The Tempestuous Soul Calmed by Jesus Christ, Observation 2
Doct. 2.When a Soul comes ſavingly, it comes in a periſhing condition to Jeſus Chriſt: Lord ſave us we periſh; foreign, we are loſt, or are in a loſt condition; loſt, do thou ſave us; This doth rightly anſwer to the heart of Chriſt, and his purpoſe revealed in the Goſpel, I am come to ſeek and to ſave, foreign that which was loſt or ready to periſh; that really is ſo, and that ſhall ſee it ſelf to be ſo, Luk. 19.10. So in that threefold Parable Luk. 15. to ſet forth ſuch a ſinner that Chriſt draws in to his ſalvation, I have found my Sheep which was loſt, ver. 6. Rejoyce with me, I have found the piece that was loſt, verſ. 9. And ſo of the Prodigall, Let us eat and rejoyce, my Son was loſt and is found, ver. 23, 24. 'Tis Chriſt's rejoycing to finde ſinners loſt in themſelves; To this purpoſe Paul, Phil. 3.9. That I may be found in Christ, implying, he was loſt in himſelf; Now to open this, how a ſoul is ſaid to come to Chriſt in this loſt and periſhing condition.
Firſt, Periſhing in ſinne, ſuch a ſight of ſin as before is deſcribed, if it ſtay in its ſinne, it muſt certainly periſh; Sinne cannot enſafe; The leaſt ſinne is able to damn, much more the multitudes of them that lie undiſcharged upon it.
Secondly, A Soul that comes truly to Chriſt, comes periſhing in its own ſtrength; 'Tis likely, thoſe who were ready to periſh in the Ship with Chriſt in the tempeſt, that they toiled long in their own ſtrength, rowed with their own oars, with much painfulneſle, till they ſaw all was in vain, and then they throw down all, Maſter ſave, or we periſh; So a poor creature after ſome conviction and awakening, 'tis apt at firſt to be toyling in its own ſtrength, its own naturall ſufficiencies, ſets to repentance, duties, obedience, in its own ſtrength, turns in the outward man from the groſſer evils of his waies, but then backſlides again, and all becauſe he would be his own deliverer, work for and by himſelf, at leaſt contribute ſomething himſelf; But to come weak and ſtrengthleſſe to Jeſus Chriſt, helpleſſe in it ſelf, this goes hard, To acknowledge to the glory of God and our own ſhame; That if any thing be left on our ſcore, to make good with God, periſh we muſt, this goes to the quick; indeed our pride and ſelf-love is very unwilling to yeeld to this, a creature would not be found to be at ſuch a totall loſſe with God, ſo farre to have ſpoiled and undone himſelf; to be ſo wholly weakened and deadned by ſin, as not to be able to help the Lord Jeſus one little in ſaving us, but the whole ſtreſſe muſt be laid upon him: yet thus it is, when we were without ſtrength Chriſt died, Rom. 5.6. And ſo when Chriſt comes to give a ſoul the bleſſing of his death, and to eſtate him in it; It cauſeth the ſoul to know and feel that it is without ſtrength, and helpleſſe, and then 'twill be at his feet periſhing in it ſelf without him; Nothing is more ſtrongly ſetled upon the ſpirit of a ſinner then this ſelf-ſufficiency, and opinion of its own power; He can pray, repent, hear the Word, receive, be juſt, do all, and acceptably enough to God, as he deemeth, and ſtill on the lees of his own ſtrength, not knowing what belongs to the ſpirituall performance of any duty, and ſo befools himſelf; Now this is the firſt thing a ſoul coming into Chriſt, is to periſh in, in all its own ſtrength.
