COMFORTABLE WORDS To Afflicted Consciences: Together with a Short Advice to Ministers how to handle them. And also, MANSIO CHRISTIANA, Or the Christians Mansion-House. Being a SERMON Preached on the Lords-Day, 7th. Feb. Anno Dom. 1668. at the Funeral of M rs. MARTHA WALMISLEY the Wife of M r. Charles Walmisley. Minister of Chesham magna in the County of Bucks.

By WILLIAM IOLE. Minister of Sarrett in the County of Hertford.

London, Printed by Iohn Winter for Samuel Homes, at the Sign of S. Paul in Little Britain. Anno Dom. 1671.

To the READER.

IF the matter be sound and sea­sonable, rest contented, and look not for a­ny Rhetorical expressions: These Sermons would gladly stoop to the wea­kest capacities; we like the Re­ceipt if it be proper for the Di­stemper, [Page] fainting Spirits will find but cold comfort from strong Lines and elegancy of Phrases; afflicted Consciences can gather but little sweetness from the Flowers of Rhetorick; the virtue of a Cordial doth not lie in the cup in which it is pre­sented, but in the goodness of the Ingredients; we value the Meat more than the Garnishes about the Dish; if the Meat be savory, do not sleight it because it is not served up in a silver Dish; And beware that you do not say as some are apt to say, [...]at this day the world even sur­feits by Books of this nature) We think there is safet [...] in the [Page] multitude of Counsellors for our Po [...]ick and Civil State. How [...]mberless are the Books and Re [...]pts, yea, the Physi­tian for o [...]r bodies grown, yet w [...]o says (we have too many?) and y [...]t so foolish are we to thi [...]k, that in the distempers and unsettled cases of our Souls, we may have too many Books, too many Counsellors, too ma­ny Physitians, too many Di­rections. I will add but this: Oft times a poor countrey Phy­sitian does good, where many great Doctors, either overlook or neglect.

As a Woman that was in a despairing condition, propos [...]d [Page] the doubts, and gave the first occasion of Preaching this mat­ter; so the desire of some other Women hath now occasioned the Printing it, and for their sakes I have purposely avoided any Phrases that might seem dark or difficult; Let not the whole despise that which is pre­pared for the sick, nor let the strong censure what was intend­ed for the weak.

Vale.

Psalm 88, Ver. 6.
Thou hast laid me in the lowest Pit, in Darkness, in the Deeps.

THis Psalm fully answers the Title given to it, (a Psalm containing a grievous Complaint) but the occasion of it is doubtful: Some re­refer it to the Babylonish Captivity, because that is the lowest condition that the Church can be brought unto in this world, and so Figuratively may be called the lowest Pit; but o­thers more properly make it relate on­ly to Heman's own private condition: [Page] [...] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2] Some expound it of his outward af­flictions, or of some sharp fit of sick­ness that brought him nigh to Death, which occasioned those expressions, My life dr [...]eth nigh to the Grave, I am as a man that hath no st [...]ength. Ver. 3, 4.

But methinks there are many ex­pressions that must rather be interpre­ted of a wounded Spirit lying un [...]e [...] the apprehensions of Gods wrath.

Surely if there h [...]d been nothing but outward afflictions, we should no [...] have h [...]ard such deep expressions of inward sorrow, the complain [...] would not have been so mou [...]nful as now it is; And therefore I rather accep [...] of their Interpretation, who understand the 5. Ver. to be the words of one that is ready to despair; (free among the dead) as if he should say, the Die is cast as to my Eternal estate, there is no hope of Mercy for me, and then this Text doth second it, ( Thou hast laid me in the lowest Pit, in Darkness, [Page 3] in the Deeps) namely as to mine own sense and apprehension. I look upon my condition as d [...]sperate as one that is condemned to eternal darkn [...]ss, as if my name were ent [...] among that cursed crue already, as if I were ready to drop into [...]at deep and bottomless pi [...] of darkne [...]s; and so the 7 th. Ver. seems to bear the same part. Thy wrath byeth hard up [...]n me. I am under such dreadful apprehensions of wrath, and have so little hope of mercy, that I look o [...] my self as only not in Hell, and also the 15 th. Ver. While I suffer thy Terrors I am distracted He doth not mean a distraction of madness, but a distraction of the mind, of one that was in doubt what would be [...]ome of his Soul for ever? I am hampered in such endless doubting that I am even like a distracted person: For division of the words here is, 1. an Act, Laid. 2. the Subject, Me. 3. the Agent, Thou. Lastly, the place [Page 4] where. In the lowest Pit, in the Dark­ness, in the Deeps.

Note by the way, that Heman was one of the holyest and wisest men of his time: And now the Doctrine I shall offer is this; That the dearest of Gods Children may think themselves in a state of Damnation. David is a full instance to confirm this Doctrine, 51 Psal. 11, 12. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy [...]oly Spirit from [...]e, restore [...]nto me the joy of thy Salvation. David had lost the com­fortable sense and feeling of Gods love, and began highly to question his Salvation, Asaph also, 77 Psalm 7, 8, 9. shews what a great conflict he had with diffidence. Will the Lord cast off for ever? will he be favourable no more? is his mercy clean gone? hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender Mercies? And so Heman here in the Text; Thou hast laid me in the lowest Pit, &c.

[Page 5]1. Because the Spirit of Bondage always goes before the Spirit of A­doption; God doth break and bruise the Souls of his Servants, before he doth bind up and heal them; He makes the Sinner to hear the terrible voice of the Law, before he hears the comfortable voice of the Gospel; He throughly convinceth us of Sin, and mak [...]s us sensible of the odious and defiling nature of it, before he makes us apprehend Christ as a Saviour to procure us a pardon for it; God makes us see and feel our selves lost, utterly lost, even in a state of Dam [...]a­tion, before he give us any lively hope of Salvation.

All that are brought into Heaven at last, are brought near Hell-gates at first; I do not mean all universally, but generally, the greatest part of those that are saved, apprehend them­selves for a time to be damned; the Spi [...]i [...] of Bondage worketh fear and [Page 6] horror; A malefac [...]or, whose Con­science within, and the Witnesses without, convince of Murder, when he h [...]ars the Sentence passed against him, and sees the Fetters on his legs, and himself thrust into the Dungeon, he knows that Execution follows; what fear and horror must needs seize on such a condenmed person, (unless he be a despera [...]e Rogue?)

That poor Soul that is convinced of Murdering the Lord of Life, and of many thousand Sins against God, and heareth his Sentence of condemna ion read out of the word of God, and sees the Fetters on its Soul, (namely the terror of Consc [...]ence,) and Satan stand­ingready to to [...]ment him, & finds him­self already in danger of despair, what fear and horror must needs surprize such a poor Soul? this is that which makes so many under the Spirit of Bondage, to fear that God will cast them off for ever, and to complain [Page 7] as though they were in Hell already.

And questionless, the great tor­ment and mis [...]rie of a wounded Spi­ri [...] hath been the reason that made any so bold to say, That there is no Hell but that of Conscience. The Apostles words Rom. 8. 15. For ye have not received the Spirit of Bondage again to fear, do im­ply, that all the Elect undergo the ter­rors of the Spirit of Bondage, before they receive the Spirit of Adoption.

2 Reason is, because God may, and often doth leave his Children for some time, under Spiritual des [...]rtion.

Many pretious Servants of God lie in the Little-ease of an afflicted Con­science a great while; If Christ com­plain as if God had forsaken Him, it is no wonder to hear a Christian com­plain of being forsaken. It is [...]epor­ted of one who lay in a despairing condition 12 years; and some think that Heman lay in that comfortless condition above threescore years, [Page 8] guessing from the age of his life when he spake those words, Ver. 15. From my youth up while I suffer thy terrors I am distracted. The Lord may forsake his Children for a little moment, (and though it be as long as they live, yet it is but a moment compared with E­ternity) but Reprobates are forsaken for ever.

3. A Child of God may relapse in­to some Sin which he had repented of, and that may cause terror of Consci­ence; God Redeemed, and brought up Israel out of Egypt, but they would go back into Egypt again, Num. 14. ver. 4. and this foolish attempt caused God to forsake them for a long time. Christ hath Redeemed us from Sin▪ and though the Christian have r [...]pen­ted of Sin, yet many times he hath thoughts of going back, and some­times doth relapse into some Sin for­merly repented of; And it is just with God to fright him out of such wicked [Page 9] attempt by the terrors of Conscience; If God shoot terrours into the Soul, they will stick fast, and make us go heavily, if God set our [...]ins in order before us, He can make the sense of Sin to be more painful then the most acute disease, whether Stone or Srran­gury: Wracks and Strapadoes are but [...]asie punishments to the wracking of Conscience; to set out the misery of such a condition, the Scripture tells us, The Spirit of a man may bear his in­firmities, but a wounded Spirit who can bear [...] 18 Prov. 14. The courage and strength of body may wrestle with a Disease, but the trouble of mind is in­superable and insupportable; the grief of the Soul, is the Soul of grief. If we see the fits of an Ague so easily master the greatest Spirits, and make them quiver and quake in a cold fit, and burn and be distempered in a hot fit; if a Disease can so punish the Bo­die, then what terrours can the Al­mighty [Page 10] dart into the Soul, even to make our very knees to shake as Bel­shazzar's did when he saw the Hand­writing against him; and for the [...]ame reasons which occasioned h [...]s trem­bling, namely, because it was a hand from God; and because the writings mentioned the loss of his Kingdom. A wounded Conscience is the more filled with horror, because the wri­ting is from God, and it doth threa­ten the loss of the Kingdom of Hea­ven.

What Consternation was there, what sad thoughts, during the time of that devouring Fire in London? O then, when the Soul looks on God as a consuming fire, and thinks it shall dwell with everlasting burnings, what horror and disquiet must it needs be seized with?

Usually God dealeth with obsti­nate Sinners, as Men deal with sturdy Rogues, (put heavier Irons upon [Page 11] them, and give them severer punish­ment) the more we load our Consci­ences with Sin, the more God loads us with terrors of Conscience, and so gives us sour sauce for the seeming sweet-meats of Sin; If we have been great and notorious sinners, God may chastise us with Scorpions. Manasseh was a great sinner, and it is said ( he was taken among the Thorns, and bound in Fetters, in the 2 Chron. 33. chap. 11. Ver. The more we have delighted in any sin, the more it will torment conscience when God reckoneth with us for it: Paul a refractory Persecu­tor, was strucken to the ground when God converted him.

4. Reason why a child of God may think himself damned for a time, is, because the wisdom of God bringeth much good out of this evil▪ this will make us more highly to prize both our Redeemer and our Redemption too: How sweet and comfortable is [Page 12] the sight of a Pardon to a condemned person? Ho wpretious is a glimpse of Christ's love in any promise to a sin­ner condemned in his own Consci­ence? How comfortable is the thought of Christ to Justi [...]ie, unto those Souls that are ready to be swal­lowed up of Despair? what love, what thankfulness will such a sight be­get in such a Soul? How thankful were the famishing Egyptians to Iosep [...] 47 Gen. 25. Thou hast saved our Lives (though they exchanged their Land for Bread,) Then what thanks is due to Jesus Christ who saveth our Souls freely?

2. This good ariseth from this evil of an afflicted Conscience, that it will mightily increase our hatred of Sin; This is one of Gods great designs in breaking our bones for sin, that he may break our Souls from sin▪ In­vite a Christian that hath lain long in the stocks of the Law, to commit any [Page 13] of his former sins, will he not answer, (I will not buy Repentance at so dear a rate?) had your Soul been so long broken on the wheel of Conscience as mine hath been, had you so long car­ried in your bosom the burning coals of an accusing Conscience; had you been thus scorched with the flames of Hell, surely, like the burnt Child you would dread the fire more, you would not dare to add sin to sin, and heap up more wrath.

3. We are made to Pray more ear­nestly; the Prisoner at the Bar begs heartily because he is begging for life; A self-condemned sinner prayes hear­tily, because he is begging for the life of his soul.

4. The terrors of Conscience will make us more humble and compassi­onate all our days, pride will not so easily breed in this bitter wood, the Worm takes the sweetest wood soon­est, the Wormwood of Conscience kills pride.

[Page 14]5. Gods breaking and bruising is in order to a perfect cure,

The last reason why a child of God may think himself damned: it may arise either from a neglect of a serious examination of our condition, or from a melancholy temper which con­tributes very much to such despairing thoughts.

