Sermon IX (continued, part 2)
" enjoyment of God." There is a sweet calm upon the troubled foul after believing, an ease,or rest of the mind, which is an unspeakable mercy to awearypoor foul. Christ is to it, as the Arkwas to the Dove, when she wandered over the watery world, and found no place to rest the foal of her foot. Faith centers the unquiet spirit of man in Christ, brings it to repose itself, and its burthen, on him. It is the foul'sdropping anchor in a storm, which stays and settles it.
The great debate, which cost so many anxious thoughts, is now issued into this resolution ; I will venture my all upon Christ, lethimdowith me as seemeth him good. It was impofsiblefor the soul to find rest, whilst it knew not where to bestow itself, or how tobesecuredfrom the wrath to come ; but when * Non dicit εισηλθομεν, ingressifumus, sed εισερχομεθα, ingredimur, fignificans, initia quietisfideles nunc habere : Plenam quietemfuo temporeconfecuturos. Pareus inloc.
SERM . IX. The Method of Grace. 287 all is embarked, in Christ, for eternity, and the soul fully refol. ved toleanuponhim, and to trust to him, now it feels the very initialsofeternalrest in itself: It finds an heavy burthenunloaded from its shoulders ; it is come, as it were, into a new world; the case is strangely altered. The word reft, in this place, notes
(and is so rendered by some) a recreation; it is restored, renewed, and recreated, as it were, by that sweet repose it hath upon Christ. Believers, know, that faith is the sweetest recreation you can take. Others seek to divert and lose their troubles, by sinful recreations, vain company, and the like ; but they little know what the recreation, and sweet restoring rest, that faith gives the soul, is. You find, in Christ, what they seek, in vain, among the creatures. Believing is the highest recreationknownin this world. But to prevent mistakes, three Cautionsneedtobepremised, lest we do, in ipso limineimpingere, stumble at the threshold,and so lose ourwayallalongafterward.
Caution 1 . You are not to conceive, that all the soul'sfears, troubles, and sorrows,are presently over, and at an end, as soon as it is come to Christ, by faith. † They will have many troubles in the world, after that, it may be, more than ever they had in their lives : " Our flesh (faith Paul)had no rest," 2 Cor. vii. 5. They will be infested with many temptations, after that; that, it may be, the assaults offatanmaybe more violent,upon their souls, than ever. HorribiliadeDeo, terribiliadefide: injections that make the very bones to quake, and the belly to tremble ; They will not be freed from fin: that rest remains for the people of God; nor from inward trouble, and griefoffoul,about fin; These things are not to be expected presently.
Caution 2. We may not think all believers do immediately enterintothefull, actual sense of rest and comfort, but they presently enterintothe State of reft. " Beingjustifiedbyfaith, we have peace with God,"
Rom. v. 1. i. e. we enter into the state of peace immediately. " Peace is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright " in heart," Psal. cxvii. 11. And he is a rich man, that hath a thousand acres of corn in the ground, as well as he that hath fo much in his barn, or the money in his purse. They have rest and peace in the feed of it, when they have it not in the fruit ; + I will give you recreation from weariness,troubles, and burdens. Vatab.et Erafm. † Luther, upon his conversion, was so buffetedby Satan, that neither heat, blood,sensation,or speech remained.
288 The Method of Grace. SERM . IX. they have rest in the promise, when they have it not in posses-
and he is a rich man that hath good bouds, and bilis, for a great fun of money, if he have not twelvepence in his pocket. All believers have the promise, have rest, and peace, granted them, under God's own hand, in many promises, which faith brings them under; and weknowthatthe truth and faithfulness of God stands engaged to make good every line, and word, of the promise, to them. So that though they have not a full, and clear actual sense and feeling of rest, they are, nevertheless, by faith, come into the state of reft .
Caution 3. We may not conceive, that faith itself is the soul's rest, but the means and instrument of it only. We cannot find rest in any work, or duty of our own, but we may find it in Christ, whom faith apprehends for justification and salvation.
Having thus regarded the point against misapprehensions, by these needful cautions, I shall next shew you, how our coming to Christ, by faith, brings us to rest in him. And here let it be considered, what those things are, that burden, grieve and dis quiet the soul, before its coming to Christ; and how it is relievedandeased in all those respects, by its coming to the Lord Jesus: And you thall find, First, That one principal ground of trouble, is the guilt of finuponthe conscience, of which I spake in the former point. The curse of the law lies heavy upon the soul, foheavy, that nothing is found, in all the world, able to relieve it, under that burden; as you fee ina condemned man, spread a table in prison, with the greatestdainties, and fend for the rarest musicians, all will not charm his sorrow : but if you can produce an authentic pardon, you ease him presently. Just so it is here; faith plucks the thorn out of the conscience,which so grieved it, unites the soul with Christ, and then that ground of trouble is removed : for " there is no condemnation to them that are in " Christ Jesus," Rom. viii. 1. The fame moment the soul comes to Christ, it is passed from death to life, is no more under the law, but grace. If a man'sdebt be paid by this surety, he need not fear to shew his face boldly abroad; he may freely meet the ferjeant at the prison-door.
Secondly, The soul ofa convinced sinner is exceedingly bur dened with the uncleanness and filthiness, wherwith fin hath defiled and polluted it. Conviction discovers the universal pollutionofheart and life, so that a manloaths and abhors himself, byreasonthereof: if he do not look into his own corruptions, he cannot be safe; and if he do, he cannot bear the fight of
SERM. IX. The Method of Grace. 289 them; he hathnoquiet; nothingcangive rest, but what gives relief against this evil : And this, only, is done by faith, uniting the soul with Jesus Christ. For though it be true, that the pollution of finbe not presently, and perfectly taken away, by coming to Christ; yet the burden thereof is exceedingly eased : for, upon our believing, there is an heart-purifying principle planted in the soul, which doth, by degrees, cleanse that fountainofcorruption, and will, at last, perfectly free the soul from it. Acts xv. 9. "Purifying their hearts by faith;" and being once in Christ, he is concerned for the soul, as a member, now, of his own mystical body, to purify and cleanse it, that, at last, hemaypresent it perfect to the Father, without spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, Eph. v. 26. The reigning power of it is gone, immediately, upon believing,and the very existence and being of it shall at last be destroyed. O ! what rest must this give, under those troubles for fin ?
