Twenty Sermons, Sermon 14
THE NECESSITY OF HUMILIATION,
ACTS XVI. 29, 30.
Then he called for a light, and ſprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas;
And brought them out, and ſaid, Sirs, what muſt I do to be ſaved?
THE Lord knows who are his, ſaith the Apoſtle, (2 Tim. 2.19.) Namely, they whom he hath choſen to life Eternal; and when once God hath ſet his Privy Seal upon them, he will call them, and bring them home to himſelf, in what place ſoever they be, though ſcattered amongſt the Heathen: in what condition ſoever they be; whether high, or low, rich or poor, learned or unlearned; nay, though they be lock'd up under a Calling that may ſeem to be a bar from coming home to God: You ſhall ſometimes hear a man ſay, My calling hinders me from God and Goodneſs; but I would ſay to ſuch a one, if thou belongeſt to Chriſt, though thy calling be never ſo baſe and unſuitable to God, and the ways of God, yet thou ſhalt be fetch'd home, and brought home to Jeſus Chriſt at one time or other: witneſs the Jaylor here the Text ſpeaks of, that had a calling bad enough; for inſtead of profeſſing Chriſt and his Goſpel, he was a perſecutor of Chriſt and his People; a rough-hewen Fellow, that dealt hardly with theſe precious Servants of Chriſt, beating them, and putting them in the inward Priſon, and made faſt their feet in the Stocks, as you may read in the 24 verſe; but Paul and Silas ſang in Priſon, verſe 25. And take notice by the way, That God can ſometimes make a Priſon a Palace to thoſe that fear him. And as they were praying, and ſinging Praiſes to God, the Lord ſhook the Priſon where they were: and with his ſhaking the Priſon, he did ſhake the Jaylors heart; he had an Earthquake within him, as well as without him: whereupon, being greatly perplexed and amazed, the Text tells you here, He calls for a light, and ſprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and ſaid, Sirs, What muſt I do to be ſaved? So that this Text tells you, and deſcribes to you the Jaylors carriage when God firſt ſtruck his heart, and gave him a ſight of himſelf, and of his ſins: and in this carriage of the Jaylor, there are theſe three things very obſervable:
His Perplexity, his Courteſie, his Queſtion: his Perplexity, in verſe 29. His Courteſie and Queſtion, in verſe 30.
Firſt, His Perplexity, He called for a light, and ſprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas.
Secondly, His Courteſie; the Text ſays, He brought them out.
Thirdly, His Queſtion; Sirs, What muſt I do to be ſaved?
It is the firſt of theſe I principally aim at, namely, the Jaylors Perplexity, Then he called for a light; darkneſs now was a terrour to him, becauſe he was a terrour to himſelf, He was a Magor Miſſabib, a terrour round about, Jer. 20.3. And he ſprang in, that is, he ruſh'd haſtily into the Priſon, and like a man diſtracted, knew not what to do, nor which way to turn himſelf; he came trembling, being ſtricken with inward horror, and terror of Conſcience; and pray obſerve it well: There is not the ſtouteſt man breathing upon Earth, but if God ſet his Conſcience againſt him, like a Dog to fly in his face, it will pull him down, and lay him flat, and fill him with that inward horror and terror, and perplexity, that he will be more afraid of himſelf, than of all the world beſides. Thus it was with the Jaylor here: when God came nigh him, and awakened his conſcience, he fell down before Paul and Silas; God had given him a ſight of his ſins, and of the inviſible Majeſty of Chriſt, that was in thoſe his precious Servants Paul and Silas, whom before he look'd upon as a couple of Rogues, and that the Whip and the Stocks were good enough for them: but now he reverenceth them, and reſpects them, and falls down at their feet. Thus you ſee what his Perplexity was.
My purpoſe is not to inſiſt upon every particular, but to pitch upon that which is principally held forth in the words: obſerve therefore, when God was about to work the great work of ſaving Faith, and ſound Converſion in the heart of this Jaylor, and by Faith in Jeſus Chriſt to bring him to Salvation, what is the firſt thing that he does? Firſt, he humbles him, and ſtrikes him down, and lays him flat, he doth awaken and ſhake his conſcience: this unbroken Sinner is now amazed, and perplexed, and aſtoniſhed, and he knows not which way to turn himſelf. So then the obſervation I would commend to you from the words, is this:
Doct. Sound Humiliation is a neceſſary Antecedent, or Fore-runner to Faith and Salvation.
Would you have it plainer? then take it thus: Thoſe whom God intends to make true Believers, and Heirs of his Everlaſting Kingdom: they are firſt ſoundly humbled, and made ſenſible of their own dangerous and damnable condition.
Look as a Timber-tree, that a man intends for building, firſt he hews it down, and then he fits it, and ſquares it for the building; ſo that Sinner whom God intends to frame for himſelf, and build up by Faith to Salvation; God firſt caſts down to the ground, and lays him flat, and makes him ſenſible of his own loſt, and dangerous, and damnable eſtate: Look into the Scripture, and you ſhall find that this is Gods Method, and Jeſus Chriſts, and the Holy Ghoſts Method.
Firſt, This is Gods Method, and this courſe he took with our firſt Parents: he arraigned them, and paſt a ſentence upon them, and pronounced a curſe againſt them, before ever he brings them to the knowledg of a Saviour, before ever he made that Promiſe, that The ſeed of the woman ſhould break the Serpents head. Remarkable is that Scripture, Job 33.21, 22; it deſcribes the manner of Gods converting a Sinner, verſe 14, God ſpeaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not. God calls, and cryes, and knocks, and tries this way, and that way, and the other way to bring the Sinner in, to bring him home by Converſion, but all will not do; what doth he then? Read verſe 21, 22. God humbleth the Sinner to the very duſt, His fleſh is conſumed away that it cannot be ſeen, and his bones that were not ſeen ſtick out: his ſoul draweth near unto the Grave, and his life to the deſtroyers. His meaning is this, He is made a very Anatomy, and God brings him to the very gates of Hell: and what follows, Then he is gracious unto him, and ſaith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ranſom.
