The tempestuous soul calmed by Jesus Christ;: being an extract of several sermons, / preached by Anthony Palmer, pastor of the church at Bourton on the Water in Gloucester-shire.

* 1.1When a Soul comes savingly, it comes in a perishing condition to Jesus Christ: Lord save us we perish; 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, we are lost, or are in a lost condition; lost, do

thou save us; This doth rightly answer to the heart of Christ, and his purpose revealed in the Gospel, I am come to seek and to save, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 that which was lost or ready to perish; that really is so, and that shall see it self to be so, Luk. 19.10. So in that threefold Parable Luk. 15. to set forth such a sinner that Christ draws in to his salvation, I have found my Sheep which was lost, ver. 6. Rejoyce with me, I have found the piece that was lost, vers. 9. And so of the Prodigall, Let us eat and rejoyce, my Son was lost and is found, ver. 23, 24. 'Tis Christ's rejoycing to finde sinners lost in themselves; To this pur∣pose Paul, Phil. 3.9. That I may be found in Christ, implying, he was lost in him∣self; Now to open this, how a soul is said to come to Christ in this lost and pe∣rishing condition.

First, Perishing in sinne, such a sight of sin as before is described, if it stay in its sinne, it must certainly perish; Sinne cannot ensafe; The least sinne is able to damn, much more the multitudes of them that lie undischarged upon it.

Secondly, A Soul that comes truly to Christ, comes perishing in its own strength; 'Tis likely, those who were

ready to perish in the Ship with Christ in the tempest, that they toiled long in their own strength, rowed with their own oars, with much painfulnesle, till they saw all was in vain, and then they throw down all, Master save, or we perish; So a poor creature after some conviction and awakening, 'tis apt at first to be toyl∣ing in its own strength, its own naturall sufficiencies, sets to repentance, duties, obedience, in its own strength, turns in the outward man from the grosser evils of his waies, but then backslides again, and all because he would be his own deli∣verer, work for and by himself, at least contribute something himself; But to come weak and strengthlesse to Jesus Christ, helplesse in it self, this goes hard, To acknowledge to the glory of God and our own shame; That if any thing be left on our score, to make good with God, perish we must, this goes to the quick; indeed our pride and self-love is very unwilling to yeeld to this, a crea∣ture would not be found to be at such a totall losse with God, so farre to have spoiled and undone himself; to be so wholly weakened and deadned by sin, as not to be able to help the Lord Jesus one

little in saving us, but the whole stresse must be laid upon him: yet thus it is, when we were without strength Christ died, Rom. 5.6. And so when Christ comes to give a soul the blessing of his death, and to estate him in it; It causeth the soul to know and feel that it is without strength, and helplesse, and then 'twill be at his feet perishing in it self without him; No∣thing is more strongly setled upon the spirit of a sinner then this self-sufficiency, and opinion of its own power; He can pray, repent, hear the Word, receive, be just, do all, and acceptably enough to God, as he deemeth, and still on the lees of his own strength, not knowing what belongs to the spirituall performance of any duty, and so befools himself; Now this is the first thing a soul coming into Christ, is to perish in, in all its own strength.

3. It is to perish in all its own righte∣ousnesse; 'Twas in vain for these poor men in the Ship, to be hiding themselves In cabins of their own, when the Ship was so tossed and shaken; to lie nuzling in their own wares, though never so pre∣cious; No, all the precious merchandise must over-board, passe for nothing; So when a soul comes to Christ for help, all

its own cabins of its own righteousnesse must be cast away; All thy former ser∣vice of hearing, praying, being just and sober (if thou werst so) which was thy cabin, thy covert in the room of Christ, must be lookt upon as thy sins, as that which is but an abomination in the pure eyes of God, Pro. 15.8. The prayer of the wicked (that is, of every person out of Christ) is an abomination to the Lord; As for thy publique worship that haply thou reposest most in, What saith the Spirit of God of it, Isa. 1.13. vain oblati∣tion, abomination, it is iniquity, the solemn meeting, they are a trouble to me, I am wea∣ry to bear them, And as for private prai∣ers, plainly saith he, When you make them, I will not hear them, v. 15. And why? be∣cause the sins of such a person are not pardoned, his person not justified, he is not in Christ, he doth not sanctifie Gods Name in his services, not direct∣ed to right ends, and so hatefull to the pure and righteous God; And yet fond man is apt to hide and secure himself in these things, as Adam in his fig-leaves; So he prays a little, in a customary dead-hearted manner, with some kinde of outward reverence: so he gives alms, goes

