The day is appointed for the trial, what Lawyer doth the Soul get to plead his Cause? He sends for carnal reason, as Pharaoh sent for the Magicians, And when God hath opened his eyes, and discovered his soul to his soul, then he calls in, I say, the Magicians of carnal reason to plead against the word of God lest it should prevail, or his sins should lie so heavy ⟨p. 34⟩upon him as to tire and weary him out of them. First, it excuseth the heinousness of sin, that the sin was not so great, that though the Minister speak as if we were all Saints, yet are we not all sinners; who then shall go unpunished? we do not look to be saved by our selves or our works, but by Jesus Christ, and he came to save Sinners, It is but looking towards him, and crying God mercy at last; but, saith the Minister, we must be sanctified as well as saved. Acts. 3. 26. God having raised up his Son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning every one of you from his evil way; That is blessedness; we must be reformed, if comforted; humbled, if glorified; What ⟨p. 35⟩saith the Sinner, must I forsake my evil ways? we know no man can, what need a man to be so precise and curious? Thus with these and many other please carnal reason, like a cunning Solicitor, with the help of the Devil, who will play the crafty Lawyer, and what the one can invent, and the other suggest will be surely pleaded to beat back the power of the word. And tis admirable to consider what contentions there are herein, and how the wicked heart of man will outbid all the means under heaven until the spirit of God come in upon the soul, and then as the wisdom of God informs a sinner, so the spirit becomes the Advocate of God, that wise and holy ⟨p. 36⟩Spirit by the Ministry of the word convinceth the sinner, John 16.8. And when he is come he will convince the world of sin; he will answer all the pleas and arguments that the sinner can make. 2. Cor. 10.4, 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalteth it self against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: when the soul cavils, what needs all this ado. Shall not a man go to Heaven unless he pray, hear Sermons, and sanctify the Sabbath?
The day is appointed for the triall, what Lawyer doth the Soule get to plead his Cause? He sends for carnall reason, as Pharaoh sent for the Magicians, And when God hath opened his eyes, and discovered his soule to his soule, then he calls in, I say, the Magicians of carnall reason to plead against the word of God lest it should prevaile, or his sins should lie so heavy ⟨p. 34⟩upon him as to tire and weary him out of them. First, it excuseth the hainousnesse of sinne, that the sin was not so great, that though the Minister speake as if we were all Saints, yet are we not all sinners; who then shall goe unpunished? we doe not looke to be saved by our selves or our workes, but by Jesus Christ, and he came to save Sinners, It is but looking towards him, and crying God mercie at last; but, saith the Minister, we must be sanctified as well as saved. Acts. 3. 26. God having raised up his Sonne Jesus sent him to blesse you in turning every one of you from his evill way; That is blessednesse; we must be reformed, if conforted; humbled, if glorified; What ⟨p. 35⟩saith the Sinner, must I forsake my evill waies? we know no man can, what need a man to be so precise and curious? Thus with these and many other please carnal reason, like a cunning Solicitour, with the helpe of the Divell, who will play the crafty Lawyer, and what the one can invent, and the other suggest will be surely pleaded to beate backe the power of the word. And tis admirable to consider what contentions there are herein, and how the wicked heart of man will outbid all the meanes under heaven untill the spirit of God come in upon the soule, and then as the wisedome of God informes a sinner, so the spirit becoms the Advocate of God, that wise and holy ⟨p. 36⟩Spirit by the Ministery of the word convinceth the sinner, John 16.8. And when he is come he will convince the world of sinne; he will answer all the pleaes and arguments that the sinner can make. 2. Cor. 10.4, 5. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnall but mighty through God, to the pulling downe of strong holds, Casting downe immaginations and every high thing that exalteth it selfe against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ: when the soule cavills, what needes all this adoe. Shall not a man goe to Heaven unlesse he pray, heare Sermons, and sanctifie the Sabboth?