Who hath not either read or heard what strange conceits melancholy hath caused some to have of their bo­dies? some fancying themselves to be a Fourm, and that every one would sit on them; others thinking themselves to be a Glass, and that every thing would break them; or to be like Ne­buchadnezar, to have the Soul of a Beast, and to eat grass like a Beast, (which some say was but a strange ef­fect of a strong melancholy,) even such strange apprehensions may me­lancholy christians have of their Souls, insomuch that many christians [Page 15] have thought themselves to be in H [...]ll, and for a long time have led most un­comfortable lives by that fearful ex­pectation of of wrath and [...]iery indig­nation to devour them.

Application is, 1. For Information, We must not censure those too hard­ly that lie under a Spirit of Bondage; those are not damned that may think themselves in a damned state, the new birth hath grievous pangs and throes; those whose sin is ever before their faces, must needs cry out of a heavy burthen of wrath.

Before this Spirit of Bondage, we are like Issachar, who is called a strong Ass couching under two Burthens, Gen. 49. Ver. 14.

We have a burthen of guilt, and a burthen of wrath, and yet we are not sensible of either; but the Spirit of Bondage shews the intolerable bur­then of sin.

[Page 16]That I may endeavour to speak something to afflicted Consciences,

Although you say a Spirit of Bon­dage is a woful condition, yet I assure you your condition was much worse before you came under this Spirit of Bondage.

To be hardned in Sin, is a worse condition, then to be thus harrased by Conscience for Sin; to be bold to commit sin, is far worse then to be bruised for sin committed: you are in a great deal worse condition then all Hypocrites that go quietly to Hell; How many thousand in the world that are guilty of the same sins you com­plain of, and yet are senseless as stones? It is good to hear christians roar in the sense of sin: to hear a man that is bruised with a fal sensibly com­plain, and tell where his pain lies, is a good sign that there is hopes of his recovery: It is the same in a Christi­an, to complain of sin, and cry out [Page 17] in the fear of that wrath due to sin, is a good sign that Conscience is alive, that Conscience is awake.

A seared Conscience is far worse than an afflicted Conscience; a sense­less condition is the very worst con­ditions: if you rightly consider, you have cause to bless God for a Spirit of Bondage, that while many milli­ons are riding Post to Hell, God hath stopt you that were running the same Road; Remember therefore for your comfort, that many have been lead to the place of Execution, and have stood with the rope about their necks, having the sentence of death in them­selves, and yet have been pardoned after so great a fright; Many christi­ans are dealt with after the same man­ner; God may leave them a long while in the Jaylors custody, in fear of eternal Execution, (I mean buf­fe [...]ed by Satan under temptations to despair) and yet God may come in [Page 18] with a Pardon at last, only he intends to fright us from sin by this means for the future. I have heard of one whose friends had got him a Pardon, and yet suffered him to be lead to the place of Execution, to make him be more afraid of lewd courses for the future: There may be a Pardon for us in Gods hand, and yet it may not so presently be given into our hand; Nay, if you have been very long un­der a Spirit of Bondage, though God give a Pardon into your hand, yet you may not be able to read it, (be­ing under the dread of Exe [...]ution) Many now living besides me, may remember a man in Oxford, that was to draw Lots for his life, and he [...]rew that paper wherein was writt ( Live,) but he was so possess [...]d by fear of death, that he threw it away, sup­posing that he was to die, until some that stood nigh him read his Lott, and told him that was to live▪ so it may [Page 19] fare with an afflicted Conscience, God may write ( Live,) and yet the fear of Hell may so far stupify the Soul, that it may not be able to read the writing; In case of temptation it is safest to let some other Christian read the writing for us, to let other Christians judge of our condition.

Remember therefore, that you were under Satans Bondage, before you were under the Spirit of Bondage; it is much better to be Gods Prisoner, than Satans, a man hardned in sin, is a Prisoner without hope; but a man bruised for Sin, is a Prisoner of hope; and though this terrifying work of a troubled Conscie [...]ce be not Grace, yet it is in order [...]nto Grace, all those terrours that do not end in final de­spair, are still in order to Conversion, and the deep [...]r God cutts and launces the Soul, the sooner it will be healed again.

[Page 20]It is a great comfort to a Patient to hear that there is good hopes of his recovery, although he be still kept in the Chirurg [...]ons hands, or though they tell him it will be a very long cure, the hope of cure revives him, although he may endure much misery before the cure be perfected; It is a great comfort to a Travailer to hear that he is in his right way, although he may pass through many dirty lanes and rugged paths, and perhaps may be set upon by Robbers: although the way be tedious and dangerous, yet this bears him up, it is the right way, and will bring him to his journeys end at last.

Although the way which the Spi­rit useth, seem a tedious and unplea­sant way, yet it is the right way to Heaven; and though you may think you are kept long in a course of Spiri­tual Physick, yet the hope of a per­fect cure at last, may keep you from despair.

[Page 21]And here it w [...]ll be needful to an­swer some Objections which troubled Consciences make.

Alas you speak all this while to a wrong party: I have no Grace, and therefore there is no hope for me.

Answer, 1. It is a happy turn that you see the want of Grace. 2. It is well that you are made desirous to have Grace; these are good steps to­wards Grace.

Answer, 2. To have Grace is one thing, and to know that we have Grace is another; that Ioseph liveth is one thing, and that Iacob knows that Ioseph liveth, is quite another thing, for Iacob thought he had been torn in pieces by some wilde beast, and made a solemn mourning for him, Gen. 34. Ver. 34, 35. In the obscu­rity of a winters night all the Wares remain in the Shop, but we see them not except we have a Candle, or tarry till day appear again; There may be [Page 22] Grace in the heart and we not discern it; commonly those that say they have no Grace, have more Grace then those that so confidently proclaim themselves to be Citizens of Hea­ven.

2 Objection. But can such a wretch as I expect Grace, that have spent so many years in sinful courses, and have sinned so desperately as I have done?

Answer. God s [...]ith, That if we condemn our selves here, we shall not be condemned hereafter, 1 Cor. 11. chap. 31. ver. Pre-judging of thy self is a good sign that God is fitting thee for mercy. Although such is the froward disposition of men, that repeated af­fronts breed an irreconcileable alie­nation in our hearts; Yet so infinite­ly is Gods mercy, that he called upon Iudah to return to him, after he had played the Harlot with many lovers, Ierem. 3. ver. 1. And in the 12 ver. God bids back [...]ding Israel to return, [Page 23] and in the 55 Isa [...]. ver. 7. God pro­miseth mercy to the wicked and unrigh­teous man; And because the poor self-condemning sinner says he hath abundance of sin, therefore God says that he will abundantly pardon, not on­ly those that are sinners in their own reckoning, but even those whose lewd lives have deserved the name of wicked and unrighteous; yet let them return to me says God and they shall be pardoned; no matter how despe­rate we think our condition to be, if Christ undertake the cure, if he be our Physitian.

Nay, if we believe that Christ is now in Heaven, who had the sins of all the world laid on his back when he was on Earth, we may the more easily believe Gods readiness to par­don the greatest sinner, and also Christs merit to be able to answer for the greatest fins.

[Page 24]A 3 Objection. But F [...]ith and Re­pentance are the conditions of Par­don; but I cannot believe, nor re­pent, and he that belie [...]veth not is con­demned already, Iohn 3. ver. 1S.

Ans. That Scripture speaks of a final unbelief, [...]e that dies in unbelief; To be earnest with God for Faith, is a sign of some Faith; that man, Mark 9. ver. 24. Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief. He did not say, I can, or I cannot believe, but Lord I desire to believe, and I believe that thou canst help my unbelief: Our Saviour seems to say unto troubled Consci­ences, as he said to the blind man, Matt. 9. ver. 28. Do ye believe that I am able to do this? and they said, yea Lord, then says Christ, according to your Faith be it unto you; here was Faith enough to fit them for a cure.

And for Repentance, Christ is ex­alted to give Repentance, and Remis­sion of sins, Acts 5. ver. 31. Since [Page 25] you know that you cannot believe, nor Repent, pray unto Christ, and He will enable you: Peter denyed his Master thrice, and yet Christ looked back upon him, and recover­ed him again; Let the greatest sinners look unto him, and they shall be par­doned.

Take heed of Cain's unbelief, My sin is greater than I can bear; Or as the Note in the Margent of the Bible, is greater than may be forgiven: He did not say so, because it was so; but it proved to be so, because he said so: Unbelief makes sin unpardon­able.

No sin can damn the Soul, if final Unbelief be not added to it; And this made St. Austin say, Thou lyest Cain, for the Mercy of God is far grea­ter than the greatest sin.

You say you do not repent; Pray tell me, is sin your solace or your sorrow? doth it make you mery, or [Page 26] doth it make you mourn? do you love Sin, or do you loath Sin? is it that evil which you allow, or that evil which you allow no [...]? Paul was a true Penitent even when he com­plained of a Body of Sin, a Law in his Members, which made him do the evil which he hated. Rom. 7. ver. 15.—19. compared, it shews you do repent; Seeing that God hath made you so sensibly to bewail your impenitency; Therefore look unto Christ whom the Father hath exalted to give Repen­tance, and Remission of sins, Acts 5. ver. 31.

Alass! I cannot weep for my sins as I ought: outward sufferings [...]etch more tears from my eyes, then my sins; How bitterly did Peter weep up­on the remembrance of his denyal? How plentifully did Mary Magdalen shed tears when we washed our Savi­ours Feet with them? but alass I can scarce weep at all.

[Page 27]Answer.

Abundance of tears do not always declare true Repentance; We read of Esa [...]'s Tears, but not of his Repen­tance. Gen. 27. ver. 34.—38. He cryed with an exceeding bitter cry, He lift up his voice and weptt.

Tears seem to us to be all of a co­lour, God only can put the difference▪ Esau's tears, and Peter's, both wept bitterly, and yet both of them wept savingly.

There may be true repentance with­out a flood of tears; the Thief on the Cross was truly penitent, and yet we do not read of a tear that dropt from his eyes: David truly repented, and yet we find no mention of any tears when Nathan told him of his sins, 2. Sam. chap. 12. ver. 13.

Mr. Perkins in his Cases of Conscience hath abundantly satisfyed us, that tears are not absolutely necessary to true Repentance; some are naturally [Page 28] more dry of constitution, and barren of Tears than others. I knew a Boy that was not able to shed a tear to save a whipping: True Repentance is to be judged of, more by the inward sor­row of the heart, then by the outward sorrow that runs down the cheeks; the greater the inward grief is, the fewer tears will fall; as a high wind keeps back the showers off, the great combustion in the soul may keep back the showers of tears; And so there may be true Repentance with drie cheeks.

There is great weeping and wailing in Hell, but no true Repentance.

Children are more easie to shed tears than grown men; Sighs and groans is the usual way of expressing the grea­test sorrow.

And whereas you say you cannot weep so much for sins as for outward sufferings: for ought that we can find, Hezekiah wept more at the mes­sage [Page 29] of Death, than when he humbled himself for the pride of his heart. Isai. 38. ver. 14.

David's sickness drew more tears from him than his Sins, Psal. 2. ver. 5, 6. What bitter lamentation did he make when he received the unwel­come tidings of Absalom's death? 2. Kings chap. 18. last ver. and 19. chap. 4. ver.

Those things that most press the outward senses, do squeeze out most tears: To see our House on fire, would more easily force tears from our eyes, than to hear a Sermon of the fire of Hell, although that be much more dreadful news.

To conclude this particular; A ma­lefactor that is condemned to the Gal­lows, may shed more tears than one that is pardoned; and yet he that is pardoned may be more penitent than he that is executed.

[Page 30]It is dangerous to make any stand­ard to measure true Repentance; for if you will set any, it must be the high­est of all: so that unless you are sure that you weep as bitterly as Peter, or Mary Magdalen, the Devil will still tell you it is not true Repentance: be­sides it looks so like a Papistical trick (as if you thought that rivers of tears could wash away sin without the blood of Ghrist:) And when we have wept until we can weep no more, if Faith be not mixed with our Tears, it is but legal Repentance.

Alass! But I have committed foul facts since my first conversion.

Answer. So did both David and Peter, and how did they recover themselves but by Faith in Jesus Christ, and Repen­tance [Page 31] from dead works; Therefore confess your sins to God, and think of that comfortable portion of Scri­pture, 1. Epistle Iohn 2. chap. ver. 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father, Iesus Christ the Righteous: It is not said, If any man sin not, but if any man sin; Thus poor sinners go loaded to Heaven with abundance of experience of the riches of Gods Grace, and freeness of his Mercy in pardoning their heinous transgressi­ons.

There are commonly Three hin­drances in the way of afflicted Con­sciences.

1. Looking only upon Sin.

2. A proud kind of seeming Hu­mility.

3. A searching for the fruits of Repentance, before we are sure of Faith.

[Page 32]1. Many look only upon their Sins, and not to their Saviour.

