tains a throne in the hearts of men, and that is by conquest * : for though the souls of the elect are his by donation, and right of re- demption ; the Father gave them to him, and he died for them ; •yet Satan hath the first possession : and so it fares with Christ, as it did with Abraham, to whom God gave the land of Canaan by promise and covenant, but the Canaanites, Perizites, and sons of Anak, had the actual possession of it, and Abraham's posterity must fight for it, and win it by inches, before they enjoy it. The house is conveyed to Christ by him that built it, but the strong man armed keeps the possession of it, till a stronger than he comes and ejects him, Luke xi. 20, 21, 22. Christ must fight his way into the soul, though he have a right to enter, as into his dearly purchased possession. And so he doth ; for when the time of re- covering them is come, he sends forth his armies to subdue them ; as it is Psal. ex. 3. " Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy " power." The •(• Hebrew may as fitly be rendered, and so is by some, " in the day of thine armies ;" when the Lord Jesus sent forth his armies of prophets, apostles, evangelists, pastors, teachers, under the conduct of his Spirit, armed with that two-edged sword, the word of God, which is sharp and powerful, Heb. iv. 12. But that is not all : he causes armies of convictions, and spiritual trou- bles, to begird and straiten them on every side, so that they know not what to do. These convictions, like a shower of arrows, strike, point-blank, into their consciences ; Acts ii. 37. " When they heard " this, they were pricked to the heart, and said, Men and brethren, " what shall we do ?" Christ's arrows are sharp in the hearts of his enemies, whereby the people fall under him, Psal. xlv. 5, 6. By these convictions he batters down all their loose vain hopes, and levels them with the earth.
Now all their weak pleas and defences, from the general mercy of God, the example of others, fyc. prove but as paper- walls to them. These shake their hearts, even to the very foundation, and overturn every high thought there, that exalts itself against the Lord. This day, in which Christ sits down before the soul, and summons it by such messengers as these, is a day of distress within : yea, such a day of trouble, that none is like it. But though it be so, yet Satan hath so deeply entrenched himself in
* For unlimited power, even in the way of vicegerency, can be competent to no man : there is also a certain kind of union which excludes all vicegerency : such as that of Father and Son, husband and wife : for certainly here substitution cannot take place. Maccov. loc. Com.}}. 641.
t aVl "^Vrr In die exercitus tui. To wit, When having sent forth thy apostles and qther teachers of the church, thou wilt, by the sound of thy gospel, gather toge- ther and constitute to thyself a kingdom. Mollier on this place.
202 THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. SERM. XVI.
the mind and will, that the soul yields not at the first summons, till its provisions within are spent, and all its towers of pride, and walls of vain confidence, be undermined by the gospel, and shaken down about its ears : and then the soul desires a parley with Christ. * O now it would be glad of terms, any terms, if it may but save its life : let all go as a prey to the conqueror. Now it sends many such messengers as these to Christ, who is come now to the very gates of the soul ; mercy, Lord, mercy, O were I but assured thou wouldest receive, spare, and pardon me, I would open to thee the next moment ! Thus the soul is " shut up to the faith of " Christ, as it is, Gal. iii. 23. and reduced now to the greatest strait and loss imaginable ; and now the merciful King, whose only design is to conquer the heart, hangs forth the white flag of mercy before the soul, giving it hopes it shall be spared, pitied, and pardoned, though so long in rebellion against him, if yet it will yield itself to Christ. Many staggerings, hesitations, irresolu- tions, doubts, fears, scruples, half-resolves, reasonings for and against, there are at the council-table of man's own heart, at this time. Sometimes there is no hope ; Christ will slay me, if I go forth to him, and then it trembles. But then, who ever found him so that tried him ? Other souls have yielded, and found mer- cy beyond all their expectations. O but I have been a desperate enemy against him. Admit it, yet thou hast the word of a King for it ; " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous " man his thoughts ; and let him turn to the Lord, and he will " have mercy on him ; and to our God, for he will abundantly " pardon him," Isa. lv. 7.
But the time of mercy is past, I have stood out too long : yet if it were so, how is it that Christ hath not made short work, and cut me off? set fire, hell fire to my soul, and withdrawn the siege ? Still he waiteth that he may be gracious, and is exalted that he may have compassion. A thousand «uch debates there are, till, at last, the soul considering, if it abide in rebellion, it must needs perish ; if it go forth to Christ, it can but perish : and be- ing somewhat encouraged by the messages of grace sent into the soul, at this time, such as in Heb. vii. 25. " Wherefore he is able " to save to the uttermost, all that come unto God by him ;" and, John vi. 37. " He that cometh to me, I will in nowise cast out ;" and in Matt, xi. 28. " Come unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy " laden> and I will give you rest,1' It is, at last, resolved to open to Christ ; and saith, " Stand open ye everlasting gates, and be ye " opened ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come " in." Now, the will spontaneously opens to Christ : that royal fort submits and yields ; all the affections open to him. The* will brings Christ the keys of all the rooms in the soul. Concerning
SERM. XVI. THE FOUNTAIN OF LIFE. 203