Several Works, Work 4

Several Works · Work 4

p. 649Chriſt his Willingneſs to accept Humbled Sinners.

John 6. 37.

—and he that cometh unto me, I will in no wiſe caſt out.

IN this Chapter, after the Miracle of the five hundred men fed with five loaves and two fiſhes, ver. 9, 10, &c. which was no ſmall Miracle indeed, and argued devine power, to multiply ſo ſmall a quantity into a ſufficiency for ſo many hungry bellies; and here, if ever was made good that, that man liveth not by bread alone, but by the Word of God; and ſo it is, when he hath never ſo much; much more where he hath but little and inconſiderable, hath but Pulſe inſtead of dainty fare, a cruſe of oyl, a little meal; I ſay, after this Miracle, our Saviour had woon ſo far upon their affections, if not their underſtandings, though very carnal; they concluded this was that Prophet which they expected, ver. 14. that is to ſay, a ſpecial Prophet, beſide John the Baptiſt, or Elias, as they thought he ſhould come again, be born again, miſunderſtanding that place in Mal. 4. and beſide, p. 650Chriſt the Meſſiah, they expected another Prophet before him, as the Antients, Chryſoſt. Theoph. Cyril and Beza alſo conceive; and ſeemeth very plain in that place of John, why doſt thou Baptize if thou neither be Elias, nor that Prophet, nor yet the Chriſt? Ich. 1. 21, 25.where he is diſtinguiſhed from Chriſt, and yet me thinks here they were carried further in their apprehenſions of Chriſt, then to take him for ſuch a Prophet, for ſaith the Text, Our Saviour Deut. 18. 15.Deut 18:15ſeeing that they would come and take him by violence to make him Acts 3. 23.Acts 3:23King, he withdrew himſelf into a Mount, ver. 15. therefore it ſhould ſeem they had ſome kind of flaſh that he was the Meſſiah, according to their carnal conceipt of the Meſſiah, that he ſhould be a temporal King, and come in pomp, they would needs now make him King. Well, our Saviour now going to his Diſciples upon the Sea, and when he came into the ſhip, it was forthwith aſhore; O how ſweetly and ſwiftly doth any work of Chriſt or for Chriſt go on when he himſelf is with us; the multitude they follow him, their bellies all this while were their inſtructers, their gods and their guides; ye follow me becauſe of the loaves, ſaith our Saviour; and therefore he takes this occaſion to ſtir them up, to ſeek for that food that periſheth not; they were ſenſible of the hunger of their bellies, and were taken with his power to make ſuch proviſion for the body, even where there was nothing in compariſon. O, but their poor ſouls were in a ſtarving condition! and they were not ſenſible of this; and therefore our Saviour endeavours to raiſe their apprehenſions ſomewhat higher, ſpending much of the Chapter afterwards, in ſetting forth himſelf, the true, the ſpiritual Shew-bread, or bread of faces, if they had but ſtomacks and appetites ſuitable to the neceſſities of their poor periſhing ſouls. But alas, they had not aſeeing eye, nor a hearing ear, nor a believing heart; when they heard of 1 Cor. 2. 9.1 Cor 2:9bread, of which, if they did eat, they ſhould never hunger; Lord give us this bread, ſaid they, but they knew not well what they ſaid; for alas, this bread was tendered to them, but they had no mind to it; as the fountain of water was near to Hagar, but ſhe ſaw Gen. 21. 15.Gen 21:15it not; ſo the bread of life was now offering himſelf to them, but they knew it not, and therefore our Saviour reproveth them, you alſo, ſaith he, have ſeen me, and yet believe not; this bread is ſpiritual, I am the bread, but ſpiritually underſtood, for it is the Spirit that quickeneth, but the fleſh profiteth nothing, (ſaith he) p. 651even to his own Diſciples, who were already ſtumbled at this Sermon of his, concerning eating his fleſh and drinking his blood; but (ſaith our Saviour) ye believe not; that is to ſay, ye will not take of this bread, eat of it, receive and apply the benefit of my death, and reſurrection, and aſcention, and interceſſion, and all I underſtand by this bread in a ſpiritual ſenſe, whereby the ſoul is nouriſhed to eternal life, and this was a ſad ſymptom unto them, that they were not belonging to Gods purpoſe of grace, they had little ground to conclude it as yet; for our Saviour ſaith, all that the Father hath given me ſhall come; as yet ye believe not, ye have not come to me with hungry ſouls, though you have followed me with hungry bellies for the loaves; but if you belong to the election, if you be of thoſe the Father hath given to me from eternity, you ſhall come, and him that cometh unto me, I will in no wiſe, &c.

And him that cometh unto me; the copulative and, ſpeaks as great a latitude of the ſubjects ſpoken of, as you have in the former part of the verſe, All that the Father hath given ſhall come; So the Greeks uſe the Neuter-gender, to expreſs univerſality, though they ſpeak of perſons, all that are given ſhall come, and he that cometh being given of his Father; for indeed, there are none elſe that do come to the Son, but ſuch; ye believe not, ſaith he, but all that the Father hath given ſhall come; if you be not of that number, ye may never come to me: and then, whoſoever cometh unto me, I will in no wiſe eaſt him out.

Our Saviour, in theſe words, hath given us to underſtand what welcome, what entertainment we ſhall be ſure to have with him, if we come to him; he will not caſt out any ſuch ſoul. So that at once he hath ſtopt the mouths, or prevented and cut off the occaſion of many doubtings, whereby Satan and a mans own heart are very buſie to block up our way to Chriſt, that we ſhould not come. O; I know not what ſucceſs I ſhall have if I go to him, I may haply be refuſed; and it is as good ſit ſtill, as riſe and fall (we uſe to ſay) thus we are apt to be anſwering our ſelves, before we come to Jeſus Chriſt. Now our Saviour, to cut off all ſuch excuſes as theſe, and to embolden us, and encourage us, hath made this free, this general, this poſitive declaration of his willingneſs to receive us if we come to him, he will not in any wiſe caſt out any ſoul.

p. 652The words will not need any diviſion, and therefore we ſhall, before we ſpeak any further to them, make the obſervation, which is this;

The Lord Jeſus will not caſt out any poor ſoul that cometh to him; there is no more change of them, then what neceſſity requireth: he ſpeaking of himſelf, uſeth the firſt perſon; we ſpeaking of him muſt uſe the third; and this variation is nothing.

This note I ſhall endeavour to explain, prove, confirm and apply to us all.

Firſt then, for the opening of the Doctrine; Firſt, what is meant by coming unto Jeſus Chriſt. And ſecondly, what is meant by caſting out; which he promiſeth he will not do, if any man come unto him.

For the firſt then, what it is to come to Jeſus Chriſt, not to ſpeak of that which is neceſſarily preſuppoſed, that we are all of us by nature far off from Jeſus Chriſt, and ſtrangers from Eph. 2. 13.Eph 2:13the life of God and Covenant of promiſes, enemies to God and to Chriſt, and to our own ſalvation; we are miſerable, and are content to be ſo, would be ſo; but that I ſhall leave building upon it as a thing granted by all, that it is ſo with us by nature, Pſal. 148. 14.Ps 148:14every mothers child; yea, however we may ſeem to be near, and have an outward nearneſs, as the Jews were ſaid to be his Mat. 1…. 28.Matt 1:28people, near the Kingdom of God: So it may be with us at the preſent; that is to ſay, the Lord opens heaven, and lets down the white ſheet of the Goſpel to us, wherein we have all varieties of heaven in our Lord Jeſus; and the voice is, ariſe and eat, come and eat, and drink and live; but alas, our hearts are ſo far from it, that we turn our backs upon it; and thus its with every one of us, untill the Lord proceeds further with us: therefore in the

Firſt place, Brethren, to come to Jeſus Chriſt in the order of nature, doth immediately preſuppoſe a hearing and learning of God: in time haply they may agree: and this I ſpeak of, becauſe I neither my ſelf would give you an effect, without ſhewing you the dependance upon its cauſe, leſt ſome might faſten it upon a falſe root, a falſe cauſe, and ſo put a fallacy upon themſelves; this you have plainly in the 45. ver. of this Chapter, Whoſoever therefore hath heard and learned of the Father, cometh p. 653unto me; where, note the difference of the tenſe or time in the Text, whoſoever hath heard and learned doth come, and therefore he cometh, becauſe he hath heard and learned; this is Gods teaching and mans learning; they ſhall be all taught of God: all! who? all that are in the womb of Gods purpoſe, all that he will bring in to Jeſus Chriſt, as he hath given to Jeſus Chriſt: Not ſimply all men, for we ſee by daily experiences contrary, how many dye and never hear of Chriſt: how many that hear of him, that never learn any thing at all, and ſo do not come to Jeſus Chriſt: yea, how many that ſeem to come to Jeſus Chriſt, and make a profeſſion, and yet depart from him, are left to their own hearts to depart (which is a kind of caſting out) as thoſe Diſciples afterward, many of them went backward, being offended at our Saviours ſpeech, concerning eating his fleſh, and drinking his blood, and never walked with him any more; therefore by the way note it, a man may be a Diſciple that never learned, was never taught of God; for all that are thus taught of God, and learn, they do come to Jeſus Chriſt; and they that ſo come to Chriſt, he ſaith, he will never caſt them out, Iſa. 54. 13. Ier. 31. 33.Isa 54:13Jer 31:33as we ſhall ſee more afterward. Well, but this hearing and learning of the Father, is as much as being taught of God, which in order goeth before the converſion of a ſinner, or his coming to Chriſt, whatever it be in time; and if this Scripture would prove the needleſneſs of Ordinances now to grown Believers, it would prove it as well to new Converts, for theſe are taught of God as well as grown Believers, or elſe they could never come to Chriſt; and if they be not neceſſary, neither for the one nor for the other, to what end did the moſt wiſe Governor of the world and of the Church appoint them for? nothing? but that by the by. I ſay, this is as much as being taught of God, as the Evangeliſt ſheweth in the 45. verſe, bringing that Prophecy, they ſhall be all taught of God; and making this inference from it, whoſoever therefore heareth and learneth of the Father cometh unto me: Again, this being taught of God, it is nothing elſe but the drawing of the Father, as you have it in the 44. verſe, no man cometh unto me, except the Father which hath ſent me draw him; it is written in the Prophets, they ſhall be all taught of God; therefore I conceive that this hearing and learning may be underſtood thus.

p. 654Firſt, By hearing, I underſtand the uſual means of ſalvation, and working of Faith, and that is the Word of Chriſt, the Goſpel of Salvation. How can they believe in him of whom they Rom. 10. 14.Rom 10:14have not heard? (ſaith the Apoſtle) And Faith cometh by hearing, and therefore it is called the word of Faith, and therein the righteouſneſs of God is revealed from Faith to Faith thereby: wherein? even in the Goſpel preached, of which the Apoſtle was not aſhamed: by the preaching thereof poor Rom. 1. 17.Rom 1:17creatures were brought to believe in the Lord Jeſus: and ſo the righteouſneſs of Chriſt was revealed therein to them, and conveighed to them by Faith. I know not what courſe the Lord holds with the Heathen, to whom the Goſpel is not preached by men like themſelves, nor hath the Lord given us a poſitive account of his dealing with them, and therefore I meddle not with it; but this is the ordinary way of Gods working of Faith in them who come to be capable of hearing the Word, and underſtanding of it; therefore uſually, if God intend to bring Ioh 12. 32. The brazen Serpent lifted up. Num. 21. 6.John 12:32Num 21:6on ſuch a ſoul, or ſuch a ſoul, he will bring them under the Word, either to dwell under it, or the Word accidentally to be among them. It is obſervable, that in Pauls converſion, only he himſelf heard the voice of him that talked with him, not the men that were with him, becauſe God intended this viſion for Paul, and not for them; they are ſaid in another place, to hear a voice, but not the voice of God, but the voice of Paul, and wondered to hear him ſpeak, and heard no body ſpeaking to Acts 9. 7. & chap. 22. 9.Acts 9:7him: hearing then of God, is hearing him ſpeak in his Word, for it is he that ſpeaks therein.

Secondly, By the hearing may alſo be underſtood yet further, ſome whiſperings and motions, and ſecret workings of his Spirit, which many a man hath many times in hearing of the Word; the Spirit paſſeth by, and breatheth in the Word upon one ſoul, and upon another, putting on the ſoul to faſten upon ſuch a a truth, or ſuch a truth, as ſweet and precious; inwardly ſpeaking to their underſtandings, that they are ſure the men concerned in ſuch a threatning, in ſuch a promiſe; and this is a Gen. 6. 3.Gen 6:3part of Gods ſtriving by his Spirit with rebellious ſinners that do not believe nor obey. Now this is a more inward hearing then the former; ſome ſit under the ſame Sermon, and the Sword of the Spirit maketh no more entrance upon them, then p. 655upon a brazen wall; and it muſt be a ſharp ſword indeed, that muſt divide an heart of ſtone: many a blow is laid at a ſturdy Oak, an old grown ſinner, before his heart beginneth ſo much as to ſhake: and this is the ſecond.

