and get the pardon of his ſinnes, it is nothing but confeſſing his ſinnes before God, and craving mercy in the pardon of them, and is this ſuch a hard matter; this man in the dayes of his vanitie, thinks he hath heaven in a ſtring, and mercy at command, and he can come to heaven, and breake his heart at halfe an houres warning: but take this man when the Lord hath awakened his conſcience, and put him to the triall; when he ſeeth that after all his prayers and teares, yet his conſcience is not quieted, and his ſinnes are not pardoned, and the guilt ſtill remaines, now he is of another minde, now he wonders at himſelfe that he was ſo deluded, and now he ſaith? where is the deluded heart, that did thinke it, and the mouth that did ſpeake it: Nay, he thinks it a great mercy of God, that he is not in hell long agoe; and he ſtands and wonders that ever any man p. 64comes to heaven, and he ſaith, certainly their hearts are not like mine; and their ſinnes are not ſo great as mine, good Lord, who can ever be ſaved, ſuch a divell to tempt, and ſuch a world to allure, and ſuch corruptions boyling within. He wonders how Abraham got to heaven beyond the Starres, and Moſes, but above all Manaſſes, yet he ſaith, bleſſed be God that ever he did this for them, but for my ſelfe (all things conſidered) I thinke it a matter impoſſible, how I, nay, how can I ever be wrought upon? ſhall ever any mercy comfort mee? and ſhall ever any meanes doe mee good? Why have not all thoſe meanes that I have had done mee good, I ſhall never have power to pray better then I have done, and I ſhall never be able to wreſtle with God, more earneſtly then I have done, and yet I ſee all meanes profit not, therefore I am but a gone man. I am but loſt, and I know not which way my ſoule ſhould be ſaved. When our Saviour Chriſt was diſcovering the difficultie of the way to Salvation; His Diſciples ſaid, Good Lord, who then ſhall be ſaved. So, the poore Soule ſaith? Oh the meanes that I have had, and the prayers that I have made; So that I have thought the heavens did even ſhake againe, and yet, Good Lord, my heart did never ſtirre at all, and therefore how can I be ſaved? And as the Prophet Ieremy ſaith; Shame hath eaten up the labours of our fathers, and we lye downe in our ſhame, &c. They had the meanes of grace, and the ordinances of God, and ſhame hath eaten up all, and where are their Temples, and Priviledges now? Shame hath conſumed them to nothing. So, it is with a poore feeble p. 65fainting Soule, he ſaith, ſhame hath eaten up all my labours, I have laboured in prayer, in hearing, and in faſting; yet I have no pardon ſealed, nor no mercy granted, I am as much troubled as ever; I ſee as much evill as ever I did; hell is gaping for mee, and ſo ſoone as life is gone from my body; the divell will have my Soule. This is the nature of deſpaire, to put an impoſſibilitie in the thing that it deſpaires of: and to ſay, can it be? and will it be? and will it ever be? Nay, it is impoſſible, for ought I know. Where is the man now, that thought it an eaſie matter to goe to heaven, he is in an other minde, and his heart is of an other frame; now he hath found by woefull experience, that there is no hope, nor helpe in himſelfe nor in the creature.

