The Application of Redemption, Book 10 (10 of 13)

The Application of Redemption · Book 10 (10 of 13)

p. 429Such who are drowned in senceless security, have their hearts glutted and surfeted with pleasures, and 1… of the flesh and contents of this present world. To sit moping in a corner, sink under the burden of their sins and smoak out their dayes in a melanchollick pressure and pensiveness of spirit, they account it a matter of scorn, a silly kind of sottish behaviour unbeseeming persons of a generous spirit; they wonder what men ayl, and conclude its more in mens conceit, than that there is any just cause for such a carriage; for they bless God they never knew what it meant, and they hope they never shal; And hence they fearlesly adventure upon the practice and commission of known evils; and it never stuck in their stomach, nor are they troubled with it, but are delighted in it; that which is a plague to the broken hearted Saints, they are plagued with their pride & froward perversness of spirit, but its a pastime, a may-game, it's their … and matter of merriment in their meeting; my … rebuked me sharply saies the Servant, my Mother chid me sayes the child, but I think I … them, they would have their way and wil, and would have it done after their manner, And I did it with a witness, so il-favoredly, that I know it vexed al the veyns of their hearts, thats the way to weary them, and there they solace themselves, ah it's roast meat to them; and thus it is a pastime to a fool Prov. 10. 23.Prov 10:23to do wickedly: but know thou art a hard-hearted fool, a graceless wretch in the wise mans account; do not our plantations groan under such sons of Belial? such senceless … do they not swarm in our streets? are not our families pestered with such? Esau-like when he sold his …; eat and drank, and rose up and went his way, not affected with what he had lost, not ashamed of what he had done, but … of al; or like the man in the Gospel possessed with the Devil, sometimeMath. 17. 15.Matt 17:15 he cast him into the fire and sometime into the water, so these rush headily into sin, and impudently continue p. 430in such … courses; they commit sin, and continue in sin, hasten Gods wrath, and their own ruin, and go away senceless of al so that it's now seasonable to take Jeremiahs complaint I … and heard and no man sayd what have I done … Jer. 8. 6. He might and did hear of hideous vile evils without any diligent hearkning, see and meet loathsom distempers without any searching; but when he followed men home wondring, in what quiet do these men live? what comfort do these men find? how do they bear up their hearts under such hellish carriages? I wil go see how they lye down in their beds, and whether they dare sleep or no under such trangression and such guilt, and when he came he hearkned, surely I shal now hear them mourn bitterly, afflict their hearts with unfained grief, there is no such thing, no man said what have I done? not a word of that, it was the least part of their care, the furthest off their thoughts. And this is the temper, the condition and disposition of scores, hundreds of you that hear this word at this instant. Is not the day yet to dawn, the hour yet to come that ever you shed a tear, sent up a sigh to heaven, in the sence of thy evils, or set thy self in secret to bewail thy distempers before the Lord? God knows and your hearts know, the Chambers where you lodge, & the Beds, where you lie, can bring in witness against you, you are strangers to this blessed brokenness of heart, yea enemies to it; you were pricked, no not so much as in your eyes nor in your tongues, God and his word and al means that have been tried could never wrest a tear from thine eye, not a confession out of thy mouth, thou wilt commit thy follies and die in the defence or excuse of them: but to have thy heart affected in serious manner with the filth of thy sinful distempers, it is to thee a riddle to this day. Nay there be thousands in the bottomless pit of hell that never had the like means as thou, never committed the like sins, and yet never had such a senceless sottish heart under p. 431such rebellions, as thy self. Wo be to you that laugh Luke, 6. 25now, you shal mourn: those flinty spirits of yours wil not break now, they shal certainly burn, you draw a light harrow now, you find no burden of your pride and stubbornness, rebellions, idleness, and noysom lusts, they are no burdens, ye can go boult upright with them and Sampson like carry the very gates of hell upon your backs and never buckle under them, wel the time wil com you wil cal to the mountains to fal upon you, and the hills to cover you, from the infinite weight of Gods everlasting displeasure. Tast a little the sting of this sin, and see the compass of this accursed condition of thine and go no further than the point in hand.

Thou art far without the walk of the Almighty, there is no dealing and entercourse between thee and the 1holy one of Israel, the Almighty passeth by and wil not so much as change a word with thee or cast a look … thee to leave any remembrance of himself upon thy soul; thou livest as though thou hadst nothing to do with him nor he with thee, nothing to do with grace or heaven; the holy spirit a wes some, humbles others, some it quickens that were sluggish, establisheth others who were weak, onelyonly thou art senceless of any operation of the Lord, thou hast a heart that puts away the presence of the Lord out of thy mind if it were possible; thy fleece is dry when there is dew upon al the earth this is that which the Apostle discovers to be the cause of that heavy curse of the heathen, Eph. 4. 18. strangers from the life of God by reason of the hardness of their hearts. Oh thou hast a … heart, and leadest a strang life, even as opposite to God as darkness to light, hell to heaven, differs onelyonly but in degree from that … which appears most eminently amongst the Devills and damned, even to be an adversary to God and his grace, to stand it out in defiance with the divine goodness of God, his power and faithfulness, Pharaoh he … it, but thou dost it, … it out with the Almighty p. 432and impudently darest the great God, who is Jehovah? I know not Jehovah, neither wil I let my heart go to yield subjection and service to him; I know no authority of a command that shal rule me, nor admonition that shal awe or reforme me. Thus thou art a stranger to the wisdom of God, the folly of thine own self-deceiveing mind and heart, leads thee and deludes thee, thou art a stranger to the grace and holiness of the Lord; the perversness and rebellion of thine own wretched heart takes place onelyonly with thee, yea a stranger to mercy, and to the compassions and consolations of the Lord Jesus, and his blessed spirit, who choosest thine own ruin, lovest thine own death, following lying vanities and forsakest the mercies purchased and tendred to thee.

Upon these tearms in which thou now standest God hath appoynted no good for thee while thou continuest in this temper: as he said, write this man childless, so write upon it, write thy soul graceless, that shal never prosper, Isa. 61. 1. 2. The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because the Lord hath annointed me to preach good … to the meek to bind up the broken hearted, liberty to the captives, opening of the prison to those that are bound, to appoint to them that mourn in Zion; beauty for ashes, the garment of gladness for the spirit of heaviness: thou hearest the glad tidings of mercy, pardon and peace, grace of life, that passeth understanding, joy unspeakable, rich and plentiful redemption from al sins and miseryes, which God hath layd up in his everlasting decree, and laid out in the great work of redemption by the Lord Jesus, but thou mayest set thy heart at rest, as long as thou seest that hard heart of thine thou shalt never see good day; joy, and comfort, and liberty, they are not thy allowance, they are childrens bread, its prepared, intended, and appointed of purpose for others, thou hast no share and portion in al these precious things of life; hands off thou hard … wretch; There is good … from …, … p. 433poor shall be enriched, the mourners comforted, but no good to thee; no, look the second …, there is other provision the Lord makes for stiffnecked Creatures, he proclaims a yeer of Jubile, a day of acceptance from God to the distressed; but there is a day of Vengeance of our God, to those that are of a contrary disposition; there is Vengeance, and it's from God, he wil be revenged upon thee for all the contempt of his Truth, grief done to his Spirit, resistance of his Grace, he will rain fire and brimstone, storm and tempest upon thee, this shall be the portion of thy cup, for the conclusion is peremptory, Job, 9. 4. Who ever … his heart against the Lord, and prospered? Can there any example be alledged that wil evidence it? any reason given or conceived that might prove it possible? Search the Stories of so many Generations, and enquire since the day that God created … upon Earth, if there were ever such a thing heard. When there were Gyants upon earth, the whol earth was filled with violence; al the world … themselves in open rebellion against God; God opens the windows of Heaven, and the fountains of the great …, and sends in a Deluge of his displeasure and wrath, and destroies those hard-hearted Rebels from off the face of the Earth; me thinks I hear those flinty stiffnecked wretches, … and crying, drowning and dying, and roaring out their wretchedness, those loose Libertines, eating and drinking, marrying, and giving in Mat. 24. 38.Matt 24:38marriage, and knew nothing, i. e. and would know nothing; their Cups in their hands, and Queans in their Arms, and despair in their mouths: Oh we shut our Ears, and hardened our hearts against the striving of Gods Spirit, the call of Gods Messengers, the warning and entreaties of Gods patience: We would not receive Counsel and terms of Peace and Mercy, and therefore we now perish without Mercy, cursing one another, and breathing out their last; Cursed be the day that ever I knew thee, by thy carnal deceits I was strengthened; Cursed be thou and thy company, by thy example I was p. 432duplicate page p. 433duplicate page p. 434deluded and hardened: Thus they are accursed, and go cursing down to the depth of the Sea, and so to the depth of the bottomless Pit.