Alass sayes the afflicted Consci­ence, my Sins are crying Sins, Crimson Sins, Scarlet Sins, Scan­dalous Sins, foul, frequent, com­mitted against much Light, much Love, against much Means, much Mercy: If a wounded Man should only look upon the bleeding wound, would it not make him faint for fear that he should bleed to death? But when he seeth the skilful Chi­rurgeon about to dress it, and con­siders his skill to cure it, this upholds his sinking Spirits; even so poor Sinners must needs faint, and despair of Pardon, while they look no further than their Sins, which despairing thoughts would soon vanish, if then we could [Page 27] look up to our Saviour, are not all sins easie to be pardoned by Infinite mercy.

It was an excellent answer that one returned the Devil, when he told him of the heinousnefs of his sins, thy sins should be pardoned too, if thou couldst believe.

Christ can more easily pardon se­venty offences to us, then we can se­ven to one another; He delighteth to forgive much, so to engage us to love him much. When some [...]old the Ru­ler that his Daughter was dead, and bid him not trouble the Master, Mark 5. ver. 35, 36. Christ bids him fear not, only believe; and so to that other person, Mark 9. ver. 23. If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.

When Martha said, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days, Ioh. 11. ver. 39, 40. Christ checks her, Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldst [Page 28] believe, thou shouldst set the Glory of God?

These were all desperate c [...]ses, and therefore the more proper for Christ the Great Physitian.

Christ [...]an cure inveterate Ulcers, aswel as green wounds; therefore look up to Christ, while you look down up­on your sins; see what power Christ hath to save, while you behold what power sin hath to damn; that so while you see in your selves great cause of despair, you may see in Him far greater cause of hope.

2. Hindrance to afflicted Consci­ences, is, a proud humility, or a kind of seeming mannerlyness; It may be like Peter, thou thinkst it not good manners to let Christ wash thy Feet, Iohn 13. ver. 8. Thou shalt never wash my Feet; Calvin's note on those words is, Pride often lurketh under pretence of humility; away with this destructive manners, seeing that the great work which God requireth of us, is, to be­lieve in Christ as our Saviour, and [Page 29] to believe tha [...] He both can and will save us to the uttermost, surely we cannot do it too soon.

3 Hindrance. It may be that thou searchest for the ripe fruits of Re­pentance, before thou art sure that thou hast Faith; in the work of our spiritual ingrafting into Christ, we are like crab-stocks newly grafted, which do not instantly bear fruit the same day, or week, or the same month that they are grafted; If we be truly in­grafted into Christ by Faith, Repent­ance, and the fruits of it will appear afterwards, but not the same hour that we are ingrafted, (I mean not so as to be discerned by us) look after Faith first, before you search after Repentance; Faith will help us to repent: Paul did not bid the Jailor to repent, but believe first, Acts 16. ver. 30, 31. He knew that Faith would work Repentance; If the Devil tell you ( that you should hav [...] repented soon­er) [Page 30] Remember that true Repentance can never be too late, Christ dyed be­fore you sinned; If therefore you be­lieve in Christ now, you shall be as surely pardoned as if you had begun your repentance sooner: Repent, for your deferring repentance so long, and remember that the repenting Thief was [...] rejected, though it were at [...] h [...]ur.

4. Objection. But I am so conti­nually h [...]un [...]ed with temptations, ei­ther to Blasphemy, or Self-murther, or one black and devilish temptation or other, that sleeping or waking I am a terror to my self.

Ans. So were all true Saints more or less haunted with the like tempta­tions that have lain longer under a Spirit of Bondage: This may be a good sign that we have not given Sa­tan a peaceable possession, when he thus strives to make a forcible entry, by such horrid temptations.

[Page 31]The Devil lets them alone of whom he thinks he hath made sure work, but he assaults those most with the greatest temptations, that ar [...] striving to get out of his clutches.

5. Object. But alass, I have some­thing that tells me, I have withstood my day of Grace:

Answer. That something must be either from God, or Satan: It can­not be from God, for He tells none, that they shall die in their sins, but such as obstinately reject Jesus Christ, and refuse to be saved by him; In­deed Christ said to the Pharise [...]s, [...] go away, but ye shall die in your sins, Io [...]. 8. ver. 21. But if you take notice of it, ' [...]was spoken to them that blasphe­med Christ, and said, He had a Devi [...]. Iohn 17. ver. 20.

This may be a comfortable note; Christ said to the Penitent Adulterer, Iohn 8. ver. 11. neither do I condemn thee; And yet he said to the self­justifying [Page 32] Pharisees, Ye shall die in your sins. That sinner that confesseth and bewaileth his guiltiness, him Christ absolveth; but that Soul that thinks it self Righteous without Christs Righteousness, He abhorreth.

If sin be your burden, Christ calls you to Him; and therefore this some­thing that tells you you are damned, must be from Satan that old lyer.

You may know the Devil to be a lyer in this, as well as in other things; for God never made Satan of his Pri­vie Council, to know who are to be saved, and who are to be damned▪ But pray tell me,

Suppose the Devil should tell you that you should be saved, would you believe him then?

Why then do you heed him now, that he sayes you shall be damned▪ as you would mist [...]ust your condition more, if Satan should tell you tha [...] you should be saved; so now you have [Page 33] cause to mistrust it less, because he tels you that you shal be damned; If the Devil should possibly know that you should be damned, for certain he would never tell you so, for fear of awaking your Conscience, and make­ing you look after Salvation; If Je­sus Christ do not tell us that we are damned, we need not regard what Satan says, for whatever he saith, he is a lyer.

This is not the first lie Satan hath told in this kind, many are now saved in Heaven, whom the Devil told they should be damned: You may read two remarkable stories in Mr. Clar [...]s description of the Lives of Mr. Bal­som, and Mr. Rothwel; and because the latter story is apposite to this pur­pose, I have transcribed it; The person that was possessed, his name was Iohn Fox: The Devil spake thus to Mr. Rothwel; Say nothing to me of this man for he is damned: Mr. Rothwel an­swers, [Page 34] thou art the Father of lies, nor art thou so well acquainted with Gods mind concerning this man, which makes thee thus torment him; therefore [...] be­lieve thee not, I believe he shall [...]e saved by Iesus Christ.

The Devil replyed, He is a Murder­er, an [...] thou knowest no Murderer must enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. Mr. Rothwel. Thou ly [...]st again, for David was a Murderer, and yet is in Heaven; and the Iews with wicked hands cruci­fied the Lord of Glory, yet, both Christ prayed to his Father to forgive them; and Peter exhorts them to repent, that their sins might be blotted out.

Devil. But this man hath not, cannot, shall not repent.

Mr. Rothw. If he had not, thou wouldst not have told him so; but if he have not, I believe God will give him re­pentance, and th [...]u shalt not be able to hinder it.

[Page 35]6 Object. But you know there is a sin unto death, a sin that shall never be pardoned [...] and I fear I have com­mitted that sin.

Answer. I am glad you fear it, for it is so much the more likely that you have not sinned that sin: Indeed Sa­tan doth much perplex troubled Con­sciences with the fear of sinning the unpardonable sin; yea, I am perswa­ded, that most of the Elect, if not all, are afraid they have, or shall commit that sin.

Troubled Souls are to be disswaded from musing so much on that nice Subject.

No man can positively determine what the unpardonable sin is, and of all men you are the most unfit to search it out.

7 and last Objection. Alass, I have lain so long in this despairing con­dition, that I doubt I shall never get out of it.

[Page 36] Answer. Many were under bodily distempers, and yet were healed at last.

When ever Christ commeth, He brings a cure with him: We read of a Man that was impotent 38 years, Iohn 5. ver. 5, 6, 7. and yet Christ healed him.

The Woman that was bowed toge­ther by an evil Spirit 18 years, and yet Christ loosed her from her infir­mity; and that which is a comfort­able word for thee to consider, Christ calls her a daughter of Abraham, al­though she was possessed by a Dev [...]l. Luke 13. ver. 16. The continuance of your temptation doth not hinder you from being a daughter of Abraham.

That I may draw towards a con­clusion; If you consider what hate­ful sins you have committed, and how long you have lived in sin without any sorrow for sin, you need not wonder that God sends you so long a time of sorrow now.

[Page 37] Absalom was greatly beloved of Da­vid, and yet when he had murthered Amnon, he was bannished three years from Ierusalem; and when David re­called him from banishment, yet for two years more he saw not the Kings face, 2. Sam. chap. 13. ver. ult. and compare it with chapter 14. verse 28. David suffered him to dwell in his Kingdom, but did not present [...]y admit him to his Court, to shew his just displeasure against his abominable murder.

God may bring a sinner home by converting Grace, and yet not make him or her sensible that they are recei­ved into favour by comforting Grace. God doth not welcom home all his Prodigals with Musick and Feasting; some one he may to declare his Mercy, but not all, to shew his just abhor­rence of our Prodigality.

The blessed Spirit is first a Refiner, before it prove to be our Comforter; [Page 38] He is a sanctifying Spirit before he prove a witnessing Spirit, He purgeth away our Sin, before he sh [...]w us our Pardon; the Holy-Ghost first clean­seth us, then comfor [...]eth us; He first removes our [...] he remove our sorrows. [...]he Apo [...] sp [...]aks of those that had received the Spirit of Adoption, when he [...]aid▪ The Spirit it self beareth w [...]tness with our Spirit, in 8 Rom. 15, 16.

God may make us his children, and yet may not instantly dandle us on his knee.

To shut up this matter:

It is said, that Israel in Egypt did not hearken to the promise of De [...]ive­rance, by reason of their anguish of Spirit, occasioned by their cruel Bon­dage, a very remarkable Scripture. 6. Exod. 6, 7. But though Moses spake to them from God, yet they hea [...]kened not to the Promise, for anguish of Spirit, and for cruel Bondage: The [Page 39] paralel is easie, lying long under a Spirit of Bondage may make us deaf for a while to all the Promises of Par­doning Mercy, and free Grace.

Now let me pe [...]swade you to read the Promises more often, and more more seriously, study the nature of free Grace more, Pray more, although Satan tell you you are unfit to Pray; For if the thoughts of our unfitness can drive us from Prayer, he will al­ways suggest that we are unfit, so to make us still more u [...]fit by our own neglect; the more unfit we are to pray, the more need we have to use the words of that Disciple in Luke 11. ver. 1. Lord teach us to Pray, &c. The more we see our unfitness to Pray, the more need we have to press God to make good that gracious Promise in Rom. 8. ver. 26. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities, for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit it self maketh Inter­cession for us, &c.

[Page 40]Some advice is needful to Ministers, how to handle ten­der Consciences, and that fol­lows in the short Notes of the next Sermon.

Nccessary Advice to Ministers how to handle AFLICTED CONSCIENCES.

Luke 4. Ver. 18.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach de­liverance to the Captives, and recovering of sight to the blind; to set at liberty them that are bruised.

THese words are our Sa­viours first Text which he taught upon in Na­zareth, as you may see ver. 16: God the Ho­ly Spirit directed Christ to that Text of Scripture, which might mind him of his Office, and prove most com­fortable to poor sinners.

[Page 44]These words are taken out of the 16 of Isa [...]h, being very little altered, that being the Prophecie of what Christ now began to perform.

For Division,

1. Here is something affirmed; the Spirit of the Lord is upon me.

2. A reason assigned; because he hath annointed me to preach the Gospel, &c.

3. Some particular duties of Christs Office repeated, to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to to the Captives, to preach recovering of sight to the blind, to preach liberty to them that are bruised.

For Explication.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me. Christians receive a measure of the Graces and gifts of the Spirit, but Christ received the Spirit without measure, Iohn 3. ver. 34.

Several Saints are more eminent in several Gifts and Graces: Moses had [Page 45] the spirit of Meekness and Miracles, All the Judges of Israel had the gift of Government and Fortitude; Solo­mon had the Spirit of Wisdom, the Prophe [...]s had the Spirits of Prophecy, the Apostles had the gift of Tongues, and Interpretation of Gospel Myste­ries, But in Jesus Christ the fulness of all Graces and Guifts do meet as in their proper Center: A christian may be said to be rich in Grace and Gifts, but Christ only is full, He hath all fulness.

Because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel. Here Christ shews the world his lawful Commission: Be ashamed all ye that climb up into the Ministry by any other way, then of lawful Ordination; Christ shews his Orders from Heaven, and mark it; our Saviour doth not say, because the Spirit of the Lord is upon me, therefore he hath sent me; but because he hath sent me, therefore the Spirit is upon me.