Secondly,The ſecond Triall. this followes from the former diſpoſition of ſpirit; the Soule is reſtleſſe, and remaines unſatisfied in what he hath, and what he doth. The heart cannot be ſupported, and therefore it growes to be marveilouſly troubled, and it is not able to ſtay it ſelfe. There is nothing that can ſatisfie the Soule of a man, but it muſt be ſome good. No man is ſatisfied with evill, but rather more troubled with it. It muſt be ſome good, either in hand, and in preſent poſſeſſion, or elſe in expectation of ſome good that he may have, and he ſaith, it may be, and it will be. But, when he ſeeth the emptineſſe of all his priviledges, and the weakeneſſe of all his duties; when theſe failes, his heart and all muſt needs ſinke; becauſe he ſeeth no other good, but them for the while. As it is with the building of a houſe, if the bottome and foundation be brittle, and rotten, and begin to p. 66ſhake all the whole building muſt needs ſhake: So, the Soule that ſought for comfort, mercy, and ſalvation from his outward priviledges and duties; when all theſe begin to ſhake under him, and to breake in ſunder, and he ſeeth no helpe thereby, and that it can receive no eaſe therein; hence it is, that Soule (thus troubled and deſpairing) is in ſuch an eſtate, that if all the Miniſters under heaven ſhould come to flatter him, and to daube him up with untempered mortar, and perſwade him of Gods mercy towards him; Take this man upon his death-bed, when all the Miniſters come to give him comfort upon any termes, and they ſay unto him, your courſe hath beene good and commendable, and you have lived thus, and thus; and taken much paines in praying, and hearing, and faſting; therefore undoubtedly you cannot but receive mercy from the Lord. See what the poore Soule will reply: It is true (ſaith he) I have done, and may doe all theſe, but I have not done them in a right manner. I have not had an eye to Chriſts mercy; but have accounted theſe duties, as ſatisfactory to Gods juſtice, ſo that they ſavour not ſo much of dutie, as arrogancy; whileſt preſuming upon their worth: I have not depended upon Gods mercy; but even challenged his juſtice in the reward of my labours. Thus the Soule argueth with it ſelfe, I have depended too long upon theſe outward works, and thought to purchaſe heaven by them, but now I finde it neceſſary, that I get them dyed, and ſanctified in the blood of Chriſt. Thus it was with Saint Paul when he ſaid;1 Cor. 4.4.1 Cor 4:4 I know nothing by my ſelfe? What might ſome ſay, Paul, You are a p. 67reverend learned man, and have had a great name in the Church, and who can ſay, blacke is your eye. It is true, (ſaith he) I know nothing by my ſelfe? but what then, yet I am not thereby juſtified. Nay, it is the difference that he makes betweene himſelfe a Phariſee, and himſelf a poore contrite ſinner. When he was a Phariſee he counted his priviledges gaine to him; but now hee thought them loſſe in regard of Chriſt. They are good mercies,Phil, 3.7. where God gives them in regard of themſelves, but in the way of Iuſtification, and Salvation, they are as dung and droſſe in reſpect of any merit in them. This is one difference betweene a dead hypocrite, and a living Chriſtian. A dead hypocrite will be content with dead hearing, and dead praying, and with the bare ſhell of duties, but, a living Chriſtian that ſeeth his owne evill, and ſinne; cannot be fild nor contented without a Chriſt. That which will maintaine a Camelion, will ſtarve a man; for a Camelion will live upon the ayre? but, put a Man into the beſt ayre that is, and it will ſtarve him, if hee have no other food. So, if thou canſt feed upon the ayre of hearing, and the picture, and ſhadow of praying; it is a ſigne thou art a dead man; whereas if thou be a true man in Chriſt Ieſus, thou muſt have bread, or elſe all the world cannot content thee. Bread for the Lords ſake, (ſaith the hunger-ſtarved man: therefore let mee give thee an Item this way; goe thy way home, and take notice of thine heart, thou that canſt licke thy Soule whole, and cure all thy ſinnes with a few prayers, and teares, and faſtings, and in the meane time ſeeſt not a neceſſity of a Saviour, p. 68know that it is a notorious ſigne of a cunning hypocrite, as there are many in theſe dayes. It is with an hypocrite, as it is with ſome men written of in Stories, they have ſuch an antidote, and preſervative, that they can eate poyſon, and it ſhall never hurt them: So it is with ſome hypocrites, that have their reſervations of ſome ſins, and they retaine ſome baſe diſtempers, and they will tipple in a corner, and lye in ſome ſecret ſinnes, and yet they truſt ſo much to their antidote, and to their duties, that it will cure all, and it is but praying, and faſting ſo much the more often. The God of heaven open the eyes, and awaken the conſciences of all ſuch, if there be any ſuch here this day. If it be ſo that thou canſt pray, and keepe a cloſe hollow heart, and thou canſt licke thy ſelfe whole, and then ſinne, and a little prayer will ſerve againe; and then goe, and be unjuſt, and uncleane, and keepe falſe ballances ſtill, know then, it is certaine thou never haddeſt a part in Chriſt, and didſt ſee a need of Chriſt. And as it was with the Prodigall: if hee had beene a Hogge, the huskes might have ſerved him; but hee was a Man, and therefore muſt have bread. Therefore thou hypocrite to thy Stye, if theſe huskes will ſave thee, and ſerve thy turne, and if the mill of a prayer will ſerve, (I doe not diſcommend theſe duties: No, curſed be he that doth it) but if thou content thy ſelfe with a mill of praying, and yet there is as much power of Chriſt, and ſap of grace in thy heart, as in a chip, then (I ſay) thou art a Hogge and no Man, whom theſe huskes will content.