to publique worship, is righteous to men: (things good in themselves, if aright, and to right ends performed;) And if he slip, a little repentance of his own added, and Christ to make up what he wants, this is the hold of the most, and sends as many souls away empty from Christ, as any thing whatsoever; What formall profes∣sours, I mean, the common bulk of the people of this Nation, reach so far as a Pharisee in all the duties they boasted in? And yet observe and do it with deep thoughts of heart, that in Mat. 23. when the Lord Jesus preacht his last Sermon to them, after he hath seven times pro∣nounced woes unto them, he puts this confounding question to them, Ye Gene∣ration of Vipers, how shall you escape the damnation of hell? ver. 33. Most (indeed) perish within the pale of the Church up∣on this account. That in Rom. 10.3. a∣mong many others is very remarkable, They being ignorant of Gods righteous∣nesse, go about to establish their own righteousnesse, and have not submitted to the righteousnesse of God; 1. Igno∣rant, how holy and perfect that righte∣ousnesse is, in which God will accept of and justifie a creature; Ignorant of the

righteousnesse of the Law, considering not that the holy and spirituall Law of God reacheth to the heart and spirit, and that one motion awry, if we stand to that, damns a soul for ever, or that the worth of his repentance and duties can make God amends for what he fails, as shew'd; and ignorant of the full and acceptable righteousnesse of Christ (though per∣haps some generall notion of it in the brain, and able to discourse of it, yet as to sound and spirituall discerning of it, and closing with it, ignorant of it) and so goeth about to establish his own righte∣ousnesse; And so is establishing that which the Lord will destroy, establishing that which he should be perishing in, and so doth not submit to the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ; through ignorance and pride, and self-conceit, doth not submit unto it, never beaten out of and perished in their own, that they might submit unto Christ, to be accepted for Christs obedi∣ence, and not for their own; And yet having thus submitted, to delight in all the holy will of God also,

3. A soul must perish as to any support in its priviledges, of being baptized, a pro∣testant, of the true Church, and the like,

being no Papist, no Heretick, nor Schis∣matick, as people are wont to boast them∣selves; Though these are priviledges, yet to build a safe condition upon them with∣out Christ and regeneration, is a most dangerous sin.

4. A soul must perish in all its outward comforts, as to be a refuge for him, some∣thing hath been said as to this already: The spirit of a man being an active mo∣ver must fasten and feed upon something, and having lost God and communion with him, it turns to the creatures, and would satisfie it self upon them, which bearing no proportion to it, cannot af∣ford him fulnesse; Therefore convinced of this, it is resolved to throw them off, and seeing them altogether insuf∣ficient to cover him from the wrath of God, to appease the conscience, to give one dram of blessing to his soul, he comes to Christ, as having rested (such a rest as it was) in perishing things, and sees if he staies upon them, he must perish in them.

In a word, Consider all those lying Refuges, which a soul findes out to hide himself and pacifie conscience with, there doth the searching God finde him our, and drive him out of them, and unfastens

his hold of them, then doth God as it were throw him at the feet of Christ, then Christs bowels yern after him, and laies hold upon him; Then will that soul tell the Lord Jesus that he is come to perish in his view, under his eye, if he do perish, but resolved to look after no other help∣er, if his good pleasure be not towards him; I will yet step aside to speak to a soul, that hath not yet thus perished in all but Christ.

Why then sinner Consider, here's that will take down thy plumes, thy im∣bred self-conceit and self-flatteries that will undoe thee, if thou any longer hear∣kenest to them; and yet walks up and down as self-conceitedly, as if all thou trustest in were as safe as heaven.

1. As to thy sin; I have pleaded with thee before, but a word more, Darest thou pretend to be safe in thy sin an hour more? Darest thou walk upon the brink of hell, and smile upon it? Tell me, Dost thou beleeve sinne as certainly damnable (while thou art in it, unpardoned, not fled to Jesus Christ) as God reigneth in the heaven and is just? Dost thou be∣leeve it? sure thou dost not; else thou dost not give rest unto thy spirit till thou hast

found a Saviour to take thy sin away, and his Spirit witnessing the same effectually unto thee: Oh then, come and be as thou art (and be not too proud to own it) a perishing sinner at Christs feet; How poor and trembling will a perishing man be, that lies wholly at the mercy of another? So is it with thee, thou hast not so much as bread for thy soul till thou comest perishing and hungring after Jesus Christ.