[Page 46]God bestows a measure of Gifts upon every one whom he sends into the Ministry, but he doth not send every one into the Ministry upon whom he bestows a measure of Gifts; Gifts without Ordination, is no law­ful Commission.

To preach the Gospel to the poor. This tells for what end Christ received the Gifts of the Spirit, to make him an able Preacher of the Gospel.

To preach the Gospel. Moses was sent to preach the Law, but Christ is sent to preach the Gospel; Moses the servant of God, handed the Law to Israel after the Flesh: Christ the only begotten Son of God, handed the Go­spel unto the spiritual seed; We have lost nothing (but time) by coming last into Gods Church, they were before us Gentiles in time, but we are before them in priviledges.

To preach the Gospel to the poor. That is to say, to the poor in Spirit, such [Page 47] as see and acknowledge their want of Righteousness; those that are sensible that they have provoked God, but they have nothing whereby to appease his wra [...]h, and need Christ to stand their friend, to make peace between God and them.

To heal the broken hearted. That is, such whose consciences are terrifyed and tormented with the guilt of Sin; according to the Greek word, it is, those whose hearts are cut asunder, mean­ing with the sense of sin, and sorrow for fin, God hath sent me to purify and pacify such accusing consciences.

To preach deliverance to the Captives. He meaneth not those whom men have enslaved to their power, but those that see themselves in spiritual slavery to sin and Satan.

And recovering of sight to the blind. Christ is the light of the world, He is the day Star from on high that visiteth us who are walking in da [...]kness.

[Page 48]The world without Christ was a dark Dungeon; The Heathens were like the Sodomites when the Angel had struck them with blindness: It is said that they wearied themselves to find the dore. Gen. 19. ver. 11. Christ is cal­led in Scripture: the dore of Salvation: the blind-folded Heathens wearied themselves in vain to find this dore.

To set at liberty them that are bruised. Those may be said to be bruised, that are struggling with sin, but cannot overcome sin, but get many falls by which their Souls are sorely bruised, and their consciences full of pain and torment; so that by all these expres­sions we are taught what the Gospel offereth to us; Namely, Christ offer­eth us his hand to pull us out of the lowest pit of sin, and out of the dark Dungeon of Ignorance, to give liber­ty and spiritual freedom to us that are oppressed with all kinds of miseries, that we that are poor may be enriched [Page 49] with his Grace, that we that are blind may be enlightned by the light of his Gospel; that we who by nature are Satans bo [...]d slaves, may be made free, and set at liberty by him.

And as the Father sent Christ on this errand, so Christ sends his Mi­nisters on the same errand: You see therefore what kind of People you have to deal with, such as are spiritu­ally poor, broken hearted, blind, Ca­ptives, and bruised.

The Doctrine I shall name is this. That Christ hath an especial eye to those that are afflicted in Conscience; And the Reasons may be such as these.

1. The reason in the Text, because it is his Office to take care of such, God hath sent him for that end and purpose.

2 Reason is, the helplesness of such poor sinners, they can do nothing but weep and complain, sigh and mourn, and disquiet themselves more [Page 50] at the apprehension of their misery, but do not know what to do to ease their consciences; therefore the mer­ciful nature of Christ makes him have a tender eye towards such.

3 Reason. Because such are prepa­red for Christ to deal with, such are prepared to welcom the Gospel: Christ preacht to the Scribes and Pha­risees, but they thought themselves to be whole and needed not a Physi­tian, and therefore despised his help: but when he preached to the Publi­cans and Sinners, they followed him; He preached to that Mary noted as a sinner, and she followed him weep­ing. Luke 7. ver. 37. All the Publicans and Sinners drew nigh to hear. Luk. 15. ver. 1. Whereupon the Pharises mur­mured▪ which gave an occasion to those Parables in that chapter, of the lost Sheep, the lost Groat, and the lost Son.

[Page 51]Christ is sent to save those that see their lost condition without him, and such only will bid welcom to the Gospel.

4 Reason why Christ hath such an eye to afflicted consciences, is, Because Satan is so buisy with them, he seeks to drive them to final despair of mer­cy, and to suggest thoughts of Self­murther: Therefore as the Devil hath an evil eye towards them to de­stroy them, Christ hath an eye of pi­tie and compassion towards them, to deliver them, and to preach Salvation to them, if Satan desire to winnow Peter, Christ will take the greater care of him; if Satan [...]empt Peter to denie his Master, Christ will look back upon him to reclaim him again: Now this is a pattern for Christ's Mi­nisters to imitate; have an especial eye to the sin sick Souls, the broken hearted. In the close of the former Sermon I hinted that some Advice [Page 52] was needful unto Ministers how to deal with afflicted consciences, I re­served it unto this place, where I might present them with such a bles­sed pattern to follow. Afflicted con­sciences during the time of temptati­on, they are like blind men, there­fore deal with them as such, lay no stumbling blocks before them, make your Doctrine plain and obvious, be you instead of eyes unto them, per­form the office of a good guide, and lead them to Christ, and to the Cover­nant of Grace, and to the Promises; they are broken and bruised already, therefore deal gently with them, handle their Souls with smooth, and not with rugged hands.

We say a Chirurgeon needs an Eagles eye, a Lyons heart, and a La­dies hand: so we may say of a Mi­nister, he needs an Eagles eye, to be of a piercing sight in the Mysteries of the Gospel; He needs a Lyons heart, [Page 53] having to do with wounded and Ul­cerous Souls; He needs a Ladies hand, having to do with broken hearted sin­ners. Afflicted consciences are thirsty, and ready to faint; therefore lead them to the Rock Jesus Christ, from whose side (being struck by the rod of God,) do only flow those wa­ters that can allay the scorching heat of an i [...]flamed Conscience, and can refresh and revive the drooping Soul that boweth under his burthen of temptations; hence do issue those wa­ters that can cleanse the Conscience, and wash away the guilt of sin, which makes it so disquiet and tormenting: after David had sinned [...]ou [...]y, by A­dultery and Murder, he came to these waters, Psalm 51. ver. 2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

Moses's rod struck the Rock, that water might gush out to the thirsty Is­raelites: God's rod struck the Rock [Page 54] Jesus Christ, that Mercy might flow out more freely to the thirsty sinner; If they be thirsty, lead them to Christ the Fountain of living waters.

A wounded Spirit is shot with a poysoned arrow, (I mean the sting of sin) be you therefore that loving friend that may draw out the venome with your mouths; (I mean, by your godly council and seasonable advice.)

Do not tell afflicted Consciences of a God only, but of a God reconciled in Christ: put them into the clift of this Rock Jesus Christ, when you shew them any thing of the Glory of God.

They are bruised, therefore speak not all Law unto them, but mingle Gospel with it, least you break those whom God hath bruised.

Shew them the cleansing and com­forting Blood of Jesus Christ; and if their trembling Souls chance to pro­pose any such Questions as are in the [Page 55] 6 Micah 7. will the Lord be pleased with thousands of Rams? Shew them the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the world.

While they cry out of their own sinfulness, set before them Christ's perfect Righteousness, and that He freely offers to cloath them with it; shew them not only Christs ability to save, but Christs willingness to save; for that is sound advice given by a late writer; That Soul which is disquieted for sin, must be pacifyed by something that is not sin: He that is sensible of his own unrighteousness, must be made to see a perfect righteousness somewhere else, even the righteousness of Christ: If it were a prevailing argument with God, Exod. 32. ver. 13. To press him to par­don Israel for the sake of Abraham, Isaack, and Jacob his Servants, and his Covenant made with them. Then surely it must needs be a stronger ar­gumen [...], when a poor sinner shall be [Page 56] seech God to remember Jesus Christ his only begotten and well-beloved Son that dyed for him, and his Co­venant made with Christ: But as af­flicted consciences will be much fin­gering their sore, and so put back their cure. The sight of Sin is a thick cloud, which will much hinder the sight of a Saviour; Therefore when they complain of great and manifold offenees, do you shew them Gods great and manifold Me [...]cies, Psalm 51. ver 1. Shew them Davids argument, Psalm 25. ver. 11. O Lord pardon mine Iniquity for it is great. Here is our u­sual Objection turned into an Argu­ment; My Sins are great, therefore I fear God will not pardon them, says the doubting sinner; My Iniquity is great, therefore Lord pardon it, says the be­lieving David; even merciless men will do much to purchase them a great name; the merciful God by pardon­ing great sinners, gets Himself a great­er [Page 57] name of being Merciful; Shew them how to frame an argument out of Gods own words, Ier. 33. ver. 8, 9. And I will cleanse them from all their Iniquities whereby they have sinned against me, and whereby they have trans­gressed agains [...] me, and it shall be to me a name of joy [...] Praise and an Honour before all the Nations of the Earth which shall hear all the good th [...]t I [...]o unto them. Press the Lord with His own words, to exalt His great name by cleansing and pardoning thy sins; and the more and the greater they are, the more will His Mercy be glorifyed: Seeing God designeth to be glorifyed in the great Attribute of his Mercy, we cannot glorifie it more, than by throwing our selves upon it.

If Satan aggravate our Sins, (as he never fails to do it to the purpose, when he finds a sinner despairing,) then we must set all the true colours upon Mercy, great Mercy, glorious [Page 58] Mercy, rich Mercy, abundant Mercy▪ and that which is beyond all that Sa­tan can say of our sins (Infinite Mer­cy) Shew them therefore, that by casting our Souls upon Gods free Mercy, we do exceedingly glorifie the Mercy of our God, and the me­rit of our Redeemer.

Do not rob God of the glory of his Mercy by your unbelief.

But if the broken hearted sinner yet object against it self; Alas my sins are no ordinary sins, then do you put them in mind, that Christ is no ordi­nary person, His blood is no ordinary price, His Redemption no ordinary work, and Gods Mercy in Christ is no ordinary matter.

Paul did not despair of Pardon be­cause he saw himself to be chief of sin­ners, 1 Tim. 1 ch. ver. 15. but gloried so much the more in Christs coming to save such as he was: A Soul that is once enabled to look upon Christ as [Page 59] his Saviour, will not despair though Conscience tell him he is a great sin­ner, but can be as willing to accuse [...]t self as Satan is to accuse it, and yet not despair of pardon, but imploy Satans malice as an argument for grea­ter love to Jesus Christ: Those that despair of Mercy, should be much pressed with the great injury done to Gods Infinite Mercy, and to Christs Infinite Merit by such as despair of Pardon; for it is as much as to make God an unmerciful God, and Christ to be an Impotent Saviour: and it is a most dangerous sin in respect of us, [...]or it blocks up the way to Mercy; [...]ll other sins might be pardoned, if unbelief did not intercept our Pardon, [...]n the 3 Io. ver. 18. He that believeth not [...]s condemned already, because he believeth [...]ot in the name of the only begotten Son of [...]od. It is not said, because he was a [...]hore-monger, or a Thief, or a [...]runkard, but because he believeth [Page 60] not in the name of Christ; So that un­belief is the greatest sin of all other.

Satan holdeth many under despair­ing thoughts a long time, by telling them that they have not been broken enough yet by the terrors of the Law, and therefore are unfit for pardoning mercy yet.

Pray is not this a strange reasoning, as if you should say to a sick man, you seek to be cured too soon▪ your case must be more desperate, before you go to a Physician.

Doth not Reason tell us, that in a dangerous wound, the sooner we look for a Chyrurgeon the better and that we cannot go too soon▪ The longer we defer seeking unto Christ, and lay­ing on the Sovereign Plaister of his Blood, we must needs be the longer before we can be healed.

If any violent distemper seise on your Bodies, you are ready to ask one another, why do not you go forth and [Page 61] seek help▪ delays are dangerous in this case. Now then ask your Souls the same question, seeing sin hath made such a dangerous wound in thy con­science, Why do not you go forth, why do not you seek after Iesus Christ▪ Delays are dangerous in this case I am sure.

If Faith be the condition of the the new Covenant, we cannot believe too soon; urge those that yield to de­spairing thoughts with those words of Reverend Dr. Sibbs: Judas did far worse in despairing of Pardon, than in denying of Christ; In the latter ind [...]ed he destroyed Christ's humane nature, but by despair he denyed his Divine nature.

Who doubts but if Cain had not despaired, he might have been par­doned.

Will you flie from Christ because you are sinners▪ will the sick man shun the company of the Ph [...]sician because he is sick▪

[Page 62]The Pharisees upbraided Christ, that he was a friend to Publicans and Sinners, Matt. 11. ver. 19. to teach thee that he is no enemy to the vilest sinner that cometh to Him for mercy. Afflicted consciences are weak sighted; or like the Disciples, their eyes are held, Luk. 24. ver. 16. Christ is near them, but they see him not.

