The Souls Implantation into the Natural Olive, Part 3

The Souls Implantation into the Natural Olive · Part 3

p. 93THE SOULES INGRAFTING INTO CHRIST.

Mal. 3.1.

And the Lord whom yee ſeeke ſhall ſuddenly come into his Temple.

THE laſt day (as you remember) I finiſhed the doctrine of humiliation of ſoule, whereby the heart is prepared, and the ſoule is emptied of it ſelf, and of all carnall confidence in any outward excellencie, and ſo is contented p. 94to bee at the diſpoſe of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. But before I come to that which is to follow, give mee leave to preface for my ſelfe, that the order of the worke may bee more better and cleerely conceived, and that the weake may be holpen in their condition, and have their hearts enlarged to ſeeke unto God. Now in the way of preface let me ſhew how farre we have gone: ſecondly, let mee ſhew you how I meane to goe on in this worke, if God give leaue and liberty. For the firſt: I told you that the maine which wee aimed at, is, to take notice how the ſoule may come to have an intereſt and a title to Chriſt, and how to come to be poſſeſſed of him, and of all that great redemption which he hath wrought. Now the application of this diſcovers it ſelfe in two things: firſt, there muſt be a preparation: ſecondly, there muſt be an ingrafting of the ſoule into Chriſt before the heart can come to be partaker of that ſap, or of that ſaving grace which is in Chriſt, and which will flow from him to all that have any intereſt in him through faith.

There muſt be a preparation, before the ſinner can come to receive Chriſt. For as before converſion he wanted grace, ſo hee is not capable in the next paſſive power to receive grace. For as the Apoſtle ſaith, the carnall man is not ſubject to the law of God, p. 95nor indeed can be; for the naturall man perceives not the things of the Spirit of God, nay, 1 Cor. 2, 14.1 Cor 2:14he cannot receive them, becauſe they are fooliſhneſſe to him. So that there muſt be a preparation of the ſoule, before Chriſt will come and take poſſeſſion of it: and an emptying of the ſoule, before Chriſt will fill it.

Now this preparation made it ſelfe known,Preparation for Chriſt, ſtands in two things. (as you remember) in two particulars: 1firſt in the diſpenſation of the worke on Gods part, that is, the Lord drawes the ſinner from himſelfe and his corruption, and breakes that curſed league and combination that is between ſin & the ſoule: he rends the heart from it: for as our Saviour Chriſt ſaith, No man can come to the Son, except the Father draw him, Iohn 6.44. 2Secondly as the diſpenſation on Gods part: ſo there is ſomething for the diſpoſition which God workes upon the hearts of all that he will prepare for Chriſt: and that is known in two workes, contrition, and humiliation, which we have already handled.Two things keepe from Chriſt.

Theſe were not things of meere complement, but of neceſſity required, as wee hauehave diſputed: and it is requiſite, that the ſoule have both the workes of contrition, and of humilation. For there are two maine hinderances which keepe the ſoule off from Chriſt: as firſt, ſecurity in his owne eſtate, whereby the heart is blinded and deluded, and ſets up his ſtand, and is at reſt and quiet p. 96in his condition, and hee ſeeth no need of any better: and from hence naturall men thinke it needleſſe for Miniſters to diſquiet them; and they ſay, What would you have done by us? And they thinke it a matter of curioſitie, either to have their hearts changed, or their lives reformed.

Now therefore the Lord ſends in this worke of contrition, and pierceth the heart thorow, and lets in the horrour of his vengeance, and makes the ſoule ſee that if he will have his ſin, he muſt have his damnation too: and by this time the ſoule comes to ſee need of a change: and hee ſeeth if he continue thus, he is an undone man, and ſhall be damned for ever. Thus the Lord pluckes away the ſoule from that ſecuritie wherein naturally it is ſetled. 2The ſecond thing which keeps him off from Chriſt, is carnall confidence: for when the ſinner ſeeth his miſery by reaſon of his ſin that lodgeth in his heart, and that hath been committed by him, then he begins to ſeeke ſuccour, and to ſcramble for his owne comfort. Well, he ſeeth that ſin is dangerous, and he will mend now, and reforme all that God condemnes him in, and he thinkes ovt of his owne power to ſave his owne ſoule, and to give God content, and to make amends for all that he hath done amiſſe. This is his carnall confidence which he hath in his owne ſelfe-ſufficiency: and here many p. 97thouſands of ſoules periſh, reſting meerly in the huske and ſhell of their prayers and hearing, which in themſelves are good and commendable, but they are no Mediatours or Saviours to us. Therefore, that the Lord may plucke the ſoule from this carnall confidence, he ſends out another great worke of humiliation, and makes the ſoule ſee the weakneſſe, and emptineſſe of its duties, and that there is enough in its beſt ſervices to condemne him, and for which the Lords wrath may confound him for ever. And now the ſoule ſeeth that notwithſtanding all his prayers and hearings, yet his ſin remaines, yea remaines unpardoned, his corruptions are not ſubdued, his conſcience not quieted: and therefore deſpairing of all help in himſelfe, or in the creature, he falls down at the foot of the Lord, and is content to be at Gods diſpoſe: and when the ſoule is thus fitted, then it is prepared to goe out of it ſelfe, and to lay hold upon the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and upon the fountain of all that good that works all good in him. This humiliation works, and this is the fitting of the ſoule for Chriſt.

Thus farre we have gone: all this while the poore ſinner is like the children of Iſrael travelling in the wilderneſſe, partly in the valley of teares, and partly in the vaſt wilderneſſe; they did not immediately come p. 98into the Land of Canaan, but were wandring under the hands of Moſes, which was a type of the Law, and Ioſhua a type of Ieſus Chriſt, and Egypt the reſemblance of a mans miſery under ſin and Sathan; and their wandring in the wilderneſſe was like the humbling and breaking of the ſoule, that the Lord may doe it good. Now wee are juſt upon the coaſts of Canaan, and hard by all thoſe ſpirituall good things that Chriſt hath purchaſed for us: and when the ſoule is thus fitted and prepared, there is nothing to bee done but to goe into the good land and take poſſeſſion: I meane when the heart is thus rent from himſelfe and his corruption, then he muſt lay hold upon Chriſt, and enter into the good Land: but before we goe, we muſt hauehave the command of our ſpiritual Ioſhua to ſet us in poſſeſſion of it.

Thus you ſee the ſoule is like a graft cut off from the old ſtock by contrition, and alſo pared and fitted by humiliation, in regard of any ſelfe-ſufficiency.

Now the nex part that we are to handle, is the ingraffing of the ſoule into Chriſt: and I will doe two things in the handling of this great work of ingraffing. Firſt, I will diſcover the generall nature of this worke, leaving all the difficulties and particulars of it till afterward,See it in the 2. Doctrine. if God give liberty: ſecondly, I will ſhew you how the ſoule is ingraffed into Chriſt.

p. 991. What this ingraffing is.What ingraffing into Chriſt is. This being in Chriſt, may be thus deſcribed to you: It is a worke of the Spirit of God, whereby the humbled ſinner ſtands poſſeſſed of Chriſt, and all the good that is in Chriſt. In this deſcription you may take notice of three things, which are the ſpeciall guides to you for the vnderſtanding of that which we will treat of.

Firſt, that the humbled ſinner ſtands poſſeſſed of Chriſt: for he that is not humbled and broken hearted, hath nothing to doe with Chriſt, nor comfort comming from him. I uſe this phraſe, He ſtands poſſeſſed of Chriſt, rather then that, Hee poſſeſſeth Chriſt; becauſe the worke lies on Chriſts part. The Spirit of the Lord Ieſus takes poſſeſſion of and humbled ſinner, and makes him part of his care; and hee comes by that meanes to bee intereſſed into the care of Chriſt: Chriſt poſſeſſeth him, and by this meanes he comes to be poſſeſſed of Chriſt: ſo that all he hath, is meerely the worke of the Spirit of God upon him: as the Apoſtle ſaith Gal. 4.9, But now that you hauehave known God, or rather are known of God. It is not what wee conceive, or what wee know, but what hee knows and conceives: and in Phil. 3.14. Saint Paul ſtrove hard, If that I may apprehend that for which alſo I am apprehended of him. He doth not ſay that hee is able to apprehend p. 100God, but that God comprehends him: As it is with a little child, that is not able to goe of it ſelfe, the father takes the child in his hand and then it is able to go. The child holds the father, not becauſe it hath any power of it ſelfe, but becauſe the father holds him: ſo we hold the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, becauſe we are holden of him: for the humbled ſoule ſtands poſſeſſed of Chriſt, becauſe Chriſt maketh him his care, and his charge, and takes poſſeſſion of him, and therefore he comes to have an intereſt in Chriſt.

Secondly, as he ſtands poſſeſſed of Chriſt, ſo he is made partaker of all the ſpirituall good things that are in Chriſt: ſtill the action lies chiefly upon Chriſt, and we ſo move, as we are firſt moued by him; and we ſo worke as we are wrought upon by him: He is made partaker of all the good in Chriſt, not becauſe hee can challenge it, but becauſe the Lord will convey and communicate it to him. Theſe two things you ſhall obſerue to be general operations, and to go through all the works of application of Chriſt: as in vocation, the Lord by his Spirit doth draw the ſoule after him; there is the poſſeſſion of Chriſt, and then the ſoule follows Chriſt, and comes to him: and in juſtification, Chriſt undertakes for the ſinner, and layes downe the payment of the debt for him, and then he freeth the ſinner from the debt: thus the ſoul p. 101is neerer ſtill: and in adoption, God the Father taketh him in the roome and right of a ſon, and then he ſtands further poſſeſſed of grace; and withall the Lord eſtates him in all the priviledges of grace, in meekneſſe, and holineſſe, and he ſets his ſeale to him, and gives him his marke: and withall, he is free from the power and dominion of his corruptions. So that theſe two are generall things, and have a kind of conveyance of themſelves over all the whole worke of application of Chriſt.

3Thirdly, the laſt thing in the deſcription is this; All this is done by the worke of Gods Spirit. For the graft cannot be planted, till it be cut off and pared. It muſt have the ſame hand that cut it off, and pared it by contrition and humiliation: for the ſame hand of the ſame Spirit muſt ingraft the ſoule into Chriſt.

Now for the following diſcourſe, we hauehave choſen theſe words of the Prophet Malachy, from which we will take onelyonly ſo much as will ſerue our turne for that wee have to ſpeake.

Theſe words are nothing elſe but a Prophecy of the miniſterie of Iohn Baptiſt, and in them two things principally conſiderable:

Firſt, the worke of the miniſtery of Iohn Baptiſt, Mal. 3.1. Behold, I ſend my meſſenger p. 102to prepare my way before mee.

Secondly, The conſequent good that flowes from this, And the Lord whom ye ſeeke ſhall ſuddenly come into his Temple.

As great men have their harbingers to make ready their way before them, and to make preparation for them before they come to any place; ſo it is with the Lord of life, hee is the great Commander of the world, it is he that takes poſſeſſion of the hearts of all that belong to life and happineſſe: but before he comes to take poſſeſſion, he ſends Iohn Baptiſt to prepare the heart and when it is fitted, then he comes ſuddenly into his Temple.

Here conſider, Firſt, What the Temple is.

Secondly, What it is to come into his Temple, and how Chriſt commeth into it.

This word Temple, beſides the natural and literall ſenſe of it, wherein it aimes at the materiall Temple of Ieruſalem, which we will not meddle with,Chriſts temple is ſpirituall. is taken ſpiritually, and ſo it is to be conceived here: and then it implies the Church of Chriſt in the number of the faithfull. You ſhall ſee the phraſe of Scripture to intimate ſo much, 1 Pet. 4.17. If judgment begin at the houſe of God, what ſhall the end of the ungodly be, that obey not the Goſpell of God? There the houſe of God is oppoſed to them that obey not the truth of God, ſo that they that obey the truth, that are willing p. 103to bee at the diſpoſe of God, and reforme their lives after his will and word: they are the houſe and temple of Chriſt. As in generall, all the people of God, thus obeying the word of God: ſo in particular, eueryevery Chriſtian man and woman is the Temple of Chriſt. As the Apoſtle ſaith, You are the Temples of the living God. 2 Cor. 6 16;2 Cor 6:16As it was in the materiall Temple in Ieruſalem, the glory of the Lord filled it, and the Lord ſaid he would dwell in it for ever: ſo the heart truely prepared is the Temple of the Lord, and the Lord Chriſt takes poſſeſſion, and rules in it, and fils it with all grace. This is the meaning of the firſt word. It is plaine by force of argument: The word Temple is to bee taken in the ſame ſenſe in which the way to the temple is taken:As alſo the way to the Temple. but the way to the Temple is the fitting of the ſoule and the heart for Chriſt; for ſo all the Evangeliſts expreſſe it: Iohn ſaith, Repent yee for the kingdome of heaven is at hand, Mat. 3.2.Iſa. 40.3.Isa 40:3 Alſo Iſaiah ſaith Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths ſtraight. So that the preparation of the way to the Lord is nothing elſe but for people to repent of their ſins. Repenting and preparing are both one. But more eſpecially that place of Saint Luke, ch. 1. ver. 15.17. where ſpeaking of Iohn Baptiſt, he ſaith, He ſhall bee full of the holy Ghoſt: nay, Hee ſhall come in the ſpirit and power of Elias, to turne p. 100duplicate page p. 101duplicate page p. 102duplicate page p. 103duplicate page p. 104the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the diſobedient to the wiſedome of the juſt, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord: The way is in the heart of a man, and this preparation is the turning of their hearts to the way of the juſt men. And that other place in Luke 3.5.6 can admit of no other ſenſe, Every valley ſhall be filled, and every mountaine and hill ſhall be brought low: And all fleſh ſhall ſee the ſalvation of God. Theſe words cannot be literally underſtood, for there was no mountaines to be removed, nor no vallies to bee filled up, for Chriſt was no temporall King: but the meaning is, a removeall of all thoſe mountains and impediments that ſtood betweene Chriſt and the ſoule. Thus you ſee the Temple prepared is nothing, but the heart truely broken and humbled.

