COME and WELCOME TO JESUS CHRIST. (14)

What was the Providence that God [gap] uſe of as means, either more remote or [gap] near, to bring thee to Jeſus Chriſt? Wit[gap] Removing of thy Habitation, the Cha[gap] thy Condition; the Loſs of Relations, [gap] or the like? Was it the caſting of this [gap] upon ſome good Book; the hearing [gap] Neighbours talk of Heavenly things, th[gap] holding of God's Judgmen[gap]s as executed [gap] others, or thine own Deliverance from [gap] or thy being ſtrangely caſt under the M[gap] of ſome Godly Man? O take notice [gap] Providence or Providences! They were fe[gap] managed by mighty Power to do that [gap] God himſelf I ſay hath joined himſelf [gap] Chariot: Yea, and ſo bleſſed it, that it [gap] not to accompliſh the thing for which [gap] it.

God bleſſeth not to every one his Pre[gap] in this manner: How many Thouſa[gap] there in this World, that paſs every d[gap] the ſame Providences? But God is not [gap] to do that Work by them as he hath [gap] thy poor Soul, by his effectual workin[gap] [gap] them. O that Jeſus Chriſt ſhould me[gap] [gap]

[gap]rovidence, that Diſpenſation or the other [gap]nces! This is Grace indeed! At this [gap]ere, it will be thy Wiſdom to admire, and [gap] to bleſs God.

[gap]e me leave to give you a taſte of ſome of [gap] Providences that have been effectual, thro[gap] [gap]anagement of God, to bring Salvation to [gap]uls of his People.

[gap]ſt: The firſt ſhall be that of the Woman [gap]ari[gap]. It muſt happen that ſhe muſt needs [gap]t of the City to draw Water (not before [gap]fter, but) juſt when Jeſus her Saviour was [gap] from far and ſet to reſt him (being wea [gap] upon the Well: What a bleſſed Providence [gap] this: Even a Providence managed by the [gap]ighty Wiſdom and Almighty Power; to [gap] Converſion and Salvation of this p[gap]or Crea [gap] which her Saviour brought about; that [gap] bleſſed work might be fulfilled upon the [gap]an, according to the Purpoſe afore deter [gap] [gap] by the Father, John 4.

[gap]condly, What a Providence was it, that [gap] ſhould be a Tree in the way for Zacheus [gap], thereby to give Jeſus Opportunity to [gap] that Chief of the Publicans home to himſelf [gap] before he came down therefrom Luk. 19.

[gap]irdly, Was it not alſo wonderful, that the [gap], which you read of in the Goſpel, ſhould [gap] Providence of God be caſt into Priſon, [gap] condemned, even at that Seſſions that [gap] himſelf was to die; nay, & that it ſhould [gap] to, that they muſt be han[gap]ed together, [gap] Thief might be in Hearing & obſerving [gap] in his laſt Words, that he might be [gap]ed by him before his Death. Luke 23.

[gap]rthly, What a ſtrange Providence was it,

and a[gap] ſtrangely managed by God, that Omus, when he was run away from his Ma[gap] ſhould be taken, and I think caſt into that [gap] Priſon, where Paul lay bound for the Wo[gap] the Goſpel, that he might be by him conver[gap] then ſent home again to his Maſter Phile[gap] Behold all th[gap]ngs work together for good, to them [gap] love God; to them who are the called accordin[gap] his Purpoſe. Rom. 8

Nay, I have my ſelf known ſome that [gap] been made to go hear the Word preached [gap] gainſt their wills; others have gone not to b[gap] but to ſee & be ſeen; nay to jeer & flout oth[gap] as alſo to catch and carp at things. Some [gap] to feed their Adulterous Eyes with the ſigh[gap] beautiful Objects, and yet God hath made [gap] of even theſe things, and even of the [gap] and ſinful Propoſals of Sinners, to bring [gap] under the Grace that might ſave their Sou[gap]

Doth no Man come to Jeſus Chriſt, but [gap] the Drawing of the Father? Then let me [gap] caution thoſe poor Sinners, that are Spect[gap] of the change that God hath wrought on [gap] that are coming to Jeſus Chriſt, not to attri[gap] this work and change to other things & c[gap]

There are ſome poor Sinners in the W[gap] that plainly ſee a Change, a mighty Chang[gap] their Neighbours and Relations, that a [gap] ming to Jeſus Chriſt: But as I ſaid, they [gap] ignorant, and not knowing whence it [gap] nor whither i[gap] goes; for ſo is every one that [gap] of the Spirit, John 3.8

Therefore they attribute this Change to [gap] Cauſes: As,

• 1. Melancholly.