So this was the Method of Jeſus Chriſt; this courſe he took with St. Paul before he was converted: he unhorſt him, and humbled him, and ſtruck him blind; and all this while St. Paul muſt ſteep himſelf in ſorrow, before Ananias comes to him, and ſpeak words of comfort, Acts 9. Chriſt would have us weary and heavy laden, Matth. 11: weary with the work of ſin, and heavy laden with the weight of ſin, before he will give us eaſe; he will have the Soul thirſty, before he gives it the water of life, Iſa 55, Ho, every one that thirſteth, come ye to the waters: that is, to be ſenſible of the want of Chriſt, and the worth of Chriſt, before he gives the Soul to taſte of the water of life; and he will have the Soul ſick of ſin, before the Phyſician comes to it, The whole have no need of a Phyſician, but they that are ſick, Matth. 9.12. He will have the Sinner ſick of his ſin, before he will cure him.
And this is the Holy Ghoſts Method too: for you ſhall read, the Spirit of God firſt convinceth of ſin, before he convinceth of righteouſneſs, John 16.8. Firſt, The Spirit of God convinceth of ſin for humiliation, before he convinceth of righteouſneſs for Juſtification.
And this hath been the Method of all Maſterbuilders. John Baptiſt he comes levelling of Mountains, and caſting down proud Sinners before they come to Chriſt; and St. Peter, he prick'd his Hearers to the heart, before he gave them any hope or comfort by a Saviour, Acts 2. He let them blood at the heart before he directed them how to be ſaved. But now, becauſe this is a weighty Truth, and it may pleaſe God to do good to ſome of you all the days of your lives, to know the Method and manner of bringing Jeſus Chriſt and the Soul together (for this is all the work we Miniſters have to do); let me ſpeak to it by way of Explication, and ſhew you three things.
Firſt, What this Humiliation is?
Secondly, Whether the like meaſure of Humiliation be wrought in all that are brought home to Jeſus Chriſt, or no?
Thirdly, Why God is pleaſed to take this courſe to fit men for Faith and Salvation, thus firſt to humble them?
Firſt, What this Humiliation is? Divines deſcribe a twofold Humiliation:
1. A Paſſive Humiliation.
2. An Active Humiliation.
The Paſſive humiliation, is that whereby God humbles the Sinner, in the firſt work of his Converſion, and it is called A Paſſive Humiliation, becauſe the Sinner is wholly Paſſive, and doth nothing at all conducing to his Converſion; and of this the Text ſpeaks of.
Secondly, There is An Active Humiliation; and this is that whereby a Sinner humbles himſelf before God: of this you read 2 Chron. 12.7, They have humbled themſelves, therefore I will not deſtroy them. Now it is not this latter I am to ſpeak of: this, to ſpeak properly, is nothing but the act of renewed Repentance; but I am to ſpeak of the firſt, namely, that whereby God in the firſt work of Converſion lets a man ſee the need that he hath of Jeſus Chriſt, and it may be thus deſcribed: Pasſive humiliation is a work of the Spirit of God, whereby a poor Sinner being ſtricken with a ſenſe of his ſin, and fear of wrath, doth fly out of himſelf and cloſeth with Jeſus Chriſt; I ſay, It is a work of the Spirit of God, becauſe it is the Spirit that convinceth of ſin, and by convincing of ſin, he humbles the Soul; and hence it is the Spirit of God in the firſt work of Converſion, is called the ſpirit of bondage, Rom. 8.15, For ye have not received the ſpirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of Adoption, whereby we cry Abba Father. Why is it called the ſpirit of bondage? not becauſe the Spirit of God brings the Soul into bondage: for the Spirit of God is a free Spirit, Pſalm 51.12, Ʋphold me with thy free Spirit; and where the Spirit of God is, there is liberty. But he is called a Spirit of bondage, becauſe he diſcovers to us our bondage, and lets the Sinner ſee the bondage and ſlavery wherein he is miſerably captivated under ſin and Satan. A man, before the work of Converſion is wrought, thinks himſelf a Free-man; We are Abrahams Seed, and were never in bondage to any, how ſayeſt thou we ſhall be made free? John 8.33. But now the Spirit of God comes, and lets a man ſee himſelf in the glaſs of Gods Law, whereby he diſcovers ſin to be out of meaſure ſinful; and it lets him ſee himſelf in the glaſs of Conſcience, and ſo comes to the Sinner, and ſays to him, juſt as Nathan did to David, Thou art the man; thou art he that lieth under the guilt of ſin, and under the wrath of God, and under the condemnation of the ſecond death: therefore look to it. When the Spirit of God lets a man ſee himſelf, and his bondage, and that ſtate of wo and miſery in which he is, then he confeſſeth he is in the gall of bitterneſs, and in the bond of iniquity. Again, I ſay in the deſcription of it, that the poor Sinner is ſtricken with the ſenſe of his ſin, and with the fear of wrath. Before a man is humbled, he is juſt like a man in a dead ſleep, in a drunken ſleep: he hears not, he fears not, he feels not: like the Drunkard that Solomon ſpeaks of, Prov. 23.34, 35, Yea, thou ſhalt be as he that lieth down in the midſt of the Sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a Maſt; they have ſtricken me, ſhalt thou ſay, and I was not ſick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when I ſhall awake, I will ſeek it yet again. But when once the Spirit of God comes to ſtrike the Sinner to the purpoſe: now ſin is revived, and Conſcience awakened and convicted: as the Apoſtle Paul ſaith, I was alive once without the Law; alive in my own apprehenſion, alive without the ſpiritual knowledg of the Law; but ſin revived, and I died, Rom. 7.9. Then the Law ſhewed me I was but a dead man: O Conſcience now began to be awakened, and convicted. Senſe of ſin brings with it a fear of wrath: and hence it is, that the ſpirit of bondage is called a Spirit of fear, 2 Tim. 1.7, For God hath not given us the ſpirit of fear, but of Power, of Love, and of a ſound mind. And this fear doth awaken a man, and leave ſome kind of impreſſion upon the ſpirit of a man: ſo that he is awakened, and looks out for help out of himſelf. Again, I ſay, A Sinner thus ſtricken with the ſenſe of his ſin, flyes out of himſelf, and flyes to Jeſus Chriſt; That is, he deſpairs of all hope, and help in himſelf: I dare ſay, he was never a true Believing Sinner, that was not a deſpairing Sinner: underſtand me thus, There is a Religious deſperation, as well as a damning-deſperation; I ſay, a Sinner that is ſtricken with the ſenſe of his ſins, deſpairs of help in himſelf; this is an holy deſpair, whereby a man renounceth all hope of help in himſelf, and flyes to Jeſus Chriſt. This is a certain Rule, The leſs a man truſts in himſelf, the more he truſts in a Saviour. That's the firſt thing, What this Humiliation is?