The third Triall.Thirdly, he that ſeeth himſelfe helples and hopeles p. 69in the meanes, hee will conſtantly labour to goe beyond all the meanes. Becauſe hee is in neede and finds no helpe here, he will ſeeke it els where that his heart may be refreſhed, when the Lord hath awakened the heart and ſhewed him the emptineſſe of all meanes, it makes the ſoule go further then the means: this is the heavenly skill. It is with the Soule in this caſe as it is with a marriner; though his hand be upon the oare, yet he ever lookes homeward to the haven where he would be. And it is in profeſſing as it is in trading. You know when a man ſets up for himſelfe and would live of his calling, hee will buy and ſell, but his eye is ever upon the gaine, thats it which muſt keepe the Cart on the wheeles, or els hee may die a begger and ſhall never be able to keep him and his; it is not enough to trade and to buy and ſell, but he goes beyond all theſe, and labours to get ſomething. Iuſt ſo it is in profeſſing; it is like thy trading, thou heareſt and praieſt, and profeſſeſt, but the gaine is to hauehave Chriſt made to thee in life and death gaine; ſoe that, all the gaine a man gets is Chriſt. Thou art a profeſſor, and haſt beene baptized and haſt received the Sacrament, but, what haſt thou gotten by all thy praying, and preaching, and other ſervices? unleſſe thou haſt gotten Chriſt, thou haſt gotten juſt nothing at all. It is with thee as it is with a man that hath a great ſhop, and much wares, and quicke returne, and yet he is not able to pay his debts: ſo thou performeſt many faire duties, and haſt many rich priviledges, and yet thou art not able to ſatisfie Gods Iuſtice; nor to recompence the Church for the wrong done to it, and when thou art p. 70going the way of all fleſh, but ſpecially in the day of judgement, then ſhall people ſay of thee, ſuch a man was buying, and ſelling, and profeſſing all his life and yet got nothing; and when a poore Soule is breathing out his laſt, then comes juſtice, and ſaith, give me my own, thou haſt ſinned, and therfore thou muſt die for it, Lord (ſaith hee) take ſome prayers, and readings, and faſtings, in ſtead of payment, and if theſe will not ſerve, then he is blanke, and juſtice carries him downe to the place of execution, and he ſhall not come thence till he have paid the utmoſt farthing. And then the Soule ſaith, ſome comfort, ſome mercy and conſolation for mee; oh ſaith he, I have received the Sacrament, and prayed and faſted, and profeſſed, canſt thou not feede of theſe? oh no! (ſaith the Soule) theſe are huskes, bread for me as the world thinkes of a man that hath got nothing by his trading, ſuch a man that made wonderfull ſhew in the world to day; ſo many hundreths, and thouſands worſe then nothing, this is lamentable. Iuſt ſo it will be with thee, if thou haſt not gotten Chriſt. If a man have gotten Chriſt in his hearing, and praying? hee will anſwer all eaſily, and when the divell comes in, and ſaith? Thou haſt many ſinnes who ſhall ſatisfie Gods Iuſtice for them? The Soule makes this anſwer; Chriſt hath paid all. Oh, but thou haſt broken the Law of God (ſaith the divell). Oh (ſaith the Soule) Chriſt hath fulfilled all righteouſneſſe for mee. You have many corruptions (ſaith the divell; but Chriſt hath purged mee (ſaith the Soule). Oh, but you ſhall be damned (ſaith the divell to him: Nay, (ſaith the Soule) there is no p. 71condemnation to them that are in Chriſt, but I am in Chriſt, and therefore ſhall not be damned. Thus the divel ſhall goe away aſhamed, and ſay, That man is out of my reach, I ſhall never get him downe to hell, he hath gotten Chriſt.

