The Poor Doubting Christian Drawn to Christ

John 6:45. Every man therefore that has heard and has learned of the Father, comes to me.

There are various hindrances and impediments which hinder poor Christians from coming to Christ, all which I desire to reduce to these following heads.

First, such hindrances as really keep men from coming to take hold of Christ at all, which are briefly these.

1. Blind carelessness, or presumptuous security, whereby men content themselves in their present condition, presuming all is well with them, when there is no such matter.

2. Being convinced of this, they think about how to save themselves by their own strength, and thereupon set upon a reformation of life, thinking to make God amends by reforming some sins which they hear themselves reproved of by the Ministers.

3. The sinner being convinced of his utter inability to please God in himself, at length gets up a stair higher, and sees all his performances, and prayers, and duties to be of no power in themselves, but that he must leave all, and cleave only to Christ by faith; and this he thinks he can do well enough, and so thrusts himself upon Christ, thinking all the work is then done, and no more to be looked after.

4. If he sees this fails him too, then he goes yet further, and confesses he cannot come to Christ except Christ give him his hand, and help him up: therefore now he will attend upon the ordinances, and labor and bestir himself hard in the use of all good means, conceiving thereby to hammer out at last, a faith of his own to make him happy. And here he rests, hanging as it were upon the outside of the ark, so long till at last the waves and winds growing fierce and violent, he is beaten off from his hold, and so sinks for ever.

Besides these, there are other kinds of hindrances which do not indeed deprive a man of title and interest to eternal happiness, but make the way tedious and uncomfortable, so that he cannot come to Christ so readily, as he desires and longs to do; the ground whereof is this, when men out of carnal reason contrive another way to come to Christ, than ever he ordained or revealed, when we set up a standard by God's standard, and out of our own imagination make another condition of believing than ever Christ required or ordained. Thus we make bars in the way, and manacle our hands, and fetter our feet, and then we complain we cannot go: thus it is with you poor Christians, and the fault is your own. Now among many there be three hindrances which are chiefly to be observed, by which many gracious hearts are marvelously hindered from coming to, and from receiving that comfort from Christ, which they might, and he is willing to bestow.

First, the distressed soul being happily truly humbled, takes notice of the beauty of holiness, and the image of God stamped upon the hearts of his children, and of all those precious promises which God has made to all that are his; now the soul seeing these, begins thus to reason with himself, and says, Surely if I were so holy and so gracious, then I might have hope to receive the pardon of my sins; for were my heart so enlarged to duties, and could my heart be so carried with power against my corruptions to master them, then there were some hope; but when I have no power against sin, nor any heart to seek so importunately for a Christ, how dare I think that any mercy belongs to me, having so many wants? Thus they dare not come to the promise, and they will not venture upon it, because they have not that enlargement to duties, and that power against corruption which sometimes the saints of God have.

But we must know this does not hinder, we make it a hindrance, when in truth it is none; for observe it, we must not think to bring enlargement and hope to the promise, but we must go to the promise for them; hope must be stirred, and desire quickened, and love and joy kindled by the promise; who made this a condition of the covenant, that a man must have so much enlargement before he come to the promise? Our Savior requires no portion, but mere poverty and emptiness: if you have nothing he will have you, provided that you will have him; the rich he sends empty away, but the poor is satisfied, and the thirsty refreshed (Luke 1:53): there is nothing required on our side, but only to receive him as a husband: Buy without money, says the text (Isaiah 55:1); you must not think to come and buy a husband; the Lord looks for no power or sufficiency of ourselves, no power against corruption, nor enlargement to duties, if you will be content that Christ shall take all from you, and dispose of you, then, take a Savior and have him.

Question. But the poor soul says, If I go thus hoodwinked, how shall I know that I do not presume, and how shall I know that I have a true title to the promise.

Answer. I answer, there is no better argument in the world that you have an interest in Christ, than this, your taking of the Lord Christ as a Savior wholly, and as a husband. (John 1:12) As many as received him, to them he gave power to be the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. He does not say, to as many as had such enlargement in duties, and such power against corruptions; but if you will take Christ upon those terms which he offers himself, there is no better argument under heaven, that you have a title to the promise. There is a desperate despair that often seizes upon the hearts of distressed sinners.

Therefore in the second place, as the sinner looks upon the excellency of Christ, and grace, and his own insufficiency, and so will not venture upon the promise, so he looks upon his own sinfulness and worthlessness, and therefore dares not venture upon mercy; he views the number of his sins so many and vile, and the continuance of them so long, and he sees the floods of abominations coming in with full force upon his soul, and Satan helps him forwards hereto; for this is the policy of the Devil, that, if he can, he will make a man that he shall never see his sin, but say, there is mercy enough in a Savior, and therefore I may live as I please: but when the sinner will needs see his sin, then he will let him see nothing but sin; the one that he may presume, and the other that he may despair.