A ſecond Queſtion to be ſatisfied is this, Whether the like meaſure of humiliation be wrought in all thoſe that are brought home to Jeſus Chriſt?
I anſwer, No; ſome have more, and ſome have leſs, according to the different tempers of mens ſpirits: ſome men are more froward, and ſome are more ingenious; thoſe that are openly prophane, ſtout, ſtubborn Sinners, they uſually have a great meaſure of humiliation: but now thoſe that are more flexible, have a leſs meaſure of humiliation; to the firſt, God comes like a mighty ruſhing wind; to the ſecond ſort, he comes like a ſtill wind, in a more mild and melting way; ſometimes God breaks in upon the Sinners heart with open violence, as he did upon St. Paul, when he was ſmitten down to the ground, Acts 9. Sometimes again God opens the heart without any noiſe, as he did the heart of Lydia, Acts 16. Sometimes God ſuffers a Sinner to lie long under the ſpirit of bondage, thoſe eſpecially that he hath appointed for ſome ſpecial uſe and ſervice to himſelf; as the Timber that is appointed for ſome ſpecial ſervice, lies long a ſoaking before it be made uſe of. Sometimes again, Sinners are ſet free from Legal terrors ſuddenly; now this is the leaſt meaſure of Humiliation, wrought in thoſe that are brought home to Jeſus Chriſt, to make ſin odious and loathſome to a man, and to make a man fly out of himſelf to Jeſus Chriſt. There is a twofold Paſſive humiliation:
1. A Legal Humiliation.
2. An Evangelical Humiliation.
The Legal humiliation, is that which conſiſts in Legal terror, and fear of wrath, and the ſenſe of Gods wrath, and horror of Conſcience, and fear of Hell-fire.
Secondly, There is an Evangelical humiliation, and that conſiſts in the operation of Gods bleſſed Spirit, convincing a man of ſin; when the Spirit of God convinceth the Sinner, and by convincing him, empties him of himſelf; and by emptying him, fits him for a Saviour. Legal humiliation, (Pray mark) though it makes a greater noiſe, yet it is not always abſolutely needful for all perſons, which I prove thus: It is not a grace, becauſe a man can never have too much grace, and a man may have too much Legal humiliation. Again, ſome Reprobates have had a great meaſure of Legal humiliation, and yet have periſhed; and ſome that have been converted, have had but a little meaſue of Legal humiliation, and yet have been ſaved. I ſay, Legal humiliation, though it makes a great noiſe, is not abſolutely needful: But Evangelical humiliation, though ir makes a leſs noiſe, this is abſolutely needful to every perſon: becauſe this drives a Sinner out of himſelf, and cauſeth him to fly to Jeſus Chriſt in a mild and melting way, making him to look on him whom he hath pierced, and to mourn for his ſin, as he that mourns for the loſs of his only Son that ſerves him.
The third thing to be opened, is this: But why doth God take this courſe in bringing men to Faith and Salvation? The reaſons are theſe three:
Firſt, It is Equal.
Secondly, It is Fitting.
Thirdly, It is Neceſſary.
Firſt, It is Equal, becauſe it is Gods way; and there is all the reaſon in the World, that God ſhould bring us to Heaven in his own way; that it is Gods way, appears Iſa. 61.1, 2, The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me (ſaith Jeſus Chriſt) becauſe the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek; he hath ſent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the Captives: and the opening of the Priſon to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn. So you ſee they are to be comforted that mourn, and they are to be bound up that are broken-hearted; ſo that, till a man be meek and humble, and have a broken heart, he is out of Chriſts Cnmmiſſion to comfort; Chriſt will ſay to ſuch, I have nothing to do with thee, I am ſent to thoſe that are meek, and humble, and broken-hearted, Luke 19.10. In Matth. 18.11, The Son of man came to ſeek, and to ſave that which was lost.—Then (may ſome ſay) he came to ſeek and to ſave all, for all were loſt in Adam: but that is not the meaning; but the meaning is, All that feel themſelves loſt: a man may be in a loſt condition, and yet never feel himſelf in a loſt condition; but when a man ſees himſelf to be in a loſt eſtate, and in a damned and undone condition without Chriſt, Chriſt came to ſeek and to ſave ſuch.
Secondly, It is Fitting that God ſhould bring us to Faith and Salvation this way: fitting, you will ſay, But how?
In reference to God.
In reference to Our ſelves.
In reference to Others.