Therefore let all Ministers, and also all good Christians endeavour to help that defect, by leading them unto Christ, and opening the Promises of the Gospel unto them; end since they feel the sting of the fiery Serpent in their Souls, shew them their Saviour, who is the truth of the brazen Ser­pent; help them to lean upon Christ that tryed Stone, so called Isa. 28. ver. 16. Christ is a tryed Stone indeed, whom neither the weight of the sins of the whole world, nor the maliee of all the Devils in Hell, nor the rage of his persecutors on Earth, nor the [Page 63] weight of Gods wrath due for the sins of mankind, (which was much hea­vier than all the former) could once make to yield at all, or to fly out of its proper place; and therefore Christ is only fit to be the chief corner stone. He is the only immovable Foundati­on, able to bear up the whole build­ing of his Church; And whosoever builds his Soul upon this Foundation, (Jesus Christ) the Gates of Hell shall not be able finally to prevail against him.

Such as are afraid to fall, lead them to Christ that Rock of ages, that they may see themselves placed in a safe condition; and do you carry those young Lambs that cannot go: I have not written this as though I were able to advise my Reverend Brethren of the Clergy, but to move them to con­sider the case of afflicted consciences, that they may labour more to heal the broken hearted, and to set at li­berty [Page 64] them that are bruised, that [...] people may have greater cause to [...], How beautiful are the Feet of those that bring glad tidings of Salvation?

MANSIO CHRISTIANA, Or the Christians Mansion-House. Being a SERMON Preached on the Lords-Day, 7th. Feb. Anno Dom. 1668. at the Funeral of M rs. MARTHA WALMISLEY the Wife of M r. Charles Walmisley. Minister of Chesham magna in the County of Bucks.

By WILLIAM IOLE. Minister of Sarrett in the County of Hertford.

‘ 2 Ephesians 6. And hath made us sit together in Heavenly Places.’

London, Printed for Samuel Homes, at the Sign of S. Paul in Little Britain Anno Dom. 1671.

To his Reverend Brother in the Gospel M r. Charles Walmisley, Husband of M rs. Martha Walmisley Deceased, Grace and Peace.

Worthy Sir,

THat which is report­ed of Egesias the Phi­losopher, that he could so accurately decipher the miseries & wretch­edness of Life, as to make Men out of love with it, and so colour over the grim face of [Page] Death, as to make it desirable; that is only really performed by this Text: A little Rhetorick may serve to perswade a poor man to forsake his thatch'd Cot­tage, if you can assure him that by so doing, he shall have a bet­ter habitation: The most effe­ctual way to make a Christian to despise Life, and desire Death, is, to present him with a sight of his Heavenly Mansion, and then with S. Paul, He can groan earnestly to leave this earthly Tabernacle, when he knows he hath a building of God, a House not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens; for though nature [Page] abhor a dissolution, yet it covets happiness; so that Reason it self may well assent to the desire of being dissolved; when Faith hath rightly informed it that it is far better; for it is wisdom to admit a change, when we are sure it shall be for our greater advantage.

Sir, if you thus look on Death (though as a dark entry) yet as the ready passage to our Hea­venly Mansions, then I shall need to say no more, either to quiet your Spirit concerning the Death of your dear Wife, at whose Funeral this Sermon was Preached, or to make you more [Page] willing to entertain more fami­liar thoughts of your own disso­lution; If it be far better to be with Christ, than to linger still on Earth, then what remains? but that we patiently bear the departure of our dearest Friends and nearest Relations, and cheer­fully expect our own; that we may be so far from fearing death, as rather to welcom it: who baulks a friends Invitation, be­cause he imployes a Blackamore to be the Messenger? What though Christ send his Negro (Death?) seeing it is to invite us to a Feast with him in his Kingdom; We know Christ is [Page] our best Friend, and though at first we may startle at the Mes­senger, yet the very Message shews that Death be-friends us too; If God make this Sermon useful to be your remembrancer in these great duties, let him have all the Praise while you re­ceive the profit.

Your affectionate Brother in the Gospel of our blessed Lord and Master Iesus Christ. VV. J.

John 14. Ver. 2.
In my Father's House are many Mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you, I go to prepare a place for you.

IN occasions of great sorrow a single ad­vice may not be sufficient to quiet and compose our afflicted Minds; Christ had advi­sed his Disciples in the former Verse not to be troubled at his absence, [Page 80] which he backs with a strong Reason in this Verse; I go to prepare a place for you: Consider the end of my de­parture, and you have no more reason to be troubled at it, than you have, if a friend that hath invited you to a Feast, should say, I must go home be­fore you to see all things set in a rea­diness for your Entertainment: So great a necessity is there for my leav­ing you now; Christus non abit nos de­serere, sed ut lautisimum convivium nobis praeparct. Christ doth not mean to leave us, but He goes to make pro­vision for us.

Christ seeing them troubled, seem­ed to neglect himself, that He might hearten them against the fear of his Crucifixion.

It is not unlikely, but that the minds of the Disciples might be filled with such troublesome thoughts as these; Alass! in what hole shall we hide our heads from a melitious Devil [Page 81] [...] persecuting World, now that our Champion is taken from us? Where can We be secure if He suffer? Can We think to escape, if He be put to Death? What Crosses must we look for, if Innocency it self be Crucified? If they deal thus barbarously with our Lord, what will they do, or what will they not do rather against his Servants when He is gone?

What will become of us when the light of our eyes is departed? yea, the very breath of our Nostrils? If the Shepheard be smitten, what will become of the timorous Sheep?

Against all these carnal fears Christ opposeth a greater cause of Hope; A­gainst all this matter of trouble, He seasonably opposeth a surer cause of Spiritual Joy & Tranquility of mind▪ Bear my absence patiently, for it shall redound to your eternal advantage, I go to prepare a place for you. This Text will not admit of such a Methodical [Page 82] Division, as other Texts of Scripture do.

The first words are Christs Con­solatory Reason, why the Disciples should not be troubled at his absence: In my Fathers House are many Mansions. The former words may be added to confirm that assertion, If it were not so I would have told you; and that you may be sure it is so, I go to prepare [...] place for you. In these word, is obser­vable,

1. An Act, Go.

2. An Agent, I go.

3. An End, To prepare a place.

Lastly, The Person for whom, For you.

Explication, In my Fathers house.

Heaven is called Gods House; Be­cause there God dwelleth, and there Saints and blessed Spirits shall dwell with God for ever: Christ calls it His Fathers House for our greater con­solation, to shew us that He hath [Page 83] much power there, who is the only begotten Son and Heir of all things; He is the Dominus Fac totum: Heaven is a place where I have Power to make you welcom, For it is my Fathers House; No Son and Heir can have so much priviledge at home to bid his friends freely welcom, as I have to make you my friends welcom in my Fathers House, are many Man [...]ions: There are Mansions, not Tabernacles, to denote the unchangeableness of the condition of Saints in Heaven; here on Earth you can have but moveable Tents, but in Heaven you shall have a settled condition, a Mansion-house, even in our English phrase, signifies that House where we live most of our time: Great Men may have several Houses, and yet but one of them is called their Mansion-house; that is to say, the place of their most con­stant abode, where they dwell the most part of the year▪ It is but a short [Page 76] time that we spend on Earth, but we shall dwell for ever in Heavenly Man­sions. Christians are here spoken of, as being Great Persons (being made Honourable by Christ) who, though they may have Earthly Tabernacles, yet have but one Mansion-house, and that is Heaven.

Many Mansions; There is not only room for Me, but for all my Members also.

Though there may be so many thousands of glorious Inhabitants in Heaven already, yet there is still room for every Saint too.

In Scripture God is represented to us, as a great Housholder, and the Saints are called Gods Houshold or Family; Every wise man provides a House according to the largeness of his Family: Aretius says, that the word Mansions, is a word of diminu­tion, where little is spoken of the greatest matter; as if we would call the vast Ocean, a great Pond.

[Page 77]We must not imagine that Heaven is divided as the Earth is (into several Habitations) but Heaven is fitly cal­led a Mansion, because there is a ful­ness of glory and happiness; however Men live in their flitting-houses, as I may call them, where they stay but a night or two; yet in their Mansion­houses they will far [...] plentifully, eve­ry Saint in Heaven shall have a ful­ness of Glory and happiness.

2. In Heaven there is a permanen­cie, and therefore called a Mansion; for the Greek word [...], and the La­tine word Mansiones, and the English word Mansions, do all imply the eter­nity of the Glory and happiness in Heaven.

3. Heaven is called a Mansion­house, in respect of the different de­grees of Glory in Heaven. In a Kings Court there are several Offices, but all are contented, for all are Courtiers; In Heaven, the House is the same, and [Page 88] the happiness is the same; but there are different degrees of Glory: But the Saints in Heaven shall be as free from envy, as the Stars in the Firma­ment are: one Star differs from ano­ther in Glory, yet they do not quar­rel about their different degrees of Light and Lustre; no more shall the Saints in Gods House: If it were not so I would not have told you; I would not delude you, or feed you with vain hopes, promising that which I cannot perform: When you come to Heaven you shall find much more than what you are able now to understand of the happiness you shall inherit there. I go to prepare a place for you; The great end of Christs ascending into Heaven, is to prepare a place for his Elect, to make way for their coming thither: take notice of our Saviours Consola­tions; He doth not say, Let not your hearts be troubled, for ere long I will make you earthly Princes, and make you [Page 79] [...]read on the necks of your enemies; Bu [...] he gives them comfort of another kind, I am preparing Glory for you, Let not your hearts be troubled. When by my Death and Resurrection I have fitted all things for your entertainment, I will come again, and receive you unto my self.

It was the manner of Bride-grooms, when they had made all things ready, to come themselves, and fetch home their Brides to their Fathers houses: I go to prepare, and I will come again and fetch you unto my self. O the wonderful tenderness and infinite con­descention of Divine Love; Christ will do all himself. He came once from Heaven already to make himse [...]f known unto us; but his love engageth him to make one journey more to fetch us, and take us up unto himself: then he came to prepare us for Heaven; He is now gone to prepare Heaven for us: I go to prepare a place for you. These [Page 80] may allude to Travailers, (as Muscu­lus notes) where many travail toge­ther in a company; they choose out some one to ride before, and provide Lodgings, and a Supper for them▪ Our Saviour attempereth his Speech to our understandings, the incompre­hensible things of Heaven are painted out in these humane colours, because we are much taken with these things and partly because the Disciples did yet dream that Christ would establish a worldly Kingdom, and would have ruled some time as an Earthly Mo­narch; Christ therefore in a sweet and friendly manner works them off from expecting any such thing here, by tel­ling them what he is going to prepare for hereafter: your expectations shall not be altogether disappointed; you shall have honour and happiness, but it shall be in a better place, in Heaven [...] for thither I go to prepare for you [...] the Providence of God sent Ioseph se­cretly [Page 81] before-hand to provide a place for his unnatural Brethren; Christ the truth of Iosep [...], is gone into Hea­ven to prepare a place for all his Bre­thren, though by our sins we both sold him and crucified him, Hebr. 6. v. 20: Christ is called the Saints fore-runner, implying that the Saints shall follow him into heaven.

Before Christ ascended, he said, Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am, Iohn 17. ver. 24. Therefore he is gone before to prepare a place for them: Heaven is prepared already, but our Sins had shut it against us; Christ is gone to provide admission for us.

The Doctrine I shall offer, is,

That Christians must look on Heaven as their dwelling place.

Reasons of the Doctrine are,

1. Because God designeth heaven as our Dwelling-place: A Christian hath a Body and a Soul, an earthly [Page 82] and an heavenly part: A Body form­ed of the Earth, and a Soul infused from heaven; This Earth was made for the delight of the Body, here is beauty to delight the Eye, and sweet­ness for the Taste, and variety to de­light the outward Sences: But Heaven was made for the Soul; In the Body we resemble the Beasts on Earth, in the Soul we resemble the Angels in heaven; The Body is contented with the things of the Earth, and thinks it good to be here; but the Soul finds nothing able to satisfy it here on earth And therefore is always mounting up to heaven by contemplation, and de­sirous to be dissolved from its earthly clay. God made Man looking up­wards towards heaven, and the Beasts bowing downward towards the earth to shew us that the Earth is the pro­per place for brute Beasts; but heave [...] is the place whither Man should aspire.