Secondly, let us ſee what it is to come into this Temple.And Chriſts comming to it. As the way and the Temple was, ſo the comming into this Temple is to be ſpiritually underſtood, and that is, when the Lord Ieſus Chriſt comes to take poſſeſſion of him: but conſider this, he comes like a King, and therefore hee hath Iohn Baptiſt to make way for him, The comming of a King diſcovers it ſelfe in two things: firſt the King taketh the Soveraigne command of the place where he is, and if there be any gueſts there, they muſt be gone, and reſigne up all the houſe to him: ſo the Lord Ieſus comes p. 105to take ſoveraigne poſſeſſion of the ſoule. Secondly, the King brings all his proviſion with him ſo the Lord Chriſt brings all proviſion for the ſoule with him.

So then the meaning is this; When Iohn Baptiſt by the power of the word hath wrovght upon the ſoule, and made it humble and low, and willing to be at the Lords diſpoſe: when the broken heart ſeeks for a Saviour, then the Lord comes ſuddenly, and like a King. You humble ſoules conſider this he will take poſſeſſion of thoſe humble broken hearts of yours, and he will bring his owne proviſion with him; he cares for nothing but a veſſell emptied, and a heart thus fitted and prepared: he will bring proviſion enough, of comfort, of vocation, of adoption, of ſanctification, and the like.

In this part of the verſe thus opened wee have two doctrines: firſt, that the Lord Ieſus Chriſt will not delay to come into the heart that is truely humbled and broken. Who is the Lord? Chriſt. What is the Temple? The heart truely humbled. And when comes he? Suddenly: this is the ground of the doctrine. The ſecond is; the Lord Ieſus takes poſſeſſion of the ſoule humbled, and provides for it as his owne: he comes like a King, as I ſaid before. This is the ground of the ſecond point, which diſcovers the nature of the implantation: the firſt diſcouers the appurtenances of it.

p. 106Doct. Chriſt delays not to come into an humbled heart.For the firſt.

The Lord Ieſus will not delay to come into the heart truely humbled: as I may ſay, he layeth all other workes aſide, as if he did looke for none but this, how he may come home to the heart truely humbled. The Lord will not come at a proud worldly minded man: No, the Lord leaves all; yea heaven and all the world, and onelyonly lookes after, and loues to live with the humble broken heart.

For proofe of the point. This is the reaſon why the Scripture doth not content it ſelfe to ſhew the marvellous delight that God hath in ſuch a ſpirit. See how plenteous the Scripture is to ſhew how ready the Lord is to call in at the heart of the humbled ſoule, and to riſe, and lie, and reſt, to eat, and drink, and ſleep with the humble heart: nay when he is come, he wil not away againe, as wee may ſee in that example of the loſt ſon, Luke 15.20. Hee ſaid, I will ariſe and goe to my father, and ſay, Father, I have ſinned againſt heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to bee called thy ſon, make me as one of thy hired ſervants. As ſoone as ever he reſolved of the worke, marke how the father behaues himſelfe towards him, though he were baſe and beggarly in his condition. He might have ſaid, Let thy Harlots and thy Queanes helpe thee: But he ſaw him a far off, and ran p. 107to meet him, and fell upon his neck, and kiſſed him. Though he were a wretched creature yet now he becauſe the father ſaw him humble, he remembers not that he had been with Harlots, all was forgotten; the father ſaw him afarre off, before the child could ſpie him; he pittied him before he could confeſſe his ſin: he was more ready to meet him than he was to come, and he kiſſed him before he could receiue any acknowledgement from him. This is the marvellous enlargement of the Lord to receive an humble broken heart And when he had kiſſed him,Luk 15.21, 22Luke 15:21Luke 15:22 the loſt child ſaid, Father, I have ſinned againſt heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to bee called thy ſon. But the father ſaid to his ſervants Bring forth the beſt robe, and put it on him, and put a ring upon his hand, and ſo forth: as if he had ſaid, It is no matter what thou haſt bin now thou art come home, and haſt humbled thy ſelfe, I am glad of it: Thus he paſſeth by all the former miſdemenours. And ſo it is in the ſame Chapter, ver, 4.5.6. If a man have an hundred ſheep, and loſe one, will he not leaue the ninety nine, and ſeek that which was loſt? And when hee hath found it, hee layeth it on his ſhoulders rejoycing. And when he comes home, he calleth together his friends, and ſaith, Rejoyce with me, for I have found my loſt ſheep.

The meaning is this: The loſt ſheep is the p. 108loſt ſinner that is wandred from the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. The ſoule, that after all the mercies and favours that God hath ſhewed to allure him, he goes away from God, and then one drops in a ditch, and another is loſt in the wilderneſſe or Forreſt: yet hee leaues all to ſeeke the loſt ſheepe, and leaveth not ſeeking till he findeth it, and if he hath found it he reioyceth. For the Lord will leave all to ſeeke a poore loſt ſinner, and the more need thou haſt, and the more loſt thou art in thy ſelfe, the more labour will the Lord take to find thee out: and though thou canſt not goe the Lord will carry thee upon his ſhoulders; and when thou art come home, hee rejoyceth exceedingly. This ſhewes the marvellous bounty of the Lord to poore ſinners: it is the ſcope of the Parable concerning the Pearle, Matth. 13.45.46. The kingdome of heaven is like unto a wiſe Merchant man, who having found one Pearle of great Price, went and ſold all that he had to buy it. The pearle is nothing elſe but that rich mercy of God in his ſon Chriſt, and Chriſt in the promiſe is the Pearle, and the Merchant-man is every Chriſtian man that wants mercy and comfort to releive him; for he ſaith, What is all the world to me if my ſoule wants mercy? Well he knowes where the Pearle is. What's the price of it? Sell all. Selling of all is nothing but this when a man is content to p. 109part with ſin and all carnal confidence in himſelfe, and he ſeeth himſelf miſerable becauſe of ſin, and utterly unable to ſuccour himſelfe, and is content to part with wit, or parts, or gifts, and all that hee hath for the Lord Ieſus Chriſt then ſuddenly he hath the Pearle. If it be ſo ſaith the Lord, that nothing will quiet thee but the Lord Chriſt, and mercy from him, then take mercy. If chapmen bid roundly, you ſhall not need to ſtand higling for it. Would you have Chriſt to comfort you, and pardon you? then lay away all your luſts and corruptions, and the world, and all the haunts of your hearts, and all the diſtempers that are in them. Do this, and the Lord will give you the Pearle, he will giuegive you Chriſt, and mercy from him.

The Reaſons why the Lord will not delay to come to the humbled ſoule, are three:

Reaſon 1. The Lord Ieſus Chriſt was ſent for this very end by God the Father, as Mat. 15.24, I am not ſent but unto the loſt ſheep of the houſe of Iſrael. And not onelyonly ſo, but Chriſt came for that end: as Luke 19.10. The Son of man is come to ſeek, and to ſave that which was loſt: the end of God the fathers ſending of him, and the maine ſcope of his comming was, to ſeek and ſaue that which was loſt, that is, that is loſt in the ſight and ſenſe of his own miſery, and loſt in regard of his owne p. 110inſufficiency to helpe himſelfe; for the loſt man is willing to be guided by another. If you ſhould find a man in the wilderneſſe, and ſay, Friend, this is not the way, would not he be contented to heare and to yeeld to it? So if thou be loſt, if thou ſeeſt thy owne miſery for ſin, and that if thou lie in this eſtate thou art a damned man, and if thou ſee thy ſelfe loſt in regard of thy owne inſufficiency to help thy ſelfe, and that thou art not able to get out of this condition and miſery, wherein thou art willing to be reformed, and to bee diſpoſed of: then know that the Sonne of man, the Lord Chriſt Ieſus, came to ſeeke and ſave ſuch loſt ſinners; and when he hath found them, he will not leave them in this loſt eſtate, but will ſave them. If this be then the end of God the Fathers ſending him, and the ſcope of Chriſts comming to ſave the loſt ſinner, then certainly above all hee will bee faithfull in that for which hee came, hee will undoubtedly ſave thoſe that are loſt.

Reaſon 2. Becauſe the humbled broken hearted ſinner is the fitteſt ſubiect to ſet out theſe praiſes of this glorious work of our redemption; he is the fitteſt for God to work upon, and for the Lord Chriſt to dwell in, and he is the fitteſt to ſet out the praiſe of that rich grace in Chriſt, as the Apoſtle ſaith, Epheſ. 1.11. Who worketh all things according p. 111to the counſell of his owne will. Why? That we ſhould bee to the praiſe of his glorious grace. Therefore now conſider it; there is no ſoule ſo fitting to ſet forth the glorious grace of Chriſt, and the great worke of our redempption; as the poore humbled ſelfe-denying heart: for the humbled ſoule waites for all grace from God, and is willing to returne all to God againe; and hee ſaith, I am not worthy of the leaſt mercy I need; and therfore he is contented that God deny him any thing. This man is the fitteſt to ſet forth the great worke of God, and to further the aime of God in ſetting forth the riches of his glorious grace: it is all grace from the beginning to the end, as Zechariah hath it, chap. 4.7. Grace laid the firſt ſtone, and grace laid the laſt ſtone, and all the people cried, ſaying, Grace, Grace, ſo the humbled ſoule ſets forth the praiſe of God, and ſaith, I deſerue nothing but hell, and whatſoever I have more than hell, it is all from the Lord and all glory is due to him: it is grace that I live, and it is grace that I perſevere; it is all grace, from election to glorification: whereas the proud heart ſpoiles all the work of God. And it is no wonder though God will not dwell with a proud heart. The proud heart, for what he hath, and for what he can doe, gives all to himſelfe: where is grace now? The humble heart is like a great ſhop, p. 112where the great frame of mans ſaluation may beſt be ſeen: (for there are many dark ſhops that deceive the buyer, and marre the wares too): for the humbled heart ſaith, The worke of the Lord is marvellous in our eyes and ought to be marvellous in our hearts. No man will dwell in a houſe, but where his credit may bee maintained, and for his conveniency: if either of theſe may be hindred by it, he will not dwell in that houſe. Its no wonder then though the Lord Ieſus come to dwell in the heart of an humbled ſoule. Chriſt would work, and the humbled ſoule is contented with it; and Chriſt would have all the glory from the humbled ſoule, and he is well contented to give all the glory to God. We uſe to ſay in the ſchooles, If any man have diſpoſed of his dwelling, and framed the building, and fitted it, he wil ſet it up except he either want wiſedome, and knows not how to doe it; or elſe power, and is not able to perfect that worke which he hath begun. Theſe cannot befall God. A wiſe efficient cauſe never framed any matter, but he brings in the frame, and ſets it up. Hee that hath fitted and framed all the materials of his building, if he will not make up the frame for himſelfe, it is either becauſe hee wants power and cannot doe it, or elſe wants wiſedome and knowes not how to doe it; but the Lord that hath fitted the heart for himſelfe, p. 113that all may be done by him, and all the glory of the worke come to him againe, he neither wants power nor wiſedome to finiſh the worke; hee hath begun, and therefore he will not deferre, but will come ſuddenly and take poſſeſſion of him.

Reaſon 3. Laſtly, the Lord will not deferre to come to dwell in an humbled heart, becauſe all hinderances are now taken away, and therefore the place is ready to receive him, and he ready to come, certainly he will come without delay. If there be any hindderances to keepe out Chriſt it muſt be either on Chriſts part, or on our parts: but in the humble heart there is nothing to hinder it, If any thing keepe us off from Chriſt, it is either becauſe we louelove our ſelues, or our corruptions. Now the humble heart hath renounced both of theſe, and the humble ſoule ſaith, My ſin ſhall not rule me, and, my ſelfe cannot ſave me, therefore let the Lord Ieſus Chriſt come and take poſſeſſion of my heart. The humble heart hath renounced ſin and himſelfe, and now he would have the Lord Ieſus Chriſt to be his King and Saviour. Now all the hinderances muſt bee on Chriſts part: and that cannot be granted for Chriſt is ſo farre from being unwilling that he deſires to come in: for he hath knockt at many a proud heart: Behold, I ſtand at the doore and knock: if any man heare my voyce, p. 114and open unto me, I will come into him and will ſup with him, and he with me, Rev. 3.20. And in other places he ſaith, Forſake thy ſins and corruptions, and receive thy owne ſalvation and be not under the rule of ſinne and thoſe baſe luſts.Cant. 5.2.Song 5:2 Open my love, my dove, my undefiled. Surely if the doore were open he would come in: nay himſelfe ſaith ſo profeſſedly, as in that place aforenamed. Oh hee hath knocked many a time at the heart of a poore wretch, and ſaid, If any man will open to me, I will come in. If any; He that promiſeth to come in if the doore were open, there is no unwillingneſſe on his part: but in the humbled ſoule there are no more lets, for he hath thrown away ſin in himſelfe, and ſaid, I love you not, I regard you not, let the Lord Ieſus come and rule in this ſame broken heart of mine.

Thus gather up all: If it be the end of God the Fathers ſending Chriſt, and the ſcope of Chriſts comming, and if the glory of his grace bee much more advanced this way, and if there be no hinderances, then immediately expect him, hee commeth ſuddenly.