Now the poor sinner stays here; tell him of the mercy of God, and of the plenteous redemption in Christ, and of the riches of the freeness of God's grace, What, says he, should I think that there is any mercy for me, and that I have any interest in Christ; that were strange? And thus the soul is here poring, and fastened, and settled upon his corruption, and is ever stirring the wound, and never goes to the physician: For a man is as well kept from looking to Christ by despair, as by presumption; before he sees his sin, he thinks his condition is good, and he has a sufficiency of his own, and needs not go to Christ; and when he sees his sin, then he beholds so much vileness in himself that he dares not go to Christ, lest when he goes before him, he send him down to the pit. Herein the devil is very subtle; but this does not hinder our title to Christ, neither ought it to discourage our hearts from laying hold on salvation.

For first, (observe it) for whom did Christ come into the world, and for whom did he die when he was come? It was not for the righteous, that needed him not, but for the poor sinner that condemns himself, and knows he cannot save himself. Paul says, Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the chief (1 Timothy 1:15): and (Zechariah 13:1) There is a fountain opened for sin, and for uncleanness, that is, for all sorts of sins, and for all kinds of sinners: be their iniquities never so great, and never so vile, there is a fountain set open, come who will; there was never any saved but a rebel, and never any man received to mercy, but he that opposed the mercy of God, and his grace in Christ. The fiery serpents did sting the people in the wilderness, but there was a brazen serpent to heal them.

Observe the folly of this plea: what Scripture ever said that the greatness of man's sin could hinder the greatness of God's mercy? No Scripture reveals this; we see David prays the contrary, Have mercy upon me O Lord, and pardon my sins, for they are great (Psalm 25:11). Indeed, God himself does the quite contrary (Isaiah 43:24-25): You have made me serve with your sins, and wearied me with your iniquities, yet I am he that blots out your transgressions for my name's sake. When the Jews did tire God with their disorders, and burdened him with their sinful courses, then the Lord for his own name's sake would not so much as remember their iniquities against them.

Again observe, that sins though they be never so heinous of themselves, yet if the soul can see them, and the heart be burdened with them, they are so far from hindering the work of faith, and from making you incapable of mercy, that they fit you to go to Christ. The truth is, (which I pray you take notice of) it is not properly our unworthiness, but our pride and haughtiness that hinders us from coming to Christ; for we would have something in ourselves, and not have all from Christ. Take the distressed soul that sees the vileness of his sins: suppose your sins were fewer, nevertheless even then you go not to Christ, because you are persuaded of the freeness of his grace, but because you have a worthiness in yourself, and would bring something to Christ, and not receive all from him. Therefore it is your pride, and your self-conceitedness that hinders you, you must have thus much grace and holiness, and Christ must not justify the ungodly, but the godly man; I tell you, then he will never justify a man while the world stands.

Object. But the soul replies again, My sins are worse, not only because they are many, but because of the mercy and salvation that I have rejected, which has been offered me from day to day.

Answer. This hinders not, provided that you can see those evils of yours: though you have cast away the kindness of the Lord, yet the Lord will not cast away you, if you will come and seek him earnestly again. For the iniquity of his covetousness I was wroth (says God) and I struck him, I hid myself, and he went on frowardly in the way of his own heart (Isaiah 57:17-18). If this could have hindered, Judah should never have received mercy; but the text says, I have seen his ways, and will heal him. You have played the harlot with many lovers, yet turn again to me, says the Lord (Jeremiah 3:1). There is no time past if a man has but a heart to return; there is no limitation of the riches of God's free grace, except the sin against the Holy Spirit. (Revelation 3:20) I stand at the door and knock; though he cry till he be hoarse, and stand till he be weary, yet he stands still: if any adulterous or deceitful wretch will open, the Lord will come in, and bring comfort, and sup with him.

Object. Oh, that is true, says the poor soul, had I but a heart to mourn for my baseness; see my sins I do, but this is my misery, I cannot be burdened with them, I have a heart that cannot break and mourn for dishonoring of God.

Answer. This hinders not either, provided that your heart is weary of itself, that it cannot be weary of sin. The Lord shows mercy because he will show mercy, it is not because you can please him, but because mercy pleases him. When did the Lord show mercy to Paul, even then when Paul did express most malice against him; Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? He persecutes Christ, and yet Christ pities him, and shows him mercy (Micah 7:18); and so the churlish jailer, when he was most opposed against the means of grace, the Lord showed then most compassion upon him; he that before resisted the means of grace, was now brought home by those means.