[Page 83]2 Reason why Christians should look on heaven as their Dwelling­place, lyeth in the Text; Because Christ prepares it for them: and where can he better provide a place than in his and our Fathers house? I asse [...]d to my Father and your Father, Joh. 20. ver. 17. My Father by Nature, your Father by Grace, as S. Austin inter­prets it; Where can he better prepare a place for his Elect than in his own Kingdom? It's the Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, 2 Pet. chap. 1. ver. 11. Where can Christ better prepare a p [...]ace for them, than in that Kingdom which God the Fa­ther hath freely bestowed on them? Luke 12. ver. 32. Fear not little Flock, for it is your Fathers good pleasure to give you a Kingdom; fear not want or trouble here, but look on your selves as Heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven. Where can he prepare a place better than in that Kingdom which Christ also ap­pointed [Page 84] for them? Luk. 22. ver. 29, 30. And I appoint unto you a Kingdom, that ye may eat and drink at my Table, and sit on Thrones [...]udgeing the twelve Tribes of Israel; And therefore you may be sure that this is meant of hea­ven: For here on Earth Saints do not sit on Thrones, but rather on Dung­hils, as Iob and Lazarus did; they do not Judge here, but rather are judged and hardly censured.

3 Reason why Christians must look on Heaven as their Dwelling-place, is, because the word of God directs us so to do; To s [...]t our affection on things above, and to seek those things: to look on the world but as our Inne; but on Heaven as our home.

4 Reason. Because experience doth shew, that on Earth Christians have no certain Dwelling-place, 1 Cor. 4. ver. 11. here we travail and meet with troubles; here we sojourne, here we suffer, here we have no continuing [Page 85] City, but we seek one to come, Heb. 13. ver. 14. Indeed neither Believer, nor Unbeliever have any settled con­dition on Earth; But it is more espe­cially appropriated to Believers.

1. Because of the Worlds ill deal­ing with them; they are always dri­ving them from Post to Pillar, as we say, from place to place; Moses was much longer a stranger in Madian, then a Courtier in Egypt.

2. Because Believers do look upon Earth as an uncertain place, where they cannot set up their rest; they look on the world as a Camp, where they wall meet with opposition, ra­ther then as a City where they should expect safety and quiet. The Chri­stian expects his resting place to be in that City which Abraham looked for, Hebr. 11. v. 10. A City that hath Foun­dations, whose Builder & Maker is God. All the Cities on Earth are so easily removed, as if they had no Founda­tions, [Page 86] Heaven only is an immoveable City.

Last Reason why Christians must look upon Heaven as their dwelling place, is, to move them to a Heaven­ly Conversation; such as our hopes is, such will our Conversation be; if your hope be only in this life, then your trade and dealing, your thoughts and actions shall be to get worldly things, your Conversation will be earthly; the prevailing degree of love in all you do, will be for earthly things; or as the Scripture doth phrase it, you will mind earthly things, Philip. 3. ver. 19. All our aims, actions, and endeavours will be but to get Money, to buy Land, to build Houses, to settle your rest on Earth; your discourses will be about dividing the Inheritance like theirs, Luk. 12. ver. 13. or about making more room for your worldly store like the fool in the Gospel: but if your hope be in Heaven, your Con­versation [Page 87] will be Heavenly. Hope is a deep dye that casts a tincture, and leaves its colour in the whole Con­versation of a Christian.

He that looks on the world as his Pilgrimage, or place of Travel, will provide only as for a Traveller; But he that looks on the Earth as his dwel­ling place, will be providing as for an Inhabitant: one Room will suffice a Traveller; but an Inhabitant want­eth a whole house; a few things will suffice a man in his Journey, but an Inhabitant needs a great deal of Fur­niture; and therefore the Scripture alwayes puts a difference between a man in the World, and a man of the world. Iohn 15. ver. 19..

By our feet we walk on earth, but by our heart we dwell in heaven.

Application.

1. For Information. To teach us what thoughts we must have of earth and heaven: We must look on the [Page 88] earth as David did, to be but the house of his Pilgrimage, Psalm 119. ver. 54. But we must look on heaven as our Mansion-house, as the Text doth re­present it, a place prepared for us to dwell in for ever: And what a glori­ous place must heaven needs be, which the Bridegroom of our Souls hath now been 16 hundred years preparing for his Bride? We must look upon heaven as our home, our Fathers house.

If you ask what ground a Christi­an hath for this confidence? I answer, the Text telleth us, Christ is gone thi­ther to prepare a place for them.

Christ entred into heaven as a com­mon person in the name of his Elect, and so is gone to take possession in their right, as a Guardian takes pos­session of a house and Land in the right of his Ward; but Christ entred in his own right and ours both, as he is our Guardian.

[Page 89]The high-Priest under the Law en­tred into the holy of holies, with the names of the twelve Tribes on his Brest-plate, to shew that he acted there for them whose names were there written; Christ our great high Priest is entred into heaven, whereof the holy of holies was but a Type: thither hath he carryed the names of his Elect, for whom he is to provide Mansions; and therefore Christians are said to have an Inheritancereserved in Heaven for them. 1 Pet. chap. 1. ver. 4. how should this make us high in our hopes, and lowly in our hearts? heaven is ours in Reversion; Great hopes, or hopes of great things beget great Spirits, and keep Men from do­ing any base or sordid things, which are below what they hope for: a Christians hope keeps up his heart, and hinders him from doing any thing unbeseeming his hope: The Eagle scorns to catch at Flies; A Christias [Page 90] is that true Eagle, that soareth above these petty things below; the hope of Heavenly Mansions should should lift us above the Earth. 2. It should make us lowly in our hearts, not to strive and fight for places here, but to be contented with any place, remembring that while we are in this world we are out of our proper place; Those that are neglectful to look after Heavenly Mansions, are most quarrelling for places on Earth; a christian may call all the things of this world Esek, and Sitnah, as Isaack named those 2 Wells, about which the Philistines strove with him, Gen. 26. 20, 21. If God give House or Land to a christian, it doth but make the Men of the world strive with him and hate him for it, as the Phili­stines did envy Isaack's Flocks & Herds, Gen. 26. 14. But a Christian may call Heaven Rehoboth, by the name of Isa­ack's Well which they strove not for. Now God hath made room for me, [Page 91] says Isaack; a christian hath one place which ugodly men will not strive for; namely Heaven: what an Argument therefore is this, to remove our desires from earthly Houses, and to fix them on our Heavenly Mansions? in Earth­ly Houses we are always either want­ing room, or furniture, or food, or peace in eating it, or assurance of con­tinuing, but our Heavenly Mansions have all these properties.

Heaven is a good place, for it is of Christ's own preparing; Heaven is a large place, there is many Mansions, room enough, and provision enough of all things to make a Saint happy. Abraham's Servant asked Rebeckah, (i [...] there room in thy Fathers house for us to lodge in? She answered, we have both Straw and Provinder enough, and room to lodge in, Gen. 24 ver. 23—25. A Christian need not make such an in­quiry concerning Heaven, there is room enough, and provision enough.

[Page 92]God prepared the world for Adams use, before he sent him to be there; God built the House, and ready fur­nished it, and then raised up Man. God our Redeemer is gone to prepare Hea­ven, before he carry his Members thi­ther.

Heaven is also a safe place; where God dwelleth there can be no fear of enemies to molest us. Israel in the earthly Canaan had plenty, but not safety; the Cananites continually were invading them; Heaven only is the place of Peace. The Heavenly Ieru­salem is described to have a great wall, and high, and 12 Gates, and 12 An­gels watching at the Gates, and the City to be built upon a great and high Mountain. Revel. 20. ver. 10—12. Namely, all things that may import safety.

Heaven is too high for danger to climb up to it; it is so immured that there can be no scaling it, the Gates [Page 93] are so strong, that there is no break­ing them open, and the Watchers so watchful that there can be no fear of surprize.

And in Heaven also is suitable com­pany, there we shall dwell with God, the Holy Trinity, with Holy Angels, aud Saints; here on Earth unsuitable company may make us weary of our Habitations. Lot chose the Plain of Sodom to dwell in, but what an un­comfortable place did it prove to that righteous man, by reason of the wick­ed company of those beastly Sodomites? no doubt had he known their evil manners before, nothing could have tempted him to have thought of dwel­ling there.

Christians that know and see this Earth to be a Sodom, must not choose it for their dwelling place.

Lastly, Heaven is a place that abi­deth for ever; Worldly Cities have no firm Foundations, but the [Page 94] Wall of Heaven is described to have twelve Foundations, Rev. 21. ver. 14. Earthly Houses may be burned, or beat down either by accident or de­sign, as we see a woful instance in Lon­don, that City most famed through­out the world; but you know that the World it self is reserved for the gene­ral Conflagration: will you make that your Dwelling-place, which you know must be destroyed?

We linger like Lot, and are loath to come out of this Sodow; but the Lord is merciful by sending us many crosses, pulleth us hence.

This sheweth us further how we come to neglect Heavenly Mansions; We over-value Earthly Tabernacles, and that makes us undervalue heavenly Mansions, Earthly Houses are visible, their Gardens, and Orchards, Parks, and Forrests, Fish-ponds, and Motes, Arbors, and Banquetting-houses; but Heavenly Mansions, and what Provi­sion [Page 95] is made there, is only known to Faith, 1. Cor. chap. 2. ver. 9. as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor Ear heard, neither have entred the heart of Man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him; which if it be true of those things prepared in the Gospel, it is more true of those things prepa­red in Heaven.

This consideration of Heavenly Mansions may much quiet and com­ [...]ort those that either are not born to House and Land, or that are driven from House and home by any sad Pro­vidence; your Tents may be removed, but your Mansions endure for ever.

2. Use of Exhortation to all that hope for Heavenly Mansions.

1. Search the Land where you hope [...]o dwell for ever; Israel [...]ent spies to [...]earch for Canaan, but the [...]r spies were of two sorts: Some brought an evil [...]eport on Canaan; saying, there were Gyants, and yet brought of the good [Page 96] fruits of the Land; but Caleb & Ioshus told them the truth, If the Lord delight in us, he will bring us into this Land, Numb. 14. ve. 8. Hearken unto Caleb and Ioshua, unto the faithful spies and true Ministers, which declare from the word of God what place Heaven is, and hearken not unto any that endea­vour to bring an evil report on this good Land, where only is fulness of Ioy, and pleasures for evermore; In­deed there are some difficulties will meet us in our way thitther, but no impossibilities; Say with Caleb, the Lord is with us, we are able to overcome them. Numb. 13. compared with Num [...] 14. ver. 9. 2. Pray against earthly mindedness. The young man that seemed so earnest to get to Heaven, as is set out by his postures of running and kneeling, and asking what to do yet his great earthly Possessions hin­dred him from being prevailed with by the promise of Heavenly treasure [Page 97] Mark 10. ver. 2 [...]. Reuben and Gad had so much Cattle, that they are not eager to dwell in Canaan; Iacob's Flocks and Herds made him drive slowly home­wards, Gen. 33. v. 14. though I grant his fear of Esau might be a great cause also.

Those Christians are in most dan­ger of neglecting Heavenly Mansions, that are well seated in Earthly places, haec sunt quae faciunt invitos mori, these things make us unwilling to die. Let us use the Earth as the Birds do, the Air is their proper place, and they care not to descend on the Earth but only for their times of Feeding; so long as they keep aloft they are secure; but when they come to settle on the Ground, there are Nets or Guns, or some Snare to endanger them: So long as Christians keep their thoughts on Heaven, and the thing above, they are [...]afe from Temptation; but when they [...]et them hover too long upon Earth, [Page 98] and the things [...]low, Satan is ready to shoot at them, or hath one Snare or other to catch them, though your daily Bread grows on Earth, yet look on Heaven as your home, and send your thoughts & desires thither again, that it may appear though you Table here, you expect to dwell in Heaven. A few words more, and then I shall conclude.

1. Be content though God allo [...] you but a low place, or no place in this world, seeing Christ is preparing a place for you in a better world.

2. Get your affections more wean­ed from earthly Houses (you that have them) and fix your thoughts more on those Heavenly Mansions; Because Children know no better things, they are so much in love with every paint­ed Gew-gaw; It is our ignorance of the Joys in Heaven that makes us so greatly pleased with these toyes on Earth.

[Page 99]3. Be not immoderate in grieving for any Relations or Friends departed, (no, though you have h [...]d them but a little while with you.)

So long as we are in the Body, we are absent from the Lord; the Apostle Paul groaned earnestly in desires of en­joying his Heavenly Mansion, 2 Cor. chap. 5. ver. 2. and he gives us his Reason in the 1. ver. Who would not go out of a thatcht Cottage to in­herit a Pallace? those that die in the Lord, do but leave an Earthly Taber­nacle, to inherit an Heavenly King­dom; and will you think it too s [...]on for them to be thus happy? Solon be­ing asked who were happy? tells a story of two Youths, who out of af­fection drew their Mothers Chariot to the Temple, and the Gods to re­compence them, caused them to die presently: those are happy that can number Death among their priviledg­es, and bid it welcom; If I could [Page 100] offer your Wife or Children, House, or Land, would you say, ( no I thank you, I cannot spare them yet, they shall tarry with me one year longer before they go to possess it.) We are wiser in earthly matters, why are we such fools in Heavenly matters? if we did cordially believe, and seriously meditate on the blessedness in Heaven, we should grudge at every hour we [...]arry on earth, we should think the shortest life too long, and like the next Heir, be eager­ly desirous to inherit.