• 2. To ſitting alone.

-

[gap]. To overmuch Reading.

- [gap]. To their going to too many Sermons.

- [gap]. Too much ſtudying and muſing on what [gap] hear.

[gap]lſo they conclude on the other ſide,

[gap]irſt. That it is for want of merry Company.

[gap]econdly, For want of Phyſick, and therefore [gap] adviſe them to leave off Reading, going to [gap]mons, the C[gap]mpany of ſober People; and [gap]e merry go a Goſſipping, to buſie them [gap]es in the things of this World, not to ſit [gap]ing alone, &c.

[gap]ut come poor ignorant Sinner, let me deal [gap]h thee; It ſeems thou art turn'd Counſellor [gap] Satan. I tell thee, thou knoweſt not what [gap]u doeſt. Take heed of ſpending thy Judg [gap]nt after this manner; thou judgeſt fooliſh [gap] And ſayeſt in this, To every one that paſſeth [gap]; [gap] art a Fool.

What! count Convictions for Sin, Mourning [gap] Sin, and Repentance for ſin, Melancholly▪ [gap]t is like thoſe, that on the other ſide ſaid, [gap] Men are drunk with New Wine, &c. O[gap] as that ſaid, Paul was mad, Acts 2 23. ch 26.24. [gap]or ignorant Sinner, canſt thou j[gap]dge no [gap]er. What! Is ſitting alone; penſive under [gap]'s Hand; Reading the Scriptures, and [gap]ing of Sermons, &c. the way to be un [gap]? The Lord open thine Eyes, & make [gap] to ſee thine Eoror; Thou haſt ſet thy [gap] againſt God, thou haſt deſpiſed the Ope [gap] [gap] of his Hand, thou attempteſt to mur [gap] ſouls. What, canſt thou give no better [gap]ſel touching thoſe whom God hath woun [gap] than to ſend them to the Ordinances of [gap] for Help? Thou bidſt them buſie themſelves

in the things of this World; but o[gap] thou not know, that the Lord bids, Seek [gap] the Kingdom of God, and the Righteouſneſs th[gap] of? Mat. 3:36.

Poor, Ignorant Sinner, hear the Counſel [gap] God to ſuch, and learn thy ſelf to be wiſ[gap] Is any afflicted? let him pray; Is any merry? [gap] him ſing Pſalms. Bleſſed is he that heareth [gap] and heareth for time to come. Save your ſ[gap] from this untoward Generation. Search the S[gap] tures, give attendance to Reading. It is better [gap] to the Houſe of Mourning. Jam. 5.13. Prov. 8▪ 33. Acts 2 40. Joh. 3 39, Tim 4.13 Eccl. 7.1, 2, 3.

And wilt thou Judge him that doth thu[gap] Art thou almoſt like E[gap]ymas the Sorcerer, t[gap] ſought to turn the Deputy from the Fait[gap] Thou ſeekeſt to pervert the right ways of [gap] Lord: take heed leſt ſome heavy Judgment [gap] vertake thee, Acts 14.8, 9.

What? Teach Men to quench Convicti[gap] to [gap]ake Men off from a ſerious conſiderat[gap] of the evil of Sin, of the Terrors of [gap] World to come, and how they ſhall eſc[gap] thee ſame. What! Teach Men to put Go[gap] his Word out of their Minds, by running [gap] merry Company; by running to the We[gap] by Goſſiipping, &c. This is as much [gap] bid them ſay to God, Depart from us, for [gap] deſire not the knowledge of thy ways; Or, [gap] the Almighty, that we ſhould ſerve him? Or, [gap] profit have we, if we keep his ways? Here [gap] Devil in grain! What, bid Men walk a [gap] ing to the courſe of this world, according to [gap] Prince of the power of the Air; the Spirit [gap] now worketh in the Children of Diſobedience, [gap]

Obj. But do we not know that ſuch are [gap]

[gap] Jeſus Chriſt: Truly we wonder at them, and [gap] they are Fools.

Anſw. Firſt, Do you not know that they [gap] coming to Jeſus Chriſt? Then they may [gap] coming to Him for ought you know? [gap]d why will you be worſe than the Brute, [gap] ſpeak evil of the things you know not? [gap]hat? are ye made to be taken and deſtoy [gap] Muſt ye utterly periſh in your Corrup [gap]ns? 2 Pet 2.1.