2. As to thy own strength a word more; If it be so, that thou art strength∣lesse, helplesse in thy self, not able to move one step towards God savingly of thy self, thy heart as dead and weak as water; how poor a creature may this make thee in thy own eyes? Is it likely that what thou hast done hitherto, and performed toward God hath been in thy own naturall strength, and so not accep∣ted? oh then go and pleade with God to give thee a heart, even upon his own free promise, Jer. 31. I will give them a heart to know me; Helplesse sinner what wouldst thou have more? Hast thou not a spiri∣tual heart? I will give it, saith God, and give it for humble asking; Oh art thou willing to turn at Gods reproof; then Be∣hold,

I will powr out my spirit upon you; Behold, take notice of it, as the most en∣couraging promise thou canst fly unto; Turn thy face to Christ, and hear what he will speak, even upon those unanswer∣able arguments he laies down in his Go∣spel, yea, beseech him but to turn thee to him, and himself to thee, and he will do it; O then go presently to him, while thou seest the way open, and ear∣nestly beg his Spirit, and pleade Christs own promise: And that spirit shall be an humbling, subduing, praying, renew∣ing, quickning, mortifying, guiding, com∣forting Spirit in thee; And so thou shalt learn to perform all in the Spirit of Jesus Christ.

3. As to thy own righteousnesse let me have one word more with thee; Know, that though thou maist make a good estimate of thy self, and that others do so also, in the things thou dost towards God and man, yet Consi∣der, that what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination to the Lord, saith Christ, Luk. 15. To be round with thee, Darest thou imagine to stand and appear before the infinitely righteous, holy, heart-searching God, in such a patcht

up defiled covering, as thy own doings and performances make? Wilt thou lie down wrapt in a cobweb (such is thy hope in this, Job. 8.13.) to cover thee from the piercing storms of God, or to hide a heart full of iniquity and hypo∣erisie from the eye of God? or dost thou think that Jesus Christ will joyn righteousnesse with thine? In a word, in stead of being a well-conceited Pharisee (for 'tis uo better) Go and be a poor sinner at Christs feet, and be willing to let him have all the glory in thy salvati∣on; Even put on Jesus Christ by an humble, free, totall resignment of thy self unto him, to undertake thy cause, as hath been shewd, to work all thy works for thee and in thee; And in stead of thy own defiled righteousnesse, thou hast stood a tip-toe in, the entire obedi∣ence of Christ shall be thine, and thou shalt appear before God in that full, pure, spotlesse, acceptable righteousness of the Son of his, in which the soul of God is infinitely delighted; Ah Soul, what a change is this, to part with filth and abomination, for the glorious righ∣teousnesse of the Son of God, to be clad in it, and even shine forth before God in it.

4. Well, do the same as to any consi∣dence in all thy Church-priviledges, of being baptized, being a Protestant, no heretick; Do the same as to all creature-refuges, as hath been shewed; and being undone and shattered in them, do not dare to be safe in them any longer, no, no pretension to safety, till thou shalt be safe in the Lord Jesus, by a clear and full closure with him, till thou hast him in thy arms by faith, thy soul embracing and twining it self about him, till he shall say unto thee, I am thine, and thou shalt finde power and vertue coming from him.

From what hath been said maist thou now with deep thoughts of heart say thus within thy self; Ah wretch that I have been, fond, self-pleasing, self-flattering wretch; how well conceited of my self, how able thought I my self to do every thing, how confidently have I stood be∣fore the perfect God in the performance of my carnall duties, when they were as filthy as sin could make them, and God was loathing of them? Now I see one Jesus Christ is ten thousand times better then them all; Now I will cast anchor into him, now I will contend for him as

for life; Now I will enquire, seek, wait upon his voice (his spirit enabling me) till I shall finde him, and all those Bles∣sings are reported to be in him; Now I will be diligent in duties upon a better account, not as they are able to render me accepted and justified before God (so I do and ever will renounce them) but as means (blessed be God) to conveigh Christ to my soul, and as the testimony of my obedience to him.

And now, if by the Lords blessing un∣to thee what hath been said, or thou wast such before, even a more perishing sin∣ner in thy own eyes, take yet what far∣ther is implied in the heart of these words, Lord save, I perish, which may be enlarged in such a plea as this; Oh blessed Lord Jesus of Life and Glory, Here's a soul at thy feet with the weight of numberlesse sins upon it, but not one dram of righteousnesse to cover him; a desolate, forlorn, shipwrackt worm, that stands bound over in thousands of debts to the just and dreadfull God of heaven and earth; But hath not so much as one mite to pay him, unlesse with the forfei∣ture of my immortall soul; Here I come with thee, as thou hast commanded, and

throw my self upon thee; He venture an immortall soul with thee, If thou hast not treasures enough to spare lying by thee, the infinite merits of thy own bloud, If thou wilt not freely satisfie for me, and take the debts of my sins upon thee, and so stand between a just God and a condemned sinner; If thou hast not favour enough with the righteous God to prevail for me; Oh I must perish, everlastingly perish.