It is beyond the Scope of our Saviors coming into the world, and the Commission he hath received for the great Work of Redemption to communicate Grace and Life to thee in the condition in which now thou art; Luke, 19. 10, The Son of man is come to … and save that which is lost; not such as was miserable, for so all was, but such as were sensible of that undone condition in which they lay. Yea, his expression is peremptory, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance, Marth. 9. 13. Those who conceited themselves whol, in a safe and secure estate, he had no Commission to call or comfort such; they … be broken before he bind them, weary and laden before he ease them, wounded before he will pour in the Oyl of Mercy to heal and relieve them: Hence it was that when our Savior had prepared his Feast, killed his Fatlings, and drawn forth his refined Wines, and sent and invited his guests, all pleaded their excuses, and refused to come, not being hunger-bit, and sensibly affected with their own miserable estate, and the need they had of supply from those rich Provisions of a Savior, their-careless and secure hearts could rellish other sensual care, and swinish contentments which they had at home; when men set no price, see no need of those Dainties and Rarities of the riches of Grace and Salvation, purchased by Christ, and offered in the Gospel, he peremptorily concludes, Such shall never tast of them, Luke, 14. 24.

The second sort of hard-hearted sinners, or of a further and higer degree in this hardness, are such as have been exercised under the displeasure of the Almighty, … had many stabs by the Truth, and threatnings of the Word, and have had many bruises and blows from the Dispensations of God in his Ordinances, deeply affected, and almost … … with the danger of their p. 435own Estates, and the dreadfulness of those everlasting burnings which now they felt in their souls, and were not able to bear; but at last they have SHOOK OFF THEIR TERROR, … away the vexation, and trouble that lay upon their spirits; and now they grow more fierce and hard-hearted than ever before, and dare out-face and out-brare the severest threatnings, the most dreadful Judgments that can be denounced, and which they find & confess themselves liable unto; having their conscience seared with a hot Iron, 1 Tim. 4. 2, & themselvs becoming fearlessly impudent to adventure upon sin, without the least touch of any remorse or trouble for it. The time was they confess they sate with trembling hearts under the Dispensation of the Word, and so silly and feeble spirited they were, that their hearts failed with fear, and … away in the apprehension of the hainousness of their sin, and the unsufferable plagues that were due thereunto. But now that dale is …, those daies are past, they have got more wit and skil than to be scared with such Bug-bears, they can tell how to fence themselves against such fears and disquiets, they can sit and hear, and attend all that can be said, let them speak while they will, and wear their … to the stumps, they can hear all, and slight all; nay, rather than fail, deride and make a mock of what they have heard, but to be troubled at what they hear, they are … such Babies, they are not so much as stirred with any thing: Oh wo to thee that ever thou sawest thy heart at this pass, the greater will thy trouble be one day: The Devils beleeve and tremble, and doest notJames, 2. 19. thou stir? Art thou in Hell here on Earth before thou comest thither? and dost thou come short of the Devils themselves in sensibleness of heart, and canst thou content thy self, yea bless thy self in this condition? Hear what God hath determined against thee, and wil certainly bring upon thee, Deut. 29. 19. He that shal … the words of this Curse, and shall bless himself in his heart, p. 436saying, I shal have peace though I walk in the Imagination of my heart, … drunkenness to thirst, the wrath of the Lord will smoak against that man, to cut him off from the Land of the Living, &c.

But before I part with thee, suffer me to spread the dreadfulness of thy condition before thy face, and leave it upon Record in thy Conscience, that thou mayest say thou … forewarned. Know therefore thy case is almost desperate, and beyond Cure, thy doom draws on and hastens, which thou canst … escape, thy plagues are beyond the utmost of all extremity, which thou canst not conceive, much less endure.

First, Thy Case to common Reason (leaving secret things to God) seems past cure; it's a great suspicion the day of Grace is over, the date of mercy past, the period of Gods Patience come to an end; all means have been used, and conclusions tryed with thee, the invincible stiffness of thy Spirit hath won the day, thou hast tried Masteries with all means, Law and Gospel, Promises, … and …, the unconquerable hardness of thy heart hath out-bid all Dispensations, thou art Cannon proof, Law proof, Gospel proof, Threatning proof; there is no other means of good in Heaven or Earth, and thou art worse by them; all which are provided to better others, and have so done: without means thou hast no reason to think that God wil work, and thou hast had the try al of al, and thou art beyond … in thy stifness, and therefore beyond all helps in an ordinary way, Prov. 29. 1. He that being often reproved, … his heart, shall be destroyed, and that without remedy: he that casts away the salve that should cure him, spils the Physick that should recover him, casts away the meat that should nourish him, how should he be either cured or supported? There are no Commands that awe, no Promises perswade, no Terrors awaken, then there is no Remedy: He must be deluded that opposeth the Wisdom that only can guide him, he must be p. 437cursed that resists the mercy that only can save him, he must be damned that … upon the blood of Jesus, that only would redeem him, there is no other Remedy, no other Name but the Name of Jesus wherby men must be saved, Acts, 4. 12. Nay, not only means fail him, but God himself seems to forsake, Gen. 6. 3. My Spirit shall not alwaies strive with man: He hath striven by his Terrors, by his Mercies, striven and laid hold upon thee by heart-breaking …; Turn ye, why will ye die? turn ye, and cause others to return, and so iniquity shall not be your ruin, Ezek. 33. 11. Oh that there were such a heart in them to fear me alwaies, that it might be well with them, Deut. 5. 29. but thou hast wound away from Gods hand, and forsaken him, and he hath forsaken thee; there is Word and Promises, but no God in them, Terrors and …, but no God in them; Thou art without God, and art thou not Eph. 2. 12.Eph 2:12then without hope? When the throws of a travelling Woman leave her, her life leaves her. So here.

It's said of a company of Despisers of Christ, That they … him again unto themselves, Heb. 6. 6. When they resist one Christ, and resist that Salvation that hath been offered, either they must have another Christ, or he anew crucified if ever they be saved. So there must be a new Christ, and new Scriptures, before such miserable wretches can be relieved, the Blood of Jesus, the Spirit and Promises of Jesus; Grace and Salvation hath been tendered to these stubborn-hearted, and they have opposed and cast all away; either there must be another Christ, or he must die again: All the Commands and Comforts in the Word, all the Rules and Directions, … and Counsels, have been used and tryed without any profit and prevailing power, therefore there must be another Covenant, …, and Scriptures, if thou beest saved; that's incredible, therefore the other impossible; … can ye escape that neglect so great Salvation? Heb. 2. 2. I appeal to your selves, You will go from the Law to the Gospel, from p. 438justice to mercy, but whither wil you go when you have departed away from mercy, and mercy is departed away from you.

Thy judgment hastens, thou canst not not escape it nor prevent it, and truly it's coming more speedily and suddenly then thou art awar of. Thou bringest upon thy self swift destruction, & though thou sleepest yet thy damnation sleeps not. Hebr. 6. 8. the earth that often receives rain from heaven, and yet brings forth thorns is near unto cursing, look every day that God should curse al thy comforts, thy out-goings, and thy in-comings, Prov. 28. 14. He that bardens his heart fals into mischief, fals into it, and is overwhelmed with it al of a sudden; he may fal into any tempration, he opposeth that counsel that should preserve him, falls into sins, he casts away that grace, and resists that spirit that should strengthen him; nay being past feeling, such a one wil run to commit al wickedness with greediness, Eph. 4. 19. Hell and Divills and … are let loose upon such, the light of nature, evidence of reason, dictates of of Conscence, authority of the law, terrors of judgments, intreaties of mercies, the hard heart hath cast away al these, and therefore rusheth into what evil comes next, against Conscience, command, reason, sence, nature; men put of the principles, not of humanity, but of sence, and become more base than the beasts themselves, do that which beasts wil not do, and morality is ashamed to speak; As the ship when the anchors are broke, and cable cut and a mighty tempest arises, she is wholly left to the rage of wind and weather. When men harden their hearts God swears they shal never enter into his rest. Hebr. 3. last.

Ground of COMFORT to support the sincking spirits Use, 3.of broken hearted sinners when they seem to faint under the fierce displeasure of the Almighty, and to be … with the unsupportable weight of the wickedness of their own souls which they are neither able to avoid, nor … to undergo.

p. 439Here hence is matter of sound refreshing both to the parties that are the patients, and bear … bitterness and burden of their sorrow; to their friends, who as spectators do mourn with them, and are affected with a fellow feeling of the evil of that which they find experimentally; let me speak a word severally to them both.

