Two Books, Treatise 1 · Chapter 26
CHAP. XXVI.
Aſecond ſort of Perſons not Receivers of Jeſus Chriſt viz. Such as delay their coming to Chriſt. When delaies argue unwillingneſs.
SEcondly ſuch alſo as do delay and put off their going unto Jeſus Chriſt or cloſing with him. Delay argues unwillingneſs. So the Seller ſaith, A man hath no mind, he is not willing to lay out his money, by beating up and down he doth not make up his bargain.
Again. Delaies are a kind of denials. And ſo the poor man takes them who cals and asks for an Alms, and receives no anſwer. In War, If men accept not of conditions by ſuch a time, they are counted enemies. God counts delaies, unwillingneſs, Luke 14.18. The Gueſts that are invited would not come, and yet if you look there, you ſhal ſee that they do but put off the matter for a while, for one ſaith, he had bought a yoak of Oxen, and another had other buſineſs, that he could not come. God counts you to be unwilling, when you are delaying.
There is a forbearance which is not a delay. As the Apoſtle Peter ſaith in 2 Pet. 3.9. The Lord is not ſlack concerning his promiſe, though he delaies his coming to judgment: becauſe he hath this great reaſon for it, viz. His elect are in the world, and muſt be born into it, that ſo they may be called and ſaved by him. The Lord having ſo great a reaſon for his patience with the world, therefore he is not to be counted ſlack, though he lets things go diſorderly and without puniſhment for many years together, for what we can think. I may ſay now in the like caſe alſo, that a man doth not delay to beleeve alwaies, becauſe he doth not beleeve? For there may be ſome reaſon for it. There is no reaſon can exempt a man from the obligation unto Faith. Its no reaſon at all for a man to ſay that becauſe he is poor and miſerable and under Gods diſpleaſure, or in his ſins, therefore he ſhould not beleeve. But though there be nothing to exempt a man from the obligation of the Commandment of Faith, yet there is ſomthing to be done before the Act of Faith. That is, the heart muſt be humbled, and have the ſenſe of ſin, The ſenſe of ſin and of a mans need of Jeſus Chriſt, doth in order of nature precede & go before this Act of reſting on him. He that hath no ſenſe of ſin, ought to ſay that it is my duty to beleeve: But he ought to ſay as well, That I may beleeve, I ought to ſee my ſins. Becauſe therefore there may be a reaſon, therefore every forbearance of believing is not a deniall.
Nor doth every forbearance argue unwillingneſs. Every forbearance of a duty is not a ſign that a man is unwilling to a duty. As for example. A man makes his friend to ſtay at the door, or in ſome outhouſe for a while before he goes out to him. Becauſe the room wherein he would entertain him is not righted and made hanſome for him: And yet he may be as glad of his coming, as of any thing in the world. And yet make him ſtay till things be ready for his entertainment. So the Soul may be deſierous of Chriſt, and yet not think himſelf fit to receive him as yet: A fault there may be in thee, and often times there is, Becauſe Jeſus Chriſt provides for his own entertainment. As ſoon as ever the door is open, that is, that the heart be ſenſible of ſin, Jeſus Chriſt doth come in with all his furniture, makes it an habitation for himſelf. If a man will ſtay from Jeſus Chriſt for want of one degree of Grace more than he hath, there is the ſame reaſon he ſhould ſtay for all degrees of Grace: for all degrees of Grace are little enough to compaſs him with, or to give him entertainment.
But though that forbearance argues not unwillingneſs in all caſes, yet in ſundry caſes it doth. As for example. When we are not ſenſible, and take not notice of what is done by God and Chriſt to egge and draw out the Soul by Faith unto him: When no ſpurring will make us go on: Though we be exhorted, perſwaded, commanded, intreated, threatned, yet ſtill we ſtand where we were. Amazed at our miſery, but give not up our ſelves unto this Grace of Chriſt. Or if a man be moved and not proportionably unto the means that are uſed: Though he hath lived long, and been under the perſwaſion of the Goſpel continually, yet ſtill there is little, very little progreſs, or looking towards the Lord Jeſus. Like green wood, that though there be much fire, and earneſt blowing, yet retains nothing but only a little warmth, and comes not unto fire at all. Were it only a dulneſs and heavineſs, and ſlowneſs of ſpirit, and not unwillingneſr, the continuance of the means, and being continually ſpurred would remove that, and make us at length to get as much as might teſtifie and bear witneſs to our Souls that indeed we are in love with the Lord Jeſus Chriſt. Where (I ſay) continuall means and Ordinances do but very little, it is a ſign that there is not only ſlothfulneſs, but unwillingneſs, that the Soul is not wrought upon effectually.
But then eſpecially doth delay argue unwillingneſs when a man ſtifles and hinders the working of the means. He pincheth in the pains that would deliver him of all his trouble: He weakens and enervates the Arguments that are brought to perſwade him to go to Jeſus Chriſt. He grows witty and wiſe and cunning to evade the Arguments and Reaſons of the Goſpel.
And then again is a mans delay a ſign of his unwillingneſs, when he hath it in his power to beleeve, and yet doth not beleeve. I ſay when he hath it in his power. As it is a ſign a man is not willing to pay his debt, or to give unto the poor, when he hath it by him, and yet bids the poor or the debt or to come another time. In all that are regenerate there is a Spirit of Faith: And when they are under the means, and the means do affect them, it is then in their power to heleeve. Naturally no man can beleeve: But it is given unto them that are regenerate, and they can bring that power into act when the means do work upon them. As now in the hearing of a Sermon, for a man to with-hold his Soul from Jeſus Chriſt, when the Ordinance preſſeth him, yet for him to keep his heart back from going unto him, that is a ſign of unwillingneſs.