Thirdly, It was an intolerable burden to the soul, to be under the continual fears, alarms, and frights of death, and damnation; its life hath been a lifeofbondage, upon this account, ever since the Lord opened his eyes to see his condition. Poor souls lie down with tremblings, for fear what a night may bring forth. It is a sad life, indeed, to live in continual bondage to such fears; but faith sweetly relieves the trembling conscience, by removing the guilt which breeds its fears. The sting of death is fin. When guilt is removed, fears vanish. "Smite, 66 Lord, smite, said Luther, for my fins are forgiven *." Now, if sickness come, it is another thing than it was wont to be.
Ifa. xxxiii. 24. "The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick, the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquities." Am an scarce feels his sickness, in comparison to what he did, whilst he was without Christ and hope of pardon.
Fourthly, A convinced sinner, out of Christ, sees every thing against him ; nothing yields any comfort, yea, every thing increases and aggravateshis burden, when he looks to things past, present, or to come . If he reflects upon things past, his soul is filled with anguish, to remember the fins committed, and the seasons neglected, and the precious mercies that have been abused: if he looks upon things present, the case isdoleful and miserable; nothing but trouble and danger, Christless and comfortless ; and if he looks forward, to things to come, that gives him a deeper cut, to the heart, than anything else; for though
Feri, Do mine, feri, nama peccatis me is abfolutusfum. Luth. VOL. II . PP
290 The Method of Grace. SERM. IX. it be fad and miserable, for the present, yet he fears it will be much worse hereafter; all these are but the beginning of sorrows. And thus the poor, awakened sinner, becomes aMagor Miffabib ; fear round about.
But, upon his coming to Christ, all things are marvellously altered; a quite contrary face of things appear to him; every thing gives him hope and comfort, which way soever he looks. So speaks the apostle, 1 Cor. iii. 22, 23. "All things are yours, (faith he) whether life or death, or things present, or things to come; all is yours,an dye are Christ's, and Christ is God's:" They are ours, i. e. for our advantage, benefit, and comfort. More particularly upon our coming to Christ, First, Things past are ours, they conduce to our advantage and comfort. Now the foul canbeginto read the gracious end and design of God, in all its preservations and deliverances; whereby it hath been reserved for such a day as this. O ! it melts his hearttoconfider, his companions in fin and vanity are cut off, and he spared; and that for a day of such mercy, as the day of his espousals with Christ, is. Now all his past sorrows, and deep troubles of spirit, which God hath exercised him with, begin to appear the greatest mercies that ever he received ; being all necessary and introductive to this blessed union with Christ.
Secondly, Things present are ours, though it be not yet with us as we would have it; Christ is not sure enough, the heart is not pure enough; fin is too strong, and grace is too weak ; many things are yet out of order; yet can the soul bless God, for this, with tears of joy and praise, being full of admiration and holy astonishment, that it is as it is; and that he iswhere he is, though he be not yet where he would be. O ! it is a blessed life to live as a poor recumbent, by acts of trust and affiance, though, as yet, it have but little evidence; that it is resolved to trust all with Christ, though it be not yet certain of the issue. Othis is a comfortable station,asweetcondition, to what it was, either when it wallowed in fin, in the days before conviction, or was swallowed up in fears and troubles for fin, after conviction : now it hath hope, though it want assurance; and hope is sweet, toa foul coming out of such deep distresses. Now it fees the remedy, and is applying it; whereas, before, the wound feemeddesperate. Now all hefitations, and debates, are at an end in the soul ; it is no longer unresolved what to do; all things have been deeply considered, and, after consideration, issued into this resolve, or decree of the will. I will go to Christ ; I will venture all, upon his command and call; I will embark my
SERM. IX. The Method of Grace. 291 eternal interests in that bottom ; here I fix, and here I resolve to live and die. O ! how much better, is this, than that floating life it lived before, rolling upon thebillowsof inward fears, and troubles, not able to drop anchor any where, nor knowing where to find an harbour ?
Thirdly, Things to come are ours; and this is the best, and sweetest of all : Man isa prospecting creature, his eye is much upon things to come, and it will not satisfy him, that it is well at present, except he have a prospect that it shall be fo hereafter. But now the soul hath committed itself, and all its concernments, to Christ, for eternity, and this being done, it is greatly relieved against evils to come.
I cannot (faith the believer) think all my troubles over, and that I shall never meet any more afflictions ; it were a fond vanity to dream of that; but I leave all these things where I have left my foul: he that hath supported me under inward, will carry me through outward troubles, also. I cannot think all my temptations, to fin, past ; O ! I may yet meet with fore assaults from Satan, yet it is infinitely better to be watching, praying, and striving against sin,than it was when I was obeying it in the lusts of it. God, that hath delivered me from the love off in, will, I trust, preserve me from ruin by fin. I know, also, death is to come ; I must feel the pangs and agonies of it: but yet the aspect of death is much more pleasant than it was.
I come, Lord Jesus, to thee, who art the death of death, whose deathhathdifarmed death of its sting ; for I fear not its dart, ifI feel not its sting. And thus you fee, briefly, how by faith, believersenterinto rest ; how Christ gives rest, even at present, to them that come to him, and all this but as a beginning of their everlasting rest.
Infer. 1. Is there rest in Christ for weary souls that come unto him ? Then, certainly, it is a design of Satan against the peace and welfare of men'sfouls, to discourage them from coming to Christ in the way of faith.
He is a restless spirit himself, and would make us so too; it is an excellent note of † Minutius Felix, " Those desperate and " restless spirits (faith he) have no other pleasure, but in bring- " ingus to the same misery themselves are in:" He goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. It frets andgrates his proud and envious mind, to see others find rest, Pp2
folamen calamitatis fuae, nan definunt perditi perdere. Minut. Felix.