Object. But woe, says the poor soul, you are now come to the quick; this very word is like a millstone about my neck, to sink my soul forever; for this is the depth of that baseness that lies on me, that all the means do not better me. Why, though Paul and the jailer were bad enough, yet they were made better by the means; but this is my hopeless condition, that the means of grace prevail not on me. Is there such a heart in hell as I; how ill must I needs be, when all the means in the world will do me no good? But, methinks, I feel my heart more hard and stubborn under all God's ordinances; my condition is certainly hopeless, when the means that should soften me, do but harden me, and make me worse.

Answ. This is the last plea whereby the devil holds down the heart of a poor sinner; but let me answer you, this hinders not neither, but that at least you may have hope of mercy, therefore observe three passages by way of answer.

First, the Word and means of grace do work good, if it make you more sensible of your hardness and deadness, though perhaps it work not that good, and after the same manner that you desire, yet if it make you see your baseness, and hardness of heart, and dullness, in regard of that body of death which hangs upon you; then the word works in the best manner, because it is after God's manner, however not after yours. That medicine works most kindly, that makes the party sick before it works; so it is with the Word; you have a proud heart, and lift up yourself in your own abilities, and trust in your own strength, and think that your care and improvement of the means would work wonders; but now the Word works sweetly, when it makes you apprehensive, that a wounded soul is the gift of God, not of man, nor of the means; and therefore the Word makes you look to God for it, and to prize it when you have it; and the Word makes you look to God to continue it; to feel deadness is life, and to feel hardness is softness; only remember this one caution, except there be some lust or distemper that your heart hankers after, for then the Word will harden you, because you harden yourself.

Secondly, (mark this I beseech you) you are the cause why your heart is not softened, and why the Word works not upon your soul; the distemper of your own heart hinders the working of the Word, and dispensation of God's providence, and the tenor of the Covenant of Grace; you must not think to limit the Holy One of Israel, for it is a Covenant of Grace; the Lord will not stand bent to your bow, and give you grace when you will; it is not for us to know the times and seasons. What if the Lord will not give you grace this year, nor the next, nor all your life, if at the last gasp he will drop in a little favor, it is more than he owes you, therefore hear today, and wait tomorrow, and continue so doing, because you know not when God may bless his own ordinances; and complain not of delays, but wait, for God has waited for you long, and therefore if he make you wait for peace of conscience, and assurance of his love, the Lord deals equally with you, and as shall be best for you; God gives what, and when, and how he will, therefore wait for it.

Thirdly, know and consider that you have rested upon your own duties and endeavors, and you do not go to God, that blesses both the means and endeavors; the fault is your own, (I say) because you rest in your own performances, and in the power of the means that you apprehend, and do not go to God, that would have wrought more than all these: for did a man depend upon God's power and mercy in his ordinances, he should always find some proportionable succor, as well when he finds no success, as when he finds any; for God sometimes gives, and sometimes delays, but God's love is as constant when he gives not, as when he gives. Therefore labor to get out from all carnal confidence in holy duties, and rest not in your performances, but look beyond all duties to God, and desire him to give you success above them.

Many a man makes his services his Saviors. He makes them the bottom to bear up his conscience, the ground of which is this: Perhaps he finds and feels by woeful experience, what the fruits of sin are. He sees the venom of his corruptions, and the lamentable effects of all his sinful practices. He thought it before a fine thing to swear, and lie, and drink, and follow base company, but now they are gravel to his heart, and gall to his soul. His conscience flies in his face, and he is ready to sink down to hell. Conscience says, these are your sins, and these will be your damnation, they have been your delight, but they will prove your shame and confusion in the end, you shall shortly find the smart of them. To hell; away, be packing.

Now this man has no cure for his conscience but this, he entreats conscience to be quiet, he confesses he has lived in base courses, and his condition is very miserable, but now he will reform all; he has neglected prayer before, but now he will pray; he has hated God's servants, but now he will love them, his ways have been exceedingly evil, but now he will reform them, he begins to turn a new leaf now, and thinks that will serve the turn. Thus many poor souls use the means as mediators, and so fall short of Christ. A gracious heart does not only pray, and hear, and receive, and use all possible means to obtain Christ, but he is restless and unsatisfied till he enjoy and possess Christ in the means. He rests not upon the bare performance of any duty, neither thinks by virtue of any of his endeavors, to obtain a part in Christ.

I will express this particular more fully in this manner. A rich usurer that is sick of some disease, tell him such a physician can cure him, but he stands upon state, he will not come without a great deal of charge: Charge (says he) I do not stand upon that. I have money enough by me, that will fetch him here. Such a man now places all his confidence in his money. So when the soul sees, the guilt of sin is not removed, and conscience is still snarling, and the law condemning him, and Christ is the only Savior, that can satisfy and cure all. But how shall Christ be procured? Why his prayer, and fasting, and performances will command him, by the power and merit of the work done, though he has no promise for it, and so by resting on his own performances, falls short of Christ and salvation.