I wil mention but one delay more. And that is when a man keeps from Jeſus Chriſt without a Reaſon. And let me tell you this, that if once a man ſee his ſin, and his own helpleſsneſs, there can be no Reaſon why he ſhould keep from Jeſus Chriſt. If there be any reaſon, It muſt be either in himſelf, or in Chriſt. If it be in himſelf, it muſt be one of theſe two things.
Either the want of Grace.
Or the abundance of corruption and guilt that lies upon him.
If it be want of Grace. It muſt be,
Either the totall want,
Or the want of ſome degrees.
The whole want of Grace that is no ground why you ſhould not beleeve, for by beleeving you receive Grace for Grace. Grace is an effect of Faith: It is the bleſſing of that ſeed, and the Tree that grows upon that Plant.
Nor can it be for want of ſome degree. For as I told you juſt now, There will be as much reaſon for a man when he hath attained to twenty degrees of Grace to ſtay ſtil til he hath attained to the laſt degree of Grace. as there will be for him when he hath one degree to ſtay til he hath twenty degrees: for al degrees of Grace are little enough to give Jeſus Chriſt that reſpect which belongs unto him. If it be not therefore the want of Grace in whole, or in part that ſhould keep a man from believing, Is it the greatneſs of thy ſins? But
Know that thy ſins are the greater by delaies. As the debt grows more by non-payment: Uſe, and Uſe upon Uſe. And the wound grows the worſe by not laying on the thing that may heal. Is not the reaſon then in thee? Nor in thy ſins, nor in thy Guilt: But in Jeſus Chriſt? That it cannot be. For the Bride ſaith come, and take of the waters of life freely, Revel. 22.17. And what can be more ſaid, or be more deſired? Jeſus Chriſt is glad when ſinners come to him: more glad than a godly man is of the converſion of another. As in Luke 16.22.28. The Father was exceedingly rejoyced when the Prodigall came home, when the elder Brother was troubled at it, Rom. 10.8. The word is nigh thee even in thy mouth. It is nigh unto thee: that is, It is throughly known, As we throughly know the things that are ſpoken in our Ears, the ſound that is not far off, but near. Now the word is nigh unto thee, even in thy mouth. As a thing that is confeſſed by al, we phraſe it thus, viz. that it is in every mans mouth. Now it is in every mans mouth, and Jeſus Chriſt hath made it evident in his word, that whoſoever believs ſhall be ſaved. The word is nigh thee, and in thy mouth, that if thou beleeveſt thou ſhalt be ſaved. If there be any reaſon therefore that thou goeſt not unto Jeſus Chriſt, it muſt be thy own apprehenſion and thoughts. For there is none in the Object Jeſus Chriſt: nor any ſuch reaſon in thy ſelf. I ſay all the reaſon muſt be in thy own apprehenſion. And therefore thy apprehenſion is ſuch, becauſe indeed thy heart is unwilling to receive Jeſus Chriſt. Unwillingneſs formes and ſhapes and frames ſtrange apprehenſions in the Underſtanding. As where a man doth not love he wil find occaſions to be angry, and Arguments as often as he thinks good to ingage and ſeparate his affections from that thing or Perſon.
Eſpecially Beloved where there is a feigned reaſon. Mark what I ſay. Where there is a feigned reaſon there is unwillingneſs to receive Jeſus Chriſt. A Lyon, A Lyon ſaith the Sluggard is in the ſtreet.
Men ſay that they ſhall be refuſed if they go unto God by Jeſus Chriſt for Faith. You do but imagine this: It's but a feigned reaſon for your unwillingneſs, for none ever went to him that received a neglectful Anſwer. In John 6.37. Thoſe that come unto me, I will in no wiſe caſt out.
Men think if they ſhould lay hold upon Ieſus Chriſt, they ſhould but flatter themſelves preſumptuouſly, and their hearts would be hardned more. It is but a feigned reaſon. For as fire ſoftens wax, ſo would the love of God ſoften thee. The apprehenſion of the wrath of God hardens, and the apprehenſion of the love of God ſoftens.
As men go up and down Markets and Faires and and think to do better til they have loſt their opportunity; So do men put off, and put off to beleeve till the day of Grace be paſt. There is as great a hazard in delay, as in oppoſition or refuſal: and though it ſeems not unto the Conſcience to be ſo great a ſin, (but it is colored with modeſty, humility, and fear) yet not withſtanding it is as dangerous. The Lord he reads the principle from whence it comes, and he judgeth of the Act acccording unto it. The means continuing and the heart being ſtirred, yet men find out ſome rub or other in the way, ſomthing or other to ſtop and delay their courſe of going unto, and cloſing with Jeſus Chriſt. It may be their ruine. It is as much as if they ſhould ſay, They would have none of Jeſus Chriſt, nor of his ſalvation. There are ſome men ſo fooliſh that they wil not ſend for the Phyſitian, nor take advice til the Diſeaſe hath gotten them down and they are overcome by it and weakned and brought unto the Grave. So it is a folly of Spirit that til we ſee all means periſhing, we wil not come unto a period, and put an end unto the diſpute and debate of our Spirits whether we ſhould beleeve or not. That is the ſecond thing, that Delaies do argue unwillingneſs in the caſes that you have heard