Know therefore to thy comfort thou distressed soul, 1this sorrow and anguish which now oppresseth thee, its not unto death, nay its the onelyonly way and means to deliver from death, from the death of sin, and that security in which thou lyeft, without either sence of thy misery, or the least appearance and possibility of deliverance, from the death everlasting of thy soul unto which thou wast hastening amain: As it is with a dead body when with rubbing chafing, and pouring in of hot waters there is some kind of warmth coming and overspreading the parts, there is good hope the soul is again returning, the man reviving again; Its so in this spiritual quickening of a soul dead in sin, stone dead, stiff & insensible of the distempers that lodge within him, & take possession of the whol frame of the inward man, as stif coldness takes possession of a dead body; when the Lord begins to affect the sinner und makes throughly sensible with Godly sorrow, by rubbing and chafing in of sharp reproofs and passionate exhortations, there is a kind of spiritual warmth coming into the soul, and certain evidence like a harbenger or immediate forerunner of life, and … which wil undoubtedly take up their … in the soul, he that goes in the vally of tears he … on comfortably because he goes in the right way to Zion, they shal go weeping and mourning with their faces toward Zion, …. 50. 4. this is the guise and the way of such who are travailing towards the holy land, Immanuels Land, the land of Promise, they may be content to bear the hardness of the way when they are sure to attain the end of their journey, the salvation of their souls, that wil pay the charges and recompence the labor p. 440and quit cost in the issue; it's the travellers conclusion that carries them through the harshest way they meet withal he hath never an il day that hath a good night, and when he finds the marks of the way that are given him, the directions that are suggested to discover his approach to his own home, that makes him … al the rest, as happily they may be to this purpose, … you are passed so many dayes journey you shal come … last to a most tedious and heavy way, and deep waters such as you must be forced to swim, can feel and find no bottom, yet if you keep the right causey there is no danger at al; It's a sad way, but sate, and then know you may, you are nearer home, … danger is past, and the worst is over, ye are within sight of your own house; when the traveller who hath taken these directions, and retaynes his marks in his mind, when he finds that by experience which hath formerly been spoken, the way mervailous heavy, tedious, he sticks fast in the mire and clay, anon the waters are so deep that he feels no bottom, he remembers and concludes now I know where I am, I am sure I am in the right way and certainly near home; this makes him devour al the difficulties wet and weary, he feels he fears nothing, he thinks of nothing, but his wife wil welcome him, his children rejoyce in him, his friends refresh and accompany him, there he shal take up his lodging and refresh his weary nature; so here, in thy spiritual travel when the weight … thy sins which of al other is the heaviest, the loss of a God, and his favor and presence which are depths and floods of distress which come even to the soul, there thou findest no bottom they are unsufferable unsupportable, then lift up thy head, know this is the right way to Christ, and thou near home, even within the ken of theHeb. 12. 22, 23, 24.Heb 12:22Heb 12:23Heb 12:24 Promise of eternal life; Thou wilt come immediately to Jesus the Mediator of the new Covenant, thy head and husband, who wil wipe awayal tears from thine eyes, who wil embrace and welcome thee in the armes of his mercy p. 441thee into the bosom and bowels of his love, & rejoyce over thee with everlasting joy, come thou mourning weary and weatherbeaten sinner, I have wept for thee and died for thee, and prayed for thee, and looked many a long look for that distressed soul, Oh be humbled, be estranged and divorced from thy lusts, when wil it once be, Oh welcome, though come weary and tired, no sooner there arrived but the spirit of comfort shal poure peace into thy Conscience which passeth al understanding, & joy unspeakable and glorious, al the first born of God they wil come about thee and be glad to enjoy thy fellowship, and the innumerable company of Angels wil sing Hallelujahs in heaven, peace on earth and good wil towards men; God and Christ, Heaven and Earth, Men and Angels rejoyce in thee and thy condition, and why may est not thou be refreshed in it? There is no other way whereby God can according to covenant convey spiritual good to thee, no other way whereby thou eanst receive it. Be therefore forever comforted in thy condition, God must cut if he cure thee of a stony heart, God must wound that secure and careless soul of thine if ever he heale it, so himself professeth it is the method he takes in relieving the misery and distressed and sinful condition of a son of Adam, Isa. 19. 22. The Lord shal smite Egipt and shal heal it, and they shal return to the Lord, and be wil be entrated of them, and he wil heal them.

Oh but my terrors have been many formerly but never Object.as now passing strength; my burdens were … before, but never such as now beyond al extremity, above al the ability I have, beyond al possibility I can conceive, to endure and not to dy under them in everlasting discouragement never to look for any good.

Therefore thy comfort never so near as now; As inAnsw. child-birth, so in this new birth, the stronger and sharper the throwes, the more speedy and successeful the deliverance. As it is in the cure of an old festered sore, p. 442al the while it breaks and runs there is some ease, but there is yet no cure while the core remains, when that is pressed out though it be with much pain and extremity, yet then the healing comes on with most speed. When thy sorrowes have seized upon thee and thou hast breathed out thy sighs and complaints to God, there hath happly been some ease, Oh but there was a core of some bosom lust or corruption that lay within, and yet not loosened and dislodged, and there is no perfect cure or healing wil befal so long as that remaines, and there must be much pressing, much struggling by word and paryer, before that wil part, and when thy heart parts from that, know undoubtedly, health and Salvation and comfort is near.

Comfort? Alas what do ye speak to me of comfort? Object.who am unfit and unworthy, nor have any right Psal. 97. 11.Ps 97:11unto it, Light is sowen for the righteous and joy for them that are upright in heart, yea but they have it hardly for whom it was prepared even planted and sown of purpose, it's their harvest let them reap it and receive it. But what have I to do with it, to put my sickle into anothers corn, who am a sinful unrighteous wretched creature?

Not onelyonly the righteous who by the power of grace canAnsw. subdue sin, but even the mourners in Sion who by the spirit are burthened with their sins, these I say have allowance and that from God to share in this comfort. Blessed are they that mourn they shal be comforted Math. 5. 3. thou Sayest thou art not, thou findest none for the present; be it so, that is not in the promise but it's sure enough thou shalt be, that is sufficient: God wil make thee stay for it, and beg for it, and prize it before it come, that thou mayest be thankful for it when it comes; it shal be in Gods time and in due time, and if thou wouldst have it before, know thou art not sit to receive, nor God willing to bestow, thou hast it not in hand, but its … in hope; it wil be and wil not fail, p. 443and the reversion of it, is sufficient to support thee to live in hope; nay it is a portion provided on purpose and came for this very end; Isa. 61. 3. to appoint unto them that mourn in Sion beauty for ashes the Oyl of gladness for the spirit of heaviness, yea God himself wil come for this end to bring consolation uto thy soul.Object.

Thats a likely matter indeed when the vileness of my corrption makes me loathsom to my self, and weary of mine own soul, how justly may God loath me and estrange himself who is so great and holy a God.

That which thou conceivest a cause why God should Answ.withdraw his presence, it's that why he delights in thee; thy sins are loathsom thats true, but to loath thy sin, and thy self for them, its that which makes way and room for the Lords both Love to thee and presence with thee, Isa. 57. 17. Thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabits eternity I dwel with him also that is of an humble & contrite spirit, to revive the heart of contrite ones.

The greatness of God and holiness of God takes most content in a broken heart burdened with sin and loosened from it. And herein the doubts of a distressed soul may be answered, and discouragments also cured and removed, wil so great a God vouch ase to cal upon so base a creature, so holy a God, so sinful, so filthy and polluted a sinner? yea behold; God reveals him … in the height of al his greatness and holiness and professeth he hath but two habitations where he takes …, i. e. the highest heavens and a broken heart, that sees his own weakness and therefore the greatness and power of God is most …, it ackonwledeth its own vileness … … … own filthyness, and there the holiness of a God is most honored, feared and advanced, therefore the … for God to dwel in where his honor may most of al be advanced; and he comes with his cost, and for this intent and purpose, that he may revive and quicken, therefore he wil not, therefore he p. 444cannot miss of his end, and the attaining of that he intends nor thou of thy comfort.

It's matter of comfort to such … are frinds and welwishers 2to those burdened and distressed creatures; Mourn for them you should, but yet be comforted with them you ought. For if you desire their good in truth and in earnest, its certain they are now, and never were before in the road of mercy, in ready way, yea the onelyonly way to attain favour and everlasting compassionsLuck. 19. 44. from the hand of the Lord. It's now the day of Gods visitation, the Lord seemed to pass by as a stranger before, as though he cared neither for them, nor the welfare and comfort of their souls, but suffred them to live and dye in their sins not so much as looking after them: behould now is the day of their visitation, wherein the Lord comes to visite the sinner, and to enquire touching the eternal prosperity of the soul, to loosen him from the power of his lusts, and to free him from the prevailing power of those corruptions, that would certainly ruinate his happiness, Yea now the spirit seems to travel upon the soul until the Lord Jesus be formed in him, when as formerly he bore the image of sin and Satan, so the Father of the Prodigal when his heart had been pinched under the pressures and miseries of his baseness brought upon him, and constrained him to take thoughts of forsaking his former course, see whatLuck. 15. 24. solace it was to his Father. For this my son was dead but is alive again, he was secure, he is now affected with the sight and sence of his sin, he was hard-hearted and perverse in his way, now he is plyable and yeilding to any impression. I speak it the rather because carnal persons conceive that this broken heartedness is a kind of curse, and that which makes men unsuitable to their Places, and unserviceable wholly for any imployment; the prophane Husband, the unjust Master, the loose Companion, curse the day that ever the Minister came amongst them; the wife was vain and froathy to suit p. 445… folly; but now the former … is turned into mourning, she grows mopish and melancholly, there is no content in her: The Apprentice that was as the Glove to the Hand, fitted his turn at all times, at al assaies, would lye for his humor, cozen for his profit, but now forsooth is grown so tender and conscientious, he dare do nothing, there is no service in him; his companion that would ruffle it out in mirth & jollity, is becom so pensive under the pressure of his Conscience, that there is no society in him; they look at them as lost and undone persons, the Preacher hath spoiled them, they are fit for nothing. And so also some poor ignorant people whose waies were civil and moral, and never acquainted with Gods manner of dealing in such cases; when they see their friends, and children, and kindred, sinking under the sence of their sin, and Gods displeasure, their hearts taken up wholly with attendance to their own Spiritual necessities, and taken off from all other occasions; they look at it as a kind of madness and distraction, and they fear they will not come to themselves again, when in Truth they never came to themselves before now, nor in truth considered where they were, or what they did: whereas this broken-heartedness doth not impair any mans abilities, but turns them the right way, and improves them for the Lords advantage; it makes men unhandy to sin, but fit for the Service of the Almighty; only it is a spiritual sickness, and you must in reason wait til the extreamity be over, before the party can be free for any work but this, because he finds this most needful: He that takes Physick retires into his Chamber, but it is not to hinder his imployment, but further it for future time; the Child when he sees the Grapes a pressing, he fals a crying; and fondly conceives his Father spoils them, to bring … out of them: The unexperienced stander by imagines that the pieces of Gold that are put into the refining pot, and that into the fire, will utterly be spoiled, until he sees a Vessel of Gold framed p. 446out of them, glorious for shew and Service, he then changeth his mind. So here; when thou … the Lord putting men into the furnace of his fierce wrath, scorching their Consciences, know, the Lord hath them now in the …, and intends to make them Vessels of Grace and Mercy, who before were Vessels of Dishonor, fit for nothing but to serve sin and Satan, help thou … the work, and … in it; and as Paul in a like case wish'd, That not only they, but all; thy friends, andActs. 26. 29.Acts 26:29 children, and kindred, … not almost, but altogether such as they are, broken-hearted sinners.