3. It is to periſh in all its own righteouſneſſe; 'Twas in vain for theſe poor men in the Ship, to be hiding themſelves In cabins of their own, when the Ship was ſo toſſed and ſhaken; to lie nuzling in their own wares, though never ſo precious; No, all the precious merchandiſe muſt over-board, paſſe for nothing; So when a ſoul comes to Chriſt for help, all its own cabins of its own righteouſneſſe muſt be caſt away; All thy former ſervice of hearing, praying, being juſt and ſober (if thou werſt ſo) which was thy cabin, thy covert in the room of Chriſt, muſt be lookt upon as thy ſins, as that which is but an abomination in the pure eyes of God, Pro. 15.8. The prayer of the wicked (that is, of every perſon out of Chriſt) is an abomination to the Lord; As for thy publique worſhip that haply thou repoſeſt moſt in, What ſaith the Spirit of God of it, Iſa. 1.13. vain oblatition, abomination, it is iniquity, the ſolemn meeting, they are a trouble to me, I am weary to bear them, And as for private praiers, plainly ſaith he, When you make them, I will not hear them, v. 15. And why? becauſe the ſins of ſuch a perſon are not pardoned, his perſon not juſtified, he is not in Chriſt, he doth not ſanctifie Gods Name in his ſervices, not directed to right ends, and ſo hatefull to the pure and righteous God; And yet fond man is apt to hide and ſecure himſelf in theſe things, as Adam in his fig-leaves; So he prays a little, in a cuſtomary dead-hearted manner, with ſome kinde of outward reverence: ſo he gives alms, goes to publique worſhip, is righteous to men: (things good in themſelves, if aright, and to right ends performed;) And if he ſlip, a little repentance of his own added, and Chriſt to make up what he wants, this is the hold of the moſt, and ſends as many ſouls away empty from Chriſt, as any thing whatſoever; What formall profeſſours, I mean, the common bulk of the people of this Nation, reach ſo far as a Phariſee in all the duties they boaſted in? And yet obſerve and do it with deep thoughts of heart, that in Mat. 23. when the Lord Jeſus preacht his laſt Sermon to them, after he hath ſeven times pronounced woes unto them, he puts this confounding queſtion to them, Ye Generation of Vipers, how ſhall you eſcape the damnation of hell? ver. 33. Moſt (indeed) periſh within the pale of the Church upon this account. That in Rom. 10.3. among many others is very remarkable, They being ignorant of Gods righteouſneſſe, go about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſſe, and have not ſubmitted to the righteouſneſſe of God; 1. Ignorant, how holy and perfect that righteouſneſſe is, in which God will accept of and juſtifie a creature; Ignorant of the righteouſneſſe of the Law, conſidering not that the holy and ſpirituall Law of God reacheth to the heart and ſpirit, and that one motion awry, if we ſtand to that, damns a ſoul for ever, or that the worth of his repentance and duties can make God amends for what he fails, as ſhew'd; and ignorant of the full and acceptable righteouſneſſe of Chriſt (though perhaps ſome generall notion of it in the brain, and able to diſcourſe of it, yet as to ſound and ſpirituall diſcerning of it, and cloſing with it, ignorant of it) and ſo goeth about to eſtabliſh his own righteouſneſſe; And ſo is eſtabliſhing that which the Lord will deſtroy, eſtabliſhing that which he ſhould be periſhing in, and ſo doth not ſubmit to the righteouſneſſe of Jeſus Chriſt; through ignorance and pride, and ſelf-conceit, doth not ſubmit unto it, never beaten out of and periſhed in their own, that they might ſubmit unto Chriſt, to be accepted for Chriſts obedience, and not for their own; And yet having thus ſubmitted, to delight in all the holy will of God alſo,
3. A ſoul muſt periſh as to any ſupport in its priviledges, of being baptized, a proteſtant, of the true Church, and the like, being no Papiſt, no Heretick, nor Schiſmatick, as people are wont to boaſt themſelves; Though theſe are priviledges, yet to build a ſafe condition upon them without Chriſt and regeneration, is a moſt dangerous ſin.
4. A ſoul muſt periſh in all its outward comforts, as to be a refuge for him, ſomething hath been ſaid as to this already: The ſpirit of a man being an active mover muſt faſten and feed upon ſomething, and having loſt God and communion with him, it turns to the creatures, and would ſatisfie it ſelf upon them, which bearing no proportion to it, cannot afford him fulneſſe; Therefore convinced of this, it is reſolved to throw them off, and ſeeing them altogether inſufficient to cover him from the wrath of God, to appeaſe the conſcience, to give one dram of bleſſing to his ſoul, he comes to Chriſt, as having reſted (ſuch a reſt as it was) in periſhing things, and ſees if he ſtaies upon them, he muſt periſh in them.