But here this queſtion may be asked,Queſtion. how may a man goe beyond himſelfe in all his duties?

Anſw. Becauſe this is a skill above all skills, therefore for the anſwer hereof take theſe three directions.

Firſt,The firſt Direction. labour to ſee an abſolute neceſſity of a Chriſt in all theſe priviledges that thou haſt, and in all the duties and ſervices that thou performeſt. Firſt, in all thy priviledges. See a need of Chriſt to make all theſe powerfull to thy Soule. Hearing, and reading, and faſting, will doe thee no good, except thou have a Chriſt to goe with all theſe. As a Ship that hath faire Sailes, & ſtrong Maſts, except there be a winde it can never goe. So, the Soule is like the Ship; and the precious ordinances of God are faire Sailes and good Maſts; and it is good hearing, and good reading, and good faſting, but except the Spirit blowe with theſe, thou canſt get no good by them: the Spirit bloweth where it liſteth, and except the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, by the power of his Spirit, go & breath upon thy hearing, Preaching, and upon all the ordinances, they can doe thee no good. When the Lord was to come into his Garden, which was the Church. The Spices are the graces of Gods Spirit. The Spices could not growe, becauſe the Spirit would not blowe upon them, and therefore the Spouſe ſaith, Ariſe oh North, Cant. 4.16.Song 4:16and come (oh South) and blowe on my Garden, that the Spices thereof may p. 72flowe out, As if ſhe had ſaid, Good Lord, blowe this way, and that way, and give a bleſſing to the meanes, and then comfort will come indeed. And as there is need of Chriſt to bleſſe all meanes, ſo ſecondly there is need of Chriſt to make all thy ſervices acceptable to God the Father. Oh ſend to heaven for a Chriſt, that he may hide all thy weakneſſes, and preſent all thy duties to God his Father, in his merits and righteouſneſſe. They that brought a Sacrifice in the time of the Law, were to offer it upon the golden Altar, and no Sacrifice was accepted without it: So, if thou wilt have thy hearing, and praying, and faſting acceptable to God, lay them upon the golden Altar, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. And know that thou haſt need of Chriſt to cover all the failings & weakneſſes in thy duties.