Firſt, In reference to God: becauſe by this humiliation, the Juſtice of God is acknowledged, and the Mercy of God is magnified: theſe are the two great Attributes that God will have magnified in the converſion of a Sinner. The Juſtice of God is acknowledged, when the Sinner falls down at the feet of God, and ſaith, Lord, againſt thee, againſt thee have I ſinned, and done this evil in thy ſight, that thou mighteſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakeſt, and clear when thou judgeſt, Pſalm. 51.4. And the Mercy of God is wonderfully magnified, when he hangs out a white Flag of Pardon, after all the Sinners rebellions and provocations: O now, mercy is mercy indeed! As a King, when he is about to pardon a Traitor, he ſuffers him to be brought to the place of Execution, to have the Rope about his neck, and the Handkerchief drawn over his face: O how welcome is a pardon then to that Traitor! So an humbled Sinner will ſay, Mercy is mercy indeed, when he is convinced of his deſperate, and undone eſtate and condition.
Secondly, It is fitting in reſpect of our ſelves: that we may know our ſelves, know the plague of our hearts, 1 Kings 8.38. God will have us to ſee and to feel, that it is an evil and bitter thing, that we have ſinned againſt him. Jer. 2 19, Thine own wickedneſs ſhall correct thee, and thy back ſlidings ſhall reprove thee; know therefore, and ſee, that it is an evil thing, and bitter, that thou haſt forſaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, ſaith the Lord God of Hoſts. God would have the Sinner ſee his polution, and to cry out with the Leper under the Law: I am unclean, I am unclean, Levit. 13.45. As Miriam for her miſcarriage towards Moſes, was ſmitten with a Leproſie; Moſes cryed to the Lord to heal her; No, ſtay, ſaith God; If her Father had but ſpit in her face, ſhould ſhe not be aſhamed ſeven days? She muſt know her ſelf before ſhe be healed, Numb. 12.10, 13, 14.
Thirdly, It is fitting in reſpect of Others: that they may not ſpeak reproachfully of God, and the ways of God. If ſo be a Sinner could inſtantly ſtep out of an Ale-houſe to Chriſt, or out of a Whorehouſe to Chriſt; if there were no more required to get to Chriſt, than the putting of meat out of one Diſh into another, carnal men would be ready to have very low thoughts of God, that he is ſuch a one as themſelves, that he doth patronize and approve their wicked courſes: but God will have the mouth of iniquity ſtop'd, and carnal men themſelves acknowledg, that the ways of God are equal.
Thirdly, It is neceſſary that the Soul be humbled; I ſhall give you theſe five Reaſons of the neceſſity of it:
Firſt, Becauſe without this humiliation, the Sinner can never highly prize God. To an unhumbled Sinner, Chriſt is no more eſteemed (with reverence be it ſpoken) than the dirt under his feet, Acts 4.11, This is the stone which was ſet at nought by you Builders: they made no reckoning of Chriſt at all. Tell an unhumbled Sinner of Juſtification, of Sanctification, of Adoption, of the hope of Glory, and the like: he makes no more reckoning of them, than the children of Iſrael did of the Manna, who loathed it: but now when a Sinner is ſmitten with the ſenſe of ſin, and fear of wrath, and knows the burden of guilt upon his Conſcience, now Chriſt is Chriſt indeed; and he looks upon him with an admiring eye, and cryes out, O the dignity of his Perſon! the preciouſneſs of his Blood! the value of his Merits! the efficacy of his Interceſſion! the comforts of his Spirit! Oh the comforts and excellencies that are in this ſweet and precious Saviour! My Beloved (ſaith ſuch a Soul) is the choiſeſt of ten thouſand. The poor (ſaith our Saviour) receive the Goſpel; that is, thoſe that are poor in Spirit, they like the wiſe Merchant, will be contented to ſell all to buy him who is the Pearl of invaluable Price; an humbled Sinner will ſay, Give me Chriſt though I have a Croſs with him, though I have a Priſon with him; nay, though I die with him, though I die for him.
Secondly, Without humiliation, the Sinner can never duly and diligently ſeek Chriſt. You know, The Law is a School-maſter to bring us unto Chriſt, Gal. 3.24. The truth is, the Soul will never run to Chriſt to the purpoſe, until he be whipt by this School-maſter. You know the ſtory of the City of Refuge; the Man-ſlayer never fled thither, until the Avenger of blood purſued him. The City of Refuge is Jeſus Chriſt, and the Sinner never flies to Jeſus Chriſt to purpoſe, until the vengeance of a ſin-revengieg God, and the curſe of a condemning Law, and the horror of a ſelf-accuſing Conſcience, purſue the Soul like a chaſed Deer; now it flies to Jeſus Chriſt to purpoſe.
Thirdly, Without humiliation the Sinner will never obey Chriſt; an unbroken Sinner is like an unbroken Colt that is not tamed, or like an unbroken Heifer that will not ſubmit to the yoke: Jeſus Chriſt may command what he will, but he will do what he liſt. But when a Sinner comes to be humbled and unhors'd, as St. Paul was, then he ſays, Lord, What wilt thou have me to do? Though it be never ſo croſs to my carnal and corrupt Nature, yet I will do it. Before the Sinner is humbled, he is ever complaining of the unkindneſs of Gods dealing with him; but after he is humbled, he is ever complaining how unkindly he deals with God. As all diſobedience ſprings from pride, ſo all obedience ſprings from humility.
Fourthly, Without humiliation the Sinner will never conſtantly cleave to Jeſus Chriſt. There are many that ſeemingly cloſe with Chriſt for a while, juſt like thoſe that rejoyced in John Baptists Doctrine for a while, John 5.35, He was a burning and a ſhining light, and ye were willing to rejoyce in his light for a ſeaſon. And you read of ſome that followed Chriſt for a while, but they were offended, and went back, and walked no more with him, John 6.66. There are many Profeſſors juſt like the Corn caſt into the ſecond ground in the Parable: It ſprang up for a while, but in time of temptation it withered; why? becauſe it wanted root: and why did it not root? becauſe the Plough of humiliation went not deep enough: ſo there are many Profeſſors that prove Apoſtates, and diſloyal to the Lord Jeſus Chriſt; but what is the reaſon? becauſe they were never throughly humbled; they are weary of Chriſts yoke, becauſe ehey never felt the burden of the Devils yoke, and of ſins yoke: that Soul that hath felt the burden of Satans yoke, will ſay, that Chriſts yoke is a ſweet and eaſie yoke; they that are truly humbled, will never forſake Chriſt, but will cling and cleave to him, as a ſhip-wrack'd Mariner doth to a Rock: he will not part with it, becauſe he knows it is for his life.