In a word, Conſider all thoſe lying Refuges, which a ſoul findes out to hide himſelf and pacifie conſcience with, there doth the ſearching God finde him our, and drive him out of them, and unfaſtens his hold of them, then doth God as it were throw him at the feet of Chriſt, then Chriſts bowels yern after him, and laies hold upon him; Then will that ſoul tell the Lord Jeſus that he is come to periſh in his view, under his eye, if he do periſh, but reſolved to look after no other helper, if his good pleaſure be not towards him; I will yet ſtep aſide to ſpeak to a ſoul, that hath not yet thus periſhed in all but Chriſt.
Why then ſinner Conſider, here's that will take down thy plumes, thy imbred ſelf-conceit and ſelf-flatteries that will undoe thee, if thou any longer hearkeneſt to them; and yet walks up and down as ſelf-conceitedly, as if all thou truſteſt in were as ſafe as heaven.
1. As to thy ſin; I have pleaded with thee before, but a word more, Dareſt thou pretend to be ſafe in thy ſin an hour more? Dareſt thou walk upon the brink of hell, and ſmile upon it? Tell me, Doſt thou beleeve ſinne as certainly damnable (while thou art in it, unpardoned, not fled to Jeſus Chriſt) as God reigneth in the heaven and is juſt? Doſt thou beleeve it? ſure thou doſt not; elſe thou doſt not give reſt unto thy ſpirit till thou haſt found a Saviour to take thy ſin away, and his Spirit witneſſing the ſame effectually unto thee: Oh then, come and be as thou art (and be not too proud to own it) a periſhing ſinner at Chriſts feet; How poor and trembling will a periſhing man be, that lies wholly at the mercy of another? So is it with thee, thou haſt not ſo much as bread for thy ſoul till thou comeſt periſhing and hungring after Jeſus Chriſt.
2. As to thy own ſtrength a word more; If it be ſo, that thou art ſtrengthleſſe, helpleſſe in thy ſelf, not able to move one ſtep towards God ſavingly of thy ſelf, thy heart as dead and weak as water; how poor a creature may this make thee in thy own eyes? Is it likely that what thou haſt done hitherto, and performed toward God hath been in thy own naturall ſtrength, and ſo not accepted? oh then go and pleade with God to give thee a heart, even upon his own free promiſe, Jer. 31. I will give them a heart to know me; Helpleſſe ſinner what wouldſt thou have more? Haſt thou not a ſpiritual heart? I will give it, ſaith God, and give it for humble asking; Oh art thou willing to turn at Gods reproof; then Behold, I will powr out my ſpirit upon you; Behold, take notice of it, as the moſt encouraging promiſe thou canſt fly unto; Turn thy face to Chriſt, and hear what he will ſpeak, even upon thoſe unanſwerable arguments he laies down in his Goſpel, yea, beſeech him but to turn thee to him, and himſelf to thee, and he will do it; O then go preſently to him, while thou ſeeſt the way open, and earneſtly beg his Spirit, and pleade Chriſts own promiſe: And that ſpirit ſhall be an humbling, ſubduing, praying, renewing, quickning, mortifying, guiding, comforting Spirit in thee; And ſo thou ſhalt learn to perform all in the Spirit of Jeſus Chriſt.