292 The Method of Grace. SERM. IX. when he can find none ; an effectual plaister, applied to heal our wound, when his own must bleed to eternity: And he obtains his end fully, if he can but keep off souls from Christ. Look, therefore, upon all those objections, and discouragements, raised in your hearts against coming to Christ, as so many artifices, and cunning devices of the devil, to destroy and ruin your souls. 'Tis true, they have a very specious and colourableappearance; they are gildedoverwith pretences of the JufticeofGod, the heinous nature of sin, the want of due and befitting qualifications for fo holy and pure a God, the lapsing of the season of mercy, and an hundred others, of like nature : but, I beseech you, lay down this as a sure conclusion, and hold it fast; that whatever it be that discourages and hinders you from coming to Christ, is directly against the interest of your souls, and the hand of the devil is certainly in it.
Infer. 2. Hence, also, it follows, that unbelief is the true reason of all that disquietness, and trouble, by which the minds ofpoorfinners are so rack'd and tortur'd.
If you will not believe, you cannot be established ; till you come to Christ, peace cannot come to you : Christ and peace are undivided. Good fouls, consider this; you have tried all other ways, you have tried duties, and no rest comes ; you have tried reformation, restitution, and a stricter course of life ; yet your wounds are still open, and fresh bleeding : these things, I grant, are, in their places, both good, and necessary; but, of themselves, without Christ, utterly insufficient to give what you expect from them : why will you not try the way of faith ? Whywillyou not carry your burthen to Christ ? O! that you would be persuaded to it, how soon would you find, what so long you have been seeking in vain! How long will you thus oppose your own good ? How longwillyou keep yourselves upon the rackofconfcience? Is it easy to go under the throbs and wounds of an accusing and condemning conscience ; You know it is not : you look for peace, but no good comes ; for a time of healing, and behold trouble. Alas! it must, and will be so, still, until you are in the way of faith, which is the true and only method to obtain rest.
Infer. 3. What cause have we all to admire the goodness of God, in providing for us a Christ, in whom wemayfind reft to ourfouls!
How hath the Lord filled and furnished Jesus Christ with all that is suitable to a believer's wants ! Doth the guilt of fin terrify hisconfcience ? Lo, in him is perfect righteousness, to remove that guilt, so that it shall neither be imputed to his per
SERM. IX. The Method of Grace. 293 son, nor reflected by his conscience, in the way of condemnation, as it was before. In him, also, is a fountain opened, for washing and for cleansing the filth of fin from our souls ; in him is the fulnessboth of merit, and of spirit, two sweet springs of peace to the souls of men: well might the apostle say, " Christ, " the wisdom of God," I Cor. i. 30. an andwellmight the Church say, " He is altogether lovely," Cant. v. 16. Had not God provided Jesus Christ for us, we had never known one hour's reft to all eternity.
Infer. 4. How unreasonable, and wholly inexcusable, in believers, is the fin of backsliding from Christ ! Have you found rest in him, when you could not find it in any other ! Did he receive, and ease your souls, when all other persons and things were physicians of no value? And will you, after this, backslide from him again ? O what madness is this! " Will a man " leave the snow of Lebanon, which cometh from the rock of " the field ? Or shall the cold, flowing waters, that come from " another place, be forsaken ? " No man, that is in his wits, would leave the pure, cold, refreshing stream, of a crystal fountain, to go to a filthy puddle, lake, or an empty cistern ; such the best enjoyments of this world are, in comparison with Jesus Christ.
That was ameltingexpostulation of Christ'swith the disciples, John vi. 67, 68. whensomehad forsaken him, " will ye, also, " go away ?" And it was a very suitable return, they made, Lord, whither away from thee should we go ! q. d. From thee, Lord!
No, no; where can we mend ourselves? be sure of it, when ever you go from Christ, ye go from rest to trouble. Had Judas rest ? HadSpira rest? anddoyouthink you shall have rest? No, no, " The backslider in heart shall be filled with his " own ways," Prov. xiv. 14. "Cursed be the man that depart- " eth from him, he shall be as the heath in the defart, that " seeth not when good cometh, and shall inhabit the parched " places of the wilderness," Jer. xvii.5. If fear of sufferings, and worldly temptations, ever draw you off from Christ, you may come to those straits, and terrors of conscience, that will make you wish yourselves back again with Christ in a prison, with Christ at a stake.
Infer. 5. Let all that come to Christ, learn to improve him, to the restandpeace of their ownfouls, in the midst of all the troubles, and outward distresses, they meet with in the world.
Surely rest may be found in Christ, in any condition ; he is able to give you peace in the midst of all your troubles here.
So he tells you in John xvi. 33. "These things have I spoken to
294 SERM. X. The Method of Grace. " you, that in me you might have peace; in the worldye shall " have tribulation." By peace, he means not a deliverance from troubles, by taking off affliction from them, or taking them away, by death, from all afflictions ; but it is something theyenjoyfrom Christ, in the very midst of troubles, and amidst all their afflictions, that quiets, and gives them rest,so that troubles cannot hurt them. Certainly, believers,you have peace in Christ, when there is little in your own hearts ; and your hearts might be filled with peace, too, if you would exercise faith upon Chriftfor that end. 'Tis your own fault, if you be without reft, in any condition, in this world. Set yourselves to study thefulness of Christ, and to clear your interest in him ; believe what the scriptures reveal of him, and live as you believe, and you will quickly find the peace of God filling your hearts and minds.
Bleffedbe God for Jesus Christ.
1 SERMONX.
Wherein the general Exhortation is enforced, by one
Motive drawn from the first Title of CHRIST.