Secondly, Do you not know them? Let [gap]m alone then. If you cannot ſpeak good [gap] them, ſpeak not bad. Refrain from theſe [gap]n, and let them alone▪ for if this Counſel, or [gap]s Work, be of Men, it will come to nought; [gap] if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, leſt [gap]ly ye be found even to fight againſt God, Acts [gap] 38, 39.

Thirdly, But why do you wonder at a [gap]ork of Conviction and Converſion? Know [gap] not that this is the Judgment of God [gap]en you, ye Deſpiſers, To behold, and wonder, [gap] periſh? Acts 15.30

Fourthly, But why wonder and think they [gap] Fools? Is the way of the Juſt an Abo [gap]nation to you? See that paſſage, and be [gap]amed; He that is upright in the way, is an [gap]mination to the wicked, Prov. 29.27.

Fifthly, Your wondring at them, argues [gap] you are ſtrangers to your ſelves, to Con [gap]ion for ſin, and to hearty deſi[gap]es to be fa [gap] [gap] as alſo to coming to Jeſus Chriſt.

Obj But how ſhall we know that ſuch Men are, [gap]ing to Jeſus Chriſt.

Anſw. Who can make them ſee, that Chriſt [gap] made blind, (John 23.9.) Nevertheleſs

becauſe I endeavoured by Conviction, Cov[gap] on and Salvation? Conſider,

1. Do they cry out of Sin, being burthe[gap] with it, as of an exceeding bitter thing?

2 Do they fly from it as from the Face [gap] deadly ſerpent?

3. Do they cry out of the Inſufficiency [gap] their own Righteouſneſs, as to Juſtification [gap] the ſight of God.

4. Do they cry out after the Lord Jeſus [gap] ſave them?

5. Do they ſee more Worth and Merit in [gap] drop of Chriſt's Blood to ſave them, than in [gap] the Sins of the World to damn them?

6. Are they tender of ſinning againſt [gap] ſus Chriſt?

7 Is the Name, Perſon, and Undertak[gap] more precious to them than the Glory [gap] the World?

8. Is the Word more dear unto them?

9. Is Faith in Chriſt (of which they [gap] convinced by God's Spirit of the want of, [gap] that without it they can never cloſe w[gap] Chriſt) precious to them?

10. Do they favour Chriſt in his Word [gap] do they leave all the World for his ſake. A[gap] are they willing (God helping them) to [gap] Hazzards for his Name, for the Love they b[gap] to him?

11. Are his Saints precious to them?

If theſe things be ſo, whether thou feeſt [gap] or no, theſe Men are coming to Jeſus Chri[gap] Rom. 7.9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14. Pſal. 38.3.4.5, 6, 7, 8. [gap] 6.18, 14.20. Iſa 64 6. Phil. 3.7, 8 Pſal 45.1. Pſ. [gap] 21. Acts 16 30. Pſal. 51.7, 8 1 Pet. 1.18, 19. Rom[gap] 24. 2 Cor. 5.2. Acts 5.41. James 2.7. Phil 3.7, 8. [gap]

[gap] 10.11, 12, 13, 14 15 Pſal 1 19 John 13.35. 1 John [gap] 7 chap 3 14. Job. 16 9 Rom 14.23. Heb. 11.6. Pſ. [gap] 10.11 Jer 17 16. Heb. 11 24 25, 26, 27. Acts 29. [gap] 23, 24. chap 21.13. Tit. 3.15. 2 John 1. Eph. 4 16. [gap]il 7. 1 Cor. 16.24.

The ſecond Obſervation.

I came now to the ſecond Obſervation pro [gap]ounded to be ſpoken to; to wit,

That they that are coming to Jeſus Chriſt, [gap]re oft-times heartily afraid that Jeſus Chriſt [gap]ill not receive them.

I told you that this Obſervation is implied in [gap]he Text, and I gather it from the largeneſs & [gap]penneſs of the Promiſe, (I will in no wiſe caſt [gap]ut) For had there not been a proneneſs in us, to [gap]ew caſting out, Chriſt needed not to have, as it [gap] were, way laid our fear, as he doth by this [gap]reat and ſtrange Expreſſion, In no wiſe. And [gap]im that cometh to me, I will in no wiſe cast out. There needed not, as I may ſay, ſuch a Promiſe to be invented by the Wiſdom of Heaven, [gap]orded at ſuch a ra[gap]e, as it were on purpoſe to [gap]aſh in pieces at one blow all the Objections of [gap]oming Sinners; if they were not prone to admit of ſuch Objections to the diſcouraging of [gap]heir own ſouls; for theſe words In no wiſe, [gap]ut the throats of all Objections; & they were [gap]ropp'd by the Lord Jeſus for that very [gap]d▪ [gap]nd to help the Faith that is mixed with [gap]nbelief.