Vſe. 1 Great comfort to each humbled ſoule.Vſe 1. The uſes are manifold: Firſt, it is a ground of marvellous comfort to every humbled ſoule: let not ſtubborne and rebellious wretches that ſay, Wee will not have this man rule over us; let not ſuch, I ſay, meddle p. 115with this comfort. To you I have nothing to ſay now, hereafter I ſhall ſay ſomething to you to your coſt. But all you ſoules that are willing to give way to Chriſt Ieſus, and to breake open doore for Chriſt, and all you that have any evidence of this work, I ſay all you broken hearts goe your way with comfort, Chriſt will comfort you, nay, hee will meet you at home Me thinks this is enough to comfort the heart of any in the world. Then let what can befall us, the Lord Chriſt will come ſuddenly.

But ſome will ſay, Quest. Many are my ſins that lie hard upon me, and my a…ominations come in like troups, and all the old train band of looſeneſſe and vanity they are come in againſt me, and all the ſins that I have committed, the guilt of them yet remaines, and I cannot get ſtrength againſt them, but ſtill they prevaile; for my conſcience is not quieted, but my old ſins flie in my face.

Anſw. But are your hearts thus perplexed with the ſight of ſin, and with the expectation of the miſery of them, as in truth there is much cauſe to lament? Art thou thus broken hearted, and thus perplexed? And canſt thou ſay, Were my heart rid of my ſinnes, I ſhould bee comforted? Then, I ſay, notwithſtanding all thy ſins, if the Lord ſee thee humbled, he ſeeth not thy ſinnes, hee will come and comfort thee: let all thy ſinnes p. 116come and riſe up in armes againſt thee, the Lord Chriſt will come ſuddenly, and then mercy will come to pardon, and grace will come to ſuccour thee againſt thy ſin.

Queſt. But what? will the Lord come into this wretched, vile, corrupt heart of mine? What? will Ieſus Chriſt come into this Temple? Indeed he may come to ſuch a man that is humbled, but he will never come to ſuch a wretch as I am; I have ſinned thus and thus. Anſw. See what the Text ſaith, Apoc. 3.2. Behold I ſtand at the doore and knocke, if any man will heare and open: he doth not ſay, I ſtand at the doore of a Nobleman, but at every baſe adultererer and drunken wretch. If the drunkard and the adulterer will open the Lord will come in and ſanctifie him, and take poſſeſſion of him, and rule in him, and cleanſe him from all his luſts and corruptions. Though thy luſts and abominations be many, that will not hinder him.

And as there is admirable comfort againſt ſin, ſo there is admirable comfort againſt all miſery. He knowes nothing that knowes not that all the Chriſtian world is in an uprore, and that the enemy doth worke abroad. But though you doe not ſee theſe, you may ſee the world oppoſing, and the Divell temptting, and the wicked caſting reproach upon all hands, and your hearts begin to bee daunted, and ſay, I would profeſſe Religion, p. 117but my father would be diſcontented, and ſhame, and diſgrace will come in amaine, and miſery and perſecution will come, notwithſtanding the Lord Ieſus Chriſt is comming into thoſe ſoules of …ours. For if you bee ſoundly humbled, Chriſt comes ſuddenly, and then come what can come, in all troubles Chriſt will comfort you, and in all weakneſſes Chriſt will ſtrengthen you, yea, he will let the ſpirit of glory reſt upon you here, and glorifie you with himſelfe for ever hereafter. In all wants there is comfort: though friends, and meanes, and all go, yet Chriſt comes: and the further thy friends go from thee, the nearer will Chriſt come to thee.Eccleſ. 10.19Eccl 10:19 Let your ſoules be herein refreſhed for ever. Mony, as the Proverb is, anſwers all. A man will change honour, and leave his place for money: and we uſe to ſay, Money will doe it. If you want honour money will buy it, and whatſoever the world can doe, money can doe. And hereupon it is that the rich man ſaith, I have it by me: if he wants a houſe, hee hath money that will buy it. You that are humbled goe your wayes, and eat your meat with glad hearts the Lord accept of you, the God of comfort refreſh your hearts yet more againſt theſe troubleſome times.Luke 12.32.Luke 12:32 It is the ſpeach of Chriſt to his diſciples, Feare not little flocke, it is your fathers will to give you a kingdome. If a p. 118broken and humbled ſoule goe into priſon, Chriſt wil goe to all the priſons in Chriſtendome but he will find him out, and there he will comfort him. If the humbled ſoule goe into the Indies, Chriſt will bee there with him: nay, if it were poſſible for the humbled ſoule to goe downe to hell, the Lord Chriſt would come into him: for whereſoever he is, Chriſt will be. Feare not, be not diſmaied, Chriſt is thine, you have not onelyonly a Kingdome but a Chriſt, and he anſwers to all. Chriſt is the God of all comfort, and the father of all mercy: thou haſt many wants and weakneſſes, and Chriſt is the God of all mercies; from him comes every good and perfect gift, and he will comfort thee. Whereſoever thou art, Chriſt will looke in: if thou art baniſhed, he will wander up and downe all wilderneſſes but hee will find thee, and ſave thee for ever. If we be not comforted, it is a ſhame for us, conſidering what wonderful priviledges we have in Chriſt.

Vſe 2 Vſe 2. The ſecond uſe is for examination and triall.They are of a naughty ſpirit, who endure not broken ſpirits. Doth Chriſt come ſuddenly into the heart truely humbled and prepared? Let us trie then, and take a taſte of the ſpirits of ſuch men that are not able to beare nor endure the preſence of poore broken hearted ſinners. If the ſervant will not lie for the maſters advantage, and if the child leaue p. 119his baſe courſes, and will not give a carnall father content according to his mind, marke how their ſpirits riſe againſt ſuch men, their hearts riſe with marvellous deſperate indignation againſt ſuch men, they cannot thinke of them with any quiet, they cannot brook the ſight of them: if it be a ſervant never ſo looſe and vile, hee is regarded; but the humble child is trampled upon, and they ſay to him, You had beſt goe to your holy brethren, and to the company of ſuch and ſuch preciſe ones. This is the undoubted argument of a graceleſſe ſpirit: either Chriſt erres, or elſe thou art out of the way; either Chriſt is to be blamed for his practice, or thou. Doth he come to ſuch as are humbled and art thou weary of them? Thou art a graceleſſe ſoule, and an enemy to the Lord of life, When the people of Iſrael began to ſpeake of going into the wilderneſſe to ſacrifice to the Lord their God, they did ſtinke, and were abominable in the eyes of Pharaoh and the Egyptians: indeed the Egyptians did alwayes diſlike them,Exod. 5.21.Exod 5:21 but now they were an abomination to them, This was nothing elſe but a type: Pharaoh is the Devill, and this Egyptian ſervitude is our ſpirituall bondage under ſinne. How doth thy heart ſtand towards theſe poore ſoules? Art thou carried with indignation againſt them? It is an argument of a heart void of grace, and p. 120that thou art an Egyptian to this day, therefore the Lord will requite thee in thy owne kind: and that thou art now weary of their ſociety, and art not able to live with them, and art loath to be ſeene amongſt them, and dareſt not ſhew thy ſelfe to come within the compaſſe of a broken heart, leſt thy drunkken companions revile thee for the ſame, and ſay, art turned a Puritan now? will you bee of their company? and then thou ſweareſt thou knoweſt them not. This is a ſhrewd ſigne thou ſhalt never enioy the company of thoſe poore Saints in glory.

Vſe 3 The third uſe is a ground of inſtruction: and we hence learne how to make choice of our companions.Chuſe the broken-hearted for companions. Learne of our Saviour, the broken hearted ſinners, are the beſt for ſociety in the world, and therefore reioyce thou in their company. Let us not thinke much to come to ſuch, as Chriſt comes to: let us not thinke that the baſeneſſe of their perſons, or the meanneſſe of their eſtates, will be any cauſe for us why we ſhould diſcard or diſdaine their company. Be ſure that thy ſoule bee farre from this carnall diſtemper.

Happily thy carnall friend will ſay, Thou wilt diſgrace thy perſon to keepe company with ſuch as thoſe are. Make anſwer for thy ſelfe, and againſt their face, and ſay, They are my betters: yea the Lord Ieſus Chriſt p. 121bleſſed for ever, keeps company with them, and ſhall not I doe it too? The Lord Ieſus deſires no better company, and ſhall I goe any further? If he bee a ſound broken hearted ſinner, its no matter what his condition be. As the Apoſtle Saint Iohn ſaith, That you alſo may have fellowſhip with us, 1 Iohn 1.3, Why, (may ſome ſay) what great matter is that? The Apoſtle ſaith, our fellowſhip is no ſmall matter: for it is with God the Father, and with Ieſus Chriſt. There is never a poore ſoule, though hee goe barely, and fare meanely, but if his heart bee truely humbled, his fellowſhip is with Ieſus Chriſt which is no little matter. Zech. 8.23. when the Lord had honoured the Iewes there came many citizens to them, and took hold of the skirt of a Iew, and ſaid, We will go with you: for we have heard that God is with you. So doe thou. Doſt thou ſee a broken hearted man, lay hold on his skirts, dwell in that houſe if thou canſt, and ſay, I will liue with thee for ever. God is with thee: nay, the Lord is in thee: yea, the company of an humbled ſoule is even a corner of heaven here upon earth. It is ſo in truth, and therefore let it be ſo in your judgements. What is it to be in heaven? Wee ſhall be ever with the Lord: this is to be in heaven, 1 Theſ. 4.17. Is this to be in heaven? Then whereſoever thou art, thou art with Chriſt, thou art in p. 122heaven. Whenſoever thou art in the company of a broken hearted ſinner, thou art with Chriſt, and therefore in heaven: and whenſoever thou commeſt into their company, Chriſt Ieſus will give thee the meeting. Your faſhionmungers count it a matter of credit to have Court faſhions: this is the Court faſhion, and the Court is where Chriſt our Lord and King is: Chriſt dwels in ſuch a houſe, and in ſuch a heart; and therefore as thou doſt hope to be with Chriſt for ever, rejoyce to be with ſuch perſons: this is the onelyonly way that a man muſt take to chuſe his company. Doe good to all neighbours, and all Chriſtians, and hope well of all, but reioyce eſpecially in thoſe whoſe hearts are truely broken in the ſight and preſence of the Lord.

Vſe 4 4. It is a ground of thankfulneſſe to all that are truely humbled before God.Be thankfull for this great reſpect of Chriſt to thy poore ſoule. Thus you ought to have your hearts ſtored with thankfulneſſe: nay, to ſtand and wonder at the goodneſſe and kindneſſe of God, I would have a man ſpend all his time this way. When the Lord Ieſus hath gone through many Countries; and paſſed by many rich, and honourable, and great ones of the world, and that he ſhould looke in at a poore family, and knocke at a poore mans doore, and that hee ſhould looke in at a poore wretched heart of a wife or of a child, this is marvellous mercy. p. 123If a great perſon, eſpecially a Prince or Monarch, did looke into a poore mans houſe, or come to viſit a man in priſon, what would the world ſay? Oh, the like was never heard of, the King himſelfe in his owne perſon lighted there, and ſtaid there, and went into the dungeon, and conferred with him a great while, Men would bee beſides themſelves if they had this favour from the King. In Luke 1.43. when Mary was with child of the Lord, and came to viſit Elizabeth ſhee ſaid to Mary, Whence is this to mee that the mother of my Lord ſhould come to mee? I ſee no ground nor reaſon for this, there is no worth on my part that I ſhould looke for ſuch favour. Now if ſhee were ſo raviſhed with the preſence of Mary the mother of Chriſt, what maiſt thou bee then in regard of the preſence of Chriſt himſelfe that is come to lodge in thy heart? Thou haſt cauſe to be raviſhed with admiration, and to ſay, Whence is it that not onelyonly the mother of my Saviour, but even my Saviour himſelfe, ſhould come to me? What to viſit mee that oppoſed him? and to viſit me that have preferred my baſe luſts before the bloud of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt? Whence comes this? It was that which Solomon tooke notice of in the firſt of Kings c. 8. v. 28. for when he had built the Temple, and the Lord had engaged himſelfe by promiſe to come and dwell p. 124in the ſame, he ſaid, Is it true that the Lord will come to dwell upon the earth? Behold the heaven of heavens is not able to containe him, much leſſe this Houſe that I have made. As it was in the materiall Temple, ſo much more in the ſpirituall Temple: for thy heart is his Temple. Therefore thou maiſt reaſon thus with thy ſelfe, and ſay, Is it true? will the Lord dwell upon the earth? the heaven of heavens cannot containe him; and ſhall this earththen mud wall, this earthly Tabernacle, and this ſinfull wretched heart? Oh that the Lord ſhould come to dwell in ſuch a ſoul! this is a mirrour of mercy. Doe you humble ſoules as the Centurion did when Chriſt was come into his houſe. I am not worthy (ſaith he) that thou ſhouldeſt come under my roofe; but ſpeake the word onelyonly, and my ſervant ſhall be whole. So ſay thou Lord I am not worthy that thou ſhouldeſt come under the roofe of this ſinful wretched heart, only ſend thy Angels to viſit me, and thy word to comfort me: but for to come in thy owne perſon from heaven to ſuch a poore creature as I am; the Angels muſt come from heaven to wonder at this mercy, and to magnifie the Lord for it: therfore as you hauehave received Chriſt, walke worthy of him and be thankfull to the Lord for the ſame.