Lord] It implies thou art mighty and able to do it, for all power is committed to thee; If there be not power enough with thee, thou who art the mighty God, the Prince of Peace, and so able to rescue my darling soul, I am contented to sink before thee; but thou, thou alone art the Lord of Life; oh magnifie thy great pow∣er upon me, and even be my Lord, my Lord, other Lords beside thee I would have none, Lord save, &c.

Save,] 'Tis for a great and weighty matter that I pleade, that I come unto thee for, No lesse then to be eternally saved, saved from the everlasting wrath and vengeance of God, saved to ever∣lasting life and glory in the glorious pre∣sence of God for evermore; O thou Sa∣viour

of men (that's thy Name and ho∣nourable Title) didst thou not passe through many abasements, when thou wast upon earth, very unsuitable to thy glorious person? didst thou not drink of a most bitter cup, full of the wrath of divine justice? And was not this then in thy heart, did not this then bear thee up, that thou shouldest save? ah save poor helplesse souls, that could never have been saved without thee; Oh, hadst thou not infinitely delighted in saving lost souls, thou hadst never been at so much pains and travell and cost in the work; Oh therefore Save, Lord Save; Yea, Save,

I perish;] Must, will perish, If thou dost not save; Save, for the waters are come over my soul, I am sinking with∣out thee; Master, Master, I perish Luk. 8. Master, Carest thou not that I perish? Mar. 4. Oh let it never be told in Gath, that even a complaining, forlorn soul perish∣ed at thy feet; What, at the feet of a Jesus? Alas, if thou carest not that I pe∣rish, who will? If thou pitiest not, who will or can? Oh for the honour of thy own Name pity; If I should now perish in the view of harbour, now I have seen and cried to a Saviour, Thy enemies will

speak evil of thy Name; Well, blessed Lord, thou seest all the arguments I have to move thee; That which I will stick upon and never give thee over with is, that I must perish, perish without thee, yea, perish in thy sight, if thou succour me not; Lord save, I perish.

Well now, Soul, If thou dost in this or the like manner pant after Jesus Christ in such a perishing posture, and thine eyes are upon him, and followest him, and waitest what he will speak unto thee, I will a little prevent thee, and shew thee a copy or two of his tender heart in this particular: See Luk. 19.10. For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost; He came, 'twas his errand, his businesse, 'twas the main thing he had in his heart: What? that which thou so ear∣nestly look'st for, even to save, yea more, to seek whom he might save; but what kinde of persons? even such as thou pre∣sentest thy self unto him, that which is lost, souls that come as lost and perish∣ing in themselves to seek him; Have the worst thoughts of thy self, it can reach but to be a lost soul, and such, (saith Christ) if he be worthy of credit with thee he came to seek; If thou art seek∣ing

him, why, he was seeking thee be∣fore; He left it upon record in his Go∣pel, and he is in heaven to see it made good; So much will that Scripture af∣ford thee, and beleeve it: Another Isa. 45.22. Look unto me, and be ye saved; Well now, dost thou look up with a long∣ing expectation to Jesus Christ for salva∣tion, to hear what he will speak unto thee? why now, saith Christ to such a looking expecting soul, Be ye saved, Be it unto you as you will; To confirm it to thee, hear him further in the same Scri∣pture, I am God, and none else, None but me is able: and as for his good will and faithfullnesse in performing it, he fur∣ther saith, I have sworn by my self, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteous∣nesse; And then observe, ver. 24. what he assures thee of, how fully he answers thy errand, Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousnesse and strength; Mark, while thou art seeking and looking for it, thou hast it, while thou art perish∣ing in thy own, thou hast found it fully in Jesus Christ; And therefore, as it fol∣lows there, In the Lord thou shalt be ju∣stified and glorified. Yea more (saith Christ) that thou maiest not think it a

common matter to him, as if he did not care, or it did not much concern him; Rejoyce with me, saith he in Luke, as shewed, for I have found that which was lost.

But yet there remains one Objection in thy heart, that as yet thou dost not taste the comfort of this, thou dost not yet so powerfully hear the voice of Christ, nor so comfortably see his face; The rea∣sons of this are to be cleared in the next point.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Doct. 2.