COME and WELCOME TO JESUS CHRIST. (17)

To explain my ſelf; There is ſuch an one a [gap]ming to Jeſus Chriſt; who, when at firſt he [gap]gan to look out after him, was ſenſible, affecti [gap]nate, and broken in Spirit; But now is grown [gap]rk, ſenſeleſs, hard-harted; and inclining to [gap]eglect Spiritual Duties, &c. Beſides he now [gap]ads in himſelf Inclinations to Unbelief, Atheiſm, [gap]laſphemy, and the like. Now he finds he can [gap]ot tremble at God's Word, his Judgments, nor [gap] the Apprehenſion of Hell-Fire: Neither can [gap]e, as he thinketh, be ſorry for theſe things, Now [gap]is is a ſad Diſpenſation. The Man, under the [gap]ixth Head, complaineth for want of Tempta [gap]ons, but thou haſt enough of them; art thou [gap]lad of them, tempted, coming Sinner? They [gap]at never were exercis'd with them, may think it [gap] fine thing to be within their Rage; but he that [gap] there, is ready to ſweat blood for Sorrow of [gap]eart, and to howl for Vexation of Spirit.

This Man is in the Wilderneſs among Wild [gap]aſts; here he ſees a Rear, there a Lyon, yonder [gap] Leopard, a Wolf, a Dragon; Devils of all ſorts, [gap]oubts of all ſorts; Fears of all ſorts: haunt [gap]d moleſt his Soul. Here he ſees Smoke, yea feels [gap]re and Brimſtone ſcatter'd upon his ſecret pla [gap]; he hears the ſound of an horrible Tempeſt▪ [gap] O! my Friends, even the Lord Jeſus, that

knew all things, even he ſaw no Pleaſure i[gap] Temptations, nor did he deſire to be with them Wherefore one Text ſaith, he was led; and another, he was driven of the Spirit into the Wilderneſs, to be Tempted of the Devil, Mat. 4.[gap]

But to return, Thus it happeneth ſometim[gap] to them that are coming to Jeſus Chriſt, A ſad ha[gap] indeed: One would think, that he that is flyin[gap] from the Wrath to come, has little Ne[gap]d of ſu[gap] Clogs as theſe; And yet ſo it is, and woful Experince proves it. The Church of old complained, that her Enemies overtook her betwee[gap] the Straits; juſt between Hope and Fear, Heaven and Hell, Lam. 1.3.

This Men feeleth the Infirmity of his Fleſh [gap] he findeth a proneneſs in himſelf to be Deſperate: Now he chides with God, Flings and tumbles like a wild Bull in a Net, and ſtill the Guilt of all returns upon himſelf to the cruſhing of him in pieces; yet he feeleth his Hear[gap] ſo hard that he can find, as he thinks no kin[gap] falling under any of his miſcarriages. Now b[gap] is a Lump of confuſion in his own Eyes, whoſ[gap] Spirit and Actions are without Order.

Temptations ſerve the Chriſtian as the Shepherds Dog ſerveth the ſilly Sheep; that is coming behind the Flock he runs upon it, pulls i[gap] down, worries it, wounds it, and grievou[gap] bedableth it with Dirt and Wet, in the lowe[gap] places of the Furrows of the Field, and n[gap] leaving it until it's half Dead, not then neithe[gap] except God rebuke.

Here is room now for Fears of being caſt away, Now I ſee I am loſt, ſays the Sinner: Thi[gap] is not coming to Jeſus Chriſt, ſays he; ſu[gap] a deſperate hard, and wretched Heart, as mine [gap]

[gap]annot be a Gracious one ſaith the Sinner. And [gap]id ſuch an one be better, he ſays, I cannot, no [gap] cannot.

Que. But what will you ſay to a Soul in this Condition?

Anſw. I will ſay, That Temptations have attended [gap]he beſt of God's People I will ſay, That Temptations come to do as Good▪ And I will ſay alſo, That there is a difference betwixt growing worſe & worſe, & thy ſeeing more clearly how bad thou art.

