2. It is the property of believers to fly to Christ for refuge. This flying may be explained with analogy to the two terms of every motion, which
336 SERMONS UPON HEBREWS VI. 18.
are terminus a quo and ad quern, from what we fly, and to what ; and fio we have the perfect method and course which the Sphit observeth in bringing home souls to Grod. In this flying to Christ as a city of refuge there is a driving and a drawing work ; the first belongs to the law, the second to the gospel. The law driveth us out of ourselves, and the gospel draweth us, and bringeth us home to God ; first there is a preparative work of the law, which causeth flight and fear, and is as the avenger of blood at our heels to make us run as for life : but the gospel hath the greatest stroke in the conversion of a sinner ; it is the gospel that pulls in the heart of a man to God. In coming to Christ we are moved not only with fear but hope ; a flight argueth fear, and there is an hope set before us ; there is a fear of deserved wrath, and a hope of undeserved mercy. First the law worketh fear in us, as a good jn-eparation to make way for the gospel, but then the hope set before lis in the offers of the gospel perfecteth the work ; as Moses brought them to the borders, but Joshua led them into the land of Canaan. Let us speak a little distinctly of these points.
[l.J Let us speak of the terminus a quo, the term from which we come, or the driving work ; it is comprised in these two things — a sense of sin, and a sense of the wrath of God pursuing for sin.
(1.) There must be a sense of sin. A man is satisfied with his con- dition until he seeth his own vileness in the glass of the law : Kom. vii. 9, ' I was alive without the law once ; but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.' He had as great hopes as most men have. Persons have a strong conceit of themselves, and a large opinion of their own righteousness, until the law of God comes upon their hearts in full evidence and power, and shakes their confidence ; then what Avretched creatures do we appear to ourselves upon such conviction ! I thought that I was thus and thus towards God, but I see that I am wholly carnal, and the law is spiritual ; I had thought that I had a better heart towards God, but alas ! I was wholly overgrown with lusts. This is like the awaking out of a di-eam ; a poor hungry man dreams that he is satisfied, but awaking, his soul hath nothing ; so a sinner says, I thought my estate was good ; but now I am convinced of the unsoundness of my heart, oh ! how poor and miserable and wretched am I in all spiritual respects ? First or last we are thus humble : Eev. iii, 17, ' Thou sayest I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing ; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.' Sottish wretches think they had ever a good heart towards God : Mat. xix. 20, _' All these things have I kept from my youth up ; ' and they go on with a pleasing dream, and so are not so ;iiuch as prepared for Christ. The children of God are kept constantly humble, they think none can have a worse heart than they : 1 Tim. i. 15, * Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.'
(2.) There must be a sense of the wrath of God pursuing us for sin ; both are necessary. Some are sensible of sin, but not of wrath ; as the carnal and dissolute, who cannot but know themselves wicked wretched creatures, but do not consider of wrath to come : Amos vi. 3, ' Ye put far away the evil day.' Hell is at a distance, and judgment is to come : they put off trouble when they cannot put it away ; they sleep, but their
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damnation sleepeth not ; tbey adjourn their work, and leave their souls at a desperate pass. Things afar off, though they be marvellous great, seem little ; a star that is bigger than all the earth is as a spark or spangle. Their consciences are not sensible of wrath, though their hearts be full of sin. Wrath is not upon them, nor the avenger of blood at their heels ; they delay and dream of a devout old age. But now God maketh them sensible of wrath to whom he meaneth grace, though I confess in a different degree. They are solicitous, if not anxious ; one time or other they are brought to this. What shall I do ? Some more violently, others more gently ; some are wounded at the very heart, others are pricked and a little stung at the heart : Acts ii. 37, ' Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart,' as with an empoisoned dagger. No certain rules can be given ; sometimes they that have good education have least terrors, as being restrained from grosser sins. Trees long unpruned have the more cuts when they come to be lopped. Some have more terrors, because they have with- stood more means. Some that are called to greater services have most terrors ; he that hath received much wrong by a bad neighbour can speak worse of him than he that hath received less injuries. Those that are not called to such eminent services, God sj^areth them. Work serveth instead of sorrows. Some have drunk most deeply of the dregs of sin, they serve only for monuments of the power of God's anger. Sometimes men or women of the most excellent and acute under- standing are most troubled, as having the clearest apprehension of the heinousness of sin and terribleness of wrath. At other times it cometh from ignorance, as fears are in the dark, and weak spirits are apt to be terrified. There can be no certain rules, only this in general, all feel some smart. Sin would not be bitter, and Christ would not be sweet, did not we taste it sometimes. The hart would not pant for the water- brooks if it were not chased, Ps. xlii. 1. Every one cometh to Christ with their load. A man that was never lost in himself will never be found in Christ.