DIRECTION. How to carry ourselves towards Use.distressed sinners in this condition, who are thus pierced unto the heart, whose perplexities of spirit are such they cannot express, and their pressures beyond strength, more than they are able to undergo. We should yern towards them in mercy, and put on the bowels of tenderness and compassions towards them in lending what possible relief may be to the utmost of our abilities; not only Religion will enjoyn this, and reason perswade, but even Nature and Humanity might compel and constrain us hereunto. It was that which the Law enjoyned, Deut. 22. 4. Thou shalt not see thy Brothers Ox or his Ass fall down by the way, and hide thy self from him; but thou shalt surely, Surely help him, q. d. Let all alone, use no pleas, make no excuses, this must and ought to be done; Doth God take care of Oxen? No, it is for our sakes it was spoken; Shal the Ox be burdened, & not the heart under pressures be relieved? Shal the Ass fallen be raised again, and the Conscience bowed and crushed under the weight of everlasting vengeance, not be comforted? There Life natural is only endangered, here Eternal Salvation is hazarded; therefore their greater need calls for the greaterProve. 18. 14. pity. As Job complained, Job, 19. 21. Have pity upon me, O my friends, have pity upon me, for the hand of God hath touched me. The spirit of a man will p. 447… his infirmity, but a wounded spirit, who can bear? Lend a hand therefore at such a dead lift, and help him to bear that, that no creature of himself is able to undergo; have such in your minds dayly, carry them in your prayers, keep them dayly in your hearts; when a party is in a fainting fit, dying away, how readily doth Humanity lead men to lend present help; one man holds, another rubs and chafes, a third applies warm cloaths, each man strives to come first, and to do most; I pray you take of my Water, take of my Bottle, &c. that's but a sudden … over the heart that wil suddenly pass away; but this is a wound that hath pierced through the soul, bleeding and sinking with Hellish horrors, breathing out his sighs, Oh when, Oh when wil it once be? He that hath not put off Humanity, and the very Nature of a man, he cannot but put on tenderness and commiseration towards such; and therefore what shal we think of those, who instead of tenderness and pity, which they should express towards such, their hearts rise in bitterness, and indignation against them; yonder be your broken-hearted persons, &c. It's no great matter, you may see what they have got by Sermon gadding, what may we think of such? We may say, and think as Job speaks, he that is in misery, should be comforted by his Brethren, but men have forsaken the fear of the Lord, Job, 6. 14. It's an Evidence of an Egyptian when an Israelite is going out of Egypt, he stinks in his Nostrils; nay, a sad argument of a soul devoted to destruction, Deut. 25. 17, 18, 19.

EXHORTATION. As to proceed the right way, Use 5.so never to rest until … come to the right pitch of this saving sorrow, otherwise we shall lose our labor, all the pains, and …, and trouble we take, wil prove indeed unprofitable, we shal lose our labor, and our souls and all; we should not content our selves therefore with a slighty touch to have the skin happily a little rippled, or the heart stabbed now and then with an overly stroak, p. 448but stay not until we come to the bottom; to be pierced through and through again, until we see our … bleeding out their heart blood, and the core of our corruptions coming out; true it may be, it wil cost hot water, time and toyl, before that day come: be it so, but it wil quit cost when ever it comes; the longer the seed time, the larger the Harvest; They … sow in Tears, Psal. 126. 5.Ps 126:5shall reap in joy, let us not lose all for a little: The Patient wil tel you, why should I be cut for the stone in the Reins, if the stone never be taken away, and I cured? Hath then the punishments which have been threatened, the stroaks and terrors of Conscience which thou hast felt, the dreadful displeasure of the Almighty, which hath been denounced and seized upon thy soul, have they happily wrested tears … of thine eyes, bitter confessions out of thy mouth, and forced thee to pensiveness in thy carriage, and perplexity in thy Spirit? &c. All this is good so far; but it wil do thee no good, if thou goest no further. Say with thy self, what sorrow have I more than Judas had? what do I do more than Cain Math. 27. 3. 4.Matt 27:3Matt 27:4did? what difference betwixt my complaints, and Esau's tears? Do I out of horror of heart, vomit outGen. 4.Gen 4 my sins by confession? So did Judas. Do I make Restitution?Heb. 12. 17.Heb 12:17 So did Judas. Do I wander up and down racked in a restless condition? So did Cain like a Vagabond upon the face of the Earth. Do I sue to God for a blessing? So did Esau, and that with tears, and that with importunity. Take not up thy stand here, but say, Oh Lord, that I may have somthing more than Hypocrites, do somthing more than Reprobates can do; have I suffered all these terrors, wept al these tears in vain? If so be it be in vain; Oh let me not have sorrow2 Cor. … 10. 7.2 Cor 10:7 only, but that true sorrow that may cause repentance never to be repented of: Go then beyond al horrors and fears, and stay not before thou findest and feelest thy sin worse than al thy plagues, or else thou never feltest them aright; Look not to punishments that are cross to p. 449thy comfort and …, but look to the stubbornness and resistance of … heart, which … cross to God and his Holiness, and holy. Laws; … that be heaviest of all other evils, which indeed is the greatest evil of all. This too much hast … the new … makes many … Christians, still born, not begotten again to a … hope, 1 …; They heal themselves before God heal them, make … before sound …; not that they can apply too soon, if they apply truly; but they think they do apply … they neither do … … Keep thy heart in foak by godly Sorrow until thou … thy corruptions like noysom weeds come up kindly by the roots; … … feelest sin as sin in the bitterness thereof, that thou fearest al sin in the least appearance thereof: that whatever shal be conceived, or be discovered to be such, the …, notice, inclination, disposition, or suspicion thereof, thy heart may … to come … any provocation leading that way, and may readily listen to what ever may … help or direction to avoid it or subdue it. Bear thy burden till the Lord ease thee, be in prison, and let the Iron … into thy soul, until the Lord … and deliver thee, and bring thee out of the house of Bondage; then shal thy mouth be filled with laughter, and thy heart with joy, and that joy shall no man take away from thee; travel the appointed months of mourning, and then thou shalt be delivered with success, and attain the … that wil stand by ….

How may we get help against the stubbornness of but hearts, against that resistance and … that we find in our selves to this contrition of …?

The Directions are Three.

Do not tug with this resistance in thine own power, Direct. 1.or any ability that is in thee; do not in thine own strength contest with that rebellion, for it's certain this p. 450wil make it excessive rebellious; when thou seemest to … violence to thy self, thou wilt be more …, nay thou wilt grow to a kind of felness and … of opposition against the Work of Gods Grace; Sin becomes out of measure sinful by the Commandement, Rom. 7. 13. and instead of quarrelling with thy sins, thou wilt quarrel with the Almighty; and if I do what I can, why should not God help me? Mark, now you are quarrelling with God; and because you cannot do what you should, you wil do nothing: this is ordinary and usual, you wil find a Hellish fierceness of Spirit upon this turn.

You wil say, What shall I do?Quest.