Thirdly, Then for the learning, which is the main thing, which goeth before the coming to Jeſus Chriſt; this I take to to be when the Lord not only by his Meſſengers maketh his word plain before us, lays it to our Conſciences, as the Ax to the root of the Tree, but when he opens our underſtandings, plucks open our eyes to behold the light, teacheth us indeed; he teacheth a poor ſoul in ſpecial theſe two or three things.

1. That he is loſt, a ſon of perdition for ought he knoweth: many a poor Creature in the Ship, like Jonas, though ready to ſink; he was aſleep, if the Ship had ſunk, it had been all one to him; they come and awake him up, thou ſleeper, 2 Cor. 5. 14.2 Cor 5:14doſt thou not ſee thou art ſinking, thou art dying, thou art periſhing? ſo the Spirit of the Lord Jeſus takes a poor, ſleepy, dead ſinner by the underſtanding, tels him, thou art the man condemned, wrath abideth upon thee particularly; what doſt thou mean? wilt thou have the flames of hell about thy ears, before thou wilt ſtir a foot? what, wilt thou bring the blood of Jeſus upon thy head? thus the Spirit cometh, and ſhaketh a poor ſoul out of his ſleep in ſin, he never dreamed what his condition was before; this is the Spirits convincing a man of ſin, ſetteth his ſins in order before him, ſetteth a man upon the ſearch into his condition, then repreſents all his ſins in their bloody guilt and condemning nature: every one of them with Ioh. 16. 10.John 16:10a mouth like hell, ready to ſwallow him up: this is a part of the cords of a mans convictions.

2. It teacheth him yet further, now no longer to lie ſecurely in that condition: if he continue here, he muſt periſh: therefore now he beginneth to look about him: O what ſhall I do? to whom ſhall I turn my ſelf? is there no hope of pardon, no mercy for me? O what ſhall we do (ſaid they in Acts 2.) to Acts 2. 27.Acts 2:27be ſaved? if the Ship be ſinking, now it is time to look about for a Plank, a Maſt, ſomething to lay hold upon, ſomething to ſtop the leak; if now Brethren, granadoes be caſt into the ſoul, and be broken, and tearing all to pieces, the very flames of hell have caught hold upon ſuch a poor creature, there is no p. 656delay; now the Spirit of the Lord working with a mans natural principle for ſelf-preſervation, puts him on to enquire for ſomewhat to quench it; now he beginneth to cry out, fire, fire, in his ſoul; O he cannot hold it!

3. It teacheth yet further, and the poor ſoul learneth this alſo effectually, that there is no help for him in the creature, neither in himſelf, nor in any other; if he take the quinteſcence of all his works, which we uſually before have a high eſteem of, and temper them together, alas, they will not make a balſom for this wound; now all the Spirits in all the Creatures in the world, if they could be extracted, I mean the comforts that might ariſe from the enjoyment of them, would not keep the poor languiſhing ſoul from fainting and dying, waters of the fulleſt cup, let them overflow never ſo much; if a man have rivers of pleaſures in the enjoyment of creature-comforts, honours, relations, parts, learning, gifts, whatſoever they be, alas, the poor creature is now taught, they will not quench this ſpark that is gotten into the conſcience; I mean, they will not allay the trouble of his ſpirit, will not heal the wounds of his ſpirit, ſo that now he knoweth not what to do; the Hart, they ſay, if ſmitten with an arrow, goeth to her herb to cauſe the arrow to fall out; and other creatures being poyſoned, ſtung, ſick, diſtempered, run to their cure by a natural inſtinct; but now, when God hath ſhot this arrow into a poor ſoul, it wounds too deep, ſticks too faſt for the teeth of any creature to pluck it out, or for the vertue of any creature; yea they are ſo far from healing, that rather the conſideration of them, are as oyl to the flame, to vex and wound ſo much the more: well, this is much to be taught; he that learneth this effectually, and not in the notion only, goeth far; there are many convinced of their wounds, their bleeding, dying condition, but they imagine there is help to be had in ſomething elſe: they run to a duty of their own, as if a day of faſting would make amends for all, run to this or that, unfaithful Shepherds that will daub and heal them deceitfully, get it skinned over a little, and ſo the world will do it, building, and planting, and marrying, and drinking, and paſtimes, theſe may skin over the wound, but it heals not; and miſerable is the condition of poor creatures, ſo deluded; but now they that are taught of God, and learn, they learn this p. 657effectually and practically, that there is nothing in the creature that can do it.

Fourthly, They learn this alſo, that though all the world be Now the …rds of Love.but as a cloud without rain, when the ſoul is a fire, a Well without water, a broken Ciſtern that leaks out all, a Torrent, a Brook that is dried up, when the ſoul is parched and burnt up with the ſcorching heat of the diſpleaſure of God. O when the Lord ſetteth a ſoul in his ſight, and looks upon him as a conſuming fire, with his eyes as a flaming fire, ready with a Iaa. 25. 4.ſight of him to devour him, and he cannot get out of his ſight. O now the world, all their comforts will not skreen them from his eyes: but what will? only the Lord Jeſus, he can be a cooling ſhadow, to ſhadow us from this ſcorching heat, and this the Spirit Hoſ. 14. 8.Hos 14:8of the Lord perſwadeth the ſoul; we all of us will talk of it, O Jeſus Chriſt is our help and hope, and look for ſalvation in no other, but in him; it is grown now ſo cuſ…omary a thing among us, that it is in every mans mouth; but to how few hath the Lord ſpoken this to our hearts that thus it is?

Fifthly, Again, another thing that we are taught of God, before we come to Jeſus Chriſt, is this: that he is willing to let out of his oyntments to heal: he is willing to expend that precious balm of Gilead upon us, elſe the ſoul will never come to him: it is that that keepeth off many a ſoul a long time; the Spirit of the Lord perſwadeth the poor ſoul, that though he hath Hoſ. 14. 4.Hos 14:4been an enemy to Jeſus Chriſt, and grieved him, and torn his wounds, and rent his fleſh with horrid oaths and blaſphemies, trampled his blood under foot, have been never ſo horrid a tranſgreſſor, yet he perſwadeth him that the Lord Jeſus is willing to receive ſinners without exception, if they come to him. Suppoſe there was a Phyſitian, whoſe skill were ſo great, and his ſtore of Medicines ſo inexhauſtible, and ſoveraign, and his heart ſo large, as that he proclaimeth to all, that whoſoever is wounded, though never ſo deſperately; whoſoever is ſick unto the death, one of the Stone, another of the Gout, another of the plague, I will cure you all; O then, if poor creatures did believe this, were perſwaded of it, they would come, and not before; O ſaith one, mine is a plague ſore, and it is paſt cure; mine is an hereditary diſeaſe, ſaith another, and ſo far gone, I cannot be cured; they come not, and periſh; O mine is ſuch p. 658a diſeaſe; it will coſt more pains and charge then I think he will be willing to be at to cure, and therefore he cometh not to him, and ſo periſheth; juſt ſo it is in this caſe, except the Lord do ſecretly inſinuate it into the ſoul, how willingly the Lord Jeſus writ it upon his Spirit, and that the Lord Jeſus is willing to receive, to heal, to ſave the ſoul that will not come to him; but thus much for theſe things, which in the order of nature go before a coming to Chriſt; now for the acts wherein it formally conſiſt.

Firſt then, when the heart is thus made ſenſible of what is in himſelf working to death, and what is not in himſelf, nor in any other creature to ſave, then I ſay, there is from the teaching of the heart, how able and willing the Lord Jeſus is, there ariſeth a deſire in the ſoul after the Jeſus Chriſt; not as if this did flow or were produced by the former apprehenſions of a mans own neceſſities of Chriſt, and of the fulneſs in him, as a fountain, and the openneſs of the fountain, which is ſealed to none that come; for alas, one grace, though never ſo habitual and deeply rooted, cannot produce another, no not faith it ſelf produce love, but the Spirit which works faith, works love in our hearts alſo; much leſs then, can a conviction be the cauſe of a conviction, or a turning unto the Lord Jeſus; but it is the Spirit of the Lord Jeſus, when he hath ſo opened the eyes of an Hagar to ſee the fountain opened that was near her before, but ſhe ſaw it not; and let us ſee that our bottle is dryed up, and all other hopes in the creature periſhed, then I ſay, the Spirit inclineth the Will to come to Jeſus Chriſt; then he works ſweetly, though ſtrongly, an inclination, a deſire after him. It is not in theſe things as in nature, an ordinary providence concurring with the actings of the creature, according to their neceſſities. When Hagar ſaw the fountain, ſhe needs no further perſwaſion to go unto it, her neceſſity was a cord ſtrong enough to draw her, yea a weight, a ſpring to carry her ſwiftly to it; but alas, when we ſee the bottles dryed, ſee that the creatures ſay, it is not in us to be had: and ſee there is a fountain opened, yet ſuch is the waywardneſs of our hearts, yea ſuch the enmity in our hearts againſt the Lord Jeſus, though the ſtreams of his love toward us were as ſtrong as death, that we will not yet come to him, we had rather ſit down, as you ſee ſome ſullen creatures taken from their damms, will rather periſh then receive p. 659food at the hand of man, ſuch an indiſpoſition and averſneſs to man there is; and ſo it is in this caſe, except the Lord Jeſus come in by another act of his Spirit, and bow the will, and make us deſirous of himſelf; O then, when this act of power is put forth, the ſoul beginneth to long, to deſire after Jeſus Chriſt, O that I had him, O that I might but have a ſight Pſal. 110. 3. Luk. 19. 4. Pſal. 119. 20. Cant. 2. 5. Pſal. 42. 2.Ps 110:3Luke 19:4Ps 119:20Song 2:5Ps 42:2of him; then there is getting upon the tree by a low Zacheus, then there is an aſcending in this Ordinance and that Ordinance, and everywhere the deſire of the ſoul is for Jeſus Chriſt; this is a coming, for the affections are to the ſoul as the feet to the body, that which carryeth the ſoul in and out in all, to this object, or from that object; O then when ſhall I come and appear before him!

Secondly, In this coming to Chriſt is included a paſſing all other ſtands and reſts on this ſide Jeſus Chriſt; many a poor ſoul cometh near to Chriſt, and to the Kingdom of God, and yet falls ſhort of him; as an arrow not drawn up to the head, falls ſhort of the mark, and there it ſticks where it faſtens, goeth no further: So here, ſome upon their convictions, the diſcovery of their conditions, run to this Ordinance, to that; to this duty, to that; as things that of themſelves, as performances, ſhould give reſt to them: and alas, they are but bottles themſelves, if Chriſt be not in them, and there found to a ſoul, and ſought by a ſoul, they are dry and ſapleſs; when many a rich man in hearing a Sermon, hath a qualm cometh over his heart, and he beginneth to be a little ſick of ſin, which the Word hath lanced, and it ſtrikes to the heart; what doth he do? alas, he chears himſelf with this, Surely if I were ſuch a ſinner, God would not regard me, God would never have bleſſed me as he hath done, therefore this is but a fooliſh melancholly fit: The drunkard and the wanton can eat, and drink, and ſing, and dance down twenty ſuch pills as theſe; though they troubled them a little at the firſt, they make a ſhift to claw it off; The civil good-natured man, though he ſee and know himſelf to be a ſinner, yet he is none of the worſt, he doth much good in the place where he is; yea, he prayeth, and heareth, and keepeth Sabbaths, and thinks this ſhall make amends for all, and ſo walks in the ſparks of his own kindling; but alas, the end of theſe things will not be reſt, for they ſhall lie down in ſorrow, and ſhall p. 660Iſa. 50. 1.Isa 50:1have it from the hand of God too; & then, who can reſiſt it when lifted up, or heal his blow when it is given? I tell you, Brethren, I doubt this is the grand impoſture of moſt of our hearts, for it can hardly be, but we muſt ſometime or another be convinced our condition by nature is very ſad and forlorn, and men are not men, if they be not carried forth to ſeek ſome courſe-for their eſcaping; and how few alas, reach the Lord Jeſus? therefore we mnſt needs ſtick ſomewhere ſhort of him. Ah, the Lord grant that none of us, who think upon more probable grounds then others, and others think ſo of us too, that we are ſuch as come to Jeſus Chriſt; that we ſit not down in any thing on this ſide him, for if we do we periſh: Therefore I ſay, the ſoul that cometh to Jeſus Chriſt, goeth out of all; alas, if he have never ſo much of the world, profits, pleaſures at will, he is as rich as another, Phil. 3. 13.Phil 3:13and hath as much content in relations ſuitable to his hearts as another, and it may be as much in praying, faſting, hearing, uſing of the Ordinances, as another; and yet all this is nothing to him, ſatisfieth him not, he cannot take up with it, they are but husks, they will not ſatisfie, however they may fill.