The ſecond Direction.Secondly, In all the beautie and excellencie of Gods ordinances that thou ſeeſt and prizeſt. See a greater beautie and excellencie in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, then in all theſe. See what comfort it is that thou wouldeſt finde, and what ſweet is it that thou wouldeſt get from hearing, and reading, praying, and profeſſing; goe beyond all this, and ſay, if the beames be ſo ſweet, what is the Sunne it ſelfe, and if the ordinances of God be ſo ſweet and comfortable, what is the Lord Ieſus Chriſt then. You come to heare, and it is well that you will come? What would you have in hearing? You would have ſome life to quicken you, and ſome wiſedome in your mindes to direct you, and ſome grace into your Soules to purge you; and then mee thinks I heare you ſay, Bleſſed be the Lord this day, I found my p. 73heart ſomething more quickned, and my Soule ſomthing inabled to hate ſinne, and to walke with God; bleſſe God for that. But, is a little life in the word ſo good, and is a little grace in the Sacrament ſo ſweet, Oh then away, away higher, if theſe be ſo ſweet, what is the Lord Ieſus the God of all wiſedome, grace, and power. If the Word doe ſo much quicken thy Soule, what would the Lord Ieſus doe, if thou couldeſt get thy heart poſſeſſed of him. Let all theſe drops of life and merciemercy draw up thy heart to heaven. When the Spouſe in the Canticles had ſought after her beloved, ſee how ſhe deſcribes him,Can. 5.10.16. his mouth is white and ruddie, and ſo forth, and in the 16. verſe ſhee ſaith, Hee is moſt ſweet, yea, hee is altogether lovely. The originall hath it, he is altogether pleaſant, yea, pleaſantneſſe it ſelfe. You have ſome comfort, and ſome diſcomfort with it, you have ſome wiſedome, and ſome folly, ſome power, and ſome weakneſſe with it, but the Lord Ieſus is all comfort, and no diſcomfort, he is all power, and no weakneſſe, he is all life, and no deadneſſe, therefore in all the ordinances of God, carrie your hearts a little higher, and looke upon that fulneſſe that is in Chriſt.

Thirdly, Let us labour in the uſe of all meanes,The third meanes. as to ſee the beauty of a Chriſt ſurpaſſing all meanes, ſo let us be led by all meanes into a neerer union with the Lord Chriſt. As a wife deales with the letters of her husband that is in a farre Country, ſhe findes many ſweet inklings of his love, and ſhee will read theſe letters often, and daily, ſhee would talke with her husband a farre off, and ſee him in the letters, p. 74Oh (ſaith ſhee) thus and thus he thought when he writ theſe lines, and then ſhee thinks hee ſpeakes to her againe; ſhee reads theſe letters onelyonly, becauſe ſhee would be with her husband a little, and have a little parlee with him in his pen, though not in his preſence: ſo theſe ordinances are but the Lords love-letters, and wee are the Ambaſſadors of Chriſt; and though wee are poore ſottiſh ignorant men, yet wee bring mervailous good newes that Chriſt can ſave all poore broken hearted ſinners in the world.

