The vvay to heaven discovered: and, the stumbling-blocks (cast therein by the world, flesh, and devill) removed. Or, The ready way to true happines

XVI.

The sixteenth stumbling block, Well saith the poor soul, I see I have not sinned that unpardonable sin, that block is

removed, and my heart begun to be cheared, and the mercy gate by faith I saw opened; but behold I see another stum∣bling block; even a mighty mountain, or many blocks and mountains, laid all to∣gether, so that I have no hope at pre∣sent either to get over it, or to have it removed, viz. originall sinne in every member of my body, and every faculty of my soul, and actuall sins in all things that ever I have done, so that the whole man is a lump of sinne. Besides, I see the world, flesh, and Devill joyn all to∣gether against me, and I doe finde them too strong for me; it is better for me to die that I might cease from sinne, and know the worst of my torment, for I see all the plagues threatned against sin∣ners both in the Old and New Testament, hang over my head; therefore sure speak to me no more unlesse you speak of the torments of hell; as for me I have no hope of obtaining mercy and pardon: I am even ready to say with Cain, Gen. 4. 13. My punishment is greater then I can bear: Wherefore with Judas I am rea∣dy to hang my self; but before I do ei∣ther, I will with Job, curse the day of my birth, Job 3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. After

this Job opened his mouth, and cursed his day: Let the day perish wherein I was born, let that day be darknesse, let not God regard it, and as for that night, let darknesse seise upon it, let it not be joyned unto the daies of the year, let it not come into the number of the moneths. If I could reckon up how many minutes since the time I was born, then I might know the number of my sins, for I am guilty of as ma∣ny sinnes, as I have lived minutes, if not more, and who can dwell in everlasting burning? Oh! I hear that voice sounding in mine ears, Rem. 2. 8, 9. Tribulation, and anguish, and indignation, and wrath, up∣on every soul, of man that doth evill, upon the Jew first, and also upon the Gentile; shall one sinne cast down the best Saints, and shall not ten hundred thousand sinnes damn me body and soul? one sinne tript up the heels of Noah, the righteousest man in the world; one sinne cast down Abraham, the greatest beleever in the world; one sinne threw down David, the best King in the world; one sinne cast down Paul, the greatest Apostle in the world; one sinne threw down Sam∣pson, the strongest man in the world; one sinne cast down Solomon, the wisest

man in the world; and another Moses, the meekest man in the world; and ano∣ther sinne cast down Job the patientest man in the world.

Answ. For the removing of this great stumbling block, consider that thy sinnes are but finite at the most, but Gods mercy is infinite; I say, his pardoning mercy is infinite; wherefore give over saying with Peter, Luk. 5. 8. Depart from me, for I am a sinfull man; and say with Da∣vid, Pardon my sin, for it is wondrous great, Psal. 25. 11. It is true, every soul is empty of all good, and filled with all evill, and is a transgressor from the womb, so that man is born,

• 1. An enemy to God, Ephes. 2. 5. Col. 1. 21.
• 2. A childe of the Devill, Ephes. 2. 1. & 1 Joh. 3. 8, 10.
• 3. An heir of hell, Mat. 23. 15.

So that man in his conception, birth, thoughts, words, and actions, is be∣come altogether, from the crown of the head to the sole of the foot, sin∣full; there is nothing but wounds and sores, iniquity, transgression, and rebel∣lion: yea, the choicest piece also, the soul, in all its faculties is corrupted, the Understanding is blinded as to spi∣rituall

things, 1 Cor. 2. 24. and so the Will of man is wholly depraved, it is contrary to God in all things, it will not depend nor wait on God, it is un∣constant in good resolutions; the Me∣mory also is full of corruption, being apt to forget the things we are com∣manded to remember, and to remember the things we are commanded to forget, Jam. 1. 25. So likewise the Conscience is corrupted, it abuseth and perverteth the light it hath, to make sinnes small, where it should accuse it great, and some∣times to make sinnes so great, as to say there is no mercy for them; whereas it should rather excuse and comfort. And so for our Affections, how are they cor∣rupted, being misplaced, and ready to run over, either to over-love, over-grieve, over-joy, or to hate what it should love, and to love what it should hate; as our lusts, why else do we lodge them, and turn enemies to those that reprove us?