Thirdly, There is a coming unto Jeſus Chriſt, it is not a going towards him, but a coming to him; this is builded much what upon the willingneſs of Jeſus Chriſt to receive them; this deſire after him, haply more fitly may be annexed to the power of Chriſt to ſave to the utmoſt. O when the ſoul knoweth this, Heb. 7. 25.Heb 7:25O then that I had him, that I were in him; but now when the ſoul cometh to underſtand, is perſwaded he is willing to receive all that come: Well then, the Spirit quickning, perſwading; the ſoul reſolves, I will venter upon him, I will go and caſt my ſelf upon him, and bear my ſelf upon him, hang all my weight upon him; and this alſo he is taught of God, this is impreſt upon his Spirit, by the Spirit of the Lord Jeſus, this is the drawing nigh, yea not nigh to him, but coming unto him; this is the touch of faith, if it be never ſo ſecret, a touch of faith that others take no notice Mat. 14. 36.Matt 14:36of; yea, that a poor ſoul through the fears and troubles that are upon him, and earneſtneſs of Spirit to have all quieted and cleanſed, and done away forthwith, thinketh he doth not, he hath not touched the Lord Jeſus, yet he may have touched him, and be come unto him, if he be carried out in his affections indeed and in truth beyond all; count all as nothing, as dung and p. 661Phil. 3. 8, 9.Phil 3:8Phil 3:9droſs; as an hungry man would prefer a piece of bread before much riches, he cannot eat nor drink gold nor ſilver; and ſo it is here, & he is reſolved upon it, that he will lie at the pool of Betheſda, Iohn 5. 3. Pſal. 123. 2.John 5:3Ps 123:2his eyes ſhall be up, and are up to him, he will hang on him, not let him go, except he ſhake him off… into hell; O this is a ſoul indeed that cometh to Jeſus Chriſt.

Fourthly, He cometh to him with words too, at leaſt heart-words, if not words of confeſſion (I will wrap up Hoſ. 14. 1.Hos 14:1theſe things as faſt as I can, I doubt I ſtay too long in the firſt part) words of confeſſion, and words of petition; of confeſſion, ſo the poor Prodigal, I have ſinned againſt heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son. O I have Lok. 15. 19.ſinned from the womb, conceived in ſin, born in iniquity, I have ſinned before thee, not regarding thy all-ſeeing eye, deſperately, againſt light, againſt knowledge, againſt mercy, againſt the blood of the Lord Jeſus, againſt all that grace whereby thou haſt waited upon me to be gracious, O I am no more worthby to Luk. 18. 13.Luke 18:13be called thy ſun: O I am not worthy to lift up mine eye toward heaven, ſaith the poor Publican, I am not worthy to come near to the Temple, to come among the company of the people of God; but ſtands afar off, and there acknowledgeth his vileneſs. Ah, ſo it is with many a poor ſoul, he deſerveth not to be owned by the Lord, nor by any of his; if he fall upon me as a mill-ſtone, to grind me to power, he doth me no wrong.

Secondly, With words of petition to him, that he would have mercy upon us, that he would pardon, and heal, and give himſelf to us indeed, that he would be our God; a ſoul that is throughly ſenſible of his want of Chriſt, cryeth our after him; not with a ſtill liſtleſs deſire, but the heart maketh a noiſe unto the Lord, O give me Chriſt or elſe I dye; Lord Jeſus ſave Gen. 13. 1. Luk 8. 24.Gen 13:1Luke 8:24my poor ſoul, elſe I periſh; O ſin is ready to ſwallow me up; O the grave and hell are ready to ſhut their mouths upon me, ſave me or elſe I periſh, as they to Chriſt; the waves and billows of thy diſpleaſure are the ſhaking and breaking of many poor ſouls. O what mone many times will a poor ſoul that wants the Lord Jeſus make to him, lead me to the rock that is higher then I: O how he ſucks the promiſes, and every argument he can fetch out of them, he cometh with it, and laies it before the Lord, yea every letter of his name, the Lord, the p. 662Lord God, gracious and merciful, &c. he pleadeth to the Exod. 34. Pſal. 35. 11.Exod 34Ps 35:11Lord, O thy name is great to the ends of the earth, therefore pardon me; O mine iniquity is great, therefore pardon; thy faithfulneſs, thy mercy, thy promiſe, thy dear Son, the higheſt pledge of thy love, that came to ſave ſinners, the price is paid, the greateſt part is done already; all that a poor ſoul can find, he will then make uſe of before the Lord: and indeed, theſe are the ſweet breathings of faith, theſe are the near approaches of the ſoul to Chriſt, this is to lay hold upon him, though the ſoul feel little comfort for the preſent, yet this is a coming to Chriſt: So the Prodigal, O make me but as one of thine hyred ſervants.

Fifthly and laſtly, it is a cloſing with Jeſus Chriſt, as he is offered, not by the halves, Chriſt is not divided, as the Apoſtle ſaith, his righteouſneſs from his holineſs, nor his holineſs from his righteouſneſs; therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, as you have received Chriſt Jeſus the Lord, ſo walk in him: O here many are Col. 2. 6.Col 2:6deceived, they would have Chriſt, but they will not be his; what a ſtrange unreaſonable thing is this, they would have the benefit of having him to be their Father, and be heirs, but they will not be ſubject as children; they would have all the immunities, Pſal. 7. 23. Can. 2. 16.Ps 7:23and priviledges, peace, and proſperity of ſoul under him as a King, but they will not ſubmit themſelves to him as King and Lord; they would have him for an husband, and yet will not obey. O this is not a coming to Jeſus Chriſt, this is to ſerve our ſelves upon him; but the Lord Jeſus will ſearch this out, keep it as cloſe as we can from others, that they may think well of us, yea from our ſelves alſo, through the juglings of our hearts, we cannot keep it from him, he knoweth where there is a ſoul that takes the Lord Jeſus without any reſerve and equivocation; Aug. Is non modo durus, was no good ſign of his condition at that time, though afterward it was otherwiſe, for we find he acknowledgeth it, & bewails it; the Lord grant that the doom of Ananias and Saphira reach not to many of our ſouls, for pretending to give up the whole to Jeſus Chriſt, and yet reſerve part to our ſelves; yea, pretend to come to Jeſus Chriſt, and yet divide him. Well, you ſee Brethren, what this coming to Jeſus Chriſt is; it is not then every one that ſaith, Lord, Lord, nor cryeth out, the Temple of the Lord, the Temple of the Lord, that p. 663come to Chriſt; it is not the having a few faint wiſhings and wouldings, which like the untimely birth of a woman, like a bable, periſh and never appear more, that is a coming to Chriſt; it is not your ſucking ſweetneſs from your own duties, performances, Ordinances, priviledges, any thing ſhort of Chriſt that is coming to him. Dear Lord Jeſus, how many of us loyter, and take up our reſt ſhort of thee? It is not a bare acknowledgement of our being ſinners in the general, and a Lord have mercy from the mouth, without any ſenſe of our condition upon our hearts, that is a coming to Jeſus Chriſt. It is not a deſire to be pardoned alone, for then none of us ſhould miſcarry; and O that it were ſo if the Lord ſee it good: But it is the earneſt breathings of a poor, broken, loſt ſoul, the moan of a poor wounded creature, the pantings of a poor languiſhing heart after Jeſus Chriſt, a making him alone our ſtay, a reſigning our ſelves to him, that is the coming to him here ſpoken of, and ſuch a ſoul he will not caſt out. Pardon me, I know I am too ſlow for the acute, and I wiſh I be not as much too ſwift for many of us that are dull of underſtanding, ſlow of heart to underſtand and believe theſe things; the condition of people now a daies, I take it, doth call upon us to ſpeak oftner and more fully to beat it upon poor creatures, the nature of this coming to Jeſus Chriſt, then any other thing; as I find ſtill in all the preachings of the Apoſtles, they did endeavour to make good that truth moſt neceſſarily, that Jeſus was the Chriſt, becauſe that was moſt oppoſed in thoſe daies; ſo now this being granted by all, and already, that we are ſinners, the main work lies herein, to undeceive poor creatures, who think all is well enough with them; and therefore I am the more large in this part, and indeed much more large then I thought to be.

The ſecond thing then is, what is meant by this not caſting out, wherein lies the marrow, and fatneſs, and ſweetneſs of this Scripture; and indeed I think the whole Book of God doth not afford a more refreſhing word, a more eſtabliſhing word to a poor weak creature then this is: O then let us ſee what it is!

Firſt, he will not caſt him out, he will not caſt him out of his heart, that is the firſt: not out of his love, for we muſt know this all of us, this day, which may be a comfort to many a p. 664doubting, trembling, miſgiving-heart, that if the Lord Jeſus have done this in us and for us, hath given us thus to come to him in truth: for degrees of the things formerly ſpoken of, I intend not them as to make up the nature of our duty, it may be in a weaker and a ſtronger meaſure; but if in truth it can be found, that ſo we come, know for thine everlaſting comf…t, as baſe thoughts as thou haſt of thy ſelf, and of thy vileneſs, and of thy unworthineſs, thy dear Saviour hath precious thoughts of thee, thou art written in his heart, thou waſt in his heart, when he wrought this work in thee and for thee; yea, long before this: for the truth is, were not he firſt as well as laſt in the work, the Alpha as well as the Omega, in that work of ſalvation, we ſhould never come to him, nor ſhould we abide with him. O thy Law is in my heart, ſaith he, in Pſal. 44. 8. thy command, I delight to do thy will; and what was that? that all that the Father hath given to him, he ſhould redeem, and deliver, and ſave; and therefore if it be thus with us, we were in his heart before; as it was ſaid of that Queen when ſhe dyed, That if her heart were opened, they ſhould find Calice there. Ah, Brethren, ſurely the names of the choice of God, which now appears and breaks out by this that is given to us to come to Jeſus Chriſt, all that the Father hath given, ſhall come to me; I ſay, our names were then upon his heart, and now are upon his heart; as the Prieſt did bear the names of Iſrael before the Lord, and therefore the Lord will not caſt out ſuch a poor ſoul out of his heart, out of his love; O my loving kindneſs I will never take from thee; however he may chaſtiſe, however he may Pſal. 89. 33.Ps 89:33with-hold comfort for a time, yet believe it, O that every poor weak creature might this day have it given from on high to believe, that the Lord will not caſt them out of his heart; this is thy greateſt fear, poor ſoul, leſt thou ſhouldeſt loſe him, leſt Hoſ…a 1.he ſhould diſown thee, and ſay, I will not have mercy on thee: Alas, it is as impoſſible, as white to be black, or black white: hath he once owned thee, and made manifeſt his love, in drawing thee, bringing thee to come to him, and will he now change his mind? It is true, if he were as man he might repent, but the Lord is not as man: O what comfort is here, what encouragement is this!

Secondly, He will not caſt them out of his Church; that is, p. 665his Kingdom, his Family, his School, his Vineyard, he will not caſt them out; for if there be this coming to Jeſus Chriſt, there is faith; and by that faith; as we are made one with Jeſus Chriſt, ſo alſo with all his members; ſo ſaith the Apoſtle, we are members Eph. 4. 25. Heb. 12. 13.Eph 4:25Heb 12:13one of another; ye are come, ſaith the Apoſtle, to Mount-Sion, and to the aſſembly of the firſt-born; that is to ſay, you are gathered into the flock of Chriſt, and out of this ye ſhall not be caſt; it may come to paſs, that through the ignorance of men they may be caſt out of the viſible Church or Churches of Chriſt, and have little fellowſhip and communion with them, and it cannot but be a burthen to a gracious ſpirit; and oh that the Lord would ſo clear up his mind, that we might not thus by miſ-apprehenſion be a burden each to other; but here is the comfort, if we thus come to Jeſus, we are of the inviſible Church, and he that knoweth the heart, knoweth his own image there, his own hand-writing there, every ſpark of his own kindling there, and cannot be deceived, and therefore there is no fear, he will not caſt away out of this Church the aſſembly of the firſt-born, not out of this his family; will a Parent caſt out his child that he hath begotten in his own image, becauſe of ſome deformity it may be, and imperfection that it doth not reſemble the father in, or becauſe of its weakneſs in thoſe parts which it hath? even grace for grace we have from the Lord Jeſus, though weak and imperfect; and will he caſt out? ſurely no.

Thirdly, He will not caſt out; that is to ſay, he will not ſend away empty, caſt them out of his preſence when they come to him; neither at our firſt coming, no nor our after-coming unto him: Not at our firſt coming; where is the ſoul that can ſay, that he did thus come to Jeſus Chriſt and was refuſed, was ſent away? it may be thou cameſt full, full of thy ſelf, not with ſuch an empty hand to take him; it may be thou cameſt with a falſe heart, and then well might he caſt thee cut, for he knoweth how the heart ſtands towards him: it may be thou waſt troubled only with the ſmart of ſin, and not the filthineſs, the putrifaction of the wound and loathſom nature of it, and wouldſt have Chriſt only to have ſerved thy turn, and then wouldſt have turned thy back upon him: alas, he knoweth this, and therefore he reſiſteth the proud, a man of a Phariſaical ſpirit, p. 666Jam. 4. 6.Jas 4:6a man of a Laodicean temper, that is rich and needeth nothing, Rev. 3. 17.Rev 3:17cometh to Chriſt for a complement; thou comeſt to him whole, not ſick, nor wounded; if thou didſt, and with ſuch a heart as we have ſaid, I cannot believe that the Lord Jeſus would have caſt thee out, no more then I can believe that be can lie who is truth it ſelf. O who would not venture upon this Jeſus Chriſt▪ be his condition never ſo ſad, he will not refuſe if we come to him: we periſh for our not coming.