You doe well to come and heare, but it is all that you may chat and parlee a little with Chriſt. Our Saviour ſaith,Matth. 24.28.Matt 24:28 Where the carkaſſe or the dead body is, there will the Eagles be. This is the nature of an Eagle, ſhee will not goe to catch flies, (that's the nature of the hedge Sparrow,) but ſhee will prey upon the carkaſſe. So, this is a good heart that will not prey upon dead duties, but upon the Lord Chriſt, who is the life of the Soule. If thou art of a right brood, thou wilt not fill and glut thy Soule with a few duties like a hedge Sparrow; ſtill, miſtake me not, I doe not diſpraiſe theſe duties, but (I ſay) they are nothing in the way of juſtification: if faith in Chriſts merits be not joyned with them. Therefore if thou haſt a dunghill heart of thine owne, thou may'ſt goe and content thy ſelfe with profeſſion, and with a few cold dead duties, but if thou art an Eagle, and a ſound hearted Chriſtian, and one, that God hath beene pleaſed to doe good unto: thou wilt never be but where the Lord Ieſus is, and where his grace and mercy is. As we doe at a Feaſt; the diſh is greater p. 75then the meat, yet wee reach the diſh (not for the diſhes ſake) but that we may cut ſome meat: So, the ordinances of God, are as ſo many diſhes, wherein the Lord Ieſus Chriſt is diſhed out to us. Sometimes Chriſt in his merits, is diſhed out in the Sacrament to all the ſences, and ſometimes he is diſhed out in the Word; therefore as you take the diſh to cut ſome meate: So, take the Word; that Communicates Chriſt to the eare, and Prayer Communicates with Chriſt, and the Sacrament Communicates Chriſt to all the ſences; cut the meate, and let not the Lord Chriſt goe whole from the Table, and no man looke after him, fill your hungry Soules with Chriſt. When a poore travelling man comes to the Ferry; he cryes to the other ſide; Have over, have over; his meaning is, he would goe to the other ſide by a Boat; he onelyonly deſires the uſe of the Ferry-man to convey him over. So, Chriſt is in heaven, but we are here on earth (as it were) on the other ſide of the river; the ordinances of God are but as ſo many Boats to carry us, and to land us at Heaven where our hopes are; and our hearts ſhould be. Therefore you would be landed: Have over, have over (ſaith the Soule). The Soule deſires to bee landed at the Staires of Mercy, and ſaith, Oh, bring me to ſpeake with my Saviour. Mary came to the Sepulchre to ſeeke for Chriſt, and therefore when the Angel ſaid to her, Woman why weepest thou, ſhee made this anſwer, Oh, they have taken away my Lord. Ioh. 20.13.John 20:13So, it is with you, if you be not hypocrites. Is there ever a Mary here? is there ever a man or woman that prizeth a Chriſt, and ſeeth need of a Chriſt, and p. 76that comes weeping and mourning to the holy ordinances of God? whom ſeekeſt thou (ſaith the Word, and Prayer, and the Sacrament? Oh (ſaith the broken hearted ſinner) they have taken away my Lord Chriſt? Oh this ſinfull heart of mine; oh theſe curſed corruptions of mine! if it had not beene for theſe, Chriſt would have comforted my conſcience and pardoned my ſinne; if thou ſeeſt my Chriſt and my Saviour; reveale him to my Soule, that I may receive comfort and conſolation by him. This is the frame of a Chriſtian Soule: when the Ferry-man hath carried the traveller over, hee ſtayes not there, but goes to the houſe of his friend, and ſaith, is ſuch a man within, he deſires to ſpeake with him, and to receive ſome good from him. We heare, and pray, and reade till we are weary, we doe not cry; Have over, let mee come to enjoy a neerer Communion with my Saviour, that I may dwell with him, and have a neerer cut to the Lord Chriſt; I would have way, that I may receive grace and mercy from Chriſt according to my neceſſities. When a man hath gotten ſo many hundreth pounds, he not onelyonly tels that he hath met with the Ferry-man, but he ſhewes the money that he hath gotten. So, you come to Church, and goe from Church, and you have your hearing, for your hearing: and your profeſſing, for your profeſſing and the like; but you ſhould labour to ſay; I have gotten the pardon of all my ſinnes, and the aſſurance of Gods love to my Soule; I have beene with my Saviour, and thus graciouſly, and mercifully hee hath dealt with mee. All that I have ſaid, is but a ſpeech of a little time, but it is a taske for all a mans life. Oh thinke of it p. 77and ſay, what have I gotten by all that I have done? and what would I get when I goe to prayer? I would have a Chriſt and mercy from him. This is not in our minds. I tell thee what thou muſt ayme at, and labour for, heare, and pray for a Saviour. See a need of Chriſt in all, and ſee greater beauty in Chriſt then in all, and be lead neerer to Chriſt by all, or elſe you get nothing by all that you doe. If there were no gold in the Weſt-Indies, the King of Spaine would not care for his Ships, nor for that place. Schoole-boyes care not for the Carrier, but for Letters from a Father. So, now raiſe up your hearts higher towards heaven: All holy duties are but as Ships, and Carriers, but the golden Mines of mercy are all in the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. It was a ſweet ſpeech of a man (whether he was good or bad I know not) that a man ſhould looſe the creatures in God. So, I would have you doe, looſe your ſelves, and all ordinances, and creatures, and all that you have and doe, in the Lord Chriſt. How is that? Let all be ſwallowed up, and let nothing be ſeene but a Chriſt, and let thy heart be ſet upon nothing but a Chriſt. As it is with the Moone and Starres, when the Sunne comes, they looſe all their light, though they are there in the heavens ſtill; and as it is with rivers, they all goe into the Sea, and are all ſwallowed up of the Sea: and yet there is nothing ſeene but the Sea. So, all the ordinances, and creatures, are as ſo many rivers from that Ocean of mercy and goodneſſe in Chriſt, and they all returne thither; therefore onelyonly ſee a Fountaine of grace, goodneſſe, wiſedome, and power in Chriſt: When a man is p. 78upon the Sea, he can ſee no freſh water, it is all ſwallowed up: So, let it be with thy Soule, when thou wouldeſt finde mercy and grace. The ordinances of God are good in themſelves, yet looſe them all in Chriſt. That wiſedome in Chriſt is able to direct, and that grace and mercy in Chriſt is able to ſave, when all other helps faile, and that power of Chriſt muſt ſupport the Soule in the time of trouble. There is ſome comfort and ſweet, and ſome refreſhing in the Word, and in the Sacrament, and in the company of Gods people; but looſe all theſe in the Lord Chriſt. And ſee that mercy, and compaſſion, and that boundleſſe goodneſſe that is in the Lord Ieſus; and that mercy that will pardon all ſinnes, and forgive all ſorts of ſinners, if they be humbled before him. There is no pardon in grace, nor in means, in Word, nor in Sacraments, there is none but in Chriſt, ſee none but that, and when thou art there, hold thy heart to it; drench and drowne thy Soule there, and fling thy Soule into the Sea of that plenteous Redemption in Chriſt; and though thy prayers and all faile, yet that mercy in Chriſt will never faile. Away with theſe rivers, theſe are all freſh water comforts that will faile, but that Sea of mercy in Chriſt will hold for ever. See a Sea of miſery and confuſion in thy ſoule, and a Sea of mercy in Chriſt, and ſay, none but that Lord; Here ſit, and here fall, and for ever eſtabliſh thy ſoule, that it may goe well with thee for ever. Thus you ought to goe beyond all meanes, and he that doth thus, doth truly deſpaire of all ſaving ſuccour in them. Therefore goe home, and ſay thus, the Lord hath given mee ſome p. 79comfort, and ſome grace, and a heart enlarged to walke with God, and to performe dutie to him, but I truſt not in this comfort, nor in my enlargement, all my comfort is in Chriſt, that Sea of mercy is ſtill full, and I reſt there; go from all theſe to that, and reſt there and let that content thee for ever.