3. As to thy own righteouſneſſe let me have one word more with thee; Know, that though thou maiſt make a good eſtimate of thy ſelf, and that others do ſo alſo, in the things thou doſt towards God and man, yet Conſider, that what is highly eſteemed among men is an abomination to the Lord, ſaith Chriſt, Luk. 15. To be round with thee, Dareſt thou imagine to ſtand and appear before the infinitely righteous, holy, heart-ſearching God, in ſuch a patcht up defiled covering, as thy own doings and performances make? Wilt thou lie down wrapt in a cobweb (ſuch is thy hope in this, Job. 8.13.) to cover thee from the piercing ſtorms of God, or to hide a heart full of iniquity and hypoeriſie from the eye of God? or doſt thou think that Jeſus Chriſt will joyn righteouſneſſe with thine? In a word, in ſtead of being a well-conceited Phariſee (for 'tis uo better) Go and be a poor ſinner at Chriſts feet, and be willing to let him have all the glory in thy ſalvation; Even put on Jeſus Chriſt by an humble, free, totall reſignment of thy ſelf unto him, to undertake thy cauſe, as hath been ſhewd, to work all thy works for thee and in thee; And in ſtead of thy own defiled righteouſneſſe, thou haſt ſtood a tip-toe in, the entire obedience of Chriſt ſhall be thine, and thou ſhalt appear before God in that full, pure, ſpotleſſe, acceptable righteouſneſs of the Son of his, in which the ſoul of God is infinitely delighted; Ah Soul, what a change is this, to part with filth and abomination, for the glorious righteouſneſſe of the Son of God, to be clad in it, and even ſhine forth before God in it.
4. Well, do the ſame as to any conſidence in all thy Church-priviledges, of being baptized, being a Proteſtant, no heretick; Do the ſame as to all creature-refuges, as hath been ſhewed; and being undone and ſhattered in them, do not dare to be ſafe in them any longer, no, no pretenſion to ſafety, till thou ſhalt be ſafe in the Lord Jeſus, by a clear and full cloſure with him, till thou haſt him in thy arms by faith, thy ſoul embracing and twining it ſelf about him, till he ſhall ſay unto thee, I am thine, and thou ſhalt finde power and vertue coming from him.
From what hath been ſaid maiſt thou now with deep thoughts of heart ſay thus within thy ſelf; Ah wretch that I have been, fond, ſelf-pleaſing, ſelf-flattering wretch; how well conceited of my ſelf, how able thought I my ſelf to do every thing, how confidently have I ſtood before the perfect God in the performance of my carnall duties, when they were as filthy as ſin could make them, and God was loathing of them? Now I ſee one Jeſus Chriſt is ten thouſand times better then them all; Now I will caſt anchor into him, now I will contend for him as for life; Now I will enquire, ſeek, wait upon his voice (his ſpirit enabling me) till I ſhall finde him, and all thoſe Bleſſings are reported to be in him; Now I will be diligent in duties upon a better account, not as they are able to render me accepted and juſtified before God (ſo I do and ever will renounce them) but as means (bleſſed be God) to conveigh Chriſt to my ſoul, and as the teſtimony of my obedience to him.
And now, if by the Lords bleſſing unto thee what hath been ſaid, or thou waſt ſuch before, even a more periſhing ſinner in thy own eyes, take yet what farther is implied in the heart of theſe words, Lord ſave, I periſh, which may be enlarged in ſuch a plea as this; Oh bleſſed Lord Jeſus of Life and Glory, Here's a ſoul at thy feet with the weight of numberleſſe ſins upon it, but not one dram of righteouſneſſe to cover him; a deſolate, forlorn, ſhipwrackt worm, that ſtands bound over in thouſands of debts to the juſt and dreadfull God of heaven and earth; But hath not ſo much as one mite to pay him, unleſſe with the forfeiture of my immortall ſoul; Here I come with thee, as thou haſt commanded, and throw my ſelf upon thee; He venture an immortall ſoul with thee, If thou haſt not treaſures enough to ſpare lying by thee, the infinite merits of thy own bloud, If thou wilt not freely ſatisfie for me, and take the debts of my ſins upon thee, and ſo ſtand between a juſt God and a condemned ſinner; If thou haſt not favour enough with the righteous God to prevail for me; Oh I muſt periſh, everlaſtingly periſh.
Lord] It implies thou art mighty and able to do it, for all power is committed to thee; If there be not power enough with thee, thou who art the mighty God, the Prince of Peace, and ſo able to reſcue my darling ſoul, I am contented to ſink before thee; but thou, thou alone art the Lord of Life; oh magnifie thy great power upon me, and even be my Lord, my Lord, other Lords beſide thee I would have none, Lord ſave, &c.