Vſe. 5 The laſt uſe of this Doctrine is for exhortation. You ſee the meanes that God appointed p. 125for the conveyance of grace,They that would hauehave Chriſt dwell in them muſt be willing to be humbled. and mercy to you, nay, that Chriſt himſelfe may take poſſeſſion of you, and it is the way and meanes that will never deceiue you. Would you have Chriſt to dwell in you? then be humbled, and bee not wanting to your ſelues, and then Chriſt will never bee wanting to you: labour to get this humiliation, and Chriſt will come immediately into your ſoules. Have a heart but rightly diſpoſed, and without all queſtion Chriſt will come to comfort and refreſh thee upon all occaſions. You ſee the way to get a Saviour to come and dwell in you, then walk in that way, and give no reſt to thine eyes, or any quiet to thy heart, before thou haſt gotten this frame of heart. Take heed of all diſtempers, doe not thinke the time long, and ſay, I hauehave waited long, and many a yeere, and I have looked many a wiſhly long look and yet I cannot heare of the Lord Ieſus to viſit this poore perplexed heart of mine. If the Lord ſeeme to delay in the performance of his promiſe, ſay as David did, Ah, when wilt thou comfort me? Pſal. 119.82. Nay, lay the blame where the blame is, and conſider thy owne ſturdineſſe and vileneſſe: it is thy owne fault why Chriſt comes not: thou wilt not open, and therefore Chriſt is not come: thou doſt not prepare for him, and for this cauſe it is that thou doſt not enjoy duplicate page duplicate page p. 124duplicate page p. 125duplicate page p. 126the company of ſuch a bleſſed Saviour: at St. Peter ſaith, 2 Pet. 3.…. The Lord is no… ſlacke, as ſome men count ſlackneſſe, but the Lord takes the be… ſeaſon, and is long ſuffering towards us. When the ſeaſon is, wee ſhall have it; for it is not his ſlackneſſe. The time is not long, doe not thinke ſo, hee hath not forgotten to be gracious to a poore humbled ſoule: but l…oke into thy owne heart and way and ſee thy owne folly there Haſt thou p…epared often, and waited long, and yet thou heareſt no newes of a Chriſt, and of mercy? Ah goe to thine owne heart, and ſay, Surely I am in fault, the wound is in my ſelf: others have received a Chriſt, and he would have come into my heart too for ought know. Nay, he is as willing to come to thee as to any, but thy owne haſty heart ſhuts the doore againſt him: therefore be a baſed kindly, and the Lord will come, and not tarry. Did you ever account of the comming of …hriſts preſence to you? Was the preſence of Chriſt ever worth the having? and would you not have him to come into your hearts, that will bring grace and glory, and mercy, when he comes? as L…ke 19.9. when Chriſt was come in…o the houſe of Zacheus, he ſaid, This da… is ſalvation come to thy houſe. So that when Chriſt comes, mercy and all comfort comes. Is not Chriſt, and ſalvation by him worth the having? p. 127If ever you hope for Chriſt, whip out all buyers and ſellers out of the Temple, and then you ſhall heare newes of a Saviour to take poſſeſſion of you.

I have ſpoken of the meanes how to get an humble heart; now let me giuegive you two motiues to provoke you to it.

Motiues 1 Firſt, conſider what an vnreaſonable thing it is, that thou ſhouldeſt rather keepe out the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, than caſt out a company of baſe luſts. It will ſtick one day hard upon that mans heart, when he ſhall ſee the marvellous excellency of that redemption which Chriſt hath wrought, and the beauty of that grace which Chriſt workes in the hearts of his, and the glory and happineſſe which hee hath prepared for, and will beſtow upon his ſervants: when (I ſay) in the houre of death, or in the day of judgement, he ſhall ſee himſelfe utterly deprived of this grace in Chriſt, he will then gnaw his owne fleſh that hee hath loſt heaven and happineſſe (it may be) for one baſe luſt. The covetous man will ſay If I had caſt away the world, I might hauehave had Chriſt and mercy: and the Adulterer will ſay, If I would have caſt away my baſe luſts and corruptions, Chriſt would hauehave dwelt in my heart, and would have purged my heart: and the proud hipocrite will ſay, If I had laid away my owne vanity, and my owne pride, the Lord would hauehave taken poſſeſſion p. 128of my ſoule, and hee would have brought glory, and ſalvation, and comfort. Ah woe to me that ever I was borne, that I would not part with baſe luſts, and with wealth, but that I was content rather to part with Chriſt Ieſus, than to forgoe theſe corruptions. What an unreaſonable thing is this? he will curſe himſelfe one day for it.

2 As it is unreaſonable, ſo in the ſecond place what an vncomfortable thing will it bee: Ah think of it in time: for the time will come, at the great day of account, when we ſhall need a Saviour and crave his preſence, and be forced to deſire Chriſt to come to us, What a cut to our hearts will it then bee, that we have ſhut our hearts againſt him? When the ſins of thy youth ſhall ſeize upon thee, and thou ſhalt ſee hell gaping ready to ſwallow thee up, and deſtruction ready to take poſſeſſion of thee, and Sathan ſhall lay grievous accuſations againſt thee; and time (I ſay) ſhall then come that thou wilt ſay, Ah that Chriſt would come to ſaue and helpe me a poore forlorne wretch! Will it not then be a gall to a mans heart to thinke of it? It will make him ſay, With what heart can I looke for grace or mercy from Chriſt, before whom I hauehave preferred the world, and my baſe luſts, and the deluſions of the world? and when the Lord Ieſus p. 129Chriſt by his mercy did labour to allure me, and ſaid openly to me, My ſiſter, my love, my dove, my undefiled, I would none of him: it is that Chriſt whom my heart rejected, and whoſe bloud I trampled under my feet, and ſhall I now come to him for mercy? Nay, how juſtly may the Lord anſwer me as he did thoſe people in Ieremy? Ier. 2.27. who in the time of their trouble did ſay, to the Lord, Ariſe and helpe us: but the Lord made them anſwer, and ſaid, Where are the Gods that thou haſt made thee? let them ariſe if they can ſave thee in the time of thy trouble: for according to the number of thy Cities are thy gods, O Iacob. So will it bee with you: you muſt away one day, and goe before the Lord Ieſus: die you muſt, and to judgement you muſt come, to give an account for all. Can you anſwer one of a thouſand? can you ſtand againſt the fiercenes of his wrath: Ah, how will thoſe wounded ſoules be helped? OnelyOnly by a Chriſt. Then Chriſt and grace will bee worth ſomething. When you lie looking every houre for the laſt gaſpe, then you will cry for mercy, and Chriſt, and would give a world for him: but Chriſt will make you anſwer, and ſay, Remember the time wherein thou wouldſt not have mee to rule, or right that heart of thine: thou wouldeſt not have mee to ſanctifie thee, and wouldſt thou have me p. 130to ſave thee now? No, no: let thy baſe luſts and corrupt companions ſave and ſuccour thee, and procure conſolation to thy ſoule, wofull comforters are they all: you will then think it a terrible thing that this Chriſt Ieſus (which now you will not hauehave your Saviour to purge and ſanctifie you) ſhal then be your Iudge, 2 Theſſ. 1.8. The Lord Ieſus ſhall come in flaming fire, rendring vengeance to all that know him not. Thou that wilt not have Chriſt to take away all thy ſin, & to rule in thee, and thou that haſt thruſt Chriſt out of thy heart, and from thy houſe, thou wilt wiſh that thou mighteſt never come to judgement: but Chriſt will come to thy coſt. Thou wouldſt not hauehave Chriſt to rule in thy heart: therefore he will come in vengeance to execute upon thee all thoſe plagus threatned, and which thou haſt deſerved; and then ſtoppe him in judgement, if thou canſt. Now the way is ready, and the meanes ſet faire before your eyes: take the right courſe, and the Lord Ieſus will not deferre to come ſuddenly, doe you what you ſhould, and Chriſt will doe what you deſire.

Ob. Ah, ſaith one, it is marvellous hard to bid adieu to all luſts and corruptions, and to cut off the right hand, and to caſt away the right eye, and to part with every darling diſtemper. Ah, ſaith the covetous man, if I could have Chriſt and the world too p. 131then I could be contented to have Chriſt: and the Adulterer ſaith, If I could hauehave Chriſt, and my Queanes, and my luſts: and the Hypocrite ſaith, If I might hauehave Chriſt and my ſecret haunts of heart, then I would be willing to yeeld; but if all thoſe corruptions muſt be ſacrificed, and if Chriſt muſt take away all my corruptions from mee, and worke all in mee, this will be tedious.

Anſw. It will be bitter and tedious at firſt, but it will quit all coſt in the end, and it will never repent you then of all your teares that you hauehave ſhed, nor of all the anguiſh of heart which you hauehave had, when you ſhall hauehave mercy and bee for ever comforted thereby, and by this meanes hauehave a way made to everlaſting life. I would hauehave the heart of a poore Chriſtian doe as Shechem ſaith the heart of Hamor did when he would marry Dinah Gen. 34.22.23. Come let us be circumciſed as they are. Shall not their cattell, and their ſubſtance, and every beaſt of theirs be ours? Their heards are great and their wealth is mighty, and all this ſhall be ours. Thus he perſwades the hearts of the people to yeeld to him in it onelyonly, but through the deſire of their goods. Let mee plead ſo with the ſoule of an humble ſinner in this kind: thou muſt thinke of humiliation as the Shechemite did of circumciſion; I muſt never ſee the face of drunkenneſſe p. 132more, I muſt bid adieu to all carnall profits and pleaſures: Ah this goes to my heart, this pinches indeed, this ſtrikes to the quicke. They would bee circumciſed though it were painfull: how much more maiſt thou reaſon with thy owne heart, and ſay, It is tedious and irkeſome, but it wil be comfortable hereafter. Let us bee circumciſed and bid adieu to all our luſts, ſhall not all the ſubſtance of Chriſt Ieſus be ours? Let us forſake the world to have Chriſt, and not onelyonly mercy ſhall bee ours, but euen every grace and comfort ſhal be ours, as the Apoſtle ſaith, The God of all comfort and conſolation is ours. If thou wilt be humbled, and part with the world, and cut away every luſt, and throw away all whatſoever, then all the pleaſures of his right hand ſhall bee ours: and all the happines of heaven ſhal be ours; nay, all the fatneſſe of the earth ſhall be ours: Suppoſe I muſt part with theſe,Affatim dives eſt, qui cum Chriſto pauper eſt, Hieron. I ſhall hauehave Chriſt for my riches; and if I part with friends, I ſhall hauehave Chriſt to ſtand by me, and if I part with honour here, I ſhall have Chriſt to honour me; and if I part with joy here, I ſhall have thoſe joyes which are not conceived by the heart of man. You fathers ſpeake of it to your children, and you husbands ſpeak of it to yourwives; let every ſoule be humbled, and take all mercy. Shall not all be ours? Fathers adviſe p. 133your little ones, and friends adviſe one another.

Ob. But the poore ſoule ſaith, I confeſſe nothing ſhould bee hard, and nothing ſhould be deare, and I hope nothing ſhall bee too hard for me, ſo that I may gaine a Lord Ieſus Chriſt, if I know mine owne heart, and if I know it not, let the Lord make it knowne to mee. I ſee no ſufficiency in my ſelfe, over my ſin to ſuccour mee, and I have had a care to be burthened, and yet I ſee not a Saviour.

Anſw. I anſwer to this; Is this true? and is thy heart humbled as thou ſaiſt? then I ſay, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt is come, and hath come many a day though thou perceiveſt it not. So ſoone as thy ſoule is thus diſpoſed, the Lord Ieſus comes, and that ſuddenly too, though thou knoweſt not at what time. As when Iacob fell aſleepe upon the ſtone, and the Lord had made known himſelfe to him, he ſaid, Surely the Lord was in this place, and I was not aware of it. So I ſay, thou haſt beene truly humbled, and the Lord Chriſt is truely come, and thou knoweſt it not.

Ob. But can this be that the ſoule ſhould bee poſſeſſed of Chriſt, and not apprehend a Chriſt?

Anſw. Yes, it is not onelyonly poſſible, but it is too ordinary: and the reaſons why it p. 134is ſo, and the hinderances which keepe a ſoule from ſeeing, they are theſe foure in particular: for there be foure lets on our part.

1. Firſt, Chriſt may come into thy ſoule, and thou doſt not know him. As one man comes to another mans houſe, and happily one that he hath loved and deſired too yet his gheſſe is ſuch, and the diſtance of the time ſo long ſince he ſaw him, that he may be there and his friend never the wiſer; ſo thou maiſt complaine that the Lord Chriſt is not in thy ſoule, & yet knoweſt not when he is there: this is the ordinary miſtake in the ſoule, as it is in the ſight. Mat. 14.25, 26.27. Chriſt comes to his Diſciples walking upon the ſea, and they were all affraid, becauſe they had thought they had ſeen a Spirit, and they cried out for feare: but Chriſt ſaid, Be not afraid, it is I. Chriſt was then moſt neer to cō fort them, when they had thought it had bin a Spirit to affright them: and the fault was in their underſtanding, they could not diſcerne him. As it was in the bodily ſight, ſo it is in the ſpirituall eye: thou ſaiſt, it is many a day ſince the Lord Ieſus did open mine eyes, and burthen my ſoule, and made me weary, and made my ſinnes loathſome to my ſelfe, and I could even be content to be rid of my ſelfe, to be rid of my ſin. Whence comes it that thou art content to ſee thy ſin? and whence is it that thou art burthened p. 135with it, and that thou art content to bee rid of thy ſelfe, and ſin, and all? Is it not from Chriſt thy Saviour? whence is it that thou art content to lie under the word of God, and to be diſpoſed by it? Is it not from Chriſt? Did you never heare of a poore countryman that went to the King in his hunting, and asked him where the King was? It hath beene ſo in many deare ſaints of God; as Iohn 20.13.14, &c. after the death and reſurrection of Chriſt, Mary went to looke for him, and the Angell ſaid, Why weepeſt thou? and whom ſeekeſt thou? Oh, ſaith ſhee, Becauſe they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him. Her ſoule did yerne after Chriſt, and ſhee enquires of Chriſt, for Chriſt, and thought him to be the Gardiner. Chriſt ſaid to her, Mary why weepeſt thou? then ſhee turned her ſelfe, and ſaid, Rabboni, that is, Maſter. Mary loved Chriſt and was acquainted with a Saviour; yet now becauſe of the ſuddenneſſe of it, ſhe underſtood him not, and therefore ſhee aſked him for a Saviour. So I may ſay to thee poore humbled ſoule, Why weepeſt thou? and thou ſaiſt, Oh, I ſeeke a Saviour, if you can tell me the way whereby mercy may be derived from him to my ſoule, I beſeech you adviſe me of it; if you know the way how I may carry my ſelfe before p. 136the Lord, that I may find mercy in his ſight let me know it. The truth is Chriſt is there, it is he that makes thee looke after a Chriſt, and it is Chriſt that makes thee ſeeke unto him for mercy; thou ſeekeſt to a Chriſt for a Chriſt.