Secondly, Even in our after-comings to him, he will not caſt out; tell me, when didſt thou ever come before the Lord, with a heart ſenſible of thy want of him, with a renewing of the acts of ſelf-denyal, being nothing in thy ſelf, that thou we…teſt away empty? did ever any hungering ſoul come to▪ this Ordinance, where we have the moſt royal dainties that ever it ſelf affords in ſome degree, even the fleſh and blood of the Lord Jeſus, the ſtrong wines of conſolation, and didſt thou go away empty? ſurely no; he that cometh full, goeth away empty; Luk. 1. 53.Luke 1:53but he that cometh empty, goeth away filled with ſome refreſhing: Haply thou mayſt be put to it to wait a little while for it, but have it thou ſhalt: If either the Lord Jeſus wanted a fulneſs of mercy, there were not room enough in his heart for us all, it were ſomething; or if he wanted propenſity and bowels, it were ſomething; if he were not a merciful, pittiful high-Prieſt, H…b. 2. 17.or if he did not know our meanings by our very looks, or if he did not know our hearts where they are upright, it were ſomething indeed, there were ſome ground to be diſcouraged; but who can ſuppoſe any of theſe? O that we could more ſtrongly cloſe with theſe; with what confidence ſhould we then come to him? and how full a recompence of reward ſhould we find, even in the firſt fruits here, …f there were no more?

Fourthly, He will not caſt them out of heaven; for every child of God, as I may ſay, hath one foot in heaven already, as Mat. 6. 26.Matt 6:26an unbeliever hath one foot in hell already; where our hope is, there our hearts are▪ O that I could …ay they are there, they Heb. 6. …9.Heb 6:9ſhould be there, there is our Anchor, in heaven, there the Lord Jeſus is, our head is, who hath taken poſſeſſion for us, and went to prepare a place for us; and therefore the works of grace in the ſoul are called, things that have ſalvation, he will p. 667not caſt them out; no, by no means: two negatives do deny more ve…emently: ſome ſhall be caſt out at the laſt day, yea, the Kingdoms children, Members of the Church, and ſuch as have lived under the Ordinances, as the Jews did ſtrangers; others, any that hear, and believe, and obey the Lord Jeſus, ſhall be received in. Now Brethren, our hearts are ſo vain, we can ſcarce ſettle upon it, to think of the woful condition that will be, to be caſt out from the Lord Jeſus; but no man that cometh to Chriſt ſhall be caſt out. O then, it is not greatneſs ſhall enter in, nor riches, nor beauty, nor learning, nor gifts, nor any of all theſe, but meerly the coming unto Jeſus Chriſt; he will never caſt out ſuch a ſoul.

You have ſeen already, what▪ it is to come to Jeſus Chriſt, in many particulars, and what is neceſſarily preſuppoſed, and ſuch he will not caſt out, no, in no wiſe or ſort whatſoever; but alas, the difficulty is to perſwade poor creatures of this, that are upon the turning pin; many can ſay, Lord, if thou wilt, Mat. 8. 2.Matt 8:2thou canſt make me clean; but the willingneſs of Chriſt to accept of poor ſinners, is that we many times doubt very much of; and it is not the tongue of men nor Angels that can perſwade a man to this; and well it is for us that it is ſo, for then the Faith of poor creatures would conſiſt in the wiſdom of men, and not in the power of God only: let me lay before your hearts, 1 Cor. 2. 5.1 Cor 2:5and my own, a few conſiderations from Scripture, which, if the Lord be pleaſed to breath in them, may be a ſupport to Faith in this.

Firſt then, The Lord Jeſus hath promiſed, that if any man come to him, he will in no wiſe caſt them out; And ſhall men that are lyars, yet count it their honour to make good their Rev. 3. 17.Rev 3:17word; and do you think Jeſus Chriſt his honour is not as dear to him, as the honour of men is to them? is he not the Amen, the faithful and true Witneſs? all that he ſaith is Yea, and Amen in him; is it not his own nature to be true and faithful? is he equal, or equals with his Father? (as ſome critically Phil. 2. 6.Phil 2:6note) that is to ſay, in all his perfections eſſential: and is he not equal with him in truth? (ſaith the Apoſtle) God who cannot T…t. 1. 2.lye, hath promiſed; would he not ceaſe to be God, to be the higheſt perfection, and rule of all perfections, if there were Ioh. 8. 44.John 8:44any obliquity in him? is not Satan a lyar, and the father of it, p. 668and ſhall we father a lie then upon God? what a Mediatour were Jeſus Chriſt, and how ſhould the Promiſes of God in him, be Yea, and Amen, if he could falſifie his own word to his people? Well then, ſurely if Jeſus Chriſt hath promiſed it, as you 2 Cor. 1. 20.2 Cor 1:20ſee he hath, will he not be as good as his word? did he eve… break with any poor ſoul, though never ſo unworthy? which is the great plea of poor creatures: did he ever caſt out any? hath he not been as good as his word? And is he not the ſame Heb. 13. 8.Heb 13:8yeſterday, to day, and for ever? But thus much for the firſt: it leads to the ſecond.

Secondly, If that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould caſt out any poor creature, he would plainly be argued to be changable: for I ſhewed you before, that none that came to him, but they were in his heart before the world was, and his delight was with the ſons of Prov. 8. 31.Prov 8:31men: and is he now ſo changed, as when they do come, he will▪ caſt them out? did he before the world, (as I may ſay) pleaſe himſelf with the thoughts of it, that he ſhould be a Saviour to his people, to ſave them from their ſins, and from wrath to come, and when they come to him, to the fountain opened for ſin and for uncleanneſs, he ſhould refuſe them? would not this be more then a ſhadow of turning, if his heart, that once was ſo toward them, ſhould now be turned ſo againſt them, as to diſown them when they follow after him? O ſurely Iam. 1. 17.Jas 1:17this cannot be!

Thirdly, If ſo, It would be rather a ſlighting of his Fathers gift; for he hath given them to Jeſus Chriſt even before the world was; in which reſpect, They are ſaid to be choſen in Chriſt before the foundation of the world: all that the Father hath given to Eph. 1. 4, 5.Eph 1:4Eph 1:5me, ſhall come; and as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed; Acts 13. 48.Acts 13:48and therefore, now when a poor ſoul cometh with his mouth in the duſt, with a rope about his neck, with a word of confeſſion, petition, with ſighs and groans, with mournings over Chriſt, and mournings after Chriſt, and he ſhall now ſhut up his mercy from him, caſt him out, turn his back upon him, would not this be an high undervaluing of the gift of the Father, and ſlighting of it? you know that gifts are not given from one friend to another, but as tokens of reſpect and love, and ſo he gave a number of poor creatures to his Son for him to redeem and purchaſe to himſelf, and if he ſhould p. 669ſlight them now, his Fathers love would be much undervalued.

Fourthly, It would be failing in his truſt: for the Lord Jeſus Pſal. 89. 19.Ps 89:19is the great undertaker for his poor people, and help was laid upon this mighty one, mighty to ſave to the utmoſt; for this end I ſay, he undertook the ranſoming and redeeming of a people to himſelf, and to his Father, and his Father committed the charge of it to him; He came not to do his own Will, but the Will of him that ſent him; (as he ſaith in that place) I delight Ioh. 6. 38, 39. Pſal. 40. 7.John 6:38John 6:39Ps 40:7to do thy Will; the Will of his Father: and what was that Will? That is, That none that come to Jeſus Chriſt ſhould miſcarry: This is the Fathers Will that hath ſent me, that of all which he hath given me, I ſhould loſe nothing, but raiſe it up at the laſt day, (that is to ſay) as Mediator, as by the influence of an Head unto the Members; ſo to raiſe them up, is here meant: Well, Of, all that he hath given me, either in his purpoſe of Grace, or actually in their Calling, which is an evidence of the ſecret purpoſe of God, I ſhould loſe none: now none can come to Jeſus Chriſt, except he be given to Chriſt of the Father; that is clear, by comparing the words of the Text with the former: Ye will not come to me, or ye have ſeen me, and yet believe not: but though you believe not, All that the Father hath given me, ſhall come, ſhall believe in me: well, As many as were ordained, believed, came to Jeſus Chriſt: as we have expounded Acts 13. 48.Acts 13:48this coming the laſt time. Now I ſay, if Jeſus Chriſt ſhould not take up every poor ſoul that cometh, he would not diſcharge his truſt, do the Will of his Father which he hath undertaken; and then what a Saviour ſhould we make of him?

Fifthly, Then the Lord Jeſus ſhould ſlight and undervalue his own blood: he only knew what a value his Godhead put upon it, and therefore accordingly, he only can bear a proportionable eſteem of his blood; did he not ſhed his precious blood, That whoſoever believeth, might not periſh, but have everlaſting life? or whoſoever cometh to him, might not periſh? for believing, if it be not convertible with coming to Chriſt, yet it is doubtleſs comprehended in it, as a main part of it. And what then, when a poor ſinner laden with iniquity, whoſe burthen is too heavy for him to bear, cometh to Chriſt, groaning and panting for eaſe and refreſhing, rowls himſelf upon him, hangs p. 670all his weight upon him, lies at his feet in his wearineſs of ſpirit under it, if he now caſt out this poor creature, would not this be an undervaluing of his blood, and the price of our redemption? would it not appear that he was laviſh of his blood? Brethren, is the Lord Jeſus ſo angry with ſinners for trampling Heb. 10. 29.Heb 10:29his blood under their feet, and for neglecting ſo great ſalvation, Heb. 2. 3.Heb 2:3as he hath wrought out for them, (as you have not long ſince heard) and will he (think you) be guilty of ſlighting his own moſt precious blood? O ſurely no: And would it not be a neglecting of the ſalvation, to improve the price he hath laid down, if he ſhould exclude any poor ſinner that cometh to him, though he have not been what he might be? ſurely if ever our bleſſed Saviour would have balked it, it would have been when he was to lay down the price, his life, his blood▪ for ſinners, when Mark 14. 33.Mark 14:33he was amazed at the apprehenſion of his Fathers diſpleaſure, when that cup of trembling and aſtoniſhment was to be put into his hand, to be drunk off to the very dregs; but yet he willingly undertook this, took it off to the bottom, that nothing might remain of the dregs to his people; which potion put him into a bloody ſweat, filled him with horror, and even aſtoniſhed him; but hath he done all this, and is it poſſible he ſhould now ſlight it, by caſting out any poor ſoul purchaſed with ſo dear a rate, that now cometh to him? O ſurely it cannot be.

Sixthly, Becauſe this would be to undo what the Father hath done; For it is the Fathers work to draw a poor ſoul, to teach them, (as you have heard) before they can come to Jeſus Chriſt, No man can come to me, except the Father which hath ſent me Ioh. 6. 44.John 6:44draw him; you could not have a deſire towards the Lord Jeſus, not a breathing after the water-brooks, the Fountain of life, which is in Jeſus Chriſt, but that the Father hath breathed it into thee; now the Lord Jeſus, if he ſhould caſt out a poor ſoul that cometh with ſuch breathings after him, would quench the Spirit, would put out the light of Iſrael, ſhould deſtroy the works of his Father, inſtead of deſtroying the works of the devil; 1 Ioh. 3. 8.1 John 3:8therefore ſurely it cannot be, that he ſhould caſt out any poor ſoul that cometh to him, that his Father hath drawn with the cords of a man, and with the cords of love: Is it the work of a Saviour to cut the cords, whereby poor creatures p. 671are drawn to him, and not rather of a murderer, a ſoul-deſtroyer? and can we have ſuch hard thoughts of Chriſt our deareſt Saviour? O far be it from us! this cannot be.

Seventhly, He would hereby bring upon himſelf the imputation of deluſion, and mocking of poor ſinners, not only becauſe of his Promiſe, and offers of Grace, but in two reſpects among others; for I will not dwell too long upon theſe things.

Firſt, Becauſe of the many invitations that he hath made to poor creatures to come to him. O mind, how he proclaims it to every one that thirſteth: Come, come, buy wine and milk Iſa. 55. 1.Isa 55:1without money or monies worth; you that have no worthineſs, nor any money to buy an acccptation, come to the Waters, and what then? when they come to the Fountain, to the Waters, will the Lord Jeſus ſhut them out, caſt them away? is there any ſuch impoſture in him? Come to me all that are weary Mat. 11. 28.Matt 11:28and heavy-laden, and I will give you reſt: what then? is a poor ſoul perſwaded of his burthen, and where reſt is to be had, and cometh to Jeſus Chriſt, ready to ſink at his foot, and faint away under his burthen, and will he there ſuffer him to periſh, and turn away his face from him? I beſeech you, (ſaith the Apoſtle) as if God did beſeech you by us, to be reconciled to God, ye rebels, for ſo we are all foreign, ye run-aways, what 2 Cor 5. 20. Ezek. 18. 31.2 Cor 5:20Ezek 18:31do you mean? why will ye periſh? Why will ye dye (ſaith he) O houſe of Iſrael? why now if a rebel turn, and his heart relent, and he would fain cloſe with this Prince of Peace, that would fain be at peace with him, do you think he will turn his back upon him Surely no: he might have done it to the thief upon the Croſs, that truly repented and believed, as to any, if he would; but if he ſhould do ſo, then ſinners had ſomething to anſwer indeed, that there is reaſon wherefore we ſhould not come to thee; who would come to be mocked, to be deceived, tantalized, Zach 13. 1.Zech 13:1to have the fountain opened, and ſtand open for any to come that will come, and when we are willing, then to rowl a ſtone upon it, is not this deceiving? the Jews indeed took Chriſt to be a deceiver, and therefore they came not to him; I wiſh we be not many of us Jews in heart, though we be Chriſtians in name, our converſation witneſſeth to our faces; for why elſe do not ſinners come to Jeſus Chriſt, except they p. 672look upon all theſe invitations of Chriſt as deluſions; but take heed, that as they periſhed, ſo we alſo periſh not in the ſame gain-ſaying.

