2. Use 2 1It is a word of direction and instruction, how to get this grace at the hands of God; go Gods way, and go the ready way. If ever thou wilt receive grace from God, do that which God doth: as Hosea 2.14. Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her. Be throughly wounded first, and then ⟨p. 23⟩look for comfort and ease.2 As it was in the Sacrifices of the law, they did first kill the Sacrifice, before they did offer it, and first they did pound the incense, then burn it: so your souls must be broken by true contrition, before you can receive any comfort: as in Joel 2. Rent your hearts, 3and not your garments, and then turn to the Lord. First rent the heart, and then offer the heart in sacrifice to God. We use first to burn the wax, and then seal with it. As it is with vessels that are old and bruised, a little washing and mending will not serve the turn, but they must be all taken in pieces, and made up new: so we are all vessels of wrath by nature, and a little patching will not serve the turn. It is not enough for a man to say he is sorry for his sins, but his heart must be throughly humbled and broken; then he is fit to be made a vessel of grace here, and of glory hereafter. Of all things in the heart, God cannot endure this patching in the work of grace, to sow grace and sin together. As in Daniels Image, which was partly clay, and partly iron, and partly brass, so it is in a Christian course, a man may easily be an Image of a Christian, but not a sound Christian: he will not have an heart humbled and broken before God easily. Therefore in vain they worship God, and labour to approve their hearts to God, that think ⟨p. 24⟩to come to salvation, and yet in the mean time this brokenness of heart will not down with them, And the reason why so many men fall back from a good course, and come to such desperate discouragements, is, because they do not walk in Gods way. When a man will rear up a frame of grace in his fancy, as he that set up a brave house in the sand; when the winds blow, and the storms come, it falleth by and by: so when you rear up frames of grace in your imaginations, and think you are holy, and shall have Christ, but yet you never felt this powerful work of grace; if any temptations come, or any thunderbolt from the Word, this shakes all in pieces.
2. Vse 2 1It is a word of direction and instruction, how to get this grace at the hands of God; goe Gods way, and goe the ready way. If ever thou wilt receive grace from God, doe that which God doth: as Hosea 2.14. Behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wildernesse, and speake comfortably to her. Be throughly wounded first, and then ⟨p. 23⟩looke for comfort and ease.2 As it was in the Sacrifices of the law, they did first kill the Sacrifice, before they did offer it, and first they did pound the incense, then burne it: so your soules must be broken by true contrition, before you can receive any comfort: as in Ioel 2. Rent your hearts, 3and not your garments, and then turne to the Lord. First rent the heart, and then offer the heart in sacrifice to God. We use first to burne the waxe, and then seale with it. As it is with vessels that are old and bruised, a little washing and mending will not serve the turne, but they must bee all taken in pieces, and made up new: so wee are all vessels of wrath by nature, and a little patching will not serve the turne. It is not enough for a man to say hee is sorry for his sinnes, but his heart must be throughly humbled and broken; then hee is fit to be made a vessell of grace here, and of glory hereafter. Of all things in the heart, God cannot endure this patching in the worke of grace, to sow grace and sinne together. As in Daniels Image, which was partly clay, and partly iron, and partly brasse, so it is in a Christian course, a man may easily be an Image of a Christian, but not a sound Christian: he will not have an heart humbled and broken before God easily. Therefore in vaine they worship God, and labour to approve their hearts to God, that thinke ⟨p. 24⟩to come to salvation, and yet in the meane time this brokennesse of heart will not downe with them, And the reason why so many men fall backe from a good course, and come to such desperate discouragements, is, because they doe not walke in Gods way. When a man will reare up a frame of grace in his fancy, as he that set up a brave house in the sand; when the winds blow, and the stormes come, it falleth by and by: so when you reare up frames of grace in your imaginations, and thinke you are holy, and shall have Christ, but yet you never felt this powerfull worke of grace; if any temptations come, or any thunderbolt from the Word, this shakes all in pieces.
- 1To get comfort, begin in sorrow.
- 2Simile.
- 3Joel 2.13.