MATTH. ix . 12. But when Jesus heard that, hesaidunto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that arefick. HAVING AVING opened, intheformerdiscourses, the nature, and method, of the application of Christ to sinners ; it remains, now, that I press it upon every soul, as it expects peace, and pardon from God, to apply and put on Jesus Christ ; (i. e.)to get union with him, by faith, whilst he is yet held forth in the free, and gracious tenders of the gospel. To which purpose, I shall now labour, in this general use of exhortation in which my last subject engaged me; wherein divers arguments will be further urged, both from
1. The titles , and 2. The privileges, of Jesus Christ. The titles of Christ are so many motives,or arguments, fitted toperfuademento come unto him. Amongst which, Christ, as the physician offouls, comes under our first consideration, in the text before us .
The occasion of these words of Christ, was the call of Matthew the publican, who having first opened his heart, next o-
SERM . X. The Method of Grace. 295 pened his house to Christ, and entertains him there. This trange and unexpected change,wrought upon Matthew, quickly brings in all the neighbourhood, and many Publicans and sinners resorted thither; at which the stomachs of the proud Pharisees began to swell. From this occasion, they took offence at Christ, and, in this verse, Christ takes off the offence,by such an answer as was fitted, both for their conviction, and his own vindication. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, The whole have no need ofa physician, but they that are sick."
He gives it, faith one, as a reason why he conversed so much with Publicans and sinners, and fo little among the Pharifees, because there was more work for him ; Christ came to be a physician to sick fouls ; Pharifees were fo well, in their own conceit, that Christ saw they would have little to do with him ; and fo he applied himself to those who were more sensible of their sickness .
In the words, we have an account of the temper, and state, both of,
1. The secure and unconvinced sinner. 2. The humbled and convinced sinner. And, 3.Of the carriage of Christ, and his different respect to both. First, The secure sinner is here described, both with respect to his own apprehenfions of himself, as one that is whole, and alfoby his low value and esteem for Christ,he fees noneedofhim ; " The whole have no need of the physician."
Secondly, The convinced and humbled sinner, is here, also, described, and that both by his state and condition, he isfick ; and by his valuation of Jesus Christ, he greatly needs him: they that are sick need the physician.
Thirdly, We have here Christ's carriage, and different respect to both; the former he rejects, and passeth by, as those with whom he hath no concernment; the latter he converses with, in order to their cure.
The words, thus opened,are fruitfulinobservations. I shall neither note, nor infistupon any,beside this one, which suits the scope of my discourse, viz.
Doct. That the Lord Jesus Christ is the onlyphysicianforfick
Souls. The world is a great hospital, full of sick and dying fouls, all wounded by one and the fame mortal weapon, fin. Some are senseless of their misery, feel not their pains,value not a physician; others are full of sense, as well as danger; mourn under the apprehension of their condition,and sadlybewail it. The merciful God hath, in his abundant compassion to the perishing
296 The Method of Grace. SERM . X. world, sent a physician from heaven, and given him his orders, under the great seal of heaven, for his office, Ifa. Ixi. 1 , 2. which he opened, and read, in the audience of the people.
Luke iv. 18. " The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he " hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek, he " hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted," &c. He is the tree of life, whose leaves are for the healing of the nations : he is Jehovah Rophe, the Lord that healeth us ; and that as he is Jehovah Tzidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. The brazen ferpentthat healed the Ifraelites in the wilderness, was an excellenttypeofour great physician Christ, and is expresly applied to him, John iii. 14. He rejects none that come, and heals all whom he undertakes ; but, more particularly, I will, First, Point at those diseases which Christ heals in sick fouls, and by what means he heals them.
Secondly, The excellency of this physician above all others : there is none like Christ, he is the only physician for wounded fouls.
First, We will enquire into the diseases which Christ, the physician, cures ; and they are reducible to two heads, viz.
1. Sin ; and, 2. Sorrow. First, The disease off in ; in which three things are found ex-, ceeding burdensfome to sick fouls.
1. The guilt, 2. The dominion, 3.The inherence of fin; all cured by this physician, and how. First, The guilt of fin; this is a mortal wound, a stab in the very heart of a poor sinner. It is a fond, and groundless distinction, that Papists make of sins mortal and venial; all fin, in its own nature, is mortal ; Rom. vi. 23. " The wages of " sin is death." Yet though it be so in its own nature, Christ can, and doth cure it, by the sovereign balsam of his own precious blood ; Eph. i. 7. " In whom we have redemption, through " his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of " his grace." This is the deepest, and deadliest wound, the soul of man feels in this world : What is guilt, but the obligation of the foul to everlasting punishment and misery ? It puts the soul under the sentence of God to eternal wrath; the condemning sentence of the great and terrible God; than which, nothing is found more dreadful, and insupportable : put all pains, all poverty, all afflictions, all miseries, in one scale, and God's condemnation in the other, and you weigh but so many feathers, against atalentoflead.
SERM. X. 297 The Method of Grace.
This disease, our great physician, Christ, cures, by remission, which is the dissolving of the obligation to punishment; the loofing of the soul that was bound over to the wrath and condemnation of God, Col. i. 13, 14. Heb. vi. 12. Micah vii.