Object. Oh, says a poor sinner, I would go out of myself, and I see I rest upon my duties, but I cannot get out of myself.

Answer: I answer, it is Satan's subtlety to keep us in ourselves here too, by endeavoring to make us go out of ourselves by our own strength; and this is a marvelous depth of malice and cunning in the devil, when he makes us believe (and we out of ignorance are deluded) that we have power in our own hands to go out of ourselves; no, it is a supernatural work, and the same hand must bring us out of ourselves, that must bring us to Christ. This is in truth self-denial, when the soul knows it [reconstructed: has] nothing, and therefore is overpowered with the mighty hand of God, and the work of his Spirit, so that the poor sinner does not so much as expect any power or ability in himself, or from the creature, in the doing of any duty; he knows he is dead, and therefore cannot help himself, much less can the creature do him good, and therefore he looks to heaven, and seeks all sufficiency from God alone. For (observe it) while that I thus think with myself, that I have ability to go out of myself, I do not then say, that I have a principle within me to [reconstructed: deny] myself, which is quite contrary, for to deny a man's self, is to know that he has no power in himself to do any spiritual duty, therefore we must look only to the voice of Christ, and know, that he that calls us from the ways of darkness, and from ourselves, must also bring us to Christ; therefore expect power from Christ to pluck you out of yourself, and to make you believe, for the same hand does work both.

I would not have a poor creature think thus with himself, If this means and these Ordinances will do me no good, and will not work upon my heart, I shall never have it; but speak thus to God, and say, In truth Lord I expect no power from myself, nor from the means, but my resolution is, to look up to him that has hid his face from Jacob I will not look inward here for power, to receive it from within myself, nor to the Minister, nor to the means, but I will wait upon you Lord, and look up to your power to work by the means. Who is among you that fears the Lord, and obeys the voice of his servants, that walks in darkness, and has no light of comfort, let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay himself upon his God (Isaiah 50:10). When all other things in the world fail, let the soul then look up to the Lord, and look out from itself; this is the fittest time of all to meet with God; I would have a Christian choose this time above all times to meet his Savior in, and this is the only time to disappoint Satan; for, as I said before, it is the last refuge that the devil has, and if he miss this opportunity, he is forever conquered. Thus the sinner partly seeing the beauty of grace, will not, and partly seeing the baseness of his own heart, dares not come to Christ.

Objection: Then in the next place it is want of sense and feeling, which he would have and cannot find; therefore the distressed soul says, Alas, I never knew what it was to have the assurance of God's love, I never received any evidence of God's favor, and shall I think that I have faith? They that believe have their hearts filled with joy unspeakable and glorious, the Word reveals this, but I am a stranger to that joy, how can I then think that I have any work of faith wrought in me.

Answer: I answer, this does not hinder either that you have not faith, or that you may not come to God by believing, therefore remember these three particulars.

First, you must not think to have joy and refreshing before you go to the promise, but you must look for it, when you do chew and feed upon the promise: you would have the Lord to give you all the bargain before you make the match. This joy is a fruit that proceeds from faith after much wrestling; it does not follow from faith at the first; first believe, and then joy; the heart is never filled with joy before believing; but afterwards when you have had the sweet dew of the comfort of the promise many a day, then look for this joy.

Secondly, know that these joys, and this sense and feeling may be absent from faith: a man may have a good faith, and yet want the relish and sweetness which he longs after. A man may want his desires, and yet want neither life nor heat: A tree may want leaves and fruit, and yet want neither sap nor moisture: A man's faith may be somewhat strong, when his feeling is nothing at all. David was justified and sanctified, and yet wanted this joy; and so Job rested upon God when he had but little feeling, as when he says, You make me a Butt to shoot at; yet I will trust in you though you kill me (Job 3:15). Therefore build not your comfort upon sense and feeling, but go to the promise.

Thirdly, the saints of God many times are deprived of comfort, not because God withholds it, but because they put it from themselves, and will not have it, though he offer it, as David, My soul refused comfort (Psalm 77), like a sullen child that will not eat his milk, because he has it not in the golden dish; so because God does not for you what you would, you will have nothing at all. These are the main hindrances: I might add many more, for carnal reason is very fruitful this way, and we through our own folly and the devil's subtlety, are apt to abuse things, and make them hindrances in our way to eternal happiness. I come now to the cures of all our impediments, for if we had the wisdom and care we should have, we might break through them all and come to Christ. The means are especially four, whereby we may be inwardly fortified against them, and at last be able to overcome them.