There is a Man of an ill favour'd Countenance, who hath too high a Conceit of his Beauty; and wanting the Benefit of a Glaſs, he ſtill ſtands in his own Conceit▪ at laſt a Limner is ſent unto him, who draweth his ill favoured Face to the Life; now looking on it▪ he begins to be convinc'd, that he is not half ſo Handſome as he thought he was. Coming Sinner, thy Temptations are theſe Painters, they have drawn out thy ill favour'd Heart to the Life, and have ſet it before thine Eyes, and now thou ſeeſt how ill favour'd thou art.

Hezekiah was a good Man, yet when he lay Sick (for ought I know) he had ſomewhat too good an Opinion of his Heart, and for ought I know alſo, the Lord might upon his Recovery, leave him to a Temptation, that he might better know all that was in his Heart. Compare, Iſa. 38.1. Chron. 32 31.

Alas▪ We are ſinful out of meaſure, but ſee it not to the full, until an Hour of Temptation comes, but when it comes it doth as the Painter doth, it draweth out our Heart to the Life. Yet the ſight of what we are, ſhould not keep us from coming to Jeſus Chriſt.

There are two Ways by which God ſets a Man into a ſight of the Naughtineſs of his Heart, one is, by the light of the Word and Spirit of God: & the other is, by the Temptations of the Devil. But by the firſt, we ſee our Naughtineſs one way, and by the ſecond, another. By the light of the Word, and Spirit of God, thou haſt a ſight of thy naughtineſs, and by the Light of the Sun thou haſt a ſight of the

Spots and Defilements that are in thy Houſe an[gap] Raiment, which Light gives thee to ſee a Neceſſi[gap] of Cleanſing, but maketh not the Blemiſhes [gap] ſpread more abominably. But when Satan com[gap] when he tempts he puts life end rage into our Si[gap] and turns them, as it were, into ſo many Dev[gap] within us. Now, like Priſoners, they attempt [gap] break thro' the Priſon of our Body, they will a[gap] tempt to get out at our Eyes, Mouth▪ Ears, a[gap] ways to the ſcandal of the Goſpel, and Reproach[gap] Religion; to the darkning of our Evidences, [gap] damning of our Souls.

But I ſhall ſay as I ſaid before▪ this hath o[gap]ti[gap] been the Lot of God's People. And no Tempta[gap] on hath overtaken thee, but ſuch as is common [gap] Man, and God is faithful, who will not luſter [gap] to be tempted above what thou art able, 1 Cor. [gap] 13. See the Book of Job. the Book of Pſalms, [gap] that of the Lamentations. And remember farth[gap] that Chriſt himſelf was tempted to Bleſp[gap]l[gap]eme [gap] worſhip the Devil, and to murther himſelf Ma[gap] Luke 4. (Temptations worſe than which thou ca[gap] be hardly overtaken with.) But he was Senſele[gap] that is true. And he is thy Saviour, and that it [gap] true. Yea, is as true alſo, that by his being temp[gap] ed, He became the Conqueror of the Tempter, a[gap] a Succourer of thoſe that are tempted, Col. [gap] 14,

Queſt. But what ſhould be the Reaſon that ſo[gap] that are coming to Chriſt, ſhould be ſo lamentab[gap] caſt down, & buffered with Temptations?

Anſw. It may be for ſeveral Cauſes.

Firſt Some that are coming to Chriſt, cannot [gap] perſwaded, until the Temptation comes, that th[gap] are ſo Vile as the Scripture ſaith they are, Tr[gap] they ſee ſo much of their Wretchedneſs as to de[gap] them to Chriſt: but there is an over and above [gap] Wickedneſs, which they ſee not. Peter little [gap] that he had Curſing, and Swearing, and Lying [gap] an inclination in his heart to Deny his Maſter, [gap] fore the Temptation came. But when that ind[gap] came upon him, then he found it there to his [gap] row John 13.36, &c.