Secondly, as the ſoule of a poore ſinner knows not Chriſt though he meet him in his way, and out of the weakneſſe of his judgement, and by reaſon of his ignorance, hee knowes not his preſence: ſo in the ſecond place thou attendeſt not to the Lord Ieſus when he is come: therefore he comes meekly, and quietly, and calmely and ſpiritually, notwithſtanding thou regardeſt him not. Chriſt came into the midſt of his Diſciples when all the doores were ſhut, and they attended not to him: ſo thou knoweſt not of a Chriſt, becauſe thou attendeſt not to him and his comming. Conſider this well: the maine hinderance is this, when the heart of a poore Chriſtian is marvellouſly taken aſide with his owne weakneſſe, and diſtempers, and troubles, and his mind is all upon them, Chriſt paſſeth by and hee regardeth not: as Luke 24.5. when Mary came to ſeeke for Chriſt, the Angell ſaid to her, Why ſeeke you the living among the dead? So this hinders an humble ſoule from the knowledge of Chriſt: wee looke upon our corruptions and rebellions, and rub the ſore p. 137daily, and we thinke thus, can grace bee in ſuch a heart as this? and will the Lord dwel in ſuch a heart as this, thus vile, and thus peſtered with many baſe corruptions? Thou canſt never ſee him there. Why ſeekeſt thou a Chriſt to comfort thee, amongſt thy owne corruptions, that would hinder thee from ſeeing him, and from receiuing mercy from him? It was not for want of eyes that Hagar did not ſee the well, but becauſe ſhee did not ſearch for the Well: ſo it is with a poore ſoule.

The well of life is in Chriſt, there is the fountain of all grace and mercy; the well is hard by us, nay it is within us: but alas we ſit like Hagars, and thus wee lye and periſh in our diſcouragements.Simile. If a man prepare for ſome great perſon, happely ſome King or deare friend, and one that he hath long looked for: if he comes not, then he gets him into a cloſe walke, and there hee ſits ſighing and mourning for his abſcence; and while he ſits thus, the man is come and hath beene long in the houſe before hee thinkes of any ſuch matter; and when he comes in, he begins to aske if the King or his friend be come. Oh, ſay they, hee is come long agoe: where have you bin? we wondred what was become of you. Iuſt ſo it is here: for when we are weldred in our owne ſorrow, and thinke thus, Oh, when will it p. 138once be? The ſoule lookes long for Chriſt to comfort him, and becauſe hee receives not comfort, he goes into the dungeon of deſperate diſcouragements: and then the Lord Ieſus comes to refreſh that ſoule, though hee perceives it not.Simile. A man may ſit long in a darke cellar or dungeon before he can ſee when the Sun comes into the houſe and ſhines there: but let him come from the cellar, and then he ſhall ſee the Sun ſhine cleerely. So when the Son of righteouſneſſe ſhines into a man, and reveales himſelfe, he gets him downe into his diſtempers, and wil not looke to a Saviour; the Son of righteouſneſſe is come and ſhines, and hee perceiues it not. And as Phillip ſaid, Iohn 14.8. Shew us the Father and it ſufficeth. Then Ieſus ſaith unto him, have I beene ſo long a-time with you, and yet haſt thou not knowne me? he that hath ſeene me, hath ſeene the Father: he deſireth to ſee the Father, and yet when hee ſeeth Chriſt, he ſeeth the Father. So it is with this bleſſed frame of ſoule: for when a poore ſoule mourns under the burthen of ſin, and deſires that the word of God may prevaile with it, and take all away, then he deſireth to ſee Chriſt: this is the Spirit of Chriſt humbling, and breaking, and waking: it is the Spirit of Chriſt that makes you willing to part with ſinne. Hath Chriſt beene ſo long with you, and do you not know him?

p. 1393The third is, becauſe we judge Chriſts preſence by our owne ſenſe, and by ſome extraordinary ſweetneſſe that the ſoule imagins ſhould be with him if Chriſt were there. This is the nature of every poore creature: he ſets up a kind of imagination in his owne head, and thinkes if Chriſt were come once there would bee extraordinary ſweetneſſe and joy. Now ſetting up this imagination in his owne conceit, hee will heare no other evidence if he cannot find this, and ſo miſ-judgeth the preſence of Chriſt. This was the failing of Gideon; for the ſpirit of Chriſt, came to him, and ſaid, The Lord is with hee, thou mighty man of valour. And Gideon ſaid, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles that our Fathers told us of, ſaying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forſaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites Iudges 6.12.13. The Angell knew what he ſaid: but marke what he replies; And hee would not be perſwaded that the Lord was there, becauſe the enemy had the upper hand: he thought God was not preſent with them, becauſe the enemies were vexing them, and prevayling againſt them: but the argument was naught, for the Angell was certaine of that which he ſpake. Iuſt ſo it is for all the world with the poore p. 140broken-hearted ſinner that now is oppreſſed with many corruptions. Sometimes when the faithfull miniſters ſpeake to them and ſay, Goe in peace you broken-hearted ſinners, the Lord is with you; Oh, ſay they, if the Lord were with us, why doth all this befall us? Why are our minds ſo ignorant, and our hearts ſo vile and ſinfull? and why are our corruptions ſo violent. Can the Lord be here and ſo many weakneſſes too? The Lord hath done great matters for them, that he hath done good too, and they have rejoyced with ioy vnſpeakeable and glorious: the Saints of God hauehave been more then conquerours through him that loved them, and have ſubdued their corruptions: but yet we are under the power of our ſinfull, poyſonfull, venemous hearts ſtill. Can the Lord bee with us, and all theſe abominations not onelyonly preſſe in upon us, but even captive us? Yes, you miſtake the preſence of Chriſt, he is as well with you in the oppoſing of ſin, as in the over-comming thereof: therefore the argument is falſe. The ſame Apoſtle that was ſometimes more then a conquerour, was ſometimes led captive, as Rom. 7.23. and hee that did walke after the ſpirit of Chriſt, had the Fleſh luſting againſt the Spirit, and the Spirit againſt the Fleſh, Gal. 5.17. This is your imagination, that if once the King come to p. 141your houſe, and keepe court, no Traitour muſt come there: yes, Traitours are ever where the court is, they follow the court; for there they thinke to accompliſh their villany. And you thinke if the King come to your houſe, he muſt hug you in his arms, and preſently promote you to all honors: ſo the ſoule ſaith, If Chriſt were with me, I ſhould have abilitie to doe my duty, and I ſhould have more power againſt corruption. Though whereſoever Chriſt is, there is ſight of ſin; yet this extraordinary ſweetneſſe doth not follow: but becauſe they have not this, they thinke they have not Chriſt. It is juſt with the ſoule in this caſe, as if ſome Gentleman ſhould receive the King into his houſe,Simile. and yet he would not be perſwaded the King was come, becauſe he did not preſently ſend for him into the preſence chamber, and advance him to ſome great place of honour: he is there, though he will not preſently ſend for you. This was the fault of Thomas, Iohn 20.25. hee would hauehave tied the certainty of Chriſts reſurrection to his owne ſenſe, and if hee could not doe this, and that, he would not beleeue that Chriſt was riſen: for ſo the Text ſaith, the Diſciples all ſaw it, and did witneſſe it, but he confines all to the compaſſe of his owne ſenſe; except he could ſee in his hands the print of the nailes, and thruſt p. 142his hand into his ſide, he would not beleeue Iuſt ſo it is for all the world with the poore humbled, broken ſoule: When a man depends upon ſenſe and ſome ſtirring apprehenſion: Oh, ſaith he, if I could ſee that evidence of Gods love, and had that aſſurance, and if my heart could thus breake for my ſin, and if I had this ability with all care and cheerefulneſſe to all holy duties, then I could beleeue that Chriſt were come: this I told you before, you will not beleeue that the King is come to your houſe, except he will ſend for you preſently into his privy chamber, and make you the favorite of the Kingdome. And therefore it befalls the ſoule of a poore ſinner as it did good old Iacob, Gen. 45.26. his ſonnes told him that his ſonne Ioſeph was alive, but his heart did faint, for he could not beleeue it: but when hee ſaw the Chariots that his ſon had ſent for him, his ſpirit revived within him, and he ſaid, It is enough, Ioſeph my ſon is yet alive, &c. Thus it is with us, we have the meſſengers of God, and the teſtimony of Scripture to confirme the preſence of Chriſt; but we will not beleeue except wee be charioted with that power and ability, and that feeling; and except you have your hearts fully ſatisfied according to your owne imaginations, you will not be perſwaded that Chriſt is come into your hearts.

p. 1434The fourth alſo is on our part. Bee it ſo that either we have abilitie to know a Chriſt and that we ſee his comming in, and that we doe not miſ-judge the preſence of Chriſt and doe not account of his comming by our owne ſenſe: yea, though wee were in the chamber of preſence, and have had much experience of Chriſts preſence with us; yet there is another hinderance which keeps off the poore ſoule, and that is, when our eyes bee hindred that wee cannot ſee Chriſt though he were before us: when the ſting of conſcience remaines, and the fierceneſſe of ſome temptaion preſſeth in upon us, or ſome worldly inconvenience ſits hard upon us, and that our thoughts are wholly taken up with them, and the ſtrength of our imagination is wholly beſtowed vponupon thoſe, how to prevent them, ſo that wee cannot ſee Chriſt: when a mans mind is thus wholly imployed, and all his thoughts thus buſied, partly about the guilt of ſin, how his conſcience may be quieted; and partly about temptation, how it may be removed ſo that hee hath no leiſure to ſee Chriſt, though he knew him well if he were but in the calmneſſe of his heart: It befalls a poor ſoule in this caſe as it did the Diſciples that were going to Emmaus, Luke 24.16. for when Chriſt came and joyned ſides with them in their travels, and went with them, p. 144the Text ſaith, that their eyes were holden that they ſhould not know him. See the ground of the holding of their eyes: Chriſt preſented himſelfe in his owne proportion; therefore the fault was not in the ſubſtance that they did ſee. The fault was not in the eare, for that was not hindered in any meaſure; neither did Chriſt blind their eyes any way, for their eyes were thus farre opened, as to ſee the way, and walke cheerfully in it. What did hold their eyes then? leaving extraordinary things to God: it was this, their thoughts were ſo buſied about the death of Chriſt, and his reſurrection, that they did not know Chriſt though he were with them and therefore Chriſt asked them this queſtion;Luke 24.17. &c.Luke 24:17 What maner of communication is this that you have one to another, and are thus ſad? And the one of them ſaid to him, Art thou only a ſtranger in Ieruſalem, and haſt not knowne the things which are come to paſſe there in theſe daies? And hee ſaid unto them, What things? And they ſayd unto him, Concerning Ieſus of Nazereth, which was a Prophet, mighty in deed, and word, before God, and all the people. We truſted that it had been hee which ſhould have redeemed Iſrael: and beſide all this, to day is the third day ſince theſe things were done, and whether hee be riſen againe we know not. Wee find this by common experience, a man that hath his p. 145mind poſſeſſed with ſome ſad meditation, though his familiar friend be neere him, yet he diſcernes him not: ſo the Diſciples ſaw not a Saviour though he were in their preſence: therefore in the 32. verſe, when Chriſt had opened the Scripture, and revealed himſelfe to them, ſee what they ſaid, Did not our hearts burne within us, when hee talked with us? As if they ſhould ſay, Wee had pregnant teſtimonie enough of the divine preſence, but we had no eyes to ſee it: the burning of our hearts was argument enough that it was Chriſt that ſpake to us. So when the ſoule of a poore broken-hearted ſinner is taken up partly with the hurry of imaginations, partly with the violence of ſome temptation, and partly in regard of ſome worldly miſerie that falls upon it, it is ſo taken up with it, that it cannot ſee the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, though hee hath ſenſible experience of Chriſt, and the heart burnes in love to Chriſt. This is the reaſon why many a poore ſoule, when Sathan lets flie at him, and ſome heavy temptation preſſeth in upon him, reveale never ſo many comfortable promiſes, yet by reaſon thereof we find it by experience, that alwayes thoſe diſtreſſed ſpirits forget whatſoever is ſpoken, & all their mind and talk is upon the evill, and the violence of the temptation, and they attend not to the comfort, and to the promiſes revealed p. 146to them: their eyes are held in this manner, that though they are neere to Chriſt, and even in the privie chamber, yet they will not take notice of Chriſt, becauſe their hearts are thus held off from the apprehenſion of his preſence. In Pſalme 73.23. when the Prophet David was fallen into a deſperate perplexitie, becauſe of the proſperitie of the wicked, ſo that he began to queſtion his owne condition, at laſt hee ſaid, Nevertheleſſe, I am continually with thee: thou haſt holden mee by my right hand. He could not ſee Gods providence over him, and his preſence with him, becauſe his mind was ſo taken up with the proſperitie of the ungodly: he ſaw all their pompe, and their glory, and how their eyes ſtood out with fatneſſe, and that he was beaten every night: by reaſon hereof (I ſay) hee ſaw not God upholding of him, and going with him.