Fifthly, This humiliation is neceſſary, becauſe without it we can never be conformable to Chriſt; for Chriſt was firſt humbled before he was exalted; He drank of the brook in the way, before he lift up his head, Pſalm 110.7. Thus you have the Doctrine opened, now let us ſee what Application we can make of this Point; and the Ʋſes are but two: the one of Inſtruction, and the other of Exhortation. I ſhall give you two Inſtructions, and two Exhortations.
The firſt Inſtruction or Leſſon by way of Inference, is this: If ſound humiliation be ſuch a neceſſary Antecedent to Faith and Salvation, then it juſtifies the practice of thoſe Miniſters, that take this courſe in convincing, and humbling, and wounding, and awakening ſleepy Sinners: you ſee what we Miniſters may do; nay, you ſee what we muſt do if with care and conſcience we would diſcharge our duty: we muſt ſometimes thunder and lighten, as St. Paul did when he made Felix to tremble, Acts 24.25. We muſt ſtrike the Sinners heart with an Arrow of Conviction, as the Arrow that was ſhot at Ahab, entred in at the joints of his Armour, and pierc'd his heart, 1 Kings 22.34. We muſt hedg in the Sinner with inevitable Conviction, and meet him with a drawn Sword, as the Angel did Balaam, Numb. 22.23. We muſt ſometimes knock at the door of their hearts, and ſay to them, O thou unregenerate man, I have ſad news to tell thee! Thou canſt never, ſo long as thou art in this condition, ſee the face of God with comfort, or enter into his Kingdom; thou mayſt ſee the face of God indeed, but it will be with frowns in his Forehead, and indignation in his Countenance to thee, when he ſhall ſentence thee to that foreign, that blackneſs of darkneſs for ever, Jude 13. O Drunkard, I have ſad news to tell thee! Thou muſt drink of the Cup of Gods wrath and indignation, which will cauſe thee to ſpew and fall, and never riſe again. O Swearer, I have ſad news to tell thee! That the wrath of God is like a flying Rowl, hangs over the houſe of ever Swearer, Zech. 5. O ignorant and diſobedient Sinner, I have ſad news to tell thee, Jeſus Chriſt will come in flames of fire to take vengeance on them that know him not, and obey not the Goſpel, 2 Theſſ. 1.7, 8. In a word, we muſt take any courſe to awaken Sinners out of their ſloath and ſecurity.
Two ſorts of perſons there are that oppoſe this kind of Preaching: but moſt do not love it, but diſlike it.
Firſt, the openly prophane and ſcandalous Sinner, that would fain ſleep in ſin, and go to Hell in a ſlumber: and therefore he looks upon ſuch awakening Sermons, as tormenting Sermons, Rev. 11.10, The two Prophets tormented them that dwelt upon the Earth. Oh this convincing, quickning and awakening Doctrine, this is but a torment to many carnal men: who cry out, What ado is there with theſe Miniſters? they will not let me be quiet, they torment me before my time. Ah poor wretch! Art thou afraid to be tormented before thy time? and art thou not afraid to be tormented time without end? There are ſome Beaſts ſo furious, that there is nothing but the fire will tame them: ſo there are ſome men ſo brutiſh that they are mad upon their evil ways: as it is ſaid of the Chaldeans, They are mad upon their Idols, Jer. 50.38. So, ſome are mad upon ſinful ways and courſes, that a Miniſter muſt ſpit fire in their faces to rouſe them out of their ſecurity and ſpiritual Lethargy: Art thou angry with a Miniſter, who in tender compaſſion to thy Soul, would pluck thy Soul as a firebrand out of the fire, and ſave it from eternal miſery and burnings? if one of you have a leg broken, you will ſend for a Chyrurgion to ſet it, and you will be contented that he ſhall put you to great pain for the recovering of your Limb, and reſtoring you to your former ſtate again; and will you not allow your Miniſters to put you to ſome pain, and grief, and trouble, for the recovering of your Souls from that wound and breach that ſin hath made upon you?
A ſecond ſort that oppoſe convincing Preaching, are Antinomians, that tell us there is no uſe of the Law under the Goſpel: and that Miniſters muſt preach nothing but Chriſt, and Grace, and Peace, and Comfort, and Mercy, and lead men to Heaven in a mild, and meek, and gentle way.
To this I Reply: What, would you have us apply a Plaiſter where there is no ſore? Would you have us apply a Cordial where they are not ſick? Would you have us pour in the Oil, where there is no wound? God himſelf pours not in the Oil of Mercy, but into a broken Veſſel, Iſa. 61.1. The Lord knows, we delight not in preaching any terrible Doctrines to you, if you were but fitted for mercy; but if you are not fitted for Mercy, then, as the pricking Needle makes way for the ſewing of the Cloth together: ſo this kind of Preaching, convincing, and humbling the Sinner, makes way for the bringing of Chriſt and the Soul together: and therefore you may well bear with it.