Secondly, He would be convicted of impoſture, if he ſhould reject any poor ſoul that cometh to him, becauſe it is he alſo that draweth them as well as the Father, elſe they could not come. So he ſaith, When I am lifted up, I will draw all men unto me; that is to ſay, all that the Father hath given me, I will draw Iohn 12. 32. Mat. 24. 28.John 12:32Matt 24:28to me; and ſo he doth objective, as the carkaſs draweth the Eagles together, as the willow branch draweth the Lambs after it, as a fair lovely object draweth the eye, ſweet melody draweth the ear; and effective alſo, for what the Father doth; he doth alſo, for he and the Father are one. Now doth the Lord Jeſus draw and perſwade men, ſend forth his Spirit, which is his arm unbared and ſtretched out, to lay hold upon the hearts of ſinners, to draw them, to make them willing to accept of deliverance Ioh. 16. 10. Iſa. 53. 1.John 16:10Isa 53:1and ſalvation in him, from the filthineſs and power, as well as from the guilt of ſin, and when they come, will he ſhut them out? were not this horrible deceit? O, ſurely Jeſus Chriſt cannot ſo deceive poor creatures, theſe are moſt unworthy thoughts of him!

Eighthly and laſtly, It is inconſiſtent with his bowels and tenderneſs, which naturally he hath to poor ſinners, ſpecially ſuch as the Father hath given unto him; could the Father ſhut out the Prodigal Son when he returned to him? his bowels would not bear it, he ran and met him, &c. Joſeph made it a little ſtrange at the firſt to his Brethren, and ſpake a little roughly to Luk. 15. 18. Gen. 42. 17.Luke 15:18Gen 42:17them, but mind you, he could not hold, he was fain to go into a place to weep, egerere dolorem, to empty his affection into tears for them, to ſee thoſe Brethren of his that had done him ſo much wrong, dealt ſo hardly with him; O when he heard them confeſs what they had done, and their conſciences ſmit them for it, then doubtleſs his bowels were rowled together within him; and for a while, I ſay, he made a ſhift to cover it, and put ſome of them into priſon, but all this while his bowels were moved; and was he not a type of Jeſus Chriſt in this? haply, as I may ſay, in other reſpects I ſhall not determine it, but when a poor ſinner cometh to Jeſus Chriſt, that hath ſold him for a luſt, dealt hardly with him, crucified him, and now p. 673he is convinced of it, he mourns for it, and mourns over him; did Joſephs bowels yearn, and do not the Lord Jeſus his bowels? is the love of women to be compared to the love of Jeſus Chriſt? O ſurely no; he may ſeem for a while to turn his back upon a poor creature, but all this while the fire of love is burning within, and will burſt out into a flame; all this while what workings there are in the heart of Jeſus Chriſt towards a poor ſinner; as a Father, that for a time to humble his child, will make it ſtrange to him; O how full is his heart, how much ado hath he to hold, as Joſeph to his Brethren! O it is the rejoycing of Jeſus Chriſt, when poor ſinners do come to him to ſee his ſeed, to ſee his blood that was ſowed, and his Semen Eccleſiae to come up, it is his rejoycing; and will any Husband man in the world, that ſows precious ſeed, when it puts forth, beat it down again, nip off the buds, the tops of it? it cannot be: he is grieved when poor creatures will not be perſwaded to come, through hardneſs of heart, and unbelief, and waywardneſs: we will not come to the fountain, but ſit down, it may be, ſome of us with Hagar, weeping over our empty bottles, and making ſad moan and complaints for want of Gen. 21. 15.Gen 21:15righteouſneſs, becauſe of ſin, and yet come not to him; this is a grief to him, as it was among the Jews: O did he ever in the daies of his fleſh refuſe any poor creature that came to him, either for healing of ſoul or body, which is the leſſer; yea, when they came ſome of them for the healing of the body, did he not heal the ſoul? and all out of the abundant riches of his love to poor creatures. O ſurely then, now he is in heaven, at the right hand of the Father, being no leſs tender of his poor people, if any come now, he will in no wiſe caſt them out. Well, the Lord write theſe arguments upon our hearts: it may be ſome of us may have occaſion, or have at preſent need of them to perſwade us of this truth.

We now come to the Application.

Ʋſe 1. And firſt, in the firſt Ʋſe, It may ſerve for a lamentation, to lament the backwardneſs of our hearts to come to Jeſus Chriſt, for if our hearts were not backward to come to p. 674him, what need all this ado to make poor creatures willing to come to Jeſus Chriſt? O, what is the reaſon! what a ſtrange enmity is in our hearts againſt the Lord Jeſus, that we run away from him inſtead of coming; yea, though he follow with a Pardon in his hand, purchaſed with his blood; O I am Jeſus who dyed for you, turn unto me, my heart is toward you, Pſal. 40. 5.Ps 40:5turn unto me, I delight not in your death, turn unto me; O why will ye die? and yet poor creatures will not be perſwaded to come to Jeſus Chriſt: O what is it? what is it Brethren, that can keep us off thus from Jeſus Chriſt? in our unwillingneſs to cloſe with him, to come unto him, have not many of us many times clearly been convinced that our condition hath been ſlark naught? that we ſtand guilty before God, and he will by no means clear the guilty: and convinced that in Jeſus Chriſt there is a doing away of this guilt, a bloting out of the hand-writings that are againſt us, and contrary to us; if we will but come to him? No, we are like ſullen creatures, will rather periſh then come to Jeſus Chriſt. I do not believe but many of us are convinced, and what ſhift can we make to ſmother our convictions? I know not: but it appears we come not to Jeſus Chriſt: As long as the Prodigal could have husks to fill his belly Luk. 15. 16. Mark 5. 26.Luke 15:16Mark 5:26with, he would not come home to his Father; as long as ever the poor woman in the Goſpel had any thing to ſpend upon the Phyſitians, ſhe came not to Jeſus Chriſt; as long as ever poor ſinners can make a ſhift to daub over the breaches that ſometimes the Word maketh upon their conſciences, they will not come: O the fault lies in the Will, Brethren: Ye will not come unto me, …ohn 5. 40. Mat. 23. 37.Matt 23:37ſaith our Saviour, that ye might have life; how often would I have gathered you as a Hen doth her Chickens, and ye would not? they would rather periſh then be healed by ſuch an hand, even the hand of Jeſus Chriſt. O the deadly enmity that is in every one of us by nature! What, we are not willing to part with ſins, and therefore we come not to Jeſus Chriſt: we are not willing to be healed, wilt thou be made whole? we are prophane, and we would be ſo ſtill; proud, and would be ſo ſtill; unclean, Iohn 5. 6. Col. 2. 11.John 5:6Col 2:11and would be ſo ſtill: We know, if we come to him, put on Chriſt, we muſt put off the luſts of our former converſation. O wretched love to ſin, that preferreth it before the Lord Jeſus, before the ſalvation of our poor ſouls! What, are we loth p. 675through the pride of our hearts to take the ſhame of our iniquities? Haply ſomething of this nature kept off the Prodigal: Is it not more ſhame to do ſin, then to acknowledge it when it is done? what is it, Brethren? how ſtrange a thing is it, that men ſhould take ſuch pains to hew out broken Ciſterns to themſelves that will hold no water? dig deep into the world to find ſome reſt there; exhauſt their ſtrength in duties, in Ier. 2. 13.Jer 2:13prayers, and tears, as many ſelf-Saviours do, ſpecially the Papiſts; and I wiſh there be none among us, rather then they will come to Jeſus Chriſt to accept of that righteouſneſs, that pardon, which ſhall coſt us nothing but acceptance: O the pride of our hearts; O the enmity of our hearts, againſt the Lord Jeſus; and is there ſuch an heart in every one of us, Brethren? Yea, even in the beſt, until he overcome us with his loving-kindneſs; and is not this a thing worthy to be bewailed? Yea, if it were poſſible with tears of blood; being ſuch an averſion from the blood of Jeſus Chriſt, and the deareſt love of our Saviour to poor creatures. Or what is it, Brethren? is it the more love we find from Jeſus Chriſt, are our hearts the more averſe from him? if he did profeſs himſelf an enemy to us, to deſtroy and ſlay us, if we came near him, to ſcatter us with the ſtreams of flaming indignation, iſſuing from his throne and preſence, we could do no more then run away from him, as many of us now do. O that we could lay it to heart!

The ſecond Ʋſe ſhall be, to ſhew us the grievous nature of the ſin of unbelief, and haply this may make poor creatures afraid of ſtraining curteſie with Chriſt, and afraid to come to him becauſe of their vileneſs, &c. to complement with him.

Firſt, Conſider but the unreaſonableneſs of the ſin of unbelief above other ſins indeed; though all ſin be unreaſonable, other ſins they have ſome pretence of profit, or pleaſure, but this hath nothing but wo and miſery attending it, condemnation. 2 Theſ. 3. 2.2 Thess 3:2But that I ſhall not inſiſt upon, for there is hardly any thing but Satan and a mans carnal reaſon will put a ſpecious pretence upon it.

Therefore conſider this unreaſonableneſs; Firſt, in reſpect p. 676of our ſelves, that being plunged into ſuch a depth of diſtraction and miſery of ſin, and guilt, and wrath, that when we are ſinking and drowning, we will not ſo much as put out the hand to lay hold upon a twig, upon ſomething held out to us; is not this unreaſonable, and unnatural? it raceth out the principle of ſelf-preſervation that is in every man by nature; ſo that I will be bold to ſay, the greateſt reaſon in the world improved to keep off a poor ſoul from Jeſus Chriſt, is unreaſonable; it is the depravation of our carnal reaſon: had it not been unreaſonable if Hagar, having a fountain opened her before her eyes, and ſhe languiſhing for thirſt, and muſt periſh without it, and yet would ſit ſtill, is not this unreaſonable?

Again, If we look upon the Lord Jeſus, who ſeeks to us, beſeecheth us to accept of him, of mercy, of pardon in his blood, the Creator cometh down to the creature, poor worms who have our being by his Word, and might be diſſolved with his Word, and yet we ſtand it out, and will not accept of him, who would beſtow himſelf and his infinite all-ſufficiency upon us, and we will not; is not this unreaſonable? that a Prince ſhould ſeek to a worthleſs rebel to be reconciled, and he will not hear of it: If he had any need of us, and upon that account would have poor ſinners to come to him, to make a ſupply of his wants, it were ſomething; but all the want; the indigency is on our part, and therefore unbelief is the more unreaſonable thing: O how might we here break out and ſay, hear ye heavens, and give ear O earth, for the Lord Jeſus, the Lord of both, heir of all things, the offended Majeſty ſeeks to poor rebelling worms to be reconciled, but they will not hear of it, they come not in, they cloſe not with him.