So gather up the former paſſages; partly through ignorance, becauſe wee know not Chriſt when we ſee him, and partly through careleſneſſe, becauſe wee attend not to him when he is come, and partly becauſe we miſjudge the preſence of Chriſt upon falſe grounds, and partly the eyes are hid by the hurry of ſome temptation, or ſome wordly extremity, that we cannot ſee Chriſt though he be with us: theſe be the firſt hinderances on our parts.

p. 147And as it is thus with us,And for three reaſons in Chriſt. ſo there are other hinderances which let us that we cannot apprehend a Chriſt; and they are theſe.

Firſt, in generall; as we deprive our ſelves of conſolation in Chriſt, ſo the Lord Ieſus through our juſt deſerving doth withdraw himſelfe from us: As in Eſay 18.7. I will waite upon the Lord that hideth his face from the houſe of Iacob, and I will looke for him. And in Pſalme 31.22. I ſaid in my haſt, I am cut off from before thine eyes: nevertheleſſe thou heardeſt the voyce of my ſupplication, when I cried unto thee. Both theſe places doe make it cleere, that many times though the Lord Ieſus is neere the ſoule, yet he apprehends it not.

Now the Lord Ieſus hides himſelfe upon three cauſes eſpecially.

11. When the Saints of God fall into ſome groſſe ſinne, and ſome ſcandalous offence, or elſe tamper with ſome boſome corruption, and are at truce with it, though it be but ſome infirmitie; then the Lord Ieſus juſtly hides himſelfe, and withdrawes the apprehenſion of his preſence from ſuch a ſoule. For theſe are the termes whereupon the Lord hath promiſed to reveale himſelfe, to wit, ſo farre as wee labour to walke with him. If the Saints of God fall off from him, and breake off themſelves, it is no wonder though the Lord Ieſus hide himſelfe from p. 147duplicate page p. 148them: he is with them while they are with him. No longer, no further doth Chriſt engage himſelfe to bee with us, but upon theſe termes. Iohn 14.21. Hee that hath my Commandements, & keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me, ſhall bee loved of my Father, and I will love him, and manifeſt my ſelfe to him, The Lord will manifeſt himſelfe to us: upon what grounds? If wee will love him and keepe his Commandements. But if we breake the condition on our parts, and falſifie that wee have promiſed to doe, no wonder though the Lord withdraw himſelfe from us. You ſee it is the tenour upon which he promiſeth his preſence. Now if the Saints of God fall ſcandalouſly, and be overtaken with ſome groſſe ſin, this builds up the partition wall, that Chriſt cannot be diſcerned: as it was with David, Pſal. 51.10. where hee ſaith, Create in mee a cleane heart, O God, and renew a right ſpirit within me: hee was even to begin the world new againe. And it is Gods wiſe dealing with his owne ſervants: for God will not brooke ſinne in his owne ſervants: and they muſt know, if they will have him to dwell in them, they muſt not give way to any baſe ſinne, if they doe, hee will withdraw himſelfe from them: not that God forſakes finally whom hee loved once, but hee will take away the ſenſe and apprehenſion p. 149of his preſence; that though he is there, yet the ſoule ſhall not ſee it. And alſo when they give way to ſome ſecret diſtemper, and are at truce with ſome infirmitie, and they will be parlying with it, and meddle too much with it, it is juſt with the Lord, and ordinary, to withdraw the preſence of his grace from ſuch a mans ſoule. If a Chriſtian be overtaken ſomewhat more than ordinary, with a peeviſh ſpirit, or if he be ſomething too eager for the world, ſo that hee grow cold in holy duties, and is in danger to lie and diſſemble for his gaine, it is juſt with God, that this man ſhould ſcramble for his comfort, and welter up and downe without any evidence of Gods love, And alſo though a Chriſtian commit not ſinne outwardly, yet if hee give leave to any ſinne, and beat truce with it, though they ſeeme to hate it, and yet let their meditations runne upon it, and parley with ſome ſecret imagination, &c. it is juſt with God to hide himſelfe from them. And others there are that live with men, and ſee their evils, and yet will not reprove them. I have knowne many of thoſe to have gone out all their dayes without any comfort. And it is no marvell though they cannot ſee Chriſt, becauſe they themſelves build up the partition-wall betweene Chriſt and them: the Lord Ieſus Chriſt is not able to p. 150brooke it, that hee is thus ſleighted and neglected, and that any ſinfull baſe diſtemper ſhould bee attended to, to keepe company with it rather than with Chriſt: Chriſt Ieſus diſtaſtes it infinitely, and therefore withdrawes the apprehenſion of his preſence from ſuch a perſon.

The ſecond cauſe why the Lord hides himſelfe, is, when the faithfull ſervants of God begin to grow careleſſe and luskiſh to holy duties; and becauſe God hath made knowne his good will to them, therefore they begin to grow careleſſe and ſecure. When the Lord ſeeth this, that they doe abuſe his favour, ſo that now they begin to grow ſecure and heartleſſe, and to ſlag, and to grow ſluggiſh, it is juſt with the Lord to e…ſtrange himſelfe from that ſoule, and it is juſt that that ſoule ſhould find himſelfe loſt, that hee may quicken up himſelfe. When Chriſtians grow cold in prayer, and careleſſe in holy duties, the Lord taketh away the light of his favour, and hee leaves thoſe ſluggiſh hearts to themſelves: nay, God is forced even againſt his will and mind, even for the good of thoſe Chriſtians, to take away the comfort of his preſence: ſo that now they begin to thinke they never had grace. If the Lord did not thus, they would never mend their pace, nor quicken up themſelves to any holy duties. And this is the p. 151reaſon why many lie downe in ſorrow, and thinke they never had any grace at all: the Lord ſeeth it, and perceives it, that unleſſe he ſhould bring them to this extreme hazzard, they would never be drawne out from that deſperate ſecuritie: but by this meanes in the end God makes them find their hearts and tongues againe, and makes them conſider from whence they are fallen. Oh, ſaith the Lord, mercy is as good when you have it, as when you want it; the time was, when you filled heaven and earth with your prayers, and you could pray earneſtly, and you could give the Lord no reſt; you prized opportunities, and now you have many opportunities and ſlight them. It is juſt with God, when we begin to be thus tongue-tied, and to be ſecure, and to thinke all is wel (now the Lord hath humbled our ſoules, and pardoned our ſinnes, and ſhewed us his favour) for a time to leave thoſe ſoules of yours, though he ſave you in the end: to ſend you a hell upon earth, that ſo you may ſtrive to receive that mercy and comfort which formerly you had, and now have ſleighted. Thus hee dealt with the Church in Cant. 5.2, 3. when Chriſt knocked at the doore, and ſaid, Open to mee, my ſiſter my love, my dove, my undefiled; for my head is filled with dew, and my lockes with the drops of the night: ſhe made anſwer in this manner, I have put off p. 152my coat, how ſhall I put it on? I have waſhed my feet, how ſhall I defile them? Now when Chriſt withdrew himſelfe, then ſhee found her feet againe, and followed Chriſt with much labour from place to place, and could not be content till ſhe had found him. And ſo it was with the holy Prophet,Pſal. 30.6.Ps 30:6 I ſaid in my proſperitie, I ſhal never be removed: but when he ſaw God going away from him, ſee how he beſtirres himſelfe:2 Sam. 22.7.2 Sam 22:7 Oh, ſaith hee, I cried to thee, O Lord, in the time of my trouble. Then he could pray, and heare againe, and recount Gods former goodneſſe, and performe his former duties.Simile. I have ſeene the father deale ſo with the child; when the father is going on in his journey, if the child will not go on, but ſtands gaping upon vanitie, and when the father calls, he comes not, the onelyonly way is this, the father ſteps aſide behind a buſh, and then the child runnes and cries, and if he gets his father againe, hee forſakes all his trifles, and walkes on faſter, and more cheerefully with his father than ever. So when the Lord Ieſus Chriſt ſometimes makes knowne himſelfe to us, and would carry us on in a Chriſtian courſe cheerefully, we are playing with trifles, and grow careleſſe, and cold, and worldly, and remiſſe in prayer, and dead-hearted; the onelyonly way to quicken us up, is, to hide himſelfe, and to make us give our ſelves for loſt; p. 153and then they that could ſcarcely pray once a weeke, now will pray three or foure times aday.

Thirdly and laſtly, the Lord doth hide himſelfe in his infinite wiſedome and fatherly care by way of prevention, that his ſervants and children might not fall into ſome evill. Hee will not beſtow the ſenſe and ſweetneſſe of his favour upon them, leſt they ſhould bee proud thereof, and pranke up themſelves in regard of their priviledges, and bee carried with contempt of the weakneſſe of their fellow brethren: nay, if they had that which they deſired, there were no living with them: therefore the Lord in his care and goodneſſe is faine to hold them to hard-meat, and to keepe them to a ſpare diet. Hee ſeeth it ſutes beſt with the hearts of wayward ſinners; onelyonly hee lets in ſome incklings of his favour and grace, and upholds the heart with ſo much mercy as may beare it up, and yet but with ſo much. Thus the Lord deales with us as a wiſe father doth with his child,Simile. hee ſeeth if he had his portion in his hands, he would be riotous and careleſſe, and therefore it is wiſedome not to truſt him with his eſtate, but to keepe him low, and to keepe him upon dependance, that hee may have better ſubjection from his hands. So it is with the Lord, he ſeeth that wee have unruly hearts, p. 154and that if wee had that evidence of Gods mercy made knowne to us that wee would have, we would be ſo proud, and ſo haughty, and ſo full of contempt, and ſo cenſorious, that there were no living with us: therfore the Lord keepes us ſhort, and holds ſuch ſoules low, and keepes us only in ſome hope, to hold up our ſoules: and the more dependance the ſoule hath, the more obſervance hath the Lord from us. Experience proveth it true, I have many things to write unto you; but you are not able to beare them now; you are not capable of them yet. As it is with a little barke,Simile. if it ſhould have a great maine maſt, and broad ſaile cloathes, then in ſtead of carrying it, it would bee overthrowne by them: therefore men proportion their maſt according to their ſhippe or barke; and if it have skilfull Mariners, they ſtrike ſaile when they come into the ſhallow or narrow Seas. This is the reaſon why the Lord deales ſo with us: the ſoule is like the ſhip, and the ſenſe of Gods love and mercy is like the ſaile that carries us on in a Chriſtian courſe: and if we get but a little ſaile of mercy and favour, we goe on ſweetly and comfortably; but if God give us aboundance of aſſurance, our curſed rotten hearts, would overturne, and in ſtead of quickning of us, it would ouerthrow us: ſo that though God doth it the fault is in our p. 155ſelues. That I take to bee the ground, why many a poore Saint of God hath ſmoaked out his dayes in doubting and making queſtion of Gods mercy and goodnes and at the houre of death God hath given them a full aſſurance of mercy,Note. and ſo carried them full ſaile to heaven: they were not able to beare this before. As a faithfull Miniſter of God once ſaid to a poore woman that had beene long time queſtioning her ſelfe, and doubting of her ſalvation, when at laſt the Lord made it good unto her ſoule that Chriſt was her owne, then the Miniſter ſayd to her, The Lord will not alwayes giuegive his children a cordiall, but he hath it ready for them when they are fainting. The comfort of Gods ſpirit is better then wine, Cant 1.2. Now when a man hath a proud, haughty, ſelfe-conceited heart, if he had much of this cordiall, hee would forget himſelfe, and trample upon every one; and therefore the Lord reſerues this great mercy to the laſt: this deprives a Chriſtian of abundance of ſweetneſſe, that otherwiſe God would beſtow upon him. Let every man therefore goe to his owne heart, and examine it; if while God is pleaſed to keepe us under hatches, and to knock off our wheeles, and leaue us in the duſt, if yet in the meaneſt degree we can ſnarle with Gods providence, and ſay, Why do I pray, p. 156and God anſwers not? others crie, and God heareth them, and why doth hee not heare me? If when we are under wee doe thus, then what would we doe if we might hauehave what we would? we would ſay as the people in Ieremies time, Wee will come no more at thee, we are Lords, Ieremy 2.31. Therefore that the Lord may prevent this proud ſpirit of ours, and that we may walke in humility before him, it is juſt with God to withdraw his Spirit from us; if you hauehave not comfort, thanke your ſelues for it.

So then, gather up all, and the ſumme is this; If wee have not the apprehenſion of Chriſts preſence with us, though hee is there, then either it is becauſe of our owne ignorance or careleſneſſe wee know him not, or attend not when hee comes; or elſe we miſ-judge the preſence of Chriſt; and onelyonly eſteeme of his favour and preſence according to the extraordinary ſweetneſſe that we would hauehave, and that wee imagine ſhould accompany the preſence of Chriſt; or elſe becauſe our eyes are held with the hurry of ſome temptation, and ſome worldly inconvenience, that wee cannot ſee the Lord Chriſt though hee bee within us; or elſe the Lord juſtly hideth himſelfe from us, becauſe we are fallen into ſome groſſe ſinne, or elſe parly with ſome p. 157private infirmities, and doe not labour to humble our ſelues mightily for them, and ſtrive againſt them; or elſe we doe abuſe the favour of God; or elſe wee have proud hearts, that wee are not able to bea…e that comfort that we would have: therefore (I ſay) the Lord hides himſelfe from us to prevent evill in us. This I take to be the anſwer to the queſtion in hand.