A ſecond Inſtruction that we may learn from hence, is this: It ſerves to let us ſee what the reaſon is, that there are ſo few Believers, ſo few converted and convinced; O, Miniſters cannot ſpeak of this ſcarce without watery eyes. Truly heretofore, three thouſand were converted at one Sermon: but now there is ſcarce one that is converted with three thouſand Sermons. O whence is it that the work of Converſion is almoſt at an end in England, in London? It is rare to hear of a Soul converted; we hear of many that are perverted, that are led into by-paths of Error, and Hereſie, and Blaſphemy, and Schiſm, but it is a rare matter to hear of one converted; they are but few that ſee the need they have of Chriſt; that prize him, that believe in him, that obey him, that conſtantly cleave to him: but moſt men are very well contented to be in a natural condition, they are ſecure and quiet without Chriſt; but what is the Reaſon? Becauſe they do not ſee the need they have of Chriſt; for if they did but ſee the need they have of him, they would ſay, They may better want light, than want Jeſus Chriſt, who is the Light, and by whom they may have the Light of Life, John 8.12: They may better want Bread for their bodies, than the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who is the bread and ſpiritual food of the Soul: I am the Bread of Life, John 6. If they did but ſee the need they have of him, doubtleſs they would cloſe with him: but why do not they ſee the need that they have of him? The Reaſon is, Becauſe they are not humbled, they were never yet ſtricken with the ſenſe of ſin, they never yet ſaw the inſide of themſelves: they never with the Jaylor in the Text, were afrighted, amazed, ſtricken down in the ſenſe of ſin. Oh, this is the miſery of all miſeries, which Miniſters have moſt cauſe to complain of, that men are not fitted enough for Jeſus Chriſt; they are not loſt enough in themſelves for a Saviour, Hoſ. 14.3, With thee the fatherleſs find mercy. Were we more hopeleſs, helpleſs and fatherleſs, we ſhould find more mercy from the hand of Jeſus Chriſt. O that God would awaken and ſhake ſome ſin-ſleeping Soul this day. Oh that this Doctrine thus opened, might be as a Thunderbolt to let ſome of you ſee the inſide of your ſelves. O poor Sinner, thou haſt an inſupportable burden of ſin and guilt lying on thy Soul, ready to preſs thee down to Hell, and yet thou feeleſt it not; thou haſt the wrath of God hanging over thy head by the twined thred of a ſhort life, which it may be thou mayſt not be free from one year: nay, perhaps not one month, but thou ſeeſt it not; if thou didſt but ſee it, then thou wouldſt cry out as he did in Boſworth field, A Horſe, a Horſe, a Kingdom for a Horſe; ſo thou wouldſt cry out, None but Chriſt, nothing but Chriſt, ten thouſand Worlds for Chriſt.
The ſecond Uſe of Exhortation; And I have but two Exhortations to tender to you:
Firſt, I beſeech you, and exhort you in the Name of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, (whoſe poor Meſſenger I am) that you would labour to be convinced of the neceſſity of humiliation; believe it, be perſwaded of it, be convinced of it, that thou muſt be broken, if ever thou wouldſt have Jeſus Chriſt to bind thee up; thou muſt be ſick of ſin, if ever thou wouldſt have Jeſus Chriſt to heal thee; thou muſt be dejected and caſt down, if ever thou wouldſt have Jeſus Chriſt to comfort thee; if God therefore do not open thine eyes, and awaken thy Conſcience, and touch thy heart, I do pronounce againſt thee, that there is no Chriſt, no Heaven, no Pardon, no Peace, no Comfort, no Salvation for thee. Oh the miſerable, deplorable condition of all you that were never yet humbled, you that never yet were convinced of ſin, you that never taſted the bitterneſs of ſin, you that never felt the burden of ſin, that never yet complained with the Apoſtle, Rom. 7, O wretched man that I am, who ſhall deliver me from the body of this death? Some derive the word from a man that is troubled with the ſtone in the bladder, O wretched man that I am! O miſerable is the condition that you are in: you that never yet felt ſin to be ſin, that have not felt the burden of it, nor taſted the bitterneſs of it, you are not fit to come to Jeſus Chriſt; you are out of his Commiſſion; for he is ſent to the humble and broken hearted Sinner, Iſa. 61. It may be thou knoweſt what ſin is, and Chriſt is, and Grace is, notionally; but there is a great deal of difference between knowing and inward feeling: wretched was thy condition if thou didſt but feel it; but a thouſand times more wretched it is, becauſe thou feeleſt it not.
My ſecond Exhortation to you, is this: If ſo be ſound humiliation be a neceſſary Antecedent to Faith and Salvation; then uſe the utmoſt of your endeavours, that you may be humbled, broken, and bruiſed Sinners, that you may be put into a capacity to cloſe with a Saviour. Now becauſe I know this is but a harſh Exhortation; give me leave to ſweeten it with theſe three Conſiderations:
Firſt, Remember that the promiſes of Grace and Mercy are made to all humbled Sinners, Levit. 26.41, If then their uncircumciſed hearts ſhall be humbled, and they accept of the puniſhment of their iniquities; then will I remember my Covenant with Jacob, and alſo my Covenant with Iſaac; and alſo my Covenant with Abraham will I remember, and I will remember the Land.
Secondly, Conſider, God never looks with ſo much mercy and compaſſion on any, as thoſe that are moſt humbled, Jer. 31.18, 20, When Ephraim bemoaned himſelf thus: Thou haſt chaſtiſed me, and I was chaſtiſed, as a Bullock unaccuſtomed to the yoke: I have been proud, and ſtout, and ſtubborn under all thy Rods: Turn thou me, and I ſhall be turned. Surely after I was turned, I repented; after I was inſtructed, I ſmote upon my thigh, I was aſhamed, yea, even confounded. Now in the 20 verſe, you have God bemoaning Ephraim; Is Ephraim my dear Son? is he a pleaſant Child? for ſince I ſpake againſt him, I do earneſtly remember him ſtill; therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will ſurely have mercy upon him, ſaith the Lord.