Secondly, As the unreaſonableneſs of the thing, ſo alſo we may take notice of the injuriouſneſs of this ſin of unbelief; I would a little inſiſt upon this ſin, the more, becauſe that though I find many a poor heart ſeemeth to be weary of ſin, and afraid of ſinning againſt God in other kinds, yet ſeeth not in the mean time how exceedingly he ſins againſt him by his unbelief, not cloſing with Chriſt, and coming to him; therefore ſee in the ſecond place, the injuriouſneſs of this ſin of unbelief, how injurious it is to Jeſus Chriſt, Brethren? for if the truth were known, what is the reaſon wherefore we need ſo much ado, why p. 677we come not in to him? We either think he cannot ſave us; our ſins are ſo great; O ſaith one, there was never ſuch a wretch as I, though he have accepted of great ſinners, ſuch as Paul, and Manaſſes, and Magdalen, yet there was never ſuch a wretch as I; O ſurely, my wounds are ſuch, there is no healing for them: What is this, but to make Jeſus Chriſt weak, and a Phyſitian of no value? Is there any ſin higher then the imbrewing their hands in the blood of Jeſus Chriſt himſelf? and ſuppoſe thou be ſuch an one, and this is that thou cryeſt out of, thou haſt come ſo often to the Lords Supper with a common heart, which is to be guilty of his blood, acceſſary to his death: and cannot his blood cleanſe, even from the guilt of them that ſhed it? were not many of the Jews ſenſible oſ this? how diſhonourable is Acts 2. 32.Acts 2:32this to Jeſus Chriſt, when we will be meaſuring of him by our ſelves? we are apt to think of pardon, and mercy, as far as a mans, a creatures bowels and thoughts will reach: mind, there is an end, not minding that he is God as well as man; this is an high wrong unto our Saviour: O, he will not, ſaith the poor ſoul, if he can, yet he will not, ſure, receive ſuch an one as I; O I am ſo laden and ſo loathſom a wretch; what ſhould he do with ſuch an one as I? What, is it poſſible thou ſhouldeſt remember how many promiſes, how many invitations, how many expoſtulations he hath made; what intreaties to poor creatures to be reconciled to him, and yet call in queſtion his willingneſs! why, what do you make of Jeſus Chriſt? O, how doth unbelief, in effect, dethrone Jeſus Chriſt, diſgracing the Throne of his Glory, robbeth him of his mercy, of his power, his love, his bowels, of that which he moſt glorieth in; and is not this injurious then to thy dear Saviour? Would not you think it a wrong to you, from one of your children, that had offended you as highly as you can imagine? ſuppoſe he had ſought your life, as Abſolom did Davids, and now the Father ſeeks, thou ſueſt to thy ſon; O how many promiſes thou heapeſt up, one upon another, backeſt them with oaths, wooeſt him, intreateſt him to be reconciled, to accept of a pardon: No, he believeth you not, notwithſtanding all you can do or ſay, that you are real in the thing; is not this injurious? doth he not wrong exceedingly in this, as well as in the former; and is not this the very caſe?

p. 678Thirdly, See how much unkindneſs there is in this ſin of unbelief, as it is directly againſt the love, the bowels of Jeſus Chriſt, which ſound toward poor creatures in the Goſpel, in every intreaty, to be reconciled to him: Brethren, what could the Lord Jeſus do more for us, then he did? was not his life dear to him, even to the death ſor poor ſinners, that there might be a pardon for us? and do we thus requite him, even to ſlight it, never to mind it? or if we do ſometimes a little, yet to ſtand out and not to cloſe with him: What unkindneſs was it in the Jews? it is ſo recorded of them, he came to his own, and his own received him not; that is to ſay, his own fleſh and blood; and ſo Iohn 1. 11.John 1:11he is ours as well as others; but he came of them according to the fleſh in a nearer manner, and ſent to them in the firſt place, they received him not: But to come to Us poor Gentiles, outcaſts, Eph. 2 13.Eph 2:13that were ſtrangers, afar off, with a deſire to make us near in his blood, near to his Father and to himſelf, is this love nothing to be thus ſlighted? for how few among us do believe in the Lord Jeſus, notwithſtanding all this? nothing breaks the heart of a creature more then unkindneſs: and ſurely Brethren, me thinks the thoughts of this, if our hearts were not ſtony, ſhould be a breaking of our hearts, that we have hitherto, ſo many of us, dealt ſo unkindly with Chriſt as we have done.

But fourthly, ſee the dangerouſneſs of this ſin of unbelief, that we may be ſet a trembling by reaſon of this ſin, as well as any other, and be weary of this, as well as any other.

1. Other ſins have but their own particular guilt, each of them particularly binding over a poor ſoul to wrath, and entayling the curſe of the Law upon a poor ſinner; ſo every ſin doth, every oath, every lie, every unclean thought, wanton look, adultery, fornication of the body, the heart or eye; but unbelief is that which binds the guilt of all other ſins upon the ſoul, beſides its own proper guilt, which is not the leaſt, as you have heard before: I ſay, it binds all upon the ſoul; if Paul had not believed, all the guilt of his perſecution had yet lain upon his head. O, ſaith our Saviour, if ye believe not, ye ſhall dye in your ſins; not only in your unbelief, but in all your ſins, ſo that this unbelief, it is the very edge, as I may ſay, of all other guilt p. 679whatſoever, and therefore how dangerous a ſin it is, judge ye; you are terrified and affrighted with your grievous abominations, rebellions, filthineſs of your waies, you never think of it haply, but your heart ſinketh within you: why know this, this day, that unbelief is that which keepeth all this upon the ſoul: if that thou wouldſt but aceept of deliverance in Jeſus Chriſt, take him, cloſe with him, come to him, he would not caſt you out, he would not turn you away without a pardon: but the reaſon of your burthens upon you, is becauſe of unbelief.

Secondly, It is dangerous, becauſe above other ſins, it brings a mans blood upon his own head; that is a ſad word (me thinks) that of the Apoſtle, I take God to witneſs, that I am pure from Acts 20. 26.Acts 20:26the blood of all men; if you periſh, your blood will be upon your head: that is to ſay, you are guilty of your own death, your own murther, your own damnation, and everlaſting ſeparation from God; much more may our bleſſed Saviour ſay, I am free from the blood of you all, ſinners, I have dyed for you, made an All-ſufficient ſatisfaction to the Juſtice of my Father, for all ſins, laid down a price, enough to ranſom you, and yet you would none of me, you cared not for it; I have made this known to you, elſe you had had ſome excuſe, ſome cloak, but you have no cloak for your ſins, for your unbelief; If I had not wooed you, intreated you to be reconciled by my Meſſengers, then it had been ſomething to ext…nuate at leaſt; but alas, he hath done all this, and more, Brethren, infinitely, then I am able to ſpeak, for poor ſinners, and yet they will not cloſe with him; why then, Jeſus Chriſt is clear from your blood, he hath done what he undertook to do of his Father, ſpared not himſelf to the leaſt drop of wrath, and of his own blood, and yet we will not come to him. O this muſt needs bring poor ſinners blood upon their own heads.

Thirdly, This unbelief brings the blood of Jeſus Chriſt upon our heads, for if after all this that he hath done and ſaid to perſwade us to make us willing to cloſe with him, we ſtand it out, are we not guilty of his blood, as well as of our own? If an unworthy receiving of the Lords Supper bring a man under 1 Cor. 11. 29.1 Cor 11:29this guilt, will not an unbelieving heart, in hearing of this Goſpel, bring a man under the ſame guilt? for is it not the ſame p. 680Jeſus that is held forth broken for ſinners? and the ſame blood ſhed for ſinners, that is held forth in the Lords Supper to the eye, and in the Goſpel Preached to the ear? even ſo plain as if it were before their faces, as the Apoſtle ſaith to the Galathians; O, me thinks this ſhould make us afraid of reſting any longer in this condition of unbelief, and make us look about us; the Jews, as hard-hearted as they were, could not endure: their conſciences prickt them I believe, and did flie in their faces, and therefore would not endure the Apoſtles to Preach Chriſt: ſay Acts 5. 28.Acts 5:28they, ye would bring upon us the blood of this man. O me thinks this ſtirs the ſtouteſt ſinners among us; I delight not to bring to you, Brethren, ſuch ſad things as theſe are, nor to bring the blood of Jeſus upon your heads, but let us take heed we do it not our ſelves, for we ſhall find that this will be the dregs of the cup of wrath, if we will not be reclaimed, that ever we have ſo much under-valued the Lord Jeſus, as to caſt his love behind us by our unbelief.

The third Ʋſe ſhall be then of Exhortation to every poor ſoul to come to Jeſus Chriſt; for you that are yet in your hardened Ʋſe 3.condition, never made ſenſible of your need of Chriſt, I have the leſs hopes to prevail with you, for this Doctrine is fooliſhneſs to ſuch; it is fooliſhneſs to ſpeak much of the ſoveraignty of a medicine, the readineſs of a Phyſitian to heal, to a man that feels not that he is wounded; and ſuch is the Doctrine of Chriſt and of faith to many a poor ſoul; but there are ſome poor ſouls that haply are convinced of their loſt condition by nature, and ſee that all the water in the bottle is ſpent, and yet Gen. 21. 15.Gen 21:15cannot ſee the fountain near them & opened, haply for grief, for weeping, they are over-charged with ſorrow, and yet come not to Jeſus Chriſt. O that the Lord Jeſus, who hath received the tongue of the Learned for this end, to ſpeak a word in due ſeaſon, Iſalah 50. 4.would ſpeak by the mouth of his poor unworthy Meſſenger to ſuch hearts! What is the reaſon that thou wilt not come to Jeſus Chriſt? art thou reſolved to ſit languiſhing over an empty bottle and periſh, when there is refreſhing to be had in Jeſus Chriſt? O no, ſaith the poor ſoul, I would not ſit ſtill and periſh if there be healing and mercy to be had; why, doſt thou Heb. 7. 25.Heb 7:25not believe that he is able to ſave to the utmoſt? where ſin p. 681hath moſt abounded, there Grace can ſuperabound; yea, it is the glory of his Grace ſo to do. If I thought there were any 1 Tim. 1. 14.1 Tim 1:14ſtuck at this, I would ſpend a few words upon it, but conſider thoſe Scriptures fore-mentioned; but the main thing is, whether Jeſus Chriſt will accept of ſuch a wretch as I have been, ſaith one: O you know not the vileneſs of my heart, the horrid pollutions of my ways, elſe you would have harder thoughts of me, therefore thou art ready to conclude that he will not look at thee ſure. Let me here propound a few Conſiderations to thee.

Firſt, Conſider how injurious it is to Grace, to meaſure it by our thoughts; limit not the holy one of Iſrael; it is the Glory Iſa. 55. 8.Isa 55:8of God, The Lord, the Lord God, gracious and merciful, and that whereby he infinitely tranſcendeth all other gods and men; Who is like unto thee? pardoning iniquity, tranſgreſſion and ſin; and canſt thou comprehend the Glory of God in thy poor narrow thoughts? thou it may be thinkeſt, O if any man had ſo offended me, I could not have born it, I could never have been reconciled to him again; but if thou canſt not, it may be another can; it is much that the Lord enables his people to love, to pray for, to be ready to embrace thoſe that in the moſt bloody manner ſeek their lives, if they come and cloſe with Chriſt, as the Diſciples did Paul; and doubtleſs Stephen would have hug'd them in his boſom, if any of them had then had their hearts changed; and what then can, and will the Lord Jeſus do, when ſuch as have been guilty of his blood, trampled it under feet, turned their backs upon him, crucified him, when they come to him? So in Acts 2. Thou thinkeſt, if thou wert but ſuch a ſinner, if thou hadſt not ſinned againſt ſuch love and mercy, he would have pardoned, he would have accepted; when thy thoughts are at an end and loſt, then is infinite Grace beginning to be Glorious.

Secondly, Conſider this, that he hath left thee altogether without excuſe; he hath cut off all pretences that ſinners might make for their keeping off from Chriſt, both here and in other places. O ſaith one, He hath waited ſo long upon me, ſtretched out his hands all the day long to me; While I have been Iſa. 30. 18. Rom. 10. ult. Rev. 3. 20.Isa 30:18Rom 10Rev 3:20rebelling, the Lord Jeſus hath been intreating me to be reconciled; he hath ſtood ſo long at the door knocking, that now ſure he is gone; he will not come to my ſoul, nor take my ſoul into p. 682fellowſhip with himſelf. I am an old ſinner, as long as ever I could arm my heart, and boy up my ſelf with any thing, carnal reaſonings, moral ſervices, vain delights, and creature-comforts, I would never come to him: what though the Lord Jeſus is ready to receive when ever thou come to him? Had not the poor Woman in the Goſpel ſpent all upon the Phyſitians, before ſhe Mar. 5. 26.Mark 5:26came to Chriſt? if ſhe could have had balm any where elſe, ſhe would never have gone to Gilead for it, nor for that Phyſitian, and doth he caſt her out notwithſtanding? ſurely no: He giveth liberally, and upbraideth not: he hits her not in the Iames 1. 5.Jas 1:5teeth with her unworthineſs to come to him, but when ſhe cometh, he healeth her diſtemper. Was not this the Prodigals caſe? would he ever have gone to his Father, if he could have gotten husks, or any thing? and what, doth his father upbraid him with it? what, thou be received now, that haſt ſtood out as long as ever thou couldſt? it is neceſſity, and not love that hath driven thee home, therefore take thy courſe, I have no bread for thee; O this would have broken the heart quite, and for ever diſcouraged him for coming; no, he meeteth him by the way notwithſtanding, and how ready he is to receive him, and embrace him, that Parable ſetteth forth. O but ſaith another, I am ſo poor, miſerable, have nothing at all in me but ſin and miſery: ſuppoſe ſo, thou haſt the more need of Jeſus Chriſt, and he is moſt ready to reveal himſelf to them that need him moſt, yea thou art the more fit to come to Chriſt; for while thou haſt any thing to ſubſiſt upon, thou wilt not come off thy ſelf clearly and fully as thou oughteſt; beſides, remember this, that the Lord Jeſus is able to beſtow his riches upon nothing, as he did at the firſt make a world of nothing: ſo in the new Creation in the ſoul, he can, he will beſtow the riches of his Grace upon nothing; it is like thou haſt as much as the Prodigal had in his returning; O but he cannot but abhorr me, my ſins are not ſlight ſcars, and races, but deep wounds, and feſtering wounds, running ſores, bloody iſſues, loathſom in his ſight: did the woman with the bloody iſſue in the Goſpel find a repulſe, becauſe of the loathſomneſs of her diſtemper? or the Lepers, becauſe of theirs? or Lazarus, becauſe of his? ſurely no: therein is the great commendation of his love to poor ſinners, that though in their blood, yet he loveth them, p. 683yet he receiveth them. In one word for all, to ſtop the mouths of theſe clamours, the Lord Jeſus hath ſaid it, and will he not be as good as his word? he hath ſaid, That if any man come to him, he will in no wiſe caſt him out, be his diſtemper what it will, be his uuworthineſs what it will, he will in no wiſe caſt him out: therefore never make that an obſtruction, but rather an argument to put thee on to go to Chriſt, becauſe thy want of him is ſo great, more then is found in others.