The first cure and help is this: we must not look too long, nor pore too much or unwarrantably upon our own corruptions, so far as to be feared or disheartened from coming to the riches of God's grace; for this is an everlasting truth, that [reconstructed: whatever sight] of sin unfits a man for mercy, when he may take it, and it is offered to him, that sight of sin is ever sinful, though it have never so fair a pretense of sorrow and deep humiliation: as we think many times, Had I a soul so thoroughly humbled and bruised, and so forth. The devil often keeps us in sin, by poring upon our sins, when we think hereby to be carried from our sins; that course thus is a sinful course. Tell not me of sorrow, and repentance, and humiliation, all that sorrow and humiliation is worthless that keeps a man from receiving mercy, when it is offered; see this in Abraham, he had this promise, that he should have a son in his old age; he being not weak in faith regarded not his old age or deadness, nor the barrenness of Sarah's womb, but believed in him who had promised it, and there he rests and stays; he saw his body was dead, yet there was a living promise; and what though Sarah's womb was barren, yet the promise was fruitful; he knew his own deadness and her barrenness, but he considered them not: so we must see our sins, and consider our many weaknesses, but never so settle ourselves with, or consider of them so, as to be hindered from coming to God for mercy, which he freely offers us, and we stand in need of, for while the soul of a man is daily plodding upon his own misery, and distempers, these two things follow.

First, we stop the stream of God's promise, and let down the sluice against it, so that the promise cannot come into our souls.

And secondly, we set open the stream and floodgate of corruption, and make it to run most violently in upon us, and in the end to overwhelm us, and the inconvenience arising hereby, will slay the best Christian in the world; for what can a man get out of his corruption? He can have no more thereof than is there to be had; it is vain to look for comfort where it is not to be had, it may dishearten us, but never encourage us. See the humility and wisdom of the woman of Canaan, she follows Christ, but he listens not to her, but gives her the repulse, and calls her dog, and says, you Gentiles are dogs; and the Gospel of Grace and salvation is the children's bread. Now if she had [reconstructed: only] considered the words of Christ, and only looked into her own baseness, she had never come to receive mercy and comfort, but she says, Truth Lord, I am a dog, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their Master's table. There are two things here which do express the frame of a gracious heart that is truly wise to attend to its own baseness, her humility and wisdom; as if she had said, You say I am a Gentile, and a Dog, I confess it, yet though I am a Dog, I will not go out of the doors but lie under the table for mercy; so we must and ought, when our corruptions come in upon us, and we see ourselves damned creatures, let us then say, In truth, Lord, I am as bad as your word can speak, yet let us not fly away from mercy, but lie at the feet of our Savior.

It is fitting, and we ought to see our sins, but stay not too long here; see your sins you must, but not be settled thereon, so as to be kept from Christ; that sight of sin which does not drive a man to Christ for mercy, is ever sinful. Labor therefore to see your sins, thus:

First, see your sins until you see them odious and loathsome.

Secondly, until you see an utter insufficiency in yourself to satisfy for them.

Thirdly, until you have seen an absolute necessity of Christ to succor you; and then away speedily to the throne of Grace, and dwell no longer on your sins, for there is pardon enough to remove the guilt that sin has brought upon your soul, there is power enough to make you master your corruptions. Indeed every soul should say thus, It is true Lord, my sins are many and great, for I have departed from you the fountain of bliss: But shall I go on yet further from you, and persist in evil? God forbid. All this while I speak to broken-hearted Christians. You profane ones, you have your [reconstructed: portion] already, and shall have more afterwards, therefore a while stand you by, and let the children come to their share.

The Lord looks to him that is of a humble and contrite heart, and that trembles before him. A poor creature cannot but observe every word, and tremble at every truth. Here is salvation indeed (says he) but it is not mine, here is mercy, but I have no part in it; and so he shakes at the apprehension, concluding certainly I shall never enjoy it. Now mark what the text says, The Lord looks at such a trembling soul, that is, he casts sweet intimations of his goodness and kindness upon him, and says, You poor trembling sinner, to you be it spoken, I have an eye toward you in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Comfort you, comfort you my people (says the Lord) speak comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is accomplished, and her iniquity is pardoned, tell Jerusalem she is accepted, tell her what my mind is. So the Lord says to his ministers, Speak to the heart of such a humbled penitent sinner, tell him from ME, tell him from Heaven, tell him from the Lord Jesus Christ, tell him from under the hand of the Spirit, his person is accepted, and his sins are done away, and he shall be looked upon in mercy.