And it is as it were the Sum of all Promiſes▪ [gap]either can any Objection be made upon the [gap]nworthineſs that thou findeſt in thee, that this [gap]romiſe will not aſſail.

But I am a ſinner, ſay'ſt thou.

I will in no wiſe caſt [gap]ut ſays Chriſt.

But I am an old ſinner, ſay'ſt thou.

I will in no wiſe caſt out, ſays Chriſt.

But I am a Backſliding ſinner, ſay[gap]ſt thou.

I will in no wiſe caſt out, ſays Chriſt.

But I am an hard hearted ſinner, ſay'ſt tho[gap]

I will in no wiſe caſt out, ſays Christ.

But I have ſerved Satan all my Days ſay[gap] thou.

I will in no wiſe caſt out, ſays Chriſt.

But I have ſinned againſt Light, ſay'ſt th[gap]

I will in no wiſe caſt out, ſa[gap]s Chriſt.

But I have ſinned againſt Mercy, ſay'ſt tho[gap]

I will in no wiſe caſt out, ſays Chriſt.

But I have no good thing to bring with m[gap] ſay'ſt thou.

I will in no wiſe caſt out, ſays Chriſt.

Thus I might go on to the end of things, an[gap] ſhew you that ſtill this Promiſe was provided [gap] anſwer all Objections, and doth anſwer them▪ But, I ſay, What need it be, if they that are coming to Jeſus Chriſt, are not ſometimes, yea▪ oftentimes heartily afraid, that Jeſus Chriſt will caſt them out?

I will give you now two Inſtances, that ſeem to imply the Truth of this Obſervation.

In the Ninth of Matthew at the ſecond Verſe, you Read of a Man that was ſick of the Palſie; and he was coming to Jeſus Chriſt, being borne upon a Bed by his F[gap]iends. He alſo was coming himſelf, and that upon another Account than any of his Friends were aware of even for the Pardon of ſins, and the Salvation of his Soul. Now, ſo ſoon as even he was come into the Preſence of Chriſt▪ Chriſt bids him be of good Cheer. It ſeems then his Heart was [gap]inting: But what was the cauſe of hi[gap]

[gap]inting? Not his bodily Infirmity, for the [gap]re of which his Friends did bring him to [gap]riſt, but the Guilt and Burden of his ſins; [gap] the pardon of which, himſelf did come to [gap]n; therefore he proceeds Be of good Cheer, thy [gap] be forgiven thee.

I ſay, Chriſt ſaw him ſinking in his Mind, [gap]ut how it would go with his moſt noble [gap]rt; And therefore firſt he applies himſelf to [gap]m on that account. For, though his Friends [gap]d Faith enough as to the Cure of his Body, [gap]t he himſelf had little enough, as to the cure [gap]f his Soul. Therefore Chriſt takes him up as [gap] Man falling down, ſaying, Son be of good chear, [gap]y ſins be forgiven thee.

That about the Prodigal, ſeems pertinent alſo [gap] this matter, when he was come to himſelf, [gap]e ſaid, How many hired Servants of my Father have [gap] enough, and to ſpare, and I periſh for Hunger? [gap] will ariſe now, and go to my Father. Heartily [gap]poken. But how did he perform his Promi [gap]s; I think not ſo well as he promiſed to do: [gap]nd my ground for my thoughts is, becauſe [gap] Father, ſo ſoon as he was come to him, fell [gap]pon his Neck, and kiſſed him; implying, me [gap]hinks, as if the P[gap]digal by this time was de [gap]cted in his mind; and therefore his Father [gap]ves him the moſt ſudden and familiar Token [gap]f Reconciliation.

And Kiſſes were of Old Time often uſed to [gap] move Doubts and Fears. Thus Laban & Eſai ▪ [gap]ſt Jacob; thus Joſeph kiſſed his Brethren; and [gap] was alſo David kiſſed Abſalom. Gen. 31.55. Chap. [gap].1, 2, 3.4, 5, 6. Chap. 48.9, 10. 2 Sam. 14.33.

'Tis [gap] as I ſaid, at firſt ſetting out, he [gap] heartily, as ſometimes Sinners alſo do in