I say nothing of the party deceased (though she hath left a good name be­hind her) because I was totally [...] stranger to her.

FINIS.

PAUL, The Pattern of PARDONING MERCY.

Being A SERMON ON 1 Tim. Chap. 1. Ver. 15. ‘Howbeit for this cause I obtained Mercy, that in me first Iesus Christ might shew forth all Long-suffering for a Pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.’

1 Tim. 1. Chap. 16. Ver.
Howbeit, for this cause I obtained Mercy, that in me Iesus Christ might shew forth all long suf­fering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.

THis Verse referreth to the last words of the former Verse, ( where­of I am chief; howbeit for this cause I obtain­ed mercy;) as if the Apostle would say, Although I was so heinous a sinner, yet Iesus Christ hath made me a pattern of mercy to all others.

[Page 104]As God makes some stand as fear­ful monuments of his wrath to fright [...]hose that are impenitent, (like Lot's wife tu [...]ned into a Pillar of Salt to season after Ages.) So God is pleased to set others as Monuments of free­grace to invite all penitent Sinners; the Apostle tells us what was Gods aim in pardoning him that was so great an offender, to make a pattern of long suffering to encourage the greatest sin­ners to lay hold on his Mercy.

For Division of the words,

1. Here is an Act mentioned ( Ob­tained.)

2. The thing mentioned, ( Mercy.)

3. The Person mentioned. ( I that needed long sufferings, I the chief of sin­ners.)

Lastly, the Reason mentioned, ( for this cause, that I might be a pattern to them that shall hereafter believe,) that is to say, that by my Example the grea­test Sinners m [...]ght be encouraged to [Page 150] lay hold on the offer of Free Pardon, seeing such a desperate opposer of Je­sus Christ as I was, received into fa­vour, that none might hereafter de­spair of Pardon, but all Sinners might be encourag'd to come to God through Jesus Christ.

The Doctrine will be most com­fortable thus rendred.

That God hath set Paul as a glorious pattern of Mercy, to encourage all sinners by his Example to seek for pardoning Mercy.

The orderly handling of this Do­ctrine will be,

1. To see what a Pattern is.

2. How Paul may be said to be a Pattern?

3. Why Paul was made a Pattern?

Lastly, What excellent [...]ncourage­ment all Sinners hereafter may make of this glorious Pattern of Free-grace?

For the First, What a Pattern is?

For on this word [...], lyeth the stress of the whole matter.

[Page 106]A Pattern is, materi [...] proposita ad imitandum, something that is laid be­fore our eyes for us to imitate; when a Li [...]mner hath drawn some curious Picture in which he thinks he hath shewed much of his Art, he hangs it out for all Passengers to look on, to shew them what he can do; every piece is not fit to be a Pattern, but the most exact Pi [...]ces▪ In the converting of Paul (who by his own confession was one of the greatest sinners in the world.) God doth shew to all Men in this Pattern, what free Grace can do, how he can pardon the greatest sin­ners; God hath made Paul fit to be a Pattern of pardoning Mercy, to shew all the world how much he can for­give. And this leadeth me to the next particular. How Paul might be said to be a Pattern.

1. Consider his own Confession what a kind of Sinner he was, and that will lend some light into this Phrase.

[Page 107]2. Con [...]ider the manner of his Con­version.

3. Gods dealing with him after his Conversion.

1. Let us hear his own Confession how great a sinner he was, chief of sin­ners; not only sensu humilitatu, so in his own apprehension; nor only sal­vandorum primus, chief sinner of those that shall be saved; but as he was a proud Pharisee that went about to set up his own righteousness in direct op­position to Christs rightouiness: Surely, (except the unpardonable sin) there cannot be a greater sin than this; and in this sense Christs words may be understood, that Publicans and Har­lots were nearer Heaven, than the self-justifying Pharisees, Mat. 21. ver. 31. For Publicans and Harlots did not deny that Christs imputed righteous­ness was the only meriting cau [...]e of our Justification; but the Pharisees denyed this.

[Page 108]The Apostle confesseth how exceed­ing mad he was against this Doctrine so long as he was a Pharisee, and per­secuted all that professed to be justi­fyed by Faith in Jesus Christ, Acts. 26. from ver. 9. to ver. 12. He would not yield to cast away the thoughts of his own righteousness, and to relie upon the righteousness of Christ imputed; and this made him persecute unto the death all such as professed a contrary way of being justified; and herein he was a greater sinner, than if he had been a Thief, or Drunkard, or any o­the [...] kind of sinner, those are trespasses against the commands of the Law, but this is the highest Trespass against the great Command of the Gospel; name­ly, that we should embrace Christ as he is called, the Lord our righteousness, Ier. 23. ver. 6. There is more hopes of Publicans and Harlots, of Theeves and Murderers, than of those that re­ject Christs imputed Righteousness, [Page 109] except the Devils & Damned in Hell; Christ can have no greater enemies, than those that cry up their own righ­teousness, and cry down the Doctrine of his imputed Righteousness. Paul before Conversion, was tooth & nail, as we say, against this Doctrine; so that we may see a most elaborate piece of the work of free Grace, ( [...], may be derived from [...],) saith Pas­sor, nota incisa, insculpta, percussione, vel pulsatione facta. The Chra [...]cter of Free Grace is deeply cut in this Pat­tern; Paul, a proud Pharisee, was bea­ten down to the ground; and he that before so hotly persecuted the name of Christ, is now made a Preacher of it; here is now the depth of humility, where there was the height of Pride before; Here God hath wrought a curious frame out of a rugged knotty piece of timber. Here is a Lion-like nature changed into a Lamb; he that before was [...], from [...], inter­po [...]ito [Page 110] v,) that is to say, unquiet like the Sea, and turbulent, is now Paul, quiet and peaceable; see what Free Grace can do: here is a rare Pattern indeed!

For a Physician perfectly to cure one that is stark mad, and bring him to his right mind, this shews great skill indeed: this God hath done; Paul was exceeding mad, persecuting all wheresoever he met them, that professed to be justifyed by Faith in Christs Righteousness; and yet the Grace of God hath perfectly cured him, and now makes him to seek to Christ for Righteousness, and count his own Righteousness but dung, and to preach the same way of Justifica­tion to others. If a Chyrurgeon go into an Hospital, and pick out those that are most desperately sick & lame, and cure them, is it not the greater argument of his skill? so here in Paul's Conversion and Pardon; God doth [Page 111] shew what Free Grace can do; for Paul [...] per [...]ect [...]y cured, that was most [...] sick of Pride and Self­love.

2. Consid [...]r the manne of his Con­version, and then his name Paul may be derived from the Hebrew word [...], which signisies Wonderful, for the manner of his Conversion was wonderful indeed, recorded, Acts 9. ver. 1. While he was yet breathing out threatnings and slaughter against the Church, he made himself accessory to the murder of Stephen, by holding the Garments of them that stoned him, Acts 8. ver. 58. But this did whet his malice, and sharpen his rage the more, this did but flesh his Fury, and make him more eager to persecute; this was but a younger practice, to what he af­ [...]erwards intended; He seeks to get a Commission to impower him to per­secute all that came in his way; and being armed with authority, and come [Page 112] nigh to Damascus, (which was the end of his journey,) God surprized him suddenly, and turned a p [...]oud Saul in­to an humble Paul, and made him a zealous Preacher of Christ, who came thither out of a design to shew him­self a bitter Persecutor of that name; He that was prancing on Horse-back before, is now fallen to the Earth; He that came to punish Christs Disciples, now owneth Christ as his Lord, and begs now to know wh [...]t he will have him do, Acts 9. ver. 14. He that was r [...]ging before, is trembling and asto­nished now; A little light from Hea­ven, will tame the most furious Per­secutor, any discovery either of th [...] glorious Majesty of Jesus Christ, o [...] of our vileness, will humble any sin­ner; see here the irresistible power of Grace, that can meet with a Wol [...] seeking for his Prey, and can sudden­ly change him into a harmless Lamb.

[Page 113]3. Consider how graciously God dealt with him after Conversion, in imploying him as a Prime Officer in the Church of Christ; yea, as a Ma­ster-builder, and as a chief Pillar of that Church which he sought before to pull down. God sent him as an honorable Embassador to bear Christs name before Kings, and the Children of Israel, whose great ambition be­fore was to be the Saints common Ex­ecutioner: Christ intended that Paul should suffer much for his name, who came to Damascus to make all them suf­fer that professed Christs name.

It is remarkable, that of all the A­postles, Paul only was wrapt up in the thi [...]d Heaven; God dealt so graciously with him, that he that was the grea­test enemy to Christ before his Con­version, is now used as the most in­deared friend of Christ after his con­version, and hath the most glorious discoveries of Christ, and of the My­steries [Page 114] of his Gospel of all others, and now his name may be called Wonder­ful indeed; for here is a Scene on which before Conversion, corrupt Nature acted her outragious Fury; and after conversion, sanctifying Grace sh [...]wed her sacred force, and both to such an extent, as few Stories can parallel. In Saul was seen as much as can well be in a Man void of Grace; and in Paul was discovered as much as need be looked for in the most emi­nent Saint; his former madness is e­qualled by his present zeal, and now all that Ie [...]ish Learning which he had raked together, intending onely thereby to defend the righteousness of the Law, and the Traditions of the Elders, and to dispute against Christ and his Gospel; God imploys it bet­ter, to make him more able to con­found the Iews, and to prove that Jesus is the very Christ, Acts 9. ver. 22.

[Page 115]None preach Christ crucifyed so plainly, and the Doctrine of Justifi­cation by Christs impured Righteous­ness so powerfully, and so thorowly as Paul does; none beat so much on this string, as he, Romans 3 ver. 27. Galat. 2. ver. 16. and in Galat. 3. ver. 10. None cry down the Righteous­ness of the Law so vehemently, nor cry up the imputed Righteousness of Christ so earnestly as Paul does: thus as he was behind no man in wicked­ness before his conversion; so was he not infer, or to the very chief Apostles after conversion, but laboured more abundantly than they all, I Cor. chap. 15. ver. 10. Now he would preach nothing but Christ crucifyed, 1 Cor. chap. 2. ver. and would glory in no­thing, but in the Cross of our Lord Jesus, Gal. 6. ver. 14. Thus Paul was even a miracle of Mercy, and a glori­ous pattern of Grace.

[Page 116]The next particular is, why Paul was hung out as a pattern of Free grace?

1. Because he had been such a no­torious persecuter; and therefore as the noise of his mad and ignorant zeal had filled the world before, so now the news of his conversion would be the more wonderful, and he would be the more fit to be a pattern, because the Example of so great a Sinner, would be more encouragement for o­ther sinners to seek for Mercy, Galat. 1. ver. 23, 24. When the Churches heard that Paul preached the Faith which he once destroyed, they glori­fyed God in him. When sinners re­member that Paul was pardoned, they may glorify Go [...]s Mercy by seeking Pardon too.

2. Paul was made a Pattern of Free Grace, because he was an eminent Iew, and by Sect, a Pharisee, and so might prove a leading Pattern to all [Page 117] the Iews, and to that obstinat Sect of the Pharisees, to leave off per securi [...]g the Church of Chr [...]st, and to joyn themselves unto it, [...]o follow his Ex­ample in renouncing the Righteous­ness of Works, and embracing the Righteousness of Faith: Paul was well read in all their Jewish Traditions, and was as zealous of them as they, and therefore they might see more of the power of Grace in his conversion, that now made him h [...]zard his own life to advance that way, which be­fore he persecuted unto Death.

3. Paul was chose to be a Pattern, because in such a Pattern the freeness of Grace would appear more clearly, here all the world may see, that we are not saved out of any Wo [...]ks fore­seen; here was nothing to fit him to receive Grace (unless making havock of the Church be a preparatory work) Such Works the Romish Saints are full of; here was a raging Persecutor ta­med and pardoned.

[Page 118]It is not our Faith apprehending Christ that saves us, but our Christ apprehended by Faith; Christ is the meriting cause, and Faith is the Instru­mental.