Ephraim is the picture of a soul truly humbled, in whom we may see the behavior of a true penitent toward God, and God's dealing toward him. The text says, "Surely I have heard Ephraim bemoaning himself" (there's the heart broken and thirsting) "you have chastised me, and I was chastised, turn to me, and I shall be turned: you are the Lord my God, Surely after that I was turned I repented, and after that I was instructed, I struck upon my thigh, I was ashamed, indeed even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth." As if the sinner should say, I am the wretch that have seen all the means of grace in abundant measure, and yet never profited under the same. The Lord has corrected me, but I would not be tamed; He has instructed me, but I would not learn. Lord turn me, you are my God; I have nothing in myself; indeed, now I see the evils which before I never perceived; and I observe the baseness of my course now which before I never considered; and I am ashamed of my abuse of grace revealed, I am even confounded in the sense of those abominations which my soul has harbored. This is the mourning of a poor sinner; now mark God's answer: Ephraim is my son, he is a pleasant child, for since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still, therefore my bowels are troubled for him, I will surely have mercy upon him. As who should say, I observed all those secret sighs, I considered all those tears, I heard all those prayers, and took notice of all those complaints, and my bowels yearn toward this poor sinner, that seeks to me for mercy. And the truth is, I will embrace him with my loving kindness.

Now the second means of cure is this, take heed of judging your estate by carnal reason without the rule, as thus it is the fashion of poor distressed spirits, to pass fearful sentence upon themselves upon groundless arguments, and to say, I never found it, I feel no such thing, and I fear it is not so. Thus we hear those carnal pleas which Satan helps us to invent, and we judge ourselves by them: now, I say, take heed of this, and make conscience of this same, as of any other sin of swearing, stealing, whoring, or murder, for this is as truly a sin as those, though not so great; in fact, it is a far greater sin than you imagine. Consider this you humble-hearted Christians, for to you I speak; for when upon these grounds you conclude your case and estate is bad: see against how many Commandments you sin. First, you dishonor God and the work of his grace; in denying that which God has done for you, and speak irreverently against God; you are a murderer, and wound your own soul; you rob yourself of comfort, and are a thief; and you bear false witness against your own heart, indeed against Christ, and his Spirit, and the work of grace wrought in you, and join with the devil against the Lord Christ.

But you will say, I speak as I think. That hinders not, but that you bear false witness: as we see, if a man affirm such a one is a drunkard, and knows it not, this man bears false witness, because though the man be a drunkard, yet he knows it not: so you say you do nothing, when as you do only fear it, and suspect it, and the like. I speak this the rather, because of the sinful distemper that creeps in upon the hearts of many broken-hearted Christians, that out of a self-willed road of carnal reason, and a vile habit that they have got, their hearts are persuaded that they do well to do so, and they are never well except they do thus.

But such as these (mark it) when reason is plain, and the Scriptures are evidently against them, they do not so much attend what the minister says, but they stand and invent how they may answer the minister, and so put away their own comforts. Let the fear of God fall upon every soul that hears this, and know that however you have taken leave to yourselves, and have taken up pleas against the truth, yet now go your ways, and mourn for it, and wonder that the Lord has not taken away all the comfort of his grace, and all the motions of his Spirit from you. The Prophet David prays the Lord to turn away his eyes from beholding vanity (Psalm 119:37): now if God must do that, then much more must he turn away our hearts from attending to vanities. I must attend to God, and the voice of his Spirit, but to listen to those carnal pleas which I have no warrant to do, I sin deeply, and hurt my own soul dangerously thereby. No man would deal with a cheater; carnal reason is a cheater, therefore let us not attend thereto, unless we resolve to be cheated; and if the danger of the sin cannot make us do this, then let the sorrow that will come by it constrain us (Isaiah 50:11): "Behold all you that kindle a fire, and that compass yourselves about with the sparks that you have kindled, this shall you have at my hand, you shall lie down in sorrow." I will show what is meant by sparks, and what by fire; in the old law you know there was heavenly fire continually in the sanctuary, that shadowed out to us the will and wisdom of God in his word: but there was also strange fire, that is, there were various sparks of their own imaginations, and conceits; every poor creature carries his tinder-box about him, and he is ever kindling of it; which the Lord does not allow of. In that text are two things: first, that the heart of man will naturally invent carnal reasons and pleas against itself, and be settled upon them: secondly, the issue that follows thereupon, "This shall you have of my hand, you shall lie down in your own sorrow." When the Scriptures are clear, and reasons are evident, and yet you will have your own devices, thus much I tell you, you shall lie down in sorrow at last, and you may thank yourselves for it; away with your tinder-boxes therefore, abase yourselves before the throne of grace and be at length wise to salvation.

Ho, every one that thirsts (says God by his Prophet) come and buy without money, take of the well of the water of life, and live forever freely. Many a poor minister would be eager to leave his commodity behind him, and says, You must have it, and you shall have it; it is your portion, and belongs of right to you; we are even eager to force God's favors upon the soul. We beseech you to believe, and we entreat you for the Lord Jesus' sake to receive mercy and humble your hearts.

But will any man take these favors?