Come and bring thy soul into Gods Presence, lay thy Answ.self down in his sight, and tell the Lord that thou art a Traitor, and which is worse, thou canst not but be so, that's thy misery; make known al the base abominations of thy heart and life before the Lord, and al that … and opposition that thou findest in thy soul to Christ and his Grace, beseech him to take away the treachery and falsness of thy heart, beseech him that he would do that for thee that thou canst not do for thy self; tel him that thou would'st chuse not to be, rather than to be thus treacherous; tel him that he hath said, he will take away the heart of stone, Ezek. 36. 26. and that it is not in thy power to put it away, and therefore leave thy soul there, beseeching him to make known himself as a God hearing prayers, pardoning sins, and subduing iniquities; plead the Covenant of Grace, and the Promises of it, that al is freely, and firstly, and wholly from himself, that he must make us his People, he must make us humble and broken-hearted; Look to Jesus Christ, and beseech him that … the Keyes of Hell and Death, that he would unlock those brazen gates and doors of thy heart, Rev. 1. 18.

Do not fear the terror of the Truth, so … to step aside from under it, and withdraw thy self from the … of p. 451it, but think of the goodness of it; as a man, though he fear the bitterness of the Pill, yet knowing it's a means of his health, he is willing to take it: So here. When God moves, move thou; when he stirs, stir thou; many a man neglects … stirrings of the Spirit of God, and never hath the like again, and then on his death bed cries for his old terrors. Oh therefore when the Truth meets you and stirs you, keep … heart under it, and follow the blow in secret, and bless God that hath opened thine eye, and … thine heart in any measure, and let thy heart lie stil under the stroak of the Truth: the want of this is the reason why many a soul is so long under the workings of Contrition, and never grows to any settlement, because … keep not their hearts under the power of the Truth, which would throughly break the heart for sin, 2 Kings, 13. 19. The Prophet bids the King smite, and he smote thrice and ceased, whereupon the man of God was wroth, saying, thou should'st have smitten five or six times; then bad'st thou smitten the Syrians till thou had'st consumed them. So when God hath been grapling with thy heart, and would have plucked thee out of the paw of the Lyon; thou hast prayed once, or twice, or thrice, it may be; and then after a while, thy care, and diligence, and endeavors are over; thou should'st have prayed six times, thou should'st give God no rest, nor thy own soul any rest, thou should'st never cease striking until thou hast destroyed those corruptions of thine.

Possess thy soul with the ticklishness and danger of that 3condition thou art in. In regard of the secrecy and difficulty of the work, how easily may I be deceived, and how dangerous is it if I be; a failing here can never be repaired afterward; if never broken for sin, then never broken from sin, then never united to Christ, and then thou shalt never see the face of God in Glory: think how many have miscarried in this place: as when a Marriner sees the Mast of a Ship, he fathoms the Water, p. 452and tacks …, and looks about him, lest … …, we split upon the rocks also. So do thou look to thy self here, thousands have sunk and split themselves here, and thou art in danger; and know, that if thou doest … here, thou art … for ever.

They said to Peter, and the rest of the Apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?

Here we have the carriage of these Converts, as a fruit of that piercing and brokenness of Spirit, which was wrought in them by the power of the …, the inward disposition of the heart discovers it self by the outward expression of their speeches and … here laid forth before us, as … special effect which followed presently, and … therefrom. The breaking of the clouds by … and …, beings a storm with it usually; the … in their speeches; argued thunder and lightning in their spirits: look how the temper and constitution of the body goes, so the pulse beats in his proportions answerable; the Spirits few, and heart faint, and actions feeble, it moves marvelous weakly; if the … be marvelous quick and speedy, the Physitian wil tel you there is a Feaver stirring, and it may be hazardful, that hath now seized upon the Nature of the party: Look as our hearts and consciences are affected within, so wil be the … of our words and actions without … their … was deep, and their … are bitter, which here they make. In it observe Two things.

1. The parties to whom they tender their complaint, Peter and the Apostles.

2. The … it self.

p. 453The part … are described and set forth two wayes, 1. In regard of the office unto which they were now called. Peter and the Apostles. 2. In regard of that esteem and respect they … them, they lovingly and tenderly here greet them, men and bretheren, a stile and compellation that holds forth endeared affection with it, so far are these men altered from what they were, from what they said, from what they did, ere while they scorned them, now honored them, not long since they reproached them, are not these men ful of new wine? and now behold they reverence and fear before them, they rejected their counsel before and are now forced to crave it, yea right glad to hear and receive it. In a word, they repair to them as messengers of Christ, they … them as bretheren, the world you see is wel amended.

Look at the complaint as it looks to the parties and there wee have two points we shal speak briefly to them both.

They whose hearts are pierced by the MinistryDoct. of the word, they are carryed with love and respect to the Ministers of it.

Men and Brethren, they be words of honor & love, & they spoke them seriously and affectionately, they mocked them before, and they now embrace them, they cared not what tearms of reproach they cast upon their persons, they know not now what titles of love and tenderness to put upon them, they now fal at their feet as clients, who flouted them before as enemies, so it was with the jaylour Acts, 16. 30. 31. 34. how kindly doth he use Paul and Silas whom … he handled so currishly, beyond the bounds of reason and humanity, he entertains them in the best room of his house who before thought the worst place in the prison too p. 454good for them. He baths their wounded parts which he had whipped and stocked before, fears and trembles before them as his counsellors, whom he handled most harshly … as Prisoners; he feasts them as his guests whom he had struck as Malefactors; the wind was in another dore, the man is of another mind yea is another man than he was. God had no sooner opened the heart of Lydia to attend the word but her affections were exceedingly enlarged, towards the dispensers thereof. Acts 16. 15. so that the cords of her loving invitation led Paul and held him captive, he professed she compelled them i. e. by her loving and affectionate expressions, prevailed with them for a stay. And while Paul had the Galathians under the Pangs of the new birth and Christ was now forming in them, they professed they would have plucked out their eyes and have given them to the Apostle, Gal. 4. 15.

Naaman hath no sooner his leprosy healed, and his heart humbled and cut off from his corruption, but he professed himself and what he had is at the devotion of the Prophet, and that not out of complement but in truth, 2 Kings 5. 15. Take a blessing from thy servant.

Reasons are two.

They see and know more than formerly they did, Reas. 1.when happily the crooked counsels of others deceived them, and their own carnal reason couzened and deluded their own souls that they mis-judged the men and their doctrine also. As that they did not speak the truth, or else had some crooked and self-seeking ends in what they spak; As either to gratify other mens humors whom they would please or else to set up their own persons and praise and esteem in the apprehensions of others as singular men and more than of an ordinary frame; and therefore would wind men up to such a high pitch of holiness, and force them to such a singular care to fly the very appearance of al evil, when its more than needs p. 455and more than God requires, and more than any man can do but now they find by proof and are forced out of their own sence and feeling to acknowledg the truth of what they have spoken, and what they have heard, & themselves also, to be the faithful ambassadors of the Lord Jesus, and therefore … to be believed and attended in their dispensations and honored of al. So Paul 2 Cor. 4. 3 We hope we are made manifest unto your consciences Thus the Woman of Samaria when our Savior came home to the quick and met with the secrets of her heart, she then fel from her taunting and slighting of our Savior to admiring of him, Come saith she behould the man that told me al that ever I did, is not be the Christ. John, 4. 29. Look as Nabuchadnezzar said, Dan. 4. last, now I know the God of Daniel is the true God, and now I praise the living God, so when they have been in the fire, and God hath had them upon the anvil, now I know what sin is, now I know what the danger is, now I know what necessity there is to part with sin; when the Patient hath found the relation and direction of the Physitian hath proved real it makes him prize and honor his skil and counsel, for ever; and for ever to have his custom, … the Pythonist was compelled from the power of Pauls administration to confess, these are Acts, 16 17.the Servants of the living God which shew unto us the way of Salvation, so here.

… they see more and can therefore judge better of theReas. 2. worth of persons and things; so their conscience now hath more scope, and the light of reason hath more liberty, and allowance to express that they know, and nothing now can withstand and hinder; for while men are held captive under the power of their lusts and corruptions of their hearts, in which they live, and which for the while they are resolved to follow; though … reason happily do yeild it, and their own hearts and Consciences cannot but inwardly confess it, the persons are holy, the … are … which they condemn p. 556and dangers dreadful which they …; yet to profess so much openly to others, and to the world were to judg themselves while they would acquit others, and condemn their own courses, while they … praise and honor the carriages and persons of others, … therefore darken the evidence of the word by … … and reproaches, … the wittness of … and stop its mouth that it cannot speak out. Thus … 1. 18. they hold down the truth in unrighteousness When the truth that is by their judgments assented unto, and by their hearts yeilded, and therefore should break out and give in testimony to the good wayes of God: their corrupt and unrighteous and … hearts hold it prisoner, wil not suffer it either to appear unto others or prevail with themselves; As it … with the Scribes & Pharisees when the wonder was wrought by Peter, say they Acts, 4. 16. that indeed a not … miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all … dwel in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny … (q. d. they would have done it if they could) but that it spread no further, let us charge them straitly that they speak no more in this name. But here when the conscience of a poor sinner is convinced, and the heart wounded, and that resistance and gainsaying distemper is taken off and crushed, now … is in commission and hath … scope & the coast is now clear that reason may be heard, now the broken hearted sinner wil speak plainly, these are the guides that God hath setup, their direction I wil attend, these are the dear and … servants of the Lord whom I must honor, and with them I would … trust my soul, not with the blind guides, and … teachers, who daub with untempered morter and are not trustie to God, nor their own souls, and therefore cannot be …. Oh send for such though … … life time they could not endure the …, abide the presence, nor allow them a good word … their persons and proceedings and professions, (yea that they wil confess) p. 557but it was directly against their own judgment and knowledg and Conscience, myne own heart often gave my tongue the lye, when I did so speak and so … their conversation, otherwise, I must have condemned … own course and Conscience also, but the Lord is with them, and the … is with them, and a … wil undoubtedly follow them. Ask why these poor pierced sinners did not go to the Scribes, they would tel the truth. Oh it was … that deceived us, led … drew us to the commission of this hellish wickedness; we cannot cal them teachers but …, they could never help themselves, therefore not help us.