Secondly. Som[gap] that are coming to Jeſus Chriſt [gap]e too much affected with their own Graces, and [gap]o little taken with Chriſt's Perſon, wherefore God [gap] take them off from doathing on their own Jewels, [gap]o that they may look more to the Perſon, Un [gap]ertaking, and Merits of his Son, plunges them into [gap]e Ditch by Temptations and this I take to be [gap]he meaning of Job If I waſh me (ſaid he) with [gap]now Water, and make my ſelf never ſo clean, yet [gap]ilt thou plunge me in the Ditch and mine own Cloaths ſhall abhor me, J[gap]b 9 30. Job had been a little [gap]oo much tampering with his own Graces, & ſeeing [gap]is Excellencies a little too high, (as theſe Texts [gap]ake manifeſt Job 33 8.9 10, 11) But by that the [gap] Temptations were ended, you find him better [gap] a[gap]ight.

Yea, God doth often times, even for this thing, as [gap]e were take our Graces from us and ſo leave us [gap]lmoſt quite to our ſelves and to the Tempter, that [gap]e may learn, not to love the Picture, more than [gap]he Perſon of his Son. See how he dealt with them [gap]n the 16th of Ezekiel, and the 2d of Hoſea.

Thirdly Perhaps thou haſt been given too much [gap]o judge th[gap] Brother, to condemn thy Brother, be [gap]auſe a poor tempted Man: And God to bring [gap]own the pride of thy Heart, let[gap]eth the Tempter [gap]ooſe upon thee that thou may'ſt alſo feel thy [gap]elf wealt, For Pride goeth before Deſtruction & an [gap]aughty Spirit before a Fall. Prov. 16 18.

Fourthly. It ma[gap] be thou haſt d[gap]alt too roughly with thoſe that God hath wounded; not conſide [gap]ng thy ſelf leſt thou alſo be tempted; & therefore God hath ſuſte[gap]ed is to come unto thee, Gal. 6.7.

Fifthly, It m[gap] be thou waſt given to Slumber & Sleep, and therefo[gap] [gap]heſe Temptations were ſent to [gap]waken thee. You know that Peter's Temptation came upon him after his Sleeping▪ then inſtead of Watching and Praying then he Denied, and Denied, and Denied has Maſter, Mat [gap]0[gap]

Sixthly, It may be thou haſt Preſumed too far, [gap] ſtood too much in thine own S[gap]rength; and [gap] [gap]fore is a time of Temptation come upon thee.

Tho' all Men forſake thee, yet will not I. A[gap] That's the way to be tempted indeed, John 13.36.

Seventhly, It may be God intends to make th[gap] wiſe to ſpeak a word in ſeaſon to others that a[gap] afflicted; & therefore he ſuffered thee to be temp[gap] ed, Chriſt was tempted, that he might be able to ſu[gap] cour thoſe that are tempted, Heh. 2.

Eighthly, It may be Satan hath dated God [gap] ſuffer him to tempt thee, promiſing himſelf, th[gap] if he will but let him do it, thou wilt Curſe him [gap] his Face. Thus he obtained leave againſt Jo[gap] Wherefore take heed, tempted Soul, leſt thou p[gap] veſt the Devil's Sayings true, Job 1.2.

Ninthly, It may be thy Graces muſt be tried [gap] the Fire, that the Ruſt which cleaveth to them m[gap] be taken away, and themſelves p[gap]o[gap]ed both befor[gap] Angels and Devil's, to be far better than of Go[gap] that periſhes. It may be alſo that thy Graces a[gap] to receive ſpecial Praiſe and Honour, and Glory at the coming of the Lord Jeſus (to Judgment) for all the Exploits that thou hast acted by them againſt Hell and its infernal Crew, in the Day [gap] thy Temptation, 1 Pet. 1.6.

Tenthly, It may be God would have others lear[gap] by the Sighs, Groans and Complaints under Temptations, to beware of thoſe Sins, for the ſake o[gap] which, thou art at preſent delivered to the Tormentors.

To conclude this, put the worſt to the worſt, ([gap] then things will be bad enough) ſuppoſe that thou art to this Day without the Grace of God, yes thou are but a miſerable Creature, a Sinner that [gap]as [gap] of a bleſſed Saviour, and the Text preſents [gap] with one, as good, and kind, as Heart can wit[gap] who alſo for thine Encouragement ſays, And [gap] [gap]hat cometh to me, I will in no wiſe cast out.