Thirdly, Do but conſider, That this is the ordinary way that God leads men to mercy by; God uſually condemns before he juſtifies, he breaks before he binds up, he pulls down before he builds: There is a time to pull down, and a time to build up, Eccleſ. 3. That may be applyed to this purpoſe: This is, I ſay, Gods ordinary way; and would you have him to go out of his uſual courſe and way? If one of you ſhould ſay to your Neighbour, Let me come in at your window, or break down your wall, and then I will come in and viſit you: what anſwer (think you) would he make? If you do not come in at the door, the ordinary way, do not come in to me.
I, but ſome may ſay, What will you have us to do? Are we able to humble our ſelves? True indeed, when God hath firſt humbled us, then we are able to humble our ſelves; but you told us even now, In the firſt work of Converſion, we are meerly Paſſive, we can do nothing towards our humiliation, it is the work of the Spirit of God; you have now preach'd Free-will to us?
To this I anſwer: True indeed, in a ſtate of Nature, we can do nothing that may pleaſe God, we cannot ſet one foot forwards in the way to Heaven; but yet let me tell you, There is never an unconverted Sinner but may do a great deal more than he doth, therefore I put you upon doing no more than you your ſelves can do, and that in theſe five Particulars: which I ſhall ſpeak a little to, and then have done.
Firſt, Though you cannot humble your ſelves in a ſtate of unregeneracy, yet you may ſuffer another to do it for you, you may ſuffer it to be done. A man, for example, that is to be cut of the ſtone, though he cannot cut himſelf, he may ſuffer another to cut him; ſo a man that is ſick of this deſperate ſtony diſeaſe, of the ſtone in the heart, though he cannot take it away himſelf, he may ſuffer it to be done; when the Word of God ploughs up the Fallow-ground of your hearts, you may hold up the Plough, Heb. 13.22. You may ſuffer the Word of Exhortation which is tendered to you; when God wounds you by the Word, you may keep the wound open: Carnal men, when the Word hath wounded them, they lick themſelves whole by carnal counſels, and carnal company, and carnal reaſonings; O what a ſtir do men make to ſhake out the Arrow of Conviction, reſiſting the Spirit of God that is ſtirring in the Miniſtry of the Word upon their hearts! how many are there that come in Armour to Church? they come in their Coat of Male! how many harden their necks, that the Word cannot pierce them! Now this you muſt not do: you muſt ſuffer the Word to rifle and ranſack your hearts: Let the Word ſmite you, as he ſaid, Pſal 141.5, Let the Righteous ſmite me: Let the Word break my head, or heart, ſo it may but work upon my Soul. When God rouzeth you, ſuppoſe in any ſickneſs or cutting-croſs, you may join with God in rouzing your ſelves: when God ſmiteth you, may not you ſmite upon your thighs as Ephraim did, and ſay, I am aſhamed; yea, even confounded, becauſe I did bear the reproach of my youth? Jer. 31. In a word, when God humbles you, may not you humble your ſelves? therefore in tire fear of the Lord, reſolve to wait upon an awakning ſearching, Soul-piercing Miniſtry, and bleſs God for that Sermon that ſtabs ſin at the heart: bleſs God for that Miniſtry that ſpeaks moſt to thy Conſcience; you may ſuffer ſuch a thing to be done, though uſually ſuch a Miniſtry is look'd upon as a bug-Bear, who preacheth nothing but fire and wrath, and vengeance, and damnation. O bleſſed is that Word that wounds corruption, ſays the Soul. I have hewed them by my Prophets, and ſlain them by the words of my mouth, Hoſ. 6.5. God would have his Word a ſaving Word.
Secondly, There is never a one of you but can ponder and weigh things in your thoughts, that you can do; For example, If you have a good price proffered for ſuch a Commodity, or ſuch a bargain propounded to you, or ſuch a match for your Daughters, you can weigh it, and conſider it, you can conſider which is the beſt Commodity, and which is the beſt Match; ſo here, when the world comes and offers you preſent pay, if you will but part with the peace of a good Conſcience, and comply and ſwim with the ſtream, you ſhall never ſee the inſide of a Priſon: you may have this Office, and that Office, this Preferment, and that Preferment: but now ſays Jeſus Chriſt, Do but keep thy integrity, do but keep a good Conſcience, though thou ſuffer impriſonment, the loſs of all things, thou ſhalt never loſe by it; for, for temporal loſs, thou ſhalt have everlaſting gain, the Kingdom of Heaven; now you can ponder and weigh things in your minds: you can conſider whether it is beſt to enjoy the World for a while, to be free from Priſons and troubles, ſo as to part with the peace of a good Conſcience, and loſe God for ever; or whether it is beſt to endure troubles, to enjoy God and the peace of a good Conſcience, and to enjoy an Eternity of Bleſſedneſs; it is better to endure a thouſand Priſons, than to loſe the peace of a good Conſcience, and the favour of God; this, upon your conſidering and pondering, you will conclude: for the Devil he offers the pleaſures of ſin that are but for a ſeaſon: but ſays Jeſus Chriſt, You ſhall have pleaſures at my right hand for evermore; no man in his wits but would ſay, it is better to have the pleaſures that are at Gods right hand for ever, than the pleaſures of ſin, which it may be I may not enjoy one year, not one month, not one day. So likewiſe, there is none of you but can conſider where you will lie when you are dead; O ſays one, I will lie in ſuch a Church, or in ſuch a Church yard; and cannot you conſider, O but where ſhall my Soul lie? ſhall the Angels carry it into Abrahams boſom? or ſhall the Devils carry it into darkneſs, that blackneſs of darkneſs for ever? Jude 13. And you can meditate on the things that concern this life; every one can ponder on the things that concern his own temporal eſtate and concernment; and certainly, you may as well meditate upon the things that concern a future life: you may meditate on the joys of Heaven, and on the ſorrows and torments of Hell, and the precious blood of Jeſus Chriſt. There is a ſtory of a man that read in a Book every day that had three Leaves: a white leaf, a red leaf, a black leaf; the white leaf of the Book, that was the joys of Heaven; the red leaf, that was the blood of Jeſus Chriſt; the black leaf, that was the torments of Hell. You may look into Hell by contemplation and meditation, that you may prevent Hell to all Eternity; you may meditate upon the blood of Chriſt, and ſteep as it were your ſouls in it by meditation, it may be it may ſoften them. It is ſaid of the Goats blood, when nothing can ſoften an Adamant, the blood of Goats can; the blood of Chriſt, that can ſoften your hard hearts, when nothing elſe can.