INSTRUCTION, Sound contrition and brokenness Use.of heart brings a strange & a sudden alteration into the world, varies the price and valew of things and persons beyond imagination, turnes the market upside down; makes the things appear as they be, & the persons to be honored and respected as they are in truth, that look what the truth determines, reason approves, and Conscience witnesseth, that account is current in the hearts and … of those, whose hearts have been pierced with godly sorrow for their sins. Because … not by outward appearance as it is the guise of men … corrupt minds, but upon experience, that which they have found and felt in their own hearts, what they have seen and judged in their own spirits, they cannot but see so and judg so of others. Those who were mocked as men ful of new wine, are now the precious servants of the Lord, flouted to their … not long since, now they attend them, honor and reverence them, yea fal at their very …. It was before men and drunkards, now men and bretheren, the world you see is wel amended but strangely altered. It was said of John Baptist the fore-runner of our Savior, and the scope of … doctrine was mainly to prepare the way for the Lord, it's said of him that Elias is come and hath reformed al, … a new face … frame in the profession of the p. 558Gospel, Math. 17. 11. Turned the disobedient to the wisdom of the just men, the hearts of children to the fathers, that though they were so degenerate that Abraham would not own them had he been alive, yet when the Ministery of John had hammered and melted them for the work of our Savior, they became to be wholly altered, their judgments altered and their carriage also. For in truth the reason why men see not the loathsomness of other mens sins, or else have not courage to pass a righteous sentence upon them, It is because they were never convinced to see the Plague sore of their own corruptions, never had their hearts affected with the evil of them in their own experience but their own Conscience was misled out of authority, and stifled that it durst not outwardly condemn that which inwardly they could not but approve. They therefore who either do not see their own evil, or dare not proceed in open judgment to condemn, they wil either not see or not pass a … judgment upon others, so Paul intimates to Agrippa, Acts, 26. 8. 9. let it not seem strange Oh King for I my self did think I should do many things against the name of Jesus, which I also did. q. d. whiles thou so … thou wilt see as I …, and do as I did, but after God had entered into … with him and spoken dreadfully to his soul see, … is another man and of another mind; he destroyed the Churches, now takes care of them; he that hated the name and Gospel of Jesus counts al things dung and dross for the excellent knowledg of Jesus, the worldPhil. 3. 8.Phil 3:8 is wel amended but its mervailously altered, and therfore we have found this man a Pestilent fellow Acts, 17. 16. he hath subdued the state of the world.Use, 2.

TERROR, this shewes the dreadful and miserable condition of al those who after al the light that hath been let into their minds, conviction into their …, horror into their hearts touching the evils that have been committed and come now to be discovered p. 559unto them, they loath the light that hath layd open their evils, distast those persons and preachers and Christians most, that have dealt most plainly to descover the loathsomness of their distempers, it shewes the … corruption of the mind and heart that grows worst under the best means, and cleaves most to its sins under al the choycest means that would pluck their sins from their heart, and their heart from them, they are either fools or mad men that … endure the presence of the Physitian without whose help they could not be cured. This is made an evidence … the estrangment of Gods heart from a people, and an immediate fore-runner of their ruin. Isa. 9. 13. 14. 17. For this people turneth not unto him that smote them, neither do they seek the Lord, therefore the Lord wil cut off from Israel head & tail, branch & ush, one day therfore the Lord shal have no pify on their young men nor mercy on their fatherless, for every one is an Hipocrite. It takes away al pity in God, al hopes in themselves of any good. After Pharoah had many qualmes & recoylings of spirit by Moses dealing with him, & the miracles which he had wrought for his repentance, & at last sides it with the hellish stiffness of his own stubborn heart, so that he cannot endure the speech or presence of Moses any more, Exod. 10. 28. get thee from me, see my face no more, for the day thou seest my face thou shalt die, God sends 'Moses no more, but sends his plagues to destroy his first born he wil not see the face of Moses he shal feel the fierceness of the wrath of the Lord.

p. 560He that is truly pierced by the Ministry ofDoct. the word, he is buisy to enquire and ready to submit to the Ministers of God making known his mind therein.

They who never had thought of their own condition never craved nor cared for the counsel & direction of any in the things of God, as seeing no need of either, but now the case is otherwise every mans heart is now ful of fears & his mind sul of doubts, and he is stored with questions; they al with one mouth, and one mind, as one man that had but one heart, they said one spake it, but al consented q. d. that is al our cases, that is al our de … men and bretheren, we can find no rest in our hearts nor resolution in our judgments, we could not but come and seek and we shal be more glad to receive counsel and guidance from you, So that broken heartedness doth two things which are the two Parts of the Doctrine.

1. It makes men buisy to enquire.

2. Ready to receive direction from Faithful Ministers.

A true fight and sence of a mans finful condition The first part of the doctrine.sets men upon the search, awakens men out of that senceless security in which they were buried, makes them look about them, puts them upon the serious consideration of their own spiritual condition, not long before they scant thought whether they had louls to be saved, or sins to be pardoned, or mercy and grace to be looked after, they never put it to the question what they could say or shew for heaven, but now they begin to think with themselves what they are; this is set forth to be the guise and behavior of converting sinners when God begins to tamper with the hearts, for the alteration of their states. Jer. 50. 4. In those dayes p. 561and at that time, when God hath stirred their hearts to recover themselves out of the Babilonish Captivity, (Deliver thy self O Sion, … who dwellest with … Daughter of Babilon) See how they bestir themselves, Going and weeping shall they go and … the Lord their God: weep stil, and go stil, sorrow stil, and seek stil; they who stirred not a foot before, nor looked after the Lord, nor their own happiness and comfort. So it was with Ephraim, when the Lord began to work his heart to a right apprehension of himself, Jer. 31. 18. while he was in his Natural Condition, he was like an untamed Bullock, unacoustomed to the Yoke; but when the Lord had taken him to task, then he begins to … with himself, and betake himself to new thoughts, verse 19. When I was turned, I repented; when I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: Thus John Baptists Hearers, when once the Word wrought kindly upon them, it made them al busie and inquisitive, even as one man, Luke, 3. 10. to 15. The People they came and asked, the Publicans they enquired, the rude Soldiers they also began to demand, Master, what shal we do? This disposition of spirit set men a going who sat stil before as in a dream. The covetous Publicans whose thoughts were after their gain, how to compass their Commodities from every Quarter: the rude and unruly Soldiers, who cared for nothing, nor thought of nothing, but how to satisfie their own lusts, and sult their own corrupt desires, al was fish that came to net; and the sottish multitude who meerly followed the sight of their eyes, after a bruitish manner minded that which concerned the out ward man, What shal we eat? what shal we drink? what shal we put on? In likely hood had never a thought of God, nor of themselves, whether there were a Heaven to be expected, or a Hel to be avoided, but followed their present pleasures; see now how serious and inquisitive they be, they now conclude somthing must be done, and they would willingly know p. 562what course they ought to take: when God sets upon mens souls, then they set upon their Service.

The Reasons are Two:

Because they now feel the evil they never feared before, Reas. 1.now they see the danger and misery hanging over their heads, able to overwhelm them, and sink their hearts, which they never suspected formerly. And therefore now, not only Reason … them, but their own safety, Nature and …-love wil force them to bestir themselves to the utmost of their strength, and improve al their abilities to the utmost of their power, to prevent such over-bearing evils, and provide for … own relief and welfare; and so the more to use al diligence here, because they are unknown, and yet spiritual, which concern their eternal estate, and therefore cause most fear, and threaten most hazard, and therefore constrains them to seek … and neer for succor and relief. So it was with the Prodigal when he came to …, beforeLuk, 15. 17. 18. he had not the right … of his Reason, nor conceived of things as they were, but as frantick men fal, into fire and water, and fear nothing, … … … … nothing; but now being come to the … of his understanding, he considers, How many Servants are in my Fathers Family, that have bread enough, and I … with hunger? Luke, 15. 17. then he … himself, I will arise and go to my Father, and say, &c. So it is with many prodigal, …, deluded Creatures; they spend time and strength, and lay out themselves; … nothing, and therefore fear no after-claps, until the time of Famine, and day of … and horror come in upon them; they never saw, need of reading, hearing, prayer, seeking and enquiry: but now when they find themselves besieged with sins and plagues, and dayly expect the execution to be done, Heaven frowning, Hell gaping, their Consciences …, and themselves dropping down to the Grave, and their souls to Hell, they think it high time, and more than time to bestir themselves, p. 563to do what they can, and to cry for help and direction in so desperate distresses and danger; I wil arise, and go confer; I wil arise, and go enquire; I wil arise, and go pray; The whol need not the Physitian, Math. 9. 12.Matt 9:12therefore they do not send, nor yet are they willing to receive, nor care to enquire, or take any Physick; but when the Difease grows fierce, and life is in danger, then post out Messengers, … far and neer for a Physitian, search every bush, enquire of every man what might be good, what have you …? what would you advise? So here. Thus God dealt with his People when he would awaken them, Hos. 5. last, In their affliction they will seek me early; then Hos. 6. 1. Come let us return to the Lord, he hath wounded, and he will heal. The full soul loaths the Honey Comb, but neverProv. looks out for provision; but the … soul, that is now starving, runs if he can, if he cannot run, he wil go; if he … go, he wil creep; enquires where he may have food, uses all means to get, he wil buy, or beg, or borrow. So here, &c.