17, 18, 19. This remission being made, the soul is immediately cleared from all its obligations to punishment. Rom. viii. 1. " There is no condemnation." All bonds are cancelled, the guilt of all fins is healed, or removed, original and actual, great and small. This cure is performed upon souls, by the blood of Christ : nothing is found, in heaven, or earth, besides his blood, that is able to heal this disease. Heb. ix. 22. " Without shedding of blood there is no remission; " nor is it any blood that will do it, but that, only, which dropped from the wounds of Christ. Ifa. liii. 5. By his stripes we are " healed." His blood, only, is innocent, and precious blood, 1Pet. i. 19. blood of infinite worth, and value; blood of God, Actsxx. 18. blood prepared for this very purpose, Heb. x. 5. This is the blood that performs the cure; and how great a cure is it! for this cure, the souls of believers shall be praising and magnifying their great physician in heaven, to all eternity; Rev. i. 5, 6. " To him that loved us, and washed us from our fins, " in his own blood, &c. to him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever." "
Secondly, The next evil in sin cured by Christ, is the dominion of it over the souls of poor sinners. Where sin is in dominion, the soul is in a very fadcondition; for it darkens the understanding, depraves the conscience, stiffens the will, hardens the heart, misplaces and disorders all the affections ; and thus e very faculty is wounded,by the power and dominion of finover the soul. How difficult is the cureofthisdisease ! it passes the skill of angels, or men, to heal it; but Christ undertakes it, and makes a perfect cure of it, at last, and this he doth by his Spirit. As he cures the guilt of fin by pouring out his blood for us; fohe cures the dominion of fin,by pouring out his Spirit upon us. Justification is the cure of guilt, sanctification the cure of the dominion of fin. For, First, As the dominion of sin darkens the understanding, 1 Cor. ii. 14.so the Spirit of holiness, which Christ sheds upon his people, cures the darkness and blindness of that noble facul ty, and restores it again, Eph. v. 8. They that were darkness, are hereby light in the Lord ; the anointingofthe Spirit, teacheththem all things, 1 John ii. 27 .
Secondly, As the dominion of sin depraved and defiled the
298 The Method of Grace. SERM . X. conscience, Tit. i. 15. wounded it to that degree, as to disable it to the performances of all its offices, and functions ; so that it was neither able to apply, convince, or tremble at the word : So, when the Spirit of holiness is shed forth, O what a tender sense fills the renewed conscience! For what small things will it check, smite, and rebuke ! How strongly will it bind to duty, and bar against sin !
Thirdly, As the dominion of sin stiffened the will, and made it stubborn, and rebellious ; so Christ, byfanctifying it, brings it to be pliant, and obedient to the will of God. " Lord(faith " the sinner,) what wilt thou have me to do!" Acts ix. 6.
Fourthly, As the power of finhardeneth the heart, so that nothing could affect it, or make any impression upon it; when fanctification comes upon the soul, it thaws, and breaks it, as hard as it was, and makes it dissolve, in the breast ofa sinner, in godly sorrow, Ezek. xxxvi. 26. " I will take away the heart " of stone out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of " flesh." It will now melt, ingenuously,under the threatnings of the word, 2 Kings xxii. 19. or the strokes of the rod, Jer. xxxi. 18. or the manifestations of grace and mercy, Luke vii. 38.
Fifthly, As the power of fin misplaced anddisordered all the affections, so fanctification reduces them again, and sets them right, Psal. iv. 6, 7. And thus you see how fanctificationbecomes the rectitude, health, andduetemper of the soul, fo far as it prevails, curing the diseases that sin, in its dominion, filled the soul with. True it is, this cure is not perfected in this life ; there are still some remains of the old diseases, in the holiest fouls, notwithstanding fin bedethroned from its dominion over them: but the cure is begun, and daily advances towards perfection, and at last will be compleat, as will appear in the cure of the next evil of fin; namely, Thirdly, The inherence of fin in the soul: this is a fore disease, the very core and root of all ourothercomplaints and ailes. This made the holy apostlebemoanhimself, and wail so bitterly, Rom. vii. 17. because of" sin that dwelt in him:" And the fame misery is bewailedby all sanctified persons, all the world over.
Tis a wonderful mercy to have the guilt anddominionoffin "cured, but we shall never be perfectly found, and well, till the existence, or in-dwelling of fin, in our natures, be cured too: when once that is done, then we shall feel no more pain, nor sorrows for fin : and this our great physician will at last perform for us , and upon us. But as the cure of guilt was by our justification, the cure of the dominion of finbyourfanctification ;
SERM. X. The Method of Grace.. 299 so the third and last, which perfects the whole cure, will be by our glorification; and, till then, it is not to be expected. For it is a clear case, that fin, like ivy in the old walls, will never be gotten out till the walls be pulled down, and then it is pulled up by the roots. This cure Christ will perform in a moment, upon our dissolution. For it is plain, First, That none but perfected fouls, freed from all fin, are admitted into heaven, Eph. v. 27. Heb. xii. 23. Rev. xxi. 27.
Secondly, It is as plain, that no such personal perfection, and freedom is found in any man, on this side death, and the grave, 1 John i. 8. 1 Kings viii. 46. Phil. iii. 12. a truth, sealed by the fadexperience of all the saints on earth.
Thirdly, If such freedom, and perfection must be before we can be perfectly happy,and no such thing be done in this life; it remains that it must be done immediately upon their dissolution, and at the very time of their glorification : as fin came in at the time of the union of their souls and bodies in the womb, fo it will go out at the time of their separation by death ; then will Christ put the last hand to this glorious work, and perfect thatcurewhichhath been so long under his hand, in this world : and thenceforth sin shall have no power upon them, it hall never tempt them more, it shall never defile them more, it shall never grieve and sadden their hearts any more : henceforth it shall never cloud their evidences, darken their understandings, or give the least interruption to their communion with God. When fin is gone, all these, its mischievous effects, are gone with it. So that I may speak it to the comfort of all gracious hearts, according to what the Lord told the Ifraelites, in Deut. xii. 8, 9. (to which I allude, for illustration of this most comfortable truth) " Ye shall not do after all the things thatye do " here this day, everyman whatsoever is right in his own eyes, " for yeare not as yet come to the rest, and to the inheritance " which the Lord your God giveth you." Whilftyou are under Christ's cure upon earth, but not perfectly healed, your understandings mistake, your thoughts wander, your affections are dead, and your communion with God is daily interrupted; but it shall not be so in heaven,where the cure is perfect : you shall notthereknow, love, or delight in God, in the manner you do this day ; for you are not, as yet, come to the rest, and to the inheritance which the LordyourGodgivethyou. And so much as to the diseases off in, and Christ's method of curing them.