No beloved, many sweet promises, and many admirable precious things of grace and salvation are revealed, but men neither pass nor care to receive benefit by them. Some carnal plea or other evades all. This argues plainly your small estimation of Christ. A poor hungry sinner that is apprehensive of his own weakness and feebleness, longs till the feast day comes, that he may partake of these delicacies. Oh how carefully will he listen, and how diligently will he attend what the minister says; and if the Word comes home to his conscience enlightening his heart, and reproving him of his secret corruption, he cries out, I am in great trouble, good Lord comfort me: I am full of doubts, good Lord resolve me: I am ignorant in spiritual things, good Lord teach me: I have a proud, stout, stubborn heart, good Lord humble me. Take this for a general rule, A good heart is always at best ease, when the Word works most. But a wicked graceless person is then best, when the Word works least upon him. Therefore when he thinks the minister will come close to his soul, he will not be at home that day, he will be sure to be out of town, he knows the Word would awaken him, and affright him, and he cannot bear the blow, therefore he keeps away, and shuns the hearing of God's Word, which would work upon him.

But thirdly, let us be marvelously wary and watchful that we enter not into the lists of dispute with Satan, upon those points which are beyond the reach of man; as thus to say, I am not elected, therefore God will not do me good, it is vain for me to use the means; my time of mercy is gone, oh the day of grace that I have seen, the Lord knocked sweetly, and was pleased to reveal my sins at such a time: but then hard-hearted wretch that I was, I shut the door of my heart against the Lord Jesus Christ, and now it is gone and past, now there is no hope forever of receiving mercy again: If the devil get you here, all your comfort is gone, for upon this ground a man shall never receive rest to his heart, while the world stands; for if no man can ever know the thing, how shall I be able to give, or any man to take comfort? Look as it is with a poor traveling man that lights among thieves, who come and promise to carry him a nearer way, and at last they bring him into a wood where no passengers come, and there they do what they will with him: so it is with a poor soul, when the devil gets him into these secret disputes of God's eternal counsel, there are no passengers come this way, therefore you are void of succor, and Satan may exercise his pleasure in terrifying your poor soul. Therefore for your direction in this case, observe three rules.

First, let the soul in this case stay itself upon the almightiness of the power of God, I am God all-sufficient: if you are persuaded of the all-sufficiency of God, this will help you: God can do more than you can think. He is able, and will do you good, though you know it not; and therefore observe thus much, the soul never doubts of God's will, but it doubts of his power also in some measure.

Secondly, check your own heart for meddling with God's secrets, and prying into his hidden counsels; let no man go beyond his bounds: it pertains not to you to dive into this mystery. Secret things belong to God, but revealed things belong to us: and Who has known the mind of God? says Paul. Mark this, you that will be going up into the skies to know what God's secret mind is, keep your stations wisely, for the devil and all the devils in hell never knew the mind of the Lord. When Jonah cried against Nineveh, saying, Within forty days all you drunkards, and adulterers shall be destroyed: Mark there how the King stays himself, saying, Who can tell if the Lord will repent and stay his fierce wrath that we perish not. When the devil tells you thus, and says, God has appointed a way to salvation, and you have had the means, and did not profit by them, therefore God will never show you mercy, nor give you grace: how can the devil tell that? In fact, all the devils in hell cannot tell: let me walk in that course which God has appointed and commanded, and do that which I ought, and let me say, who knows but God may break the heart of a proud rebellious sinner, none but God knows it.

Thirdly, measure not the riches of God's love, and the sweetness of his grace according to your own conceits, and do not think that because you cannot conceive it, therefore God will not do it: Let the wicked forsake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, says the Prophet: that is, All you wicked ones, and you that have lived lewdly, return from your wicked ways, and from your vain imaginations, for he will abundantly pardon.

Object. But will the Lord pardon all my sins, says the soul, I cannot think it, If I were a God, I should never pass by such intolerable things.

Answ. And because you cannot, you think God cannot: Yes, says the Lord, I can abundantly pardon, for my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor my ways as your ways. A poor creature thinks his sins are unpardonable, and he shall never get assurance of God's love. You are men, says the Lord, and have finite thoughts, but I am God, and have mercy infinitely, when you think I have no mercy.

Object. But there were never any such received to mercy, says the soul, and therefore why should I be the man?

Answ. When Christ had wrought many strange miracles, the people said, there were never any such things done in Israel; and therefore it is plain, God can do things that never were done the like: He does great things past finding out, and wondrous without number, says Job: therefore judge not God's power and love by what you can conceive.