Thus you ſee how farre the Prodigall hath gone.Text. What doth he now? he comes to himſelfe and ſaith, I will ariſe and goe to my Father, and ſay to him Father I have ſinned againſt heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy ſonne, make mee as one of thy hired ſervants. Now his ſtout ſtomacke is come downe, and he comes home by weeping croſſe, and he that had formerly ſlighted the kindneſſe of a father, and ſaid, Hee would not alwayes be holden within his fathers houſe, he would have his portion, and he hath it, and is gone, and at laſt when his heart and all failes him, he comes to himſelfe & ſaid, here I may ſtarve and die too, the hogges fare better then I do, therefore home I will go to my father &c.

This is the third paſſage that I told you of in the deſcription of this worke of humiliation.

In theſe words there are theſe two things cleare.

Firſt, he ſubmits himſelfe to his father.

Secondly, he is content to be at his fathers diſpoſing; he doth not ſeeke to be his owne carver, and ſay, if I may be my fathers ſteward, and have ſome eminent place in the houſe, then I will go home, no, but he ſaith, father, I am not worthy to be a Sonne, make mee as a hired ſervant, if I can but get into my fathers houſe againe; I will die rather then go away any more: he is content to be any thing, ſo his father p. 80will but receive him into his family, though it were but to be a drudge in the kitchen, heres a heart worth gold, oh! (ſaith he) let all the weight lye upon me I care not what I be, only let mee be a ſervant. So then from the former of theſe two, the Doctrine is this.