Thirdly, A third thing you can do, you can ſorrow more, and mourn more than you do; there is none of you but can ſorrow and mourn for outward loſſes: loſs of Friends, as Husband and Wife, or Child, perhaps for the loſs of a Horſe; what canſt thou mourn for the loſs of a Child, and canſt thou not mourn for the loſs of a Soul, when one Soul is worth all the Kingdoms in the World? If any of you have loſt a good Bargain, or miſt a good Market, you can grieve for this; O methinks you ſhould mourn for this, how many Market days have I loſt for my Soul? I have burnt out many a precious light, and ſpent out my precious time; and can you not mourn for the loſs of ſuch a Bargain as this is? Suppoſe one of you ſhould be ſent for before a mighty Monarch, and ſhould be impeach'd of high Treaſon before him; how would you tremble to appear before ſo mighty a King, that hath power in his hands to cut you off inſtantly! O you and I muſt appear before the great Judg of Heaven and Earth, the King of Kings, that knows all the ſins and Treaſons that ever we have committed; and you ſhould bleſs God if you are caſt into fear, and thereby be brought to mourn, and grieve, and ſorrow for your ſins, Job 23.16, For God maketh my heart ſoft, and the Almighty troubleth me; that is, ſoft by troubling of me.
Fourthly, There is never a one of you but may leave groſs and ſcandalous ſins, which I prove thus: you can do it for fear of men, and you may do it much more for fear of God. A prophane Swearer, if he be in the company of a Godly grave Miniſter. he can refrain his mouth from vile talk: he can forbear his Oaths, and blaſphemous Speeches, and obſcene expreſſions. An Adulterer, if a boy be but in the Room of ſeven years old, he will forbear to act his uncleanneſs, until the boy be out of the Room. If you can forbear groſs ſins for fear of men, much more can you do it for fear of God. If a boy can ſay his Leſſon with a Rod, certainly he can do it without a Rod: if you can abſtain from groſs ſins for fear, certainly you can do it without. You read of the hypocritical Phariſee, he abſtained from groſs ſins, Luke 18, God, I thank thee (ſaith he) I am not as other men are, Extortioners, Ʋnjuſt, Adulterers, &c.
Fifthly, Though it is true, a man in a ſtate of Nature, is dead in treſpaſſes and ſin: yet then, at that time he may do many good works, works morally good, works materially good: he may faſt, and pray, and give Alms; therefore it is that Daniel ſpeaks to Nebuchadnezzar, Break off thy ſins by righteouſneſs, and thine iniquities by ſhewing mercy to the poor, Dan. 4.27. Certainly the Prophet Daniel would never have ſpoken ſo to him, if it had not been in his power to do it. The Apoſtle ſpeaking of the Gentiles, though they wanted the knowledg of the Law, and had not the Law, (ſaith he) Yet they did by Nature the things contained in the Law, they were a Law to themſelves, which ſhews that the works of the Law are written in their hearts, Rom. 2.13, 14. They that are in an unregenerate eſtate, they may pray, they may make Conſcience of praying in their Families; though they cannot pray as they ſhould, yet they may pray as they are able: they may fall down at the feet of God, and ſay, Lord, I am a poor ſinful wretch, I cannot pleaſe thee, praying, or not praying; thou haſt promiſed to give the ſpirit of prayer to them that ask it, Luke 11.13, If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more ſhall your Heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask him? Say, Lord give me thy Spirit to break my hard heart: take any way with me, ſo my proud heart may be humbled, and hard heart broken, that I may welcom Jeſus Chriſt to my Soul, that I may believe in him, and caſt my Soul upon him. So that Beloved, I put you upon no more than you are able to do: you may ſuffer the word of Exhortation, you can ponder and weigh the Word in your own hearts, you may ſorrow and mourn for ſin: you may abſtain from groſs ſins, and you may do thoſe works that are morally good: do what you can do; men are not damned becauſe they can do no better, but becauſe they will do no better, Matth. 23, O Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, I would have gathered thee as a Hen her Chickens under her wings, but ye would not. If there were no will, there would be no Hell, ſaith St. Auſtin. Do what you can, ſet upon works of Holineſs and Piety: ſtrive and put forth your ſtrength to the uttermoſt endeavour of your Souls, to get your hearts humbled, to ſee ſin, and to ſigh for it, to grieve and groan for it; lay your conditions to heart, be feelingly apprehenſive of that wrath that ſin hath kindled, of that Juſtice that ſin hath provoked, of that Mercy that ſin hath abuſed, of that vengeance and anger that ſin hath deſerved to be inflicted. O were we but thus humbled, we ſhould have cauſe to bleſs God to all Eternity. I ſhall cloſe with one word to thoſe that have been under a ſpirit of bondage, that have been convinced, awakened as this Jaylor was, that have had their broken bones, that have felt the burden of ſin, and it may be lie under that burden at this day: O be you comforted, its better to be broken here, than hereafter; it is better to be convinced here than convinced hereafter; it is better to be humbled here, than for God to humble the Soul in Hell to all Eternity; God will make thy Valley of Achor, a Door of Hope, Hoſ. 2.15. Thou that art humbled now, ſhalt be exalted: and thou that mourneſt now, ſhalt be comforted.