Save,] 'Tis for a great and weighty matter that I pleade, that I come unto thee for, No leſſe then to be eternally ſaved, ſaved from the everlaſting wrath and vengeance of God, ſaved to everlaſting life and glory in the glorious preſence of God for evermore; O thou Saviour of men (that's thy Name and honourable Title) didſt thou not paſſe through many abaſements, when thou waſt upon earth, very unſuitable to thy glorious perſon? didſt thou not drink of a moſt bitter cup, full of the wrath of divine juſtice? And was not this then in thy heart, did not this then bear thee up, that thou ſhouldeſt ſave? ah ſave poor helpleſſe ſouls, that could never have been ſaved without thee; Oh, hadſt thou not infinitely delighted in ſaving loſt ſouls, thou hadſt never been at ſo much pains and travell and coſt in the work; Oh therefore Save, Lord Save; Yea, Save,
I periſh;] Muſt, will periſh, If thou doſt not ſave; Save, for the waters are come over my ſoul, I am ſinking without thee; Maſter, Maſter, I periſh Luk. 8. Maſter, Careſt thou not that I periſh? Mar. 4. Oh let it never be told in Gath, that even a complaining, forlorn ſoul periſhed at thy feet; What, at the feet of a Jeſus? Alas, if thou careſt not that I periſh, who will? If thou pitieſt not, who will or can? Oh for the honour of thy own Name pity; If I ſhould now periſh in the view of harbour, now I have ſeen and cried to a Saviour, Thy enemies will ſpeak evil of thy Name; Well, bleſſed Lord, thou ſeeſt all the arguments I have to move thee; That which I will ſtick upon and never give thee over with is, that I muſt periſh, periſh without thee, yea, periſh in thy ſight, if thou ſuccour me not; Lord ſave, I periſh.
Well now, Soul, If thou doſt in this or the like manner pant after Jeſus Chriſt in ſuch a periſhing poſture, and thine eyes are upon him, and followeſt him, and waiteſt what he will ſpeak unto thee, I will a little prevent thee, and ſhew thee a copy or two of his tender heart in this particular: See Luk. 19.10. For the Son of man is come to ſeek and to ſave that which was loſt; He came, 'twas his errand, his buſineſſe, 'twas the main thing he had in his heart: What? that which thou ſo earneſtly look'ſt for, even to ſave, yea more, to ſeek whom he might ſave; but what kinde of perſons? even ſuch as thou preſenteſt thy ſelf unto him, that which is loſt, ſouls that come as loſt and periſhing in themſelves to ſeek him; Have the worſt thoughts of thy ſelf, it can reach but to be a loſt ſoul, and ſuch, (ſaith Chriſt) if he be worthy of credit with thee he came to ſeek; If thou art ſeeking him, why, he was ſeeking thee before; He left it upon record in his Gopel, and he is in heaven to ſee it made good; So much will that Scripture afford thee, and beleeve it: Another Iſa. 45.22. Look unto me, and be ye ſaved; Well now, doſt thou look up with a longing expectation to Jeſus Chriſt for ſalvation, to hear what he will ſpeak unto thee? why now, ſaith Chriſt to ſuch a looking expecting ſoul, Be ye ſaved, Be it unto you as you will; To confirm it to thee, hear him further in the ſame Scripture, I am God, and none elſe, None but me is able: and as for his good will and faithfullneſſe in performing it, he further ſaith, I have ſworn by my ſelf, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteouſneſſe; And then obſerve, ver. 24. what he aſſures thee of, how fully he anſwers thy errand, Surely ſhall one ſay, In the Lord have I righteouſneſſe and ſtrength; Mark, while thou art ſeeking and looking for it, thou haſt it, while thou art periſhing in thy own, thou haſt found it fully in Jeſus Chriſt; And therefore, as it follows there, In the Lord thou ſhalt be juſtified and glorified. Yea more (ſaith Chriſt) that thou maieſt not think it a common matter to him, as if he did not care, or it did not much concern him; Rejoyce with me, ſaith he in Luke, as ſhewed, for I have found that which was loſt.
But yet there remains one Objection in thy heart, that as yet thou doſt not taſte the comfort of this, thou doſt not yet ſo powerfully hear the voice of Chriſt, nor ſo comfortably ſee his face; The reaſons of this are to be cleared in the next point.