Lastly, Paul was set as a Pattern of Free Grace, to encourage other sin­ners beholding the Mercy of God un­to him to look after Mercy too, that as in a Glass or Mirrour, all men may see more clearly the freeness of Grace, it is a good means to prevent our de­spair when we see such an instance of pardoning Mercy before our eyes; and this leadeth me to the last particular: What encouragement may other sin­ners draw from this great pattern of Paul's obtaining Pardon. My mean­ing is not, that others should expect to be miraculously converted, as Paul was; (for you may as well expect to be caught up into the third Heaven:) But by Paul's being pardoned, you may look after a Pardon: Paul be­lieved [Page 119] and was obedient to the voice from Heaven, and so obtained Mercy. This voice from Heaven was the voice of Christ, why p [...]rsecutest thou m [...]? and Acts 9. ver. 5. I am Iesus whom thou persecutest.

The Gospel now is Christs voice from Heaven, he that believeth this voice, and is obedie [...] to it, shall as surely obtain Pardon as ever Paul did; and he that will not obey Christs voice in the Gospel, shall n [...]ver be par­doned. It is remarkable, that Christ did not tell Paul by the voice from Heaven, what he should do, but sent him to be taught by Anani­as, who was a Minister of the Gos­pel, Acts 9. ver. 6. So now he doth not miraculously tell sinners what they must do to be saved, but sends them to his Word and Ministers to be in­structed; and therefore pray compare those two places together, Hebr. 4 ver. 7. To day if you will hear his voice: [Page 120] what is that voice of Christ? Luk. 10. ver. 16▪ He that heareth you, heareth me. Christ spake this to his Seventy Dis­ciples when he sent them out to preach the Gospel; Christ gives his Mini­sters the same power to preach, as he did them, though he hath not given them power to work Miracles: he still says, He that heareth you heareth me▪ for it is Christs word, and not Ministers to re [...]urn to the queston, how other sinners may draw encourage­ment from Pauls obtaining Mercy? W [...]y this this a pattern for other sin­ners, (ad imitandum Paul [...] fidem) to believe, and so they shall obtain mer­cy. When you see a very deformed person well married, you are apt to say, nay, then, none need ever hereafter despair of a husband; other sinners may say so from this pattern of Free Grace. seeing that Paul the chief of sinners is married to Jesus Christ; seeing so great a si [...]ner is pardoned, no sinner here­after [Page 121] need despair of pardon; thus one Begger encourage [...]h another▪ by [...]el­ling them, or shewing them what a good Alms they have [...]; I sped well at such a door and [...] enco [...] ­rageth others to go [...] too.

Though indeed begging is now grown such a common Trade, that you may be soon wearied out with Beggers; such is mans emptiness, that he cannot be always giving; but such is Gods fulness, that he delights to be dealing of his dole of Mercy; the oftner you come to the door of Mer­cy, the better you shall speed, and therefore this is an encouraging Pat­tern: And consider beloved, how great is Gods goodness in giving us such Patterns to invite us to the throne of Grace?

To see Matthew and Zaccheus, two Publicans pardoned, may encourage all Publicans to look after Pardon too; to see Mary Magdalen, out of whom [Page 122] went seven Devils; and the Woman taken in the very act of Adultery, both pardoned, may encourage all sinners to seek pardon; to hear Paul say, I was a Blasphemer, and a Persecutor, and in­jurious, but I obtained Mercy, may great­ly encourage all sinners to follow God by Prayer for to shew them Mercy; it is a very great mercy that we have not only Promises of Pardon, but also Patterns of notorious sinners that have been pardoned.

1. Because such Patterns suffici­ently declare the infinite merit of Christs death: who could be fitter Trumpets of Christs Power and Mer­cie, then those blind, and lame, and leprous, and the Woman cured of her bloody Issue, and that other Wo­man bowed together; all which Christ cured in the days of his Flesh?

When the Jews spake against Christ, the man whom he had restor'd to sight pleaded hard for him, Iohn 9. ver. 30. [Page 123] 33. If this man were not of God he could do nothing: The Jews knew not what to object, but proudly asked him, Dost thou undertake to teach us, ver. 34.?

What can any poor sinner object against the Power & Mercy of Christ, when they see ten Lepers cleansed at once? but may be enforced to cry out with that Leper, Matt. 8. ver. 2. Lord if thou wilt thou canst make me clean: He that cured Ten, can cure ten Millions▪ though it is not so with bodily Physicians, their Art is fal­lible, but Christ is the infallible Phy­sician.

To hear that Christ came to save sinners, may not move us so much as to see it in the Examples of Manasseh, and the Theef on the Cross, and those others before-mentioned; such re­markable instances do abundantly de­clare, that the merit of Christs death is exceedingly beyond the demerit of our sins; Christs healing all manner [Page 124] of diseased that were brought unto him shews that he can heal all man­ner of diseased Souls that come unto him now.

2. Such Instances do evince, that God is ready to deal out Pardons to all sorts of Sinners, let their Sins be what they will, that come in Christs name to ask Pardon: the poor Soul is apt to say, How shall I know that God will pardon such a wretched sin­ner as I am? Why you may believe it in such Patterns as Paul, and those before mentioned.

3. It is a great Mercy to have such Patterns of pardoning Mercy; for in these we may more clearly see what is the great design of free Grace? namely to set open the door of Mercy, and invite all sinners to come freely, and to give pardons to all that will come to God in Christs name: And there­fore Peter and Paul the two greatest Apostles and Pillars of the Church, [Page 125] are both set as Patterns of Free Grace, to encourage other sinners to look af­ter Pardon; Peter denyed, yea abjured his Saviour, and yet was pardoned. Paul persecuted him, and blasphemed his name, and compelled others to do so to, and yet was pardoned: Now as some prophane wretches in Salvians time did presume to sin, because David, and Noah, and Lot sinned, Si David, cur non & ego; si Noah, si Lot, cur non & ego? Here the poor penitents may turn their presumption into a blessed hope, and say with an humble confi­dence, si Petrus cur non & ego? si Pau­lus, cur non & ego? si David, si Noah, si Lot, cur non & ego? If all these were pardoned, why may not I fol­low God for pardon?

Gods gracious design in suffering such Examples to be Registred of no­torious sinners that were pardoned, is, that by such presidents of Mercy, all other sinners might take encourage­ment [Page 126] to seek for Mercy in such mar­v [...]lous ex [...]mles as these, Satans grea­test Obj [...]ction is answered to our hands.

What doth such a wicked creature as you hope for pardon? in such pat­terns of M [...]rcy, as Manasseh, Peter, Paul▪ and the like. God teacheth us how to answer the Devil: God hath pardoned as great sinners as I am▪ and therefore I am sure God can pardon me, and I believe God will pardon all that seek to him in Christ for pardon; and therefore I will ply the Throne of Grace in Christs name to beg pardon; In such patterns God doth as it were make a shew of his Mercy, that we may see no sins are so great but they shall be pardoned, if we do not add Unbelief unto them. Mr. Lightfoot hath an excellent note to this purpose on Pauls conversion The most notorious persecuter that the Gospel had yet found, is chosen of all others to be [Page 111] the Doctor of the Gen [...]les, that [...] his own example, or rather the glori­ous example of Gods Mercy in his conversion, might be a comfortable Doctrine to those notorious sinners of the Gentiles, as well as his Preac [...]ing.

Lastly, it is a great Mercy to have such Patterns of pardoning Mercy, because such instances are a good means to keep all sinners from despair; your case is not desperate if the Coun­sellour can shew you a President of the like: If the Physician can shew you many now living whom he hath recovered of the same distemper, this may be a good encouragement for you to hope for a cure too: This is Paul's meaning when he calls himself chief of sinners, and says, that he obtained Mercy for this cause, that he might be a pattern to others; as much as to say, [...]n me God shews as from an high Tower, that all sinners may be pardoned as I was, if they seek to him in Christs name as I [Page 114] did; and as David said, they that fear thee, will be glad when they see me, Psal. 119. ver. 24. it may be turned here, they that see David par­doned, and Paul pardoned, they may be glad of such encouraging patterns to make them hope for pardon too; the Doctrine of free Grace is the only Doctrine to invite guilty sinners, if pardon be offered freely to all that will [...]ome to God in Christ: Then if I go to pray to God for pardon in the name of his Son Jesus Christ, I shall be pardoned as well as they; and this consideration moves the poor sinner to go to the throne of grace to beg pardon.

God who hath no respect of per­sons, can have no motive from within, but his own free love, to pardon a poor sinner; and the word Sinner, sufficiently declares that there can be no motive from without; therefore, the same Free Grace that hath pardon­ed other sinners, will pardon all sin­ners [Page 115] that seek pardon; Yea, this is a good sign that God intends to pardon us, when he makes us with David pray [...]arnestly to be pardoned.

Application; is for Exhortation, to press all sinners to draw that encou­ragement from this glorious pattern of Paul's obtaining Mercy, which God intends us; Why do we sit still, as the Lepers said one to another, 2 Kings chap. 7. ver. 3. Why do not we pray for pardon?

There are three things which God doth most delight to glorify, his name, his Son, his Covenant, and then we most glorify these three things when we look after pardon. As for Gods Name▪ he tells us p [...]ain enough, Ier. 33. ver. 8, 9. That he would exalt his Name before all Nations of the Earth by pardoning his People Israel; therefore let us urge God with his own words, Lord glorifie thy name of Mercy in par­doning my sins, that all the world may be [Page 118] enforced to say in those words, [...] 7. ver. 18. who is a God like unto thee, that pardon [...]th Iniquity, &c.

Concerning his Son, God there­fore named him Iesus, that all the world might hear by that very name, that he was sent to be a Saviour; thus Paul [...]old the Jews, Acts 5. ver. 30▪ 31. That [...]sus whom they hanged on a Tree, God had exalted to be their Saviour, to give Repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of Sins.

And concerning the Covenant, You know it is called, the Covenant of Grace; Pardon of Sin is the great pro­mise of the Covenant of Grace, Ier. 31. ver. 34. last words, for I will for­give their Iniquity, and remember their Sin no more, then we glorify Gods name of Mercy, and Christs name as a Saviour, and the name of the Cove­nant [...] Grace, when we are moved by these to pray for pardoning mercy; reme [...]ber now is the day of Grace; [Page 119] that [...] to say, Now God is ready to give us Pardon, if we seek pardoning Grace: Heaven is said to have twelve Gates, Rev. 21. ver. 12. intimating to us, that now there is free admissi­on every way, to all sinners that come to the Throne of Grace; But there is a day of Judgement coming, then God will as much delight to glorifie his Justice in damning all those that re­fused to seek for Pardon in the day of Grace.

There are Twelve Steps that lead a sinner to the hope of Pardon.

1. To see his absolute need of Pardon.

2. To set a possibility of Pardon; for we can have no hope of that we judge impossible; he sees it possible by the glorious Patterns of such as have been pardoned.

3. To desire a Pardon.

4. To admire the freeness of Grace in all such as have obtained Mercy.

[Page 122] 5. To see that the only way of ob­taining Mercy, is, to believe in the Lord Jesus.

6. To see Christs ability to pardon, and to begin to seek after him.

7. To read and eye the promises of Pardon.

8. To believe the truth of those Promises.

9. To desire to have an Interest in those Promises.

10. To venture our Souls on the free offer of Pardon.

11. To follow God by Prayer in the name of Christ to pardon us.

Lastly, Now the sinner arriveth at the Cape of good Hope, and a good Hope is the beginning of assurance.

When the poor sinne [...] looks to­wards Christ, then it begins to hope for Pardon.

No matter what the Disease was, if the party had but Faith to be healed, as is said of the Man lame in his Feet, Acts 14. ver. 9.

[Page 123]No matter what our sins are, if we [...]ave but Faith to believe in Christ for Pardon. Physicians care not for med­ling in dangerous cases; but such de­sperate cases bring more glory to Je­sus Christ; thus curing him that had been thirty eight years impotent. Ioh. 5. to ver. 8. and healing her that had spent all upon Physicians, Mark 5. ver. 25, 26. and raising LaZarus that had been dead four days, Ioh. 11. 39. working through these natural impossibilities, made Christs power be more admired by all that saw his Miracles: even so this high pattern of Paul a Persecuter, and a Blasphemer, and one of the chief of sinners; and yet obtaining Mercy, doth much more advance the riches of free Grace, and may be a greater encouragem [...]n [...] to all that hear of it to seek after pardoning Mercy; no mat­ter how desperate our case seem to us, if we make use of Christ as our Physi­cian.

[Page 126]God hath set us two grea [...] [...] in P [...]ter and [...], both great sinners, yet both obtaining pardoning Mercy. The Lord giye us his grace, that we may imitate Peter's sincere Repentance, and Paul's saving Faith, that we may also obtain Mercy, through Christ Jesus that came to save sinners.

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