Thirdly, Conſider that theſe hard thoughts of Jeſus Chriſt, before thou haſt tryed, and had experience of a repulſe from him, are but a prejudice againſt the Lord Jeſus; how glad is the enemy of our peace, if any way he can keep poor ſouls off from Chriſt; will you judge a man to be ſo hard-hearted, and unkind to you, before you have tried him? and ſhall we judge ſo of Jeſus Chriſt? O this is to add ſin to ſin, and much worſens our condition daily.

Fourthly, Conſider this poor ſoul, and add to thy own experience, the experience of all the Saints; ask of them, and they will tell thee, O never was there viler wretches then they themſelves were! they had as vile and baſe thoughts of themſelves as thou, and were as much diſcouraged as thou art; and yet when they came to Jeſus Chriſt, they did obtain mercy, they found Grace in his ſight, the Scepter was held out to them. Ask of Paul, who though dead, yet ſpeaketh, and he will tell thee, thou never waſt ſuch a wretch as he, imbrewing his hands in the blood of the Saints, a perſecutor, blaſphemer, injurious. Ask but Magdalen, and ſhe will tell thee, that ſhe had ſeven Devils for one haply that thou haſt. And ſo will Peter and David: O thou never hadſt thy hand in blood, in adultery, in denying the Lord Jeſus, theſe found mercy; And is not Jeſus Chriſt the ſame yeſterday, to day, and for Heb. 13. 8.Heb 13:8ever?

Fifthly, Thou canſt have no good evidence, that thou art one given of the Father to Chriſt, before the world began, until thou comeſt to Jeſus Chriſt: All that the Father hath given me, ſhall Ioh. 6. 37.John 6:37come. What then, ſhall ſinners abuſe this doctrine, to ſet light by it, caſt off all care of their condition, becauſe if they be given of the Father, they ſhall come? no: But ſadly conſider this, if thou be not yet come to Jeſus Chriſt, thou art not as yet declared p. 684to be one that is given to Chriſt; and if not given to the Son, thou art a ſon of perdition; and wo is thee that thou waſt ever born; and as yet thou art not come to Chriſt, and how knoweſt thou, thou ſhalt ever have an opportunity, or an heart to believe, or come to him? Faith is not at your command, nor Chriſt at your command for poor ſinners; O conſider this ye that forget God, and forget your own welfare; As many as were ordained to eternal life, believed; the reſt were Acts 13 48.Acts 13:48hardened.

Sixthly, A rational Motive ſhall be this; In other diſtractions a poſſibility of relief will make poor Creatures put themſelves upon extream hazards, when it is not poſſible they ſhould eſcape without ſuch a hazard running; how much more then in the buſineſs of our ſouls, ſhould we be willing to run an hazard, if there were any, where there is probability, yea, certainty of ſpeeding if we come. So the Lepers, you know their argument, If we ſtay here, we muſt periſh; if we go, we may eſcape. So Eſther, ſhe knew if ſhe went not into the King at 2 Kings 7.2 Kgs 7that time, her neck was upon the block, as well as the reſt, and if ſhe did go in, ſhe might haply ſpeed and proſper, and therefore ſhe ventures hard; if the Scepter had not been held out to her, it had coſt her, her life there; but the body did lie at the ſtake, as being ſtarved for want, or elſe deſigned to deſtruction by enemies; but here ſoul and body lie at the ſtake, and are E…her 14. 16.in danger of periſhing for ever; there was only a poſſibility of eſcaping, here is a certainty of eſcaping: he will not in any wiſe caſt him out. O how cheerfully would Eſther have run to the King, if there had been ſuch a Law, that when ever the Queen cometh, the Scepter ſhould be held out to her; ſo it is here: there they ran a very deſperate hazard, but here is no hazard run, here is a ſure word of promiſe for it, That heaven and earth ſhall paſs away, before a tittle of it ſhall paſs away: whoever cometh to Chriſt, he will in no wiſe caſt him out.

Seventhly, It is a grief to the Lord Jeſus, that we ſhould be thus wayward, that we will not be perſwaded of his good will toward us, if we come to him; that we ſhould have ſuch unworthy thoughts of Jeſus Chriſt, that he ſhould make no more of his Word of promiſe, his death his blood, then to ſlight all, falſifie all, when poor ſinners come to him according to his invitation; he was p. 685grieved (ſaith the Text) becauſe of the unbelief and hardneſs of Mar. 3. 5. Mat. 23. 37.Mark 3:5Matt 23:37their hearts; It is ſaid of the Jews, O Jeruſalem, Jeruſalem, &c. he wept over it, when nothing would do to perſwade them to cloſe with him; thou art grieved, and Chriſt is grieved by this frowardneſs of thine; Suppoſe the Father of the prodigal ſon in the Goſpel had invited him to come to him, promiſed him all the inheritance, to put him in his boſom, confirm his love to him; no, ſaith he, I have miſpent all, I have undone my ſelf, fed upon husks as long as I could get them, and now I am ready to periſh not being able to procure them: here I will ſit and dye, I cannot believe that thou wilt accept of me, that thou canſt ever love me, or receive me more: would not this grieve the father think you? I know poor mourning ſoul thou wouldſt not grieve the Lord Jeſus; I tell thee, if thou wouldſt not, thou muſt come to him, accept of his kindneſs and love, believe his faithfulneſs, and truth, and ſo thy ſoul ſhall be eſtabliſhed.

Ʋſe 4. The fourth Uſe ſhall be then to exalt the riches of the Grace of Jeſus Chriſt to poor ſinners; we might altus repetere, Ʋſe 4.and ſpeak ſomething to the purchaſing of us at ſo dear a rate as his precious blood; corruptible things, as Silver and Gold are not worthy to be named the ſame day with the blood of Jeſus Chriſt. Alas, there had been no poſſibility for us to come to him, except there had been the foreign paid, and then to invite us to come to him, and not only ſo, but to draw us with the cords of a man, and the cords of love, that we ſhould hear and learn of the Father, be all taught of God, which is the drawing of his Father, without which we cannot come, which Verſe 44, 45. Hoſ. 11. 4.Hos 11:4what it is, you have heard already formerly; Brethren, this is abundance of Grace, yea, more he hath promiſed, and doth, and will perform; whoever cometh to him, he will in no wiſe caſt him out. If the Lord Jeſus had limited himſelf to ſuch or ſuch a ſort of ſinners, that he would receive all that ſhould not continue ſo many years in ſin, or ſ…all not riſe to ſuch an height in ſin, yet it had been much Grace to receive any, but he excludeth none; if any man come to Chriſt he will in no wiſe p. 686caſt him out. Are there not many ſouls in the preſence of God, that can ſet to their ſeals that this is a truth in Ieſus? if he would have caſt out any, what would become of thee and me, who are the chief of ſinners? if he would have 1 Cor. 6. 10.1 Cor 6:10caſt out ſuch as have been drunkards, covetous, unclean, effeminate, what had become of them in 1 Cor. 6? Such were ſome of you: and what would have become of ſome of us, if he would have caſt out all that have been bloody perſecutors, what would have become of Paul? Ah poor ſoul! bethink thy ſelf in what filth and blood thou didſt wallow, before he put off his own comlineſs upon thee? and then think, if the Lord Ieſus had limited his receiving of ſinners, that come to ſuch or ſuch a meaſure, what then had become of thee? O what abounding Grace is in the Lord Ieſus towards poor ſinners! let us exalt it, meditate much of it, labour to heighten it in thy thoughts; there will be no thoughts more ſweet, or profitable, more melting of that ſtone in thy heart, we ſo ſadly complain of, more indearing and engaging of the heart to the Lord Jeſus, then theſe are.

Ʋſe 5. Ʋſe 5. Then ſurely there is no falling away from Chriſt, from juſtifying, ſanctifying Grace once received; for what Ʋſe 5.elſe is this coming to Chriſt, but coming for righteouſneſs, for pardon, for he is the Lord our Righteouſneſs; the Father 1 Cor. 1 30.1 Cor 1:30hath found a Ranſom now in his Son, and this the poor ſinner maketh after in Chriſt; and for holineſs alſo, for he is made of God, Sanctification, as well as Righteouſneſs and Holineſs to the poor ſoul that cometh to him; now he will never caſt him out that cometh to him, he will in no wiſe caſt him out: If he had ſaid, I will not caſt him out, except he ſin to this or that degree after my receiving him, it had been ſomewhat; but I will not caſt him out, no, in no wiſe will I do it. O bleſſed boſom, which will never ſhut out the poor ſoul that is once gotten in to it! and if the Lord Jeſus caſt us not out when we come, what can? It may be, ſome will ſay that we our ſelves may do it, Chriſt will not do it; I, but the ſinner himſelf may …all off, though he have been received of Chriſt, put in p. 687his boſom, warmed with his love; it is true, if a ſinner were his own keeper, it were ſomewhat like; if it were left to the liberty of our wils, whether we would abide in Chriſt, yea or no, we ſhould quickly be loſt again; but it is not, the Lord Jeſus doth not only not caſt us out, except we caſt our ſelves out, but he holds us in his hand, and the Father holds us in his hand, and they are ſtronger then all: None ſhall be able to pluck them out of Ioh. 10. 28, 19.John 10:28John 10:19his hand: he lays hold upon the heart, puts his fear there; yea, and that Peace of God alſo placeth he, as a pregnable garriſon there, that they ſhall never depart from him; except the Lord Ier. 32. 40.Jer 32:40could deny his Covenant, for my part, I ſee not how any ſoul that in truth is come on to Chriſt, can finally apoſtatize, though from ſome common grace they may withdraw, which is true Grace, though not of this kind which is ſaving. But what then, doth the Lord Jeſus hold us to himſelf whether we will or no? No Brethren, But he maketh us willing in the day Pſal. 110.Ps 110of his power; ſo that we ſhall not any more be willing to leave him, to depart from him; nor is it an infringement of our liberty at all to be determined to one party either of the contradiction of contrariety, as they uſe to diſtinguiſh them, for God himſelf is determined to one part, he cannot will any thing that is evil as evil; nor the Angels in heaven eſtabliſhed and confirmed; and yet their liberty ſure is much greater then ours; well then, the Lord Jeſus he will never caſt them out, therefore they ſhall perſevere when once they are in him in Covenant; God hath put that principle into them, that they ſhall never depart themſelves, he will not let looſe any luſt, any temptation upon them that ſhall ruin them, that were in effect, in a moral ſenſe, a caſting of them out; in no wiſe whatſoever will he do it.

Ʋſe 6. Sixthly, Yet here let me put in a double Caution: Firſt, Let Ʋſe 6.ſinners, impenitent ſinners that yet ſtand it out, protract the time of their coming to Jeſus Chriſt: as Aug. O modo Domine, take a warning word this day, that is, do not ſo abuſe this ſweet and pretious truth, as to encourage themſelves thereby in an evil way: tuſh, ſaith the drunkard, the unclean perſon, to morrow p. 688ſhall be as this day, and much more abundant: it is time enough to repent, Jeſus Chriſt is ſo tender and ſo merciful to poor ſinners, that when ever we come to him, he will not caſt us out; and though we do treaſure up many bags, and fill up the meaſure of ſin fuller then others, he hath made no Rom 2.Rom 2limitation; if we come to him, he will not caſt us out: what a lamentable condition is that man in, whoſe ſtomack turns an honey-comb into poyſon to him! here is the moſt precious cordial, the very Spirits of the Goſpel in this our Doctrine, and ſee how ſinners do turn it into a deadly potion to their ſouls! what Spiders are we, that can ſuck venom out of the ſweeteſt flowers? but ſuppoſe this be true, that when ever thou comeſt to Jeſus Chriſt, thou ſhalt be received, and not caſt out in any wiſe; is there any truth in the Hypotheſis that lies hid, which is either this, that thou haſt power to come of thy ſelf at any time, thy will at command, if it be proper to ſay ſo of that which is the commanding faculty in the ſoul; or elſe this, that God will draw thee hereafter, and give thee a will to come to Jeſus Chriſt, when thou haſt lived a while longer in the pleaſures of ſin: Ah poor ſoul, thou little knoweſt the deceitfulneſs of ſin, and of thy own heart; what is the reaſon that thou art not now willing to receive the Lord Jeſus Chriſt? is it not becauſe thou art held ſo faſt in the embraces of thy darling luſts? O that ſin that kils with its embraces, poiſons with its kiſſes! and tell me, is that the way to get looſer from thy luſts, and ſo more ready to come to Jeſus Chriſt, to go on in ſin, to ſatisfie and fulfill the luſts of the fleſh? ſurely no: thou knoweſt not the deceitfulneſs of ſin, whereby the heart is more hardened H…b 3. 13.every act, then before; It may pleaſe him out of the abundant riches of his Grace to draw ſuch a preſumptuous ſinner to Chriſt, but it is to be admired, me thinks thou ſhouldſt rather tremble when thou thinkeſt, I now put off my coming to Chriſt untill a more convenient opportunity, and what if this never come? what if my ſoul be taken from me this night, now the Arrows of God are ſcattered among our dwellings? and what if I never have a heart, nor ſome time to come and repent, but go on ſtill and grow more and more hard and deſperate, and ſinning, and ſo periſh? O that ſinners would conſider this that forget God, that they abuſe not this Grace of p. 689Jeſus Chriſt: When did Jeſus Chriſt tell thee how long he would wait upon thee to be gracious? doth he not ſay, to day Heb. 3. 7, 8.Heb 3:7Heb 3:8if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts; you may poſſibly out-live your day of grace, a…d Chriſt is waiting upon you, and ſtriving with you, and then it had been better for you, you had never been born.