Secondly, As Sin is the disease of the saints, fo, also, is for row; the best faints must pass thro' the valley of Bacha, ta
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300 The Method of Grate. SERM .X. heaven. How many tears fall from the eyes of the faints,upon the account of outward, as well as inward troubles ; even after their reconciliation with God ? "Through much tribula- " tionwe must enter intothekingdom of God," Acts xiv. 22. It would be too greatadigression, in this place, to note but the more general heads, under which almost infinite particulars, of troubles and afflictions, are found: it shall suffice only to thew, that whatever distress, or trouble, any poor soul is in,upon anyaccountwhatsoever; if that foul belongs to Jesus Christ, he will take care of it, for the present, and deliver it, at last,by a complete cure.
First, Christ cures troubles, byfanctifying them to the souls of his, that are under affliction, and makes their very troubles medicinal, and healing to them. Trouble is a scorpion, and hath a deadly sting; but Christ is a wife physician, and extracts a sovereignoiloutof this scorpion, thatheals the wounditmakes. By afflictions,our wife physician purges ourcorruptions,and so prevents, or cures, greater troubles, by lesser ; inward sorrows, by outward ones. Ha. xxvii. 9. "By this, therefore, shall the ini- " quityof Jacobbe purged; and this is all the fruit, to take "way his fin."
Secondly, Christ cures outward troublss, by inward confolations,which are made to rise in the inner man, as high as the waters of affliction do upon the outward man, 2Cor. i. 5. One dropofspiritual comfort, is sufficient to sweeten a whole ocean of outward trouble. It was an high expression of an afflicted father, whom God comforted, just upon the death of his dear and only son, † with some clearer manifestations of his love than was usual : "O, said he, might I but have such confolations as " these, I could be willing (were it possible) to lay an only son " into the grave everyday Ihavetolivein this world." Thus all the troubles of the world are cured by Christ. John xvi. 33. " In the world ye shall have trouble, butinmeye small "have peace."
Thirdly, Christ cures all outward sorrows and troubles in his people by death,which is theirremovalfromthe place offorrows, to peace and rest for evermore. Now God wipes all tears from their eyes, and the days of their mourning area tan end ; the then putoffthegarments and spirit of mourning, and enter into peace, Isa. lvii. 2. They come to that place, and state, where tears and sighs are things unknown to the inhabitants ; Nihil corpusfentit innervo, cum animafit incalo. i. e. The body has no feeling,when the soul is in heaven.
SERM. X. The Method of Grace. 301 one stepbeyondthe state of this mortality,brings us quite out of the fight and hearing, of all troubles and lamentations. These are the diseases offouls; fin, and sorrow ; and thus they are cured by Christ, the physician.
Secondly, Next 1 shall shew you, that Jesus Christ is the only physician of fouls, none like him fora fickfinner : And this will be evident, in divers respects.
First, None fo wife, and judicious, as Jesus Christ, to understand, and comprehend the nature, depth, and danger offouldiseases. Ohow ignorant and unacquainted are men with the state and case of afflicted fouls ! But "Christ hath the tongue " of the learned, that he should know how to speak a word in " season to him that is weary," Ifa. 1. 4. He only understands the weight of fin, and depth of inward troubles of fin.
Secondly, None fo able to cure, and heal the wounds of af Aicted fouls, as Christ is; he, only, hath those medicines that can cure a sick foul. The blood of Christ, and nothing else, in heaven or earth, is able to cure the mortal wounds which guilt inflicts uponatrembling conscience: letmentry all other receipts, and costly experience shallconvincethem of their insufficiency. Conscience may be be numbed by stupefactivemedicines, prepared by the devil for that end; but pacified it can never be, but by the blood of Christ, Heb. xvi . 22.
Thirdly, None so tender-hearted, and sympathizing with sick fouls, as Jesus Christ ; he is full of bowels and tender compassions to afflictedfouls: he isone that can have compassion, becausehehathhad experience, Heb.v. 2. If I must come into the chirurgeon's hands with broken bones, givemefuch a none, tochuse, whose own bones havebeenbroken, who hath felt the anguish in himself. Christ knows what it is, by experience, having felt the anguish of inward troubles,the weight of God's wrath, and the terrors ofa forsaking God, more than any, or all the sons of men : this makes him tender over distressed souls.
xlii. 3. "A bruised reedhe will not break, and smoking flax " he will not quench."
Fourthly, None cures, in fowonderful a method, as Christ doth; he heals us by his stripes, Ifa. liii. 5. The physician dies, that the patient may live; his wounds must bleed, that pursmaybe cured: he feels the smart and pain, that we might have ease and comfort. No physician, but Christ, will cure othersatthisrate.
Fifthly, None so ready to relieve a sick foul, as Christ ; he is within the call of a distressed soul at all times. Art thou sick for fin, wearyoffin,andmadetruly willing to part with fin ?
302 The Method of Grace. SERM . X. lift up but thy sincere cry to the Lord Jesus for help, and he will quickly be with thee. When the prodigal, the emblem of a convinced, humbled sinner, said, in himself, I will return to my father, the father ran to meet him, Luke xv. 20. He can be with thee in a moment.
Sixthly, None so willing to receive and undertake all distres sedand afflicted souls, as Jesus Christ is : he refuses none that come to him. John vi. 37. " He that cometh unto me, I will " innowise cast out." Whatever their sins have been, or their sorrows are ; however they have wounded their own souls with the deepest gashes of guilt; how desperate and helpless soever their case appears, in their own, or others eyes ; he never puts them off, or discourages them, if they be but willing to come, Ifa. i. 18, 19.
Seventhly, None so happy and successful, as Christ ; he never fails of performing a perfect cure upon those he undertakes: never was it known that any foul miscarried in his hands, John iii. 15, 16. , Other physicians, by mistakes, by ignorance, or carelessness, fill church yards, and cast away the lives of men; but Christ suffers none to perish,that commit themselves to him. Eightly, None so free and generous, as Christ ; he doth all gratis: he fellsnot his medicines, though they be of infinite value; but freely gives them; Ha. lv. 1." He that hath nomo " ney, let him come." If any be sent away, it is the rich, Luke i. 53. not the poor and needy: those that will not accept their remedy as a free gift, but will needs purchase it at a price.