They begin now to see the folly of their own conceits, Reas. 2.and that confidence which in former times they had; how easily they could procure their own comfort, and how certainly without fail they could provide for the … of their own souls, and everlasting happiness; they said it; and thought what they said, that there needs not so much … to get to Heaven; at the time of …, and before their departure draw on; it's but bewading … sins, and seeking to God for mercy; Oh but when it comes too, they … another … matter of it than ever formerly they did …, they … at an utter loss with themselves, they know not what … to take, which … to turn; they know not, poor Creatures, how to come at a Christ; nay how to … him, how to attain … pardon or peace: And therefore now (though … late it may be) they see they know not what to do, or how to turn their hand to any spiritual p. 564work, which in pride of heart, said and concluded, they could … any thing: They are made of nothing but doubts and questions; If thou … est the gift of God, thou would'st ask of him, and he would give thee Water of Life. John, 4. 10. Thou knowest not that thou art poor, and wretched, and …, and …, Rev. 3. 17. Those that are ignorant of the way, wil … … any man, ask of any child: So a soul under … … and ignorances, wil enquire of any Christian, ask of any Minister that may direct him in the way he should take.

This Doctrine is a Bill of Inditement against a world Use.of ungodly men, who live in the Church, who may here read their doom, and the dreadfulness of their own condition discovered beyond all denial; namely, to be such who as yet were never troubled, never so much as touched with a through sight and sence, of their own baseness, and cursed corruptions of their Natures and lives; they are so far from being broken by the Truth, and batterred al to pouder by the power of an Ordinance, that indeed the day is yet to come that they … any … blow, from the … Word of the Lord … on upon their Consciences, by the hand and good Spirit of the Almighty, and that is evidenced out of the … had they received the like impression with these Converts, they would have been … upon the like practice with them, had their spirits been broken as theirs, they would have been as … to seek out for succor and relief as … do; but alas this duty appears not scant in the lives of men, therefore this … is far enough … their hearts: If thou had'st been sick as they, thou would'st have enquired of the Physitian as they; but where is the man almost that hath put the Quare to his own Conscience, propounded the Question seriously to others, out of the sence of his own want, for to make narrow search of his own estate, 'Men and Brethren, what shall I do? He never saw need to do any p. 565thing, nor had heart to do any thing; men therefore had never desire nor endeavor to seek direction; when he hath been loth that men should put him to pains, and press him to diligence, and doing in this behalf. They make it a matter superfluous, and needless trouble thus to be taken up; what needs all this ado? (say they) and therefore they are willing to sit down with ease, but do nothing: they are setled upon their dregs, and endure not stirring, it's a kind of Hell, and like the appearance of Death, to be pressed to diligent inquiry, to make their Calling sure, 2 Pet. 1. 11. The state of the World is somwhat like that which the Angels express upon the proof they had, when they went to survey the frame of things, Zach. … 11. We have walked to and fro through the Earth, and behold all the Earth sits still, and in at rest. Walk we from one Plantation to another, from one Society to another; nay, which is yet a further misery, from one Assembly to another, all the Earth sits still, and is at rest; there is no stirring, no trading in Christianity; men cheapen not, enquire not after the purchase of the precious things of the Gospel, what shall I do to be quit of my self? what shall I do to be severed from my sins which have pestered me so long? prejudiced my peace so much, and if it continue, wil be my ruin? As though Christ were taking the Charter of the Gospel from the present Generation, and were removing the Markes, there is no stirring, Trade is dead, men come dead, and sit so, and return so unto their Habitations, there is deep silence, … shal not hear a word. What spiritual good they get, what they need, or what they desire; men are willing to do nothing, and therefore they wil not enquire what they should do; certain it is, the Word never wrought kindly upon thee, nor prevailed with that carnal and hard heart of thine to this day in any saving … for thy spiritual good: thou never knewest what it was to be loft, … thou never had'st a stir of heart to enquire the way to Sion, it's made an Argument p. 566of a man in the bonds of …, in the depth of his … distemper, …. 3. 11. They have no …, … do they seek after God; and it's made an evidence of Satans Rule, Luke, 11. 21. When … strong … keeps the Pallace, all his goods are at peace; but when a stronger comes and … him, he takes from him all his Armor wherein be trusts, and divides foreignthe spoil. The House and Pallace, is the Heart and Spirit of a sinner; his … and Furniture, are1 Pet. 2. 11.1 Pet 2:11 all those noysom lusts by which he … …, and exerciseth … power in the sinner; and as the Apostle saith, fighteth against the soul; as despair is the Head-piece; unrighteous, and careless, and unconscionable walking, is the …; carnal Reason the Sword; Unbelief the Shield; and an indisposition of heart to yield to the terms … the …, is that whereby the sinner is prepared to walk in the way of …, his feet shod, sit for every evil work. While Satan is … furnished with the Armor of Darkness, all his goods are at peace, he doth without any trouble, act the soul, and wrong the Comfort and happiness of the soul, and so the Honor of the Lord; … … his goods, it's all he desires, endeavors, takes as the gain of his Labor and Diligence in his Temptations: Doth Satan act thee by his Temptations, and so encrease both thy guilt and ruin thereby? … are … his goods in peace? … …, thy wo, thy …, is Satans wealth and substance, he hath what he …, and doth what he will, and thou art not troubled with any thing, nor wilt trouble him by seeking out for relief and deliverance, enquirest … what thou mayest do to be rescued and …; know, Satan hath his Armor on, and he seeks thy heart as his Pallace, under his Soveraign Power and Command to this day; nor is there any preparation, nor the … inkling or intimation of … of that wretched … of thine: thou … in this secure condition as one that meddles not, hast nothing to do with the things of p. 567Grace and Life. As it was said, Judges 17. 7. of the men of …, who dwelt careless, quiet, and secure, far from the Zidonians, and had no business with man: It's a Picture of this … temper, and secure condition of thine, thou … far from the state and grace of Glory; thou hast no business with Christians, with Ordinances, Officers; thou hast nothing to say, or to demand touching eternal Life; thou knowest nothing, yet enquirest not what thou should'st do; hast nothing, yet … not for help and succor; thou hast no business that appertains to Heaven with any man living, thy business lies not with the Word, and the Lord and his Word have as little to do with thee; that shews thy heart is not there, nor thy portion there. As each mans affection and expression of himself is where his imployment lies, as … as a Bee, they carry their businesses in their very Countenance, their words sound that way, their behavior, look that way, every man hath somthing … say in that which pleaseth, that which pincheth him, and questions go up and down, what shal we eat? and what shal we drink? and wherewith shal we be cloathed? And yet we may hearken and hear (as Jeremiah speaks) and no man …, what have I done, what shall I do to be …? Jer. 8. 6: Look into the Families where men live, observe the occasions with which men meddle, and employ themselves, … of the persons with whom they converse, you … scarce hear a question; every man is … after the things that may suit his own … heart, and yet seek not after the things that concern their peace: Look at men in their necessities, or take them in their imployments, … is no end of mens …: In sickness we fil mens ears, weary mens hearts with enquiries what means … be attended, what course taken up: let it be matter of Commodity that may accrew, men are as ful of their questions, as the Sun-shine is ful of motes; what? and when? and after what manner may occasions best be …, to compass p. 568a mans content? This seems good, but how may that be avoided? That is more profitable, but how may this or that inconvenience be prevented? And yet as though men had no souls, or had nothing to do with Grace, and Life, and Salvation, they have nothing to say for Heaven, nay, nor about Heaven. Our hearts work not this way, which argues the Word never wrought kindly, either for the discovery of thy sin, or the breaking of thy heart for it. If men were wounded they would fil your ears with their sighs, and your hearts with their complaints. So here, they would not give God rest, nor you rest, if their hearts were restless in their distresses; thou keepest mine eyes waking, I cannot sleep, saies the Psalmist, Psal. 77. 4. God will keep your Eyes waking if ever he work kindly.