Secondly, Another caution ſhall be to them that have come to Jeſus Chriſt, and are found in him, that they take heed they abuſe not this grace to wantonneſs. If we ſhall not in any wiſe Iude 4.Jude 1:4be caſt out of Chriſt, what need ſo much ado? O what viperous natures have we, that are ready to turn all to poyſon! this principle is in every heart among us, therefore watch over it: The Doctrine is Chriſts, a truth in Jeſus, and therefore in its own nature hath no tendency to ſuch a froward walking before God, there is nothing in its own nature doth more tend to kil ſin then grace, the abundance of grace in Jeſus Chriſt: & truly, if grace & love will not do it, nothing will do it; nothing runs the old man to the heart ſo home, as this unſearchable love of God in Chriſt, that if we come to him, he will in no wiſe caſt us out. It is a wretched, graceleſs concluſion, to ſay no more of it, to continue in ſin that grace might abound; the Apoſtle was well taught in Rom. 12. 1.Rom 12:1Chriſts School, and both by Revelation from Chriſt, and perſonal experience in his own caſe; he knew the power of the love of God in Chriſt, the exceeding abundance of his grace, and how doth he argue from mercy to duty? So our Saviour himſelf, who beſt knoweth the end of his grace, of which he is the Author and Finiſher, come to me, &c. and I will give you reſt: Mat. 11.Matt 11And what then? may they ſit ſtill and take their eaſe, never trouble themſelves more concerning their ſouls, never care how to walk in well-pleaſing to Chriſt? No, the next words are, take my yoak upon you, for it is eaſie, and it is light: It is no great matter he expecteth of us, in compariſon of what he might expect, and in reſpect of the recompence of reward; a Belial is a Monſter in the Church of Chriſt, a man without yoak, like a wild-Aſs, ſnuffing up the wind, and doing according to his own hearts luſt. I will be bold to ſay, let men pretend to what they will, that man that hath drunk deepeſt of the love of God in Chriſt, and is moſt firmly rooted in him, and this free-grace of p. 690God in him, brings forth fruit in the greateſt abundance of any other whatſoever, therefore take heed of this abuſe of the grace of Chriſt.

Ʋſe 7. Seventhly, Then let the people of God make this the comfort, the ſtay of their hearts, that to which they have recourſe in all their doubts and fears, the Lord Jeſus will never caſt them out; labour to ſet a high price upon this promiſe, it is worthy to be written in every heart of a Believer in golden letters; we are too often too apt to turn aſide to our broken Ciſterns for refreſhings when troubles ſeize upon us; but alas, how do they by their emptineſs quickly cauſe the heart to fall off from them? as a Bee cometh to a flower, abideth not, becauſe it quickly emptyeth, it ſucks out all the ſweetneſs, and then to another; and truly, ſuch are all things in the world, when we go to drink at them, to refreſh our weary ſpirits: but here you may drink, and drink abundantly, theſe are waters that never fail; never any were occaſioned to fall off from Chriſt becauſe of emptineſs in him, nor yet becauſe of ſatiety, as the Horſeleach when gorged full: No, no, Chriſts breaſts are full of milk, full of grace, abundant conſolation do they miniſter; thou ſhalt never need to fear that hunger or thirſt ſhall force thee away from Chriſt.

Nor yet ſecondly, will theſe comforts ever forſake thee, ever caſt thee out; relations come together, and much delight they take each in other; and many a man is much taken up with the imbraces of this well-favoured harlot, the world; what between the luſts of the fleſh, the luſt of the eye, and pride of life; but alas, Brethren, beſides the killing of the imbraces, the ſinner muſt leave them, or they will leave him; and what then? O but once get into the arms of the Lord Jeſus, and thoſe imbraces cure inſtead of killing, and thou ſhalt never be caſt out more. O me thinks, Brethren, one rowling of this ſweet morſel under the tongue, were enough to ſweeten any p. 691condition in the world; happy ſoul that hath the enjoyment of the Lord Jeſus, and the ſenſe of it.

Thirdly, Yea more, if he have not caſt thee out at the firſt coming, much leſs afterward in thy after-comings to him for more of his fulneſs of grace, he will not caſt thee out, not ſend thee away empty; if he would have ever thrown thee off, it would have been at the firſt, while thou waſt a ſtranger to him; yet when thou cameſt to him in a weary, burthened condition, he had reſpect to thy condition, had pitty on thee, gave thee reſt, admitted thee with all thy ſin, and guilt, and took it away; will he not much more have now bowels towards thee? can he caſt thee out now for thy defects and deformities? O ſurely no. Brethren, you that have Fathers and Mothers hearts to your children, tell me, you that have a poor child, though by his own untowardneſs he falls, wounds himſelf, bleedeth, fainteth, deformeth himſelf, cometh to his father, O father pitty, father help, father heal, I have what in me lies undone my ſelf; though he be angry at his miſcarriage, yet the bowels work towards him, he doth not upon this account caſt him out: And it is worth noting, when our Saviour was offended with his Diſciples for their little faith in the ſtorm, they came and awaked him, ſaying, Lord ſave us, we periſh; his tenderneſs was ſuch, before he rebuked them for their unbelief, he rebuked the Sea Ma…. 4. 39, 40.and the wind. O Brethren, ſurely, ſurely the Lord Jeſus his tenderneſs towards his people, is a feaſt of fat things, here are the wines on the lees to revive and refreſh the poor drooping ſpirits; loſe not the comfort of your condition for want of meditating upon it.

Object. But ſome will ſay, If this be ſo, it is ſad with me, for I have thought I came to Jeſus Chriſt, and have found comfort and refreſhing, and reſt in him, and yet alas, now he hath caſt me off; and therefore ſurely I was never truly in him, for none that come to him doth he in any wiſe caſt off.

For anſwer to this, I conceive it is but a miſtake, ſuch qualms as theſe ſeize upon the people of God ſometimes, when we 2 Cor. 5. 7.2 Cor 5:7will needs live by ſight and not by faith: And ſometimes the p. 692Lord may pleaſe to hide his face from his own people, and then no marvel if they be troubled; in a little wrath I hid my face, Pſal. 30. 7.Ps 30:7&c. Sometimes our luſts come and ſteal away our Saviour, bereaveth us of his preſence, at leaſt the ſenſibleneſs of it; and then we know not where they have laid our Saviour, is our ſad complaint; then we mourn, as children, thinking themſelves forſaken, if the Mother be but ſtept aſide haply on purpoſe upon ſome neceſſary occaſion. So David, I ſaid I am caſt out of thy ſight. So Jonas, What, hath the Lord ſhut up his tender mercies, hath he taken his leave of me, and will he be gone for ever? Iona. 2. 4.Jonah 2:4all this while the Mother is behind the Curtain, takes notice of every ſigh, ſeeth every tear fall from the child, mindeth every expreſſion of longing and breaking deſires after her, and ſo doth the Lord; this is not a forſaking, a caſting out, but a fitting the poor ſoul for the receiving more of his love afterward. Why art thou then ſo diſquieted, poor ſoul, and droopeſt, as if there were no more hope nor help for thee in Chriſt, becauſe he hath a little turned his face away from thee? O happy ſoul, that canſt not bear his abſence, that followeſt ſo hard after him, that mourneſt after him, it is a ſign he hath left ſome ſweetneſs upon the heart to draw thee after him, he hath not caſt thee off; but by this means would work thee more …5, 6.out of love with that ſin that hath made the ſeparation, that ſo he might abide with thee for ever.

2. Object. Alas but I know not whether I have ever yet come to Jeſus Chriſt; I am perſwaded that ſuch as come to him aright, he will never caſt them out; but my ſcru…le yet ſticks, I am afraid of deceiving my ſelf, and thinking I come to him when I come not, for I have thus long come and followed after Chriſt, and never yet got a ſmile from him to this day; therefore he ſeemeth to ſhake me off, and caſt me out.

Let me ſpeak a few things to this.

Firſt, That though he hold thee off a while, and ſeem p. 693not to own thee, in reſpect of the comforts his preſence, yet in the mean time he doth ſtay and ſupport thee, there is his ſtrengthening preſence, elſe thou wert never able to endure to hold out mourning after him.

Secondly, When thy heart is ſo drawn out after Jeſus Chriſt, that thou canſt not live, nor be ſatisfied without thou mourneſt, pineſt, languiſheſt after him, this is a coming, a true coming to Jeſus Chriſt; when thou haſt all things elſe that heart can wiſh, it may be thou haſt relations, eſtate, name as good as others, yet thou canſt not be ſatisfied, all is nothing without intereſt in him; thou runneſt from Ordinance to Ordinance, from one Congregation to another, from reading to prayer, yet findeſt no ſatisfaction in all: I will ſay to that ſoul, Thou haſt an evidence, and a clear one too, he hath indeed received thee, or thou wert never able thus to breath after him; and though he may hold thee off for a while, yet he will not ſhut thee out.

Thirdly, Hath the Lord made thee willing indeed to have him, to receive him as King and Saviour, to be purified by him, ſubdued to him, as well as ſaved by him? Alas, I know not whether I am or no: if not, what then meaneth all thy ſtuffing thy bed with groans? What mean thoſe Rivers of tears ſhed over him? what meaneth thy following ſo hard after him? What, is it poſſible that any man ſhould make ſuch heavy moan, as ſome poor ſouls do for Jeſus Chriſt, and yet not be willing to have him? If thou wouldeſt not have him, me thinks thou wouldeſt rather run away from him, then run after him: what aſcending is there up into this tree and that tree, as the Lord Jeſus paſſeth by in an Ordinance, to get a ſight of him, and yet the poor ſoul will not be perſwaded that he would have, fain have the Lord Jeſus; when one ſight of him would be ſo refreſhing to them: O go away rejoycing and triumphing in the Lord Jeſus, that ever he hath looked upon thee, to make thee willing p. 694in the day of his power, for ſurely thou art a willing ſoul who art ſo affected towards him; and this willing, Brethren, John 1. 12.John 1:12ſurely is the very receiving of Jeſus Chriſt, it is the cloſing with him, thus taking with one hand Chriſt for pardon, and giving up a mans ſelf to him with the other hand, which is the thing thy ſoul groans for; now if Chriſt Jeſus be ſo willing to receive poor ſinners, and thou be ſo willing to receive him, what can interpoſe to hinder or break the match? ſurely nothing.

Fourthly, Thou muſt be content to wait a while haply, before thou have the comfort of thy coming to Chriſt; before, I ſay, thou ſhalt ſuck the ſweetneſs that floweth from him to thy ſoul, for thou haſt broken thy bones with ſin, which brought wrath upon thy ſoul, as David complains; O there was no reſt in his bones, and they muſt have a time to knit again. A man will rather lie upon his bed a Priſoner a few daies, then be a Cripple all the daies of his life; therefore they ſay a Horſe leg is incurable if broke, he will not endure to be bound, to lie quiet.

Submit to the Chyrurgians hand and skill, the Lord Jeſus will do it, it is doing; but alas, ſuch broken bones heal but ſlowly through many humors; by reaſon of the abundance of ſin in the ſoul may be it will be the longer, but wait; Remember the pains that Elijahs ſervant took to go up and down that ſteep hill Carmel with wearyneſs ſeven times, and brought news of nothing at all, until at laſt, he ſees a little cloud which filled the heavens: So it may be with thee, and it will recompence all; at laſt there will be abundance of rain to refreſh thy weary parched ſoul.

Fifthly, Be frequent in acting of faith, putting forth the acts of thy willingneſs to receive the Lord Jeſus, if he be willing to receive thee, for hereby the habit of faith will grow ſtronger, the little grain of Muſtard-ſeed thou ſhalt ſee take ſtrong rooting and ſpread it ſelf, and p. 695then the acts will be ſtronger, and thoſe will yet again ſtrengthen the habit, and by this means the grace will appear more viſible: So that at the laſt thou ſhalt even feel in thy very ſoul, that thou doſt believe, if thou often 1 Iohn 5. 10.1 John 5:10put forth this act of recumbency upon him, caſting thy ſelf upon the Lord Jeſus, into his arms, at his feet; and ſee if thou find it not, that at laſt thou have not this witneſs in thy ſelf, that thou doſt believe in the Lord Jeſus. And then happy ſoul, thou mayeſt take the comfort of that condition; Thou ſhalt never be caſt out.

FINIS.