Ninthly, and lastly, None rejoice in the recovery of fouls, more than Christ doth. O ! it is unspeakably delightful to him to fee the efficacy of his blood upon our souls ; Isa.liii. 11. "He " shall fee the travail of his soul, (i.e. the success of his death " and sufferings) and shall be satisfied." When he foresaw the success of the gospel upontheworld, it isfaid, Luke x. 21. " In " that hour Jesus rejoiced in Spirit." And thus you fee, there is no physician like Christ, for sick fouls.
The uses of this point are,
For information and direction" First, From whence we are informedofmanygreatand necessary truths, deducible from this : As, Infer. 1. How inexprefssible is the grace of God, in providing such a physician as Christ,for the sick and dyingfouls offinners! Oblessedbe God, that there isabalm in Gilead, and a physician there! that their case is notdefperate, forlorn and remediless, as that the devils and damned is. There isbutonecafe except ed from cure, and that, such as is not incident to any sensible,
SERM . X. The Method of Grace. 303 afflicted foul, Mat. xii. 31. and this only excepted, all manner of fins and diseases are capable ofa cure. Though there be such a disease as is incurable, yet take this for thy comfort, never any foul was sick (i. e.) sensibly burthenedwith it, and willing to come to Jesus Christ for healing: for under that sin the will is so wounded, that they have no desire to Christ. O inestimablemercy ! that the sickest sinner is capable ofa perfect cure ! Therebethousands, and ten thousands, now inheavenandearth, who said once, Never was any case like theirs; so dangerous, fo hopeless. The greatestoffinners have been perfectly recovered by Christ, 1 Tim. i. 15. 1 Cor. vi. 11. O mercy, never to be dulyestimated!
1 Infer. 2. What a powerful restraintfromfin, is the very methodordainedby God for the cure of it ! Ifa. liii. 5. " By his stripes we are healed." The physician must die, that the patient might live; no otherthingbut the blood,the precious blood of Christ, is found in heaven or earth able to heal us, Heb. ix. 22,
26. This blood of Christ must be freshly applied to every new wound finmakes upon our souls, 1 John ii. 1, 2. every new fin wounds him afresh, opens the wounds of Christ anew. Othink of this, again and again, you that soeasilyyieldto thefolicitationsof Satan : Is it so easy, and so cheap, to fin, as you feemto make it ? Doth the cure offouls cost nothing? True, it is free to us, but was it so to Christ ? No, no, it was not; he knows thepriceofit, though you do not: Hath Christ healed you by his stripes, andcanyou put him under fresh sufferings for you fo easily? Have you forgot also your own fickdays and nights for fin, that you are careless in resisting and preventing it ? Sure it 'is not easy for saints to wound Christ, and their own souls, at one stroke. If you renew your fins, you must also renewyour sorrows and repentance, Psal. li.title. 2Sam. xii. 13.you must feel the anguish and pain of a troubled spirit again, things with which the faints are not unacquainted ; of which theymaysay, as the church, " Remembring my affliction,the wormwood and " the gall, my soul hath them stillinremembrance," Lam. iii.
19. Yea, and if you will yet be remiss in your watch, and fo easily incur new guilt, though a pardon in the blood of Christ may heal your souls,yet some rod or other, in the hand of a displeased father, shall afflict your bodies, or smiteyou in your outward comforts, Psal. lxxxix. 23. : Infer. 3. If Christ be theonlyphysician offickfouls, whatfin andfolly is it for men to take Christ's work out of his hands, and attempt to be theirownphysician ? TThus do those that fuperftitiously endeavour to heal their
304 The Method of Grace. SERM.X. fouls, by afflicting their bodies; not Christ's blood, but their own, must be the plaister and as blind Papists, so, many carnal and ignorant Protestants strive,by confession, restitution, reformation, and stricter course of life, to heal those wounds that fin hath made upon their souls, without any respect to the blood of Christ: but this course shall not profit them at all. It may, for a time, divert, but can never heal them : the wounds, so skinned over, will open and bleed again. God grant it be not when our souls shall be out of the reach of the true and only remedy.
Ipfer. 4. Howfadis the case ofthosefouls, to whom Christ hath not yet been a physician ? They are mortally wounded, by fin, and are like to die of their sickness ; no saving, healing applications have hitherto been made unto their souls : and this is the cafeofthe greatest partofmankind, yea, of them that live under the discoveries of Christ in the gospel. Which appears by these fad symptoms.
First, In that their eyes have notyetbeenopened, to fee their fin and misery; in which illumination,the cure offoulsbegins, Acts xxvi . 18. To this day he hath not given them eyes to see, Deut. xxix. 4. but that terrible stroke of God, which blinds and hardens them, is too visibly upon them, mentioned in Ifa. vi. 9, 10. No hope of healing, till the sinner's eyes be opened to see his fin and misery.
Secondly, In that nothing will divorce and separate them from their lusts ; a sure sign they are not under Christ's cure, nor wereever made sick of fin. O if ever Christ be a physician to thy soul, he will make thee loathe what now thou lovest, and say to thy most pleasant and most profitable lusts,Getye hence, Ifa. xxx. 22. Till then, there is no ground to think that Christ is a physician to you.