Why? But is it not possible, yea ordinary, even for Object.Reprobates themselves in the time of their troubles and terrors, when fears and doubts assail them, to be earnest in their seeking, importunate in their complaints, and endless in their questions, with every Christian with whom they meet, and every Minister that they know?

Yes, It is common even for Hypocrites so to do,Answ. therefore thou hast not attained the highest degree of the Profession of an Hypocrite, dost not reach the carriage of a Reprobate; they are far from Heaven, and thou art far off from them; thou art in the lowest Rank of Hypocrites, thou hast not yet had a look towards Sion, or a thought of eternal happiness: thou art not come into the Market, not so much as cheapened the things of Grace: Though therefore the presence of such a carriage doth not certainly evidence a good Estate, yet the absence of it, doth undoubtedly demonstrate that thou art in the worst estate of men. It is, as we use to cal it, a Negative Note, though the Affirmation of such a thing, doth not discover the Truth of Grace, yet the denial evidenceth the want of Grace; constantly to reject p. 569and refuse, is the note of a wicked man, and yet to attend the … of Grace, doth not discover a Godly man: For as it is in Nature, there are many things in man which go to the being of man, which yet do not distinguish him; as to have a Sensitive Nature, &c. without which he cannot be a man, yet to have sence doth not difference man from other Sensitive Creatures. And hence it comes, the denying of sence destroyes the being of a man, yet the presence of sence doth not difference a man from a Beast. So it is here, a disposition busily to enquire after the means of Grace and Mercy, doth enter the being of a broken-hearted Christian, yet it doth not difference a Christian truly broken-hearted from one Legally terrified; look at it in their general carriage, and enquiry after the Ordinances, and things of God.

But is there no difference between the search and busie Quest.enquiry which a heart truly broken, makes from that, which an Hypocrite under Legal Terrors, doth somtimes express.

I Answer: If we look at the Specialty and SpiritualnessAnsw. of their Carriage, there is a Three-fold Difference:

In the Ground whence they arise; that enquiry which 1comes in truth from a heart kindly broken, it issues from the filth and poyson of his sin, which puts the thoughts of a sinner beyond his compass, as not able to conceive, and the heart beyond his hopes, as not able to undergo;Psal. 38. 4.Ps 38:4 My sins are a burden too heavy for me; they are innumerable, I am not … to lookup: Therfore the thoughtsPsal. 4. 40. 12.Ps 4:40Ps 4:12 and heart set the whol man awork; the Tongue to complain of, and enquire a way of release, the endeavor to pursue it. That of the Legallist issues out of Nature, which feels her hazard, or therefore seeks for her preservation, and cals for help; thus they howled upon their beds, but did not cry to God, Hos. 7. 14. As the Lyon in the grin roars for relief.

p. 570In the End, the terrifyed hypocrite he is frequent in his complaints, buisy in his enquiries, sometimes to gain 2ease and that is most usual, sometimes also to ingratiate themselves in the hearts of the faithful and to gain their esteem that they should look at him and account of him as a broken hearted Saint, as one that … been exercised with the indignation of the Almighty, Esau would have his blessing, Judas his guilt removed. A brokenhearted sinner … not his ease or honor but God, going Jer. 50. 4.Jer 50:4and weeping they shal go and seek the Lord their God, not themselves; he seeks Gods face to engratiate himself with him, and to get his favour.

In the efficacy and vertue, because his business lyes 3with sin, his seekings wil be restless and importunate, and enquiryes for direction help against sin as long as sin and he lives. The Legallist when his terrors. and fears are removed, or eased, he hath done what he would and he desires to do no more, and therefore enenquires no further what he should do.

Heres matter of DIRECTION, we hence see the Use 2.ready way, and never failing means to set an edge upon our desires and put life into our endeavors, to make us sedulous and busy in seeking after the Lord and the things of his grace. 'Maintain a right sight of the … of thy sin, the … thereof which wil delude thee before thou … aware, and may be, endanger thy peace and Comfort before thou dost discern it. Maintain a right sence and feeling of the evil of thy sin, this broken-heartedness as at the first, thou wilt then enquire as at the first, pray & seek as at the first. As it is with the Patient when the disease is over, health and ease coms on …, he then begins to lay aside physick, to neglect his diet prescribed, never seeks to the … nor sends for further counsel, Oh but if his old fits befal him, he is then as careful to use his old Physick, send presently to the Physitian for fresh counsel, and advice. So it wil be with the soul of a sinner, when once the wound is healed, & God … allayed the venom of the vengeance p. 571which sin brought with it, & the heart growes up in some evidence of the work, and assurance of Gods love, so that the worst is past and the … is over. men begin to lay aside their diet, and that careful … they ought to use, the daily renewed repentance they should take up, until the Lord lets loose their lusts afresh, their old fits and force of their … distempers seem again to overbear them, which hazard their truth and peace they begin to find their hearts, and prayers, and begin again to be awakened to the work. The Corinthians were careless either of the sin or misery … … persons, or their own duty and careful endeavor to reforme until the Apostle … sharply to them, and affects their hearts with godly sorrow, this set them al awork, what care? in what fear? what zeal did it provoke them to express? both in their carriage towards him, and in their daily course before God? 2. Cor. 19. 11. Pauls new … with his corruptions and the body of … makes him renew his complaints, Rom. 7. 24. Oh wretched man that I am who shal deliver me from this body of death, when God left a splinter in the …, and sent a messenger of Satan to buffet him, this made him to bestir himself to purpose, 2 Cor. 12. I besought the Lord thrice, that is many times, and with much importunity, he … post hast to heaven … supply … In the City besiedged, the way to make them …, and … … their attendance, is to give the alarum upon every occasion; He that is in a … ague, though upon his better day, he feels no fit, yet he is …, and watchful o himself where he goes and what he does, … he expects his fit, & he knowes he may hasten it and hazard his life? It is so with a Christian, we are in the leaguer continually, though not assaulted, our … like … lye in our bones though we have a better day now and then, expect the … and give the Allarum and look for our … before it come, that wil make us busy and watchful to prevent it that it, may never come p. 572In their affliction they wil seek me early Hos. 5. last. God is forced somtimes to withdraw, and go away, that he may force his Saints to seek after him.

They are ready to submit to the Ministers of God, The Second … of the Doctrine.making known his mind, the very words which they expresse argues such a disposition of spirit, they come as Patients to the Physitian to know his advice that they may take it. As clyents to the Lawyer, to understand his counsel that they may follow it. So it was with Paul when God set upon his heart, intimates his mistake to him that it was hard for him to kick against the pricks; he trembling & astonished, Lord what wilt thou have me to do? Acts, 9. 6. not his own wil but Gods he attends now, not what he would have done, but what God would have done, Psal 45. 5. When Gods arrows are sharp and stick fast in the hearts of his enemies, the people fal under him.

Because the pride of their carnal reason is now conquered, Reas. 1.the Lord hath dashed, and confounded the overweening conceit which once they had of their own worth and the excellency of their own abilities; they now see that al the wit in the world doth not keep common-wealth in their brain, that their apprehensions are not Oracles, but that they are and have been miserably mistaken and see now by experience the vanity of their imaginations, and that they have been deluded by the darkness of their own … hearts, when they professed themselves wise they became fools, Rom. 1

And therefore they are ready to lay down their own conceits, and to follow Gods counsels, they begin to … and suspect their own blindness, and therefore yield easily to the directions of others. A man that is bewildred, and hath lost himself, he is content that a child should shew him the way, that he conceives hath but any acquaintance with the coast. So it was prophesied of Converts in the time of the Gospel Isa. 11. 6. That a Child should lead them, even the meanest that brought arguments should prevail with them, especially p. 573the ministers of the Gospel of whose wisdom and faithfulness, and acquaintance with the way and wil of God they have had … experience.

That stubbornness and rebellious resistance of their Reas. 2.wills out of the soveraignty whereof, they durst set themselves against God and heaven, is now tamed and subdued. So that they dare not gainsay but become plyable to the holy and acceptable wil of God, and ready to take the impression of his good pleasure, when it appears and is presented before them; The hardest peble when it is broken and … to pouder, it wil take any impression that is put upon it, So Job joynes these two Job. 23. 15. 16. Job is afraid of Gods presence, for God hath melted or made my heart soft and the Almighty hath troubled me, and hence when God had schooled him out of the whirlwind and tamed the stiffness and perversness of his spirit, see how he yields himself to Gods hand, to do any thing with him, even works like wax, Behold I am vile, once have I spoken but I wil say no inore, twice but I wil proceed no further.

Because they have found the truth of the word, and Reas. 3.the terror and authority thereof made good upon their souls, and that they cannot now but acknowledg and admire, and therefore dare not but readily submit thereunto as knowing, they cannot resist but with their own ruine, and there own safety consists in subjection thereunto, which they could never formerly be perswaded of, before he found it by woful experience, how terrible God hath been out of his Sanctuary, Psal. 110. 3. thy people shal be willing in the day of thy power, so the woman of … when the truth of our Saviors speech pierced her heart, like a two edged sword, she then fals to admire him when before she had … both his speech and practise,