Behold, here is a taste of mans cor∣rupt nature, and the Apostle saith, if a man live and die in this condition, he cannot inherit the Kingdome of God, 1 Cor. 15. 50. the whole sense is, no man

can know the mysteries of the King∣dome of grace, without a regenerate minde, and therefore no man can be sa∣ved by adoption, without regeneration, and renovation of the whole man; for as hath been proved, we are born aliens from the kingdome of God, Ephes. 2. 1, 12, 13. and meer enemies, Rom. 5. 10. untill we are born again of water, and of the Ho∣ly Ghost: hence it is that the Apostle re∣quireth, a new creature, a new man, 1 Cor. 5. 7. & 2 Cor. 5. 17. & Gal. 6. 15. & Ephes. 4. 24. Col. 3. 10. The unregenerate man perceiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, neither can he because they be spiritually discerned, 1 Cor. 2. 14.

Wherefore wait at the pools of Be∣thesda, at the ordinances of God, being the pipes of conveyance, for the finishing of this great work in thy soul: I say, wait upon God in hearing, reading, con∣versing, and inquiring, and that dili∣gently and constantly; this work deserred, will be still greater, the time to doe it in, will be shorter, the strength to doe it will be lesse; therefore to day if thou wilt hear his voice, Heb. 3. 15. 13. to day, lest any of you be ••ardned through the de∣ceitfulnesse of sinne.

Now thou being throughly and power∣fully convinced of sinne which is the stum∣bling blocke that seems to lie in thy way, consider that this conviction is the first step towards heaven, Joh. 16. 8.

1. Then consider, that these sinnes of thine, were laid on the Lord Je••us Christ, Isa. 53. 6. God laid on him the iniquities of us all, and he hath suffered the judgements due to them. I••a. 53. 7, 8, 9. And the Lord saw the travell of his soul, and was satis∣fied.

2. Consider, that God hath promised to pardon them, and those promises are of two sorts, some conditionall, and some free without conditions: first, some conditionall, Matth. 11. 28. & Prov. 28. 13. If we confesse and forsake our sinnes, we shall finde mercy. Then secondly, there be some promises without conditions. Isa. 43. 25, 26. Heb. 8. 12. I will doe it for my owne names sake freely.

3. Consider, that this God is mind∣full of his promise, Psal. 111. 5. He will ever be mindefull of his covenant, that is, he looks n••t at their sinnes, but at his own promise. I••a. 49. 15, 16. Can a Woman f••rget her suck••ng ch••••de, that she

should not have compassion on the sonne of her wombe; yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee, for I have graven thee upon the palmes of my hands, &c.

4. Consider, he is able, and willing to make good what he hath promi∣sed; Rom. 4. 20, 21. He staggered not at the promises of God: 21. For he was fully perswaded, that what he had promised he was able to performe. Again, he is willing, he doth not afflict willingly: Mica. 7. 18, 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of his people? he retaineth not his an∣ger for ever, because hee delighteth in mercy.

5. Consider, he is faithfull, he cannot lie; Heb. 10. 23. Let us hold fast the pro∣fession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithfull that hath promised. 1 Cor. 1. 9. 1 Thes. 5. 24. & 2 Thes. 3. 3. In a word, he is so faithfull, that he cannot but make good every title promised: Tit. 1. 2. In hope of eternall life, which God that cannot lie hath promised; the best of men may promise and lie, but it is God that cannot lie, that hath promised us life.

6. Consider, that he hath entred in∣to covenant to us, to make it good: Now a Covenant giveth strength to the truth of any ingagement, when we have but a promise, we use to say, we have nothing but a bare promise for such and such things; now God hath made many promises all sealed and made sure to us, by an unchangeable Covenant; see 2 Sam. 7. 14, 15. Psal. 89. 28, to the 37. compared with Heb. 8 9, 10.

7. Consider, that he hath sworne to us, that he will make good his Cove∣nant to us, because he delights not in the destruction of us. Ezek. 33. 11. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the the wicked. Heb. 6. 17, 18. Wherein God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heires of promise the immutability of his counsell, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immuta∣ble things, we might have a strong conso∣lation.

8. He hath sealed his Promise, Oath, and Covenant, &c. with the bloud of his Sonne, Rom. 5. 6. & Heb. 9. 23. & Revel. 1. 5. In a word, to winde up all; the Lord hath taken away all the stumbling blocks that lay in our way,

either from the truth of him that maketh the promise, or from his ability to make good his word, or of his sincerity to intend really what he speaketh, or of his constant memory of taking the oppor∣tunity of doing the thing promised, or of his stablenesse to be still of the same minde.