Thirdly, In that they have no sensible and pressing need of Christ, nor make any earnest enquiry after him, as, most certainly,youwoulddo, if you wereinthewayofhealingandrecovery. These, and many other fad symptoms, do too plainly discover the disease of fin, to be in its full strength upon your fouls; and if it so continue, how dreadful will the issue be? See Ifa. vi. 9,
10. Infer. 5. What cause have they to be glad, that are under the hand and care of Christ, in order toa cure, and who do find, or may, upon due examination, find their souls are in a very hopeful way of recovery ! Can we rejoice when the strength ofa natural disease is broken, andnaturebegins to recover case and vigour again? And shall we not much more re-
SERM . X. The Method of Grace. 305 joice, when our fouls begin to mend, and recover sensibly, and all comfortable signs of health and life appear upon them ? particularly, when the understanding, which was ignorant and dark, hath the light of life beginning to dawn into it; such is that in 1 John ii. 27. When the will, which was rebellious and inflexible to the will of God, is brought to comply with that holy will, saying, " Lord, what wiltthou have me to do ?" Acts ix. 6. When the heart, which was harder than an adament, is now brought to contrition for fin, and can mourn as heartily over it, as ever a father did for a dead son, a beloved, and only son ; when its aversations from God are gone, at least have no such power as once they had; but the thoughts are now fixed much upon God, and spiritual things begin to grow pleasant to the soul; when times of duty come to be longed for, and the soul never better pleased than in such seasons : when the hypocrisy of the heart is purged out, so that we begin to do all that we do hear. tily,as unto the Lord, and not unto men, Col. iii. 23. 1 Theff. ii. 4.: when we begin to make conscience offecret fins, Psal. cxix. 113., and of secret duties, Matth. vi. 5, 6.: when we have an equal respect to all God's commandments, Psal. cxix. 8., and our hearts are under the holy, and awful eye of God, which doth, indeed, over-awe our souls, Gen. xvii. 1. Owhat
of a recovering foul are these ! Surely such are in the skilful hand of the great Physician, who will perfect what yet remains to be done.
Second use for direction . In the last place, this point yields us matter of advice and direction to poor souls that are under the disease of fin; and they are of two forts, which I will distinctly speak to : viz. First, Such as are under their first sickness of spiritual sorrow for fin, and know not what course to take : or, Secondly, Such as have been longer in the hands of Christ the Physician, but are troubled to fee the cure advance so slowly upon them, and fear the issue.
First, As to those that are in their first troubles for fin, and know not what course to take for ease and safety ; I would address to them these following counsels.
First, Shut your ears against the dangerous counsels of carnal persons, or relations; for as they themselves are unacquainted with these troubles, so also are they with all proper remedies : and it is very usual with the devil to convey his temptations to distressed fouls, by such hands; because, by them, he can do it with least suspicion. It was Augustine's complaint, that his VOL. II. RE
306 The Method of Grace. SERM . X own father took little care for his soul ; and many parents act, in this case, as if they were employed by Satan.
Secondly, Be not too eager to get out of trouble, but be content to take God's way, and wait his time. No woman that is wife, would desire to have her travail hastened one day before theduetime; nor will it be your interest tohaften too soon out of trouble. It is true, times of trouble are apt to seem tedious ; but a false peace will endanger you more than a long trouble : am an may lengthen his own troubles to the loss of his own peace, and may shorten them to the hazard of his own soul.
Thirdly, Open your case to wife, judicious, and experienced Christians, and especially the ministers of Christ, whose office it is to counsel and direct you in these difficulties ; and let not your troubles lie, like a secret, smothering fire, always in your own breasts. I know men are more ashamed to open their fins under convictions, than they were to commit them before conviction : but this is your interest, and the true way to your reftand peace. If there be with you, or near you, an interpreter, one ofa thousand, to shew you your righteousness, and remedy, as it lies in Christ; neglect not your own souls, in a sinful concealment of your case : it will be the joy of their hearts to be employed in such work as this.
Fourthly, Be much with God in secret, open your hearts to him, and pour out complaints into his bosom. The eii . Psalm bears a title very suitable to your case and duty; yea, you will find if your troubles work kindly, and God intend a cure upon your souls, that nothing will be able to keep God and your souls asunder : whatever your incumbrances in the world be, some timewillbedaily redeemed, to be so spent betwixt you and God.
Fifthly, PleadhardwithGod, in prayer, for help and healing. " Heal my soul, (faith David) for I have finned against thee," Psal. xli. 4. Tell him Christ hath his commission sealed for such as you are: he was sent to " bind up the broken-hearted," На. Іхі. г. Tell him he came into the world, " to seek and " fave that which was loft," and fo are you now, in your own account and apprehenfions. Lord, what profit is there in my blood? Wilt thou pursue a dried leaf? And why is my heart wounded with the sense of fin, and mine eyes open to see my danger and misery? Are not these the first dawnings of mercy upon sinners ? O let it appear, that the timeofmercy, even the set time, is now come.
Sixthly, Understand your peace to be in Christ only, and faith to be the only way to Christ and reft; let the great enquiry of your souls be after Christ and faith; study the nature andne-
SERM . XI. 307 The Method of Grace." ceffityofthese, and cry to God, day and night, for strength to carry you to Christ in the way of faith .
Secondly, As to those that have been longer under the hands of Christ, and yet are still in troubles, and cannot obtain peace, buttheirwoundsbleed still, and alltheyhear infermons, ordo in the way of duty, will not bring them to reft; to such I only add two or three words for a close.
First, Confider whether you ever rightly closed with Christ finceyour first awakening, and whether there be not some way off in, in which you still live: if so, no wonderyourwounds are kept open, and your souls are strangers to peace.
Secondly, If you be conscious of no such flaw in the foundation, consider how much of this trouble may arise from your constitution and natural temper, which being melancholy, will be doubtful and suspicious; you may find it so in othercafes of less moment, and be sure Satan will not be wanting to improve it.
Thirdly, Acquaint yourselves more with the nature of true jullifying faith; a mistake in that hath prolonged the troubles of many: if you look for it in no other act but assurance, you may easily overlook it, as it lies, in the meantime, in your affiance or acceptance. A true and proper conception of saving faithwouldgo far in the cure of many troubled fouls.
Fourthly, Be more thankfultofhun fin, than to get yourselves clear of trouble : it is sad to walk in darkness, but worse to lie under guilt. Say, Lord, Iwouldrather be grieved myself, than bea grief to thy Spirit. Okeep me from fin,how long soever thou keep me underforrow. WaitonGod in thewayoffaith, and in a tender spirit towards fin, and thy wounds shall behealedatlast by thy great Physician .
Thanks be to God for Jesus Christ .