Come into his Temple. Here is a word that giues us foot-hold for the ſecond Doctrine: into his Temple. This is a word of propriety; as in that place when Chriſt came into the Temple, and ſaw thoſe that bought and ſold in it, He made a ſcourge of ſmall cords, and drave them all out of the Temple, and the ſheepe, and the oxen, and caſt out the changers of money, and overthrew the Tables, Iohn 2.15. and he claimed the houſe for his owne, ſaying, My houſe ſhall be called a houſe of prayer, Mat. 21, 13. This word (I ſay) is a word of propriety. Hee comes not like a ſtranger, or like a forreiner, but like a King to his Palace, to take poſſeſſion of it. So the Doctrine is this:

Doct. 2 Doct. 2.Chriſt takes poſſeſſion of every humbled ſoule. When the Lord Ieſus comes to a ſoule truely humbled, hee taketh poſſeſsion of it as his owne; he comes into his Temple. This is the ſcope of the compariſon: he comes as a King to his Throne where hee ſits, and to the Kingdome where hee rules. I p. 158told you before that the ingraffing of the ſoule into Chriſt, is nothing elſe, but when the Lord by his Spirit comes to take poſſeſſion of the humbled ſoule: ſo that the ſoule ſtands poſſeſſed of Chriſt, and is made partaker of all thoſe ſpirituall good things that are in Chriſt. This is generall to all the workes of application of Chriſt, and the footſteps are to be ſeene in all the workes of of vocation, juſtification, adoption, ſanctification, and the like: the Lord Ieſus gets ground in the heart by all theſe. As, in vocation, the Lord drawes the ſoule to himſelfe, and the ſoule followes him; in juſtification the Lord undertakes for the ſinner, and unites the ſoule to himſelfe, and makes it one with himſelfe; in adoption the Lord makes him a ſonne, and in ſanctification he ſets a ſtampe upon him: but in all ſee and conſider there is poſſeſſion, ſo that this worke of poſſeſſing the ſoule is generall to all, and ſo is fit for this place. See how fitly it ſuits to the worke of preparation: the ſinner reſignes himſelfe into the hands of the Lord, and he falls downe before his footſtoole, and lets the Lord doe what hee will with him; and when the ſoule is come to this, the Lord Chriſt comes immediately and takes poſſeſſion of him, and doth ingage himſelfe to provide for him. This is the ſcope of that place, Ezek. 16.8. the p. 159Lord Chriſt ſaw the Church in her blood, and tooke charge of her, and ſaith, Thou becameſt mine: and then follow all the workes of juſtification, as in the 9.10.11. Verſes: where the Lord entred into a covenant with the Church, and tooke a charge of her: as if hee ſhould hauehave ſaid, Art thou content to be at my diſpoſe? then I will take thee to my ſelfe, and diſpoſe of thee as may be for my owne glory. Rom. 11.28. ſpeaking of the Gentiles that were ingraffed into Chriſt and the Iewes that were cut off, that hee might cruſh the proud hearts of the Gentiles, that they might not bee high minded, there he ſaith, Thou beareſt not the roote, but the root beareth thee: the roote is the Lord Ieſus Chriſt. For ſo it followes Verſe 17. If ſome of the branches be broken off, and thou being a wild Olive tree art graffed in amongſt them. Every man naturally is a branch of the wild Olive tree, and the roote that he muſt be planted into, is the Lord Ieſus, and this plant muſt grow no more upon the old roote: therefore the Lord Ieſus muſt in mercy take that ſoule, and by the power of his might beare up the ſoule; and as the roote feedeth the branches, and giveth fatneſſe and ſtrength to them, ſo whenſoever the ſoule is truely ſevered from ſinne, the Lord Chriſt takes it to himſelfe, and beares it up, and provides for it as his owne.

p. 160Queſt. But ſome will ſay, Wherein doth this poſſeſſion ſtand?

Anſ. This ſupreame poſſeſſion of the ſoul doth diſcover it ſelfe in two particulars, and thoſe will giuegive the reaſon of it. Firſt, the Lord Ieſus undertakes for the ſoule truely humbled: ſecondly, hee diſpoſeth of the ſoule ſo farre as may make for his owne glory.

Reaſon 1 Firſt, the Lord takes upon him to ſhield the heart from evill, whereunto it was ſubject, and from which it could not be freed by any ſtrength of its owne; what it could do not for it ſelf, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt takes in hand to doe for it. I told you formerly, that when God opened the ſinners eyes, and hee hath ſeene his ſinne truly and throughly, and is pierced with horror in the apprehenſion of his ſinne, and he finds it to be the greateſt vexation that can befall him; the ſinner is weary of his corruptions, and deſires to be freed from them: but hee hath no power of himſelfe, as from himſelf and therefore the ſoule in this horrour of heart dares not meddle with ſinne, yet hee cannot free himſelfe from the power of it. Hereupon hee ſues out a ſequeſtration, and ſtands waiting if any man will take poſſeſſion of him; It will not ſubmit to ſin, and yet cannot ſave it ſelfe. Now the ſoule being in this caſe, the Lord Ieſus ſteps in as p. 161the Umpire, and ſaith I will take all, and pay all, and ſtand betweene all the hazzard that can befall the ſoule in this caſe: as if a houſe be ſequeſtred, the man ſtands to ſee if any will take poſſeſſion of it, and be the Protector of it: ſo Chriſt takes it upon him, and reſolves to ſtand betweene the ſoule, and all the miſery that can befall the ſoule.Simile. And as it is in other countries (and as it hath beene the ſtate of the Low-Countries) if they be oppreſſed with ſome potent enemy that is too great and mighty for them, they ſeeke to ſome forraine Prince, and yeeld to him, that hee may lay what tribute he will upon them, provided that he will take the protection of them: When they had rebelled from under the King of Spaine, Queene Elizabeth tooke the protection of them: So it is in the heart that is thus oppreſſed and beſieged with the ſinne that lyeth heavy upon it, and with many plagues that are ſet ſo cloſe againſt him: What doth the heart doe in this caſe? it falls at the feete of Ieſus Chriſt, and is content that he ſhall doe what he will with it; only he beſeecheth the Lord Chriſt, that he would become Lord Protector of his poore broken battered ſoule. Now the Lord Chriſt becomes Protector of him, and takes a charge of him, and will free and deliver him from p. 162that evill which it is oppreſſed withall, and from which it cannot ſave it ſelfe. In Num. 25.11.12.13. when any perſon had ſlaine a man unawares, he might flye to the City of Refuge, that he might be free from the hand of the Avenger: the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, is this City of Refuge, and the manſlayer is every poore ſinner, that is beſet with his ſin, and burthened with miſery by reaſon of it; hee ſubmits to the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and the mercy of Chriſt gives entertainement to him, and reſcueth him from the evill which he feared. There are three dangers upon which the broken heart lies, and from which the Lord Ieſus Chriſt vndertaketh to free him.Againſt 3. dangers Chriſt undertaks for us.

1Firſt, the juſtice of God the Father is provoked, and the poore ſinner ſeeth his divine juſtice incenſed, and that he is not able to beare it: and 2ſecondly, Sathan lays heavie things againſt him, and layes claime to him: and 3thirdly ſinne is powerfull and tyranous, and would ſtill domineere over him. Now the ſoule groanes under all theſe, and ſaith, Oh, who will deliver me? Then the Lord Ieſus comes into reſcue him: and when the heart is content to bee freed from ſinne, Chriſt makes anſwer ſaying, Be thou comforted thou poore broken hearted ſinner, I will undertake for thee, and I will ſatisfie Gods divine juſtice, p. 163that it ſhall not execute wrath upon thee, and I will anſwer Sathans accuſations againſt thee, and I will ſubdue all thy ſinnes that they ſhall not prevaile againſt thee to thy deſtruction, but thou ſhalt bee delivered. Firſt, for divine juſtice: the ſoule ſeeth a holy God, that will not put up the wrong that hath beene done againſt him, but will have his glory here in his humiliation, or elſe in his confuſion hereafter. Now when divine juſtice makes out againſt a poore ſinner, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt comes in and puts in baile for him:Simile. As it is with a man that is arreſted, by the Sergeant, he may hauehave this liberty, to put in a baile; ſo when the wrath of the Almighty drinkes up a mans ſpirits, and dragges downe his ſoule to hell in his owne apprehenſion, then the Lord promiſeth the poore ſoule to ſee all ſatisfied. Comfort your ſelves you broken hearts, the Lord Chriſts baile will be taken for more debts then you owe: nay, the Father deſires no better ſurety; as hee himſelfe ſaith, Mat. 3.13. This is my beloved Sonne, in whom I am well pleaſed: hee doth not ſay with whom I am well pleaſed, but in whom, that is, in him, and all that come to God the father in his name. Thus the Lord Ieſus Chriſt doth, and ſo a ſinner is freed from that wrath of the Almighty. Secondly, the power of Satan is cruſhed, ſo that he ſhall never more p. 164bee able to bee Lord and Ruler over the ſoule truely humbled: but whereſoever the Lord Ieſus Chriſt comes, Satan gives way to the ſupreame authority of the Lord Chriſt; and the Lord Ieſus makes all to vaniſh, and no more to appeare or have any thing to doe in the heart: as hee himſelfe ſaith in Rev. 1.18. I have the keys of Hel and of death. You know that he that hath the keyes doth all, he opens and ſhuts, he lets in and puts out whom he will: ſo the Lord Chriſt hath the ſupreame command over hell and death, and he can unlocke hell gates and bring out from the gates of death any poore ſinner that is wronged by Satan: and therefore when the Lord Ieſus Chriſt aroſe he led captivity captive, as a valiant triumphant Conquerour leades a company of poore captives. Now then Chriſt having conquered hell and death, whereſoever he comes, Sathan gives way, and dares not meddle there any more: Therefore Chriſt ſaith in Luke 10.11. I ſaw Sathan fall downe from heaven like lightning, that is, when the Scepter of Chriſt was ſet up in the Goſpel, then the Devill that cruell tyrant fel down on a ſudden, and was faine to give way, and not to lay claime to the heart. Thus ſinne is ſhaken off, and comes to bee caſheered from that ſoule for whom Chriſt hath undertaken. Sin as it were challengeth preſcription p. 165to the ſoule; but Chriſt having taken poſſeſſion, he ſatisfieth all quarrels and beares all the charges of whatſoever ſinne makes againſt the ſoule; and when ſin ſaith I have had a poſſeſſion of his ſoule from his very birth to this day, and why ſhould I goe out now? then the Lord Ieſus ſaith, the iſſue is out: and thus ſin challengeth a right to the heart, but Chriſt ſaith it is forgiven. And therefore though ſin be never ſo violent, yet the Lord Ieſus ſaith, that ſoule is mine, and was created by mee for my owne glory; and howſoever ſinne hath crept in, yet now depart, I am come to take poſſeſſion of it, Rom. 8.3. there the Apoſtle ſaith, What the Law could not doe, in that it was weake through the fleſh, God ſending his owne Sonne in the likeneſſe of ſinfull fleſh, and for ſinne condemned ſinne in the fleſh: The phraſe that fits our purpoſe, is this, the Lord Chriſt condemned ſinne. The judgement of M^r Calvin is this, To condemne ſinne in the fleſh is nothing elſe but thus; as it is with a man that is in law, when the cauſe goes againſt a man, and hee is caſt in that he laid claime to, we uſe to ſay hee is condemned. Sinne layeth a kind of claime to the ſoule of a poore ſinner, and claimeth a kind of right, upon theſe grounds: Every ſonne of Adam is a child of diſobedience, and ſo the child of wrath: But that man is p. 166a child of Adam, and therefore the child of diſobedience, and conſequently death and damnation is due to that man, and hereupon hee is mine. Now Chriſt anſwers all theſe pleas of ſinne, and makes ſin fall off from the cauſe, and ſaith, It is true that thoſe that are charged with the ſinne of Adam, and are under the power of that corruption which they receive from Adam, they are the children of diſobedience, and ſo no wonder though they are ſubject to wrath. He grants all this, but yet ſaith hee, They for whom the ſinne of Adam hath bin ſatisfied, and from whom the guilt of it removed, and they for whom Chriſt hath conquered ſinne, they ought not to be condemned, for they are delivered from this wrath: but ſuch is this humble ſoule for whom I have undertaken. Is the ſinne of Adam imputed? I have ſatisfied for it: doth the ſinne of Adam prevaile againſt him? by my death I have overcome ſinne and hell, and hee ſhall hauehave the benefit of my victorie. Now ſinne falls off from the claime and loſeth the day. If the firſt Adam hath ſinned againſt God, the ſecond Adam hath ſuffered: if the firſt Adam hath polluted the ſonnes of men, the Lord Ieſus by the power of quickning, hath ſubdued the power of corruption, ſo that neither the guilt of ſinne can be imputed, nor the power of ſinne prevaile p. 167againſt the poore ſinner for whom Chriſt undertaketh.

So then it is plaine that the Lord Ieſus undertakes for the ſoule, and provides for it, as in all the three particulars: this is the firſt particular of the poſſeſſion.