The best Christians are most suspicious of themselves, and none fuller of doubts and fears, than those that have least cause to fear their estates are bad. Satan makes it his chief work to grieve and terrify these. And their own distrustful hearts are always raising false surmises, and putting mercy from them, as if they were hired by the devil, to take his part in pleading against themselves. Therefore it is worth our observing what David says (Psalm 42:18), The Lord shall command his loving kindness in the morning. It is a phrase taken from princes and great commanders, whose words are a law. So God will send forth his loving kindness to a truly humbled Christian with a command. As if he should say, Go love and everlasting mercy, take your commission, and I charge you go to that poor broken-hearted sinner, go to that poor, hungry, and thirsty soul: go and prosper and prevail, and settle my love upon his heart, whether he will or no. Thus the Lord charges his loving kindness to do good to poor sinners, and by his own Almightiness stays the soul, when it is ready to sink under the burden of its transgressions.

Object. What, shall I have mercy? No, no, says the doubting heart: Will the Lord Jesus accept me? No surely. Could I pray so, and had I these parts, and could I perform duties after this and this manner, then there were some hope, but alas there is no mercy for me.

Answer. Let me tell you, whoever you are, God invites you in particular, and all the sweetness in Christ, and his precious promises, appertain to your soul, and you have as great an interest in them, as any servant of God in the world whatever.

Object. No, no, says the trembling soul, I cannot believe it, such a wretch as I go to heaven — it cannot be; heaven shall rather fall than I come there. Thus the discouraged sinner knocks off mercy, and shuts the door against himself.

Now when all carnal reasonings, and high imaginations, as Paul calls them, have raised up strongholds against mercy and comfort; when the word cannot for the present settle peace in the soul, God is fain at last to command loving kindness, and send him with a commission from heaven, saying, I charge you, break open the door of the heart of such a sinner, rend that veil of ignorance that is before his eyes, silence all his doubts and fears; and I charge you go home to that soul, and cheer it, refresh it with the sense of my favor, and fill it with the assurance of my love.

While we were enemies, says the Apostle, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). The Lord sends from heaven to a poor miserable creature, Commend my love, commend my mercy to such a distressed soul, and tell him though he has been an enemy to me, yet I am a friend to him. Tell him though he has been a traitor to me, I have been a good king to him. He has been a rebel to me, but tell him I have been a loving God to him. Tell him his sins are pardoned, his person accepted, and his soul shall be saved. Tell him his sighs and groans are heard, and his prayers observed in heaven; let him know that the Lord Jesus died for sinners when they were sinners. Make this good to his soul I charge you before you come back.

Therefore the fourth cure is this, and it is specially to be observed above all in your proceeding with yourself in judgment; that is, pass no sentence against your soul, but according to the evidence of the Word: if you are to be approved, let the word of God approve you, and let his word examine you, if you are to be examined; if the Word speaks for you, it is no matter though all men and angels speak against you; and if the word condemns you, it is no matter who speaks for you. What though some wrangling railer steps in, and will be determining the causes before the judge comes; yet a wise man will stay till the judge comes, and wait his leisure. Deal so with your own soul, put not the case to be tried by a company of peevish carnal reasons, but stay till the word come, and judge yourself by that, and hold to that forever. The light is that which manifests all things (Ephesians 5:13); the meaning is this, the light of the word, and the evidences of God's truth manifested to the souls of God's people; all sense and feeling of carnal reasoning, are like fogs and mists which make a man that he cannot see the way; but bring him to the light, and then his state and condition will be manifested what it is. Learn of me (says our Savior) (Matthew 11:29) and you shall find rest to your souls. And the Psalmist says, I will inquire what the Lord will say: so say you, I will not hearken what carnal reason will say. The want of this is the cause why we have so many distractions and disquietments, and are still in doubtings, because he that teaches us is a deceiver.

For the poor soul says, What, shall I have an interest in Christ, shall I have title to the promises? In fact, this belongs to those that are broken-hearted: indeed if I had such power against corruption, such heavenly mindedness, and this and that, there were some hopes, but I am so full of weakness, and many times led captive by my rebellious heart; that it is too apparent I never had saving grace, in fact, I fear I never shall have it truly worked in my soul.

But who told you so, and where learned you this religion? I am sure you never learned it of Christ. Who, or what word tells you, If I have such corruptions, I shall never have grace? Not the word of Christ, I am sure: therefore I charge you hold to the truth of the word; Learn of me, says Christ, and put not your cause to be decided by carnal reason, nor hearken what it tells you; for if you take that course, you shall never come to Christ while the world stands. Learn of the Lord Christ, for his word is faithful, and his promise sure, and there you shall find rest as strong as Mount Zion; it is that word by which you shall be judged at the great day, when sense and feeling shall be cast out for wranglers, and never come into court. Thus much of the four cures: I will now propound four rules how a man may order himself rightly in this course, so that he may repair to the word at all times, as he ought to do, and gain evidence there for establishing his heart in peace and tranquility.