Reaſ. 2 Secondly, Chriſt doth diſpoſe of the ſoule for his beſt advantage. This is one ſpecialty, that a man will diſpoſe all his occaſions for his owne convenience, for his owne behoofe, ſo farre as may be for his owne benenefit and comfort. So when the Lord Ieſus Chriſt comes to take poſſeſſion, he will have the rule and command of the heart: But when Satan that ſtrong man armed keepes the houſe, and ſinne rules in the ſoule (in a mans naturall condition) and that the ſoule is at their managing, and at their framing and teaching, it either lyes barren and fallow, or elſe brings forth nothing but thornes and thiſtles; as in Ier. 4.3. Breake up the fallow grounds of your hearts, and ſow not among thornes: for the ſoule naturally being ruled by ſinne, is overſpread with thornes, and is altogether corrupt and deteſtable, and Satan and ſinne rule in the heart and affections: ſo that now the whole frame of the ſoule bringeth out fruits of darkneſſe to Satan. And hence it is that the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom. 6.20. When yee were the ſervants of ſin, yee were free from righteouſneſſe; that is, p. 168when yee were under the power of ſinne, yee did not worke for God, yee did all to ſatisfie your owne luſts: the drunkard is free from the power of ſobriety, and the thiefe is free from the power of juſtice, and ſo the graces of Gods Spirit rule not in a man. But now when the Lord hath (by the power of his grace) bound the ſtrong man, and caſt him out by contrition and humiliation, then hee takes the ſoule, and it is in the hands of the Lord Ieſus Chriſt, and hee diſpoſeth of it, ſo as may bee for the comfort of the ſoule, and for the furtherance of the glory of his rich grace. In Matth. 20.15. when the ſervants began to quarrell, becauſe they had but every man a penny, the Maſter ſaid, Is it not lawfull for me to do what I will with mine owne? ſo when the Lord hath caſt out corruption, and ſaith, This heart, and this hand, and this tongue is mine, is it not lawfull for mee to doe what I will with them? This tongue ſhall praiſe my name, and ſhall never ſpeake vainly and fooliſhly, and this heart ſhall love me, and this hand ſhall worke for mee, I will diſpoſe of all for the advantage of my great name.

Three wayes Chriſt diſpoſeth the heart to himſelfe.This the Lord makes knowne in three particulars; for wee keepe our ſelves to the generall, that wee may not incroach upon thoſe particular workes which are to follow: I ſay, there are three particular acts upon the ſoule.

p. 169Firſt, the Lord Ieſus fits the ſoule for his ſeruice, which otherwiſe is altogether unfit for any ſpirituall ſervice; the Lord Ieſus puts thoſe ſpirituall abilities into the ſoule, which may make it fit for Gods turne, ſo that it is now a fit patterne to expreſſe the riches of his grace in Chriſt Ieſus: As it is with a man that hath paſſed over ſome part of his poſſeſſion into the hands of ſome prodigall ſonne,Simile. or ſome naughty tenant, and the land is out of heart; when he taketh poſſeſſion of it againe, he will be ſure to order it that it may be fit for uſe; he will digge and dung and manure it, that ſo hee may expect ſome fruit from it: juſt ſo it is with every ſinner, he lies lay, and that wretched heart of his never deſired any good, and his looſe tongue never ſpake any good, it lay fallow, and it brought forth nothing but baſe practices, but when ſinne and Sathan hath driven the ſoule out of heart, that it hath no power to doe any good, then the Lord Chriſt comes and takes poſſeſſion of the heart, hee taketh it in from the common of the world, and he manureth it with the grace of his ſpirit, as it is in that phraſe, Rom. 11.16, Thou art partaker of the roote and fatneſſe of the Olive tree. Though it were a barren minde, and a ſinfull and corrupt heart, and a wanton eye the Lord hath taken theſe parts of the body p. 170and ſoule, and mannured them, and convaieth ſuch fatnes and grace, that the ſoule becomes fit to doe him honour, and to receiue comfort from him.

2Secondly, as the Lord fits the ſoule for his ſervice, ſo he maintains that fitneſſe and that gracious diſpoſition of ſoule and ſpirit whereſoever he hath beſtowed it; ſo that the ſoule, if it be not negligent of its owne ſalvation, cannot loſe that fitneſſe altogether, and the Lord Ieſus cannot loſe that glory which hee expects from it: as in Pſal. 16.5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup, thou maintaineſt my lot. The Lord Ieſus allowes a portion of grace to every ſoule that hee comes in, and he maintaines that grace.

3Laſtly, he doth improue that fitneſſe for the praiſe of his great name; the Lord Chriſt ever receives ſome in-come of ſervice and obedience, and that ſoule ever receives ſome comfort and conſolation from him. This is the difference betweene the firſt and ſecond Adam: the firſt Adam had grace, but hee neither kept it nor improved it aright, he did not improve that wiſedome which God had given him to repell the temptations of Satan and he did not improue his ſtrength and ability to keepe him from falling from God but when the Lord Ieſus comes to take p. 171poſſeſſion of a poore ſoule, he will not onelyonly keepe and maintaine the grace that hee hath given him, but he will quicken it, and provoke that ſoule to doe what hee ſhould doe in all obedience, and to receive what comfort the Lord hath in ſtore for him. See this in ſome paſſages of Scripture: Ioh. 15. 1, 2. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me, that beareth not fruit, he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Every poor Chriſtian, every poor woman, and every poore Apprentice and little childe, whom God hath called, ſhall beare fruit, hee purgeth them, and ſo the Lord receives ſome improvement of his graces, that he gives to thoſe that he takes poſſeſſion of.

So then, let us gather up all; If the Lord Ieſus undertakes for the ſoule, ſo that juſtice cannot proceed againſt him; and if he doth diſpoſe of the ſoule, and fit it for his ſervice, and maintain that fitneſſe, and improue it for his glory; then certainely hee doth take ſupreme poſſeſſion of the ſoule: and he that undertakes for the ſoule takes poſſeſſion of the heart.

Vſe 1 Vſe 1.Reproofe of them that keepe Chriſt out of poſſeſſion. I cannot tell whether wee hauehave matter of lamentation or reproofe. How few have given entertainment to the Lord Ieſus Chriſt! have we not cauſe to lament our p. 172condition, that the Lord Ieſus hath paſſed by all our coaſts, and is not regarded? How often hath hee come to thy bed-ſide, and beſought thee to receive favour, and to be reconciled to God, and receive pardon from him? how often hath he entreated thee to conſider of that which was for thy peace? how often hath he ſaid, Come to mee you rebellious children? and, Ah, every one that will, come, and take of the water of life freely, and live for ever? Where is the man that can ſay, Chriſt is come, and that hee hath given entertainement to him? as the man, when hee had found the evidence of Gods love, after much doubting,Mr. Glove… Martyr. ſaid, He is come, He is come. Where ſhall a man finde the Lord Ieſus Chriſt? If a man ſhould goe from houſe to houſe, and from heart to heart, who keepes poſſeſſion? doth Chriſt dwell in that heart, and doth he rule in that ſoule? Oh, woe to us, that we have ſuffered the Lord Ieſus Chriſt to deſire entertainement, and yet would not receive him: we have taken notice of him, but wee would none of him. Who rules in that heart? The old Tyrant, the old luſt and corruption, as pride and covetouſneſſe theſe beare rule every where, both in the cloſet and at the table: the husband and the wife, and all are proud; theſe will not out but retaine their hold there ſtill. And profanenes, p. 173and contempt of God and his ordinances, this is the tyrant that rules in many families, and in every coaſt in our land. The father ſwears, and the child ſweares; the maſter reviles Gods Miniſters, and the ſervant knows the length of his Maſters foot, and hee railes too, and the child heares it and followes the ſame courſe. If theſe beare rule in you, the Lord Ieſus Chriſt is farre from you. May I not complaine as ſometime Ieremiah did? Ier. 17.13. when the Lord was going from the people, the holy prophet looks longly after him, and ſaith, O Lord the hope of Iſrael, why art thou as a waifairing man? So may wee not iuſtly complain and ſay, Oh that Chriſt ſhould come and offer himſelfe and not be regarded? When the Divell ſhall drag downe your ſoules to hell and deſtruction, then you will cry after him, and ſay, Oh thou the hope of Iſrael, why doſt thou depart. In Gen. 19.2. when the two Angels came to Lot in Sodome (the one was Chriſt) Lot compelled them to go in. Chriſt is not now unwilling, but hee knockes and calls, and ſaith, Open to me my love, my dove my undefiled: he entreats the looſe perſon to forſake his baſe practiſes, and the covetous perſon to leave his oppreſſion, and to receive mercy: but you ſuffer Chriſt to lye in the ſtreet; and deſpiſe that word of his, and will bee at your owne carving. p. 174This eſpecially falls foule upon two ſorts of perſons.

1The firſt ſort is all carnal profane oppoſers of the Lord Ieſus. The carnall Goſpeller is content that Chriſt ſhould undertake for him, and bee his Protectort, to defend him from the plague of ſin; but he is not content that Chriſt ſhould rule in him. He doth as the Inne-keeeper, that receives a gueſt into his houſe, to make an advantage of him: for as the Inne-keeper will come to his gueſt, and pretend great matters to him, not becauſe he would have his gueſt to poſſeſſe him, but becauſe hee would bee poſſeſſor of his money; ſo the carnall Goſpeller would have Chriſt for his owne turne, hee would diſpoſe of Chriſt and mercy for his owne purpoſe: and hence come all thoſe ſpeeches, God is mercifull, and, Hath the Lord Chriſt created men to damne them? Oh, but mercy is ſweet, and pardon is good. This is thus much, you would have Chriſt to pardon ſinne, that you might commit it with leſſe feare and more freedome. If you did ſee no Saviour, but that you muſt needs be damned for it, you would ſtartle at it. But you would have Chriſt to ſtand by you that you might ſinne the more freely. Oh be not deceived; doe you thinke that Chriſt will come to be an underling to your luſts, and a drudge to your baſe diſtempers, whoſe p. 175condemnation is iuſt, ſaith the Apoſtle? No, you are deceived, you ſhall not have Chriſt a ſervant to carry your luſts and pleaſures to heaven with you. The truth is, the Lord Ieſus will never bring comfort nor conſolation to thee, that wilt not bee poſſeſſed of him, either hauehave both or neither, chuſe whether you will.

2The ſecond ſort to be reproved, are a company of ſlie hypocrites, that would part ſtakes with Chriſt, and part houſes with him they could bee content that hee ſhould have ſome roome in the houſe, but they will diſpoſe of all themſelues: as a man that lets ſome roomes in his houſe,Simile. upon this condition, that he may have them when he liſts. You willl pray againſt ſinne, provided that now and then Chriſt will give you leaue to practiſe it; and you will cry out againſt it, provided that you may have a privy ſeale, or ſome ſecret licence for it; and you will profeſſe bitterly againſt baſe courſes, ſo you may hauehave ſome backe doore and inward luſt ſtill. The Lord Ieſus doth not ſhare with any man: can he have a part and the Divell a part? nay, hee will have either all or none. It was the tricke of an adulterous heart: for when there was contention for the children, the harlot ſaid,1 King 3.26.1 Kgs 3:26 Let it be neither thine nor mine, but divide it: Nay ſaith the mother, let her have all. Shee was the harlot,, that p. 176would have the child devided.

So it is with an adulterous and diſſembling heart, that ſaith, Let Chriſt have a part, and the world a part; let luſts and pompe have a part, and Chriſt a part, this is diſſimulation with GOD, and ſhall receive condemnation: there muſt bee no ſharing. If your hearts be guilty of this I charge you in the name of the Lord Ieſus conſider it, the Lord never came into your ſoules: you muſt reſigne all to him, and then he will ſaue all: he will pardon all ſin, and give power againſt it. What a fearfull thing were it, if the Lord ſhould deale with you as you deale with him? Suppoſe thou couldſt be halfe damned; wouldſt thou be content to have thy heart go to hell, and thine eye to heaven, or thy body to hell, and thy ſoule to heaven? therefore that thy body and ſoule may both be ſaved, reſigne up up all into the hands of thy Saviour, and let him diſpoſe of all here in the kingdome of grace, and then he will take all to himſelfe in glory for ever.

Vſe 2. If the Lord Ieſus be the poſſeſſor of all the houſe, then let every one hauehave his owne,Give all to Chriſt whoſe it is. doe not with draw from Chriſt that which is his. Whoſe image and ſuperſcription hath the ſoule? Chriſt Ieſus hath the protection of it, therefore let him have all. Let thine eye ſee his works and wonder and p. 177admire at them: let thy minde know Ieſus Chriſt, whom to know is eternal life; but do not withdraw any thing from the true owner therof, that hath purchaſed it full deare. 1 Cor. 5.15. Shall I take the members of Chriſt, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. Thine eye, and thy tongue, and thy hand, and thy heart, they are all Chriſts members, he hath bought all with his blood and thou haſt nothing to do with that which Chriſt hath bought: therefore whenſoever thy corruptions ſtirre, and Satan tempts and begges for the uſe of thy mind or heart make anſwer and ſay: Shall I take that heart that is Chriſts, and thinke baſely? God forbid: Shall I take the hand of Chriſt, and worke wickedneſſe with it? The holy Apoſtle is marvellous peremptory in this caſe: as 1 Cor. 6.19. Glorifie God in your body and in your ſpirit, which are Gods, and hee hath bought you with a price: your bodies and ſoules are the Lords, hee undertakes for both, therefore glorifie God in both. If a man did come to your houſe, and take the meat and drinke that you have provided, and rob you of your money, you would take it very hardly, and ſay, It is my owne: So, you are not your owne. Therefore if the Divell or the world would prevaile with you, and enter into the uſe of your heart or minde, tell him they are not p. 178thy owne, they are the Lords: IESVS CHRIST hath come into thy heart and minde in mercy, and therefore ſay it is the Lords, let him doe what hee will with it. ⁂